I know a lot of people love this series, and I can see the appeal, but it just wasn't really my cup of tea. This book definitely takes a large jump into more new adult than young adult, which is totally fine! It's kind of in the same line as [book:A Court of Thorns and Roses|16096824] and that kind of book, which a lot of people love! But the politics and some of the magic rules were a bit confusing to me. 

There were also some scenes in this book that were kind of cringy for me. Specifically when it came to will and attraction, and if you read this book, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. These scenes between Emilia and Wrath didn't quite sit right with me, and I kind of wish they weren't even included.

Anyway, Emilia and Wrath did have good chemistry, I just wish that the politics in this book made more sense to me. Maybe it's because I listened to the audio? Who knows. We'll see if I continue on with the next one (though there is a cliffhanger and I might need to know how it finishes).
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I'm just not in the mood for this right now, might wait until the library gets the audiobook version instead because that's how I listened to the first book!

This is one of those books that you don't really know what's completely going on until the end of it. It's a book about storytelling at its core, and let me tell you, Darcie Little Badger is a master at it. Before diving in, know that the format is based in Lipan Apache storytelling structure, so it unfolds differently than you're probably used to in Western books. But, once you get to the ending, it is totally worth it.

At the core, we have two different narratives: Nina, a Lipan girl based in our world and obsessed with stories, and Oli, a cottonmouth kid who is from the land of spirits. At first, it's unclear what the two stories have to do with each other, but by the end, you learn how they are connected. Infused with magic and mythology, this book isn'te quite like any other book I've ever read. It might not be for everyone, but I recommend spending time with it, as it's a gem of a book that absolutely has a place in the realm of YA literature.

In my journey to eventually read all of V.E. Schwab's books, this book was absolutely a delight! I loved the way ghosts were re-imagined in this book, and Cass and Jacob's friendship was probably one of my favorite aspects of the book. The fact that Cass's parents are ghost hunters but her dad doesn't believe Cass can see ghosts just adds a fun twist on the whole story.

There's so much you can do with this concept, and I'm excited to see where the series goes next! I checked this out to read in the Halloween season, which we are passed now, but it fit the current weather here, so that's fine with me too. Also, the fact that Schwab can write for any audience is a feat in and of itself and I'm just in awe of her writing skill!

I've gone back and forth on how to rate this because on the one hand, it's an important narrative to have in the middle grade section and the verse is well done. I also appreciated the way therapy was portrayed as a positive experience, because middle grade readers definitely need to see that therapy is a positive thing. 

I know this has gotten a lot of positive buzz, and I can understand why! I think I just wanted more balance and more character development. Honestly, I think this story would have worked better as a prose novel because it would have given Ellie more room to grow. Do I think a lot of middle grade readers are going to find themselves in this novel? Yes. Just be sure they're in the right headspace to do so!

I hadn't really heard much about this book, but I picked it up off the shelf at the library and I'm glad that I did! Not only was the art in it really well done, the characters were great and I loved the premise of the story. Maybe a little on the long side, but I would revisit a story with these characters again for sure!

This was rightfully cute! One of my favorite things about it was the way recipes were incorporated between chapters. Not only were there some really great recipes included in here, but they also directly connected to what was going on in Syd's life. Fair warning-this book will probably make you hungry!

I think the romance element was done pretty well, too. You can right off the bat that Syd and Harley have chemistry, and even though Syd is getting out of a relationship, they are just so perfect together. Plus, there are some great side characters who really round out this queer bakery haven in Austin, Texas.

Some of the magic baking stuff wasn't quite believable, especially towards the end there. However, I did enjoy Syd's journey and think this is an absolutely adorable queer baking romance.

Alexander doesn't shy away from difficult topics in this autobiographical graphic novel. He really digs deep into his exploration of his sexuality, and the ways that trauma affected his time in school. There's a lot to like in this graphic novel, from the distinct art style to the writing. There are middle grade readers that will for sure relate to the story. 

One of the things that felt most authentic to me for this book was Damian's journey to discovering that he likes boys instead of girls. Throughout the book, he constantly talks about ways he's different than the other boys in his class, but it's not until middle school that he really realizes that he has different romantic feelings, too. There's alos a positive representation of therapy, and Damian finally gets the help that he needs. 

Overall, this is an effective graphic novel that would definitely have a home on any school or library shelf.

You can just tell that this book was written from a place of sincerity and experience because it just feels so authentic, right from the beginning. The only other book I can think of (that I've read personally) that deals so well with asexuality is Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann. These are marketed as YA, but they are about characters in college, so I think they'd fall more in the New Adult category.

Anyway! I've determined that Alice Oseman is probably the queen of writing characters. She writes these little found families that you absolutely want to be a part of. The characters just leap off the page, and their relationships change and grow throughout. One of my favorite relationships was probably between Georgia and Rooney. They both need each other to help figure out their own identities, and the way they grew throughout the book was just so relatable. 

Outside of the characters, the discussions about friendships being just as important as romantic relationships were all spot on. Too often, media and society in general makes us think that if people aren't in a romantic relationship that they're somehow worth less than everyone who is. Loveless puts friendship on the same level as romance, and we definitely love to see it.

This is only the second novel that I've read by Oseman (outside of Heartstopper), and I absolutely can't wait to get to her other books, just for her characters alone. As someone who reads for character more than anything else, that alone will make me return to Oseman as an author again and again.

Middle grade/school age kids are going to love this! Funny, entertaining, and relatable. I swear, there's nothing that Jason Reynolds can't do. More to come in a full review next week!

I'll admit, it did take me a bit to get into this, but I think that was more of a mood reading problem than an actual book problem. Once I got into it, man. The connections to Romeo and Juliet, the pacing, the characters. Definitely doesn't suffer from second book syndrome. Stay tuned for a full review to come later this week!