THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS By Rachel Moore

August 14, 2023 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 LIBRARY OF SHADOWS By Rachel MooreThe Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore
Published by HarperTeen on 9/5/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Radcliffe Prep. The third most haunted school in the country, where a student disappearance isn’t uncommon and no one dares stay in the library after dark. And Este Logano enrolls with the hopes of finding her dead father.

Not literally, of course. She doesn’t believe in ghosts. Going to her dad’s school just seems like her best hope at figuring out who he was.

But then Este meets Mateo, who is maybe—probably—definitely—a real ghost. And an annoying one at that.

When Mateo frames Este for the theft of a rare book from the library’s secret spire and then vanishes, Este will have to track him down or risk being expelled and leaving Radcliffe early just like her father did.

Except following her father’s footsteps might be more dangerous than Este ever anticipated. As she investigates the library with its secret passageways, hidden tunnels, and haunted halls, she learns that the student disappearances aren’t just myth. And if she isn’t careful, she’ll be next.

Short and Sweet Review

Este has enrolled at Radcliffe Prep one of the most haunted schools in the country in hopes of finding her dead father. Instead she ends up meeting Mateo who frames Este for stealing a valuable book, now Este has to find the book or risk being expelled. Este wants to follow in her father’s footsteps but she didn’t realize how dangerous it could be. The more Este investigates the library she learns that the school has a dark past that includes students going missing and if she isn’t careful, she’ll be next.

The Library of Shadows was an engrossing book. Este wants to figure out what happened to her father and that leads her to Radcliffe Prep. While investigating the library and finding a book called the Book of Fades, Este meets Mateo who eventually steals the book. Este is forced to find the book or get expelled. Mateo and Este eventually work together and she finds out that he’s a ghost and he’s missing his soul. Mateo isn’t the only ghost, there’s a few more in the same predicament as him. The Book of Fades is the solution to their problem and learning about why every ten years a student disappears. Este also has a pretty cool roommate, Posy, who starts a paranormal investigation club. I do wish that Este was nicer to Posy but Este is used to living a life where she feels that she can only depend on herself. I’m not sure how I feel about the romance seeing as though Mateo is dead. Mateo and Este have an interesting back and forth, she’s stubborn and Mateo isn’t exactly forthcoming with information. I did like the cast of characters and the mystery. The setting of the library with secret passageways was fun and set the mood. There are a lot of twists but they were good and keeps you on your toes guessing what could really be happening.

Overall, this book was great! I enjoyed the plot and the pacing and the thought of hanging out in a library full of ghost makes this the perfect book for the fall season!

Filed Under: Reviews

SUDDENLY A MURDER By Lauren Muñoz

August 7, 2023 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.

SUDDENLY A MURDER By Lauren MuñozSuddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers on 9/5/23
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Someone brought a knife to the party.

To celebrate the end of high school, Izzy Morales joins her ride-or-die Kassidy and five friends on a 1920s–themed getaway at the glamorous Ashwood Manor. There, Izzy and her friends party in vintage dresses and expensive diamonds—until Kassidy’s boyfriend turns up dead.

Murdered, investigators declare when they arrive at the scene, and now every party guest is a suspect. There’s the girlfriend, in love. The other girl, in despair. The old friend, forlorn. The new friend, distressed. The brooding enigma. And then, there’s Izzy—the girl who brought the knife.

To find the killer, everyone must undergo a grueling interrogation, all while locked in an estate where, suddenly, the greatest luxury is innocence.

Short and Sweet Review

To celebrate the end of high school, Izzy’s best friend Kassidy has invited her and five others to go to Ashwood Manor. There the friends will live like its the 1920’s doing activities and dressing appropriately for that time period. It’s all fun and games until Kassidy’s boyfriend Blaine is found murdered. Now the six teens aren’t allowed off the island and investigators declare that everyone is a suspect, they just have to figure out who had the motive.

Izzy and Kassidy are best friends but they’re on different sides of the spectrum when it comes to wealth. Kassidy isn’t afraid to throw her money around, which is why she rented the Ashwood Manor for her and her friends for a week. Suddenly a Murder has the same format as most mystery books, I will say that I did like that the characters were reliving the 1920s, it did remind me of clue. The book goes between past and present, in the present we only have Izzy’s POV and in the past we get to see the other characters POVs. Everything is going well at the manor until Blaine gets murdered, which is when the investigators come and start doing their investigations. The past POVs were nice because we see why some of the characters could have motive to want Blaine dead. It was also fun seeing Izzy listening in on the interrogations. I did figure out who the culprit was. I didn’t like the side plot involving Izzy and her dead, I feel like it didn’t add much and was out of place. I do think the book was kind of predictable, I will say the plot twist at the end was exciting, but other than that the ending was basic.

Suddenly a Murder takes place on an island with a luxurious manor and our characters are having fun on their 1920s getaway. The mystery wasn’t too hard to figure out, some things didn’t flow seamlessly, other than that it was a good read and I would recommend it.

Filed Under: Reviews

A MULTITUDE OF DREAMS By Mara Rutherford

July 31, 2023 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.

A MULTITUDE OF DREAMS By Mara RutherfordA Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford
Published by Inkyard Press on 8/29/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Gothic, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 351
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

The bloody plague is finally past, but what fresh horror lies in its wake?

Princess Imogen of Goslind has lived a sheltered life for three years at the boarded-up castle—she and the rest of its inhabitants safe from the bloody mori roja plague that’s ravaged the kingdom. But Princess Imogen has a secret, and as King Stuart descends further into madness, it’s at great risk of being revealed. Rations dwindle each day, and unhappy murmurings threaten to crack the facade of the years-long charade being played within the castle walls.

Nico Mott once enjoyed a comfortable life of status, but the plague took everyone and everything from him. If not for the generosity of a nearby lord, Nico may not have survived the mori roja’s aftermath. But does owing Lord Crane his life mean he owes him his silence?

When Lord Crane sends Nico to search for more plague survivors in the castle, Nico collides with a princess who wants to break out. They will each have to navigate the web of lies they’ve woven if they’re going to survive the nightmares ahead.

Short and Sweet Review

Princess Imogen has lived in Goslind for three years, the castle has been boarded up so that the people living in the castle could avoid catching the bloody mori roja plague which has ravaged most of the kingdom. Imogen has a secret that she’s been hiding for the past three years and its getting closer to being revealed each day, not only does she have to worry about that but the king is slowly descending into madness.

Nico Mott on the other hand used to live a good life before the plague took everything and everyone from him, if it wasn’t for Lord Crane, Nico would also have succumbed to the plague. Nico and two other boys are tasked by Lord Crane to travel to the castle to see if anyone else has survived the plague. When Nico runs into Imogen and learns she wants to leave, he has to stall to keep them alive and away from the horrors that lie outside of the castle walls.

A Multitude of Dreams is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s A Masque of the Red Death. I haven’t read Poe’s story but I did enjoy what Rutherford wrote. Princess Imogen is actually someone named Seraphina, who has been pretending to be the princess after her death and to keep the king happy. Seraphina knows she’s walking on eggshells, especially around princess Giselle who makes her distain for Seraphina well known. The king seems okay but if triggered he goes off. Seraphina wants to know what life outside the castle is like, she’s also Jewish and has seen her people persecuted so she’s sure her family isn’t alive but she still has hope that maybe someone survived. Because of her want to be outside of the castle Seraphina becomes close to Lord Greymont who suggests she should bring it up to the king. Nico on the other hand is on the way to the castle and realizes that Lord Crane isn’t the man he thought he was. Nico ends up getting into the castle and meeting Seraphina. Nico, Seraphina, and a few others make a plan to get out of the castle but first they have to get past the undead and Lord Crane.

Seraphina is a great character, she says what she means and isn’t afraid to voice her opinion, it throws some people off because they don’t think that’s how a princess should act but Seraphina isn’t a princess she’s just pretending. Nico on the other hand feels a strong obligation to make things right and to protect those around him. I did like how there was a sense of romance but that was put on the back burner until these two could solve the more pressing matters at hand. The idea of the plague was pretty well done and I liked how even after contracting the plague there was still a possibility of the people to become undead.

This was an exciting book! I loved that both Seraphina and Nico had woven a web of lies to stay alive and now their lives are on the line. There was a lot of suspense about what would happen to those inside and outside of the castle. The writing was well done and it was a good take on Poe’s story. Check out this book when it’s released!

Filed Under: Reviews

ROOK By William Ritter

July 26, 2023 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.

ROOK By William RitterRook by William Ritter
Series: Jackaby #5
Published by Algonquin Young Readers on 8/22/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Abigail Rook never intended to be the mortal bridge between the human and supernatural world. But now, the power of the Sight--and all the chaos that comes with seeing the essential truth of everything, every human, fairy, werewolf, enchanted slip of paper, and municipal building, at all times--is hers alone. With this overwhelming new gift, she should be able to solve crimes and help New Fiddleham, New England find calm in its supernatural chaos.

The only problem? She has no idea what she’s doing.

And New Fiddleham isn't waiting for Abigail to be ready. Local witches and other magical beings are going missing, as tensions between human and supernatural residents curdle into a hatred that could tear the city apart. Abigail's fiance, Charlie, works alongside her to unravel the magical disappearances, but as a shapeshifter, he's under threat as well. Then Abigail's parents appear, ready to take her back to England and marry her off to someone she's never met. Abigail has no choice but to follow her Sight, her instincts, and any clues she can find to track a culprit who is trying destroy everything she holds dear.

Short and Sweet Review

After the events of The Dire King, Abigail has become the new seer and she’s been struggling to adapt to her new found ability. Abigail should be ready to help solve all the supernatural phenomena happening around New Fiddleham but she’s not ready. When some magical beings start to go missing Abigail knows she needs to put aside her fears and trust in herself and do the job of a seer.

Rook is an enjoyable book, especially if you’ve read the other books in the Jackaby series. It was nice to see characters from the past books especially Jackaby, Jenny, and Charlie. Jackaby still brings his wackiness and humor which is great because he has a carefree nature about him and he still knows when things are serious. Jackaby is living his life without the sight and he’s having a good time experiencing seeing things as a normal person, which was what Abigail used to do for him. I liked seeing how all of the characters have grown since we’ve seen them in past books. What I enjoyed the most was watching Abigail get her footing and becoming more sure of herself as the seer. I liked how this book was in Abigail’s POV but now that she’s the seer we get to see how intricate everything she’s seeing really is like peoples auras and the things left behind by people. We also see that more magical beings are out and about and there’s even a magical division at the police department now. Abigail is asked by Marlowe to look into somethings, but it ends up turning into something bigger as it usually does, and Abigail learns that magical beings are going missing. This is her first big case and luckily she’s not alone she has the help of those around her. We meet Abigails parents who aren’t really sure what she’s been doing in New Fiddleham and if she should even stay there. There’s also two agents who always seem to be one step behind Abigail and Jackaby but who are also not very helpful, they seem to do more damage than good. The mystery was great, and I wasn’t quite sure where it would lead or who the culprit was, but the ending wrapped everything up quite nicely and everything was answered.

This book was a lot of fun and it was great to be back in New Fiddleham with all of the characters I’ve grown to love. Definitely get your hands on Rook and join Abigail and Jackaby for another adventure in New Fiddleham but this time with Abigail as our paranormal detective and Jackaby as her normal mentor!

Filed Under: Reviews

HOLLY HORROR By Michelle Jabès Corpora

July 12, 2023 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.

HOLLY HORROR By Michelle Jabès CorporaHolly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora
Series: Holly Horror #1
Published by Penguin Workshop on 8/15/23
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

After her parents' painful divorce, Evie Archer hopes that moving to Ravenglass, Massachusetts, is the fresh start that her family needs. But Evie quickly realizes that her new home—known by locals as the Horror House—carries its own dark past after learning about Holly Hobbie, who mysteriously vanished in her bedroom one night.

But traces of Holly linger in the Horror House and slowly begin to take over Evie's life. A strange shadow follows her everywhere she goes, and Evie starts to lose sight of what's real and what isn't the more she learns about The Lost Girl.

Can Evie find out what happened the night of Holly's disappearance? Or is history doomed to repeat itself in the Horror House?

Short and Sweet Review

Evie, her mom, and younger brother, are moving to Ravenglass MA, after her parents divorce. Evie is hoping this will be a fresh start but they’re moving into Hobbie house also known to locals as Horror house. Holly Hobbie is the cousin of Evie’s mom and a couple of decades ago Holly went missing and no one was able to find her. Evie notices that there are still remains of Holly around the house and the more that Evie investigates the more she loses sight of what’s real and what’s not.

When coming to Ravenglass, Evie knew what to expect, she knew about Holly but she didn’t realize how much everyone would want to talk about it. Evie meets Tina a local who’s really into the story of Hobbie house and ends up sucking Evie in to learning about the stories, which in turn makes Evie want to investigate more and she becomes determined to learn what happened to Holly. Evie also connects with another classmate named Desmond and they have a bit of a romance but nothing too serious. When Evie starts messing with Hollys things she begins to act strangely, everyone around her notices the changes but Evie is in denial. We end up learning that Evie is able to see things that others can’t and maybe that’s why she was so susceptible to what’s happening in the house. I did like the mystery of trying to find out what happened to Holly the night she disappeared and we also get some insight from people who grew up with Holly. The writing was great and added to the creepy vibes and was really able to show how the house and the investigation was messing with Evie’s mental state. I didn’t like how absent Evie’s mom and brother were it was like they avoided each other on purpose. I would have liked to see more of Evie’s aunt Martha because she’s a psychic but she’s also able to see things that most can’t and she would have been able to help Evie.

The ending was great and did answer questions about what happened. I really want to see what will happen in the next book especially now that Evie is more willing to accept what she can do. This book was a page turner and I can’t wait until book two is released and see where things go from there!

Filed Under: Reviews

HOUSE OF ROOTS AND RUIN By Erin A. Craig

July 5, 2023 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.

HOUSE OF ROOTS AND RUIN By Erin A. CraigHouse of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig
Series: Sisters of the Salt #2
Published by Delacorte Press on 7/25/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Gothic, Horror & Ghost Stories, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 544
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family’s estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia.
When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem—wife of a celebrated botanist—is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won’t allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she’s kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it.
Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and—with nowhere else to turn—makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape and is quickly drawn to charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance . . . blossoms.
But it’s not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade. . . .

Short and Sweet Review

Its been years since the events of House of Salt and Sorrows took place. Now Verity the youngest sister is seventeen and she still lives in Highmoor with her eldest sister Camille, while the rest of their sisters have left and are scattered about. When Verity gets a letter from her sister Mercy explaining that the Duchess of Bloem wants Verity to come there and paint a portrait of their son Alexander. Verity is excited about the opportunity and wants to go, but Camille gives her a hard no, that’s when Verity learns that she’s able to see ghost. Verity ignores Camilles warning and goes to Bloem anyway and she learns that being at Bloem is more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.

Verity has lived at Highmoor her whole life and when she gets Mercy’s letter she knows this is her time to explore the world around her and see what’s out there. Camille immediately shuts down the idea and after they have an argument Camille reveals to Verity that Verity is able to see ghost and she doesn’t want her at Bloem sounding like a mad woman. Verity still feels like she needs to get away and she goes to Bloem with her sisters warning at the back of her mind. At Bloem Verity meets Dauphine, Gerard, and Alex. At first everything seems normal and Verity does her job starting the portrait of Alex. Alex and Verity begin to develop a relationship, these two have a lot in common, mainly how they’ve been sheltered. The Duke Gerard is a botanist and he has some weird plants growing in his greenhouse. Verity sees a lot of weird things at Bloem and she’s having trouble sleeping and she’s hearing things. Verity is determined to find out what’s going on at Bloem and she has to use her ability of talking to ghost to see if she can learn anything. Alex and Verity get engaged and that’s when things really take a turn, more unexplainable things are happening and Verity really has to dig deep to seem like she’s sane.

This book gives off a different feel than the first one, but the writing is hauntingly beautiful. I love the feel of a dark mansion with plants growing everywhere and the ghost also add to the gothic and horror theme. Alex and Verity have a slow burn romance and I also liked the representation of Alex, he’s in a wheelchair, but he does most of the things he wants in life and he’s special. There’s a lot of twists and turns in this book and even if you think you know what’s going to happen there’s another twist. I throughly enjoyed this book and loved seeing the secrets unravel and how Verity dealt with her new found freedom. If you enjoyed the first book, definitely get your hands on the sequel!

Filed Under: Reviews

MY WEEK WITH HIM By Joya Goffney

June 30, 2023 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.

MY WEEK WITH HIM By Joya GoffneyMy Week with Him by Joya Goffney
Published by HarperTeen on 7/11/23
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Nikki can’t wait to leave Texas and follow her dreams of a music career . . . After a painful betrayal by her sister and a heated argument with their mother, Nikki is kicked out and finds herself homeless. She decides to go to California to pursue her singing career. When her best friend, Malachai, discovers her plan to flee Texas, he begs her to spend the remainder of spring break with him. He believes that over the course of a week, he can convince her to stay in Texas, or to at least graduate high school. But their plans are interrupted when Nikki’s little sister Vae goes missing.

Nikki is forced to work alongside her difficult mother as they set off in search of Vae, with Malachai’s support. Will Nikki find a reason to stay in Texas, or will this spring break be the last time she sees them? Through her emotional journey, Nikki ultimately finds the love she’s always been missing and discovers the power of her own voice.

Short and Sweet Review

Nikki is ready to get out of Cactus, Texas and start pursuing her music career. Its spring break and Nikki doesn’t really see a reason to stay so she finds this the perfect time to head to California. When Nikki stops at home she ends up getting in trouble for something her younger sister Vae did and ends up getting kicked out, feeling betrayed Nikki ends up ignoring Vae and continues with her plan to leave. When her best friend Malachai catches wind of her leaving, he convinces her to spend a week with him and see if there’s anyway he can get her to stay in Cactus. When Nikki learns that her sister Vae has run away Nikki knows she has to put her plans on pause and now she has to work with her mom to find Vae.

I have very conflicting feelings about this novel. I liked the rawness and how realistic Nikki’s journey is with being kicked out and feeling like she has no where to go and also wanting to follow her dreams. I think my biggest problem with this book was the romance. So first the family dynamic, Nikki and her mom have a tumultuous relationship, Nikki is literally walking on eggshells around her mom and its always like she can’t do anything right. Which is why Nikki has run away multiple times, and when she does run away she ends up at her friend Malachai’s house. Her sister Vae on the other hand gets treated a little bit better. Nikki wants to pursue her music career and she has an audition to go to in California but her friend Malachai convinces her to stay with him for a week before making what he thinks is a rash decision. The two end up going on a road trip but have to cut it short when they find out Vae is missing. This is when Nikki has to reluctantly work with her mom to find her sister. The two end up being civil with each other but you can definitely sense the tension between the two. I did like how this brought them together but they still had to get to the root of their problem which took time a little time, which was more realistic then everything magically being solved because of Vae running away. Now my problem with the romance, it was just too easy. Nikki and Malachai have always liked each other but haven’t really acted on those feelings, he even gets a girlfriend to make Nikki jealous and then breaks up with the girl when he finds out Nikki is leaving. The two end up spending a week together and it isn’t a slow burn it was instant and it was off-putting to me. I wish their relationship had more time to develop, because it felt like two friends who just got together and were always together, the title of the book also doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

Overall, this book was okay but it could have been better. I didn’t enjoy the romance, but I did like seeing the family relationship and how realistically it was portrayed. I do wish we saw more about Nikki’s singing career we saw snippets of it but not as much as I thought there should have been for someone who wants to pursue singing. I feel very indifferent about this book, it wasn’t the great but it wasn’t that bad either.

Filed Under: Reviews

MURDER ON A SCHOOL NIGHT By Kate Weston

June 26, 2023 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.

MURDER ON A SCHOOL NIGHT By Kate WestonMurder on a School Night by Kate Weston
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 7/4/23
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 376
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

There’s never a good time to find a dead body, sure. But what about finding a dead body while you’re trying to kiss your crush?

Kerry had different plans for her first high school party—like not going. All she wanted to do was stay home in the safety of retro rom-coms and her strict retainer schedule. Instead her BFF, fiercely outgoing mystery-fanatic Annie, has roped her into going to the party to investigate who’s cyberbullying Heather, the most popular girl in school.

Finding herself getting close with her dreamy crush is odd enough, but when the two of them discover Heather’s second in command, Selena, suffocated with a menstrual cup, things get really weird.

And when a second student turns up dead, this time with a sanitary pad across the eyes, Annie and Kerry—no matter how much she resists—are officially on the case to stop the menstrual murderer . . . period.

Short and Sweet Review

Kerry and her best friend Annie have different ideas about going to their first high school party. Kerry wants to stay home but Annie is determined to go and have a good time. At the party the girls find out that Heather one of the popular girls is being cyber bullied and offer to investigate. Kerry finds herself getting close to her crush but their romantic night ends when they find Heather’s friend Selena dead with a menstrual cup in her mouth. Things only get weirder when another student is found dead with a pad covering their eyes. No matter how hard she tries to resist Kerry knows Annie is right and they have to figure out who the Menstrual Murderer is.

This book was good at points and at other points it was a book that I didn’t want to finish. Kerry and Annie are total opposites, but their friendship works out because opposites attract. Annie is outgoing and Kerry is more of an introvert. The girls are very proud and don’t shy away from the fact that their body positive and sex positive and I got it, it was cool at first but I think they went overboard that it became cringey. Annie and Kerry end up hanging out with Heather and her group of friends after the murder mainly because they think that Annie and Kerry can solve the murder of their friend. Kerry also has a bit of a romance with a guy named Scott, which was okay there wasn’t really sparks flying everywhere in my opinion. The murders are weird and the culprit had a thing for using menstrual items, Kerry and Annie think that they’re the ones who need to solve this murder because they’re able to freely talk about periods and vaginas. Anyway the murder is a cover up for something larger and these girls are in a little deeper than they thought they would be.

Overall, this book was not what I thought it would be. I found the premise interesting, but I think the characters, mainly Annie were off-putting, she just inserted herself everywhere and she was just too much. The body and sex positivity were cool and I can see what the author was going for but it became cringey, it was like someone doing it to get attention and not for the actual cause. Anyway there was a lot of potential for this book to be funny and a good mystery but it ended up being a mess.

Filed Under: Reviews

AND BREAK THE PRETTY KINGS By Lena Jeong

June 14, 2023 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.

AND BREAK THE PRETTY KINGS By Lena JeongAnd Break the Pretty Kings by Lena Jeong
Series: Sacred Bone #1
Published by HarperTeen on 6/20/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Young Adult
Pages: 447
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Mirae was meant to save her queendom, but the ceremony before her coronation ends in terror and death, unlocking a strange new power within her and foretelling the return of a monster even the gods fear. Amid the chaos, Mirae’s beloved older brother is taken—threatening the peninsula’s already tenuous truce.

Desperate to save her brother and defeat this ancient enemy before the queendom is beset by war, Mirae sets out on a journey with an unlikely group of companions while her unpredictable magic gives her terrifying visions of a future she must stop at any cost.

Short and Sweet Review

Mirae is a princess and everyone is looking to her to save the kingdom, but first she needs to pass a series of test before she makes it to her coronation, but unfortunately things go awry. Mirae finds herself with a new power and her brother has gone missing and its up to her and a group to go find him and bring him back home. Mirae is desperate to save her brother, stop an ancient enemy, and stop a war from breaking out.

And Break the Pretty Kings had an interesting concept that involved a setting of historical Korea, characters that had powers, and history and myths. I honestly don’t think everything worked as seamlessly as it could have. Mirae is very head strong and doesn’t listen to advice from those around her. I think the magic system in this book was interesting, Mirae is about to control elements around her and she ends up with a new power, the power to time travel. The time traveling confused me, only because I didn’t understand the jumping around and the things other characters were telling Mirae when she would end up in their time period and what their motives were. This book was very confusing to me and I think it lacked a clear concept, from the synopsis we can see what the intentions were but it fell short. The characters lacked a clear motivation for what they were doing and it was hard to relate to any of them. We’re also introduced to the antagonist of the book and their motives made everything even more confusing for me. I was interested in seeing Mirae use her time traveling powers and learning more about Korean myths. Some of the things that were introduced were fascinating.

All in all I was just confused for 80% of this book. The ending didn’t make anything better, things weren’t wrapped up or answered in a clear way, and I think that was because there’s going to be a sequel. I believe for me to truly understand what was going on in this book, I would have to reread it… and I don’t want to.

Filed Under: Reviews

WE SHIP IT By Lauren Kay

June 12, 2023 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.

WE SHIP IT By Lauren KayWe Ship It by Lauren Kay
Published by HarperTeen on 6/20/23
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 317
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Olivia Schwartz has a plan. It’s even color-coded.

And the plan is this: a perfect SAT score, a prestigious college, and a straight path towards her dream of becoming a doctor.

The last thing she wants to do—the summer before her senior year of high school, no less—is go on a cruise. Especially with her parents, younger brothers, and all the unspoken things between them since her older brother’s death so many years ago.

Then Olivia meets Sebastian. He’s everything she’s not: charming, exciting, willing to take risks and run with them. For the first time, Olivia feels like she can have fun...

But there’s a lot bubbling up under the surface on this cruise, and when past secrets begin to come to light, Olivia must face all the truths that she’s ignored for so long: about herself, Sebastian, her brother, the past she thought she understood, and the future she’s always planned.

Short and Sweet Review

Olivia Schwartz has a plan, she wants a perfect SAT score, to go to a good college, and become a cardiologist. But the summer before her senior year her parents tell her the family is going on a cruise and Olivia can see all of her plans unraveling. Olivia tries to comply mainly because before her brother Logans death they both talked about going to Antigua, and one of the stops on the cruise is Antigua. Olivia plans on spending most of her time doing school work but her plans go up in plan when her family connects with old family friends and her old friend Jules convinces her to have a little fun, which is how Olivia meets Sebastian. Over the course of the cruise Olivia learns a lot about herself, and tries to face her past while planning for the future.

Olivia our main character is very focused and she has a plan about what she wants in the future and how she plans on getting there. When her parents tell her about the cruise, Olivia is upset, she’s been working on a big science project which needs to be presented, which would now happen on the cruise. Olivia can be uptight she doesn’t seem to know how to relax and have a little fun. When Olivia gets on the boat she’s determined to work on her project, but she reconnects with Jules who is able to convince Olivia to hangout with some of the other teens on board. I did enjoy the setting of a cruise ship and seeing all of the things that the passengers can do, but my favorite thing was seeing Olivia get out of her comfort zone. Within this friend group Olivia meets Sebastian, and its not love at first sight she thinks he’s making fun of her work ethic but eventually she does start to develop feelings for him and this is the first person she’s able to talk to Logan about. I did feel bad for Olivia, she’s never been in a relationship or with a guy so I don’t think she was able to see the signs the Sebastian didn’t feel the way she did. I will say that it did help Olivia to talk to Logan to someone because her parents usually avoid the subject but over this trip Olivia is finally able to have the hard conversation that has been avoided for years. When Olivia learns the truth everything she thought she knew feels like a lie. I truly think this is the first time Olivia has dealt with an obstacle like this, so much so that it makes her start to rethink everything.

In the end I did like how Olivia was able to over come and start to adjust her plans to things that aren’t as concrete as she once thought they had to be. I did appreciate how the topic of Logans death was handle and how at the end her parents realized that avoiding talking about him wasn’t helping. Olivia learns over the course of this book and I did like seeing how she grew as a character and how important topics were covered. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance novels.

Filed Under: Reviews