Reviews by betweentheshelves

2.83k reviews by:

betweentheshelves

Only a Monster

Vanessa Len

4.0

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

There is so much to like about this book! Not only does it have great characters and an interesting, refreshing premise, but it also moves along at a good pace. It's easy to jump into the story and you're immediately hooked, right from the beginning. While it does use some typical YA fantasy tropes, the world and the characters make up for it, 100%.

The only reason this isn't getting a full five stars is because time travel and "the one true timeline" thing always throws me a for a loop. Time travel is confusing! But other than that, this was definitely an enjoyable read. And I'd recommend the audio because the narrator does a great job!

Content Warnings

Alone Out Here

Riley Redgate

3.0

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Publishing for an advanced copy of Alone Out Here to review! Sometimes it can be hard to find science fiction in the YA genre, but I feel like we've gotten more in the last few years and I am here for it. Space kind of freaks me out, but I still enjoy reading about it!

This book is essentially being pitched as Lord of the Flies in space, which is overall a pretty accurate description. Redgate accurately captures the pressure that's constantly put on younger generations to fix the errors of the past. Which is a strong theme throughout the book. Generally, the sense of foreboding and loss is well done, permeating throughout the majority of the story. Definitely here for the tone of the book overall!

However, there are a lot of characters in this. And while not all of them are important to the main plot of the story, it's kind of easy to get lost sometimes. Some of the more technical aspects of space travel also don't quite fit with reality, which is always hard with science fiction. Yes, this is a fictional story. However, if you're going to include more sciencey aspects, I kind of want them to feel more realist.

A small thing of note, this book has been appearing on LGBTQ lists for 2022. While there is some queer rep in here, it's not at the forefront of the story. So if you're looking for gays in space, this aspect might be a bit of a disappointment for you.

All in all, if you enjoy space thrillers and don't mind keeping track of a lot of characters, you might want to pick this one up!

Content Warnings

Paranorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-Hop-Calypse

Stephanie Cooke

3.5

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Such a fun little graphic novel! If you like things like The Okay Witch, Witches of Brooklyn, or The Witch Boy, you'll definitely enjoy this fun little magical graphic novel. The chaos bunnies are adorable, even if they do bring absolute chaos to Abby's town.

The friend group Abby has is also adorable and they're all just there for each other, no matter what. There's also a different twist on ghosts for this book, and a little bit different twist on magic all together. While I think some of the world building could have been better, the characters and the art definitely make up for it.

Definitely a great addition to the ever growing library of fantasy graphic novels for middle grade readers!

The Awakening Storm

Jaimal Yogis

3.5

adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

The beginning of this is a little slow, but once it picks up, it's difficult to put down! The artwork in this is absolutely lovely, bringing to life this magical world of dragons. Grace's adventures with her friends will definitely catch the attention of middle grade readers, especially middle grade readers who love dragons!

The core group of friends was also really fun to read about. The don't start out as friends at the beginning, but I enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve throughout the book. They have a good balance that just makes them a joy to read about. Plus, Nate the dragon is a bonus addition! Pet dragons would honestly be the best.

At times, I do wish some of the world was a little more fleshed out or more details were provided for clarity. But this is a first in a series, so there's definitely more to come!

Content Warnings

So This Is Ever After

F.T. Lukens

4.0

adventurous 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

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of this to review! FT Lukens' In Deeper Waters was such a fun book, I couldn't wait to read this one. And I'm happy to say it's just as entertaining and fun as In Deeper Waters!

So This Is Ever After takes a lot of the fantasy tropes you might know and love and turns them into an absolutely fun and entertaining story. Where most fantasy novels end after the great evil is defeated, we get to see Arek and his friends struggling with what to do now that the king is dead. None of them are from royal backgrounds, so seeing them try to figure out how to rule a kingdom was definitely a riot.

While a lot of the plot elements are a bit predictable, the characters make up for it. Their interactions and just general meandering in the world makes for fun reading. I loved the way things developed between Arek and Matt, because you are absolutely rooting for them throughout the entire novel. Arek's escapades in finding someone to be his soulmate are endearing and funny. And the whole group's interactions with the people of the kingdom add a little breath of fresh air to what you normally might think about fantasy royalty.

All in all, if you're a fan of D&D and love quest novels with a great cast of characters, this book is definitely for you!

Content Warnings

The Lightning-Struck Heart

TJ Klune

5.0

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted 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

Is this book a bit ridiculous? Absolutely. Was it hilarious and entertaining? Also yes. Did it have the signature TJ Klune found family with a swoon-worthy relationship at its core? Yes yes yes. I'll admit, the writing wasn't always as polished as I wanted it to be (the book is a little long by the end and the plot kind of loses itself), but I didn't care because of how much I loved the characters. They are 100% what propel the story forward, and I loved them even more as I got further into the story.

If you've read any of TJ Klune's newer stuff, you can see how much his writing has grown since this book. And that makes me even more excited to read the other books in this series and see how my new favorite found family fares. Because they dserve the world and I can't wait to see what ridiculous advventures they get up to next.

Content Warnings

Ready When You Are

Gary Lonesborough

4.0

emotional 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: Yes

While it took me a little bit to ease into this writing stye and culture, by the end, I was hooked. Set in an Aboriginal community in Australia, it's about two books realizing they're gay and coming to terms with it. In a community where they don't think they'll be accepted. A fair warning, there are some pretty emotional moments by the end of this book.

This is also such a unique voice for YA fiction. Honestly, I don't think there are any other books out there like this, and it's an important voice to be heard. I mean, how many YA books can you think of that feature the Aboriginal community in Australia?

I would definitely read more from this author as well. Once he hits his stride, it's such a compelling story. If you're interested in reading something a little different, I definitely recommend this one!

Content Warnings

Survive the Dome

Kosoko Jackson

4.0

dark tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! This book was on my radar after reading Kosoko Jackson's book, Yesterday Is History, and it hits all of the right notes. If you're looking for a timely YA book that highlights real world issues, this is the book for you!

Kosoko Jackson has a really easy to read writing style that's fast paced and pulls you along in the story. This specifically works well for this particular story, because everything is happening at a rate that adds stress and anxiety to the characters. What also makes this book work well is the fact that (unfortunately) this is something you could see playing out today. Which honestly makes it feel all the more real.

While the writing and story is relevant, some of the dialog and other writing elements could have used a bit of tweaking. Some of the conversations between characters just didn't feel realistic to me, and I wanted a bit more character development in the story. It felt like, at times, there was more telling than showing. But I do think that's something that gets better the more that you write!

All in all, this is a fast-paced, dystopian-esque story that will definitely get you thinking.

Content Warnings

Spy x Family, Vol. 6

Tatsuya Endo

5.0

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Oh my god, the tennis match was hilarious. I was so entertained by everything that happened in those few issues. I felt like we got a good mix of storylines in this one, from Twilight's spy missions to things happening at the school. Now I'm sad I'm caught up to the publication because I have to wait for the next one!

Content Warnings

The Love Hypothesis

Ali Hazelwood

4.0

emotional 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: No

This is a fast-paced quick read, and definitely great if you like any kind of rom-com stories. Olive and Adam are easy to like, and the way their relationship evolves is entertaining and a little bit swoon worthy. Were they a bit awkward? Yes, but they're both in academics, so it kind of felt like it was expected.

If you read a lot of romance, you'll kind of know what to expect going into this, which I think is part of the appeal of these stories. Definitely great if you're just looking for something fun, and something where you don't really have to think a lot about it. I can see why it's made its rounds on both Bookstagram and BookTok!

Content Warnings

More...