Author Archives: 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: Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills

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Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills

Something Close to Magic
Emma Mills
Atheneum
Published June 13, 2023

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About Something Close to Magic

A baker’s apprentice reluctantly embarks on an adventure full of magic, new friendships, and a prince in distress in this deliciously romantic young adult fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Gail Carson Levine.

It’s not all sugar and spice at Basil’s Bakery, where seventeen-year-old Aurelie is an overworked, underappreciated apprentice. Still, the job offers stability, which no-nonsense Aurelie values highly, so she keeps her head down and doesn’t dare to dream big—until a stranger walks in and hands … Continue reading →

Review: Greenwild: The World Behind the Door by Pari Thomson

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Greenwild: The World Behind the Door by Pari Thompson cover shows a girl in overalls, a long braid over her shoulder. A black and white cat sits on her shoulder. She holds a glowing ball in her right hand. A glowing doorway is behind her.

Greenwild: The World Behind the Door
Pari Thomson
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Published June 6, 2023

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About Greenwild: The World Behind the Door

Open the door to a spellbinding world where the wilderness is alive and a deep magic rises from the earth itself . . .

Eleven-year-old Daisy Thistledown is on the run. Her mother has been keeping big, glittering secrets, and now she … Continue reading →

Review: Gilded by Marissa Meyer

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Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Gilded (Gilded Duology #1)
Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends
Published November 2, 2021

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About Gilded

Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller’s daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.

Or so everyone believes.

When one of Serilda’s outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed … Continue reading →

Review: Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story by Sarah Myer

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Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story by Sarah Myer cover shows a girl from the shoulders up. The left side of her face looks human. The right side stretches into a monster face with a leering, sharp-toothed grin and glowing eye.

Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story
Sarah Myer
First Second
Published June 27, 2023

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About Monstrous

A poignant young adult graphic memoir about a Korean-American girl who uses fandom and art-making to overcome racist bullying. Perfect for fans of American Born Chinese and Almost American Girl!

Sarah has always struggled to fit in. Born in South Korea and adopted at birth by a white couple, she grows up in a rural community with few Asian neighbors. … Continue reading →

Review: The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade

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The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade cover shows a girl's face partly obscured by flowers. A butterfly sits on her left eye.

The Shadow Sister
Lily Meade
Sourcebooks Fire
Published June 27, 2023

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About The Shadow Sister

Sutton going missing is the worst thing to happen to Casey, to their family. She’s trying to help find her sister, but Casey is furious. And she can’t tell anyone about their argument before Sutton disappeared. Everyone paints a picture of Sutton’s perfection: the popular cheerleader with an entourage of friends, a doting boyfriend, and a limitless future. But Sutton manipulated everyone around her, even stole an heirloom bracelet from Casey. People don’t look for missing … Continue reading →

Review: Ode to My First Car by Robin Gow

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Ode to My First Car by Robin Gow

Ode to My First Car
Robin Gow
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Published June 20, 2023

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About Ode to My First Car

By the critically praised author of A Million Quiet Revolutions , this YA contemporary sapphic romance told in verse is about a bisexual teen girl who falls in and out of love over the course of one fateful summer.

It’s a few months before senior year and Claire Kemp, a closeted bisexual, is finally starting to admit she might be falling in love with her best friend, Sophia, who she’s known since they were four.

Trying to pay off the fine from … Continue reading →