THE FIRST TO DIE AT THE END By Adam Silvera

October 26, 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 FIRST TO DIE AT THE END By Adam SilveraThe First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Series: Death-Cast #0
Published by Quill Tree Books on 10/4/22
Genres: Contemporary, LGBT, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 549
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict when someone will die, or is it just an elaborate hoax?

Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die. He has a serious heart condition, and he signed up for Death-Cast so he could know what’s coming.

Valentino Prince is restarting his life in New York. He has a long and promising future ahead and he only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.

Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first round of End Day calls goes out, their lives are changed forever—one of them receives a call, and the other doesn’t. Though neither boy is certain how the day will end, they know they want to spend it together…even if that means their goodbye will be heartbreaking.

Short and Sweet Review

Death-Cast is about to go live and everyone is wondering if Death-Cast can actually predict when someone is going to die. Orion has a heart condition and he signs up for death cast just so if somethings going to happen to him it won’t be unexpected. Valentino has just moved to New York and is ready to live his best life and on a whim he signs up for Death-Cast and he gets the first call. S

Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and they hit it off immediately. Valentino gets the call and from there him and Orion decide that Valentino needs to live his end day to the fullest but also carefully.

I loved this book maybe even more than They Both Die at the End. I just liked seeing how it all started and how Death-Cast wasn’t necessarily trusted. We get to see some hard decisions being made about Valentino’s end day and I liked that he was so kind hearted and knew what he wanted. Orion was like the comedy relief and he was like the greatest friend for Valentino on his last day and basically gave Valentino the feeling of being accepted. My favorite thing about this book is probably seeing how all of the characters are intertwined in some way and we even get to see a younger Rufus and Mateo.

This was such a book and I won’t forget about it anytime soon. It was so heartfelt and just like They Both Die at the End this book makes you want to live everyday like your last because you never know when you’ll get a call from Death-Cast.

Filed Under: Reviews

THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END By Adam Silvera

May 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.

THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END By Adam SilveraThey Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Series: Death-Cast #1
Published by Quill Tree Books on 9/5/17
Genres: Contemporary, LGBT, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

Short and Sweet Review

On September 5, Mateo and Rufus get a call that within the next 24 hours they’re going to die. Mateo and Rufus don’t know each other but they’re both looking for a friend on their last day for different reasons. Mateo to get out there and live his life to the fullest on his last day. Rufus is trying to make a new friend after his funeral gets crashed and his other friends become preoccupied. I loved the friendship between Mateo and Rufus, Mateo is more cautious than Rufus but Rufus helped Mateo loosen up and actually enjoy his day. I liked seeing both boys try to wrap things up and say their goodbyes and also going to this center to have some things from their bucket list crossed off. We see Mateo and Rufus live their final day and I really loved this book and these two characters even though I knew how it would end. I laughed with both characters and cried with them too. This book really makes you think about how you would live your last day if you knew you were going to die. This book was heartfelt and also heartbreaking in the end but it was beautiful and I can’t wait to read the next book!

Filed Under: Reviews

MESSAGE NOT FOUND By Dante Medema

April 18, 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.

MESSAGE NOT FOUND By Dante MedemaMessage Not Found by Dante Medema
Published by Quill Tree Books on 3/29/22
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Bailey and Vanessa shared everything: laughter, secrets, and packets of Pop Rocks to ward off bad days. But that all changed the night Vanessa left Bailey’s, headed for home, and ended up swerving off a cliff nowhere near her house. Now Bailey, who thought she knew Vanessa better than anyone in the world, is left with a million unanswered questions, and the only person with answers is gone.

To help grieve her loss, Bailey creates a chat bot of Vanessa using years’ worth of their shared text messages and emails. The more data she uploads to the bot, the more it feels like she’s really talking to her best friend. That is, until the bot starts dropping hints that there was more going on with Vanessa than Bailey realized—a secret so big, it may have contributed to Vanessa’s death.

Sweet and Short Review

Bailey and Vanessa are best friends, but when Vanessa leaves Bailey’s house and swerves off a cliff Bailey’s world is changed. Bailey wants to know what happened that night especially because Vanessa was nowhere near her house when she died. Bailey makes a chat bot of Vanessa to help her grieve, her conversations with the chat Vanessa begins to drop hints that there was something big Vanessa was hiding and Bailey is determined to figure it out.

We get to see Bailey and Vanessa’s friendship through flashbacks and through the chats. I love the way this book was formatted and seeing the chats and google searches. Bailey is grieving so the best thing she can think to do is to continue talking to Vanessa as a chat bot. Bailey has to fix the bot and add everything about Vanessa that she can think of, so that she’ll get responses that sound like Vanessa. Bailey becomes consumed in talking to the chat bot because she thinks she’ll learn what Vanessa was up to that night. I liked seeing how Esther and Mason were there for Bailey and tried to help her with her grieving process. The way everything unraveled at the end was mind blowing, I was shocked when we learn about what was happening. The ending was great and I love how everything was wrapped up.

Message Not Found was a book that I just wanted to finish in one sitting but also wanted to savor. This book is heartfelt and I loved Bailey as a character. There’s so many layers to this book it just takes us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions but its one of the best books I’ve read so far in 2022!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE BOOK OF LIVING SECRETS By Madeleine Roux

March 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.

THE BOOK OF LIVING SECRETS By Madeleine RouxThe Book of Living Secrets by Madeleine Roux
Published by Quill Tree Books on 3/8/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, Young Adult
Pages: 396
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

No matter how different best friends Adelle and Connie are, one thing they’ve always had in common is their love of a little-known gothic romance novel called Moira. So when the girls are tempted by a mysterious man to enter the world of the book, they hardly suspect it will work. But suddenly they are in the world of Moira, living among characters they’ve obsessed about for years.

Except…all is not how they remembered it. The world has been turned upside down: The lavish balls and star-crossed love affairs are now interlaced with unspeakable horrors. The girls realize that something dark is lurking behind their foray into fiction—and they will have to rewrite their own arcs if they hope to escape this nightmare with their lives.

Short and Sweet Review

Best friends Adelle and Connie both love a little known historic, gothic romance novel by the name Moira. When the two are told by a man that her can transport them into the book Adelle jumps at the chance but Connie is more suspicious, but soon the girls are in the book that they’ve been obsessing over for years. Unfortunately the book is nothing like they imagined. Now the girls have to find a way to survive in this nightmarish world and make it back to their own.

Adelle and Connie love this book Moira so when this guy who works in a shop they’ve been going to for a while says he can put them in the book they say yes not thinking it’ll work. In the book the girls are separated Adelle actually ends up meeting the main characters but they’re so much different than the ones she pictured in her head. Connie ends up with the side characters a group called the Penny-Farthings. Adelle and Connie quickly realize that the world they’re in isn’t one they want to be in. There’s also some creature in the wharf that takes sleep walking people and is using them for whatever reason.

The characters in the book were interesting, they obviously weren’t how Connie and Adelle imagined them but my favorites were Orla, Caid, and Missi. These were characters that the girls originally brushed off but ended up being the best characters. Moira and Severin on the other hand were awful. There were some weird things going on in this book and most of it could be attributed to the girls being in a world they shouldn’t have been in.

I liked Connie and Adelle, Adelle was basically living in a fantasy world for the first couple of chapters she was in the book because she didn’t know what was going on outside. Connie was helping the Penny-Farthings fight and get supplies. I did like how all of the characters got together to help try to stop the monster in the wharf from completing his goal, and trying to help the girls get back to their own time. I will say I’m still a little confused on what happened in the end.

The premise was good I think that some more information about the thing in the wharf and what the dream city is would have made this book even better. I liked the horror vibes and just seeing what would happen next. I loved seeing Connie and Adelle navigate their way through a world they thought they knew. It just makes you wonder what it would be like inside your favorite book.

Filed Under: Reviews

ALL THESE BODIES By Kendare Blake

September 22, 2021 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.

ALL THESE BODIES By Kendare BlakeAll These Bodies by Kendare Blake
Published by Quill Tree Books on 9/21/21
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 300
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Summer 1958. A gruesome killer plagues the Midwest, leaving behind a trail of bodies completely drained of blood.

Michael Jensen, an aspiring journalist whose father happens to be the town sheriff, never imagined that the Bloodless Murders would come to his backyard. Not until the night the Carlson family was found murdered in their home. Marie Catherine Hale, a diminutive fifteen-year-old, was discovered at the scene—covered in blood. She is the sole suspect in custody.

Michael didn’t think that he would be part of the investigation, but he is pulled in when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to. As Marie recounts her version of the story, it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed? And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies?

Short and Sweet Review

It’s the summer of 1958 and a killer is leaving a trail of bodies along the midwest, and these bodies are drained of blood. Michael Jensen wants to be a journalist and his father is the sheriff in town. Michael never thought that the “Bloodless Murders” would come to his small town. But when the Carlson family is murdered and Marie Catherine Hale is at the scene of the crime drenched in blood, Michael is dragged into the investigation. Marie decides that if she’s going to tell her story the only person she’s going to tell it to is Michael.

The book starts off with a thrill we see Marie covered in the victims blood but claiming that she didn’t commit the killings but she also won’t give up who she was with or tell her story so she just looks guilty. Marie will only tell her story to Michael which surprise everyone but obviously he has to do it because its everyones chance to get answers. We see a sort of friendship develop between Michael and Marie which is kind of understandable because they’re the same age but at the same time she could possibly be a serial killer. Anyway Marie is an unreliable story teller and we can see how she weaves a story and how paranoid Michael becomes. This is one of those books that keeps you reading because you want to know what happened and Marie will keep you guessing till the very end because she doesn’t really want to tell her story, it’s almost like she’s buying time.

All These Bodies will keep you engaged until the very end. I will say that I’m still not sure about that ending and even though I finished the book a few days ago I’m still thinking about it.


Filed Under: Reviews

ACT COOL By Tobly McSmith

August 9, 2021 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.

ACT COOL By Tobly McSmithAct Cool by Tobly McSmith
Published by Quill Tree Books on 9/7/21
Genres: Contemporary, LGBT, Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Aspiring actor August Greene just landed a coveted spot at the prestigious School of Performing Arts in New York. There’s only one problem: His conservative parents won’t accept that he’s transgender. And to stay with his aunt in the city, August must promise them he won’t transition.

August is convinced he can play the part his parents want while acting cool and confident in the company of his talented new friends.

But who is August when the lights go down? And where will he turn when the roles start hitting a little too close to home?

Short and Sweet Review

*Trigger Warning: Dead naming, Misgendering, Suicidal thoughts

August is a transgender teenager who has just run away from his conservative parents home to stay in New York City with his more accepting aunt. August was accepted into the School of Performing arts and the only way he can stay is to promise his parents that he won’t transition.

August is our main character and I loved him. I also felt bad for him because he wasn’t able to be who he wanted to be. Whenever his parents called he had to act like a girl and at his new school he would play the cool guy.

August is in a new setting and he feels like he needs to play a role. I felt bad for August his parents weren’t supportive and they would keep referring to him as a she and using his dead name. I loved that August had his aunt who was supportive and welcomed him with open arms. August has a passion for acting so getting a spot in the School of Performing Arts was the best thing to happen for him. August met so many supportive people at school but he also had a problem because he put on the role of cool guy and some people saw through it and wanted the real August. We also see a lot of talk about transgender representation in broadway and August gets a starring role. The ending was great I love how August had a group of supportive people who loved him surrounding him during a time when he wasn’t sure of himself.

Act Cool was a an amazing book. August was a character that you felt for and wanted to be friends with!

Filed Under: Reviews

LUCY CLARK WILL NOT APOLOGIZE By Margo Rabb

May 10, 2021 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.

LUCY CLARK WILL NOT APOLOGIZE By Margo RabbLucy Clark Will Not Apologize by Margo Rabb
Published by Quill Tree Books on 5/11/21
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 365
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Lucy Clark has had it. After being bullied one too many times, Lucy retaliates. But when the fallout is far worse than she meant it to be, she gets sent to Manhattan to serve as a full-time companion to the eccentric Edith Fox.

Edith is glamorous and mysterious—nothing like Lucy expected. Though Edith’s world of hidden gardens and afternoon teas is beguiling, there’s one other thing about her that makes her unlike anyone Lucy has ever met...she thinks someone is trying to kill her.

And it’s up to Lucy to find out who it is.

Short and Sweet Review

Lucy Clark has had enough of the bullies at her boarding school and after an incident her headmistress decides it’ll be a good idea to send Lucy to New York. There, Lucy will stay with her cousin Nanette and be an assistant to Edith Fox. Once she arrives Lucy finds that Edith isn’t what she expected and that Edith believes that someone is trying to kill her. Now Lucy is trying to stop the weird accidents and find a killer.

Boarding School wasn’t a good experience for Lucy, so when she gets to go to New York its a chance to prove herself. Lucy is staying with her cousin Nanette who is barely around she’s usually off with her boyfriend Cyrus. Lucy’s parents aren’t really around they’re in Hawaii filming a tv show and honestly they aren’t great people. Anyway upon arriving in New York Lucy meets Edith and finds out she’s not a batty old lady but someone is making an attempt on her life. Lucy gets a list of suspects its not too many under 10 and gets help from Mimsy (Edith’s friend), Edith, and Dyna (Lucy’s friend from boarding school).

The mystery is surprisingly more complex than I thought it would be. Lucy had some weird detective strategies. Lucy also has a love interest named Jack and I didn’t like their interactions he was hot and cold sometimes he was nice and other times he wasn’t. I liked the mystery and some of the characters, the setting was great and I loved learning about all the plants and how much time Lucy spent in Mimsy’s garden.

Filed Under: Reviews

WHEN YOU LOOK LIKE US By Pamela N. Harris

January 8, 2021 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.

WHEN YOU LOOK LIKE US By Pamela N. HarrisWhen You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris
Published by Quill Tree Books on 1/5/21
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

When you look like us—brown skin, brown eyes, black braids or fades—everyone else thinks you’re trouble. No one even blinks twice over a missing black girl from public housing because she must’ve brought whatever happened to her upon herself. I, Jay Murphy, can admit that, for a minute, I thought my sister Nicole just got caught up with her boyfriend—a drug dealer—and his friends. But she’s been gone too long. Nic, where are you?

If I hadn’t hung up on her that night, she would be at our house, spending time with Grandma.

If I was a better brother, she’d be finishing senior year instead of being another name on a missing persons list.

It’s time to step up, to do what the Newport News police department won’t.

Bring her home.

When Jay’s sister Nic goes to a party and calls him he thinks she’s high on drugs and ends up hanging up on her. But after being gone almost a week Jay realizes something is really wrong. Jay doesn’t think anyone will help someone who looks like “us” which means they have brown skin, black braids or fades, so Jay decides the only way Nic is coming home is if he finds her.

Jay and his sister Nic live with their grandma Mimi, they haven’t had an easy life, their father died of cancer and their mother is in jail, but through it all they’ve had each others backs. Over the years Nic ends up getting caught up with Javon, the local drug dealer in their neighborhood and that kind of puts a strain on Nic and Jay’s relationship. Because of this strain when Nic ends up calling Jay he decides to hangup because he thinks she made her choice by hanging out with a certain crowd. After a while Jay finally realizes that something is really wrong. Jay ends up getting help from Riley a girl from church and together they look for clues and follow leads to try and find out where Nic is. I really liked Riley and she meant well and was a good hearted person. A relationship does form between Jay and Riley the more time that they spend together.

This was a good book I liked the mystery and how dedicated Jay was to finding his sister. What I didn’t like was how Jay started treating and talking to people towards the end of the book. I felt like he was really rude and disrespectful and taking his anger out on people who didn’t deserve it. I get that he was upset but he didn’t even know if Nic was dead or not so to be lashing out at people was a bit much. Other than that this is a solid book and it had a good message that sometimes people of color are overlooked and are deemed as less important. I would recommend this book, the mystery will keep you invested and Jay’s never give-up attitude will keep you going until the very end!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE STEPPING OFF PLACE By Cameron Kelly Rosenblum

July 25, 2020 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 STEPPING OFF PLACE By Cameron Kelly RosenblumThe Stepping Off Place by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum
Series: The Stepping Off Place #1
Published by Quill Tree Books on 7/28/20
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 480
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

It’s the summer before senior year. Reid is in the thick of Scofield High’s in-crowd thanks to her best friend, Hattie, who has been her social oxygen since middle school.

But summer is when Hattie goes to her family’s Maine island home. Instead of sitting inside for eight weeks, waiting for her to return, Reid and their friend, Sam, enter into a pact—to live it up, one party at a time.

But days before Hattie is due home, Reid finds out the shocking news that Hattie has died by suicide. Driven by a desperate need to understand what went wrong, Reid searches for answers.

In doing so, she uncovers painful secrets about the person she thought she knew better than herself. And the truth will force Reid to reexamine everything.

Short and Sweet

Reid and Hattie are best friends, but when Hattie dies by drowning Reid’s world comes crashing down. But when they say that Hattie committed suicide, Reid just doesn’t understand how. Reid starts to question Hattie’s death and if there were any clues her past that could have showed this outcome.

Characters

Reid: Reid is interesting to say the least. She feels like she needs Hattie to survive, Hattie is the push Reid needs to go out and do things like go to parties or talk to people. Without Hattie, Reid basically has to figure out who she is without her best friend.

Hattie: Hattie is someone who is brave and is ready for an adventure. When we do have scenes with Hattie in them we see she’s always trying to push Reid out of her comfort zone and help her try new things. Hattie seemed normal during the times we do see her.

Sam (Hammy): Sam is a friend of Reid’s and he and Reid decide to hangout together because Hattie will be gone the whole summer. I liked Sam he was a really good friend, he would try to make sure Reid and fun and after Hattie’s death he was there to make sure she was okay.

Quotes

~ “She knew me better than I knew myself.”

My Thoughts

~ So we only get Reid’s POV but the book alternates from the past to the present. In the past we get to see how Reid and Hattie were together and in the present we see how Reid is dealing with Hattie’s death.

~ I liked Reid at the beginning of the book and later I realized that she’s grieving Hattie’s death but the way she was treating people ruined her character for me. I didn’t like how hopeless she was being she really felt like she couldn’t survive without Hattie but she had all this support around her but it was like she wouldn’t try.

~ Like I mentioned earlier Reid was grieving for what felt like 3/4’s of the book. She also started getting a little crazy she was too much for me.

~ Reid obviously didn’t want to believe Hattie died by suicide so she came up with theories she also tried to do a little investigating into Hattie’s life and last moments.

~ I liked seeing how everything came together, Hattie may have seemed fine but as the book progresses everything clicks.

Overall

The book started off great and I was interested in seeing the friendship between Hattie and Reid. Towards the end I was put off by Reid’s attitude and how she was treating people. Overall the book was okay but the only thing that kept me from loving it was Reid.

Filed Under: Reviews

CLAP WHEN YOU LAND By Elizabeth Acevedo

April 24, 2020 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.

CLAP WHEN YOU LAND By Elizabeth AcevedoClap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Published by Quill Tree Books on 5/5/20
Genres: Contemporary, Poetry, Young Adult
Pages: 432
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.

And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

Short and Sweet Review

Camino and Yahaira live very different lives, Camino is in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira is in New York City, but both of their lives are changed when their father dies on a plane crash. Now both girls have to navigate life without their dad and learn about the secrets he kept. Camino lives with her aunt in the Dominican Republic and her father only visits her during the summer. Camino has big dreams she wants to be a doctor and move to the states.

I felt for Camino without her father around she had more of a burden on her shoulders, she couldn’t afford to go to school and she had to watch out for one of the guys in the neighborhood who wouldn’t leave her alone. Yahaira on the other hand felt like she had to keep her fathers secrets but come to find out everyone knew except for her, Yahaira didn’t leave on the best terms with her dad especially because she found out one of his secrets, I feel like she had a lot of guilt about that. Yahaira had spent more time with her dad growing up than Camino did and one thing Yahaira always mentions is how he taught her to play chess. I loved Yahaira’s girlfriend Dre she was levelheaded and was always there when Yahaira needed her.

Yahaira on the other hand felt like she had to keep her fathers secrets but come to find out everyone knew except for her. I liked reading from both girls POV it showed their grief and how they tried to come to terms with everything it was also interesting because Camino and Yahaira didn’t know about each other. When Camino and Yahaira met it wasn’t a happy reunion they were basically strangers but I did like seeing how their bond was developing.

The writing was beautiful and portrayed all of the emotions both girls were feeling at any given moment. I loved having Camino and Yahaira together, they were both amazing characters in their own ways. Clap When You Land was beautiful and heartbreaking but having two sisters unite over tragedy was also heartwarming.


Filed Under: Reviews