Tag: Young Adult

Serena’s Review: “Bitten”

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

Book: “Bitten” by Jordan Stephanie Gray

Publishing Info: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, September 2025

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

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

Book Description: After a vicious werewolf attack on the night of her seventeenth birthday party, Vanessa Hart loses everything she loves in a split second. Her best friend, her father, and even her home.

Bitten and imprisoned without explanation, Vanessa endures an agonizing transformation into the very beast that maimed her, and her captors make it clear she cannot escape: she will either swear her life to the Wolf Queen’s Court, or she will die.

With no other choice, Vanessa joins their enchanted Castle Severi—where flowering vines grow through the walls, gifts are bestowed by the stars, and a claw can break through skin as easily as silk—but she hasn’t forgotten what they stole from her.

Vanessa still seeks vengeance, scheming in the shadows even as she finds herself mesmerized by the golden prince Sinclair Severi, who threatens to steal her heart though he is promised to her nemesis. And by his brooding, disgraced cousin, Calix, whose smoldering gaze hides even darker secrets. Immersed in the magic of their whimsical yet cruel society, Vanessa soon learns not all is as it seems.

The Court is at war, and she may simply be a pawn in its lethal game.

Review: This was one of those frustrating reads where I wanted to like it a lot more than I actually did. Part of this could be on me, as I’m an adult reading a YA fantasy book. But I also don’t think it’s only that, as there are plenty of YA stories that I still enjoy. However, this one frustrated me more often than it did anything else.

Part of that frustration stems from the fact that I did enjoy the overall world-building and setup for the plot that we got in the early parts of the book. True, much of this world felt familiar, especially if you’ve read many paranormal books. But I don’t think familiarity is an automatic mark against it, and I think it’s use of the werewolves combined a healthy balance of trademark plot points and new political/cultural flourishes. To that last point, I do wish there had been a bit more fleshing out to be had with regards to just why this society operates the way it does. I don’t need a straight, blow-by-blow explanation or anything, but as it stands, much of it felt too close to “that’s just how it is” rather than tied to any lore-centric reason for why things have come to be done in certain ways.

However, what started out as an interesting plot fueled by revenge and anger quickly devolved towards the middle part of the book. And it was here that I had the most problems. I don’t think even as a teen reader myself I would have enjoyed the sheer avalanche of mean girl drama that overtook this portion of the story. At best it was tedious and at worst it was stereotypical. This could have been saved, perhaps, had Vanessa had a stronger POV. But while I didn’t actively dislike her, she didn’t have enough going for her to counterbalance some of the silliness of the high school drama going on around her. At times, her inner monologue became incredibly repetitive even.

I’ll also note that this book rates high on the gore factor and the explicitness of its romantic interactions. And my discomfort with that comes down fully to the fact that I’m now an adult reading this. I’m by no means saying that teens should only read closed-door romances or anything like that! But, as an adult myself, it does feel a bit voyeuristic and icky to be reading fairly explicit romance scenes between teen characters. This is especially true in books that are set in a high school setting. It’s easy enough to turn my brain off in a more general fantasy novel where the teenage protagonist is taking care of her family in a cabin and fighting dragons and what have you; in every way that matters, that kind of character is an adult in that world. But when the main character is literally in school and then I get whacked down into a pretty graphic romance scene…yeah, it just feels icky. But again, this would be a very different experience if I was an actual teen reader picking this one up, so take this all with a huge grain of salt! More so, this is just a note of forewarning for other adult fantasy readers who may struggle in a similar way.

Overall, this was only an ok read. I think the author has potential, and I did enjoy the paranormal werewolf aspects of the story, even if they felt fairly familiar at times. That said, Vanessa herself wasn’t a very strong main character and the teenage drama of it all was a big “no” for me. I think this is one that may appeal greatly to its target audience, but I don’t think I’d recommend it to adult fantasy fans.

Rating 7: I’m not the audience for this book, and that was clear throughout. However, there were some interesting world-building moments and werewolves are always a good time!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Never Ever After” can be found on this Goodreads list: Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2025

Kate’s Review: “The Silenced”

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

Book: “The Silenced” by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Publishing Info: Delacorte, September 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC25

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

Book Description: Welcome To The Farm

Hazel Perez thought her school project on the abandoned Oakwell Farms School for Girls—or “The Farm” as it’s known to locals—would be just another assignment. But when a late-night research trip ends with her falling unconscious, she reawakens with a desire for revenge that isn’t her own. Desperate to free herself from these sudden violent urges, Hazel begins to investigate.

As she delves deeper into Oakwell Farms’ past, Hazel discovers the harrowing experiences of the girls who were once forced to live within its walls—under the eyes of sinister men—and the spirits who still linger.

With the help of some unlikely allies, Hazel must navigate a treacherous path of corruption, history, and the supernatural to bring peace to the restless spirits and uncover the truth about her family’s involvement.

The Silenced delves into the Trouble Teen Industry through a riveting exploration of a reform school’s haunted past colliding with the traumatized present.

Review: Thank you to Delacorte for giving me an ARC of this novel at ALAAC25!

One of the many horrible and tragic topics that has grabbed my attention over the past few years is the Troubled Teen Industry, in which parents send their kids to ‘reform schools’ or programs in hopes of turning their ill behaved ways around… Though ultimately it’s rarely actually a helpful experience, and a terribly abusive an traumatic one (especially since so many kids that have been sent to these programs for being ‘bad’ aren’t actually bad, but behaving in ways that their parents are embarrassed by or don’t approve of). I’m always on board to read books about this, fiction or non-fiction, so when I saw that Diana Rodriguez Wallach had written a horror novel called “The Silenced” that focused on the Troubled Teen Industry as a backdrop I knew that I HAD TO READ IT. I was thrilled to get a copy at ALAAC25, and when I finally jumped into it I found myself fully invested. And fully horrified.

First the supernatural elements. Our protagonist Hazel, after having an accident at the abandoned property of the now closed reform school The Farm, is finding herself haunted by an angry spirit who may or may not be taking over her body. Hazel keeps having images of a ghostly girl hanging on her back, and feels her body being overrun by the rage and anger of this ghost that won’t leave her alone. I really, really liked the creepy imagery of this book, and the building suspense of Hazel becoming more and more unhinged as she investigates what is happening to her, and what the history of The Farm has to do with it. I also loved the strange and suspenseful moments at The Farm and the scary beats. I was unfamiliar with Wallach’s game, but now that I’ve been introduced I need to check out other books she’s written because this one was really fun.

But it’s the far more realistic horrors of the Troubled Teen Industry that really made this read a winner. I’ve mentioned before that I have a dear dear friend who was sent to a wilderness reform school, and as more horrifying stories have come out about these kinds of places in the past few years it has become VERY clear that these so called ‘helpful’ schools have caused so much damage and trauma to children who were sent to such places. And “The Silenced” doesn’t shy away from how awful and abusive these schools and programs could be. Wallach doesn’t shy away from it, and I found myself completely on edge as we see not only Hazel’s investigations, but also the dual perspective of a girl who was sent to The Farm in 1995 and the horrors that she endured all in the name of ‘help’ and ‘healing’. Even though the ghost that has attached herself to Hazel is terrifying, her rage and despair is fully explored and fleshed out in the narrative, and it’s so, so heartbreaking and haunting. I’m so glad that Wallach decided to be frank and honest with the awfulness, even if it made for a very emotional and upsetting read at times.

“The Silenced” was a fantastic and gripping read. I can’t recommend it enough for the upcoming Halloween season. Just steel yourself for the really bleak aspects.

Rating 9: Gripping, haunting, creepy and all too relevant, “The Silenced” may be a supernatural horror tale, but the real life horrors of the Troubled Teen Industry play the biggest part in this novel.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Silenced” is included on the Goodreads list “YA Novels of 2025”.

Kate’s Review: “When We Were Monsters”

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

Book: “When We Were Monsters” by Jennifer Niven

Publishing Info: Knopf Books for Young Readers, September 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC25

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

Book Description: A simmering psychological thriller about a dead teacher at an elite boarding school, the students who had every reason to want her gone, and the tangled web of rivalry and romance concealing the truth—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places.

At an elite boarding school, 8 students are selected for an exclusive program, but only one will walk away with a lifechanging opportunity to realize their creative dreams. 

Effy is piecing together a story about the tragic betrayal that led to her mother’s death. Arlo hopes to publish a novel—but he’s also trying to start a new chapter with Effy after he broke her heart and ghosted 3 years earlier. Everyone has a compelling reason to be there—they all want a big break—but only the most ambitious will prevail as the students are eliminated one by one.

Their mentor is the one and only Meredith Graffam, an enigmatic writer, director and actress, whose unorthodox teaching methods push them past the breaking point. Under Graffam’s tutelage, the students reveal their darkest secrets, take unthinkable risks, and slowly start to turn on one another. But Graffam never expected they would turn on her . . .

Review: Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers for giving me an ARC of this novel at ALAAC25!

There were times at ALAAC25 that I would find myself in a line that I hadn’t intended to join. What can I say, I sometimes go full lemming mode and follow the crowd, especially when books are involved. So when I found myself in a signing line to get an ARC of Jennifer Niven’s new book “When We Were Monsters”, I didn’t really have any expectations, I just knew that if others were in line, I should be in line (in my defense in this case, Serena was in line too and I was following her lead). But once I had it in my hands, and read the description, I was pretty interested. Sometimes just jumping in line pays off!

We have two perspectives in this book, both students at the workshop of the mysterious and possibly nefarious Meredith Graffam, famous and notorious author who is running a writing workshop for J-Term at a boarding school wtih a dark history. The first is Effy, a girl who is trying to unpack the trauma of her mother being killed in a drunk driving accident where her father was the drunk driver. The other is Arlo, Effy’s ex who is trying to work through his own trauma where he feels like he is the one at fault, and who also feels bad about hooking up with Effy and then ghosting her. I enjoyed both of their perspectives, as they felt different enough that there was a contrast between the two, but at the same time I liked seeing how each of them approached the unfolding mystery, and also their past and their feelings for each other. I think that I liked Arlo a bit more, as his voice felt a bit more well rounded than Effy, but Niven did both of them justice. And I also enjoyed their romance, call me sappy or whatever. I just enjoyed seeing them reconnect and strengthen a bond between each other.

As for the mystery and thriller aspects of this book, it’s a promising foundation. I love the idea of a sinister authority figure pressuring and manipulating those under their authority, especially seeing how the manipulated players fall into trap after trap and the intensity that comes with it. Meredith Graffam is a pretty well developed antagonist, lording over her eight students who depend on her not only for their potential future dreams as creators and artists, but also as one of the only adults at the program, and pushing them to the limits until they get close to breaking. It has the frog in the boiling water moments, it has gaslighting, it has a lot of tension as things get worse but Effy, Arlo, and the others aren’t certain if they are overreacting. I will say, however, that sometimes the frog in the pot of boiling water felt like it could move a little bit faster. I like a slow burn, but there were times I felt like things were dragging a bit.

As a whole, I enjoyed “When We Were Monsters”. It’s a solid psychological thriller with an enjoyable romance, and it’s a good dark academia read.

Rating 7: I liked the perspectives and I liked the unfolding of the mystery within this thriller, though the slow burn may have been a LITTLE slow at times.

Reader’s Advisory:

“When We Were Monsters” is included on the Goodreads list “2025 Dark Academia Releases”.

Kate’s Review: “A Spell to Wake the Dead”

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

Book: “A Spell to Wake the Dead” by Nicole Lesperance

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Where Did I Get This Book: I received a hardcover from the publisher

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

Book Description: Two teen girls must uncover the dark, occult secrets lurking in their Cape Cod town to solve a series of murders—and save themselves from the same fate—in this twisty, witchy thriller.

When Mazzy and her best friend Nora sneak down to the beach one moonlit night to cast a spell, they don’t expect to find a dead body. But as the tide rolls in, it carries the remains of a woman who is missing her hands and teeth.

The girls know they should leave the investigation to the police, but they can’t shake the weird, supernatural connection they feel with the dead woman. Using spellwork and divination, they set out to find answers of their own. But after they uncover a rash of local disappearances stretching back years—and both girls start having occult visions and hearing ghostly, whispering voices—Mazzy worries that she and Nora are in danger.

Then, Nora finds a second body. And a whispering voice is telling her where to find more. With everything spiraling, Mazzy needs to figure out who to trust and how to sever this supernatural connection—or she and Nora might be the next bodies to wash up on the beach.

Review: Thank you to Penguin Randomhouse for sending me a finished copy of this book!

We are approaching the end of August, and here in Minnesota the first big symbol of the end of summer is the Minnesota State Fair, which started a couple of days ago. Whenever it’s time for the fair, I know that means that Autumn is just around the corner, and my Fall loving self starts to get excited and emotional. It’s my very favorite time of year, where I steep in all the spooky and cozy and scary and witchy things. And just in time for the turning of the seasons is a very witchy and Autumnal feeling book, “A Spell to Wake the Dead” by Nicole Lesperance. Seriously, if you are jonesing for Autumn like I am, this is probably going to be the book for you, because it felt like the perfect read to kick off the upcoming Fall.

“A Spell to Wake the Dead” feels like “The Craft” meets “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”, as we have two dabbling in witchcraft teens Mazzy and Nora as our main focus, who find themselves in way over their heads when they stumble upon a body after casting a mysterious spell. The book grabbed me from the jump, with a creepy body, implied potential possession, and the hints of a witchcraft cult that dabbles in human sacrifice, all against the spooky and yet serene backdrop of Cape Cod. Lesperance knows how to set an eerie mood, and I could practically smell the sea salt and feel the ocean mists as I was reading the book. Oceanside witches aren’t as common as other witch tropes, so it was extra fun seeing Mazzy and Nora use the sea and its bounty in their spellwork and explorations. I also enjoyed seeing the more casual use of spellwork in this book, with Mazzy and Nora not just doing huge spells that lead to the finding of dead bodies and perhaps ghostly influences, but also references to anti-anxiety spells and more simple and practical uses for magic. It just helped make it feel like these are two teenage witches who are interested in spellwork in their every day lives, which made it feel more genuine.

As for the creepy stuff and the mystery at hand, it definitely reads like a YA story, which is definitely not a bad thing. It didn’t send shivers down my spine, but I did like the mystery as Mazzy and Nora are trying to figure out who killed ‘May’ (as Nora has been referring to the body they found thanks to a strange supernatural connection) and as they find MORE bodies and evidence of a witch cult. It had a good number of twists and turns, and while I was able to predict some things, other things were genuinely surprising to me as I was reading. The stakes felt like they were climbing at a well done rate, and while the end felt a little bit frazzled and chaotic in some ways, overall I thought that everything generally pays off. It’s not a terribly scary story, but if you want your Autumn reading to be more “Practical Magic” than “The Witch” this will scratch that itch.

“A Spell to Wake the Dead” is an enjoyable witchy tale, the perfect way to kick off Autumn. I’m ready to kick summer to the curb and this made my need for Fall all the more pressing.

Rating 7: A spooky and witchy tale that will properly kick off the Fall season, “A Spell to Wake the Dead” is fun and vibes filled YA dark fantasy.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Spell to Wake the Dead” is included on the Goodreads list “YA Novels of 2025”.

Kate’s Review: “This Place Kills Me”

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

Book: “This Place Kills Me” by Mariko Tamaki & Nicole Goux (Ill.)

Publishing Info: Abrams Fanfare, August 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC25

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

Book Description: At Wilberton Academy, few students are more revered than the members of the elite Wilberton Theatrical Society—a.k.a. the WTS—and no one represents that exclusive club better than Elizabeth Woodward. Breathtakingly beautiful, beloved by all, and a talented thespian, it’s no surprise she’s starring as Juliet in the WTS’s performance of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. But when she’s found dead the morning after opening night, the whole school is thrown into chaos.

Transfer student Abby Kita was one of the last people to see Elizabeth alive, and when local authorities deem the it-girl’s death a suicide, Abby’s not convinced. She’s sure there’s more to Wilburton and the WTS than meets the eye. As she gets tangled in prep school intrigues, Abby quickly realizes that Elizabeth was keeping secrets. Was one of those secrets worth killing for?

Told in comics, letters, diary entries, and news articles, This Place Kills Me is a page-turning whodunnit from award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki and acclaimed illustrator Nicole Goux that will have readers on the edge of their seats and begging for an encore.

Review: Thank you to Abrams Fanfare for providing me with an ARC at ALAAC25!

As someone who was a bit of an outcast in high school, stories about outsiders dealing with their outsider status appeal to me on a personal level. Along with that, I do love a good thriller and mystery. “This Place Kills Me” by Mariko Tamaki scratches both of those itches when it comes to thematic elements, and when I saw that it was going to be available at ALAAC25 I really wanted to get it. Finding out that there were also theater elements, boarding school dramatics, and queer themes to boot just hyped me up more! I’ve always enjoyed Mariko Tamaki’s contemporary books so I was quite interested in seeing what would be done with a thriller.

I really liked Abby as our main character, as she is a very relatable outsider who can’t seem to find her way to fit in at this prestigious all girl’s school, and who has some baggage toe carry with her due to rumors and unfair perceptions. I fully believed her as an amateur detective who wants to get to the bottom of her classmate’s unexpected death, especially when she uncovers some clues that make it seem like Elizabeth may have been hiding something. Tamaki is very deliberate in revealing clues through the eyes of Abby, and as she investigates and starts to find some of the more sordid and controversial secrets at Wilberton, she makes new enemies of fellow classmates, but also finds a potential ally in her roommate Claire, who has been pretty aloof bordering and hostile up until this point. I kind of saw some of the layers of the mystery early in the book, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. I was invested in seeing how Abby eventually figured things out for herself, and the coming of age that comes with learning about some dark and unfair truths about the world we live in.

But the thing that I found most resonant about this story, like many of Tamaki’s stories in the past, is how real and bittersweet and painful the coming of age aspect was in this story, and not just for Abby. But mostly Abby. This book takes place in the early 1990s, and Abby is a queer teen who has found herself ostracized and demonized because of her queerness and those around her being unable to understand or accept it. Tamaki taps into the loneliness and the isolation, and the way that having to hide oneself can be so damaging to a teenager (or anyone, really) going through some really difficult things. This book has some truly bittersweet and pathos filled moments, letting these feelings linger and speak for themselves even with a dark mystery at the forefront. But again, Tamaki has always been great with these kinds of stories, and this one continues the streak.

And finally, I enjoyed the artwork by Nicole Goux. Full disclosure, my ARC of this book was in black and white and the finished product will have some color, but even without that I still enjoyed the style.

(source)

“This Place Kills Me” is another great book about difficult subjects by Mariko Tamaki. Definitely recommended!

Rating 8: A disturbing mystery, a secretive girls school, and a bittersweet coming of age tale combine to make a solid story from Mariko Tamaki.

Reader’s Advisory:

“This Place Kills Me” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but it would fit in on “Boarding School Mysteries”.

Kate’s Review: “Influencer”

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

Book: “Influencer” by Adam Cesare

Publishing Info: Union Square & Co, October 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received a finished copy at a panel at ALAAC25

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

Book Description: Aaron Fortin is new in town. He drives a brand-new Acura—a gift from his parents for uprooting him in the middle of senior year. Showing up on his first day at the local public school in that nice of a car? He knows he’ll never blend in, and he doesn’t care to try. The car, the new kid mystique, he can use all that…

Crystal Giordano carpools to the same school in her friend Trevor’s beat-up van. In the van along with Crystal and Trevor are Paul, Harmony, and Gayle. Crystal’s technically part of their misfit group, but most of the time, she feels like she’s the only one who doesn’t fit.

When Aaron Fortin sits at their lunch table, Crystal can see he’s not who he says he is. But how big of a fraud is Aaron Fortin? Crystal clumsily exposes Aaron and becomes his target, falling victim to his insidious campaign to erase her. Only then does she discover who he truly is—and it’s so much worse than she thought.

As her friends begin to follow him one by one, Crystal wonders if she can protect them or if his influence is just too strong.

Review: Thank you to Union Square & Co for giving me a finished copy of this novel at ALAAC25!

So here is a story that perfectly reflects the fates of some of my ARCs. During the ALA Annual Conference in 2024, I picked up an ARC of the book “Influencer” by Adam Cesare. I grabbed it because 1) I have enjoyed other books by Adam Cesare and was happy to see he had a new one, and 2) I just love a thriller or horror story that uses social media influencers as a sticking point in their plots. Fast forward to the ALA Annual Conference in 2025, where I find myself attending a panel that has Adam Cesare, and he is talking about his 2024 “Influencer”…. A book that I wholly left by the wayside the year before. As I listened to him talk I thought to myself ‘ah shit, I really should have read “Influencer” by now, it sounds great’. Well good news! I got a new copy at ALAAC25, and I DID READ IT THIS TIME!

Hooray! (source)

I had a lot of fun with this book! Once it hooked me in the very first chapter (which was a start that had QUITE a shocking bang I must say!), I had a really hard time putting it down. It’s a very readable thriller with a well done narrative structure of two narrators, one being our psychopathic ‘influencer’ Aaron and the other being awkward but observant Crystal. Through both of their perspectives we see the making of a cat and mouse game as Aaron slowly dismantles Crystal’s life and isolates her from her friends, and as Crystal tries to figure out a way to expose him for the dangerous villain he is. We can slowly start to tell what Aaron is plotting on one hand, but on the other we can see Crystal coming up with her own counter moves, and the tension of seeing who ends up on top propels the story. And as someone who used to have an unfortunate hyperfocus on serial killers, I definitely picked up on a lot of what Cesare was referencing. It’s also just a wicked take on how social media stars and influencers build upon parasocial relationships to create a profit, whether that’s money in our world or Manson-like control and violence mongering to make oneself feel powerful in the story at hand. Cesare isn’t afraid to really go balls to the wall in disturbing content in this book, but it makes his point (also, note that this book has instances of animal abuse, sexual assault, and many murders including that of a pregnant person, just to put some content warnings out there. Also, the book has a page of content warnings to refer to). It’s just a thriller that really worked for me.

But my favorite part of this book was the character of Crystal, our protagonist who can see right through Aaron due to her incredible intuition and pattern recognition. Crystal is very observant and perceptive, but she is also riddled with anxiety and awkwardness and constant worries about the status of her friendships and how her friends perceive her. If we’re being honest, Crystal was a LOT like me in high school, never quite feeling like she totally fit in with her peers and even her friends outside of perhaps one or two exceptions, and I thought that she was very, very endearing because of it. In fact, I also really enjoyed (as much as one can, I suppose as a villain’s perspective!) Aaron’s POV chapters as we see his manipulations, his deviousness, and his absolute sociopathy. It’s a shocking contrast between the two main POVs, and I thought that Cesare nailed both of them pretty well. Some of our supporting characters could have used a bit more oomph, specifically Harmony and Paul, as I felt like I didn’t know them well enough to know if I believed their quite heel turns as happy lapdogs to Aaron’s plots and plans no matter how crazed and violent, but I’m willing to suspend my disbelief a bit just because I enjoyed so many other things about the book.

Me finally getting to “Influencer” took some time, but I’m thrilled I finally got the kick in the pants I needed to pick it up. If you are looking for some more fast and fun reads as the summer winds down, check this one out for sure!

Rating 8: Fast paced, twisted as hell, and suspenseful until the end, “Influencer” is a darker tale from star on the rise author Adam Cesare!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Influencer” is included on the Goodreads list “Fiction About Influencers”.

Serena’s Review: “A Theory in Dreaming”

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

Book: “A Theory in Dreaming” by Ava Reid

Publishing Info: HarperTeen, July 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: All stories come to an end.

Effy learned that when she defeated the Fairy King. Even though she may never know exactly what happened at Hiraeth, she is free of her nightmares and is able to pen a thesis with Preston on the beloved national fairy tale Angharad. She has finally earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first woman in history to enroll.

But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true. The entire university—and soon the entire nation—is waiting for her to fail. With the Fairy King defeated and Myrddin’s legacy exposed, Effy can no longer escape into fantasy. Who is she without her stories?

With Effy under threat, Preston is surprised to discover a rage simmering inside him, ringing in his ears like bells. He begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king—visions that start to follow him even in waking.

As the war between Llyr and Argant explodes, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire: Effy losing her dreams and Preston losing himself in his.

Are dreams ever truly just dreams?

Previously Reviewed: “A Study in Drowning”

Review: I loved “A Study in Drowning.” It felt like such a tightly plotted YA title that incorporated a strong personal arc for the main character, Effy, as well as a tension-filled gothic mystery that built to an incredible climax at the end. As you can expect from this, it was a fantastic stand-alone read. That said, while I was satisfied with its ending, I was more than happy to return to this world and these characters. Especially to see more of the burgeoning love story between Effy and Preston.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t live up to the highs of the first book, mostly because of how perfectly insulated that story felt. But there was still much to enjoy here, so let’s start with that first. Per Reid’s typical style, many of the themes explored within this story are dark but important. Through careful crafting, the author explores the slow descent into isolation and withdrawal that can come with serious depression. Both Effy and Preston also constantly struggle to find a place for themselves in an institution and society that is built for others, Effy as a woman in the man’s world of academia, and Preston as a man of two heritages, both of which are at war with one another. These themes were richly detailed, and while it didn’t necessarily make for a “fun” reading experience, I definitely felt like I was getting a stark window into the struggles of these two characters and others like them.

That last point speaks to one of my struggles with this book, however. While well-represented and thoroughly explored, the reading experience itself quickly began to feel heavy and almost tiring; I found myself needing to put the book down after only short reading sessions. Part of this, I think, comes down to the fact that both Effy and Preston’s inner arcs are fairly similar. They are each dealing with similar feelings of isolation and like they are outsiders intruding where they are not welcome. This then leads to a lot of inner dynamics centered around feelings of weariness and fear. So, while the book does alternate between their perspectives, much of the story felt the same between the two, and it began to feel a bit draining.

The romance itself also suffered a bit from this as well. Both Preston and Effy spend much of the book hiding things from one another, both preoccupied with not wanting to place a burden on the other. And, again, the fact that both characters had such similar experiences with in the romantic plotline, it began to feels as if their relationship was spinning its wheels, with a lot of words spent saying the same or similar things over and over again.

I did enjoy some of the deeper looks into the magic of this world. Most of this came through Preston’s side of the story, and I would argue that this is largely his story. But even here, while I enjoyed getting a better understanding of this history and magic, there didn’t feel as if there was enough of a plot to serve as a structure upon which to hang these descriptive elements.

Overall, this book felt like what it was: an unplanned sequel to a stand-alone fantasy story that had been complete on its own. The writing was luscious, as always, and I did enjoy elements of the love story. But ultimately, I came away from this one feeling as if it didn’t really add anything. I felt like Preston and Effy had ended the previous book with challenges ahead but with a new will to overcome, comfortable in themselves and their new relationship. And perhaps this book was honest about the reality of the hardships they would face and that that same will to move forward could begin to crumble in the face of these struggles. I just…am not sure those realities really make up a story, all on their own?

Fans of Reid’s will likely still want to check this one out. Quality wise, it’s still a well-written book with an interesting world. Effy and Preston also remained characters whom I loved and rooted for. I simply couldn’t get into the limited amount of actual “story” to be found here.

Rating 7: I still enjoyed the world, the characters, and the love story. But it felt clear that with the first book being planned as a stand-alone, this one didn’t really have anywhere to take the story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Theory in Dreaming” can be found on this Goodreads list: omg i love this cover.

Kate’s Review: “Bad Dreams in the Night”

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

Book: “Bad Dreams in the Night” by Adam Ellis

Publishing Info: Andrews McMeel Publishing, April 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

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

Book Description: Like a graphic novel version of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark , this collection of original horror tales is packed with urban legends, terrifying twists, and delightfully haunted stories by one of the biggest stars in webcomics. Each story will make you scream for more!

A new take on a classic format, Bad Dreams in the Night is an updated, illustrated take on the horror anthologies the author grew up with as a kid, such as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and In a Dark, Dark Room . These self-contained stories grew rapidly in popularity among the author’s online audience, and even inspired production of a motion picture from Buzzfeed Studios and Lionsgate Films. Filled with spine-tingling, pulse-increasing tales of mystery and supernatural occurrences, this book of never-before-seen comics will be the perfect gift for people who love  Black Mirror  and  Stranger Things  and listened to podcasts like  Welcome to Nightvale  and  Rabbits. 

Review: I’m sure that if you have spent at least some time on the Internet you have stumbled upon something by Adam Ellis. He is a cartoonist whose works have gone viral more than once, and have become memes in some cases. I think that what I was most familiar with him from was his long form Twitter ghost story “Dear David”, where he recorded and shared a ‘haunting’ of his apartment by a child ghost with a caved in head. I thought it was very creative and a really fun way to tell a story and create folklore. I actually hadn’t heard of his horror story collection “Bad Dreams in the Night” until very recently, but once I had I really wanted to read it because I found “Dear David” to be a hoot. Clearly I needed to see what else he could do.

Like most short story collections, I will highlight my three favorite tales, and then address it as a complete product.

“Evangeline”: This book started off with a bang, as ‘Evangeline” really grabbed my attention and went places that I kind of expected, but still found poignant. Ellis reminisces about visiting his grandparents house and watching from the TV recorded horror movies on many VHS tapes, but there was one film that he hasn’t been able to find anywhere else. In the film a farmer has a strange alien land on his property, and he calls her Evangeline and they fall in love, though their love is doomed. Ellis searches far and wide but can’t find this movie anywhere. Perhaps for a reason. Was it easy to see wehre this was going? Yeah, a little, but I still loved the journey and found it to be rather bittersweet and beautiful, in a way.

“Little House in the Sea”: I thought that this was probably the most unique story in the book, and wasn’t so much scary as it was haunting and dreamy. A girl is raised alone on a small island with her mother. She always asks her mom if they can leave, but her mother is a steadfast ‘no’. The girl wonders what is beyond the sea. As a mother whose only child is a daughter this one felt especially emotional, even as the more speculative and odd aspects started to reveal themselves, and it just felt ethereal in its strangeness. This was a favorite based on vibes, I suppose, but man the vibes were great for me.

“Viola Bloom”: Is this pretty much a reimagining of a fairly common creepypasta trope that has been around for many, many years (the cursed chain letter/media situation)? Yes. But I still really, really enjoyed “Viola Bloom”, as even if it’s been done before, Ellis still made it unsettling and scary for me. Framed as autobiographical, Ellis receives a strange card in the mail with the name ‘Viola Bloom’ on it, and shortly thereafter a strange, unearthly woman is stalking him outside of his home, unwilling to leave and merely standing, and staring. But what worked the most for me was the inspiration, as Ellis has had to deal with some really scary real life stalking incidents, mostly from the alt-Right and internet trolls that target him for his identity. By channelling that fear into a story about being stalked by a seemingly unending force it makes for a tale that’s all the more resonant and scary.

As a whole, the stories generally worked for me. Some felt a little more shallow than others (“Butter Corn Ramen” was pretty predictable, and “Murder Party” says the same arguments against the true crime genre that pretty much everyone is saying and didn’t feel interesting beyond being a scold, even if I generally agree with the sentiments), but as a whole I found them all entertaining, and I devoured the collection in one night. I also enjoyed the Millennial nostalgia of some of these tales, whether referencing classic scary tales from our youths or the old comfortable formulas of a sitcom’s narrative design.

“Bad Dreams in the Night” is a quick and creepy read, and given that Ellis has a new collection of horror graphics are coming out, it has put him on my radar as a horror author. Excited to see what else he will do in the future!

Rating 8: A quick paced and creepy collection of scary stories from a creator whose horror chops had promise even before this, “Bad Dreams in the Night” is an devilishly fun ride by Adam Ellis.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Bad Dreams in the Night” is included on the Goodreads list “YA Graphic Novels of 2024”.

Serena’s Review: “Bound by Stars”

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

Book: “Bound by Stars” by E. L. Starling

Publishing Info: Entangled: Teen, July 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: She never belonged in his world. He never thought he’d leave it.

When Weslie Fleet wins a golden ticket aboard the Boundless, humanity’s most opulent starliner, it’s a dream―and a danger. Raised in the dust-ridden ruins of Earth, she is thrust into the gleaming luxury of Mars’s elite, where every whispered word carries weight and every glance is a silent judgment. And none watch her closer than Jupiter, the golden boy of Mars’s high society, bound by duty, legacy, and a future he never chose.

Their reluctant partnership was supposed to be a one-off assignment. Instead, it becomes a battle of wills, a spark that ignites, and a love neither of them anticipated. But fate is as cruel as it is unpredictable, and when the Boundless veers off course, love won’t be enough to save them.

The ship is failing. The odds are impossible. And in the darkness of space, survival is the only thing that matters.

But some loves are worth defying the stars for.

Review: This is one of those odd reads where what drew me to the book (science fiction re-telling of “Titanic”) is the specific aspect of the read that I most disliked. That is to say, there was a lot to like here whenever I could disconnect my brain from the parallel’s to the movie. While there weren’t any groundbreaking science fiction moments, the struggles between Mars and a vastly reduced Earth was an interesting political stage upon which to set the story. And the overall conflict and themes of the story (mostly centering around classism) were fairly well handled, especially for a young adult novel. The discussions of these themes was also done well and avoided straying too far into preachiness, a perpetual problem it seems in books like this. Further, the disaster itself that befalls the starliner was action packed and intense. However, this is a perfect example of how the comparisons to “Titanic” don’t work in the book’s favor.

Maybe I’m being nitpicky, but to me at least, there is a huge difference between the natural disaster that befell the Titanic with its ramming of the iceberg and a rebellion attack upon a luxury starliner. I picked this book up looking for a disaster and survival story; indeed, anyone who is promised a book that is a re-telling of “Titanic” would expect the same. A rebellion attack is a very different thing, and while not bad on its own, not what I been expecting or wanting from this read.

And you might say at this point “well, just try to read it as an original story, disconnected from the re-telling.” But you can’t! There are scenes that are direct call-backs/re-imaginings of scenes from the movie. From little things, like the FMC winning her ticket onto the starliner at the start of the book to a full scene devoted to re-imagining the “you jump, I jump” scene from the movie. There’s no getting away from the callbacks. (And I didn’t want to get away from the re-telling POV ultimately, I just wish the book had more confidently stuck to that premise in the first place!)

The change-out from disaster to rebellion attack was annoying enough, but I really began to get fed up with the way our main characters’ love story played out. Yes, classism is present in the dynamic between Rose and Jack in the movie. But there, we are seeing it through the lens of how restricted Rose is beneath the weight of this system, and Jack’s role is to free her from these binds and remind her of the joy and love to be found in life. That’s a lovely story! But here, a huge chunk of the first half of this book is devoted to Wes’s resentment towards Jupiter and his place within the wealthy uber-upper class. The enemies-to-lovers trope struck again, and in one of the most inopportune books you could find. Rose and Jack were NOT enemies! Jack didn’t spend all of his time resenting and lecturing Rose!

Not only does the change in this dynamic hurt a book that is being marketed as a science fiction version of “Titanic,” but it’s frankly a more boring choice. I’ve read a million stories that have this exact same romance and commentary on classism at their heart. And frankly, I didn’t need another. The book would have not only been more true to its concept had it stuck with the original dynamics between romantic interests, but it would have been a more interesting read on its own, as well.

If I really squinted, I could try to read this book disconnected from its “Titanic”-retelling origins. And for the brief moments where I could, it was a fine read. As a YA science fiction story, I think there’s definitely an audience for this book. But at the same time, I was incredibly disappointed with the more direct ties to the movie, especially the significant changes made to the love story at its heart. If you’re looking for a decent YA science fiction story, this may be a good fit. But if you were looking for a “Titanic” story, disaster and romance included, this is probably not for you.

Rating 7: Fine enough as a YA science fiction story, but disappointing as a “Titanic” re-imagining.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Bound by Stars” can be found on this Goodreads list: Books with “Star” in the Title.

Kate’s Review: “The Ground That Devours Us”

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

Book: “The Ground That Devours Us” by Kalla Harris

Publishing Info: Entangled Teen, June 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from the publicist via NetGalley.

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

Book Description: The world ended ten years ago. Vampires showed up, took over, and turned the whole planet into their personal all-you-can-drink buffet. The president? Bloodsucker. The government? Bloodsuckers. My social life? Absolutely nonexistent.

But hey, at least I had one thing going for me—slayer training. My twin sister, Ripley, and I were about to go pro, officially joining the ranks of the last people on earth who actually do something about the whole “undead overlords” situation.

And then X had to show up. The vampire boogeyman. The worst of the worst. And instead of killing Ripley, like any decent monster would, he turned her. Now she’s technically a vamp, but something tells me my sister is still in there. Which means I can’t slay her.

What can I do? Break every rule. Lie to my friends. Strike a deal with the most dangerous vampire on the planet: X will protect Ripley from everyone else who wants her dead—like, really dead—until I can snag the cure for vampirism. The catch? Risking my own head to help him free his good-for-nothing BFF from the very slayers who taught me everything.

If I want Ripley back, I’m going to have to play nice with the thing that ruined my life. And the worst part? I think he’s enjoying this.

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

Anyone who has followed my reviews of vampire fiction on this blog can probably tell you that I am VERY particular about the genre, and that in many cases I have a really hard time getting into straight up human/vampire romance. THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS (love Spike and Buffy, I’ve really enjoyed the “My Roommate Is A Vampire” series by Jenna Levine), but overall it’s just not something I like. But when I was sent the description of “The Ground That Devours Us” by Kalla Harris, even though I knew it had romantic elements, I ALSO saw that it was a dystopia. And man I love dystopia. So I threw caution to the wind, hoping that the dystopic angles would outweigh the romantic ones.

This book gave me a mix of general dystopia, the book “The Coldest Girl in Cold Town” by Holly Black, the book/movie “Warm Bodies”, and some sprinkles of various CW vampire shows whether it’s “Buffy” or “The Vampire Diaries” (which was a direct influence according to Harris), and as a whole I found it very enjoyable and to be a well done mish mash. I liked the world that Harris built, with non-vampire survivors training and preparing to try and overtake the bloodsucker threat, while vampires are getting their own stuff in order, bringing more humans into the fold and turning them into vampires. And like with any dystopian stories worth their weight, we have a well established societal system, with our humans in one well guarded sanctuary compound, and our vampires (some sentient, some almost like zombies called ‘bloodwalkers’) outside the walls and living in their own society. I really enjoyed the vampires mythos, with there being more traditional vampires and the zombie-esque ones, and I liked the way that Harris slowly unveils the way that Vaille works, for better or for worse.

I also was a pretty big fan of our cast of characters, finding them all pretty well rounded and fleshed out. Our protagonist is Ruby, and she and her sister Ripley live in the compound Vaille and are training to be vampire slayers under the eye of Barnett, the head of their community. So when Ripley is turned into a vampire by notorious vampire X, Ruby wants to get her sister back because Vaille may be on the verge of a cure. It’s good hook, and Ruby is both an interesting and confounding protagonist, but confounding in a good way. She’s stubborn, bitter, and always on guard and ready to lash out at X, but when she teams up with him in hopes of getting Ripley back on her side, we really start to see her character growth. Especially as her worldview starts to be challenged the community she has put so much faith and devotion into starts to be revealed as not what she thinks. I was surprised by how well done this exploration of clannishness and blind devotion after being flooded with propaganda, and how Ripley has to start deconstructing what she thinks is true about her life in Vaille and being so tied to Barnett. It’s a pretty heavy theme, and Harris clearly trusts her reader to be able to parse out the nuance.

And okay, I probably have to talk about the romance, which was the element that I was the most nervous about. As mentioned above, I am really picky about my vampire romance. But I ended up really enjoying the relationship between Ruby and X. It wasn’t instalove, which is always a plus (and how could it be? He turned her sister into a vampire!), but it was done in a way that actually felt believable, going slowly enough that she could work through her anger, so he could help her understand his position, and so they could connect at a steady and acceptable pace (and there are some mitigating factors, too, but I won’t go into it here). X is a fun foil to Ruby, and I was definitely harkening back to some of the snide banter between Buffy and Spike in earlier seasons of “BTVS”.

I am such a predictable sucker for that kind of thing, take me back to swooning on the phone with my cousin after an episode of especially good Spike and Buffy banter! (source)

So overall, “The Ground That Devours Us” is a unique vampire dystopia tale that I found to be incredibly engaging. If Harris wanted to write more stories in this universe, I would read them for sure.

Rating 8: A unique and entertaining vampire dystopia that goes into some existential meditations on clannishness, blind allegiances, and propaganda. Oh, and vampire romance, too, and it didn’t make me want to pull my hair out.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Ground That Devours Us” is included on the Goodreads list “YA Novels of 2025”.