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Review: Augusta Pine Does Not Exist by Emily Lloyd-Jones

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Augusta Pine Does Not Exist by Emily Lloyd Jones

Augusta Pine Does Not Exist
Emily Lloyd-Jones
Balzer + Bray
Published July 7, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Augusta Pine Does Not Exist

Combining the suspense of a thriller, the intrigue of spy fiction, and the emotional resonance of a confessional narrative, this is gripping, wholly original novel about a teen secret operative who must outwit a band of murderous cyberterrorists.

I was fifteen when I became a murderer.

After a hack gone tragically wrong, a teen girl is given an ultimatum: accept a harsh prison sentence or leave her old life behind and use her talents in the service of a shady government agency.

Three years later, the newly-named Augusta Pine has become a skilled wraith, one of the Identity Security Division’s secret operatives. She has no home, no family, and her only friends are her coolly professional handler and a snarky AI spybot. So when she is sent to Portland for an assignment, she seizes the chance to catch a glimpse of her beloved grandmother and rents the apartment next door.

What begins as nostalgic stalking turns into a fight for survival when a group of cyberterrorists hacks the building and imprisons the residents. Augusta doesn’t know exactly what they want, but she does know they are ready to murder for it. With her quick wits, tech savvy – and help from an intriguing fellow hostage – Augusta must race against the clock to stay one step ahead of the killers.

Unfolding through a suspenseful narrative interspersed with case-file excerpts, this is a pulse-pounding novel about identity, connection, and justice.

My Review

This book kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Wow.

Okay, so the only other book that I’ve read by Emily Lloyd-Jones is The Wild Huntress, which I really enjoyed, and which is a lush fantasy. So it’s very different than this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect in picking this one up, except that I liked the other book I’d read and wanted to see how she handled a contemporary suspense/thriller novel.

Turns out… I quite like both!

This one has a little bit of a Die Hard flavor, but with a teen protagonist more likely to hack her way through the enemy’s defenses on a computer rather than with a machine gun. But the same sort of constant improvisation and high stakes run through this story as the other.

Fans of the Stars and Smoke series by Marie Lu who want more suspense with the romance dialed way back will really enjoy this fast-paced, compulsively readable novel.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used fairly infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
One brief kiss.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to a catastrophic car accident. References to hostage situations and the threat of murder. One-on-one combat between characters.

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: To Dance the Moon and Stars by Tasia M. S. and Barbara Perez Marquez

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To Dance the Moon and Stars
Tasia M. S.
Barbara Perez Marquez
Joy Revolution
Published July 14, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About To Dance the Moon and Stars

In a kingdom where dance is forbidden, a future high priestess must bend the rules to stop an ancient evil from destroying everything and everyone she loves, including the crown prince, in this sweeping romantasy graphic novel.

Eighteen-year-old Myra has spent her entire life training to replace her grandmother as High Priestess. But with the day of her ascension rapidly approaching, she’s not sure if she’s meant for this path. How can she become the herald of the god Alrun when he forbids the thing she loves most: dancing?

Her kingdom can’t afford her hesitation though. Not only is the emperor looking for Alrun’s wisdom ahead of a peace treaty, but forces of darkness are seeping through the barrier between worlds. The only source of light Myra has is her childhood best friend, the crown prince. Without his support and…love, she may not be able to stop what’s coming.

To save her people, Myra must delve into her kingdom’s forgotten history, even if it means defying the laws of the land. But the key to salvation may just require her to make the biggest sacrifice of all.

My Review

The artwork in this graphic novel is nothing short of stunning. Bold, romantic colors fill the pages. The chemistry between Myra and Eyden is so clear in every image of them. I love the scenes showing Myra dancing and Eyden playing music. Every page is just absolutely gorgeous. The illustrations create a very immersive storytelling experience. I felt like I could almost hear and smell what was happening in each scene.

I wish that some of the plot elements had unfolded a little bit more slowly. At some points, I think the story would have benefited from an extra scene showing a transition or experience. Despite that, I still enjoyed every page.

Despite some of the quick transitions, the plot of the story is easy to follow and understand. The tension is well-portrayed. The cast size is perfect for the story. There are enough named side characters to make the story feel full and interesting, but not so many that it’s hard to keep track of them all.

I also really appreciated the Author’s Note from Tasia M. S. that explained what inspired her to create the book. I love that she has such a personal connection to the theme about dance being forbidden despite its importance to the culture.

All in all, this is a beautiful graphic novel. I think fantasy fans will want a copy of this on their shelves.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
The main character is training to become High Priestess serving the god of her kingdom. The visions he sends her seem to contrast what she’s been taught. The story shows ceremonies and prayers.

Violent Content
References to threats of war. Someone is poisoned. Dark shadows possess people, leading them to do things they don’t remember later.

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: A Wish with Wings by Sarah Guillory

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A Wish with Wings
Sarah Guillory
Roaring Brook Press
Published May 19, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Wish with Wings

A tender tale of courage, hope, and holding onto yourself even when everything around you seems to be falling apart — perfect for fans of Katherine Applegate and Barbara O’Connor.

Everyone says twelve-year-old Evan Calais is feral. She likes to spend her time outside, fishing and having mud fights in her small town of Little John Island, Louisiana. But when a sinkhole causes the town mine to collapse, trapping all forty-eight miners, everything in her life comes to a standstill. Because Evan’s dad is one of the miners trapped inside.

Evan seeks solace the only way she knows how—in the outdoors—and comes upon the most peculiar thing. An egg.

It’s a large egg. And it’s alone. So while Evan waits for her dad to come home, she also finds herself caring for the strange, abandoned egg. If this egg can hatch…maybe her dad has a chance of coming home, too. But as she incubates the egg, Evan will need to make a big decision. For she has a secret—she might know what caused the cave-in.

Sarah Guillory’s latest middle grade novel is a deeply heartwarming exploration of the importance of imagination, the freedom in nature, and the power of the truth.

My Review

In 2023, I read Nowhere Better Than Here by Sarah Guillory, which I really enjoyed. I tend to love Southern fiction, especially stories that emphasize preservation and depict life in rural communities. Guillory does this really well in both books of hers that I’ve read.

In A Wish with Wings, Evan’s dad is trapped in a salt mine following an accident. While the story centers on her and her family, it introduces readers to life in a small mining community, where most families depend on the mine. It also showcases a rural Louisiana setting and highlights the endangered whooping cranes.

I liked Evan as a character. There’s something about a strong-willed, messy little girl protagonist that never gets old for me, especially in a Southern setting. It’s easy for me to relate, I suppose. I also like how her relationships with others change throughout the course of the story. At the beginning, she strongly dislikes her dad’s Aunt Tildy, who seems to constantly chastise her for her unruly behavior. As Evan spends more time with Aunt Tildy during the family crisis, she comes to view her differently and develops more respect and understanding for her.

Evan finds Sofia, a girl known for her obsession with caring for farm animals, annoying and avoids her, until Evan finds herself in desperate need of help caring for an egg. As she gets to know Sofia, the two find common ground.

An Author’s Note at the end clarifies some of the choices that Guillory made in the story, such as having Evan take an egg from a wild nest, and why someone should not do that. She also includes a bit more information about whooping cranes and what to do if you spot one in the wild.

I can’t think of another novel that I’ve read that includes a child whose parent works in a mine, especially in contemporary fiction, but I think it’s an important experience to show in a middle grade story. Fans of books by Kate Messner or Nancy Cavanaugh will want to put this on their reading lists.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Evan makes a wish and believes that when her egg hatches, her dad will wake up.

Violent Content
References to injuries and death from a mine collapse. Injuries to a parent, visiting a parent in an uncertain condition in the hospital.

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: Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai

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Deathly Fates
Tesia Tsai
Wednesday Books
Published April 12, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Deathly Fates

“Rich and wholeheartedly poignant. Deathly Fates sings with profound spirit, exploring the consequences of war and the scars cut by nobility during trying times. An entrancing world that will certainly linger.” —Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

As a corpse-driving priestess, a holy servant paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses due to his declining health, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.

But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince’s head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying’s commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won’t stay alive for long―not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.

In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince’s death―secrets that could endanger both Siying’s father and their entire kingdom.

My Review

The idea of benevolent reanimation of the dead drew me to this book. Usually, that’s something pretty soundly reserved for the villains, or heroes slipping toward a villain arc. Here, it’s more of a compassionate relocation effort to allow burial rites to be performed in someone’s hometown. It’s a fascinating premise.

Some moments in a book beg to be acted out on screen. The moment that Ren, the dead soldier she’s been sent to recover, speaks to her, making a joke and sending her spinning into shock, has to be one of those. I loved that.

The relationship between Siying and Ren was a lot of fun. I loved seeing it unfold. His playfulness disarmed her and helped her unbend. Her seriousness made him work for things he might have otherwise considered out of his reach.

Siying is also dealing with a lot of grief over her parents. Her mom has died and left her to care for her dad, who is in fragile health, and her younger sister. That felt very raw and present throughout the story. At first, she’s desperate to bring Ren home because the money it will bring could save her father’s life. Eventually, she wants to save Ren for his own sake, in addition to using him as a vehicle to help her dad. I found the slow-burn romance between Siying and Ren really sweet.

Throughout the book, Siying encounters many different faces of grief. She meets a woman lost in despair and rage over the death of her infant daughter. She visits a healer banished after being wrongfully blamed for her mistress’s death. A whole village shares its grief over family members executed as traitors by an unjust ruler.

The echo of the weight and power of grief, both to cause further harm and to motivate people to protect one another, rings throughout the whole book. As Siying faces her own grief, she has to decide how she will respond.

Conclusion

All in all, I liked this book more even than I predicted I would. The characters are engaging, the fantasy landscape intriguing, and the pacing kept me hustling to read one more chapter until the end. I think fans of Lori M. Lee and Joan He will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Siying is a priestess of an order that uses spells and sacred objects to reanimate the dead and walk them to their homes, so the families can bury them and grieve. Evil spirits of the dead emerge when someone dies in dark circumstances. These spirits can drain the qi (life force) and harm or kill anyone they encounter. Siying must refill the prince’s qi by collecting and purifying the qi of these spirits.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to war and the deaths of soldiers. References to death by suicide and murder. Battles between Siying and powerful evil spirits bent on killing her.

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: Corpse de Ballet by Megan Kearney

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Corpse de Ballet
Megan Kearney
First Second
Published July 7, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Corpse de Ballet

In her solo graphic novel debut, Megan Kearney weaves a fresh tale of dark academia and brutal competition. This psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Black Swan!

Arriving at Saint Anselmus in the middle of the year, Rosamund Hammond is ready to practice hard and prove she deserves to be there. But something at this boarding school doesn’t feel right.

It turns out that just before Rosamund enrolled, a student disappeared without telling anyone. Was it really a leave of absence—or something more sinister? Together with her new roommate, Rosamund spirals deeper and deeper into an obsession with the truth. As the school prepares for its showcase performance of Coppélia, can she commit to her hard-earned ballet dreams while solving the mystery that’s haunting her—or will she lose herself in the process?

My Review

As a former dancer, I love books that feature ballet. Graphic novels are especially fun because of the visual representation of dance. This one is no exception. I loved the way that the illustrations captured the movement of dance. The story emphasizes the difference between rote performance and transcendent embodiment of roles and movements. The panels capture that nicely.

I also enjoyed the psychological elements. For a long stretch of the story, I wasn’t sure what to believe. Is Rosamund imagining things? Which characters are trustworthy? Someone is hiding things, but who is it? As the intensity builds, I found myself reading faster, eager to reach the moment the truth is revealed.

Another wonderful surprise in this book is how much history it contains. While I was familiar with the ballet Coppélia, I didn’t know anything about the original tale it was adapted from or anything about the author of that story. That history and some information about famous performances of the story tied together really well with the story Kearney tells here.

Altogether, this is a clever, gorgeous story that will delight and haunt its readers. It’s not quite as intense as the movie The Black Swan, but if you like that kind of story, definitely check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Rosamund believes a ghost is communicating with her. References to a story about an alchemist seeking to animate an automaton.

Violent Content
Bullying and manipulation. Psychological tension. Brief reference to a ritual human sacrifice in a story.

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: Wilderness Hacks by Joslin Brorsen

Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , , , , ,

Wilderness Hacks
Joslin Brorsen
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published March 31, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Wilderness Hacks

Hatchet meets Survivor in this high-action, humor-filled middle grade adventure about two kids stranded in the wilderness, whose annoyance with each other rivals the roaring rapids and ferocious predators they must face.

12-year-old Sadie Hahn didn’t plan to eat grubs on camera to win a contest. And she definitely didn’t plan to win first prize—a guest appearance on a Youtube show hosted by America’s favorite 13-year-old survivalist Radley Shaw. But she’ll do anything to cheer up her little brother Silas, who’s too young to qualify.

Rad has millions of followers and exactly zero real-life friends, so the contest is a great chance for him to hang out with kids his own age. But it’s hate-at-first-sight when Silas throws a wrench in his plan and Sadie decides Rad is just a clueless poser who doesn’t know the first thing about survival.

Disaster strikes when their scripted rafting trip turns into a real fight for survival. Lost in the mountains, Rad and Sadie must find shelter, build a fire, forage for food and try not to become food for a hungry predator. But can they stop bickering long enough to hack it in the wilderness? And will that be enough to keep them alive?

My Review

I love it when a story with two points of view features characters whose personalities are very different from one another. In this book, Sadie is cautious and methodical, while Rad is working really hard to be cool on camera. Both of them are working through big feelings about their dads. Sadie is grieving her dad’s death. Rad misses his dad, who seems increasingly absent from his life.

The friendship between the two gets off to a rocky start. Sadie clocks Rad as attention-seeking and spots him cutting corners rather than practicing real survival skills. (For example, the fish dinner Rad’s team prepares includes a store-bought, filetted fish instead of the fresh catch Sadie pulled from the river.) Rad feels like he can’t get a break. No matter what he does, Sadie is angry with him.

Once the two are truly lost in the woods, they must put aside their grievances and find a way to work together. Sadie realizes that Rad knows a lot about survival and challenges him to showcase it more authentically on his channel. Rad encourages Sadie to explore her complicated feelings about being in the wilderness after her dad’s death.

I liked the character growth in both Sadie and Rad. The bond they formed through their experience felt authentic. There’s a scene near the end that reminded me a lot of Hatchet, which was a nice moment. I’m a little puzzled by the comparison to the show Survivor, since there is no competition element here. I guess it’s meant to be a reference to being in the woods with a stranger?

In any case, Wilderness Hacks is a fast-paced, entertaining story that will make a perfect summer read.

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. Sadie and Rad witness the death of an adult and find the body of another person. They hear what they think might be wolves eating someone’s remains. They don’t see anything, but they’re pretty creeped out. A mountain lion attacks hikers. Some brief description. References to the death of a parent.

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.