The Bug Diary

I want to thank the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book. I selected book because I fondly remember my own college days and collecting insects for an Invertebrate Zoology course.
The book is about a girl named Kymer as she attends university in Kansas. It is a typical college story of parties, sex, drugs, and exams. The ghostly encounter in the library is very appealing and whimsical. I enjoyed the book and am anxious to find out what happens next.

This book is a fantastic read. At its heart, it is the story of a young woman finding herself through the first year of college at KU, far from her childhood home. Several supernatural episodes provide one catalyst for self-discovery, as she is given the means to pursue her personal and academic passion: entomology. Another comes by way of the everyday college experiences she has, navigating rigorous classes, friends (new and old), family, and sex. The characters feel real and lived-in, and some of the dialogue is downright hilarious. There are some wonderful sequences involving Kansas landscapes and history (an extra-special treat for those who have seen these places in person). Fraley also explores the social landscape, pinpointing the ways in which things have changed—or not—since the beginnings of the university’s history. Fraley is a natural storyteller, and I am happy to follow wherever she leads. More books, please!

Amber Fraley’s engaging first novel, The Bug Diary, joins Kymer Charvat for her freshman year at the University of Kansas. Readers will empathize with the ups and downs of friendships, family relationships, school, and romance. Fraley’s writing is humorous, insightful, and, all in all, kind as Kymer steps into adulthood, meeting new people, recognizing her privileges, making mistakes, and finding that home is wherever you want it to be. That there is a little paranormal activity in a coming of age story set at a university may be a surprise, but Fraley’s writing makes it easy to suspend any disbelief. All these elements come together so that it’s hard to put the book down. In addition to being heartfelt, The Bug Diary is impressively researched, from entomology to local history. As an alumna who worked at both a KU library and KU museum, the descriptions of the historic characters, campus, Lawrence, and Kansas were absolute treats to me.

Reading this arc was interesting because I think I went into the book expecting one thing, and it turned out to be something else. However, having said that, I really enjoyed this book. It was completely different to anything else I've read and it felt like a breath of fresh air within the genre of YA/ New Adult books.

The description given of the book on NetGalley led me to believe going in that it would primarily be a mystery, with supernatural elements, set on campus. However, having now finished the book, I would say that instead it is actually almost entirely a coming of age story about being young, being at College, growing up and deciding what you want in life... with a very light sprinkle of ghosts, and a really healthy amount of love for insects. I wouldn't class this book as especially sci fi, supernatural or fantasy, as the ghosts are a small part of the story and the rest of the story feels so completely based in reality - but I did enjoy the additional element of fun / whimsy that the ghost scenes added.

A highlight of the book for me was that the writing did a great job at capturing that specific feeling of being College-age (although I'm British, so for me, Uni-age). I actually graduated almost a decade ago (ah!), but this book really transported me back to that time and those feelings. It really captured what it's like to move away from home for the first time, live with people from different backgrounds and to question who you are as a person and what you want from life. It all felt very genuine and honest - particularly the part about visiting home after having lived away for the first time.

I enjoyed all three of the main characters and their friendships were fun and light-hearted and full of humor and love for each other. The other characters that (MC) Kyler meets throughout the book are diverse and the author has taken these opportunities to briefly highlight some of the types of conversations about privilege and inequality that occur when you're young and naïve and finally meeting people with truly different life experiences. At times, the naivety of the main character, Kyler, was a little uncomfortable, but it also felt very true and honest to the experience of being that particular age, and having a lot yet to learn (and thankfully - it felt that Kyler also had lots of willingness to do so!)

Kyler is a great main character and she tells this story with lots of humor and authenticity - and her interest in bugs and entomology was such a fresh theme to explore - it really set the book apart from other coming of age stories!

I also liked the queerness of this book, and not just the explicitly queer side characters (who are great). Although the main character Kyler does not define her sexuality, I felt that there was queerness in her inner voice and her friendships, and it was refreshing to feel this queerness built into the story so naturally without being picked apart and labelled. (Although her romantic relationships at the fore-front of this story are cis-straight.)

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely return for a sequel to see what happens next in the lives of these characters! (- And of course for more bugs!)

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Reading The Bug Diary, I found myself invested in Kymer, her friends and family, and their relationships. The main characters were all multilayered, complex, and real. The storyline and setting were a great adventure through KU campus and Lawrence life, with some really satisfying nerdy bug facts. I'm looking forward to reading more!