Thank you to #NetGalley. for the E-ARC of #AlmaPressesPlay in exchange for an honest review.

Alma Presses Play is a well written novel in verse, marketed as a YA novel. Based on the language used I would say that it is more upper middle school, younger YA age range. Alma is a 13 year old that has her favorite tunes on hand to help her through many of lives challenges. Being half Chinese and half Jewish leaves Alma searching for the whole. A wide range of topics are covered, Cultural differences, inclusion, first loves, and so much more. Alma's feelings and observations often had depth and moved me at times. If you are looking for that read that ties life to music give this a try.

Alma Presses Play was my first novel told in verse, and what a great first story to go with! Alma is such a strong narrator who, despite going through a lot at this point in her life, maintains strong opinions and never wavers on them. I loved the use of letters, dialogue, and song lyrics that were used to tell this story, it made it all the more unique and fun to read. This is easily one of my favorite coming of age stories and in my top ten books for 2021!

Loved this book in verse by Tina Cane!

This coming of age story features Alma, a Chinese and Jewish teenager growing up in New York during the 80s. I really enjoyed this story, and the poems helped paint an emotional journey of self exploration.

Alma's quest to define herself and the different cultural parts of herself was inspiring and moving, and I was pulled into the story. Some of the musical poems felt a bit flat to me, but I've never had a huge connection to music.

This was a quick and engaging read, and I would definitely recommend it.

Gorgeous cover with a story in verse that packs a punch. Alma's lens of the world may be through young eyes but her observations and feelings for her situation and the things around her were deep and moving. I really think these lines will connect with so many. I loved this one!

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

I received a copy of this story as an e-ARC from NetGalley. Any and all thoughts are my own.

This story follows Alma, a girl who is half-Chinese and half-Jewish who lives in NYC in the 80s, and told in prose as it follows her life, both the ups and downs, of a typical family life.

I liked this novel. I haven't read prose in a while and this felt like a nice take on it, however I can't really speak on the accuracy of the Chinese or Jewish representation as I am neither of those things. I liked Alma's character a good bunch, because of her passions for reading and writing and also listening to music. She uses it pretty often to compare moments in her life to ones she hears about or reads about, and elevates the meaning of the story even though she is just 13 in the story.

A lot of the other characters were pretty diverse, which was nice as it shows the complex roots of New York City, but I wasn't really a fan of Miguel. He ends up being a total asshole for something I won't get into because of spoilers but I love that it's shown as a chance for growth and development with Alma, and that you don't need to get into a relationship right away.

Alma also faces a lot of real life struggles, like the arguing of parents and trying to find her own place in the world, that felt realistic and impactful enough, but not enough to really move me.

Alma Presses Play is a great novel on finding one's self, family, and self-identity that is a great quick read.

I knew I was going to like this book as soon as I saw that beautiful cover. Yuta Onoda did a phenomenal job of putting us into Alma's world before we even open the book. Alma is a half-Chinese, half-Jewish thirteen-year-old navigating life in New York City in the early 80s. At the end of 8th grade and the summer that follows, Alma is dealing with the impending demise of her parents' marriage, hanging with her friends, and figuring out what may be some romantic feelings for her friend Miguel. She also gets her period, deals with the loss of a friend who moves away, and has meaningful conversations with her school guidance counselor. And she always, always has her favorite music close by.

As someone who was about Alma's age at the time this book takes place, I loved the nostalgia brought on by Alma's playlists, her favorite candy (some of which I had completely forgotten about!), and the pop culture references of the day. It reminded me of simpler times, when the limits of your world were your neighborhood, and time with your friends was the priority of your day.

I have to admit that I've never been a big fan of poetry, so the idea of a novel written in verse was a tad intimidating, but Cane made the words flow so effortlessly that I almost forgot about their format. I actually enjoyed the way the words and phrases were spaced on the page, and the blank spaces between the chunks of text felt like breaths that Alma would take were she speaking these words aloud.

I would recommend this book for later middle-grade readers and younger YA readers. Alma is only thirteen but she really is an old soul, wise beyond her years in some moments. And, as always, I encourage those of us who aren't such young adults to check this out as well.

I've enjoyed what I was able to read of this book. Unfortunately, there was no warning that this book could only be read on the app. I would not have requested it if that was the case because I can't read on a blue light screen. This is a great premise, and I really enjoyed the verse style, which is super unique.

This is a book that I think I will reread on audio, because I think that I'll be able to digest it more fully. The poetry didn't flow as well in my head as I was reading it as I think I would hearing it. This is something that is meant to be listened to, much like slam poetry you hear live is. I think this book was really cute, but I felt like it was really disjointed and I couldn't follow the string throughout the book. But I love the MC. she's a precious bean who needs to be protected.

Watch my full review in my August wrap up on https://youtube.com/c/fourpawsandabook

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I was initially surprised by how long it took me to read this book. Not because I wasn't interested, but because it hit really hard in the nostalgia corner of my brain.

The character Alma feels caught in the middle in so many aspects of her life, which is easy to relate to. Especially the lyrical way her story is told.

Some of the stomach pitting moments came out of left field, but that just added to the realism for me. Life does that: it drop kicks you and sometimes there's nothing you can do about it. With smartphones and the internet, sometimes I forget what it was like before, when we relied on times to call for long distance, letter writing, and how someone can lose touch completely if neither of those are available. For me, this tapped into a part of myself that often felt trapped and stuck.

It truly felt like seeing the world through a growing girl's eyes. Parts of it made me feel guilty, like I was reading her diary. The open rawness with which Alma is expressed, especially with repetition, makes for an emotional read so be prepared for that.

I'm glad to see in verse stories still coming out for young readers, and can't wait to see more from this author!

Alma Presses Play is a book in verse set in 1982 New York City. It follows the stour of Alma, an eighth grader who is growing up and seeing her life change before her eyes.

A line that caught my attention and perfectly summed up the book was, “A person who feels caught between places and spaces”. I feel like this describes Alma perfectly. She is changing. Leaving middle school for a new high school. Her parents are on the verge of divorce. Her friends are making changes (moving away, acting on hormones).

Alma uses music to help calm and center herself in the chaos. I thought the use of music would be a little more prominent; the description of music was one reason I was drawn to this book. But though it was used intermittently, it still was a cool idea.

I recommend this book!

I really appreciate the increased focus on verse novels in work for young adults, which is what drew me to this book.

Overall, I can see how this would appeal to upper middle grade readers through the focus on music, transitions, impacts of divorce, and the importance of friendship. The narrator also had a strong and authentic teenage voice, which I would say was one of this strengths of this book.

However, on the whole the book fell a little flat for me. It was marketed as a young adult title, but felt immature for that age range. The pacing and plot struggled to find footing until about 50% through, after which I became more invested. I also felt that the verse style was very stilted, this is totally a personal preference, but I didn’t feel there was much rhythm to it (with a single format used throughout that involved paragraphs without punctuation and with seemingly random tabs). I also think this tried to address too many things and didn’t succeed as well at any of them.

I am interested in seeing where this author goes, because I see some good aspects here, but it wasn’t a standout title for me.

Novel-in-verse has not been a favorite genre for me, but there have been several YA novels over the last few years that have shown me that it can be enjoyable and fulfilling (looking at you, Elizabeth Acevedo!). I was excited by the Jewish and Chinese representation in this book, and the 80s setting. Unfortunately, the verse in this did not quite work for me. It felt a little too brief and too disjointed, and I found it hard to connect with Alma. While there is excellent integration of music from the era, I was also distracted by some of the song lyrics, which often felt like the longer and more meatier pieces of this book. I think folks that are oriented towards verse should definitely give this a try -- the writing has great nods to Greek mythology, and lots of books and movies, which are fun to pick out. I hope that Cane writes a longer novel in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley for the early review copy, all opinions are my own.

Don’t let the fact that Alma is 13 make you feel like this book would read too young. It doesn’t at all. Alma is an old soul, she’s a sensitive, thoughtful, accepting teenager.

It’s 1982 in New York, Alma has the same set of friends she grew up with.
She’s an introspective girl. She knows her parents don’t get along well. They’re both good to her but they can’t make it work with each other.

She isn’t shocked when her parents announce their divorce. She’s fine as long as she doesn’t have to move. Too many things are changing already, she’s going to highschool next year and one of her best friends just moved away.

She’ll listen to her music, write or try to meditate when she’s upset.

This book was written in verses which I found unique and well written. I’m not a big fan of the style of modern poetry without punctuation or capital letters, this is not that. I felt like this flows smoothly.

I thought that Alma was a wonderful character. She’s ahead of her times in a lot of ways but it rings true.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley and thoroughly enjoyed this story. I think you’ll love Alma too, this girl’s got heart.

I really like the new, broader inclusivity of fiction in verse, but this novel is not a good example of it. The verse clunks along in mostly short phrases, and feels heavy and drags. The author's reasons for making tabs or breaks in the lines aren't clear, and even reading it out loud offers no illumination on why she's made the choices she has. It's also a bit difficult to read, typeset as it is. Wearing my editorial hat, I'd say that short prose vignetters would work a lot better. The book pays homage to YA of the 1980s, and tries to follow the issues depicted in Judy Bloom's Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret--notably parents of different religions and getting your period for the first time. But Alma and her friends aren't very interesting, lacking depth and any compelling reason to follow their stories, and the potential avenues of exploring faith and the rituals society has imposed on "growing up" are largely ignored. There are lots of brief subplots: a girl who moves away and can't be found; a boy who uses homophobic slurs; the class differences between some of the friends; one girl's alcoholic parents. All of these could have enriched the book, but are sort of tossed off without having lasting meaning.

Alma Presses Play follows a preteen half-Chinese, half-Jewish girl living in 1980's New York. This book is in verse, which I usually love because it adds so much beauty and meaning to ordinary words. I was very excited to read this book and wanted to love it, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. Some of these aspects didn't work for me specifically, and some aspects were just not handled as well as I'd have liked in general.

One big thing that wasn't discussed enough was the use of the "f" slur. A character uses this word against another character, then the friend group ostracizes him for a little bit. He never had consequences to this, besides having to apologize and being excluded for some time. The talk surrounding the word's use was really simple. It didn't permit the use of this language, but it also only went so far as to say something along the lines of "you can't talk about gay people like that." Nothing was said beyond that and once the guy apologized, he was back in the friend group. I guess this would be typical for a group of preteens, but the conversation surrounding it didn't really add anything to the story or overall message besides adding a little bit of conflict.

Something that irked me was how Alma, our main character, kept bringing up her period. Once she had it, she kept using it as a conversation starter and mentioned it to almost everyone she talked to. Even months after it first happened. I am all for open talk of periods, believe me, but these conversations felt forced and a little unnecessary.

The book had almost no punctuation. I'm almost certain this was a stylistic choice because of its in verse format, but for me it made reading a lot of it very confusing because I couldn't distinguish between different sentences and ideas. That's just something to keep in mind going into it. I think for some people it would work for them, but for me it really didn't.

A big part of the description (and even cover and title) of this book is the way music interacts with Alma's life. We definitely saw her listen to music, but while she was constantly listening, I didn't feel like it was integrated besides just dropping the name of the song and hoping the reader understands the vibes of it. If you understood the references, I'm sure it would add a lot to the novel, but for me, I only recognized about two songs, so the music part of the story felt lacking.

Another part that was essential to the novel was the identities of Alma and her friends. They were a diverse bunch, which I liked to see. However, I had trouble distinguishing between the friends. Even after finishing it, I still can only name and describe the differences between two out of the six (maybe more?) kids in the friend group.

That said, I almost could see this novel being marketed as Middle Grade and not Young Adult. The kids were in middle school and felt more immature than many Young Adult characters.

I realize I have talked a lot about what I didn't like about Alma Presses Play, but there were some parts I enjoyed: I liked how Alma felt really connected with so many mythological references. The way she would twist different myths was ingenious and I loved reading those parts of the story. I actually learned a lot of myths from this book, so that was a nice addition.

Alma Presses Play didn't live up to my expectations. The writing and content fell a little flat from me, based on what I had read from the description. However, I could see this book working for other people and it was a relatively easy read.

Content Warnings: use of the "f" slur, references to prostitution, references to alcoholism, divorce

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Alma Presses Play is a novel-in-verse which follows thirteen year old Alma, a half-Chinese, half-Jewish girl growing up in New York City in the '80s, as she grapples with the ups and downs of friendship, romance, and a tumultuous home life.

I adored this book! I'm always a sucker for a novel in verse anyways, since they're such quick and easy reads, and Alma Presses Play used the format to tell a beautiful coming-of-age story with the backdrop of A Bunch Of Songs I Actually Know And Love (shoutout to all the Bowie Alma listens to!). While the novel would certainly resonate best with a late middle grade/early YA reader, ultimately I felt like there was also a lot I got out of it as an adult reader. It was an opportunity for me to reflect on those times in my own life -- what it means to lose a friend, or to think of a place as home. Through the characters' complex relationships in a deeply tumultuous time in Alma's life, there are ample life lessons to be learned.

My favorite part of Alma's story is the ultimate resolution to her parents' divorce, specifically that we don't actually know who she picks to live with. Initially, I was frustrated, but as I considered it more, I realized it leaves it open for younger readers to come to their own conclusions. If they were in Alma's shoes, who would they pick? Why? How does Alma's story show them what home means to them? The novel lives beyond what's on the page.

Overall, Alma Presses Play was a lovely read, and one I'm excited to see put into the hands of young teenagers who need to know that they are not alone.

"A lyrical novel-in-verse that takes us through the journey of coming of age in New York during the 80s.

Alma's life is a series of halfways: She's half-Chinese, half-Jewish; her parents spend half the time fighting, and the other half silent; and she's halfway through becoming a woman. But as long as she can listen to her Walkman, hang out with her friends on the stoops of the Village, and ride her bike around the streets of New York, it feels like everything will be all right. Then comes the year when everything changes, and her life is overtaken by constant endings: friends move away, romances bloom and wither, her parents divorce and - just like that - her life as she knew it is over. In this world of confusing beginnings, middles, and endings, is Alma ready to press play on the soundtrack of her life?"

The 80s in my happy place.

4 stars

In this aptly titled verse novel, Alma, the m.c., initiates readers into her 13-going-on-14 world and all it has to offer: friends, parents, culture, puberty, music, and all of the good '80s candy. The novel is set in the early '80s, so readers familiar with this scene (particularly with childhood/young adulthood in this period) may find some of the references particularly nostalgic.

Cane employs aspects of Alma's surrounding - and first-person narration - to develop Alma's character and a sense of both time and place. Alma's love of music can be seen in the titles of several of her entries, and she regularly begins these with well selected lyrics. Similarly - and for me more interestingly - Alma is reading a lot of mythology at school. She uses the characters and their stories to make sense of the world around her in creative (and educational - but not irritatingly so) ways. There's also an ideal balance between Alma's school, home, and extracurricular experiences. At school, Alma grows close to Ms. Nola, the guidance counselor who serves as a faithful mentor. I love the portrayal of this character: a trustworthy adult with Alma's best interests in mind. At home, Alma's parents are flinging red flags from the jump. She's attuned to the ages and stages of their disagreements and to the lifestyle changes they implement in an attempt to work through some of their struggles. The conversations around arguing parents and divorce are also realistic and well articulated, and readers who have had (or are having) similar experiences will undoubtedly relate to Alma's concerns, growing awareness, and grief in this area. After school and in the summer, Alma's friends display a number of circumstances and identities that she (and then of course the reader) notices, and her interpretations seem consistently age appropriate. There are so many topics packed in to such a relatively small number of words.

I do agree with the current YA billing of this novel, but it reads as a very young YA/late middle grade read to me. Not since Margaret have I seen a character of this age be so period-obsessed. On a related note, the adults have what I found to be some odd reactions to Alma's period (including but not limited to her mother asking if she has her period because her eyes are dazed and she seems far away. Is this a thing?). There is also one detail I really struggled with and that is one young character's use of a homophobic slur. No one ignores this, and the word and the offender are treated as they should be. However, the word itself comes up several more times (all in reference to the same event). I didn't need to read it once, and seeing it multiple times was a lot (for me as an adult reader of this young YA/late middle grade novel). This situation could have been handled much more effectively.

Overall, this is a comprehensive verse novel that will be relatable to so many groups. Alma deals with so many age appropriate circumstances, and while she isn't flawless, she grows in inspiring and engaging ways. I'll be recommending this one to students (with a strong caveat about the aforementioned use of that word and why I think it's not well managed here), and I'll be on the lookout for much more from Cane.

Tina Cane writes powerfully, uniting narrative and poetry to create a literacy portrait. Ideal reading for young/adolescent readers.

This is a beautiful YA novel in verse about loving yourself and finding yourself. I loved Alma's relationship with her family and how she loved and grew into herself with their love and support.

A teen book I think will appeal to many!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!