Young Adult

The Last City

By H. J. Nelson

(5 / 5)

The Last City is the second book in The Last She series and should be read after the first book. It picks up a few months after the previous book ended and follows the point-of-views of Ara, Kaden, and Sam. I really enjoyed learning more about Sam in this book, who has been living on his own in Boise since recovering from his accident. Meanwhile, Ara and Kaden travel to The Last City, which really brings a dystopian element to the series. Like the first book, The Last City pulled me in from the beginning and kept my attention until the end. I enjoyed continuing the stories of Ara, Kaden and Sam while also meeting some interesting new characters along the way too. We are able to learn more about the mysteries from the first book, while continuing to have action, adventure and romance. Apparently, there’s a 3rd book in the works, so I’m really excited to see where the story goes next!

I received a free review copy of this book through NetGalley, but all opinions expressed here are my own.

The Last She

By H. J. Nelson

(5 / 5)

Post-apocalyptic fiction is one of my favorite genres of books, and The Last She did not disappoint. The book follows the perspectives of Ara (19) and Kaden (21) in a world that was decimated by a disease 3 years prior. I found myself drawn into the story quickly, and it kept my interest through the end. It’s packed with action and adventure, along with romance and an air of mystery. While it doesn’t necessarily end on a cliffhanger, there’s definitely setup for the next book in the series. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

February 23, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

How You Grow Wings

By Rimma Onoseta

(4 / 5)

TW: Multiple instances of abuse

How You Grow Wings follows 2 sisters, Cheta (17) and Zam (16), who have grown up in an abusive household. Throughout the story both sisters are learning how to live life outside of their parents’ home, but in very different ways: Zam is taken in by her rich aunt and uncle, while Cheta is poor and trying to live on her own. The story mostly takes place in Nigeria, and the book immerses you in the languages, culture and obstacles in that country. The book really dives into and explores a lot of difficult topics, such as abuse, sexism, classism, and colonial influences on culture.

A central theme in this book was exploring relationships between people, often relationships that were strained or difficult. It was interesting to watch as multiple characters grew and gained a better understanding of those around them. Zam especially showed a lot of growth over the course of the book.

I’m rating this book 3.5 stars since it didn’t hold my interest as much as I hoped it would, but I think it was just a matter of personal preference – I tend to enjoy faster-paced books with more action. The writing is good so it earns being rounded up to 4 stars.

I received a free copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. All opinions are my own.

February 17, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Hardcover Young Adult 0

Sugaring Off

By Gillian French

(4 / 5)

Possible TW: Characters in the book recall abuse that happened in their past.

Sugaring Off is a young adult book about a girl named Owl and follows her through her family’s maple syrup season. The book is split into 4 parts, each represented by a different grade of syrup. The book turned out to be far more complex than I expected it to be, exploring a large range of topics that really gave the story depth and some things to learn along the way:

making maple syrup

being hard of hearing/deaf

living in a very rural place

people with Native American heritage

woodland wildlife, in particular a family of foxes

history of abuse

learning to stand up for yourself

The book has a bit of a slow feel to it, which I felt matched the rural setting it was in, and it still kept me engaged and reading for long periods. I ended up reading the whole book over the course of two days. I enjoyed the wonderful descriptions, especially about nature. Along the course of story there’s romance, action and drama, so it was a nice blend.

My biggest complaint about this book is that the author tends to drop the pronouns at the beginnings of sentences, so it affected the flow of the book at times for me. This might just be the author’s writing style, and it certainly didn’t keep me from wanting to continue the book, but some people may be put off by this.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book and glad I gave it a chance. I thought Owl was an interesting character and enjoyed seeing her grow over the course of the story.

I received a free copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program, but all opinions I have provided are my own.

December 4, 2022 by danimae1981 Fiction Hardcover Young Adult 0