Tag Archives: grief

Review: Postscript by Cory McCarthy

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Postscript by Cory McCarthy

Postscript
Cory McCarthy
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Published February 17, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Postscript

From Stonewall Honoree Cory McCarthy, a heartbreaking, joyful, read-it-in-one-sitting YA novel about the last of us.

“I’m not sure the how-pocalypse changes anything. I don’t think about it; this is hard enough.”

This is a depopulated archipelago off the coast of Massachusetts, home to a tiny handful of sapiens sifting the remnants of civilization for scraps of comfort and joy. 

There’s no sense in trying to figure out exactly how humans got to this place of endless gray skies and so many mass graves—that’s a very long letter no one has the heart to read again. What matters is this fleeting postscript, a strangely joyous house of bones built by an unlikely quintet of survivors.

My Review

I haven’t read a book by Cory McCarthy in a while, but as I started reading this one, I immediately remembered why I love their work so much. They have this incredible ability to summarize so much in a few cleverly chosen words. I kept having to stop and marvel at the writing.

The book isn’t all that long, and the story feels lean, but in a really good way. It’s almost like the story cuts right to the heart of what’s happening with each character, which feels right in an apocalyptic story.

The characters, like the setting, are a little strange. You can feel the marks the trauma they’ve faced has left behind on them. Despite the grim landscape, the story is filled with these unexpected bursts of joy, from someone meeting a dog to falling in love for the first time. There’s also raw, messy grief and misunderstandings. For a short book, this story captures a lot!

While the unusual topic and tone of this story probably won’t appeal to everyone, I think fans of Before Takeoff by Adi Alsaid or They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran will really enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief descriptions of sex. Reference to sex work.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to human trafficking. Suicide (not shown on page). References to death. Death of a loved one.

Drug Content
One character 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: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

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Legendborn (The Legendborn Cycle #1)
Tracy Deonn
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published September 15, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Legendborn

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so-called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

My Review

This series has been on my reading list for a long time, but I finally made the time to read Legendborn this year. I’d heard great things about it, so I was excited to get straight into the story.

Right away, I loved Bree. She’s still processing her mom’s sudden death, which happened right before the story began. All the way through the story, she’s driven by this yearning to connect to her mom, to understand what happened, and why. I found that intensely relatable.

The magical world that she infiltrates is deeply ritualistic and tradition-centric, and very white, as you might expect from something based on King Arthur and his knights. I loved the way that Tracy Deonn unapologetically relates Bree’s experience as a Black girl in those spaces. Connecting that history down through the American colonies and the Confederacy, all the way to Bree’s present, gave the story a rich, sometimes painful, context.

I also love the character arcs between Bree, Nick, and Selwyn. I think I know where the story is headed, and I love that the shifts in the relationships feel natural and experiential. I’m so eager to read more of this series. All the praise I’ve heard has been well-deserved.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Several different branches of magical ability exist and are conducted in different ways. One group borrows power from ancestors, repaying it with their own energy or sacrifices. Another group steals power from elsewhere, accruing a debt that will someday come due.

A line of magic wielders descended from King Arthur and his knights continues to use magic to fight demons who slip through gates from other worlds.

Violent Content
Brief racist statements and microaggressions. References to a car accident that killed Bree’s mom. (Happens off scene.) Situations of peril. Battles against creatures called demons made of dark magic from another world. References to assault (not shown on scene).

Drug Content
References to drinking alcohol at formal social gatherings.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own.

Review: Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout

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Song of a Blackbird
Maria van Lieshout
First Second
Published January 21, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Song of a Blackbird

Fictionalized but based on true events, Song of a Blackbird has two intertwined timelines: one is a modern-day family drama, the other a thrilling tale of a WWII-era bank heist carried out by Dutch resistance fighters.

In the present day, teenage Annick is desperate to find a bone marrow donor that could save the life of her grandmother, Johanna. She turns to her family history and discovers a photograph taken by Emma Bergsma.

Decades earlier, Emma is a young art student about to be drawn into what will become the biggest bank heist in European history: swapping 50 Million Guilders’ worth of forged bank notes for real ones―right under the noses of the Nazis! Emma’s life―and the lives of thousands, including a young woman named Johanna―hangs in the balance.

In this stranger-than-fiction graphic novel, Maria van Lieshout weaves a tale about family, courage, and the power of art. Deeply personal yet universal, Song of a Blackbird sheds light on an untold WWII story and sends a powerful message about compassion and resistance.

My Review

I love that the narrator of the book is a blackbird representing the spirit of resilience and the power of compassion. The scenes alternate between two timelines: 1943 and 2011. In 1943, we follow Emma, a young woman who has just joined the Dutch resistance and agrees to help hide Jewish children scheduled for deportation. She winds up helping print forged ration cards and bank certificates as part of a heist plot.

In 2011, we follow a teenage girl whose grandmother has just learned she was one of the children hidden in Amsterdam and adopted by a non-Jewish family. Oma has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant, which makes it crucial that Annick, her granddaughter, help to track down her biological family.

Annick follows clues in a series of prints on her grandmother’s walls. Each section of the book begins with one of those prints and shows Annick’s research, as well as Emma, the artist who created the prints, and her work to hide Annick’s grandmother aid the resistance movement.

The use of the prints and the presence of artists in both time periods emphasize the importance of art as resistance and the powerful impact it has on its creator and viewers. Emma’s prints tell the story of her work, ensuring that history isn’t forgotten.

The illustrations are in grayscale except for a reddish-orange color. I love the way the author uses that orange to draw attention to certain elements. It also reminds me of sunrise, which made the color seem like a symbol of hope and resistance in and of itself.

The back of the book has some historical notes about each person who inspired characters in this graphic novel. Photographs of each person appear there, but Lieshout has also strategically placed photographs throughout the scenes of the book.

Concusion

I’m really blown away by how powerful this story is. I wasn’t sure I’d like the bird narration, but I really ended up loving it. The notes that piece together the truths that inspired the story are such a great addition. This is a story I’m not going to forget.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Allusion to the attraction between two people. One panel shows two teenagers kissing.

Spiritual Content
A priest helps hide several Jewish boys in his church.

Violent Content
References to deportations and rumors of execution at concentration camps. Mass arrests. Resistance workers know they can be arrested and interrogated or tortured. A man temporarily escapes soldiers, but has a gunshot wound that leaves his legs paralyzed. One scene shows a group of men (resistance members) executed by firing squad.

Drug Content
Panels show adults smoking and drinking alcohol in some scenes.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library. All opinions are my own.

Review: As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

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As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow
Zoulfa Katou
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published September 13, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow

A love letter to Syria and its people, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is a speculative novel set amid the Syrian Revolution, burning with the fires of hope, love, and possibility. Perfect for fans of The Book Thief and Salt to the Sea.

Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her older brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life. 

Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe. 

But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.  
 
Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.

My Review

It was hard for me to read some of the chapters in the book because they detail an up-close look at the revolution in Syria. It’s intense, with Salama fearing for her life at every turn and dealing with the ongoing trauma of the losses she’s experienced and the flow of patients visiting the hospital after being wounded by the warfare.

Salama lives in fear of what will happen to her family members and herself. Every time she leaves her apartment, she faces the possibility of death. She sees so many children harmed by the war. Khawf may be the product of her fear and trauma, but he is as cruel as her circumstances. He forces her to relive her losses, threatening to torment her with more vivid hallucinations if she doesn’t take steps to leave the country.

Meeting Kenan brings some brightness to her life. The two share a sweet romance, one that respects the customs and values of their culture, and shows their deep feeling for one another. They bond over a shared love for Studio Ghibli films and their dreams of writing stories or animating films.

The contrast between the lightness of their relationship and the heaviness of life in war-torn Homs really stood out in this story. Salama feels so torn between needing to help her people and yet still longing for joy and wanting to craft a life with a future for herself. It was easy to feel every emotion she experienced through the writing and descriptions.

Conclusion

I’m so glad I read this book, even though some parts made me uncomfortable. It was good to sit with the reminder of how ugly war is and the high cost for the civilians living in a war-torn area. I recommend the book for readers interested in stories about Syria and the Middle East. It’s also a great choice for anyone interested in YA with a protagonist with medical expertise.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
References to Islamic prayers and holidays.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to rape and torture. (Not shown on scene.) Salama relives fractured memories of her loved ones’ deaths. Salama helps treat civilians (including children) who are victims of bombing, sniper attacks, and chemical warfare. A soldier executes a child and mother. Soldiers repeatedly hit someone and start to assault a young woman. (Someone stops this from happening.)

Drug Content
None.

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

MMGM Review: The Big Bad Wolf Murder by P. G. Bell

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The Big Bad Wolf Murder
P. G. Bell
Feiwel & Friends
Published January 20, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Big Bad Wolf Murder

A girl accused of killing a famous wolf must solve his murder while on the run, in this twist on Little Red Riding Hood!

At twelve years old, Ruby Calvino is the youngest human player in the Tooth & Claw championships. It’s her fast legs and even faster mind that leaves her as the last player left during the final game, and she’s ready to claim victory. But when the undefeated Alarick— the wolf player hunting her— is finally upon her, he…drops dead?

With poison found in Ruby’s bag, all fingers (and paws!) point to her. Desperate to prove her innocence, she teams up with a young wolf accused of helping her commit the crime. But figuring out who killed Alarick certainly won’t be easy while on the run from cops and another vicious wolf.

Luckily, Ruby’s Tooth & Claw training just might come in handy!

My Review

This is the first I’ve read of P. G. Bell’s books, but I will absolutely read more. I loved this mystery-laced twist on Little Red Riding Hood and the game the characters compete in during the book. The Tooth & Claw Championship is a little bit like capture the flag. One team’s goal is to cross the field without being captured and to raise their flags, while the other team (made up of anthropomorphic wolves) wins by capturing all players. Alarick’s murder interrupts Ruby’s team’s potential championship win.

The elements of the championship and the game were easy to understand and very well integrated into the story. In order to track down Alarick’s murderer, Ruby even had to use some of her best Tooth & Claw moves. I also enjoyed Ruby and Fillan as a team. They have very different backgrounds and personalities, and it takes them some time to learn to trust one another. Once they do, though, they make a powerful team.

At 224 pages, this fast-paced story is easy to read. Give this to readers who enjoyed The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter or who enjoy stories where fantasy and sports themes or mysteries intersect.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Ruby witnesses a wolf dying from poisoning. A wolf bites a girl in an attempted robbery. A wolf hunts Ruby and Fillan, clearly intending to kill them. Ruby and Fillan face other potentially fatal threats.

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 with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

Review: I, in the Shadows by Tori Bovalino

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

I, in the Shadows
Tori Bovalino
Page Street
Published January 13, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About I, in the Shadows

Liam has been dead for ten months, haunting the house he used to share with his family, and facing intermittent and terrifying encounters with an eldritch entity called The Beast, who seems determined to consume his soul. Besides that complication in Liam’s new existence, he’s actually adjusted well enough to boredom. But all of that changes when a new family moves in and Liam finds himself sharing a room with Drew Tarpin, who is all of the things Liam never was when he was athletic, queer, and effortlessly cool.

Except, Liam and Drew do have something in their hopeless attraction to Hannah Steward, the nerdy captain of the school mock trial team. After Drew stands in to protect Liam from the Beast, he agrees to help her win Hannah over if Drew keeps Liam from spending the entirety of his afterlife as demon food. It shouldn’t be hard, since Liam was in unrequited love with Hannah for his entire natural life, and her best friend until his untimely death. But the Beast will not be satisfied no matter how much Drew fights back on Liam’s behalf—and when Hannah catches on that Liam might not be totally gone, it puts all of their lives at risk.

My Review

I kept seeing books by Tori Bovalino around, so I’ve been wanting to read one, and I’m excited that I finally did.

The ghostly parts of this story follow a pretty well-traveled path. Drew can see ghosts, and so can other family members. Her sibling has been a lot more involved in helping ghosts move on. Usually, Drew steers clear of ghost work, but she’s now the only child at home, and the ghost lingering in the house is attracting dangerous creatures.

Once she agrees to help the ghost, Liam, move on, she becomes entangled in Liam’s old friend group. The group felt like a cohesive unit, and Drew’s experience hanging out with them reminded me of similar experiences I’ve had as an outsider with a group like that, so I thought it was pretty realistic.

I also liked the slow development of Drew’s feelings for Hannah. Drew’s promise to help Liam move on quickly complicates Drew’s possible relationship with Hannah. I liked that the feelings didn’t trump the mistakes made. I thought Bovalino did a nice job making space to address the conflicts.

Readers who enjoy stories about ghosts and falling in love will definitely want to check out this supernatural mystery-slash-romance.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Someone shares their romantic (unreciprocated) feelings with a friend. A girl describes feeling pressured to have a romantic relationship with a boy because of a loss they share and his strong feelings for her.

Spiritual Content
Drew and a few other family members can see and interact with ghosts. They’re supposed to help ghosts move on to the afterlife. If ghosts linger in this world too long, they become husks, hollowed-out, hungry, ghostly creatures with no memories of their previous existence. An octopus or spider-like creature made of shadows appears to devour husks. Husks and this shadowy creature can harm living things, too.

Violent Content
References to a car accident that killed a teenage boy. Journal entries reference the death of another family member.

Drug Content
References to drug addiction. (Not shown on the page.) References to a party where teens drank alcohol that happened before the story began. Teens drink alcohol at a party.

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.