The streets of Creije are for the deadly and the dreamers, and four crooks in particular know just how much magic they need up their sleeve to survive.
Tavia, a busker ready to pack up her dark-magic wares and turn her back on Creije for good. She’ll do anything to put her crimes behind her.
Wesley, the closest thing Creije has to a gangster. After growing up on streets hungry enough to swallow the weak whole, he won’t stop until he has brought the entire realm to kneel before him.
Karam, a warrior who spends her days watching over the city’s worst criminals and her nights in the fighting rings, making a deadly name for herself.
And Saxony, a resistance fighter hiding from the very people who destroyed her family, and willing to do whatever it takes to get her revenge.
Everything in their lives is going to plan, until Tavia makes a crucial mistake: she delivers a vial of dark magic—a weapon she didn’t know she had—to someone she cares about, sparking the greatest conflict in decades. Now these four magical outsiders must come together to save their home and the world, before it’s too late. But with enemies at all sides, they can trust nobody. Least of all each other.
My Attention: I had to be in the right mood to read this, so I did pick this up and then shelved it for a month – once I was in the right mood to read a “gangster fantasy” type of book I finished it in one sitting
World Building: story takes place in Criejie, where an evil Kingpin boss runs the the city.
Writing Style: story flowed nicely once I got into it
Bringing the Heat: 🔥
Crazy in Love: there is a queer romance and a friends to maybe lovers situation going on as well
Creativity: sounds similar to other gangster fantasy stories, but I did enjoy the magic
Mood: okay
Triggers: violence
My Takeaway: Who can you really trust?
I enjoyed the characters:
Tavia – she’s funny and has heart. Like Wesley says she is the glue to their crew and I think it’s because she gets a long with everyone.
Wesley – the bad boy who has a secret past that he doesn’t even know about. He’s an underboss wanting to be the alpha, Kingpin of Criejie. He grew up in the streets and has killed to survive. His weakness? Tavia – the person who’s known him the longest. He is my favorite character so far because he is dangerous – we’ll see what happens with him.
Saxony – has a secret past and is in Creije for revenge. She and Karam used to be lovers. Theirs is a complicated relationship.
Karam – another person with a secret past. She is a kick ass warrior bound to protect Saxony.
I liked the world building of Creije and learning about the Crafters as well. The magic system was interesting – Crafters (true magic wielders) were killed in a war so now people only use trick magic.
I enjoyed the diversity with Saxony and Karam’s queer romance taking the forefront of the other relationships in this book.
There are a few twists in this story that kept me engaged until the end.
I think I wanted the Kingpin, Dante Ashwood, to be more villainous. As a heist/gangster crew? The team don’t quite trust each other. Everyone has a past and the one leading them has the darkest one of all.
There are many perspectives being told in this book and I think between the main four it didn’t take away from the story but then there were perspectives from Krause and Deniel – and I don’t even know if they were needed.
There are a lot of characters in this book but one is mentioned as being another powerful player, Doyen Shulze. If the Kingpin is helping Wesley, then the Doyen is the politician trying to take them down. But she never makes an appearance…maybe in book two?
Overall, I found the story entertaining once I was in the mood to read a gangster fantasy. Wesley is the character that intrigued me the most and made me keep reading. I wanted to know how bad he really was and if there was any good in him. The ending was an interesting twist that makes me want to read the sequel so I’m looking forward to that.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is: (a freebie which means I make up my own topic…so….)
Books I Recently Acquired
I just got my Book Outlet order come in and finally got this book in my hands!
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By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the “downfall of the Black man.”
But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for “anti-white discrimination.”
Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?
***
How cute is this book cover? It makes me happy just seeing these colors.
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The world of K-Pop has never met a star like this. Debut author Lyla Lee delivers a deliciously fun, thoughtful rom-com celebrating confidence and body positivity—perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Julie Murphy.
Skye Shin has heard it all. Fat girls shouldn’t dance. Wear bright colors. Shouldn’t call attention to themselves. But Skye dreams of joining the glittering world of K-Pop, and to do that, she’s about to break all the rules that society, the media, and even her own mother, have set for girls like her.
She’ll challenge thousands of other performers in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, and she’ll do it better than anyone else.
When Skye nails her audition, she’s immediately swept into a whirlwind of countless practices, shocking performances, and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn’t count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty standards of the Korean pop entertainment industry, her sudden media fame and scrutiny, or the sparks that soon fly with her fellow competitor, Henry Cho.
But Skye has her sights on becoming the world’s first plus-sized K-pop star, and that means winning the competition—without losing herself.
***
I was asked to join the blog tour for this title and it’s different from what I read but the synopsis is so intriguing. Hope it’s good!
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In an endless winter, she carries seeds of hope
Wylodine comes from a world of paranoia and poverty—her family grows marijuana illegally, and life has always been a battle. Now she’s been left behind to tend the crop alone. Then spring doesn’t return for the second year in a row, bringing unprecedented extreme winter.
With grow lights stashed in her truck and a pouch of precious seeds, she begins a journey, determined to start over away from Appalachian Ohio. But the icy roads and strangers hidden in the hills are treacherous. After a harrowing encounter with a violent cult, Wylodine and her small group of exiles become a target for its volatile leader. Because she has the most valuable skill in the climate chaos: she can make things grow.
Urgent and poignant, Road Out of Winter is a glimpse of an all-too-possible near future, with a chosen family forged in the face of dystopian collapse. With the gripping suspense of The Road and the lyricism of Station Eleven, Stine’s vision is of a changing world where an unexpected hero searches for a place hope might take root.
***
Got this one also on Book Outlet and yes…it was the cover that made me cave in buying this haha.
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A princess fleeing an arranged marriage teams up with a snarky commoner to foil a rebel plot in B. R. Myers’ Rogue Princess, a gender-swapped sci-fi YA retelling of Cinderella.
Princess Delia knows her duty: She must choose a prince to marry in order to secure an alliance and save her failing planet. Yet she secretly dreams of true love, and feels there must be a better way. Determined to chart her own course, she steals a spaceship to avoid the marriage, only to discover a handsome stowaway.
All Aidan wanted was to “borrow” a few palace trinkets to help him get off the planet. Okay, so maybe escaping on a royal ship wasn’t the smartest plan, but he never expected to be kidnapped by a runaway princess!
Sparks fly as this headstrong princess and clever thief battle wits, but everything changes when they inadvertently uncover a rebel conspiracy that could destroy their planet forever.
***
Yes, I finally got a copy of this book because the ebook was on sale on Amazon! I’m excited to read this.
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Impossible love between two girls —one human, one Made. A love that could birth a revolution.
After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, Designed to be the playthings of royals, took over the estates of their owners and bent the human race to their will.
Now, Ayla, a human servant rising the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging the death of her family… by killing the Sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier. Crier, who was Made to be beautiful, to be flawless. And to take over the work of her father.
Crier had been preparing to do just that—to inherit her father’s rule over the land. But that was before she was betrothed to Scyre Kinok, who seems to have a thousand secrets. That was before she discovered her father isn’t as benevolent as she thought. That was before she met Ayla.
Set in a richly-imagined fantasy world, Nina Varela’s debut novel is a sweepingly romantic tale of love, loss and revenge, that challenges what it really means to be human.
***
I got approved for this on NetGalley! Looking forward to reading this.
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rom the award-winning author of The Truth of Right Nowcomes a stunning, grounded fantasy in the vein of Dread Nation that follows a black teen as she finds her place among a family of women gifted with magical abilities.
In the Jim Crow South, white supremacy reigns and tensions are high. But Evalene Deschamps has other things to worry about. She has two little sisters to look after, an overworked single mother, and a longtime crush who is finally making a move.
On top of all that, Evvie’s magic abilities are growing stronger by the day. Her family calls it jubilation—a gift passed down from generations of black women since the time of slavery. And as Evvie’s talents waken, something dark comes loose and threatens to resurface…
And when the demons of Evvie’s past finally shake free, she must embrace her mighty lineage, and summon the power that lies within her.
***
Another title on NetGalley I was approved for!
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When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie…although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front.
But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister.
When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents—especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself.
The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp’s co-chef, putting Abby’s growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything.
But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.
***
Check this one out! I got approved for it on NetGalley and it barely has a blurb…yet it was intriguing enough I had to request it. It’s out April 2021.
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Delta of Dead River sets out to rescue her family from a ruthless dictator rising to power in the Wastes and discovers a secret that will reshape her world in this post-apocalyptic western mashup for fans of Mad Max and Gunslinger Girl.
***
Seriously, thank you NetGalley! Check out this cover and it’s about witches? I’m so excited to read this one!
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Kappa Rho Nu isn’t your average sorority. Their parties are notorious. Their fundraisers are known for being Westerly College’s most elaborate affairs. But beneath the veil of Greek life and prestige, the sisters of Kappu Rho Nu share a secret: they’re a coven of witches. For Vivi Deveraux, being one of Kappa Rho Nu’s Ravens means getting a chance to redefine herself. For Scarlett Winters, a bonafide Raven and daughter of a legacy Raven, pledge this year means living up to her mother’s impossible expectations of becoming Kappa Rho Nu’s next president. Scarlett knows she’d be the perfect candidate — that is, if she didn’t have one human-sized skeleton in her closet…. When Vivi and Scarlett are paired as big and little for initiation, they find themselves sinking into the sinister world of blood oaths and betrayals.
***
The sequel to The Beautiful! It’s sitting on my shelf and I will get to it very, very soon.
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Following the events of The Beautiful, Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The treaty between the Fallen and the Brotherhood has been broken, and war between the immortals seems imminent. The price of loving Celine was costly. But Celine has also paid a high price for loving Bastien.
Still recovering from injuries sustained during a night she can’t quite remember, her dreams are troubled. And she doesn’t know she has inadvertently set into motion a chain of events that could lead to her demise and unveil a truth about herself she’s not quite ready to learn.
Forces hiding in the shadows have been patiently waiting for this moment for centuries. And just as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.
I have so many books to read and review! Drop your TTT link in my comments, I’d love to read what you posted.
So our islands are under a hurricane watch – we have them almost every year so I think everyone on the island is usually prepared with the supplies. It makes it more challenging this year because of COVID. Speaking of the virus, during lockdown in March-May we got our numbers flattened. I mean we got it seriously flatlined. As we opened up late May and into June, numbers started to rise, but this week…it’s been the highest daily cases. 50-70+ cases the past 3 days. And school is supposed to reopen in one week. They are rethinking doing that and as a parent, I don’t feel safe for the staff (teachers, etc…), and now I don’t feel safe to send my child even though it was only for 2 days a week.
I feel like the hurricane, covid numbers rising and school reopening has been a triple whammy – talk about anxiety. But I know I can’t control a hurricane, and I can’t control the virus. I do know I can make my family and I prepared for a hurricane and prepared to prevent catching the virus as best we can. 🤷🏻♀️
To relieve my anxiety I’ve been crafting – if you want to check out the 40% off sale I have on my Etsy shop click this link: Fanciful Wish – unfortunately I’m only shipping in the USA right now. Making resin crafts has really given me an outlet to dealing with my anxiety.
Of course I read as much as I can – do any of you find yourselves not able to read when your anxiety is high? I actually have to be in a certain mood to read these days. I have a TBR list that’s growing!
Cooking? I was not making bread during lockdown like everyone else because hello…there was no yeast to be found, anywhere!! Haha…I have learned to make more veggie dishes for myself though so that’s a win.
Music – because I craft a lot, I listen to music constantly and my playlists have consisted of:
BLACKPINK: because for some reason when I’m making kawaii resin items, it gets me in the mood for colorful things haha! It’s the only kpop I listen to.
Chromatica – Lady Gaga: because her music is so upbeat and energetic! And I was doing spaceship/alien themed resin pieces (like the photo above) and it just worked.
Hamilton Soundtrack – after watching Hamilton on Disney+….the soundtrack was on repeat for days in my house. I especially love when Eliza and Angelica sing, UGH…so good! Anyway, it was like listening to an audiobook that I could follow because it was music. I don’t follow audiobooks AT ALL. But the Hamilton Soundtrack works for me.
Folklore by Taylor Swift – just recently released and the story lover in me is obsessed with the song Exile and My Tears Ricochet! All her songs remind me of young adult contemporary novels and it’s such a more relaxed vibe than her usual pop songs that it’s perfect for when I’m crafting.
And when I need to watch something I turn on Netflix! This is what I watched this week while blogging or crafting:
Cursed – I borrowed the book and never had a chance to read it so yay for it being on Netflix! I wish they would make every ya book into a tv show or movie haha because visually, they all look amazing. Now Cursed…is violent, I didn’t realize how bloody it would be! So far I think it was pretty good, some parts I wanted it to hurry along but it makes me want to watch season 2.
Indian Matchmaker – because I’m always curious how different cultures see marriage and dating! This was fascinating.
Kissing Booth 2 – Kissing Booth the first movie was okay but I think I like this second one better because another hot guy is added to the cast! Just kidding! I didn’t think much of “Noah” in the first movie, but honestly after watching the same actor in HBO’s Euphoria, I became a fan. Anyway, it let me escape the real world for an hour or so which is what I need these days.
That’s my update and yes, typing this out is always helping me not think of the hurricane that is 24 hours away from “hitting” us. The waiting sucks haha so just gotta stay positive and busy.
Can you recommend any other Netflix shows for me to watch? Stay safe out there everyone!
Hi everyone! It’s been awhile I’ve down a Top 5 Saturday…but 2020 has been the worst year ever. I’ve been slacking on posting! I’m trying to get with it but there is always something…right now, a Category 3 hurricane is headed to my state, supposed to affect us starting tomorrow. On top of rising COVID cases (after we had it under control when we locked down) AND my son’s school supposedly opening in a week? Forgive me if I am just not on top of anything. Think positive vibes – positive vibes – POSITIVE VIBES!!! 😅
But let’s get on with it…
This prompt is hosted by Mandy at Devouring Books so check out her blog for more fabulous bookish content. 😊
Rules!
Share your top 5 books of the current topic– these can be books that you want to read, have read and loved, have read and hated, you can do it any way you want.
Tag the original post (This one!)
Tag 5 people
The topic today is:
#OwnVoices Books
I’ve read a few Own Voices books and I enjoy them a lot. We get such a different perspectives and experiences from authors out there. I feel like Own Voices books are really powerful. Here are some of the Own Voices Books I’ve read:
I just borrowed this ebook and it was really amazing!
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Echo Brown is a wizard from the East Side, where apartments are small and parents suffer addictions to the white rocks. Yet there is magic . . . everywhere. New portals begin to open when Echo transfers to the rich school on the West Side, and an insightful teacher becomes a pivotal mentor. Each day, Echo travels between two worlds, leaving her brothers, her friends, and a piece of herself behind on the East Side. There are dangers to leaving behind the place that made you. Echo soon realizes there is pain flowing through everyone around her, and a black veil of depression threatens to undo everything she’s worked for.
Heavily autobiographical and infused with magical realism, Black Girl Unlimited fearlessly explores the intersections of poverty, sexual violence, depression, racism, and sexism—all through the arc of a transcendent coming-of-age.
This one is *hot*! It’s not a young adult book, but definitely an adult contemporary romance. The main character is on the spectrum and gave us her unique perspective of romance.
***
Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases — a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.
It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice — with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan — from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…
Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he’s making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic…
I loved this story! It’s got food in it and made me hungry throughout my reading experience.
***
With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.
I’m Filipino American so I had to read this one and it was fantastic.
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A coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin’s murder.
Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte’s war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.
Hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death, Jay is forced to reckon with the many sides of his cousin before he can face the whole horrible truth — and the part he played in it.
I’ve read both The Hate U Give and On the Come up and she’s a must read author for me!
***
Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.
On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.
I haven’t done one of these since March – but I haven’t felt motivated much to read as much as I did in 2019 and I blame all of that on COVID. I’ve lost another family member to COVID in the Philippines, someone I never met, but her grandmother is my aunt who lives her in Hawaii with us. Also my son is going back to school in 2 weeks…can we say anxiety is high for me right now? Anyway, decided to give my blog a new look with different banners all made on Canva. I’m going for a pink vibe – to cheer myself up! Anyway I hope all of you are doing well!
Title: Black Girl Unlimited – The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard
Author: Echo Brown
Format: eBook (borrowed)
Pages: 304
Publisher: Holt/Ottaviano
Categories: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Racism, Misogyny, Socioeconomic, Drug Abuse, Mental Illness, Sexual Abuse, Magical Realism, Own Voices, Violence
Echo Brown is a wizard from the East Side, where apartments are small and parents suffer addictions to the white rocks. Yet there is magic . . . everywhere. New portals begin to open when Echo transfers to the rich school on the West Side, and an insightful teacher becomes a pivotal mentor. Each day, Echo travels between two worlds, leaving her brothers, her friends, and a piece of herself behind on the East Side. There are dangers to leaving behind the place that made you. Echo soon realizes there is pain flowing through everyone around her, and a black veil of depression threatens to undo everything she’s worked for.
Heavily autobiographical and infused with magical realism, Black Girl Unlimited fearlessly explores the intersections of poverty, sexual violence, depression, racism, and sexism—all through the arc of a transcendent coming-of-age.
My Attention: it had my full attention but I had to read it in sessions to process what I was reading
World Building: this is contemporary, set in the early 90’s, but with magical realism
Writing Style: so poetic and unconventional – there are times when author is writing about an even and it jumps (connects) to another event in her mind
Bringing the Heat: there is heat for the character as she processes new sexual feelings
Crazy in Love: nothing romantic, Echo has a few crushes in her life
Creativity: Echo and it seems most females in this book are wizards! She lists the wizard rules in this book as she tells you her story. The rules are more like a guideline on how to survive challenges in your life.
Mood: Absolutely inspired!
Triggers: rape, beating, abuse, drug use, thoughts of suicide
My Takeaway: We are wizards and we can get through our hardships!
This story cover some hard topics. It is Echo’s story and her parents use drug users, they live in poverty, and she feels ugly because she is black. Echo is also sexual abused, raped, bullied, beaten and yet she is a wizard and she recognizes this darkness that descends upon people who have internal struggles which is almost everyone around her. She learns to defeat the darkness.
This story has a lot going on. It explores…everything from drug abuse, racism, poverty, self-esteem, rape, sexual molestation, parenting, religion, oppression, it covered so much! But for me it worked, it made the conclusion so powerful when Echo perseveres over her dark times.
The author wrote this book in a way at first jarred me and I had to wonder if it was a mistake because I was reading an ebook. So I thought the formatting was WAY off..but nope – Echo would talk about something and slip into another memory, as they were connected in some way that you didn’t think it would be! I thought it was fantastic after realizing it wasn’t a mistake.
The writing is so powerful and strong, I was highlighting so many sentences or phrases in the book!
Echo’s voice is so strong. Her life shocked me – the sexual abuse, how she was living and surviving, and still being the smartest and most accomplished kid in school. I felt her fear, her anguish and pain. I felt her joy too. But I loved her speech in the end and the notes she and her friends wrote as well! No matter what Echo went through, I’m glad she had her friends beside her and she did have help. But this wasn’t only about Echo, it was about her friends, and her family too!
The magical realism was interesting, I don’t know that it fully worked and that my belief was suspended enough to believe Echo and some of her friends and family were wizards. I actually thought it was a metaphor or that Echo and her mom had a mental illness and being a wizard was the way to explain it but they are wizards. I think the wizard rules was an awesome guideline of survival though and that it applies to wizards and non-wizards alike.
There are so many topics and themes that arise in this story, I thought it would be too much but honestly, I thought it made for an impactful reading experience that I won’t ever forget.
Echo’s personal coming of age story is absolutely powerful, fearless, important, and inspirational. It is poetic, and raw. I cheered Echo on as she struggled through events that killed the light in her but what doesn’t kill her made her oh so much stronger. I admired her determination, strength and capacity to forgive. This is an amazing story full of despair but also full of hope, friendship, forgiveness and yes, wizards.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Today, she hates him.
It’s the last day of senior year. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. While Rowan, who secretly wants to write romance novels, is anxious about the future, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis one last time.
Tonight, she puts up with him.
When Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle, a farewell tour of the city she loves. But after learning a group of seniors is out to get them, she and Neil reluctantly decide to team up until they’re the last players left—and then they’ll destroy each other.
As Rowan spends more time with Neil, she realizes he’s much more than the awkward linguistics nerd she’s sparred with for the past four years. And, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams.
Tomorrow…maybe she’s already fallen for him
Thank you to Simon Pulse and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.
My Reactions:
My Attention: caught
World Building: landmarks in Seattle – I’ve never been, so it was nice to learn the favorite local spots
Writing Style: loved the dialogue between Rowan and Neil
Bringing the Heat: whoa…🔥🔥🔥, definite sparks between them – and then some awkward teenage sex (which was actually sweet)
Crazy in Love: enemies to lovers
Creativity: love the HOWL game incorporated into the story
Mood: story made me go awww
Triggers: anti-semitism
My Takeaway: That boy you been hating so hard on might be the boy that you love. Also, it’s okay to love romance novels!!
It’s a feel good, last day of high school, emotional, and yet sweet story! This author made me feel like I was in high school again and yeah…that’s been a little over two decades for me so I loved how happy this story made me feel.
Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope and although this story takes place in one night, it works because Rowan and Neil have MAJOR history. They have competed against one another all throughout high school. They have been trying to best one another until the very end of high school! 😅 I loved their dialogue and I how the love to hate on each other. But I enjoyed seeing how finally for one night they can truly enjoy one another’s company. It was so cute and these two have sparks, I loved it!
Rowan is a romance novel lover (YAY). She wants to be a romance novel writer but see people put her down about her love of the genre. I felt her on all of it. Why do we have to be shamed for reading what we love? It was nice to see her share her fears about what she really wanted to be.
Neil…aww I like that he wasn’t the drop dead gorgeous hunky jock that’s the usual love interest. Nope, he’s a nerd, ambitious, competitive and loves his family. But there is a lot going on under his persona of co-president and valedictorian.
This is a sex positive book which is really refreshing. Rowan has open dialogue with her parents about sex, isn’t afraid about knowing and having sex, she is informed and it’s awesome. Neil is the virgin in this case haha, which was sweet (when he blushes). I liked that their first time together was awkward and not perfect but sweet because they are so into each other.
Another issue that was addressed in the book was Rowan being Jewish and how she dealt with it in school. I liked hearing her experiences because my kids are being raised Jewish (dad side), though I am Catholic, but we celebrate both holidays.
Incorporating a Senior game on the last day of school called HOWL where they had to go around Seattle to do a scavenger hunt was awesome – it gave me so much insight into the city of Seattle, which I don’t know much about since I’ve never been. I felt the love for the city in this story.
This is a sex positive book which I love so there is sex in it which totally fits the story – it’s awkward, sweet and realistic! But it appears right at the very end of the book and I think by then, even without that scene, the story would have been great. For me it wasn’t needed – I could already feel the fire between these two the moment they kissed. 😍 The sex scene is fairly quick and not very descriptive though. The kiss was what made my heart pitter-patter!
I love that this book took place in a span of 24 hours but so much happened with the HOWL game giving me a tour around Seattle, the fun bantering between Rowan and Neil, the enemies to lovers trope, Rowan sharing her experiences about being Jewish and her feelings about wanting to be a writer – at times I was wondering how these kids fit ALL of this activity into one night, ah…youth! And speaking of youth, this book gave me all the feelings of last day of school, wondering about summer and going off to college (and it got me thinking about it all in this time of a pandemic where graduations were altered drastically 😞). All those feelings combined in this one book worked so beautifully.
Categories: Racism, Los Angeles History, Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Family, Friendship, Rodney King Riots, Coming of Age, Identity
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Los Angeles, 1992
Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of high school and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.
But everything changes one afternoon in April, when four police officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.
As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson.
With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.
I had to request this book because of the cover and it’s subject matter. It did not disappoint!
My Reactions:
My Attention: caught
World Building: Los Angeles, California 1992
Writing Style: slow beginning but the message is strong
Bringing the Heat: 🔥 the heat of the riots – yes, the sex or romantic scenes, not so much
Crazy in Love: not so crazy, there is a growing relationship but it’s in the second half of the story
Creativity: during the Rodney King riots, Ashley is coming of age and dealing with family problems/history, friendship problems, dating problems and being black in an affluent part of Los Angeles
Mood: eyes opened to Los Angeles history
Triggers: racism, bullying, violence
My Takeaway: When Ashley’s world comes crumbling down she finds out the truth about her friends, family and herself – and that’s a good thing.
This was the book I needed to read because I went to college in Los Angeles, back in 1996. I was only there for four years but this book opened my eyes very wide to the history of Los Angeles that I never knew about! I was unaware of the segregation of Santa Monica and the coastal towns but it explains what I see on the news today when I see white supremacist that are prevalent there! Also, this story takes place in 1992 and I was a high school freshman back then but the time setting definitely made me nostalgic for the music, which is tied into Ashley’s story.
Ashley is friends with the popular white girls in her school, and some of them use racial slurs around her casually. She likes fitting in but at what cost? Throughout the story she starts to question her friendships with these girls. It was a relief to see her venture out and talk to other people outside her group.
Speaking of Los Angeles history, another important history that Ashley explores is her family history. It’s so powerful when she says the history she knows starts with slavery in America…and that’s what was robbed from black people when they were taken from their motherlands and sold into slavery here in America, their true histories…histories that began in Africa, lost. At times Ashley doesn’t seem to care, she’s a teen going through friend and boy problems and the world outside doesn’t seem to matter. How much does it affect her that her grandma’s vacuum shop gets looted in the riots? She’s not close to that side of the family or it’s history, so how much should she care? So many of the mention of history in this story is powerful.
Her family problems are realistic. Every family has drama, and they are going through it with her older sister, who becomes part of the riots. Her parents have their marriage problems, her uncle and cousin being affected by the riots also appear in the story – so I felt like those issues were relatable. Also, I love her relationship with her nanny, Lucia – she was someone super close to her it seems, the one real friend she had maybe.
This story builds – at first it feels superficial being in Ashley’s head, in her life with her perfect white friends as they do whatever they want to do. But that’s what I think is great about this story, Southern California has that beach, casual, blasé, and Hollywood vibe. But this story gives us a history lesson about Los Angeles. I was waiting for this story to make an impact on me and it snuck up quietly, it was a crescendo. And though this was in 1992…it happened again in 2020, except the riots took over more than one city. It’s what makes this story so important today.
This is set in the 1990’s but at times I thought it was set in 2020! The racism, the violence of the riots, it was a repeat this year and on a bigger scale.
Another issue that was big in the 80’s and 90’s was HIV/AIDs. It does appear in this story very briefly. Also the teens in this story are out doing all kinds of things like smoking pot, drinking or doing drugs like E at prom. There is even a quick sex scene memory but it’s not graphic.
Ashley comes off superficial, especially in the beginning because of the friends she has and where she lives but it’s important that we are in her head. We do see growth throughout the story.
Ashley’s experience with the Rodney King riots, living on the outskirts of the rioting has a powerful and unexpected impact on her. She thinks the issues don’t affect her until she realizes it really does. She’s black. The racism against her and her family, her people, it affects her deeply but she’s been trying to fit in or blend in – but she can’t. I loved watching her change and grow as she confronts all the issues converging on her at once. This is a powerful story of an important time in history that’s absolutely relevant and relatable today.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Every year on St. Walpurga’s Eve, Caldella’s Witch Queen lures a boy back to her palace. An innocent life to be sacrificed on the full moon to keep the island city from sinking.
Lina Kirk is convinced her brother is going to be taken this year. To save him, she enlists the help of Thomas Lin, the boy she secretly loves, and the only person to ever escape from the palace. But they draw the queen’s attention, and Thomas is chosen as the sacrifice.
Queen Eva watched her sister die to save the boy she loved. Now as queen, she won’t make the same mistake. She’s willing to sacrifice anyone if it means saving herself and her city.
When Lina offers herself to the queen in exchange for Thomas’s freedom, the two girls await the full moon together. But Lina is not at all what Eva expected, and the queen is nothing like Lina envisioned. Against their will, they find themselves falling for each other. As water floods Caldella’s streets and the dark tide demands its sacrifice, they must choose who to save: themselves, each other, or the island city relying on them both.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.
My Reactions:
My Attention: wavered
World Building: dark fantasy world with witches
Writing Style: atmospheric
Bringing the Heat: 🔥 – not much heat, there is a slow burn romance
Crazy in Love: Lina has a major crush on Thomas and basically sets off to rescue him so is she crazy about him? YES…but…things change when Eva comes into the picture.
Creativity: love the dark witchy vibe
Mood: gave me a little but of The Hazel Wood vibes
Triggers: violence
My Takeaway: the Witch Queen is not all she seems
I like when a book about witches goes into the dark side. When Lina and her brother Finley make it to the Witch Queen’s palace is where things get fantastical, and dark! The world building is great – we learn about the cursed island and the witches that have to sacrifice a boy to keep the curse away. It’s a very dark story.
The Witch Queen Eva at first comes off evil…but…we learn she’s more than a witch queen needing a sacrifice to the sea serpent. She’s complicated. I liked learning about her past and her motivations, she has a lot riding on her shoulders to do the right thing.
Lina and her brother’s relationship made me a laugh a few times because they bicker like siblings do. They do not hold back with one another!
Lina was so in love with Thomas (the boy who escaped being sacrificed), that went to the witch’s castle to free him…like whoa…but at the end of the story, she starts having feelings for Eva. Like where did that crazy crush on Thomas go?! Haha…
I think Eva was the most interesting character in this story. At times the other characters felt flat and the story lacked depth.
Triggers: violence
I definitely would have been more in the mood to read this in the fall. I enjoyed the dark and witchy vibe. The world building with cursed island and the witch’s castle intrigued me and kept me reading until the end. At times I thought the story fell flat but I think if you like stories about witches, you may enjoy this one.
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