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popthebutterfly
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Eyes That Kiss in the Corners
Author: Joanna Ho
Book Series: Standalone
Diversity: Asian main and side characters
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: Diverse reads, ownvoice work, children's book
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 40
Recommended Age: 5+ (diversity and how we should celebrate it)
Synopsis: A young Asian girl notices that her eyes look different from her peers'. They have big, round eyes and long lashes. She realizes that her eyes are like her mother’s, her grandmother's, and her little sister's. They have eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea, crinkle into crescent moons, and are filled with stories of the past and hope for the future.
Drawing from the strength of these powerful women in her life, she recognizes her own beauty and discovers a path to self love and empowerment.
This powerful, poetic picture book will resonate with readers of all ages and is a celebration of diversity.
Review: I absolutely loved this sweet book! It was adorable in every way. The story was moving and will be so relatable to so many children. The art is also so amazing and wonderfully well done. I highly recommend this read for anyone.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Book: Eyes That Kiss in the Corners
Author: Joanna Ho
Book Series: Standalone
Diversity: Asian main and side characters
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: Diverse reads, ownvoice work, children's book
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 40
Recommended Age: 5+ (diversity and how we should celebrate it)
Synopsis: A young Asian girl notices that her eyes look different from her peers'. They have big, round eyes and long lashes. She realizes that her eyes are like her mother’s, her grandmother's, and her little sister's. They have eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea, crinkle into crescent moons, and are filled with stories of the past and hope for the future.
Drawing from the strength of these powerful women in her life, she recognizes her own beauty and discovers a path to self love and empowerment.
This powerful, poetic picture book will resonate with readers of all ages and is a celebration of diversity.
Review: I absolutely loved this sweet book! It was adorable in every way. The story was moving and will be so relatable to so many children. The art is also so amazing and wonderfully well done. I highly recommend this read for anyone.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
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Disclaimer: I received the ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Mother (Broken Tomorrow)
Author: Andrei David
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: Horror, fantasy
Publication Date: March 13, 2020
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 334
Recommended Age: 18+ (horror moments, slight violence and gore)
Synopsis: Dreamt into existence by an absolute Universal Entity, she has only one goal, to perpetuate Creation. Known as a god to many people, or simply 13 to the descendants of an elite class of warriors, she pursues her design despite unwillingly endangering humanity, already enduring the effects of a motionless Earth.
It falls upon people like Samantha or Lucian to mitigate that danger, be it of their own accord, or by 13's request, even when doing so irreparably changes their body, and most disturbingly, their soul. They battle immortal, eerily relatable creatures, explore prohibited and perilous places lost or abandoned long ago, all to further an agenda they barely understand.
Still, no sacrifice could compensate for the lack of items unheard of even in myth. That's where 13's successor comes in.
Review: For the most part I liked this book. The story was interesting and the plot was intriguing from start to finish. I thought the author did well writing the book and did good with the character development and world building.
However, I did get a little confused in some of the book. The book had a confusing plot at times and the pacing was a bit fast in spots. The book also didn't have the world building or character development as well detailed as I would have liked.
Verdict: It was pretty good for the most part.
Book: The Mother (Broken Tomorrow)
Author: Andrei David
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: Horror, fantasy
Publication Date: March 13, 2020
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 334
Recommended Age: 18+ (horror moments, slight violence and gore)
Synopsis: Dreamt into existence by an absolute Universal Entity, she has only one goal, to perpetuate Creation. Known as a god to many people, or simply 13 to the descendants of an elite class of warriors, she pursues her design despite unwillingly endangering humanity, already enduring the effects of a motionless Earth.
It falls upon people like Samantha or Lucian to mitigate that danger, be it of their own accord, or by 13's request, even when doing so irreparably changes their body, and most disturbingly, their soul. They battle immortal, eerily relatable creatures, explore prohibited and perilous places lost or abandoned long ago, all to further an agenda they barely understand.
Still, no sacrifice could compensate for the lack of items unheard of even in myth. That's where 13's successor comes in.
Review: For the most part I liked this book. The story was interesting and the plot was intriguing from start to finish. I thought the author did well writing the book and did good with the character development and world building.
However, I did get a little confused in some of the book. The book had a confusing plot at times and the pacing was a bit fast in spots. The book also didn't have the world building or character development as well detailed as I would have liked.
Verdict: It was pretty good for the most part.
Disclaimer: I received this audiobook from Audiobookworm Promotions. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Stolen Enchantress
Author: Amber Argyle
Book Series: Forbidden Forest Book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: Retelling lovers, ya readers, fantasy lovers
Publication Date: April 9, 2018
Publisher: Starling Publishers
Pages: 448
Recommended Age: 16+ (slight sexual content, romance, slight violence and gore)
Synopsis: A beast. An enchantress. An unbreakable curse . . .
When her little sister is taken by the beast of the Forbidden Forest, Larkin does the unthinkable: she goes in after her.
Deep within the sentient woods, Larkin uncovers a secret that puts her in dreadful danger. Worse, now that the beast has had his taste, he’ll never stop hunting her. But the forest has woken something inside Larkin; something that gives her the power to fight back.
Magic.
Using forbidden magic will get Larkin hanged. Not using it will leave her at the mercy of the beast's enchantment. But there’s a third option; one that scares her more than anything.
She could fall in love with the beast.
Review: For the most part I really liked this book. The narration was haunting and really fit the mood of the book. The character development was amazingly well done and I really loved the plot and story. The book hooked me right away and it kept me hooked throughout the read.
The only thing that I didn't like is how slow the book was and how confusing the world building was. The book moved very slowly, and while that fit the mood of the book I was anxious to move on at a faster pace. The world building is also confusing and it left me confused on where I was throughout the book. I also felt the magic system could have been explained better and could have been a bit more developed.
Verdict: I recommend for Beauty and the Beast lovers!
Book: Stolen Enchantress
Author: Amber Argyle
Book Series: Forbidden Forest Book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: Retelling lovers, ya readers, fantasy lovers
Publication Date: April 9, 2018
Publisher: Starling Publishers
Pages: 448
Recommended Age: 16+ (slight sexual content, romance, slight violence and gore)
Synopsis: A beast. An enchantress. An unbreakable curse . . .
When her little sister is taken by the beast of the Forbidden Forest, Larkin does the unthinkable: she goes in after her.
Deep within the sentient woods, Larkin uncovers a secret that puts her in dreadful danger. Worse, now that the beast has had his taste, he’ll never stop hunting her. But the forest has woken something inside Larkin; something that gives her the power to fight back.
Magic.
Using forbidden magic will get Larkin hanged. Not using it will leave her at the mercy of the beast's enchantment. But there’s a third option; one that scares her more than anything.
She could fall in love with the beast.
Review: For the most part I really liked this book. The narration was haunting and really fit the mood of the book. The character development was amazingly well done and I really loved the plot and story. The book hooked me right away and it kept me hooked throughout the read.
The only thing that I didn't like is how slow the book was and how confusing the world building was. The book moved very slowly, and while that fit the mood of the book I was anxious to move on at a faster pace. The world building is also confusing and it left me confused on where I was throughout the book. I also felt the magic system could have been explained better and could have been a bit more developed.
Verdict: I recommend for Beauty and the Beast lovers!
Disclaimer: I bought this book to make my friend happy and review it. I would say you owe me, but you did buy me a book I wanted so I say we're even.
Book: Nexus
Author: Sasha Alsberg and Lindsey Cummings
Book Series: The Androma Saga Book 2
Rating: 1/5
Recommended For...: No one
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 544
Recommended Age: can't recommend, dnf
Synopsis: Her ship is gone, her crew is captured and notorious mercenary Androma Racella is no longer the powerful Bloody Baroness, but a fugitive ruthlessly hunted across the Mirabel Galaxy. The bloodthirsty Queen Nor now rules most of the galaxy through a mind-control toxin and she’ll stop at nothing to destroy her most hated adversary.
Andi will risk anything, even her precious freedom, to find a cure. Stranded with her unlikely ally, Dex, on the unforgiving ice planet of Solera, their plan to infiltrate a black-market city proves dangerously irresistible.
Back in Arcardius, Nor’s actions have opened Mirabel to invasion. As Andi’s crew fights to regain their freedom, Andi and Dex discover a threat far greater than anything they’ve faced before.
Only by saving their mortal enemy can the crew of the Marauder make one last desperate strike to save the galaxy—unaware that a shattering, centuries-old secret may demand the most wrenching sacrifice of all.
Review: I had to DNF this book at 60%. Upon opening the book I had instant PTSD from the first book. The first book was awful and this one didn't improve much more from it. The characters were flat and uninteresting. They're also obvious copies of other famous YA characters to the point that I wonder how much of their "development" was just straight up pulled from other works. The book doesn't do anything to set the appropriate mood for the theme of it. The science in this book is so superbly flawed and inaccurate that I wonder if the authors ever did any research to begin with. The world building was atrocious and underdeveloped. The romance... ugh, so tropey. I also thought the storyline didn't have any uniqueness to it. I felt like I read a better version of this book somewhere else and that I was beta reading this one. Basically, this book was so awful but I'm glad that the two authors didn't try to lie about it's spot on the NYT bestseller list, post fake reviews, or use their positions to get fake reviews. That, at least, is some improvement.
Verdict: One of the very few books I don't recommend.
Book: Nexus
Author: Sasha Alsberg and Lindsey Cummings
Book Series: The Androma Saga Book 2
Rating: 1/5
Recommended For...: No one
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 544
Recommended Age: can't recommend, dnf
Synopsis: Her ship is gone, her crew is captured and notorious mercenary Androma Racella is no longer the powerful Bloody Baroness, but a fugitive ruthlessly hunted across the Mirabel Galaxy. The bloodthirsty Queen Nor now rules most of the galaxy through a mind-control toxin and she’ll stop at nothing to destroy her most hated adversary.
Andi will risk anything, even her precious freedom, to find a cure. Stranded with her unlikely ally, Dex, on the unforgiving ice planet of Solera, their plan to infiltrate a black-market city proves dangerously irresistible.
Back in Arcardius, Nor’s actions have opened Mirabel to invasion. As Andi’s crew fights to regain their freedom, Andi and Dex discover a threat far greater than anything they’ve faced before.
Only by saving their mortal enemy can the crew of the Marauder make one last desperate strike to save the galaxy—unaware that a shattering, centuries-old secret may demand the most wrenching sacrifice of all.
Review: I had to DNF this book at 60%. Upon opening the book I had instant PTSD from the first book. The first book was awful and this one didn't improve much more from it. The characters were flat and uninteresting. They're also obvious copies of other famous YA characters to the point that I wonder how much of their "development" was just straight up pulled from other works. The book doesn't do anything to set the appropriate mood for the theme of it. The science in this book is so superbly flawed and inaccurate that I wonder if the authors ever did any research to begin with. The world building was atrocious and underdeveloped. The romance... ugh, so tropey. I also thought the storyline didn't have any uniqueness to it. I felt like I read a better version of this book somewhere else and that I was beta reading this one. Basically, this book was so awful but I'm glad that the two authors didn't try to lie about it's spot on the NYT bestseller list, post fake reviews, or use their positions to get fake reviews. That, at least, is some improvement.
Verdict: One of the very few books I don't recommend.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: For Better or Cursed
Author: Kate Williams
Book Series: The Babysitters Coven Book 2
Diversity: f/f relationships
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: December 15, 2020
Publication Date:
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 384
Recommended Age: 16+ (Gore, Violence, Animal violence/near starvation)
Synopsis: Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed sequel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.
Esme Pearl's life used to be all about bumming rides and babysitting. Sure, it wasn't glamorous, but it was predictable. All that changed when Cassandra Heaven came to town, and they discovered their complicated, and connected, legacy: Esme and Cassandra are Sitters, supernaturally-gifted teens armed with an ever-changing grimoire of Sitter witchcraft to help them protect the innocent and keep evil demons at bay. You know, the typical teenage stuff.
But just as Esme is starting to adjust to--and maybe even like--her new normal, life lobs another glitter bomb her way. The Synod--the Sitterhood's governing circle--has called a Summit, a once-in-a-generation gathering that promises training, education, and whole lot of ice-breakers.
Esme should be excited--a Summit might mean she can finally get the answers she desperately wants--but she can't shake a building sense of panic. Especially since Cassandra's not acting like herself; Esme's dad is MIA; Pig is out of dog food; Janis is scared to be alone; and there's a guy who seems too good to be true, again. Worst of all, it soon becomes clear, there's no one watching the kids. It's obvious the Summit is a haute mess, but will it be a deadly one, too?
Review: Oh my word I fell in love with this sequel! While the first book is still a bit better in my opinion I really enjoyed this sequel. I felt that the world building was very well done and the character development of the main characters and our side characters were also very well done. The plot of this book is much more intriguing then the first book and I am interested to see where this goes. I think this has an excellent shot of being one of my favorite series in most recent years. I love all of the little callbacks to babysitters and horror films and I love just basically everything about this book.
The only thing that I could really fault the book for is that it did take a little bit for me to remember the events of book one. but I do say that the author did well with presenting the material in a more relatable way than just a big info dump at the very beginning. but in getting that information it did take a little bit and I was confused through the first couple of chapters.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Book: For Better or Cursed
Author: Kate Williams
Book Series: The Babysitters Coven Book 2
Diversity: f/f relationships
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: December 15, 2020
Publication Date:
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 384
Recommended Age: 16+ (Gore, Violence, Animal violence/near starvation)
Synopsis: Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed sequel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.
Esme Pearl's life used to be all about bumming rides and babysitting. Sure, it wasn't glamorous, but it was predictable. All that changed when Cassandra Heaven came to town, and they discovered their complicated, and connected, legacy: Esme and Cassandra are Sitters, supernaturally-gifted teens armed with an ever-changing grimoire of Sitter witchcraft to help them protect the innocent and keep evil demons at bay. You know, the typical teenage stuff.
But just as Esme is starting to adjust to--and maybe even like--her new normal, life lobs another glitter bomb her way. The Synod--the Sitterhood's governing circle--has called a Summit, a once-in-a-generation gathering that promises training, education, and whole lot of ice-breakers.
Esme should be excited--a Summit might mean she can finally get the answers she desperately wants--but she can't shake a building sense of panic. Especially since Cassandra's not acting like herself; Esme's dad is MIA; Pig is out of dog food; Janis is scared to be alone; and there's a guy who seems too good to be true, again. Worst of all, it soon becomes clear, there's no one watching the kids. It's obvious the Summit is a haute mess, but will it be a deadly one, too?
Review: Oh my word I fell in love with this sequel! While the first book is still a bit better in my opinion I really enjoyed this sequel. I felt that the world building was very well done and the character development of the main characters and our side characters were also very well done. The plot of this book is much more intriguing then the first book and I am interested to see where this goes. I think this has an excellent shot of being one of my favorite series in most recent years. I love all of the little callbacks to babysitters and horror films and I love just basically everything about this book.
The only thing that I could really fault the book for is that it did take a little bit for me to remember the events of book one. but I do say that the author did well with presenting the material in a more relatable way than just a big info dump at the very beginning. but in getting that information it did take a little bit and I was confused through the first couple of chapters.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I bought this book for book club. Support your authors! All opinions are my own.
Book: Even the Darkest Stars
Author: Heather Fawcett
Book Series: Even the Darkest Stars Book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: Fantasy lovers, ya readers
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Publisher: Balzer and Bray
Pages: 437
Recommended Age: 16+ (Alcohol, Drunkenness, Language, Romance, Death, Slight gore, Violence, Animal death and violence to animals)
Synopsis: Kamzin has always dreamed of becoming one of the emperor’s royal explorers, the elite climbers tasked with mapping the wintry, mountainous Empire and spying on its enemies. She knows she could be the best in the world, if only someone would give her a chance.
But everything changes when the mysterious and eccentric River Shara, the greatest explorer ever known, arrives in her village and demands to hire Kamzin—not her older sister, Lusha, as everyone had expected—for his next expedition. This is Kamzin’s chance to prove herself—even though River’s mission to retrieve a rare talisman for the emperor means climbing Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas. Then, Lusha sets off on her own mission to Raksha with a rival explorer, and Kamzin must decide what’s most important to her: protecting her sister from the countless perils of the climb or beating her to the summit.
The challenges of climbing Raksha are unlike anything Kamzin expected—or prepared for—with avalanches, ice chasms, ghosts, and other dangers at every turn. And as dark secrets are revealed, Kamzin must unravel the truth about their mission and her companions—while surviving the deadliest climb she has ever faced.
Review: Overall, this was a good novel. I thought the main character was really well done and I had never read a book with a mountain trekker as the main character before (to my immediate mind). I liked the world building and the plot as well. The book did keep my interest throughout the novel and I had fun reading it.
However, I did feel like the character development lacked in this book and the book was super fast paced. I felt like I was continuously catching up in information and I was really confused throughout some of the novel. I didn't think the story was well written in my opinion because of the scattered writing and lack of development for the characters. Also, minus points for a love triangle and for the main character sounding 10 throughout the book (which gave me the creeps when the 19 year old fell for her). There was also an undefined magic system which didn't make sense to me.
Verdict: I liked this one, just needs work.
Book: Even the Darkest Stars
Author: Heather Fawcett
Book Series: Even the Darkest Stars Book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: Fantasy lovers, ya readers
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Publisher: Balzer and Bray
Pages: 437
Recommended Age: 16+ (Alcohol, Drunkenness, Language, Romance, Death, Slight gore, Violence, Animal death and violence to animals)
Synopsis: Kamzin has always dreamed of becoming one of the emperor’s royal explorers, the elite climbers tasked with mapping the wintry, mountainous Empire and spying on its enemies. She knows she could be the best in the world, if only someone would give her a chance.
But everything changes when the mysterious and eccentric River Shara, the greatest explorer ever known, arrives in her village and demands to hire Kamzin—not her older sister, Lusha, as everyone had expected—for his next expedition. This is Kamzin’s chance to prove herself—even though River’s mission to retrieve a rare talisman for the emperor means climbing Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas. Then, Lusha sets off on her own mission to Raksha with a rival explorer, and Kamzin must decide what’s most important to her: protecting her sister from the countless perils of the climb or beating her to the summit.
The challenges of climbing Raksha are unlike anything Kamzin expected—or prepared for—with avalanches, ice chasms, ghosts, and other dangers at every turn. And as dark secrets are revealed, Kamzin must unravel the truth about their mission and her companions—while surviving the deadliest climb she has ever faced.
Review: Overall, this was a good novel. I thought the main character was really well done and I had never read a book with a mountain trekker as the main character before (to my immediate mind). I liked the world building and the plot as well. The book did keep my interest throughout the novel and I had fun reading it.
However, I did feel like the character development lacked in this book and the book was super fast paced. I felt like I was continuously catching up in information and I was really confused throughout some of the novel. I didn't think the story was well written in my opinion because of the scattered writing and lack of development for the characters. Also, minus points for a love triangle and for the main character sounding 10 throughout the book (which gave me the creeps when the 19 year old fell for her). There was also an undefined magic system which didn't make sense to me.
Verdict: I liked this one, just needs work.
Disclaimer: I received this book from Foreword Publicity. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: M.C. Plays Hide and Seek
Author: Eva Grayzel
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: children’s informational books, cancer books
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
Genre: Children’s Books
Recommended Age: 8+ (cancer talk)
Publisher: Mascot Books
Pages: 64
Synopsis: M.C. is a cancer cell who shares just enough information about the nature of the disease to promote dialogue and minimize fear. The scary part of cancer is the unknown. Learn about doctors who look for cancer. Understand feelings children experience and learn ways to cope. Empower children with knowledge and how to make a difference. M.C. Plays Hide & Seek strengthens communication and builds emotional health.
Review: Overall, I thought the book did well to be informative about cancer. It presented the disease in an informative and non-emotional manner. The dialogue allowed for open conversations and I can see where this can be utilized in doctor’s offices and waiting rooms to help calm or inform children. I also thought the book did well to not drag on. The book’s pacing was on par with the book and the way the information was presented was caring and kind. I don’t know how a child would react to the book, I do not have one to show it to, but I do think it could help at least start the conversation on a scary topic.
Verdict: It did well!
Book: M.C. Plays Hide and Seek
Author: Eva Grayzel
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: children’s informational books, cancer books
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
Genre: Children’s Books
Recommended Age: 8+ (cancer talk)
Publisher: Mascot Books
Pages: 64
Synopsis: M.C. is a cancer cell who shares just enough information about the nature of the disease to promote dialogue and minimize fear. The scary part of cancer is the unknown. Learn about doctors who look for cancer. Understand feelings children experience and learn ways to cope. Empower children with knowledge and how to make a difference. M.C. Plays Hide & Seek strengthens communication and builds emotional health.
Review: Overall, I thought the book did well to be informative about cancer. It presented the disease in an informative and non-emotional manner. The dialogue allowed for open conversations and I can see where this can be utilized in doctor’s offices and waiting rooms to help calm or inform children. I also thought the book did well to not drag on. The book’s pacing was on par with the book and the way the information was presented was caring and kind. I don’t know how a child would react to the book, I do not have one to show it to, but I do think it could help at least start the conversation on a scary topic.
Verdict: It did well!
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Once Upon a Book Club to sponsor their box! Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Miss Meteor
Author: Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: transgender character, pansexual main character, other LGBT members mentioned, mostly Hispanic characters
Recommended For...: LGBT readers, YA readers, Magical Realism lovers, contemporary readers
Publication Date: September 22, 2020
Genre: YA Magical Realism
Recommended Age: 16+ (homophobic remarks, Language, Slight sexual content, Racism, sexism, Alcohol usage mentioned, Attempted rape)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 390
Synopsis: There hasn’t been a winner of the Miss Meteor beauty pageant who looks like Lita Perez or Chicky Quintanilla in all its history. But that’s not the only reason Lita wants to enter the contest, or why her ex-best friend Chicky wants to help her. The road to becoming Miss Meteor isn’t about being perfect; it’s about sharing who you are with the world—and loving the parts of yourself no one else understands. So to pull off the unlikeliest underdog story in pageant history, Lita and Chicky are going to have to forget the past and imagine a future where girls like them are more than enough—they are everything.
Review: Overall I really loved this book! The writing was beautiful and the plot was intriguing enough. The characters were very well developed and I loved the world building. I also felt that the book did well with the dual POV. The authors wrote beautifully together and the story and writing felt so seamless together.
The only issues I had were that the book was a bit too slow in places and that sometimes the book jumped around a little and it got confusing, especially towards the end.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Book: Miss Meteor
Author: Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: transgender character, pansexual main character, other LGBT members mentioned, mostly Hispanic characters
Recommended For...: LGBT readers, YA readers, Magical Realism lovers, contemporary readers
Publication Date: September 22, 2020
Genre: YA Magical Realism
Recommended Age: 16+ (homophobic remarks, Language, Slight sexual content, Racism, sexism, Alcohol usage mentioned, Attempted rape)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 390
Synopsis: There hasn’t been a winner of the Miss Meteor beauty pageant who looks like Lita Perez or Chicky Quintanilla in all its history. But that’s not the only reason Lita wants to enter the contest, or why her ex-best friend Chicky wants to help her. The road to becoming Miss Meteor isn’t about being perfect; it’s about sharing who you are with the world—and loving the parts of yourself no one else understands. So to pull off the unlikeliest underdog story in pageant history, Lita and Chicky are going to have to forget the past and imagine a future where girls like them are more than enough—they are everything.
Review: Overall I really loved this book! The writing was beautiful and the plot was intriguing enough. The characters were very well developed and I loved the world building. I also felt that the book did well with the dual POV. The authors wrote beautifully together and the story and writing felt so seamless together.
The only issues I had were that the book was a bit too slow in places and that sometimes the book jumped around a little and it got confusing, especially towards the end.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received an arc from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Fractured
Author: Shay Siegel
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: contemporary readers
Publication Date: October 27, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 17+ (attempted rape, sexual assault, self harm, depression, toxic masculinity, upsetting female representation)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 290
Synopsis: Mason Vance is the guy everybody wants to be, and he knows it. He’s the best high school quarterback in New York, a shoo-in for a football scholarship at any school he chooses, and he’s expected to land in the NFL one day. That is, until a broken wrist leaves him fearing whether he’ll ever play again.
Desperate to save his damaged ego, Mason sets his sights on Lace. No cheerleader or homecoming queen like his usual type, she’s too wrapped in her own misery to fall for his pickup lines. Even though she tries to shut him out, she’s surprised to find he’s there for her when no one else is. Slowly, she lets him into the sad workings of her mind and less-than-perfect life, and Mason finds himself caring about Lace more than he’d ever thought possible. That’s why neither of them sees his huge mistake coming—one that instantly fractures everything between them.
Will Mason confront the ugliest side of himself, and in the process see who he’s capable of becoming, or will he fall back into the life he knew before Lace and his injury?
Review: Overall, I thought the book was ok. The book covered a lot of hard topics and while it did so in a pretty good manner, it is still a bit of a difficult read. The book had some good character development with some of the side characters and the world building was good as well.
However, the story was really bad. The book is from the viewpoint of the main character and while I understand why the author wrote the story in such a degrading manner, it’s still really concerning for me that most of the time Mason doesn’t change his stance on his positions. I also don’t believe that the main character, who supposed to be a high schooler, doesn’t know what sexual assault is or what rape is. This isn’t something you teach a 16 year old. This isn’t something you teach 16 year olds. This is something you teach small children. Mason also had a pity party through most of the book. I feel like he was sad about himself having sexually assaulted women more than he should have been sad for the women he sexually assaulted. I don’t feel like he learned that doing those actions leaves real victims with everlasting scars. Overall, the book left me feeling kinda icky but I can see the message the author meant to leave behind.
Verdict: It’s okay for me, but please don’t read if you have triggers with any listed above.
Disclaimer: I received the e-arc from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Cut Her Out In Little Stars
Author: Daniele Kasper
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: sci-fi lovers, ya readers
Publication Date: January 11, 2021
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 15+ (romance, gore, violence)
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Pages: 419
Synopsis: Cara DeLeon is a woman lost in time. She’s stuck at a job she hates in a city she wants to escape. When tragedy strikes on a subway train, Cara awakens to find herself in the future, but not the one she dreamed of. Her old life is a distant memory and nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a future on the brink of war, she must learn how to navigate this strange new universe.
Commander of the Confederation Fleet Nikolas Caine is a man haunted by past sins as he defends the star system he has dedicated his life to protect. His ship is attacked by space raiders called Hostiles and Cara is discovered on board. Her arrival sets into motion a chain of events that will change his world forever.
Cara uncovers dark secrets that threaten to tear the star system apart and endanger her life. She must fight to survive if she wants to get home to her family. Battling a looming war and his growing feelings for Cara, Caine must finish his mission. Of course, Cara would end up falling for the one man dead set on sending her home. As the ghosts of his past catch up to Caine, Cara finds herself struggling to face her future.
Review: I really liked this book! I loved the banter and the character development. The world building was amazing and the amount of fun I had reading it was aw-inspiring! I loved the story and the plot intrigued me from start to finish. The book is a definite favorite of mine now and I can’t wait to buy a copy of it!
The only part I didn’t like that much is that the pacing was a bit slow and it took a bit for it to build up.
Verdict: A highly recommended read!
Book: Cut Her Out In Little Stars
Author: Daniele Kasper
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: sci-fi lovers, ya readers
Publication Date: January 11, 2021
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 15+ (romance, gore, violence)
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Pages: 419
Synopsis: Cara DeLeon is a woman lost in time. She’s stuck at a job she hates in a city she wants to escape. When tragedy strikes on a subway train, Cara awakens to find herself in the future, but not the one she dreamed of. Her old life is a distant memory and nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a future on the brink of war, she must learn how to navigate this strange new universe.
Commander of the Confederation Fleet Nikolas Caine is a man haunted by past sins as he defends the star system he has dedicated his life to protect. His ship is attacked by space raiders called Hostiles and Cara is discovered on board. Her arrival sets into motion a chain of events that will change his world forever.
Cara uncovers dark secrets that threaten to tear the star system apart and endanger her life. She must fight to survive if she wants to get home to her family. Battling a looming war and his growing feelings for Cara, Caine must finish his mission. Of course, Cara would end up falling for the one man dead set on sending her home. As the ghosts of his past catch up to Caine, Cara finds herself struggling to face her future.
Review: I really liked this book! I loved the banter and the character development. The world building was amazing and the amount of fun I had reading it was aw-inspiring! I loved the story and the plot intrigued me from start to finish. The book is a definite favorite of mine now and I can’t wait to buy a copy of it!
The only part I didn’t like that much is that the pacing was a bit slow and it took a bit for it to build up.
Verdict: A highly recommended read!