NOTICE: Explosive content contained within. (Rebel boys and indomitable girls have always been a combustible combination.)
All the signs of Fairy’s unraveling were there: a strict rationing of pixie dust; the disappearance of a magical species; a reckless reliance on spies plucked from human orphanages. Annabelle was no orphan. Her father was perhaps the most infamous man in Childerbridge-and she’d never live down the shame of it, though she’d also never accept that the charges against him were true-not most of the time.
She’ll have to go to the end of Never to prove what is true…about Never itself, about her father, and her own work-worn self.
My Review
I knew from the moment I read the cover copy that I wanted to read this book. It’s got a great voice and characters that drew me in immediately. I loved the smart, fun writing and the Peter-Pan-adjacent story.
Annabelle has a hard life, and then, like Alice, she finds herself transported to another world and involved in very foreign politics. I liked the way she handled the Lost Boys and the deliberate but also nontraditional ways she helped them. The scene with her and the mermaids was one of my favorites.
The story moves at a pretty quick pace– in a good way– and kept me turning its pages. It had some twists and turns and lots of unexpected moments, but I felt like they all fit together pretty well. I really liked the development of the relationship between Annabelle and Fetch.
Spiritual Content Annabelle’s father is a magician. She meets fairies and pixies and other magical creatures.
Violent Content Situations of peril. One scene contains a battle between characters and a shadowy monster.
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 NEVER LORE: JOURNEY TO MT. SMOLDER in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.
Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this debut novel-in-verse.
Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world.
In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life–by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.
My Review
I’ve heard so many great things about this book, and I can for sure say that none of them were exaggerated. I loved Ellie so much. She bares her soul on the page. I loved reading her journey from feeling crushed by shame to finding the confidence and self-love to stretch out and take up space like a starfish.
Ellie’s dad is awesome, too. There’s one scene where he’s just witnessed some of the hurtful things people say to Ellie, and he begins to cry. Even writing about it now, my eyes are all weepy. He doesn’t do everything perfectly (which just makes him all the more realistic), but it’s so clear he loves Ellie. I love that.
I also love Ellie’s relationship with Catalina. At first, she’s unsure of this new skinny girl. But as she gets to know Catalina, she realizes that Catalina knows about discrimination. Catalina treats Ellie the way she should be treated– loving her for who she is and gently challenging Ellie to learn to love herself, too.
STARFISH is a novel in verse, so it’s a quick read that will leap straight to your heart. I think readers who enjoyed RECKLESS, GLORIOUS GIRL by Ellen Hagan will love this one.
Content Notes
Content warning for bullying.
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Representation Ellie is fat. Her dad is Jewish and her mom is Christian. Ellie celebrates both religions. Ellie’s next door neighbors are Mexican American.
Profanity/Crude Language Content None.
Romance/Sexual Content None.
Spiritual Content Ellie celebrates Shabbat and Hanukkah as well as Christmas with her family.
Violent Content Bullies at school and home say cruel things to Ellie. In one scene, students sabotage Ellie’s desk so that it breaks when she sits on it.
Drug Content None.
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Two rival apprentice sorcerers must team up to save their teachers and protect their own magic in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After.
Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.
Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less.
But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.
My Review
SPELL BOUND is the first book I’ve ever read by F. T. Lukens, and after this, I definitely want to read more. (Their other books look super fun, by the way!) I really liked the sunshine vs. grumpy rivals to romance between Rook and Sun. The story is told from both their points of view, and I thought both were really compelling and individual. I loved the other characters, too, especially Herb (the coatrack with an attitude) and Antonia, Rook’s employer and mentor who will gladly kick butt and take names when it’s required, thank you.
The only hiccup I encountered was in my expectations. So the cover copy references Antonia and Fable getting attacked, so I expected that to be an early event in the book. It actually happens just after the middle, I think? So I felt like I spent a lot of time looking for that rather than enjoying the earlier scenes for what they were and recognizing how those played into the larger story.
Aside from that, though, I had a lot of fun reading this book. It’s set in the real world, but add magic, and I loved the way that was set up. The powerful Consortium charges magic users taxes for spells and business services, and has gotten perhaps too comfortable with their power.
It’s kind of just a fun romp through a magic world led by two characters who are grieving in different ways, and searching for their place and validation for who they are. I felt like those emotional parts read so real and genuine, and the rest of the story– the adventure and antics– was so much fun to read.
Representation Rook is white and maybe pansexual? He doesn’t specifically self-identify. Sun is nonbinary and Asian, maybe Korean?
Profanity/Crude Language Content Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.
Romance/Sexual Content Kissing. Rook and Sun fall asleep together while on the run.
Spiritual Content Some characters have the ability to do magic by pulling power from ley lines, a sort of grid of magic power that exists on earth.
Violent Content Situations of peril. Rook and Sun encounter cursed objects that try to harm them. For example, a rug repeatedly trips anyone who steps on it. A some scenes show a group attacking and trying to subdue an individual or smaller group.
Drug Content None.
Note: I received a free copy of SPELL BOUND in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.
The people of Greymist Fair know that the woods are a dangerous and magical place, and that they should never set foot off the road. But when a young tailor discovers a body on the road, her search for the culprit reveals even more strange and dark happenings around her town. From acclaimed author Francesca Zappia, GREYMIST FAIR is a suspenseful and inventive murder-mystery inspired by the lesser-known fairytales of the Brothers Grimm. GREYMIST FAIR will bewitch readers of Rachel Vincent’s RED WOLF, Liz Braswell’s A Twisted Tale series, and fans of INTO THE WOODS.
Features chapter decorations by the author throughout, as well as a map.
Two roads lead into a dark forest. They meet at Greymist Fair, the village hidden in the trees, a place kept alive by the families that never leave. The people of Greymist Fair know the woods are a dangerous and magical place, and to set foot off the road is to invite trouble.
When Heike, the village’s young tailor, discovers a body on the road, she goes looking for who is responsible. But her quest only leads to more strange happenings around Greymist Fair.
Inspired by the original, bloody, lesser-known fairytales of the Brothers Grimm, acclaimed author Francesca Zappia crafts an enthralling murder-mystery that will keep readers turning the pages. Told from multiple points of view, with each narrative building on the crime discovered by Heike, Greymist Fair examines the themes of childhood fears, growing into adult responsibilities, and finding a place to call home amid the trials of life and death.
While KATZENJAMMER is a strange story, I found the characters very compelling. I also thought the author did a great job telling a weird/unusual story, so when I saw GREYMIST FAIR, I was excited to try it.
And guess what? I loved it! It’s definitely less strange than KATZENJAMMER, but the storytelling is still what I’d call nontraditional? The book is broken down into parts which are usually 5-6 chapters or so. Each part gives us an up-close point of view of a single character connected to the village of Greymist Fair.
Each of those stories was pretty compelling on its own. One reveals a serial killer. Another tells of a wish gone horribly wrong. Each part is like a puzzle piece, adding to an overall image of what happened to create the danger in the forest that surrounds Greymist Fair and makes it no longer safe to travel even on the road in and out.
I think readers who enjoyed the GILDED duology by Marissa Meyer (reviews coming soon) or dark fairytales like HEARTLESS will love GREYMIST FAIR.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Representation A broad cast of characters. I think one mentions putting a binder on as he gets dressed, so I took that to mean he’s transgender. Some are described as having brown skin.
Profanity/Crude Language Content Mild profanity used very infrequently.
Romance/Sexual Content Kissing between boy and girl. Flirting between two boys.
Spiritual Content Death is a character in the book. There’s also a witch. Innocents who die become Wargs, spirits who cause harm to those who venture into the woods.
Violent Content Situations of peril. A girl discovers the remains of a village boy in the woods outside her village. A girl discovers children chained in the basement of a home and frees them. A man dies after falling into a well. A boy has a rival bound and whipped.
Drug Content Characters drink alcohol as part of a Yule celebration.
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 GREYMIST FAIR in exchange for my honest review.
Read the cult-favorite coming-of-age story that takes a sometimes heartbreaking, often hysterical, and always honest look at high school in all its glory. Now a major motion picture starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a funny, touching, and haunting modern classic.
The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky, Perks follows observant “wallflower” Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.
A years-long #1 New York Times bestseller, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults and Best Book for Reluctant Readers, and with millions of copies in print, this novel for teen readers (or “wallflowers” of more-advanced age) will make you laugh, cry, and perhaps feel nostalgic for those moments when you, too, tiptoed onto the dance floor of life.
My Review
I read this book (last year!) because a friend recommended it, and I’d been curious about it already. I already owned a copy, so it was an easy choice. One of the few things I knew about the book going in was that it’s been challenged or banned a LOT in schools, so I figured there would be some heavy content.
My copy of THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER has editorial reviews on the first page, so those were the first thing I read. Let me just say I have some questions for the person who reviewed this book for the LA Times. This is from the review: “Charlie is such a completely good, pure human being… In this culture where adolescence is a dirty word, I hope nothing bad happens to this kid.”
I’m not sure I read the same book that person did, because like… wow. SO MANY BAD THINGS HAPPENED TO CHARLIE!! It makes me wonder, does this person think those things weren’t so bad? Did this person accidentally skip those scenes or something? Not to spoil the story or anything, but seriously. This is not a light read. It’s a compelling, aching read. I think it lives up to the comparisons to Holden Caulfield in CATCHER IN THE RYE. But I’d never call it light.
Please do not pick up this book thinking you’ll make it to the back cover carrying the hope that nothing bad will happen to Charlie.
So… what did I love about this book? I loved the friendships between Charlie, Sam, and Patrick. I liked the way they were protective of each other and listened to each other. In the relationship between Sam and Charlie especially, I liked the way she challenged him to take action and make choices for himself. I liked that she tried not to judge him as he struggled to figure things out.
Content warning for suicide, rape, sexual abuse, homophobic slurs, graphic violence, alcohol and drug use. Details below.
Recommended for Ages 16 up.
Representation One of Charlie’s best friends, Patrick, is gay.
Profanity/Crude Language Content Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.
Romance/Sexual Content Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two boys. References to sex between two boys. A couple scenes shows making out between a boy and girl without their shirts. In one scene, they touch each other sexually.
One scene shows a boy raping a girl. In another scene, a character remembers being sexually abused as a child. Other scenes reference the fact that a character was sexually abused and that it ruined her life.
There’s a reference late in the book to the sexual abuse of a child, but it’s referred to as a man “fooling around” with the child, which implies that it isn’t criminal or serious, which it is.
Spiritual Content None.
Violent Content A boy hits Charlie’s sister. Charlie beats up a kid at school who was bullying him. A boy’s father walks in on him having sex with another boy and begins hitting him. A boy directs a homophobic slur at another boy. He and his friends beat the boy up. Charlie joins the fight trying to even the odds against his friend.
Early in the book we learn that one of Charlie’s friends committed suicide. He gave Charlie a poem before he died which includes a graphic description of suicide at the end of it.
Drug Content A boy begins using alcohol and drugs daily. Charlie drinks alcohol with his friends, smokes pot, and tries LSD. Sam and Patrick smoke cigarettes, too. Charlie begins smoking cigarettes.
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A rom com about trying to have the summer of your life before everything changes – only to realize change might be exactly what you need…
When Juniper Nash Abreheart kissed Graham Isham for the first time, she had no idea it would nearly be the end of their friendship.
More specifically, she had no idea that the terrible, unforgivable thing she did to keep their summer fling a secret wouldn’t just ruin their friendship, but also Graham’s entire life. Now, months since the fallout, Junie and Graham spend most of their time sidestepping conversational landmines on the journey back to normalcy.
Junie is sure the strangeness between her and Graham is her biggest problem – until her mom hires Tallulah, her boyfriend’s surly teenage daughter, to work at their family café, and then announces they’ll all be moving in together at the end of the summer. The only bright spot ahead is Junie’s dad’s upcoming visit, just in time for her community theater production. And then poor turnout soon threatens that.
But when Junie starts to realize the feelings she swore to take care of last summer have lingered, saving her production and managing her hostile relationship with Tallulah might be the least of her problems. Graham isn’t just off limits – their friendship has been mended to barely withstand a breeze, and the gale force of Junie’s feelings could be just what breaks them.
Samantha Markum’s YOU WOULDN’T DARE is about the risks and triumphs that come with being brave enough to take a chance at what you really want, including love.
My Review
YOU WOULDN’T DARE is set in Florida, on a (made up) island called White Coral Key that’s about four hours from Jacksonville. One side of the island is ocean-facing, and the other is bay-facing, so I’m guessing the island would be either somewhere just south of Tampa on the Gulf side of FL or somewhere around West Palm Beach on the Atlantic coast. Anyway. I live a pretty short drive from both of those places, so it was fun to read about a place so similar to my own hometown.
Besides the beachy summer setting, there’s so much to love about this book. There’s the fun community theater production, which Junie ropes all her friends into helping with. There’s the banter between her and her three best friends, and the simmering tension between her and Graham.
This book literally made me laugh out loud (twice) and cry (also twice). I loved the messages about community, found family, and the bravery it takes to have the relationships you want. I also loved Samantha Markum’s debut, THIS MAY END BADLY, but I might have actually enjoyed this one even more?
If you like friend banter, antics, and summer fun plus angsty friends-to-lovers romance, you do not want to miss this one.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Representation Junie is white. She has a diverse group of friends. One is bisexual. One is biracial, and one is Latine.
Profanity/Crude Language Content Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.
Romance/Sexual Content Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two girls. References to hands up shirts in the kissing sessions between the boy and girl. Vague reference to Junie’s friends having sex.
Spiritual Content None.
Violent Content References to a car accident in which someone was killed. References to characters stung by jellyfish.
Drug Content Junie and her friends drink alcohol at parties. One gets very drunk and sick.
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 YOU WOULDN’T DARE in exchange for my honest review.
