Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Brenna Clarke Gray and Joe Lipsett

After a brief lament about Sia's misguided directorial debut Music, Brenna and Joe tackle a question from listener Victoria about positive depictions of neurodivergence. Brenna defers to former guest Jes Battis' piece in the Los Angeles Book of Review "Imperfect Rhetorics: Neurodiversity in YA Literature and Popular Culture" which focuses on three titles:
> Rainbow Rowell. Carry On
> Rachael Lucas. The State of Grace
> Jen Wilde. Queens of Geek
Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:
> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)
> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)
Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com 
Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" 

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

Joe and Brenna return to Canadian YA to discuss writer/director Molly McGlynn's semi-autobiographical text, Fitting In (2023).
The film has a great cast and explores a compelling story of non-normative female bodies. We have a few issues with the film's messaging, but overall the film is pretty enjoyable.
Plus: praise for lead actor Maddie Ziegler, wishing better for Ki Griffin's Jax, a dilator montage, and plenty of running!
Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:
> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)
> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)
Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  
Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" 

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

Joe and Brenna dip a toe into romantic fantasy with Alice Hoffman's 2001 novel Aquamarine and Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum's 2006 film adaptation.
The book is a cute, slight, fast read, which begs the question: how is the film 1hr 50 mins?! Answer: Add a villain, give her endless cronies, then stretch the action out over a whole summer!
Plus: teen feminism, mermaid FX, himbo lifeguards, and the film's perplexing soundtrack decision.
Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:
> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)
> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)
Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  
Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" 

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

Brenna and Joe respond to a question and a request from listener Tuck, who wants to know if we'll cover A Series of Unfortunate Events and recommends Otfried Preussler's hard to find (in English) book, Krabat: The Satanic Mill (1972).
Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:
> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)
> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)
Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com
Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

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

Brenna and Joe dip back into queer romance (and fan fiction!) with Book 1 of E.L. Massey's Breakaway series, Like Real People Do (2022).
This is very cute and sweet...but where is the conflict?! Everyone is so perfect! Massey needs to let people suck!
Plus: comparisons to Heartstopper, Red, White & Royal Blue and The Kissing Booth 2, predictions for where Books 2-4 will go, and why Kuzy and Hawk are our fave characters.
Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:
> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)
> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)
Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  
Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" 

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

Brenna and Joe discuss John Green's last YA novel Turtles All The Way Down (2017) and its 2024 adaptation by Hannah Marks. C/W: self-harm.
This is a tough read because of its visceral depiction of OCD, but we love the friendship between Aza and Daisy. Meanwhile, the long in-development film does a great job of visually capturing the intrusive thought spirals, though Brenna is unimpressed with a new character who steals Daisy's best bits.
Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:
> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)
> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)
Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  
Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" 

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