Not my favorite Jessica Goodman thus far. Where [book:They'll Never Catch Us|55648616] had that thriller feeling, this one lacks the tension from her previous novels. Maybe because I didn't feel like the stakes were as high? I also figured out the mystery/twist a little early in the novel, which might be a side effect of reading a lot of YA mystery/thriller books. I'm generally good at guessing them now.

Outside of the plot, I also didn't find the characters to be all that likeable. I mean, they were fine. Just getting along. But I wasn't super invested in their stories or the circumstances that they found themselves in. I was pretty disappointed by the ending because I also felt like there was something missing? It just didn't feel satisfying overall as a book.

That being said, if you love summer camp vibes with a bit of murder mystery, this might be up your alley! It just wan't necessarily my cup of tea.

True to his family history, Jack Shannon runs a blackjack ring at the private school he goes to. After all, none of the other clubs really grabbed his interest. However, when his mother is arrested for her ties to organized crime, Jack is forced to go back to Las Vegas. Where his sister thinks it’s time for their family to get straight, Jack has other plans.

Jack knows that his mom was sold out by none other than Peter Carlevaro, a rival casino owner and his mom’s past lover. So, Jack hatches a plan to figure out what’s really going on. To do so, he recruits the asexual support group he’s become friends with online over the past few years. Nothing like a little high stakes heist to really cement a friendship.

Thanks to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for an advanced copy of Aces Wild to review! A group of asexual teens going on a Las Vegas heist together? Sign me up! Sounds like something right up my alley.

The upfront nature of asexuality is probably the best thing about this book. Jack and his friends are unapologetically asexual, and I am here for it. Let’s bring more characters like this to YA! Jack also has a romantic love interest, and I love that they make the distinction between sexual attraction and romantic attraction. They’re different, people! And a lot of people don’t seem to understand that.

Unfortunately, for a book that’s advertised as a heist, the heist part is lacking. Jack’s heist doesn’t happen until the last quarter of the book. There’s a lot of build up to it, which is fine! I just wanted more heist when the book has it in the title. I went in expecting something like Oceans 11, but got something different.

Some other reviewers have also pointed out aspects of the story that are ableist. Specifically the fact that they use a hearing aide as part of their heist, for Jack’s sister whose deafness isn’t mentioned until it’s convenient. I recommend checking out some of those reviews (you can find one here) to learn more.

Here for the asexual representation, but not at the detriment of other kinds of representation. Let’s keep that in mind for the future!

All in all, if you’re looking for a heist book, maybe go in another direction.
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We definitely wanted more heist in a book promising heists. And it had so much potential! But there are other issues with it, too; stay tuned for a full review to come!

What an unusual trip of a book. I would say it's very existential in nature, reminding me of something like an early Shaun David Hutchinson novel or something maybe from David Arnold. Am I 100% sure what actually happened there at the end? No, not really. But it was a wild ride to get here.

This is a book I'd probably struggle to recommend to teens just because it's so niche. It would take a specific kind of teen to recommend this book to. But, the comparison to a combination of Jumaji and The Sun is Also a Star is accurate, and you're sure to be invested as Alsaid takes you on this wild ride. It wasn't necessarily my cup of tea, but I think there is an audience out there for it!

I felt like this was a fun, engaging mystery with two different stories woven together. While Stevie's own mystery doesn't really happen until later in the book, I am interested in seeing how the two will eventually connect. The writing is easy to get pulled into and the characters are all interesting. The audiobook narrator is pretty good, too!

I will also say that I didn't necessarily believe the budding relationship that was happening. It felt like there was little build up and nothing was resolved. But we do have future books to hopefully do that, so fingers crossed!

Every year when the Blood Veil rises, the seven families of Ilvernath compete in a tournament to the death. The prize? The control of the vast wellspring of high magick. Currently in the thick of the tournament, the current competitors have learned that the curse of the Blood Veil can be broken. And now the tournament itself is breaking all around them.

As the curse gets closer and closer to breaking, the champions have to make a choice. Do they work towards breaking the curse or continue the tournament as if nothing has happened? Alliances will shift. New relationships will form. All we know is--the tournament will not have a happy ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Teen for an advanced copy of All of Our Demise to review! I read All of Us Villains in basically one sitting last year, so I was excited to see how it ended. Especially since the first book ended with such a cliffhanger!

If you loved the dark, foreboding nature of the first book, you'll absolutely love this one. All your favorite characters return, each one just as morally grey as the last one. They're all faced with choices they never thought they would have, especially that of ending the tournament forever. Even though there are a lot of points of view in this book, I didn't feel like any of the characters were more developed than the other. They all felt like well-rounded and complex characters, which is a point for the story! It's hard to do that with so many different narrators.

The action! This book picks up immediately where the last book left off and doesn't let up on the action. Foody and Herman also give us plenty of plot twists to keep us on our toes. Plus, the world building is expanded in this book, giving us even more of this magical society the authors have created. I would read more stories set in this world for sure!

My only complaint is that at times, some of the elements feel a bit repetitive. Honestly, I think that's partly because the book is a little on the long side. Combining some of the events might have helped to cut down on some of the repetition.

All in all, if you're looking for an action-packed ending to this duology, you'll love this finale!
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I think this is a good ending to this duology! Full of twists and turns and dark magic. Stay tuned for a full review to come!

This is certainly a powerful debut that discusses so many relevant topics. The best part about it for me was the evolving relationship between Margaret and Annalie. They're sisters, but their personalities are so drastically different. They're not really sure how to relate to each other, but maybe this tragedy that happened to them can help change that.

Such a in-depth exploration of racism and how it affects families and communities. I'd recommend it just for that reason!

I feel like all the spooky, atsmpoheric YA books are coming out at the wrong time of year this year. This has all the witchy vibes to it, throwing in a little darkness here and there. I enjoyed the way that Albert wove the story, giving us flashbacks and allowing us to get pieces of the story here and there. It added to the overall tension of the book and drew you into the story even more.

I wouldn't say that the characters are necessarily all that likeable? But I think that's partly the point. Even if they aren't super likeable, they are well-developed, centering around this main event that happened with Ivy's mom. The characters in both the present day and the flashbacks were fully fleshed out, and that made the book more enjoyable to me.

However, I didn't quite believe the romance. Like, it's intertwined with the magic and the mystery, but it just didn't feel believable to me. But other than that, if you enjoy witchy YA books, you'll definitely enjoy this one!

A beautifully written, powerful piece of literature that I'm honestly surprised I never read in college while getting a literature degree. I mean, come on. Let's diversify that canon already. 

Anyway, I read this for a banned book club discussion, and I can't wait to see what other people think about it. Plus, we get to go see the stage show, and I'm really interested in seeing how it was adapted. It's just such a powerful story about how women band together and how strong those relationships can grow to be.

Reading these is definitely making me want to go back and re-read Fangirl. It's been so long since I read it! Levi might be one of my favorite love interests out of Rainbow Rowell's work, Carry On not included. Becasue who can beat Simon and Baz??

I'm definitely enjoying the way that these are being adapted into manga volumes. They are definitely fun to read!

This was a delight! I finished the entire second half in one sitting. Stay tuned for a full review to come soon!