All My Rage by. Sabaa Tahir | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: All My Rage

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Format: ebooks (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 3/1/22

Publisher: Razorbill

Categories: Family, Grief, Coming of Age, Contemporary, Young Adult

Lahore, Pakistan. Then.
Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.

Juniper, California. Now.
Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding.

Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah’s health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle’s liquor store while hiding the fact that she’s applying to college so she can escape him—and Juniper—forever.

When Sal’s attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth—and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst.

From one of today’s most cherished and bestselling young adult authors comes a breathtaking novel of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness—one that’s both tragic and poignant in its tender ferocity.

Content Warning: Grief, Death of Loved One, Abuse, Addiction, Overdose, Trauma, Prison, Racism, Islamophobia

I am a fan of Sabaa Tahir because of her fantasy series but her venture into contemporary young adult is powerful. This is not a happy story. It is filled with trauma, hurt, despair and the characters in it just seems so desolate and lost – add to that the setting of a motel in a town near Death Valley in California and I felt as trapped as Noor and Sal does in the book.

Noor is an immigrant, her parents are dead and her uncle brought her to California from Pakistan. She is grateful to him for saving her but her dream is to leave Juniper, California after high school. I cannot imagine what Noor’s been through and then to come to a new country and try to fit in, learn the language and lifestyle? It’s a lot for anyone to deal with – on top of dealing with an uncle who resents her presence. I love that she had good moments though, especially with Salahudin’s mother, Misbah, before she dies. And I adore her love of music. I know she used it to escape the bad things happening in her life but every time she mentioned a song I could totally relate to her mood.

Salahudin’s parents immigrated to California and bought a motel they named the Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel. It was his mother’s dream – she loved running the motel but Sal’s dad is an alcoholic and when his mother gets very ill and dies, it’s up to him to keep things going but he doesn’t know how. He’s a high school student just barely surviving the loss of his mother and his drunk and grieving father. Sal is also dealing with some of his own issues – he hates being touched and doesn’t know why and not sure if he wants to know why.

I love all the characters and how the story unfolds. The characters are solid and I felt I got to know them so well, well enough to care about them. Usually flashbacks in a story can be jarring but having this story told through Noor, Salahudin and Misbah (her tales of the past), were seamless and it flowed so well. As I read the story, I felt rage also – for Noor and Sal. Here are these two high school kids just trying to make the best of their lives. They are strong, they will do what it takes to either get out or keep their family afloat but it seems so lonesome for both of them. I felt like there was hardly anyone in their corner. I also love that this story wasn’t preachy on faith and the message here was that religion is there for comfort, for people to have when they need guidance through life because life is tough. There are so many hard times.

As mentioned above, this story is not light and fluffy. It’s full of despair, it’s raw and real and deals with tough things like drug dealing, drug addiction, racism, discrimination, abuse, death. I wanted to reach into the book and help Noor and Sal because they are just kids! Bless Misbah’s heart – she tried, that dear woman tried her best. They all did the best they could under all the circumstances.

Why you should read it:

a powerful story and wonderful Pakistanis and Muslim representation
it will break your heart and fill you with despair but the writing is so good and the characters are so real
getvto know Noor, Sal and Misbah’s story

Why you might not want to read it:

triggers everywhere so be in the right mood to read this one – a mood to have your heart broken and to rage at the world!

My Thoughts:

This story is a real look at the Pakistani immigrant experience and gives us a peek at the beautiful culture of the people, and the religion of Islam, especially through Misbah’s words, memories and actions. It’s a story about love – love of family, and falling in love with your best friend. It’s a story about many scary things that happen to good people also – drugs, death, abuse, making desperate choices and facing consequences. And also, it’s a story about hope and how to keep going when life doesn’t go as expected. This book is heartbreaking, captivating, and so powerful and definitely a must read.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quote from the Book:

I’ll survive this. I’ll live. But there’s a hole in me, never to be filled. Maybe that’s why people die of old age. Maybe we could live forever if we didn’t love so completely. But we do. And by the time old age comes, we’re filled with holes, so many that it’s too hard to breathe. So many that our insides aren’t even ours anymore. We’re just one big empty space, waiting to be filled by the darkness. Waiting to be free.|
-Sabaa Tahir, All My Rage

Shock has faded into numbness. But grief is an animal I know. It’s retreated for now. But it’ll be back.
-Sabaa Tahir, All My Rage

Because what religion—many religions, really—offers is comfort when it’s all too much. A reason for the pain. A hand in the darkness if we reach for it.”
-Sabaa Tahir, All My Rage

Sometimes we hold on to things we shouldn’t. People. Places. Emotions. We try to control all of it, when what we should be doing is trusting in something bigger.”
-Sabaa Tahir, All My Rage

Rage can fuel you. But grief gnaws at you slow, a termite nibbling at your soul until you’re a whisper of what you used to be.”
-Sabaa Tahir, All My Rage

You’ve Reached Sam by. Dustin Thao | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: You’ve Reached Sam

Author: Dustin Thao

Format: ebooks (borrowed)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 11/9/21

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Grief, Romance, Coming of Age

Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out—move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes.

Heartbroken, Julie skips his funeral, throws out his things, and tries everything to forget him and the tragic way he died. But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces back memories. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam’s cellphone just to listen to his voicemail.

And Sam picks up the phone.

In a miraculous turn of events, Julie’s been given a second chance at goodbye. The connection is temporary. But hearing Sam’s voice makes her fall for him all over again, and with each call it becomes harder to let him go. However, keeping her otherworldly calls with Sam a secret isn’t easy, especially when Julie witnesses the suffering Sam’s family is going through. Unable to stand by the sidelines and watch their shared loved ones in pain, Julie is torn between spilling the truth about her calls with Sam and risking their connection and losing him forever.

Content Warning: Grief, Death of Loved One

First off, I love this book cover, it’s so pretty and perfectly reflects the story. Julie and Sam had future plans but the future changes when Sam dies in a car accident.

Julie is grieving and grieving has many stages – we see Julie go through lot of them in this story about love, death and letting go. As a character Julie comes off as unlikable but what do we really know about her outside of grieving Sam? I’ve experienced grief but not in high school, when you are young and think life is so long. Some people see Julie as selfish for not attending any of Sam’s memorials or even the funeral, others know to give her space and maybe a break. Everyone grieves differently. I did find it kind of wild that she was trying to get rid of some of Sam’s things a week after he died. Like…I know we all grieve differently but wow, I couldn’t part with my late husband’s things after just a week, even if it was hard to look at it.

I thought talking with Sam through the phone was interesting. It definitely helped her get through some of the beginning stages of losing Sam but other than that, I didn’t see the point except when we hear Sam’s explanation. That part almost made the tears come – almost! I thought it would be super emotional for me but surprisingly, it wasn’t as heartbreaking as I thought it would be. I think it’s because there really wasn’t any conflict between Sam and Julie until the night of the accident, which sucks bad, but everyone can see how it was an accident and that they were crazy about one another. Strangely, I felt it was more meaningful when Sam got to talk to Mika and his brother, because they were having a hard time with his death.

As for Julie moving on – I didn’t feel like she really did have a life outside of Sam. Her connection to her friends wasn’t a strong one, the one she did seem close to, Mika (Sam’s cousin) – was someone she pushed away the moment Sam dies. I thought that sucked for Mika who clearly needed a friend and someone who knew Sam like she did. But the great thing about her is that she does try her best to move on with the help of Sam and her friends.

Why you should read it:

takes a look at grieving and the different ways people grieve
Sam and Julie’s sweet love story
see how Julie learns to move on

Why you might not want to read it:

didn’t really connect to the characters
at some points Julie comes off as unlikable but she’s grieving, she’s in high school on the verge of graduating and lost her first love in a tragic accident but she does come off as immature as times

My Thoughts:

For me this book was okay – I was expecting to be bawling my eyes out but I didn’t. In a way I’m relieved I didn’t cry my eyes out but I wanted to feel more than I did. This is a story that takes a look at grieving and moving on. Julie does move on, with a little help from Sam.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quote from the Book:

Letting go isn’t about forgetting. It’s balancing moving forward with life, and looking back from time to time, remembering the people in it.”
-Dustin Thao, You’ve Reached Sam

Book Lovers by. Emily Henry | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Book Lovers

Author: Emily Henry

Format: ebooks (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 5/3/22

Categories: Romance, Grief, Family, Books

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn’t see coming….

Nora Stephens’ life is books – she’s read them all – and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away – with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again – in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow – what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

Content Warning: Grief, Family Pressure, Death of Family Member

Nora and Charlie both work in the book publishing industry. She’s an agent and he’s an editor – their first meeting doesn’t go very well but when they run into each other in a small town, they get to spend time together. These two work so well together! I love their dialogue and banter, there was a delicious slow burn building and I like that they got to see each other around their own families. Because family means a LOT to them. I like that Charlie gets to know the Nora that no one else knows about – not even her sister, because she really needed someone in her corner.

So the romance between Nora and Charlie is a given because yes, this is clearly a romance story but on the other hand Nora feeling the pressures of taking care of her sister and dealing with all the trauma and grief she’s held onto since their mom passed away really is half the book. Nora is ridden with guilt, and hasn’t let go of the responsibility of taking care of her sister, Libby, even though her sister is a mom of 2, soon to be 3 kids. Nora is a pressure cooker ready to explode. I related to her in the grief though. I loved all her thoughts about her fears, her love for her sister and mother, her love of books and her thoughts about not being the type of woman who wants to have children, or wants to settle down in a small quiet town. I love that Nora is supposedly the one in a book without a happy ending. Thing is Nora knows herself so much that she doesn’t want the kind of happy ending that you normally see in books. Married with children. But I felt for Nora having all the fears and vulnerabilities that she has been carrying since her mom passed.

For me this was an uneven reading experience. I was in the groove, vibing with Nora and Charlie because they are falling for one another. Their banter is wonderful, the attraction is there and then the mood would dissipate because Nora would get into her head about her rules and goals and into the role of saving her sister – who didn’t actually need saving. It’s definitely more women’s fiction than a full-on romance novel. The person Nora loves the most in this book is her sister, and that was the relationship she was working on saving. Charlie was just an added bonus to her life. Speaking of Libby – why was it such a mystery where she was half of the day and why couldn’t Nora just ask her? Nora gave her lots of space and wouldn’t ever confront Libby but that was so frustrating especially because they are super close…or was. I also felt like we didn’t know much about Libby except through Nora’s eyes and she got some things wrong about her sister. Lots of miscommunication there.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was the book making process. Between Charlie, who’s an editor and Nora who is an agent – we get a little bit of an inside glimpse of how they interact with authors and I loved seeing all this behind the scenes action! Also – the book tropes just had me smiling. I love that Nora and Libby love books and tropes – because we all have our own favorites right?

Why you should read it:

Two bookish people falling for one another in a delicious slow burn, with great dialogue and banter
it’s emotional – Nora and Charlie have separate issues but it both deals with family
Nora and Libby’s sisterly love and bond
an homage to book lovers and the tropes we’ve come to love or dislike

Why you might not want to read it:

like I mentioned above, it gets emotional. Nora is trapped inside some mental anxieties that she has to push through, but it gets heavy. So if you want something light-hearted? This is not it.

My Thoughts:

I was expecting a light-hearted romance novel between two bookish people but ended up getting a somewhat heavy story about two bookish people falling in love and dealing with family issues. But I loved it! I felt for Nora. I loved her relationship with Libby and watching her fall in love with Charlie was beautiful. Nora thoughts are funny especially when she starts thinking in tropes! As a book lover myself, this one felt like an homage to book lovers. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Fabric of Chaos by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Fabric of Chaos (Curse of the Cyren, #3)

Author: Helen Scheuerer

Format: ebooks (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 4/1/22

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Adventure

An almighty power. A deadly choice. Will she come undone when chaos reigns?

After facing heart-breaking betrayals and jaw-dropping revelations in Akoris, Roh must steel herself once more and continue her quest to win the cyren throne.

But with poison lingering in her body and a new, unpredictable companion at her side, the trek to the mysterious territory of Csilla becomes all the more perilous. Dangerous schemes are afoot – ones that threaten not only the homeland Roh intends to rule, but all of cyrenkind.

As her journey stretches across the realm, Roh must navigate the dark web of her own ambition and master her newfound magic.

Will she triumph against the trials ahead – or sow the seeds of her own destruction?

More action-packed than ever, brimming with new secrets and a touch of romance, The Fabric of Chaos is the breathtaking third installment of Helen Scheuerer’s Curse of the Cyren Queen quartet.

Content Warning: Violence, Grief

I liked this one so much better than book two and almost gave it 5 stars but the slow burn is way too slow haha.

Roh and her group of friends travel to the next location to find the next gem for her crown. They take a harrowing journey to Csilla and encounter so much challenges and danger. When they get to Csilla we learn more about the past between Roh’s mother and the current queen. More secrets are revealed and this time we also get some backstory about the Water Warlocks and what atrocities their people were subjected to.

Roh has more character growth especially when it comes to finding her confidence, making the right decisions, and knowing who to trust. I love that the friendship between all of them has grown tighter.

As for the romance, finally something happens and my wait has come to an end at least. I do think the slow burn was way too slow and I had to wait for book three to get more action between Finn and Roh but I guess it was worth the wait. Of course then a twist in events once more makes Roh doubt herself. The torture for Roh is never-ending, she goes through a lot of turmoil in this book! I hope she gets a really good ending in the next and final book. But what I love about her is that she grows in each book in the series.

I do wish this series was a trilogy but I get with these kinds of series on Amazon that the release dates are a shorter wait than books from bigger publishers. I love that I don’t have to wait too long but also wish the story wouldn’t go on forever.

Why you should read it:

to continue the series – great story-telling
slow burn romance, finally we get some action between Roh and Finn
Roh’s character growth, lovable characters

Why you might not want to read it:

not into a long series…seems like it’s going to be a 4 books series – you might want to wait for the last book to be out and binge it

My Thoughts:

I love this installment to the series! It really had everything: action, danger, friendship, romance, plot twists, back story and it even ends really good! It setts up for an exciting conclusion in the next book I hope. I’ve come to love the characters and am rooting for Roh (queen or not) to make the best decisions and trust the small circle of found family around her. I look forward to reading the next book in the series and more from this author.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Bone Shard Daughter by. Andrea Stewart | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Bone Shard Daughter

Author: Andrea Stewart

Format: ebooks (own)

Pages: 438

Publication Date: 9/8/20

Publisher: Orbit

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+

The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands.

Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.

Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright – and save her people.

Content Warning: Death, Violence

This book was a pleasant surprise! I was drawn to the cover – because look at it, it looks amazing. And then I heard some good reviews about it so when I saw the ebook on sale on Amazon, I had to get it.

There are a few characters in this story, but the main ones for me are Lin and Jovis. Lin is the Emperor’s daughter and we learn her father is pitting her against his foster-son Bayan, to see who would be his rightful heir. Thing is the Emperor has an obsession. He makes constructs. These are creatures that are made, different animal parts put together to make a new creature. The construct is powered by a human part though – a bone shard taken from children. The Emperor claims these constructs are needed to keep the empire in order, but Lin knows something is wrong. I found the story about constructs so fascinating and so creative!

Outside of the palace, there is Jovis – a smuggler who is trying to pay down his debts and who has his own obsession – with a woman he loves and who went missing years ago. Since she has been gone he has been following clues to find her. I love his personality. He kind of reminded me of Aladdin (in the Disney movie lol) and he found a pet companion named Mephi. I loved their bond. Jovis definitely is that character that keeps the story moving and he gives us a tour of this world the story is set in. He travels to different islands and encounter the people that live so through him we get a lot of the setting.

The romance is between Phalue and Ramani. Phalue is a governor’s daughter, Ramani is a commoner and a rebel. They love one another but Ramani is trying to make Phalue see the plight of the people around them. I’m glad someone had a happy ending in this book because Jovis missing his love, Lin wanting her father’s love…it was tough for a lot of the characters.

Now this story is dark because the bone shards they use for the constructs come from children. There is a ceremony where a child’s shard is taken. The Emperor is like a mad scientist, he’s creating creatures and he doesn’t care about anything else. There are a few reveals in the end which sets up the sequel.

There are some questions I still have about the constructs – because it’s not futuristic, the constructs have instructions written on their shards. And how is it the Emperor is the only one who repairs this many constructs around the empire? There are a bunch of islands in this empire…so I just had a few questions. Maybe there will be more answers in book two?

Why you should read it:

original and creative story about constructs and bone shards
great world building and lots of action, especially if Jovis was telling his side of the story
LGBTQ+ romance rep
bond between Jovis and Mephi (love Mephi)

Why you might not want to read it:

not into high fantasy

My Thoughts:

This story has a lot going on but I thought the author did a good job balancing it all. There are multiple POVs, romance, action, plot twists and detailed world building. I was intrigued with the constructs, and the characters. It’s an entertaining story and I’m eager to read book two to see what happens next!

📚 ~ Yolanda

Ebonwilde by. Crystal Smith | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Ebonwilde (Blood Leaf #3)

Author: Crystal Smith

Format: ebook (owned)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 4/12/22

Publisher: HMH Books For Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Romance

Get ready to be swept away, seduced, and swindled in the wickedly vicious third and final installment in the Bloodleafseries that Laura Sebastian called “enchanting, visceral, and twisty.”

Welcome to Ebonwilde. Come and find me.

Aurelia’s last words haunted Zan. Left with the task of finding and reviving Princess Aurelia, Zan sets off on his own adventure to find her and return the gift she sacrificed for him—her life. But not all is what it seems, and Ebonwilde is more dangerous than anyone can predict.

Content Warning: Death, Violence

I’m not sure what I was expecting with the end of this series but this one surprised me, sometimes not in a good way.

I love the twists and turns but that came mostly at the ending. I like how the story was resolved and loose ends were tied up. I even liked how everyone is separated but come together to defeat the villain and make everything right. Some people get happy endings, others get a bad deal.

The thing I didn’t really enjoy was the timeline jumping. I understand why it happened, because Zan can basically time jump in the Gray. So there are many things going on at one time, kind of like the webs that the Spinner has to deal with. I did like that parallel. But it could get confusing at times. There is a Then, Now, 1620, 1921 (10 days before Midwinter…etc…)…and it was hard to follow at times. I wish it was a bit more straightforward but that’s what happens with time jumping!

Also, the love triangle bit was breaking my heart. I refused to believe it was happening and was thinking, this cannot end this way! Why now? I was getting upset. There were people dying that I didn’t want to die. Of course you have to read and find out what happens in the end and it is beautiful how it ends but I think it took a confusing way to get to there.

The thing I love about this series is the mythology and questions about power and how it affects people. I found this particular book fascinating because it touched on present day issues like like when a virus ravages a community. Or when a radical figure uses his power influence a group of people and cause chaos.

It was always about Aurelia in the beginning and her choices. Now we know why but I did like that in this last book, it took all of them, a collective effort, not just Aurelia, to save humanity. I like that we get to see other characters and their relationships. I loved all the reveals – but they really did come all at the end.

Why you should read it:

to finish the series
great world building and the story did tie up loose ends
love how the characters are complex, each has a role, and our heroine isn’t perfect

Why you might not want to read it:

first part is slow because many different perspectives and timelines happening
a love triangle (but read it to find out what happens)

My Thoughts:

I loved that this book tied up the loose ends and really did a nice job ending the series. I just wish it wasn’t such a confusing timeline for me – but that could be my fault for not rereading book two. I recommend doing so, so you are reacquainted with the whole cast of characters. I didn’t like the love triangle because it was so sad and bittersweet. The ending of this book was an emotional rollercoaster with twists and turns and your faves are not guaranteed to survive. I’m glad I got to finish this series. Book two was my favorite of the three, but I really did love all the reveals in book three.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

Hope was such a pernicious, perilous thing. A rope to promised safety that could lead instead to the brink of a chasm, with no quarter for retreat or net to catch your fall.”
– Crystal Smith, Ebonwilde

And I will keep choosing you, every day, every hour, every minute, for as long as I live.”
– Crystal Smith, Ebonwilde

Everything that had ever separated us, every lie, every loss, every hurt, mistake, and misunderstanding, now became what dragged us back to one another.”
– Crystal Smith, Ebonwilde

I don’t believe that who we are is ever set in stone. We are transitory creatures—every day, we wake up as someone new, changed just a little bit by the experiences of the day before. Who we were is always a part of us, but it doesn’t determine who we are, nor who we can still become.
– Crystal Smith, Ebonwilde

Castles in Their Bones by. Laura Sebastian | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Castles in Their Bones

Author: Laura Sebastian

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 514

Publication Date: 2/1/22

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Kingdom Politics, Fantasy

A spellbinding story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown. Immerse yourself in the first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the author of the New York Times bestselling Ash Princess series.

Empress Margaraux has had plans for her daughters since the day they were born. Princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz will be queens. And now, age sixteen, they each must leave their homeland and marry their princes.

Beautiful, smart, and demure, the triplets appear to be the perfect brides—because Margaraux knows there is one common truth: everyone underestimates a girl. Which is a grave mistake. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz are no innocents. They have been trained since birth in the arts of deception, seduction, and violence with a singular goal—to bring down monarchies— and their marriages are merely the first stage of their mother’s grand vision: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vesteria.

The princesses have spent their lives preparing, and now they are ready, each with her own secret skill, and each with a single wish, pulled from the stars. Only, the stars have their own plans—and their mother hasn’t told them all of hers.

Life abroad is a test. Will their loyalties stay true? Or will they learn that they can’t trust anyone—not even each other?

Content Warning: Death, Violence

This gave me Three Dark Crown vibes and sometimes The Bridge Kingdom but way less dark and intense.

I liked the three sisters and their back stories. They were born to be wives of Princes in neighboring kingdoms with plans of their mother taking over each kingdom. That is the plan, but when the girls are aways from their mother – plans start to change.

Sophronia, is the soft hearted one and already half in love with her Prince. Beatriz, is the pretty one and placed in the most extravagant kingdom. Daphne, is the cunning and cold one and she’s place in the most northern kingdom which lacks a lot of comforts and luxuries her homeland of Bessimia is known for. It did take a moment to get each girl and their personalities situated in my head. I had to make sure who’s perspective I was reading, by checking each chapter title.

I think the story moved very evenly between the three perspectives which was really nice but I think I wanted a bit more intensity. I wanted the stakes to feel high for these sisters but I didn’t quite feel it. They knew their duties and knew their own personalities, so it played out how their mom anticipated. There is very limited romance in the story, lots of political intrigue and betrayal.

I did like the magic system of the wishes but would like to learn more about it and the stardust. I was definitely captured by the story and kept reading to see what would happen next.

The twist in the end made me a bit sad but I feel liked Daphne’s story will be one to watch. Will she help her sisters or follow her mom’s plan? It ends in a cliffhanger of course so I feel like I have to read book two just to know what Daphne will do.

Why you should read it:

court politics
it’s got stardust magic, and sisters meant to infiltrate other kingdoms
entertaining story

Why you might not want to read it:

the story didn’t wow me – but try it out if you like court politics!

My Thoughts:

Perfect for fans of kingdoms and court politics. Like I said in the beginning it had the Three Dark Crowns vibe but with a little Bridge Kingdom (the sisters infiltrating other kingdoms). I loved the bond of the sisters and it was interesting to see how each would carry out their plans in the places they were sent. There is little romance, lots of betrayal and a cliff hanger ending. Will definitely be reading book two to see what happens next.

📚 ~ Yolanda

I Must Betray You by. Ruta Sepetys | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: I Must Betray You

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 321

Publication Date: 2/1/22

Publisher: Penguin

Categories: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Communism, Romania

Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force.

Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.

Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?

Content Warning: Death, Violence, Torture

It’s 1989 and the Berlin Wall has come down (I remember watching that on TV), and all around Romania it seems that the Iron Curtain is coming down. As a young kid I only knew what I saw on TV but this book right here gives me an insider view that is really amazing. What I love about this author is her research – it is always so in depth. It’s one of the reasons I love adult historical fiction but as a young adult fiction, she really does such a fantastic job of capturing historical events through the eyes of young people.

Cristi or Cristian is just a 17 year old kid living in Romania. His whole community, the whole country in fact is under surveillance of the government. Say anything bad about their leader and the Securitae will come after them – just like how they were coming for Cristi’s grandfather who is very outspoken about their leader, Nicolae Ceaușescu. But the way Romania is under surveillance is the sad part – it is country men informing on one another – but they do it so they can survive the dire conditions in Romania. Can you imagine living somewhere with barely heat in freezing winters and not being to trust anyone around you? The outside world doesn’t know how they go to school six days a week, how everything they watch on tv is state run, or how they are barely surviving on scheduled rations. To get any good services or products in the community you have to barter with a pack of Kents cigarettes! And Cristi loves his grandfather, and he wants to do anything to help him out even if that means betraying someone. But Cristi finds out the truth about who is betraying who in his life.

I liked Cristi and glad he had the influence of his brave grandfather. I loved the hopeful message of first love with a girl at school Lilliana, even in such tough times. You can feel Cristi’s despair and frustration at the government and his yearning to do something impactful, even at the cost of his life. I think this story resonates so much because of current events happening between Ukraine and Russia.

The only issue I had was the ending part when the revolution started and then it ended – I thought it was too fast. The story is a build up to it with the distrust around Cristi, it’s a slow beginning but I’m glad we got a sense of how dire it was in Romania but I would have like more of the revolution part because it is so inspiring. The epilogue is fantastic as we learn about the secret files the Securitae kept on all the surveillance going on in Romania. It is truly astounding the lengths the government went through to keep people in line, keep people in fear and separated from the outside world.

As always with historical fiction we get a bit more extra information from the author in the notes. I always love seeing that in the author’s notes.

Why you should read it:

learn about Romania in 1989, know how they lived – it’s an important story
it’s inspiring and relates to current events
you love historical fiction and beautiful writing

Why you might not want to read it:

not into historical fiction

My Thoughts:

Ruta Sepetys is a must read author for me because I learn something every time I read one of her books. I was so young when this moment in time happened in Romania so to look back now and read it as an adult, it makes me realize that I missed a lot of information or was too young to understand what has happening thousands of miles away from me. It’s important to hear these stories and she does a great service by telling them with her beautiful writing.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

Paradise: If communism is Paradise, why do we need barriers, walls, and laws to keep people from escaping?”
― Ruta Sepetys, I Must Betray You

“Mistrust is a form of terror. The regime pits us against one another”
― Ruta Sepetys, I Must Betray You

How could we expect others to feel our pain or hear our cries for help when all we could do was whisper ?”
― Ruta Sepetys, I Must Betray You

Your father’s hungry, Cristian, literally and figuratively. Ration cards in the 1980s? We had more food during World War II,” complained Bunu. “Do you see the lunacy of all this? They’ve got us brainwashed, standing in lines for hours, grateful for rotten beans. But what is the cost of self-worth?”
― Ruta Sepetys, I Must Betray You

Ace of Spades by. Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Ace of Spades

Author: Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 6/1/21

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Categories: Young Adult, Racism, Prep School, Romance, Mystery, Thriller

An incendiary and utterly compelling thriller with a shocking twist that delves deep into the heart of institutionalized racism, from an exceptional new YA voice.

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students’ dark secrets to light.

Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can’t escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn’t afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power.

Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they’re planning much more than a high-school game…

Content Warning: Death, Violence, Racism, Suicidal Ideation

This one really surprised me!

When I started reading this, I thought, okay some prep school drama is going down. Who is spreading this malicious gossip? I was in on the mystery, trying to figure who could be the culprit and without giving major spoilers – let’s just say I was totally off. The author did such a good job dropping a bomb on me when the big reveal happens.

So obviously the beginning was slow because it’s a mystery. We meet out two main characters, Chiamaka who is half Nigerian/half Italian. Devon is a black boy who lives in a rough neighborhood, he’s there at Niveus Academy on scholarship. Chiamaka is the most popular girl in school with aspirations for Yale. Devon is a musician with hopes to get into Julliard and everything is going so well their Senior year…until they are not. Someone called Aces is spreading some details about their lives to their fellow student body and all of it is about to ruin their lives and future – unless they find out who’s doing it. That’s all I can say!

Chiamaka is bi as we find out later on in the book. Chiamaka is a strong girl because although she’s biracial, her parents have money. So she fit in more easily with everyone at the school whereas Devon kept his head down and stayed out of the limelight. Devon is gay and the boy he loves is gay too, but he’s a drug dealer and hangs out in a crowd that isn’t accepting of his sexuality. Devon suffers a lot for being gay from being beaten when he was a kid, to having his heart broken because the boy he loves can’t openly love him. I really felt for Devon and connected to him more. I was invested in his love life more than Chiamaka’s.

The reveal in the end is jaw dropping and eye opening. The story talks about institutionalized racism and it touches on so many different issues – legacy, affirmative action, Chiamaka trying to impress everyone by being what they want her to be, Devon trying to make bad choices just to sruvive. I love that Chiamaka and Devon fight back though and there is an epilogue – 16 years later! Loved that ending!

Why you should read it:

it’s a mystery-thriller but with an unexpected twist
great LGBT representation and characters (mostly Devon)
important book about racism

Why you might not want to read it:

not into prep school drama – mysteries can be kinda boring in the beginning – I thought this was just going to be some mean girl drama/with kids dealing with the pressure of climbing to the top of the social/academic chain, etc (but it is MORE than that)

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this story! I like how it kept me on my toes and surprised me in the end. I really connected to Devon and was invested in his story. I look forward to reading more books from this author!

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

This world isn’t ideal. This world, our world, the one with houses as crooked as the people in them. Broken people, broken by the way the world works.”
― Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé , Ace of Spades

I look at him and I think about how we don’t know the people we think we know at all.”
― Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé , Ace of Spades

This Woven Kingdom by. Tahereh Mafi | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: This Woven Kingdom

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 2/1/22

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Jinn, Romance

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.

The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.

Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people—bestselling author Tahereh Mafi’s first in an epic, romantic trilogy inspired by Persian mythology.

Content Warning: Death, Violence, Abuse

First, this cover – it is gorgeous. Second, this is from Tahereh Mafi and I loved the Shatter Me series because of Warner lol. So I was very excited to see what This Woven Kingdom was about and hope there was some new tortured boy to fall in love with.

I got Cinderella vibes from this one but more sinister and infused with Persian mythology. The world building is detailed and the writing is lyrical. The romance is swoon-worthy if you are into insta-attraction and yes…I am into it haha.

As far as the characters are concerned, Alizeh is struggling to survive but she is strong, determined, has powers because she is a Jinn and still has her weaknesses like being afraid of the dark. She was a bit of a contradiction. She is powerful with her Jinn powers and a Queen in hiding at that, she even killed people…yet she is constantly abused by the head maid. Kamran is an arrogant and spoiled prince, but one who is trapped in his own misery at court and under his grandfather’s eye. He never seems to live up to the King’s expectations, no matter how many battles he is sent off to fight and when he meets Alizeh, it muddies the situation even more.

The beginning moved a bit too slow for me. I know it’s because we are being introduced to the characters, the setting, the history of the Jinn and Clay people in this kingdom. The devil, Iblees, speaks to Alizeh in the beginning but we don’t really know why. She’s in hiding, that much is clear, but soon she is found by Kamran, who is the prince of Ardunia, and that causes a lot of problems. But for the first half of the book, nothing much happens except Alizeh getting hurt and running away and Kamran trying to find her and figure out if she’s a spy from another kingdom. The second half of the book moves much faster and there are a few twists and turns that was really exciting.

Why you should read it:

the romance is swoon worthy, it’s an enemies to lovers/forbidden love type of deal but definitely with instant attraction – now I’m not sure how the sequel will go and if this could possibly be a love triangle? not sure…but Alizeh and Kamran are electric together
Persian mythology, Jinn, Iblees, magic
cinderella vibes

Why you might not want to read it:

it’s the same trope: special girl, prince who is miserable with his life, theirs is a forbidden kind of attraction – if you aren’t into those tropes, this won’t be for you
slow beginning

My Thoughts:

This was more of a 3.5 star read for me but the ending bumped it up to a 4. The beginning was slow but it does pick up and the second half has action. I definitely want to read book two because of that ending. I do hope Alizeh meets a female character she can trust and befriend in the next book because friendly females were lacking in this story. If you want a story like Cinderella but with Persian mythology, Jinns, magic, romance, and a dragon….then you will enjoy this one.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

I haven’t the slightest idea what we’re doing,” he said softly. “Though if you mean to take me captive, you need only ask. I would come willingly.”
― Tahereh Mafi, This Woven Kingdom

You have consumed my thoughts since the moment I met you,” he said to her. “I feel now, in your presence, entirely strange. I think I might fetch you the moon if only to spare your tears again.”
― Tahereh Mafi, This Woven Kingdom