#AmReading YA

Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize
Margo Rabb
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

In this witty and whimsical contemporary YA by award-winning author Margo Rabb, sixteen-year-old Lucy Clark gets suspended and sent to NYC, where she’s tasked with taking care of an elderly woman entangled in a mystery.

Lucy Clark has had it. After being bullied one too many times at the boarding school her parents enrolled her in, sixteen-year-old Lucy—who has been underestimated her entire life—retaliates. But when the fallout is far worse than she meant it to be, she gets suspended and sent to New York City, where she must serve as a full-time companion to the eccentric Edith Fox.

Once in Manhattan, however, Lucy discovers the glamorous, mysterious Edith is nothing like she expected. With Edith, Lucy learns to revel in the freedom of being herself. And though Edith’s world of hidden gardens and afternoon teas is magical and beguiling, there’s one other thing about her that makes her unlike anyone Lucy has ever met...she thinks someone is trying to kill her.

And Lucy has to find out who it is.

In the vein of Search Party and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, this gorgeously written YA novel explores weighty issues with a light touch, plenty of humor, and a cast of unforgettable characters as only Margo Rabb could write it.

After "the incident", Lucy was sent to New York. Her punishment was to intern for the fabulous and eccentric Edith, who believed someone was out to get her. While other questioned Edith's mental capacity, Lucy set out to solve the mystery and made discoveries about herself along the way. 

For a story driven by a search for a murder, this was a rather sweet and charming tale. Rabb did an amazing job keeping this on the lighter side while still exploring weightier topics. The book was filled with a fantastic cast of characters, plenty of humor, and lots of feels. 

Things that delighted me:

• The characters were definitely the biggest draw for me. They were such an interesting group, and I enjoyed every second I spent with them. They were wonderful as individuals, but it was the group dynamic I loved most. 
• The gardens sounded incredible. Rabb pulled me right into these whimsical and magical places. As a native New Yorker, I revel in those green spaces that exist alongside the concrete jungle. The physical beauty of these gardens came across clear as day, but there was more to it. It was about what these places gave back to those who worked in them or simply gazed upon their beauty. 
• Edith's columns were really lovely. There were some snippets of columns Edith wrote for a garden publication, but they were more about how gardening related to life. Each of those columns shared some real wisdom, and I loved the way Rabb worked them into the story. 
• It was gratifying to see Lucy find herself and her people. Lucy struggled with feeling accepted. Her parents left her to be raised by her grandmother, and then when her grandmother died, they sent her to a boarding school. Though she formed a few solid friendships there, Lucy struggled to fit in. New York was a whole new realm for her, and I delighted in seeing her find a place she was accepted as she truly began to accept herself. 

This was fun, warm, and cozy mystery, which surprised me in the best way. I enjoyed following the trail and getting to the bottom of things along with Lucy, but I didn't expect to find those pieces about belonging, acceptance and family, or for the story to warm my heart so much. Overall, this was a satisfying mystery, which left me smiling and basking in the warm-fuzzies. 

Not My Problem
Ciara Smyth
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Aideen has plenty of problems she can’t fix. Her best (and only) friend is pulling away. Her mother’s drinking problem is a constant concern. She’s even running out of outlandish diseases to fake so she can skip PE.

But when Aideen stumbles on her nemesis, overachiever Meabh Kowalski, in the midst of a full-blown meltdown, she sees a problem that—unlike her own disaster of a life—seems refreshingly easy to solve. Meabh is desperate to escape her crushing pile of extracurriculars. Aideen volunteers to help. By pushing Meabh down the stairs.

Problem? Solved. Meabh’s sprained ankle is the perfect excuse to ditch her overwhelming schedule. But when another student learns about their little scheme and brings Aideen another “client” who needs her “help,” it kicks off a semester of traded favors, ill-advised hijinks, and an unexpected chance at love. Fixing other people’s problems won’t fix her own, but it might be the push she needs to start.

While hiding from her own problems, Aideen accidentally became the go-to problem solver for her classmates. 

Smyth delighted me with her debut, The Falling in Love Montage, and she delighted me even more with Not My Problem. When I finished this book, my mind was bursting with all sorts of positive adjectives to describe my experience, and this book is one I will definitely be shouting about. 

I was hooked into this story from page one. I immediately loved Aideen, even if I wasn't supposed to. It was easy to see that there was much more to her than met the eye. Her attitude and disinterest were her armor. She wore it to protect herself from feeling the full impact of her problems. Due to her mother's alcoholism, Aideen dealt with constant worries related to paying bills, having food to eat, and her mother's well being. But she still had the average teenage issues to contend with as well, such as her dismal grades and her struggling relationship with her best friend. This could be a lot for one person to handle, which was why I was so excited when she starting the favor-for-a-favor arrangement. Her role as problem solver helped her make new connections and lead to breaching the barriers Aideen had built to protect herself. 

Aideen learning to trust others with her problems and allow them to share her load was a big part of her journey. It happened slowly as she grew to fully realize that she was forming honest friendships with those she had been helping. It was beautiful and touching, and I was really moved by the way Aideen's world grew and changed for the better. 

I must admit, some of the most fun parts of this book were when they were "problem solving". The first assist Aideen offered was completely insane, and the capers that followed were even more elaborate and crazy fun. I loved how with each new problem, her little community grew. Aideen thought it was a quid-pro-quo sort of arrangement, but the bonds they formed were real. The interactions with Maebh and Kavi were especially stellar, as were the moments Aideen shared with Ms. Devlin (those excuse notes - 🤣).

Not My Problem was a complete package for me. Great characters, a touching story, humor, wit, and lots of heart. It was so satisfying to see Aideen stop hiding her troubles, open herself up to others, and accept their support. 

**ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

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