The Kingdom of Back - Marie Lu

Initial draw: ✰✰✰✰

Character development: ✰✰✰✰✰

Plot/Writing style: ✰✰✰✰

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish: to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she'll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in eighteenth-century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age - her tyrannical father has made that much clear.

As Nannerl's hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true - but his help may cost her everything."

This was an emotional read for me for reasons unrelated to the book itself. I received a copy through a book subscription box a little less than a year ago, shortly after learning that someone close to me (I don't want to use her real name, so I'll call her Amy) had passed away. When I opened the box and saw it my first thought was, "I need to text Amy, she would love this!" I knew I wouldn't be able to read this without thinking of her the whole time, so it took a while before I was ready to pick it up. Now that I have, though, I am happy to report that I remain confident Amy would indeed have loved this book.

The premise of this story is one that will always be appealing to me -  a young woman in a situation where women are supposed to live quiet, undistinguished, obedient lives pushes back, determined to set herself apart and be remembered. Nannerl is talented, passionate, and committed to leaving her mark on the world, whatever it takes. She's also conflicted - both proud of her brother, with whom she is very close, and envious of his talent and how readily people praise and encourage his skill. She wants him to succeed, and she is glad for him when she does, but she is also a bit jealous that it's so easy for him to be accepted as a great compose and musician when it's so far out of her reach simply because she is a woman. For Wolferl's part, he doesn't seem to understand these arbitrary standards either. As a matter of fact, enamored with his sister's talent for composing, Wolferl is her greatest supporter and even finds ways to help her compose in secret.

Marie Lu's character building was excellent, and I loved watching Nannerl's relationship with Wolferl develop as they spent more time in the mysterious Kingdom of Back. Just as lovely was the imagery of the fantasy world weaved within their real world. I think even if I hadn't enjoyed the story of Nannerl's struggles with her father, her experiences performing, and all the rest of the real-world narrative, I would have loved this book solely for the incredible imagery of the Kingdom. This book is just so beautiful, inside and out. The cover is gorgeous, it's got silver sprayed edges...it's an entire visual experience.

Finally, if I had to pick my single most favorite thing about The Kingdom of Back, it would be that it inspires curiosity. I love a book that makes you want to keep learning, and the further I got into Nannerl's story, the more I wanted to research the real Nannerl. In her author's note, Marie Lu even recommends Mozart: A Life by Maynard Solomon as a starting point, so shout out to her for knowing that readers would need more after reading her beautiful story! I can't wait to learn more about this amazing, talented woman.

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett - Chelsea Sedoti

My rating: ⭐

From the cover:

"Hawthorn wasn't trying to insert herself into a missing person's investigation. Or maybe she was. But that's only because Lizzie Lovett's disappearance is the one fascinating mystery their sleepy town has ever had. Bad things don't happen to popular girls like Lizzie Lovett, and Hawthorn is convinced she'll turn up at any moment - which means the time for speculation is now.

So Hawthorn comes up with her own theory for Lizzie's disappearance. A theory way too absurd to take seriously...at first. The more Hawthorn talks, the more she believes. And what better way to collect evidence than to immerse herself in Lizzie's life? Like getting a job at the diner where Lizzie worked and hanging out with Lizzie's boyfriend. After all, it's not as if he killed her - or did he?"

Sooooo this book is problematic as hell, and I'm shocked that none of the reviews I looked through when I first started reading it mention that (rest assured, I'll be getting into why, and be warned - it will involve spoilers). There were some that mentioned how unlikable Hawthorn was as a character, which I will heartily second. She's a senior in high school, but I kept forgetting that because of how childish and bratty she was. I'm all for writing teenagers like they are teenagers and not miniature adults who happen to still be in school, but this was so far beyond that...even Hawthorn's best friend, brother, and parents spent pretty much the entire book begging her to not be so self-involved and immature. Eesh.

Then we get into the whole inserting herself into Lizzie Lovett's life to "investigate" her theory (her theory, by the way? That Lizzie is a werewolf. I mean, for fuck sake, a young woman is missing and, being realistic, probably dead, and Hawthorn is like lolz she's not missing, everyone, she's a werewolf!) She goes to the diner where Lizzie works and takes Lizzie's job, and then when Lizzie's boyfriend comes in to get a little quiet time away from the missing person's investigation for his long-time girlfriend, she immediately brings Lizzie up and tells him her werewolf theory. Which takes us to the first reason I found this book so problematic: Enzo goes along with it, and the two end up in a relationship.

Why is that problematic, you ask? Well, Lizzie was a senior in high school when Hawthorn was a freshman. Three years later, Lizzie is at least 20, and if I'm recalling correctly, Enzo was a few years older. Even to begin with, it was weird to me that a grown ass man in his early/mid twenties was like "ok, yeah, let's hang out with a high school kid and pretend my missing girlfriend is actually a werewolf," but then it progresses to the point where Enzo and Hawthorn SLEEP TOGETHER, and I was like um. What.

And not only that, but later on in the book after the two have "broken up" (it's never a conversation, it just kind of...happens...) Enzo gets into a relationship with a classmate of Hawthorn's. I mean, I get that your girlfriend disappeared and was later confirmed to be dead, which is traumatic as hell, but again, this is a GROWN. ASS. MAN. Dating not one but TWO seventeen-year-old girls. How did this not come up in ANY of the reviews I read?! 🤮

CW before proceeding: Discussion of suicide

So we've got predatory behavior from a traumatized adult man, why not throw more problematic content in. Toward the end of the book, after a far too long werewolf investigation, we learn that some hikers discovered Lizzie's body. While everyone suspected some kind of foul play, it turns out Lizzie died by suicide the night she went missing. I'm not going to get into the particulars, but the book sure as shit did, including speculation about why it happened the way it did, which is bad enough on it's own. But then following the discovery of her body, there are multiple comments to Hawthorn about how Lizzie gave up and how Hawthorn is stronger than Lizzie was, so she needs to fight, and I just...

Fuck anyone who talks about suicide like that. Lizzie wasn't weak because of the way she died, and shaming someone for their mental health struggles is pretty fucking despicable. I thought we got garbage books about suicide out of our systems in 2016 with Thirteen Reasons Why, but apparently not. This book was infuriating, and I know I've already said this, but I'm stunned that this doesn't come up more in reviews of this book. 

If you are having suicidal thoughts, please do not feel shame. Your experiences and emotions are valid. You are valid. If you need someone to talk to, you can reach someone day or night at 1-800-273-8255. If texting is more your speed, you can also text HOME to 741741 to reach a crisis counselor. When you call, you'll hear an automated message and be asked to wait on the line until a trained crisis worker answers. Workers don't follow any kind of script, so once someone is on the line, you'll be able to talk to them about whatever you need. No judgment, just support. 

Dear Justyce - Nic Stone

 My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Shortly after teenager Quan enters a not guilty plea for the shooting death of a police officer, he is placed in a holding cell to await trial. Through a series of flashbacks and letters to Justyce, the protagonist of Dear Martin, Quan's story unravels.

From a troubled childhood and bad timing to a coerced confession and prejudiced police work, Nic Stone's newest novel takes an unflinching look at the flawed practices and ideologies that discriminate against African American boys and minorities in the American justice system."

Nic Stone's author note says it all when she says the hardest thing about telling this story was "knowing the most fictional part is the support Quan receives." The entire time I read this, all I could think about was how different life would be for countless young people in the United States if they had a support system. Even Quan, although he connects with a solid support system while awaiting trial, could have gone down a completely different path if he had that kind of support earlier on. (Spoiler incoming)

There were big things that went wrong for Quan, but there were so many tiny ways society let him down, too. Imagine, for instance, if when Quan's math teacher went on maternity leave, the substitute who replaced her was as supportive as she had been instead of being actively the opposite. How different could things have been? This book shines a light on so many of the ways we as a society have let each other down. It shines a light on our broken criminal injustice system, as Justyce refers to it, and how badly it needs to be improved.

I'm Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl - Gretchen McNeil

My rating: ⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Beatrice Maria Estrella Giovannini has life all figured out. She's starting senior year at the top of her class, she's a shoo-in for a scholarship to MIT, and she's got a new boyfriend she's crazy about. The only problem: All through high school Bea and her best friends, Spencer and Gabe, have been the targets of horrific bullying.

So Bea uses her math skills to come up with the Formula, a 100% mathematically guaranteed path to social happiness in high school. Now Gabe is on his way to becoming student body president, and Spencer is finally getting his art noticed. But when her boyfriend dumps her for Toile, the quirky new girl at school, Bea realizes it's time to use the Formula for herself. She'll be reinvented as eccentric and lovable Trixie - a quintessential manic pixie dream girl - in order to win her boyfriend back and beat Toile at her own game.

Unfortunately, being a manic pixie dream girl isn't all it's cracked up to be, and "Trixie" is causing unexpected consequences for her friends. As the Formula begins to break down, can Bea find a way to reclaim her true identity and fix everything she's messed up? Or will the casualties of her manic pixie experiment go far deeper than she could possibly imagine?"

I had mixed feelings while reading this book and couldn't decide how I felt about it, but after spending some time post-read pondering, I've come to the conclusion that Bea's friends were the only redeeming part of this story. Bea herself was unlikable to a shocking degree - she was judgmental, selfish, and a genuinely horrible friend. What's more, while the whole premise of this book is built upon the "horrific bullying" she and her friends experience, the only character who is actually the recipient of horrific bullying is Gabe. I'm sorry, but from one nerd to another, being called "Math Girl" is neither horrific nor bullying, particularly when a. literally the only thing she cares about is math and b. she openly admits partway through the book that she decided upon starting high school that everyone there was mean and horrible and decided not to talk to any of them. Making the choice to assume the worst of everyone and isolate yourself without any attempt to make friends isn't bullying.

Then there's the whole manic pixie dream girl thing, the whole concept of which irritates the shit out of me. Because women aren't analyzed under a microscope and torn apart for everything they do already, let's definitely let a man coin a term to describe a certain type of woman and use it to tear each other down further. And while we're at it, how many times did Bea need to shit talk Dakota and Noel and their vocal fry or insinuate that Cassilyn is stupid or a bitch? I frequently choose books based on title or cover without reading the description, and in this case it really bit me in the ass because what I expected to be a story shining light on the "manic pixie dream girl" trope as something that applies not to women but to men and their expectations actually ended up being almost 350 pages of Bea tearing down other young women and treating her friends like shit, only to learn basically nothing but still manage to get the guy in the end. Hard pass.

Bookish and the Beast - Ashley Poston

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Rosie Thorne is feeling stuck - on her college application essays, in her small town, and on that mysterious General Sond cosplayer she met at ExcelsiCon. Most of all, she's stuck in her grief over her mother's death. Her only solace was her late mother's library of rare Starfield novels, but even that disappeared when they sold it to pay off hospital bills. 

On the other hand, Vance Reigns has been Hollywood royalty for as long as he can remember - with all the privilege and scrutiny that entails. When a tabloid scandal catches up to him, he's forced to hide out somewhere the paparazzi would never expect to find him: Small Town USA. At least there's a library in the house. Too bad he doesn't read.

When Rosie and Vance's paths collide and a rare book is accidentally destroyed, Rosie finds herself working to repay the debt. And while most Starfield superfans would jump at the chance to work in close proximity to the Vance Raines, Rosie has discovered something about Vance: he's a jerk, and she can't stand him. The feeling is mutual.

But as Vance and Rosie begrudgingly get to know each other, their careful masks come off - and they may just find that there's more risk in shutting each other out than in opening their hearts."

💬    💬    💬

Sooooooooo story time. Way back in March (March 16th to be exact) my colleagues and I reported to work and learned that we were temporarily closing due to COVID. Being the library nerds we are, a lot of our staff (me included, obvi) took the opportunity to stock up on books before we headed home. Of course, as has been well-documented on this blog, I wound up having a difficult time focusing on books after this closure, and most of those books have sat unread for months, waiting for me to be able to concentrate. 

Recently, my focus has been getting better, so I've started working my way through this mountain of books. Of course, one mountain isn't enough, so I also requested some advanced reader copies. The stars aligned, and I decided to read Geekerella, one of the books I randomly chose off our shelves because it sounded interesting, followed by Bookish and the Beast, one of the ARCs I requested because I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast.

Y'ALL. This is an effin series! And there's a book in between! WHICH I HAVE NOT READ. So...weird coincidence that I happened to read two books in the same series one right after the other without realizing it, and also now I have to read The Princess and the Fangirl. Another book to add to the mountain.

Anyway, about the book itself. The description does a pretty thorough job of breaking down what to expect, and there aren't a whole lot of surprises in the plot, but its beauty is in its simplicity. There are ups and downs, but it's a light read, and it'll probably make you happy. Honestly, particularly right now, what more could you ask for?

Oh, what was that? If you said great characters, I agree 100%, and Bookish and the Beast has them in spades. Vance was ok - he didn't have me wowed, but he was a serviceable MC. Rosie, on the other hand...can I get a hell yes? She is feisty, outspoken, and assertive, and I. LOVE. HER. There's a moment where she punches the Gaston character in the face, and I just... 

Also, huge shout out to Space Dad, her silver-haired, hella rad children's librarian father. 😍 Authors, do you want me to immediately fall in love with your book? Include an awesome librarian character. Impossible for me to resist. Then, of course, rounding out the fantastic character list, we have Quinn and Annie, Rosie's best friends. We should all be so lucky as to have a pair of BFFs as loving and supportive as they are. (I mean, I am so lucky, not to rub it in or anything. 😉)

But back to the book. Whether you're a Beauty and the Beast fan, a sucker for retellings, or just a fan of pleasant reads, this is a good book to add to your shelf. Give it a shot!

Chasing Lucky - Jenn Bennett

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐✯ (That's supposed to be 3.5, I did the best I could with what I had)

From the cover:

"Budding photographer Josie Saint-Martin has spent half her life with her single mother, moving from city to city. When they return to her historical New England hometown years later to run the family bookstore, Josie knows it's not forever. Her dreams are on the opposite coast, and she has a plan to get there.

What she doesn't plan for is a run-in with the town bad boy, Lucky Karras. Outsider, rebel...and her former childhood best friend. Lucky makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the newly returned Josie. But everything changes after a disastrous pool party and a poorly-executed act of revenge lands Josie in some big-time trouble - with Lucky unexpectedly taking the blame.

Determined to understand why Lucky was so quick to cover for her, Josie discovers that both of them have changed, and that the good boy she once knew now has a dark sense of humor and a smile that makes her heart race. And maybe, just maybe, he's not quite the brooding bad boy everyone thinks he is..."

I am so conflicted about this book. Parts of it had me all in, but others it felt like the book version of a scratched DVD, experiencing the story in fits and starts and filling in the details I missed. We kick off with Josie and her mom arriving in Beauty, where almost immediately Josie runs into her childhood best friend, Lucky - now Lucky 2.0, Tall, Dark, and Brooding. 

I am here for this - hooked and prepared for their first real confrontation! Except after revealing that Lucky and his family now own a boat repair shop across the street from the Saint-Martin bookstore, we fast-forward four months. We're told that Josie's welcome to Beauty was less than warm, and while she has dodged rumors and kept her distance from her classmates at school, Lucky has been her mysterious shadow, constantly popping up on the outskirts wherever she goes, watching her with those dark, bad-boy eyes but never saying a word.

"We never talk. Not really. He's never said, So, let's catch up! Or, How's life been treating you? Nothing normal like that. We don't acknowledge that we were once best friends and spent every Sunday eating dinner at his house. That we used to secretly meet up after school at an abandoned cedar boatshed at the end of the harbor...No. He's just...around."

Intriguing behavior to be sure...I only wish we had been able to watch this unfold. Instead, we get a couple of chapters telling us Lucky is ruggedly handsome but surly and mysterious, and then we get Lucky taking the fall for Josie accidentally committing an act of vandalism. I need more character building, damn it! And speaking of character building, given what a huge part she plays with basically everything that happens, I wish Josie's mom had been fleshed out a little more. Don't just tell me your mom is horrible...paint me a word picture. 

 

Again, we get story in fits and starts - Winona immediately forbids Josie (based on...what, exactly?) from seeing Lucky, then is reliably absent from the story except to pop up and remind us that Josie is Not Allowed to see him. Until (fits and starts!) with zero discussion, suddenly it's fine. Sigh. I just...don't teleport me from A to Z, take me all the way through!

My desire to see more of the story play out aside, Chasing Lucky did pull me in, and Jenn Bennett continues to do what she does best, which is capturing the longing and uncertainty of a budding possible relationship. Honestly, it says a lot about her ability as a writer that my complaint essentially boils down to "why didn't you make this book longer?" I felt every tug of the heart and flutter of butterflies (or in Josie's case, bats?), and with one glaring exception, I was swooning. 

(For the record, that glaring exception was the most awkward euphemism I've ever read - "I'm achingly aware of the hard outline pressing against the place in my jeans where my seams converge" - but we don't need to talk about that.) 

I want to go to all of the Karras family dinners, be best friends with Evie, and punch Adrian Summers in the face. Possibly more than once. Chasing Lucky isn't going to dethrone Starry Eyes or Alex, Approximately on my mental list of best heart-eye emoji books, but it's still a good read, and I will still eagerly read any YA that Jenn Bennett writes.

Revenge of the Red Club - Kim Harrington

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Riley Dunne loves being a member of the Red Club. It's more than a group of girls supporting each other through Aunt Flo's ups and downs; it's a Hawking Middle School tradition. The club's secret locker has an emergency stash of supplies, and the girls are always willing to lend an ear, a shoulder, or an old pair of sweatpants.

But when the school administration shuts the Red Club down because of complaints, the girls are stunned. Who would do that to them? The girls' shock quickly turns into anger, and then they decide to get even."

EVERY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL SHOULD HAVE A RED CLUB!

I had to get that out before I started reviewing the actual book. Truly, I can't even imagine how different my life would be if growing up I had a group of peers to talk frankly with about periods and other mysteries of life. Shit, I would be down to start a Red Club now, and I'm a full-grown adult.

Anyway, to the book. I have to admit, I may have been sleeping on Middle Grade recently. The two most mind-blowing books I've read in the last few months have both been MG, and rest assured, I will be stepping up my TBR game! My very first thought upon learning about this book was "A book about periods?! Sign me up!" And while I need to clarify that this is SO much more than a book about periods, my enthusiasm was not misplaced. I loved Riley from the second I started reading, and I cheered for her throughout the book. She's a role model I wish I had in middle school, and my library may not be open to the public right now, but when it is I'll be doing everything I can to get Riley's story into the hands of as many middle schoolers as possible.

Riley is feisty as hell, not afraid to stand up for herself, and when things at school start getting bad for the girls who go there, she and her friends refuse to take it lying down. Banding together, they plan a week-long protest to bring awareness to what the female students have been facing and bring about change, and Riley uses her super skill - a gift with words - to fight for change. She and her friends are an inspiration and a reminder that we can all use our super skills to affect change. Changes that, like in Riley's life, may feel small but often have a ripple effect. Now let's carry some Red Club energy into the injustices we see in our own circles!

First Page Friday - Easy to Read Books

My ability to focus is a little like a badly-tuned radio. Sometimes it seems like it's getting better (like today, when I sat down and read an entire book in basically one sitting!), but then it goes fuzzy again and I re-read the same sentence eight times because I can't concentrate. So if you, like me, still can't seem to get it dialed in, I hope some of these books help.

1. Beauty by Robin McKinley

This retelling of Beauty and the Beast is delightful. I first read it probably in my tweens, and I've been in love with it ever since. I still re-read it regularly, and every time I do it's as good as it was the first time.

2. Between Shades of Gray or Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I have recommended Between Shades of Gray to library patrons many times, and a pretty significant portion of responses are a strange look followed by some variation on, "is that like a Fifty Shades book?" Rest assured, my friends, it is not. Both books take place during World War II - Between Shades of Gray follows a Lithuanian family fighting for survival at a work camp in Siberia, and Salt to the Sea tells the story of the greatest yet relatively unknown maritime tragedy ever to take place, the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustlaff at the hands of a Soviet submarine.

I'm sure some of you are thinking right about now "easy to read books? How are either of these easy to read?" And yes...the subject matter is not easy to read. It's ugly, and it's a gut punch. Ruta Sepetys does a masterful job of showcasing the best and worst that humanity is capable of. In the case of these books, "easy" may not be the right word...but they pull you in, and they're hard to put down. You should read them.

3. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Aw yeah, getting some Middle Grade on the list! A fantasy series about hidden sanctuaries for magical creatures under attack by a secret organization? Sign me up!

4. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I know, I know, I include this on every list I do, but honestly, if you're looking for an easy to read book, they don't come any easier than this. Devour it in a day.

5. Legend by Marie Lu

This was on my list for a pretty long time before I read it, and then I ended up getting a copy with one of my book subscriptions, started reading that night, and just...didn't stop. It's intense, it's exciting, and it's a quick read because you can't help but be sucked in right away. For a long time, it was a trilogy, and now there are four books, since Rebel came out last year. Woohoo!

6. Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

I reviewed this a while back if you'd like to read my full thoughts on the book, but the short version is while I think it wrapped up a little too neatly, this book is amazing. 

7. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

This book is amazing. Written in verse, it's Xiomara's experience in high school, navigating assholes, her first relationship, and her super strict, religious mother. It's her discovery of slam poetry, sharing her voice, and being true to who she is. I can't read it without crying, Xiomara is incredible.

8. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Ok, I cannot tell a lie. I haven't actually finished this series. But I read the first one, and I loved it! Then I got a new job and things got hectic, so Thunderhead fell by the wayside, and now The Toll is out, and I need to read them all. Ooh, maybe we could do a read-along to motivate me! We'll see!

9. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

It's pretty well-documented that I love anything and everything Becky Albertalli writes, so if you're still sleeping on the Creekwood books, please remedy that ASAP. For the record, this includes Love, Victor on Hulu. I'm watching it right now (literally, as I type), and it makes my heart so happy. I mean I know that isn't necessarily written by Becky Albertalli, but...still.

10. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Great movie, even better book! It's told from the alternating perspectives of two high school students, one unwillingly preparing for his college interview, the other fighting like hell to stop her family from being deported. It's a beautiful story.

11. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

I'm obsessed with this series, both the books and the movies. Obsessed. Light, low-risk, heartwarming. 

12. The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo

This book makes me so hungry. And so happy. I tried to combine happy and hungry to make a hybrid word meaning you're happy but feeling snacky and couldn't. Hacky, maybe? That doesn't sound very nice, though. Whatever, read the book. It's marvelous.

13. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Alright, this is another one I need to qualify because there's a high probability it will make you cry. It's not an easy to read book in the emotional sense, because it's heavy and it packs a punch, but it's short and it pulls you in and won't let you put it down. And it's beautiful.

14. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Yessssss, girls who code! This book caught my eye because of its cover, and the book is just as good as the cover art. Personally, I recommend the book over the audio, but either option is great. And I fell out of the loop a little bit and didn't realize there were MORE BOOKS! Another read-along option, I guess!

15. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Was that a record scratch I just heard? Yeah, this one is a little bit of an outlier. But I love it! I read it for the first time in elementary school, and I'm a little ashamed to admit that I fell so hard for it that I stole the copy from my classroom library. (Mrs. Johnson, I know you're not reading this, but I'm so sorry). That copy was pretty beat up, so eventually I had to buy a new one, and every time I reread it I enjoy it just as much as the first time.

Maybe He Just Likes You - Barbara Dee

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Barbara Dee explores the subject of #MeToo for the middle grade audience in this heart-wrenching - and ultimately uplifting - novel about experiencing harassment and unwanted attention from classmates.

For seventh-grader Mila, it starts with some boys giving her an unwanted hug on the school blacktop. A few days later, one of the boys, Leo, tells Mila it's his birthday and and asks for a birthday hug. He's just being friendly, isn't he? And how can she say no? But Leo's hug lasts a few seconds too long and feels...weird. According to her friend, Mila is being immature and overreacting. Doesn't she know what flirting looks like?

But the boys don't leave Mila alone. On the bus. In the halls. During band practice - the one place Mila could always escape. It doesn't feel like flirting - so what is it? Thanks to a chance meeting, Mila begins to find solace in a new place: karate class. Slowly, with the help of a fellow classmate, Mila learns how to stand her ground and how to respect others - and herself.

From the author of Everything I Know About You, Halfway Normal, and Star-Crossed comes this timely story of a middle school girl standing up and finding her voice."

I put this ebook on hold as soon as I heard about it, and WHEW am I glad I did. My difficulty focusing on reading material is well-documented at this point, but let me tell you, I sat down to read this and ended up finishing the entire thing in one sitting. The description from the cover ends by calling this a timely story, but I have to say, whenever this book had come out, it would have been timely. Books about women, especially young women, dealing with sexual harassment are always timely. Maybe that will change in the future (I fucking HOPE that will change in the future!), but my god, I wish there had been a book like this to read when I was in seventh grade. Really, truly, this should be required reading - for middle school students, for teachers, for librarians, for any adult who interacts with young people, for any men who interact with people who are not men...basically for everyone on the face of the earth. Books like this are so important.

"Why is that, Dewey? What makes this book so special?"

I'm glad you asked!

Firstly, and probably most importantly, because it gives young people the language to not only recognize harassment but also to label it. While all this weird stuff is happening to Mila, she knows it makes her uncomfortable, and even when some of her friends downplay its seriousness, she understands that it's wrong because it makes her feel wrong. But she doesn't know how to name it, and that causes a lot of problems for her, both in communicating with her friends and in knowing if or how she should talk to an adult about it. As much as we might want to believe that seventh grade (or sixth grade...or fifth grade...or fourth grade...) is too young to talk about this stuff, shit happens, and kids need to be empowered with the vocabulary to speak out and stand up for themselves or their friends when they experience things like this. It's also super important that they know that something doesn't have to be HUGE to be sexual harassment...if it's unwanted and makes you uncomfortable, it qualifies. There is no metric it is required to meet.

Mila's experience also highlights the importance of being an ally. This can happen in all different ways - encouraging your friend to talk to someone, like Mila did with Max the year before and Max does for Mila now, speaking up when you see something happening that you disagree with, or making sure that you are there to offer support when you know a friend needs it - but whatever your allyship looks like, it's necessary, and it helps. Believe people when they say they are being harassed.

Another thing we see throughout Mila's story is the importance of young people having trusted adults that they can talk to. Mila's mom obviously loves and cares about her, but she has a lot going on, and even if she didn't, I think we all know that kids don't always feel comfortable going to their parents when they have things going on. Unfortunately, she's still pretty new to the seventh grade, the guidance counselor she felt comfortable talking to has just gone on maternity leave, and there isn't anyone else that she trusts to listen and understand what she is dealing with. That's why I think it's so important for adults who work with kids to read this book...to remind us that we need to do our best to be that person for the kids we work with, so they don't have to keep shit like this to themselves. I know it meant the world to me when I was in junior high and had teachers I could rely on, and I also felt that absence when I didn't. Having a trusted adult in their lives has a measurable positive impact on young people.

Finally, (be warned, here there be spoilers) something the book touches on that is very close to my heart is restorative justice. I read a few different reviews that talk about the too-perfect ending because in the *real world* the boys wouldn't have just stopped being jerks after one conversation. And in fairness, maybe they wouldn't have. We never know. But for anyone who feels it was too Disney-esque an ending, I'd like to invite them to consider that perhaps what the boys said was true, and they really didn't realize that what they were doing was so wrong. After all, how often do we hear "boys will be boys" or, as our title suggests, "maybe he just likes you" in reference to shitty behavior from young men? If someone is constantly getting a pass and having their behavior excused, when do they learn that behavior is wrong?

That is why I love that Barbara Dee resolved the conflict by having Mila's band teacher and two of the guidance counselors hold a version of a restorative justice circle with the involved students, rather than just doling out punitive justice like suspension or expulsion. After all, what would have happened if they had been suspended? They might have spent their time out of school thinking about Mila and realizing that what they had been doing was wrong...or they might have just been pissed that they got in trouble, blamed Mila, and been even worse to her when they came back. Punitive justice is great for telling people they did something wrong and they need to pay a penance for it, but it doesn't do much to improve behavior or allow for growth. By giving the boys involved an opportunity to talk things out, not only were they able to confront how their actions affect other people and learn from what had been happening, but Mila was also given an opportunity to begin to heal from what she had experienced. I'm not saying there aren't instances where punitive justice needs to take place, but I wish more organizations defaulted to restorative justice first. And for that matter, imagine how different this story might have been if the Vice Principal had taken a restorative approach when Mila kicked what's-his name. Restorative Justice forever!

Alright, alright, this is getting super long, and I know I already said "finally" but one last thing I have to bring up is how much I love that part of what helps Mila is karate. HELL YES to strong girls and women! Hell yes to Mila falling in love with karate!

First Page Friday - Fifteen Fantastic Picture Books

Alright, I know I'm a children's librarian, so it makes sense that I love picture books. But they're so good, I honestly don't know why more adults don't read them. In the hopes that maybe this list will inspire some of you to read more of them, this week I have for you a list of fifteen (ish...don't count them, I definitely cheated) of my favorite picture books!

Cake by Sue Hendra

Cake has just been invited to his first ever party, and he is so excited! He wants everything to go just right, so he goes shopping for the perfect hat to wear. Then when Cake gets to the party...things don't go exactly as planned.

The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson

This one is a rhyming book about what kinds of food all of Farmer's animals eat, culminating in the big reveal of why the cow loves cookies! There's also a special appearance by one of my favorite picture book animals, the duck.

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

This is a beautifully illustrated story about a little girl and her magic box of yarn. And it's about knitting, so of course I love it. 😉

Hangry by Drew Brockington

What happens when a little monster is craving a hot dog from his favorite spot but can't get one? He gets HANGRY! I identify pretty strongly with that little monster, so I loved this one the moment I saw the cover.

Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won

Elephant is feeling grumpy one day when a lovely surprise arrives - a box full of hats! One by one, he visits his friends, sharing the joy that awesome hats can bring. I love this book so much that I even made a felt version of the story!

I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black

What happens when a bored little girl discovers a talking potato? Read and find out!

Llama Destroys the World by Jonathan Stutzman

On Monday, Llama discovers a pile of cake and, of course, eats it all. He doesn't know it, but by the end of the week, this will result in the destruction of the world. What do you think might happen if he discovers a pile of pies?

Polar Bear's Underwear by Tupera Tupera

I mean...it's about underwear. Underwear is funny.

Press Here by Herve Tullet

I'm a sucker for a good interactive story, and this is one of the best! You start off with a yellow dot on the page, and who knows what might happen if you press it? Read and find out, my friends. Mix It Up is also excellent.

Quackers by Liz Wong

We covered in The Cow Loves Cookies that I have a thing for ducks in picture books, and here you are. Another duck book. Meet Quackers, an adorable duck who is one of a kind. So one of a kind, in fact, that some of the other ducks don't even think he's a duck! But if he isn't a duck...then what is he?

Square, Triangle, and Circle by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Busted, this is three books! Yep, you got me. This is possibly my favorite picture book series in the universe. Once again, Jon Klassen's illustrations are magic, and Mac Barnett is so funny, I can hardly handle it. These books are existential and hilarious, and I love them.

Stegothesaurus by Bridget Heos

Stegothesaurus sometimes has a hard time getting along with the other stegosauruses, so he is thrilled when an equally verbose allothesaurus befriends him! Until he discovers their friendship may not be what it seems.

There's a Dragon/Monster/Elf in Your Book by Tom Fletcher

Wait...is this another three books in one? BUSTED. These are more of my favorite interactive books, and they hold a special place in my heart because after sending a copy of There's a Dragon in Your Book to my niece for her second birthday in April, I've read it to her over video chat a few times, and it makes my heart grow three sizes Grinch-style every time I do. Plus, come on. Who doesn't love a cute baby dragon/monster/elf?

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

By now you might be wondering...does Dewey have a thing for Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett? I SURE DO! I had to stop myself from making this a list of my top twenty faves and including even more of their books...but I resisted. Y'all, this book. I cackle every time I read it. It starts off following a tiny fish who stole a big fish's hat and is now making a getaway. What happens to the little fish when Mr. Big Fish realizes he stole the hat...made my mom question whether this book was appropriate for children. 🤣

Why? - Adam Rex

Super Villain Dr. X-Ray launches his evil attack on a mall, but his plans immediately start to go awry when a little girl shopping with her mom has a question for him..."why?"

First Page Friday - Favorite Audiobooks

Howdy howdy! My sister told me I've been posting too many book lists, but look...sometimes book lists are where it's at. For today's list, I decided to share some of my favorite audiobooks, since folx who may be struggling to sit and read a physical book might have better luck listening to one. Audiobooks are my jam, I love them, so if there's a book not on the list that you think I need to listen to, let me know!

1. The Accident Season and Spellbook of the Lost and Found - Moira Fowley-Doyle

What's that? My first recommendation is a two-fer?! That's right...I continue to not be able to make up my mind. These are both somewhat supernatural stories set in Ireland, and not only does listening to them on audio a. give you the proper accent and cadence for anyone not familiar with Irish accents, but b. especially for Spellbook, I found it really helped me get to know the characters. If you're only going to listen to one, make it Accident Season, but I mean...why would you only listen to one?

2. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Saenz

I've included this in other lists and reviewed it, so hopefully I don't need to get super in-depth with selling this one. Let me just say, in case you haven't read any of that that this is read by Lin Manuel Miranda. Fucking LIN MANUEL MIRANDA, friends! It's a magical experience, truly.

3. Carry On - Rainbow Rowell

Worth listening to just to hear Baz get frustrated with Simon over and over and snark, "Crowley, Snow."

4. The Cruel Prince - Holly Black

Gaaaaaaaasp! A book I actually haven't recommended yet? That's right! This is the first in a trilogy about a mortal girl and her twin sister who are both raised in the land of Faerie after their parents are murdered by a Red Cap who turns out to be the father of their older sister. Mortals aren't exactly held in high esteem in Fairie, but Jude isn't content to be stepped on all her life. She wants a place on the high court, and before long, she'll discover just how much she'll have to sacrifice to get it.

5. Everything, Everything - Nicola Yoon

I went back and forth about whether to recommend this or The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Not only are both books amazing, but they're read by Bahni Turpin, who is one of my favorite narrators! Honestly, you could listen to anything read by her and enjoy it. She does an amazing job.

6. The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman

Not only is this series a classic, my doggo is named after the main character, so...do you even need more reason to listen to it? You do? How about the fact that it's read with a full cast? Each character is voiced by their own narrator, and oh. my. god. Iorek Byrnison is incredible.

7. Half Bad - Sally Green

Have the tissues ready for this trilogy! This is another audiobook where hearing distinct character voices really makes the story. Nathan and Gabriel in particular, just...they have my heart forever. This series is intense and emotional, and I will admit that the first book got off to a bit of a slow start for me, but from there...roller coaster. It's very worth it.

8. How to Save a Life - Sara Zarr

It's been about four years since I listened to this one, and I still think about it sometimes. How to Save a Life is a story about grief, coping, and what makes a family. It's a poignant story, and the narrator is great.

9. The Illuminae Files - Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I talk about these a lot, I know. This is one of my favorite series in existence, and listening to the audio is truly like listening to a movie. Such a theatrical experience. Amazing narrators, incredible action, and just...everything about it is so good.

10. Long Way Down - Jason Reynolds

Will's older brother, Shawn, was just murdered, and this book follows Will on his elevator trip down to go after his brother's killer and get revenge. Jason Reynolds is a genius, and everything he writes is incredible, but if you need more reason to listen to this, he also narrated this story, and his reading is...whew. It will give you chills.

11. Love from A to Z - S.K. Ali

Zayneb and Adam both have a lot going on when they meet on a flight, but they find themselves drawn to each other. Maybe it's that they both keep a journal. Maybe it's that, inspired by a piece of art, those journals both track the marvels and oddities they encounter in life. Whatever it is, Zayneb and Adam are drawn to each other, even when they worry that it might not be a good idea. There are some heavy things in this book, but though serious at times, it's a very heartwarming listen.

12. The Nerdy and the Dirty - B.T. Gottfred

Oh my god, you guys. This book is simultaneously the most awkward and hilarious book I have ever read. Benedict Pendleton is a genius destined for great things who, inexplicably, finds himself struggling to get a girlfriend. Pen Lupo has a boyfriend but finds herself tiring of constantly pretending to be someone she isn't to please him, her family, and her friends. NSFW warning: If frank discussion of sex is not for you, maybe pass on this one.But if you're ok with that, give this audiobook a shot. It's incredible.

13. Someday, Someday, Maybe - Lauren Graham

Written by Lauren Graham, read by Lauren Graham...that was reason enough for me to give it a listen. It's a witty, entertaining story about a struggling actress with six months left on her self-imposed time limit for making it big or giving up going back home to teach.

14. Track series - Jason Reynolds

Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu. Four team members on a middle school track team, leaning on each other for support in running and in life. This series is fantastic, and it is read by Jason Reynold's best friend growing up, Guy Lockard. He does an amazing job, particularly with Sunny, who is my favorite character.

15. The Witchlands - Susan Dennard

Ahhhhh, Susan Dennard! If you haven't read any of her books, my god, what are you waiting for? Susan is amazing - so amazing that she actually did a choose-your-own adventure Twitter story based on one of her manuscripts, which lasted for about six months and was one of the greatest reading experiences I've ever had. The Witchlands world is so rich and complex that it's hard for me to sum up what to expect out of the series in a short little paragraph, but do yourselves a favor and listen to these! The narrators are fantastic (Sightwitch is read by Bahni Turpin, COME ON!), the world is incredible, and it's adventure from the first page to the last.

First Page Friday - Best Friends

Without getting into anything super heavy right off the bat, I'm going to be frank with you all and admit that with everything going on, it has been challenging for me to focus on new reading material. I'm putting this out there because I'm a person who loves book and reads a lot, so being a reader is a big part of my identity. It has been hard for me to come to terms with the fact that with all the "free time" I have, my reading time has gone down instead of up, and I suspect there might be other readers out there who feel the same way. Y'all, let's recognize this together right now: Sheltering in place during a global pandemic is not "free time," and there is nothing wrong with the way we are responding to the traumatic experience we are currently living through.

Seriously, let's be gentle with ourselves. Now take a deep breath, in for five...out for five...and I hope that one of these best friend pairings strikes your fancy and helps you unwind a little.

1. Cara and Bea in The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle

No matter how many times I listen to this book, it always gives me chills. From the changelings and the wolves to the mystery surrounding Elsie being in all of Cara's pictures to the accident season itself...it all gets me. Plus I'm honestly a little bit jealous of Cara and Bea's friendship. The two, along with Alice, Cara's sister, and Sam, her former step brother, form a tight-knit quartet, and Bea and Cara together are so witchy and strange, I can't help but love them. Honorable mention also goes to Cara and Sam. 💖 If you're into audiobooks, this is a book I feel is best when listened to.

2. Aristotle and Dante in Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

I've reviewed this one, but I don't go into much detail, so I'll try to expound on my love for Ari and Dante. The two are such an unlikely pair, but that's exactly what makes them work so well. Where one is soft, the other is hard. Where one is weak, the other is strong. They compliment and lift each other up, and their relationship is a perfect example of what relationships should be. Read this and try not to fall in love with them, I don't think you can do it.

3. Penelope and Simon in Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Yeah, I know, I recommend this in every list I do, and I've reviewed it. Stop talking about Carry On, Dewey! Look...I'll stop talking about it when it stops being amazing, how's that? In the meantime, I stan Penelope and Simon, and if possible, I stan them even more in Wayward Son.

4. Cristina and Emma in The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare

I chose Cristina and Emma for this best friend pairing, but take your pick, really. There are so many amazing relationships in this series, it's hard to call one my favorite. (Ok, fine, it's not...Livvy and Ty, obviously.) The vibrant characters are one of my favorite parts about the Shadowhunter books, and whether it's this series or another, you won't go wrong picking up one of Cassandra Clare's books.

5. Gideon and Noah in Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills

Yep, another one that I won't stop talking about (or reviewing). But seriously, take a look at this preview of their friendship:

"I was born six weeks early, you know," [Gideon] says quietly.

 "Really?"

Yeah," Noah says. "And just look at him." He closes the fridge. "Seriously, look at him." Gideon straightens up and begins doing a model walk across the room and into the hall, swinging his arms, fingers extended, kicking out each foot with his head held high.

"Look at those legs," Noah says. "Look at that bone structure. Look at those eyes, you could get fucking lost in them."

"You need GoogleMaps to find your way out of my eyes," Gideon says, executing an elaborate turn before catwalking back. "Or at least a comparable navigation app."

They are so goofy and genuine together, and they also just...unabashedly love each other. At the risk of being super cheesy, reading about the two of them feels like a hug to me. Their friendship (and pretty much everything else about this book) is beautiful.

6. Pablo and Tice in Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi

Y'all, I love Mary H.K. Choi so much that when my sister gave me a signed copy of this book for Christmas, I started straight up bawling. This is another book that I've reviewed, and it's actually one of my longer reviews, so I won't say much. Just that we all need a friend like Tice, someone who isn't afraid to call you on your bullshit and tell you to straighten out when you need some tough love. Also, I want someone to make me a quarantine Hot Snack (tm).

7. Simon and Leah in Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Honestly, just thinking about this pair makes me want to reread this book. Leah is the best kind of snarky, and Simon is just...so Simon. They're a great pair, and their whole friend circle is wonderful. No wonder Becky Albertalli can't resist writing more about them. They're such a heartwarming group to spend time with.

8. The quartet in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Ok, this is an oldie, but it's a goodie, and I couldn't not include this group in a post about best friends. They have magic friendship pants FFS. If you're in it for the good feels, stop after Forever in Blue. If you're in it for all the feels, read Sisterhood Everlasting.

9. Aza and Daisy in Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Ooh, another one with a longer review, and one where I specifically talk about what a great friendship Aza and Daisy have! I'll just reiterate that I love the way they genuinely love and support each other, even when they're angry with each other. Would that we could all have a friendship like Aza and Daisy's.

10. Emoni and Angelica in With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

These two are pretty much the definition of Ride or Die friends. They have each other's backs through thick and thin, and they're always there to go to bat for each other when one of them needs support, whether it's something huge like Emoni's pregnancy or smaller things. This is Elizabeth Acevedo's second novel, and once again, she does not disappoint.

Mask of Shadows - Linsey Miller

My rating: ⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But genderfluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper class - and the nobles who destroyed her home.

When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of the Left Hand - the Queen's personal assassins, named after the rings she wears - Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge

But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive."

FYI before we get started: I'll be using she/her pronouns for Sal since that is what the description defaults to.

Story time. I just bought a book journal, and I was SUPER excited to start writing in it. SO PUMPED. The journal happened to arrive at the beginning of April, and this book happened to be the book my book club is reading in April, so it made sense for this to be the first book I included in my awesome new journal. I drew a little sketch of my version of the cover ("my version" meaning it isn't very good), I wrote down the title, and I had all my pens and markers ready to record favorite moments and quotes and such.

And...

And...

It was a real struggle to come up with anything to add to the journal.Because y'all...I did not love this book.

I wanted to. The premise is interesting, the cover is beautiful, and I was looking forward to reading it. But it was all so very "meh" for me. Everything about it was underdeveloped. Sal is a great thief...based on...the fact that the book tells you she is, I guess, because (spoiler, I guess?) she steals someone's purse with the flyer about Left Hand auditions in it in chapter one (speaking of...why did some noble lady have a flyer about the Left Hand auditions in her purse?) and has murdered her super powerful and intimidating boss and headed off to the audition by the end of chapter three, so there is literally no world-building or character development to introduce you to Sal or this world.

We get to chapter four, where auditions begin, and it's like "WHOA. This is super serious, a fight to the death. I am but a simple street thief, I'm not prepared for this!" But after the first day, no one really messes with Sal (at least not in any way that made me nervous at all). And while we're talking about the auditions, Sal pretty much sucks at everything...but is leading the pack from the get go? I don't buy it, my friends. Nah.

Then the Big Reveals start. But they aren't big reveals, because...oh yeah...we don't know anything about Sal, her motivation, or this world! If you want me to be like "GAAAAASP, this guy is at court?!" then maybe like...tell me about that guy first? Same with the romance between Sal and the "intriguing scribe at court." There was so little build-up that it all seemed forced and stilted. Even the other auditioners are barely developed, which is a huge let down given that the bulk of the story revolves around auditions. Honestly, the only characters I felt had enough personality and development for me to connect with them were Maud and Ruby.

Ultimately, while I wanted to enjoy this book, it was a drag from start to finish. I struggled to get into it, and finishing it felt like running a 5k through water. Pass.

When - Victoria Laurie

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior, cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters. Her earliest memories are marked by these numbers, but it takes her father's premature death for Maddie and her family to realize that these mysterious digits are actually death dates, and just like birthdays, everyone has one.

Forced by her alcoholic mother to use her ability to make extra money, Maddie identifies the quickly approaching death date of one client's young son, but because her ability only allows her to see the when and not the how, she's unable to offer any more insight. When the boy goes missing on that exact date, law enforcement turns to Maddie.

Soon, Maddie is entangled in a homicide investigation, and more young people disappear and are later found murdered. A suspect for the investigation, a target for the murderer, and attracting the attentions of a mysterious young admirer who may be connected to it all, Maddie's whole existence is about to be turned upside down. Can she right things before it's too late?"

Ok, ok, I know it says right there in the description that Maddie ends up part of a homicide investigation and a target for the murderer, but uh...it still caught me off guard what a thriller it was. I know, I know. Kept me on the edge of my seat, though! In fact (**spoiler alert!**) I was into it until the very end, when everything wrapped up superneatlyperfectly, and then I was like meh...that's a little Disney movie-esque for a book about a serial killer. Also, it killed me that when she got home at the end of the book and smelled the cigarette smoke, knowing full well that there's a serial killer following her around who smokes and has left cigarette butts at the scene of each crime, she decides that her mom has miraculously gotten out of rehab, rather than recognizing that hey, maybe the murderer got into my super unsecure house. Unforgivably dumb of her. Maddie, be a little less naive. (/spoileralert) Ignore my gripes, though, because really, it's a great book. I was a big fan of the character development, I thought the concept was super intriguing, and it's pretty intense and gripping. It's definitely worth a read!

Straight On Till Morning - Liz Braswell

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling's life is not what she imagined it would be. The doldrums of an empty house after her brothers have gone to school, the dull parties where everyone thinks she talks too much, and the fact that her parents have decided to send her away to Ireland as a governess - it all makes her wish things could be different.

Wendy's only real escape is in writing down tales of Never Land. After nearly meeting her hero, Peter Pan, four years earlier, she still holds on to the childhood hope that his magical home truly exists. She also holds on to his shadow.

So when an opportunity to travel to Never Land via pirate ship presents itself, Wendy makes a deal with the devil. But Never Land isn't quite the place she imagined it would be. Unexpected dangers and strange foes pop up at every turn, and a little pixie named Tinker Bell seems less than willing to help.

But when Captain Hook reveals some rather permanent and evil plans for Never Land, it's up to the two of them to save Peter Pan - and his world."

In this Twisted Tale, Nana catches Peter Pan's shadow while Peter sits outside the nursery window listening to one of Wendy's stories, but Peter never returns to London to retrieve it. Wendy keeps the shadow safe for years, hoping for the day he finally does come back. While she waits, Wendy goes through the motions of life as a young lady, helping her mother keep the household running smoothly, preparing after-school tea for her brothers, and being bored to tears. Her only moments of happiness come when she scribbles stories of Never Land in her notebook. 

No one understands her imagination or love of stories, and when her parents find her notebook, they are horrified. Wendy is sixteen, and according to them the tales she has spun are "not the product of a happy, normal girl." To save her from herself, they decide to send her to Ireland to become a governess. Desperate to escape being sent away and forced to leave her childhood dreams behind, Wendy does the unthinkable. She contacts Captain Hook and makes a bargain...Peter's shadow in exchange for passage to and from Never Land.

Aboard his pirate ship with Hook in possession of Peter Pan's shadow, things go downhill quickly. For starters, Wendy is not as adept at negotiating with pirates as she thought she was, and as a result, she finds herself a prisoner, forced to serve as the pirates' mother. Even worse, Captain Hook plans to use the shadow not only to capture Peter, but to bring about the destruction of all of Never Land. With the help of one of the pirates, Wendy manages to escape the ship and make it to Never Land. She finds Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys, but no one has seen Peter in ages. Will Wendy be able to free Peter's shadow and save Never Land without him?

Peter Pan is one of my favorite Disney movies, so I've really been looking forward to reading this Twisted Tale, and I was not disappointed! It got off to a slow start, and I wish they had showed Wendy in more of the awkward social situations she obviously despises rather than alluding to them or revealing them through her memories, but that's a small gripe. Once she makes it to Never Land, it's basically non-stop adventure, something Wendy notes is much more exhausting and frustrating and far less exhilarating than she always imagined. 

Wendy and Tinker Bell team up to find Peter Pan, and while Wendy and Tink aren't very taken with each other in the movie version, in this world their initially unwilling partnership gradually blossoms into true friendship. Their relationship is possibly my favorite part of the book. I also dearly love how progressively snarky Wendy becomes as the book goes on, culminating in a line I never would have expected could crack me up as hard as it did - "The deuce you say." Trust me...it may not sound funny, but it is. This book was a Girl Power anthem and a testament to the magic and might of storytelling.

House of Salt and Sorrows - Erin A. Craig

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last - the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge - and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who - or what - are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family - before it claims her next."

Are the Thaumas sisters cursed, or do they just have extraordinarily terrible luck? When Annaleigh gets suspicious that someone is actually murdering her sisters, it makes sense...after all, it seems wildly coincidental that their mother and then four sisters would just happen to all die, one right after the other...but who would want them dead?

As the book progresses, things don't get much clearer. If anything, things only get more muddled. Verity, Annaleigh's youngest sister, claims to have seen the ghosts of their older sisters, and now Annaleigh has started seeing them too. With every passing day, things around Highmoor get stranger. Her father and sisters are acting oddly, her childhood best friend seems to be hiding something, and she has a feeling the young man she met recently isn't being entirely truthful either. Annaleigh no longer knows who, or what, she can trust, but she has a feeling that if she doesn't figure it out soon, it will be too late. Can she piece things together in time?

This book was nothing like I expected, and while there are a couple things I wish had been done differently, most notably that the end had been a touch longer to truly do it justice, overall I thought it was an amazing read. The world-building was incredibly vivid, the atmosphere was mysterious and chilling, and from the first page to the last I was on the edge of my seat. There were a couple times where I thought I had everything figured out, only to make it another couple chapters and have my theory smashed. Even when I did start to unravel the mystery, I never could have imagined the full scope of was actually going on.

If you're like me and have vivid dreams, I would recommend not reading this right before bed, because my damn, it gave me some strange nightmares. Day or night, though, it's a great read.

One of Us is Next - Karen M. McManus

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Come on, Bayview, you know you've missed this.

A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one's been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts.

Until now.

This time it's not an app, though - it's a game.

Truth or dare.

Phoebe's the first target. If you choose not to play, it's a truth. And hers is dark.

Then comes Maeve, and she should know better - always choose the dare.

But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it's that they can't count on the police for help. Or protection.

Simon's gone, but someone's determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And this time, there's a whole new set of rules."

My reading experience with this book on three acts:

Act One - Let's take this slow. Read a chapter or two a day. Let the suspense build.

Act Two, maybe a day later - Ok, this book is incredible, but I'm only about halfway through. I am definitely not going to stay up late and finish this tonight.

Act Three, several hours later - Hot fuckin damn, that ending!

Bayview High is back on their bullshit, but something about this time is different. For one thing, Phoebe knows she didn't tell anyone her secret, and there's no reason the only other person who knew about it would either...so how did Simon's copycat find out? For another, why turn it into a game at all? Most of the dares are fairly tame, and isn't the whole point of a stunt like this to out people's shameful secrets? Then there's everything going on outside the game - Phoebe's sister suddenly acting out of character, Knox's boss getting repeated death threats, and a mysterious man showing up at the restaurant where they all hang out.

Maeve, who helped unravel everything that happened the year before, is sure she's onto something again when she stumbles across a web forum exactly like the one Simon used to post on before it got shut down. Is the copycat following in Simon's footsteps? Or is she just seeing what she wants to see? Only time will tell...but how much time do they have left?

WOO! Karen McManus can write a book, y'all. At one point I literally clutched my chest and gasped out loud. And there were so many times where I thought I had things all figured out, only to have another curveball lobbed at me. What a ride. If you haven't read One of Us is Lying, read it, then read this. If you have, then what are you waiting for? Read this!

Heart of Flames - Nicki Pau Preto

My rating: ⭐⭐

From the cover:

"You are a daughter of queens.

The world is balanced on the edge of a knife, and war is almost certain between the empire and the Phoenix Riders.

Like Nefyra before you, your life will be a trial by fire.

Veronyka finally got her wish to join the Riders, but while she's supposed to be in training, all she really wants to do is fly out to defend the villages of Pyra from the advancing empire. Tristan has been promoted to Master Rider, but he has very different ideas about the best way to protect their people than his father, the commander. Sev has been sent to spy on the empire, but maintaining his cover may force him to fight on the wrong side of the war. And Veronyka's sister, Val, is determined to regain the empire she lost - even if it means inciting the war herself.

Such is your inheritance. A name. A legacy. An empire in ruin.

As tensions reach a boiling point, the characters all find themselves drawn together into a fight that will shape the course of the empire - and determine the future of the Phoenix Riders. Each must decide how far they're willing to go - and what they're willing to lose in the process.

I pray you are able to pass through the flames.

This is the sequel to Crown of Feathers, which you may recall I previously reviewed here. You may also recall that the book was so long I ended up reviewing it before I had actually finished. Well...here we go again! I'm just over halfway through Heart of Flames, and once again, I'm reviewing before I'm done reading. In the former case, I was writing on a fake deadline I gave myself and didn't want to post the review late. For this one, I'm honestly not sure I'm going to finish the book.

Yes, you read that right. I'm not sure I can do it - shocking, considering my rave about the first book. I debated whether I should wait to post this review, because it doesn't seem fair to post a not-positive review without finishing a book, but honestly, if halfway through the book I'm still waiting for shit to happen...come on. With the world built and things coming to a head at the end of Heart of Flames, I expected Crown of Feathers to hit the ground running. Instead, it's been chapter after chapter of twiddling thumbs, Veronyka obsessing over her shadow bond with Tristan, Tristan second-guessing himself, and Val grumbling to herself about needing to get Veronyka back on her side. Swear to god, if I have to read one more chapter of Val talking about how a forced bond using shadow magic isn't the same as a true bond...half of her chapters so far could have been cut.

I was pumped for this sequel, and I wanted to love it, but it is so. effin. boring. Which is upsetting because I am dying to know what happens! With so many other books waiting to be read, though, including the entire Throne of Glass series that my husband just bought me for my birthday, I don't know if I can sit through another three hundred and twenty pages to find out. If I make it and the ending is so spectacular that it changes my mind about the first half of the book, I'll post an update, but man oh man...I am not holding my breath.

Invisible Monsters - Chuck Palahniuk

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"She's a catwalk model who has everything: a boyfriend, a career, a loyal best friend. But when a sudden motor 'accident' leaves her disfigured and incapable of speech, she goes from being the beautiful centre of attention to being an invisible monster, so hideous that no one will acknowledge she exists.

Enter Brandy Alexander, Queen Supreme, one operation away from being a real woman, who will teach her that reinventing yourself means erasing your past and making up something better, and that salvation hides in the last place you'll ever want to look.

The narrator must exact revenge upon Evie, her best friend and fellow model; kidnap Manus, her two-timing ex-boyfriend; and hit the road with Brandy in search of a brand-new past, present and future."

WHEW, y'all, this book is a RIDE. There are two options for reading, the originally published version or the remix, which is the way Palahniuk wanted to publish it. The remix bounces around, having you turn to different chapters rather than reading linearly, and I loved it. Usually when I read, I get a mix of excitement and almost apprehension as I see the pages in the back of the book dwindling, because I can't wait to find out what happens, but also noooo, it's almost over! With the structure of this book, there was none of that. You're bouncing back and forth, all over the place, so there's no visual progress marker. I didn't expect that to have such an impact on my reading experience, but it did! Fascinating, the way brains work.

As far as the content of the book...man, I don't even know how to talk about it. It's so weird, and there are endless twists and turns. Every chapter has some kind of reveal, and the reader gets enough bits and pieces of backstory that they start to feel like they're figuring things out, and then BAM! Something else pops up that blows your mind. This is not my typical read, and honestly based on my previous experience with Palahniuk I did not go into it with high hopes or an open mind - I fully expected to slog through it and be like "meh, that was ok." Instead, I couldn't put it down. Such a strange, fantastic read.

Sorcery of Thorns - Margaret Rogerson

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined."

This book has been sitting in my TBR pile for a while now, but I read Rogerson's last book, An Enchantment of Ravens, and while it wasn't bad it did drag a little bit. I was sure her second novel would be just fine, but I've had so many other things I was pumped to read that it ended up on the back burner. It kept calling to me, though, because...well...

It's so pretty!

I mean, look at it. One thing Margaret Rogerson's books definitely have going for them is that their covers are to die for. Something else that this particular book has going for it? That it kicks ass.

Yeah, that's right. I was sleeping on Sorcery of Thorns! I finished the book I had been reading before bed and needed a new one, so I was like meh...I've been waiting long enough on this one, might as well give it a go and see how it is. Y'all...I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this in three nights (and that's no joke! I'm fucking serious about my bedtime, I have an alarm set and everything). This book rocked. In the words of Pam Beesley, it rocked my ass off.

For starters, there's the dedication: "For all the girls who found themselves in books." 

I have observed to my friends on countless recent occasions that the older I get (or maybe the more librariany I get? I don't know, I just know that's when it all started), the more emotional I seem to become, and this book got me good. Elisabeth is intelligent, assertive, and courageous, basically everything that sweet baby Dewey wanted to be growing up, and while I feel like I've done pretty well by sweet baby Dewey in the grand scheme of things, I grew up being told that women were meant to be meek and submissive, so it is always a privilege when I get to read about a character who is strong, driven, and tough and who fights for what she believes in the way Elisabeth does. I wish that I had more examples like her growing up, and I will never stop being thrilled at all of the examples of strong women that are around in literature and movies today. Give me more tall as hell library workers with swords, please! I'll take them all.

As far as my worry that this book would drag the way Ravens did, I had no need to fear. It doesn't take long for things to get going, and once they do, the pace does not slow. And the characters, you guys. As mentioned, Elisabeth is fierce as fuck, which won me over immediately, but then we also get Nathaniel, who just...I mean...you couldn't ask for a more tragic, reluctantly heroic love interest (possible spoiler, I guess? But come on. You know as soon as he's introduced). And then there's Silas, arguably the best character in the book. (Don't argue with me, though. It's fine if you disagree, we're allowed to have different favorite characters.) The nuance he brings to the table and the way his narrative forces us to question  the black-and-white evil versus good worldview Elisabeth grew up with is a thing of beauty. I fell in love with him immediately, and even with his repeated reminders that however he might seem, he shouldn't be trusted, I couldn't help it. I also adored Elisabeth's roommate, Katrien, and if I had one wish for this book, it would be that she was in it more. But come on, if my one complaint is that the characters were so good that I wanted more of them, well...that's not so bad, is it?

Alright, I've talked a lot about this book without saying anything about the plot. I know that's weird, and honestly, I want to talk plot. So badly. But I'm a little afraid that if I do I'll spoil something without meaning to, and given the number of times I gasped out loud or had to stop and text my husband that my mind had just been blown, I really don't want to do that. So...I'm not going to. I'm just going to say that this book is magical and strongly recommend that if you are a fan of fantasy, strong female characters, and magic, you pick up a copy. You won't regret it!