Young Adult

Love, Off the Record

by Samantha Markum

Narrated by Ellen Quay

Coming June 11, 2024!

(5 / 5)

Wyn is a college freshman who wants to be a journalist and works on the school’s newspaper. When a reporter position becomes available, it opens up a rivalry between her and Three, the other freshman working on the paper.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of Love, Off the Record. I thought the narrator did a good job, with enjoyable pacing and expression. In some spots the mic seemed to pick up the narrator breathing, but it didn’t really take away from the story.

This was one of those books where I loved it so much, I was sad to see it end. I absolutely loved the characters and thought they felt realistic. The rivalry and banter between Wyn and Three were great, creating a tension that kept things interesting and provided for some fun moments along the way. While on the surface the story is a coming-of-age romance, it dives into a lot of deeper topics that characters have to overcome, such as finding their individual selves amidst family expectations and how low self-esteem and trust issues can affect relationships between people. There’s also a theme of Wyn struggling with being fat, which mostly portrayed a sense of body positivity while also highlighting the insecurities that come with it. The anonymous dating app storyline was pretty predictable, but I still liked how it helped see characters from a different angle. This was a story that I felt completely invested in, and it was really hard to put down! I’ll definitely be seeking out more books by Samantha Markum.

Thank you to Spotify Audiobooks and NetGalley for the free audiobook copy of Love, Off the Record! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

Under the Surface

By Diana Urban

Coming August 13, 2024

(4 / 5)

A group of students are on a class trip in Paris, an experience Ruby has been looking forward to, especially since she wants to get some new content for her travel-themed YouTube channel. When her best friend, Val, leaves the hotel to go to a late-night party with a local boy, Ruby and two other classmates go after her, and all of them end up lost in the catacombs beneath the city. Meanwhile, Ruby’s friend/crush, Sean, tries to put together the pieces to figure out what happened to the missing girls.

First off, the setting of the majority of this book, the catacombs under Paris, was intriguing and really gave the book a creepy vibe. Between being lost in the tunnels full of human bones, then discovering something even more sinister along the way, it made for a good thriller. There’s fear, action, despair, and a lot of introspection for the characters as they navigate their situation. Being a young adult book, there was some teenage drama, but it also led to some of the suspense as we waited for their secrets to be revealed amidst the secrets that the catacombs held. Though I did suspect some things before they were revealed, the book managed to also take some unexpected turns to keep me engaged. I thought that Ruby was a likeable main character who grew and learned a lot about herself over the course of the story. We don’t get to see as much from Sean’s perspective, but I liked how his point of view portrayed the search for the girls while giving his character room to grow as well. The book in general felt very readable, with great descriptions that painted a vivid picture.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the free copy of Under the Surface! The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

May 19, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Thriller Young Adult 0

On the Bright Side

By Anna Sortino

Coming July 2, 2024

(4 / 5)

Ellie has been attending a school for the Deaf, but when it shuts down before her senior year, she needs to switch to living at home full time and attending a mainstream school. There she meets Jackson, a soccer player that is dealing with some concerning symptoms that affect his ability to participate in the sport.

On the Bright Side was a quick read that I enjoyed. Through Ellie, it dives into Deaf culture and the frustrations a Deaf person faces in an ableist world. Ellie is independent and maybe a little stubborn, but her frustrations with unsupportive parents and classmates were understandable. She has to make some tough choices along the way but shows a lot of strength through it. Jackson was a very likeable character, and I loved how he made the effort to connect with Ellie when other classmates just wanted to gossip and assume. Jackson is faced with his own unexpected and scary diagnosis, and it was interesting to share his journey that portrayed his fears and frustrations while still providing optimism about the future. I think an important takeaway from this story is understanding how not all disabilities are obvious, and anyone can become disabled at any time, so it goes a long way to show compassion to others.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the free review copy of On the Bright Side! All opinions expressed are completely my own.

May 6, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Attached at the Hip

By Christine Riccio

(4 / 5)

I thought this book was a fun read. As a Survivor fan, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the fictional spin-off show, Attached at the Hip, that is the base of the story. It really did have that Survivor feel to it, with the unique twist of being tethered to another player. In the beginning, I found the main character, Orie, to feel very immature, but that also allowed for a lot of character growth along the way. I really enjoyed the relationship building between Orie and other contestants from the show, and how complicated it became when they had to routinely vote someone out. The book kept me engaged, and it was hard to put down… I was always excited to see what would happen next.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Attached at the Hip! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

April 26, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Icon and Inferno

By Marie Lu

Coming June 11, 2024

(4 / 5)

Icon and Inferno is the 2nd book in the Stars and Smoke series. Pop superstar-turned-spy Winter Young and agent Sydney Cossette team back up a year later for another mission for the Panacea Group, this time in Singapore.

Icon and Inferno had a similar feel to the first book, with action, mystery, romance and thrills. I read the books together, but enough background information is given catch you up if it’s been a bit. Once again, I enjoyed the complicated relationship between Winter and Sydney, and the addition of their exes added extra tension. There are surprises along the way, though I’ll admit to having my suspicions about some of the things that happened beforehand. There’s a lot of action, and while sometimes it feels a little unrealistic, it gives it the kind of excitement you feel while watching a movie. It was definitely a quick read that was hard to put down. I’m not sure if there will be another book in this series, but I’d love to read more by the author, Marie Lu.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for the free review copy of Icon and Inferno! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

April 3, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Mystery Romance Thriller Young Adult 0

Stars and Smoke

By Marie Lu

Paperback edition releases tomorrow!

(4 / 5)

19-year-old Winter Young is a huge global pop star, but he still yearns for something more in his life. Unexpectedly, he is approached by a secret agency with a mission to get intel on a crime boss while performing at a private birthday concert. He is paired with Sydney Cossette, a young but effective recruit of the agency.

I had the opportunity to get an early copy of the new paperback edition of Stars and Smoke, which includes new artwork and a bonus scene. Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and BookishFirst; all opinions in my review are solely my own.

I really enjoyed reading Stars and Smoke. I thought both of the main characters were interesting and felt relatable in their own ways, with complicated pasts. The banter between Winter and Sydney was fun and I enjoyed the development of their relationship along the way. The “pop star turned spy” concept was interesting and done well. There was a lot of action, and parts of the story even had a cinematic feel to them. I was expecting some kind of twist along the way and thought I had it all figured out, but it turns out the book was still able to provide surprises. This was one of those books where, once I started getting close to the end, I couldn’t put it down. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series and reading more by this author!

I received a free review copy of the book. All opinions are completely my own.

April 1, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Mystery Paperback Thriller Young Adult 0

The Last Bloodcarver

By Vanessa Le

Coming March 19th!

After reading a 2nd time, I’ve decided to up my rating to (5 / 5).

In the city of Theumas, 18-year-old Nhika has been completely on her own for the past 6 years. She must hide the fact that she’s a heartsooth, with the ability to heal by direct touch, but also feared because the ability can be used to hurt or kill. Her people have essentially been wiped out, and she may just be the last of her kind. When she is captured and sold by black market “butchers,” she is introduced into a different part of society with its own dark secrets.

I really enjoyed reading The Last Bloodcarver, which is the first book in a duology. This book was written so well, it’s hard to believe that it’s the author’s debut novel! Nhika, the main character, was interesting and felt relatable. Her abilities as a heartsooth/bloodcarver were unique yet explained in a way that felt intuitive and understandable. I was easily pulled into this world, which has both a fantasy and technological feel to it. Bonus points for the map included at the beginning at the book, which helped visualize the city and how it was laid out. I really enjoyed the various side characters with their own stories and quirks. With a possible murder to solve, it gives this book a bit of a whodunit feel, and while some things were easy enough to guess, others came as a surprise. This is a book I would read again, and I definitely plan to read the 2nd book when it becomes available!

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and BookishFirst for the free copy of The Last Bloodcarver! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

March 18, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Hardcover Young Adult 0

Your Blood, My Bones

By Kelly Andrew

Coming soon on April 2, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

It’s been 5 years since Wyatt left Willow Heath, her father’s homestead farm, and her childhood friends, James and Peter. Now Wyatt is 18, her father has passed, and she has inherited the farm. She returns with only the intention to burn it to the ground, until she finds Peter, imprisoned in the cellar. Now she must face her past and present, as the farm holds far more sinister secrets than she ever imagined.

This book was one that I have very mixed feelings about. On one hand, there were parts that felt drawn out or more confusing than they needed to be. We have the present-day timeline, along with memories from the past, and sometimes it was hard to tell when something was happening or exactly how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. On the other hand, this book kept me wanting to read it, sitting for hours at a time. I really liked the writing, with fantastic descriptions and an overall unique feel to it. It was a blend of many genres – young adult, romance, fantasy, horror. At times I felt the vocabulary was a bit advanced for young adult, but again, this generally didn’t feel like a typical YA story. While not necessarily packed with action, the story held an eerie and mysterious feel throughout.

Thank you to Scholastic, Scholastic Press and NetGalley for the free review copy of Your Blood, My Bones. Opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

February 12, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Horror Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

Check & Mate

By Ali Hazelwood

(5 / 5)

Mallory just recently graduated from high school but has a lot more responsibilities than most 18-year-olds. With a sick mom and two younger sisters, Mallory acts as a parent and breadwinner for the family. Formerly a chess player, Mallory gave up the sport 4 years ago after a fallout with her dad. But a favor for a friend leads to her winning a chess game against the world’s #1 player, leading to opportunities she might not be able to turn down.

Check & Mate was my first read by Ali Hazelwood, and now I can see why she’s such a popular author! I really loved reading this book – it was one of those books that had me reading well into the night because I didn’t want to put it down. Mallory was a great character and felt relatable. I really enjoyed her interactions with Nolan and the relationship that develops between them. I think I especially liked how Nolan respected Mallory’s boundaries and didn’t actively pursue her until she was ready. There are plenty of side characters who are quirky and interesting that I enjoyed. While I went into the book knowing it would be a love story, I was happy to see that there was a lot of depth to the story beyond that. Obviously, chess is a major topic in this book, but not knowing a lot about the game didn’t take away from the story at all. What was very eye-opening was the struggle faced by women who play chess, and it was nice to see Mallory’s character grow into a strong representative of a female chess player. Overall, this was just a great read, and I look forward to reading more by this author.

February 3, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Paperback Young Adult 0

Academy of Breath and Fire

By Kristofor Hellmeister

(4 / 5)

Mercroft Academy – a prestigious school with a unique and powerful technology. Harlen – son of a politician and student in Mercroft’s newest class of students. Dupont – former Mercroft student and current FBI agent investigating a triple homicide. Academy of Breath and Fire is a book that combines young adult, sci-fi and crime mystery into a complex story. And if you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free!

This story has a lot to it and really kept me thinking about what mysteries would be revealed and who was involved. At times it felt a little long, but the chapters are fairly short, and since they alternate points of view between Harlen and Agent Dupont, it keeps things interesting and the story moving. Harlen’s part feels more like a young adult story, while Dupont is trying to solve a crime mystery, with both stories revolving around the mysterious academy and technology, overlapping with each other. The technology presented in the story is very unique and interesting, especially with its connections to the intricacies of the English language. I had some theories along the way that turned out to be true, but they weren’t completely obvious. The book ended with me feeling like I still had some questions that went unanswered. Maybe there will be a sequel? Or is it just to keep me pondering about what the possibilities could be?

Thank you to the author for the free review copy of Academy of Breath and Fire. All opinions in my review are completely my own.