All posts by Kasey

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: Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow

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Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow

Until the Clock Strikes Midnight
Alechia Dow
Feiwel & Friends
Published February 3, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Until the Clock Strikes Midnight

The Good Place meets the Brandy version of Cinderella in Until the Clock Strikes Midnight, a cozy, romantic fantasy from award-winning author Alechia Dow.

Darling is the most talented—and unusual—Guardian to get a chance at winning the coveted once-in-a-generation Mortal Outcome Council mentorship. Getting the spot would mean having the opportunity to shape the future happiness of all mortal realms—if she succeeds at her first assignment, Lucy Addlesberg. Darling thinks it’ll be an easy razzle-dazzle job… until she actually meets Lucy. Her life is a complete mess, from her failing bookshop in her downtrodden village to her doomed flirtation with the princess of Lumina. But if there’s one thing Darling’s good at, it’s a makeover.

Calamity is the most talented—and arrogant—Misfortune of his class. It’s his job to save mortals from their own terrible decisions made in the pursuit of the mythical “Happily Ever After.” When Calam is granted a shot at the Mortal Outcome Council mentorship, he thinks his dreams are finally coming true. But first, he must pass the test. It should be easy—Lucy Addlesberg has been unfortunate for years. All he has to do is continue her string of bad luck so she can finally come to terms with reality and settle for a safer, more logical path in life. Yet when he arrives, he finds that Lucy has a Guardian assigned to her too—a chipper overachiever who is as colorful as the magic pouring from her glittery wand.

To thwart each other, Darling and Calam insert themselves into Lucy’s life posing as a betrothed couple. As they try to guide her down what they each see as the best path for her, they start questioning their roles and ultimately what they truly want for themselves… and if those feelings of loathing they have for each other might actually be something more like love.

My Review

Darling had me on page one. I found her so relatable and her perspective so much fun to read. The story is predominantly set in a bookshop – another win, as far as I’m concerned! I also enjoyed the chemistry between Darling and Calamity. It felt present without dominating the story. I liked watching them figure one another out. I loved how they both fell in love with the town and the bookstore.

Darling takes medication to manage her bipolar disorder. She is very aware of how missing her pill impacts her health. The author could have created a more magical treatment for Darling, but I actually really appreciate that she presented a daily pill right in the midst of this whimsical, magical story. It was like a quiet statement that taking medication doesn’t inhibit the magic. It was also a reminder to readers that taking medication doesn’t make someone deficient in some way. Even a fairy needs to take medicine to support her health.

I liked the pace of the romance in the book. I especially like the balance between Darling and Calamity’s developing feelings and Lucy and her love interest’s romantic arc.

If you’re looking for a mental health-positive fantasy packed with whimsy and drizzled with romance, definitely check this one out. I’ve enjoyed all of Dow’s books, so I’ll take this moment to say that if your taste runs more toward sci-fi than fantasy, be sure to check out her earlier books: The Sound of Stars, The Kindred, and A Song of Salvation.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Very infrequent use of profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Reference to sex.

Spiritual Content
Darling and Calamity have the ability to do some magic. Fairies and other magical beings exist in this story world.

Violent Content
A few characters bully and/or try to manipulate others.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi

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The Swan’s Daughter
Roshani Chokshi
Wednesday Books
Published January 6, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

The Swan’s Daughter

In this lush and romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.

To find love is a curse …

Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.

Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris’s parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.

Until he meets Demelza.

As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.

While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.

My Review

LOOK AT ME READING THE BOOK I PRE-ORDERED IN A TIMELY MANNER. I cannot believe I missed all announcements about this book last year. What rock was I living under? I’m glad I heard about it in time to pre-order a copy. I’ve been a fan of Roshani Chokshi’s books, especially her young adult titles, since her debut. Knowing she had a new young adult fantasy book coming out this year was super exciting.

The book starts out a little bit slowly, but don’t be fooled. The setup showing her parents’ romantic relationship does some heavy lifting in terms of immersing us in the whimsical story world. I loved all the weird magical elements and complex relationships. The story stays in a lighthearted fantasy tone, but it has some teeth to it, too.

I loved Demelza and Arris. She’s smart and anxious. He’s romantic and imaginative. I like that they stay true to those qualities even as they get to know one another. Part of the story is figuring out whether two people so different could have a sustainable romance. Demelza’s friends are great, too. I laughed so much at some of the things that happened with them.

Reading this book was a very welcome escape for me, which I really appreciated. If you are looking for a fairytale-like story that isn’t a retelling, definitely check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
List.

Romance/Sexual Content
List.

Spiritual Content
List.

Violent Content
List.

Drug Content
List.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I pre-ordered a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Review: Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout

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Song of a Blackbird
Maria van Lieshout
First Second
Published January 21, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Song of a Blackbird

Fictionalized but based on true events, Song of a Blackbird has two intertwined timelines: one is a modern-day family drama, the other a thrilling tale of a WWII-era bank heist carried out by Dutch resistance fighters.

In the present day, teenage Annick is desperate to find a bone marrow donor that could save the life of her grandmother, Johanna. She turns to her family history and discovers a photograph taken by Emma Bergsma.

Decades earlier, Emma is a young art student about to be drawn into what will become the biggest bank heist in European history: swapping 50 Million Guilders’ worth of forged bank notes for real ones―right under the noses of the Nazis! Emma’s life―and the lives of thousands, including a young woman named Johanna―hangs in the balance.

In this stranger-than-fiction graphic novel, Maria van Lieshout weaves a tale about family, courage, and the power of art. Deeply personal yet universal, Song of a Blackbird sheds light on an untold WWII story and sends a powerful message about compassion and resistance.

My Review

I love that the narrator of the book is a blackbird representing the spirit of resilience and the power of compassion. The scenes alternate between two timelines: 1943 and 2011. In 1943, we follow Emma, a young woman who has just joined the Dutch resistance and agrees to help hide Jewish children scheduled for deportation. She winds up helping print forged ration cards and bank certificates as part of a heist plot.

In 2011, we follow a teenage girl whose grandmother has just learned she was one of the children hidden in Amsterdam and adopted by a non-Jewish family. Oma has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant, which makes it crucial that Annick, her granddaughter, help to track down her biological family.

Annick follows clues in a series of prints on her grandmother’s walls. Each section of the book begins with one of those prints and shows Annick’s research, as well as Emma, the artist who created the prints, and her work to hide Annick’s grandmother aid the resistance movement.

The use of the prints and the presence of artists in both time periods emphasize the importance of art as resistance and the powerful impact it has on its creator and viewers. Emma’s prints tell the story of her work, ensuring that history isn’t forgotten.

The illustrations are in grayscale except for a reddish-orange color. I love the way the author uses that orange to draw attention to certain elements. It also reminds me of sunrise, which made the color seem like a symbol of hope and resistance in and of itself.

The back of the book has some historical notes about each person who inspired characters in this graphic novel. Photographs of each person appear there, but Lieshout has also strategically placed photographs throughout the scenes of the book.

Concusion

I’m really blown away by how powerful this story is. I wasn’t sure I’d like the bird narration, but I really ended up loving it. The notes that piece together the truths that inspired the story are such a great addition. This is a story I’m not going to forget.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Allusion to the attraction between two people. One panel shows two teenagers kissing.

Spiritual Content
A priest helps hide several Jewish boys in his church.

Violent Content
References to deportations and rumors of execution at concentration camps. Mass arrests. Resistance workers know they can be arrested and interrogated or tortured. A man temporarily escapes soldiers, but has a gunshot wound that leaves his legs paralyzed. One scene shows a group of men (resistance members) executed by firing squad.

Drug Content
Panels show adults smoking and drinking alcohol in some scenes.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library. All opinions are my own.

Review: As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

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As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow
Zoulfa Katou
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published September 13, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow

A love letter to Syria and its people, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is a speculative novel set amid the Syrian Revolution, burning with the fires of hope, love, and possibility. Perfect for fans of The Book Thief and Salt to the Sea.

Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her older brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life. 

Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe. 

But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.  
 
Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.

My Review

It was hard for me to read some of the chapters in the book because they detail an up-close look at the revolution in Syria. It’s intense, with Salama fearing for her life at every turn and dealing with the ongoing trauma of the losses she’s experienced and the flow of patients visiting the hospital after being wounded by the warfare.

Salama lives in fear of what will happen to her family members and herself. Every time she leaves her apartment, she faces the possibility of death. She sees so many children harmed by the war. Khawf may be the product of her fear and trauma, but he is as cruel as her circumstances. He forces her to relive her losses, threatening to torment her with more vivid hallucinations if she doesn’t take steps to leave the country.

Meeting Kenan brings some brightness to her life. The two share a sweet romance, one that respects the customs and values of their culture, and shows their deep feeling for one another. They bond over a shared love for Studio Ghibli films and their dreams of writing stories or animating films.

The contrast between the lightness of their relationship and the heaviness of life in war-torn Homs really stood out in this story. Salama feels so torn between needing to help her people and yet still longing for joy and wanting to craft a life with a future for herself. It was easy to feel every emotion she experienced through the writing and descriptions.

Conclusion

I’m so glad I read this book, even though some parts made me uncomfortable. It was good to sit with the reminder of how ugly war is and the high cost for the civilians living in a war-torn area. I recommend the book for readers interested in stories about Syria and the Middle East. It’s also a great choice for anyone interested in YA with a protagonist with medical expertise.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
References to Islamic prayers and holidays.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to rape and torture. (Not shown on scene.) Salama relives fractured memories of her loved ones’ deaths. Salama helps treat civilians (including children) who are victims of bombing, sniper attacks, and chemical warfare. A soldier executes a child and mother. Soldiers repeatedly hit someone and start to assault a young woman. (Someone stops this from happening.)

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed this book from the library. All opinions are my own.

Review: Night by Elie Wiesel

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Night (Night Trilogy #1)
Elie Wiesel
Translated by Marion Wiesel
Hill and Wang
Published January 16, 2006 (Orig. 1956)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Night

Born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania, Elie Wiesel was a teenager when he and his family were taken from their home in 1944 to Auschwitz concentration camp, and then to Buchenwald. 

Night is the terrifying record of Elie Wiesel’s memories of the death of his family, the death of his own innocence, and his despair as a deeply observant Jew confronting the absolute evil of man.

This new translation by his wife and most frequent translator, Marion Wiesel, corrects important details and presents the most accurate rendering in English of Elie Wiesel’s testimony to what happened in the camps and of his unforgettable message that this horror must simply never be allowed to happen again.

My Review

I first read this memoir years ago, but Wiesel’s words have stayed with me since. It’s been on my list to reread this book for a long time. This year seemed like the right time.

The author describes some horrifying things in plain language, describing a situation and reflecting on how he felt in the moment or immediately afterward. A few of the descriptions are hard to read, especially those involving children. While Wiesel doesn’t graphically describe these cruelties, his words are shocking, and we feel his own shock as he witnesses them firsthand.

This isn’t a long book. In less than 150 pages, the author briefly describes the small town where he grew up, his family, and the closing in of his world as his family and his Jewish neighbors are forced into ghettos and then deported to concentration camps in other countries. There, they face torture, starvation, and neglect. Elie Wiesel was fifteen when he entered Auschwitz.

As I read, I kept having to pause and close the book. To think. To let the echoes of the author’s words ring out over me. I wanted to resist knowing the depth of the horrors he described, yet I needed to bear witness to his account.

This is a hard book to read, and an essential one, alongside Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl and Boy from Buchenwald by Robbie Waisman (who knew Elie Wiesel and was at Buchenwald with him when the camp was liberated).

If you want to know more about what happened to the teen boys who were liberated from Buchenwald, I highly recommend Robbie Waisman’s book for that as well.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

January 27, 2026, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It’s meant to be a day that we honor and remember the victims of the Holocaust. Remembering what happened, understanding the route that led humanity to that dark place, is necessary not only to honor those who died but to prevent these atrocities from happening again.

We cannot prevent this from happening again without acknowledging the truth of history and carrying that torch forward.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One homophobic comment and a few uses of the G-slur.

Romance/Sexual Content
One vague reference to child trafficking within the camp. In one scene, Eliezer sees a camp officer having intercourse with a woman. The scene is quick and not detailed.

Spiritual Content
The memoir details Wiesel’s desire as a child to study his faith deeply. During his time in Auschwitz and Buchenwald, he wrestles with anger toward God for what has happened to him and others.

Violent Content
Brief, horrifying descriptions of the murder of children, including babies. Descriptions of cruel and inhumane treatment of those imprisoned in the camps. Brief descriptions of prisoners, including a child, executed by hanging. Wiesel describes deep shame as he makes decisions based on self-preservation rather than compassion for others, including his father.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I purchased a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

MMGM Review: The Aftermyth by Tracy Wolff

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The Aftermyth (The Aftermyth #1)
Tracy Wolff
Aladdin
Published February 3, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Aftermyth

In a world ruled by the tenets of Greek mythology, one girl’s fate is more than it appears in the first book in a new dark academia fantasy middle grade series from #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Crave series Tracy Wolff.

What’s your myth?

Penelope Weaver has spent her whole life preparing to attend Anaximander’s Academy, where students learn how to bring to life the stories of Greek mythology as well as discover the Greek god whose principles they most embody. Penelope knows she’s an Athena—all smart, practical, and rule-following girls who take part in stories that matter are Athenas.

But when Penelope and her twin brother Paris arrive at Anaximander’s, it appears fate has other plans. Penelope isn’t placed with Athena but with students who are anything but practical and who prefer parties to rules. And that’s just the beginning. She’s given the world’s worst muse, her assigned tasks feel impossible, and the magic of Anaximander’s is overwhelming. Not to mention, there are two very different boys making her new life even more confusing.

But as things go from bad to dangerously worse, one thing becomes in a world where everything is fated to happen a certain way, some stories need to be rewritten. As the world around her shifts and cracks, Penelope is asked to forget everything she thought she knew to help create a better story…even if that changes every plan and breaks every rule.

My Review

Since this book is set at a magic school centered around Greek mythology, I feel like comparisons to the Percy Jackson series are inevitable. Other than those themes, though, I didn’t find myself thinking of that series much as I read this one.

I really appreciate the way the author set up this story. Penelope is from a family who were all in the Athena house, so she expects to continue the family tradition at school. When she doesn’t, she resists fitting in with her new classmates, even though, to observant readers, she does have some traits that show why she belongs there.

That part of the story, where Penelope wrestles with her family’s expectations (and her own) versus her true personality and character, was really nicely done. It made me think a lot about how family culture shapes us, and how important it is for us to discover where our true interests and talents lie, which can be challenging from within a dominant family culture.

I also appreciated that Penelope learns about the value of friendship. She learns to trust her instincts, ask questions, and not accept things at face value. All good lessons. The way things roll out in the story, I found myself putting the clues together alongside Penelope, which made for an engaging reading experience.

Though this series opener is a bit long (more than 400 pages), the chapters are short, and the fast-paced storytelling makes it feel like a quick read. I’m curious to see where the series will go next.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
In the story, the pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses is real, and students who attend Anaximander’s school receive a (supernatural) gift and mentorship from a muse as they continue their education.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Snakes threaten characters in one scene.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.