Category Archives: Romance

Review: Youngblood by Sasha Laurens

Book Review and Content, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,
Youngblood by Sasha Laurens

Youngblood
Sasha Laurens
Razorbill
Published July 19, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Youngblood

For fans of VAMPIRE DIARIES and dark academia, two queer teen bloodsuckers at an elite vampire-only boarding school must go up against all of Vampirdom when they uncover a frightening conspiracy on campus.

Kat Finn and her mother can barely make ends meet living among humans. Like all vampires, they must drink Hema, an expensive synthetic blood substitute, to survive, as nearly all of humanity has been infected by a virus that’s fatal to vampires. Kat isn’t looking forward to an immortal life of barely scraping by, but when she learns she’s been accepted to the Harcote School, a prestigious prep school that’s secretly vampires-only, she knows her fortune is about to change.

Taylor Sanger has grown up in the wealthy vampire world, but she’s tired of its backward, conservative values—especially when it comes to sexuality, since she’s an out-and-proud lesbian. She only has to suffer through a two more years of Harcote before she’s free. But when she discovers her new roommate is Kat Finn, she’s horrified. Because she and Kat used to be best friends, a long time ago, and it didn’t end well.

When Taylor stumbles upon the dead body of a vampire, and Kat makes a shocking discovery in the school’s archives, the two realize that there are deep secrets at Harcote—secrets that link them to the most powerful figures in Vampirdom and to the synthetic blood they all rely on.

My Review

Paranormal isn’t usually a go-to genre for me, but when I heard about YOUNGBLOOD, I kinda couldn’t resist. I have hardly kept up with current vampire books, so it’s possible some of the things that appealed most to me have been done in other places, but a lot of things in the description of the story felt pretty fresh and new to me.

I loved the idea that the vampires have developed a blood substitute and that because of a pandemic, it has become unsafe to feed on human blood. The changes that brought to the vampire culture and community and the way that’s explored in the story were things I’ve never seen done anywhere else.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a boarding school that’s 100% all vampires, either. I liked that element to the story, because it created room to really explore some of the vampire culture ideas that I thought made this book really cool.

Not only is it a vampire book set in a boarding school, it’s also part murder mystery. YOUNGBLOODS has lots of layers to explore, and I loved that as each chapter unfolded, those layers kept getting exposed, and I kept getting more and more drawn into the story.

In terms of characters, I liked Kat immediately. She’s so sweet, and really wants to find a way to have connections with her people. Taylor had to grow on me. At the beginning especially, she kind of came off like the super judgy, too cool for the cool kids type that just tends not to be a character I connect easily with. But as I got to see some of her more vulnerable moments and see her use her anger and her power for good, I grew to love her as much as I loved Kat.

On the whole, it took me a few chapters to really invest in YOUNGBLOODS, but once I did, I really enjoyed reading it. I think readers who like paranormal romance like THE FELL OF DARK by Caleb Roehrig will like this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Taylor is a lesbian. Other characters have romantic relationships with girls. Main characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. In one scene, a girl is topless while kissing. References to sex between two girls. Kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Main characters are vampires and immortal. Vampires have the ability to glamour humans, which enchants them into doing whatever the vampire wants them to do.

Violent Content
Vampires feed on humans who are under a glamour and helpless. A girl tries to stop them and is knocked into a glass table. A girl discovers the body of a vampire.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol in a couple of scenes.

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 YOUNGBLOOD in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Heartstopper: Volume Two by Alice Oseman

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Heartstopper: Volume Two
Alice Oseman
Hodder Children’s Books
Published July 11, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Heartstopper: Volume Two

Nick and Charlie are best friends. Nick knows Charlie’s gay, and Charlie is sure that Nick isn’t.

But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is discovering all kinds of things about his friends, his family … and himself.

Praise for the Heartstopper series:

Kirkus Reviews Best YA Romance of 2020

“Absolutely delightful. Sweet, romantic, kind. Beautifully paced. I loved this book.” — Rainbow Rowell, author of Carry On

“You’ll smile watching Charlie and Nick open up to one another, and sigh as they tiptoe into romance… falling in love doesn’t get more charming than this.” — Ngozi Ukazu, New York Times bestselling author of Check, Please!

* “Nick and Charlie’s lighthearted and tender romance is delightful, and the genuine heart present in the characters makes for a wholesome and uplifting ride… Incredibly lovable from start to finish. ” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Realistic yet uplifting, this tale of self-discovery will make readers’ hearts skip a beat.” — School Library Journal

“The romance and realistic fiction will draw readers in to this sweet story.” — Booklist

My Review

I almost missed my spot in the library queue to borrow this book (It’s sold out on Bookshop as I’m writing up my review.), but thankfully I noticed it was my turn before the window to borrow had expired. Whew!

If you even quickly scroll past bookish spaces on social media, you’ve probably heard buzz about the Heartstoppers series on Netflix. I’ve heard a lot of positive things, so I want to check it out, but wanted a chance to read the graphic novels first. At a glance, it looks like the first season of the show mainly covers the first two novels in the book series. So, I may go ahead and start watching while I’m waiting on book three from the library.

I think I liked HEARTSTOPPER: VOLUME TWO better than volume one, honestly? Volume One focused a lot more on Charlie’s crush and his getting out of an abusive relationship. Volume Two, though, focuses a lot more on Nick and his journey to settling on an identity he’s comfortable with.

I also really enjoyed watching Nick spend time with Charlie’s friends and realize some differences in the friendships Charlie has versus his own. It pretty quickly becomes clear that Charlie has a lot of people in his life he can trust. As Nick begins to build his own network of people he trusts, it was so easy to feel that weight of isolation lifting off of him. I loved that.

I could definitely see fans of SIMON VERSUS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA loving this series. It’s adorably sweet. I’m glad I read it.

Content Notes

Content warning for homophobic slur and bullying.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Charlie is gay. Nick is in the process of figuring out his identity. Charlie has a trans friend. Nick has a lesbian friend.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used sometimes.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
One boy uses a homophobic slur and some fetishizing comments. Another boy punches him, starting a brief fight.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: The Charmed List by Julie Abe

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

The Charmed List
Julie Abe
Wednesday Books
Published July 5, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Charmed List

After spending most of high school as the quiet girl, Ellie Kobata is ready to take some risks and have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List—thirteen items she’s going to check off one by one. She’s looking forward to riding rollercoasters, making her art Instagram public (maybe), and going on an epic road-trip with her best friend Lia.

But when number four on Ellie’s list goes horribly wrong—revenge on Jack Yasuda—she’s certain her summer has gone from charmed to cursed. Instead of a road trip with Lia, Ellie finds herself stuck in a car with Jack driving to a magical convention. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, number thirteen on her list—fall in love—may be happening without her realizing it.

In THE CHARMED LIST, Julie Abe sweeps readers away to a secret magical world, complete with cupcakes and tea with added sparks of joy, and an enchanted cottage where you can dance under the stars.

My Review

So… somehow I missed that this book had magic in it? I went back and read the cover copy, and it does talk about there being charms and a “secret magical world”, but I guess I assumed that was metaphorical? Whoops on my part.

It isn’t a bad thing for THE CHARMED LIST to have magic. I just wasn’t expecting that when I started reading, so I felt thrown for a chapter or two. Once I understood the magic system and how it worked, I connected with the story more.

I enjoyed the fact that their families have sort of rival businesses or roles in the community. And the setup of Ellie and Jack being forced to go on the road trip together was great. I loved that.

One of the things that kind of bugged me was the history between Ellie and Jack and even her feelings about him. It felt like she made some pretty harsh judgments about him at a time when he was deeply grieving. I kind of wished they talked more specifically about that and that Ellie had more opportunity to own that perhaps she made some mistakes, too. There’s a little bit of that.

The whole premise is that she and Jack had a big falling out that she’s still nursing hurt feelings over, and I could understand her feeling hurt over what happened. What was hard to understand was that she never considered that he’d just lost his mom, whom they were both close to. I guess I felt like Ellie sometimes came across as shallow and selfish.

That aside, I enjoyed the story’s awkward flirty moments, secret magical towns, and lots of the side characters in the book. Ellie’s sister and Jack’s brother are probably my favorites, but I really liked Ellie’s best friend, too.

All in all, this was a fun summertime read with a little magic sprinkled in. I think readers who enjoy books by Sandhya Menon will enjoy THE CHARMED LIST.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are Japanese American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to make charms from recipes. They imbue things like luck to the user. Many people are unaware of the existence of the magic or places that sell magical items. Their existence is a closely guarded secret.

Violent Content
None.

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 CHARMED LIST in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Heartstopper: Volume One
Alice Oseman
Graphix
Published May 5, 2020 (Originally published in 2018)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Heartstopper: Volume One

Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn’t think he has a chance.

But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.

My Review

I haven’t watched Heartstopper on Netflix yet (here’s the trailer), because I wanted to read it first, so I borrowed this volume from the library. (It’s backordered so many places right now.)

I really liked how sweet Charlie is and his wild, goofy hair. The friendship that develops between him and Nick feels genuine and beautiful. I loved the way the panels show such a broad range of emotions, from embarrassment to confusion to hurt to attraction… there’s a lot of storytelling that happens strictly in their faces. I loved that.

Because it’s a graphic novel, HEARTSTOPPER: VOLUME ONE is a pretty quick read. I think it took me about an hour? Maybe less? I probably would have jumped immediately into the second book if I’d had it at the time. As soon as it’s my turn at the library, I’ll catch up on the next volume.

If you have already read and loved HEARTSTOPPER, you might like ESTRANGED by Nathan Aldridge. It’s fantasy, so obviously different, but has a sweet, slowly unfolding romance and is a graphic novel.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Charlie is gay. There are other characters who are queer but don’t specifically label themselves. Charlie’s friend is Asian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content – content warning for assault
Kissing between two boys. In one scene, a boy kisses Charlie without his consent, while Charlie yells for him to stop.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content – content warning for assault
In one scene, a boy kisses Charlie without his consent, while Charlie yells for him to stop. In one scene, a boy grabs another boy and shoves him, threatening to beat him up.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

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Openly Straight
Bill Konigsberg
Arthur A. Levine Books
Published May 28, 2013

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Openly Straight

Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He’s won skiing prizes. He likes to write.

And, oh yeah, he’s gay. He’s been out since 8th grade, and he isn’t teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that’s important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.

So when he transfers to an all-boys’ boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret — not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate break down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben . . . who doesn’t even know that love is possible.

This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate feeling different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.

My Review

This book has been on my reading list for a LONG time, but once I realized it’s by the same author as THE MUSIC OF WHAT HAPPENS, I really wanted to read it.

OPENLY STRAIGHT explores elements of identity not often explored in the YA I’ve read. It’s not just about coming out or how we sometimes distill a person’s identity down to one thing. The idea that sometimes parts of us that feel incongruent with other parts of ourselves resonated with me. Like we can’t be both those things in the same room with people in the same way at the same time.

For Rafe, mainly this had to do with how he felt other guys perceived him as an out gay kid. When he had an opportunity to connect with other boys without them knowing he was gay, he had a different experience, one that had value in a different way. I liked that as he explored that, he realized while there was a barrier between him and other guys if they knew he was gay, not telling them also created a barrier, too. Anyway, there were a lot of great ideas in and around that conflict that were definitely worth reading.

I also, of course, loved Rafe and Ben. I loved the way their friendship developed, and the fact that they had this beautiful emotional closeness. Rafe’s roommate and his best friend were lots of fun, too. I really enjoyed the banter between them.

Rafe is a messy character who’s learning a lot about himself. He has some selfish attitudes and doesn’t always do right by his friends, but the way things play out shows he’s beginning to turn a corner and pursue healthier ways to relate to people. And healthier ways to think about himself.

Conclusion

All in all, I liked this book. As I put together the links for this review, I realized that OPENLY STRAIGHT has a sequel! And it’s Ben’s point-of-view! So, I will absolutely be reading that book which is called HONESTLY BEN.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Rafe is gay and Jewish. One minor character is Black. Rafe’s best friend, Claire Olivia is Latina. Other minor characters are gay or possibly bisexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. References to sex. References to sexual touching.

Spiritual Content
Brief references to Rafe being Jewish.

Violent Content – Content warning for homophobia.
At a PFLAG dance, Rafe sees some boys who repeatedly use a homophobic slur. He witnesses another closeted gay boy being harassed and mocked.

Drug Content
Rafe and his friends drink alcohol. Rafe mentions having been high on pot once.

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

Review: Breaking Time by Sasha Alsberg

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

Breaking Time
Sasha Alsberg
Inkyard Press
Published June 14, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Breaking Time

Fate brought them together. Time will tear them apart.

When a mysterious Scotsman appears out of nowhere in the middle of the road, Klara thinks the biggest problem is whether she hit him with her car. But, as impossible as it sounds, Callum has stepped out of another time, and it’s just the beginning of a deadly adventure. 

Klara will soon learn that she is the last Pillar of Time—an anchor point in the timeline of the world and a hiding place for a rogue goddess’s magic. Callum is fated to protect her at all costs. A dark force is hunting for the Pillars, to claim the power of the goddess—and Klara and Callum are the only two standing in the way. Thrown together by fate, the two have to learn to trust one another and work together…but they’ll need to protect their hearts from one another if they’re going to survive.

My Review

I think I was hoping for a SEEKER vibe from this book. Long tradition of people trained to protect a magical portal or something. Time travel to stop the bad buy from stealing the magic. Something like that. BREAKING TIME isn’t that story, not exactly. Which is okay. I made assumptions from the cover copy that turned out to be inaccurate.

At the beginning of the story, Klara doesn’t know she’s anybody important. She doesn’t believe in spiritual stuff– she’s much more comfortable with things being explained by science. Then a sixteenth century Scotsman pretty much tumbles into her life, and suddenly her scientific explanations come up empty.

I liked the story and the tension between Callum and Klara. I wish that some questions would have been answered, though. Like, Callum travels in time, but how? The story didn’t explain that. Also, it seems like someone else killing Klara (or maybe even her doing that herself) would have also resolved the magical problem they faced, but that idea never came up, either. I wouldn’t have wanted that to happen, of course, but it seemed weird that the whole magic system that’s set up left that loophole wide open and no one ever addressed it.

BREAKING TIME ends in a whirlwind followed by a pretty steep cliffhanger, so I expect there will be a follow-up novel. Initially I’d assumed this was a standalone, but judging from the ending, I think it’s not.

On the whole, I liked Klara and Callum’s relationship and some of the historical details, but I wish there had been more explanation holding the pieces of the story together. I enjoyed reading it, but I’m not sure I would continue the series.

Fans of The Falconer series by Elizabeth May might enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Both main characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Lots of kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters are able to travel in time or manipulate time. Klara and Callum have encounters with monsters, spiritual beings, and a goddess. Some references to pagan or druid traditions.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle scenes with some gory descriptions.

Drug Content
References to drinking alcohol. One character appears to be drunk in one scene. Klara remembers her grandmother smoking a joint.

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 BREAKING TIME in exchange for my honest review.