Tag Archives: grief

Review: Swimming in a Sea of Stars by Julie Wright

By | | , ,
Comments Off on Review: Swimming in a Sea of Stars by Julie Wright

Swimming in a Sea of Stars by Julie Wright cover shows a whited out/glowing image of a girl who appears to be underwater, reaching for a small star above her. Her legs are kicked out behind and below her.

Swimming in a Sea of Stars
Julie Wright
Shadow Mountain Publishing
Published August 1, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Swimming in a Sea of Stars

Journal entry: Heading to school. I know what everyone will say. There goes the girl who tried to kill herself.

Addison is no stranger to feeling stressed, insecure, and sad. Her therapist recommended she keep a journal to help her understand those feelings better, which she really needs today. … Continue reading →

The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter

By | | , ,
Comments Off on The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter

The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter

The Great Texas Dragon Race
Kacy Ritter
Clarion Books
Published August 1, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Great Texas Dragon Race

Wings of Fire meets The Hunger Games in this debut contemporary middle grade fantasy stand-alone about thirteen-year-old Cassidy Drake, who enters the dangerous Great Texas Dragon Race to save her family’s dragon sanctuary.

Thirteen-year-old Cassidy Drake wants nothing more than to race with her best dragon, Ranga, in the annual Great Texas Dragon Race. Her mother was a racing legacy, and growing up on her family’s dragon sanctuary ranch, Cassidy lives and breathes dragons. She knows she could win against the exploitative FireCorp team that cares more … Continue reading →

Review: Rana Joon and the One and Only Now by Shideh Etaat

By | | , , ,
Comments Off on Review: Rana Joon and the One and Only Now by Shideh Etaat

Rana Joon and the One and Only Now by Shideh Etaat cover shows a girl in jeans and high tops sitting on the ground, holding a discman and listening to headphones.

Rana Joon and the One and Only Now
Shideh Etaat
Atheneum Books
Published July 25, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Rana Joon and the One and Only Now

This lyrical coming-of-age novel for fans of Darius the Great Is Not Okay and On the Come Up, set in southern California in 1996, follows a teen who wants to honor her deceased friend’s legacy by entering a rap contest.

Perfect Iranian girls are straight-A students, always polite, and grow up to marry respectable Iranian … Continue reading →

Review: All That’s Left to Say by Emery Lord

By | | , , ,
Comments Off on Review: All That’s Left to Say by Emery Lord

All That's Left to Say by Emory Lord

All That’s Left to Say
Emery Lord
Bloomsbury YA
Published July 18, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About All That’s Left to Say

A poignant and powerful story of a grieving girl willing to risk everything, perfect for fans of Robin Benway and Jandy Nelson.

On prom night, Hannah MacLaren sits in the headmaster’s office in her fanciest dress, soaked to the bone. She is in huge trouble after pulling the fire alarm right as the prom queen was about to be crowned. But Hannah had her reasons . . .

One year ago, her cousin Sophie, who was … Continue reading →

Review: A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

By | |
Comments Off on 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

By | | , , ,
Comments Off on 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 →