I’m not sure where this review is going to go, so I want to start off on the right foot by saying: I loved this book and I’m so glad I read it!

Victory Lap is a YA Contemporary novel featuring dual-protagonists Kiki and Josh. Kiki is a trans girl in her last year of high school, which also happens to be her first year “out”, and Josh is a boy taking a fifth year of high school because he doesn’t know what to do with his life.

This has got to be one of the most inclusive YA novels I’ve ever read, and it was so lovely. If you long for LGBT+ rep in your YA fiction, grab this book ASAP.

The writing flows well and yet the characters’ voices are very distinctive, which I assume is a facet of having two authors, but is very nice to see in a dual-POV novel. In fact, I would say all the characters are very distinctive and feel very real. They also feel very much like people I wish I knew (except for one….they know who they are).

The best part is, this book is so hard to put down once you pick it up! It’s so hard to find a book one just devours eagerly, but this is definitely one.

There are some difficult subjects dealt with that I should mention: There’s some crappy sex with iffy consent and references to self-harm, and obviously the inescapable homophobia and transphobia that is a sad aspect of this reality, and your average teen exposure to drugs and alcohol use. But nothing outside the norm for a YA novel.

Normally I try to end these reviews with a recommendation for who I think should read this book, but honestly in this case I just want everyone to read it. I’ve already bought my own physical copy and I can’t wait to reread this book! Seriously, even if you don’t always read YA, just go read this book.

Thanks to K.A. Mielke for reaching out and putting this excellent book on my radar!

Learn more about Victory Lap at KAMielke.com! There’s even a couple free chapters on the site to see if you like the writing! Victory Lap is available for purchase in eBook, paperback, and hardcover.

Life has been….not so fun… And work has been crazy, but I’m still managing to read 3 books right now!

Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt (34%)
This is a regular reread for me and I’m loving it just as much now as I have every single other time I’ve read it. I’m just hitting the part where the main plot is about to kick off. Up until now it’s been world building and character establishment and a little of just showing how Gwyn’s life was before it’s all about to change. It sounds like that should be boring and I’ll admit it’s a bit slow, but being slow is the point and I still don’t find it boring.
For those who haven’t been on my blog before, this is the first in a series of loosely-connected, non-magical fantasy books called the Tales of the Kingdom. So basically it’s set in a fictional feudal-inspired kingdom (and neighboring lands) but there’s no magic or dragons, and each book is separated from the next by about a generation. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series. This first book features innkeeper’s daughter Gwyn and legendary highwayman Jackaroo (but it’s not a romance between the two).

Victory Lap by K.A. Mielke and Riley Alexis Wood (40%)
I was sent this book by one of the authors and I am genuinely loving it. Josh’s chapters are interesting even though I think he needs some major character development. Kiki’s chapters are my favorite! She’s interesting and funny and I wish I could be friends with her in real life. I just want all the best for her!
This is a duel-POV novel featuring 5th year high school student Josh and senior high school student Kylie aka Kiki, a trans girl navigating her first school year officially “out”. The two meet in a Writer’s Craft class and become fast friends, but the rest of their lives are not going to smoothly. Josh’s girlfriend just left for college where she promptly dumps Josh for his best friend, and Kiki’s parents’ (and classmates’) attitudes about her identity leave a lot to be desired. Victory Lap came out in December of last year.

sometimes i fall asleep thinking about you by Catarine Hancock (28%)
I got this as a ARC from NetGalley and so far I’m very glad I did. It’s a tough read because it hits so close to home, so I’m going through it slowly, just a little bit each day. It’s already made me cry a couple times and I’ve highlighted sooo many quotes!
This book is a poetry collection about that feeling you have after a bad relationship ends with no real closure. It drops April 6th of this year and I’ll have a review up probably in early March.