I Like You Like This

September 25, 2017
It’s 1984, and 16-year-old Hannah Zandana hates everything about herself: her acne, her wild hair, her lack of friends, and her parents, who alternate between verbal abusive and neglectful. Hannah’s luck seems to change when she meets Deacon Giroux, the school’s resident gorgeous bad boy—and drug dealer. After mistakenly buying LSD instead of weed, in an attempt to impress a group of popular girls, Hannah has a bad trip, and Deacon is there to help her come down. He doesn’t like labels, but from then on, they’re a couple in everything but name, as Hannah continues to suffer from her father’s form of “discipline” (he prefers “whore” and “harlot” to “sweetie” or “honey” when addressing his daughter) and annoyed indifference from her mother, who dotes on Hannah’s younger sister. Hannah’s struggles—to fit in or forge her own path—are far more interesting than Deacon’s woes, though Cumiskey gives them equal narrative weight. The flashy showdown at the end feels out of place with the overall tone of the novel, but the two teens’ unpredictable melting pot of emotions and attempts to find their place resonates. Ages 13–up.

October 1, 2017
In 1984, one bad trip will completely change the course of Hannah Zandana's teenage life.Cumiskey transports her readers back to the 1980s, viewed through the kaleidoscope of big, feathered hair and Swatch watches. The largely white setting and the plot are, like, totally out of a John Hughes movies. And though Cumiskey's timeline is a little bogus--for example, Beetlejuice came out in 1988--readers should be able to ignore minor flubs as they meet her cast: mean girls Gillian, Leeza, and Taylor tease and fluster Hannah until she feels she needs to prove her cool by scoring some LSD from Deacon, the local heartthrob/rich boy/drug dealer. When Deacon saves Hannah from a bad trip, sparks fly between the bad boy and the quirky girl. While Hannah's story would be radical in '84, its strengths may also be its weaknesses. For example, Hannah's confrontation with Gillian ends when Hannah drops a homophobic slur to silence the mean girl. While this was considered humorous at one time, modern readers may find it jarring for the heroine of a book to use emotional blackmail in order to avoid bullying. Also, the question hangs: will readers get the gnarly '80s references? These quibbles aside, Hannah's story is primo, and the surprise twist of the epilogue will have readers stoked with anticipation for a sequel.Overall, a tubular story for readers looking for their next great melodramatic love story. (Historical fiction. 13-17)

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November 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-An ambitious debut novel that attempts to tackle too many issues. Hannah is a sophomore who is bullied at school and at home. Her father is ultra-religious and shames her for her clothing and appearance. Her mother has eschewed religion and seeks solace by consuming pills. Her little sister is the consummate brat. Hannah has one quasi-friend, Peter, who cares about her but is essentially a cipher himself. He is little protection against the triad of beautiful bullies who make Hannah's life a constant hell. Everything changes when she buys acid from the local drug dealer, a handsome senior with a politically connected father. He gives her too much, suffers a sudden bout of conscience, gains information about where Hannah lives, and rushes to her home to care for her during her overdose. That is just one of many implausible plot points. This first drug deal becomes the basis for a torrid-if unhealthy-relationship with Deacon, her dealer. This work is set in the 1980s, and includes mostly accurate depictions of the decade, complete with big hair courtesy of Aqua Net, but the characters, dialogue, and plot feel flat and forced. The attempt to intertwine body image, LGBTQ issues, substance abuse, bullying, murder, parental abuse and neglect, and coming of age results in a top-heavy title that is crushed under its own weight. VERDICT A marginally additional purchase that is most appropriate for readers who crave melodramatic, issues-based romances.-Jodeana Kruse, R.A. Long High School, Longview, WA

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