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howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)
Upon first reading this book, I was comfortable with a 3.5, rounded down. It wasn't anything particularly special, but it was a fun read, I felt like it went by rather quickly, and there were a few topics that I thought it handled pretty well (such as loss of a loved one, and sexual assault). That said, this review has taken me forever to write because I feel so "meh" about it, and after thinking back on the story as well as reading Kaylin's comparison of how heavily influenced by The Raven Boys this book seems to be, I think I'll lower this to 2.5, rounded down.
I was planning on writing a thorough review for this book, but honestly, it's not that I don't want to - it's that I can't. Sure, it's been a little while since I read it, but that typically doesn't stop me from writing long, in-depth reviews. (I mean, just look at my TRC reviews, each of which took me about 2 months to write, but are pages upon pages of details and gushing.)
Honestly, Gray Wolf Island is simply not a memorable read. Before glancing at friends' reviews and the synopsis earlier today, I could not have possibly told you the name of a single character, or much of anything about the plot. I had forgotten everything except the treasure hunt, and the death of the protagonist's sister, and I almost never forget important details in books like this. That's just how outright forgettable this story is.
It's not a bad book, by any means at all. If you're looking for a fun YA mystery that's a breeze to get through and will keep you guessing at a few details along the way, I'd honestly 100% recommend picking this up! That said, if you're looking for a story that packs a bigger punch and will stay with you, this probably isn't the read for you - and if you're a TRC fan who, like me, takes issue with other books being blaring copies of that beloved series, I'd probably pass this one by.
Thank you so much to Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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Buddy read with Reg! ❤
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
I was planning on writing a thorough review for this book, but honestly, it's not that I don't want to - it's that I can't. Sure, it's been a little while since I read it, but that typically doesn't stop me from writing long, in-depth reviews. (I mean, just look at my TRC reviews, each of which took me about 2 months to write, but are pages upon pages of details and gushing.)
Honestly, Gray Wolf Island is simply not a memorable read. Before glancing at friends' reviews and the synopsis earlier today, I could not have possibly told you the name of a single character, or much of anything about the plot. I had forgotten everything except the treasure hunt, and the death of the protagonist's sister, and I almost never forget important details in books like this. That's just how outright forgettable this story is.
It's not a bad book, by any means at all. If you're looking for a fun YA mystery that's a breeze to get through and will keep you guessing at a few details along the way, I'd honestly 100% recommend picking this up! That said, if you're looking for a story that packs a bigger punch and will stay with you, this probably isn't the read for you - and if you're a TRC fan who, like me, takes issue with other books being blaring copies of that beloved series, I'd probably pass this one by.
Thank you so much to Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
---
Buddy read with Reg! ❤
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
I want to preface this review by saying that I am not autistic, not do I have the disability that Stanley suffers from, and I can only speak as an outsider looking in; however, any and all own-voice opinions and reviews would be welcomed and I would be happy to boost your review if you DM me or drop me a comment!
Going into a book with a romance between an autistic MC and her disabled love interest is the sort of thing that makes me feel very wary – will it be good, authentic rep? Will these characters be painted positively? Will I find myself knee-deep in tropes and cheap shots? Again, while I can’t speak from experience, I found myself feeling really pleased by the rep in this book and the way issues were handled. There were so many potential tropes that the author cleanly subverted, and I was so invested in this story and these characters that I genuinely did not want it to end.
As a child, Alvie was diagnosed with Asperger’s, and was told that she had to “get better”, or she would never get anywhere in life. Now, she’s 17 years old and determined to prove the world wrong, and wow, is she fierce. Her commitment to taking care of herself would be noble enough in any teen, but for her, the stakes are so much higher, and her fear of being put into a group home broke my heart. In fact, it was the very first thing in this story that was eye-opening for me: empathizing with the thought that someone could be threatened with having their freedoms taken away from them, just because they don’t interact with the world in what we’ve deemed as “socially acceptable”.
Despite the fact that so much of the story is heavy, focusing on Alvie’s determination to simply survive through each day, her commentary on the world around her is refreshing and, often, really mood-lifting. She loves animals dearly and has some particularly wide words on nature as a whole, but also, she manages to point out how people, in their day-to-day lives, do so many strange or unnecessary things – whose authority was it to deem them as “normal”?
More than anything, though, I loved how kind Alvie is. She is so concerned with the world around her, and though she doesn’t always know how to express them, her intentions are always in the right place. Especially when she meets Stanley, the young man with the cane who comes to visit her park everyday. As she grows to know and care for him, Alvie cares more about his well-being than anything else, and she blooms into this incredibly loving and nurturing young woman, even when it means sacrificing her own happiness.
If you asked me to choose who I loved more between Alvie and Stanley, to be honest, I don’t think I could. He matches Alvie’s compassion, but he’s terrified of not being “enough” – of being unable to protect her, or to be her equal, due to his own disability and mental health. Not only does he suffer from a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta – or, as he says, “a fancy way of saying my bones break easily” – but we also learn that familial abuse has given him terrible PTSD. We’ll come back to that in a moment, but it leads me to my next point:
This story focuses on an incredible amount of sex, and the way that it is handled made me want to cry tears of joy, because it is absolutely the kind of rep that we need in YA/NA books. There is a tremendous amount of talk surrounding consent (especially due to Alvie’s touch aversions and sensitivity to stimulus), and the characters are unafraid to sit down and talk about what is or isn’t comfortable for them. There’s a lot of sex positivity regarding one night stands and casual sex, but there’s also mention of how emotional sex can be between two individuals who care deeply for one another.
Both characters are virgins, and there are conversations about how terrifying that first time can be, or how toxic masculinity affects young men who don’t have sex immediately after puberty. There’s just so much important content about sex in this book, including the fact that, in this m/f couple, the guy is the one who’s “not ready”, and the girl is the one who has to tamp down her carnal desires and be patient. I just loved their whole relationship so much, for so many reasons, that I couldn’t even list them all here.
Finally, the last major topic Steiger addresses: abuse, in many different forms, as well as the guilt that can come with being an autistic or disabled individual with loved ones who don’t share your struggles. There is a lot of talk about feeling like a burden, or feeling “not good enough”, and Alvie shares a few flashbacks to painful moments and things her mother said to her, as well as an incredibly traumatic experience her mother put her through as a preteen. Despite all of these focuses on the negative outcomes of Alvie and Stanley’s respective family problems, the theme throughout the book remains the same: it should never be an autistic, mentally ill, or disabled person’s responsibility to feel guilty, useless, or broken. Instead, it should be society’s responsibility to learn how to offer compassion, empathy, accessibility, and understanding.
When My Heart Joins the Thousand isn’t your typical contemporary, and these aren’t your typical YA characters. This story is so unique, and so precious, and so heavy, and so special. I am so, so happy to have had the opportunity to read it, and I sincerely hope that Steiger writes more important work like this in the future.
Content warnings: ableism, PTSD, mental illness, assault, suicide, abuse, homophobia.
All quotes are taken from an unfinished ARC and may differ from the finished product. Thank you so much to HarperTeen for granted me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Why did everyone act like it was my fault when the other kids bullied me? Why was I always the one who had to change?
Going into a book with a romance between an autistic MC and her disabled love interest is the sort of thing that makes me feel very wary – will it be good, authentic rep? Will these characters be painted positively? Will I find myself knee-deep in tropes and cheap shots? Again, while I can’t speak from experience, I found myself feeling really pleased by the rep in this book and the way issues were handled. There were so many potential tropes that the author cleanly subverted, and I was so invested in this story and these characters that I genuinely did not want it to end.
Happiness is not a priority. Survival is. Staying sane is. Pointing out that I’m not happy is like pointing out to a starving homeless man that he doesn’t have a sensible retirement plan. It might be true, but it’s entirely beside the point.
As a child, Alvie was diagnosed with Asperger’s, and was told that she had to “get better”, or she would never get anywhere in life. Now, she’s 17 years old and determined to prove the world wrong, and wow, is she fierce. Her commitment to taking care of herself would be noble enough in any teen, but for her, the stakes are so much higher, and her fear of being put into a group home broke my heart. In fact, it was the very first thing in this story that was eye-opening for me: empathizing with the thought that someone could be threatened with having their freedoms taken away from them, just because they don’t interact with the world in what we’ve deemed as “socially acceptable”.
Technically my condition doesn’t even exist anymore; if I ever go back to the doctor, they’ll presumably have to find some other label to stick on me. The specific words don’t matter. I’ll always be this way.
Despite the fact that so much of the story is heavy, focusing on Alvie’s determination to simply survive through each day, her commentary on the world around her is refreshing and, often, really mood-lifting. She loves animals dearly and has some particularly wide words on nature as a whole, but also, she manages to point out how people, in their day-to-day lives, do so many strange or unnecessary things – whose authority was it to deem them as “normal”?
The idea that autistic people don’t feel compassion is just an ugly stereotype, but it’s a viewpoint I’ve encountered even from some professionals, despite obvious evidence to the contrary.
More than anything, though, I loved how kind Alvie is. She is so concerned with the world around her, and though she doesn’t always know how to express them, her intentions are always in the right place. Especially when she meets Stanley, the young man with the cane who comes to visit her park everyday. As she grows to know and care for him, Alvie cares more about his well-being than anything else, and she blooms into this incredibly loving and nurturing young woman, even when it means sacrificing her own happiness.
Nothing about me is easy.
If you asked me to choose who I loved more between Alvie and Stanley, to be honest, I don’t think I could. He matches Alvie’s compassion, but he’s terrified of not being “enough” – of being unable to protect her, or to be her equal, due to his own disability and mental health. Not only does he suffer from a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta – or, as he says, “a fancy way of saying my bones break easily” – but we also learn that familial abuse has given him terrible PTSD. We’ll come back to that in a moment, but it leads me to my next point:
Does he assume that just because I’m different, I’m incapable of having a sexual relationship with anyone? That I’m unable even to feel desire?
This story focuses on an incredible amount of sex, and the way that it is handled made me want to cry tears of joy, because it is absolutely the kind of rep that we need in YA/NA books. There is a tremendous amount of talk surrounding consent (especially due to Alvie’s touch aversions and sensitivity to stimulus), and the characters are unafraid to sit down and talk about what is or isn’t comfortable for them. There’s a lot of sex positivity regarding one night stands and casual sex, but there’s also mention of how emotional sex can be between two individuals who care deeply for one another.
Both characters are virgins, and there are conversations about how terrifying that first time can be, or how toxic masculinity affects young men who don’t have sex immediately after puberty. There’s just so much important content about sex in this book, including the fact that, in this m/f couple, the guy is the one who’s “not ready”, and the girl is the one who has to tamp down her carnal desires and be patient. I just loved their whole relationship so much, for so many reasons, that I couldn’t even list them all here.
“When the ones who hurt you are the people who love you most… no one ever tells you how you’re supposed to deal with that.”
Finally, the last major topic Steiger addresses: abuse, in many different forms, as well as the guilt that can come with being an autistic or disabled individual with loved ones who don’t share your struggles. There is a lot of talk about feeling like a burden, or feeling “not good enough”, and Alvie shares a few flashbacks to painful moments and things her mother said to her, as well as an incredibly traumatic experience her mother put her through as a preteen. Despite all of these focuses on the negative outcomes of Alvie and Stanley’s respective family problems, the theme throughout the book remains the same: it should never be an autistic, mentally ill, or disabled person’s responsibility to feel guilty, useless, or broken. Instead, it should be society’s responsibility to learn how to offer compassion, empathy, accessibility, and understanding.
When My Heart Joins the Thousand isn’t your typical contemporary, and these aren’t your typical YA characters. This story is so unique, and so precious, and so heavy, and so special. I am so, so happy to have had the opportunity to read it, and I sincerely hope that Steiger writes more important work like this in the future.
Content warnings: ableism, PTSD, mental illness, assault, suicide, abuse, homophobia.
All quotes are taken from an unfinished ARC and may differ from the finished product. Thank you so much to HarperTeen for granted me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was my first ever Kasie West book, and I picked it up when I was in probably my worst reading slump all year. I have to give Kasie kudos for the fact that I read the entire thing in one sitting and it managed to pull me out of my slump! It was a really cute, fast, and fun read, which is all I expected when I went into it, honestly.
→ what i liked ←
• Abby’s family is pretty precious. We see some surprising anxiety and agoraphobia rep in her mother, but the star of this book for me was her grandpa, who is kind, witty, and absolutely hilarious.
• Despite being pretty clueless as the best friend/unrequited love stereotype, Cooper is an enjoyable enough love interest. He’s flawed for sure, but I mostly really liked his banter with Abby, and there were some tender moments that bordered on turning me into a pile of goo (like when he’s sick, and wants only Abby to take care of him – precious).
• I’m such a sucker for the best-friends-turned-lovers trope, and I always have been. While this isn’t the best portrayal of that trope I’ve seen, it was a pretty damn good one, and I appreciated that it wasn’t as happy and cutesy as they are in a lot of fluffy contemporary titles.
• The entire focus of the book isn’t just on Cooper; a surprising portion of the story focuses on Abby’s art, or even her blossoming friendships with other people, which was nice and added some three-dimensionality to the story.
→ what i didn't like ←
• Cooper’s cluelessness borders on being a jerk from time to time, and when coupled with his arrogance, it was a little frustrating.
• Abby is honestly a pretty mediocre narrator; I never felt like I was particularly rooting for her (just the romance itself), and I wasn’t always fond of how she treated other characters.
• The ending felt very rushed and way too tidy; the way things unraveled should’ve lent to a slightly less “no loose ends” HEA, in my opinion. I feel like the book could’ve been improved dramatically by a certain event happening a few chapters earlier.
• SPOILER:
→ final thoughts ←
Was this book mind-blowing? Definitely not. It's honestly more of a 3.5 for me, but I felt like it was fair to round up to 4. That said, would I pick up another book by Kasie West? I can't say I'd rush to the store to grab all of her titles, but if I was in another slump and needed a cute, fluffy contemporary to pull me out of it, yes, I would definitely reach for another Kasie West book.
Thank you to HarperTeen for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
→ what i liked ←
• Abby’s family is pretty precious. We see some surprising anxiety and agoraphobia rep in her mother, but the star of this book for me was her grandpa, who is kind, witty, and absolutely hilarious.
• Despite being pretty clueless as the best friend/unrequited love stereotype, Cooper is an enjoyable enough love interest. He’s flawed for sure, but I mostly really liked his banter with Abby, and there were some tender moments that bordered on turning me into a pile of goo (like when he’s sick, and wants only Abby to take care of him – precious).
• I’m such a sucker for the best-friends-turned-lovers trope, and I always have been. While this isn’t the best portrayal of that trope I’ve seen, it was a pretty damn good one, and I appreciated that it wasn’t as happy and cutesy as they are in a lot of fluffy contemporary titles.
• The entire focus of the book isn’t just on Cooper; a surprising portion of the story focuses on Abby’s art, or even her blossoming friendships with other people, which was nice and added some three-dimensionality to the story.
→ what i didn't like ←
• Cooper’s cluelessness borders on being a jerk from time to time, and when coupled with his arrogance, it was a little frustrating.
• Abby is honestly a pretty mediocre narrator; I never felt like I was particularly rooting for her (just the romance itself), and I wasn’t always fond of how she treated other characters.
• The ending felt very rushed and way too tidy; the way things unraveled should’ve lent to a slightly less “no loose ends” HEA, in my opinion. I feel like the book could’ve been improved dramatically by a certain event happening a few chapters earlier.
• SPOILER:
Spoiler
Like I said, I love the best-friends-turned-lovers trope, but I hated how convenient it felt that Cooper had no idea he loved her until she gave him the silent treatment. It made the entire HEA feel super unrealistic and I kept thinking to myself that, if he took her for granted so long and couldn’t even give a good reason for recognizing his feelings, beyond just “I missed you”? Boiiiiii that is not gonna last long, lemme tell ya.→ final thoughts ←
Was this book mind-blowing? Definitely not. It's honestly more of a 3.5 for me, but I felt like it was fair to round up to 4. That said, would I pick up another book by Kasie West? I can't say I'd rush to the store to grab all of her titles, but if I was in another slump and needed a cute, fluffy contemporary to pull me out of it, yes, I would definitely reach for another Kasie West book.
Thank you to HarperTeen for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
The desert is still, no sign of movement, not even dust. But it’s a calm stillness, ancient and unchanging. The desert was here before us, and it will be here long after, watchful and patent and unmoved.
I’m a total sucker for “infection” horror stories—if you’re unfamiliar, they’re plots with creatures similar to zombies but not quite there—and when I heard about this western-horror mashup, it caught my interest right away. I don’t read many westerns, but I like them from time to time, and I have to say that this one was truly an enjoyable read. If you’re not comfortable with strong horror in books, this was probably 70% western and 30% horror, and despite a few gruesome moments, I think it would be a good read for anyone who doesn’t like their stories overly spooky.
If I could, I would turn my back on this town and start walking, leaving behind the unbearable weight. But I know better than that; the desert may have my heart, but this town will take my bones.
The first thing I noticed about Devils Unto Dust is that it is a phenomenally atmospheric read. As someone from the east coast, the desert of the southwest is something I’ve only witnessed once in my life, so it’s foreign enough to me that I’m always attracted to it as a setting. Emma Berquist’s descriptions are so spot on, I felt like I was right there in the dirt and sand with Willie and her posse.
No one will hold my hand, no one will weep over my body. Maybe we get the deaths we deserve.
Willie is a really enjoyable narrator; she’s tough as nails because she has to be, and the maternal aspect of her fierce protectiveness over her younger siblings immediately made me fond of her. She’s quick-tongued and a little rude at times, but never unlikable, and her responses always felt authentic and reasonable. The sibling relationships she had with her brother Micah, and the twins Catherine and Calvin, were so absolutely precious and checked every last one of my checkboxes for lovable bookish families.
“And I already had to make my peace with you dying. I ain’t interested in doing it again.”
Willie and her brother Micah also travel with Micah’s friend Sam, who is precious and sweet, and the Garretts brothers, Curtis and Ben, who I loved to pieces. Curtis is in his late twenties or early thirties, and is such a sweet, tenderhearted “big brother” sort of character, while Ben is the quintessential angsty, brooding young man with a teddy bear heart hidden behind his scowl. I genuinely loved all four of the primary side characters in this book, and wouldn’t have minded learning more to each one’s history. (I also appreciated the fact that the “romance” in this book is so incredibly understated and subtle, it’s barely there at all, which is a nice rarity in YA books!)
Maybe we have it wrong. Maybe this is what humans are truly like, when you take away reason and control and hope. Maybe the shakes aren’t sick; maybe they’re just honest.
Finally, the “shakes” (or the zombies/infected, if you will) are done fairly enough, but they were probably the only thing I didn’t care much for in the book. They never felt scary or threatening enough to really convince me that I should be concerned, until the very end of the book, so I kept feeling like they were just a little too mild. There were some hints dropped that the government had all but abandoned the towns in Willie’s area, and I would’ve really liked more information about that and how the sickness originated. While the shakes weren’t a bad addition, I would definitely not market this as an “infection” book nearly as strongly as I would market it as a suspenseful YA western.
All we have are bad options, and you pick the one you can live with.
All in all, this wasn’t a perfect book, but I did enjoy it tremendously. I read most of it in one day, as once I hit the 30-40% mark, the suspense caught me enough that I didn’t want to put it down. I loved the characters, and they are fleshed out enough that when tragedy struck one of them (no spoilers!), I was actually rather devastated and shed a few tears. If you enjoy westerns, or especially if you’re looking for a “light” horror read, I would highly recommend giving this book a try!
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Greenwillow for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
DNF
I really wanted to like this book! It's own-voices, and I'm here for all of the queer contemporaries. Unfortunately, though, I couldn't mesh with the narrative voice at all. The writing feels disjointed and in need of serious refining, and Evan is just not an enjoyable character to look through the perspective of. It's not that he's a bad kid - it's just the writing. I'm also really not fond of the romantic subplot of the book, and when I was told by friends that it only got stronger throughout the story, I decided to let it go. I won't try to discourage anyone else from picking it up, and I'd be willing to try the author's future works, but this wasn't for me.
Thank you to Balzer + Bray for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!
I really wanted to like this book! It's own-voices, and I'm here for all of the queer contemporaries. Unfortunately, though, I couldn't mesh with the narrative voice at all. The writing feels disjointed and in need of serious refining, and Evan is just not an enjoyable character to look through the perspective of. It's not that he's a bad kid - it's just the writing. I'm also really not fond of the romantic subplot of the book, and when I was told by friends that it only got stronger throughout the story, I decided to let it go. I won't try to discourage anyone else from picking it up, and I'd be willing to try the author's future works, but this wasn't for me.
Thank you to Balzer + Bray for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!
DNF. Sorry, I can't do it. I know this review is going to be wildly unpopular, seeing as this book currently sits at a 4.17 average rating and most of my friends seem to be loving it, but I could not get into this book to save my life. The only "unique" thing about it was the whole time = currency aspect, which I hesitate to call original, seeing as I seem to be one of very few people who remembers that Justin Timberlake/Amanda Seyfried movie In Time. The writing feels trope-y, and I just couldn't bring myself to care about the MC or anything that was happening.
Thank you to HarperTeen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you to HarperTeen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Our now may be nothing compared to the billions of years and stars that make up the universe, but maybe now is all we can ask for.
Now Is Everything is a story told in two times: then and now. Then, we watch Hadley struggle through life with an abusive father, doing everything she can to protect her younger sister, and sacrificing anything it takes to live life to the fullest - having friends, falling in love - without suffering her father's wrath.
Now, Hadley is a patient in a hospital, having narrowly survived the plane crash that took her family.
→ hadley ←
I'm a million shattered pieces. Tiny shards that will cut anyone who tries to clean up my mess.
Hadley is one of the best narrators I've had the pleasure of reading in a contemporary novel in a while. When I was close to giving up on ever genuinely adoring another contemporary title, this book came along, and I fell so in love with Hadley's voice. Despite the misery that is her home life, she is so incredibly strong and fiercely protective of her younger sister.
Hadley's trauma and PTSD are portrayed so believably; while it doesn't saturate her every waking thought, it's easy to see that each and every choice Hadley makes is influenced by her fear and hatred of her father. Through it all, though, she learns to fall in love and to trust.
→ then versus now ←
I feel alive - excruciatingly, painfully alive.
If you tallied up the word counts, I think we spent a lot more time in the then stage than the now, but maybe that's just because I found myself so incredibly anxious during the then chapters.
It's so interesting, in the beginning of the book, to watch the times change and try to decipher exactly what happened that made Hadley who she is now. You find yourself desperate to know what has brought this girl to attempt suicide now? Her attempt is a perfect example of how traumatic abuse is: even when one escapes it, it lingers with us, always.
→ mr. mccauley ←
Pain is quickly forgotten. It's the violence I always remember. The rage. The hate.
Every moment of Hadley's life is pure struggle for survival between fights with her father, and I had to put the book down and focus on other things a few times because the dread was too much. That's not a bad thing; this book is just intense! Mr. McCauley is positively terrifying, and while he never really takes you off-guard, you can't help but cringe every time the hammer strikes.
The abuse isn't purely physical or verbal; it's also emotional and mental, particularly in the way Hadley's father realizes he can hurt his eldest daughter by turning his attention on the youngest, Lila. Hadley's younger sister is so innocent and precious and strong-willed, and I spent so much of this book positively begging for nothing to happen to her. Every glare or threat from their father made my heart ache horribly.
→ charlie ←
That's when I realize Charlie isn't a quitter. Charlie's a survivor.
To keep this book from being too soul-crushing, there is a light spot in Hadley's memories: Charlie Simmons, the sweet first love who's offered Hadley an escape from her nightmares. The romance is definitely a strong theme in this book, but felt more like a sub-plot rather than the main focus, which I appreciated - this isn't the kind of story that needs to be sugarcoated with nonstop cutesy love scenes and kisses.
→ abuse & suicidal attempts ←
If abuse and/or suicidal thoughts in books put you in a bad place, please think long and hard before picking this book up. I have never loved a book so thoroughly while simultaneously so strongly feeling that some of my loved ones should not read it (unless they're in a very good place and prepared for a lot of self-care afterwards). This book is important, it is beautiful, it is heartbreaking, it is devastating, but most of all... it is terrifying, intense, and painful.
Amy Giles has spun an incredibly touching story and I will absolutely pick up future releases from her.
Content warnings: severe abuse, PTSD, attempted suicide, eating disorders, self-harm, body-shaming.
All quotes are taken from an unfinished ARC and may differ from the final release. Thank you so much to HarperTeen for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
When I first picked up Robots vs. Fairies, I almost expected the stories to be about literal wars between the two, so I was very surprised to find that it was actually a collection of alternating stories from authors who had chosen "team robot" or "team fairy". It was such a fun and unique idea, but I found that most of the stories were kinda "meh" for me.
→ Build Me a Wonderland by Seanan McGuire - ★★★★★ ←
The collection opened on such a strong note, as this was tied with one later story for my favorite. It tells the story of a group of theme park engineers who create little robotic critters for the park, but it has a really delightful twist and the prose is beautiful. It was my first taste of Seanan's writing, and I loved it so much that I bought two full books by her within a week of reading this story.
→ Quality Time by Ken Liu - ★★☆☆☆ ←
Unfortunately, after the majesty of Seanan's story, this one was a bigger letdown than I expected. It was about a young man who went to work for a new company, designing "helper" robots, but he took things too far and created a massive disaster. The characters were so unlikable, and the plot itself was honestly pretty boring.
→ Murmured Under the Moon by Tim Pratt - ★★★★★ ←
I actually originally had this one written down as a 4-star read, but while writing this review, I fangirled a little too hard not to move it up to 5. It's a story about a human librarian who takes care of a fairy library, and is forced to go on a rescue mission when the fairy princess is taken hostage by a wicked man - who also steals away the narrator's girlfriend. Did I mention that her girlfriend is literally a living book? It's so fun, and unique, and magical, and fantastical, and sweet.
→ The Blue Fairy's Manifesto by Annalee Newitz - ★★★☆☆ ←
I really wanted to love this story, in which a robot is taught that there's more to life than just the factory he's been living and working in. Unfortunately, I just couldn't really get into it enough to justify a higher rating; the writing itself was moreso worthy of 2 stars for me, but I did really enjoy the political commentary thrown in.
→ Bread and Milk and Salt by Sarah Gailey - ★★★★★ ←
This story is so full of fae lore, and is so twisted and dark. This is exactly what I want from fairy tales: I want dark, creepy, glamour-utilizing tricksters and conniving little shape-shifters. In this story, a fairy becomes obsessed with a boy, and follows him into adulthood, but when he hurts her beyond words, she finds a way to strike back. I absolutely adored the ending - it was so cunning and sick, and I found myself cringing a few times during it, but in the best way.
→ Ironheart by Jonathan Maberry - ★★★★☆ ←
I was honestly stunned by how sad and heavy this entry was. It follows a veteran suffering from war injuries and PTSD, who's had a robotic heart transplant due to the incidents on the battlefield. He lives with his grandparents, who run a farm with the assistance of robots, all of which are steadily breaking down due to a lack of funds to repair them. It's honestly less about robots and more about how poorly we here in the USA treat our veterans, and how useless and unhappy disabled vets can feel. There was a line where the MC mentioned that he gave his life on the battlefield when he should have been at home, taking care of his own family, and it broke my heart into all the little pieces.
→ Just Another Love Song by Kat Howard - ★★☆☆☆ ←
This story actually had some neat aspects to it - mainly, the fact that I'd never seen a banshee in a fairy story before, and I was obsessed with banshees as a kid, so that was cool - but a lot of it was just really predictable and formulaic, and I couldn't get particularly attached to any of it. I did enjoy the ending, though.
→ Sound and Fury by Mary Robinette Kowal - ★★★☆☆ ←
A space crew is taking a giant robot to this new planet, supposedly to have a meeting with these higher-up types, but in true colonialist fashion, there's a little more to the story than the crew members have been informed of. This story was a little bizarre, honestly, but a pretty fun ride! It didn't "stick" with me, though - I actually had to look at my notes to refresh myself a little by the time I wrote this review.
→ The Bookcase Expedition by Jeffrey Ford - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
This one was literally the point of view of a man watching little bitty fairies go on an adventure on his bookcase in his office. I was so bored, and I kept expecting there to be a point to the story, but there really wasn't one. I'm sorry, but I genuinely don't understand why this story was even included.
→ Work Shadow/Shadow Work by Madeline Ashby - ★★★★★ ←
This story was honestly so precious and meaningful to me. It was about a robotic assistant to an elderly woman who believed in and practiced magic, but was becoming senile and unable to take care of herself fully. She berated her assistant frequently in the beginning by calling him soul-less (because he didn't have a name), but we get to watch him slowly grasp more of her personality, as she comes to respect him as a friend. My own grandmother was a practicing witch in her younger years, and was senile in the later years of her life, and this story reminded me so much of her in some ways and really found a special place in my heart.
→ Second to the Left, and Straight On by Jim C. Hines - ★★★★★ ←
If you've ever talked to me about Peter Pan, you already know I don't care for it at all, so when I realized this would be a retelling, I didn't expect to enjoy it, but it is so twisted and haunting and beautiful and absolutely heartbreaking. I enjoyed it so much. It's about a private investigator who is seeking out little girls that have been abducted by Tinker Bell. The little gang of girls is called the "Found Girls", and there are just so many lovely little comparisons and parallels to the original tale, but it still feels really fresh and new.
→ The Buried Giant by Lavie Tidhar - ★★☆☆☆ ←
This was another retelling in the form of Pinocchio, but the roles were reversed, with a human boy wanting to become a robot. I honestly just didn't jive with the writing style - it was pretty, but a little hard for me to follow at times - and the story was so disjointed. The ending was really open, too, which made it even tougher for me to get into. That said, I feel like I might like this author if I read something a little longer by them!
→ Three Robots Experience Objects Left Behind From the Era of Humans for the First Time by John Scalzi - ★★★★★ ←
UPDATE: I originally gave this story a much lower rating, but after going back and re-reading it, OMG, it is hilarious and I love it so much. It follows a trio of robots exploring human objects after humans are all gone, and one of the stories includes a cat, which... well, you just have to read it. It's wonderful.
→ Ostentation of Peacocks by Lila Bowen - ★★☆☆☆ ←
This is - are you ready for this? - a fairy story in the form of a western. I don't read westerns often, and I'm not a big fan of the genre in any media format, so I am solidly convinced that I am just not the target audience for this story. I appreciated the imagery that was painted by the writing - and would absolutely read more from this author - and there were some little things here and there that were really fun (like the main character's mention of her favorite aesthetic being "all of the prettiest parts of men AND women"), but mostly, I just strongly believe that fairies and westerns shouldn't intermingle.
→ All the Time We've Left to Spend by Alyssa Wong - ★★★★★ ←
First of all, where have I been my entire life that I've never read anything by Alyssa Wong? This story was tied with Seanan McGuire's for my #1 favorite of the collection. It displays a society in which robots have been used to mimic the bodies and personalities of celebrities in pleasure hostels, and follows a young woman who frequents a hostel to spend time with the deceased members of a decade-old Japanese pop icon group. The twist is given away very quickly, but it somehow adds to the haunting feel of the story as you watch everything unfold. I would have loved more time to spend in this story, and will be adding more of Alyssa's work to my TBR ASAP.
→ Adriftica by Maria Dahvana Headley - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
This rating honestly feels so dirty and unfair to me, because this story was doomed from the start. I don't care for Shakespeare at all (go ahead, get your shock and disgust out of the way), and this is a retelling of a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream; on top of that, it followed that beautiful Alyssa Wong story, so it didn't stand a snowball's chance.
→ To a Cloven Pine by Max Gladstone - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
I honestly spend the bulk of this story confused and bored, which just brought annoyance along with it, and that's not a great trio of feelings. It starts off with a group of people running from a Witch, when one of the characters disappears and things get pretty sketchy. I understood the big reveal at the end, I just didn't think it was a very good twist.
→ A Fall Counts Anywhere by Catherynne M. Valente - ★★★★☆ ←
The idea behind this story is absolutely precious: to round out the end of the collection, Catherynne decided to take the title, Robots vs. Fairies, literally, and gave us a fight night reminiscent of WWF/WWE ("Are you ready to rrruuummmmblleeeee?!"). The writing voices change as it shifts between a robot commentator and a fairy, and while it's fun and a little camp-y, I did think it was overdone (hence knocking a star off of my rating). That said, the twist ending is so fun and brilliant, and I loved every moment of the finale.
→ FINAL THOUGHTS ←
All in all, this anthology was very hit-and-miss to me. As you can see, there were very few "amazing" stories, with quite a lot of "meh" and even "bad" ones for me. The fact that the really great ones were so few and far between made it incredibly difficult to motivate myself to keep going in this anthology, but(!) the 5-star reads were honestly worth purchasing the entire collection just for those. So, do I recommend every story in this book? No. Do I recommend getting your hands on the Seanan McGuire and Alyssa Wong stories at all costs? You betcha.
Averaged out, I gave this collection 3 stars.
Thank you to Saga Press for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
→ Build Me a Wonderland by Seanan McGuire - ★★★★★ ←
The collection opened on such a strong note, as this was tied with one later story for my favorite. It tells the story of a group of theme park engineers who create little robotic critters for the park, but it has a really delightful twist and the prose is beautiful. It was my first taste of Seanan's writing, and I loved it so much that I bought two full books by her within a week of reading this story.
→ Quality Time by Ken Liu - ★★☆☆☆ ←
Unfortunately, after the majesty of Seanan's story, this one was a bigger letdown than I expected. It was about a young man who went to work for a new company, designing "helper" robots, but he took things too far and created a massive disaster. The characters were so unlikable, and the plot itself was honestly pretty boring.
→ Murmured Under the Moon by Tim Pratt - ★★★★★ ←
I actually originally had this one written down as a 4-star read, but while writing this review, I fangirled a little too hard not to move it up to 5. It's a story about a human librarian who takes care of a fairy library, and is forced to go on a rescue mission when the fairy princess is taken hostage by a wicked man - who also steals away the narrator's girlfriend. Did I mention that her girlfriend is literally a living book? It's so fun, and unique, and magical, and fantastical, and sweet.
→ The Blue Fairy's Manifesto by Annalee Newitz - ★★★☆☆ ←
I really wanted to love this story, in which a robot is taught that there's more to life than just the factory he's been living and working in. Unfortunately, I just couldn't really get into it enough to justify a higher rating; the writing itself was moreso worthy of 2 stars for me, but I did really enjoy the political commentary thrown in.
→ Bread and Milk and Salt by Sarah Gailey - ★★★★★ ←
This story is so full of fae lore, and is so twisted and dark. This is exactly what I want from fairy tales: I want dark, creepy, glamour-utilizing tricksters and conniving little shape-shifters. In this story, a fairy becomes obsessed with a boy, and follows him into adulthood, but when he hurts her beyond words, she finds a way to strike back. I absolutely adored the ending - it was so cunning and sick, and I found myself cringing a few times during it, but in the best way.
→ Ironheart by Jonathan Maberry - ★★★★☆ ←
I was honestly stunned by how sad and heavy this entry was. It follows a veteran suffering from war injuries and PTSD, who's had a robotic heart transplant due to the incidents on the battlefield. He lives with his grandparents, who run a farm with the assistance of robots, all of which are steadily breaking down due to a lack of funds to repair them. It's honestly less about robots and more about how poorly we here in the USA treat our veterans, and how useless and unhappy disabled vets can feel. There was a line where the MC mentioned that he gave his life on the battlefield when he should have been at home, taking care of his own family, and it broke my heart into all the little pieces.
→ Just Another Love Song by Kat Howard - ★★☆☆☆ ←
This story actually had some neat aspects to it - mainly, the fact that I'd never seen a banshee in a fairy story before, and I was obsessed with banshees as a kid, so that was cool - but a lot of it was just really predictable and formulaic, and I couldn't get particularly attached to any of it. I did enjoy the ending, though.
→ Sound and Fury by Mary Robinette Kowal - ★★★☆☆ ←
A space crew is taking a giant robot to this new planet, supposedly to have a meeting with these higher-up types, but in true colonialist fashion, there's a little more to the story than the crew members have been informed of. This story was a little bizarre, honestly, but a pretty fun ride! It didn't "stick" with me, though - I actually had to look at my notes to refresh myself a little by the time I wrote this review.
→ The Bookcase Expedition by Jeffrey Ford - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
This one was literally the point of view of a man watching little bitty fairies go on an adventure on his bookcase in his office. I was so bored, and I kept expecting there to be a point to the story, but there really wasn't one. I'm sorry, but I genuinely don't understand why this story was even included.
→ Work Shadow/Shadow Work by Madeline Ashby - ★★★★★ ←
This story was honestly so precious and meaningful to me. It was about a robotic assistant to an elderly woman who believed in and practiced magic, but was becoming senile and unable to take care of herself fully. She berated her assistant frequently in the beginning by calling him soul-less (because he didn't have a name), but we get to watch him slowly grasp more of her personality, as she comes to respect him as a friend. My own grandmother was a practicing witch in her younger years, and was senile in the later years of her life, and this story reminded me so much of her in some ways and really found a special place in my heart.
→ Second to the Left, and Straight On by Jim C. Hines - ★★★★★ ←
If you've ever talked to me about Peter Pan, you already know I don't care for it at all, so when I realized this would be a retelling, I didn't expect to enjoy it, but it is so twisted and haunting and beautiful and absolutely heartbreaking. I enjoyed it so much. It's about a private investigator who is seeking out little girls that have been abducted by Tinker Bell. The little gang of girls is called the "Found Girls", and there are just so many lovely little comparisons and parallels to the original tale, but it still feels really fresh and new.
→ The Buried Giant by Lavie Tidhar - ★★☆☆☆ ←
This was another retelling in the form of Pinocchio, but the roles were reversed, with a human boy wanting to become a robot. I honestly just didn't jive with the writing style - it was pretty, but a little hard for me to follow at times - and the story was so disjointed. The ending was really open, too, which made it even tougher for me to get into. That said, I feel like I might like this author if I read something a little longer by them!
→ Three Robots Experience Objects Left Behind From the Era of Humans for the First Time by John Scalzi - ★★★★★ ←
UPDATE: I originally gave this story a much lower rating, but after going back and re-reading it, OMG, it is hilarious and I love it so much. It follows a trio of robots exploring human objects after humans are all gone, and one of the stories includes a cat, which... well, you just have to read it. It's wonderful.
→ Ostentation of Peacocks by Lila Bowen - ★★☆☆☆ ←
This is - are you ready for this? - a fairy story in the form of a western. I don't read westerns often, and I'm not a big fan of the genre in any media format, so I am solidly convinced that I am just not the target audience for this story. I appreciated the imagery that was painted by the writing - and would absolutely read more from this author - and there were some little things here and there that were really fun (like the main character's mention of her favorite aesthetic being "all of the prettiest parts of men AND women"), but mostly, I just strongly believe that fairies and westerns shouldn't intermingle.
→ All the Time We've Left to Spend by Alyssa Wong - ★★★★★ ←
First of all, where have I been my entire life that I've never read anything by Alyssa Wong? This story was tied with Seanan McGuire's for my #1 favorite of the collection. It displays a society in which robots have been used to mimic the bodies and personalities of celebrities in pleasure hostels, and follows a young woman who frequents a hostel to spend time with the deceased members of a decade-old Japanese pop icon group. The twist is given away very quickly, but it somehow adds to the haunting feel of the story as you watch everything unfold. I would have loved more time to spend in this story, and will be adding more of Alyssa's work to my TBR ASAP.
→ Adriftica by Maria Dahvana Headley - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
This rating honestly feels so dirty and unfair to me, because this story was doomed from the start. I don't care for Shakespeare at all (go ahead, get your shock and disgust out of the way), and this is a retelling of a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream; on top of that, it followed that beautiful Alyssa Wong story, so it didn't stand a snowball's chance.
→ To a Cloven Pine by Max Gladstone - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
I honestly spend the bulk of this story confused and bored, which just brought annoyance along with it, and that's not a great trio of feelings. It starts off with a group of people running from a Witch, when one of the characters disappears and things get pretty sketchy. I understood the big reveal at the end, I just didn't think it was a very good twist.
→ A Fall Counts Anywhere by Catherynne M. Valente - ★★★★☆ ←
The idea behind this story is absolutely precious: to round out the end of the collection, Catherynne decided to take the title, Robots vs. Fairies, literally, and gave us a fight night reminiscent of WWF/WWE ("Are you ready to rrruuummmmblleeeee?!"). The writing voices change as it shifts between a robot commentator and a fairy, and while it's fun and a little camp-y, I did think it was overdone (hence knocking a star off of my rating). That said, the twist ending is so fun and brilliant, and I loved every moment of the finale.
→ FINAL THOUGHTS ←
All in all, this anthology was very hit-and-miss to me. As you can see, there were very few "amazing" stories, with quite a lot of "meh" and even "bad" ones for me. The fact that the really great ones were so few and far between made it incredibly difficult to motivate myself to keep going in this anthology, but(!) the 5-star reads were honestly worth purchasing the entire collection just for those. So, do I recommend every story in this book? No. Do I recommend getting your hands on the Seanan McGuire and Alyssa Wong stories at all costs? You betcha.
Averaged out, I gave this collection 3 stars.
Thank you to Saga Press for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This review has been in the works for a little too, but that’s because it’s a tough title for me to review. I originally received this as an eARC earlier in the year, and made it to about the 40% mark before DNFing it a few weeks before its release. I had already pre-ordered it and wanted to try it again, so I grabbed my finished copy off the shelf in May and read the rest of it over the span of a few days.
Sometimes, when I set a book aside and come back to it, it’s because I just wasn’t in the right mood—other times, there was never going to be a ‘right mood’ for that particular read, and that’s what happened with this one. I really thought this would be one of my top reads of the year, so you can imagine how difficult it is for me to say that I think it suffered from quite a bit of over-hyping.
It felt pretty predictable for the most part, a solid 150-200 pages of it was very boring to me, and most of the characters weren’t enjoyable to read about because they just didn’t feel fleshed out. Zélie was likable, if a bit simplistic, but I think the only character I genuinely enjoyed was Amari; she undergoes a tremendous amount of character growth in a very short span of time, and was honestly the unsung hero of this novel.
Also, please don’t even get me started on the forced romance in this story. This entire novel would have benefited tremendously from being romance-free, but instead we got this very awkward, uncomfortable pairing that I saw coming from the first page and found myself cringing, waiting for it to happen, until it finally did. When I, as a huge lover of romance in stories, literally end up skim reading entire pages of romantic development, there’s a problem.
Of course, it’s not all bad; I know I sound negative and I don’t mean to, because Children of Blood and Bone has a lot of positivity to bring to the table, too. It’s so incredible to see a fantasy novel by a black author, with a cast entirely comprised of black characters, and to know that so much of it is inspired by the author’s own heritage (though I am dismayed to have seen several own-voice reviews calling the Nigerian representation flawed). I adore the author as a human being and think she is a delight, and I’m ecstatic to know that she’s already gotten such a killer movie deal for this story.
Will I rush to continue the series? Hard to say. Will I be in the movie theatres supporting the hell out of this adaptation, though? Absolutely! Also, despite my lack of being impressed by the writing itself overall, if you enjoy fantasy stories, I still strongly recommend picking this up—especially if you aren’t as cynical of a reader as I tend to be—because this book has an audience and deserves to be given a chance.
Thank you so much to Henry Holt Books for Young Readers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
“Courage does not always roar. Valor does not always shine.”
Sometimes, when I set a book aside and come back to it, it’s because I just wasn’t in the right mood—other times, there was never going to be a ‘right mood’ for that particular read, and that’s what happened with this one. I really thought this would be one of my top reads of the year, so you can imagine how difficult it is for me to say that I think it suffered from quite a bit of over-hyping.
“I teach you to be warriors in the garden so you will never be gardeners in the war.”
It felt pretty predictable for the most part, a solid 150-200 pages of it was very boring to me, and most of the characters weren’t enjoyable to read about because they just didn’t feel fleshed out. Zélie was likable, if a bit simplistic, but I think the only character I genuinely enjoyed was Amari; she undergoes a tremendous amount of character growth in a very short span of time, and was honestly the unsung hero of this novel.
“We fought. We persevered. We rose.”
Also, please don’t even get me started on the forced romance in this story. This entire novel would have benefited tremendously from being romance-free, but instead we got this very awkward, uncomfortable pairing that I saw coming from the first page and found myself cringing, waiting for it to happen, until it finally did. When I, as a huge lover of romance in stories, literally end up skim reading entire pages of romantic development, there’s a problem.
“You crushed us to build your monarchy on the backs of our blood and bone. Your mistake wasn’t keeping us alive. It was thinking we’d never fight back.”
Of course, it’s not all bad; I know I sound negative and I don’t mean to, because Children of Blood and Bone has a lot of positivity to bring to the table, too. It’s so incredible to see a fantasy novel by a black author, with a cast entirely comprised of black characters, and to know that so much of it is inspired by the author’s own heritage (though I am dismayed to have seen several own-voice reviews calling the Nigerian representation flawed). I adore the author as a human being and think she is a delight, and I’m ecstatic to know that she’s already gotten such a killer movie deal for this story.
Will I rush to continue the series? Hard to say. Will I be in the movie theatres supporting the hell out of this adaptation, though? Absolutely! Also, despite my lack of being impressed by the writing itself overall, if you enjoy fantasy stories, I still strongly recommend picking this up—especially if you aren’t as cynical of a reader as I tend to be—because this book has an audience and deserves to be given a chance.
Thank you so much to Henry Holt Books for Young Readers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
Three Sides of a Heart is a collection of sixteen short stories about love triangles, of varying natures and sexualities. I honestly wouldn't have picked this anthology up if it wasn't for buddy reading it with Melanie , because I'm not typically a big fan of the trope, but some of these stories executed it wonderfully! I will say that this collection is a huge mixed bag of good and bad stories, and many of the tales aren't what I consider triangles at all, but we'll get there.
→ Riddles in Mathematics by Katie Cotugno - ★★★★★ ←
A young girl who has recently come out to her family has to face the struggle of being in love with her brother's best friend, who everyone thinks her brother is destined to marry someday. This was such a beautiful and sweet opener to the collection. It had a wonderful example of how parents deal with teens and big revelations: just because someone takes time to adjust to a change, doesn't mean they're unhappy with that change. I was rooting so hard for the MC the entire time, and was hooked to the very end.
→ Dread South by Justina Ireland - ★★★★★ ←
A young white woman living in the 1800s has to face down her racism and come to terms with the fact that her Attendant is not "less than" just for her skin color. I was LIVING for this story! I already loved Dread Nation (review here) by Justina Ireland, and I was ecstatic to read this story set in the same timeframe. I loved the fact that we were actually looking through the eyes of this racist young girl coming to terms with her own ignorance, and more than anything, I was so here for the self-confidence and cool indifference the love interest exuded throughout the entire story, right to the end. I don't think I will ever give anything Justina writes less than five stars.
→ Omega Ship by Rae Carson - ★★☆☆☆ ←
A ship carrying teens to a new planet to start a new home for the human race is on a crash course, forcing three of its passengers to escape and to make a new life for themselves on their own - with only one young woman left to repopulate the planet. This was honestly such a bizarre story to me. I appreciated the feminist ideal behind the ending, and the thought that the girl wanted to take her life into her own hands, but the writing wasn't for me, and one of the guys was so cringe-y it was a little nauseating.
→ La Revancha Del Tango by Renee Ahdieh - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
A college-bound Indian girl from the southern states heads off to Argentina for a quick vacation, where she meets an obnoxious-but-cute British boy and tries her hand at authentic salsa dancing. There was so much going on in this story, and the worst of it was honestly the geek references. I'm a lifelong geek and gamer girl; I get it, you want to prove yourself. But it was so unbearable in the narrative, it felt incredibly fake, and the whole thing was just a disaster. On top of that, where was the love triangle? All I saw was this girl drooling over some rude British kid while lusting a little over some salsa dancer that probably didn't care to know she existed, seeing as they never even spoke! By far and large, the worst story in the collection was this one.
→ Cass, An, and Dra by Natalie C. Parker - ★★★★☆ ←
A family curse: every time our narrator faces a decision, they see visions of what will happen if they take either path. Throughout the course of the story, their visions start to show a common thread: one path keeps them in a relationship with their familiar and lovely girlfriend, An, while the other path leads them to a love-at-first-sight encounter with a nonbinary stranger named Dra. The idea for this one was so unique, and I adored how totally queer it was. The idea of the insta-love that Cass would face upon meeting Dra was a little bothersome, though, so I knocked off a star for how much I disliked that general "theme". I found it really interesting that their names formed "Cassandra", though, and I kept wondering if the whole story was a metaphor for the narrator's struggles with their gender identity, rather than a literal tale of three people and romance.
→ Lessons for Beginners by Julie Murphy - ★★★★★ ←
When a highschool girl learns that she is naturally a great kisser, her best friend convinces her to become a kissing instructor. A wrench is thrown into her normal routine when she takes on her first couple for lessons, and develops unexpected feelings for the girlfriend. Oh. My. GOD. I loved this story so freaking much I can't even describe it. The narrator is a plus size gal and she is so sexy and fun and proud of herself, and I was so here for the idea of this girl accepting her sexuality with pride and letting herself be "out there" with her body. As a plus size girl, I almost never see myself represented in YA, period, but when I do, it's rarely in good lighting, so I was literally clapping throughout this story. I am here for queer fat girl rep, all day, every day. <3
→ Triangle Solo by Garth Nix - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
Two high school best friends are used to competing, but when the boys both fall for the same girl, things get a little messy. There's a sci-fi twist, but honestly, the writing was so laughably terrible in this story that I skimmed the ending and can't tell you much about it. I remember Garth Nix being a YA god when I was a kid, and now I can't tell if his writing hasn't held up over the years, or if he just bombed this particular story, because wow. It was such a bummer to be so disappointed by this one, since I saw his name on the contents page and honestly thought I would end up loving his entry.
→ Vim and Vigor by Veronica Roth - ★★★☆☆ ←
When a highschooler reunites with her childhood comic book fangirl friends after working through the loss of one of their club members, she is ecstatic to find her place again - until she ruins it by abusing her former best friend's trust to utilize the other girl's father's scientific tools to make a decision between the two boys who have asked her to prom. I don't like Veronica Roth's writing much anyways, but I really tried to enjoy this one, and just... couldn't. I thought it was so ridiculously cringe-y that she used her best friend's father's stuff just to decide between the two boys - neither of whom had a built-up backstory worthy of me caring even the tiniest bit about who she chose - despite knowing that it would get her friend in major trouble if they were caught. She then blamed the whole thing on her anxiety and, as someone who suffers from major anxiety issues, it felt so bad to me, watching her brush off her harmful decisions on her mental illness! The only reason I gave this 3 stars was because I adored the ending, but overall, I thought this story was a disaster.
→ Work in Progress by E.K. Johnston - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
Multiple stories of three childhood friends, with each section switching perspectives, and each story fading into the next. The writing style behind this one was unique, for sure, and could work well for someone who's looking for something unusual in their reading routine, but man, it did not work for me at all! It took me an unfortunate amount of time to realize that the little mini-sections were switching narratives, because it's all second-person (as in, "you" are the narrator) and there's no indication at all given to let you know the perspectives are changing. Then, when I realized it wasn't one cohesive short story, but was several very short stories combined into one? Well, that was the moment I just sighed and accepted the fact that I was 1-starring this entry.
→ Hurdles by Brandy Colbert - ★★★★☆ ←
A young track star is forced to choose between two boys: one, her current boyfriend, is widely loved by her father, appreciates her affinity for running track, and encourages her to pursue huge, Olympic-sized dreams. The other is her best friend's brother, recovering alcoholic, who skips classes and wants her to run away from everything with him. This story wasn't perfect, but it offered this incredible and candid look into the pain that comes with choosing between what your heart wants, and what your mind needs. I only wish the opening had been more solid, but I won't spoil that for you.
→ The Historian, the Garrison, and the Cantankerous Catwoman by Lamar Giles - ★★★★☆ ←
Imagine a world in which Alfred falls in love with Batman, while Batman leaves Alfred for Catwoman. Our narrator is "Alfred", the Historian, who's in charge of keeping things in order for the Garrison while he gallivants about, fighting monsters and sweeping the Cantankerous Catwoman off her feet. I was actually a little bored in the beginning of this one, and thought the writing could use a little more polishing, but by the end, I was hooked. I positively loved how morally grey the Historian was, and was delighted by the unusual circumstances that came with the end of the story.
→ Waiting by Sabaa Tahir - ★★☆☆☆ ←
A girl must choose between her best friend - currently doing a stint in prison after being caught with meth - and her new co-worker - the sweet basketball player who's head-over-heels in love with her, despite knowing she's emotionally unavailable. I wasn't in love with this story from the beginning, but I thought it had some potential, until it became evident that she wasn't getting over the bestie, despite the fact that he was treating her like complete garbage. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say that I thought the bulk of this story set an incredibly unhealthy example for young readers learning how to navigate relationships.
→ Vega by Brenna Yovanoff - ★★★★☆ ←
A girl is in love with two things: her childhood best friend, and the city they live in. When he says he wants to leave, she's left to face a shockingly tough decision. I actually really enjoyed the idea of this one - it showed the side of a young woman who's mature enough to recognize that sometimes, we aren't actually choosing between the person we love and another person or thing, so much as we are choosing between the person we love and ourselves. My only problem with the story was that it portrayed such a stereotypical and negative view of Las Vegas, and I feel like that's a bit hurtful and tired for people who live in the city and have to face those assumptions and cliches everyday of their lives.
→ A Hundred Thousand Threads by Alaya Dawn Johnson - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
A girl writes letters to her cheating lover, but who he thinks he's choosing over her isn't quite who she seems to be, either. I thought this was nice enough writing, but the plot was so boring and predictable that I couldn't bring myself to give it a higher rating. Once it was confirmed (more or less) that I had, in fact, guessed the "twist" from the very first page, I skimmed the rest to see if it got any better, and sadly, it did not.
→ Before She Was Bloody by Tessa Gratton - ★★★★★ ←
Being a leader comes at a price, and for this young woman, it's being forced to give her body to a god, rather than the girl she loves most in the world. This story was so beautiful and incredible. I adored the poly rep, and how flawless and real it felt. The love shown in the romances here were so pure and wholesome, and I just wanted to bask in them for a while. I would absolutely love to read a full-length story about these characters, and I'm certain that Tessa Gratton will be a TBR author for me after this entry.
→ Unus, Duo, Tres by Bethany Hagen - ★★★★★ ←
Two vampires in love face an unexpected set of circumstances when one of them falls for the new girl, and learns she has a secret of her own, too. Oh my god, you guys. I won't spoil, but... this one wrecked me. I was literally a blubbering mess of tears by the end. It was so unexpected and beautiful and heartbreaking and perfect. I desperately need to read more by Bethany Hagen ASAP, because she made me feel things for these characters in a few short pages that many authors don't manage to do in 400.
→ FINAL THOUGHTS ←
Averaged out, I gave this collection 3.25 stars, which I feel perfectly comfortable with lowering to a 3-star rating overall. While there were a few major gems that I loved, most of the anthology was lackluster or downright bad. I honestly wish I could pluck out the stories I 5-starred (and 4-starred, even) and put them in their own bind-up and give it to all of you, but since I can't, I'm having a hard time deciding how strongly I should recommend it. I guess I'll just say YMMV, and if you do read it (or already have), let me know your thoughts!
Thank you to HarperCollins for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
→ Riddles in Mathematics by Katie Cotugno - ★★★★★ ←
A young girl who has recently come out to her family has to face the struggle of being in love with her brother's best friend, who everyone thinks her brother is destined to marry someday. This was such a beautiful and sweet opener to the collection. It had a wonderful example of how parents deal with teens and big revelations: just because someone takes time to adjust to a change, doesn't mean they're unhappy with that change. I was rooting so hard for the MC the entire time, and was hooked to the very end.
→ Dread South by Justina Ireland - ★★★★★ ←
A young white woman living in the 1800s has to face down her racism and come to terms with the fact that her Attendant is not "less than" just for her skin color. I was LIVING for this story! I already loved Dread Nation (review here) by Justina Ireland, and I was ecstatic to read this story set in the same timeframe. I loved the fact that we were actually looking through the eyes of this racist young girl coming to terms with her own ignorance, and more than anything, I was so here for the self-confidence and cool indifference the love interest exuded throughout the entire story, right to the end. I don't think I will ever give anything Justina writes less than five stars.
→ Omega Ship by Rae Carson - ★★☆☆☆ ←
A ship carrying teens to a new planet to start a new home for the human race is on a crash course, forcing three of its passengers to escape and to make a new life for themselves on their own - with only one young woman left to repopulate the planet. This was honestly such a bizarre story to me. I appreciated the feminist ideal behind the ending, and the thought that the girl wanted to take her life into her own hands, but the writing wasn't for me, and one of the guys was so cringe-y it was a little nauseating.
→ La Revancha Del Tango by Renee Ahdieh - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
A college-bound Indian girl from the southern states heads off to Argentina for a quick vacation, where she meets an obnoxious-but-cute British boy and tries her hand at authentic salsa dancing. There was so much going on in this story, and the worst of it was honestly the geek references. I'm a lifelong geek and gamer girl; I get it, you want to prove yourself. But it was so unbearable in the narrative, it felt incredibly fake, and the whole thing was just a disaster. On top of that, where was the love triangle? All I saw was this girl drooling over some rude British kid while lusting a little over some salsa dancer that probably didn't care to know she existed, seeing as they never even spoke! By far and large, the worst story in the collection was this one.
→ Cass, An, and Dra by Natalie C. Parker - ★★★★☆ ←
A family curse: every time our narrator faces a decision, they see visions of what will happen if they take either path. Throughout the course of the story, their visions start to show a common thread: one path keeps them in a relationship with their familiar and lovely girlfriend, An, while the other path leads them to a love-at-first-sight encounter with a nonbinary stranger named Dra. The idea for this one was so unique, and I adored how totally queer it was. The idea of the insta-love that Cass would face upon meeting Dra was a little bothersome, though, so I knocked off a star for how much I disliked that general "theme". I found it really interesting that their names formed "Cassandra", though, and I kept wondering if the whole story was a metaphor for the narrator's struggles with their gender identity, rather than a literal tale of three people and romance.
→ Lessons for Beginners by Julie Murphy - ★★★★★ ←
When a highschool girl learns that she is naturally a great kisser, her best friend convinces her to become a kissing instructor. A wrench is thrown into her normal routine when she takes on her first couple for lessons, and develops unexpected feelings for the girlfriend. Oh. My. GOD. I loved this story so freaking much I can't even describe it. The narrator is a plus size gal and she is so sexy and fun and proud of herself, and I was so here for the idea of this girl accepting her sexuality with pride and letting herself be "out there" with her body. As a plus size girl, I almost never see myself represented in YA, period, but when I do, it's rarely in good lighting, so I was literally clapping throughout this story. I am here for queer fat girl rep, all day, every day. <3
→ Triangle Solo by Garth Nix - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
Two high school best friends are used to competing, but when the boys both fall for the same girl, things get a little messy. There's a sci-fi twist, but honestly, the writing was so laughably terrible in this story that I skimmed the ending and can't tell you much about it. I remember Garth Nix being a YA god when I was a kid, and now I can't tell if his writing hasn't held up over the years, or if he just bombed this particular story, because wow. It was such a bummer to be so disappointed by this one, since I saw his name on the contents page and honestly thought I would end up loving his entry.
→ Vim and Vigor by Veronica Roth - ★★★☆☆ ←
When a highschooler reunites with her childhood comic book fangirl friends after working through the loss of one of their club members, she is ecstatic to find her place again - until she ruins it by abusing her former best friend's trust to utilize the other girl's father's scientific tools to make a decision between the two boys who have asked her to prom. I don't like Veronica Roth's writing much anyways, but I really tried to enjoy this one, and just... couldn't. I thought it was so ridiculously cringe-y that she used her best friend's father's stuff just to decide between the two boys - neither of whom had a built-up backstory worthy of me caring even the tiniest bit about who she chose - despite knowing that it would get her friend in major trouble if they were caught. She then blamed the whole thing on her anxiety and, as someone who suffers from major anxiety issues, it felt so bad to me, watching her brush off her harmful decisions on her mental illness! The only reason I gave this 3 stars was because I adored the ending, but overall, I thought this story was a disaster.
→ Work in Progress by E.K. Johnston - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
Multiple stories of three childhood friends, with each section switching perspectives, and each story fading into the next. The writing style behind this one was unique, for sure, and could work well for someone who's looking for something unusual in their reading routine, but man, it did not work for me at all! It took me an unfortunate amount of time to realize that the little mini-sections were switching narratives, because it's all second-person (as in, "you" are the narrator) and there's no indication at all given to let you know the perspectives are changing. Then, when I realized it wasn't one cohesive short story, but was several very short stories combined into one? Well, that was the moment I just sighed and accepted the fact that I was 1-starring this entry.
→ Hurdles by Brandy Colbert - ★★★★☆ ←
A young track star is forced to choose between two boys: one, her current boyfriend, is widely loved by her father, appreciates her affinity for running track, and encourages her to pursue huge, Olympic-sized dreams. The other is her best friend's brother, recovering alcoholic, who skips classes and wants her to run away from everything with him. This story wasn't perfect, but it offered this incredible and candid look into the pain that comes with choosing between what your heart wants, and what your mind needs. I only wish the opening had been more solid, but I won't spoil that for you.
→ The Historian, the Garrison, and the Cantankerous Catwoman by Lamar Giles - ★★★★☆ ←
Imagine a world in which Alfred falls in love with Batman, while Batman leaves Alfred for Catwoman. Our narrator is "Alfred", the Historian, who's in charge of keeping things in order for the Garrison while he gallivants about, fighting monsters and sweeping the Cantankerous Catwoman off her feet. I was actually a little bored in the beginning of this one, and thought the writing could use a little more polishing, but by the end, I was hooked. I positively loved how morally grey the Historian was, and was delighted by the unusual circumstances that came with the end of the story.
→ Waiting by Sabaa Tahir - ★★☆☆☆ ←
A girl must choose between her best friend - currently doing a stint in prison after being caught with meth - and her new co-worker - the sweet basketball player who's head-over-heels in love with her, despite knowing she's emotionally unavailable. I wasn't in love with this story from the beginning, but I thought it had some potential, until it became evident that she wasn't getting over the bestie, despite the fact that he was treating her like complete garbage. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say that I thought the bulk of this story set an incredibly unhealthy example for young readers learning how to navigate relationships.
→ Vega by Brenna Yovanoff - ★★★★☆ ←
A girl is in love with two things: her childhood best friend, and the city they live in. When he says he wants to leave, she's left to face a shockingly tough decision. I actually really enjoyed the idea of this one - it showed the side of a young woman who's mature enough to recognize that sometimes, we aren't actually choosing between the person we love and another person or thing, so much as we are choosing between the person we love and ourselves. My only problem with the story was that it portrayed such a stereotypical and negative view of Las Vegas, and I feel like that's a bit hurtful and tired for people who live in the city and have to face those assumptions and cliches everyday of their lives.
→ A Hundred Thousand Threads by Alaya Dawn Johnson - ★☆☆☆☆ ←
A girl writes letters to her cheating lover, but who he thinks he's choosing over her isn't quite who she seems to be, either. I thought this was nice enough writing, but the plot was so boring and predictable that I couldn't bring myself to give it a higher rating. Once it was confirmed (more or less) that I had, in fact, guessed the "twist" from the very first page, I skimmed the rest to see if it got any better, and sadly, it did not.
→ Before She Was Bloody by Tessa Gratton - ★★★★★ ←
Being a leader comes at a price, and for this young woman, it's being forced to give her body to a god, rather than the girl she loves most in the world. This story was so beautiful and incredible. I adored the poly rep, and how flawless and real it felt. The love shown in the romances here were so pure and wholesome, and I just wanted to bask in them for a while. I would absolutely love to read a full-length story about these characters, and I'm certain that Tessa Gratton will be a TBR author for me after this entry.
→ Unus, Duo, Tres by Bethany Hagen - ★★★★★ ←
Two vampires in love face an unexpected set of circumstances when one of them falls for the new girl, and learns she has a secret of her own, too. Oh my god, you guys. I won't spoil, but... this one wrecked me. I was literally a blubbering mess of tears by the end. It was so unexpected and beautiful and heartbreaking and perfect. I desperately need to read more by Bethany Hagen ASAP, because she made me feel things for these characters in a few short pages that many authors don't manage to do in 400.
→ FINAL THOUGHTS ←
Averaged out, I gave this collection 3.25 stars, which I feel perfectly comfortable with lowering to a 3-star rating overall. While there were a few major gems that I loved, most of the anthology was lackluster or downright bad. I honestly wish I could pluck out the stories I 5-starred (and 4-starred, even) and put them in their own bind-up and give it to all of you, but since I can't, I'm having a hard time deciding how strongly I should recommend it. I guess I'll just say YMMV, and if you do read it (or already have), let me know your thoughts!
Thank you to HarperCollins for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!