Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts

Monday, 31 October 2022

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Review: Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino (#Ad)

Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino is on a deep blue scarf with metallic silver moons and stars, on a diagonal top left to bottom right. Around it are fake cobwebs. On the top right corner of the book is a dried rose, and rose Bryan’s are scattered around the book.

I was sent this finished copy for free by Titan Books for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino


Published: 12th September 2022 | Publisher: Titan Books | Source: Publisher
Tori Bovalino’s Website

Salem's Lot meets The Darkest Part of the Forest in this horror-fantasy retelling of Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market.

They'll lure you in with fruit and gems and liquor and dancing, merriment to remember for the rest of your life. But that's an illusion. The market is death itself.

Beneath the streets of York, the goblin market calls to the Wickett women -- the family of witches that tends to its victims. For generations, they have defended the old cobblestone streets with their magic. Knowing the dangers, they never entered the market -- until May Wickett fell for a goblin girl, accepted her invitation, and became inextricably tied to the world her family tried to protect her from. The market learned her name, and even when she and her sister left York for Boston to escape it, the goblins remembered.

Seventeen years later, Lou, May's niece, knows nothing of her magical lineage or the twisted streets, sweet fruits, and incredible jewels of the goblin market. But just like her aunt, the market calls to her, an echo of a curse that won't release its hold on her family. And when her youngest aunt, Neela, is kidnapped by goblins, Lou discovers just how real and dangerous the market is.

To save her, both May and Lou will have to confront their family's past and what happened all those years ago. But everything -- from the food and wares, to the goblins themselves -- is a haunting temptation for any human who manages to find their way in. And if Lou isn't careful, she could end up losing herself to the market, too.
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Saturday, 13 August 2022

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Review: The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor (#Ad)

The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor held up by a white hand in front of rainbow shelves.

I was sent this review copy for free by GMC Distribution on behalf of Astra Young Readers for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor


Published: 8th August 2022 (UK release date) | Publisher: Astra Young Readers | Source: Publisher
Maya MacGregor’s Website

In this queer contemporary YA mystery, a nonbinary teen with autism realizes they must not only solve a 30-year-old mystery but also face the demons lurking in their past in order to live a satisfying life.

Sam Sylvester's not overly optimistic about their recent move to the small town of Astoria, Oregon after a traumatic experience in their last home in the rural Midwest.

Yet Sam's life seems to be on the upswing after meeting several new friends and a potential love interest in Shep, the pretty neighbor. However, Sam can't seem to let go of what might have been, and is drawn to investigate the death of a teenage boy in 1980s Astoria. Sam's convinced he was murdered--especially since Sam's investigation seems to resurrect some ghosts in the town.

Threatening notes and figures hidden in shadows begin to disrupt Sam's life. Yet Sam continues to search for the truth. When Sam discovers that they may be closer to a killer than previously known, Sam has a difficult decision to make. Would they risk their new life for a half-lived one?
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Monday, 1 August 2022

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Review: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas held up by a white hand in front of rainbow shelves.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas


Published: 4th August | Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books | Source: Bought
Aiden Thomas’ Website

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Saturday, 30 July 2022

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Review: The Falling In Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

The Falling In Love Montage by Ciara Smyth held up by a white hand in front of rainbow shelves.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Falling In Love Montage by Ciara Smyth


Published: 4th June 2020 | Publisher: Andersen Press | Source: Bought
Ciara Smyth’s Website

Two girls embark on a summer of montage-worthy dates (with a few strings attached) in this hilarious and heartfelt lesbian rom-com that’s perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Jenny Han.

Seventeen-year-old cynic Saoirse Clarke isn’t looking for a relationship. But when she meets mischievous Ruby, that rule goes right out the window. Sort of.

Because Ruby has a loophole in mind: a summer of all the best cliché movie montage dates, with a definite ending come fall—no broken hearts, no messy breakup. It would be the perfect plan, if they weren’t forgetting one thing about the Falling in Love Montage: when it’s over, the characters have fallen in love...for real.

Ciara Smyth’s debut is a delightful, multilayered YA rom-com that will make you laugh, cry, and absolutely fall in love.
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Monday, 25 July 2022

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Review: The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven

The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven held up by a white hand in front of rainbow shelves.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven


Published: 7th July 2022 | Publisher: Electric Monkey | Source: Bought
Laura Steven’s Website

A dark and funny YA thriller with a supernatural twist. From the winner of the Comedy Women in Print Prize.

Ten years ago, four students lost their lives in the infamous North Tower murders at the elite Carvell College of Arts, forcing Carvell to close its doors.

Now Carvell is reopening, and fearless student Lottie is determined to find out what really happened. But when her roommate, Alice, stumbles upon a sinister soul-splitting ritual hidden in Carvell’s haunted library, the North Tower claims another victim.

Can Lottie uncover the truth before the North Tower strikes again? Can Alice reverse the ritual before her monstrous alter ego consumes her? And can they stop flirting for literally fifteen seconds in order to do this?

Exploring possession and ambition, lust and bloodlust, femininity and violence, The Society of Soulless Girls is perfect for fans of Ace of Spaces, The Secret History and The Inheritance Games.
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Saturday, 23 July 2022

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Review: Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp

Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp held up by a white hand in front of rainbow shelves.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp


Published: 15th September 2020 | Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire | Source: Won in a giveaway
Marieke Nijkamp’s Website

FIVE friends go to a cabin.
FOUR of them are hiding secrets.
THREE years of history bind them.
TWO are doomed from the start.
ONE person wants to end this.
NO ONE IS SAFE.

For five friends, this was supposed to be one last getaway before going their separate ways―a chance to say goodbye to each other, and to the game they’ve been playing for the past three years. But they’re all dealing with their own demons, and they’re all hiding secrets.

Finn doesn’t trust anyone since he was attacked a few months ago. Popular girl Liva saw it happen and did nothing to stop it. Maddy was in an accident that destroyed her sports career. Carter is drowning under the weight of his family’s expectations. Ever wants to keep the game going for as long as they can, at all costs.

When the lines between game and reality start to blend with deadly consequences, it’s a race against time before it’s game over―forever.

Are you ready to play?
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Monday, 18 July 2022

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Review: Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert (#Ad)

A proof of Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert open flat on a white sheet. Surrounding the book, from top left in a clockwise direction, are a raw rose quartz chunk, a red candle, a small gold bowl of cascarilla, a small corked jar with three sharks teeth inside, a light grey mortar and pestle with dried heather inside, asmall circular mirror, and an open small glass jar of apple seeds, with apple seeds scattered on the sheet from the opening, up along the left side of the book.

I was sent this proof for free by Penguin via Nina Douglas PR for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert


Published: 30th June 2022 | Publisher: Penguin | Source: Publisher
Melissa Albert on Twitter

SECRETS. LIES. SUPER-BAD CHOICES. WITCHCRAFT. This is Our Crooked Hearts - a gripping mystery crossed with a pitch-dark fantasy from Melissa Albert, global bestselling author of The Hazel Wood.

In our family, we keep our magic close, but our secrets closer...

Ivy's summer starts with a series of disturbing events - unnatural offerings appear on her doorstep and she's haunted by fragmented memories from her childhood. Soon she grapples with a dark secret that she's always known - but never faced - that there is more to her mother Dana than meets the eye...

Dana's story starts the summer she turns sixteen, when with the help of her best friend and an ambitious older girl, she embarks on a major fling with the supernatural. As the trio's aspirations darken, things soon take a more sinister turn.

Years after it began, Ivy and Dana's shared story will come down to a reckoning among a mother, a daughter and the dark forces they never should've messed with.
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Saturday, 16 July 2022

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Review: She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick

She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick is held up in front of rainbow shelves by a white hand.

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She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick


Published: 14th April 2022 | Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books | Source: Bought
Rachael Lippincott’s Website & Alyson Derrick’s Instagram

Alex Blackwood is a little bit headstrong, with a dash of chaos and a whole lot of flirt. She knows how to get the girl. Keeping her on the other hand... not so much. Molly Parker has everything in her life totally in control, except for her complete awkwardness with just about anyone besides her mom. She knows she’s in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers. She just...hasn’t actually talked to her yet.

Alex and Molly don’t belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly’s hidden crush as their paths cross the night before classes start, they realize they might have a common interest after all. Because maybe if Alex volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she’s not a selfish flirt. That she’s ready for an actual commitment. And while Alex is the last person Molly would ever think she could trust, she can’t deny Alex knows what she’s doing with girls, unlike her.

As the two embark on their five-step plans to get their girls to fall for them, though, they both begin to wonder if maybe they’re the ones falling... for each other.
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Saturday, 2 July 2022

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Review: Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

A photo of a stack of three books - from top to bottom, Under the Lights, Behind the Scenes, and Cool for the Summer, all by Dahlia Ader - on and in front of a Progress Pride Flag. Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler is stood upright ontop of the stack, slightly over the the right. Partially slid behind Home Field Advantage is a print of a cheerleader doing the hair of a female quarterback.

Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler


Published: 7th June 2022 | Publisher: Wednesday Books | Source: Bought
Dahlia Adler’s Website

Amber McCloud’s dream is to become cheer captain at the end of the year, but it’s an extra-tall order to be joyful and spirited when the quarterback of your team has been killed in a car accident. For both the team and the squad, watching Robbie get replaced by newcomer Jack Walsh is brutal. And when it turns out Jack is actually short for Jaclyn, all hell breaks loose.

The players refuse to be led by a girl, the cheerleaders are mad about the changes to their traditions, and the fact that Robbie’s been not only replaced but outshined by a QB who wears a sports bra has more than a few Atherton Alligators in a rage. Amber tries for some semblance of unity, but it quickly becomes clear that she’s only got a future on the squad and with her friends if she helps them take Jack down.

Just one problem: Amber and Jack are falling for each other, and if Amber can’t stand up for Jack and figure out how to get everyone to fall in line, her dream may come at the cost of her heart.
From The StoryGraph.

The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Wednesday, 29 June 2022

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Recommending LGBTQ+ MG & YA Graphic Novels

A blog graphic of 15 graphic novels making up the background, with the words Once Upon a Bookcase - Recommending LGBTQ+ MG & YA Graphic Novels in hot pink and surround pastel pink transparent background in front.

Links with a circumflex (^) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Recommending LGBTQ+ MG & YA Graphic Novels


Looking after the LGBTQ+ YA section at Foyles, and seeing how well it's done, I've also worked on trying to put together lists of other queer titles in the Children's Department and try to make sure we've got stock in, in order to recommend titles if we're asked. As it's Pride Month, I thought I'd share some of those lists, so you can stock up for the younger readers in your life.

Today, I'm sharing a range of middle grade and YA graphic novels with LGBTQ+ characters. Some of the titles listed might technically be "adult" titles, but they have cross over appeal featuring teen characters, and no inappropriate content for teens. On to the books!
Continue reading Recommending LGBTQ+ MG & YA Graphic Novels

Saturday, 25 June 2022

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Review: Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow {#Ad)

A photo of a Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow proof on a Progress Pride flag over the POC chevron, which is at a diagonal, so the chevron is pointing to the bottom right, On top of the proof, on it's right side, is a postcard of the book's final cover - which is different to the proof cover - on a diagonal, top right, to bottom left. There is a rainbow pin on the top left of the proof, and around the book is a white shell, a shiva shell heart, and a small jar of sand and tiny shells.

I was sent this proof for free by Hot Key Books for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow


Published: 28th June 2022 | Publisher: Hot Key Books | Source:
Rebecca Barrow’s Website

With compelling characters, broken friendships and complicated romances, Bad Things Happen Here is the irresistible YA murder mystery thriller: it makes your heart race, your toes curl, and your mind whirl with deadly secrets, dark truths and the innate need to escape a poisonous paradise.

The island of Parris: paradise or poison?

Luca Laine Thomas lives in Parris, the beautiful island plagued by the unsolved deaths of young women - most significantly, Luca's best friend. All Luca wants is to heal from the traumatic loss and leave her feelings of guilt and helplessness behind.

Then Luca comes home to find the police at her house. Her sister, Whitney, is dead.

Luca and Naomi, the new girl next door, decide to take the investigation into their own hands, and along the way their connection deepens. Soon, their casual touches and innocent flirtations become something way more real. But finding out what happened on the night of Whitney's disappearance reveals lie upon lie.

Nothing is as it seems. Will Luca's search finally reveal truth about her sister's murder? And will she unravel and escape the clutches of the curse and survive Parris?
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Monday, 20 June 2022

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Review: From Dust, A Flame by Rebecca Podos (#Ad)

A photo of the From Dust, A Flame by Rebecca Podos hardback on top of the proof, the former on a diagonal to the left, the latter on a diagonal to the right. They're on top of a large Progress Pride flag, witht he chevron pointing to the bottom right. The books are on the chevron, so they white, pink and blue lines for trans people are visible. There is a small rainbow pin resting on the left of the proof.

I was sent a proof for free by Harper360YA for the purposes of providing an honest review.

From Dust, A Flame by Rebecca Podos


Published: 8th March 2022 | Publisher: Balzer + Bray | Source: Publisher
Rebecca Podos’ Website

Lambda Literary Award–-winning author Rebecca Podos returns with a rich, transporting, genre-bending contemporary Jewish fantasy about the power of history, the complicated nature of family, and the search for identity amidst it all.

Hannah’s whole life has been spent in motion. Her mother has kept her and her brother, Gabe, on the road for as long as she can remember, leaving a trail of rental homes and faded relationships behind them. No roots, no family but one another, and no explanations.

All that changes on Hannah’s seventeenth birthday when she wakes up transformed, a pair of golden eyes with knife-slit pupils blinking back at her from the mirror—the first of many such impossible mutations. Promising that she knows someone who can help, her mother leaves Hannah and Gabe behind to find a cure. But as the days turn to weeks and their mother doesn’t return, they realize it’s up to them to find the truth.

What they discover is a family they never knew and a history more tragic and fantastical than Hannah could have dreamed—one that stretches back to her grandmother’s childhood in Prague under the Nazi occupation, and beyond, into the realm of Jewish mysticism and legend. As the past comes crashing into the present, Hannah must hurry to unearth their family’s secrets—and confront her own hidden legacy in order to break the curse and save the people she loves most, as well as herself.

Rebecca Podos, award-winning author of Like Water, returns with a contemporary fantasy of enduring love, unfathomable loss, and the power of stories to hold us together when it seems that nothing else can.
From The StoryGraph.

The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Saturday, 18 June 2022

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Review: These Are the Words by Nikita Gill (#Ad)

A photo of the proof of These Are the Words by Nikita Gill standing on top of a stack of other books by Nikita Gill. From top to bottom, the stack incluides Where Hope Comes From, Fierce Fairytales, Wild Embers, Great Goddesses, and The Girl and the Goddess. On top of Where Hope Comes From on the left is a rainbow pin. The stack sits on a giant Pride flag, which is also the background; the flag is pinned up, and drapes over the surface, which the stack is put on top of.

I was sent this proof for free by Macmillan Children's Books / Willow Publicity for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

These Are the Words by Nikita Gill


Published: 18th August 2022 | Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books | Source: Publisher
Nikita Gill on Instagram

From international poetry sensation Nikita Gill comes her highly anticipated YA debut These Are the Words: an empowering, feminist and beautifully illustrated poetry collection exploring all the things Nikita wished someone had told her when she was younger.

Reclaim your agency. Discover your power. Find the words.

Taking you on a journey through the seasons of the soul, in this collection Nikita gives you the words to help heal from your first breakup, to celebrate finding your family, to understand first love, to express your anger and your joy, to fight for what you believe in and to help you break some rules to be your truest self.

Gorgeously illustrated throughout by Nikita herself and featuring seasonal astrological poetry, this collection is an achingly beautiful, stunningly warm and fearless expression of truth from one of the most influential and well-known voices in modern poetry.

REMINDER FOR HEALING
You do not owe anyone your forgiveness.
The trees do not apologize to the wind that uproots them.
The rocks do not apologize to the erosion by the sea.
The stars do not apologize to the universe
when they are writhing and dying out.
And you are not obligated to forgive anyone
but yourself.
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Saturday, 11 June 2022

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Review: Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (#Ad)

A photo of both editions of Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé; the original edition of the book with the navy blue cover at the bottom, vertical, and the one year anniversary edition with the yellow/orange ombre cover on top, at a diagonal, pointing top right. There is a rainbow pin sittong on the top left corner of the original edition, and a ace of spades playing card poking out from under the two books, top left. They're on a rainbow flag, which is on a larger Pride flag, showing the black and brown stripes.

I was sent an ARC of the First Anniversary Edition for free by Usborne for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé


Published: Original Edition: 10th June 2021 , First Anniversary Eition: 9th June 2022 | Publisher: Usborne | Source: Gift / Publisher
Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s Website

A compelling, incendiary, and unputdownable thriller with a shocking twist, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé delves deep into the heart of institutionalized racism with this compulsive debut.

Hello, Niveus High. It's me. Who am I? That's not important. All you need to know is...I'm here to divide and conquer. - Aces

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students' dark secrets to light.

Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can't escape the spotlight when his private photos go public.

Head girl Chiamaka isn't afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power.

Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they're planning much more than a high-school game...
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Wednesday, 1 June 2022

Monday, 9 May 2022

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Review: Family of Liars by E. Lockhart (#Ad)

A photo of the proof of Family of Liars by E. Lockhart lying open, pages down, so you can see both covers, on a light grey, fluffy pillow case. The front cover reads, Can you keep a secret? And the back cover reads We Were Liars destroyed you, but that was only the beginning. Poking out from under the book to the left is a copy of We Were Liars, with a pink title. Sticking out from under the too of the book is a Family of Liars bookmark, which shows the final cover. The book is surrouded by white shells, a small jar of gold leaf, and a dried rose.

I was sent this proof for free by Hot Key Books for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Family of Liars by E. Lockhart


Published: 4th May 2022 | Publisher: Hot Key Books | Source: Publisher
E. Lockhart’s Website

The thrilling prequel to the TikTok phenomenon and #1 New York Times bestseller We Were Liars takes readers back to the story of another summer, another generation, and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come.

A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts.
A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow.
A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy.
A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes.

Welcome back to the Sinclair family.
They were always liars.
From Goodreads.

Purchase from Bookshop.org*
The StoryGraph | Goodreads


My other reviews of We Were Liars Series:
We Were Liars (Book 1)

WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling We Were Liars. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.


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Wednesday, 27 April 2022

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Blog Tour: Truth Be Told by Sue Divin

Truth Be Told by Sue Devin half on a pale green t-shirt, and half on a light grey, fluffy pillow case. The book is on a diagonal, with the top pointing to the top right, and the bottom pointing to the bottom left.

Ad: Titles with an asterisk (*) were provided to me for free by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Links with a circumflex (^) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Blog Tour: Truth Be Told by Sue Divin



I'm really excited to have YA author Sue Divin stop by the blog today for my stop on the Truth Be Told* blog tour. Sue is here a guest post on writing YA voices and about post-peace deal Northern Ireland in YA fiction.

Sue DivinI’m always drawn to the wilder, edgier characters first. Their voices come much easier. In Guard Your Heart^, that was Aidan. In Truth Be Told, it was Tara. I just love the rough diamonds. Once I find their voice, they just run off onto the page and take on a life of their own. Sometimes when I’m still trying to ‘find’ a unique voice for them, I experiment with their characters in flash fiction or short stories.
Continue reading Blog Tour: Truth Be Told by Sue Divin

Monday, 28 February 2022

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Review: The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder (#Ad)

A proof of The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder laying on it's open pages, so you can see front and back cover. It's laying on a navy scarf with metallic silver moons and stars. It's surrounded by dried, stringy, green foliage, with three dried roses and two rose petals.c

I received this eProof for free from Hodder Children's Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder


Published: 3rd February 2022 | Publisher: Hodder Children's Books | Source: Publisher
Leslie Vedder’s Website

Filore, a treasure hunter with a knack for riddles, is busy running from her own deadly curse, when she pricks her finger on a spindle. Bound to the sleeping prince Briar Rose with the spindle’s magic – and chosen as the only person who can wake him – Fi is stuck with the prince’s ghost until she can break his ancient curse and save his kingdom.

She’s going to need a partner. A warrior huntswoman with an axe to grind (literally), Shane couldn’t care less about curses and ancient texts. But instead of riches, the two girls find trouble.

Dark magic, witch hunters, nightmarish beasts – and of course, curses – all stand in their way as Fi and Shane undertake the dangerous journey into a forgotten kingdom where the sleeping prince’s body waits.
From The StoryGraph.

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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Saturday, 19 February 2022

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Review: Extasia by Claire Legrand (#Ad)

A photo taken from above of Extasia by Claire Legrand half on a burgandy fabric in the top left of the photo, and half on a light grey duvet in the bottom right of the photo. The book is at a diagonal, so the top of the book faces the top right corner of the photo, and the bottom of the book faces the bottom right. Under the top right corner of the book is a black journal with a embossed gold design. Under the bottom right corner of the book is a ornante silver oval mirror. Coming up from the bottom of the photo at a diagonal, pointing top right, is a belt, with the buckle resting on the bottom of the book. On the top right corner of the book is an ornate, old-fashioned key pendant. Crossng the top left corner of the book, hanging off the top and left of the book, is a black handled letter opener.

I was sent this proof for free by Harper360YA for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Extasia by Claire Legrand


Published: 3rd March 2022 | Publisher: Harper360 | Source: Publisher
Claire Legrand’s Website

A must-read for fans of Victoria Schwab and Elana K. Arnold, this terrifying YA standalone from New York Times bestselling author Claire Legrand follows a girl who joins a coven to protect her village from a powerful religious cult.

Her name is unimportant.

All you must know is that today she will become one of the four saints of Haven. The elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will stand against the evil power that lives beneath the black mountain—an evil that has already killed nine of her village’s men.

She will tell no one of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. Or the faceless gray women tall as houses. Or the girls she saw kissing in the elm grove.

Today she will be a saint of Haven. She will rid her family of her mother’s shame at last and save her people from destruction. She is not afraid. Are you?

Claire Legrand, author of Sawkill Girls, returns with an emotionally searing and lyrically written novel that beckons readers to follow its fierce heroine into a world filled with secrets and blood—where the truth is buried in lies and a devastating power waits, seething, for someone brave enough to use it.
From The StoryGraph.

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Monday, 14 February 2022

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Review: A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee (#Ad)

A photo of A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee on a tablet taken from above. The tablet is half on a navy blue scarf with metalic silver stars on it in the top right of the photo, and half on a light grey, fluffy duvet inn the bottom left. The tablet is on a diagonal, with the top of the tablet facing the top right corner, and the bottom facing the top right corner. Around the top right corner of the tablet, a number of tarot cards are fanned, showing the white and pale blue design on the backs of the Modern Witch Tarot Deck cards. To the top left of the tablet is a protection spell jar. Below the spell is the Nine of Swords tarot  card from the Modern Witch Tarot Deck. Along the bottom of the the tablet are some cloves, a black tourmaline crystal, and some star anise. To the bottom right of the tablet is a medium sized pillar candle.

I was received this eProof for free from Titan Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Links with an asterisk (*) are Ad: Affiliate Links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee


Published: 22nd February 2022 | Publisher: Titan Books | Source: NetGalley
Victoria Lee’s Website

If We Were Villains meets The Craft in this page-turning LGBT dark academia thriller.

Felicity Morrow is back at the Dalloway School to finish her senior year after the tragic death of her girlfriend. 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.

Felicity was once drawn to the dark legacy of witchcraft. She's determined to leave that behind her now; but it's hard when Dalloway's occult history is everywhere. And when the new girl won’t let her forget it.

It's Ellis Haley's first year at Dalloway. A prodigy novelist at seventeen, Ellis is 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. And when history begins to repeat itself, Felicity will have to face the darkness in Dalloway―and in herself.

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

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The StoryGraph | Goodreads


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