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A review by marthaives
Read with Pride by Lucy Powrie
4.0
After a complaint from a parent, the school library enforces a rule where you can only take out books that feature LGBTQ+ characters after getting written permission from the student's parents. Olivia, rightly outraged, launches a #ReadWithPride campaign so everyone is allowed access to these books, while also raising awareness of the importance of books that feature LGBTQ+ characters. This was a really sweet plotline, which further highlighted the importance of literature.
The book has a change of protagonist from the first in the series. Olivia is very different to Tabby, but I enjoyed her narration. She's bubbly, extroverted and passionate, which made for a fun read. The Paper & Hearts Society members take a back seat in this book, which was a shame because I missed them, but I did enjoy the new characters that were introduced. They were wonderfully diverse, adding fresh new perspectives to the story. Matching the strength of the first book, the interactions between characters were heartwarming and uplifting.
Burnout is a main theme of the story and it was portrayed well. Olivia takes on so much, determined she can do everything herself, and ends up suffering. When you're a teenager there's so much to worry about: exams, workload, extracurricular activities, friendships, relationships etc, so I think the author bringing this into conversation could help a lot of young readers.
Overall, I did prefer the first book. The pacing was not as strong in this one and Olivia's actions were sometimes confusing. For example, I didn't understand why she didn't want her two friendship groups to come together - maybe this could have been better explored. Yet it was still a sweet read and I would recommend it to younger readers in particular. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!
The book has a change of protagonist from the first in the series. Olivia is very different to Tabby, but I enjoyed her narration. She's bubbly, extroverted and passionate, which made for a fun read. The Paper & Hearts Society members take a back seat in this book, which was a shame because I missed them, but I did enjoy the new characters that were introduced. They were wonderfully diverse, adding fresh new perspectives to the story. Matching the strength of the first book, the interactions between characters were heartwarming and uplifting.
Burnout is a main theme of the story and it was portrayed well. Olivia takes on so much, determined she can do everything herself, and ends up suffering. When you're a teenager there's so much to worry about: exams, workload, extracurricular activities, friendships, relationships etc, so I think the author bringing this into conversation could help a lot of young readers.
Overall, I did prefer the first book. The pacing was not as strong in this one and Olivia's actions were sometimes confusing. For example, I didn't understand why she didn't want her two friendship groups to come together - maybe this could have been better explored. Yet it was still a sweet read and I would recommend it to younger readers in particular. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!