I wanted to like this more than I actually did, honestly. The premise is interesting, the chemistry between Francine and Ollie was well done, and I loved getting to see their different family dynamics. There are a lot of discussions about the cultural differences between Vitenam and China and there are a lot of teen readers who will find comfort in having that representation.

I think part of the reason I didn't get as much into this book is because it's not quite what I was in the mood for right now, and because the pacing at times felt odd to me. The "secret" that's revealed also didn't seem to really fit with the story, at least in the way I was imagining the characters. I understood it from a plot perspective, but I wished that something else would have been that catalyst.

All in all, not a bad read, but not my favorite of the year.

Evan has plans for the future. Take a gap year in Alaska, take care of his mom and little brother, and continue to process the fact that his dad left. However, all that changes after his mom’s diagnosis. And he starts to hear a song no one else can hear.

Shosh had dreams before her sister died after being hit by a drunk driver. Originally, she was going to head to a performing arts college in LA. Now all that remains is a mysterious song that no one else seems to hear. Pulling together love stories from across time, Evan and Shosh might be destined to meet. But how will that affect their future? 
 

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an advanced copy of I Loved You in Another Life by David Arnold to review! David Arnold is one of those authors where you never really know what to expect with his books. They’re a little abstract, and that’s what I like about them. They are open to interpretation!

The concept of this book is so interesting. A song that basically connects soulmates across time, and we get to see it play out in a teen couple in the present. As characters, Evan and Shosh work so well, both grieving but in different ways about different things. In a way, they both need each other, and it’s this mysterious song that brings them together.

As much as I enjoyed each of their stories individually, I do wish we got to see more of their relationship progress overall. This is billed as a romance, so I wanted to see that romance play out more on the page. They have such a great connection, and we only get to see a glimpse of it, really. I wanted more!

While I enjoyed the little snippets of other romances throughout, I think some of them could have been taken out to help further Evan and Shosh’s relationship. It makes the book seem more poetic in a way, and though that’s not a bad thing, I’m not sure it was entirely successful.

All in all, if you’re looking for a romance that’s a bit more existential, this might be the book for you! 

Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry books for an advanced copy of The Reunion by Kit Frick to review! If you're looking for a thriller to end your summer on, this is the one for you. With plenty of twists and turns, digging into this family's drama leads to some dangerous consequences.

This book starts out with a bang, a news story about the death of someone in the Mayweather family. Throughout the book, there are these new stories that help draw readers into the mystery. Which is also helped along by the inclusion of so many narrators. It adds to the mystery, especially because each narrator has something to hide. Giving each on the potential to be the killer--or the one who disappears.

Kit Frick's writing style lends itself to these mystery/thrillers because you jump around a bit in the timeline. Leading you to question things that you might already know. I do wish that each of the narrative voices were a bit more distinct, though. There were times where I would forget whose point of view I was in and would have to flip back to check.

That being said, this is a fast read, mostly because you want to keep reading until you get to the end. You have to know who did it! The overall tone does have that sort of end of summer vibe, which makes it a perfect read before jumping into fall books for September.

If you like twisty, family drama driven mysteries, this is definitely the book for you! 

 Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh by Rachael Lippincott to review! By this point, Lippincott has established herself as an expert at YA romance, especially sapphic romance. And this book showcases that spectacularly.

While I don’t read a lot of time slip romances, this one was fun. Lucy and Audrey’s budding romance was absolutely the best thing about this book. It’s quiet and happens slowly and I was definitely a fan. Despite being from different times, both of them also relate to each other’s struggles, trying to get back their sparks. 

There were some great side characters, too! It’s definitely Pride and Prejudice inspired with an English regency sort of romance. You feel the tension as you get towards the end, with both Lucy and Audrey’s deadline looming. It definitely all has that kind of romance feel to it, working towards a happily ever after.

All in all, if you love time slip romances with a bit of a slow burn, definitely check this one out when it comes out at the end of August! 

I honestly have mixed feelings about this book. The world created, with the creatures and the way their society was set up, was really interesting and really detailed, actually. Burton did a good job setting that up and showing what was at stake from the beginning. 

However, I think this could have been a standalone book, rather than make it into a series. For me, I felt like the story could have been wrapped up at the end of this book. There's a cliffhanger, sort of, at the end of this one that didn't quite feel like it was necessary. 

I've read other books with Sirens before, and I also wasn't a huge fan of how they were portrayed in this book. It was like Saoirse was being made to be an anti-hero, but there wasn't enough balance there. There was just something off about it for me.

Overall, there was a lot of potential here, but the story just fell flat for me.

After her mother dies from a long illness, Flora doesn’t know what to do with her life. Winchester, England has always been her home, but it’s strange without her mother. She feels like a chaotic hurricane, not able to manage her emotions. After a particularly bad scene with her family, she decides to escape to Miami.

But going to Miami doesn’t immediately fix all of Flora’s problems. She still doesn’t know what to pursue when she goes to university. And now, romance is added to the mix. She just met a cute new boy, Baz, but also starts to see her best friend Gordon in a new light. A hurricane seems to be an apt comparison for all the things she’s feeling. 
 

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey to review! While this book is a spin off to A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, it didn’t feel too confusing to not have read the first book. There were just some character backgrounds I was missing, but the plot still made sense.

You do get a sort of classic YA love triangle in this book (which I still argue is more of a love angle, but I digress). It does reflect the choices that Flora is making in life in general, though, so the plot device does work in this instance. It’s sort of a “which path will she choose” kind of story, and that’s something a lot of teens will be able to relate to.

This is also a story about Flora trying to grapple with her grief and learning that being messy is okay. She realizes that she doesn’t have to have it together all the time, and that allowing herself to just feel is okay too. An overall really heartwarming message to have in a YA romance.

It’d be fun for me to go back and read the first book now that I’ve read this one, I think. Even without it, the characters are well fleshed out, and just make the book an overall delight to read. A romance you definitely won’t want to miss this fall! 

I think this might be the best book Salvatore has written so far. Is it perfect? No, but I appreciated the way that this focused on the sibling relationships more than anything else. Of course, I'm always a sucker for sibling relationships in books, so that might be what helped to propel it to the top for me.

This is very much a book about grief, about how different people deal with grief, and dealing with the massive mistakes your parents might make. Olly and Alex deal with their dad's imprisonment and death in very different ways, and eventually work toward the way to become a family once again.

There is a bit of a romance, but it's not necessarily a major point of the plot. This book hits on a lot of strong emotional notes, and if you're looking for a family drama type of book, this is definitely for you!

Picked this one up to help finish out a queer reading challenge I'm doing for the year. An intersex main character! There aren't a lot of books that feature intersex main characters, and this one really touches on the different ways people can be intersex. That aspect of the story was well done and was actually really interesting to me.

But oh my god, the parents in this were just awful. There's a lot of homophobia in this book, both towards Ash and his best friend, Michelle. Parts of it were hard to read, purely because how terribly Ash is treated. But honestly, thank god for older siblings. Here to save the day!

The writing overall was okay; it felt a bit bumpy at parts and a little clunky. But all in all, not a terrible book! Just maybe not one I would read again.

A re-read for a committee that I'm on, adn this was just as good the second time around! I seriously love the art style--getting to see it on a larger scaler than my phone was also a bonus!
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It’s 1930s Mississippi and only certain people are allowed to do magic. Unsanctioned broom racing isn’t allowed…unless you know the right channels and the right people. Billie Mae is one of those people, captain of the Night Storms racing team. Together with her second in command, she’s determined to make enough money to move to a state where Black people are allowed to do magic.

Also on her team: Cheng-Kwan (trying her best to be the “son” her parents want and still be true to herself). Mattie and Emma (dodging government officials who want to send them to boarding school). And Lucella (in love with Billie Mae and whose powers were sealed for fighting back against the government). 
 

Thanks to Levine Querido and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Brooms by Jasmine Walls to review! I knew from the premise that this was going to be a graphic novel I loved, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. A little bit of fantasy, inspired by history, with a great cast of characters to boot.

Set with the frame of magic use and broom racing, this tells the story of the struggles of queer, people of color in the United States in the 1930s. I honestly loved the way that Walls used magic to represent the racism and oppression that occurred (and honestly still occurs) in the US. IT was such a great comparison, and worked really well to bring to light some darker aspects of history.

And the characters! We have such a diverse cast, and they’re all working to be able to find their place in the world to just be themselves. Each one had their own storyline, set within the world of illegal broom racing. They were able to support each other and fight against the powers that were acting against them. 

The art was also spectacular! I read it on my phone, so I’m excited to see the full version when it comes out. Because I definitely think this is a graphic novel that I need to own.

All in all, if you’re looking for a thought-provoking fantasy graphic novel with a great cast of characters, definitely pick this one up when it comes out this fall! 

This volume really digs into the mental health stuff, and even though that topic is heavy in itself, Oseman doesn't make it feel that way. Nick is trying his best to do what's right for Charlie, and Charlie is figuring out how to work with his mental illness. I'm sure once the show reaches this point, it will be done with just as much grace as it is in the book.