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2.51k reviews by:
popthebutterfly
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Disclaimer: I received this finished copy from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: For The Love of Pheyrin
Author: Lance C. Haynes, Jr.
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, sci-fi, aliens, threat to humanity, chosen one, chosen ones, found family
Publication Date: February 13, 2022
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Age Relevance: 15+ (violence, gore, war)
Explanation of Above: There is discussion and showings of war, with violence and blood gore shown.
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 606
Synopsis: In a war waged centuries ago between humans and Pheyrinites, the majestic inhabitants of Earth's dual planet, Pheyrin, a prophecy was born that ensured the redemption of Earth's alien foe after their dramatic defeat. Benjamin "Beebee" Brooks, a bashful Memphis teen and artistic prodigy, makes a discovery of his alien ancestry and his inevitable role in the fulfillment of this prophecy. After the mysterious death of his radical mother, he must accept extraordinary truths that have been hidden from him and balance the weight of an entire planet on his shoulders, all while falling in love with one of the "chosen seven" named Audrey; a gentle ballerina from Seattle who is mending a broken heart after the tragic death of her mother as well. The two of them, along with Jacob, Gabrielle, Liam, Diana, and Kalena, are pulled into an intense clash for freedom by Fa'lu, a wise Pheyrinite prophetess, a skilled Pheyrinite warrior named Antuulo, and Oluuni... the great and merciless king of the Pheyrinites who is filled with an unparalleled desire to drive all humans to extinction. Benjamin and his six brothers and sisters of prophecy, each of them escaping their own grievous teenage lives to claim their crowns and lead a long-awaited alien rebellion, embrace the heartbreaks and magical gifts their destinies bring in an adventurous and passionate tale of love and war.
Review: I thought this was a great read! The book, which features teens who are pulled to save the fate of humanity when an alien species is determined to drive them to extinction. The book gave me Avatar vibes, but also I got a lot of Shazam vibes. The book is told in multi-POV in the beginning, switching to Benjamin’s prospective for the majority of the book, and I feel like that style of writing gave the characters a lot of opportunities for character development. The book does amazing with world building and I loved the magic system. The book opens so strongly that it doesn’t feel daunting to be reading such a huge text after awhile.
The only issues I had with the book is that I felt like the characters and magic system could have been better developed, but overall I loved it a lot!
Verdict: I recommend this one, especially if you’re into found family and sci-fi vibes!
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received a finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Twice a Quinceanera
Author: Yamile Saied Mendez
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Spice: 1/5
Diversity: Argentinean America with Anxiety MC, Argentinean and Argentinean American characters, Puerto Rican Argentinean characters, Puerto Rican character, Mormon character, Hispanic MC, and Hispanic characters
Recommended For...: contemporary, romance, adult novel, second chance romance
Publication Date: July 26, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (panic attack, grief, parental death, sexual content, romance, illness, cursing, racism, religion, eating disorder and disordered eating comments, emotional abuse, cheating, teen pregnancy, infanticide, stalking)
Explanation of Above: This book shows one panic attack in it. There is some talk about grief and parental death. There is also some illness shown in the book with Alzheimer’s and Diabetes is mentioned. There is some cursing in the book and a couple of racist comments/moments. There is some romance and talk about sexual content, however there is nothing shown. The Mormon religion is mentioned. There are mentions of an eating disorder and some comments about the MC’s weight that play into her former disordered eating. There are some scenes shown with emotional abuse and some mentions of it. There are mentions of teen pregnancy and cheating. There is one mention of infanticide. Stalking is shown in the book.
Publisher: Kensington Books
Pages: 312
Synopsis: One month short of her wedding day—and her thirtieth birthday—Nadia Palacio finds herself standing up to her infuriating, cheating fiancé for the first time in . . . well, ever. But that same courage doesn’t translate to breaking the news to her Argentinian family. She’s hyperventilating before facing them when she glimpses a magazine piece about a Latina woman celebrating herself—with a second quinceañera, aka Sweet 15! And that gives Nadia a brilliant idea . . .
With a wedding venue already paid for, and family from all over the world with plane tickets, Nadia is determined to create her own happily-ever-after. Since the math adds up perfectly, she’ll celebrate her treintañera, her double quinces. As the first professional in her family, raising a glass to her achievements is the best plan she’s had in years. Until she discovers that the man in charge of the venue is none other than her college fling that became far more than a fling. And he looks even more delicious than a three-tiered cake . . .
Full of exuberant heart, Twice a Quinceañera is a pure delight for every woman who needs to be her own biggest fan—and who dreams of a second chance at first love.
Review: I absolutely loved this book! This is a great contemporary romance book mainly about a woman who just broke off her engagement to her fiancé with the wedding being about a month out. Our MC, whose birthday is the day after the former wedding date, decides to celebrate her birthday by having a party to celebrate herself and her accomplishments! While the MC faces some backlash, I’m very well surprised to see that the majority of the book focused on her determination to have this celebration. The book gives a huge positive message by putting the MC’s healing at the forefront and having the romance be on the backburner. Even the ending is more about how the MC continues to triumph post break-up and it’s a very inspiring read for all. The other MC of the book features a man who is trying to learn how to not run when things get hard and to forgive himself for past issues. The book was extremely well written, featuring a second chance romance, and the world building and character development were also well done. The book’s message is clear: love and celebrate yourself.
The only issue I had with the book is that sometimes the book branched off on topics that weren’t that pertinent to the story, like with other character’s backstories. I’m hoping that means the author intends to have more books set in this universe with the other prominent characters of this book.
Verdict: I love it! Highly recommend!
Book: Twice a Quinceanera
Author: Yamile Saied Mendez
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Spice: 1/5
Diversity: Argentinean America with Anxiety MC, Argentinean and Argentinean American characters, Puerto Rican Argentinean characters, Puerto Rican character, Mormon character, Hispanic MC, and Hispanic characters
Recommended For...: contemporary, romance, adult novel, second chance romance
Publication Date: July 26, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (panic attack, grief, parental death, sexual content, romance, illness, cursing, racism, religion, eating disorder and disordered eating comments, emotional abuse, cheating, teen pregnancy, infanticide, stalking)
Explanation of Above: This book shows one panic attack in it. There is some talk about grief and parental death. There is also some illness shown in the book with Alzheimer’s and Diabetes is mentioned. There is some cursing in the book and a couple of racist comments/moments. There is some romance and talk about sexual content, however there is nothing shown. The Mormon religion is mentioned. There are mentions of an eating disorder and some comments about the MC’s weight that play into her former disordered eating. There are some scenes shown with emotional abuse and some mentions of it. There are mentions of teen pregnancy and cheating. There is one mention of infanticide. Stalking is shown in the book.
Publisher: Kensington Books
Pages: 312
Synopsis: One month short of her wedding day—and her thirtieth birthday—Nadia Palacio finds herself standing up to her infuriating, cheating fiancé for the first time in . . . well, ever. But that same courage doesn’t translate to breaking the news to her Argentinian family. She’s hyperventilating before facing them when she glimpses a magazine piece about a Latina woman celebrating herself—with a second quinceañera, aka Sweet 15! And that gives Nadia a brilliant idea . . .
With a wedding venue already paid for, and family from all over the world with plane tickets, Nadia is determined to create her own happily-ever-after. Since the math adds up perfectly, she’ll celebrate her treintañera, her double quinces. As the first professional in her family, raising a glass to her achievements is the best plan she’s had in years. Until she discovers that the man in charge of the venue is none other than her college fling that became far more than a fling. And he looks even more delicious than a three-tiered cake . . .
Full of exuberant heart, Twice a Quinceañera is a pure delight for every woman who needs to be her own biggest fan—and who dreams of a second chance at first love.
Review: I absolutely loved this book! This is a great contemporary romance book mainly about a woman who just broke off her engagement to her fiancé with the wedding being about a month out. Our MC, whose birthday is the day after the former wedding date, decides to celebrate her birthday by having a party to celebrate herself and her accomplishments! While the MC faces some backlash, I’m very well surprised to see that the majority of the book focused on her determination to have this celebration. The book gives a huge positive message by putting the MC’s healing at the forefront and having the romance be on the backburner. Even the ending is more about how the MC continues to triumph post break-up and it’s a very inspiring read for all. The other MC of the book features a man who is trying to learn how to not run when things get hard and to forgive himself for past issues. The book was extremely well written, featuring a second chance romance, and the world building and character development were also well done. The book’s message is clear: love and celebrate yourself.
The only issue I had with the book is that sometimes the book branched off on topics that weren’t that pertinent to the story, like with other character’s backstories. I’m hoping that means the author intends to have more books set in this universe with the other prominent characters of this book.
Verdict: I love it! Highly recommend!
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Amira and Hazma: The Quest for the Ring of Power
Author: Samira Ahmed
Book Series: Amira & Hazma Book 2
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Desi American MC and characters and Desi characters
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, mythology, Desi mythology, science fiction, Percy Jackson like, HP replacement
Publication Date: September 20, 2022
Genre: MG Fantasy
Age Relevance: 10+ (violence, kidnapping)
Explanation of Above: There are mentions of violence. There is some shown kidnapping.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 400
Synopsis: All human and jinn kind shall bow down to me. Control the Ring, control the worlds.
Amira and Hamza have returned from Qaf, the magical Jinn world, as triumphant heroes—and life has been pleasantly quiet. Too quiet. Hamza is determined to have one last monumental, epic adventure before summer ends. But when sneaking off to explore an old, abandoned castle goes from life-changing adventure to potentially deadly, Amira and Hamza find themselves in the middle of another dangerous quest to save the worlds. One they didn’t bargain for.
The siblings are brought face to face with the evil dev, Ahriman, angry and out for revenge. And if Amira and Hamza thought Ifrit was bad, his dad Ahriman, the last in an ancient line of fire spirits, is far worse. Ahriman kidnaps Hamza and forces him to help locate the lost Ring of Power, an ancient and mysterious artifact that will allow him to rule the universe. Desperate to save her brother, Amira must outsmart perilous traps and confounding puzzles in a race against time to retrieve the artifact before Ahriman does or say goodbye to Hamza and their world forever.
Review: I loved this sequel so much! The action continues in this book, where sneaking off to a castle might prove to be life-changing for our protagonists. The book had a lot of the same Percy Jackson vibes and I would still recommend this series as a great HP replacement. The book still put science at the forefront, this time with it mostly being focused on astrology and astronomy. The book is still multi-POV and I loved that Hazma has more of a presence in this book.
The only issue I had with the book is the fast pacing in places again, but overall I loved it!
Verdict: I loved it! Highly recommend!
Book: Amira and Hazma: The Quest for the Ring of Power
Author: Samira Ahmed
Book Series: Amira & Hazma Book 2
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Desi American MC and characters and Desi characters
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, mythology, Desi mythology, science fiction, Percy Jackson like, HP replacement
Publication Date: September 20, 2022
Genre: MG Fantasy
Age Relevance: 10+ (violence, kidnapping)
Explanation of Above: There are mentions of violence. There is some shown kidnapping.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 400
Synopsis: All human and jinn kind shall bow down to me. Control the Ring, control the worlds.
Amira and Hamza have returned from Qaf, the magical Jinn world, as triumphant heroes—and life has been pleasantly quiet. Too quiet. Hamza is determined to have one last monumental, epic adventure before summer ends. But when sneaking off to explore an old, abandoned castle goes from life-changing adventure to potentially deadly, Amira and Hamza find themselves in the middle of another dangerous quest to save the worlds. One they didn’t bargain for.
The siblings are brought face to face with the evil dev, Ahriman, angry and out for revenge. And if Amira and Hamza thought Ifrit was bad, his dad Ahriman, the last in an ancient line of fire spirits, is far worse. Ahriman kidnaps Hamza and forces him to help locate the lost Ring of Power, an ancient and mysterious artifact that will allow him to rule the universe. Desperate to save her brother, Amira must outsmart perilous traps and confounding puzzles in a race against time to retrieve the artifact before Ahriman does or say goodbye to Hamza and their world forever.
Review: I loved this sequel so much! The action continues in this book, where sneaking off to a castle might prove to be life-changing for our protagonists. The book had a lot of the same Percy Jackson vibes and I would still recommend this series as a great HP replacement. The book still put science at the forefront, this time with it mostly being focused on astrology and astronomy. The book is still multi-POV and I loved that Hazma has more of a presence in this book.
The only issue I had with the book is the fast pacing in places again, but overall I loved it!
Verdict: I loved it! Highly recommend!
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received a finished paperback copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Amira and Hazma: The War to Save the Worlds
Author: Samira Ahmed
Book Series: Amira and Hazma Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Desi American MC and characters and Desi characters
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, mythology, Desi mythology, science fiction, Percy Jackson like, HP replacement
Publication Date: September 21, 2021
Genre: MG Fantasy
Age Relevance: 10+ (racism, violence, poisoning, gore, climate disasters, human trafficking, kidnapping)
Explanation of Above: There are mentions of racism, violence, poisoning, and vomit gore. There are some climate disasters that happen in this book. There is a vague reference to human trafficking. There is some shown kidnapping.
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 368
Synopsis: On the day of a rare super blue blood moon eclipse, twelve-year-old Amira and her little brother, Hamza, can’t stop their bickering while attending a special exhibit on medieval Islamic astronomy. While stargazer Amira is wowed by the amazing gadgets, a bored Hamza wanders off, stumbling across the mesmerizing and forbidden Box of the Moon. Amira can only watch in horror as Hamza grabs the defunct box and it springs to life, setting off a series of events that could shatter their world—literally.
Suddenly, day turns to night, everyone around Amira and Hamza falls under a sleep spell, and a chunk of the moon breaks off, hurtling toward them at lightning speed, as they come face-to-face with two otherworldly creatures: jinn.
The jinn reveal that the siblings have a role to play in an ancient prophecy. Together, they must journey to the mystical land of Qaf, battle a great evil, and end a civil war to prevent the moon—the stopper between realms—from breaking apart and unleashing terrifying jinn, devs, and ghuls onto earth. Or they might have to say goodbye to their parents and life as they know it, forever.…
Review: I thought this was an adorable read! The book is about two siblings who accidently open up a mystical box that puts everyone around them to sleep and starts some very cataclysmic events. I loved the action and the mythology in this story and I love how science was at the forefront of this book with one of the MCs being a science lover. I loved the story and the writing was phenomenally done. The world building was amazing and the characters were very well developed. I also want to point out the siblings acted very sibling like. The book is very Percy Jackson like and it’s an excellent HP replacement.
The only issue I had with the book is that I thought it was a bit too fast paced in some places.
Verdict: I loved it! Highly recommend!
Book: Amira and Hazma: The War to Save the Worlds
Author: Samira Ahmed
Book Series: Amira and Hazma Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Desi American MC and characters and Desi characters
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, mythology, Desi mythology, science fiction, Percy Jackson like, HP replacement
Publication Date: September 21, 2021
Genre: MG Fantasy
Age Relevance: 10+ (racism, violence, poisoning, gore, climate disasters, human trafficking, kidnapping)
Explanation of Above: There are mentions of racism, violence, poisoning, and vomit gore. There are some climate disasters that happen in this book. There is a vague reference to human trafficking. There is some shown kidnapping.
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 368
Synopsis: On the day of a rare super blue blood moon eclipse, twelve-year-old Amira and her little brother, Hamza, can’t stop their bickering while attending a special exhibit on medieval Islamic astronomy. While stargazer Amira is wowed by the amazing gadgets, a bored Hamza wanders off, stumbling across the mesmerizing and forbidden Box of the Moon. Amira can only watch in horror as Hamza grabs the defunct box and it springs to life, setting off a series of events that could shatter their world—literally.
Suddenly, day turns to night, everyone around Amira and Hamza falls under a sleep spell, and a chunk of the moon breaks off, hurtling toward them at lightning speed, as they come face-to-face with two otherworldly creatures: jinn.
The jinn reveal that the siblings have a role to play in an ancient prophecy. Together, they must journey to the mystical land of Qaf, battle a great evil, and end a civil war to prevent the moon—the stopper between realms—from breaking apart and unleashing terrifying jinn, devs, and ghuls onto earth. Or they might have to say goodbye to their parents and life as they know it, forever.…
Review: I thought this was an adorable read! The book is about two siblings who accidently open up a mystical box that puts everyone around them to sleep and starts some very cataclysmic events. I loved the action and the mythology in this story and I love how science was at the forefront of this book with one of the MCs being a science lover. I loved the story and the writing was phenomenally done. The world building was amazing and the characters were very well developed. I also want to point out the siblings acted very sibling like. The book is very Percy Jackson like and it’s an excellent HP replacement.
The only issue I had with the book is that I thought it was a bit too fast paced in some places.
Verdict: I loved it! Highly recommend!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
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!
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza
Author: Laekan Zea Kemp
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Mexican/Hispanic MC and characters
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, Mexican Mythology and Lore, fantasy, ghosts
Publication Date: September 27, 2022
Genre: MG Mythology Fantasy
Age Relevance: 12+ (death, missing pets, prayer, grief, animal harm)
Explanation of Above: Death is all around this book. It includes several ghosts and ghost pets. There are mentions of some of the ghost pets being murdered. There are missing animals that are mentioned. There is some grief shown in the book. There is some prayer shown in the book.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Omega Morales’s family has been practicing magic for centuries in Noche Buena. But over the years, the town's reputation for the supernatural is no longer one the people carry with pride. So Omega’s family keeps to themselves, and in private, they’re Empaths—diviners who can read and manipulate the emotions of people and objects around them. But Omega’s powers don’t quite work, and it leaves her feeling like an outsider in her own family.
When a witch with the power to transform herself into an owl—known in Mexican folklore as La Lechuza—shows up unannounced, Omega, her best friend Clau (who happens to be a ghost), and her cousin Carlitos must conduct a séance under a full moon in order to unravel the mystery of the legend.
Suddenly Omega’s magic begins to change, and the key to understanding her powers is more complicated than she thought. Omega will have to decide what’s more important—trusting the instincts of others or learning to trust in herself.
Review: I thought this was such a cute book! I loved the magic system and the mystery in this book. I loved that the book was very open about death, which can be a scary topic for a lot of kids and adults, and it incorporated it into the story. The book had fantastic illustrations in it and the story was beautifully told. The characters were well developed as was the world building.
The only issue I had with the book is that some of the pacing was a bit off in places.
Verdict: It was so good! Highly recommend!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Direwood
Author: Catherine Yu
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, horror, vampires, fantasy, gothic
Publication Date: September 20, 2022
Genre: YA Horror
Age Relevance: 13+ (grief, gore, violence, cursing, kidnapping, death)
Explanation of Above: There is some death, blood gore, vomit gore, and violence in this book, along with grief. There is some slight cursing in the book. Kidnapping is shown in the book.
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 288
Synopsis: In this velvet-clad 1990s gothic horror, Aja encounters a charming vampire who wants to lure her into the woods—just like her missing sister.
No one ever pays attention to sixteen-year-old Aja until her perfect older sister Fiona goes missing. In the days leading up to Fiona’s disappearance, Aja notices some extraordinary things: a strange fog rolling through their idyllic suburban town, a brief moment when the sky seems to rain blood, and a host of parasitic caterpillars burrowing their way through the trees. Aja’s father, the neighbors, and even her ex-friend Mary all play down this strange string of occurrences, claiming there must be some natural explanation. It seems everyone is willing to keep living in denial until other teens start to go missing too.
Aja is horrified when she meets Padraic, the vampire responsible for all the strange occurrences. His hypnotic voice lures her to the window and tells her everything she’s longed to hear—she’s beautiful and special, and he wants nothing more than for Aja to come with him. Aja knows she shouldn’t trust him, but she’s barely able to resist his enthrallment. And following him into the woods may be the only way to find Fiona, so she agrees on one condition: He must let her leave alive if she is not wooed after one week. Though Aja plans to kill him before the week is out, Padraic has his own secrets as well.
In the misty woods, Aja finds that Padraic has made his nest with another vampire in a dilapidated church infested by blood-sucking butterflies. Within its walls, the vampires are waited on and entertained by other children they’ve enthralled, but there is no sign of Fiona. Before her bargain is up, Aja must find a way to turn her classmates against their captors, find her sister, and save them all—or be forced to join the very monsters she wants to destroy.
Review: I thought this was an ok vampire novel. The book revolves around our MC whose sister goes missing and her trying to find the sister when she encounters and make a deal with a vampire who has other motives for our MC. The book had some great moments including the mystery and the horror aspect of the book. It was very gothic feeling and I loved the world building of the book.
However, the book is super short and I feel like that works against the book. The book didn’t have room to fully develop the characters and they just kinda felt empty, including our MC. They remain strangers to the reader by the end of the novel and that’s not something that should be happening in the book. The book also has very fast pacing and I think more pages would have allowed the author to slow it down and work out a lot of those kinks.
Verdict: It was ok!
Book: Direwood
Author: Catherine Yu
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, horror, vampires, fantasy, gothic
Publication Date: September 20, 2022
Genre: YA Horror
Age Relevance: 13+ (grief, gore, violence, cursing, kidnapping, death)
Explanation of Above: There is some death, blood gore, vomit gore, and violence in this book, along with grief. There is some slight cursing in the book. Kidnapping is shown in the book.
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 288
Synopsis: In this velvet-clad 1990s gothic horror, Aja encounters a charming vampire who wants to lure her into the woods—just like her missing sister.
No one ever pays attention to sixteen-year-old Aja until her perfect older sister Fiona goes missing. In the days leading up to Fiona’s disappearance, Aja notices some extraordinary things: a strange fog rolling through their idyllic suburban town, a brief moment when the sky seems to rain blood, and a host of parasitic caterpillars burrowing their way through the trees. Aja’s father, the neighbors, and even her ex-friend Mary all play down this strange string of occurrences, claiming there must be some natural explanation. It seems everyone is willing to keep living in denial until other teens start to go missing too.
Aja is horrified when she meets Padraic, the vampire responsible for all the strange occurrences. His hypnotic voice lures her to the window and tells her everything she’s longed to hear—she’s beautiful and special, and he wants nothing more than for Aja to come with him. Aja knows she shouldn’t trust him, but she’s barely able to resist his enthrallment. And following him into the woods may be the only way to find Fiona, so she agrees on one condition: He must let her leave alive if she is not wooed after one week. Though Aja plans to kill him before the week is out, Padraic has his own secrets as well.
In the misty woods, Aja finds that Padraic has made his nest with another vampire in a dilapidated church infested by blood-sucking butterflies. Within its walls, the vampires are waited on and entertained by other children they’ve enthralled, but there is no sign of Fiona. Before her bargain is up, Aja must find a way to turn her classmates against their captors, find her sister, and save them all—or be forced to join the very monsters she wants to destroy.
Review: I thought this was an ok vampire novel. The book revolves around our MC whose sister goes missing and her trying to find the sister when she encounters and make a deal with a vampire who has other motives for our MC. The book had some great moments including the mystery and the horror aspect of the book. It was very gothic feeling and I loved the world building of the book.
However, the book is super short and I feel like that works against the book. The book didn’t have room to fully develop the characters and they just kinda felt empty, including our MC. They remain strangers to the reader by the end of the novel and that’s not something that should be happening in the book. The book also has very fast pacing and I think more pages would have allowed the author to slow it down and work out a lot of those kinks.
Verdict: It was ok!
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: A Long Way From Home
Author: Laura Schaefer
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4.5/5
Diversity: Anxiety Disorder MC
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, sci-fi, time travel, Tomorrowland
Publication Date: January 1, 2022
Genre: MG Sci-Fi
Age Relevance: 11+ (a mention of natural disasters, a mention of animal deaths, a mention of a mass shooting)
Explanation of Above: There is one mention of natural disasters, the disappearance of all animals/they all dying, and a mass shooting (nothing is graphically told or anything, it just plays into the MC’s anxiety of the unexpected).
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Pages: 280
Synopsis: On the Space Coast, Abby meets two boys, Adam and Bix, who tell her they're a long way from home and need her help. Abby discovers they're from the future, from a time when all the problems of the 21st century have been solved. Thrilled, Abby strikes a deal with them: She'll help them--if they let her come to the future with them. But soon Abby is forced to question her attachment to a perfect future and her complicated feelings about the present.
Review: For the most part I liked this read. I thought it was very much like Tommorowland (even the cover looks like the promo pics for it!) and it involves space and theories and sci-fi goodness! I loved the character and I thought it did good to be a fun read. The character development was great, the book was engaging and very kid friendly, and the world building was wonderful.
The only thing I think would make the book amazing is that I think expanding the book would have worked a bit more for the story.
Verdict: It was great!
Book: A Long Way From Home
Author: Laura Schaefer
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4.5/5
Diversity: Anxiety Disorder MC
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, sci-fi, time travel, Tomorrowland
Publication Date: January 1, 2022
Genre: MG Sci-Fi
Age Relevance: 11+ (a mention of natural disasters, a mention of animal deaths, a mention of a mass shooting)
Explanation of Above: There is one mention of natural disasters, the disappearance of all animals/they all dying, and a mass shooting (nothing is graphically told or anything, it just plays into the MC’s anxiety of the unexpected).
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Pages: 280
Synopsis: On the Space Coast, Abby meets two boys, Adam and Bix, who tell her they're a long way from home and need her help. Abby discovers they're from the future, from a time when all the problems of the 21st century have been solved. Thrilled, Abby strikes a deal with them: She'll help them--if they let her come to the future with them. But soon Abby is forced to question her attachment to a perfect future and her complicated feelings about the present.
Review: For the most part I liked this read. I thought it was very much like Tommorowland (even the cover looks like the promo pics for it!) and it involves space and theories and sci-fi goodness! I loved the character and I thought it did good to be a fun read. The character development was great, the book was engaging and very kid friendly, and the world building was wonderful.
The only thing I think would make the book amazing is that I think expanding the book would have worked a bit more for the story.
Verdict: It was great!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Soul of the Deep
Author: Natasha Bowen
Book Series: Skin of the Sea Book 2
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Nigerian based MC and characters, Black characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, African mythology and lore, mermaids, retellings, romance
Publication Date: September 27, 2022
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 15+ (slavery, death, violence, gore, PTSD, prayer and religion, romance, parental death)
Explanation of Above: There are mentions and some showings of slavery. Death, violence, parental death, and gore involving blood are shown and mentioned in the read. There are scenes that show PTSD. There is some romance. There are some mentions of prayer and religious figures.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 304
Synopsis: One life.
One choice.
One sacrifice.
To save those closest to her, Simi traded away everything: her freedom, her family, and the boy she loves. Now she is sworn to serve a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean.
But when signs of demons begin to appear, it's clear there are deeper consequences of Simi's trade. These demons spell the world's ruin . . . and because of Simi, they now have a way into the human realm.
With the fate of the world at stake, Simi must break her promise and team up with a scheming trickster of a god. And if they succeed, perhaps Simi can also unbreak her heart along the way, and find herself again.
Review: I liked this sequel book to Skin of the Sea. I thought the book was a lot more straight-forward with what was happening, which I appreciated, and it featured more African mythology and lore. The book was beautifully written and I fell in love with Simi more than I did in the first one. The book continued with the well developed characters and continued to develop a beautiful world.
However, I did think that the book could have done with a bit of a reminder as to what happened in the previous book. There are some spots here and there that mention it, but mostly it just immediately jumped into the story and continued post 6-months after the events of last book. I also thought the pacing was a bit off in places. I’m also confused on if there’s a third book in the series or not.
Verdict: It was good!
Book: Soul of the Deep
Author: Natasha Bowen
Book Series: Skin of the Sea Book 2
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Nigerian based MC and characters, Black characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, African mythology and lore, mermaids, retellings, romance
Publication Date: September 27, 2022
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 15+ (slavery, death, violence, gore, PTSD, prayer and religion, romance, parental death)
Explanation of Above: There are mentions and some showings of slavery. Death, violence, parental death, and gore involving blood are shown and mentioned in the read. There are scenes that show PTSD. There is some romance. There are some mentions of prayer and religious figures.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 304
Synopsis: One life.
One choice.
One sacrifice.
To save those closest to her, Simi traded away everything: her freedom, her family, and the boy she loves. Now she is sworn to serve a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean.
But when signs of demons begin to appear, it's clear there are deeper consequences of Simi's trade. These demons spell the world's ruin . . . and because of Simi, they now have a way into the human realm.
With the fate of the world at stake, Simi must break her promise and team up with a scheming trickster of a god. And if they succeed, perhaps Simi can also unbreak her heart along the way, and find herself again.
Review: I liked this sequel book to Skin of the Sea. I thought the book was a lot more straight-forward with what was happening, which I appreciated, and it featured more African mythology and lore. The book was beautifully written and I fell in love with Simi more than I did in the first one. The book continued with the well developed characters and continued to develop a beautiful world.
However, I did think that the book could have done with a bit of a reminder as to what happened in the previous book. There are some spots here and there that mention it, but mostly it just immediately jumped into the story and continued post 6-months after the events of last book. I also thought the pacing was a bit off in places. I’m also confused on if there’s a third book in the series or not.
Verdict: It was good!
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: It Won’t Always Be Like This
Author: Malaka Gharib
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Egyptian characters, Egyptian/Filipino American MC
Recommended For...: young adult readers, graphic novel, memoir, nonfiction, Egypt, coming of age
Publication Date: September 20, 2022
Genre: YA Graphic Novel Memoir
Age Relevance: 13+ (divorce, religion, language, sexual harassment, sexual assault, modesty culture)
Explanation of Above: Divorce is a plot line of the book. There are mentions and showings of religion and modest culture, including scenes shaming the MC for what she is wearing. There is some slight cursing in the book. There is one scene of catcalling/sexual harassment and one scene of being groped/sexual assault.
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Pages: 225
Synopsis: It's hard enough to figure out boys, beauty, and being cool when you're young, but even harder when you're in a country where you don't understand the language, culture, or religion.
Nine-year-old Malaka Gharib arrives in Egypt for her annual summer vacation abroad and assumes it'll be just like every other vacation she's spent at her dad's place in Cairo. But her father shares news that changes everything: He has remarried. Over the next fifteen years, as she visits her father's growing family summer after summer, Malaka must reevaluate her place in his life. All that on top of maintaining her coolness!
Malaka doesn't feel like she fits in when she visits her dad--she sticks out in Egypt and doesn't look anything like her fair-haired half siblings. But she adapts. She learns that Nirvana isn't as cool as Nancy Ajram, that there's nothing better than a Fanta and a melon-mint hookah, that the desert is most beautiful at dawn, and that her new stepmother, Hala, isn't so different from Malaka herself.
Review: I really liked this graphic novel memoir! I thought it was well done and it did well to show what growing up with divorced international parents is like. I liked seeing the juxtaposition of the MC’s American life vs her Egyptian life and I enjoyed seeing her insight and seeing how she grew throughout the novel, especially in the way her relationship grew with her stepmother. I think this would be a great book for children of divorce, especially those who have to travel a long way to see their non-custodial parent or children with new step parents. I thought the artwork was also well done, the character development amazing, and the world building great.
The only thing I had a bit of fault with is that the story just ends. It doesn’t have a resolution or anything and the author’s note mentions talking to Hala again, that she reviewed this story before it was published, but in the story itself she just kind of falls off the face of the Earth. I wish there was a bit more resolution with her.
Verdict: It was good! Highly recommend!
Book: It Won’t Always Be Like This
Author: Malaka Gharib
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Egyptian characters, Egyptian/Filipino American MC
Recommended For...: young adult readers, graphic novel, memoir, nonfiction, Egypt, coming of age
Publication Date: September 20, 2022
Genre: YA Graphic Novel Memoir
Age Relevance: 13+ (divorce, religion, language, sexual harassment, sexual assault, modesty culture)
Explanation of Above: Divorce is a plot line of the book. There are mentions and showings of religion and modest culture, including scenes shaming the MC for what she is wearing. There is some slight cursing in the book. There is one scene of catcalling/sexual harassment and one scene of being groped/sexual assault.
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Pages: 225
Synopsis: It's hard enough to figure out boys, beauty, and being cool when you're young, but even harder when you're in a country where you don't understand the language, culture, or religion.
Nine-year-old Malaka Gharib arrives in Egypt for her annual summer vacation abroad and assumes it'll be just like every other vacation she's spent at her dad's place in Cairo. But her father shares news that changes everything: He has remarried. Over the next fifteen years, as she visits her father's growing family summer after summer, Malaka must reevaluate her place in his life. All that on top of maintaining her coolness!
Malaka doesn't feel like she fits in when she visits her dad--she sticks out in Egypt and doesn't look anything like her fair-haired half siblings. But she adapts. She learns that Nirvana isn't as cool as Nancy Ajram, that there's nothing better than a Fanta and a melon-mint hookah, that the desert is most beautiful at dawn, and that her new stepmother, Hala, isn't so different from Malaka herself.
Review: I really liked this graphic novel memoir! I thought it was well done and it did well to show what growing up with divorced international parents is like. I liked seeing the juxtaposition of the MC’s American life vs her Egyptian life and I enjoyed seeing her insight and seeing how she grew throughout the novel, especially in the way her relationship grew with her stepmother. I think this would be a great book for children of divorce, especially those who have to travel a long way to see their non-custodial parent or children with new step parents. I thought the artwork was also well done, the character development amazing, and the world building great.
The only thing I had a bit of fault with is that the story just ends. It doesn’t have a resolution or anything and the author’s note mentions talking to Hala again, that she reviewed this story before it was published, but in the story itself she just kind of falls off the face of the Earth. I wish there was a bit more resolution with her.
Verdict: It was good! Highly recommend!