Reading, Writing, and Me

So it's movie review time again! This is an insane year for YA movies, and especially rom-coms. I got out to the theater for Love, Simon , but I am definitely thrilled that I got to enjoy Laura Jean's onscreen birth from the couch in my living room, in my pajamas, just like Laura Jean would like to. Even though the opening scenes reminded me of a cheesy Hallmark style movie, To All The Boys I Loved Before  quickly shook off the rust and started rolling into an awesome movie. Really, the movie came for me when Peter K fell onto the screen. Noah Centineo is a great actor and embodies Peter's essence perfectly. The perfect casting truly extends throughout the movie with Lana Condor as Laura Jean. She's stylish (even if half her killer outfits would unjustly never be aloud at school in real life), honest, and endearing as she is in the book. They make a swoon worthy couple for sure. The other standout character for me is Chris, played by Madeleine Arthur. I forgot how

1. There aren’t many YA books that handle religion in such a head on, open way. What inspired you to write this story? Was writing characters with such diverse beliefs challenging?  I've always been fascinated by belief--what people believe, why they believe it, and the impact it has on the world. In college, I discovered the world of Catholic feminist and liberation theology. Basically, this means interpreting the Bible and Catholic social teaching in a way that centers the experiences of women, people of color, and other marginalized groups. It was mind-blowing to see scripture I thought I knew very well used in such a new way. Lucy's speech about whether girl saints were "well-behaved" (Spoiler alert: they were not) is the first thing I wrote. That's where the story began. As for writing characters with different beliefs, it definitely was challenging. You want to do it right, and you want people to see themselves in these characters. I did a lot of research,

All We Can Do Is Wait  by Richard Lawson Overview: The Tobin Bridge has collapsed. Those are the words that changed the lives of five teens, bringing them together. Skylar, Morgan, Scott, Jason, and Alexa are all in the waiting room together. Through the bond created by their shared fear about their loved ones, truths come out of the woodwork and they form connections they will never forget. Overall: 4.5 Characters: 5  I loved all the characters. For how large the cast was, I felt like I got to know them all very well. They each come from difficult situations in their regular lives that are further complicated by their loved ones in jeopardy and yet they're able to bond together to confront their terrible situation like a family. Plot: 5   I've found that I'll a huge fan of books that take place over a condensed time period. Much like another of my recent favorites, Nothing Left To Burn, the story alternates between the present hospital scenes and the character's