Small Favors by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: Small Favors

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 7/21/21

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Romance, Paranormal, Lite Horror, Historical Fantasy

Ellerie Downing lives in the quiet town of Amity Falls in the Blackspire Mountain range–five narrow peaks stretching into the sky like a grasping hand, bordered by a nearly impenetrable forest from which the early townsfolk fought off the devils in the woods. To this day, visitors are few and rare. But when a supply party goes missing, some worry that the monsters that once stalked the region have returned.

As fall turns to winter, more strange activities plague the town. They point to a tribe of devilish and mystical creatures who promise to fulfill the residents’ deepest desires, however grand and impossible, for just a small favor. But their true intentions are much more sinister, and Ellerie finds herself in a race against time before all of Amity Falls, her family, and the boy she loves go up in flames.

This book cover is so absolutely beautiful and oh so deceptive! I like that about it.
World Building ~ This author knows how to write books that are tinged with creepiness and loaded with suspicion. I suspected everyone, I couldn’t trust anyone – not even our main character, Ellerie! The story had me hooked with the setting, the tone, the silver eyes in the woods and I just imagined if I lived there, I’d die right away. Haha…of fear! The story is set in a historical atmosphere, during the time of settlers in America. People settled in a valley surrounded by pine trees and wilderness, they farm for their livelihood and live far from the city. They ride horses and make their own clothes, so you can imagine the kind of life they live.
Characters ~ Ellerie and her twin Sam are the eldest of four children but certain events come to pass in their village of Amity Falls and they are left without parents. It’s a hard life in Amity Falls but a good one. The neighbors are friendly and help each other out until mysterious deaths and incidents take place around the village. Then we see everyone get suspicious of one another and their tight community start to unwind. We meet a lot of characters in this book, but Ellerie is our main storyteller.
Plot ~ Ellerie and the townspeople need to survive the winter without a ration run because of the creatures in the woods. But they start turning on one another. What are these fast creatures with silver eyes in the woods? For most of the books I guessed they were werewolves, because what else could they be? But it was something else preying on the people of Amity Falls. It’s a mystery.

Triggers: Violence, blood

I was impatient with the lack of information we got about the creatures by the middle of the story but most of our information about the creatures in the woods come at the latter part of the book. The story builds slowly and then really picks up as the situation in Amity Falls gets worse but the ending feels a little bit rushed, like that’s it ~ the problem is neatly solved.
Creep factor ~ there is blood, gore, deformities, eyes play tricks on people, and what every horror novel needs, a doll.
There is a romance but one that left me suspicious of Ellerie’s love interest, Whitaker. So I wasn’t too invested because there were too many red flags.

Overall, I was on the edge reading this book as the mystery surrounded me like the wilderness and pines in Amity Falls. I love the beautiful writing, the atmospheric setting, the creepiness that edges into the story as tempers flare and blood flows in Amity Falls and everything seems…wrong. The ending was a little abrupt for me but this one is perfect for mystery, paranormal and suspense lovers.

🐝 ~ Yolanda

Chasing Lucky by. Jenn Bennett | Book Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: Chasing Lucky

Author: Jenn Bennett

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 11/10/20

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Categories: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance

Budding photographer Josie Saint-Martin has spent half her life with her single mother, moving from city to city. When they return to her historical New England hometown years later to run the family bookstore, Josie knows it’s not forever. Her dreams are on the opposite coast, and she has a plan to get there.

What she doesn’t plan for is a run-in with the town bad boy, Lucky Karras. Outsider, rebel…and her former childhood best friend. Lucky makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the newly returned Josie. But everything changes after a disastrous pool party, and a poorly executed act of revenge lands Josie in some big-time trouble—with Lucky unexpectedly taking the blame.

Determined to understand why Lucky was so quick to cover for her, Josie discovers that both of them have changed, and that the good boy she once knew now has a dark sense of humor and a smile that makes her heart race. And maybe, just maybe, he’s not quite the brooding bad boy everyone thinks he is…

It’s been awhile since I read a Jenn Bennett book so I was happy to find this one at my library!

Josie and her mother return back to their hometown after leaving years ago. Her mom and grandma doesn’t have the best relationship and Josie’s dad is a famous photographer who she hardly sees but Josie has a plan to one day leave and go be with him.

Coming back to Beauty, Josie runs into her old best friend, Lucky. He is the town’s bad boy now mostly due to some rumors and the way he dresses (leather jacket) and he rides a motorcycle (these boys always get the bad rep). From the first staring contest between them you can feel the sparks flying. But something happens and Lucky takes the fall for her and Josie doesn’t know why.

There’s a lot of family drama in Josie’s life. Her mom has a bad woman reputation in the town, her grandma and mom have a tense relationship, and she has a dad who is basically non-existent in her life but she wants a relationship with him. This whole story was about communication or the lack there of – Josie and her mom doesn’t communicate, her mom usually flees a town and dates a lot to avoid problems. Josie hasn’t really had close relationships since bouncing from town to town – so the closest friend she has is her cousin Evie. Josie’s lying to her mom about a lot of things too. And of course, the communication between Lucky and her is sometimes good, sometimes bad when there are walls between them. But Josie learns to get better at communication and that’s the main thing.

The thing I loved about Lucky and Josie was that they stuck it out and talked – even when it was difficult to get a conversation started. They got angry with one another and even would push so much that one person would shut down (usually Lucky)…but they also cared about one another so much that they couldn’t stay away from one another and wanted to make it work.

Triggers: Bullying, Slut-Shaming

Why was Evie with Adrian? He was such a jerk yet she kept going back to him but he really had no redeeming qualities. He played the villain I suppose but honestly Josie already had enough issues to deal with her mom and dad situation that even without Adrian it would have been enough drama for her to sort through.

Some of the family drama felt unnecessary like the mystery of who Drew was – did Josie and Lucky really have to fight about that?

There is a sex scene but it is not detailed and really it’s like a paragraph long.

Josie has a lot on her plate with high school coming to a close and her plans of leaving her mom is stalled by some events. But these events and Lucky teach her that running away isn’t the only way to deal with a situation. I liked Josie, and I loved Lucky. The drama might have been a tad bit too much for me at times but I still enjoyed the story. It’s not my favorite of Jenn Bennett’s but she definitely has a way of making me want to read a book to the end just to watch two characters fall in love.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Gilded Ones by. Namina Forna | Book Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: The Gilded Ones (Deathless, #1)

Author: Namina Forna

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 2/9/21

Publisher: Delacorte

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire’s greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she’s ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.

First thing I love about this book is the cover. It’s vibrant and has a beautiful girl on the cover looking fierce. The synopsis sounded intriguing and for the beginning part of the book, I was hooked.

Deka is going through a rough time – her blood ceremony went haywire and it showed she wasn’t pure as she was hoping. She finds out she’s an alaki, basically a half-demon and she gets sent to the emperor to join his alaki soldiers to fight the Deathstrikers. Deathstrikers are demon creatures terrorizing the empire and Deka has a link to them, which makes her different.

I liked how the other alaki ~ all girls ~ decide to bond together instead of fight one another. They realize it’s not going to be pretty training as alaki but together, they can come out of this period successfully. So they become their own family and look out for one another. There was a lot of women power themes in this story.

There is a tiny bit of romance, nothing that takes away from Deka and her journey of finding out what she really is.

Triggers: death in many gruesome ways, violence towards women, torture, mention of rape

It’s gory. Deka is killed multiple times, in various ways but she’s a demon so – she doesn’t die yet, but her village elders definitely used her golden blood to profit from. Ugh. Many of the other alaki girls who didn’t arrive with Deka were violated and killed multiple times as well. So there is a lot of violence towards girls! On the other hand, the emperor’s elite fighting warriors/assassins are women, so the story showed both violence towards women and women committing violence. It showed the girls suffering because their survival shows how strong they are.

The story lost me at the halfway point when I felt like I wasn’t connecting to Deka at all. She tries to find out more about her mom, she keeps changing and as a reader, I could guess what she was changing into. I got a little bored and not even Ixa the shapeshifting animal could rouse my interest. Maybe I wanted Deka to be more angry? Like Belcalis? If my community tried to kill me nine times in every way possible, I’d be enraged and come back with a vengeance – but that’s me. Deka has more grace than I do! Haha! She’s a good person.

The message of The Gilded Ones is great – though we may suffer, whatever doesn’t kill us – makes us stronger. I enjoyed the world building because it is unique but I wish I connected more to Deka, I think I connected more to her friends. I think many readers will definitely love this book even if I didn’t, because it has a strong message and so much girl power infused in the story.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Pumpkin by. Julie Murphy | Book Review

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Title: Pumpkin (Dumplin’, #3)

Author: Julie Murphy

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 5/25/21

Publisher: Blazer + Bray

Categories: Young Adult, Body Image, LGBTQIA+, Romance, Coming of Age, Small Town, Contemporary

Waylon Russell Brewer is a fat, openly gay boy stuck in the small West Texas town of Clover City. His plan is to bide his time until he can graduate, move to Austin with his twin sister, Clementine, and finally go Full Waylon, so that he can live his Julie-the-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-music-Andrews truth.

So when Clementine deviates from their master plan right after Waylon gets dumped, he throws caution to the wind and creates an audition tape for his favorite TV drag show, Fiercest of Them All. What he doesn’t count on is the tape accidentally getting shared with the entire school. . . . As a result, Waylon is nominated for prom queen as a joke. Clem’s girlfriend, Hannah Perez, also receives a joke nomination for prom king.

Waylon and Hannah decide there’s only one thing to do: run—and leave high school with a bang. A very glittery bang. Along the way, Waylon discovers that there is a lot more to running for prom court than campaign posters and plastic crowns, especially when he has to spend so much time with the very cute and infuriating prom king nominee Tucker Watson.

Waylon will need to learn that the best plan for tomorrow is living for today . . . especially with the help of some fellow queens. . . .

I watched the movie Dumplin’ but never read the books and didn’t even know there was a book two! But I loved the cover of this one and decided to borrow it. I’m glad I did!

Waylon is fat, gay and has plans to leave the small town he’s from after graduation. Luckily he has a very supportive family and a lesbian twin sister, who is his best friend. He thought he knew his plans for life after high school but plans are changing and maybe for the better, though it doesn’t seem like it at first.

I loved a lot of things about this book. We meet Waylon, who is gay and out of the closet but still holding back a little and still exploring everything about his sexuality. He’s meeting guys, but still wants to meet the guy who won’t be ashamed to be with him in public. He is trying out drag, even though he doesn’t know how to put on makeup and enjoys being on stage. Waylon’s family is awesome. They are so super supportive from his grandparents down to his twin sister who is also part of the LGBT+ community. She has a girlfriend Hannah, who I believe was in Dumplin’.

We have a lot of representation and diversity in this story. There is an LGBT school club called Prism and mind you, this story is set in a small town in Texas. There is a m/m couple, and a f/f couple, which I adored because these couples were in loving relationships and we get to see that love. And of course there is a drag show – I feel like there should always be a drag show in this series!

Waylon doesn’t only deal with being gay but being fat as well. For the most part he is confident about himself until he is with his ex-friend Kyle who used to be fat and lost weight or if he’s an event where his body would be exposed, like the pool. But mostly Waylon doesn’t let it stop him from living. He is a good son, grandson and brother – he’s funny and charming.

I enjoyed the romance! For one, his sister, Clem and her girlfriend Hannah, are the whole opposites attract cuteness. Waylon has some prospects as well and the chemistry with Tucker is heart-thumping! I mean, Tucker was flirting-flirting! I totally understood Waylon’s insecurities about the whole thing though.

Triggers: bullying, body shaming, homophobia, alcoholism

Waylon has a supportive group of people in his family, but at school it’s a little bit different. He doesn’t do anything to stand out and say he’s gay – he tries to blend in, even though he is out of the closet. Many of the jocks bully him about being fat and gay – that’s why it was interesting to see Tucker’s reaction to it all, since he was a jock too or friends with them.

Kind of wished I read the two previous books because I don’t know if I missed anything? I felt like I did because there is a cast of characters I don’t remember such as, Millie and Callie. But even without reading the books, I enjoyed Pumpkin a lot.

Overall I thought this book was fun, heartfelt, well-written and a joy to read. I cared about Waylon and his lovely family and the sparks between him and Tucker were undeniable. It has a happy ending and this should definitely be made into a movie like Dumplin’.

📚~ Yolanda

Quotes From the Book:

Ground shifts around you and you figure out the fastest way to fall is to stand still. But sometimes when we know we need to take a leap, we’re jumping off the wrong cliffs.”
-Pumpkin by. Julie Murphy

You gotta get it wrong before you can get it right.”
-Pumpkin by. Julie Murphy

When the world isn’t selling what you’re looking to buy, you just have to take it upon yourself to cut your own pattern.”
-Pumpkin by. Julie Murphy

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by. Brigid Kemmerer | Book Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers, #3)

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Format: Hardcover (borrowed-library)

Pages: 408

Publication Date: 1/26/21

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Series

Face your fears, fight the battle.

Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Grey has agreed to wait two months before attacking Emberfall, and in that time, Rhen has turned away from everyone—even Harper, as she desperately tries to help him find a path to peace.

Fight the battle, save the kingdom.

Meanwhile, Lia Mara struggles to rule Syhl Shallow with a gentler hand than her mother. But after enjoying decades of peace once magic was driven out of their lands, some of her subjects are angry Lia Mara has an enchanted prince and a magical scraver by her side. As Grey’s deadline draws nearer, Lia Mara questions if she can be the queen her country needs.

As the two kingdoms come closer to conflict, loyalties are tested, love is threatened, and a dangerous enemy returns, in this stunning conclusion to bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer’s Cursebreaker series.

I’ve made it to the end of the Cursebreakers series with this final installment called A Vow So Bold and Deadly. I thought the second book was just okay. It wasn’t my favorite, I didn’t like how Rhen got worse after the curse was broken, and I was hoping Grey and Harper would have a shot together.

This book picks up right away from the last. Grey and Rhen are on the verge of war, Rhen and Harper are not as tight as before since all the events in book two where Rhen was just awful. Grey is with Lia Mara in Syhl Shallow and about to march on Rhen’s kingdom. Can’t they all just get a long?

There was a lot of issues to be resolved. With Rhen and Harper, it’s not as easy between like it was before. Rhen was always a cold character and he is still a tough one to crack. Sometimes Harper gets through, but most times – he just doesn’t let anyone in and it’s frustrating. Did he have to go through hell though? We get some explanations, lots of talk about choices that were made and all of them trying to move forward from the past.

I loved that Harper had Zo beside her, her only real friend in Emberfall. And I’m glad Grey had Tycho and Iisak.

Grey at least is happy with Lia Mara. He seems more sure of where he stands and what he’s chosen for himself. Grey and Rhen confront one another in the end, but it’s when Rhen is just finally broken – it’s sad really that their relationship has come to this.

I will say, Lilith is a badass villain. I hate her but she’s written well. She is so hateful, I wanted Harper to kill her many times over. She manipulated people so well, played into their fears so they gave in to her and hurt Rhen so much. It’s no wonder he’s so cold and detached.

Triggers: abuse, manipulation, death, violence

I always had a wish for Grey and Harper together so Rhen at times just didn’t live up to my standards, for what I think Harper deserved in a guy. But the heart wants, what it wants, as they say.

Did Lia Mara need to be in this series? She didn’t live up to my expectations. We get to see her try to set a different precedent in her own kingdom by not being as kill happy as her mother was, I suppose. But why couldn’t she and Grey be happy in Syhl Shallow together and call it a day? They could have had peace!

After I put the couples and romance aside, because it didn’t go my way lol…I said fine, what is this all about? Rhen and Grey. It’s a heavy relationship because they have a scary past together. They were abused and traumatized by Lilith when they only thought they were friends and then finding out they were actually brothers broke them. It made me sad. So sad. Rhen who was broken over and over, who shielded Grey…needed to be broken some more in this series because why? Lilith just did not quit. Now Rhen and Grey only confront each other at the end which means most of this book is talking, explanations and preparing for war. There isn’t any action until the very end.

All four characters and yes, the story is told by four POV’s – we see all their flaws in this story, we examine their choices and actions. It’s all very real and muddled and nothing is just black and white.

Overall, I think this series went in a direction I never expected. I was all in for the Beauty and the Beast reimagining in book one but I didn’t expect Rhen to stay a “beast” after the curse was broken. I guess the story reflected how in real life, it is hard to break the effects of trauma and abuse. It showed how as people in close relationships, miscommunication happens a lot, at times our choices affect others in ways we don’t think about all the way through. I didn’t get the couple pairing I wanted, but after I closed the book I was okay with that – I just wanted Rhen to be okay, and I don’t even know if he is. It’s a start I guess, towards healing the past and starting afresh in his present with he and Grey at peace…finally.

📚 ~ 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

Better Together by. Christine Riccio | ARC Review

My Rating: 2/5 Stars (DNF’ed @ 20% but read the ending)

Title: Better Together

Author: Christine Riccio

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 6/1/21

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Contemporary, Young Adult, Sisterhood, Family, 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 arc in exchange for an honest review!

Jamie’s an aspiring standup comic in Los Angeles with a growing case of stage anxiety.

Siri’s a stunning ballerina from New Jersey nursing a career-changing injury.

They’ve both signed up for the same session at an off the grid Re-Discover Yourself Retreat in Colorado. When they run into each other, their worlds turn upside down.

Jamie and Siri are sisters, torn apart at a young age by their parent’s volatile divorce. They’ve grown up living completely separate lives: Jamie with their Dad and Siri with their Mom. Now, reunited after over a decade apart, they hatch a plot to switch places. It’s time they get to know and confront each of their estranged parents.

With an accidental assist from some fortuitous magic, Jamie arrives in New Jersey, looking to all the world like Siri, and Siri steps off her flight sporting a Jamie glamour.

The sisters unexpectedly find themselves stuck living in each other’s shoes. Soon Siri’s crushing on Jamie’s best friend Dawn. Jamie’s falling for the handsome New Yorker she keeps running into, Zarar. Alongside a parade of hijinks and budding romance, both girls work to navigate their broken family life and the stresses of impending adulthood.

I liked the moment the sisters meet because we get to learn a bit of the back story of their history. It’s a sad history though and they get at least someone to help them navigate reintroducing one another to their lives again.
They are different in personality. Jamie is loud, says what she wants – she’s a comedian in life and as her profession. Siri is more subdued, was a ballerina until that dream came to a halt, so they are very different.
There is a happy ending (yes I read the ending), so it all works out with the family and the romance storylines in each girl’s life.

I couldn’t connect with any of the girls. I couldn’t get over Siri’s name being Siri, it just reminded me too much of Siri from the iPhone. Also, the fact that they were named after Game of Thrones characters (I Love GoT too but…), bugged me because Jamie and Cersei, the incestuous siblings? Interesting choice of names.
Jamie tries too hard and there is a lot of swearing (I don’t mind swearing) but a lot of it is in caps, so okay, Jamie is loud. But then her sister Siri likes to swear also…but using non-curse words such as “excrement” and just other random alternative curse words. But excrement is used a lot and after awhile it isn’t cute or funny.
I skipped a lot and apparently I skipped too much because there was a parent trap situation somewhere in the story and there’s magic that made that happen.

This one was clearly not for me since I did not finish and mostly skipped but I think there are readers out there who will enjoy it especially if you like stories like the Parent Trap.

📖 ~ Yolanda

A Chorus Rises by. Bethany C. Morrow | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: A Chorus Rises (A Song Below Water, #2)

Author: Bethany C. Morrow

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 272

Publication Date: 6/1/21

Publisher: Tor Teen

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Racism, Hate Crimes, Social Media, Identity, Young Adult

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

Thank you to Tor Teen for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Hate U Give meets Shadowshaper in Bethany C. Morrow’s A Chorus Rises, a brilliant contemporary fantasy set in the world of A Song Below Water.

Teen influencer Naema Bradshaw has it all: she’s famous, privileged, has “the good hair”— and she’s an Eloko, a person who’s gifted with a song that woos anyone who hears it. Everyone loves her — well, until she’s cast as the awful person who exposed Tavia’s secret siren powers.

Now, she’s being dragged by the media. No one understands her side: not her boyfriend, not her friends, nor her Eloko community. But Naema knows the truth and is determined to build herself back up — no matter what.

When a new, flourishing segment of Naema’s online supporters start targeting black girls, however, Naema must discover the true purpose of her magical voice.

Absolutely love the cover! Both covers for this series are so beautiful.
I actually enjoyed this book more than I did A Song Below Water and I think because Naema’s voice is so strong whereas in the previous book, Effie and Tavia almost blended together. But Naema is vocal, she knows who she is, and how she wants to be perceived at online and in person. She is flawed but that’s why I liked learning about her character. Naema is the “mean girl” from the first book but this is her story now, and I like how she confronts her struggle about being Eloko and a black girl.
I think I got a better understanding of what Eloko means from this book, but still, not totally, not even Naema knows much about her magic as an Eloko is seems. I liked that Naema leaves Portland, where Eloko are well known and visits her family in Arizona. She’s out of her element and we get to see her interact with family who she hasn’t seen in awhile, we also learn a little more about how Eloko connect to their Ancestors.
I liked how she and Tavia come together at the end to fight something bigger than the drama between the two of them. I like how the issues of social media and how the media as whole perceives or creates certain storylines to fit their agenda.

Triggers: racism, hate crimes

This is supposedly a companion novel instead of part of a series and can be read alone, but I’d be lost if I didn’t read A Song Below Water beforehand. I would recommend reading A Song Below Water first.
Naema isn’t a likable character in book one and even in the beginning of A Chorus Rises, but she grew on me and owned up to some of her mistakes by the end.
I still feel like Elokos are vague after reading both books. Would like to have more information about them and world building.

I enjoyed how this story explores racism, and media’s role in a sensitive situation like Naema and Tavia’s story through an urban fantasy lens. We had Tavia’s story in book one and Naema was the mean girl. Now it’s the mean girl’s turn to tell her story and I her complicated and someone trying to figure out what being black and Eloko means. I do recommend reading A Song Below Water before this one to get the whole picture of what happens with these girls, if not you might be a little lost.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous by. Suzanne Park | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous

Authors: Suzanne Park

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 6/1/21

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Social Media, Young Adult, Romance, Summer Camp, 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!

A social media influencer is shipped off to a digital detox summer camp in this funny coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty and Love and Gelato .

Sunny Song’s Big Summer Goals:
1) Make Rafael Kim my boyfriend (finally!)
2) Hit 100K followers (almost there…)
3) Have the best last summer of high school ever

Not on Sunny’s list: accidentally filming a PG-13 cooking video that goes viral (#browniegate). Extremely not on her list: being shipped off to a digital detox farm camp in Iowa (IOWA??) for a whole month. She’s traded in her WiFi connection for a butter churn, and if she wants any shot at growing her social media platform this summer, she’ll need to find a way back online.

But between some unexpected friendships and an alarmingly cute farm boy, Sunny might be surprised by the connections she makes when she’s forced to disconnect.

I thought this was a fun premise for a story. Youtuber gets sent to technology detox camp to reconnect with life again and learn about what’s important in her life. Sunny isn’t even a big time social media influencer but someone trying to get to that level but her parents thinks whatever she is doing is enough to send her to camp.
Sunny is a fun character – she’s from L.A. and gets sent to Iowa. For the most part she is bored without all her technology. She makes some friends at camp and even meets a boy who works at the farm. She comes off self-centered because she is very focused on her youtube career but I did like how she stood up for herself when dealing with microagressions on the farm because she is Korean-American.
Sunny and Theo’s romance is very cute and sweet. The two of them are opposites in every aspect. She’s a city girl, he’s a farm boy. He’s traditional, she’s a risk taker. I liked seeing their relationship grow.
I did like the message in the story – which is about finding a life with balance. Sunny makes good points about why technology is needed and helpful. I also loved that she stands up to Theo and Ms. Davenport about her choice to become a social media star and she works hard at her craft to try and reach her dreams. I like that she made it clear that going to college isn’t the only way to success these days. I agree and I went to college haha. But Coach, the “counselor” at camp makes good points too about making human connections face to face. I like how she connects with the elderly, it reminds me of the times I volunteered as a teen in nursing homes. So I like how this story shows how connecting online and offline is a good thing.

Triggers: microagression
This one is a quick, lighthearted read. It’s light and cute with the romance and nothing that went too deep into the issues.
Not sure why one of the campers, Wendy, really hated on Sunny. Competition? She just didn’t like her? I’m not sure and it’s not really addressed.

I think we all could be reminded now and then, or everyday, how connecting online and offline can be a great thing when there is a balance between the two. The author conveyed this message very well in the story. I found this book to be an entertaining, quick, lighthearted read with a good message and sweet romance. This one is perfect for teens and young adult readers.

📚 ~ Yolanda

When We Were Infinite by. Kelly Loy Gilbert | Book Review

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Title: When We Were Infinite

Author: Kelly Loy Gilbert

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 3/9/21

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Friendship, Romance, Abuse, Mental Health, Identity, Contemporary

All Beth wants is for her tight-knit circle of friends — Grace Nakamura, Brandon Lin, Sunny Chen, and Jason Tsou — to stay together. With her family splintered and her future a question mark, these friends are all she has — even if she sometimes wonders if she truly fits in with them. Besides, she’s certain she’ll never be able to tell Jason how she really feels about him, so friendship will have to be enough.

Then Beth witnesses a private act of violence in Jason’s home, and the whole group is shaken. Beth and her friends make a pact to do whatever it takes to protect Jason, no matter the sacrifice. But when even their fierce loyalty isn’t enough to stop Jason from making a life-altering choice, Beth must decide how far she’s willing to go for him—and how much of herself she’s willing to give up.

This story starts off so happy and then it’s a slow descent into heartbreak and then healing. It starts off as this story about a tight knit group of five friends, most of them Taiwanese except for Grace who is Japanese American, and Beth who is half-white and Chinese, who has no deep to connection to either side of her cultures. These kids are smart, goal oriented, talented and have everything going for themselves, their futures are so bright and they all seem so perfect – on the outside. Their friendship is a beautiful thing but even though they are the closest and most supportive of friends, there were things they couldn’t prevent. Through Beth we see that as their time comes to an end in high school, pressures start building, more for Jason the boy she’s in love with, and a series of events happen that shakes their tight knit group.
But let’s talk about Beth. We are in her head a lot and I was scared at times being in that head because some things I could really relate to. She’s the most quiet among her friends, and so talented with a violin. She is that type of person ready to appease everyone, at least she is with her friends. Beth lives her life in a way so that she won’t repeat the mistakes of her mother who she blames for the divorce and making her dad leave. As a teen, I would have understood Beth a lot with the anger at her parents. Now that I am a mom and way older, Beth was breaking my heart blaming her mom for everything. She comes off selfish (when it comes to her mother) but so unselfish when it comes to her friends and Jason. The story comes around full circle from Senior year in high school to them being in college which I’m glad about because there were so many things Beth needed to learn about herself, she needed to actually grow without these amazing friends of hers and she does. It’s not easy, but she does it, little by little.
Mental health is a big topic in this story. From the very high expectations of immigrant Asian parents (I know how that feels but not to the extent of what Beth and her friends are going through), abuse in a family and is it considered “abuse” and should you tell anyone, dating someone with mental health issues, and seeking help when you do have mental health episodes among other things.
I love how music is interwoven into the storyline because of Beth and her friends being in the school symphony club. The place Beth is her true self is with her violin. Music is what brings her back to life that is worth living.
This story is written beautifully and I hope to read more of this author’s work. I was really drawn into this story of perfect friends as thing unraveled. By the end of it, I wanted them to all be fixed and the ending made me cry. I think I was just so happy that Beth and Jason were okay despite everything.

Triggers: attempted suicide, anxiety, divorce, abuse, panic attacks

This is heavy reading material and so very triggering. Beth’s anxiety chaffed at me, it gave me anxiety. I wanted to shake sense into her because I’m an adult now but I saw some of myself in her. Jason’s withdrawal made me nervous for him. I felt helpless for both of them. I felt quite drained by the end of this book, so read at your own pace if any of these topics are a trigger for you.
The romance between Jason and Beth in the end becomes a beautiful thing but the beginning of it is toxic. It’s a bad idea, but Beth is diving into it head first, she is all in without a care for her own well-being. To me their love story wasn’t something comforting to me at all when it began…but by the end of the book, I was tearing up because they both did a lot of work to meet each other half way.

When We Were Infinite is an emotional journey about at a time when the transition from high school to college is full of pressure. It’s a story about Beth, who seems okay at the beginning of the book and we slowly uncover all the layers to see she is not doing okay at all at home, or at life in general. I was invested in the story the whole way through and saw parts of me in it that made me uncomfortable but seen, which I appreciated. This is a powerfully layered story that will stay in my head for awhile.

📚 ~ Yolanda

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