The nitty-gritty: A delightful blend of fantasy, the modern-day film industry, and quirky characters that will make you smile. It was midmorning on a Monday when magic walked into my life wearing a beige Ann Taylor suit and sensible flats. I’ve been salivating over this amazing cover for months now, and I was so excited […]
The nitty-gritty: An atmospheric and eerie ghost story with psychological undertones that make this a satisfying horror story on several levels. The house held only broken dreams, shattered screams, and secret little dirty things. It was a liar’s playground, a dead man’s last stand. I was pleasantly surprised by Damian Angelica Walters’ short story collection […]
The nitty-gritty: A delicious blend of magic and intrigue, deception and romantic tension, a perfectly paced follow-up that will leave you longing for more. Beware: spoilers await all ye who have not read A Darker Shade of Magic! It’s been a year since I read A Darker Shade of Magic, but I easily fell right […]
The nitty-gritty: A fast-paced sci-fi adventure, with one of the coolest concepts I’ve ever run across, and a twist that you won’t see coming. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Will McIntosh’s adult novels (Love Minus Eighty and Defenders) but this is the first book of his I’ve read. In his YA debut, McIntosh has come […]
The nitty-gritty: A gritty and magical story with plenty of danger, romance and a very special drink called sorcerer’s shine. Magic can achieve a lot of things, but it can’t undo the past. I’ve sworn off sorcery, buried my magic with earth, blood, and tears below the ground, but I’d gladly sell my soul to […]
The nitty-gritty: A strange and glorious story, whose quirky ideas and charming characters surprised me at every turn. Patricia found herself still obsessing about Laurence, as she slid on knee-high leather boots and a black babydoll dress with red sparkles and went to an Irish bar in the Financial District to put a curse on […]
The nitty-gritty: More literary ramble than horror, Mamatas’ bleak look at a changed world is beautifully written with sharp spikes of sudden violence. I signed up for drilling because I couldn’t get down to Mexico. I needed to experience life, to find something to write about. I needed pocket money. My credit score was immaterial, my […]
The nitty-gritty: A nail-biting, realistic portrayal of one of American history’s most influential events, the California Gold Rush, told by a girl with a talent for finding gold. I had seen so many glowing reviews of Walk on Earth a Stranger, that I knew I just had to fit this in before the end of […]
The nitty-gritty: A cleverly constructed story that blends contemporary and fantasy YA fiction in a completely new way. There’s so much crazy in this world, my counting and hand-washing and door-locking and checking and tapping can seem like raging mental health by comparison. Jared’s crazy is way crazier than mine, though I don’t think his […]
The nitty-gritty: A time travel story with loads of potential and an important message about feminism, which could have benefited from more editing. I’m always up for a good time travel story, and Weighing Shadows seemed like it was going to be a good one. And it was—to an extent. There were many things I enjoyed, […]