A fairytale anthology collection with various retellings and more. Absolutely mesmerizing storytelling. Seven different stories, all filled with magic, adventure, and even a little bit of romance. I would have to say my favorite stories were The Briar and the Rose ( a sleeping beauty retelling) and The Last Dignity of Man ( another take on Lex Luther x Superman). It was an unexpected collection but each story was such a great read, on top of that at the end of each story is a note about why the author wrote it and some other notes, and it just adds such a lovely touch. I would highly recommend this read for anyone interested in fairytales, folklore, or just looking for a great short story!

*Thanks Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Faye Faulker is a witch and when a new girl joins Faye’s lunch table a series of events is set in motion. Cody is a lonely girl and decides to join the Loser Table and befriend the kids at that table. She soon discovers that Faye’s witch outfits isn’t just a costume and that Faye is actually a witch. High school drama and a malevolent monster on the loose, soon Faye finds her hands full trying to navigate high school. Definitely an interesting story about a witch and what a hell high school can be like.

*Thanks Netgalley and Amulet Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

*TRIGGER WARNING: Book contains instances of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide, as well as detailed depictions of depression*

In the small town of West Finch, Maine, three people’s lives are intertwined. Sixteen-year old Harlow Prout is an activist who has a complicated relationship with her best friend Ellis and his twin brother Tommy. Ellis, having suffered a childhood injury that has left him with a severe injury, constantly runs away from his problems and has a broken relationship with his twin brother. Tommy, is clinically depressed, and in the wake of the town’s latest devastating storm, attempts to commit suicide but is saved at the last minute. Harlow and Ellis have always been best friends and have an extremely codependent relationship (to the point where it is unhealthy) and Harlow and Tommy have always disliked each other....until now. Harlow and Tommy begin to start a relationship and with this, Harlow and Ellis begin to separate, on top of that all three harbor secrets that threaten to destroy all their relationships.

If I’m being real honest here, Harlow and Ellis were not great people and were extremely unlikeable. The only characters I actually liked and connected with were Tommy and his dog. Harlow is obsessed with “the plan”, her perfect plan for her future with Ellis and constantly fixing things, fixing people, and least we forget she constantly bullies Tommy and when the secret of what she does to him comes out I wasn’t even surprised. Ellis on the other hand is also not a great character, he is the type of person who must have it be about them and no one else. He can’t stand to see Harlow focus on anyone but him and he has to have the separation of Harlow and Tommy, and then when Harlow and Tommy start dating he does everything to separate and destroy that relationship. And onto Tommy, he is someone who is still trying to deal with his mental illness and trying to find some semblance of what to do next. All three of them just do not work together, I so badly wanted Tommy to cut them out of his life.

Onto the ending of the book.... I hated it. I just... I was left with the feeling of “what did I just read? thats it? Is that how this ends??”

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A modern look at Hamlet through the perspective of a teen dealing with grief, love, and family. Dane Riley is still reeling from the death of his father after returning home from boarding school, it doesn’t help that his mother is now dating his father’s best friend. Dane is dealing with so much grief and after his failed suicide attempt has started seeing therapists. He is angry and sad, angry at his mother, angry at the people who have moved into his house, and missing his father. Then there is Ophelia, the girl who lives next door who Dane has been madly in love with yet he can’t seem to ask her out. The story follows Dane as he struggles through his new family dynamic and all the anger and grief that is bottled up inside of him as well as the budding romance. It was such an interesting take on Hamlet and definitely a fresh one. The story deals with mental health, grief, and the aches and pains of growing up. Dane was a relatable character in that, I understood where he was coming from, I was there. Now that I’m in my 20′s I can still remember being a teen and feeling all that sadness and anger but also questioning everything and trying to find some point about where my life was going next. Dane’s fears and anger and struggles are relatable and reading from his perspective was great. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

When a quiet bookish girl is pursued by the most popular guy in school...things go awry. Suehiro is just a girl who loves to read and live a quiet and calm life to avoid the anxieties she has about trying to make friends. When the popular guy Takasago asks her out as a part of a punishment game (essentially he lost a game and has to ask her out for fun) she is mortified and refuses. But he becomes persistent when another student calls him out on it and says it’s essentially bullying. Now he wont leave her alone until she says yes. They begin to get to know each other and soon Suehiro is being brought out of her shell by Takasago and Takasago is learning to read more books.... and so begins a awkward and weird relationship. (I’m not gonna lie, I was rooting for the cute author guy with glasses who calls out Takasago)

*Thanks Netgalley and Kodansha for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

After rescuing a stranger, a girl who is just trying to keep her family out of debt is proposed to.... apparently the stranger she saved is a Sheikh. He offers to help her family and in return she will marry him, and so begins the married life between a highschool girl and the second prince.

A great read! Filled with adventure, mystery, friendship, and creepy cases, this is a fun read! The third book in the series, this graphic novel is perfect for anyone looking for an interesting read!

Katherine Addison is back again with another amazing story! This one takes place as a stand-alone sequel to her previous book The Goblin Emperor (but I read it without reading that one and it was perfectly fine). I had read her other work Angels of Crows earlier last year and IT WAS MY FAVORITE SHERLOCK RETELLING EVER. Anyways, this story follows Thara Celehar, a Prelate of Ulis and a Witness for the Dead. Thara has the ability to speak for the dead and after the events of the previous book he is now just working in a semi-exile. He was kicked out as the retainer of his cousin (the former Empress) and even though he tries to avoid as much politics as possible he now finds himself in a new mess. Throw in a mysterious murder and now we have a mystery on our hands. It was a thrilling journey to navigate every clue and witness with Thara and discover how he deals with not only the politics of his job but the politics of the city. Thara was an interesting protagonist and reading from his perspective was great.

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Ever wanted to know the real story about Cinderella’s Stepmother and what made her the way she was? This story gives us the backstory of Lady Tremaine’s life and how she became known as the evil step-mother in Cinderella. Lady Tremaine was a caring and loving mother and after her husband died she’s been taking care of her family and just trying to grieve. After 6 years, her friends introduce her to Sir Richard, aka. Cinderella’s father. At first he is handsome and immediately convinces Lady Tremaine to marry him and pretends he is in love with her....but by the time she has moved into his family house... things are going very wrong. Now, let me tell you how much I disliked Sir Richard and Cinderella. Sir Richard was abusive as all heck, he stole her money, her dignity, and threatened her life along with her daughters. What really got me was that ending.... it just wasn’t fair. Lady Tremaine was tricked and even the fairy godmother and other fairies ignored her cries for help for years and set her on the path to her destruction. So overall, this was such a sad read as I found myself sympathizing and feeling so bad for Lady Tremaine and all for what? That sad ending? It is tragic.

*Thanks Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

What happens when the man known as “London’s Most Elusive Bachelor” falls in love with the one woman who has set her heart on someone else... mischief, romance, and fun. Elodie Parrish has been in love with her childhood friend George, who has promised to marry her... except years have gone by and he keeps telling her he has to sow his oats with other ladies and isn’t ready for marriage just yet. When Elodie accidentally collides into Lord Brandon Hullworth, he mistakenly assumes that she is trying to trap him into marriage and the two immediately get off on the wrong foot. But later on in the party Elodie befriends Brandon’s younger sister Meg, and the two become close friends. Soon Elodie and Brandon are finding themselves constantly running into each other and their feelings starting to turn from hate to friendship.,,, to something more. Elodie is determined to marry George though even though she doesn’t really feel anything for him compared to Brandon and Brandon is determined to court Elodie and show her just how right he is for her and how wrong George is. It’s a sweet story that switches POVs between Brandon and Elodie. I really liked Brandon as a love interest, he’s sweet and funny, and overall very caring and attentive.

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*