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2.51k reviews by:
popthebutterfly
Disclaimer: I received a finished copy from Penguin and ordered my own copy. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: June 11, 2019
Genre: YA Horror
Recommended Age: 15+ (science experimentation, dystopian feelings, immigration, race issues, TW PTSD, depression)
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Pages: 256
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Marisol has always dreamed of being American, learning what Americans and the US are like from television and Mrs. Rosen, an elderly expat who had employed Marisol’s mother as a maid. When she pictured an American life for herself, she dreamed of a life like Aimee and Amber’s, the title characters of her favorite American TV show. She never pictured fleeing her home in El Salvador under threat of death and stealing across the US border as “an illegal”, but after her brother is murdered and her younger sister, Gabi’s, life is also placed in equal jeopardy, she has no choice, especially because she knows everything is her fault. If she had never fallen for the charms of a beautiful girl named Liliana, Pablo might still be alive, her mother wouldn’t be in hiding and she and Gabi wouldn’t have been caught crossing the border.
But they have been caught and their asylum request will most certainly be denied. With truly no options remaining, Marisol jumps at an unusual opportunity to stay in the United States. She’s asked to become a grief keeper, taking the grief of another into her own body to save a life. It’s a risky, experimental study, but if it means Marisol can keep her sister safe, she will risk anything. She just never imagined one of the risks would be falling in love, a love that may even be powerful enough to finally help her face her own crushing grief.
The Grief Keeper is a tender tale that explores the heartbreak and consequences of when both love and human beings are branded illegal.
Review: Holy crap guys this was AMAZING. I loved the dystopian/sci-fi esque feel of this book and I loved seeing Marisol develop. The science seems so real in this book it’s scary! The world building was amazing, I loved the queer romance in this book, and I loved the writing. It was absolutely amazing!
My only issue is that the pacing was a bit slow in places but other than that I absolutely guarantee this book.
Verdict: This could happen one day and it frightens me.
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: June 11, 2019
Genre: YA Horror
Recommended Age: 15+ (science experimentation, dystopian feelings, immigration, race issues, TW PTSD, depression)
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Pages: 256
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Marisol has always dreamed of being American, learning what Americans and the US are like from television and Mrs. Rosen, an elderly expat who had employed Marisol’s mother as a maid. When she pictured an American life for herself, she dreamed of a life like Aimee and Amber’s, the title characters of her favorite American TV show. She never pictured fleeing her home in El Salvador under threat of death and stealing across the US border as “an illegal”, but after her brother is murdered and her younger sister, Gabi’s, life is also placed in equal jeopardy, she has no choice, especially because she knows everything is her fault. If she had never fallen for the charms of a beautiful girl named Liliana, Pablo might still be alive, her mother wouldn’t be in hiding and she and Gabi wouldn’t have been caught crossing the border.
But they have been caught and their asylum request will most certainly be denied. With truly no options remaining, Marisol jumps at an unusual opportunity to stay in the United States. She’s asked to become a grief keeper, taking the grief of another into her own body to save a life. It’s a risky, experimental study, but if it means Marisol can keep her sister safe, she will risk anything. She just never imagined one of the risks would be falling in love, a love that may even be powerful enough to finally help her face her own crushing grief.
The Grief Keeper is a tender tale that explores the heartbreak and consequences of when both love and human beings are branded illegal.
Review: Holy crap guys this was AMAZING. I loved the dystopian/sci-fi esque feel of this book and I loved seeing Marisol develop. The science seems so real in this book it’s scary! The world building was amazing, I loved the queer romance in this book, and I loved the writing. It was absolutely amazing!
My only issue is that the pacing was a bit slow in places but other than that I absolutely guarantee this book.
Verdict: This could happen one day and it frightens me.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Tristan Strong Keeps Punching
Author: Kwame Mbalia
Book Series: Tristan Strong Book 3
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Black MC and side characters, African myth and lore
Recommended For...: children’s books, middle grade, fantasy, mythology)
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (violence, gore, some scary moments, trauma, grief)
Explanation of CWs:
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
Pages: 400
Synopsis: After reuniting with Ayanna, who is now in his world, Tristan travels up the Mississippi in pursuit of his archenemy, King Cotton. Along the way they encounter new haints who are dead set on preventing their progress north to Tristan's hometown of Chicago. It's going to take many Alkean friends, including the gods themselves, the black flames of the afokena gloves, and all of Tristan's inner strength to deliver justice once and for all.
Review: I highly enjoyed this book! The character development is great and the world building is sound. I loved the story and I love that the author does not shy away from talking about society or how life is for our main character. Now only is this an important voice for children to read about, I believe that the more talked about these issues that Tristan faces are, the more tools we give children to change the future for the better for all.
The only issue I had with the book is that the beginning of the book is slow and it takes a second for me to remember everything from the previous two books, but I highly recommend this book!
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Book: Tristan Strong Keeps Punching
Author: Kwame Mbalia
Book Series: Tristan Strong Book 3
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Black MC and side characters, African myth and lore
Recommended For...: children’s books, middle grade, fantasy, mythology)
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (violence, gore, some scary moments, trauma, grief)
Explanation of CWs:
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
Pages: 400
Synopsis: After reuniting with Ayanna, who is now in his world, Tristan travels up the Mississippi in pursuit of his archenemy, King Cotton. Along the way they encounter new haints who are dead set on preventing their progress north to Tristan's hometown of Chicago. It's going to take many Alkean friends, including the gods themselves, the black flames of the afokena gloves, and all of Tristan's inner strength to deliver justice once and for all.
Review: I highly enjoyed this book! The character development is great and the world building is sound. I loved the story and I love that the author does not shy away from talking about society or how life is for our main character. Now only is this an important voice for children to read about, I believe that the more talked about these issues that Tristan faces are, the more tools we give children to change the future for the better for all.
The only issue I had with the book is that the beginning of the book is slow and it takes a second for me to remember everything from the previous two books, but I highly recommend this book!
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received the e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The ones We’re Meant to Find
Author: Joan He
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Asian main characters and side characters
Recommended For...: ya readers, sci-fi lovers, dystopian readers, thrill seekers
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 16+ (suicide TW, grief, terminal illness, violence, gore, drowning, choking to death, sex mention)
Publisher: Roaring Book
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay. Determined to find her, Cee devotes her days to building a boat from junk parts scavenged inland, doing everything in her power to survive until the day she gets off the island and reunites with her sister.
In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara is also living a life of isolation. The eco-city she calls home is one of eight levitating around the world, built for people who protected the planet―and now need protecting from it. With natural disasters on the rise due to climate change, eco-cities provide clean air, water, and shelter. Their residents, in exchange, must spend at least a third of their time in stasis pods, conducting business virtually whenever possible to reduce their environmental footprint. While Kasey, an introvert and loner, doesn’t mind the lifestyle, her sister Celia hated it. Popular and lovable, Celia much preferred the outside world. But no one could have predicted that Celia would take a boat out to sea, never to return.
Now it’s been three months since Celia’s disappearance, and Kasey has given up hope. Logic says that her sister must be dead. But as the public decries her stance, she starts to second guess herself and decides to retrace Celia’s last steps. Where they’ll lead her, she does not know. Her sister was full of secrets. But Kasey has a secret of her own.
Review: This book. Oh my goodness. This book is my favorite read of April! I absolutely loved the characters, the world building, and everything about this book. The book is a perfect mix of thriller and sci-fi and dystopian and it makes my heart so so happy! The characters were so well developed as was the world building. The book also had a great plot and it kept me reading the book until the very end.
The only issue I had (and I’m only saying this because I have to put one) is that some moments were a bit slowed down and I felt that the book focused too much on the sci-fi elements and not the thriller ones, but other than that it was absolutely perfect for me.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Book: The ones We’re Meant to Find
Author: Joan He
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Asian main characters and side characters
Recommended For...: ya readers, sci-fi lovers, dystopian readers, thrill seekers
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 16+ (suicide TW, grief, terminal illness, violence, gore, drowning, choking to death, sex mention)
Publisher: Roaring Book
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay. Determined to find her, Cee devotes her days to building a boat from junk parts scavenged inland, doing everything in her power to survive until the day she gets off the island and reunites with her sister.
In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara is also living a life of isolation. The eco-city she calls home is one of eight levitating around the world, built for people who protected the planet―and now need protecting from it. With natural disasters on the rise due to climate change, eco-cities provide clean air, water, and shelter. Their residents, in exchange, must spend at least a third of their time in stasis pods, conducting business virtually whenever possible to reduce their environmental footprint. While Kasey, an introvert and loner, doesn’t mind the lifestyle, her sister Celia hated it. Popular and lovable, Celia much preferred the outside world. But no one could have predicted that Celia would take a boat out to sea, never to return.
Now it’s been three months since Celia’s disappearance, and Kasey has given up hope. Logic says that her sister must be dead. But as the public decries her stance, she starts to second guess herself and decides to retrace Celia’s last steps. Where they’ll lead her, she does not know. Her sister was full of secrets. But Kasey has a secret of her own.
Review: This book. Oh my goodness. This book is my favorite read of April! I absolutely loved the characters, the world building, and everything about this book. The book is a perfect mix of thriller and sci-fi and dystopian and it makes my heart so so happy! The characters were so well developed as was the world building. The book also had a great plot and it kept me reading the book until the very end.
The only issue I had (and I’m only saying this because I have to put one) is that some moments were a bit slowed down and I felt that the book focused too much on the sci-fi elements and not the thriller ones, but other than that it was absolutely perfect for me.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
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Land of the Buffalo Bones: The Diary of Mary Ann Elizabeth Rodgers, An English Girl in Minnesota
