The nitty-gritty: A cleverly constructed thriller with plenty of high school drama makes this a perfect summer read for teens. Despite my reluctance to read YA these days, I have to admit I had a blast with We Made It All Up. And yes, the book has the usual YA shenanigans like relationship drama, bullying, […]
The nitty-gritty: Gailey’s latest is delightfully unsettling, with unexpected twists, dangerous characters and ominous secrets. “The outside of Vera was shaped like the inside of this house. This was the house her father had built with his two strong hands. This was the goldfish tank where she’d grown to the size she would always be, […]
The nitty-gritty: A weird and wonderful trip through space, blasting with loud music, fabulous outfits and of course, giant killer mechas, August Kitko and the Mechas from Space is a wild ride from start to finish. “Fashion is always intentional, and Ardent has carefully selected their cataclysmic attire for maximum mobility. They tug at the […]
The nitty-gritty: Dex and Mosscap contemplate life while traveling the countryside in this lovely follow-up to A Psalm for the Wild-Built. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy continues the feel-good adventures of Sibling Dex and his robot companion Mosscap. The story picks up right after the events of A Psalm for the Wild-Built, so I encourage […]
The nitty-gritty: Four childhood friends are forced to confront the past in Ronald Malfi’s latest, an epic, nightmarish tale with unforgettable characters. “Do you want to see a magic trick?” After absolutely loving Come With Me last year (which made my top five books of 2021), I was both excited and hesitant to read Ronald Malfi’s […]
The nitty-gritty: Cozy mystery, humor and futuristic sci-fi combine to make Eddie Robson’s latest a uniquely fun read. Reading an Eddie Robson book is such a joy. I absolutely love his writing style, his subtle humor and the interesting characters who populate his stories. Last year I read Hearts of Oak and loved Robson’s quirky […]
The nitty-gritty: A seductive, multi-layered story with family secrets, betrayal and magic, perfect for fans of dark contemporary fantasy. “We didn’t wonder where the magic came from, or why it worked. We never asked ourselves, Is this ours to take? We were three damp ducklings, green as leaves, believing with all our crooked hearts that […]
The nitty-gritty: I enjoyed the characters and the touches of magic, but the plot fell short and wasn’t as engaging as I had hoped. Half a Soul ended up being a mixed bag for me, unfortunately. You know how some books excite you right out of the gate? I guess I was expecting a “spark” […]
The nitty-gritty: A delightful blend of humor and self-aware storytelling, A Mirror Mended is the fairy tale multiverse mash-up you didn’t know you needed. “I mean, sure, when one is looking for the lair of a cannibal queen, one expects to encounter a certain degree of spookiness. One might anticipate something resembling the Beast’s castle […]
The nitty-gritty: Anne Heltzel brings several tried and true horror tropes to her latest novel, including cults, creepy dolls and motherhood. Just Like Mother was creepy and shocking, and yes, over-the-top at times. But I have to admit, despite it’s flaws, I had a lot of fun with it. Parts of it made me mad, […]