The Queen's Rising - Rebecca Ross

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"When her seventeenth summer solstice arrives, Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron.

Growing up in the southern Kingdom of Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her for such a life. While some are born with an innate talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she belatedly chose to study knowledge. However, despite all her preparations, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—the solstice does not go according to plan and she is left without a patron.

Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, and with no other choices, she accepts. But there is much more to his story, and Brienna soon discovers that he has sought her out for his own vengeful gain. For there is a dangerous plot being planned to overthrow the king of Maevana—the archrival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes.

With war brewing between the two lands, Brienna must choose whose side she will remain loyal to—passion or blood. Because a queen is destined to rise and lead the battle to reclaim the crown. The ultimate decision Brienna must determine is: Who will be that queen?"

My favorite thing about this book is that it is full of surprises. There were a few moments where I actually gasped out loud, causing my husband to look over at me and ask if I was ok. Second favorite thing? The world-building. Everything about this book was full of rich, incredible detail, which is pretty remarkable for a standalone fantasy that isn't a billion pages long. I can't even tell you how badly I want to be a passion after reading this book. Give me my cloak! Finally, I love the banter between Brienna and Luc, as well as her relationship with Merei. Three of my favorite characters. My one complaint is that I wish we had seen more of the final battle, especially since so much was made of Maevana women being warriors. There was so much buildup leading to the moment where the two sides meet, and then...it was over. Give me more, dammit!

Taking all the great things about this story into account, I'll happily forgive the lack of battle scenes. And if I wasn't already willing to, the cover art would have convinced me. I mean...look at it.

I can't look at this cover and not want to read the book.

If you're into fantasy and books with strong female leads, this book is for you. Read it!

Starry Eyes - Jenn Bennett

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.

But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.

What could go wrong?

With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.

And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?"

Be warned, this book gets off to a slow start. I wasn't sure I'd like it, but I warmed up a few chapters in and ended up loving it. Give it a chance, and I'm sure you will too! When the book starts off, Zorie and Lennon, former best friends, can't even be in the same room together. What could possibly have gotten between them? I braced myself for some cliche, easily avoidable conflict, but instead Jenn Bennett gave me some genuine, believable misunderstandings! So rare. So wonderful. There was also drama and life forces working beyond those misunderstandings, like Lennon going through things with his dad that Zorie hadn't known about. The depth to the central conflict in the story was a welcome surprise, since a lot of young adult realistic fiction in this vein tends to stick with things closer to the surface.

A few other things I loved: First, Zorie's relationship with her mom. I loved their interactions, they were some of my favorite parts of the book. Also, in general, the emotions throughout the book were so real. Lennon's longing and pain, revealed on their unexpected backpacking trip, how much both he and Zorie hurt being apart, how happy they were when they finally reconciled...I felt it all. Bonus feels: Lennon's sketches of Zorie hit me right in the heart. Finally, the setting. Being abandoned in the back country isn't ideal, but damn, what a setting for a story. I couldn't get enough. My biggest gripe by far with this book is that Zorie is into such an obvious douchebag at the beginning, but hey, who among us has not fallen for an asshole at one point or another? It happens...as much as I hated it, that didn't make it unrealistic. Shoutout to Jenn Bennett for capturing that regrettable crush moment so well. 

Getting down to it...literally the moment I finished this book, I texted two of my sisters and told them they had to read it. It's good. Read it.

On Two Feet and Wings - Abbas Kazerooni

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"This amazing true story of a boy fleeing Tehran on his own during the Iran-Iraq War provides a powerful child's-eye view of political tumult, separation, survival, dreams and triumphs in a moving memoir that chronicles extraordinary times in an ordinary boy's life.

Close to his tenth birthday, Abbas has to leave his parents and friends to escape Tehran. The Iran-Iraq War is at its bloodiest. The ayatollahs, the rulers of Iran, have reduced the age of recruitment into the army. If Abbas doesn't leave soon, he will have to go to war.

In the strange and often frightening city of Istanbul, Abbas has to grow up fast. Living alone for twelve weeks in a rundown hotel, he has to learn to live by his wits, and watch his back. Will he ever get his dream visa to England?"

Another tiny review incoming.

This book was so sad at times, but it was also fantastic to see how resourceful and brave Abbas was. His story demonstrates the highs and lows that people are capable of, with some people in Istanbul being so kind to him while others were so cruel or violent. My only gripe with the book is that I wish there was more about his experience after he got out of Istanbul. All we got was a little epilogue, but it was such a journey for him to make it that far, I would have liked to hear more about what happened after he arrived in England.

Solo - Kwame Alexander

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"When the heart gets lost, let the music find you.

Blade never asked for a life of the rich and famous. In fact, he’d give anything not to be the son of Rutherford Morrison, a washed-up rock star and drug addict with delusions of a comeback. Or to no longer be part of a family known most for lost potential, failure, and tragedy. The one true light is his girlfriend, Chapel, but her parents have forbidden their relationship, assuming—like many—that Blade will become just like his father.

In reality, the only thing Blade has in common with Rutherford is the music that lives inside them. But not even the songs that flow through Blade’s soul are enough when he’s faced with two unimaginable realities: the threat of losing Chapel forever, and the revelation of a long-held family secret, one that leaves him questioning everything he thought was true. All that remains is a letter and a ticket to Ghana—both of which could bring Blade the freedom and love he’s been searching for, or leave him feeling even more adrift."

Incredibly short review alert! 

I loved the incorporation of his songs into the audiobook, that was a fantastic addition. I also enjoyed the message that it's about the journey, not about the destination. I docked a star because the transitions were a little jarring at times and parts of the story progressed in fast forward--I would have liked more detail. That aside, though, this was a fantastic book. Enjoy the journey.

Dear Martin - Nic Stone

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack."

I'm getting very behind in writing reviews, so disclaimer: they're gonna be short and sweet until I get caught up.

I read this the weekend that Childish Gambino's "This is America" music video came out, so I got to the most intense part of this book and watched the music video within an hour or so of each other. Fuuuuuuuuck. Can't get either one out of my head. After things went down during Justyce and Manny's car ride, I felt viscerally angry when stories on the news came out trying to paint Justyce as a thug and when the defense attorney in the police officer's trial brought up things unrelated to the shooting, trying to make it sound like Manny deserved what he got. Excellent job, Nic Stone, on writing a book that makes the reader feel so fired up. Justyce's emotions really came through, and the injustice going on throughout the book made me furious. The only downside I found listening to the audiobook, and the reason I only gave it four stars, is that format of the book didn't always lend itself to being read aloud. There were points where the story felt stilted or abrupt, and I wonder if that was because of the format. Definitely planning to read the physical book and see if it flows a little better...which in all honesty is not a downside. It was an excellent book, and I'm looking forward to reading it again and hopefully bumping this review up to a five-star.

Ink, Iron, and Glass - Gwendolyn Clare

My rating:

From the cover:

"Can she write a world gone wrong?

A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation, where her mother―a noted scriptologist―constantly alters and expands their reality.

But when her home is attacked and her mother kidnapped, Elsa is forced to cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative Victorian Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of young scientists with a gift for mechanics, alchemy, or scriptology―and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.

In this thrilling debut, worlds collide as Elsa unveils a deep political conspiracy seeking to unlock the most dangerous weapon ever created―and only she can stop it."

Before we get into the book, I've got to shout out the gorgeous cover of this book. I had a pile of books waiting for me to read, and I'm not going to lie, the main reason I chose this one over the others was the cover.

It's so pretty!

We first meet Elsa in the scripted world where she lives with her mother, Jumi, a gifted scriptologist. Very shortly after the two are introduced, Elsa and Jumi are attacked, and Elsa is left unconscious. When she wakes up, Jumi is gone. Elsa follows the attackers to the home of her world's creator, where she finds that he has been murdered and his house set on fire. Alone and unfamiliar with customs in Europe, Elsa goes to her mother's closest friend for aid, who takes her to a home for some of the most gifted young scientists in the real world. Left there alone, worried about the fate of her mother, Elsa is forced to decide if she can put her trust in the young strangers she now lives with or if she must forge ahead and attempt to find and rescue her mother alone.

I felt the story got off to a slow start, I was intrigued with the premise, and the second half was dynamite. Also, while I found the relationship between Elsa an Leo a bit force, I loved the dynamic between the foursome as they unraveled the mystery of what happened to Elsa's mom and worked to save her, and the ending left me dying for more. I can't wait for the next book!

Ramona Blue - Julie Murphy

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Ramona was only five years old when Hurricane Katrina changed her life forever.

Since then, it’s been Ramona and her family against the world. Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi. But juggling multiple jobs, her flaky mom, and her well-meaning but ineffectual dad forces her to be the adult of the family. Now, with her sister, Hattie, pregnant, responsibility weighs more heavily than ever.

The return of her childhood friend Freddie brings a welcome distraction. Ramona’s friendship with the former competitive swimmer picks up exactly where it left off, and soon he’s talked her into joining him for laps at the pool. But as Ramona falls in love with swimming, her feelings for Freddie begin to shift too, which is the last thing she expected. With her growing affection for Freddie making her question her sexual identity, Ramona begins to wonder if perhaps she likes girls and guys or if this new attraction is just a fluke. Either way, Ramona will discover that, for her, life and love are more fluid than they seem."

This book was nothing like I expected, but everything I needed. On the surface, it's a pretty straightforward story of every day life for a high school senior. But it's also a story about challenging our self-assumptions and not placing too much stock in the things we feel define us. Ramona is pretty sure she knows who she is, what she wants, and where her life is going, but when her childhood friend Freddie moves to Eulogy, everything she thought she knew gets turned upside down. She resists admitting to herself that things have changed because if they do...what does that make her? Where does it leave her? With all the upheaval in her life, Ramona has to decide if sticking to the plans she made and staying true to the labels she has assigned herself is worth sacrificing things she'd never let herself consider within her reach. 

Love, Life, and the List - Kasie West

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself."

For me, Kasie West books are a great palate cleanser after reading heavier books. They're like the sorbet of the book world. You can always count on them to have a small amount of drama but overall be fluffy and end happily. If you're looking for something fast, light, and fun to read, this book is a great option. That being said, I did have a few gripes.

Gripe numero uno: It was hard to feel invested in their friend circle when there was ZERO character development for the two that were on vacation the entire book. I know whole point of the book was that Cooper and Abby were going to be alone all summer, but it's a weird decision to establish that this friend group is like the end-all-be-all of friend groups without including two members of the group in the book. Gripe two: Could have done without Iris's presence in the book. It rubbed me the wrong way primarily because she ended up actively pitted against Abby, which is just...such a tired storyline...but it also bugged me because throwing her in the mix kind of made Cooper come off like a d-bag at times, particularly toward the end of the book. 

And, drumroll please...my final gripe...

I know I said above that you can always count on these books to end happily, but truth be told I was kind of excited at the prospect of a Kasie West book where in the end the main character learns to be fine being by herself and expands her social circle beyond the one guy she's ever really socialized with (aside from the other guy friend who, again, is absent the entire book and also has a weird arc where he's sending Cooper texts but not Abby), but noooooo. Honestly, with this book, the ending almost made the entire book feel pointless. There were all these realizations from Abby and character growth and revelations about how she could have other friends and rely on people outside of her little group, and then it was like "jk, Cooper does like me! We're together now!" Fine, if that's how you're going to end it...but at the very least if they were going to end up together don't have him totally blow off her art show because that made him completely irredeemable in my eyes.

Monster - Walter Dean Myers

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. A Harlem drugstore owner was shot and killed in his store, and the word is that Steve served as the lookout.

Guilty or innocent, Steve becomes a pawn in the hands of "the system," cluttered with cynical authority figures and unscrupulous inmates, who will turn in anyone to shorten their own sentences. For the first time, Steve is forced to think about who he is as he faces prison, where he may spend all the tomorrows of his life.

As a way of coping with the horrific events that entangle him, Steve, an amateur filmmaker, decides to transcribe his trial into a script, just like in the movies. He writes it all down, scene by scene, the story of how his whole life was turned around in an instant. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred and his vision obscured until he can no longer tell who he is or what is the truth. This compelling novel is Walter Dean Myers's writing at its best."

This book has been on my to-read list for quite some time, and now that I've read it, I don't know why I waited so long! Not only was it fantastic, it was also shockingly short, so....super fast read. I listened to the audiobook, and I thought the narrator did an incredible job of portraying Steve's fear, confusion, and uncertainty. It tugged at my heartstrings, especially the way he reacted to being called a monster, wondering what choices he was supposed to have made that had led him to the point where people viewed him as something so terrible. Also, even knowing how ludicrously unfair the justice system can be to people of color, it was mind-blowing to me that the prosecutor was so intent on busting a teenage kid for allegedly "checking the coast was clear" that she was willing to make a deal with one of the people who admitted to being directly involved with the robbery and part of the reason someone ended up dying. Like...what?! Why? He's a teenage kid, for fuck's sake. You'd really rather put him in jail than one of the people who robbed the place and caused an innocent man's death? That made me so mad...which was kind of the point of the book, so good job, Walter Dean Myers. If you're looking for a book that examines racism and prejudice in the justice system, this one is a must-read. And like I said...super short. So there's really no excuse to pass it by.