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Brenna and Joe kick off Book 8 with the first entry in The Lorien Legacy series: I Am Number Four (2010). Ostensibly written by "Pittacus Lore", this is actually from James Frey's Fiction Factory, which paid MFA students $250 to write YA books for the disgraced author. The book is basically Teen Superman as alien John Doe falls in love with human girl, alien species "the Mogs" try to murder him, and a school is exploded in the process. It's pretty tropey! Reference: Suzanne Mozes. "James Frey’s Fiction Factory" New York Magazine Music: Rewind Kid - "Rhythm Revolution" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe wrap up Book 7 with a look at the 2002 Disney adaptation of Tuck Everlasting, starring Alexis Bledel and Jonathan Jackson (and his schwoopy hair!) The big change in the film is the focus on Winnie and Jesse's love story, as well as an updated time period (and no jailbreak!) Plus: Joe's movie-ruining factoid; Ben Kingsley's villainous performance; and why being abducted on a horse isn't the same as walking. 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 [email protected]  Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return to middle grade fiction with Natalie Babbitt's 1975 classic novel, Tuck Everlasting. It's a beautifully simple, but effective story with some age-appropriate moral lessons. Plus: Brenna's experience with the graphic novel; the jailbreak finale; and why immortality is such a drag. 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 [email protected]  Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return to discuss the film adaptation of Along For The Ride, written and directed by Sofia Alvarez (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before). Shocking no one: the complicated relationship with the parents is downplayed in favour of the romance with Eli. But we're thankful that the friendship with the girls remains in place, and the parents still suuuuck (though Andie McDowell is barely present). Plus: beach prom, post-partum, and music montages! 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 [email protected]  Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return to the world of Sarah Dessen to discuss 2009's Along For The Ride. There are no surprises here: it's all predictable conventions and tropes...and we don't care *at all* thanks to Dessen's fantastic writing and characterizations. Plus: possibly the worst parents we've ever seen; internalized misogyny; and issues with the title and cover art. 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 [email protected]   Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe check out Tracey Deer's Indigenous Canadian film, Beans (2020), which we've both been eager to check out for years. Pre-teen actor Kiawentiio gives an incredible performance as the title character in a film that mixes coming of age elements with historical re-enactments of the 1990 Oka Crisis, when settler colonialists tried to take over Indigenous land to build a golf course and a 78 day stand-off followed. It's a solid film, though we're more invested in the historical details than some of the traumatic elements that unexpectedly develop in the last act. 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 [email protected]   Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe and Brenna venture into new territory to discuss writing/directing duo Sarah Watts and Mark Slutsky's queer Canadian Jehovah's Witness romance. Featuring stand-out performances by Anwen O'Driscoll and June Laporte, the 90s-set film is beautifully quiet and contemplative. Plus: debate about the effectiveness of the ending; a surprising best friend character; and questions about the "mom on the phone" 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 [email protected]   Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return to the world of Jim Henson to discuss the one-off reboot of The Muppet Show (2026). We discuss why Sabrina Carpenter was an inspired first host, how kiddos handle the "scary" Beeker skit, why Kermit sounds a little different, and our hopes for more felt friends in the future. 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 [email protected]  Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former guest Alex Heeney writes in to gently read Brenna and Joe about recent comments that suggest they may be aging out of YA. At what point do you realize you're no longer the target audience and move onto New Adult literature? 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 [email protected]   Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe wrap up our coverage of Percy Jackson with a look at Disney +'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians S02. It's an improvement on the film in every way, including the depth of characterization for the central trio, the great depiction of Tyson, and a fantastic episode featuring Circe. There are, however, still a few missteps, including Mr. D and Tantalus (UGH), occasional slavish to Rick Riordan's source material, and a finale we kinda hate. 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 [email protected]   Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return for week two of our discussion on Percy Jackson's second adventure, with a look at the 2013 film Sea of Monsters. Armed with a new director (Diary of a Wimpy Kid's Thor Freudenthal) and a mostly new adult cast, the film makes the odd decision to change a million little elements from the book. Plus: pitch perfect roles for Nathan Fillion and Stanley Tucci; Logan Lerman's snoozy performance as the titular character; too many fleece resurrections; and discussion of the CGI cyclops eyeball 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 [email protected]   Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe kick off the first of three weeks on Percy Jackson and the Olympians with a look at Rick Riordan's second novel of the series: The Sea of Monsters. Up for discussion: new character Tyson (and what that means for Grover), Middle Grade writing structure, how the book renders Greek mythology accessible, and the very 2006 era inclusion of Confederate soldiers. 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 [email protected]   Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe close out revisionist history month with a look at the first (and only) season of Prime's My Lady Jane (2024). This New Adult text ages everyone up because it is *horny* (and quite hilarious). Plus: a male voice-over for a female-driven show; a messy metaphor, a reliance on needle drops, and our favourite beautiful gown. 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 [email protected]   Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe gallop through Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows's My Lady Jane (2016). Our final revisionist text concerns England's nine day queen, Jane Grey, but uses a fantasy metaphor to tackle the real life Prostestant vs Catholic battle. Plus: thoughts on the YA romance; Jane as a modern heroine; and how the three authors' voices blend together. 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 [email protected]   Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Joe and Brenna find ourselves in uncharted waters. Rosaline (2022) is most definitely NOT an adaptation of When You Were Mine (if anything, it's a contemporary take on Romeo and Juliet, the play). With that bizarre fact aside, Rosaline is extremely enjoyable. A fantastic cast, playful direction, and a screwball screenplay make this a breezy good time. Just don't call it an adaptation! 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 [email protected]   Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.