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 Infinity of You & Me by J. Q. Coyle

The Infinity of You and Me by J Q CoyleThe Infinity of You & Me
J. Q. Coyle
St. Martin’s Griffin
Available November 8, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Alicia’s hallucinations are only getting worse: more frequent and more intense. Despite that, she doesn’t want to give them up because the hallucinations are the only place she sees her father. Then he shows up in real life, warning Alicia of incredible danger, and suddenly everything shifts. The people Alicia trusted most have been lying to her, and now she’s on the run from them. The hallucinations are real. In them, Alicia journeys to other universes, ones where more than her life is at stake. She must find … Continue reading

Review: Orphan Trains by Rebecca Langston-George

Orphan Trains by Rebecca Langston-GeorgeOrphan Trains
Rebecca Langston-George
Capstone Press
Available August 1, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

From 1853 to 1929, The Children’s Aid Society and other organizations like it placed 250,000 orphaned children with families using trains to deliver the children to new families along railway lines. Sometimes children found loving homes and parents who brought them into their families and treated them as members of their household. The Children’s Aid Society sought to address the overwhelming poverty and difficulties placed on children in large cities whose parents abandoned them or died. It is the predecessor of the modern-day foster care system. Sometimes the children were seen as laborers or servants and treated far differently from … Continue reading

Review: Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick

everyexquisitethingEvery Exquisite Thing
Matthew Quick
Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers
Available May 31, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

It starts with a book. A beloved teacher gives Nanette his copy of an out-of-print novel called The Bubblegum Reaper, about a Holden Caulfield-type boy who falls in love with a girl who shares her secrets with a turtle. As Nanette reads and rereads the novel, she becomes impassioned. She reaches out to the author and discovers another boy who loves the book, and in him, a potential soulmate. But when his vigilante attitude takes him too far, Nanette must learn find the courage to be herself despite the expectations of others on her own.

Part … Continue reading

November 2016 Monthly Wrap-Up

November 2016I’m not going to lie. November 2016 has been a tough month, and I’m not sorry that it’s over. On the upside, I was able to attend YALLFest in Charleston for the first time (also my first visit to the area– must go back!) AND I wore my amazing bookish costume. Sadly, all the other stuff has kind of crowded my time this month, so I haven’t really been as attentive to the blog and as quick about reading as I hoped to be. I still managed to review eight books, which is fewer than usual, but feels like a lot considering all the other hoopla that’s happened.

Thoughts on YALLFest

If you’re thinking about going next year, DO IT. I … Continue reading

Review: Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

bonegapBone Gap
Laura Ruby
Balzer + Bray
Available March 3, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

A young woman named Roza disappears from the small town of Bone Gap, and Finn, the only witness struggles to identify her captor. How do you describe someone who looks like everyone else? Everyone seems to believe Roza just up and left Finn and his brother Sean, the same way their mother did. But Finn knows Roza would never just leave on her own. Finn can’t give up. He’s as determined to find her as he is to win over the prickly bee girl with the strange eyes.

This is one of those books that I picked up expecting great writing, but … Continue reading

Holiday Gift Ideas for Your YA Reader

Books are one of my favorite gifts to give (okay, and to receive!) because there’s something for everyone. There were years where we gave a book to each person on our Christmas list. I enjoyed my holiday shopping that year especially because it was a chance to take all that I knew about a person’s interests and try to match them up with a book. This year we’ve chosen to support a local charity organization for the majority of our gift purchases, but there are a few books that still made it onto our gift list. Here are my top picks for the readers on my Christmas list.

For the Fairy Tale Lover

Traitor's Masque by Kenley DavidsonTraitor’s Masque by Kenley Davidson
Page Nine Press
Published … Continue reading