To start, I loved the artwork in this. Sheron does a great job with the mermaids, some of the ocean and beach scenes, and the overall character work. There are small details thrown in that bring the world to life, and the color work with the magic mermaid scenes was stunning.

Some of the writing felt a little awkward to me, but I think the book hit its stride by the end. There's a bit of an open ending, which makes me think that there will be more in the future. I appreciated the way that this explored abusive relationships, as Corinth goes through quite the emotional journey. The inclusion of ASL was also really cool, though I didn't understand what was happening until midway through the book. 

All in all, I throughly enjoyed this take on mermaids and am looking forward to reading more from Sheron!

As someone who has not read the majority of Sanderson's works, I can safely say this isn't a bad place to jump in if you're not familiar with the world. Much like Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, this is referencing things from the Cosmere universe Sanderson has created, but you can get by without getting the references. It seemed to me maybe there were more connections in this one? But I'd have to read more to know for sure.

I loved the vibes of this book, a bit of Princess Bride set at sea. But the sea isn't what you think it is. Sanderson is truly creative with his worlds, and the world building is fascinating and so well done. Will it spur me to read more Sanderson in the future? Only time will tell.

I feel like this series is the epitome of the slow burn between Hades and Persephone. We get a bit more background from Persephone in this one, and it does make me interested in seeing where it goes next. Especially with that sort of cliffhanger at the end.

Though it's hard to keep all of the characters straight all the time (there's a lot in Greek mythology, honestly), most of the time it's easy to follow what's going on. My favorite thing about this series remains the art. Smythe's art style is so interesting, colorful, and engaging. I will definitely keep reading it just for that.

I'm going to admit, the only reason I read this book is because I saw a spoiler for the next book on Instagram and I was curious. I needed to know how it worked! Though we don't get a lot of explanation there at the end, so I guess I'm going to have to read the next book, too.

My issue with this book is that, for me, it felt like the plot was all over the place. However, I'm not sure if that's becuase I don't remember what happened in the first book at all, or because the plot is actually all over the place. I'm still not actually sure what Bryce and crew were exactly fighting for, but it seemed important by the end.

This book is par for the SJM course in that it seemed spicier than the first book in the series. I'm expecting the next book to continue in that trend, honestly. If you enjoy fantasy romance (or "romantasy"), SJM is definitely one of the most popular. Also can be great if you're looking for a sort of introduction to the fantasy genre.

Overall, I think I enjoyed this book, but definitely felt too long by the end of it. There is a lot developed about the Hex Americana (which is like a giant car race), but there are aspects of the world that felt confusing. There are details that are never given that take you out of the story while you're reading it, and long explanations of other things that maybe weren't needed.

For the most part, I did think the characters were well developed and were probably the most interesting part of the story. The art was also engaging and interesting, adding in the action of the car races which can't necessarily be easy to do in a graphic novel.

If you don't mind longer graphic novels that do have a strong character core, then this might be for you! It was just a bit of a miss for me. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Books for an advanced copy of The Breakup Lists by Adib Khorram. Ever since reading Darius the Great Is Not Okay, Adib Khorram has been an auto-read author for me. There’s just something about the way that he writes emotions and relationships that feels so teenager, and this book is no different.

Jackson is such a complicated main character, specifically when it comes to love and romance. He has seen so many of the people he cares about that he’s cynical and pushes people away. Eventually to the point that it hinders his relationships. His emotional journey, which includes eventually realizing that talking to a therapist would be useful, is so well written. And it’s all things that teenagers will definitely relate to.

Another thing I really loved was Jackson’s friendship with Bowie, who is asexual (and aromantic, if I remember correctly). The fact that they had such a strong friendship that didn’t need to eventually turn romantic is something I kind of wish was shown more in YA books. Romantic relationships aren’t the be-all end-all (especially when you’re in high school), and the fact that Bowie was shown to be comfortable with that? I absolutely loved it.

Jackson is Hard of Hearing and occasionally uses sign language throughout the book (mostly with Bowie and their family). However, none of his family signs with him, which is a point of frustration for him throughout the book. It seems like Khorram did his research for this particular aspect of the book, but I’m not a part of the community, so I can’t comment on how accurate it is.

All in all, this is a wonderful queer teen romance with a great cast of characters and strong emotional beats. Definitely check it out when it releases in April!

I will say, don't go into this book if you're expecting a fast-paced, action-packed fantasy because that is not what this is. It's more focused on Anequs's journey to the Anglish school, learning about a different culture, and trying to carve a place for herself in a world that doesn't necessarily accept her. There is a very heavy emphasis on storytelling, both from Anequs and from her classmates at the academy where she's studying. 

The dragon's aren't really characters in this like they might be in other dragon novels, as they don't speak to their humans, but I loved the focus on their connections. Essentially, the dragons felt like large cats and honestly, I'm totally okay with that. 

There is also a lot of discussion about colonialism and learning to co-exist with each other. This is the first book in a series, and I have a feeling that things will become more high stakes the further we go into the series. Especially as Anequs gains more power.

A lot of great diverse representation is in this book as well. Even though it was more slow moving, I found myself wholey invested in Anequs and her story. So much so that I basically listened to this entire book in two days. And I can't wait to see where this story goes next!

I love Jillian Tamaki's art, honestly. It really stands out in this book, with the color scheme and the characters and the setting. There are just some really gorgeous panels in here, drawing you into the New York scene.

But that doesn't take away from the writing! This is about how friendships might change after high school, about reconnecting and figuring out that maybe you're not sure what the future holds. The characters are all well developed, each of them growing in different ways by the end of the story. The story itself is a bit quiet, focusing more on the characters than the overall plot. But that's my favorite kind of story, honestly, and both Mariko and Jillian Tamaki excel at that.

When Bel was 2 years old, her mom, Rachel, disappeared. And Bel was the only witness. Now, 16 years later, someone has decided they want to make a documentary about Rachel’s disappearance. A case that had never been solved.

While the documentary digs up Price family secrets, Rachel suddenly makes an appearance. With a story that seems a little too impossible to believe. At least for Bel. Some of the details of her story aren’t adding up. So Bel is determined to get to the bottom of what really happened to Rachel Price. 
 

Thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson to review! Holly Jackson can sometimes be a hit or miss author for me, but I’m happy to say this felt like a hit. The overall tone felt more like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder for me, and after a few misses, I’m glad to see Jackson back on her game.

The pacing of this book is its biggest success. Right when you start reading it, you’re pulled into the Rachel Price case. It starts off with a bang, and the pace never really lets up until the end. As Bel is unraveling the Rachel case, you think you have it solved until something else happens. It really is an excellent twisty YA thriller.

In addition to the plot, the characters in this are well written, especially our protagonist Bel. She is determined to figure out the mystery, even if it takes her down paths she can’t come back from. Is the ending a little unbelievable? Yeah, but it’s done for entertainment value. The whole last third or fourth of the book is just non-stop action, and I had to download this on my phone so I could finish it at home. I had to know how it ended!

I wasn’t sure about this one going in, but if you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller to add to your spring TBR, definitely pick this one up when it comes out in April! 

I've seen a lot of great things about this book online, and I think it lived up to expectations! It's a book about grief, about learning to move forward, and about working through depression. The emotions in this book are really well done; we move with Atlas as she works through her anger and sadness at her dad being gone. But she also learns how to connect with others and let them help her along her journey.

In addition to the emotions, the characters were the next best thing about this book. Atlas meets a quirky group of people on the trail and they form such a strong bond while they're hiking. They are partly the reason that Atlas eventuallly feels okay opening up to people, and they are such an important part of her emotional journey.

This is a book that is a strong exploration of grief and learning how to move on from the past. It's definitely emotional, though, so keep that in mind when you pick it up!