I was sent an advanced readers copy of this novel from the publisher, Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not reflect my opinions.

Trigger warnings: Sexual harassment
Representation: LGBTQ+ - m/m romance between side characters, the main character has two mothers, f/f romance, Asian character - Ethan, black characters - Darien & Harper (who likes girls),

This review may contain some spoilers for Geekerella.

As a fan of the first book in this universe, [b:Geekerella|30724132|Geekerella (Once Upon a Con, #1)|Ashley Poston|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476734515s/30724132.jpg|50652411] I was very excited to hear about the sequel prior to finishing Geekerella last year. My expectations were pretty high since I loved Geekerella so much. However, I am going to stick with Geekerella being my favorite novel set in the Geekerella & Starfield universe.

The Princess and the Fangirl is a retelling of the tale, The Princess and the Pauper. This retelling is set during the duration of four days at the convention, Excelsicon (formerly seen in Geekerella). We follow a dual POV from Imogen Lovelace, a beloved Starfield and Princess Amara fangirl, who is known for her fame online as the creator of the campaign, #SaveAmara and Jessica Stone, the actress who plays the role of Princess Amara in Starfield.

When pages from the Starfield script start getting leaked on Twitter, Jess must stop the person behind the account immediately to save her career. She meets Imogen after she mistakenly impersonates Jessica on a panel and Jess learns she has found her doppelganger. They both agree to trade lives at the con and it really helped their character development.

Throughout most of this novel, I really wasn't a fan of Jess's character. She was so snarky and stuck-up, I just couldn't handle reading any more of her character. Nevertheless, I persevered and I'm glad that I did. Jess has remarkable character development and I enjoyed it so much. At the start, Jess doesn't get the point of fandoms and loving a character since she isn't so keen on being Princess Amara because she believes the role isn't important. But, by the end she develops so much and learns how to love herself and her character by seeing how much other people cherish her character and she means a lot to many fans.

As a fan of Geekerella, I really appreciated the cameos from all of the characters in Geekerella! They were all over the con!

Ashley Poston included a vital piece of fame and being in the spotlight by showcasing how Jessica Stone was treated by her male cast because she was a woman. There are many scenes where Jess is sexually harassed by men because of her appearance.

There's a lot of queerness & diversity going on in this book so if you're looking for a retelling with queer characters. Imogen has two mothers, her brother is a gay football player with a boyfriend, Jess reveals that she likes girls, characters from Geekerella appear who are in a f/f romance.

Overall, I did enjoy this novel but I got a little frustrated throughout because of the characters decisions. Since they do trade lives, they don't really have open communication and they have to lie to the people around them. Then, the lying gets overlooked and they are forgiven too quickly. However, the ending really redeemed itself!

I was sent an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher, Scholastic. This does not change my opinions in anyway, this is an honest review.

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"Exactly. If I'm not too young to have feelings for a boy, then I'm not too young to have feelings for a girl".

CW: homophobia, grief

Set in 1977, Sam and Allie's story teaches children about the path to acceptance in many forms; family, friends, and yourself. After Allie's brother, Eric dies in a car crash, she and her mom move to North Carolina from their home in New Jersey, where Allie's dad is living. When Allie starts at the new middle school, Daniel Boone, she meets Sam, a quirky and outgoing girl who Allie later discovers she's crushing on.

Shannon Hitchcock incorporates religious beliefs into her story by showing different sides of how religion can shape others views on homosexuality. This shows children that there is a difference between faith and homosexuality. This book dives into the topic of the Bible saying that homosexuality is bad or an "abomination" which is said and discussed in the book with a Reverend who Allie goes to seeking advice. I absolutely loved this part of the book because it's the reality for many queer people.

I strongly recommend this book! It's hella cute and teaches so many important lessons into a short amount of pages. Any child could see themselves in this book. This book teaches children how they can help out in the community and at school as well as how to deal with hard topics. Also, a little gay girl who likes to ride her horse?? Can you get any more pure than that? Probably not.

Grace has been following her mother on her unexpected journeys ever since she was young. They would pick up and leave over and over again. After Grace's trip to Boston, she's greeted by her mother to yet again another "home" with another guy. Grace struggles immensely trying to make her summer work between finding time to practice piano, work her job at LuMac's restaurant, and spend time with her friends. I was fascinated by Grace's passion for piano because I feel that I don't read too many pianists in the YA titles that I have read.

Grace's relationship with her mother was toxic and I was full of mixed emotions for her. I definitely felt for her when her mother would say things that hurt her and pay little attention to her. Like the title says, we are introduced to Grace and her mother's version of wishing. But, I want you to experience that for yourself.

I loved the way Ashley Herring Blake incorporated grief into the story and all the different ways we grieve may it be in an abusive way or a sad way.

"Sadness is awkward. Grief is awkward. A missing mother is awkward, no matter what form of missing it takes. And no one likes awkward. No one knows what to do with it unless you're the person used to receiving all those averted gazes".

What I loved the most about How To Make a Wish was the bisexual representation, it is also #ownvoices. Grace and Eva made me giddy and I loved their relationship, it was so cute but also raw. I loved their nightly routine at the lighthouse, eating peanut butter out of a jar. I felt that I could relate to Grace and Eva in their personalities, they're both very anxious and overthink things, as do I. They are also very caring and compassionate.

This book is very open about bisexuality in the aspects of coming out, and defining your sexuality. There are instances that Grace and Eva mention about the girl they first had a huge crush on and they were open about their sexuality. Loved it. There is also a female masturbation scene which was amazing to read!!

Luca, a good friend of Grace was also a very strong character and I loved that he was apart of the story and why. He's definitely Grace's rock and he was always there for her and told her how it is. I also liked that he was just Grace's friend. Boys and girls can be just friends :O I really enjoyed that he wasn't her gay best friend either because I feel like that's a common theme in YA titles.

Overall, this was an amazing read and I'm so glad I picked it up. If you're looking for a book that has great bisexual rep and a fun summer read, How to Make A Wish is it!

p.s. you'll be craving pizza fries & peanut butter.

I LOVED THIS. I could really relate to Maggie’s feelings toward Erin at the end. Your first heartbreak is so tough.

Also I loved how the pictures weren’t typical graphic novel style. They looked childish!

But, I do wish this had a sequel or had been longer.

I was sent this book from Sourcebooks through Net Galley for an honest review. This does not change my opinions of the book.

This book was very hyped up for me by many other bloggers I know and follow. Anise is ready for the best summer in her home of Santa Cruz to spend with her friends before they leave for college and one for the navy. She expected a great summer full of surfing waves, late night bonfires, and the Surf Break - a big music festival. Her plans drastically change when her Aunt Jackie gets in a horrific car accident and she has to spend her summer in Nebraska babysitting her cousins; Parker, Nash and Emery as well as helping Aunt Jackie around the house.

Anise is devastated and sulking throughout her time in Nebraska with her cousins and her father. I really didn't like Anise's actions toward her friends and family, she was sulking the whole summer and taking it out on her friends and family members. I think she was selfish, however she made her summer work by taking her cousins to the skate park every day. She learns to appreciate the art of skateboarding to savor her loss of surfing all summer. I really liked the aspect of comparing Anise's love for surfing with her learning to skateboard. This also had some perks because she meets a local skater, Lincoln - a disabled black character who is an excellent skater despite living with one arm. Lincoln and Anise spark a relationship and go on adventures. I really liked seeing their adventures and the fun spots that Lincoln took her.

The writing was concise and I did get some great quotes out of it! I especially liked Lincoln's character because he pushed Anise and showed her that she didn't have to lack her sense of adventure just because of her mother's history. I appreciate this novel for Lincoln and his diversity, as well as the skateboarding and surfing aspect which I don't see often!

However, this novel just fell short for me with Anise. She really bothered me and I hated that she pushed away her friends because she was angry about her summer plans being messed up. Then, she came back to Santa Cruz confused why her friends weren't happy she was there? Like I mentioned, she was selfish but hid it from her cousins. I just didn't love this as much as I expected to. I would recommend this for a summer read.

I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Full disclosure, the ARC copy I received changes out of full color on page 12. So, the rest of the book is in pure black and white. Personally, this took me out of the story because it wasn't an artistic choice. Therefore, I would like to revisit this again when it comes out this summer and I can read the final copy.

That being said, I just thought this could've had more depth rather than just being a typical story about bullying in school. I really liked the friendship between Cassie and Juniper but I just wish this book was longer but that could just be my personal reading taste because I'm very used to reading longer graphic novels that aren't under 250 pages. Another flaw was that the story follows girls in middle school yet they read like young adult characters. They could just be mature 13-year olds but I think a lot lacked with this one. But, I think most of my problems are because this is meant for the middle-grade audience and not me, a 26-year old guy.

For a short story, this one was so impactful. I love a book with an ambiguous ending and I just love Jason Reynolds and will read anything he writes. I loved that the audiobook was narrated by Jason himself which made it more of an intimate reading experience. The aspect of Will meeting ghosts from his past as he rode on the elevator was so raw and powerful as he met people for the first time or got to see someone he hadn't seen in a while. They all gave him the wisdom to help him make his decision. So. So. Good.

I received an ARC of this novel through Net Galley for an honest review from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

4.5/5 stars
CW: divorce, loss of a loved one, grief, death, bullying
Rep: POC mc, Mulsim sc, Korean sc's queer sc's, stutter disability rep
"Why should he decide when he wants to be my friend? Why does everyone else get to pick when they want to be close to me and when they don't? I'm sick of it"

I feel so grateful to be given the chance to review this book early as Ashley Woodfolk is an author I adore. In her sophomore novel, she tackles the topics of divorce and platonic relationships. Friendship heartbreak and break-ups are such a common topic that happens to anyone of any age. Personally, I've had my fair share of friendships ending in the worst ways especially throughout my time in high school. So, I'm thankful for the story of Cleo and Layla.

Told through Then & Now, we follow Cleo's perspective as she is trying to make new memories in place of her old ones to seal the wound her ex-best friend, Layla has given her. Cleo learns a lot about herself while she grieves the loss of her childhood friend who she parts ways with from an unexpected turn of events. I was cheering for her, tbh.

I just love Ashley's writing and her characters. You will swoon over Dominick Grey and his smoothness. You'll want to eat a Dolly's diner just to see Lolly and Pop. Woodfolk writes their stories with such depth. I devoured this book! I wanted to punch Sloan as much as Cleo. Sloane made Cleo's life a living hell, which is the case for those who are bullied during their high school career. Layla's comments and her language toward Cleo, her once best-friend made me RAGE. But, Cleo stood tall and was so brave throughout the hardships she faced. Cleo was such a complex character to read about. I loved how passionate she was about London, her collection of snow globes and her love for Shakespeare. I loved reading about her daily subway routine and the places she visited in her hometown of New York. As well as the jazz artists she would listen to through her headphones.

As I already mentioned, I devoured this book and I recommend it to everyone. At times it felt like a Brandy Colbert novel, so I would recommend it to fans of Brandy Colbert. But, as someone who loves grief in their stories, Ashley Woodfolk nailed it again.

I received an ARC of this novel from First Second in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book really surprised me. Going in I didn't see the need for a 400+ graphic novel about the author learning about basketball. The synopsis really threw me off. However, this book was very insightful and redeemed itself from American Born Chinese, Yang's backlisted title that I didn't enjoy so much.

I'm a big hockey fan and I've never sought out any other sport because basketball, baseball and football are particularly not interesting to me. So, like Yang, I too think basketball is boring. However, being a hockey fan, I understand how important a sport or team can mean to you which is why I enjoyed this graphic novel and the story Yang told.

This book is more than Yang learning about why people love basketball specifically The Dragons, the popular varsity basketball team at the high school he teaches at. Yang spends the whole book dividing chapter by chapter each significant player and focusing on their role on the team and in basketball. This was a wholesome and insightful novel tackling hardships in basketball such as race, size, and gender with history spread throughout. Yang wrote and illustrated this book like a documentary, even if he says it wasn't mean to be, it would be a great documentary.

I learned a lot about the sport I knew so little about and like Yang, I too have a newfound respect for the sport of basketball.

Not my favorite, it was pretty slow for me. But I liked getting to know Jack and Jill more after meeting them in Every Heart a Doorway.

Also, I love the way Seanan McGuire includes representation in this series!! I could relate to Jack, a lot and I loved her little romance with Alexis. Especially the focus on gender roles and parental expectations which was done very well!

The ending blew me away and I loved how I was able to learn the purpose of this novel because I kept questioning it.

This was both a physical copy read and audio. I switched over to audio half way and really enjoyed it!