I think there are things that this book does well and things where it definitely could have used a bit more editing. Some of the pacing felt off for me, and I think that's because there would be a ton of detail in certain scenes, but then where there were scenes where I wanted detail, there wasn't a lot. Some of Maggie's situation with her parents could have been fleshed out a little more, but I absolutely loved the dynamic that she had with her parents.

The overall representation in this was also great, even if it was a little bit of a quasi love triangle. Also a lot of the moments that maybe felt a little cringey was because she was a teenager and teenagers don't always make the best decisions. Mosqueda hit the nail on the head with the voice and the overall feel of a teen book.

This is a fun read and I think a lot of teens will relate to Maggie and her friends. It's great if you're just looking for something quick and fun!

Lucha does what she can trying to keep her and her sister together after their mother disappears. Most likely thanks to the drug that’s making the rounds in their hometown. When Lucha gets an offer to help eradicate the drug for good, she takes it. No matter the cost. She doesn’t want to see anyone else suffer like her mom has.

What she doesn’t factor in is a strange new girl who’s arrived in town and tags along with Lucha. Lucha also doesn’t realize she’s stumbled into a fight that’s been years in the making, between a scorned god and higher powers that be. Will Lucha be able to fully step into her new powers? Or will she end up being consumed by the Night Forest?

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an advanced copy of Luch of the Night Forest by Tehlor Kay Mejia to review! After reading We Set the Dark on Fire, Mejia became a favorite. Also, how does she score such beautiful covers? Honestly, this one is absolutely stunning.

First of all, Mejia’s writing drew me in right at the beginning. I always appreciate the way that she builds worlds in her books. She drops small details here and there and isn’t afraid to just drop you in the middle of the action. At the core of this story is Lucha’s relationship with her sister. She will do anything to ensure that her sister is safe. That her sister doesn’t have to deal with the hardships of their mom.

Additionnally, there’s a sweet romance that builds between Lucha and Paz. The whole central cast of characters is well developed, overall. Coupled with the unique nature of the magic system, and this felt like a breath of fresh air in the YA fantasy genre. Fans of her previous YA works will definitely enjoy this one. She’s also sure to gain some new readers as well!

My only complaint about this book has to do with the pacing. The beginning does start off a little slow, meaning it takes a bit to actually get to what the central plot is in the book. However, once you do get to main conflict, hold on to the edge of your seat

All in all, this is a new YA fantasy filled with a lot of promise. Definitely check it out when it comse out in March!

A fun romance that delves into heavier topics that relate to teens, especially in relation to sex and consent, masculinity, and social groups. Ramos does a good job of capturing the feeling of high school and the confusion that came come from first romance and first relationships. Plus, you get a dose of nerdiness in this because Cameron is an anime nerd. If you're into any kind of nerd culture, you will definitely appreciate him and his friend group.

Cameron gets himself into a predicament as he has a sort of fling going on with one of the most popular girls in school, but stars devloping feelings for the new girl (who he is definitely more compatible with). There's casual diversity in this, great discussions between the main characters, and just an overall fun vibe. The book overall kind of gave me Julian Winters vibes, so if you like those books, you'll definitely enjoy this one.

I loved this little jump back into this world! It reads a bit like a cozy fantasy, and honestly kind of makes me want to jump back into Socerery of Thorns again. It's been awhile, and I remember absolutely loving it! The characters were great, the world building is well done, what more could you ask for in a fantasy.

Elisbeth and Nathaniel are just so great together, and getting more stories featuring them is so fun. I'm here for authors writing novella spinoffs from their original series. They're just fun additions for beloved characters.

A lovely middle grade fantasy that's all about finding yourself, being true to yourself, and fighting for those that are different from the norm. Callie is such a great main character, and they are not afriad to jump into the fray, especially if they see an injustice happening. They fight for what's right, and have acquired some great friends along the way.

The pacing was pretty good for this one, as well as the world building. My only complaint is the details about the outside force attacking Helston seemed a little fuzzy, but since it semes like this is the first book in a series, there's time to expand on that in later books!

Ava and Kaye were best friends until vampires broke into the magical barrier protecting their town. An attack where Kaye’s mother was killed and Ava was turned into a vampire. Since then, Ava’s mom has kept her trapped in her house since she still exhibits witch powers. Desperate to escape her mother’s control and her plan to destroy the town, Ava breaks out of her house.

On the other side, Kaye has been training as a Flame witch, to kill vampires. When the two collide on the night of Ava’s escape, Kaye follows Ava, planning on eventually turning her in. But the forest has other plans, and everything they thought they knew drastically changes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores to review! Fairy tale retellings are usually a good time, so I was excited to jump into this book. Especially because the twist in this (a Rapunzel retelling with witches and vampires) sounded intriguing! For the most part, I wasn’t disappointed.

My favorite thing about this was the way that Flores played with the Rapunzel story. She added some interesting twists and turns, and the characters are pretty great. For me, they were what made the story, especially the chemistry between Ava and Kaye. We’re here for a friends turned enemies turned lovers romance, honestly.

However, I did wish some of the world building would have been made more clear throughout the book. We get bits and pieces at the beginning, but never really the whole story, making some of the plot unclear. The plot itself also moves a bit too slowly at the beginning, meaning that a lot of the action is packed into the end, adding to some of the clarity issues.

Despite that, this is a quick read, and if you enjoy fairy tale retellings, you might get something out of this one! Especially if you’re just looking for something quick and easy to enjoy.

I mean it when I say that this book was STRESSFUL. It's part of the point of the book; Perla feels a lot of stress and anxiety throughout the entire book, with her journey being to accept herself and realize that she doesn't need to push herself to 110% all of the time. She doesn't have to break herself in order to please her parents.

There are a lot of teens who will probably relate to the stress placed on Perla from her parents to get into a good school, to pursue a certain career that equals success. I appreciated her journey towards realizing that what her parents wanted wasn't what she wanted; even if the means to getting there wasn't exactly the most ethical.

I don't know that what Perla did in this book would have exactly worked, mainly the finding a place to live on campus thing. That part didn't really jive, and really is what caused the most stress. Going to large lecture halls and not getting caught? Definitely plausible, especially at a large univeristy.

All in all, there are great characters in this, and it's definitely written in a way that teenagers will be able to relate to.

At long last, Hawkins has finally worked up the courage to ask out her crush, the cheerleader Regina. However, there’s only one problem: Regina already has a girlfriend, Chloe, who is an underperforming English student. Luckily, Hawkins is an English tutor, so Regina uses this opportunity to get Hawkins to tutor Chloe. Because she knows Hawkins will do anything to get into her good graces.

Regina’s plan works at first, as Hawkins gets folded into their friend group. What Regina doesn’t realize is that Hawkins and Chloe knew each other when they were kids. And there just might be some chemistry there, waiting to be kindled. Especially when they both realize they can be themselves around each other.

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second for an advanced copy of Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa to review! Not only does the cover of this book look absolutely adorable, but the content inside matches it. The story itself gives me a little bit of Heartstopper vibes, so if you’re looking for something that will just make you happy, this is the book for you.

The pink color palette absolutely works for this book, and the art overall is really well done. Costa transports you to this story, and emphasizes the emotions of her characters through the writing and through the facial expressions throughout. You will fall in love with the cast of characters instantly, and the chemistry between them is just phenomenal.

I also appreciated that Hawkins fails when she first asks out her crush, but she’s eventually able to curate a friendship from that. It also makes her realize that there’s maybe someone else that has caught her eye. Bonus: there’s also a Ren Fair at one point, which is just a fun addition to this light-hearted romantic comedy.

All in all, I absolutely loved this and will probably be buying a copy when it comes out in March!

Such an interesting re-telling of Sleeping Beauty! Of course, I knew to expect the darker twists and turns because it is Neil Gaiman after all. I didn't really know where he was going to take it, but I was engrossed in every second of it. If you love fairy tale re-imaginings, you definitely have to check this one out.

I also appreciated the fact that it almost reads like a picture book, because of the illustrations and the tone. But, it's juxtaposed with the darker nature of the story (much like a lot of the original fairy tales from Brothers Grimm). I just really enjoyed this, and am glad I finally got to read it!

Clarissa Campbell disappeared in 1999 with no explanation, and hasn’t been seen since. Police never figured out what happened to her, and the town of Oreville, Washington hasn’t been the same since her disappearance. Since then, she has turned into a bit of an urban legend.

Twenty years later, high school juniors Blaire and Cameron decide to take on her disappearance for a high school journalism project: a true crime podcast. Determined to find out what happened to Clarissa, they start investigating her disappearance. Their investigation uncovers a slew of small town secrets. And there’s one that just might put them in danger…

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones to review! Teens and adults alike love a good mystery, so this book is sure to get a lot of buzz! Especially when one of the comp titles is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

For me, the mystery was the best part of this book. While the clues to what happened to Clarissa are pretty in your face, if you’re not paying attention, you might miss it. The pace of the book definitely picks up towards the end, as things snowball pretty quickly when Blair and Cam think they’re onto something. As mysteries usually do.

This book is pitched as a podcast book, but I wish that the podcast sections read more like a podcast transcript. Since podcasts are generally conversations between people, that would have made them read more like podcasts than monologues. However, you still get important information in them, and you get to see some interesting characters throughout.

The point of view of the book also threw me off a bit. Blair and Cam did have distinctive voices, but the third person made it difficult to gauge who’s mind we were in at certain times. Maybe more obvious chapters throughout would have helped.

All in all, if you’re a fan of fast-paced, true crime mysteries, you’ll definitely want to pick this up when it comes out in March!