I’ve been eager to read more from Sim since the Timekeeper trilogy ended a few years ago. While Scavenge the Stars was good, it didn’t hook me the way Timekeeper did. I liked Amaya and Cayo and was interested in their stories, but not truly invested. The world was interesting, but could’ve been developed more. As for the story, though it was intriguing, it was also slow, and didn’t truly pick up until the final third of the book. The characters are the main, maybe only, reason this is getting more than three or three and a half stars from me. However, I think the sequel could be good given where this one left off, so I’ll read it at some point.

Edit, the next day: I lowered my rating from 4 stars to 3.5 stars because it felt more fitting.

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I sped through this in about five hours, across two reading sessions. It’s definitely an engrossing thriller, and I was never able to guess who was behind everything. Props to Urban for that.

However, my biggest issue was that all of the characters were extremely stereotypical. We’ve got Amber, the bland protagonist who’s slightly unique because of her interest in music and composition; Priya, the forgotten best friend; Sasha, the new best friend and high school hierarchy leader; Robbie, the jock boyfriend who primarily cares about himself; Diego, the genius who everyone hates for no real reason; and Scott, the one who uses and occasionally sells drugs and therefore must be worthless, apparently. None of them have actual personalities, and all felt very two-dimensional.

Priya, Diego, and Scott deserved so much better, to be honest. They’re just good, normal people trying to make it through the disaster that is high school, and they all got the short end of the stick here. Sasha was the classic manipulative, popular girl that was awful for no real reason, and Amber got sucked into the same crowd and fell for all their lies. She even got the hot jock as her boyfriend, although Robbie was actually self-centered and mildly manipulative. (Every time I saw Robbie’s name, I thought of the Victorious character, lol oops.)

It annoyed me to see just how much this book relied on high school clique drama. Sasha and company were always bullying the “nerds” and “outcasts” just because they could, and Amber knew it was wrong but didn’t say anything because she didn’t want to jeopardize her own spot in the terrible person club. I wonder if she knows that being a bystander is just as bad as being a bully.

This book was honestly a train wreck I couldn’t look away from. The ending, while unexpected, didn’t make much sense. When I found out who was behind the whole scenario, I was mega confused. It felt random and unnecessarily dramatic, and then it was suddenly just over.

Amber orchestrated the whole thing as some sort of far-fetched revenge plot against Sasha, and invited the others in hopes of airing all the dirty laundry between them so Sasha would realize how awful she’d been. The hour ended with Priya killing Sasha before Sasha could inject Amber with whatever was in the syringe, which, spoiler alert, was harmless, though no one but Amber knew that. The other four were traumatized but alive, and Amber’s like “Oh no, I’m responsible for someone’s death!” and turned herself in. The end.

I would’ve liked another chapter or two talking about what happened to everyone.

Ultimately, I don’t think I recommend this book. It wasn’t awful and I think Urban has a lot of potential to grow as a writer, but I also am pretty sure I’ll forget about this book in a few weeks.

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(Note: While not problematic in any ways I could detect, the rep seemed to be an afterthought. I’m mentioning it because it’s there, but there are definitely better books, ownvoices books, you could read if you’re looking for that rep specifically.)

I went into this book not at all sure what to expect and ended up loving it. I was instantly interested in Khayyam’s and Leila’s stories and charmed by Alexandre. I always love books set in France, and this was no exception.

I’ll admit that Khayyam and Alexandre’s relationship was a bit insta-lovey, but they were super cute and I’m honestly not too bothered by it. He made her a flower crown and took her to a secret garden nook for a private picnic. 🥺 This is peak romance and no one can change my mind. I’ve also realized that it’s always European guys that make me swoon while I’m reading, despite being a massive lesbian, and that American guys both in and out of books need to step up their game. (Note to self: go to Europe to find a girlfriend.)

With this book, Ahmed has written a story unlike any other I’ve read that I know I’ll be thinking about for some time. I would’ve liked a bit more from the ending, but that aside, it was amazing from cover to cover.

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Reading this took me back to my elementary school days, when I was discovering the Percy Jackson books and life was simpler in the way it often is for kids. The Aru Shah series obviously features different characters and myths, but is reminiscent of Riordan’s books with its plentiful banter and pop culture references and humorous chapter titles. It’s, in my opinion, new but still nostalgic, and the lighthearted read I definitely needed right about now.

Although some parts in the first half didn’t really hold my attention and I found most of the twists easily predictable, I don’t consider either of those things flaws. I’m seven years older than both Aru and the average reader of these books, so I’m not going to be super critical. This also applies to the occasional cringey moments in the first half when Aru was still getting used to and slightly jealous of Brynne and Aiden. Twelve year olds will be twelve year olds.

Despite their initial clashing, the squad ended up growing on me. They handle most of what’s thrown at them really well, considering their age, and their friendship was super sweet. Friends who sing Mulan songs and quote the Lord of the Rings movies together stay together. Aiden was kind of like a mama bear, which was amusing; he did a great job standing in for the group’s usual mama bear Boo, the pigeon who was otherwise occupied this time around. That being said, one of my favorite parts was the reunion with Boo at the end.

I initially wasn’t sure if I’d continue the series, but I think I will. These books are a lot of fun, and I enjoyed listening to the audiobook when I didn’t feel like putting in the effort to do anything else. The narrator was great, by the way. I hope they narrate the other books too.

Also, beware, this book might make you crave Oreos. I do, and I don’t have any. Bummer.

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I wasn’t sure what to expect from Elatsoe, but it ended up being really good. I liked Ellie and Jay, and appreciated Ellie’s open, positive relationship with her parents. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a ghost dog before, but Kirby is undeniably a very good boy and I love him.

Little Badger’s take on paranormal creatures in the modern world was interesting and unique. I would’ve liked a bit more focus on that, but regardless, the blend of urban fantasy and mystery is something I think she handled well. Ghosts and vampires and fairy transport rings certainly spice up this whodunnit, as does the fact that the victim is able to tell Ellie who murdered him. Thus, this is a story of proving one man guilty rather than determining who is guilty. I was frequently surprised by the secrets Ellie and Jay unveiled.

Lastly, I liked that Ellie was queer. She’s definitely asexual and possibly aromantic as well, which means there’s no romance in this book, only jokes about how she’s totally not interested. It was nice to see her and Jay working together as friends and nothing more, with no unrequited crushes or hormones bogging down their relationship or kissing at inappropriate times. This is also, if I remember correctly, the first book I’ve read with an asexual protagonist that wasn’t strictly contemporary.

There are only two reasons I didn’t rate this five stars. One, like I said a bit earlier, I would’ve liked to see a bit more world-building, as it felt at times like Little Badger had a brilliant idea that was only partially explained on page and we were supposed to understand the rest. I did not. Two, while the intrigue was undoubtedly present and the mystery excellent, I thought the final scene with Allerton was anticlimactic, and I’m still not entirely sure what happened.

Despite that, Elatsoe is a great book, one of the most unique mysteries I’ve read, and a very impressive debut. I recommend it, and will definitely pick up more from this author in the future.

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Definitely a novella unlike anything I’ve  read before. While the story gave me much to think about and I liked Solomon’s writing, I found it difficult to get into. I liked Yetu and Oori and the wajinru, but wasn’t truly invested in any part of the story.

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I’d never heard of this book prior to finding it on the library shelves, and picked it up on a whim after reading the synopsis. I’m glad I did, because How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is a very fun, criminally underrated story following an eccentric cast of characters.

While the world-building was lacking—I would’ve loved to know more about the alien races mentioned, technology used, and how science and magic seemed to intertwine—I found this to be very enjoyable. It’s told in third person omniscient, something I haven’t seen very much of, and gave me A Series of Unfortunate Events vibes in that regard. You know how in the books (and the show), Lemony Snicket will pause his storytelling to go off on a bit of a tangent, or briefly explain something, or hint at something he knows that the characters will find out later? Eason does that here, and she does it really well.

The pacing was off, which led to the story lagging at times, especially in the middle. However, despite that, I was always curious enough to keep going, to see if my theories were correct and how the characters would overcome certain obstacles. I wasn’t truly invested until near the end, but I was consistently interested.

I really liked Rory, Jaed, Thorsdottir, and Zhang. A princess, the son of her enemy, and her two guards make quite a group, and what an iconic group they are. The three women were remarkably clever, definitely a force to be reckoned with, whereas Jaed... well, he did his best. At one point, Rory calls him “politically naïve,” which is a very polite, diplomatic way of saying he’s not the brightest bulb. But he’s eager to help, and in the end, he definitely does.

I was surprised to find that no romance developed over the course of the book, but not bothered by it. To be honest, it was refreshing to see a girl and a boy work together without crushes or hormones getting in the way. Although a few lines at the end of the book did hint at something possibly growing between Rory and Jaed in the second book, which I wouldn’t be opposed to.

If you like science fiction, definitely give this a try. Even though it’s a slower story, it’s an entertaining one, and one that undoubtedly deserves more hype.

Talia Hibbert is a romance writing deity. I’ve absolutely loved four of five books I’ve read by her, and their skill in creating three-dimensional characters and sweet and steamy romances continues to astound me.

The Roommate Risk features friends to lovers, as well as plenty of pining and banter. I loved Jasmine and Rahul’s friendship, and seeing that evolve into a romance was such a treat. The chemistry between them is top tier, easily some of the best out of all the fictional couples that have stolen my heart over the years,

Not only did is there an epilogue in the book, but signing up for Talia’s newsletter gets you access to an additional bonus epilogue. I truly feel spoiled. Extra content is the best, especially when it’s romantic content.

I may or may not end up reading all of Talia’s backlist books as I wait for them to release more! And I definitely want to buy this book. I can’t help myself.

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I’ve yet to read a book by Hibbert with a protagonist I didn’t like. Cherry is bold and clever and fun, and I liked her from the beginning. My issue was with the love interest, Ruben, who seemed like a decent guy but inexplicably rubbed me the wrong way. I also wasn’t a big fan of the sex scenes, as he wanted Cherry to submit to him and do as he said. Maybe that’s a form of BDSM? I’m not familiar with any of it. I respect people involved in it, but it’s definitely not my cup of tea. Additionally, it was kind of disappointing to see my two other favorite characters shoved to the back burner in favor of Cherry and Ruben’s romance. Extra half star given because the bonus epilogue—which is available to subscribers of Talia’s online newsletter—was rather cute.

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I’ve done nothing today except read this book, and it was exactly what I needed right now. The Dating Plan is a fun, lighthearted romance that touches on themes of abuse and self-worth in a very respectful way. Both Daisy and Liam are well-written protagonists, and their romance is one both sweet and steamy that I rooted for from the beginning. I loved it, as well as the side characters, the various friendships, and Daisy’s well-intentioned but chaotic family. This is definitely a book I’ll buy, and likely one I’ll eventually reread. It’s gotten me interested in the marriage of convenience trope, and marked Desai as an author I want to follow.

How cute, am I right?!

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