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

Book: I Wish I Had A Wookie

Author: Ian Doescher

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Many different people of color characters shown throughout the book

Recommended For...: children, picture book, poetry, Star Wars

Publication Date: September 28, 2021

Genre: Children’s Picture Book Poetry

Age Relevance: 0+ (poems and picture book)

Explanation of Above: It’s a poetry picture book about Star Wars!

Publisher: Quirk Books

Pages: 128

Synopsis: In "My Pet AT-AT," a ten-year-old dreams of playing hide and seek and fetch with an AT-AT. In "Dad's Luke Skywalker Figurine," a child opens their dad's untouched action figure but, instead of getting into trouble, helps their dad re-discover his own sense of play. In "T-16 Dreams," a little girl imagines herself flying through the galaxy, the Empire hot on her trail, to help with her real-world fear of flying.

Set in the hearts and minds of young children who love Star Wars, and filled with the characters you know and love, I Wish I Had a Wookiee is the perfect gift for the young Star Wars fan--and the young at heart.

Review: I absolutely loved this book so much! It was a fun Star Wars themed read and so inclusive as well! The book had so many fun poems about the Force and the characters we see throughout the series (not just the movies, but more as well) and if you’re a geeky family then this would be a fun addition to your bedtime routine reads!

Verdict: Highly recommend!

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

Book: The GayBCs

Author: M.L. Webb

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: LGBT characters

Recommended For...: picture book, children’s, ABCs, LGBT

Publication Date: October 8, 2019

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Age Relevance: 0+

Explanation of Above: It’s a picture book!

Publisher: Quirk Books

Pages: 32

Synopsis: Now in board book format, a joyful alphabet book of LGBTQ+ vocabulary for kids of all ages!

A playdate extravaganza transforms into a joyful celebration of friendship, love, and identity as four young friends sashay out of all the closets, dress up in a wardrobe fit for kings and queens, and discover the wonders of their imagination. In The GayBCs, M. L. Webb’s playful illustrations and lively poems delight in the beauty of embracing one’s truest self—from A is for Aro and Ace to F is for Family to T is for Trans.

The GayBCs is a heartwarming and accessible gift to show kids and adults alike that every person is worthy of being celebrated. A bonus glossary offers opportunities for further discussion of complete terms, communities, and inclusive identities.

Review: I love this book so much! It’s so adorable and I love all the inspirational messages behind the book. It does a great job to go through the ABCs and showcase some LGBT orientations and important messages as well, like family and mountains.

Verdict: Highly recommend for young children.

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

Book: Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins

Author: Karina Evans

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: middle grade readers, contemporary, puberty, periods

Publication Date: April 19, 2022

Genre: MG Contemporary

Age Relevance: 8+ (puberty)

Explanation of Above: The book deals with a character who is going through puberty including her first period.

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 304

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Tahlia Wilkins is ready to kick off the perfect summer at the popular kid's pool party. But when the Red Goddess of Panties, aka her first period, arrives 24 hours before the pool party, it messes up all her plans. To make matters worse, her mom is out of town, and there’s no way she’s going to ask her dad for help! Tahlia always feared that growing up would be tough, but this is just not fair.

In order to save herself from total embarrassment, it will take all of Tahlia and her best friend Lily’s scheming to keep her reputation—and her favorite jeans—from being ruined. Sneak off to the grocery store only to have the clerk price check your "goods" over the loudspeaker? Check. Trick your mature teenage neighbor into letting you use her bathroom to ‘rehome’ some tampons? Check. Take a dip into a fountain to ‘borrow’ some quarters for a bathroom period product dispenser? Check, check, check!

With the hilarious and heartwarming tone of Dork Diaries and the critically-acclaimed movie Eighth Grade, Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins! is a coming-of-age middle-grade novel about growing up, in all of its awkward glory.

Review: I really liked this book! It was so sweet and talked about puberty and periods in a way that I think everyone would be able to relate to. It has major Turning Red vibes and the struggles of Tahlia in dealing with her first period will be especially relatable to those who have had to deal with a period or an embarrassing moment that keeps getting worse and worse (trust me, I’ve had my own period horror days). The book is also a great example as to why every member of the family should be educated and brought up to speed on a child’s incoming puberty and/or period concerns. It’s also a great example for why a child needs to know that their parent and/or guardian will have their back and be able to help them in any way during those puberty/period moments. This would be an excellent book for parents and/or guardians to read with their young children as it would serve as a springboard for discussions on planning for those moments. It’s also a great book for young children to read on their own!

The only issue I had with the book is that I felt like it was a bit too fast paced for me, but for a young child it is perfectly paced I think.

Verdict: I love it! Highly recommend!

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

Book: Sofi and the Bone Song

Author: Adrienne Tooley

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Lesbian MC, f/f romance

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, musicians, LGBT

Publication Date: April 19, 2022

Genre: YA Fantasy

Age Relevance: 13+ (child abuse, parental death, grief, religion and prayer, romance)

Explanation of Above: There is child abuse mentioned sporadically throughout the novel and some shown. The book shows a parent’s death and the grief that follows it. There is religion and prayer mentioned throughout the book, but it’s not a real life religion. There is also some romance in the book.

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Pages: 416

Synopsis: Music runs in Sofi’s blood.

Her father is a Musik, one of only five musicians in the country licensed to compose and perform original songs. In the kingdom of Aell, where winter is endless and magic is accessible to all, there are strict anti-magic laws ensuring music remains the last untouched art.

Sofi has spent her entire life training to inherit her father’s title. But on the day of the auditions, she is presented with unexpected competition in the form of Lara, a girl who has never before played the lute. Yet somehow, to Sofi’s horror, Lara puts on a performance that thoroughly enchants the judges.

Almost like magic.

The same day Lara wins the title of Musik, Sofi’s father dies, and a grieving Sofi sets out to prove Lara is using illegal magic in her performances. But the more time she spends with Lara, the more Sofi begins to doubt everything she knows about her family, her music, and the girl she thought was her enemy.

As Sofi works to reclaim her rightful place as a Musik, she is forced to face the dark secrets of her past and the magic she was trained to avoid—all while trying not to fall for the girl who stole her future.

Review: I had heard this book was a love song to music and that description of the book is completely accurate. I absolutely loved this story and all of the musical aspects of it. The book is a sweet story about finding your own happiness and path and figuring out who you are. The book did well with the character development and world building. I also felt that the book was well written and it’s easily a new fave of mine.

The only issue I had with the book is that I felt that it was a bit fast paced. I wanted it to slow down a bit and further explore Sofi and Lara’s relationship, but it was fine as is.

Verdict: Highly recommend! I loved it!

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

Book: The Tiltersmith

Author: Amy Herrick

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: Hearing aid MC, non-descript people of color MCs and characters

Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy

Publication Date: April 5, 2022

Genre: MG Fantasy

Age Relevance: 12+ (climate change, violence, scary moments)

Explanation of Above: There is talk about climate change in the book. There are some small violence in the book, like fights and stuff, and some scary moments that might be a bit much for some younger kids.

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Pages: 320

Synopsis: Spring has arrived in Brooklyn, New York, but winter refuses to let go. Sleet, snow, and even a tornado batter the city. Mr. Ross, the science teacher, believes climate change is the cause, but classmates Edward, Feenix, Danton, and Brigit suspect older, magical forces are at work. When a peculiar character calling himself Superintendent Tiltersmith appears with a keen interest in the foursome, their suspicions are confirmed, and they’re swept up in a battle of wits and courage.

The friends must protect a set of mysterious tools belonging to the Lady of Spring. If they can free her from her underground prison, winter will end. But if the Tiltersmith steals the tools, he will keep the Lady in his power and upset the balance of nature forever.

Review: For the most part I really liked this book. The book was a fun story ala early 2000s or 1990s books, like Animorphs. It also reminded me a lot of Captain Planet as well funny enough. The book had a lot of science and STEM stuff in it, which would be great to help get kids interested in the subjects, as well as talks about climate change. The character development was good as well as the world building. I also liked the premise of the story.

However, I felt like the book was a bit too fast paced for my liking and I wished that some things were just slowed down a bit to better explain some things. I also didn’t like the use of the switching POV in this book as it confused me for a bit with the story and I felt like the characters didn’t have different voices.

Verdict: It was good!

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

Book: I’m A Wild Seed

Author: Sharon Lee De La Cruz

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Black Puerto Rican Dominican Queen female MC

Recommended For...: graphic novel, memoir, LGBT

Publication Date: February 23, 2021

Genre: Nonfiction Graphic Novel Memoir

Age Relevance: 16+ (death, violence, toxic masculinity, sexual content, alcohol consumption, language, sexual harassment)

Explanation of Above: There is death and violence mentioned in the book. There are examples and mentions of toxic masculinity and how it can be solved. There are some mentions of sexual content and actions. There is alcohol consumption shown and some cursing. There is also sexual harassment mentioned and shown.

Publisher: Street Noise Books

Pages: 85

Synopsis: In this delightfully compelling full-color graphic memoir, the author shares her process of undoing the effects of a patriarchal, colonial society on her self-image, her sexuality, and her concept of freedom. Reflecting on the ways in which oppression was the cause for her late bloom into queerness, we are invited to discover people and things in the author's life that helped shape and inform her LGBTQ identity. And we come to an understanding of her holistic definition of queerness.

Review: I really liked this book! It’s a graphic novel about queerness and finding your identity. The book discusses a lot of things in its short form, including toxic masculinity and intersectionality. I thought the book did well to touch on the topics and the illustrations were all well done. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is searching who they are or even those who are solid in their identity.

The only issue I had with the book is that it was very short and abrupt. I wanted more and I wanted more of the lessons to be fleshed out a bit.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

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

Book: This Rebel Heart

Author: Katherine Locke

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: Jewish MC and characters, Gay characters, Queer characters, Poly romance

Recommended For...: young adult readers, historical fiction, fantasy, LGBT, magical realism

Publication Date: April 5, 2022

Genre: YA Historical Fiction Fantasy

Age Relevance: 15+ (Parental Death, War, The Holocaust, Death, Violence, Gore, Grief, PTSD, Romance, Genocide, Nazism, Sexual harassment, Antisemitism, Suicide, Homophobia, Murder)

Explanation of Above: The book deals with the aftermath of WW2 and mentions it, Nazism, and the Holocaust a lot. There is also death, murder, violence, and gore shown in this book as Hungary is being controlled by Soviet police. Parental death and grief are also mentioned a lot throughout the book, as well as PTSD and genocide. There is a lot of antisemitism and homophobia in the book as well. The book also has a mention of sexual harassment and suicide. There is also some romance in this book.

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Pages: 448

Synopsis: In the middle of Budapest, there is a river. Csilla knows the river is magic. During WWII, the river kept her family safe when they needed it most--safe from the Holocaust. But that was before the Communists seized power. Before her parents were murdered by the Soviet police. Before Csilla knew things about her father's legacy that she wishes she could forget.

Now Csilla keeps her head down, planning her escape from this country that has never loved her the way she loves it. But her carefully laid plans fall to pieces when her parents are unexpectedly, publicly exonerated. As the protests in other countries spur talk of a larger revolution in Hungary, Csilla must decide if she believes in the promise and magic of her deeply flawed country enough to risk her life to help save it, or if she should let it burn to the ground.

Review: For the most part I loved this book. The book was beautifully written and details a lot of history that is mostly not discussed. The book had a great premise and an interesting twist. There is great poly representation and I enjoyed seeing LGBT characters in a historical fiction fantasy novel, which is not seen in most books like this. The characters are well developed and the world building was gorgeous. The book also had a moment in it where the intensity of The Holocaust just hit me like a ton of bricks. There is a list of names shared in the book of lost family members to this one character and it spans a page and a half. It was absolutely heartbreaking and it’s a good reminder that those people lost weren’t just data points, they were people. There’s also a quote that sums it up well: “The air I breathe is made from the ashes of my people that you burned.”

However, there were a few issues I had with the book. The book uses a lot of flowery language which was hard on me to follow at some points. The book was an unexpected fantasy for me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I also think that the book would have been a bit better if some of the historical terms were better explained, but I’m speaking from an ignorant POV as I’ve not studied this point in history.

Verdict: It was so good!

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

Book: Turning

Author: Joy L. Smith

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Paraplegic Black Depressed MC, TBI character, Hispanic character, OCD character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, realistic fiction, paraplegic MC

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Genre: YA Contemporary

Age Relevance: 16+ (language, internalized abelism, abelism, alcoholism, abortion, blackmail, domestic violence, depression, sexual content, sexual coercion, forced pregnancy, underage alcohol consumption, gore, homophobia, drugs, racism, grief, and violence)

Explanation of Above: This book talks about the MC’s change in her life after a traumatic incident leaves her paralyzed from the waist down (L1-L3 spinal cord injury) and how she reacts to it. There is a lot of discussion around abelism and internalized abelism surrounding that, as well as grieving of what she has lost due to that injury. There is a bit of cursing in the book and mentions of alcoholism in an adult character and underage alcohol consumption. There are mentions of an abortion throughout the book and how a character deals with it. There are mentions of blackmail, flashback scenes of domestic violence, gore involving blood, and violence involving punching and kicking that is shown in one scene. Depression is shown throughout the book. There are flashback scenes involving slight sexual content in the book, and mentions of sexual coercion and attempted forced pregnancy. There are a couple of insults that are homophobic thrown towards two characters. There are very small mentions of drugs in the book and racism is also slightly present as well.

Publisher: Denene Millner Books/Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Pages: 352

Synopsis: Genie used to fouetté across the stage. Now the only thing she’s turning are the wheels to her wheelchair. Genie was the star pupil at her exclusive New York dance school, with a bright future and endless possibilities before her. Now that the future she’s spent years building toward has been snatched away, she can’t stand to be reminded of it—even if it means isolating herself from her best friends and her mother. The only wish this Genie has is to be left alone.

But then she meets Kyle, who also has a “used to be.” Kyle used to tumble and flip on a gymnastics mat, but a traumatic brain injury has sent him to the same physical therapist that Genie sees. With Kyle’s support, along with her best friend’s insistence that Genie’s time at the barre isn’t over yet, Genie starts to see a new path—one where she doesn’t have to be alone and she finally has the strength to heal from the past.

But healing also means confronting. Confronting the booze her mother, a recovering alcoholic, has been hiding under the kitchen sink; the ex-boyfriend who was there the night of the fall and won’t leave her alone; and Genie’s biggest, most terrifying secret: the fact that the accident may not have been so accidental after all.

Review: For the most part I really liked this book. The book is very raw and deals with an onslaught of different emotions in the wake of an accident that leaves our MC paralyzed. She was once a ballerina, but is now facing a world where she can’t dance anymore. I thought while the book had internalized abelism that the author was able to navigate the issue well and explore the MC coming to terms with her new life. I also enjoyed how the author was able to show the dysfunctional relationship and bit of generational trauma in the MC. The character development was well done and the world building was great. Definitely one book you need to grab tissues before reading.

The only issue I had with the book is that I felt like it needed a happier ending and that I’m a bit sad that some things felt unfinished, but such is life. I also felt that there was very little positive influence in Genie’s life. Every parent was shitty. The ex was shitty. The friends were… meh. I was like “damn can this girl get a break?!”

Verdict: It’s super well done!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and arc from Smith Publicity. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Myracles in the Void

Author: Wes Dyson

Book Series: Myraverse Book 1

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: young adult books, fantasy, dystopian, magic

Publication Date: April 12, 2022

Genre: YA Fantasy

Age Relevance: 13+ (starvation, abandonment, violence, gore)

Explanation of Above: The book mentioned starvation and abandonment by the children’s father. There is also violence and some slight gore (blood).

Publisher: Wonderlove

Pages: 370

Synopsis: "He used to say, 'a broken heart breaks all around it. Heal you, heal the world.'"

There once were two children,
a girl and a boy.
One could create,
the other, destroy.

Within every heart lies the power to bond or break.

On an isolated port of floating garbage called Hop, Gaiel Izz and his sister, Lynd, never imagined they’d be able to change anything…

Not their nasty neighbors, not their hungry bellies, and especially not their missing father.

That will change when they discover the power of myracles — magic that either creates or destroys.

As the brother and sister set across Esa to bring their family back together, this power will either unite them or shatter their entire world to pieces.

It will all come down to what truly lies within their hearts…

Create or destroy?

Review: For the most part I enjoyed this book. The book is very entertaining and I enjoyed it immensely. The flow of the book is easy to understand and I love the character building and dialogue. I think the best part of this book was the story, which was really well written and had a lot of great world building. The book is also a great read for younger YA audiences.

However, I did find the book pretty slow. Once the book hit a little past the middle part I felt it was a bit faster, but for the most part the slow pacing hurt the book a bit.

Verdict: It was good!

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

Book: Hotel Magnifique

Author: Emily J. Taylor

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Bisexual love interest, Lesbian side character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, magic, disappearing places that reappear somewhere else

Publication Date: April 5, 2022

Genre: YA Fantasy

Age Relevance: 14+ (death, parental death, grief, violence, gore, language, romance)

Explanation of Above: The book mentions the main character’s mother’s death and the grief of it is mentioned here and there throughout the book. There is violence in the form of physical blows and knives shown in the book, as well as blood gore and death. There are only a handful of curse words in the book and there is some romance in the book.

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 391

Synopsis: All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town.

The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets.

With the vexingly handsome doorman Bel as her only ally, Jani embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of the magic at the heart of the hotel and free Zosa—and the other staff—from the cruelty of the ruthless maître d’hôtel. To succeed, she’ll have to risk everything she loves, but failure would mean a fate far worse than never returning home.

Review: I really liked this read! It felt so much like Caraval, but with a Spirited Away feel to it. I loved the concept and I thought the magic was super interesting. The book had a great moral to it about “grass is greener” and it’ll definitely be a reread of mine. I also loved the character development and world building.

The only issue I had with the book is that the book was a little slow in the beginning, but it quickly sped up and the action was non-stop after that!

Verdict: It was amazing!