About Kasey

Reads things. Writes things. Fluent in sarcasm. Willful optimist. Cat companion, chocolate connoisseur, coffee drinker. There are some who call me Mom.

Review: The Loophole by Naz Kutub

The Loophole by Naz Kutub

The Loophole
Naz Kutub
Bloomsbury YA
Published June 21, 2022

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About The Loophole

Your wish is granted! This YA debut is equal parts broken-hearted love story, epic myth retelling, and a world-journey romp to find home.

Sy is a timid seventeen-year-old queer Indian-Muslim boy who placed all his bets at happiness on his boyfriend Farouk…who then left him to try and “fix the world.” Sy was too chicken to take the plunge and travel with him and is now stuck in a dead-end coffee shop job. All Sy can do is wish for another chance…. Although he never expects his wish to be granted.

When a … Continue reading

Review: Funny Gyal by Angeline Jackson and Susan McClelland

Funny Gyal by Angeline Jackson and Susan McClelland

Funny Gyal: My Fight Against Homophobia in Jamaica
Angeline Jackson and Susan McClelland
Dundurn Press
Published June 7, 2022

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About Funny Gyal

“Instead of remaining silent, she chose to speak out…that’s the power of one person.” — Barack Obama

The inspiring story of Angeline Jackson, who stood up to Jamaica’s oppression of queer youth to demand recognition and justice.

When Angeline Jackson was a child, she wondered if there was something wrong with her for wanting to kiss the other girls. But as her sexuality blossomed in her teens, she knew she wouldn’t “grow out of it” and that her attraction … Continue reading

Review: Defending Orcas: No More Captivity by Captain Paul Watson and Tiffany Humphrey

Defending Orcas by Paul Watson and Tiffany Humphrey

Defending Orcas: No More Captivity
Captain Paul Watson and Tiffany Humphrey
Groundswell Books
Published January 31, 2022

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About Defending Orcas

This book provides an educational and sobering look at the conditions orcas face by being captured or born into captivity. Young people will learn how orcas (who are part of the same biological order as whales) thrive at sea and have highly evolved forms of communication that are unique to each orca family.

The book delves into the history of capturing orcas for sale to marine parks that then attempt to tame and train the orcas to provide entertainment to park … Continue reading

Review: Breaking Time by Sasha Alsberg

Breaking Time by Sasha Alsberg

Breaking Time
Sasha Alsberg
Inkyard Press
Published June 14, 2022

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About Breaking Time

Fate brought them together. Time will tear them apart.

When a mysterious Scotsman appears out of nowhere in the middle of the road, Klara thinks the biggest problem is whether she hit him with her car. But, as impossible as it sounds, Callum has stepped out of another time, and it’s just the beginning of a deadly adventure. 

Klara will soon learn that she is the last Pillar of Time—an anchor point in the timeline of the world and a hiding place for a rogue goddess’s magic. Callum is fated to protect her at … Continue reading

Review: Veil of Winter by Melanie Dickerson

Veil of Winter by Melanie Dickerson

Veil of Winter (Dericott Tales #3)
Melanie Dickerson
Thomas Nelson
Published June 14, 2022

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About Veil of Winter

Princess Elyce is on the verge of marrying the nephew of the unscrupulous King Conrad of a neighboring kingdom when she discovers that Conrad will use her marriage to force her people to work in his mines. In order to fake her own death and escape him, she takes a sleeping potion, planning to awaken on the third day and then travel to Prague to seek help from King Wenceslaus, who rules the Holy Roman Empire. But her plan goes awry: the third day comes without her waking … Continue reading

Review: Secret of the Shadow Beasts by Diane Magras

The Secret of the Shadow Beasts by Diane Magras

Secret of the Shadow Beasts
Diane Magras
Dial Books
Published June 14, 2022

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About Secret of the Shadow Beasts

For fans of Dragon Pearl and the Lockwood & Co. series comes a swift-moving contemporary fantasy about a young girl tasked with destroying deadly shadow creatures.

In Brannland, terrifying beasts called Umbrae roam freely once the sun sets, so venomous that a single bite will kill a full-grown adult–and lately, with each day that passes, their population seems to double. The only people who can destroy them are immune children like Nora, who are recruited at the age of seven to leave their families behind and begin training at a retrofitted … Continue reading