Tag Archives: netgalley

Review: The Other Side of the River by Alda P. Dobbs

Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , , , ,
The Other Side of the River by Alda P. Dobbs

The Other Side of the River
Alda P. Dobbs
Delacorte Press
Published September 6, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Other Side of the River

From the award-winning author of Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, Alda P. Dobbs, comes a compelling new novel about building a new life in America. Strong and determined, Petra Luna returns in a story about the immigrant experience that continues to be relevant today.

Petra Luna is in America, having escaped the Mexican Revolution and the terror of the Federales. Now that they are safe, Petra and her family can begin again, in this country that promises so much. Still, twelve-year-old Petra knows that her abuelita, little sister, and baby brother depend on her to survive. She leads her family from a smallpox-stricken refugee camp on the Texas border to the buzzing city of San Antonio, where they work hard to build a new life. And for the first time ever, Petra has a chance to learn to read and write.

Yet Petra also sees in America attitudes she thought she’d left behind on the other side of the Río Grande―people who look down on her mestizo skin and bare feet, who think someone like her doesn’t deserve more from life. Petra wants more. Isn’t that what the revolution is about? Her strength and courage will be tested like never before as she fights for herself, her family, and her dreams.

Petra’s first story, Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, was a New York Public Library Book of the Year and a Texas Bluebonnet Master List Selection.

My Review

After I read BAREFOOT DREAMS OF PETRA LUNA last year, I knew I wanted to read more of Petra’s brave story and see what happened to her and her family. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER begins where BAREFOOT DREAMS ends, picking up with Petra Luna on the bridge, following her into a refugee camp, and on into a new life.

I love the way the story is paced. It gives time for readers to sink into the historical setting without lingering too long. I felt like I could picture what was happening and the streets of San Antonio in 1913. The relationship between Petra and her sister was also really great. She loves and protects her sister, but sometimes feels annoyed by her, too. I felt like the relationship played out in a very realistic way. Petra also feels very much her age at twelve, almost thirteen. She feels the pressure of being a provider for her family and keeping the promise to her father to keep the family safe. But she doesn’t feel like a tiny adult.

All in all, I loved this story– as much if not more than the first book. I think readers looking for historical fiction should absolutely check out THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER. I don’t think you’d have to read BAREFOOT DREAMS first, but they’re both really good.

Content Notes for The Other Side of the River

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Petra and her family are Mexican refugees living in Texas.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Petra meets a nun who helps her. Petra’s grandmother sometimes prays and shares some of her beliefs. Petra and her family celebrate Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Violent Content
Some racist and prejudiced statements.

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 OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Wishtress by Nadine Brandes

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

Wishtress
Nadine Brandes
Thomas Nelson
Published September 13, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Wishtress

She didn’t ask to be the Wishtress.

Myrthe was born with the ability to turn her tears into wishes. It’s a big secret to keep. When a granted wish goes wrong, a curse is placed on her: the next tear she sheds will kill her. She needs to journey to the Well and break the curse before it claims her life–and before the king’s militairen track her down. But in order to survive the journey, she must harden her heart to keep herself from crying even a single tear.

He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.

Bastiaan’s powerful–and rare–Talent came in handy when he kidnapped the old king. Now the new king has a job for him: find and capture the Wishtress and deliver her to the schloss. But Bastiaan needs a wish of his own. When he locates Myrthe, he agrees to take her to the Well in exchange for a wish. Once she’s fulfilled her end of the deal, he’ll turn her in. As long as his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart don’t compromise his job.

They are on a journey that can only end one way: with her death.

Everyone seems to need a wish–the king, Myrthe’s cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they’re ready to bully, beg, and even betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one of them, Myrthe would have to die. And if she tells them about her curse . . . they’ll just kill her anyway.

My Review

I remember that I really enjoyed ROMANOV by Nadine Brandes, so when I saw that she had a new book coming out, I wanted to read it. I really liked the way that she incorporated magic into her version of the story about Anastasia Romanov and her family.

The magic system and its origins also proved to be something I enjoyed in WISHTRESS. Basically, there are two possible sources of magic in the book. The Well can only be approached through completing four dangerous trials and may or may not grant a Talent or magical ability. And the Nightwell can be much more easily approached. Submerging oneself in the Nightwell guarantees that you’ll receive a Bane, a destructive magical ability such as poisonous blood or the ability to curse others.

The initial idea was that the trials would protect the Well from access by unworthy applicants, but in reality, it keeps the poor from accessing it. The rich hire warriors to complete the trials so they may approach the Well. Rather than truly being a test of character, the trials become a test of wealth. That metaphor certainly resonated– there are lots of systems touted as being meant to bring fairness but which really only amount to controlling access. And money buys access to a lot of things.

At any rate, some of the tension in the story comes from characters deciding whether they should attempt the trials even with the odds stacked against them or whether they should take a “shortcut” to accessing magic and visit the Nightwell. I liked that dynamic and the way different characters made those decisions and how that worked.

If there’s a place the story was a little thin for me, it was the character relationships. I didn’t understand Myrthe’s interest in Sven. Even to some degree her awe of Bastiaan didn’t resonate with me. Yeah, I liked him, too, but there seemed to be a kind of awe that felt… off? I don’t know if it was that it didn’t feel anchored in her body? Like, I don’t know if I was looking for more reactions to him being close or more of a spark between them? I’m not sure. I guess I didn’t sense a chemistry between them, and I wanted that.

Despite that, I loved the ending, and I want to see where the story goes. I will be on the lookout for the sequel.

Readers who enjoyed MERLIN’S BLADE by Robert Treskillard or UNBREAKABLE by Sara Ella will enjoy this book. I think the story is a little bit more like Brandes’s debut, A TIME TO DIE, so if you’re familiar with that one and liked it, definitely check out WISHTRESS.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Myrthe is disabled and has difficulty walking after having the pox as a child.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between man and woman.

Spiritual Content
The Well offers Talents (magical abilities) to those to drink from it, and a few others. The Nightwell offers Banes (ability to harm others) to those to submerge themselves in it.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle sequences. Brief scenes showing torture.

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 this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Rust in the Root
Justina Ireland
Balzer + Bray
Published September 20, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Rust in the Root

The author of the visionary New York Times bestseller Dread Nation returns with another spellbinding historical fantasy set at the crossroads of race and power in America.

It is 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided—between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, a catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force called the Dynamism and threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. And everyone knows the future is industry and technology—otherwise known as Mechomancy—not the traditional mystical arts.

Laura disagrees. A talented young mage from Pennsylvania, Laura hopped a portal to New York City on her seventeenth birthday with hopes of earning her mage’s license and becoming something more than a rootworker

But six months later, she’s got little to show for it other than an empty pocket and broken dreams. With nowhere else to turn, Laura applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps, a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the Dynamism so that Mechomancy can thrive. There she meets the Skylark, a powerful mage with a mysterious past, who reluctantly takes Laura on as an apprentice.

As they’re sent off on their first mission together into the heart of the country’s oldest and most mysterious Blight, they discover the work of mages not encountered since the darkest period in America’s past, when Black mages were killed for their power—work that could threaten Laura’s and the Skylark’s lives, and everything they’ve worked for.

My Review

I’ve been really wanting to read a book by Justina Ireland for a long time. I’d heard amazing things about DREAD NATION, but I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. When I got an opportunity to read RUST IN THE ROOT, I couldn’t pass it up– and I’m so glad I didn’t!

Reimagined history can be one of the coolest types of stories to read. I loved the way this book took historical figures and events and reimagined them through the lens of magic in the world. The connection between Jim Crow laws and the oppression of Black magic. The way oppression would get repackaged and repurposed. It was awful, but it fit the history.

I also loved the characters. The story is told from both Laura and the Skylark’s perspectives. The bulk of the story is from Laura’s point of view, but there are snippets of records that the Skylark would have submitted to her superiors interspersed between chapters. Usually following those snippets, we’d get a scene from the Skylark’s viewpoint. I liked getting both perspectives.

Also– the tree with “strange fruit”– I felt like that hit me right in the gut. Wow. What a powerful reference and another moment where magic and history intersected in this incredibly moving way.

On the whole, I loved the reimagined history, and I think fans of The Great Library series by Rachel Caine or THE RING AND THE CROWN by Melissa de la Cruz would love RUST IN THE ROOT. I think fans of CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi or SONG BELOW WATER by Bethany C. Morrow would love this book, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are Black. Laura is attracted to women. Two boys (minor characters) are in a secret romantic relationship.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Laura discusses how the existence of magic played a role in religion– namely that magic was responsible for resurrections in different faiths.

Violent Content
References to murder. Situations of peril. Some battle scenes.

Drug Content
Laura mentions a time as a little girl that she drank alcohol as an illustration for feeling drunk when she encounters a type of magic.

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 RUST IN THE ROOT in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Defend the Dawn (Deft the Night #2)
Brigid Kemmerer
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published September 20, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Defend the Dawn

To save their kingdom, they must embark on a dangerous journey…

The kingdom of Kandala narrowly avoided catastrophe, but the embers of revolution still simmer. While King Harristan seeks a new way to lead, Tessa and Prince Corrick attempt to foster unity between rebels and royals.

But the consuls who control the Moonflower will not back down, and Corrick realizes he must find a new source for the lifesaving Elixir.

When an emissary from the neighboring kingdom of Ostriary arrives with an intriguing offer, Tessa and Corrick set out on an uncertain journey as they attempt to mend their own fractured relationship.

This could be their only chance to keep the peace and bring relief to the people of Kandala, but danger strikes during the journey to Ostriary, and no one is who they seemed to be. . .

My Review

I love this series, but I don’t know that I would truly classify it as young adult. The issues that Tessa and Corrick deal with are more adult– figuring out your career path and relationships– rather that the more figuring out who you are and what you believe about the world stuff typical of YA.

That said, I’d probably also call it a crossover because Brigid Kemmerer has written other young adult novels and has a pretty significant (well-deserved) following among YA readers.

Okay, so onto the book itself. The story of DEFEND THE DAWN is divided into three points of view: Tessa, Corrick, and an Outlaw. Tessa and Corrick face challenges to their relationship and doubts about each other’s feelings and values. The Outlaw has to navigate his dual roles as a masked helper to the poor by night and a powerful man by day. I found it easy to invest in all three characters, and some of the side characters kind of stole the scene a few times, too. Lochlan, the rebel leader, Quint, the king’s right-hand man, and Rian, the captain of the ship all had some great moments. I’m really excited to see what happens with each of them in the next book.

In terms of the plot, I felt like the pacing moved really nicely. I felt like there was a bit of a lull around the middle where Corrick and Tessa kind of rehash the same conflict they’d been having, while I was ready to move on.

I really liked the directions that DEFEND THE DAWN flowed in, though. We learn so many new things about the kingdom and the politics between the crown and the consuls. We also learn some things connecting events of the past, when Corrick and Harristan’s father was king, to issues in the present. I felt like that painted a much bigger picture of what was going on and why some things had happened earlier on in the book and series.

Reading the next book will be easy– I really want to know what happens next! Waiting for it to come out will be a little harder.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
The Outlaw character (a man) is attracted to men.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some derisive comments insinuating that a girl is only useful because she sleeps with a powerful boy. Kissing between boy and girl. Flirting between two boys. In one scene, a boy opens a girl’s top and touches her. In another, a couple spend a night in his bed, just sleeping.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to torture and execution. Situations of peril. Some battle scenes in which characters receive injuries.

Drug Content
Some discussion of which plants are used to poison and which to heal.

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 DEFEND THE DAWN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: I’m the Girl by Courtney Summers

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

I’m the Girl
Courtney Summers
Wednesday Books
Published September 13, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About I’m the Girl

The new groundbreaking queer thriller from New York Times bestselling and Edgar-award Winning author Courtney Summers.

When sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis discovers the dead body of thirteen-year-old Ashley James, she teams up with Ashley’s older sister, Nora, to find and bring the killer to justice before he strikes again. But their investigation throws Georgia into a world of unimaginable privilege and wealth, without conscience or consequence, and as Ashley’s killer closes in, Georgia will discover when money, power and beauty rule, it might not be a matter of who is guilty—but who is guiltiest.

A spiritual successor to the 2018 breakout hit, SADIE, I’M THE GIRL is a masterfully written, bold, and unflinching account of how one young woman feels in her body as she struggles to navigate a deadly and predatory power structure while asking readers one question: if this is the way the world is, do you accept it?

My Review

Books by Courtney Summers always take me a little time to sift through because I feel like she brings so much to the page for us to unpack. The story challenges its readers to dive deep into a girl who doesn’t have it all figured out. Georgia is a dreamer, and she doesn’t understand the price she’s being asked to pay until it’s being taken from her, and even then, she works really hard to rationalize what’s happened.

Georgia is the kind of character I wanted to stop from making the choices she’s making. I totally got why she did what she did. I knew she couldn’t see the danger signs. She was caught up in some other place, seeing stars and the recognition she felt she’d always been denied. It’s like those horror movies where the bad guy is hiding behind a door with an axe and you’re watching the main character opening doors without a clue what’s coming.

There was one moment toward the end, which I don’t think I can explain well without spoilers, but I’ll do my best. Georgia discovers a connection between a murdered girl and another crime operation, but the connection seemed weird to me. I think I wanted more explanation to understand what made that connection plausible. Otherwise it seemed like an unnecessary risk to the crime operation, if that makes sense?

Other than that, I feel like this is a book that grabbed my heart with both hands and squeezed, and I kind of held my breath until the end, hoping that Georgia would be okay, would learn what she needed to learn, and that she would answer the question about whether to accept a predatory power structure for herself.

It feels a little weird to refer to this book as a successor to SADIE when I feel like the whole premise of SADIE was that Sadie wholeheartedly rejects that predatory power structure, but there’s definitely a connection thematically between the two books. And both contain sisters seeking justice at any price.

I’M THE GIRL is another powerful story by an incredible author. It delves into some difficult content (listed below), so be aware of that.

Content Notes

Contains scenes depicting sexual assault, child pornography (from the victim’s perspective), references to human trafficking, assault and murder.

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Georgia and Nora are lesbians.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. Sex between two girls. References to masturbation.

Before the story begins, a man approached Georgia with a modeling scam. He tells her he wants to represent her as a model but she needs to be photographed. The photographer takes nude photos of her. Georgia thinks the photos are professional and make her look beautiful. Others in the book confront her with the truth of what these men did to her.

Two scenes depict graphic sexual assault. In one scene, Georgia finds the body of a girl who was murdered and obviously raped.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
See sexual content. A man threatens Georgia. A man attacks Georgia. Police find a man’s body after his death in an apparent suicide.

Drug Content
In one scene, Georgia’s new employer gives her a drink that he says is “virgin” but which contains alcohol. In another scene, a client coerces Georgia into drinking alcohol with him.

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 I’M THE GIRL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Prince of Steel Pier by Stacy Nockowitz

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

The Prince of Steel Pier
Stacy Nockowitz
Kar-Ben Publishing
Published September 1, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Prince of Steel Pier

A young teen falls in with the Mob and learns a lesson about what kind of person he wants to be.

In THE PRINCE OF STEEL PIER, Joey Goodman is spending the summer at his grandparents’ struggling hotel in Atlantic City, a tourist destination on the decline. Nobody in Joey’s big Jewish family takes him seriously, so when Joey’s Skee-Ball skills land him an unusual job offer from a local mobster, he’s thrilled to be treated like “one of the guys,” and develops a major crush on an older girl in the process.

Eventually disillusioned by the mob’s bravado, and ashamed of his own dishonesty, he recalls words of wisdom from his grandfather that finally resonate. Joey realizes where he really belongs: with his family, who drive him crazy, but where no one fights a battle alone. All it takes to get by is one’s wits…and a little help from one’s brothers.

My Review

I feel like every time I read historical fiction, I find myself thinking I should read more of it, and THE PRINCE OF STEEL PIER definitely made me think that again. I really enjoyed the setting and time period. At one point, Joey talks about going to see the diving horses, and that made me want to watch WILD HEARTS CAN’T BE BROKEN again, which I haven’t seen in years.

I loved the scenes that showed Joey’s big Jewish family. His relationships with his brothers felt so real. Sometimes I couldn’t help laughing at the banter between them. At other times it was sad to see them growing apart.

Joey’s character totally drew me in. He chafed against the opinion he thought his family had of him as a weak or oversensitive person. But as he struck out on his own and tried to build a new reputation with Artie and his gang, Joey found that while they treated him like an independent person, they also expected things of him that he wasn’t sure he could give or even should give.

I thought the story balanced Joey’s character growth with the fast-paced plot pretty well. I felt like there was always just enough time to pause and explore Joey’s feelings before something new before the next conflict emerged.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book. Joey is a layered character who expertly guides us through his journey in a fascinating 1970s Atlantic City landscape.

Content Notes

Content warning for Antisemitic comments.

Recommended for Ages 9 to 13.

Representation
Joey and his family are Jewish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Joey encounters people who make Antisemitic comments about him and his family.

Romance/Sexual Content
Joey has a crush on a girl.

Spiritual Content
Joey worries about his faith. He doesn’t believe in God and worries that his family would be disappointed in him.

Violent Content
Joey witnesses some men trying to intimidate another man. Joey overhears some implied threats, too. In one scene, two men pull out knives, threatening another man.

Drug Content
A man at a bar drinks liquor. Joey talks about a time someone in his family gave him a shot of whiskey.

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 PRINCE OF STEEL PIER in exchange for my honest review.