"Hey Jude" is a quick and fast read that kept you turning the page to see what happens next in the story. I enjoyed this book for many reasons, but my most important reason was the relationship between Penny and Jude. As sisters, their relationship with each other is sometimes harsh yet lovable at the same time. I give this book 3 stars.

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for a chance to read & review an E-ARC of this novel!**

This was a quick, but very impactful read. It highlights some very challenging truths about mental health, family, & self-care. Please find my extended feedback below...along with some spoilers (beware).
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Things I Liked:
-the relationship between Penny & Jude...I have a younger sister & I totally understand doing anything for them <3
-that Penny didn't have to choose between loving her sister & loving herself...she realized that there is a balance & a limit to what she can control
-I like that the author didn't end the story with an "everything will be just fine now" vibe...it was left open...things were stable in that moment...with mental health it is important to be honest & raw...those emotions ebb & flow & I loved that the author chose to express that
-I liked that Penny realized that the boost in Jude's mood right before her latest suicide attempt was a red flag...many people don't realize that this is a red flag & assume that a person who is struggling is on an upswing when really that's one of the times they may need to most support
-the representation of mental health & LGBTQIA+ in YA literature...SO IMPORTANT!

Things That Didn't Sit Quite Right With Me:
-I wish that Penny & Jude's mother had been more insightful before the incident at the end of the novel...I understand that she is busy taking care of the family monetarily...but it speaks to the need for more mental health advocacy & understanding

Overall, I gave this novel 3 stars. It was a quick & easy read with hard hitting topics & themes. I think it would be a great read for those interested in reading novels with mental health, family, self-care, & sister based themes.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hey Jude is part of a collection of YA novels Orca publishes for readers who want the stakes and edge of teen stories who for whatever reason, struggle with reading at the level required for most other YA stories. My issues with Hey Jude obviously don't come from the quicker pace or easily consumable language because both were handled excellent here, I just have issues with certain plot points.

Hey Jude follows Penny as she starts 12th grade. Penny's become her depressed younger sister, Jude's main life line. I kept waiting for someone to tell Penny that she could love June without having to let her life revolve around her (someone else's mental illness should never be your cross to bear alone. It's responsible to reach out for more help, especially when dealing with someone as young as Penny and someone as deeply depressed and suicidal as Jude) but it just never came. <spoiler> we get our 'happy ending' when Jude is saved from a suicide attempt and implies that Penny is her reason for living which is a lot more unhealthy than happy </spoiler>

I was also genuinely confused with a character's gender? <spoiler> Penny's love interest Jack tells her he was kicked out of the house because he's trans, not wanting to lead her on if she's not interested in him as a result. Obviously my assumption was that Jack uses he/him because that's what he had been presenting as and if he moved to get away from his parents, chances are he was presenting as who he actually was. But then Penny says she's pan and that 'gender doesn't matter to her' so she's still interested in him so I was like "oh wait, Jack is actually coming out as not being a boy" because if he was female to male, the gender Penny always thought he was is his actual gender so her saying 'gender doesn't matter' doesn't make much sense. But then she continues calling him Jack and he/him for the rest of the book. I know someone is going to be like "obviously the author meant to say sex and it was just a slip up. Jack is a boy." but after reading the author's note, apparently Spider mainly writes stories with queer and trans themes so I doubt that slip up would happen? The book is done and I still don't know what gender Jack is. </spoiler>