Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: It Looks Like Us by Alison Ames

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It Looks Like Us by Alison Ames

It Looks Like Us
Alison Ames
Page Street Kids
Published September 13, 2022

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About It Looks Like Us

The remote terror of THE THING meets the body horror of WILDER GIRLS in this fast-paced Antarctic thriller.

Shy high school junior Riley Kowalski is spending her winter break on a research trip to Antarctica, sponsored by one of the world’s biggest tech companies. She joins five student volunteers, a company-approved chaperone, and an impartial scientist to prove that environmental plastic pollution has reached all the way to Antarctica, but what they find is something much worse… something that looks human.

Riley has anxiety–ostracized by the kids at school because of panic attacks–so when she starts to feel like something’s wrong with their expedition leader, Greta, she writes it off. But when Greta snaps and tries to kill Riley, she can’t chalk it up to an overactive imagination anymore. Worse, after watching Greta disintegrate, only to find another student with the same affliction, she realizes they haven’t been infected, they’ve been infiltrated–by something that can change its shape. And if the group isn’t careful, that something could quickly replace any of them.

My Review

Horror isn’t usually something I read very often– it tends to get into my head too much and then revisit me at night– but I tend to really enjoy books by PageStreet, so I decided to give IT LOOKS LIKE US a try.

And I was NOT disappointed!

From the very first, I needed to know what would happen to Riley. She’s smart and anxious and I found it so easy to identify with her. I loved the way she forged relationships with others on the team and even how confrontations with the monster who appeared as her team members affected her emotionally. Those scenes exploring how she felt hearing their voices and seeing their faces as part of something she knew was trying to kill her were some of the most gripping for me.

At less than 300 pages, IT LOOKS LIKE US is a pretty quick read. Scenes from after Riley escapes frame the story, and it begins with two people she refers to as Good Cop and Bad Cop interrogating her. As she answers their questions, she takes us back into the story of what happened. We watch things unfold knowing that grim things are to come. I felt like that format heightened the tension for me, and I loved it.

So… in the story, Riley and the team go to Antarctica on a research trip arranged by a mega wealthy billionaire who has rockets that go to space and a company that makes electric cars. Named Anton Rusk. Yep. Kind of made me laugh when the story introduced him.

On the whole, I devoured this book. I loved its energy. I also loved the way cleverness and desperation and some of the relationships between characters. Though horror will never be my preferred genre, I’m really glad I had a chance to read this one.

Content Notes

Content warnings for violence and body horror. Brief alcohol use and presence of drugs.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Riley has anxiety and panic attacks and is ace.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Two people undress and climb into a sleeping back together to ward off hypothermia. One reassures the other that he isn’t trying to have sex with her, he’s trying to help her survive.

Spiritual Content
Riley and her team encounter an otherworldly monster that can shapeshift and speak to them.

Violent Content
Some descriptions of violent death. The monster shapeshifts in very unsettling ways, sometimes melting from one shape to another. Sometimes its bones seem to crack and shift. Mouths open up in strange places.

Drug Content
In one scene, after a confrontation with the monster, Riley and her friends drink gin they’ve found. In another scene, Riley discovers weed among one of her team member’s things. The two people who interrogate Riley pump her full of some types of medications that prevent her from experiencing the pain and trauma of her injuries while they question her.

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 IT LOOKS LIKE US in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Shades of Rust and Ruin by A. G. Howard

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Shades of Rust and Ruin
A. G. Howard
Bloomsbury
Published September 6, 2022

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About Shades of Rust and Ruin

Embrace the mysterious. Invoke the magical. Enter the Mystiquiel…

Phoenix “Nix” Loring knows her family is under a Halloween curse. When she was three, her parents tragically died on October 31st. Eleven years later, her twin sister Lark suffered a similar fate.

Ever since, Nix has battled survivor guilt. She can’t even find comfort in Clarey, Lark’s boyfriend and the one person who understands her pain, because Nix’s hidden feelings for him go far beyond friendship. All that remains are her sketches, where she finds solace among the goblins and faeries in her imaginary world of Mystiquel. When her depression starts affecting her ability to see color, Nix all but gives up on her art, until her uncle goes missing on Halloween day. Hot on his trail, Nix and Clarey step through a portal, becoming trapped inside a decaying version of their town filled with Nix’s own sketches come to life.

As Nix and Clarey search for her uncle within the sinister and dangerous world of Mystiquel, Nix discovers there’s more to her family curse and otherworldly artwork than she ever imagined—and unless she can solve the Goblin King’s maze before the clock strikes midnight, her life won’t be the only one the curse claims next.

Set in a gritty, steampunk-inspired fantasy world, New York Times bestselling author A.G. Howard launches a thrilling new duology full of romance, twists, and betrayals.

My Review

SHADES OF RUST AND RUIN is the first book by A. G. Howard that I’ve ever read. I have ROSEBLOOD, and I really want to read it, but haven’t managed to yet. All that to say, I went into this book without really knowing what to expect other than the information in the cover copy.

I liked the writing a lot. It’s emotive and dark– more spooky than creepy. The story world was pretty immersive. I definitely found myself getting lost in Mystiquiel. SHADES OF RUST AND RUIN is a retelling of “The Goblin Market” by Christina Rosetti, and I loved the references to the poem and the way the goblin market lore was used in the book.

If you know me at all, you know I absolutely adore sister books. The cover copy kind of undersells this part of the book because it makes it sound like Nix’s guilt and grief are spread over all her losses. But Lark wasn’t just Nix’s sister, she was her twin. Nix was the one who found her after she’d died. That’s the loss that has destroyed her. She spends a lot of the book still struggling to orient herself after her sister’s loss. I thought that was one of the most powerful parts of the story.

From what it says in the cover copy, I thought there would be more of a blossoming romance between Nix and Clarey. There’s a bit of a story there, but I thought it was a lot more understated than the cover copy led me to believe it would be. The last chapter of the book makes it seem like the second book in the duology is going to involve the romance a lot more, though.

I think readers who enjoyed DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor or SEA WITCH by Sarah Henning will enjoy this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Characters are white. Nix and her sister are said to be part albino. Clarey has panic attacks and trouble with spaces with a lot of people. His dog has a mechanical leg.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kiss between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
The story contains goblin and fairy-like creatures who have some magic abilities. In their world, Nix has some magic herself.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief battle violence. Descriptions of Lark’s death.

Drug Content
The story references fruit from the goblin market and its affect on humans. It’s supposed to be very addicting. In the story of “The Goblin Market” one sister nearly dies after consuming fruit from the market because she can’t stop craving it.

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 SHADES OF RUST AND RUIN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World by Samara Shanker

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Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World
Samara Shanker
Atheneum
Published September 6, 2022

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About Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World

A magical Bat Mitzvah gift gets out of control and thrusts a girl into a supernatural quest with the fate of the world at stake in this spooky middle grade adventure that’s perfect for fans of Aru Shah.

Naomi Teitelbaum is so ready for her Bat Mitzvah. Her prayers are memorized and she’s definitely got a handle on her Torah portion (well, almost). Then she gets a mysterious gift: a tiny clay Golem. To Naomi’s shock, it comes to life—and obeys her every command.

At first, this small magical helper seems like the best Bat Mitzvah gift ever. But with each command, the Golem grows…and gets harder to hide. And creepy, unnatural creatures like dybbuks, demons, and a congregation of ghosts have started following Naomi around. To keep herself out of trouble and the Golem out of harm’s way, Naomi gives the Golem well-intended instructions: save the world.

Unfortunately, this leaves more room for interpretation than Naomi thought. Before long, the Golem is wreaking havoc all over Los Angeles, and only Naomi and her friends can stop it.

My Review

I had a lot of fun reading NAOMI TEITELBAUM ENDS THE WORLD. I loved Naomi and her friends Becca and Eitan. It’s clear from the way they talk to each other that they have a lot of history and close bonds with one another. They would banter back and forth or give each other a hard time sometimes, but it always came from a place of knowing and loving each other.

Another element of the story that I liked was Golem character. There was something sort of sinister about the way he grew larger with every task he completed. The fact that using the Golem opened up a spirit world around Naomi and her friends also added some spookiness to the story. I liked that some of those encounters were spooky and others ended up being helpful.

All in all, I think readers looking for a wild, world-saving adventure will really enjoy this one. It’s a perfect read for the spooky season. I think fans of THE DARKDEEP by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs will love this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are Jewish. Naomi has two moms.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to Jewish celebrations and religious ceremonies. Naomi and her friends are studying for their Bat Mitzvah or Bar Mitzvah ceremonies. Naomi asks her rabbi questions about her reading from the Torah. A rabbi tells her stories from Jewish folklore. Naomi’s Golem comes to life, just like the Golems in Jewish folklore. After that happens, Naomi begins to see other spirits and demons.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some of the spirits Naomi and her friends encounter try to capture them.

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 NAOMI TEITELBAUM ENDS THE WORLD in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Three Kisses, One Midnight by Roshani Chokshi, Sandhya Menon, and Evelyn Skye

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Three Kisses, One Midnight
Roshani Chokshi, Sandhya Menon, and Evelyn Skye
Wednesday Books
Published August 30, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Three Kisses, One Midnight

New York Times bestselling authors Roshani Chokshi, Evelyn Skye, and Sandhya Menon craft a spellbinding novel about discovering the magic of true love on one fateful, magical night in THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT.

The town of Moon Ridge was founded 400 years ago and everyone born and raised there knows the legend of the young woman who perished at the stroke of twelve that very same night, losing the life she was set to embark on with her dearest love. Every century since, one day a year, the Lady of Moon Ridge descends from the stars to walk among the townsfolk, conjuring an aura upon those willing to follow their hearts’ desires.

“To summon joy and love in another’s soul
For a connection that makes two people whole
For laughter and a smile that one can never miss
Sealed before midnight with a truehearted kiss.”

This year at Moon Ridge High, a group of friends known as The Coven will weave art, science, and magic during a masquerade ball unlike any other. Onny, True, and Ash believe everything is in alignment to bring them the affection, acceptance, and healing that can only come from romance—with a little help from Onny’s grandmother’s love potion.

But nothing is as simple as it first seems. And as midnight approaches, The Coven learn that it will take more than a spell to recognize those who offer their love and to embrace all the magic that follows.

My Review

I read a pre-release version of THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT. I loved the stories and the ways they connected together. The formatting was a little strange, but I feel like that’s something I’m hesitant to assume is the way the published version of the book will be.

The story gives us the point of view of Onny, Ash, and True, but each in turn. So the first third of the book is Onny’s story. Then Ash’s. Then True’s. I recently read another book written that way, and I really enjoyed it, so it was fun to read another book written with the point of view split up that way.

I wish each section had individual chapters, though. Each point of view section is probably close to 100 pages. In the ARC, each point-of-view uses scene breaks (little stars across one line), but each section reads as one long chapter. That wasn’t my favorite. It feels weird to me to stop reading at a scene break instead of a chapter break. I don’t know if the final version reads that way. The sample section available on Amazon shows some scene breaks but not any chapter breaks.

Anyhow. One of the big reasons I wanted to read this book is because I’ve read other books by Roshani Chokshi (pretty much an auto-buy author for me at this point) and Sandhya Menon, whose books have been so much fun! I’m not totally caught up on her backlist, but I’m sure I will at some point. The only one of the trio that I hadn’t read before is Evelyn Skye, and I’ve got a couple of her books on my To Be Read list. So I was excited about getting to read something by her, too.

THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT delivered all the things I hoped for from the authors. It’s fun and romantic, but I felt like the characters were deep, too. I loved all three stories. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes, so I especially loved seeing that one in there.

I thought the party and the town’s lore about love were really great elements, too. All in all, I probably enjoyed this book more even than I expected to, and I expected it to be a fun read.

I think fans of Sandhya Menon’s other books or books by Kasie West will love the sweet tales of romance in THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Onny is Filipino American. Ash is Asian American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two men.

Spiritual Content
Onny believes in magic. She makes a love potion from a recipe her grandmother gave her. In one scene, a group of teens use a Ouija board. Some characters experience encounters with a ghost or spirit.

Violent Content
Boys steal a mannequin that True was supposed to guard. She confronts them, and the situation escalates to a physical confrontation.

Drug Content
Some jokes about the party’s punch being eventually spiked.

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 THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson

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Ravenfall
Kalyn Josephson
Delacorte Press
Published September 6, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Ravenfall

One magical inn, two kids with supernatural powers, and an ancient Celtic creature trying to destroy their world by Halloween night…

Halloweentown meets Supernatural in this spooky middle-grade series from the acclaimed author of the Storm Crow duology!

Thirteen-year-old Annabella Ballinkay has never been normal, even by her psychic family’s standards. Every generation uses their abilities to help run the Ravenfall Inn, a sprawling, magical B&B at the crossroads of the human world and the Otherworld. But it’s hard to contribute when your only power is foreseeing death.

So when fourteen-year-old Colin Pierce arrives at Ravenfall searching for his missing older brother and the supernatural creature who killed their parents, Anna jumps at the chance to help. But the mysteries tied to Colin go much deeper than either of them expects. . . .

As the two team up to find answers, they unearth Colin’s family’s secret past and discover that Colin has powers beyond his imagination. And now the supernatural creature, one with eerie origins in Celtic mythology, is coming after him. If Anna and Colin can’t stop the creature by Halloween night, the veil to the Otherworld could be ripped open—which would spell destruction for their world as they know it.

My Review

I loved this book! A while back I read another book about a magical inn on the edge of other magical worlds, and, I mean, it was okay? I liked it fine, I guess. I wanted something more from the book, though, and I don’t think I even realized what I’d been looking for until I read RAVENFALL.

Right from the beginning, I loved the quirky house and the cat-who-isn’t-a-cat. I loved the way Anna and her sisters each have a specific kind of magic and the way their gifts fit together. Colin’s mysterious past hooked me right away. His parents’ deaths. His missing brother. He had so much going on, and I felt like that well kept getting deeper and deeper in all the best ways!

I read this whole book within 24 hours, and I already feel like I want to read it again. I’m still thinking about the characters and some of the big moments in the story.

I went ahead and ordered copies of Kalyn Josephson’s YA duology, because after this one, I feel like I’m going to need more of her storytelling. I’m excited to read them.

So technically this is a middle grade book, as Anna and Colin, the point-of-view characters, are thirteen and fourteen. I think the writing was a bit more of a YA style, but the story fit the middle grade age group. I would put solidly in the in-between, for sixth to ninth grade readers.

Readers who love stories about reimagined fairytales will definitely love this one. Readers who enjoyed CINDER by Marissa Meyer or VASILISA by Julie Mathison should check this one out for sure.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Major characters are white. There are two LGBTQIA side characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Lots of characters have the ability to perform magic of a specific kind. Samhain is approaching, so Anna and her family expect to encounter more ghosts and spirits.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief descriptions of murder. Battle scenes.

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 Ravenfall in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Trex by Christyne Morrell

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

Trex
Christyne Morrell
Delacorte Press
Published August 30, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Trex

This middle grade mystery follows the adventures of a boy with an experimental brain implant, and a reclusive girl training to be a spy, as they’re pitted against school bullies, their own parents, and an evil, brain-hacking corporation. Perfect for fans of STRANGER THINGS.

Trex’s experimental brain implant saved his life–but it also made his life a lot harder. Now he shocks everything he touches. When his overprotective mother finally agrees to send him to a real school for sixth grade, Trex is determined to fit in.

He wasn’t counting on Mellie the Mouse. She lives in the creepiest house in Hopewell Hill, where she spends her time scowling, lurking, ignoring bullies, and training to be a spy. Mellie is convinced she saw lightning shoot from Trex’s fingertips, and she is Very Suspicious.

And she should be . . . but not of Trex. Someone mysterious is lurking in the shadows . . . someone who knows a dangerous secret.

My Review

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I loved both Mellie and Trex (though I kept stumbling over his name and calling him T. Rex). It was easy to get drawn into the small town of Hopewell with its Mom Squad and the statue of the Unnamed Girl.

Mellie’s shyness and loneliness both resonated with me, too. I love that the story is partly her journey toward better understanding herself and her own needs. The friendship between her and Trex is so sweet, too. I loved the way they both needed each other for different reasons. And the way that pursuing a mystery brought them together.

Another thing that will stick with me is the note from the author about her own experience with anxiety and being an introvert. I love that she shared something so personal and the way her own life intersects (and differs from) Mellie’s experiences. The note was really gentle and encouraging. I know that for me at the age Mellie is in the story, being an introvert wasn’t something that was really celebrated, especially at school. So I love that there’s some focus and encouragement for introverted readers.

I think readers who enjoy books like FLORA & ULYSSES by Kate DiCamillo or HONESTLY ELLIOT by Gillian McDunn will enjoy TREX.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Mellie has anxiety.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Adults drug a child. In one scene, a man throws a child into a pit, intending serious injury.

Drug Content
Adults drug a child with a sedative.

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 TREX in exchange for my honest review.