Serena’s Review: “The Demon Star”

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Book: “The Demon Star” by Jesse Aragon

Publishing Info: DAW, July 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Gods rule this planet. Demons stalk its canyons while Kings beg for mercy. Can three mere humans rewrite its destiny?

The otherworldly religious conflict of Dune, the cosmic strangeness of Gideon the Ninth, and the heart-pounding action of Red Rising converge in this horror-tinged epic science fantasy debut.

Ysira Naktis was a human sacrifice, marked for death. Unlike the thousands ‘harvested’ each year, though, she did the unthinkable. She survived—and what she brought back with her could change the fate of worlds.

When Ysira’s estranged son is chosen to become the vessel of a god-killing demon, she is faced with a choice: allow him to harness cosmic power at an unspeakable cost, or doom millions to save him. She finds an unlikely ally in Brother Jacen Kheris, once a gifted exorcist, now a guilt-ridden addict, desperate for purpose.

From a demon-haunted canyon to a starbound satellite, they must battle their way through cultists, aliens, and the gods themselves. The truths they unearth are deeper and more sinister than anything they could have imagined.

Review: This was such an odd mashup of so many things that don’t seem like they should work together, but somehow do. Theology and exorcisms! Dune-like worms! Telepathy! And all told through a multitude of POVs, all of whom are morally gray to some extreme or another.

Let’s start with the characters. While there are various perspectives throughout, there are three primary characters, each with their own arcs and struggles. Through these three main characters, the story dives into themes such as addiction, the desperate drive for approval from others, and the toxic side of motherhood. “Toxic” is really the right word for many of the characters in this book. These are messy people who form messy relationships to one another, and this is by no means a “feel good” story when it comes to any of this.

There is sort of a romantic subplot, but it’s definitely not of the traditional sort. As I said, everything here is messy, including the relationships that form between these three. I didn’t love this aspect of the story, as it played into a few romantic themes that aren’t my favorite. Alas, I’m one of those romance readers who enjoy more straightforward, happy love stories, so this aspect of the story wasn’t my favorite.

But the main elements of a fantastic fantasy book were all here, including a hefty dose of horror. Everything exists on a grand scale, and the book neatly balanced introducing its complex world while also side-stepping into deep philosophical topics regarding religion, power, and the roles of gods and demons in this world. Again, like the characters, the book is heavy, complicated, and on the darker side. I found all of this so interesting, however, that I never felt bogged down by the bleakness of some of its themes.

And then comes the second half, with tons of twists and turns and gut punches around every corner. In the first half, the reader begins to settle into this world, as uncomfortable as it is, but the second half neatly rips away any sense of stability that was formed in that first half. Like the characters, the reader will simply stumble, reeling, from one crushing scene to the next.

Overall, this was a great fantasy read! It’s definitely on the darker, more horror-centric side, but I think it did a fantastic job with its world-building and exploration of complex themes. I struggled a bit with some character beats, but much of that comes down to personal preferences with regards to POV characters and their arcs. If you’re a fan of cosmic fantasy, definitely check this one out!

Rating 8: Heart-wrenching, horrific, and freakishly compelling, it’s the kind of book where you’re constantly waiting for the next twist to rip your heart out, but you can’t stop reading in spite of it!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Demon Star” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2026 Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction and 2026 Debuts

Kate’s Review: “The View from Here”

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Book: “The View from Here” by Rachel Howzell Hall

Publishing Info: Thomas & Mercer, June 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publicist

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A paranoid widow fears her late husband isn’t gone at all in a gripping psychological thriller by the New York Times bestselling author of Anthony Award–nominated These Toxic Things.

After eleven years, Nicole Baxter and her husband Truman’s marriage is beginning to fracture. Suddenly, during a scuba diving accident near Catalina Island, Truman is gone. No body. No signs of foul play. Presumed dead.

Clinging to the hope that Truman might still be alive, Nicole is devastated, in denial, and struggling with insomnia, as well as guilt over the secrets she kept from the man she loved—a pregnancy, a miscarriage, and an incautious fling with an attentive neighbor. Then come the strange occurrences putting Nicole further on edge. The scent of Truman’s cologne. The wet footprints in the house. The cryptic texts from his phone. And the message written on her bathroom: I’ll luv u 4ever.

Nicole has never felt so alone, isolated, and paranoid. If she’s losing her mind, then why does it seem so real? If it’s real, how is that possible? As Nicole’s grip on reality slips away, the answers are becoming a matter of life and death.

Review: Thank you to Sparkpoint Studio for sending me an ARC of this novel!

We are in the thick of summer now, and I always kind of feel like summer is for thriller reads. I have read a few thrillers by Rachel Howzell Hall before, and I was interested in checking out “The View from Here”, her newest. Not only did I like her previous ones, this one sounded like it could be engrossing. A missing husband? A wife with secrets? MAYBE a ghost? Well yes, that’s definitely my kinda read!

The mystery is a classic one: Nicole’s husband Truman, with whom she has been having a strained relationship/marital problems with as of late, disappears while on a scuba diving trip, and is presumed dead. But then Nicole starts having weird experiences in her home, experiences that she can’t explain. The suspense builds up as Nicole tries to figure out just what is going on, unsure if it’s a ghost, or her grief, or perhaps Truman tricking her and tormenting her because perhaps he knew her secrets that she thought she had kept. It doesn’t really tread into new territory, but Hall still keeps it tense and interesting as more people question her sanity and Nicole insists, INSISTS, that something else is happening beyond her trauma and despair.

I also liked how this book really does manage to blur the lines between what is happening and what isn’t in Nicole’s life, whether it’s something supernatural, something earthly, or something all within Nicole’s head. There are plenty of hints to ANY of those outcomes, and all of them felt fairly plausible at least to a degree. I always like a claustrophobic high tension thriller that captures the mental state of an unhinged protagonist, and Nicole is UNHINGED. But is it because she’s being haunted, grieving and medicated, or someone messing with her (like perhaps a husband who isn’t dead? THE POSSIBILITIES). I kind of discerned pieces of the puzzle as it fell into place, but I will admit that I was questioning a lot because of all the plausible alternatives that Hall did, with lots of due diligence.

“The View from Here” is another enjoyable thriller from Rachel Howzell Hall. Throw it on the summer reading list!

Rating 7: A mystery thriller that blurs the lines between reality and paranoia and grief, “The View from Here” kept me guessing.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The View from Here” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now but it would fit on “Horror/Thriller Books by Black Authors”.

Serena’s Review: “The Eye of Leviathan”

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Book: “The Eye of Leviathan” by M. A. Carrick

Publishing Info: Orbit, July 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: In an alternate Spanish Golden Age, the Council of the Sea Beyond has risen to unrivaled power, exploiting the Otherworld’s most precious resources for their own gain. Estevan seeks to uncover their secrets, but he risks the exposure of his that he is a faerie, masquerading as a mortal.

The Hungry Girl is the human whose place he took. Lost among the fae and desperate to find some purpose for her existence, she leaps at the chance to help a group of Spanish explorers in the Sea Beyond…only to be horrified at the atrocities they commit.

A faerie pact has separated them– but only together can they bring down Spain’s worlds-spanning empire and save the homes they have both come to love.

Review: Well, mark this one down as another excellent fantasy story from the writing duo that is M. A. Carrick! After loving “The Rook and the Rose,” I was confident that I would like this one as well. But it also sounded very different, focused on an alternate version of Spain during the Inquisition, a version of the world where not only those who weren’t Catholic were persecuted, but the fae as well. It sounded ambitious, and after reading it, I think I underappreciated just how ambitious it was from the start!

Let’s begin with the worldbuilding and historical elements. This book definitely doesn’t shy away from its historical roots, so strict fantasy readers should buckle in for a hefty dose of historical fiction. While there are obvious adjustments to fit in the magical elements, there’s also a close look at the realities of the Inquisition and the oppressive society that made up this point in history, and many real-life historical figures are present in the tale. Further, the story takes its time exploring religion and the central role it played not only on a society level, but an individual level. It’s difficult to set aside the modern lens through which we often think of religion, but Carrick does an excellent job of exploring the theme here, both with how fundamental it was to those living in this time and the ways in which it shaped almost every aspect of their lives.

But on top of the historical events, I loved the way the authors pulled in their fantasy world, neatly layering an entirely new element smoothly and efficiently. This very much felt like a version of history that could have existed had, you know, fae been real. What’s more, through this portion of the book, the story explores themes regarding colonization and exploitation. There were some very tough moments in this book, but everything was handled carefully and with a light touch, avoiding the pitfalls of heavy-handed preaching that can sometimes happen with big topics like this.

I also loved all of the characters we had here. Obviously, the two main POV characters get the most attention, and each was very enjoyable in their very different ways. But I also really liked the side characters. Unlike some of the themes which are fairly black and white, the characters who make up this world almost all exist within some shade of gray. While what is being done to the fae is indefensible, there are large parts of their society and individuals operating within it who have their own inexcusable moments. Further, we see kindness and love from humanity, even if by and large, human society as a whole is at a low point.

Estevan and the Hungry Girl were both excellent leading characters. The story alternates between their chapters, and I will say that while I liked both of these characters, their stories felt very different, leaving the pacing feeling a bit uneven as we bounced between the two. Estevan’s story is slower, and this is the portion that reads like historical fiction almost more than fantasy. And for her part, the Hungry Girl’s story is a much more adventure-forward, fast-paced fantasy novel, full of dangers and thrills. I enjoyed both, but it was one of those cases where I would become invested in one and always be slightly disappointed to have to switch. Only to repeat that experience with the other storyline.

Other than this slight ding to pacing, there was one odd character moment that I’m not sure how I feel about. There are perhaps slight spoilers to follow, so skip the next paragraph if you want zero spoilers, even light ones.

We meet a character in the middle of the book who, while living as a man now, was born a woman. Like I said, this is a very historically accurate book, and much of that focus also includes the strict limitations put upon women. At one point, one character mentions that there are no women trapped in towers in Spain, like you see in fairy tales. Another character aptly responds that perhaps ALL women in Spain are trapped in towers. It’s a very powerful moment.

But then when it comes to this character, the theme gets pretty muddied. There are moments where the book seems to present them as a trans man who has always wished to be a man as an identity. But in the same breath, when exploring that character’s past, we see them running up against a society that isn’t allowing them the life and adventure they crave, simply for being a woman. Did they want to be a man? Or did they want the life and freedom of a man and this was the only option? Surely, there would be plenty of women who would struggle under the oppression and limitations put upon them simply due to their sex. So much so that dressing up as and presenting as a man to exist the way they prefer would be the obvious route, regardless of identity matters. It’s a tricky topic, but I think the book just missed the mark here, especially given the apt critique of society’s views of women throughout the rest of the book.

Back to the nonspoilers! I’ll wrap this one up by saying this was much lighter on the romance front than “The Rook and the Rose.” True, that trilogy worked up to it, but even from the start, it felt more prevalent than what we get here. One character has an extensive subplot romance, while the other may have one developing? Or not? I wasn’t quite sure how to read things there. But I just wanted to note that for readers who may have been looking for more romance from these authors again.

Overall, I really loved this book! It was a long read, but one of those books that I never wanted to end. Hopefully the second half of the duology arrives quickly!

Rating 9: A wonderful blend of historical fiction and fantasy, “The Eye of Leviathan” is as heart-wrenching as it is enthralling!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Eye of Leviathan” can be found on this Goodreads list: Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2026.

Kate’s Review: “Slasher Summer”

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Book: “Slasher Summer” by E.L. Chen

Publishing Info: Crown, June 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at PLA 2026

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: In this campy love letter to the slasher films of the 1980s, seven friends reunite for a weekend of fun—only to be hunted down by a cold-blooded killer. But the real horror is not being able to escape who you were in high school…

The sleepy town of Cedar Lake Falls is best known as the shooting location of the campy ’80s horror flick Slasher. In high school, preppy Patrick, jock Jason, cheerleader Tiffany, stoner Freddy, goth Jennifer, and nerdy Michael had played the cast of Slasher during midnight showings, with virginal Carrie as the Final Girl, of course.

Years later, the friends reunite at the remote cabin where Slasher was filmed. They’ve changed since high school—Patrick came out, Mikey bulked up, and, well, Freddy’s still stoned—and they’re looking forward to a weekend to catch up. But when night falls, and the eponymous masked killer is spotted, the reunion takes a deadly turn. The friends discover their tires deflated and the phone line disconnected, and soon they’re being stalked by a mysterious assailant. Is someone trying to make their Slasher experience as authentic as possible?

One thing is for sure. Before the night is over, they each will have to take on the role they thought they’d left behind.

Review: Thank you to Crown for handing out ARCs at PLA 2026!

It is NO secret that I absolutely adore horror movies. You almost always find some kind of horror or horror adjacent nonsense on my “Not Just Books” highlights every month, and I’m still very much a part of my Terror Tuesday movie club (though admittedly it’s more like once every two months now as opposed to every week now that the pandemic has wound down). I especially love slasher movies for their over the topness, and it’s a genre that you don’t really get as much in the book world, possibly because so much of it relies upon visual gore and nonsense. But that said I’m always on the lookout for slashery stories, so of COURSE E.L. Chen’s “Slasher Summer” was a must read for me. And it was such a fun ride! My slasher loving heart was singing! And it’s the perfect time of year for it!

Nothing says summer like weirdos warning young adults about their impending deaths in the woods! (source)

This is such a fun love letter to slasher films. Chen knows the history of the genre, the important themes that the genre needs, and the character archetypes necessary for the genre. There are also Easter eggs dropped all over the place and references to other horror or horror adjacent movies, be it due to the characters being fans of horror movies, or just little nods in the narrative (for example, all of the characters having names derived from horror film villains). It all feels very meta and very tongue in cheek in some ways, but then when it wants to go hard on the slasher gore, it goes HARD. Yes there is a lot of humor as the story goes, but when the kills happen, they don’t hold back and they escalate in the way that you would expect from a slasher film. It’s not for the squeamish. And it definitely reads like a slasher movie plot, with each character fitting a role and each plot twist feeling right out of a movie. I could easily see this in my mind’s eye on a movie screen with my Terror Tuesday friends and I just vibing along with it.

BUT, it also has some really great deconstructions of the genre as well, playing with tropes that have become expected and turning the on their heads. Admittedly I can’t really go into too much detail without dropping some significant spoilers (which I don’t want to do), but I will try and talk about some that don’t feel particularly spoiler-y for me but make the point. The first is that one of our main protagonists who is incredibly much the ‘capable male hero’ is Patrick, who also happens to be a Black man who is a bit of a nerd and is obsessed with horror movies. In horror films, especially ones of the 80s and 90s, the trope of ‘the Black man always dies first’ was an unfortunate theme for a very long time. By making Patrick basically the expert on the genre who knows what to do and how to maneuver was a great subversion. Along with that, we have the queerness of both Patrick, who is an out gay man, and Jason, the stereotypical jock with the glossy blonde girlfriend, who is a closeted bisexual and who has a huge crush on Patrick (and thinks the feelings are not returned; BUT THEY ARE!). It’s no secret that ‘bury your gays’ has been another sad device in horror and thriller stories (and other stories too), as well as gay or queer people being villainous or mocking stereotypes. But in this they are just two guys pining for each other and it’s incredibly sweet and MAN was I rooting for them. It’s the things like this that really made this book pop. It’s a book that clearly loves the genre, but is also more than happy to critique it and improve upon it.

“Slasher Summer” is the PERFECT summer horror book, especially if you are a horror fan. I had a blast reading it.

Rating 8: A fun love letter to the slasher genre that not only perfectly pays tribute to slashers of the 80s, but also deconstructs old chestnuts in interesting ways!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Slasher Summer” is included on the Goodreads list “June 2026 Queer Releases”.

Highlights: July 2026

Well, it’s summer in Minnesota once again, which means Kate is waiting it out in appropriately air conditioned spaces/poolside while Serena has fled back home to the West Coast where it may be hot, but at least it’s a dry heat! But, of course, we have tons of great ARCs from ALA to check out and some new titles this month to look forward to!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “The Eye of Leviathan” by M. A. Carrick

Publication Date: July 14, 2026

Why I’m Interested: I really loved the “Rook and Rose” trilogy, so I was trilled when I heard the writing duo known as M. A. Carrick were going to be back with a new fantasy duology! This time, the story follows a changeling and his counterpart in an alternative Spain set during the Inquisition. After their last trilogy that was so full of unique world-building and character work, I can’t wait to see what they do when merging real historical events with fantasy elements. It’s a hefty read, coming in at nearly 500 pages, but I can’t wait!

Book: “The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy” by Brigitte Knightley

Publication Date: July 7, 2026

Why I’m Interested: On paper, I shouldn’t have enjoyed the first book in this series. In many ways, it sounded like yet another overly familiar “enemies to lovers” romantasy title, full of quipping characters and lackluster worldbuilding. But it just goes to show that you never know, and even tired tropes can be enjoyable in the right hands! Mostly, I enjoyed the humor of the first book, something that I think is almost the determining factor for enjoyment of these books for many readers. But it worked for me, for whatever reason, and I’m excited to see how it all wraps up here in the second half of the duology.

Book: “The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood” by H.G. Parry

Publication Date: June 21, 2026

Why I’m Interested: I’ve enjoyed all the books I’ve read by this author, so I’m always excited when she puts out a new title. This one was particularly of interest, however, as it’s been a while since I’ve found an Arthurian fantasy novel that really works for me. I don’t know why I struggle with these sorts of fantasy novels so much, but Parry is a strong author, so if anyone could make it work for me, she might just pull it off!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Fabulous Bodies” by Chuck Tingle

Publication Date: July 7, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Chuck Tingle is a must read author for me, as he’s had a streak of really creative and engaging horror novels. And his newest “Fabulous Bodies” sounds just as creative and outlandish as I’ve come to expect from him, this time following a fashion influencer who is also a grave robber, and who robs the grave of a famous rock star….. Who refuses to stay dead. The description is a bit vague (are we talking zombie? Vampire? Something else?), but that just adds to the interest on my end! Tingle always comes up with wild stories and I’m very stoked for this one.

Book: “The Intrigue” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publication Date: July 14, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Another must read author for me!!! Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a genre hopping chameleon to be sure, though in “The Intrigue” she is returning to the Noir scene, with sex, lies, manipulation, and a 1940s Mexican backdrop. Ulises is a con artist who woos women and then steals their money, and while this has worked for awhile, the funds are starting to dwindle as the world grapples with war and a financial depression. But he thinks that maybe he can have one last big con on a lonely boarding house owner named Perla, who has a crafty niece named Inés. What Ulises doesn’t realize is that Perla isn’t as easily fooled as he thinks. I quite enjoy Moreno-Garcia’s works and I’m happy we have a new one this year!

Book: “Hot Girl Murder Club” by Ashley Winstead

Publication Date: July 14, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Boy do I love an addicted and soapy thriller and Ashley Winstead almost always delivers on those fronts. And in her newest book “Hot Girl Murder Club” we have a singer songwriter named Scout who accused of a murder she didn’t commit, and how her new notoriety must be overcome to not only clear her name, but also find some justice for her sister, who was murdered years before. I have found Winstead’s previous books very difficult to put down and this one just sounds like perfect summer reading!

What books are you reading this month? Let us know in the comments!

Serena’s Review: “Harbour of Hungry Ghosts”

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Book: “Harbour of Hungry Ghosts” by Eliza Chan

Publishing Info: Orbit, July 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: The Au family serve the people of Hong Kong as demon hunters and blessing shrines, honoring the dead and dealing with dangerous yiaoguai incursions. The expectations on eldest daughter Kiamling are high, which is not something her strict grandmother and mentor will let her forget.

However, when British colonists interrupt a hungry ghost ritual, and her grandmother disappears, Kiamling must step up and lead the search.

Her bumbling language pupil Archie and her youngest sister Jingling will offer aid, alongside Hoi Gor, Kiamling’s recently returned childhood crush from Canton.

But when British fables mingle with local Chinese monsters, how can Kiamling prove herself, when the old rules no longer seem to apply?

Review: I had high hopes for this one! While I didn’t love her “Drowned World” series, I still appreciated the creative world-building and was excited to see her exploration of ghosts and colonization. However, the book failed to really nail any of its elements, leaving me bored more than anything.

I think many readers’ experience of this book will come down to how they feel about the prose itself. I can definitely be drawn in by the more descriptive, flowery tone, but I am quite picky in how exactly it’s pulled off. “Voice” is a hard aspect of writing to really nail down, but I think it’s this quality that is lacking when I have trouble connecting to a more elaborate prose style. And, sadly, such was the case here. Instead of feeling drawn into this world and able to relish in the plethora of details given about location, characters, and other plot elements, I felt disconnected and bogged down by what felt like extra words that weren’t truly conveying anything.

This also made the pacing read as slower than I think the story truly was. Things were happening, and, on its face, this is an action-packed tale. But again, because of this stylized form of writing, the whole thing began to feel heavy.

But where I really struggled was with the characters, especially the love interests. Yes, plural. Neither of these characters worked for me. Partly, they were each too expected. Each shows up and you know immediately everything you could possibly need to know about them, simply based on previous experience with similar character archetypes. It was also supremely obvious from the very beginning which was the “true” love interest, which made any time spent with the other feel like time wasted, further contributing to the lagging pacing of the storytelling. There was also an over-reliance on simply telling the reader everything we needed to know about these characters and their feelings. All of this combined to leave me feeling very cool on any of them.

Overall, this wasn’t what I hoped for. Fans of this author’s other books may simply connect better with her style and will likely appreciate this one more than me. But for my part, I found the whole thing rather dull and the romance boring to the point of tears.

Rating 6: I struggled with this one. Fans of the author will likely enjoy it, but I found it slowly paced and featuring two romantic interests (already stopped me at “two”) who brought nothing new to the table.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Harbour of Hungry Ghosts” isn’t on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Asian Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Kate’s Review: “Death in the End Zone”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Death in the End Zone” by Lynn Slaughter

Publishing Info: Melange Books LLC, April 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received a copy from the publicist

Where You Can Get This Book: Amazon

Book Description: In this sequel to “Missed Cue”, homicide detective Caitlin O’Connor is once again faced with a puzzling case: the murder of two star football players whose bodies are discovered in a compromising position in the end zone of their high school’s football field. While Caitlin identifies several suspects who might have had reasons to want to harm the boys, no clearcut evidence points to the culprit. She’s worried that she may get pulled off the case if she can’t figure out who killed the boys.

Review: Thanks to Books Forward for sending me a copy of this book!

It’s always nice to have a procedural mystery series to keep up with, and I say that as someone who has long loved a procedural mystery series be it on my TV or on my book shelf. It’s also nice following women detectives, and it’s the woman detective at the center of “Death in the End Zone” by Lynn Slaughter that brought me back for a second book. Caitlin O’Connor is a detective who is savvy and bright in her work life, but a little more hesitant to say such things about her personal life, and I enjoyed her personal life so much last time around I was game for another round with her to see how she has grown from Book One to Book Two.

So similarly to the previous Caitlin O’Connor book, the mystery at the heart of the novel was interesting enough, this time involving the deaths of two popular football players who are found posed in a compromising position on the high school football field. Their sexuality may play a part in what happened, and Caitlin wants to not only figure out who murdered them and why, but also keep them protected as best she can after their death sparks rumors and gossip. It’s a compelling concept, though I once again found myself wanting a bit more complexity in the mystery and the twists and turns. Whether it was witness or suspects or family members, I felt like they were mostly pretty two dimensional and interchangeable.

But it’s once again Caitlin’s personal life that made this for me. We are not only still getting therapy sessions (I am still very pleased to see this, let’s give our protagonist some mental health support!) for Caitlin, we are also seeing her start to build a more healthy relationship with her boyfriend Hank and his son Jack, even though they themselves are having some tricky moments in their lives that she has to witness. While we do have some realistic anxieties on her part about being a good romantic partner, especially to a man who has a child from a previous relationship, it’s refreshing to see her do less self-sabotaging and more introspection and maneuvering around healthy boundaries and what she herself wants from the relationship. This is in contrast to her partner Stan, who had been experiencing some bumps with his sobriety in the previous book, and who seems to still be struggling but unable to confide in anyone about it, which adds to her stress as the case goes on. The personal life problems enhanced the story for me and strengthened it where the mystery was shaky.

Overall, I’m still all about Caitlin O’Connor in “Death in the End Zone”. Hooray for self aware hard boiled detectives!

Rating 7: I really enjoyed the personal life side of this book with Caitlin O’Connor having to deal with some difficult realities about her partner, as well as some daunting changes in her relationship.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Death in the End Zone” isn’t included on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but it would fit on “Women Who Solve Crimes”.

Serena’s Review: “Nobody’s Quest”

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Book: “Nobody’s Quest” by Alyssa Day

Publishing Info: Entangled: Red Tower Books, June 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Soli has spent most of her life being invisible—an indentured servant, a library mold-scrubber, the girl no one sees unless she’s in the way. So, when the king’s guards show up with swords drawn, she assumes it’s a mistake.

It’s not.

Moments later, she’s standing in the throne room while the king tells her she’s been chosen to retrieve a set of ancient keys—only the keys can save the goddess and stop the chaos beyond the palace walls. Because the world isn’t waiting to be saved.

It’s already burning.

And beside him stands Prince Kaelen: devastatingly beautiful, mercilessly cold, and certain Soli won’t survive the hard journey ahead.

He’s probably right.

But Soli’s survived a lifetime of hard everything. She may be a nobody—no training, no real power, and no idea why she was chosen—but she refuses to be expendable. Even if the quest ahead is anything but simple. When assassins, monsters, and impossible choices fracture the fragile alliance slowly building with the Prince, Soli realizes she can’t hide in the shadows anymore.

Because, for the first time in her life, she has something to lose…

Review: I ended up enjoying this one for the most part. It did read as a bit juvenile in the style of writing, and don’t think too hard about some of the plot developments or familiar character archetypes. But the writing was the definition of approachable, and the pacing was fast enough that even during moments where I came up for air to think critically about it, I was drawn forward fast enough to not get too bogged down.

While much of the fantasy elements will read as familiar to readers of the genre, there were a few aspects that stood out. I appreciated this author’s version of and depiction of depression. It was a nice touch to the story, and the author’s note further dives into her own experiences, acknowledging the fact that the slow recovery time often experienced in reality wouldn’t work in a fantasy novel; thus, we see our main character only truly mired down for a few days at a time.

I did like the main character as well. Her voice was steady throughout, and I appreciated that she didn’t come across as the typical “stabby” leading lady that we often see in books like this. Yes, there were moments that had me raising my eyebrow (she was quick to talk back to royalty, given that she’s spent her whole life as a lowly servant), but again, there was more to enjoy about her than there was to criticize.

I also really liked the found-family aspect of the story. The book starts out fast and throws characters at you at a mile-a-minute speed, it feels like. But once the quest aspect actually gets started, there is more time to settle into these characters and develop the various relationships between them.

I will say, the book blurb hypes this one as a “slow burn” and, um, that’s not this at all. Literally in the first scene we meet him, we see the prince immediately form a connection to Soli. The entire setup of this scene involves the search to find a “nobody” who can touch a cursed item. If you’re not the right “nobody,” you burn to death on the spot, as we see with another character early in the scene. And it’s clear that this is not the first time they’ve gone through this process. The prince is even described as looking “bored” by the proceedings (though there are plenty of hints given early that there is more to this character than meets the eye).

But then he exchanges, what, two sentences with Soli and goes on to have a massive reaction to her undergoing this process. It is pretty wild, honestly, to have this scene within the first 50 pages and then label it “slow burn.” This is insta-love if ever I’ve seen it! So I didn’t love the romance. I liked both characters well enough individually, however, which did manage to save it.

Overall, this book is exactly what you’d expect after reading the book description and other books from Red Tower. I will say that I’d put it on the higher side of my opinions on books from this publisher, so do with that what you will. The fantasy elements were fun, the pacing was fast with good writing, it was only let down by the unfortunate insta-love romance.

Rating 8: A fun, fast romantasy read! Though this is by no means a “slow burn,” so don’t fall for the marketing ploy on that one!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Nobody’s Quest” can be found on these Goodreads lists: All the New Romantasy Books Arriving in June 2026 and Romantasy TBR 2026.

Kate’s Review: “What Happened to Those Girls?”

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Book: “What Happened to Those Girls” by Carlyn Greenwald

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, June 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from the publisher

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Pretty Little Liars meets The Blair Witch Project in this harrowing thriller from the author of Murder Land, brimming with betrayal, unsettling town secrets, and a killer lurking in the woods.

Emma knows her friends all lie to her. And everyone knows Emma is the outcast of their group. She’s usually fine with that, until her friends go on a camping trip that she planned…without her. The next morning, she wakes up to the news that all three of them died at the campsite.

When Emma starts receiving unnerving videos of the girls the night they died from an anonymous source, it becomes clear their deaths weren’t an accident. And if this becomes a murder case, Emma will be suspect number one. Because while everyone knows she had been excluded from the plans, what they don’t know is that she went to the campsite that night after all, and someone has proof.

Emma teams up with Beck, one of the victims’ sisters, to return to the woods and figure out what really happened the night her friends died, uncover who is behind the mysterious videos she is receiving, and make sure that nobody can pin their murders on her. But stranded in an eerie town that doesn’t welcome outsiders with a murderer on their heels, Emma and Beck just might be next…

Review: Thank you to Sourcebooks for sending me an eARC of this novel!

While Summer is probably my least favorite season (it’s just too hot, guys), I do like a nice scary story that is set in a time that just has Summer vibes. I also love a weird and spooky forest thriller, especially when there are perhaps supernatural things afoot. So “What Happened to Those Girls?” by Carlyn Greenwald was absolutely a book that I was totally on board with. A story were an odd one out girl is left out of her friend group on a camping trip and is hurt and angry, only for her friends to be murdered on said trip, and then being pulled into the mystery of what happened to them is already golden. But then you tell me that there is maybe a witch in the woods responsible?

Please, DO go on. (source)

The main plot just feels like it was written with me in mind. It’s pretty straight forward: Emma is the outsider in her friend group of Paisley, Opal, and Harlow, never really fitting in even though she is constantly trying. Her friends ditch her on a camping trip that was her idea, but then they ended up murdered and Emma is pulled into trying to figure out what happened to them. Not only do we have a mysterious murder mystery and a spooky woods, we also have a witch urban legend that some people believe is the cause of the mysterious deaths in the state park. We all know how much I love a witch story, and any story that sounds a bit like “The Blair Witch Project” at its heart is going to appeal. And overall I did enjoy this mystery with a spooky undercurrent. Greenwald balances the thriller elements with the ‘what if it’s a witch tho?’ elements really well, and I enjoyed seeing Emma and Beck, the older sister of one of the victims, Paisley, go into the woods looking for answers after Emma starts getting weird and creepy text messages from a mysterious sender. It’s suspenseful and well plotted, and while I kind of figured out a lot of the reveals and solutions pretty early on, the journey was well done enough that I didn’t mind and I enjoyed the ride. I also love a creepy wood setting and this book delivers that and then some.

But what really struck me most in this book was Emma as a main character. Emma is an engaging and easy to root for narrator from the very start, as I’m sure there have been PLENTY of people who have felt like the odd one out in social groups and friendships, especially in high school. But what made her even more interesting is that she is autistic, which brings in even more challenges for her when it comes to her friend group because she never QUITE clicks with them due to their inability to fully understand her. She is the kind of autistic representation that we don’t see as much in literature and other kinds of media. For one, she is a girl (as autistic woman characters in media lately I can count on one hand, the most recent being Quinni from “Heartbreak High” and Mel King on “The Pitt”). And two, her traits aren’t the stereotypical cold and savant-like that is so often seen to portray autistic people (though both Quinni and Mel also buck this; maybe because they are women? I’ll have to ponder this), as she definitely feels things incredibly deeply and is more inclined to anxiety and a lack of social graces as opposed to robotic indifference. I found Emma to be so incredibly relatable and nuanced (as someone who herself is on a wait list to be evaluated for autism), I just loved her from the jump. I also loved her relationship with Beck, as they are not only united to solve the mystery of what happened to Paisley, Opal, and Harlow, Beck also sees Emma for who she is and holds very little judgement or contempt for her. Any obvious relationship bumps other authors may have taken with these two kinds of characters are not taken here, and I found it refreshing.

“What Happened To Those Girls?” is a really entertaining YA thriller. It’s a great summer mystery and I definitely recommend getting it for any summer reading you are looking for.

Rating 8: A propulsive mystery with some spooky undertones, not only is “What Happened to Those Girls?” a good YA thriller, it’s some of the best autistm representation I’ve seen in a book this year.

Reader’s Advisory:

“What Happened to Those Girls?” is included on the Goodreads lists “Neurodivergent YA Novels”, and “Queer Horror”.

ALA Annual Convention 2026: Highlights!

While we are both currently out of the library field, one way that we like to stay in contact with the field is to attend the annual convention for the American Library Association. This year’s convention for the 150th Anniversary was in its home city of Chicago, Illinois, so we road tripped across a couple of states and spent a long weekend immersing ourselves in all things libraries and books! Here are a few highlights from our time!

Exhibition Hall

Always so many things to see and do in the exhibition hall itself! From snagging some of our most anticipated titles, to meeting beloved authors, to attending even more panels, the day feels packed without even leaving this massive area! Per the usual, it was a manic time! But we both managed to grab quite a few ARCs from favorite authors, many of which we’ll surely be reviewing here in the coming months.

We also spent way too much time waiting in lines for various authors, but sacrifices must be made! Serena was particularly excited to get yet another book signed by Veronica Roth, to meet Allison Saft and get “A Fragile Enchantment” signed by her, and, of course, the most exciting of all, Lois Lowry herself! As for Kate, she was able to get a signed copy of Shannon Hale’s newest “Princess in Black” book for her kid, and was able to attend a panel that ended up with a signing by Cynthia Pelayo as well as other thriller and horror authors.

Panels

We often joke that we feel like two ships passing in the night at this convention: we meet up in the morning, but once the exhibition hall opens, it’s rare that we see each other again before we meet up for dinner at the end of the day! Well, this year we accomplished the truly unexpected and ended up at the same panel together! The panel was titled “Leading the Way with Speculative Fiction: Leadership Lessons from Imaginary Worlds” and included three authors speaking to this topic in relation to their latest books. We got to hear from Veronica Roth (“Seek the Traitor’s Son”), TJ Klune (“We Burned Bright”) and Terry J. Benton-Walker (“The Drakon King”). It was wonderful hearing all of their thoughts on what makes up a good leader, and, more importantly, a bad one.

Kate also had to opportunity to hear LeVar Burton speak about his upcoming memoir “Take My Word For It” in the main hall, where he ruminated about his time in “Roots” and on “Star Trek” and “Reading Rainbow”, and how much reading has meant to him and how it shaped his life from such a young age (she may have started bawling the moment he walked on stage because he was such an important figure in her early reading life due to “Reading Rainbow”). She was also able to attend a few horror and thriller themed panels.

Chicago

It is always so fun to go to Chicago for this convention. Not only can we drive, as we live just two states over in Minnesota, there is always so much to explore in the city itself. This year we went to the Field Museum as our pre-Conference adventure. The Field has such an outstanding collection of exhibits, from Sue the T-Rex and other impressive prehistoric creatures, to some taxidermied notorious man eating lions and other animals, to fantastic artifacts from around the world. We spent a solid amount of time just wandering and learning.

And Kate also insisted on going to the Pokémon exhibit that they have that compares Pokémon ‘fossils’ to the actual fossils that are their real life equivalents. It’s charming and cute, and Kate DID leave with some Pokémon swag for her kid…. And also for herself. Throw in deep dish pizza, a stop to a Tiki Bar we have been visiting since our first Chicago ALA back in 2017, a Great Lake, and some charming walking neighborhoods and it makes for a memorable trip every time.

It is always such an educational and gratifying experience to go to ALA. We have once again left the conference with some really exciting books, some new information from the library world, and great memories. Next year ALA will be in New Orleans, and hopefully we will be able to attend and report back from the Big Easy, but until then, thank you ALAAC26 and Chicago!