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Review: Always Isn’t Forever by J. C. Cervantes

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,
Always Isn't Forever by J. C. Cervantes cover shows a girl lying on the deck of a boat in the sun next to a boy lying on the deck of the boat, but it looks as though his half of the image is underwater.

Always Isn’t Forever
J. C. Cervantes
Razorbill
Published June 6, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Always Isn’t Forever

Best friends and soul mates since they were kids, Hart Augusto and Ruby Armenta were poised to take on senior year together when Hart tragically drowns in a boating accident. Absolutely shattered, Ruby struggles to move on from the person she knows was her forever love.

Hart can’t let go of Ruby either…. Due to some divine intervention, he’s offered a second chance. Only it won’t be as simple as bringing him back to life–instead, Hart’s soul is transferred to the body of local bad boy.

When Hart returns to town as Jameson, he realizes that winning Ruby back will be more challenging than he’d imagined. For one, he’s forbidden from telling Ruby the truth. And with each day he spends as Jameson, memories of his life as Hart begin to fade away.

Though Ruby still mourns Hart, she can’t deny that something is drawing her to Jameson. As much as she doesn’t understand the sudden pull, it can’t be ignored. And why does he remind her so much of Hart? Desperate to see if the connection she feels is real, Ruby begins to open her heart to Jameson–but will their love be enough to bridge the distance between them?

My Review

I feel like I’ve seen a lot of books by J. C. Cervantes, but this is the first one I’ve ever read. Since it was compared to YOU’VE REACHED SAM, I really wanted to check it out.

It took me a few chapters to get into the story and really fall in love with Hart and Ruby. I’m not sure why, but once I invested, I felt like it was really easy to enjoy the story.

Some of the mechanics of the plot do require a bit of willing suspension of disbelief. As Jameson, Hart has a super limited amount of time in which he’ll retain his memories of his life as Hart. Once that passes, he’ll have Jameson’s memories but still be Hart in spirit or soul. The rules of Hart’s exchange (his soul in Jameson’s body) state that he can’t tell anyone the truth about who he is and what happened.

There’s a bit of dancing around the edges of those rules and bending them here and there. I think it might be harder to enjoy the story if you needed the spiritual/afterlife side of it to make perfect sense and be perfectly self-consistent.

Fortunately, I found it pretty easy to suspend my disbelief because I wanted to know if and how Ruby and Hart could find one another again. I’m always up for a “Can true love conquer all?” type of story, and this one definitely delivered on that trope.

All in all, I can see fans of YOU’VE REACHED SAM or THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END liking this one. It’s a great light summer book with a sweet love story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Hart and Ruby are Latine. Ruby’s sister Gabi is in a relationship with another girl.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. Ruby and Hart agreed to wait until college to have sex.

Spiritual Content
Hart meets an angel after his death who gives him a choice to return to life with his soul in the body of someone else.

Ruby’s sister Gabi has a tarot card deck made for her by Ruby’s aunt. When she does a reading with this deck, Gabi senses her ancestors speaking to her. The readings are always insightful and accurate.

Violent Content
Vague descriptions of a drowning death. Vague descriptions of a motorcycle accident. A player is injured during a game of football.

Drug Content
Hart learns Jameson was under the influence of alcohol when he crashed his motorcycle. Jameson drank a lot of alcohol, but Hart doesn’t.

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 ALWAYS ISN’T FOREVER in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Byways by Mary Pascual

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

The Byways
Mary Pascual
Sparkpress
Published June 6, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Byways

Neurodivergent high school student CeeCee Harper has a temper, and a reputation for trouble. Angry at the rumors and afraid she’ll never fit in, she makes a wrong move—and lands in the Byways, a world of alleys, magic, and forgotten people . . . some that aren’t even human. And if she doesn’t escape quickly, CeeCee learns, she’ll be trapped for good.

Searching for a way out, she gets lost among monsters, drug pushers, the homeless, and political upheaval, and soon finds there are those who will stop at nothing to keep her from leaving. But the Byways pull people in for a reason. CeeCee must figure out why she got stuck in the first place—before her loved ones are put in danger and she loses them forever.

A dark retelling of Alice in Wonderland meets Neverwhere, this contemporary fantasy will enchant Neil Gaiman and Christina Henry fans.

My Review

NEVERWHERE is probably my favorite book by Neil Gaiman, so I was really intrigued by the description of this book. I can see the comparison in some ways. THE BYWAYS takes place in a city that has a sort of dark, twisted magical underbelly that CeeCee stumbles into by mistake.

The writing took me a while to get used to. While the content is more mature and intense, the early chapters reminded me a lot more of a middle grade book. The way CeeCee describes her peers and her experiences at school made me think she was maybe 14 or 15, so I kept forgetting that she was supposed to be in high school. Though I guess it’s possible to be 15 in high school, so maybe that makes sense? As the story progressed, I think the tone shifted to more of a YA style of writing.

Some of the imagery in the magical area was pretty disturbing to me. At one point, CeeCee meets a super creepy guy who shows her a screen that she realizes is showing child p*rn and asks her to play a game with him. She’s disgusted and flees, but the other people around her kind of just shrug their shoulders about it and agree that yeah, that guy should probably be avoided. I could have done without that whole thing, honestly.

The whole story feels very much like a bad fever dream– which I suppose makes sense as a retelling of ALICE IN WONDERLAND? It’s definitely dark and twisted.

At the beginning and end of the story, the scenes focus a lot on CeeCee’s neurodivergent experience and what she does to navigate challenges. I think the middle of the story is less focused on that, though.

Conclusion

All in all, THE BYWAYS wasn’t a big hit for me. I really didn’t care for some of the creepy stuff, and the winding, slower pace of the plot made it tough for me to get through. If you like darker, fever-dream-type stories, THE BYWAYS could be just what you’re looking for, though.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 18 up.

Representation
CeeCee is white and neurodivergent. She experiences sensory and impulse issues.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
CeeCee meets a man she describes as very overweight who shows her a screen that she realizes displays child p*rn. She recoils and flees from him. Another man pursues her, and she wonders if he’s a drug dealer or human trafficker.

Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
CeeCee experiences some things that depart from reality: an alley that shrinks down around her, a woman with dirt spilling from her lips when she speaks, and a man who appears to be part slug.

Violent Content
Multiple men try to capture or coerce CeeCee into doing things or staying with them.

One character is described as overweight, and the more he says or does gross things, the larger and more overweight he appears to be. That felt pretty fatphobic to me.

Drug Content
CeeCee meets a man she assumes is homeless, and when he doesn’t appear to be making sense, she wonders if he’s mentally ill or addicted to drugs.

In one alley, mushrooms grow. CeeCee’s told that, basically, only the most desperate addicts end up there. She tastes a mushroom and experiences a kind of high from it.

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 BYWAYS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Everyone Wants to Know by Kelly Loy Gilbert

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

Everyone Wants to Know
Kelly Loy Gilbert
Simon & Schuster
Published June 13, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Everyone Wants to Know

This ripped-from-the-tabloids young adult drama by the critically acclaimed author Kelly Loy Gilbert about a girl’s famous-for-being-famous family fracturing from within as their dirty laundry gets exposed.

The Lo family sticks together. That’s what Honor has been told her whole life while growing up in the glare of the public eye on Lo and Behold , the reality show about her, her four siblings, and their parents.

Their show may be off the air, but the Lo family members still live in the spotlight as influencers churning out podcasts, bestselling books, and brand partnerships. So when Honor’s father announces that he’s moving out of their northern California home to rent an apartment in Brooklyn, Honor’s personal upset becomes the internet’s trending B-list celebrity trainwreck—threatening the aspirational image the Los’ brand (and livelihood) depends on.

After one of her best friends leaks their private conversation to a gossip site, bruised and betrayed Honor pours all her energy into reuniting her family. With her parents 3,000 miles apart, her siblings torn into factions, and all of them under claustrophobic public scrutiny, this is easier said than done. Just when Honor feels at her lowest, a guarded yet vulnerable boy named Caden comes into her life and makes her want something beyond the tight Lo inner circle for the first time. But is it fair to open her heart to someone new when the people she loves are teetering on the edge of ruin?

As increasingly terrible secrets come to light about the people Honor thought she knew best in the world, she’s forced to choose between loyalty to her family and fighting for the life she wants.

My Review

Typically I like books about intense family drama, but I will admit I struggled with this one. Maybe because the toxicity of some of the characters was so high? And the betrayals just kept mounting while people insisted their behavior was okay? I’m not sure.

I really liked Honor as a character, and thought in the context of this story about a family who framed every decision with “but what will this do to our image” kinds of inquiries, her name is pretty bold and appropriate. I loved that choice.

Her relationship with her twin brother Atticus is also a bright spot in the book for me. I like the way they balance each other, tease each other, and speak truth to one another.

It took a while for her relationship with Caden to really grow on me, but when it did, I found that I really liked him. I couldn’t tell for a bit whether he was truly emotionally closed off or whether he was keeping his distance because she asked for that kind of relationship. As the story progressed, though, and I got to know him a little better, I really liked him. He’s messy but smart. Aloof, but not cold.

Some of the secrets that came out about the family I did not see coming. I did see some things coming, though. Some of the things were dealt with in a way that felt complete and emotionally satisfying, but other things are kind of left without being fully resolved. That’s pretty true to real life, so I don’t mean that as a complaint. I sometimes struggle with stories that end with emotionally messy stuff still in an emotionally messy state.

Conclusion

I definitely feel like the author brought me directly into the center of all the Lo family drama, and I’m impressed by her ability to do that so consistently and believably, and yet, I’m also kind of exhausted. Ha! I enjoyed the book, though, especially Honor and her relationships with Atticus and Caden.

Fans of BOYS I KNOW by Anna Gracia will find a similar exploration of tension within family relationships and tenuous forays into romantic relationships.

Content Notes for Everyone Wants to Know

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Honor and her family are biracial– white and Chinese American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex and some brief/vague descriptions of hands touching and bodies pressed together.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some brief exploration of what toxic relationships and gaslighting look like.

Drug Content
One character’s mom is a recovering addict, so he and his friend group do not drink alcohol or use any drugs. In one scene (at a wedding), a bride holds a glass of champagne.

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 EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW in exchange for my honest review.


Review: The Kingdom Over the Sea by Zohra Nabi

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

The Kingdom Over the Sea
Zohra Nabi
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published June 6, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Kingdom Over the Sea

Aru Shah meets One Thousand and One Nights in this lavish middle grade adventure following a girl who must travel to a mystical land of sorceresses, alchemists, jinn, and flying carpets to discover her heritage and fulfill her destiny.

My own Yara, if you are reading this, then something terrible has happened, and you are on your own. To return to the city of Zehaira, you must read out the words on the back of this letter… Good luck, my brave girl.

When twelve-year-old Yara’s mother passes away, she leaves behind a letter and a strange set of instructions. Yara must travel from the home she has always known to a place that is not on any map—Zehaira, a world of sorcerers, alchemists and simmering magic. But Zehaira is not the land it used to be. The practice of magic has been outlawed, the Sultan’s alchemists are plotting a sinister scheme—and the answers Yara is searching for seem to be out of reach.

Yara must summon all her courage to discover the truth about her mother’s past and her own identity…and to find her place in this magical new world.

My Review

Right away, I fell into the magical world of this book. It begins as Yara grieves over her mama’s death and faces a difficult choice. A letter from her mama directs her to go to a strange place and speak a spell. She’s confused because she doesn’t believe magic exists. Why would her mama ask her to do something so bizarre? Ultimately, she figures she believes in the sincerity of her mama’s letter, so she tries it. And is whisked off to a magical world.

Something about the oppressive, dangerous world Yara finds herself in reminded me of THE FIREBIRD SONG. In both books, things have gotten pretty difficult. People tell the main characters they can’t help because they’re too young or don’t have the right skills. But ultimately, of course, the main characters have something no one else has and are positioned to help in ways no one else can.

I liked that the story centers on Yara’s abilities and choices, yet still felt really believable regarding what she does and her age. I loved the relationships between her and the other characters, especially the jinn she rescues her reluctant mentor, and her two new friends.

The pacing was a little different than I expected, and it didn’t feel slow or like it was dragging or anything. It emphasized elements of a quest that other stories might have skipped over. I liked that a lot, actually. It kept the story more centered around the characters. Even though a lot of things were happening to them, it made space for us to understand the impact of the twists and reveals as they emerged. I enjoyed that a lot.

Readers who enjoyed HAMRA AND THE JUNGLE OF MEMORIES by Hanna Alkaf should check this one out.

Content Notes for The Kingdom Over the Sea

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Middle Eastern-coded characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Yara frees a jinn who then helps her voluntarily. A couple of sorceress characters have familiars to help them with their magic. Some characters perform magic with words and potions.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. A person has been wrongfully imprisoned for years. A poison threatens the lives of anyone affected by it.

Drug Content
None.

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 KINGDOM OVER THE SEA in exchange for my honest review.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays

Check out other blogs posting about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: The Night in Question by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

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

The Night in Question (The Agathas #2)
Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
Delacorte Press
Published May 30, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Night in Question

How do you solve a murder? Follow the lessons of the master—Agatha Christie! Iris and Alice find themselves in the middle of another Castle Cove mystery in the sequel to New York Times bestseller The Agathas by powerhouse authors Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson.

Alice Ogilvie and Iris Adams became the talk of Castle Cove when they cracked the biggest case of the fall: the death of Brooke Donovan. Together, the Agathas put Brooke’s killer away for good, and since then, things around town have been almost back to normal. Quiet, even.

But if Alice and Iris know anything, it’s that sometimes quiet is just the calm before the storm. The truth is, Brooke’s disappearance wasn’t the first mystery to rock Castle Cove, and it won’t be the last. So when their school dance at the infamous Levy Castle—the site of film starlet Mona Moody’s unsolved death back in the 1940s—is interrupted by a violent assault, Iris and Alice pull out their murder boards and get back to work.

To understand the present, sometimes you need to look into the past. And if the Agathas want a chance at solving their new case, that’s exactly where they’ll need to start digging. Only what they uncover might very well kill them.

My Review

The first book in The Agathas series introduced an unsolved Castle Cove mystery involving a film star named Mona Moody. I love that this second book explores more of what happened to her.

I enjoyed the number of female characters and the scenes connecting them with one another. It felt natural– I didn’t even notice until looking back at the end of the book. But there are a lot of female characters and a lot of scenes showing connections between them. Female characters are also very often the ones making the bold moves at the forefront of the story.

At the beginning of the story, I struggled a little bit with Alice’s negativity. She’s been estranged from her old friend group and feels pretty hostile toward them. She has some pretty unflattering thoughts about them, and after a while, it started to feel pretty mean. At one point, she finds an unconscious girl who’s been severely injured, and instead of caring that she could die without help, she rushes off after a potential suspect. I think the idea was that she’s kind of an impulsive person who can get laser-focused on one thing and sort of ignore everything else. And that makes some sense, but it felt kind of cold to me.

Iris’s empathy and vulnerability balanced out my feelings about Alice, though. And as the story progressed, Alice warmed and experienced some vulnerability of her own. I enjoyed the relationship between them quite a bit.

I’m not a super experienced mystery reader, but I thought the pacing of the mystery here was excellent. I’ve read books where the last few chapters wind up the story in a mad rush that leaves me feeling dizzy. None of that here. The elements came together in ways that raised the intensity without making me feel overwhelmed by the speed at which things unfolded. All in all, I thought it was very nicely done.

Would I continue this series? Absolutely. I really enjoyed this one and how it tied together past and present.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
The girls learn, in passing, that a peripheral friend (and high school graduate) works at a strip club to pay for college. At one point, Iris laments that she hasn’t kissed a boy yet.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to domestic violence. The girls find the victim of a violent attack. Iris sees someone in the midst of trying to kill someone else. A person waves a flare gun, threatening to use it to kill someone. Someone hits a girl over the head with a blunt object, causing head trauma. A girl sustains injuries to her face that require stitches. Someone kicks a girl in the stomach repeatedly, breaking one of her ribs.

Drug Content
Alice notices teen boys passing a flask at a school dance. Adults drink alcohol at a social gathering.

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 NIGHT IN QUESTION in exchange for my honest review.

10 Incredible Graphic Novels to Read This Year

Blogger's Favorites, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Lists, Middle Grade 8-12, News and Fun, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

10 Incredible Graphic Novels Coming Out in 2023

Graphic novels are a book form that sneaked up on me. I think the first one I read for review here (which blew me away) was ESTRANGED: THE CHANGELING KING by Ethan Aldridge. Once I feasted my eyes on that incredible story, I knew there was no going back. Since then, I’ve built a list of graphic novel writers and artists whose work is too good to be missed. Here are the ones with books coming out this year.

Notably absent is Tim Probert, whose third book in the Lightfall series I’m eagerly anticipating. I haven’t seen any release news on it yet, but I’m hoping it’ll be out in 2024.

10 Amazing Graphic Novels to Read This Year

Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Beautiful, fantasy-filled illustrations. A story of friendship, magic, hope, and community. By the author of the Tea Dragon series.

Published: March 7, 2023 | Ages: 10 to 14.

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty, Michael Moreci, and Braeden Sherrell

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Missing children, a girl secretly living in a mansion basement, a mysterious man in a black cloak only she can stop. The graphic novel version of the bestselling middle-grade adventure.

Published: April 4, 2023 | Ages: 8 to 12.

Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | My Review

What You Need to Know: A novel-in-verse/graphic novel about body image, shame, and the power of art and friendship. This one made me cry.

Published: May 2, 2023 | Ages: 8 to 12.

Squire & Knight by Scott Chantler

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | My Review

What You Need to Know: I think the author said he pitched this as “T.H. White plays Dungeons and Dragons with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.” Which is brilliant and pretty accurate! I loved the characters and attention to detail in the panels.

Published: May 9, 2023 | Ages: 8 to 12.

Constellations by Kate Glasheen

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | My Review

What You Need to Know: When a drunken accident lands Claire in rehab, they reluctantly begin to learn about addiction and recovery. A tender, vulnerable journey of identity and acceptance. This is another one that made me cry!

Published: May 23, 2023 | Ages: 14 up.

Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story by Sarah Myer

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A Korean-American transracial adoptee uses art and fandom to overcome racist bullying. A memoir graphic novel. A powerful, unforgettable story.

Published: June 27, 2023 | Ages: 14 up.

Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A moving speculative novel exploring the line between AI and human by the author of TIDESONG and co-creator of MOONCAKES.

Published: August 29, 2023 | Ages: 14 up.

Deephaven by Ethan Aldridge

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Words I like about this graphic novel description: gothic middle grade, nonbinary main character, boarding school with secrets. By the author of the ESTRANGED duology and LEGEND OF BRIGHTBLADE, and also my favorite graphic novel author.

Published: September 5, 2023 | Ages: 10 to 14.

Wingborn (Wingbearer #2) by Marjorie Liu and Grace Kum

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: The Wingbearer series continues, delivering new adventures of this gorgeous, emotive fantasy. The first book in the series is a favorite in my house.

Published: November 21, 2023 | Ages: 8 to 12.

Heartstopper: Volume Five by Alice Oseman

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: The fifth installment of Nick and Charlie’s love story. With Nick heading to university next year, are things about to change? A sweet story of love and friendship.

Published: December 12, 2023 | Ages: 14 up.

What are your favorite graphic novels?

If you are a graphic novel reader, leave a comment telling me about your favorite author. Have you read any of the books on this list? What graphic novels are you most looking forward to this year? Leave a comment and let me know!

Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays

Check out other blogs posting about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.