Katrina

3.5 rounding up. It took me a bit to get into, but at the end of the day this was a unique read with some really heartfelt moments. There's everything from teen drama to serious consideration of mortality and afterlife. The characters kind of grabbed me at some point, and I think they'll stick with me for a bit.

I think I liked the concept more than the execution. I definitely found myself spacing out while listening, as it didn't grab me as much as I had anticipated.

Gorgeous, magical, affirming. I adored the story and the art.

A solid spooky story with a great setting. I was a little let down by some of the “big reveals”, but definitely not all of them. Overall, an enjoyable fast-paced mystery with a haunted vibe. Would recommend.

A difficult topic, but well done. It's clear a lot of research and personal history went into the making of this book.

Lyrical, strange, and full of rage. I'm here for it.

Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the alc!

Honestly, adorable. I loved how playful the author was with fantasy tropes, and the characters were endearing. Solid narration. I would pick up another volume of this cozy, tongue-in-cheek fantasy series.

Feminist rage in a fascinating package. This beautifully written novel interspersed with poems paints a striking picture of women in community. It made me cry.

Thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for the alc!

I don't know about this one. I thought the overall premise was solid, but you really have to stretch your disbelief for some of the plot points. I am all for some feminist rage and interrogating privilege. That being said, I'm not sure that particular angle was handled in the best way. Overall, I felt like I could see what the book was trying to do and it fell short for me. Solid narration.

There was a lot I liked about this. There is some beautiful verse, and a strong message backed by equally strong visuals. It also felt very disjointed at times, and I couldn't really tell if it was the writing or the kindle arc I received was just messy? May have to revisit.

Honestly, so adorable. Bobby is over the top and maybe in over his head, but my goodness is he an engaging character. This was queer and romantic and sometimes silly (Gladys killed me) and overall a very enjoyable read.

Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the alc!

It was fairly brilliant. If you've enjoyed any of McConaghy's previous work, this one will hit all those same spots. The characters, the location (which really functions as another character), the situation these characters find themselves in...it was kind of surreal and at the same time deeply human. It broke my heart a little and I adored it. I found all of the narrators to be highly engaging, so would definitely recommend the audio.

Very cute. Took me a little bit of adjustment for London slang, but overall fairly adorable with engaging characters.

These ideas helped me. If you are also despairing, they might help you too.

Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the alc!

I have to say, this one really hooked me. It had all of the Wuthering Heights brooding vibes I wanted, with intense characters and high drama. The audio production was stellar. The documentary format performed by multiple narrators kept me so engaged and allowed for a multi-faceted view of Heath & Katarina. I've always had a soft spot for figure skating, so seeing inside the competitive world of ice dance also piqued my interest. All in all, a well constructed story with interesting characters (just the right amount of tortured for a WH inspired tale) that were represented by excellent narration.

A really stunning book. Pitch perfect, distressingly relevant. It takes place in 2016 if that gives you hint. Full of heart and hope. And football!

There were a lot of things about this book that I liked. I thought the plot was pretty well constructed, and I honestly adored Lalo and Carolina. Bookish, proper boy gets turned into a vampire while a strong-willed girl with a hot temper tries to prove herself as a vampire hunter? Just a great set-up. There was some solid atmosphere and dialogue. All that being said, overall it fell a little flat for me. I'm not sure the writing stood up to the ideas in it, and i think the pacing was a bit off. Still, an enjoyable and romantic adventure.

Absolutely sobbing over this one. An important and emotional semi-autobiographical story that follows a 14yo boy struggling with disordered eating and depression. Unputdownable.

Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the alc!

An intricate and interesting mystery with a lot of emphasis on character building. Great narration.

Thanks to IDW and Publisher's Weekly for the digital arc!

I found this graphic novel to be very solidly ok. I think the concept of a shared lucid dream is incredible. I also like a slice-of-life story, especially at that pivotal time between 8th and 9th grade. I appreciated the general message of the story. That being said, I don't think it fully delivered on any of those fronts. I wish the dream had been explored further. The resolution with the friend group seemed pat and unrealistically uncomplicated. The art was fine, but it didn't blow me away. Ultimately, I would pick up another book by this author down the line, but I wouldn't rush to hand sell this one to teens.

I wasn't quite as enchanted by Mische's story as I was with Oraya's. It is definitely a thrilling adventure, but it got a little repetitive. The slow burn romance is glacial. Still, I would probably pick up the next installment because that was some kind of cliffhanger.

Not quite as successful as the first installment imo, but I'm on to the third so...

An interesting, if gory, world. I have a feeling I'll see the series through. Fair warning, the slow burn is verrrrrrry slow.

Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the alc!

Great audio production with excellent narrators and a very atmospheric setting. Other than that, I can't say I really enjoyed it. If everyone is suspicious and everything is strange, then nothing is really surprising? I'm all for ladies and revenge, but the whole plot seemed overly dramatic and I didn't really care for the characters.

It was cute but honestly so lame that he's just “cured” of his monster form at the end. Like...she was into it. Wasn't that kind of the point?