Alana

Holahan KNOWS how to write paranoia and really make you feel it. It's a great thing when an author can rope you into the emotions of the characters. The twists of this novel were done well too. The one pitfall was the depth of the characters - the allure of them, to put it otherwise. Greg didn't feel massively dimensional to me, and though the character's emotions were done well (complete with a mysterious plot that kept me on my toes), the characters themselves as humans/personalities lacked a bit. Still a good thriller mystery book, one I think many readers of the genre will enjoy.

My inner-Disney and -Meg fanatic had a glorious time with this one. Calonita stayed true to Meg's personality and even her inner thoughts were sassy, witty, and true. Ugh, I love it. At times there was a tendency to over-explain a bit, but I guess I could use a refresher on the Disney classic just as much as the next adult. Makes me want to go watch the film again. This book leans toward - of course - the disney side of things and less the greek myth side of things, but unless you're looking for an accurate reflection of greek mythology, this'll be a great fan-fiction like book for you.

This book is more of a reflection than anything, lending itself to a more formal and slightly more detached feel than I am used to. Still, the content matter was ever so important to reflect on, especially when as readers we are well aware of the power of language and who tells the stories we know. Though slow moving, I found this book interestingly pertinent.

This is one of those books that looks really good and has a good idea, but the cheesiness and predictability when it comes down to it makes it not stand out. With mystery and thriller, there's a slough of books with great ideas but poor execution, and for me this book falls under that category. Solid potential, less than solid execution.

This book can be dense, but that comes with the territory of many literary fictions I believe. An interesting idea, about women being “conceived” without male DNA. Definitely has the vibes of those older literary fiction classics, and it truly makes you think about modern science and life...amongst other things of course!

Short, sweet, and right to the point. For a chronic procrastinator like me (who also happens to be a mortal), I devoured this one in a day. Poses a lot of cool questions that makes you rethink how you're spending your time, life, and more, and man oh man did I need those questions!

A wonderful book with a myriad of great messages from coming-of-age themes to environmental activism and LGBTQ+ rep. The art style is beautiful, and my gosh I connected to the main character (her coming-of-age and gay experiences mirrored mine almost exactly!). Ostertag blew me away with this one from the writing to the art to the characters, and I swooned over the whole style and message of this book for hours after I read it. This is the type of book that'll connect to younger readers (the mc is 15, I believe), those my age (20s) and those even older. Truly beautiful read.

Somewhat? unpopular opinion - this one wasn't for me. I may have gone in with too high of expectations after Mexican Gothic, but this story just felt flat, slow, and boring. Dnf ~halfway through. Will I try again one day? Maaaaybe. But right now, this one wasn't for me.

And my first read of June was A SUCCESS! This time-traveling novel deals with the consequences of time travel, has the best characters, cute romance, good rep, and a plot to die for! Pulley writes an intricate yet not too complicated - and far too fun - novel that I devoured in a few sittings.

Absolutely beautifully eerie modern dark fantasy - similar to some other novels I've read this year, this book explores creepy, unsettling themes while also not shying away from the realities of our world. I love the characters, their exploration into womanhood, the writing, the interactions, the plot, the pace...everything. Maybe modern dark fantasy has become a vibe I ever so excitedly lean toward? This book was dark, it was creepy, and it was littered with so many gems that it's a book I can see myself reading again. An absolute WIN for April, my dears, I think nothing can surpass. Wowww.

This is touted as a retelling of Rebecca, which I guess I can see, but it's not strong by any means. This is a good psychological thriller and Royce will really make you think, but the writing style didn't entirely entice me and made the book a bit muddled. Still a fine read, I just wouldn't say it's good enough (in my book) to be 3 stars...maybe more like 2.4?

There is no better way to sum up my reaction to this eerie, heart-breaking, terrifying, and inspiring book other than this:


This was a TREAT to read, my gosh. The way the horror of the underground moon/world creeps up on you as a reader is commendable as hell, and the characters are written beautifully, especially the sister bond. This may be one of the best indie novels I've read (if not one of my new favs overall). There's a mix of Gaiman and King vibes, but also something a little different in this book that creates a voice and narrative structure all its own, and legit the whole read I was either emotional, unsettled, or choked up. I don't know if I can call this book “YA” or “horror” or “dark fantasy” because it's all of the above and none at all. And that was part of what made it such a delight.

This book. Oh LORD, this BOOK. It is the perfect blend of dark fantasy, high fantasy/magic, young adult, and a storyline complex enough to keep one engaged. The “dark” part of the fantasy is not necessarily purely dark more so than it is atmospheric, but its done well...so well, in fact, that I must read more of Ross' work to see how she's built her other worlds. All I can say is...

This is a GREAT fantasy adventure, the king that you'd imagine seeing on the big screen. I haven't read Aveyard before, but considering that this is a series, I know I'll be reading her again. She's able to write fantasy in a way that, for the most part, maintains the thrills and keeps the reader (especially if they're a fantasy-lover) highly, highly engaged.

This was a lovely, fantastical read. Though it's targeted toward children and middle-grade readers, there's a sense of wonder about it and beautiful descriptions that even a gal in her 20s like me can devour. A great escape from reality, wonderful world-building and characters, and a novel I - let's be honest- really needed to read!

A great, well-paced, action oriented and fantasy-focused novel. Hadn't heard of Hall before this, which makes her all the more appealing as a writer to me! Fallen Legacies is a series on my radar, and I'll happily accept it.

This is beautiful, and though marketed as a book for a younger audience, can be one older readers love and appreciate too. It's about loving yourself when you're told not to - about regaining your freedom, your identity, and your confidence. Not only is this a debut, but it's an incredibly important commentary on the need we feel to look a certain way. Absolutely astounded, Fipps.

This was a great book with historical significance, and I love the “small world” vibes Kelly writes. I learned a lot too about subjects and areas I previously had little to no knowledge of - something I appreciate very much.

Finishing March up with a great one. First of all, Tamsin and Wren are GOALS. I love their dynamic and literally everything about them. Add that in with the plot - Tamsin's lack of being able to feel love, even with smells, tastes, and more, with Wren's sunny personality despite her challenges, really made their relationship just that much better. Following them on this journey was a BLESSING, gah can I fangirl hard enough? So, yes, the romance is beautiful. The characters are beautiful. And the plot, too, is fantastical, thrilling, enticing, and magical all in one. A solid, solid end to my March.

Beautiful, much like the cover. Very sad, and haunting, and McMahon does the thing I love where she meshes painful reality with eerie fiction. The whole thing was spooky, and a great mystery. The switch between the two timelines was done wonderfully as well.

What a beautiful newly released coming-of-age novel. Books that follow kids are very interesting to me, especially when they're done well and as a reader you can get into the head of a (very) young character. In this light, Graff did amazing. This is truly a gem of a book - so happy to have seen the new release and jumped on reading it.

Very interesting....heard a lot about Christie's disappearance/possibly diss. fugue. This book does a great job going into the mystery and delving into an otherwise very odd time for the famous author.

A cute witchy read with a great cover and great characters. The twist was a little bit predictable but it was still done well, and I think a variety of ages can enjoy this one.

Another gothic read (maybe I'm developing a bias here...). This one was a unique read that I devoured quickly because I loved it so much. Agnes was a great MC with an even cooler job (kinda wanna become a silhouette artist now...though I don't think I'd be any good. Sigggh.) This is a great murder mystery that'll keep you up late (if you're like me), watching shadows on your wall and dreaming of those old, haunted houses with ghosts and dimly lit hallways. Agh - just up my alley.

A great debut by a talented author. This book was action-packed, tense, and complex. Loved every minute of reading about Hessa's character and her often unyielding devotion to the Goddess of War, and I love even more the viking theme/vibe. What a badass book!