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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
Review originally published on my blog, Books and Big Ideas.
I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Netgalley and Chronicle Books.
Queer girls are really (finally!) having a moment in middle grade literature, so naturally I was looking forward to K.A. Holt’s new middle grade book, and I devoured it in just a couple of days before its release. I haven’t read any of Holt’s books before, but I’d heard they were popular with upper elementary and middle schoolers, and I really appreciated her op-ed about how schools tried to censor her sexuality during her visits.
Redwood and Ponytail, like the rest of Holt’s books I believe, is a novel-in-verse. This one is told in alternating perspectives of Kate and Tam, the real names of the titular characters (Kate has a perfect cheerleader ponytail; Tam is tall like a redwood), and sometimes their poems are side-by-side when they’re individually having a similar crisis. It’s an intensely personal style that still manages to flesh out the characters and the world around them. One way this is done is by a Greek chorus-style group of kids named different spellings of “Alex” that really emphasizes middle school politics and the sense of social anxiety both Kate and Tam have about how they’re perceived.
I loved the relationships Kate and Tam have with adults in their life. Adults are such a big part of adolescence and yet they can often be underwritten in books, but that isn’t the case here. Tam’s mom is goofy but loving, and she also has great models in her old lesbian neighbors (and their pets), but Kate’s got other challenges and lacks these models. Her mom has the perfect plan for Kate to be cheerleading captain, even though she starts to really enjoy being the mascot. Kate also has an adult sister who doesn’t have a great relationship with their mother, only heightening the mother’s expectations of Kate. But the sister, Jill, actually turns out to be another adult figure for Kate to confide in. And ultimately, importantly, there is no tragedy.
I really appreciate that both Kate and Tam get to make mistakes and be unlikable sometimes. They’re kids going through a lot–of course they will! And that just added to the depth and humanity of these characters, as well as suspense. Before everything can work out, they have to confront their own internal issues first. It’s an emotional roller coaster that’s steeped in honesty, not manipulation or plot twists.
I look forward to recommending this book to others and getting this and some of Holt’s other books for my future students if I teach middle school!
I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Netgalley and Chronicle Books.
Queer girls are really (finally!) having a moment in middle grade literature, so naturally I was looking forward to K.A. Holt’s new middle grade book, and I devoured it in just a couple of days before its release. I haven’t read any of Holt’s books before, but I’d heard they were popular with upper elementary and middle schoolers, and I really appreciated her op-ed about how schools tried to censor her sexuality during her visits.
Redwood and Ponytail, like the rest of Holt’s books I believe, is a novel-in-verse. This one is told in alternating perspectives of Kate and Tam, the real names of the titular characters (Kate has a perfect cheerleader ponytail; Tam is tall like a redwood), and sometimes their poems are side-by-side when they’re individually having a similar crisis. It’s an intensely personal style that still manages to flesh out the characters and the world around them. One way this is done is by a Greek chorus-style group of kids named different spellings of “Alex” that really emphasizes middle school politics and the sense of social anxiety both Kate and Tam have about how they’re perceived.
I loved the relationships Kate and Tam have with adults in their life. Adults are such a big part of adolescence and yet they can often be underwritten in books, but that isn’t the case here. Tam’s mom is goofy but loving, and she also has great models in her old lesbian neighbors (and their pets), but Kate’s got other challenges and lacks these models. Her mom has the perfect plan for Kate to be cheerleading captain, even though she starts to really enjoy being the mascot. Kate also has an adult sister who doesn’t have a great relationship with their mother, only heightening the mother’s expectations of Kate. But the sister, Jill, actually turns out to be another adult figure for Kate to confide in. And ultimately, importantly, there is no tragedy.
I really appreciate that both Kate and Tam get to make mistakes and be unlikable sometimes. They’re kids going through a lot–of course they will! And that just added to the depth and humanity of these characters, as well as suspense. Before everything can work out, they have to confront their own internal issues first. It’s an emotional roller coaster that’s steeped in honesty, not manipulation or plot twists.
I look forward to recommending this book to others and getting this and some of Holt’s other books for my future students if I teach middle school!
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes. This in no way influences my review; all words, thoughts, and opinions are my own.
Content notes:queermisia, strained familial relationship, overbearing mother, fire, vomiting
Actual rating: 4.75/5
This book left me feeling so many things as I read it. Kate especially was really relatable. Kate and Tam are beginning the seventh grade when the meet, and everything begins to change for them. Tam has always been best friends with Levi, but this year they only have one class together while in every class she sees Ponytail. Kate is trying desperately to be perfect, what her mother wants and expects her to be, but seeing Redwood stand tall and be herself, she begins to question what she wants.
This is really a story of defining yourself and figuring out feelings and understanding relationships. I loved Kate and Tam linking pinkies and the development of their friendship. I love that even by the end they’re still figuring themselves and each other out, still deciding how to define who they are, especially together.
This just really meant a lot to me to see. There’s parts where Kate is talking about faking her interest in the boy band because it’s expected and Tam calling out how pretty boys that look “like girls” are okay for girls to like but suddenly it’s not okay if a girl likes another girl. I think if this book had existed when I was younger and I read it, it may have changed my life just a little…
Content notes:
Actual rating: 4.75/5
This book left me feeling so many things as I read it. Kate especially was really relatable. Kate and Tam are beginning the seventh grade when the meet, and everything begins to change for them. Tam has always been best friends with Levi, but this year they only have one class together while in every class she sees Ponytail. Kate is trying desperately to be perfect, what her mother wants and expects her to be, but seeing Redwood stand tall and be herself, she begins to question what she wants.
This is really a story of defining yourself and figuring out feelings and understanding relationships. I loved Kate and Tam linking pinkies and the development of their friendship. I love that even by the end they’re still figuring themselves and each other out, still deciding how to define who they are, especially together.
This just really meant a lot to me to see. There’s parts where Kate is talking about faking her interest in the boy band because it’s expected and Tam calling out how pretty boys that look “like girls” are okay for girls to like but suddenly it’s not okay if a girl likes another girl. I think if this book had existed when I was younger and I read it, it may have changed my life just a little…
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a middle book told through verse about two girls who couldn't be more different but somehow find common ground and fall in love.
It was very cute and very well done and such a fast read. It took me only a couple hours to read this entire story and maybe it could have been a bit longer? i probably would have been more attached to the characters had it been... Still a very cute and very necessary read for all the queer kids out there.
This was a middle book told through verse about two girls who couldn't be more different but somehow find common ground and fall in love.
It was very cute and very well done and such a fast read. It took me only a couple hours to read this entire story and maybe it could have been a bit longer? i probably would have been more attached to the characters had it been... Still a very cute and very necessary read for all the queer kids out there.
This books has been on my "to read" list since I saw it in a publisher catalog back in early summer. It looked like an appropriate book to recommend to our kids book club leader, who wanted a book about queer identity for her middle grade readers that featured a f/f romance. So imagine my joy and surprise when I'm sitting on the couch at midnight, eyes puffy from wiping my tears. I thought this book was going to be a simple middle grade book on identity and love, with some cute jock/cheerleader stereotypes and I’m happy to say it went above and beyond my base expectations!
Redwood and Ponytail is so much more than just another book with queer rep, it made my heart grow three sizes, rip it apart, and patch it back together again in a sweet and introspective way. Rather than just focusing on the sexuality aspect of identity, K.A Holt takes it up a notch, and dives into the turmoil of facing expected social roles from your friends, your coach, and your mother and what happens when you start to think you might want to create your own role in life.
I loved the way Kate grew as a character, and I think she really held the spotlight in this story. Tam however did not fade totally into the background, though did not have as dramatized of a story as Kate. Tam had the support of a loving family, grew up beside her grandmother and her girlfriend, and was confident in who she was as a person. I believe it's healthy and greatly necessary to show non-tragic stories of queer characters, not struggling with their identity, or how their family sees them, or any other darkness we get from a lot of other LGBTQ books. And Tam’s story works as a brilliant foil to Kate’s experiences, the acceptance and self-love she carries and gradually talks about with her is what ultimately allows Kate to see herself as worthy of independence and love, regardless of how she may or may not fit into a predetermined mold.
It has been a long while since I’ve read anything in verse, so it was interesting to see how the characters inner thoughts and feelings were displayed using poetry rather than the omnipotent voice of a narrator. I think while it helped flesh out their inner dialogue and emotions, the pacing of the narrative itself felt choppy at times. This was aided by the greek chorus-like pages, which had an outsider’s perspective and who, in very few words, explained the state of the world around the girls.
Lastly, a few small issues I had. Where did Kate’s sister go? She was integral for most of the middle and was literally a pillar for Kate, but then once she came back to their mom she just kind of disappeared off the page except for one or two instances. I get that Kate was very much in her head at that point in the book, but it kind of just felt like she became obsolete once her job was done. I also would have liked to have that point at the end of the book be addressed when Tam outs Kate to her friends and mom, especially after the discussions she had with her grand-neighbor. They sit and talk at the end, but I would have liked an explicit mention of how not cool that was. We as readers inside Kates head understand what she was going through and why she needed to stay closeted, but it's never explicitly stated to Tam. Since this is middle grade, I think it would be an important thing to talk about. Things are getting better, but not everyone can be safely out still.
All in all, I loved this book. It was a quick read, but had some striking and strong passages in it that made me stop and consider for a moment. It would fit beautifully on anyone’s shelf, and dp superbly well in a middle school classroom. If anyone’s leery of picking this up because of the poetry aspect, I encourage you to try it. Give it 50 pages, and I *almost* promise you’ll fall into the rhythm of the story and want more out of these characters. A definite highlight of my fall releases and a new member of my forever shelf. <3
Redwood and Ponytail is so much more than just another book with queer rep, it made my heart grow three sizes, rip it apart, and patch it back together again in a sweet and introspective way. Rather than just focusing on the sexuality aspect of identity, K.A Holt takes it up a notch, and dives into the turmoil of facing expected social roles from your friends, your coach, and your mother and what happens when you start to think you might want to create your own role in life.
I loved the way Kate grew as a character, and I think she really held the spotlight in this story. Tam however did not fade totally into the background, though did not have as dramatized of a story as Kate. Tam had the support of a loving family, grew up beside her grandmother and her girlfriend, and was confident in who she was as a person. I believe it's healthy and greatly necessary to show non-tragic stories of queer characters, not struggling with their identity, or how their family sees them, or any other darkness we get from a lot of other LGBTQ books. And Tam’s story works as a brilliant foil to Kate’s experiences, the acceptance and self-love she carries and gradually talks about with her is what ultimately allows Kate to see herself as worthy of independence and love, regardless of how she may or may not fit into a predetermined mold.
It has been a long while since I’ve read anything in verse, so it was interesting to see how the characters inner thoughts and feelings were displayed using poetry rather than the omnipotent voice of a narrator. I think while it helped flesh out their inner dialogue and emotions, the pacing of the narrative itself felt choppy at times. This was aided by the greek chorus-like pages, which had an outsider’s perspective and who, in very few words, explained the state of the world around the girls.
Lastly, a few small issues I had. Where did Kate’s sister go? She was integral for most of the middle and was literally a pillar for Kate, but then once she came back to their mom she just kind of disappeared off the page except for one or two instances. I get that Kate was very much in her head at that point in the book, but it kind of just felt like she became obsolete once her job was done. I also would have liked to have that point at the end of the book be addressed
All in all, I loved this book. It was a quick read, but had some striking and strong passages in it that made me stop and consider for a moment. It would fit beautifully on anyone’s shelf, and dp superbly well in a middle school classroom. If anyone’s leery of picking this up because of the poetry aspect, I encourage you to try it. Give it 50 pages, and I *almost* promise you’ll fall into the rhythm of the story and want more out of these characters. A definite highlight of my fall releases and a new member of my forever shelf. <3
K.A. Holt writes the best novels in verse and I can't wait to add this to my middle school library this fall.
K.A. Holt doesn't disappoint with her new novel in verse. I loved the alternating perspectives of Redwood and Ponytail, and the pages with the Alexs gave the story an interesting vibe. This is such a sweet love story, and I appreciate how appropriate it is for middle schoolers, as it is sometimes difficult to find novels that deal with important topics that aren't too mature. Can't wait to add this to my classroom library!
Thank you to Chronicle Books for sending me a copy of this book!
3.75 stars
This is a middle grade novel in verse about two girls "falling in like." From their first impressions, Tam and Kate are very different: Tam is a confident, quirky volleyball player, Kate is a perfectionist cheerleader.
The verse includes individual narration from Tam and Kate, back-and-forth verse in conversation between the two girls, and the middle school version of a Greek chorus (three kids named Alex, Alyx, and Alexx who provide an outside perspective of the events). This made the story very readable and fast-paced.
Throughout the book, we get to know both girls, though Kate's side of the story is much more detailed. Kate's mom is very controlling, her sister ran away years ago, and her dad hasn't been home in a few months. Kate is struggling to understand who she truly is, and is dealing with external and internal homophobia. I wish we had heard more about Tam, who wasn’t given a very complex backstory.
Overall, this story was heartwarming and I’m glad it exists for young queer girls!!
3.75 stars
This is a middle grade novel in verse about two girls "falling in like." From their first impressions, Tam and Kate are very different: Tam is a confident, quirky volleyball player, Kate is a perfectionist cheerleader.
The verse includes individual narration from Tam and Kate, back-and-forth verse in conversation between the two girls, and the middle school version of a Greek chorus (three kids named Alex, Alyx, and Alexx who provide an outside perspective of the events). This made the story very readable and fast-paced.
Throughout the book, we get to know both girls, though Kate's side of the story is much more detailed. Kate's mom is very controlling, her sister ran away years ago, and her dad hasn't been home in a few months. Kate is struggling to understand who she truly is, and is dealing with external and internal homophobia. I wish we had heard more about Tam, who wasn’t given a very complex backstory.
Overall, this story was heartwarming and I’m glad it exists for young queer girls!!
I received this book from Abrams&Chronicle in exchange for an honest review.
Kate and Tam are from the opposites sides of the tracks in their high school. Kate is the perfect cheerleader with an overbearing mom, and Tam is the volleyball jock with a bounce to her step. But somehow the two end up becoming friends, and then a little bit more. But can the girls accept themselves for who they truly are - both within themselves and their own sexual identity.
This is a really great book written in verse, and I found it immediately addictive, bouncy and quote fun - yet not without some hard punches packed into it as well.
I really liked the different struggles between Kate and Tam, and I warmed very quickly to their incredibly sweet relationships. It felt very natural and youthful, and I just wanted to squish them together. I do think there was more focus on Kate's own struggles to accept herself and her relationship with her mom (which was never truly rectified or confronted) than Tam's but I loved still seeing Tam's relationships in her life. Her mom was lovely, the type of mom you want to see in a YA book (particularly one about sexuality), and she had her neighma Frankie as well which was a nice touch.
I didn't quite understand the inserts of the Alexes and their commentary though I did like it. They weirdly reminded me of the Three Witches in Macbeth but just not scary or threatening in any way. While it was great that Tam and Kate found themselves and each other in the book, I would have liked a bit more friendliness and acceptance with their friends such as Becca and Levi.
I did fly through this book though as it's easy to do with verse and I was thoroughly sucked into Tam and Kate's world. It didn't give me all of the emotional feels I've experienced with other verse books but I still did love it a lot.
Kate and Tam are from the opposites sides of the tracks in their high school. Kate is the perfect cheerleader with an overbearing mom, and Tam is the volleyball jock with a bounce to her step. But somehow the two end up becoming friends, and then a little bit more. But can the girls accept themselves for who they truly are - both within themselves and their own sexual identity.
This is a really great book written in verse, and I found it immediately addictive, bouncy and quote fun - yet not without some hard punches packed into it as well.
I really liked the different struggles between Kate and Tam, and I warmed very quickly to their incredibly sweet relationships. It felt very natural and youthful, and I just wanted to squish them together. I do think there was more focus on Kate's own struggles to accept herself and her relationship with her mom (which was never truly rectified or confronted) than Tam's but I loved still seeing Tam's relationships in her life. Her mom was lovely, the type of mom you want to see in a YA book (particularly one about sexuality), and she had her neighma Frankie as well which was a nice touch.
I didn't quite understand the inserts of the Alexes and their commentary though I did like it. They weirdly reminded me of the Three Witches in Macbeth but just not scary or threatening in any way. While it was great that Tam and Kate found themselves and each other in the book, I would have liked a bit more friendliness and acceptance with their friends such as Becca and Levi.
I did fly through this book though as it's easy to do with verse and I was thoroughly sucked into Tam and Kate's world. It didn't give me all of the emotional feels I've experienced with other verse books but I still did love it a lot.
This was so utterly wonderful.
This is 500% a book I could have used as a young gay girl.
I connected so well with both Kate and Tam – their friendship, and their mutual crushes on each other was so precious to read. I enjoyed their every single interaction. And I enjoyed reading them coming closer, their pinkies finding each other, and both of them slowly realising they had crushes on each other.
I loved Kate’s coming out, and her realisation that yes, she is a lesbian, and no matter how hard she stares at a poster of her favourite boy band on her wall, she isn’t suddenly going to develop feelings for them like the other girls in her squad. That her best friend, whom she thought wouldn’t understand, was actually quite encouraging in the whole “go get your girl” kind of way. It was really sweet to read, and so absolutely necessary that her best friend didn’t become all gross and homophobic.
Tam and Kate were so sweet together, and I was filled with warmth and love every single time they came together.
*
The way this book is written is so wonderful as well.
I absolutely love books written in verse. And this book was so sweet with the way some parts intermingled when Tam and Kate were together – showing their similar thought patterns and how they felt about each other.
This book is so touching, soft, gentle, and something I highly recommend to every gay girl, young or older, because it’s just so wonderful.
6/5 stars.
This is 500% a book I could have used as a young gay girl.
I connected so well with both Kate and Tam – their friendship, and their mutual crushes on each other was so precious to read. I enjoyed their every single interaction. And I enjoyed reading them coming closer, their pinkies finding each other, and both of them slowly realising they had crushes on each other.
I loved Kate’s coming out, and her realisation that yes, she is a lesbian, and no matter how hard she stares at a poster of her favourite boy band on her wall, she isn’t suddenly going to develop feelings for them like the other girls in her squad. That her best friend, whom she thought wouldn’t understand, was actually quite encouraging in the whole “go get your girl” kind of way. It was really sweet to read, and so absolutely necessary that her best friend didn’t become all gross and homophobic.
Tam and Kate were so sweet together, and I was filled with warmth and love every single time they came together.
*
The way this book is written is so wonderful as well.
I absolutely love books written in verse. And this book was so sweet with the way some parts intermingled when Tam and Kate were together – showing their similar thought patterns and how they felt about each other.
This book is so touching, soft, gentle, and something I highly recommend to every gay girl, young or older, because it’s just so wonderful.
6/5 stars.