Book Review | Patron Saints of Nothing

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Patron Saints of Nothing

Author: Randy Ribay

Format: Hardcover (won from Bookishfirst)

Pages: 323

Categories: Mystery, Own Voices, Philippines, Politics, Family, Young Adult, Grief, Identity

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from Bookishfirst in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

A powerful coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin’s murder.

Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte’s war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.

Hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death, Jay is forced to reckon with the many sides of his cousin before he can face the whole horrible truth — and the part he played in it.

As gripping as it is lyrical, Patron Saints of Nothing is a page-turning portrayal of the struggle to reconcile faith, family, and immigrant identity.

Thank you to Kokila and BookishFirst for giving me a chance to win a copy of this book.

Patron Saints of Nothing made me mad, laugh and cry. This story took me on an emotional rollercoaster and one I wasn’t expecting. I heard amazing reviews of this book, but I didn’t think I needed tissues!

Jay is a teenage Filipino-American boy, his dad is Filipino, mom is caucasian and though Jay was born in the Philippines he has lived in Michigan since he was very little. He receives news that his cousin Jun in the Philippines is dead and no one in the family wants to talk about it. Jun had a past and the rumor is he was a drug addict. With President Duterte in power in the Philippines drug users and drug pushers are fair game on the streets. Police are allowed to kill them, no arrest or trial needed. Jay feels like he needs to find out the truth about Jun, but as he searches for clues, Jay realizes he has a lot to learn about the Motherland, his family, Jun and himself.

“Truth is a hungry thing.”
Patron Saints of Nothing by. Randy Ribay

It’s a Filipino story – but not everyone’s filipino story, but for me, it was close enough. As the author says, “Truth is a hungry thing“, and as I kept reading this story my hunger for Filipino history increased along with Jay’s. Jay is half filipino, half white (like my own children) and though his experience was clearly different from mine a lot of the book was still nostalgic to me and recognizable in my own life story.
The emotions this book invoked in me were strong and so unexpected. The characters in this book, like Jay’s dad, his uncles and grandparents – I recognize them. They are in my family. The hard uncle, the cousins, the gay aunts and the family dynamics. I get it and it just brought the tears, especially when Jay tries to find his voice to stand up to his uncle, or when they finally celebrate Jun’s life, the grief just made me lose it in the end.
There are so many issues brought up in this book: the drug war in the Philippines started by President Duterte, the outside perspective coming from Jay the American, the family drama, the guilt, the differences of the USA and Philippines, the HISTORY of the Philippines, finding ones identity when they aren’t raised in the Philippines, dealing with truth that hurts, family dynamics between Jay and his “american” family vs his filipino family, and Jun’s pursuit to do the right things-to be a good person. This book brought it all and questions many things.
This story is unapologetic and powerful in a quiet way. This book spoke to me on all kinds of levels. My kids need to read this book someday, I want my husband to read it, I already have a friend lined up to read it now that I’m done.
The setting of the Philippines is spot on and I swear I could smell the Philippine air as I read this. I’ve only been there officially three times, but technically only remember 2 visits because I was a baby the first time. “It was a day of soil, sunlight, and smoke.” That’s the first line of the book and right away I had a visual of a morning in the Ilocos Norte country side, the sun rising above the greenery and smoke in my nostrils. My soul said YESSSSSS, when I read that first line.
I loved Jun’s letters. It gave us insight into his home life and how he felt deeply about the issues in his country. You could tell he was a sensitive soul with an insensitive father who didn’t understand him. But that whole “parents not understanding their child” thing resonated with me too. I understood Jay’s lack of relationship with his father (totally get this) and I understood Jun’s desire to run away from his overbearing/judmental/controlling father (totally get this too 😒).

The budding romance in the story probably wasn’t needed but it’s not an untrue experience. And it was pretty innocent – they held hands.
Trigger Warning: animal dies. Or should I say killed? But even just saying that…it’s not just a killing. It’s more than that – it’s one paragraph of the book but again it packed a punch because it is reminiscent of my childhood where I watched my grandma kill a chicken for dinner. The goat, yes…I’ve heard many goats die in my childhood. And yes we have grocery stores in Hawaii, but my grandma was as Filipino old school as they come. You couldn’t take the farm life out of her! But the description of the kill comes in a letter from Jun who says now what used to not bother him, bothers him…and it sets off another dispute between him and his father.

I wish I had this book when I was a teenager. It makes my heart happy that there will be a book that my kids, who are half Filipino, will be able to identify with when they are old enough to read this. I know there will be even more for them to read because the diversity of stories coming out in the young adult genre world is amazing and I absolutely applaud that.

Patron Saints of Nothing gutted me and ignited me. I cannot stop thinking about it. It’s made me hungrier for truth. It’s made me grateful that I asked my grandparents about their past before they died, I wish I asked more. I told my son yesterday to ask his grandparents QUESTIONS about their life in the Philippines. Ask them about their childhood, ask them what they did for fun, ask because it is important to know. I’ll eventually bring my own kids there and they can have their own experiences.

This is a book about family, grief, history, the drug war in the Philippines and finding one’s identity. But also, it is MORE. It’s a story about my people and I’m very proud to know this book is out there in the world.

“I expected the truth to illuminate, to resurrect. Not to ruin.”
Patron Saints of Nothing by. Randy Ribay

Book Review | With the Fire On High

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: With the Fire on High

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 392

Categories: Coming of Age, Young Adult, Food, Romance, Teenage Parent, Contemporary

Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.

Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it’s not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.

This book gave me the FEELS I wasn’t expecting! And yes, I may be a little biased because I was pleasantly delighted when finding out as I was reading it was set in North Philly (Philadelphia). My husband grew up just outside Philadelphia and my mother in law still lives there. I remember the North Philly area when my husband drove me around and yes even my hubby would tell me about how rough a neighborhood North Philly is. So I’m glad I got another view of it through this wonderful book! Plus look at that lush cover. 😍

Emoni Santiago is a teen mom making ends meet by working a part-time job and going to highs chool full-time. With the help of her grandmother, or abuela, and even help from her daughter’s father, it seems like she’s balancing things pretty good until the question of her future keeps bothering her. She wants to be a chef, but can she do college, raise a child, work and still reach her dreams? An opportunity arises in school that she just can’t pass up and she takes on more than she expected. Can Emoni rise to the challenge?

Emoni is pretty mature for a teenager because she’s had to grow up faster under her circumstances. She coparents with her ex-boyfriend but he only has their daughter for a few days so she’s the main parent most of the time. When dealing with her daughter’s father and his mom, she was very patient. The story covers a lot of Emoni’s internal struggles and questions – is she allowed to still dream big while caring for her child? What is the right path for her after graduation? She also has feelings about missing a mother she never knew and needing a father who doesn’t want to stay. Thank goodness she had her abuela to raise her and who helps raise her daughter Emma. And what about dating? Is it okay for Emoni to like someone else or because she’s a mom now, she’s not allowed? So many questions, some she can’t answer so what does she do – she cooks. She pours all of herself into her cooking and it has magical results for the people eating her recipes.

And not everything is impossible for Emoni in this story, it just seems that way but opportunities come to her. It was only about having the courage to take them. She has a chance to learn more about cooking through an elective at school and she also meets a boy, Malachi, who is a “friend-but not friend-but you know they are going to be more than friends”…and I was a such sucker for the author throwing in a reference to my favorite song from one of my favorite hip hop groups, The Roots…who is yes…from Philly. You got me. My heart melted at that. It’s a super cute slow burn romance for Malachi and Emoni.

This book felt way real to me. I grew up in the 90’s and it felt like teenage pregnancy was rampant around me. I grew up with friends and family who were teenage mothers and fathers. I saw my friends work and juggle going to school, many of them skipping college to go straight to a job. And I will say all of them are success stories! So I felt this book was realistic.

I think that’s why I love how happy this book made me feel in the end. Emoni has support from her abuela, her ex and in the end even her father comes through. And her best friend Angelica was amazing as well, giving her the emotional support she needed. There was LGBT+ representation in this book with Angelica and her girlfriend Lauren, cultural diversity with Emoni being Afro-Latinx and a whole lot of Philly love. (Go Eagles! 😁)

Overall this is a feel good story about food, family, courage, overcoming struggle, and going after your dreams and passions. I love this book!

Book Review | Broken Knight

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Broken Knight

Author: L.J. Shen

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 367

Categories: Coming of Age, New Adult, Romance, Drug Abuse, Sexual Situations

Not all love stories are written the same way. Ours had torn chapters, missing paragraphs, and a bittersweet ending.

Luna Rexroth is everyone’s favorite wallflower.

Sweet.
Caring.
Charitable.
Quiet.
Fake.
Underneath the meek, tomboy exterior everyone loves (yet pities) is a girl who knows exactly what, and who, she wants—namely, the boy from the treehouse who taught her how to curse in sign language.
Who taught her how to laugh.
To live.
To love.
Knight Cole is everyone’s favorite football hero.
Gorgeous.
Athletic.
Rugged.
Popular.
Liar.

This daredevil hell-raiser could knock you up with his gaze alone, but he only has eyes for the girl across the street: Luna.

But Luna is not who she used to be. She doesn’t need his protection anymore.
When life throws a curveball at All Saints’ golden boy, he’s forced to realize not all knights are heroes.

Sometimes, the greatest love stories flourish in tragedy.

Broken Knight is the second book in the All Saints High series by L.J. Shen was actually one I was looking forward to because of Luna. When Luna appeared in book one, Pretty Reckless, I was fascinated with her because she’s mute.

And this book started off cute with childhood memories of Knight Cole and Luna Rexroth and I was feeling all soft about them and my heart was saying “awww“, you know? They are the meant-to-be type of love, come on, you know those. So things looked promising. Then it would go back into present day and I was like…ugh….

It is a new adult novel, because though Knight and his friends are in high school, they live pretty fast when it comes to sex and girls. Knight is the quarterback on the high school football team, the girls love him, but he loves Luna – except…she doesn’t know it since he has girls hanging around him all the time. Luna is a year older than Knight and about to start college, and she’s always loved Knight, but knows about his reputation. She is a selective mute due to some severe anxiety and traumatic experiences in her childhood. She and Knight have been best friends since…forever. So why can’t they figure out how to get together?

Drama. Angst. Lots and lots of it.

Usually, I’m ready for the broken characters from this author, she’s known for them in her books. But I think this book was angst overload. Or am I just too old for this book, or series because these are high school “kids”. I think at one point in my life, I would have gobbled this book up – but I’m in a stage of being over BS. 😂 If the point of the book was the message that LIFE IS SHORT…then damn it, Luna and Knight could have figured out how to be honest with each other since day one, I think.

They both love each other, but they have that back and forth relationship, you know what I’m talking about? They miscommunicate, then Knight takes his revenge on Luna, then Luna does something because she assumes (but do I blame her for thinking Knight is a sleeping around? Hell no.) The characters are young, coming of age and dealing with a lot of things outside of each other. Anyway for two people who are the supposedly the best of friends and communicate without words so well…it was frustrating to see them not be on the same page when it came to one another.

I didn’t read Knight’s parents’ story which is Ruckus. But I felt like I caught up on it by reading the book. That part of the story was sad, but even then I didn’t even shed a tear because the back and forth with Knight and Luna was too much for me. I read past midnight and realized, damn, the story had 10% to go and you know what? I shut my fire tablet down. I was done for the night…I didn’t want more back and forth, I was tired. Usually with 10% to go, I power through…not with this one.

I picked it up the next day and yeah…the ending was bittersweet with a happily ever after but I didn’t feel happy. I’m glad it came to an end. Glad Luna and Knight figured things out – they got the sex figured out for sure. It did make me wonder what will happen with Dixie, Knight’s real mom…her story was sad and the way Knight treated her at times made me want to slap him. I wanted to slap a lot of people in this book. 🤣

If you are a fan of characters that are broken, hot messes (I will admit that guy on the book cover is pretty hot 🤷🏻‍♀️)…with tons of angst, you will definitely like this book. For me it was just okay, I may read Vaughn’s story – it’s kinda interesting already, but I have no interest in Hunter’s story haha. We shall see, this is probably a mood read kind of thing for me, so that will probably determine if I continue the series.

Book Review | Happy Messy Scary Love

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Happy Messy Scary Love

Author: Leah Konen

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 267

Categories: Romance, Coming of Age, Young Adult, Contemporary

As everyone at her Brooklyn high school announces their summer adventures, Olivia harbors a dirty secret: Her plan is to binge-watch horror movies and chat with her online friend, Elm. Olivia and Elm have never shared personal details, apart from their ages and the fact that Elm’s aunt is a low-budget horror filmmaker. Then Elm pushes Olivia to share her identity and sends her a selfie of his own. Olivia is shocked by how cute he is! In a moment of panic, assuming she and Elm will never meet in real life, she sends a photo of her gorgeous friend Katie. But things are about to get even more complicated when Olivia’s parents send her to the Catskills, and she runs into the one person she never thought she would see. This sweet and funny summertime romance is perfect for fans of Love and Gelato and The Unexpected Everything.

Happy Messy Scary Love is a cute, light-hearted, young adult romance about a horror movie fan named Olivia who unexpectedly meets her online friend and fellow horror lover, Elm. Instead in real life his name is Jake. There’s a bit of unintentional catfishing going on and yeah, all Olivia needed to do was come clean, but….well, we all have fears right?

Olivia pretty much has a good life, attends an amazing school in Brooklyn, and has cool friends. The only problem she has really is deciding what to do after she didn’t get into NYU. I did relate to her when she didn’t believe in herself enough to start writing the horror movie screenplay she’s been dying to write. When everyone around her seem so focused and ambitious, she flounders and feels like a loser, which is harsh – but haven’t we all been there? Especially in our teen years? Eventually, Olivia learns a few things about being brave at her new summer job and along with Jakes help, starts to believe in herself again.

The romance between Jake and Olivia is cute, and clearly built on lies – but I was rooting for the situation to have a happy ending. It’s rare you see a couple in a book bonding over horror movies, but I enjoyed that and thought it was refreshing! I’m too afraid to watch horror movies, but I grew up in the 80’s and was forced to watch horror movies because of my older male cousins. And even though I hated it, my favorite was Poltergeist. 👻 I know horror movies have come a long way since then!

This book clocks in at under 300 pages, so I got through it in one night. Overall, I thought it was a quick, cute and fun story, suited for horror movie fans and non-fans as well.

Book Review | The Storm Keeper’s Island

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Storm Keeper’s Island

Author: Catherine Doyle

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Categories: Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy, Magic

When Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore Island, it begins to stir beneath his feet …

Once in a generation, Arranmore Island chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its power and keep its magic safe from enemies. The time has come for Fionn’s grandfather, a secretive and eccentric old man, to step down. Soon, a new Keeper will rise.

But, deep underground, someone has been waiting for Fionn. As the battle to become the island’s next champion rages, a more sinister magic is waking up, intent on rekindling an ancient war.

There is magic in memory.”
The Storm keeper’s island by. catherine doyle

I don’t read any or many middle grade books only because they never interested me much once I was out of middle grade, and that’s been…years. 😂

But I love Catherine Doyle’s Blood for Blood series so much, and I miss reading something from her so after seeing awesome reviews of her middle grade series I finally borrowed it at the library. I was not disappointed!

Fionn Boyle is staying at his grandfather’s house on Arranmore Island and he finds out all is not what it seems with the island or his grandfather. Fionn learns about the island, about magic and being a Storm Keeper, and the legend of Dagda a sorcerer and Morrigan a villain who remade people into Soulstalkers! The world building is creative and so fascinating! Candles that hold memories? 😱

But Fionn is dealing with other things like not having a father and since he was sent to his grandfather, not having a mother for the moment as well. It hurts watching Fionn question his worth and not having anyone he can turn to. I love, love, love watching his relationship with his grandfather grow.

“Bravery is just a matter of forgetting to be afraid, Fionn. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
the storm keeper’s island by. catherine doyle

And yes it’s one of those stories where I kept writing down quotes because they are inspirational not only for Fionn but for me too and anyone else who is reading the series. The journey of finding ourselves at Fionn’s age does take bravery. There are some heart-wrenching parts in this story especially when it comes to Fionn and memories in the candles that he experiences. I won’t lie, it made me a bit emotional.

“Often the journeys we take inside ourselves are more difficult than the stormiest seas.”
the storm keeper’s island by. catherine doyle

Did I say I love Catherine Doyle’s writing? Because I really do and I look forward to reading the sequel and anything else she writes! The Storm Keeper’s Island is an inspirational story about magic, family, and a boy’s journey to overcome his fears.

Book Review | Don’t Date Rosa Santos

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Don’t Date Rosa Santos

Author: Nina Moreno

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 336

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

Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that’s what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you’re a boy with a boat.

But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a hurricane. Between Port Coral, the quirky South Florida town they call home, and Cuba, the island her abuela refuses to talk about.

As her college decision looms, Rosa collides – literally – with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?

Rosa Santos is supposedly cursed because the women in her family, her abuela (grandmother) and mother, have had devastating events with their loved ones and the sea.

The real curse is the fears that has lived with these women all their lives. The curse is on the verge of breaking them apart.

Rosa is trying to find her way to Cuba, and has chosen a college out of state, far from her abuela. Her grandmother has been her guardian for as long as she can remember, since her mom is always gone, and Rosa is afraid her school choice will anger her abuela. Rosa is that type A person who piles everything on her plate and can get things done! Like the festival they are throwing to help raise money for their town, she is hands-on, a leader and knows her way around planning. Working on the festival also throws her into the path of Alex Aquino, the cute guy that works down at the docks. A boy with a boat – oh no!

Between the curse, wanting to go to Cuba, her issues with her abuela and her mom – Rosa has a lot to juggle. This start off as a light-hearted contemporary young adult novel with some romance, though the romance is actually a slow burn. Alex and Rosa are so cute together. But the real love story resolves around Rosa and her family.

This story is rich in Port Coral life in Florida, Cuban culture (whatever Mimi was cooking I wanted to eat!), and even a little witchcraft. I loved getting to know a little more about Cuba through Mimi. Mimi, her abuela, had to live with her fears and nightmares about her experience fleeing Cuba – trying to protect Rosa from what she went through. I felt for all these Santos women.

And can I just say I love this Port Coral community and how they have these meetings and everyone knows each other. I love the support Rosa has through the community. Of course it sucks to have the small town gossip, because it’s what’s kept her mother away from that town, but overall, they watch over Rosa and it’s sweet.

This book was fun, heart-breaking, emotional and a journey in healing also. Also, I just have to mention I loved the flower details on the pages, it gave it such a summer, tropical vibe.

ARC Review | Our Wayward Fate

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Our Wayward Fate

Author: Gloria Chao

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: October 15, 2019

Categories: Family, Folklore, Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Seventeen-year-old Ali Chu knows that as the only Asian person at her school in middle-of-nowhere Indiana, she must be bland as white toast to survive. This means swapping her congee lunch for PB&Js, ignoring the clueless racism from her classmates and teachers, and keeping her mouth shut when people wrongly call her Allie instead of her actual name, pronounced Āh-lěe, after the mountain in Taiwan.

Her autopilot existence is disrupted when she finds out that Chase Yu, the new kid in school, is also Taiwanese. Despite some initial resistance due to the “they belong together” whispers, Ali and Chase soon spark a chemistry rooted in competitive martial arts, joking in two languages, and, most importantly, pushing back against the discrimination they face.

But when Ali’s mom finds out about the relationship, she forces Ali to end it. As Ali covertly digs into the why behind her mother’s disapproval, she uncovers secrets about her family and Chase that force her to question everything she thought she knew about life, love, and her unknowable future.

Thank you to Simon Pulse and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc.

This book was so full of many things: Ali’s experience living as a Taiwanese girl in Indiana, the secrets her parents are keeping, Chinese folklore, and a budding romance.

I love Ali! She’s outspoken, strong and spirited, she made me laugh out loud, a lot. I mean the girl isn’t even afraid to talk about pooping! 😂👏🏼 But Ali is tired of the racism she experiences in the all-American town she lives in. She’s tired of walking on eggshells at home where her parents never interact with each other and her mom never seems happy. Then one day a new boy comes to her school and he’s Taiwanese too. She was ready to dislike him for disrupting her school life, but having him around opens her eyes to a lot of things.

I felt for Ali and just could imagine how stifling it would be to live in a home where her dad is there but not present. Where her mom’s resentment just infects their way of life. I understood in the end where her mom was coming from but wow, the lengths she went through to ensure Ali’s future happiness, without knowing what would really make her daughter happy…it was a big miss on her part as a parent. Yet, like I said, I understood her mom’s fears, but it just made me sad.

Ali and Chase, are so cute together. It was so nice seeing Ali have someone to relate to because her high school friends were so not it. 🙄 I love Ali and Chase’s banter. Those kung-fu scenes just heightened the tension between them, I loved it. They are so silly together and fun. 😍

As for the larger issue in this book with the Chinese folklore and the history of Ali’s family. That was fascinating and it also made me realize, I don’t recall much about the history between China and Taiwan. You get a little idea of it in the book, but I really need to do some research on it.

This is a wonderful story about confronting family secrets, shame and regret. I really enjoyed reading about Ali’s journey as she faces the truth about her family and herself. Watching her come full circle with her family’s history is inspiring.

Get it here: Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

ARC Review | The Grace Year

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: The Grace Year

Author: Kim Liggett

Pages: 416

Publication Date: October 8, 2019

Categories: Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Young Adult, Dystopian

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.

Girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.

Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for their chance to grab one of the girls in order to make their fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.

With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this eArc.

I just wanted to get through two chapters and fall asleep because it was already past 10pm. But what happened? Five hours later, at 3 in the morning I was done with the book! 👀 And by the way, that book cover depicts this story so well – it’s pretty pink with petal outline designs and then that dripping red ribbon. This is not a sweet story, it is dark. This book kind of terrified me. Kid you not, the first thing I muttered after I finished the book was “that was so f-ed up”. 😅

I do not ever want to live in the world The Grace Year takes place in. No woman should ever have to live in a place like that.

But what is the grace year? It’s a year where a group of sixteen year old girls get sent to an encampment to rid themselves of their “magic”…because it’s what makes them crazy. Uh huh. 😕 They have to exorcise the magic out of themselves or die trying.

Every year girls get sent outside of the county where there are poachers, tales of ghosts haunting the woods and girls and women who live on the outskirts of the county because they were thrown out. Not all the girls come back home, and when they do come back, most come back very different from who they were before.

Tierney James, is sixteen and all she wants is freedom. But it’s finally her time to experience the grace year and when she’s there, all hell breaks loose. Think…Lord of the Flies. 😳

Horrible things start to happen, but was it because of real magic in the girls? Was it the beginnings of insanity? Was it ghosts really roaming around haunting them? And then there are poachers that want to take girl’s parts waiting in the woods. NOPE.. Nope, I would not survive the grace year at all. Tierney has to survive the girls, the poachers, the woods, and even herself if she wants to ever see her family again.

The story is fast paced, raw and gritty, and it doesn’t shy away from violence and blood. It paints a picture of how the men in this county view girls and women like chattel, or should I say, like cattle? They prey on the women, both the poachers and the men in the county. 😠 I had many “Oh hell NO” moments while reading this book, I was so pissed off.

Tierney’s journey in this book is nothing short of a miracle. It is heartbreaking, but in the end there is hope and I even teared up. The message in the book is powerful. Women are stronger, together, not tearing one another apart. There’s a multitude of issues that this book touches on.

The Grace Year is a riveting and brutal story about women’s place in society and how we survive and the fight to endure and try and change the system.

Get it here: Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

ARC Review | Permanent Record

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Permanent Record

Author: Mary H.K. Choi

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: September 3, 2019

Categories: Coming of Age, Debt, Family, Mental Health, Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

After a year of college, Pablo is working at his local twenty-four-hour deli, selling overpriced snacks to brownstone yuppies. He’s dodging calls from the student loan office and he has no idea what his next move is.

Leanna Smart’s life so far has been nothing but success. Age eight: Disney Mouseketeer; Age fifteen: first #1 single on the US pop chart; Age seventeen, *tenth* #1 single; and now, at Age nineteen…life is a queasy blur of private planes, weird hotel rooms, and strangers asking for selfies on the street.

When Leanna and Pab randomly meet at 4:00 a.m. in the middle of a snowstorm in Brooklyn, they both know they can’t be together forever. So, they keep things on the down-low and off Instagram for as long as they can. But it takes about three seconds before the world finds out…

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this eArc.

This book is so relevant for young adults today because it confronts the topics of student debt and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Pablo’s full name is Pablo Neruda Rind. Yeah, like the poet! Someone with a name like that will definitely have an interesting story and he sure does. Pablo is half Korean/half Pakistani-American and lives in New York City. He had one semester at NYU and dropped out. Pablo works at a deli just cruising by and ignoring the bill collectors calls and credit card bill statements that pile up at his apartment. His parents are very worried about him and his future.

Oh Pablo, the mom in me was so worried about him. I remember what it felt like to have student loans after college, and definitely not knowing for sure what I was going to do with my life. But what scared me most about him was that he dealt with his fears by running away from it. He was getting anxiety and giving me anxiety. Meeting a celebrity, Leanna Smart, who whisks him away to luxurious hotel rooms helps him forget all his problems for a moment but they always come back to slap him in his face when he’s at home and away from her.

The romance is sweet but it isn’t about that. It’s a coming of age story about a young man who is trying to find his way: what does he want to do with his life? What is he passionate about? Is he going to work in a deli the rest of his life? Is he happy with those prospects? He keeps hearing people say he has so much potential but he doesn’t know what that means. What is his potential? He doesn’t know and time feels like it’s ticking down with debt collectors coming after him and he’s only twenty years old!

Thank goodness for Pablo’s roommate Tice who tells him point blank what his problem is. I also appreciated how though Pablo thought he was alone, he really has a supportive group around him, he just needed to reach out and get some help. His parents are separated but you know they love him and want the best for him.

I really related to this book so much and can’t stop thinking about it, because I wonder if that will be my son one day. I told my husband about the book which led us to another discussion about our kids and their futures. I told my friend about it, she has no kids but wants kids, but we were both college students once upon a time, there were some things we wish we did differently. As a parent I worry about my kids and their future. We always think about if will we have enough money for my son’s college education and what if he doesn’t want to go to college? So many questions but in the end we just hope he is happy and can survive the “real world” when he graduates high school Yes, my son is going to be seven in August…🤣 but I am a parent and these are my worries. So this book hit home on many fronts.

I loved the whole city vibe of the book as well. I went to NYC only once and it was a time I was at a crossroads in my life and the city woke me up. It lit something in me that was dead for awhile and I love that I can feel that energy in this book.

This is an engaging book, relevant for teens and college students, also important reading for parents too! I loved it.

Get it here: Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

Book Review | Bloodleaf

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Bloodleaf

Author: Crystal Smith

Format: Hard cover (borrowed)

Pages: 373

Categories: Witchcraft, Magic, Romance, Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Political Intrigue

Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her. But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, and she finds herself succumbing to their call as they expose a nefarious plot that only she can defeat. Will she be forced to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life?

Confession: I had other books in my TBR pile, but saw this at the library and the cover is so pretty I read this book instead of the others. I am a sucker for a pretty cover! 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is another young adult fantasy book with a princess, set to wed a prince and then plans change. Sounds familiar? Sure does since it’s a popular trope right now in YA fantasy books. But there are a few different things in this story that kept me intrigued and reading.

Aurelia is a princess of Renalt. Renalt is a witch-burning, scared-of-magic kind of kingdom. Her mother is the Queen but the Tribunal wants to take over the country. So Aurelia and her brother, Prince Conrad flee to the neighboring kingdom, Archlev, with Toris, a man who is part of the Tribunal but claims loyalty to the crown. Archlev, is the home of her betrothed, Prince Valentin and their marriage is supposed to unite their countries but plans change.

Away from home in a new place and no connections, Aurelia has help from a young man named Zan. Zan helps her learn what he knows about being a blood mage because he needs to keep the walls of Archlev from collapsing and letting invaders in (basically Renalt invaders). Only a blood mage can keep the wall up and he sees that Aurelia is a blood mage. They eventually find out that there is someone in secret, with lots of power, who is attempting to destroy the wall, but who?

This story is filled with lore about how the kingdoms of Archlev and Renalt came to be and that’s what made me continue reading it. I liked the spell casting and the story of Aren, Archlev and Cael, a brother/sister triumvirate who’s actions long ago created the situation the people of these kingdoms find themselves in today. I liked learning about how bloodleaf came to be and the power of it. I loved how Aurelia could see ghost or spirits. Also the romance storyline was obvious from the beginning, but I kind of liked it because they didn’t hit it off right away. Also there is action, especially in the latter part of this book.

Now let’s talk about Miss Princess Aurelia. If there was one thing halting my enjoyment of this book in the first few chapters…it’s her! As a character, she’s headstrong, impulsive, and judgmental. She was so naive and I couldn’t connect to her right away. Some of her decisions were questionable, I wanted to shake some sense into her! But at least by the end of the book, she’s learned a few things about what love and sacrifice means. Unfortunately she had to learn these things through the hard way, with the loss of people she cares about. But I know Aurelia was just someone who was just lost herself and alone because she grew up thinking no one wanted her in Renalt. The thing I did like about her was that she could see spirits and know their back story, some of them were just so sad. 😢

I didn’t realize this was a Goose Girl retelling and honestly, I don’t remember the Goose Girl story. 🤦🏻‍♀️ The story of the bloodleaf, Aren and her brothers, the story of sacrifice and the spirits’ backstories really got me through this book when Princess Aurelia was making me roll my eyes. 😂

Overall, for me, it was a pretty good debut and I’m curious to see where the story goes in the next installment.

Get it here: Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thanks!