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Review: Lady of Steel and Straw by Erica Ivy Rodgers

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Lady of Steel and Straw by Erica Joy Rodgers

Lady of Steel and Straw
Erica Ivy Rodgers
Peachtree Teen
Published June 4, 2024

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About Lady of Steel and Straw

Star-crossed lovers grapple with forbidden attraction and a growing army of ghostly dead in this swashbuckling YA fantasy debut.

After ten years of exile, following regicide in the House of Tristain, an alarming royal edict is delivered to the immortal scarecrow Guardians who once defended the crown: surrender themselves to the church of the Silent Gods, or stand accused of further treason. But with a puppet prince set to take the throne and vengeful wraiths appearing with alarming frequency, something foul and sinister is at work in the kingdom of Niveaux.

Lady Charlotte Sand was born to calm the restless dead. A headstrong heroine, she refuses to relinquish her family’s lavender Guardian to the Cardinal’s Watch—a rash misstep that costs her brother his life and sets her on a path for revenge.

For pious and handsome Captain Luc de Montaigne, it’s an excruciating predicament. His long-lost, childhood love has triggered a faction war that could tear the realm asunder. Now Charlotte and Luc must choose between killing one another and stepping closer to victory—or yielding to the electricity between them.

Heartily inspired by The Three Musketeers, this multiple-perspective narrative features a unique system of bone and herbal magic, sultry banter, and a feisty cast of well-rounded supporting characters. This rousing first entry in a romantic fantasy duology is a gorgeous read and excellent pick for fans of Rin Chupeco and Margaret Rogerson.

My Review

This book has one of the best fantasy worlds I’ve read all year. I loved the lore about wraiths and Guardians and how the Guardians came to be. I also loved the connection to scarecrows and all the references to plants and trees throughout the characters’ expressions. Amazing.

Almost the entire story (except the prologue and final chapter) follows Charlotte and Luc’s perspectives. Charlotte has a very coming-of-age feel to her character, where she begins as a girl in an apprenticeship destined for a small life and longing for more. Luc has risen to a high rank as a soldier and serves as the cardinal’s guard captain, so in some ways, he almost reads more like an adult character, though his childhood haunts him pretty closely, which reminds us how young he is.

Though I really enjoyed the book, I struggled with the slow-burn romance between Luc and Charlotte. I get that there’s some magic or spiritual connection between them, but it was hard to dismiss the fact that Charlotte was bent on revenge against the man who killed her brother but had much warmer feelings for the guy who gives so many orders to harm her and the people she loves. I think a lot of people will be able to suspend disbelief, though, because of how compelling the other story elements are.

This ends with a strong setup for a follow-up novel, and I will absolutely be reading it. I can’t wait for a chance to revisit this incredible story world and find out what happens to these characters.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Few (if any) race details given.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs and strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Wielders use forbidden power to disturb dead spirits, raising them as wraiths who inspire fear, pain, and torment in others. Very rarely, when someone dies, they become a Guardian, or an immortal warrior bonded to a person who will fight someone wielding the dead or settle disturbed spirits as part of the Order of old gods.

Now, under the cardinal’s rule as regent, the people worship a new duo called the Silent Gods, and the old ways are increasingly forbidden.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Swordfights to the death. Torture. Descriptions of wraiths attacking people. Description of mass murder. In one scene, soldiers escort people to the gallows, preparing to hang them. In another, a girl sees the decayed body of an executed prisoner.

Drug Content
One character has been manipulated into dependence on a drug. Another is an alcoholic.

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: Ready or Not by Andi Porretta

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Ready or Not
Andi Porretta
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published July 2, 2024

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About Ready or Not

An anxious teen hopes that a summer of adventure and offbeat dares will keep her friend group together after graduation in this luminous coming-of-age graphic novel with the feel-good vibes of Booksmart and Morgan Matson’s Since You’ve Been Gone.

With senior year finally behind them, Cassie and her three best friends are on their way to what’s next. Like their parents, the crew has always been there’s Marcy, the artist, for whom style is self-expression and sarcasm is a love language; Aaron, the future lawyer, whose good humor balances out his competitive streak; Nico, the musician, whose flirtatiousness, obliviousness, and recent interest in a rising senior are becoming increasingly unbearable to Cassie; and of course, Cassie herself, the only one who doesn’t have her future all figured out.

This summer is their last chance to make memories together in New York City before everyone but Cassie scatters across the globe for college—and she’s determined to make the most of it. Her plan? They’ll spend August playing the game of dares and risks they invented as kids! From adventurous to outrageous, these dares will definitely make for an unforgettable summer. Even better, Cassie is hopeful they’ll help the group stay friends no matter what…because she is not ready for a future without them.

My Review

The tricky thing about this book is that it centers around four friends, who all appear in the opening pages. Because they appear before we learn their names, I found it a little hard to keep track of who was who. One of the things I really like, though, is that each character’s speech bubbles appear in a different color, which helps readers track who’s speaking even when they’re not on the page. (A lot of conversations happen via text message.)

Once the group agrees to play the game they call Risky Slips, the story starts to move more quickly, and I felt more connected to the characters. The four of them invented the game as kids. It involves tearing up a kids’ menu from the diner where Cass works. They each write dares on the slips of paper and put them into a cup. One by one, they draw a slip of paper with a dare on it. Then they have 24 hours to complete the dare or they’re out of the game.

It really energizes the group and gives them something to look forward to each day. This helps them celebrate the bond of their friendship and helps Cass push off her anxiety about the fall for a bit longer.

I enjoyed the connections between the characters. There are some great scenes that really show when someone feels hurt, and it goes unnoticed by the other person or there’s a miscommunication. The staging (if I can call it that) of the scenes is nicely done.

All in all, Ready or Not is a fun summer read, perfect for a sunny afternoon by the pool or at the beach.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Cass and her friends are a diverse group.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs. Some strong profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. Kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A girl slaps another girl across the face. A boy punches another boy. A girl says some cruel things to another girl. Someone steals a sign from a neighbor’s yard.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol. Brief reference to smoking.

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: Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter

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Finally Fitz
Marisa Kanter
Simon & Schuster
Published April 23, 2024

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About Finally Fitz

A bisexual teen girl tries to make her ex jealous by faking an Instagram romance that leads to surprisingly real feelings in this hijinks-filled rom-com perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and She Gets the Girl .

Ava “Fitz” Fitzgerald has worked hard to create the picture-perfect life she’s always wanted. She spent her junior year transforming her passion for sustainable fashion and upcycling into a viral online platform, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and spending every free second with her soon-to-graduate girlfriend, Danica. And this summer she plans to take it all to the next level by attending a prestigious summer fashion program in New York City and convincing Dani that they can survive a year of long distance.

But when Dani dumps her before classes even start, accusing Fitz of being more invested in growing her online persona than deepening their relationship, she’s left not only heartbroken, but also creatively blocked.

Fitz will do anything to win Dani back, even if that means taking a break from the platform that she’s worked so hard to build. But just as she decides to go all-in on a hiatus, a chance encounter reunites her with Levi Berkowitz, her childhood best friend that she hasn’t seen since elementary school. Levi is struggling with heartbreak of his own, and this cosmic coincidence sparks a new use for her social media savvy. Fitz offers to help Levi craft a fake relationship online to make his person jealous…if in return he can pretend to be her boyfriend in front of Dani to make her jealous. If all goes according to plan, by the end of the summer they’ll both be reunited with their perfect partners and get to rekindle their friendship in the process.

Sometimes even the most carefully designed plans can come apart at the seams, though. And when real history leads to not-so-fake feelings, Fitz will have to decide if she’s finally willing to let go of what she thought was picture-perfect and choose what might actually be right for her.

My Review

Finally my review for Finally Fitz! Oy. This book has been on my reading list since I received a finished copy from Simon & Schuster way back in April. I read What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter, so I had a pretty good feeling that I would enjoy a lot of things about this one, too, once I finally got around to reading it. And I was right.

This one started slowly for me. It took me a while to understand Fitz and really get her. In some ways, that makes perfect sense since the whole book is about how she filters herself with everyone in her life. She worries that the minute she shows her real, messy self, it’ll be too much, and people will shut her down, walk away, or deflect. Because people have done all those things.

As I started to grasp that about Fitz, I started to see the way that her sisters have left her behind (which made me want to call my littlest sister) and the way that people brush off her interest in fashion and designing clothes. It was heartbreaking. And heartbreaking. So once I hit that point, I was pretty invested in the story.

I love the relationship between Fitz and Levi. They celebrate one another’s passions and victories. They enjoy being along for the ride with the other person, even if there’s nothing in it for them. But they also know when to give one another space and be independent. They have a really cool relationship arc.

Fitz and her sisters have a cool arc, too. I like that their relationships are messy, but there’s real love there. And they keep trying. I love that.

By the middle of the book, I couldn’t read this story fast enough. It was so much fun and such a great celebration of being true to yourself and getting the support you need.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Fitz and her family as well as another character are Jewish. Dani, Fitz’s girlfriend, is Latine. Fitz and another character identify as bisexual. There are a few other queer characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
This one has some F-bombs. Strong profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. Kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Fitz attends a Shabbat service with Levi. References to her bat mitzvah.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
References to teens drinking beer. (We don’t see them drink, but they clean up after watching a movie and throw away empty beer bottles.)

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: Hearts of Fire and Snow by David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall

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

Hearts of Fire and Snow
David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall
Bloomsbury
Published June 11, 2024

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About Hearts of Fire and Snow

Award-winning authors David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall reimagine a beloved Aztec tale of star-crossed lovers with one last chance to reunite.

Blanca Montes wants to make a difference in the world, to do more than her wealthy godfather and spoiled boyfriend think her capable of. So when Greg Chan shows up as a new student at her Nevada school, she is more than intrigued by this handsome, brilliant stranger.

But Greg and Blanca are drawn to each other by something stronger–their fates entwined centuries ago. In his first life, Greg was Captain Popoca, and Blanca is the reincarnation of Princess Iztac, who took her own life after believing her beloved Popoca was sent to his death in battle. Greg has spent a thousand years searching for his lost love, and now the fates have given them one more chance to reunite. Will their hearts finally beat as one?

This swoony contemporary fantasy is perfect for fans of These Violent Delights and This Poison Heart.

My Review

Hearts of Fire and Snow definitely captures the feel of star-crossed lovers fighting against time or fate to remember their true selves so they can finally be together. I liked both Greg and Blanca’s characters. Blanca is fierce and independent. She has big dreams, and she is willing to do the work to make them happen. Greg has a big heart and uses his resources to help the people he cares about.

The only confusing thing about the book is why it’s marketed as YA. I don’t know if it’s that the young adult fantasy market/influencers are elevating diverse books more effectively than adult fantasy. (I know almost nothing about the adult fantasy market or influencers, so I have no idea how close or far from the truth that might be.)

Though the characters begin the story as high school students, they’re also reincarnated for several generations. They don’t really behave as high school students– they’re functionally adults making their own choices and running their own lives. I wish it had either been written more as a young adult story or marketed as an adult fantasy.

I really enjoyed the connection to an Aztec tale and references to Mexican history throughout the different lives Greg and Blanca experienced along the way to the present story. This book makes me want to read more and makes me realize that it’s a rich topic.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. Readers who love a star-crossed romance with rich historical context will want to read this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Greg and Blanca are indigenous and Mexican American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Inspired by an Aztec tale. Some characters are the deities the Gods of Chaos and the Goddesses of Fate. A few characters have special abilities. Greg has a connection with volcanoes, and they respond to his anger, heating up and eventually erupting if he loses control. Other characters have the abilities to freeze things. The Goddesses of Fate devour sins, making someone blameless again. Some characters are reincarnated from previous lives.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to suicide and some suicidal ideation. Someone finds the body of a murder victim. Battles between people.

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: Shooting for Stars by Christine Webb

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

Shooting for Stars
Christine Webb
Peachtree Teen
Published May 21, 2024

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About Shooting for Stars

A charming romantic dramedy from the author of The Art of Insanity

High schooler Skyler Davidson spends most of her time with her pet rat, Five. The daughter of scientists, she’s determined to finish her late mother’s research on neutron stars. So she teams up with aspiring videographer, Cooper, to film a submission for a NASA internship—all while keeping it a secret from her dad, who doesn’t expect any trouble from his obviously college-bound daughter.

As Skyler and Cooper grow closer, it turns out that Skyler’s dad has a new love interest as a hot makeup influencer who likes to put her nose where it doesn’t belong. She’ll keep hush on Skyler’s NASA plans, if Skyler agrees to get to know her. Now Skyler’s tangled up in a budding romance, an unexpected friendship, and the stress of having to retake her SATs.

Will Skyler’s dream of stars collapse and explode, or can dad and daughter reconcile and change their trajectory?

My Review

Skylar is one of those characters who has a really niche interest that informs how she thinks about a lot of things. In this case, it’s her interest in chemistry. When she meets someone, she evaluates what element they are based on personality traits and the qualities of the element. For example, the boy she’s attracted to is gold because it’s malleable, and he goes with the flow. Also, it’s quite an attractive element.

At the beginning of the book, Skylar has a pet rat named Five which she tries to think of as a lab rat, but which we know she has deep affection for. I love the relationship between them, and the way the author describes Five doing different things is so cute and engaging. I had such a great time reading the scenes with the two of them.

Skylar and Cooper’s relationship is also amazing. While he’s much more easygoing than she is, they don’t have a “boy teaches sheltered girl about relationships” kind of experience, which I very much appreciated. It felt like a more balanced connection, where she has some big blind spots, but he does, too. They challenge one another sometimes, but at other times, they just interact as they are. It felt natural and realistic.

Skylar also has an unexpected friendship with Cooper’s sister and her dad’s new girlfriend, Charli. I liked the way both of those relationships impacted the story. Neither was perfect, but both are meaningful.

There’s a point in the book where a lot of things come together, and it made me realize how well those pieces had been set up in the first place. I enjoyed the book up until that point, but when I hit this coming-together moment, it had a huge emotional impact, which I think is exactly what the author was going for. And it worked!

Content Notes for Shooting for Stars

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Skylar might be neurodiverse, but if so, she doesn’t share a formal diagnosis.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
At one point, something scary happens, and Skylar comments that she doesn’t believe in God, but this scary moment makes her pray anyway, just in case.

Violent Content
References to Skylar’s mom’s death. References to a car accident caused by cell phone use in which a girl is injured. A girl goes missing overnight. A character arrives home to emergency vehicles in their driveway and learns there was a fire.

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: The Pale Queen by Ethan M. Aldridge

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The Pale Queen
Ethan M. Aldridge
Quill Tree Press
Published June 25, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Pale Queen

From the acclaimed creator of Estranged and The Legend of Brightblade comes a lush fantasy graphic novel about an aspiring astronomer who attracts the attention of a mysterious being known as the Lady. Perfect for fans of Anya’s Ghost and Snapdragon!

Agatha has always dreamed of the stars. But when a chance encounter introduces her to the Lady of the Hills, Agatha is shocked to learn that a secret magical world lays hidden in the mist-shrouded land next to her village. She finds herself quickly captivated by the Lady, but is the Lady who she appears to be?

As Agatha forms a new friendship with a girl in town, she learns that the Lady is far older and more powerful than she could’ve guessed and that her plans aren’t as innocent as they appear. Will Agatha be able to protect the people she loves from the Lady’s sinister agenda?

My Review

This is another one of those books that I read at just the right time. (I’m not sure there could be a bad time to read a book by Ethan Aldridge, honestly.)

It’s been a hard week, so when I started this book, the first thing I appreciated was the soothing color palette. It’s got greens and yellows in softer tones. The woods have deep shadows, which makes them feel old and untouched, just like I’d imagine woods hiding magical creatures at the edge of a small town would be.

I loved Agatha’s character from the first page. She’s smart. Kind. Frustrated by the way her life has boxed her in, but still good to the people around her as much as she can be.

Heather, the girl who comes to stay with the family Agatha works for, also won me over. She constantly quotes authors and is pretty unapologetically nerdy, which is fabulous.

The Lady who makes a bargain with Agatha is also a fascinating character. I love the way her appearance changes depending on what’s happening and how Agatha reacts to her in certain scenes.

There were a couple of places where a chapter or scene ending felt a little abrupt, leaving me wanting a few more panels to really finish the scene. However, I’m now wondering if that was done on purpose to add to the eerie, slightly off-balance feeling the author created in those moments. Either way, it ultimately worked well.

Readers who’ve experienced Aldridge’s work before won’t need me to tell them this one is worth reading. It’s got the same powerful fantasy artwork and immersive storytelling that his fans have come to expect from his books.

Fans of K. O’Neill or Tim Probert will want to check this one out, for sure.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Some characters have brown skin. Two girls have romantic feelings for one another.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
Some characters can perform magic. A special stone leads one character to another person through a bond.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. A boy doesn’t respect a girl’s boundaries. She wants him to leave her alone. He treats her roughly, making her cry.

Someone turns a person into a pig. Someone freezes a group of people.

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.