Like Record of a Spaceborn Few, this is a very character-driven story. Unlike its predecessor, The Galaxy and the Ground Within has compelling characters, and an interesting, albeit slow-paced, story of these characters coming together under unexpected circumstances. I really liked that the whole cast was comprised of aliens, especially since most of them were species we’d seen very little, if any, of in previous books. Once again, I want to praise Chambers for her creativity regarding these aliens, as reading and learning about them is consistently fascinating to me.

But damn it, I wanted to see the original crew. I thought, since Pei was on her way to see Ashby, we’d get to see said crew, but no. Not even for a chapter. The series is over and we didn’t get a single cameo, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m a teeny tiny bit disappointed. As that’s my only complaint and more of a personal one than anything truly critical, I won’t hold it against the book. But still. *sigh*

Overall ranking of the Wayfarers books:

And, just for fun (and so I don’t forget), my favorites of the aliens are the Aeluons and Aandrisks. I feel like there was a third I wanted to mention? But I don’t remember. So anyway. (I’ll probably remember at like 3 a.m. or something.)

I would definitely recommend this series! It’s a fun, immersive sci-fi with great characters and easily understandable world-building. (Galaxy-building?) Just… maybe skip the third one. ;)

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My least favorite in the Wayfarers series so far. While there was nothing inherently wrong with this book, it was incredibly slow and had no real plot. I didn’t find myself interested in any of the five protagonists’ stories, or invested in anything. My favorite characters were those in supporting roles, including a snarky gay grandma, a sex worker, a gelatinous alien and a five-year-old. I kept hoping for something to happen to endear me to the protagonists or suck me into the story—or to see the crew from the first book, given the timeline—but unfortunately, none of those things happened.

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I read A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet a few years ago and absolutely loved it. Though I always meant to continue the series, I kept forgetting, unintentionally putting it off for years. I was struck by the urge to continue when, to my surprise, I saw a fourth book I hadn’t known existed on shelves at the bookstore, and I realized I missed the series. I wasn’t sure how easily I’d be able to re-immerse myself in this galaxy, as I remembered very little of the first book even after looking up a plot recap.

But I never should’ve worried. It was so easy to get immersed in this story, this galaxy, as if I’d never left. Chambers did such a brilliant job creating this expansive world full of unique alien races and cultures and politics, and I loved every page I spent in it. Although I wish we could’ve spent some time with the crew from the first book, I found myself really liking these characters and invested in their stories. Tak is definitely my favorite, though Blue is a close second, and I like Pepper and Sidra too. No least favorites to be found here.

I’m excited to continue the series!! :)

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I’ve never known what to expect from the books in this series, as each one has been a wild ride from start to finish, full of twists I never could’ve dreamed of. Each one has also been darker than the last, and this finale was not exempt from either of those statements. Not only was it an eerie thriller with a compelling mystery, but it was also a deep-dive into the effects of severe trauma on mental health.

Pip is suffering after witnessing a death firsthand and nearly dying herself, and now, instead of being able to focus on a summer with her family and her boyfriend before going off to college, she’s forced to take on another case, this one much more personal because her own life is at risk. The perpetrator is striking in ways that seem inconsequential, easily explained away to everyone except Pip, leaving her fraying at the seams more than she already was as she tries to figure out who’s targeting her and why. When I read the first book two books last year, I didn’t really care for Pip, and that opinion only slightly began to change, to improve, as I drew nearer to the end of the second book. This time around, I found myself sympathizing with and truly concerned for her, both of which signs that at some point unbeknownst to me, I began to care for our protagonist.

And then of course there’s the golden boy, the cinnamon roll, the very best character in the trilogy that doesn’t have four legs, Ravi. Him, on the other hand, I’ve loved from the beginning, and I’m not about to stop now. He’s sweet and funny and considerate and supportive, and if I wasn’t ultra gay, I’d be jealous that Pip got to date him. But I am ultra gay, and honestly, I’d be happy to just have Ravi as a friend.

Characters aside, the story was more of a whirlwind than I ever expected, somehow managing to outdo both of its predecessors, which I wasn’t sure was possible. Props to Holly Jackson for being able to write a trilogy of thrillers without losing momentum, repeating tropes, or getting sloppy. Each of the mysteries is intricate and intriguing; in book two, Jackson created an entire true crime case to use in her story, and in this one, she upped the ante further by creating a serial killer. This wasn’t even a horror, and yet both nights I found myself reading late at night, by myself in my room with only my cat for company, I had goosebumps up my arms and startled at every noise my cat made. This is not only a well-crafted thriller, but also a very atmospheric one.

Also, that halfway point twist? Cheese and rice, I did not see that one coming. It was much more intensity much sooner than I expected it, and even though the second half was, technically, slower-paced, it was still a tumultuous time. I also did not expect to be quite so stressed out, especially by the final quarter of the book, but I was. I wracked my brain trying to think of how this could all work out favorably, since this was the series conclusion, and kept coming up blank.

Pip and Ravi’s breakup broke my heart. Pip thinking about how hard it was to leave him in the forest, sobbing because he didn’t want to go through with it but knew it was the best choice… ouch. I don’t know when I became so invested in these two, especially since I didn’t even really ship them when I started this book, but here I am. Although I would’ve liked a proper epilogue, that final text was enough to make me feel better, feel all warm and happy inside. The fact that Ravi waited nearly two years for Pip, that he texted her not even five minutes after the verdict reveal, which means he remembered their promise and waited to go through with it… he’s an absolute sweetheart and I can’t express how much I love him. ❤️

Overall, I can definitely say I’m satisfied by this conclusion, and pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this trilogy. I never expected to say this, but I love Pip and Ravi, and I’m rooting for them. I also never expected to feel so many emotions while reading this book, but I did, and that’s one of many reasons it’ll stick with me.

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[Early copy from Netgalley. This doesn’t affect my opinions or review.]

I was so excited to read this, but upon starting it, I was honestly appalled by one of the three protagonists. Her favorite way to destress was to catfish people, and she talked about how “good” she’d gotten at it in the months leading up to the story. Another one of the protagonists came off as very cynical and pretentious, nearly impossible to please in terms of both socialization and media. Only one charmed me enough to stop me from putting the book down a few chapters in.

So why, you may ask, did I rate the book so highly?

Because it did the most unexpected, impressive 180, and ended up being brilliant. Because there was so much more to both of the characters I didn’t like, and their development was so incredibly well-done. Because it managed to be both a quintessential romcom and so much more—a story of flawed teens figuring out who they are and what they want in life, of friends that love each other like family, of what love really is and all the ways it can be interpreted and expressed—and it was beautiful. Because it was fun and funny but also thoughtful and hopeful, and I know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

Despite my rocky start with this book, Love Somebody ended up being everything I love about YA contemporaries while also being its own unique story. I saw parts of myself in all three characters, and soon enough was rooting for all of them, unable to pick a favorite. I sped through most of it in a single night and thought about it whenever I wasn’t reading or was reading another book. Rachel Roasek wrote a phenomenal book, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. This book is not one to sleep on, and I’ll shout that from the rooftops.

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[Early copy from Netgalley. This doesn’t affect my opinions or review.]

I was so excited about this book when I found out about it, and even more excited to be approved for an ARC. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it would be. While the characters and relationships—both platonic and romantic—were well-written and developed, I was able to predict many of the plot twists. That predictability took away the element of surprise in most situations, and in a fantasy story like this one, that was detrimental to my reading experience.

Despite that, I wouldn’t call The Helheim Princess bad or say I didn’t enjoy it. I did like the use of Norse mythology in the story and world-building, as it’s more common to see stories using Greek myths and this was a nice change of pace. It was fun to see the characters’ adventuring across multiple worlds and the different ways they were challenged on their journey.

I would still recommend this book; I think the reason I found it predictable was due more to the number of fantasies I’ve read than any real problem with the book itself. I also think that plenty of teen readers will enjoy it, as it has a good amount of action while still being fairly lighthearted and easy to understand.

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I really like the Shatter Me series, and I was so excited for this novella. Although Tahereh Mafi kept teasers vague to avoid spoiling anyone who wasn’t up to date, those of us that had read all the books knew what this was supposed to be: a wedding novella.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get what we were promised. This was 180 pages of Warner worrying that Juliette didn’t love him, moping when things didn’t go his way, and being a complete asshole to everyone around him, interrupted only a few times by sweet moments with Juliette whenever they could get some privacy. I will say, I still really like Juliette and Warner’s relationship. I love how much they love each other, and was quite surprised (though not in a bad way) that one chapter got sexier than I thought Tahereh would make it. In that regard, I thank her for her service. 👀👏🏻

Other things I liked included Kenji, Nazeera, and Kenji and Nazeera. I was amused by both their banter, and the banter that ensued when they were with Juliette and Warner. They have a fun ensemble dynamic no matter what I think of Warner himself, which in this case meant I was pretty sick of him and wondering why he has so many fangirls in the book community. Sorry not sorry.

The novella ended with the wedding ceremony, which sounds fine, right? And it would be, except we didn’t even get to freaking see said ceremony. The last paragraph was Warner being awed (and horny) when he saw Juliette walking down the aisle in her wedding dress. I turned the page, eager for more… and saw it was an excerpt from Mafi’s 2022 release, followed by another excerpt, this one from her latest contemporary novel, and then some promotional material for the rest of the series. That’s what the last 40 pages were. Not the heartwarming wedding we’ve been waiting literal years for, or any spicy activity after the fact. Promo for the author’s other books. *sigh*

((Me realizing just how much I’ve rambled in a review for a tiny novella: 🤡))

So yeah, I think that covers everything. I hoped for a cute throwback to one of my OG favorite series, where everything not wrapped up at the end of Imagine Me and was finally wrapped up and I got one more fun time with some of my OG favorite characters. Sadly, that’s not what I got. What I got… well, it wasn’t bad, per se, but if I’m being honest, it was a letdown.

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I love romance novels in general, but I’m realizing now that as a lesbian, I especially love sapphic romances. I’ve decided I need to read as many as I can get my very single, hopeless romantic hands on. This wasn’t a perfect book or a new favorite, but I had a great time reading it. I love Avery and Merritt, and I love their friends. I love how sickeningly adorable Iliana and Lei-Ling are. I love that Avery’s best friend is an asexual guy with no trace of romantic feelings for her. I definitely recommend this, and I can’t wait to read more of Karelia’s books, especially if they’re all as delightfully gay as this one.

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I’ll be honest: the first half of this book wasn’t my cup of tea, and I wasn’t sure I’d like the rest, but stuck with it out of sheer curiosity. But I ended up liking it a lot more when the two protagonists’ stories finally intertwined, allowing them to meet and fun shenanigans to ensue. Both Nina and Ollie were fine on their own, don’t get me wrong, but the story as a whole was more juvenile and lighthearted than I’m used to, with a tendency to meander. And again, don’t get me wrong—there’s nothing wrong with younger protagonists/protagonists with younger voices in YA—this would be a great book for any pre-teen or reader new to YA. It’s just not usually *my* preference.

Despite my uncertainty about the first half, the second half made the whole experience worth my while. Little Badger fit so many important themes into this book—family both biological and found, animal extinction, natural disasters and their affect on a community—into the story, without ever bogging it down. Props to her for that, and for making family and friends the focal point; Nina is ace, Ollie’s not interested in relationships, and the friendships are sublime.

I ended up really enjoying this book, possibly more than her first, Elatsoe. The audiobook narrators were great, and despite the somewhat heavy topics, the second half of the story ended up being quite fun. It was a nice, refreshing break from the heart-wrenching, soul-crushing books I usually read. Also, this group—Nina, Ollie, Risk, Rain and Brightest—must be protected at all costs. My favorite parts were the four animal-people being on Earth for the first time and being captivated or confused by the details we take for granted: doorknobs, soda, public transportation, cat beds. I repeat, they must be protected at all costs. (I’ll still probably be terrified of any snakes I see IRL. Sorry Ollie.)

If I was to say one other thing, it would be that I didn’t really understand the subplot with the mockingbird. It seemed a bit pointless. But whatever. I had a fun time with this, so it’s fine. ;)

Whether it’s your usual kind of book or not, I definitely recommend you read this. It’s sweet and important and a good change of pace. I’m curious to see what Little Badger will do next.

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While there was nothing inherently wrong with this book, it didn’t stand out to me as one especially captivating or memorable. I never got attached to the characters, and Soraya’s arc was one I’d seen multiple times before in some way or another, without any way to make hers stand out.

I went in expecting a sapphic romance, and while technically I did get one, it was more of an undertone than a focal point. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that, as romance isn’t and doesn’t have to be central to every story. It was more of a misunderstanding on my part. I did like it, though.

Also, the antagonist? I saw that coming a mile away. Even if I didn’t guess all the details, the brunt of it was quite obvious. Nearly every fairytale I’ve come across tells you that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. And beyond the reveal, it didn’t feel like any part of the story was particularly intense or any of the obstacles were truly fearsome.

Overall: good world-building, plain characters, and nothing really surprising throughout the book. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a fantasy that’s not quite so intense, or a very character-driven retelling. I do think there are people that will enjoy this book; I just ended up pretty indifferent toward it.

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