Dear Rachel Maddow: A Novel

by Adrienne Kisner

In Adrienne Kisner's Dear Rachel Maddow, a high school girl deals with school politics and life after her brother's death by drafting emails to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow in this funny and heartfelt YA debut.

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Fiction, Contemporary, Queer, Audiobook, Realistic Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2018

About the author

Adrienne Kisner has master's and doctorate degrees in theology from Boston University and was inspired by her work with high school and college students to write Dear Rachel Maddow. She is also a graduate of Vermont College of Fine Arts with an MFA in writing for children and young adults. Dear Rachel Maddow is her debut.

Reviews

[Elle (ellexamines on TT & Substack) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“1. When you look at the papers on your desk and circle something, are you really reading from them? Don’t you read from a teleprompter? When you go to commercial, you shuffle those papers, too. Seriously, is there anything even written on them?”

This book, following a young lesbian writing letters to known lesbian legend Rachel Maddow and while trying to win a school election for the Real Students, has a lot going for it. It missed the mark on a few aspects? But overall, this was really good.


✔ P R O S
→So first of all, this book is fast-paced, and the voice is super super strong, and the book is genuinely funny in places despite being really dark. Brynn’s voice… genuinely reads like that of a high schooler, albeit a younger one.

“Nevertheless, they persist.
I guess that means I fucking have to, too.”

→A really strong main character, who is flawed and dimensional and compelling and easy to root for. Brynn is going through awful things at home, and with family, and has not become sad: she has become righteously angry. That is something I did when I was younger and I don’t think I’ve seen it represented so accurately in a book before. Brynn is like freshman year me and I love it. The discussion of depression, and of her home life is subtle, intertwining throughout the book, but gets darker and darker.

“People call me ‘brave’ all the time, and it annoys me. As if my mere existence is some sort of war. It’s not. I don’t think I’m any braver than another person just trying to live life. I just can’t do stairs.”

→Young Adult literature has a tendency to forget about side characters! This book did not forget about side characters! Lacey, who uses a wheelchair and a keyboard to speak, is one of the book’s funniest and best-developed characters. Michaela, Brynn’s secondary love interest, was a great character as well: I absolutely love her development. Justin! Leigh! Erin!

→This book is a fucking scree against ableism and voting suppression laws. Brynn is! a journalist! And as she attempts to challenge a policy only allowing honors students to vote, the book ends up strongly discussing voting rights: how a literacy test of any kind is an unfair limitation. (This probably would've worked better if more characters were people of color; only Michaela is.) There's an excellent discussion here of how ableism affects the general school's perception of people like Brynn and Lacey's intelligence.


✔ …A N D Y E T
→At times I did think the dialogue writing was… messy. Most of the writing is voicey and snappy and fun, but the dialogue just didn’t do it for me.

→There’s a bit where one character sort of cheats on her girlfriend, and… allows herself to be kissed by her ex, and I couldn’t tell if it was meant to be nonconsensual, but it bugged me that it was never discussed. Its inclusion felt really pointless.

→I really like epistolatory novels. However, I also think making epistolatory format hold a book on its own is really difficult. Brynn’s letters, understandably, are a projection of who she is, not a full confession. As a result, Dear Rachel Maddow often struggles with its more emotional moments because Brynn buries her own tragedy in humor. I think this is an understandable and solid character decision; it’s just that the format is so distancing we don’t really see her catharsis.

→And the other problem is that… she doesn’t get catharsis. I’ve been pouring through the reviews trying to figure out why this didn’t fully work for me, and I just have to quote this amazing review:

There's no catharsis. There's no fucking accountability. The book is crying out for a scene where Brynn looks her mother in the eyes and says, "Part of the reason I am in so broken is because you've been a shit mother." Where she snaps and busses to her father's house and demands to know why he abandoned here. Where some adult steps in and says to her stepfather he's an abusive jerk and the way he treats Brynn is wrong. (And where someone just fucking holds Brynn and promises she'll be okay.)

Brynn’s character arc is so good, so good, so good, until the end of the book when it completely drops the ball on her confronting her parents. As someone who has had a very complicated home life, I desperately needed her to confront her mom and take even one step herself towards recovery. Without that, this book reads a little bit like one long breakdown.

Perhaps it’s a statement of goodness that despite all that, I was a fan of this book. The story is clear and there are a lot of creative things being done here. And not to make this weird, but does Rachel Maddow know this book is being published? Is she proud?

TW: minor suicidal ideation; challenged homophobia, a lot of discussions of challenged ableism, severe child abuse, drug overdose, and family death. (None of these are spoilers.)

release date: 8 Sep 2018
✨Arc received from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.
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[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading Dear Rachel Maddow on 2/7/2019 and finished it on 2/11/2019 at 12:45AM. This book is an excellent read! I enjoyed the romance in this book. It’s fun to follow how Brynn pines over her ex Sarah and then being such a klutz when around the new girl she likes. Girl love is such a cute read, especially when it’s in the beginning stages. I like the letter format. It’s easy to read. There are a bit of swearing and the voice is very much like teens. I love Mr. Grimm’s advices. He’s a good man to have around. I like Lacey too as well as Justin. The humor is great in this book.

This book is told in the first person point of view following Brynn Harper, 16 years old. She’s writing an email to Rachel Maddow, a news reporter for a school assignment because she’s a big fan of Rachel. This book is entirely organized in an email format. Each page is an email letter. Brynn sends the email to her English teacher, Mr. Grimm and he sends a reply. Brynn sends many emails to Rachel telling Rachel about herself but then she left those letters in draft instead of sending them out. From there, readers will learn about why she was an honor roll student who now a struggling student. Further along, when drama at school calls for a voice, readers will see how Brynn stands up to use her voice to represent those silent ones.

Dear Rachel Maddow is very well written and a fast paced read! I like that this book focuses around school, especially an important topic like politics. I’m glad Brynn has a role model she looks up to and follow for positive influence. Despite her unstable home life, I like that the people Brynn surrounds herself with are good influencers. Even if her ex gives up on Brynn, I’m glad there is someone else. I like the things she learned from her brother, even though it’s a tough lesson. I like how Brynn stands up for those under-represented individuals. I’m glad TV is considered as a positive influence in this case. I find I couldn’t put down this book when reading it and I highly recommend everyone to read it too!

Pro: fast paced, page turner, email, role model, influence, girl love, humor, high school politics

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

***Disclaimer: I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details

[Biz · Rating 5 out of 5]

”Nevertheless, they persist.
I guess that means I fucking have to, too.”

This is bound to be my favorite contemporary of 2018. It’s the perfect blend of emotion, humor, diversity, and political references. Queer teens and teens with disabilities will be able to find characters like them in these pages.

Dear Rachel Maddow tells the story of Brynn, a junior in High School. Brynn had a good life, but when her brother Nick died a year ago, her life started falling apart. Now she’s on the “Applied” track at school, her first girlfriend has broken up with her, she’s kicked off the school newspaper, and her abusive and manipulative parents are driving her up the wall. She’s looking forward to turning eighteen when she can finally move out of her house and possibly drop out of high school. After being assigned to write to her personal hero, Rachel Maddow, for an assignment, and after being overjoyed at receiving a reply, Rachel begins to keep a journal of letters to Rachel about her struggles in High School journalism and politics that she never sends.

This book packs a lot of tough topics into under 300 pages, but it never feels like too much to handle. Not only that, but the characters and writing just blend together with the plot so well that I’m not convinced that the author didn’t pluck this entire story out of a high schooler’s mind. All the characters are all so flawed and three-dimensional, and that’s especially difficult to do when the book is told in journal format, so hats off to everyone who worked on this book.

Brynn, the narrator, was my favorite character. She’s brash, unapologetic, funny, and just trying to get through life and maybe get a girlfriend along the way. What a mood. She hides her depression and her trauma in her online journal while putting on a smiling face (or, at least, a righteously angry one) for the people around her.

I really felt for Brynn throughout this entire book. The quote at the beginning of this review really does describe her, and even though she doesn’t realize it, she’s amazing at persisting and pushing herself through life. Her character arc, and how her mental health progresses throughout the book are both so realistic and stunning. So many moments in this story made me tear up – I don’t know if it’s just because so much of it was relatable or what, but I know that depressed teens, teens who struggle in school, and teens who’ve had to deal with trauma will be able to see themselves in Brynn.

And Brynn’s reluctance to get into school politics, but completely owning it once she enters, is so iconic. She is an underdog who represents the other underdogs in her school, chosen to represent them and take down the elite and selfish honors students. This book also doesn’t fall into the “popular kids are always evil” trope; Brynn gains more popularity as she goes on, especially with the “normal” people in her school (e.g. not the top 10% GPA ranking). I really rooted for her, and I know other readers will, too.

Another favorite character of mine was Lacey. Lacey is a peer mentor for Brynn and the other students on the “Applied” track, and is Brynn’s best friend at school. She’s also in a wheelchair and uses a keyboard to speak, but I love the fact that this book emphasizes that a person’s disability isn’t the most important thing about them. There’s a hilarious quote from Lacey where she addresses people’s ableism, saying,

”People call me ‘brave’ all the time, and it annoys me. As if my mere existence is some sort of war. It’s not. I don’t think I’m any braver than another person just trying to live life. I just can’t do stairs.”

The dry wit in this quote is the same kind of humor in the rest of the book, and that makes the voice of the novel refreshing and laugh-out-loud funny.

Brynn’s romance with her love interest, Michaela, is so cute and funny. Though it’s a little insta-lovey in the beginning, the way it develops is so realistic and cute after the fact that I don’t mind it that much. Neither of them are perfect people, but Brynn’s tendency to blurt whatever she’s thinking around Michaela is so endearing and adorable.

The plot of Dear Rachel Maddow has a surprising amount of twists for a contemporary novel – I would compare it to a Shakespeare comedy, but more serious drama than just meaningless shenanigans.

I thought that the email/journal format actually really worked well for this novel. I’m always hesitant to read books that are solely told through journaling, because they tend to lead to less character development for everyone but the narrator, and provide a limited scope on the novel itself, but this book was a defiance to those assumptions. The journal format here is the way it should be done everywhere – with humor, some chapters in other people’s lives, and personality.

Another important message in this book is that high school isn’t everything. I don’t just mean socially – this book emphasizes that going to college, that being successful academically, isn’t the best thing for everyone. You’re not any less valuable if you don’t succeed in high school and don’t go to college. Just do what you care about and it’ll all work out.

”’There is no shame in work that doesn’t require a college degree. I just want you to know you have options. You shouldn’t give up a dream because other people make you feel like you aren’t worth investing in yourself.’
Well, hot damn, Mr. Grimm, getting all deep and shit.”

The transition from seriousness to humor is PERFECTLY DONE. Throughout the entire book. It’s incredible.

I hope to god that this book gets a lot of hype when it comes out – it so deserves it. Not only is it diverse, but the plot, characters, and writing are so so incredibly high-tier. I would recommend this for any contemporary fans, and even non-fans, especially those with disabilities, those in the LGBT community, or those who are looking for a funny, refreshing, realistic book that will make you feel all the feels.

”’You know the Applied rooms you don’t give a shit about? That’s where all my fucks went to die. Goodbye fucks!'”

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC copy!

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!

Brynn Harper doesn't have many constants in her life. But Rachel Maddow is one. After writing an email to Rachel for a school project--and getting a response back--Brynn continues writing emails to Rachel but never sending them. She chronicles her life in high school, stuck in the basement as part of the kids in remedial classes; her brother Nick's death; breaking up with her first girlfriend; and how hard things are at home with her mother and stepfather. And soon, she's telling Rachel about how unfair things are at school, when one of the honors kids tries to steamroll his way to being the student representative for the school board, without giving a voice to all types of kids at the school. Brynn knows this issue would fire up Rachel, but is it worth sticking out her neck and getting involved?

I absolutely loved this book and its heroine, Brynn. It's told all in letters (emails)--"epistolary YA written to a real person," as Kisner says in her acknowledgements. I balked for a second, but I quickly loved the format, because Brynn's unique and witty voice shines through via her letters to Rachel. We get the occasional email from someone else to help convey plot and sometimes comments on her letters from her increasingly exasperated, rueful, and impressed English teacher, Mr. Grimm.

Brynn's in remedial classes after some terrible things have happened, especially her brother Nick's death. His loss is a central theme to the book, and her grief is so startling and realistic. I truly loved this girl with my whole heart.

The lesbian and bisexual rep in this book is strong (so wonderful), as is the fact that it touts powerful women (from Rachel Maddow to Brynn and her posse). It's amazing to read a YA novel that covers politics and females fighting for their shot. Nothing is glossed over here--there aren't pretty endings tied up in bows--but you have to root for Brynn, and you have to be impressed with her willingness to stand up for herself. Especially because it seems like the world is stacked against this kid, a lot.

If you're a Rachel Maddow fan, you'll especially love the novel (obviously) as it calls out little quirks and inside jokes from her show. But you don't have to enjoy Rachel to love this book. I think it would be nearly impossible not to love it, honestly, between spunky Brynn and the fact that it's so easy to get caught up in the plot, the school politics, and the characters. There's a lot of depth and heart to this novel, and I highly recommend it, to teens and adults alike. 4.5 stars.

You can read more about the #atozchallenge here.


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[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting and experienced so many emotions! I laughed constantly--there are some fantastic one liners, and Brynn has an acerbic wit that carries through the book--and then I cried more than I expected to. I got angry a lot, too! I had some choice words for many characters in this book, for being absolute garbage humans. I count it as a job well done when a book gets me so worked up on behalf of the main character. I seriously was ready to call child social services and/or write a VERY strongly worded letter to a certain Esquire.

Which is apropos: DEAR RACHEL MADDOW is an epistolary novel, told entirely in emails that the MC, Brynn, is writing to Rachel Maddow (but not sending; most of the communication is in her Drafts folder, and she uses them like a personal journal). Sometimes in epistolary novels, the format bugs me--it feels inorganic, especially when the "letters" switch into full narration, but I never felt that here. It made sense within the context of the premise, and felt very real.

There is some gorgeous prose in here, especially where feelings are concerned--Kisner has such a way with communicating depth of feeling through punchy phrasing and pointed dialog. It drips with the feeling of "stuck in a small town/in your family/at high school/in your life," which is exactly what good contemporary YA should do. I felt fully immersed in the small town/suffocating high school setting, and man, sometimes shit really got real, which I wasn't expecting. This one will punch you in the feels. It's also delightfully dirty--so many fucks! So many! *cackles* (like, the curse word haha)

I liked how Brynn is gay, and that she has an ex, and her ex starts seeing another girl, and then Brynn also has a new love interest, Michaela. Just lots of casually queer girls, getting to exist on the page (and Michaela is canon bi, for readers looking for that aspect of representation, as well). It is still acknowledged as an issue, however, in that Brynn is not out to her family (but is out-ish at school). It's not an "issues book" about that, but it does exist on the edges of the wider narrative.

There's so much more to talk about, but this is already too long! If you are looking for a quick, funny, emotional read, pick up DEAR RACHEL MADDOW. It's a spot-on high concept contemporary YA. I really hope this gets into the hands of a lot of teens, especially queer and questioning teens, particularly those in small/suffocating/conservative towns, and especially especially those who aren't the note-perfect A+ GPA/Ivy bound kids--Brynn and her closest friends play refreshingly against type, and I think a lot of readers will relate to them!

[Stacee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of books in epistolary format and I loved the synopsis of this one.

Brynn was a great MC. I enjoyed being in her head and reading her struggle was relatable. There’s a pretty big group of characters here, but only a few really stood out to me. And someone really needs to junk punch her mom and her stepdad for just not caring. At all.

Plot wise, it took some time to settle in. I wasn’t instantly captivated, but as soon as Brynn started to get worked up and active, I was drawn in. I loved how she had a group of people behind her and she didn’t even realize it. I imagine a lot of people feel that way and it was handled well.

Overall, it was a quick and intriguing read. I loved the spin with the politics {something I would have never read or enjoyed until about 2 years ago} and I was rooting for Brynn. My only complaint is that I would have like just a bit more at the end, but I was mostly satisfied.

**Huge thanks to Feiwel and Friends for providing the arc free of charge**

[Jasmine]

If you're interested, you could check out the exclusive excerpt, which is an ADORABLENESS OVERLOAD for me, and an ARC giveaway for my friends in the U.S. HERE!!!

[Susie Dumond · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a closeted teenage lesbian, trying to figure out how to come out and what to do with my life, Rachel Maddow meant a lot to me. She was smart, and successful, and delightfully nerdy. She made me feel like it was ok to be passionate about things, like being politically engaged was cool. When I saw the description of Dear Rachel Maddow, it felt like the publisher was describing my past self. I had to check it out.

Brynn is a teenager who has a had a rough few years. Her family has been through a tragedy that has left her reeling, her aggressive stepdad makes her home life challenging, her girlfriend broke up with her, and her previously impressive grades are slipping. After a school assignment leads Brynn to write an email to her celebrity hero, political commentator Rachel Maddow, Brynn finds her draft emails to Rachel serving as a kind of diary that allows her to further explore her interest in representative democracy and student government.

This book has a lot of heart. As a longtime fan of Rachel Maddow, I love how she's used as a vehicle for Brynn to explore her advocacy interests and embrace her inner nerd. Reading this would have meant a lot to me as a teen, to see that you don't have to be perfect to make a difference in your community, and that being passionate about something is cool. The concept is very strong, and sometimes the writing doesn't quite live up to it, but it's certainly an entertaining and engaging read. I look forwarding to seeing what comes next from Adrienne Kisner.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[kay! ☾]

I FEEL SO BAD FOR DNFING THIS BOOK BECAUSE ITS WONDERFUL BUT I'M IN A NON-CONTEMPORARY MOOD AT THE MOMENT SO I'M BARELY ABLE TO GET INTO IT.

I'LL PICK THIS BACK UP IN A FEW WEEKS. HOPEFULLY 😭

[Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for fans of NICE TRY, JANE SINNER, this is a YA novel about a lesbian girl that's told in a completely unconventional way: in emails written to political journalist Rachel Maddow. I read it a few months ago in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down.

Why should you pick up DEAR RACHEL MADDOW? I have 2 main reasons.

1. unique formatting

YA has been more creative lately with the formatting and style of books, and this is a great example of that. Because of the fact that it's told through (mostly unsent) emails, you get a really interesting look into the main character's head and unfiltered thoughts that really makes the book stand out.

2. excellent main character + representation

The main character of this book, Brynn, is lesbian, and I loved this representation. In the book, she fights to get non-Honors-class kids into her high school's leadership team so that they have a say in the school events. It shows teenagers that they're not lesser if they're not the top of the class academically. Brynn is funny and real, and is a character that many teenagers can identify with.

I hope this convinces you to go pick up DEAR RACHEL MADDOW. I promise you, it's worth it!

[Kate (Feathered Turtle Press Reviews) · Rating 2 out of 5]

“How are you doing?”

Just say you’re fine, Brynn. Just say it. It’s what people do. Be a person, Brynn.

“Same old suck. Different day.” I cringed a little at my words.

“Why?” she asked. She stopped on the last step.

“Um. Life?” I said. I could give exquisite detail. But I like to save sharing that sort of thing for cable news personalities.

– Writing style is fun, witty and readable
– Brynn's voice is strong
– Playful premise
– A handful of strong scenes


– Epistolary format not executed quite well enough to keep secondhand events emotional
– Emotional disconnection from characters besides Brynn
– No characters of colour
– Rushed, unsatisfying ending

Brynn Harper is a smart, witty junior lounging in her own apathy after a series of unkindnesses in her life: her brother's death, her unhappy household, the break-up with her girlfriend and the loss of her position at the school newspaper after the decline of her grades. Now she's doomed to the basement with the rest of the Applied kids. After she writes to Rachel Maddow for an English assignment, Brynn begins to confide in her hero through e-mails she never sends. Through unsent e-mails to Rachel, Brynn details her budding crush on new student Michaela and the tentative interest in school politics she's forced into when cruel, spoiled Adam Graff runs for president of Student Government. But: is it safe for Brynn to care about something again?

I gotta admit, while I enjoy when books incorporate different formats, I wasn't a fan of an entire book of short, snarky, secondhand information. Brynn detailed a couple scenes pretty well, but there's not nearly as much as a firsthand scene would contain, and in most cases, the emotion was blunted, except for in a few dire moments. Brynn's relationship with Michaela suffered most as a result. Have you ever listened to your friend blabber about their crush? Yeah. That's the difference between reading a firsthand scene and reading Brynn's e-mails.

Brynn herself was likeable and sympathetic as a character, and the author's easy way with Brynn's voice transformed her sentences into things of beauty. Brynn is a bitter, aching teen, and it comes through clearly and honestly. She's a lonely, neglected child. My heart hurt for her as the losses started to add up again.

I do wish there was SOME actual representation in terms of characters of colour. I mean, Brynn, a young lesbian, juggling depression, grief, neglectful and abusive parents on top of a learning disorder? Excellent. Amazing. Funny, brilliant Lacey who uses a computer and speech board? Great! Tentative connections between drug use and neglectful or abusive parents. Very nice! But would it have hurt to mention a character specifically being not white? Michaela has coils of dark hair, which could indicate something, but, hey, I have coils of dark hair an I'm white as hell.

What really bothers me about Dear Rachel Maddow is how the author ends the book: it's rushed and unsatisfactory. The school election is ultimately a tool for Brynn's overarching character arc and her struggle against futility. Although the closure on both those points is rushed, it's the close of Brynn's character/emotional arc which irks me.

Warning: There be minor spoilers ahead.

Brynn's life is increasingly bleak. Her brother is dead. She's continuously lost the few things in school she cared about and put genuine effort into. Her mother and stepfather are abusive and neglectful. After all this — and I was really feeling the blows at this point — the culmination and resolution are simply sloppy. Brynn sends an accidental cry for help, drinks a bit too much, winds up in the hospital, and then it's some behind-the-scenes-therapy and a time-skip, and oh! Look! Brynn's starting to heal.

It's lazy and empty.

There's no catharsis. There's no fucking accountability.

The book is crying out for a scene where Brynn looks her mother in the eyes and says, "Part of the reason I am so broken is because you've been a shit mother." Where she snaps and busses to her father's house and demands to know why he abandoned here. Where some adult steps in and says to her stepfather he's an abusive jerk and the way he treats Brynn is wrong. (And Where someone just fucking holds Brynn and promises she'll be okay.)

It doesn't have to amount to anything. I doubt any of her parental figures would change. But that accountability needs to exist here.

Dear Rachel Maddow boasts a character with an excellent voice and hilarious prose, but the reliance on e-mail format hurts more than helps the narrative and the ending to the most compelling point of Brynn's story is rushed and highly unsatisfactory.

[Gary Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Adrienne Kisner’s debut novel Dear Rachel Maddow, high school isn’t going particularly well for Brynn Harper. Her family barely exists and provides scant support. Her approach to academics has led to placement in the “Applied” track, and her Honors student girlfriend Sarah has dumped her. Then English teacher Mr. Grimm assigns his students to email a well-known person. Brynn chooses MSNBC political analyst Rachel Maddow.

Maddow graciously responds to Brynn’s first email, and Brynn continues to write frequent “Dear Rachel Maddow” emails, although they remain unsent in her email’s Drafts folder. Writing unsent emails to Rachel Maddow becomes Brynn’s method of dealing with life’s stresses, but it also gives Brynn a way to articulate her views on what goes on around her through a political lens. This is one of the beauties of Dear Rachel Maddow. Brynn Harper’s high school becomes a microcosm of American life in the time of Trump where bullies blatantly bully, and thoughtful, brave people try to maintain a sense of humor while resisting authoritarian policies and dogma.

Some resist on the down-low, but not Brynn. She has nothing to lose by bringing all the sass, and she isn’t shy about speaking truth to power, whether it’s her teacher, her principal, her mother, or bullies. Dear Rachel Maddow is the funniest YA book I’ve read in a long time. Of course, the humor may depend on whether a reader agrees with Brynn’s political stance.

Although many of the YA tropes are here—popular kids vs. the others, a wicked step-parent, breaking up and finding new love—Dear Rachel Maddow feels fresh because of Brynn’s voice, the email format, and an obvious connection to today’s headlines. Another surprise I appreciate is that author Adrienne Kisner portrays teachers and administrators who are wise, passionate, and generous. Too many YA books unfairly demonize educators.

Every class has at least one reader who will love this book. Give it to readers who like Jennifer Mathieu’s Moxie, and those left-leaners interested in journalism, politics … and sass.

This review also appears on my What's Not Wrong? blog.

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Originally posted on my blog at WhatIsMuch!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC to read and review!

Happy pride month, everyone! I definitely think it’s fitting that the first book I finished reading this month was Dear Rachel Maddow– just the title alone should clue you in as to why!

However, that actually leads me into one of my favorite things about this book, so I suppose we can jump right in! I loved that the main character of Dear Rachel Maddow, 17 year old Brynn, was openly (except for to her family) lesbian, but this was not a coming out story. And of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with coming out stories in YA! In fact, I feel that they’re very important, since they give LGBTQIA+ youth who might be struggling with their own sexuality the opportunity to see a character go through the same struggles, and that can feel incredible. But sometimes that’s just not the point of the story! Sometimes a character just is a lesbian, and it’s not a big thing, and they get to be a character on their own merit. I really enjoyed and appreciated that, just like I really enjoyed how comfortable Brynn was with her sexuality, how much she owned being a girl who likes girls despite what anyone might think. It was like a little glimpse into how I wish Past Me could’ve been.

The first thing I mentioned about Brynn as a character was her being a lesbian, but honestly, Brynn was a very interesting character all around. She was a main character I had never seen before: a teenage lesbian who holds a fascination with (and a deep respect for) a famous political commentator and is in remedial classes due to her constant struggles with her schoolwork. Actually, Brynn uses her laptop as an assistive device, dictating all her emails and schoolwork as this helps her to process and work more efficiently. She struggles immensely with her grades, and genuinely considers dropping out of school once she turns 18. I loved seeing this in a book, as it made the character a lot more real and a lot more relatable.

The format of the story- written entirely in emails, mostly from Brynn to Rachel Maddow- was really interesting as well. It reminded me of books I used to read when I was younger, books written in journal/diary format. In fact, Dear Rachel Maddow and the writing style within reminded me a lot of Meg Cabot’s writing in general (The Princess Diaries, All-American Girl). I really thought, too, that the idea of this teenage girl writing her journal (more or less) in the form of letters to someone she greatly admires was spot-on. When I was in high school, I did much of the same sort of thing! I would write letters in my journal to musicians I looked up to- sometimes it was just easier to talk “to” someone than attempt to get my thoughts out any other way, and in writing the letters addressed to someone I admired, I could imagine they were listening and caring about what I had to say, which was often a comfort when I needed it most, in its own way. Some people might think it’s strange that Brynn spilled her whole life story to Rachel Maddow (though she doesn’t actually send the emails; they sit in her drafts folder), but I understood completely. I will say one thing about the email format of this book, though, which is that it lent itself to a bit of a predictable twist, but to me that wasn’t really a big deal.

The plot of Dear Rachel Maddow is where I start to have some issues with the book. On one hand, the plot as a whole was unique and refreshing, and I really appreciated that. I can’t easily think of another YA book I’ve read with such a politics-driven plot. Although the politics in this book are student politics (student body president, that sort of thing), the story does seem to mirror real world politics, or at least, the politics and events surrounding the 2016 election. There was even a quote towards the end of the book that really struck me, not just because of what it was saying, but also because of the specific word choices used:

So often politics and power trump compassion and reason, right? Even you can’t deny that. Why can’t Congress pass anything? Why do even the most horrible candidates rise to the top of the heap in real-world elections?

I’d like to make it clear that my issue with the plot is not because of the politics. I thought it was wonderful that Kisner created this parallel, but did so in such a subtle and powerful way. Though books can and should certainly be used for escapism, they also can and should be used to speak on important, and often difficult, topics. This was something I thought Kisner accomplished incredibly well, especially considering this is her debut novel.

However, I did feel that the plot read very young. Sometimes I forgot that Brynn was nearly an adult, and would be surprised all over again when she mentioned turning 18 soon. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was about Dear Rachel Maddow that gave me this impression, either. It’s not that Brynn was immature, per se. In fact, I actually found her to be rather mature in a lot of ways, which makes sense considering all the hardships she’s already faced in her young life. I can’t quite pin down what made me feel that this book read younger than intended, but you can also take me saying that with a grain of salt, considering I’m in my mid-twenties and younger readers might not feel the same way!

Speaking of the hardships Brynn has faced, while reading this book, I was reminded a lot of the last book I reviewed- you can see my review for The Brightsiders here. Brynn’s mother and stepfather are certainly abusive, and that’s a theme throughout the book. Again, the depictions of this abuse feel a little over the top, to the point that it seems a bit exaggerated. However, I started to realize a couple things as I read. One was that Dear Rachel Maddow is written as though Brynn is writing in her journal (albeit in the format of letters to Rachel Maddow, of course). Of course the abuse might seem exaggerated, in that case! She is often writing about events right after they’ve occurred, while the emotions are likely still fresh and raw. I know that for me, when something happens that hurts or upsets me and I try to write about it in my journal or vent to a friend, I often can end up exaggerating too- not intentionally, not to mislead anyone, but because my emotions are exposed and painful in those moments, and I am expressing them in the way that is best for me in that moment in order to process what has happened. I felt that maybe this was the case for Brynn, too.

But at the same time, I started to realize that perhaps my view on depictions of abuse in books, such as Dear Rachel Maddow or The Brightsiders, is flawed. In the aforementioned review, I stated that I felt the depiction of the abuse Emmy King endured was too extreme (although I clarified that the context of this extremity made sense with other issues I had with the book as a whole), but I also said that I was in no way trying to discredit the level of abuse anyone has gone through. I realized, while reading Dear Rachel Maddow, that this is flawed thinking on my end. Perhaps the reason I feel these depictions of abuse are so extreme is because I haven’t endured those types of things personally, and as a result, reading about such abuse makes me uncomfortable. This is something I’ll have to work on with myself when reading books in the future that depict abuse, and I certainly apologize that my views on the subject as depicted in these books very well might have invalidated some survivors’ experiences.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Dear Rachel Maddow, and would definitely recommend it to other readers. Though it was definitely heavy in parts, it was also funny and sweet and uplifting in others, and you can’t help but root for Brynn throughout the entire story. I even found myself wondering what Brynn’s future will hold for her, by the end, and wishing in a way that we could have a follow-up story about her! Best of all, today is this book’s release date, so you don’t even have to wait to pick up a copy if you’re interested. I’d certainly recommend you do so!

4 stars

*Note: the quote used in this review was pulled from the ARC and not a final copy*

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Nevertheless, they persist.
I guess that means I fucking have to, too.”

Sixteen-year-old Brynn’s life is a mess. Her beloved older brother Nick died of an overdose and her mother and step-father are so clueless that they punish Brynn for her academic decline and ignore her ongong grief. When Brynn is given an assignment to write to a favorite celebrity, she chooses Rachel Maddow who is her current role model. In a series of unsent emails, Brynn tells Rachel about her girlfriend breaking up with her and all the other school and home drama that’s bringing her down. Brynn’s passion had been writing for the school newspaper, but she can’t even do that again until she brings her grades back up. So when suspicion of arson is cast upon one of the top school athletes who bullies her the most, Brynn decides she can’t stay on the sidelines and must act.

Adrienne Kisner’s epistolary format allows the reader to feel Brynn’s pain and watch as her growing sense of injustice transforms her from an outraged bystander to an involved citizen. Brynn doesn’t necessarily want to get involved, but she gradually realizes that if she doesn’t, no one else will.

I found myself cheering for Brynn as she came into her own. I believe teen readers who have been inspired by the #MeToo movement and the activism of the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS may begin to see the possibilities for action in their own world. This book should appeal to fans of John Green and readers who enjoy a feel-good novel about a girl who just won’t give up. This book drops a lot of f-bombs and deals with some pretty serious issues, so I suspect it will be most appreciated by older teens and their parents. Strongly recommended.

[Fadwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was pretty damn good. Heaviee than i expected. A lot heavier. But it's real, heartbreaking but also hopeful. Also, it's hella gay!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really HAD to read this book when I saw the title on NetGalley. Queer teenager who's too sassy for her own good and is smarter than the work she does in high school? A love of Rachel Maddow? It's like they scanned my brain and wrote a YA novel. Brynn is a delightful protagonist who you can't help but root for, even when she makes questionable choices. Her enemies become your enemies and her heroes become yours too. I know I've said this before, but I always appreciate a YA novel with a queer main character where their queerness is not a big problem they're wrestling with. I love that we've largely moved past the, "I'm gay, oh no, what do I do?" part of the genre and have arrived at a place where queer characters can be complex and nuanced. Brynn is definitely in that category. And I bet she'd be hilarious on Twitter.

[prag ♻ · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW: parental abuse, domestic violence, mention of death by OD'ing

• sapphic Nice Try, Jane Sinner
• but even better
• 💯 characterisation
• I LOVE BRYNN AND MICHAELA AND LACEY AND JUSTIN AND LEIGH AND ERIN SO MUCH
• lesbian (identifies on page, has a gf) & dyslexic mc (that's my interpretation)
• other disabled characters
• this mix of politics and journalism that feels like it was written for me

[Lex]

I couldn’t get into this one and a bit more than halfway through I had to stop. I just couldn't connect with the story and there wasn't anything keeping me hooked to it. LGBTQIA+ and disability representation.

*Gifted by Raincoast Books*

[Heatherblakely · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really enjoyable. I like epistolary novels, and I liked that the format was also a learning tool. I definitely have some work to do to rid myself of the idea that honors students are somehow better than non-honors students, and this book challenged that idea in a way I needed. This book was a great example of why we need to restructure our education system in a way that doesn't focus so much on GPA and tests, and that kids who don't get all As all the time are just as important and worth listening to as kids who are in all AP classes. Brynn was a hard worker and a good friend, as well as a good journalist who was interested in politics. Her queerness was never a point of contention for her, which I appreciated. She had a bad relationship with her mom and stepdad, and I also appreciated that her story didn't go the way of "I see my mistakes and I'm so sorry and I love you because you're my daughter," because I think we get a lot of that and not every home life ends up with a happy ending.

There were three things that made me not want to give this five stars. First, unless I didn't read character descriptions correctly, this was a very white book. Second, there were trans-exclusionary moments. Brynn was talking to her opponent (who was an awful, rich white boy) and said "Well, geranted, I like people without dicks, so maybe I'd consider you after a few myself." We can talk about being a lesbian without throwing trans women under the bus, and we can talk about masculinity without talking about genitals. Later, Brynn found out someone had put up posters that said "Brynn Harper is gay" and "Brynn Harper sucks dick," and she said "Do I suck dick, or am I gay?" Again, trans women can have dicks, and lesbians who date and sleep with trans women are still lesbians. Third, Brynn's ex-girlfriend Sarah started flirting with her and Brynn didn't tell her she had a girlfriend, which ended up being fine because Sarah was just using her. But that felt like a cop out to me, and I was really annoyed because Brynn should have spoken up about her girlfriend and also told her girlfriend about what Sarah was saying and doing. Because what if she wasn't just using Brynn and was interested in getting back together? BE HONEST.

Anyway, watch out for the trans exclusion and the whiteness, but other than that I really liked this book.

[Seanean · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/201...

Who needs Dear Diary or Dear Abby when you have Rachel Maddow?

Brynn Harper's life is not a bowl of cherries. She's a lesbian living a closeted life with her ultra-conservative mother and abusive stepfather. She struggles with basic schoolwork because the letters and words dance before her eyes. Her older brother died two years before from an accidental overdose. And everyone, or almost everyone, believes she'll die the same way even though she's never taken a single drug.

Brynn's school life is no better as she's been relegated to the "Applied" section in the blue room of the basement, just trying to get through her days until she turns eighteen and can finally leave all the negative behind.

When Brynn is asked to write to a celebrity hero for a school assignment, she picks Rachel Maddow, mostly because Brynn's mother would go nuts if she found out. When Rachel responds, it starts a whirlwind of movement in Brynn's life starting with school politics and ending with the beautiful new girl who comes to peer-tutor in the blue room.

Life is never easy and fighting is always hard but Brynn may just have everything she needs to get through it all if she can just see it right in front of her eyes.

Final thoughts: Solid realistic YA fiction. Brynn's stepdad is pretty evil and it's difficult to see why her mom stays with him but that's true for many dysfunctional families, so that all fits. It's so difficult to read stories like these especially when you know how true they are in this world. I love Brynn's voice. She's so real and raw and sometimes so very oblivious. The ending isn't a happily ever after, but it's real and true. I wish the dyslexia had been diagnosed and discussed rather than just implied, but it was still good to see that kind of realistic depiction of a learning disability.

Rating: 4/5

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing Group

[Jon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like any book Young Adult book marketed to people who are too old to be reading them, Dear Rachel Maddow is full of clichés and artificiality. But what makes this book particularly awful is that every character and every interaction between every character serve as a means for the author to propagandize. The men are generally evil, the sympathetic characters are generally gay or disabled, and the theme of the book amounts to platitudes about equal representation. What distinguishes good political fiction from bad political fiction isn't necessarily just the nature of the ideas being put forth, but whether or not the work is fair; whether or not it presents opposing positions in a way that doesn't rely entirely on strawmen or caricatures. This book doesn't do that. This book's conception of power is too simplistic to be useful to the 17 year old girls who feel like they need a catharsis after Trump's election, and the characters are too poorly-drawn to interest adult women who feel the same way. Please don't read this.

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started slow, but I dig a good epistolary novel. Truly, Brynn’s “if no one else is going to stand up I guess it has to be me” tack through the novel was the most relatable thing here - but that might just be me.

I do hope that the published novel will include resources for teens in abusive homes, as well as those dealing with grief, substance abuse, homelessness, and bullying. There’s a lot of heavy stuff here.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

[chloe · Rating 2 out of 5]

not great but the concept of having a breakdown and emailing your journalist role model all of your problems is a little too relatable....

[Jenni Frencham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brynn is grieving the loss of her older brother while trying to survive in a home where her stepfather actively despises her and her mother cares more about her marriage than her daughter. To make matters worse, Brynn's girlfriend broke up with her. Brynn's grief caused her grades to plummet, which in turn placed her in remedial classes in school. Her only hope comes from her obsession with Rachel Maddow, whom Brynn watches regularly. Brynn even composes emails to Rachel Maddow, although they all stay in her drafts folder and aren't sent. Brynn tries to take down the legacy at her school where honors students are worshiped and remedial students are ignored.

I'm a bit confused as to why Brynn was placed in what sounds like a special education class - there are aides who assist the class, the teachers appear to cover multiple subjects, etc. - instead of the standard non-honors class when her grades began to slip. I hated the way Brynn's stepfather treated her, and I was glad when she was able to escape once she turned eighteen. This is more of a "slice of life" novel rather than following a particularly compelling plot, but it would be a great fit for readers who ask for "books about kids who face lots of hard stuff."

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: domestic violence, homophobic slurs, language
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purposes of review.

[Janine]

I don't know how to rate this because I genuinely don't how to feel about this.
Dear Rachel Maddow is the first YA novel by Dr. Adrienne Kisner. It centres primarily around emails written by Brynn, the protagonist, to Rachel Maddow. During the novel Brynn deals with girl trouble, the mystery of the War Memorial Arson, her abusive family, her brother's death, ableism, and school politics.

It's a lot for a novel. Which is my primary issue. Brynn and the other characters are incredibly endearing and I want to cheer for them and love this book. But I can't. The topics would've overwhelmed the novel without the email format. And with the email format, all the topics felt surprisingly understated. It was chaotic and messy (not in a fun DND way).

Then there is the issue of the weird theological aspect that isn't addressed. I realise that Dr. Kisner has a PhD in theology but that doesn't mean it's okay to shoehorn in an underdeveloped religious narrative.

Another shoehorned thing: Brynn's sort-of suicide attempt and hospital stay? Talk about underdeveloped...

I wish I could love this book, but I really can't. I'm sorry Rachel Maddow, you deserve better.

[Ritika Mendiratta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amazing, and I had such a good time reading it!
The writing here, first and foremost, was extremely compelling, I couldn't stop reading this at all, it was short, it was crisp yet I never felt as if it lacked depth, as if I didn't know the characters.
Brynn was an amazing main character, she was snarky and sarcastic, yet she was kindhearted and soft and I absolutely adored her.
The way she looks at things, she is pessimistic but she never loses hope in humanity, she goes through a lot, yet she never blames others for the mistakes she makes and doesn't let anyone off the hook for theirs.
This book talks about activism and standing up for what we believe in and how democracy, the best option we have, still can b manipulated and those with money and power can change things. However, this book is also about making people take a stand, making them wake up and take notice.
This book is about how even 17 year-old's can change the world if they care to.
I loved how cute Brynn and Mikaela were, how they didn't judge each other, it was everything my heart needed them to be.
I loved this so much!

[Kalen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise is better than the execution, though still a good read. Noted that it's for ages 13 - 18 and I think in most cases 13 will be a bit young--15 and up, maybe? There is nothing graphic here but a lot (a lot) of language. That doesn't bother me in the least but for some readers it will be an issue.

I'm also not sure how many readers of this age are Rachel Maddow fans or even know who she is. There's a little inside baseball here (The Best Thing in the World Today, Debunktion Junction, etc.) so if you don't know who Rachel is (quel dommage!) or don't watch her some of those things will be lost on you but maybe not a big deal.

Brynn's emails are fantastic but the other voices distracted. I'd rather the plot have been moved along through Brynn's voice than randomly bringing others in. Recommended but it won't be for everyone.

[Katie Harder-schauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

I'm not going to lie, I requested this book purely because of the title. Like Brynn, I too am a Rachel Maddow fan. That's pretty much where our similarities end though. In spite of that, by the end of the story, I really felt like I understood Brynn and could relate to her at least a little bit.

The format for this book was different. It's told entirely through emails, most of which are from Brynn. We get to know Brynn's voice really well, and we get a little bit of feedback from her teacher Mr. Grimm as well, with a few emails from her peer tutor, Lacey, and her girlfriend, Michaela, thrown in for good measure.

Read the rest of my review on my blog. --> http://justanothergirlandherbooks.blo...

[Patricia Burroughs · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off let me give you the elevator pitch from the publisher:

"In Adrienne Kisner's Dear Rachel Maddow, a high school girl deals with school politics and life after her brother’s death by drafting emails to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow in this funny and heartfelt YA debut."

Funny. Heartfelt. Yes. That. To the nth degree. Such a fabulous book.

I downloaded it from the library because of the title and that description. If that sounds like your kind of book, I suggest you do the same. I didn't know anything else about it and I really enjoyed [or was moved by] each small revelation or hint at a revelation, things that I'd have known about in advance had I read the rest of the description. I'm not talking major plot twists or anything like that. But if you like the sound of this book? What are you waiting for? You need a break. Spend it reading Dear Rachel Maddow.

[Ann-Marie Aymer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well thought out story from first time Young Adult author Adrienne Kisner.

Brynn Harper gives up on everything, she’s endures a huge loss and familial rupture, breaks up with her first great love—who is TOTALLY sending her mixed signals, and is kicked off of the school neewspaper because of her grades.. She also has absolutely no support from any adults other than her boss and her teacher in the special ed room Mr Grimm. Mr. Grimm gives her this assignment to write to a “celebrity hero”, and she chooses Rachel Maddow, and the rest, as they say is history; her letters turn into a journal chronicling the rest of the school year.