Tag: YA reads

Lucha of the Night Forest by Tehlor Kay Mejia 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!

I loved this!!! I loved the dark and twisty ancient mushroom magic, the god and goddess lore, latinx sapphic romance… just, yes!!!

Lucha is a great character. She is completely devoted to her little sister, which is a trait I automatically admire in any siblings’ relationships. She makes mistakes on who to trust and what to do throughout this story, which made her feel very real to me. All in all, I thought this was really well done.

Lucha’s mother is one of the many who are addicted to a drug, Olvida, that seems to basically slowly pull away a person’s memories, causing them to sleep and forget life. Lucha takes care of her little sis, Lisa, but when her mother gets fired and they are kicked out of their home, she faces some major challenges. The fact that this is really relatable to what happens to many young adults irl just made me love this story. Lending hope to an incredibly hopeless situation.

Lucha finds herself connected to a god, and soon, she is fighting a battle larger than her own existence.

I want to add some basic warnings for drug use, poverty, and, violence and assault.

Out March 21, 2023!

Royal Blood by Aimee Carter 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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I loved this book! It was exciting. Just the right amount of emotion, romance, and the ending left me hoping I get to read the sequel soon!

Evan has a tumultuous past, but when she’s caught starting a fire at her boarding school, she is left without too many choices. Jenkins (love this guy) makes the decision to take to her father, the king of England. But when she arrives, she is faced with the brutality of the press, living openly as King Alexander’s illegitimate daughter, and worst of all, being almost completely sexually assaulted and then wrongfully accused of murdering her attacker.

This is a busy and torturous time for her. But, I loved seeing her strength and her character overcome these hard hits, even when it all felt like a lost cause. I loved the attention of what it’s like for a person to recover from sexual assault. More than anything, I loved learning more about her father and her mother’s relationship.

This got me in all my soft spots, and I can’t wait for more! I love Evan’s character and can’t wait to see more of her royal journey!

Out March 7, 2023!

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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This book was so unexpected for me. I thought I would be going into this obsessing over a new teen murder/mystery. However, what I loved most out of this story were the incredible characters, particularly Cam.

Cam and Blair are best friends, so when their favorite class, journalism, has a huge project, they (mostly Cam) decide on a podcast about a girl that’s been missing for 20 years. This leads to some awkward reporting, both of them learning together their strengths and weaknesses pertaining to this project, and, of course, many secrets revealed.

I loved the relationship between Cam and Blair. The overwhelming kindness and honest love between two best friends who are opposites in so many ways was absolutely endearing. Cam is not great communicating with people, she’s honest, she’s honest to a point that can at times be detrimental. But her honesty is what made me really love this book. The compassion Blair shows, being caring and very uplifting for Cameron, simply made my heart grow.

The last part of this book was a whirlwind. I could not read fast enough. The story around the podcast and Clarissa seemed to be moving slowly, but the last several chapters were explosive.

I loved this book and recommend it to fans of ya mystery/thriller reads!

Out March 7, 2023!

City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Ness lives in Newham, a city full of the monsters people change into if they have a nightmare.  Newham is really interesting,  it’s has a 1920s feeling and also practices prohibition and has many gangsters throughout the streets.  In other words,  it’s a perfect vibe for the city of nightmares. 

This book has a surprising amount of depth to it. At least it was surprising to me.  Ness is terrified of nightmares, which,  unfortunately,  walk the streets here.  They are living with a cult like group so they can keep their tiny room and sense of safety.  However, when the lizard director threatens to kick them out, they wind up with a whole new set of problems.  

I loved the whole vibe of this book.  Ness’s character is so relatable as are the side characters that are their friends.   I loved this read and can’t wait for the sequel!

Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!

Magic tea, a magic city and a book written so beautifully, it’s, guess what? MAGIC!!¡!

Imira is a soldier, a Shield, in her kingdom of Sahir. Her brother has been presumed dead after having gone missing for a year. However, when Imira and her little sister chase their brothers’ horse to a cave one day, they find information and a Djinni that can lead them to their brother across the sands. This would be perfect, but when Imani brings this news and information to the council, she is paired with her arch-rival Taha and his fellow scouts.

I loved the author’s writing style, completely drawing me in and holding my interest from beginning to end. The magic system complimented the story and characters perfectly and seemed flawless. I am so excited that there will be a sequel!

Out January 24, 2023!

Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame by Meg Long 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!!

This is the sequel I have been waiting for!! And, everything about this story and its characters lived up to my expectations.

Remy is heading back to Maraas, with Sena and Iska in tow, to find her friend Alora. What she finds instead is her ex-partner, Kiram, and a world at the cusp of revolution!

The details about this planet are spectacular! I loved the jungle and stormy, muddy vibes, especially during the action scenes. Just like how on Tundra, the environment played a huge role in the character’s struggles.

All the characters were equally well formed and likeable (mostly). I loved seeing Iska in action on this world and getting a chance to meet more scavvers. However, Remy was everything in this book. She slowly learned more about herself and friendship while simultaneously fighting against the Corpos and taking every risk imaginable!

I highly recommend this series!

Out January 17, 2023!

Song of Silver, Flame like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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This gorgeous story has swept me off my feet into a land of myths and magic. I can go ahead and say that I highly recommend this!

I feel like this is a fantasy book that I was able to wrap around myself like a blanket and just cozily read and read and read. Lan is a song girl in a nation that has been overrun with conquerors that are trying their best to squash the soul, customs and culture of her land. Her own power surprises her when she is somehow able to defend herself in a bad situation. When the handsome Zen shows up she isn’t completely thrilled to hear that she must accompany him to learn her way as a Practitioner.

There is romance, adventure, war and drama ya’ll! Definitely check this one out!

Out January 3, 2023!

They’re Watching You by Chelsea Ichaso 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!

This book is a blast! I had so much fun reading this!! The whole time I was reading this I constantly was questioning everything and everyone and every action anyone took. This book kept me on my toes till the last page and I love that so much! It’s exactly what I’m looking for in a ya thriller.

This has romance, dark academia vibes with the boarding school and the secret society. The life or death vibe while crawling through tunnels and catacombs kept the tone of the book very dark and creepy. Definitely recommend!

Out January 3, 2023!

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales 🌟 Arc Review🌟

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Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!

Yes! Revenge against a cheating ex? Reality TV show? Sapphic romance? Yes, Please and Thank You.

This is such a fun read. It really had everything and more for a romance. This was completely unexpected and absolutely perfect.

Maya gets a phone call that at first seems like a practical joke. Go on a reality TV show to re-date her ex among other girls so the ex can choose the right girl for him? An ex that cheated on her and that she hates? And the girl he cheated on her with is going to be there too? Yes…. She grudgingly accepts not knowing the drama and surprises that await her.

This book is about revenge on that one person that holds a special place as the worst human ever. And, trust me, I have a few to choose from that I would love to serve up some revenge too! This is a girl power, friendships beat all, and whirlwind Sapphic romance that had me laughing and swooning.

Out November 29, 2022!

Five Survive by Holly Jackson 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!

OMG!!!! This. This. This. This is a thriller!!! This!! Forget what you think a good thriller is and just read this! As soon as possible. I thought my teeth were going to break bc I was clenching my jaw so hard, ya’ll! This is beyond…. I shall call it: a jawclenching, heart racing, thriller masterpiece.

Six people go on a road trip from Pennsylvania to the Gulf for spring break. Four of them are high school students and two are in college. One of the reasons they are in an RV to travel is because Red can’t really afford a plane ticket so her best friend Maddy planned this trip with that in mind. It’s a good group but there is immediate tension already because Maddy’s pre-law brother, Oliver, puts himself in charge. (It’s incredibly annoying).

When they arrive in South Carolina to stop for the night at a camp site, they get lost and wind up in the middle of nowhere. (And, as someone from SC, I can promise that getting lost in the middle of nowhere there is seriously the freaking middle of nowhere and it’s so scary, lol) . However, this seems to be no random just getting lost, especially when all the tires and the gas tank are shot out. There is a sniper in the woods. They communicate through a walkie talkie. And, the sniper wants to know a secret that only one of them can tell. But who is it? And, what is the secret?

This book is incredible. The author really illustrates how basic humanity can be lost and turned into something horrifying and ugly in a situation like this that is so frightening and puts a group in such a vulnerable position.

I recommend this for all fans of thrillers!

Out November 29, 2022!