Tag Archives: Romance

Review: The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina

Book Review and Content, Historical, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,
The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina

The Silent Unseen
Amanda McCrina
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Published April 5, 2022

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About The Silent Unseen

A mesmerizing historical novel of suspense and intrigue about a teenage girl who risks everything to save her missing brother.

Poland, July 1944. Sixteen-year-old Maria is making her way home after years of forced labor in Nazi Germany, only to find her village destroyed and her parents killed in a war between the Polish Resistance and Ukrainian nationalists. To Maria’s shock, the local Resistance unit is commanded by her older brother, Tomek―who she thought was dead. He is now a “Silent Unseen,” a special-operations agent with an audacious plan to resist a new and even more dangerous enemy sweeping in from the East. When Tomek disappears, Maria is determined to find him, but the only person who might be able to help is a young Ukrainian prisoner and the last person Maria trusts―even as she feels a growing connection to him that she can’t resist.

My Review

I found this book to be really compelling, especially the relationship between Kostya and Maria. I don’t know anything about the real history of the time period (1944) or how realistic the events in the story are, but I found THE SILENT UNSEEN to be really moving.

There were a couple of weird things about it to me, though. The title and cover copy kind of make it sound like Tomek is a major character, and he really wasn’t? It would make more sense if this is the first book in a series, and the Silent Unseen become a more major part of the story across multiple books, but I don’t see anything stating that this is anything other than a standalone novel.

The story was also a lot darker than I expected. Kostya joined the Ukrainian nationalists unwillingly, and was pretty severely tortured during his service with them. I liked his character a lot, though. His whole goal is to find his way back to his mother and sister and protect them. He seems young and somehow innocent despite everything he’s been through.

On the whole, I liked this book. I feel like it ended in kind of a weird place, like I feel like I’m still waiting for some shoes to drop? So again, it feels like this should be a series, but I don’t see anything about that being the case. If it’s a standalone, I feel weird about the way it ended because so much was still up in the air. In any case, I enjoyed reading THE SILENT UNSEEN, and it made me want to read more of the real history of what happened in Poland following the end of World War II.

If you liked THE GIRL IN THE BLUE COAT by Monica Hesse, check this one out.

Content Notes The Silent Unseen

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Maria is Polish. Kostya is Ukranian. Kostya has experienced some pretty horrific torture and that effects his behavior in some PTSD-like symptoms.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Vague references to rape. Maria has had experiences in which favors come with a price, and she’s afraid she’ll have those experiences again. Kiss between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Kostya keeps a statue of St. Constantine in his room.

Violent Content
Maria escaped from a labor camp. References to and descriptions of torture and war crimes. Maria shoots and kills several men. Soldiers wound Kostya.

Drug Content
Captors used morphine as part of torturing Kostya.

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 SILENT UNSEEN in exchange for my honest review.

Review and Blog Tour: A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson

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

A Forgery of Roses
Jessica S. Olson
Inkyard Press
Published March 29, 2022

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About A Forgery of Roses

Myra Whitlock has a gift. One many would kill for.

She’s an artist whose portraits alter people’s real-life bodies, a talent she must hide from those who would kidnap, blackmail, and worse in order to control it. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone.

But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor’s dead son. Desperate, Myra ventures to his legendary stone mansion.

Once she arrives, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. Someone dangerous lurks within these glittering halls. Someone harboring a disturbing obsession with portrait magic.

Myra cannot do the painting until she knows what really happened, so she turns to the governor’s older son, a captivating redheaded poet. Together, they delve into the family’s most shadowed affairs, racing to uncover the truth before the secret Myra spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.

From SING ME FORGOTTEN author Jessica S. Olson comes a gothic fantasy murder mystery perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Erin A. Craig.

My Review

Last year I read and loved DOWN COMES THE NIGHT, which also has a creepy, murder mystery in a mansion feel to it. I hoped to find a similar vibe in A FORGERY OF ROSES, and it definitely hit a lot of those notes for me, so I really enjoyed that.

I’m also a huge fan of sister books, so the fact that Myra’s driving goal is to save her sister was also something that drew me to this book. I liked that Lucy is portrayed with a chronic illness. I think she’s also sort of this angelic character– she’s super smart, incredibly supportive of her sister and rarely complains about her own discomfort. I think she would have read as a more real character if she’d at least been grouchy sometimes, or if there was something the sisters consistently argued about or disagreed on.

I liked the way Myra and August’s relationship developed. There were some really fun moments between them, like when they’re exploring a place they shouldn’t be and nearly get caught, so of course they have to cram themselves into a tiny closet together. Ha.

The only thing that I struggled with was that there are a couple moments where characters seemed to suddenly become different than they’d been all the way up to that point in the story. Those caught me by surprise (which is good) but also left me thinking, wait, where did this come from?

Despite that, I enjoyed seeing Myra figure out how to trust others and keep fighting for her family. I think readers who like slow burn romance and fast-paced mysteries in a fantasy world will enjoy this story.

Content Notes for A Forgery of Roses

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Myra’s sister is chronically ill. August has anxiety.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Characters believe a great painter they call the Artist painted the world, and his Lady was so moved by it that he made the world real for her. Her tears upon first seeing the painting became a roses with special powers.

Violent Content
Someone attacks Myra. She also finds portraits that seem to indicate people were tortured.

Drug Content
Myra attends a party where guests drink champagne.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of A FORGERY OF ROSES in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

Instagram | Twitter | Website

Jessica S. Olson claims New Hampshire as her home but has somehow found herself in Texas, where she spends most of her time singing praises to the inventor of the air conditioner. When she’s not hiding from the heat, she’s corralling her four wild—but adorable—children, dreaming up stories about kissing and murder and magic, and eating peanut butter by the spoonful straight from the jar. She earned a bachelor’s in English with minors in editing and French, which essentially means she spent all of her university time reading and eating French pastries. She is the author of SING ME FORGOTTEN (2021) and A FORGERY OF ROSES (2022).

15 Highly Anticipated YA Books Coming Spring 2022

Lists, News and Fun, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Spring is here and it’s very much past time to talk about what I’m most looking forward to reading this season. My last anticipated books post covered books coming out in January to late March, but there were a couple books I must have added to my TBR after I made that post, so I’ve included the few that I missed in this list.

Spring 2022 looks like another great season for YA books. Genre-wise, I’m looking forward to books that are kind of all over the map, from a couple historical books to RomComs to fantasy, and even a novel in verse! I’m particularly excited to read THIS REBEL HEART by Katherine Locke and YEAR ON FIRE by Julie Buxbaum as I’ve heard amazing things about both authors and have wanted to try books by them for a while.

Note: I finally went back to my Anticipated Books List from last season and updated the list with links to any of the books that I reviewed. So far I’ve read 13 of the 16 books on my list. Another is my next up to read (the publishing date got pushed back a bit, so I also pushed back my plans to read it.). A second one is on my bedside table and my blog calendar as a book to fit in the second I have a spare moment. The last book is on my library reading list, so hopefully I’ll be able to get that one read soon, too.

Also Note: This post contains affiliate links which don’t cost anything for you to use. Shopping from those links supports my blog. Thanks in advance!

15 Highly Anticipated YA Books Coming Spring 2022

A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A stunning novel in verse about two trans boys who discover the story of Revolutionary soldiers who may have been transgender.

Release Date: March 22, 2022 | My Review

A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A gothic fantasy murder mystery. An unusual pick for me, but I’m hoping for some DOWN COMES THE NIGHT but gothic vibes??

Release Date: March 29, 2022 | My Review

This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A magic river kept a girl’s family safe in WWII Hungary. Now she must decide whether to finally take her chance to escape to safety or fight for revolution.

Release date: April 5, 2022 | My Review

The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl returning home after surviving forced labor under the Nazis is caught in a war between Polish resistance and Ukrainian nationalists. Looks tense and hopeful.

Release Date: April 5, 2022 | My Review

She Gets the Girl by Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A hate-to-love YA sapphic romantic comedy– which sounds like exactly the kind of story that I need in my life right now.

Release Date: April 5, 2022 | My Review

This May End Badly by Samantha Markum

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Fake dating/rivals to romance set in an elite boarding school. Looks like lots of pranks and antics and romantic sparks. I’m excited for this one.

Release Date: April 12, 2022 | My Review

Gone Dark by Amanda Panitch

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: No electricity due to a malware attack. A girl who thought she’d put her survivalist history behind her now needs it in order to survive. Looks dark, and intense. I’m hoping for something along the lines of ALONE by Megan E. Freeman.

Release Date: April 12, 2022 | My Review

Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Twin sisters plus a best friend. A betrayal in the form of a kiss. Arson. New boys. Surprise romance. Sounds like lots of tension and drama. I’m so in.

Release Date: April 12, 2022 | My Review

Forging Silver Into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: More stories from Emberfall and Syhl Shallow! Tycho is a Lord?! Two friends who must risk everything to save their families, even if it means helping destroy their new king (Grey!). Yes, please. I’m all over this one.

Release Date: May 3, 2022 | My Review

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Two girls desperate to solve a mystery in a town full of secrets armed with the complete works of Agatha Christie. I’ve read books by Glasgow and Lawson before and enjoyed them, so I’m super excited to read this one.

Release Date: May 3, 2022 | My Review

Family of Liars by E. Lockhart

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The prequel to WE WERE LIARS, which if you know me, you know was the book that made me stand up a date once because I could. Not. Put it down. Totally lost track of time, like lost two hours of time. Oopsy. (It’s okay; he forgave me. We are married now.)

Release Date: May 3, 2022 | My Review

See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl having a Groundhog day experience, but with her nemesis. Sounds like lots of antics and laughs and swoony romance. I’ve been told I’m on the ARC list, but haven’t received a copy yet, so I might have to wait until this one is in print to read it.

Release Date: May 3, 2022

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A flamenco dancer who must turn dragon hunter to save her father and her inheritance. Looks like an incredible story.

Release Date: May 31, 2022 | My Review

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A self-professed teen love doctor with a radio show. A girl who has zero time for love. Three dates to convince her he’s worth a chance. Can you see my heart eyes from there?

Release Date: May 31, 2022 | My Review

Places We’ve Never Been by Kasie West

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A summer road trip turns best friends to rivals and possibly… to lovers? Sounds like a perfect summer read.

Release Date: May 31, 2022 | My Review

Review: A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow

Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

A Million Quiet Revolutions
Robin Gow
Farrar, Strauss, & Giroux
Published March 22, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Million Quiet Revolutions

For as long as they can remember, Aaron and Oliver have only ever had each other. In a small town with few queer teenagers, let alone young trans men, they’ve shared milestones like coming out as trans, buying the right binders–and falling for each other.

But just as their relationship has started to blossom, Aaron moves away. Feeling adrift, separated from the one person who understands them, they seek solace in digging deep into the annals of America’s past. When they discover the story of two Revolutionary War soldiers who they believe to have been trans man in love, they’re inspired to pay tribute to these soldiers by adopting their names–Aaron and Oliver. As they learn, they delve further into unwritten queer stories, and they discover the transformative power of reclaiming one’s place in history.

My Review

I was delighted to discover that A MILLION QUIET REVOLUTIONS is a novel in verse! Somehow I missed that when I agreed to review it, and as soon as I started reading the lines of poetry, I was immediately carried away by the story of these two boys.

I loved the connection between their present day lives and the things they read about Revolutionary War soldiers who may have been transgender. The story mentions reports of some women who dressed as men to fight and then continued to live as men after the war. There wasn’t language for those soldiers to describe themselves as transgender, and the author is clear to point out that we don’t know for sure what their intentions or reasons were. It made an interesting thing to think about and kind of pointed up the fact that being transgender, while the term may be relatively new, the identity isn’t.

The story flips back and forth between Aaron and Oliver’s points of view, relating things they experience and think about in sparse, emotive verse. Oliver’s parents are supportive of his identity, but Aaron’s parents are not. The journey through the experiences of both definitely communicated moments of pain and validation for each of them. I thought the relationships between characters, especially the boys and their families, felt real and layered.

On the whole, I very much enjoyed reading this book. I read the whole thing in one sitting because I really wanted to keep going all the way until the end of the story. I think readers who enjoyed JESS, CHUNK AND THE ROAD TRIP TO INFINITY or MUSIC FROM ANOTHER WORLD should check this one out, too.

Content Notes for A Million Quiet Revolutions

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Oliver is Jewish and Aaron is Puerto Rican. Both are transgender boys.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content – Trigger Warning for mentions of sexual assault.
Kissing between boys. One scene references sexual touching and another shows some graphic sex.

Oliver and Aaron learn about another character who has been sexually assaulted and reports it to the police.

Spiritual Content
References to Jewish celebrations and attending services. References to Catholic services and ceremonies.

Violent Content
Some transphobic and homophobic comments.

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 A MILLION QUIET REVOLUTIONS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Wrecked by Heather Henson

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

Wrecked
Heather Henson
Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Published on March 22, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Wrecked

For as long as Miri can remember it’s been her and her dad, Poe, in Paradise—what Poe calls their home, hidden away from prying eyes in rural Kentucky. It’s not like Miri doesn’t know what her dad does or why people call him “the Wizard.” It’s not like she doesn’t know why Cal, her one friend and Poe’s right-hand man, patrols the grounds with a machine gun. Nothing new, but lately Paradise has started to feel more like a prison.

Enter Fen. The new kid in town could prove to be exactly the distraction Miri needs…but nothing is ever simple. Poe doesn’t take kindly to strangers. Fen’s DEA agent father is a little too interested in Miri’s family. And Cal isn’t satisfied with being just friends with Miri anymore. But what’s past is prologue—it’s what will follow that will wreck everything.

Shining a klieg light on the opioid crisis coursing through this country, WRECKED will have readers on the edge of their seat right up until the explosive ending.

My Review

First, let me say that this book is an incredible, wild ride. I love Fen and Miri! Clay broke my heart. For a short book (272 pages) it packs a huge punch in emotions and action.

So I’m not generally the biggest insta-love fan, but I think the whole, “Fen and Miri have just met, but they share this instant connection” actually worked for me in this book. In part it worked because it felt like an emotional connection between outcasts and oddballs, not a connection based on their physical attraction for each other. It wasn’t even overtly romantic at first. That definitely hooked me.

The secrets Miri keeps are huge. Just being friends with Fen could blow her whole life apart. Fen is used to people’s eyes glazing over when he tries to explain his love for his soundscapes, so he’s kind of given up on anyone understanding him, ever, when he meets Miri.

The third POV character is Clay, a boy in love with Miri. A childhood friend of hers who has been brought into the family by Miri’s dad. I liked his character, too. He has such a tragic past. He’s fiercely loyal to Miri and her family. He needs to be recognized as valuable to someone.

All that comes together in a high-intensity story set just outside a meth lab. I’m a little confused because the cover copy talks about this story bringing attention to the opioid epidemic, but I didn’t think meth was an opiate? I thought it was a stimulant? So I don’t know if it’s been reclassified (a quick google search seems to indicate no?) or if that’s kind of a marketing thing. Connect the book to the opioid crisis because it’s higher profile right now than meth addiction? I don’t know.

Conclusion

All in all, I enjoyed the story and read it really quickly. I didn’t want to stop because it felt like all the dominoes were always about to fall. I think fans of books by Ellen Hopkins will like the gritty writing (though this isn’t written in verse) and the gripping characters.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. At one point they both take tops off.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
More than once a boy is threatened at gunpoint. A boy walks into a burning building because his friends are inside.

Drug Content
Several characters abuse crystal meth and/or drink alcohol.

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 WRECKED in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Summer We Forgot by Caroline George

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

The Summer We Forgot
Caroline George
Thomas Nelson Publishing
Published March 8, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Summer We Forgot

Some memories are better left forgotten.

Darby and Morgan haven’t spoken for two years, and their friend group has splintered. But when the body of their former science teacher is found in the marsh where they attended camp that summer, they realize they have more questions than answers . . . and even fewer memories.

No one remembers—or no one is talking.

The group of reunited friends begins to suspect that a murderer is stalking the coastal highway 30A, and they must try to recover their memories as quickly as possible . . . before the history they can’t remember repeats itself.

Everyone has a secret.

As tensions rise and time runs out, Darby and Morgan begin to wonder if they can believe one another… or if they can even trust themselves.

Caroline George once again transports readers with lush, evocative prose, leading them to ask the question: what happens when we can’t even trust ourselves?

My Review

Going in, this book reminded me of something in the realm of R. L. Stine books. I liked the small beach town and all the descriptions of how things smelled and felt. That made me feel really present in the story.

The simmering romance between Darby and Morgan was also really well done. I liked that it drove the story forward, though a couple times I was like omg, figure this out already, guys! Haha. Looking back I feel like it was pretty well done, though.

I think one of my pet peeves with mystery/suspense books is when adults do all the heavy lifting and kids solve the mystery in conversations with them. There were a couple of moments in the book where I would have liked to see Darby and Morgan play a more active role in collecting clues and piecing things together. They did make some major moves, though, so all the solving didn’t happen in dialogue.

I also thought the cast of friends was kind of big. There were a couple characters that I kept getting confused, and I wonder if it would have been better to combine two of them?

On the whole, though, I felt like the dynamics between the members of the group felt pretty realistic. I enjoyed reading the banter between them and the goofy things they did together.

All in all, I think this book was enjoyable. I think fans of ONE OF US IS LYING by Karen McManus will enjoy the murder mystery and friend dynamics of the book.

Content Notes for The Summer We Forgot

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A teacher’s body is found in a march and police begin a murder investigation. Someone appears to be following Darby and her friends. Darby has a traumatic memory of her brother holding her underwater when she was ten years old. A masked person attacks two boys, beating them up. Another person throws a girl into the trunk of a car. Someone jumps from a moving vehicle, injuring themselves.

Drug Content
Teens consume alcohol at a party in several scenes. Reference to smoking 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 SUMMER WE FORGOT in exchange for my honest review.