If you know who Lady Jane Grey is, then you know that she ruled for nine days before her head was chopped off...not in this version😉

This "alternate history" version of Lady Jane Grey and King Edward VI is full of wit and comedy, and the occasional interruption by the narrators. This novel has caused me to want to read historical fiction again (although, it doesn't have to particularly line up with "history"😏).

[ 4.75🌟 ]

*I received a free digital copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect going in to read The Tower by Nicole Campbell. The blurb provided on Goodreads and Amazon only gave a little bit of information concerning some of the characters' personalities. A brief synopsis that could give insight to readers would probably be something along the lines of:

Besides the fact that they're witches and possess different powers, Rowyn, Reed, and Rose are like your average teenager. They fall in and out of love; they create an illusion of a tough exterior to hide a sensitive interior; they grow and learn as any other would. Then tragedy strikes and growing up doesn't seem as easy as before. 

I thought that the "witchy" part of this novel would be more prominent, but as I read (it's pretty clear from the beginning), I realized that the characters were not defined by being "witches;" instead, their distinct personalities took the spotlight, as a reader always hopes for. Since The Tower is a character-driven story, there wasn't much of a plot up until about a quarter of the way through. While this may feel slow to some, the big turn-around is worth waiting for. I think I almost teared up while reading some parts. I felt for the characters, especially since a similar situation had occurred in my life about a year ago.

My main issue (while minor) was the age of the characters. It is noted that they are incoming juniors in high school, but with the amount of under-aged drinking that goes down, I personally felt like it would be more appropriate if they were younger college students. But it wasn't difficult to move on from this issue. Also, sometimes the dialogue felt unnatural, but nothing stood out too much. Besides, there were some conversations that were spot on.

What I enjoyed most about this novel (and surprised me the most) was the author's take on tragedy and dealing with grief. It was refreshing--in a way--to read a contemporary that wasn't light and fluffy. So if you're looking for a read that rings true and pulls on your heart strings, whether it's from watching two people fall in love or seeing how one life ended can impact so many, I'd definitely recommend The Tower to anyone who's looking for a more serious kind of YA contemporary!

[ 4.5🌟 ]

Well, now I really want a novella or something to tell me more about these characters because, honestly, I miss them.

4.5 stars for Crooked Kingdom (I gave 5 to Six of Crows) because of a pacing that felt very slow in the beginning but then definitely picked up in the last quarter. I think this way of writing/storytelling is just Leigh Bardugo's style because in the Grisha trilogy, I would also think the beginning was slow-ish, then become more action packed.

Throughout Crooked Kingdom, I felt like I knew each characters' individual problems, but didn't completely understand the overarching conflict (I understood jurda parem), especially when the Shu got involved in the first few chapters. Also, there are a lot of different names being thrown around, most that I rarely recognized, but I would try to keep a mental picture of Ketterdam in my mind and continue with the story.

However, did I ever mention how AMAZING these characters are? Each character developed into their own person by the end (well...except for one💔), and even though each had their noticeable (and hidden flaws), the Dregs still accepted them for who they were. Basically, I just really want more of all of them, particularly Jesper & Wylan because they're my absolute favorites and Kaz & Inej because they're building such a fragile–but steady–relationship.

4🌟s

Stalking Jack the Ripper was such an enjoyable read! There was definitely a point (actually a few) where I just had to put the book down and process what happened. Although there were some parts where I could tell that this was the author's first novel, the subject (serial killer, anyone?) and Audrey Rose's character kept me wanting to know more! Sometimes, Audrey Rose's more modern rants felt a bit preachy or radical for the Victorian era she lives in (meaning that these modern 21st century ideas didn't click with the setting of the novel), but those points were mild in the broader scope. Lastly, the pacing–particularly towards the middle–felt off where one section would be suspenseful and perfectly paced, while another felt like I had to drag myself through it.
But I would recommend this to anyone in search for a historical mystery! The author already snagged my attention by reimagining Jack the Ripper, and even though I guessed the identify way before (then again, I had a running list of suspects in the beginning), the ending was still like, okay, wow. Hunting Prince Dracula (I actually laughed out loud when I figured out the connection between the ending and this title) is high on my anticipation list and I can't wait to read this new novel!!

Wow...this book took me a long time to finish. Even though I was "eh" about Siege & Storm (now this took me a REALLY long time), the last 100/200 pages of Ruin & Rising redeemed the Grisha trilogy for me.
Leigh Bardugo is an absolute master of storytelling, villains, and amazing plot twists.

This book is so cute!!! I couldn't stop grinning at the end!

[ 4.8 ⭐️ ]

WOW. That was my initial reaction when I finally finished the 700 page beast that ACOWAR is. Now that I've had to sleep on everything and collect my thoughts, my first WOW has turned into "Wow." Stunned silence and contemplation.

ACOWAR mostly focuses on the politics of Prythian and the behind-the-scenes (or not so behind-the-scenes) scheming of the Inner Circle as well as the other High Lords. The first 2/3 of the novel revolves around questioning motives, attempting to form alliances, and moving beyond past histories, all while the characters realized that unity was key, yet everyone (and everything) was breaking from the inside. To me, the novel felt steadily paced, even though there wasn't a lot of fast/mind blowing action occurring. I appreciate the authors that build their stories and the tension, so that the climax happens very close to the end of the book. Amid all of the scheming and waiting , there were parts where there was an escape or a surprise skirmish, which tided me over until the third part (High Lady) where, basically, all of hell broke loose.

In terms of Feysand scenes, I liked the ones that focused on them acting as a unit, as equals on equal ground. These more were powerful to me because they showed readers who Feyre and Rhysand were as characters. I also appreciated Sarah J. Maas's attempt at including more of a wider cast of characters, although not perfect (because, let's be honest, authors aren't always going to live up to the standards that one sets because they have their own way of writing their books). Most of these diverse characters played a crucial role in the overall story and in the final outcome. I noticed that Maas usually describes a character's eye color/hair color (and occasionally says that someone has tanned skin/deep honey colored, etc.), but these words ultimately leave the faces of the characters up to the readers.

However, there was one part that would probably make most cringe: it was said in the context of a light-hearted joke of the past (and trying to ease tensions), but it still would've been better to leave those few sentences out. Also, Sarah J. Maas seems to take a liking to "unholy" and "beautiful," which basically drove me crazy because there are other adjectives out there . Since they were repeated so often (and usually relatively close together), I couldn't help but notice...and I really don't like it when certain words/adjectives are used too closely together.

I wish that Lucien's role in the whole affair played a bigger part in the actual story. We hear about him up until the middle of the second part, and then, not a word. I realize that ACOWAR is mostly from Feyre's perspective, but I was curious as to know what exactly Lucien was doing. As ACOWAR is a beast of 700 pages, any additions would have probably initiated a decision for two books, but then the first would probably receive a reaction that was similar to the seventh Harry Potter movie.

Part Three: High Lady had me squealing with happiness, sighing with relief, and staring into nothing...for a long time. I finished ACOWAR at about two in the morning, and I was drained. Too much happened in a short amount of time for my poor brain to process properly. There was one part that almost had me crying (part relief, part shock, part "oh wow"), while another one had me covering my face with my hands and sobbing (well, more like dry sobs...but that's basically sobbing for me). There were also parts to that ending that I didn't quite understand (as endings such as this one tends to be for me). But once again, all the courts had to come together.

Final thoughts: Sarah J. Maas mostly focused on the building of relationships, and the solidity of those that are grounded in trust and not as much on those relationships of the romantic nature. At some points when I was reading, I had to put down the book and think . I needed to ponder what the characters were saying, what they were feeling, what SJM was saying. She brought up interesting questions that had me contemplating alongside the characters for a few minutes. They are the kind of questions in which the answers don't come readily. ACOWAR was novel that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I'm looking forward to the release of the new installments, but I read it with a few different lenses that allowed me to see her words and her characters through varying perspectives.

*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review*

N.H. Senzai’s newest novel, Escape from Aleppo, demonstrates the power of storytelling and the importance of family, history, and culture, all while creating a story that makes the topic of Syria approachable to both young and older readers. Escape from Aleppo tells the story of Nadia, a young girl living in a war-torn Syria, who attempts to flee with her family but gets separated from them during the chaos of bombs dropping nearby. Throughout the novel, Nadia often compares her life before the civil war--in which her greatest concern was mostly her painted nails--to the life full of hardship, caution, and tragedy she was currently experiencing. In this, Senzai contemplates the desensitized culture of today’s society, where the people focus on the “important” things in their life, while drowning out the problems of the rest of the world. However, through Escape from Aleppo, Senzai also re-sensitizes readers to the horrors occuring in our world, as well as the drastic differences in lifestyles (even though there are many similarities, too).
Although the main audience for this novel are middle-grade readers, older readers can still benefit from Escape from Aleppo: Senzai touches upon PTSD and anxiety (Nadia freezes when she hears the bombs because of a previous incident), fear and loneliness, and family and the idea of home. When I began reading this novel, I had a general idea of what was happening in Syria, but I was less informed than I should have been. Even though Nadia’s story is one of fiction with a happier ending, its backdrop tells the true story. In Syria, Bashar al-Assad’s authoritarian government holds control, but the emergence of multiple rebel groups challenges this corruption with, more often than not, violent strategies. Thus, Syria has been locked in a civil war since 2011, which, as Senzai writes extensively about, has destroyed more history of culture of Syria than all of the wars before.
Although the story primarily focuses on Syria, Senzai also refers to the religious conflict that has exploded in the Middle East while giving small insight into Islam and its practices, a religion which has always been peaceful. Towards the end of the novel, Nadia is exposed to ISIS, who are not portrayed as a violent militant group, as the media generally does, but rather with a more human edge. Especially in times of war, many lose the perception of people as human. As Senzai expresses in the author’s note, Escape from Aleppo allows readers to see the human faces behind the warring nations.

Tash Hearts Tolstoy is a cute read that also tackles important issues about sexuality (the protagonist is romantic asexual!), the internet, and fame. The success of Tash and Jack’s web-series, Unhappy Families, may have gotten to Tash’s head for a short time (as fame and attention can do), but she’s surrounded by people who keep her grounded and always support her. I loved seeing the character development of all the main players of Tash Hearts Tolstoy, and I especially felt the impact of Tash and Klaudie’s sister relationship. Full of unexpected twists and turns, Tash Hearts Tolstoy is a must if you’re looking for a great contemporary read!