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: Wish of the Wicked by Danielle Paige

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,
Wish of the Wicked

Wish of the Wicked
Danielle Paige
Bloomsbury
November 14, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Wish of the Wicked

Bestselling author Danielle Paige puts a dark spin on fairy godmothers in a new YA series for fans of Brigid Kemmerer and Maleficent.

For centuries, the enchanted members of the Entente have worked in tandem with the Three Fates—the Present, the Past, and the Future—to maintain destiny across the Thirteen Queendoms. But when Queen Magrit learns of her untimely demise from Hecate, Fate of the Future, Magrit burns Hecate at the stake and decrees death to all Entente in order to live forever.

But some survive, including sixteen-year-old Farrow, who hatches a dangerous plan to seek revenge. Along the way, she finds herself falling for the one person who could ruin everything. With life and love hanging in the balance, she must decide who to trust and what’s most important: living in the past or forging a new future.

Bestselling author Danielle Paige launches a brand-new fairy godmother origin story full of intrigue, magic, and romance.

My Review

I found the pacing of this one a little different than I expected. Sometimes an origin story takes us right up to the beginning of a familiar tale, or right up to a character’s involvement in a familiar tale. I expected something like that here. To follow Farrow’s story until she meets a crying girl in a wrecked dress who just wants to go to the ball.

Instead, about half of the book tells Farrow’s history, relating how she has magic, what happened to drive her to the palace, and why she’s interested in helping Cinderella in the first place. The second half basically tells the story of Cinderella, but from the fairy godmother’s point-of-view.

My favorite parts of the book were how the setup changed or reflected the story of Cinderella. I really liked the setup involving Cinderella’s step-family. That reflected the original story and turned it around completely differently. It created connections between the fairy godmother and the family that added a lot of interest and stakes.

I also expected a lot more romance in the book. There are a couple of kissing scenes, but they’re mostly performative, and Farrow spends so much time focused on revenge and survival that she barely spares a thought to her feelings about a certain boy. It’s possible that the romance develops more in a subsequent book in the series, though.

All in all, I thought this was an imaginative origin story/retelling with some clever changes to the original tale. Fairy tale readers will like getting the often-overlooked perspective of the fairy godmother in a female-dominated cast.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Farrow is described as having light brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. At one point, a boy’s friends tease him and ask him to have Farrow disrobe in front of them as part of the aftermath of a ceremony where she’s presented to him. She obliges, down to her undergarments.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have magic. Three of the Entente have the ability to see events: past, present, or future. Some characters refer to Fate as a source of power or guidance.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some brief descriptions of women being burned alive or drowned. A few scenes contain some body horror, in which a person’s body transforms into beetles, bees, or scorpions. Soldiers attack using magic-suppressing weapons.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything but help support this blog. I received a free copy of WISH OF THE WICKED in exchange for my honest review.

Review: No One Left But You by Tash McAdam

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

No One Left But You
Tash McAdam
Soho Teen
November 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About No One Left But You

A trans teen is swept up in a whirlwind friendship with lethal consequences in this taut YA thriller, for fans of Sadie, K. Ancrum and HBO’s Euphoria.

BEFORE

Newly out trans guy Max is having a hard time in school. Things have been tough since his summer romance, Danny, turned into his bully. This year, his plan is to keep his head down and graduate. All that changes when new It-girl Gloss moves to town. No one understands why perfect, polished Gloss is so interested in an introverted skater kid, but Max blooms in the hothouse of her attention. Caught between romance and obsession, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her on his side.

AFTER

Haircuts, makeovers, drugs, parties. It’s all fun and games until someone gets killed at a rager gone terribly wrong. Max refuses to believe that Gloss did it. But if not Gloss, who? Desperate to figure out truth in the wake of tragedy, Max veers dangerously close to being implicated—and his own memories of that awful night are fuzzy.

Both sharp-edged thriller and moving coming-of-age, this gorgeously wrought novel is perfect for readers who want stories with trans characters front-and-center.

My Review

I’m going to go ahead and admit that I laughed at some things in this book that I don’t think were meant to be funny. For example, at one point, the main character is making a point that he’s noticing some recovery from previous depression. He says something like, “I’m finally asking myself normal questions, like ‘do I want to do mushrooms in the woods with a girl I might like.” And I don’t want to minimize the shift in his mental state or the joy of noticing a new distance from depressed thoughts.

But also, I couldn’t help laughing at how differently I defined “normal questions” in my own high school experience. It struck me funny.

Interesting comparisons aside, though, Max’s emotional journey through the book really packs a punch. The story travels from him peeling apart his feelings about an ex he’s not over to exploring new feelings for a girl who might be too cool for him to reeling from grief over a sudden loss. Every emotion felt real and raw, drawing me deep into Max’s story.

The cover copy hints that Max grapples with hazy memories of the time of the murder, but the story doesn’t really focus on that much. It’s much more about Max trying desperately to understand why this person died and what the relationship meant to him. Those threads are so well-spun that I rocketed through the book from start to finish.

I think readers who enjoy Caleb Roehrig’s mystery books will love this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Max is a transgender boy. A minor character is Black. Another character is gay but closeted.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. In one scene, two boys go into a tent to have sex. We know they undress and that one asks the other permission to have sex, and the scene fades to black. In another scene, a group of teens decides to skinny dip at the beach. Some people choose to keep their shirts on.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Kids at school (often boys) bully Max after he comes out as transgender. They misgender him on purpose and shoulder-check him as he walks by. A boy shoves Max against a wall and kisses him hard enough to bruise and split his lip.

References to Max’s mom using his deadname. She misgenders him repeatedly in the couple of scenes where she appears.

Someone dies of a cut throat. One scene shows them dying.

Drug Content
Max smokes pot and drinks alcohol with his friends in multiple scenes. In one scene, he and a girl drink mushroom tea. In another, a girl pushes a pill from her mouth into his.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything but help support this blog. I received a free copy of NO ONE LEFT BUT YOU in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Poetry, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Clap When You Land
Elizabeth Acevedo
Quill Tree Books
Published May 5, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Clap When You Land

In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.

And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

My Review

CLAP WHEN YOU LAND is the third book by Elizabeth Acevedo that I’ve read, and she just wows me every time. Some of the lines in this novel in verse were so achingly beautiful. They crafted tender images of grief, the strength of the bonds of family, and the beauty of the beach.

I loved both Camino and Yahaira’s stories, and I am so glad the book told both. I loved the way their connection developed, even though it was under such difficult circumstances.

My favorite scene is one late in the book, in which a man has attacked a female character. Three other women, all family members by blood or choice, stand together and force the man to leave. There was so much power in that scene. I loved the way that they lent one another strength and that because they joined together, their strength was multiplied. There was something truly beautiful and fierce about it that I feel like I’m going to remember for a very long time.

CLAP WHEN YOU LAND was a deeply compelling story of sisterhood and grief and a beautiful tribute to the Dominican Republic. I think fans of DEAR HAITI, LOVE ALAINE by Maika and Maritza Moulite or NEVER LOOK BACK by Lilliam Rivera will love this book.

Content Notes for Clap When You Land

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Yahaira is Dominican American, living in New York. She’s in a relationship with a girl. Camino is Dominican and living in the Dominican Republic.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. A man stalks a girl as she goes to and from the beach. He obviously has sinister intentions, and she feels she can’t escape him. Brief description of a man assaulting a girl on a train. She’s shaken and traumatized afterward. In one scene, a man attacks a girl in the dark, tearing open her blouse.

Spiritual Content
Families gather and pray after Yahaira and Camino’s dad’s death and attend church services. Camino’s aunt also consults the saints using other spiritual practices.

Violent Content
Some details about the plane crash

Drug Content
References to drinking alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: With or Without You by Eric Smith

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With or Without You
Eric Smith
Inkyard Press
Published November 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About With or Without You

New from Eric Smith comes a delightful YA rom-com about two teens caught in the middle of their families’ orchestrated rivalry between their Philly cheesesteak food trucks.

All’s fair in love and (food truck) war.

Everyone knows Jordan Plazas and Cindy Ortiz hate each other.

According to many viral videos of their public shouting matches, the Plazas and Ortiz families have a well-known food truck rivalry. Jordan and Cindy have spent all of high school making cheesesteaks and slinging insults at each other across their shared Philadelphia street.

But the truth? They’re in love, and it’s all just an act for the tourists.

When the fake feud lands them a reality TV show pilot, Jordan and Cindy find themselves having to lie on a much bigger scale. Trapped between pursuing their dreams or their love, can they find a way to have their cheesesteak and eat it too?

My Review

I think my favorite thing about this book is that it gives you a standalone romance storyline, but the kind of plot you don’t usually get unless you read a series. Jordan and Cindy are together at the start of the story, so there’s none of the figuring out if the other person has feelings. It’s all about the tension between the public rivalry between Cindy and Jordan and their families and their private lives, which include a romantic relationship.

There’s a lot of cool stuff happening in this book, too. From loads of musical references to very different approaches to food truck fare and ingredients, I felt like I got the characters and could easily picture their reactions to things that happened.

I also think the story has a great balance in focus on its characters. Both Jordan’s and Cindy’s parents have unique personalities, but none of them dominate the story. Understanding their characters helps us better understand Cindy and Jordan, but they also feel like fully developed characters on their own.

One of my favorite things about the book (besides the excellent breakdown of a perfect breakfast sandwich) is the banter between the characters. I loved the snarky comments and goofy exchanges with friends. Those scenes felt natural and made me laugh out loud more than once.

I think readers who enjoy books about food and friendships or reality TV and sweet romance will find so much to love in this fun tribute to Philadelphia and food truck life.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Both Cindy and Jordan are Latine and American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A boy calls a girl some unkind names. Banter escalates into a bit of a scuffle, but it’s quickly defused.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of WITH OR WITHOUT YOU in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

The Moth Keeper
K. O’Neill
Random House Graphic
Published March 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Moth Keeper

Being a Moth Keeper is a huge responsibility and a great honor, but what happens when the new Moth Keeper decides to take a break from the moon and see the sun for the first time? A middle-grade fantasy graphic novel about passion, duty, and found family.

Anya is finally a Moth Keeper, the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. Her village needs the flower to continue thriving and Anya is excited to prove her worth and show her thanks to her friends with her actions, but what happens when being a Moth Keeper isn’t exactly what Anya thought it would be?

The nights are cold in the desert and the lunar moths live far from the village. Anya finds herself isolated and lonely. Despite Anya’s dedication, she wonders what it would be like to live in the sun. Her thoughts turn into an obsession, and when Anya takes a chance to stay up during the day to feel the sun’s warmth, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences.

K. O’Neill brings to life a beautifully illustrated fantasy world about responsibility to yourself and your community. THE MOTH KEEPER is filled with magic, hope, and friendship.

My Review

THE MOTH KEEPER is the first book by K. O’Neill that I’ve read. I’ve had my eye on the Tea Dragon series, which they also wrote, so I’ve been curious about their books for a while.

One of the things that fascinated me about this book is how many scenes are told strictly through the illustrations in the panels. I enjoyed looking at them and following scenes that way.

The story has a nicely sized cast of characters. I felt like we got to know each of them, and I especially felt like I learned a lot about each character sometimes by reading between the lines or watching how other characters reacted to them.

I liked the background of the story– both the lore about the moon’s spirit and the connection to the village, and also the girl wandering the desert, drawn to the moon. The way the story tied different elements together, and the sense of movement in the panels, especially in the illustrations of the moths.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s kind of a peaceful story about community and a celebration of the importance of spirituality.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Characters have some animal characteristics. Anya has fox ears and a tail. Her best friend Estell has rabbit ears and a tail.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The spirit of the moon gifted the moths to Anya’s village to care for and to bless them.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Before the Devil Knows You’re Here by Autumn Krause

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Before the Devil Knows You’re Here
Autumn Krause
Peachtree Teen
Published October 3, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Before the Devil Knows You’re Here

A deliciously dark folk horror for fans of Maggie Stiefvater and Erin Craig, blending the tall tales of Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan with Faustian elements, and centering a fierce Mexican-American poet on a quest to rescue her brother.

1836. Wisconsin Territory. All Catalina has left is her little brother—Mama died years ago, and Papa was buried just yesterday. She and Jose Luis are alone now, in their ramshackle cabin on the edge of the Wisconsin wilderness, with the cold weather coming.

As Catalina sets plans to ensure their survival, a strange man appears—a man covered in bark, leaves growing from his head, and sap dripping from his eyes. Before Catalina can stop him, he scoops Jose Luis up and disappears. He leaves behind a strange bird with crimson wings. She can’t let this man—if that’s what he is—have her brother. With no idea where they’ve gone, she tracks the bird in hopes it will lead her to Jose Luis.

Along the way, she finds help from a young Paul Bunyan, whose life has also been changed by the Man of Sap. As they travel deeper into the Northwoods, they uncover more of the Man of Sap’s history and the connections he and Catalina share, ultimately learning her fate is deeply entwined with his—set in seeds planted long ago—and now, giving her the power to change his life or end it.

My Review

The cover of this book somehow suggested a totally different story to me. I kind of wish that it included some of the story elements or characters– Catalina with her strength and pride, and Paul with his axe. An apple tree, heavy with fruit.

At any rate, I loved the concept of this story from the beginning. Taking familiar American folklore and adding Faustian elements to it created a high-stakes story that felt like it was set in old America. I loved the magical elements and eeriness of the tale.

It’s called horror, and there are a few strange/scary moments. I thought on the whole that it was more eerie than terrifying.

I loved the characters in this book, from the story of John (Johnny Appleseed) and the curse he encounters to Catalina and her quest to rescue her missing brother. Paul Bunyan’s character was really cool, too. He almost had that folk hero too-good-to-be-real thing going on, but I liked the way the author layered his character so there was more to him than met the eye.

This is a fairly quick read at less than 250 pages, which is great for anyone looking for a shorter young adult fantasy novel. I think readers who enjoy creepy stories and historical fantasy or reimagined history will like this one a lot.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
The main character and her brother are biracial: white and Mexican American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently. In one scene, someone says something racist toward Catalina’s family.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
One character is the devil in disguise. A man receives a curse that turns him into a tree-like person, with bark for skin and sap for tears. He must carry a heavy satchel of seeds that grow into trees that produce poisoned apples that seduce people into eating them.

Violent Content
Situations of peril and some scary imagery. Catalina witnesses someone’s death from poison. Brief battles include fatality.

Drug Content
Poisoned apples kill anyone who eats them.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE HERE in exchange for my honest review.