Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

Brenna and Joe join the uniformly black and white life of the 'Sameness' as they dig into Lois Lowry's 1993 Newberry medal winner dystopian text, The Giver. Unfortunately because this is still a YA adaptation podcast, they're also forced to check out Philip Noyce's 2014 film adaptation, which Joe politely describes as a "run of the mill dystopian garbage fest with hot people".In this episode Brenna provides an overview of Lowry's quartet of novels, the pair discuss why the book's focus on empathy, feelings and ambuigty is so powerful, and why The Giver may actually be inappropriate for middle school kids. Oh - and we bash the film A LOT.In Homework: Brenna petitions Joe to read Jeff Zentner's great Rain and Delilah’s Midnight Matinee while Joe reaches all the way back to the Jan 2019 Forecast for an update on Jennifer Dugan's summer love story Hot Dog Girl.Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteOr send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on

Brenna and Joe return from their long recording sabbatical with bright eyes and cat ears. For the start of Book 2 (aka our second season) we wanted something fun and frothy, so what better to kick things off with than the tale of friendship, success and capitalism that is Josie And The Pussycats?!For the first time Joe & Brenna are covering two texts that don't speak to each other, as the 2001 film by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan was produced well before the Marguerite Bennett and Cameron Deordio scripted / Audrey Mok inked comic revival in 2016.We discuss why the metatextual humour is more successful in the film, how Josie (and by extension the entire Archie universe) is being sold as a mix of nostalgia and contemporary sensibilities and how the film bombed because it was too smart for adults (who claimed it was too dumb for teens).Wanna connect with the show? Tweet us using #HKHSPod:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteOr send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen

Gentle listeners, some big news! HKHS won't return with new episodes until Tues, Aug 6, but if you need your fill of Joe and Brenna, check out Horror Queers on July 31 for a special crossover episode on ParaNorman, a delightful family horror film that even scaredy-cat Brenna can watch.Click here to check it out See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Book One comes to a close as Brenna and Joe delve into the dark and horrifying world of Scott Heim's 1995 novel Mysterious Skin and Gregg Araki's 2004 adaptation, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this week.Take the trigger warning to heart as both texts deal with very mature themes. Brenna and Joe, while appreciative of the craftmanship of both texts, frequently resort to the word "horrifying" to describe their experiences. Rest assured that there is lightness to be found, though, including Joe's embarrassing mix-up over Heim's last name, the struggle to reconcile Brian as a "boring" character and questions about the tastiness of peanut butter peach pie.In the last homework report: Brenna works through her relationship with The CW's Riverdale while Joe catches up with listener emails from Leo and Andrew.If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteOr send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the scree

It's graduation night and Brenna and Joe should be enjoying a wild night of debauchery and wacky hijinks, but instead they're angry (like REAL ANGRY) about Larry Doyle's 2007 book, I Love You, Beth Cooper and Chris Columbus' 2009 adaptation.Listeners who enjoy the episodes where the pair get a little frustrated with one or both texts (think The Kissing Booth) are sure to delight in just how much Brenna and Joe HATE this pairing. The structure is repetitive, the characters are stock, the content is frequently offensive and the jokes simply aren't funny. Strap in and expect plenty of swearing and sighs!In Homework News: Brenna cleanses her palate with Laurie Halse Anderson's memoir, Shout, while Joe thanks the listeners who responded to the call (in the YA Forecast episode) for forthcoming books to keep an eye out for.If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteOr send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.co

Brenna and Joe are under house arrest, so please be sure to decontaminate properly before you listen to this episode on Nicola Yoon's 2015 novel Everything, Everything and its accompanying 2017 film adaptation by Stella Meghie.In all seriousness though: MEGA SPOILER WARNING - If you have not read the book and plan to, DO NOT LISTEN!!!Brenna and Joe discuss why the format of both texts don't quite work, how the film wastes the likeability of gifted teen actors Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give) and Nick Robinson (Love, Simon) and why we need to become more comfortable with "own voices" narratives failing...or simply being fine.In Homework news: Brenna pitches a new comic series byGiant Days writer John Allison, colourist Sarah Stern and letterer Jim Campbell while Joe ties the new Blumhouse horror film Ma into the discussion on Everything, Everything.If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteOr send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you

We've done our homework and we're ready to chat about books that we've both hyped up and ACTUALLY finished. It’s our much-in-demand homework report episode!We’re providing updates on texts that we briefly discussed at the top of the show over the last few months in order to let you know if they're worth your time.We also address managing expectations for an author’s new & different work when you’ve loved their past texts, pondering the correct entry point to get into Adam Silvera’s writing, struggling with Netflix’s creative decisions as Disney+ looms on the horizon and the need for YA to step up and address abortion, especially at this crucial moment in time. Plus: giggles from Brenna’s toddler and sirens outside Joe’s downtown apartment!Times are approximate:3:21 - 10:14: Dear Sweet Pea - Julie Murphy10:15 - 15:31: Kens by Raziel Reid15:32 - 23:15: Let Me Hear a Rhyme and Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson (plus His Hideous Heart)23:16 - 29:33: They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera29:34 - 34:2

Welcome to the halfway point of the year! As promised, Brenna and Joe have selected some forthcoming new young adult literature and adaptation selections for summer/early fall 2019. Get the Library holds list prepped for an onslaught!Brenna:The Virtue of Sin by Shannon Schuren (June)An Indigenous People’s History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, adapted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese (July)Frankly in Love by David Yoon (September)Joe:Ordinary Girls by Blair Thornburgh (June)Destroy All Monsters by Sam J Miller (July)Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett (September)Honourable MentionsViral by Ann BausamSlay by Brittney Morris (Aug)Words on Bathroom WallsSuggested Reading by Dave Connis (Aug)Birthday by Meredith Russo and There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhaya MenonThe Babysitter’s Coven 1 by Kate Williams (Aug)If you have a selection that didn't make our cut, please reach out to us at #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteOr send us an email at hkhspod@gma

Greetings podcast listeners. J & B here with an exclusive scoop: we've read the first book in Cecily von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl series and watched the first two episodes of The CW's TV adaptation and one of these texts is very, very bad.Which one? We'll never tell (ok, that's a lie - we will, but you have to listen).You know you love us.XOXO -J & BIn homework: Joe advocates for a timely re-read of Christopher Pike's Final Friends Trilogy (also known as Until The End) while Brenna...is alive (barely)If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteOr send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Brenna and Joe head to the 70s suburbs for a deep dive into the problematic world of Jeffrey Eugenides' 1993 "not YA" novel The Virgin Suicides and a comparison of Sofia Coppola's film adaptation, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.After 25 episodes, Brenna FINALLY clarifies to Joe a foundational component of YA Literature. The pair also discuss Eugenides' lack of empathy for his female characters, Coppola's feminist treatment of the material and Brenna's biggest issue about the adaptation.In homework: Brenna galley-brags about her advance reading copy of Julie Murphy's new Middle School book, Dear Sweet Pea while Joe provides an update on Chaos Walking, the delayed film adaptation of *The Knife of Never Letting Go.If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteOr send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you're going to revisit a YA author, who better to sample a second time than prolific writer John Green? Brenna and Joe dive deep into manic pixie dream girl territory with Green's 2008 novel Paper Towns and its 2015 film adaptation by Jake Schreier.The pair continue the discussion about male protagonists in realist YA romance, question the blandness of white boy actors and debate the casting of Cara Delevingne. The single biggest question, however, is how screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber screw up this adaptation - and particularly its ending - when they did such an admirable job on The Fault In Our Stars.In homework: Brenna raises the Easter weekend controversy involving author Jacqueline Jules, prompting an extended discussion about safe spaces and working with people of other cultures.If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteOr send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/priva

Brenna and Joe put on a puffy prom dress and rent a tux for their first dip into male protagonist realist YA romance. Unfortunately they selected Steve Bloom's 2016 novel The Stand-In and Chris Nelson's 2019 Netflix adaptation The Perfect Date which not even current It-Boy Noah Centineo can save.The pair marvel at how badly written and problematic the book is, while acknowledging that it is one of the few texts to actually address wealth & income inequality. They then contrast it with the film, which has removed 95% of the book's problematic aspects, but in the process, has also been scrubbed clean of any and all interesting aspects, leaving behind only a bland and dull text. Also up for discussion is the hilariously bad father/son casting, the ineptness of Bloom's narrative plotting and the legitimate question of who is the target audience?In homework: Brenna is uncertain about whether The Fosters' spin-off, Good Trouble is worth pursuing, while Joe begrudgingly acknowledges the new KJ Apa YA film on Net

Brenna and Joe are joined by Paul Le as they venture into the world of South Korean manwha and webtoons. The trio checks out the first 25 episodes of Seok-woo's Orange Marmalade, a YA vampire romance that originally ran between 2011-2013, as well as its accompanying 2015 KBS2 TV series.The unique episodic format of the webtoon poses some narrative challenges, but its clever and unique use of space and scrolling generates plenty of discussion. The trio also analyzes why the TV season is like melodramatic catnip, its unusual ties to Felicity and Brenna poses a Stephenie Meyer-inspired question about vampires and that time of the month.Webtoon: https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/orange-marmalade/list?title_no=97TV series: https://www.viki.com/tv/26963c-orange-marmalade?locale=enIn homework: Brenna and Paul chat Ry Russo-Young's latest YA adaptation, The Sun Is Also A Star and Brenna offers a director update on the film adaptation of John Green's Turtles All The Way Down while Joe counters with award-winning tex

Part of HKHSPod's mandate is to highlight the work of Canadian YA Lit writers. In this exclusive interview, Brenna and Joe are joined by Tanaz Bhathena to discuss her cross-cultural romance The Beauty of the Moment, the ironic story of her first YA book (deemed "too dark for adults") and why including diversity in her writing is natural and completely Canadian.Find out more about Tanaz's work on her website: https://tanazbhathena.com/ or on Instagram at @bhathenatanazConnect with the show on Twitter using #HKHSPod:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteOr send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Brenna and Joe travel to the other side of the world for an investigation into Margaret Mahy's 1984 Carnegie Medal winner, The Changeover and its 2017 film adaptation by Miranda Harcourt and Stuart McKenzie. Brenna appreciates the prickly, unconventional mother/daughter relationship, Joe unpacks how the film uses the 2011 earthquake to inform its narrative and, for the first time on the podcast, an ending dramatically alters the pair's appreciation of one of the texts.In homework: Brenna and Joe chat about the impact of Disney's closure of the FOX 2000 studio, which produced Love, Simon, The Hate U Give and other 'mid-tier' prestige films. Joe also introduces The Changeover star Nicholas Galitzine's upcoming Netflix series, Chambers, which also deals with mysterious events (the guy has a type).Links for next week:Webtoon: https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/orange-marmalade/list?title_no=97TV series: https://www.viki.com/tv/26963c-orange-marmalade?locale=enIf you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod o

Brenna and Joe venture to Canada's Northern Territories to spend time with Richard Van Camp's lyrical and melancholy 1996 novel The Lesser Blessed and Anita Dorin's 2012 film adaptation. This is an extremely heavy, but ultimately rewarding pair of texts that merit the extra-long run time (fun fact: when Brenna teaches the book, it takes her three weeks to unpack!)Brenna goes into much-needed teacher-mode to elaborate on the background of Residential schools, one of Canada's most shameful historical events, which is essential for understanding the book's exploration of trauma and pain. Joe, meanwhile, makes a shocking discovery in a review of the film from the time of its release and the pair celebrate the book's willingness to tackle challenging material. It's not an easy read, but it is vital.Other Contemporary Indigenous text recommendations: The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King.In homework: Brenna recommends The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo while Joe opts for Raziel Reid's Heathers-inspired book, Kens, a

Brenna and Joe stumble into a fairy tale world that compels them to do everything they're told...so long as it's compare Gale Carson Levine's 1997 Ella Enchanted and Tommy O'Haver's over-the-top wacky 2004 adaptation, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this week!The book proves to be a good example of how straightforward and non-subversive books for young adults were in the 90s, while the film makes good use of a game Anne Hathaway's capacity for physical comedy, but goes over board on extra characters and bad CGI. Plus: come for the discussion about misused WOC and stay for the jokes about how uncomfortable Hugh Dancy looks!In homework: Brenna recommends unreliable narrator book A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa B. Sheinmel while Joe has high hopes for Kai Cheng Thom's Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir.Other Trans and Non-Binary YA Lit recommendations: If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo Girl Mans Up by M.E. GirardIf you want to connect with the sh

Brenna and Joe venture deep into the Greendale woods to perform a dark ceremony in advance of Brenna's birthday and they're joined by a very special guest: Emily von Seele! The three unpack the gorgeous art and risky narrative in Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's 60s-set dark reboot of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and contrast it with the more risk-adverse 2018 Netflix adaptation - just in time for its return on April 5.Along the way Brenna wonders why the goat masks in both Sabrina and its companion series Riverdale mean completely different things, Joe vents about the series' aesthetic choices (enough with the Vaseline Iris!) and the three lament the series' antiquated approach to feminist storylines and bland milquetoast boyfriend while praising its liberated "bad girls": Prudence and Madame Satan.In homework: Joe is dismayed to learn that the new Noah Centineo Netflix movie The Perfect Date (April 12) is based on a YA book and Brenna makes a special birthday plea to listeners.If you want to connect wit

Break out your black tights and your pink hair because Brenna and Joe are headed into the Dauntless Pit with Veronica Roth's 2011 bestseller Divergent and the Neil Burger-helmed 2014 adaptation. Both hosts have mixed feelings, contrasting their initial enjoyment of the texts back in the day with the more complicated, less fun reading of both in a post-Trump, anti-intellectual world. It's not all doom and gloom, though: it turns out Brenna's brother and Joe's husband have nearly identical reactions to the film, Brenna gets far too much pleasure whispering the titular term and the episode ends with a SHOCKING revelation that Brenna has been keeping from Joe for the entirety of their friendship!References:Hudson, Laura. "The Divergent Movie Is Social Commentary for Simpletons". Wired: https://www.wired.com/2014/03/divergent-review-online-quiz/In homework: Brenna rediscovers Marvel's rebranded Runaways written by Rainbow Rowell and drawn by Kris Anka, while Joe checks out Becky Albertalli's bestie, Adam

After several weeks of...challenging texts, Brenna and Joe dive into the warm comfort of Becky Albertalli's 2015 Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda and Greg Berlanti's 2018 adaptation Love, Simon. The pair break down the book's great writing, problematize the film's depiction of Leah and Ethan and praise what may be the best, most supportive parents in YA.It's a bit of a gush fest, honestly.Plus: Brenna doubles down on Albertalli with a discussion of Simon's sequel/spin-off, Leah On The Offbeat while Joe softly recommends the new Sick Kid film, Five Feet Apart, starring Haley Lu Richardson and Riverdale's Cole Sprouse.If you want to connect with the show, use #HKHSPod on Twitter:Brenna: @brennacgrayJoe: @bstolemyremoteOr send us an email at hkhspod@gmail.com. See you on the page and on the screen! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.