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2.83k reviews by:
betweentheshelves
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I always enjoy the folklore in Sacha Lamb's books, but I'm thinking that their writing style just isn't for me. This book had a good hook, but a lot of the important stuff doesn't happen until too close to the end of the story. It made the pacing feel off, and took me out of the story a bit. Definitely recommend if you're interested in Jewish folklore, though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Antisemitism
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, Murder
Minor: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While I didn't completely predict the ending on this one, there were aspects that I did predict which I think took me out of the story a little bit. I did like the premise of this, though, and appreciated the dark academia aspects of the story overall. I can see a lot of teens being drawn to this story, though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Racism
Minor: Suicide
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well, this was adorable! I love seeing romances centered around bookstores, and getting to see Bobby pivot when he doesn't get the summer of his dreams was great. It's his relationship with Luke that helps to inspire him to pivot on his goals for the Corner Bookstore. It's great to see a character who is willing to make challenges when they realize that they are going the wrong direction.
This is billed as a romance, however I would have liked to see more of Bobby and Luke together. Once they finally get together at the end, the book wraps up pretty quickly, which is unfortunate because I do think they had a fun chemistry together!
This is billed as a romance, however I would have liked to see more of Bobby and Luke together. Once they finally get together at the end, the book wraps up pretty quickly, which is unfortunate because I do think they had a fun chemistry together!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Toxic friendship
Minor: Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My only regret is that I didn't get to this one when it came out last year! I honestly can't think of any other YA books that feature mariachi music in this way, and I am here for it. Jonny Garza Villa also tackles grief in such a realistic way, showing both the good and the bad sides to it. Rafie doesn't always make the best decisions, but that's what makes him such a relatable character.
Jonny Garza Villa is definitely one to keep an eye in the YA space because so far, for me, all of their books have been a hit!
Jonny Garza Villa is definitely one to keep an eye in the YA space because so far, for me, all of their books have been a hit!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Grief
Moderate: Death, Racism, Terminal illness
Minor: Mental illness, Violence, Alcohol
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall, a fun time! Rennison does a great job capturing the voice of a teenager in Georgia. Love the glossary in the back for understanding some of her different language choices. It would definitely make for a good palette cleanser between some darker books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Sexism, Sexual assault
Minor: Eating disorder, Incest, Transphobia
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I feel mixed about this book. The premise was really interesting, and there was so much potential in this world. However, I don't think the world building was done to it's full capacity. The story overall felt like it could have used more description and backstory to bring readers up to speed at the beginning.
However, the characters themselves definitely add to the story and help when sometimes the plot felt like it was dragging. I may not have loved this as much as other people, but it was still an enjoyable read.
However, the characters themselves definitely add to the story and help when sometimes the plot felt like it was dragging. I may not have loved this as much as other people, but it was still an enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Kidnapping
Minor: Vomit, Grief, Sexual harassment
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Ollie In Between by Jess Callans to review! I was immediately drawn in by the cover for this one, and I’m always on a quest to read more middle grade. As a debut novel, I was super impressed by this one!
Callans perfectly captures the experience of puberty when you’re in middle school. That feeling of confusion, anxiety, and feeling like everyone else knows more than you do. I can imagine that those feelings are magnified when you’re also questioning your gender identity, and there are a lot of middle grade readers who will feel seen by Ollie.
Outside of identity, this is also a book about friendship and finding new friends who accept you for you who are. Middle school is a notoriously hard time for that, and shifting friend groups isn’t the most fun thing in the world. Ollie navigates this in this book, eventually finding somewhere they fit in.
In the current state of book banning, this book is such an important story. Callans hits all the right notes for a middle school story, and I can’t wait to recommend it when it comes out in April.
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Review to come!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just as much action in this one as the first one, we love to see it! If you're looking for some good heist novels to get into, I definitely recommend both of these. Not only do they have a great cast of characters, but the heists and the challenges that Ross and crew get into are always exciting. You never know how something is going to go wrong (because let's face it, something is always going to go wrong).
Can't wait to recommend this series at work to teens who also love The Inheritance Games or are just looking for heist novels!
Can't wait to recommend this series at work to teens who also love The Inheritance Games or are just looking for heist novels!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, Death of parent
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Terminal illness
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Once I finally remembered what happened in the first book, this was an excellent sequel! Gregson kept up the pace in this book, all the while expanding the world that we were initially introduced to. Conrad is definitely on a journey discovering how corrupt his uncle actually is. With that cliffhanger of an ending, there is for sure going to be another book.
I've been recommending this series a lot at work lately because there's not a lot of sci-fi like this that's published for a teen audience. If you have a teen lookng for action-packed sci-fi that sort of fits the vibes of something like Red Rising, this would be a good fit for them. Gregson knows how to pull you into the story and not let up until the end!
I've been recommending this series a lot at work lately because there's not a lot of sci-fi like this that's published for a teen audience. If you have a teen lookng for action-packed sci-fi that sort of fits the vibes of something like Red Rising, this would be a good fit for them. Gregson knows how to pull you into the story and not let up until the end!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't think I liked this one as much as the first one, but I enjoyed the overall structure of the story. Moving from place to place on a sort of treasure hunt for this mythical island worked well in furthering the story from the first book. I just think I liked the court intrigue of the first book more.
The historical information at the back of the book was also fascinating, and I'm glad the author included it! Putting this fantasy world into context made me like the book even more than I did before, honestly.
The historical information at the back of the book was also fascinating, and I'm glad the author included it! Putting this fantasy world into context made me like the book even more than I did before, honestly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Classism
Minor: Confinement, Vomit, Murder