👶👶👶👶: The Unhappiest Place On Earth, by Jade Gonzalez

As you all know, I'm a massive Disney enthusiast! So when this author reached out, offering me a review copy of her indy book that takes place in Disneyland, how could I say no?!

Ms. Gonzalez has crafted a charming YA novel that's bound to enchant the young teens in your life. It's perfect for anyone who loves the magic of Disney; my favorite part was all the references to classic rides. It sure took me back to my days visiting the park as a teen (and all the awkwardness of those bygone days). In fact, similar to this plot, my senior trip was scheduled to be in Disneyland, but it ended up being completely derailed. So, for me, this story felt like a little piece of what could've been!

I'm confident that young girls, and maybe even some guys, will fall head over heels for this book—it's squeaky clean and really sweet! The only part they'll struggle with is that it ends with a massive cliffhanger - so unfair😩!

Thank you so much, Jade Gonzalez, for sharing this review copy with me! It really took me back!

Read 7/13/25

👶👶👶👶: Firekeeper’s Daughter, by Angeline Boulley

This was a touching YA novel that really struck a chord with me. I connected with Daunis' pride of her heritage and was really rooting for her throughout the entirety of the novel. As a mixed-race teen, she never felt quite like she fit in, and I can empathize with that as an American daughter of immigrants. I appreciated her will to strengthen her Ojibwe ties despite never feeling fully accepted as such. The author spoke to the difficulties in native cultures to fit into modern society while maintaining strong roots to their own culture.

All of this depth was combined with a quick dive into Native American history and tradition. To boot, a murder mystery is thrown in that really quickened the pace of the whole story, but also spoke to the reality of the drug problem within the community.

Overall, it was a sobering account of the reality so many are faced with, and the author is able to tackle many topics such as race relations, sexual assault, and drug addiction. I will admit that I was disappointed that Daunis ultimately became a victim - honestly it made me quite angry, as I felt it wasn't necessary to move the story along, but the rest of it was so good, I was able to let that go🤷🏻‍♀️. Also, I suppose it's a sad reality, too, and an important reminder during this Sexual Assault Awareness Month😢.

Read 12/5/23

👶👶👶: For Girls Who Walk Through Fire, by Kim DeRose

Many thanks to Union Square & Co. for sharing this unexpectedly sobering young adult novel. This gifted novel, along with a couple of others, came as surprise book mail, and although it was a book I wouldn't normally choose, I was captivated from the start.

The story follows Elliott, a teenage victim of sexual assault, who comes upon a spell book that once belonged to her departed mother. After recruiting fellow victims from her support group to join her coven and cast spells on their perpetrators, she is ultimately surprised to learn what her true heart's desire is. 

Having known absolutely nothing about witches and how covens work, I was a bit apprehensive about the content, but ultimately, the message was one of redemption and hope. Kim DeRose did an excellent job expressing the wide range of emotion that sexual assault victims undergo. The novel was all at once disheartening and empowering.

⚠️Trigger warnings: sexual assault, death of a parent

Read 4/18/24

👶👶👶👶: All My Rage, by Sabaa Tahir

I truly adore a good YA novel every now and again, and this one was right up my alley since it dealt with immigrants to the US and their children. As I've grown older, I've realized what a unique perspective I have as a first-generation American. And it's stories like these that bring up those feelings of growing up and never quite feeling understood - always feeling like a bit of an outsider.

Misbah reminded me so much of my mom, coming to the US, barely knowing the language, and yet working so hard to make a life for herself and her family with my Dad supporting her every step of the way. I saw myself in Noor, focused on getting to college to be able to start her own life and yet feeling the guilt of leaving. And Salahudin was so much like my brother, who always did right by my parents and made sure his decisions took into account their feelings - he always just "got it".

Sabaa Tahir has crafted an incredibly relatable YA novel with complex characters and multidimensional issues that have readers pondering what they would do in the same situation. I was invested from the beginning and was so impressed by the depth and substance that Tahir brought to the table. This is not your average YA novel, but instead a timely, heartfelt story of making your way in a place where "home" may not always be the sanctuary it should be.

Many thanks to partners, BookSparks and Razorbill Books for this gifted review copy.

Read 6/11/23

👶👶👶: The Stars Between Us, by Cristin terrill

This YA novel is delightful and I would definitely recommend it for younger adult readers with little violence, no inappropriate content, and no "real" language (cuss words are replaced with "local dialect" that emulates our curse words).

The world building was limited, but I had the general sense of these planets' imaginary realm. The rags to riches and secret millionaire tropes were sweet and I rooted for the protagonists to fall for each other.

I struggled with Vika's portrayal once she had a change of status. She suddenly became a shallow, self-agrandizing, inconsiderate girl. The same goes for Sky - he suddenly became this submissive, self-deprecating fool who couldn't stand up to anyone. So, I think that the characters could have retained more of their initial personalities once their situations changed.

I appreciated the ending wrapped up in a nice little bow and I enjoyed the quick-paced, smooth writing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sharing this sweet novel with me!

Read, 12/31/22

👶👶👶👶👶: Feather and Flame, by Livia Blackburne

 

🎉𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙔 𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔 𝙇𝙄𝙑𝙄𝘼 𝘽𝙇𝘼𝘾𝙆𝘽𝙐𝙍𝙉𝙀!🎉

𝘍𝘌𝘈𝘛𝘏𝘌𝘙 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘍𝘓𝘈𝘔𝘌, 𝘉𝘠 𝘓𝘐𝘝𝘐𝘈 𝘉𝘓𝘈𝘊𝘒𝘉𝘜𝘙𝘕𝘌

𝘗𝘜𝘉 𝘋𝘈𝘠: 𝙏𝙊𝘿𝘼𝙔, 6/14/22

Well, for those of you that have followed me a while, you probably know I am a Disney FANATIC!!! So, as soon as I got wind of the fact that a sequel to Mulan was coming out, I was all over it!

Well, Livia Blackburne did NOT disappoint! This novel lured me in from the first sentence, "𝐴 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑘. 𝐼𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑝 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎 𝑣𝑖𝑔𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑟𝑚 𝑗𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒."

That gives you just a glimpse of the imagery you're in for when you pick up this fabulous book! I don't know if Ms. Blackburn was hand-picked by Disney to write the sequel, but I was sure impressed!

The story picks up after Mulan has saved China, and has settled down training a group of female warriors. She is suddenly beckoned by the emperor and a familiar face accompanies her on the journey. From there, she embarks on another adventure that is filled with action, suspense, and excitement as she ascends in power. It's full of girl power from the get-go and I just loved it! Throw in a little Disney romance, and I'm sold!

I just hope they make this into a movie sequel too; what fun that would be! Now, I must read the first book in The Queen's Council series, Rebel Rose, about none other than, Belle🌹!

Many thanks to Disney Books and NetGalley for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review😊!

Read 6/15/2022

👶👶👶👶: This Woven Kingdom, by Tahereh Mafi

WOW, what did I just read?!

Tahereh Mafi REALLY knows how to grab the reader's attention from the beginning and not let it go until well after the last page is turned. Not once did I lose interest in the storyline, and when I wasn't reading it, I often found myself thinking about what would happen.

I was really ready to hate this novel as soon as pure evil entered the picture - I tend to steer clear of anything having to do with that. However, I was glued, and just had to know if good would overcome evil. And because of the fantasy aspect, I was able to retain my suspension of disbelief, making it more palatable for me. Of course, now you'll just have to pick it up to find out for yourself!

Tahereh did a splendid job with world-building and character development. And talk about plot twists!!! This was an excellent fantasy novel based on Persian Mythology - not one I'd normally even consider reading, but certainly one I enjoyed every minute of!

Many thanks to Book Sparks and Harper Collins for gifting me with this Winter Reading Challenge 2022 novel!

Read 3/19/22

👶👶👶👶: Making Faces, by Amy Harmon

📚♥️Review and Rave♥️📚

🌷What can I say that hasn't been said before about Amy Harmon? I'm sure I've mentioned that she is a master with words. I'm convinced I've told you she'll break your heart with her stories, only to make you stronger and more alive by then end. I'm positive I've expressed the fact that she understands the human spirit unlike any author I've ever read. Oh, and as I've likely remarked, she is so incredibly talented and writes SO MANY different genres.

📚Well, this novel is no exception. In this beautiful coming-of-age story, the reader embarks on a moving journey that at times enrages, sometimes enlightens, and more often than not entrances. She is able to touch on difficult topics with grace and ease, never making the reader overly uncomfortable, but showing the boundless possibilities of leading with love.

🔥Amy has allowed me to enjoy genres I would never normally pick up: romance (without the bawdy salacious overtones), fantasy (without an extreme suspension of disbelief), YA (without condescending implications), and mythology (without eye-rolling surrealism). To put it simply, she just gets it. She understands how to lure in her readers, how to create just the right amount of tension, and where to draw the line.

♥️So, I want to thank you Amy, for sharing your amazing talent with us. We are ever so grateful and are certainly better for it♥️.

Read 2/11/21

👶👶👶: The Threat Below, by J.S. Latshaw

The Threat Below by Jason Latshaw
My You may or may not know I'm a sucker for a good Dystopian novel. And I was really excited when the author of 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒘 reached out to me!

What a fascinating concept! And I love a book that moves along at a fast clip. I really wanted to know what the heck the threat was, so the book kept me engaged from the get-go.

I would describe this novel as Divergent meets Mazerunner - with the different classes in a Dystopian society having demarcated roles while living near a life-threatening unknown creature "outside the wall". I appreciated the nod to Earth's sea levels rising due to global warming and other calamities we're bringing upon ourselves.

If you're a fan of YA writing and differing POVs, this novel is for you. There are some rather unbelievable situations that may cause an eyeroll here and there, but for some reason, I just don't mind that in Dystopians🤷‍♀️ - it just works for me. It's one of the few genres where I don't struggle with suspension of disbelief.

Kudos to @jasonsethlatshaw for a well-written, intriguing novel and many thanks for gifting me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Read 10/21

👶👶👶👶👶: The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune

🤗Oh what a magical novel!!! TJ Klune is witty, smart, and delightful and I enjoyed every bit of his novel! It was such a touching, unique fantasy (and this coming from someone who is not generally a fan of fantasy). Klune shares such basic ideas in such a profound manner and takes his readers on a whimsical journey that will make you smile from ear to ear. There are so many beautiful quotes that really hit home for me:

"𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒐. 𝑰𝒇 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒊𝒕, 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆."

♥️I was enchanted from beginning to end, and was fully invested in all of the characters; the author did a phenomenal job of creating memorable individuals in vivid situations. To boot, there were just so many valuable lessons in this novel.

💯The story was so uplifting and inspiring and I honestly can't believe I can say that about a book that deals with a garden gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, a green blob, a shape-shifter pomeranian, and an antichrist. But believe me you, if you give it a chance, you will not be disappointed!

"𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒅. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆."

👶👶👶👶: The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones, by Daven McQueen

Well it took me long enough to pick up this gem! It came highly recommended by a Bookstagram friend and was so kindly gifted to me by another Booksta buddy!

And what a wonderful novel it was. I absolutely fell in love with the sweet friendship formed when Juniper Jones sees beyond the color line of mid-1950s Alabama, and decides to take Ethan, a biracial young man, under her wing.

A true friendship forms against all odds as they share countless adventures together in the summer of 1955. With endearing characters in the spirit of love and acceptance, this one will be sure to capture your heart.

Read 6/15/21

👶👶👶Chosen Ones, by Veronica Roth

Let me begin by noting that I was a huge fan of the first two installments of the Divergent series, which as you can imagine, added to my excitement upon receiving to Veronica Roth's "first novel for adults".

To begin with, the best I can come up with as to why this is considered an "adult novel" is because of the pervasive crude language. Other than that, I really felt as though the characters were very juvenile, so much so that I had to continually remind myself throughout the novel that they were adults! It honestly read like a Young Adult Dystopian novel, which I generally enjoy when well-written.

I'll also admit that the novel didn't pick up speed until the second half, at which point it became increasingly more disjointed, confusing readers as to the time period and reality they were in. The articles/letters placed in between each chapter only add to the juxtaposed timeline.

On a positive note, Roth's imagination certainly shone through in the second half of the novel. The ride became more exciting and jarring, and hints of the author's ingenuity were apparent. It was Roth's creativity that made the novel a somewhat fun, albeit confusing, adventure.

However, if I'm honest, I do believe that this story would've been more well-received had it been written in the first person. While the story focused on Sloane (nice Ferris Bueller reference, btw), I didn't feel fully invested in her plight because I wasn't completely absorbed in her story, despite the writing having some omniscient characteristics.

So, while Chosen Ones didn't fall as flat as the 3rd novel in the Divergent series, it also wasn't my favorite of her novels. I will admit though, that an intriguing Dystopian will generally lure me in regardless.

Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for gifting me with this novel in exchange for an honest review.Read 5/22/20

👶👶👶👶 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling

So, after being begged by each of my children in succession as they read this series, I finally caved and decided to begin, what is arguably the most popular children's series of all time... and what a well-earned label indeed. Not only have I never been a fan of fantasy, but I also avoid committing to such a long series. However, I must admit, J.K. Rowling may have reversed my aversion. Rowling is absolutely brilliant; her imagination, unmatched. She has the ability to deliver a visual feast for her readers. I was all-at-once transported and transfixed, engrossed and intrigued. It was a fun-filled joyride, and I truly look forward to the next installments of the adventures of Harry and his friends.

Read 10/24/19

👶👶👶 The Circle: Taken, by Sage Sask

I am so impressed by Sejal Badani's (excuse me...), Sage Sask's talent. She is just so versatile! The fact that she can produce incredible novels such as Trail of Broken Wings and The Storyteller's Secret, then follow it up with a thrilling dystopian novel such as this, speaks volumes of her talent. These genres are on near opposite ends of the spectrum, and yet, she has the ability to pull it off. I think Ms. "Sask's" strength is in her ability to endear the characters to her readers, no matter the target audience. The protagonists are always well-developed and multi-faceted, as are the secondary characters.

However, I must admit, there were just a few too many minor characters for my liking, and I had a hard time keeping up with the multitude of young Circle members. There were also certain circumstances throughout the novel that caused confusion - subplots that were a bit disjointed. I found myself going back to previous chapters in an attempt to clear up the confusion more often than I'm used to. Having said this, I think it is an excellent novel for older teens, and it was fast-paced and intriguing.

Many thanks to IBPA and NetGalley for gifting me with this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Read 10/9/19

👶👶👶 Requiem, by Lauren Oliver

And last but not least...

Here is a repeat of the review of the first novel in this series:

Fueled by my latest need for good Dystopian novels, I continued my trek and wound up beginning Lauren Oliver's Delirium series. This is quite a fascinating concept: a dystopia where love is considered a contagious disease... hmmm... This was actually quite well-thought-out idea, as one never stops to ponder how much love truly permeates every aspect of our lives. It may be a bit too fast-moving in some of the sequences, causing some characters' decisions to seem rash and reckless, but it is jam-packed with thrill and adventure. There is certainly violence, language, and mild sexual content, so younger readers, beware. However, Ms. Oliver sure kept this adult gal interested throughout.

This third and final installment felt even a bit more rushed than the others... it almost seemed like an attempt to fit too much into one novel. It was also slightly more disjointed and confusing, and yet, still compelling. There was more focus on the love triangle, which is often frustrating for me. However, all-in-all it really was an entertaining trilogy.

Read 6/27/19

👶👶👶👶 The Grace Year, by Kim Liggett - Release date: 10/8/19

I thought I'd end my current Dystopian binge with a real page-turner. This novel was thoughtfully written and well-executed. Despite some violent and gruesome scenes, which I personally always struggle with, Kim Liggett threw in some surprising twists and concepts that truly made me reflect. The society she concocted is so disturbing as to make one lie awake considering the likelihood of such cruelty. She showed the dangers of mob mentality exacerbated by fear and illuminated the untapped power in all of us to create positive change. It definitely exuded girl power as a main theme.

There were times when the pacing was askew; a scene would end and then suddenly propel forward too quickly. There were also scenes that were incongruent, causing mild confusion for the reader. The main characters could also stand to be a bit more developed. As always in YA fiction, the love scenes are somewhat exaggerated. On that note, I definitely caution young readers and would say this novel is best-suited for much older teens and young adults. However, for the most part, I was invested from beginning to end, and would certainly consider reading the sequel which the author allowed for... it ended with quite the cliffhanger.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for gifting me with this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This title will be released on October 8, 2019.

Read 6/23/19

👶👶👶👶 Champion, by Marie Lu

This third installment of the Legend series did not disappoint. As a review of my thoughts on the first two, here is my previous post:

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Soooo... I found myself back in the mood for some good dystopian novels. I hadn't read any in a while, and considering the state of our nation, well... perhaps I'll keep those thoughts for another day, another blog...

Anyhow, my search led me to to the Legend series by Marie Lu. This exciting, suspenseful series took me on an unexpected ride. Though fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent may never be satisfied with other dystopian series, this one offers enough action and twists to keep readers committed. With all the usual elements: strong male and female protagonists, a love triangle, government upheaval, and oppression of the masses, Ms. Lu has managed to create an intriguing dysfunctional world that keeps readers guessing.

Most exciting is the fact the young readers can enjoy this series without too much inappropriate content. There is no sexual content other than a few fleeting kisses and language is very mild. Violence is certainly a factor, but that's to be expected in any novel with social and political unrest.

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All-in-all, Marie Lu maintained my interest throughout the 3-part series, and I should point out that youth will appreciate that it is nicely wrapped up at the end.

Read 6/17/19

👶👶👶 Pandemonium, by Lauren Oliver

As a repeat of the review of the first in this series:

Fueled by my latest need for good Dystopian novels, I continued my trek and wound up beginning Lauren Oliver's Delirium series. This is quite a fascinating concept: a dystopia where love is considered a contagious disease... hmmm... This was actually quite well-thought-out idea, as one never stops to ponder how much love truly permeates every aspect of our lives. It may be a bit too fast-moving in some of the sequences, causing some characters' decisions to seem rash and reckless, but it is jam-packed with thrill and adventure. There is certainly violence, language, and mild sexual content, so younger readers, beware. However, Ms. Oliver sure kept this adult gal interested throughout.

This second installment focuses more on Lena's personal strengths and weaknesses, without Alex as her sidekick. It ends with quite the cliffhanger, giving me incentive to finish off the series.

Read 4/28/19

👶👶👶👶 Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper

This powerful young adult novel was incredibly moving and thought-provoking, and the author did a phenomenal job of mixing solemnity with wit. Melody is a gem of a character, as is Mrs. V., and the reader can’t help rooting for both throughout the novel. Ms. Draper is skilled at demonstrating the reality of someone with severe physical disabilities, coupled with tremendous mental acuity. It certainly made me consider my actions around the severely disabled, as I have sometimes assumed that they are incapable of thought. This is a truly important read for everyone.

Read 9/17

👶👶👶 I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith

This was a mildly entertaining coming of age story. It had little depth, and only surface-level character development. It was certainly a quick read, but rather unremarkable. I would recommend this novel as a good, uncomplicated classic for young adults.

Read 12/22/16