One of Us is Lying meets Agatha Christie in this graduation celebration murder mystery. 

There is a LOT of drama packed into this book, making it fun to put pieces of the puzzle together to try and guess the killer. There are obvious characters who didn't do it, but there is also a big muddle puddle of characters who could have definitely done it. 

I do wish the ending was a bit longer to share more of what happened "after." However, as far as YA mysteries go, I think the ending is pretty on par with most books. 

This is a great book. It very much gives The Hate U Give meets One of Us is Lying. Nick Brooks masterfully draws attention to the despicable systemic racism and inequality that too many young Black and Brown folks (especially male-presenting) face in the United States educational system. Brooks created more than just a young adult mystery - he created a symphonic call-out to systemic inequalities.   

Brooks also touches on pretty much everything a young adult mystery should touch on. There was drama. There was Romance. There were shady characters. Characters that made you question your judgment.

I had my assumptions about who the killer was about a third of the way through, but with all of the distractions and character perspectives, I could never be 100% sure. I think that part of this was due to all of the POV changes.  I don't often love a book that changes POV so much because it feels like it is easy to become lost, but how Brooks wrote the multiple POVs was smart, intentional, and full of depth. Each main character was so dynamic, and the supporting characters fit into the plot like perfect puzzle pieces.

I am always happy to recommend this title to readers! 

Lots of walking. Like...a LOT of walking. And some fish. Good fish.

A bear attack.

Death.

A baby.

300 pages for a lot of nothing. 

What a unique, weird little story!

I had a great time listening to this Star Wars-esk middle-grade science-fiction. 

I do wish more depth was put into the overall plot of this story, as it felt pretty generic at certain points, however, the uniqueness of the characters was fun and made me excited to keep reading. The ending was pretty surprising, but I do wish more clues were given throughout the book to hint at it.

I am excited to flip through the physical version to appreciate the illustrations, and I am curious what the rest of the series is like! 

A uniquely illustrated, thrilling adventure of a young girl who was raised in an underground sanctuary. When forced to flee above ground, Eva Nine searches for others like her in a futuristic yet familiar landscape.  

This was a funny and silly ride of a book. I would compare the comedy level to that of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The plot overall didn't feel like much happened, however, I think the goofy nature of the story made it worth the read and fun to follow along with. 

A new and unique dystopian world brought to readers by the award-winning author The Last Cuentista. For the last 400 years, Earth has been a barren wasteland. The few surviving humans scrape by, locked in the walls of Pocatel. After his younger sister, Gabi, is caught stealing a strawberry from a Pocatelan elite, Leandro takes the blame to save her from exile and inevitable death. After being exiled to the land beyond the wall himself, Leandro finds himself face-to-face with other alebrije, mutant sand monsters, and wasteland pirates. Leandro seeks a better life in a world where truth is buried far beneath power and secrets. A brilliant new story to a reemerging genre.  

After her mother suddenly passes away without explanation, Rosie Frost is sent to the mysterious Bloodstone Island, home to a school for extraordinary teens and a sanctuary for many endangered species. On Bloodstone, Rosie encounters an untrustworthy headmaster, a group of vengeful mean-girls, and shocking family secrets. In order to uncover the secrets, Rosie must join, and win, the Falcon Queen Games to fight against strange forces threatening the island and its inhabitants. This adventurous and mysterious fantasy-school story is bound to draw in junior high readers.  

A fun addition to the world in Enoshima Dinoland. I liked the inclusion of character backstory in this volume, and I am looking forward to the next release! 

Well...this was a book I needed to read. I needed to read this one for me, and I needed to read this one to challenge me. 

For so long, I have fed myself the narrative that my body is bad because it's fat. My body is bad because it doesn't fi society's expectations of "good." I STILL fall for this narrative. 

Aubrey Gordon challenged my beliefs, validated my feelings, and gave me anti-fat biases to challenge in my own life.

I would recommend this a s read for any body.