Tag Archives: grief

Review: Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake

September 22, 2023Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18battle, found family, friendship, friendship between girls, goddess, grief, religious order, sisters, warKasey

Champion of Fate (Heromaker #1)
Kendare Blake
Quill Tree Books
Published September 19, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Champion of Fate

Behind every great hero is an Aristene.

Aristene are mythical female warriors, part of a legendary order. Though heroes might be immortalized in stories, it’s the Aristene who guide them to victory. They are the Heromakers.

Ever since she was an orphan taken in by the order, Reed has wanted to be an Aristene. Now, as an initiate, just one challenge stands in her way: she must shepherd her first hero to glory on the battlefield. Succeed, and Reed will take her place beside her sisters. Fail, and she’ll be cast from the only home she’s ever known.

Nothing is going to stop Reed–until she meets her hero. Hestion is fiery and infuriating, but what begins as an alliance becomes more, and as secrets of the order come to light Reed begins to understand what becoming an Aristene may truly cost. Battle looming, she must choose: the order and the life she had planned, or Hestion, and the one she never expected.

My Review

I haven’t read anything by Kendare Blake in a really long time, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I loved the concept. It hints at star-crossed lovers and magic and secrets, all things I love in a book.

And, boy, did it deliver those things. I loved the pacing of the romance between Reed and Hestion. I constantly wanted more for them, but loved every minute of their scenes together. The minor characters are amazing, from Reed’s often-absent mentor to her mentor’s lover and former Aristene to Reed’s fellow initiate. I liked that the order was made up of so many different kinds of women and that made for lots of different kinds of relationships between them. That was pretty cool.

The stakes heightened pretty quickly in the second half of the book especially. I felt like I flew through that last quarter with my breath held, wondering how things were going to turn out.

At the end of it all, I find the only thing I’m disappointed about is having to wait until the next book is released to know what happens next!

I think readers who enjoy epic hero stories– maybe things in the vein of Greek myth retellings or stories about paladins or spiritual warriors– will really enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Reed has tanned skin. Other characters are described as having darker skin. Two women are in a romantic relationship.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two girls. References to sex.

Spiritual Content
Reed and the other members of the Aristenes serve the goddess of glory. Other nations serve other gods. A prophet of all gods was recently murdered. One scene shows a man praying at the temple of the prophet. Reed participates in several rituals as part of her initiation into the Aristenes. One involves drinking blood to receive magic. Another involves drinking water from a well that reveals her path.

Violent Content
Lots of battle scenes and descriptions of battle. A man holds onto the decomposing head of a corpse, using it as a weapon.

Drug Content
Several scenes show celebratory drinking. A few characters get drunk and say or do things they regret later.

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 CHAMPION OF FATE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

September 21, 2023Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18curse, fairytales, fate, friendship, grief, Magic, netgalley, RomanceKasey

The Forest Grimm
Kathryn Purdie
Wednesday Books
Published September 19, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Forest Grimm

Where fairy tales come to life with dark, deadly twists…

“Tell me again, Grandmère, the story of how I die.”

The Midnight Forest. The Fanged Creature. Two fortune-telling cards that spell an untimely death for 17-year-old Clara. Despite the ever-present warning from her fortune-teller grandmother, Clara embarks on a dangerous journey into the deadly Forest Grimm to procure a magical book – Sortes Fortunae, the Book of Fortunes – with the power to reverse the curse on her village and save her mother.

Years ago, when the villagers whispered their deepest desires to the book, its pages revealed how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for an evil purpose―to kill another person. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away, the well water in Grimm’s Hollow turned rancid, and the crops died from disease. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned.

Now, left with no alternative, Clara and her close friend, Axel―who is fated never to be with her―have set their minds to defying fate and daring to accomplish what no one else has been able to before. But the forest―alive with dark, deadly twists on some of our most well-known fairy tales―has a mind of its own.

My Review

One of the things that most intrigued me about this story was the idea of a magical forest filled with twisted versions of well-known fairy tales. I was just talking with someone the other day about how many of the versions we’re most familiar with are very different from the darker original versions. I liked the idea of including references to those darker stories in a new tale.

And that’s one of the elements I enjoyed most about reading this book. I really liked the forest, too. It felt old and dark and filled with deadly magic. The story centers around Clara and her developing relationship with Axel, a plotline that I also followed with interest. I think I would have enjoyed a little bit more focus on Henni’s relationship with Clara. The way the story ends left me hopeful that Henni would be a critical character in a follow-up tale. All I can say to that is, yes, please!

On the whole, I think readers who enjoy reimagined fairy tales or books like THE GREYMIST FAIR by Francesca Zappia will definitely want to give this one a read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Clara describes a back problem as having an S-curve that makes her hips uneven. She wears a special insert in her shoe to help her walk more comfortably.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Clara’s Grandmère uses cards to predict someone’s future. A curse descends on Clara’s town, changing the forest into a dangerous place, isolating the village, and drawing certain villagers into it. In the forest, Clara encounters magic in the form of dark fairytales. She sees a ghost and monsters.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some battle situations between Clara and her allies and residents of the forest.

Drug Content
Hallucinogenic mushrooms cause Clara and her friends to see strange things. (They were tricked into eating them.)

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 THE FOREST GRIMM in exchange for my honest review.

Review: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin Craig

September 20, 2023Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18backlist, dark fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling, friendship, Ghosts, grief, Murder, Romance, sisters, Twelve Dancing PrincessesKasey

House of Salt and Sorrows (Sisters of the Salt #1)
Erin Craig
Delacorte Press
Published August 6, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About House of Salt and Sorrows

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

My Review

I’ve had this book for years. I think I ordered a copy the year it was published, but I only just got around to reading it now that there’s a sequel. Truthfully, I’m glad I waited so long to read it because I would not have been prepared for how creepy/horror-adjacent it is. I think I expected more of a Marissa Meyer fairy tale retelling vibe, and it definitely read as darker than that.

The setting really pulled me in. Annaleigh’s family celebrates holidays and burial traditions anchored to her culture and their worship of Pontus, the god of the sea. The sea itself, the lighthouse, and Annaleigh’s family home all felt very real.

I also liked the mystery element of the story. Annaleigh worries that someone has murdered her sister and chases down every lead she can find searching for the culprit. The sisterly love and the unexpected discoveries that the mystery led her to definitely kept me engaged in the story. I also enjoyed the romance between her and Cassius.

The pacing of the story felt a little uneven to me. Like, a LOT happened in the last fifty pages of the book. Annaleigh learns a lot of new information and faces some pretty intense stuff. Those late chapters also have one of the most intense psychological horror scenes of the whole book.

I found myself wishing a little more of that information had been revealed or at least hinted at earlier on, rather than rushed through at the end. I think the way things played out also muddled some elements of the plot, such as which deaths had unnatural causes versus which didn’t.

All in all, I am glad I finally read it, and there were things about the story I enjoyed. If you enjoy dark fairy tales with a horror element to them, HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS will definitely scratch that itch.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Annaleigh and one of her sisters see ghosts and encounter some haunting experiences. Annaleigh and her family worship the god of the sea, Pontus. Other people from other places worship different gods or goddesses.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Tentacled arms grab a girl in the water. Sketches show girls who’ve died, including details alluding to the manner of their deaths (an obviously broken neck, for example). Several scenes include someone finding people who’ve died. One scene shows a nightmarish party with really gross food and drink served. That scene and another include situations and descriptions that would qualify as psychological horror.

Drug Content
Social drinking, such as champagne at a party. At one party, several men get drunk and say cruel or inappropriate things to women there.

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

Review: Rez Ball by Byron Graves

September 15, 2023Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18basketball, BIPOC, friendship, grief, Indigenous, inspirational, OjibweKasey

Rez Ball
Byron Graves
Heartdrum
Published September 12, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Rez Ball

This compelling debut novel by new talent Byron Graves tells the relatable, high-stakes story of a young athlete determined to play like the hero his Ojibwe community needs him to be. These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.

When Jaxon’s former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him. But stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with.

After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon’s dreams, their story isn’t over yet. This book is published by Heartdrum, an imprint that publishes high-quality, contemporary stories about Indigenous young people in the United States and Canada.

My Review

I like a lot of things about this book. First, Tre and his family were super easy to root for. I liked the closeness between them and could really feel the gaping hole that is their grief over Tre’s brother Jaxon’s death. Tre’s friends also make up a tight-knit community whose interactions seemed really natural and believable.

I was a little bit confused by the subplot about Tre’s love life, though. The opening of the book is very basketball-focused and then there’s a long interlude where he seems very focused on a girl, and then he’s back to focusing on basketball for the rest of the book. It felt a little bit uneven, and because of that part with the focus on the possible relationship, I think I expected there to be more of a romance subplot through the rest of the book.

On the whole, though, I enjoyed the way Tre’s experience on the team changed him and impacted his whole community. I wish there had been a deeper dive into his grief and the way that playing basketball made him feel closer to his brother and possibly helped his family to heal from that loss. It’s there, but I would have liked to see that get more time in the spotlight of the story.

I found the book to be an easy read and an inspiring one. I think readers who enjoy books about sports or are looking for inclusive stories about overcoming adversity will find lots to love here.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Main characters are Indigenous Ojibwe tribe members.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Brief references to traditional rituals before basketball games. Tre’s mom encourages him to make an offering and pray to the Creator when he’s having a hard time.

Violent Content
Two boys get into a fistfight when one of them is drunk.

Drug Content
Several scenes show teens drinking alcohol. Two boys get suspended from the basketball team for drinking. One boy asks the team to commit to sobriety at least through the rest of the season after learning about another team who lost because they’d been hungover during a game.

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 REZ BALL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Between Monsters and Marvels by Alysa Wishingrad

September 13, 2023Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12friendship, grief, lost father, Magic, monsters, Murder, netgalley, Strong Heroine, trustKasey

Between Monsters and Marvels
Alysa Wishingrad
HarperCollins
Published September 12, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Monsters and Marvels

In the next standalone high-stakes middle-grade fantasy by Alysa Wishingrad, the author of the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection The Verdigris Pawn, a misunderstood young girl named Dare is shipped to the mainland from her tiny island and uncovers startling secrets behind her father’s death, the island itself, and the monsters that lend its lore.

Monsters are still lurking on Barrow’s Bay.

Dare Coates is sure of it. No drifter or ruffian could have killed her father, the Captain of the Guard, while he was on patrol. But everyone insists that monsters have been gone for years now. Dare’s mother. Her classmates. Even the governor, who swiftly marries her mother just months after her father’s death.
Dare’s suspicions grow even stronger when the governor suddenly ships her off to the mainland, away from any hope of uncovering the truth about her father’s death.

Or so she thinks. But when Dare finds solid proof that monsters still exist she starts to question everything she’s always known. Was her father who she thought he was? Who can she trust? Where is the line between good and evil?

The truth hides behind danger and deception.

But with the help of an unlikely crew of cohorts and a stray beastie, nothing can stop Dare from finding out what happened to her father and exposing who the real monsters are.

My Review

This is the first book by Alysa Wishingrad that I’ve read. I’d heard of THE VERDIGRIS PAWN, and I think it was one of those books that I kept seeing other reviewers talking about, but I haven’t read it yet. The themes in this story about truth and deception and puzzling out who to trust in an unpredictable world drew me straight into this book.

I loved the way Dare wrestles with distrust and loneliness. Sometimes her loneliness pushes her to be open with someone, even if it’s simply to keep the conversation going and keep her loneliness at bay a little longer. She quickly learns that not everyone who appears friendly actually is, and some have dark motives hidden under layers of lies.

I liked the way the fantasy world of Barrows Bay and City-on-the-Pike came together. It’s a world of monsters, secrets, and illusions. Every time Dare thinks she has things figured out, she peels back a new layer and has to reevaluate based on what’s underneath.

I found her loneliness to be really easy to connect with. She is odd and something of an outcast, and that’s captured so well in the story. Anyone who has ever felt excluded by peers or as though they’re out of place in their own family will be able to connect with Dare. That loneliness also makes it a real celebration when Dare forges true friendships and sees the fruit of those connections in the story.

All in all, this is one I want for my family library. It’s whimsical and fun but also packed with a lot of heart. It’s an authentic story of friendship.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white or white-passing.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Dare believes monsters with strange abilities still exist.

Violent Content
Reference to animal abuse (not shown on scene). Situations of peril. Some brief battle scenes. A brief description of Dare’s father’s death. She learns he was beheaded.

Drug Content
List.

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 BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS in exchange for my honest review.

Best Young Adult Books I Read From Summer 2023

September 5, 2023Blogger's Favorites, Lists, News and Fun, Young Adult/Teen 12-18Fantasy, Favorites, friendship, graphic memoir, graphic novel, grief, Romance, sisters, summer 2023, suspenseKasey

At the start of the summer, I had all these grand plans of lists to share and updates to post… and then reality hit like a stack of overdue library books. Don’t get me wrong– I had a great summer, but it was a much busier summer than I predicted. Between family responsibilities, work, and my out-of-control review calendar (Yep, I’m still struggling to say yes to fewer books. It was much easier before I knew so many irresistible books were coming out!), most of my glorious plans went out the window.

Now that school is back in session, I’m ready to catch up a bit on things I missed. One such thing was a most-anticipated summer release post. Obviously, now that summer is done, I’ve read my summer books. The good news is that instead of telling you about books I haven’t read yet that might be amazing, I’m here to talk about the books that lived up to my anticipation. Here are 24 of the best young adult books I read from summer 2023.

Best Young Adult Books I Read From Summer 2023

Andy and the Extroverts by Jessica K. Foster

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Concerned about Andy’s isolation and refusal to make new friends, her parents force her to attend leadership camp. There, Andy must navigate actual outdoor activities and enthusiastic camp counselors… without her morning coffee. This delivered all the fun summer camp vibes I was looking for.

Published: May 16, 2023 | My Review

Limitless Roads Café by Samantha Picaro

Amazon | Goodreads

What you need to know: When the café where Kinsey works faces permanent closure, she reluctantly teams up with her former best friend and the girl who landed a prized internship in order to plan a fundraiser to keep the café’s doors open. A main character with autism by an author with autism. I loved the commentary on ableism and the centering of multiple characters with disabilities. Great summer job vibes.

Published: May 30, 2023 | My Review

Always Isn’t Forever by J. C. Cervantes

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: After the tragic loss of her perfect boyfriend, Hart, Ruby can’t figure out how to move on. When a cosmic mix-up leaves Hart’s soul trapped inside the body of the school bully, he’s determined to find a way to convince Ruby to give him another chance. The cover copy compared this one to YOU’VE REACHED SAM by Dustin Thao. A sweet second-chance-at-love story.

Published: June 6, 2023 | My Review

Borrow My Heart by Kasie West

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: When Wren overhears a boy being bullied for getting catfished, she decides to pretend to be the girl he was supposed to meet. Fake dating, secrets, summer romance, dogs… what’s not to love in Kasie West’s latest novel?

Published: June 13, 2023 | My Review

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Torn between spending the summer in NYC with her dad or in LA with her mom, Natalya lives out both lives and summer romances in alternating chapters in the book. A SLIDING DOORS rom-com perfect for a poolside afternoon.

Published: June 13, 2023 | My Review

Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: An overworked baker’s apprentice with an outdated magical skill, a bounty hunter with a perfect memory for details, a troll with zero patience for nonsense, and a prince known for his well-intentioned follies embark on a quest to unmask a plot against the crown. Something about this book gave me THE PRINCESS BRIDE vibes in the best way. My top favorite book of the summer!

Published: June 13, 2023 | My Review

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: At a theme park celebrating slasher films, a true killer strikes, leaving Charity and her friends scrambling to escape before the killer strikes again. Honestly, is there anything Kalynn Bayron can’t write? I ate this one up in one sitting.

Published: June 20, 2023 | My Review

Ode to My First Car by Robin Gow

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: After Claire totals her first car, she feels adrift. In letters to her car, she shares her blossoming feelings for her best friend and her quest for romance and autonomy from her watchful parents. A powerful novel in verse.

Published: June 20, 2023 | My Review

The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A missing sister returns, but her behavior is… odd. Casey can’t figure out if Sutton is playing a game or truly processing trauma. Unraveling her sister’s secrets takes Casey on a journey into a darkness she may not be ready to face. A brilliant debut on sisterhood, family connections, and power. Another summer favorite for me.

Published: June 27, 2023 | My Review

Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story by Sarah Myer

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A Korean-American girl adopted by white parents faces bullying and racism growing up in a mostly white, rural Maryland town. Evocative illustrations and honest storytelling make this one a must-read.

Published: June 27, 2023 | My Review

Manslaughter Park by Tirzah Price

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A queer retelling of MANSFIELD PARK by Jane Austen wrapped inside a murder mystery. This is my second read from this series, and it was such a blast to read.

Published: June 27, 2023 | My Review

A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A reincarnated god tasked with saving her people, a pilot filling the void of familial rejection with dangerous missions, and a podcast celebrity who’ll do anything to speak truth to power embark on a quest to save the universe from total destruction. Dow’s writing is always immersive, and her stories engaging. This one is no exception!

Published: July 11, 2023 | My Review

Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Summer camp for Deaf and blind campers and a sweet romance. I loved getting immersed in Deaf culture and Lilah’s journey of self-acceptance. Perfect summer camp romance vibes.

Published: July 11, 2023 | My Review

A Warning About Swans by R. M. Romero

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: SWAN LAKE meets THE LAST UNICORN by way of the Brothers Grimm. A girl with a cloak that transforms her into a swan who must guide spirits to their resting place. A boy who will use her power to make dreams real. An artist who paints truths no one else can see. A lush, fantastic novel in verse by the author of THE GHOSTS OF ROSE HILL.

Published: July 11, 2023 | My Review

All That’s Left to Say by Emery Lord

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Leave it to Emery Lord to write a book that turned me inside out emotionally and kept me coming back to every page for more. Powerful, raw, and honest. Have your tissues ready.

Published: July 18, 2023 | My Review

Clementine and Danny Save the World (And Each Other) by Livia Blackburne

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A teen blog writer and a boy trying to save his family’s tea shop. Rivals to lovers romance. This one pretty much had me at “You’ve Got Mail with a YA twist.”

Published: July 18, 2023 | My Review

All Alone with You by Amelia Diane Coombs

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A grumpy-sunshine/rivals-to-lovers story packed with great lines and a salty mentor character. This was one of the most fun books I read this summer.

Published: July 25, 2023 | My Review

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl enters a strange, elite competition that promises to grant the winner the life of her dreams. Creepy, eerie, and filled with rock-solid writing.

Published: July 25, 2023 | My Review

House of Roots and Ruin (Sisters of the Salt #2) by Erin A. Craig

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The youngest sister from HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS leads this perilous journey to an estate tangled with dangerous, disturbing secrets and a slowly blossoming tale of first love. I liked this one better than the first book in the series.

Published: July 25, 2023 | My Review

The Reunion by Kit Frick

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Four teens gather in a family reunion at a Mexican resort. One of them will not make it home afterward. Filled with secrets and lies, this one kept me on my toes until the very last page.