whatskatiereading's Reviews (521)

Thank you BookishFirst and Roaring Brook Press for my copy of BAD GIRLS NEVER SAY DIE!

I thought this was a fantastic YA book--one that I would have absolutely loved had it come out when I was in high school. The story is an all-female take on The Outsiders, following the story of "bad girl" Evie who takes in "good girl" Diane after after a tense encounter at their town's local teen hangout spot. I enjoyed the main themes of the book: friendship among young women and the lengths they will go to in order to protect their friends, as well as socioeconomic class. This book does take place in high school so the characters are dealing with the typical struggles that many high schoolers go through. While I did enjoy reading this book as an adult, I think I would have loved it even more had I read it when I was the same age as the characters. Coming from someone who typically reads fiction set in the present day, I enjoyed the historical aspects of the book taking place in the 1960s. 

Thank you BookishFirst and Razorbill for the ARC of DARK AND SHALLOW LIES. 

DARK AND SHALLOW LIES is a YA mystery that centers around a missing girl (Elora) in a small Louisiana bayou town.  Just about everyone in this small town has magical powers, which makes the disappearance all the more eerie.  Elora has a group of friends who have been extremely close since birth, but Elora’s disappearance starts to show the cracks in some of their friendships. 

This book is perfect for fans of YA fantasy.  I myself am not particularly drawn to this genre, and I think that deeply impacted the experience I had with the book.  I thought it was okay, definitely overwritten at times, and the ending was not my favorite.  What I did enjoy was the main character, Grey, and the semi-love triangle she found herself in.  Grey’s grandmother, Honey, was also a great character that I loved learning more about.  Overall this wasn’t for me, but I would encourage my YA fantasy fans to give it a try!