Paperback

Notes on Infinity

by Austin Taylor

coming June 3, 2025

(3.5 / 5)

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

In Notes on Infinity, we follow Zoe and Jack, Harvard students who make a discovery that could be a cure for aging.

This book was a hard one to rate since I was a little mixed on how I felt about it. On one hand, it was very academic, diving into science that I don’t begin to understand. Even beyond the science, I often felt a bit out of the loop or just missing something. I think part of it might have been the nonlinear timeline, often looking at the past or revisiting things that happened from a different perspective, plus jumps in time in the present timeline. There were parts that were sad and tragic. But, all that said, the book still kept my interest well enough, and it went into some directions that I wasn’t expecting. The fast pace and high stakes of the biotech startup paired well with the ominous feeling I picked up right from the beginning. It was thought-provoking and I found myself conflicted over how I felt about multiple characters as I learned more about them and their motivations. This book was an interesting journey and felt different from other books I’ve been reading.

Shampoo Unicorn

By Sawyer Lovett

Coming May 6, 2025

(4 / 5)

Shampoo Unicorn is a story that follows 3 LGBTQ teens who live in conservative small towns in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. They each provide a different perspective: the gay boy who everyone always just knew about and hosts a podcast, the masculine football player who is secretly gay, and a trans girl who is struggling to get through life until she can feel safe enough to live as her true self. Full disclosure: I am not LGBTQ myself, but as the parent of an LGBTQ teen, I enjoy reading stories that help me better understand those experiences.

At first I was a little unsure of the book. Each of the main characters’ portions are portrayed in a different perspective: 1st person (Brian), 2nd person (Greg), and 3rd person (Leslie). It took a bit to get used to, especially Greg’s 2nd person part. Plus we are also getting transcripts of Brian’s podcast, which I actually enjoyed a lot despite not being into podcasts personally. Once I got used to how the book was presented, I came to appreciate how the different perspectives gave each character a very distinctive feel and portrayed their individual experience especially well. For example, I found Greg’s 2nd person part to be very reflective and fitting for what his character goes through in the story. Leslie’s 3rd person perspective really drove home that she was undoubtedly a girl despite her male appearance, and we were seeing her authentic self. Leslie was actually one of my favorite characters, and I would have loved to see even more of her story.

I felt like this story was pretty character-driven, which I sometimes struggle with but actually enjoyed a lot in this book. I was impressed with the growth of characters, especially some of the secondary characters that were rather unexpected. I also appreciated the variety of LGBTQ experiences that were portrayed by fans of the podcast. This book turned out to be a heartwarming story that held a lot of meaning and left me with a sense of hope. What a wonderful debut novel – I look forward to seeing future books by Sawyer Lovett!

Thank you to Hyperion and BookishFirst for the free review copy of Shampoo Unicorn! My review is voluntary and all opinions are completely my own.

February 2, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction LGBTQ Paperback Young Adult 0

Penitence

By Kristin Koval

Coming January 28, 2025

(3 / 5)

This book starts with an interesting premise… a struggling family is thrown into turmoil when their 13-year-old daughter, Nora, shoots and kills their 14-year-old son, Nico. The parents, Angie and David, feel like they have no option but to ask the local lawyer, Martine, for help. This is extra complicated because Angie used to date Martine’s son, Julian, who has to help on the case because he has far more experience in criminal defense than his mother. This all dredges up memories of a terrible tragedy from Angie and Julian’s past.

I feel like I’m going to be in the minority here, but this book wasn’t quite for me. I was already expecting it to be an intense read (which it was), and the writing did a good job at presenting a solemn feel to it. While it started with a sense of mystery about the shooting as well as Angie and Julian’s past, much of the book was slower paced and contemplative without providing direct answers and resolutions. A lot of the book felt like an internal monologue of the various characters, with not a lot of action or dialogue. Most of the characters were flawed, spending a lot of time reflecting on secrets and mistakes from the past. Personally, I felt like I could never completely connect with any of the characters. The book was thought-provoking, exploring topics of forgiveness and moving on, in addition to a critical look at the judiciary system, especially in relation to juveniles. One of the (intended) surprising moments in the book was something I had already been suspecting for a while, though there were still aspects of it that I hadn’t considered. In the end, I think the book just wasn’t quite what I was expecting, so it didn’t keep me as engaged as much as I hoped it would. For the right reader, though, I think the book holds a lot of promise.

Thank you to Celadon Books and BookishFirst for the free review copy of Penitence! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

December 6, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Literary Fiction Paperback 0

The Notorious Virtues

By Alwyn Hamilton

Coming April 1, 2025

(5 / 5)

In a world where magic is real and history reads like a fairy tale, the heiress to the most powerful family is murdered, initiating a set of trials to determine the next heiress.

In The Notorious Virtues, we follow the perspectives of four very different characters: Nora – the presumed next heiress of the Holtzfall family who appears to just be a spoiled brat; Lotte – an orphan deserted at a convent who discovers she’s not only part of the Holtzfall family, but a contender at being the next heiress; Theo – a knight whose family has a blood oath to protect the Holtzfall family; and August – a young journalist hoping to break a big story so he can have a better life.

I’ll be honest, it took me a bit to get into this book, I think because on the surface Nora seemed so unlikeable. But as I continued on, Nora’s character grew on me, and I enjoyed getting to know the other main characters better as well. The story had a lot of depth to it and went in directions that I often didn’t expect or see coming, keeping me guessing until the end. There were complicated relationships and challenges that characters had to face. It was interesting to see the social hierarchy, battles for power, and political atmosphere from the different perspectives, and there were so many intricacies to it all that made it feel like so much more than a typical young adult story. It appears that this book is the first in a series. I’m honestly not sure where this story is heading from here, but wherever it is, I’m looking forward to it.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and BookishFirst for the free review copy of The Notorious Virtues! All opinions are completely my own.

November 12, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Paperback Young Adult 0

Humor Me

By Cat Shook

(4 / 5)

Presley is an assistant for a late-night show in New York City, searching for the next big comedic talent and hoping for a promotion. Still grieving the loss of her mother, Presley strikes an unlikely friendship with a childhood friend of her mom’s that is going through a rough time of her own.

Going in, I wasn’t sure if this book would be for me, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Presley, the protagonist, was a likeable character with relatable insecurities, so it was nice to see her character grow over the course of the story. I liked the flow of the book, moving at a faster pace than I expected. It seemed fitting, matching the fast pace of New York City, which you could just feel the love for in this book. Despite some heavy topics coming up (grief, toxic male behavior), it’s offset by the comedy scene and some unexpected experiences that Presley has. I enjoyed the deep look this book had into various relationships, especially the different types of friendships. There’s a bit of a romance along the way, which wasn’t the main focus but still was enjoyable. Overall, this was a great story that kept me interested the whole way.

Thank you to BookishFirst and Celadon Books for the free review copy of Humor Me! All opinions above are completely my own.

July 31, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Paperback Women's Fiction 0

When the World Tips Over

By Jandy Nelson

Coming September 24, 2024

(4 / 5)

Dizzy, Miles, and Wynton are siblings whose father disappeared 12 years ago, and each are facing their own challenges. Then a mysterious rainbow-haired girl appears, affecting each of the siblings in their own ways.

When the World Tips Over is a book that dives deep into the dynamics of family, following a story that spans generations. Through the book, we follow the perspectives of 4 different characters along with notes from some other characters, plus the story of a family’s ancestors. It’s a lot to keep track of, but all of these pieces are interweaved in a way that slowly reveals a bigger picture while holding a feeling of mystery and destiny. There’s a sense of magical realism throughout, which gives the characters and story an almost fairy tale type feel. The book is quite long, and at times I felt like it was moving much slower than I prefer with not a lot of action… but I think that it’s just the type of book this is: very introspective and focused more on the characters than the plot. It was sometimes a bit depressing, yet thought-provoking enough to keep me wanting to read more, even when I wasn’t quite sure where the story was going. There are certainly some interesting surprises along the way that I didn’t see coming!

Thank you to Penguin Teen, Dial Books, and BookishFirst for the free review copy of When the World Tips Over! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

July 14, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Paperback Young Adult 0

The Prison Healer

By Lynette Noni

(4.5 / 5)

This one was a reread for me, and I think I may have liked it even more the second time around. Knowing how it ends, it was interesting to see all the clues that lead up to it from a new perspective. Here’s my original review from when I first read The Prison Healer a few years ago…

The Prison Healer is a young adult fantasy that follows the story of a teen, Kiva, who has been locked in a prison for 10 years. Written in the 3rd person, the book follows Kiva’s point of view, giving us a deep insight of her thoughts and memories while she serves as the prison’s healer. Through Kiva’s eyes, we meet an interesting cast of characters inside of the prison setting.

I overall enjoyed the book and the story it had to offer, with its immersive setting and characters that felt real. While it did feel a little slow at times, there was also plenty of excitement along the way. Kiva’s thoughts could be a little redundant at times, but overall, she is a likable and relatable character. And while some things don’t seem to quite make sense along the way, it comes together by the end (sometimes in an unexpected way). I’m glad I had the chance to read this book and am looking forward to the sequel to see what happens next!

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

June 21, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Paperback Young Adult 0

Freeing Mallory

By S. Ashley

(4 / 5)

Freeing Mallory is a romance that delivers a decent amount of spice while also providing an interesting story. Both of the main characters, Mallory and Baxley, have been through some traumatic things in the past, so there’s an undertone of grief, but it is interesting to see how they each face it and learn to move on. I found both of the main characters to be likable and more complex than I was expecting, and I enjoyed the relationship between them. There’s a twist along the way that didn’t really come as a surprise for me, though there were still aspects of it that I didn’t expect. The story was a bit of an emotional roller coaster, but I was happy with the way things ended.

June 10, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Paperback Romance 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

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