This was so funny. I wish it had been longer!

I received a copy of this book via Net Galley from the publisher for review.

I'm a really big fan of ghost stories and this one didn't disappoint! If you liked [b:Anya's Ghost|9615347|Anya's Ghost|Vera Brosgol|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1316739317l/9615347._SX50_.jpg|14279456] or [b:Friends With Boys|11389398|Friends With Boys|Faith Erin Hicks|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1317794304l/11389398._SX50_.jpg|16321405], I think you will like Lola! It gave me Coco vibes. Yes, the Disney animated film, because Lola is Jesse's grandmother who passes away. Jesse is dealing with the grief of losing a loved one at a young age and I could relate to him on that level since I lost my grandmother at the age of 11 however, I couldn't see/talk to ghosts which is what differs me from Jesse's character. The illustrations and color scheme was interesting as all of the comic strips are black, orange and sepia. This kind of threw me off of the story and I wasn't sure why the author chose this color as opposed to purple or blue or a traditional color scheme. The story could've been more fleshed out because I felt confused until the last act. Overall, I would recommend it!

I received a physical ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

If you like this, you should read LUCKY CALLER:
- weddings (i.e. Save the Date by Morgan Matson)
- Bob Ross
- a strong sister dynamic (like TATBILB)
- the childhood friends to lovers trope
- the 90's
- podcast/radio elements
- an apartment setting (characters home)
- childhood flashbacks
- theater
- [b:Foolish Hearts|33275690|Foolish Hearts|Emma Mills|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1487081647l/33275690._SY75_.jpg|53998283]
...the list could go on, but these are just some great elements of this book!

Before reading Lucky Caller, I had only read one other novel from this author ([b:This Adventure Ends|27779275|This Adventure Ends|Emma Mills|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1455111092l/27779275._SX50_.jpg|46885088]) and I really enjoyed the writing. Lucky Caller didn't disappoint. It has now ranked as my favorite novel by this author. I really enjoyed her dialogue and how different her characters felt. This also was just a wholesome story that felt very realistic. Jamie was my favorite character, I could connect to him a lot and I really liked the slow burn romance that Emma wrote. I absolutely loved the radio broadcasting element and how much the author added to the story of the radio show. Joydeep was a RIOT. I laughed so hard when he was sabotaging the other group's show. It just felt like such a realistic, unique story that really felt timely to the setting of 2019. This novel includes just the right amount of pop culture references.

I also really enjoyed Nina's sister, Rose and her struggle with her major in college. This is such a realistic scenario and I could definitely relate to her mental breakdown.

I really don't have any flaws with this book, besides the fact that I wanted more page time for Jamie, but I'm biased. Overall, I was really sad when this was over because I was CRAVING more. I really hope the author writes more of these characters! But, I will definitely be re-reading & listening to the audiobook when this comes out!

Reading vlog: https://youtu.be/vWj-aA8fzVg

I really liked this memoir graphic novel about Raina and her sister, Amara. However, I didn't like how the ending was abrupt.

TW: suicide, grief, outting, homophobia, bullying

All of my favorite things - music, grief, mystery, geeky characters and a revenge plot.

I loved how all of the chapters were titled a song from Hayden's playlist and if you know the song, (usually Sam will explain it for you, though) you'll understand what is going to happen in that chapter or why it happened. I love books with grief and music, so it was inevitable that I would enjoy this book. It's like 13 Reasons Why (but better) and gave me We Are the Ants vibes because the main character has hallucinations that make you believe what's going on is real. I don't have full thoughts on this but I just had a really fun time reading it and I was so invested in Sam and Hayden's story.

I was sent a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Overall rating: 3.5 stars

TW: PTSD, Islamophobia
Rep: Muslim, Czechoslovakian
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Izzy is dealing with a lot as she begins her first year of middle school. She learns that her childhood friends aren't who she thought they were and grows apart from them. In particular, her friend Zelda was a brat and I really disliked her, but I understood why the author wrote her. However, I wish Zelda had learned from her behavior and that the school administration had taken things more seriously involving islamophobia, even though the student who did participate in an Islamophobic act was suspended, I would've liked to see the school and adults in the novel be more assertive and pre-cautious.

Sitara and her family move into Izzy's apartment and she learns many lessons from Sitara. I really enjoyed Sitara's character and her message of bravery. I learned a lot about living in Afghanistan and being Muslim from her character alone and as a middle grade, I felt that this topic was super important for children to read. The author explains halal food and why it's important for Sitara to wear her hijab. As well as Izzy's perspective on dealing with her father coming back from serving in the Iraq war post-9/11 and dealing with PTSD. I thought that was a relatable topic that children or anyone could relate to. She's also dealing with her parent's separation.

I wished the characters would've had more depth. I wanted to see more of Izzy's artistic side rather than just her mapping. But, I did like her passion for boating, sea stars and creating sounding data maps of the ocean. Honestly, I learned a lot about sea stars from this book, haha.

I felt like this book was mediocre and I would've liked this book to be #ownvoices. But, the author did do her research and explains it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2901107858?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1

It does have a great message and theme. I would recommend it based on that alone!

This one is hard to rate because I gave all of the stories a 2.5 star - 5 star. So, my official rating is 3.5 stars and 5 stars for the audio because I read it on audio with a full cast and it was amazing! It really brought the stories to life.

Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail by Leigh Bardugo - 4 stars
This story was so interesting and fun! It's a fantasy themed summer romance with sea creatures and I thought the storytelling was done really well!

The End of Love by Nina Lacour - 3.5 stars
This story has lgbtq+ themes because this is Nina LaCour's brand. They story is set during summer school. But, it fell short for me. Basically I was just confused because this girl chose to go to summer school even though she didn't need it?? And the romance element was confusing.

Last Stand at the Cinegore by Libba Bray 5 stars
WOW. This story was so much fun! The storytelling was SPECTACULAR. I want a full book of this creepy movie theater. The imagery was so vivid. I'm a big horror film buff, so this story was right up my alley!

Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block - 2 stars
This was a confusing story. It's supposed to be about girls who meet these guys at a bar. From the reviews I've seen, this story deals with date rape which is NOT cool. For me, I was confused right of the bat because the characters are only referred to as their first initial. It does deal with a character who is dealing with her parents divorce, which was a good topic to include. I enjoyed that this anthology was filled with diverse stories that tackle hard topics rather than just fluffy romances. Overall, this story didn't impress me.

In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins - 2 stars
This story was the sequel to Stephanie Perkins' short story from [b:My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories|20309175|My True Love Gave to Me Twelve Holiday Stories|Stephanie Perkins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459353572s/20309175.jpg|28143699] which was a unique take! However, I felt like the main character was creepy. She comes to her ex-boyfriends place of business; giving tours as a volunteer and she comes there to "get over him". Yet, she hasn't had any contact with him so first HOW DID SHE KNOW WHERE HE WAS?? Then, she basically tells him what to do with his life and he takes it and they live happily ever after. This just made me angry and it wasn't romantic whatsoever.

Souvenirs by Tim Federle - 4 stars
Maybe I'm bias because this story is set in my state (PA). But, I enjoyed this because it was a break up story between two guys who met at camp and are breaking up because it's the end of summer and the one boy is going away to college. I feel like there aren't many stories about queer people breaking up before college, so I enjoyed this story for that! However, the love interest, Kieth bothered me. He was very cocky and bossy and didn't really take Matthew seriously nor did he really care about his feelings. This dude was selfish, so I guess I'm glad they broke up, haha. Otherwise, I liked the setting and the writing! I've been wanting to pick up this author, so this was a perfect first step.

Inertia by Veronica Roth - 5 stars
WOW. WOW. WOW. I wasn't expecting to like this because the beginning of the story with the machine Claire is hooked up to so that she can be in Matt's memories reminded me so much of Divergent. BUT. This story took me by storm and I loved it so much. It tackles the topic of grief, depression, taking meds for mental health, and getting help and it was so great. It really captured the essence of the feelings and experience someone goes through when they think they're going to lose someone close to them. Bravo.

Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron - 3 stars
This story was interesting, but just mediocre. It's set at a hotel during the summer. One of the staff members has a romance with a guest at the hotel, it was cute and all. But, it was just ok. Nothing that blew me away.

Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert - 4 stars
Oh, I love Brandy! I was thrilled that she was in this anthology and her story didn't disappoint. It features people of color and it was just a story that made me smile.

Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare - 3.5 stars
I was really intrigued to read this because I've never read anything by this author before so I just wanted to see how she writes and her writing is very descriptive and has a nice flow. I felt like I could really see the characters as she described them and their surroundings. This was a fun story about a haunted or spooky carnival with mythical creatures. It was just ok for me!

A Thousand Ways This Could Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith - 5 stars
I'll have you know this is the first 5 star I've ever given to Jennifer E. Smith and that's saying a lot. This is set during summer camp as these two teens have a child on the autism spectrum in their group and they learn ways to help him get involved in camp. This was the epitome of a summer story and it really fit the theme of this anthology. I especially liked this because it has characters on the autism spectrum and it's discussed!!

The Map of Perfect Things by Lev Grossman DNF
I really was liking this story because it's about people who are reliving the same day over and over. BUT THEN THE MAIN CHARACTER SAYS HES IN LOVE WITH THE GIRL HE JUST MET ONE DAY A GO AND HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT HER AND I DREW THE LINE THERE. I think I've read too many love stories because there are 12 in this anthology and I was getting a little tired of the insta love.

I was sent a digital copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley for review. All opinions are my own.

TW: sexual assault & harassment, homophobic comments
Rep: POC/adopted & biracial characters, Japanese, lgbtq+, fat sc, albinic sc
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I went into this book feeling unsettled by the first 20% but it sure redeemed itself by the end. This was a very fast-paced book that tackled the topics of sexism and misogyny within the comedy industry very well.

Sixteen-year-old Zelda Bailey-Cho and her brother, Will accompanied by his new boyfriend, Jonas arrive in Colorado for their 2-week improv camp. I'm a sucker for a book set at a camp and Unscripted was a new camp story I hadn't read before. Nor did I even know that improv camp existed so I learned a lot about improv through this book. Zelda encounters misogyny and is taken advantage of by her camp coach, Ben. Zelda learns a lot about herself and grows as a person. I loved her fierceness and I was rooting for her when she stood up for herself.

I really enjoyed how the author tackled the issues of sexism and misogyny, it was very well done and thought out. I was furious at Ben and the Paul's as they were very close-minded and brushed off Ben's behavior which made the story fuller and realistic.

I loved the friend group and the boy scouts as well as the diversity within each character. However, I did feel unsettled by the adjectives the author chose to describe minor characters by writing "two guys who looked black, and five guys who were probably white". This sentence really unsettled me but the author did get better at this throughout the book.

I thought this was a great empowering book about females in the comedy industry. Some minor flaws were the formatting of the book I read on my Kindle some of the words were cut up and at times it took away from my reading experience and there were some grammatical and spelling errors.

Would recommend!