I've been reading a lot of middle grade lately, and Jenn Reese nailed the voice in this. Eren (a seventh grader) is struggling because all her friends seem to want to start dating, but she doesn't. She doesn't know if she'll ever want to date. Can I just say how appreciative I am for middle grade books that talk about asexuality? Because there are kids that feel this way, and they're not necessarily just going to "grow out of it." The be all, end all everyone must end up in a romantic relationship isn't realistic for everybody.

Outside of the outstanding rep that this book gives, the core story and adventure is fantastic for a middle grade audience. I mean, what kid didn't want the magical ability to talk to animals? Plus, we get to see Eren's changing friendships, and we get to see her overcome her own doubts about her courage and bravery. There's just so much to love here, even though it is a fairly quick read.

All in all, I absolutely devoured this and I'm so glad that it exists!

Perry Firekeeper-Birch has always felt comfortable in her identity. She knows she is the more laidback twin, and probably the best fisher on Sugar Island. Now, she's ready for her Summer of Slack. However, after a fender bender takes her jeep out of commission, she now has to work to pay back her Auntie Daunis for the repairs.

So, she's interning at the museum for the summer. That's where she meets Team Misfit Toys, the other outcasts of the intern program. With them, maybe the summer won't be so bad after all. However, when Perry goes to a meeting and learns about "Warrior Girl," an ancestor whose bones are stored in the museum archive, she becomes determined to return her to her tribe.

Thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for an advaced copy of Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley to review! Of course, Firekeeper's Daughter was such a success last year, I was curious to see Boulley's follow up. This is a companion novel of sorts, though I think you can read it without reading Firekeeper's Daughter. You'll just miss some background information from the first book.

First of all, this book is packed full of information about Native American artifacts being in museums, the laws behind them, etc. There's a lot of interesting stuff there, and a lot of it I didn't know. However, I do think it makes the plot drag a bit, and I'm not sure how much it will attract teens overall to this story. Though if slow burn mysteries are your thing, this might just hit the spot.

I found myself not as drawn into this story as I was for Firekeeper's Daughter, and part of me wonders if that's because I listened to that one instead. But I wasn't invested in the characters or in the story. The story didn't seem to flow as well, and it felt like overall, the book was slightly too long.

However, I'm loving that more Native authors are getting published and that these kinds of stories exist in the world. Especially when they show a perspective that not a lot of people know about. Always appreciate learning new things when I read, honestly!

Overall, I'm not sure this will get the hype that Firekeeper's Daughter did, but still a good sophomore novel either way.

If you're looking for an adorable YA rom-com with an asexual lead who struggles with anxiety, this book is for you! Felicity, the MC, is also Jewish and there's lots of wedding planning involved. Really makes for a fun read from beginning to end.

I also think this is only the second YA book I've read that's mentioned being biromantic specifically ([book:Let's Talk About Love|31625039] being the other), and I appreciated that. To be honest, I wish more books like this would have existed when I was in high school because it would have made things make a lot more sense. Felicity wants the kind of romance you see in movies, but isn't sure she'll ever get it because she identifies on the ace spectrum. If I found that relatable as an adult, there are sure to be lots of teens who will get that as well.

The plot follows a typical rom-com plot, and of course, Felicity makes a lot of mistakes when it comes to her friends and family. But you'll end on a happily ever after, and who doesn't like a good happily ever after in a rom-com.

While this isn't my favorite Ness book, the subject matter of this book couldn't be more timely. This is essentially a short novella about coming into your identity, with conversations throughout focusing on what it means to lose your virginity, specifically when you're a gay teen. Ness is a pro at examining these issues in his books, and this book was no different.

I'll be honest, the blacked out squares threw me a bit at the beginning, but really, they're sending a very strong message. Especially given everything that's currently going on with book banning, specifically with books with characters from the LGBTQ+ community. It makes you think about what society deems "acceptable" for teens to read, and would make for such an excellent book discussion. 

The overall story possibly could have benefited from being a little more fleshed out, but it's a quick read and one that's engaging all the way through. The illustration style wasn't necessarily my favorite, but I did appreciate how they complemented the general story. All in all, I am glad to add this to my Ness collection. 

Bug-centered horror isn't really my cup of tea, which is a lot of this book. Which, I guess, I should have guessed from the cover. I honestly almost skipped through some of the bug scenes because nope nope nope. Feels a little too realistic to me.

There are undertones to the horror story that I thought were interesting, like the history of the house that Jade's father buys, the way it's intertwined with Vietnam history. Jade also has a very complex relationship with her father, and there's a lot of anger there. For good reason, honestly. Her evolving relationship with her sister was also well written and probably one of the best aspects of the book overall.

The writing is well done, even if the story itself is a little slow moving and gets a little muddled towards the end. Not sure if I would read another horror of this nature, but I can see other horror fans loving it.

Spider-Man teams up with the Fantastic Four in this one, and that scene where Peter allows them to remember him? Oh, the feels. It makes me curious about how they're going to deal with that in the MCU, because that Peter Parker got it way worse. Way way worse.

We also get the smallest hint of MJ coming back, and now J. Jonah Jameson is the mayor, which I always knew happened but didn't know how. Overall, a great volume that I thoroughly enjoyed!

This is the conclusion for a couple of story arcs that have been happening over the last few issues, and I think they were wrapped up nicely! We probably could have done without the issues tacked on at the end with Lincoln and Obama though. Honestly, I just skimmed those.

Also definitely appreciated the issues with Daredevil, him and Spider-Man have great chemistry. All in all, not a bad collection of stories!

I enjoyed this one! There's a great issue with Peter and Harry, hitting on the complexity of their relationship. And the issue with Betty and Peter, Peter is shown to be such a good friend. Even if he's flighty because of the Spider-Man thing. There is some great art in this one, too!

The issue with Flash and the parallels between him and Spider-Man was probably my favorite aspect of this volume overall. The rest was really just okay for me. Wasn't really a huge fan of the art in parts of this, mostly due to the way that Peter Parker looked. But to each their own! Also thought there was going to me more Punisher in this because of the title, but he wasn't in it as much as I thought. 

All in all, really just an okay volume for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Balzer + Bray for an advanced copy of Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli to review! Becky Albertalli is an autobuy author for me, and I knew I was going to love this one. Albertalli put so much of herself, her own struggles in this book, and it’s just one that I want to hold near and dear to my heart.

From the beginning, you’re going to fall in love with Imogen. She’s a fierce friend, ready to support anyone that she loves. She’s a little bit quirky, a little bit nerdy, and always down for an adventure. There are so many layers to her character, and I think everyone who reads this book is going to fall in love with her instantly.

Outside of Imogen, the side characters are just as fully developed. As we have come to expect from Albertalli. Honestly, the little college friend ground made me miss some of my college days a bit. Just that always being up for anything, let’s go on this random adventure. Not to say you can’t do that outside of college, it just distinctly feels like a college thing. But I digress.

There are a lot of discussions throughout the book about identity, specifically queer identity. Imogen is constantly trying to figure out if she’s actually queer or just taking on the identity of those around her. Albertalli handles a lot of these conversations with finesse, and they’ll definitely leave you thinking. This book is a love letter to those who don’t just know their identity and take time to figure it out. Especially for those who always thought they were just an ally, but actually ended up being something more.

All in all, I am in love with Imogen and can’t wait to revisit this book again. Because you know it’s going to make it into my re-read cycle for sure.