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Review: Seasons of Flesh and Flame by A. G. Howard

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,
Seasons of Flesh and Flame by A. G. Howard

Seasons of Flesh and Flame (Shades of Rust and Ruin #2)
A. G. Howard
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published

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About Seasons of Flesh and Flame

New York Times bestselling author A.G. Howard concludes her dark, compelling YA fantasy series about twins separated by a family curse.

Nix Loring stepped into Mystiquel to face the Goblin King and break her family’s curse. When she found her twin, Lark, held captive for three years and forced to power the magical realm with her imagination, Nix offered herself up in her sister’s place.

Now, Nix wants nothing more than to be home with the people she loves. Instead, she’s tasked to create beauty from a world fallen to desolation. She finds herself drawn to the faerie creatures under her care—and even reluctantly drawn to the Goblin King himself. But how can she rebuild the very realm that tore her family apart?

Back home, her uncle and boyfriend desperately plan a rescue. But Lark, having learned Nix was meant to be the Goblin King’s captive in the first place, resents how her twin stole everything belonging to her during her absence. Worse yet, Lark harbors an unspeakable secret that could destroy what little she has left.

As time draws closer to the rescue, Lark grapples with the darkness growing inside: should she help save her sister, or finally get her revenge?

Set in a gritty, atmospheric world filled with magical creatures, New York Times bestselling author A.G. Howard concludes her thrilling fantasy duology full of romance, twists, and betrayals.

My Review

I love that this series is a duology. When I started reading book one, I thought the series would be a trilogy. Trilogies are great, but a duology is so much more manageable for me to read.

In my review of the first book in the duology, Shades of Rust and Ruin, I noted that I’d expected more romance based on the cover copy, but the tale was more focused on the relationship between the sisters. That focus holds true in this second book, too.

What’s different about Seasons of Flesh and Flame, though, is that it follows both sisters’ perspectives. I loved that. I also liked that Lark, who we only met at the end of the first book, isn’t the benevolent sister we expected based on Nix’s memories of her. She’s got her own agenda and fresh trauma to work through.

The romance subplots (there’s one for each sister) remain very sidelined. There are a few references to how the girls feel for the boys they love, and the end brings resolution to the relationships, but even there, it’s not really the focus.

A lot of the story takes place in the Mystiquel landscape. It’s lush, strange, and capricious. I enjoyed how the events there kept me on my toes.

If you’re looking for a fall read that’s more atmospherically spooky than actually creepy, you might want to give this series a try. There is one element that might be considered body horror that I’ll detail below.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Clarey (love interest) has dark brown skin and a bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA). He also has anxiety and panic attacks. Lark uses a prosthetic hand when her hand disappears.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. A fire burns down a bakery. Some cartoonish creatures attack Nix and her allies. A girl relies on prosthetics when her hand disappears.

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: Masquerade of the Heart by Katy Rose Pool

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

Masquerade of the Heart
Katy Rose Pool
Henry Holt & Co.
Published June 18, 2024

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About Masquerade of the Heart

Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs must deal with the aftermath of her fake romance with one of the most powerful nobles in the illustrious—and deadly—Evergarden society , all while uncovering the mystery behind her mother’s disappearance. This edge-of-your-seat duology finale is perfect for fans of Veronica Mars , These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron .

Caraza sits poised on the edge of chaos. Tensions rise between the Five Families, and trouble brews in the Marshes—and Marlow is at the center of it all. In the tragic aftermath of the Vale-Falcrest wedding, Adrius refuses to speak to her, publicly vowing to find a wife before the year is out. Despite her heartbreak, Marlow is still intent on breaking his curse. To do so, she’ll have to play loving daughter to the man who cast it. But the closer she gets to her father, the more she starts to question if he’s really the villain she’s made him out to be.

Marlow has learned by now that in a city steeped in secrets and lies, not everything is as it seems. As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Marlow must decide who to trust—and how high a price she’s willing to pay for the truth.

“Nothing short of genius .” —Jennifer Lynn Barnes, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Inheritance Games series, on Garden of the Cursed

“A delicious read full of swoony romance .” —Tricia Levenseller, New York Times-bestselling author of Blade of Secrets, on Garden of the Cursed

My Review

I started reading this book immediately after finishing Garden of the Cursed. I really wanted to know how the duology would conclude, so I squeezed in a quick read of this book.

The tension between Marlow and Adrius continues in this book. The first book was only from Marlow’s perspective, but I was delighted when I started reading Masquerade of the Heart and realized it includes both Marlow and Adrius’s perspectives. Since Adrius won’t speak to Marlow in the early parts of the book, this keeps both of them at the center of the story and helps reveal information about the mystery as Adrius and Marlow each discover clues themselves.

There’s a side romance that’s barely hinted at in Garden of the Cursed that I loved seeing develop here. It added a lot to both of the characters involved and strengthened the community around Adrius and Marlow, too.

For the most part, I rocketed through reading this book as quickly as I did the first one. It’s fast-paced and romantic, so I found it easy to keep turning pages and reading more. There are a couple of moments, though, where things happen kind of out of the blue. At one point, Adrius knocks on Marlow’s door and reveals he’s been working on something for her that is never mentioned in any of the earlier scenes from his point of view. In a few pages, unannounced, he resolves a huge plot point in the whole duology.

So there are a few awfully convenient reveals like that, but I was so invested in the story by that point that they didn’t slow me down. Things like that might require a more deliberate suspension of disbelief in other readers, though.

On the whole, I enjoyed the duology, and I’m really glad I was able to read both books back to back. The second really depends on readers having read the first, so definitely read Garden of the Cursed first.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
A couple of the side characters are queer. Race for some characters is ambiguous.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs. Other profanity used fairly infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. In one scene, a character walks in on two people who appear to be in the middle of making out. In another scene, a character walks in on two characters in bed together.

Spiritual Content
References to gods. Cards contain spells or curses and can be activated by saying a magic word.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Characters fight each other with fists and magic. A character uses magic to torture someone, clearly planning to kill them.

Drug Content
Characters drink alcohol.

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

Review: Desert Queen by Jyoti R. Gopal

Biography, Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, Poetry, , , ,

Desert Queen
Jyoti R. Gopal
Illustrated by Svabhu Kohli
Levine Querido
Published January 1, 2024

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About Desert Queen

In a kaleidoscope of desert sands and swirling skirts, Queen Harish takes flight. This picture book biography, spun in vibrant verse by Jyoti Gopal, traces the journey of a beloved Rajasthani drag performer who defied tradition and dazzled the world.

Fueled by an inner fire, young Harish yearns to join the captivating desert dancers, their music pulsing through his veins. But societal constraints paint a narrow path, one that clashes with his vibrant spirit. Through lyrical stanzas and Svabhu Kohli’s evocative art, Harish’s story unfolds, a tapestry woven with resilience and the transformative power of dance.

From village gatherings to Bollywood stages, Queen Harish twirls her way into hearts, leaving a trail of shattered stereotypes and empowering others to embrace their true selves. This is a celebration of courage, finding your inner queen, and dancing to your own rhythm.

My Review

This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen. The artwork is absolutely incredible. Bright colors and patterns fill the pages. Often, a gold or silver line swoops through the image, appearing to wrap around the main character. At intervals, pulse lines create the effect of that gold/silver line winding through the scene like music.

The biography of the beloved performer, Queen Harish, is told in verse lines that have their own strong rhythm. The spare lines are really emotive, drawing readers into the story. I love the way that the writing references the style of music that she performed to, and the patterns and motifs in the images draw inspiration from art in the performer’s hometown.

I really enjoyed reading this book and spent a lot of time studying the incredible illustrations. It’s definitely the kind of book that an art student or someone interested in biographies will want to check out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 14.

Representation
Characters are Indian. The main character becomes a drag performer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
As a young boy, Harish dresses up as Krishna for a school performance.

Violent Content
References to parents dying. One dies from illness and another from grief. References to hateful words and slurs. (None listed in the text.)

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: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

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

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Jesse Andrews
Amulet Books
Published March 1, 2012

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About Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

The New York Times bestselling novel that inspired the hit film!

This is the funniest book you’ll ever read about death.

It is a universally acknowledged truth that high school sucks. But on the first day of his senior year, Greg Gaines thinks he’s figured it out. The answer to the basic existential How is it possible to exist in a place that sucks so bad? His strategy: remain at the periphery at all times. Keep an insanely low profile. Make mediocre films with the one person who is even sort of his friend, Earl.

This plan works for exactly eight hours. Then Greg’s mom forces him to become friends with a girl who has cancer. This brings about the destruction of Greg’s entire life.

Fiercely funny, honest, heart-breaking—this is an unforgettable novel from a bright talent, now also a film that critics are calling “a touchstone for its generation” and “an instant classic.”

My Review

The opening chapters of the book were a little hard for me to read. The main character’s harsh judgments of other students, which lean heavily on stereotypes, are kind of off-putting.

As he tells the story, his unspoken grief is palpable, which drew me into the book. It helped me see some of the hurtful comments as a defense or distraction from the hurt this kid was feeling.

At some level, it’s clear to me reading the book that the author uses at least some of those statements on purpose to help readers understand the immaturity and inexperience of the main character. He’s not a great guy; even he will tell you this. (Especially if you try to say something nice about him.) He didn’t even begin either of his friendships for benevolent reasons.

But he cares how people feel and wants desperately to connect with them. He’s the epitome of an awkward teenage boy. Reading this book instantly transported me back to some of the experiences I had with boys in high school.

The story doesn’t romanticize cancer. It doesn’t even romanticize being a teenager. It scrapes away any tendency toward glorifying a teenager’s experience and looks at a simple, reluctant friendship between awkward kids who aren’t amazing at anything.

In fact, the book doesn’t even center the story of the girl with cancer. She’s not even named in the title. While I wish that the story made more space for Rachel’s experience, the narrative does wrestle with that loss. Greg realizes at one point that he barely knows anything about Rachel and that so much of his time has been spent thinking about himself and his own feelings rather than centering hers.

The story does fall prey to using a girl’s death as a vehicle through which the main character learns. It’s true. I wonder how the story would have been different if the author reversed the roles of Earl and Rachel so that Greg and Rachel made movies together and then befriended Earl after a cancer diagnosis. We’ll never know, as that’s a completely different story.

Misogyny in Young Adult Literature

One of the things I find really hard to read is literature in which boys objectify and dehumanize girls. I grew up in a purity culture world that normalized that kind of behavior, effectively considering girls temptresses and objects of lust. So, reading about boys talking that way can get under my skin really fast.

I don’t want us to treat it as an acceptable part of the teen experience. Girls don’t deserve that.

One of the powerful moments in the story comes from a moment in which Earl, Greg’s best friend, confronts him about the way he treats Rachel and the other people around him. He tells Greg to stop obsessing over people who don’t care about him and start thinking about the people who do. It’s a hard-hitting scene that, in at least some way, addresses Greg’s behavior and challenges him to be a better person. I really appreciated that scene and love that this push forward came from another guy his age.

One of the Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2023

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl was one of the top ten most challenged books of 2023. Among the reasons I saw cited for the challenges and book bans were that it contains profanity and some misogynistic commentary. Some have described it as “pornographic,” which is, frankly, hilarious since there is no nudity or sexual contact throughout the book. There is, admittedly, one very cringy scene in which the characters make jokes about oral sex. I can’t see how that meets the definition of pornography.

There is a lot of profanity in the book. It’s true. There’s a lot of profanity in a lot of young adult literature in general. While I have some personal feelings about this, I don’t think that a few parents get to decide what everyone else’s kids should be allowed to read. I think the author makes a great point in an article for Deadline that kids who haven’t found books that resonate with them may find that a book in which the characters talk the way they talk might help them connect to literature.

Conclusion

If you made it this far, you can tell I’ve got a lot of thoughts and feelings about this book. I liked it more than I expected, despite its flaws. It presents a powerful story of friendship and how human connection, no matter how mundane, makes a difference in our lives.

It’s weird that this book is among the top ten most challenged books of 2023. I can’t imagine that anyone who regularly reads young adult literature would consider the content of this book vastly different from that of many other books on the shelves for teenagers.

Content Notes for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Greg and Rachel are Jewish. Earl is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Lots of profanity. Some crude language.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to sex. Some explicit statements about sex. No sexual contact on scene.

Spiritual Content
Greg references attending Hebrew School with Rachel.

Violent Content
Greg and Earl repeatedly watch a violent movie, but the book doesn’t describe it in any detail. Greg makes some objectifying/misogynistic comments about girls. They’re usually brief. Greg makes some comments using racist stereotypes about other kids at his school. He and another boy make a racist comment about the contents of ethnic food.

Drug Content
Earl smokes cigarettes and is rumored to have used hard drugs before the story began. Greg and Earl accidentally get high when they eat some food they don’t realize has marijuana in it.

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

Review: When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman

Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary
Alice Hoffman
Scholastic Press
Published September 17, 2024

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About When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary

Bestselling author Alice Hoffman delivers a stunning novel about one of contemporary history’s most acclaimed figures, exploring the little-known details of Anne Frank’s life before she went into hiding.

Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl has captivated and inspired readers for decades. Published posthumously by her bereaved father, Anne’s journal, written while she and her family were in hiding during World War II, has become one of the central texts of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust, as well as a work of literary genius.

With the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the Frank family’s life is turned inside out, blow by blow, restriction by restriction. Prejudice, loss, and terror run rampant, and Anne is forced to bear witness as ordinary people become monsters, and children and families are caught up in the inescapable tide of violence.

In the midst of impossible danger, Anne, audacious and creative and fearless, discovers who she truly is. With a wisdom far beyond her years, she becomes a writer who will go on to change the world as we know it.

Critically acclaimed author Alice Hoffman weaves a lyrical and heart-wrenching story of the way the world closes in on the Frank family from the moment the Nazis invade the Netherlands until they are forced into hiding, bringing Anne to bold, vivid life. Based on extensive research and published in cooperation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, When We Flew Away is an extraordinary and moving tour de force.

“Adding new poignance to a story whose ending we already knew, Alice Hoffman has deftly recreated the child Anne Frank with all her wit, mischief, and uncertainties. This fictionalized account of the increasingly desperate years that preceded the famous diary breaks readers’ hearts one more time. But it reminds us of how important it is to remember and honor all that was lost.” — Lois Lowry, Newbery Award-winning author of Number the Stars

My Review

Last year, I read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and a graphic novel adaptation for the first time. I think I’d read the play in school and then saw it performed at a local theatre. None of those other things comes close to reading the diary and the words of Anne Frank herself. Sometimes it’s so easy to believe she’s fourteen/fifteen while writing, and at other times, she writes with so much more maturity and vision than anyone would expect from someone so young.

I heard another author state that one of the most powerful things about Anne Frank’s diary is that we read it knowing how Anne’s story ends. Hoffman brings that sense of reality to this book, though Anne and her family do not know what will happen. A shadow of doom hangs over them despite the sweet memories of ice skating and afternoons with her grandmother or holding hands with a boy.

The writing stays sort of detached from the story. Reading the book, I kept feeling as though I stood on the beginning edge of a story, waiting for it to begin. In some ways, because it imagines what Anne’s daily life may have looked like in the years and months leading up to going into hiding, it is the prologue to the story of her life we are so familiar with.

I liked that the story celebrated Anne’s relationships with her family members. She and her family are under so much stress as she writes the diary. Those hard times and conflicts are preserved in amber and remembered through her diary entries. This novel imagines more nuance and ups and downs in the relationships. I don’t know if those connections are based on research. The book acknowledges Anne’s outspoken manner as well.

I think the book is a lovely tribute to the girl whose diary has changed so many lives. Some readers might find the voice to be a little strange or ethereal. I think Anne Frank fans will want to read this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Anne and her family are Jewish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to a crush between Anne and a boy.

Spiritual Content
References to Jewish holidays.

Violent Content
References to arrests, police violence, and concentration camps. A family member dies of cancer (offscene).

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: Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Lies We Conjure
Sarah Henning
Tor Teen
Published September 17, 2024

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About Lies We Conjure

Knives Out meets The Inheritance Games with magic in this standalone supernatural thriller by Sarah Henning: thirteen witches, a locked-room murder, and two non-magical sisters trapped in a deadly game of Clue

Ruby and her sister, Wren, are normal, middle-class Colorado high school students working a summer job at the local Renaissance Fest to supplement their meager college savings.

So when an eccentric old lady asks them to impersonate her long-absent grandchildren at a fancy dinner party at the jaw-dropping rate of two grand―each―for a single night… Wren insists it’s a no-brainer. Make some cash, have some fun, do a good deed.

But less than an hour into the evening at the mysterious Hegemony Manor, Ruby is sure she must have lost her mind to have agreed to this.

My Review

I’ve really enjoyed everything by Sarah Henning that I’ve read, and Lies We Conjure is no exception. I think it’s the darkest of her books so far, and I’d say ‘Knives Out plus magic’ is a pretty fair description of this one in a nutshell.

I loved the sisters, Wren and Ruby. Wren is impulsive and chipper while Ruby is the more methodical, quieter one. The story alternates between the perspectives of Ruby and Auden, one of the Hegemony cousins and grandson of the magical matriarch. I liked the tension of Ruby and Wren being imposters locked into the estate once the murder takes place.

I kind of expected there to be some hidden magical connection between their family and the other magical families, but that didn’t play out in the way I anticipated, which was fine. They do have a nostalgic connection to the estate.

The story has some great moments between characters and some scenes I didn’t predict at all. I loved the way things were pieced together and how the mystery resolved in the end.

I think reader who enjoy a murder mystery dripping with threatening magic will not be able to put this one down. If you like books by Mary Watson or Deep is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson, definitely check out Lies We Conjure.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Wren and Ruby are white. One of the magical families is BIPOC. One character is nonbinary.

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

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic and are called witches. There are four main types of magic: elemental, blood, star, and death. Death magic is pretty grisly. Blood magic allows someone to control others.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Apparent murder. Descriptions of fatal injuries.

Drug Content
A few characters drink alcohol.

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.