Review: My Heart and Other Black Holes

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This powerful realistic fiction novel focuses on Aysel, a physics nerd with a penchant for Einstein, and her desire to die. Depressed and feeling like an outsider, she goes online in search of a suicide partner, believing that it will be easier to go through with dying if she has a partner. Honest and brutal, Jasmine Warga writes about suicide and depression realistically and without condescension, but also with hope and even humor. Admittedly, this isn’t a book for everyone, but for anyone who has ever felt that they were alone or that death is the only option, this is a must read.

Note: Warga also includes a list of mental health resources at the end of her novel, many of which specifically focus on teenagers and suicide prevention.

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Review: The Unexpected Everything

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andie begins the summer before her senior year with big plans. Unfortunately, the universe has other ideas and everything she has lined up falls through, leaving her without an impressive resume-building, brag-worthy job. Morgan Matson delivers a warm story of first love, disappointment, and discovering how to find yourself amidst the chaos of life. Full of adventure and emotion, this book is a perfect start-to-summer read.

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Super-Lying-Fragile-Racist-Whiny-Braggadocious

To the tune of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (with apologies to Mary Poppins)

(Chorus)

Trump’s
Super-lying-fragile-racist-whiny-braggadocious
Every time he tries to speak it’s hyperbolic bullshit
He thinks if he shouts out loud enough that
You’ll forget he’s bogus
Super-lying-fragile-racist-whiny-braggadocious

Dumb little hands on a small-minded guy
Dumb little hands on a small-minded guy
Dumb little hands on a small-minded guy
Dumb little hands on a small-minded guy

Verse 1:
Because he refused housing rights when he was just a lad
The government gave his hand a slap and told him he was bad
But then one day he said a line to dismiss his housing woes:
“It’s not my fault! We all got caught!”
But now it’s clear we know

(Chorus)

Verse 2:
He’s traveled all around the world and everywhere he’s been
He claims the people love him and if they stay with him they’ll win
His temperament’s so good, you see, he’s such a gentleman
That nobody with ovaries gets to speak when they’re with him.

(Chorus)

Verse 3:
A tax evader billionaire uses public things for free
And then claims that the lower class must live modestly
He started out with nothing, but it’s been clear from the start
That his nothing and my nothing are a million dollars apart

Trump’s a
Super-lying-fragile-racist-whiny-braggadocious
Super-lying-fragile-racist-whiny-braggadocious
Super-lying-fragile-racist-whiny-braggadocious
Super-lying-fragile-racist-whiny-braggadocious

Why Suggesting That Arming Jews Would Have Prevented The Holocaust Is Offensive

Ben Carson, current republican presidential candidate, previous brain surgeon, supposedly reformed childhood rebel, recently publicly suggested that had Jewish people had weapons during the 1930’s and 1940’s that the Holocaust would have had a different outcome. “Through a combination of removing guns and disseminating deceitful propaganda, the Nazis were able to carry out their evil intentions with relatively little resistance,” he wrote.

Here’s why that statement is more than simply wrong or offensive – it’s downright dangerous.

First of all, much of the rhetoric surrounding Ben Carson’s statement states that the first thing that Hitler did was disarm the nation.

Review: Wonder

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wonder is a story anyone who went through school can relate to on summer level. While not all of us are teased or experiencing the extreme self-consciousness that Auggie faces, you can’t help but to feel that there is a bit if yourself in him. The underlying message throughout, that we should all act with kindness, is never forceful as Polacio gently reminds all of us what it is like to be in middle school and how even the seemingly unimportant can feel overwhelmingly huge.

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