4.5 stars

CW: racism, gore, torture

I’m generally not a fan of zombies or media with zombies. I find that it’s an excuse for excess gore, and squeamish as I am, that’s a strong no for me. But the premise intrigued me, so I gave it a try.

I’m glad I did.

This is a unique twist on zombies, and on historical fiction. The history included seems to be well-researched, and it covers all sorts of details, from major to minute.

Jane is a confident protagonist, a skilled liar, and at times an unreliable narrator. She’s half-black and bi, and generally just an intriguing character. I’d like to see more like her in YA.

Katherine is a white-passing black girl and aro ace, which I was really happy about. She has what I think is significant character growth; in the beginning she’s kind of petty and rather unlikable, but she grows to be ... not kinder, exactly, but more understanding and definitely more tolerable.

There’s no romance in this book, something I find incredibly refreshing. Sure, it mentions passing attractions Jane has toward this guy or that girl, but despite that, zero romance or hint of one. This allows Jane and Katherine’s budding friendship to shine, and I love that. They go from rivals to genuine friends, and I’m so here for that. More girl friendships 2018.

In my experience, many YA historical fiction stories feature girls breaking societal norms of their time. That’s cool and all, but it can get rather old rather quickly. In this story, all 450 pages are action-packed. In addition to the zombies and impending apocalypse, there’s a complex second plot thread that kept the story going between fighting zombie hordes. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

This was a surprisingly good historical fiction novel, and the first of Justina’s books I’ve read. I sped through this, and I hope the sequel is released next year because I’d like more of this story in my life. Very much recommended, even if you don’t like zombies.

CW: neglect, hallucinations, anxiety, self-harm

I haven’t seen many people talk about this book, but the few I have seen loved it.

Unfortunately, I must say I don’t feel the same way. I found this book to be mostly average, even though I was hoping to enjoy it.

My favorite thing about this book was its formatting. In addition to the illustrations and visuals throughout, the pages go from white in the beginning to black in the end. They’re grey in the middle, with smeared edges (for lack of a better word), and it just looks really cool. The chapters are also very short, only a page or two, and makes the book a quick read.

Jack and August are two very developed and very flawed characters. They have negligent parents and instead give each other what they need, regardless of the toll it takes on themselves. August develops anxiety, and Jack has vivid hallucinations. They’re boys trying to cope as best they can while on their own against the world. I liked them, but I wasn’t attached to them.

It’s not explicitly stated, but throughout the book I think the boys are questioning their sexuality. They have an extremely slow friends-to-lovers relationship, one that kind of simmers beneath the surface of the story as it progresses. In the end their relationship is confirmed, and although the story ends shortly after, I think they’d be a sweet, supportive couple.

I’m not sure where I got lost, to be honest. This book is a strange one, but that’s never deterred me before. I found the story intriguing and I liked the characters. I just never got hooked, I suppose, and therefore didn’t get truly invested. I read the book, finished it, and that’s that. This is such a weird state to be in upon finishing a book, and a difficult one to write a review in as well. I’m not sure that makes sense but whatever, I’ll go with it.

I liked many aspects of this novel, but overall I found it mostly average. However, I’d still recommend it; just because it wasn’t my cup of ice cream doesn’t mean it won’t be yours.

I loved Amanda’s debut when I read it last year, so going into this I had high expectations. They were met and exceeded.

I freaking loved this book.

I remember this being pitched as Six of Crows meets Spirited Away, and that truly is a perfect combo. There’s no heist, but there are lovable morally grey characters and magic and binding curses and all sorts of mayhem.

The story is one of very high stakes, told over the course of ten days as things go from questionable to bad to outright terrible. It’s written so, so well, and I was hooked from the start. Even though it’s slower at times, this novel intrigued me, lured me in, and I was done for.

New Reynes is the City of Sin. Each person has two abilities, one from each parent, and they range from elemental magic to dancing to counting and more. The City of Sin has crime families and gangs and it’s deceptive and dirty but also devastatingly brilliant. There were so many little details all around. It was a vivid setting, rife with tension. I absolutely wouldn’t want to go there, but I still love it.

Enne and Levi are my sweet deadly favs. Enne is a proper young lady/upcoming street lord that will eat your cookies and fix her lipstick before stabbing you with a stiletto. Levi is an established street lord, con artist, and precious bi boy that occasionally cheats at cards. I love them both so much!! I just can’t handle it.

Together Enne and Levi are 100% a Slytherpuff power couple. Their romance is excruciatingly slow-burn, almost minor enough to not be a romance, but in the end that tension and desperation pays off. They kiss and they kill and I love it. Okay, at this point they haven’t officially become a couple but come on. I know what’s coming.

There’s also a genderfluid side character, a killer girl power friendship, gang tension, murderous card games, poison, acrobatics, and plenty of times where things go very wrong. It’s one of those fun reads where you don’t know what will happen until it happens and you’re very afraid because everything is super high pressure but you still love it. Come on, how could you not? At least, that’s my experience with this novel.

The end was super mysterious and left me wanting oh so much more, but unfortunately I have to wait until next April for that... unless somehow I can get my hands on an arc? I’m not sure if arcs of this book were a thing or if the sequel will have any, but hey, a girl can dream.

I wouldn’t say this novel is a new all-time favorite, but it’s definitely earned a place on my favorites shelf and is one of the best books I’ve read this year. 10/10 would recommend to everyone.

I loved this book so much more than I expected to. I was surprised to find myself hooked so quickly, and if I had the time I’m sure I would’ve read it in a day. It was very unique; there was a dark carnival, a murder mystery, and an intricate magic system. The cast of characters was diverse and dynamic, and I loved the friendship and family aspects. There’s a lesbian character and a love interest on the ace or demi spectrum, and there’s speculation that the protagonist is bi. This was a really twisty read and I highly enjoyed it. If a sequel is ever written, I plan to devour it.

4.5 stars

CW: violence, abuse, war

Torch is still my favorite in the series. I think this novel got off to a bit of a slow start, but by part two I was hooked. At that point, chapters end in a way that left me grasping for more, so of course I had to read until that character’s next pov chapter and find out what happened. Rinse and repeat. Sabaa’s writing was emotional and vivid, and it pulled me in even more.

I care about all three of our main characters. Laia is one of my favorite protagonists because she’s strong, she’s caring, and she’s an ultimate badass. She’s flawed but she has exquisite character development. Elias is also one of my favorites, and I really felt for him as I read. He has such a tough time adapting to his situation, understandably so, and he can’t catch a break. His arc is kinda painful to read… but in a good way? I don’t know. I love Elias. As for Helene, she’s been horrible the last two books. I didn’t really like her then and I expected to hate her now, but she’s actually grown on me. She’s not my favorite or anything, but she has an interesting story and I guess I respect her. It’s complicated.

I thought I knew what would happen. I didn’t. I absolutely didn’t. There were a lot of twists in this novel; it was fast-paced and honestly unpredictable. If I’d had more time the last few days, it probably would’ve taken me maybe two days to finish it. I was sucked in and taken for an extremely wild ride. There’s a lot of tension early on, things start to go bad in the middle, and in the last third the trashfire blazes. It’s a good trashfire, but it’s also bad. Again, it’s complicated.

So, yeah. The sooner I can get my hands on the final book, the better. I’m sure it’s going to be brutal and I’m not sure who’s going to be alive to get any trace of a happy ending. I want to read it anyway. Bring it on. Gently.

Rick has yet to write a book I don’t like. I’m 17, probably too old for his books, but I read them anyway. They were my Harry Potter growing up, and they’ve impacted me so much as a reader and even a person. I don’t ever see myself not reading what he puts out.

On that note, his novels are an exception to my rule/goal to be critical. I’m giving this four stars, but it’s still going on my favorites shelf. His books would have to seriously suck to not be on my favorites shelf at this point, if I’m being quite honest.

I think this novel really highlights Apollo’s character development, and how he’s changed from an arrogant god to a not as arrogant and sometimes compassionate mortal. He’s definitely still Apollo at heart, but he’s a better version of himself, even if he doesn’t think so.

I like the other characters as well. Meg is the most unique pre-teen girl I’ve read about, and I find her amusing. I was so happy to see Grover again, and some favorites from Heroes of Olympus as well.

To me, the writing seems rather simple. That could just be a result of me reading a book meant for people younger than me, so I’m not too worried about it. Additionally, the humor, puns, and haikus more than make up for what I feel is lacking.

Now for the elephant in the room. On the page? I don’t know. But someone died. Technically multiple people/creatures did, but one had a bigger impact on me. I didn’t expect it, and for the next two or three chapters I refused to believe it. Unfortunately, it’s true. To those that haven’t read this yet, have fun with that. 😊

And now I wait for the fourth book.

2.5 stars

CW: death, car accident, trauma, grief

This is undoubtedly my least favorite JLA book I’ve read thus far. It’s also the first time I’ve read one of her contemporary novels. I’m not sure exactly how I feel about this.

I went in with no idea what to expect, only knowing it was a new genre from the author of one of my favorite paranormal romance series. I was majorly disappointed, and in the first third of the novel I considered dnfing and was sure it couldn’t be more than a two star read. In the second third I was determined to finish it, but I had very mixed feelings. For a short time I contemplated giving it three stars. By the final third, I was just glad to be done with it.

There are so many tropes throughout the story. It was exhausting. The average girl. The beautiful, popular boy next door. Secret love. Additionally, there were a bunch of cheesy and/or cringeworthy moments. This is absolutely not an original story. This is a bunch of other stories tweaked and wrapped up like it’s something new. And while the synopsis tries to make it sound mysterious, it isn’t. Not really.

I liked that Lena was a bookworm. I could really relate to that. I think that was her major redeemable quality, to be honest. It’s never specifically stated, but in the beginning it’s clear that she’s reading the first two books in the ACOTAR trilogy. Pretty sure that was a thing because JLA and SJM are friends. If I could tell Lena one thing, it would be to read better books. That aside, I really did like how dedicated she was to books, even if it was pushed aside to emphasize her grief, guilt, and recovery.

This wasn’t a horrible book. The characters were cheesy cutouts of popular tropes, but they were still likable. In the end, the romance was beginning to turn into something cute. The friend and family dynamics were alright. The central theme in this novel and the story itself were raw and compelling. However, one good element amongst a bunch of other mediocre elements does not make a good story.

I didn’t like this book, and honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it. Regardless, I’ll be reading JLA’s other contemporary out of sheer curiosity, and hoping it’s more enticing and generally less of a trashfire.

I’m glad that’s over.

I went into this novel expecting a lush, exciting fantasy, and that’s exactly what I didn’t get. I won’t lie: I was majorly disappointed by nearly everything regarding this novel.

First of all, this easily could’ve been 100 pages shorter. There’s slow pacing and then there’s this. Nothing happened for a good chunk of the story, and when things did happen the pacing was all off. We’re thrust right into the beginning of the story, but then it dies down and nothing really happens for about 225 pages. At that point, everything happens, it gets confusing, and the end is honestly just a blur.

On that note, I was bored. I considered dnfing several times, but I became determined to push through. I skimmed the last 50-60 pages, and I never skim books unless they’re assigned for school. I feel like the premise set me up for one thing and I got something totally different. The events that took place seemed mainly trivial, not like they played a part in a bigger story. I guess the overarching plot could be the malevolent forest trying to consume everything, but to be honest, it sounds cooler than it is. It’s not entertaining in the least.

I figured there would be a romance of some sort, because most books have one. However, this one really took me by surprise because it’s just so random. There was no build-up. There were no hints. The Dragon seemed to despise Agnieszka, and then they were kissing. I’m not joking.

“‘You intolerable lunatic,’ he snarled at me, and then he caught my face between his hands and kissed me.”

WHAT??

They nearly have sex but they don’t. Then they’re apart for 150 pages or so, and on their first night in the same location, they have sex. I’m so confused. There was no tension, no development, just boom! In my face. A relationship. And then they’re distant again until the very end, but I’ll leave it at that for the sake of not spoiling anyone.

Another thing I found disappointing is that the Dragon isn’t actually a dragon. He’s a wizard with an alias, a stage name if you will, and he can’t even shapeshift. He’s just a grumpy old man in a young man’s body and he has magical abilities. Dragons are fantasy icons, and yet I haven’t read many fantasy books with actual dragons. Justice for dragons 2018.

The last thing I have to say isn’t a complaint necessarily, just something about the writing style I found strange. Naomi uses a lot of colons, something I haven’t seen before. To my knowledge, colons are mainly used after a clause and before a list. Maybe there’s more to it; I’m not going to google at 1 am. I just think it’s odd. I didn’t think the colons had any place being where they were, but they were used nonetheless. Sometimes it felt like they were used to make run-on sentences okay, if that makes sense. I don’t know. Maybe it’s a thing writers do that I’m unfamiliar with.

I could probably say more, but I’m tired. I powered through the rest of the book, and as I said, it’s 1 am. Besides, I think you can tell I wasn’t a fan of this book. It could’ve been good. I wanted it to be good. It just wasn’t good, in my opinion. Take out the romance, add in a dragon or two, and then maybe we’ll talk. Until then, no. Just no.

After loving the first book in the series, I was excited to finally pick up this novel. I’ve read very few Sleeping Beauty retellings, and this one sounded dark and delicious. It didn’t disappoint.

Some people don’t like these books because of how vastly different they are from the Disney stories that inspired them. Well, news flash, folks: a retelling is going to be different. Of course, some elements need to be at least somewhat similar for it to be a retelling, but in my mind, the best retellings are the ones that blend the old and the new. I think this novel pulled that off well. The whole concept of the dream world was fascinating to me — the magic, the character growth, all of it. One thing I liked about the previous book and was happy to find in this one is that in the beginning the story deviates from the original in a shocking way that sucks you in, and continues to be a roller coaster ride from there. Bad characters are good and good characters are bad. Manipulation. Confusion. Action. All the good stuff, blended into one intriguing story.

I liked Aurora and Phillip. They seemed so much more three-dimensional than their Disney counterparts. The former was simultaneously confident and doubtful of herself in a way I thought was very well done. The latter was a sweet, noble dork that I couldn’t help but love. Their romance isn’t love at first sight, but a slower, flawed, and more genuine relationship. I liked it and I liked them. They weren’t perfect, but very few characters are.

My main issue with this novel was the writing. Sometimes it felt rather simple and a bit choppy, but it wasn’t common enough to be a stylistic choice. I think some sections would’ve benefited from one more round of editing. Additionally, some dialogue was a bit cheesy as if it did come out of a Disney movie. It wasn’t good cheese. It was cringeworthy cheese. These moments weren’t frequent, but they were noticeable nonetheless.

If I was asked to choose whether I liked this or the first book better, I couldn’t. Both are brilliantly complex, and weave familiar elements of the fairytales I grew up with into new, magically sinister stories.

This series is sadly underrated. I would really recommend it, because I honestly think they’re some of the most creative retellings I’ve read thus far. I can’t wait to continue the series!

CW: murder, attempted murder, off-page rape, discussion of sexual assault, drug use/addiction, poisoning

I’m not and have never been a Sherlock Holmes fan in any way. I don’t see myself ever becoming a Sherlock Holmes fan. Books, shows, movies — none of it is for me. However, I picked this up because it sounded interesting and fun, and not to difficult for someone new to grasp. There’s been a fair amount of hype surrounding this book and its sequels, so I was expecting to enjoy it; I did, but it was also rather average.

I did like the mystery. I found it intriguing and it kept me on my toes. I had suspicions, some of which were correct in the end, but I would say it was well written and well plotted. Nothing was glaringly obvious or overly predictable. It was complicated enough to keep mystery fans one step behind, at least in my experience, without being unnecessarily complex, if that makes sense.

I also liked our protagonists, Charlotte and Jamie. I thought they were interesting and likable enough; however, they didn’t seem entirely original. They felt like a handful of tropes in a trench coat and a hat, tweaked enough to seem new but not actually anything I hadn’t seen before. I’m not sure if that comparison makes sense, but whatever.

My biggest complaint is that, like so many other mystery novels, this suffered from the clichéd antagonist monologue. I’m not sure how this started or whose idea it was, but I think most readers are tired of it. I know I am. In my opinion, if the story is written well enough, the antagonist’s motives and methods should be clear by the end of the book, sans monologue. I was a bit disappointed to see it again.

Another minor complaint is how suggestive the end of the novel was. Charlotte and Jamie grew to be good friends, with a relationship full of banter and butting heads that was purely, 100% platonic. I would’ve loved if it stayed that way, but no. I won’t give specific details, but the end does elude to them becoming more in future books. Of course, I have no way of knowing if this is true or not. I just wish more books would leave platonic relationships as they are. Friends can be friends without becoming romantically involved.

The last thing I want to bring up is a minute detail I noticed and found puzzling that was never explained: throughout the story, Arthur Conan Doyle is said to be the author of the Sherlock Holmes novels, yet Sherlock and Watson were real people with very real descendants. So which one is it? Am I missing something here?

I enjoyed this novel, though unfortunately not as much as I’d hoped. I plan to read at least the second one because I’m curious, but it’s not a priority. I do hope I like it more.