Category Archives: Paranormal

Review: A Traitorous Heart by Erin Cotter

Book Review and Content, Historical, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,
A Traitorous Heart by Erin Cotter

A Traitorous Heart
Erin Cotter
Simon & Schuster
Published January 7, 2025

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About A Traitorous Heart

A noblewoman in the scandalous French court finds herself under the dangerous and watchful eye of the Parisian royalty when she falls in love with the handsome king who is betrothed to her former lover in this bisexual The Three Musketeers by way of Bridgerton and F.T. Lukens.

Paris, 1572. Seventeen-year-old Jacqueline “Jac” d’Argenson-Aunis is lady-in-waiting to her best friend and former lover, the French Princess Marguerite “Margot” de Valois, but she dreams of more. If Jac plays her cards right, one day, she’ll become a full member of the Societas Solis, a secret society of spies—just like her uncle and guardian, Viscount Gabriel d’Argenson-Aunis.

But it’s hard to think about her own ambitions while France is on the brink of war, and the only thing that might save the country is an alliance—a marriage between the Catholic Princess Margot and Henry, the awful son of the Huguenot queen. Who would be the perfect person to play matchmaker? Jac, of course.

Jac resents lying to her best friend almost as much as she resents the brazen and arrogant King Henry, but it’s her one chance to prove to the Societas Solis that she belongs among their ranks before her uncle can marry her off or worse. The more time Jac spends in the French Court’s clandestine corners, though, the more she starts to wonder if Henry is…not as terrible as she once believed. And the Societas Solis may not be what they seem.

Politics. Spies. Chaos in the French court. Perhaps even witchcraft? Everything’s more dangerous when love is involved.

My Review

I enjoyed this book, but it took me longer to read than I expected. I liked the main characters for the most part. Truthfully, I wanted to like Margot more than I did. I felt like the plot kind of easily dismissed her as selfish and frivolous, though there was obviously more to her. Her goal was to open a school where women and people of any class could be educated. So she obviously had a lot of depth.

I appreciated the development of the romance between Jac and Henry. At first, they don’t like each other at all, but as they’re forced to work together on a common goal, they each surprise the other, and gradually, they grow to like one another. I appreciated that the relationship developed more slowly, giving us time to savor it as it developed.

Jac’s complex relationship with her oncle also added some layers to her character and backstory. Sometimes she interpreted his behavior to mean pretty dramatic things, but I felt like that fit her character and her age. I appreciated that the story included some changes in their relationship and how they saw one another and understood what the other needed from them, if that makes sense.

All in all, I enjoyed this one, and I can see how the marketing comparisons to Bridgerton and F. T. Lukens fit. If those ideas appeal to you, I think you’d enjoy ]A Traitorous Heart.

Content Notes for A Traitorous Heart

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
I don’t think there was much in the book in terms of profanity. Maybe some mild profanity infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing and references to sex.

Spiritual Content
Reference to religious differences between the Catholics and Huguenots (Protestants). References to spells, potions, and occult practices. Jac investigates a graverobbing group, looking for evidence of occult activity, possibly reanimating the dead.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. An assassin comes after Jac and her allies. After she ties him up, Jac tosses one would-be assassin over a wall into a moat. A fire consumes a building with a child inside. Jac attempts to save him and his cats. References to a prisoner potentially being tortured. (Not shown on scene.)

Drug Content
References to drinking alcohol at social gatherings. The King of France is consistently embarrassingly drunk at the events.

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 Vanquishers: Rise of the Wrecking Crew by Kalynn Bayron

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

The Vanquishers: Rise of the Wrecking Crew (Vanquishers #3)
Kalynn Bayron
Bloomsbury USA
Published October 8, 2024

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About The Vanquishers: Rise of the Wrecking Crew

In the heart-stopping conclusion to the Vanquishers series by New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron, it is time for the final stand against the undead.

San Antonio is on lockdown, taken over by the new hive. No one can deny that the undead are back now, but the Vanquishers found out the hard way: when they learned that an old friend is behind the latest string of attacks.

As the Squad hide out at an abandoned combat training facility, honing their vampire-butt-kicking skills, they begin to suspect that they’re not alone. And when a vial of Dracula’s blood–able to give unrivaled power to the vampire that consumes it–is stolen from the bunker, the Vanquishers race to recover it before it falls into the wrong hands.

The Vanquishers have always been Boog’s family, the ones she trusts the most. But what does it mean when a former Vanquisher, one of her heroes, is now hunting the enemy?

My Review

I got ridiculously behind on my reading this past fall. This book is the third and final installment of a series that’s been a lot of fun to read by an author who has such incredible range. We’ve seen Kalynn Bayron write compelling middle grade fantasy, a powerful historical fiction reimagining of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, and a young adult thriller that was a wild ride, and, of course, the unforgettable young adult fantasy she’s widely known for. And she rocks all of it! Amazing.

The Vanquishers series is a lot of fun. It’s got a supernatural vibe with a cast of great characters in a tight-knit community. I love the community element, and it’s really well-balanced. The adults don’t outshine the kids by being present, but they are present. There are lots of different kinds of families and generations represented. The adults have their own backstory and their own drama happening, but the kids take centerstage and deliver the big moments of the story.

This one is also a great length at just over 200 pages. The back cover copy indicates it’s the finale of the series, but the story contains an epilogue that hints at a new story. Maybe there’s a spin-off coming?? Honestly, I hope that even if this series is really and truly over, we get more paranormal middle grade books from Kalynn Bayron.

The Vanquishers: Rise of the Wrecking Crew is set in the real world (plus vampires), but I could still see it appealing to readers who enjoyed Witchlings by Claribel Ortega.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Boog and several other characters are Black. One character is nonbinary. One has two dads.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Vampires exist in this story world. Some characters are part of an elite group trained to kill vampires with silver, etc.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Several vampires are vanquished in the course of the story. They turn to dust afterward.

Drug Content
A vial of Dracula’s blood can bestow powerful abilities to a vampire who consumes it.

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 Blessing by Lyla Stone

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, New Adult 18up, Paranormal, Romance, , , , , , ,

The Blessing
Lyla Stone
And She Was Publishing
Published May 24, 2024

Amazon | Goodreads

About The Blessing

It’s a fine line between a blessing and a curse.

When ancient Water Spirits seek revenge against the Forest Witch who imprisoned them thousands of years earlier for the crime of blessing one ancestral line while cursing another, they each enlist modern-day descendants as their champions in a fight to the death.

Margot comes from the blessed line. Jessica from the cursed one. Neither wants to fight someone else’s war.

As their town is pulled into a battle between land and sea, the distinction between good and evil becomes as indistinguishable as the line between love and hate. Margot and Jessica are forced to choose between saving their love or saving themselves.

My Review

The story alternates between Margot and Jessica’s perspectives. I think Jessica is my favorite character. She’s spunky and has great exit lines. I liked the way she uses sarcasm and snark as armor even though underneath that prickly exterior, she does care about people and feels incredibly lonely.

Margot is a great character, too. She wrestles with guilt over her best friends’ deaths in a car accident. She also wants desperately to protect her little sister, who will be next in line as the three spirits’ conduit if Margot refuses to do their bidding.

The whole book is set in a small Maine town, which I also enjoyed. I liked the vibe of the town and the way it felt hemmed in by the power of nature and the natural disasters that the supernatural battle spawned.

The beginning was a little bit slow as the story introduces the history of the blessing and curse, but once Jessica and Margot meet, the pacing picks up considerably. I flew through the last half of the book, really eager to see how things resolved and what the girls would have to do in order to free themselves from the battle between spiritual forces.

The cover notes that this is a new adult fantasy, and the writing does fit that age group and genre. I think the main characters are in high school, so the book will appeal to some young adult readers as well. Another reviewer recommended the book for Amanda Hocking fans, which is a great comparison. If you liked Watersong, you will want to check this book out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
The Blessing is a retelling of a Yiddish fairytale. Margot and Jessica are both Jewish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some f-bombs and other strong profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to a one-night stand. Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
References to Jewish faith and practice. Three sister spirits blessed one family and cursed another. A Forest Witch imprisoned the sisters in ice when they cursed a family line she protects. Now the sisters are free and want vengeance on the Forest Witch and the girl from the cursed line. Some supernatural things happen in the form of weather and other strange events. A character gives Jessica tarot readings to try to figure out what she should do next.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Waterspouts, flash flooding, and other natural disasters occur.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol at a 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: Mind Over Monsters by Betsy Uhrig

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

Mind Over Monsters
Betsy Uhrig
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published July 16, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Mind Over Monsters

Gordon Korman meets Scooby-Doo when anxiety-prone middle schoolers try a mindfulness app that has them face their fears all-too-literally in this spooky and humorous middle grade adventure.

FACE YOUR FEARS! That’s what the meditation app with the cheesy name De-stress-o-rama is telling Lena to do. She’s one of seven always-worried middle schoolers trying out this new app to see if it can help students handle stress. But something is going wrong—very, very wrong.

The group’s fears are becoming all too real, first lurking and dangling, then chasing them around and threatening to swallow them whole. From a stubborn inky blob that is fear of the dark, to the queasy giant in sweaty underpants that is fear of public speaking, monsters are invading Cranberry Bog Middle School! Can Lena’s group of worriers figure out how to conquer their fears before the whole school is swarmed?

My Review

This was a really fun book with some really cool moments. I liked that the story featured meditation as a helpful practice for people with anxiety. Of course, if your meditation app created real creatures based on your fears, it wouldn’t be very helpful. I still liked that meditation is shown in the book, and many kids found it helpful (sans monsters).

Another thing I liked a lot was Lena’s relationship with her mom. There was a moment in the book where I thought I knew what was going on, and I remember thinking I was going to be mad if the book left this thing unaddressed. And Betsy Uhrig proved yet again that my trust in her is well-placed because I loved how she handled the issue between Lena and her mom.

The monsters that emerged from the app made sense but also weren’t meant to be super terrifying. It made sense that the kids in the book would be scared, since the creatures were tailored to the kids’ specific fears, but they didn’t make the book overly scary. I think the story is really accessible to kids with big fears. I love that, too.

The monsters emerging into real life in this book made me think of The Darkdeep by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs. I think readers who enjoyed that series will like this one. I recommend it for middle grade readers struggling with fears, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Lena is white, but her group of friends, the Worriers, is pretty diverse.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Lena’s best friend seems to have a crush on a boy who likes her.

Spiritual Content
Fears begin appearing in the form of three-dimensional beings.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Descriptions of fears.

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 Girl in the Window by Lindsey Hobson

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, , , , ,

The Girl in the Window
Lindsey Hobson
Publisher
Published

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Girl in the Window

When Izzy breaks a window in the creepy house next door, her summer plans suddenly go from playing baseball in the backyard to doing yard work for mysterious Mr. Johnson to pay for the damage. Just when she thinks it can’t get any worse, she encounters a ghost girl with a cryptic HELP ME.

As Izzy begins to unravel the mystery surrounding the girl’s death, she discovers a whole new meaning to being friends… forever.

My Review

Though the book is a little dark and creepy, it does a great job balancing those elements with goofy kid shenanigans like playing baseball and performing chores as penance. I liked that the characters weren’t always what they seemed to be at first. Izzy has to learn more about people and relationships as she tries to unravel the mystery of what happened to the ghost girl who asks for her help.

Izzy has two siblings. Her older sister, Anna, and younger brother, Steven. Their dad has died before the story begins. I kind of wish there had been a little more to the backstory about the loss of their dad because who their dad is intersects with the story in some interesting ways. Izzy briefly flashes back to the car accident when her dad died, but she doesn’t think a whole lot about it other than in that scene and immediately afterward.

The book’s short chapters and low page count (under 200 pages) make it a pretty quick read, too. It’s very easy to just-one-more-chapter your way all the way to the end of the book.

I think readers who enjoy stories with a ghostly presence in them will like this spine-tingling tale.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white. One minor character has lost an eye and wears a patch.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some discussion about whether a boy has a crush on a girl.

Spiritual Content
One character is a ghost.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Izzy hears rumors that a little girl was poisoned to death. References to someone injuring someone else and causing them to lose their eye. References to the death of a child.

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: Finch House by Ciera Burch

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

Finch House
Ciera Burch
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published September 5, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Finch House

Encanto meets Coraline in this spooky middle grade story that deals with family ties, fear of change, and generational trauma as it follows a girl who must convince an old, haunted house to release its hold on her and her family.

Eleven-year-old Micah has no interest in moving out of her grandfather’s house. She loves living with Poppop and their shared hobby of driving around rich neighborhoods to find treasures in others’ trash. To avoid packing, Micah goes for a bike ride and ends up at Finch House, the decrepit Victorian that Poppop says is Off Limits. Except when she gets there, it’s all fixed up and there’s a boy named Theo in the front yard. Surely that means Finch House isn’t Off Limits anymore? But when Poppop finds her there, Micah is only met with his disappointment.

By the next day, Poppop is nowhere to be found. After searching everywhere, Micah’s instincts lead her back to Finch House. But once Theo invites her inside, Micah realizes she can’t leave. And that, with its strange whispers and deep-dark shadows, Finch House isn’t just a house…it’s alive.

Can Micah find a way to convince the house to let her go? Or will she be forced to stay in Finch House forever?

My Review

Sometimes it feels like a bit of a gamble to read a debut, but this book sounded so interesting right from the moment I heard about it. I loved the eeriness of it. And the fact that it centers on a girl main character and her family.

Micah’s relationship with her grandfather really drove the story home for me. I love the way they connect to one another. He is her anchor in a lot of ways, and I love that.

I didn’t totally follow how the story resolves. Micah made an agreement that felt a little nebulous to me, even after the story concluded. Despite that, I enjoyed the characters, the eerie strangeness of Finch House, and Micah’s explorations through it.

I think readers who like eerie stories, as opposed to horror or truly scary ones, will like the balance this story strikes.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Micah is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Micah and her friend Theo encounter translucent people they refer to as ghosts.

Violent Content
Micah sees a scene from the past in which a girl falls, and blood pools around her after she lands.

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 FINCH HOUSE in exchange for my honest review.