Were the Kids Alright?

In this bonus episode of Were the Kids Alright, Sophie discusses Kalynn Bayron's YA book, Cinderella Is Dead. This episode was originally recorded in February which is why Bud, Not Buddy is mentioned as the most recent release.

Content Warnings: sexual assault, sexism, racism, homophobia, murder, immortality, and forced marriage.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

TikTok: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week, we read Ruby Redfort, Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child. We discuss what it takes to write a book-within-a-book, Lauren Child’s Clarice Bean problem, Ruby’s unnecessary sassiness, and how suspicious it is that a supposedly-good non-governmental spy agency needs help from a child.

Content Warnings: Cultural appropriation, museum ethics, societal ignorance, discussion of criminal justice systems, teenagers in danger, kidnapping, and murder.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

TikTok: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

More About Khotan

https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/khotan-i-pre-islamic-history

https://www.thoughtco.com/khotan-xingjiang-uygur-autonomous-region-171478

https://isaw.nyu.edu/events/archive/2017/eighth-century-khotan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Khotan

This "week" we read Divergent, by Veronica Roth. This is the second part of our discussion, where we discuss characters and fanfiction takes and give our final assessments of the book.

Content Warnings: Suicide, racism, sexual assault, domestic violence, so much abuse of all different kinds, discussion of homelessness, needles, mind control, and harmful societal ideology.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

TikTok: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read Divergent by Veronica Roth. This is the first part of our discussion, where we discuss story structure, the worldbuilding of the factions, and general what-makes-humanity-what-it-is stuff. Whether you hated or loved Divergent, you’ll find something to agree with in our many, many opinions!

Content Warnings: Suicide, racism, sexual assault, domestic violence, so much abuse of all different kinds, discussion of homelessness, needles, mind control, and harmful societal ideology.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

TikTok: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

Hey y'all! We recorded a bonus episode of us taking Divergent faction quizzes. Our official episode on Divergent will be out soon. Hope you enjoy!

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

TikTok: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week, we read Four Things My Geeky-Jock-of-a-Best-Friend Must Do in Europe by Jane Harrington. We discuss realism in portraying (and not overtly critiquing) cultural ignorance, self-confidence during puberty, and why the Star Trek-loving Gorkon is the ACTUAL WORST. We also talk about ALL CAPS versus italics BECAUSE THIS BOOK LIKES TO SHOUT.

CW: Racism, European stereotyping, discussion of slurs (for Romani and queer people), discussion of homophobia and body image, objectification, sexual harassment, mental illness as a punchline, and finally a young, culturally-ignorant protagonist.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

TikTok: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. And we had a special guest! We discussed fairy tale retellings, fantasy languages, and the Disney movie adaptation of this book that really should have just been its own thing.

Content Warnings: Mind control, fairy curses, abuse, death of a parent, neglect, fantasy violence, manipulation, and arranged marriages.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

TikTok: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week, we read Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka. We discuss the book’s portrayal of culture shock, how unrealistic violin airplaying is, and when parents should let their kid quit a musical instrument.

CW: Anti-Asian-American racism, casual racism, immigration, family dynamics, toxic masculinity, and discussions of cultural differences. We’re also two liberal arts white people talking about racism and immigration. We are constantly learning, and sometimes we will mess up.

Please, please check out Lensey Namioka's other work because not enough people read her and the source is the best representation of anything we discuss in this episode.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

TikTok: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week, we read the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo. We talk about the duology’s amazing characters, how Sophie thought there should’ve been fewer points of view, the continuing bias against Fjerda, and Bardugo’s talent for emotional payoff.

CW: Graphic violence and injury, abuse of power, sexual assault and exploitation, propoganda, human trafficking, guns, racism and exotification, emotional manipulation, crime, gangs, sexual slavery, general slavery, gambling, kidnapping, forced experimentation and drugging, addiction, discrimination, torture, disease, death, and major character death.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. We talk about Alina’s not-like-other-girls problem, how to make her a more interesting character, and about how sometimes fans make things worse.

Content Warnings: Violence, injury, abuse of power, referenced sexual assault and exploitation, emotional manipulation, killing animals for both food and sacrifice, internalized misogyny, beauty standards, classism, orphans, and a country at war.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB