Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced EReader Copy

Hey Judeis an extremely quick paced book. It feels more like a short story, to be honest, since everything feels rushed instead of fleshed out.

I really enjoyed the queer representation in this book. I thought it was dealt with well, and was imbedded seamlessly into the plot. I also liked how it didn't define these characters, but rather this is just part of who they are. I say this because a lot of narratives tend to emphasize a character's sexual identity too much to the point where it encompasses their entire character/personality. Here, characters' sexual identities are acknowledged, embraced and accepted.

I also really enjoyed how the severity of depression and mental health is not glossed over, and rather shows how painful and overwhelming it can be to a person and the people in their lives. I liked how Penny's sister really expressed how everything is bleak to her, how life seems overwhelming and meaningless and exhausting, how she doesn't feel like moving forward, and rather wants to immerse herself in her art, or sleep her endless exhaustion away.

I also really enjoyed how this book leaves you with a glimmer of hope. Taking care of one's mental health is essential, and support from family and friends can truly change and uplift a person, and this book really demonstrates this method throughout.

I did feel like this book is entirely too rushed. I feel like I didn't really get to know the protagonist, feel her pain as much as I wished to, and root for her entirely. She was fine, but a little unmemorable. I also found the romance to be way too forced. It was too instant, and didn't have a chance to ruminate or grow. It was rather instantaneous and completely unbelievable, which had me feeling disconnected from the plot. Suddenly Penny meets Jack and she's consumed with feelings for him, and he her. He instantly referenced her nickname "Penny Lane" upon meeting her, which also made me step out of the story, as it was entirely unbelievable. There overall wasn't enough pages to really know these characters, share their pain and yearning, and really immerse yourself in the story. It felt more like a short story, with more needed to make it really stand out and leave an impact.

*** I have noted this is published as part of the Orca Soundings series of hi-lo novels for striving and struggling readers. In that context, I think this book works extremely well with conveying emotional, gripping, and poignant information for readers.

Overall, the writing is nice and flowed well, though it could have been much longer and more fleshed out.

"Hey Jude" is a quick and fast read that kept you turning the page to see what happens next in the story. I enjoyed this book for many reasons, but my most important reason was the relationship between Penny and Jude. As sisters, their relationship with each other is sometimes harsh yet lovable at the same time. I give this book 3 stars.

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for a chance to read & review an E-ARC of this novel!**

This was a quick, but very impactful read. It highlights some very challenging truths about mental health, family, & self-care. Please find my extended feedback below...along with some spoilers (beware).
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Things I Liked:
-the relationship between Penny & Jude...I have a younger sister & I totally understand doing anything for them <3
-that Penny didn't have to choose between loving her sister & loving herself...she realized that there is a balance & a limit to what she can control
-I like that the author didn't end the story with an "everything will be just fine now" vibe...it was left open...things were stable in that moment...with mental health it is important to be honest & raw...those emotions ebb & flow & I loved that the author chose to express that
-I liked that Penny realized that the boost in Jude's mood right before her latest suicide attempt was a red flag...many people don't realize that this is a red flag & assume that a person who is struggling is on an upswing when really that's one of the times they may need to most support
-the representation of mental health & LGBTQIA+ in YA literature...SO IMPORTANT!

Things That Didn't Sit Quite Right With Me:
-I wish that Penny & Jude's mother had been more insightful before the incident at the end of the novel...I understand that she is busy taking care of the family monetarily...but it speaks to the need for more mental health advocacy & understanding

Overall, I gave this novel 3 stars. It was a quick & easy read with hard hitting topics & themes. I think it would be a great read for those interested in reading novels with mental health, family, self-care, & sister based themes.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hey Jude is part of a collection of YA novels Orca publishes for readers who want the stakes and edge of teen stories who for whatever reason, struggle with reading at the level required for most other YA stories. My issues with Hey Jude obviously don't come from the quicker pace or easily consumable language because both were handled excellent here, I just have issues with certain plot points.

Hey Jude follows Penny as she starts 12th grade. Penny's become her depressed younger sister, Jude's main life line. I kept waiting for someone to tell Penny that she could love June without having to let her life revolve around her (someone else's mental illness should never be your cross to bear alone. It's responsible to reach out for more help, especially when dealing with someone as young as Penny and someone as deeply depressed and suicidal as Jude) but it just never came. <spoiler> we get our 'happy ending' when Jude is saved from a suicide attempt and implies that Penny is her reason for living which is a lot more unhealthy than happy </spoiler>

I was also genuinely confused with a character's gender? <spoiler> Penny's love interest Jack tells her he was kicked out of the house because he's trans, not wanting to lead her on if she's not interested in him as a result. Obviously my assumption was that Jack uses he/him because that's what he had been presenting as and if he moved to get away from his parents, chances are he was presenting as who he actually was. But then Penny says she's pan and that 'gender doesn't matter to her' so she's still interested in him so I was like "oh wait, Jack is actually coming out as not being a boy" because if he was female to male, the gender Penny always thought he was is his actual gender so her saying 'gender doesn't matter' doesn't make much sense. But then she continues calling him Jack and he/him for the rest of the book. I know someone is going to be like "obviously the author meant to say sex and it was just a slip up. Jack is a boy." but after reading the author's note, apparently Spider mainly writes stories with queer and trans themes so I doubt that slip up would happen? The book is done and I still don't know what gender Jack is. </spoiler>