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popthebutterfly
Rating: 3/5
Genre: YA Mystery
Recommended Age: 14+ (violence and murder)
Pages: 379
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I received this book through KidLitExchange. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Luke Chase—yes, that Luke Chase, a modern hero ripped from the headlines—didn’t mean to get caught up in Mrs. Heckler’s murder. He just wanted to hook up with the hot new British girl at St. Benedict’s, and if that meant sneaking out to the woods after hours, then so be it. But little did he know someone would end up dead right next to their rendezvous spot, and his best friend and roommate Oscar Weymouth would go down for it. With suspects aplenty and a past that’s anything but innocent, Luke Chase reluctantly calls on his famous survival skills to find the true killer.
It’s been awhile since I had a ya mystery book and I legitimately enjoyed this one. I thought this book was pretty good. The plot and pacing kept me entertained and the book kept me guessing on the whodunit.
However, I did have quite a few issues with it. The character development was a bit… weird? Some of the characters seem very over-exaggerated in their roles, such as Pippa who annoyingly mentions a British slur in everything she says. I read more British slurs in this book then I heard in my time in the UK. I thought the murderer was a bit weird as well. The characters really made this book less enjoyable for me.
Verdict: If you like mysteries and blunt characters then this book is for you.
Genre: YA Mystery
Recommended Age: 14+ (violence and murder)
Pages: 379
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I received this book through KidLitExchange. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Luke Chase—yes, that Luke Chase, a modern hero ripped from the headlines—didn’t mean to get caught up in Mrs. Heckler’s murder. He just wanted to hook up with the hot new British girl at St. Benedict’s, and if that meant sneaking out to the woods after hours, then so be it. But little did he know someone would end up dead right next to their rendezvous spot, and his best friend and roommate Oscar Weymouth would go down for it. With suspects aplenty and a past that’s anything but innocent, Luke Chase reluctantly calls on his famous survival skills to find the true killer.
It’s been awhile since I had a ya mystery book and I legitimately enjoyed this one. I thought this book was pretty good. The plot and pacing kept me entertained and the book kept me guessing on the whodunit.
However, I did have quite a few issues with it. The character development was a bit… weird? Some of the characters seem very over-exaggerated in their roles, such as Pippa who annoyingly mentions a British slur in everything she says. I read more British slurs in this book then I heard in my time in the UK. I thought the murderer was a bit weird as well. The characters really made this book less enjoyable for me.
Verdict: If you like mysteries and blunt characters then this book is for you.
Rating: 3/5
Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Contemporary?
Recommended Age: 14+ (violence and suicide/mental illness issues were present, and gun play)
Pages:242
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I received this book courtesy of KidLitExchange. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: When seventeen year-old Jasper is approached at the funeral of his deadbeat father by a man claiming to be an associate of his deceased parents, he’s thrust into a world of secrets tied to America’s history—and he’s right at the heart of it.
First, Jasper finds out he is the sole surviving descendant of Benedict Arnold, the most notorious traitor in American history. Then he learns that his father’s death was no accident. Jasper is at the center of a war that has been going on for centuries, in which the descendants of the heroes and traitors of the American Revolution still duel to the death for the sake of their honor.
His only hope to escape his dangerous fate on his eighteenth birthday? Take up the research his father was pursuing at the time of his death, to clear Arnold’s name.
Whisked off to a boarding school populated by other descendants of notorious American traitors, it’s a race to discover the truth. But if Jasper doesn’t find a way to uncover the evidence his father was hunting for, he may end up paying for the sins of his forefathers with his own life.
Like a mash-up of National Treasure and Hamilton, Matthew Landis’s debut spins the what-ifs of American history into a heart-pounding thriller steeped in conspiracy, clue hunting, and danger.
This book is a lot like National Treasure, but in a different way. The book focuses on Jasper and how he finds out his past which has serious repercussions for his future. He runs away and joins others that are in his similar position. The book sounded really interesting and the premise deserves to be explored and I felt that the characters were fairly well developed, but I just couldn’t get into this book.
Okay, this book had a lot of issues in my opinion. The dialogue and characterizations are not well written, the plot isn’t present until over halfway through the book, the way female characters are written is deplorable, and the lack of regard to violence against fellow teammates is unrealistic. Not only were the female characters not written well, but there were, what I felt to be, racist and ablest beliefs/actions in the book.
Verdict: This book has issues, but the premise is intriguing.
Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Contemporary?
Recommended Age: 14+ (violence and suicide/mental illness issues were present, and gun play)
Pages:242
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I received this book courtesy of KidLitExchange. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: When seventeen year-old Jasper is approached at the funeral of his deadbeat father by a man claiming to be an associate of his deceased parents, he’s thrust into a world of secrets tied to America’s history—and he’s right at the heart of it.
First, Jasper finds out he is the sole surviving descendant of Benedict Arnold, the most notorious traitor in American history. Then he learns that his father’s death was no accident. Jasper is at the center of a war that has been going on for centuries, in which the descendants of the heroes and traitors of the American Revolution still duel to the death for the sake of their honor.
His only hope to escape his dangerous fate on his eighteenth birthday? Take up the research his father was pursuing at the time of his death, to clear Arnold’s name.
Whisked off to a boarding school populated by other descendants of notorious American traitors, it’s a race to discover the truth. But if Jasper doesn’t find a way to uncover the evidence his father was hunting for, he may end up paying for the sins of his forefathers with his own life.
Like a mash-up of National Treasure and Hamilton, Matthew Landis’s debut spins the what-ifs of American history into a heart-pounding thriller steeped in conspiracy, clue hunting, and danger.
This book is a lot like National Treasure, but in a different way. The book focuses on Jasper and how he finds out his past which has serious repercussions for his future. He runs away and joins others that are in his similar position. The book sounded really interesting and the premise deserves to be explored and I felt that the characters were fairly well developed, but I just couldn’t get into this book.
Okay, this book had a lot of issues in my opinion. The dialogue and characterizations are not well written, the plot isn’t present until over halfway through the book, the way female characters are written is deplorable, and the lack of regard to violence against fellow teammates is unrealistic. Not only were the female characters not written well, but there were, what I felt to be, racist and ablest beliefs/actions in the book.
Verdict: This book has issues, but the premise is intriguing.
Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 15+ (sexual content, death, violence, slight gore)
Pages: 239
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None! I got this book for my own amusement!
Synopsis: It’s been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. For Miranda Evans, life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce.
The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a series so fast in my life. I’m absolutely in love with this series. In this book we are reunited with both of our faves: Miranda and Alex and they are amazing. This book is still in diary format and Miranda is the voice. I thought the voice was authentic and the character development was well done for the most part. I also thought the pacing and plot were intriguing enough to keep me entertained and engaged throughout the book.
However, I did think that there was an over abundance of insta love and I didn’t feel like Alex was well written in this book. He felt really one dimensional, which is sad because he’s my favorite character of the whole series. Also, I think the book didn’t start at exactly the same place it left off from the first book and the book was a bit slow for the first 50ish pages.
Verdict: If you read the first two book you need to read this one too!
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 15+ (sexual content, death, violence, slight gore)
Pages: 239
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None! I got this book for my own amusement!
Synopsis: It’s been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. For Miranda Evans, life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce.
The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a series so fast in my life. I’m absolutely in love with this series. In this book we are reunited with both of our faves: Miranda and Alex and they are amazing. This book is still in diary format and Miranda is the voice. I thought the voice was authentic and the character development was well done for the most part. I also thought the pacing and plot were intriguing enough to keep me entertained and engaged throughout the book.
However, I did think that there was an over abundance of insta love and I didn’t feel like Alex was well written in this book. He felt really one dimensional, which is sad because he’s my favorite character of the whole series. Also, I think the book didn’t start at exactly the same place it left off from the first book and the book was a bit slow for the first 50ish pages.
Verdict: If you read the first two book you need to read this one too!
Rating: 3/5
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual content, gore, violence, death, trigger warnings for suicide and infant death)
Pages: 288
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None! This is my copy of this book!
Synopsis: It's been more than two years since Jon Evans and his family left Pennsylvania, hoping to find a safe place to live, yet Jon remains haunted by the deaths of those he loved. His prowess on a soccer field has guaranteed him a home in a well-protected enclave. But Jon is painfully aware that a missed goal, a careless word, even falling in love, can put his life and the lives of his mother, his sister Miranda, and her husband, Alex, in jeopardy. Can Jon risk doing what is right in a world gone so terribly wrong?
This is it! It’s the final book in the Life As We Knew It Series and I have feelings! Not a lot of them, but enough! Going into this book you’ll notice the voice is of Jon, Miranda’s younger brother, and it’s written in the same diary format but from third person like how Alex’s book was. The world was excellently well developed. The story plot and pacing are pretty well done and the writing is really well done in terms of making the book sound like it’s from Jon’s point of view.
However, there are some problems with this book. The characters are just thrown into this world without rhyme or reason, some characters were disposed of for little or no reason whatsoever. There were unnecessary plot twists that didn’t need to be in there. The previous main characters disappeared at the end of the book and nothing was really solved in the book. In essence, this wasn’t a satisfying ending for me and I’m slightly disappointed in this book.
Verdict: Read the ending, but don’t expect anything spectacular.
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual content, gore, violence, death, trigger warnings for suicide and infant death)
Pages: 288
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None! This is my copy of this book!
Synopsis: It's been more than two years since Jon Evans and his family left Pennsylvania, hoping to find a safe place to live, yet Jon remains haunted by the deaths of those he loved. His prowess on a soccer field has guaranteed him a home in a well-protected enclave. But Jon is painfully aware that a missed goal, a careless word, even falling in love, can put his life and the lives of his mother, his sister Miranda, and her husband, Alex, in jeopardy. Can Jon risk doing what is right in a world gone so terribly wrong?
This is it! It’s the final book in the Life As We Knew It Series and I have feelings! Not a lot of them, but enough! Going into this book you’ll notice the voice is of Jon, Miranda’s younger brother, and it’s written in the same diary format but from third person like how Alex’s book was. The world was excellently well developed. The story plot and pacing are pretty well done and the writing is really well done in terms of making the book sound like it’s from Jon’s point of view.
However, there are some problems with this book. The characters are just thrown into this world without rhyme or reason, some characters were disposed of for little or no reason whatsoever. There were unnecessary plot twists that didn’t need to be in there. The previous main characters disappeared at the end of the book and nothing was really solved in the book. In essence, this wasn’t a satisfying ending for me and I’m slightly disappointed in this book.
Verdict: Read the ending, but don’t expect anything spectacular.
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery/Horror
Recommended Age: 14+ (death, psychological horror, trigger warnings for suicide)
Pages: 544
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I received this book through KidLitExchange! Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: 1982: Mary is a lonely orphan at the Thornhill Institute For Children at the very moment that it's shutting its doors. When her few friends are all adopted or re-homed and she’s left to face a volatile bully alone, her revenge will have a lasting effect on the bully, on Mary, and on Thornhill itself.
2017: Ella has just moved to a new town where she knows no one. From her room on the top floor of her new home, she has a perfect view of the dilapidated, abandoned Thornhill Institute across the way, where she glimpses a girl in the window. Determined to befriend the girl and solidify the link between them, Ella resolves to unravel Thornhill's shadowy past.
Told in alternating, interwoven plotlines―Mary’s through intimate diary entries and Ella’s in bold, striking art―Pam Smy’s Thornhillis a haunting exploration of human connection, filled with suspense.
This is probably the most unique book I’ve read in my life. The book is told in duel POV. The present day is told entirely in picture format, the 1982 written version in diary format. I think this format works amazingly well for the book and I was able to connect to both of the girls. The writing was amazing, the plot was intriguing and the pacing was excellent. The world building for both time periods was also detailed and impressive as they were both done in different ways.
However, I do fear that some of the subject material in the book might be a little bit too mature for middle grade kids. The book deals with a lot of heavy topics and while I found it amazing, I do want to caution parents to make sure your child is emotionally mature enough for some of the warnings I listed above.
Verdict: Amazingly unique and dark. Perfect for the young horror fans.
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery/Horror
Recommended Age: 14+ (death, psychological horror, trigger warnings for suicide)
Pages: 544
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I received this book through KidLitExchange! Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: 1982: Mary is a lonely orphan at the Thornhill Institute For Children at the very moment that it's shutting its doors. When her few friends are all adopted or re-homed and she’s left to face a volatile bully alone, her revenge will have a lasting effect on the bully, on Mary, and on Thornhill itself.
2017: Ella has just moved to a new town where she knows no one. From her room on the top floor of her new home, she has a perfect view of the dilapidated, abandoned Thornhill Institute across the way, where she glimpses a girl in the window. Determined to befriend the girl and solidify the link between them, Ella resolves to unravel Thornhill's shadowy past.
Told in alternating, interwoven plotlines―Mary’s through intimate diary entries and Ella’s in bold, striking art―Pam Smy’s Thornhillis a haunting exploration of human connection, filled with suspense.
This is probably the most unique book I’ve read in my life. The book is told in duel POV. The present day is told entirely in picture format, the 1982 written version in diary format. I think this format works amazingly well for the book and I was able to connect to both of the girls. The writing was amazing, the plot was intriguing and the pacing was excellent. The world building for both time periods was also detailed and impressive as they were both done in different ways.
However, I do fear that some of the subject material in the book might be a little bit too mature for middle grade kids. The book deals with a lot of heavy topics and while I found it amazing, I do want to caution parents to make sure your child is emotionally mature enough for some of the warnings I listed above.
Verdict: Amazingly unique and dark. Perfect for the young horror fans.
Rating: 4/5
Genre: YA Dystopian/Western/A bit of feminism
Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual references, drug and alcohol use, suicide trigger warning, gore, violence)
Pages: 422
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None, I got this copy on my own accord.
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Serendipity "Pity" Jones inherited two things from her mother: a pair of six shooters and perfect aim. She's been offered a life of fame and fortune in Cessation, a glittering city where lawlessness is a way of life. But the price she pays for her freedom may be too great....
In this extraordinary debut from Lyndsay Ely, the West is once again wild after a Second Civil War fractures the U.S. into a broken, dangerous land. Pity's struggle against the dark and twisted underbelly of a corrupt city will haunt you long after the final bullet is shot.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a Western before this book. And while this book is set in an alternate world where there was a Second Civil War and there is all sorts of technology I’ve never heard of, I’m still going to count this as a Western. Because it’s my review. I can call it Zamboni and it would be fine. Anyways, we follow Pity in this book who lives in a fragmented America. She’s a part of a commune that basically owns women and their wombs and she is being sold by her father to a man she’s never met to push out babies for him. Ew. Anyways, she runs away and goes on an adventure where she discovers herself. I really liked this book for a lot of reasons, but the thing that stands out the most to me is that Pity is not a typical YA heroine. She doesn’t come equipped with all of these lifesaving powers. While she knows how to shoot guns and is amazing at it, she fails in this book… a lot…. Like a regular person would. She also suffers from self-doubt and PTSD, which make for an interesting and human-like main character. The other characters are also widely diverse and the main love interest isn’t some big protector but a sensitive artist, which reminds me a lot of Peeta from The Hunger Games. The writing was extremely well done and the plot and pacing were as well.
However, there were just some things that were downers for me. The science in this book and the world building weren’t that great. They were middle ground, but I wanted to know more and I felt that I wasn’t given a lot of info about these items. There was a huge cast of characters and I easily became confused about them. I couldn’t quite remember who each one was and that became frustrating to me throughout the book. There were also a lot of characters that were introduced but weren’t given a lot of screen time at all. The story also didn’t have a well-defined plot. There were a lot of different little stories that Pity goes through, but from where the book began and where it ended the plot completely shifted. While I’m pleased with the outcome of this book, I’m not sure if others would be.
Verdict: Yippiekiyay cowboys!!
Genre: YA Dystopian/Western/A bit of feminism
Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual references, drug and alcohol use, suicide trigger warning, gore, violence)
Pages: 422
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None, I got this copy on my own accord.
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Serendipity "Pity" Jones inherited two things from her mother: a pair of six shooters and perfect aim. She's been offered a life of fame and fortune in Cessation, a glittering city where lawlessness is a way of life. But the price she pays for her freedom may be too great....
In this extraordinary debut from Lyndsay Ely, the West is once again wild after a Second Civil War fractures the U.S. into a broken, dangerous land. Pity's struggle against the dark and twisted underbelly of a corrupt city will haunt you long after the final bullet is shot.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a Western before this book. And while this book is set in an alternate world where there was a Second Civil War and there is all sorts of technology I’ve never heard of, I’m still going to count this as a Western. Because it’s my review. I can call it Zamboni and it would be fine. Anyways, we follow Pity in this book who lives in a fragmented America. She’s a part of a commune that basically owns women and their wombs and she is being sold by her father to a man she’s never met to push out babies for him. Ew. Anyways, she runs away and goes on an adventure where she discovers herself. I really liked this book for a lot of reasons, but the thing that stands out the most to me is that Pity is not a typical YA heroine. She doesn’t come equipped with all of these lifesaving powers. While she knows how to shoot guns and is amazing at it, she fails in this book… a lot…. Like a regular person would. She also suffers from self-doubt and PTSD, which make for an interesting and human-like main character. The other characters are also widely diverse and the main love interest isn’t some big protector but a sensitive artist, which reminds me a lot of Peeta from The Hunger Games. The writing was extremely well done and the plot and pacing were as well.
However, there were just some things that were downers for me. The science in this book and the world building weren’t that great. They were middle ground, but I wanted to know more and I felt that I wasn’t given a lot of info about these items. There was a huge cast of characters and I easily became confused about them. I couldn’t quite remember who each one was and that became frustrating to me throughout the book. There were also a lot of characters that were introduced but weren’t given a lot of screen time at all. The story also didn’t have a well-defined plot. There were a lot of different little stories that Pity goes through, but from where the book began and where it ended the plot completely shifted. While I’m pleased with the outcome of this book, I’m not sure if others would be.
Verdict: Yippiekiyay cowboys!!
Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: YA Mystery/Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 14+ (sexual references, violence, gore, suicide trigger warning)
Pages: 488
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None, I got this on my own accord!
Synopsis: Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo secretly dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.
Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort accidentally shot himself while cleaning his revolver. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.
The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. There are too many secrets. And they all seem to be buried in plain sight. Then she meets Eddie—a young, brash, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. Only now it might be too late to stop.
The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and the truth is the dirtiest part of all.
Funny story about this book: I was on my book crawl for my husband and mine’s first wedding anniversary and I saw this book in a small book store. I saw the cover and grabbed it, not even reading what the book was about. What was I thinking when I grabbed it? “Hmmm…. graves is in the title… a hand reaching up from the ground… looks dark and eerie… MUST BE ABOUT ZOMBIES!” Imagine my disappointment when this book did not include zombies. BUT this book was absolutely wonderful in its own accord. The characters were developed and engaging, the plot was well developed and intriguing, and the pacing wasn’t slow like it usually is in mystery books. This swiftly became one of my favorite mysteries over 6 hours it took me to read it. This book was also a favorite historical fiction of mine. The book spends a lot of time narrating what life looks like from Jo’s perspective and while it can be trivial and a bit boring to some, I found it quite fascinating to learn about life from her point of view and then what life looked like for others in different social and class circles.
However, I did think that the book focused a lot on Jo’s personal struggles and not a lot on the mystery itself. When the conclusion came it was bittersweet in that we didn’t get the full trial. It’s like those law and order episodes that either all focus in the courtroom or all focus on the police work and crime. I like both aspects and to have one missing is a little bit of a bummer for me. The writing is also a little bit weird. The first paragraph or two of each chapter either focuses on a flashback or sets the stage for Jo retelling the audience what happened prior. There’s no page breaks or italics to offset this from the rest of the novel, so it’s a bit weird to recognize that as a reader.
Verdict: If you like your mysteries historical and your main characters Victorian, then you’ll love this book!
Genre: YA Mystery/Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 14+ (sexual references, violence, gore, suicide trigger warning)
Pages: 488
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None, I got this on my own accord!
Synopsis: Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo secretly dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.
Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort accidentally shot himself while cleaning his revolver. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.
The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. There are too many secrets. And they all seem to be buried in plain sight. Then she meets Eddie—a young, brash, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. Only now it might be too late to stop.
The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and the truth is the dirtiest part of all.
Funny story about this book: I was on my book crawl for my husband and mine’s first wedding anniversary and I saw this book in a small book store. I saw the cover and grabbed it, not even reading what the book was about. What was I thinking when I grabbed it? “Hmmm…. graves is in the title… a hand reaching up from the ground… looks dark and eerie… MUST BE ABOUT ZOMBIES!” Imagine my disappointment when this book did not include zombies. BUT this book was absolutely wonderful in its own accord. The characters were developed and engaging, the plot was well developed and intriguing, and the pacing wasn’t slow like it usually is in mystery books. This swiftly became one of my favorite mysteries over 6 hours it took me to read it. This book was also a favorite historical fiction of mine. The book spends a lot of time narrating what life looks like from Jo’s perspective and while it can be trivial and a bit boring to some, I found it quite fascinating to learn about life from her point of view and then what life looked like for others in different social and class circles.
However, I did think that the book focused a lot on Jo’s personal struggles and not a lot on the mystery itself. When the conclusion came it was bittersweet in that we didn’t get the full trial. It’s like those law and order episodes that either all focus in the courtroom or all focus on the police work and crime. I like both aspects and to have one missing is a little bit of a bummer for me. The writing is also a little bit weird. The first paragraph or two of each chapter either focuses on a flashback or sets the stage for Jo retelling the audience what happened prior. There’s no page breaks or italics to offset this from the rest of the novel, so it’s a bit weird to recognize that as a reader.
Verdict: If you like your mysteries historical and your main characters Victorian, then you’ll love this book!
Rating: 1.5/5
Genre: YA(?) Sci-Fi (more on the question mark later)
Recommended Age: 16+ (tons of sexual references, toilet humor, gore, violence, death, and an attempt at characters with mental health issues)
Pages: 534
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I regretfully got a signed copy of this book with my own money. Bye-bye $40.
Synopsis: Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she's just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.
But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder's all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi's past.
Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.
Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their shipor just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.
Oh boy. Oh geez. Where do I start? And begin?
Did that annoy you up there? If so then don’t read Zenith; because that’s what I dealt with throughout the entirety of this book. I normal never tell people to not read a book. A book is interpretative to all. But when a book has a ton of issues in it I start to question if it could even be readable to anyone. But before we go into that, let’s start with the good about this book. I thought the premise was amazing and God bless the poor writer who had to write up that synopsis because that’s the best you’ll get out of this book.
What happens if you don’t read the synopsis? Well you’re pretty screwed for the whole of the novel. That’s the situation I found myself in when I started this book. The book does a horrible job at world building and presenting this world at all. There are concepts introduced in this book that don’t make sense, like planets or sayings or things that are completely ridiculous statements since the reader has no clue what the authors are trying to say. There is a map in the beginning of the book that I tried to use as I couldn’t get a grip on any of the worlds visited by the heroes. Not to mention that none of the heroes are worried about the air content of any of the worlds they visit on their journey. You know… air… that thing that is needed to breathe. Along with that none of the creatures made sense. When a creature evolves it’s to give them a benefit for the world they have to conform to. Giraffes grew long necks to reach trees their competitors couldn’t. Polar bears grew thick fur to survive freezing climates. Lira has Lite Brite skin because…. Well your guess is as good as mine. Breck also has this issue in that she has bulletproof skin. The word bulletproof does not mean what the authors want it to mean in this context. The word they were looking for was impenetrable. The way bulletproofing works is that it helps absorb the shock of the bullet by spreading the force across the whole of the body or vest or what have you. The bullet still penetrates the object, but it significantly slows down the bullet and reduces the damage done. Henceforth, the closer the target, the more the bullet will sink into the object. The way Breck’s skin is described in this book is that the bullets flatten when it hits her skin. That’s not bulletproof. Not even manholes will make bullets do that. Sure, the nose of a bullet might become dented or flattened, but not to the degree that was described in this book. What really should have happened was that the bullets (for bulletproof) get absorbed by her skin and lessen the impact so vital organs aren’t damaged or (for impenetrable) bounce off the skin like Superman. While the impenetrable would allow for some degree of skepticism, it would at least be better than bulletproof. Andi, Dex, and Gilly aren’t very well described either. Are they human like? How have they adapted to living in space without any protective wear in a galaxy that can’t possibly have the same exact combination of chemicals to make air breathable for them? Your guess is as good as mine. This galaxy and these characters do not make any sense what so ever.
Another thing that annoyed me about this book was the simplistic, repetitive writing. The writing done in instances of developing Andi, Valden, and Lira’s characters, for example, were so repetitive that it basically just tries to hammer in one detail over and over and over and over and over again. This was done to all of the characters (except for Gilly who we never really get to know at all in this book) that I don’t feel like I know anything about them EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE STUPID DETAIL. The writing would have made for an okay middle grade novel except for the fact that every other chapter until over halfway through the book had at least one mention of sex in it. These were not discreet like what usually happens in YA novels. They were very blunt and sometimes a little too descriptive for what I felt is appropriate for most teens. I also feel this would have been a better middle grade novel because there was a joke about a character crapping their pants in this book. Like seriously? What was the last YA novel you read where, for comedic effect, a character crapped their pants and another character pointed it out rudely and directly?
The other things about this book that made this book horrible was the confusing plot, the unsteady pacing, and the constant POV and time changes. The way the chapters were labeled and composed really irritated me the most. The prologue opens up with no name, just a location. The first chapter is titled with Androma (which by the way is a rip off name from Andromeda. Why not just add the E and the D to the word to make a better sounding name?), and then a few chapters later we’re introduced to a character and a year. Why is this not consistent? What year does the main story take place? Why are we getting all of this confusing backstory? The world may never know. The flashback chapters are all written in italics as well and during one very hard to understand chapter the POV switches 3 times. If each chapter is supposed to represent a POV switch WHY IS THE POV SWITCHING IN THE CHAPTERS? It makes the reader confused and frustrated with the novel when they have to read something like this. Finally, the book has a problem that a lot of duel written novels successfully avoid. It’s really easy to tell that two different people wrote this book. You can tell which chapters belong to Lindsay and which to Sasha. The ones with the less experienced author are embarrassing with short, childlike sentences and confusing metaphors; and then Lindsay’s chapters are well written with structurally sound sentences and flowing words. With this being said, I’m not making fun of Sasha’s reading difficulties. I too sometimes have issues with writing and reading, and I had a close cousin with such a bad disorder that she couldn’t spell “picnic” until she was in her twenties. I think Sasha’s ability to have written a book and publish it is amazing and should be commended. However, I don’t think this book is good and I know she could have done better. The writing is really lazy and seems rushed, like the deadline came too soon for her which could speak to her time management skills.
I also want to comment on a few other things about this book. The cover states that this book is from “#1 New York Times Bestselling Authors”. While this is true, it’s a white lie. The authors hit #1 not for this book, but for the teaser form of this book in Young Adult E-Book on July 10, 2016. Once this book was published, the book only got as high as #7 in Young Adult Hardcover on February 4, 2018. The cover is a white lie in order to get people to buy the book as statistics have shown that books are bought more often if the affiliation of New York Times bestselling is printed on the cover. It’s a money draw and I don’t like that. I also have a big issue with how Sasha has been promoting this book. On her Instagram stories about a few months ago she asked for her “fans” to help her get Project Red (her upcoming novel) by giving reviews to Zenith. Specifically she approximately stated “make sure to give Zenith a good review so I can get Project Red picked up!” The begging for good reviews on one’s work is deceitful and disingenuous to not only your fans but to all authors. Most authors do not have the platform that Sasha has and by her exploiting it like so only further exploits a major flaw we have in the writing world where the “popular” authors get a ton of attention and obscure those of “lesser known” and “indie” authors. It also exploits her fans. Many of them are young children that don’t know how to adequately review products. When they publish false reviews, this majorly skews the overall rating of the book. This goes for both fake good and fake bad reviews. This book has been the topic of much scandal and debate and the attention, good and bad, that it currently is receiving won’t die down for anytime soon.
Verdict: I’ve got a lot of problems with this book! And now you’re gonna hear about it!
Genre: YA(?) Sci-Fi (more on the question mark later)
Recommended Age: 16+ (tons of sexual references, toilet humor, gore, violence, death, and an attempt at characters with mental health issues)
Pages: 534
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I regretfully got a signed copy of this book with my own money. Bye-bye $40.
Synopsis: Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she's just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.
But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder's all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi's past.
Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.
Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their shipor just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.
Oh boy. Oh geez. Where do I start? And begin?
Did that annoy you up there? If so then don’t read Zenith; because that’s what I dealt with throughout the entirety of this book. I normal never tell people to not read a book. A book is interpretative to all. But when a book has a ton of issues in it I start to question if it could even be readable to anyone. But before we go into that, let’s start with the good about this book. I thought the premise was amazing and God bless the poor writer who had to write up that synopsis because that’s the best you’ll get out of this book.
What happens if you don’t read the synopsis? Well you’re pretty screwed for the whole of the novel. That’s the situation I found myself in when I started this book. The book does a horrible job at world building and presenting this world at all. There are concepts introduced in this book that don’t make sense, like planets or sayings or things that are completely ridiculous statements since the reader has no clue what the authors are trying to say. There is a map in the beginning of the book that I tried to use as I couldn’t get a grip on any of the worlds visited by the heroes. Not to mention that none of the heroes are worried about the air content of any of the worlds they visit on their journey. You know… air… that thing that is needed to breathe. Along with that none of the creatures made sense. When a creature evolves it’s to give them a benefit for the world they have to conform to. Giraffes grew long necks to reach trees their competitors couldn’t. Polar bears grew thick fur to survive freezing climates. Lira has Lite Brite skin because…. Well your guess is as good as mine. Breck also has this issue in that she has bulletproof skin. The word bulletproof does not mean what the authors want it to mean in this context. The word they were looking for was impenetrable. The way bulletproofing works is that it helps absorb the shock of the bullet by spreading the force across the whole of the body or vest or what have you. The bullet still penetrates the object, but it significantly slows down the bullet and reduces the damage done. Henceforth, the closer the target, the more the bullet will sink into the object. The way Breck’s skin is described in this book is that the bullets flatten when it hits her skin. That’s not bulletproof. Not even manholes will make bullets do that. Sure, the nose of a bullet might become dented or flattened, but not to the degree that was described in this book. What really should have happened was that the bullets (for bulletproof) get absorbed by her skin and lessen the impact so vital organs aren’t damaged or (for impenetrable) bounce off the skin like Superman. While the impenetrable would allow for some degree of skepticism, it would at least be better than bulletproof. Andi, Dex, and Gilly aren’t very well described either. Are they human like? How have they adapted to living in space without any protective wear in a galaxy that can’t possibly have the same exact combination of chemicals to make air breathable for them? Your guess is as good as mine. This galaxy and these characters do not make any sense what so ever.
Another thing that annoyed me about this book was the simplistic, repetitive writing. The writing done in instances of developing Andi, Valden, and Lira’s characters, for example, were so repetitive that it basically just tries to hammer in one detail over and over and over and over and over again. This was done to all of the characters (except for Gilly who we never really get to know at all in this book) that I don’t feel like I know anything about them EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE STUPID DETAIL. The writing would have made for an okay middle grade novel except for the fact that every other chapter until over halfway through the book had at least one mention of sex in it. These were not discreet like what usually happens in YA novels. They were very blunt and sometimes a little too descriptive for what I felt is appropriate for most teens. I also feel this would have been a better middle grade novel because there was a joke about a character crapping their pants in this book. Like seriously? What was the last YA novel you read where, for comedic effect, a character crapped their pants and another character pointed it out rudely and directly?
The other things about this book that made this book horrible was the confusing plot, the unsteady pacing, and the constant POV and time changes. The way the chapters were labeled and composed really irritated me the most. The prologue opens up with no name, just a location. The first chapter is titled with Androma (which by the way is a rip off name from Andromeda. Why not just add the E and the D to the word to make a better sounding name?), and then a few chapters later we’re introduced to a character and a year. Why is this not consistent? What year does the main story take place? Why are we getting all of this confusing backstory? The world may never know. The flashback chapters are all written in italics as well and during one very hard to understand chapter the POV switches 3 times. If each chapter is supposed to represent a POV switch WHY IS THE POV SWITCHING IN THE CHAPTERS? It makes the reader confused and frustrated with the novel when they have to read something like this. Finally, the book has a problem that a lot of duel written novels successfully avoid. It’s really easy to tell that two different people wrote this book. You can tell which chapters belong to Lindsay and which to Sasha. The ones with the less experienced author are embarrassing with short, childlike sentences and confusing metaphors; and then Lindsay’s chapters are well written with structurally sound sentences and flowing words. With this being said, I’m not making fun of Sasha’s reading difficulties. I too sometimes have issues with writing and reading, and I had a close cousin with such a bad disorder that she couldn’t spell “picnic” until she was in her twenties. I think Sasha’s ability to have written a book and publish it is amazing and should be commended. However, I don’t think this book is good and I know she could have done better. The writing is really lazy and seems rushed, like the deadline came too soon for her which could speak to her time management skills.
I also want to comment on a few other things about this book. The cover states that this book is from “#1 New York Times Bestselling Authors”. While this is true, it’s a white lie. The authors hit #1 not for this book, but for the teaser form of this book in Young Adult E-Book on July 10, 2016. Once this book was published, the book only got as high as #7 in Young Adult Hardcover on February 4, 2018. The cover is a white lie in order to get people to buy the book as statistics have shown that books are bought more often if the affiliation of New York Times bestselling is printed on the cover. It’s a money draw and I don’t like that. I also have a big issue with how Sasha has been promoting this book. On her Instagram stories about a few months ago she asked for her “fans” to help her get Project Red (her upcoming novel) by giving reviews to Zenith. Specifically she approximately stated “make sure to give Zenith a good review so I can get Project Red picked up!” The begging for good reviews on one’s work is deceitful and disingenuous to not only your fans but to all authors. Most authors do not have the platform that Sasha has and by her exploiting it like so only further exploits a major flaw we have in the writing world where the “popular” authors get a ton of attention and obscure those of “lesser known” and “indie” authors. It also exploits her fans. Many of them are young children that don’t know how to adequately review products. When they publish false reviews, this majorly skews the overall rating of the book. This goes for both fake good and fake bad reviews. This book has been the topic of much scandal and debate and the attention, good and bad, that it currently is receiving won’t die down for anytime soon.
Verdict: I’ve got a lot of problems with this book! And now you’re gonna hear about it!
Rating: 2/5
Genre: YA(?) Fantasy
Recommended Age: 14+ (sexual references, gore, violence, nonsensical powers, and forced romances)
Pages: 354
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None, I bought this book on my own accord.
Synopsis: Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.
Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.
With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.
Let’s start off with the good before I completely trash this book. I thought that overall it was… okay. Maybe I shouldn’t have read this book after I finished Zenith because once again I have found another book where the writing is perfectly suited for a middle grade novel, but because of the YA market booming the book got bumped above its age range. If this book was in the middle grade range it would have been a 4/5, but obviously it’s not so I have to rate it as is.
The book is… bad as a YA novel. The writing is very simplistic and juvenile, the things these supposed young adults say is either for shock value (i.e. the sexual references) or for very younger level comedic value (like the main character not swearing, which is not the issue itself, it’s how she masks the cursing that’s the issue). There are a ton of inconsistences throughout the novel, like how the main character does not curse but yet the reader will catch a curse or two in the book and how the time lines are a bit uneven and wonky, which makes for a confusing read. The characters are not very well defined and it’s hard for a reader to get a good realistic view of them when they remain one dimensional. The main character is as dumb as a box of rocks. She’s supposed to be in the running for valedictorian, but the girl can’t come up with simple conclusions or even recite her own Southern heritage right. The most annoying moment for me was when the main character stated that Virginia wasn’t considered part of the South. News flash: The capital city of the Confederacy was Richmond Virginia, which I would hope a “Southern Belle” might know. The author is from the South (Alabama) as am I. I am from Tennessee, which is the real state that not a lot of Southerners consider to be a part of the true South given that Tennessee was the last state to join the Confederacy and then the first Confederate state to jump ship back into the Union. The pacing is also uneven. Sometimes the book proceeds at a crawl and then others it proceeds at a sprint. My biggest complaint is how confusing the book is. The magic in it is not explained whatsoever, there are so many plot holes the book is basically swiss cheese, and the author wants to force a love triangle in the second book. It’s a bundle of clichés and confusion and not at all of the elegance the novel would have you think it is.
Verdict: This girl makes all Southern Belles look stupid and ignorant; read if you want a fantasy look at how the South operates.
Genre: YA(?) Fantasy
Recommended Age: 14+ (sexual references, gore, violence, nonsensical powers, and forced romances)
Pages: 354
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None, I bought this book on my own accord.
Synopsis: Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.
Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.
With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.
Let’s start off with the good before I completely trash this book. I thought that overall it was… okay. Maybe I shouldn’t have read this book after I finished Zenith because once again I have found another book where the writing is perfectly suited for a middle grade novel, but because of the YA market booming the book got bumped above its age range. If this book was in the middle grade range it would have been a 4/5, but obviously it’s not so I have to rate it as is.
The book is… bad as a YA novel. The writing is very simplistic and juvenile, the things these supposed young adults say is either for shock value (i.e. the sexual references) or for very younger level comedic value (like the main character not swearing, which is not the issue itself, it’s how she masks the cursing that’s the issue). There are a ton of inconsistences throughout the novel, like how the main character does not curse but yet the reader will catch a curse or two in the book and how the time lines are a bit uneven and wonky, which makes for a confusing read. The characters are not very well defined and it’s hard for a reader to get a good realistic view of them when they remain one dimensional. The main character is as dumb as a box of rocks. She’s supposed to be in the running for valedictorian, but the girl can’t come up with simple conclusions or even recite her own Southern heritage right. The most annoying moment for me was when the main character stated that Virginia wasn’t considered part of the South. News flash: The capital city of the Confederacy was Richmond Virginia, which I would hope a “Southern Belle” might know. The author is from the South (Alabama) as am I. I am from Tennessee, which is the real state that not a lot of Southerners consider to be a part of the true South given that Tennessee was the last state to join the Confederacy and then the first Confederate state to jump ship back into the Union. The pacing is also uneven. Sometimes the book proceeds at a crawl and then others it proceeds at a sprint. My biggest complaint is how confusing the book is. The magic in it is not explained whatsoever, there are so many plot holes the book is basically swiss cheese, and the author wants to force a love triangle in the second book. It’s a bundle of clichés and confusion and not at all of the elegance the novel would have you think it is.
Verdict: This girl makes all Southern Belles look stupid and ignorant; read if you want a fantasy look at how the South operates.
Rating: 2/5
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual references, child prostitution, trigger warnings for suicide and rape, violence, gore, gambling, drinking, and drug use and references)
Pages: 416
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None, I received this book in my BluBearBazaar April bag.
Synopsis: Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.
Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.
Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…
And she’ll need to play.
Oh boy, I feel like I lost all my earnings in a poker game. So, the good news about this new release is that this is an authentic young adult novel. It actually borders on new adult with all of the references this book has. This book does take place in a reimagined Las Vegas though so you kinda have to expect it going into this book. Anyways, I thought the premise behind this book was amazing and so intriguing. I loved Foody’s Daughter of the Burning City and I thought that she could bring her special brand of weirdness to this novel to make it a spectacular read.
However, I was mistaken. This book is really clunky, meaning that there is a whole lot of story in this book but with little plot to drive it forward. The characters are very one dimensional and I feel no connection to them. The events in this book are predictable and the romance is very awkward. The writing is all over the place and it tries so hard to emulate Six of Crows, but it falls flat on its face. I think the main problem with this book is the lack of world building we are presented with. The book is very confusing for the reader and there are things mentioned throughout this book that aren’t ever brought up again or are vague or foreign to the reader. The characters don’t have much of a personality and it lacks their own backstory to make the characters memorable. The book also alternates between POVs of Enne and Levi, both of whom make idiotic decisions constantly. For a street criminal and a “proper lady”, you’d think they’d have avoided many of the issues they both faced. The book also gives characters powers but does little to explain these powers and the magic behind them and gives characters plot conveniences to escape detection from our main characters. In short, this book is a hot mess and needed further editing before being presented to the world.
Verdict: Fold and go home while you’re on top or risk losing it all… in this book.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual references, child prostitution, trigger warnings for suicide and rape, violence, gore, gambling, drinking, and drug use and references)
Pages: 416
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None, I received this book in my BluBearBazaar April bag.
Synopsis: Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.
Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.
Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…
And she’ll need to play.
Oh boy, I feel like I lost all my earnings in a poker game. So, the good news about this new release is that this is an authentic young adult novel. It actually borders on new adult with all of the references this book has. This book does take place in a reimagined Las Vegas though so you kinda have to expect it going into this book. Anyways, I thought the premise behind this book was amazing and so intriguing. I loved Foody’s Daughter of the Burning City and I thought that she could bring her special brand of weirdness to this novel to make it a spectacular read.
However, I was mistaken. This book is really clunky, meaning that there is a whole lot of story in this book but with little plot to drive it forward. The characters are very one dimensional and I feel no connection to them. The events in this book are predictable and the romance is very awkward. The writing is all over the place and it tries so hard to emulate Six of Crows, but it falls flat on its face. I think the main problem with this book is the lack of world building we are presented with. The book is very confusing for the reader and there are things mentioned throughout this book that aren’t ever brought up again or are vague or foreign to the reader. The characters don’t have much of a personality and it lacks their own backstory to make the characters memorable. The book also alternates between POVs of Enne and Levi, both of whom make idiotic decisions constantly. For a street criminal and a “proper lady”, you’d think they’d have avoided many of the issues they both faced. The book also gives characters powers but does little to explain these powers and the magic behind them and gives characters plot conveniences to escape detection from our main characters. In short, this book is a hot mess and needed further editing before being presented to the world.
Verdict: Fold and go home while you’re on top or risk losing it all… in this book.