I absolutely adored THE BONES OF RUIN by Sarah Roughley! This YA historical fantasy drops up right into Victorian England with all the decadence and racism you’d expect with a heaping of magic and intrigue. It’s masterfully paced, and I had a hard time putting it down once I started. THE BONES OF RUIN has distinct characters, and an excellent ending that makes you want the sequel immediately!

This book is full of romance, snark and humor, and so many points about how childhood experiences can hinder our progress as adults, but also about knowing your worth and value separate from another person, hobby, or institution. I LOVED Rex and Jordan's banter, and I found myself literally laughing out loud at moments. I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

IF I HAD YOUR FACE by Frances Cha is a novel that I wasn’t sure I’d like. I’m always up for perspectives that take place in different countries (this one takes place in Korea), and I’m always down for some feminist themes, but I wasn’t sure exactly what I was getting myself into. What I adored about this novel is that each woman’s journey is different but captivating and similar in theme. We follow three specific women who desperately want what other women have while also serving as a source of envy for other women without knowing. This book does a masterful job at exploring the “the grass is always greener” syndrome while picking apart the caustic beauty stands of women that create a toxic cycle of always running towards something better. The ending is absolutely beautiful, and each woman’s perspective was unique, so I was never confused as to whose perspective I was reading. I would definitely read more by this author.

First of all, Mary’s pretty frickin’ awesome and definitely a stronger protagonist than Anyanwu was in Wild Seed. Even though she’s young, Mary’s determination to supersede the expectations set for her is strong. MIND OF MY MIND explores the class structure that’s born from certain abilities and unfair advantages given to certain groups in society, while also exploring dominance and subservience, shifting power dynamics, and the cycles of abuse and manipulation.

This novel also brings up questions about what it means to self-manage your community and striving for self-determination. Essentially, how can you successfully lead people if you don’t respect their humanity or their lives? This entire novel expertly discusses the different ways in which to run a society: parasitic vs. mutualistic, which way is more effective in the long run?

There’s definitely a consistent theme in both WILD SEED and MIND OF MY MIND of women being forced to bear children even when they don’t want to and the consequences for the children that are produced. While MIND OF MY MIND is definitely a stronger story than Wild Seed, it’s plot is made richer by the context that is given in WILD SEED.