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popthebutterfly
emotional
fast-paced
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Classmate
Author: Will McIntosh
Book Series: Standalone for now
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: MC with Anxiety Disorder
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, sci-fi
Publication Date: June 21, 2022
Genre: MG Sci-Fi
Age Relevance: 12+ (gore, violence, some scary moments)
Explanation of Above: There is slight blood in the book and some violence, including scary moments.
Publisher: Future House Publishing
Pages: 170
Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Benjamin is pulled from his old life and forced to attend a special boarding school in the middle of nowhere. That's confusing enough. Then, he's fed instructions through an earbud and thrown into etiquette classes alongside an angry, spike-covered creature. Despite wearing purple dresses and having the unassuming name of Eve, the creature is horrifying and, as Eve quickly demonstrates, dangerous.
With the help of his new friends Lorena and Persephone, Ben must overcome his own anxieties and uncover the truth about Eve’s origin. But he learns that the school's agenda is much bigger than he ever thought possible. Ben needs to earn Eve’s trust, and fast. The fate of the world depends on it.
Review: For the most part the book was pretty good. It has an interesting concept and I think that if it was developed a bit more it would be amazing. The book had fairly well developed characters and the world building was fair too. The book also has a good message about acceptance.
However, there were some parts of this book that were icky to me. There are real life events where teens are taken from their parents under false pretenses for “camp” where they are starved and tortured and the book, how it was worded, started to give me those vibes. I’m glad it was just a government thing, but for younger readers parents might want to read the book first so they can judge if this would be appropriate for their children.
Verdict: It was ok!
Book: The Classmate
Author: Will McIntosh
Book Series: Standalone for now
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: MC with Anxiety Disorder
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, sci-fi
Publication Date: June 21, 2022
Genre: MG Sci-Fi
Age Relevance: 12+ (gore, violence, some scary moments)
Explanation of Above: There is slight blood in the book and some violence, including scary moments.
Publisher: Future House Publishing
Pages: 170
Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Benjamin is pulled from his old life and forced to attend a special boarding school in the middle of nowhere. That's confusing enough. Then, he's fed instructions through an earbud and thrown into etiquette classes alongside an angry, spike-covered creature. Despite wearing purple dresses and having the unassuming name of Eve, the creature is horrifying and, as Eve quickly demonstrates, dangerous.
With the help of his new friends Lorena and Persephone, Ben must overcome his own anxieties and uncover the truth about Eve’s origin. But he learns that the school's agenda is much bigger than he ever thought possible. Ben needs to earn Eve’s trust, and fast. The fate of the world depends on it.
Review: For the most part the book was pretty good. It has an interesting concept and I think that if it was developed a bit more it would be amazing. The book had fairly well developed characters and the world building was fair too. The book also has a good message about acceptance.
However, there were some parts of this book that were icky to me. There are real life events where teens are taken from their parents under false pretenses for “camp” where they are starved and tortured and the book, how it was worded, started to give me those vibes. I’m glad it was just a government thing, but for younger readers parents might want to read the book first so they can judge if this would be appropriate for their children.
Verdict: It was ok!
emotional
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Disclaimer: I received this arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Loveless
Author: Alice Oseman
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Queer characters, asexual aromantic MC, Indian non-binary gay asexual character, Colombian lesbian character, bisexual aromantic character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, LGBT
Publication Date: Originally published July 9, 2020, republished March 1, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Relevance: 16+ (romance, alcohol consumption, language, HP mentions, sexual content, bullying, homophobia)
Explanation of Above: There is romance in the book and sexual content, including kissing, masturbation discussed, sex discussed, and other sexual acts discussed. There is cursing in the book and there are 2 HP mentions. There is also a lot of alcohol consumption and scenes of characters being drunk. There is bullying mentioned and homophobia in the book.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 393
Synopsis: Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush – but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she’s sure she’ll find her person one day.
As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a whole new town far from home, Georgia’s ready to find romance, and with her outgoing roommate on her side and a place in the Shakespeare Society, her ‘teenage dream’ is in sight.
But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends, Georgia ends up in her own comedy of errors, and she starts to question why love seems so easy for other people but not for her. With new terms thrown at her – asexual, aromantic – Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever.
Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along?
Review: I really loved this book! I thought the message of finding your sexuality and identity a very well done one. I loved seeing Georgia’s journey and it’s a super informative book with websites at the end that will be helpful to anyone who needs help. The book is also messy, but it’s a relatable mess because finding your identity isn’t a neat journey. It’s full of bumps and twists and turns. And sometimes you think you’re one way, but you’re really another. The character development was also well done and the world building was great too. I overall really loved the story and can’t wait to read more of Alice Oseman’s books.
However, I did have a severe issue with the HP mentions in the book, considering the author’s problematic nature. The book talks about acceptance and I get this is an earlier published book that is just being republished, so I didn’t take down the points I normally would, but JKR is not accepting and if you want a book, especially one that has LGBT characters, it’s time to leave those references in the past and I wish those were left out in the re-publishing.
Verdict: It was good! Highly recommend!
Book: Loveless
Author: Alice Oseman
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Queer characters, asexual aromantic MC, Indian non-binary gay asexual character, Colombian lesbian character, bisexual aromantic character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, LGBT
Publication Date: Originally published July 9, 2020, republished March 1, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Relevance: 16+ (romance, alcohol consumption, language, HP mentions, sexual content, bullying, homophobia)
Explanation of Above: There is romance in the book and sexual content, including kissing, masturbation discussed, sex discussed, and other sexual acts discussed. There is cursing in the book and there are 2 HP mentions. There is also a lot of alcohol consumption and scenes of characters being drunk. There is bullying mentioned and homophobia in the book.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 393
Synopsis: Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush – but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she’s sure she’ll find her person one day.
As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a whole new town far from home, Georgia’s ready to find romance, and with her outgoing roommate on her side and a place in the Shakespeare Society, her ‘teenage dream’ is in sight.
But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends, Georgia ends up in her own comedy of errors, and she starts to question why love seems so easy for other people but not for her. With new terms thrown at her – asexual, aromantic – Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever.
Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along?
Review: I really loved this book! I thought the message of finding your sexuality and identity a very well done one. I loved seeing Georgia’s journey and it’s a super informative book with websites at the end that will be helpful to anyone who needs help. The book is also messy, but it’s a relatable mess because finding your identity isn’t a neat journey. It’s full of bumps and twists and turns. And sometimes you think you’re one way, but you’re really another. The character development was also well done and the world building was great too. I overall really loved the story and can’t wait to read more of Alice Oseman’s books.
However, I did have a severe issue with the HP mentions in the book, considering the author’s problematic nature. The book talks about acceptance and I get this is an earlier published book that is just being republished, so I didn’t take down the points I normally would, but JKR is not accepting and if you want a book, especially one that has LGBT characters, it’s time to leave those references in the past and I wish those were left out in the re-publishing.
Verdict: It was good! Highly recommend!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-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:
Complicated
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves
Author: Meg Long
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: f/f romance mentioned
Recommended For...: young adult readers, sci-fi, dystopian, survival
Publication Date: January 11, 2022
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Age Relevance: 16+ (animal gore, animal fighting, animal death, language, violence, gore, death)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot of animal gore in the book and mentions of animal fighting. There are also a few animal deaths. There is cursing throughout the book. There is also violence, including gun violence, gore with blood and other injuries, and death mentioned and one gruesome death shown.
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Pages: 368
Synopsis: After angering a local gangster, seventeen-year-old Sena Korhosen must flee with her prize fighting wolf, Iska, in tow. A team of scientists offer to pay her way off her frozen planet on one condition: she gets them to the finish line of the planet’s infamous sled race. Though Sena always swore she’d never race after it claimed both her mothers’ lives, it’s now her only option.
But the tundra is a treacherous place, and as the race unfolds and their lives are threatened at every turn, Sena starts to question her own abilities. She must discover whether she's strong enough to survive the wild – whether she and Iska together are strong enough to get them all out alive.
Review: Overall, this book was really good. The book is full of action and adventure. The story is compelling and I really loved Sena as a character. The book has an Iditarod race feel to it and I really liked that. The character development was well done, as was the world building, and overall it’s a good story.
However, I did really hate all of the animal violence scenes and I was confused at some points during the book, especially with a lot of the back and forth.
Verdict: It was good!
Book: Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves
Author: Meg Long
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: f/f romance mentioned
Recommended For...: young adult readers, sci-fi, dystopian, survival
Publication Date: January 11, 2022
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Age Relevance: 16+ (animal gore, animal fighting, animal death, language, violence, gore, death)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot of animal gore in the book and mentions of animal fighting. There are also a few animal deaths. There is cursing throughout the book. There is also violence, including gun violence, gore with blood and other injuries, and death mentioned and one gruesome death shown.
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Pages: 368
Synopsis: After angering a local gangster, seventeen-year-old Sena Korhosen must flee with her prize fighting wolf, Iska, in tow. A team of scientists offer to pay her way off her frozen planet on one condition: she gets them to the finish line of the planet’s infamous sled race. Though Sena always swore she’d never race after it claimed both her mothers’ lives, it’s now her only option.
But the tundra is a treacherous place, and as the race unfolds and their lives are threatened at every turn, Sena starts to question her own abilities. She must discover whether she's strong enough to survive the wild – whether she and Iska together are strong enough to get them all out alive.
Review: Overall, this book was really good. The book is full of action and adventure. The story is compelling and I really loved Sena as a character. The book has an Iditarod race feel to it and I really liked that. The character development was well done, as was the world building, and overall it’s a good story.
However, I did really hate all of the animal violence scenes and I was confused at some points during the book, especially with a lot of the back and forth.
Verdict: It was good!
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
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: Scorpica
Author: G.R. Macallister
Book Series: The Five Queendoms Book 1
Rating: 2/5
Recommended For...: can’t recommend, DNFed
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Fantasy
Age Relevance: Can’t recommend, DNFed
Publisher: Saga Press
Pages: 448
Synopsis: A centuries-long peace is shattered in a matriarchal society when a decade passes without a single girl being born in this sweeping epic fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Robin Hobb and Circe.
Five hundred years of peace between queendoms shatters when girls inexplicably stop being born. As the Drought of Girls stretches across a generation, it sets off a cascade of political and personal consequences across all five queendoms of the known world, throwing long-standing alliances into disarray as each queendom begins to turn on each other—and new threats to each nation rise from within.
Uniting the stories of women from across the queendoms, this propulsive, gripping epic fantasy follows a warrior queen who must rise from childbirth bed to fight for her life and her throne, a healer in hiding desperate to protect the secret of her daughter’s explosive power, a queen whose desperation to retain control leads her to risk using the darkest magic, a near-immortal sorcerer demigod powerful enough to remake the world for her own ends—and the generation of lastborn girls, the ones born just before the Drought, who must bear the hopes and traditions of their nations if the queendoms are to survive.
Review: I had to DNF this read at 24% in. I couldn’t make it through the book. I thought it was incredibly slow and confusing. The book wasn’t striking any interest in me and while I do love the premise of a matriarchal society and I felt like the strong narrative will make for a striking book, this is something I can’t devote time to at the moment.
Verdict: It was not for me but maybe for you!
Book: Scorpica
Author: G.R. Macallister
Book Series: The Five Queendoms Book 1
Rating: 2/5
Recommended For...: can’t recommend, DNFed
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Fantasy
Age Relevance: Can’t recommend, DNFed
Publisher: Saga Press
Pages: 448
Synopsis: A centuries-long peace is shattered in a matriarchal society when a decade passes without a single girl being born in this sweeping epic fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Robin Hobb and Circe.
Five hundred years of peace between queendoms shatters when girls inexplicably stop being born. As the Drought of Girls stretches across a generation, it sets off a cascade of political and personal consequences across all five queendoms of the known world, throwing long-standing alliances into disarray as each queendom begins to turn on each other—and new threats to each nation rise from within.
Uniting the stories of women from across the queendoms, this propulsive, gripping epic fantasy follows a warrior queen who must rise from childbirth bed to fight for her life and her throne, a healer in hiding desperate to protect the secret of her daughter’s explosive power, a queen whose desperation to retain control leads her to risk using the darkest magic, a near-immortal sorcerer demigod powerful enough to remake the world for her own ends—and the generation of lastborn girls, the ones born just before the Drought, who must bear the hopes and traditions of their nations if the queendoms are to survive.
Review: I had to DNF this read at 24% in. I couldn’t make it through the book. I thought it was incredibly slow and confusing. The book wasn’t striking any interest in me and while I do love the premise of a matriarchal society and I felt like the strong narrative will make for a striking book, this is something I can’t devote time to at the moment.
Verdict: It was not for me but maybe for you!
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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:
No
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Best Liars in Riverview
Author: Lin Thompson
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: f/f parents, Black characters, Latinx character with anxiety, Trans questioning character, Trans character mentioned, Non binary character mentioned with they/them pronouns, Black gay character.
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, mystery, contemporary, LGBT+
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Genre: MG Mystery
Age Relevance: 8+ (child disappearance, religion and religious trauma, sexism, toxic masculinity, bullying, homophobia, running away, gender identity, racism, anxiety attacks)
Explanation of Above: The book deals with the disappearance of a child who has run away and later on shows another character who runs away. There are a lot of issues that the children deal with including bullying, homophobia, sexism, toxic masculinity, and racism. There is religion in the book, but also some pieces that show some religious trauma. The book also shows characters questioning their gender identity and sexuality in a very beautiful and age appropriate manner. There are also small anxiety attacks shown.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Aubrey and Joel are like two tomato vines that grew along the same crooked fence—weird, yet the same kind of weird. But lately, even their shared weirdness seems weird. Then Joel disappears. Vanishes. Poof. The whole town is looking for him, and Aubrey was the last person to see Joel. Aubrey can’t say much, but since lies of omission are still lies, here’s what they know for sure:
For the last two weeks of the school year, when sixth grade became too much, Aubrey and Joel have been building a raft in the woods.
The raft was supposed to be just another part of their running away game.
The raft is gone now, too.
Aubrey doesn’t know where Joel is, but they might know how to find him. As Aubrey, their friend Mari, and sister Teagan search along the river, Aubrey has to fess up to who they really are, all the things they never said, and the word that bully Rudy Thomas used that set all this into motion.
Review: I really loved this book so much! The book spoke so much about identity and finding who you are and acceptance. The book had also had a lot in it about the outdated expectations of gender norms and falling into traditions that the characters parents expect them to fall into. The characters are all well developed and, while it doesn’t look like it in the first few chapters, the book has a great amount of diversity in it. The book has amazing world building and pacing as well. The book is gorgeous and so impactful and I can’t wait to see kids get this book and read it.
The only issue I had with the book is that I wished that the adults had more of a reckoning when all was said and done. The adults had some issues that weren’t resolved in the book, which directly affected their own children who were the main characters, and it feels a bit incomplete for some of the adults to not do more at the end of the book to condemn the wrong they did.
Verdict: It was excellent! Highly recommend!
Book: The Best Liars in Riverview
Author: Lin Thompson
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: f/f parents, Black characters, Latinx character with anxiety, Trans questioning character, Trans character mentioned, Non binary character mentioned with they/them pronouns, Black gay character.
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, mystery, contemporary, LGBT+
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Genre: MG Mystery
Age Relevance: 8+ (child disappearance, religion and religious trauma, sexism, toxic masculinity, bullying, homophobia, running away, gender identity, racism, anxiety attacks)
Explanation of Above: The book deals with the disappearance of a child who has run away and later on shows another character who runs away. There are a lot of issues that the children deal with including bullying, homophobia, sexism, toxic masculinity, and racism. There is religion in the book, but also some pieces that show some religious trauma. The book also shows characters questioning their gender identity and sexuality in a very beautiful and age appropriate manner. There are also small anxiety attacks shown.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Aubrey and Joel are like two tomato vines that grew along the same crooked fence—weird, yet the same kind of weird. But lately, even their shared weirdness seems weird. Then Joel disappears. Vanishes. Poof. The whole town is looking for him, and Aubrey was the last person to see Joel. Aubrey can’t say much, but since lies of omission are still lies, here’s what they know for sure:
For the last two weeks of the school year, when sixth grade became too much, Aubrey and Joel have been building a raft in the woods.
The raft was supposed to be just another part of their running away game.
The raft is gone now, too.
Aubrey doesn’t know where Joel is, but they might know how to find him. As Aubrey, their friend Mari, and sister Teagan search along the river, Aubrey has to fess up to who they really are, all the things they never said, and the word that bully Rudy Thomas used that set all this into motion.
Review: I really loved this book so much! The book spoke so much about identity and finding who you are and acceptance. The book had also had a lot in it about the outdated expectations of gender norms and falling into traditions that the characters parents expect them to fall into. The characters are all well developed and, while it doesn’t look like it in the first few chapters, the book has a great amount of diversity in it. The book has amazing world building and pacing as well. The book is gorgeous and so impactful and I can’t wait to see kids get this book and read it.
The only issue I had with the book is that I wished that the adults had more of a reckoning when all was said and done. The adults had some issues that weren’t resolved in the book, which directly affected their own children who were the main characters, and it feels a bit incomplete for some of the adults to not do more at the end of the book to condemn the wrong they did.
Verdict: It was excellent! Highly recommend!
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
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 arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Forward March
Author: Skye Quinlan
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4.5/5
Diversity: Indonesian character, Black character, Vegetarian character, Anxiety character, Autistic character, Asthma MC and side character. Because a good amount of the book involves the MC figuring out their identity, I’m just going to list out all of the 2SLGBT+ identities that I found while reading the book: asexual, bisexual, non-binary, lesbian, f/f romance, gay, pansexual, queer, questioning, m/m romance
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, marching band, 2SLGBT+
Publication Date: March 22, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 14+ (anxiety, depression, asthma attacks, self-harm, underage alcohol consumption, alcoholism, being outted, sexual content, romance, drugs, language, religion, racism, politics, panic attack, homophobia, transphobia)
Explanation of Above: The book shows episodes of anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, as well as a couple of asthma attacks. Self-harm is mentioned, never shown. There is a scene where underage alcohol consumption is shown, but it’s also mentioned occasionally throughout the book. Alcoholism is also mentioned by an adult character and drugs are mentioned once in the book in a joke reference. There is some sexual content mentioned such as sex and sexting, but nothing is ever shown. There’s not even a fade-to-black sex scene in the book, it’s all just mentions of what other characters have done. There is romance in the book, but its hand holding, hugs, and kisses at most. The book has cursing in it. There is religion (Christian) mentioned occasionally in the book. Politics are mentioned a lot in the book and it’s a main focus of the MC’s father and it has some play into the actions of all of the characters. There’s also some small bits of racism in the book, but a lot of homophobia and transphobia in the book, as well as a scene of being outted.
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 275
Synopsis: Harper “Band Geek” McKinley just wants to make it through her senior year of marching band—and her Republican father’s presidential campaign. That was a tall order to start, but everything was going well enough until someone made a fake gay dating profile posing as Harper. The real Harper can’t afford for anyone to find out about the Tinder profile for three very important reasons:
1. Her mom is the school dean and dating profiles for students are strictly forbidden.
2. Harper doesn't even know if she likes anyone like that—let alone if she likes other girls.
3. If this secret gets out, her father could lose the election, one she's not sure she even wants him to win.
But upon meeting Margot Blanchard, the drumline leader who swiped right, Harper thinks it might be worth the trouble to let Margot get to know the real her.
With her dad’s campaign on the line, Harper’s relationship with her family at stake, and no idea who made that fake dating profile, Harper has to decide what’s more important to her: living her truth or becoming the First Daughter of America.
Review: Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I loved the trigger warnings in the front of the book and I highly appreciated it. The book was a sweet queer romance between boarding school marching band students at a conservative high school with a homophobic dean and it starts with stolen ID! It was a fun read, full of small Doctor Who and Criminal Minds fandom moment. I loved the characters and they were fairly complex for a contemporary romance! The world building was well done as well and the book is well paced. I also loved seeing the MC’s self discovery and I feel a lot of teens and adults would also find this book informative in helping them identify who they really are, especially with all the helpful links in the front of the book! I highly enjoyed it for the most part!
However, I did have issues with the book. While I liked seeing all of the struggles the teen characters had against the archaic notions the Republican and conservative adults, I felt it was weird the dean, who is our MC’s mother, didn’t have allergen friendly foods considering the MC has an allergy to seafood but is still served it for lunch. The book also didn’t resolve some of the homophobia shown in the book, which I would have liked to see but I know this is more realistic to not be shown. The book also had a few other plot points that weren’t resolved, like some of the racist comments said or racist platforms held by some politicians (build a wall) and the issue with our MC feeling overburdened by her parent’s choices for her and the MC’s mother’s rude and infantilizing comments. I felt a bit empty with the epilogue and I would have also liked to see more of a turning point from the MC’s father’s platform (more than just what he did) but I also feel conflicted because, again, this is probably more realistic. Sometimes your family will never accept you for who you really are and sometimes your family will never be whole again because of their own hateful and wrong beliefs. So, while I didn’t like it for Harper I do appreciate how real it is.
Verdict: It was raw and truthful and I feel things. Highly recommend!
Book: Forward March
Author: Skye Quinlan
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4.5/5
Diversity: Indonesian character, Black character, Vegetarian character, Anxiety character, Autistic character, Asthma MC and side character. Because a good amount of the book involves the MC figuring out their identity, I’m just going to list out all of the 2SLGBT+ identities that I found while reading the book: asexual, bisexual, non-binary, lesbian, f/f romance, gay, pansexual, queer, questioning, m/m romance
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, marching band, 2SLGBT+
Publication Date: March 22, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 14+ (anxiety, depression, asthma attacks, self-harm, underage alcohol consumption, alcoholism, being outted, sexual content, romance, drugs, language, religion, racism, politics, panic attack, homophobia, transphobia)
Explanation of Above: The book shows episodes of anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, as well as a couple of asthma attacks. Self-harm is mentioned, never shown. There is a scene where underage alcohol consumption is shown, but it’s also mentioned occasionally throughout the book. Alcoholism is also mentioned by an adult character and drugs are mentioned once in the book in a joke reference. There is some sexual content mentioned such as sex and sexting, but nothing is ever shown. There’s not even a fade-to-black sex scene in the book, it’s all just mentions of what other characters have done. There is romance in the book, but its hand holding, hugs, and kisses at most. The book has cursing in it. There is religion (Christian) mentioned occasionally in the book. Politics are mentioned a lot in the book and it’s a main focus of the MC’s father and it has some play into the actions of all of the characters. There’s also some small bits of racism in the book, but a lot of homophobia and transphobia in the book, as well as a scene of being outted.
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 275
Synopsis: Harper “Band Geek” McKinley just wants to make it through her senior year of marching band—and her Republican father’s presidential campaign. That was a tall order to start, but everything was going well enough until someone made a fake gay dating profile posing as Harper. The real Harper can’t afford for anyone to find out about the Tinder profile for three very important reasons:
1. Her mom is the school dean and dating profiles for students are strictly forbidden.
2. Harper doesn't even know if she likes anyone like that—let alone if she likes other girls.
3. If this secret gets out, her father could lose the election, one she's not sure she even wants him to win.
But upon meeting Margot Blanchard, the drumline leader who swiped right, Harper thinks it might be worth the trouble to let Margot get to know the real her.
With her dad’s campaign on the line, Harper’s relationship with her family at stake, and no idea who made that fake dating profile, Harper has to decide what’s more important to her: living her truth or becoming the First Daughter of America.
Review: Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I loved the trigger warnings in the front of the book and I highly appreciated it. The book was a sweet queer romance between boarding school marching band students at a conservative high school with a homophobic dean and it starts with stolen ID! It was a fun read, full of small Doctor Who and Criminal Minds fandom moment. I loved the characters and they were fairly complex for a contemporary romance! The world building was well done as well and the book is well paced. I also loved seeing the MC’s self discovery and I feel a lot of teens and adults would also find this book informative in helping them identify who they really are, especially with all the helpful links in the front of the book! I highly enjoyed it for the most part!
However, I did have issues with the book. While I liked seeing all of the struggles the teen characters had against the archaic notions the Republican and conservative adults, I felt it was weird the dean, who is our MC’s mother, didn’t have allergen friendly foods considering the MC has an allergy to seafood but is still served it for lunch. The book also didn’t resolve some of the homophobia shown in the book, which I would have liked to see but I know this is more realistic to not be shown. The book also had a few other plot points that weren’t resolved, like some of the racist comments said or racist platforms held by some politicians (build a wall) and the issue with our MC feeling overburdened by her parent’s choices for her and the MC’s mother’s rude and infantilizing comments. I felt a bit empty with the epilogue and I would have also liked to see more of a turning point from the MC’s father’s platform (more than just what he did) but I also feel conflicted because, again, this is probably more realistic. Sometimes your family will never accept you for who you really are and sometimes your family will never be whole again because of their own hateful and wrong beliefs. So, while I didn’t like it for Harper I do appreciate how real it is.
Verdict: It was raw and truthful and I feel things. Highly recommend!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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:
No
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Blood Scion
Author: Deborah Falaye
Book Series: Blood Scion Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Yoruba/Nigerian inspired MC and characters, Black characters, Yoruba-Nigerian mythology inspired
Recommended For...: young adult readers, military fantasy, fantasy, sci-fi, Yoruba-Nigerian mythology
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Genre: YA Military Fantasy
Age Relevance: 16+ (death, parental death, gore, violence, war, sexual assault, religion, child soldiers, suicidal ideation, colorism, starvation, human trafficking, language, torture, romance, child abuse)
Explanation of Above: The book has a lot of graphic scenes involving death, parental death, violence, gore, depictions of war, and torture. There are two scenes with an attempted rape and a few mentions of it throughout the text. There are mentions of religion and a couple of scenes with prayer in the book. The book heavily focuses on child soldiers and has depictions and mentions of child abuse. There is one mention of suicidal ideation and one comment about how dark the MC is in a mocking tone. Starvation is mentioned occasionally in the text. There is also cursing occasionally in the book, there’s more as the text goes on but it’s still fairly tame compared to other books I’ve read.
Publisher: Harperteen
Pages: 415
Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will—she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods.
Under the Lucis’ brutal rule, her identity means her death if her powers are discovered. But when she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army on her fifteenth birthday, Sloane sees a new opportunity: to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.
Sloane rises through the ranks and gains strength but, in doing so, risks something greater: losing herself entirely, and becoming the very monster that she ahbors.
Review: I absolutely love this book! I very much appreciated the trigger warnings in the beginning of the book, which helped me get into the mindset of what kind of book this would be. The book is very brutally honest about the depictions and inspirations it uses, which I very much appreciated not being sugar-coated. The book is well written and has well developed characters and world building. I loved the blend of sci-fi and fantasy in the book and how the military played in this world. The book had amazingly complex characters as well and multiple different interwoven webs of lies and deceit, so much so that it makes GOT spin on its heels in my eyes! This is a damn good debut novel and I can’t wait for book 2!
The only issue I really had with the book is that sometimes I got confused because the book does have some fast-paced moments. I also figured out that a certain necklace was not picked back up so I’m wondering how the journey to a certain area will go, but other than that I absolutely loved this read!
Verdict: Highly recommend, but not for the faint of heart.
Book: Blood Scion
Author: Deborah Falaye
Book Series: Blood Scion Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Yoruba/Nigerian inspired MC and characters, Black characters, Yoruba-Nigerian mythology inspired
Recommended For...: young adult readers, military fantasy, fantasy, sci-fi, Yoruba-Nigerian mythology
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Genre: YA Military Fantasy
Age Relevance: 16+ (death, parental death, gore, violence, war, sexual assault, religion, child soldiers, suicidal ideation, colorism, starvation, human trafficking, language, torture, romance, child abuse)
Explanation of Above: The book has a lot of graphic scenes involving death, parental death, violence, gore, depictions of war, and torture. There are two scenes with an attempted rape and a few mentions of it throughout the text. There are mentions of religion and a couple of scenes with prayer in the book. The book heavily focuses on child soldiers and has depictions and mentions of child abuse. There is one mention of suicidal ideation and one comment about how dark the MC is in a mocking tone. Starvation is mentioned occasionally in the text. There is also cursing occasionally in the book, there’s more as the text goes on but it’s still fairly tame compared to other books I’ve read.
Publisher: Harperteen
Pages: 415
Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will—she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods.
Under the Lucis’ brutal rule, her identity means her death if her powers are discovered. But when she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army on her fifteenth birthday, Sloane sees a new opportunity: to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.
Sloane rises through the ranks and gains strength but, in doing so, risks something greater: losing herself entirely, and becoming the very monster that she ahbors.
Review: I absolutely love this book! I very much appreciated the trigger warnings in the beginning of the book, which helped me get into the mindset of what kind of book this would be. The book is very brutally honest about the depictions and inspirations it uses, which I very much appreciated not being sugar-coated. The book is well written and has well developed characters and world building. I loved the blend of sci-fi and fantasy in the book and how the military played in this world. The book had amazingly complex characters as well and multiple different interwoven webs of lies and deceit, so much so that it makes GOT spin on its heels in my eyes! This is a damn good debut novel and I can’t wait for book 2!
The only issue I really had with the book is that sometimes I got confused because the book does have some fast-paced moments. I also figured out that a certain necklace was not picked back up so I’m wondering how the journey to a certain area will go, but other than that I absolutely loved this read!
Verdict: Highly recommend, but not for the faint of heart.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
Disclaimer: I received this arc and e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: However Long the Day
Author: Justin Reed
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: historical fiction, prince and the pauper retelling, 1920s era
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Relevance: 16+ (xenophobia, racism, sexism, sickness, war, alcohol consumption, violence, gore)
Explanation of Above: There is xenophobia, racism, and sexism mentioned and shown in the book, especially towards one of the characters. This is set in a post-war world, so war is brought up and mentioned occasionally. Sickness in the form of Spanish Flu (which was COVID like) is mentioned as well as mask wearing and mandates. Alcohol consumption is mentioned, especially since this is set during the prohibition era. There is also some violence and gore in the book.
Publisher: Bulrush Press LLC
Pages: 401
Synopsis: However Long the Day is the tale of two strangers—Niall Donovan, a poor immigrant from Ireland, and Frederick Philips, a rich ne'er-do-well from New York's Upper East Side—who discover they look so similar they could be twins. Frederick, desperate to avoid a lecture from his father, bribes Niall to switch places for the evening. Niall finds there's more to the story than Frederick let on, and is dragged through the turbulence created by World War I, the Spanish Flu, and social upheaval, and into the corrupt belly of Manhattan on the cusp of Prohibition.
As Niall and Frederick hurtle through the next twenty-four hours, will either get what they bargained for?
Review: For the most part this was a fun book. It’s a Prince and the Pauper retelling set during the 1920s. The book has an okay premise, but the story is very well done. The characters are well developed and the world building is spectacular. The writing is also well done and I highly enjoyed this read overall.
The only issue I had with the book is that it’s very fast paced for a 400 page book. There’s a lot that goes on and sometimes it gets confusing, especially in the beginning of the book. I highly enjoyed it, but it took me a bit to get into.
Verdict: It was well done!
Book: However Long the Day
Author: Justin Reed
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: historical fiction, prince and the pauper retelling, 1920s era
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Relevance: 16+ (xenophobia, racism, sexism, sickness, war, alcohol consumption, violence, gore)
Explanation of Above: There is xenophobia, racism, and sexism mentioned and shown in the book, especially towards one of the characters. This is set in a post-war world, so war is brought up and mentioned occasionally. Sickness in the form of Spanish Flu (which was COVID like) is mentioned as well as mask wearing and mandates. Alcohol consumption is mentioned, especially since this is set during the prohibition era. There is also some violence and gore in the book.
Publisher: Bulrush Press LLC
Pages: 401
Synopsis: However Long the Day is the tale of two strangers—Niall Donovan, a poor immigrant from Ireland, and Frederick Philips, a rich ne'er-do-well from New York's Upper East Side—who discover they look so similar they could be twins. Frederick, desperate to avoid a lecture from his father, bribes Niall to switch places for the evening. Niall finds there's more to the story than Frederick let on, and is dragged through the turbulence created by World War I, the Spanish Flu, and social upheaval, and into the corrupt belly of Manhattan on the cusp of Prohibition.
As Niall and Frederick hurtle through the next twenty-four hours, will either get what they bargained for?
Review: For the most part this was a fun book. It’s a Prince and the Pauper retelling set during the 1920s. The book has an okay premise, but the story is very well done. The characters are well developed and the world building is spectacular. The writing is also well done and I highly enjoyed this read overall.
The only issue I had with the book is that it’s very fast paced for a 400 page book. There’s a lot that goes on and sometimes it gets confusing, especially in the beginning of the book. I highly enjoyed it, but it took me a bit to get into.
Verdict: It was well done!
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life
Author: Jacque Aye
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Nigerian American narrator
Recommended For...: self-help, self-care, anime, nonfiction, self-growth
Publication Date: December 21, 2021
Genre: Self-Help
Age Relevance: 13+ (social anxiety, COVID, the murder of George Floyd and Brianna Taylor, suicidal ideation, weight loss, dieting)
Explanation of Above: Social anxiety is discussed a bit throughout the book and so are methods that one could use to perform self-care afterwards. There is a mention of COVID and the murders of George Floyd and Brianna Taylor. There’s also a mention of suicidal ideation. There’s a little section mentioning weight loss and dieting, but nothing that promotes it.
Publisher: Ulysses Press
Pages: 192
Synopsis: Inspired by the wand-wielding, crime-fighting magical girls in your favorite animes and mangas, The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life teaches you how your self-care journey starts by uncovering the magical girl within.
With fun exercises, journal prompts, and personality tests, you’ll quickly learn everything you need to know about your magical girl self, including your magical girl name, what type of power you possess, and what cute companion will perfectly complement your magical girl journey. Once your magical girl identity is locked in, you’ll learn how to take on the world and continue your self-growth by:
Discovering your magical girl gang Punching fear in the face/defining your monster Developing your magical girl beauty routine Finding love after fighting crime And more!
With gorgeous illustrations and entertaining animated characters, The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life reveals how self-love, sisterhood, and magic go together. Perfect for fans of anime and manga like Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, and more!
With fun exercises, journal prompts, and personality tests, you’ll quickly learn everything you need to know about your magical girl self, including your magical girl name, what type of power you possess, and what cute companion will perfectly complement your magical girl journey. Once your magical girl identity is locked in, you’ll learn how to take on the world and continue your self-growth by:
Discovering your magical girl gang Punching fear in the face/defining your monster Developing your magical girl beauty routine Finding love after fighting crime And more!
With gorgeous illustrations and entertaining animated characters, The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life reveals how self-love, sisterhood, and magic go together. Perfect for fans of anime and manga like Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, and more!
Review: Overall, I really loved this book. I thought that the premise was well done and I was hooked from beginning to end. I loved how the book was relatable to me, but also could be to anyone who is way younger than me as well. The book is also targeted to girls, but I feel like anyone would find comfort in this read. The book mainly focuses on uplifting the people who read the book and details a lot of self-care options in it, which I really enjoyed since the pandemic has left me with a lot of anxiety. I also really enjoyed how the author used Magical Girls in media to help convey her messages. And the artwork was just adorable as hell.
The only issue I had with the book is that it’s really short and I felt like there could be more said. I’d love to see this book expanded and have more artwork and/or more in it in general. It was just so good! Also, I find it a crime Totally Spies wasn’t mentioned that much (after Cardcaptor and Sailor Moon, this was a fave of mine!) but I did love seeing the compact they used in the cartoon.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Disclaimer: I received this arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Witchlings
Author: Claribel A. Ortega
Book Series: Standalone for now
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Latine MC and characters, queer characters, one f/f romance mentioned
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, magic, witches, Latine/Latinx characters and inspired
Publication Date: April 5, 2022
Genre: MG Fantasy
Age Relevance: 10+ (bullying, violence, death, starvation, child abuse, assault, gore, scary monsters)
Explanation of Above: There is some bullying and very slight violence shown. There is also some very slight gore shown. Death is mentioned, never shown. There is starvation mentioned, as well as child abuse mentioned here and there (in very vague context) and an assault via magic shown (very brief, not graphic). There are also scary monsters that might be frightening to younger or sensitive readers.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Every year, in the magical town of Ravenskill, Witchlings who participate in the Black Moon Ceremony are placed into covens and come into their powers as full-fledged witches.
And twelve-year-old Seven Salazar can't wait to be placed in the most powerful coven with her best friend! But on the night of the ceremony, in front of the entire town, Seven isn't placed in one of the five covens. She's a Spare!
Spare covens have fewer witches, are less powerful, and are looked down on by everyone. Even worse, when Seven and the other two Spares perform the magic circle to seal their coven and cement themselves as sisters, it doesn't work! They're stuck as Witchlings—and will never be able to perform powerful magic.
Seven invokes her only option: the impossible task. The three Spares will be assigned an impossible task: If they work together and succeed at it, their coven will be sealed and they'll gain their full powers. If they fail... Well, the last coven to make the attempt ended up being turned into toads. Forever.
But maybe friendship can be the most powerful magic of all…
Review: For the most part I really REALLY loved this book. It was so sweet and magical and definitely has that School of Good and Evil / Amari feel to it! I loved the magic system and how well detailed it was. I loved seeing how the world interacted with the characters and I loved seeing the character development as well, not only with our main character but with the side characters as well. The book has an amazing premise and it will keep you hooked from beginning to end. The book is also so magical and I would LOVE to see more from this world. Also, this is a total girl-power book.
The only issue I had with the book is that it is a bit fast paced, which had me a little confused here and there, but it would be perfect for younger fast readers who are craving new magical journies.
Verdict: I highly recommend this one!
Book: Witchlings
Author: Claribel A. Ortega
Book Series: Standalone for now
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Latine MC and characters, queer characters, one f/f romance mentioned
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, magic, witches, Latine/Latinx characters and inspired
Publication Date: April 5, 2022
Genre: MG Fantasy
Age Relevance: 10+ (bullying, violence, death, starvation, child abuse, assault, gore, scary monsters)
Explanation of Above: There is some bullying and very slight violence shown. There is also some very slight gore shown. Death is mentioned, never shown. There is starvation mentioned, as well as child abuse mentioned here and there (in very vague context) and an assault via magic shown (very brief, not graphic). There are also scary monsters that might be frightening to younger or sensitive readers.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Every year, in the magical town of Ravenskill, Witchlings who participate in the Black Moon Ceremony are placed into covens and come into their powers as full-fledged witches.
And twelve-year-old Seven Salazar can't wait to be placed in the most powerful coven with her best friend! But on the night of the ceremony, in front of the entire town, Seven isn't placed in one of the five covens. She's a Spare!
Spare covens have fewer witches, are less powerful, and are looked down on by everyone. Even worse, when Seven and the other two Spares perform the magic circle to seal their coven and cement themselves as sisters, it doesn't work! They're stuck as Witchlings—and will never be able to perform powerful magic.
Seven invokes her only option: the impossible task. The three Spares will be assigned an impossible task: If they work together and succeed at it, their coven will be sealed and they'll gain their full powers. If they fail... Well, the last coven to make the attempt ended up being turned into toads. Forever.
But maybe friendship can be the most powerful magic of all…
Review: For the most part I really REALLY loved this book. It was so sweet and magical and definitely has that School of Good and Evil / Amari feel to it! I loved the magic system and how well detailed it was. I loved seeing how the world interacted with the characters and I loved seeing the character development as well, not only with our main character but with the side characters as well. The book has an amazing premise and it will keep you hooked from beginning to end. The book is also so magical and I would LOVE to see more from this world. Also, this is a total girl-power book.
The only issue I had with the book is that it is a bit fast paced, which had me a little confused here and there, but it would be perfect for younger fast readers who are craving new magical journies.
Verdict: I highly recommend this one!