I read Furia in a coffee shop in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. An easy read with a young adult audience, Yamile Saied Mendez explores Camila's double life. Mendez explores complex family relationships and Argentinian culture, but at the heart of it is a girl with not only a big dream, but drive, ambition, and passion. She's resilient and determined, and caring and loving. Mendez combines the struggles of womanhood and being a teenager, to show the complexities of being a teenage girl. This book made me smile more times than I can count.

I loved this book!! To be honest, and to my surprise, I thought the series was much better. The series had more time to flesh out all of the characters, specifically the children's' lives and motivations and feelings. With that said, this book was beautiful. The characters are strong and complex, and Ng's storytelling blew me away. I felt like I was inside the pages, which rarely happens when I read books. My favorite part about the book was more deeply understanding Elena's thoughts and motivations- something I thought was lacking in the show. I loved Mia and Elena and I wish I could know more about the world Ng created on these pages.

Is Eleanor completely fine? But who is?
It look me a while to get into this one, but then about 2/3 of the way through I became hooked and couldn't put it down. Eleanor has faced extreme hardship and despite life seemingly telling to stop, she keeps existing and this resilience is what's so inspiring about Honeyman's character. She's frustrating and you will dislike her, but then you will not only root for her, but fall in love with her and the people she cares about. I don't know how to further explain it, but Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is simultaneously a simple story, and a very complex one.

I didn't realize this was the second book of a series and I liked it so much I went back and read the first one. A simple feel good romance novel about a boy and girl who meet by happenstance, The Proposal lightly discusses race and Guillory captures a strong, Black woman navigating heartbreak, falling in love, friendship, and life. It was cute and I was surprised by how invested I became in Nik and Carlos, both as individuals and soul mates.

One of the best thrillers I've read! It starts off strong- the stakes are high immediately and the way Foley moves between different narrators is fascinating. The Guest List gave me Lord of the Flies meets The Lying Game vibes which was very cool. It get's more confusing as the story progresses, but all falls into place by the end which is one of my favorite ways to tell stories. While I hope nobody does, if you have a long flight or a beach day coming up, this is the book to bring.

“Tomorrow will be better than today.” Adunni is so full of resilience and bravery and love, and she is unique and beautiful, and wise beyond her years. She’s one of the smartest characters I’ve gotten to know and I am so humbled by her story. Her relationship with Ms. Tia is fascinating and I feel so inspired by both her and Adunni. Daré’s voice and her writing choices to illustrate her title character’s growth are incredible and make for the most interesting read. I also learned a lot- about Nigeria of course, but also about my own bias and the importance of using my voice, trusting my gut, and keeping the people that care for me close.

I held my breath every single page of this one, waiting for the ball to drop. I could not put it down and was surprised by how much I liked the narrator. It was unsettling in the way Where the Crawdads Sing is, but I was weary of every character from the get go. I was more interested in Emily’s two best friends and mom- they were the most interesting characters in the book. Also, some parts of the ending surprised me but the main reveal I saw coming about 50 pages in. (Sidenote- I’m very into how every single one of Reese’s mystery book choices solidify my dislike and distrust of men)

The Alice Network reminded me a lot of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but more romantic (possibly just because of France lol), it was a period piece, and it followed two incredibly fascinating women, rather than one. The first half was a bit slow, but I definitely was desperate to know what happened to Eve and Rose from the get go. By the second half, I not only couldn’t put it down but found myself grinning a lot and my eyes going wide. The ending could’ve been a bit less predictable tbh :// I loved to hate Eve (like Lisbeth Salander), and found Charlie to be relatable- I love that she found her strength and purpose in the end. My biggest critique- Eve’s chapters should’ve been in first person, too.