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Review: Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon

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Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon

Bingsu for Two
Sujin Witherspoon
Union & Co.
Published January 7, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Bingsu for Two

This outrageously charming and infuriatingly adorable enemies-to-lovers coffee shop romance is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Better Than the Movies.

Meet River Langston-Lee. In the past 24 hours, he’s dumped his girlfriend, walked out of his SATs, and quit his job at his parents’ cafe in spectacularly disastrous fashion—even for him.

Somehow, he manages to talk his way into a gig at a failing Korean cafe, Bingsu for Two, which is his lucky break until he meets short, grumpy, and goth: Sarang Cho. She’s his new no-BS co-worker who’s as determined to make River’s life hell as she is to save her family’s cafe.

After River accidentally uploads a video of his chaotic co-workers to his popular fandom account, they strike viral fame. The kicker? Their new fans ship River and Sarang big-time. In order to keep the Internet’s attention—and the cafe’s new paying customers—River and Sarang must pretend that the tension between them is definitely of the romantic variety, not the considering the best way to kill you and hide your body variety.

But when Bingsu for Two’s newfound success catches the attention of River’s ex and his parents’ cafe around the corner, he faces a choice: keep letting others control his life or stand up for the place that’s become home. And a green-haired girl who’s not as heartless as he originally thought . . .

My Review

In her debut young adult contemporary romance novel, Sujin Witherspoon makes the unorthodox decision to tell the entire story from a boy’s point of view. At first, I wasn’t sure how this would feel, since the more common approach is to either alternate points of view or tell the story from the girl’s perspective, if the story is a M/F romance. In fact, for the first several pages, I wasn’t sure of the gender identity of the main character.

River is a bit of a cinnamon roll character. He reads the room, tries to anticipate problems before they arise to avoid conflict as much as possible. When we get introduced to his family, we learn why this feels like a good strategy to him. It makes sense, and it makes his jump to working at Bingsu for Two, which is the first place where he has the freedom to be himself without his parents or his girlfriend looking over his shoulder, evaluating his choices.

The narrative thoughtfully explores River’s avoidance behavior and how his new job affects him. I liked that the changes in his life happen gradually, sometimes deliberately. At other times, he shifts his behavior in response to the new environment and only realizes on reflection that he likes the new behavior patterns better.

That sounds like a very clinical analysis, but the book has a lot of fun, goofball moments, too. The cast of characters working at Bingsu for Two banter back and forth and mess around the way that friends do in several scenes. I enjoyed seeing the relationships grow and the sweet way that River and Sarang’s relationship develops.

I think readers who enjoy stories with an inclusive cast of characters with fun and a few sparks will definitely enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
River and his family and Sarang and her family are Korean American. Two girls are in a romantic relationship. Two boys were in a romantic relationship. Sarang references having crushes on boys and girls in the past.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs and some profanity used moderately.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
River and Sarang get into a physical altercation in which she dumps a cup of coffee over his head. He retaliates by dumping a bag of coffee beans down her shirt. A boy kisses another boy without consent.

Someone spreads a rumor that a boy harassed a girl online, asking her to send nude photos of herself.

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: Rise of the Spider by Michael P. Spradlin

Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , ,

Rise of the Spider (Web of the Spider #1)
Michael P. Spradlin
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published September 24, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Rise of the Spider

Witness the chilling rise of the Nazi Party through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy in this first book in the action-packed middle grade series Web of the Spider for fans of I Survived and A Night Divided.

1929, Heroldsberg, Germany. Rolf might only be twelve years old, but he’s old enough to know that things have not been good in his country since the end of the Great War. Half of Germany is out of work, and a new political movement is taking hold that scares him. Every night, Rolf’s father and older brother, Romer, have increasingly heated arguments about politics at the dinner table. And when two members of the new Nazi Party, Hans and Nils, move to town as part of the Hitler Youth, Rolf is uneasy to see how enamored Romer is by their promises of bringing Germany to glory.

Rolf doesn’t trust Hans and Nils for a moment. For all their talk of greatness, they act more like bullies, antagonizing shop owners who are Rolf’s friends and neighbors. Yet Romer becomes increasingly obsessed with their message of division, and Rolf watches in horror as his family fractures even further.

When there is an act of vandalism against a Jewish-owned business in town, Rolf fears Romer might have had something to do with it. Can Rolf find a way to intervene before things get any worse?

My Review

This is a sad book. It’s an important story, as it follows the rise of the Nazis in Germany through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy who can’t believe it’s happening. He realizes how hateful the rhetoric is and how it contradicts his family’s values and beliefs. But he also witnesses someone close to him embrace those ideas and join the movement.

The book is pretty short, and the writing style is simple enough to make it accessible for younger middle grade readers interested in historical fiction. It’s the opening to a new series that will follow twelve-year-old Rolf’s experience in Heroldsberg, Germany each year leading up to when Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany. Creating a window for younger readers to see how Hitler rose to power is a great idea. It’s a moment of history that isn’t often deeply explored with kids that age, but an important one.

I also appreciated the author’s note at the back of the book in which Spradlin discussed his experience seeing the town of Heroldsberg and how his research affected him. This seems like a great fit for upper elementary-aged readers interested in historical fiction and World War II in particular.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white Germans. A few minor characters are Jewish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Brief reference to church and synagogue services.

Violent Content
Someone sets fire to a local Jewish-owned business. Hitler Youth members intimidate and threaten shop owners and shoppers. A group of them beat up an elderly Jewish man. (The narrator can’t see the blow-by-blow but knows it’s happening.) At a rally, a group of Nazi supporters attack a man who protests against them. The narrator can’t see specifics but is scared.

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: Bad Like Us by Gabriella Lepore

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Bad Like Us
Gabriella Lepore
Inkyard Press
Published March 5, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Bad Like Us

Two friend groups collide when someone turns up dead over spring break in this heart-thumping YA thriller for fans of ONE OF US IS LYING and WE WERE LIARS.

Spring break is a vibe—until someone gets murdered.

Partying with popular classmates they barely know is not what Eva and her BFFs had in mind for their spring break. But things have been off ever since Miles’ academic career took a turn for the worse (they don’t talk about it), so a trip to a private beach lodge might be exactly what they need. And Eva won’t admit it, but the chance to reconnect with Colton is worth putting up with Piper’s constant livestreams to her thousands of “besties.”

At first, it’s all sand and waves, but tensions run high when an anonymous letter shakes up an already-flailing love triangle.

When someone turns up dead, Eva can’t even trust her closest friends—but she thinks she can trust Colton. As they get closer to the truth, they uncover secrets that upend everything they thought they knew about their fellow spring breakers.

My Review

I read this book really fast, which was really great, since the last few books I’ve read seemed to take a long time. The plot of BAD LIKE US moves pretty quickly, and the chapters are short– another thing I love in a book!

The story follows two points of view and then includes videos recorded by a third person, so it feels like three different viewpoints. I liked both Eva and Colton, both of whom have real-time scenes from their perspectives. The story has a bit of romance that develops, and I thought that was balanced well against the murder mystery. It never felt like those two story elements were competing with each other. The progression of the romance felt natural.

I liked the setting, too. The whole story takes place at a beach resort in Oregon that one character’s uncle owns. It’s in a secluded area near the beach, which makes it pretty isolated. Some of the characters surf, so there were some scenes featuring surfing. One character is a social media influencer, so there are a bunch of scenes showing her making videos and other people reacting to the way that she behaves and the things she says in the videos.

If you’re looking for a quick read in the vein of Diana Urban or Karen McManus, I recommend this one. I think BAD LIKE US is my favorite of Gabriella Lepore’s books so far.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
The three point-of-view characters are white. The friend group includes at least one person who is queer and two people of color.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. A girl confesses that she has romantic feelings for another girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Eva learns a boy discovered the body of a girl who has died. (She doesn’t see it happen.) One scene shows people threatening someone. Someone shoves another person into the water. Another person has injuries from surfing.

A girl uses her social media account to say harmful things about other people.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol while hanging out at a beach resort.

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 BAD LIKE US in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Review: Destroy the Day by Brigid Kemmerer

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Destroy the Day (Defy the Night #3)
Brigid Kemmerer
Bloomsbury YA
Published January 23, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Destroy the Day

Left for dead, but desperate to survive . . . they have one last chance to save their kingdom.

Prince Corrick is out of options. Held captive by the vicious Oren Crane, he’s desperate to reunite with Tessa, but will need to ally with the rebel leader Lochlan, who until now wished him dead. An unlikely but deadly pair, Corrick and Lochlan must plot their next moves carefully.

An island away, Tessa Cade is heartbroken and angry. Grieving Corrick, and unsure how to find a way back to Kandala, she doesn’t know who to trust. Until Rian—the man she trusts least—makes an offer: aid in a plot to finally oust Oren Crane and see what the future holds . . .

Meanwhile in Kandala, Harristan is dethroned and on the run. He’s struggling to unite the rebels in his fractured kingdom, but he finds support—and maybe more—in unexpected places.

Can Harristan be the king his people need? Can Corrick and Tessa find their way back to each other? As outside threats loom and the fires of revolution burn from within, time is running out to save their kingdom.

In the thrilling conclusion to the Defy the Night series, Brigid Kemmerer crafts heartrending twists and devastating turns that will keep readers breathless to the very end.

My Review

We’ve finally made it to the last book in another Brigid Kemmerer series! And by finally, I mean we made it. There were only three books, so it’s not like it took a decade, but it felt like one while I was waiting. Haha.

This book picks up pretty much where DEFEND THE DAWN leaves off, so if you remember what was going on, it’ll be easy to dive right back into the world of Kandala and all the political machinations threatening the characters we know and love.

Tessa thinks Corrick is dead, so she’s understandably deep in her grief about that. She does make some new friends and unexpected allies as she tries to figure out a way to get back home, if only so she can tell Harristan what’s happened to his brother.

Corrick also makes some new friends and unexpected allies. He learns to trust others more deeply. His point of view probably has the most banter and silliness, so I enjoyed that quite a bit.

Harristan also has chapters from his viewpoint, so we get to go behind the scenes with the rebels left behind, and watch him figure out how to retake his throne while the consuls cook up ever more ways to keep him from doing so.

Lots of political intrigue. Definitely some battles we’ve been looking forward to. And– some confessions of feelings we’ve been looking forward to, too. This is a pretty big chunk of a book at 522 pages, but I read this in two sittings, and I felt like I needed every chapter in it.

This is one of the few books I’d already preordered for this year, and I’m so glad I did!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
One major character is gay, as is a minor character.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two boys. Some scenes lead into sexual encounters but fade to black after characters undress one another.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Someone has been poisoning people. Battles between pirates and soldiers or soldiers on opposing sides. References to torture.

Drug Content
Characters (adults) drink alcohol.

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

Review: Guardians of the Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones

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Guardians of the Dawn: Zhara
S. Jae-Jones
Wednesday Books
Published August 1, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Guardians of the Dawn: Zhara

Sailor Moon meets Cinder in Guardians of Dawn: Zhara, the start of a new, richly imagined fantasy series from S. Jae-Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of Wintersong.

Magic flickers.
Love flames.
Chaos reigns.

Magic is forbidden throughout the Morning Realms. Magicians are called abomination, and blamed for the plague of monsters that razed the land twenty years before.

Jin Zhara already had enough to worry about—appease her stepmother’s cruel whims, looking after her blind younger sister, and keeping her own magical gifts under control—without having to deal with rumors of monsters re-emerging in the marsh. But when a chance encounter with an easily flustered young man named Han brings her into contact with a secret magical liberation organization called the Guardians of Dawn, Zhara realizes there may be more to these rumors than she thought. A mysterious plague is corrupting the magicians of Zanhei and transforming them into monsters, and the Guardians of Dawn believe a demon is responsible.

In order to restore harmony and bring peace to the world, Zhara must discover the elemental warrior within, lest the balance between order and chaos is lost forever.

My Review

I don’t know why I mistook this for middle grade when I first agreed to review it. Maybe the cover reminded me of a different middle grade title? I’m not sure. At any rate, the book page on Amazon recommends it for ages fourteen and up. I think maybe 11 or 12-year-olds could read it just fine, though.

My favorite thing about the book is definitely the way Zhara and Han relate to one another. They’re so cute. She gets all giggly, and he is so easily flustered. I loved it! I also loved Xu, Han’s best friend and often the voice of wisdom.

The story has some strong Cinderella vibes, but I wouldn’t call it a Cinderella retelling. I definitely see the comparison to CINDER— which was a Cinderella retelling couched in a story of revolution. Similarly, GUARDIANS OF THE DAWN: ZHARA follows characters through political upheaval and what could lead to revolution.

I’m super curious about what the rest of the series will be like. Will each subsequent book contain elements of a familiar fairytale, a la The Lunar Chronicles or the Everland series? I hope it does. I would love to see more East Asia-inspired remixes of fairytale stories.

All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot, especially the character interactions. I’m really eager to read more of this series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
The Land of the Morning Realms is inspired by East Asia. More than one minor character is LGBTQIA+.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity very rarely used.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to romantic encounters between other couples, including same-gender couples. Characters discuss romance novels and explicit novels– the quotes and titles included are metaphorical.

Spiritual Content
Magic exists as a balance between order and chaos. Chaos includes demons, which can be summoned and can possess someone with magic. Powerful magicians have the ability to battle those forces of chaos.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Domestic violence. Some graphic descriptions of battle and monsters.

Drug Content
Zhara’s stepmother frequently gets drunk and physically/emotionally abuses her and her sister.

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 GUARDIANS OF THE DAWN: ZHARA in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Theo Tan and the Iron Fan by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Theo Tan and the Iron Fan (Theo Tan #2)
Jesse Q. Sutanto
Feiwel & Friends
Published June 27, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Theo Tan and the Iron Fan

A Chinese American Boy and his snarky fox spirit face down demon kings as they race against time to be reunited with his brother’s spirit in Jesse Q. Sutanto’s magical, action-packed sequel to Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit.

Theo Tan and his fox spirit, Kai, are willing to go to hell and back for their family. Literally.

After exposing the corruption at Reapling Corporation and trapping the demon king Niu Mo Wang, they learn that Jamie (Theo’s beloved brother and Kai’s first human master) was not allowed to move on after death, and is now trapped in a waiting room in Diyu.

If they can reach his soul before it faces judgment on the solstice, they might be able to convince King Qingguang to send his soul back to earth! Still, a trip to Diyu is no easy matter, and Theo and Kai can’t do it alone. Fortunately, they have good friends who are happy to help.

But even with Namita’s knowledge and Danny’s powerful dragon familiar, the odds are stacked against them. Can Theo and Kai’s new bond hold up against lying demons with grudges, impatient Kings of Hell, and the wrath of the demon king’s powerful wife, Princess Iron Fan?

My Review

I’ve heard so much about Jesse Q. Sutanto, so I am really excited that I was finally able to read one of her books. Kai’s character is a lot of fun. She makes snarky comments under her breath or in her mind a lot of the time, sometimes even leaving them in footnotes that appear at the end of her chapters. I liked that though she is prickly and particular, she is also loyal to her friends and will do whatever it takes to protect them.

I also loved the scene in which Theo and Jamie first reunite. It was so easy to feel the connection between them as brothers and the pain of their separation.

So much happens in the book. It was a wild ride from start to finish and a lot of fun too. I think readers who enjoy goofy characters and stories about folklore and mythology will find a lot to love here. It reminded me a little bit of DRAGON WARRIOR by Katie Zhao, but the voice in THEO TAN AND THE IRON FAN is a little more upbeat and goofy than in that series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Theo and Danny are Chinese American. Namita is Indian American. Kai is a fox spirit.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently. Theo and his friends journey to hell (literally). Most uses of the word are in reference to the place.

Kai and Danny encounter a ruler of one court of hell who is badly constipated. They are tasked with providing medicine that will help him or else face torture.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Theo and his friends journey to hell to find and free his brother’s spirit. They encounter various spirits and demons, all of whom are bent on causing suffering to the souls who inhabit the various courts of hell. One character is a fox spirit who shares a bond with Theo. Another character is a dragon spirit who shares a bond with Danny.

Violent Content
Some scenes show souls (blue translucent shapes) being tortured by a fall down a mountain of knives or being ground on a giant millstone.

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 THEO TAN AND THE IRON FAN in exchange for my honest review.