Maybe an Artist

Montague, Liz. Maybe an Artist. 2022. 176p. ISBN 9780593307816. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Growing up, Liz always knew she was different from the rest of her family. Her two sisters were academically inclined, were amazing readers, and even better athletes. But for Liz, reading was hard, her parents' expectations were crushing, and school was not her thing. Liz loved to draw, but being an artist was not a possibility she could envision, because artists generally starve and don't make a career out of their art. 

But she was good at art, and could use the medium to effectively communicate with friends and family. Growing up African-American in a relatively white New Jersey was difficult, but not as much as it was for the Muslim students at her school following 9/11 and the wave of terrorism worries that swept the country. Through it all, Liz had to learn what she really wanted for herself. 

Exploring Liz's life from elementary school to college and beyond, Maybe an Artist is a process of discovery and exploration. Now a successful artist who has published in the New Yorker and elsewhere, Liz's story is inspiring and shows that with effort and dedication, one can reach their goal.

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses

O'Neal, Kristen. Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses. 2021. 382p. ISBN 9781683692348. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive. 

Priya had her whole life planned. She was going to complete her pre-med program at Stanford, before entering medical school. Then she was going to become a doctor who did serious research. When she falls sick, she blames it on a cold, then on the flu, but eventually must face the fact that she's not getting any better. A delayed diagnosis of Lyme disease identifies her disease, but does not restore her energy. Always fatigued, Priya returns home to her parents in New Jersey, and is forced to take incompletes for her classes.

In pain, with no energy, and seeing her dreams fly away before her eyes, Priya turns to her support group, a Discord channel dedicated to people with chronic illnesses. There she meets Brigid, who lives an hour away in Pennsylvania. The two of them hit it off, and they soon become fast friends. During a weekly meeting of the channel, however, Brigid does not show up, which is unlike her. Worried, Priya, despite the pain, borrows a car and drives to her friend's house, only to be attacked by a large dog inside Brigid's home. 

Calling animal control, Priya is soon joined by Spencer, a twenty-something animal control officer. Searching the home, they find a naked Brigid in the bathroom, and no trace of the dog. Only, Priya is pretty sure that Brigid was the dog. Her suspicions proved correct the next day when Brigid confirms that her chronic illness is that she turns into a werewolf every month. With Spencer's help, and Brigid's reluctant support, Priya sets out to find a cure for Brigid. In the process, she and her friends will discover truths about themselves and what it means to be "normal."

Fans of new adults stories will enjoy Priya's tale that mixes the very real chronic illnesses that are debilitating and prevent people from reaching their dreams, and the lycanthropy that afflicts Brigid. The story is humorous and entertaining, the characters are deeply flawed and realistic, but the plot holds well together. Readers who enjoy light paranormal with a hint of romance will appreciate this story.

Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age

Al-Khatahtbeh. Amani. Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age. 2016. 134p. ISBN 9781501159503.

Born in the United States of a Jordanian father and a Palestinian mother, Amani was only 9 years old when planes flown by Al-Qaeda operatives crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. Suddenly she found her faith thrown into the spotlight in a negative way, with people reacting with fear and incomprehension that 1.6 billion Muslims were not supporters of the terror inspired by Al-Qaeda. Overnight, Amani's family life changed. Dirty looks, insults, assaults, and government spying and arrests made it clear that Muslims were not welcomed in the United States. 

The invasion of Iraq in 2003 added fuel to the fire, which forced her family to leave for Jordan for a year. While in Jordan Amani was first exposed to the brilliant culture that is Islam, which is neither the Al-Qaeda trope, nor the Western parody. Motivated by what she saw in Jordan, Amani resolved to live her life as a full-faith Muslim. When the family returned to New Jersey, Amani quickly become involved in discussing the views of Muslim women, who were often marginalized in the media. She created a website, https://muslimgirl.com/, that presents issues of importance to Muslim girls without the usual stereotypes perpetrated by Western society.

Now engaged in fighting for the rights of Muslim girls to follow their faith in the United States, Amani stood up against prejudices in her high school, then continued her support of Muslim girls in college. She continued working with her website, and developed ties in other areas such as fashion. Energized in reaction to Donald Trump's candidacy announcement against Muslims, Amina continued to stand up for the values of her faith and her rights to be a citizen of the United States.

My So-Called Bollywood Life

Sharma, Nissa. My So-Called Bollywood Life. 2018. 407 mins. ISBN 978-0-525-59569-4. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Coming from an Indian family, Winnie Mehta has spent her whole life believing a prophecy predicted by a revered pandit that declared she would meet her soul mate before she turned eighteen, and his name would start with an R. When she met Raj her freshman year, she instantly fell in love. Both of them are Indians. Both love Bollywood movies. And both are perfect for each other.

Living in Princeton, Winnie is looking forward to attending film school in New York. The co-president of her school's film club along with Raj, Winnie organizes a Film Festival every year, and this credential is what will separate her from the other applicants. When she returns from film camp, however, she discovers that Raj, during their break, hooked up with Jenny. This not only makes the running of the film festival harder, but it breaks the prophecy that links them. To top it off, the new film club advisor refuses to have co-presidents, and she discovers that Dev, another Indian-American, has loved her since their freshman year, but because of Raj had to remain on the sideline. And like Raj, David makes his own movies and loves Bollywood productions.

With so many pieces of the puzzle now scrambled, Winnie's happy ending appears doomed. Can she change the script of her life and move past this prophecy that has shackled her all of her life? Friends, family, and an inspired Bollywood movie star will try to get her back on course to her realize her dreams.

A fun read, My So-Called Bollywood Life provides a glimpse of living as Indian-American in the United States, when social demands clash with a mix of cultures. Winnie makes many references to Bollywood movies, and she relates them to her life. Fans of love stories will appreciate Winnie's efforts at finding true love while aiming for her own dreams.

Every Exquisite Thing

Quick, Matthew. Every Exquisite Thing. 2016. 288p. 296 mins. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Seventeen-year-old Nanette O’Hare’s life is unremarkable. Along with her friend Shannon, Nanette is the star of the varsity soccer team at her high school, and has scored more goals than all of the other players put together. In school, she is an average student, with no ideas on what her future will look like. During her junior year, her English teacher gives her his own personal copy of an old out-of-print book called The Bugglegum Reaper. In this book, the main character, Wrigley, rebels against society and bullies and rages about quitting, though it’s never made clear what he wants to quit. Nanette takes to the book and it instantly becomes her own personal bible.

When her English teacher mentions that the author lives in the same South New Jersey town they do, Nanette endeavors to meet him. A recluse, the author never allowed another run of his book to be printed and has chosen to prevent his work from circulating. He and Nanette strike an unlikely friendship. A few months later he introduces her to Alex, a poetic high schooler who also loves The Bubblegum Reaper. Soon the two of them are not exactly dating, but they are experiencing thoughtful conversations and moments.

Nanette can see that Alex is troubled, however, and when he decides to defend a middle schooler named Oliver just like Wrigley did in The Bubblegum Reaper, the law catches up with him and he is sent to Reform School. Nanette cannot contact him there. Troubled by this and by other experiences, Nanette soon discovers that to be true to oneself can be very expensive emotionally. As she burns bridges and experiences a meltdown of her relationships, Nanette feels even more lost than before. Can she muster within herself the courage to discover what she really wants and force the world to accept her as she really is?