Category Archives: By Genre

Review: Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Horror, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Hazelthorn by C. G. Drews

Hazelthorn
C.G. Drews
Feiwel & Friends
Published October 28, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Hazelthorn

CG Drews, acclaimed author of Don’t Let the Forest In, returns with another deeply unsettling and yet hauntingly beautiful tale of murder and botanical body horror, perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White and We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

Evander has lived like a ghost in the forgotten corners of the Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in by his reclusive billionaire guardian, Byron Lennox-Hall, when he was a child. For his safety, Evander has been given three ironclad rules to follow:

He can never leave the estate. He can never go into the gardens. And most importantly, he can never again be left alone with Byron’s charming, underachieving grandson, Laurie.

That last rule has been in place ever since Laurie tried to kill Evander seven years ago, and yet somehow Evander is still obsessed with him.

When Byron suddenly dies, Evander inherits Hazelthorn’s immense gothic mansion and acres of sprawling grounds, along with the entirety of the Lennox-Hall family’s vast wealth. But Evander’s sure his guardian was murdered, and Laurie may be the only one who can help him find the killer before they come for Evander next.

Perhaps even more concerning is how the overgrown garden is refusing to stay behind its walls, slipping its vines and spores deeper into the house with each passing day. As the family’s dark secrets unravel alongside the growing horror of their terribly alive, bloodthirsty garden, Evander needs to find out what he’s really inheriting before the garden demands to be fed once more.

My Review

If you wanted to read The Secret Garden as a horror novel, you need this book. It’s intense from the early pages. Events unfold so quickly and with so much suspense that there’s hardly a moment to catch your breath.

If you’ve read C.G. Drews work before, the loveable, tortured characters won’t surprise you at all. Evander is so eager to please and so desperate to see the good in others, even if he can’t imagine any good in himself. He believes some truly toxic things as the start of the story. As the plot unfolds, he begins unpacking some of those ideas and discarding the uglier ones.

From the beginning, he’s obsessed with Laurie, the boy who apparently tried to kill him years before the story begins. I was a little hedgy about the obsessive feelings because I struggle to get into a story where the enemies fall for one another too easily because *plot*.

However, by now I should know that I can trust the author to reveal reasons the obsession makes sense, and eventually, Evander’s feelings do make sense.

While this isn’t exactly a Halloween story, it’s got all the goopy, gory, darkness the genre promises, and Drews’ signature tortured, yearning romance. Reading this book was such a wild ride. Sometimes I wanted to look away, but more often, I wanted to know what happened. I’m already looking forward to what the author publishes next.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. In one scene, the kissing leads to some violence.

Spiritual Content
Sentient or paranormally responsive plants.

Violent Content
Body horror, blood and gore. Some scenes show child abuse (locking a child in their room for extended time periods, physically harming them, forcing them to take medication), and disordered eating. One character feels intense shame about the way their mind works, which seems to result, at least in part, from ableist caretakers. Some scenes show a character eating or wanting to eat strange things.

Drug Content
Evander’s guardians force him to take a sedative, telling him it will help with his “episodes”.

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.

MMGM Review: Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign by Sara F. Schacter

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , ,

Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign
Sara F. Schacter
Fitzroy Books
Published October 14, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign

After years of moving, Georgia’ s family is staying put. What’ s the best part of her new forever home? Fellow science fan Izzy!

Georgia feels lucky to be starting sixth grade with her first true friend. But when Georgia’ s science project accidentally reveals a secret— one Izzy trusted her to keep— their friendship unravels. Even worse, Georgia’ s archenemy swoops in to steal Izzy away, leaving Georgia cut off and lonely. How can Georgia fix her mess?

She’s surprised to find the answer in a science genetically, all human beings are more than 99 percent the same. Really? Georgia can’ t believe she and the friend-stealer are even 1 percent the same! But as Georgia fights to win Izzy back, she discovers that enemies can struggle with loneliness too— and Georgia is stunned to discover why. It will take a 99 percent campaign to make things right.

My Review

The sticky note campaign in this book reminded me of a nonfiction title I read years ago called I Wish My Teacher Knew by Kyle Schwartz. The campaign in that book wasn’t the same, but the use of sticky notes is similar.

At its heart, this book is about a girl who’s struggling to find her place among her peers. She feels like she only has one friend, and thinks the relationship is threatened when someone else wants to be friends with her bestie. That problem feels pretty real for the age group.

In the story, Georgia also thinks about herself as a scientist, and thinks of that as being really different than both her parents. Her dad is an actor, and her mom is a baker. I like that the story kind of spun that idea around to show how important creativity is to the field of science. It helped Georgia see herself as a creative person, even though her creativity looks different than her parents’.

I also really liked the 99 Percent Campaign. When Georgia learns that humans have more than 99% of their genes in common, it changes how she thinks about her classmates. She begins identifying ways they’re similar rather than focusing on their differences.

I love that lesson, and it certainly resonates as an important reminder for today.

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy books by Gillian McDunn or Kate Messner. It would make a great class read-aloud or book to read with a small group. The group could then recreate the 99 Percent Campaign from the story and note the effects.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to a crush.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Brief references to adults saying cruel, critical things to their kids. Georgia uses a photo editor to make an unflattering picture of her classmate. A group of boys picks on another boy.

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.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

Review: You’ve Found Oliver by Dustin Thao

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

You’ve Found Oliver
Dustin Thao
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Published September 30, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About You’ve Found Oliver

A new story, a new love, an impossible divide. The much-awaited companion to the New York Times bestselling You’ve Reached Sam will break your heart open.

I’ve missed you every day since you left. But I’m sure you already knew that. It’s time to let you go now. I’ll miss you all the time, Sam.

It’s been a year since his best friend, Sam, died. Even though Oliver knows he won’t get a response, he can’t stop texting Sam’s number, especially as the anniversary of his death approaches.

Then one day he accidentally hits the call button, and someone picks up.

The voice on the other end isn’t Sam—Sam’s number was reassigned and a stranger has been reading Oliver’s private and vulnerable messages for months. But Ben, an astronomy student in Seattle, won’t remain a stranger for long.

When they finally meet in person, their spark is undeniable. Everything seems perfect until Oliver discovers something strange that could keep them from being together.

My Review

I love that this story connects to You’ve Reached Sam, but is an entirely new tale, too. The story opens with a montage of scenes showing Oliver’s memories of Sam leading up to his death. He messages Sam’s number, and accidentally dials. When Ben answers, Oliver is shocked.

Right away, the two connect, their conversations easy and heartfelt. By contrast, Oliver struggles to connect with other people in his life. Their relationship is sweet from start to finish. They celebrate one another’s victories and long to see each other, even when they discover something odd happening when they do see each other.

I like that the story also gives readers a window into Julie’s life a year after Sam’s death. She’s dated a few people, but nothing serious. She seems stable, but not unaffected by her loss. There were a couple of moments where I thought she might open up to Oliver about her experience calling Sam’s phone, but it didn’t happen. She does seem to put together that the strange events Oliver experiences are connected to Sam in some way.

The story also explores some philosophical ideas about time and space, which works well with some of the components of the plot. I like some of the connections the author made there.

All in all, this is a sweet story about finding a new, unexpected love after a deep loss. It explores some questions about how much one should give up for love and how loving someone carries risks.

I definitely think fans of You’ve Reached Sam will enjoy this companion novel for its glimpse back into the people Sam left behind.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Two instances of profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Brief, vague references to an ex having cheated on someone.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Brief, vague references to a car accident death.

Drug Content
Adults drink alcohol at a fancy dinner party.

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: Grave Flowers by Autumn Krause

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

Grave Flowers
Autumn Krause
Peachtree Teen
Published September 2, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Grave Flowers

A twisty, dark royalcore fantasy that takes the courtly intrigue of Hamlet and infuses it with the vicious ambition of the Boleyn family. For readers who love Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas.

“A sumptuously dark tale of revenge and atonement that beautifully explores the ties both duty and family use to claim us. From the first page to the last, I was dazzled.” —Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child

Marry the prince, then kill him.

Princess Madalina and her twin sister, Inessa, were born attached at the hand and separated right after. That’s the only time the sisters ever held hands. The girls’ personalities have been shaped in the Sinet family’s drive to make their kingdom more than what it is: unrespectable and loathsome, a damp place where deceit fills the palace walls like mold.

Madalina is different from her family. She’s considered the weak one and only finds peace in the garden, tending her magical flowers, which are pejoratively called grave flowers because they are ideal for torture and torment. Secretly, she dreams of escape and a new life.

Then Inessa, who was betrothed to the heir of a wealthy kingdom—Prince Aeric—gets trapped in Bide, a terrifying purgatory, and begs Madalina to set her free. Now, not only must Madalina take her sister’s place as Aeric’s bride-to-be, but she also must finish Inessa’s secret mission: Inessa wasn’t just sent to marry Prince Aeric, but to kill him, too, and solidify a profitable pact with his traitorous uncle.

On behalf of her family, Madalina will need to resist the infuriatingly clever prince—as well as her own heart—if she’s to free her sister and finish the job.

My Review

Dangerous plants star in this twisting tale of love and political intrigue. At first, it seems the flowers are simply a quirk of the fantasy world, and Princess Madalina’s passion project. As the story progresses, we learn more about the king’s experiment with them. It takes time for the connection between those experiments and the challenges Madalina faces to become apparent.

I liked the tenuous connection between Madalina and Aeric. They bond over their neglectful childhoods and the loss of parents they were closest to. They both hide big secrets.

I do wish there had been more explanation of Aeric’s behavior, though. Sometimes he would say wildly romantic things about wanting to protect Madalina forever and kissing no one else but her, as his betrothed. But then he would be aloof and remote at other times. I get that in those moments he withdrew on purpose. I think I just wanted a little more connecting of those two disparate parts of his personality, especially at the end.

Madalina and Inessa were born conjoined twins, separated at birth. The fact that they were conjoined is hidden from everyone but their parents. They each bear a scar on their hands from their separation. The scar connects them in strange ways, so the plot depends on conjoined twin magic in some places.

On the whole, the story world is dark and imaginative. I think that will appeal to a lot of readers looking for dark fantasy right now. The romance is tender and stays pretty PG, which makes this accessible to a broad audience.

Readers who enjoyed House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig or A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson will want to check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. References to human trafficking.

Spiritual Content
Grave flowers have supernatural abilities. Drinking the nectar of one flower reveals someone’s secrets. Another flower’s roots can devour a human. Madaline sees spirits or ghosts of people who have died. The people generally worship the Primeval Family, a group of powerful deities, who sit in judgment over humanity in the afterlife. One can sidestep facing judgment by being sent to Bide, a purgatory-like place.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Several descriptions of murder. After her death, Inessa visits Madaline, but her body undergoes strange changes, such as decay and a hunger for unusual things, including an insect. Between the chapters of the story, records of experiments with the grave flowers show violent deaths, some at the hands of the plants themselves. References to child abuse and execution. Brief body horror.

Drug Content
Characters drink wine at social events. The prince tricks Madalina into drinking more wine than she intended, so she lowers her guard in conversation with him. The prince is apparently drunk in several scenes.

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 Leaving Room by Amber McBride

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

The Leaving Room
Amber McBride
Feiwel & Friends
Published October 14, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Leaving Room

Gospel is the Keeper of the Leaving Room—a place all young people must phase through when they die. The young are never ready to leave; they need a moment to remember and a Keeper to help their wispy souls along.

Gospel assumes that there are countless other Leaving Rooms because many children pass, but she suspects they are not like her Leaving Room which is small (like a walk in closet)with shelves full of tiny jars that hold the memories of those who have gone.

When a random door opens and a Keeper named Melody arrives, their souls become entangled. Gospel seriousness melts and Melody’s fear of connection fades, but still—are Keepers allowed to fall in love? Now they must find a way out of the Leaving Room and be unafraid of their love. They must claw their way back to their bodies because there is so much more life to explore—together.

My Review

I think it’s really cool that this story was inspired by a real experience that her dad had. It’s hard to say more without spoiling the plot, but I liked that she pulled something from her family history for the story. The author’s real family recipes also appear throughout the book as the main character makes desserts and drinks for the people who come to her Leaving Room.

Like some of Amber McBride’s other work, this story explores the space between life and death, and the power of human connections. It looks at how we cherish memories and one another.

In some ways, I think this was the most straightforward storytelling that I’ve ever read in a book from this author. I liked the story a lot, and I didn’t mind the straightforward feel to it.

I felt like I knew Gospel right away. The story is broken into short scenes written in verse. We meet several people who come through Gospel’s room. Eventually Gospel discovers the connection between the stories and realizes she must make a critical choice. The whole story takes place over the course of four minutes. It’s a quick read that had me putting pieces together along the way and finally reveals itself at the very end.

If you’ve read Amber McBride’s books before, I feel like you’ll already know what to expect from this one. If you like ethereal novels in verse that explore spiritual spaces, put this one on your reading list!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Gospel and Melodee are Keepers of spaces called Leaving Rooms, a space between life and death. There, they help souls prepare for what comes next.

Violent Content
References to an accident. Brief, vague references to homophobic behavior.

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 House on Rondo by Debra J. Stone

Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

The House on Rondo
Debra J. Stone
University of Minnesota Press
Published October 7, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The House on Rondo

A young girl reckons with the demolition of a Black Saint Paul neighborhood to make way for the Interstate in the early 1960s

When thirteen-year-old Zenobia has to leave her friends and spend the summer at Grandma’s while Mama recovers from a stroke, life seems so unfair. But then the eviction letters start arriving throughout her grandparents’ neighborhood, and white men chalk arrows to mark the gas and water lines, and a new world of unfairness unfolds before her. It’s 1963, and Zenobia’s grandparents’ house on Rondo Avenue in Saint Paul—like all the homes in this thriving Black community—is targeted for demolition to make way for the new Interstate Highway 94.

As Zenobia gradually learns about what’s planned for the Rondo neighborhood and what this means for everyone who lives there, she discovers how her story is intertwined with the history of her family, all the way back to Great Grandma Zenobia and the secrets Grandma Essie held close about the reason for her light skin. With the destruction of the neighborhood looming, Zenobia takes a stand on behalf of her community, joining her no-nonsense neighbor, onetime cowgirl Mrs. Ruby Pearl, in a protest and ultimately getting arrested. Though Zenobia is grounded for a month, her punishment seems of little consequence in comparison to what is happening all around her. Even though the demolition continues, she is proud to discover the power and connection in protesting injustice.

The House on Rondo captures the heartbreak, resistance, and resilience that marks a community sacrificed in the name of progress—a “progress” that never seems to favor Black families and neighborhoods and that haunts cities like Saint Paul to this day. As Zenobia learns what can be destroyed and what cannot, her story teaches us that joy, community, and love persist, even amid violence and loss.

My Review

This is part novel and part historical account of the destruction of a Black neighborhood in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1963. The characters are fictional, but the home where Zenobia lives was a real place with the history mentioned in the book. The book includes photographs of the places mentioned or of similar events and people.

The narrative begins and ends with Zenobia’s perspective. As the story introduces new characters, a short chapter shows readers pertinent scenes from that person’s history or present. For example, after Zenobia’s dad drives the children to their grandmother’s house, he thinks back on his wife’s recent stroke.

Zenobia is a curious, intelligent girl who’s old enough to have questions about what’s happening to the neighborhood. She visits neighbors and talks to her friends. This creates a picture of the neighborhood as a whole unit. It shows how the individual families can relocate, but the community is lost. It also shows how hard people worked for their homes and how poorly the government treated them.

The historical information throughout the book really sets this one apart. It anchors the story in a particular time and paints a vivid picture. Lots of young readers won’t know about the events described in the book. The compelling characters keep the story engaging, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. (Between adults)

Spiritual Content
Zenobia encounters a spirit of a boy who died in her grandmother’s house long ago.

Violent Content
Two people participate in a sit-in protest and are arrested by police. A child finds a woman who has passed away from a medical issue.

Drug Content
One character’s mom is an alcoholic.

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.