This was a moving YA coming of age romance told in alternating chapters of verse and prose. Beautifully written, this book takes place over 3 summer nThis was a moving YA coming of age romance told in alternating chapters of verse and prose. Beautifully written, this book takes place over 3 summer nights spread out over 3 years and sees two teens falling in love and grappling with mental health, parental divorce and debilitating chronic illness (nystagmus, that causes loss of sight and balance issues).
Passionate about photography, Jude also has anxiety hates that his parents are divorcing and later gets diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, whereas as Florence has a degenerative eye condition that is growing increasingly worse and threatens to derail her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina. Sweet, poignant and very relatable, this was a quick read that I enjoyed a lot as an audiobook! Highly recommended and I really hope to see more collaborations between Zentner and Cavallaro.
Fav quotes:
“I was thinking that this is what you hope love is: you enter a house full of monsters with someone and then you fight for each other until you can’t fight anymore.”
“Sometimes I think the only things we’re put on this earth for are to create art and make connections with the people we’re supposed to connect with.” ...more
I love a good summer camp mystery/thriller and this one was EXCELLENT! With tons of cold case/murder mystery and true crime podcast content, this was I love a good summer camp mystery/thriller and this one was EXCELLENT! With tons of cold case/murder mystery and true crime podcast content, this was a highly entertaining read that was great on audio and full of family secrets and twists! Very much recommended for fans of books like The counselors, You're not supposed to die tonight, The box in the woods or Last girls standing. Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!...more
This was a really great debut, dual POV, enemies to lovers YA romance between two BIPOC teen environmental activists concerned about climate change, tThis was a really great debut, dual POV, enemies to lovers YA romance between two BIPOC teen environmental activists concerned about climate change, the growing California fire season and plans to implement a local pipeline.
When Isa and Darius get appointed co-presidents of their high school's Environmental Justice Club, the two have to learn how to get along and gradually learn there is more to the other than initially meets the eye.
Excellent on audio narrated by Angel Pean and perfect for fans of books like Wings in the wild by Margarita Engle or Haven Jacobs saves the planet by Barbara Dee - both of which feature youth anxious about climate change and determined to take meaningful action....more
I enjoyed this supernatural YA graphic novel debut so much more than I was expecting! The mental health (depression, anxiety, negative self thoughts) I enjoyed this supernatural YA graphic novel debut so much more than I was expecting! The mental health (depression, anxiety, negative self thoughts) was SOOOO excellently written. I loved that the main character, Joana's depressive state was the main focus of the book and the author doesn't just sweep it under a rug or dismiss her feelings but make her journey to self-love and therapy the central part of the story. Such a relatable and relevant book, sure to create empathy and aid to readers of all ages!! The illustrations are beautiful too! HIGHLY recommended!...more
This was such a heartfelt and inspiring middle grade story about a young boy who loses his hand and his twin brother in a tragic car accident and the This was such a heartfelt and inspiring middle grade story about a young boy who loses his hand and his twin brother in a tragic car accident and the way he learns to keep playing the sport he loves despite his disability.
Great on audio, this book tackled some heavy topics, from parental separation, depression, PTSD, panic attacks, bullying, friendship, first crushes and more. I loved how real and relatable this story felt, both the main character and his father are struggling in the face of their mutual loss but find a way to keep going through baseball.
Highly, HIGHLY recommended!! Especially for fans of real life MLB player, Jim Abbott, who was born with a missing hand and still managed to become a major league professional athlete!...more
I am the HUGEST Hannah Reynolds fan and this latest Golden doors YA romance did not disappoint in the slightest!! Set on Nantucket island, this book fI am the HUGEST Hannah Reynolds fan and this latest Golden doors YA romance did not disappoint in the slightest!! Set on Nantucket island, this book featured three summer romances across timelines and shed light on an unknown woman astronomer and the supposed true discoverer of a comet.
I loved the narration by one of my favs, Karissa Vacker, the Jewish rep, and the badass female main character. Sure to be one of my fav YA reads of the summer, this was excellent on audio and can be read as a standalone. HIGHLY recommended! Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!...more
Another fantastic, deeply personal YA coming of age graphic novel from Canadian artist/author, Rosena Fung, in which she shares her family history andAnother fantastic, deeply personal YA coming of age graphic novel from Canadian artist/author, Rosena Fung, in which she shares her family history and the complicated intergenerational relationships between her, her mother and her mother's mother.
The book focuses a lot on body image and being pressured to fit an ideal thin beauty standard, while also giving flashbacks to the 50s and 70s in China and Hong Kong. Great illustrations paired with important messages about loving people for who they are make this a standout read!! Highly recommended for fans of books like Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying and Almost American girl by Robin Ha.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This is definitely going to be one I put on my forever shelf full of other fav graphic novels.
CW: disordered eating, fatphobia, body shaming...more
A beautiful second chance YA MM romance between former best friends who had a falling out by a mistaken betrayal who find themselves spending the summA beautiful second chance YA MM romance between former best friends who had a falling out by a mistaken betrayal who find themselves spending the summer together working to save a family vineyard/B&B. I really enjoyed the mental health (Depression) rep in this book. You could tell it was a personal story for the author and was written in a very relatable, sensitive way.
The romance was also swoony and realistic with a touch of whimsy in the form of a wishing rose bush and a curse - the protagonist Grant believes he's doomed in love. Great on audio and highly recommended for fans of books like Icebreaker by A. L. Graziadei. Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!...more
This was a FANTASTIC YA Asian fantasy debut with lots of Mulan and Steampunk vibes and I loved the female lead who dresses as her dead father's son inThis was a FANTASTIC YA Asian fantasy debut with lots of Mulan and Steampunk vibes and I loved the female lead who dresses as her dead father's son in order to infiltrate the elite engineering guild he belonged to in order to learn more about who murdered him and get revenge.
Of course she ends up falling for a prince who's also in the guild and things get complicated from there. Full of women in STEM content, action, flying ships, dragons, mystery, betrayals, court politics and romance and HIGHLY recommended for fans of authors like Elizabeth Lim or Sue Lynn Tan....more
An incredible YA must read about two Muslim girls fighting for abortion access and rights in a near future Texas in which Roe v Wade is still overturnAn incredible YA must read about two Muslim girls fighting for abortion access and rights in a near future Texas in which Roe v Wade is still overturned! Great on audio and such an important read. I absolutely devoured this important book about women's rights, access and body autonomy told from the perspective of the Muslim American community! I cannot recommend this book enough!...more
This was a really fun enemies to lovers, forced proximity, YA summer romance between two high school rivals who are on an Alaska cruise vacation with This was a really fun enemies to lovers, forced proximity, YA summer romance between two high school rivals who are on an Alaska cruise vacation with their families. I loved how these two opposites helped one another expand their boundaries, try new things and go after what they really want. Perfect for fans of authors like Emma Lord and Lynn Painter. It was also excellent on audio and I really enjoyed the Alaska setting! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC!...more
A great YA graphic novel from the author of Anya's Ghost that is a bit like a Little Mermaid reimagining and features a less than beautiful female proA great YA graphic novel from the author of Anya's Ghost that is a bit like a Little Mermaid reimagining and features a less than beautiful female protagonist who braves the sea to rescue the guy she wants to marry in order to save her inheritance. Lots of adventure, action and important feminist messages in this book that's perfect for fans of Tidesong by Wendy Xu....more
This was a really fun, YA college sports enemies to lovers romance between Sadie, a Scottish bisexual women's football (soccer) star and Arlo, the AmeThis was a really fun, YA college sports enemies to lovers romance between Sadie, a Scottish bisexual women's football (soccer) star and Arlo, the American biracial transplant who needs to learn how to be a team player.
Forced to help teach Arlo how to work with his team, Sadie finds herself learning more about him and slowly starts to fall for the secretly big-hearted American. I loved the mental health rep and queer rep in this book perfect for fans of Bend it like Beckham or Meryl Wilsner's Cleat cute....more
This was an extremely emotionally charged YA romance between a Latina teen street racer and a neurodivergent aspiring astronaut. Perfect for fans of tThis was an extremely emotionally charged YA romance between a Latina teen street racer and a neurodivergent aspiring astronaut. Perfect for fans of the Fast & the Furious franchise, this book was beautifully written with gorgeous prose and magical lines that had my heart melting! It was also full of drama, found family, first love, grief, loss and lots of action. It was amazing on audio narrated by Stacey Gonzales and I can't recommend it enough!! Many thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!...more
A perfectly twisty YA locked room thriller on board a ship stranded at sea that has the body count quickly piling up as dark secrets are uncovered andA perfectly twisty YA locked room thriller on board a ship stranded at sea that has the body count quickly piling up as dark secrets are uncovered and the teens fight to survive a killer set on revenge. This was great on audio and perfect for fans of the books Cursed cruise and Lying in the deep. Many thanks to PRHAudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!...more
Another lackluster read for me following a previous meh read. I was intrigued by the start of this book about a young teen boy who vandalizes the billAnother lackluster read for me following a previous meh read. I was intrigued by the start of this book about a young teen boy who vandalizes the billboard dedicated to his friend who died in a car accident. However, I didn't realize it was a speculative fiction, sort of sci fi story and things took a turn I wasn't expecting when they get sentenced to participate in this weird scientific study. Not for the book for me but I did end up making it all the way to the end. Great queer rep and I did like the misunderstood jock love interest part of the story....more
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