Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa

Author: Julian Randall

Book Series: Pilar Ramirez Book 1

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: Dominican American MC, Dominican characters

Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, mythology, Dominican Republic

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Genre: MG Fantasy

Age Relevance: 10+ (parental death, violence, gore, 1 HP reference, war mentioned)

Explanation of Above: There is a parental death mentioned briefly. There is some violence and small blood gore. There are mentioned of war and there is 1 HP reference.

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Pages: 304

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Pilar Violeta “Purp” Ramirez’s world is changing, and she doesn’t care for it one bit. Her Chicago neighborhood is gentrifying and her chores have doubled since her sister, Lorena, left for college. The only constant is Abuela and Mami’s code of silence around her cousin Natasha—who vanished in the Dominican Republic fifty years ago during the Trujillo dictatorship.

When Pilar hears that Lorena’s professor studies such disappearances, she hops on the next train to take matters into her own hands. After snooping around the professor's empty office, she discovers a folder with her cousin’s name on it . . . and gets sucked into the blank page within.

She lands on Zafa, an island swarming with coconut-shaped demons, butterfly shapeshifters, and a sinister magical prison where her cousin is being held captive. Pilar will have to go toe-to-toe with the fearsome Dominican boogeyman, El Cuco, if she has any hope of freeing Natasha and getting back home.

Review: This book revolves around a girl who, after wondering about her missing cousin Natasha, finds herself in Zafa after opening a file on her sister’s professor’s desk. It’s up to her to defeat El Cuco to free Natasha and get back home. For the most part I really loved this book! I loved the Percy Jackson feel to it and I loved the magic system. The book did good to show a lot of action scenes in quick secession and I loved how there wasn’t a down moment since picking up the read. The book did well with the historical aspect, teaching readers about DR leader Rafael Trujilo and his regime.

The only issue I had with the book is that it felt a little too choppy and it was a bit too fast paced for me.

Verdict: It was good! Highly recommend.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Forever Bound

Author: Jessica Dall

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 2/5

Spice Level: 2/5

Recommended For...: romance, historical romance, time travel, soulmates

Publication Date: January 16. 2023

Genre: Romance

Age Relevance: 18+ (romance, sexual content, religion, alcohol consumption, violence)

Explanation of Above: The book is a romance that contains some sexual content, including a sex scene. There are occasional mentions of God and Christianity. There is some shown alcohol consumption. There is some slight violence.

Publisher: Entangled: Amara

Pages: 300

Synopsis: Set among the rolling green Irish hills, Kelkerry Castle is something out of a dreamy fairy tale. For hotelier Bridget Marshall, however, it's a dream come true...once she’s sorted out the mold, lead paint, and ancient plumbing. And she’ll prove to everyone in the nearby village of Shansally (pop. 119) that she’s not just another silly, dreamy-eyed American—including her curt (if utterly gorgeous) new neighbor, Liam O'Flannagain.

Only, this breathtaking castle has far more secrets than expensive repairs. While someone—or something—here desperately wants Bridget to give up and walk away, there’s another force tugging Bridget to stay. Because whenever she’s with Liam, the ancient past seems to come to life again, sweeping them along in a story they’re apparently destined to relive.

Now, Liam and Bridget are caught up in a long-ago tale filled with love, danger, and betrayal. The past seems to be working its magic on both of them, pulling them into a love story they’re helpless to resist. And they’ll have to uncover the truth of what happened all those centuries ago before history—and tragedy—repeats itself.

Review: For the most part this book had a great Outlander feel to it as it revolved around a woman who inherited a castle basically and her attempts to turn it into a B&B while also uncovering where a hidden artifact is buried via seeing glimpses into her past self with the help of an Irish man. The book had its typical “soulmate in every timeline” storyline and it was ok for the most part. I also did appreciate that it was set in Ireland.

However, I wasn’t very satisfied with the book. It felt like it drug on and on for a long time in the book and that the middle could have been simply summed up in about 100 less pages. The book was also kinda boring to me and I found it hard to keep reading it.

Verdict: It wasn’t for me but it might be for you!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Travis Daventhorpe for the Win!

Author: Wes Molebash

Book Series: Travis Daventhorpe Book 1

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: POC characters, Hispanic character

Recommended For...: middle grade readers, sci-fi, graphic novel

Publication Date: March 21, 2023

Genre: MG Sci-Fi Graphic Novel

Age Relevance: 10+ (bullying, sexism, violence, death)

Explanation of Above: There are some scenes with violence and bullying in them. There is a scene where there is a slight sexist comment. Death is vaguely mentioned.

Publisher: First Second

Pages: 288

Synopsis: Travis Daventhorpe may be a genius, but he’s always struggled to make friends. After his attempt to befriend new kid Juniper Reyes results in an epic fail, Travis takes his sentient flying robot, Travbot, out for a ride. But when Travbot malfunctions, the two take a nosedive into the woods. There, they discover a legendary sword, a wizard from another dimension, and a mysterious prophecy: Travis Daventhorpe is destined to save the multiverse!

From debut author Wes Molebash comes this video-game-inspired sci-fi adventure series. Join Travis as he dodges bullies, forges friendships, and perfects his science fair project...all while trying to fulfill his magical destiny!

Review: This was such a great book! The book revolves around this kid named Travis who is not popular and is kinda a loner at school. We meet him as he’s trying to get friendly with a new kid named Juniper and making a robot for the science fair. Travis’ world is turned upside down though when he meets a wizard, pulls a sword from the stone, and embarks on a mission to save the universe. The book is so amazingly illustrated and written! I loved the D&D-like overlays of the characters and I loved that it was told in graphic novel format. The book had great world building and character development as well.

The only issue I had with the book is that some of the pacing was a bit fast, but it was a great read overall.

Verdict: I love it! Highly recommend!

Disclaimer: I bought this finished copy from a book box. Support your authors! All opinions are my own.

Book: Sorcery of Thorns

Author: Margaret Rogerson

Book Series: Sorcery of Thorns Book 1

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Tall MC with anxiety. Bisexual character who uses a mobility device.

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, romance, demons, bookish book

Publication Date: June 4, 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy

Age Relevance: 14+ (violence, death, murder, gore, misogyny, abelism, attempted sexual assault, parental death, anxiety attacks, romance, PTSD)

Explanation of Above: There are some scenes with sword violence, death, murder, and blood gore. There are mentions and one showing of parental death. There are some instances of misogyny and abelism. There is an attempted sexual assault stated in vague terms but nothing is shown or mentioned and the actions are dealt with. There is an on page anxiety attack and PTSD is shown as well. There is some romance.

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Pages: 456

Synopsis: All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

Review: For the most part I really loved this book. I thought it was really well done and I loved the bookish elements combined with fantasy. I thought the story was pretty unique as well. The story revolves around Elisabeth who is training to work in one of the Great Libraries who becomes an unintended participant in a mystery when Library directors start dying and the books start attacking. The mystery leads her across the map on an adventure to figure out what’s going on. I felt that the character development was great overall and the world building was magnificent. The pacing was on point as well.

The only issue that I had with the book is that it felt very chosen one tropey and I wasn’t expecting that. The book was great and I loved it, but I didn’t expect it to lean into the chosen one, almost early 00s flavor style of it, pretty hard.

Verdict: It was great! Loved it!

Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Black Queen

Author: Jumata Emill

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Queer Sapphic Black MC, Queer Sapphic Black character, Black characters

Recommended For...: young adult readers, mystery, murder mystery, thriller, suspense, LGBT

Publication Date: January 31, 2023

Genre: YA Mystery Thriller

Age Relevance: 15+ (racism, sexual content, abortion, bullying, language, physical violence, underage alcohol consumption, murder, parental death, police brutality, COVID, cancer, sickness, childhood sexual assualt, alcoholism, religion, power imbalance relationship)

Explanation of Above: Racism is shown and mentioned in this book. There is some sexual content mentioned and abortion is mentioned and discussed. There are scenes of bullying and some cursing. There is some physical violence shown along with murder mentioned and a body shown. There is some scenes of underage alcohol consumption and alcoholism is mentioned. There is parental death mentioned by cancer, sickness is mentioned, and COVID is also mentioned once. There are scenes of police brutality and a power imbalance relationship between a teacher and a high school student who is of age are shown. There are a couple of mentions of the Christian religion. Childhood sexual assault is mentioned a couple of times, but nothing graphic is mentioned or shown.

Publisher: Writers House

Pages: 400

Synopsis: Nova Albright was going to be the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High—but now she's dead. Murdered on coronation night. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Other Black Girl will love this unputdownable thriller. Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is dead. Murdered the night of her coronation, her body found the next morning in the old slave cemetery she spent her weekends rehabilitating. Tinsley McArthur was supposed to be queen. Not only is she beautiful, wealthy, and white, it’s her legacy—her grandmother, her mother, and even her sister wore the crown before her. Everyone in Lovett knows Tinsley would do anything to carry on the McArthur tradition. No one is more certain of that than Duchess Simmons, Nova’s best friend. Duchess’s father is the first Black police captain in Lovett. For Duchess, Nova’s crown was more than just a win for Nova. It was a win for all the Black kids. Now her best friend is dead, and her father won’t fact the fact that the main suspect is right in front of him. Duchess is convinced that Tinsley killed Nova—and that Tinsley is privileged enough to think she can get away with it. But Duchess’s father seems to be doing what he always does: fall behind the blue line. Which means that the white girl is going to walk. Duchess is determined to prove Tinsley’s guilt. And to do that, she’ll have to get close to her. But Tinsley has an agenda, too. Everyone loved Nova. And sometimes, love is exactly what gets you killed.

Review: I’ve never had a book that made me want to sit and fully take a moment to think about what I just read. And neither have I had a book that made me need to take breaks while reading it. This book is equal parts beautiful and brutal with the story. The story is about Nova, who is the high school’s first Black homecoming queen. This is a title that one of our duel protagonists, Tinsley, wanted in order to continue the family tradition of holding this title which has also upset her mother greatly. When Nova’s body is found after her coronation as queen, suspicion quickly falls on Tinsley after a video goes viral of her spouting racist rhetoric and threats on Nova’s life while she was drunk. The book quickly becomes a murder mystery in which our other protag, Duchess, commits herself to in order to get justice for her best friend. I overall really loved this book and I found the commentary on BLM and police brutality very honest and informative. I also enjoyed the side conversation about how police brutality, while disproportionately effecting BIPOC persons, can also effect white people with ineffectual policing, warped interpretations of the law, and skewed investigations. I also very much appreciated the discussion on reverse racism, what it is, and how it’s harmful. The book had great character development and good world building. The twists were twisty and I suspected but didn’t see the outcome happening.

The only issue I had with the book is that sometimes the pacing slowed down quite a bit during some moments, which felt a tiny bit disjointed to me.

Verdict: It was amazing! Highly recommend!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Buried and The Bound

Author: Rochelle Hassan

Book Series: The Buried and The Bound Book 1

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: Lebanese MC, Gay MC, Bisexual MC, MM Romance

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, LGBT, witches, paranormal, fae, magic

Publication Date: January 24, 2023

Genre: YA Fantasy

Age Relevance: 15+ (gore, violence, death, parental death, homelessness, animal attack, ejection from household on basis of sexual orientation, necromancy, kidnapping)

Explanation of Above: There is some slight blood gore, violence, and death in the book. There is parental death mentioned. There are mentions of being ejected from a household because of coming out as LGBT and homelessness that results. There is an animal attack scene with a dog. There is some necromancy in this book. There is a kidnapping scene.

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Pages: 384

Synopsis: As the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn, Massachusetts—an uncommonly magical place—Aziza El-Amin has bargained with wood nymphs, rescued palm-sized fairies from house cats, banished flesh-eating shadows from the local park. But when a dark entity awakens in the forest outside of town, eroding the invisible boundary between the human world and fairyland, run-of-the-mill fae mischief turns into outright aggression, and the danger—to herself and others—becomes too great for her to handle alone.

Leo Merritt is no stranger to magical catastrophes. On his sixteenth birthday, a dormant curse kicked in and ripped away all his memories of his true love. A miserable year has passed since then. He's road-tripped up and down the East Coast looking for a way to get his memories back and hit one dead end after another. He doesn't even know his true love's name, but he feels the absence in his life, and it's haunting.

Desperate for answers, he makes a pact with Aziza: he’ll provide much-needed backup on her nightly patrols, and in exchange, she’ll help him break the curse.

When the creature in the woods sets its sights on them, their survival depends on the aid of a mysterious young necromancer they’re not certain they can trust. But they’ll have to work together to eradicate the new threat and take back their hometown... even if it forces them to uncover deeply buried secrets and make devastating sacrifices.

Review: For the most part I liked this read! I wouldn’t go so far as to call it cottagecore fantasy, like some people describe it, but it read like a solid fantasy. The world building was great, the character development was well done, and the pacing felt on point. The book incorporates a multi-POV narrative to tell the story of three unrelated people who come together to break the curse on one of the members who is cursed to never remember their true love. The book has multiple action scenes, but is an easy enough fantasy for younger YA readers and beginning fantasy readers. The book also includes signing in it, which I thought was awesome.

The only issue I had with the book is that I feel like this is one of those books you need to read the blurb before you start reading the book. I was completely confused for the first 20-30 minutes of reading this book, but I also had an arc of it on e-book so that might have been my problem instead. Either way, just be weary of the beginning but hang in there, it gets so much better.

Verdict: It was good! Highly recommend!!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: This Is Not My Home

Author: Vivienne Chang and Eugenie Yoh

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Taiwanese MC and characters

Recommended For...: picture book readers, moving, Taiwan, making new friends

Publication Date: January 24, 2023

Genre: Picture Book

Age Relevance: 0+ (moving, making new friends)

Explanation of Above: The book focuses on our MC’s move from their home to Taiwan and how they feel about the move. The book also focuses a little on the MC making new friends after having to leave their friends behind.

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 48

Synopsis: When Lily’s mom announces their family must move back to Taiwan to take care of her elderly Ah Ma, Lily is devastated to leave behind her whole life for a place that is most definitely her home. But Lily soon realizes, through the help of her family and friends, what home means to them. And perhaps someday—maybe not today, but someday—it might become her home too.

Review: I thought this was such a cute little read! The book focused on our MC, named Lily, who moves from her home to Taiwan. The book explores her complicated feelings about the move and how nothing feels like home to her anymore. The book shows that while this might not be her home, it’s her mother’s home and together they can make it their home. This helps Lily start to feel more at home and eventually she gains the confidence to make a home there. I thought this book had such a moving message for young children who might also be in a similar situation like Lily and might be moving away from their home to a new home. The book also has amazing illustrations and the illustrations of Taiwan are gorgeous.

Verdict: An absolute must read for moving or soon-to-be moving young children.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Southern Magicks

Author: Ashton K. Rose

Book Series: The Southern Magicks Book 1

Rating: 3/5

Diversity: Gay MC, M/M/NB

Recommended For...: fantasy, queer, LGBT, magic, mystery

Publication Date: August 22, 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Age Relevance: 18+ (death, violence, language, prejudice, homophobia, romance, sexual content)

Explanation of Above: There is death mentioned and violence detailed in the book. There is a lot of cursing. There is some sexual content and romance. There are showings and mentions of prejudice and homophobia.

Publisher: Geekaflame Publishing

Pages: 216

Synopsis: A month ago, a demon tore the thin veneer of a normal life I’d crafted apart when it almost killed me. Revealing my husband, Eli, as the prodigal son of a powerful magic family.

When I grew up, I walked away from magic. Left my remote hometown and pretended the ghosts Gran taught me to see weren’t there while I went to university to become a librarian.
Our one secret tightly held to my heart.
Never let them know!
Two years later, with no other financial option, I moved back to my small hometown.
It was easy to pretend the fuzzy gaps in my memory weren’t there as I got a job under the strict woman who almost killed my childhood love of books.
I thought everything was perfect when I married my dream guy.

Then the attack happened.

The "good" folks at the local magical law enforcement agency knew about me the whole time. They've pressured me to work for them as an exorcist because they’re convinced I was a vigilante who committed multiple murders. My odd, intriguing mentor Cory watches for any misstep as I avoid the seduction attempt he’s been asked to perform.
Now they’ve accused my estranged older brother of taking over my “crimes.” I know I was framed, despite the gaps in my memory.
The worst part?
The only people who seem to believe me are my friend June and my journalist cousin Kat.
Eli, filled with spite for the local magical rulers, seems to know something I DON’T and thinks I should play them at their own game and seduce my mentor, so we can interrogate him together…

Review: For the most part this was a good book. It has an interesting concept and I loved the magic in this book. It felt a bit men-in-black like with all the secrets and stuff and I also thought it was interesting how the different families were intertwined. The MC himself, while not my favorite, was intriguing and kept me motivated to continue the story. The book has a lot of bookish elements in it that make a bit of an easter egg hunt for readers. I thought that the book was evenly paced and it has the potential to be an amazing magical and bookish book.

However, the book still needs some work in my opinion. The characters and world building are not fully developed, which is a shame since this is set in Australia and I wanted to know more about how magic and Australia could combine, and the interactions between the characters just felt very off. The beginning of the book is a mess and it feels almost like I skipped a book, like there’s a book before this one I need to read to understand this one. This is another one where I feel reading the synopsis first is a necessary, which is not something I particularly like. The book is better the more you go into it, but that beginning is a bit off-putting.

Verdict: It’s good just needs a little more work on the front end.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Delicious Monsters

Author: Liselle Sambury

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Canadian Black MC, Black characters, Black plus size MC, Black gay side character, Korean side character, Plus size side charcters, Sri Lankan Canadian lesbian side character, Sapphic relationship mentioned

Recommended For...: young adult readers, paranormal, ghosts, haunted houses, horror, thriller, mystery, supernatural

Publication Date: February 28, 2023

Genre: YA Paranormal Horror

Age Relevance: 15+ (death, language, sexual content, racism, religious trauma, Christian religion, child abuse, child sexual abuse, child neglect, grief, underage alcohol consumption, blood gore, teen pregnancy, animal death and violence, body shaming, ghost possession, narcissistic abuse, suicide, grooming, violence)

Explanation of Above: There is death, blood gore/body horror, grief, and violence in this book. There is also animal death and violence to a goat detailed off-screen a couple of times in the book. There is some slight vague sexual content, some religious trauma, and a mention of Christianity. There are some slight showings and off-page mentions of child abuse, child sexual abuse, grooming, child neglect, and teen pregnancy. Narcissistic abuse including gaslighting, body shaming via fatphobia and skinny shaming, and ghost possession are also shown in the book. There is some cursing. There are a couple of instances of racism being mentioned. There is one scene of underage alcohol consumption. There are a handful of ghostly possession scenes. There is an off-page mention of suicide.

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Pages: 512

Synopsis: Daisy sees dead people—something impossible to forget in bustling, ghost-packed Toronto. She usually manages to deal with her unwanted ability, but she’s completely unprepared to be dumped by her boyfriend. So when her mother inherits a secluded mansion in northern Ontario where she spent her childhood summers, Daisy jumps at the chance to escape. But the house is nothing like Daisy expects, and she begins to realize that her experience with the supernatural might be no match for her mother’s secrets, nor what lurks within these walls…

A decade later, Brittney is desperate to get out from under the thumb of her abusive mother, a bestselling author who claims her stay at “Miracle Mansion” allowed her to see the error of her ways. But Brittney knows that’s nothing but a sham. She decides the new season of her popular Haunted web series will uncover what happened to a young Black girl in the mansion ten years prior and finally expose her mother’s lies. But as she gets more wrapped up in the investigation, she’ll have to decide: if she can only bring one story to light, which one matters most—Daisy’s or her own?

As Brittney investigates the mansion in the present, Daisy’s story runs parallel in the past, both timelines propelling the girls to face the most dangerous monsters of all: those that hide in plain sight.

Review: I loved this book so much! I loved all the gothic vibes to it and how it was told in a Duel POV, but separated by time and from kinda a documentary style look at it. The two stories, which are their own separate stories, intertwine to create a story kinda about intergenerational trauma. In both stories, the mother character is narcissistic, neglectful, and/or downright abusive. They parentify their daughters in an attempt for the daughters to take care of things for them (Daisy with her powers, Brittney with her stability). They discard their daughters for their own selfish whims, but, as shown with Grace, the mothers may be the villains but they can also be the victims. I felt that deep in my bones when reading this book. As someone who’s mother is narcissistic and has been on the receiving end of a lot of abuse, it’s been a long fight on my end to stop the abuse before I pass it to my children, but also a long fight on my mother’s end to correct the mistakes her mother made to her. Trauma can be inherited and this book does so well to symbolize that in so many different ways. The book is not only a deep metaphor for what we are handed at birth, but one about how ultimately we have the power in us to stop the abuse and become healthier individuals, whether that be through confrontation and cut off or through rebirth and redemption. The book is extremely well written and is one of Sambury’s best works to date. The characters are well developed and the world building is immaculate. The story is wonderfully well told and if you’re into stories about haunted houses ala Rose Madder, this may be the one for you.

The only issue I had with the book is that in the arc there are a couple of points where it’s not clear what happened or how certain characters got to conclusions, but I have no doubt that was all cleaned up in the finalized version.

Verdict: Highly recommend this for everyone who has generational trauma to process.