Tag: ya books

Beneath These Cursed Stars by. Lexi Ryan | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Beneath These Cursed Stars

Author: Lexi Ryan

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 422

Publication Date: 7/30/24

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Young Adult


Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.

Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.

When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.

While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts.

The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan comes a romantic fantasy in which a human princess armed with death’s kiss and a fae shifter on the run become unlikely allies when a mission to assassinate an evil king collides with a fatal prophecy.


So I was approved for the arc for the fourth book of this series without having read this third one, and I had to fix that – thank goodness my library had it!

I read the first two books of this series but vaguely remember what happened, but my reviews on my blogs helped me refresh my memory and I guess I didn’t totally love Brie, and the love triangle? Which is fine because this story is about her sister, Jasalyn! Brie of course makes appearances here and there but this is about Jas, and another girl, Felicity.

This story is told between two POVs because Jas, is with a a group trying to get back to Elora and restore the kingdom. Whereas Felicity, has the power to impersonate Jas, so she goes to the Wild Fae kingdom with Misha in order to look for a portal that will help them get to Elora to complete their task.

Jas has gone through some trauma when she was Mordeus’ captive and she’s filled with anger and hate for him. I liked seeing her with Kendrick’s group and almost having a found family with them. It was interesting to see how her torture still tied her up with Mordeus even though he supposedly died in book two.

As for Felicity, she’s doing such a good job at playing Jas, that she forgets that this all has to come to an end. Both girls, have their own romance stories but with whatever is going on right now with Mordeus, the mission has to be the number one priority over love. Which means, there are a few broken hearts in this story.

I like how quickly the story moved and I enjoyed both POVs. I like the world building too with the Fae, Elves, goblins and humans. But what kind of ending was that?! It was definitely a cliffhanger but wow, so abrupt! Good thing I have the next book on hand.

Final Thoughts:

Book two in this series came out 2 years ago, so I didn’t remember much but I felt like that didn’t hinder my reading experience. I got to know Jas and Felicity and enjoyed both their challenges and journeys and will promptly be reading the next book to see what happens next because that abrupt, cliffhanger ending is not it!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

These Twisted Bonds by. Lexi Ryan | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

These Hollow Vows | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

On the Subject of Unmentionable Things by. Julia Walton | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: On the Subject of Unmentionable Things

Author: Julia Walton

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 8/23/22

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Teen Reader, Romance, Contemporary, Sex Education, Politics

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

Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A girl rewrites sex education, one viral post at a time, in this fiercely honest and delightfully awkward novel by the award-winning author of Words on Bathroom Walls.

Phoebe Townsend is a rule follower . . . or so everyone thinks. She’s an A student who writes for her small-town school newspaper. But what no one knows is that Phoebe is also Pom—the anonymous teen who’s rewriting sex education on her blog and social media.

Phoebe is not a pervert. No, really. Her unconventional hobby is just a research obsession. And sex should not be a secret. As long as Phoebe stays undercover, she’s sure she’ll fly through junior year unnoticed. . . .

That is, until Pom goes viral, courtesy of mayoral candidate Lydia Brookhurst. The former beauty queen labels Phoebe’s work an “assault on morality,” riling up her supporters and calling on Pom to reveal her identity. But Phoebe is not backing down. With her anonymity on the line, is it all worth the fight?

Julia Walton delivers a brutally honest novel about sex, social media, and the courage to pursue truth when misinformation is rife. Who knew truth could be so scandalous?

Content Warning: vandalism, cyberbullying

This book comes at the right time when current events in the USA are heightened because of the overturning of abortion rights. So reading this feels very relevant!

+ sex positivity. Phoebe is a high school student and a great writer. She writes for her school newspaper and she also has a blog that gives out information about sex. No one knows it’s her behind the blog but it’s a space where she can help others who need help finding answers to such a taboo topic. I wish I had all this information when I was young. We did have sex education class in the 5th grade, 7th grade, and even in the 9th grade because there was a high rate of teenage pregnancy going on in those days – but kids didn’t ask any questions because it really was a taboo topic.

+ I liked seeing all these high school kids with such different passions – Phoebe with journalism and science, Jorge with botany or planting crops, and others with their involvement in school and even politics.

+ Phoebe’s voice was great because she didn’t have all the answers but she tried to do her research and she really did reply respectfully to all the people making comments on her blog. Her blog really caused an uproar because people in on the internet believed her blog encouraged teens to have more sex. I know this can be a hot topic in politics with one side thinking no one should have sex until marriage but in my life experiences, reality doesn’t happen that way. People have sex. Teens have sex. Why is it bad for them to be informed on how to stay safe? So I understood Phoebe’s stance. What was horrible was the backlash that came when they revealed her identity. People really can be atrocious to one another.

+ The romance was sweet and I liked that when Phoebe finally had her own experiences with kissing and more, she was informed and took her time. The scene is a fade to black moment and perfect for this story. I like that the romance wasn’t the main focus of this story but a nice way to show Phoebe’s new experiences with boys.

~ Phoebe gave information about sex on the blog but when it finally came to a gay person asking a question and she had no clue how tot respond, she acknowledged that about herself – and realized she didn’t have information on that. She went and did research and I applauded her for that. It would have been nice to have some LGBTQ+ characters in this story because EVERYONE has questions about sex.

~ The election events in this book gave me minor ptsd – it’s so stressful these days but like I said, stays current to the times we are living in, sadly.

Why you should read it:

  • this is a sex positive, smart, eye-opening story
  • Phoebe has a great voice – she’s mature, coming of age and dealing with emotions and standing up for things she believes in
  • coincides with the political atmosphere going on in America today

Why you might not want to read it:

  • doesn’t have much LGBT+ rep – even with the sex information

My Thoughts:

This is really a fantastic book and one perfect for teens and young adults to read. I felt like it was open, positive (except for the negative reactions to Phoebe and her blog), hopeful and eye-opening. With so much happening to women’s rights in America right now, I feel like this book is timely and makes us realize nothing is wrong with trying to learn more and be safe. I wish I had a blog like this when I was young and dating. I do wish there was more LGBT+ rep in the story but I can understand that Phoebe was still learning and growing. Overall I think this story is very relevant and Phoebe is a brave character for standing up for what she believes in.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Charmed List by. Julie Abe | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Charmed List

Author: Julie Abe

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 7/5/22

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Teen Reader, Romance, Contemporary, Magical Realism

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!

After spending most of high school as the quiet girl, Ellie Kobata is ready to take some risks and have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List—thirteen items she’s going to check off one by one. She’s looking forward to riding rollercoasters, making her art Instagram public (maybe), and going on an epic road-trip with her best friend Lia.

But when number four on Ellie’s list goes horribly wrong—revenge on Jack Yasuda—she’s certain her summer has gone from charmed to cursed. Instead of a road trip with Lia, Ellie finds herself stuck in a car with Jack driving to a magical convention. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, number thirteen on her list—fall in love—may be happening without her realizing it.

In The Charmed List, Julie Abe sweeps readers away to a secret magical world, complete with cupcakes and tea with added sparks of joy, and an enchanted cottage where you can dance under the stars. 

Content Warning:

This one is a cute read with some fun elements to it: magic, enemies to lovers romance, a bucket list, and a road trip.

The magic element to the story is just kind of thrown in. Ellie and her family are part of the magic community, and Jack her ex-friend/enemy and his dad are part of it too, her best friend Lia – is not. There are some rules about being part of the magic community and we do see some mild magic being done. Ellie has a bucket list for the summer and I think it was nice for her to go through with it to help her get out of her shy-girl shell. Also there is the romance between Ellie and Jack, they used to be friends, until Jack closed himself off to her, with his dad’s encouragement. But on the road trip they are forced to spend time together which means they start liking one another.

The story reads more for teenagers so I didn’t quite connect to the story or characters, I’m not the audience for this one. But I think someone who wants a light hearted teen romance that has magic would really enjoy this book.

Why you should read it:

  • magic, romance, a bucket list and a road trip
  • sweet, coming of age story

Why you might not want to read it:

  • this is more for teen readers

My Thoughts:

I’m not the target audience for this book but I thought it was a sweet story about a girl who is trying to break out of her shell. Some parts were a bit dramatic for me, like when Ellie’s best friend finds out about magic but like I said – I wasn’t connecting to the book or characters. I think if you want a light-hearted romance filled with magic, and some angst you will enjoy this one.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Time Magazine Top 100 YA Books of All Time – 2021

I saw an author tweet this list from Time Magazine and I thought it would be cool to take a look and see what books I have read from this list. It’s the list of 100 YA books of all time, all time meaning books from the 1800’s to present.

  1. Little Women by. Louisa May Alcott
  2. Anne of Green Gables by. L.M. Montgomery
  3. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by. Betty Smith
  4. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by. Anne Frank
  5. The Catcher in the Rye by. J.D. Salinger
  6. Lord of the Flies by. William Golding
  7. To Kill a Mockingbird by. Harper Lee
  8. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by. E.L. Konigsburg
  9. A Wizard of Earthsea by. Ursula K. Le Guin
  10. I’ll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip by. John Donovan
  11. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. by. Judy Blume
  12. A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ but a Sandwich by. Alice Childress
  13. Forever by. Judy Blume
  14. Tuck Everlasting by. Natalie Babbitt
  15. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by. Mildred D. Taylor
  16. A Swiftly Tilting Planet by. Madeleine L’Engle
  17. The Westing Game by. Ellen Raskin
  18. Homecoming by. Cynthia Voight
  19. The House on Mango Street by. Sandra Cisneros
  20. Weetzie Bat by. Francesca Lia Block
  21. The Giver by. Lois Lowry
  22. Ella Enchanted by. Gail Carson Levine
  23. Holes by. Louis Sachar
  24. If You Come Softly by. Jacqueline Woodson
  25. Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by. Louise Rennison
  26. Monster by. Walter Dean Myers
  27. Speak by. Laurie Halse Anderson
  28. Stargirl by. Jerry Spinelli
  29. The Princess Diaries by. Meg Cabot
  30. A Step From Heaven by. An Na
  31. Rainbow Boys by. Alex Sanchez
  32. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by. Ann Brashares
  33. Before We Were Free by. Julia Alvarez
  34. Feed by. M.T. Anderson
  35. Persepolis by. Marjane Satrapi
  36. How I Live Now by. Meg Rosoff
  37. Code Talker by. Joseph Bruchac
  38. Elsewhere by. Gabrielle Zevin
  39. The Book Thief by. Markus Zusak
  40. The Lightening Thief by. Rick Riordon
  41. American Born Chinese by. Gene Luen Yang
  42. Copper Sun by. Sharon Draper
  43. Tyrell by. Coe Booth
  44. Graceline by. Kristin Cashore
  45. The Hunger Games by. Suzanne Collins
  46. Ship Breaker by. Paolo Bacigalupi
  47. Akata Witch by. Nnedi by. Okorafor
  48. Daughter of Smoke & Bone by. Laini Taylor
  49. Legend by. Marie Lu
  50. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by. Benjamin Alire Saenz
  51. Code Name Verity by. Elizabeth Wein
  52. Every Day by. David Levithan
  53. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by. Jesse Andrews
  54. The Fault in Our Stars by. John Green
  55. If You Could Be Mine by. Sara Farizan
  56. March: Book One by. John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by. Nate Powell **
  57. Brown Girl Dreaming by. Jacqueline Woodson
  58. I’ll Give You the Sun by. Jandy Nelson
  59. Noggin by. John Corey Whaley
  60. The Crossover by. Kwame Alexander
  61. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by. Jenny Han
  62. An Ember in the Ashes by. Sabaa Tahir
  63. Dumplin’ by. Julie Murphy
  64. Everything, Everything by. Nicola Yoon
  65. March: Book Two by. John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by. Nate Powell **
  66. More Happy Than Not by. Adam Silvera
  67. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by. Becky Albertalli
  68. Six of Crows by. Leigh Bardugo
  69. Salt to the Sea by. Ruta Sepetys
  70. Scythe by. Neal Shusterman
  71. The Sun Is Also a Star by. Nicola Yoon
  72. We are the Ants by. Shaun David Hutchinson
  73. When the Moon Was Ours by. Anna-Marie McLemore
  74. Allegedly by. Tiffany D. Jackson
  75. American Street by. Ibi Zoboi **
  76. Dear Martin by. Nic Stone
  77. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by. Erica L. Sanchez
  78. Long Way Down by. Jason Reynolds
  79. The 57 Bus by. Dashka Slater
  80. The Hate U Give by. Angie Thomas
  81. The Marrow Thieves by. Cherie Dimaline
  82. We Are Okay by. Nina LaCour **
  83. When Dimple Met Rishi by. Sandhya Menon
  84. A Very Large Expanse of the Sea by. Tahereh Mafi **
  85. Children of Blood and Bone by. Tomi Adeyemi
  86. Darius the Great is Not Okay by. Adib Khorram
  87. The Astonishing Color of After by. Emily X.R. Pan
  88. The Poet X by. Elizabeth Acevedo **
  89. Frankly in Love by. David Yoon
  90. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by. Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by. Rosemary Valero O’Connell
  91. Like a Love Story by. Abdi Nazemian **
  92. Pet by. Akwaeke Emezi **
  93. With the Fire on High by. Elizabeth Acevedo
  94. The Black Flamingo by. Dean Atta
  95. Felix Ever After by. Kacen Callender **
  96. Stamped by. Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
  97. The Henna Wars by. Adiba Jaigirdar **
  98. We Are Not Free by. Traci Chee
  99. You Should See Me In a Crown by. Leah Johnson
  100. Firekeeper’s Daughter by. Angeline Boulley

Wow, I’ve only read 28 from this list lol…oh well. There are a few on here that are already on my TBR though.

Bold Titles = books I’ve read

** = books on my TBR list

title in Italic = watched the movie adaptation, not that it counts lol

It looks pretty diverse which is great. This is the first time I’ve actually paid attention to their list. If you want to check out the actual article and list, please click here ➡️ Time Magazine.

What do you think about this list? ~ Yolanda

ARC Review | More Than Maybe

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: More Than Maybe

Author: Erin Hahn

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: July 21, 2020

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Music

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

Growing up under his punk rocker dad’s spotlight, eighteen-year-old Luke Greenly knows fame and wants nothing to do with it. His real love isn’t in front of a crowd, it’s on the page. Hiding his gift and secretly hoarding songs in his bedroom at night, he prefers the anonymous comfort of the locally popular podcast he co-hosts with his outgoing and meddling, far-too-jealousy-inspiringly-happy-with-his-long-term-boyfriend twin brother, Cullen. But that’s not Luke’s only secret. He also has a major un-requited crush on music blogger, Vada Carsewell.

Vada’s got a five year plan: secure a job at the Loud Lizard to learn from local legend (and her mom’s boyfriend) Phil Josephs (check), take over Phil’s music blog (double check), get accepted into Berkeley’s prestigious music journalism program (check, check, check), manage Ann Arbor’s summer concert series and secure a Rolling Stone internship. Luke Greenly is most definitely NOT on the list. So what if his self-deprecating charm and out-of-this-world music knowledge makes her dizzy? Or his brother just released a bootleg recording of Luke singing about some mystery girl on their podcast and she really, really wishes it was her? 

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

More Than Maybe is a cute young adult romance novel and it has a playlist also, which makes it even more fun to read.

Luke Greenly, is popular because of his dad who used to be a part of a famous band back in the day. Now Luke and how twin Cullen have a podcast that has gained them some fans. But that’s not the only thing, Luke also secretly makes music and he has a big crush on a blogger named Vada.

Vada is a music review blogger and is trying to accomplish all her goals when Luke happens into her life. Music brings these two characters together and helps them stay together when things threaten to tear them apart.

  • I like the cutesy, quirky things Vada and Luke would do like send each other links to their favorite music. They both love music and it’s the way to their hearts, but yes…so cute to watch their crush, turn into friendship, then turn again into something more.
  • The music that is mentioned…at least some of them because a few of them I was like…??🤔 I’m too old for some of these newer bands maybe? But yes I was a freshman in high school when Nirvana made it big, so those bands they mentioned are definitely from my youth. And Colorblind by Counting Crows…ahhh memories! Heartaching, heartbreaking memories and goosebumps. So it was that way this book pulled on my heart strings at times.
  • I really enjoyed their growing friendship while they crushed on each other. They were becoming best friends and music tied them together, which is a beautiful thing. It’s cute how Luke is so crazy about Vada.
  • When Luke describes what love is like…I was like…awwwwww. 😍
  • I had a hard time connecting to the characters and I don’t know why. It took me awhile to get into the story – they did grow on me eventually when Luke and Vada started spending so much time together.
  • It’s a slow burn, maybe too slow at times for me but perfect for people who like a easy going romance story like this. There isn’t much angst (I need some angst haha), and the drama in the end is totally fixable and predictable but again, very grand sweet gesture on Luke’s part.
  • Triggers: active shooter drill – it was an “oh wow moment” to me that I was not expecting but such a real thing kids face today.

Overall, this was a cute read and would be perfect for music lovers out there! The mentions of some songs brought back so many feelings and memories for me but in a good way, it made me feel young again. 😅 If you like a slow burn romance between two teens who love music, then you will definitely enjoy this one.

ARC Review | It Sounded Better in My Head

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: It Sounded Better in My Head

Author: Nina Kenwood

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 272

Publication Date: April 7, 2020

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

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

When her parents announce their impending divorce, Natalie can’t understand why no one is fighting, or at least mildly upset. Then Zach and Lucy, her two best friends, hook up, leaving her feeling slightly miffed and decidedly awkward. She’d always imagined she would end up with Zach one day―in the version of her life that played out like a TV show, with just the right amount of banter, pining, and meaningful looks. Now everything has changed, and nothing is quite making sense. Until an unexpected romance comes along and shakes things up even further.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

It Sounded Good in My Head is a surprising and delightful read that left me smiling. The story is set in Australia and follows Natalie who is full of teenage insecurities and who can blame her? She’s suffered from bad acne in her adolescent years, and it was so bad she was teased relentlessly. Medication has helped her but it’s left her scarred, and so anxious. Thank goodness for her best friends Zach and Lucy, who know the best of her and maybe this someone new who will see past her insecurities and hopefully like her too.

  • Natalie’s teenage insecurities are on point. I never suffered from bad acne until after I turned 19, but my sister suffered from it in middle school. It eats away at your confidence, makes you feel horrible and especially in high school where everything seems magnified – it can be awful. Natalie’s fears have made her into an anxious person, especially about her appearance. All the thoughts in her head, I’ve had them – haven’t we all?
  • So happy Natalie had two best friends, Zach and Lucy, she could count on. I liked knowing her true thoughts about when said two best friends started dating each other, but the fact they might a cool trio made me happy Natalie had a support group. And I love Zach’s family who treated her like their family also.
  • The awkwardness in this book is so funny and cringe-worthy, I felt for Natalie at the first party she attends with Owen and Alex. It was giving me anxiety just reading it because I wanted her to be okay. And all the awkwardness between her and Alex hooking up or trying to get together was so real.
  • Natalie’s voice is strong. I got swept up in her thoughts and insecurities. We even get back story on some of her reactions, like the boys who teased her about her pimples. 😒 She tells us how she became so anxious – and we see her try to wade through social situations and a lot of times failing at them. What I love about Natalie is that yes she will flee a situation and break down and cry but that doesn’t stop her from getting up the next day and living her life as best she can with her anxiety. It’s scary to like a boy when you aren’t even sure what is there to like about yourself. Alex was the somewhat non-perfect guy to like because hiding under what she thought was “perfection” was someone as insecure with his life also. We don’t have it together folks! I mean, who really does?
  • The story starts off with Natalie’s parents announcing their divorce and though it seems like a big issue, I felt like it faded to the background. Maybe it was how Natalie was coping with the situation though – she does talk more to her parents about it closer to the end of the book but it’s an amicable parting so maybe there was much drama there to begin with.
  • Natalie and Alex’s relationship happens pretty quick in the timeline of this book but it’s due to the both of them stumbling around trying to figure what they are doing. It’s not insta-love since she’s known Alex for a long time, but Natalie tries to move the relationship to the next level pretty quick, again, due to insecurities.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this book! Natalie’s insecurities and anxieties are so relatable. I liked watching her go from a girl who seems absolutely terrified to be at a party to the girl telling Alex what she feels and showing him her scars. 👏🏼 I was so proud of her. This is a wonderful debut book that teens will be able to relate to and I look forward to reading more books from this author.

ARC Review | Ruthless Gods

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Ruthless Gods (Something Dark and Holy, #2)

Author: Emily A. Duncan

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: April 7, 2020

Categories: Horror, Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy

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

Darkness never works alone…

Nadya doesn’t trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off a voice in his head that doesn’t belong to him. Malachiasz is at war with who–and what–he’s become. 

As their group is continually torn apart, the girl, the prince, and the monster find their fates irrevocably intertwined. They’re pieces on a board, being orchestrated by someone… or something. The voices that Serefin hears in the darkness, the ones that Nadya believes are her gods, the ones that Malachiasz is desperate to meet—those voices want a stake in the world, and they refuse to stay quiet any longer.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

Wow, Ruthless Gods. So I just finished it and I amstill processing how I feel about it. I keep wavering between 3.5-4 stars so I’m just rounding up and keeping it at 4 stars.

Wicked Saints, the first book in this series was bloody and dark. I think Ruthless Gods is bloodier and darker…but somewhat at times repetitive. Malachiasz (I will never know how to spell or say his name right off the bat 🤷🏻‍♀️)has turned into a monster after his quest for knowledge and power. Serefin is possessed by some god he doesn’t believe in, and Nadya is bereft that her god has stopped speaking to her and is still confused by her feelings for Malachiasz. Their descent into hell, or this war between gods, seems to have only begun.

The mood for this brutal, strange, scary world is spot on. It is dark, bleak and full of monsters or should I say gods? There is nothing shiny and bright in this world – there is bitter winter and darkness for the setting. The author definitely does a great job creating an atmosphere that is full of mysticism and things we humans cannot quite comprehend. At times I didn’t understand what Malachiasz even was…does anyone really know? Is he a god? Or does he just have god powers? Is he still evolving? Sometimes I felt like this book was one big question mark. It questions magic, divinity, power and humanity.

Serefin is in an internal fight with a god who is trying to control him. He is such the opposite of Malachiasz who wanted all the power and knowledge. Plus if you thought there was a lot of self-harm with the blood magic in the first book…well, this one takes it there and then some! Some parts were just gruesome, at least for me since I’m weak when it comes to horror.

Malachiasz, this boy…seriously. I don’t trust him, at ALL. And he has turned into something so monstrous. Nadya shouldn’t be trusting him at all either…but he is her weakness. They are such a strange couple, sweet at times, totally bad for each other most times and a bloody mess together (literally) all the time. It just gets messier between them by the end of the book. There is so much angst between them, a little too much for me. I just wanted someone to make the right decision and stick with it (looking at you Nadya!).

And Nadya…she might have frustrated me the most because no one knows what she is or what her power is. All the speculation was starting to test my patience. I’m just ready to find out something more concrete about their situations. I did enjoy the break from these three main characters when a new character enters the story to shed more light about the gods.

Overall, as a second book I think it was better than Wicked Saints because it was faster paced and with a greater sense of urgency that I thought was missing from the first book. There is more suffering, more wondering, more horror in this book but that’s pretty much the tone of the story, destruction and rebirth. Emily A. Duncan is definitely creative and staunch in her world building. If you want bloody, she give you bloody in this book.

I’m ready to see how this series ends and I wonder if any of them make it out alive.

ARC Review | The Sound of Stars

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: The Sound of Stars

Author: Alechia Dow

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: February 25, 2020

Categories: Sci-fi, Dystopian, Romance, Young Adult

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

Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world’s population.

Seventeen-year-old Janelle “Ellie” Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. Deemed dangerously volatile because of their initial reaction to the invasion, humanity’s emotional transgressions are now grounds for execution. All art, books and creative expression are illegal, but Ellie breaks the rules by keeping a secret library. When a book goes missing, Ellie is terrified that the Ilori will track it back to her and kill her.

Born in a lab, M0Rr1S (Morris) was raised to be emotionless. When he finds Ellie’s illegal library, he’s duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more. They’re both breaking the rules for love of art—and Ellie inspires the same feelings in him that music does.

Ellie’s—and humanity’s—fate rests in the hands of an alien she should fear. M0Rr1S has a lot of secrets, but also a potential solution—thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous road trip with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while making a story and a song of their own that just might save them both.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

The Sound of Stars is a very interesting mesh of the sci-fi, dystopian and romance it’s infused with love of music, books and the love of love really. It explores so many subjects like race, and colonization plus it has aliens! There is a lot going on in this surprising book.

Janelle or Ellie, as everyone calls her, lives in New York City but the world has been taken over by aliens called the Ilori and their labmades. Say what? Yes, Earth’s problems have become insignificant with this way bigger threat taking over. Humans have been killed and are now undergoing a process where they will be given vaccines and their bodies will be husks. The Illori will be able to inhabit these husks to vacation on Earth. Yes…Earth is basically being colonized by these powerful aliens who have been colonizing planets all around the universe.

Ellie is just a teenager, who keeps a secret library. If she is found out by the Ilori it would mean a death sentence. But she meets an Illori, a labmade commander named M0Rr1S, or Morris, who wants to trade. He will keep her secret if she can get him some other kind of contraband – music.

This story is a journey of books, music, love and watching two different species find common ground.

  • Love for books and music is at the heart of this book. It reminds us that no matter what’s going on, how as people we can be divided or conquered, the written word in story form or music form transcends hate and can bring people or in this case species together.
  • I was intrigued about this alien race, the Ilori, and their labmades. This story lays out some of the problems on Earth from climate change, to race relations and the corrupt government (hmmm sounds very familiar!). But with the Ilori invasion (which didn’t start out as one really), the humans have pretty much united to fight the aliens. Learning that the Ilori have been colonizing planets for awhile made me want to learn more about their alien race and these planets that they have found in the universe.
  • Labmades are an interesting part of the Ilori. They aren’t true Ilori, they were basically, made in a lab. So in their society, they are looked down upon. So Ellie being black and Morris being a labmade shared the feelings of being inadequate and “less than” everyone else.
  • It’s a unique story all around with the romance between a human and labmade. The way the story unfolded reminded me almost of a space opera (though they are not in space) – but Ellie and Morris travel throughout America to get to their destination and it feels like this epic space journey…but on land. If that makes sense?
  • The romance at first for me…was totally cute. A labmade and human relationship? I was totally for it! And I think a lot of people will find it an amazing part of the story, but at the end it was getting a bit cheesy for me. 🤣 But that’s just totally a “it’s me” thing…Ellie and Morris totally fell for each other and I swear it started to become some space opera musical (yes with singing involved).
  • The first few pages was hard for me to connect to because it’s sci-fi (not my favorite genre) with a lot of technical jargon that just left me scratching my head. I just needed to be patient, because soon I was 40% done with the book without knowing I was reading that fast. I loved learning about this Earth as aliens take over and their plans for humans. The story kinda lost me again 75% in and maybe because of the romance and cheesy/cuteness.
  • I don’t know that I connected to a character most…maybe Morris because I was fascinated with his life as a labmade.

Even though it was sci-fi and dystopian, it had lots of romance and optimism because of the love between Morris and Ellie. They are seriously the sweetest couple. The world-building of the Ilori and Earth after an invasion felt realistic and I wanted to know more about the aliens! There is so much going on in this story. There is adventure, deception, humans on the brink of being hosts to aliens, Earth being made into a vacation destination, music, books and love. For me, The Sound of Stars was a very unexpected yet fun story to read.

Book Review | 10 Blind Dates

My Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: 10 Blind Dates

Author: Ashley Elston

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 327

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

Sophie wants one thing for Christmas-a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation.

Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents’ house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That’s when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.

When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she’s started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.

This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever… or is it?

I know Christmas is over but I saw this at my library and decided to pick it up because I heard many good things about it.

Sophie and her boyfriend Griffin is on an unintentional break from one another. Broken hearted, Sophie heads to her grandparents house for Christmas. And holidays at her grandparents house is always a chaotic event. When all her family hears of her break-up, they want to cheer her up and devise a way for her to keep her mind off her sadness by making her go on blind dates. But what makes it even more interesting is she doesn’t pick the dates, her family signs up for a day and pick the guy for her. So there are 10 dates Sophie agrees to go on, will Sophie have a horrible Christmas? Or will she find what’s been missing in her life?

  • What’s not to like about a young adult romance book set during Christmas? This story is wholesome and filled with family, friendship, fun and bad dates.
  • The thing that stood out to me a lot is Sophie and her large, loud, chaotic family because that’s what I’m used to. Christmas was that wild for me growing up with 8 aunts and uncles and so many cousins. It was crazy fun! So I loved when Sophie is at her Nonna’s house and hanging with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins (around her age and the littles). I enjoyed seeing her renew her bond with her cousins Charlie and Olivia. It’s so awesome having cousins who are your age and you can be friends with. And not all the cousins get along, you always have some that you have drama with and for Sophie it’s the Evil Joes.
  • The dates are fun, and funny, especially the ones in the beginning. The ones at the end seemed rushed but we already know who Sophie wants to date by then!
  • Sophie’s sister, Margot, is in a different town and dealing with pre-eclampsia during her first pregnancy. Their closeness is evident and sweet in their conversations through the phone. I enjoyed their sisterly bond.
  • The story seemed rushed at times but there was a lot going on! Sophie had to get through 10 dates, worry about her older sister and deal with Griffin. Plus there was her family in her business so there was a lot going on.
  • It’s obvious who Sophie is going to eventually end up with. But I like that there wasn’t too much drama with the boys. Even with Griffin her ex, there was minimal drama. She’s young, found her carefree self again and looks like she’s going into her college years with the same mentality, which is nice.

I loved Sophie’s loud, crazy family because it reminds me of mine. It had funny moments and touching ones too. Overall, 10 Blind Dates is a cute holiday romance, perfect for teens.

ARC Review |Echoes Between Us

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Echoes Between Us

Author: Katie McGarry

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication: January 14, 2020

Categories: Grief, Brain Tumor, Addiction, Contemporary, Tuberculosis History, Ghost Hunting, Family, Romance

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

Veronica sees ghosts. More specifically, her mother’s ghost. The afterimages of blinding migraines caused by the brain tumor that keeps her on the fringes and consumes her whole life haunt her, even as she wonders if it’s something more…

Golden boy Sawyer is handsome and popular, a state champion swimmer, but his adrenaline addiction draws him to Veronica.

A girl with nothing to live for and a boy with everything to lose–can they conquer their demons together?

Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this eARC.

After I sped through this book last night, I wondered why they didn’t release for October because it was the perfect fall read for me! Why? Because of the ghosts! The creepiness factor of this book was SO unexpected, I literally had some chills reading this late past midnight. I almost stopped but pushed on and I’m glad I did.

This is more than a story of Sawayer, the popular hot guy, who pairs up with Veronica, the quirky weird girl at school to do a project. I mean that’s the gist of it but no, ohhhh nooooo…their Senior project Veronica or V as her friends call her, want to do is to prove ghosts exists. Okay! I love a good paranormal activity story.

But this was more than just a story about hunting down ghosts as well. V has a brain tumor and she a reason for this project. Sawyer doesn’t believe in ghosts because he feels like his real life is scary and messed up already. He has secrets and these two teenager find a way past their first impressions to understand one another and help each other out in ways unexpected.

  • I love the ghost hunting! I love when they had to research for their project, it even scared me. Yes, I used to binge ghost hunting shows like Paranormal Activity haha and in high school, it was all about going to haunted spots with friends, just to get that thrill of maybe seeing something. But um this book did too good a job at scaring me….🙈👻
  • We get dual POV in this story. Sawyer is a complex character with his role as caretaker, and swim star. The pressure and depression he feels from every aspect in his life and his dangerous coping mechanism was taking a toll on him. I seriously felt for him, so glad he gets help. I liked seeing him attend the AA meetings and basically just trying his best to be better for himself, and his sister.
  • Veronica is special and the ones who realize it protect her. I love that she had a protective circle of friends since others in their community just thought she was super weird. She has these horrible migraines because of her tumor and just seeing her go through it, it’s tough. Her grief over her mother though, broke my heart.
  • Sawyer and Veronica’s love story is beautiful ❤️. At one point I said aloud, “I love you, Sawyer”. 🤣😱 I was like, whoa where did that come from? HAHA…even though Veronica is this shining light and the person who shows him life can be thrilling in a different way…he is the thing that grounds her. They struggle with their relationship and feelings as well…but he was mature enough to make some hard but right decisions and I was like, go Sawyer. I didn’t mind their relationship drama in this, I thought it fit in well and was believable. Their love wasn’t all consuming, it was deep but I liked that family came first too. And V stepped up to the plate too…I love how they decided to be all in. All in.
  • There are heavy topics in this story like addiction. Sawyer’s mom is clearly an addict, and Sawyer is addicting to adrenaline. Veronica is dealing with grief. Heavy topics all around but it works even as it’s interwoven with this ghost hunting project. It’s written so well.
  • There is a historical angle as well to this story with the TB Hospital in Kentucky. I googled it and just looking at the photo of the sanatorium scares me! Haha, I would have not been brave like Veronica and her friends to be hanging out that place. But there is a diary that Sawyer reads, a diary of a girl named Evelyn Bellak who was a patient at the hospital back in 1918. According to the author, the diary is real. Sawyer reads the diary and relates to Evelyn in many ways.
  • Sawyer’s mom… 😔 I know it’s part of Sawyer’s story but wow. It shows his mom spiraling into her addiction and Sawyer cleaning up after her but there is one thing that she does that affects his younger sister and it made me livid. But his mom was hitting rock bottom…and rock bottom is not pretty to see. I was hurting for Sawyer…I mean what’s a kid to do, he was trying so hard.
  • Sylvia his best friend – she was only trying to help him but at times she frustrated me. But she had her own insecurities too so…🤷🏻‍♀️
  • Just a few triggers: grief, cancer, chemo, depression, addiction

This story blended ghost hunting, grief, brain tumor, and addiction so seamlessly. I was getting chills from the ghost hunting scenes and Sawyer’s penchant for jumping. I was scared from both things. I was afraid for both Sawyer and Veronica and hoping both would confront their ghosts and make it out okay. But I also fell in love with with Sawyer and V falling in love. ❤️ Overall, it was an emotional rollercoaster and I enjoyed Echoes Between Us very much. Don’t read it in the dark though (I was on my fire tablet lol), because you won’t only be tingling from the love story but getting chills from the ghost stories too! Or maybe it’s because I scare easily…haha.