The nitty-gritty: Light on scares but big on character growth and emotion, Haunt Sweet Home offers up interesting characters but is a disappointing ghost story. Haunt Sweet Home is described as a “spooky ghost story,” but unfortunately, that description doesn’t fit the story at all. There isn’t a single scary moment in the book, which […]
The nitty-gritty: A novella sized book packed with intriguing ideas and an emotional storyline, Time’s Agent gives readers plenty to think about. Time’s Agent is such a unique story, and I’m so glad I had the chance to read it. Brenda Peynado imagines a future where pocket worlds—alternate worlds where time moves either faster or […]
The nitty-gritty: A short novella full of big ideas, Exploded Remnants didn’t quite live up to its potential. Unexploded Remnants had a lot of good ideas, but overall the execution didn’t really work for me. I also struggled with the awkward writing style at times. This is a book full of big ideas in barely […]
The nitty-gritty: There are plenty of surprises in store for readers in Nghi Vo’s latest, another sparkling entry in her popular series. Confession time: I haven’t read the first four books of The Singing Hills Cycle, but since each one is marketed as a stand-alone, and because I’ve been wanting to read the series, I […]
The nitty-gritty: Monsters both supernatural and human populate the pages of this short but thrilling dark adventure tale. I always hear good things about Premee Mohamed’s books, but this is my first experience with her writing. Now I can see what all the fuss is about, because I loved everything about The Butcher of the […]
The nitty-gritty: Short but powerful, The Tusks of Extinction is an emotional journey through time and memory. “Damira was there again, listening to uncle Timur read to her. This was the gift of the mammoth mind, the elephant mind; to be where she was and elsewhere as well. To be in this present and yet […]
The nitty-gritty: More portals, more angst, and more adventures (and dinosaurs!) await readers in the ninth Wayward Children book. “We ask, again and again, why the doors take kids, and I think it’s a combination of things—kids are more flexible, they adjust better to things like ‘Oh hey, I’m a mermaid now’ or ‘Oh hey, […]
The nitty-gritty: Lina Rather combines cosmic horror and a fascinating historical time period in this engaging and uplifting tale. A Season of Monstrous Conceptions is an immersive story set in 1675 London with some wonderfully creepy cosmic horror elements. I loved Lina Rather’s Our Lady of Endless Worlds series, so I was curious to see […]
The nitty-gritty: Dreamy, evocative writing and emotional themes make this an intriguing tale, but I didn’t enjoy the ending at all. “There are two kinds of family,” his father says. “The kind you share genes with, and the kind you welcome into your heart.” Please note, spoilers about the dog ahead. I’m so sad that […]
The nitty-gritty: Fonda Lee populates her latest story with mythological creatures, resulting in a thrilling, heartfelt story. Untethered Sky is quite a change from Fonda Lee’s Green Bone saga, but I was happy to see that her storytelling and writing are just as strong, even in such a short format. This is a story about […]