Gabe Cole Novoa
Oh, how I loved this. Review to come! :)
I temporarily received an ARC to read and decided to review it because it was awesome.
REVIEW:
So 2016 seems to be a relatively big year for pirates in YA, which is lucky for us all because pirates are awesome, but this is the first time I've seen a story about pirates who travel through time and I loved it.
Nix is Hapa (like the author) which was really cool to see, and she was also a really fun, spunky, and still sensitive protagonist. I connected with her quickly and really empathized with the way she tried to handle her complicated, messy situation. The dynamic she had with her dad, a drug addict obsessed with a single mission that could lead to Nix's not existing anymore, was real, raw and layered.
Add Kash to the mix—the Persian, thief love interest—who very quickly jumped onto my favorite book boyfriends list, and an adorable dragon named Swag along with other quirky and memorable characters, and the cast alone made The Girl from Everywhere incredibly enjoyable.
Then we get to the plot. While the timeline was a bit confusing at times (this is the kind of book, I suspect, you'll want to read more than once), the complicated magic and lush world building made it all worth it. I really enjoyed how the crew's travels wasn't limited to to just real places—they're able to travel to made up worlds as long as they have a map—and yet the rules to the magic system involved really made the whole system feel authentic and unique. As a bonus, the ARC I read had soooo many spots for maps to come—half of my excitement for the hard copy alone is just to see the gorgeous maps in all their splendor.
All in all, The Girl from Everywhere hit it out of the park. If time travel stories and pirates are your thing, I really couldn't recommend this one enough. And even better—you won't have to wait very long because it releases February 16th.
Diversity note: The protagonist, Nix, is Hapa, one of the love interests, Kash, is Persian, and one of the crew members is lesbian.
Full disclosure: I was gifted an ARC of this book.
Fascinating premise with SUPER creepy monsters. I mean, I know this has been quoted a million times, but: “Even though the men had no faces, Dea could tell they were smiling.”
So eerie.
I sort of expected something like Inception before I read, but this was more like walking through a Salvador Dali painting, which was kind of jarring, but also really cool. Overall, it was an interesting and unique reading experience.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was so fun! This assassin revenge book was everything I would've expected: tons of action, chock-full of badass characters, loads of emotion (and frowny faces, on my part) and a fascinating world to boot. I really enjoyed reading about the super unique prominent polytheistic religious system set up in the novel, the politics of the assassin Families was really interesting and I'm so very pleased with the ending. While the voice didn't quite pull me in as much as some other YA Fantasies I've read, overall this was a really enjoyable book that I totally recommend to those who like their YA Fantasies with awesome assassins.
WOW. Just finished reading and not totally sure what to say yet but WOW. I'll post a full review closer to release, but if you're a fan of YA Fantasy seriously add this one to your TBR lists.
My only regret in reading this is I need the sequel and the first book hasn't even been published yet. The struggle.
Full review:
Right from the start, Burning Glass drew me in with probably one of the most intense first chapters I've read in a long time.
Burning Glass is the type of book that grabs you by the throat from the first page and doesn't let go until the end. With fascinating court politics, very complicated characters (and no pure evil antagonist), intense conflict and so many fascinating layers of world building, I really loved reading this. The world vaguely reminded me of a Shadow and Bone Russia-type setting, but the magic was completely unique and soooooo interesting to read about. I loved some characters, hated others, was suspicious of many more and all in all really enjoyed reading this.
I will say there was one background mythology and a throwaway line about it that was kind of ableist, that I didn't love, and the love triangle didn't work for me in that one character was...not a viable option to me at all for spoilery reasons. But neither of those points ruined the book for me, personally, and I still found it a very enjoyable read.
Overall, Burning Glass is a wonderfully written, very exciting and emotional YA Fantasy, and I can't wait to read the next book.
Diversity note: Sadly, I don't remember there being much of any.
Really enjoyed this one—and that ending! Review to come.
Okay. So firstly, I really like thrillers, and I also really like when the protagonist is part of a marginalized group, especially if it's one I can relate to like a character with chronic pain. And that's initially what drew me to this book—because trying to find YA with characters who deal with chronic pain? Not so easy.
What I liked: Sophie deals with disability (among other things), including chronic pain that causes her to limp, and she still kicks ass. Even better—there wasn't a miracle cure. Not for Sophie's injury, not for the chronic pain, and not for her addiction, or her trauma. Far From You does a really fantastic job not sugar-coating reality—it acknowledges that long after the book, Sophie will still have a limp, will still have to deal with a lot of trauma, and will always struggle with addiction. And for that alone, I'm giving Tess Sharpe a massive internet high-five.
As far as the actual plot goes, I really enjoyed this. The mystery surrounding Mina's death was fascinating, and I love books that keep you guessing, like this one. I had a few theories about who was at fault, but the twist got me—that said, I sort of felt like I mostly didn't guess because I'd pretty much forgotten some people existed. Maybe my fault. Maybe the book's fault. Eh. Not a big deal. Overall, Far From You is an exciting book that'll definitely keep you interested.
Finally, it was really great to see a YA protagonist who is explicitly bisexual, but whose sexuality isn't necessarily the main focus of the book (though coming out books are definitely important, too).
I really enjoyed this one, and I definitely recommend it to those looking for a fun, twisty YA Thriller.
Diversity note: Sophie, the protagonist, has a limp from chronic pain caused by a car accident years prior, struggles with drug addiction (opiate painkillers), and is explicitly bisexual. Mina, her best friend/sort of girlfriend was not out, but she was lesbian.
So if you thought Catch Me When I Fall was an exciting read, wait until you get your hands on Find Me If You Dare. This sequel is packed full of action, twists and feels, and I especially liked seeing how much Kayla grew from the first book to the end of the second. While I felt some of the bad guy moments were a tad corny, this was a fun read overall. Chock full of Urban Fantasy awesomeness, Find Me If You Dare will make very happy readers out of fans of Supernatural and The Mortal Instruments. I look forward to reading the final book in the trilogy!
LOVED this! Full review to come. So many feels. :)
Review:
Okay. Okay.
Remember when I read [b:Trust the Focus|22663603|Trust the Focus (In Focus, #1)|Megan Erickson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417546777s/22663603.jpg|42162412] and totally loved it? And then the cover for Focus on Me was revealed and I basically stared at my screen forever?
You guys, this series is quickly becoming one of my favorite NA romance series, like, ever.
After reading Trust the Focus, Focus on Me was everything I hoped for and more. I devoured most of it on a train ride to and from Chicago and sat huddled in my seat, flipping through the pages, my heart totally breaking for Colin and Riley. I can't tell you how quickly I got attached to these guys and while I still haven't cried reading a book...this one came close.
Colin and Riley's romance is steamy, adorable, heartbreaking and real. Erickson tackles some really serious issues (depression and an eating disorder), and while I can't speak for the accuracy for either of them as I don't have enough expertise, I can say that at least from my perspective, it seemed to be handled really respectfully. I especially loved that there wasn't a magical cure (or magical healing love interest either, for that matter).
I love this book and I love this series and I can't wait for the next one. If you're looking for some great m/m NA romances, I couldn't recommend the In Focus series more.
Diversity note: this is a m/m NA and both the love interest and protagonist are gay. One of them also suffers from depression and struggles with an eating disorder.
So I'd heard a ton about this book and did that thing I don't do very often and pre-ordered a book from an author I hadn't read before. And while More Happy Than Not wasn't quite what I was expecting, I definitely didn't regret it.
It's kind of hard to write about this one without spoiling anything, but I do have several thoughts:
Firstly, the intersectionality in this book was so great to see. I loved reading a protagonist who is Latino but not necessarily Spanish-fluent (which doesn't sound like a big deal, but as a Latina but not exactly Spanish-fluent person myself, it was very nice to see we exist), and I realized while reading this is one of the few YA books I've seen with characters from a lower socioeconomic background.
Secondly, this book broke my heart so many times. Emotions go all over the place with this one, with big highs and really sad lows, and I absolutely loved the twist. Aaron and many of the other characters are complicated, layered characters who felt completely real, and they were a treat to read.
I will say that the pacing in the first third of the book or so was a little slower than my liking, and for a while I wasn't really sure where the plot was going (and when I did think I knew where the plot was going, I was so wrong which was great). But as things began coming together, the whole story wove together really nicely and I definitely enjoyed it.
More Happy Than Not will bring on the feels and really make you connect with the characters. This book was a delight to read and I definitely recommend it to those looking for something different, gritty, and honest.
I'm giving 4/5 stars to this wonderful YA and I can't wait to read Silvera's next book!
Diversity note: The protagonist is Latino, gay, and like many of the characters, from a lower socioeconomic background. Other major characters were also PoC, including the main love interest, and the protagonist also suffers from depression.
4.5/5 stars
Not sure what to say about this one yet, but yeah, definitely enjoyed it. Really well written and the fact that I
read the last 150 pages in one sitting should say something, I think.
REVIEW:
Made You Up has to be one of the most unique contemporary YAs I've read in quite a while. From the very start it had me questioning what was real and what was a delusion (I've heard Made You Up marketed as “the ultimate unreliable narrator” and it is so true!). While I can't speak about how well or not represented the schizophrenia was, as I don't have the expertise to do so, I can say as a story it was totally fascinating and I loved how it made me think the whole time I was reading.
Initially, I found the pacing a teensie bit slower than I usually like, but I was still absolutely interested in the characters and what was going on. Alex's struggle made me connect to her immediately, and the cast of characters from Miles, to Tucker, to the triplets, and everyone else just felt very true to everyday high school experience (minus, you know, the out of the ordinary stuff going on).
Overall, I definitely recommend Made You Up to those looking for a fresh, unique contemporary YA and anyone looking for a brilliant example of an unreliable narrator in YA. As a bonus, I was happy to see mental illness handled respectfully, and very I'm curious to see what those with a better understanding and experience with schizophrenia think about the representation.
Great story with great characters and really wonderful writing. Made You Up lives up to the hype for sure. 4.5/5 stars.
Diversity note: Made You Up's protagonist has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
2.5/5 stars
Trigger warning: Rape, violence, gore
I have conflicting feelings on this one.
On one hand, the first 75% was super twisted, and dark, and interesting in a way that was kind of morbidly fascinating. There were definitely sections that the pacing lagged a little, especially in moments of backstory, and in the beginning which I found particularly sluggish, but I was curious enough about what would happen next to keep reading.
Near the end, the pacing sped up...but then it took a really disturbing turn at the very end that I don't really understand. Without spoiling anything, all I'll say is there was some drastic change in two character relationships that made no sense to me, and kind of glorified a rather brutal rape scene at the end. The spoilery explanation is that Masako (one of the MCs) basically fell in love with her rapist while he was raping her? I don't know. I bought her biding her time to try to escape, but to see her want to save him after he beat, raped and nearly killed her went way beyond my suspension of disbelief and gave the whole scene an undertone of a creepy rape fantasy.
It's a shame, because I was mostly enjoying this book up until the end, but unfortunately the last fifteen pages or so totally killed it for me. I just can't get behind a book that glorifies rape in any way.
This was a little unsettling (it was meant to be) and really interesting! There was one POV chapter that felt a little unnecessary to me, and some of the backstory slowed down the pacing a bit, but overall I found Toshi, Yuzan, Worm, Kirarin and Terauchi's story bizarrely fascinating and engaging. This is my first venture into Japanese lit and a great start so far—I definitely enjoyed it.
Diversity note: all characters are Japanese (obviously) and one POV character is lesbian.
Um. Wow. Not really sure how I'm going to review this yet but...yeah, wow.
Review:
So first and foremost, BLACK IRIS is a New Adult novel, but holy guacamole it is so very different from 99% of NA novels out there right now. BLACK IRIS is not a contemporary romance—it's a dark, unsettling Thriller with deeply twisted characters and tons of twists. It's the kind of book I feel like I'll need to re-read to fully absorb, because it isn't until all the pieces fall together that it really all begins to make sense.
Like UNTEACHABLE, Raeder expertly weaves a raw, realistic voice with moments of beauty and clarity. The characters are flawed and make few attempts to be likable—and there were some moments where I almost felt like Laney, the protagonist, was getting a little heavy-handed on deliberately portraying herself as unlikable (not so much through actions, but through things she would say about being an unlikable heroine). That said, I liked that many of the characters weren't trying to be likable—they made ugly decisions, and had terrible thoughts, and they owned them completely.
The only other thing that occasionally threw me off was the timeline. The story is told non-chronologically with chapters jumping back and forth between the present and past, which occasionally got a little confusing (one of the reasons, I suspect, I felt like I would benefit from a second read).
Despite that, I really loved this book. From the gripping plot, to the out-there-for-you-to-see ugly emotions, to a protagonist who wasn't completely sure about her sexual identity (and wasn't trying to be sure or put a label on it), to a cast of characters who were twisted, and layered, and all-around fascinating, BLACK IRIS is on my list of favorites.
If you're looking for a gripping, beautifully-written, dark, and complicated New Adult Thriller, I couldn't recommend this one more. 4.5/5 stars to this seriously awesome book.
Diversity note: The protagonist doesn't label herself, but is attracted to (and has on-the-page explicit relationships with) both men and women, and she also has borderline personality disorder. Other major characters are bipolar and have antisocial personality disorder, and two major characters are Persian (including one love interest).
3.5/5 stars
This was sweet! ;) In all seriousness, I definitely enjoyed this one. It was cute, and while I didn't find the pacing to be quite as arresting as EASY and found some of the flashbacks, particularly in the beginning, to be a little confusing at times, it was absolutely still an enjoyable (and sizzly) read. Boyce and Pearl were fun to read about and I also especially appreciated the diverse cast—Pearl is Latina, as are many minor characters, and another minor character is disabled.
All in all, SWEET is another fun NA read from Tammara Webber. If you like NA and haven't checked out her romances yet, you may definitely want to take a look!
Wow I loved this so much. Review to come. In the meantime, this series is amazing.
Review (read 4/23/15-4/26-15):
It can be a little hard to know what to expect from a sequel. Sometimes an author hits it out of the park, and it's amazing, and sometimes it's a let down (which is especially sadmaking when you loved the first book).
Half Wild, however, was definitely the former.
I had pretty high expectations jumping into the Half Bad sequel, and I have to say, those expectations were totally met. Half Wild is dark, exciting, full of action and complicated characters (and character relationships) and I was racing through this book to find out what happened. Nathan/Gabriel are one of my favorite ships, and I really loved some of the new characters and magic introduced in this book.
Like Half Bad, the voice is raw and arresting and it was interesting to see Green play with different formats and stylistic choices. There isn't nearly as much second person POV in Half Wild as there was in Half Bad, but even though I loved the second person POV in Half Bad, I didn't mind the shift.
Nathan's character development has been super fascinating to watch, and the ending was seriously awesome, and 2016 is too far away because I want the next book now. If you like dark, violent, gritty YA fantasy, I honestly cannot recommend this series more. It's on my perma-favorites list for sure.
THIS WAS ADORABLE. So cute. SO. CUTE.
So first and foremost, if you're a YA author looking for an example of really spot-on boy POV, I can't recommend Simon Vs. more. I was really really impressed with just how real Simon sounded, both in his head and in the dialogue—and the dialogue from the other characters was written just as perfectly.
So awesome voice aside, Simon Vs. was just a really freaking adorable book. I connected to Simon immediately, it starts in the absolute perfect spot in the plot (another note to YA writer: this is how you start a book), and there were moments that were just so darn cute I was actually giggling and “aww”ing out loud.
I don't often pre-order books from authors I haven't read before, but I made an exception with Simon Vs. and I'm so glad I did. I whipped through the pages quickly because I needed to know if I was right about who Blue was and I was dying to see Simon and Blue's happily-ever-after, and I loved that all of the characters, including the minor ones, were complex, layered and realistic. I really don't have any complaints about this book except, I suppose, that it's a shame I won't be able to read it for the first time again.
If you're looking for a happy, fun m/m YA romance, I couldn't recommend Simon Vs. more. 5/5 stars to this one for sure, and I can't wait to see what Albertalli comes up with next.
