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Review: Cursed Ever After by Andy C. Naranjo

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Cursed Ever After by Andy C. Naranjo

Cursed Ever After
Andy C. Naranjo
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Published June 30, 2026

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About Cursed Ever After

Cursed Ever After is a dazzling romantic fantasy debut brimming with snark, humor, and banter-filled romance perfect for fans of The Princess Bride and Once Upon a Broken Heart.

Love is not for cursed girls. Risa is better off without it.

Risa Porto is a Bad Thing born on a Bad Day and cursed with Bad Luck. After years of taking the blame for every calamity, mishap, and minor inconvenience that befalls the townspeople of Barrow, she longs for escape. And on her seventeenth birthday, her wish is granted.

Sort of.

Risa owes a (very annoying) witch a favor, and it comes in the form of a quest: escort Prince Javi―the youngest, handsomest, and least significant prince―through the dark (and deadly) Bosque to his wedding. This measly errand quickly spirals into a struggle against greedy assassins, a murderous cult, a vicious tyrant―and Risa’s own curse.

Most unfortunate of all…

She is not immune to Javi’s charms and has a highly irritating urge to kiss the prince. Though, surviving the darkest corners of the Bosque is only the beginning. If Risa is to hold up her end of a witch’s bargain, she’ll need a lot more than luck on her side to untangle the web of lies threatening the kingdom. Is Risa willing to pay the price of happily ever after? What if the only person she’s meant to save is herself?

Don’t miss this action-packed, Latinx subverted fairytale!

My Review

I had so much fun reading this book. While it might be a stretch to compare the story to The Princess Bride, I absolutely see the comparison to Once Upon a Broken Heart. It’s got more humor and lightness than Once Upon a Broken Heart, but the characters carry the same sense of approaching doom throughout the story.

While some of the revelations in the story didn’t come as a surprise to me, I had a great time reading the story start to finish. The narrative is a bit playful, gently poking fun at fairytale tropes. Risa and Javi banter back and forth almost constantly, which never got old to me. I loved her pragmatic personality and his starry-eyed dreaminess.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted, engaging romp through a fantasy story world, definitely grab this book. I suspect this one will be on my list of favorites for the year.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Infrequent use of profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic and cast or undo curses.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Attempted kidnapping. One scene shows guards murdered by assassins.

Drug Content
One character is given an intoxicating substance.

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: Guardians of Dawn: Suhwa by S. Jae-Jones

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Guardians of Dawn: Suhwa (Guardians of Dawn #4)
S. Jae-Jones
Wednesday Books
Published August 18, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Guardians of Dawn: Suhwa

The final entry in the Guardians of Dawn series.

Min Suhwa has always longed to see the greater world outside the small, cloistered convent in which she was raised. Hidden there for her safety when she was a small child, Suhwa has learned to keep her unusual illusion magic to herself, but when the Bangtan Brothers come to town to perform, she can’t resist the chance to go see them for herself.

But the world outside her convent is dangerous―the Morning Realms have fallen to civil war, and Huntsmen prowl the land in search of magicians and the fabled Guardians of Dawn, legendary elemental warriors with incredible powers. When Suhwa’s illusion magic brings her afoul of one of the Huntsmen, she must flee for her life.

Meanwhile, the Guardians of Dawn and their allies are fighting a war on two fronts―against the northern insurrection seeking to claim the Sunburst Throne and destroy all magicians, and against the rising threat of the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons. Zhara, Ami, and Yuli must travel to the Azure Isles to seek the Guardian of Water and save the Morning Realms from annihilation, restoring balance to order and chaos once and for all.

My Review

I really enjoyed how the author weaves familiar fairy-tale stories into each book in this series, and this final installment is no exception. She pulls elements of the Snow White tale into the book nicely. I also like the entirely new elements, like Suhwa’s two animal companions.

This book introduces Suhwa, the fourth guardian, while still following the guardians who were introduced earlier in the series. So much happens in this book, too. Not only do we meet Suhwa and follow her awakening to her role as a guardian, but the group gears up for a final battle with the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons.

The large cast makes this a great series to binge-read. I could see that being a really enjoyable way to experience the series and get a better feel for the overarching story of some of the more minor characters who appear throughout the books.

I also like that this series is accessible for readers at the younger end of the young adult market. This would make a good series to give readers interested in fantasy stories who are transitioning out of middle grade books.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Some characters can do magic. Characters must stop the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons from releasing demons and destroying the world. Characters battle demons, monsters, and spirits inspired by Korean and East Asian folklore and mythology.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief battle violence.

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: Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen

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Change of Plans
Sarah Dessen
Simon & Schuster
Published May 5, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Change of Plans

From acclaimed and #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen comes a “sweet, nuanced, and reflective coming-of-age love story” ( Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about an unassuming girl who learns to stand on her own while falling in love during a life-changing summer.

Finley has always felt most comfortable in someone else’s shadow. Fortunately, she’s got Colin, her magnetic boyfriend, who sweeps her along for activities, friendships, and future plans. Then she goes on a last-minute trip with her distant mom to a family vacation house that Finley didn’t know existed and is now about to be sold.

Her mom was estranged from her own parents and siblings since leaving home for college, and it’s a novelty for Finley to see her aunts and cousins. There’s also the handful of teens who work at the Egg, her aunt’s diner, and make up a found family of their own—including undeniably handsome guitarist Ben.

Then her relationship with Colin goes into freefall, and Finley’s roadmap for life after high school is gone. She has no choice but to live, for the first time, without plans. The longer Finley stays, the closer she gets to the truth about why her mother stayed away—and why she’s brought Finley here now.

And the closer she grows to new friends at the Egg, the more she starts to fall for charmingly awkward, soulful Ben and to realize how much of herself she’s been missing. By the end of the summer, nothing will be the same—for this community or for Finley herself.

My Review

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Sarah Dessen book, but this one took me right back to all the reasons I’ve loved them. Finley begins the story in desperate need of a shake-up. Though her relationship with Colin is sweet, it’s clear she’s clinging to him as much for the security and stability the relationship brings as her feelings for him. The unexpected trip with her mom forces Finley to reevaluate all her careful plans. For the first time in a long time (maybe ever), she makes new friends and makes new choices. From forging connections with estranged family members she barely knew to committing to a summer job and exploring the possibility of a new romance, Finley explores a lot of new things and what each means to her.

I love the balance of introspection to adventure in this book. Finley does a lot of soul-searching, but she also engages in what’s happening around her. As a former restaurant worker, I totally appreciated the scenes describing restaurant work. Those scenes capture the rush and chaos of food service and the way that you bond with coworkers in those roles.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It makes me want to go back and reread some of the other titles by Sarah Dessen that I’ve read in the past and try out the ones I missed. (Looking at you, Saint Anything, still sitting neglected on my shelf.)

While it’s probably too late to make this one a 2026 summer read, I think it’s a perfect summer nostalgia book to pick up as we head into the fall.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few instances of strong profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to an unsafe home life for one character. Nothing happens on scene. One character behaves (off-scene) in increasingly erratic and worrisome ways. One character learns that their parent is facing a serious illness.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol at home and at a party. Reference to one character’s parent being 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.

MMGM Review: When You’re Brave Enough by Rebecca Bendheim

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When You’re Brave Enough
Rebecca Bendheim
Viking Books for Young Readers
Published April 7, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About When You’re Brave Enough

A heartfelt, gorgeously written debut middle grade novel about best friends, first crushes, and coming out—perfect for fans of Kyle Lukoff and Jake Maia Arlow.

Before she moved from Austin to Rhode Island, everybody knew Lacey as one half of an inseparable duo: Lacey-and-Grace, best friends since they were toddlers. Grace and her moms were practically family. But at school, being lumped together with overeager, worm-obsessed, crushes-on-everyone Grace meant Lacey never quite fit in—and that’s why at her new middle school, Lacey plans to reinvent herself. This time, she’s going to be cool. She’s going to be normal.

At first, everything seems to go as planned. Lacey makes new friends right away, she finds a rabbi to help her prepare for the bat mitzvah that got deprioritized by her parents in the chaos of the move, and she even gets cast in the lead role of the eighth-grade musical. Which is when things start to get stressful, because it turns out the students at her new school have a long-standing, unofficial tradition: No matter what the show is, in the final performance, the leads always kiss for real.

Lacey’s never kissed anyone before—she’s not even sure she’s ever had a crush. And in Bye, Bye, Birdie, there are a few different co-lead kiss possibilities for Lacey to choose from. There’s confident, cocky Andre. There’s sweet, friendly Jaden. And then there’s the other new girl at school: dryly funny, impossibly cool Violet.

But while her new friends and older sister create whiteboard wall charts and botched field trip schemes to help her decide, suddenly Lacey can’t stop thinking about Grace, who she was so sure she wanted to leave behind. When Grace comes back into her life, Lacey needs to decide if she’s brave enough to be who she really is, in front of the person who matters most.

My Review

I enjoyed so many things about this book. Lacey’s quest to reinvent herself was nicely done. I’ve seen a lot more middle grade books that focus on the friend who is being left behind instead of the friend who is plunging ahead, wanting to embrace a new middle school identity.

Bendheim allows readers to realize Lacey’s feelings gradually, almost as if we figure things out right along with Lacey. I also like that Lacey is at a different school, far from Grace. This creates a buffer between the girls and gives Lacey space to try out her new identity without hurting or rejecting Grace. I think it might have been harder to admire Lacey and root for her if she was unkind to Grace in order to fit in with new friends.

Lacey also has to navigate her feelings about her role in the family. Sometimes her family feels like too much. Sometimes what she wants gets pushed to the side. Part of reinventing herself involves figuring out how to support and celebrate her family while speaking up when they hurt her, too.

I also enjoyed that the story explores Lacey’s preparation for her bat mitzvah and what that means to her. Lacey reads Anne Frank’s diary as she tries to figure out what she believes and who she is. She lingers on certain passages and rereads sections that stand out to her. I liked the way that the author included this experience and related it to Lacey’s faith journey.

All in all, I absolutely agree with the comparison between this book and books by Kyle Lukoff. I also think readers who enjoy books by Claire Swinarski will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Lacey prepares to celebrate her bat mitzvah. She memorizes a part of the Torah and writes a speech about what the passage means to her.

Violent Content
Brief homophobic comments. Some brief bullying or meanness.

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: The Labyrinth of Waking Dreams by Michelle Kulwicki

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

The Labyrinth of Waking Dreams
Michelle Kulwicki
Page Street YA
Published April 21, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Labyrinth of Waking Dreams

In this adventure-packed portal fantasy, three teens discover a gateway to a mythical Labyrinth in the Appalachian Mountains

Barren’s Peak, West Virginia, is not a place anyone would call magical, but Thea LaGuerre calls it home. A high school drop-out whose mother died in an accident, Thea is stuck working part-time jobs just to make ends meet. The most she has to look forward to are barn parties where she can make out with Callum, the one interesting boy who moved to town six months ago.

Thea doesn’t know it yet, but Callum was sent to Barren’s Peak to watch her. He was raised within the magicians’ order, a shadowy organization meant to keep humanity safe from an underworld of monsters. Callum would sacrifice anyone, including himself, to help their cause, but he still can’t help falling into Thea’s orbit. She’s the first person he’s felt seen by since his childhood sweetheart, Oliver—who he hasn’t seen since Oliver’s banishment from the order.

But Oliver hasn’t given up on Callum or on magic. Following a magical creature’s trail to Barren’s Peak, Oliver happens upon Callum and Thea at a barn party that turns into a monster-overrun massacre. To save Callum and the girl he’s protecting from a wave of deadly fairies, Oliver opens a portal for the three of them to flee into the Labyrinth.

To get home again, Thea, Oliver, and Callum will have to work together to survive the Labyrinth’s trials and discover the threads that brought them there.

My Review

This one has a lot of elements that usually appeal to me. Unfortunately, I think I’m not the right audience for this portal fantasy.

The story alternates between Thea, Callum, and Oliver’s points of view. Each viewpoint is well-developed and has a unique voice. I felt like I understood each of them really quickly– in a good way.

The story sets up or passes through a love triangle. I have mixed feelings about that. Like, it was an interesting way to justify using all three points of view. I think the weakest character was at the center of the triangle, though. I never really grew to like this character, so it was sometimes challenging to endure the other characters describing their longing.

The fantasy world is interesting. The story reveals more information about the fantasy world and its history at a good pace. Every time I thought I had all the pieces of the puzzle, new information emerged that made me have to revise what I thought. I like that the story kept me guessing.

On the whole, I think maybe I just didn’t connect enough with the characters. They’re well-constructed. I think a lot of people will love this book, so if a portal fantasy series with a love triangle appeals to you, definitely check it out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Some characters can perform magic. A magical plane exists and has inspired all religious practice and stories in the human world.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Descriptions of dangerous insects and small creatures harming or killing someone. Battles with magical creatures.

Drug Content
References to a party where teens drink alcohol and smoke marijuana.

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: Creepy Kid by Caleb Roehrig

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, Paranormal, , , , ,

Creepy Kid
Caleb Roehrig
HarperCollins
Published August 25, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Creepy Kid

A hilariously creepy middle grade novel from award-winning author Caleb Roehrig! Poe has spent his whole life wishing he could meet a ghost, but when he moves into a real-life haunted house, he discovers that communing with the other side might be a little more than he bargained for.

Twelve-year-old Edgar Alden, also known as “Poe,” has always been an outcast. Obsessed with the macabre, he’s never remotely hit it off with other kids. Only Grandma ever really understood his love for the supernatural, but when she dies and his parents move into a dilapidated house on the other side of town, things for Poe quickly go from bad to worse.

You see, Poe has a roommate. A dead one. A 12-year-old ghost named Violet, who’s been stuck haunting Poe’s room for longer than she can remember. Violet is territorial, kind of annoying, and tethered to the human world by her doll, Baby Jessica.

But Poe quickly discovers that Violet isn’t the only spirit haunting his house. There’s a vengeful, violent entity in his basement. And it’s up to Poe to find a way to help them both cross to the other side.

Creepy Kid is a heartfelt but page-turning exploration of grief, moving on, and finding one’s place in the world—sure to make middle grade readers laugh, cry, and wonder about the mysteries that might lie on the other side.

My Review

This is the first middle grade novel by Caleb Roehrig that I’ve ever read. I have enjoyed several of his young adult mysteries, though, so my expectations were pretty high going into this one.

One of the things I think he really captures in this story is Poe’s relationship with his grandma. It’s so clear that her death has thrown him for a loop, and he’s struggling with his grief. She understood and celebrated parts of Poe’s personality that no one else did, and he’s really missing that, especially at his new school.

His connection to ghosts was interesting. I liked how integrated that is into the story as a whole. This isn’t strictly about him helping Violet, though that’s kind of where his ghostly adventures begin. It was also nice to see a story featuring a kid with a really specific temperament that doesn’t resolve with him learning to socialize better. He does grow, especially in understanding himself. But he still remains true to himself, even if that means being an oddball that most people don’t understand.

Poe’s close circle broadens a bit, and the story leaves room for a possible unexpected friendship, which makes for an uplifting ending.

I could see readers who enjoyed Ghoul Summer by Tracy Badua liking this one. It’s a good pick if you are looking for a grumpy narrator who must help ghosts find peace.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None

Spiritual Content
Some characters are ghosts. Poe learns that he can see and interact with them.

Violent Content
Some descriptions of bullying.

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.