Surprise!—a contemporary YA novel that ticks off the requisite tropes of the “coming of age” genre •without• being at all stale. Brynne, at 17, is smart, resourceful, and resiliant, with a strong moral compass. An aspiring journalist, she tells her story in an epistolary format of speech-to-text emails addressed (but not intended for delivery) to her eponymous hero and role model. Brynne’s writing is a very frank, frequently funny perspective on the tangled threads of her life. No matter how much personal adversity she faces, she is determined to stay engaged and try to make a difference, if only on a small scale. Because, deep down, she believes that progress can be made, and learns that ground can be gained—even when you lose.

See, now, I bet other people will really dig this book. And, to be honest, I was super excited for it. But, it just did not grab me at all. I don't know if that was due to the tone or what, but I almost couldn't stop reading it fast enough. Sorry.

It’s not always easy writing a good epistolary novel. There can be something lacking. This one fell a little short for me. I loved, loved the diversity and I wanted to love this one but I just didn’t. But I still think that high schoolers should read it! I liked Brynn as a character but I also thought the story was pretty predictable. I liked all the Rachel Maddox stuff. It was funny.

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

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

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

I loved this book and could not put it down! My galley copy had some formatting problems, but the characters and the story kept me going. I was rooting for Brynn to come out in the end as a happier, freer person.

I just want to hug this book so much. The characters jumped off the page, and I was rooting for Brynn the entire time. Lacey’s disabilities were dealt with tactfully in the “I just can’t do stairs”, and not an Entire Issue About The Disabled Friend.

Thanks to Feiwel and Friends for the ARC from the Texas Libraries Association conference and eARC on NetGalley!

This book is told completely in emails (mostly drafts), largely written between our main character Brynn and her idol Rachel Maddow. Brynn began writing to Rachel as part of an assignment in the Blue room - the decidedly non-honors class at her school. Brynn's (unsent) emails turn into a diary, detailing family and school woes, girl problems, and the trials and tribulations of high school politics (literally, student government elections can be brutal).

I really liked this emotional and interesting debut. The confessional email format worked for me, though I didn't love the inclusion of emails that Brynn could not have seen. They did add some dimension to the book (mainly in illustrating what privilege looks like for Brynn's student government nemesis), but they took me out of Brynn's head. I didn't mind the comments from Brynn's teacher becuase Brynn had a reason to have those emails.

Overall, I thought this was an inventive book and had good messages about participating and caring even when it seems futile. I know that sounds after school special-y, but this book wasn't that. The teen voice felt mostly authentic and the problems Brynn faced were neither romanticized nor minimized. I think high schoolers will be able to relate to this quick read and to Brynn and her friends trying to do something.

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

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

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

I loved the twist where the honors kids were the bad guys, and I found Brynn’s voice really fun and engaging. If you haven’t watched Rachel Maddow, a few references might go over your head (lots of “watch this space” etc.) but I don’t think it’s a major hindrance. I think the theme of becoming politically engaged in high school is super timely, and the book also touches on the opioid epidemic a bit. I also really loved the emphasis on finding your own chosen family when yours is less than supportive.

<blockquote><i>”Nevertheless, they persist.
I guess that means I fucking have to, too.”</i></blockquote> <b>This is bound to be my favorite contemporary of 2018. </b> It’s the perfect blend of emotion, humor, diversity, and political references. <b>Queer teens and teens with disabilities will be able to find characters like them in these pages. </b>

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

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

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

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

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

Another favorite character of mine was Lacey. Lacey is a peer mentor for Brynn and the other students on the “Applied” track, and is Brynn’s best friend at school. She’s also in a wheelchair and uses a keyboard to speak, but I love the fact that this book emphasizes that a person’s disability isn’t the most important thing about them. There’s a hilarious quote from Lacey where she addresses people’s ableism, saying, <blockquote><i>”People call me ‘brave’ all the time, and it annoys me. As if my mere existence is some sort of war. It’s not. I don’t think I’m any braver than another person just trying to live life. I just can’t do stairs.”</i></blockquote> The dry wit in this quote is the <b>same kind of humor</b> in the rest of the book, and that makes the voice of the novel refreshing and laugh-out-loud funny.

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

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

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

Another important message in this book is that high school isn’t everything. I don’t just mean socially – this book emphasizes that going to college, that being successful academically, isn’t the best thing for everyone. <b>You’re not any less valuable if you don’t succeed in high school and don’t go to college.</b> Just do what you care about and it’ll all work out. <blockquote><i>”’There is no shame in work that doesn’t require a college degree. I just want you to know you have options. You shouldn’t give up a dream because other people make you feel like you aren’t worth investing in yourself.’
Well, hot damn, Mr. Grimm, getting all deep and shit.”</i></blockquote> The transition from seriousness to humor is PERFECTLY DONE. Throughout the entire book. It’s incredible.

I hope to god that this book gets a lot of hype when it comes out – it so deserves it. Not only is it diverse, but the plot, characters, and writing are so so incredibly high-tier. I would recommend this for any contemporary fans, and even non-fans, especially those with disabilities, those in the LGBT community, or those who are looking for a funny, refreshing, realistic book that will make you feel <b>all the feels</b>.
<blockquote><i>”’I care about the fact that you think you can do whatever you want to win. That you can squash the people you don’t care about to get what you want. I’m not going to stand for that this semester… You are going to have to fight for it. You and me. you know the Applied rooms you don’t give a shit about? That’s where all my fucks went to die. RIP, fucks! Watch your back, SGA boy.’
He just stood there, unable to speak.
Lacey later pointed out that before we might have had an element of surprise on our side. [sic]
‘Although,’ she said, ‘have you considered writing poetry? You really do have a way with words.’
Fuck me. That was one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said.”</blockquote>

I loved this book. My husband and I watch Rachel Maddow regularly, so this one was really special to me. The main character appears to have dyslexia which keeps her in a classroom for additional help. What I love is that this does not keep her from being herself, feeling all the pain, and working her way through high school.

ARC Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Brynn Harper is a junior in high school who has found herself failing school after experiencing the death of her idolized brother, heartbreak from her first serious girlfriend, and increasing abuse and neglect at home. The one constant in her life is Rachel Maddow and, after writing to her for a class assignment, finds that she is able to work through what is going on in her life, so as long as it's in the form of a letter addressed to Rachel Maddow.

Through these unsent emails, Brynn relates the ups and downs of her personal life as well as her friendships with other students in the "blue room," including Michaela, a potential new love interest. When she learns that the popular honors students are interested in civic engagement with only themselves and not their fellow students in mind, Brynn fights to have the voices of all students heard. However, will she be able to get ahead with so much baggage, poor grades, and no access to the power found in the popular kids lives?

This middle-grade novel was moving to read, as we follow Brynn through her experiencing the first triumphs, failures, and heartbreaks in life. This story not only discusses the unfair obstacles and power imbalances of life but also the importance of resilience when faced with them. I would recommend this title to middle-grade readers who may feel stuck in a rut or who may be in that stage in life where they start asking, "what's the point?" A good read.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing Group

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

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

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

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