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popthebutterfly
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: On the Subject of Unmentionable Things
Author: Julia Walton
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Hispanic Character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, sex education
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Relevance: 15+ (sexual content, racism, micro aggressive comments, alt-right ideals, rape mentioned, illness, vomiting, homophobia, romance)
Explanation of Above: The book talks openly about sex and sexual practices and sexual health in an informative and educational manner that I believe every teenager needs to read. We cannot stop teenagers from having sex, but we can give them the information to proceed with it in an informed, safe, and consensual manner. There is some racism in the book, including micro aggressive comments about ethnic food, and homophobic remarks as well. Alt-right ideals are shown in the book, though the MC and most of the cast of the characters are against it, but it does eerily show reality in those passages. There is some illness shown with vomiting shown as well. There is one scene in which a character is threatened with an allusion to rape and that is discussed. There is also some romance in the book.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Phoebe Townsend is a rule follower . . . or so everyone thinks. She’s an A student who writes for her small-town school newspaper. But what no one knows is that Phoebe is also Pom—the anonymous teen who’s rewriting sex education on her blog and social media.
Phoebe is not a pervert. No, really. Her unconventional hobby is just a research obsession. And sex should not be a secret. As long as Phoebe stays undercover, she’s sure she’ll fly through junior year unnoticed. . . .
That is, until Pom goes viral, courtesy of mayoral candidate Lydia Brookhurst. The former beauty queen labels Phoebe’s work an “assault on morality,” riling up her supporters and calling on Pom to reveal her identity. But Phoebe is not backing down. With her anonymity on the line, is it all worth the fight?
Julia Walton delivers a brutally honest novel about sex, social media, and the courage to pursue truth when misinformation is rife. Who knew truth could be so scandalous?
Review: Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think that this is one of those necessary books because it speaks so openly about sex and sex education and sexual consent. I love that it was directed at teenagers as well. Teenagers are going to have sex and making them ill-prepared is only setting them up for failure via pregnancy, sexual violence, sexual trafficking, or illness with STDs. It’s uncomfortable and raw, but it’s a necessity for them to learn, especially about how to protect their own bodies and what warning signs to watch out for with partners. The book is a funny, but passionate and honestly raw book that I think everyone should read. The character development was amazing and the writing was well done.
The only issue I had with the book is that I felt like it was a bit quick with the romance aspect and that sometimes it took away from the plot of the book.
Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!
Book: On the Subject of Unmentionable Things
Author: Julia Walton
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Hispanic Character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, sex education
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Relevance: 15+ (sexual content, racism, micro aggressive comments, alt-right ideals, rape mentioned, illness, vomiting, homophobia, romance)
Explanation of Above: The book talks openly about sex and sexual practices and sexual health in an informative and educational manner that I believe every teenager needs to read. We cannot stop teenagers from having sex, but we can give them the information to proceed with it in an informed, safe, and consensual manner. There is some racism in the book, including micro aggressive comments about ethnic food, and homophobic remarks as well. Alt-right ideals are shown in the book, though the MC and most of the cast of the characters are against it, but it does eerily show reality in those passages. There is some illness shown with vomiting shown as well. There is one scene in which a character is threatened with an allusion to rape and that is discussed. There is also some romance in the book.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Phoebe Townsend is a rule follower . . . or so everyone thinks. She’s an A student who writes for her small-town school newspaper. But what no one knows is that Phoebe is also Pom—the anonymous teen who’s rewriting sex education on her blog and social media.
Phoebe is not a pervert. No, really. Her unconventional hobby is just a research obsession. And sex should not be a secret. As long as Phoebe stays undercover, she’s sure she’ll fly through junior year unnoticed. . . .
That is, until Pom goes viral, courtesy of mayoral candidate Lydia Brookhurst. The former beauty queen labels Phoebe’s work an “assault on morality,” riling up her supporters and calling on Pom to reveal her identity. But Phoebe is not backing down. With her anonymity on the line, is it all worth the fight?
Julia Walton delivers a brutally honest novel about sex, social media, and the courage to pursue truth when misinformation is rife. Who knew truth could be so scandalous?
Review: Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think that this is one of those necessary books because it speaks so openly about sex and sex education and sexual consent. I love that it was directed at teenagers as well. Teenagers are going to have sex and making them ill-prepared is only setting them up for failure via pregnancy, sexual violence, sexual trafficking, or illness with STDs. It’s uncomfortable and raw, but it’s a necessity for them to learn, especially about how to protect their own bodies and what warning signs to watch out for with partners. The book is a funny, but passionate and honestly raw book that I think everyone should read. The character development was amazing and the writing was well done.
The only issue I had with the book is that I felt like it was a bit quick with the romance aspect and that sometimes it took away from the plot of the book.
Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The House With The Golden Door
Author: Elodie Harper
Book Series: Wolf Den Trilogy Book 2
Rating: 5/5
Spice: 2.5/5
Diversity: Egyptian character
Recommended For...: historical fiction, romance, tragedy, Italian, adult
Publication Date: May 12, 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction Tragedy
Age Relevance: 18+ (slavery, rape, sexual content, romance, cursing, death, grief, domestic violence, violence, gore, fatphobia, pregnancy, childbirth)
Explanation of Above: The book discusses characters who live in brothels or are contractually bound to other people and also people who are just outright slaves in slavery positions. There is some slight romance, a lot of sexual content, and rape is mentioned. There is a lot of cursing and grief is shown and mentioned. There is some death mentioned. There is one scene of domestic violence, where a character is grabbed by the throat by another character, and there is some violence shown in the book and mentioned. There is also some gore with blood. There is one instance of fatphobic comments about a character being made. There is a pregnancy in the book shown a lot and there is a childbirth scene as well.
Publisher: Apollo
Pages: 472
Synopsis: The life of a courtesan in Pompeii is glittering, yet precarious...
Amara has escaped her life as a slave in the town's most notorious brothel, but now her existence depends on the affections of her patron: a man she might not know as well as she once thought.
At night she dreams of the wolf den, still haunted by her past. Amara longs for the women she was forced to leave behind and worse, finds herself pursued by the man who once owned her. In order to be free, she will need to be as ruthless as he is.
Amara knows her existence in Pompeii is subject to Venus, the goddess of love. Yet finding love may prove to be the most dangerous act of all.
We return to Pompeii for the second installment in Elodie Harper's Wolf Den Trilogy, set in the town's lupanar and reimagining the lives of women long overlooked.
Review: Ok this was a wild ride! In this book we got a little more into the thriller/intrigue aspect of this series. Amara is out of the fire for the most part, but still wishes to make right with her blood oath and to help out the girls still at The Wolf Den. Amara is quickly caught up in a new issue though, as our heroine finds herself haunted by old fears and new concerns. I thought the book did well to keep that epic feel to it. It’s kind of like a drama much like the first one, but it also has that epic feel to it much like The Odyssey or The Iliad, which I guess would make this more of a Tragedy. The character development was well done and the world building was great as well. As a final note before the third book is released, I’m wondering if the series will ever explore the fall of Pompeii or if this is set so far before it that it won’t happen. I’m invested and can’t wait for book 3.
The only issue I had with the book is that it felt a little flatter than the first one and a lot of the plot is stretched out, as the timeframe in this book is much shorter than the first one. I also wished that the plot was a bit more sped up, but overall I enjoyed it.
Verdict: It was well done! Highly recommend!
Book: The House With The Golden Door
Author: Elodie Harper
Book Series: Wolf Den Trilogy Book 2
Rating: 5/5
Spice: 2.5/5
Diversity: Egyptian character
Recommended For...: historical fiction, romance, tragedy, Italian, adult
Publication Date: May 12, 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction Tragedy
Age Relevance: 18+ (slavery, rape, sexual content, romance, cursing, death, grief, domestic violence, violence, gore, fatphobia, pregnancy, childbirth)
Explanation of Above: The book discusses characters who live in brothels or are contractually bound to other people and also people who are just outright slaves in slavery positions. There is some slight romance, a lot of sexual content, and rape is mentioned. There is a lot of cursing and grief is shown and mentioned. There is some death mentioned. There is one scene of domestic violence, where a character is grabbed by the throat by another character, and there is some violence shown in the book and mentioned. There is also some gore with blood. There is one instance of fatphobic comments about a character being made. There is a pregnancy in the book shown a lot and there is a childbirth scene as well.
Publisher: Apollo
Pages: 472
Synopsis: The life of a courtesan in Pompeii is glittering, yet precarious...
Amara has escaped her life as a slave in the town's most notorious brothel, but now her existence depends on the affections of her patron: a man she might not know as well as she once thought.
At night she dreams of the wolf den, still haunted by her past. Amara longs for the women she was forced to leave behind and worse, finds herself pursued by the man who once owned her. In order to be free, she will need to be as ruthless as he is.
Amara knows her existence in Pompeii is subject to Venus, the goddess of love. Yet finding love may prove to be the most dangerous act of all.
We return to Pompeii for the second installment in Elodie Harper's Wolf Den Trilogy, set in the town's lupanar and reimagining the lives of women long overlooked.
Review: Ok this was a wild ride! In this book we got a little more into the thriller/intrigue aspect of this series. Amara is out of the fire for the most part, but still wishes to make right with her blood oath and to help out the girls still at The Wolf Den. Amara is quickly caught up in a new issue though, as our heroine finds herself haunted by old fears and new concerns. I thought the book did well to keep that epic feel to it. It’s kind of like a drama much like the first one, but it also has that epic feel to it much like The Odyssey or The Iliad, which I guess would make this more of a Tragedy. The character development was well done and the world building was great as well. As a final note before the third book is released, I’m wondering if the series will ever explore the fall of Pompeii or if this is set so far before it that it won’t happen. I’m invested and can’t wait for book 3.
The only issue I had with the book is that it felt a little flatter than the first one and a lot of the plot is stretched out, as the timeframe in this book is much shorter than the first one. I also wished that the plot was a bit more sped up, but overall I enjoyed it.
Verdict: It was well done! Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I bought this finished copy but I did originally have an e-arc of it and this is my first reread. Thanks! Support your authors! All opinions are my own.
Book: Skin of the Sea
Author: Natasha Bowen
Book Series: Skin of the Sea Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Black MC and characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, mythology, mermaids, fantasy, slight Little Mermaid references
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 15+ (violence, death, gore, slavery, suicide, animal death)
Explanation of Above: There is violence mentioned and shown as well as death. There is some gore involving blood shown. Slavery is mentioned and shown in the book and there is a theme of the mermaids being created from people who were thrown overboard slavery ships and it plays an important plot point in the story. There is an attempted suicide shown in the book. There is animal death with a cow mentioned.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 303
Synopsis: Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.
But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable--she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods.
To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There's the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail . . .
Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she fails, she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.
Review: I loved this book so much! I love the magical-ness of this book and how action packed it is for being so short. The pacing doesn’t feel weird and I love how original of a mermaid tale it is but that it keeps some of the callbacks to Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid tale. The book includes CWs in the front of it which I very much appreciate. The character development and the world building was also well done and I loved the magic system in this one.
The only issue I had with the book is that the flowery language of it kinda messed with my head. I wished it didn’t have as much fluff and was a bit more straight forward, but it was good regardless.
Verdict: It’s so good! Highly recommend!
**Previous Review:
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Skin of the Sea
Author: Natasha Brown
Book Series: Skin of the Sea Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Black MC and side characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, mythology
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, enslavement, death, suicide TW)
Explanation of CWs: There is violence and gore in this book. The book talks a lot about Black people being enslaved and shows the act. There is lots of death and the main character’s role centers around death. There is a suicide attempt shown.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 336
Synopsis: A way to survive.
A way to serve.
A way to save.
Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.
But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi does the unthinkable--she saves his life, going against an ancient decree. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy it.
To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But something is amiss. There's the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail. . . .
Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she doesn't, then she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.
Review: I really liked this book overall. The book is very lyrical and so well written. It’s the type of book you can get lost in, as it has amazing world building and character development. The book is also full of culture and mythology and history and they all blend together in this beautiful work. I also love that the author put a content warning at the beginning of the book.
However, I did feel like the book was slow paced and that there was a lot of time spent going to places in the book rather than actions at the places. The book has a lot of travel and travel sequences and if you’re here for the journey of a story, then this is a great book for you. However, if you’re looking for the action, this one is a little lacking. I also sometimes had issues following along to what was going on because the words were too poetic that I felt drowned by them.
Verdict: It’s a great book, just a little not for me.
Book: Skin of the Sea
Author: Natasha Bowen
Book Series: Skin of the Sea Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Black MC and characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, mythology, mermaids, fantasy, slight Little Mermaid references
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 15+ (violence, death, gore, slavery, suicide, animal death)
Explanation of Above: There is violence mentioned and shown as well as death. There is some gore involving blood shown. Slavery is mentioned and shown in the book and there is a theme of the mermaids being created from people who were thrown overboard slavery ships and it plays an important plot point in the story. There is an attempted suicide shown in the book. There is animal death with a cow mentioned.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 303
Synopsis: Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.
But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable--she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods.
To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There's the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail . . .
Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she fails, she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.
Review: I loved this book so much! I love the magical-ness of this book and how action packed it is for being so short. The pacing doesn’t feel weird and I love how original of a mermaid tale it is but that it keeps some of the callbacks to Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid tale. The book includes CWs in the front of it which I very much appreciate. The character development and the world building was also well done and I loved the magic system in this one.
The only issue I had with the book is that the flowery language of it kinda messed with my head. I wished it didn’t have as much fluff and was a bit more straight forward, but it was good regardless.
Verdict: It’s so good! Highly recommend!
**Previous Review:
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Skin of the Sea
Author: Natasha Brown
Book Series: Skin of the Sea Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Black MC and side characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, mythology
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, enslavement, death, suicide TW)
Explanation of CWs: There is violence and gore in this book. The book talks a lot about Black people being enslaved and shows the act. There is lots of death and the main character’s role centers around death. There is a suicide attempt shown.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 336
Synopsis: A way to survive.
A way to serve.
A way to save.
Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.
But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi does the unthinkable--she saves his life, going against an ancient decree. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy it.
To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But something is amiss. There's the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail. . . .
Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she doesn't, then she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.
Review: I really liked this book overall. The book is very lyrical and so well written. It’s the type of book you can get lost in, as it has amazing world building and character development. The book is also full of culture and mythology and history and they all blend together in this beautiful work. I also love that the author put a content warning at the beginning of the book.
However, I did feel like the book was slow paced and that there was a lot of time spent going to places in the book rather than actions at the places. The book has a lot of travel and travel sequences and if you’re here for the journey of a story, then this is a great book for you. However, if you’re looking for the action, this one is a little lacking. I also sometimes had issues following along to what was going on because the words were too poetic that I felt drowned by them.
Verdict: It’s a great book, just a little not for me.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Well, That Was Unexpected
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Book Series: Untitled Book Series Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Chinese Indonesian American MC and characters, Chinese Indonesian MC and characters, Sapphic couple, Bisexual character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, humor, fake dating, Indonesian, Chinese Indonesian, travel, celeb boy/normie girl
Publication Date: September 27, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (sexual content, cursing, parental death, HP reference, teen pregnancy, romance)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot of sexual content in the book. There is no sex or sexual acts shown, but masturbation (nothing shown, just mentioned and talked about) and talking openly about sex and wanting sex is in the book. There is a lot of romance in this book. There is a lot of cursing in this book. Parental death and teen pregnancy are mentioned. There is one HP reference, but quickly another author is mentioned as being better (N.K. Jemison).
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 352
Synopsis: After Sharlot Citra's mother catches her in a compromising position, she finds herself whisked away from LA to her mother's native Indonesia. It'll be exactly what they both need. Or so her mother thinks.
When George Clooney Tanuwijaya's father (who is obsessed with American celebrities) fears he no longer understands how to get through to his son, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
To ensure that their children find the right kind of romantic partner, Sharlot's mother and George's father do what any good parent would do: they strike up a conversation online, pretending to be their children.
When the kids find out about their parents' actions, they're horrified. Not even a trip to one of the most romantic places on earth could possibly make Sharlot and George fall for each other. But as the layers peel back and the person they thought they knew from online is revealed, the truth becomes more complicated. As unlikely as it may seem, did their parents manage to find their true match after all?
Review: This book was so cute! This book is an adorable contemporary romance with multi-POVs. One of the POVs is a Chinese Indonesian American girl who is caught in a compromising position with her boyfriend and taken to Indonesia by her mother for it. The other perspective is a Chinese Indonesian boy who is from a wealthy family, but when he is also caught in a compromising position his family take matters in their own hands via setting him up on a blind date… with our other MC. I loved how it openly discussed sex and sexual desires in teenagers, but also showing and talking about some of the dangers of sex at a young age especially socially in certain countries. While sex is natural, it is not seen that way in a lot of countries and this book talks openly about that. The book has my favorite trope in it (family sets me up on blind date) and the book also showcases the fake dating trope. The book was well written and I loved the story. I also loved seeing Indonesia through the eyes of our MC and I love all of the commentary about the land from an American and Native Indonesian prospective. The book also had well developed characters and world building.
The only issue I had with the book is that I didn’t think it was necessary to have an HP reference, even if it’s slightly bashed. It could have been “oh you’re reading Percy Jackson” or something like that instead.
Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!
Book: Well, That Was Unexpected
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Book Series: Untitled Book Series Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Chinese Indonesian American MC and characters, Chinese Indonesian MC and characters, Sapphic couple, Bisexual character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, humor, fake dating, Indonesian, Chinese Indonesian, travel, celeb boy/normie girl
Publication Date: September 27, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (sexual content, cursing, parental death, HP reference, teen pregnancy, romance)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot of sexual content in the book. There is no sex or sexual acts shown, but masturbation (nothing shown, just mentioned and talked about) and talking openly about sex and wanting sex is in the book. There is a lot of romance in this book. There is a lot of cursing in this book. Parental death and teen pregnancy are mentioned. There is one HP reference, but quickly another author is mentioned as being better (N.K. Jemison).
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 352
Synopsis: After Sharlot Citra's mother catches her in a compromising position, she finds herself whisked away from LA to her mother's native Indonesia. It'll be exactly what they both need. Or so her mother thinks.
When George Clooney Tanuwijaya's father (who is obsessed with American celebrities) fears he no longer understands how to get through to his son, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
To ensure that their children find the right kind of romantic partner, Sharlot's mother and George's father do what any good parent would do: they strike up a conversation online, pretending to be their children.
When the kids find out about their parents' actions, they're horrified. Not even a trip to one of the most romantic places on earth could possibly make Sharlot and George fall for each other. But as the layers peel back and the person they thought they knew from online is revealed, the truth becomes more complicated. As unlikely as it may seem, did their parents manage to find their true match after all?
Review: This book was so cute! This book is an adorable contemporary romance with multi-POVs. One of the POVs is a Chinese Indonesian American girl who is caught in a compromising position with her boyfriend and taken to Indonesia by her mother for it. The other perspective is a Chinese Indonesian boy who is from a wealthy family, but when he is also caught in a compromising position his family take matters in their own hands via setting him up on a blind date… with our other MC. I loved how it openly discussed sex and sexual desires in teenagers, but also showing and talking about some of the dangers of sex at a young age especially socially in certain countries. While sex is natural, it is not seen that way in a lot of countries and this book talks openly about that. The book has my favorite trope in it (family sets me up on blind date) and the book also showcases the fake dating trope. The book was well written and I loved the story. I also loved seeing Indonesia through the eyes of our MC and I love all of the commentary about the land from an American and Native Indonesian prospective. The book also had well developed characters and world building.
The only issue I had with the book is that I didn’t think it was necessary to have an HP reference, even if it’s slightly bashed. It could have been “oh you’re reading Percy Jackson” or something like that instead.
Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Blackwater
Author: Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham
Book Series: Blackwater book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Diversity: Puerto Rican asthma user MC, Black character, poc characters, chronic autoimmune disorder character who is an ambulatory wheelchair user
Recommended For...: young adult readers, graphic novel, fantasy, werewolves, ghosts, LGBT, queer
Publication Date: July 19, 2022
Genre: YA Graphic Novel Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (bullying, revenge and negligence, dead animal, animal gore, abelism, cursing, violence, homophobia, abelism)
Explanation of Above: There are scenes of bullying, homophobia, and abelism. There is a huge scene of abelism initiated by revenge and the negligence could have led to someone getting severely hurt. While I felt the character who caused it to be remorseful, that should have been shown more explicitly in the book and proclaimed as wrong because younger teens reading this might not realize that the action could potentially kill someone. There are also scenes of dead animals (deer) and animal gore (deer). There is some cursing in the book and some very slight violence as well.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 304
Synopsis: Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad’s attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these two become unlikely friends (and a whole lot more . . .) in the spooky town of Blackwater, Maine? Werewolf curses, unsavory interactions with the quarterback of the football team, a ghostly fisherman haunting the harbor, and tons of high school drama.
Review: For the most part I enjoyed this graphic novel. I liked the story overall and I thought it was pretty good. The world building was decent and it highlighted the atmosphere well. The book had a good beginning story and I’d like to see more.
However, I have concerns about the book. To start with: the book is way too short and the plot was just beginning when it ended. The book did good to show abelism and then try to show how the characters were atoning for it, but I think that should have been more pronounced in the book, especially for the particular scene where one character almost caused another to die. I would have also liked to see more character development, especially for a book that claims to be a queer romance but not have a single frame of romance between the two characters.
Verdict: It was ok, but there should have been more.
Book: Blackwater
Author: Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham
Book Series: Blackwater book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Diversity: Puerto Rican asthma user MC, Black character, poc characters, chronic autoimmune disorder character who is an ambulatory wheelchair user
Recommended For...: young adult readers, graphic novel, fantasy, werewolves, ghosts, LGBT, queer
Publication Date: July 19, 2022
Genre: YA Graphic Novel Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (bullying, revenge and negligence, dead animal, animal gore, abelism, cursing, violence, homophobia, abelism)
Explanation of Above: There are scenes of bullying, homophobia, and abelism. There is a huge scene of abelism initiated by revenge and the negligence could have led to someone getting severely hurt. While I felt the character who caused it to be remorseful, that should have been shown more explicitly in the book and proclaimed as wrong because younger teens reading this might not realize that the action could potentially kill someone. There are also scenes of dead animals (deer) and animal gore (deer). There is some cursing in the book and some very slight violence as well.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 304
Synopsis: Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad’s attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these two become unlikely friends (and a whole lot more . . .) in the spooky town of Blackwater, Maine? Werewolf curses, unsavory interactions with the quarterback of the football team, a ghostly fisherman haunting the harbor, and tons of high school drama.
Review: For the most part I enjoyed this graphic novel. I liked the story overall and I thought it was pretty good. The world building was decent and it highlighted the atmosphere well. The book had a good beginning story and I’d like to see more.
However, I have concerns about the book. To start with: the book is way too short and the plot was just beginning when it ended. The book did good to show abelism and then try to show how the characters were atoning for it, but I think that should have been more pronounced in the book, especially for the particular scene where one character almost caused another to die. I would have also liked to see more character development, especially for a book that claims to be a queer romance but not have a single frame of romance between the two characters.
Verdict: It was ok, but there should have been more.
Disclaimer: I bought a copy of this book on my Kindle. Support your authors! All opinions are my own.
Book: Love from A to Z
Author: S.K. Ali
Book Series: Love From A to Z Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: American Muslim MC (Pakistani/West Indian descent), Canadian Muslim convert MC with Multiple Sclerosis (Chinese/Finish descent), other Muslim and Muslim convert characters, Scoliosis character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, Muslim
Publication Date: April 30, 2019
Genre: YA Contemporay
Age Relevance: 14+ (cursing, death, religion, Islamaphobia, HP references, grief, anti-indigenous actions, parental death, illness, animal violence, animal abuse, slight sexual content, romance)
Explanation of Above: There is very very slight cursing in this book. There is some parental death and other death mentioned and grief is shown. The Muslim religion is shown and mentioned several times. There are acts and words of Islamaphobia and there is a non-MC character who participates in anti-indigenous actions by wearing an indigenous Halloween costume that mocks the culture. There are a TON of HP references, but because this was wrote before 2020 I did not take off points for them (but I do wish this book was rereleased without them). There is illness mentioned and shown. There is one mention of a dog bite and animal abuse is off-handedly mentioned. There is one scene where horny jokes are made. There is some romance in this book, but nothing beyond talking and declarations of affection.
Publisher: Salaam Reads
Pages: 384
Synopsis: A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.
An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are.
But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry.
When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break.
Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her.
Then her path crosses with Adam’s.
Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister.
Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father.
Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals.
Until a marvel and an oddity occurs…
Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
Review: I thought this was a great book! I loved the use of journaling to see inner monologue and I thought the story was compelling. The book was a great story about two teens who meet and fall in love as the subplot. The main plot for one was struggling with a diagnosis after losing their mom to the same disease and the other is struggling with an Islamaphobic teacher who is threatening her chances at a good school. The world building was well done and overall I loved reading this book.
The only issue I had with the book is that there were SO MANY HP references. I didn’t mark off because of when this book was published, but the amount of them used to describe characters based on houses really dated the book and it made character development confusing when you’re not in the HP sphere anymore. The book was also super slow in a lot of parts of it.
Verdict: It was good! I liked it!
Book: Love from A to Z
Author: S.K. Ali
Book Series: Love From A to Z Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: American Muslim MC (Pakistani/West Indian descent), Canadian Muslim convert MC with Multiple Sclerosis (Chinese/Finish descent), other Muslim and Muslim convert characters, Scoliosis character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, Muslim
Publication Date: April 30, 2019
Genre: YA Contemporay
Age Relevance: 14+ (cursing, death, religion, Islamaphobia, HP references, grief, anti-indigenous actions, parental death, illness, animal violence, animal abuse, slight sexual content, romance)
Explanation of Above: There is very very slight cursing in this book. There is some parental death and other death mentioned and grief is shown. The Muslim religion is shown and mentioned several times. There are acts and words of Islamaphobia and there is a non-MC character who participates in anti-indigenous actions by wearing an indigenous Halloween costume that mocks the culture. There are a TON of HP references, but because this was wrote before 2020 I did not take off points for them (but I do wish this book was rereleased without them). There is illness mentioned and shown. There is one mention of a dog bite and animal abuse is off-handedly mentioned. There is one scene where horny jokes are made. There is some romance in this book, but nothing beyond talking and declarations of affection.
Publisher: Salaam Reads
Pages: 384
Synopsis: A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.
An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are.
But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry.
When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break.
Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her.
Then her path crosses with Adam’s.
Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister.
Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father.
Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals.
Until a marvel and an oddity occurs…
Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
Review: I thought this was a great book! I loved the use of journaling to see inner monologue and I thought the story was compelling. The book was a great story about two teens who meet and fall in love as the subplot. The main plot for one was struggling with a diagnosis after losing their mom to the same disease and the other is struggling with an Islamaphobic teacher who is threatening her chances at a good school. The world building was well done and overall I loved reading this book.
The only issue I had with the book is that there were SO MANY HP references. I didn’t mark off because of when this book was published, but the amount of them used to describe characters based on houses really dated the book and it made character development confusing when you’re not in the HP sphere anymore. The book was also super slow in a lot of parts of it.
Verdict: It was good! I liked it!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Love From Mecca to Medina
Author: S.K. Ali
Book Series: Love From A to Z Book 2
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: American Muslim MC (Pakistani/West Indian descent), Canadian Muslim convert MC with Multiple Sclerosis (Chinese/Finish descent), other Muslim and Muslim convert characters, Jewish character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, new adult readers, contemporary, romance, Muslim
Publication Date: October 18, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary/NA Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (romance, war, Islamaphobia, homelessness, alcohol consumption, illness, white supremacy, religion, sexual content, vomit gore)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot of romance in this book between our two MCs and some very vague sexual content mentioned. The romance is mostly hand holding, love affirmations, and stolen kisses. There is one fade to black scene and the characters have had their Nikah ceremony. There is some Islamaphobia and white supremacy mentioned and shown in the book. There are scenes and mentions of homelessness. There is alcohol consumption mentioned (not by the main characters). The Muslim religion and a Muslim pilgrimage is mentioned and shown throughout the book. There is also some vomiting shown and mentioned in the book.
Publisher: Salaam Reads/Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Adam and Zayneb. Perfectly matched. Painfully apart.
Adam is in Doha, Qatar, making a map of the Hijra, a historic migration from Mecca to Medina, and worried about where his next paycheck will come from. Zayneb is in Chicago, where school and extracurricular stresses are piling on top of a terrible frenemy situation, making her miserable.
Then a marvel occurs: Adam and Zayneb get the chance to spend Thanksgiving week on the Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, in Saudi Arabia. Adam is thrilled; it’s the reboot he needs and an opportunity to pray for a hijra in real life: to migrate to Zayneb in Chicago. Zayneb balks at the trip at first, having envisioned another kind of vacation, but then decides a spiritual reset is calling her name too. And they can’t wait to see each other—surely, this is just what they both need.
But the trip is nothing like what they expect, from the appearance of Adam’s former love interest in their traveling group to the anxiety gripping Zayneb when she’s supposed to be “spiritual.” As one wedge after another drives them apart while they make their way through rites in the holy city, Adam and Zayneb start to wonder: was their meeting just an oddity after all? Or can their love transcend everything else like the greatest marvels of the world?
Review: I really loved this sequel! I thought it was better than the original and I loved seeing how in love Adam and Zayneb were. I loved seeing what happens after the first book and how Zayneb is navigating law school and homelessness while they both deal with a long distance marriage also while Adam struggles with unemployment. The book focuses on their unexpected decision to do the pilgrimage from Mecca to Medina and how their love ebbs and flows along the way. The book did much better with the character development and the world building remained immaculate. I also thought the pacing was much better written in this one, I thought this read was super informative and I learned so much from it, and overall I loved it so much. I was also very impressed with how the author cut out all of the HP references that were plaguing the other book and I thought the book was better for it.
The only complaint I have with the book is that I did think that the ending was a bit too scrunched up, like it didn’t have time to fully work out naturally.
Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!
Book: Love From Mecca to Medina
Author: S.K. Ali
Book Series: Love From A to Z Book 2
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: American Muslim MC (Pakistani/West Indian descent), Canadian Muslim convert MC with Multiple Sclerosis (Chinese/Finish descent), other Muslim and Muslim convert characters, Jewish character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, new adult readers, contemporary, romance, Muslim
Publication Date: October 18, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary/NA Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (romance, war, Islamaphobia, homelessness, alcohol consumption, illness, white supremacy, religion, sexual content, vomit gore)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot of romance in this book between our two MCs and some very vague sexual content mentioned. The romance is mostly hand holding, love affirmations, and stolen kisses. There is one fade to black scene and the characters have had their Nikah ceremony. There is some Islamaphobia and white supremacy mentioned and shown in the book. There are scenes and mentions of homelessness. There is alcohol consumption mentioned (not by the main characters). The Muslim religion and a Muslim pilgrimage is mentioned and shown throughout the book. There is also some vomiting shown and mentioned in the book.
Publisher: Salaam Reads/Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Adam and Zayneb. Perfectly matched. Painfully apart.
Adam is in Doha, Qatar, making a map of the Hijra, a historic migration from Mecca to Medina, and worried about where his next paycheck will come from. Zayneb is in Chicago, where school and extracurricular stresses are piling on top of a terrible frenemy situation, making her miserable.
Then a marvel occurs: Adam and Zayneb get the chance to spend Thanksgiving week on the Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, in Saudi Arabia. Adam is thrilled; it’s the reboot he needs and an opportunity to pray for a hijra in real life: to migrate to Zayneb in Chicago. Zayneb balks at the trip at first, having envisioned another kind of vacation, but then decides a spiritual reset is calling her name too. And they can’t wait to see each other—surely, this is just what they both need.
But the trip is nothing like what they expect, from the appearance of Adam’s former love interest in their traveling group to the anxiety gripping Zayneb when she’s supposed to be “spiritual.” As one wedge after another drives them apart while they make their way through rites in the holy city, Adam and Zayneb start to wonder: was their meeting just an oddity after all? Or can their love transcend everything else like the greatest marvels of the world?
Review: I really loved this sequel! I thought it was better than the original and I loved seeing how in love Adam and Zayneb were. I loved seeing what happens after the first book and how Zayneb is navigating law school and homelessness while they both deal with a long distance marriage also while Adam struggles with unemployment. The book focuses on their unexpected decision to do the pilgrimage from Mecca to Medina and how their love ebbs and flows along the way. The book did much better with the character development and the world building remained immaculate. I also thought the pacing was much better written in this one, I thought this read was super informative and I learned so much from it, and overall I loved it so much. I was also very impressed with how the author cut out all of the HP references that were plaguing the other book and I thought the book was better for it.
The only complaint I have with the book is that I did think that the ending was a bit too scrunched up, like it didn’t have time to fully work out naturally.
Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Lost Memories of Callum Brecker
Author: Marilyn Bordelon
Book Series: The Lost Memories of Callum Brecker Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Spice: 1/5
Diversity: Japanese descent character, Demisexual MC, Gay MC, Gay characters
Recommended For...: romance, mafia romance, LGBT, MLM
Publication Date: December 18, 2022
Genre: Mafia Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (language, violence, murder, grief, death, parental death, homophobia, romance, child abuse, child neglect, drug abuse, torture, sexual content, religion, underage alcohol consumption, alcohol consumption)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot of cursing in this book. There are scenes of violence, including gun and other weapon violence, torture, murder, and death. There is grief displayed in the book as well as parental death mentioned. There are some scenes of homophobia and the book discusses coming out a little bit. There is romance and some small mentions of sexual content. There are mentions and small scenes of child abuse and neglect. There is one scene showing drug abuse, mentions of underage alcohol consumption, and one scene of alcohol consumption. There are a couple of mentions of Christianity and one scene with a prayer shown.
Publisher: Spectrum Publishing
Pages: 310
Synopsis: Twenty-five year old Ambrose Romano happens across someone from his past, an individual who had once meant the world to him. When that person doesn’t recognize him at all, Ambrose makes it his mission, against his better judgement, to help him remember.
Twenty-four year old Callum Brecker cannot recall an entire year of his life. When he comes across an alluring man who insists that they know each other, he feels a renewed curiosity of the past. Despite being warned to stay far away from him, Callum can’t help but follow Ambrose, determined to uncover his lost memories.
Embarking on this journey proves to be exciting and dangerous. Through it, Callum learns that he inadvertently got involved with the Mafia and that he fell in love with the son of a prominent member. People close to him were hurt and he even committed a heinous crime to protect the man he was falling in love with.
Now he has to decide—is it worth it, after all, to travel into the past? Is it worth it to remember the person he was?
Review: I thought this was a fun little beginning to a great series. The book is in part a Mafia Romance and in part a thriller. The book revolves around our MC Callum and their memory loss. They’ve lost a year of their life. Our other MC is Ambrose, who is the former boyfriend of Callum except that Callum doesn’t remember them anymore. The book explores their relationship in a past/present format and the reader sees how they started their romance and where it was headed in the end. The book is Duel POV and does well to discuss coming out and finding yourself.
However, I did wish that some of the world building and character development was a bit more fleshed out. The book felt a little confusing at times with the back and forth method as well.
Verdict: It’s good! I recommend if you’re looking for a non-erotic Mafia Romance.
Book: The Lost Memories of Callum Brecker
Author: Marilyn Bordelon
Book Series: The Lost Memories of Callum Brecker Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Spice: 1/5
Diversity: Japanese descent character, Demisexual MC, Gay MC, Gay characters
Recommended For...: romance, mafia romance, LGBT, MLM
Publication Date: December 18, 2022
Genre: Mafia Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (language, violence, murder, grief, death, parental death, homophobia, romance, child abuse, child neglect, drug abuse, torture, sexual content, religion, underage alcohol consumption, alcohol consumption)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot of cursing in this book. There are scenes of violence, including gun and other weapon violence, torture, murder, and death. There is grief displayed in the book as well as parental death mentioned. There are some scenes of homophobia and the book discusses coming out a little bit. There is romance and some small mentions of sexual content. There are mentions and small scenes of child abuse and neglect. There is one scene showing drug abuse, mentions of underage alcohol consumption, and one scene of alcohol consumption. There are a couple of mentions of Christianity and one scene with a prayer shown.
Publisher: Spectrum Publishing
Pages: 310
Synopsis: Twenty-five year old Ambrose Romano happens across someone from his past, an individual who had once meant the world to him. When that person doesn’t recognize him at all, Ambrose makes it his mission, against his better judgement, to help him remember.
Twenty-four year old Callum Brecker cannot recall an entire year of his life. When he comes across an alluring man who insists that they know each other, he feels a renewed curiosity of the past. Despite being warned to stay far away from him, Callum can’t help but follow Ambrose, determined to uncover his lost memories.
Embarking on this journey proves to be exciting and dangerous. Through it, Callum learns that he inadvertently got involved with the Mafia and that he fell in love with the son of a prominent member. People close to him were hurt and he even committed a heinous crime to protect the man he was falling in love with.
Now he has to decide—is it worth it, after all, to travel into the past? Is it worth it to remember the person he was?
Review: I thought this was a fun little beginning to a great series. The book is in part a Mafia Romance and in part a thriller. The book revolves around our MC Callum and their memory loss. They’ve lost a year of their life. Our other MC is Ambrose, who is the former boyfriend of Callum except that Callum doesn’t remember them anymore. The book explores their relationship in a past/present format and the reader sees how they started their romance and where it was headed in the end. The book is Duel POV and does well to discuss coming out and finding yourself.
However, I did wish that some of the world building and character development was a bit more fleshed out. The book felt a little confusing at times with the back and forth method as well.
Verdict: It’s good! I recommend if you’re looking for a non-erotic Mafia Romance.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute
Author: Talia Hibbert
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Plus Size Black MC, Black Bisexual Male MC with OCD, Black characters, Character with Dyslexia, Character with Celiac Disease, Queer Character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, romance, contemporary, UK set, rivals to lovers, wilderness exploration, LGBT, Black MCs, mental health
Publication Date: January 3, 2023
Genre: YA Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (anxiety attacks, cursing, religion, underage alcohol consumption, abelism, sexual content, romance)
Explanation of Above: There are a couple of short scenes showing some anxiety and anxiety attacks as well as some OCD tendencies and talk, especially with germs, dirt, etc. There is some cursing in this book. There is one mention of underage alcohol consumption. There is one slightly abelist comment. There is slight sexual content mentioned and there is some romance.
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He's a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.
Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption--yet, she's still not cool enough for the popular kids' table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that's how Celine sees it.)
These days, there's nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she's surprised to find Brad right beside her.
Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?
Review: For the most part I thought this book was fun. I loved the rivals to lovers storyline and it was a great fast paced read. The book had amazingly well written characters and it was so easy to get into the mindset of the two MCs. The duel POV felt very well written and helped drive the plot forward a lot of the times. The character voices felt distinct and the world building was well done as well. I also loved that this was a British YA romance book as I don’t think I’ve read many of those.
However, I did have some slight issues. I felt like some of the plot was a bit rushed in the beginning and that the book finally felt in pace with itself towards the end. Some of the references are a bit dated in this book and some of the writing was a bit disjointed. The writing also, at points, felt a bit forced as well. I also had a tiny concern about one of the MC’s fascination with conspiracy theories. It’s brought up a bit, supposedly what made her “famous” on TikTok, but it’s never really shown in her personality and the pun of the title never really came through. As someone who’s also a bit of a conspiracy theorist, that was one of the main draws of the book to me and I’m kinda sad that didn’t shine more in the book. There’s also a very slippery slope when it comes to conspiracy theorists and extremists, which I thought could have used maybe some commentary.
Verdict: It was good overall!
Book: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute
Author: Talia Hibbert
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Plus Size Black MC, Black Bisexual Male MC with OCD, Black characters, Character with Dyslexia, Character with Celiac Disease, Queer Character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, romance, contemporary, UK set, rivals to lovers, wilderness exploration, LGBT, Black MCs, mental health
Publication Date: January 3, 2023
Genre: YA Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (anxiety attacks, cursing, religion, underage alcohol consumption, abelism, sexual content, romance)
Explanation of Above: There are a couple of short scenes showing some anxiety and anxiety attacks as well as some OCD tendencies and talk, especially with germs, dirt, etc. There is some cursing in this book. There is one mention of underage alcohol consumption. There is one slightly abelist comment. There is slight sexual content mentioned and there is some romance.
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He's a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.
Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption--yet, she's still not cool enough for the popular kids' table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that's how Celine sees it.)
These days, there's nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she's surprised to find Brad right beside her.
Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?
Review: For the most part I thought this book was fun. I loved the rivals to lovers storyline and it was a great fast paced read. The book had amazingly well written characters and it was so easy to get into the mindset of the two MCs. The duel POV felt very well written and helped drive the plot forward a lot of the times. The character voices felt distinct and the world building was well done as well. I also loved that this was a British YA romance book as I don’t think I’ve read many of those.
However, I did have some slight issues. I felt like some of the plot was a bit rushed in the beginning and that the book finally felt in pace with itself towards the end. Some of the references are a bit dated in this book and some of the writing was a bit disjointed. The writing also, at points, felt a bit forced as well. I also had a tiny concern about one of the MC’s fascination with conspiracy theories. It’s brought up a bit, supposedly what made her “famous” on TikTok, but it’s never really shown in her personality and the pun of the title never really came through. As someone who’s also a bit of a conspiracy theorist, that was one of the main draws of the book to me and I’m kinda sad that didn’t shine more in the book. There’s also a very slippery slope when it comes to conspiracy theorists and extremists, which I thought could have used maybe some commentary.
Verdict: It was good overall!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell
Author: Tobias Madden
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Gay MC, Gay characters, MM romance, South Asian characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, romance, contemporary, MM romance, RPGs, gaymers, musicals, showmance, LGBT
Publication Date: August 30, 2022
Genre: YA Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (romance, sexual content, bullying, homophobia, cursing, skinny shaming, exercise/weight, vomit gore, underage alcohol consumption, drugs, sexual assault)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot of romance in this book, along with some scenes and mentions of sexual content including 2 sex scenes (nothing graphic shown). There is sexual assault of minors mentioned in passing as a part of a police investigation and there is no baring of it on the plot. There are scenes and mentions of bullying, homophobia, and skinny shaming. There is some slight cursing in this book. There are scenes and mentions of exercise and weight gain. There are a couple of scenes involving and mentioning vomit. Underage alcohol consumption and drug use is mentioned and shown in the book a couple of times as well.
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 368
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old gaymer Noah Mitchell only has one friend left: the wonderful, funny, strictly online-only MagePants69. After years playing RPGs together, they know everything about each other, except anything that would give away their real life identities. And Noah is certain that if they could just meet in person, they would be soulmates. Noah would do anything to make this happen—including finally leaving his gaming chair to join a community theater show that he’s only mostly sure MagePants69 is performing in. Noah has never done anything like theater—he can’t sing, he can’t dance, and he’s never willingly watched a musical—but he’ll have to go all in to have a chance at love.
With Noah’s mum performing in the lead role, and former friends waiting in the wings to sabotage his reputation, his plan to make MagePants69 fall in love with him might be a little more difficult than originally anticipated.
And the longer Noah waits to come clean, the more tangled his web of lies becomes. By opening night, he will have to decide if telling the truth is worth closing the curtain on his one shot at true love.
Review: This book was so so cute! I loved the story and this is probably going to be a favorite of mine for this month. The book feels like a cross between Simon Vs and The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre with really cute moments of online gaming and RPGs. The book is set in Australia, which is something I don’t see in a lot of books, and involves musical theater as well. The book also had a very teenager feel to it. The book was full of awkward first moments and mess-ups, which is very uniquely teenager. The voices of the characters were age appropriate and the issues the MC faced are some that a lot of teens face. The author did well to tackle how a lot of times mess-ups are something that you can’t make right completely or ever return back to normal from, which is unfortunate but a very important message for teens. I also liked how the author tackled skinny shaming, especially in those who identify as male, which is something I don’t see a lot in books. Overall, I loved the plot, the pacing was on point, the characters were well developed, and the writing was well done.
However, the only issue I had with the book is that I feel like it could have been a bit more developed in the world building department. It was great, but some of the theater aspects were a bit confusing. As someone who did theater in high school, community theater in Australia is vastly different than what I experienced.
Verdict: It was very well done! I highly recommend it.
Book: Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell
Author: Tobias Madden
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Gay MC, Gay characters, MM romance, South Asian characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, romance, contemporary, MM romance, RPGs, gaymers, musicals, showmance, LGBT
Publication Date: August 30, 2022
Genre: YA Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (romance, sexual content, bullying, homophobia, cursing, skinny shaming, exercise/weight, vomit gore, underage alcohol consumption, drugs, sexual assault)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot of romance in this book, along with some scenes and mentions of sexual content including 2 sex scenes (nothing graphic shown). There is sexual assault of minors mentioned in passing as a part of a police investigation and there is no baring of it on the plot. There are scenes and mentions of bullying, homophobia, and skinny shaming. There is some slight cursing in this book. There are scenes and mentions of exercise and weight gain. There are a couple of scenes involving and mentioning vomit. Underage alcohol consumption and drug use is mentioned and shown in the book a couple of times as well.
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 368
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old gaymer Noah Mitchell only has one friend left: the wonderful, funny, strictly online-only MagePants69. After years playing RPGs together, they know everything about each other, except anything that would give away their real life identities. And Noah is certain that if they could just meet in person, they would be soulmates. Noah would do anything to make this happen—including finally leaving his gaming chair to join a community theater show that he’s only mostly sure MagePants69 is performing in. Noah has never done anything like theater—he can’t sing, he can’t dance, and he’s never willingly watched a musical—but he’ll have to go all in to have a chance at love.
With Noah’s mum performing in the lead role, and former friends waiting in the wings to sabotage his reputation, his plan to make MagePants69 fall in love with him might be a little more difficult than originally anticipated.
And the longer Noah waits to come clean, the more tangled his web of lies becomes. By opening night, he will have to decide if telling the truth is worth closing the curtain on his one shot at true love.
Review: This book was so so cute! I loved the story and this is probably going to be a favorite of mine for this month. The book feels like a cross between Simon Vs and The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre with really cute moments of online gaming and RPGs. The book is set in Australia, which is something I don’t see in a lot of books, and involves musical theater as well. The book also had a very teenager feel to it. The book was full of awkward first moments and mess-ups, which is very uniquely teenager. The voices of the characters were age appropriate and the issues the MC faced are some that a lot of teens face. The author did well to tackle how a lot of times mess-ups are something that you can’t make right completely or ever return back to normal from, which is unfortunate but a very important message for teens. I also liked how the author tackled skinny shaming, especially in those who identify as male, which is something I don’t see a lot in books. Overall, I loved the plot, the pacing was on point, the characters were well developed, and the writing was well done.
However, the only issue I had with the book is that I feel like it could have been a bit more developed in the world building department. It was great, but some of the theater aspects were a bit confusing. As someone who did theater in high school, community theater in Australia is vastly different than what I experienced.
Verdict: It was very well done! I highly recommend it.