Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

At the behest of listeners Andrew and Max, Brenna and Joe  discuss the Groundhog's Day-inspired story about two teens stuck in a temporal anomaly. Th...

Placelessness in YA

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is important about "setting" a narrative in a specific location and why does it seem somehow less important to white writers? We dig into how pla...

To All The Boys: Always and Forever

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's time to close the rom-com fairy tale book on Lara Jean and Peter! Up for discussion: Joe's struggle to connect with Covey, the appropriate size ...

Brown Girl Dreaming (Book Club #2)

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With a sprawling inter-generational tale of displacement, poverty and racism, Jacqueline Woodson has written an evocative, lyrical novel about her tim...

Words on Bathroom Walls

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're unintentionally tackling another text with accusations of ableism this week. After a brief lament about the lack of reviews from disabled reader...

The Ultimate Playlist of Noise

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about ableism, shall we? In the new YA film dealing with a teenager on the verge of losing his hearing, there are a few tone-deaf moments t...

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Special thanks to listener Emma for recommending A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, which proved to be a great companion to last week's The House on Mango Stre...

The House on Mango Street (Book Club #1)

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Considered a classic of Latinx literature, Cisneros' book is a series of vignettes set on a street in Chicago. Brenna selected this book to complement...

Twilight

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who's ready for an abusive relationship? What about "storytelling" as opposed to good writing? Do you like your FX dodgy and your vampires sparkly? T...

Bummer Bonus: Michelle Latimer Controversy

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We felt a responsibility to address the breaking news from the holidays surrounding Trickster and Inconvenient Indian director Michelle Latimer. We al...

Saved By The Bell (2020)

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Saved By The Bell mega-fan Brenna introduces Joe to the wonders of Pacific Palisades as we tackle the very self-aware new version, who is surprisingly...

The Outsiders

29 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We're staying gold through the end of 2020 with arguably one of the most significant YA texts in history! This is ultimate "YA for boys" (although it ...

2020 Look Back / 2021 Look Forward

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the final minisode of 2020, we each selected a news item to capture a trend in YA for the year.Brenna looks at an evidence-based study out of the U...

Funny Boy

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

 This week on the pod, we're getting literary with a deep dive into Selvadurai's acclaimed queer coming of age novel (or is it a collection of short ...

Julie and the Phantoms

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We're on the edge of great courtesy ofJulie and the Phantoms, the candy coloured confection of a Netflix trifle that isn't good per se, but is incredi...

Dash & Lily

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's the most wonderful time of the year...for a scavenger hunt across NY city! Brenna and Joe are feeling nostalgia for Big Apple circa Dec 2019 (wh...

YA Syllabus (2nd Anniversary Episode)

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Happy 2 years listeners! We're celebrating this milestone with 10 essential texts (ok 11, but who's counting?) that we've covered on the show. Care to...

Spontaneous

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The time has come to cover the fall season's buzziest YA adaptation, in which high school seniors are mysteriously popping! And the verdict is: both t...

Nov / Dec 2020 YA Forecast

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Brenna:Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins (Nov. 10)A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey (Nov 10)The Love Curse of Melody...

The Princess Diaries

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As we head into the last two months of the year, we're in need of some guaranteed enjoyment. Enter The Princess Diaries, wherein 15 year old Mia finds...

Body And Bones

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 perfor...

The Body / Stand By Me feat. Michael Roffman

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

YA In Focus: Kevin Williamson / Judy Blume

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 Williams...

Son of A Trickster

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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, slo...

Interview with Meredith Russo

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 bi...

All The Bright Places

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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!...

Degrassi

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ac...

Holes feat. Jenny Nulf

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Sept & Oct 2020 Forecast

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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.B...

A Wrinkle In Time

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 w...

Bring It On / Work It

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Diary of a Teenage Girl

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

No Good Nick feat. Lucia Lorenzi

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Sun Is Also A Star

28 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Perhaps the second time is the charm? After a *not great* experience  with Yoon's first book Everything, Everything (see previous episode), Brenna an...

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

21 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In addition to checking out the New YA film, which apparently has no idea how universities work, Brenna forgets our most covered actress Theresa Palme...

The Baby-Sitters Club

14 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

July & August 2020 Forecast

07 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets feat. Hannah McGregor

30 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 w...

Minisode: Love, Victor feat. Terry Mesnard

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Brenna and Joe - with special returning guest star Terry Mesnard (of Gayly Dreadful) - check out the first season of Disney+...er...Hulu's Love, Victo...

Artemis Fowl

16 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Minisode: Never Have I Ever

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

At the behest of critics (and a few listeners), we dive into Never Have I Ever, which has a great lead performance by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as a grief...

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

03 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We're so ready to discuss the most flattering pair of shared jeans you've ever owned! After a few weeks in the arena, a gentle realist YA is just what...

Minisode: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

26 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For a second week in row, Brenna and Joe dive into The Hunger Games, but this time we're venturing back to its 10th iteration, when Coriolanus Snow wa...

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

19 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Prepare your fire retardant costumes and choose your allies carefully because we are headed back into the dystopian wilds of The Hunger Games. For our...

Sierra Burgess Is A Loser & The Half Of It

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While Joe refuses to read a Victorian-era play, he's more than happy to watch film adaptations of them! This week we're checking out a plethora of YA ...

Trinkets

05 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

No one is more surprised than us to discover that the escapism we need and want could be found in the tale of three teenage girls from different backg...

May & June 2020 Forecast

28 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for another YA Forecast as we run down our top picks for May & June 2020. First up we discuss homework: Brenna lauds Tiffany D Jackson's fal...

Percy Jackson & The Olympians

21 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Grab your magical item and prepare for a road trip across America because Brenna and Joe are embarking on a quest fit for a (Demi) God as we dive into...

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (And More Sex!)

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Now we're talking! After a provocative minisode, listeners reached out to share their thoughts and stories on Sex in YA.  Clearly it's a topic that ...

The DUFF

07 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

DUFFs unite!Brenna and Joe are diving back into YA written by teenagers and it's another rocky property as we struggle with Kody Keplinger's 2011 book...

Sex In YA

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Under threat of duress, Joe manages to wrangle Brenna into recording a minisode and, given the current state of the world, what better subject to tack...

I Am Not Okay With This feat. Terry Mesnard

24 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Netflix Algorithms and The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia

17 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 abo...

Me And Earl And The Dying Girl

10 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

More Sex Education S2 / March & April 2020 Forecast

03 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You feat. Jen Crocker

25 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 se...

Sex Education Season 2

18 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 seaso...

Z For Zachariah

11 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

Feb 2020 Forecast

04 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Looking For Alibrandi

28 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 h...

Definition of YA Lit

21 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Anne of Green Gables

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The wait is over! We're back for 2020 with a brand new full length episode that delves deep into Brenna's childhood love: Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne ...

Jan 2020 Forecast

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jan 2020 is now firmly underway, so it's time to update those library hold lists! Brenna and Joe have poured over the month and selected their top 3 p...

Bingeworthy

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In our second minisode wrapping up 2019, we're going all in on binge mode!It's the holidays, so hopefully you have a little more free time on your han...

2019 Wrap Up

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brenna and Joe are wrapping 2019 with a double dose of minisodes! First up: a look back on the year that was, including books that Brenna finally cau...

Let It Snow

24 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For the final regular...er...full length episode of the year, Brenna and Joe embrace the festivities of the season with a trip to Starbucks and a dip ...

Little Women

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On the eve of a brand new interpretation by Greta Gerwig, Brenna and Joe travel back 151 years to discuss Louisa May Alcott's defining American text L...

It's Kind Of A Funny Story

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brenna and Joe are feeling a little "Under Pressure" so we're taking a mental health break with Ned Vizzini's 2006 novel It's Kind of a Funny Story an...

Tschick (Why We Took The Car / Goodbye Berlin)

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time in ages, Brenna and Joe venture outside of North America and the UK to tackle a foreign text: German author Wolfgang Herrndorf's be...

The Golden Compass / His Dark Materials feat. Heather Cyr

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brenna and Joe are joined by Heather Cyr to discuss the first book in Philip Pullman's  His Dark Materials trilogy: Northern Lights or, to North Amer...

Watership Down

19 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

One year ago, Brenna and Joe embarked on a grand podcasting adventure. This episode marks our birthday/anniversary and we can't think of a better way ...

Speak feat. Lucia Lorenzi

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The time has come for Brenna and Joe to discuss Laurie Halse Anderson's revelatory 1999 YA bestseller, Speak, its 2004 made-for-television film adapta...

Howl's Moving Castle

05 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Lock up your hat store and prepare to meet the wizard because Brenna and Joe are jumping aboard British author Diana Wynne Jones 1986 fantasy novel Ho...

Looking For Alaska

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Is the third time the charm? After The Fault in our Stars and Paper Towns, Brenna and Joe are checking back into Manic Pixie Dream Girl territory with...

Excerpt F. Interview with Kai Cheng Thom

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 writer, perfo...

Something Wicked This Way Comes

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With Halloween fast approaching, Joe forces Brenna to indulge in a creepy (not scary) pick for the pod: noted speculative science-fiction author Ray B...

Nancy Drew

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Riverdale is SO last week! This week, Brenna and Joe are solving mysteries - with convenient expertise - in River Heights, as we both tackle our first...

Archie / Riverdale

08 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Building on the discussion that began in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and continued in Josie and the Pussycats, Brenna and Joe travel to a place...

Emma / Clueless feat. Brennan Klein

01 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For only the second time, Brenna and Joe venture far into the past for a classic lit / contemporary adaptation comparison. Thankfully we have Jane Aus...

The Hunger Games feat. Alex Heeney

24 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brenna, Joe and special guest Alex Heeney are ready to volunteer as tribute as we dive into the 74th annual Hunger Games, courtesy of Suzanne Collins ...

Ghost World feat. CC Stapleton

17 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Prep your cynical disdain and your green tint (or is it blue?) because Brenna and Joe - plus special guest CC Stapleton - are headed back into comic t...

The Maze Runner

10 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brenna and Joe have patched up their differences and just in time, because they find themselves locked up with the Gladers, a bunch of annoying, medio...

Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone feat. Hannah McGregor

03 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brenna and guest star Hannah McGregor arrive at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but Joe is nowhere to be found! The result is more drama t...

Excerpt E. Interview with Tim Wynne-Jones

03 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 Governor Gene...

After

27 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brenna and Joe head off to College for a sexy educa-Nope! Can't do it! There are no jokes to be had regarding the painfully unsexy and potentially dam...

Every Day

20 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brenna and Joe aren't feeling quite themselves - in fact they may be experiencing an out of body event as a result of reading David Levithan's 2012 bo...

The Giver

13 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Josie And The Pussycats

06 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 so...

HKHS / Horror Queers Crossover Alert!

26 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Mysterious Skin

25 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

I Love You, Beth Cooper

18 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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) ...

Everything, Everything

11 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 Every...

Appendix E. Homework Report

04 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Appendix D. 2019 YA Forecast Part 2

04 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the halfway point of the year! As promised, Brenna and Joe have selected some forthcoming new young adult literature and adaptation selecti...

Gossip Girl

28 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 Virgin Suicides

21 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 Suici...

Paper Towns

14 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Stand-In / The Perfect Date

07 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 Stev...

Orange Marmalade feat. Paul Le

30 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Excerpt D. Interview with Tanaz Bhathena

30 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 Bhathen...