Luck of the Titanic by. Stacey Lee | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Luck of the Titanic

Author: Stacey Lee

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 5/4/21

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

Categories: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Family

Valora Luck has two things: a ticket for the biggest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world, and a dream of leaving England behind and making a life for herself as a circus performer in New York. Much to her surprise, though, she’s turned away at the gangway; apparently, Chinese people aren’t allowed into America.

But Val has to get on that ship. Her twin brother, Jamie, who has spent two long years at sea, is on board, as is an influential circus owner. Thankfully, there’s not much a trained acrobat like Val can’t overcome when she puts her mind to it.

As a stowaway, Val should keep her head down and stay out of sight. But the clock is ticking and she has just seven days as the ship makes its way across the Atlantic to find Jamie, audition for the circus owner, and convince him to help get them both into America.

Then one night, the unthinkable happens, and suddenly Val’s dreams of a new life are crushed under the weight of the only thing that matters: survival.

Stacey Lee knows how to write young adult historical fiction where we care about the characters. I especially love that she writes about Asian characters because I am always learning something new! I was a sophomore in college when Titanic, the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio came out and I watched it three times in the theater and countless times after on tv. It is ingrained in me. But Luck of the Titanic tells the tale loosely based on the fact that there were Chinese men and women on board the Titanic. That was news to me so I went into this book very interested.

Valora is half English/half Chinese and is looking for her twin brother. She hitches a plan to get onto the Titanic and does find her brother. The reunion between them is great and this is how we meet the other Chinese men on board and what a cast of characters they are. They grew on me as we learned some of their back stories. The story also mentions The Chinese Exclusion Act which I knew nothing about or if I did learn that in history class decades ago, I have forgotten. But this law didn’t allow Chinese immigrants into the USA for a long time, even though they found other ways to go around it. We get a taste of the discrimination and racism directed towards the Chinese from both the upper class and lower class passengers.

Valora and Jamie’s relationship is the main focus of the story as she tries to persuade him to go to America with him. They have been apart for a long time and with their parents both gone, they only have one another. Valora gets to know Jamie’s friends and they become their own chosen family. Of course they are on the Titanic though…and we know the Titanic means tragedy. So if you are looking for a happy ending, this book is not it.

The whole cast of characters were great and it’s the Titanic so there were all kinds of people on this huge ship. I think we got a glimpse of it in this book.

This was a very fast read, even as it starts slow, you know it’s building to a tragic end with the Titanic about to sink. In the span of time Valora, Jamie and their friends spend on the Titanic they become a family, Valora even experiences the beginnings of what could be love, the twins are united and even perform acrobats like they did as kids – they have a time on the Titanic before tragedy strikes.

Triggers: racism, death

The Titanic movie is ingrained in me so there were times, it reminded me of the movie! Valora getting on the ship by any means like Jack did, Jamie falling for an upper class passenger like how Jack and Rose fell for one another.

It’s a slow beginning with Valora finding Jamie and then Valora trying to convince Jamie to join the circus and move to America with her. I was waiting for the Titanic to hit ice halfway through the book because that is the exciting and tragic parts of any Titanic story but it comes more towards the end. So the ending felt rushed.

It’s a sad ending, bittersweet – there were some happy endings so that’s a good thing, but overall the whole tragedy of the Titanic is sad.

Why you should read it:

The story honoring the 8 Chinese onboard the Titanic is important
you learn a lot
it’s a lovely yet tragic story about family

Why you might not want to read it:

slow beginning, Titanic doesn’t hit ice until way late in the book
sad ending – the whole Titanic tragedy is sad

My Thoughts:

I ended up reading this book very quickly despite the slow beginning. I think because I know the Titanic story through the movie, I was waiting for the action and the moment the ship started to sink. In the book it doesn’t come until later so I was racing through just to get to it. Though slow, the story about Valora and Jamie is a beautifully sad one about family. When Valora befriends his crew, then the story also becomes one about chosen family. This one is tragic, but beautifully written and we learn more about what the Chinese went through in the past. Stacey Lee is a great storyteller and I look forward to her next book.

📚~ Yolanda

Luminous by. Mara Rutherford | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Luminous

Author: Mara Rutherford

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/5/21

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, 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 Inkyard Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From the author of Crown of Coral and Pearl comes an immersive new fantasy about a witch who must learn to harness her power–or risk losing her loved ones forever.

Liora has spent her life in hiding, knowing discovery could mean falling prey to the king’s warlock, Darius, who uses mages’ magic to grow his own power. But when her worst nightmare comes to pass, Darius doesn’t take her. Instead, he demands that her younger sister return to the capital with him. To make matters worse, Evran, Liora’s childhood friend and the only one who knows her secret, goes missing following Darius’s visit, leaving her without anyone to turn to.

To find Evran and to save her sister, Liora must embrace the power she has always feared. But the greatest danger she’ll face is yet to come, for Darius has plans in motion that will cause the world to fall into chaos–and Liora and Evran may be the only ones who can stop him.

I definitely requested this from NetGalley because of the cover. It’s not colorful, but I love the aesthetic of it. Also the premise of the story sounded so unique!

Liora has a very interesting and unique power, she is as bright as a star but she doesn’t know much about her powers at all. Her family has kept her hidden to keep her out of danger though so she is very sheltered. The warlock Darius though recognizes her for who she is and interestingly enough, he is the one who can give her clues about her power and it’s origin.

I think the most fascinating thing about this story was Margana, the weaver. She created the Queen and Prince with her powers. That’s pretty amazing and unique. I could see why Darius kept her under his thumb.

I did like the theme of family. Liora did everything to help save her family from Darius’ threats. Evran, Liora’s love interest and Margana’s son, did his best to try and save his mother. So the theme of family is strong in this story.

The romance is sweet, Liora and Evran were friends that turned into lovers.

Triggers: violence

I did not connect to Liora. The most fascinating character for me was Margana because her powers were so unique. Liora is very sheltered and doesn’t know much about the world outside her town – she does grow a bit because she has to save Evran and deal with Darius but I felt like I needed more from her.

Why did Darius remind me of the Darkling from Shadow and Bone? Maybe because he’s lived for a long time, and Liora’s power is light and he wants her for that? Anyway, it kept giving me images of the Darkling.

I wanted more world-building and explanation of the magic system. Evran doesn’t know much about his power, Liora doesn’t either so I just felt like it was vague at times. The ending felt like it was making room for a sequel, but I think this is a standalone.

Why you should read it:

Shadow and Bone fan – this has similar themes and villain/Darkling traits
easy, quick read – perfect for teens
cool magic (my favorite is the weaving)

Why you might not want to read it:

it’s a standalone and I think the ending felt like it was left open
it’s too similar to Shadow and Bone
needs more world building and explanation of magic system

My Thoughts:

I thought this was a fairly enjoyable fantasy despite the issues I had with it. I wish I had connected more to the characters but I thought Margana’s magic was very cool. I think it’s a fantasy that young adults and younger can enjoy because the romance is sweet and the themes center around family.

📚 ~ Yolanda

As If on Cue by. Marisa Kanter | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: As If on Cue

Author: Marisa Kanter

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 9/21/21

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Teen, Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Contemporary

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

A pair of fierce foes are forced to work together to save the arts at their school in this swoony YA enemies-to-lovers romance that fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson are sure to adore.

Lifelong rivals Natalie and Reid have never been on the same team. So when their school’s art budget faces cutbacks, of course Natalie finds herself up against her nemesis once more. She’s fighting to direct the school’s first ever student-written play, but for her small production to get funding, the school’s award-winning band will have to lose it. Reid’s band. And he’s got no intention of letting the show go on.

But when their rivalry turns into an all-out prank war that goes too far, Natalie and Reid have to face the music, resulting in the worst compromise: writing and directing a musical. Together. At least if they deliver a sold-out show, the school board will reconsider next year’s band and theater budget. Everyone could win.

Except Natalie and Reid.

Because after spending their entire lives in competition, they have absolutely no idea how to be co-anything. And they certainly don’t know how to deal with the feelings that are inexplicably, weirdly, definitely developing between them…

Talk about enemies to lovers….Natalie and Reid are straight-up hating one another. At least that’s how we see it through Natalie’s perspective. Natalie and Reid have been rivals since they both started being clarinet pupils under her dad’s tutelage. The competition between them became so fierce that it included pranks and then rules to curb their behavior. Now they are both in high school and their relationship is beyond tense.

I enjoyed how this story was written – it flowed so well and the characters were really fleshed out and strong. I loved Natalie’s friends, Henry and Fitz who are amazing. Natalie and Henry’s platonic best-friend relationship is super sweet and Fitz is just fabulous, bi and a fashion trendsetter. When Natalie’s in her core group, we see her shine even when she doesn’t feel like she has a voice. There is a lot of growth to her character especially when she is forced to turn the play she has written into a musical. She is pushed past her comfort zone, and becomes aware of how intense she can be. This whole venture also makes her confront the issues she has with her dad.

The part I had fun reading about was the making of the musical, Melted. We see all the hard work that these teenagers go through with making music, auditions, and just all the effort they put in because they love the arts (music, performing, etc…). I loved how the story progressed as we get to opening night.

I really connected to the message the author was trying to convey about Natalie not knowing what to do after high school. She’s still a Junior but already she’s wondering if pursuing a passion (for example the arts) and giving it your all is a bad thing because she sees her mom, a writer, struggle with writer’s block and the emotions of trying to put out work to help pay the bills. Her dad is a music teacher and that doesn’t pay well either plus all his time seems to be devoted to the band and Reid. Natalie weighs the options of pursuing a passion or doing what other people do and find something stable and play with your passion on the side. Everyone has their own path but Natalie really struggled with her vision of the future.

Triggers: microaggressions, antisemitism

I love an enemies to lovers romance, it’s my favorite trope but Natalie and Reid take it too far. I will say, Reid didn’t do anything for me in the beginning of the story, because I was getting Natalie’s side of this story. I did not like him and even blamed him for coming in between Natalie and her dad – I was wondering what was his deal? Like lay off the animosity buddy…but then we learn more about Natalie. She’s intense, she doesn’t listen to others and she distrusts Reid. Natalie does something in my opinion, that isn’t forgivable and the fact that Reid does forgive her…he must love her a lot. But I was not impressed with her actions, though I’m glad she fixed the problem.

The issue with Natalie and her dad is a big thing to Natalie and her dad seems oblivious. Again, I didn’t like how her dad seemed to say brush off her concerns. Natalie isn’t good at communication with Reid and her father. She just wanted her dad’s attention, outside of anything to do with the clarinet/band and I can see why Natalie hated Reid for that. Natalie had to do some serious soul-searching to do on the issue and tell her dad, which she eventually does.

When all is said and done and Natalie and Reid finally communicate is when they were the best together. The pranking, the miscommunication, the distrust caused some major problems between them to the point I thought they were not a good fit for one another. It caused great tension though which is a must in an enemies to lovers romance. I did enjoy the message about career paths and fighting for the things you love and believe in. My favorite parts were just reading about the whole crew trying to turn a play into a musical, that was fun! Overall, I enjoyed the story and read it in one sitting.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Forest of Souls by. Lori M. Lee | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Forest of Souls (Shamanborn, #1)

Author: Lori M. Lee

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 6/23/20

Publisher: Page Street Kids

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy

Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo.

And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life.

Unveiled as the first soulguide in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a soulguide can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.

I finally got my hands on this book and I’m so glad. There is so much I enjoyed about this book. Sirscha Ashwyn is a human orphan, or so she thinks and is trying to make something of herself. She becomes entwined in a web of kingdom politics between shamans and humans. But then she is revealed as a soulguide shaman as well, so who is she really? Ronin the Spider King is keeping the fragile peace right now between the kingdoms and keeping the Dead Woods someone sated, but is he losing his power? A soulguide would be able to help control the Dead Woods but Sirscha doesn’t know much about her powers yet and suspects Ronin of something shady. Who’s side is Sirscha on?

First off I love the world building – it is very detailed. We learn about different the three dominant races in Thiy – there are humans, shadowblessed and shamans. I love the magic system and the darkness of this story. It has the scary Dead Woods that are creepy as hell and basically you have to run like crazy through it to survive. There are spiders…yuck, but pretty cool. And the fight scenes are so good, I loved it, that was maybe my most favorite part of this story.

Speaking of fight scenes, Sirscha Ashwyn is a deadly fighter and also a soulguide. She is an orphan who is trying to make a name for herself. I understood her need to be enough for someone, not knowing who she is because she never had anyone in her life except for her best friend Saengo by her side. Sirscha is always trying to prove herself but she makes some mistakes, which is fine because I want to see her grow from them.

I loved the other characters like Saengo, Theyen (he’s pretty arrogant but such a great character), and the King of Spiders, Ronin is pretty villainous – or is he?

Triggers: physical abuse, violence, death

There is a lot of abuse in this one – physical abuse, because Sirscha is training to be a shadow, but she’s a wyvern first and training is tough. Do something wrong, you basically get tortured and beaten. Yikes and Sirscha takes it as someone who has been abused a lot – so that could be triggering.

I love romance in my fantasy stories and wish this had some but it was still fine as is.

For all the details presented to us in the book about this world…where is the map? I so wanted a map. This series needs a map.

Why you should read it:

great world building
awesome fight scenes
strong main character who has room to grow

Why you might not want to read it:

you hate spiders
want romance because this has none

My Thoughts:

I found Forest of Souls entertaining especially because Sirscha is a fighter, a no one who is trying so hard to be somebody – the fight scenes are so good. I loved the creepy Dead Woods and Ronin the King of Spiders and his backstory. The ending makes me want to read the sequel to find out the consequences of Sirscha’s actions. Overall I enjoyed it a lot!

📚 ~ Yolanda

Red Tigress by. Amélie Wen Zhao | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Red Tigress (Blood Heir, #2)

Author: Amélie Wen Zhao

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 3/2/21

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Monarchy, Rebellion, Romance

Ana Mikhailov is the only surviving member of the royal family of Cyrilia. She has no army, no title, and no allies, and now she must find a way to take back the throne or risk the brutal retribution of the empress. Morganya is determined to establish a new world order on the spilled blood of non-Affinites. Ana is certain that Morganya won’t stop until she kills them all.

Ana’s only chance at navigating the dangerous world of her homeland means partnering with Ramson Quicktongue again. But the cunning crime lord has schemes of his own. For Ana to find an army, they must cross the Whitewaves to the impenetrable stone forts of Bregon. Only, no one can be certain what they will find there.

A dark power has risen. Will revolution bring peace–or will it only paint the streets in more blood.

I was excited to find this book at my local library and forgotten that it was even out. We are back with Ana and Ramson as they try to gain allies for Ana to retake the throne from Morganya and Ramson is trying to find out his nemesis’ plans. It all leads to Bergon, the kingdom where Ramson is from but the journey there like anything else that has occurred in this book, is not easy.

Ana and Ramson are an unlikely team, the conman and the princess in hiding but that’s why I like them together. There isn’t much time for romance between them in this sequel but they do finally share a kiss. Still – I hope things work out for them in the next book. They both have unfinished business – Ramson hunting down Kerlan’s people and Ana going to take her throne back. I like that we get to know more about Ramson in this one.

I really like the element of the rebellion, the Redcloaks, led by Ana’s ex-friend (it seems now), Yuri. He has a cold killer warrior on his side though, Seyin, and I wonder how he comes into play later. I don’t trust him.

This book has awesome side characters, one of them being Ana’s friend Linn. She kicks ass with all her affinities and fighting ability. She’s also loyal to the death – I love her. Kais is an interesting character, he was an enemy in book one and now…is he trustworthy? Also…Sorsha – oh wow, this girl is psycho but she was sadly made that way and she definitely added a lot of danger to this story. I don’t like her but as an enemy she will be an exciting foe to defeat.

This story moves fast and had so much action – and it got pretty bloody at times too. There were a lot of things in play, Yuri and the rebellion, the kingdom of Bergon and it’s secrets and people finding out the princess is alive so I was definitely invested in the story.

Triggers: death, violence, human trafficking

I wanted more of Ransom and Ana together but I get they had their own business to take care of. Obviously they care for one another and I just hope in book three they can have their happy ever after.

Why you should read it:

great world building and magic system
fast paced with lots of action
characters you can root for – get to know more about Ransom

Why you might not want to read it:

if fantasy isn’t for you

My Thoughts:

I think this was an entertaining sequel to Blood Heir. Only thing I wish it had more of was the Ana and Ransom scenes I enjoyed in book one. My favorite character from this book is Linn though – she was strong, such an amazing fighter, and a good friend. I like how there are different factions in play and that Ana not only has to fight her aunt for the throne, but Yuri her ex-friend and rebel leader. Add in Sorsha who is scary psycho – she loves pain…I mean, how do you fight someone like that? I think book three will turn out to be very exciting and I hope Ana and Ransom can come together again.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Strange the Dreamer by. Laini Taylor | Book Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Strange the Dreamer (#1)

Author: Laini Taylor

Format: Audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 3/27/17

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Audiobook

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Welcome to Weep.

For some reason I had a hard time getting through the beginning of this book when I was reading it as a physical book. I don’t know why! So while I was making my daughter a plushy I said, okay, I’ll give audiobooks a try again since I need something to listen to as I craft and chose to listen to this book. I am not sure what I was thinking but…I got through it and I’m not a big audiobook fan.

As for the narrator, Steve West, he did so good! His voice is mesmerizing, which is perfect for the author’s prose. I did giggle when he had to do some of the female dialogue but for the most part – it was his voice that kept me invested in this story. It’s a 500+ paged book and 67 chapters – I really didn’t think I’d survive the audiobook version, but I found myself wanting to hear the narrator speak.

Laini Taylor is a master at world building, imagery and magical prose. This story comes to life in this audiobook, and one word kept standing out to me, sumptuous. Every description of this world is so lush, detailed, beautiful even when it is a nightmare. The story building is wonderful as we meet Lazlo Strange and his obsession with stories of a place called Weep. Everyone thinks it’s a fairytale, a story not real until…it is real. We go on this adventure with Lazlo as he travels to the Citadel to uncover the mysteries of Weep and it’s history. We also meet Sarai, a godspawn being, half god, half human and forgotten until she is found. I cared about all the characters, humans, gods, godspawn and even the ghosts.

What we find is a story of gods and humans, of massacred babies, ghosts who want peace and revenge, and godspawn half human/half god children who were forgotten and reviled. It’s a sad story, a complicated story, a heartbreaking one of choices made, and consequences of those actions and choices. It’s a story also about love and falling in love, the learning of kisses and emotions, of longing and pleasure.

I enjoyed the puzzle of Weep and Lazlo’s patience in piecing everything together. He really grows as a character from an orphan, library apprentice to finding out who he really is.

Triggers: death, violence, violence against children

Because it was an audiobook I felt like there were a lot of repetition in the story like when it came to describing life as a godspawn or even just the kissing scenes (which are beautiful) but Minya is about to kill everyone and the Godslayer is about to do something also…I wanted all that action! Would I have read through these areas faster? Maybe. There was a few parts in the beginning where I felt like things could have moved faster but there is a lot of describing going on! It is almost a 600 page book and although I love the flowery prose, at times I wanted to get to the point. Once again – this might be because I was listening to it as an audiobook, I’m not sure? I had to listen while my kids talked to me or had Roblox playing in the background haha. It was a challenge!

Why you should read it:

Intricate, unique world and story building, beautiful imagery
Amazing characters
Emotional story about love, hate, war

Why you might not want to read it:

Overly descriptive prose, sometimes repetitive and not a lot of action
Flowery prose is not your thing
Slow beginning

My thoughts:

This book was hyped up years ago and though I LOVE this author, but I couldn’t get into the story until now…4 years later! And only through audiobook I could get through the beginning because it is so slow. I just borrowed Muse of Nightmares as an ebook just in case there are slow parts again that I can speed through, I hope. Underneath all the fluffy and sumptuous words, is a beautiful, creative story about gods, humans and godspawn. I need to know what happens next and I hope it’s good.

📚~Yolanda

A Lesson in Vengeance by. Victoria Lee | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: A Lesson in Vengeance

Author: Victoria Lee

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 8/3/21

Publisher: Delacorte Press

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

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

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

Felicity Morrow is back at Dalloway School.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Infinity Courts by. Akemi Dawn Bowman | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Title: The Infinity Courts

Author: Akemi Dawn Bowman

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 465

Publication Date: 4/6/21

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Categories: Sci-fi, Young Adult, Romance, Court Intrigue, AI

Eighteen-year-old Nami Miyamoto is certain her life is just beginning. She has a great family, just graduated high school, and is on her way to a party where her entire class is waiting for her—including, most importantly, the boy she’s been in love with for years.

The only problem? She’s murdered before she gets there.

When Nami wakes up, she learns she’s in a place called Infinity, where human consciousness goes when physical bodies die. She quickly discovers that Ophelia, a virtual assistant widely used by humans on Earth, has taken over the afterlife and is now posing as a queen, forcing humans into servitude the way she’d been forced to serve in the real world. Even worse, Ophelia is inching closer and closer to accomplishing her grand plans of eradicating human existence once and for all.

As Nami works with a team of rebels to bring down Ophelia and save the humans under her imprisonment, she is forced to reckon with her past, her future, and what it is that truly makes us human.

Well this was very unexpected – I went into this having read good and bad reviews of this book. I debated reading it but when I saw it at the library, I picked it up. I read it in one sitting and was not disappointed.

Let me start off by saying sci-fi is not my favorite genre, I can get a little stuck trying to understand things about AI and such. I didn’t feel that stuck reading this one and I think the author did a good job laying out this world of the “afterlife” that isn’t quite heaven and hell like we are taught with religion. It is a place called Infinity that has now been hacked by Ophelia (think Alexa or Siri) and AI has taken over the afterlife. Why? To exact revenge on humans who controlled her/them on Earth. Nami is caught up in a war between humans and AI. Ophelia is Queen of Infinity and she has her own court and four sons, Princes of Victory, Death, Famine and War (reminds me of a version of the four horsemen of the apocalypse). Basically when you “die” your consciousness gets sorted into one of these places. I enjoyed the world building, even though some parts were vague – but that was okay because I would think in an AI version of the afterlife, anything goes with how much you can control your consciousness.

We don’t know much about Nami when she was alive on Earth because she dies quick in the story. We know she’s a teenager, in love with her best friend, who seemed like her only true friend – she loved her family of course, but then she dies and is thrown into a scary new world of the afterlife. It’s not what she expects. She doesn’t want to be thrown into a war – she’s scared, and I would be to. If I died and was thrown into a war? I’d be livid…a livid ghost! Haha! Nami questions everything, a lot…and I didn’t think that was a bad thing. It got repetitive with the questions at times, yes, but not enough to deter me or skip pages because I was questioning it too. Nami is trying to make sense of a very traumatic experience. I liked that Nami tried to figure out another way besides war and killing. I appreciated that she’s softer than the others, her heart isn’t hardened yet and she made mistakes and learned hard lessons.

I loved the twist at the end, I was like..😳🤯 and look forward to reading book two.

Triggers: Death, Violence, Grief

There is an enemies to lovers romance and I do not know how things will end. It kind of broke my heart though.

Because it is sci-fi and AI and the afterlife…there are a lot of questions in this book. Like, do we still feel love and emotions in the afterlife? Obviously no one really knows what happens in the afterlife, but it’s interesting to speculate and wonder.

For me who doesn’t necessarily read sci-fi, I love this story. I love the creativity, the world building, the possibilities, the high-stakes, the fight between AI and humans, the many questions and Nami’s never-ending hope which seems so naive in an afterworld that is heartless and cruel. I felt her grief for her parents and her old life and I myself hoped she would survive Infinity. The ending was a plot twist I wasn’t expecting and I will be waiting, not-so-patiently, to read book two as soon as it is published (or beforehand if it shows up on NetGalley. I HOPE)! Glad I picked this one up.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from The Infinity Courts

“But I don’t know what’s worse: not having power at all or being someday made to wield it.”
– the infinity courts by. akemi dawn bowman

“You have countless human stories that discuss variations of heaven and hell. You are the ones who created the idea that not every human is entitled to an after-life. You believe that good and evil should be separated. I am merely following the rules you’ve set.”
– The infinity courts by. akemi dawn bowman

Humans have always had a habit of caging things they don’t understand.
-the infinity courts by, akemi dawn bowman

House of Hollow by. Krystal Sutherland | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: House of Hollow

Author: Krysta Sutherland

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 4/6/21

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

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Magical Realism

Seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their throats.

Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris learns just how weird her life can get: horned men start shadowing her, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and ugly, impossible memories start to twist their way to the forefront of her mind.

As Iris retraces Grey’s last known footsteps and follows the increasingly bizarre trail of breadcrumbs she left behind, it becomes apparent that the only way to save her sister is to decipher the mystery of what happened to them as children.

The closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she comes to understanding that the answer is dark and dangerous – and that Grey has been keeping a terrible secret from her for years.

Now this was a very interesting story to read before bedtime! The closer I got to the end, the more horrified my face looked and my husband had to ask me what was wrong. 😅 I said the book was a little disturbing.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to get with this story but House of Hollow is dark, mysterious, eerie, filled with disturbing images of death smelling flowers and bugs coming out of bodies.

Iris Hollow and her sister’s Vivi and Grey are famous for an event that took place when they were children. They disappeared and reappeared a month later with a scar on their neck. Iris and Vivi have no recollection of what happened in that month they were gone, but Grey knows. Now they are older, and Grey has gone missing again – what happened to her, and what happened to them when they were children?

We get to know the infamous Grey as her sisters investigate clues about her life so they can find her. It is apparent these girls are close and love each other a lot. I loved how each girl was very different, they had their own style and personality. The mystery is about the disappearances – it’s one thing if people stayed missing but to reappear again with no recollection of what happened? That was suspicious. The other thing that I enjoyed was Tyler, Grey’s boyfriend who brings the humor to this dark tale.

There are many female empowerment themes in this story. It mentions the dangers of girls walking out after dark or finding themselves alone with a man and getting unwanted attention. Iris is the most docile of the sisters and afraid to use her power, whereas Grey will threaten and manipulate people to do her bidding.

I couldn’t put the book down and needed to know what was up with these Hollow sisters, even if horror is not my favorite genre to read. The clues they were finding about Grey really kept my attention and a few twists in the story shocked me. Thankfully I didn’t get any nightmares after reading this because the imagery was really good, even though if it’s something I didn’t really want to “see”. It reminded me a bit of The Hazel Wood.

Triggers: missing children, suicide, mental breakdown, violence, bugs (coming out of body parts), grief

It’s horror so the ending was shocking and disturbing but overall so fitting. It just made me sad because the grief was triggering and it made me angry to learned what really happened to these girls.

The ending is left open – so will there be a book two?

The imagery in this story is so good but again, this is horror so flowers and bugs coming out of bodies kind of images. 😝

This is the type horror I can read, because it had a bond between sisters that is powerful, a mystery that kept me on my toes and magical realism to keep things even more bizarre. It’s a dark fairytale that revolves around grief and asks the question what would one do to save the people that they love. For me, the story is heart-breaking on both sides of the situation. This one is perfect for those who like dark fairytales.

📚 ~ Yolanda

With You All the Way by. Cynthia Hand | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: With You All the Way

Author: Cynthia Hand

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 3/30/21

Publisher: Harper Teen

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

Ada’s life is a mess. She just caught her boyfriend cheating on her after a humiliating attempt at losing her virginity, and she’s had it up to here with her gorgeous older sister’s unsolicited advice.

But things really hit the fan during a family vacation in Hawaii, where Ada discovers her own mother is having an affair. Apparently, everyone is falling into bed with people they shouldn’t. Everyone except Ada. But when Ada decides she’s going to stop trying and start doing—sex, that is—her best laid plan overlooks an inconvenient truth:

Feelings, romantic or not, always get in the way.

That whole drama of losing your virginity can be so different for everyone, for some it’s easy peasy and they can shrug it off, and then there are those who make it into a very big deal – because in my opinion, it is. This story explores all of that awkwardness, the questions, the insecurities that comes with losing your virginity.

Ada almost had sex with her ex-boyfriend who was cheating on her. She talks to her older sister about it, but she’s had her own imperfect situations to do with sex as well. They go on a family vacation to Hawaii because their mom has a work conference there and it’s when Ada decides, this is where she will finally lose her virginity. Things don’t work out perfectly though.

Outside of the whole losing virginity plan that Ada has, she is dealing with some major family issues. Ada thinks her mom is cheating, her mom is very non-existent in their lives since she is a busy surgeon. Ada is also is fighting with her older sister and facing her own insecurities. It’s a very coming of age book that I could relate to – it reminded me of my teenage years minus the Hawaii vacation (I live in Hawaii!). I think all the questions, insecurities, feelings and awkwardness was spot on. Losing one’s virginity is not so easily done sometimes but the questions and self-reflections are good. And yay for these guys knowing condoms should be used – definitely applauded that!

Triggers: cheating

I didn’t really connect to Ada, but that’s okay. I liked that she loved her family and you can tell she is close with her sisters, even though when she is fighting with the eldest one. She does get enough courage to say what she wants to her mom. I wish she wasn’t so obsessed with having sex and making a plan to just get rid of her virginity but I can see why she thought it was a burden to be a virgin.

Ada’s older sister gets involved with someone older than her – she’s 18 and hooking up with a 22 year old but it is sketchy on the guy’s part, especially if they shared a kiss when she was 17. But then again her sister was dealing with her own boy issues.

I liked how this story had realistic sex scenes between teens – not that the deed happens, but all the things that lead up to it. It’s a sex positive book showing all the issues that can crop up when deciding to lose one’s virginity and rushing into it. The family problems are somewhat resolved in the end so in that sense we get treated to a story about a family that isn’t perfect but love is present anyway, as it should be.

📚 ~ Yolanda