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Review: Divining the Leaves by Shveta Thakrar

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,
Divining the Leaves by Shveta Thakrar

Divining the Leaves
Shveta Thakrar
HarperTeen
Published March 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Divining the Leaves

From critically acclaimed author Shveta Thakrar comes a beautifully imagined contemporary fantasy about two teens, one a believer of magic who yearns to belong, the other a skeptic searching for an escape, who find themselves embroiled in a twisty world of court intrigue when they venture into a forest ruled by yakshas, mysterious woodland spirits drawn from Hindu and Buddhist folklore.

Plant-loving Ridhi Kapadia and popular Nilesh Batra were friends once.

Now, seventeen and alone, Ridhi blends natural perfumes, wears flower crowns, and wanders her local woods, listening for the leafy whispers of her beloved trees. Pleading for the yakshas to admit her into their enchanted forest kingdom, where she knows she truly belongs.

After learning his parents’ perfect marriage is a sham and getting suspended from school, a heartsick Nilesh lands at Ridhi’s doorstep—the last thing either of them wants. So when a pretty yakshini offers him the distraction of magic, the same magic he mocked Ridhi for believing in, he jumps at it.

Furious, Ridhi strikes a bargain with a noblewoman named Sulochana. In return for helping restore her reputation, Sulochana will turn Ridhi into the yakshini she yearns to be—and teach her to divine the trees’ murmurs.

But when Nilesh ends up trapped in the yakshas’ realm, Ridhi realizes the leaves might be telling a disturbing story about the forest her heart is rooted in—one that, even if the two of them band together, threatens to shred the future like so many thorns.

My Review

My favorite thing about this book are all the descriptions of flowers, trees, and plants. I also love the way that the author incorporates dance into this story so centered on nature and plants. In one scene, Ridhi dances so that her body tells the story of the forest she’s standing in. Because of the lush descriptions of the woods and magic, I that description really came to life. I’ve never seen anything like that so well-captured in a scene before. It’s something I think I’ll remember for a long time.

I also enjoyed the unfolding of the relationship between Ridhi and Nilesh. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I had certain expectations when I started the book, and for a minute, I was not sure I was going to like the way things unfolded. It took longer for him to grow on me as a character, but eventually, I felt like I understood him more and appreciated him. Ultimately, I love where the author took the story and the hints at new relationships in the ending. (Also hooray for the reference to tabletop games there at the end!)

So, yeah. I’ve got Star Daughter on my shelf, but haven’t gotten to it yet. Divining the Leaves is the first book by this author that I’ve read, and I am sure I will read more.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
The story contains magic and mythical beings from Hindu and Buddhist folklore.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. One scene very briefly shows a character being tortured.

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 Song for You and I by K. O’Neill

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

A Song for You and I
K. O’Neill
Random House Graphic
Published March 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Song for You and I

Being a ranger means adventure, action, and protecting the weak. But who protects the ranger when they lose their way? From the bestselling author of The Moth Keeper and the Tea Dragon Society comes a must read MG graphic novel for fans of soft sweeping fantasy romances.

Rowan knows exactly what they to be a ranger, protecting their village alongside their trusted flying horse Kes. But when Rowan’s eagerness to show off their worth gets Kes injured, Rowan is suddenly unsure if they’re capable of being the protector they’ve always dreamed of becoming. 

With Kes needing to heal, Rowan is assigned a slow and winding expedition across the outlying lands. Paired with a lackadasical sheep hearder Leone, Rowan only finds frustration as they seem to fail even the simplest tasks. But Leone’s own struggles, and endless support brings a new possibility to Rowan. Could their unlikely friendship be something more? And if it is, will Rowan be able to leave Leone behind to pursue being a ranger once Kes is healed?

My Review

This sweet book is exactly the story I needed this week. I’ve been a fan of O’Neill’s work for a while, though I still have some books to catch up on. So, when I saw this book coming out this year, I knew I would have to read it.

The gentle pacing and gorgeous landscapes that appear throughout the story swept me away. I’m not sure I’d call this cozy precisely, but maybe cozy-adjacent? There is at least one moment with some real tension, though a lot of the story centers on relationships and personal growth or healing.

The two main characters have really different personalities. Leone is generally positive and optimistic, but struggles with confidence in playing music. Rowan resents the slower pacing that Leone lives life and feels anxious to get out into the world serving as a ranger. As the story progresses, though, they realize that Leone’s way of approaching life offers things they lack.

I honestly couldn’t have read this book at a better time. The color palettes are stunning, the characters made me smile, and the pacing felt like taking a long, full breath after a stressful day. It’s a fabulous book.

If you’re unfamiliar with K. O’Neill’s work and you like cozier fantasy, you definitely do not want to miss this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
One character kisses another on the cheek.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Rowan’s horse, Kes, is injured during a storm.

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: Banned Together edited by Ashley Hope Pérez

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

Banned Together
Ashley Hope Pérez
Holiday House
Published March 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Banned Together

A dazzling YA anthology that spotlights the transformative power of books while equipping teens to fight for the freedom to read, featuring the voices of 15 diverse, award-winning authors and illustrators.

Books are disappearing from shelves across the country.

What does this mean for authors, illustrators, and—most crucially—for young readers?

This bold collection of fiction, memoir, poetry, graphic narratives, essays, and other genres explores book bans through various lenses, and empowers teens to fight back. From moving personal accounts to clever comebacks aimed at censorship, fifteen legendary YA authors and illustrators confront the high-stakes question of what is lost when books are kept from teens.

Contributors include Elana K. Arnold, Nikki Grimes, Ellen Hopkins, Kelly Jensen, Brendan Kiely, Maia Kobabe, Bill Konigsberg, Kyle Lukoff, MariNaomi, Trung Lê Nguyễn, Ashley Hope Pérez, Isabel Quintero, Traci Sorell, Robin Stevenson, and Padma Venkatraman; the collection is a star-studded must-read that packs strength and power into every last word.

Striking illustrations from Ignatz-nominated artist Debbie Fong pair perfectly with the searing, impactful narrative. Resources include tips from the Vandegrift Banned Book Club and other teen activists, as well as extensive recommended book lists, a How to Start Your Own Little Free Library flier, and more.

My Review

I’ve never read an anthology like this one before. As I read, I felt energized by the resources, from book lists to tips for pushing back against book bans to creating an oasis of banned books to share with others.

Some authors share personal stories about facing book bans or hate-filled emails in response to their work. Others share stories about formative events in their lives that led to them writing the stories they have for teens. They share the hope that their words will reach teenagers who have questions or who’ve faced similar challenges and that they’ll encourage readers.

A few authors share short stories showing the emotional impact that book bans have on people or what might drive someone to try to control what books are available to read. Some appear in prose, others in poetry, and others in graphic novel panels.

The format of the anthology is engaging and energizing. I found myself adding so many books to my reading list. I loved celebrating the books mentioned that I’m already familiar with. Reading helped me think through some of my questions surrounding my own content notes here and how they might be weaponized against authors and readers.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for ways to support authors of banned books. It offers great resources for fighting book bans and expanding allyship, too.

Content Notes for Banned Together

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. References to sex. References to sexual abuse/assault. (Not depicted on page.)

Spiritual Content
References to faith.

Violent Content
Brief instances of racism and homophobia.

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: Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours

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

Needy Little Things
Channelle Desamours
Wednesday Books
Published February 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Needy Little Things

In this debut speculative YA mystery, a Black teen with premonition-like powers must solve her friend’s disappearance before she finds herself in the same danger.

Sariyah Lee Bryant can hear what people need—tangible things, like a pencil, a hair tie, a phone charger—an ability only her family and her best friend, Malcolm, know the truth about. But when she fulfills a need for her friend Deja who vanishes shortly after, Sariyah is left wondering if her ability is more curse than gift. This isn’t the first time one of her friends has landed on the missing persons list, and she’s determined not to let her become yet another forgotten Black girl.

Not trusting the police and media to do enough on their own, Sariyah and her friends work together to figure out what led to Deja’s disappearance. But when Sariyah’s mother loses her job and her little brother faces complications with his sickle cell disease, managing her time, money, and emotions seems impossible. Desperate, Sariyah decides to hustle her need-sensing ability for cash—a choice that may not only lead her to Deja, but put her in the same danger Deja found herself in.

My Review

Sariyah’s younger brother has sickle cell anemia. I think this is the first time I’ve seen that represented on the page. Her mom is also depressed, and Sariyah has ADHD, so there’s quite a bit of representation for those conditions.

The novel’s pace didn’t match what I expected, which isn’t to say that it was bad. Based on the back cover copy, I made assumptions about the story that turned out to be wrong. For example, I thought that Sariyah’s decision to use her gift for money would have been a bigger or longer part of the story.

Sariyah’s ability to hear people’s needs reminded me of the main character in Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. In that book, Lauren, the protagonist, can feel others’ pain, which affects her ability to live her life. Sariyah’s experience isn’t quite so potentially life-threatening. However, it leaves her struggling to balance meeting others’ needs, which gives her internal peace, versus protecting herself and her ability so no one exploits or endangers her. I thought the similarity/difference was interesting. The author used Sariyah’s gift well to drive the story forward and create thought-provoking situations.

I enjoyed the book, especially once I was better attuned to its main theme (finding a missing girl). I’d love to read more by Channelle Desamours, so I’ll be on the lookout for her books.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some swearing, including f-bombs, is used with moderate frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to an unsolved missing persons case. A woman stabs a man in the neck with a nail file when she perceives him as a threat. Some references to stalking behavior and verbal threats. Kidnapping. Someone attacks a girl and a man.

Drug Content
Characters smoke pot. Reference to a character smoking pot offscene.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Underwood Tapes by Amanda DeWitt

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

The Underwood Tapes
Amanda DeWitt
Peachtree Teen
Published February 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Underwood Tapes

A captivating and profoundly moving novel with hints of supernatural intrigue, blending We Were Liars and Your Name into a can’t-miss read for fans of You’ve Reached Sam.

Thirty years ago, Grace’s mom left her hometown of Hermitage, Florida and never looked back—which is exactly why Grace thinks it’s the safest place to spend her summer now. Since her mom died in a car crash, Grace has been desperate to get away from the memories and reminders of her loss. Spending the summer transcribing cassette tapes for the Hermitage Historical Society might be boring, but boring is just what Grace needs.

Until she hears the voice of Jake Underwood—the boy who first recorded the cassette tapes back in 1992. When Grace realizes he can hear anything she records, despite thirty years of time between them, she strikes up an impossible conversation with Jake through the tapes.

But the past isn’t any simpler than the present, and a mystery has haunted Hermitage through the generations. In the 1970’s, a hurricane made landfall and resulted in the tragic death of Jake’s uncle Charley. In a town as suffocatingly small as Hermitage, it’s impossible not to notice how no one talks about that storm, or Charley, and as the mystery unfurls, Grace can’t help but realize a worse truth: No one talks about Jake either.

A beautifully written exploration of grief and what happens when untreated wounds bleed into future generations, The Underwood Tapes is the perfect read for anyone in need of a good, cathartic cry.

My Review

I really enjoyed some things about this book. It’s such a unique idea. Conceptually, it reminded me a little bit of the movie The Lake House, in which people from two separate timelines communicate through letters in a mailbox.

The characters were nicely done, too. I felt an immediate connection with Grace, a girl still reeling from the unexpected loss of her mother. She seemed so adrift, and her connection with Jake helped her find a way to anchor herself. I loved Grace’s cousin Laura and her third cousin Griffin, too, though I didn’t expect to at first.

The story has this tidal feel to it. Grace’s grandparents’ generation contains a close-knit group of friends. Her mother’s generation has one, too. And then Grace joins Laura and Griffin. I loved the way that echoed the feel of a tide coming in and out. The friendships grew close, and then something broke them apart, until Grace’s generation, in which they began fragmented, but through her experience in the small town, she created strong bonds.

The only thing I wish was different about this book is that I wish the ending had been a little longer. It felt somewhat rushed, and there wasn’t really any resolution beyond knowing more about what happened. I wish there had been something more there.

On the whole, though, I really enjoyed the emotional journey and the descriptions of a small town in south Florida. I can see fans of You’ve Reached Sam really liking this one. It has some of the same themes about complex, incomplete grief and the work of healing and moving forward.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few instances of the F-bomb and other profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
A girl can communicate with a teenage boy from thirty years earlier through recorded messages on cassette tapes. One particular geographical location also seems to allow her to slip into other moments in time.

Violent Content
References to a fatal car accident caused by a drunk driver. Grace experiences symptoms of PTSD while in the car. One scene shows someone’s apparent death by drowning. In another, someone is fatally injured.

Drug Content
A man drives home drunk from a bar. Grace attends a beach party where someone gives her a drink of alcohol. She holds the cup but quietly refuses to drink it.

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: All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson

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

All the Blues in the Sky
Renée Watson
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published February 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About All the Blues in the Sky

# 1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor author Renée Watson explores friendship, loss, and life with grief in this poignant new novel in verse and vignettes.

Sage’s thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. Without the person she had to hold her secrets and dream with, Sage is lost. In a counseling group with other girls who have lost someone close to them, she learns that not all losses are the same, and healing isn’t predictable. There is sadness, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, pain, love. And even as Sage grieves, new, good things enter her life — and she just may find a way to know that she can feel it all.

In accessible, engaging verse and prose, this is an important story of a girl’s journey to heal, grow, and forgive herself. To read it is to see how many shades there are in grief, and to know that someone understands.

My Review

I could not put this book down, and that did not surprise me since I have LOVED everything by Renée Watson that I’ve ever read. She’s an incredibly talented writer with some serious range– writing young adult and middle grade fiction, a poetry collection, and this novel in verse. She’s amazing. I can’t say it enough.

Sage’s story drew me in from its first pages. Her grief is raw. You can feel it pulsing beneath the words on the page like a heartbeat. She feels guilty for unresolved parts of her friendship with her best friend. She envies others who got to say goodbye to their loved ones. Her feelings are moving and easy to understand.

I love the sense of community around Sage. She’s part of a grief support group for kids, and even though she feels closer to some kids than others, she learns different things from each of the kids in her group. She has meaningful relationships with adults in her life, too, beyond her parents.

The book includes an author’s note in which Watson shares that she lost 15 loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic and how this made her think about the losses that children were experiencing during that time.

All the Blues in the Sky offers hope amid the heartache and reminds us how much we need our connections to one another. I love this book and recommend it wholeheartedly.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A kiss on the cheek and then the mouth.

Spiritual Content
References to attending funeral services. One character describes memories of attending church with their grandmother.

Violent Content
Brief descriptions of an accident in which a car struck a girl on a bike, killing her. References to someone who was murdered by police officers. Reference to fatal illnesses and loss of child and adult family members. (These are mentioned in the grief group Sage attends. They’re described appropriately for the audience.)

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.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.