Tag: Young Adult

Serena’s Review: “Dragonfruit”

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Book: “Dragonfruit” by Makiia Lucier

Publishing Info: Clarion Books, April 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow. An unwanted marriage, a painful illness, and unpaid debt … gone. But as with all things that promise the moon and the stars and offer hope when hope has gone, the tale comes with a warning.

Every wish demands a price.

Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.

Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time – hope.

But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself.  

Review: I always am interested in a book about dragons! But while I’ve read a million and one (still love them though) stories about European-style dragons, I’ve read fewer based on Eastern cultures. And I was particularly intrigued that this story was drawing from Pacific Island mythology, of which I know very little. Plus, the colorful, vibrant cover is very distinct from the other YA fantasy stories out there! I always appreciate it when publishers buck trends in cover art and produced unique covers that actually fit the specific story within!

I really enjoyed this book! Right from the start, the story begins with a bang and never really slows down for the entirety of the story. The world-building, with its history of dragon hunters, dragons, and the magical and rare dragonfruit they produce is all neatly divvied out whenever there’s a break in the action. We quickly learn about our main character Hanalei and the way in which dragonfruit has shaped her life to this point. She was both saved by it, but also estranged from her home country and branded a traitor, losing family, friends, and home all in one swoop. However, as the story continues, we see that Hanalei’s past is not viewed the same by those around her, and when she finally makes her way back home, these old ties come back in surprising ways. I enjoyed the general arch of her character, especially the contradictory feelings she has towards dragons and dragonfruit. More than most others, she understands not only the magic of the dragonfruit, but also the costly price. Even more importantly, she sees what many do not, that this cost is not only born by the humans touched by a curse, but by the dragons themselves, hunted for their young.

This in particular stood out to me, the way in which the dragons were handled. They were very much presented as majestic, wild animals, with that coming all of the beauty and horror of nature. They are wonderous, yes, but they also hunt people, and the book doesn’t shy away from the human cost that exists in a world with natural predators as mighty as these dragons. There is also a strange balance of tone that this brings to the story. As far as as Hanalei and Sam’s story goes, this book can read as a very cozy YA fantasy, with their romance coming across as very sweet and innocent. But on the other hand, there is so much tragedy with the dragons. If you’re bothered by violence towards animals, this one might be a struggle. I do think it was important that the book put to the page some of these scenes, to properly highlight the challenging choices faced by our characters, but there’s also just a lot of it. I definitely shed tears more than once.

I will say that by the end I was left wanting a bit more, especially with regards to the morality of dragonfruit. I appreciated that the author simply laid out these scenes before the reader and trusted that they could come to the correct judgement about the horror of using dragonfruit for wishes, but I wish there had been a bit more acknowledgement of this situation spoken about on the page between the characters. By the end, the reader has a good understanding of things, and you feel that the characters do, too, but there still seemed to be at least one or two important conversations needed to make it feel well-rounded.

On the same note, some of the cozy vibes of this story (which I very much appreciated on the whole!) seemed to coincide with a few almost cartoonish depictions of the books’ villains. There were a few characters, especially in the beginning, who were of the sort where you simply love to hate them. And that is all well and good, but, again, by the end of the story, I was left wanting a bit more depth to all of these characters. I will say that one of these did end up having an interesting arc, though I also felt this was fairly predictable past a certain point.

Overall, however, I very much enjoyed this book! It was a fast read, and I completed it in two sittings. The main characters, especially, were incredibly relatable and I loved their heart-warming romance. I also really loved the dragons of this world, they were an integral part to the story and they did not let me down! If you’re looking for a breath of fresh air in the YA dragon books arena, definitely give this one a shot! Just have some tissues on hand!

Rating 8: Full of heart and tragedy, this is a YA dragon book for all those looking for a fresh entry into a tried-and-true subgenre!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Dragonfruit” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Obscure Books Worth Considering and YA Novels of 2024.

Kate’s Review: “The Darkness Rises”

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Book: “The Darkness Rises” by Stacy Stokes

Publishing Info: Viking Books for Young Readers, April 2024

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: A gripping speculative thriller perfect for fans of Lauren Oliver and Ginny Myers Sain, about one girl with the power to see death before it happens–and the terrible consequences she faces when saving someone goes wrong.

SOMEONE WANTS REVENGE…

Whitney knows what death looks like. Since she was seven, she’s seen it hover over strangers’ heads in dark, rippling clouds. Sometimes she can save people from the darkness. Sometimes she can’t. But she’s never questioned if she should try. Until the unthinkable happens—and a person she saves becomes the perpetrator of a horrific school shooting.

Now Whitney will do anything to escape the memory of last year’s tragedy and the guilt that gnaws at her for her role in it. Even if that means quitting dance—the thing she loves most—and hiding her ability from her family and friends. But most importantly, no one can know what really happened last year.

Then Whitney finds an ominous message in her locker and realizes someone knows her secret. As the threats pile up, one thing becomes clear—someone wants payback for what she did. And if she’s going to survive the year, she must track down whoever is after her before it’s too late.

Review: Thank you to Kaye Publicity Inc. for sending me an eARC of this book!

I will forever and always be a complete sucker for a supernatural tale that involves a psychic character who is trying to cope with their powers. That has been my absolute jam for a VERY long time, and therefore if any book has a hint of that and ends up in my radar, I’m going to be on board. So it’s no surprise that I was totally in when “The Darkness Rises” by Stacy Stokes ended up in my mailbox. A teenage girl dealing with a psychic gift which has led to uncertainty and guilt, and has led to a mysterious stalker going after her for the perceived part she played in a tragedy. OH, YES PLEASE.

As a supernatural thriller, this very much falls into the category of Young Adult in a number of ways. Our main character, Whitney, is a teenager, and she has pretty expected teenage problems (a scummy ex boyfriend, an ex friend who has become an antagonistic rival, a strained relationship with her mother, the list goes on), but is also someone who can predict a person’s death due to being able to see a dark cloud over their heads that no one else is privy to. She struggles to keep this to herself, as she wants to help people, but it has bitten her in the ass a number of times. In more mundane ways it has made her seem weird and creepy when she tells someone to go to the doctor or not to drive a certain way, only to find an illness or to narrowly miss a car accident. But in the biggest way, she once stopped the school weirdo from jumping off a building… and a few days later he brought a gun to the school football game and opened fire, killing eight and wounding many others. When someone starts hinting that they know her secret, and that they are going to expose her, or worse. The mystery was pretty easy to figure out from the get go, and while I liked Whitney and liked how complex she was, her detective work, as well as some side plots involving her nemesis and a new boy at school that she has feelings for, were in a lot of ways pretty well worn territory for the young adult age group. This isn’t a bad thing by any means, and it works for the audience at hand. It just means that it wasn’t doing much outside of the box in the thrills department.

But there is absolutely something that elevated “The Darkness Rises” from what could have been a run of the mill YA thriller, and that was the frank and realistic way that Stokes tackled the topic of gun violence in schools and how the trauma reverberates through everyone who is touched by it. While we have a clear conflict of Whitney feeling guilty for saving the shooter from suicide in the days before his rampage, we also have the conflict of how Whitney feels like she should have done more in the moment once it was clear what was happening, and her survivor guilt is couched in with the guilt of saving him as if doing so made the shooting and all the deaths her fault. At first I was thinking ‘oh come on, Whitney, he’s the one who pulled the trigger, he’s the one who killed these people’, but thinking about it, I imagine that trauma, survivor’s guilt, and grief would probably twist one’s perceptions in this way, even if you take the supernatural elements out. I liked that Stokes was able to address these themes without sounded like she was checking boxes of necessary things to say, and that it felt natural and flowed well, and grounded in the harsh realities of gun violence in this country. And as an author’s note she had a good section about resources, statistics, and facts about school shootings and gun control measures. I really appreciated the way she approached it as a plot point.

“The Darkness Rises” is a speculative thriller that makes darker subject matter easy to parse through without diluting it. Fans of YA Thrillers absolutely should check it out.

Rating 7: A pretty typical YA thriller is elevated with a stark and intense take on gun violence.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Darkness Rises” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but it would fit in on “Psychic Heroes in Mysteries and Thrillers”.

Kate’s Review: “The Reappearance of Rachel Price”

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Book: “The Reappearance of Rachel Price” by Holly Jackson

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, April 2024

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

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

Book Description: Lights. Camera. Lies.

18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.

But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.

Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And – could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . .

From world-renowned author Holly Jackson comes a mind-blowing masterpiece about one girl’s search for the truth, and the terror in finding out who your family really is.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

Holly Jackson is one of my must read authors, as I absolutely adored her “Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series (note to self, pick up the novella based in that universe, it’s been on your shelf for far too long!). I also enjoyed her other standalone novel “Five Survive”. So I was, of course, super eager to get my mitts on her newest YA thriller “The Reappearance of Rachel Price”. NetGalley came through, and it’s no surprise that I read the book in about two sittings. Yep, we have another addictive thriller from Jackson on our hands!

Our cast of characters has a few to chew on, led by Bel, teenager whose mother Rachel Price disappeared sixteen years ago, and who has lived with her father Charlie and tried to cope with the feeling of loss and, in some ways, abandonment. Bel is not a likable character, but I imagine that it absolutely reflects the trauma and loss she has been dealing with ever since Rachel disappeared. And not only that, but being defined as the daughter of a notorious missing woman, and all the baggage that comes with it. So while she wasn’t exactly likable, I really did like her, and thought that she was a totally different voice from some of Jackson’s previous characters, and a convincing one at that. I liked how she interacted with those around her, whether it’s her fierce devotion to her family (especially her cousin Carter), or her flirtatious and snarky relationship with Ash, a young man on the camera crew of the documentary, or even her relationship with the newly re-appeared Rachel, as Bel refuses to accept that Rachel is just back and that is that. Her hostility towards her mother is very in character, but it also makes for a compelling reliability issue; after all, Bel feels a HUGE sense of abandonment and resentment towards Rachel (as until she reappeared it was unclear as to if she had just left or met with foul play), so it’s hard to know if her observations of potentially odd behavior are clouded by this. Rachel is also a fascinating character, as you are only seeing her through Bel’s perspective, and it’s hard to gauge what her deal is. Is it really Rachel Price who has returned? If it is her, is she telling the truth about her whereabouts, and if she is, why are there things that it seems like she’s hiding? I liked the weird cat and mouse dynamic that Bel and Rachel have in this book, as it makes the suspense that much higher. And I also have to shout out Ash, the quirky camera assistant whom Bel takes a shine to. He’s a goofy and kind ray of sunshine when she is an abrasive ball of resentment, and their dynamic is pretty cute.

As for the mystery elements, Jackson really knows how to keep her readers guessing. I have a terrible habit of trying to figure out the twists in any book that I’m reading instead of just going along for the ride, but in “The Reappearance of Rachel Price”, I found myself trying to guess and never quite getting it right. At first, when the documentary crew starts to film and we are learning about Bel and Rachel and the rest of the family, we find out that Bel thinks Rachel just ditched her, while the community thinks that Charlie had something to do with her disappearance (even though he was exonerated by a jury), so when Rachel reappears, and seems to be hiding things, we get a whole new level of mystery. She lays the puzzle pieces throughout the narrative and has enough misdirection throughout that for me the answer was just out of reach, and I while I was somewhat on the right track I was still surprised by elements of it. She also builds up the suspense in a very well paced way, and I found myself questioning and getting nervous in the same ways that Bel was as the story progressed. And while one of the final pieces and explanations/solutions didn’t QUITE fall into place for me and felt a little too easy (I won’t be spoiling it however), one small stumble is easily forgiven because everything else was so earned and meticulously planned for. I love a tightened up thriller that seems to cover everything, it makes it all the more satisfying once you reach the end.

“The Reappearance of Rachel Price” is another triumph from Holly Jackson! She is a powerhouse in Young Adult Thrillers, and I am already very much looking forward to whatever she comes up with next. I can hardly wait.

Rating 8: A suspenseful mystery with some really well done twists, “The Reappearance of Rachel Price” is another great thriller from Holly Jackson!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Reappearance of Rachel Price” is included on the Goodreads list “2024’s Most Awaited Books”.

Kate’s Review: “The Black Girl Survives In This One”

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Book: “The Black Girl Survives in This One” by Desiree S. Evans (Ed.) & Saraciea J. Fennell (Ed.)

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, April 2024

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

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

Book Description: Be warned, dear reader: The Black girls survive in this one.

Celebrating a new generation of bestselling and acclaimed Black writers, The Black Girl Survives in This One makes space for Black girls in horror. Fifteen chilling and thought-provoking stories place Black girls front and center as heroes and survivors who slay monsters, battle spirits, and face down death. Prepare to be terrified and left breathless by the pieces in this anthology.

The bestselling and acclaimed authors include Erin E. Adams, Monica Brashears, Charlotte Nicole Davis, Desiree S. Evans, Saraciea J. Fennell, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Daka Hermon, Justina Ireland, L. L. McKinney, Brittney Morris, Maritza & Maika Moulite, Eden Royce, and Vincent Tirado, with a foreword by Tananarive Due.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this short stories collection!

2023 was the year of the Short Stories collection for me, as I tackled so many anthologies and had a pretty good time doing so. I think I can safely retire my previous disclaimers about me not being super into short story collections, as lately they have been working pretty well for me. Because of this, I had no hesitation when requesting “The Black Girl Survives in This One”, a YA horror anthology edited by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell. I’m always looking for more diverse voices in my genres, and seeing a collection that showcases some well known Black YA horror authors was pretty neat. I was lucky enough to have my request granted, and once I dove in I found a pretty fun horror anthology.

As I am wont to do for short stories collections, I will pick my favorite three stories to spotlight, and then I will talk about the collection as a whole.

“Ghost Light” by Erin E. Adams: As a former theater kid who did both acting AND tech work (Saturday mornings were usually spent at the auditorium building and painting sets in high school), I knew that “Ghost Light” was going to be a favorite from the jump. Janine, a stage manager with ambitions and drive is running a show of “Macbeth”, and after a performance she is left behind to tend to the theater. While working, she meets up with the resident ghost. And that ghost is up to no good. This one was probably one of the less traditionally scary stories in the collection, as Janine is dealing more with a poltergeist and having to duke it out with her, but I really loved the action, and I really loved the way that Adams worked theater superstitions regarding ghost lights and The Scottish Play into this story. It made me all nostalgic for my theater days as a teenager.

“The Brides of Devil’s Bayou” by Desiree S. Evans: This was one of the stories that wove in dark historical themes with the horror elements, and it was my favorite to do so. Aja is a college freshman who has returned to her childhood home in the Louisiana Bayous, who has been haunted by a supposed family curse that takes the eldest daughters down the family line on their nineteenth birthdays. With her birthday approaching, Aja wants to confront her fears and prove to herself once and for all that it’s not real. But then she starts seeing visions of the ancestors who were lost, and wonders if the demon is coming for her after all. I am always a huge sucker for family curse and prophecy stories, but what I really enjoyed about this one is that Evans creates the lore around a female ancestor who was so desperate to escape slavery she makes a pact to sacrifice people down the family line. It makes for an added layer of tragedy and injustice, as well as a really solid metaphor for the familial and generational trauma Aja’s family has suffered because of slavery in America. It’s powerful (and scary) stuff.

“The Skittering Thing” by Monica Brashears: I think this was my favorite story in the collection, and for me it was definitely the scariest. Friends Sunny and Charlotte accept the invitation of their new classmate Ray to sleepover at her house. When the family brings up playing a game they call “Skitter”, which is a blackout version of hide and seek, Sunny and Charlotte find themselves in a dark house playing a weird game. And it may not be one of the new family members that is on the hunt in the dark. This was was so uneasy and so unsettling, the tension building higher and higher until it reaches a weird and disturbing conclusion. I really loved this one.

As a full collection, it was a bit more of a hit or miss endeavor for me. I think that part of this is that this is, at its heart, a YA collection, and while the authors are all talented story tellers and are really hitting the nail on the head when it comes to audience and message, young adult horror and I have a complicated relationship due to the fact I’m not the target audience. What I mean by that is that it always feels like YA has a tendency to feel a need to really spell things out for their readers, and it can sometimes feel hamfisted for me. But as noted, I’m not the target audience, and this kind of writing choice could very well go over better with a teenage reader than it does me.

“The Black Girl Lives in This One” is a fun collection that showcases some great authors. If you have teenage horror fans in your life, especially Black girls who may be sick of a lack of representation in the genre, this is the book to check out!

Rating 7: A solid horror collection written by and about Black women who will not be stopped, “The Black Girls Survives in This One” is scary and empowering.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Black Girl Survives in This One” is included on the Goodreads lists “2024 Books by Black Authors”, and “Horror to Look Forward to in 2024”.

Kate’s Review: “Dead Girls Walking”

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Book: “Dead Girls Walking” by Sami Ellis

Publishing Info: Amulet Books, March 2024

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

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

Book Description: A shocking, spine-chilling YA horror slasher about a girl searching for her dead mother’s body at the summer camp that was once her serial killer father’s home—perfect for fans of Friday the 13th and White Smoke.

Temple Baker knows that evil runs in her blood. Her father is the North Point Killer, an infamous serial killer known for how he marked each of his victims with a brand. He was convicted for murdering 20 people and was the talk of countless true crime blogs for years. Some say he was possessed by a demon. Some say that they never found all his victims. Some say that even though he’s now behind bars, people are still dying in the woods. Despite everything though, Temple never believed that her dad killed her mom. But when he confesses to that crime while on death row, she has no choice but to return to his old hunting grounds to try see if she can find a body and prove it.

Turns out, the farm that was once her father’s hunting grounds and her home has been turned into an overnight camp for queer, horror-obsessed girls. So Temple poses as a camp counselor to go digging in the woods. While she’s not used to hanging out with girls her own age and feels ambivalent at best about these true crime enthusiasts, she tries her best to fit in and keep her true identity hidden.

But when a girl turns up dead in the woods, she fears that one of her father’s “fans” might be mimicking his crimes. As Temple tries to uncover the truth and keep the campers safe, she comes to realize that there may be something stranger and more sinister at work—and that her father may not have been the only monster in these woods.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

There are a number of known truths in my world, and one of those truths is that if you make a reference to “Friday the 13th” in relation to another movie plot or story, I’m going to be automatically interested. I have a special place in my heart for Jason Voorhees and those pretty not great but super campy and gory slasher movies, so much so that my Terror Tuesday friend group is slowly working our way through the movie series as group member Michael had never seen any of them. Because of my love, when I was browsing NetGalley for upcoming horror novels, I was immediately intrigued by “Dead Girls Walking” by Sami Ellis. It not only dropped “Friday the 13th” in its description, but also “White Smoke” by Tiffany D. Jackson, one of my favorite horror authors. These two things and a very eye catching cover made me pretty excited to read this book. Which means I was a bit bummed when it didn’t quite rise to the occasion.

But as always I will start with the good! I will say right off that this harkens less to “Friday the 13th” (outside of the summer camp setting) and more to the original “Evil Dead” when it comes to the scares. Which is a-okay with me, because I love both of those franchises but “Evil Dead” isn’t seen nearly as much when it comes to general cultural references to gory slasher and horror films, whereas I feel like even those who don’t know horror are familiar with Jason Voorhees at least in passing. Ellis knows how to craft a horror casualty that feels like it’s coming from a gory slasher movie, and I could definitely visualize those moments in all their bloody glory.

I do love a gorefest at times. (source)

I also really liked how Ellis has paid something of an homage to a sub-genre that is, very often and certainly during its heydey, a very white, cis, and straight playing field, and has subverted it by featuring queer Black girls. At the center of that is Temple, our protagonist whose father has been convicted of being a serial killer, and whose hunting ground was her family property which has now been transformed into a summer camp. Temple gets the job of a counselor in hopes of finally finding her mother’s body, and her prickliness and hidden identity is a clashing point for the campers. Temple herself is a character I liked a lot, because even though she is probably seen as pretty unlikable, her trauma, family history, and inability to process makes that prickly personality completely understandable. And while a lot of the other campers weren’t super well fleshed out, there were a few that I thought had a lot of good character development and background foundation (the one that really comes to mind is Yaya, a queer teenager who is also a devout Christian and knows that the two things can be reconciled). It’s just refreshing seeing a cast of characters that buck the narrow trends of the genre.

But there were a few hiccups that didn’t work for me. The first is that there were some aspects of the plot that felt a little undercooked, and at times confusing. I felt like I really understood Temple and her motivations, but when it came to the lore of her family history, the land that the murders/camp was on, and her parents and their own motivators and even their trains of thought, these things felt brushed over, or in some ways a bit unclear. I know that slasher movies don’t really need that much motivation beyond ‘slasher A has motivation B and kills horny teenagers’, but even in those that have stood the test of time we have a very clear motivation set. Even the aforementioned closer analog “The Evil Dead” compensates for a very loosey goosey motivation by leaning into slapstick humor in the second two of the trilogy (and doesn’t make Ash Williams much more than a poor sap with quippy lines and a constitution that can endure buckets of blood and a chainsaw hand). With Temple being so well rounded, I had hoped that her adversary would be well rounded too, but it felt lacking. Add in a bit of a pacing issue and it knocked points off from the overall read. All of this said, I am not the target audience for this book, and while these things didn’t work for me, I know that I would ABSOLUTELY be recommending this book to my teenage patrons who like their horror on the gory side.

I will be interested in seeing what Sami Ellis does with her next novel. “Dead Girls Walking” was brimming with lots of horror goodness in spite of some missteps here and there, and I hope she keeps bring her perspective to the genre.

Rating 6: I liked the cast of characters and some of the gory bits, but the plot was a little confusing and the background felt a bit off at times.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Dead Girls Walking” is included on the Goodreads lists “Queer Horror”, and “Summer Camp Horror”.

Serena’s Review: “The Last Bloodcarver”

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Book: “The Last Bloodcarver” by Vanessa Le

Publishing Info: Roaring Brook Press, March 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: NetGalley

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

Book Description: Nhika is a bloodcarver. A cold-hearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch. In the industrial city of Theumas, she is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure.

When Nhika is caught using her bloodcarving abilities during a sham medical appointment, she’s captured by underground thugs and sold to an aristocratic family to heal the last witness of their father’s murder.

But as Nhika delves deeper into their investigation amidst the glitz of Theumas’ wealthiest district, she begins to notice parallels between this job and her own dark past. And when she meets an alluring yet entitled physician’s aide, Ven Kochin, she’s forced to question the true intent behind this murder. In a society that outcasts her, Kochin seems drawn to her…though he takes every chance he gets to push her out of his opulent world.

When Nhika discovers that Kochin is not who he claims to be, and that there is an evil dwelling in Theumas that runs much deeper than the murder of one man, she must decide where her heart, and her allegiance, truly lie. And – if she’s willing to become the dreaded bloodcarver Theumas fears to save herself and the ones she’s vowed to protect.

Review: I feel like there’s been a lot of exciting new Asian fantasy stories coming out this spring, and this one was definitely high on my TBR list, as I’m even less familiar with Vietnamese mythology than Chinese, Japanes, or Korean. The cover art is also very unique and intriguing, and I thought the main character’s magical trait of manipulating human biology had a lot of promise. I also love murder mysteries, so I was excited to see how well these two genres would be blended together. And, well, it was all pretty good!

What first stood out to me was the lush and descriptive style of writing the author employed. The story starts out fairly quickly as far as plot and pacing go, but I was still able to picture the details of this world and character. This felt like a fully realized, fully peopled fantasy world, complete with a culture that felt distinctive and elaborate. Of course, central to the story were Nhika’s bloodcarving abilities, and this detailed style of writing helped to truly flesh out how this power worked. Many fantasy stories devolve to fairly simplistic explanations of their magical elements, but here I felt like we were given a true insiders-look into Nhika’s magic. This felt important as it helped the reader understand why an ability that could be so useful to humanity could also be seen as something to fear and hate.

I also really liked Nhika’s character and the arc she has in this book. Through her eyes, we see the experiences of a diaspora character, a young woman who finds herself in a world that no longer feels like her own. Even more interesting, her experiences as an outsider who does not fit within this world were mirrored in the other main character Kochin who experiences a similar disconnect. But while this disconnection and “out-of-place-ness” might be similar between them, their experiences and views of how they fit (or don’t fit) within this world are very different.

That said, this is one of those rare circumstances where I feel like the story might have been better without any romance at all. I liked both of these characters, but frankly, by the time the romance really started to amp up, I’d forgotten that was even the direction it was heading. These two were very definitely enemies for much of the time, so the change of tone when it came, did feel a bit strange. It was also rather sudden, not feeling nearly as developed as many of the other aspects of the story.

Overall, this was a great debut novel! I had some quibbles here and there with the way the romance was developed, but the writing and world-building were strong and promise of great things to come from this author in the future!

Rating 8: Rich and vivid worldbuilding combined with a compelling vision of the diaspora experience created a fantastic debut all around!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Last Bloodcarver” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Around The World 2024 – Asia Continent and Asian SSF.

Serena’s Review: “The Encanto’s Daughter”

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Book: “The Encanto’s Daughter” by Melissa de la Cruz

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, March 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: NetGalley

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

Book Description: A young woman claims the throne of a realm inspired by Filipino mythology in this YA romantic fantasy, the first in an enchanting new duet by #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

MJ Rodriguez has spent her life hiding in the human world, keeping a heavy secret. She’s half-encanto. As the only child of King Vivencio of the Sirena Court, she’s also next in line for the throne. And now, upon her estranged father’s sudden death, MJ must claim her place as rightful heir.

In wondrous Biringan, the road to the throne is paved with thorns. Without a reigning monarch, the realm has spiraled into disarray. MJ has to win over a backstabbing council that objects to a half-human ruler. And when it looks like her father’s passing wasn’t natural but possibly inflicted by a curse, she must hunt down the sorceress behind this merciless magic.

In a bind, MJ forges an unlikely alliance with the striking Sir Lucas of the feared Sigbin Court, and soon, she loses her heart to the mysterious knight. But with peril looming over Biringan, the princess must decide if she can both open herself to love and carry the weight of the crown.

Review: So, I’m going to just say this up front: I mistook this author for another “Melissa” author when I initially requested this book on NetGalley. I’ve only read one other book by de la Cruz, and to say it wasn’t a favorite is probably an over-statement. I think it might be one of my lowest rated books on the blog, actually. That said, even after I realized, I still wanted to give this one a shot. Over the last year or so, I can think of a few examples where I’ve really loved books by authors who didn’t work for me the first time around. So, who knows? This could have been another situation where, with a new project, my mind could be changed.

All of that nice intro just to find out…nope, turns out everything that I disliked about the first de la Cruz book was more a feature of her writing than a bug. Ah, well, worth the shot I guess! But, as always, let’s talk a bit at first about the things that did work for me. Really, not much did. But I can see more where things would work for other readers whose tastes differ from mine. I did like the elements that were drawn from Filipino mythology (I especially appreciated the author’s note about this), and I wish there had been even more of these elements included on the whole. By the end, I still felt like we’d only scratched the surface of what could have been a rich fantasy tapestry. I also think that many of the choices made with regards to characterization and plot will appeal more to younger YA readers, so they may find more to like in this book than I did.

But for me, this was really a disaster of a read. Both the characters and the plot felt like cardboard cut outs of the most stereotypical elements of storytelling that on could cobble together. From the ridiculousness of the “magical royal school” setting, to the plot quickly devolving from MJ taking seriously her task to learn to take the throne in only a month’s time to instead partaking in juvenile bickering and drama. And to people these scenes, we have all of the stereotypes you can imagine: quirky best friend? Check. Mysterious romantic interest? Check. Hot girl that the main girl must hate? Check. This last one was most disappointing to see. I vaguely remember having problems with this in the other book by de la Cruz I read, this propensity to making the main female character seem special by degrading the other women around her. It was distasteful then, and it’s pretty depressing to still see it popping up here in YA fiction years later.

Beyond this, it felt like the book didn’t know what it wanted to be. You have, of course, the boarding school aspect. But the story also has elements of a fantasy thriller and then a murder mystery is introduced. And yet, even with all of these elements, I found myself so, so bored while reading this. Not being able to connect to any of the characters is always an uphill battle as far as engagement with a book goes, but it also felt like the pacing of this one was simply very slow. It felt like nothing was really happening for large chunks of the story. And as it went, it was easy to guess exactly where every plot line was going which sucked any tension out of the experience. And then we get to the end and what do we get? A cliffhanger!

I really disliked this book. The writing felt limited, the plotting was questionable, and the characterization could be reduced to stereotypes. All of that said, I know this author is popular with a lot of readers, so if you’re a fan of her previous books, take all of this with a massive grain of salt. Also, if you’re very dedicated to checking out a book that draws from Filipino mythology this might be worth a shot, though, I have to say, I feel like there have to be better examples out there than this. Overall, while I’m glad I gave this author another shot in the service of not having fixed opinions of an author based on one reading experience, after finishing this one, I’ll think I’ll call it quits.

Rating 5: At best it doesn’t stand out from the pack of other YA fantasy stories, and at worst, it’s a muddled mess of stereotypes and predictable plot lines.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Encanto’s Daughter” can be found on this Goodreads list: Asian YA/NA Books 2024:

Kate’s Review: “The Bad Ones”

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Book: “The Bad Ones” by Melissa Albert

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, February 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC23.

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

Book Description: Goddess, goddess, count to five. In the morning, who’s alive?

In the course of a single winter’s night, four people vanish without a trace across a small town.

Nora’s estranged best friend, Becca, is one of the lost. As Nora tries to untangle the truth of Becca’s disappearance, she discovers a darkness in her town’s past, as well as a string of coded messages Becca left for her to unravel. These clues lead Nora to a piece of local folklore: a legendary goddess of forgotten origins who played a role in Nora and Becca’s own childhood games…

An arresting, crossover horror fantasy threaded with dark magic, THE BAD ONES is a poison-pen love letter to semi-toxic best friendship, the occult power of childhood play and artistic creation, and the razor-thin line between make-believe and belief.

Review: Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing me with and ARC of this novel at ALAAC23!

It has been more than half a year since Serena and I attended to Annual ALA Conference in Chicago, but we have my last straggler of an ARC that I got while on that fantastic trip. When I saw that “The Bad Ones” by Melissa Albert wasn’t coming out until February, I placed it in an organized pile, and coming back to it in January was like letting go of that trip (though we’re planning on going to San Diego in fourish months, so, I’m not exactly shedding nostalgic tears). I loved the cover when I first got it, and it still really stands out as an eerie yet poppy image of a creepy angel. I didn’t really know what to expect, honestly, and once I was in it I started building expectations. Some of which were well exceeded! Others of which were not.

But as always, first the good. I really thought that Albert captured the complicated, sometimes toxic, and certainly enmeshed relationship between our narrator Nora and her missing best friend Becca. You get to see through Nora’s perspective as well as a series of flashbacks for Becca just how close these two girls are, and how they mean so much to each other, but how that can also lead to codependence and an unhealthy relationship. I thought it was great that neither girl was being judged for this, per se, but how it is also pointed out that both girls, especially Becca, have some pretty hefty baggage that is seeping into their interactions, and how that isn’t fair to either of them. Albert is careful not to villainize Becca, and instead looks at the ways that teenage girls can be failed by a community that tries to hide or look away from trauma or predation, and how that can damage a person. I also did like seeing Nora slowly piece together the mystery of her missing best friend, and the other missing people who disappeared on the same night, and how that connects to the town’s past. The mystery itself was well conceived and it had me guessing for awhile.

But the downside of all of this is that “The Bad Ones” is a horror/supernatural/dark fantasy tale, and I think that this was the weaker aspect of the novel. I liked the slow reveal of Becca and Nora’s Goddess Game and how it was far more powerful than Nora realized, and I REALLY loved the imagery of the creepy angel statue in the cemetery that was looming throughout the narrative (it reminded me of the Black Angel in Iowa City, which I loved to visit when I was in town seeing my Aunt). But once we got into the full on nitty gritty of the horror and supernatural aspects, and we got one of the big reveals in the last third of the book, I was left underwhelmed, as it was suddenly a whirlwind of wrapping things up and tying it all together. The revealed motivations of the bigger picture (no spoilers) were also pretty well worn territory, thematically wise, and while I liked said motivations, it didn’t set itself apart from other stories like this. This could, however, be more about my own vast experience with these kinds of stories, and me not being the target audience.

“The Bad Ones” is a book I found entertaining and enjoyable, and I know exactly who I would recommend it to. I will definitely be keeping my eye on Melissa Albert going forward, as this one had lots of potential, horror wise, and lots of wins, realism wise.

Rating 6: I really liked the mystery at hand and thought that the exploration of enmeshed friendships was interesting, but the supernatural and horror bits weren’t as fleshed out as I had hoped they would be.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Bad Ones” is included on the Goodreads lists “Bubblegum Horror”, and “Horror to Look Forward to in 2024”.

Serena’s Review: “A Tempest of Tea”

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Book: “A Tempest of Tea” by Hafsah Faizal

Publishing Info: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, February 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling upon a band of misfits, Arthie formulates a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not every member of her crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

Review: Yet another book that is promoted as a “Six of Crows” read-alike! And, spoiling my own review, I will say that this is one of the few of these books that I’ve read recently where that comparison does seem to hold true! I hadn’t read any other books by this author, but I do know that other readers very much enjoyed her other fantasy series, so I was excited to see what all the fuss was about on that front, too. There were a few things that I think could have improved this read, overall, but it was also such a fun time that I mostly didn’t mind!

But let’s start out with the unequivocally good parts of the book. The story was definitely at its most successful during its main character’s, Arthie’s, POV chapters. And, really, if you have the main character right, you’re already mostly there as far as a good reading experience goes! This is also where the book most resembles “Six of Crows.” Arthie reads as a very similar character to Kaz from that duology. Both are morally grey characters with dark histories that are slowly revealed as the story unspools. And in both cases, morally grey means, you know, actually morally grey. In that Arthie can be manipulative, cold-hearted, and single-mindedly focused on her own goals in spite of others.

But also like Kaz, she is supremely loyal to those she cares about, in this case, her chosen brother, Jin. As I’ll get into, I think the romances were the weakest points of this book. In counterbalance, this sibling relationship between Arthie and Jin was the true heart of the story. Through Jin’s perspective as well, we see how these two characters have essentially re-constructed their lives around one another and their shared goals. As the story unfolds, this relationship is tested and pushed, and much of the stakes regarding their character arcs came down to this counterbalance of trust and secrets.

The world-building was also interesting, with a unique take on vampires and half-vampires, essentially. Some of the details about these beings, and about the world itself, were delivered in a bit of a ham fisted, expositional manner early in the book, but as the book continued, I was pleased to see this tendency smoothing out. I liked the general themes that explored colonialism and imperialism, but, again, I wish at times there had been a bit more subtlety in some of this messaging. Our characters’ stories speak for themselves, and I wish authors would trust readers to draw the correct conclusions without having characters just outright say some of these points.

The plotting was also good, though the story does take a bit to really get going. There’s a lot of planning that goes into the heist itself, and then when it all actually goes down, we find that that’s not even the true peak of the conflict. Instead, the last 25% of the book really sweeps the reader up into a rush of action, reveals, and numerous twists and turns. I was able to predict a few of these switches and turns, but I was also honestly surprised by others, which is always refreshing.

I will say, however, that the book is let down by its romances, both the unfortunate love triangle that is set up for Arthie, and also Jin’s more straight-forward romance with the third POV character, Flick. This was frustrating because I feel like a few adjustments to these romances would have easily elevated this book to a truly excellent level.

First off, Flick didn’t need a POV of her own. Her story had a few interesting moments, but it all could also have been explored through Jin’s perspective and his burgeoning relationship with Flick. Not only would this then allow Jin and Arthie to have more page time, as the true main characters, but by pushing Flick’s development to character interactions with others, we’d actually have better relationship building between her and Jin on the page. As it stands, the reader is mostly just told that Jin and Flick have this burgeoning relationship, but we barely see them truly interact or speak to each other.

And then with Arthie, do away with the love triangle all together. As it stands, it feels like this book spent almost the entire time building up one side of this relationship, only to pull the rug out and point to the other relationship as the end game on literally the very last page. Which, frankly, is a waste of the reader’s time and energy. Arthie is such a great character as it is, and her history and relationship with Jin was more than enough to ground her story in an interesting arc. We could have had small teases of a relationship in her future, but we didn’t actually need anything in this book. As it stands, because there are three POVs and then two love interests for Arthie, her page time is so reduced with each of these romantic options that there’s no opportunity for anyone’s interest in one another other to be more than pure lust-at-first-sight. Which…does not make a compelling love story for any of them.

So, that’s how I’d move this book from an 8 to a 10: remove Flick’s POV, get rid of the love triangle, limit Arthie’s “romance” to more hints of a future plot point, and spend the increased page time (without Flick’s POV) to further build on the Arthie/Jin sibling bond, which is clearly the true heart of this first book, regardless of what comes next. Fixed it! As it stands, however, I still very much enjoyed this book. Arthie was a fantastic character, not only in her own POV chapters but as we see her through other character’s eyes, and the plot and final action of the book perfectly primed me to want to jump into the next book. If you’re looking for a fun, fantasy heist book, this is definitely one to check out!

Rating 8: Some adjustments to the romances may have improved it, but this was a still a romp of a fantasy heist ride that is sure to please fans of “Six of Crows!”

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Tempest of Tea” can be found on this Goodreads list: Some of the Most Interesting Covers

Serena’s Review: “Heartless Hunter”

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Book: “Heartless Hunter” by Kristen Ciccarelli

Publishing Info: Wednesday Books, February 2024

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

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

Book Description: On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can’t help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Review: I debated requesting this book for a while. This author has been very hit and miss for me in the past. While I struggled a bit with the first book I read by her (“The Last Nimsara”), I barely managed to not DNF the second book in the trilogy (“The Caged Queen”) and never even bothered with the third one. That said, I do remember thinking that the overall quality of writing was high and that the characters, especially in the first book, were fairly good. Those are two pretty foundational aspects of storytelling, so if an author has those in hand, I always feel like there’s a decent chance that a book by them will work for me. But, while this book didn’t sink to the lows of “The Caged Queen,” it also didn’t change my opinion massively about this author. Let’s get into the details!

I’m going to start off with a point that may at first seem tangential, but I swear, I have a point. A few weeks ago, a reader left a comment on one of my more negative reviews expressing relief that they had passed on the book in question. Specifically, they mentioned being glad that they have a fairly thorough vetting process before accepting books for review. Now, I also vet my book choices, trying to balance what I prefer in my own read alongside trying to cover the books that I know many people are interested in and those for which they may appreciate having reviews that provide some insights. And there’s a whole debate going on currently about how much or little publishers/marketers should rely on tropes when advertising their books. You can definitely see where publishers are falling into the trap that a popular trope is all you need to make a popular book. But, for this kind of vetting process, some basic tropes up front can be very helpful in either grabbing my attention or warning me away. And (finally, my point) this book failed to mention anywhere in its book description that the love stories is not only a love triangle, but a love triangle with two brothers as the options. *sigh* Frankly, if I had know that, I could have steered clear.

I won’t go on and on about the love triangle itself, but I always find the whole “brothers” thing kind of icky in a love triangle. Add on that it’s barely a love triangle since once of the love interests has a POV and the other doesn’t, so you always know which way this is going. And it’s all the more frustrating when the one who is the (of course) enemy is set up as this great love, and the other is the solid guy who’s been Rune’s friend and support system for years. You know, helping her, keeping her secrets…not trying to genocide her people like certain (oh so hot) other brothers.

Anyways, that last point gets to one of my main struggles with this book: the characters. For one thing, it falls into the trap that I find all too often in YA where its main characters have to be teenagers for it to be YA, but the things they’ve accomplished already in life are so incredibly unbelievable in the time they’ve had to do them that my suspension of disbelieve is immediately and thoroughly broken right from the start. Why oh why can’t authors just age up their characters to their early to mid 20s, call it a NA book, and probably get the exact same readership out of their book, but at least now it’s all plausible? I honestly don’t understand it.

I also just didn’t buy the primary “love story” between Rune and Gideon. I’ve read other witch/witch hunter love stories, and there have been some that definitely prove this set up can work. But for me to buy any burgeoning love story, the witch hunter has to have a pretty serious change of heart and regret sequence. But…Gideon just seemed fine with his choices of genocide? Because he had been hurt by a witch? It read as strange, and, more over, it really made me struggle to understand Rune’s willingness to overlook the realities of this guy she was becoming so interested in.

The book also tackles some fairly serious topics about sexual assault, and I’m not sure how well it was handled. I don’t really feel that the book gave this serious topic the framing it needed to be useful. Instead, it felt more like shock value and as a way to justify the things that the characters were thinking and doing. The seriousness of this subject also paired strangely with some of the “Bridgerton”-like aspects of the story, when the book would switch into “society mode” with a strong focus on fashion and gossip. And, look, I enjoy “Bridgeton” and enjoy a good “fantasy of manners” as much (if not more!) than the next person, but it paired very strangely with some of the darker tones of this book.

Overall, I struggled to enjoy this one. Again, the writing itself was strong enough, but the author makes choices with her characters, especially with their romances, that just don’t work for me. However, that said, I do think there are a decent number of readers who will enjoy this one, especially if you’re a fan of this author’s previous work. And, I do think this is a case where the use of tropes in the book description might have helped get this in the right readers’ hands, as well as changing it from YA (why?!?!?) to NA.

Rating 7: For me, this was a 6, but I’ll admit this came down to some very specific preferences of my own. Readers who have a more flexible approach to their romances may enjoy this one!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Heartless Hunter” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Fantasy Romance and Female fantasy authors – Children’s, YA and adult.