Review: Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

The Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Descendant of the Crane
Joan He

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Descendant of the Crane

In New York Times and Indie bestselling author Joan He’s debut novel, Descendant of the Crane, a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggles to do right in a world brimming with deception. This gorgeous, Chinese-inspired fantasy is packed with dizzying twists, complex characters, and intricate politics.

TREASON

For princess Hesina of Yan, the palace is her home, but her father is her world. He taught her how to defend against the corruption and excesses of the old kings, before revolutionaries purged them and their seers and established the dynasty anew.

Before he died, he was supposed to … Continue reading

Review: Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other) by Livia Blackburne

Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other) by Livia Blackburne

Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other)
Livia Blackburne
Quill Tree Books
Published July 18, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other)

You’ve Got Mail gets a YA twist in this rom-com that spotlights the power of activism and community organizing in the face of gentrification.

Clementine Chan believes in the power of the written word. Under the pseudonym Hibiscus, she runs a popular blog reviewing tea shops and discussing larger issues within her Chinatown community. She has a loyal, kind following, save for this one sour grape named BobaBoy888.

Danny Mok is allergic to change, … Continue reading

Review: Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino cover shows a girl on the left in a tank top and shorts with her hands one on top of the other with her index finger and thumb extended. Sitting next to her is a boy in a hoodie and shorts with his hands in front of his body, his index finger and pinky extended. Tall grass and flowers in the background behind them.

Give Me a Sign
Anna Sortino
G. P. Putnam & Sons
Published July 11, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Give Me a Sign

Jenny Han meets CODA in this big-hearted YA debut about first love and Deaf pride at a summer camp.

Lilah … Continue reading

Review: A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

A Song of Salvation
Alechia Dow
Bloomsbury YA
Published July 11, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Song of Salvation

From the author of THE SOUND OF STARS and THE KINDRED comes a YA space opera about a reincarnated god and a grumpy pilot on a mission to save a beloved space DJ and stop an intergalactic war.
 
Zaira Citlali is supposed to die. After all, she’s the god Indigo reborn. Indigo, whose song created the universe and unified people across galaxies to banish Ozvios, the god of destruction. Although Zaira has never been able to harness Indigo’s powers, the Ilori Emperor wants to sacrifice her in Ozvios’s honor. Unless she … Continue reading

Review: How We Ricochet by Faith Gardner

How We Ricochet by Faith Gardner

How We Ricochet
Faith Gardner
HarperTeen
Published May 24, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About How We Ricochet

Intimate, impactful, and incisive, this newest novel from Faith Gardner, critically acclaimed author of GIRL ON THE LINE, is an unflinching look into the devastating consequences of a mass shooting for one girl and her close-knit family, for readers of THIS IS HOW IT ENDS and ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES.

It seems sometimes a charade that we continue celebrating in the face of relentless tragedy.

How dare we? But then . . . what else is there to do?

Betty’s mom needed new pants for her job.

That was why Betty was at the … Continue reading

Review: Limitless Roads Café by Samantha Picaro

Limitless Roads Cafe by Samantha Picaro cover shows a girl in glasses, a white top and jeans holding a clipboard in one hand and her cell phone in the other. Behind her is a line drawing of the outside of a cafe with a potted plant, an awning, and a small table with chairs.

Limitless Roads Café
Samantha Picaro
Published May 15, 2023

Amazon | Goodreads

About Limitless Roads Café

Kinsey Fontana relies on lists to navigate the world as an autistic teen. #Goals list: win her dream event planning internship (she knows it’s an ironic dream); master the art of masking; and gain Mom’s approval. Instead, she works at a café hiring teens with disabilities. Although she loves the … Continue reading