Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

We're heading to the East Coast of Canada to discuss class, isolation and abortion. The recently released on VOD film is anchored by an amazing performance by Kelly Van der Burg as a small town Newfoundland teen who falls in love with a much older man, Joel Thomas Hynes' Danny Sharpe.Topics include: how appreciative we are that Oates doesn't attempt to rescue Danny, region differences and universal storytelling in Canadian cinema and two very different reads of the film's abortion scene.Homework:Brenna: Let Me In (Reeves, 2010)Joe: Indigenous YA episode of Seventh Row podcastWanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Just in time for spooky season, we go hunting for bodies in King's novella (or is it a novel?), as well as Rob Reiner's seminal 80s film, which boasts an all-star cast of young male actors (RIP River Phoenix)Up for discussion: the meanness of Castle Rock and the tragic backstories (and future lives) of these protagonists; the purpose of that infamous pie-eating contest; disagreements over the success of John Cusack's Denny and Richard Dreyfuss' narrator, and speculation about switching the year of the text from 1960 (in the novella) to 1959 (in the film).Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteMichael: @michaelroffmanHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On the advice of Max (and liberally stealing a page from Joe's friends' podcast - thanks Talk Movie To Me) we're putting the careers of Kevin Williamson and Judy Blume under the microscope to consider how and why they've made an impact in YA.Homework:Brenna:Lucky Penny by Anath Hirsch & Yuko OtaGiant Days by John AllisonA History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray BelcourtJoe: Cemetery Boys by Aiden ThomasWanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Someone has finally sunk some money into a new Indigenous YA adaptation and we couldn't be more excited! After attempting to tackle the sprawling, slow burn narrative of Robinson's book (don't call it magical realism), Brenna and Joe discuss why this tale needed to be adapted by an Indigenous creative. Expect lots of gushing praise for break out Joel Oulette, as well as Crystle Lightning.Plus: the complicated history of other Canadian Indigenous YA properties, janky FX and four new squares on the YA BINGO board. Can you spell "abuse"?Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After a fortuitous series of social media connections, Meredith Russo joins us for a chat that encompasses a little bit of class politics, a little bit of video gaming and a little bit of punning.In addition to giving us an overview of her career, Meredith tells us about the ways that fiction is always already autobiography, how her work addresses the traditional depictions of the American South and why we expect trauma (but not romance) in trans YA narratives.Plus: Meredith's "secret plan" to turn up the heat on cis readers with each successive book, rants about the watering down of YA and also…the ridiculousness of Rent, the musical!Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteMeredith: @Mer_Squared / Meredith's PatreonHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As requested by listeners, we're kicking off a new season of the pod with a book that combines manic pixie dream people with healthy doses of ableism! Strap yourselves in for a mixed episode from Brenna and a downright hostile episode from Joe, who finds both texts "baffling."Up for discussion: Haley's many blandly titled projects, Niven's confounding creative decisions adapting her own text, Justice Smith's chest hair, Elle Fanning's Urban Outfitters glasses and bad, BAD parents and friends.Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ready for a 40 year run down of Degrassi? Well Brenna has you covered as she walks Joe through the cultural importance of the series, its evolution across multiple broadcasters (public and private), how it handled sensitive topics in non-patronizing, but still teen-friendly ways and why suddenly we may need to consider a future episode on Road to Avonlea!Episodes (if you wanna watch along with Joe)Degrassi High "It Creeps"Abortion arc 1 & 2HIV/AIDS arc 1 & 2Degrassi: The Next GenerationSchool Shooting arc 1 & 2:Trans arc 1 & 2Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're finally getting around to a listener request. Poor Kadija requested Holes ages ago, but we're finally ready to tackle the story of poor Stanley Yelnats.Up for discussion: how femininity is used as a weapon, as well as the absence of mothers and maternal figures. We're very impressed at the readability of Sachar's book considering it's basically a take-down of the prison industrial system. Plus: Jenny explains why the book is a cornerstone of a Texas education (and that the film is popular on TikTok?!); Joe gets judgey of people with neck tattoos, and, finally, why Sachar's incredibly faithful screenplay and those missing pounds on Shia LaBoeuf's Stanley wind up hurting the film.Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteJenny: @jennyleighx33Have something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Right off the top, we're super excited for Michelle Latimer's Trickster (click for the trailer), an adaptation of Eden Robinson's Son of a Trickster.Brenna:Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, Exonerated Five (Sept 1)Charming as a Verb by Ben Phillipe (Sept 8)Thoughts and Prayers by Bryan Bliss (Sept 29)Honourable mentions: bookstore theme! This Is All Your Fault by Aminah Mae Safi Recommended for You by Laura SilvermanJoe:Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera (Sept 15)Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds (Sept 22)I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan (Oct 6)Honourable Mentions: Even If We Break by  Marieke Nijkamp (Author of This Is Where It Ends) (Sept 15)Come on In (Anthology) Edited by Adi Alsaid (Oct 13)Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After hearing so much about what this book means to fans - particularly young girls - Brenna and Joe are surprised to discover that it has not aged with. Blame the current pandemic, but a story that prioritizes individuality above all else doesn't quite the same way in a society that refuses to even wear a mask for the greater good.There's also the strange critique of communism/totalitarianism that is also an unabashed ode to Christianity that doesn't quite sit well. Thankfully we can see why Meg Murry is a friend to all smart, outsider girls (even if her last name is misspelled. Lol). The film doesn't fare too much better. Joe wonders if the issue is screenwriter Jennifer Lee's background in animation, while Brenna takes issue with the tired fan-service and janky FX. But we like the diverse casting, practical set design, costumes and make-up. It's all a big toss-up!Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? E

To celebrate the great Kirsten Dunst/Gabrielle Union showdown of 2000, Joe makes Brenna watch Bring It On ! While some of the racial politics and its approach to queerness haven't aged particularly well, we appreciate the white girls coming in second, a competitive approach to female rivalry and a bounty of sassy dialogue.Faring less well is director Laura Terruso and writer Alison Peck's Work It (2020) which exists solely as a vehicle for Sabrina Carpenter, whom Joe describes as a charisma vacuum. Thankfully we have the comedically styling of Liza Koshy's Jas and the cuteness of PS I Still Love You's Jordan Fischer to ease over the many, MANY bumpy parts.Homework:Friend of the show Miriam recommends f/f YA books:Queer horror: Wilder Girls by Rory Power, Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand, and The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn HermanJuliet Takes A Breath by Gabby RiveraWe are Okay by Nina LaCourBrenna catches us up on: Yes, No, Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Alisha SayeedInternment by Samira AhmedLove, Cree

When we said we wanted more female stories in YA, this isn't *exactly* what we meant. Sadly Gloeckner's autobiographical comic/memoir is a misfire for us from both a storytelling and content perspective. Heller's film is a stronger, more streamlined approach but it features a distractingly beautiful Alexander Skarsgård in what is meant to be a frumpy, middle-aged man role.Up for discussion: why is this book praised for being daring (primarily by men)? Is the film's use of animation a success? Plus: praise for Bel Powley in her big break through performance and lots of Brenna sighing!Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After bringing this bizarre oddity to our attention, we invite returning guest Lucia Lorenzi to chat with us about just what creators Keetgi Kogan and David H. Steinberg are trying to do with the series (spoiler: they think they're making ground breaking television). Nothing about this makes sense, and yet the series is compulsively watchable thanks to performances by Siena Agudong, Melissa Joan Hart and Sean Astin (alas they're all performing in completely different shows!). Throw in hugely problematic portrayals of child abuse, horrible foster care, jailhouse beat-downs, upper/middle class privilege, and the show's performative us of "Italian" as a tactic to avoid addressing race and No Good Nick is quite possibly the weirdest text we've ever covered!Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteLucia: @empathywarriorHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for

Perhaps the second time is the charm? After a *not great* experience  with Yoon's first book Everything, Everything (see previous episode), Brenna and Joe tackle her most recent text, which balances a timely discussion and racism, immigration and deportation with a falling-in-love-in-one-day perfect date. Brenna is much more in favour of the book, especially Natasha's Jamaican background and Yoon's playful side-story telling. Joe is less enthused with Daniel's Korean storyline, which he argues feels too familiar, as well as the narrative confines of the single day premise. What we can both agree upon is that the film, particularly Tracy Oliver's screenplay, fundamentally misunderstands the book. Despite Russo-Young (previous episode Before I Fall)'s gorgeous lensing of New York, the film proves to be a misfire due to a lack of chemistry between leads Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton, its issues with colourism casting and the fumbling of the book's key Karaoke scene.Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on

In addition to checking out the New YA film, which apparently has no idea how universities work, Brenna forgets our most covered actress Theresa Palmer, but did read a German poem (all 14 stanzas).In other news, we address some more reader mail, address our plans to include an Indigenous Land Acknowledgement (coming in two weeks) and review some homework:Brenna: The new Apple TV Ghostwriter and Marieke Nijkamp's This Is Where It EndsJoe: Angie Thomas' On The Come UpWanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are you a Claudia, a Kristy, a Mary Anne, a Stacey, or a Dawn? Brenna certainly has her dream answer (and her reality) as we nostalgically revisit one of the most enduring YA series of the 90s. As a novice to the series, Brenna walks Joe through the format of each book, why these characters played such a significant role in her life and why Logan is so dreadful!Questions for discussion include whether the Netflix revival should have wrapped after 8 episodes instead of 10 and why Alicia Silverstone is such an asset as Kristy's mom. Plus: which episodes/plot lines made us cry? Why the series is libel to be called "woke" and why that's not a bad thing and the unexpected queerness of the text.Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen!   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thanks to Covid, the typically hopping summer book release schedule has shifted to September, but we've still come up with some great picks to occupy your time.After some feedback on racial stereotypes in Never Have I Ever, we tackle Indigenous and lesbian book recommendations:Indigenous:Rhymes for Young Ghouls (dir: Jeff Barnaby, 2013)#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women, Edited by Lisa Charleyboy & Mary Beth LeatherdaleHonourable mentions: A Girl Called Echo // The Marrow Thieves // Surviving the CityLesbian:You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah JohnsonThe Henna Wars by Abida JaigirdarHonourable mentions:  Dark & Deepest Red // Hot Dog GirlThen it's time for the main event, our anticipated July/August 2020 books.Brenna:The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert (July 7)Loveless by Alice Oseman (July 9 - UK/Canada)Six Angry Girls by Adrienne Kisner (August 18)Reminders: Faith by Julie Murphy (July 7) // Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson (Sept 15)Joe:Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron (July 7)Now That

In a freewheeling discussion that can't help but address J.K. Rowling's recent transphobic comments, we also tackle the need for critical fandom, as well as Chamber of Secrets’ fat phobia and obsession with blood purity. Also on the table: Why Gilderoy Lockhart is an obvious villain in the Rowling tradition and speculation about his real reason for joining Hogwart’s as the Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher.Plus: how to define Easter Eggs (they're not synonymous with retconning!), how magic resembles close readings and  and why we should appreciate the film's set design - and Jason Isaacs - more.Here is a brief (incomplete list) of trans and non-binary authors to support:Ronnie Mandias: RuneboundSara Codair: The Evanstar ChroniclesEverett Maroon: The Unintentional Time TravelerApril Daniels: DreadnoughtAiden Thomas: Cemetery BoysKai Cheng Thom: Fierce FemmesIvan Coyote: Rebent SinnerMason Deaver: I Wish You All The BestFox Benwell: Kaleidoscope Song; and finallyThe Gayly Prophet PodcastAnd search #BlackTra

Brenna and Joe - with special returning guest star Terry Mesnard (of Gayly Dreadful) - check out the first season of Disney+...er...Hulu's Love, Victor. We're primarily discussing the first five episodes (with helpful hints from Brenna, who watched the whole series) which follows new transfer student Victor (cutie Michael Cimino) who immediately falls into a love triangle with uber-popular Mia (Rachel Hilson) and  publicly-out barista Benji (George Sear).Oh if only the series were just about them! Alas, there's another half dozen characters, each of whom has their own storyline and arc, including Victor's parents (James Martinez and Ana Ortiz) and Mia's dad (Mekhi Phifer)!  This is a series that's doing plenty of good things, but it's also overstuffed, surprisingly tame considering Disney+'s weirdly conservative decision to move it to Hulu and sadly averse to featuring predominantly queer musicians.In short: we have THOUGHTS!Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstole

Oh for the love of Judi Dench, what is going on here?! Brenna and Joe tackle the character-lite, action-heavy world of villainous child genius Artemis Fowl as he kidnaps, blackmails and holds for ransom the Fairies. It's a tale as old as time...but one we struggle to connect to.Of course, our *shrug* for the book pales in comparison to the WOOF of the film, which may just be one of the worst films we've covered on the Pod!Which brings us to a complicated discussion (involving our first bad review, no less!) as we work through the need to distinguish "hating" books we dislike and "critically" addressing them.  Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a minisode topic? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.