Reviews by betweentheshelves

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betweentheshelves

Such Charming Liars

Karen M. McManus

4.0

mysterious tense medium-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

This book feels different from McManus's other books, and I think it might actually be my favorite of hers this far. There are still lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing as you delve into the mystery, and I liked the heist aspect of the story. It was well-developed and made for an interesting plot.

Fans of McManus will definitely enjoy her latest installment.

Content Warnings

Sir Callie and the Witch's War

Esme Symes-Smith

4.5

adventurous dark emotional 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

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for an advanced copy of Sir Callie and the Witch's War by Esme Symes-Smith to review! If you're not reading middle grade fantasy, honestly you're missing out. There is some great stuff being published, this series included!

One of the best parts of this series is the core cast of characters we've come to love from the beginning. In this installment, we are split between a couple of different plot lines, but Symes-Smith does an excellent job not making the overall plot too confusing. Each character gets their opportunity to shine, each dealing with their own struggles in relation to the larger overall struggle.

Symes-Smith also isn't afraid to tackle difficult situations head on. In particular in this book, Edwyn struggles with the absue from his past. It's not easy to write kids books in a way that doesn't water down tough situations, but Symes-Smith seems to do it with ease. Despite the trials and the darker tone of the book overall, it still ends with hope. And not as much as a cliffhanger as the last book.

If you've been sleeping on this series, don't! You'll definitely want to jump in when this book comes out at the end of this month.
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Review to come!

Content Warnings

A Guide to the Dark

Meriam Metoui

3.0

dark emotional 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: Yes

This didn't hook me like I thought it would, and I found my attention drifting while I was listening to the audiobook. However, I do appreciate the explorations of grief and how that relates to the overall haunting nature of the main storyline. It does seem to end a little too quickly, though. It almost seems like there could be a sequel or a spin off story, which maybe would help to have a little more closure.

Content Warnings

Asking for a Friend

Ronnie Riley

3.5

emotional hopeful fast-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

This is a really sweet, fairly quick read! Eden and their friends felt fully formed and realistic, able to open up to each other in a way that they're not able to open up to other people. I will say, it felt like there were too many conversations about queerness and identity, which are important! But they didn't necessarily add too much to the plot. They tended to slow down the ommentum of the book.

Not a bad middle grade read, though! Especially for kids who might feel alone like Eden does at the beginning of the book.

Content Warnings

Gay the Pray Away

Natalie Naudus

4.0

emotional hopeful 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: Complicated

Let's be honest: the librarian is one of the heroes in this book, and we love to see it. It showcases what libraries are really all about: allowing people access to the information they need, in the ways that they need it. Without that, Valerie might not have ever had that awakening.

It really speaks to the power of books as well. Getting to see pieces of yourself represented, and learning other perspectives from your own. The emotional journey in this book is so well done, as are the characters. Definitely a great debut.

Content Warnings

Here We Go Again

Alison Cochrun

4.0

emotional funny sad 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

While at its core, this is a book about death, it's also about life and living it to the fullest. I appreciated the way that ADHD and anxiety were discussed in this book, and neither character was reduced to just that. There's also a lot of talk about grief, about growing up, and about taking risks. An emotional ride, but definitely worth it.

Content Warnings

No Rules Tonight

Ryan Estrada

4.0

adventurous informative 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: Complicated

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an advanced copy of No Rules Tonight by Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada to review! I thoroughly enjoyed Banned Book Club when I read it a few years ago, so I was excited to read this follow up. This one expands on historical South Korea, while adding more characters and more layers to the story from the first book.

The art style really suits the story, especially in this wintery setting. Though this is set in the 1980s, the conversation about banned books is certainly timely. Especially with the censorship currently happening in the United States. This book can show how it is a slippery slope; book censorship can lead to other kinds of censorship as well. Definitely a good conversation starter.

The story itself is a blend of memoir and fiction, and I think teens will learn a lot by picking up this book and the previous one. A great all around read.
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Review to come!

Content Warnings

unOrdinary, Volume 1

uru-chan

4.0

adventurous mysterious tense 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

I really enjoyed this! It takes a little bit to get a feel for the world and the characters, but it's a webcomic so that kind of makes sense to me. But the overall mystery behind who John is and his past made me keep reading. It's written in a way that makes it easy to get sucked in, and now I can't wait to see what happens next!

Content Warnings

The Sweetness Between Us

Sarah Winifred Searle

3.5

emotional hopeful slow-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

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second for an advanced copy of The Sweetness Between Us by Sarah Winifred Searle to review! I loved her first graphic novel, The Greatest Thing, and the premise of this one intrigued me. You don’t see a lot of YA featuring a protagonist with diabetes, so I’m glad this book exists! Especially with some of the topics it brings up about affording healthcare in the US.

The beginning is a bit slow, and I think some of the world needed fleshing out at the beginning. Especially the fact that vampires are an accepted thing in this world. Made me wonder if there are other magical creatures as well? I don’t think this is outlined anywhere else, and that would have helped with the clarity. Adding some of that right at the beginning would have cleared up some confusion.

However, this does have an interesting cast of characters that covers a whole spectrum of things. Even though there is a supernatural element, Perley and Amandine’s relationship reflects teen relationships in general, especially ones that might get too serious too quickly. I liked the way that was spelled out, but with the whole vampire/blood sucking thing instead. Made for an interesting read!

The art style wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t poorly done, either. The colors really pop, and there are some moments I’d be interested in seeing in the final version.

All in all, not a bad YA graphic novel, especially if you like new takes on vampires!

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Review to come!

Content Warnings

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

5.0

informative reflective medium-paced

Definitely a must-read for anyone wanting to learn more about the history of the United States. I know they recently released a YA version of this, and I'd be interested in seeing how they changed it for that. Would definitely be a good addition to an American history class.

Content Warnings

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