This book had a promising start, but it seemed like the author only just remembered she was writing a Beauty and the Beast retelling about 70% of the way in, as the Beast doesn't show up until the last 60 pages of a 200 page book. While there were some original concepts, like having Belle be a woodcarver and holding onto some insecurities about her appearance, there wasn't anything to make it particularly interesting. There were entire chunks of story were nothing was happening and I was hoping for any kind of conflict to happen. Perhaps I'm more into the darker, grimmer side of fairy tale retellings, so the fluff did absolutely nothing for me.

It's a shame because there are hints of a decent writing style amidst a story that feels so hollow and barren. 

Now I'm usually not a fan of sport books, but the fantasy element and use of dragons in said sport was enough to pique my interest. The international competition aspect was interesting, especially as we see all these regional dragon variants and their special kinds of magic. The worldbuilding as a whole is very simple, it's your standard magical spin on our world with magic users and dragons, but non-magical people are in the know, which is a little bit of a refreshing switchup from the usual trope of magical secrecy. Other than that every other tidbit seems fairly standard, which sort of sums up my view on the book.

It's a book that feels like it's just okay. I enjoyed my time reading it, though it felt like it had a few dry spells when it came to keeping my attention. Lana's naivete in the first half was starting to get grating, though thankfully she gets more perspective on her situation as the story goes on and new information comes to light. The other characters, mostly her teammates, could have used more of a spotlight as they started to blend in with the background towards the end. There's this whole theme of Lana regarding them as a family and how they're stronger than ever together, but we got very few scenes of that dynamic and even them some characterizations felt a little hollow. 

On that note, our baddy Sire seems a bit shallow as well. I'm all for villains just being straight up evil for the sake of it, but I felt like there was more potential for a nuanced take of a dragon cursed into human form trying to regain his power. He's certainly threatening, but there's not much to differentiate him from every other bad guy with a god complex. 

I will say that the ending packs a pretty emotional punch and, without giving too much away, I hope that they sort of stick to that landing.

Though it may sound morbid, I do actually like when books stick to "we're going to kill off this character and that's it."  No happy feely resurrection, no magical do overs, this death is going to have a weight on our characters because yes there will be consequences. ESPECIALLY if that death is a potential love interest. I rarely see YA fiction go down this route and it just feels like a nice change of pace.

 

It does make me want to read the sequel just to see what kind of effect it will have and if any interesting development will come of it. Just gimme all the character building trauma.

A charming middle-grade series perfect for lovers of The Golden Compass, Inkheart, and A Wrinkle in Time, solely for the trope of "young girl's father is kidnapped/disappeared and must uncover a range of secrets and discoveries in order to get him back." Odd how often that one comes up in children's fantasy, but hey I'm not complaining. The world lends itself easily to adventure, being a steampunk-inspired setting full of automotons, airships, and other mechanical marvels.

Though I enjoyed this book, I wasn't able to loose myself in it. It lacks a certain personality, for lack of a better word and it takes a long time for all of our characters to meet and start working together. There wasn't anyone I was particularly drawn to, but I hope that next installments will provide a little more character development and exploration of the world.

A memoir that will resonate with anyone who's ever had to witness and help a loved one with a debilitating illness. The daily fear of accidents, sudden turns in health, the complexities of trying to juggle healthcare and life as usual, and the ever growing "Lasts" lists that you don't realize until it's all over. Moss' illustrations brilliantly depict each emotion as we see her family shift during this new development and how their dynamic changes. While this is undoubtedly a sad event, there is still hope in these pages as shown through the perseverance of Moss and her family and how they each carry this time in their hearts and actions going forward.

Just an absolute gut punch of a book with so much cathartic queer rage behind it. This book feels like it encapsulates the anxieties, tragedies, and uncertainties that have culminated in the past few years and, when it feels like the world's on fire, it's nice to see a book that takes those situations and shows people that are able to survive the flames, no matter how much they burn. Not gonna lie, this book is hard to read at times, what with the apocalyptic setting, the overt Christian facism, the body horror and gore, and violent imagery. This is a book that erupted out of a time of pain, fear, and rage at things we cannot control, but shows that we can fight back against those that see us as less than.

This book feels like a scream personified, but in a way that wants you to join in, to find community in that shared anger and hurt. A must read for queer audiences and horror fans.

God I needed this book when I was a teen. The constant stressing over grades and the future? The feeling that getting into a good university was the most important thing in the world? The weight of expectations? Desperately looking at your life like "Why am I even doing this?" Relatable.

The dynamic between Frances and Aled is wonderful and Oseman makes it so incredibly easy to become invested in these characters. They're awkward, they're nerdy, they're indecisive and messy, there's just so much to unpack. What these characters face never feels overly dramatic, but incredibly genuine. I felt so much for Aled as everything seemed to come crashing down and he's just left in the rubble. 

It felt like such a genuine book and it's always a treasure to find those.