Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Millie is going to a school for the first time. She hopes to escape some of the militant expectations placed on her by her parents, but somehow their reach includes the school. When she meets another J-Pop fan her life changes in some ways for the better and in some ways not so good. She finds herself lying to her parents for the first time, getting in trouble and not being the obedient daughter her parents demand of her.

Millie has tough choices ahead and she wonders if fitting in means not fitting in at home.

11-year-old Millie has been homeschooled her whole life and is excited to attend a real school for the first time. But adjusting to her new school isn't going to plan: she can't seem to make friends, the school rules & routine don't make any sense to Millie, her parents' pressure is mounting, and her grades are slipping. ⁣
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Things finally start looking up when Millie finds some new friends who love J-Pop just as much as she does; together, they decide to start an imitation band of her favorite J-Pop group. But as they practice their song & dance routine for the upcoming school showcase, Millie slowly realizes that one of her new friends is struggling with something big. Will Millie be able to keep the band together, manage her parents' expectations, and help her friend?⁣
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Generation Misfits is a heartwarming middle grade story about friendship, found family, and belonging. I love that it's about connecting with others through music but it doesn't shy away from big issues like abuse and bullying.⁣
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Millie is such a relatable character who just wants to find the place where she belongs. Her story touches on familial pressures, the desire to have the space to figure out who you are, and the utter joy that comes from finding people who love what you love.⁣
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In terms of rep, Millie is Japanese-American and there are numerous supporting BIPOC characters, an adopted character, as well as a nonbinary character. ⁣
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Akemi did NOT disappoint with this one, and I can't wait for more MG from her! Check out Generation Misfits if you love middle grade, music (especially J-Pop), and books about friendship & found family.

On this episode of Everything is Canon, Steve is talking to Akemi Dawn Bowman all about her excellent debut middle grade book, Generation Misfits, which is described as “A heartwarming, fish-out-of-water own voices story about an eleven-year-old Japanese-American girl who finds her true friends—through the power of J-Pop!”

This true-to-life story is about the power of found family, friendship, and music and how you never quite forget those friends you had in high school. But more than just good times, Generation Misfits deals with all sorts of important issues that these friends will realize that somethings are better faced together than alone. Whether your homeschooled like Millie, popular like Luna, passionate like Zuki, courageous like Ashley, or shy like Rainbow, this book has just about something for everyone.

We talk about the launch of Infinity Courts, some sensitive publishing hot topics, Generation Misfits of course, and much, much more.

For the full author interview, click the link below...

https://www.cinelinx.com/off-beat/shows/everything-is-canon-generation-misfits/

I did not expect to cry, but the tears welled up more than once. Sometimes because my heart hurt and sometimes they were happy tears. The cover made me think this was going to be an exciting and upbeat book--and it was. But it was definitely more than just a light friendship story. Everyone has struggles they are working through.The main character has been homeschooled and now is beginning sixth grade at school. I was concerned that the book was going to make homeschooling seem like a horrible thing since Millie had a very negative opinion of it in the beginning. That is balanced out a little later in the book though. So often young people feel like they may never find people they can really connect with and this book will be easy to relate to for those readers. This would be especially true for those who have unique music tastes. It really was fun to see the friends in all of their excitement and effusiveness about their J-Pop band and the gloriousness of finding other who share their enthusiasm. One character is nonbinary and uses them/they pronouns. That isn't explained initially so it really isn't something that stands out as an issue for anyone. Later in the story there is a conversation that goes into it a bit when a friend is seeking to understand, but it isn't a conflict it's just part of the character.Each person is distinct and they are all discovering things about themselves as they learn more about each other. They hurt each other along the way, but they also strengthen each other. Through it all they are learning to be true to themselves.

Recommendation: This will be a great middle grade book to hand to those who enjoy contemporary fiction or music or friendship stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. This one kind of hurts my heart. I adore two of Akemi Dawn Bowman's YA novels, Starfish and Harley in the Sky. She really has a way of sharing complex characters and their circumstances. So, I was excited to see her releasing a middle grade novel. However, I was disappointed. If this weren't an ARC, I would have DNF'ed at around 40%. There are lots of good bits and pieces in the story. I like the J-pop club aspect. I liked the way the group of girls bonded and began supporting each other when possible. But when you put all of the pieces together, it's just not cohesive. There were several things that just made no sense to me.

I didn't really understand why Millie had been so isolated before starting the school year. Her parents seemed bright, functional, and caring. It just baffles me that they didn't recognize the social needs of their daughter. I didn't understand why the counselor didn't seem to report Zuki's parents. In public school, teachers are obligated to report abuse and neglect. Maybe that doesn't apply at private schools? It just didn't sit well with me. I also had issues with the band aspect for Millie. She seemed to fall apart under performance pressure. So, how did she end up in the highest band at second chair to start the school year? I don't know. This just didn't work for me. I hope Akemi Dawn Bowman writes more YA in the future.

This middle grade novel about finding your passions was a delight to read! Millie's journey from homeschooling to Brightside Academy highlights a lot of things middle schoolers face. I know that a lot of the middle schoolers I work with love K-Pop and J-Pop, so I know that they will find a common ground to get into this story.

I thought that the book moved forward really well and handled some tough situations very delicately and in a middle school appropriate way. The themes of friendship and chosen family really stood out to me at multiple points throughout.

I will definitely be getting a copy of this for our school library and recommending it to kids!

7.9/10

Of course, it's no surprise that I liked Generation Misfits. I love Akemi Dawn Bowman's books and her writing style. I love how she can just make everything so...relatable. I don't totally know what it's like to have a ton of pressure on you from your parents, but I do understand the feeling of wanting to belong. Millie is a little shy, and it's hard for her to speak up because she feels like no one is listening. It was really frustrating that most of the adults just assumed that she wasn't working hard, but this does happen to some kids. I actually started cheering though when Millie finally stood up to her parents!

I also thought it was awesome to include a discussion about gender identity. All of the characters were different, and that's good because it shows how different people handle situations. Some people wear their heart on their sleeve while others may wear armor so they won't get hurt. I also loved that this story revolved around music. I love music, but I could also relate to Millie and those moments in life where music did feel more like a burden than a gift.

I'm sad that Zuki had to move, but it was for the best. It also added another layer of reality to the story. I've had friends move far away. Goodbyes are always hard, but also life keeps moving on no matter what.

4 stars

_Generation Misfits_ is a stellar middle grade debut from an author who has absolutely proven themselves in the YA realm for years. I truly enjoyed this one and hope it's the first of many for this audience; the "#1" suggests that this - at least - will be the start of a great series!

Millie is the eleven-year-old m.c., and readers meet her when she is making a huge change: exiting a lifelong journey in home school for her entry into a prestigious local academy. As a career educator, I love how Bowman reflects Millie's challenges with the school ecosystem. Everything that the other kids know - where to look for upcoming assignments, when to turn in assignments, how to format assignments - is completely foreign and mysterious to Millie. It's easy to build sympathy (or empathy) for Millie's plight: not just the unfamiliarity with the new norms but also the fears around asking for help. Another related challenge Millie faces is her meager success with making friends. Her desire to change this is what connects her to her own personal friendship pipeline: J Club!

Admittedly, I came into this work uncertain about the J-Club/J-Pop focus, but I am a convert. Bowman uses the band members - their relationships, struggles, and growth - as an ideal foil for Millie and her friends. This backdrop also allows Bowman to integrate some pretty tough subjects - isolation, bullying, identity, and child abuse and neglect - in an audience appropriate manner. Further, the characters are a diverse bunch: distinct family structures and relationships, varying levels of abuse, and unique identities. One character, Ashley, is nonbinary, and I particularly appreciate the way their pronouns, representation, broader gender identity, and burgeoning sexuality are handled throughout the novel.

For a middle grade novel, this runs on the heftier side, but Bowman packs in so much great content. I am already looking forward to reading about the Misfits' future exploits! Recommended.

Millie has finally convinced her parents to let her attend Brightside Academy, and she can't wait to make some friends. However, school is harder than this formerly-homeschooled 6th grader is prepared for, and between her parents' high expectations, her difficulty adjusting, and some serious drama in her social circles, Millie struggles to stay on top of things. When she meets Zuki and discovers their love of J-pop, things finally start to look up, but this might be just the beginning of Millie's troubles.
There were so many things I loved about this book. I have to start with my one complaint though: when I was young and my mom was homeschooling me, the number one question she got was "but how do your kids socialize?" This is an extremely frustrating trope that deserves to die, yet I find it perpetuated in books like this. Frankly, it makes me mad. Homeschoolers are not recluses that don't know how to make friends, and it's just not hard to figure out how school assignments and tests work. One of the things I love about Akemi Dawn Bowman is how careful she typically is about twisting stereotypes and including diverse experiences in her books. This book is, in fact, full of a vibrant rainbow of characters of different ethnicities, backgrounds, social status, gender identities, and home lives. It it too much to ask for a little less stereotyping about homeschoolers?
Other than that one complaint, though, this is a phenomenal read that I highly recommend for middle schoolers and anyone who enjoys middle grade realistic fiction. The characters are enchanting and the plot gripping. Thematically, it is full of family, friendship, mistakes and forgiveness, and it made me feel so good as I was reading. I'm sad that there isn't a band called Generation Love, as that would make the perfect soundtrack to this book.
Thanks to Macmillan and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

I really thought this book was really sweet and well written. Akemi Dawn Bowman just always writes in a way that everything is just so relatable. I loved all the characters. They were all special in their own way. I really think this book is a great message for middle grade readers. It teaches them it's okay to be different. I really enjoyed it and was really excited to get the approval on Netgalley to read this one! Akemi Dawn Bowman has become an auto buy author for me!

Perfect for readers who are looking for titles about friendship and fitting in, Generation Misfits features Millie as she adjusts to the big change of transitioning from homeschooling to a performing arts middle school. Readers will relate to Millie as she struggles to make friends and understand the policies and procedures of school that everyone else just seems to get. Fans of k-pop and j-pop will be further drawn in to the story as this aspect gives the book a uniqueness that only Akemi Dawn Bowman could tell. Highly recommend.

"Generation Misfits" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Release Date: 6.29.2021

Millie is an 11-year old homeschooled Japanese-American girl. She feels shy and introverted. She begins attending a performing arts school, and she does not feel like she fits in, until she joins her school's J-POP club! She finds people who also love the band, Generation Love, who eventually become her friends. Together, they create a routine for their school's talent show. But, Millie realizes that one of her new friends is dealing with an issue that is much more important than the talent show.

I rooted for Millie! I wanted her to have a great experience in middle school, and I was so hype when she found her new group of friends! Millie finally felt comfortable being herself. What a great story of girl power, friendship, and pursuing dreams.


Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for the opportunity to read in exchange for my personal opinion.

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