THE SONG THAT MOVES THE SUN By Anna Bright

June 23, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE SONG THAT MOVES THE SUN By Anna BrightThe Song That Moves the Sun by Anna Bright
Published by HarperTeen on 6/28/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 462
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Best friends Rora and Claudia have never felt more like their lives are spiraling out of control. And when they meet Major and Amir—two boys from one of the secret cities of the spheres, ruled by the magic of the astrological signs—they discover they’re not alone. There is a disruption in the harmony between the spheres, and its chaos is spreading.

To find the source of the disharmony, Rora and Claudia will embark on a whirlwind journey of secrets, romance, and powerful truths—about themselves, each other, and two long-ago explorers named Dante and Beatrice, who were among the first to chart this course toward the stars.

Short and Sweet Review

Claudia and Rora are best friends but lately something has been off in their lives. The girls meet Major and Amir at a concert and learn that the boys are from one of the secret cities of the spheres, which are ruled by the magic of the astrological signs. The group learns that there is a disruption in harmony on the spheres which is causing chaos to spread. The group teams up to find the disharmony by traveling the spheres and on this journey they all learn a little more about themselves.

This was an interesting but fun journey of a book. Our main characters are Claudia, Rora, Amir, and Major. We got the POVs from Claudia and Rora, and we also get one from the past that shows Dante, Marco Polo, and Beatrices adventures. Claudia and Rora are from Earth while Amir and Major are from other planets. When the girls learn that fixing the disharmony can possibly help fix what’s been wrong with them, they join the boys in a quest to fix what’s gone wrong. I liked the characters, Rora and Claudia are best friends but are also as close as sisters they care about each other and want the best. Rora has had a rough few months and she knows that music helps her for a short amount of time and it turns out she’s an amplifier. There is a romance between Claudia and Amir, and Rora and Major. The romance was sweet but it was obviously rushed. I enjoyed the journey through the spheres and seeing the other planets and learning that they had different songs, and seeing the effects that each planet had on other planets. I thought the boys were great travel companions for the girls. I loved seeing the girls take charge while they were in the spheres even though they weren’t from there they didn’t take a backseat. Claudia was probably the brains and was determined to figure out what was going wrong, while Rora was unsure of things but she eventually became more courageous. Claudia and Rora learn a lot about themselves during this journey and I liked seeing the character development.

Overall this was a fun book, the adventure and plot was great and I loved the inclusion of astrology and traveling the planets with these characters.

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YOU’LL BE THE DEATH OF ME By Karen M. McManus

June 23, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

YOU’LL BE THE DEATH OF ME By Karen M. McManusYou'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus
Published by Delacorte Press on 11/30/21
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Now all they have in common is Carlton High and the beginning of a very bad day. Type A Ivy lost a student council election to the class clown, and now she has to face the school, humiliated. Heartthrob Mateo is burned out from working two jobs since his family’s business failed. And outsider Cal just got stood up . . . again.

So when the three unexpectedly run into each other, they decide to avoid their problems by ditching. Just the three of them, like old times. Except they’ve barely left the parking lot before they run out of things to say. . .

. . . until they spot another Carlton High student skipping school—and follow him to the scene of his own murder. In one chance move, their day turns from dull to deadly. And it’s about to get worse. It turns out Ivy, Mateo, and Cal still have some things in common...like a connection to the dead kid. And they’re all hiding something.

Could it be that their chance reconnection wasn’t by chance after all?

Short and Sweet Review

Mateo, Cal, and Ivy used to be close but over time they’ve grown apart, all they have in common now is the fact that they go to the same high school. Ivy just lost the student election, Mateo is burned out from working two jobs, and Cal just got stood up. So when fate brings the three of them together in the school parking lot they decide to ditch and try to have an adventure, unfortunately their fun day ends when they find a classmate murdered and they have to find who did it because the number one suspect is Ivy.

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal have all grown apart since the days they used to hang out. Ivy is an over achiever trying to reach the top, Mateo and his cousin have been working multiple jobs to help his mom make ends meet, and Cal is kind of a loner. The relationship between these three is interesting, they have a lot of history but now that they’re hanging out again there’s some awkwardness. Each of them also have some secrets that they’ve been keeping and when those come out it’s either make or break for this trio. I liked that the mystery took place in one day and the trio as I like to call them were pretty good at piecing things together. We just follow the trio around town as they piece things together and find suspects and clues. It was nice seeing the trio work through their issues and reminiscing on the past.

Karen M. McManus is great at writing mysteries and this one was another one of her books that I enjoyed. The book kind of left off on a point where I think there could be a sequel and I would love that! This book is great if your in the mood for a fast paced mystery!

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I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER By Lois Duncan

June 21, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER By Lois DuncanI Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on 10/5/10
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 241
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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After a party, four teens are in a hit-and-run accident that results in a young boy's death. Unable to deal with the consequences, they leave the body behind, and make an anonymous phone call to the police, tipping them off. The group makes a secret pact to bury the memory of that night and never speak of it again, but when one of the girls receives a note that reads "I know what you did last summer," their dark lie is unearthed. With twists and turns at every corner, they'll have to fight to stay steps ahead of a killer determined to make them pay.

Julie, Ray, Helen, and Barry used to be close friends until the hit in run accident, Julie decides to cut ties with everyone. That was last summer and now Julie is getting messages in the mail suggesting that someone else knows about the accident, which is when she decides to let everyone else in the group know what’s going on. No one else thinks that it’s a big deal until they all start getting threatening messages, but no one goes to the police because that’ll just get them in trouble for what happened last summer.

This book was boring and the characters don’t make it any better. Helen is like the prom queen super pretty only thinks about herself and follows Barry around like a puppy dog. Barry is your basic jock, he likes to think of himself as an alpha male and he’s an awful person in general. The only two sensible people in this book are Julie and Ray and not by a long shot. We just see the characters get notes, one ends up getting seriously hurt and that’s when everyone starts to actually care, besides Julie because she was already thinking clearly. Anyway Julie is the only one who wants to figure out who knows, and when we do find out who it is it’s not surprising. Honestly this was such a lackluster book, I didn’t connect to the characters and it was just predictable and dull.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY By Jenny Han

June 20, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY By Jenny HanThe Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Series: Summer #1
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on 5/5/09
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 288
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer—they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

Short and Sweet Review

The Summer I Turned Pretty follows Belly. Belly spends her summers at a beach house with her mom, brother and her moms best friend and her two sons Jeremiah and Conrad. Conrad and Jeremiah have been like older brothers to Belly and they were also her first crushes, but now that Belly is a little older things have changed.

This book was a hot mess. I found Belly to be immature and childish and sometimes I even questioned if she was actually 16. Belly often acted like she was still a kid and maybe that’s because the boys have treated her like one for so long, I found it annoying. Anyway we basically follow Belly throughout the summer and see her trying to figure out which brother she likes more, its Conrad. She pines over Conrad and it was hard to read because he didn’t see her that way but then when she got a little summer fling her was jealous and everything about the dynamic between Belly and these brothers was messy! One day she likes Jeremiah the next she likes Conrad and everything about that is gross. The book also includes scenes from the past to show us what past summers were like at the beach house.

I did not fall in love with this book like I thought I would. I struggled to get through it and that’s because of Belly, I just didn’t connect with her, I found her to be selfish and too immature. I also don’t like that the love triangle is between brothers (that never works out well.) Anyway I’m still on the fence on if I want to read the next two books but this one was a big disappointment.

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THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE By Cynthia Hand

June 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE By Cynthia HandThe Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand
Published by HarperTeen on 2/10/15
Genres: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Since her brother, Tyler, committed suicide, Lex has been trying to keep her grief locked away, and to forget about what happened that night. But as she starts putting her life, her family, and her friendships back together, Lex is haunted by a secret she hasn't told anyone—a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Short and Sweet Review

The Last Time We Say Goodbye follows Lex as she navigates life after her brother’s suicide. Lex used to be happy with her family and friends but now everything is different. One thing that people don’t know is that Tyler texted Lex before he died, now Lex is trying to pick up the pieces and trying to block out what happened the night Tyler died.

This was a good book, it covers hard subjects like suicide and mental illness. Lex is struggling and she sees a therapist who suggests that she should start journaling to process her feelings. I liked reading Lex’s journal entries it’s basically a flashback and every journal entry leads up to what happened that night so everything is basically pieced together. Other chapters show how Lex is currently going through her days, we see her distance herself from her friends, make some new friends, and try to forgive her dad, and figure out what she’s going to do in the future.

This book was focused on Lex’s grief after losing her brother. I liked seeing her process her grief and this book was beautifully written. I’m sure people would find this book emotional but I was okay, but it didn’t take away from the great writing. If you’re looking for a book that focuses on grief and is well written this book is for you.

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PLACES WE’VE NEVER BEEN By Kasie West

June 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

PLACES WE’VE NEVER BEEN By Kasie WestPlaces We've Never Been by Kasie West
Published by Delacorte Press on 5/31/22
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Norah hasn’t seen her childhood best friend, Skyler, in years. When he first moved away, they'd talk all the time, but lately their relationship has been reduced to liking each other’s Instagram posts. That’s why Norah can’t wait for the joint RV road trip their families have planned for the summer.

But when Skyler finally arrives, he seems...like he’d rather be anywhere else. Hurt and confused, Norah reacts in kind. Suddenly, her oldest friendship is on the rocks.

An unexpected summer spent driving across the country leads both Norah and Skyler down new roads and to new discoveries. Before long, they are, once again, seeing each other in a different light. Can their friendship-turned-rivalry turn into something more?

Short and Sweet Review

Norah and Skyler were childhood best friends but after Skyler moved away their communication dwindled. Now that their families are going on a joint RV trip for the summer Norah can’t wait to see Skyler, but when Skyler arrives he seems like he wants to be anywhere else then on an RV for three weeks.

Spending three weeks on the road gives Norah and Skyler a lot of time to work through their issues. It was interesting to see the dynamic between the two because they have a lot of history and inside jokes. When we get a look into their past we see that they’re always there for each other and now there’s some tension mainly on Skyler’s part which makes Norah frustrated. Norah is interesting, she tries to put on a front to be perfect but everyone that knows her well sees right through it. I love that she’s interested in gaming and uses her art to come up with ideas for video games. On the road trip on of the stops is at a college where Norah has an interview. I did like reading about all the RV stops and some of the side plots one of them being Norah trying to find out what her mom was keeping from her. I did think the romance was cute once Norah and Skyler worked through everything that’s happened since they haven’t seen each other.

This was a cute and fast read, its perfect for a summer read!


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RISE OF THE VICIOUS PRINCESS By C.J. Redwine

June 11, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

RISE OF THE VICIOUS PRINCESS By C.J. RedwineRise of the Vicious Princess by C.J. Redwine
Published by Balzer + Bray on 6/14/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 432
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Princess Charis Willowthorn is the dutiful sword of Calera. Raised to be ruthless and cunning, her only goal is to hold her war-torn kingdom together long enough to find a path toward peace with their ancient foe Montevallo, even if the cost is her own heart.

When violence erupts in the castle itself, nearly killing the queen, Charis must assume her mother’s duties and manage both the war and her kingdom. But as an unseen enemy begins sinking Calera’s ships, Charis realizes a threat much greater than Montevallo is coming for her people. So she forms a plan.

By day, she is Calera’s formidable princess intent on forging an alliance with Montevallo. By night, she disguises herself as a smuggler and roams the sea with a trusted group of loyalists, hunting for their new enemies. And through it all, she accidentally falls in love with the wrong boy.

But her enemies are much closer than Charis realizes, and her heart isn’t the only thing she has left to lose.

Sweet and Short Review

Charis is the Princess of Calera, she was raised to be ruthless by her mother so that people will know she isn’t one to try to walk all over. Charis will do anything for her kingdom even if it means giving up her own happiness. That’s just what she decides to do in order to end the war between Calera and Montevallo. But when Charis realizes that Montevallo is the only enemy Calera has to worry about she decides to put her life in danger by becoming a smuggler by night to try to find out who is sinking Calera’s ships.

This was a really good book, it took a while to be captivated by it but once I was I couldn’t put it down. Calera has been at war with Montevallo for some time and when Montevallo attacks Calera, Charis knows something has to be done. After the attack Charis gets a new personal guard, Tal. There is chemistry between the two but they both know that a relationship would never be allowed. Tal does a great job at taking care of Charis and giving her advice. After listening to Tal give his input on a situation Charis knows that the only way to have peace between Calera and Montevallo is to offer herself and get married to one of Montevallo’s princes. Even after this there are still attacks and this is when we learn that Montevallo isn’t the only one attacking Calera. When Charis sees that Calera’s ships are sinking she decides to disguise herself as a smuggler and find out who is attacking them from the sea.

Going into this book I wasn’t so sure that I would be able to connect Charis because she’s a strong female character and her mother has raised her not to take any nonsense from anyone and she’s very quick to let people know her place. I’m glad that Redwine added scenes with Charis and her father because when she’s with her father she lets her walls come down and you can see that she is a softy. I liked seeing Charis, Tal, Holland, and Nailani together, it made me happy to see that Charis had a good support system she didn’t have to be the calculating princess around them and she was able to run ideas with them. The plot is well written and the pacing is good. I will say after reading the synopsis that I thought the whole smuggling thing would happen sooner but that didn’t take place until a little past the halfway point. The ending was a twist I wasn’t expecting and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next because there was a lot of action packed into those last few chapters and I can’t wait to see how Charis will deal with everything. This was an action packed book that will have you on the edge of your seat and will leave you wanting more!

Filed Under: Reviews

TOP TEN By Katie Cotugno

June 11, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

TOP TEN By Katie CotugnoTop Ten by Katie Cotugno
Published by Balzer + Bray on 10/3/17
Genres: Contemporary, LGBT, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Ryan McCullough and Gabby Hart are the unlikeliest of best friends. Prickly, anxious Gabby would rather do literally anything than go to a party. Ultra-popular Ryan is a hockey star who can get any girl he wants—and frequently does.

But somehow their relationship just works; from dorky Monopoly nights to rowdy house parties to the top ten lists they make about everything under the sun.

Now, on the night of high school graduation, everything is suddenly changing—in their lives, and in their relationship. As they try to figure out what they mean to each other and where to go from here, they make a final top ten list: this time, counting down the top ten moments of their friendship.

Short and Sweet Review

Gabby and Ryan are polar opposites but somehow it works because they’re also best friends, they like playing monopoly on Friday nights and going to house parties and making top ten list. Now its the night of high school graduation and they decide to make a top ten list of the moments of their friendship.

This book was a HOT MESS. I didn’t even know what was going on half the time because the timeline is all over the place. Gabby is an unlikeable character, she struggles with anxiety which is understandable but the way she treats people just got on my nerves. If someone told her something that was true but not what she wanted to her she would basically shut down and go off. Ryan is just your basic jock boy. I don’t understand how this was supposed to show “top ten moments of their friendship” because all I got was an insight into their toxic relationship. Most of these moments just showed them fighting and saying hurtful things to each other. I was hoping that this would get better but it just got worse. I didn’t think I would be reading about “friends” who fight almost every time they’re together and at one point they even stopped talking for five months. Nothing about this book was charming and it does not show relationship goals. I would say that Gabby and Ryan don’t make a good couple but I’m not even sure if they make good friends. Katie Cotugno books are hit or miss for me and this one was a big miss and all I wanted was to finish this book as fast as possible and forget the dumpster fire that it was and the awful characters that I couldn’t even remotely relate to. I don’t recommend this book, it wasn’t what I was expecting from a “romance” novel.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE ONE By Kiera Cass

June 9, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE ONE By Kiera CassThe One by Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection #3
Published by HarperTeen on 5/6/14
Genres: Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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America Singer searches for her happily ever after in this swoon-worthy YA dystopian romance, perfect for readers who loved Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Lauren Oliver’s Delirium, or Renée Ahdieh’s The Wrath & the Dawn.

Entering the Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she arrived at the palace, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen—and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants.

Short and Sweet Review

After everything that happened in The Elite, America is now sure that she wants Maxon to be hers but now she has to fight for it and show him that she’s serious.

This book was more political in that it showed more attacks from the southern rebels and we also saw the northern rebels. We also saw Maxon and America negotiate and try to align the northern rebels views with there’s. Maxon is still unsure of America because of how much she’s pushed him away in the past and America does revel that she’s been keeping Aspen around as a safety net. I liked this book because it was more than just a competition at this point and we see America freely express her ideas and even though its not well received by some it just shows what kind of princess she would be. I will say that Maxon’s temper did get the best of him and some of the things he said to America were cruel. I also liked seeing the girls finally bond in the end and let down their walls and just enjoy each others company. This was a good ending to this trilogy I liked following America and seeing her journey she grew as a character, I wish she realized sooner that she wanted Maxon but I guess her indecision was needed for the plot. Otherwise this was a good series and I’m excited to see what The Heir has in store.

Filed Under: Reviews

FEATHER AND FLAME By Livia Blackburne

June 3, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FEATHER AND FLAME By Livia BlackburneFeather and Flame by Livia Blackburne
Series: The Queen's Council #2
Published by Disney-Hyperion on 6/14/22
Genres: Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fantasy & Magic, Retellings, Young Adult
Pages: 307
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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She brought honor on the battlefield. Now comes a new kind of war... The war is over. Now a renowned hero, Mulan spends her days in her home village, training a militia of female warriors. The peace is a welcome one, and she knows it must be protected. When Shang arrives with an invitation to the Imperial City, Mulan's relatively peaceful life is upended once more. The aging emperor decrees that Mulan will be his heir to the throne. Such unimagined power and responsibility terrifies her, but who can say no to the Emperor? As Mulan ascends into the halls of power, it becomes clear that not everyone is on her side. Her ministers undermine her, and the Huns sense a weakness in the throne. When hints of treachery appear even amongst those she considers friends, Mulan has no idea whom she can trust. But the Queen's Council helps Mulan uncover her true destiny. With renewed strength and the wisdom of those that came before her, Mulan will own her power, save her country, and prove once again that, crown or helmet, she was always meant to lead. This fierce reimagining of the girl who became a warrior blends fairy-tale lore and real history with a Disney twist.

Short and Sweet Review

Feather and Flame shows Mulan’s life after fighting the war, now she’s back home and training a militia of female warriors. Shang comes bringing news that the Emperor wants to see Mulan. While in the Imperial City the Emperor announces that he wants Mulan to be his successor and become the Empress. When Mulan takes the throne it becomes evident that not everyone is happy to see her there, now Mulan has to navigate this new life in power and figure out who she can trust.

I love how this series shows us the possible futures of our Disney characters. I can definitely see Mulan having her own militia who are as fierce as she is. We follow Mulan from her village to the throne and see her try to figure out if she can handle this new position she’s been put in. We also see the Huns and they’re ready to spot out any weaknesses. Mulan also has to deal with advisors who aren’t quite trustworthy and have their own agenda. The book really starts picking up when Mulan figures out that someone in the palace is not to be trusted. My favorite thing about this book was seeing Mulan go from doubting herself to fully believing she has the ability to be a great empress and be the leader China needs, she also had a great support system behind her. I do think the ending was a bit rushed but nonetheless this was a great book! If you like Disney Princesses and want a glimpse into what their futures could be like after what we’ve seen in the movies than this series of retellings is for you!


Filed Under: Reviews