Not going to lie, I don't really remember what happened in the second book in this trilogy. But that's okay! It came back to me for the most part while I was listening to the audiobook. This book does get mind-bendy in the way that Maggie Stiefvater books can, which isn't a bad thing! It does kind of make me want to return to the Raven Cycle, though.

Anyway, I wanted more Ronan in this. While getting to see more of Declan was great, Ronan was one of my favorite characters from The Raven Cycle, and he's not in much of this particular book, until the end. Give me more of Ronan, please!

If you are a fan of the Raven Cycle, you will love the way this brings both of the trilogies together at the end. It's a good send off for characters that so many people love. Overall, once I got rid of the cobwebs, I did enjoy this finale of the Raven Cycle world.

As a set up for a new graphic novel series, I absolutely loved this. It was a little on the short side, and the majority of this particular volume is taken up by world building, but I loved it just the same. Because the art is absolutely gorgeous! The color palette, the organization, the little details that were incorporated in order to help with the world building. Masterfully done.

The overall theme of this school on the moon seems to be punk, which makes for some really cool art throughout. We only really get a hint of the relationships between the main characters, and I can't wait for that to built upon in later volumes. Overall, this is a great foundational volume, and I am super excited to read more!

A hard hitting, emotional novel set in Nigeria, which I don't think happens all that often in YA! I actually can't think of any other YA books that are set in Nigeria, except maybe some fantasy with Nigeria roots. More non-western stories like this in YA, please! 

This book follows the story of two sisters who go down different paths, mostly because of their relationships with their mother. Onoseta weaves the story really well, really focusing on the characters so that the plot kind of takes a backseat. While it seems like the sisters' two stories are separate, the way they eventually weave together was unique and different, and I really enjoyed it.

Before picking this up, be warned that this does deal heavily with abuse, racism, grief, and anxiety. It's a book that's on the heavier side, topic wise, but it's still such an imortant story. I wish it was getting more traction than it has, because it's an overall great story.

Lily Ashton found fame by playing Morgantha on the popular TV show, Galaxy Spark. She loves the show for the queer representation it has, but when she learns that the showrunners plan on killing off her on-screen love interest, she decides to do something about it. So, she arranges a fake dating scheme with her co-star in hopes to drum up support for their relationship.

Though Lily plays a queer girl on screen, she recently has starting struggling with her gender identity and whether the term "girl" really applies to her. Through her online gaming community, she's able to find her true identity. And if she's lucky, she maybe will even find love.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen for an advanced copy of this book to review! I was intrigued by the premise, but unfortunately the actual book fell a little flat. I think it's partially because there are a lot of characters and things going on in this book that it was difficult for the author to develop any one aspect of the story well.

Before reading this, I didn't know about the author's problematic comments about the lesbian community, but I unfortunately thing they also come out in this book. It's like the author thinks that there's just one way of being queer, and if you don't fit that mold, you can't be a part of that community. There's one moment where, after being dressed up in a gown for an event, the main character says "You can't see a trace of queer on me." While that may be true for Frey, implying that being dressed super feminine somehow makes you less queer is....not great. It's little moments like that peppered throughout the book that really made me inwardly cringe.

However, there is ace representation and I did appreciate the conversations about sex not proving your identity. Those are important in the context of the LGBTQ community, I just wish it hadn't sort of brought down other people who may identify as a part of that community.

All in all, there was potential, but much of this book fell flat. There's lots of other LGBTQ+ YA that I'd recommend instead.

This is an in-depth look at the complexities of bullying, from the perspective of a character who bullies someone else. Mallory, our narrator, is such a complex character. You wanted to love her and hate her at the same time. She was so desperate to be liked by the popular crowd that she went against her better judgement, a lot of the time. Middle school is such a hard time for that, and Keller portays it in such a realistic way.

The book itself switches between past and present, but it's easy to follow where the book is going. Not only are the characters well developed, but Keller treats the subject matter with such care. Highly recommend reading the author's note at the end, because she explains her reasoning for writing this story at the end, and it's almost just as heartbreaking.

Be warned this is an emotional read, but it is definitely worth it.

 Red and her friends are road tripping in an RV to head to the beach for spring break. The long drive would be worth it for the beach at the end. Everything was going great until their RV suddenly breaks down in the middle of nowhere. No phone signal, no anything.

Suddenly, a sniper shoots out their tires. According to them, one of the six on the RV is hiding a secret. A dark secret. In order for them all to survive, they have to share it. Before the clock runs out. But the sharing of secrets makes tensions run high, and they have to decide what they’re willing to do to survive. If they all want to get out of there alive. 

Thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Five Survive to review! Holly Jackson made a name for herself with the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder seres, so I was excited to pick this one up. Always happy to read a new thriller, especially an edge of your seat one like this!

Jackson has a knack for writing a story that’s paced in just a way that you just keep turning the pages. They’re really difficult to put down! In this book, we get a lot of twists and turns that keep you guess at each moment throughout the book. What’s going to happen next? What’s the next secret that’s going to be revealed? I just wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen.

While I appreciated the pacing, I will say the overall story here did seem like a bit of a stretch. It definitely makes for an exciting story, but it wasn’t really quite believable in the way that A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder was. Kind of reminded me of the third book in that series, if I’m being honest. I like my thrillers a little more grounded in reality.

Overall, if you enjoy fast-paced thrillers, you’ll definitely love Holly Jackson’s new one!

While this is pitched as a sci-fi/fantasy graphic novel, and it does have those elements to it, so much of Tommy's experiences are experiences that a lot of kids can relate to. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the way Tommy develops a friendship with Dung; they're both from very different places, but they find solace in each other. They form their own little group, and it's lovely to see them florish.

The art style worked well for this story, and setting in a middle school helped Tommy realize that no one really knows who their going to be at that moment in time. Part of middle school is finding yourself and your identity, and Hill captures that well.

Definitely recommend reading the author's note at the end, too! It relates everything to the author's experience, and I enjoyed getting to see that small story as well.

Not only is there great representation in this (the main character is nonbinary, autistic, and on the ace spectrum!) but I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery in here. There's a few hints of something almost supernatural at work (kind of like a ghost), and the characters were great. I especially loved Sam's relationship with their dad. Seeing such a supportive dad in a YA book like this is something I love to see. And a single dad at that!

I will say I didn't necessarily think the romance was necessary for the plot, and it fell a little flat for me. It almost felt like it happened too quickly, and I think I would have rathered that maybe it was just a hint at the end of the story.

However, the mystery worked so well, with strong twists and turns unfolding at every turn. If you like your mysteries with a contemporary spin, I'd definitely recommend this one!

I still don't think this necessarily needed to be a duology? The first book had felt really drawn out to me, and there were parts of this book that were just super slow. The pacing was uneven, and I think that's partly because it was drawn out into two books. But, looking at Marissa Meyer's other books, it's not really surprising that she's long-winded in this one as well. 

However, this book does have a satisfying ending, and of course, the way Meyer plays with the Rumpelstiltskin myth is different and new and unique. Especially there at the end. Overall, this isn't my favorite from Marissa Meyer, but I do think that fans of her writing will still enjoy this one!

Witches at summer camp trying to find out who has a green thumb, or a strong connection to plants. What a fun concept! We also get to see Effie go out of her comfort zone and learn how to get help for learning how to swim. It's such an overall fun time, and as always, I love the art. These are always quick reads for me, but they're such fun! I hope Sophie Escabasse keeps writing more.