In a Nutshell Reviews: Library Edition

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

The How & the Why
Cynthia Hand
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

A poignant exploration of family and the ties that bind, perfect for fans of Far From the Tree, from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand.

Today Melly had us writing letters to our babies…

Cassandra McMurtrey has the best parents a girl could ask for. They’ve given Cass a life she wouldn’t trade for the world. She has everything she needs—except maybe the one thing she wants. Like, to know who she is. Where she came from. Questions her adoptive parents can’t answer, no matter how much they love her.

But eighteen years ago, someone wrote Cass a series of letters. And they may just hold the answers Cass has been searching for.

Alternating between Cass’s search for answers and letters from the pregnant teen who gave her up for adoption, this voice-driven narrative is the perfect read for fans of Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson.

This book! Seriously, it was a feelsplosion! I suspected I needed to buckle up, when I read the dedication, and started getting all emotional. It was touching and beautiful, and I am so grateful I got to spend a year with Cass as she filled in some of her missing pieces.

• Pro: The format of this book was a win. I loved alternating between Cass in present time and her birth mother in the past. I always like, when I know part of the story, and slowly learn the rest. I like the build and anticipation, and Hand did an amazing job bridging the past and the present in this book. 
• Pro: Cass's parents were phenomenal. Their love and affection was unquestionable, and there were so many hankie moments with these two. I loved them to pieces. 
• Pro: It was interesting seeing an adoption from multiple points of view. Not only did I learn about Cass and her birth mother's experience, I also got to hear from her parents, and even her best friend, Nyla, whose circumstances were quite different. 
• Pro: Though I keep talking about all the crying I was doing, there were a lot of happy, fun, and joyful moments in this book too. There, of course, was Cass's search for her birth mother, but she was also a teen visiting colleges, starring in the school play, and maybe falling in love. Hand deftly blended these elements to produce something really special. 
• Pro: I loved how Hand kept me on my toes throughout the story. I was collecting pieces, left and right, and had quite a few amazing AHA! moments. 
• Pro: The ending! The ending! The ending! I was crying and clapping, and it was just perfection. 

Overall: This book held me in its grip from beginning to end, while burrowing its way into my heart. It was simply stupendous!

This is My Brain in Love
I.W. Gregorio
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mental Health
Publisher: Little Brown Books FYR
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Jocelyn Wu has just three wishes for her junior year: To make it through without dying of boredom, to direct a short film with her BFF Priya Venkatram, and to get at least two months into the year without being compared to or confused with Peggy Chang, the only other Chinese girl in her grade.

Will Domenici has two goals: to find a paying summer internship, and to prove he has what it takes to become an editor on his school paper.

Then Jocelyn's father tells her their family restaurant may be going under, and all wishes are off. Because her dad has the marketing skills of a dumpling, it's up to Jocelyn and her unlikely new employee, Will, to bring A-Plus Chinese Garden into the 21st century (or, at least, to Facebook).What starts off as a rocky partnership soon grows into something more. But family prejudices and the uncertain future of A-Plus threaten to keep Will and Jocelyn apart. It will take everything they have and more, to save the family restaurant and their budding romance.

Just when Jocelyn was finding her groove, the family business takes a turn for the worst. In an effort to save A-Plus Chinese Garden, Jocelyn enlists the help of Will, and the two embark on a mission to rebuild the business. As the ideas to jumpstart the business flew, so did the sparks, but this romance hits a few roadblocks, and some may be insurmountable.

• Pro: I had no problem rooting for everyone and everything in this story. I wanted the restaurant to succeed, for Jos's movie to be a hit, for Will to get his story, for Jos and Will to find their HEA. It was important for me to see them all get what they wanted or needed, because I guess I thought they deserved it.  
• Pro: The food! Not only did we get to "enjoy" many Chinese treats, but there was also a bit of Nigerian food in the mix. It was all described in such rich detail, that my mouth actually watered. 
• Pro: I never was involved in any sort of small business, but I was fully enthralled by all the different things Jos and Will were doing to try and resuscitate the restaurant. 
• Con: I would have liked more time dedicated to the actual romance, though the bits that were there were wonderful.  
• Pro: I always appreciate an OwnVoices perspective, and Gregorio wrote this story as an Asian person, who has battled mental illness, but is also a doctor. I think because this, she brings a lot of insight to this story, which is not found in many other similar type books. 
• Pro: Depression, anxiety, and multiple spectrum disorders are featured in this book. Though the mental illnesses were given a deeper treatment, I appreciated the way all were explored. 

Overall: An honest story of family and young love, which tackles mental illnesses and the stigma that surround them.

Have you read any of these books?
Let us know in the comments!