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The Queen of Junk Island
Still reeling from a recent trauma, sixteen-year-old Dell is relieved when her mom suggests a stay at the family cabin. But the much-needed escape quickly turns into a disaster. The lake and woods are awash in trash left by a previous tenant. And worse, Dell’s mom has invited her boyfriend’s daughter to stay with them. Confident, irreverent Ivy presses all of Dell's buttons--somehow making Dell’s shame and self-consciousness feel even more acute. Yet Dell is drawn to Ivy in a way she doesn't fully understand. As Dell uncovers secrets in the wreckage of her family's past--secrets hinted at through troubling dreams and strange apparitions--Ivy leads her toward thrilling, if confusing, revelations about her sexuality and identity.
Set during a humid summer in the mid-2000s, The Queen of Junk Island simmers with the intensity of a teenage girl navigating the suffocating expectations of everyone around her.
Set during a humid summer in the mid-2000s, The Queen of Junk Island simmers with the intensity of a teenage girl navigating the suffocating expectations of everyone around her.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2022
6 people are currently reading
413 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 10, 2022
3.50 Stars. This was a good debut, and I think the author should be proud, but I personally didn’t connect like I hoped to. I think part of the problem was with the cover, title, and blurb, I was expecting something that dealt with some tough topics, but that did it in a quirky and uplifting way. Instead, the book ended up being more depressing and even grittier than I expected. I don’t consider that a bad thing, I like emotional YA books, but in that case I need to connect to the characters more than I was able to here.
In my review copy, the author’s note is at the end. I don’t know if this was changed and put at the beginning before release, but I would urge people to read it first. I read it first since other reviews mentioned that you should, and I was glad that I did. Otherwise, I would not have realized that this book actually takes place 20 years ago and contains some difficult subjects. This book has biphobia, homophobia, sex shaming, sexism, and more. When you put the book in context of taking place in the early 2000’s, these isms and triggers make a lot more sense. I did find some of the sex shaming and biphobia especially hard to read about, but I graduated high school in 2000 so I know it was realistic.
I’ve mentioned before –in other reviews- that I love YA that has lots of teenage angst, emotions, and drama, so while this wasn’t the quirky book I was expecting, it still should have worked a bit better for me than it did. As I said, I’m one of the target audiences for this since I would have been around the same age as the characters, but I still had issues connecting to them. The main character, Dell, is depressed and angry so I understood why she would attack people but it still made her hard to like. Another main character, Ivy, while not depressed, was definitely angry and self-destructive so she would lash out to hurt people before they could hurt her. Again, I completely understood her character but I still struggled to like her too.
I don’t know if you can call what Dell and Ivy had a romance, as it was not very romantic, but they did have a relationship. This was tough for me as there were masturbation scenes and angry make-out scenes that felt dark and maybe ‘unsettling’ is the better word. While their relationship changed and evolved, it sure started off by making me quite uncomfortable.
It is not like the book is all doom and gloom, it’s just pretty serious, but the book did have a good ending. It couldn’t wrap up everything in a big bow, but it did cover some of the really important issues and made me feel better as a reader. In the end, I think the book was well written besides a few newbie bumps that were mostly dialogue based. The story was different and interesting, it just didn’t all come together for me. It was heavier and more serious than I expected, which would have been fine except that I could never fully connect to the important characters. This is a book that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. If you are looking for a darker and more serious YA book, or one that has a main character struggling with her bisexuality in the early 2000’s, than this might be a fit for you.
A copy was given to me for review.
In my review copy, the author’s note is at the end. I don’t know if this was changed and put at the beginning before release, but I would urge people to read it first. I read it first since other reviews mentioned that you should, and I was glad that I did. Otherwise, I would not have realized that this book actually takes place 20 years ago and contains some difficult subjects. This book has biphobia, homophobia, sex shaming, sexism, and more. When you put the book in context of taking place in the early 2000’s, these isms and triggers make a lot more sense. I did find some of the sex shaming and biphobia especially hard to read about, but I graduated high school in 2000 so I know it was realistic.
I’ve mentioned before –in other reviews- that I love YA that has lots of teenage angst, emotions, and drama, so while this wasn’t the quirky book I was expecting, it still should have worked a bit better for me than it did. As I said, I’m one of the target audiences for this since I would have been around the same age as the characters, but I still had issues connecting to them. The main character, Dell, is depressed and angry so I understood why she would attack people but it still made her hard to like. Another main character, Ivy, while not depressed, was definitely angry and self-destructive so she would lash out to hurt people before they could hurt her. Again, I completely understood her character but I still struggled to like her too.
I don’t know if you can call what Dell and Ivy had a romance, as it was not very romantic, but they did have a relationship. This was tough for me as there were masturbation scenes and angry make-out scenes that felt dark and maybe ‘unsettling’ is the better word. While their relationship changed and evolved, it sure started off by making me quite uncomfortable.
It is not like the book is all doom and gloom, it’s just pretty serious, but the book did have a good ending. It couldn’t wrap up everything in a big bow, but it did cover some of the really important issues and made me feel better as a reader. In the end, I think the book was well written besides a few newbie bumps that were mostly dialogue based. The story was different and interesting, it just didn’t all come together for me. It was heavier and more serious than I expected, which would have been fine except that I could never fully connect to the important characters. This is a book that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. If you are looking for a darker and more serious YA book, or one that has a main character struggling with her bisexuality in the early 2000’s, than this might be a fit for you.
A copy was given to me for review.
November 13, 2023
This YA book has much promise and covers so many important topics, but was a bit of a slog for me, thanks to a slightly unlikeable main character and some weird elements that made me uncomfortable. After something terrible happens to her at school, sixteen-year-old Dell and her mom go to stay at the family cabin, which they learn was being used as a dumping ground by their last tenant. Dell's mom asks Ivy, the daughter of her (the mom's) boyfriend to stay with them as well, much to Dell's consternation. Ivy appears confident and outgoing and gets along with Dell's mom--all the things Dell is not.
Set in the 2000s era in rural Ontario, the author outwardly admits QUEEN offers outdated thoughts on bisexuality, but I won't lie, they are still really horrible to read sometimes. Dell is struggling with finding herself and dealing with her sexuality, but she's also just really hateful at points--mean to her mom, mean to Ivy, cruel about other's sexuality, and just a harsh character. She's been through a lot, but she makes herself very hard to like. There's a plotline involving Ivy and Dell that almost crosses the line into icky, even if they aren't related, and again... my main emotion here was uncomfortable!
Add in a bunch of other tangential stories... buried secrets about Dell's family, more stuff about her mom's boyfriend and family, dealing with the literal junk by the lake house: there was a lot going on with this book. It could have benefited from narrowing down some of its focus. My favorite character was Dell's oft-abused but incredibly self-aware BFF, Paul. I'd read a book about Paul! I really appreciated QUEEN's points about identity (once it circled around and stopped bashing bisexuality), parental relationships, and love, but overall, this was a strange read. 3 stars.
Set in the 2000s era in rural Ontario, the author outwardly admits QUEEN offers outdated thoughts on bisexuality, but I won't lie, they are still really horrible to read sometimes. Dell is struggling with finding herself and dealing with her sexuality, but she's also just really hateful at points--mean to her mom, mean to Ivy, cruel about other's sexuality, and just a harsh character. She's been through a lot, but she makes herself very hard to like. There's a plotline involving Ivy and Dell that almost crosses the line into icky, even if they aren't related, and again... my main emotion here was uncomfortable!
Add in a bunch of other tangential stories... buried secrets about Dell's family, more stuff about her mom's boyfriend and family, dealing with the literal junk by the lake house: there was a lot going on with this book. It could have benefited from narrowing down some of its focus. My favorite character was Dell's oft-abused but incredibly self-aware BFF, Paul. I'd read a book about Paul! I really appreciated QUEEN's points about identity (once it circled around and stopped bashing bisexuality), parental relationships, and love, but overall, this was a strange read. 3 stars.
December 7, 2021
Thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I wish the author's note had been in the beginning of this one. I was not prepared for how biphobic and sexist/misogynistic was. Also didn't know it was set in the early 2000s until I was almost done. I feel like had I known the tone and time frame this was set in, things would've made a lot more sense sooner.
The Queen of Junk Island revolves around teenage Dell. She's recently been through a traumatic event at school and to deal, her mother suggests they go up to the family cabin. But then invites her boyfriends' daughter, Ivy, to stay with them while they clean out the trash from the previous tenant. Ivy presses all of Dell's buttons, but Dell also can't help but feel drawn in by her. The two deal with questions of family, identity, secrets and more during this humid summer in rural Canada.
This book was weird. I think I would've liked this more had I read the author's note first. However there was this really weird dynamic between Ivy and Dell and even knowing when this is set, I don't think it would've changed my dynamic about their relationship. This was a very weird relationship. Dell was constantly a jerk to Ivy, and Ivy could banter right back, but almost always Dell would cross the line and I just think Ivy deserves better. Tho Ivy had some not so great moments too, like when she insinuates that being bi is a stop to coming out as a lesbian.
There was also a whole weird sex vibe. Dell likes to masturbate, which is fine, but she has this whole shaming internal monologue and it was just so awful. It wasn't helped either by Dell's mom slut shaming her at times. Then there was the whole public masturbating scenes between Dell and Ivy and like it was too weird for me. Especially because it wasn't like a thing they agreed to do together. No they didn't even know each other at that point. Dell was caught watching and then they both refused to back down even though they knew the other was watching/listening/awake. I just could not with that scene. Too weird, I'm too ace for that.
Overall, this was not for me. The writing and general plot was fine. But I did not vibe with these characters like I wanted to.
Rep: Questioning bisexual white female MC, biracial (Indigenous & white) lesbian female love interest, BIPOC questioning asexual male side character, white sapphic female side characters, Indigenous (no tribe specified as he was adopted out by the government) heterosexual male side character.
CWs: Acephobia/acemisia, alcohol consumption, biphobia/bimisia, body shaming/policing, bullying, homophobia/homomisia, lesbophobia/lesbomisia, misogyny, outing, racism, sexism, sexual harassment, slut shaming. Moderate: blood, colonisation, death, genocide (mention of Sixties Scoop & residential schools), injury/injury detail, mentions of past pregnancy, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, toxic relationship, sexual content.
I wish the author's note had been in the beginning of this one. I was not prepared for how biphobic and sexist/misogynistic was. Also didn't know it was set in the early 2000s until I was almost done. I feel like had I known the tone and time frame this was set in, things would've made a lot more sense sooner.
The Queen of Junk Island revolves around teenage Dell. She's recently been through a traumatic event at school and to deal, her mother suggests they go up to the family cabin. But then invites her boyfriends' daughter, Ivy, to stay with them while they clean out the trash from the previous tenant. Ivy presses all of Dell's buttons, but Dell also can't help but feel drawn in by her. The two deal with questions of family, identity, secrets and more during this humid summer in rural Canada.
This book was weird. I think I would've liked this more had I read the author's note first. However there was this really weird dynamic between Ivy and Dell and even knowing when this is set, I don't think it would've changed my dynamic about their relationship. This was a very weird relationship. Dell was constantly a jerk to Ivy, and Ivy could banter right back, but almost always Dell would cross the line and I just think Ivy deserves better. Tho Ivy had some not so great moments too, like when she insinuates that being bi is a stop to coming out as a lesbian.
There was also a whole weird sex vibe. Dell likes to masturbate, which is fine, but she has this whole shaming internal monologue and it was just so awful. It wasn't helped either by Dell's mom slut shaming her at times. Then there was the whole public masturbating scenes between Dell and Ivy and like it was too weird for me. Especially because it wasn't like a thing they agreed to do together. No they didn't even know each other at that point. Dell was caught watching and then they both refused to back down even though they knew the other was watching/listening/awake. I just could not with that scene. Too weird, I'm too ace for that.
Overall, this was not for me. The writing and general plot was fine. But I did not vibe with these characters like I wanted to.
Rep: Questioning bisexual white female MC, biracial (Indigenous & white) lesbian female love interest, BIPOC questioning asexual male side character, white sapphic female side characters, Indigenous (no tribe specified as he was adopted out by the government) heterosexual male side character.
CWs: Acephobia/acemisia, alcohol consumption, biphobia/bimisia, body shaming/policing, bullying, homophobia/homomisia, lesbophobia/lesbomisia, misogyny, outing, racism, sexism, sexual harassment, slut shaming. Moderate: blood, colonisation, death, genocide (mention of Sixties Scoop & residential schools), injury/injury detail, mentions of past pregnancy, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, toxic relationship, sexual content.
December 6, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Queen of Junk Island sounded like it was going to be a pretty good book. It definitely had potential to be one but fell flat. At least for me it did. In it, you will meet Dell and she's 16 years old. You also meet her mom, her mom's boyfriend's daughter Ivy. They are currently going on a trip to a lake cabin to help clean it up. Or course, there's an ulterior motive here but that's because Dell needs to figure out a bunch of stuff.
I'm just going to keep it plain and simple: Dell was a hot ass mess. I'll admit that I didn't really find anyone likable throughout the book. Yeah, at times they could be but then something would ruin it. I also wasn't a huge fan of what was going on in Dell's head all the time. It did seem realistic - especially with the confusion one tends to go through - I just didn't like how it all played out.
Other than that, it was a quick but super confusing book for me to read. I'm talking about the lack of spacing on my edition. It was hard for me to figure out where the chapters started/ended after the first one. Maybe it's just me though?
In the end, I'm glad that I got the chance to jump into this book. I just feel like it had potential to be better.
The Queen of Junk Island sounded like it was going to be a pretty good book. It definitely had potential to be one but fell flat. At least for me it did. In it, you will meet Dell and she's 16 years old. You also meet her mom, her mom's boyfriend's daughter Ivy. They are currently going on a trip to a lake cabin to help clean it up. Or course, there's an ulterior motive here but that's because Dell needs to figure out a bunch of stuff.
I'm just going to keep it plain and simple: Dell was a hot ass mess. I'll admit that I didn't really find anyone likable throughout the book. Yeah, at times they could be but then something would ruin it. I also wasn't a huge fan of what was going on in Dell's head all the time. It did seem realistic - especially with the confusion one tends to go through - I just didn't like how it all played out.
Other than that, it was a quick but super confusing book for me to read. I'm talking about the lack of spacing on my edition. It was hard for me to figure out where the chapters started/ended after the first one. Maybe it's just me though?
In the end, I'm glad that I got the chance to jump into this book. I just feel like it had potential to be better.
October 23, 2021
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Queen of Junk Island in exchange for an honest review.
I think this was really well done, especially for a debut! It's always great to see more queer women in YA fiction and I think this was a pretty nuanced depiction in that reguard. I do think the way the characters talk to each other was occasionally clunky and felt debut-y (though maybe it was perfectly fine and I just went in with way too high expectations because of the Nina LeCour comparison) but all in all, I enjoyed this.
I think this was really well done, especially for a debut! It's always great to see more queer women in YA fiction and I think this was a pretty nuanced depiction in that reguard. I do think the way the characters talk to each other was occasionally clunky and felt debut-y (though maybe it was perfectly fine and I just went in with way too high expectations because of the Nina LeCour comparison) but all in all, I enjoyed this.
June 24, 2022
Set in the mid-2000s, this is a big-hearted and tender queer YA coming of age story about a young teen girl who is struggling with her sexuality at a time when not a lot is well understood about bisexuality. Dell deals with slut-shaming and biphobia and feeling oversexualized. There is also a lot of family issues going on as she spends the summer with her mom, her mom's new boyfriend and his daughter Ivy at their family cottage sorting through her mom's old things. The book has great conversations that normalize all spectrums of sexuality, including asexuality. Highly recommended and a great debut by a local Huron County writer!
TW: slut-shaming, biphobia, homophobia
TW: slut-shaming, biphobia, homophobia
January 15, 2022
For having such an adorable cover, The Queen of Junk Island is a really gritty book.
Sixteen-year-old Dell and her mom are spending the summer at the family cabin after discovering the previous renter dumped garbage all over the property. Dell is relieved to be getting out of the city because much like the cabin, her life is in need of a refresh. That is until she realizes her mom's boyfriend's daughter Ivy is staying with them too. The girls clash with each other from the very first day, but with Ivy's help, Dell learns about herself and her family's secrets.
If you look up "Hot Mess" in a dictionary, you will find a picture of Dell. Her internal monologue can be difficult to read, at times. She's abrasive, self-deprecating, and constantly overwhelmed. There are plenty of times where she, alongside many of the other main characters, are straight-up unlikable. But I still found myself rooting for them. They're what I like to think of as "authentically terrible." Messed up as she is, Dell's journey of self-discovery and figuring out the world is a relatable one. (And even when Dell or Ivy or their parents pissed me off, I couldn't stop reading because I had to know what was going to happen!!)
I found the author's note to be really valuable to this story, and wish I had read it at the beginning rather than the end. It really sets the scene so I'd definitely suggest you read it first even though it's at the end of the book. (Or if it's in the beginning in the final print even better!)
Fair warning on this one: The Queen of Junk Island has a lot of great rep, but with great rep comes a long list of content warnings, including acephobia, biphobia, homophobia, body/slut shaming, racism, sexism, sexual harassment, negative body image, and suicidal thoughts.
Many many thanks to Netgalley and Annick Press for the free review copy. This is one of those very special arcs where I will probably buy myself a physical copy so I can read it again.
Sixteen-year-old Dell and her mom are spending the summer at the family cabin after discovering the previous renter dumped garbage all over the property. Dell is relieved to be getting out of the city because much like the cabin, her life is in need of a refresh. That is until she realizes her mom's boyfriend's daughter Ivy is staying with them too. The girls clash with each other from the very first day, but with Ivy's help, Dell learns about herself and her family's secrets.
If you look up "Hot Mess" in a dictionary, you will find a picture of Dell. Her internal monologue can be difficult to read, at times. She's abrasive, self-deprecating, and constantly overwhelmed. There are plenty of times where she, alongside many of the other main characters, are straight-up unlikable. But I still found myself rooting for them. They're what I like to think of as "authentically terrible." Messed up as she is, Dell's journey of self-discovery and figuring out the world is a relatable one. (And even when Dell or Ivy or their parents pissed me off, I couldn't stop reading because I had to know what was going to happen!!)
I found the author's note to be really valuable to this story, and wish I had read it at the beginning rather than the end. It really sets the scene so I'd definitely suggest you read it first even though it's at the end of the book. (Or if it's in the beginning in the final print even better!)
Fair warning on this one: The Queen of Junk Island has a lot of great rep, but with great rep comes a long list of content warnings, including acephobia, biphobia, homophobia, body/slut shaming, racism, sexism, sexual harassment, negative body image, and suicidal thoughts.
Many many thanks to Netgalley and Annick Press for the free review copy. This is one of those very special arcs where I will probably buy myself a physical copy so I can read it again.
December 29, 2021
The Queen of Junk Island took forever for me to get through. Mostly because every time I read it, the content just made me sad and affected my mood for the rest of the day. I had to force myself to finish it. I try to finish all the NetGalleys I'm chosen for even when I have a hard time doing so.
It would have helped my reading experience if I had been warned in the beginning. If there was a content/trigger warning or author's note with these warnings right as you start reading because it was heavily biphobic with misogynistic & body shame/sex shame themes.
The plot, plot points, and settings were interesting but the characters, character interactions, and depressing to read internal dialogue is what killed it for me beginning to end.
It would have helped my reading experience if I had been warned in the beginning. If there was a content/trigger warning or author's note with these warnings right as you start reading because it was heavily biphobic with misogynistic & body shame/sex shame themes.
The plot, plot points, and settings were interesting but the characters, character interactions, and depressing to read internal dialogue is what killed it for me beginning to end.
November 9, 2021
The Queen of Junk Island is an extremely well-written YA novel. The premise is really interesting and the cover is beautiful.
May 26, 2022
Curious. I feel indifferent about the book. I had seen some early press about the book and thought the title and cover were unique so I listened to the audiobook when I saw it on Hoopla. There's an exploration of sexuality and quasi romance between Dell, the main character, and her mother's boyfriend's daughter Ivy which walks the line (for some) of feeling inappropriate but reminded me of the feelings I had reading Salty, Bitter, Sweet in which a heterosexual romance takes place between the dad's daughter and the new stepmom's son.
In this one though there is much to get through and much to unpack. Spending the summer at a camp in Canada cleaning up after a large amount of dumped garbage but there's added mystery to why there are strained relationships between Dell's mom and her parents and an untimely death of Dell's mom's sister who looks a lot like Dell. Dell was embarrassed and harassed at school after nude pictures of her were released by someone she thought was her boyfriend. But now she's got sexual feelings toward Ivy. And the entire book prominently discusses sexuality, particularly Dell's insatiable need to masturbate and curiosity to sex itself. It's that empowering thread in the story that I can get behind because it's simply not discussed for female characters in YA. There's a little red herring mystery situation that resolves itself that was distracting. There's the history of Dell's mom's family and Ivy's dad's family that never quite rises to important enough that it would be included in the story.
Either way, it exists and as the author note (which should be at the front introducing the story because it sets time, place, and why she wrote it -- being semi-autobiographical) says, was what she would have needed when she was a teenager and you can't put a price on visibility for teens.
In this one though there is much to get through and much to unpack. Spending the summer at a camp in Canada cleaning up after a large amount of dumped garbage but there's added mystery to why there are strained relationships between Dell's mom and her parents and an untimely death of Dell's mom's sister who looks a lot like Dell. Dell was embarrassed and harassed at school after nude pictures of her were released by someone she thought was her boyfriend. But now she's got sexual feelings toward Ivy. And the entire book prominently discusses sexuality, particularly Dell's insatiable need to masturbate and curiosity to sex itself. It's that empowering thread in the story that I can get behind because it's simply not discussed for female characters in YA. There's a little red herring mystery situation that resolves itself that was distracting. There's the history of Dell's mom's family and Ivy's dad's family that never quite rises to important enough that it would be included in the story.
Either way, it exists and as the author note (which should be at the front introducing the story because it sets time, place, and why she wrote it -- being semi-autobiographical) says, was what she would have needed when she was a teenager and you can't put a price on visibility for teens.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2022
This should’ve been right up my alley, but it fell incredibly flat for me. I couldn’t connect with Dell, the main character….she was bratty and didn’t even have a personality. Things just kind of happened without any build-up, there was a lot of telling and not showing. There was a lot of "I cried so hard to my mom, I haven't done that very many times," (paraphrasing, but you'll get the idea). They go the lake cottage and try to clean up said cottage because it's trashed beyond belief. However, there’s little backstory, it was just casually dropped in throughout and not really explained. Basically, I wanted to feel something for Dell, but I couldn’t do it because it felt very surface level.
I also felt there were too many plot points, which weren’t tied together very well. I get that this is the author’s debut book, so maybe the writing will improve, but this was just…not for me. One thing I did like was that it took place in Canada, but it was difficult to discern that except for Dell referring to it grades like "grade 9" and "grade 10."
I also felt there were too many plot points, which weren’t tied together very well. I get that this is the author’s debut book, so maybe the writing will improve, but this was just…not for me. One thing I did like was that it took place in Canada, but it was difficult to discern that except for Dell referring to it grades like "grade 9" and "grade 10."
July 2, 2022
This is the book you need for your mom trauma, your identity issues, your coming of age around generational trauma. It's that Rory Power novel from last year (burn our bodies down) with less horror elements. It's like reading your own journal written by someone else. It's incredible, It's affective (and also effective). It takes place before 2015 probably which is NOT clear anywhere in the marketing but Whatever (some things feel dated or weird). If you like the cover, the description, or my review, you should pick it up.
April 27, 2022
Ultimately this was not the book for me. As a general rule I do not review books that that I either don't like or that I do not finish, however I do want to make a note on this one, because I do think it's worth pointing out that it might be the right book for some people (just not me). It's important to note that I did NOT finish the book- and the issue I had may be resolved later on. This book is a heavy, gritty book that deals with a lot of issues that we absolutely should be talking about. I think mileage varies on the approach- for some people this book might be exactly the right tone, for others, it might not work.
The book centers around a young girl named Dell who is recovering from some trauma- she made some bad choices, got involved with someone who took advantage of her, and the book opens with her still reeling from the consequences of the incident. From there we find her gaining a level of solace in getting to retreat to her family home at the lake where she's hoping for some space and the ability to move forward. There she is confronted with the daughter (Ivy) of her mother's boyfriend (stick with me), who is a former friend that she lost touch with years before.
**Major Spoilers Below**
Here is where I personally hit the wall. There is an abundance of victim blaming in the book. Not just internally from Dell, but also from her mother and assumingly the friends she lost at school after the incident became public. There is also a good deal of bi-phobia that Dell recounts. Lastly, Dell is revictimized throughout a portion of the story by Ivy- it's unclear whether or not Ivy is aware of what happened prior to Dell coming back and if she's intentionally poking at an open wound... but regardless, what Ivy does, without Dell's explicit consent, is sexual assault, and Dell feels shame because "she gave permission by not saying no". I set the book down shortly after this section. At no point prior to where I stopped that does the story contend with the idea that these thoughts, these actions, and these words that are being heaped upon Dell are wrong. In fact, the vast majority of the characters are expressing a variation of this sentiment and Dell is treated as the person who has done wrong. The story also deep dives into Dell's history with sex and body, and it is always framed as unhealthy, reinforcing the idea that by having watched/read pornography, by having explored her body, by being interested in sex Dell is somehow responsible for every incident she has endured.
There are some side plots regarding who is dumping trash on the land, what is really out on junk island, and what happened to Dell's Aunt Julie (who she just learned existed). I'm hopeful that as the story presses forward a lot of the issues are resolved both for Dell and for the reader. The tone in the first portion of the book didn't really match my personal expectations (based on the cover and the summary). I anticipate that this book will polarizing- some will find it strikes a nerve that they don't want to contend with in a book, others will find that it hits exactly the right note and find themselves in the story.
For me, I simply couldn't get past the issues I raised above and had to DNF. I would like to hear other peoples thoughts on this one though.
The book centers around a young girl named Dell who is recovering from some trauma- she made some bad choices, got involved with someone who took advantage of her, and the book opens with her still reeling from the consequences of the incident. From there we find her gaining a level of solace in getting to retreat to her family home at the lake where she's hoping for some space and the ability to move forward. There she is confronted with the daughter (Ivy) of her mother's boyfriend (stick with me), who is a former friend that she lost touch with years before.
**Major Spoilers Below**
Here is where I personally hit the wall. There is an abundance of victim blaming in the book. Not just internally from Dell, but also from her mother and assumingly the friends she lost at school after the incident became public. There is also a good deal of bi-phobia that Dell recounts. Lastly, Dell is revictimized throughout a portion of the story by Ivy- it's unclear whether or not Ivy is aware of what happened prior to Dell coming back and if she's intentionally poking at an open wound... but regardless, what Ivy does, without Dell's explicit consent, is sexual assault, and Dell feels shame because "she gave permission by not saying no". I set the book down shortly after this section. At no point prior to where I stopped that does the story contend with the idea that these thoughts, these actions, and these words that are being heaped upon Dell are wrong. In fact, the vast majority of the characters are expressing a variation of this sentiment and Dell is treated as the person who has done wrong. The story also deep dives into Dell's history with sex and body, and it is always framed as unhealthy, reinforcing the idea that by having watched/read pornography, by having explored her body, by being interested in sex Dell is somehow responsible for every incident she has endured.
There are some side plots regarding who is dumping trash on the land, what is really out on junk island, and what happened to Dell's Aunt Julie (who she just learned existed). I'm hopeful that as the story presses forward a lot of the issues are resolved both for Dell and for the reader. The tone in the first portion of the book didn't really match my personal expectations (based on the cover and the summary). I anticipate that this book will polarizing- some will find it strikes a nerve that they don't want to contend with in a book, others will find that it hits exactly the right note and find themselves in the story.
For me, I simply couldn't get past the issues I raised above and had to DNF. I would like to hear other peoples thoughts on this one though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up
16-year-old Dell and her Mom, along with her mom's boyfriend's 17-year-old daughter Ivy, head out to her mother's lake cabin that's been overrun with trash. The goal is to clean up the old family home and take Dell's mind off a recent betrayal, but Dell ends up finding out so much about herself and her family.
Dell was a hot mess and full of emotions, which is one of the best things about this book. The author did a great job at being inside Dell's head and expressing the feelings of confusion, disgust, anger, and longing. This book was very open about sex and sexuality, and while most of the characters aren't really sex-positive, it's presented as quite realistic. (I didn't know that this is supposedly set in the early 2000s until I read the author's note at the end. It would've helped to know that while reading because it was hard to comprehend that these teens hadn't heard of bisexuality or asexuality. Knowing that this was set 15-20 years ago would've really made more sense while I was reading. They mention cell phones and internet, but no other references to the current time.)
I loved that Dell expressed so many feelings about feeling "gross". It's not often that girls and women are able to share these feelings about our bodies, so that was refreshing to read. I do think that this should be geared towards older teens, as the mentions of porn were somewhat disturbing in how they were described. I felt a lot of conflicting feelings about teenage sexuality while reading this book; on one hand it's good to read about realistic feelings, but with the benefit of hindsight, I can see how this may be a little scary to some younger teens.
Overall a great story and quite thought-provoking. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.
16-year-old Dell and her Mom, along with her mom's boyfriend's 17-year-old daughter Ivy, head out to her mother's lake cabin that's been overrun with trash. The goal is to clean up the old family home and take Dell's mind off a recent betrayal, but Dell ends up finding out so much about herself and her family.
Dell was a hot mess and full of emotions, which is one of the best things about this book. The author did a great job at being inside Dell's head and expressing the feelings of confusion, disgust, anger, and longing. This book was very open about sex and sexuality, and while most of the characters aren't really sex-positive, it's presented as quite realistic. (I didn't know that this is supposedly set in the early 2000s until I read the author's note at the end. It would've helped to know that while reading because it was hard to comprehend that these teens hadn't heard of bisexuality or asexuality. Knowing that this was set 15-20 years ago would've really made more sense while I was reading. They mention cell phones and internet, but no other references to the current time.)
I loved that Dell expressed so many feelings about feeling "gross". It's not often that girls and women are able to share these feelings about our bodies, so that was refreshing to read. I do think that this should be geared towards older teens, as the mentions of porn were somewhat disturbing in how they were described. I felt a lot of conflicting feelings about teenage sexuality while reading this book; on one hand it's good to read about realistic feelings, but with the benefit of hindsight, I can see how this may be a little scary to some younger teens.
Overall a great story and quite thought-provoking. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.
November 26, 2021
Dell is running from something bad her past, when we first meet her. Her mother doesn't want to talk about it, and the only friend who does want to be there for her, Jason, is working in the city, and her mother has taken her to their house on the lake to get away from it all. It being whatever happened.
The only problem is, the lake of the lake house, has been filled with trash, as have the woods near by., by the tenant, who has disappeared. So, the summer become a summer of cleaning up. Oh, and Dell's mother's boyfriend has sent his daughter to stay with them, as well.
The slow reveal of what happened to Dell with the boy who showed her affection, is leaked out bit by bit in the story. Also leaked out, bit by bit, is Ivy, her soon to be step sister, who she keeps looking at and wondering if she hates her or wants to bang her.
There is a lot of painful inner thinking, and feelings, and all the things that young adult literature is known for. The author said she wrote it for all the girls who were going through something similar, or might even be going through it now, not being to name what their sexuality is, because no one ever talks about anything but heterosexual sex.
I felt it was a little slow in bits, but I could see where the author was going with it, leading us, as the main characters moved through their own hurt and pain.
Not quite for me, but that doesn't mean it isn't for others, and it may give validity to youth that are trying to figure out who and what they are.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
The only problem is, the lake of the lake house, has been filled with trash, as have the woods near by., by the tenant, who has disappeared. So, the summer become a summer of cleaning up. Oh, and Dell's mother's boyfriend has sent his daughter to stay with them, as well.
The slow reveal of what happened to Dell with the boy who showed her affection, is leaked out bit by bit in the story. Also leaked out, bit by bit, is Ivy, her soon to be step sister, who she keeps looking at and wondering if she hates her or wants to bang her.
There is a lot of painful inner thinking, and feelings, and all the things that young adult literature is known for. The author said she wrote it for all the girls who were going through something similar, or might even be going through it now, not being to name what their sexuality is, because no one ever talks about anything but heterosexual sex.
I felt it was a little slow in bits, but I could see where the author was going with it, leading us, as the main characters moved through their own hurt and pain.
Not quite for me, but that doesn't mean it isn't for others, and it may give validity to youth that are trying to figure out who and what they are.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
April 29, 2022
It’s the beginning of summer, and Dell is still dealing with trauma from a recent ex-boyfriend when her mother gets a call that their country property has been used as a dumping ground. With nowhere else to go, Dell’s mother brings her along, suggesting that a stay at the family cottage will be a nice break. But it goes from bad to worse when Dell meets her mother’s boyfriend’s daughter, the confidant and slightly pushy Ivy. Together, they uncover the secrets that Dell’s mother left buried, along with a past that neither of them could ever dream of.
I found The Queen of Junk Island very interesting. It has a mystery inducing premise, but in terms of uncovering the mystery, it was lacking. The characters felt slightly unfinished, as if this was just a rough draft, and there were parts that repeated or left holes.
In terms of content, I wish that the author’s note was put in the front. I had no idea that it was set in the 2000’s until I read the author’s note, and had I realized the context for exploring sexuality, I would have been much more prepared. There were also a few scenes between Ivy and Dell that felt very weird and could’ve been written better.
Thank you to NetGalley, Annick Press and the author for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I found The Queen of Junk Island very interesting. It has a mystery inducing premise, but in terms of uncovering the mystery, it was lacking. The characters felt slightly unfinished, as if this was just a rough draft, and there were parts that repeated or left holes.
In terms of content, I wish that the author’s note was put in the front. I had no idea that it was set in the 2000’s until I read the author’s note, and had I realized the context for exploring sexuality, I would have been much more prepared. There were also a few scenes between Ivy and Dell that felt very weird and could’ve been written better.
Thank you to NetGalley, Annick Press and the author for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 19, 2022
The Queen of Junk Island is a story of self-discovery. Dell is kind of a disaster at this point in her teenage life, and slowly begins to figure things out as the story unfolds.
The first half of the story moved very slowly for me, but around the 60% mark it picked up and the last 1/3 was much more engaging. I don't really feel that this book is necessarily for me, but I'm sure that there are many people out there that this book may speak to. It would have been much better going into it knowing that it takes place in the early 2000's. I didn't realize this, and was confused by several things (like why she had a flip phone - I did not think Canada was that behind the times...). Having the author's note in the beginning would be helpful, but it would also give away some important plot points and discoveries. Just know that it is important to view the story through the lens of the early 2000's, and not today, because the bi-phobic thoughts and several other things make much more sense.
I enjoyed watching Dell and Ivy's relationship unfold, although I can't say I was necessarily rooting for them. I really liked Dell's relationship with her best friend Paul, and appreciated how his personal experience was also very different from those around him and what was "expected" at the time.
I think a lot of Dell's thoughts may be relatable to many women, especially those who were teens at the same time, but some of it was just awkward and uncomfortable to read about. I did appreciate the honesty, and also reading about the experience of someone going through this type of identity crisis. Reading about the experiences of others, even fiction, can help us all to be more knowledgeable, understanding, and empathetic.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
The first half of the story moved very slowly for me, but around the 60% mark it picked up and the last 1/3 was much more engaging. I don't really feel that this book is necessarily for me, but I'm sure that there are many people out there that this book may speak to. It would have been much better going into it knowing that it takes place in the early 2000's. I didn't realize this, and was confused by several things (like why she had a flip phone - I did not think Canada was that behind the times...). Having the author's note in the beginning would be helpful, but it would also give away some important plot points and discoveries. Just know that it is important to view the story through the lens of the early 2000's, and not today, because the bi-phobic thoughts and several other things make much more sense.
I enjoyed watching Dell and Ivy's relationship unfold, although I can't say I was necessarily rooting for them. I really liked Dell's relationship with her best friend Paul, and appreciated how his personal experience was also very different from those around him and what was "expected" at the time.
I think a lot of Dell's thoughts may be relatable to many women, especially those who were teens at the same time, but some of it was just awkward and uncomfortable to read about. I did appreciate the honesty, and also reading about the experience of someone going through this type of identity crisis. Reading about the experiences of others, even fiction, can help us all to be more knowledgeable, understanding, and empathetic.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
October 26, 2022
I'm still trying to process where this one fully lands for me, this was heavy and despite it being well written there are definitely moments that made me extremely uncomfortable (particularly some very dubious consent ones) although considering the author is posing this to us as early 2000s the thought processes make sense for what the atmosphere around sexual consent was. It's one that I'm glad to have read, because it is a great piece of literature, Jones did fantastic in hitting the exact time period and place that she was going for, but this is one I'm never going back to because of the just exhaustion I felt at the end. The largest tipping point for why I'm rating this as low as I am is because of that exhaustion. This book goes and goes and goes and has... Not a lot of optimism until basically the last chapter. Even the relationship between Ivy and Dell has so much tension, this book feels like it has no actual release until literally any communication happens. The lack of communication makes it feel like something's going to break the entire book and it's left me just... Tired.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2021
I thought this was a very well written YA novel of a girl who needed a summer to move on from past mistakes and find herself.
Dell is 16 years old and ends the school year with photos of herself being put online by a boy she thought she liked. Her mom takes her to their family cottage after getting a call that the renter has been dumping garbage on the property.
Dell is joined by Ivy, the 17 year old daughter of her mothers boyfriend. The girls do not get along at first, but then something not quite like friendship begins.
Can Dell move past the situation which nearly broke her? Can Ivy help her discover herself and maybe even answer questions about her past that her mother has kept hidden.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Netgalley for an advanced copy to review.
Dell is 16 years old and ends the school year with photos of herself being put online by a boy she thought she liked. Her mom takes her to their family cottage after getting a call that the renter has been dumping garbage on the property.
Dell is joined by Ivy, the 17 year old daughter of her mothers boyfriend. The girls do not get along at first, but then something not quite like friendship begins.
Can Dell move past the situation which nearly broke her? Can Ivy help her discover herself and maybe even answer questions about her past that her mother has kept hidden.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Netgalley for an advanced copy to review.
May 2, 2022
I really enjoyed Dell's journey of self discovery and her coming to terms with her sexuality. It was complex and well written and really drove the story. I also found Ivy to be well written and the twists of their relationship as they spend the summer together was so well written. I thought the adults were not as well written particularly Dell's mother some of her actions were so awful it made the book hard to read and really took me out of the story. The generational trauma makes this realistic in someways but it also felt over the top and not as well written as other aspects of the story. The plot was interesting and the mystery elements really drew me in as well. Overall it's an interesting journey.
August 23, 2022
If there was ever a book that could have benefited from a trigger/content warning as a preface, this is it. A strong debut that takes on some very tough topics, and that will certainly resonate with many young-adult readers. However, some of the language and content may set readers back a bit. The homophobia and biphobia in this story is reflected accurately, but I truly wasn't expecting the depth of it when I picked this one up. Please proceed with caution for this book.
Thanks as always to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd. for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks as always to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd. for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2022
I chose this randomly from the library for its title and cover 🤷🏻♀️ it’s a YA coming of age novel that deals with sexual identity. So perfect pick for Pride Month. It’s Canadian too. There is a lot of stuff going on in the book that seems awkward at times ( and maybe unnecessary) I wondered if it could all come together. But if someone out there sees themselves in this book, then it will have done a wonderful thing
December 27, 2025
Lowk it was pretty good, felt relatable in the coming of age part. Only thing is I’d say the author kept jumping with the plots, it’s like she couldn’t just stick to one plot and go with it, yet she had like 5 and got lost in 3 of em and abandoned 2 of em till the last 50 pages. Good concept and decently enjoyable read!! 3.5 stars
January 5, 2025
being the same age as adele and also experiencing the same shame and embarrassment she does made the reading experience so much better, this book is so relatable but i wish there was more backstory for everything, honestly i went looking for more pages when i finished.
January 4, 2026
something so nostalgic about the narrative voice in this book. i think it would have completely rearranged my brain if i had read it as a teenager. I really liked how prickly and difficult the protagonist was.
October 31, 2022
Great teen read about learning to be comfortable in the skin you’re in!
July 10, 2024
This book should be added to the trash pile. I just wanted to read about spending the summer in a lakeshore cottage and cleaning up the property; why are these girls so gross.
July 8, 2024
a sapphic YA coming of age novel set in the mid 2000s! after suffering through hayley kiyoko's girls like girls last year, i was feeling wary. but i'm happy to report that this is a rather sweet, thoughtful novel. jones uses retrospect constructively, rather than indulgently.
as far as vibes go, it's less rooted in the 2000s than i expected. there's plenty of technology, flip phones, and social media. the thing that roots this story in the era (which, btw, feels specifically like 2008 to me) is the culture. our protagonist, dell, is unfortunate enough to be an early victim of leaked nudes gone viral. this was something new at the time, and horribly traumatic! the use of the word "slut" is alarming, as are the rudimentary ideas about lgbt+ identities.
the biphobia in the book is downright painful - someone who says they're bisexual is assumed to be either promiscuous, confused, or gay and unwilling to admit it. from here in 2024, it's jarring to be placed back in this cruel and reductive mindset.
some notes i made while reading:
✧ sadly, the audiobook narration is uneven and does a disservice to the poetic writing style! i really hate when an audiobook narrator diminishes the reader's experience of the book.
✧ in addition to the comparison to girls like girls, this story reminds me of horrid. they have very similar premises - a teenage girl with no siblings moves with her single mom to the mom's childhood home. the mother is full of secrets and her own anxieties about revisiting a place full of memories. lots of mystery. good thing this one didn't turn out to be a horror novel!
✧ the uhhhh scene is lowkey bonkers? i was not expecting so much sexual content from this book.
✧ less than halfway through the book i predicted that
✧ the first-person narration occasionally slips into second-person.
✧ okay... the practicalities of the junk island, a floating heap of old furniture and trash and car parts... which characters frequently swim through and climb on... can we please talk about TETANUS?!
anyway. jones' author's note talks about how far we have come since the mid 2000s, and acknowledges that the world holds far more diversity than this book is able to portray. i love that she wrote the book she needed when she was a teenager. i know my teenage self would have loved it too.
as far as vibes go, it's less rooted in the 2000s than i expected. there's plenty of technology, flip phones, and social media. the thing that roots this story in the era (which, btw, feels specifically like 2008 to me) is the culture. our protagonist, dell, is unfortunate enough to be an early victim of leaked nudes gone viral. this was something new at the time, and horribly traumatic! the use of the word "slut" is alarming, as are the rudimentary ideas about lgbt+ identities.
the biphobia in the book is downright painful - someone who says they're bisexual is assumed to be either promiscuous, confused, or gay and unwilling to admit it. from here in 2024, it's jarring to be placed back in this cruel and reductive mindset.
some notes i made while reading:
✧ sadly, the audiobook narration is uneven and does a disservice to the poetic writing style! i really hate when an audiobook narrator diminishes the reader's experience of the book.
✧ in addition to the comparison to girls like girls, this story reminds me of horrid. they have very similar premises - a teenage girl with no siblings moves with her single mom to the mom's childhood home. the mother is full of secrets and her own anxieties about revisiting a place full of memories. lots of mystery. good thing this one didn't turn out to be a horror novel!
✧ the uhhhh scene is lowkey bonkers? i was not expecting so much sexual content from this book.
✧ less than halfway through the book i predicted that
✧ the first-person narration occasionally slips into second-person.
✧ okay... the practicalities of the junk island, a floating heap of old furniture and trash and car parts... which characters frequently swim through and climb on... can we please talk about TETANUS?!
anyway. jones' author's note talks about how far we have come since the mid 2000s, and acknowledges that the world holds far more diversity than this book is able to portray. i love that she wrote the book she needed when she was a teenager. i know my teenage self would have loved it too.
November 29, 2021
I really felt for Dell, even while I cringed at so, so many of her choices in this book. Ah, to be young and a complete disaster! This novel takes place in an earlier, harder time for LGBTQIA people—when answers and community felt much futher away for many. I got the feeling we were supposed to be able to see all sides in the book, but while Dell's mother definitely has been through a lot and has her own stuff to deal with, there are so many ways she drops the ball, or does exactly the wrong thing, or treats situations completely inappropriately, and I just wanted to shake her as she was so constantly failing her daughter.
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