Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

Brenna and Joe wrap up another scary season with a look at Adam Cesare's YA slasher Clown in a Cornfield (2020) and Eli Craig's 2025 film adaptation. Joe is a big fan of both texts: they each deftly balance comedy and horror, along with some surprising subversions, such as the killer reveal and the queer relationship between Cole and Rust. Brenna likes the comedy of the film, including the kills (!), though there are a few issues with performance, the supernatural bent of the adults' motivations, and the ending lacking an old man on a plane. Overall, though: these are solid! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question or a response to December's Book Club pick, Whiteout (2022)? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oh my gosh, we get it: YOU LIKE SKAM! We have *never* gotten as much listener mail as we did for episodes 1-2 of Skam S01, so thank you to listeners Reuben, Earl, Charlotte, Anne, and Alex, who touch on everything from the release pattern of the show, other countries' entries, the meaning of the bus, fave characters we haven't met, and why we need to cover more. Plus: our December Book Club book has been announced and Brenna has selected Whiteout (2022) written by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe kick off scary season with Norman Partridge's 2007 Stoker award winning novel Dark Harvest and David Slade's 2023 adaptation. The book isn't exactly YA (and intriguingly features a second person narrator), but it mostly works as a Vietnam war allegory. The film has elements of camp and great practical FX, though its incredibly grim ending doesn't entirely satisfy. Overall, though, this is a great start to our annual creepy tradition! While Brenna may be disappointed that the film doesn't exactly feature a pumpkinhead creature Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe unofficially wrap up summer with Sasha Nathani's feature directorial debut Last Swim (2024). The UK film is about Ziba (Deba Hakmat), a girl with an undisclosed terminal disease, who plots one perfect day with her friends. It's beautiful, intimate, has a great friend group and secretly does a great job of addressing class and race. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the urging of past guest Alex Heeney, Joe and Brenna finally check out Skam, the "Norweigan Skins" that began airing in 2015. In the first two episodes, we under why the show translates to "Shame" as our main character Eva struggles with a terrible boyfriend, bad grades, and uncertain social popularity. Plus: two Chrises, absent parents, and a Degrassi-like production. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe respond to listener mail from Shaun (about Book Weeding), Andrew (about Harry Potter references in Felix Ever After), and Tea, Books & Chocolate (about a great Douglas Copeland quote). Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe dig into the death of Andie Bell with a look at Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2019) and S01 of the BBC3/Netflix series. There's plenty to like in this well-constructed mystery, particularly Pip, her burgeoning romance with Ravi, and the many, MANY twists and red herrings. Plus: Brenna's rant about a bizarre editorial decision, making murder victims likeable in the series, and yes, C/W: the dog does die. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club is back in session for the last time this summer as Brenna and Joe dig into Elizabeth Acevedo's novel in verse, Clap When You Land (2020). We're joined by listeners Tea, Books & Chocolate, as well as Miriam, who contribute their thoughts on this beautiful (near) perfect book. Expect discussions on class, race, gender, and money; whether this is representative of a typical book in verse, and Brenna's plea for this to be adapted! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe are back to wrap up Series two of Skins and...it's a lot of mixed emotions! On one hand, we think 2.10 "Final Goodbyes" is a pretty solid finish for these characters, while 2.09 "Cassie" left us with plenty of questions and concerns. Plus: a tearful eulogy, Brenna worrying about Cassie's end, and after a whole summer, we finally play YA BINGO with the show! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a while since we've had a feel good coming of age dramaedy, so Joe has brought Brenna writer/director Sean Yang's Dìdi (2024). Obviously Brenna has big feels about mother Chungsing (Joan Chen), but there's plenty to applaud about Izaac Wang's performance as Chris and the depiction of 2008 Internet friendship. Plus: sibling rivalry, internalized racism, and talking animals. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe are barrelling towards the finale of Skins Series 02, but first we need to cross off the back-door pilot for Series 03 with 2.07 "Effie" and (finally!) a Jal-centric episode with 2.08. It's all moving very quickly - to such a degree that we wonder when the creative team knew they were swapping out the cast. Plus: Cassie's bisexuality, bad friend Michelle, Brenna's frustration with Tony's mom, and Joe's temptation to immediately dive into the next series. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky) > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To coincide with the release of Freakier Friday, we're checking out all things Freaky Friday. Kicking off the discussion is Mary Rodgers' 1972 book, which weirdly doesn't feature the mom's experience in her daughter's body! Then it's onto the 1976 film starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris, which gives the latter much more to do than the former. Finally we tackle the 2003 remake starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. Aside from the Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've hit the halfway point of Skins series two with "Chris" and "Tony" and...Brenna is not impressed. Episode five focuses on the burgeoning relationship of Chris and Jal, which we don't entirely believe. Meanwhile Brenna has no time or patience for Tony's episode, which feels like the writers realizing they make a huge mistake giving Tony a traumatic brain injury. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe are back to discuss Kacen Callender's Felix Ever After (2020), our Book Club pick for July. We have one response from listener Miriam on this incredibly rich text, which features a complicated, even occasionally frustrating protagonist that we ultimately come to love. Plus: the messy villains of the text, exploring trans identity beyond the binary, the plethora of Harry Potter references and an epic rant from Joe about fascists and conservatives (that required both editing and censoring). Wanna connect with the show or comment on August's selection Clap When You Land (due Aug 22)? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe head back to Cousins for another swing at Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty series. First up: decent beach read It's Not Summer Without You (aka book 2), which works when it focuses on the loss of Susana and is *fine* when it does the usual love triangle. The same cannot be said for the Amazon TV show, which pads the runtime and adds a frustrating new character played by Kyra Sedgwick. Are Brenna and Joe #TeamConrad or #TeamJeremiah? We may actually be #TeamOverIt Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question or a contribution to July's Book Club on Felix Ever After (before July 18)? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back for another round of Skins Series 2, but Brenna has mixed feelings. It probably has something to do with the death of Peter Capaldi's character, as well as the fact that one of the two episodes is about Michelle. Plus: Cassie travel logistic questions, hook-ups galore, and continued proof that the only good Skins parent...is a dead one? Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A quick reminder that your responses to Kacen Callender's Felix Ever After is due Friday, July 18. And also: the announcement of our August 2025 selection, which is Elizabeth Acevedo's Clap When You Land (2020). If you wanna read along, the due date for responses is Friday, August 22. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back for our third Judy Blume text with Forever! The 1975 book was written to candidly discuss a sexual relationship between teens and even if some aspects don't quite hold up, Brenna and Joe find its frankness refreshing. On the flip side, the Netflix series from 2025 falls somewhere between IP cash grab and spiritual adaptation. Creator Mara Brock Akil interprets the text through a celebratory Black lens, though we could do with less blocking and breaking up between Keisha and Justin. Plus: musicality, stereotypical secondary characters, the most excessive house porn we've seen, and Brenna's pandemic speculation about the series' 2nd season. Reference: Candace Frederick. "Mara Brock Akil Grew Up With Judy Blume’s Very White Characters. In Forever, She Made Them Black." Refinery 29 Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question or a contribution to July's Book Club on Felix Ever After (before July 18)? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're doing a mega mailbag round-up with bits and pieces from listeners Neera, Victoria, and Sophie. First up: an apology to Neera about Inkheart and an observation about 2000s YA and middle grade fiction. Then: More fall-out from Quiet on Set with regard to Drake Bell's sexual misconduct charges, as well as the Pride Month murder of Indigenous gay man Jonathan Joss. Finally, a few recommendations from Sophie, including a pair of titles by director Lukas Moodyson. Reference: Kelly Lynne Dangelo. We All Need to Be Talking About the Murder of Jonathan Joss This Pride and Beyond. Harper's Bazaar Recommendations: > Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson > Show Me Love (1998, dir: Lukas Moodyson) / Lilya 4-ever (2002) Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Class is back in session as Brenna and Joe kick off Skins Series 2 with a look at the first two episodes. From the bold decision about Tony's traumatic brain injury to the sidelining Cassie to Maxxie's dancing to...Sketch (?) it's a brand new summer of the kids are not alright! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod: > Brenna: @brennacgray > Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky) Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.