Mini Reviews: Long Way Down, Dear Martin, The Great American Whatever, & Thirteen Reasons Why

Happy Saturday everyone!  Today I'm sharing mini reviews of recent YA Contemporary audiobooks I've have the opportunity to listen to - Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, Dear Martin by Nic Stone, The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle, & Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.  Read on to see my thoughts:

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Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds just might be one of the most raw, intense, and emotional novels in verse that I've ever read. I listened to the story set during an elevator ride on audio which is narrated expertly by the author himself. If you have the opportunity to try this story, I can't recommend it enough in this format, especially if you enjoyed The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

I listened to this audiobook on February 17, 2018 and my review is also on Goodreads.

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Dear Martin by Nic Stone is an absolute must-read. It's just one of the novels where you want to put a copy in everyone's hands. It's a short read (or listen, if you check out the audiobook like I did), but it sure packs quite a punch. It's feels all too raw and real and isn't an easy story but it's a necessary story. Justyce is a great character that one can really feel for, and his letters to Martin Luther King, Jr. are the most fascinating part of the story. Overall, this timely #BLM story is thought-full and well-executed, plus the audiobook production is absolutely fantastic. If you like The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, you need to try Dear Martin by Nic Stone.

I listened to this audiobook on February 18 - 19, 2018 and my review is also on Goodreads.

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Quinn lost his sister months ago, and now his friend has decided to help him get back out there in the world, work through his grief, and find him his first real boyfriend. The dialogue of The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle feels quite natural, and also very sarcastic. My favorite aspect of this story has to be Quinn's love of classic movies. I also really liked Geoff, Quinn's friend who is trying to help him. This novel also does a good job at making you feel a variety of emotions for our cast while still be incredibly relatable. By the way, the author also narrates the audiobook and he does a brilliant job of bringing his characters to life. The narration and audio production certainly earns a star all on its own. This novel is definitely worth trying if you like John Green, David Levithan, Rainbow Rowell, or John Corey Whaley.

I listened to this audiobook from March 26 - 27, 2018 and my review is also on Goodreads.

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If you haven't been living under a rock for the last decade, chances are you've heard something about Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. It's an incredibly controversial story for a few reasons, but I'm not going into that aspect here except to say that I spent a good deal of time mad while listening to this on audiobook. I have to say though that Asher is a decent storyteller to make me have such a strong reaction to Hannah and Clay. The story deals with tough subjects and it's a lot to deal with and work through while you're reading. I would have been a teen back when this novel was originally released and I think I would have liked someone I trusted to help me work my way through it like a parent or a teacher. Finally I just want to recommend the production of this on audiobook. The production is pretty clever and well made - regardless of my opinions on the subject matter.


I listened to this audiobook from March 27 - 29, 2018 and my review is also on Goodreads.


Have you read any of these books yet?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!