Review: That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger (#Ad)

I received this eProof for free from Hodder Children's Book via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

Published: 28th August 2019 | Publisher: Hodder Children's Books | Source: Publisher.
Kody Keplinger's Website

It's been three years since the Virgil County High School shooting. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall. Everyone knows Sarah's story.

But it's not true.

I know because I was there when she died. This might be my last chance to set the record straight... but I'm not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did - and didn't - happen that day.

And the fake Sarah story is important to a lot of people, people who don't take kindly to what I'm trying to do. The more I learn, the less certain I am about what's worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up... From Goodreads.

Trigger Warnings: This book features a school shooting, blood, panic attacks, discussion of trauma, and alcoholism.

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Diversity Spotlight Thursday #4

Diversity Spotlight Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Aimal of Bookshelves and Paperbacks. Every week, we are to come up with one book in each of three different categories: a diverse book we have read and enjoyed, a diverse book on your TBR, and one that has not yet been released.

A Diverse Book I Enjoyed:

Run to Kody Keplinger

Bo Dickinson is a girl with a wild reputation, a deadbeat dad, and an alcoholic mom. Everyone in town knows the Dickinsons are a bad lot, but Bo doesn't care what anyone thinks.

Agnes Atwood has never stayed out past ten p.m., never gone on a date and never broken any of her parents' overbearing rules. Rules that are meant to protect their legally-blind daughter, but Agnes isn't quite sure what they are protecting her from.

Despite everything, Bo and Agnes become best friends. And it's the sort of friendship that runs more deeply than anything else. But when Bo shows up in the middle of the night, police sirens wailing in the distance, Agnes is faced with the biggest choice she's ever had to make. Run, or stay? From Goodreads.

I loved this book a hell of a lot more than I thought it would. I bought it after all the VOYA controversy, and it was brilliant! And #OwnVoices legally blind character, and a bisexual character. Such a great book. Check out my review.

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On VOYA's Review of Run by Kody Keplinger

Two weeks ago, the US YA community and beyond blew up over VOYA's (Voice of Youth Advocates magazine - a magazine aimed at librarians) spoilerific review of Run by Kody Keplinger. The issue isn't with the spoilers (it's just a warning for you, I read the review before the book, so knew pretty much the whole plot beforehand), but with the last line of the review, which said "The story contains many references to Bo being bisexual and an abundance of bad language, so it is recommended for mature junior and senior high readers."

Understandably, a lot of people were upset by this line that pretty much says a book containing a bisexual character should be for older/mature readers. A lot of people complained, and VOYA didn't respond well to the criticism. Instead, they made things worse. I'm not going to rehash everything that happened, you can catch up at Bisexual Books (the link goes to the fifth post of a five part series that cover the events - this post links to each individual part. Note that in part 1, the text of the original VOYA review is shared, so skip the review if you don't want Run spoilt for you) and at Sorry Watch. In the end, VOYA deleted the review, all apologies, and shut down their social media accounts - all after screwing up badly.

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Review: Run by Kody Keplinger

Run by Kody Keplinger (Bought) - Bo Dickinson is a girl with a wild reputation, a deadbeat dad, and a drug addict mom. Everyone in town knows the Dickinsons are a bad lot, but Bo doesn't care what anyone thinks.

Agnes Atwood has never stayed out past ten p.m., never gone on a date and never broken any of her parents' overbearing rules. Rules that are meant to protect their legally-blind daughter, but Agnes isn't quite sure what they are protecting her from.

Despite everything, Bo and Agnes become best friends. And it's the sort of friendship that runs more deeply than anything else. But when Bo shows up in the middle of the night, police sirens wailing in the distance, Agnes is faced with the biggest choice she's ever had to make. Run, or stay? From Goodreads, but edited slightly for accuracy.

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Review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger (#Ad)

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

I was sent this review copy for free by Hodder Children's Books for the purpose of providing an honest review.

The girls of Hamilton High School are going on strike.

Sick of the rivalry between their boyfriends' American football and soccer teams, Lissa and her friends are determined that the boys won't see any action from them until they put an end to their immature pranks.

But Lissa hasn't counted on a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first... From Goodreads

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