Synopsis Selected as one of The New York Times Book Review’s Best Books of the Year and honored worldwide, Lisa, Bright and Dark was an immediate sensation when it was first published.
Detailing how mental illness affects friends and family of the ill, Lisa, Bright and Dark has been in print for more than forty years.
Its value has not diminished over time, and readers throughout the world contact the author regularly to discuss their reactions to it. A straight-through read, it is full of romance, excitement, suspense, and finally triumph.
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My Review I first read this novel in middle school as a young teen and found it riveting. Now as a parent with my own teens, I was interested in rereading some of my childhood favorites. The story still holds up, but some of the dialogue left me wondering if my parents’ generation really talked like that. I don’t recall it standing out to me as a teen, but that was also a long time ago. I’m not sure today’s teens will find the dialogue youthful, and many of the cultural references will be very dated. In fact, I had to Google Joanne Woodward’s famous smile, because I didn’t get that reference at all. However, the overall themes of mental illness, adults not being able to clearly see what it so obvious to peers, and the desire and willingness to do whatever it takes to help a friend will resonate strongly with today’s generation.
Narrated by Betsy, the book is about Lisa, a mutual friend, who is crying out for help, fearing she’s losing her mind, and how no one is willing to help her. Times were likely a lot different back then, with teachers unwilling to step in and advocate on behalf of their students, but I think most of the rest of is still relevant today. Lisa goes out of her way to get someone, anyone to listen. Though Betsy is more of a peripheral friend, Lisa seems to trust her and Betsy and her other friends, Mary Nell and Elizabeth, do everything they can to get Lisa the help she needs.
Plot The plot centers around Lisa as seen through Betsy’s eyes. The girls struggle to get Lisa the care she needs despite dismissals and outright denials from the adults in the situation. There’s not much subplotting going on, but considering the subject matter, I’m not sure that’s necessary. The plot itself moves fairly well with short chapters and emotional punches.
Characters Lisa, though not the narrator, comes off as the most well-developed character in the story, followed by Betsy, the narrator, then Mary Nell and Elizabeth. But Elizabeth, I suspect, was deliberately an enigma, at least until the end. While I mentioned above that as an adult now, I didn’t find their dialogue to be particularly youthful, their thought processes definitely were. This made their actions and motivations exceedingly believable. And while the teens were well-rounded, the adults came off looking like idiots, at least in the eyes of the narrator.
What I Enjoyed About LISA, BRIGHT AND DARK 1. Commitment. The way Lisa’s friends are devoted to getting her the help she needs was heartwarming.
2. Lisa. She was a complex character who knew something was wrong with her and terrified.
3. Betsy. She came off as annoying at times, but she always had her heart in the right place.
4. M.N. Mary Nell was an interesting character that was both trying and dedicated, which made her fascinating.
5. Honesty. The book was an honest tale of mental illness and how it can rob someone of everything.
Bottom Line A gripping YA tale of friendship and mental illness.
About the Author John Neufeld was born in Chicago, educated at Phillips Exeter and Yale, worked in publishing 1962-1969 when LISA,BRIGHT AND DARK was published (after EDGAR ALLAN).
He lives in Connecticut and is the author of more than a dozen children’s and adult novels. He is a teacher as well as NPR commentator. Neufeldauthor.wordpress.com is his blog.
THE RUMOR GAME by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra
Synopsis “A juicy, elegant, absolutely flawless thriller with a twist. It’s the diverse Gossip Girl we’ve been waiting for!” —Tiffany D. Jackson, New York Times best-selling author of Grown and White Smoke
“Explosive.” —Entertainment Weekly
All it takes is one spark to start a blaze.
At Foxham Prep, a posh private school for the children of DC’s elite, a single rumor has the power to ruin a life.
Nobody knows that better than Bryn. She used to have it all—the perfect boyfriend, a bright future in politics, and even popularity thanks to her best friend, cheer captain Cora. Then one mistake sparked a scandal that burned it all to the ground.
Now it’s the start of a new school year and the spotlight has shifted: It’s geeky Georgie, newly hot after a summer makeover, whose name is on everyone’s lips. When a rumor ignites, Georgie rockets up the school’s social hierarchy, pitting her and Cora against each other. It grants her Foxham stardom . . . but it also makes her a target.
As the rumors grow and morph, blazing like wildfire through the school’s social media, all three girls’ lives begin to unravel. But one person close to the drama has the power to stop the gossip in its tracks. The question is—do they even want to?
From Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra, authors of the Tiny Pretty Things duology (now a Netflix series), comes another edge-of-your-seat social thriller perfect for fans of We Were Liars and Cruel Summer.
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My Review High school drama has never been so dramatic. When a scandal hits an elite DC private school, no one is safe. Three daughters of some of the most powerful people in Washington become embroiled in a dangerous game of rumors and online bullying that goes beyond just out of control into a careening disaster with victims well beyond the prep schoolers. Senior Bryn has a shattered reputation after she let her anger at her cheating boyfriend take control of her actions, even unintentionally. Now, trying to reclaim her spot as the queen bee, she elicits the help of her shy, Desi neighbor, Georgie. But Georgie has massive issues of her own, so when the rumors start swirling around her, she turns to Bryn’s ex-BFF, super popular, Cora, to out the perps and regain control of her life. With so many behind-the-scenes maneuvering and games being played with peoples lives at stake, the fallout will be wide and detrimental.
Plot The plot was interesting with several unexpected twists. It centers on the rumors swirling around campus and online. The comments are brutal and they impact all three girls’ lives. The whispers, stares, and snide comments in the hallways at school means the online rumors don’t stay online. So even if they wanted to delete their social apps to escape the bullying, they really can’t. It’s a well-written story of how cyberbullying can take a toll on even the strongest individuals and tear their lives apart.
Characters The characters were absolutely the best part of this story. All three main characters are really well developed, deeply flawed, and worthy of the way we come to care about them.
What I Enjoyed About THE RUMOR GAME 1. Own Voices. The authors helped bring their diverse characters to vivid life the way only #ownvoices authors can.
2. Fighting Back. I love stories where victims turn the tables on their bullies, but this had a twist that made it more realistic than just a feel good kind of story. Because even when you fight back with good intentions, you can leave unintended damage in your wake.
3. Consequences. The consequences for all were the natural fallout of bad behavior and I felt like everyone more or less got what they deserved.
4. Indian Food. Georgie has an interesting relationship with her food, but the way she described it all in detail left me salivating for some samosas and biryani.
5. Baez. Cora’s long-term childhood friend turned boyfriend was as loyal as they come. I hated that he got caught up in all the drama, but he remained so devoted to Cora, it was heartwarming.
Bottom Line An intense look at the devastation wrought by online bullying among teens, told with heart and grace.
Disclaimer I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
About Dhonielle Clayton Born and raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., Dhonielle spent much of her childhood hiding beneath her grandmother’s dining table with a stack of books. As an English teacher at a ballet academy, Clayton rediscovered her passion for children’s and young adult literature. To ground herself in the canon, she pursued her Masters in Children’s Literature from Hollins University before receiving her MFA in Writing for Children at the New School. She is a former middle school librarian, where she pestered children to read and curated a diverse collection. An avid traveler, Dhonielle’s lived in several foreign countries, but she’s now settled in Harlem, where you’ll find her writing late into the night, lurking in libraries, and hunting for the best slice of New York pizza. She is the COO of We Need Diverse Books and the co-founder of Cake Literary. The co-author of the dance dramas Tiny Pretty Things and Shiny Broken Pieces, as well as the upcoming Rumor Game, Dhonielle is the author of the New York Times bestselling YA fantasy series The Belles. Find her on the web at DhonielleClayton.com or on Twitter @brownbookworm..
About Sona Charaipotra The author of the YA doc dramedy Symptoms of a Heartbreak, SONA CHARAIPOTRA is not a doctor — much to her pediatrician parents’ chagrin. They were really hoping she’d grow up to take over their practice one day.
Instead, she became a writer, working first as a celebrity reporter at People and (the dearly departed) TeenPeople magazines, and more recently contributing to publications from the New York Times to TeenVogue. She was also the editor of the Barnes & Noble Teen blog. These days, she uses her Masters in screenwriting from NYU and her MFA in creative writing from the New School to poke plot holes in her favorite teen TV shows — for work of course. She’s the co-founder of CAKE Literary, a boutique book packaging company with a decidedly diverse bent, and the co-author of the YA dance dramas Tiny Pretty Things and Shiny Broken Pieces (now a Netflix original series!), as well as the upcoming psychological thriller Rumor Game. Her follow-up to Symptoms will be the YA contemporary romp How Maya Got Fierce, which draws on her magazine world experience and is pitched as the Bold Type meets Younger. She’s a former We Need Diverse Books board member. Find her sharing pictures of her kids and her chai on Instagram @sonesone2, talking writing and books on Twitter @sona_c, or pinning gorgeous lenghas and her favorite Indian food on Pinterest...
ALL OF US VILLAINS (All of Us Villains Series #1) by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
Synopsis
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An Indie Bestseller! An Indie Next Pick!
The blockbuster co-writing debut of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman, All of Us Villains begins a dark tale of ambition and magick…
You Fell in Love with the Victors of the Hunger Games.
Now Prepare to Meet the Villains of the Blood Veil.
The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The Tournament begins.
Every generation, at the coming of the Blood Moon, seven families in the remote city of Ilvernath each name a champion to compete in a tournament to the death.
The prize? Exclusive control over a secret wellspring of high magick, the most powerful resource in the world—one thought long depleted.
But this year a scandalous tell-all book has exposed the tournament and thrust the seven new champions into the worldwide spotlight. The book also granted them valuable information previous champions never had—insight into the other families’ strategies, secrets, and weaknesses. And most important, it gave them a choice: accept their fate or rewrite their legacy.
Either way, this is a story that must be penned in blood.
The All of Us Villains Duology:
#1) All of Us Villains
#2) All of Our Demise
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My Review Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games. That’s the best way to describe this amazing tale of a group of teens, fighting to the death, to see whose family will control high magick until the next generation of champions. Each family chooses one champion to represent them in the tournament. There is only one survivor and the family of that survivor will be the powerful for at least a generation. Which means they’ll stop at nothing to ensure their champion is the winner. Including cheating, bribery, coercion, and even sacrifice. The story is told from the point of view of four champion, all with their own concern, motives, and desires. There were so many unexpected twists that this became the page-turner I needed to keep me engrossed, reading late into the night.
The story starts with various teens vying to be selected as their family’s champion, but soon, the sinister nature of the tournament becomes apparent. But unlike The Hunger Games, these magical kids want to sacrifice themselves for the fame, the glory, and of course the power. Even though only one can win, each believes they will be the winner. But the further into the story we go, the more we learn about these champions and that not all are created equal. Not just in their abilities, but in their motivations and desires. And one champion in particular has an idea, crazy as it sounds, that could end the tournament once and for all, and maybe just maybe save all their lives in the process.
Plot The plot is complex with so many moving parts and balls in the air, it’s an intense read. With so much going on, there was action or drama of some kind on every page. So many secrets, lies, and power plays, the story moves at a clipped pace, without ever becoming exhausting. It also never got confusing, which can happen when there are a lot of levers in play. The authors did a masterful job of plotting an intriguing tale, giving us surprises and twists at just the right times, and foreshadowing everything.
Characters This might be my only complaint. I often confused to two female protagonists. Though they serve different purposes, their personalities were very similar, while the two male leads, were as different as night and day. The other minor issue I had with the characters is that most of the non-narrators tended to fade into the background, with only a few exceptions.
What I Loved About ALL OF US VILLAINS 1. World Building. Spell casting, and spell making, and spell rings, oh my! The level of world building was off-the-charts good.
2. Setting. The fictional town of Ilvernath was such a key factor in the story, it was almost a character itself.
3. Magic. I really love the take on magic the two authors weave into their story. It’s different from any other magic I’ve read in the genre.
4. Twists. There were so many twists and turn, that I came to expect the unexpected, but still managed to be surprised all over again.
5. Ending. While this is the first half of a duology, I liked the ending that left me breathless for more rather than a frustrating cliffhanger.
Bottom Line A fabulous dark tale of magic, friendship, and loyalty that left me ready for more. I’ve already preordered book 2!
About the Author Amanda Foody is the New York Times and indie bestselling author of All of Us Villains, the Wilderlore series, the Shadow Game series, and more. Her work has appeared in publications including Buzzfeed, Popsugar, Culturess, and Amazon selected All of Us Villains as the Best Young Adult Book of 2021. Originally from Pennsylvania, she lives in Boston, MA with her partner and their orange tabby, Jelly Bean. When not writing, she unironically loves to cook. You can find her on Instagram @amandafoody or on her website, www.amandafoody.com..
About the Author CHRISTINE LYNN HERMAN is the New York Times and indie bestselling author of novels about magic, monsters, and growing up, including All of Us Villains, The Devouring Gray duology, and The Drowning Summer.
Christine resides in Somerville, MA, with her partner and cat. To learn more, follow them on Instagram @christineexists, sign up for Christine’s newsletter, or visit christinelynnherman.com.
Welcome to the blog tour for YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING, a standalone young adult paranormal thriller, by Shani Michelle. See below for information on the book, buy links, my five-star review, and details on her giveaway.
YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING by Shani Michelle
Synopsis
A teen girl who sees visions of the past must use her gift to save a kidnapped classmate in Shani Michelle’s high-stakes YA thriller You Should Have Seen This Coming!
Hayden sees the past. Just touching an object will occasionally give her flashes of the previous owner’s memories. And if that memory happens to be a deeply hidden secret, then she has no problem making you pay for your crime, in cash.
Cassie sees the future, and it sucks. She will randomly wake up from dreams filled with disasters that she feels compelled to stop, and she would really like to stop watching her boyfriend fall in love with someone else!
But when Cassie tries to warn Hayden that her latest blackmailing scheme is a trap, she knows she’s really in trouble. All her visions warn her of the upcoming kidnapping, nothing she does stops it. And it’s all Hayden’s fault!
Can Hayden’s gift help her find Cassie before it’s too late?
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My Review This is the book I’ve been waiting for! Shani Michelle’s young adult thriller grabbed me from the opening pages and never let go. Cassie sees the future. She sees her now ex-boyfriend falling for the new girl, Hayden. Hayden sees the past, but as the new kid in town she doesn’t share that information with anyone. When Cassie sees her own kidnapping, she does everything she can to prevent it, but sometimes destiny has other ideas. With a troubled past, the town isn’t convinced foul play was involved in Cassie’s disappearance. But her best friend, Audra, and ex, Brody, are positive Cassie wouldn’t just run off. Though they have no idea what Hayden is capable of, they know there’s some sort of connection between Cassie and Hayden and solicit Hayden’s help in finding Cassie before it’s too late. The dynamic that results from this unlikely trio makes for some of the best conflict in the book.
Plot The story centers around finding Cassie once she goes missing, but the various subplots, involving the mystery around Hayden’s mom and the sheriff and Cassie’s relationship with Brody, help support the main plot. With so many twists and turns, I devoured the story to find out what happened next.
The Characters The author does an amazing job of creating uniquely differentiated characters with alternating first person point of view. Not something easily done. From Hayden’s tortured past, to the mysterious disappearance of Cassie’s mother, the author crafted layered characters with believable flaws combined with just the right amount of positive traits to make the cast come to life.
Top Five Things I Loved About YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING 1. Visions. This is one of my favorite supernatural abilities. And having one character who can see the future and one who can see the past was twice the fun.
2. Twists. Some things were predictable but many others were beautifully crafted twists I never saw coming.
3. Hayden. She’s snarky, irreverent, and complex — the best combination.
4. Pacing. The story unwinds at the perfect pace, with short chapters that kept me reading far too late.
5. Cassie. She may not always make the best choices based on what she sees in her visions, but her heart’s in the right place, making her someone you can’t help rooting for.
Bottom Line Intense thriller with a fast pace and wonderful characters made this a fast, exciting read.
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author Shani Michelle is the author of YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING. She also works in TV news. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her husband, family, friends, reading, watching way too much TV, and coming up with new story ideas. (She’s also written several rom-com and middle grade novels as Shani Petroff).
Welcome to the blog tour for THE STARS FORGOT US, a standalone young adult paranormal suspense, by R.J. Garcia. See below for information on the book, buy links, my five-star review, and details on her giveaway.
THE STARS FORGOT US by R.J. Garcia
Synopsis Fifteen-year-old Jacob Kelly would love to go back to simpler times. Before his parents’ divorce and the onset of his brother’s Schizophrenia. But when he returns to his hometown, things feel off. After a series of strange occurrences, Jacob fears his new house is haunted or worse yet, he is losing his mind.
To his surprise, Jacob discovers a mysterious teenage runaway, Sanctuary Daniels, living in the house. She reveals she has been kept by a figure known only as Mother, in a place where downstairs children are languishing prisoners, and upstairs children do Mother’s bidding.
Jacob’s investigation into Sanctuary’s allegations, along with their budding romance, are cut short when she is reclaimed by evil beings. Beings who unleash terror upon Jacob and his family. Now he must journey to a real haunted house to save his first love and fight for his very life.
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My Review This was such a fun read! It starts off with a bang and just keeps going. Fifteen-year-old Jacob, his single mom, and his mentally ill older brother, Michael, move back to their hometown, and into a house that may or may not be haunted. The fact that Michael hears voices doesn’t help Jacob when he starts to hear a girl’s voice coming from inside his house. After all, schizophrenia can run in families. But it’s more than just voices with someone writing on the walls of his closet. Soon Jacob is seeing things, or someone specifically — Sanctuary (Ary) Daniels, the first girl he ever crushed on in middle school, who mysteriously disappeared before he moved away.
But nothing is as it seems. Ary tells a horrific tale of abuse at the hands of her foster mother, but she also tells obvious lies about how she ended up in his house, only making everything else she tells him suspect. But Jacob is drawn to her, and not just because she was his first crush. There’s something about her that makes him trust her more than not. And that’s when things get really interesting.
Plot The story flows really well and kept me turning the pages. Chapters are short and full of action and mystery that never stops coming. The romance is sweet and well done. The author does a masterful job of weaving in twists and turns that leaving you needing to know what happens next!
The Characters I love all the characters. They’re all so interesting and fun; like the kind of people you’d want to hang out with. You know, without all the dangerous stuff happening on-page. Jacob is sweet, Michael is multi-faceted, their mom acts like you’d expect a mom of teen boys to behave — I cannot overstate how rare that is in YA. Ary is by far the most intriguing character, with good reason, which I will not spoil for you.
Top Five Things I Loved About THE STARS FORGOT US 1. Jacob. He has his flaws, but he’s one of the good ones.
2. Twists. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you realize you have no idea what’s going to happen next.
3. Lucas. Jacob’s cousin, and one of his best childhood friends, is deeply layered. He kept me guessing on what his angle really was.
4. Pacing. The story moved at a perfect pace, keeping my interest throughout.
5. Ary. Her sweet innocence and complex nature made her an enigma that was a fun change from many YA love interests.
Bottom Line Fun fast read with excellent pacing and wonderful characters! This makes me want to read more by R.J. Garcia.
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: THE STARS FORGOT US Author: R.J. Garcia Publisher: Midnight Tide Publishing Release Date: March 30, 2022 Pages: 298 Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Suspense Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
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Author by R.J. Garcia
About the Author R.J. Garcia is a wife and proud mom. She earned her MSW and worked with foster children and as a school social worker. Writing has been her other great love. She has published several non-fiction pieces. She has been writing short-stories for as long as she can remember. To her amazement, those short stories became novels!
Synopsis When Blue Mancini’s mother picked her name, it ended up being a self-fulfilling prophecy.
A year ago, Blue’s brother, Jack, was involved in a car accident that killed the father of her classmate, Maya Rodriguez. Luckily for Jack, he got out of a manslaughter charge and into a plea bargain thanks to the top-notch lawyer hired by Blue’s wealthy parents.
The fallout is now affecting Blue as Maya returns to school determined to carve out a pound of flesh from the only member of the Mancini family she can reach. On top of that, Blue has a demanding mother, a father who’s never around, a drama-addicted best friend, and a secretive new guy who’s determined to make Blue his own personal cheer-up project. It’s a perfect storm of misery.
When Maya’s social media taunts and in-person digs finally push Blue to retaliate, they find themselves in afterschool detention and forced into a project meant to foster cooperation and civility. As the layers of their tangled drama unravel, Blue learns more about Maya’s life—and her own sense of privilege—when secrets are revealed that cast a new perspective on everything in Blue’s world.
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My Review This may be my favorite read of 2021. High school junior, Blue, is as blue as her name. Her older brother, Jack, recklessly drove after a party and was involved in an accident that killed a man. A man with a wife and three children. The man may or may not have been partially to blame, but he’s dead. Though Jack was under the legal limit, he was also underage and drinking. Blue’s life is forever altered, but so is Maya’s, the daughter of the man killed, who also happens to go to Blue’s private school. Maya blames Blue for the loss of her father, even though Blue had nothing to do with the accident. The bullying at school as a result of Maya and her possy of friends is unrelenting, but as with everything, there are always two sides to every story.
After Blue and Maya get into a classroom altercation, they’re stuck in detention together where the school counselor is determined for them to learn how to co-exist in the school, forcing them to work together on a school club. It goes anything but smoothly, but Blue and Maya learn that neither of them is who they assumed the other to be, and that everyone has secrets they don’t want the world to know. And that includes Blue’s new boyfriend, Devon, who is hiding something so horrible, she isn’t even sure she wants to know what it is.
Plot The story centers around Blue and Maya’s relationship. The way Maya treats Blue early on, I was hoping she wouldn’t get a redemption arc, but by the time I got halfway in, I was rooting for it. The author does an amazing job of creating sympathetic, yet flawed characters that pull at you. Blue may live in a big house and have lots of money, but she discovers her life isn’t so different from Maya’s after all. A strong subplot is her relationship with Devon, and it may go down in history as one of my favorite teen romances.
The Characters All the characters are amazing. I loved Blue and Devon from the very first scene. Neither is perfect, but they’re so easy to adore. Maya grew on me. She’s got a massive chip on her shoulder, but for good reason. She deals with racism, classism, and dark family secrets in addition to losing her father. She makes it hard to love her, but she still manages to dig her way into my heart through amazing character development and writing by the author.
Top Five Things I Loved About BLUE 1. Blue. She’s perfectly imperfect. She’s kind, but she still makes assumptions about other people. Her heart’s in the right place, but she still manages to say the wrong thing far too many times. She realizes she lives a life a lot of other kids don’t, but she still takes much of it for granted.
2. Devon. The boy with the dark secret who still manages to be so upbeat most of the time is my soulmate.
3. Maya. The life she’s lived, the secrets she keeps, the burdens she carries all shape who she is, and as I got to know her, my animosity toward her melted away and I just wanted to hug her.
4. Secrets. The secrets everyone carries slowly unfold at just the right pace to keep me turning the pages.
5. Plot. I absolutely loved the plot. The author did a masterful job of making me feel all the feels, even when I didn’t want to.
Bottom Line My favorite read of 2021 so far! Loved the characters, the story, the writing, everything!
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author L.E. DeLano comes equipped with a “useless” Theatre degree that has opened doors for her in numerous ways. Though mostly raised in New Mexico, she now lives in Pennsylvania with two adventurous kids and two ridiculous cats. When she’s not writing (which is almost never), she’s binge-watching Netflix and planning road trips.
Her debut novel, TRAVELER was selected as a Keystone To Reading Secondary Book Award finalist for school year 2018-19 by the Keystone State Reading Association (KSRA) and also voted one of The 20 Most Beautiful Books in the World for 2017 by MTV UK.
Synopsis A young witch tries to unravel the mystery of who is framing her for dark magic in Georgia Bowers’ creepy YA debut fantasy, Mark of the Wicked.
Magic always leaves its mark.
All her life, Matilda has been told one thing about her magic: You use only when necessary. But Matilda isn’t interested in being a good witch. She wants revenge and popularity, and to live her life free of consequences, free of the scars that dark magic leaves on her face as a reminder of her misdeeds.
When a spell goes awry and the new boy at school catches her in the act, Matilda thinks her secret might be out. But far from being afraid, Oliver already knows about her magic – and he wants to learn more. As Oliver and Matilda grow closer, bizarre things begin to happen: Animals show up with their throats slashed and odd markings carved into their bodies, a young girl dies mysteriously, and everyone blames Matilda. But she isn’t responsible — at least, not that she can remember. As her magic begins to spin out of control, Matilda must decide for herself what makes a good witch, and discover the truth…before anyone else turns up dead.
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My Review I was in the mood for something different, and DAGGER HILL delivered! Set in 1989, before everyone had a smartphone, four friends hang out during their summer before senior year, each dealing with different issues associated with coming of age, when the world as they know it comes crashing down around them in the form of a military plane. Before the plane crashes into Dagger Hill, the kids see someone parachuting out of it. And Gabe sees someone in a gas mask pick up and carry their injured friend, Kimberly, to safety. At least that’s what he thinks. Until the army begins to interview them and they realize something more is going on, and no one knows where Kimberly is. Or the man in the “bug” mask.
Plot The story is gripping from early on and never lets go. The author uses a fun method for his storytelling — a combination of first person, newspaper articles, third-person, and interviews to bring his tale to life. It makes each chapter different from the last and helps reveal the information to the reader in a unique way. The plot unfolds at a steady pace with lots of twists and turns.
The Characters The characters are awesome. Each of the main characters, Gabe, Sonya, Charlie, and Kimberly, are complex, with secrets, worries, and problems of their own as they try to hold onto childhood for one more summer. The adults, from Gabe’s police chief dad to Sonya’s scientist dad, to the army officials and doctors, are just as varied and complex as the main characters, making this more than just a plot driven tale.
Top Five Things I Loved About DAGGER HILL 1. Pacing. The story MOVES. But at the right pace. I stayed up late devouring the story but without becoming overwhelmed. It was perfect.
2. Setting. I love both the small town and the era it was set in. It feels modern, but without all the high-tech stuff that can interfere with a good thriller. Plus the music and movie references were a fun blast from the past.
3. Characters. While this is primarily a plot-driven tale, the character development is off-the-charts good and will stay with me for a long time.
4. Twists. So many good twists that left my jaw hanging open.
5. Storytelling. I love the way the author unfolds his tale using different techniques for a unique approach to a really unique story.
Bottom Line Fabulous, fun, un-put-downable read!
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author Devon Taylor was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and currently lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and two daughters. His day job consists of sneaking around the house with ninja-like stealth to avoid waking up his kids. When not writing, reading, or tediously typing out text messages with all the correct spelling and punctuation, he spends his time with his family. THE SOUL KEEPERS is his debut novel.
Synopsis A young witch tries to unravel the mystery of who is framing her for dark magic in Georgia Bowers’ creepy YA debut fantasy, Mark of the Wicked.
Magic always leaves its mark.
All her life, Matilda has been told one thing about her magic: You use only when necessary. But Matilda isn’t interested in being a good witch. She wants revenge and popularity, and to live her life free of consequences, free of the scars that dark magic leaves on her face as a reminder of her misdeeds.
When a spell goes awry and the new boy at school catches her in the act, Matilda thinks her secret might be out. But far from being afraid, Oliver already knows about her magic – and he wants to learn more. As Oliver and Matilda grow closer, bizarre things begin to happen: Animals show up with their throats slashed and odd markings carved into their bodies, a young girl dies mysteriously, and everyone blames Matilda. But she isn’t responsible — at least, not that she can remember. As her magic begins to spin out of control, Matilda must decide for herself what makes a good witch, and discover the truth…before anyone else turns up dead.
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My Review I had no idea what I was getting into with this book, but I’m so glad I requested a review copy! MARK OF THE WICKED is enthralling, impossible to put down, and filled with the types of characters that are so complex, you don’t know whether to love them or hate them. I started off not much liking Matilda. She uses her magic to harm those she considers her enemies. The only problem is, if she harms someone with magic, she is scarred for life; their name carved into her face. But Matilda has learned how to hide her scars from everyone, so at the outset, it seems like she suffers no consequences for her actions. She’s angry, spiteful, and nearly impossible to sympathize with. At first.
When she meets Oliver, though, we get to see a side to Matilda that was missing — the reasons for the things she does. She reveals her deeper fears and her darker pain that she resorts to magic to help her cope, the way an alcoholic turns to booze to numb the pain. But there is something more sinister than Matilda afoot, with grisly animal deaths that somehow keep pointing to Matilda. But with her mother acting suspicious, her grandmother not having spoken in three years, and Matilda’s blackouts, anything is possible.
Plot MARK OF THE WICKED is superbly plotted, with intertwining plots. Debut author, Georgia Bowers, creates intrigue with her storytelling. The pacing is perfection. Set in a small town in England, with a dark history, similar to that of Salem, Massachusetts in the states, her backdrop comes alive, becoming a part of the story as much as the characters.
The Characters Speaking of characters, for me anyway, the ability to create an antihero like Matilda, and make us root for her the way we rooted for Walter White in the first few season of Breaking Bad, is a rare talent and Bowers does it masterfully. Supporting characters, like Matilda’s classmates, Erin, Oliver, her mother, and grandmother, are more than just cardboard cutouts and stereotypes. It would have been easy for the author to make someone like Ashley a less than sympathetic character, but even she has more depth than just the class queen bee.
Top Five Things I Loved About MARK OF THE WICKED 1. Magic. The magical world building is amazing and really adds to the plot and character development.
2. Characters. Their depth and complexity made this a book I couldn’t put down.
3. Plot. The story is unforgettable, with a number of twists and turns that made this a book I couldn’t put down.
4. Redemption. Matilda’s character arc is the opposite of Breaking Bad as she learns some brutal, valuable lessons about life, love, and what it means to be a good citizen.
5. Storytelling. The author does an amazing job of weaving in threads that stick with you, gnawing in your brain, that keeps you reading to find out what they mean.
Bottom Line A stellar debut novel by an author I cannot wait to read more from.
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author Georgia Bowers lives in Bedford, a small market town in England. When it was time to decide what to do with her life, she was obsessed with two things: books and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It seemed sensible to follow in the brogued footsteps of Rupert Giles, so she became a librarian, though sadly not the demon fighting kind. But there’s still time.
Ever since her mum told her that witches used to meet in the woods near their village, she’s been obsessed with witchcraft and the paranormal. When she was a teenager, a weekly habit of Point Horrors satisfied her thirst for chilling tales before she moved on to reading Stephen King. These days she likes to give her nerves a break every now and then with a good YA romance.
After completing a course in writing YA fiction she was a winner in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Undiscovered Voices. Since then she has dabbled with stories of chosen ones and ghostly best friends until she conjured up the magical ingredients for her debut novel, Mark Of The Wicked.
Synopsis
A new teacher at a New England prep school ignites a gender war–with deadly consequences.
What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want?
It starts with this simple writing prompt from Alex Witt, Stonebridge Academy’s new creative writing teacher. When the students’ answers raise disturbing questions of their own, Ms. Witt knows there’s more going on the school than the faculty wants to see. She soon learns about The Ten–the students at the top of the school’s social hierarchy–as well as their connection to something called The Darkroom.
Ms. Witt can’t remain a passive observer. She finds the few girls who’ve started to question the school’s “boys will be boys” attitude and incites a resistance that quickly becomes a movement. But just as it gains momentum, she also attracts the attention of an unknown enemy who knows a little too much about her–including what brought her to Stonebridge in the first place.
Meanwhile, Gemma, a defiant senior, has been plotting her attack for years, waiting for the right moment. Shy loner Norman hates his role in the Darkroom, but can’t find the courage to fight back until he makes an unlikely alliance. And then there’s Finn Ford, an English teacher with a shady reputation who keeps one eye on his literary ambitions and one on Ms. Witt.
As the school’s secrets begin to trickle out, a boys-versus-girls skirmish turns into an all-out war, with deeply personal–and potentially fatal–consequences for everyone involved.
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My Review Told from various third-person points of view, THE SWALLOWS is a deep-dive into the world of privileged boys meets aggrieved girls hellbent on revenge. When new teacher, Alex Witt, assigns a routine paper for students to anonymously tell her something about themselves, she discovers an ugly secret society of misogynistic boys who rate girls on their unique abilities. What she discovers will ignite a fire under the girls to fight back and get even, with tragic consequences. The mystery of what the Darkroom is and means to students at Stonebridge Academy unfolds slowly, leaving the reader turning the pages to find out what happens next. It all builds to an ugly climax that leaves everyone forever changed.
Plot This is my first novel by Lutz and I’m hooked. She weaves a captivating tale, building suspense, gluing me to the pages, or in the case, my Kindle screen. More than a few hours of sacrificed sleep were involved. Her characters are so complex, damaged, real, and very well distinguished from one another, that I always knew whose point of view I was reading. Though she sets up the tragedy throughout the story, it doesn’t ruin the ending. All we know is something bad is going to happen, but so much builds throughout the preceding chapters, there’s no way to know exactly what it’ll be.
Characters The cast is full of diverse, well-developed, well-differentiated characters. Because it’s told in so many first-person points of view, this was key, and the author knocked it out of the park. Lutz does an amazing job of crafting compelling characters to tell her story. Even the ones I didn’t like, I still felt like i really understood.
What I Loved About THE SWALLOWS 1. Pacing. The story is expertly paced to keep me turning the virtual pages.
2. Alex Witt. The primary protagonist and the most damaged of the bunch. She was the perfect blend of jaded teacher and inspirational mentor.
3. Getting Even. The girls fighting back with what they had available was one of my favorite parts of the story.
4. Characters. A thrilling cast brought this story to life in a way that other characters wouldn’t have been able to carry.
5. Ending. Without giving anything away, I love the way the author concludes her tale and the ramifications it has on her characters’ lives.
Bottom Line A thrilling tale of lust, power trips, and revenge.
Disclaimer I was provided with a copy of the book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author Lisa Lutz is the New York Times bestselling author of the six books in the Spellman series, How to Start a Fire, Heads you Lose (with David Hayward), and the children’s book, How to Negotiate Everything (illustrated by Jaime Temairik). Her latest book, The Passenger, a psychological thriller, will be published March 2016 by Simon and Schuster. Lutz has won the Alex award and has been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel.
Although she attended UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine, the University of Leeds in England, and San Francisco State University, she still does not have a bachelor’s degree. Lisa spent most of the 1990s hopping through a string of low-paying odd jobs while writing and rewriting the screenplay Plan B, a mob comedy. After the film was made in 2000, she vowed she would never write another screenplay. Lisa lives in the Hudson Valley, NY..
Synopsis SPF at the ready… someone’s about to get burned.
As a year-round resident of Cape May, New Jersey, Maisie Mundy has grown up loathing the “shoobies” that flood her charming seaside town each summer and treat it like their personal playground. And when it comes to shoobies, there’s none worse than Preston St. James, the arrogant heir to the St. James Development Company, the same company that’s trying to drive Maisie’s grandfather’s beach umbrella company out of town to greenlight their latest downtown project. Maisie is the only person aware of the dire financial situation her grandfather has found himself in, and she’s the only person who can save the shop, peddling rental umbrellas on the beach daily, doing whatever it takes to keep Mundy’s Sundries afloat. When Preston launches a beach delivery app to win a Shark Tank competition at his private school, he gives Maisie a whole new reason to hate him. Immediately, the two become engaged in a battle of rumor-spreading and sabotage that could sink them both.
But as Maisie’s best friend Summer points out, hating someone that much takes a lot of passion, and the more time Maisie spends duking it out with Preston, the more that passion starts looking like something else entirely; the more it starts looking like romance. The closer Maisie and Preston become, the more she trusts him with her heart… and her family’s secrets. When Mrs. St. James uses insider information to deliver the final blow to Mundy’s Sundries, Maisie’s convinced their romance was another one of Preston’s tactics, one meant to hurt her and her family at the same time, despite his denial of belying her trust. Was Maisie a fool for ever trusting a St. James, or will her lack of faith in Preston be the real reason she gets burned this summer?
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My Review It’s been far too long since I’ve read anything by Karole Cozzo, but her latest release, THROWING SHADE, does not disappoint. It’s a beach read for young adults and anyone young at heart. Between lighthearted moments are deeper themes about fighting for what you believe in, family bonds, overcoming deep-seated fears, love, and loyalty. And of course, lots of kissing. Her summer before her senior year of high school, Maisie Mundy, works at Mundy’s Sundries at the beach, a business selling sunscreen and renting beach chairs and umbrellas, started by her great grandparents and now run by her grandparents. The business is in trouble, but she’s determined to turn things around. At least until preppy Preston St. James arrives and decides that his summer econ project will involve a competing business to Mundy’s except using cool tech to order items right from the beach. Maisie hates everything about Preston, from the silver spoon he was born with to his attitude as a part-time resident who doesn’t appreciate the tiny seaside New Jersey shore town of Cape May for what it really is.
When Preston’s mom proposes a new shopping center at the heart of town where Mundy’s Sundries is located, Maisie is incensed. How dare these shoobies just show up and try to shove out long-term residents! She decides the best way to fight back is to show Preston all the hidden gems of Cape May that only the true locals know about. Maybe if he can see the charm of quintessential Cape May, he can convince his mom that some things don’t need to be modernized. That small businesses are better than huge chains. What she doesn’t count on is mutual attraction sparking that leads to so much kissing.
Plot The plot is two-fold. On one side is the romance between Maisie and Preston and on the other is the fate of Mundy’s Sundries. But Maisie’s relationship with Preston is so intertwined with the success or failure of her family’s business, that the conflict practically writes itself. Cozzo handles both sides of this plot deftly, so that we take neither Maisie’s side, nor Preston’s, generating the kind of angsty romance that kept me turning the pages. Excellent sub-plotting involves Maisie’s BFF, Summer, and her need to overcome a phobia in order to take on a rival.
Characters Characters are what Cozzo does best and these characters are no exception. All have rich backstories who shape them into fully three-dimensional beings that we root for from the opening pages. There’s plenty of humor, lots of warmth, and just the right amount of growth for a satisfying ending.
What I Loved About THROWING SHADE 1. Maisie. She’s so devoted to her grandparents who helped raise her, and to their business, it’s hard to find fault in almost anything she does to protect them, even when you know she’s in the wrong.
2. Preston. He’s more than just a privileged preppy boy, and seeing Maisie discover these deeper layers is delicious fun.
3. Summer. I absolutely adore Summer, the badass swimmer and devoted teacher of young Black kids so they feel as comfortable in the water as she does.
4. Grannies on Pot. One of the best scenes is when Maisie’s grandma takes too much medical marijuana.
5. Angsty Romance. There’s something so visceral about teen love and their inability to grasp that anyone might really love them for who they are that tugs at my heartstrings. Every.single.time.
Bottom Line A wonderful teen beach read full of humor, young love, and fighting for what matters most.
Disclaimer I was provided with a copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author Karole lives outside of Philadelphia, PA with her loving husband, exuberant little girl, and smiley little boy. She adores YA Romance, because it would be awesome if life in general had a requisite feel-good happy ending rule. Vices include obscene Haribo gummy consumption, addiction to Starbucks NF vanilla lattes, and tendency to hoard Bath and Body Works 3-wick candles.
GUTTER GIRL (Twin River High Series #1) by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount
Synopsis Star football player Jace Rovers has a secret. And not just any secret—a shocking secret… He writes romance. The kind with swords. And dresses. And kissing.
Nobody knows. Not the other kids at Twin River High. Not his overbearing parents. And certainly not the millions of fans who’ve read his book on the writing platform Scribbles. And that’s the way he plans to keep it.
Except suddenly one of the other football players grabs his notebook in jest and starts reading a kissing scene out loud…and Jace knows he’s busted.
But then McKenna Storm, resident goth girl who avoids the spotlight like a virus, snatches up the notebook and tells everyone she’s the author. And lucky for Jace, she later agrees to continue the ruse…for a price.
Heck, he’d give her anything not to reveal his secret. But when they start to fall for each other, he knows he’ll have to keep the biggest secret of all—his darkest character is based on her…
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My Review I loved this book so much, and it easily moved to the top of my favorites for both authors. The characters are deeply drawn and I loved them instantly. McKenna Storm is likable from the opening pages as the goth girl with a bipolar mother. She likes to fly under the radar, just wanting to get through her last year of high school before leaving Twin River and her mom’s drama far behind. So why she agrees to cover for Jace, one of the most popular guys in school, and oh yeah the writer behind one of the hottest fantasy romances in all of teendom, is a mystery even she can’t fully understand. And yet there she is, standing in the hallway, pretending Jace’s writing notebook filled with kissing scenes and sword fighting is hers to protect him from the taunting by his football teammates.
Jace is both horrified and grateful to McKenna. He’s worried that once one person knows something, it’s no longer a secret. McKenna has crushed on Jace since third grade, so she won’t say anything, but when her fake alter ego is revealed, her ability to fly under the radar is obliterated as she’s suddenly the most sought after girl in all of Twin River High. She pushes back, but she’s no match for Jace’s pleading that she continue the ruse, at least for a little while. The secret cover means these two opposites need to spend more time together; something neither of them really wants. At least in the beginning. McKenna, aka Goth Girl, and the star football player are, as McKenna calls them, a cheesy romcom couple. But neither of them is their perceived stereotype and they discover they have much more in common than either of them imagined.
Plot This is a straight-up romance, but it’s filled with the kind of teen angst that keeps me turning the pages. The slow burn romance turns into so much more with a ton of conflict that drives both passion and pain in delicious ways. Their first kiss is toe-curling in the sweetest sense, but their romance is more than just sweet. The authors have created such complex characters that their actions and reactions felt really authentic. And with any romance, you find yourself yelling at the characters to just be open and honest, and then you remind yourself that they’re teens. Teens and communication are like reverse polarity. But these moments in the second half of the book only make the ending that much more satisfying.
Characters Both characters have rich backstories that make them interesting, flawed, and relatable. Jace is a sweet older brother who found his love of writing after telling his younger sister bedtime stories. McKenna is the only child of a single mom with bipolar disorder. Jace seems to have it all with two loving parents and a little sister he adores. McKenna seems to be nothing more than a goth girl with a giant chip on her shoulder. But there’s always more to people than what they allow others to see. McKenna’s best friend, Ernie, is beyond adorable, and I hope he gets his own story in the series.
What I Loved About GUTTER GIRL 1. Scribbles. The Wattpad alternative where Jace writes his Kingdom of Swords was a fun subplot.
2. Jace. A football player who secretly writes fantasy romance. What’s not to love?
3. McKenna. She has her hands full and then some, but she still keeps her head above water while working extra shifts to keep her family afloat.
4. Writing. As a writer, I really enjoyed the scenes where they were discussing plotting, character development, and all the other delights that goes into writing a novel.
5. Angsty Romance. It’s my favorite romance sub-genre, but it’s not over the top here. Just the right amount to add conflict and tug at my heartstrings.
Bottom Line My favorite book by this author duo with fantastic characters and heartfelt romance.
About Kelly Anne Blount KELLY ANNE BLOUNT is a USA Today bestselling author of young adult novels. When she’s not writing, she’s probably lost in a book, watching Twilight, snuggling her five furry rescues, or having an adventure with her handsome husband and their darling daughter. After living in a palace in Scotland, across from the Caribbean Sea, and in the snowy land of Wisconsin, Kelly and her family reside in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. Kelly loves connecting with readers on social media! Stop by and say, “Hi!” or ask a question. You can find her everywhere @KellyAnneBlount.
About Lynn Rush New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Lynn Rush, is a full-time writer, wife, and trail runner living in the Sonoran Desert, despite her fear of rattle snakes. Known as #TheRunningWriter, Lynn can’t resist posting epic sunrise pictures while running in the desert with her trail sisters, even if she has to occasionally hop a scorpion.
When she’s not running or writing, she’s watching movies that fuel her everlasting love of superheroes, vampires, and all things Supernatural. The books she reads usually carry the same theme, but this former college athlete loves reading sweet sports romances as well. She’s madly in love with her Ironman husband of 20+ years who is the inspiration for what true love is. You can find her on social media as @LynnRushWrites
Synopsis When Ellie is dumped by her boyfriend, she’s forced to make new friends (while watching her ex swoon over his new girlfriend) in The Secret Recipe for Moving On, a smart and funny YA debut from Karen Bischer.
Ellie Agresti’s not sure anything could be worse than being dumped by her boyfriend, Hunter, the first day of senior year.
But sharing a “life skills” class with him and his new girlfriend, Brynn? AND getting partnered with a “family” of misfits (A.J., the loudmouth; Isaiah, the horse-racing obsessive; and Luke, the tattooed stunt-biker)?
It’s a recipe for certain disaster…until an in-class competition allows Ellie to channel her angst into beating Hunter and Brynn’s team, and she unexpectedly bonds with her own group–especially Luke–in the process.
But as Ellie soon discovers, it will take more than classroom triumphs to heal her broken heart–and find herself again.
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My Review This is exactly the book I needed to read at this moment in my life. It’s delightful, delicious, and devourable. Seventeen-year-old Ellie is a recent transplant after her father lost his restaurant due to the actions of an unscrupulous employee. She arrived mid junior year where she immediately drew the attentions of Hunter and they were immediately smitten. Hunter rolled Ellie into his posse and she gained both a boyfriend and a friend group overnight, easing her transition. But when Hunter reveals himself to be the worst boyfriend ever, dumping her overnight for someone else, Ellie is left both brokenhearted and friendless since Hunter’s friends were hers. To make matters worse, she’s stuck with him and his saccharinely adorable new girlfriend, Brynn, in their life skills class, until the class bad boy, Luke, rescues her from their pod. Now, Ellie is determined to not only prove to Hunter she’s better off without him, but to take down his life skills pod by the end of the year.
Plot The plot is so much fun. Rather than just a straight-up romance, it’s more of a character growth arc with a side of romance. Ellie has a lot of growing to do, too. In fact, I wasn’t even sure I liked her in the first few chapters, but after she and Hunter part ways and she needs to forge her own way in her new high school all on her own, she becomes someone I rooted for every step of the way. Her relationship with the other members of her pod brought some of the best dialogue and moments to the book. And while I predicted early on that Luke would be a love interest before the book ended, I love that it wasn’t THE plot. The main plot is really about Ellie finding herself and discovering who she is without her BFF, Jodie, by her side every day, and without Hunter and his friend group.
The Characters I loved the characters! Even Brynn and Hunter were the antagonists you love to hate. Luke, AJ, and Isaiah, as Ellie’s life skills cohorts, were all so unique in their personalities and they truly brought out the best in Ellie. Her childhood best friend, Jodie, who only lives an hour away, makes cameo appearances and it’s clear to see why these two have such a solid friendship.
Top Five Things I Loved About THE SECRET RECIPE FOR MOVING ON 1. Ellie. For me, it’s the hallmark of good writing when an author can make me care so much about a character after I initially dismissed them as unlikeable.
2. Luke. I love him. He’s nothing like Ellie’s original assessment, but that’s because he’s complex and complicated and it only makes him more endearing.
3. Isaiah. The horserace loving, sheltered teen is one of the most fascinating characters in the story.
4. Getting Even. Ellie takes the “getting even by living your best life” approach to the limits and it’s sweet revenge.
5. Life Skills. Their “easy A” class is anything but, as all the students learn a lesson on life in a fun, unique class.
Bottom Line A delightful romance with heart and soul. I love these characters and I love the themes.
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author Karen Bischer has written short stories for Girls’ World and Animal Tales magazines and currently works as a copyeditor. She lives in her native New Jersey, where she has never encountered Bruce Springsteen in the wild, but does have a cat named after a member of the E Street Band.
IN THE PENALTY BOX by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount
Synopsis The Cutting Edge meets Friday Night Lights in a sizzling new hockey romance from bestselling authors Kelly Anne Blount and Lynn Rush.
Willow
Figure skating was supposed to be my whole world. But one unlucky injury and now I’m down…but I’m definitely not out. I just need to rehab—a boatload of rehab—and who’d have thought I could do it on the boys’ hockey team?
Of course, the infuriatingly hot captain of the team seems to think I’m nothing but sequins and twirls. What’s a girl to do but put him in his place? Game on.
Brodie
Hockey is my whole world. I’ve worked my tail off getting my team in a position to win the championships—hopefully in front of major college scouts, too—so what’s a guy to do when a figure skater ends up as our new goalie?
Of course, the distractingly sexy skater thinks I’m nothing but a testosterone-laced competitive streak. And surely she’s only biding her time to heal, then she’s gone. Game over.
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My Review A sweet romance with enough heat to melt any freshly Zambonied ice rink. Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount have written a swoony teen romance with stellar lead characters, a fun supporting cast, and more skating than the Winter Olympics. Willow Covington, a figure skater with her eye on the Olympics, is injured and loses not only her spot on the team, but the host family where she’s lived for years, returning to the small northern town where she grew up. But the Woodhaven she left didn’t have one Brodie “The Wind” Windom. He’s not only easy on the eyes, he’s a monster on the ice. As Willow rehabs in Woodhaven, she’s increasingly frustrated by her lack of progress landing her jumps. When she watches the boys’ hockey team practice, an errant puck flies through the air, nearly hitting her and her friend, Jessa, until she reaches out and grabs the spinning death disk in midair. This gets her a tryout with the team since their goalie is rehabbing himself. Willow isn’t sure if playing hockey will help or hinder her return to figure skating, but spending time with Brodie every day is enough for her to give it a try. Playing hockey turns out to be more than she imagined, and when the figure skating teams come calling, she’ll need to make a choice between the only dream she’s ever had — to skate in the Olympics — and the only boy she’s ever loved.
Plot With two authors, there’s a lot of plotting going on. The primary plot is the relationship between Willow and Brodie. But both Willow and Brodie have their own growth arcs and lots of subplotting. From Willow’s efforts to regain a spot on a top figure skating team to Brodie’s family matters and his future as a hockey player, there’s a lot happening that should keep these two apart. Not the least of which is the no fraternization between teammates rule. All of this adds delicious conflict and angst.
Characters Brodie and Willow are both really well developed, but Willow stole my heart. She’s strong, independent, and knows how to hold her own on a boys’ hockey team. Brodie is totally worthy of her amazingness, though. What makes Willow one of the best female characters I’ve read in a long time is the fact that she never once questions why Brodie would be interested in her. She still has some solid insecurities as you’d expect a teen character to have, but it wasn’t ever about whether she was dateable. I found that to be exceedingly refreshing.
What I Loved About IN THE PENALTY BOX 1. Ice Sports. Whether you love figure skating, hockey, or both, there’s a lot for everyone to enjoy.
2. Willow. She refuses to take any grief from the boys, or the catty girls on the figure skating team. She gives back twice as much as she takes.
3. Brodie. He has a lot of baggage, but he still manages to be this amazing guy who looks after his kid brother, his father, the team, and Willow.
4. Making Your Own Choices. I love that Willow didn’t let anyone influence her. She did what she needed to do for herself.
5. Reality. I love that the authord didn’t wrap everything up with a nice, tidy bow. Life is messy and even though this is a solid HFN ending, not everything was all neat and clean at the end, making it so much more relatable.
Bottom Line A flirty, sweet figure skater vs. hockey player romance with an adorable twist.
About Kelly Anne Blount USA Today bestselling author and Wattpad Star Kelly Anne Blount has more than seventy-three-thousand followers on social media. Her Wattpad stories have been read more than twenty-million times. She’s contributed to Tap, Wattpad’s new app for chat-style stories, where her work has been “tapped” more than fifty-million times. She is a writer and reviewer for SpoilerTV, which has allowed her to develop an incredible network of film and TV stars.
Two of her Wattpad works, including Captured (seventeen-million reads), have been optioned for film by Komixx Entertainment, and she is regularly invited to present seminars about social media at author events.
About Lynn Rush New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Lynn Rush, is a full-time writer, wife, and trail runner living in the Sonoran Desert, despite her fear of rattle snakes. Known as #TheRunningWriter, Lynn can’t resist posting epic sunrise pictures while running in the desert with her trail sisters, even if she has to occasionally hop a scorpion.
When she’s not running or writing, she’s watching movies that fuel her everlasting love of superheroes, vampires, and all things Supernatural. The books she reads usually carry the same theme, but this former college athlete loves reading sweet sports romances as well.
She’s madly in love with her Ironman husband of 20+ years who is the inspiration for what true love is.
Welcome to the blog tour for BATTLE OF THE BULLIES, a young adult contemporary by Fenyx Blue. See below for information on the book, buy links, and my review. Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for information on her giveaway.
BATTLE OF THE BULLIES by Fenyx Blue
Synopsis Ebony, Eris, and Emani Robertson have been through so much more than most high school freshmen. When they were younger, they survived a school shooting that killed their friend and left their oldest sister unable to speak. After giving homeschooling a try, they enroll in a promising new academy, hoping for the best.The Robertsons soon discover, however, that their new classmates are anything but kind. A mysterious group of bullies known as the Dimes rules the hallways and spreads fear everywhere they go. All three sisters end up being targets of the gang and have to find a way to defend themselves.
The triplets couldn’t be more different, but their loyalty to each other and to their school never fails. Along with diverse group of friends, the Robertsons do everything they can to uncover the identity of the Dimes and restore order to the school.As if their lives weren’t complicated enough, they also get sucked in to a much bigger game—discovering who was responsible for the attack on their old school. Can they bring down the Dimes and bring the murderer to justice, all while trying to make it through ninth grade?
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My Review With a title like BATTLE OF THE BULLIES in the young adult genre, I knew this book offered promise, but I was expecting the powerful emotional punch it delivered. High school freshmen and triplets, Eris, Ebony, and Emani have joined older sister, Alexis at a new school after their old school was targeted for a bombing that killed 100 students. In the wake of the trauma, they try to assimilate in their new school, but are on the radar of the school’s famous, but mysterious group of bullies known as the Dimes. The girls are as different as they are alike and the three of them navigate the problems in their own individual ways. A dancer, an athlete, and a social media influencer, the girls tackle life as it comes at them, working to help the police track down the remaining guilty party of the bombing and ferret out the members of the Dimes. To say they have their work cut out for them would be an understatement. The themes are heavy and dark, but Blue’s writing is light, punctuated by moments of levity which carries the story through the bleaker moments. Her voice is fresh and youthful, but some of the story elements came across as almost over the top for no purpose in the story, that I could tell. For instance, they are a family of seven, including two parents, an older sister, the triplets, and twin brothers. On top of that, their mom has found time to hand make perfect Halloween costumes for all the kids plus herself and her husband every year.
Plot The plotting is rich and complex, with each girl having her own subplot in addition to the main plot of unmasking the Dimes. The additional subplot of helping law enforcement with their previous school bombing make this both intricate and aggressive. A lot happens and it can be confusing at times with each of the three girls having her own point of view, but once I was able to keep all of them separate in my mind, even with their names all starting with the letter E, it was easier. But also, because so much is happening, the story never slows down. It’s easy to read this through in a single sitting if you have the time. The dialogue is snappy and fun, and though the girls have similar personalities, they’re different enough to make the story unique.
Characters The cast is huge and diverse. From the triplets and their family, to friends and enemies alike, there are a lot of characters to juggle, some of them come off as flat, but for the most part, they’re fascinating, especially some of the tertiary characters, like Dr. and Mr. Thomas.
What I Enjoyed About BATTLE OF THE BULLIES 1. Detailed Backstories. The girls have an exciting, yet horrific past that has scarred them, but also made them stronger and more determined than ever. The way their backstory unfolds is well-paced.
2. Alexis. The oldest sister and the most broken of the three, she pulls at your heartstrings in unexpected ways.
3. Sisterhood. Having two sisters of my own, I appreciated the sisterly bond and how it is woven through the plot.
4. Unexpected Twists. I always enjoy a really good twist I never saw coming.
5. Emotional Gut Punch. This story packs a whopper and will keep me thinking about it for a long time.
Bottom Line A compelling story of the bonds of family and the value of justice.
About the Author If author Fenyx Blue actually had a tattoo, it would be a heart. Ms. Blue has written every book with love. Blue is a teacher, coach, mentor, and motivational speaker focused on women and youth empowerment. She has written a young adult novel about bullying entitled Who Failed Johnny?, a poetry book about purpose named The Blue Ink Movement, and a children’s book about the power of a solid father daughter relationship called Worth the Weight.
Fenyx believes in service to the community. After being chosen as teacher of the year for her school district, she continued to mentor teenagers and facilitate discussions about controversial topics like drugs, sex, violence, cyberbullying and mental health. She has been a guest poet for several women’s retreats and workshops and loves the energy she receives from a live audience.
Throughout her years as an educator and youth ministry leader, Blue created Team Bully-Free Forever, a poetry team for her school, and a mentoring group called D.I.V.A.S to address the needs of young people. She is dedicated to teaching the next generation to follow their dreams and feels it is her mission to equip them for the future. Ms. Fenyx Blue is a proud mother of three beautiful children who inspire her to write each day.
You can follow Ms. Fenyx Blue @FenyxBlueInk on Instagram and Youtube.
Synopsis
When a fire cuts off a popular trail in the Oregon forest, a small group trapped by the flames must find another way out―or die―in Playing with Fire, an unrelenting teen-vs-nature YA thriller by New York Times bestselling author April Henry.
Natalia is not the kind of girl who takes risks. Six years ago, she barely survived the house fire that killed her baby brother. Now she is cautious and always plays it safe. For months, her co-worker Wyatt has begged her to come hiking with him, and Natalia finally agrees.
But when a wildfire breaks out, blocking the trail back, a perfect sunny day quickly morphs into a nightmare. With no cell service, few supplies, and no clear way out of the burning forest, a group of strangers will have to become allies if they’re going to survive. Hiking in the dark, they must reach the only way out―a foot bridge over a deep canyon―before the fire catches them.
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My Review PLAYING WITH FIRE is a page-turning thriller set against the majestic falls, deep canyons, and lush landscape of the Pacific Northwest. During fire seasons, Natalia and her friends-to-more co-worker, Wyatt, are out for a hike when a new fire breaks out, trapping them and independent groups of strangers as night approaches. Without a phone signal and no way to call for help, they retreat from the punishing flames, hoping to outrun the fire in time to be rescued. At nearly every turn, something impedes their odds of success, from someone missing from their ranks, a blocked bridge, a precarious ledge to cross, and someone within their group working against them.
Plot This is primarily a survival story, and the action moves at a steady pace. There is a romantic subplot between Wyatt and Natalia, and a very small change arc on Natalia’s part. The story is well plotted and crafted to keep me turning the virtual pages on my Kindle. Even though we know from the opening pages how the fire started, that is the only thing we are sure of. Because this is a standalone and a thriller, there is no way to know if our favorite characters will all make it out alive, which is the hallmark of excellent storytelling.
The Characters The characters were where I felt the story lacked. Natalia and Wyatt never felt like authentic teens to me. They were far too level-headed, prepared, and unemotional to be like any teens I live with, or happen to have met. But they were likable, and the supporting characters were fascinating, like the cast from an early season of Survivor, making me want to pull for all of them. Natalia is the victim of a home fire when she was younger, and is understandably terrified of the wildfire. The flashbacks to that event are hard to read, but really well done.
Top Five Things I Enjoyed About PLAYING WITH FIRE 1. Setting. The wilderness provides so much opportunity to throw curveballs at the characters, and left the reader on edge, never knowing what was coming next.
2. Survival. I love a good survival story and this one really shines.
3. Surprises. Nearly ever chapter ends with a cliffhanger which kept me reading late into the night.
4. Fire. Okay, I don’t love wildfires, having had to evacuate more than once in recent years, but I love the unpredictability of fire as an antagonist.
5. Thriller. Taking this beyond just a story of man vs. nature and adding the bad seed among them was a delicious twist.
Bottom Line A gripping survival tale of man vs. nature and man vs. man.
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author April Henry is the New York Times–bestselling author of many acclaimed mysteries for adults and young adults, including the YA novels The Girl in the White Van; Girl, Stolen; The Night She Disappeared; The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die; The Girl I Used to Be, which was nominated for an Edgar Award and won the Anthony Award for Best YA Mystery; Count All Her Bones; The Lonely Dead; Run, Hide, Fight Back; and The Body in the Woods and Blood Will Tell, the first two books in the Point Last Seen series. She lives in Oregon.
Sixteen-year-old Anne Elliot is in love with Captain.
He’s been her best friend for years. A rising musician with a special smile he reserves just for her, Captain even lets Anne practice her makeup skills on him—though his bandmates give him flack for it.
When Anne gets an anonymous comment challenging her to kiss her best friend, it threatens to reveal her secret. But how can she resist doing the one thing she’s wanted forever? It’s just one kiss. She and Captain’s relationship can stay the same…right?
The real challenge: Kiss your best friend, and don’t let him know you’re in love.
This YA romance novella is fun, fast-paced, and flirty, the perfect story for anyone who loves best-friends-to-lovers. Inspired by TikTok & Jane Austen, THE KISSING CHALLENGE is sure to make you swoon!
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My Review Oh my gosh, this is beyond adorable. Cookie O’Gorman has done it once again! Anne is a social media sensation as a makeup artist who can work magic with her brushes and pencils, but when it comes to matters of the heart, she’s more like a fish out of water. And she can’t resist a challenge, even one that fills her with equal parts excitement and horror. Because kissing her best friend means kissing the guy she’s been crushing on forever, and one small kiss could ruin everything. Still, she can’t let it pass when she’s tagged in the “kiss your best friend challenge” and frets and obsesses over how to best carry it out until it practically eats her alive. The chemistry between Anne and her BFF, Captain, is off the charts, so their first kiss is super hot followed by super awkward.
Plot This is a novella and it’s short and sweet, so the plot is the relationship between Anne and Captain. There’s no sub-plotting and no real character arcs, but the plot is so well done, none of that matters. I read it in a single sitting and had an enormous smile the entire time. This book is 100% what O’Gorman does best.
Characters I absolutely love Anne and Captain and I hope they show up as extras in a future novel. There were enough supporting characters, and any one of them could get their own story, and I would buy it the second it came out. Captain is in a band, and he has several swoon-worthy band mates in need of a solid growth arc, so if you’re reading this Cookie, I’m here for whatever you do with this cast!
What I Loved About THE KISSING CHALLENGE 1. Internet Challenges. While this is maybe not my personal thing, I totally love watching other people fool their dogs with a blanket, dump buckets of ice water on each other, throw cheese at babies, and numerous other, non-dangerous challenges. And kissing your best friend is an amazing idea (coming from someone who married her best friend).
2. Anne. She’s sweet, creative, talented, and is completely in love with her BFF who she believes to be out of her league.
3. Captain. His loyalty to Anne as girls everywhere fawn all over him makes him one of the good guys. We need more guys like him!
4. Makeup. I can’t tell you how many Instagram accounts I follow with makeup artists who do amazing things with pencils and powder and brushes. Reading about one of these awe-inspiring artists was so much fun!
5. True Love. Anne and Captain are meant to be and no one will ever convince me otherwise.
Bottom Line Adorable characters, steamy kisses, and a swoony love story wrapped in a tiny but mighty package.
About the Author Cookie O’Gorman writes YA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her debut novel ADORKABLE will be released in 2016.
SEND ME THEIR SOULS (Bring Me Their Hearts Series #3) by Sara Wolf
Synopsis
The finale to the epic Bring Me Their Hearts series reaches its thrilling conclusion, full of intrigue, emotion, and of course romance.
Reunited with Lucien, Malachite, and Fione, Zera finally has the choice of whether or not to regain her humanity and give up her life as a Heartless. But with war raging and an army of valkerax on the loose, she’s never needed immortality more. Will they be able to stop Varia without sacrificing themselves in the process?
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My Review
WARNING: Spoilers for books 1 and 2! Sara Wolf wraps the series up with a bang. SEND ME THEIR SOULS is a rollercoaster ride of emotion, from tears and laughter to angst, heartbreak, and redemption. The third installment in the Bring Me Their Hearts series has everything I was hoping for and more. Picking up where book two ends, the author brings us right back into that world, reminding us of anything we might have forgotten over the past year since it was released. Zera, Fione, Malachite, and Lucien manage to escape with their lives after Varia brings the Bone Tree to life, unleashing a swarm of flying valkyrax. The easy thing to do would be to kill Varia to save the world, but Fione’s love of her as well as Lucien’s means the only solution is to destroy the Bone Tree. And as with any good story, that is always easier said than done.
The group launches on a quest for answers, putting them in danger, testing loyalties, and breaking Zera’s unheart over and over as first she is reunited with loved ones, then Varia’s rage of terror wipes out one civilization after another. But this time Zera has the trust of Fione, Malachite and Lucien, making the treacherous trail they must all follow both easier and much more difficult, because when you love other people, you have so much more to lose.
Plot As with the other two books, the pacing is perfect, moving from one exciting moment to another, with enough room to catch our breath and witness romantic moments between Zera and Lucien. Finally, finally they are together, in love, the way they should be. But with a twist I won’t reveal. Fighting together as a team this time, the group works to defeat a nebulous enemy and save Lucien’s sister and Fione’s love. We get inside Varia’s head through a weird connection between Zera and Varia that only happens in Zera’s dreams. But it’s enough to show us that love is a two-way street and her passion to Fione is maybe the only thing keeping her sane as the Bone Tree gets a further hold on her mind.
Characters The characters continue to grow and develop throughout this finale, including Zera. Even though she’s frozen in time, she manages to mature along with her friends. The depth of character the author manages to capture on the page, brings these people and creatures to life in three-dimensional ways that have endeared them to me for long beyond finishing the series.
What I Loved About SEND ME THEIR SOULS 1. Zera. She’s as snarky as ever, but even without a heart, she’s grown warmer and more loving to those she cares for.
2. Young Love. The romance is on steady ground in this final installment and the sweet moments between Zera and Lucien zing.
3. Fione. She has much to be concerned about with the love of her life being the enemy now, but she uses that quiet determination of hers we’ve come to know in the first two books to keep on keeping on.
4. World Building. From a steampunk inspired zeppelin to a floating island in the sky, the author’s imagination knows no bounds as she creates stunning settings to drop her characters into.
5. Magic. With the prince now a witch, magic is on display in nearly every chapter and it’s as double-sided as everything else. Everything has a price, including using magic.
Bottom Line The perfect way to wrap up a trilogy — satisfying on every level, but leaving me sad to say goodbye to characters I’ve grown to love.
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About the Book Title: SEND ME THEIR SOULS Series: Bring Me Their Hearts Series #3 Author: Sar Wolf Publisher: Entangled Teen Release Date: November 3, 2020 Pages: 416 Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Romance Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | IndieBound
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Author Sara Wolf
About the Author New York Times bestselling author, Sara Wolf is a twenty-something author who adores baking, screaming at her cats, and screaming at herself while she types hilarious things. When she was a kid, she was too busy eating dirt to write her first terrible book. Twenty years later, she picked up a keyboard and started mashing her fists on it and created the monster known as the Lovely Vicious series. She lives in Portland, Oregon where the sun can’t get her anymore and not enough fruit tarts ever.
Synopsis A teen forger and thief forms a criminal crew from her high school friends (and crush) to perform a series of heists leading to the location of her missing mother in this action-packed contemporary YA novel.
By day, seventeen-year-old Fiona Spangler runs small cons for her ritzy prep-school classmates: getting them out of tests and forging fake hall passes. But by night, Fiona joins her dad on riskier heists: stealing back the clue-filled forgeries her mom scattered across the country before she disappeared. Fiona desperately hopes that her mother will be waiting at the end of the scavenger hunt she left behind.
And they are SO close. Just three more heists remain, but then disaster strikes when Fiona’s dad is captured by the FBI. Desperate to finish the job and save what’s left of her family, Fiona assembles of crew of teen criminals: a master of disguise who can transform into anyone, a talented hacker who only communicates in glares, and a rival con artist with a vendetta against—and possible crush on—Fiona.
All they have to do is perform three nearly impossible heists, solve her mother’s incredibly complex clues, and evade the FBI. Easy, right?
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My Review This was a nice diversion from real life, and just what I needed. Seventeen-year-old Fiona is the daughter of con artists. Her entire life has been devoted to learning the craft of the con. A talented artist and impeccable forger, she and her family have been pulling cons as long as she can remember. But when she was ten, her mother disappeared and left clues on how to find her in her forgeries. Fiona and her dad have been working to retrieve the forgeries and the clues so the family can be together again. At least until her father is caught pulling a job. Now Fiona must complete the mission herself. She pulls together a ragtag crew of high school friends, including a tech genius, a former cosplayer turned master of disguise, and her arch nemesis, but charming classmate she may or may not have a thing for,
Plot The story centers around Fiona finding her mother and the heists she needs to complete to gather all the clues to find her mother. The heists were well-planned and executed, and added such an entertaining thread through the book. There is a subtle romantic element with Colin, the son of the FBI agent who arrested her father and a number of twists; some I saw coming, others I didn’t, making this a well-plotted fun read.
The Characters The characters are what really makes this story. Fiona is a fully-engaging anti-hero as a con artist. At no point did I not pull for her. She’s a criminal, but she was so lovable and relatable, I wanted her to succeed at every turn. Her dad, while singularly driven, still clearly loves his daughter and puts her needs above his own. Her best friend Natalie and her tech guru, Tig, are both interesting in their own ways. And Colin, as the potential love interest, is just as complex as Fiona.
Top Five Things I Enjoyed About THE CON CODE 1. Heists. We’ve been rewatching the Ocean’s Eleven movie franchise and I forgot how fun a well-developed con can be.
2. Fiona. She is so dedicated to finding her mom, but her loyalty to her crew at all costs makes her a hero to root for to the very end.
3. Action. The story moves with a lot of action and edge-of-your-seat suspense.
4. Loyalty. Fiona is loyal to her family and her friends and those loyalties are tested, making her even more relatable.
5. The Ending. I wasn’t sure how things were going to end up, but the author did a great job of wrapping everything up in a satisfying ending that wasn’t predictable.
Bottom Line A thrilling escapist read with fantastic characters and lots of action.
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author Shana Silver studied creative writing at Syracuse University. She’s been a computer animator, an e-book creator for a major publisher, and now works as a Project Manager in digital and TV advertising where she enjoys telling people what to do. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, young daughter, and the characters she dreams up. MIND GAMES is her debut novel. THE CON CODE comes out in Summer 2020.
Synopsis The Tech sisters don’t date in high school. Not because they’re not asked. Not because they’re not interested. Not even because no one can pronounce their long, Thai last name—hence the shortened, awkward moniker. But simply because they’re not allowed.
Until now.
In a move that other Asian American girls know all too well, six months after the older Tech twins got to college, their parents asked, “Why aren’t you engaged yet?” The sisters retaliated by vowing that they won’t marry for ten (maybe even twenty!) years, not until they’ve had lots of the dating practice that they didn’t get in high school.
In a shocking war on the status quo, her parents now insist that their youngest daughter, Orrawin (aka “Winnie”), must practice fake dating in high school. Under their watchful eyes, of course—and organized based on their favorite rom-coms. ’Cause that won’t end in disaster.
The first candidate? The son of their longtime friends, Mat Songsomboon—arrogant, infuriating, and way too good-looking. Winnie’s known him since they were toddlers throwing sticky rice balls at each other. And her parents love him.
If only he weren’t her sworn enemy.
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My Review I know I’ve said this before, but this time I really mean it. THIS is my favorite book by Pintip Dunn. Unless I’m allowed to have more than one favorite, in which case I choose them ALL. But seriously, this is just the right lighthearted rom-com for these complicated times. It’s full of warm, engaging characters, swoony moments that are solidly of the PG variety, and so much Thai food that my mouth watered throughout. Winnie is the youngest of three girls and has grown up in the shadow of her beautiful, identical twin sisters. And for the most part, she’s been okay with that. She loves them and they adore her. With them in college now, they’re expected to find suitable spouses, sooner rather than later, as is Thai tradition. But because the Tech girls are not allowed to date in high school, Bunny and Ari use that as an excuse for why they haven’t found anyone yet. After all, one needs to date in order to learn how to date. And they use that lack of experience as an excuse. Lesson learned, their parents decide that Winnie will practice date, so that she knows what to do when she heads off to college next year. And she will practice date with longtime family friend and arch nemesis, Mat Songsomboon. It’s clear from the beginning these two will end up together, but how they get there is hilarious, heartfelt, and full of humility.
Plot Winnie and Mat’s relationship drives the plot, but Winnie’s acceptance of her role in her family, the obedient daughter, drives most of the conflict. While Mat and Winnie are now mortal enemies, they share a past that included lazy afternoons, deep friendship, and lots of laughter. That is evident even in their most contentious interactions. The more time they spend together, though, the more Winnie begins to doubt that Mat hates her or that she hates him. In fact, it takes a lot of energy to hate someone, so why put so much effort into someone who doesn’t matter? What I absolutely love about this book is that the author doesn’t take the easy way out and allow unspoken thoughts and rampant misunderstandings to keep her characters apart. Instead, they both share thoughts and feelings, awkwardly, that clears the air far sooner than I expected, and instead the author finds more difficult ways to build conflict. This made the story much less predictable than I anticipated.
The Characters As always, Dunn creates beautifully deep characters with just enough flaws to make them believable and loveable. Winnie, Mat, and the rest are no exception. Winnie’s sisters, though only secondary characters, are nearly as well-developed as Winnie. Her parents, best friend, Kavya, and the new Thai boy, Taran, round out the main cast perfectly.
Top Five Things I Loved About DATING MAKES PERFECT 1. Mat. He’s annoying at times, self-assured, bordering on arrogant, but he is loyal to the end and earns Winnie’s love the hard way.
2. Winnie. Her desire to be the good and obedient Thai daughter but also be true to herself creates a refreshing internal conflict that makes her easy to love.
3. Thai Food. So much of the story centers around Thai tradition and food is as much a part of that as anything else. From meals to treats, the detailed descriptions left me salivating for a bowl of tom yum koong.
4. Parental Love. Even though Winnie is convinced her parents’ love is conditional, they show her that nothing could be further from the truth in the best way possible.
5. Rom Coms. The subtle weaving of some of the best romantic comedies ever made was a bonus I didn’t even know I wanted.
Bottom Line The perfect light, fun read for these extraordinary times.
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B., and received her J.D. at Yale Law School.
Pintip’s novel FORGET TOMORROW won the 2016 RWA RITA® for Best First Book, and SEIZE TODAY won the 2018 RITA for Best Young Adult Romance. Her books have been translated into four languages, and they have been nominated for the following awards: the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire; the Japanese Sakura Medal; the MASL Truman Award; the Tome Society It list; and the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her other titles include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, THE DARKEST LIE, GIRL ON THE VERGE, and the upcoming STAR-CROSSED and MALICE.
WELCOME TO HICKVILLE HIGH (Hickville High Series #1) by Mary Karlik
Synopsis The Universe has completely dumped on High School senior Kelsey Quinn’s life. Credit card at Nordstrom’s? Deactivated. Honda Accord? Sold. Life in the burbs of Chicago? Gone. And it’s all her sister’s fault. Yep. Drugs, alcohol, and getting caught with the boss’s son was all it took. Dad loses job, family loses money, and the next thing she knows she’s crammed in a cell on wheels for the next two days as they make their way to a dilapidated farmhouse in Texas. But Kelsey doesn’t just leave the good life in Chicago. She leaves the boy who-has-it-all, Drew Montgomery.
Hillside senior, quarterback, Austin McCoy works for Kelsey’s dad at the feed store and helps with the farm chores in the morning. He sees through Kelsey’s surly attitude to the girl whose eyes light up when she’s with the animals. He is determined to help Kelsey see that not only does she love the Farmville life, but that the guy she really wants is him.
Will Austin convince Kelsey he’s the guy she wants? Will Kelsey embrace the simple life and find forgiveness for her sister?
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My Review Kelsey Quinn is the epitome of a spoiled, rich teen from the upper midwest moving to smalltown Texas. She hates everything from the weather to the twang in their voices. Her initial observations on her new home, she nicknames Hickville, are judgmental and snobby. About the only thing she thinks might make running the family farm even mildly tolerable is Austin McCoy, local hottie and her new high school’s starting quarterback. But even Austin’s chiseled abs and sculpted biceps will only go so far when she has to get up at the crack of dawn to feed chickens, even before she’s allowed to enjoy a cup of coffee. All Kelsey wants is to survive her senior year in Hillside and return to Chicago and her perfect boyfriend, Drew. Her ideal life is gone, she knows that. No more designer clothes, her own car, or lavish lifestyle. Instead she shares the family pickup truck, wears second-hand store duds, and spends her time doing farm work. But she has her sights set on a big event in Chicago, an annual affair with ballgowns and a semblance of normalcy. Except that costs money her family no longer has. If she wants to go, she’ll need to earn the money herself between schoolwork, farm work, and time in the family’s feed store. Her only option is the diner, the same one where Austin’s mom works that she mocked when she first arrived in town.
The more time Kelsey spends with Austin, the more she begins to question whether she even wants her old life back. Being around him ignites feelings she never experienced with Drew. But Drew is her boyfriend and she doubles down on their long-distance relationship, until she doesn’t. As she’s torn between two worlds and two boys, she learns a lot about herself and does some much needed growing up.
Plot The plot is relatively predictable, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun. The personalities of the characters and playful banter shake things up. And even though I may have had a pretty good idea how the story would end, I didn’t know how we’d get there. While there weren’t any real plot twists or shocking revelations, the story moves at a good pace and the world building is well done, bringing me into the heart of rural Texas.
The Characters The characters were all really well developed and fully fleshed out. I’m used to first person POV for young adult, but even though this is third-person, I still felt really connected to both Austin and Kelsey. The rest of the characters also felt real and unique. Kelsey’s sisters are very different from Kelsey and from each other, so I’m not surprised to find they each have their own books, and I’m looking forward to reading all of them. Kelsey’s parents came across as some of the most authentic in the genre. They’re more than props or impediments to Kelsey getting what she wants and I loved that they even have their own issues to deal with as well as a minor relationship arc.
Top Five Things I Enjoyed About WELCOME TO HICKVILLE HIGH 1. Forced Change. The complete upheaval of Kelsey’s life provides for so much conflict, the story was fun to read.
2. Humor. The author weaves a lot of humor through some pretty serious topics, bringing lighthearted moments in what might otherwise be a darker tale.
3. Homecoming. Hillside’s take on the homecoming tradition is something to behold.
4. Personal Growth. Kelsey has a lot of growing up to do and she does it with humility.
5. Austin. He’s one of the really good guys out there. Even though Kelsey is a handful, he realizes there’s more to her than just a spoiled rich girl lashing out after being dumped into the Middle of Nowhere, Texas.
Bottom Line A sweet contemporary romance with great characters.
About the Author Mary Karlik has always been a dreamer. When she was a teen, she read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and then sat in every wardrobe in her Nanna’s home, trying to open the door to Narnia. She didn’t find it, but she did discover her voice as an author: one filled with her young adult self, and grounded in her roots as a Texan and her Scottish heritage, nourished by obscure Scottish folklore.
You can find her Texas roots in her YA contemporary romance Hickville series , which has been described as “100% solid storytelling,” and begins with Welcome to Hickville High, a “lovely story about growing up.”
She digs deep into her Scottish roots – there is magic there, she just knows it – for the forthcoming YA epic fantasy Fairy Trafficking series, beginning with Magic Harvest.
She makes her home in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountains of Northern New Mexico where she is a certified professional ski instructor, but she also loves visiting Scotland where she is currently studying Scottish Gaelic at the University of Highlands and Islands in Skye. Mary also earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, has a B.S. degree from Texas A&M University, and is a Registered Nurse.
Mary currently serves as the President of the Young Adult Chapter of Romance Writers of America and looks forward to raising a glass or two of gin and tonic with her fellow writers every year at RWA’s national convention.
