The Athena Protocol is another book I picked up spontaneously at the library. Though the goddess is only mentioned and her name used because of what she stands for, this was an exciting, all-around excellent book.

I’d never heard of Sarif prior to reading this, but now not only do I want to read the sequel, I might also check out her other books. She certainly knows how to write a compelling story. The Athena Protocol is fast-paced from the first page, and it rarely slows down. The characters were complex, as were the relationships between them. I was constantly feeling things as I got to know different characters and hurriedly turning pages as they risked everything for their missions. I never knew what to expect or who to suspect; I think I was suspicious of just about everybody at some point or another. Major props to Sarif for that.

One of my favorite parts was Jessie and Paulina’s relationship. Unfortunately, there’s no real romance, but watching them flirt was a brilliant way to ease the tension in between the action scenes.

I will say, though, that this is Sarif’s first young adult novel, and to me, at least, it was obvious at times. The writing was a bit awkward in some places, and the most significant issue was with the characters. While I did quite like (most of) them, the few teenagers in the book didn’t act or feel like teenagers. I think Jessie is around seventeen or eighteen, but she seemed more like a young woman in her early twenties. If Sarif made everyone five to seven years older and called this an adult novel, I’d believe it.

That aside, I did thoroughly enjoy this book. I struggled slightly in the first fifty pages, but after that, I was hooked. I sped through most of it last night, and finished this morning after forcing myself to get some sleep.

I’m looking very forward to reading the sequel, and I hope more people give this book a try. It’s truly a hidden gem.

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I found this book at the library in their new arrivals section and was intrigued by the synopsis. I grew up reading Percy Jackson and ended up obsessed with Greek mythology. That never really went away. So here’s Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters, a modern Greek mythology story with reality TV and a Hunger Games vibe. I hadn’t heard anything about it and decided to give it a go, expecting to love it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t. I’d even go as far as saying it’s one of the worst books I’ve read in 2020, something I believe I’ve said about only two other books out of nearly 110.

If I’m being honest, this book read like it needed another couple of rounds of editing. While I didn’t notice any typos and the writing itself was fine, I found issues with just about every other aspect. The two most significant, in my opinion, were the world-building and the way Ariadne’s parents treated her and her sisters.

The world-building was messy. It’s a mix of ancient Greece and modern times, but beyond that, I couldn’t explain a single thing to you. It’s so jumbled and unclear, like the author couldn’t decide what, exactly, she wanted to do, and just did it all.

As for Ariadne’s family, all I can say is yikes. Not only are her parents cold-hearted, shallow, awful people, but they prioritize their show, its ratings, and their public image over their daughters and basically everything else. They even use said daughters to increase the show’s ratings. Ariadne’s sisters—I think they’re older, but I don’t remember their age—are always at parties, drinking and flirting and dancing, and they end up sleeping with people they don’t like to satisfy their parents and help the show. Ariadne is eventually given similar orders. It’s disgusting. I can’t properly explain how much this disgusted me as I continued reading.

To be quite honest, I didn’t like any of the relationships. Ariadne’s “best friend” Icarus almost always sides with her parents rather than her, doesn’t support her when she needs it most, and is generally the crappiest excuse for a friend I’ve seen in some time, maybe ever. Sure, he does something nice in the end, but in my eyes it’s far from enough to make up for all the times he was a self-absorbed, insensitive jerk.

As for the love interest Theseus, I don’t even remember what he looks like. I just know he’s your typical strong, pretty boy, and he and Ariadne were attracted to each other right away. Gotta love insta-love. Even though their relationship progressed as the story did, with it becoming more and more important later on, I wasn’t convinced. The two of them had no chemistry whatsoever.

I almost forgot to mention Ariadne herself, our protagonist who makes sure to state multiple times that she doesn’t care about fashion the way her sisters do, and she doesn’t wear makeup, and she’s not like other girls. Save me. Not only that, but before she meets Theseus she’s unnecessarily mean to most people, and after almost all she thinks about is him. Oh, and she likes video games. I’m pretty sure that’s her only personality trait.

Most of the story was pretty predictable up until the very end, at which point so much happened, I almost couldn’t keep up. There wasn’t technically anything wrong with the ending—it was kind of nice, actually—except the last couple of chapters felt disjointed.

I know I mentioned earlier in the review that the writing was fine and left it at that, but I did find one thing in my notes regarding the writing that I want to mention. One of the most cringeworthy phrases I’ve ever read came from this book, when Ariadne said that she and Theseus are “having some pretty serious eye sex”. WHAT IS THAT?? WHY WAS THIS INCLUDED??? I AM DISTURBED.

Ahem. I think I’ve said as much as I can about Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters. If you want to read this, go for it, but I can’t bring myself to recommend it. Not when I found so many issues throughout the book, and was so glad to finally be done with it.

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I’ve been in a reading slump the last few months, but I managed to read this in under three hours. The Revolution of Birdie Randolph is a phenomenal contemporary that brings so much to the table, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I grew attached to the characters right away. Colbert did an excellent job fleshing out each one and the relationships between them. I was rooting for Dove from page one, and she and Booker were so cute, I almost couldn’t handle it. Also, I’d like to know how a girl can get an aunt like Carlene, because she’s awesome.

There’s a good amount of drama in this book, but there’s plenty of depth as well. Though I have no experience with and little knowledge of addiction, it was clear that Colbert handled it and the other tough topics she incorporated into the story with the respect they require.

On a sort of similar note, the writing felt natural. The whole book did, honestly; nothing felt forced. Additionally, this is another instance in which I applaud the author for writing truly accurate teens, something many attempt but not all succeed at.

I’d seen in a couple of reviews that the ending wasn’t picture perfect, but it was real and satisfying. I’ll agree with that wholeheartedly. While the hopeless romantic in me would’ve loved for some
things to be different, the rest of me is perfectly content with what we got. I finished the book with a smile on my face.

I can, without a doubt, call this one of my favorite YA contemporaries. I’m looking forward to reading more from Colbert, and I could definitely see her ending up on my favorite authors list if the rest of her novels are as wholly excellent as this one.

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Garrett’s debut was well-received in the book community, and all of the praise by readers and authors I admire had me eager to read it. I was a bit nervous since, in general, books have been rather hit or miss for me lately. However, I’m glad to say that I really enjoyed Full Disclosure.

The story has so many layers and deals with many topics, primarily living with HIV, though it also discusses sexuality, love, grief, adoption, and racism to varying extents. Garrett took all of these threads and carefully wove them into a relevant and entertaining story. I’m not qualified to discuss any of them further, but I’ll just say that I haven’t seen any problems discussed by other readers.

I’ve never read a book that talked so openly about HIV as this one. I also haven’t read many—if any—YA books that talked so openly about sex. Though I’m ace myself, I applaud Garrett for what she did in this book. It’s so important that books for teens really reflect teens, and even though I’m technically an adult now, I feel that Full Disclosure does.

On a similar note, I appreciate that the asexual spectrum was mentioned and respected in the conversations the characters had. Honestly, everything was just done so *well* in this book.

I also liked the characters. They’re all three-dimensional and so realistic, as well as quite relatable. Simone, her friends Claudia and Lydia, her love interest Miles, and her two dads—each one was their own person, and I grew attached to all of them.

I was especially invested in the variety of relationships present in the story. The love in each one—familial, platonic, and romantic—is obviously different, but clearly present. I enjoyed seeing the highs and lows as the story progressed.

Lastly, I enjoyed the emphasis on musicals. Though I’m sure there are others I’ve read that I can’t recall, in this way, Full Disclosure vaguely reminds me of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Rather than starring a school theater production, though, Simone is directing one alongside some teachers. She loves musicals, and there are many references to many both popular and lesser known ones throughout the book. Personally, I was pleased to see Hairspray mentioned, as it’s my favorite alongside Mamma Mia!. (I love the 2007 movie.)

If you’re wondering whether or not you should give this book a try, yes, you definitely should. It surprised me in so many ways, and I’m eager to see what Garrett does in the future.

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Though intriguing at first, this book ended up being quite boring. Very few characters actually interested me, and my favorite wasn’t properly introduced until the last quarter of the book. The magic system seemed cool, but it wasn’t given enough attention for me to make a final decision. I saw the love triangle coming a mile away and ultimately didn’t care for either of the guys on Guinevere’s radar. And speaking of Guinevere, I don’t think she was developed enough, which is sad considering she had the potential to be such a fascinating morally grey protagonist. I didn’t see the final twist coming, but I wasn’t invested enough to really care. Also, one character made an incredibly asinine decision at the end of the book, based on feelings rather than logic. I have a feeling the sequel is going to be everyone panicking and trying to deal with the New Evil, while I’m over here like, “Bro, you did it to yourself.” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I won’t know, though, because I’m not planning to read any further in the series. I think it’s time to admit that White’s novels aren’t my cup of tea.

If you like Arthurian stories and classic YA clichés, maybe you’ll like this. It had a lot of potential, but personally, I think all the wrong elements were given too much page time.

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I didn’t expect much from Empire of Sand, and there was more than one instance while I read the first half of the book where I considered not finishing. The world-building was incredible, the magic system unique, the protagonist interesting, but I just wasn’t invested. But oh, I’m so, so glad I kept going. The second half is much better, despite the pace never really picking up, as I became truly invested in both the protagonist and her love interest. Suri wrote an exquisite romance, soft and tender and emotional; it completely stole my heart. It was the reason I sped through the last quarter of the book, desperately hoping everything would be okay. While the story didn’t quite go in the direction I expected, it was still intense and intensely enjoyable. I’m so glad I stuck with this book, and I urge you to do the same. This book deserves much more love. I’m not sure that I’ll read the companion, as I’m not really interested in the younger sister as a protagonist. However, I’m eagerly awaiting Suri's next book. If it’s as great as this ended up being, absolutely sign me up.

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I only picked up Waking Gods because the ending of Sleeping Giants had a very intriguing revelation and I wanted to know more. However, in the first half of the book, I was quite bored, and contemplated putting the book down multiple times. Only the vaguest sense of curiosity convinced me to push through. I don’t agree with many of the choices Neuvel made regarding the direction of the story. An issue I had with the previous installment that came up in this as well was that the format—interviews, journal entries, etc.—made it difficult to connect with the characters. Also, in terms of both science and politics, some conversations and explanations went over my head, making it harder to enjoy and immerse myself in the story. I just really didn’t care about anything, especially as certain things happened and characters died. Once again, I was thinking I wouldn’t continue the series, until I read the epilogue—which ends on enough of a cliffhanger to make me want to know what happens. It’s a janky cycle. If you’ve read the first book, maybe you’ll like this, but I think Neuvel’s work is for a specific audience that doesn’t include me. At least there’s only one book left for me to read.

I’m always eager to read more sapphic stories, and this one has been on my radar for some time now. While at first I did find Rachel unreasonably aggressive, it all worked out in the end. Safi’s sophomore novel has complex, diverse characters that steal both the spotlight and your heart, equally complex but ultimately great family dynamics, filmmaking and discussions of sexism in the film industry, and delicious gay yearning. There’s drama, yes, but it’s balanced out by a sweet romance I absolutely loved. It took less than 100 pages for me to be invested in Rachel and Sana’s story and about that many for me to decide they needed to kiss yesterday. Lesbian love stories are one of my favorite things to read, and Tell Me How You Really Feel didn’t disappoint. It deserves so much more hype. I’m going to buy my own copy, recommend it to everyone, and also read more of Safi’s books as soon as possible.

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I got just under 50 pages into this and decided it wasn’t for me. Normally I’d try to get through another 50-100 pages, but I’ve got several more library books to get through in about a week. There’s nothing wrong with this book; I just don’t feel like reading it and am too short on time to waste any meandering through books I’m not loving.

The Storm Crow has been on my tbr for some time, and finally I checked it out on Libby, an impulse decision. I’m so glad I did. From the beginning, I was hooked. I love the world and characters Josephson created, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this.

The idea of crows having magic and essentially powering a country is so cool. You need to water your crops? There’s a crow for that. Heal a wound? There’s a crow for that too. Maybe you’re fighting a war for your country. There’s even a crow for that. There are seven different kinds of crows, each connected to a different sector of Rhodaire and tasked with helping the country run smoothly. It was very creative and I liked it immensely.

As a whole, the world-building was great. Illucia has fought and taken over all the nearby countries except Rhodaire, which is next on the list to add to their empire. It’s a bit basic for a fantasy, as many books technically have a similar base, but Josephson made her version unique, intricate, and fascinating to read about. I almost always enjoy political tension, so long as it’s not dense and boring. That was never a concern here.

One thing in The Storm Crow that I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen in a YA fantasy—or any fantasy, for that matter—is a protagonist with depression. When Illucia attacks Rhodaire and causes major problems, Thia spirals into a depressed state that lasts for six months before she is forced to take action. Throughout the book she regains her will to fight and also fights the nagging desire to hide in bed until everything is said and done. This could’ve gone really wrong, but it was handled with care and ended up working out well. I could really relate to Thia in this regard, and seeing her stand up for herself, her friends, and her country while  dealing with her own mental health was truly admirable. Team Thia all the way!

I also really loved Kiva, Thia’s best friend and bodyguard. She’s supportive and snarky and will absolutely fight anyone she doesn’t like or that hurts Thia. Their friendship is amazing and among the best I’ve read in any fantasy story.

Unfortunately, there is a love triangle of sorts between Thia, Ericen, and Caylus. One of them has unrequited feelings for Thia, who falls in love with the other. I won’t give any more details due to spoilers, but I will say this: when Caylus was introduced, I liked him but was wary that something like the above situation would happen. Even though I was right, both Ericen and Caylus ultimately ended up being complex characters that I liked and/or appreciated for various reasons.  I think there’s a lot more to one in particular, and I’m curious to see how all the relationships develop in the sequel.

On that note, there’s so much to be addressed in the sequel. While the whole book was entertaining, the last five chapters were especially intense and unexpected in more ways than one. I have absolutely no clue what any of these twists will lead to, but I’m certainly curious to find out.

I think I’ve said everything I can about The Storm Crow. I definitely want to buy my own copy, and I’ll be reading the sequel as soon as my hold on it comes in. Please read The Storm Crow, y’all!!

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