The Brave Bookshelf Dispatch
Books, brave conversations, author news, and one internet thing I’m probably overthinking
Hi friends,
Every other week, I’m going to try something a little different here on The Brave Bookshelf.
A little bookish.
A little behind-the-scenes.
A little “Kim vs. the Internet,” because apparently the internet wakes up every morning and says, How can I make this author suspicious today?
So welcome to the first Brave Bookshelf Dispatch.
Grab your coffee, tea, emotional support bookmark, or whatever is currently keeping you from yelling at your inbox.
📁 THE BRAVE BOOKSHELF CASE FILE
Case: Why scary stories sometimes make the safest conversations.
I’ve always loved books that let us look at hard things from a little distance.
Ghosts. Secrets. Murder mysteries. Creepy houses. Creepy apps. Creepy people who say, “I’m fine,” when they are absolutely not fine.
That’s one reason I started The Brave Bookshelf.
Children’s and YA books can give readers a way to talk about real life without feeling like they’re standing under a spotlight. Sometimes it’s easier to talk about grief through a ghost story. Or bullying through a thriller. Or feeling different through a character who finally finds someone who gets them.
That’s the kind of book I’m always looking for.
The kind that entertains us first — then sneaks up later and taps us on the shoulder.
💻 KIM VS. THE INTERNET
This week’s internet thing I’m side-eyeing:
Snapchat.
A recent investigation by the Heat Initiative found that Snapchat’s algorithm may be recommending graphic, sexualized, and violent content to minors — including accounts marked as 13-year-olds.
And I know every generation has its “kids these days” panic.
Comic books.
Rock music.
Horror movies.
Chat rooms.
TikTok dances that make my knees hurt just watching them.
But this feels different.
Because this isn’t just teens stumbling across something weird online. According to the report, the app may be pushing disturbing content toward them.
So the mom in me immediately went to my son and we scrolled through his followers and who he’s following, plus we watched his feed on Snapchat and there wasn’t anything inappropriate, only kids being silly. So, whew for now. I’ll keep monitoring this.
But my thriller-author brain thought:
Who decided this was okay?
Who benefits when kids keep scrolling?
And why does every “safe” platform eventually start sounding like the opening scene of a YA tech thriller?
This is exactly the kind of real-life fear that inspired parts of The Kill App.
Technology can be helpful. It can connect people. It can give teens a place to feel seen when they don’t feel safe saying things out loud.
But it can also turn dark fast.
Especially when the people using it are kids, and the people building it are chasing clicks, views, and attention.
That’s why I think books matter so much.
A good YA thriller lets teens ask scary questions in a safer place:
What happens when an app knows too much?
Who protects kids when adults don’t fully understand the technology?
When does “just scrolling” become something dangerous?
And maybe most important:
How do we teach kids to trust that uneasy little voice inside them that says, Something about this doesn’t feel right?
Because that voice matters.
Online.
In books.
And in real life.
Your turn: What app, trend, or online habit do you think would make the best YA thriller villain?
Reply and tell me. I’m nosy, but in a bookish way.
📚 BOOKS THAT START THE CONVERSATION
This week on The Brave Bookshelf, I’m talking about:
For the Greatest Good by Blair Hanson
This one caught my attention because it deals with clean water access, environmental injustice, poverty, queer identity, family estrangement, and morally messy choices in a way that gives readers a lot to sit with after they finish.
What I liked most:
📖 The hook: Gavin wants to save his town from a public health crisis, but the only way to get help may mean making choices that are anything but clean.
💛 The brave conversation: This book brings up big questions about who gets safe drinking water, why poor communities are often expected to endure what others would call an emergency, and what happens when doing the “right” thing starts hurting people along the way.
👀 Who might connect with it: Teens, parents, teachers, librarians, book clubs, and readers who like YA contemporary stories with social issues, small-town settings, LGBTQ+ representation, and characters who do not always make easy choices.
🗣️ Question to ask after reading: Is it still the right thing if you have to lie, manipulate, or hurt someone to make it happen?
You can read the full review here:
👉 https://www.kimbartosch.com/p/when-doing-the-right-thing-gets-messy?r=5a6umq
🎤 NEW ON THE BRAVE BOOKSHELF
In case you missed it, here’s what’s new:
🎧 Podcast: Hot New LGBTQ+ YA Releases 2026
📚 Book Review: Reality TV Turns Deadly in This Campy Dystopian Thriller: Book Review: “Survival Show” by Juno Dawson
✍️ Author Spotlight: Interview with Shelley Grandy highlighting her tips and tricks on writing, researching, and publishing her book Devious Web
I’m keeping everything in one place now, which means fewer internet breadcrumbs for you to follow and fewer tabs for me to lose.
Everyone wins.
Mostly.
📅 AUTHOR EVENTS & BOOKISH NEWS
Here’s where you can find me next:
📍Meadow Brook Writing Project at Oakland University
Date: July 8 and 15
I’ll be presenting “Haunted Pages: Writing Ghost Stories That Give Readers Goosebumps” to grades 6–8. If you want to have your preteen or teen writer join this writing camp, you can learn more here.
📍The Blue Water Festival
Date: Friday, July 17
Time: 12:00–9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Downtown Port Huron, Michigan
Event type: Festival / author signing
More information: The Blue Water Fest
I’ll be at the Blue Water Street Fair during The Blue Water Fest in Downtown Port Huron with other SCBWI members and signing and selling copies of Ask the Girl. So stop by if you’re attending the festival. I’d love to chat about books, writing, YA mysteries, ghost stories, or your favorite “I swear this place is haunted” story.
And behind the scenes, I’m currently working on:
🔪 The Kill App revisions
👻 More spooky bookish content
📚 A growing TBR pile that may require its own zip code
💬 YOUR TURN
Reply and tell me:
What kind of story helps you talk about hard things?
A ghost story?
A mystery?
A funny book?
A thriller where everyone is suspicious and no one should be trusted?
You can reply with just one word if you want:
Ghosts, Mystery, Funny, or Thriller.
I’m nosy, but in a bookish way.
Until next time,
Kim
Author | Book Reviewer | Host of The Brave Bookshelf
P.S. What app, trend, or internet thing do you think would make the best YA thriller villain? I have a notebook, and I’m not afraid to use it.