Category Archives: Young Adult/Teen 12-18

Review: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin Craig

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin Craig

House of Salt and Sorrows (Sisters of the Salt #1)
Erin Craig
Delacorte Press
Published August 6, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About House of Salt and Sorrows

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

My Review

I’ve had this book for years. I think I ordered a copy the year it was published, but I only just got around to reading it now that there’s a sequel. Truthfully, I’m glad I waited so long to read it because I would not have been prepared for how creepy/horror-adjacent it is. I think I expected more of a Marissa Meyer fairy tale retelling vibe, and it definitely read as darker than that.

The setting really pulled me in. Annaleigh’s family celebrates holidays and burial traditions anchored to her culture and their worship of Pontus, the god of the sea. The sea itself, the lighthouse, and Annaleigh’s family home all felt very real.

I also liked the mystery element of the story. Annaleigh worries that someone has murdered her sister and chases down every lead she can find searching for the culprit. The sisterly love and the unexpected discoveries that the mystery led her to definitely kept me engaged in the story. I also enjoyed the romance between her and Cassius.

The pacing of the story felt a little uneven to me. Like, a LOT happened in the last fifty pages of the book. Annaleigh learns a lot of new information and faces some pretty intense stuff. Those late chapters also have one of the most intense psychological horror scenes of the whole book.

I found myself wishing a little more of that information had been revealed or at least hinted at earlier on, rather than rushed through at the end. I think the way things played out also muddled some elements of the plot, such as which deaths had unnatural causes versus which didn’t.

All in all, I am glad I finally read it, and there were things about the story I enjoyed. If you enjoy dark fairy tales with a horror element to them, HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS will definitely scratch that itch.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Annaleigh and one of her sisters see ghosts and encounter some haunting experiences. Annaleigh and her family worship the god of the sea, Pontus. Other people from other places worship different gods or goddesses.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Tentacled arms grab a girl in the water. Sketches show girls who’ve died, including details alluding to the manner of their deaths (an obviously broken neck, for example). Several scenes include someone finding people who’ve died. One scene shows a nightmarish party with really gross food and drink served. That scene and another include situations and descriptions that would qualify as psychological horror.

Drug Content
Social drinking, such as champagne at a party. At one party, several men get drunk and say cruel or inappropriate things to women there.

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

Top Ten Tuesday: Amazing Young Adult Books Coming in Fall 2023

Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

I’m finally settling into a fall routine, just in time to look ahead at the incredible line-up of books coming out this season. From familiar retellings to irresistible, high-stakes fantasy to classic rom-com, it’s going to be a great fall to grab that pumpkin spice latte (or whatever your preferred fall drink is) and curl up with a great book.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is Books on My Fall To-Read list. I couldn’t narrow my list down to ten, so… bonus! Here are 21 amazing young adult books coming in fall 2023.

21 Amazing Young Adult Books Coming in Fall 2023

Into the Bright Open (A Secret Garden Remix) by Cherie Dimaline

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: a retelling of the Secret Garden set in Canada and including indigenous characters. I loved THE MARROW THIEVES, so I’ve been very eager to read more of Dimaline’s work. I’m excited about this one.

Published: September 5, 2023

All That Shines by Ellen Hagan

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Chloe goes from having it all to living in the apartment complex her family owns and abandoned. I got swept away by the powerful emotions and verse of DON’T CALL ME A HURRICANE, so I’m always up for more Ellen Hagan books.

Published: September 5, 2023 | My Review

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A transgender boy desperate to escape an arranged marriage is diagnosed with a strange illness and sent away to a sanitorium and finishing school where ghosts beg him for his help. Looks twisty, dark, and powerful. White’s debut knocked me sideways (in the best way), so I can’t wait for this one.

Published: September 5, 2023

Rez Ball by Byron Graves

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A boy still processing his grief over a lost brother vows to take his basketball team to state so his brother’s dreams come true and his story lives on. Romance, basketball, the raw edges of grief– this debut has so much to offer.

Published: September 12, 2023

The Name Drop by Susan Lee

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Two interns at a massive tech company get their roles swapped by mistake. They decide to keep the switch, so he can take a break from the high-pressure life his father wants for him, and so she can build the connections she needs for college applications. There’s still time to get one last summer romance in with your pumpkin spice.

Published: September 12, 2023

Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A new fantasy series from the author of THREE DARK CROWNS. A girl raised to become one of the legendary heromakers called Aristene. A fiery, infuriating boy she’s tasked with turning into a hero. What if she can’t have both? I haven’t read anything by Blake yet, but I want to, and this looks SO good.

Published: September 19, 2023

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl foretold to die at seventeen takes a dangerous journey into a deadly forest filled with twisted versions of well-loved fairytales to undo a curse and save her mother. Something about this reminds me of GREYMMIST FAIR by Francesca Zappia, which I loved.

Published: September 19, 2023

Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: 1932 Shanghai. An exposed spy desperate to rescue her partner, whose memories of her have been wiped, embarks on a national tour as a means to gather allies and save him. I still need to read the first book in this duology, but my library has the audiobook, so I’ll be reading both this fall!

Published: September 26, 2023

This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: To save her family’s magic horse ranch, Mekira must win a treacherous horserace. Filled with Jewish folklore. Looks like maybe SIX OF CROWS meets THE SCORPIO RACES?

Published: September 26, 2023

Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Fourteen mermaid tales by familiar YA authors like Darcie Little Badger, Kalynn Bayron, and Katherine Locke. Looks like a super-inclusive collection, and I’m always up for a mermaid story!

Published: September 26, 2023

Before the Devil Knows You’re Here by Autumn Krause

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: 1836 Wisconsin Territory. An orphaned girl’s little brother is kidnapped by a mysterious bark-covered man. With help from Paul Bunyan, she tracks the Man of Sap, determined to get her brother back in this dark folk horror tale. Looks twisty and unlike anything I’ve ever read before.

Published: October 3, 2023

Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A witch who survived a brutal attack on her coven reluctantly allies with the captain of the witch hunters who claims to be working to dismantle the hunters from inside their group. Looks intense and rich with magic. I’m excited for this one.

Published: October 3, 2023

Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: 1943 Lithuania. A grieving father uses forbidden magic to create a Nazi-killing golem to avenge his daughter’s death. Vera awakens with an understanding of her purpose and memories of a girl’s human life. This one had me at the comparison: Frankenstein meets Inglourious Basterds. I’m in.

Published: October 10, 2023

Flower and Thorn by Rati Mehrotra

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A magical flower hunter must retrieve a powerful flower stolen by an attractive imposter. I loved Mehrotra’s debut, so I couldn’t miss this one.

Published: October 17, 2023

The Search for Us by Susan Azim Boyer

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Two half-siblings who have never met embark on a search together for the Iranian immigrant and U.S. Army veteran father they never knew. I love a complex family drama, so this one looks great.

Published: October 24, 2023

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: 19th century Buenas Aires. A girl with a magic ring journeys to Cairo to solve the mystery of her parents’ deaths.

Published: October 31, 2023

With or Without You by Eric Smith

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Two Philly families with a faux food truck rivalry (and secret romance) take their act to TV, where the stakes are higher, and their feelings could cost their dreams. I remember when the author started talking about this one on Twitter, and I’ve been desperate to read it since.

Published: November 7, 2023

No One Left But You by Tash McAdam

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A newly out trans boy gets caught up in the world of a glamorous It-girl until that world crashes down in a murder she may have committed. This one is giving me WE MADE IT ALL UP by Margot Harrison vibes, and I love it.

Published: November 7, 2023

Wish of the Wicked by Danielle Page

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A dark, fairy godmother origin story for fans of MALEFICENT. Yes, please!

Published: November 7, 2023

Artifacts of an Ex by Jennifer Chen

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A teen grieving a recent breakup turns the items left behind after a relationship into an art exhibit and tries to convince her new crush she’s ready to try again for love. Looks sweet and like it’s got some great opportunities for humor and heart.

Published: November 14, 2023

The Dark Heir by C. S. Pacat

What you need to know: In a war of Light versus Dark, Will faces terrible secrets that threaten to break their world. I haven’t read the first book in this series yet, but both look so good, I’m going to try to play a little catchup and read them this fall.

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

Published: November 14, 2023

What are your most-anticipated young adult books coming out this fall?

What amazing young adult books coming in fall 2023 are you most looking forward to reading? Are you planning to read any of the books on my list? What books am I missing that I need to add?

Review: The Name Drop by Susan Lee

Blogger's Favorites, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

The Name Drop
Susan Lee
Inkyard Press
Published September 12, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Name Drop

From the author of SEOULMATES comes a story of mistaken identities, the summer of a lifetime, and a love to risk everything for.

When Elijah Ri arrives in New York City for an internship at his father’s massive tech company, Haneul Corporation, he expects the royal treatment that comes with being the future CEO—even if that’s the last thing he wants. But instead, he finds himself shuffled into a group of overworked, unpaid interns, all sharing a shoebox apartment for the summer.

When Jessica Lee arrives in New York City, she’s eager to make the most of her internship at Haneul Corporation, even if she’s at the bottom of the corporate ladder. But she’s shocked to be introduced as the new executive-in-training intern with a gorgeous brownstone all to herself.

It doesn’t take long for Elijah and Jessica to discover the source of the they share the same Korean name. But they decide to stay switched—so Elijah can have a relaxing summer away from his controlling dad while Jessica can make the connections she desperately needs for college recommendations.

As Elijah and Jessica work together to keep up the charade, a spark develops between them. Can they avoid discovery—and total disaster—with their feelings and futures on the line?

My Review

This book came along at exactly the right time for me. I’ve been battling a sinus infection, so I really needed a sweet, fun story, and THE NAME DROP totally delivered. It’s got some tension, for sure, as it explores the pressure of expectations from both Elijah and Jessica’s families. But on the whole, it’s got a starry-eyed feel to it. Jessica gets to live her dream as an executive intern, living in a luxurious apartment and running a team of interns. Elijah gets to explore New York City with people his own age who have no idea who he is. He has control of his time and actually gets to make friends.

I loved the pacing of the relationship between Elijah and Jessica, too. It felt like they hit all the right moments, from initial distrust to grudging partnership to friends to more. And their connection felt really genuine to me.

Overall, I think this was a really sweet, fun romance featuring a summer internship and teens figuring out their life plans beyond high school.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Most characters are Korean American. Elijah Lee is Korean.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
In one scene, a man raises a hand as though he will strike someone. Another character grabs his arm and stops him from hitting anyone.

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 THE NAME DROP in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Rez Ball by Byron Graves

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Rez Ball
Byron Graves
Heartdrum
Published September 12, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Rez Ball

This compelling debut novel by new talent Byron Graves tells the relatable, high-stakes story of a young athlete determined to play like the hero his Ojibwe community needs him to be. These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.

When Jaxon’s former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him. But stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with.

After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon’s dreams, their story isn’t over yet.  This book is published by Heartdrum, an imprint that publishes high-quality, contemporary stories about Indigenous young people in the United States and Canada.

My Review

I like a lot of things about this book. First, Tre and his family were super easy to root for. I liked the closeness between them and could really feel the gaping hole that is their grief over Tre’s brother Jaxon’s death. Tre’s friends also make up a tight-knit community whose interactions seemed really natural and believable.

I was a little bit confused by the subplot about Tre’s love life, though. The opening of the book is very basketball-focused and then there’s a long interlude where he seems very focused on a girl, and then he’s back to focusing on basketball for the rest of the book. It felt a little bit uneven, and because of that part with the focus on the possible relationship, I think I expected there to be more of a romance subplot through the rest of the book.

On the whole, though, I enjoyed the way Tre’s experience on the team changed him and impacted his whole community. I wish there had been a deeper dive into his grief and the way that playing basketball made him feel closer to his brother and possibly helped his family to heal from that loss. It’s there, but I would have liked to see that get more time in the spotlight of the story.

I found the book to be an easy read and an inspiring one. I think readers who enjoy books about sports or are looking for inclusive stories about overcoming adversity will find lots to love here.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Main characters are Indigenous Ojibwe tribe members.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Brief references to traditional rituals before basketball games. Tre’s mom encourages him to make an offering and pray to the Creator when he’s having a hard time.

Violent Content
Two boys get into a fistfight when one of them is drunk.

Drug Content
Several scenes show teens drinking alcohol. Two boys get suspended from the basketball team for drinking. One boy asks the team to commit to sobriety at least through the rest of the season after learning about another team who lost because they’d been hungover during a game.

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 REZ BALL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Into the Bright Open by Cherie Dimaline

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

Into the Bright Open (A Secret Garden Remix)
Cherie Dimaline
Feiwel & Friends
Published September 5, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Into the Bright Open

In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. This queer YA reimagining of The Secret Garden subverts the cishet and white status quo of the original in a tale of family secrets wonderful and horrifying.

Mary Lennox didn’t think about death until the day it knocked politely on her bedroom door and invited itself in. When a terrible accident leaves her orphaned at fifteen, she is sent to the wilderness of the Georgian Bay to live with an uncle she’s never met.

At first the impassive, calculating girl believes this new manor will be just like the one she left in Toronto: cold, isolating, and anything but cheerful, where staff is treated as staff and never like family. But as she slowly allows her heart to open like the first blooms of spring, Mary comes to find that this strange place and its strange people—most of whom are Indigenous—may be what she can finally call home.

Then one night Mary discovers Olive, her cousin who has been hidden away in an attic room for years due to a “nervous condition.” The girls become fast friends, and Mary wonders why this big-hearted girl is being kept out of sight and fed medicine that only makes her feel sicker. When Olive’s domineering stepmother returns to the manor, it soon becomes clear that something sinister is going on.

With the help of a charming, intoxicatingly vivacious Metis girl named Sophie, Mary begins digging further into family secrets both wonderful and horrifying to figure out how to free Olive. And some of the answers may lie within the walls of a hidden, overgrown and long-forgotten garden the girls stumble upon while wandering the wilds…

My Review

Reading a fresh take on a classic always feels like a bit of a gamble to me. This is especially true of books I read as a child, like THE SECRET GARDEN. I read THE MARROW THIEVES by Cherie Dimaline, though. I loved the writing and the way the author puts characters on her pages. I’ve been following the series of remixed classics a little bit (So far, I’ve only read MY DEAR HENRY, but I loved that one, too.), but when I saw that it was Cherie Dimaline who was retelling THE SECRET GARDEN, I could not wait to check it out.

Just like MY DEAR HENRY, the tone and style of the writing made this book feel like a classic. It’s been a while since I read THE SECRET GARDEN, but especially the scenes in which Mary is outside, working in the garden, felt like a perfect homage to the original story. Those scenes were some of my favorites.

Though the original story is set in England, this one is set in Canada, and that worked perfectly. Instead of Martha and Dickon, we have Flora and Sophie, biracial (Indigenous and white) young women who challenge Mary’s snobberies and help her see her world and her new home in a new way.

I loved the way this story centered so much on the relationships between the female characters. Flora and Sophie are mentors and friends. Mary and her cousin Olive form a strong bond as well. There’s also Aunt Rebecca, Mary’s step-aunt, who runs the household with an iron fist. She is also, perhaps, a representation of who Mary could have become if she’d never embraced changes or personal growth.

Conclusion

I guess all that is to say that this series impressed me again with the beautiful reimagining of another familiar story. I think Cherie Dimaline is a perfect choice to retell this story because she did it so excellently. If you want to read for a more inclusive, classic-style story or find a reimagined version of THE SECRET GARDEN, grab this one right away.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Mary is white. Several important characters are Indigenous. (They describe themselves as half-breeds, French and Indigenous.)

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to a couple who died by drowning. References to child abuse/neglect.

Drug Content
A woman administers a foul-smelling medicine to a child, which she claims is at the direction of a doctor.

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 INTO THE BRIGHT OPEN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: All That Shines by Ellen Hagan

Contemporary, Poetry, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

All That Shines
Ellen Hagan
Bloomsbury
Published September 5, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About All That Shines

A contemplative novel in verse that questions what it means to lose everything you once treasured and rediscover yourself, falling in love along the way.

Chloe Brooks has only ever known what it’s like to have everything. Her parents’ wealth and place in society meant she had all she wanted, and friends everywhere she turned. Until it all crashes Her father is arrested in the middle of the night, under investigation for fraud.

Bankrupt and facing foreclosure, Chloe must forgo her lavish summer plans as she and her mom are forced to move into one of the rundown apartments they still own, just outside Lexington, Kentucky. Without her riches, Chloe loses her friends, her comfort, her confidence, and her sense of self, unsure of who she is and if she is even worth anything if she nothing to offer.

To Chloe’s surprise, she bonds with her neighbors, Clint, Skye, James, and Natalia, and they introduce her to the side of Kentucky she’s long ignored. Her new friends are the only ones who see her for who she truly is, but will they stay by her side once they discover her family’s true identity, or will Chloe lose them, too?

In her signature captivating verse, Ellen Hagan encapsulates the hesitant joy of reshaping your identity and rediscovering yourself.

My Review

This is the third novel in verse by Ellen Hagan that I’ve read, and I always enjoy the way she captures emotion with her writing. Both RECKLESS, GLORIOUS GIRL and ALL THAT SHINES are set in Kentucky and touch on state pride and love. It’s so rich and deep that it doesn’t surprise me at all that the author is from there herself.

I loved the relationships in the book between Chloe and the other kids at the Limestone Apartments. I loved the way they pulled her into their family and the way they reacted to information about Chloe’s past. Chloe’s relationship with her mom also really touched me. It was so sweet watching them both figure out how to connect to themselves, each other, and their possible new community in this new life they were living.

The only thing that I struggled with was how quickly Chloe believed her dad was guilty and how his guilt seemed a foregone conclusion. I wasn’t sure if that was because she knew things and had put pieces together. She seemed to describe herself as feeling close to him but also a little afraid of him, so I expected her to wrestle more with whether he was truly at fault.

I ended up assuming that that part of the story was summarized so that we could move on to the bigger, more central parts of the book: Chloe’s personal reformation.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I think DON’T CALL ME A HURRICANE is probably still my favorite of the books I’ve read by Ellen Hagan, but I liked a lot of things about this book, too. Readers who enjoy novels in verse or stories about resilience and community should add this one to their reading lists.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Chloe is from a white, wealthy family. Minor characters are BIPOC and LGBTQ+.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Mentions of suicidal thoughts.

Drug Content
Chloe and her friends get drunk on champagne at her dad’s business celebration.

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 ALL THAT SHINES in exchange for my honest review.