Review: It’s Only a Game by Kelsey Yu

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,
It's Only a Game by Kelsea Yu

It’s Only a Game
Kelsey Yu
Bloomsbury YA
Published July 9, 2024

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About It’s Only a Game

In this twisty, fast-paced YA thriller, a dangerous game becomes all too real when Marina and her friends are framed for murder.

When Marina Chan ran from her old life, she brought nothing with her-not even her real name. Now she lives in fear of her past being discovered. But when her online gaming team is offered a tour of their favorite game company, Marina can’t resist accepting, even though she knows it might put her fake identity at risk.

Then the creator of the game is murdered during their tour. Whoever killed him plans to frame Marina and her friends for the murder unless they win four rounds of a dangerous game. A game that requires them to lie, trespass, and steal. A game that could destroy everything Marina’s worked so hard to build…. A game that she might not survive.

My Review

The really interesting part of this book is that it mashes up what is essentially a video game contest with a murder mystery. Marina carries secrets that she worries could put her friends and teammates in danger, but she longs to have uncomplicated connections with people and values the closeness in those relationships.

The chapters alternate between two different timelines. In the present, Marina and her team attempt to complete challenging levels of a video game to meet the demands of an unidentified person who threatens to harm the people each teammate loves. The other timeline begins ten years earlier and shows glimpses of Marina’s past, where she lives with her mom. She tries to piece together why the two live such an isolated life.

The tension spikes as the two timelines intersect, and pieces of the mystery come together. The relationships between the characters impact the story in some interesting ways, and I found it easy to root for all of them.

While this isn’t my favorite style of book, I did enjoy reading it. It felt like a quick read with its short chapters, and I particularly liked the mash-up of video game conquests and murder mystery elements. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that done before, and it worked really well here.

Readers who enjoy books by Karen McManus or liked How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao should check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Marina is Chinese American and romantically interested in a girl. One of her friends is transgender. Another friend is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Marina witnesses a shooting. Someone threatens Marina and her friends, effectively holding them hostage until they complete a series of tasks. A woman harms child repeatedly.

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: Lady of Steel and Straw by Erica Ivy Rodgers

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Lady of Steel and Straw
Erica Ivy Rodgers
Peachtree Teen
Published June 4, 2024

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About Lady of Steel and Straw

Star-crossed lovers grapple with forbidden attraction and a growing army of ghostly dead in this swashbuckling YA fantasy debut.

After ten years of exile, following regicide in the House of Tristain, an alarming royal edict is delivered to the immortal scarecrow Guardians who once defended the crown: surrender themselves to the church of the Silent Gods, or stand accused of further treason. But with a puppet prince set to take the throne and vengeful wraiths appearing with alarming frequency, something foul and sinister is at work in the kingdom of Niveaux.

Lady Charlotte Sand was born to calm the restless dead. A headstrong heroine, she refuses to relinquish her family’s lavender Guardian to the Cardinal’s Watch—a rash misstep that costs her brother his life and sets her on a path for revenge.

For pious and handsome Captain Luc de Montaigne, it’s an excruciating predicament. His long-lost, childhood love has triggered a faction war that could tear the realm asunder. Now Charlotte and Luc must choose between killing one another and stepping closer to victory—or yielding to the electricity between them.

Heartily inspired by The Three Musketeers, this multiple-perspective narrative features a unique system of bone and herbal magic, sultry banter, and a feisty cast of well-rounded supporting characters. This rousing first entry in a romantic fantasy duology is a gorgeous read and excellent pick for fans of Rin Chupeco and Margaret Rogerson.

My Review

This book has one of the best fantasy worlds I’ve read all year. I loved the lore about wraiths and Guardians and how the Guardians came to be. I also loved the connection to scarecrows and all the references to plants and trees throughout the characters’ expressions. Amazing.

Almost the entire story (except the prologue and final chapter) follows Charlotte and Luc’s perspectives. Charlotte has a very coming-of-age feel to her character, where she begins as a girl in an apprenticeship destined for a small life and longing for more. Luc has risen to a high rank as a soldier and serves as the cardinal’s guard captain, so in some ways, he almost reads more like an adult character, though his childhood haunts him pretty closely, which reminds us how young he is.

Though I really enjoyed the book, I struggled with the slow-burn romance between Luc and Charlotte. I get that there’s some magic or spiritual connection between them, but it was hard to dismiss the fact that Charlotte was bent on revenge against the man who killed her brother but had much warmer feelings for the guy who gives so many orders to harm her and the people she loves. I think a lot of people will be able to suspend disbelief, though, because of how compelling the other story elements are.

This ends with a strong setup for a follow-up novel, and I will absolutely be reading it. I can’t wait for a chance to revisit this incredible story world and find out what happens to these characters.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Few (if any) race details given.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs and strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Wielders use forbidden power to disturb dead spirits, raising them as wraiths who inspire fear, pain, and torment in others. Very rarely, when someone dies, they become a Guardian, or an immortal warrior bonded to a person who will fight someone wielding the dead or settle disturbed spirits as part of the Order of old gods.

Now, under the cardinal’s rule as regent, the people worship a new duo called the Silent Gods, and the old ways are increasingly forbidden.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Swordfights to the death. Torture. Descriptions of wraiths attacking people. Description of mass murder. In one scene, soldiers escort people to the gallows, preparing to hang them. In another, a girl sees the decayed body of an executed prisoner.

Drug Content
One character has been manipulated into dependence on a drug. Another is an alcoholic.

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: Ready or Not by Andi Porretta

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Ready or Not
Andi Porretta
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published July 2, 2024

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About Ready or Not

An anxious teen hopes that a summer of adventure and offbeat dares will keep her friend group together after graduation in this luminous coming-of-age graphic novel with the feel-good vibes of Booksmart and Morgan Matson’s Since You’ve Been Gone.

With senior year finally behind them, Cassie and her three best friends are on their way to what’s next. Like their parents, the crew has always been there’s Marcy, the artist, for whom style is self-expression and sarcasm is a love language; Aaron, the future lawyer, whose good humor balances out his competitive streak; Nico, the musician, whose flirtatiousness, obliviousness, and recent interest in a rising senior are becoming increasingly unbearable to Cassie; and of course, Cassie herself, the only one who doesn’t have her future all figured out.

This summer is their last chance to make memories together in New York City before everyone but Cassie scatters across the globe for college—and she’s determined to make the most of it. Her plan? They’ll spend August playing the game of dares and risks they invented as kids! From adventurous to outrageous, these dares will definitely make for an unforgettable summer. Even better, Cassie is hopeful they’ll help the group stay friends no matter what…because she is not ready for a future without them.

My Review

The tricky thing about this book is that it centers around four friends, who all appear in the opening pages. Because they appear before we learn their names, I found it a little hard to keep track of who was who. One of the things I really like, though, is that each character’s speech bubbles appear in a different color, which helps readers track who’s speaking even when they’re not on the page. (A lot of conversations happen via text message.)

Once the group agrees to play the game they call Risky Slips, the story starts to move more quickly, and I felt more connected to the characters. The four of them invented the game as kids. It involves tearing up a kids’ menu from the diner where Cass works. They each write dares on the slips of paper and put them into a cup. One by one, they draw a slip of paper with a dare on it. Then they have 24 hours to complete the dare or they’re out of the game.

It really energizes the group and gives them something to look forward to each day. This helps them celebrate the bond of their friendship and helps Cass push off her anxiety about the fall for a bit longer.

I enjoyed the connections between the characters. There are some great scenes that really show when someone feels hurt, and it goes unnoticed by the other person or there’s a miscommunication. The staging (if I can call it that) of the scenes is nicely done.

All in all, Ready or Not is a fun summer read, perfect for a sunny afternoon by the pool or at the beach.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Cass and her friends are a diverse group.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs. Some strong profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. Kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A girl slaps another girl across the face. A boy punches another boy. A girl says some cruel things to another girl. Someone steals a sign from a neighbor’s yard.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol. Brief reference to smoking.

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: Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter

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Finally Fitz
Marisa Kanter
Simon & Schuster
Published April 23, 2024

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About Finally Fitz

A bisexual teen girl tries to make her ex jealous by faking an Instagram romance that leads to surprisingly real feelings in this hijinks-filled rom-com perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and She Gets the Girl .

Ava “Fitz” Fitzgerald has worked hard to create the picture-perfect life she’s always wanted. She spent her junior year transforming her passion for sustainable fashion and upcycling into a viral online platform, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and spending every free second with her soon-to-graduate girlfriend, Danica. And this summer she plans to take it all to the next level by attending a prestigious summer fashion program in New York City and convincing Dani that they can survive a year of long distance.

But when Dani dumps her before classes even start, accusing Fitz of being more invested in growing her online persona than deepening their relationship, she’s left not only heartbroken, but also creatively blocked.

Fitz will do anything to win Dani back, even if that means taking a break from the platform that she’s worked so hard to build. But just as she decides to go all-in on a hiatus, a chance encounter reunites her with Levi Berkowitz, her childhood best friend that she hasn’t seen since elementary school. Levi is struggling with heartbreak of his own, and this cosmic coincidence sparks a new use for her social media savvy. Fitz offers to help Levi craft a fake relationship online to make his person jealous…if in return he can pretend to be her boyfriend in front of Dani to make her jealous. If all goes according to plan, by the end of the summer they’ll both be reunited with their perfect partners and get to rekindle their friendship in the process.

Sometimes even the most carefully designed plans can come apart at the seams, though. And when real history leads to not-so-fake feelings, Fitz will have to decide if she’s finally willing to let go of what she thought was picture-perfect and choose what might actually be right for her.

My Review

Finally my review for Finally Fitz! Oy. This book has been on my reading list since I received a finished copy from Simon & Schuster way back in April. I read What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter, so I had a pretty good feeling that I would enjoy a lot of things about this one, too, once I finally got around to reading it. And I was right.

This one started slowly for me. It took me a while to understand Fitz and really get her. In some ways, that makes perfect sense since the whole book is about how she filters herself with everyone in her life. She worries that the minute she shows her real, messy self, it’ll be too much, and people will shut her down, walk away, or deflect. Because people have done all those things.

As I started to grasp that about Fitz, I started to see the way that her sisters have left her behind (which made me want to call my littlest sister) and the way that people brush off her interest in fashion and designing clothes. It was heartbreaking. And heartbreaking. So once I hit that point, I was pretty invested in the story.

I love the relationship between Fitz and Levi. They celebrate one another’s passions and victories. They enjoy being along for the ride with the other person, even if there’s nothing in it for them. But they also know when to give one another space and be independent. They have a really cool relationship arc.

Fitz and her sisters have a cool arc, too. I like that their relationships are messy, but there’s real love there. And they keep trying. I love that.

By the middle of the book, I couldn’t read this story fast enough. It was so much fun and such a great celebration of being true to yourself and getting the support you need.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Fitz and her family as well as another character are Jewish. Dani, Fitz’s girlfriend, is Latine. Fitz and another character identify as bisexual. There are a few other queer characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
This one has some F-bombs. Strong profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. Kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Fitz attends a Shabbat service with Levi. References to her bat mitzvah.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
References to teens drinking beer. (We don’t see them drink, but they clean up after watching a movie and throw away empty beer bottles.)

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: Goblin by Eric Grissom and Will Perkins

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Goblin (Goblin #1)
Eric Grissom
Illustrated by Will Perkins
Dark Horse Books
Published June 8, 2021

Amazon | Goodreads

About Goblin

Goblin is a fantasy story about overcoming great odds and about finding light in even the darkest of places.

A young, headstrong goblin embarks on a wild journey of danger, loss, self-discovery, and sacrifice in this new graphic novel adventure.

One fateful night a sinister human warrior raids the home of the young goblin Rikt and leaves him orphaned. Angry and alone, Rikt vows to avenge the death of his parents and seeks a way to destroy the man who did this. He finds aid from unlikely allies throughout his journey and learns of a secret power hidden in the heart of the First Tree. Will Rikt survive the trials that await him on his perilous journey to the First Tree? And is Rikt truly prepared for what he may find there?

“Grissom and Perkins have created my favorite kind of book. Chock full of strange monsters, big adventure, and a whole lot of heart. The perfect graphic novel for the entire family.”–Rafer
Roberts (Grumble, Minecraft, Modern Fantasy)

“Goblin is exactly what I look for in a fantasy story. Beautiful landscapes, curious creatures, and an adorable hero who rises to the challenge and happens to be a goblin!”–Claire Connelly (Black Eyes, Down with the Ship, The Long Year)

“Rikt enjoins us to delight in his triumphs, wallow in his sorrows and take pleasure in the journey that lies ahead. Grissom and Perkins show that even the smallest of us can achieve great things.”–Jeff McClelland (The Tick, Honcho, Black Terror)

My Review

My favorite part of this book is the relationship between Rikt and the wolf he calls Fish-breath. It begins as this grudging alliance, but over time becomes a close friendship. It’s so sweet, and having that second character on the quest with Rikt adds a lot of connection and engagement to what would otherwise be scenes largely without dialogue.

The illustration style reminds me a little bit of Ethan Aldridge’s style, which I absolutely love, so that’s awesome. The panels show dark, sweeping fantasy landscapes and strange, mythical creatures. I also love the way that the human characters seem distorted and strange in the story. Humans would seem really strange to a goblin, so I liked that the illustration of the human characters emphasized that. It helped me remember that we were in the point-of-view of a nonhuman protagonist.

All in all I enjoyed this story. I’m excited to read book two in the series and see what Rikt and Fish-breath get up to next.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Main character is a goblin named Rikt.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Rikt meets the Goddess he has grown up worshipping. She sends him on a quest to renew his sword at the First Tree, where all creation began. Some characters appear to have some magical ability.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief battle sequences.

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.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs posting about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: Hearts of Fire and Snow by David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall

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

Hearts of Fire and Snow
David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall
Bloomsbury
Published June 11, 2024

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About Hearts of Fire and Snow

Award-winning authors David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall reimagine a beloved Aztec tale of star-crossed lovers with one last chance to reunite.

Blanca Montes wants to make a difference in the world, to do more than her wealthy godfather and spoiled boyfriend think her capable of. So when Greg Chan shows up as a new student at her Nevada school, she is more than intrigued by this handsome, brilliant stranger.

But Greg and Blanca are drawn to each other by something stronger–their fates entwined centuries ago. In his first life, Greg was Captain Popoca, and Blanca is the reincarnation of Princess Iztac, who took her own life after believing her beloved Popoca was sent to his death in battle. Greg has spent a thousand years searching for his lost love, and now the fates have given them one more chance to reunite. Will their hearts finally beat as one?

This swoony contemporary fantasy is perfect for fans of These Violent Delights and This Poison Heart.

My Review

Hearts of Fire and Snow definitely captures the feel of star-crossed lovers fighting against time or fate to remember their true selves so they can finally be together. I liked both Greg and Blanca’s characters. Blanca is fierce and independent. She has big dreams, and she is willing to do the work to make them happen. Greg has a big heart and uses his resources to help the people he cares about.

The only confusing thing about the book is why it’s marketed as YA. I don’t know if it’s that the young adult fantasy market/influencers are elevating diverse books more effectively than adult fantasy. (I know almost nothing about the adult fantasy market or influencers, so I have no idea how close or far from the truth that might be.)

Though the characters begin the story as high school students, they’re also reincarnated for several generations. They don’t really behave as high school students– they’re functionally adults making their own choices and running their own lives. I wish it had either been written more as a young adult story or marketed as an adult fantasy.

I really enjoyed the connection to an Aztec tale and references to Mexican history throughout the different lives Greg and Blanca experienced along the way to the present story. This book makes me want to read more and makes me realize that it’s a rich topic.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. Readers who love a star-crossed romance with rich historical context will want to read this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Greg and Blanca are indigenous and Mexican American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Inspired by an Aztec tale. Some characters are the deities the Gods of Chaos and the Goddesses of Fate. A few characters have special abilities. Greg has a connection with volcanoes, and they respond to his anger, heating up and eventually erupting if he loses control. Other characters have the abilities to freeze things. The Goddesses of Fate devour sins, making someone blameless again. Some characters are reincarnated from previous lives.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to suicide and some suicidal ideation. Someone finds the body of a murder victim. Battles between people.

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.