Okay this wasn't necessarily my favorite volume so far, but there are still a lot of fun moments! We get to see where Twilight works as a part of his cover, and Anya's inquisitiveness during her interview with him was hilarious. Plus, we learn where the other spy from the previous volume, and I will say that storyline was pretty good. Classic child misunderstanding. 

I am interested in seeing where this goes next, though! I would say please bring in more of Bond because he's just great. And the family interactions are really the best.

 Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! Apparently 2022 is going to be the year of graphic novels and comics, which I have no complaints about. It’s pretty much all I’ve read in 2022 so far, and I’ve definitely found some great ones so far!

As someone who also graduated college with an English degree and struggled to find that full-time job, Ben’s journey is so relatable. As I think it will be for anyone in my generation. Especially as Ben gets rejection after rejection because they deem he doesn’t have enough work experience. If you’ve looked for any kind of full-time career position in the last few years, this will likely be relatable to you, too.

I also thought the romance in this was super sweet and not too fast moving. Ben and Liam have great chemistry on the page, and it’s definitely a kind of slow burn romance. Ben’s little friend group is also awesome, and I felt that most of the characters in the book were fully fleshed out. Despite the unsuccessful job hunt situation, Ben’s after college set up seems pretty nice!

My only complaint about this graphic novel is that it got really wordy at times. I think the writer might have thought that the cooking scenes needed a lot of explanation, but we could have gotten away with less words, I think. I found myself skimming some of the explanations throughout.

All in all, if you’re looking for a cute graphic novel romance to read this summer, definitely check this one out! Especially if you’re a recent college grad looking for that elusive full-time job. You’ll definitely find a kindred spirit in Ben. 
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Well, that was adorable. Maybe a bit wordy at times, but still adorable. And relatable! Stay tuned for a full review to come soon!

 Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! While I haven’t read all of VE Schwab’s work, I’ve read a good chunk of it. So, this is definitely an anticipated release for me! And I’m happy to say that it didn’t disappoint.

Let me start off by saying that I wasn’t expecting this to get as spooky as it does? For that reason, I felt like it’s better suited for a fall release rather than a spring release. But I digress! Schwab does an excellent job setting the eerie tone for this book. It’s incredibly atmospheric, and there’s almost always a sense that something’s off when Olivia enters Gallant. You can almost feel the tension in the air as she tries to find her place in this new house.

However, I did want a bit more out of the characters. Olivia is pretty well fleshed out, but the rest of the cast of characters felt pretty one dimensional to me. I specifically wanted some of the house members to be a bit more rounded out, which would have added even more to the overall atmosphere of the book.

The ending also felt a bit abrupt, and I don’t know if that was just me or if it was a pacing thing. I just wanted a little more resolution at the end, something that helped bring a little more sense of closure to the Gallant house.

All in all, if you’re ready for a spooky read in March, I’d definitely recommend checking this out! Especially if you’re a fan of VE Schwab; this is a great addition to her ever growing list of works! 

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Dark and foreboding and wonderfully atmospheric, I almost feel like this would have been better suited as a fall release rather than a spring one. I 100% was sucked into this story, even if the ending felt a bit abrupt. Stay tuned for a full review to come next week!

Oh my god, this might be my favorite volume yet! The Forger family gets a dog in this one, a dog that might just be able to tell the future. The whole adventure getting the dog was a riot, and exhibits exactly why this manga is so fun. With the addition of Bond, I'm sure there ar even more adventures to be had in future volumes!

Seriously, everyone, if you want something that's entertaining, fun, with a lot of great characters, this is the manga for you! things are getting more complex as we find out that Yor's brother is a part of the secret police, hunting Twilight. Honestly, that whole scene with them at dinner was just hilarious. This is definitely a series that I could marathon read in one day, if I had all the volumes. 

This was such a lovely collection of stories! There's something for everyone in here, from fantasy to poetry to illustrated stories. And all kinds of identities are represented! There were just some fun stories in here that would make fantastic books on their own, too.

My only qualm with short story collections, especially for younger audiences, is I don't know how many kids actually read them or are drawn to them. I think they're important and awesome, but I honestly think more adults read them than kids probably do. I could be wrong, but that's just my personal experience.

This book just shows the mastery that Jason Reynolds has over language. Overall, there aren't that many words in this book, but they make you feel something. Highly recommend reading the coversation between Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin at the end about how this book came to be, because it's a wonderful story.

We shouldn't forget about the art, either. The art combined with the words in this book is part of what makes it such a powerful experience. I'm not sure I could completely put it into words. But I would 100% love to listen to Jason Reynolds read this, so I'm definitely leaving my audiobook hold from the library. Honestly, just read this book. 

 Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an advanced copy of this to review! One of my most anticipated releases of the year, I’m so happy this lived up to my expectations. It’s not always an easy book to read, but it definitely is a necessary one. And one that fills a bit of a hole in young adult literature.

I believe this is loosely based on Tahir’s own life, and you can feel it in the emotions that fill the pages. Something we knew from An Ember in the Ashes, Tahir is an expert at writing emotion, and at writing characters you care about. That’s something that shines through this book. Sal and Noor have great chemistry, even when they’re not talking. Giving us snippers of Sal’s mom’s story also adds to the history and the context of their story.

This book also deals with a lot of tough issues, racism, immigration, sexual assault, drug dealing. However, it doesn’t feel like there’s too much going on in one book, which can sometimes happen. All of these issues in this story are interelated, and through her characters, Tahir shows how that’s true. It’s a story that feels realistic and shows things that many teens deal with on a daily basis.

Even though this is different from Tahir’s fantasy series, you find a lot of the same elements of hope, family, and love. It’s a strongly crafted book, all emotions and all. 
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Sabaa Tahir definitely doesn't pull the punches in this book. Oof. Stay tuned for a full review to come soon!

Well this was absolutely adorable. Right from the beginning, I loved the art. It fits the setting really well, making it all around a gorgeous book. There's great character development as well, Jordan and her friends pop off the page. Even Marshmallow has a personality, and it's fantastic.

This is a relatively quick read, and it feels very middle grade. A lot of the situations that Jordan encounters feel like they were pulled right from a real life middle school. Kids reading will understand Jordan's struggles as she switches interests and activities, pulling her away from her friend group.

The main reason this isn't getting five stars is because the ending didn't quite seem to fit with the rest of the book to me. While it may seem like there were little hints throughout, it sort of felt like it came out of left field. 

Other than that, this is absolutely a graphic novel I'd recommend to many middle grade readers.

You know, I can definitely see why people get upset over this, though we won't really see the full effects until the next issues. For me, it wasn't <i>that</i> bad. It's an interesting way to reset a character to take him in a different direction. My guess is that's why Marvel chose to use this storyline as an inspiration for No Way Home, since they were unsure of Spider-Man's future in the MCU. But I digress!

In this particular volume, there's an afterward from Stan Lee who applaudes J. Michael Stracynski for taking risks with this storyline. Because what is comics writing without taking risks! He brings up a good point that we need a little shake up now and again to keep the stories engaging and interesting, and he's absolutely right. Is this the best Spider-Man storyline/comic arc ever? No, probably not. But it does bring an interesting light to Peter Parker, and gives him a chance to move forward in a new direction. And I definitely appreciate that!