I Wanna Be Where You Are / Kristina Forest

 

3/5

I never realized how difficult it is to find a good rom-com book until I started looking for one. This is the first in a string of chicklit that I read in search of something as enjoyable Beach Read. When I find it I will let you know.

I Wanna Be Where You Are is sweet and simple. I like ballet so I enjoy books that incorporate that, and I appreciated our lead's determination and the romantic development, but other than that there wasn't anything that stood out. I Wanna Be Where You Are does not contain anything particularly complex or compelling. If you are a fan of YA romances and looking for an easy read, I'd recommend picking this up and skimming it in a day.

Kingdom of the Wicked / Kerri Maniscalco

 4/5

I'd been seeing this cover all over bookstagram and I'm so glad I picked it up because I was 100% invested throughout this novel. Kingdom of the Wicked is a fun and exciting novel with a strong lead.

The novel begins with an annoying trope of two sisters, one "fun" and one "boring". It's okay though, because Vittoria dies soon and then we can get rid of the tiresome comparisons and just focus on Emilia. Emilia, spiraling from the horrible murder of her sister, does what she knows she's not supposed to do and summons a demon, which is when things start getting really interesting. 

Kingdom of the Wicked takes the reader on fun ride watching Emilia battle with her own sense of self-preservation, her morals, and her determination to avenge her sister, all set in a lovely Italian town. Emilia's passion for cooking, such an earthly and domestic hobby, contrasts sharply with the horrors she uncovers in the underbelly of her world. Her inexperience with dark magic causes her to make a few mistakes but she always recovers quickly, and I much prefer that over the overpowered "specially talented" protagonists who are much more common in YA novels. I loved reading Emilia's wit, dedication, and passion; she really drove this novel forward.

I only have few small bones to pick with this novel. First is that Emilia's actions at the end of the novel felt a bit out-of-character. Throughout the entire novel she was adamant about not making any deals, so I didn't understand her sudden change of heart at the end. Next, while it was interesting to meet other princes, there really is only one prince I cared about (hello, Wrath?? I don't need any others). And last, we did not make as many discoveries in the first novel as we should have. I understand that the first novel must set up for the second, but I still felt that Maniscalco could and should have thrown us a few more bones than she did. 

Overall, Kingdom of the Wicked deserves all the hype and I can't wait for the next. 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue / V.E. Schwab

2.5/5

I'd noticed that The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue had received a lot of strong praise and I'm not one to miss out on the fun. The premise is original and exciting, and I attacked this novel eagerly.

Addie LaRue is an ambitious novel in its attempt to channel The Night Circus with it leaps through great spans of time and magical aura. I wouldn't say the pace is slow exactly, because each scene offered value and I could tell that V.E. Schwab was actively trying to pick out the most important developments throughout the years to show us Addie's growth. Yet at the same time at least one paragraph on each page was unnecessary. I often found myself skipping pages at a time, looking for dialogue because that's where some action would happen. 

Upon finishing the novel and gaining the whole picture regarding Addie's relationship with Luc, the god she made the deal with, I must admit I was underwhelmed. Luc was an incredibly undeveloped character, and now that I'm reflecting upon the novel I realize they were all rather undeveloped. I don't believe that Addie suffered through 300 years of loneliness just to play this petty game with Luc. What's her motivation? I also could never get behind Addie and Henry's relationship because they literally acknowledge, in the book, that Addie doesn't care who Henry is at all; all that matters to her is that he remembers her. How is that a meaningful relationship? It's a forced relationship because she has no other option.

The novel tried too late to bring any kind of intensity into the "game" between Luc and Addie. Addie LaRue is a beautiful novel of a girl trying to find her freedom and live her life, but there were no stakes. I enjoyed it, but the story could have been much stronger had there been more focus on Addie and Luc's relationship and their competition. I would recommend this to fans of flowery writing and The Night Circus.

Cemetary Boys / Aiden Thomas

3/5

Cemetery Boys is a sweet, modern read that sheds light on the Latinx culture while adding in elements of magic and mystery. 

It's a smaller story than I expected. The plot is simple and the action spans across only a few days, and we don't have the opportunity to truly dive into any character other than Yadriel, our lead, or to fully and deeply explore any of his relationships. I would have really liked to see more development of our love interest Julian, and of Yadriel and Julian's relationship. The villain and plot are not surprising, but overall I enjoyed being thrown into the world of the brujxs and returning to the gritty LA downtown (I kind of miss it). I would recommend Cemetery Boys to those who would like to see LGBTQ or Latinx representation in an urban fantasy.

Radiance / Grace Draven

 

4/5

This is the relationship I want to see more of in YA novels. Though our two protagonists may have hit it off a little quickly, I enjoyed their banter and ease. This is a relationship-driven novel, and I enjoyed watching each overcome cultural barriers and old prejudices to understand the person in front of them. I was also surprised by the explicit content-- I'd say this is more new adult than young adult. Either way, Radiance is a very short and very sweet read starring a romance that contains none of the abuse or toxicity that is often found in other YA novels. 

Radiance is a delicious bite of a novel you can finish in a day or two between more intense reads, and I'd recommend it those looking for a growth-focused relationship with a minor political background.

From Blood and Ash / Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

2/5 

I had heard so many good things about this novel and was sorely disappointed. 

What I didn't realize was that this is a vampire novel. Which isn't a bad thing at all, but usually vampire novels these days try to do something different in terms of how vampires (or in this case vamprys) are created,  and despite multiple pages of straight info dump, the world was never clearly explained. I thought I'd gotten through most of the info dump when I was 30% of the way into the novel but at 90%, "twists" are revealed and instead we are overloaded with the existence of vamprys which I could not for the life of me distinguish from the Craven (monsters?), the Atlantians (strong beings that are or are not the same as vamprys? arguably also monsters?), the Ascended (are they vampyrs? are they all vampyrs? also arguably monsters), and the Descenters (they support the Atlantians and they do monstrous things?). So basically everybody is a vampry? Literally, all I needed was three sentences of direct statements to clarify what all of the pronouns meant and that was never provided. 

Also, I predicted the true alliances of key characters in the first scene.

The bright light of this novel is Poppy. She is badass. I love her. The hype did not fail me there. The black hole dragging this novel down is Hawke. He is the YA trope of an alpha-hole. I couldn't even enjoy the sex scenes because of that. Poppy, you deserve better. I don't want to continue reading unless our love interest changes lol.

Pick up Throne of Glass instead if you want a badass heroine (or you can read this just for Poppy, I'd support that), or if you're looking for steamy scenes I'd recommend a quality adult romance like Meet Cute. 

The Bird and The Blade / Megan Bannen

 

4.5/5

This novel is a retelling of the opera Turandot and I highly recommend not knowing anything about the opera before reading The Bird and The Blade. 

One particular trait that makes The Bird and The Blade unique is the way the story is structured. Like the acts of an opera, the novel is divided into three sections, each section covering a different timeline in Jinghua's journey and slowly revealing how everyone ended up in the current situation. It's also a slow unveiling of how Jinghua's relationships and self-perception change. 

I can see how the pacing may feel drawn out to one expecting something action-packed, but I never found the novel boring and would rather describe the pace as soothing. There were moments when I didn't understand why we needed to discuss so much poetry and history, and even if at times I craved more action, I got more than I bargained for in the last third of the book. This is when plot twists are revealed and no punches are pulled. I especially love when a certain reveal changes my perspective on the whole novel, forcing me to go back and reread everything in a new light, and that's exactly what happens in The Bird and The Blade. 

What truly made The Bird and The Blade stand out for me is that its ending is something one rarely ever sees in a YA novel. It is bittersweet and touching, and it leaves no room for a sequel to taint the greatness of the first. I would recommend The Bird and The Blade to readers looking for no-nonsense narration, Asian representation, an unobtrusive romance, and a devastating ending. 

Ace of Shades / Amanda Foody

4.5/5

A good time. From the very beginning I was intrigued with both Enne and Levi, as well the idea of blood and split talents. The city of New Reynes and Levi are very reminiscent of Six of Crows' Ketterdam and Kaz Brekker. I would describe Levi as a Kaz but more vulnerable. 

Enne is also a very charismatic character. She's tough and doesn't beat around the bush, all while highly aware of her own shortcomings. Her hunt for her mother never slows and she handles all of the obstacles thrown at her with grace. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment in the Ace of Shades' world and I plan to tackle the monster of a sequel soon. I would highly recommend this novel to fans of Six of Crows and House of Earth and Blood.

The Tiger at Midnight / Swati Teerdhala

 

3/5

I liked Esha but Kunal was way too boring and unoriginal of a character. He's another typical soldier for the bad guys, but not actually a bad guy because somehow he's been so naive his entire life that he's never truly seen the bad actions of his tyrant. Also, to add to the cliche, he has hidden powers. 

The strong points of this novel are Esha's strength and the Viper persona. I've always liked when a tyrannical kingdom has whispers of a rebellious legend. I also appreciated the fun banter between Esha and Kunal. It was unrealistic, but I always appreciate an enemies-to-lovers storyline and this one wasn't poorly done. The South Asian representation was also a good touch. I make a point to not like a novel based purely off representation (see Children of Blood and Bone-- representation won't save a shitty book), but The Tiger at Midnight had all of the bones of a decent YA fantasy and the magical touches of South Asian world, which is rarely written about in YA fantasies.

The Tiger at Midnight will appeal more strongly to those who are looking for a relationship-driven novel rather than a political read. I view it as a milder version of Throne of Glass, The Cruel Prince, or An Enchantment of Ravens.

Beach Read / Emily Henry

4/5

The holidays always put me in the mood to read cute romances, but Beach Read is more than just cute. This contemporary romance has wit and depth and humor and grief. I adored the main character and the premise of two writers of opposing genres trying to write in the other's style. And, I'm a bit of a sucker for when two people both like each other but never say it until they meet again many years later...don't @ me

I may hate the main character's name (January?) but I loved her narration. Emily Henry does an excellent job of explaining the type of person January was, the type of person January is, and how she's ended up where she is. The novel begins with a strong focus on January's life and character and then gradually becomes more romance-focused. My one small issue with the novel was the closure January got with her father-- how convenient that he left her a load of letters. If I had it my way she would have had to simply face the grief, but at the end of the day, this is a romance book. 

I loved reading the slow undoing and rebuilding of January's life, all in her trademark humor. I would recommend this to readers who want a romance with depth and a well-developed lead.

The Nemesis / S.J. Kincaid

4.5/5

I was actually wondering to myself when the last time I finished an entire series was (other than TFOTA). Even if I like a book, it's rare that I get around to picking up the sequel, and even more unlikely that I make it to the third. That I kept up with S.J. Kincaid's releases through the years is a testament in itself to how invested I was in Nemesis' and Tyrus' stories.

I waited a long time to write this review because I had so many feelings while I was reading this book I had to clear my head. While sometimes I was frustrated with Nemesis or impatient with the politics, most of the time I eagerly anticipated Nemesis and Tyrus' romance and despaired at the hopeless circumstances. I was completely hooked throughout the entire novel because after the twists of The Empress, I had to learn what became of Tyrus. I stayed up throughout the night to absolutely devour this novel and I even teared up one specific line; for the sake of spoilers I won't say what it was, but it was said by Tyrus and when you read it you'll know what I mean. I just felt so frustrated at all of the trials they each had to go through, and for a moment I truly thought S.J. Kincaid was going to take the dark path and deny us a happy ending. Honestly, I could've made my peace with that, but I'm so glad we did end up getting our ride into the sunset.

I rated this novel so highly because I was so invested in Nemesis, in Tyrus, and in their relationship, and because of that The Nemesis kept me utterly engaged. But there are a few weak points. Though this novel does not disappoint with more plot twists, there are almost a few too many; the constant flipping back and forth got a little bit old. I continued to adore Nemesis's logical mindset, but at times her complete loyalty to Tyrus was a little frustrating. The biggest flaw is that the novel has many, many preachy passages. Kincaid drones on about the merits of a democracy throughout the entire novel and I was literally sitting there thinking, yes, I live in America, I've already been indoctrinated. Honestly, I didn't give a *** about the empire or the politics; I was only there for Nemesis and Tyrus, as I'd imagine most readers at this point in the series are, so I skimmed repetitive passages as necessary.

The positive characteristics of the novel shine brightly enough to blot out the flaws. Nemesis's relationship with Anguish was a very pleasant surprise and can be described by one of my favorite lines from the book: "We are more than friends. We are equals." Once I read that I realized that was exactly why I loved their relationship so much. The other strength of this novel is the way Kincaid was able to capture the spirit of the rebellion. When I read the phrase "NEMESIS LIVES" I get chills, and that's hard to do.

If you're a fan of morally gray characters, novels set in space, corrupt empires and rebellions, complicated relationships (think The Shadows Between Us but more complex)...I highly recommend you pick up this series, if you haven't already. If you've read the first or the first two and have hesitated to complete the series because you worry it may ruin the previous novels, fear not, for The Nemesis does its predecessors justice.

Cinderella Is Dead / Kalynn Bayron

1/5

The first thing I noticed about Cinderella Is Dead is that it is written nearly entirely in simple sentences, but I'd heard such good reviews about the novel that I pushed passed the choppy, bland writing style. The next thing I noticed is that all of the characters are flat archetypes of a single trait. Sophia, the lead, is supposed to be "defiant," but I found her character boring and unoriginal. She isn't particularly bright either; imagine her as Sorcery of Thorns's Elizabeth mockery. The "villainous" king is written without artistry or effort; his lines and his blatant mistreatment of the commoners are straight from the "evil" playbook. And the "rebellious" love interest's dialogue is just as bland. It's a classic girl-living-under-a-tyrant meets rebel leader and falls in love with how cool and rebellious the love interest is (see Under the Never Sky, Rossi).

My final issue with the novel is the complete lack of ambiguity. There is no gray area. The setup is that women have no power and must attend a ball where men can essentially buy any attendee as a wife and treat her any way he wants. There's literally nothing else to it. The novel is a complete simplification of gender inequality and takes the moral or ethical gray areas, which are the fun and interesting and complex areas, of this topic out of the discussion. This, coupled with the simple writing that told more than showed, made the novel very boring. I stopped at reading at ~45%.

I wished it had met the hype and my hopes. Reviews praised Cinderella Is Dead for its diversity and originality, but honestly if I hadn't read the reviews I wouldn't have noticed many points for diversity other than a few LGBT characters, which were used strongly for plot. Making the Cinderella fairytale a sort of religion and/or law in the novel could have been a strong point, but wasn't really focused on; it wasn't any different from a kingdom story where the tyrant enforces a certain type of religion and/or law.

Try it if you're curious about the hype or if you want a same-sex romance, but keep your standards low in terms of execution, complexity, and originality.

Meet Cute / Helena Hunting

3.5/5

Meet Cute is a rom-com movie in new adult novel form. It has a ridiculously hot, literal movie star love interest who cares for his sweet younger sister, a career focused woman, and a two-dimensional villain. It's a sweet novel that doesn't have the flaws many chicklit novels do, such as a catty friends and anti-feminist themes, and even supplies some steamy scenes. 

Meet Cute does a good job of balancing romance with relatively realistic and reasonable characters. I enjoyed the switching perspectives because I liked both of the leads, Kailyn in particular. She's smart and very put together, except for her fangirl scenes in the beginning which were so cringe they were a little hard to read. Kailyn is at a crossroads in her life and I appreciated her logic and approach to her problems. I also liked that she made time for her friend Holly; I'm glad that Helena Hunting didn't feel the need to add some trashy friend drama into the novel.

The villain was cheaply done but who cares? Nobody is reading this looking for a well-developed villain. Meet Cute delivers on everything it promises: a literal meet cute, sweet characters, a budding romance, and sufficient steam. It was a little too long for me to call it a quick read but it's a light read, and I'd recommend it to those who are looking for a feel-good story and happy ending.

White Stag / Kara Barbieri

 

3/5

An average to above average read. Janneke, our lead, is an interesting and well-developed character; her journey and growth are the strongest points of the novel. Janneke must decide what and who she is and want she wants in her future. Her internal conflict and the flow of her perspective felt natural. I appreciated her strength, especially in the face of past trauma. 

I believe White Stag started as a Wattpad fanfic so I had adjusted my standards accordingly and I'd suggest readers do the same before reading. I liked Janneke but no other character is nearly as developed. The dialogue can be hard to pin down because at times it is extremely modern which contrasts sharply with the world it's set in. I also found it hard to understand why and how, if goblins are so horrible and cruel, Soren is our one special angel with feelings? And the biggest downside was the ending; it was a major stretch and felt cheap. 

Overall, White Stag is a quick read with an easy romance to root for, and it can act as a filler for the The-Folk-of-the-Air-shaped hole you may have in your heart. Be sure to adjust your expectations in terms of development and complexity, read all of the trigger warnings beforehand, and you'll be set to give it a try. 

Sorcery of Thorns / Margaret Rogerson

5/5

Sorcery of Thorns reinforces my belief that Margaret Rogerson should be on every YA reader's "authors to watch" list for her well-developed characters, wonderful relationship building, and enchanting worlds. 

Her first novel, Enchantment of Ravens, disappointed me at first because I had expected an epic fantasy when it was a romance novel, but quickly became one of my favorite comfort reads due to the relationship, the lead's cleverness, and description of the world. Sorcery of Thorns, which is an entirely different novel, is the epic fantasy I wanted, and even more clearly displays Rogerson's strength in creating complex characters and relationships.

Sorcery of Thorns follows Elisabeth, who has been raised in the system of Great Libraries where sorcerer-created grimoires are kept under control. She's been led to believe that sorcerers are evil, because sorcerers must tie themselves to a demon in order to use magic. When the Libraries fall under attack, Elisabeth finds herself in the heart of the conspiracy, and the novel is about her fighting this threat. 

The official blurb makes it seem like Elisabeth and the sorcerer Nathaniel team up to face the threat, but the truth is that her journey takes many twists and turns and Nathaniel has a smaller role than I would have expected in a typical YA novel, something I appreciated. This journey is about Elisabeth, and I thoroughly enjoyed her strength. I loved her realization that the information she'd grown up on may have been biased, and I admired her willingness to keep an open mind and make her own opinions. One thing in particular that stood out to me in Sorcery of Thorns was that Elisabeth is often first on the scene and the first to act. I didn't realize how common it is for a female lead to follow another character into action until I read one scene where Elisabeth is there first, Nathaniel and his demon Silas following behind her. 

And this brings me to Silas, Nathaniel's demon. As stand-out of a female lead as Elisabeth was, Silas really stole this show. I think he's made it onto my personal list of best characters. Every scene with him was a treat; honestly, there may have been more scenes between Elisabeth and Silas than Elisabeth and Nathaniel. The slow discovery of Silas's character was as enjoyable as, and probably aided, Elisabeth's self-discovery. Silas was a mystery, and I never really knew where he stood or if he could be trusted, and that made reading about him so exciting.

I've read other reviews for Sorcery of Thorns that mentioned pacing was too fast. For me, there was a point about 30% of the way in that actually felt too slow because Elisabeth was isolated, but otherwise Elisabeth is a very proactive character always looking for the next step. I can understand why others may think the ending wrapped up too quickly, but I don't feel the same way. Everything that needed to happen and should have happened, happened. In fact, the last sentence really packed a punch. It was honestly the best ending I've read in a while and probably the best scene in the book.

Sorcery of Thorns has a stronger-than-usual female lead, a world book-lovers will enjoy, a background romance, and an interesting demon. Not sure what more I could ask for in a YA fantasy. Please give it a try ASAP.

The Fill-In Boyfriend / Kasie West

 4/5

The Fill-In Boyfriend was exactly what I was looking for in a cute holiday read. It's a romantic coming-of-age novel that is very reminiscent of Since You Been Gone by Morgan Matson, which is one of my comfort reads. 

Every so often, between fantasy and sci-fi reads, I crave an easy teen romance. I'm always wary that I'll unluckily pick up one of the many horrible high school novels full of underdeveloped characters, catty friends, and unrealistic boys that always stink of anti-feminism. You know what I'm talking about. The Fill-In Boyfriend is not that. Obviously, one can't have too high standards for a novel of such genre-- you won't find anything stunningly original here, but you will find a sweet coming-of-age story, funny dialogue, and a strong ship. There are times when our protagonist Gia's narration can be a little boring, but I feel that that's part of her character and development; the point of the novel is her learning to form and express her thoughts.

I read The Fill-In Boyfriend in one day. I loved having such an easy ship I could get behind, and I thoroughly enjoyed being sucked out of boring pandemic life and into Gia's world. Kasie West does an excellent job of showing instead of telling, and I loved the almost unreliable narration. It allowed me to slowly discover Gia's character the same way she was discovering herself. I would highly recommend The Fill-In Boyfriend to fans of Matson's Since You Been Gone and those looking for a sweet, fun read. 

The Inheritance Games / Jennifer Lynn Barnes

2.5/5

The Inheritance Games has a plot very similar to that of the movie Knives Out. I really enjoyed that movie and solving puzzles, so the premise of Inheritance Games interested me.

I liked our main character Avery and her cleverness, but the biggest drawback of this novel are the poorly sketched out Hawthorne brothers. Each one is a one-dimensional stereotype. None of them are complex, and all of their dialogue is extremely unrealistic which made for some cringey interactions. I also disliked the slight love triangle; it wasn't too bad because Avery doesn't seriously get involved with either. Also, the characterization of Emily was flat and poorly done. She was nothing more than a plot device and an unoriginal one at that.

Overall, The Inheritance Games was fun because I enjoyed watching Avery's determination in solving the puzzle and protecting those she cared about, but the novel isn't particularly intense or complex. Beware that the characters are not very well-developed, but otherwise Inheritance Games is an enjoyable light read for fans of riddles. 

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories / Holly Black

I find I can't rate this, because it isn't a novel of its own and also because I may be a little biased. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is a companion novel to The Folk of the Air trilogy, one of my favorites of all time. I cannot express how much I love Jude, and Cardan, and Jude and Cardan together. I know I am not alone in this opinion.

I tried not to have too high hopes for the companion novel, but when it's pitched to have Jurdan scenes from Cardan's point of view, how could those hopes not creep up? And that was my main issue with How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories-- there were hardly any interactions between Cardan and Jude. I love Cardan, and I loved learning a bit more backstory on him, but I felt like this companion novel didn't offer anything new or exciting. It felt like Holly Black could've whipped this up in two days. 

Really, I'm not going to complain because I will devour any Jude and/or Cardan content there is, so 🤷.

Incendiary / Zoraida Cordova

1/5

A strong point of Incendiary is the development of the protagonist Renata's character. I liked her mystery and complexity, and the way Zoraida Cordova contrasts Renata's view of herself with others' views of her. Cordova creates an interesting situation of mistrust, redemption, and betrayal. 

I read Incendiary with an anticipation for something that never came to fruition. The world and situation had so much potential, but once I finished the novel I was left with the sense that Renata had not actually progressed very far. 

We spend a lot of time following her around the kingdom, from the castle to the rebels to wherever else, and at the end of the book nothing had really been achieved. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the plot to find a solid drive, but it didn't happen. The ending has set the circumstances up so that the sequel may find a clearer, stronger plot, but I don't feel that Incendiary has something special enough in it to make me want to read the sequel.

The Storm Crow / Kalyn Josephson

2.5/5

The Storm Crow was an average read. 

I think Josephson wanted to include some mental illness awareness because she gave the main character depression. I may sound harsh, but this is a YA fantasy novel, not realistic fiction, and I'm not interested in a main character that isn't going to be proactive. Luckily, Thia becomes much more active as the novel progresses and I enjoyed watching her gain that strength.

The world lacks originality, which in itself is not a dealbreaker, but the characters weren't strong either. We've got an orphaned princess struggling to lead her kingdom, her handy soldier sidekick, a hot frenemy prince, and a powerful tyrant. The relationship between Thia and Prince Ericen was a particular letdown for me. I had been hoping to see a strong transformation as their relationship grew. Instead, their dialogue always felt forced, as if Josephson was trying to strangle them into different molds.

If the blurb really excites you, skim the novel and see if it can keep your interest; otherwise I'd recommend something along the lines of The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid or Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross.