Category Archives: Young Adult

May 24, 2023 · 12:02 pm

The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

I’ve read a lot of classic retellings and The Afterlife of Holly Chase is the most clever I’ve ever read. It was slow to get started. I wasn’t super into it for probably the first third. But then I started caring about Holly and so I was fully invested. While I had briefly considered that something like the ending could happen I didn’t think it was likely and I really didn’t expect how the whole ending went. It wasn’t the fully perfect expected ending I figured it was building to, but it was still an absolutely perfect ending. The author truly did a great job ending it. I recommend this book to teens and up, especially those who like A Christmas Carol.

4 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 61
Pages Read in 2023: 19.405

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May 6, 2023 · 8:03 am

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is such a cute book. It’s an enemies to lovers trope, which is one of my favorites, with the added twist of them having been childhood best friends before they became enemies. The ending is exactly how I wanted it to be, but the path to getting there was pretty convoluted and steeped in a common worry that the other just doesn’t feel the same way. I recommend this book to teens and up who enjoy a sweet, clean romance.

4 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 51
Pages Read in 2023: 16,757

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Filed under Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: Grim Readers, Young Adult

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April 30, 2023 · 6:39 pm

From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

From Twinkle, With Love is a super cute story with a perfect ending. It really shows how friendships change as you grow up and how your words affect others. At times I was so frustrated with the main character, but she realized when she did wrong and tried to fix it. I really cared about what happened to the characters. It’s written mostly in journal entry format which is somewhat unique and worked quite well. I recommend this book to teens and up.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 50
Pages Read in 2023: 16,451

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Filed under Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: Grim Readers, Reason: Owlcrate, Young Adult

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April 10, 2023 · 1:11 pm

One of Us Is Next by Karen McManus

One of Us Is Next by Karen McManus

The Bayview Four have graduated and are moving on from the drama of their final year of high school. But now a copycat has started a truth or dare game leading to secrets being revealed and the death of another student. One of Us Is Next is the perfect follow up to One of Us Is Lying. Some of the characters are new, some were in the first book. As always, the author is a master at making you guess (usually wrong) who the culprit is. I figured out who did it about five pages before it was revealed and gasped because I was so surprised and yet it made perfect sense. But then with like two pages to go there was a twist I didn’t see coming at all. This book is very well written and sucks you in totally and completely. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult mysteries. You don’t absolutely have to read One of Us Is Lying first, but it will definitely make One of Us Is Next more interesting and understandable.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 42
Pages Read in 2023: 13,692

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Filed under Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: Grim Readers, Reason: I Like the Author, Reason: I Like the Series, Young Adult

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March 16, 2023 · 9:55 am

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

The fourth (or fifth if you include Assassin’s Blade) book in the Throne of Glass series, Queen of Shadows is quite a bit better than the previous books. The characters are settled and behave as expected and the pacing is good. I still like the witch chapters the least, but I see now why they are needed and how they tie in to the rest of the story. Some of those chapters were pretty good by the end of the book. I really liked that Kaltain was brought back in and was as awesome as she was. I always did like her. The Rowan/Aelin relationship is extremely Twilightish and as long as you can forget he’s several hundred years old and she’s a teenager, it’s fine, but once you remember the age difference (and it’s hard to forget since the book likes to remind you) it’s a bit creepy. The ending, as usual was excellent. The author certainly knows how to write a good book ending. Some things were tied up nicely and other things were opened up or continued for the next three books. I recommend Queen of Shadows to anyone who enjoys the Throne of Glass series.

4 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 35
Pages Read in 2023: 11,493

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Filed under Fantasy, Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Buddy Read, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: Grim Readers, Young Adult

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February 27, 2023 · 9:34 pm

Believe Me by Tahereh Mafi

Believe Me by Tahereh Mafi

Believe Me is the fifth novella (though it’s really more the length of a short novel) and the final book in the Shatter Me series. It’s a truly lovely conclusion and wrap-up to the whole series. It’s told from Warner’s point of view. It’s fun to see him interpret things so incredibly wrong and end up realizing he has real friends, especially Kenji (isn’t it always the extrovert who is just like hey, introvert, we’re friends now?). I miss the characters now that I’m done the series. They are just so well written and likable. I both wanted to finish this book and didn’t because I wasn’t quite ready to leave them behind. I highly recommend this book, and the whole Shatter Me series, to late teens and up who enjoy dystopian books.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 30
Pages Read in 2023: 9366

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Filed under Dystopian, Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Buddy Read, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: I Like the Series, Young Adult

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February 26, 2023 · 7:21 pm

Sisters of the Snake by Sarena & Sasha Nanua

Sisters of the Snake by Sarena & Sasha Nanua

Like the twins in Sisters of the Snake, the authors are twins born on Diwali ten minutes apart, though as far as I know they are not actually princesses. The book is set in an India-like land where some people are born with magic. The premise is similar to The Prince and the Pauper or The Parent Trap with one twin being a princess raised in the palace and the other a thief raised in an orphanage. The chapters alternate between the twins’ points of view. The book was a bit slow to get started, but really picked up in the last half or so. It’s about 500 pages long and still wasn’t long enough for me. The romances are very sweet. The epilogue is very short, but totally made me go buy the sequel right away. I recommend Sisters of the Snake to anyone who enjoys young adult fantasy.

4 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 29
Pages Read in 2023: 9143

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Filed under Fantasy, Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: Grim Readers, Reason: Owlcrate, Young Adult

February 23, 2023 · 6:58 pm

Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi

Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi

The last full length novel in the Shatter Me series, Imagine Me is one wild ride. At 80% I had no idea how the series would be able to get wrapped up in the remaining pages. At 90% I was sure there was no possible way it would get wrapped up. At 98% I was very satisfied with the ending but also thinking how much I’m going to miss the characters. Incredible writing, incredible story. I highly recommend this book as well as the whole series.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 28
Pages Read in 2023: 8646

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Filed under Dystopian, Reason: Buddy Read, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: I Like the Series, Young Adult

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February 20, 2023 · 9:36 pm

Reveal Me by Tahereh Mafi

Reveal Me by Tahereh Mafi

Reveal Me is another novella told from Kenji’s point of view. It’s short, but a lot happens. It really adds to Kenji’s story and character. I sat and read it in one sitting because I didn’t want to put it down. This is a must read for anyone who likes the Shatter Me series and especially people who love Kenji.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 26
Pages Read in 2023: 7842

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Filed under Dystopian, Reason: Buddy Read, Reason: I Like the Series, Young Adult

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February 20, 2023 · 9:19 pm

Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi

Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi

I absolutely love that Defy Me is narrated by Juliette, Warner, and Kenji. It really has to be since they are all split up, but I do enjoy being in Kenji’s head. So much happens in this book. I had no idea where it was going at the end of the previous book but whatever I thought might happen it wasn’t this. There was just one thing after another. As always the writing was incredible. I really don’t know how this is going to get wrapped up in one more book! I recommend it to everyone who enjoys the Shatter Me series of course.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 25
Pages Read in 2023: 7770

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Filed under Dystopian, Reason: Buddy Read, Reason: I Like the Series, Young Adult

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