Joe is on the struggle bus as he and Brenna tackle a classic text: Harper Lee's 1960 book To Kill A Mockingbird and director Robert Mulligan's 1962 adaptation. Issues include the shifting narration, the simplistic moral message, and the egregious use of the N word. Plus: censorship vs contextualizing, why the book isn't more studied, and Brenna's v…

Brenna and Joe are dismayed to hear from listener Dann that (of course!) the Muzak we're been hearing on Skins isn't what originally aired. And when we find out what we *could* be hearing, it's even more galling. Grrrr! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacg…

Joe and Brenna's journey through the first series of Skins continue with extremely different episodes: an underwhelming episode on Jal that doesn't even put her front and center, and a harrowing episode about Chris that nearly broke Joe's husband. Plus: a ratings discrepancy, hatred for Michelle, and Brenna finally confesses why her mothering insti…

Actual teenage listener Neve (who is the child of listener Toni from Australia!) writes in to recommend the new iteration of Netflix's Heart Break High, which sounds like an Aussie version of Degrassi! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Insta…

Brenna and Joe dip back into dystopian territory with The 5th Wave, Rick Yancey's 2013 novel and J Blakeson's 2016 film adaptation. This one is unique because it's aliens, though we are still dealing with a Chosen One narrative and a potential love quad. Plus: changing (sometimes inefficiently) perspectives, a film that moves too fast but is too lo…

Brenna and Joe kick off our summer programming with a long requested title: Skins. Every other week we're watching two episodes of Series 1, starting with "Tony" (episode 1) and "Cassie" (episode 2) and already we're into the thick of bad parents, hedonistic behaviour, and major empathy for Hannah Murray's Cassie, who is struggling with disordered …

After Victoria requested positive depictions of neurodivergence last week, Miriam reached out with a list of recommendations: Autism Titles > A Kind Of Spark - Elle McNicoll > Geek Girl - Holly Smale > Even If We Break - Marieke Nijkamp: Marieke Nijkamp > On The Edge of Gone - Corinne Duyvis > Metal Fish, Falling Snow - Cath Moore > The Winter Knig…

Brenna and Joe kick off "the kids aren't alright" summer with Megan Abbott's 2012 novel Dare Me and its 2019 TV adaptation. C/W: implied sexual assault and disordered eating. We're talking sociopathic girls, awful parents, and red hold blooded cheerleading in a pair of texts that may just feature the most unlikeable protagonists we've ever covered.…

After a brief lament about Sia's misguided directorial debut Music, Brenna and Joe tackle a question from listener Victoria about positive depictions of neurodivergence. Brenna defers to former guest Jes Battis' piece in the Los Angeles Book of Review "Imperfect Rhetorics: Neurodiversity in YA Literature and Popular Culture" which focuses on three …

Joe and Brenna return to Canadian YA to discuss writer/director Molly McGlynn's semi-autobiographical text, Fitting In (2023). The film has a great cast and explores a compelling story of non-normative female bodies. We have a few issues with the film's messaging, but overall the film is pretty enjoyable. Plus: praise for lead actor Maddie Ziegler,…

Joe and Brenna dip a toe into romantic fantasy with Alice Hoffman's 2001 novel Aquamarine and Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum's 2006 film adaptation. The book is a cute, slight, fast read, which begs the question: how is the film 1hr 50 mins?! Answer: Add a villain, give her endless cronies, then stretch the action out over a whole summer! Plus: teen fem…

Brenna and Joe respond to a question and a request from listener Tuck, who wants to know if we'll cover A Series of Unfortunate Events and recommends Otfried Preussler's hard to find (in English) book, Krabat: The Satanic Mill (1972). Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Br…

Brenna and Joe dip back into queer romance (and fan fiction!) with Book 1 of E.L. Massey's Breakaway series, Like Real People Do (2022). This is very cute and sweet...but where is the conflict?! Everyone is so perfect! Massey needs to let people suck! Plus: comparisons to Heartstopper, Red, White & Royal Blue and The Kissing Booth 2, predictions fo…

Brenna and Joe discuss John Green's last YA novel Turtles All The Way Down (2017) and its 2024 adaptation by Hannah Marks. C/W: self-harm. This is a tough read because of its visceral depiction of OCD, but we love the friendship between Aza and Daisy. Meanwhile, the long in-development film does a great job of visually capturing the intrusive thoug…

For the first time on the show, Brenna and Joe check out a documentary...or rather a pair of documentaries: Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine's Boys State (2020) and Girls State (2024) These docs fill us with dismay for the future of US politics. But while Boys State has a dark nihilism to it, Girls State feels slight and surprisingly unaware; even its…

As promised/threatened, we're back with a review of Roku's The Spiderwick Chronicles S01. Join us as Joe walks Brenna through the highs (the focus on Jared's mental health) and lows (that theme song!) of the series' first eight episodes. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: >…

Brenna and Joe are back in fantasy territory with the first five books in Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black's The Spiderwick Chronicles, as well the 2008 adaptation from Daniel Waters. We're mixed on lead Freddie Highmore's success playing twins, though we both like Sarah Bolger's Mallory, the use of fencing and Brenna even likes the CGI! Plus…

At listener Kaetlyn's urging, Brenna and Joe check out S01 of the Percy Jackson TV show on Disney+. It's a much better text than the film! With more time, the central trio gels better, the motivation of Percy's mom is more clearly defined, and the adventures aren't as rushed. Plus: our fave Gods, a "feminist" Medusa episode, a few rushed elements, …

Mailbag returns after a brief hiatus, so we're showcasing listener recommendations from Clara, Charlotte, and Tea, Books and Chocolate, including: > Silverhorse by Lene Kaaberbøl > A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson > Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur by writers Brandon Montclare & Amy Reeder and artist Natacha Bustos > Fake Dates and Moonca…

Just in time for its 25th anniversary , Brenna and Joe check out Raja Gosnell's Never Been Kissed (1999). While Joe thinks this take on As You Like It is totally rufus, Brenna thinks he's blinded by nostalgia, particularly about the student/teacher romance. Plus: a charismatic David Arquette, Drew Barrymore's lisp, physical pratfalls, and - o…

Brenna and Joe return to the world of Wattpad to check out Beth Reekles' 2020 sequel, The Kissing Booth 2: Going The Distance, as well as its Netflix adaptation. The book is better written, but where is the conflict? There's nothing here! The film is much better thanks to a committed performance by Joey King (and her wig), as well as the addition o…

Brenna and Joe answer emails from Tea, Books & Chocolate (about Julie Murphy's adult fiction novel Merry Little Meet Cute) and Alex (looking for recommendations of YA featuring girls in STEM). Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram) > J…

Brenna and Joe close out a month of New Zealand programming with a look at Barry Crump's 1986 novel Wild Pork and Watercress, as well as Taika Waititi's long-in-development adaptation from 2016. We're talking about how prolific Crump is, Waititi's humour, and the depiction of Māori youth across several texts. Plus: montages, survivalism, tanks, and…

New Zealand month enters its third week as Brenna and Joe tackle Deborah Savage's 1989 book Flight of the Albatross. Despite being very readable, we're got some issues with the white saviour storyline and the use of Maori characters to further the protagonist's journey. Plus: Sarah's obsession with weight, bad mom Pauline, the German (!) film adapt…

New Zealand month continues as we tackle our first Māori text with Witi Ihimaera's 1987 novel and Niki Caro's 2002 film adaptation. The book is short but beautiful, particularly the unusual "framing" device from a whale's perspective that provides an underlying religious element. The film plays more like a standard coming-of-age tale made for a bro…