teens

The Demonic Inventions of Aurelie Blake

by Mara Rutherford

coming April 14, 2026

(3 / 5)

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

I’m so conflicted about this book… I enjoyed the first 75-80% of it and considered it a pretty solid 4 star read. But as I got closer to the end, I started to get frustrated with the direction things were going. The premise of demons appearing whenever something was created was unique, and I was curious to learn more about it. But at times I ended up feeling a bit confused by it and how it all came to be. The romance had tension and I was liking it, but then it started to feel like it was just moving way too fast, with Aurelie and Des acting in ways that didn’t seem to line up with what we knew of their characters previously. Honestly, I started to question what they saw in each other beyond a physical attraction. And speaking of out of character, there’s so much emphasis about Aurelie being really smart, yet sometimes she was frustratingly oblivious. There’s a pretty big reveal toward the end, which I had figured out long before that, and I found it hard to believe that Aurelie didn’t. Meanwhile, I had other questions that I was hoping to finally see explained, but they never were. I know this is the start of a series, so I’m not surprised that it leaves off with a bit of a cliffhanger and things still left to explore, but I was left underwhelmed enough with the ending that I’m not sure if I’ll continue on. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a bad book that I had a hard time finishing or anything like that. I guess it just didn’t quite go in the direction I was hoping it would.

The Escape Game

by Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss

coming April 7, 2026

(5 / 5)

I want to thank Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of The Escape Game! All opinions are completely my own.

The Escape Game was one of my most anticipated reads for 2026, so I was beyond excited to receive an ARC copy of the book. Marissa Meyer has been a favorite author of mine, and this book just sounded so interesting… escape rooms, reality TV, and a murder mystery? Plus a gorgeous cover? Yes please!

I went into this book with high expectations, and I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint. The writing kept me hooked, engaged, and constantly wanting to read more to see what would happen next. It was fast-paced, exciting, and just fun to read. A lot of the characters were quirky, and I felt like I could relate to each of the main characters in one way or another. The plot felt like it had good depth to it. I loved the idea of an escape room themed reality show, and it’s the type of thing I’d love to watch. It really had an escape room feel to it with great descriptions. Usually I didn’t have enough information to try to solve the puzzles myself, but it was fun to predict how the characters should approach it. The murder mystery and other mysteries in the story were pretty complicated. I was able to figure some of the things out, though sometimes not long before they were revealed. Others really kept me guessing and ended up surprising me. There’s plenty of clues along the way, but even then I was constantly second guessing. By the end the story feels pretty well wrapped up while still building anticipation for the next book. I can’t wait!

March 4, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Mystery Thriller Young Adult 0

Rolls and Rivalry

Gaming and Romance #3

by Kristy Boyce

coming May 5, 2026

(4 / 5)

I received a free review copy of this book from Random House Children’s Books and Delacorte Romance through NetGalley; all opinions are completely my own.

Rolls and Rivalry is the third book in the Gaming and Romance series by Kristy Boyce, but all of the books can be read as standalone. There’s no character overlap beyond a couple cameos, which were fun since I had read the previous books.

At first I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book as much as the first two books in the series because I really wasn’t loving the rivalry that was going on. Some of the pranks seemed a bit mean. But as I got to know the characters better and the walls between them starting coming down, I liked the book a lot more. It turned out to be pretty cute actually, and I felt like the characters learned a lot about themselves and each other over the course of the story. A big theme in the story was Dungeons & Dragons. Since the characters in the book were new to the game I was able to follow it fine even though I’ve never personally played before. I liked how D&D was able to bring the characters together in multiple ways. Another big theme in the book is marching band, which was described really well and felt interesting. The book itself was very readable and I found it hard to put down, reading almost the whole thing in a single day. I’m glad I ended up reading this whole series and would love to read more by the author in the future!

March 2, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

Heart of Mischief

Soul of Shadow #2

by Emma Noyes

coming March 10, 2026

(4 / 5)

First off, I want to thank St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, and NetGalley for free review copies of the digital book and audiobook. All opinions about the book are completely my own.

I was really excited to be able to be able to listen to the audiobook version of this book! Emily Pike Stewart, who narrated Soul of Shadow, did a fantastic job of narrating this book as well. I loved how expressive it was, and how each character had a different voice.

Heart of Mischief continues the story from Soul of Shadow, taking place about 3 weeks later. I enjoyed reading this book as much as the first one, and thought it had a similar feel. There was plenty of excitement with a fast pace, and it held my interest well. I loved the tension and banter between Elias and Charlie. Honestly, I was getting some very strong Vampire Diaries vibes while reading this book, and Elias reminded me a lot of Damon Salvatore. Elias is one of those characters that you don’t know if you should love or hate him. I was actually never quite sure if I could trust multiple characters from this book, and some of my hunches turned out to be right. Things ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I look forward to seeing where this story goes next. This book really builds a lot of anticipation for book 3!

February 18, 2026 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

The Roommate Arrangement

by Samantha Markum

coming January 27, 2026

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books, RBmedia, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Roommate Arrangement! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

In The Roommate Arrangement, we follow Blair who is just starting college. When her best friends tell her that she can’t share an apartment with them with very little notice, she has to take what she can find. Except, it turns out that now one of her roommates will be her brother’s best friend, Jamie, and let’s just say that these siblings do not get along at all.

This was a book that I absolutely devoured and was sad when it was over. The text was so descriptive and immersive. Blair was a very relatable character. While on the surface the book is a young adult romance, it really dives into some tough subjects for teens. Through the book, Blair has to navigate changing friendships, a strained sibling relationship, controlling parents, a chaotic living arrangement, academic struggles, mental health, and a budding relationship that would not be approved of by others. Her journey to self acceptance and standing up for herself was enlightening. I liked the romance, and while it eventually turned sweet, the bickering at the start was quite entertaining. The supporting characters were diverse and I liked how they added depth to the story.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to experience the audiobook version of this book! The narrator did a great job, and I especially loved how each character had a different voice.

January 22, 2026 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

The Beasts We Raise

The Broken Citadel #2

by D. L. Taylor

coming February 24, 2026

(4 / 5)

First off, thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co., and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Beasts We Raise! All opinions are completely my own.

The Beasts We Raise takes place several months after the first book left off and continues the story of Mance and Silver. While I didn’t like this book quite as much as the first one, I still enjoyed reading it. It had a different feel to it, maybe partially because it centered around Mance’s new ability. She just felt a bit stripped down, but ultimately it was intentional something that led to character growth. I wasn’t expecting the addition of some new points of view, but I really enjoyed seeing those perspectives. I liked the themes of acceptance and facing fears that the book dived into. Things often felt pretty dire and I wondered how the story could possibly have a happy ending. I was hoping for a bit more closure out of the ending, but I was still happy enough with the direction things went.

January 14, 2026 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

Carnival Fantástico

by Angela Montoya

coming February 3, 2026

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to Random House Children’s Books, Joy Revolution, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Carnival Fantástico! All opinions about the book are completely my own.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was very immersive and pulled me in easily. I could just feel the desperation of the main characters from the start. It felt like the stakes were high. The book really captured the circus setting, with magic and wonder but also an unsettling feeling. There was plenty of action, tension, and a sense of mystery that kept me wanting to read right to the end. I also enjoyed the romance, though I wish the characters could’ve worked through the issues from their past faster. I really liked seeing their letters from when they were growing up, showing how their original relationship developed. I thought the variety of side characters were interesting and really brought the story to life. This was the 2nd book I’ve read by the author, and I’ll definitely be seeking out more in the future!

January 8, 2026 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

The Swan’s Daughter

A Possibly Doomed Love Story

by Roshani Chokshi

coming January 6, 2026

(3 / 5)

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

I’m sure this book has its audience, but honestly it wasn’t my cup of tea. It felt slow and took a long time to get to the part of the plot I was expecting. I did enjoy the world building and descriptive nature, and at first it had me feeling like I was reading a fairy tale. As I read more, though, I started to lose interest, and then I never really recovered from that. The author’s style felt verbose to me, and I think sometimes I got lost in the words and missed what they were actually trying to say. The romance in the book wasn’t really what I was expecting or hoping for either. In the end, the book had its moments that I enjoyed, but it wasn’t really for me.

December 15, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The Kiss Bet

by Farrah Penn

Based on the graphic novel by Ingrid Ochoa

coming February 3, 2026

(4 / 5)

Thank you to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

I’ve read The Kiss Bet on WEBTOON, so it was really fun to read this novel based on the comic. It actually follows the comic pretty closely and had a very similar feel.

The book was a quick and easy read that I overall enjoyed. There’s a lot of high school drama so it might not be the right fit for readers looking for something more mature, but I think teens and fans of the web comic will enjoy it. At times Sara, the FMC, felt annoyingly impulsive and irresponsible, but I also couldn’t help but root for her. Most of the characters felt similar to their comic versions, though I think I liked Patrick more in this version, maybe because I was able to understand his viewpoint better.

This novel covers season one of the comic, so it does end on a cliffhanger. Hopefully there will be more novels to continue the story!

November 18, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Never Seen the Stars

by Kate Korsh

(4 / 5)

Many thanks to Scholastic Press and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

I went into this book knowing it was going to pull at the heartstrings. How could it not when our main character, Hattie, has just lost her friend in a drowning accident and she’s struggling with the fact that she will eventually go blind, just like her dad. The first chapter starts with a funeral and feels very somber, though the mood does pick up as the book continues. The main characters took some warming up to… Hattie was pretty angsty and Mason struck me as a bit obnoxious, but then it also felt realistic for teenagers and gave room for the characters to grow. I was happy to see how much Hattie improved communicating with others and facing her grief. The book focused heavily on different kinds relationships between both peers and adults/teens, and I thought it was done in a positive way. I liked the representation of vision impairment and how people might react to going blind. When I found out that the author has retinitis pigmentosa herself, it made that part of the story feel even more authentic.

November 6, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0