These books definitely read as more historical fiction with a touch of magic rather than a historical fantasy, in my opinion. Which is fine! But since we get more of the gods in this book, I wished that some of those magical elements had been pushed a bit further. Give me more of that historical fantasy feel. Adding a bit more world building would have helped in that aspect, I think.

We also don't get as much Iris and Roman interactions in this one (because they are basically deliberately being kept apart), but I think that was important to help the overall story move forward. Their relationship, however, was probably the best part of the first book and I wished we got more of that in this book.

However, most of the characters are still very well written and they are what makes this book worth reading, in my opinion. Is it a good duology? Yes. But probably not the best that I've ever read.

If you're a fan of Rick Riordan in general, you'll probably be a fan of this! Magnus is such a fun narrator, with sass almost equal to Percy's sass. Fans of the Percy Jackson series will definitely love the connections made between the two series, and some of th elittle digs towards Percy Jackson himself (the pen as a sword comment was gold).

Honestly, pretty much everything I know about Norse mythology comes from Marvel (I know, I know). So getting to see more of Norse mythology in this book was fun, especially in the ways that Riordan does it. Do his books start to read similarly after a time? Yes, but I think that's what keeps bringing kids back to his writng. They know what to expect, and usually that expectation is a good time.

If you like these mythology themed middle grade fantasy books, then you'll definitely want to keep this one on your radar!

Despite the fact that this is a horror novel with bugs (probably my least favorite kind of horror), I was hooked for the second half of this book. I had to know what was going to happen next! The sort of lore and mythology behind the house that Libby and her family end up moving into was unravelled slowly with interesting details that all add to the build up by the end.

This book does deal with a lot of heavy things, as Libby is the survivor of suicide. She's trying to recover from that as well as deal with her bipolar III diagnosis. Which is hard even when your house isn't trying to kill you. I appreciated the way her struggles with the spirits in their house sort of mirrored her own struggles dealing with her mental health. It was overall so well done.

Also bonus for having an aro/ace mom! I don't think I've seen that in a teen book before. If you're interested in YA horror, definitely try picking this one up.

This is a beast of a book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! Lately I've been preferring to listen to longer fantasy books on audio, partly because it means I read them faster and partly because I feel more immersed in the world that way. Especially for adult fantasy.

The world building in this was so well done! There are so many details, but it doesn't feel like too much at once. I think this is helped by the fact that there is such a great core cast of characters that balances out the world building. And dragons. Because who doesn't like a book that has dragons in it??

All in all, I'm glad I finally picked this one up, and will have to pick up the prequel when I catch up with my other library audiobook holds.

Thanks to First Second and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol to review! If you’re into reimagined fairy tales, this will definitely be the graphic novel for you. Especially if the outcome you’re looking for is confidence and independence!

Right from the start, I always know I’m going to love Vera Brosgol’s art style. It’s so engaging, and works so well for this fairy tale format. Especially for all of the underwater scenes. A lot of the mermaid elements will be familiar to readers, and the reveal of their true intentions won’t be a shock to those who know mermaid mythology. The story is still engaging despite that, though!

The other thing I loved about this was Jane’s entire story arc. She goes from someone who was constantly told that she wasn’t enough to having the confidence to live the life she wants to. She also realizes that she doesn’t need the acceptance of other people in order to have that confidence. Such a great storyline for middle grade readers!

If you love mermaids, fairy tales, and just overall great stories, definitely check out this graphic novel when it comes out in May! 

Oh, I think I liked this one better than the first one! That Damien and Will storyline just got to me. And it felt like the stakes were really upped here, even if the plot is difficult to follow at some points. With that cliffhanger ending, though, I'm definitely glad I also checked out volume three!

The art style is still fun, I love the overall vibes it gives off. There are also a lot of fairytale elements sort of woven into the story, but they take a different path than you might expect. All in all, this is just a fun series and I can't wait to see where it goes next!

This was a delight! It is a bit on the long side for a middle grade graphic novel, but Dani and Dorian get into all sorts of hijinks that I think middle grade readers will enjoy. There are some darker moments in this storyline, but it reads similar to something like Percy Jackson. It fits for the audience it's intended for.

The art style reminds me a bit of manga, and there's a whimsy in this story that also feels sort of like a Studio Ghibli story. I am hooked by this little band of misfits, and I can't wait to see what they get up to in the next volume.

Thanks to HarperAlley and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Pillow Talk by Stephanie Cooke to review! Always a fan of new teen graphic novels, and this one had such a unique premise! It also led me to learn that a pillow fighting league actually exists, if it looks fun and you’re interested in possibly joining in the future!

The message of this book, accepting yourself and gaining confidence, is perfect for the targeted age group. Especially for those teens that might be graduating high school soon and going to college. Finding a place where you feel like you can be yourself and be supported, like Grace, does great things for your confidence.

At times, the writing did feel a little bit clunky to me, and some of the scenes with the pillow fights were difficult to follow. Though to be fair, that can’t have been the easiest thing to draw. The overall art style wasn’t quite my favorite, as some of the panels and scenes felt like they didn’t have enough detail in them.

Apart from those few things, this was still an entertaining read! There’s great representation in this book, and the core cast of characters is just a delight to read about. Definitely keep this one on your radar when it comes out this April! 

If you like Greek mythology retellings like Circe, chances are you'll probably enjoy this! Like other reviews have said, I think the overall message of the story gets lost towards the end. I'm not super familiar with the Ariadne myth, but from what I can tell, this was mostly just a retelling of that story. The overall tone of the writing does feel very Greek mythology-esque, and the style felt a lot like Circe to me.

This is billed as a feminist retelling, and while there are some elements of that, it feels like it falls flat by the end. Adding maybe a few more details or fleshing out a few more characters might have helped in making this feel more feminist than just surface level.

All in all, an enjoyable read, especially if you're a fan of Greek mythology!

This graphic novel memoir takes us through author Theo Parish’s journey with gender identity, from when they were a kid to a young adult. It’s a book about finding your home, figuring yourself out, and navigating the world when you don’t feel like you fit in. 

In addition to traditional comes, there are journal entries interspersed throughout. Parish takes the reader through experimental haircuts, changing their name, and eventually finding something that feels like home. 
 

Thanks to HarperAlley and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Homebody by Theo Parish to review! 2024 is going to be the year of YA graphic novels, I can just feel it. It felt like there weren’t a lot to choose from last year, but so far, I’ve read a lot of excellent ones coming out in 2024. This one included!

Homebody is pitched for people who enjoy Heartstopper and Gender Queer, and I’d honestly say it’s a good combination of those two books. It has the gender exploration elements of Gender Queer and the sort of feel-good quality of Heartstopper. If you enjoyed either of those, chances are you’ll enjoy this memoir!

What I also enjoyed about this is that it makes it clear that there is no one way to figure out your gender identity. You can try a bunch of different things until one feels like it fits! It’s just an overall positive reading experience, from the tone to the colors to the art style. Just a delight to read.

This will be a great resource for teens who may feel like they’re questioning their gender identity. It will help them to feel not so alone. But it’s also great for those that just want to learn more about gender identity or understand what a friend might be going through. It’s just a good resource in general.

Definitely one to add to any library collection!