To Shatter the Night by. Katherine Quinn | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: To Shatter the Night (Mistlands, #2)

Author: Katherine Quinn

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 12/3/24

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Series

Welcome back into the Mist…in the astonishing sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller To Kill a Shadow…

Some fear the darkness. It’s the place where horror hides, concealing its rank, sharp teeth and insatiable hunger. But there is no darkness more feared than that of the mist that’s overtaken the kingdom…and its brave—and ultimately doomed— soldiers.

Except for Kiara Frey.

She has nothing to fear from the night. Not anymore.

Driven by the fury of her splintered heart, Kiara knows that the answers—and the only possible way to a future with Jude Maddox—begin with the realm’s most notorious thief, the Fox. Together, they hunt down the path to breaking Asidia’s dark curse, but in the shadows, something more horrifying than the mist lies in wait. Watching. Willing Kiara to find the game pieces set in place long ago.

As Jude and Kiara are lured to a sacred temple—a shrine that is the home to both exquisite dreams and chilling nightmares—Kiara’s newfound powers flourish but her shadows threaten to consume her.

Because here in these cursed lands, it’s not the darkness that destroys the soul…it’s love.

Content Warning: violence

This is the conclusion to the Mistlands duology and it picks up where it left off in book one. Kiara and Jude are separated but they find their way back together.

I always thought the concept for the book was interesting, there is no daylight in this world of the Mistlands but there is a prophecy and now they know Kiara and Jude is a part of it. Jude goes through some tough moments in this book but Kiara does her best to go find him and that’s an adventure in itself. I liked Kiara’s relationship with her best friend Jake. I thought their friendship was fun. There is a lot of action in the second half of this book because Kiara, Jude and their group need to complete a dangerous quest.

The romance is nice, they finally admit what they want from each other but it was always insta-love from book one. They even have a bit of a little spicy moment.

Final Thoughts:

I found this story to move quickly with lots of action, and adventure. Plus it has the romance even though it was kind of insta-lovey in book one and the found family was nice. I think this was a great conclusion to the duology.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

To Kill a Shadow by. Katherine Quinn | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Their Vicious Games by. Joelle Wellington | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Their Vicious Games

Author: Joelle Wellington

Narrator: Ariel Blake

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 416 / Audio Reading Time (approx.): 12 hours

Publication Date: 7/25/23

Categories: Young Adult, Thriller, Horror

A Black teen desperate to regain her Ivy League acceptance enters an elite competition only to discover the stakes aren’t just high, they’re deadly, in this searing thriller that’s Ace of Spades meets Squid Game with a sprinkling of The Bachelor.

You must work twice as hard to get half as much.

Adina Walker has known this the entire time she’s been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy—a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. It’s why she works so hard to be perfect and above reproach, no matter what she must force beneath the surface. Even one slip can cost you everything.

And it does. One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she’s sacrificed everything for is The Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family in which twelve young, ambitious women with exceptional promise are selected to compete in three mysterious events: the Ride, the Raid, and the Royale. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door.

But when she arrives at the Finish, Adina quickly gets the feeling that something isn’t quite right with both the Remingtons and her competition, and soon it becomes clear that this larger-than-life prize can only come at an even greater cost. Because the Finish’s stakes aren’t just make or break…they’re life and death.

Adina knows the deck is stacked against her—it always has been—so maybe the only way to survive their vicious games is for her to change the rules.

Content Warning: violence, murder

Adina, a Black girl, who’s chances to go to Yale slips away because of an incident at school has another chance. She’s invited to the Finish, at the Remington estate. The Remington’s are a very powerful and wealthy family who could make her dreams come true – if she wins the Finish. The moment Adina enters the Remington home with the other girls invited to this event, she knows something is off and what takes place is a horror no one in the outside world is aware of.

I like the drama in this story. Adina has an enemy, Esme, and she’s also competing in the Finish. So it’s tense in the house where all these girls are trying to compete and even kill for the chance to win. The crazy thing is going to an Ivy League school isn’t the only prize, they are also going to marry the heir of the Remington wealth – Pierce. This story is like a modern day Hunger Games and The Bachelor combined.

The narrator did a wonderful job with the story. And I was entertained for sure, especially with that bloody, wild ending! It is violent – these girls have to use weapons, which is crazy. And the fact that these rich people found this entertainment was sickening.

Final Thoughts:

If you like social horror, I think you will definitely like this one. Adina is fighting against all the odds and finds out in the end, her dreams of Yale and becoming a possible Remington is not quite worth killing for. My eyes were like this 😳 as I listened to the ending!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Hangry Hearts by. Jennifer Chen | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Hangry Hearts

Author: Jennifer Chen

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 3/18/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT+, Trans, Romance, Family, Foodie Romance

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

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

Love, family, and food collide in this sparkling Romeo and Juliet-inspired romance.

Julie Wu and Randall Hur used to be best friends. Now they only see each other on Saturdays at the Pasadena Farmers Market where their once close families are long-standing rivals.

When Julie and Randall are paired with ultra-rich London Kim for a community-service school project, they are forced to work together for the first time in years. It quickly becomes obvious that London has a major crush on Julie. But Julie can’t stop thinking about Randall. And Randall can’t stop thinking about how London is thinking about Julie. Soon, prompted by a little jealousy and years of missing each other, school project meetings turn into pseudo dates at their favorite Taiwanese breakfast shop and then secret kisses at the beach—far from the watchful eyes of their families.

Just as they’re finally feeling brave enough to tell their grandmas, the two matriarchs rehash their old fight and Julie and Randall get caught in the middle and Julie’s brother finds out they are dating. Their families are heartbroken.

But it’s the Year of the Dragon, an auspicious time to resolve disagreements and start anew, and Randall isn’t going down without fighting for what—and who—they love. Could the Lunar New Year provide not only a second chance for Randall and Julie, but for their families as well?

Jennifer Chen’s Hangry Hearts is a funny, big-hearted romance about friendship, family, and first love—and being brave enough to have it all.

+ I love that this is a foodie romance and it features Asian foods like Korean and Taiwanese foods. It definitely made me hungry! Two families, one Korean and the other Taiwanese, are enemies at the food market, but they weren’t always this way. These two families used to be super close.

+ Randall is trans, and I thought it was a nice representation. I love how his grandmother accepted him when he told her how he felt. The support he has, even from Julie who is his “ex-friend”, is sweet.

+ Family is a main theme in this story and yes it’s very Romeo and Juliet – Julie and Randall are forbidden to be together because both families have bad blood. But I love how they resolve things at the end.

+~ The love story between Randall and Julie is an ex-friends to lovers romance. I thought it was a cute love story, especially because they used to be best friends. For the most part I thought they were cute together but this reads very young adult, there was the teen angst, longing and drama between them. This is definitely for younger YA readers.

~ Some of the family drama was ridiculous especially when it came to Julie and Randall hiding their relationship. I was surprised Julie didn’t rebel when she got caught and basically submitted to her brother watching her like a hawk just so she stays away from Randall. I understand that family came first but I also wanted Randall to fight for their relationship instead of ghosting her sometimes.

~ There were some pacing issues – it switched quickly between Julie and Randall’s POVs which made the story move quick but also made it feel choppy at times.

Final Thoughts:

I love the Asian food representations in this story, it definitely made me hungry! I found the theme of family really enjoyable also even though I do think it went too far at times when they tried to keep Julie and Randall apart (I’m looking at you Tyler). I mean, let these young ones fall in love! Randall as a trans rep was nice and watching him fall for Julie was sweet. There were some pacing issues for me and I do feel like this will appeal to younger YA readers, but for the most part, I enjoyed it and it’s a quick read.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Artifacts of an Ex by. Jennifer Chen | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, #2)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 504

Publication Date: 1/19/18

Categories: Dystopia, Young Adult, Sci-fi/Fantasy, Series

Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has been striking out against corrupt scythes—not only in MidMerica, but across the entire continent. He is a dark folk hero now—“Scythe Lucifer”—a vigilante taking down corrupt scythes in flames.

Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order” scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish” so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline?

Content Warning: violence

I finally finished Thunderhead! And I would have been finished earlier if I was reading it as an ebook but that was my fault for letting that expire. Thank goodness I actually have the hardcover books on my shelf huh?😅

There are a lot of things happening in Thunderhead and it follows a bunch of different characters throughout. Rowan’s character goes through a lot whereas Citra is doing well with Scythe Curie at her side. Another character, Greyson, has a big role in the events that transpire in this story.

I found Thunderhead’s thoughts really fascinating especially because in our real world we are on the verge of AI being everywhere. I also found what was going on in the Scythedom really interesting because of the power plays taking place and how I feel like it represents the Vatican. It really is amazing to imagine the world becoming the way it is portrayed in this book. The medical science and convenience of some things – like not needing to work – sound amazing. But the story explores the other side to this conversation too. The story is complex and the world-building is great.

The book is long and I was bummed Rowan and Citra was apart for almost all of it! But overall I was entertained.

The ending was unexpected and crazy. I’ll be jumping into book three hopefully next month.

Quotes from the book:

“I have pondered the records of the mortal age and long ago determined the two sides of the coin. While freedom gives rise to growth and enlightenment, permission allows evil to flourish in a light of dat that would otherwise destroy it.”
Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman

Final Thoughts:

What a sequel to Scythe! I love reading the Thunderhead’s thoughts and I really wasn’t expecting the story to take the turn it did. It was great to be in Rowan and Citra’s world again but it’s one that is collapsing under the strain of what’s happening in the Scythedom. I can’t want to see how this story ends.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Book Review | Scythe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by. Amélie Wen Zhao | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (The Three Realms Duology, #1)

Author: Amélie Wen Zhao

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Chinese Mythology

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 Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

n a world invaded by demons, one girl will face the ultimate test when she is forced to enter into an ancient, deadly competition for the chance to save her mother’s soul… before she loses her forever. From the New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night comes the beginning of a dark and opulent fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Throne of Glass.

Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore Àn’yīng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now the mortal realm is falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.

Àn’yīng is no longer a helpless child, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter the Immortality Trials, which are open to any mortal who can survive the journey to the immortal realm. Those who complete the Trials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Àn’yīng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.

Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, Àn’yīng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng.

The longer she survives the Trials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Àn’yīng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ This author is becoming a must-read for me. I love her last series and now this one has started off amazingly. The world-building sucked me in! I love the magic, and martial arts.

+ Àn’yīng has been through some trauma at the hands of the Kingdom of Night which is run by mó (demons). She’s the caretaker for her family now that her father is gone, and to save her mother she takes part in the Immortal Trials in order to win the pill of immortality for her. But it’s a challenge to pass the trials when her competition wants her dead.

+ Àn’yīng meets someone on her way to the trials and the enemies to lovers trope going on between them is so good. Yu’chén is powerful, gorgeous, and gets on her nerves. To make it worse she finds out he is half mó. Àn’yīng hates demons because a demon killed her father and harmed her mother, so she’s warring with her feelings about Yu’chén throughout the whole book. The spice is mild but the angst and tension between them is intense. I loved it from beginning to end. I am rooting for them.

+ The trials taking place gives us more insight into the Immortals and the history of the war going on between the kingdoms. I love the twist and reveal at the ending of the book and it makes me very curious to see what will happen next.

~ The romance seems doomed as things play out but please I hope this does not become a love-triangle. I’m vested in Àn’yīng and Yu’chén, I love the two of them together, but with the way this book ended, it makes me curious as to another character who has gotten close to Àn’yīng.

~ Would love to see some growth with Àn’yīng. I could see why she was angry and distrustful, because of her trauma, but she was always kind of weak in the competition compared to everyone else. With what is revealed at the end, I wonder if she gets stronger when it comes to magical powers? I do love her fighting skills.

Final Thoughts:

I loved this book and read it in two days. I was hooked with the world-building, the murder mystery, and the tension-filled romance. This was a quick, entertaining read with some twists and I am excited to see what happens in the next book. I have watched K-drama but never C-drama, but as I read this, I could see this being a drama show I would totally watch just to see Yu’chén come to life! Loved it and can’t wait for book two.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by. Amélie Wen Zhao | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by. Amélie Wen Zhao | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Tigress by. Amélie Wen Zhao | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | Blood Heir ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This Time it’s Real by. Ann Liang | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: This Time it’s Real

Author: Ann Liang

Narrator: Mimi Chang

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 352 / Audio Reading Time: 4 hours 13 minutes

Publication Date: 2/7/23

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

When seventeen-year-old Eliza Lin’s essay about meeting the love of her life unexpectedly goes viral, her entire life changes overnight. Now she has the approval of her classmates at her new international school in Beijing, a career-launching internship opportunity at her favorite magazine…and a massive secret to keep.

Eliza made her essay up. She’s never been in a relationship before, let alone in love. All good writing is lying, right?

Desperate to hide the truth, Eliza strikes a deal with the famous actor in her class, the charming but aloof Caz Song. She’ll help him write his college applications if he poses as her boyfriend. Caz is a dream boyfriend — he passes handwritten notes to her in class, makes her little sister laugh, and takes her out on motorcycle rides to the best snack stalls around the city.

But when her relationship with Caz starts feeling a little too convincing, all of Eliza’s carefully laid plans are threatened. Can she still follow her dreams if it means breaking her own heart?

Get ready to fall in love in this hilarious romcom about a girl who begins a fake relationship with the famous actor in her class, perfect for fans of Meg Cabot and Jenny Han.

Content Warning: bullying

Eliza has been hopping from school to school internationally because of her mom’s job but now she is back in Beijing and at a new school. She writes a fake love story that goes viral and she’s unprepared for all the companies trying to get interviews with her and she sees it as an opportunity. Now she needs a fake boyfriend and there is Caz Song – he is popular, he’s an actor and of course gorgeous. They make a deal to help one another.

I thought this was a really cute fake-dating young adult story but with depth. Eliza is always questioning her relationships (friendships, etc…) – due to the fact she’s always moving so when she and Caz starts having feelings, she pulls away. There is also the issue of her lying with this fake relationship. Also she’s very anxious and awkward compared to Caz. Caz is much more carefree but he has his own problems. His parents are doctors and never home, he is lonely even though adored by the public.

I also liked Eliza’s point of view of being Chinese and yet feeling not Chinese enough in Beijing because she doesn’t speak the language well and she’s been away. I enjoyed all the cultural references and theme of family, which I could relate to even though I’m not Chinese.

Final Thoughts:

I thought the narrator did a great job with telling this story. This was a cute, fake-dating romance set in Beijing, China that explores themes of family, friendship and love. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

A Song to Drown Rivers by. Ann Liang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Under the Surface by. Diana Urban | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Under the Surface

Author: Diana Urban

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 354

Publication Date: 8/13/24

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Suspense, Paris

An epic survival-thriller about four teens who get lost in the Paris catacombs for days—a gripping and propulsive story of love, danger, betrayal, and hope… even when all seems lost.

Ruby is terrified to cave to her feelings for Sean and risk him crushing her heart.

Sean is pumped to spend a week with Ruby in Paris on their senior class trip, and he’ll wait however long until she’s ready to take things further.

But when Ruby’s best friend sneaks out the first night to meet a mysterious French boy, Ruby goes after her with two classmates, but caves to another temptation: attending mystery boy’s exclusive party in the Paris catacombs, the intricate web of tunnels beneath the city, home to six million long-dead Parisians. Only they never reach the party.

Underground, as something sinister chases them, they get lost in the endless maze of bones, uncovering dark secrets about the catacombs… and each other. And if they can’t find a way out, they’ll die in the dark beneath the City of Light.

Aboveground, Sean races to find the girl he loves as a media frenzy over the four missing teens begins.

From award-winning author and rising YA star Diana Urban comes a twisty tale of four teens lost in the dark beneath the City of Light and the race to find them.

Content Warning: claustrophobia, death, murder, violence

I’ve read two of Diana Urban books and honestly, she’s definitely who I turn to if I want to read a young adult thriller!

Ruby is on a class trip in Paris and right away, we are immersed in the sights of the Eiffel Tower, and friend drama with some of the other kids on the trip. The story moves quickly and one minute these kids are having drama, Ruby is crushing on her friend Sean and wondering if something will happen between them and then Boom!- four of these girls on the trip are lost in the catacombs under Paris!

I love how fast moving this story is – I read it in a few hours. I also enjoyed the history about the catacombs which is really the perfect place to right a thriller! It’s dark, makes the reader feel claustrophobic, it’s 200 miles long and as these four girls and their guide, Julien, come to found it – it’s so easy to get lost in there. There were a few twists and turns I didn’t expect and honestly I was just along for the ride, and what a ride it was!

There were times I felt like I was holding my breath in this book, which means it did the job when it came to the thrilling part! The ending is bittersweet though .

Final Thoughts:

If you like YA thrillers, you might enjoy this one. It’s dark, intense, got lots of friendship drama and it is fast-paced! Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Lying in the Deep by. Diana Urban | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

These Deadly Games by. Diana Urban | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 541

Publication Date: 5/19/20

Categories: Young Adult, Dystopian, Series

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

Content Warning: death, violence, murder, hanging, death of children

I finally read this prequel to The Hunger Games and this is what I thought:

+ I liked getting to know Coriolanus Snow’s background. Yes…he is who becomes President Snow in The Hunger Games. This is his story, how he is living in Capitol poverty and ashamed of it and trying to hide it. It’s interesting to see how it shapes him.

+ This is in the early days of the first few Hunger Games so it’s interesting to see how different it is compared to when Katniss is a participant. In this book, the Hunger Games isn’t as sophisticated and high-tech yet, but it’s still very cruel – maybe moreso because all they do is throw these kids into the zoo of all places and then try to lure them out with food to kill one another. I did learn more about why the games were started, and why they felt like it was a good way to keep the peace.

+ Lucy Gray is the sunshine in this story. She is quirky, unconventional, she doesn’t seem like someone who could kill and win the Hunger Games but she surprises everyone. The romance between Lucy and Coryo is surprising and yet…not…because he didn’t seem like a psychotic, power-hungry person yet. Not when he was with Lucy and thinking of running off with her. But things change so much.

~ The story was slow moving except for the last part of the book. It took me almost two weeks to finish. I wish it moved faster. Also I didn’t feel like the Hunger Games was as focused on. This was all about who Coryo is and what shaped him.

~ The crazy thing is I didn’t even see Coryo as scary in the beginning. He was ashamed of his station and wanted the best for his family and to survive. Wanting best for your family is a good thing, right? But there was a feeling that the Capitol hated him and he didn’t know why. I was hoping he would actually turn against them instead when he met Lucy and in District 12 but nope, that experience and then some pushed him harder into his convictions about the Capitol and the Hunger Games. He believed the Capitol was right and the Hunger Games were a necessity, unfortunately. Slowly we see him try to justify all his bad actions and even kind of lose it in the end because of Lucy Gray.

Quotes from the book:

“No one would ever let him have enough.”
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“His terror was a private thing, not meant for public display.”
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“If the people who were supposed to protect you played so fast and loose with your life…then how did you survive?
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“Who are human beings? Because who we are determine the type of governing we need.”
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“I’m being erased, he thought. And to erase me, they must erase the Games.”
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“It was never meant to be anything more than theoretical. And who but the vilest monsters would stage it?”
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

Final Thoughts:

I expected this one to be fast moving and intense like the The Hunger Games series but it wasn’t so for me it was an okay read. The beginning was slow, even through the games, and it only picks up at the end. I did like getting to know Coriolanus Snow more and I like how Lucy Gray was sunshine to his dark life. I thought this book gave me good insight into the man who will become President Snow in the series but I did expect more.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

When the Bones Sing by. Ginny Myers Sain | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: When the Bones Sing

Author: Ginny Myers Sain

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller

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

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From New York Times bestselling author of Dark and Shallow Lies comes a new southern gothic supernatural thriller about a teen girl in a small Ozark town who can hear the bones of the dead.

The past three years have been tough for Lucifer’s Creek, Arkansas, a small town quietly tucked away in the Ozark mountains. More than two dozen people have disappeared on the local hiking trails; there one moment, gone the next, not a trace left behind, until their buried bodies are discovered.

17-year-old Dovie doesn’t believe in magic even though she comes from a long line of women who can hear the bones of the dead sing, and for the past few years the bones have been crooning nonstop, calling out to Dovie to dig them up.

Some of the old-timers believe that it’s the monstrous Ozarks howler snatching people off the Aux Arc Trail. Well Dovie doesn’t believe in the howler, and she doesn’t believe her best friend Lo when he tells her he is being haunted by dark shadows. All she believes in is her talent that guides the local sheriff to the bones when they begin their song, then reuniting the dead with their families to give them some peace.

Lo doesn’t know peace, though. The shadows follow him everywhere. He soon learns they’re the murdered hikers and they want answers. But the truth of their deaths isn’t buried with their bones; it’s hidden somewhere deep in the hills. And Lo and Dovie must unearth it before anyone else is killed.

Content Warning: death, murder

I really love the atmosphere and setting of this book. It’s set in a small town in Arkansas, and the author does a great job of capturing the mysterious, and complicated that is the Ozarks. I love how the mix of the natural environment and the different types of people who came to live in the Ozarks are represented. There was definitely a Southern-gothic vibe to this book. I could hear the twang in the way the characters talked just by the way it’s written. There is the religious community and then the others that believe in simple spells and spirits. There is even talk about the Howler, a supernatural creature roaming the Ozarks. I think all of this contributed in giving this story a mysterious, creepy and tense feeling.

I did enjoy the mystery about the hikers that were going missing and ending up being killed. Dovie being a person who can find their bones is fascinating and Lo, who can see spirits just added to the vibe of the book. There is a little romance in this story but I don’t think that it was needed, I liked Dovie and Lo being best-friends enough. I didn’t need the mini love triangle that was thrown in.

As much as I enjoyed the mystery, I wanted more suspense and thrills, but I will say the truth that Dovie and Lo uncovers is pretty awful.

Final Thoughts:

My favorite part of this book is the atmosphere for sure! I love the Southern gothic vibes of the Ozarks – it’s mysterious and creepy and perfect for a story like this. I didn’t think the romance was needed but I did like Dovie and Lo’s friendship. Overall, I enjoyed the storytelling, just maybe wanted a bit more thrills.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

One Last Breath by. Ginny Myers Sain | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark and Shallow Lies by. Ginny Myers Sain | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Something Like Fate by. Amy Lea | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Something Like Fate

Author: Amy Lea

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher: Skyscape

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Italy

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

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

During a summer in Italy, two best friends discover whether true love is up to destiny or free will in this winning romantic comedy by the international bestselling author of Woke Up Like This.

For generations, the fortune-telling women in Lo Zhao-Jensen’s family have foreseen The One—the great loves of their lives—before ever meeting them. Except for Lo, who has zero psychic abilities. Just memories of old rom-coms and a lot of poor judgment when it comes to love.

Until now.

When Lo finally has the vision she’s been waiting for, her delighted aunties are convinced she’ll meet The One on her backpacking trip in Italy. Vero amore, here she comes.

Along for the summer is Lo’s best friend and confidant, Teller Owens, her opposite in every way. Upon arrival in Venice, Lo is saved from a runaway trolley by Caleb, a fellow backpacker. It’s a meet-cute so swoony, it has to be fate. But with each destination, Lo’s complicated feelings for Teller are becoming harder to ignore. From the cobblestone streets of Rome to the rocky cliffs of Amalfi, Lo begins to wonder if fate has other plans.

Two best friends, Lo and Teller, find themselves on an Italian adventure when Lo’s other best-friend injures herself and can’t go. So instead she asks Teller, her ex-coworker, other bestie, and her secret crush, to go with her.

Throughout the trip we see how different Lo and Teller are – she’s a free spirit, whereas Teller is a planner. They are opposites but they work so well because they are both kind of gentle spirits. We learn a lot about their past, their dating histories with other people and I thought they had a sweet friendship.

But Lo isn’t only on this trip to go on vacation, she’s there to meet her soulmate. Her family is famous for being kind of psychic. But everything gets muddled when she meets Caleb (clearly her soulmate because of a vision?) and yet her feelings that she accepting about Teller.

I loved the traveling that is happening in the story – a trip all over Italy? How fun and romantic.

Things do get complicated for Lo and Teller, and Lo has to question her feelings or fate. I think I wanted the ending to be a bit more romantic. Lo makes a choice, which shows how she grows. But I wanted more romantic moments between Lo and Teller.

Final Thoughts:

This was a cute, easy read. It’s a friends to lovers romance with a fun tour around Italy. I thought Lo and Teller’s friendship was really sweet and it was nice to see them realize their feelings for one another. The whole vision and fate aspect of finding her soulmate was interesting, but more so for the fact of her questioning the idea of a soulmate when someone else fits better for her. I just wanted a little more romantic scenes between them but overall, an easy, light read.