Category Archives: Young Adult/Teen 12-18

To Dance the Moon and Stars by Tasia M.S. and Barbara Perez Marquez

Review: To Dance the Moon and Stars by Tasia M. S. and Barbara Perez Marquez

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To Dance the Moon and Stars
Tasia M. S.
Barbara Perez Marquez
Joy Revolution
Published July 14, 2026

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About To Dance the Moon and Stars

In a kingdom where dance is forbidden, a future high priestess must bend the rules to stop an ancient evil from destroying everything and everyone she loves, including the crown prince, in this sweeping romantasy graphic novel.

Eighteen-year-old Myra has spent her entire life training to replace her grandmother as High Priestess. But with the day of her ascension rapidly approaching, she’s not sure if she’s meant for this path. How can she become the herald of the god Alrun when he forbids the thing she loves most: dancing?

Her kingdom can’t afford her hesitation though. Not only is the emperor looking for Alrun’s wisdom ahead of a peace treaty, but forces of darkness are seeping through the barrier between worlds. The only source of light Myra has is her childhood best friend, the crown prince. Without his support and…love, she may not be able to stop what’s coming.

To save her people, Myra must delve into her kingdom’s forgotten history, even if it means defying the laws of the land. But the key to salvation may just require her to make the biggest sacrifice of all.

My Review

The artwork in this graphic novel is nothing short of stunning. Bold, romantic colors fill the pages. The chemistry between Myra and Eyden is so clear in every image of them. I love the scenes showing Myra dancing and Eyden playing music. Every page is just absolutely gorgeous. The illustrations create a very immersive storytelling experience. I felt like I could almost hear and smell what was happening in each scene.

I wish that some of the plot elements had unfolded a little bit more slowly. At some points, I think the story would have benefited from an extra scene showing a transition or experience. Despite that, I still enjoyed every page.

Despite some of the quick transitions, the plot of the story is easy to follow and understand. The tension is well-portrayed. The cast size is perfect for the story. There are enough named side characters to make the story feel full and interesting, but not so many that it’s hard to keep track of them all.

I also really appreciated the Author’s Note from Tasia M. S. that explained what inspired her to create the book. I love that she has such a personal connection to the theme about dance being forbidden despite its importance to the culture.

All in all, this is a beautiful graphic novel. I think fantasy fans will want a copy of this on their shelves.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
The main character is training to become High Priestess serving the god of her kingdom. The visions he sends her seem to contrast what she’s been taught. The story shows ceremonies and prayers.

Violent Content
References to threats of war. Someone is poisoned. Dark shadows possess people, leading them to do things they don’t remember later.

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: Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai

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Deathly Fates
Tesia Tsai
Wednesday Books
Published April 12, 2026

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About Deathly Fates

“Rich and wholeheartedly poignant. Deathly Fates sings with profound spirit, exploring the consequences of war and the scars cut by nobility during trying times. An entrancing world that will certainly linger.” —Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

As a corpse-driving priestess, a holy servant paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses due to his declining health, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.

But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince’s head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying’s commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won’t stay alive for long―not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.

In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince’s death―secrets that could endanger both Siying’s father and their entire kingdom.

My Review

The idea of benevolent reanimation of the dead drew me to this book. Usually, that’s something pretty soundly reserved for the villains, or heroes slipping toward a villain arc. Here, it’s more of a compassionate relocation effort to allow burial rites to be performed in someone’s hometown. It’s a fascinating premise.

Some moments in a book beg to be acted out on screen. The moment that Ren, the dead soldier she’s been sent to recover, speaks to her, making a joke and sending her spinning into shock, has to be one of those. I loved that.

The relationship between Siying and Ren was a lot of fun. I loved seeing it unfold. His playfulness disarmed her and helped her unbend. Her seriousness made him work for things he might have otherwise considered out of his reach.

Siying is also dealing with a lot of grief over her parents. Her mom has died and left her to care for her dad, who is in fragile health, and her younger sister. That felt very raw and present throughout the story. At first, she’s desperate to bring Ren home because the money it will bring could save her father’s life. Eventually, she wants to save Ren for his own sake, in addition to using him as a vehicle to help her dad. I found the slow-burn romance between Siying and Ren really sweet.

Throughout the book, Siying encounters many different faces of grief. She meets a woman lost in despair and rage over the death of her infant daughter. She visits a healer banished after being wrongfully blamed for her mistress’s death. A whole village shares its grief over family members executed as traitors by an unjust ruler.

The echo of the weight and power of grief, both to cause further harm and to motivate people to protect one another, rings throughout the whole book. As Siying faces her own grief, she has to decide how she will respond.

Conclusion

All in all, I liked this book more even than I predicted I would. The characters are engaging, the fantasy landscape intriguing, and the pacing kept me hustling to read one more chapter until the end. I think fans of Lori M. Lee and Joan He will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Siying is a priestess of an order that uses spells and sacred objects to reanimate the dead and walk them to their homes, so the families can bury them and grieve. Evil spirits of the dead emerge when someone dies in dark circumstances. These spirits can drain the qi (life force) and harm or kill anyone they encounter. Siying must refill the prince’s qi by collecting and purifying the qi of these spirits.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to war and the deaths of soldiers. References to death by suicide and murder. Battles between Siying and powerful evil spirits bent on killing her.

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 Lovers, the Liars, and Me by DeAndra Davis

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The Lovers, the Liars, and Me
DeAndra Davis
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published June 23, 2026

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About The Lovers, the Liars, and Me

A teen travels to Jamaica hoping to answer questions about her absent mother, only to discover more about her identity than she could have ever expected—and find herself caught up in an unexpected love triangle—in this dazzling young adult coming-of-age novel.

Jaliya Powell has never had a real adventure, a real boyfriend, or spoken up for herself. She’s never even been kissed. Despite being valedictorian of her high school class, Jaliya is used to fading into the background.

But this summer will be different.

This summer, Jaliya is visiting her uncle and his family in Jamaica. Under the guise of one last vacation before college, she plans to find out more about her estranged mother, whose absence has remained an unspoken mystery. But things have changed in the seven years since Jaliya last visited. Her cousin has his own life and is reluctant to let Jaliya in, her childhood crush has only gotten hotter and more unavailable, and her aunt and uncle aren’t everything she remembered, either. Then she meets India, who’s vibrant, gorgeous, and free-spirited. And who makes Jaliya feel something she’s never felt before.

While searching for traces of her mother across the island, Jaliya finds herself entangled in complicated relationships, tricky secrets, and a passionate new love. As she navigates this perfectly complicated summer, Jaliya must choose between who she has always been or who she hopes to become.

My Review

I first read this author’s work in This is How We Roll, edited by Rosiee Thor, a collection of short stories with Dungeons and Dragons themes. It’s an incredible collection —my favorite anthology I’ve ever read. DeAndra Davis has a short story in the collection that I quite liked, so when I received a copy of this book, I knew I wanted to check it out.

The theme of searching for connection with estranged family members while also searching for self-identity is super relatable. Jaliya’s longing for connection with her mom and her desire to find validation in that relationship are palpable, especially in the book’s early chapters. I liked that she finds connections with peers, including reconnecting with her cousin in Jamaica, even though those relationships prove complicated.

The story also explores the difference in risks for queer girls versus queer boys in Jamaica, which I think is worth talking about. It makes Jaliya have to stop and think about the difference between the risks she faces, both as a girl and someone soon returning to the States, and those a boy who lives in Jamaica faces.

The romance is a lot of fun. I like that it kind of sneaks up on Jaliya. She has so much fun with India, who always seems to know how much to push her while still respecting her boundaries. She has to untangle her feelings for this bright, unpredictable girl with her feelings for the charming boy she’s known since childhood.

Toward the end of the book, Jaliya learns something unexpected that puts her whole quest into a new perspective. I loved that moment. It reframed so much of the story, but it also showed Jaliya’s growth in a beautiful way.

It’s a totally different story, set in a different country, but the yearning for connection with an absent parent reminded me a little of Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. I think readers who enjoyed that book will want to check out this one, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Jaliya pulls tarot cards each day to help her make decisions and stay connected to her mom, who once owned the deck. The story references the high number of churches in Jamaica and their impact on the culture. Jaliya attends a church service with her cousin, though she does not personally have any Christian beliefs.

Violent Content
Homophobic comments and discussion about how unsafe it can be for someone, especially a man, to come out as queer.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol in several scenes. The legal drinking age in Jamaica is 18, but Jaliya is still 17.

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: Corpse de Ballet by Megan Kearney

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Corpse de Ballet
Megan Kearney
First Second
Published July 7, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Corpse de Ballet

In her solo graphic novel debut, Megan Kearney weaves a fresh tale of dark academia and brutal competition. This psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Black Swan!

Arriving at Saint Anselmus in the middle of the year, Rosamund Hammond is ready to practice hard and prove she deserves to be there. But something at this boarding school doesn’t feel right.

It turns out that just before Rosamund enrolled, a student disappeared without telling anyone. Was it really a leave of absence—or something more sinister? Together with her new roommate, Rosamund spirals deeper and deeper into an obsession with the truth. As the school prepares for its showcase performance of Coppélia, can she commit to her hard-earned ballet dreams while solving the mystery that’s haunting her—or will she lose herself in the process?

My Review

As a former dancer, I love books that feature ballet. Graphic novels are especially fun because of the visual representation of dance. This one is no exception. I loved the way that the illustrations captured the movement of dance. The story emphasizes the difference between rote performance and transcendent embodiment of roles and movements. The panels capture that nicely.

I also enjoyed the psychological elements. For a long stretch of the story, I wasn’t sure what to believe. Is Rosamund imagining things? Which characters are trustworthy? Someone is hiding things, but who is it? As the intensity builds, I found myself reading faster, eager to reach the moment the truth is revealed.

Another wonderful surprise in this book is how much history it contains. While I was familiar with the ballet Coppélia, I didn’t know anything about the original tale it was adapted from or anything about the author of that story. That history and some information about famous performances of the story tied together really well with the story Kearney tells here.

Altogether, this is a clever, gorgeous story that will delight and haunt its readers. It’s not quite as intense as the movie The Black Swan, but if you like that kind of story, definitely check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Rosamund believes a ghost is communicating with her. References to a story about an alchemist seeking to animate an automaton.

Violent Content
Bullying and manipulation. Psychological tension. Brief reference to a ritual human sacrifice in a story.

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 Lustrous Dark by Loretta Chefchaouni

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

The Lustrous Dark
Loretta Chefchaouni
Peachtree Teen
Published May 19, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Lustrous Dark

For fans of Sabaa Tahir and Guillermo del Toro comes The Lustrous Dark, a sweeping YA fantasy inspired by a Moroccan folktale, in which a young midwife’s apprentice rises up to take back the power that’s been stolen from women.

Orphaned as a baby, Shay has spent her life training as the midwife’s apprentice. Her role grants her stability, yet Shay has always yearned for more. Namely, motherly affection and answers regarding her mysterious birth—neither of which the midwife deems practical to provide.

After Shay discovers her birth mother, Hind, is still alive and addicted to a magical drug called Snow, she determines to get the woman clean. But when Hind betrays Shay to get her hands on more Snow, Shay’s abandoned within a deadly forest and forced to rely on a band of monstrous ghouls for safety.

Shay’s realm has long stood on the brink of war between the men who control magic and the revolutionaries who want to eliminate it. But in the forest, Shay hears the pleading call of ancient spirits who claim that not only has magic been stolen, but she has the power to return it. With the help of a spitfire revolutionary and the boy who’s winning over her heart, Shay discovers the horrific truth of who produces Snow and will have to decide for herself whether to heed the spirits’ charge or fade into obscurity.

This emotionally raw and gorgeously rendered fairytale combines the lush worldbuilding of This Woven Kingdom with the mother trauma of Snow White and a dash of Tim Burton. Steeped in mysticism and mythology, The Lustrous Dark confronts injustices against women with a righteous scream that’ll inspire readers to rally against the patriarchy and oppressive regimes worldwide.

My Review

The author’s note at the beginning of the book shares how Chefchaouni came to write this story. She shares a bit about its personal connection to her life. I loved having that context as I went into the story. It definitely has the feel of a book that’s wrestling with deep things.

Shay herself wrestles with her feelings about her adoptive mom. She longs for a connection with her biological mother and has both fears and desires regarding her own hidden magical abilities. Those experiences felt incredibly real.

The portrayal of addiction is a little more stigmatized than I’ve seen lately, especially in young adult fiction. While the story explores some of the predatory behavior of groups in power and the role that Snow plays in that power structure, the story doesn’t delve very deeply into the illness of addiction. The most prominent character battling addiction is portrayed as both a victim of her addiction and an untrustworthy person. Both Shay’s behavior and this other character’s are realistic. I think the story would have benefited from additional context on addiction as an illness.

That aside, I thought the story and its themes of addiction as a means of subjugating a population made for a powerful vehicle for reimagining the Moroccan folktale. The fantasy landscape is filled with intricate details that all feel like they could have their own stories. The large cast of characters is handled well.

All in all, this evocative fantasy, exploring complex feelings about the pull of biological connections and the unique power of femininity, makes for a fascinating read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Vague reference to sex. Vague reference to sexual abuse.

Spiritual Content
The story contains some folklore tales about how the story’s monsters came to exist. Magic has been outlawed and stigmatized as a result of using a powerful drug called Snow. Some babies are born with magical abilities. A strong tea can suppress the ability. Midwives have a special spiritual affinity, since they spend so much time near the veil between life and death in the course of their work.

Violent Content
Several scenes show traumatic birth events. (Babies that must be revived after birth, a mother dying in childbirth.) Brief, graphic descriptions of execution by hanging. Brief, graphic descriptions of a group of monsters consuming someone’s remains. And brief, graphic descriptions of a soldier killing a woman. A vampire-like character attacks a woman and boasts of killing others.

Drug Content
A powerful drug called Snow is highly addictive. Shay tries to help an addicted woman who isn’t ready/able to give up her addiction.

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: Finish Lines by Sarah Broyles

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Finish Lines
Sarah Broyles
First Second
Published June 16, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Finish Lines

Miranda needs something to write about in her college application essays. But what?

Miranda has a plan: ace her junior year, get into an Ivy League school, and skip anything that doesn’t look good on a college application. But the pressure is getting to her, and now her parents have cut her off from every club, competition, and committee she’s a part of.

Desperate to get back on track, Miranda sets her sights on the Texas Water Safari—a 260-mile canoe race her mom was set to do with her granddad. With her mom sidelined by an injury, Miranda joins her grandfather. It’s grueling, messy, and scorching hot.

Can a perfectionist survive the wild long enough to find out who she is outside of a college checklist?

My Review

I love seeing sports books celebrating activities beyond the traditionally represented ones, so I was especially excited to stumble upon this book about competitive canoeing. To describe this simply as a sports book, though, doesn’t leave room for some of the other wonderful components that Broyles has stitched together here.

At first, Miranda sees the canoe race with her grandfather as a way to skirt her parents’ new rule requiring her to take it easy and reduce her commitments. The race will make a great college essay topic, she reasons. Plus, it’ll be amazing if she and her grandfather win the race this year.

As Miranda and her grandfather prep for the race, Miranda realizes that the trek will be more challenging than she predicted. She’s also stunned to learn that her grandfather doesn’t approach the race with any intention of winning. Finishing the race, he reasons, is the real victory.

This attitude and some of the rules on the river challenge Miranda’s desire to push herself beyond what’s reasonable (and sometimes safe). She has to decide how to balance the elements of the race, her relationships with her family, and her school work.

I thought the parallel stories of Miranda’s overcommitment and her mom’s addiction recovery and chronic illness were really nicely done. We don’t think of socially acceptable forms of addiction as problematic, but they can be just as harmful to ourselves and our relationships with others.

This book made me want to get out on the river and spend time in nature. It also made me appreciate intergenerational relationships, especially those within families.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril on the river.

Drug Content
Miranda’s parents are recovered addicts. The story peripherally follows her mom’s struggle with chronic pain as an addict in recovery and frames Miranda’s tendency to overcommit as a kind of addiction.

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.