Tag Archives: netgalley

Review: Always the Almost by Edward Underhill

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,
Always the Almost by Edward Underhill

Always the Almost
Edward Underhill
Wednesday Books
Published February 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Always the Almost

A trans pianist makes a New Year’s resolution on a frozen Wisconsin night to win regionals and win back his ex, but a new boy complicates things in Edward Underhill’s heartfelt debut YA rom-dram, ALWAYS THE ALMOST.

Sixteen-year-old trans boy Miles Jacobson has two New Year’s resolutions: 1) win back his ex-boyfriend (and star of the football team) Shane McIntyre, and 2) finally beat his slimy arch-nemesis at the Midwest’s biggest classical piano competition. But that’s not going to be so easy. For one thing, Shane broke up with Miles two weeks after Miles came out as trans, and now Shane’s stubbornly ignoring him, even when they literally bump into each other. Plus, Miles’ new, slightly terrifying piano teacher keeps telling him that he’s playing like he “doesn’t know who he is”—whatever that means.

Then Miles meets the new boy in town, Eric Mendez, a proudly queer cartoonist from Seattle who asks his pronouns, cares about art as much as he does—and makes his stomach flutter. Not what he needs to be focusing on right now. But after Eric and Miles pretend to date so they can score an invite to a couples-only Valentine’s party, the ruse turns real with a kiss, which is also definitely not in the plan. If only Miles could figure out why Eric likes him so much. After all, it’s not like he’s cool or confident or comfortable in his own skin. He’s not even good enough at piano to get his fellow competitors to respect him, especially now, as Miles. Nothing’s ever been as easy for him as for other people—other boys. He’s only ever been almost enough.

So why, when he’s with Eric, does it feel like the only person he’s ever really not been enough for…is himself?

My Review

Miles is preparing for a classical piano competition, so he plays the piano in lots of scenes. I really enjoyed the descriptions of his relationship with music and his process of practicing, learning, and growing as a musician. I loved Stefanie, his piano teacher, too.

Though he doesn’t have a lot of confidence in his identity, Miles has a solid friend group who do. Rachel, Paige, and Eric support him as friends and allies. Sometimes they can be a little much– especially Rachel– but it’s clear that their behavior always comes from a place of love.

ALWAYS THE ALMOST doesn’t shy away from the painful parts of personal growth. Miles makes some thoughtless and selfish choices and then has to bear consequences of those mistakes as well as learning how to rebuild relationships in the aftermath. I thought overall those conflicts were handled really well and resolved in ways that were both believable and satisfying.

On the whole, Miles’s journey as a young trans boy in love and his development as a musician were both super strong parts of ALWAYS THE ALMOST. I think readers who enjoyed CAN’T TAKE THAT AWAY by Steven Salvatore will want to check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Miles is a transgender boy. Eric is pansexual and biracial. Rachel and Paige are lesbians.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. Kissing between two boys. Miles and his boyfriend take their tops off at one point.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Miles stumbles onto some transphobic comments about him on an online forum. Vague reference to a woman experiencing unwanted sexual advances at work and a man punishing her in her career because she refused him.

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 ALWAYS THE ALMOST in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Pledge by Cale Dietrich

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

The Pledge
Cale Dietrich
Feiwel & Friends
February 14, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Pledge

Scream meets Clown in a Cornfield in this young adult horror novel by bestselling Cale Dietrich featuring a masked killer who targets frat boys.

Freshman Sam believes that joining a fraternity is the best way to form a friend group as he begins his college journey – and his best chance of moving on from his past. He is the survivor of a horrific, and world-famous, murder spree, where a masked killer hunted down Sam and his friends.

Sam had to do the unthinkable to survive that night, and it completely derailed his life. He sees college, and his new identity as a frat boy, as his best shot at living a life not defined by the killings. He starts to flirt with one of the brothers, who Sam finds is surprisingly accepting of Sam’s past, and begins to think a fresh start truly is possible.

And then… one of his new frat brothers is found dead. A new masked murderer, one clearly inspired by the original, emerges, and starts stalking, and slaying, the frat boys of Munroe University. Now Sam will have to race against the clock to figure out who the new killer is – and why they are killing – before Sam loses his second chance – or the lives of any more of his friends.

Elements of horror, mystery, and a gay romance make this a story readers won’t want to miss.

My Review

I received this book as part of a package of books from the publisher, and I was the most nervous about it of all the others in the set. I’m still pretty touch and go with horror, so it’s always hard to tell from the cover or cover copy whether something is going to be a good pick or end up being too much.

Ultimately, I didn’t think the horror elements were too much for me. In some ways, THE PLEDGE reminded me of some of the R. L. Stine or Christopher Pike stories that I used to read. I also enjoyed that it was a story centered around a gay character– something different from the romance or contemporary stories I often read with LGBTQ+ protagonists.

It’s definitely a slasher story– so expect lots of scenes showing a masked assailant with a knife overpowering their victims and stabbing them. I’m a bit of a wimp about that stuff, but I didn’t find the descriptions overly graphic or gross.

The part of the story that really hooked me, though was the mystery element. Some people suspect Sam of being the killer, and he ends up getting involved in trying to figure out who is hurting people. He works with the police, trying to stop the killer before they strike again. I definitely got wrapped up in trying to guess who it was and what their motive was. I didn’t guess either one.

The story also includes Sam’s relationships with his family, which drew me in. He has issues with his mom, and he has a younger brother he loves a lot. I liked both those relationships and the way they impacted the story.

All in all, a slasher book is never going to be my go-to, but I enjoyed checking this one out. I think fans of THE WHITE RABBIT by Caleb Roehrig will like the mystery elements and romance of THE PLEDGE.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Sam and some other characters are gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to Sam’s past relationship with Eli. He’s attracted to a new guy at college. In one scene, they kiss and retreat to a bedroom to have sex. The scene shows them naked together and vaguely describes that they have sex.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
It’s a slasher, so there’s a bad guy with a knife who stabs some people in some scenes.

Drug Content
Sam attends parties with the fraternity brothers and drinks alcohol. One of the boys in the process of joining the fraternity smells like pot.

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 PLEDGE in exchange for my honest review.


Review: The Architect by Jonathan Starrett

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

The Architect
Jonathan Starrett
Tyndale House
Published February 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Architect

There’s a golden rule in Phantom City: “No one about when the Zeppelin is out.” But one night, twelve-year-old Charlie Crane comes face-to-face with the Zeppelin, and instead of finding trouble, she is awakened.

Determined to find the truth in a city plagued with lies, Charlie, along with a quirky band of unlikely heroes, works to free the people of Phantom City from the clutches of a shadowy, evil villain. Helped by a mysterious Architect who only communicates over radio and telephone, Charlie wrestles with two big questions: Can she trust a guide she can’t see? And is the truth actually worth the trouble?

Filled with sinister schemes, bumbling superheroes, unexpected friendships, and plenty of humor and plot twists, THE ARCHITECT keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Boys and girls alike will be fascinated by the unique world of Phantom City, with its steampunk and Gotham City-type elements and will quickly find themselves cheering for our heroes in their fight against evil.

My Review

I thought at first (from the cover) that this was a young adult dystopian novel, so I was a little surprised when I started reading and learned it’s middle grade. The cover is so dark, I think I just assumed it was young adult? At any rate, it’s definitely middle grade! Ha.

I really liked the Gotham City feel the story has with its bizarre hero/villain types and strange happenings. The point of view is mainly split between two characters: Charlie, an orphan girl living on the street who doesn’t buy into the glam and glory surrounding the city’s “superheroes”, and Sneed, a boy responsible to create special effects for the heroes as they act out daring rescues in front of their adoring fans.

The story has a quirky, silly sense of humor and a playful tone in the vein of Andrew Peterson’s ON THE EDGE OF THE DARK SEA OF DARKNESS. I enjoyed that playfulness and the way that Charlie, who was a loner at the start of the story, was able to build a community around herself full of people she could depend on. I really liked that, too.

If you’re curious about the author’s journey to writing this book, he has an interesting blog post about it on his website.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Few character descriptions or details. I’m not sure of the race of the characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The children receive instructions from an “Architect” who has a blueprint for the way the world should be, an oblique allegorical reference to God and the Bible. The story never overtly states this, though.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Bad guys tie up characters and kidnap them, at one point threatening to have them killed. A villain kidnaps people and forces them to work for him. At one point it appears a character has died from a fall.

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 ARCHITECT in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Cartographers by Amy Zhang

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

The Cartographers
Amy Zhang
HarperCollins
Published January 31, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Cartographers

Struggling to balance the expectations of her immigrant mother with her deep ambivalence about her own place in the world, seventeen-year-old Ocean Wu takes her savings and goes off the grid. A haunting and romantic novel about family, friendship, philosophy, and love.

Ocean Wu has always felt enormous pressure to succeed. After struggling with depression during her senior year in high school, Ocean moves to New York City, where she has been accepted at a prestigious university. But Ocean feels so emotionally raw and unmoored (and uncertain about what is real and what is not), that she decides to defer and live off her savings until she can get herself together. She also decides not to tell her mother (whom she loves very much but doesn’t want to disappoint) that she is deferring—at least until she absolutely must.

In New York, Ocean moves into an apartment with Georgie and Tashya, two strangers who soon become friends, and gets a job tutoring. She also meets a boy—Constantine Brave (a name that makes her laugh)—late one night on the subway. Constant is a fellow student and a graffiti artist, and Constant and Ocean soon start corresponding via Google Docs—they discuss physics, philosophy, art, literature, and love. But everything falls apart when Ocean goes home for Thanksgiving, Constant reveals his true character, Georgie and Tashya break up, and the police get involved.

Ocean, Constant, Georgie, and Tashya are all cartographers—mapping out their futures, their dreams, and their paths toward adulthood in this stunning and heartbreaking novel about finding the strength to control your own destiny.

My Review

This is another book where I feel like the cover copy doesn’t truly reflect the story. I get it, though– this is a really hard one to put into a neat and catchy few paragraphs. Ocean spends a lot of time obsessing over her relationship with Constantine and trying to understand her depression. But that makes the book sound like a downer, which isn’t good.

While THE CARTOGRAPHERS doesn’t shy away from emotional anguish, I wouldn’t describe it as a downer. I liked the way the writing pressed into messy feelings and relationships without closure or clear communication and how addicting they can sometimes be. I found myself nodding along with some of Ocean’s observations and thinking about a particular relationship in my own past that reminded me of the dynamic between her and Constantine.

The philosophy conversations were really cool, too. The whole book felt really smart to me and also a little bit whimsical. Sometimes funny, sometimes deep. Lots of chasing wild ideas. I loved that.

Some of those things make this a tough book to categorize. It’s not really a romance. Maybe it’s more of a coming-of-age story? A journey through depression? It’s a lot of thing, so many of them heartfelt, brave, and smart.

Something about this book reminded me of THE PARADOX OF VERTICAL FLIGHT or AWAY WE GO by Emil Ostrovski. (Both of which I LOVED!) I think readers looking for a book that doesn’t shy away from messy relationships and emotions, that explores the connections between people, will like this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Ocean Wu is Chinese American. Two minor characters (girls) are in a romantic relationship.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to a boy and girl having sex.

Spiritual Content
Ocean and Constantine talk philosophy in person and a Google Doc they share.

Violent Content
Ocean has suicidal ideations.

Drug Content
Ocean drinks alcohol with her roommates and at a dinner with her roommate’s family.

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 CARTOGRAPHERS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant

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

Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling
Elise Bryant
Balzer + Bray
Published January 31, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling

Delilah always keeps her messy, gooey insides hidden behind a wall of shrugs and yeah, whatevers. She goes with the flow—which is how she ends up singing in her friends’ punk band as a favor, even though she’d prefer to hide at the merch table.

Reggie is a D&D Dungeon Master and self-declared Blerd. He spends his free time leading quests and writing essays critiquing the game under a pseudonym, keeping it all under wraps from his disapproving family.

These two, who have practically nothing in common, meet for the first time on New Year’s Eve. And then again on Valentine’s Day. And then again on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s almost like the universe is pushing them together for a reason.

Delilah wishes she were more like Reggie—open about what she likes and who she is, even if it’s not cool. Except . . . it’s all a front. Reggie is just role-playing someone confident. The kind of guy who could be with a girl like Delilah.

As their holiday meetings continue, the two begin to fall for each other. But what happens once they realize they’ve each fallen for a version of the other that doesn’t really exist?

My Review

I tend to love books about music and musicians and Dungeons and Dragons players, so I felt pretty sure going into this book that I would love it– and I did. I really enjoyed the journey of Delilah finding her feet as a front woman in her band and learning more about music and songwriting as well as forming relationships with other girls in her music scene. Discovering what she meant to her fans truly affected her, and I loved that. I thought it was really cool.

I liked Reggie, too. Maybe I just connected to Delilah’s story more, or maybe the story was weighted more toward the scenes in her point of view, but I kind of found myself wishing there was more DnD content or more about Reggie experiencing the game. The scenes that were there were great, and I enjoyed them. I just wish there had been a few more.

On the romance side, I loved that, too. It was sweet watching the two of them try to figure one another out or wrestle with doubts or finally work up the courage to make their moves. Also, in terms of side characters, Delilah’s little sister Georgia is my absolute favorite. I loved the way she spoke truth and made me laugh, often at the same time.

All in all, I enjoyed reading REGGIE AND DELILAH’S YEAR OF FALLING a whole lot. I think readers who loved EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING by Nicola Yoon should give this one a try.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Delilah is biracial and identifies as Black. She also suffers from migraines. Reggie is Black and has dyslexia.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Reggie’s brother Eric and his friends make fun of him for playing Dungeons and Dragons and being a nerd, telling him he isn’t truly Black if he likes those things. Delilah faces racist comments on social media after her band posts photos and videos of her performing with them.

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 REGGIE AND DELILAH’S YEAR OF FALLING in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Begin Again by Emma Lord

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

Begin Again
Emma Lord
Wednesday Books
Published January 24, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Begin Again

As usual, Andie Rose has a plan: Transfer from community college to the hyper competitive Blue Ridge State, major in psychology, and maintain her lifelong goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure despite the nerves that have recently thrown her for a loop. All it will take is ruthless organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to pull it all together.

But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.

But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.

Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, BEGIN AGAIN is an unforgettable novel of love and starting again.

My Review

Okay, yes, it’s absolutely a Just Kiss Already! romance. Haha. I was waiting for it for what felt like ages– in a good way. I loved the close knit group of friends that forms around Andie and the way they need each other and see through each other’s masks. Also, I liked the relationship between Andie and her dad and how that unfolded. I probably cried more in those scenes than anywhere else.

There was a good balance between Andie’s past, her connections at home, and the things going on with her in the present as she formed new connections at college. Some of the big scenes didn’t surprise me at all, but I never picked up this book expecting big surprises, so I was totally okay with that.

I really liked the way the romance unfolded and the tension between Andie and Milo. I loved the bagel shop, Milo’s family, the chicken coops and outdoor tours and all of those background things that added so much to the story.

All in all, BEGIN AGAIN was a super fun read. I enjoyed the romance and the fresh, fun college campus radio show setting.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Andie’s roommate Shay is Black. Two girls enter a romantic relationship with each other.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A violent snowstorm strikes Andie’s college campus, and she’s injured when a tree falls in the storm.

Drug Content
Andie and her friends drink alcohol one night after a stressful day and again at a large party.

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 BEGIN AGAIN in exchange for my honest review.