Category Archives: Romance

Review: The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord

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The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord cover shows a cluttered dresser top beneath a cracked mirror

The Map From Here to There
Emery Lord
Bloomsbury YA
Published January 7, 2020

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About The Map From Here to There

Acclaimed author Emery Lord crafts a gorgeous story of friendship and identity, daring to ask: What happens after happily ever after?

It’s senior year, and Paige Hancock is finally living her best life. She has a fun summer job, great friends, and a super charming boyfriend who totally gets her. But senior year also means big decisions. Weighing “the rest of her life,” Paige feels her anxiety begin to pervade every decision she makes. Everything is exactly how she always wanted it to be–how can she leave it all behind next year? In her head, she knows there is so much more to experience after high school. But in her heart, is it so terrible to want everything to stay the same forever?

Emery Lord’s award-winning storytelling shines with lovable characters and heartfelt exploration of life’s most important questions.

My Review

This is the first book I’ve read by Emery Lord, though her books have been on my “must try this” list for a long time. I thought the writing was great– Paige is a sweet sort of people-pleaser who’s just beginning to assert her own desires and goals, so it was a great moment to step into her life.

I loved all the script-writing stuff. Though I know nothing about that process, it felt believable and Paige’s enthusiasm for it was contagious. I absolutely bought in and needed her to get into a great college program where she could continue to pursue that dream.

Especially in the early chapters, the narrative referred back to things that had happened before, and kept thinking, wait, why isn’t that a novel? Why aren’t I reading that other story, because it sounds really compelling.

And then I had a duh moment. There IS a book telling that previous story. It’s called THE START OF ME AND YOU. So now I need to read that one!

For the most part, I followed the story just fine without having read the first book. The only things I found confusing were the backstories of Paige’s friends. There are several to keep straight, and I didn’t always have them right. I think I would have been more on the ball there if I’d read THE START OF ME AND YOU first.

But overall, I liked THE MAP FROM HERE TO THERE. The writing was strong but accessible. I never felt like Paige was being pretentious or that the writing didn’t suit her voice. And, as I mentioned above, her passion for script-writing absolutely came through. I felt it as I was reading. Same with her anxiety and her confusion and frustration with her feelings. I thought she was super relatable.

If you liked STARFISH by Akemi Dawn Bowman or THIS ADVENTURE ENDS by Emma Mills, definitely add THE MAP FROM HERE TO THERE to your list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
One of Paige’s best friends is a lesbian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two girls. In a couple scenes, Paige experiments with contact beyond kissing — the details are kept vague.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Brief description of a car accident.

Drug Content
A couple scenes show teens (including Paige) drinking alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE MAP FROM HERE TO THERE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: It’s My Life by Stacie Ramey

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It’s My Life
Stacie Ramey
Sourcebooks Fire
Published January 1, 2020

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About It’s My Life

If she wants a future with him, she’ll have to make peace with her past.

Jenna’s never let her cerebral palsy get her down. But when she discovers that her condition was actually caused by an injury at birth, she’s furious with her parents, who withheld the truth. And as they push her to get yet another difficult procedure, Jenna feels her control over her life starting to slip.

Enter Julian, Jenna’s childhood crush. He’s just moved back to town, and he’s struggling in school, so Jenna reaches out to him—anonymously— to help. Soon, their conversations are about so much more than class. She’s falling for him all over again, hard and fast. But would Julian still be interested in her if he knew who she really was? And can she find a way to take back her own narrative before she pushes away everyone she loves?

My Review

You know, just leave it to Stacie Ramey to create still more characters that I can’t help falling in love with. I really, really needed a solid, heartfelt contemporary book, and IT’S MY LIFE totally had me covered. I love Jenna’s awkwardness and her tendency to overthink things. I love her passion and her relationship with her mom.

Actually, I want to say more about her and her mom. Because I felt like that was a really complex relationship, since Jenna’s really pushing back against her parents’ assumptions about her medical treatment and care. She’s feeling lied to by her parents and unable to communicate to them her need to make her own medical decisions.

Though we only see Jenna’s point-of-view, I felt like it was easy to see that so much more was happening between the lines. Her mom felt like this real, complicated character with conflicting desires but a consistent commitment to her daughter. I don’t know if that makes total sense, but I just found myself having a lot of respect for Jenna’s mom because clearly she had a lot going on in her head and heart.

IT’S MY LIFE is at its core, a personal journey story. At the beginning, Jenna feels like her perfect life starring the cooler, better version of herself is completely out of reach. Jenna has two choices: she can sit back and let that life stay a fantasy, or she can pull together all her courage and figure out a way to make things happen for herself.

I love that theme in the story so much, and I think Stacie Ramey does real justice to the part of life where we must choose to become the main character in our own stories. I’m so glad I read this book, and I think it will really stay with me for a long time.

If you liked MY SISTER’S KEEPER by Jodi Picoult or IMPOSSIBLE MUSIC by Sean Williams, or just find yourself in the mood for an uplifting contemporary story featuring a strong protagonist, make sure you check out IT’S MY LIFE.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Jenna has Cerebral Palsy. Jenna and her family are Jewish. Her best friend Ben is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used fairly frequently. A couple instances of stronger profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Jenna has some daydreams about lying in bed with a boy.

Spiritual Content
Some references to Jewish traditions and holidays.

Violent Content
Jenna witnesses a fistfight between two boys.

Drug Content
Jenna and a friend drink alcohol at a dance.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of IT’S MY LIFE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

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A Heart So Fierce and Broken (Cursebreakers #2)
Brigid Kemmerer
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published January 7, 2020

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About A Heart So Fierce and Broken

Find the heir, win the crown.
The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.

Win the crown, save the kingdom.
Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been on the run since he destroyed Lilith. He has no desire to challenge Rhen–until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?

The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.

My Review

I’m still pretty over the moon to have had a chance to read this book before its release date. Thanks, Bloomsbury! You’re the best!

I’d read some other reviews of the book early on that made me a little worried about reading A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN. Mostly, I worried that Rhen would end up being painted as this unlikeable character, and I just really like him, okay?! I didn’t want to lose my ability to like him.

No spoilers, though, so I won’t say more than this: I definitely felt my Team Rhen spirit challenged at times. But at the end of the day, I didn’t find this book to be one that forces you to choose between them. That’s certainly not what Grey wants, anyhow.

So, the real story: did I love it? YES. I loved falling back into the story world. I loved the return of characters from A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY. The new characters took a little getting used to– I wasn’t sure if they were going to trample my old loyalties or make me fall in love with them. I do have some new favorites. (Iisak, for instance.)

One of the things I’ve seen discussed a lot with this book is the very feminist rule of Karis Luran and her people. I liked that there were some conversations between Grey and Lia Mara about gender roles and equality, courtesy and independence. The story explored those ideas in a really natural way and showed that a man can be both courteous toward a woman and respect her as an equal.

I also loved the message that cruelty and strength aren’t the only kind of power. We see it in Emberfall as Rhen wrestles to bring his people back to faith in his rule. We see it as Lia Mara wrestles with her own value, because she’s been taught to believe that her mother’s way– cruelty and strength– are the only way to rule over others, and Lia Mara isn’t good at those things. She has the opportunity to appreciate and value her gifting as a strategist, and her strength of will and determination, even if her family or her people never appreciate those things.

While A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN does continue the story of A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY, it doesn’t continue with a new re-imagined fairy tale (which is fine… just pointing out the difference). It does leave plenty of room for a third book and lots more adventure with characters I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

If you like strong female characters and strong heroes, definitely add A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN to your list. It reminded me a bit of GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson (who wrote a __ of __ and ___ title back before it was cool, I might add.)

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Harper’s brother is gay and in a relationship with a young black doctor. Harper has Cerebral Palsy.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently (usually by Harper’s brother).

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Some references to sex.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to use magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril and torture (whipping). Characters witness others being killed or wounded. Some brief graphic descriptions.

Drug Content
Some characters drink alcohol and say or do things they wouldn’t otherwise do.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco

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The Never Tilting World
Rin Chupeco
HarperTeen
Published October 15, 2019

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About The Never Tilting World

Frozen meets Mad Max in this epic teen fantasy duology bursting with star-crossed romance, immortal heroines, and elemental magic, perfect for fans of Furyborn.

Generations of twin goddesses have long ruled Aeon. But seventeen years ago, one sister’s betrayal defied an ancient prophecy and split their world in two. The planet ceased to spin, and a Great Abyss now divides two realms: one cloaked in perpetual night, the other scorched by an unrelenting sun.

While one sister rules Aranth—a frozen city surrounded by a storm-wracked sea —her twin inhabits the sand-locked Golden City. Each goddess has raised a daughter, and each keeps her own secrets about her sister’s betrayal.

But when shadowy forces begin to call their daughters, Odessa and Haidee, back to the site of the Breaking, the two young goddesses —along with a powerful healer from Aranth, and a mouthy desert scavenger —set out on separate journeys across treacherous wastelands, desperate to heal their broken world. No matter the sacrifice it demands.

My Review

I started reading this book when I was tired, and that was a mistake on my part. The magic system is unusual, and I found it confusing at first. Once I understood the terminology and the way the gates worked and everything, then I felt more confident about understanding the story.

THE NEVER TILTING WORLD alternates between four different points of view: Tianlan, Odessa, Haidee, and Arjun. It’s actually pretty easy to keep them all straight since they all sound very different from one another. I liked all four characters, though Haidee was probably my favorite. I can’t help identifying with the compliant fixer girl! Ha.

I found the story world to be really imaginative and different. I like that it was unpredictable and unfamiliar, even though it took me some time to acclimate. (I might have figured it out more quickly if I hadn’t been tired when I started reading.)

I think THE NEVER TILTING WORLD would be a good read for fans of THE WAKING LAND or MEMORY OF FIRE by Callie Bates.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Tianlan and Odessa are lesbians.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Arjun swears, but I think he might be the only character who does. Strong profanity used fairly infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. Kissing between two girls and some pretty intense making out.

Spiritual Content
Two goddesses rule the world. Some characters have magic. Sometimes magic comes with a price.

Violent Content
Some graphic descriptions of battle and situations of peril/death.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE NEVER TILTING WORLD in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Coral by Sara Ella

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Coral
Sara Ella
Thomas Nelson
Published November 12, 2019

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About Coral

There is more than one way to drown.

Coral has always been different, standing out from her mermaid sisters in a society where blending in is key. Worse yet, she fears she has been afflicted with the dreaded Disease, said to be carried by humans—emotions. Can she face the darkness long enough to surface in the light?

Above the sea, Brooke has nothing left to give. Depression and anxiety have left her feeling isolated. Forgotten. The only thing she can rely on is the numbness she finds within the cool and comforting ocean waves. If only she weren’t stuck at Fathoms—a new group therapy home that promises a second chance at life. But what’s the point of living if her soul is destined to bleed?

Merrick may be San Francisco’s golden boy, but he wants nothing more than to escape his controlling father. When his younger sister’s suicide attempt sends Merrick to his breaking point, escape becomes the only option. If he can find their mom, everything will be made right again—right?

When their worlds collide, all three will do whatever it takes to survive, and Coral might even catch a prince in the process. But what—and who—must they leave behind for life to finally begin?

Taking a new twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved—yet tragic—fairy tale, Coral explores mental health from multiple perspectives, questioning what it means to be human in a world where humanity often seems lost.

My Review

CORAL follows three different points-of-view: a girl who’s reluctantly addressing her suicidal feelings, a boy whose sister recently tried to die by suicide, and a mermaid whose sister seems to be succumbing to a deadly illness. At first I thought the mermaid sections would be a sort of direct retelling of Andersen’s fairy tale, and there are some similarities. But it’s a very re-imagined version of the story with a much broader look at heartbreak and depression how devastating they can be.

I feel like it took me a long time to get this book. It has three different points of view that eventually collide, and I kept trying to guess how they intersected. (Not the way I guessed.) Once they did, it was a little confusing for me to think back through the earlier part of the story and have it all make sense with the new information. Maybe just because it was a direction I didn’t expect? I’m not sure.

I really like the way the story shows how overpowering emotions and depression can be. I felt like it was easy to understand Brooke’s dark feelings, and the connection to the Little Mermaid fairy tale made sense in broad strokes.

Throughout CORAL, there’s a running theme where things aren’t what they seem. Merrick’s relationships with almost every other character surprise him. Brooke’s secrets change things, too. It created a layered feel to the story that I enjoyed. We aren’t always right about people– sometimes even the ones closest to us. So that rang true for me.

Overall, I thought CORAL was imaginative and a powerful exploration of emotions and depression. If you liked Sara Ella’s other books, I think you’ll like CORAL, too. Fans of the Syrena Legacy by Anna Banks will like the blend of mermaids and modern setting, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Merrick and his sister have Japanese grandparents on their dad’s side. Merrick’s sister and Brooke both battle depression and suicidal thoughts.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
In Coral’s world, emotions are a sign of a disease that leads to death she refers to as Red Tide.

Violent Content – Trigger Warning for Suicide
Some references to and brief descriptions of suicide. Some suicidal ideation.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of CORAL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

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Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2)
Laini Taylor
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published November 6, 2012

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About Days of Blood and Starlight

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster’s apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE, Karou must decide how far she’ll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

My Review

I’m rereading the DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE series for the second time, and I’m amazed at the things I picked up on in my second read of DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT that I missed the first time through.

While the first book really focuses on the human world and Karou’s life in it, DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT focuses on some memories of her past and also shows a lot more about what Akiva’s life looks like as a soldier under his father’s command. Leroz, his half-sister, has always been one of my favorite characters for her prickly exterior and fierce loyalty. This time I noticed a lot more of the hints at softness and fear under her warrior armor.

Like lots of second books in a trilogy, this book feels a lot more like a bridge than a destination. I didn’t mind that, though. It’s like it takes everything hinted at in the first book and peels back the layers to reveal a rich, complex world where Karou is only just realizing she can belong.

And the theme of hope versus hate is so powerful. Even though there’s a lot of violence, there’s always this undercurrent of wanting things to be different, to remake the world, which is such a compelling idea. And it’s beautifully conveyed in Laini Taylor’s writing.

If you’re new to this series, check out my review of the first book, DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE. If you liked The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta or STRANGE THE DREAMER by Laini Taylor, you’ll want to add this series to your reading list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Most characters are chimaera or angels.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to sex.

Spiritual Content
The monsters Karou sketches are chimaera from another world which also includes angels– which look like humans with fiery wings. Each of those groups has myths about their creation and worships gods and goddesses.

Karou receives wishes in payment for running errands. They can only be used for small things, like wishing an itch on someone or something like that. Larger wishes are available.

Violent Content
Some descriptions of battle or fighting and situations of peril. References to war. References to some grisly murders and mutilation of bodies. Some references to torture.

Drug Content
None.

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