Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

This book follows a group of friends on the cusp of adolescence, as they explore new ideas, find new interests, and form first crushes. The plot structure is very loose and episodic; the content is rooted in nostalgia. There are occasional illustrations that don't do a whole lot for the story. Set in a small town in the 1970s, I found myself wondering what sort of appeal this book would have for young readers today. It won the Newbery Medal in 2006, inexplicably. This reads like a book for adults who grew up in the 1970s, and not a book for children at all. The writing is good, and the characters are interesting, if not always fully realized (I had trouble distinguishing some of the boys, particularly, and Debbie's best friend Patty has no personality to speak of), but there's so little action that I really had to push myself to stay engaged. I wouldn't recommend this for kids, but adults who were teenagers in the '70s might find it a nice walk down memory lane.

(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)

Best Babysitters Ever by Caroline Cala

Malia, Dot, and Bree need to make some money for an epic joint birthday party. When Malia is inspired by an old paperback in a library discard box, the three turn to babysitting, even though they've never actually done any babysitting, and are not really even sure they like kids. Things start out well enough, until Malia's evil older sister steals their idea and runs with it. Can the three original babysitters get their clients back, or will they lose the babysitting business and their friendship, as well?

This is a light, fun read. The adults in this book are the absolute worst, but I'm sure that won't bother the target audience. It was cute to see the Baby-Sitters' Club re-imagined for a new generation, including some shade cast at the original ("Is this seriously what people found fun in the '90s?"). An enjoyable, if inessential, read.

(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

After a rough breakup, Alice isn't sure she ever wants to be in a relationship again -- until she meets Takumi, who breaks the mental scale she's used for years to measure cuteness. Alice is bi-romantic asexual, and unpacking that with any potential romantic partner is always a lot of work. Plus, Alice and Takumi are immediately such good friends that she doesn't want to ruin anything. Meanwhile, Alice is fighting with both her parents (who want her to go to law school, when she has no interest in that) and her best friends, who are getting married (to each other) and may be accidentally excluding Alice sometimes.

There are lots of things to like about this book, but it has a few issues as well. For the most part, I liked the characters, especially Alice (which is good, since the reader spends so much time in her head). She's super cute, and I really want to be her friend. Takumi is a little too perfect for me to believe in him, and Feenie (Alice's bestie) is just confusing to me. Lots of people are loving this book for the diverse representation, which is awesome. Though I can't personally judge how well it's done, the fact that it exists seems like a good thing. My main issue with the book was the plot, or lack thereof. If you require a book with a lot of action and progression, this one probably isn't for you. Alice does stuff, or more often, avoids stuff, so if people having problems communicating is a pet peeve for you, this book also probably isn't your thing (it's a pet peeve for me, but if I didn't read any books where communication issues were a key point, what would I read?). I also didn't feel that the ending wrapped things up particularly well, which is fairly true to life, but doesn't make for an entirely satisfying reading experience. If you like slice-of-life stories with diverse representation, give this a try.

(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)