This is very much a character driven novel, which is my favorite! Mainly, it focuses on the relationships between the Torres sisters and how they deal with the grief in the aftermath of the death of their sister, Ana. They also have to band together to fight against villainous men in their life. Atmospheric, engaging, and unique storytelling at its finest.

While this felt a little on the long side by the end (it just kept going!!), overall I enjoyed it! The characters were great and the stakes were constantly upped. I need to know what's going to happen next!!

Actually 4.5 stars. This is a retelling of the Kent State incident in 1970 told in verse. Honestly, it's scary how much it still relates to things today. The verse is really well done, giving a variety of perspectives on the incident. Wiles also clearly did her research. An important read for the year.

This is a cute boarding school story focused on friendship, following a typical "mean girl" storyline. I picked it up because I love Faith Erin Hicks' artwork and it was a good quick read!

Picking up where the first book left off, we follow the adventures of Ivy Lovely once again! This book has more adventure and whismy than the first one, if that's even possible. The world that D.E. Night created in the first book comes to life in this second book, which doesn't fall prey to the sophomore slump that happens to some authors. In fact, this book might even be better than the first!

While the first book has hints of other children's fantasy novels, what I like about this installment is that it's able to break from the mold. We get to meet more characters and see more of this magical world that Night has created. I loved meeting the new characters, and can't wait to see more in later books. Ivy is such an excellent role model for young girls, and I would definitely recommend this to middle grade leaders looking for fantasy with strong female leads!

TW: Homophobia, mentions of suicide, bullying

Based on some of the author's own experiences, I think there are a lot of younger teens that might relate to this. Plus, the art style worked really well for this story. Stay tuned for a full review to come soon!

Trigger warnings: Body horror, mutilation, torture

Wow. This was dark. And different than I was expecting. Not normally what I read, though it was well written. There were a lot of moments that made me uncomfortable in this book, the main reason I don't really read horror like this. Fits a niche not often touched in YA, though!

Atmospheric and magical, this is excellent world-building. Though I thought the book itself was a little on the long side, the story kept me interested the whole time. Rooting for Hark to make it through!

Review originally posted at between-the-shelves.com!

We got an ARC of this at the Barnes and Noble I work at, and I was so happy when I pulled it from the mailbox! I’ve been seeing this book everywhere, and only heard good things about it. I’m so glad that it lived up to the hype.

This is one of those books, for me, that’s difficult to describe without giving away too much about the story. It’s one of those books that you should go into without knowing much about it because that makes the experience even better. You get pulled into Xochital’s story, not wanting to put it down until the very end. It’s lyrical, magical, and everything you could want in an early fall novel.

I also loved the way Spanish was incorporated into this book. It made the world-building even stronger, pulling readers into this Latinx culture, filled with magic and stories. The characters were really well done, too. You can feel Xo’s pain at doing what she’s not supposed to do; her exhaustion at hearing everyone else’s dark secrets, her desire for freedom and companionship. This is threaded throughout the book, making both the characters and the story completely engaging.

This is an intense and emotional book that will be difficult to put down once you pick it up. Come award time, I think there might be some buzz around this book, but I guess we’ll see! It’s really so well done.
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Really giving this 4.5 stars, and wow. This book is lyrical and thought provoking and wonderful. Full review to come next week!