I was fortunate to receive an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher and author through Netgalley in exchange for feedback and my honest review. These are my opinions, uninfluenced.
Awakened by Ciara Duggan is a young adult, fantasy romance releasing on September 7th 2021. After the death of her parents, Hannah is determined to have a fresh start. At her new college, things turns dire when she accidentally, wakes up a witch who’s been sleeping for a long (decades? centuries?) time. With the witch awakening, so have other creatures, creatures that want Hannah dead. To add to the mix, the witch claims to know her.
I was super excited for this. The blurb sounded fun and the cover is stunning. I didn’t enjoy this as much as I had hoped.
One of my biggest issues was the romance. The entire book takes place over two days, and by the end Hannah and Callan (the witch) are confessing their undying for each other. It felt very rushed and it was hard to believe.
Initially, Hannah is set up as a closed off and stoic character. But as the plot requires, her personality does a 180 turn and she’s so trusting and forthcoming. Hannah’s motivations for helping Callan and risking as much as she did, didn’t make sense to me.
The most believable part of the book was Hannah’s griefs. That was handled well and it did make me feel for her.
The magic system was interesting. I would’ve loved to get to know it more or even to see Hannah learn how to use and harness it. However, the book settles for a more convenient option.
The book is really fast paced and certain aspects felt rushed. But if you’re one for an insta-lovey romance and a fast paced novel about witches, this one is for you.
I was fortunate to receive an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher and author through Netgalley in exchange for feedback and my honest review. These are my opinions, uninfluenced.
The Magi Menagerie by Kale Lawrence is a historical fiction slash fantasy set to release on September 7th 2021. For as long as Ezra has known, his parents have been travelling from the Ottoman Empire and across 20th Century Europe. On their journey, Ezra’s mother is murdered by a bounty hunter and his father is forced into a life on the run. Ezra soon learns that his family has been on the run and now their enemies will do everything to see Ezra dead.
In a moment of desperation, Ezra’s fate collides with the Third Order of the Magi, a secret society dedicated to using their supernatural powers to protect their communities. With increasing violence around the world, the Magi are fairly certain they know who’s behind the attacks on Ezra and his family since the same group could also be threatening their own existence.
Both Ezra and the Magi’s survival hinges on knowledge only Ezra’s father has and the key to saving them could be buried within history itself. In a race across continents and time, both Ezra and the Magi must secure an ancient Babylonian artifact before hell is unleashed on the world. And, against all odds, Ezra must decide where his allegiances truly lie, despite what is written in the stars.
The story is told from Ezra’s and Jonas’ point of view. Ezra was a really interesting character. Through out his journey, I felt for him. There were even a few times that my eyes welled up. I felt frustrated when he was frustrated, and I felt just as lost when he was left to his devices. Jonas, is a Magus, a part of the Third Order of the Magi. The minute we meet Jonas, I loved him. I loved reading from his point of view and seeing the politics that he dealt with.
There’s a romance arc between Jonas and another male character and I was so here it. I liked how the dangers of a LGBTQIA relationship in that period of time was done. I felt so scared for them. Although, the forbidden romance was definitely welcomed. I ate it up.
I liked all of the supporting characters as well, they felt like they had their own personalities. The story also has the ‘found family’ trope, which I’m a sucker for. It was well executed and added to my enjoyment.
The worldbuilding was handled well. By the end of the book, I had a fairly good understanding of the magic system and the politics. I didn’t feel bored by an big portions of info dumps. Instead, there were little bits of information woven into the story.
As soon as I got to the end, and I read the cliffhanger that we ended on, I wanted to scream. I cannot wait for the next book.
I just want to take a moment to appreciate the diversity in this book. I don’t practice Islam nor am I queer, but the topics handled in the book felt like they were done well.
I’m still not able to put my finger on it, but something felt amiss for me. I think it may just have been my mood. So I’m adding this to my pile of books to re-read so I can give it the proper shot it deserves.
I highly recommend this for anyone that likes a good worldbuilding, great characters, forbidden romance and the ‘found family’ trope.
How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao is a freshly released young adult, mystery thriller. Set at prestigious, Sinclair Prep, Nancy’s best friend, Jamie is missing and later, found dead. Things turn for the worse when Nancy and her friends are incriminated in Jamie’s murder by a social media presence called ‘The Proctor’. Someone out there knows all of their deepest, darkest secrets and if the world finds out, they’ll lose everything they’ve worked for.
If you read my August TBR post, you’ll know that I was hyped for this. Think Pretty Little Liars meets One of Us Is Lying but make it Asian American. What’s not to like? Turns out, a fair bit. Let’s start with what I did like.
I really enjoyed how we focused on the academic pressure in Asian societies. It felt very realistic and believable. The stress of having to be the best, the expectations of your parents and not wanting to waste their hardships of migrating to a Western country. I felt all of that.
This was a quick and fast read. It wasn’t something I read in one sitting, but even with the little bursts, I finished this quickly. The book is only around 300 pages, so it’s something you can get through easily. The writing also contributes to the ‘easy read’. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I think younger ‘young adults’ will enjoy the writing.
The characters all felt like they had potential. Their morals and decision making were questionable at times making them very complex characters. However, we didn’t explore that very much. It was barely touched upon. Even Nancy, who we see the entire book from, didn’t feel that developed. I couldn’t tell you much about her except that she really wanted to excel.
The mystery aspect of this book wasn’t very mysterious. I predicted it from the start and I think it had been made too obvious. There weren’t any other suspects introduced that it could’ve been. There were no red herrings or twist and turns. The only thing that caught me off guard was the ‘how’. I may have to re-read to confirm this, and you can correct me if I’m wrong, but I couldn’t think of any hints or clues that were dropped to allude to the ‘how’.
I didn’t find the book to be very ‘thrilling’. The only part that had my heart even slightly racing was near the end, with the shorter chapters and countdown.
The whole idea of wanting to stop ‘The Proctor’ is to keep their secrets a secret because they’re so bad. The stakes were high and I was so here for it. However, every time a secret was dropped, there were no consequences. Like, everyone just moved on. After the first time that happened, I found myself less interested in what happened to the characters.
There were a few things that I didn’t find very realistic or believable in the story. First thing, what is it with these mass texts? Never, in my entire high school career have I received a mass text. Is this an American thing? The next thing was the police involvement – or lack there of. I kept waiting for police officers to step in or even do an interview with the ‘suspects aka the main characters’, but it never happened. Another thing that made it hard to believe this story. Last thing was the ending. I don’t even know what to say about that.
The story ends on a cliffhanger and I’m curious to see what happens in the next book. Hopefully, it improves. Currently undecided if I’ll be picking up the next book.
Overall, it wasn’t something I disliked. I was disappointed by it, but expectations aside, it was a decent read. I think those that enjoyed Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars will enjoy this. Ideal for younger readers or those new to reading mystery.
I was fortunate to receive an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher and author through Netgalley in exchange for feedback and my honest review. These are my opinions, uninfluenced.
Meet Me At The Summit by Mandi Lynn follows Marly as she embarks on a hiking trip around the country after her parents death. As Marly sinks deeper into her grief, her family forces her to borrow a revamped VW bus and explore the country with her camera as her companion. On her journey, Marly meets new people, including Dylan, who forces Marly to lower her defenses. It is a young adult, coming-of-age story releasing on August 31st 2021.
My favourite aspect of this book was the descriptions of nature. Wherever Marly went, I felt like I was right there with her. I could picture every little feeling, from what it looked like to how the wind felt. Mandi Lynn put a lot of effort into researching these places and it really shows. I enjoyed the sense of adventure and considering I’m in lockdown, it really eased my cabin fever.
Marly’s grief in this story was handled really well. You could really see the impact of losing her parents and also how she learned to cope. From the panic attacks to defensive mechanisms, it was really well-executed. It didn’t feel forced or fake, and I really felt for Marly.
Beyond Marly’s grief, I couldn’t tell you much about her (exception: photography). Marly, like the other characters in this book, felt very two-dimensional. There weren’t any layers and they felt flat. I couldn’t relate to them and I didn’t feel attached. Dylan, the love interest, is very sweet and caring. He was really supportive of Marly and I appreciated that. It was enjoyable to read. But beyond that, he once again felt flat. The supporting characters also felt like they were only there to serve as Marly’s support system and didn’t have lives of their own.
The romance between Marly and Dylan was very quick to develop and ‘insta-lovey’. The extent Dylan goes for her, and how Marly responds to him, made no sense to me. It was really hard to believe their love story due to the quick development. There were definitely aspects that had potential. I’m a sucker for growing and healing with the support of another person, but this didn’t hit in the right spot.
I found the pacing to be quite slow as well. It took a long time for everything to happen. Though I loved Mandi Lynn’s description of hiking, I don’t think everything needed to be detailed. We spend a lot of time with Marly’s internal monologues. Like a lot. The massive paragraphs of monologue were really intimidating for me.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. If you’re looking for an adventurous books in the outdoors to compensate for your quarantining, this is for you. Ideal for those that enjoy slower books.
The Raven and the Dove is a young adult, fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde. It’s been pitched as the perfect novel for the fans of Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir. As a big fan of all three, I whole-heartedly agree.
As the avian kingdoms in the sky (what a concept) prepare for the courtship trials, Princess Lyana Aethionus is ready for her last adventure. She doesn’t expect to save a raven prince from a dragon. Rafe, is the bastard son of the late Raven King, and he would do anything for his half-brother/prince. Including, posing as him in the courtship trials. Unknown to the world above, a war brews in the sea below, ready to threaten everything Lyana and Rafe know and love.
I have to say, I only picked this up because of how gorgeous the cover is. It gave me major Rhysand and Feyre vibes from A Court of Mist and Fury. I had no idea I would end up enjoying this as much as I did.
Princess Lyana was a great protagonist – she was fierce, determined and mischievous. She was so much fun to read about as she flew away on her adventures – albeit some reckless. At times she was a little immature, but that’s where the young adult bit really shines through. On the other hand, Rafe is the epitome of brooding and angst. He felt everything so intensely, that my heart ached for him. All the characters were so well developed, including Cassi and Xander. The story is told from multi point of views and surprisingly, I enjoyed reading this book from all of their perspectives. There was never a chapter that I wanted to skip.
I loved the pacing of this book, it was filled with action but it wasn’t too fast to cause whiplash and neither was it slow enough to bore me. I was super happy with when everything happened. Hence, why I flew through this book and stayed up to finish it. The sleep loss was totally worth it.
The world was really interesting, and not something I’ve seen in young adult before. Kingdoms in the sky were such a lovely idea and it was executed really well. I’m really excited to explore more of this world. Hopefully we get to see more of the other kingdoms in the upcoming books.
I loved the angst and pining between Rafe and Lyana, it was exactly what I wanted to read. The only downside for me, was how quick it was. It felt very insta-lovely and slightly rushed. I would’ve enjoyed the pining and angst a little bit more, if it made sense to why it meant so much to them.
Overall, such a great read and I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about this book. You need to add it to your TBR asap!
I was fortunate to receive an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher and author through Netgalley in exchange for feedback and my honest review. These are my opinions, uninfluenced.
Good Girls Don’t Make History by Elizabeth Kiehner is a non-fiction, historical graphic novel that amplifies the voices of female legends from 1840 to the present day. The graphic novel takes you on a journey with key historical figures through time and the suffrage movement in United States. It is set to release on August 31st 2021.
No one’s ever ready to be ‘the first,’ Susan. But someone always has to be.
Good Girls Don’t Make History, Elizabeth Kiehner
I usually stay away from non-fiction books of any kind. However, the cover and title intrigued me, so I decided to pick it up. I’ve never been more glad to have picked up a book.
The novel switches between different times, from 2020 to 1918 and so on. We see glimpses of young women today voting and the struggle that it took to get there. I can imagine the switches between different periods of time may seem confusing for some. Personally, I had no issues with it. I found it super easy to follow and keep up with. The differences in time and history was clear and trackable.
The graphic novel is a quick read, I flew through it. It doesn’t bore you with too many details and the story keeps moving. It was definitely fast paced and exciting.
The illustrations were so beautiful. I’m not sure if this the correct term for it, but it definitely had a watercolour type of feel to it. And it worked so well with the concept.
I can’t comment on the historical accuracy of the novel. I’m more familiar with the movement in New Zealand. I must say, I was so shocked to see that the right to vote took so long in America. It made me so much prouder of New Zealand for being the first self-governing country to introduce equal rights for voting. Go Kate Sheppard!
My favourite thing about this was that it didn’t just focus on the history of white women, but also considered POC. It frustrated me so much knowing it took so much longer for Black women and Native Americans to gain the same rights.
I don’t think this is a novel for historical experts who are looking for an informed read. This seems ideal for someone like me, who’s interested in an introduction or a skim through the timeline. I felt so empowered after this.
This was a compelling and empowering read that everyone needs to pick up. If I could afford it, I’d buy this for every young female out there to read, so we can be more grateful for the rights we have today. It’s super quick and an easy read, so there’s no excuse not to. Just do it.
In Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim we join Shiori, the princess of Kiata. In this YA fantasy, Shiori’s biggest problem seems to be avoiding her betrothed, until her step-mother curses her and turns her brother into cranes. Without money and her voice, Shiori has to not only survive without the perks of her title but also find a way to save her brothers and free them from the curse.
The fairy retelling was an excellent concept that was executed really well. I fell in love with the culture, the tales and the song. Lim had created a wonderful world that I was able to be dive into.
The characters were so interesting, especially Shiori, Seryu, Raikama and Takkan. Speaking of Takkan, he is such a cutie! I loved these characters and felt like there were so many dimensions and layers to them. My only issue with the characters were probably her brothers, I couldn’t tell them apart except maybe two? They all seemed the same and I hope we get to know them a bit more in the upcoming books.
I loved the romance in the book, it wasn’t overwhelming or in your face. Subtle, and slowly burning in the background.
There were some bits I found to be a little predictable and other bits that caught me off guard. I don’t want to say too much and spoil it, but I love the direction this book went in.
I haven’t quite made up my mind on the pacing of this book. It was fast paced and kept me hooked but there were some bits that gave me whiplash and felt rushed. This felt jarring and would bring me out of the book, and it would take another few chapters to get back into it.
I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I stayed up to read more of it. And I’ll be eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.
I highly recommend this for anyone that loves an action-packed book.
I was fortunate to receive an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher and author through Netgalley in exchange for feedback and my honest review. These are my opinions, uninfluenced.
The Endless Skies by Shannon Price is a standalone, young-adult, fantasy releasing on August 17th 2021. Not long to ago!
In the sky, floats Heliana, the city of winged-lion shapeshifters (Leonodai). A day before Rowan can pledge to become a part of the elite warriors to keep Heliana peaceful and safe, a disease spreads amongst the children. Once her closest friends are sent on a risky mission to get the cure from their enemies (Humans), Rowan is left behind. As time starts running out, Rowan learns something that could save Heliana, but the truth comes with a price.
The story is told from three point of views: Shirene, Rowan, and Callen. The first chapter is Shirene’s introduction, creating a sense that either she’s the main character or a really important factor for the story. Shirene was an interesting character, she seemed strong and badass. From get go, as she is put in a position of power by the King’s side, I liked her. Even though there seems to be a lot to her, from her love interest, role in the hierarchy and perspective, she doesn’t seem to play as key of a role as I had expected. She doesn’t have a character arc through which she grows and develops. In the end, she is simply Rowan’s sister and someone with a high position in the system.
Rowan, the main character was brave and a character that I could easily root for. But beyond that, I didn’t feel too much for her. Callen, her best friend slash love interest and warrior, was another character that I didn’t dislike nor did I love. To me, the characters felt under-developed. The multiple point of views could’ve easily been simplified to a single narrative or even two point of views.
A love triangle between Rowan, Callen and Ox brews in the story. Typically, I’m not a fan of love triangles, and it’s very rare that I make an exception for that and even rarer that I enjoy them. I was really excited for this book due it’s incredible premise so I decided to give the love triangle a go. This is one of the rare times, where the love triangle didn’t anger me, which is a plus. In saying that, I didn’t enjoy it either. The best way to describe the love triangle is: rushed. Time was split between Callen and Ox, not going into either the feelings either were evoking well enough. Due to that, I didn’t care who Rowan ended up with. I feel that if we had just had one romantic line going on, it would’ve had a chance to expand and thrive more.
The world was really interesting and one of my favourite parts of this story. It was a really interesting concept. Winged-lions? How cool is that? As if, lions and wings weren’t badass enough on their own. I loved everything about it, from the role everyone played in it, the animosity between humans and Leonodai. If this was a series, I would’ve liked to see the world explored more, especially the other kingdoms that we catch a glimpse of in the first chapter.
The first thing that I noticed about this book and possibly the most disappointing, was the writing style. It felt like there was too much telling going on and less showing. Usually, I see this in the descriptions and dialogue tags, but I picked up on this through the dialogues, too. It seemed like the dialogues were also a bit ‘info-dumpy’. I think if this had been fixed, I would’ve probably felt more attached to the characters. There was a lot of ‘I care about this person a lot’ and not actually showing me the relationship between the characters. This made it really hard to believe any of what was going on.
The overall plot and concept was the highlight for me. I liked the idea of the disease threatening the peace of Heliana and their only hope lying with the humans. I enjoyed reading about the stakes and how the plot progressed and questioned everything Rowan knew. This was a great adventure as we moved between different settings.
As the story wrapped up, I was left a little confused. The ending seemed all too convenient for me and there wasn’t enough of an explanation to justify it. The Leonodai don’t believe in luck, but the ending felt exactly that. Perhaps, that was the point, but I still wish we had explored that a bit more.
Another positive for me would be the messages in the books. I especially enjoyed the importance of individual’s morals and values, and how that shapes a person and their actions. Cruelty of human actions was also weaved well into the story, which was very thought provoking.
I was completely surprised by the betrayal portion of this book. It played into the ‘messages’ part of this story, and I ate it up. That was well done!
I know, I dissected this story quite a bit, but I did enjoy reading this. It was fast, thought-provking and a great standalone. But the issue with standalone fantasies will always persist – it’s hard to create such intricate worlds, characters and stakes without rushing them in only so many pages. Please also keep in mind that I received an ARC, which means changes could’ve made for the finished copy.
If you’re looking for an action packed, adventurous fantasy that doesn’t require commitment and takes you to a novel world of warriors, I highly recommend you grab yourself a copy when it comes out in a few days.
The Knockout by Sajni Patel/ S. A. Patel is a young adult standalone following Kareena Thakkar, a high school student and Muay Thai fighter. When Kareena gets a chance to enter the competition of her life, she’s more than excited. But reality is quick to check in with a really unwell father and even more severe financial debt. Kareena struggles with the challenges of being a female athlete in a time and cultural society that judges and ostracizes her for it. Through it, her saving grace comes in the form of Amit: a genius who strangely needs tutoring from her.
Female athletes are a power move and this book really showed that. I loved entering the world of Muay Thai, learning about it and reading about Kareena’s fight scenes. They were absolutely badass. Sajni Patel’s writing was vivid and easy to imagine. My heart raced through it all. One of my favourite aspects of this book was watching Kareena’s confidence with her body grow.
Kareena is easy to love and relate to. At times, she’s frustrating but even then it’s consistent with her background and history. I loved seeing Kareena grow and become the best version of herself despite her struggles.
Kareena’s relationship with her family is goals! Their dynamic was sweet and refreshing to read. Young adult books tend to skip over familial aspects but Sajni Patel dove right in. Amit, the love interest, has to be one of my favourite love interests from a contemporary novel. He was so supportive, sweet and perfect for Kareena. Amit had his own life and problems, making him feel quite real. I wish Kareena’s best friend, Lily had been developed a little more like Amit was.
Kareena’s story resonated with me more than I had expected. The Indian rep and culture was executed so well, I couldn’t have asked for more.
When we join Kareena, she has a very complicated relationship with Indian culture and society. She has a more ‘Western’ approach to things and I expect other readers who are more religious or involved in society may feel attacked by some of Kareena’s early thoughts and approaches. Personally, this made it more satisfying to see her grow into accepting her culture. I do wish that we got to see her become more accepting of the people around her as well.
The only thing that would take this book up a notch for me were that some of the high school drama felt a bit juvenile to me. But in saying that, I probably would’ve enjoyed it if I were younger.
This book frustrated me, made me cry, laugh and smile in all the best ways. I felt so much reading it. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for more South-Asian and/or female athlete representation in books. If you’re a sucker for underdogs, this one’s for you!
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is a young adult mystery novel that released in 2019.
A few years ago, in a small town called Kilton, high school senior, Andie Bell is murdered. When the prime suspect, her boyfriend, Sal Singh commits suicide a couple days later, the case is closed and Sal is labelled murderer. Fast forward a few years later when Pippa is lining up to finish high school, she decides to re-analyse the unfortunate incidents of Andie Bell and Sal Singh. But the deeper she digs in, the more mysteries she finds.
I loved reading about Pippa, her friends and Ravi. I felt invested in her investigation and more than that, I felt invested in what happened to them. Whenever Pippa was in danger, I was clinging to every word. In times of distress, I was just as upset for Ravi or Pippa. Pippa is such a strong and determined character. I loved how nerdy she was and she was just so refreshing to read from.
As if they think I don’t already know. I came out of the womb knowing how to do academic references.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Holly Jackson
I loved the plot twists and how everything unfolded. From the little clues, her logs to her mini interrogations.
This is one of the rare YA fictions that actually has such a heavy crime focus and I ate it up. Most of the law and crime aspects felt realistic and well-researched.
I enjoyed the bits of comic relief which grounded me back into the YA world. The dialogues felt real and so did Jackson’s writing. Down to little details about day to day life.
The only downside for me was the slight predictability. I did expect half of what happened but I was still surprised but the other bits and pieces.
This was the book I needed to get out of my reading slum. If you haven’t picked up Holly Jackson’s debut, you definitely should.
This is perfect for someone who’s looking to venture into the crime and mystery world. If you’ve enjoyed Karen M. McManus’ work, I’m sure you’ll love this.
Hasnita Singh 