Too many YA titles turn the high school experience into something predictable and utterly stereotyped, so it was a joy to find Dear Rachel Maddow, which turns every expectation upside down. A smart, cynical protagonist who's nobody's idea of perfect, well-developed supporting characters, and a plot that takes risks and never goes for the predictable: This was an utter pleasure to read.

A delightful story of a girl who thinks she doesn't fit in. Keeping a diary in the form of letters to Maddow, Brynn finds her way back to the world and overcomes a series of personal crises.

A few years ago our family "cut the cord". We had been paying way too much for satellite television and we wanted to make a change so we decided to go with Netflix and Amazon. We have been so happy with our decision, but the only two things I miss are football and the news. I tried to watch a variety of local and cable news shows and one of my favorites was Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. When I came across Adrienne Kisner's novel Dear Rachel Maddow, I was quite intrigued. A young woman named Brynn is a junior in high school struggling with a learning disability, the death of her older brother, and a difficult family life. When she writes an email to her favorite cable news host, Rachel Maddow, for a class assignment she discovers an excellent outlet for all she is feeling but can't say out loud. Of course, she doesn't actually send all these emails- that would be crazy. She writes them and then just leaves them in her drafts folder. Brynn tells Rachel all about her awful breakup with her first girlfriend, the terrible way her mother and step-father treat her expecting that she will follow the same fatal path her older brother took, and about Adam, the most obnoxious, evil boy at school who is determined to make Brynn's life as horrible as possible.

Brynn really does have it tough. It broke my heart to read the way her mother and step-father treated her, especially considering the recent death of her brother. How a mother can choose someone, anyone, over her own child is so far beyond my imagination. There are redeeming adults in Brynn's life- two of her brother's old friends, her teacher, her principal- that make it better, but I couldn't help but think there must have been more they could have done to help her.

Touching and emotional, this book was well-written and compelling. Lines like this one were so satisfying to read:

September 26 always sneaks up on me and jumps me in the bathroom.

Warning for those who don't enjoy reading foul language: this book has lots of it. She is an extremely frustrated teenage girl so it is fitting, but it is also abundant. And sometimes it totally works:

I'm going to grab agency by the nads and use that motherf---er to try to enact change.

I really liked this book, but I also wanted more. I feel like it ended to quickly and before the story was fully resolved. We can't know everything, but I wish I had known more. What else do I wish I knew? How did the real Rachel Maddow react to this book? I've looked for the answer to that question, but I can't find it anywhere. I hope she's read it and likes it, too.

Originally posted on Forever Young Adult on 2018 June 21

BOOK REPORT for Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner

Cover Story: Hot Mess Express
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Talky Talk: E-pistolary
Bonus Factors: Politics, Diversity
Anti-Bonus Factor: Patty Chase Award For Awful Parenting
Relationship Status: Yes, We Can

Cover Story: Hot Mess Express

While I have deemed this cover to be a passenger on the Hot Mess Express, I mean it in the best possible way. (Truly!) Brynn herself is a hot mess, in the best possible way, and that is communicated quite clearly by the super cool graphic-novel style artwork we see here.

The Deal:

Brynn Haper started writing emails to her celebrity idol, Rachel Maddow, as a school assignment. But once the assignment was complete, Brynn just...kept writing. She'd tell Rachel about her ex-girlfriend Sarah, her mom's terrible new husband, and even about the death of her older brother Nick. Granted, most of these emails stayed safely hidden away in Brynn's drafts folder, but if anyone was going to understand her, it'd be Rachel Maddow.

For the most part, Brynn is perfectly content taking classes in the school basement with the other Applied courses kids, getting tutored by her best friend Lacey, and crushing on the new girl Michaela. But when it is assumed that an Honors student will be chosen to represent the student body in the election of a new school superintendent, Brynn can't sit idly by any longer. All the kids in her school deserve a chance at having their voices heard, including the Applied courses kids. Tired of watching her nemesis Adam, a rich Honors student who always wins everything, continually get further and further ahead of the rest, Brynn decides it's time she makes Rachel Maddow proud and runs for student body president. But she quickly learns that politics is a dirty business.

BFF Charm: Yay



Brynn is everything I could ask for in a BFF. She's got this incredible dry humor and the ability to deliver zingers with a straight face. She's scrappy, imaginative, has a potty mouth, and tbqh, tired of everyone's bullshit. Did she lay in bed at night dreaming of the day she'd become embroiled in school politics? Hell no. But did she do it anyway because she values her fellow Applied students and the other underdogs at her high school, even when the rest of the world won't? Hell yes. I loved that Brynn wasn't the smartest girl in her class, she wasn't the hardest worker, or the model daughter. But she also wasn't a bad kid. She was just Brynn - getting by in school, wishing she had a girlfriend to makeout with, friends with people from lots of different crowds, and most importantly, ready to fight to make her school a more fair and just place to be.

Swoonworthy Scale: 6

Brynn's still trying to get over her ex-girlfriend Sarah when new girl Michaela moves to town. Brynn's immediately smitten...and so is Michaela. While I loved that this was a book about queer girls that never made their queerness an Issue With A Capital I, I also felt like the romance unfolded a little too quickly. But this is purely a personal preference - my highest swoon scores are generally the result of a long, tempestuous build-up, which just wasn't the case in this book. That said, Brynn and Michaela's romance is sweet and sexy throughout, and will definitely have you feeling butterflies as they get to know one another.

Talky Talk: E-pistolary

As previously mentioned, this book is a series of emails, and sometimes email drafts, from Brynn to her idol, Rachel Maddow. Though the letter-writing started out as an assignment, Brynn's emails to Rachel begin to feel more and more like journal entries as the story unfolds. Peppered throughout are emails between other characters as well, including the principal Mr. Maynard, and Brynn's teachers and friends. While this format is in and of itself a delightful departure from most contemporaries, Kisner's writing style combined with Brynn's rash, brutally honest narration reminded me a lot of YA books of yore. Think Jessica Darling, Ruby Oliver, et al.

Bonus Factor: Politics



Voter suppression, gerrymandering, electoral fraud...it's all covered! This book was like a beginner's course in politics, and so much of it felt all too familiar (but in a good way!). Who of us isn't tired of the rich, cis white guy who's had life handed to him winning EVERYTHING? *cough cough* Hopefully it'll inspire some badass girls to get involved in politics.

Bonus Factor: Diversity



Brynn's best friend and tutor, Lacey, is a wheelchair user who uses a keyboard to speak. Lacey was one of my favorite characters - she was smart, a little snarky, and never tokenized. The representation of people of different races, sexual identities and physical/mental abilities was one of my favorite parts of this book.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Patty Chase Award For Awful Parenting



DEAR GOD this book had some terrible parents. Brynn's mom basically trades her kids in for a new husband, whom Brynn refers to as "Fart Weasel", and lets him treat Brynn however he likes. And he is truly, truly awful. Mentally and physically abusive, lazy, controlling and dead set on getting Brynn out of their lives. The only thing worse than her fart weasel stepdad was watching Brynn's mom continuously allow him to treat her kid that way.

Relationship Status: Yes, We Can

Book, you and I are clearly on the same page. We value the same things and have all the same fundamental beliefs. Not only do you have my vote, I pledge to canvas door-to-door, make fundraising phone calls, and even put your campaign sticker on car. Here's hoping we win this thing together.

Literary Matchmaking:



• If you want to read another book about a girl fighting the patriarchy, try Sharon Biggs Waller's suffragette historical, A Mad Wicked Folly.

• Jenn Marie Thorne's The Inside of Out explores cis-privilege in a story about a girl whose progressive efforts get her in a heap of trouble.

• Or try Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give for a story about a young girl who protests against police brutality.

FTC Full Disclosure: I did not receive money or Girl Scout cookies of any kind (not even the lame cranberry ones) for writing this review. Dear Rachel Maddow is available now.

This was pretty good, not quite what I thought it would be, but enjoyable nonetheless. Likable characters and plenty of teen angst made for a pleasurable read.

This is a fantastic and timely story. There's a lot going on here (Brynn's home life isn't great, her brother has died, her girlfriend broke up with her, she doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere) and it's all told via email. (Mostly from Brynn to Rachel Maddow.)

Seeing Brynn start to care and try about things is easily the best part of the novel for me. I also enjoyed watching her start to take an interest in politics (nationally but also as part of her school) and start to run campaigns.

This felt completely realistic and I read the bulk of it in one sitting. I can't wait to see what Adrienne Kisner writes next.

(TW: opiate abuse, depression, suicide attempt, implied sexual assault, bullying, parental abuse/neglect)

Brynn doesn't give a flying f— about anything anymore. Since her brother Nick died, her mother and stepfather have treated her as absently as possible, leaving her to continue to fail out of school, dropping from honors to academics to applied and getting kicked out of her beloved school paper. And a year ago, her girlfriend Sarah dropped her, saying she was "too much drama."

Now, the Honor kids—led by jerk wrestler Adam—are trying to shanghai the pick of the student chosen for the superintendent selection committee, to further their own agendas without consideration for the rest of the school. And Brynn finds herself slowly giving a damn.

Told in diary-style forms addressed to Rachel Maddow (for a school assignment that becomes a lot more), this heartfelt, funny and heartbreaking story is perfect for the underdogs of the world.

While there were a couple of parts that seemed a little ham-handed to me, I absolutely loved this book. At its core, it's about being true to yourself while acknowledging that life can be hard sometimes and have no purpose, but if you are nice to people—genuinely nice—and listen to them, they will remember that and do everything in their power to help you. Kisner is able to tackle quite a few hot issues and weave them seamlessly into a story built by email-form journal entries, and some other emails from the principal, the janitor and an angry parent.

There's some pretty good representation in this story, too. Brynn is a lesbian with dyslexia (she never actually says it, but I think that's what she has), and her best friend is in a wheelchair (and is not your token disabled kid) and the smartest kid in school.

Teacher of the year award totally goes to Mr. Grimm, who is a rock star. And Mr. Maynard gets a mention for Most Subversive with all the crap he had to deal with as a principal.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

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.

With Dear Rachel Maddow, Adrienne Kisner has written a coming of age story that depicts the many aspects of high school teens struggle with today. Brynn Harper is a lesbian, let's get that out of the way. The story isn't about grappling with sexuality, or coming out of a closet. Brynn's out, except with her mom, who probably wouldn't notice anyway. Being gay is the least of her worries at this point. Instead, our spunky heroine is dealing with enough other issues to keep her busy, in a funk, and ultimately making some bad life choices. Brynn's one constant throughout the story is her epistolary conversation through email drafts with Rachel Maddow, TV pundit. Brynn's misery pours out through this one-sided correspondence, although her grit and determination shine through as well.



Brynn
Failing grades land Brynn in the Blue Room, a remedial basement lair where struggling students are banished. Fortunately she is surrounded by good souls, most of all senior Lacey, who mentors the students in need of academic assistance.  Mr. Grimm, low-key but good-hearted remedial teacher, tasks students to write their celebrity hero. Brynn writes Rachel Maddow, mainly to aggravate her mother. Surprisingly, she receives a response from the news channel celebrity and feels compelled to continue the correspondence, even if in email draft form. This email folder becomes the story of Brynn. In short angry bursts or long pensive missives her writing reveals the tragedy of her brother's overdose and the disintegration of her family.  Fart Weasel, her step-father, is determined to make her life even more miserable. And that's just her home life.

At school, Brynn is now a resident of the Blue Room, after a precipitous drop in GPA after her brother's death. Her one interest, the school newspaper, is no longer an option due to the low GPA. Top all that with the first heartbreak of teen love. Things look bleak.

The Cast of the Blue Room
Lacey, peer mentor and senior, is Brynn's friend and provides support throughout the story. Lacey uses a wheel chair and voice board to communicate. Don't feel sorry for her. As she says, she is no braver than anyone else, she just can't do stairs. Greg, Lance, Riley and Bianca round out the junior crew of the Blue Room team. Justin, who is Brynn's best friend on the school newspaper, is not a basement dweller of the Blue Room variety. He spends his time with Brynn trying to get her motivated to come back to investigative reporting. Specifically, a fire that burned down the town War Memorial appears suspicious. Ultimately this fire is the undoing of resident BMOC, Adam.

Other Players
Sarah, Brynn's former girlfriend still plays a large role in this story. She's not a nice person. Brynn just doesn't come to understand that until the very end. Adam is also a piece of work, with an agenda that is centered on...Adam. Brynn's mother has effectively abandoned her to pursue the new marriage and firmly establish new loyalties. Her guilt at Brynn's brother Nick's death seems to manifest itself through attacks on Brynn. Leigh and Erin, friends of Nick, offer Brynn support and a place to stay as her home life continues to disintegrate. Last but not least is Michaela, new girl with a past whose relationship with Brynn ignites.

Opinion
Brynn has grit, and even as her world is falling apart she can still rail against injustices and follow her compunction to stand up for others. She's a classic underdog, with a salty attitude and foul mouth, but just so determined one can't help but cheer for her.  Any reader past high school knows it can get better, if only Brynn sees that too. In her fight for basic fairness and representation of all the Blue Room and other outsiders, she gets knocked down one more time, and spirals out of control. Does she ultimately get her act together? Who wins? The status quo or the blue room champion? What counts as winning anyway? No spoilers given here!

A free digital, uncorrected Advance Reader Copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. Thanks to NetGalley!

Dear Rachel Maddow is available in hard cover on June 5, 2018.

I enjoy the email storytelling format; I’ve seen that used a lot lately, and when it is done well, it’s lots of fun. And this book used the format fairly well. There were occasionally some emails thrown in that were not between Brynn and Rachel, which was jarring to the reading process – I had to stop and figure out who was writing to whom because the voice and tone changed – but it ultimately helped tell the larger story. I also enjoyed watching Brynn get fired up about school politics and being a voice for the voiceless at her school. This was the piece that made the reading time worthwhile for me.

Unfortunately I didn’t really connect with any of the characters in this except for the English teacher and the janitor. And characters are everything for me as a reader. The romantic storyline wasn’t a good fit for me. It wasn’t any different than a heterosexual romance in another book except when the characters in this one tried to make Brynn’s sexuality scandalous. The matter-of-fact nature of Brynn’s sexuality will be affirming to readers looking for books with gay romance in the storyline.

This is a well-written story that will really click with the right audience. There is a lot of foul language – both swearing and crass references – that may impact some readers (although the English teacher’s response to the language is amusing).

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*

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. Then we get the emails from Adam's dad (although based on the email address those come from, I'm not so sure it really is Adam's dad sending them) to the school principal discussing some of the problems that have arisen at school.

I couldn't help but to cheer Brynn on as she battled with Adam to win the top spot on student council. Her observations about how slimy privileged men always seem to win and get what they want really resonated with me, and I was anxious to see at least one of them taken down by a "little guy." And Brynn's willingness to own up to the attempted smears against her that were true reserved her a place in my heart. If only everyone had that kind of integrity.

Overall I give Dear Rachel Maddow 4.352 stars.

I enjoyed reading this book, but overall it fell short of my expectations, so I am giving it 2.5 stars.

The following review is spoiler free and is based on my read of a NetGalley eARC I received for free.

Our protagonist, Brynn, was a fun character to follow. She was super sassy and very tell-it-like-it-is. I felt like she knew who she was and wasn't afraid of that, which was refreshing to read in a high school charcter. One my favorite things about her was that she almost never got too indulgent with her feelings. Even when she was in a dark place and really struggling, she stayed sharp, avoiding taking herself too serious (probably as a defense mechanism). I thought that felt very real and relatable, but didn't keep.her from having a couple hard hitting moments.

This book also had an interesting mix of characters. Our main character is no star student. Instead, she is in remedial classes, and what often drives her in this book is the desire to make sure that students who may not be on the honor roll or in student government or in sports or whatever still had a voice. This book also includes non-white characters and a character who is in a wheelchair and speaks through use of a computer.

Overall, the book read young to me, despite the swearing and covering of some heavy topics (drug abuse, death, politics, etc.). I liked the idea of the epistolary format, but the execution didn't necessarily work for me. It made the book feel choppy at times, and I thought that the edits included from the teacher were unnecessary since they didn't bring anything new to the story.

It also took a long time for the story to click with me, and I found myself not caring too much about the conflicts. The stakes weren't necessarily NOT high, but sometimes it felt like the protagonist didn't care, which made it hard for ME to care.

I also wished there were more direct references to Rachel Maddow. It took a while for that to kick in, and if you are picking up this book because you are a huge Maddow fan, you might be disappointed.

I think there are definitely people who will enjoy this book, it just wasn't my favorite.

Video review to come!

It is apparent from the first few pages of Dear Rachel Maddow that the main character, Brynn Harper, is misunderstood and underestimated by almost everyone around her. After an assignment from class, Brynn continued to write (or draft) letters to Rachel Maddow, as a way of journal-ing her experience through her junior year of high school. Although she was once an honors students and part of a power lesbian couple at school, when the novel starts Brynn is heartbroken and in "resource" classes, who are placed in the basement of the building, separated from the rest of the school. Throughout the novel, you learn about the tragic death of her brother and the horrible way she is treating by all three of her parental figures (and one rival classmate). You are able to see her overcome all of this with the support of her classmates/friends, teachers, a new love interest, and former friends of her late brother. While I at first cringed at all of the e-mails she was sending Rachel Maddow, Brynn was clearly inspired by Rachel to start advocating for fair treatment of herself and her peers at school, which helped her find her voice.

I read this book directly after "Who is Vera Kelly?" (by Rosalie Knecht), and I believe the two heroines would have gotten along-manly because of their shared sexual preferences, troubled childhoods/ relationships with their mothers, and the personal growth they go through as their respective novels develop.

3.5 stars

This YA book’s blurb led me to believe it would be unique in its delivery and message, and, for the most part, that assumption was correct.

Warning: This book contains swearing and references the following: domestic violence, bullying, drug abuse, death, depression, and suicide.

Brynn Harper is a teen dealing with a lot of issues, including an abusive stepfather, a super-conservative mother, recently being dumped, struggling in school, grieving the loss of her brother, and being a closeted lesbian. She has realistic struggles, is smart, and resourceful, making her an easy heroine to root for. There are a number of characters, and that leads to a bit of confusion at times, but it doesn’t distract from the story. The teen voices feel authentic.

I’ve read a few books that were told through the use of letters, as is the case with this story. The author tackles a number of issues relevant to young adults. The ending felt a bit rushed, but it’s an enjoyable tale overall.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

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**

This is a quick read for anyone with burgeoning interests in politics and civil rights. The humor and premise of creating a diary of letters addressed to Rachel Maddow helps to balance out the heavy emotional drama that surrounds the main character. While some of the side characters were cliche, overall it was a very enjoyable read.

Dear Rachel Maddow is a book told completely in letters/e-mail format.  Most are from Brynn to Rachel Maddow, but there are a handful of others throughout the book, too.  I wasn't sure if this format would tell the story well, but it did a great job.  



First for some warnings.  While this book has a lot of humor, it also deals with some pretty major issues.  Drug abuse/overdose, death, parental abuse, and bullying. Also, a little bit on depression and suicide.  There is also a lot of swearing which doesn't bother me at all, but might bother some people. 



Brynn is so easy to like.  She has to do an assignment to write to an idol and she chooses Rachel Maddow.  She watches her show and really admires her.  It was fun to read some of the letters where she talked about Rachel's show.  There were little things that she noticed, like the circling on papers during the show.  I watch, too, so this part was fun.  Brynn is also so funny.  She is also super awkward and just blurts things out without thinking.



"You are glorious in your perfection," I blurted.  Now Michaela's face took on a berrylike tone.

But I wasn't even done.  "YOU ARE PERFECT IN EVERY WAY!"  I shouted.  She opened her mouth to speak.  "I'M SORRY I RUIN LIVES," I said.



Brynn has a pretty bad life.  Her brother died two years earlier from an overdose.  After that, her grades started dropping and her mom either ignored her or was super mean.  Her step father is a horrible human being.  I honestly hated him so much.  Then her girlfriend, Sarah broke up with her.  And she didn't have a high enough GPA to be on the school paper anymore.



Her teacher, Mr. Grimm, is amazing.  His comments on her letters made me laugh a lot, but he was also so freaking caring.  Everyone deserves a teacher like him.



"But you have more passion and drive than most people.  I'd hate to see that all go to waste.  In case no one else have ever told you this, Brynn, I believe in you."



Brynn decides to try some political work in school.  She wants everyone to have a voice and she can't stand the only guy running.  She doesn't want the honors students getting to decide everything.  She has some pretty great friends who help her.  And she also meets a girl, Michaela, that she starts dating.  Things at home keep getting worse though and Brynn already has some low self esteem.  She thinks she ruins everything.  Luckily she has some people around her that care, even when her parents do not.  Brynn really starts getting excited about politics and trying to change the world.  She is extremely interested in free press.



"Mark my words, Rachel.  I hate Westing High.  But you've made me such a damn fan of telling stories and free speech and all that shit.  If I can help try to protect it in my little shithole corner of the world, then I figure I owe it to you."



Overall, this was a cute read with a lot of laugh out loud moments along with some serious issues.  I was so happy that I got to read Brynn's story.



Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this early.  I gave this book 4 stars.

All quotes were taken from an arc and may change before final publication.

What an amazing story! I adored this book. Adrienne Kisner has managed to write a great young adult novel that is timely, smart, and relevant. Brynne has lost her only brother to a drug overdose and isn't doing well. She is overwhelmed with her life, which includes parents that don't want her, a recent breakup, doing poorly in high school and she is still not completely out of the closet. On the recommendation of her teacher, she is encouraged to write to a "hero", and so Brynne writes to Rachel Maddow.
Her writing becomes a journal of sorts and we see all the struggles Brynne must deal with during her depression over her brother's death. It's a great story and we know that all endings aren't necessarily happy. There is a lot that teenagers will likely relate to in this story, typical high school drama, wrestling with friendships, romance, school politics, and academic performance.
Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for a copy of an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a winner....five stars!

A super quick read! I'm reading lots of YA for a library science class this summer, and this one caught my eye because of the title-- I'm a huge fan of Rachel Maddow.

In some respects, this is a fairly formulaic YA novel of the underdog teen going up against the popular kid, with a dose of family troubles and a supportive teacher. But it flips the formula in some key ways-- a lesbian protagonist (more common these days, but still, representation is lacking), but interestingly, not a coming out narrative!, and a supporting character with a disability.

These characters are lovable and believable. I will say, though, that the pacing breaks down towards the end, with the final conflict coming seemingly out of nowhere in a bit of a rush.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.