Were the Kids Alright?

In this bonus episode of Were the Kids Alright, Sophie discusses Kalynn Bayron's YA book, Cinderella Is Dead. This episode was originally recorded in February which is why Bud, Not Buddy is mentioned as the most recent release. Content Warnings: sexual assault, sexism, racism, homophobia, murder, immortality, and forced marriage. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week, we read Ruby Redfort, Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child. We discuss what it takes to write a book-within-a-book, Lauren Child's Clarice Bean problem, Ruby's unnecessary sassiness, and how suspicious it is that a supposedly-good non-governmental spy agency needs help from a child. Content Warnings: Cultural appropriation, museum ethics, societal ignorance, discussion of criminal justice systems, teenagers in danger, kidnapping, and murder. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB More About Khotan https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/khotan-i-pre-islamic-history https://www.thoughtco.com/khotan-xingjiang-uygur-autonomous-region-171478 https://isaw.nyu.edu/events/archive/2017/eighth-century-khotan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Khotan

This "week" we read Divergent, by Veronica Roth. This is the second part of our discussion, where we discuss characters and fanfiction takes and give our final assessments of the book. Content Warnings: Suicide, racism, sexual assault, domestic violence, so much abuse of all different kinds, discussion of homelessness, needles, mind control, and harmful societal ideology. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read Divergent by Veronica Roth. This is the first part of our discussion, where we discuss story structure, the worldbuilding of the factions, and general what-makes-humanity-what-it-is stuff. Whether you hated or loved Divergent, you'll find something to agree with in our many, many opinions! Content Warnings: Suicide, racism, sexual assault, domestic violence, so much abuse of all different kinds, discussion of homelessness, needles, mind control, and harmful societal ideology. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

Hey y'all! We recorded a bonus episode of us taking Divergent faction quizzes. Our official episode on Divergent will be out soon. Hope you enjoy! Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week, we read Four Things My Geeky-Jock-of-a-Best-Friend Must Do in Europe by Jane Harrington. We discuss realism in portraying (and not overtly critiquing) cultural ignorance, self-confidence during puberty, and why the Star Trek-loving Gorkon is the ACTUAL WORST. We also talk about ALL CAPS versus italics BECAUSE THIS BOOK LIKES TO SHOUT. CW: Racism, European stereotyping, discussion of slurs (for Romani and queer people), discussion of homophobia and body image, objectification, sexual harassment, mental illness as a punchline, and finally a young, culturally-ignorant protagonist. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. And we had a special guest! We discussed fairy tale retellings, fantasy languages, and the Disney movie adaptation of this book that really should have just been its own thing. Content Warnings: Mind control, fairy curses, abuse, death of a parent, neglect, fantasy violence, manipulation, and arranged marriages. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week, we read Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka. We discuss the book's portrayal of culture shock, how unrealistic violin airplaying is, and when parents should let their kid quit a musical instrument. CW: Anti-Asian-American racism, casual racism, immigration, family dynamics, toxic masculinity, and discussions of cultural differences. We're also two liberal arts white people talking about racism and immigration. We are constantly learning, and sometimes we will mess up. Please, please check out Lensey Namioka's other work because not enough people read her and the source is the best representation of anything we discuss in this episode. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week, we read the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo. We talk about the duology's amazing characters, how Sophie thought there should've been fewer points of view, the continuing bias against Fjerda, and Bardugo's talent for emotional payoff. CW: Graphic violence and injury, abuse of power, sexual assault and exploitation, propoganda, human trafficking, guns, racism and exotification, emotional manipulation, crime, gangs, sexual slavery, general slavery, gambling, kidnapping, forced experimentation and drugging, addiction, discrimination, torture, disease, death, and major character death. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. We talk about Alina's not-like-other-girls problem, how to make her a more interesting character, and about how sometimes fans make things worse. Content Warnings: Violence, injury, abuse of power, referenced sexual assault and exploitation, emotional manipulation, killing animals for both food and sacrifice, internalized misogyny, beauty standards, classism, orphans, and a country at war. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart. We talk about the creepiness of the Ten Men, the quality of Reynie's character, the greatness of Stewart's action scenes, and how this book compares to the first. We also get a sequel to Sophie's “kill Mr. Curtain” fanfic take and hear Jacqueline's theory about the book's setting. Content Warnings: Kidnapping, running away from guardians, so so much of children in danger, severe injury, torture (both threat and actual), discussion of narcolepsy and “the old hag,” sleep-inducing drugs, threat of death, and discussion of mind control. Note: We recorded this episode in March but had to take a hiatus due to COVID curveballs and Sophie getting distracted by Camp NaNoWriMo (we'll talk more about it in our next episode). Also, we incorrectly refer to Reynie and Sticky's ages as eleven. They were eleven in the first book. Now they are twelve. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we read Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson. We talk about uplifting authors of color, the education system (yet again), and the story's non-linear narrative. We also shout out our favorite fan who send us super nice Instagram messages - check them out at whattoreadnextya.middlegrade for book recommendations from this decade! Content Warnings: Racism, deportation, allusion to learning disabilities, bullying, politics, parent death, discussion of police brutality, injury, incarcerated parents, and classism. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we read Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. We talk about Bud's greatness as the main character, the lack of closure on Bugs, the portrayal of the Great Depression in children's literature, and how shameful it is that this is our first book by a Black author. Content Warnings: Dead parents, abandoned children, bad foster homes/families, the Great Depression, racism, sunset towns, police violence, child hunger, and child abuse (physical and mental). Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we finished up the Percy Jackson series with The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan! We talk about the final battle, moments in the story that reflect the Trojan War, and many tiny details that have Sophie sighing more than usual (and just being the best because she puts up with Jacqueline's love of the series). Sorry this wasn't released when promised - personal stuff got in the way but everything should be smooth sailing from here. We have a special bonus episode coming out soon so keep an eye out for that! Content Warnings: Major character death, absent parents, abusive and negligent parents, dead parents, kids in danger, kidnapping, exploitive power dynamics, white supremacy and Nazis, the Greek pantheon, self-sacrifice, discussion of suicide, and religion. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week, we read The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan. Sophie brings in an article to frame our ongoing discussion of what makes a good main character. We talk about the ridiculousness of Chiron and Annabeth's secrecy, Percy's lack of character growth, and the strengths of Rick Riordan's incorporation of Greek myths into the modern world. CW: Character death, absent parents, abusive and negligent parents, dead parents, kids in danger, kidnapping, discussion of sexual assault, exploitive power dynamics, neocolonialism, the Greek pantheon, discussions of destroying gods, and religion. Sophie continuously criticizes the gods and expresses a desire to “let them fade.” This is only within Rick Riodan's world and interpretation of Greek mythology. Here are the two sources Sophie used to pull arguments from: Ramm, Kathleen. “9 Signs Your Main Character Is Boring,” June 29, 2020. https://kingdompen.org/9-signs-your-main-character-is-boring/. Autumn. “Percy Jackson Is a Gary Stu.” Percy Jackson Rants, Opinions, and Other Stuff. quotev.com, January 11, 2020. https://www.quotev.com/story/12237056/Percy-Jackson-Rants-Opinions-and-Other-Stuff/30. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan, the third book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. We talk about what makes a good or interesting main character, how Artemis was the original radical feminist, and all the times that Rick Riordan missed an opportunity to do something really cool. Content Warnings: Major character death, absent parents, abusive and negligent parents, dead parents, kids in danger, kidnapping, discussion of sexual assault, exploitive power dynamics, neocolonialism, the Greek pantheon, discussions of destroying gods, and religion. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan, the second book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. We continue our discussion about the problems in the Percy Jackson universe and get very off topic. Sophie finalizes her fanfiction takes and Jacqueline is very annoyed. Content Warnings: Absent parents, abusive and negligent parents, dead parents, kids in danger, kidnapping, discussion of sexual assault, exploitive power dynamics, neocolonialism, the Greek pantheon, discussions of destroying gods, and religion. Note: Sophie references a social movement theory known as the “scope of conflict.” She incorrectly calls it the “scope of power.” “Scope of conflict” is a theory popularized by E.E. Schattsneider in The Semi-Sovereign People. Essentially, participants in an unequal conflict will expand the membership and resources of their respective sides to gain advantage over the outcome, which explains why it is the disadvantaged side “who calls for outside help" (Schattsneider, 16). In Percy Jackson, Luke is up against literal gods and therefore has to expand his overall “scope” (through other forms of power like Kronos and the Golden Fleece) to achieve his desired outcome. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. We talk a ton about worldbuilding, including the shitty justification for why the Greek gods are in the US. We also talk about Rick Riordan's personal history and how that influences the series. Content Warnings: Absent parents, abusive and negligent parents, dead parents, kids in danger (like so much), kidnapping, discussion of sexual assault, exploitive power dynamics, white supremacy, Nazis, the Greek pantheon, discussions of destroying gods, and religion. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we read Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles. We talk about the book's deeply important depiction of death, Comfort's complex family relationships, mean elementary school friends, and quirky naming choices (we promise we don't actually have problems with names; we were just shocked by the un-subtlety of Joy, Merry, Comfort, Dismay, and Tidings). We'll be back soon with an episode on Percy Jackson! Content Warnings: Death, particularly the death of relatives and the death of a dog. Also bullying, embalming, brief discussion of cannibalism, funeral homes, drowning, and Jacqueline's terrifying assertion that quirky names are a recipe for childhood bullying. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read Matilda by Roald Dahl. This one is a dozy, folks, as we talk about Dahl himself, the movie adaptation that strangely moved the whole story to the United States, and how wonderful Ms. Honey is. We'll be back in 2021 with a consistent upload schedule (every other week) and lots more fun books! Also please ignore the end of this episode when we say what we're going to be reading next time. Plans have changed. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read Forest Born by Shannon Hale, the final Book of Bayern! We talk about a lot in this one, including how Jacqueline read this book first and the question of is it cool or annoying that Rin is the main character. We'll be back in 2021 with a consistent upload schedule (every other week) and lots more fun books! Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read River Secrets by Shannon Hale, the third Book of Bayern. We talked about postwar healing, Enna's PTSD and her romantic gesture fantasy, as well as Razo's refreshing confidence arc where he realizes that he's a super good slinger. Oh yeah, and Dasha the water speaker is also a thing...but not a very well developed one...so we had a lot of fanfiction takes. Content Warnings: Discussions of war, mass murder, burning, politics, and trauma. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read Enna Burning by Shannon Hale, the second Book of Bayern. This is the darkest book we've read to date for this podcast and we covered a lot of hot takes. Should Enna have committed mass murder? Did Shannon Hale think through the repercussion of her world, like, at all? Listen to find out. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we read The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. We talked about magical linguistics, the ridiculous homogeneity of hair color, and how good it is to read a book with character depth. There was also a case made for the villain, a television adaptation, and an alternate direction for the series. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

In this bonus episode of Were the Kids Alright, Sophie analyzes a story she wrote about a girl who gets kidnapped and discovers she is an alien. Content Warnings: kidnapping, colonialism, mass murder, mention of morticians, really bad middle school writing. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we read A Royal Match by Tynne O'Connell. We continued our discussion of mean girls, class privilege, and how pretty much every character ever in this book needs therapy. We also talked about how Sophie didn't expect much from this book when she first read it and was surprised...because...FRIENDSHIP! Content Warnings: Bullying, pet death, underage substance use, disordered eating, emotional manipulation, homophobia, use of homophobic slurs, uncomfortable romantic age gaps. Note: In this episode there is some audio inconsistency due to the filming location as well as the placement of the microphone. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we read The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch. And we had a special guest! We discussed how much this book impacted our guest, some very evil antagonists, and how an author's personal life can unexpectantly show up in their writing. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

In this special quarantine episode, Sophie reviews and discusses the fantasy/mystery Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we read How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot. We discussed what it means to be popular, why Steph is a bit of a creep, and some of our own high school experiences. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we examined The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau. This is the fourth book in the Ember series. We discussed some thin world-building, the random diamond technology, and a fairly satisfying ending to an iconic series. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we read The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau. This is the second book in the Ember series. We discussed war, how a lot of readers quit before finishing, and the potential relationship between Mrs. Murdo and the doctor. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we looked at The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau. We discussed how Sophie can recite the beginning of the book by heart, the best place to build an underground city, and a very creepy guy named Looper. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we read The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. We discussed the ethics of using children to save the world, how great Kate is, and how these children are not getting enough sleep. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

Part two of our discussion about the Dragon Slippers series. Listen to find out our worldbuilding thoughts, ratings, and more. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

Our first episode ever!! Thanks so much listening and we hope you stick around. Our Links Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast Twitter: @wtka_podcast Instagram: wtka_podcast TikTok: wtka_podcast Music Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner Outro: Good Vibes by MBB