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My Crunchy Life

Mia Kerick (Goodreads Author)

4.35 · Rating details · 34 ratings · 24 reviews

John Lennon fought for world peace, but sixteen-year-old hippie hopeful Kale Oswald's only made it as far as tie-dying his T-shirts with organic grape juice. Now he’s ready to cement his new hippie identity by joining a local human rights organization, but he doesn’t fit in as well as he’d hoped.

After landing herself in the hospital by washing down a Ziploc bag of pills wi ...more

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ebook, 180 pages

Published June 26th 2018 by Harmony Ink Press

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Apr 18, 2018 Viga Boland rated it it was amazing

Sometimes a book comes along that is so outstanding words fail a reviewer. My Crunchy Life by Mia Kerick is one of those books. A quick glance at the cover might lead you to think this is just a fun book for teens. But you’d be wrong. While My Crunchy Life is indeed aimed at young adults, and much of the time is delivered with humor, its focus is very serious and addresses a key contemporary, actually timeless social issue: gender identity.

At the center of this delightful and beautiful story ar Sometimes a book comes along that is so outstanding words fail a reviewer. My Crunchy Life by Mia Kerick is one of those books. A quick glance at the cover might lead you to think this is just a fun book for teens. But you’d be wrong. While My Crunchy Life is indeed aimed at young adults, and much of the time is delivered with humor, its focus is very serious and addresses a key contemporary, actually timeless social issue: gender identity.

At the center of this delightful and beautiful story are Kale and Julian. Mia Kerick alternates the narration between these two teens, good kids with loving parents but caught up in their own issues, though Julian at least has been able to be fully open with his mom: Julian has known since he was a child that he is a girl in a male body. He hates it, has confided fully in his mother, and with her endless support is transitioning to a woman.

Kale is all male but confused. Could he be gay? He feels attracted to Julian but doesn’t have a clue that Julian wants to be Julia. He avoids confronting his own issues by embracing different lifestyles: he tries to be a hippie, eat vegetarian only while his father serves up hot dogs and pulled pork, and has the hardest time being kind to his “brosin”, Hubie, his brother/cousin who lives with Kale and his dad after a troubled earlier life with his own mother. Kale is constantly doing mental gymnastics as he tries to sort through all his problems.

Another contemporary teen issue which both Julian and Hubie face is bullying from the unkind mouths of their schoolmates. Kerick does a superb job of capturing that nastiness, and the heartache it causes the victims in a language teens understand. Teens will find themselves reading My Crunchy Life and wondering if Kerick knows them personally: it’s that accurate. Perhaps Kerick’s ability to nail teen creed and teen thinking in so many areas comes from the fact that she is the mother of 4 children. Or maybe, it’s simply because this is an author who sees deeply into the hearts and minds of people and is gifted at delivering all the accompanying emotions on paper.

Through incredibly witty plays on words, humour, and lots of empathy, Mia Kerick has written a book that is not just for young adults, but for parents who truly care about what their children might be struggling with, but are hesitant to discuss with anyone. My Crunchy Life opens doors to allow communication to begin. Kerick has written several books addressing important teen issues, and won deserved awards for doing so. If these issues matter to you, this is an author you need to know about and whose books should be on your bucket list.

©Viga Boland
No Tears for My Father: A true story of incest
Don't Write Your MEmoir without ME! ...more

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Aug 20, 2018 Roberta Blablanski rated it it was amazing

Shelves: high-school, trans

***Copy provided by Embrace the Rainbow in exchange for an honest and impartial review.***

(Note: This review is going to refer to the trans character by both names (Julian/Julia) and both pronouns (he/her) as is done in the book.)

My Crunchy Life is told from the unique perspectives of two high school students: one transgender (Julian/Julia) and one wannabe hippie (Kale).

"But I know I'm a girl, even if my body tells the world a different story."

Julian/Julia has to be one of my favorite characters ...more

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Aug 20, 2018 Lelyana rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, arc, mm

Reading this book was a new experience for me. I rarely read this subgenre. It was fun and entertaining, I enjoyed the 'realness' in this story. As a parent, this is a shout out for parents out there to read this. This book will make you understand sthe struggle.
Recommended!

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Jul 08, 2018 Sarika Patkotwar rated it really liked it

This review was initially published on The Readdicts Book Blog. For more reviews, go here .

After reading It Could Happen and The Weekend Bucket List, I was really looking forward to reading author Mia Kerick's My Crunchy Life as I loved the author's previous works, and was looking forward to seeing what she had in store for readers this time. When I read the summary of My Crunchy Life, I knew it would be an interesting and pleasant read, and that's exactly how it turned out to be.

Julian and This review was initially published on The Readdicts Book Blog. For more reviews, go here .

After reading It Could Happen and The Weekend Bucket List, I was really looking forward to reading author Mia Kerick's My Crunchy Life as I loved the author's previous works, and was looking forward to seeing what she had in store for readers this time. When I read the summary of My Crunchy Life, I knew it would be an interesting and pleasant read, and that's exactly how it turned out to be.

Julian and Kale go to the same high school but never really meet until they bump into each other at a human rights organisation that helps create social awareness and lets people be. Julian is a biological male transitioning into female, while Kale is trying to figure out his chosen hippie lifestyle. When the two meet, some sparks fly all right, but there's so much they figure out about themselves and that was incredible to see.

The most relatable and prizewinning part of young adult novels is the stress on family which played an important role in My Crunchy Life. Julian's mother works day and night to make sure her child's journey into the world is as easy and safe as it could be, while Kale's dad welcomes his nephew Hughie into his house and home with open arms. Neither of family is perfect, and that's what makes it super real and understandable.

This is not a typical young adult high school drama novel, at least not completely. There is so much more to it than just friendship and romance. It's about the difficulties of life and how even the smallest incidents make someone lose all the confidence and faith that they have, but at the same time, it's about how even smallest positive and helpful voices help make it better. For a YA novel, it's very deep and raw yet fun and relaxing as its a short read sprinkled with humour.

As always, author Mia Kerick's writing is meticulous. Her focus on her characters and what they are going through is what I love most about her books. Sometimes, I really don't care what a school or room or coffee shop looks like, I just want to know what's going on in the minds of the characters I eventually fall in love with as I read about them. Mia Kerick does just that, and she does it so well.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of YA LGBT reads. It is totally worth it.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by YA Bound and Mia Kerick in exchange for an honest review. We thank them. ...more

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May 16, 2018 Ro rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This young adult book focuses on Kalin, who goes by Kale, a 16-year-old searching for himself in that angsty adolescent time known as high school. He’s facing a mother who was downsized from her job and has no pretty much abdicated from her adult responsibilities, a dad who is trying really hard, and a brosin, Hughie, (“…by my definition, a person who is midpoint between an irritating brother and an annoying cousin…”) who is sharing (invading) his room. Kale is now a hippie, with dreadlocks that This young adult book focuses on Kalin, who goes by Kale, a 16-year-old searching for himself in that angsty adolescent time known as high school. He’s facing a mother who was downsized from her job and has no pretty much abdicated from her adult responsibilities, a dad who is trying really hard, and a brosin, Hughie, (“…by my definition, a person who is midpoint between an irritating brother and an annoying cousin…”) who is sharing (invading) his room. Kale is now a hippie, with dreadlocks that fall into his eyes, organically hand tie-dyed t-shirts, a vegan diet and a need to do “hippie things”, meaning he needs to find a social cause to embrace. He does this by joining REHO, Rights for Every Human Organization. It is here that Kale meets Julian. Julian has big time problems at school, mostly in the form of a huge bully named Sydney. Julian is incredibly smart, wants to be the best at academics so he can get a scholarship to college and be a doctor, attempted suicide and is now seeing a therapist. Julian is transgender, a female trapped in his male body, and he’s bullied unmercifully for that. “I have no problem with the world addressing me as Julian. In fact, I insist upon it, even with those like Dr. E, who know that, inside, I’m actually a girl. I want to be called Julian until the day I begin to live as one.” Julian joins clubs to make sure his academic resume is complete and one of those is REHO.
The story is told in alternating first person point of view of Julian and Kale and I truly appreciated that. I liked getting into the problems that both these teenagers are struggling with and how they are trying to deal with it. It connected me with these characters so much more. When Kale goes on socialactivism.com to find a cause I rolled my eyes at him. But it got us to where we wanted to be, REHO.
In addition to the trials of Kale and Julian, there is also the family trouble facing Hughie. He’s a sweet boy who was living under a bridge until Kale’s dad took him in. Hughie’s mother, “Serenity”, is a stripper and a truly bad mother. When Serenity (real name Mary Pat) wants to see Hughie, I felt so bad for him. “It’s like he can’t bounce back from the idea of coming face-to-face with his own mother.” Because she isn’t a good mother and poor Hughie doesn’t have that sense of belonging to Kale’s home and family. He’s like a sort of permanent house guest. He is the one who gave Kale the nickname, Crunchy, because of all the granola he eats in a house of serious meat-eaters.
Hughie, Sydney and Julian are in all classes together and they are all vying for the top spot of valedictorian. That is one reason that Sydney is such a nightmare – she wants to stress them both away from being able to snag that spot.
The one thing that saved this story from being an “all women are horrible” type is the volunteer best friends of Julian, Anna and Kandy. Thank Pete for them, because they supported Julian and they were evidence that not all women are horrible. Yes, Kale mother is not great, Hughie’s mother is awful, Sydney the bully and her female posse are the worst. But Anna and Kandy, along with Julian’s mother, are gems. Mama is so amazing, her support is what every kid should have.
As Kale comes to realize he likes Julian, he is struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. Is he gay? Is he bi? He isn’t really sure, he just knows he is coming to like Julian. He sits by him at REHO, and is stunned to realize Julian goes to the same high school. It’s funny that even though both Julian and Hughie have much bigger stresses and issues to face, I still was sympathetic to Kale as he tries to navigate what he’s feeling. Anyone who says the teen years are the best is delusional in my book.
Julian is attending REHO as he is facing his body changing even more into something he abhors. He is also facing the aftermath of trying to kill himself. “I still have soul-sucking nightmares about the day I tried to die – dreams about the loneliness, the anxiety, and the hopelessness that brought me to the point that I thought it would be better to be gone.” It’s heart-wrenching to know that there are so many kids who feel that way. Julian is his true self- Julia – at night and then has to do the difficult task of “…putting the boy back on in the morning after being myself all night.” He has to “…numb his body and spirit” in order to be what society says he has to be. But not forever, Julian.
Julian doesn’t immediately hit it off with Kale. He believes Kale is cute, but a poser. When trouble comes for Hughie, and he takes off, Kale gets some insight into himself and he doesn’t like what he is seeing. “Like self-absorbed…or insensitive. Or both.” And really, he is. As he comes to realize that “I’m the Walt Disney World Hippie Theme Park of teenage boys in Crestdale” he begins to do what many adults fail to do. Look at himself and realize he needs to change. “And maybe I have no idea who I really am, other than a guy who professed to be pro-human rights but who looked the other way at the human being in desperate need who lives in my frigging bedroom with me.” He’s only 16 but he’s going to be an amazing adult.
Kale and Julian are slowly becoming friends when Kale is hit with a revelation at REHO that he didn’t see coming and he handles it badly, mainly because he sort of makes things all about him. But it seemed a true reaction from someone who is struggling with their own identity. Julian has his mama’s support again and I wanted to cheer for her. “You chose the only path you could follow. And now, by beautiful, smart, and courageous daughter, I hope you will follow it with pride”. Jules has the strength because of that support.
The moment when Kale has to decide whether to do what is right, what is best for him, and what is easy was a great moment, even as it was a painful one. The ending of this was so perfect, sweet and YA and lovely. This coming of age story isn’t incredibly angsty, despite some very serious themes, but it’s a story of growth and I thought it was just right.
The cover, by Aaron Anderson, is simple and completely captured the feel of Kale. The tie dye, the mushroom dreads, the sweet face – it all really leant the picture of who Kale was trying to be and I liked it.
...more

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May 18, 2018 Tynea Lewis rated it really liked it

Kale and Julian are high schoolers. Sixteen-year-old high schoolers. Trying-to-deal-with-life high schoolers. Finding-out-who-they-really-are high schoolers.

Julian has already decided that he's always wanted to be a girl, that growing chest hair was not on the list of to-dos. He's already tried to take his life once because of the stress of bullies, but now he's ready to go through the transition that will make the dream come true.

Kale, on the other hand, is a wishy washy mess. Is he a prep? Got ...more

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May 18, 2018 LitPick Book Reviews rated it it was amazing

Despite going to the same school, Kale Oswald and Julian Mendez have no idea the other exists.

Self-proclaimed hippie Kale Oswald hopes that by joining a human rights organization, he will finally feel like he belongs. Instead, he must face the confusion of his own sexuality. In between tie-dying his T-shirts with organic dye and dealing with his “annoying” cousin Hughie, Kale tries to understand his feelings for Julian.

Though Julian Mendez puts up a tough front, just like Kale, he wants to bel ...more

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Aug 14, 2018 Kathryn Manzella rated it it was amazing

Julian is a girl, even if her body is that of a boy. Puberty brought on a lot of issues, and she couldn't take it, deciding to end her life - but she was found in time. Now, she is manuvering her world, dealing with bullying, taking the meds needed to stop puberty and , with help from her momma and a few friends, waiting to transition into Julia.

Kalin, or as he has decided to be called Kale, is a crunchy hippie who meets Julian at a human rights activist club. But then, they seem to run into ea ...more

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Jul 02, 2018 Jennifer Ricketts (Donnie Darko Girl) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-tours, lgbtqia

My Crunchy Life is the third book I've read by Mia Kerick, and she's quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite authors. She does an amazing job with creating authentic characters you can root for.

The story centers around Kale and Julian and is told in first-person, alternating between the two. Kale is trying out different identities while figuring out who he is and what he should do. He's gone through a few phases -- preppy, goth, and now hippie. It took me a while to realize he desperately My Crunchy Life is the third book I've read by Mia Kerick, and she's quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite authors. She does an amazing job with creating authentic characters you can root for.

The story centers around Kale and Julian and is told in first-person, alternating between the two. Kale is trying out different identities while figuring out who he is and what he should do. He's gone through a few phases -- preppy, goth, and now hippie. It took me a while to realize he desperately wants to fit himself into one particular category, whatever that may be, and he was going to have to learn the hard way that isn't meant to be.

Julian, on the other hand, knows who he wants to be -- he was born a girl trapped in a boy's body. (I'll refer to the character as Julian and use the pronoun "he" because that's how he was referred to for the majority of the book.) He didn't feel comfortable telling his mother the way he felt, but after a suicide attempt, she finds out and is incredibly supportive of him.

I'm sure it didn't happen overnight, but the sacrifices she makes with working long hours to afford the counseling sessions and upcoming medical bills for Julian's transition to Julia made me love her so much. There were a few sweet scenes with Julian and his mother that brought me to tears because the unconditional love she has for her child is amazing. That's how a parent should be.

Kale is self-absorbed, which is easy to be when you aren't sure who you are or what you should be doing, so I can't totally fault him for that. At the same time, it's difficult not to blame him for being so crappy to his cousin, Hughie, who is living with him and his parents. Hughie's mom is irresponsible and doesn't keep him safe, and it takes Kale SO LONG to realize just how bad his cousin wants stability and love. I still rooted for Kale and liked him because he grew as a character over the course of the story.

Kale has a great dad, but a not-so-great mom. I tried not to judge her because she was obviously having a hard time adjusting after losing her job, but I wish Kale's dad had stepped in and told her she can't just give up on her responsibilities, especially being there for Kale and Hughie, who was in desperate need of a positive female role model since his mom wasn't taking care of him either.

Julian seemed more mature than most teens his age. I can't imagine how much courage it would take to transition from one gender to another, especially as a junior in high school where bullying is rampant. He's already bullied considerably before anyone knows he's transgender, yet he's still committed to transitioning. I rooted for him to become Julia all the way!

As a quick side note, I was happy to see counseling portrayed in a realistic manner. I can't tell you how many YA books present counselors as inept or a negative part of a character's life. In real life I know not every counselor is a good one, but unless it's a plot point, counseling shouldn't be shown as a bad thing.

My Crunchy Life explores the chaos of adolescence, the possibility that a person can be attracted to another person regardless of gender, bullying, parental issues, and transitioning from one gender to another. I know this was a long review, but I wanted to give as much love to this book as I got from it. The title and cover don't adequately convey what's inside this book -- you get much more than what meets the eye. Kerick does her research and does it well, which shines through her writing. I wasn't prepared for how much I'd end up loving Kale and Julian/Julia's stories.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

See more of my reviews at Donnie Darko Girl. ...more

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Jul 22, 2018 Andrea rated it it was amazing

I loved this book, and I want to make it required reading for just about everyone. I have never before read characters who seemed so real. I have known people in the LGBTQ community for over 20 years and can only imagine what goes on in their minds. We have had numerous conversations, but nothing provided as much insight as reading what these characters expressed. I laughed and cried right along with them.

I'm so glad we are in an age where people are talking about being transgender and have beco ...more

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Jun 25, 2018 Teresa rated it it was amazing

Title: My Crunchy Life
Author: Mia Kerick
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
ISBN: 9781640803923
Buy Link: https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
John Lennon fought for world peace, but sixteen-year-old hippie hopeful Kale Oswald’s only made it as far as tie-dying his T-shirts with organic grape juice. Now he’s ready to cement his new hippie identity by joining a local human rights organization, but he doesn’t fit in as well as he’d hoped.

After landing himself in the h Title: My Crunchy Life
Author: Mia Kerick
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
ISBN: 9781640803923
Buy Link: https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
John Lennon fought for world peace, but sixteen-year-old hippie hopeful Kale Oswald’s only made it as far as tie-dying his T-shirts with organic grape juice. Now he’s ready to cement his new hippie identity by joining a local human rights organization, but he doesn’t fit in as well as he’d hoped.

After landing himself in the hospital by washing down a Ziploc bag of pills with a bottle of Gatorade, Julian Mendez came clean to his mother: he is a girl stuck in a boy’s body. Puberty blockers have stopped the maturing of the body he feels has betrayed him. They’re also supposed to give him time to be sure he wants to make a more permanent decision, but he’s already Julia in his heart. What he’s not sure he’s ready to face is the post-transition name-calling and bathroom wars awaiting him at school.

When Kale and Julian come face-to-face at the human rights organization, attraction, teenage awkwardness, and reluctant empathy collide. They are forced to examine who they are and who they want to become. But until Kale can come to terms with his confusion about his own sexuality and Julian can be honest with Kale, they cannot move forward in friendship, or anything more.

Total Score: 5/5

Summary:
This was an incredible story that deals with bullying, young adult confusion, learning to stand up for yourself and the difficulty that many individuals transitioning go through. Kalehas tried to find out what he believes in and where he belongs. Presently he is living as he believes a hippie does having dreadlocks, living organic and eating vegan. While it seems to work for him he decides to join a human rights group where he starts to understand there are many problems to be challenged, including Julian a young man who intregues him. Julian has his own problems as he is dealing with being a trans girl living inside a boys body. Kale is surprised when he finds out that Julian goes to his school and knows his cousin Hughie. Kale’s life as quietly going along with the crowd is put to the test as he sees Julian putting up with bullying both physical and emotional. When Hughie goes missing it is Kale’s new friends from human rights group with Julian that come to his assistance. Kale’s fascination with Julian is tested when everything he believes changes in an instant.

This was a wonderful book about coming of age with many of the difficulties they deal with. Julia was a strong young lady whose determination to live her life on her own merits in spite of what others will think. Her mother’s love and support gave her the strength she needed. Kale had many issues to work through as he questioned everything he believed in. This is a must read for anyone who believes they will never fit in or find some place to belong. You are not alone. ...more

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Jun 26, 2018 Bobbie Stanley rated it it was amazing

Definitely read the blurb about this book before you decide it's one you want to jump into. Most likely, that's something you already do because that's what blurbs are there for, but in this case it warrants a reminder just because there are some difficult and sensitive subjects in this story. That said, I absolutely love this book! I devoured it in one sitting, captivated by the characters even when I didn't necessarily like them. In fact, if I'm honest, I spent a good portion of the book n Definitely read the blurb about this book before you decide it's one you want to jump into. Most likely, that's something you already do because that's what blurbs are there for, but in this case it warrants a reminder just because there are some difficult and sensitive subjects in this story. That said, I absolutely love this book! I devoured it in one sitting, captivated by the characters even when I didn't necessarily like them. In fact, if I'm honest, I spent a good portion of the book not liking Kale much at all. I think that's kind of the point, though. If all characters started off in a place where we loved them already, there wouldn't be a lot of room for growth and at sixteen, Kale's got a lot of room for growing.

One of my absolute favorite factors about young adult literature is that the characters are young, which means they're still sorting out who they are and what really matters to them. Because of this, they absolutely always do a lot of growing and changing throughout the story. Mia Kerick has definitely managed to capture the growth in all of the main characters in this book and I was so glad to move through this story with them. As usual when I like a book, I really didn't want it to end. I want to know so much more about what's in store for Kale and for Julia. Their future can't possibly be easy, but it's bound to be a good story! I also love that, while romance is a factor in this book, it isn't the primary focus of the entire story. For me, a straight up romance story isn't always worth it. There's nothing wrong with that sort of book, but I thrive on character growth so stories that place emphasis on growth alongside potential romance are definitely my favorite.

I've been reading a lot of LGBTQ+ fiction and romance these days, most of which is written by authors that are members of that population. If you scroll down a little to the author's bio (and then back up, hopefully!) you'll see that we don't really know if Mia is a part of this population or not, and that doesn't really matter. What does matter is that she's incredibly honest and very real about the challenges her characters face with regards to their identities and how these challenges impact their lives. It's way too easy to jump in to feel good stories and totally overlook what LGBTQ+ kids are going through and I so appreciate that she's giving readers an authentic look into what that life looks like. People, especially kids, teens, and young adults, need to see themselves reflected in pop culture and Mia Kerick is doing just that! I could not possibly be more appreciative and I look forward to spreading the word about this and all of her other work. ...more

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Apr 15, 2018 Rosie rated it it was amazing

Julian Mendez and Kale Oswald both attend Crestdale High School which has a strict No Bullying policy. Regardless, a teenage transgender who had survived a suicide attempt crosses paths with a student who feels born into the wrong body. Both are bullying victims of Sydney Harper – a student who has her eye on the prize of school valedictorian, and who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Sydney’s methods of obtaining the title are both sinister and cruel but help forge an unlikely friends ...more

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Jun 25, 2018 Mari Cardenas rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-stars, ya

4 Stars!

I don't read all that many YA books, it's just not my cup of tea, however, I enjoy Mia Kerick's writing. Was it my favorite of her books? No, but it was still a good read.

Julian tried to commit suicide and in result gets the attention he needs to make his mother listen that he's a girl trapped in the wrong body. Now, armed with puberty blockers and going to therapy to help him work through his issues while he decides if he should take the next step, he joins a human rights organization, ...more

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Jun 06, 2018 Emily (Infinite Lives, Infinite Stories) rated it liked it

Shelves: blog-reviews

I loved the contrast between Kale and Julian, not only in their personalities but also with their families. The familiar bond is the strongest part of this story. I really adored Julian’s mother. Julian’s mother supported Julian every step of the way. Though they are characters, I do strongly believe in a strong support system. Each character was unique in their own way and developed enough to what to continue reading.

Throughout the book, both Kale and Julian face obstacles and challenges that ...more

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Jun 30, 2018 Zane Kage rated it really liked it

Shelves: 3-75

3.75 stars

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Aug 20, 2018 Annie ~ Queer Books Unbound marked it as no-no-hell-no-never

The blurb itself is a big red flag already since it deadnames and misgenders the female MC but I'm especially not gonna read books that use slurs like "shemale" to describe a trans character.

Hard pass on this book.

And HARD PASS on this author.

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Aug 14, 2018 Laura ~Passion flower marked it as to-read

Shelves: transgender

My Crunchy Life was graciously provided to me by Embrace the Rainbow for an honest review. Review to follow.

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Jul 05, 2018 Amy Dufera rated it really liked it

I am glad to have discovered My Crunchy Life by Mia Kerick. It is a well written young adult story that hits on several tough topics.

In the beginning, Kale is in the middle of a tough time, trying to discover his true self, exploring a
hippie, aka “crunchy” personality. He has dreadlocks, is only doing green things and has a desire to find a good cause, in alignment with the hippie way.

On the outside, Julien is a brilliant teen boy, who doesn’t fit in at school and is frequently the target of b I am glad to have discovered My Crunchy Life by Mia Kerick. It is a well written young adult story that hits on several tough topics.

In the beginning, Kale is in the middle of a tough time, trying to discover his true self, exploring a
hippie, aka “crunchy” personality. He has dreadlocks, is only doing green things and has a desire to find a good cause, in alignment with the hippie way.

On the outside, Julien is a brilliant teen boy, who doesn’t fit in at school and is frequently the target of bullies. After attempting suicide last year, he’s seeing a therapist and has girls assigned to be his friends at school. On the inside, Julien is a teen girl, trapped in his male body.

Mia Kerick uses alternating first person points of view to do a fantastic job of telling this story of two teens who are in complicated family situations. By doing so, the reader is able to fully connect with these adolescents.

Julian’s gender-dysphoria and his stages of transition are one of the main story lines. He’d love to postpone transitioning, but he knows he cannot live as a male anymore and he feels guilty that the cost of transitioning results in his mother working so much.

Mia Kerick uses alternating first person points of view to do a fantastic job of telling this story of two teens who are in complicated family situations. By doing so, the reader is able to fully connect with these adolescents.

My Crunchy Life also tackles a couple of issues through Kale’s strange home life. Kale’s mother has completely disconnected from her family after being laid off from her job. Kale’s cousin, Hughie, with whom Kale has been forced to share his room, was found living under a bridge. Kale doesn’t want him sharing his room, constantly reinforcing this, never giving any thought as to how this affects his cousin.

As Kale’s character deals with questioning if he’s gay, and later finding out that Julian is now Julia, I found myself sympathetic toward him. In the end, we watch as Kale come to terms with himself and discovers who he is and what type of person he wants to be.

I’m impressed with this coming of age, transgender story. My Crunchy Life is full of those questioning teen issues, some painful family issues, and learning what acceptance truly means. Although it deals with an array of tough issues, it is more about personal growth and acceptance and is actually low angst and sweet, with the perfect young adult feel. Fabulous for questioning teens. ...more

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Jun 12, 2018 Wendy F rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018

I’m really glad Mia Kerick contacted me and asked if I’d like to review My Crunchy Life. I’m not quite sure why I didn’t request it when Harmony Ink’s review request email went around. The synopsis sounded really good, particularly the idea that Kale is attracted to Julian immediately, causing him to question his sexuality, not knowing Julian is actually a trans girl. He was thrown for a loop again after finding out, and all this made his journey to figuring out who he is more confusing.

I can’t I’m really glad Mia Kerick contacted me and asked if I’d like to review My Crunchy Life. I’m not quite sure why I didn’t request it when Harmony Ink’s review request email went around. The synopsis sounded really good, particularly the idea that Kale is attracted to Julian immediately, causing him to question his sexuality, not knowing Julian is actually a trans girl. He was thrown for a loop again after finding out, and all this made his journey to figuring out who he is more confusing.

I can’t speak to the accuracy of how Julian or Kale were written. I don’t generally analyze a book like that anyway. Two people going through similar situations often see them in two different ways. I can speak to how the story made me feel, which was thoughtful. I wasn’t drawn to one character over the other, which was good. I found strengths in both Julian and Kale, and I also found weakness. It made both characters feel more realistic and easier to understand. I also loved how, even though nobody could argue with what Julian was going through, she was also understanding and compassionate toward Kale when she really didn’t have to be. It made me like her even more.

I did struggle with the side characters. You had this core story about Julian and her transition, and how her and Kale were being drawn to each other despite their confusion and anxiety over who they are. It was enough to fill every page of My Crunchy Life and then some. Yet, Mia Kerick chose to leave out parental interactions. We got a few scenes with Kale’s father, and a few with Julian’s mom, but for the most part the parents were all absent. The author chose to make them absent, and gave multiple reasons for why, and yet somehow it felt like it was written this way in order to minimize character usage. Maybe it’s only because parental relationships are one of my favorites, and My Crunchy Life was a prime story to really elaborate on the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ parents, but I definitely missed it.

The page time that could have gone into establishing relationship types with their parents ended up going to Kale’s cousin Hughie. Hughie’s history had the makings of a really awesome story but this was the wrong time for it. My Crunchy Life would have been better had it stayed focused on Kale and Julian, and then maybe developing Hughie’s story for a sequel.

That’s just this girl’s opinion though. Despite my criticism’s, I enjoyed My Crunchy Life, and I feel like there was a lot of good inside these pages.

Thank you to the author for providing a free copy, in exchange for an honest review.

For this review, and others like it, visit Birdie Bookworm. ...more

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Dec 10, 2018 Literary Classics Book Awards & Reviews rated it it was amazing

First, he changed his name to Kale, then he started working on dreadlocks, and now he’s decided it’s time to find a cause. It’s all a part of Kalin’s plan to implement his new Hippie lifestyle. Everyone knows you can’t be a hippie if you don’t have a cause. So Kale joins REHO (Rights for Every Human Organization), an all-encompassing group intent upon paving the way for all causes related to the human species. Unfortunately, Kale really can’t admit to the group that his only reason for attending ...more

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Aug 23, 2018 Kaila rated it really liked it

this was a really good story.. for me personally at times i did get confused.. it wasn't anything the author did.. i just have a hard time with different things... the storyline was amazing.. the characters were interesting and kept me wondering. i really liked this story and cant wait to read more by this author.

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Aug 21, 2018 Alex rated it did not like it

Shelves: omg-nooooooo

Saw what is used in this book and thanks but no thanks.

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Jun 20, 2018

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Aug 23, 2018

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About Mia Kerick

Mia Kerick

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Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—one in law school, another at a dance conservatory, a third studying at Mia’s alma mater, Boston College, and her lone son still in high school. She has published more than twenty books of LGBTQ romance when not editing National Honor Society essays, offering opinions on college and law school applications, helping to create dance bios, and rev ...more