What We Harvest by. Ann Fraistat | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: What We Harvest

Author: Ann Fraistat

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 3/22/22

Publisher: Delcorte

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Alchemy, Thriller, Fantasy, Horror, Contemporary

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

Thank you to Delacorte for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

For fans of Wilder Girls comes a nightmarish debut guaranteed to keep you up through the night, about an idyllic small town poisoned by its past, and one girl who must fight the strange disease that’s slowly claiming everyone she loves.

Wren owes everything she has to her home, Hollow’s End, a centuries-old, picture perfect American town. Tourists travel miles to marvel at its miracle crops, including the shimmering, iridescent wheat of Wren’s family farm. Until five months ago.

That’s when the quicksilver mercury blight first surfaced, poisoning the farms of Hollow’s End one by one. It began by consuming the crops–thick, silver sludge bleeding from the earth. Next were the animals. Infected livestock and wild creatures alike staggered off into the woods by day—only to return at night, their eyes, fogged white, leering from the trees.

Then, the blight came for the neighbors.

Wren is among the last locals standing. And the blight has finally come for her, too. Now, the only one she can turn to is the last person she wants to call: her ex, Derek. They haven’t spoken in months, but Wren and Derek still have one thing in common—Hollow’s End means everything to them. Only there’s much they don’t know about their hometown and its renowned miracle crops. And they’re about to discover that miracles aren’t free.

Their ancestors have an awful lot to pay for, and Wren and Derek are the only ones left to settle old debts.

Content Warning: Gore, Violence

You can kind of tell from the cover of this book that something sinister is going to be happening in this book.

Wren lives in a special town, where four founding families have situated themselves over a few generations and grow their miraculous crops and animals. Wren doesn’t know how it came to be her family grew rainbow wheat but she is next to inherit the farm except that now the farms are ruined with Blight. But this blight isn’t ordinary – it doesn’t only kill crops, it turns people and animals into zombie like creatures. So it’s a race against time before Wren can figure out not to get infected, turn into one of the Blighted, and save the farm – her family’s legacy.

This story is creepy, especially because the Blighted come out once the sun goes down. It has a lot of action too which was fun! There is even romance between Wren and boy next door or boy from one of the other founding families – her best friend since childhood, Derek. But they have broken up and now they have to rely on each other to stay safe and also to save their loved ones. There is also a f/f relationship with Derek’s sister Claudette and her girlfriend, Angie.

I liked the reveal of how the families got their source of magic to keep their farms growing the way they did. It’s horrific but I love that Wren does everything she can to undo it. The conclusion wraps everything up pretty good except for the parts where we don’t know what the government learned about the blight and what they will do with the information.

There were some parts that frustrated me about the book, like when Wren kept getting people hurt. That was partly Derek’s fault too but I was getting annoyed with her decision making. I mean I get she was half zombie at that point and couldn’t quite control herself though haha. I’m just glad things worked out!

Why you should read it:

story is creepy, thrilling and filled with action – I liked the reveal and conclusion
a quick, engaging read with just a few horror/gory scenes
zombies

Why you might not want to read it:

you are not into lite horror and gore or zombies

My Thoughts:

This is a gripping read and I was engrossed with seeing how everything played out with Wren and the blight on the farms. The tone was perfectly creepy, especially when the sun went down. If you like books like Small Favors and Burn Our Bodies Down, stories that take place on farms – you will enjoy this one!

📚 ~ Yolanda

The New Girl by. Jesse Q. Sutanto | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The New Girl

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 288

Publication Date: 2/01/22

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Prep School, Thriller, Mystery, Contemporary

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

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lia Setiawan has never really fit in. When she wins a full ride to the prestigious Draycott Academy on a track scholarship, she’s determined to make it work even though she’s never felt more out of place. But on her first day there she witnesses a girl being forcefully carried away by campus security. Her new schoolmates and teachers seem unfazed, but it leaves her unsure of what she’s gotten herself into. As she uncovers the secrets of Draycott, complete with a corrupt teacher, a golden boy who isn’t what he seems, and a blackmailer determined to get her thrown out, she’s not sure if she can trust anyone–especially when the threats against her take a deadly turn.

Content Warning: Murder, Drug Use, Bullying

This is my second Jesse Q. Sutanto book and I can definitely see a theme with her stories. Murder! The New Girl is a thriller mystery filled with prep school drama filled with beautiful people, brand names, bullies, wealth and drug use.

I love that the main character is half Indonesian and half Chinese-Indonesian. We get to learn some Indonesiand and Chinese-Indo culture. She attends Draycott Academy where the rich kids drive very fancy cars, wear designer clothes, pay for good grades, use drugs and basically do whatever they want. But when Lia gets a mean girl mad by taking her spot on the track team, she has to do everything she can to fight back and keep her spot at the school. And this is when things go haywire.

Lia is not scared, I gotta give her credit for that. She stands up to Mandy, the girl on her track team but that gets Lia into deeper trouble. The story is full of teen drama, scandals and even murder. I’m usually into teenage drama, but there was something about this one that was turning me off at times and I think it’s all the teen speak going on – it just wasn’t working for me.

Pacing was a little off for me also. It started off slow with her meeting a cute boy and falling for him and then it really picks up as the drama between her and a certain teacher begins. Then it gets wild but I felt that way about her other book, Dial A for Aunties. There are some twists and turns, so with a story like this you just have to hang on and enjoy the ride.

Why you should read it:

you like ya mystery thrillers that take you on a wild ride
Lia’s experience being Indonesian and Chinese-Indo
twists and turns keep you on your toes

Why you might not want to read it:

slow beginning, fast ending
lots of rich teen drama
teen speak wasn’t working for me

My Thoughts:

It took me awhile to get into this book but the twist and turns did keep me intrigued. Also I like the Indonesian and Chinese-Indonesian representation. The book overall wasn’t a book for me because I’m not the right audience for it but I think teen readers would enjoy this one.

📚 ~ Yolanda

These Deadly Games by. Diana Urban | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: These Deadly Games

Author: Diana Urban

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 2/1/22

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Thriller, Mystery, Young Adult, Gamers

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

Let’s play a game.

You have 24 hours to win. If you break my rules, she dies. If you call the police, she dies. If you tell your parents or anyone else, she dies.

Are you ready?

When Crystal Donavan gets a message on a mysterious app with a video of her little sister gagged and bound, she agrees to play the kidnapper’s game. At first, they make her complete bizarre tasks: steal a test and stuff it in a locker, bake brownies, make a prank call.

But then Crystal realizes each task is meant to hurt—and kill—her friends, one by one. But if she refuses to play, the kidnapper will kill her sister. Is someone trying to take her team out of the running for a gaming tournament? Or have they uncovered a secret from their past, and wants them to pay for what they did…

As Crystal makes the impossible choices between her friends and her sister, she must uncover the truth and find a way to outplay the kidnapper… before it’s too late.

Content Warnings: mention of anorexia, abuse, alocoholism, murder, death

This one kept me on my toes even though I suspected the right people from the beginning but that doesn’t mean this was totally predictable. Getting to the end was a wild ride!

Crystal and her friends are gamers trying to enter a tournament with a big money prize, so the stakes are high and it seems not everyone in their group is playing fair. On top of her anxiety of trying to be part of the team, Crystal’s sister has been kidnapped and the person who supposedly makes her do all these crazy things in order to get her sister back safe and sound. Talk about stress!

Now let’s talk about the the things this kidnapper is making Crystal do – it’s tasks meant to hurt or kill her best friends! Craziness. And it’s a choice between saving her sister or hurting her friends. The more tasks she does the less control she has over this “game” even though she thinks she can beat the kidnapper at their own game.

My lists of suspects were pretty spot on but the twist in the end wasn’t something I saw. I like that I was kept on my toes, even though my suspicions were right. I read it one sitting.

Character wise, Crystal isn’t someone I came to care for also, she has secrets. She seemed like she was super-focused on making the team for the tournament, but with good reason (to help her family) but she wasn’t someone I’d say is likable. Her friends seem like a tight group until we get more into the story and we see where the problems are between them. So I didn’t quite connect to the characters but the story was intriguing with the cat and mouse game happening between Crystal and the kidnapper.

It’s a wild finish but it was left open ended so is there a sequel? It’s definitely set up for one.

Why you should read it:

good cat and mouse game to find the kidnapper
fast-paced, quick read
you like a good murder mystery

Why you might not want to read it:

lack of connection to characters

My Thoughts:

I have been reading a few young adult murder mysteries lately that haven’t really wow’ed me but this one had everything I wanted – it’s fast-paced, kept me on toes trying to figure out who was the kidnapper and their motive for making Crystal do some messed up things. I thought the ending twist was great and if there is a sequel, I would definitely check it out.

📚 ~ Yolanda

White Smoke by. Tiffany D. Jackson | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: White Smoke

Author: Tiffany D. Jackson

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/14/21

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Categories: Thriller, Young Adult, Horror, Contemporary

The Haunting of Hill House meets Get Out in this chilling YA psychological thriller and modern take on the classic haunted house story from New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson!

Marigold is running from ghosts. The phantoms of her old life keep haunting her, but a move with her newly blended family from their small California beach town to the embattled Midwestern city of Cedarville might be the fresh start she needs. Her mom has accepted a new job with the Sterling Foundation that comes with a free house, one that Mari now has to share with her bratty ten-year-old stepsister, Piper.

The renovated picture-perfect home on Maple Street, sitting between dilapidated houses, surrounded by wary neighbors has its . . . secrets. That’s only half the problem: household items vanish, doors open on their own, lights turn off, shadows walk past rooms, voices can be heard in the walls, and there’s a foul smell seeping through the vents only Mari seems to notice. Worse: Piper keeps talking about a friend who wants Mari gone.

But “running from ghosts” is just a metaphor, right?

As the house closes in, Mari learns that the danger isn’t limited to Maple Street. Cedarville has its secrets, too. And secrets always find their way through the cracks.

I wanted a Halloween read to give me chills and make me afraid to read it at night and I can say this story did a pretty good job and almost made me not read it at night. But I wanted the chills lol…

Marigold and her family move into a new neighborhood that is rebuilding but it’s in a town that is rundown. To make matters worse, her stepsister Piper is creepy as heck. According to people who live around the town, Marigold’s house is haunted and the story delivered in giving me the chills. If I was living in that house, I don’t know that I would ever want to be alone in it!

Marigold is an interesting character because she has a background of drug use and some major anxiety about bedbugs. So is she seeing things? Her anxiety gave ME anxiety! Personality wise, I can see Marigold is trying to be better than her past self but I wish she made some better choices. I love her brother Sammy who is a sweetheart and eventually is the one to believe Marigold when things get crazier in the house.

Yusef is a solid character and I felt safe when Marigold was with him. He gives her background about the history about the town. I also liked how the story shows gentrification and how so many of the townspeople ended up in jail because of the people running it. In the back story we also learn about Ms. Suga, the “ghost” or imaginary friend that Piper has, it really lent to the spooky vibes in the book.

There is a good twist to the story and I like how there was a buildup to it.

Content Warnings: drug use, bed bug phobia, scary scenes

The book is more creepy and at times scary than straight “horror”. I don’t read much horror and this was good enough to scare me but not too much!

The ending is so abrupt – I was a little bummed about that.

Why you should read it:

to get creeped out
you like haunted house stories
good twist in the story

Why you might not want to read it:

bed bug phobia – so much anxiety
abrupt ending
might not be scary enough/horror for you

My Thoughts:

I can handle this kind of spooky story where the house is haunted enough to make me consider putting down the book but I power through it anyway just to get the chills lol. It’s a story filled with creepy scenes, and perfect for a Halloween read if you want a quick read with an interesting twist at the end.

📚 ~ Yolanda

A Lesson in Vengeance by. Victoria Lee | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: A Lesson in Vengeance

Author: Victoria Lee

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 8/3/21

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Dark Academia, Mystery, Thriller, Witchcraft, LGBT+, Mental Health

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

For fans of Wilder Girls and Ninth House comes a dark, twisty, atmospheric thriller about a boarding school haunted by its history of witchcraft and two girls dangerously close to digging up the past.

Felicity Morrow is back at Dalloway School.

Perched in the Catskill mountains, the centuries-old, ivy-covered campus was home until the tragic death of her girlfriend. Now, after a year away, she’s returned to graduate. She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students—girls some say were witches. The Dalloway Five all died mysteriously, one after another, right on Godwin grounds.

Witchcraft is woven into Dalloway’s history. The school doesn’t talk about it, but the students do. In secret rooms and shadowy corners, girls convene. And before her girlfriend died, Felicity was drawn to the dark. She’s determined to leave that behind her now; all Felicity wants is to focus on her senior thesis and graduate. But it’s hard when Dalloway’s occult history is everywhere. And when the new girl won’t let her forget.

It’s Ellis Haley’s first year at Dalloway, and she’s already amassed a loyal following. A prodigy novelist at seventeen, Ellis is a so-called “method writer.” She’s eccentric and brilliant, and Felicity can’t shake the pull she feels to her. So when Ellis asks Felicity for help researching the Dalloway Five for her second book, Felicity can’t say no. Given her history with the arcane, Felicity is the perfect resource.

And when history begins to repeat itself, Felicity will have to face the darkness in Dalloway–and in herself.

The vibe in A Lesson in Vengeance is dark and it’s done so well. Our setting is Dalloway School which is a boarding school for girls but the school comes with a history of murder and witchcraft. The girls who come here are intellectuals, I mean I had to google some big words in this one. They talked like intellectuals, dressed like it, smoked like it too (Ellis did at least) and these are teenagers! How are they so sophisticated?

Felicity has a dark past at Dalloway, her ex-girlfriend, Alex, died there. Ellis Halley is a new student, a novelist at seventeen and the two girls become friends. Felicity is dealing with grief and guilt because of how Alex had died. She has seen a therapist and was on anti-depressants but being back at Dalloway is getting to her. Felicity feels like Alex is haunting her. She thinks that maybe her intense research into the witchcraft the Dalloway Five had practiced years ago lead to an evil presence on campus, that she herself is cursed when she delved too deep. But Ellis wants to prove to Felicity that magic isn’t real and the deaths of the Dalloway Five were straight-up murders instead. It helps that Ellis is a novelist and doing research to write a story about murder anyway – so the girls set out to replica certain events of the past. But these girls are not who we think they are. They play off one another so well – two mysterious, very intellectual girls, one with a hidden agenda, the other just trying to keep up.

There is blood, tarot and tea readings, secrets, history, research, books (so many books) and events that make you question everything.

The setting of Dalloway is so dreary and gloomy with fall turning into winter as shadows creep on this old campus. I really enjoyed it and this would make a wonderful book to read in the fall.

This book is twisty! I found myself surprised at some of the twist and turns and it made me read this book in one sitting. At one point the beginning reminded me of a female cast of Dead Poets Society. Felicity is an unreliable character dealing with her past with Alex, and it made me question a lot of things and even her sanity. Ellis is mysterious and we only know so much about her until the end where a lot of reveals take place.

Triggers: death, self-harm, killing of animal, drowning

I like how the story progresses, the twists and turns, but the ending was a little anti-climatic for me. It built up nicely but then it resolves quickly, like it was that easy for Felicity to fix everything yet we do learn why…which was another mind blowing moment – but I almost missed it. I caught it and re-read the passage a few times to make sure I wasn’t misreading but it was rushed.

The pacing was okay, the beginning is slow, and the ending is rushed. It’s supposed to be slow and atmospheric I guess because we are being immersed in the setting, we get lost in Felicity’s thoughts because she is lost in grief, guilt, obsessed with the witchcraft history and wondering if she is being haunted. There were times I wanted that part to speed up, I wanted to know was it murder or witchcraft? Both?

This one kept me interested from start to finish and I enjoyed it a lot despite some issues. I can’t say I read a lot of dark academia but this definitely opened me up to this genre and it’s aesthetic. The atmosphere and setting was well written and the twists were shocking and fantastic. Felicity and Ellis are two very smart girls, but in the end we figure out who was the more clever one, I suppose. If you like eerie settings, an unreliable narrator, twists and turns that make you question what you are reading, then you will enjoy this one.

📚 ~ Yolanda

How We Fall Apart by. Katie Zhao | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars

Title: How We Fall Apart

Author: Katie Zhao

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 8/17/21

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Dark Academia, Prep School

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

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Students at an elite prep school are forced to confront their secrets when their ex-best friend turns up dead.

Nancy Luo is shocked when her former best friend, Jamie Ruan, top ranked junior at Sinclair Prep, goes missing, and then is found dead. Nancy is even more shocked when word starts to spread that she and her friends–Krystal, Akil, and Alexander–are the prime suspects, thanks to “The Proctor,” someone anonymously incriminating them via the school’s social media app.

They all used to be Jamie’s closest friends, and she knew each of their deepest, darkest secrets. Now, somehow The Proctor knows them, too. The four must uncover the true killer before The Proctor exposes more than they can bear and costs them more than they can afford, like Nancy’s full scholarship. Soon, Nancy suspects that her friends may be keeping secrets from her, too.

How We Fall Apart is a look into Asian students at Sinclair Prep, trying to stay on top of the pack with perfect grades. When top girl Jamie Ruan is found dead, someone accuses her closest four friends of committing the crime. But who really killed Jamie and why?

This story is told by Jamie’s best friend/nemesis, Nancy Luo. Nancy isn’t rich like her other friends. Her mom was the maid for the Ruan family so Nancy always envied Jamie’s power and wealth – but was that enough to be a motive for her to kill her? I liked how we didn’t really know who could be the killer. “The Proctor” is dishing out secrets on Jamie’s best friends and the secrets are juicy and scandalous – Nancy’s being the worst, I think.

I think we get a good glimpse of the issues between Asian students – rich and poor, the competition, the pressure to succeed that is put upon them by their families. There was also the issues of Asian students dealing with their peers who are not Asian, who had prejudices against them because of their race – like automatically being “smart” because they were Asian. I liked how Nancy felt anger about that, knowing how hard her parents worked to put her through school.

I liked the second half of the book more than the first because the secrets were being revealed and the story moved faster. There’s a twist at the end that explain this Incident that Nancy and her friends keep mentioning but never goes into detail about and it was nice to finally know what happened during that event. It wasn’t what I expected which was good.

Trigger: suicide, murder, drug use, bullying, teacher/student affair, abuse, mental illness

I wasn’t connecting to any of the characters until the second part of the book. I found Jamie the typical rich girl bully who gets her way, Nancy is her shadow. Akil, Krystal and Alexander were there to round it out but this story is mostly about Jamie and Nancy. I think I wanted more from Nancy, but that really doesn’t come into play until the last few pages. So for most of the story she was a bit lackluster to me.

The ending is left open for a book two. Is this where Nancy really reveals her personality? That would be intriguing. It did make me curious about what The Golden Trio did that Alex knows about.

The teacher/student affair was a no for me. I get it was deliciously scandalous though, Nancy’s secrets were the most dangerous ones. But Peter needs to be taken down.

I think this book will appeal to a lot of people who like dark academia with all the scandals taking place at Sinclair Prep, it definitely is a story that keeps you on your toes. I did like how it addressed some issues that Asian students deal with in a prep school setting, the crazy pressure and competitiveness they experience on unhealthy levels. We get a glimpse of all the darkness that comes with trying to stay on top like abuse, drug use, and parental neglect. It just shows money can’t buy everything. I do wish it had a little more intensity because it’s a thriller and I did want more from Nancy as well. But overall it was a quick read with an interesting twist at the end and a lead up for book two.

📚 ~ Yolanda

14 Ways to Die | ARC Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: 14 Ways to Die

Author: Vincent Ralph

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 6/1/21

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Murder Mystery, Social Media, Young Adult, Contemporary

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

A page-turning thriller for the social media age, perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and One of Us Is Lying.

Ten years ago Jess lost her mother to the Magpie Man, an infamous serial killer who is still at large and planning to kill again. She’s going to use her new platform as the star of a YouTube reality series to catch him. That is, if he doesn’t catch her first.

Jess’s online show means that everyone is talking about her mother’s murder case. But fame comes with its downsides. The whole world is watching her every move. And it’s hard to know who she can trust.

Could the Magpie Man be lurking closer to her than she thought? Is he watching her right now?

I like the concept of using social media to find a serial killer by drawing them out. It’s also a scary idea but Jess was committed to finding her mother’s killer.
The story moved very quickly because the chapters were short and to the point.
It was difficult to pinpoint who was the Magpie Man so the author did a great job of hiding him from me, the reader. I had a few suspects in mind but I was wrong.
There were some parts that was thrilling and made me wonder if I would do what Jess is doing. My answer: NO. I’d be too afraid to go running out into the night to see who was out there creeping around my house.

Triggers: suicide ideation, murder scenes, grief
I like short chapters but at one point it made the story too choppy for me, it took me out of the story at times.
I didn’t connect much to the story maybe because we are in Jess’s head a lot and I wanted more clues about the killer. Honestly, when the killer was revealed, it felt anticlimactic.

The concept of luring a serial killer with a social media reality show is fascinating. For the most part I was engaged with the story and wanting to find out who was the killer but the big reveal fell short for me. I still think people who enjoy young adult murder mysteries will enjoy this one though.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Cousins | Book Review

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Title: The Cousins

Author: Karen M. McManus

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 330

Publication Date: 12/1/20

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Family, Thriller, Mystery, Young Adult, Romance

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each other, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised… and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family’s past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

This is a fun book and much needed after reading so much fantasy and romance lately. There is a little bit of romance in this one but this one is all about family and the secrets we keep.
I liked the three perspectives told by the cousins: Milly, Aubrey and Jonah. They had distinct voices – I love them all. They worked well as a team trying to figure out why their grandmother disinherited their parents and never had an interest to get to know her grandchildren.
The setting of an island on the east coast lends it that mystery feel. We know the Story family has money and the kids lived in privilege but what happened to make Mildred Story, the matriarch of the family cut her kids out of their life. Were they that awful? It’s Milly, Aubrey and Jonah’s job to find out and make amends but soon they are surrounded by Story lore, scandals and fame.
I was definitely engaged in this story from the moment I met the cousins because I liked learning about their parents and learning what happened. I loved the twist at the end.

I loved the three perspectives but I wish Allison’s perspective (Milly’s mom) came in just a bit earlier in the book. We get to know the kids and it builds up as we get to know who they are, their parents and personalities but once they get on the island it’s still a big mystery as to why their grandmother reached out in the first place. There’s a time period where they are getting settled in and nothing really happens except them working. Not even Grandma Mildred makes much of an appearance.
The ending is the big reveal where the dots are connected. But for the most part the story keeps it all a mystery.

This was a lot of fun to read and I loved how it kept me in the story by tossing some clues here and there, a little romance, revenge, parents acting badly, family secrets and then the big reveal. i enjoyed the characters and how Milly and Aubrey now have each other. Great read if you are into young adult mystery/thrillers.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Firekeeper’s Daughter | Book Review

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Title: Firekeeper’s Daughter

Author: Angeline Boulley

Format: eBook and hard cover (own)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 3/16/21

Publisher: Henry, Holt and Co.

Categories: Mystery, Young Adult, Romance, Family, Friendship, Drugs, Native American, Suspense, Thriller

Debut author Angeline Boulley crafts a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange.

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.

The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.

Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

What drew me to this book was the cover first, the description second because I love that it was a young adult story about a native teen. I haven’t read many books about Native Americans in all the decades I’ve been reading and it’s about time, or more like overdue. We need more books like these.
I’m not a big fan of mysteries and didn’t realize this story was a mystery at first. But I was sucked into Daunis’ history, and her story of owning her identity. We learn Ojibwe tribe history, customs and current issues natives go through in their communities. We get to see them experience discrimination, racism, drugs, the role of the elderly, and just how their communities are so tight. I learned about the casinos on reservations and how enrolled tribal members earn per cap and how someone can even be enrolled as a member ~ I learned so much from this story.
Daunis’ life is complicated but she navigates her life using her tribe teachings and it really centers her when things get rough. And things get dark and sinister in this story which I didn’t expect. Another thing about Daunis which I adored was her intellect and scientific mind. Her western science knowledge and tribe healing practices collide in this story to help her with the investigation and I thought that was really cool to see.
I love all the family aspects in this book, as complicated and as hurtful as they are, Daunis stays very strong in the face of criticism and hate. I also loved so much how this story features the elderly community because they really should be honored and taken care of. It reminds me of how in my filipino culture the elderly are taken care of by family members, young and old, and I loved that. It made me realize how fortunate I was to be able to grow up with one set of grandparents and help take care of them before they passed. Daunis reveres the elders in her family and community and it is beautiful.
I thought the ending was beautiful and bittersweet. ❤️ Daunis is the best of her community, she embodies all the complications that natives and half natives live and feel day in and out. And no matter what challenges come, she deals with them with intellect, grace, strength, bravery, respect and knowledge from her Anishinaabe kwe upbringing.

Triggers: drug use, suicide, homicide, sexual assault, rape, kidnapping

Everything about this story is complicated including Daunis’ love life which is a fake relationship with blurred lines. I think it ended realistically since in reality she didn’t even know Jamie’s real name ~ I LOVE how Daunis was so mature enough to know that both of them needed time to grow a but before maybe pursuing something. And I adore the dream prophecy about her future as well.
This story is full of trauma. There are family scandals, tribal scandals, drug use/abuse, suicide murder, sexual assault, the history of native kids being taken to boarding schools without their parents consent, stories of women being abused, so much grief and trying to just heal from the injustices native people have endured for so, so long.
There is mention about Hawaii (a James Michener book I read in high school), and then UH Hawaii at Manoa and I loved seeing our state college get mentioned!

Everything about Daunis’ story in the Firekeeper’s Daughter drew me in and I cared about her and her family, no matter how complicated it was because the love is real. I love that we get to experience life through Daunis, a half white/half native young adult who wants the best for all the people she loves and the best for her community. I learned a lot about native life, some of the cultural aspects like pow wows and tribal council votes, casinos and per cap payouts. But underneath all that information you feel the struggle native americans feel to try and exist on the land their people had stolen from them with violence and oppression. I hope we get more native stories in books, tv and movies because their stories are important and need to be told. This is an honest and powerful story that is multi-layered, and must be read.

🔥 ~ Yolanda

Book Quotes:

Skin Curse | Book Review

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Title: Skin Curse (The Gate Cycle, #2)

Author: Kristin Jacques

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 281

Categories: Dark Fantasy, Young Adult

The Children of the Gate wait for the call to Rise.

Azzy Brimvine knows her brother is in the vast city of Avergard. She must find him, but time is not on their side.

In the House of Seven Smiles, Azzy struggles to understand the constraints and limits of her power. She finds the whispering voices that guided her for so long, suddenly silent. The enigmatic Lord Wallach is both a frustrating ally and a dangerous mystery, and a strange entity lurks among the household servants. The haven Azzy sought may not be as safe as she thought… but is anywhere truly safe in the Above?

The city of Avergard is full of monsters and secrets, and a dark history festers at its root. A yawning pit nestles in the house of a scheming lord, who will use Armin’s dangerous gifts to raise history, and raze the city to the ground. As Azzy finds herself and her brother pulled into these machinations, she must navigate the politics and society of Avergard’s brutal ruling class to save her family and friends before the Gate consumes them all.

I love this dark fantasy series – it’s a mood that stays consistent throughout the whole series so far. Azzy went through a lot in book one but now she’s in the city of Avergard where she finds a place in Lord Wallach’s household. We also get another perspective in this book from Eleanor and wow…if Azzy went through some things in book one, let’s just say Eleanor goes through some major traumatic moments in Skin Curse.
World Building ~ Avergard is a city of secrets, and I do like that we find out what happened with the gate in book two. We meet a bunch of new characters but it was not too much that you can’t remember who is who. Lord Wallach has an array of servants that live with him and I found all of them very fascinating.
Azzy is getting stronger in Avergard because now she has time to take care of herself, and I will always admire her heart, no matter what life seems to throw at her, she is always so decent. This time Azzy is learning how to control her powers and getting help from her new friends so she can find her brother.
This is a quick read and I love how the story is progressing! I can’t wait to see if Azzy reunites with Armin.

Triggers: violence, abuse
This one is such a dark story especially for Eleanor. Her story broke my heart. Also, we don’t get to see Armin or Kai until way later into the book. But I’m glad Azzy and Kai found each other. Can they not get separated anymore? Please!

I enjoyed this sequel to Marrow Charm. Azzy is trying to get to her brother while trying to learn about Avergard and her powers. We learn more about the gate and what events took place when it was opened. The characters are going through some really hard challenges and obstacles that tests their spirit and it’s inspiring to see them come through, scathed and scarred but they are still fighting! I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

🖤 ~ Yolanda