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Hearts Unbroken
New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith turns to realistic fiction with the thoughtful story of a Native teen navigating the complicated, confusing waters of high school — and first love.
When Louise Wolfe’s first real boyfriend mocks and disrespects Native people in front of her, she breaks things off and dumps him over e-mail. It’s her senior year, anyway, and she’d rather spend her time with her family and friends and working on the school newspaper. The editors pair her up with Joey Kairouz, the ambitious new photojournalist, and in no time the paper’s staff find themselves with a major story to the school musical director’s inclusive approach to casting The Wizard of Oz has been provoking backlash in their mostly white, middle-class Kansas town. From the newly formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater to anonymous threats, long-held prejudices are being laid bare and hostilities are spreading against teachers, parents, and students — especially the cast members at the center of the controversy, including Lou’s little brother, who’s playing the Tin Man. As tensions mount at school, so does a romance between Lou and Joey — but as she’s learned, “dating while Native” can be difficult. In trying to protect her own heart, will Lou break Joey’s?
When Louise Wolfe’s first real boyfriend mocks and disrespects Native people in front of her, she breaks things off and dumps him over e-mail. It’s her senior year, anyway, and she’d rather spend her time with her family and friends and working on the school newspaper. The editors pair her up with Joey Kairouz, the ambitious new photojournalist, and in no time the paper’s staff find themselves with a major story to the school musical director’s inclusive approach to casting The Wizard of Oz has been provoking backlash in their mostly white, middle-class Kansas town. From the newly formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater to anonymous threats, long-held prejudices are being laid bare and hostilities are spreading against teachers, parents, and students — especially the cast members at the center of the controversy, including Lou’s little brother, who’s playing the Tin Man. As tensions mount at school, so does a romance between Lou and Joey — but as she’s learned, “dating while Native” can be difficult. In trying to protect her own heart, will Lou break Joey’s?
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2018
172 people are currently reading
5136 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Leitich Smith
39 books1,287 followersCynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and anthologist of more than 20 books for young readers. She was named a 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidate, the NSK Neustadt Laureate, Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and winner of the Southern Miss Medallion for Outstanding Contributions in Children’s Literature. Cynthia has also been named to deliver the 2026 ALSC Children’s Literature Lecture. She is the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books, and served as the Katherine Paterson Inaugural Chair for the children’s-YA writing MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 631 reviews
November 19, 2018
I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher (Candlewick Press) as well as from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers. Yes, I ended up with two ARCs because I had sent a review request to the publisher (which they granted) and had entered to win the book on LibraryThing (and ended up winning a copy).
I give this book 3.5 stars which rounds up to 4.
I was so excited to read this book because I have read very few books about the Native American experience and wanted to learn more.
I loved the premise of the book and the message behind it. Native Americans and their experiences are always swept under the rug when it comes to racial inequality, so it is important to have books like this out there. I learned a lot from this. For example, L. Frank Baum’s racist attitudes towards Native Americans. I never knew that because it never gets mentioned.
I also liked how the author incorporated some Mvskoke words into the story. It was a nice touch.
However, the book’s execution was a bit lackluster. To me it just seemed like there was a lot going on. Not only was there a lot about racism but there were also a little bit of slut shaming and bullying thrown in the mix too. This was all on top of a romance story too. I wished the book would just focus on one main issue, instead of trying to throw it all in. It would have had more focus and been more impactful that way.
Overall, the book had a powerful message despite a few flaws in the execution.
I give this book 3.5 stars which rounds up to 4.
I was so excited to read this book because I have read very few books about the Native American experience and wanted to learn more.
I loved the premise of the book and the message behind it. Native Americans and their experiences are always swept under the rug when it comes to racial inequality, so it is important to have books like this out there. I learned a lot from this. For example, L. Frank Baum’s racist attitudes towards Native Americans. I never knew that because it never gets mentioned.
I also liked how the author incorporated some Mvskoke words into the story. It was a nice touch.
However, the book’s execution was a bit lackluster. To me it just seemed like there was a lot going on. Not only was there a lot about racism but there were also a little bit of slut shaming and bullying thrown in the mix too. This was all on top of a romance story too. I wished the book would just focus on one main issue, instead of trying to throw it all in. It would have had more focus and been more impactful that way.
Overall, the book had a powerful message despite a few flaws in the execution.
October 10, 2018
*Thanks again to Candlewick Press for sending me an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
The premise of “Hearts Unbroken“ sounded amazing. We have Louise Wolf, our female main character, who is a Native teen trying to deal with high school and the problems that come with first love. She’s a confident girl who doesn’t take shit from her boyfriend when he insults Native people in front of her and just dumps him via email, also because she’d much rather spend time with friends and family or on the school newspaper anyway.
When I first read the synopsis of this book, I knew immediately that I wanted to read it and hoped it would be as good as I thought it would be. But unfortunately, books sometimes just don’t live up to their synopsis.
I want to start with what I liked about “Hearts Unbroken” before I get into what bothered me about it and lead to my low rating. First of all, this book deals with such an important and interesting topic that we just don’t see a lot in literature. I loved how the main character, her family and other characters were Native Americans. As a European, I have to admit that I don’t know a lot about this group of people that unfortunately is just so underrepresented in literature and I really enjoyed learning more about their culture. Second of all, this was also such a quick read. I pretty much flew through it and if I’d had the time to just sit down and read it in one go, I think I could’ve easily finished it in under three hours.
But that’s already everything that I had on my list of positive things about “Hearts Unbroken” and everything else about this book was pretty disappointing. My biggest problem with this novel was definitely the writing. This may sound harsh, but if this hadn’t been an ARC, I don’t think I would’ve ever read the novel because at the end of its first page, I already knew that the writing just absolutely wasn’t for me. “Hearts Unbroken” was very poorly written which I think was also the main reason why I just never really got into the story.
Furthermore, I also really disliked how short most of the chapters were. Usually, I’m someone who definitely prefers shorter chapters over long ones, but Smith just often tended to end chapters at very important points and just threw the reader into a completely different scene which really interrupted the reading flow. Also, the chapters that were longer were usually just longer when Louise did interviews for the school newspaper and while I found some of her articles quite interesting, I often felt like I was just reading someone’s summary of their journalistic work instead of a proper novel about Louise’s life.
One last thing I then really had a problem with concerns the characters in this book. Firstly, there are way too many characters in this novel. In almost every chapter new characters - that ultimately aren’t even important to the story - are introduced and at the end of the book, I still hadn’t fully understood who was who. Secondly, there was also zero character development for many of the main characters in this book which was quite sad because I feel like if Smith hadn’t added quite as many characters to the book, she would’ve easily had time to focus more on those that were important for the actual story the novel tells.
So altogether, this was a book that deals with a very important topic but that is just very poorly written. If this had just once again been about some random topic you find in so many other YA contemporaries, I would’ve without a doubt only rated this one star. But due to the premise of this novel and because I definitely learned some interesting things while reading it, I decided to give it 2 out of 5 stars.
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The premise of “Hearts Unbroken“ sounded amazing. We have Louise Wolf, our female main character, who is a Native teen trying to deal with high school and the problems that come with first love. She’s a confident girl who doesn’t take shit from her boyfriend when he insults Native people in front of her and just dumps him via email, also because she’d much rather spend time with friends and family or on the school newspaper anyway.
When I first read the synopsis of this book, I knew immediately that I wanted to read it and hoped it would be as good as I thought it would be. But unfortunately, books sometimes just don’t live up to their synopsis.
I want to start with what I liked about “Hearts Unbroken” before I get into what bothered me about it and lead to my low rating. First of all, this book deals with such an important and interesting topic that we just don’t see a lot in literature. I loved how the main character, her family and other characters were Native Americans. As a European, I have to admit that I don’t know a lot about this group of people that unfortunately is just so underrepresented in literature and I really enjoyed learning more about their culture. Second of all, this was also such a quick read. I pretty much flew through it and if I’d had the time to just sit down and read it in one go, I think I could’ve easily finished it in under three hours.
But that’s already everything that I had on my list of positive things about “Hearts Unbroken” and everything else about this book was pretty disappointing. My biggest problem with this novel was definitely the writing. This may sound harsh, but if this hadn’t been an ARC, I don’t think I would’ve ever read the novel because at the end of its first page, I already knew that the writing just absolutely wasn’t for me. “Hearts Unbroken” was very poorly written which I think was also the main reason why I just never really got into the story.
Furthermore, I also really disliked how short most of the chapters were. Usually, I’m someone who definitely prefers shorter chapters over long ones, but Smith just often tended to end chapters at very important points and just threw the reader into a completely different scene which really interrupted the reading flow. Also, the chapters that were longer were usually just longer when Louise did interviews for the school newspaper and while I found some of her articles quite interesting, I often felt like I was just reading someone’s summary of their journalistic work instead of a proper novel about Louise’s life.
One last thing I then really had a problem with concerns the characters in this book. Firstly, there are way too many characters in this novel. In almost every chapter new characters - that ultimately aren’t even important to the story - are introduced and at the end of the book, I still hadn’t fully understood who was who. Secondly, there was also zero character development for many of the main characters in this book which was quite sad because I feel like if Smith hadn’t added quite as many characters to the book, she would’ve easily had time to focus more on those that were important for the actual story the novel tells.
So altogether, this was a book that deals with a very important topic but that is just very poorly written. If this had just once again been about some random topic you find in so many other YA contemporaries, I would’ve without a doubt only rated this one star. But due to the premise of this novel and because I definitely learned some interesting things while reading it, I decided to give it 2 out of 5 stars.
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September 25, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up for D&I. A YA read for a challenge, about a Native teen in a suburban Kansas torn apart by institutional racism (centering on the school's production of the "Wizard of Oz"). There’s secondary romantic angles, but that’s not the focus here. I needed some time getting through this one - it was rather densely written & required frequent reading breaks. Would still recommend it to/for it's target audience.
November 28, 2021
Joey cocked his head. "Nobody's fucking GETTING to ME."
"Language," Ms. Wilson echoed, sounding impressed. Because he was a badass, too. pg. 44
Miracle of miracles, I actually liked this. I liked a YA book. Wonders never cease. Good thing I ignored the GR reviews of this, which mostly painted it as mediocre, and tried it out for myself.
Perhaps the reason I liked it so much is because I have such low expectations for YA. I expect YA to be terrible, so when it's not terrible I'm always pleasantly surprised.
Louise is a Muscogee (Creek) girl (woman) who is in her senior year of high school. She turns 18 22% of the way through the book. I like that the book is about an older teen. I think I find 18 easier to deal with than 16, although I guess it all depends on how a book is written, and I like Smith's writing style and she's also pushing all my buttons, in a good way.
Louise breaks up with her boyfriend, a jock with a pampered-prince complex. She's been carrying him through whatever emotional immaturity he demonstrates, but when his mom makes some racist comments about her oldest son's fiancée (who is Kickapoo) and Cam agrees with them, it's the last straw for her, and she dumps him over e-mail.
I don't believe in breaking up in people over text or e-mail (unless the person is abusive) and I was upset with her for not doing it face-to-face. But the wonderful thing is that Smith also acknowledges this, and there's fallout from it, so it's ok.
Louise doesn't become a cheerleader senior year because of this break-up. Instead she joins the school paper, and it's one of the best decisions she's ever made.
Her little brother gets cast as the Tin Man in the school's production of Wizard of Oz, thanks in part to a revolutionary theater teacher employing 'color blind' casting. This causes quite a backlash in this majority-white town in Kansas. Especially since Dorothy is going to be played by a Black girl.
The book also focuses on Louise's budding romance with fellow journalist Joey.
...
OK, so first off, this book is just so relevant. I know it was penned in 2018, but a lot of the issues it talks about are big news today. Sadly. Book-banning in school libraries is one example. Book-banning and censorship are very big right now and both public libraries and school libraries are facing a lot of heat from 'conservatives' who think all books about LGBTQIA+ individuals should be banned. Or etc. And the racism. It's very easy to imagine a group of 'concerned parents' banding together and forming a group to keep school theater white, saying casting Black people or other POCs in lead roles is 'reverse racism.' Never mind that the Black girl is the best actor for the part of Dorothy, Dorothy is WHITE, okay, and can only be played by a WHITE GIRL. Sadly this is very, very realistic and almost could be ripped from 2021 headlines. It's a very topical book. How about Louise, a brown girl, being targeted with threats and harassments saying "Go Back Where You Came From," her family's tormentors apparently ignorant enough not to see the irony of telling American Indians to 'go back home.' They are too stupid to grasp this, also racists are not very discerning about the differences between various ethnicities of brown people. Perhaps they think she's Latina.
The idea that anyone who is not white is 'not American' is still very prevalent and it's clearly presented in this book. "Dorothy is a Kansan!" the pastor's wife insists, when asked why a Black girl shouldn't be playing Dorothy. "Chelsea was born in Kansas," Louise calmly points out. This insidiousness is still rampant today. IDK, when you present an 'All-American Boy' as a Black boy everyone is still shocked, they picture All-American as blonde hair and blue eyes, even though that's radically not true.
I realize that the book's description and what I wrote above could be considered that this is 'a woke book' or some SJW crap or something, but it's not. Trust me, I have no tolerance for sap, preachy books or garbage writing that exists merely to hammer in a point. Instead, Smith is surprisingly nuanced.
One thing that helps is Louise's calm and levelheaded nature, which I adore. She takes everything in stride. She even has amazing patience even with her scummy ex and his shennanigans. Although she is a fighter with ovaries of steel, she's not reactionary and she always approaches things with calm and rationality. I loved it.
Smith also makes everything so nuanced. Louise isn't perfect, she fucks up. She's definitely not a Mary Sue. Racism is treated with nuance and care. I feel like it's very easy to say, "Racism is bad. All racists should be shunned and punished. Zero tolerance." But IRL racism is often complicated and messy and tied in with people we love deeply and there's so many factors that it's a very tangled web. Smith shows this. She doesn't make the racists in this book one-dimensional, she showcases all kinds of racists and all the different paths that lead to racism, and how hard it is to be a child in a racist family. Even though Louise (and others) face racism to varying degrees throughout the book, it could be racism from a hateful stranger, racism from a loving friend, racism from a beloved friend or lover's parents, and to many varying degrees from "I want to kill you and your family" to "Aren't all American Indians alcoholics?" and everything in between. Louise's cool head and calm nature makes her better equipped to deal with this than, say, someone younger and more raw like her little brother.
Christianity is also nuanced and layered here. Louise is a Christian girl, it's not glossed over in here. She's Christian. The people who run the hate group that terrorize people and aim to make the school theater a white haven again are also 'Christian.' Louise meets with the pastor's wife, who tells her "I am a a Christian woman. Jesus has filled my heart with love." This from a woman who basically runs a mafia-style harassment campaign against anyone who believes in equal rights for "minorities."
I rarely see a Christian MC written like this. Most YA books with Christian MCs are insufferable. And the MCs are unlikable and sanctimonious. Not so here. Louise is a Christian girl but is also a normal teenager. She swears. She contemplates losing her virginity to a loving boyfriend. She's not judgmental of others' beliefs, religious or otherwise.
What else? Joey's not perfect, my romantic heart wishes he was more of a mensch, but I guess he's more on the realistic side for a teenaged boy. Louise's ex is also layered and complex, much deeper than just being a racist and a lying asshole, I love the complexities spilling over this book. Smith rarely makes a character a simple asshole, usually they contain multitudes, even if they are not what you would think of as good or likable people. I thought the part where Louise finally brings up having sex with Joey was pretty funny, and I need more of this in YA, and less drama.
Not that everything is perfect. Smith has some plot holes here that are glossed over. For instance, when Louise suddenly purchases two Dachshund puppies. It makes no sense. For one thing, she doesn't have a paying job. Where did she get the money? Dachshunds are expensive. And she just brings the puppies home to her family, and they're just like "OK, we have two dogs now." I can't see this going down without a family discussion, bringing home two puppies unannounced as a unilateral decision wouldn't be tolerated, but perhaps that's just how I was raised. And even though Louise is 18, her parents still limit her screen time. As a senior in high school?! I'm just baffled by this. There's other weird occurrences that make no sense but pop up and then quickly are ignored, with no discussions or explanations by the author.
TL;DR No hand-wringing, no unnecessary drama DESPITE the heavy subject matter in this book. This may be one of the calmest and most levelheaded books I've ever read concerning racism, Christianity, and slut-shaming. Smith shows amazing restraint in not painting most characters with a broad brush. They are flawed. They are complex. They have layers. Someone may be an asshole but do something good, someone may be a good person but do something bad. It's incredible, especially for the YA genre.
Refreshingly not preachy. I liked the levelheaded and rational MC. I liked the low-drama nature of the book, which was surprising. I liked the complex characters.
It wasn't perfect but it was enjoyable and I think Smith did a good job.
NAMES IN THIS BOOK:
"Language," Ms. Wilson echoed, sounding impressed. Because he was a badass, too. pg. 44
Miracle of miracles, I actually liked this. I liked a YA book. Wonders never cease. Good thing I ignored the GR reviews of this, which mostly painted it as mediocre, and tried it out for myself.
Perhaps the reason I liked it so much is because I have such low expectations for YA. I expect YA to be terrible, so when it's not terrible I'm always pleasantly surprised.
Louise is a Muscogee (Creek) girl (woman) who is in her senior year of high school. She turns 18 22% of the way through the book. I like that the book is about an older teen. I think I find 18 easier to deal with than 16, although I guess it all depends on how a book is written, and I like Smith's writing style and she's also pushing all my buttons, in a good way.
Louise breaks up with her boyfriend, a jock with a pampered-prince complex. She's been carrying him through whatever emotional immaturity he demonstrates, but when his mom makes some racist comments about her oldest son's fiancée (who is Kickapoo) and Cam agrees with them, it's the last straw for her, and she dumps him over e-mail.
I don't believe in breaking up in people over text or e-mail (unless the person is abusive) and I was upset with her for not doing it face-to-face. But the wonderful thing is that Smith also acknowledges this, and there's fallout from it, so it's ok.
Louise doesn't become a cheerleader senior year because of this break-up. Instead she joins the school paper, and it's one of the best decisions she's ever made.
Her little brother gets cast as the Tin Man in the school's production of Wizard of Oz, thanks in part to a revolutionary theater teacher employing 'color blind' casting. This causes quite a backlash in this majority-white town in Kansas. Especially since Dorothy is going to be played by a Black girl.
The book also focuses on Louise's budding romance with fellow journalist Joey.
...
OK, so first off, this book is just so relevant. I know it was penned in 2018, but a lot of the issues it talks about are big news today. Sadly. Book-banning in school libraries is one example. Book-banning and censorship are very big right now and both public libraries and school libraries are facing a lot of heat from 'conservatives' who think all books about LGBTQIA+ individuals should be banned. Or etc. And the racism. It's very easy to imagine a group of 'concerned parents' banding together and forming a group to keep school theater white, saying casting Black people or other POCs in lead roles is 'reverse racism.' Never mind that the Black girl is the best actor for the part of Dorothy, Dorothy is WHITE, okay, and can only be played by a WHITE GIRL. Sadly this is very, very realistic and almost could be ripped from 2021 headlines. It's a very topical book. How about Louise, a brown girl, being targeted with threats and harassments saying "Go Back Where You Came From," her family's tormentors apparently ignorant enough not to see the irony of telling American Indians to 'go back home.' They are too stupid to grasp this, also racists are not very discerning about the differences between various ethnicities of brown people. Perhaps they think she's Latina.
The idea that anyone who is not white is 'not American' is still very prevalent and it's clearly presented in this book. "Dorothy is a Kansan!" the pastor's wife insists, when asked why a Black girl shouldn't be playing Dorothy. "Chelsea was born in Kansas," Louise calmly points out. This insidiousness is still rampant today. IDK, when you present an 'All-American Boy' as a Black boy everyone is still shocked, they picture All-American as blonde hair and blue eyes, even though that's radically not true.
I realize that the book's description and what I wrote above could be considered that this is 'a woke book' or some SJW crap or something, but it's not. Trust me, I have no tolerance for sap, preachy books or garbage writing that exists merely to hammer in a point. Instead, Smith is surprisingly nuanced.
One thing that helps is Louise's calm and levelheaded nature, which I adore. She takes everything in stride. She even has amazing patience even with her scummy ex and his shennanigans. Although she is a fighter with ovaries of steel, she's not reactionary and she always approaches things with calm and rationality. I loved it.
Smith also makes everything so nuanced. Louise isn't perfect, she fucks up. She's definitely not a Mary Sue. Racism is treated with nuance and care. I feel like it's very easy to say, "Racism is bad. All racists should be shunned and punished. Zero tolerance." But IRL racism is often complicated and messy and tied in with people we love deeply and there's so many factors that it's a very tangled web. Smith shows this. She doesn't make the racists in this book one-dimensional, she showcases all kinds of racists and all the different paths that lead to racism, and how hard it is to be a child in a racist family. Even though Louise (and others) face racism to varying degrees throughout the book, it could be racism from a hateful stranger, racism from a loving friend, racism from a beloved friend or lover's parents, and to many varying degrees from "I want to kill you and your family" to "Aren't all American Indians alcoholics?" and everything in between. Louise's cool head and calm nature makes her better equipped to deal with this than, say, someone younger and more raw like her little brother.
Christianity is also nuanced and layered here. Louise is a Christian girl, it's not glossed over in here. She's Christian. The people who run the hate group that terrorize people and aim to make the school theater a white haven again are also 'Christian.' Louise meets with the pastor's wife, who tells her "I am a a Christian woman. Jesus has filled my heart with love." This from a woman who basically runs a mafia-style harassment campaign against anyone who believes in equal rights for "minorities."
I rarely see a Christian MC written like this. Most YA books with Christian MCs are insufferable. And the MCs are unlikable and sanctimonious. Not so here. Louise is a Christian girl but is also a normal teenager. She swears. She contemplates losing her virginity to a loving boyfriend. She's not judgmental of others' beliefs, religious or otherwise.
What else? Joey's not perfect, my romantic heart wishes he was more of a mensch, but I guess he's more on the realistic side for a teenaged boy. Louise's ex is also layered and complex, much deeper than just being a racist and a lying asshole, I love the complexities spilling over this book. Smith rarely makes a character a simple asshole, usually they contain multitudes, even if they are not what you would think of as good or likable people. I thought the part where Louise finally brings up having sex with Joey was pretty funny, and I need more of this in YA, and less drama.
Not that everything is perfect. Smith has some plot holes here that are glossed over. For instance, when Louise suddenly purchases two Dachshund puppies. It makes no sense. For one thing, she doesn't have a paying job. Where did she get the money? Dachshunds are expensive. And she just brings the puppies home to her family, and they're just like "OK, we have two dogs now." I can't see this going down without a family discussion, bringing home two puppies unannounced as a unilateral decision wouldn't be tolerated, but perhaps that's just how I was raised. And even though Louise is 18, her parents still limit her screen time. As a senior in high school?! I'm just baffled by this. There's other weird occurrences that make no sense but pop up and then quickly are ignored, with no discussions or explanations by the author.
TL;DR No hand-wringing, no unnecessary drama DESPITE the heavy subject matter in this book. This may be one of the calmest and most levelheaded books I've ever read concerning racism, Christianity, and slut-shaming. Smith shows amazing restraint in not painting most characters with a broad brush. They are flawed. They are complex. They have layers. Someone may be an asshole but do something good, someone may be a good person but do something bad. It's incredible, especially for the YA genre.
Refreshingly not preachy. I liked the levelheaded and rational MC. I liked the low-drama nature of the book, which was surprising. I liked the complex characters.
It wasn't perfect but it was enjoyable and I think Smith did a good job.
NAMES IN THIS BOOK:
May 24, 2021
4.5 Stars
Really fantastic YA contemporary with a romance plot! Hearts Unbroken follows Louise Wolfe, an indigenous teen girl who has just broken up with her boyfriend because of comments he made about native people. Now white parents in their small town are in an uproar about the inclusive casting of a high school production of The Wizard of Oz. Meanwhile Louise and her colleague on the school paper (a cute Lebanese-American boy named Joey) slowly develop a romance while engaging in journalism about the casting and other issues at the school.
This book is a great blend of romantic coming of age story, and exploration of the microagressions people of color face in their everyday lives. It's compelling and thought-provoking with a smart heroine who isn't afraid to go after what she wants and stand up for herself. Definitely would recommend.
Really fantastic YA contemporary with a romance plot! Hearts Unbroken follows Louise Wolfe, an indigenous teen girl who has just broken up with her boyfriend because of comments he made about native people. Now white parents in their small town are in an uproar about the inclusive casting of a high school production of The Wizard of Oz. Meanwhile Louise and her colleague on the school paper (a cute Lebanese-American boy named Joey) slowly develop a romance while engaging in journalism about the casting and other issues at the school.
This book is a great blend of romantic coming of age story, and exploration of the microagressions people of color face in their everyday lives. It's compelling and thought-provoking with a smart heroine who isn't afraid to go after what she wants and stand up for herself. Definitely would recommend.
August 22, 2018
This book touches on such an important matter and underrepresented voice; however, I feel that if this had been about anything else, it would not have been published. The writing was poor: it read like a laundry list of things that happened with moments of dialogue to break it up. Nothing was fleshed out. Within the first ten percent of the book multiple Native American stereotypes had been mentioned (by a white character making a comment about it), and Louise would be upset and then end scene. I know people go around saying racist or insensitive comments but this was just weird and seemed like the author was doing a sort of info-dump of all negative things people think about regarding Native Americans.
I would have loved to seen Smith pick one or two of the issues presented and develop a strong story and character around that instead of trying to tackle all of the racial things people say in one go.
Reading this made me realize how little I’ve read where the MC is Native American. If anyone has suggestions, let me know!
I would have loved to seen Smith pick one or two of the issues presented and develop a strong story and character around that instead of trying to tackle all of the racial things people say in one go.
Reading this made me realize how little I’ve read where the MC is Native American. If anyone has suggestions, let me know!
July 21, 2020
This was a fun one! Cynthia Leitich Smith created a YA novel with a ton of heart, a breezy writing voice, and teens who are way too pithy for their years (which I see as a lively departure!). Louise was such an original character, and I loved how Leitich Smith unpacked her background and created such a rich environment around her.
There were two things I struggled with in here. First, the chapter lengths were uneven, and some were super long while others were maybe half a page, which made it hard to get in a rhythm sometimes; it also meant a few plot points were either too abrupt or too drawn out. Second, there were a lot of characters to keep track of; I had to circle back not infrequently to make sure I understood who people were and how they related to the plot.
I definitely recommend Hearts Unbroken though for YA fans who want something sweet and a little different. This one's around 3.5 stars for me.
There were two things I struggled with in here. First, the chapter lengths were uneven, and some were super long while others were maybe half a page, which made it hard to get in a rhythm sometimes; it also meant a few plot points were either too abrupt or too drawn out. Second, there were a lot of characters to keep track of; I had to circle back not infrequently to make sure I understood who people were and how they related to the plot.
I definitely recommend Hearts Unbroken though for YA fans who want something sweet and a little different. This one's around 3.5 stars for me.
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July 4, 2018It's been a long time since I've read a YA book with a female main character who is Native (and specifically in this case, Muscogee). This book follows Lou as she navigates her new work on the school newspaper with rampant racism in her suburban Kansas school. When the school play is being cast as inclusively as possible, local parents begin to speak out against "reverse racism,"; this impacts Lou personally not just because of her work on the newspaper and her desire to report it, but also because her younger brother had been cast in one of the roles for "The Wizard of Oz."
The book explores student journalism and racism, the way they weave together, and it also touches upon the ways that Native history and culture has been eviscerated in American history. More, it digs into creators who are problematic and how it is possible -- if it's possible -- to navigate a love of art with knowledge of a creator's horrific history (see: "The Wizard of Oz" and what Baum has said about genocide).
Both Lou and her brother also practice Mvskoke throughout, and there's a short reference in the back of the book for readers who want to learn more. Leitich-Smith is, herself, a beginner, so this feels like a nice addition for readers of all backgrounds. Her author's note, too, is really worth reading.
But perhaps what I liked most was this: Lou is a little self-righteous, and it makes sense why. She's got to fight harder, work longer, and speak more bluntly in order to be seen and heard. She's proud of her heritage but also knows it's a stumbling block for many, including an ex-boyfriend. However, when Lou goes to tell the current boy she's dating about her Muscogee background, she does so in a way that's racist against Arab Americans (her boyfriend is). It's not until someone else explains this to her does she have the ah ha moment about how oppression isn't a game of comparison. It's awful no matter what it is. It also changes how she chooses to talk about her Native experiences -- and how she chooses to share them with people like her boyfriend.
The book explores student journalism and racism, the way they weave together, and it also touches upon the ways that Native history and culture has been eviscerated in American history. More, it digs into creators who are problematic and how it is possible -- if it's possible -- to navigate a love of art with knowledge of a creator's horrific history (see: "The Wizard of Oz" and what Baum has said about genocide).
Both Lou and her brother also practice Mvskoke throughout, and there's a short reference in the back of the book for readers who want to learn more. Leitich-Smith is, herself, a beginner, so this feels like a nice addition for readers of all backgrounds. Her author's note, too, is really worth reading.
But perhaps what I liked most was this: Lou is a little self-righteous, and it makes sense why. She's got to fight harder, work longer, and speak more bluntly in order to be seen and heard. She's proud of her heritage but also knows it's a stumbling block for many, including an ex-boyfriend. However, when Lou goes to tell the current boy she's dating about her Muscogee background, she does so in a way that's racist against Arab Americans (her boyfriend is). It's not until someone else explains this to her does she have the ah ha moment about how oppression isn't a game of comparison. It's awful no matter what it is. It also changes how she chooses to talk about her Native experiences -- and how she chooses to share them with people like her boyfriend.
April 26, 2018
As a fan of Leitich Smith's contemporary work - Jingle Dancer, Indian Shoes, and especially Rain Is Not My Indian Name, I was thrilled to get a hold of the ARC of Hearts Unbroken. Louise Wolfe breaks up with her first boyfriend after he disparages Native people. While working on the school paper, she's paired up with Joey who Lou finds both aggravating and attractive. Attention is on the high school play, Wizard of Oz, and the diverse cast, including Lou's younger brother as the Tin Man. Some people in the small town of Kansas are offended by this. Threats are made, and Lou struggles with anger and hurt. She wants to speak up and do the right thing, but ends up hurting Joey with her words. I loved this story about trust, dealing with discrimination, love, and family. I also learned a LOT. I highly recommend this book!
October 22, 2018
Writing for impression, not scenes
So, it took me a long time to get into this book because of the writing style, and I suspect that'll be the same for a lot of other readers. However, once I understood what the book was trying to do and adjusted my own reading habits, we clicked a lot more. I have a habit of reading in between tasks and letting the book tell me where to stop, with chapter breaks or somesuch, and that just didn't work in this book because the scenes are so short. Reading a handful at a time didn't work because they don't build on each other. My ADHD brain couldn't handle it!
But I noticed that I also couldn't stop thinking about the book after I put it down. When I decided to carve out some weekend time and just sit and read, when I let the whole of the book flow continuously, I was really happy with it.
I felt like the writing in this book is built for making an impression more than following a 'traditional' storytelling style. The rapid-fire nature of scenes, the repetition of certain points, the way things get cut off, is individually frustrating but altogether evoke some pretty powerful feelings and impressions. I got a sense of the ever-present underlying racism much better from having short instances brought up repeatedly than I ever could from one "well"-developed scene. I felt Lou's exhaustion from leaving these things unchallenged much more from the way scenes ended than I ever could from any narration she might have delivered. It was storytelling via structure, and I find it fascinating.
The Characters
There's a wealth of characters in this novel, most of them with small roles but all of whom are distinct and interact with Lou in unique ways, which contributes to a feeling of the world being well-rounded. I particularly really loved her parents, and family in general is a big factor in this book. Not just nuclear family - they visit extended family and mention said family members often. Lou's friends and fellow-paper-students are great, too, and her best friend delivers a great little speech to Lou at the end.
In fact, that little speech is one of my faves, because throughout the book Lou can feel a little bland. But she's not. The narrative just did such a thoroughly good job of putting me in Lou's mindset that it felt completely naturally and kind of invisible. And then when her flaws get called out near the end, I had a real sense of 'oh shit, I totally got sucked into that' which was very interesting.
The one time realism maaaaaybe isn't the best
The plot on this one is...a smidge underwhelming? There's just not a lot going on, to the point that writing a summary for it was hard because, well, to come up with something longer than a sentence you basically have to list everything that happens. Ish. Because of the repetition and the vignette nature of the structure, it takes very little plot to get an actual lot of pages. Every beat is repeated over and over, but with different throw-away characters. Add to that there's a lot of threads that seem like they're building up to something and then just...kind of stop just short of a climax and then fizzle out.
Which, to be fair, is thoroughly realistic, not every act of racism ends in something huge and dramatic. Everything in this book feels very real. It just...doesn't quite feel very story. That'll annoy different people to different degrees, but it did leave me feeling a bit 'wait, that's it?' after the end.
So, it took me a long time to get into this book because of the writing style, and I suspect that'll be the same for a lot of other readers. However, once I understood what the book was trying to do and adjusted my own reading habits, we clicked a lot more. I have a habit of reading in between tasks and letting the book tell me where to stop, with chapter breaks or somesuch, and that just didn't work in this book because the scenes are so short. Reading a handful at a time didn't work because they don't build on each other. My ADHD brain couldn't handle it!
But I noticed that I also couldn't stop thinking about the book after I put it down. When I decided to carve out some weekend time and just sit and read, when I let the whole of the book flow continuously, I was really happy with it.
I felt like the writing in this book is built for making an impression more than following a 'traditional' storytelling style. The rapid-fire nature of scenes, the repetition of certain points, the way things get cut off, is individually frustrating but altogether evoke some pretty powerful feelings and impressions. I got a sense of the ever-present underlying racism much better from having short instances brought up repeatedly than I ever could from one "well"-developed scene. I felt Lou's exhaustion from leaving these things unchallenged much more from the way scenes ended than I ever could from any narration she might have delivered. It was storytelling via structure, and I find it fascinating.
The Characters
There's a wealth of characters in this novel, most of them with small roles but all of whom are distinct and interact with Lou in unique ways, which contributes to a feeling of the world being well-rounded. I particularly really loved her parents, and family in general is a big factor in this book. Not just nuclear family - they visit extended family and mention said family members often. Lou's friends and fellow-paper-students are great, too, and her best friend delivers a great little speech to Lou at the end.
In fact, that little speech is one of my faves, because throughout the book Lou can feel a little bland. But she's not. The narrative just did such a thoroughly good job of putting me in Lou's mindset that it felt completely naturally and kind of invisible. And then when her flaws get called out near the end, I had a real sense of 'oh shit, I totally got sucked into that' which was very interesting.
The one time realism maaaaaybe isn't the best
The plot on this one is...a smidge underwhelming? There's just not a lot going on, to the point that writing a summary for it was hard because, well, to come up with something longer than a sentence you basically have to list everything that happens. Ish. Because of the repetition and the vignette nature of the structure, it takes very little plot to get an actual lot of pages. Every beat is repeated over and over, but with different throw-away characters. Add to that there's a lot of threads that seem like they're building up to something and then just...kind of stop just short of a climax and then fizzle out.
Which, to be fair, is thoroughly realistic, not every act of racism ends in something huge and dramatic. Everything in this book feels very real. It just...doesn't quite feel very story. That'll annoy different people to different degrees, but it did leave me feeling a bit 'wait, that's it?' after the end.
May 12, 2019
3 stars
TW: racism, hate crime
Rep: Native American (Muscogee) MC and SCs
The Writing
The writing felt very bland if that makes sense. There wasn’t much character to it at all and I found myself kind of tuning out at points because I was really bored with the way that the story was being told. The dialogue also felt very forced and I found myself rolling my eyes at it multiple times, which definitely took me out of the story.
The Plot/Pacing
My thing with the plot is that it didn’t feel coherent it all. It wasn’t a string of events where one leads to the other. It was more like a bunch of things that happened, but it didn’t feel like any of them had any connection to each other, and there was absolutely no causation in sight. I thought that what the plot was trying to do was very interesting but I was really disappointed with the way it turned out. I also thought the romance was very poorly developed and I felt no chemistry whatsoever between the two characters.
The Characters
I honestly couldn’t tell you a single thing about any of the characters in this book, aside from their names, and honestly, sometimes I’m even confused about that. They were all just so bland and very very underdeveloped. I didn’t care about any of them and I wasn’t invested in any of their stories. And it sucks because I felt like there was so much room for development there, but none of that potential was used and I wish it had been.
Overall
I found that I really enjoyed the insight this book provided into Native American, and specifically, Muscogee culture, but I feel like there was a lot of room for improvement because the idea was very promising.
TW: racism, hate crime
Rep: Native American (Muscogee) MC and SCs
The Writing
The writing felt very bland if that makes sense. There wasn’t much character to it at all and I found myself kind of tuning out at points because I was really bored with the way that the story was being told. The dialogue also felt very forced and I found myself rolling my eyes at it multiple times, which definitely took me out of the story.
The Plot/Pacing
My thing with the plot is that it didn’t feel coherent it all. It wasn’t a string of events where one leads to the other. It was more like a bunch of things that happened, but it didn’t feel like any of them had any connection to each other, and there was absolutely no causation in sight. I thought that what the plot was trying to do was very interesting but I was really disappointed with the way it turned out. I also thought the romance was very poorly developed and I felt no chemistry whatsoever between the two characters.
The Characters
I honestly couldn’t tell you a single thing about any of the characters in this book, aside from their names, and honestly, sometimes I’m even confused about that. They were all just so bland and very very underdeveloped. I didn’t care about any of them and I wasn’t invested in any of their stories. And it sucks because I felt like there was so much room for development there, but none of that potential was used and I wish it had been.
Overall
I found that I really enjoyed the insight this book provided into Native American, and specifically, Muscogee culture, but I feel like there was a lot of room for improvement because the idea was very promising.
August 19, 2018
I couldn’t get into this... Maybe it was the writing, maybe the characters or even both.. I can’t really place it. I appreciated the effort though, and it had a promising concept. This just didn’t live up to my expectations; it wasn’t really for me unfortunately. 🤷🏼♀️
October 4, 2018
Rating: 3.5 Stars
When the new drama teacher embraces color-blind casting for the school's production of The Wizard of Oz, sparks fly in Louise's small town, and she makes a point of getting to the bottom of it, and using her voice to challenge those opposed to the casting choices that were made and threatening her family.
• Pro: Louise was a great protagonist. I loved how fully she embraced her personal identity and was comfortable with it, even when it could cause conflict for her. She was proud of her heritage, fiercely loved her family, and would challenge those who attacked either of those two things.
• Pro: I grew up and still live in a diverse neighborhood, but I personally knew only one Native person. A book like this is important, because not only does it represent an extremely underrepresented group of people, but it reminds those who are not part of that group how damaging things which seem innocuous can be to other people.
• Pro: The Wolfe family was wonderful. They had such a strong bond to one another, and it was such a pleasure to spend time with Louise's immediate and extended family. The warmth, love, and unfailing support they gave each other was the sort of thing I love seeing in YA families.
• Pro: The controversy surrounding the color-blind casting was very relevant, and I thought it was an interesting way to incorporate the exploration of racism into the story. The incorporation and handling of social issues was where I thought the book excelled. Smith did a great job shedding light on many things, and left me with many things to think on.
• Pro: Hughie was such a sweetheart. His enthusiasm, fear, and disappointment radiated from the page. He was probably one of the most vibrant characters in the book. My heart broke for him, but he showed just how mature he was via the many choices he made.
• Pro: The growth Louise experiences over the course of the book was also well illustrated in her acknowledgement of her mistakes and flaws, and the way she attempted to atone for past missteps.
Overall: Another reminder, that although we have evolved a lot as nation, we still have a long way to go.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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When the new drama teacher embraces color-blind casting for the school's production of The Wizard of Oz, sparks fly in Louise's small town, and she makes a point of getting to the bottom of it, and using her voice to challenge those opposed to the casting choices that were made and threatening her family.
• Pro: Louise was a great protagonist. I loved how fully she embraced her personal identity and was comfortable with it, even when it could cause conflict for her. She was proud of her heritage, fiercely loved her family, and would challenge those who attacked either of those two things.
• Pro: I grew up and still live in a diverse neighborhood, but I personally knew only one Native person. A book like this is important, because not only does it represent an extremely underrepresented group of people, but it reminds those who are not part of that group how damaging things which seem innocuous can be to other people.
• Pro: The Wolfe family was wonderful. They had such a strong bond to one another, and it was such a pleasure to spend time with Louise's immediate and extended family. The warmth, love, and unfailing support they gave each other was the sort of thing I love seeing in YA families.
• Pro: The controversy surrounding the color-blind casting was very relevant, and I thought it was an interesting way to incorporate the exploration of racism into the story. The incorporation and handling of social issues was where I thought the book excelled. Smith did a great job shedding light on many things, and left me with many things to think on.
• Pro: Hughie was such a sweetheart. His enthusiasm, fear, and disappointment radiated from the page. He was probably one of the most vibrant characters in the book. My heart broke for him, but he showed just how mature he was via the many choices he made.
• Pro: The growth Louise experiences over the course of the book was also well illustrated in her acknowledgement of her mistakes and flaws, and the way she attempted to atone for past missteps.
Overall: Another reminder, that although we have evolved a lot as nation, we still have a long way to go.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
November 4, 2018
Note: I received a copy of Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted so badly to enjoy Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith; I loved the fact that this book had Native American representation — something I rarely see in Young Adult fiction. I loved the fact that this book touched on very important topics such as racism, bullying, and slut-shaming. I just couldn’t get behind the execution. Cynthia Leitich Smith’s idea was good, but in my opinion, the book absolutely failed.
I don’t say this very often, but I absolutely hated reading Hearts Unbroken. I actually exerted a sigh of relief once it was over. Once or twice, I considered throwing this book in the virtual DNF pile, but somehow managed to push through.
The scenes & chapters in Hearts Unbroken are extremely choppy. Multiple times I wondered how we got to a particular scene, because at one point Louise is in one place with someone, and a line down she’s somewhere totally different with no transition whatsoever. I know there’s time to edit between ARC & finished copy, but this ARC read just like a first draft.
Another thing that really irked me were the amount of characters, and how there’s zero amount of room for development. I cared very little for any of the characters, including Louise. There’s literally no time or reason to connect and grow attached to any of the characters, and for me that’s a very important aspect of a book. I! want! to! love! or! hate! the! characters! By the time I finished this book, I didn’t care what happened to any one.
Relating to the previous statement of zero development & too many characters; the book kind of touches on the relationship between Louise and her best friend, Shelby. & when I say kind of, I honestly had forgotten who Shelby was until she showed back up. The character was extremely pointless to the story. But, I guess so were a majority of everyone else in Hearts Unbroken.
I hate that I can probably keep going with my rant, but then we’d jump into spoiler-ground. I would never recommend this book to anyone. It was just kind of a mess & I’m hoping the finalized copy somehow managed to be 10x better.
I wanted so badly to enjoy Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith; I loved the fact that this book had Native American representation — something I rarely see in Young Adult fiction. I loved the fact that this book touched on very important topics such as racism, bullying, and slut-shaming. I just couldn’t get behind the execution. Cynthia Leitich Smith’s idea was good, but in my opinion, the book absolutely failed.
I don’t say this very often, but I absolutely hated reading Hearts Unbroken. I actually exerted a sigh of relief once it was over. Once or twice, I considered throwing this book in the virtual DNF pile, but somehow managed to push through.
The scenes & chapters in Hearts Unbroken are extremely choppy. Multiple times I wondered how we got to a particular scene, because at one point Louise is in one place with someone, and a line down she’s somewhere totally different with no transition whatsoever. I know there’s time to edit between ARC & finished copy, but this ARC read just like a first draft.
Another thing that really irked me were the amount of characters, and how there’s zero amount of room for development. I cared very little for any of the characters, including Louise. There’s literally no time or reason to connect and grow attached to any of the characters, and for me that’s a very important aspect of a book. I! want! to! love! or! hate! the! characters! By the time I finished this book, I didn’t care what happened to any one.
Relating to the previous statement of zero development & too many characters; the book kind of touches on the relationship between Louise and her best friend, Shelby. & when I say kind of, I honestly had forgotten who Shelby was until she showed back up. The character was extremely pointless to the story. But, I guess so were a majority of everyone else in Hearts Unbroken.
I hate that I can probably keep going with my rant, but then we’d jump into spoiler-ground. I would never recommend this book to anyone. It was just kind of a mess & I’m hoping the finalized copy somehow managed to be 10x better.
August 9, 2020
My Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up
Hearts Unbroken is a cute love story about Lou, a Native student journalist living in Kansas dealing with the stress of high school, personal life and just being a teenager. After a bit of a messy breakup with her ex-boyfriend, jock Cam Ryan, who disrespects Native people, and a lot of controversies around the casting of her high school's performance of the musical The Wizard of Oz, Lou is thrown into a bigger mess than just high school politics.
My Breakdown:
- Well, I really liked this book. I think that Cynthia Leitich Smith covered a lot of important topics with a light and fluffy storyline. Smith covered such important topics like racism, hate against Indigenous peoples and even sexism in such a great way that it's easy for any high schooler to understand, as she wrote it in a way where it can, unfortunately, totally happen in a high school. The story was extremely relatable and flowed very well, and definitely kept me up past my curfew!
- I really enjoyed how Lou and Joey came to be. It was kind of like how most high school romances come to be (from my experience and understanding, which is, um, not much). Lou and Joey were real people, and real people mess things up sometimes, and Lou demonstrated that perfectly. Lou also demonstrated the extremely important ability to be able to tell if you are being the toxic one in the relationship sometimes, because yes, we can all be the bad guy. Lou was also able to self-assess and fix herself and make amends, which is an important skill for anyone to learn.
- This book also covered a lot about racism, "go back to where you came from" messages, and much more about that. The school production of The Wizard of Oz featured BIPOC as some of the main characters, and the teacher in charge received a lot of backlash from it, as they live in a pretty conservative town. It was interesting and powerful to see the students not step down from the roles just because some parents on an imaginary high horse is telling them to. Anyone can be anything if they put their heart in it, and this book showed just that.
- This book also taught me a lot about how Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz , wasn't exactly a good guy. He often advocated for the genocide of Indigenous Americans and was a white supremacist. I didn't know that before and I definitely won't be seeing him in the same light again.
- What made me give this book three and a half stars instead of five was because the chapters were often a bit too short and there were too many characters. Many of the characters had little relevance to the story and they just kept appearing like bunnies in mating season. It got to the point where they all started blurring together a bit, but I was able to look past that and focus more on the story. Lou also would hear people be racist towards Native Americans, get upset, and then the scene would end right there. I think if Lou had a bit more agency and stood up a bit more, the message would have come across a bit better. (Yes, I'm saying Lou was a little bit of a pushover.) Otherwise, I just gobbled this story up for the romance.
- I am glad that such an underrepresented voice came to be the main character in this novel, but there still were quite a few issues with it. The writing could have been a bit better and the end of the chapters was kind of like half sentences; I expected Lou to elaborate on what she was talking about instead of leaving it there and moving on. There were also quite a few scenes that were a bit irrelevant, such as the scene of Lou getting the book from the librarian's assistant, that could have been cut out. (I mean, it was never mentioned again for the whole book!) A lot of the things happened in this book just for convenience and for making the book longer but were not actually relevant and the book could have used with cutting some of those pieces out.
- I don't read critically, I read to enjoy, and sometimes I like to enjoy books that are not necessarily fantastic (like The Selection series, it was very trashy but I still enjoyed it anyway). This book was not the best written, but I was able to be hooked from the blurb on the front and just came along for the ride.
----
Rep: Native American, bisexual, Lebanese/Arab American, poor/lower middle class
TW for the book: hate against Indigenous peoples, racism, Islamophobia, sexism
Hearts Unbroken is a cute love story about Lou, a Native student journalist living in Kansas dealing with the stress of high school, personal life and just being a teenager. After a bit of a messy breakup with her ex-boyfriend, jock Cam Ryan, who disrespects Native people, and a lot of controversies around the casting of her high school's performance of the musical The Wizard of Oz, Lou is thrown into a bigger mess than just high school politics.
My Breakdown:
- Well, I really liked this book. I think that Cynthia Leitich Smith covered a lot of important topics with a light and fluffy storyline. Smith covered such important topics like racism, hate against Indigenous peoples and even sexism in such a great way that it's easy for any high schooler to understand, as she wrote it in a way where it can, unfortunately, totally happen in a high school. The story was extremely relatable and flowed very well, and definitely kept me up past my curfew!
- I really enjoyed how Lou and Joey came to be. It was kind of like how most high school romances come to be (from my experience and understanding, which is, um, not much). Lou and Joey were real people, and real people mess things up sometimes, and Lou demonstrated that perfectly. Lou also demonstrated the extremely important ability to be able to tell if you are being the toxic one in the relationship sometimes, because yes, we can all be the bad guy. Lou was also able to self-assess and fix herself and make amends, which is an important skill for anyone to learn.
- This book also covered a lot about racism, "go back to where you came from" messages, and much more about that. The school production of The Wizard of Oz featured BIPOC as some of the main characters, and the teacher in charge received a lot of backlash from it, as they live in a pretty conservative town. It was interesting and powerful to see the students not step down from the roles just because some parents on an imaginary high horse is telling them to. Anyone can be anything if they put their heart in it, and this book showed just that.
- This book also taught me a lot about how Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz , wasn't exactly a good guy. He often advocated for the genocide of Indigenous Americans and was a white supremacist. I didn't know that before and I definitely won't be seeing him in the same light again.
- What made me give this book three and a half stars instead of five was because the chapters were often a bit too short and there were too many characters. Many of the characters had little relevance to the story and they just kept appearing like bunnies in mating season. It got to the point where they all started blurring together a bit, but I was able to look past that and focus more on the story. Lou also would hear people be racist towards Native Americans, get upset, and then the scene would end right there. I think if Lou had a bit more agency and stood up a bit more, the message would have come across a bit better. (Yes, I'm saying Lou was a little bit of a pushover.) Otherwise, I just gobbled this story up for the romance.
- I am glad that such an underrepresented voice came to be the main character in this novel, but there still were quite a few issues with it. The writing could have been a bit better and the end of the chapters was kind of like half sentences; I expected Lou to elaborate on what she was talking about instead of leaving it there and moving on. There were also quite a few scenes that were a bit irrelevant, such as the scene of Lou getting the book from the librarian's assistant, that could have been cut out. (I mean, it was never mentioned again for the whole book!) A lot of the things happened in this book just for convenience and for making the book longer but were not actually relevant and the book could have used with cutting some of those pieces out.
- I don't read critically, I read to enjoy, and sometimes I like to enjoy books that are not necessarily fantastic (like The Selection series, it was very trashy but I still enjoyed it anyway). This book was not the best written, but I was able to be hooked from the blurb on the front and just came along for the ride.
----
Rep: Native American, bisexual, Lebanese/Arab American, poor/lower middle class
TW for the book: hate against Indigenous peoples, racism, Islamophobia, sexism
November 25, 2019
This book is another of my #MustReadin2019 selections and this week was the perfect time to read this book since there was a lot of discussion about Halloween and Thanksgiving and all things autumn. The story begins with Louise Wolfe, a Muscogee (Creek) girl, breaking up with her popular boyfriend when he says some disrespectful things about Native Americans. Then we jump to the start of the following school year where she is a senior and her little brother, Hughie, is a freshman. She joins the school journalism team while her brother auditions for and wins a role in the school production of The Wizard of Oz as the Tin Man.
As I’m attempting to summarize, I’m realizing just how much territory this book covered in only 300 pages: racism, bullying, journalism issues, vandalism, school politics, and even romance. With super short chapters (sometimes only 2 pages) it’s a fast read, with many different characters, and lots of diversity. The vocabulary is quite simple for a YA novel (after finishing Black’s Folk of the Air series earlier in the week, this one honestly felt more like middle grade reading). Nevertheless, there was still some cursing and very open discussion of sexual activity. I hear and understand why so many readers have disliked portions of this book, but I can’t deny that, in the end, I enjoyed it and felt the story was well worth my time.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
As I’m attempting to summarize, I’m realizing just how much territory this book covered in only 300 pages: racism, bullying, journalism issues, vandalism, school politics, and even romance. With super short chapters (sometimes only 2 pages) it’s a fast read, with many different characters, and lots of diversity. The vocabulary is quite simple for a YA novel (after finishing Black’s Folk of the Air series earlier in the week, this one honestly felt more like middle grade reading). Nevertheless, there was still some cursing and very open discussion of sexual activity. I hear and understand why so many readers have disliked portions of this book, but I can’t deny that, in the end, I enjoyed it and felt the story was well worth my time.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
September 5, 2022
3.5 stars, rounding up for rating
September 22, 2018
I received an ARC of this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
Representation: #OwnVoices for Native American rep; Native American protagonist (self-described as having "Muskogee-Cherokee heritage") and the majority-cast is Native; biracial Lebanese/white love interest
Likes:
✨Perhaps the strongest aspect of Hearts Unbroken is its discussion of various social themes and its ability to tackle them deftly. Smith discusses the various prejudices and micro-aggressions directed towards indigenous peoples from the get-go; how these attitudes influence the protagonist's relationships with the people around her is a theme present throughout the novel.
Not only that but Smith touches upon how whiteness is the default in a country like the United States - how that affects all people of color, especially young people who are just trying to live their lives without being stifled. A running subplot in the novel is the 'color-conscious' casting of a play taking place in the school, and the uproar this has caused among white parents who think their kids are being discriminated against. Smith talks about the need for color-conscious casting, to challenge this default of whiteness. This subplot was perhaps one of my favorite parts of the book.
✨I really appreciated the close-knit relationships between Louise and her family. I'm a big fan of adults in YA books - I think they're often unrealistically overlooked; as young people, a lot of our lives are still heavily intertwined with the adults' lives around us. Louise's parents are prominent parts of the book, as well as her school staff. Moreover, Louise's relationship with her younger brother was adorable, and so wonderfully fleshed out. I loved how Hughie (her brother) had his own problems, and how Louise helped tackle them along with having issues of her own.
Dislikes:
✨ This is going to be a weird criticism, perhaps, but there were way too many characters. Each page was chock-full of names - sometimes characters you never encounter again. My brain became jumbled with the people I encountered and whether I should be keeping track of them for the future. A lot of these characters are introduced for no reason whatsoever; they don't serve the plot at all, so it's just unnecessary information that burdens the reader.
✨ Although I really appreciated that Louise's character had severe flaws that serve her development, some of the things that took place were unnecessary and harmful. I can't say too much because I don't want to spoil anything, but I don't think it was Smith's place to tackle Islamophobia and Islam-centered-stereotypes the way that she did, because not only was it hurtful to the characters in the book, but it was harmful to me as a reader - because I kept thinking "Really? Really, what is the point of saying this?" I wish I could say more, but let's leave it at that.
✨Perhaps 80% of the novel revolves around Louise's role in the school newspaper, and although I really enjoy when a protagonist has a certain passion, sometimes I felt like I was reading a grocery list about everything Louise was thinking about in terms of the paper. Like, there were moments where she would go interview people for one story, then for another story, and I felt a lot of that could have been condensed to leave more room for Louise's development as a character. As a consequence, I ended up skimming a lot of these paragraphs, and I didn't lose anything by doing so, because they didn't particularly serve the story.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
Representation: #OwnVoices for Native American rep; Native American protagonist (self-described as having "Muskogee-Cherokee heritage") and the majority-cast is Native; biracial Lebanese/white love interest
Likes:
✨Perhaps the strongest aspect of Hearts Unbroken is its discussion of various social themes and its ability to tackle them deftly. Smith discusses the various prejudices and micro-aggressions directed towards indigenous peoples from the get-go; how these attitudes influence the protagonist's relationships with the people around her is a theme present throughout the novel.
Not only that but Smith touches upon how whiteness is the default in a country like the United States - how that affects all people of color, especially young people who are just trying to live their lives without being stifled. A running subplot in the novel is the 'color-conscious' casting of a play taking place in the school, and the uproar this has caused among white parents who think their kids are being discriminated against. Smith talks about the need for color-conscious casting, to challenge this default of whiteness. This subplot was perhaps one of my favorite parts of the book.
✨I really appreciated the close-knit relationships between Louise and her family. I'm a big fan of adults in YA books - I think they're often unrealistically overlooked; as young people, a lot of our lives are still heavily intertwined with the adults' lives around us. Louise's parents are prominent parts of the book, as well as her school staff. Moreover, Louise's relationship with her younger brother was adorable, and so wonderfully fleshed out. I loved how Hughie (her brother) had his own problems, and how Louise helped tackle them along with having issues of her own.
Dislikes:
✨ This is going to be a weird criticism, perhaps, but there were way too many characters. Each page was chock-full of names - sometimes characters you never encounter again. My brain became jumbled with the people I encountered and whether I should be keeping track of them for the future. A lot of these characters are introduced for no reason whatsoever; they don't serve the plot at all, so it's just unnecessary information that burdens the reader.
✨ Although I really appreciated that Louise's character had severe flaws that serve her development, some of the things that took place were unnecessary and harmful. I can't say too much because I don't want to spoil anything, but I don't think it was Smith's place to tackle Islamophobia and Islam-centered-stereotypes the way that she did, because not only was it hurtful to the characters in the book, but it was harmful to me as a reader - because I kept thinking "Really? Really, what is the point of saying this?" I wish I could say more, but let's leave it at that.
✨Perhaps 80% of the novel revolves around Louise's role in the school newspaper, and although I really enjoy when a protagonist has a certain passion, sometimes I felt like I was reading a grocery list about everything Louise was thinking about in terms of the paper. Like, there were moments where she would go interview people for one story, then for another story, and I felt a lot of that could have been condensed to leave more room for Louise's development as a character. As a consequence, I ended up skimming a lot of these paragraphs, and I didn't lose anything by doing so, because they didn't particularly serve the story.
July 29, 2018
The Wizard of Oz is so well known among Americans that most can either quote from the book for the movie or both. The movie was shown every year, back before VCRs, and I knew it so well, and sang all the songs. It is such an American story.
But, as this book points out. L. Frank Baum, the author, was a racist. Not only a racist, but someone who believed in genocide of all native people. Although I thought I knew everything there was to know about him, having read him from childhood, the editorials, pointed out in this book, show how much hatred he had for the Indiginous people.
And why is this important? Because, along with Louise’s off-again-on-again love story, there is the story of her brother, Hughie, who is the Tin Woodsmen in the school play, where like the casting of Hamilton, there is no “right” ethnicity for any of the actors. Dorothy is a Black actress. Lousie and Hughie are citizens of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation, just as the author is.
And underlying this, is the racism that boils up in the Kansas town, that a play would have people of color who were usually white.
Louise and her brother have to put up with this hatred, while navigating take usual high school issues.
Louise is working on the school paper, and reporting on these things, but keeping her native heritage a secret from her new boyfriend, because she isn’t sure how he feels about Indiginous people, despite being of Lebanese heriatage.
It is a well written story, with Louise, the narrator, giving a good, natural voice to what is going on around her. And while some parts are serious, there are some funny bits, as Louise tries to explain to her brother how long ago Baum wrote the hateful words about native people.
Good thinking book, where you come away wondering about assumptions.
There is a great line, at the end of the book, which doens’t spoil anything, and I’ll quote here.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
But, as this book points out. L. Frank Baum, the author, was a racist. Not only a racist, but someone who believed in genocide of all native people. Although I thought I knew everything there was to know about him, having read him from childhood, the editorials, pointed out in this book, show how much hatred he had for the Indiginous people.
And why is this important? Because, along with Louise’s off-again-on-again love story, there is the story of her brother, Hughie, who is the Tin Woodsmen in the school play, where like the casting of Hamilton, there is no “right” ethnicity for any of the actors. Dorothy is a Black actress. Lousie and Hughie are citizens of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation, just as the author is.
And underlying this, is the racism that boils up in the Kansas town, that a play would have people of color who were usually white.
Louise and her brother have to put up with this hatred, while navigating take usual high school issues.
Louise is working on the school paper, and reporting on these things, but keeping her native heritage a secret from her new boyfriend, because she isn’t sure how he feels about Indiginous people, despite being of Lebanese heriatage.
It is a well written story, with Louise, the narrator, giving a good, natural voice to what is going on around her. And while some parts are serious, there are some funny bits, as Louise tries to explain to her brother how long ago Baum wrote the hateful words about native people.
“About fifty years after the Trail of Tears?”
That didn’t seem to help either.
“Twenty to thirty years before the setting of the first Gal Gabor Wonder Woman movie. Great Granpa Lucas wasn’t born yet, but his parents were alive.”
Good thinking book, where you come away wondering about assumptions.
There is a great line, at the end of the book, which doens’t spoil anything, and I’ll quote here.
”Do Native people believe in Thanksgiving?”
[...] “We believe in gratitude.”
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
October 19, 2020
[4.5/5 stars] This was our September Book Club pick, and I absolutely devoured it. This book was a teen YA romance/drama, with a perfect mix of intersectionality. The book touched on themes of race/culture, sexism, bullying, socioeconomic status. I was impressed by how intersectional one book could be! This is this first book I’ve ever read by Cynthia Leitich Smith, but it for sure will not be my last!
December 25, 2018
At first, Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Hearts Unbroken seems to be a snappy teen romance between Louise, a new-in-town cheerleader proud of her indigenous heritage, and Cam, a wealthy football star. But Cam’s parents lack tolerance, empathy, and other qualities that make humans worthy of their own souls, so by the end of the first chapter, Louise says, “I’ve had enough.”
Readers soon learn that Louise’s new school in Kansas is a nest of micro-aggressions against anyone local elites regard as non-Kansan, namely non-whites. The micro-aggressions become more overt when the school’s new drama director casts non-white students, including Louise’s brother, in the quintessential Kansas play, The Wizard of Oz. As the production evolves, well-known lines such as “I guess we’re not in Kansas anymore” and “There is no place like home” take on new meanings. Open hostility toward cast members leads the school newspaper’s progressive staff, including Louise and her new Lebanese-American boyfriend, to vocally support the actors and their director. Journalism and theatre kids are up front in Hearts Unbroken, using their idealism, talent, and courage to fight racism.
Hearts Unbroken frames complex issues through realistic characters responding to racist actions and language with different measures. Cynthia Leitich Smith gives her readers a lot to ponder and discuss: When is it better to actively fight racism, and when is it better to ignore it? If a writer is a racist, is the writer’s work automatically tainted? How much are we willing to sacrifice for our beliefs? Questions such as these make Hearts Unbroken an excellent choice for reading partners, book clubs, and book group configurations, although it also a fine choice for independent reading.
Several pages of back matter provide insights into the author’s background and motivations, much of which arise from Cynthia Leitich Smith’s status as an enrolled citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Indian Nation in Oklahoma. As I said in my review of Dawn Quigley’s Apple in the Middle, Native Americans are underrepresented in literature for young adults, so I hope teachers and librarians will guide readers toward Hearts Unbroken, and then the book itself will take care of the rest.
This review is also posted in slightly different form on my What's Not Wrong? blog.
Readers soon learn that Louise’s new school in Kansas is a nest of micro-aggressions against anyone local elites regard as non-Kansan, namely non-whites. The micro-aggressions become more overt when the school’s new drama director casts non-white students, including Louise’s brother, in the quintessential Kansas play, The Wizard of Oz. As the production evolves, well-known lines such as “I guess we’re not in Kansas anymore” and “There is no place like home” take on new meanings. Open hostility toward cast members leads the school newspaper’s progressive staff, including Louise and her new Lebanese-American boyfriend, to vocally support the actors and their director. Journalism and theatre kids are up front in Hearts Unbroken, using their idealism, talent, and courage to fight racism.
Hearts Unbroken frames complex issues through realistic characters responding to racist actions and language with different measures. Cynthia Leitich Smith gives her readers a lot to ponder and discuss: When is it better to actively fight racism, and when is it better to ignore it? If a writer is a racist, is the writer’s work automatically tainted? How much are we willing to sacrifice for our beliefs? Questions such as these make Hearts Unbroken an excellent choice for reading partners, book clubs, and book group configurations, although it also a fine choice for independent reading.
Several pages of back matter provide insights into the author’s background and motivations, much of which arise from Cynthia Leitich Smith’s status as an enrolled citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Indian Nation in Oklahoma. As I said in my review of Dawn Quigley’s Apple in the Middle, Native Americans are underrepresented in literature for young adults, so I hope teachers and librarians will guide readers toward Hearts Unbroken, and then the book itself will take care of the rest.
This review is also posted in slightly different form on my What's Not Wrong? blog.
April 15, 2023
I was really excited this YA romance finally came out on audio as I've been seeing rave reviews for a while. The story features Louise, a Native teen girl working for her high school newspaper who is assigned to cover how the school play has a diverse cast of students for the first time in forever (one of whom is her younger brother).
Unfortunately there's a lot of racist backlash from the community (and students). There's also a side story about sexual/virtual bullying and a bit of a romance between Lou and Joey (the newspaper photographer who helps her uncover a scandal involving one of the teachers). Recommended for fans of authors like Angeline Boulley or Jen Ferguson with great narration by Kyla Garcia.
CW: racism, slut-shaming
Unfortunately there's a lot of racist backlash from the community (and students). There's also a side story about sexual/virtual bullying and a bit of a romance between Lou and Joey (the newspaper photographer who helps her uncover a scandal involving one of the teachers). Recommended for fans of authors like Angeline Boulley or Jen Ferguson with great narration by Kyla Garcia.
CW: racism, slut-shaming
September 18, 2018
Warnings: racism, discussion of bullying and slut shaming
Conceptually, Hearts Unbroken had a good plot and setting to discuss micro-agressions, racism and bigotry faced by minorities in a predominantly white community. Louise's family had moved to the neighborhood a while back, and in her senior year, she has joined the Journalism club at school and her little brother has been picked to play a major role in the school play. The community's opposition to the casting including children of color in main and major roles starts a wave of discussion regarding the way minorities are treated in the town. And on a personal level, Louise's dating life is being very cautious of the boys she dates after the last one made insulting comments about Native Americans.
The thing that this book fails at, however, is the writing itself. Right from the start, I was troubled by the style - in which scenes are anecdotal in form, and and end abruptly in the middle of conversations, then skip ahead to another scene without any proper flow in between. Also, every time a new character is introduced, Louise goes on a tangent telling us about their personality, what they do, who they are, etc, which is distracting and to be honest, reads like this is more of an essay than a story. At times, even the surrounding descriptions happen right in the middle of dialogue, and since this is Louise in first person, it makes you wonder why she is ruminating about the surroundings in the middle of a serious conversation, when that could have been described BEFORE it. The way it was all written just made this a frustrating experience in reading.
On the topics, though, it hits relevant notes. It talks about micro-aggressions as well as outright bigotry. It shows how the oppressors make others too bend to their pressure - as was in the example of the PART threatening non-compliant people by hurting their businesses. The adults in the book also participate in the conversation, as in the case of the teachers who call out white extremists, and the culture of rejecting any change in the status quo, including how the language is coded to hide outright racism. The addition of the occasional articles from the school newspaper, The Hive, was a smart decision because it, at times, progressed the plot better than any prose could have. I liked that it challenged even Louise's inexperience and occasional self-centeredness, but the thing with her boyfriend was more of a 'misunderstanding as a plot device' than an actual attempt to balance her personality construct. Also, because the writing is at fault, all the above discussion comes across more like a sermon, and a checklist of racial things to tackle, rather than a proper nuanced discussion of racial insensitivity in daily life.
Bottomline - good concept and relevant discussion, but the writing fails it badly.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Candlewick Press, via Netgalley.
Conceptually, Hearts Unbroken had a good plot and setting to discuss micro-agressions, racism and bigotry faced by minorities in a predominantly white community. Louise's family had moved to the neighborhood a while back, and in her senior year, she has joined the Journalism club at school and her little brother has been picked to play a major role in the school play. The community's opposition to the casting including children of color in main and major roles starts a wave of discussion regarding the way minorities are treated in the town. And on a personal level, Louise's dating life is being very cautious of the boys she dates after the last one made insulting comments about Native Americans.
The thing that this book fails at, however, is the writing itself. Right from the start, I was troubled by the style - in which scenes are anecdotal in form, and and end abruptly in the middle of conversations, then skip ahead to another scene without any proper flow in between. Also, every time a new character is introduced, Louise goes on a tangent telling us about their personality, what they do, who they are, etc, which is distracting and to be honest, reads like this is more of an essay than a story. At times, even the surrounding descriptions happen right in the middle of dialogue, and since this is Louise in first person, it makes you wonder why she is ruminating about the surroundings in the middle of a serious conversation, when that could have been described BEFORE it. The way it was all written just made this a frustrating experience in reading.
On the topics, though, it hits relevant notes. It talks about micro-aggressions as well as outright bigotry. It shows how the oppressors make others too bend to their pressure - as was in the example of the PART threatening non-compliant people by hurting their businesses. The adults in the book also participate in the conversation, as in the case of the teachers who call out white extremists, and the culture of rejecting any change in the status quo, including how the language is coded to hide outright racism. The addition of the occasional articles from the school newspaper, The Hive, was a smart decision because it, at times, progressed the plot better than any prose could have. I liked that it challenged even Louise's inexperience and occasional self-centeredness, but the thing with her boyfriend was more of a 'misunderstanding as a plot device' than an actual attempt to balance her personality construct. Also, because the writing is at fault, all the above discussion comes across more like a sermon, and a checklist of racial things to tackle, rather than a proper nuanced discussion of racial insensitivity in daily life.
Bottomline - good concept and relevant discussion, but the writing fails it badly.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Candlewick Press, via Netgalley.
July 26, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Louise Wolfe is a Native teen navigating the world in its racism and hatred not only in our present time but also in the past. After her boyfriend says something awful about Natives, she dumps him via email and decides to spend her valuable time as a writer at the school newspaper. Meanwhile, the school play chooses to cast diversely, much to some parent's dismay. The call of "reverse racism" amongst other things propels Louise to follow the story, and it hits home more than she thought it would.
Like another book I have recently finished, Trail of Lightning, this features a Native protagonist, and it is so refreshing. What I loved most was the that throughout this book, almost everyone had a learning experience. Including the ex-boyfriend and Louise herself who makes mistakes and uses that to make a positive change in her life and those around her.
I recommend this book to everyone. This is an OWN VOICES novel so take yourself out of what you know and step into Louise's shoes. The back of the book gives you some information on a lot of what the author mentions along with info on some key moments in America's tragic history.
We need more novels like these on the shelves.
Louise Wolfe is a Native teen navigating the world in its racism and hatred not only in our present time but also in the past. After her boyfriend says something awful about Natives, she dumps him via email and decides to spend her valuable time as a writer at the school newspaper. Meanwhile, the school play chooses to cast diversely, much to some parent's dismay. The call of "reverse racism" amongst other things propels Louise to follow the story, and it hits home more than she thought it would.
Like another book I have recently finished, Trail of Lightning, this features a Native protagonist, and it is so refreshing. What I loved most was the that throughout this book, almost everyone had a learning experience. Including the ex-boyfriend and Louise herself who makes mistakes and uses that to make a positive change in her life and those around her.
I recommend this book to everyone. This is an OWN VOICES novel so take yourself out of what you know and step into Louise's shoes. The back of the book gives you some information on a lot of what the author mentions along with info on some key moments in America's tragic history.
We need more novels like these on the shelves.
October 24, 2025
There were so many things about this novel that I loved. It tackled L. F. Baum's (author of Wizard of Oz) racist views of Native Americans and this idea that people of color are given accolades because of their skin color and not because they earned it. It also helped me see a more simplified view of the election and some of the hateful retoric. In the words of a high school character, "Like it is not cool to be white anymore...All these people barging into our country, taking over. We're practically an endangered species." (Note: We are all immigrants unless you are Native American/Indigenous People.) Leitich Smith does a nice job of showing this through a Kansas high school production of "Wizard of Oz" and the controversy that entails after three of the lead roles are people of color. It also referenced another book in my classroom library, If I Ever Get Out of Here. (Full disclosure: As an English teacher, the writing was a little difficult to get through.)
January 6, 2019
don't write native representation if its going to be like this. main character is so self riteous it was painful and the romance plot was so underdeveloped it just shouldnt have been included. tried to do too much without explaining anything. hard and painful read.
November 8, 2024
“We specialize in story-- story is what defines us, what brings people together.”
🪶
Louise Wolfe thought she was in love until her now ex-boyfriend disrespected Native people right in front of her. She’s happy being single and working for the school paper, but when her editor pairs her up with Joey Kairouz to cover the new theater director’s inclusive approach to The Wizard of Oz, she finds she enjoys his company a lot. The story ends up becoming personal when Louise’s brother gets cast as The Tin Man and begins receiving threats from white citizens who don’t want the diverse cast. Tensions rise in and out of school as Lou grows closer to Joey and she redefines what love looks like for her.
🪶
I’m legit kicking myself for not having read this YA book sooner. A lot of the issues in this novel could happen today, despite it being written in 2018. We still have so much work to do, but titles like this one give me hope for our future when not much else is doing the trick lately. Thanks CLS for writing stories like this and others you tecommenddd that I’m reading and highlighting this month.
CW: racism, xenophobia, cultural appropriation, bullying, vandalism, racial slurs, classism, misogyny, sexism, Islamophobia, death, infidelity, sexual assault, violence, colonization, religious bigotry, gaslighting, hate crime
🪶
Louise Wolfe thought she was in love until her now ex-boyfriend disrespected Native people right in front of her. She’s happy being single and working for the school paper, but when her editor pairs her up with Joey Kairouz to cover the new theater director’s inclusive approach to The Wizard of Oz, she finds she enjoys his company a lot. The story ends up becoming personal when Louise’s brother gets cast as The Tin Man and begins receiving threats from white citizens who don’t want the diverse cast. Tensions rise in and out of school as Lou grows closer to Joey and she redefines what love looks like for her.
🪶
I’m legit kicking myself for not having read this YA book sooner. A lot of the issues in this novel could happen today, despite it being written in 2018. We still have so much work to do, but titles like this one give me hope for our future when not much else is doing the trick lately. Thanks CLS for writing stories like this and others you tecommenddd that I’m reading and highlighting this month.
CW: racism, xenophobia, cultural appropriation, bullying, vandalism, racial slurs, classism, misogyny, sexism, Islamophobia, death, infidelity, sexual assault, violence, colonization, religious bigotry, gaslighting, hate crime
December 20, 2020
WOW!
Smith has created a fantastic flawed protagonist Lou using freedom of speech and of the press to write stories of social injustice, racism, and bullying in her school and community.
When the issues begin to escalate, these stories and their sources will begin to effect everyone, including teachers, parents, students, Lou's brother, and even herself.
Join her and Joey, her Middle Eastern-descended co-journalist/videographer, as they set out to find the source of these impactful situations.
Between the setting, the colorful cast of characters, the blunt and honest dialogue, ignorantly/biased spoken prejudices from other characters, the very real teen experience, the suspense, the relationships between lovers/friends/family, the rich cultural support and explanation, and the power of the press make this an enjoyable read.
Smith has created a fantastic flawed protagonist Lou using freedom of speech and of the press to write stories of social injustice, racism, and bullying in her school and community.
When the issues begin to escalate, these stories and their sources will begin to effect everyone, including teachers, parents, students, Lou's brother, and even herself.
Join her and Joey, her Middle Eastern-descended co-journalist/videographer, as they set out to find the source of these impactful situations.
Between the setting, the colorful cast of characters, the blunt and honest dialogue, ignorantly/biased spoken prejudices from other characters, the very real teen experience, the suspense, the relationships between lovers/friends/family, the rich cultural support and explanation, and the power of the press make this an enjoyable read.
September 28, 2020
This is now one of my favorite YA novels of all time. I don't think it can top how much I loved Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants back in the day. However, this is definitely the best YA I have ever read as an adult! The story was so much better than I thought it would be. It was very timely and politically aware without being didactic. This is owed in large part to how down to earth and likable the characters were. They were funny in some moments and flawed in others. No one in the book was perfect or idealized; they were all dynamic three dimensional people who seemed real. The book's main female characters were smart and had a lot of concerns outside of dating boys. Then, when they did date, they actually dated, had things in common and got to know each other. Down with ista-love!!
August 21, 2020
Although too mature for my seventh graders (especially in the jeep during the tornado), this book weaves a lot of complex issues into this romance. There were a TON of characters (I think to capture the diversity of this school in Kansas), and I often had to go back to see who they were (although sometimes it didn't matter). After the vandalism, my favorite quote was, "Every breath is a victory." I loved Lou's family, but didn't really get to know the other characters in the story. I also loved the journalism aspect of this story. I did not like learning about Frank Baum, but it was so integral to the story and I needed this information in my life.
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