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popthebutterfly
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: A Forgery of Roses
Author: Jessica S. Olson
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, retelling, romance, mystery, thriller
Publication Date: March 29, 2022
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (death, gore, romance, violence, animal injury)
Explanation of Above: The book has a theme of death and does feature some gore and violence. There is also some slight romance. There is some small mention of animal injury as well, but it is quickly fixed.
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 368
Synopsis: She’s an artist whose portraits alter people’s real-life bodies, a talent she must hide from those who would kidnap, blackmail, and worse in order to control it. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone.
But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor's dead son. Desperate, Myra ventures to his legendary stone mansion.
Once she arrives, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. Someone dangerous lurks within these glittering halls. Someone harboring a disturbing obsession with portrait magic.
Myra cannot do the painting until she knows what really happened, so she turns to the governor’s older son, a captivating redheaded poet. Together, they delve into the family’s most shadowed affairs, racing to uncover the truth before the secret Myra spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.
Review: This book has an interesting premise and Magic system. I think the most promising thing about this book is the promise of the book and how well it could become. The book had well done atmosphere and the world building was ok. The book also has fairly good character development. The book is also a slight retelling of The Picture of Dorian Grey.
However this book is just downright confusing as hell. The book immediately jumps into the story and doesn't really explain anything about what's going on. The book does require you to read the synopsis in order to know the basics of what is happening. The pacing is very slow and the characters are not very well developed at all. And a lot of stuff just happened but without any lead up to it. There's also something that is entirely missing from the book and I think that missing detail are the details. The book gives great atmosphere it's very Gothic and gory and twisty, but without any details there is no impact for the reader in this book.
Verdict: It’s ok, but it wasn’t for me.
Book: A Forgery of Roses
Author: Jessica S. Olson
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, retelling, romance, mystery, thriller
Publication Date: March 29, 2022
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (death, gore, romance, violence, animal injury)
Explanation of Above: The book has a theme of death and does feature some gore and violence. There is also some slight romance. There is some small mention of animal injury as well, but it is quickly fixed.
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 368
Synopsis: She’s an artist whose portraits alter people’s real-life bodies, a talent she must hide from those who would kidnap, blackmail, and worse in order to control it. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone.
But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor's dead son. Desperate, Myra ventures to his legendary stone mansion.
Once she arrives, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. Someone dangerous lurks within these glittering halls. Someone harboring a disturbing obsession with portrait magic.
Myra cannot do the painting until she knows what really happened, so she turns to the governor’s older son, a captivating redheaded poet. Together, they delve into the family’s most shadowed affairs, racing to uncover the truth before the secret Myra spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.
Review: This book has an interesting premise and Magic system. I think the most promising thing about this book is the promise of the book and how well it could become. The book had well done atmosphere and the world building was ok. The book also has fairly good character development. The book is also a slight retelling of The Picture of Dorian Grey.
However this book is just downright confusing as hell. The book immediately jumps into the story and doesn't really explain anything about what's going on. The book does require you to read the synopsis in order to know the basics of what is happening. The pacing is very slow and the characters are not very well developed at all. And a lot of stuff just happened but without any lead up to it. There's also something that is entirely missing from the book and I think that missing detail are the details. The book gives great atmosphere it's very Gothic and gory and twisty, but without any details there is no impact for the reader in this book.
Verdict: It’s ok, but it wasn’t for me.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: It Will End Like This
Author: Kyra Leigh
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, mystery, thriller, retelling
Publication Date: January 4, 2022
Genre: YA Mystery Thriller
Age Relevance: 16+ (parental death, gore, Violence, depression, Post partum depression, Grief, Language, Drugs, Pandemic, Illness, Murder, Miscarriage, Panic attack, Suicide mentioned)
Explanation of Above: The book revolves around the aftermath of two siblings’ mother’s death via what they believe to be is murder and their grief in processing it. The book has gore with blood and vomit and violence in it, mentioned and shown. Depression and post-partum depression are mentioned and shown, as well as grief, illness, miscarriage, and pack attacks. There is also mentions of suicide. There is slight cursing in the book and there are some mentions of various drugs. The pandemic is mentioned as a past event.
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Charlotte lost her mother six months ago, and still no one will tell her exactly what happened the day she mysteriously died. They say her heart stopped, but Charlotte knows deep down that there's more to the story.
The only person who gets it is Charlotte's sister, Maddi. Maddi agrees—people’s hearts don’t just stop. There are too many questions left unanswered for the girls to move on.
But their father is moving on. With their mother’s personal assistant. And both girls are sure that she’s determined to take everything that’s theirs away for herself.
Now the only way to get their lives back is for Charlotte and Maddi to decide how this story ends, themselves.
Review: For the most part this was an ok book. The book did well to set the tone of the book and it had a lot of fun twists and turns. The book is well done in writing and the world building is great. The character development is also well done and the book, overall, is fairly good. I also liked that the book was a retelling of the Lizzie Borden story.
However, I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would. The book utilizes the duel POV and duel timeline, which confused me a little bit because I felt that the voices were too similar and the duel timeline wasn’t well separated from the present timeline. The book also had a fairly confusing ending and the retelling portion of the book didn’t come through until the last 10 pages, which is disappointing to me.
Verdict: It was ok!
Book: It Will End Like This
Author: Kyra Leigh
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, mystery, thriller, retelling
Publication Date: January 4, 2022
Genre: YA Mystery Thriller
Age Relevance: 16+ (parental death, gore, Violence, depression, Post partum depression, Grief, Language, Drugs, Pandemic, Illness, Murder, Miscarriage, Panic attack, Suicide mentioned)
Explanation of Above: The book revolves around the aftermath of two siblings’ mother’s death via what they believe to be is murder and their grief in processing it. The book has gore with blood and vomit and violence in it, mentioned and shown. Depression and post-partum depression are mentioned and shown, as well as grief, illness, miscarriage, and pack attacks. There is also mentions of suicide. There is slight cursing in the book and there are some mentions of various drugs. The pandemic is mentioned as a past event.
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Charlotte lost her mother six months ago, and still no one will tell her exactly what happened the day she mysteriously died. They say her heart stopped, but Charlotte knows deep down that there's more to the story.
The only person who gets it is Charlotte's sister, Maddi. Maddi agrees—people’s hearts don’t just stop. There are too many questions left unanswered for the girls to move on.
But their father is moving on. With their mother’s personal assistant. And both girls are sure that she’s determined to take everything that’s theirs away for herself.
Now the only way to get their lives back is for Charlotte and Maddi to decide how this story ends, themselves.
Review: For the most part this was an ok book. The book did well to set the tone of the book and it had a lot of fun twists and turns. The book is well done in writing and the world building is great. The character development is also well done and the book, overall, is fairly good. I also liked that the book was a retelling of the Lizzie Borden story.
However, I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would. The book utilizes the duel POV and duel timeline, which confused me a little bit because I felt that the voices were too similar and the duel timeline wasn’t well separated from the present timeline. The book also had a fairly confusing ending and the retelling portion of the book didn’t come through until the last 10 pages, which is disappointing to me.
Verdict: It was ok!
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Squire
Author: Sara Alfageeh & Nadia Shammas
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Middle Eastern inspired characters, amputee character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, graphic novel, fantasy, historical fiction, Asian Literature
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Genre: YA Fantasy Graphic Novel
Age Relevance: 15+ (child soldiers, war, Classism, Colonization, Racism, Famine, Language, Abelism, Violence, Gore)
Explanation of Above: The theme of the book involves war, racism, classism, colonization, and child soldiers, all of which are shown in the book and described. The book mentions famine and has a handful of curse words. There is also abelism shown but it is quickly dealt with. There is violence with swords shown and gore with some blood shown as well.
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It's the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and mounting tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program.
It's not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the "greater good" that Bayt-Sajji's military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined.
Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire.
It's not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the "greater good" that Bayt-Sajji's military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined.
Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire.
Review: I really liked this read! It reminds me a lot of Blood Scion and it was an informational and fun graphic novel. I absolutely love the illustarations and it did well to convey the story. The book had a very well detailed story and I really enjoyed it. The character development was super well done. The world building was amazing. The book is well written and is a new favorite read of mine.
The only issue I had with the book is the way it ended. It kinda leaves off on a cliffhanger and I hope that the book has a sequel in the future.
Verdict: I highly enjoyed this book! Highly recommend!
dark
emotional
inspiring
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:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: A Magic Steeped in Poison
Author: Judy I. Lin
Book Series: The Book of Tea Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Chinese characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, historical fiction, Chinese mythology, Asian Literature, court intrigue
Publication Date: March 29, 2022
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (death, Grief, Murder, Mugging, Violence, Gore, Classism, Sickness, Romance)
Explanation of Above: There is death shown and mentioned in the book and there is violence, including a mugging and physical violence, shown in the book as well as gore with blood. There is also murder mentioned in the book and grief is shown and described. Classism is discussed and shown in the book. There is sickness mentioned in the book. There is some slight romance in the book.
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 384
Synopsis: For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.
When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.
But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.
Review: I really liked this book! The book is inspired by Chinese mythology and it reminds me a lot of Spin the Dawn with the whole competition thing. The book is a fun read and there’s a bunch of twists and turns. The book was well developed and written. The world building was well done as well as the character development.
The only issues I had with the book are with the intrigue and the pacing. The book contains a lot of political and court intrigue, which I felt muddled the plot down a bit. The book is also a bit weirdly paced. The beginning is fast and confusing, and then it slows down immensely. The book is still full of action, but it’s just a bit weirdly paced.
Verdict: It’s a good book! Highly recommend!
Book: A Magic Steeped in Poison
Author: Judy I. Lin
Book Series: The Book of Tea Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Chinese characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, historical fiction, Chinese mythology, Asian Literature, court intrigue
Publication Date: March 29, 2022
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (death, Grief, Murder, Mugging, Violence, Gore, Classism, Sickness, Romance)
Explanation of Above: There is death shown and mentioned in the book and there is violence, including a mugging and physical violence, shown in the book as well as gore with blood. There is also murder mentioned in the book and grief is shown and described. Classism is discussed and shown in the book. There is sickness mentioned in the book. There is some slight romance in the book.
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 384
Synopsis: For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.
When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.
But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.
Review: I really liked this book! The book is inspired by Chinese mythology and it reminds me a lot of Spin the Dawn with the whole competition thing. The book is a fun read and there’s a bunch of twists and turns. The book was well developed and written. The world building was well done as well as the character development.
The only issues I had with the book are with the intrigue and the pacing. The book contains a lot of political and court intrigue, which I felt muddled the plot down a bit. The book is also a bit weirdly paced. The beginning is fast and confusing, and then it slows down immensely. The book is still full of action, but it’s just a bit weirdly paced.
Verdict: It’s a good book! Highly recommend!
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 finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Kiss & Tell
Author: Adib Khorram
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Gay MC, M/m romance, Gay characters, Black character, Iranian American gay character, Iranian American characters, Brazilian character, Indian character, Vietnamese character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, LGBT, boy band, music
Publication Date: March 22, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 15+ (Language, Sexual content, Homophobia, Death threats, Alcohol consumption, Panic attack, Gore, Romance, Racism, Attempted Sexual Assault)
Explanation of Above: There is cursing in the book. The book discusses sexual content such as masturbation and sexting. There is homophobia and racism shown in the book and mentioned. There are death threats mentioned in the book. There is alcohol consumption mentioned and I am unsure if this is underage. There is a panic attach shown in the book. The gore in the book is vomiting but it is a very brief scene. There is a brief scene where an older person who is an adult attempts to have sex with our MC who is a minor. There is romance in the book as well.
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Hunter never expected to be a boy band star, but, well, here he is. He and his band Kiss & Tell are on their first major tour of North America, playing arenas all over the United States and Canada (and getting covered by the gossipy press all over North America as well). Hunter is the only gay member of the band, and he just had a very painful breakup with his first boyfriend–leaked sexts, public heartbreak, and all–and now everyone expects him to play the perfect queer role model for teens.
But Hunter isn’t really sure what being the perfect queer kid even means. Does it mean dressing up in whatever The Label tells him to wear for photo shoots and pretending never to have sex? (Unfortunately, yes.) Does it mean finding community among the queer kids at the meet-and-greets after K&T’s shows? (Fortunately, yes.) Does it include a new relationship with Kaivan, the star of the band opening for K&T on tour? (He hopes so.) But when The Label finds out about Hunter and Kaivan, it spells trouble—for their relationship, for the perfect gay boy Hunter plays for the cameras, and, most importantly, for Hunter himself.
But Hunter isn’t really sure what being the perfect queer kid even means. Does it mean dressing up in whatever The Label tells him to wear for photo shoots and pretending never to have sex? (Unfortunately, yes.) Does it mean finding community among the queer kids at the meet-and-greets after K&T’s shows? (Fortunately, yes.) Does it include a new relationship with Kaivan, the star of the band opening for K&T on tour? (He hopes so.) But when The Label finds out about Hunter and Kaivan, it spells trouble—for their relationship, for the perfect gay boy Hunter plays for the cameras, and, most importantly, for Hunter himself.
Review: I really liked this book! It was a fun read with the fake dating trope used and it reminded me of If This Gets Out. The book utilized the mixed media format and I loved seeing the blend of what people were saying about the MC and what the MC was saying. The mixed media format also adds a level of panic in how the MC is receiving criticism for his every move. The book did very well discussing intersectionality in the queer community. While our MC faces criticism and certainly deals with homophobia, a separate character who is Iranian American and queer also faces that backlash plus racism. The book did well to discuss that and to make the MC, who is white, understand it as well. The book has great character development and world building. The book is also well paced and very well written.
The only issue I had with the book is that I would have liked for the mixed media format to be better designed artistically to better separate it from the rest of the book.
Verdict: I highly recommend this one! Loved it so much!
informative
slow-paced
Disclaimer: I received this arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: When the World Runs Dry: Earth’s Water in Crisis
Author: Nancy F. Castaldo
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: non-fiction, environmental
Publication Date: January 18, 2022
Genre: Environmental Non-Fiction
Age Relevance: 15+ (water infrastructure problems, pollution, fracking contamination, supply issues)
Explanation of Above: Pollution, fracking, infrastructure, and supply issues are all heavily discussed in the book.
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Pages: 208
Synopsis: What would you do if you turned on the faucet one day and nothing happened? What if you learned the water in your home was harmful to drink? Water is essential for life on this planet, but not every community has the safe, clean water it needs. In When the World Runs Dry, award-winning science writer Nancy Castaldo takes readers from Flint, Michigan, and Newark, New Jersey, to Iran and Cape Town, South Africa, to explore the various ways in which water around the world is in danger, why we must act now, and why you’re never too young to make a difference.
Review: I feel like this was a highly informative book that I felt discussed the issues in it very well. The book is presented in a factual manner and it pulls from a lot of different issues and experiences to show the current water crisis. The book is a great springboard into other non-fiction books about environmental issues such as fracking, rising sea levels, pollution, etc.
The main thing I didn’t like about the book is that I felt the tone of it was a bit dry and it wasn’t as engaging for my brain as I thought it would be, but I felt it was still engaging. I’m also now terrified, so good job book.
Verdict: It’s good and educational.
Book: When the World Runs Dry: Earth’s Water in Crisis
Author: Nancy F. Castaldo
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: non-fiction, environmental
Publication Date: January 18, 2022
Genre: Environmental Non-Fiction
Age Relevance: 15+ (water infrastructure problems, pollution, fracking contamination, supply issues)
Explanation of Above: Pollution, fracking, infrastructure, and supply issues are all heavily discussed in the book.
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Pages: 208
Synopsis: What would you do if you turned on the faucet one day and nothing happened? What if you learned the water in your home was harmful to drink? Water is essential for life on this planet, but not every community has the safe, clean water it needs. In When the World Runs Dry, award-winning science writer Nancy Castaldo takes readers from Flint, Michigan, and Newark, New Jersey, to Iran and Cape Town, South Africa, to explore the various ways in which water around the world is in danger, why we must act now, and why you’re never too young to make a difference.
Review: I feel like this was a highly informative book that I felt discussed the issues in it very well. The book is presented in a factual manner and it pulls from a lot of different issues and experiences to show the current water crisis. The book is a great springboard into other non-fiction books about environmental issues such as fracking, rising sea levels, pollution, etc.
The main thing I didn’t like about the book is that I felt the tone of it was a bit dry and it wasn’t as engaging for my brain as I thought it would be, but I felt it was still engaging. I’m also now terrified, so good job book.
Verdict: It’s good and educational.
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and I bought two copies of the finished copy. Support your authors and all opinions are my own.
Book: The Infinity Courts
Author: Akemi Dawn Bowman
Book Series: The Infinity Courts Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Asian MC, various non-descript people of color
Recommended For...: young adult readers, sci-fi
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Age Relevance: 14+ (violence, death, underage alcohol consumption, torture, enslavement, romance)
Explanation of Above: There is violence, including gun violence and usage, mentioned as well as torture mentioned and described. Death is a theme of the book. There is underage alcohol consumption briefly mentioned in the book and there is enslavement mentioned and shown. There is also very slight romance/crush.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 465
Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Nami Miyamoto is certain her life is just beginning. She has a great family, just graduated high school, and is on her way to a party where her entire class is waiting for her—including, most importantly, the boy she’s been in love with for years.
The only problem? She’s murdered before she gets there.
When Nami wakes up, she learns she’s in a place called Infinity, where human consciousness goes when physical bodies die. She quickly discovers that Ophelia, a virtual assistant widely used by humans on Earth, has taken over the afterlife and is now posing as a queen, forcing humans into servitude the way she’d been forced to serve in the real world. Even worse, Ophelia is inching closer and closer to accomplishing her grand plans of eradicating human existence once and for all.
As Nami works with a team of rebels to bring down Ophelia and save the humans under her imprisonment, she is forced to reckon with her past, her future, and what it is that truly makes us human.
Review: I really liked this book! I thought the concept was the most unique thing I’ve read in a long time and I loved that the heroes of the book were not specially trained individuals, but normal people like retail workers and high schoolers. The book was amazingly well written, very well paced, and had a lot of complex themes about death and morality that it discussed. I loved the character development and the world building as well.
The only issue I had with the book is that the ending felt a little rushed to me.
Verdict: Highly recommend! I absolutely loved it!
Book: The Infinity Courts
Author: Akemi Dawn Bowman
Book Series: The Infinity Courts Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Asian MC, various non-descript people of color
Recommended For...: young adult readers, sci-fi
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Age Relevance: 14+ (violence, death, underage alcohol consumption, torture, enslavement, romance)
Explanation of Above: There is violence, including gun violence and usage, mentioned as well as torture mentioned and described. Death is a theme of the book. There is underage alcohol consumption briefly mentioned in the book and there is enslavement mentioned and shown. There is also very slight romance/crush.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 465
Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Nami Miyamoto is certain her life is just beginning. She has a great family, just graduated high school, and is on her way to a party where her entire class is waiting for her—including, most importantly, the boy she’s been in love with for years.
The only problem? She’s murdered before she gets there.
When Nami wakes up, she learns she’s in a place called Infinity, where human consciousness goes when physical bodies die. She quickly discovers that Ophelia, a virtual assistant widely used by humans on Earth, has taken over the afterlife and is now posing as a queen, forcing humans into servitude the way she’d been forced to serve in the real world. Even worse, Ophelia is inching closer and closer to accomplishing her grand plans of eradicating human existence once and for all.
As Nami works with a team of rebels to bring down Ophelia and save the humans under her imprisonment, she is forced to reckon with her past, her future, and what it is that truly makes us human.
Review: I really liked this book! I thought the concept was the most unique thing I’ve read in a long time and I loved that the heroes of the book were not specially trained individuals, but normal people like retail workers and high schoolers. The book was amazingly well written, very well paced, and had a lot of complex themes about death and morality that it discussed. I loved the character development and the world building as well.
The only issue I had with the book is that the ending felt a little rushed to me.
Verdict: Highly recommend! I absolutely loved it!
emotional
informative
inspiring
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:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Troublemaker
Author: John Cho
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Korean MC and characters, Black side characters
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, historical fiction, LA riots, police brutality, 1990s
Publication Date: March 22, 2022
Genre: MG Historical Fiction
Age Relevance: 10+ (violence, racism, police brutality, gore, religion, vandalism, emotional abuse)
Explanation of Above: As a prelude I want to say that this book is not graphic at all, but I do want to address some of the things that are shown in the book in case parents are restricting what their children are reading. There is a lot of violence mentioned in this book including gun violence. Along with this are police brutality and vandalism, which is also shown in the book. There is one scene where our MC is in a physical fight with his friend and some slight gore is shown with blood. Racism is discussed a bit in the book and there are mentions to religion including prayer and church. There is also a scene where a parent yells at their child that they are the “biggest disappointment” which causes a little bit of emotional damage to the child.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 224
Synopsis: 12-year-old Jordan feels like he can't live up to the example his older sister set, or his parent's expectations. When he returns home from school one day hoping to hide his suspension, Los Angeles has reached a turning point. In the wake of the acquittal of the police officers filmed beating Rodney King, as well as the shooting of a young black teen, Latasha Harlins by a Korean store owner, the country is at the precipice of confronting its racist past and present.
As tensions escalate, Jordan's father leaves to check on the family store, spurring Jordan and his friends to embark on a dangerous journey to come to his aide, and come to terms with the racism within and affecting their community.
Review: I really loved this book! I’m very excited that more books, especially younger set ones, are discussing police brutality and the issues around racism. The book is set in the 90s during the LA riots and I loved viewing the book through the eyes of a Korean child who is just trying to prove himself to his father. The book is NOT graphic at all and it does an excellent job at showing what happened to Koreatown during the LA riots through the perspective of a child. The book has well developed characters and the world building is also well done. The book is amazingly well detailed and if you were a fan of I’m Not Dying With You Tonight or The Black Kids, you’ll love this book.
The only issue I had with the book is that it’s a bit quick and short. I’d love to see more of the aftermath of what happened and how the community came back together afterward.
Verdict: It’s really well done! Highly recommend!
Book: Troublemaker
Author: John Cho
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Korean MC and characters, Black side characters
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, historical fiction, LA riots, police brutality, 1990s
Publication Date: March 22, 2022
Genre: MG Historical Fiction
Age Relevance: 10+ (violence, racism, police brutality, gore, religion, vandalism, emotional abuse)
Explanation of Above: As a prelude I want to say that this book is not graphic at all, but I do want to address some of the things that are shown in the book in case parents are restricting what their children are reading. There is a lot of violence mentioned in this book including gun violence. Along with this are police brutality and vandalism, which is also shown in the book. There is one scene where our MC is in a physical fight with his friend and some slight gore is shown with blood. Racism is discussed a bit in the book and there are mentions to religion including prayer and church. There is also a scene where a parent yells at their child that they are the “biggest disappointment” which causes a little bit of emotional damage to the child.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 224
Synopsis: 12-year-old Jordan feels like he can't live up to the example his older sister set, or his parent's expectations. When he returns home from school one day hoping to hide his suspension, Los Angeles has reached a turning point. In the wake of the acquittal of the police officers filmed beating Rodney King, as well as the shooting of a young black teen, Latasha Harlins by a Korean store owner, the country is at the precipice of confronting its racist past and present.
As tensions escalate, Jordan's father leaves to check on the family store, spurring Jordan and his friends to embark on a dangerous journey to come to his aide, and come to terms with the racism within and affecting their community.
Review: I really loved this book! I’m very excited that more books, especially younger set ones, are discussing police brutality and the issues around racism. The book is set in the 90s during the LA riots and I loved viewing the book through the eyes of a Korean child who is just trying to prove himself to his father. The book is NOT graphic at all and it does an excellent job at showing what happened to Koreatown during the LA riots through the perspective of a child. The book has well developed characters and the world building is also well done. The book is amazingly well detailed and if you were a fan of I’m Not Dying With You Tonight or The Black Kids, you’ll love this book.
The only issue I had with the book is that it’s a bit quick and short. I’d love to see more of the aftermath of what happened and how the community came back together afterward.
Verdict: It’s really well done! Highly recommend!
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc, arc, and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Wolves Are Waiting
Author: Natasha Friend
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 1/5
Diversity: Chinese character, Haitian character
Recommended For...: I don’t recommend this book AT ALL
Publication Date: March 22, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Relevance: 16+ (date rape, attempted sexual assault, rape, sexism, HP mentions, romance, slut shaming, language, drugs)
Explanation of Above: The book revolves around an incident where our MC is given a date rape drug and is almost sexually assaulted. The events are described and rape and other incidents of date rape drugs being used is also mentioned throughout the book. The book also talks a lot about sexism and slut shaming. There is some romance between two characters and there is slight cursing in the book. There are also drugs mentioned occasionally. Unfortunately, there are also 6 HP mentions in the book in a positive manner, one of them being a page and a half long and others being at least a paragraph. The ending also makes an allusion to a scene from HP.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 370
Synopsis: Before the night of the Frat Fair, 15-year-old Nora Melchionda's life could have been a Gen-Z John Hughes movie. She had a kind-of boyfriend, a spot on the field hockey team, good grades, and a circle of close friends. Of course there were bumps in the road: she and her lifelong BFF Cam were growing apart and her mother was trying to clone her into wearing sensible khakis instead of showy short skirts. But none of that mattered, because Nora always had her dad, Rhett Melchionda, on her side. Rhett was not only Nora’s hero, but as the Athletic Director of Faber College, he was idolized by everyone she knew.
Now, Nora would give anything to go back to that life. The life before whatever happened on the golf course.
She doesn’t want to talk about it—not that she could, because she doesn’t remember anything—and insists that whatever happened was nothing. Cam, though, tries to convince Nora to look for evidence and report the incident to the police. And then there’s Adam Xu, who found Nora on the golf course and saw her at her most vulnerable. She ignores it all, hoping it will all go away. But when your silence might hurt other people, hiding is no longer an option.
The Wolves Are Waiting begins in the aftermath of an attempted assault, but reaches farther than a story about one single night or one single incident. What Nora and her friends will uncover is a story that spans generations. But it doesn’t have to anymore.
Now, Nora would give anything to go back to that life. The life before whatever happened on the golf course.
She doesn’t want to talk about it—not that she could, because she doesn’t remember anything—and insists that whatever happened was nothing. Cam, though, tries to convince Nora to look for evidence and report the incident to the police. And then there’s Adam Xu, who found Nora on the golf course and saw her at her most vulnerable. She ignores it all, hoping it will all go away. But when your silence might hurt other people, hiding is no longer an option.
The Wolves Are Waiting begins in the aftermath of an attempted assault, but reaches farther than a story about one single night or one single incident. What Nora and her friends will uncover is a story that spans generations. But it doesn’t have to anymore.
Review: This will not be a happy review. While I thought that the base story was good and there were some good parts about it that young girls should read, especially revolving around how slut shaming and sexism are not okay and how some frats can be unsafe spaces, I was extremely disappointed in the book for numerous reasons. The biggest reason is the inclusion of HP in the book. I don’t have any idea why the author, in this day and age, thought the inclusion of HP was a good idea. The mentions are not just one and done, there’s at least one that’s a page and a half of text and the ending includes an allusion to what’s going on to a scene from the HP books. Writing a book that’s pro-female is great except when you exclude trans women from your book and the inclusion of the amount of HP references makes me think that the author wanted to exclude trans women. There’s also not any trans women, queer women, or hardly any women of color in the book with the exception of one Haitian character, and again you can’t talk about feminism and you can’t be pro-female unless you include ALL females. The HP issues alone caused me to knock the book down to a 1 star due to my review policy, but there are further issues in the book that are equally as troubling. There’s a character that is pro-female but doesn’t call out the sexist and misogynistic jokes and comments her own boyfriend makes until much later. The boyfriend had been making these comments for a very long time in the text, before they got together, and I’m confused as to why she would even want to get with someone like that. The book also has a moment between the MC who had been date raped and a character who was found to be a big part of the ongoing issues in the book. After one event where the character brings tiki torches and makes a sort of apology, the MC and others accept that character back into the fold. It’s extremely troubling that some of the male characters in the book are almost infantilized in the text, that they do the bare minimum and get accepted back to where they previously were. Even when the male characters are asked to be held responsible, the book doesn’t offer any real conclusion on if they were or not and the issue becomes null when the book and author pick and choose who it will punish and who it won’t when all actors made equally as horrifying choices. This fact troubled me greatly while reading this book. The book was also very fast paced and had a few continuity errors, where stuff was brought up multiple times. I also thought the characters weren’t developed, especially the MC past her trauma which is a whole other issue I had with the book, and the world building was way too simple.
Verdict: I don’t recommend this book at all. There are better ones that talk about the issues this book tries to talk about in a better and more inclusive manner.
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Disclaimer: I received this arc and e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Ogress and the Orphans
Author: Kelly Barnhill
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, fairytale
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Genre: MG Fantasy
Age Relevance: 10+ (gore, child disappearance, discrimination, violence)
Explanation of Above: There is some slight blood gore in the book and some violence with fire and a bait and switch where it looks like someone is going to harm lambs and sheep. There are scenes with a child who disappears into a forest. There is also a story on discrimination and some “build a wall” rhetoric that’s a bit triggering due to some recent stuff.
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Pages: 390
Synopsis: Stone-in-the-Glen, once a lovely town, has fallen on hard times. Fires, floods, and other calamities have caused the people to lose their library, their school, their park, and even their neighborliness. The people put their faith in the Mayor, a dazzling fellow who promises he alone can help. After all, he is a famous dragon slayer. (At least, no one has seen a dragon in his presence.) Only the clever children of the Orphan House and the kindly Ogress at the edge of town can see how dire the town’s problems are.
Then one day a child goes missing from the Orphan House. At the Mayor’s suggestion, all eyes turn to the Ogress. The Orphans know this can’t be: the Ogress, along with a flock of excellent crows, secretly delivers gifts to the people of Stone-in-the-Glen.
But how can the Orphans tell the story of the Ogress’s goodness to people who refuse to listen? And how can they make their deluded neighbors see the real villain in their midst?
Review: For the most part I liked the story. The author always does so well to craft these unique fairytale books and she makes them very atmospheric. The book has a multi POV narrative, which works well for the book, and it helps to show the different circumstances of the story. The character development is well done and the story is very strong. Overall, I feel like this would be an excellent bedtime story for younger kids or something you could buddy read with your littles.
The only issue I had with the book is that it’s very long winded and it’s slightly confusing. The book uses a lot of flowery language and it can be hard to get into.
Verdict: It’s a great young reader book, but also a great book to buddy read with your littles!
Book: The Ogress and the Orphans
Author: Kelly Barnhill
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, fairytale
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Genre: MG Fantasy
Age Relevance: 10+ (gore, child disappearance, discrimination, violence)
Explanation of Above: There is some slight blood gore in the book and some violence with fire and a bait and switch where it looks like someone is going to harm lambs and sheep. There are scenes with a child who disappears into a forest. There is also a story on discrimination and some “build a wall” rhetoric that’s a bit triggering due to some recent stuff.
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Pages: 390
Synopsis: Stone-in-the-Glen, once a lovely town, has fallen on hard times. Fires, floods, and other calamities have caused the people to lose their library, their school, their park, and even their neighborliness. The people put their faith in the Mayor, a dazzling fellow who promises he alone can help. After all, he is a famous dragon slayer. (At least, no one has seen a dragon in his presence.) Only the clever children of the Orphan House and the kindly Ogress at the edge of town can see how dire the town’s problems are.
Then one day a child goes missing from the Orphan House. At the Mayor’s suggestion, all eyes turn to the Ogress. The Orphans know this can’t be: the Ogress, along with a flock of excellent crows, secretly delivers gifts to the people of Stone-in-the-Glen.
But how can the Orphans tell the story of the Ogress’s goodness to people who refuse to listen? And how can they make their deluded neighbors see the real villain in their midst?
Review: For the most part I liked the story. The author always does so well to craft these unique fairytale books and she makes them very atmospheric. The book has a multi POV narrative, which works well for the book, and it helps to show the different circumstances of the story. The character development is well done and the story is very strong. Overall, I feel like this would be an excellent bedtime story for younger kids or something you could buddy read with your littles.
The only issue I had with the book is that it’s very long winded and it’s slightly confusing. The book uses a lot of flowery language and it can be hard to get into.
Verdict: It’s a great young reader book, but also a great book to buddy read with your littles!