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popthebutterfly
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this arc and e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Summer’s Edge
Author: Dana Mele
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Diversity: Queer character and MC
Recommended For...: young adult readers, thriller, mystery, LGBT, paranormal, horror
Publication Date: May 31, 2022
Genre: YA Thriller Mystery
Age Relevance: 14+ (language, death, grief, involuntary committal, underage alcohol consumption, arson, murder, romance, animal death, animal gore, PTSD, suicidal ideation, sexual content, gore, drowning, violence, drugging)
Explanation of Above: The book contains some slight cursing and shows of death, arson, murder, drowning, and drugging. There is some slight blood gore and violence with fights. There is grief, PTSD, and involuntary committal shown and mentioned in the book. There is a lot of underage alcohol consumption. There is slight romance and slight mention of suicidal ideation. There is one scene that shows an animal death and blood animal gore, both to a rabbit.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 325
Synopsis: Emily Joiner was once part of an inseparable group—she was a sister, a best friend, a lover, and a rival. Summers without Emily were unthinkable. Until the fire burned the lake house to ashes with her inside.
A year later, it’s in Emily’s honor that Chelsea and her four friends decide to return. The house awaits them, meticulously rebuilt. Only, Chelsea is haunted by ghostly visions. Loner Ryan stirs up old hurts and forces golden boy Chase to play peacemaker. Which has perfect hostess Kennedy on edge as eerie events culminate in a stunning accusation: Emily’s death wasn’t an accident. And all the clues needed to find the person responsible are right here.
As old betrayals rise to the surface, Chelsea and her friends have one night to unravel a mystery spanning three summers before a killer among them exacts their revenge.
A year later, it’s in Emily’s honor that Chelsea and her four friends decide to return. The house awaits them, meticulously rebuilt. Only, Chelsea is haunted by ghostly visions. Loner Ryan stirs up old hurts and forces golden boy Chase to play peacemaker. Which has perfect hostess Kennedy on edge as eerie events culminate in a stunning accusation: Emily’s death wasn’t an accident. And all the clues needed to find the person responsible are right here.
As old betrayals rise to the surface, Chelsea and her friends have one night to unravel a mystery spanning three summers before a killer among them exacts their revenge.
Review: For the most part the book was pretty thrilling. The book reminded me a lot of Until Dawn and I Know What You Did Last Summer, but with a more horrific twist. The book had a lot of good twists and turns and for the most part it had a great premise. The world building was fairly well done and the book is definitely one that will keep you intrigued throughout.
However, I felt like the character development was very poor. The book didn’t explain everyone’s motives well and they just weren’t well formed. I also thought the book was confusing, which I think can be a good plot device, but wasn’t well executed in this book. While I know now about this friend group, in the beginning there are just too many things off about the group and it can deter readers from continuing the book. I think if the twist was shown earlier in the novel and then played with a bit more, than it wouldn’t have been so off-putting in the beginning. The book also had a great deal of an info dump at the end and I didn’t like that. I think if the flashbacks were scattered more throughout the book then it would have worked better.
Verdict: It was ok.
emotional
informative
inspiring
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 this arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Science of Being Angry
Author: Nicole Melleby
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: 2 moms, f/f romances, IVF and anonymous donor MC and siblings, Queer MC
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, contemporary, LGBT, mental health, family
Publication Date: May 10, 2022
Genre: MG Contemporary
Age Relevance: 9+ (violence, slight romance)
Explanation of Above: There is some light violence in this book, with our MC who pushes and shoves people. Sometimes stuff is thrown too. There is also a very slight romance.
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Pages: 276
Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Joey is angry. All the time. And she doesn’t understand why. She has two loving moms, a supportive older half brother, and, as a triplet, she’s never without company. Her life is good. But sometimes she loses her temper and lashes out, like the time she threw a soccer ball—hard—at a boy in gym class and bruised his collarbone. Or when jealousy made her push her (former) best friend (and crush), Layla, a little bit too roughly.
After a meltdown at Joey’s apartment building leads to her family’s eviction, Joey is desperate to figure out why she’s so mad. A new unit in science class makes her wonder if the reason is genetics. Does she lose control because of something she inherited from the donor her mothers chose?
Review: I really REALLY loved this book. It was such a good book in showing how sometimes kids are angry because of genetics or things outside of the (very wrong) assumption that “they’re just bad kids”. The MC has good intentions, but sometimes she just gets mad because of things outside of her control. I loved that the root of the anger was discussed at the end and that the whole family apologized to each other for the way they all contributed to the MC’s anger. I especially loved how it showed the family having fights and showing that it was ok to fight or disagree sometimes with each other. The book also did so good in discussing ancestry and genetics, but also discussed how “non-traditional” families in several different forms. The explanation of IVF and the anonymous donor was very well done and very well explained for children to understand the basic concept. The book also did well to show how well this family in the book works, which sets the example for how families do and can look like. I also thought the romance was so sweet and adorable. The character development was well done, the world building was well done, the writing was amazing, and the book just draws you in and refuses to let you go. I highly suggest tissues when you read this.
The only issue I had with the book is that I wish the diagnosis was shared to the audience, but I did love that many different things were thrown out there and several coping mechanisms discussed so other kids who are also dealing with this could see their own mental health journey in this book.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Book: The Science of Being Angry
Author: Nicole Melleby
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: 2 moms, f/f romances, IVF and anonymous donor MC and siblings, Queer MC
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, contemporary, LGBT, mental health, family
Publication Date: May 10, 2022
Genre: MG Contemporary
Age Relevance: 9+ (violence, slight romance)
Explanation of Above: There is some light violence in this book, with our MC who pushes and shoves people. Sometimes stuff is thrown too. There is also a very slight romance.
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Pages: 276
Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Joey is angry. All the time. And she doesn’t understand why. She has two loving moms, a supportive older half brother, and, as a triplet, she’s never without company. Her life is good. But sometimes she loses her temper and lashes out, like the time she threw a soccer ball—hard—at a boy in gym class and bruised his collarbone. Or when jealousy made her push her (former) best friend (and crush), Layla, a little bit too roughly.
After a meltdown at Joey’s apartment building leads to her family’s eviction, Joey is desperate to figure out why she’s so mad. A new unit in science class makes her wonder if the reason is genetics. Does she lose control because of something she inherited from the donor her mothers chose?
Review: I really REALLY loved this book. It was such a good book in showing how sometimes kids are angry because of genetics or things outside of the (very wrong) assumption that “they’re just bad kids”. The MC has good intentions, but sometimes she just gets mad because of things outside of her control. I loved that the root of the anger was discussed at the end and that the whole family apologized to each other for the way they all contributed to the MC’s anger. I especially loved how it showed the family having fights and showing that it was ok to fight or disagree sometimes with each other. The book also did so good in discussing ancestry and genetics, but also discussed how “non-traditional” families in several different forms. The explanation of IVF and the anonymous donor was very well done and very well explained for children to understand the basic concept. The book also did well to show how well this family in the book works, which sets the example for how families do and can look like. I also thought the romance was so sweet and adorable. The character development was well done, the world building was well done, the writing was amazing, and the book just draws you in and refuses to let you go. I highly suggest tissues when you read this.
The only issue I had with the book is that I wish the diagnosis was shared to the audience, but I did love that many different things were thrown out there and several coping mechanisms discussed so other kids who are also dealing with this could see their own mental health journey in this book.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and then I bought my own copy of the book. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School
Author: Sonora Reyes
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Mexican characters, Indigenous Person of Mexico Lesbian MC, Indigenous Person of Mexico Bisexual character, Chinese Adopted Queer Character, Navajo Indigenous Atheist Character, Black character
Recommended For...:young adult readers, contemporary, romance, LGBT
Publication Date: May 17, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 15+ (language, gore, violence, religion, deportation, parentification, micro aggressions, racism, abortion, forced outing, homophobia, underage consumption of alcohol, depression, sexual content, suicide, suicide ideation, religious trauma, romance)
Explanation of Above: The book has themes of religion (Catholicism), which mentioned all throughout the book, and religious trauma, which is shown, and how it influences people to be hateful towards those who don’t fit their perceived mold of how a person should be. This is especially evident in the homophobia shown in the book and the forced outtings. There is some slight gore with vomit and blood mentioned and some violence shown with punching a mirror and fist fights mentioned, as well as a lot of cursing. Suicide is mentioned, Depression is shown, and ideation is mentioned as well. Deportation is mentioned throughout the book, as well as racism (which is also shown) and micro agressions (which is also shown). Parentification, in the form of being forced to parent a younger sibling is shown in the book. Abortion is briefly mentioned, as well as sexual content (virginity), and there is a scene where underage characters consume alcohol and are drunk. There is also slight romance in this book.
Publisher: Balzer and Bray
Pages: 385
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Yamilet Flores prefers drawing attention for her killer eyeliner, not for being the new kid at a mostly white, very rich, Catholic school. But at least here no one knows she's gay, and Yami intends to keep it that way. After being outed by her crush and ex-best friend, she could use the fresh start.
At Slayton Catholic, Yami has new priorities: make her mom proud, keep her brother out of trouble, and most importantly, don't fall in love. Granted, she's never been great at any of those things, but that’s a problem for Future Yami.
The thing is, it’s hard to fake being straight when Bo, the only openly queer girl at school, is so annoyingly perfect. And smart. And talented. And cute. Either way, Yami isn’t going to make the same mistake again. If word got back to her mom, she could face a lot worse than rejection. So she’ll have to start asking, WWSGD: What would a straight girl do?
Told in a captivating voice that is by turns hilarious, vulnerable, and searingly honest, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School explores the joys and heartaches of living your full truth out loud.
Review: I really liked this book! It was a sweet story about a girl who’s having to deal with the perceived notions of who she should be and what she is at heart. The book is equal parts heartbreaking as it is victorious and I found myself cheering for Yamilet everytime she had a little victory with being her genuine self. The book heavily reminds me of Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and Furia. I loved all of the twists and turns in the story, as those who I thought would be endgame was not and those who I had no hope for became more than I expected. I also loved the theme of “you should have been there” which plays a lot in Yamilet’s family and how they expected her to act, but also how she expected them to act. The character development was well done and the world building was great. The pacing was on point and the premise immediately drew me in and refused to let me go. The book is absolutely gorgeous inside and out and I highly recommend this read.
The only issue I had with the book is that I wished there was more romance in the book as it did take a long time to get to that part, and I wished that there was a good conclusion with a certain character I had high hopes for. I loved what the family did to that character, but I wished that there was a tidbit at the end as to what their motives were and if they got around to accepting the situation.
Verdict: It was amazing! Highly recommend!
Book: The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School
Author: Sonora Reyes
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Mexican characters, Indigenous Person of Mexico Lesbian MC, Indigenous Person of Mexico Bisexual character, Chinese Adopted Queer Character, Navajo Indigenous Atheist Character, Black character
Recommended For...:young adult readers, contemporary, romance, LGBT
Publication Date: May 17, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 15+ (language, gore, violence, religion, deportation, parentification, micro aggressions, racism, abortion, forced outing, homophobia, underage consumption of alcohol, depression, sexual content, suicide, suicide ideation, religious trauma, romance)
Explanation of Above: The book has themes of religion (Catholicism), which mentioned all throughout the book, and religious trauma, which is shown, and how it influences people to be hateful towards those who don’t fit their perceived mold of how a person should be. This is especially evident in the homophobia shown in the book and the forced outtings. There is some slight gore with vomit and blood mentioned and some violence shown with punching a mirror and fist fights mentioned, as well as a lot of cursing. Suicide is mentioned, Depression is shown, and ideation is mentioned as well. Deportation is mentioned throughout the book, as well as racism (which is also shown) and micro agressions (which is also shown). Parentification, in the form of being forced to parent a younger sibling is shown in the book. Abortion is briefly mentioned, as well as sexual content (virginity), and there is a scene where underage characters consume alcohol and are drunk. There is also slight romance in this book.
Publisher: Balzer and Bray
Pages: 385
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Yamilet Flores prefers drawing attention for her killer eyeliner, not for being the new kid at a mostly white, very rich, Catholic school. But at least here no one knows she's gay, and Yami intends to keep it that way. After being outed by her crush and ex-best friend, she could use the fresh start.
At Slayton Catholic, Yami has new priorities: make her mom proud, keep her brother out of trouble, and most importantly, don't fall in love. Granted, she's never been great at any of those things, but that’s a problem for Future Yami.
The thing is, it’s hard to fake being straight when Bo, the only openly queer girl at school, is so annoyingly perfect. And smart. And talented. And cute. Either way, Yami isn’t going to make the same mistake again. If word got back to her mom, she could face a lot worse than rejection. So she’ll have to start asking, WWSGD: What would a straight girl do?
Told in a captivating voice that is by turns hilarious, vulnerable, and searingly honest, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School explores the joys and heartaches of living your full truth out loud.
Review: I really liked this book! It was a sweet story about a girl who’s having to deal with the perceived notions of who she should be and what she is at heart. The book is equal parts heartbreaking as it is victorious and I found myself cheering for Yamilet everytime she had a little victory with being her genuine self. The book heavily reminds me of Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and Furia. I loved all of the twists and turns in the story, as those who I thought would be endgame was not and those who I had no hope for became more than I expected. I also loved the theme of “you should have been there” which plays a lot in Yamilet’s family and how they expected her to act, but also how she expected them to act. The character development was well done and the world building was great. The pacing was on point and the premise immediately drew me in and refused to let me go. The book is absolutely gorgeous inside and out and I highly recommend this read.
The only issue I had with the book is that I wished there was more romance in the book as it did take a long time to get to that part, and I wished that there was a good conclusion with a certain character I had high hopes for. I loved what the family did to that character, but I wished that there was a tidbit at the end as to what their motives were and if they got around to accepting the situation.
Verdict: It was amazing! Highly recommend!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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 this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Dead End Girls
Author: Wendy Heard
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Queer MC, Queer trans side character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, thriller, LGBT, Thelma and Louise
Publication Date: May 10, 2022
Genre: YA Thriller
Age Relevance: 16+ (death, language, disordered eating, fatphobia, romance, running away, drug use, attempted overdose, underage alcohol consumption, gore, violence, sexual harassment, murder, sexual content, gaslighting, emotional abuse, child abuse, attempted murder)
Explanation of Above: This book contains death, murder, attempted murder, gore in the form of some blood and vomit, and violence in the form of stabbing and car accidents. There is moderate cursing in the book. Disordered eating is shown and mentioned, as well as fatphobic comments said to the MC. There is also gaslighting, emotional abuse to a child, and child abuse shown in the book. The book centers around characters who run away from home. There is some romance in the book and some slight sexual content. There is also drug use shown, underage alcohol consumption shown, sexual harassment mentioned and shown, and an attempted overdose shown.
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Pages: 336
Synopsis: In one week, Maude will be dead. At least, that’s what she wants everyone to think. After years of research, Maude has decided to fake her own death. She’s figured out the how, the when, the where, and who will help her unsuspectingly.
The why is complex: revenge, partly. Her terrible parents deserve this. But there’s also l’appel du vide, the call of the void, that beckons her toward a new life where she will be tied to no one, free and adrift. Then Frankie, a step-cousin she barely knows, figures out what she’s plotting, and the plan seems like it’s ruined. Except Frankie doesn’t want to rat her out. Frankie wants in. The girls vault into the unknown, risking everything for a new and limitless life. But there are some things you can never run away from. What if the poison is not in the soil, but in the roots?
This pulse-pounding thriller offers a nuanced exploration of identity, freedom, and falling in love while your world falls apart.
Review: I really liked this book! It was a fun Thelma and Louise themed book centering around two characters who have fairly bad spaces at home, one more toxic than the other, and their attempt to make their own way in the world ala faking their own death and then having to become a little murderous. The book is Multi-POV with Frankie’s scenes being more of a flashback at what led them to this conclusion currently in the book. The character development was well done as was the world building. And overall I loved the book and had so much fun with it. It kept me on the edge of my seat as I questioned how the characters would get out of the mess they kept making for themselves and I will say that the ending is satisfying.
The only issue I had with the book is that when the scenes would cut to Frankie the voice was a little hard to distinguish from Maude and the back and forth nature of the book is a little confusing at first. You have to pay attention to the headings at the top of the chapters, which is always my arch nemesis.
Verdict: It was great!
Book: Dead End Girls
Author: Wendy Heard
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Queer MC, Queer trans side character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, thriller, LGBT, Thelma and Louise
Publication Date: May 10, 2022
Genre: YA Thriller
Age Relevance: 16+ (death, language, disordered eating, fatphobia, romance, running away, drug use, attempted overdose, underage alcohol consumption, gore, violence, sexual harassment, murder, sexual content, gaslighting, emotional abuse, child abuse, attempted murder)
Explanation of Above: This book contains death, murder, attempted murder, gore in the form of some blood and vomit, and violence in the form of stabbing and car accidents. There is moderate cursing in the book. Disordered eating is shown and mentioned, as well as fatphobic comments said to the MC. There is also gaslighting, emotional abuse to a child, and child abuse shown in the book. The book centers around characters who run away from home. There is some romance in the book and some slight sexual content. There is also drug use shown, underage alcohol consumption shown, sexual harassment mentioned and shown, and an attempted overdose shown.
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Pages: 336
Synopsis: In one week, Maude will be dead. At least, that’s what she wants everyone to think. After years of research, Maude has decided to fake her own death. She’s figured out the how, the when, the where, and who will help her unsuspectingly.
The why is complex: revenge, partly. Her terrible parents deserve this. But there’s also l’appel du vide, the call of the void, that beckons her toward a new life where she will be tied to no one, free and adrift. Then Frankie, a step-cousin she barely knows, figures out what she’s plotting, and the plan seems like it’s ruined. Except Frankie doesn’t want to rat her out. Frankie wants in. The girls vault into the unknown, risking everything for a new and limitless life. But there are some things you can never run away from. What if the poison is not in the soil, but in the roots?
This pulse-pounding thriller offers a nuanced exploration of identity, freedom, and falling in love while your world falls apart.
Review: I really liked this book! It was a fun Thelma and Louise themed book centering around two characters who have fairly bad spaces at home, one more toxic than the other, and their attempt to make their own way in the world ala faking their own death and then having to become a little murderous. The book is Multi-POV with Frankie’s scenes being more of a flashback at what led them to this conclusion currently in the book. The character development was well done as was the world building. And overall I loved the book and had so much fun with it. It kept me on the edge of my seat as I questioned how the characters would get out of the mess they kept making for themselves and I will say that the ending is satisfying.
The only issue I had with the book is that when the scenes would cut to Frankie the voice was a little hard to distinguish from Maude and the back and forth nature of the book is a little confusing at first. You have to pay attention to the headings at the top of the chapters, which is always my arch nemesis.
Verdict: It was great!
emotional
informative
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Blackwolf
Author: Phil Gilvin
Book Series: Truth Sister Book 2
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: dystopian, feminism, sci-fi
Publication Date: April 27, 2022
Genre: Dystopian Sci-Fi
Age Relevance: 16+ (climate change, sexism, violence, gore, language, sexual content, plague, sickness)
Explanation of Above: The book discusses climate change and contains a plague and worldwide sickness in the book. There is sexism and sexual content in the book. There is some violence and gore. There is also some cursing.
Publisher: Aelurus Publishing
Pages: 300
Synopsis: What is truth in a world of lies?
Added to the deteriorating climate and dwindling energy, a wave of plagues is sweeping Britain. But while the Women’s Republic of Anglia attempts to keep cloning going, former Truth Sister Clara Perdue plans to help her mother escape from prison. But can she succeed against the Republic’s prohibition on Naturals?
Meanwhile, Jack Pike has fallen in with a warlike chieftain in the disputed territory between Anglia and Wessex. Drawn into a fight that they cannot win, will he and his friends survive?
And when Clara and Jack’s paths cross again, can they put the past behind them and trust each other once more?
Review: For the most part I thought this was a pretty good book. I liked the premise of it and was instantly drawn into it. The book had a Handmaid’s Tale feel to it and I liked it overall. The book had decent character development and world building. I liked where the story was going for the most part and how it had parallels to the real world.
However, I didn’t realize it was the second in a series and I think reading the first book would help in comprehension of this book. I thought that while the book was really reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, I also had the same hesitation of this book that I do with THT: that the events shown are a parody or callback to events in time that have actually happened to BIPOC women, but the story doesn’t have a lot of BIPOC characters. I also didn’t see trans men or women in the book and in an era of feminism literature where a lot of authors are writing about dystopian worlds where women and/or men are killed off/enslaved needs to address all levels of intersectionality. I also felt that the book was a bit too fast paced for my liking.
Verdict: It’s ok.
Book: Blackwolf
Author: Phil Gilvin
Book Series: Truth Sister Book 2
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: dystopian, feminism, sci-fi
Publication Date: April 27, 2022
Genre: Dystopian Sci-Fi
Age Relevance: 16+ (climate change, sexism, violence, gore, language, sexual content, plague, sickness)
Explanation of Above: The book discusses climate change and contains a plague and worldwide sickness in the book. There is sexism and sexual content in the book. There is some violence and gore. There is also some cursing.
Publisher: Aelurus Publishing
Pages: 300
Synopsis: What is truth in a world of lies?
Added to the deteriorating climate and dwindling energy, a wave of plagues is sweeping Britain. But while the Women’s Republic of Anglia attempts to keep cloning going, former Truth Sister Clara Perdue plans to help her mother escape from prison. But can she succeed against the Republic’s prohibition on Naturals?
Meanwhile, Jack Pike has fallen in with a warlike chieftain in the disputed territory between Anglia and Wessex. Drawn into a fight that they cannot win, will he and his friends survive?
And when Clara and Jack’s paths cross again, can they put the past behind them and trust each other once more?
Review: For the most part I thought this was a pretty good book. I liked the premise of it and was instantly drawn into it. The book had a Handmaid’s Tale feel to it and I liked it overall. The book had decent character development and world building. I liked where the story was going for the most part and how it had parallels to the real world.
However, I didn’t realize it was the second in a series and I think reading the first book would help in comprehension of this book. I thought that while the book was really reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, I also had the same hesitation of this book that I do with THT: that the events shown are a parody or callback to events in time that have actually happened to BIPOC women, but the story doesn’t have a lot of BIPOC characters. I also didn’t see trans men or women in the book and in an era of feminism literature where a lot of authors are writing about dystopian worlds where women and/or men are killed off/enslaved needs to address all levels of intersectionality. I also felt that the book was a bit too fast paced for my liking.
Verdict: It’s ok.
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Disclaimer: I received this finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: One Hundred Percent Me
Author: Renee Macalino Rutledge
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Puerto Rican Filipino MC, Asian Latino side character, Indian Kenyan side character, Mexican side character
Recommended For...: children, babies, picture book, multiculturalism, diversity, ancestry
Publication Date: May 3, 2022
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Age Relevance: 0+
Explanation of Above: While the book does talk about themes of multiculturalism that might not be understood by babies, it’s still a great book with tons of pictures to show them and have them grow up knowing the story. Perfect for 4-8 year olds learning to read as well!
Publisher: Bloom Books for Young Readers
Pages: 32
Synopsis: It can be confusing to be a child of mixed race. As the little girl moves through daily life in the big city, she hears some people say she looks more like her Puerto Rican dad, while others claim she takes after her Filipina mom. Should she favor one identity over the other? No! In fact, honoring every facet of her identity equally becomes the main character’s favorite affirmation. This beautifully illustrated book about celebrating differences, claiming our belonging, and acknowledging our heritage encourages all readers to embrace the fact that we are all 100% ourselves.
Review: I really loved this adorable book! It did so good to talk about multiculturalism and ancestry in an easy-to-understand way for children. I’d love to see more books talk about multiculturalism and normalize it more in children’s books. I also loved that the book featured so much diversity in it and it really offered a great chance for a multitude of children to see themselves in the book. The illustrations were adorable as well and this is a highly recommended book from me.
Verdict: I highly recommend this one for you and your little ones!
Book: One Hundred Percent Me
Author: Renee Macalino Rutledge
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Puerto Rican Filipino MC, Asian Latino side character, Indian Kenyan side character, Mexican side character
Recommended For...: children, babies, picture book, multiculturalism, diversity, ancestry
Publication Date: May 3, 2022
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Age Relevance: 0+
Explanation of Above: While the book does talk about themes of multiculturalism that might not be understood by babies, it’s still a great book with tons of pictures to show them and have them grow up knowing the story. Perfect for 4-8 year olds learning to read as well!
Publisher: Bloom Books for Young Readers
Pages: 32
Synopsis: It can be confusing to be a child of mixed race. As the little girl moves through daily life in the big city, she hears some people say she looks more like her Puerto Rican dad, while others claim she takes after her Filipina mom. Should she favor one identity over the other? No! In fact, honoring every facet of her identity equally becomes the main character’s favorite affirmation. This beautifully illustrated book about celebrating differences, claiming our belonging, and acknowledging our heritage encourages all readers to embrace the fact that we are all 100% ourselves.
Review: I really loved this adorable book! It did so good to talk about multiculturalism and ancestry in an easy-to-understand way for children. I’d love to see more books talk about multiculturalism and normalize it more in children’s books. I also loved that the book featured so much diversity in it and it really offered a great chance for a multitude of children to see themselves in the book. The illustrations were adorable as well and this is a highly recommended book from me.
Verdict: I highly recommend this one for you and your little ones!
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Nate Plus One
Author: Kevin van Whye
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Gay Black (South African ancestry) MC, Black characters, South African characters, bisexual/queer characters, M/M romance
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, travel ,school band, Wedding plus one trope, LGBT, m/m romance
Publication Date: May 10, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (romance, underage alcohol consumption, racism, parental death, grief, homophobia, animal death, language, sexual content, apartheid, child abuse)
Explanation of Above: There is romance in this book, as it’s a YA contemporary romance. There is some small scenes and mentions of underage alcohol consumption. Racism is mentioned in the book and some slight homophobia is shown. There is a parental death mentioned in the book and grief is shown occasionally in the text. There is an animal death shown in the book and it’s a goldfish. There are a couple of curse words in the book. There is slight sexual content, with one fade to black sex scene. Apartheid is mentioned in the book and there is some exploration into what happened in South Africa. There are also allusions to child abuse in the book.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 256
Synopsis: Nate needs a date to his cousin's wedding. Jai is Nate's best friend and secret crush. Could Jai be Nate's plus-one--and only?
Nate Hargraves is a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. That's why he dreams of being a songwriter instead of a singer. But things change the summer after junior year as Nate gets ready to fly to South Africa for his cousin's lavish destination wedding. The trip is bound to be epic. Except--Nate just found out that his ex-boyfriend will be at the reception. Ugh. He does not want to face this one solo.
Jai Patel, Nate's best friend (and secret crush), has his own problems. The lead singer of Jai's band, Infinite Sorrow, quit weeks before a contest that promised to be their big break. But Nate rocks Jai's world when he agrees to sing with the band. Even though Nate's not one for the spotlight, he knows this is the kind of stuff you do for . . . friends. In return, Jai volunteers to be Nate's travel buddy around South Africa, a buffer against his ex, and his plus-one at the wedding.
Maybe this summer will be epic after all. Now that Nate's crush is on board, will love crash the party? Fall in love with this joyful, swoon-worthy rom-com by the author of Date Me, Bryson Keller.
Review: For the most part I really liked this book. It was a cute romance and it contained a lot of things I love: school bands, wedding plus one trope, and getting over an ex/reconciliation with your past. I thought the messages in the book were well done, especially in dealing with homophobic family members and exes who want to get back together. The book was sweet and it showed an adorable romance. I also really appreciate that this book showcases two BIPOC queer male characters and I hope to see a lot more in the future. Every reader should be able to see themselves in a multitude of books. The character development was good and the world building was great. I loved the premise of the book and it’s a book I could see myself rereading if I needed a pick-me-up.
However, I thought while the book was good, it really struggled with an overall plot. There were about 3-4 different plot points in the book and they weren’t that cohesive. The book would solve one and there would be an awkward lull until we got to the next one. The plot issue really hurt the book and it felt more like a collection of stories about this character’s dating journey than an overall novel.
Verdict: It was good! Highly recommend.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: In Search of a Prince
Author: Toni Shiloh
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Smut Rating: 0/5
Diversity: Black MC and characters
Recommended For...: Christian, romance, contemporary, royalty
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Genre: Christian Romance
Age Relevance: 15+ (romance, religion, death, grief, slavery, depression, gore, HP content)
Explanation of Above: There is romance in the book, but there is no smut. There are some light kissing and it would be defined as “clean”. The book is religious and religion is very entrenched in this book. There are mentions of death and some grief is shown in the book. There are a couple of mentions of slavery and the oppression of Black people. There are a few mentions of depression and some slight gore involving vomit and blood. There is also one HP reference in the book.
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Brielle Adebayo is fully content teaching at a New York City public school and taking annual summer vacations with her mother to Martha's Vineyard. But everything changes when her mom drops the mother of all bombshells--Brielle is a princess in the kingdom of Ọlọrọ Ilé, Africa, and she must immediately assume her royal position, since the health of her grandfather, King Tiwa Jimoh Adebayo, is failing.
Distraught by her mother's betrayal, Brielle is further left spinning when the Ọlọrọ Ilé Royal Council brings up an old edict that states she must marry before assuming the throne or the crown will be passed to another. Uncertain who to choose from the council's list of bachelors, she struggles with the decision along with the weight of her new role in a new country. With her world totally shaken, she must take a chance on love and brave the perils a wrong decision may bring.
Review: I really liked this story! I thought the book was absolutely beautiful and I loved the Princess Diary feel of the book! The book would be perfect for someone who is looking for smut-free romance and is wanting something that’s not white-centered. The premise is intriguing and I just had to know what was going to happen next. The book had a great story and the pacing was on point. I liked the character development and the world building was fairly well done as well.
However, I did have a couple of issues with the book. I did find one mention of HP in the book, which is a huge no-no in my reviewing process because of JKR’s stance against trans people, her active campaigning against trans people, and other issues the author has that is problematic. I also didn’t realize how religious this book was as a whole when I picked it up. The book does have progressive moments, which I highly appreciated and it made for an easier read for me, but there is a lot of religion in the book and it would be classified as a Christian Romance.
Verdict: It’s good!
Book: In Search of a Prince
Author: Toni Shiloh
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Smut Rating: 0/5
Diversity: Black MC and characters
Recommended For...: Christian, romance, contemporary, royalty
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Genre: Christian Romance
Age Relevance: 15+ (romance, religion, death, grief, slavery, depression, gore, HP content)
Explanation of Above: There is romance in the book, but there is no smut. There are some light kissing and it would be defined as “clean”. The book is religious and religion is very entrenched in this book. There are mentions of death and some grief is shown in the book. There are a couple of mentions of slavery and the oppression of Black people. There are a few mentions of depression and some slight gore involving vomit and blood. There is also one HP reference in the book.
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Brielle Adebayo is fully content teaching at a New York City public school and taking annual summer vacations with her mother to Martha's Vineyard. But everything changes when her mom drops the mother of all bombshells--Brielle is a princess in the kingdom of Ọlọrọ Ilé, Africa, and she must immediately assume her royal position, since the health of her grandfather, King Tiwa Jimoh Adebayo, is failing.
Distraught by her mother's betrayal, Brielle is further left spinning when the Ọlọrọ Ilé Royal Council brings up an old edict that states she must marry before assuming the throne or the crown will be passed to another. Uncertain who to choose from the council's list of bachelors, she struggles with the decision along with the weight of her new role in a new country. With her world totally shaken, she must take a chance on love and brave the perils a wrong decision may bring.
Review: I really liked this story! I thought the book was absolutely beautiful and I loved the Princess Diary feel of the book! The book would be perfect for someone who is looking for smut-free romance and is wanting something that’s not white-centered. The premise is intriguing and I just had to know what was going to happen next. The book had a great story and the pacing was on point. I liked the character development and the world building was fairly well done as well.
However, I did have a couple of issues with the book. I did find one mention of HP in the book, which is a huge no-no in my reviewing process because of JKR’s stance against trans people, her active campaigning against trans people, and other issues the author has that is problematic. I also didn’t realize how religious this book was as a whole when I picked it up. The book does have progressive moments, which I highly appreciated and it made for an easier read for me, but there is a lot of religion in the book and it would be classified as a Christian Romance.
Verdict: It’s good!
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
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 physical copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor
Author: Xiran Jay Zhao
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Muslim Chinese MC and side character, Chinese side characters
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, Chinese, Chinese history and mythology
Publication Date: May 10, 2022
Genre: MC Fantasy
Age Relevance: 12+ (racism, micro aggressions, possession, violence, death, scary moments)
Explanation of Above: There is some racism and micro aggressions shown throughout the book toward the MC. Possession by ancient ancestor is shown. There is some small violence and death in the book. There are also some scary moments that might scare some younger readers.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 340
Synopsis: A middle grade contemporary fantasy that follows a young boy as he journeys across China to seal the underworld shut and save the mortal realm.
Zachary Ying never had many opportunities to learn about his Chinese heritage. His single mom was busy enough making sure they got by, and his schools never taught anything except Western history and myths. So Zack is woefully unprepared when he discovers he was born to host the spirit of the First Emperor of China for a vital mission: sealing the leaking portal to the Chinese underworld before the upcoming Ghost Month blows it wide open.
The mission takes an immediate wrong turn when the First Emperor botches his attempt to possess Zack’s body and binds to Zack’s AR gaming headset instead, leading to a battle where Zack’s mom’s soul gets taken by demons. Now, with one of history’s most infamous tyrants yapping in his headset, Zack must journey across China to heist magical artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth, all while learning to wield the emperor’s incredible water dragon powers.
And if Zack can’t finish the mission in time, the spirits of the underworld will flood into the mortal realm, and he could lose his mom forever
Review: For the most part this was a great book! I loved the storyline, it was unique and had a very interesting premise. I thought that the magic system and how the information was overlaid to Zachary was also interesting and well done. It’s a fun read that I think most kids would highly enjoy and one that I think that could use to help learn about the Chinese Emperors. The characters are also well developed and the world building was as well.
However, I had issue connecting to the book. I thought the book was a bit too fast paced and it took me a bit to get into it because of that pacing.
Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!
Book: Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor
Author: Xiran Jay Zhao
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Muslim Chinese MC and side character, Chinese side characters
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, Chinese, Chinese history and mythology
Publication Date: May 10, 2022
Genre: MC Fantasy
Age Relevance: 12+ (racism, micro aggressions, possession, violence, death, scary moments)
Explanation of Above: There is some racism and micro aggressions shown throughout the book toward the MC. Possession by ancient ancestor is shown. There is some small violence and death in the book. There are also some scary moments that might scare some younger readers.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 340
Synopsis: A middle grade contemporary fantasy that follows a young boy as he journeys across China to seal the underworld shut and save the mortal realm.
Zachary Ying never had many opportunities to learn about his Chinese heritage. His single mom was busy enough making sure they got by, and his schools never taught anything except Western history and myths. So Zack is woefully unprepared when he discovers he was born to host the spirit of the First Emperor of China for a vital mission: sealing the leaking portal to the Chinese underworld before the upcoming Ghost Month blows it wide open.
The mission takes an immediate wrong turn when the First Emperor botches his attempt to possess Zack’s body and binds to Zack’s AR gaming headset instead, leading to a battle where Zack’s mom’s soul gets taken by demons. Now, with one of history’s most infamous tyrants yapping in his headset, Zack must journey across China to heist magical artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth, all while learning to wield the emperor’s incredible water dragon powers.
And if Zack can’t finish the mission in time, the spirits of the underworld will flood into the mortal realm, and he could lose his mom forever
Review: For the most part this was a great book! I loved the storyline, it was unique and had a very interesting premise. I thought that the magic system and how the information was overlaid to Zachary was also interesting and well done. It’s a fun read that I think most kids would highly enjoy and one that I think that could use to help learn about the Chinese Emperors. The characters are also well developed and the world building was as well.
However, I had issue connecting to the book. I thought the book was a bit too fast paced and it took me a bit to get into it because of that pacing.
Verdict: It was great! Highly recommend!
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Girl Overboard
Author: Sandra Block
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4.5/5
Diversity: Queer side character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, thriller, mystery, cruise ship, travel
Publication Date: May 3, 2022
Genre: YA Thriller Mystery
Age Relevance: 16+ (suicide, underage alcohol consumption, language, sexting, drug use, poisoning, kidnapping, rape)
Explanation of Above: Suicide is mentioned as a possibility a few times in the book. There is alcohol consumption by minors mentioned, not shown in the book. There is some slight sexting shown in the book and drug use is mentioned by adults. There is a poisoning scene shown and kidnapping is also shown. Rape is also mentioned.
Publisher: Underlined
Pages: 288
Synopsis: Izzy is reaching peak boredom on a cruise with her parents until she meets daring new friend Jade, with whom Izzy can barely keep up. But a shock wave runs through the cruise ship when Jade goes missing in the middle of the night, leaving behind a cryptic note.
Izzy digs deeper into Jade’s disappearance, but someone doesn’t want to find the truth. And if she’s not careful, Izzy might not get off this ship alive . . .
Review: For the most part I thought the book was really good. I liked the mystery aspect of the book and I thought it was a well thought-out plot with a lot of good twists. The book had a great moment that showed the incompetence of cops, showing that a well known trope is not factual at all which is very important for teens to learn nowadays. I also liked how the book didn’t have the typical romance aspect and it really focused on the tight friendship the girls develop with each other in the span of a couple of days, also I love the girl helping girl message behind the book. The book had a great premise and the story kept me hooked until the end. The book had great character development and world building as well.
However, the most random thing of the book is what keeps me from making this a 5/5. I thought it was so strange that the book had so many days at sea. Why are there so many days at sea in this book for it to be set in the Caribbean on a cruise ship? Like… I feel like I missed something but at the same time I don’t. There were only 2 days at port… for a cruise ship… in the Caribbean. I felt like the real mystery of this book is why the cruise ship captain keeps sailing around in what appears to be circles. Maybe that was a hint as to the twist at the end but it was very weird choice and makes me think that the book wasn’t as well developed as I thought. I also felt the book was super fast paced and while it was a great read, I thought it could have been slowed down for a bit.
Verdict: It’s great!