Short-Take Reviews | The YA Edition: Hope and Other Punch Lines and Birthday


HOPE AND OTHER PUNCH LINES
Julie Buxbaum
Publication date: May 7, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Format: Hardcover
Source: Gifted by Sam (We Live and Breathe Books)



GOODREADS  *  AMAZON








S Y N O P S I S

Abbi Hope Goldstein is like every other teenager, with a few smallish exceptions: her famous alter ego, Baby Hope, is the subject of internet memes, she has asthma, and sometimes people spontaneously burst into tears when they recognize her. Abbi has lived almost her entire life in the shadow of the terrorist attacks of September 11. On that fateful day, she was captured in what became an iconic photograph: in the picture, Abbi (aka "Baby Hope") wears a birthday crown and grasps a red balloon; just behind her, the South Tower of the World Trade Center is collapsing.

Now, fifteen years later, Abbi is desperate for anonymity and decides to spend the summer before her seventeenth birthday incognito as a counselor at Knights Day Camp two towns away. She's psyched for eight weeks in the company of four-year-olds, none of whom have ever heard of Baby Hope.

Too bad Noah Stern, whose own world was irrevocably shattered on that terrible day, has a similar summer plan. Noah believes his meeting Baby Hope is fate. Abbi is sure it's a disaster. Soon, though, the two team up to ask difficult questions about the history behind the Baby Hope photo. But is either of them ready to hear the answers? 


M Y   T H O U G H T S

Sixteen-year-old Abbi has lived her life in the shadow of 9/11 – not only as a survivor but as the subject of a famed photograph from that day. She longs to escape the notoriety even as she is dealing with health issues that stem from her exposure to the fall-out on that terrible day. She meets Noah while working as a summer camp counselor and is drawn into his project to track down everyone from the famous photograph. What starts as unwilling participation turns into a genuine friendship – and possibly more – when Noah and Abbi spend more and more time together. Their friendship was so genuine and the dual POV worked so well at showing how they both navigated the new relationship. Noah’s own connection to 9/11 broke my heart and, as truths were revealed, I definitely shed some tears. The secondary characters were stellar – including Abbi’s parents and grandmother, Noah’s friend Jack, and the other survivors from the photograph – and they each added so much depth and realism to the story.

I’m so, so tired of always worrying about our world splitting into a before and an after again.

A book whose narrative focuses heavily on 9/11 can be an emotional look at a tragic and defining moment in U.S. history – or a disrespectful plot device used to play on emotions. Thankfully, Buxbaum’s Hope and Other Punch Lines falls into the former category and she writes about 9/11 and its aftermath with respect and gravitas. This was a moving and unforgettable story. (So many thanks to Sam for sending me her hard copy of this book. A book is always a special gift and this one was truly a stand-out. Thank you, Sam!)
4.5/5 STARS



BIRTHDAY
Meredith Russo
Publication date: May 21, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library Loan











S Y N O P S I S


Two kids, Morgan and Eric, are bonded for life after being born on the same day at the same time. We meet them once a year on their shared birthday as they grow and change: as Eric figures out who he is and how he fits into the world, and as Morgan makes the difficult choice to live as her true self. Over the years, they will drift apart, come together, fight, make up, and break up—and ultimately, realize how inextricably they are a part of each other.


M Y   T H O U G H T S

Oh, this book. I think it broke me. I had almost decided not to review it because, to put it bluntly, the story made me sad. And while I’m glad I read it I wasn’t sure I wanted to dwell on it or discuss it. But I can’t quit thinking about it so here we are. Birthday follows Eric and Morgan from the ages 13 through 18. We see their lives only once a year, on their shared birthday. They’ve been best friends since birth, but that friendship is tested as they both deal with changes within their families and within themselves. These two kids went through hell, much of it silently and all alone, and my heart broke over and over again. Morgan was going through the heartbreaking process of coming to terms with her gender identity – struggling with the fact that being a boy did not fit and was an uncomfortable mantle she had to carry. The chapters from Morgan’s point of view were filled with so much emotional pain and anguish that it was actually difficult to read. I wanted so badly to gather Morgan up in a hug and make the pain go away. Living in a small, rural Tennessee town, with a high school football coach for a father only added to her turmoil. Eric had his own troubles and even though his wealthy family looks stable from the outside, inside those walls he lives with a controlling and verbally abusive father.

I don't know if anyone will love me the way that I really am.

Birthday dealt with some serious topics – death of a parent, grief, suicide attempt, homophobia, transphobia – and it is to Russo’s credit that these characters felt so lifelike that I ached for them like I did. Morgan’s journey, in particular, made a real impact and brought me to tears more than once. This is an important book. And while I don’t know that I can say I enjoyed it (because it weighed on me so heavily), I am so glad I read it.

4.5/5 STARS


HAVE YOU READ EITHER OF THESE BOOKS? 


44 comments

  1. I haven't heard of either of these but the first one is really intriguing to me.

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    1. I'd read one other by Julie Buxbaum and really loved it (Tell Me Three Things) so I was pretty sure I'd enjoy this one, too. It was excellent!

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  2. I always have a trouble reading sad books, so even though I'm interested in Birthday - and really liked the author's debut - I'm not sure this is for me. 🙈 I'm so happy you liked it, though, and I'll leave it on my wishlist for now. Great reviews! :)

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    1. Birthday really was an amazingly well-written story but oh my goodness it really weighed on my heart. Morgan's pain was almost unbearable. :(

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  3. Both of these sound fantastic. I've enjoyed Buxbaum's writing in the past so I'm going to have to pick up Punch Lines though I am going to have to emotionally prepare myself for it.
    Birthday sounds like a very important book and it sounds beautifully written, but I don't know if I could do something this sad. I'm glad you loved both of these.

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    1. I'd only read one other by Buxbaum (Tell Me Three Things) but I loved it so I had high hopes for this one. It was emotional, but so so good! Birthday really was wonderful - and important - and I will say that it ended on a hopeful note, but it sure hurt my heart along the way.

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  4. Both of these are new to me, but wow do they sounds really good. Hope and Other Punchlines sounds like it would be a super emotional but really good read. Hope you have a great weekend!

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    1. I'm so glad I read Hope and Other Punch Lines! It made me want to run out and read everything by Julie Buxbaum.

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  5. I have not - but have read books by these two authors and enjoyed them. Glad these were hits for you!

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    1. I'm really interested to read Russo's If I Was Your Girl now.

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  6. I haven't read or even heard of either book but it's going on my wish list now. Thanks for the reviews, Tanya!

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    1. I hope you enjoy them if you get around to them! Both are so worthy of a read. :)

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  7. I read and loved Hope and Other Punchlines, too. It was a sad topic, but I think it was dealt with in an uplifting way. I was happy the story wasn't depressing even with the sad bits. Sounds like the second book was heart wrenching!

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    1. Hope and Other Punch Lines was so well done. And I agree, despite the background it really did manage to be uplifting. Birthday also ended on a hopeful note but it was a tough road getting there.

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  8. I've been curious about both of these books. I enjoyed If I was Your Girl but haven't tried Buxbaum yet.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. Buxbaum has such a gift for incorporating emotional issues but also infusing some humor.

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  9. Hope and Other Punchlines is on my want to read list but I don't think Birthday would be my kind of read at all. I can't handle too much heavy.

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    1. I can understand that, Nicci. It seriously dragged me down and had me feeling low. I'm glad I read it and I think it's an important book, but it was a tough one.

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  10. I didn't know Russo had another book out. It sounds interesting but I'm not in the mood to have my heart broken right now.

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    1. Russo's other book is If I Was Your Girl and I remember seeing a lot of buzz about it when it first came out. Two years ago... maybe three? I really want to read it now!

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  11. That's exactly why I love H&OPL. I read, somewhere (an interview? author's note), where Buxbaum talked about how she writes to make sense of things, and I think that why the events and subsequent fallout of the attacks were treated so thoughtfully.

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    1. Her care and concern really showed in her writing. She showed such sensitivity and it made it that much more realistic and emotional.

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  12. Oh gosh Tanya, these both sound so incredibly moving and harrowing, it's been so long since I've read a book that genuinely made me pause for thought. I haven't heard of either of these before although I know Russo's first book was so widely praised, sadly I haven't found the time to read that one yet either. I'll most definitely be grabbing a copy of both of these, wonderful reviews Tanya, absolutely beautiful!

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    1. Thank you, Kelly!! I appreciate that. And I really want to go back and read Russo's first book now.

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  13. I thought Buxbaum did a really stellar job incorporating 9/11 in a way it deserved to be.

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    1. Totally agree, Angela. It was handled so well and didn't feel exploitative in the least.

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  14. I haven't read either of these yet but they both sound incredible. Buxbaum's book was already on my TBR but now I definitely need to add Birthday as well.

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    1. They are both very emotional books in different ways - and I recommend both.

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  15. Hope and Other Punchlines made me tear up too, and I really loved the secondary characters as well. I can tell Birthday was a really emotional read and had a huge impact on you. It sounds like a book that was meaningful and delivers on such important issues. Great Reviews Tanya!

    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape

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    1. Thanks Lindy! HAOPL was the second one I'd read by Buxbaum and I definitely want to read more. Birthday really did hit on some important issues and I'm so glad Russo wrote the story. But, man, was it a tough read!

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  16. Great reviews, as per usual, girl! God, Birthday really took its toll on me. I still am feeling a little bit of it in my mind all these weeks later. That being said, I definitely need to check out Hope and Other Punchlines. It sounds beautiful and completely compelling.

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    1. Glad I'm not alone in my feelings about Birthday. It really made an impact on me and I was overwhelmed by what Morgan was going through... I almost couldn't bear it.

      Hope and Other Punch Lines was emotional in a different way, and so worth reading. I hope you'll love it if you decide to try it!

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  17. I haven't read either, but the Julie Buxbaum is on my TBR. Glad to see you enjoyed it!

    Great reviews.

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    1. I hope you'll enjoy it when you get to it. It was my second by Buxbaum and I'm really impressed with her!

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  18. I want to read Julie's book and you know that I have read and adored Birthday! I am 100% with you on that one! The way Meredith portrays and builds her characters make them so real! We hurt with them. A truly talented lady!

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    1. I definitely want to go back and read Russo's first novel now!

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  19. Definitely sounds like two really emotional, intense reads. Those are often some of my favorites though, so I will have to keep an eye out for these.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  20. From the sound of your review, I feel like Birthday is going to make me cry. I actually have the book but I think I'm gonna read this once I'm ready for something emotionally-challenging.

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    1. I can almost guarantee Birthday will make you cry. Be prepared. LOL It's amazing and important but definitely something you have to be in the right frame of mind for.

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  21. I really want to read Birthday! I've heard soo many amazing things about it! You know a book that can give you the feels is a great written book and how well you connect with the story and the characters. I can't wait to read it!

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    1. Even though Birthday really got to me and kind of dragged me down with its intensity, I am so glad I read it. It is truly worth reading. I hope you'll love it if you decide to pick it up.

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  22. I've been meaning to read a Meredith Russo book. Added Birthday to my tbr. The audiobook is even on Scribd.
    Have you read If I was Your Girl?

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    1. I haven't read If I Was Your Girl but I definitely want to after reading Birthday.

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