Category Archives: Book Review and Content

Review: Guardians of Dreamdark: Silksinger by Laini Taylor

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Guardians of Dreamdark: Silksinger by Laini Taylor

Guardians of Dreamdark: Silksinger
Laini Taylor
Amulet Books
Published September 22, 2026

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About Guardians of Dreamdark: Silksinger

From New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor comes a new edition of her first cult favorite series, Guardians of Dreamdark, about a djinn-protector faerie and her quest to save her world.

Whisper Silksinger—the last of her clan—is on the run. As the guardian of the Azazel, one of the seven djinn who created the world, it’s Whisper’s sacred duty to keep him safe from the bloodthirsty devils hot on their trail.

The stakes couldn’t be higher, for if the Azazel dies before he’s restored to his ancient temple, the very Tapestry of the Universe will unravel, and life as she knows it will be lost.

But devils aren’t the only ones who seek the Azazel. Pursued by a band of mercenaries, Whisper is surprised to find herself drawn to Hirik, a mysterious faerie with a powerful sword and a secret agenda of his own. Behind them follows Magpie Windwitch, desperate to reach Whisper before the devils do.

With danger closing in from all sides, Whisper will have to learn who to trust . . . before it’s too late.

My Review

For some reason, I thought this series was a duology, but the story clearly doesn’t end here. The first and second books in the series were reprinted by Amulet, but it doesn’t look like a third story was ever published.

The second book does feel like a complete story. It has its own resolution, but it raises bigger questions about who has been freeing the Devils and seeking to destroy the Djinn, and leaves Magpie regrouping in order to face this new foe.

I really enjoyed the whimsical faerie world in this book. It feels very reminiscent of the Don Bluth cartoons that I grew up watching, and I loved that. I found it really nostalgic.

The story has great characters, even though it doesn’t go very deeply into them. The narrative skips around a bit, giving readers a taste of what this character is thinking before winding away to another character’s perspective. In this kind of story, I think that worked. I didn’t expect long internal monologues about each character. The characters had well-developed voices, which helped fill them out. Keeping a bit of mystery also added to the sense of capriciousness that the faeries all had.

As a fan of Taylor’s other books, I felt like I saw shadows of the stories to come in this series, which also made reading Silksinger a lot of fun.

Fans of the author and fans of books about capricious faeries will definitely want to check out this series. Start with Windwitch before reading this second book in the series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Vague references to attraction between faeries.

Spiritual Content
Faeries have magical abilities. Djinn are powerful beings who once ruled the land. Devils are monstrous creatures who try to harm faeries who would wake the Djinn and restore their power.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief battle violence. Bullying and manipulation.

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: Cursed Princess Club, Vol. 2 by LambCat

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

Cursed Princess Club, Vol. 2: A WEBTOON Unscrolled Graphic Novel
LambCat
WEBTOON Unscrolled
Published July 4, 2023

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About Cursed Princess Club, Vol. 2

Just because you’re cursed doesn’t mean you’re not special.

Gwendolyn, the youngest of the King’s three daughters, is living proof that princesses don’t always have it all. She isn’t like a typical fairy-tale princess, or other princesses in the Pastel Kingdom. Gwendolyn, with her big heart and love of baking, isn’t particularly attractive. Unlike her sisters who have woodland creatures do their hair and makeup, or have flowers blossom wherever they sleep, Gwendolyn is a bit…different. So when her father proposes marriage for her and her sisters to make an alliance with the Plaid Kingdom, it breaks Gwendolyn’s heart to hear that Prince Frederick thinks she’s “really ugly.” Overwhelmed and ashamed, she runs away into the forest and encounters the twisted world of the Cursed Princess Club, where her life will never be the same.

The Cursed Princess Club are a ragtag band of outcasts, misfits and cursed princesses who have created an incredible friendship circle. It is among these friends where Gwendolyn learns to embrace her uniqueness and find her people.

In this second book of the series, we learn low self esteem isn’t just for girls! Meet the Princels―princes who have shunned society not because of curses (although one has to wonder…) but because of their own insecurities about their physical appearance and their inability to find romantic partners. And then we have Prince Frederick, who starts to worry if he even deserves Gwen. Plus, you too can learn to be as pretty as a Cursed Princess!

[Episodes 30-61]

My Review

In this second volume, the arc of romance that will slowly build between Gwen and Frederick starts to become clear. It’s a very slow burn, but the author creates lots of adorable moments along the way.

While the story mostly stays PG, there are some themes that older readers will pick up on really quickly. At one point, Blaine asks Maria if she wants to try something privately with him. She clearly thinks he is asking if she wants to have sex with him. When it turns out he’s asking if she’ll answer a detailed survey about her hopes and dreams, she is a bit disappointed. Later, the boys order a keg for a party. One prince starts doing a keg stand, but the king interrupts and ends the party immediately.

Like the first volume, this one is filled with hilarious miscommunications and hyperbolic facial expressions that make it easy to enjoy. We learn more about some of the Cursed Princess Club members and meet a couple of new characters, including a prince who seems intent on wooing Gwen, which surprises Frederick by awakening his jealousy.

Make sure you have the third book handy when you finish this one. I think I jumped right from the last page of this volume to the first page of the next.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Vague references to sex.

Spiritual Content
References to magic and curses. Some characters transform (unwillingly) or have strange abilities.

Violent Content
Reference to war. The Plaid King exhibits some toxic masculinity in how he treats his sons. He threatens one son by spearing a bagel with a knife and implying he’ll do the same to his son.

Drug Content
One prince does a keg stand at a party. Someone offers a princess alcohol, which she refuses because she’s underage.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library. All opinions are my own.

Review: How to Talk to Your Succulent by Zoe Persico

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How to Talk to Your Succulent
Zoe Persico
Tundra Books
Published April 1, 2025

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About How to Talk to Your Succulent

After the loss of her mother, Adara struggles to communicate with her family about her grief. When a sympathetic ear arises in an unlikely place, Adara can finally find her words — but can she find the time to listen? A stunning graphic novel for middle-grade readers about family, friendship and magic in unlikely places, for fans of The Witches of Brooklyn and Raina Telgemeier.

Eleven-year-old Adara and her dad are moving from California to the cold and flat lands of Michigan . . . and it sucks. After Mom’s recent passing, it seems way too soon. Talking to Dad has always been harder than with Mom, but now it’s like walking on eggshells. And why did Dad bring so many of Mom’s houseplants across the country? Her mother might have been called the Plant Whisperer back home, but Adara is beginning to wonder if there is something more to it. But when she meets a little succulent named Perle, she unlocks the same magical ability her mother had: talking to plants!

But taking care of Perle isn’t as easy as it seems — the environment isn’t suited for her, and Adara doesn’t know how to meet her needs. Kind of like the situation Adara herself is in. If only Perle could ask Adara for help . . . and Adara could ask her dad.

With a touch of magic, this debut middle-grade graphic novel explores loneliness, mental health and empathy, and shows how communication, openness and a willingness to listen can help young people — and older people — and plants! — navigate their mental well-being and heal from loss, individually and together.

My Review

I started reading this book before I experienced the death of a parent firsthand. As the person who has taken on caring for my dad’s plants and the plants around our house, I found that the book resonated more with me. For me, it was a soothing, cathartic read, honestly.

Adara and Perle’s relationship is really sweet. Perle is the small succulent that Adara begins caring for. The story draws a strong parallel between what you need to do to ensure your plants are thriving and what you need to do to ensure you and your relationships are thriving. I liked that connection, and it works very well in the context of the story.

I also appreciated that Adara and her dad are grieving differently, and it takes them some time to figure out how to share their grief with one another in a way that’s healing and not more painful.

The color palette is also lovely. The warm, bright colors are so cheerful. When someone is upset, they are shown as being surrounded by darker, thorny vines, indicating they’re not okay. It’s a great visual cue and helps connect the dots between the different characters and their emotions.

Give this one to a plant lover in your life or to someone struggling to make new friends.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Adara sees anthropomorphic plants and can talk to them.

Violent Content
References to the death of a parent. (Happened before the start of the story.)

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from the public library. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Siren’s Kiss by Leslie Vedder

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The Siren’s Kiss
Leslie Vedder
Abrams/Amulet
Published September 1, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Siren’s Kiss

Pirates of the Caribbean meets The Little Mermaid in this swashbuckling Sapphic fantasy!

Three years ago, Dead Shot Rayleigh laid hands on the legendary ruby the Siren’s Kiss andsuffered the wrath of the sea god, Red-Handed Roger.

Now bound as captain of his cursed ship, The Revenant, eighteen-year-old Rayleigh hatches a plan to win her freedom. Everyone knows that Red-Handed Roger’s heart was stolen by the Sea Witch. If she can get it back, she can barter her release.

But Rayleigh isn’t the only one with a score to settle. Fiery mermaid Maren lost her brother to the Sea Witch, and she’s come to the surface to get him back and save the last remaining mermaids at all costs.

When Maren runs afoul of the infuriating cursed pirate Rayleigh, sparks fly, and all her plans go up in flames. Now the only chance they have is each other.

Swashbuckling, sea monsters, pirate kings, siren songs, and stolen hearts!

Red-Handed Roger and the Sea Witch were once friends, before they both fell for the same mermaid and almost destroyed the world. Will Rayleigh and Maren’s love set things right, or just finish what the old gods started?​​​

Some hearts are meant to be stolen…

My Review

I’m just going to say it. I don’t think Leslie Vedder gets the recognition she deserves for her reimagined fairy-tale mashups. Her debut, The Bone Spindle, was my favorite book of the year when it was published, and the whole series is excellent. I feel the same about this book.

I love the way that she blended Pirates of the Caribbean and The Little Mermaid. The beats from the original stories are completely reimagined here, and yet they still made me think of key moments from the originals. I love it. I love the way that Vedder developed the story surrounding the rivalry between the god of the sea and the sea witch. The mermaids and their interaction with the human world was really nicely thought out.

Rayleigh as a pirate on a cursed ship, with all her backstory about her mother and her connection to the pirate community, was also really fascinating. I felt like there was so much going on in the book. So many interesting threads I wanted to follow, and it was so rewarding to find out every bit of backstory that the author included in the novel.

I read this book during a particularly hard week, and having the next chapter to look forward to at night really gave me a boost. I absolutely recommend this book for readers who enjoy books by Stephanie Garber or anyone who likes reimagined fairy tales. This is one I’m absolutely going to reread, and it’ll be on my top reads for this year without a doubt.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
The story contains lore about a god and goddess who fell in love with the same goddess and what happened when she chose one lover over the other. Rayleigh is cursed and bound to a cursed ship.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle scenes involving swords and guns.

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: Girls Like Us by Jennifer Dugan

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

Girls Like Us (Some Girls Do #2)
Jennifer Dugan
G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Published May 5, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Girls Like Us

In this sequel to Some Girls Do , two girls struggle when long distance complicates their relationship.

Ruby and Morgan fell for each other during their senior year of high school, and now, almost a year later, they are fighting to keep their spark alive, even while they are Morgan is on a track scholarship at a university several hours away, studying public policy, while Ruby stayed in her hometown, exploring her love of mechanics in the automotive engineering program at the local community college.

Long distance weighs on the girls, with new friendships and flirtatious classmates adding complications, and the two are looking forward to a spring break getaway to Washington, D.C., and the bliss of a whole summer vacation together. But when Morgan discovers she’s a finalist for the perfect internship, and Ruby gets the shot to appear on her favorite automotive TV show, the trip schedule—and their summer plans—are thrown into question. With both girls unwilling to stand in the way of each other’s future, has the time come for them to go their separate ways?

My Review

As I sat down to write this review, I realized the book that I thought was the first in this series is actually a completely different standalone novel by Jennifer Dugan. For some reason, despite the clear use of totally different characters’ names, I still thought this book was a sequel to Summer Girls.

I remember being confused at a few points in Girls Like Us because I hadn’t remembered anything about the character from Summer Girls being a mechanic. I just assumed I was forgetful. Ha!

At any rate. While I think I would have enjoyed the story more if I’d actually, truly read the first book in the series, I still enjoyed this book a lot simply on its own merit. I had no trouble following the arc of Morgan and Ruby’s relationship. They face so many common obstacles in a long-distance relationship.

I really appreciated that the story didn’t cheat its way through hard things, either. For example, Morgan and Ruby both have things they need to learn, and I felt the narrative gave them space to explore those questions. It didn’t feel rushed or like we were hurrying through those challenges to shove the romance back into the center of the story.

I also like that things weren’t simple. Morgan wrestles with her budding feelings for another girl. Do the feelings mean she and Ruby are ending? Is she simply lonely living far from home? What is she supposed to do with those feelings? How much should she invest in her new college life, even if it risks leaving Ruby behind for good?

I love that the story lets the characters wrestle with hard relationship questions. I genuinely couldn’t tell which way the ending was going to go until I got there, and I love that, too.

Readers looking for a romance set after high school ends and featuring characters navigating the transition to college life will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing and references to sex. Some brief details about sexual encounters.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Someone kisses another person without consent, treating them like they’re playing hard to get.

Drug Content
Characters (college-aged) attend a party where alcohol is served.

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: Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

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

Rainbow Boys
Alex Sanchez
Simon & Schuster BFYR
Published September 29, 2026 (Orig. 2001)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Rainbow Boys

Navigating through an intolerant world and their own insecurities, three teenage boys find each other and the confidence to come out of the closet.

Three teenage boys, coming of age and out of the closet. Jason Carrillo is a jock with a steady girlfriend, but he can’t stop dreaming about sex…with other guys. Kyle Meeks doesn’t look gay, but he is. And he hopes he never has to tell anyone—especially his parents. Nelson Glassman is “out” to the entire world, but he can’t tell the boy he loves that he wants to be more than just friends…

In a revealing debut novel that percolates with passion and wit, Alex Sanchez follows these very different high-school seniors as their struggles with sexuality and intolerance draw them into a triangle of love, betrayal, and ultimately, friendship.

My Review

This 25th anniversary edition of Rainbow Boys opens with a foreword from Maia Kobabe, who offers some context for why books like this one are so important. Not only do these books let readers see themselves as the central characters, but the stories also celebrate who they are while acknowledging challenges many LGBTQIA+ teens face. The book also includes a note from the author that tells why he wrote the book and its journey to publication.

The writing in Rainbow Boys is straightforward and easy to follow. The story alternates between Nelson, Kyle, and Jason’s perspectives, giving readers glimpses into each boy’s experience. Nelson, out and proud, faces different challenges than Jason, who is still learning to accept who he is. Kyle’s parents’ response to his coming out is very different than Jason’s parents’ reaction. I love that the book shows these different experiences side by side, highlighting a spectrum of stories that many readers will identify with.

Though Nelson begins the story out and proud, he still shows growth in how he thinks of relationships and his self-confidence. Jason and Kyle also experience some character growth throughout the story.

All in all, I can see why this book deserves to be revisited and published for a new generation. Rainbow Boys is the first book in a trilogy following Nelson, Jason, and Kyle through the summer after graduation. I’m not sure whether there are plans to release new editions of all three or just this first book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Some brief, scant descriptions of sexual encounters. References to sex. References to HIV and safe sex.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
One character remembers his dad beating him up after catching him with another boy. Some scenes show bullying by other students, including a fight between multiple boys. One character’s dad gets violent after having too much to drink.

Drug Content
Characters attend a party where teens drink alcohol. One character’s dad is an alcoholic and appears drunk in multiple 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.