This took me SO LONG to read. I blame school 100%. And as much as I wanted to like this, it just wasn’t that great?? I liked it, don’t get me wrong, but parts of it felt lackluster.

I like the premise. I rarely read superhero stories and I don’t know of many in YA, so I was intrigued by this one. It had some unique elements, I’ll give it that. I liked some of the powers the prodigies had; the ones that stuck out to me were Adrian’s, Ruby’s, Ingrid’s, and Phobia’s. However, at its core, it didn’t feel very original. There was a good group and a bad group, and the protagonist, a member of the bad group, went undercover in an attempt to infiltrate the good group. Instead, she fell in love with one of her teammates, the adopted son of the leaders and founders of the good group.

That was a very basic summary, and I recognize that there’s more to the story. That’s just something I noticed while reading.

Additionally, it’s a very slow-paced, character-driven story, with sporadic action until the last fifty pages. I don’t necessarily have a problem with that, except in this case, this book is 550 pages, and it did drag at times.

Nova’s power reminded me a bit of Juliette from Shatter Me, although from what I understand Nova’s wasn’t deadly.

As long as this book was, I don’t have much else to talk about. I didn’t especially love any of the characters, though I did like the dynamics between them. Nova’s group of Anarchists and Adrian’s Renegade patrol team were both a bit like dysfunctional families, and I liked that. I enjoyed the slow-burn progression of Nova and Adrian’s relationship, because they were both awkward and confused and it was kind of adorable. I have high hopes for them.

I liked Adrian’s dads too. Captain Chromium and Dread Warden have been openly in love since they were teenagers, since the start of the Renegades, and they adopted Adrian after his mom died.

The finale shocked me. I fully expected Nova to be revealed, and she wasn’t. I’m intrigued by Agent N, and I’m curious/afraid to learn more about it and its intended use. The last page completely surprised me, and if it was hinted at prior, those hints went completely over my head. This will definitely up the stakes in the sequel.

This book didn’t quite meet my expectations, and it was mostly an average read. I did like parts of it, though, and I’ll be reading Archenemies (the last book in the duology) when it releases in November, if only to satisfy my burning curiosity.

CW: PTSD, panic attacks

I have no idea what to think about this book. When I read Ally’s Heist Society trilogy, for the most part all three were fun reads and I could overlook that they weren’t really that good. Meanwhile, I wasn’t sure how this novel could be written by the same author.

I didn’t particularly like any of the characters and even though it’s set in the real world, the setting was kind of lax. The first half of the book was unbelievably dull, and I couldn’t fathom why the blurbs said anything about a thriller. However, in the last half and especially the last 50-ish pages, I was surprised. It went from 0 to 100 really fast, to the point where I nearly couldn’t follow. Admittedly, there were some good twists, but I think the pacing and the execution made them more confusing than mind-blowing. Although those twists are also what got this book an extra half star. I don’t know. I’m confuzzled.

I plan to read the second book out of sheer curiosity, and I’ll definitely be going in with lower expectations. Hopefully that one makes more sense, and takes advantage of all the things that could’ve made this one so good.

Spy novels tend to be hit or miss for me, and I believe that, if I read this particular book in elementary or middle school, I would’ve loved it. However, as a girl bordering on adulthood, I’m not entirely sure what to think of I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You.

In the past, I’ve had rocky experiences with Carter’s work. I went into this aware it’s her most popular, and I think her oldest work. I won’t deny that it was a fun read, with talk of international shenanigans and unbelievable gadgets. It was also a quick read, clocking in at under 300 pages, and I fully believe I could’ve read it in a single day if not for The Sims 4.

My most prominent issue is that, from time to time, the story simply wasn’t probable. If this was a fantasy to any degree, it would be completely different. But this is a contemporary, and I had a hard time believing the staff of Gallagher Academy invented such and such object for missions, or that not one student, parent, or random suburban citizen questioned anything.

While the friendship between Cammie, Liz, Bex, and Macey was a nice touch, it didn’t keep me from rolling my eyes at character antics as I read, from them or other characters. In my eyes, Mr. Solomon’s teaching, Rachel’s parenting, and Josh and Cammie’s budding, forbidden relationship were all very questionable, for varying reasons.

But if I’m being honest, I’m not the intended audience for this novel. I’m six to ten years too old. This reminds me of the discussion about the need for YA books and characters actually suitable for younger teens, and that’s what I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You. Although I’m a bit curious regarding the end of this novel, I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series; I’m sure there are other novels more suitable and enjoyable for my age group.

CW: death of a parent, grief

At no point in my life thus far have I been interested in the Teen Titans franchise. If I hadn’t received a copy of this graphic novel from Girls Life Magazine as part of the Beach Blanket Book Club, I likely never would’ve picked it up. However, I was pleasantly surprised while reading.

I always find reviewing graphic novels to be a somewhat difficult task, due to their size and my inexperience with this particular format. While I have nothing to compare it to except a couple of very short issues of Lumberjanes, I enjoyed the art style. It’s comprised of a mostly dark color scheme, allowing the pops of color to emphasize significant plot moments.

I liked Raven and Max, and appreciated Max’s mom’s role as a supportive parent. I don’t think other characters were given enough page time to make an impression.

My only real problem was the periodic time jumps. A handful of times while reading, I would turn the page and see a scene that didn’t match the previous one, check if I skipped something, and continue, unsure, when I found I didn’t. Maybe this is something common in graphic novels I’m just not aware of, but as an infrequent reader of them, I’m not a fan.

Ultimately, this was much better than I expected. I’m not newly obsessed with Teen Titans, or anything like that. I don’t plan to consume any additional related media. But Teen Titans: Raven was a fairly fun graphic novel, and it did help me with my Goodreads challenge.

Representation:
• A side f/f couple.

CW: car accident, death of parent, grief, amnesia

I’m so grateful to Girls Life Magazine for sending me a copy of this novel, because that allowed me to read it much sooner than I would’ve otherwise. I was actually a bit wary going in, because I’m a squeamish chicken and I knew this was a beloved creepy read. However, I was surprised by just how quickly the story captivated me, the characters won me over. I sped through The Devouring Gray in a little over a day, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

If you’re like me and concerned about being creeped out, there’s no need. I believe a better descriptor for this story is atmospheric — Herman seamlessly combines the idiosyncrasies of small town life with the spooky, mesmerizing danger of the Gray. Although making the Gray a parallel world would’ve been interesting, I think its emptiness made it all the more spine-tingling.

But hands down, the best part of this debut was the leading group of misfits. Narration is split between Violet, a spunky girl grieving the death of her sister, Harper, a girl with an arm and a half that’s fiercer than most two-armed people I know, Isaac, a somewhat broody and dangerous boy that’s mysteriously appealing, and Justin, the popular boy with a major secret. Although my opinions of these four varied, I ended up liking all of them. Violet and Harper are my favorites, and even Justin, who I firmly disliked in the first third, has won me over.

Good characters don’t necessarily mean good character dynamics, but in this instance, Herman excelled. Despite all four families being varying degrees of dysfunctional, the connections between the protagonists were gold. Violet and Harper’s friendship, Isaac and Justin’s friendship, the tension and tentativeness between the four of them — all of it added another layer to an already impressive story.

World-building is usually something that only matters in genres such as fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, and dystopian. In a contemporary, not so much. Yet here I am, talking about a contemporary novel’s world-building, and let me tell you: it’s great. Four Paths is a small, off the charts New York town, full of nuance and history. The story of the four founders and how it played into the protagonists’ lives, as their respective descendants, was quite intriguing. I look forward to seeing how the world, or at least our knowledge of it, grows in the sequel.

I think I’ve sufficiently gushed about this novel. The Devouring Gray was an unexpectedly enjoyable, gripping read, with a fantastic ensemble cast and a conclusion that left me eager for the upcoming second book.

Representation:
• Violet and Isaac are both bisexual, though they aren’t in a relationship.
• Harper is an amputee and only has half of one arm.
• There’s a sapphic side couple, though at the time of the story, they aren’t together any longer.
• I believe there are some side characters of color. Apologies if I’m incorrect here.

CW: grief, death, gore, violence, domestic abuse

2.5 stars

In my experience, each book in the Wayward Children series is better than its predecessor. That, coupled with my five star reading streak, gave me high hopes for this novella. Unfortunately, In an Absent Dream fell flat for me; this is especially disappointing when I see that so many other readers praising it, calling it the best in the series. (I stand by my opinion that that honor goes to Beneath the Sugar Sky.)

I want to start by saying that from the first installment, I’ve loved McGuire’s writing style. Words flow in a simple yet enchanting manner. Each one matters. While that does remain true here, I feel that the time skips canceled this out. A few times Katherine would refer to an event that, as epic as it sounded, wasn’t included in an on-page scene, and it would throw me off. I understand that these scenes likely weren’t included because this story is intended to be one of belonging and growing up rather than adventure, but regardless, I wasn’t a fan.

My two favorite elements were the Goblin Market and Katherine’s younger sister, Diana. The former was an eerie, bizarre, but enchanting setting, where questions are forbidden and fair value is law. Although I feel that it wasn’t explored as much as it could’ve been, I very much enjoyed reading about it. As for the latter, she was inexplicably endearing. I didn’t expect to care for her so much, particularly since she only plays a significant part in the final few chapters, but I did.

The primary reason for my rating is that, sadly, I didn’t care about the story. I was intrigued at first, and I think the audiobook narration helped in that regard; these novellas feel reminiscent of a fairytale and having them read to you simply works, in my opinion. However, there was more than one instance in which I zoned out for a few seconds or even a minute, and I couldn’t be bothered to rewind and see if I missed anything important. By the halfway mark, my interest had diminished significantly, and with twenty percent left, I was waiting for the dots to connect and the story to end. Even in Every Heart a Doorway, previously my least favorite in the series, there was the murder mystery aspect to keep me engaged. Here, with little plot and a protagonist I also didn’t much care for, there was nothing holding my interest.

With the story being so concise, I don’t think there’s much else to be said. I think I’m in the minority on this one, so don’t let me stop you from reading In an Absent Dream — I quite enjoyed the previous three novellas. I do plan to read the final one when it releases next year, since each installment is unrelated. But unfortunately, this one was far from my favorite.

This was definitely not what I expected. I really liked this book.

Dislikes:
- The glorification/romanticization of slavery. This is really problematic, and my main issue with the book.
- Paige
- Warden
- No real shock factor in the end, although maybe I just waited too long to read this.

Likes:
- The intricate world and clairvoyance system
- The Reph and the Emim. They were antagonistic but interesting and unique.
- The story. There was a good blend of action and calm.
- The Seven Seals. I got an SOC crew vibe, if I'm being honest. Nick is my favorite.
- Paige
- Warden

Paige and Warden are on both lists because I've got mixed feelings on both of them. I loved Paige, and I thought she was a wonderful, realistic protagonist. The one thing that bothered me was her extreme impulsiveness, which in my opinion, led to situations that could've been avoided. As for Warden, well. This is where it gets complicated. After a while, I grew to like him, but I don't love him the way everyone else does. He had good intentions, but he went about everything the wrong way. I appreciate his differing view on humans and kinder treatment of Paige, but his secrecy, cold façade, and his actions throughout the story made him difficult to truly like.

Also, I highly recommend getting an edition with a glossary, because that was extremely helpful.

I had problems with this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. This is definitely a series I'll need to keep up with.

(This has been one of Liv's Lazy Reviews™.)

In recent years, Mafi has established herself as an author of YA dystopian and MG fantasy, with a beautiful, quotable writing style. I was very interested to see how she would approach what I imagine is an extremely personal YA contemporary. Stripped of the lyrical prose, A Very Large Expanse of Sea is an unflinchingly honest but inexplicably appealing novel.

I want to start by saying that I absolutely loved Shirin. She embraced being Persian, being Muslim, and she was quick to cut down anyone who belittled her. But she was one girl seemingly against the world, and fierce as she might’ve been, she made mistakes. She was emotional and rash at times, but true to herself. Though I’m neither Persian nor Muslim and can’t possibly relate to her struggles, I appreciate how realistic she was in general.

When it comes to Ocean, though, I’m not sure where I stand. I appreciated his sincerity; he wore his heart on his sleeve and I think YA would benefit from more boys like that. Not every boy is a brooding disaster. Anyway, while he was cute and awkward and very likable, beyond that he felt a bit flat. That isn’t to say every character needs to be in the midst of an existential crisis (however relatable that may be); however, him not wanting to play basketball felt trivial.

My favorite element, hands down, was the breakdancing. I truly cannot think of a single other YA novel that features breakdancing in any manner. Shirin and her brother Navid already have a good relationship at the start of the story, but coming together with Navid’s friends to form a crew only made them closer. It allowed Shirin to make friends with people she wasn’t either related to or in love with, and all of that aside, it was simply fascinating. Learning about the history and technique of breakdancing intrigued me, and I enjoyed reading the day-to-day practice scenes.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when the novel came to a close, and immediately after finishing, I didn’t like it. After a bit of contemplation and a discussion with my amazing best friend Erika, I realized that, though I wasn’t satisfied, Mafi’s decision was likely the strongest way to conclude the story. I admire authors that choose perhaps the lesser-liked endings in order to end their story in a way that feels right, and I think that’s the case here. (But watch me be a complete hypocrite when I read/reread one of my favorite books and don’t like the ending, haha. I’ll forget I ever said this.)

This last part is likely a stretch, and likely a thought induced by my full-blown obsession with the live-action Aladdin. But I can’t resist saying that I feel some parts of the song “Speechless” really embody Shirin. Though she’s not a princess, she and Jasmine are both fierce girls of color with the odds against them, and they refuse to back down.

In conclusion, I now firmly believe that Mafi can successfully write just about anything. A Very Large Expanse of Sea wasn’t a flawless novel but it was enjoyable, and it’s definitely an important addition to YA. I look forward to seeing this adapted into a movie, and to reading more from Mafi, both in and out of the Shatter Me world.

Representation:
• Shirin and her family are Persian and Muslim.
• There are a few side characters of color. I believe they’re all Middle Eastern, though I can’t recall specifics.

CW: Islamophobia, xenophobia, racism, harassment, assault

So many people loved The Serpent King, but here I am, not at all enamored, my heart intact. I read one book from Zentner earlier this year, that being my introduction to his work, and found it rather mediocre. Unfortunately, that’s also the case this time around.

The plot was incredibly slow. I feel like nothing significant happened until the second half, by which point I was already beyond caring. Only one thing happened that I truly cared about, and while it did pack a punch, the feeling had worn off by the time I resumed reading. Zentner’s story had the potential to be heartbreaking and poignant and memorable, but the abysmal pacing and flat characters prevented that outcome.

Before I rant about any other characters, I want to say that Travis was by far the best and deserved better. One of three protagonists, he was a gentle giant with a passion for a series of fantasy books and in general, so wholesome.

If I’m being honest, Dill was a severely boring protagonist. He was about as interesting as a pickle, and that’s coming from someone that dislikes pickles. While his depression was very well-written and did resonate with me, I can’t think of anything special about him. His situation sucked and I did feel bad for him, but I didn’t like him. He’s a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, stuck in a small, backwards town that hates him because of his father’s actions. I just didn’t care.

Possibly my biggest issue with the story was the third protagonist, Lydia. She had moments of decency, of being a good friend, but for the most part, she got on my nerves. She’s a famous fashion blogger, and while I don’t have a problem with the concept, the execution left much to be desired. Her follower count doesn’t need to be mentioned more than once, at random moments when she’s tweeting something. I believe her blog made her a bit of a snob; she didn’t post about her two best friends because they didn’t fit her brand or whatever, instead claiming to be friendless. Being embarrassed by your friends because of your popularity is a sure sign that fame has gone to your head.

Somewhere in the first half of the book, Lydia is writing a FAQ blog post. One of the questions is if she’s a lesbian, to which she said that “the answer depends on who’s asking”. Some famous women, yes. Some famous men, no. Then there’s this:

”If the asker is yet another random Internet troll who literally believes, in this day and age, that it’s an insult to call someone gay–in a passive-aggressive manner no less–then the answer is whatever makes you the most uncomfortable, threatens your sense of self, and throws your tiny brain into a tizzy. So the answer is probably yes, I am a raging lesbian. All other askers I take on a case-by-case basis.”

I’m not sure what Zentner intended by having Lydia respond this way, but as a lesbian, it bothered me. As far as I’m aware, Lydia is straight. And while I can’t speak for all lesbians, I don’t see my identity as a question to take on a case-by-case basis. Maybe I’m overreacting, or maybe there’s a meaning here that I didn’t pick up on. But I read that passage, and read it again, and when I read it a third time to copy it here, it made me uncomfortable each time.

My next point can be applied to both Lydia as an individual and the novel as a whole — to me, it felt like Zentner was trying too hard to be amusing. When any of the three protagonists were being mocked at school, Lydia’s comebacks weren’t witty. The Pathetic Prom wasn’t really funny, either. I’m not sure what the goal was with these lines, these scenes, but unless it was to make me cringe, they missed the mark.

One of this novel’s only redeeming elements, in my opinion, was the message. At its core, this is a story about overcoming what’s thrown at you, no matter how daunting. Each of the three teens have their own obstacles, two more so than the third, but despite the physical and emotional pain, they persevere. There are undeniably dark moments throughout the story, but every time, hope shines through. The end, in particular, emphasizes this, and if I had to pick one thing Zentner did well, this would be it.

The other element I enjoyed wasn’t nearly as deep, and that was Lydia’s parents. Both her mom and dad had a great, loving, fun relationship with Lydia, and they welcomed Dill and Travis into their home with open arms, willing to provide love and safety the boys’ respective parents didn’t. I especially liked the way Lydia’s dad was there for Dill. It warmed my heart.

I didn’t hate The Serpent King, but I also didn’t find many reasons to like it. Though I liked a couple of aspects, all in all, I found this novel to be overhyped and ultimately, nothing special. I don’t think I’ll be picking up anything else by Zentner.

CW: abuse, poverty, ableist language, homophobic slurs, attempted suicide, gun violence, depression, death

I went into this novel fully expecting to love it, and I wasn’t disappointed. It was so great to read, not only because I loved the story and characters, but also because I’ve followed Mason on Twitter since this was a draft referred to as #EnbyLoveStory. There’s something inexplicably fascinating, to me at least, about reading something I’ve watched grow and come together. I Wish You All The Best was an incredible, poignant debut, deserving of every bit of love and hype it’s received thus far.

I loved every character so much. Ben was a wonderful protagonist, and I rooted for them from the beginning. As if their parents’ rejection wasn’t enough, they also dealt with anxiety, depression, a crush, and major indecision over their life beyond graduation. But they pushed through, and I’m so proud of them.

The supporting cast was also great. From Nathan and his friends, Meleika and Sophie, to Ben’s best friend Mariam, to their older sister Hannah and brother-in-law Thomas, everyone had a distinct personality and was generally just so likable. Together they formed an admirable support group for Ben, who had a lovely relationship with each person. My favorites were Hannah and Mariam, the former because she didn’t hesitate to take Ben in and educate herself, and the latter because they were amusing and sweet. I also liked that Mariam went around the country, giving talks to queer youth.

The only two I didn’t like, predictably, were Ben’s parents. They didn’t even try to understand or respect their child’s identity, instead choosing to misgender Ben and make jokes at their expense and get defensive when called out. That, combined with their gross manipulation and twisting of the truth, had me fiercely wishing they — especially Ben’s father — would take the hint and go the heck away. Or, if I’m really fantasizing, maybe that they’d walk barefoot off a cliff into a sea of Legos. But if one good thing came from their horrible parenting and personalities in general, it’s the new friends and family Ben made for themself.

While on the subject of Ben’s new friends, can we talk about them and Nathan for a minute? Can we talk about how their relationship is one of the best freaking things I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading in a YA contemporary novel? Because wow, I love them both so much. Their friendship was spectacular, and when Ben came out to Nathan and Nathan to Ben, I was a few steps away from spontaneously combusting. These two could be the reason my heart one day explodes. And even though their ending might not be perfect, it’s pretty close.

Two more minor elements I appreciated were Ben’s love of art and the therapy positivity. Painting and therapy sessions are both common scenes throughout the story, and I believe the inclusion of each added more depth to the novel as a whole.

I identify as cisgender, so I cannot truly or accurately comment on the most crucial aspects of the story. However, I have a feeling that this will be a ground-breaking YA novel, and I’m happy for Deaver and all of the nonbinary teens that have seen and will see themselves in this story.

All in all, I Wish You All The Best was an incredible, heartfelt debut that completely won me over. Deaver did a magnificent job balancing the lighthearted parts of the story with the heavy-hitting, creating a final product that kept me up past two in the morning, reading. Needless to say, I absolutely loved this novel and I can’t wait to see what they do next, in The Ghosts We Keep and beyond.

Representation:
• Ben is nonbinary, uses they/them pronouns, and identifies as bisexual. It’s stated that they’re attracted to guys and masculine-presenting people.
• Nathan is black and bisexual.
• Mariam is nonbinary, uses they/them pronouns, and identifies as pansexual. They’re Shia Muslim, and get a girlfriend later in the story.
• Meleika, a side character, is black.
• Sophie, also a side character, is Asian and has ADHD.

CW: homophobia, transphobia, misgendering, panic attacks, anxiety, depression