Tag Archives: siblings

Review: The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,
The Swan's Daughter by Roshani Chokshi

The Swan’s Daughter
Roshani Chokshi
Wednesday Books
Published January 6, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

The Swan’s Daughter

In this lush and romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.

To find love is a curse …

Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.

Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris’s parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.

Until he meets Demelza.

As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.

While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.

My Review

LOOK AT ME READING THE BOOK I PRE-ORDERED IN A TIMELY MANNER. I cannot believe I missed all announcements about this book last year. What rock was I living under? I’m glad I heard about it in time to pre-order a copy. I’ve been a fan of Roshani Chokshi’s books, especially her young adult titles, since her debut. Knowing she had a new young adult fantasy book coming out this year was super exciting.

The book starts out a little bit slowly, but don’t be fooled. The setup showing her parents’ romantic relationship does some heavy lifting in terms of immersing us in the whimsical story world. I loved all the weird magical elements and complex relationships. The story stays in a lighthearted fantasy tone, but it has some teeth to it, too.

I loved Demelza and Arris. She’s smart and anxious. He’s romantic and imaginative. I like that they stay true to those qualities even as they get to know one another. Part of the story is figuring out whether two people so different could have a sustainable romance. Demelza’s friends are great, too. I laughed so much at some of the things that happened with them.

Reading this book was a very welcome escape for me, which I really appreciated. If you are looking for a fairytale-like story that isn’t a retelling, definitely check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
List.

Romance/Sexual Content
List.

Spiritual Content
List.

Violent Content
List.

Drug Content
List.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I pre-ordered a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Review: Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Historical, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,

Song of a Blackbird
Maria van Lieshout
First Second
Published January 21, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Song of a Blackbird

Fictionalized but based on true events, Song of a Blackbird has two intertwined timelines: one is a modern-day family drama, the other a thrilling tale of a WWII-era bank heist carried out by Dutch resistance fighters.

In the present day, teenage Annick is desperate to find a bone marrow donor that could save the life of her grandmother, Johanna. She turns to her family history and discovers a photograph taken by Emma Bergsma.

Decades earlier, Emma is a young art student about to be drawn into what will become the biggest bank heist in European history: swapping 50 Million Guilders’ worth of forged bank notes for real ones―right under the noses of the Nazis! Emma’s life―and the lives of thousands, including a young woman named Johanna―hangs in the balance.

In this stranger-than-fiction graphic novel, Maria van Lieshout weaves a tale about family, courage, and the power of art. Deeply personal yet universal, Song of a Blackbird sheds light on an untold WWII story and sends a powerful message about compassion and resistance.

My Review

I love that the narrator of the book is a blackbird representing the spirit of resilience and the power of compassion. The scenes alternate between two timelines: 1943 and 2011. In 1943, we follow Emma, a young woman who has just joined the Dutch resistance and agrees to help hide Jewish children scheduled for deportation. She winds up helping print forged ration cards and bank certificates as part of a heist plot.

In 2011, we follow a teenage girl whose grandmother has just learned she was one of the children hidden in Amsterdam and adopted by a non-Jewish family. Oma has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant, which makes it crucial that Annick, her granddaughter, help to track down her biological family.

Annick follows clues in a series of prints on her grandmother’s walls. Each section of the book begins with one of those prints and shows Annick’s research, as well as Emma, the artist who created the prints, and her work to hide Annick’s grandmother aid the resistance movement.

The use of the prints and the presence of artists in both time periods emphasize the importance of art as resistance and the powerful impact it has on its creator and viewers. Emma’s prints tell the story of her work, ensuring that history isn’t forgotten.

The illustrations are in grayscale except for a reddish-orange color. I love the way the author uses that orange to draw attention to certain elements. It also reminds me of sunrise, which made the color seem like a symbol of hope and resistance in and of itself.

The back of the book has some historical notes about each person who inspired characters in this graphic novel. Photographs of each person appear there, but Lieshout has also strategically placed photographs throughout the scenes of the book.

Concusion

I’m really blown away by how powerful this story is. I wasn’t sure I’d like the bird narration, but I really ended up loving it. The notes that piece together the truths that inspired the story are such a great addition. This is a story I’m not going to forget.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Allusion to the attraction between two people. One panel shows two teenagers kissing.

Spiritual Content
A priest helps hide several Jewish boys in his church.

Violent Content
References to deportations and rumors of execution at concentration camps. Mass arrests. Resistance workers know they can be arrested and interrogated or tortured. A man temporarily escapes soldiers, but has a gunshot wound that leaves his legs paralyzed. One scene shows a group of men (resistance members) executed by firing squad.

Drug Content
Panels show adults smoking and drinking alcohol in some scenes.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library. All opinions are my own.

MMGM Review: The Aftermyth by Tracy Wolff

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

The Aftermyth (The Aftermyth #1)
Tracy Wolff
Aladdin
Published February 3, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Aftermyth

In a world ruled by the tenets of Greek mythology, one girl’s fate is more than it appears in the first book in a new dark academia fantasy middle grade series from #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Crave series Tracy Wolff.

What’s your myth?

Penelope Weaver has spent her whole life preparing to attend Anaximander’s Academy, where students learn how to bring to life the stories of Greek mythology as well as discover the Greek god whose principles they most embody. Penelope knows she’s an Athena—all smart, practical, and rule-following girls who take part in stories that matter are Athenas.

But when Penelope and her twin brother Paris arrive at Anaximander’s, it appears fate has other plans. Penelope isn’t placed with Athena but with students who are anything but practical and who prefer parties to rules. And that’s just the beginning. She’s given the world’s worst muse, her assigned tasks feel impossible, and the magic of Anaximander’s is overwhelming. Not to mention, there are two very different boys making her new life even more confusing.

But as things go from bad to dangerously worse, one thing becomes in a world where everything is fated to happen a certain way, some stories need to be rewritten. As the world around her shifts and cracks, Penelope is asked to forget everything she thought she knew to help create a better story…even if that changes every plan and breaks every rule.

My Review

Since this book is set at a magic school centered around Greek mythology, I feel like comparisons to the Percy Jackson series are inevitable. Other than those themes, though, I didn’t find myself thinking of that series much as I read this one.

I really appreciate the way the author set up this story. Penelope is from a family who were all in the Athena house, so she expects to continue the family tradition at school. When she doesn’t, she resists fitting in with her new classmates, even though, to observant readers, she does have some traits that show why she belongs there.

That part of the story, where Penelope wrestles with her family’s expectations (and her own) versus her true personality and character, was really nicely done. It made me think a lot about how family culture shapes us, and how important it is for us to discover where our true interests and talents lie, which can be challenging from within a dominant family culture.

I also appreciated that Penelope learns about the value of friendship. She learns to trust her instincts, ask questions, and not accept things at face value. All good lessons. The way things roll out in the story, I found myself putting the clues together alongside Penelope, which made for an engaging reading experience.

Though this series opener is a bit long (more than 400 pages), the chapters are short, and the fast-paced storytelling makes it feel like a quick read. I’m curious to see where the series will go next.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
In the story, the pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses is real, and students who attend Anaximander’s school receive a (supernatural) gift and mentorship from a muse as they continue their education.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Snakes threaten characters in one scene.

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.

Review: I, in the Shadows by Tori Bovalino

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

I, in the Shadows
Tori Bovalino
Page Street
Published January 13, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About I, in the Shadows

Liam has been dead for ten months, haunting the house he used to share with his family, and facing intermittent and terrifying encounters with an eldritch entity called The Beast, who seems determined to consume his soul. Besides that complication in Liam’s new existence, he’s actually adjusted well enough to boredom. But all of that changes when a new family moves in and Liam finds himself sharing a room with Drew Tarpin, who is all of the things Liam never was when he was athletic, queer, and effortlessly cool.

Except, Liam and Drew do have something in their hopeless attraction to Hannah Steward, the nerdy captain of the school mock trial team. After Drew stands in to protect Liam from the Beast, he agrees to help her win Hannah over if Drew keeps Liam from spending the entirety of his afterlife as demon food. It shouldn’t be hard, since Liam was in unrequited love with Hannah for his entire natural life, and her best friend until his untimely death. But the Beast will not be satisfied no matter how much Drew fights back on Liam’s behalf—and when Hannah catches on that Liam might not be totally gone, it puts all of their lives at risk.

My Review

I kept seeing books by Tori Bovalino around, so I’ve been wanting to read one, and I’m excited that I finally did.

The ghostly parts of this story follow a pretty well-traveled path. Drew can see ghosts, and so can other family members. Her sibling has been a lot more involved in helping ghosts move on. Usually, Drew steers clear of ghost work, but she’s now the only child at home, and the ghost lingering in the house is attracting dangerous creatures.

Once she agrees to help the ghost, Liam, move on, she becomes entangled in Liam’s old friend group. The group felt like a cohesive unit, and Drew’s experience hanging out with them reminded me of similar experiences I’ve had as an outsider with a group like that, so I thought it was pretty realistic.

I also liked the slow development of Drew’s feelings for Hannah. Drew’s promise to help Liam move on quickly complicates Drew’s possible relationship with Hannah. I liked that the feelings didn’t trump the mistakes made. I thought Bovalino did a nice job making space to address the conflicts.

Readers who enjoy stories about ghosts and falling in love will definitely want to check out this supernatural mystery-slash-romance.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Someone shares their romantic (unreciprocated) feelings with a friend. A girl describes feeling pressured to have a romantic relationship with a boy because of a loss they share and his strong feelings for her.

Spiritual Content
Drew and a few other family members can see and interact with ghosts. They’re supposed to help ghosts move on to the afterlife. If ghosts linger in this world too long, they become husks, hollowed-out, hungry, ghostly creatures with no memories of their previous existence. An octopus or spider-like creature made of shadows appears to devour husks. Husks and this shadowy creature can harm living things, too.

Violent Content
References to a car accident that killed a teenage boy. Journal entries reference the death of another family member.

Drug Content
References to drug addiction. (Not shown on the page.) References to a party where teens drank alcohol that happened before the story began. Teens drink alcohol at a party.

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: 16 Forever by Lance Rubin

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

16 Forever
Lance Rubin
Publisher
Published January 6, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About 16 Forever

It’s the morning of Carter Cohen’s 16th birthday, and everything’s going his way.

He’s psyched and ready to get his driver’s license, his little brother’s not hogging the bathroom, and, man, something smells good for breakfast…

But when Carter bounds downstairs, Mom bursts into tears. It happened again. It’s Carter’s 16th birthday—for the sixth time. Every time he’s supposed to turn 17, he loops back a year. His memory gets wiped clean, his body ages backward—the rest of the world moves on, just not him.

Maggie Spear, on the other hand, has been dreading this day ever since she and Carter started dating. When she spies him in the halls, and he doesn’t seem to know her at all, it’s obvious that it’s over between them. She can’t be in a relationship with someone who is just going to forget her again and again. Since Carter doesn’t remember that they’re together, then it’s probably better if she just pretends that they never were.

Except Carter senses that there’s more to their story than Maggie’s letting on, and Maggie’s keeping secrets of her own—but in the process of trying to let the other go, they find themselves falling in love all over again.

With Maggie soon leaving for college and Carter’s birthday quickly coming around again, will they be able to find a forever that isn’t stuck at 16?

Filled with tender moments, silly banter, and lots of teenage angst, 16 Forever is the latest YA page-turner from New York Times bestselling, award-winning author Lance Rubin.

My Review

It’s not unusual for me to spot a twist coming before it hits the page of a book, but the reveal of the secrets in 16 Forever totally took me by surprise. I suspected one secret that a character was keeping from Carter. But I really didn’t see some of the other stuff coming.

I don’t read a ton of books written by men these days, but I really enjoyed reading a teen romance written by a man. I just finished reading Room to Breathe by Kasie West a few days ago, so contrasting those two has kind of fascinated me. The tone in 16 Forever and the humor are different. I love that our shelves are big enough to include both approaches to romance.

The story shows scenes from three different perspectives: Carter, his brother Lincoln, and Maggie, his former girlfriend. Lincoln’s scenes are mostly written in second person, directed at Carter, and share memories Lincoln has of each of Carter’s 16th-birthday mornings and significant moments from the months that follow. The chapters from Maggie and Carter’s perspectives show the present-day scenes unfolding.

Including perspectives outside Carter’s makes this book really interesting. Lincoln used to be Carter’s younger brother, but now he has surpassed him and become the older brother. This made me think of some stories I’ve read about characters who’ve lost a sibling, and the feeling that the sibling remains stuck at the age they died or disappeared. For Lincoln, though, Carter is still alive and present, though just as stuck.

I liked the way the ending unfolded, though I wonder if it will be too subtle for some readers. Ultimately, Carter has to chase down the clues and learn why he got stuck before he can have a chance to move forward again. I love how Rubin pieces all those elements together to lead to a meaningful conclusion.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Some references to touching under tops. Characters discuss if and when to have sex.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Someone says cruel things to another character, embarrassing them in front of another person.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol at a house party. Carter makes use of his driver’s license, which shows his date of birth and implies that he is over 21, to purchase alcohol, vape juice, and edibles for kids at school.

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: When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

When Stars Are Scattered
Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Dial Books
Published April 14, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About When Stars Are Scattered

A National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel is about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl.

Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.

Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It’s an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story.

My Review

After reading this graphic novel, I’m completely unsurprised that this book was a finalist for the National Book Award. What an incredible story. It’s definitely one of those books that is more than the sum of its parts, too. While the storytelling follows Omar’s experience from his childhood living in a refugee camp in Kenya to his adulthood, the relationships in the book shine like its true stars.

Omar takes care of his brother Hassan, who is mostly nonverbal and has seizures. As Omar attends school, he worries about Hassan being on his own. He realizes, though, that Hassan has a whole community of people who know and love him. And he helps everyone around him, as well.

At school, Omar makes friends with Maryam and Nimo, two girls who study hard, hoping to one day earn a scholarship that would take them to college in Canada. His best friend, Jeri, keeps Omar grounded when his emotions get the best of him.

Omar’s life experiences are so different than a lot of kids face. An up-close account showing what it’s like to live day after day with so little and no promise that life will ever change helps readers develop empathy and understanding for refugees who might join their classrooms.

The backmatter shows some photos of Omar and Hassan as well as a continuation of Omar’s life story.

I’m a huge fan of When Stars Are Scattered, and I hope to share it with lots of young readers.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to marriage. One of Omar’s friends, a girl who is around fifteen years old, marries an older man.

Spiritual Content
References to morning prayer, studing the Quran, and celebrating holidays like Ramadan and Eid.

Violent Content
Omar revisits his life in Somalia in fragmented memories (he fled when he was around three years old). One panel shows that Omar heard shots fired after soldiers approached his dad. The text doesn’t specify what he saw, but we understand that he witnessed his dad’s death, and that remembering it was deeply upsetting to him. One line references a suicide (not shown on scene). References to domestic abuse.

People in the camp call Omar’s friend Jeri “Limpy” to make fun of him for his disability. Omar and Jeri talk specifically about this and how it’s wrong and bothers Jeri. Omar sticks up for his friend.

Drug Content
One character’s dad sits with other men chewing Khat leaves, which act like a stimulant.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I purchased a copy of this book from Scholastic Book Fairs. All opinions are my own.