Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

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**Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr**

A weekly podcast about young adult literature, their film and television adaptations and everything in between.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Latest Episodes:

Mailbag 51: Happy 'You Can Live Forever' Ending Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

Listener Hannah writes in to offer a more optimistic/happy reading of the end of You Can Live Forever.

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: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labyrinth (1986) feat. Jes Battis Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

Joe and Brenna are joined by returning guest Jes Battis to discuss Jim Henson's Labyrinth (1986) for its 40th anniversary.

Jes literally wrote the book on the film, It's Only Forever: Labyrinth, which means this celebratory episode is filled with tons of insights into both the film and Jim Henson.

Plus: 80s nostalgia; academia as goblin-world; our fave characters/puppets and songs; and, of course, the David Bowie of it all.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Jes: @jesbattis.bsky.social / Buy the book via the ECW Press site

> Brenna: @brennacgray

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book: Girls Like Girls (2023) Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

Brenna and Joe check out singer/writer Hayley Kiyoko's queer romance novel Girls Like Girls (2023) in advance of the feature adaptation. C/W: Discussions of suicide

It's a great approximation of the fiery heat of young love, though we can't fully invest in the main couple (ugh Sonya!)

Plus: father/daughter relationships; "wrong" partners; and our hopes for the film.

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: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Film: Out Of My Mind (2024) Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Joe and Brenna return to discuss director Amber Sealey (the voice of The Princess Diaries audiobook?!) and writer Daniel Stiepleman's adaptation of Out Of My Mind (2024).

Starring real life disabled actor Phoebe-Rae Taylor, this Peabody-winning film will definitely get the waterworks going, especially Luke Kirby (who gives Stanley Tucci a run for his money for Best Dad in YA).

Plus: the visualization of Melody's frustration; the power of silence; a kooky Judith Light; and a small but intriguing change to the climax.

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: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 50: Lord of the Flies Pig and Comic Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

Brenna and Joe catch up on emails from Tea, Books, and Chocolate and Charlotte about Lord of the Flies, including a disturbing read on Simon and the pig and the comic adaptation by Aimee de Jongh.

Plus: Joe recommends the Amazon show The Wilds.

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: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book: Out of My Mind (2010) Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

Brenna and Joe check out Sharon Draper's Out Of My Mind (2010) about Melody, a non-verbal girl with Cerebral Palsy who wants to be able to communicate more than anything.

Unlike so many other books about disability, however, this isn't a book about how Melody changes the world...and it's better for it!

Plus: exceptional Middle Grade fiction; resisting the temptation of a fantasy ending; and garbage children and systemic barriers.

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: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Summer of 69 (2025) May 26, 2026

Show notes

Joe and Brenna boldly explore a YA topic they've never discussed before: the sex comedy! We're getting filthy and profane with Jillian Bell's directorial debut, Summer of 69 (2025) in which a teenager hires a stripper to teach her about sex.

This is a ton of fun, which great performances, a sex (and sex worker) positive perspective, and a group of women doing it for themselves.

Plus: a schwoopy haired teen love interest; a dildo nightmare sequence; and why does counting (or the lack thereof) amuse Brenna so much?!

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: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Show: Finding Her Edge (2026) May 19, 2026

Show notes

Brenna and Joe return to discuss the eight episode S01 adaptation of Finding Her Edge, co-created by Jeff Norton and Shelley Scarrow (disappointingly - she worked on Canadian faves like Wynona Earp and Being Erica).

This is BAD on multiple levels (try to count Joe's innumerable rants), most egregiously in how little anyone seems to care.

Plus: digging into that Rotten Tomatoes score; the show's mishandling of queer characters; Brenna's disdain for Persuasion comparisons; and lots of snorts/laughs!

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: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book: Finding Her Edge (2022) May 12, 2026

Show notes

Brenna and Joe hit the ice with Jennifer Iacopelli's 2022 novel Finding Her Edge.

It's the story of an ambitious 16 year old with Olympic dreams, and her gaslighting trash father and dismissive older sister. Oh...and a love triangle.

It's fine! The novel is a bit too long & tropey and the romance is the least interesting part, but it's readable and the sports stuff is engaging. Spoiler alert: it's also way better than 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: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Show: Lord of the Flies (2026) May 05, 2026

Show notes

Lord of the Flies is back thanks to the new four episode limited series from Adolescence creators Mark Munden and Jack Thorne.

After revisiting William Golding's original text, Brenna has a list of adaptation changes and how they affect the colonial, queer, and race readings.

Plus: non-professional child actors; fish eyed lenses; the impact of B/W vs colour; and why this series isn't exactly entertainment

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: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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