Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

Brenna and Joe are joined by Terry Mesnard to discuss Charles Forsman's stark and nihilistic 2017 comic I Am Not Okay With This and Jonathan Entwistle's 2020 Netflix adaptation, starring Sophia Lillis.

Up for discussion: Forsman's depiction of young women, why the bleak ending is unearned and one thing the comic actually does well (if we're being charitable). This is in stark contrast with the series, which avoids Netflix bloat, casts talented actors and expands on characterizations to humanize the drama into something compelling and watchable. There are still quibbles with the end (and possibly The Breakfast Club-inspired episode), but overall, we're pretty enthusiastic about the series.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote
• Terry: @gaylydreadful / @ScarredPodcast

Have something longer (or a minisode suggestion)? Send an email to [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen.

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Brenna and Joe check out a new Netflix YA series, The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia, using its under-the-radar status to pose some questions about Netflix's changing priorities and the relevancy of its algorithms. 

Broad discussion: how Netflix Originals have altered the streamer's original  niche programming angle (the "made for Brenna" channel), why everyone winds up watching Love Is Blind, and how little (read: diverse) shows get buried.

Narrow discussion: with special help with listener Max, Brenna and Joe discuss Ashley Garcia's appeal, its connection to a burgeoning movement of smart Latina girls and why a hot young actor like Jencarlos Canela was cast to play Uncle Victor.

Reference: Castillo, Monica. "TV has a new kind of heroine: The Latina genius. Here’s why it matters." LA Times, Feb 26, 2020.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer or a minisode topic? Send  us an email: [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ugh.

Brenna and Joe jump back into sick lit for Jesse Andrews' atrocious 2012 novel Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and its (better) 2015 Sundance award winning film adaptation by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, starring Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke and a stunt cast of adults.

We dedicate A LOT of time up front addressing our issues with the book, which is racist, misogynistic and features one of the most excruciating mediocre white boy protagonists since I Love You, Beth Cooper.  We find it hilarious that Andrews believes he's subverting (or avoiding) YA tropes; instead he's simply produced an unreadable book. Our advice: do not read this "book"!

The film - ironically adapted by Andrews - smooths out some of the books more egregious issues, but it comes at a cost. Earl is diminished to a non-character and Greg's selfish behaviour can't be redeemed. The actors and  Gomez-Rejon's vibrant, experimental direction save this film.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say (like a minisode suggestion)? Send us an email at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen! 

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With so little precious podcast time to spare, Brenna and Joe are scaling back the forecasts. Presented for your enjoyment is a double dose for March and April, along with two important pieces of correspondence about our recent episode on Sex Education, which demanded we dig in (and problematize) both our reactions and word choice a little more deeply. 

Brenna's Picks:

1. We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia
2. Avocado Bliss by Candace Robinson and Gerardo Delgadillo
3. Check Please Book 2: Sticks and Scones by Ngozi Ukadu

Joe's Picks:

1. Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer
2. Fight like a Girl by Sheena Kamal
3. The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us something longer (like minisode topics!) to [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a Uni miracle, Brenna and Joe are joined by their YA Lit classmate and bestie Jen Crocker to discuss Jenny Han's super cute 2015 realist romance sequel, PS I Still Love You and its (awkwardly titled) 2020 Netflix  film, which reunites Lana Condor and Noah Centineo and introduces Jordan Fisher as fan favourite John Ambrose McClaren.

The changes between source and adaptation are significantly impacted by events from the first film, which retroactively affects the readability of the second book. Also switching things up: new director Michael Fimognari, who brings a "big screen" visual aesthetic that works for some, but not others. 

Plus: why the new film isn't as re-watchable, why it's probably good that the book's game of Assassins wasn't adapted and the film's issues with female agency and *gasp* class.

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote
• Jen:  @jencrocker / @crocksy23 (Instagram)

Have something longer? Send us an email at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Minisode or regularsode? You be the judge as Brenna and Joe check back in on the British Netflix series Sex Education, which released its second season back in January.

How does the series avoid traditional (read: North American) depictions of trauma and abuse? How are new (potentially tokenistic) characters introduced? What aspect does Brenna think the show handles best? And why character has quickly become Joe's favourite?

Also, we're getting back to homework basics! Brenna provides an update on her Bingeworthy promise to check out the ridiculously-named High School Musical: The Musical, which Joe catches up on Jan 2020 Forecast entry Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore (not Macklemore, the rapper).

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us something longer (like minisode topics!) to [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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It's time for a Nuclear dystopia, so Brenna and Joe hunker down in a Garden of Eden...er...valley of plenty in the hopes that a man of science never comes to threaten the peace. Or is it two men? This week, we're traveling back to 1974 to discuss Robert C. O'Brien's Z For Zachariah, a compelling, female-centric YA account of the end of the world. We're also talking about Craig Zobel's 2015 not-YA film adaptation, which is...a romantic triangle with sexy adults?

Both texts are solid in their own right, but we're primarily attracted to the excellent tension and incredibly gripping gender dynamics of the book. The film is decent, although the more on-the-nose religious elements, romance and poorly constructed racial stereotype doesn't work nearly as well. Bottom line: if you only check out one of these texts, make sure it's the book!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode suggestion? Send us an email at [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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Feb 2020 is a slighter month than January, so there are still great books to add to your library hold lists! Brenna and Joe have poured over the month and selected their top 3-4 picks, along with a few honourable mentions.

Joe

1. Alice by Heart by Steven Sater
2. No True Believers by Rabiah York Lumbard
3. Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold
4. What I Want You To See by Catherine Linka

Plus: Solstice by Lorence Alison and Below by Alexandria Warwick

Brenna

1. Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertelli and Aisha Saeed
2. The New David Espinoza by Frank Aceves
3. Turtle Under Ice by Juleah del Rosario

Plus: To All The Boys I've Loved Before 2 on Netflix and a new adaptation of Emma

Want to connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Have something longer to say or a minisode idea? Send us an email to [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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At the request of listener Emily, Brenna and Joe travel Down Under to Sydney to check in on Italian-Australian Josephine Alibrandi, the sassy/spunky heroine of of Melina Marchetta's 1992 Aussie YA Classic, Looking for Alibrandi and its 2000 film adaptation by Kate Woods.

The pair are hardly surprised that the book is a staple of the high school curriculum, given its myriad of relevant YA themes focusing on the immigrant experience, class issues, societal pressures and sex & relationships.  Brenna and Joe dedicate a lot of time discussing the novel's handling of John Barton and his suicide, how it doesn't work nearly as well in the film, and the need for happy endings. 

Plus: speculation about John Green's Looking For Alaska (see earlier episode), ties to Canadian play/film, Mambo Italiano and a really successful round of BINGO!

Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

• Brenna: @brennacgray
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or send us something longer (like minisodes topics!) to [email protected]. See you on the page and on the screen!

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More than a year into the podcast, Brenna and Joe decide to tackle the definition of Young Adult literature (better late than never, right?)

Thanks to a prompt from listener Garrett, in the first (true) minisode of the new year, we delve into the specifics:

• YA as a category, not a genre
• Using content and age ranges to distinguish Middle-Grade from YA from New Adult
• The appeal of YA for adult readers
• A bit of history, including the term "adolescent" and its ties to capitalism, particularly in North America; and
• Why YA exploded in the mid-to-late 90s and beyond (hint: think wizards and sparkly vampires)

In homework: Brenna champions How I Made It To 18 by Tracy White and Joe compares #MurderTrending to One of Us is Lying.

Next week: full length ep on Looking For Alibrandi, so get reading & watching!

Want to connect? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:

• Brenna: @brennacgray / Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/107851618-brenna
• Joe: @bstolemyremote

Or email us something longer or a minisode topic: [email protected]. See you on the page and the screen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.