The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin (ARC Review)

What do a future ambassador, an overly ambitious Francophile, a hospital-volunteering Girl Scout, the new girl from Cleveland, the junior cheer captain, and the vice president of the debate club have in common? It sounds like the ridiculously long lead-up to an astoundingly absurd punchline, right? Except it’s not. Well, unless my life is the joke, which is kind of starting to look like a possibility given how beyond soap opera it’s been since I moved to Lancaster. But anyway, here’s your answer: we’ve all had the questionable privilege of going out with Lancaster High School’s de facto king. Otherwise known as my best friend. Otherwise known as the reason I’ve already helped steal a car, a jet ski, and one hundred spray-painted water bottles when it’s not even Christmas break yet. Otherwise known as Henry. Jersey number 8.

Meet Cleves. Girlfriend number four and the narrator of The Dead Queens Club, a young adult retelling of Henry VIII and his six wives. Cleves is the only girlfriend to come out of her relationship with Henry unscathed—but most breakups are messy, right? And sometimes tragic accidents happen…twice… (Goodreads)

5/5 stars

WOW. The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin was everything. Take all your expectations and amplify them. King VIII meets JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE in this hilarious, heartfelt, and shocking "retelling." You will love every single character, but Cleves—CLEVES!!!—is, without a doubt, a break-out YA star. It’s funny, dark, unapologetically feminist, and the characters are complex, shady, and lovable. The voice is phenomenal and I will consider Capin my newest auto-buy author after this.

The two downsides: the book is long! The set-up/beginning takes some time, but the voice and characters are so great that it’s worth it and never boring. I would have liked more physical descriptions. It seems like everyone aside from two or three characters are white. Cleves and her sister are the only ones who are definitely not white, though it’s not entirely obvious or ever really mentioned again. Lina might be a woman of color, but, again, not entirely certain.

The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin will be published January 29, 2019.

This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada (ARC Review)

The nightmare of the outbreak is finally over, but Cat’s fight has only just begun.
Exhausted, wounded, and reeling from revelations that have shaken her to her core, Cat is at a breaking point. Camped in the woods with Cole and Leoben, she’s working day and night, desperate to find a way to stop Lachlan’s plan to reprogram humanity. But she’s failing—Cat can’t even control her newly regrown panel, and try as she might to ignore them, she keeps seeing glitching visions from her past everywhere she turns.
When news arrives that the Hydra virus might not be as dead as they’d thought, the group is pushed into an uneasy alliance with Cartaxus to hunt down Lachlan and fix the vaccine. Their search takes them to Entropia, a city of genehackers hidden deep in the desert that could also hold the answers about Cat’s past that she’s been searching for.
But when confronted with lies and betrayals, Cat is forced to question everything she knows and everyone she trusts. And while Lachlan is always two steps ahead, the biggest threat to Cat may be the secrets buried in her own mind. (Goodreads)

5/5 stars

This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada was, if it’s even possible, better than the first book, This Mortal Coil. Because this is the second book in the series, I will try to be vague as to not spoil things.

Trilogies can sometimes be bogged down by a transitional second book, but that’s not the case with This Cruel Design. Suvada managed to keep the pacing superb, the drama intense, the betrayals heartbreaking, and the plot twists exciting. Each chapter ended on a note that drove me forward, needing to find out what happened next, and I really grew to love the characters. The world and technology continued to expand, never info-dumping for the sake of getting it out of the way. The setting felt lived in and there was never a time I felt confused or like I wished things were explained more, which can be a hard note to hit with such a heavy sci-fi world. Another thing I loved about this book, and this series, was the moral grayness. The “bad guys” weren’t bad to be bad. They weren’t power hungry. They wanted to help. And the good guys were just as complex. Those developed moralities made the story feel even more high-stakes.

If you loved This Mortal Coil, This Cruel Design is not to be missed.

This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada will be published on October 30, 2018.

See All the Stars by Kit Frick (ARC Review)

It’s hard to find the truth beneath the lies you tell yourself.
THEN They were four—Bex, Jenni, Ellory, Ret. Electric, headstrong young women; Ellory’s whole solar system.
NOW Ellory is alone, her once inseparable group of friends torn apart by secrets, deception, and a shocking incident that changed their lives forever.
THEN Lazy summer days. A party. A beautiful boy. Ellory met Matthias and fell into the beginning of a spectacular, bright love.
NOW Ellory returns to Pine Brook to navigate senior year after a two-month suspension and summer away—no boyfriend, no friends. No going back. Tormented by some and sought out by others, troubled by a mysterious note-writer who won’t let Ellory forget, and consumed by guilt over her not entirely innocent role in everything and everyone she’s lost, Ellory finds that even in the present, the past is everywhere.
The path forward isn’t a straight line. And moving on will mean sorting the truth from the lies—the lies Ellory has been telling herself. (Goodreads)

I received See All the Stars by Kit Frick through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and I give it 5/5 stars.

While See All the Stars’ description was vague, and it didn't feel like it was building up to something while I was reading (until closer to the end), each chapter was short and tense, making me want to keep reading. I found the one betrayal near the end to be predictable, but I did NOT see the end twist coming at all and I’m usually very good at seeing that particular thing. I enjoyed Frick's characters and felt for them, was angry at them, or sad with them. They felt real and complex, and the setting was done nicely--I felt the darkness, the cold, the long days of summer as if I were living them. Frick's writing was beautiful, with just enough voice to keep me going.

See All the Stars by Kit Frick was published on August 14, 2018.

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren (ARC Review)

With a world-famous speaker at their university, Millie Morris and her four woefully single male colleagues make a pact that they’ll all find dates. Unfortunately, Millie has more success helping them make matches online than she does navigating the onslaught of lewd pics in her own feed. But when she creates a fictional name for a new account, Millie finds herself vying for the online attention of a man she sees every day in the flesh. (Goodreads)

I received My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and I give it 5/5 stars.

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren is the second CL book that I’ve read and finished. I tried Roomies and Dating You/Hating You, but neither clicked. Then I read Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating and fell in love. I’m so happy to say that MFHNS was even better—in my opinion, of course.

The narrative voices and characters of MFHNS were distinct and likable. I loved the premise and the moral grayness of what both main characters, Millie and Reid, were doing. While the side characters don’t get as complex story lines, they were still fleshed out and had their own arcs, even if they were small.

The humor and emotional depths were also very compelling, and they reached a nice balance. It all felt real and messy and wonderful. I totally bought the wishy-washy relationship Millie and Reid had as friends, and then more.

I could be biased in my opinion of this book, because I like when characters mess up (it’s like watching a car wreck where no one gets physically hurt) and I like catfishing stories (also like a car wreck where no one gets physically hurt), but it was fun, heartbreaking, anxiety-inducing, romantic, sexy—all the things.

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren comes out December 4, 2018.

Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan (ARC Review)

Everyone in the universe knows his name. Everyone in the universe fears him. But no one realizes that notorious outlaw Ia Cocha is a seventeen-year-old girl.
A criminal mastermind and unrivaled pilot, Ia has spent her life terrorizing the Olympus Commonwealth, the imperialist nation that destroyed her home. When the Commonwealth captures her and her true identity is exposed, they see Ia’s age and talent as an opportunity: by forcing her to serve them, they will prove that no one is beyond their control.
Soon, Ia is trapped at the Commonwealth’s military academy, desperately plotting her escape. But new acquaintances—including Brinn, a seemingly average student with a closely-held secret, and their charming Flight Master, Knives—cause Ia to question her own alliances. Can she find a way to escape the Commonwealth’s clutches before these bonds deepen?
In this exhilarating edge-of-your-seat sci-fi adventure—perfect for fans of The Lunar Chronicles—debut author Maura Milan introduces our world to a thrilling new heroine. (Goodreads)

I received Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan in exchange for an honest review. I'm giving it 5/5 stars.

There is so much to love about Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan. For starters, the three POV characters: Ia, Brinn, and Knives. I adored them all for different reasons. They were nuanced and complex, and easy to root for.

The world-building was excellent. I never felt like I was having information dumped on me, or like I needed to wade through a bunch of it to understand something. It was effortlessly laid out, but still very intricate.

As for the plot, it was fun and engaging and, with short chapters, a breeze to get through. The pacing was excellent and I never came across a point where I felt I could put the book down and never pick it back up. I was invested in the characters and the stakes.

My only issues were: things seemed to be too conveniently for Ia at times re: the technology she had available, and that I wish the characters could have had slightly deeper conversations/connections.

I’m so looking forward to the sequel.

Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan was published September 4, 2018.

Analee, In Real Life by Janelle Milanes (ARC Review)

Ever since her mom died three years ago, Analee Echevarria has had trouble saying out loud the weird thoughts that sit in her head. With a best friend who hates her and a dad who’s marrying a yogi she can’t stand, Analee spends most of her time avoiding reality and role-playing as Kiri, the night elf hunter at the center of her favorite online game.
Through Kiri, Analee is able to express everything real-life Analee cannot: her bravery, her strength, her inner warrior. The one thing both Kiri and Analee can’t do, though, is work up the nerve to confess her romantic feelings for Kiri’s partner-in-crime, Xolkar—aka a teen boy named Harris whom Analee has never actually met in person.
So when high school heartthrob Seb Matias asks Analee to pose as his girlfriend in an attempt to make his ex jealous, Analee agrees. Sure, Seb seems kind of obnoxious, but Analee could use some practice connecting with people in real life. In fact, it’d maybe even help her with Harris.
But the more Seb tries to coax Analee out of her comfort zone, the more she starts to wonder if her anxious, invisible self is even ready for the real world. Can Analee figure it all out without losing herself in the process? (Goodreads)

I received Analee, In Real Life by Janelle Milanes through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm giving it 5/5 stars.

I absolutely loved Analee, In Real Life. It was just what I needed when I read it. Analee's narrative voice was charming and engaging. Her family had nuanced, complex, and entertaining dynamics and the Cuban culture that came into play was also really fun to read. In addition, the cast was, like, 99% non-white, which I loved and want to see more of in YA. The relationships in this book were tense and the emotions, visceral. I related to and empathized for Analee so much. There were also so many tropes I loved: fake boyfriend, internet crush, etc. In time, I even grew to appreciate the bittersweet ending that, at first, left me screaming, NOOOOOOOOO!!!!

So, in conclusion, take a chance on Analee.

Analee, In Real Life by Janelle Milanes will be published September 18, 2018.

Sanctuary by Caryn Lix (ARC Review)

Kenzie holds one truth above all: the company is everything.
As a citizen of Omnistellar Concepts, the most powerful corporation in the solar system, Kenzie has trained her entire life for one goal: to become an elite guard on Sanctuary, Omnistellar’s space prison for superpowered teens too dangerous for Earth. As a junior guard, she’s excited to prove herself to her company—and that means sacrificing anything that won’t propel her forward.
But then a routine drill goes sideways and Kenzie is taken hostage by rioting prisoners.
At first, she’s confident her commanding officer—who also happens to be her mother—will stop at nothing to secure her freedom. Yet it soon becomes clear that her mother is more concerned with sticking to Omnistellar protocol than she is with getting Kenzie out safely.
As Kenzie forms her own plan to escape, she doesn’t realize there’s a more sinister threat looming, something ancient and evil that has clawed its way into Sanctuary from the vacuum of space. And Kenzie might have to team up with her captors to survive—all while beginning to suspect there’s a darker side to the Omnistellar she knows. (Goodreads)

I received Sanctuary by Caryn Lix through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm giving it 4/5 stars.

Despite being heavy-handed at times, Sanctuary by Caryn Lix was fun, fresh, and twisty. Kenzie was a likable narrator and protagonist who I could root for and the supporting characters, including Cage, Alexei, Rune, and Mia, were funny and complex in their own ways. I enjoyed the The 100-ish dilemmas, the The Darkest Minds' Ruby and Liam-ish relationship between Kenzie and Cage, and the setting was never boring even though there were only two main locations. Sanctuary is what I'd consider low sci-fi, something that is accessible to non-SF readers while still keeping them on their toes. The world-building was unique and I'd love to read other stories taking place in the same universe as this one.

Sanctuary by Caryn Lix was published July 24, 2018.

Valley Girls by Sarah Nicole Lemon (ARC Review)

When 17-year-old Rilla is busted for partying 24 hours into arriving in Yosemite National Park to live with her park ranger sister, it’s a come-to-Jesus moment. Determined to make up for her screw-up and create a stable new home for herself, Rilla charms her way into a tight-knit group of climbers. But Rilla can’t help but be seduced by experiences she couldn’t have imagined back home. She sets her sights on climbing El Capitan, one of the most challenging routes in Yosemite, and her summer becomes one harrowing and ecstatic experience after another: first climb, first fall two thousand feet in the air, first love. But becoming the person Rilla feels she was meant to be jeopardizes the reasons why she came to Yosemite—a bright new future and a second chance at sisterhood. When her family and her future are at odds, what will Rilla choose? (Author's site)

I received Valley Girls by Sarah Nicole Lemon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm giving it 4/5 stars.

Valley Girls was weirdly refreshing. Normally, this book wouldn't have done it for me—the main character doesn't really have any goals, she kind of hides her past from the reader, and she fucks up a lot. But the characters and unique setting won me over.

Rilla was an interesting main character. She was far from perfect, she had her own damage to deal with, and she had an unusual family dynamic.

The other characters were complex and whole, realistic and charming. I enjoyed all of them, and they were the main factor in me continuing to read...because there's not a lot of action in this book.

It isn't until about halfway through that Rilla decides on a goal that pushes the story forward. But if you're looking for a quiet book about realistic and complex characters, a fresh setting, and sports, this may be the book for you (there is a LOT of rock climbing in it). 

Valley Girls by Sarah Nicole Lemon was published May 8, 2018. 

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson (ARC Review)

Veronica Mars meets The Craft when a teen girl investigates the suspicious deaths of three classmates and accidentally ends up bringing them back to life to form a hilariously unlikely—and unwilling—vigilante girl gang.

Meet teenage Wiccan Mila Flores, who truly could not care less what you think about her Doc Martens, her attitude, or her weight because she knows that, no matter what, her BFF Riley is right by her side.

So when Riley and Fairmont Academy mean girls June Phelan-Park and Dayton Nesseth die under suspicious circumstances, Mila refuses to believe everyone's explanation that her BFF was involved in a suicide pact. Instead, armed with a tube of lip gloss and an ancient grimoire, Mila does the unthinkable to uncover the truth: she brings the girls back to life.

Unfortunately, Riley, June, and Dayton have no recollection of their murders. But they do have unfinished business to attend to. Now, with only seven days until the spell wears off and the girls return to their graves, Mila must wrangle the distracted group of undead teens and work fast to discover their murderer...before the killer strikes again.

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Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson wasn't exactly what I expected, but, damn, if it wasn't great.

The leader of the undead girl gang, Mila, isn't undead at all, but a fat, Mexican witch. She is funny and strong while still being vulnerable, with the perfect amount of hope and naivety that keeps her and the story going. I didn't know, when starting this book, that she would mean so much to me, a fat, white, agnostic. Mila's confidence is a thing of beauty. She knows who she is, what she is, and the plot never centers around changing any of it. When Mila's confidence faltered, I felt it with her. When she told people off for the things they said, I cheered for her. She's the perfect balance of real and unreal, showing the readers it's okay not to be perfect while also showing them it's possible to keep going and strive to be better, to be treated better, to attain your goals.

I've never read a book with a Wiccan main character and it was really interesting seeing the difference between Wicca and the magic put on the page. As someone without a religion, I find it interesting to dive into someone else's head and see their beliefs and how they inform the character's actions.

Anderson does a great job at mixing humor with sadness. When we first meet Mila, she's at her best friend's funeral. And Riley isn't just Mila's best friend; she's her only friend. We feel this loneliness, this loss, even without knowing Riley, because we can all imagine losing the person we're closest with. The undead girls get seven days before they have to return to their graves and, despite knowing this fact, there's still time for shenanigans, which is a great balance to the growing dread of having to say goodbye.

The voice and characters are amazing. Anderson made me love the characters Mila despises from their first appearance. The girls are all unique while still managing to be someone you probably know. Their humanization was probably tricky, but Anderson nails it.

And I won't get into it too much, but the romance was sooooo good. My heart. Oh, my heart.

Lastly, this book has one of my favorite covers ever and I need to get a jean jacket and these pins ASAP.

Okay, last lastly, Netflix needs to adapt this please. Thanks.

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Lily Anderson is a school librarian and Melvil Dewey fangirl with an ever-growing collection of musical theater tattoos and Harry Potter ephemera. She lives in Northern California. She is also the author of THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ME IS YOU and NOT NOW, NOT EVER. She tweets @ms_lilyanderson.

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SCHEDULE

WEEK ONE

April 23 – Darque Dreamer Reads

April 24 – Books and Blends

April 25 – Spinatale Reviews

April 26 – The Book’s Buzz

April 27 – YA Wednesdays 

WEEK TWO

April 30 – Teen Librarian Toolbox

May 1 – Bookstore Finds

May 2 – Howling Libraries

May 3 – The Plot Bunny 

May 4 – The Bookish Actress

WEEK THREE

May 7 – Inkedfables

May 8 – The Page Turner Reviews

May 9 – Bookish Connoisseur

May 10 – Further West

May 11 – Lacy Literacy

WEEK FOUR

May 14 – The Clockwork Bibliophile

May 15 – Zaira Book Corner

May 16 – Forever and Everly

May 17 – Hermit Librarian

May 18 – Utopia State of Mind

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson releases May 8, 2018 (TODAY!!!). 

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young (ARC Review)

OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.
Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield — her brother, fighting with the enemy — the brother she watched die five years ago.
Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.
She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating. (Goodreads)

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I give Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young 5 out of 5 stars.

I'm going to be honest. I almost stopped reading after the first chapter. We start the story about five seconds before a big battle. We don't know the main character, Eelyn, or her friends and family. We know nothing about her, her clan, the world. We jump right into a fight, not knowing why the clans are fighting, or what they're fighting for, or why we should care—particularly when her "dead" brother shows up. I trudged on and about three chapters in, it finally clicked for me.

Eelyn is an enjoyable character. She's fierce and headstrong, loyal to her clan and her family. She's not fearless, but she's brave. She has an interesting character arc over the course of the story and it felt natural.

I really enjoyed the love interest, Fiske. He is very protective of his family, his clan, and the people he cares about. He's kind of the typical brooding love interest, but with slightly less toxic masculinity, which is thanks to Iri and Inge and Halvard. He's distant for a reason—Eelyn is the enemy, but also not. The slow burn romance really worked for me. It had to be slow; Eelyn had to trust him considering the situation she was in.

The plot itself is simple, and explained in the blurb. Eelyn and co. must bring together two warring clans to defend themselves against a stronger clan. That plot doesn't really start until the 50-60% marker, though. The beginning half is really Eelyn getting to know and understand the Riki and her "captors." I use captors loosely because while she is taken, it's for her safety, and then she's told she can leave if she wants. *shrug* 

I enjoyed the darkness of the world. The characters don't bat an eye at blood and weapons and violence. It was kind of fun to escape into this world I could leave with all my limbs and life intact. 

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young was published April 24, 2018.

Relative Strangers by Paula Garner (ARC Review)

Why is there a gap in Jules’s baby album? A wry and poignant coming-of-age novel about finding the truth in lies, salvaging hope in heartbreak, and making peace with missing pieces.
Eighteen-year-old Jules has always wished for a close-knit family. She never knew her father, and her ex-addict mother has always seemed more interested in artistic endeavors than in bonding with her only daughter. Jules’s life and future look as flat and unchanging as her small Illinois town. Then a simple quest to find a baby picture for the senior yearbook leads to an earth-shattering discovery: for most of the first two years of her life, Jules lived in foster care. Reeling from feelings of betrayal and with only the flimsiest of clues, Jules sets out to learn the truth about her past. What she finds is a wonderful family who loved her as their own and hoped to adopt her — including a now-adult foster brother who is overjoyed to see his sister again. But as her feelings for him spiral into a devastating, catastrophic crush — and the divide between Jules and her mother widens — Jules finds herself on the brink of losing everything. (Goodreads)

I received a review copy of Relative Strangers by Paula Garner through NetGalley. I give it 5/5 stars.

Relative Strangers by Paula Garner destroyed me in such a nice way. I'm a huge sucker for dysfunctional families and unique relationships, and this book was full of those with the perk of having had a truly sympathetic main character.

I related to Jules a lot more than I ever expected, and not just because we both enjoy eating all the time (I mean, who doesn't?). Jules was a mom-friend. She was prone to crying. She liked antiques. She just wanted to be loved in the way she saw others being loved. She wasn't malicious even though she was often jealous. I just felt the balance of her character was spot-on. She was a good person, but not so good that there was no tension. 

The internal conflict of this book was fresh to any YA I've read before and I honestly was so torn. I wanted the book to end two ways, which actually left me feeling really content in the end because I got one of my wants. The dynamics between Jules and Luke were amazing and I yearned for their interactions with every new page. 

The friends and families were done so well. I loved just about everyone and felt like I could meet them on the street; they were very real. 

Relative Strangers by Paula Garner is out now (April 10, 2018). 

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett (ARC Review)

Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.
But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.
What could go wrong?
With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.
And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars? (Goodreads)

An honest review given in exchange for an advanced copy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. I give Starry Eyes 4 out of 5 stars.

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett was exactly what I wanted and needed. It's a cute, swoony contemporary filled with banter and drama.

Something I really enjoyed about this book and Bennett's Alex, Approximately was how the book is 80% the main character and the love interest. Every time I wanted the love interest to appear, he did! It's a special kind of magic that's nailed down perfectly.

The friends were awful and wonderful at the same time. I enjoyed disliking them and considering their own problems they had. I didn't think I'd like the love interest at first, but that quickly was not the case. I am very smitten now.

I loved the relationship between the main character, the love interest, and 3/4 of the parents (read it and you'll understand). The 1/4 I hated was sometimes homophobic and racist (he seemed this way to me at least) without really saying anything homophobic or racist, and it did bother me that no one called him a bigot on the page. They did acknowledge his absolute assholery, but it felt dismissive at times and perhaps that was because we were seeing this from the main character's point of view.

Aside from that, and some cheesy dialogue, I really loved Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett and I'd recommend it!

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett will be published April 3, 2018. 

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw (ARC Review)

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…
Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.
Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.
Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.
Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.
But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself. (Goodreads)

* An honest review given in exchange for an advanced copy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. I give The Wicked Deep 5 out of 5 stars. *

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw was way better than I imagined it could be. I felt like I lived in the town, knew the characters, was part of the tradition. I could smell the salty sea air and feel the rain drops on my skin. It was vivid, atmospheric, visual, and engaging. 

PROS:
atmospheric setting that works as a character - dark and gloomy, rainy, and cursed, small town vibes
everything's just a little.....off
characters you can root for!
characters you don't trust!
~is~ there a wrong and right in this world?
none of the townies question the magic of the place, to the point that they throw parties and dare each other to do dangerous things

CONS:
insta-love
most of the book takes place in the same area of the town

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw will be published on March 6, 2018.

American Panda by Gloria Chao (ARC REVIEW)

I received American Panda by Gloria Chao through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I give it 5/5 stars.

At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents' master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.
With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can't bring herself to tell them the truth--that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.
But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels? (Goodreads)

American Panda by Gloria Chao is a funny, heartbreaking book filled with culture. Mei is a great main character; she's relatable, hilarious, smart, and sympathetic. The side characters are all three-dimensional and interesting, and her family unit is intense and engaging. The second part of the book is particularly heavy and had me tearing up at different scenes. Lastly, it was SO great to see a YA take place in college! I really recommend this book.

American Panda by Gloria Chao was published February 4, 2018. 

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada (ARC Review)

I received This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I give it 4/5 stars.

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.
That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.
When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.
Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself? (Goodreads)

I pretty much love This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada.

Suvada creates a unique, dystopian-type world that felt scary because it felt real. The book features tons of gore, plot twists galore, a smart female lead, and a cause to root for—saving the world! It definitely doesn't hurt that the cover is fantastic (and relevant to the story). I don't know how they'll top it with the second (and hopefully third) book.

As for my dislikes, there are just a few. There's a love triangle, kind of. It's more like confusing feelings when you think you love someone, but haven't seen or spoken to them in forever and you realize maybe you've moved on. And there's instalove, but the plot makes up for it and even explains it. It's not just two teenagers getting all angsty for no reason.

Additionally, I thought of everyone as straight because it wasn't out there on the page. Also, no one's race is explicitly stated, so I pretty much envisioned everyone, except one character who was described as having darker skin (eh), as white. 
Spoilers below.

*****SPOILERS*****

The main character, Catarina Agatta (White? Maybe? Who knows?), is revealed to be a DNA-changing person named Jun Bei Meng (I think it was Meng). I felt highly uncomfortable by this plot twist. It felt very Scarlett Johansson's GHOST IN THE SHELL. As a white person, I can't accurately gauge this plot twist in terms of being problematic or not, but it feels problematic. I believe Agata is a Japanese surname, but Agatta (two Ts) is not? Again, I'm not the proper person to delve into this, but I did want to put it out there that this happens and it's weird, and I don't know...

*****END SPOILERS*****

Despite that, I did enjoy the book and look forward to the second. Hopefully that one part is smoothed out and explained in more detail.

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada was published November 7, 2017. 

You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon (ARC Review)

I received You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I give it 5/5 stars.

Eighteen-year-old twins Adina and Tovah have little in common besides their ambitious nature. Viola prodigy Adina yearns to become a soloist—and to convince her music teacher he wants her the way she wants him. Overachiever Tovah awaits her acceptance to Johns Hopkins, the first step on her path toward med school and a career as a surgeon. 
But one thing could wreck their carefully planned futures: a genetic test for Huntington’s, a rare degenerative disease that slowly steals control of the body and mind. It’s turned their Israeli mother into a near stranger and fractured the sisters’ own bond in ways they’ll never admit. While Tovah finds comfort in their Jewish religion, Adina rebels against its rules.
When the results come in, one twin tests negative for Huntington’s. The other tests positive.
These opposite outcomes push them farther apart as they wrestle with guilt, betrayal, and the unexpected thrill of first love. How can they repair their relationship, and is it even worth saving? (Goodreads)

There is not a single thing I dislike about You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon except that bad things happen to the characters. I want all the best things to happen to them and, sadly, only some good things happen. Despite that, I absolutely love this book.

The journey Adina and Tovah go through is filled with complexities, raw emotions, and realistic heartbreak. This book will most likely make you cry, or at least tear up, with its beautiful writing and intense story line. It's full of unapologetic, passionate girls; feminism; Judaism!!!; a mental and emotional rivalry for the ages; and lyrical prose. 

You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone features a great family dynamic with struggles, love, and unique bonds. The way Judaism becomes a comfort for Tovah and something to rebel against for Adina is a breath of fresh air in the YA book world. I've started reading more #OwnVoices stories with casual (not the main focus) Judaism and I'm learning without having anything shoved down my throat. I enjoyed the Hebrew in the book, the struggle with beliefs in a world where medicine rules, and overall, it was just a delightful mix. 

Highlights of the dual POV:

Adina: musical, lyrical writing, intense, confident, unapologetic, rebellious

Tovah: clinical writing, driven, sweet, heartfelt, timid, faithful

Content warnings: student/teacher (kind of) relationship, suicidal idealizations, mental health struggles re: illness........I do want to point out that these are addressed and "resolved." This is not a book devoid of hope and the morality of all is discussed delicately.

You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon will be published January 2, 2018 and I hope you'll join me in preordering it. For an interview with the author, please click here. 

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (ARC Review)

I received The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I give it 5/5 stars.

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”
Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong. (Goodreads)

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert was all I wanted and more. It was atmospheric, slightly off, fun, unique, haunting, scary, beautiful, and unsettling. It was filled with words I wish I wrote. 

Things I liked:

The words. There are chunks of beautiful prose. Wow. I was blown away. 

The cover. The first time I saw the cover, I was like, "Okay, that's nice," but now that I've read the book I like it even more. 

The worlds. There is so much going on in terms of world-building. Alice lives in our world, but because of her family, it feels like an entirely different world. There are layers to the fantasy worlds, too, that are hard to explain without spoilers, but wow, again, I was blown away.

The characters. I really rooted for Alice to find her mother. Ella was all she had in life and it was heartbreaking to struggle with Alice as she tried to find her mother. Alice was well done and complex and interesting, and easy to sympathize with.

The backstory. Alice and Ella's story is woven into the story so wonderfully that pages and pages of backstory didn't feel disjointed from the narrative. It felt alive and active.

Things I didn't like:

There is an unfortunate lack of diversity in this book. Finch, one of the main characters, is Black, but that's about it. And he isn't in about half of the book.

I predicted a plot point pretty early on (though, it didn't kill the story for me). I would have liked to be more surprised.

Trigger warnings:

I'm hesitant to call it "self-harm" because the character isn't/isn't wanting to do it to herself. This is just a small scene, and therefore a small warning, that around the 45-50% mark (I'm sorry I didn't take notice to the percentage or page) there is a potential triggering moment.

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert will be published January 30 2018.

The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes (ARC Review)

I received The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I give it 5/5 stars.

Victoria Cruz inhabits two worlds: In one, she is a rock star, thrashing the stage with her husky voice and purple-streaked hair. In the other, currently serving as her reality, Victoria is a shy teenager with overprotective Cuban parents, who sleepwalks through her life at the prestigious Evanston Academy. Unable to overcome the whole paralyzing-stage-fright thing, Victoria settles for living inside her fantasies, where nothing can go wrong and everything is set to her expertly crafted music playlists.
But after a chance encounter with an unattainably gorgeous boy named Strand, whose band seeks a lead singer, Victoria is tempted to turn her fevered daydreams into reality. To do that, she must confront her insecurities and break away from the treadmill that is her life. Suddenly, Victoria is faced with the choice of staying on the path she’s always known and straying off-course to find love, adventure, and danger. (Goodreads)

Okay, here's the thing....I wasn't sure The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes was going to be a book for me. I typically don't read books where the main character is 15 or younger, but at a certain point, I was hooked. Despite Victoria making some bad calls and despite the love interest appearing to be a typical "bad boy" who hooks up with girls and can't remember their names, I fell for this book. HARD.

Victoria is an overworked fifteen-year-old with a golden voice and strict parents. They want her to go to Harvard (it's not mentioned, or I missed it, what she's going to Harvard for) and being in a rock band is not on their agenda for her. Throughout this fun story, we witness Victoria's ups and downs and live vicariously through her. She's surrounded by lovable, complex, real characters in her family and friend group, and I wanted to be part of them by the end of the book. There were total swoon moments and moments where I was like, "Oh no, Victoria, what are you doing?"

Overall, I highly recommend this book. It's a fun, wild ride filled with music and friends and drama and mixed feelings and aaaah. Just do yourself a favor and buy it.

The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes was published September 19, 2017.

Busted by Gina Ciocca (ARC Review)

I received Busted by Gina Ciocca through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I give it 4/5 stars.

Marisa wasn’t planning to be a snoop for hire—until she accidentally caught her best friend’s boyfriend making out with another girl. Now her reputation for sniffing out cheaters has spread all over school, and Marisa finds herself the reluctant queen of busting two-timing boys.
But when ex-frenemy Kendall asks her to spy on her boyfriend, TJ, Marisa quickly discovers the girl TJ might be falling for is Marisa herself. And worse yet? The feelings are quickly becoming mutual. Now, she’s stuck spying on a “mystery girl” and the spoken-for guy who just might be the love of her life… (Goodreads)

I'd love to start off by saying this blurb does NOT do the book justice. Sure, there's a storyline where Marisa is coerced into helping an ex-friend into spying on her boyfriend and then Marisa starts falling for him. But that's not all. There's so much drama and so many interesting dynamics between exes, friends, love interests...This book was just what I needed.

POSITIVES

Great character dynamics, between friends, family, exes, and love interests

Lots of drama! This might bug others, but it was just what I was looking for. 

Marisa is a main character you can root for, even though you want to tell her to back down and stay down sometimes

The friends go to different schools! I don't see this often in YA. The best friends are at different schools (one an exclusive, brainiac-type school that costs lots of money and the other public) and it creates problems and hurdles to jump through sometimes.

It's fast-paced, interesting, and swoony.

NEGATIVES

I have to be honest, there were a few things that bothered me, but nothing with the plot/subplots. 

The characters, with exception to one, are all white? This doesn't feel realistic.

There was at least one ableist comment about not being able to see something.

There were also outdated feeling clothes/accessories: jean skirts, ankle bracelets, sparkly hair clips? 

Also, I didn't really know what Marisa wanted or was working for. She literally just helps her ex-friend out of the goodness of her heart. It worked, but she didn't have clear goals or a passion, aside from snooping. 

Busted by Gina Ciocca will be published on January 2, 2018. 

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas (ARC Review)

I received Little Monsters by Kara Thomas through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I give it 5/5 stars.

Kacey is the new girl in Broken Falls. When she moved in with her father, she stepped into a brand-new life. A life with a stepbrother, a stepmother, and strangest of all, an adoring younger half sister.
Kacey’s new life is eerily charming compared with the wild highs and lows of the old one she lived with her volatile mother. And everyone is so nice in Broken Falls—she’s even been welcomed into a tight new circle of friends. Bailey and Jade invite her to do everything with them.
Which is why it’s so odd when they start acting distant. And when they don’t invite her to the biggest party of the year, it doesn’t exactly feel like an accident.
But Kacey will never be able to ask, because Bailey never makes it home from that party. Suddenly, Broken Falls doesn’t seem so welcoming after all—especially once everyone starts looking to the new girl for answers.
Kacey is about to learn some very important lessons: Sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes when you’re the new girl, you shouldn’t trust anyone. (Goodreads)

Oh my gosh, where do I even start with Little Monsters by Kara Thomas? I loved The Darkest Corners (I even gave it 5/5 stars, too), but this book was better.

The characters are complex, equally suspicious, manipulative liars. I love them all. I love the dysfunctional family unit in play with Kacey and her stepbrother, half-sister, dad, and stepmom. I love Bailey and Jade and Andrew and Ashley and Lauren; I just love them all so much.

I love Kacey's dark past and how she grows darker as the book proceeds.

The plot is slow, but it gives you time to really invest yourself in the characters and the setting, which is realistic and captivating. There's something about snowy locations and missing people that feel right.

The only thing I disliked about the book was that it ended. Kara Thomas creates likable characters with good voices and interesting relationships. I highly recommend this book.

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas will be published on July 25, 2017.