This was different than I was expecting. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it did hit the spot for me. Some of the supernatural stuff didn't seem to fit. Also a worldwide virus hits a bit too close to home at the moment. Entertaining but not a nail biter.

Wow, what an emotional read! This reminded me a bit of More Happy Than Not with speculative fiction vibes. It's about tragedy, living life, and friendship. There were parts of this book that also felt poetic. It definitely deserves more hype!

Full of body positivity, great representation (two bi characters falling in love!), and upbeat music, this was just the happy book I needed! I liked the behind the scenes on a music competition show aspect of it, too. It made it feel unique and fun!

I'm giving this 3.5 stars, really. I'm not really a fan of the insta-love trope, but it worked well here. The relationship throughout felt real and authentic, especially for a relationship between two teenagers. Drama filled and feeling like everything is the end. At the end, things felt a bit rushed, but this emotion-filled love story will definitely hit in all the right places. Especially if you're a fan of insta-love!

A middle grade book about a boy trying to help his father make ends meet. I'll admit I'm definitely not the audience for this book, but it was still well written and would resonate with a lot of middle schoolers.

What a powerful book. Told in verse, this is the story of Amal, sent to jail for a crime he didn't do. Based on the "Central Park jogger" case, everything about this needs to be read by everyone. Plus, the design of this book just added another element to the story. Seriously, amazing.

I liked this even more than the first book! We get more insight into the characters and it's set in a creepy castle. Honestly, the perfect October listen! And yes, the audiobook is fantastic.

This is a WWII story, but it's about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff, which is considered to be the largest maritime disaster in history. I hadn't heard about it before reading this book, and the story is so heartbreaking! Over 9,000 people lost their lives in this disaster, and the tragedy is reflected in Sepetys's writing.

What I liked about this was the way Sepetys pulls you into each character's story with little snippets, gradually showing how they all come together. It makes the story fast-paced, pulling you into each of their stories, rooting for them to make it. I can see why her novels get so much acclaim; the writing is fantastic. I will definitely have to check out her other books.

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

Many thanks to DC Comics for sending me an early copy of this to review! As Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorites, I was excited to hear that she was writing a graphic novel. Seems like a lot of my favorites are these days, which isn’t a bad thing! I love graphic novels, and we should definitely keep them coming. Especially these YA adaptations of superhero stuff. I’m in love!

Anyway, one of my favorite things about this graphic novel is the art. The colors throughout are so vibrant, and they really transport you to this swamp Alec and Walker find themselves in. Beem brings to life Stiefvater’s words, giving an overall eerie sense to the whole book. I especially enjoyed the way that Alec’s abilities were portrayed; I think it worked really well for the story.

For the most part, I also enjoyed the writing. The dialogue suited the characters, and we really got to know them throughout this fairly short book. My only qualm is that at times, it wasn’t quite clear what was happening with Alec’s experiments. This might have been purposeful, but there were a few pages I had to go back and re-read to get the full story. However, I’m wondering if that’s partly due to the e-format I read this in. Reading on my phone meant it was really small!

If you’re looking for a graphic novel to add to your spooky read pile this October, this is definitely one to keep an eye out for! Incredibly atmospheric, it absolutely transports you to this world that Stiefvater and Beem have created.

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

Thanks to Oni Press and Net Galley for access an eARC of this! I was intrigued by the cover because just look at it! It definitely does its job grabbing your attention. When I saw that this was a graphic novel, I knew that I had to read it. It looks like everything that I love in a book. Post-apocalyptic, epic adventures, family searching for the truth. What's not to like?

I'll admit, the art is definitely the best thing about this book. Honestly, I love it when graphic novels stay in the same color tones throughout, which is what this one does. It just works really well bringing together the story. In this case, it fits the dystopic scene, too. Throughout, we get to see sprawling landscapes, really showing what happened when this earthquake hit. Hill's art transports you there.

While the story was slow moving at parts, Hill really gives us time to get to know the characters throughout. I loved Ginny's relationship with her two brothers; they band together when it's desperately needed. I can't wait to see more from them in future volumes.

Despite the slow moving nature of the story, the art and the characters draw you into this story. Really, you should read this just for the art because it's gorgeous!