Halloweentown Book Tag!

Hi there! I’m here to do something a little different today – instead of a review I’ll be doing a Halloween movie inspired book tag created by some lovely people over on booktube! **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources.**

When I was little, one of my favorite parts of October was sitting down with my sisters to watch Halloween-themed movies on Disney Channel. Those I was most excited to watch included the Halloweentown movies – Halloweentown, Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge, Halloweentown High, and, years later, Return to Halloweentown. Even today, seeing those movies on television brings a smile to my face. So when I saw that Peyton (from Peyton Reads) and Brittany (from Brittany & Books) created a Halloweentown inspired book tag, with questions related to major characters / places we see in the movies, I just had to do it. So please enjoy my answers to this silly tag, and even think about what book you’d choose as well!

Image description: Orange text of the word “Halloweentown” against a black background

1.) Halloweentown: Name a fictional place you wish were real
After thinking about this first question for longer than I should have, I’ll go with Quadara from Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte. I received this book in an OwlCrate box last year, and found myself rather enjoying the story, which revolves around Keralie Corrington, a thief who finds herself entangled in a conspiracy to leave the kingdom’s four queens dead. The Quadara is separated into four quadrants – Archia, Eonia, Ludia, and Toria – which each have their own opportunites, lifestyles, and respective queen. Though I found some of the world-builidng a bit lacking in the novel itself, I found the concept of the world quite fascinating, and wished we could have dove into the nuances and politics as to why each section became the way it was. It was a fantasy world I appreciated and do (in some ways) wish was real.

2.) Marnie: Name a book about witches
For this one I’ll have to say These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling. I found this book through LGBTQReads, it was my Patreon pick for October 2019, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story follows Hannah, an elemental witch who has to team up with her ex-girlfriend, Veronica, to find out if there is a blood witch attempting to attack their coven. Its sequel, This Coven Won’t Break, was released this year, completing the duology and, in my opinion, wrapping up the story quite nicely. There’s even a prequel novella, This Spell Can’t Last, that gives more background into Veronica and Hannah’s relationship, and perhaps why it ended prior to the first book. I highly recommend the series as a whole, and am interested to see what other books Isabel Sterling has in store for the future.

Cover art for (from left to right) *This Spell Can’t Last, These Witches Don’t Burn,* and *This Coven Won’t Break*

3.) Sophie: Name your favorite middle grade book
I don’t read much middle grade, but lately I’ve been getting some amazing recommendations (especially for fantasy middle grade) from certain booktube channels (like How to Train Your Gavin). From what I’ve read, I’ll say my favorite is Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow, which isn’t spooky in any way but I found it to be a great story about friendship, figuring out your identity, and finding the confidence to follow the beat of your own drum (quite literally). The story follows Melly, who’s attending summer camp with her best friend, Olivia. Melly loves playing the drums, but when she’s separated from Olivia she struggles to find her own tune. She’s also grappling with the fact that her parents told her they’re getting a divorce a few days before camp, and with the way her heart seems to act when she’s around another girl in her group, Adeline. I found this to be sweet and adorable while not shying away from tough discussions regarding family and friendship. I’m looking forward to checking out several other books from Lisa Jenn Bigalow, especially Hazel’s Theory of Evolution.

4.) Dylan: Name a book about a magical school
So, this might not exactly fill the prompt, considering I haven’t read the book yet and the magic school isn’t the focus of the novel, but I don’t read a lot of magical books and this is the only one on my radar that remotely fits. Don’t come at me. I recently read an early copy of Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders (review coming soon), which is out next April, and I enjoyed the writing style so I started to look into her backlist. I came across All the Birds in the Sky, which centers childhood friends Patricia Delfine, a witch, and Laurence Armstead, a mad scientist, who reconnect as adults after parting ways due to a falling out in middle school. According to an article titled “9 Fantasy Books Set at Magical Bording School,” Patricia attends a boarding school for the magically gifted, which we will probably get scenes from if flashbacks are used to present these characters’ pasts. So I’m counting it. But, if you are looking for some better recommendations, I notced Regan (from PeruseProject) just posted a magical school book recommendations video, which you should check out.

Cover art for *All the Birds in the Sky*

5.) Grandma Aggie: Name a book that helps you escape into a brand new world
For this I will say the entire Green Creek series by T.J. Klune. This will be the first of many T.J. Klune books on this list, so just a warning (I mean he’s my favorite author, so I apoligize but I’m not really sorry about it). Introduced in the first book, Wolfsong, Green Creek and its residents is a special town full of secrets that’s just so enticing and captivating that it draws you in. And the characters, primarily the Bennett pack and their family, are equal parts mysterious and lovable that you will come back to the suceeding books itching for more (and secretly cursing Klune for putting your favorite characters through so much pain and anguish). The series recently came to a close with the release of Brothersong on October 13, and while a werewolf series full of angst may not be for everyone, Wolfsong, Ravensong, Heartsong, and Brothersong have helped me escape to a new world when I needed it most.

Cover art for (from left to right) *Wolfsong, Ravensong, Heartsong,* and *Brothersong*

6.) Kalabar: Name your favorite villain
This was a fun question to think about, because it brought back some serious childhood nostalgia. I think my favorite villain will always be Desmond Tiny from Cirque du Freak series, or The Saga of Darren Shan, by noneother than Darren Shan himself. This series involves a young boy named Darren Shan who is convinced by his best friend, Steve, to sneak out and attend a freak show that’s circulating through town, Cirque du Freak. His fascination with spiders causes him to steal Madam Octa, the spider for Mr. Crepsley’s act in the show, and let’s just say that action caused a myraid of consequences. I will always admire Desmond Tiny as the villain of this series, because throughout each book I knew he was bad, but he did enough good to convince me of his innocence. He loves chaos and meddling, which becomes much more apparent further into the series (there are 13 books total, so I don’t want to go into too many details and spoil anything). Also, I will always be mad at myself for not connecting the dots when it came to the final book in the series. But that’s on me. This will probably remain my favorite vampire series, and Cirque du Freak truly does have a special place in my heart.

Cover art for *A Living Nightmare,* the first book in the Cirque du Freak series

7.) Benny: Name a book that is always there to get you out of a hard time
8.) Luke: Name a character with a hard exterior but is actually soft inside
I’m combining questions 7 and 8 because I’ll be talking about the same book, so I figured, for formatting, it would just be easier this way. Hands down, the book that has always gotten me through a hard time is How to Be a Normal Person by T.J. Klune. I discovered this book in late 2018, and it quickly became both my favorite and most reread book of all time. The story follows Gustavo Tiberius, a man living in Abby Oregon who has a routine and likes to stick to it. When Casey Richards, an asexual stoner hipster, shows up in town, and calls Gus abnormal and strange and weird, Gus may, for the first time, try and ask for help to learn how to become a “normal person.” When I say this book gets me through a hard time, I mean that in every sense of the word. I read this book when I heard news of the death of a family member, when I was called to jury duty for the first time, and the night before I took the most important test of my life because I knew it was one of the only ways to calm me down. And I would certainly call Gus a character with a hard exterior but is soft inside. He is very closed off to many people he doesn’t know, but when they nestle their way into his life he will do absolutely anything for them, whether that be play stoner scrabble, give them discounts at his video store, or accept a muffin every morning even though he hates them. I can truly go on for hours about how this book means to me, but I think I’ve rambled on long enough to make my points.

Cover art for *How to Be a Normal Person*

9.) Kal: Name your favorite guilty pleasure book
Ah yes, another one that brings back some serious nostalgia. My favorite guilty pleasure book would have to be If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where’s My Prince? by Melissa Kantor. I read this book for summer reading before 7th grade (which would be, jeez, 2008?) and it’s still a story on my shelf that I can go back to, reread, and bask in all its hilarity. The book follows high school sophomore Lucy Norton, who has been moved across the country to Long Island, New York to live with her stepmother and two stepsisters. She’s pretty much a loner until she attracts the attention of popular basketball player, Connor Pearson, and soon Lucy begins to think her life is very much like a fairytale. Does this book have its issues that I cringe at every time I read it? Absolutely, for a book released in 2005 it surely doesn’t hold up to the test of time. But I still laugh and get teary eyed and adore Sam’s speech at prom. This will probably stay my one true guilty pleasure book for a while.

Cover art for *If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where’s My Prince?*

10.) Gort: Name a book you love that you forget to talk about
For this one, I’ll have to shout out a romance series that I love but don’t get the chance to talk about all that often, which is the Signs of Love series by Anyta Sunday. Currently at 5 books (hoping for the last one soon, but I’ll be patient), each story involves two characters of differing astrological signs and explores their romance. All of the books have an m/m romance and center different identities and tropes. Honestly, I truly just fall in love with all of these characters, and the situations are so silly sometimes but I just find a smile on my face reading through them. My personal favorite is the second installment, Scorpio Hates Virgo, because Cal and Percy have a “frenemies” situation going on, but each brings it’s own uniqueness while still feeling connected (my ranking for the remaining four would be Leo Loves Aries (1), Pisces Hooks Taurus (4), Cancer Ships Aquarius (5), and Gemini Keeps Capricorn (3). Any book can be read as a standalone, so I highly recommend picking one up if you need some more romance in your reading life.

Cover art for the entire Signs of Love series – (from left to right) *Leo Loves Aries, Scorpio Hates Virgo, Gemini Keeps Capricorn,*
*Pisces Hooks Taurus,* and *Cancer Ships Aquarius*

11.) Ethan: Name a character you’d want to go on a romantic broom ride with
Here I go changing up the prompt again to suit my needs. Well, as someone who is aromantic and asexual, I don’t find myself imagining people to do romantic things with, even characters from books. So instead I’ll just mention a couple who I would love to see go on a romantic broom ride, and for that I’d say Josy and Quincy from How to Be a Movie Star by T.J. Klune. After hearing that Klune was adding a second book after How to Be a Normal Person, I was intrigued to follow the story of Josiah Erikson, and his story with Quincy Moore was one I absolutely adored. As polar opposites, they really shouldn’t work, but once you see them together you can’t ever imagine them apart. Understanding and loving every part of each other is what makes their story great. Josy would be in front, slightly stoned and shouting lines from his latest movie out into the open, and Quincy would be holding tightly to Josy’s waist, eyes closed and quiet, but smiling softly as he drifts across the night sky with his boyfriend. I need someone to draw this now.

12.) Natalie: Name a character who is proud of who they are
And finally we’ve reached question 12 (based on Natalie, who’s definitely one of my favorite characters for Halloweentown High). For a character who is proud of who they are, I am going to choose Yadriel from Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. Cemetery Boys follows Yadriel, a trans boy who, in order to prove to his family he can be a brujo, tries to summon the ghost of his cousin to solve his murder. But when something goes wrong and he summons Julian, a boy from school, instead, things become just a bit more complicated. Yadriel spends the novel trying to prove himself to everyone else, because in his heart he knows exactly who he is and is frustrated when others, especially his family, don’t see him that way. Aided by Julian and his cousin, Maritza, Yadriel embraces his true self and works to show just how capable he can be. This book was an incredible debut by Aiden Thomas, and I look forward to reading more of their work in the coming years.

So there you have it! That’s all there is to the Halloweentown Book Tag! This was so much fun to do, and maybe I’ll do some more tags like this in the future to spice it up a bit. Again, just wanted to give a shout-out to the creators, and please be sure to check out Peyton’s and Brittany’s videos because they’re great. All credit for cover art can be found down below, and if you’re feeling it to it, join in on the fun and complete the tag yourself! Now if you excuse me, I’m going to go binge all the Halloweentown movies, because I’m honestly still a child inside.

Cover credits:
–Four Dead Queens: cover design by Theresa Evsngelista, jacket art by Katt Phatt
-These Witches Don’t Burn: for These Witches Don’t Burn – jacket design by Corina Lupp, photography by Michael Frost, and art by Libby Vanderploeg. For This Coven Won’t Break, jacket design by Dana Li and Lyssa Park, photography by Travis Commeau, and art by Amy Blackwell
–Drum Roll, Please: cover design by Michelle Cunningham and cover art by Natalie Andrewson
–All the Birds in the Sky: cover artist Will Staehle
-Green Creek: cover art for Wolfsong, Ravensong, Heartsong, and Brothersong by Reese Dante
–Cirque du Freak: could not find any information about cover art. Published by Little, Brown and Company, and copyright to athor, Darren Shan
–How to Be a Normal Person: cover art by Reese Dante
–If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where’s My Prince?: cover design by Elizabeth H. Clark, cover photograph by Xavier Bonghi/Getty Images
-Signs of Love: cover designs for Leo Loves Aries, Scorpio Hates Virgo, Gemini Keeps Capricorn, Pisces Hooks Taurus, and Cancer Ships Aquarius by Natasha Snow, atrological backgrounds for all books done by Maria Gandolfo
–How to Be a Movie Star: cover art by Reese Dante
–Cemetery Boys: cover art by Mars Lauderbaugh

Favorite Book of September – Amelia Unabridged

Hello! It’s around the time where I get to talk about the favorite book I read in the previous month, and this time it just so happens to be an arc that I got to read on NetGalley. **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources.**

My favorite book that I read in September was Amelia Unabridged, a debut YA contemporary by Ashley Schumacher. In all honesty, I had been approved for this book a while ago, and was going to complete it for my Reading Representative position, but found that three reviewers had already read it, and therefore I could not submit a review of my own for credit. Nevertheless, the cover was stunning and YA contemporaries are my genre of choice, so I just went right in, and my goodness it was beautiful. I had also neglected to re-read the synopsis, so imagine my surprise when tragedy strikes in the first few chapters and I wasn’t expecting it. I was hooked from the beginning, and even now, weeks after I’ve finished, I still read through the last chapter and epilogue with tears misting my eyes, which is clearly a sign that this book will remain a favorite for some time.

Cover art for *Amelia Unabridged.* Design by Kerri Resnick, artwork by Beatriz Naranjalidad

Amelia Griffin has a special connection to the Orman Chronicles – they’re the books that brought her and her best friend, Jenna, together after Amelia’s father left for good and her family imploded. Years later, they have the chance to meet young, reclusive, and enigmatic author N.E. Endsley at a convention, and Amelia is beyond excited to start off the summer before college right. But things don’t exactly go as planned – Jenna meets him, Amelia doesn’t, and it leads to the biggest fight of their friendship. A few weeks later, Jenna is gone, and Amelia struggles to grapple with a future that was mapped out for two. When a book that shouldn’t exist lands in Amelia’s hands, it leads her to a bookstore in Michigan where she might find exactly what she needs – a clue to what Jenna wanted to tell her all along.

Wow, ok, I guess I have to try and articulate all my thoughts about this book. To start, I absolutely loved it. Hard-hitting contemporary novels have become some of my favorites this year. Amelia Unabridged is able to explore the topic of grief from so many angles – losing a friend, a daughter, a sibling, and even trying to comfort a loved one through their own grief. Each of the characters deals with their own individual struggle, and works to understand how those struggles can have an effect on the ones around them. While I can see how readers may find issue with both Amelia and Nolan’s “outbursts,” I felt that their emotions were consistent with the stage of grief they were at – lashing out at those who try to offer us help in times of need can definitely be a coping mechanism used in times of distress, along with losing interests in previous passions and refusal to admit [to yourself] that you were not at fault. I found the dichotomy between Amelia’s parents (primarily her mother), and Jenna’s parents (Mr. and Mrs. Williams) showed a contrast between guardians that provide too much guidance and those whose guidance proves to be inadequate. While it may seem evident that those who care too much will provide better care, there are also moments when this becomes overbearing, and can actually do more harm than good. I will say I had hoped the relationship between Amelia and Nolan would progress in a less romantic direction – however, I found the bond between them strong, encompassing, and lovely to read about, so by the end I didn’t mind that romance occurred over a short period of time.

In the book, a specific device is used when a character is undergoing a strong emotional moment, or a wave of anxiety. Slowly, another character will fully describe a picture, whether from their phone or simply a mental image, and go through it in full detail, pinpointing features that may not seem to matter but they do. This continues until the moment has passed, or the character has calmed down to a point of not needing further assistance. And this device becomes a way for Amelia and Nolan to describe their pain in detail, pinpointing things others may not have realized before, and allows them to comfort each other. I just found this incredibly beautiful, and I wish I had better words to describe my feelings about it. I suppose the best way to express them would be to use it myself, so here’s a snapshot from the day I finished reading the book:

“There is a photo of a girl with tears of various emotions in her eyes as they scan the last lines of the epilogue of Amelia Unabridged. It’s the first day of fall with a chill in the air, and she’s wearing her pajamas and an oversized red sweatshirt after a long day working from home. She knows that when those lines are done, she will go back to read the last chapter again, as she does with every one of her favorite books, and mourn the fact that she has to wait until next February to have a finished copy in her hands. She will cherish the copy she has for now, and think about how many people she will try to convince to read this book. She’s smiling sadly, as she knows that every book must come to an end, but relishes in the fact that the best stories will live on inside you long after the covers are closed.”

In my opinion, Ashley Schumacher has fully captured the essence of figuring out your future while living in the present and trying to learn from your past. If you are searching for a hard-hitting young adult contemporary with characters who love books, slowly work through grief, and appreciate what small towns have to offer, I highly recommend picking this book up. Amelia Unabridged is released on February 16th, 2021, so please consider preordering a copy, because those sales greatly help the author in the long run (and support local indie bookstores, especially in these difficult times – find one near you here) or picking up a copy when it’s finally out in the world. I cannot wait to hear what you think, and I also cannot wait to pick up more from Schumacher, particularly her next release with Wednesday Books, Full Flight, coming in 2022. **Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Places to find Amelia Unabridged:
Amazon
Goodreads
Ashley Schumacher’s site
Macmillan

ARC Review – The Lost Love Song

Hello! I’m back again to talk about another arc I was able to read through NetGalley, which turned out to be one of the most masterfully musically written works I’ve read in a while. **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources.**

This post will be talking about The Lost Love Song, a contemporary romance by Minnie Darke that is definitely more than meets the eye. From the vague synopsis I surmised that this book would center around a musician who struggles to write the perfect love song for someone they love, which eventually gets lost though time, until it is rediscovered down the line and masterfully crafted into what it needed to be all along. Well, that’s partially correct. What I found while reading was a story exploring grief, compassion, love, and the impact the lives of people you’ve never met can have on your own. It was an incredible reading experience, and made me want to pick up another book by this author to see if her lyrical writing is a common style, or was simply a choice (and a choice made well, in my opnion) for this novel.

Cover art for *The Lost Love Song.* Book design by Caroline Cunningham

The Lost Love Song follows Arie Johnson, a man grieving after the loss of his fiancée, Evie Greenlees, a woman searching for a place where she belongs, and Diana Clare’s lost love song that always finds its way to where it’s needed the most. All three of these storylines weave together in the most intricate way that allows the reader to explore these characters (and several others) on a personal level. That must seem like a vague synopsis, but I find that the less you know going into this book, the more magical the journey you follow becomes. So I’m keeping it vague. Sorry. Just a little.

This book is a quiet, character driven novel that explores grief, loss, and relationships in such an beautiful way, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The way the lives of these characters are intertwined was pleasing, and I must commend Minnie Darke’s prose for allowing me to become encapsulated into the story. I loved seeing this relationship blossom between two older characters, and felt it captured all its awkwardness and beauty quite well. The structure of the novel felt like a musical number – starting with a prelude, followed by seven parts with inteludes dispersed among them, and ending with a coda. The strength here really is in the writing. While occassionally I found some of the descriptions a bit excessive, they ultimately helped craft a picture of these characters and their lives before we got the chance to meet them, as a sort of inisight into their actions. We got to see how past actions and experiences helped them navigate current situations, and how they used the lessons they learned to make decisions that would impact their future.

I also found much joy in following the journey of Diana’s song throughout the interlude chapters. The first time I encountered one it took me out of the story a bit, especially when those characters did not appear at the start of the next section, and I think it took me going back through the chapters after completing the novel to really appreciate both their placement and what they added to the story. I loved how the lives of some of these side characters affected our main pair, while others were just a means to an end, bringing the song and all of its glory to the places where it needed to be. It may be jarring for those reading it for the first time, and I can completely understand that criticism. For me, I found the aspect of Diana’s song impacting the lives of so many, changing into whatever the current player needed most, and bringing an important message back to the person it was meant for in the first place added so much depth to the story, and I continue to be in awe.

I am incredibly grateful I was able to read a copy of this book early, because I’m sure I’ll be thinking about its idiosyncracies for a while, even long after its release. I think those who have experience in music will greatly enjoy this novel, as there are several nods to the artistry sprinkled throughout. Even still, I highly recommend anyone pick this book up, as the story is a powerful and lovely one to read. The Lost Love Song is being released on October 13th, 2020 in the United States, which is the day this post is scheduled to go up so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday and celebrate by ordering yourself a copy. **Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Places to find The Lost Love Song:
Amazon
Goodreads
Minnie Darke’s site
Penguin Random House

ARC Review – I Hope You’re Listening

Hello! I am here to review an ARC I read on NetGalley that I didn’t realize was being released so soon because I apparently have no concept of time in the year 2020. **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources.**

A while ago, I heard everyone talking about the book I Hope You’re Listening, a mystery thriller by author Tom Ryan. Since the main character, Dee, hosts her own podcast, a lot of people were comparing it to Sadie, a young adult mystery thriller released in 2018 that is extremely well-known for its inclusion of a podcast element. I have not yet read Sadie (though I’ve been told I might enjoy it), but I was still intrigued to see what was so enticing about Tom Ryan’s novel. We do get transcripts from Dee’s show, narrated by her persona The Seeker (used to hide her identity), and I’m sure the audiobook will do an incredible job with those sections. Let’s get into what I thought about the book itself.

Cover design for *I Hope You’re Listening.* Art and book design by Aphelandra Messer

Ten years ago, an adventure to a tree-house in the woods left Delia “Dee” Skinner alone after witnessing the abduction of her best friend, Sibby. Now seventeen, Dee, still haunted by her past, has vowed to help other victims by starting an anonymous true crime podcast, Radio Silent. Cloaked by her identity as The Seeker, she features missing persons cases and works with an online community of sleuths to solve them. Dee carefully curates her cases and is able to keep her distance, but when a little girl goes missing from her old hometown, it opens doors previously thought closed and just might answer the questions she’s had since Sibby’s disappearance. But how far must Dee go to find out the truth?

I don’t read any thrillers very often, especially YA ones, but I found this to be interesting and fast-paced once the action got started – when things really went south I was in it for the long haul. It took me a while to get into this book, if I’m being honest, but I’ll chalk that up to only reading it while physically at my work office (which is only two days a week). After I finishing, I really appreciated all the little bits of information sprinkled throughout the first half that came together in the end, which is usually a sign that the author is leavng clues for the reader to be able to solve the mystery themselves if they’re looking hard enough. Dee’s survivor’s guilt affects her almost every day since the incident, and I loved how the book explores how this guilt can sometimes skew your perception of other’s people’s reactions to the same situation – you’re ostracized because you believe no one else can truly understand how you feel, and they spend all their time avoiding certain conversations because they’re afraid of saying something wrong. Eventually, that guilt eats away and makes you act irrationally – say things you don’t mean and lash out at people who may not deserve it. I wish Dee and Sarah could have spent more time together, so we could see more development in their relationship. It was nice to see a saphic relationship that went mostly un-questioned, but personally I felt Sarah was just included so the protagonist could have a romance. I’m not saying it was unnecessary, I was just hoping for more time for their feelings to develop. And I sometimes found Burke to be a bit of a filler character, which was a shame because he was such an important part of the book’s beginning. I understand why he distanced himself from Dee when the action started heating up, again I just wanted more.

Overall, I found I Hope You’re Listening to be a fairly intriguing mystery thriller. I did not predict the ending, though I found the chain of events to be plausible given what was revealed throughout the book so it didn’t feel inorganic. I am interested to see what other readers think of the book, and if those who have also read Sadie find the comparison to be accurate. I Hope You’re Listening will be released on October 6th, 2020 (which is the day this post goes live, if everything works out), so join me in wishing it a happy book birthday, and if you’re in need of some intrigue this month (or any), I recommend picking up a copy for yourself. **Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Albert Whitman & Company, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Places to find I Hope You’re Listening:
Amazon
Goodreads
Tom Ryan’s site
Albert Whitman & Co.

ARC Review – Skyhunter

Hello! I’m here to talk about a book I claimed using points on BookishFirst, ended up loving, and am already looking forward to the sequel even though it has just released. **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources.**

When I saw that Skyhunter, the newest book released by Marie Lu, was up for raffle on BookishFirst, I knew that it was going to be one of the most popular choices. So I used 2000 of my points to claim a copy almost immediately, which ended up being a good call because redeemable copies ran out extremely quickly, and I don’t have the best luck with entering the raffle. I wasn’t expecting a finished copy to wind up at my door just a week or two later, and, in my opinion, it’s physically stunning – beautiful cover design with a signal figure sillouette, “Skyhunter” on the edges, and even under the dust jacket the hardback is nicely textured with a dark colored ombre and the title printed in white. Thankfully, the inside was just as stunning, and I can’t wait to talk about it.

Cover art for *Skyhunter*. Design by Aurora Oarlagreco, and illustration by Novans V. Adikresna

Talin and her mother fled from Basea, a country that was taken under Federation control, to Mara, the last remaining free country, when she was only eight years old. Now she is a Striker, a member of an elite fighting force that stands as Mara’s last line of defense. As a refugee, Talin knows first-hand the dangers if the country falls into Federation control, especially now that their scientists are engineering an army of beings known as “Ghosts.” A mysterious prisoner crosses into Mara’s borders, and on the day of his execution, Talin must decide if what he knows can lead Mara to victory, or will be the cause of its downfall.

I’m not really prone to pick up dystopian novels, besides The Hunger Games back in the day, and Station Eleven when everyone was talking about it, but something about this particular synopsis intrigued me. Who is the mysterious prisoner? Why does Talin feel inclined to save him? Does he yield the power to stop the intruding forces of the Federation? And what’s the deal with these “Ghosts?” Well, all of my questions may have been answered and explained, but the ending just gave me more questions that I will be patiently awaiting the answers to in the sequel, when it is released. I found the balance between description / backstory and action to be one of this book’s strengths – the reader got to experience the present while reliving / learning about the past with the main character. The stakes were always high – whenever the characters entered an action / battle scene, I was never sure if everyone would make it out alive or unharmed, which increased the suspense and kept me reading to find out. And while I’m not usually a fan of zombie books (which the “Ghosts” in this book essentially are), I did find some of the science behind them to be fascinating, especially in terms of their blood and how it behaves in certain situations (without giving too many spoilers). The book also provided commentary on attitudes towards minorities and people with diabilities, as well as classism and elitism in terms of job rank, which I found poignant. And a key theme throughout the novel is loyalty – loyalty to own’s country, own’s family, and own’s Shield. As the tagline states, “loyalty is life,” but will it cost someone theirs?

I was especially impressed with the level of character development for our main cast, and I will focus specifically on Talin, Adena, and Jeran. Each individual has stories from their past, which shaped their attitudes and way of thinking, and has affected the choices they make in the present.
-For Talin, she is a refugee Striker, the first of her kind. The only reason she was allowed on the force was because her former Shield, Corian, was able to convince leadership to let her join. Many fellow Strikers refuse to think of her as an equal, because she communicates only through sign language and people refer to her kind as “rats.” So why does she remain, to fight for Mara? Because her mother risked everything to get her to safety all those years ago, because Mara is not the enemy, the Federation is, and Mara is the only homeland she has left.
-Adena’s brother, Olden, brought her to Striker practice to take her mind off her mother’s death, and helped her train when she became interested in joining the force. They were each other’s Shield, and protected each other until Olden was captured at the warfront and was shot down by Federation soldiers before Adena could reach him. On the Striker compound she yields a weapons shop, where she is contantly trying new ideas to increase efficiency against the Ghost army. She continues this because she believes that using her random talents, the very things her brother encouraged, can help avenge his death.
-Jeran was taught at an early age by his father that the Senate was a place for esteemed young men. But when he struggled with his exams while his brother, Gabrien, passed with flying colors, he tried to prove himself amongst the Strikers to hopefully rival his brother and win back some of his father’s love. However, Jeran faces abuse at the hands of both his father and Gabrien, so part of the reason he joined the Strikers was to learn how to fight back, even if the abuse did not cease. Jeran chooses not to let other pity him, and makes it clear he wants people to respect his position because of his skills. Sometimes abuse will not cease, even if you outrank your abuser – in Jeran’s case it was never about rank, it was about making him feel utterly powerless. Adena, his Shield, reminds him those that hurt him are not family, they are monsters, and sometimes “your family can also be the poison in your life.”

In conclusion, I firmly believe that Skyhunter is a strong dystopian novel that will keep readers on their toes, flipping through every page to see what happens next. Marie Lu has expertly crafted a world where everyone thinks they are fighting for the greater good, but it may be their downfall. I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks about this novel. Skyhunter is released on September 29th, 2020 (which is the day this will be posted, if everything goes well), so if you’re at all intrigued, I highly recommend picking up a copy. Hopefully you won’t be disappointed. **Thank you to BookishFirst and the publisher, Roaring Brook Press, for the finished copy, all thoughts and feelings are my own.**

Places to find Skyhunter:
Amazon
Goodreads
Marie Lu’s Twitter page
Macmillan

ARC Review – How it All Blew Up

Hello! I’m trying to catch up on some of my arc reviews I have to post, so hopefully I’ll be able to get those out as soon as possible. **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources.**

I’m here to talk about another book I claimed using the points I’ve accumulated on BookishFirst, How it All Blew Up, a young adult contemporary novel by Arvin Ahmadi. BookishFirst is quickly becoming a site that introduces me to new books I would’ve never known were releasing, makes me excited to enter into their weekly raffles, and entices me to review books they’ve featured so I can earn more points (which obviously means more books). At the end of July, this book popped up as the weekly raffle, and the synopsis drew me in I was interested enough to even spend 2000 of my points to ensure I received a copy. I wasn’t expecting to find a hardcover finished copy in my mailbox a few weeks later, so that was a rather nice surprise. Since the release date is near (and by near I mean today) I thought it was finally time to talk about my thoughts.

Cover art for *How it All Blew Up.* Design and illustration by Maggie Edkins

Eighteen-year-old Amir Azadi, along with his sister, Soraya, and their parents, are in an airport interrogation room recounting the events of the past month that lead to a verbal and physical altercation on an airplane from Italy to the United States. What started as Amir’s way to escape a classmate blackmailing him and almost forcing him to come out to his family became a trip to find an identity for himself in Italy. Late nights with newfound friends, dates to dinner and the Sistine Chapel, and ignoring all texts and calls from his family become the new normal. The question is, if Amir was settling quite nicely into life abroad, how did it all blow up at once?

**I would like to make a quick disclaimer regarding discussions about this author I have found while reading other reviews of this book. There have been claims made that the author, Arvin Ahmadi, has attacked reviewers of his book (I’m not sure if it was specifically How it All Blew Up or his earlier works), quoted reviews without context in a negative light, and has dismissed valid criticism. I did not find out about this until after I had finished my copy, so this information had no primary impact on my review. Even though I cannot confirm if these events did occur, I will say that if they did, I do not condone any author’s dismissal or attack of reviews in any way, as reviews are primarily meant to assist other readers. I urge you to look into the matter and decide for yourself if you would like to read any of his books.**

I was pretty drawn to this book when I read the synopsis and the first few sections – otherwise I wouldn’t have redeemed my points for it. Young adult coming of age contemporary is what I often gravitate towards, and I was hoping this one could be another great book to add to my collection. While I do think the concept was strong, I did have my issues with it, which I’ll definitely touch on, but I’ll start with some positives first. This book is a pretty short read, my copy coming in at 266 pages, and I found myself finishing in just about two sittings. I thought the interview format mixed in with flashbacks was an interesting style to take, and it created a balance between Amir telling the story about what happened to the Customs officer (and the reader), and for us to see things unravel in our own time. I also liked hearing from Amir’s family, because oftentimes they are absent from YA stories. I loved following Soraya as she put the pieces together to find her brother, and her discussions on how she felt left behind while also feeling partially responsible for Amir taking off to Italy. The book also disusses the struggle for familial acceptance. A large part of this book is Amir fleeing to avoid coming out to his family after being blackmailed by a fellow classmate. He doesn’t feel like they would accept him, in part due to their religion and beliefs. And through the interviews, we see his parents outwardly struggle with it. We get to hear about their thoughts and fears, and follow their personal journey along with Amir’s physical one. Which, I felt, was one of the strongest parts of the novel.

Ok, so, now onto the things I was a litle underwhelmed by and less excited for. First, for such a short novel, I felt the pacing was a bit off. 200 pages in with very minimal conflict and then we’re hit with an event that makes everything spiral for the remaining 60. I also had a few issues with the believability of the novel. Sure, I don’t doubt that Amir would have found people who would help get him on his feet in a foreign country, but I find it a bit hard to believe it would happen on his first night there. A lot of events just felt like pure coincidences for the sake of moving the plot along, so as much action could happen in the span of one month. Sometimes things like this won’t bother me – I will acknowledge that fiction is fiction, and sometimes I do need to suspend my disbelief a bit – but I found it happening a bit too often for my taste. I thought the description was a bit misleading when it claimed “Amir has to tell the whole truth… or risk losing his hard-won freedom.” While yes, the situation seems serious – Amir and his family are in an interrogation room after being escorted off a plane – the tone never seemed heavy. I never really believed any of them were in danger – the book definitely made slight commentary about the situation, but I never feared for any of their safety. And lastly, I won’t get specific, but early on in the novel it’s hinted that there is an infamous “nipple” story. Some people mentioned in early copies there was a scene regarding a nipple, and I wasn’t sure if it would make it into the finished version. But it did. It made me uncomfortable, I felt it was absolutely unnecessary and put in for simple shock value, and it just would never happen. If you stumble upon this review and need a warning about this particular scene, you’ll find it in the section “Eleven Days Ago,” but you’ll see it coming. You can skip the few paragraphs (about a page) and not miss anything storywise.

In conclusion, this book is messy. It details a boy running away from his issues and arrival in a place where he can learn to embrace his identity and all the things that comes with it. And while I do have to commend it for some of its conversations, I will admit it’s not without its problems. I’d call How it All Blew Up a mixed bag for me, but can understand that other people may be able to get more out of it. How it All Blew Up releases on September 22nd, 2020, which is the day this post goes live, so happy book birthday, and thank you to BookishFirst and the publisher, Viking, for the finished copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Places to find How it All Blew Up:
Goodreads

Favorite Book of August – Real Life

Hi there! So, Setember was another rough month for me mentally, so I haven’t been able to put out as many posts as I was hoping to, but I wanted to make sure my next favorite book of the month post was up before we reached October. I mean, someone’s got to wake me up before September ends. (That is a bad joke, will always be a bad joke, but it will never keep me from making it). **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources.**

My favorite book that I read in the month of August was Real Life, a profound literary fiction written by Brandon Taylor. I became aware of this book back in June, when Dahlia Adler, over at LGBTQReads, was recommending books for my monthly Patreon reward. I was immediately drawn to the cover, which depicts gel electrophoresis, and was intrigued by the biochemistry major aspect, as that is what I studied in college for two years. I do not typically lean towards literary fiction, and knew I wanted to take my time with it and not rush to finish. What I found was an exceptionally written debut that discusses the harrowing nature of being a minority in a science field, dealing with past trauma and an uncertain future. I was blown away to say the least.

Cover art for *Real Life.* Design by Grace Han

Description from Goodreads: Almost everything about Wallace is at odds with the Midwestern university town where he is working uneasily toward a biochem degree. An introverted young man from Alabama, black and queer, he has left behind his family without escaping the long shadows of his childhood. For reasons of self-preservation, Wallace has enforced a wary distance even within his own circle of friends—some dating each other, some dating women, some feigning straightness. But over the course of a late-summer weekend, a series of confrontations with colleagues, and an unexpected encounter with an ostensibly straight, white classmate, conspire to fracture his defenses while exposing long-hidden currents of hostility and desire within their community. **Trigger warnings for childhood abuse, sexual assault, and racist and homophobic language**

From the moment I started this book, I knew it was going to be memorable. From the prose to the scientific background to the deep exploration of pain and grief, I knew I needed to take this slow and not binge it like I would normally do with my typical contemporary read. It’s written in 3rd person for most of the book, skipping to 1st person with no paragraph breaks when revisiting an experience from the past, and we constantly see inside Wallace’s head. He is struggling, but not in the way any one of his friends believes, yet most of the time he is the one that has to console them when they are upset. It was frustrating and difficult to read at times because Wallace is so set in his ways, which will lead him down a path of mental destruction, but every time he reaches out for help he is ignored. There was such an intricate discussion about overt and covert racism and homophobia, especially within the science community, which I found to be incredibly well done. There was one instance when Wallace and a female classmate are having an argument inside the lab, where she is spewing racist and homophobic remarks at him, so he gets angry and leaves, and later finds that she had written an email to the lab director painting him as the villain and a misogynist, and is not believed when he pleads his case. Maybe part of the reason Wallace can be such a frustrating character to read about is because he never wants to talk about his feelings – even when people directly hurt him, ruining his research experiment, for example, he will sit on it, acknowledge it, and move on, then get angry at everyone else when they bring it up in the future because he’s over it so they should be too. I think that, in part, is due to his trauma, and the fact that when he never felt like he could talk about how he was feeling growing up, otherwise he’d be ridiculed or beaten. I feel like a lot of people will be able to relate to some part of Wallace’s struggle, no matter their identity.

This book isn’t perfect by any means, and I believe that anyone, even those who love it to pieces, will be able to point out and agree with criticisms made against it. The book, and all of its characters, is messy. But isn’t life? And maybe that’s the point? The mental and physical struggles you may bear due to trauma from the past, learning to cope with the fact that your collegues, who may be the only people you have in your life, are celebrating your every failure, being taken advantage of by the ones you care for the most, and the ones you thought would take care of you – it’s rough. Life is rough. Life can be beautiful, and hopeful, but a lot of times it isn’t. And perhaps that’s exactly what Brandon Taylor was trying to convey. But hey, that’s just how I felt after reading.

Real Life has been shortlisted for The 2020 Booker Prize, and it’s no surprise. Brandon Taylor has been able to craft a powerful and lacerating novel that discusses the cost of overcoming the blows that have left us wounded and scarred, and explores microaggresions faced as a person of color in the science industry. I am so glad that I was recommended this book, and will without a doubt pick up whatever Taylor has in store next.

I think it’s also important to check out this Guardian author interview where Brandon Taylor discusses how he doesn’t want to be viewed as 2020’s token queer black author.

Places to find Real Life:
Amazon
Goodreads
Brandon Taylor’s site
Penguin Random House

ARC Review – The End

Hello! August was not as busy in terms of reading advanced copies, so I might be able to keep up and not fall too far behind this month! **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources.**

Today I will be discussing The End, a young adult dystopian mystery by Mats Strandberg. This was originally published in Sweden in October of 2018, but has been translated to English (translation by Judith Kiros) and will be released later this year. A few months ago, I was scrolling through the Read Now section on NetGalley, and came across this book. I saw it was a young adult novel about the end of the world, downloaded it, and may or may not have forgotten about it until I finally picked it up this month. I remembered next to nothing about the plot (so imagine my surprise when the murder mystery aspect kicked in) but still wanted to give it a shot. Well, here are some of my thoughts.

Covert art for *The End.* Design by Anders Timrén.

On May 27th, the world learns that a comet, later named Foxworth after the scientist who discovered it, is heading towards Earth, and that all life will cease to exist after September 16th. A few months later, with only a few weeks left until the comet hits, Swedish teen Tilda is found dead, and the town is convinced her “obsessed” ex-boyfriend, Simon, is responsible. He joins forces with Lucinda, Tilda’s former swim-team mate and best friend, in order to find the true identity of Tilda’s killer. Will the two of them find out what truly happened that night, or will the end come without them ever knowing peace?

If I am being completely honest, I truly did not enjoy my experience reading this book. However, with that being said, I am able to recognize aspects that can appeal to other readers. So to start off with some things I did find interesting, there is a lot of social commentary found both on the page and between the lines. The end of the world is near, and the book truly highlights different ways people cope. Some turn to religion for a sense of community, while others shift to the extreme end of the spectrum and follow a radical extremist group that promises life after the end for believers. Some aren’t able to cope at all, and end their lives before the comet can. Some take advantage of the time they have left and do things they’ve always wanted, while others stay at home to avoid any danger. There is a lot to unpack and I believe that some great conversations can be had with topics brought up in this novel.

For some of the things I didn’t enjoy:
–Writing style – this is written in dual POV, following Simon as a narrator, and Lucinda, who is writing on TellUs, a platform used to preserve the last communications of Earth’s inhabitants to be read by other worldly beings in the future. What I noticed was that Simon’s sections focused primarily on action and moving the plot forward, while Lucinda’s focused primarily on giving the reader context and background to the story. If this was intentional, I noticed, and it felt jarring when it switched from present day action in Simon’s POV to character history in Lucinda’s. It could be said that Simon was more focused on moving forward towards the end, and Lucinda was more focused on remembering the past, I just wish there could have been more of a balance between the two points of view.

–Characters – I felt like there was a fair amount of character growth for our two main narrators, Simon and Lucinda. Simon goes from partying the end of the world away to spending time with the people in his life who actually matter, and Lucinda learns to let people in instead of pushing them away, and that even though she is sick she is still capable of love. However, a lot of the side characters felt heavily underdeveloped, and I kept mixing them up in my head. Several times I switched Miranda, Lucinda’s sister, with Molly, Tilda’s cousin, who each play a significant yet unique role in the story. Simon’s friend group, save for Johannes, was just a conglomeration of teenagers, and I forgot that Lucinda’s dad was still around because he’s mentioned so little except for when he and Lucinda are fighting.

–Plot – For the most part I did find the plot engaging, and I agree that adding a murder mystery twist on an end-of-the-world story made it stand out. My issues lean towards how the mystery is actually solved. Simon and Lucinda had a list of suspects, and each time they decided to interview those suspects they immediately knew the context of the situation and provided information about why they didn’t commit the crime. Then out of nowhere, one line leads them straight to the answer. Personally it felt stilted and rushed, but that might be preference more than anything.

In the end (pun not originally intentional, but now completely intended), I am grateful for the opportunity to have read a copy of this book. I truly believe that readers who want an end-of-the-world story will find something to love in this novel, and I hope they do. It just did not work for me, and I hope The End is put into the hands of the right audience who will love it for what it is. The End is being released on October 6th, 2020 in English, so if you’re at all interested in the premise, maybe consider picking up a copy. **Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Arctis Books, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own**

Places to find The End:
Amazon
Goodreads
Mats Strandberg’s site
Simon & Schuster

Favorite Book of July – Today Tonight Tomorrow

Hello! I’m excited to finally bring the next installment of my “favorite book of the month” series. These are probably some of the best-loved posts (at least for me) that I get to write on this blog, and have such a fun time picking apart exactly what I enjoyed about these books. **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources.**

Today’s post is going to be all about my favorite book that I read in July. It was tied with April for my second best reading month page-wise, and quality-wise it definitely had it’s fair share of highs and lows. Some of the other books I enjoyed I’ve already discussed in ARC reviews, such as Blazewrath Games and Miss Meteor. But here and now I want to talk about Today Tonight Tomorrow, a YA contemporary written by Rachel Lynn Solomon, because I could NOT put this book down. Back in April, I was scrolling through all the books available for purchase and pre-order through YALLSTAYHOME, and the cover and synopsis of Today Tonight Tomorrow intrigued me so I decided to get a copy. Since it was a pre-order, the book didn’t cross my mind again until it showed up on my doorstep over a week before release date. I was excited all over again, and once I started reading it I couldn’t stop. I was close to the end while on break from virtual training with a coworker, and I asked for five more minutes so I could finish it – I did not stop raving about the book for several minutes after, to my coworker’s amusement. Needless to say, I loved this book.

Cover art for *Today Tonight Tomorrow.* Jacket illustration by Laura Breiling.

High school student Rowan Roth has been at odds with fellow classmate Neil McNair since he won over her at a school-wide essay contest. They’ve battled to be the best ever since, competing in everyday classes, extracurriculars, and even student council. Now it’s the last day of senior year, and it’s come down to the fight for valedictorian. When Rowan is beaten yet again, there is one final chance for her to defeat McNair – the senior’s annual game, Howl (a combination of a scavenger hunt around Seattle and extreme tag). When she overhears several of her classmates vowing to take both of them down, Rowan must team up with her rival to be sure they make it to the end. But, will they make it to the end still rivals, or throughout the night will they realize there’s been more to their rivalry all along? *Today she hates him. Tonight she puts up with him. Tomorrow… maybe she’s already fallen for him.*

AH, okay, where do I start. I absolutely fell in love with Rowan and Neil, both them as individuals and them together. I could feel the tension from their rivalry, and enjoyed watching it melt away as the night went on. The trope of rivals-to-lovers, a version (in my mind) of enemies-to-lovers where the characters have history, always makes me smile, and I laugh every time a side character acknowledges that they’ve known the two rivals have had feelings for each other the whole time but where just too busy fighting to realize it. There was also a slight mixed-media format thrown into the mix that I wasn’t expecting but added so much substance to the story – we got to see text exchanges between Rowan and Neil from the past and present day, Howl updates keeping score and locations of safe zones, lists that include but are not limited to Rowan’s Guide to High School Success, Neil’s favorite words, moments where Rowan may have ditched her friends to be with Neil, and many others. I felt the novel also captured the emotions of the last day of high school well – signing everyone’s yearbooks, even people you barely talk to, worrying about whether or not your friendships are going to last after the summer, especially if you’re heading off to different schools across the country, and realizing that it might be the last chance to do something you’ve always wanted, but never had the guts to do until now. The game of Howl also brought in the imagery of Seattle, which I have never been to, but was able to get a feel for the city and picture the sights as the students rushed to be the first to collect all of the clues. The book may only take place across a single day, but the story felt fleshed out and to me never felt rushed.

While the characters and the romance are truly something to cherish, I also appreciated the subtle (and sometimes overt) discussions and conversations that are displayed in this novel.
–First, it touches on moments of anti-semitism and sterotypes against Jewish individuals – one of Rowan and Neil’s classmates, Savannah Bell, plots to take both Rowan and Neil down in the game of Howl. When she is addressing those who want to join her in her quest, she comments that Rowan won’t need the money (because she is Jewish) and touches her nose to emphasize the point. Rowan overhears this, and notes that even in places where people are “more open,” there will still always be jabs that appear harmless (but aren’t) and stereotypes people accept as truth, even if they are painfully inaccurate and misguided.
–Second, it addresses hating romance as a genre – Rowan has loved romance novels ever since she picked one up at a garage sale, and is even seriously drafting a romance story of her own. However, she feels as though she can’t share her progress or her dreams with anyone (her author parents, her best friends, even rival Neil), because they’ve all expressed disdain for the genre as a whole. Sure, at times it may be in a joking manner, because it’s “cool to dunk on books with shirtless men on the cover,” but to Rowan, romance has portrayed and centered women in a way that other forms of media just don’t. She feels that her passion is other people’s guilty pleasure, and fears that other people won’t support her because of it.
–Third, it shuts down slut-shaming – this is a very specific instance in the book, but I found it significant. When Rowan and Neil are in the parking lot of the school, Rowan points out a spot where she hooked up with a classmate, Luke, in his car. Neil makes a comment along the lines of “I thought you were a good girl,” and Rowan immediately strikes back against the comment, saying that just because she gets good grades or sticks to herself, it doesn’t mean that she has not engaged in sex – those two aspects of her life have little to do with each other. Neil may have been projecting, making assumptions because he himself is still a virgin, but that does not excuse his comment and how its ideal is wrong and outdated.
–Lastly, it displays open communication and understanding of boundaries – *this section may have minor spoilers so please read a your own risk* due to conversations that Neil and Rowan have throughout the book, they both understand their history with former partners and their personal levels of experience with activities involving physical attraction. When things do become physical between them, at every step there is a question of “is this okay?” Rowan understands that she is more experienced than Neil in certain regards, and is mindful of that, and understands that while she may feel comfortable reaching a certain level of intimacy, he might not be (at least at the present time). During a conversation, Rowan tells Neil that “sex is not a dirty word,” and I agree, it’s not. There needs to be discussions regarding boundaries and comfort levels between potential partners, and I’m glad this novel explored that well.

I feel like each time I draft one of these “favorite book of the month” posts, the more I tend to write, but sometimes I just want to gush about the incredible books I’m able to get my hands on. A tell-tale sign that a book is going to be a new favorite for me (at least for books that have a happy ending) is the act of going back and rereading just so I can relive the emotions it made me feel. I have done with so many times with Today Tonight Tomorrow so far, and can guarantee it will happen many more times in the future. Rachel Lynn Solomon has captured the true essence of a rivals-to-lovers rom-com, and I was here for every second of it. I can’t wait to read more from her. If I have been able to convince you of all the goodness this book can bring, I highly recommend picking it up (and if possible, buying from a local indie bookstore – find one here). You won’t be disappointed. **and if you are that means your reading tastes just don’t align with mine and that is 1000% valid**

Places to find Today Tonight Tomorrow:
Amazon
Goodreads
Rachel Lynn Solomon’s site
Simon & Schuster

ARC Review – Blazewrath Games

Hi there! I’m here to finally talk about the last advanced copy I read in July. Hopefully, I can get back on a better schedule soon and won’t have my reviews be so long after I finished the book, but we’ll just have to see. **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources.**

Today I’ll be discussing some of my thoughts about Blazewrath Games, a debut contemporary fantasy by Amparo Ortiz. One of the taglines for this book was “experience the World Cup with Dragons,” and honestly I didn’t need to hear much else. But after reading more of the synopsis and finding out we follow a girl who wants to represent Team Puerto Rico as their Runner in their first international appearance in these games, and I requested the heck out of it. What I loved about this book is that yes, we follow Lana and her teammates, and the games themselves, but there is another layer of intrigue that keeps you guessing throughout the entirety of the book. There are also so many conversations about heritage and identity, and struggling to determine whether or not you do belong in certain spaces, or are you “no enough.” Amparo Ortiz has also shared character art of main character, Lana, and main villain, the Sire, on her Twitter (with credit to the artist Cosmoquences), which is just making me even more excited for the book’s release.

Cover art for *Blazewrath Games.* Art by Carolina Rodríguez Fuenmayor.

Lana Torres dreams of nothing more than competing in the Blazewrath World Cup as a Runner for her native country, Puerto Rico. So when the opportunity presents itself, she is incredibly eager to sign her name on the dotted line, but both her parents seem skeptical of the circumstances. Nevertheless, Lana is whisked away to Dubai to train so that she can bring home the trophy for her teammates, herself, and her country. But while she’s there, Lana is roped into a game far more dangerous to play, and she begins to think there is more at stake to lose than just gold.

All I needed to know before going into this book was that it involved dragons and a worldwide competition, and it truly did not disappoint. Each represented country has its own dragon species, equipped with their own capabilities to give them an edge in the games, and there are plenty more species that are un-bonded and kept in sanctuaries under the watchful eyes of people like Lana’s father. Before each chapter there are snippets from history books or interviews with characters to give more insight into the world, which added a lot of depth to the story, in my opinion. I thought the concept of the game of Blazewrath was unique and interesting, and definitely wish we could’ve been better acquainted with all the positions (but since Lana’s perspective moved the story forward, it made logical sense to focus mainly on the Runner’s task during the game). Each player and coach (and even the Sol de Noche dragons) had their own unique personality and quirks that made their actions and responses believable, and it was great to see players who did not see eye to eye rise above their differences and reach an understanding towards the end of the novel. I appreciated how a romantic relationship did not develop between Lana and Andrew, as I thought their friendship raised the stakes of the climactic action. The twists revealed in the latter portion of the novel also took me by surprise (in a good way), and during a second read-through I was able to pick up on a few clues I had previously missed, which made piecing together the puzzle of the novel even more entertaining.

There were some aspects I would have liked to see more of, one in particular being the relationship between Lana and her mother, Leslie. At the beginning of the story, it’s understood that Leslie is not a fan of dragons, and Lana is convinced that she would not support her decision to tryout for the Runner position (which is confirmed when she eventually finds out about Lana’s plan to join team Puerto Rico). After she signs Lana’s contract, she asks to be transported away, and Lana does not see her mother or have a legitimate conversation with her until after the climactic action, when it’s revealed she’s had a change of heart. I wish we could have seen some of that growth on the page. I also didn’t fully understand the purpose of Todd, Lana’s cousin, as a character. I suppose it could be said he acted as the extreme opposition, and in that extremism helped Leslie to understand just how much she was misguided about dragons and Lana’s choice to play Blazewrath. His interview at the end of the novel slightly confused me – he is on a talk show, essentially calling for the highest wizard class (Gold Wands) to eradicate all dragons, bonded or otherwise, saying that people need to wake up and realize the truth. I mean, unless there’s going to be a sequel in which Todd becomes the villain (which I would read in a heartbeat, honestly), it felt a bit out of place.

*edit July 2021 – There will actually be a sequel to Blazewrath Games, titled Dragonblood Ring, releasing in October of 2021, so perhaps we will see more of Todd and understand his motivations a bit better. I’m excited to see what more of this series will bring*

Overall, I really enjoyed some of the messages sprinkled throughout Blazewrath Games – the book touches on realizing your worth is more than just the weight of your accomplishments, facing a reality where family members may not support what you do, and being unabashedly proud of your heritage. This contemporary fantasy, in all its dragon glory, stole a little piece of my heart, and I can’t wait to see what other people think. If you’re at all interested, I highly recommend picking up Blazewrath Games when it releases on October 6th, 2020 (or, if you’re able, preorder it from a local indie bookstore – find one here). **Thank you NetGalley and the publisher, Page Street Kids, for the e-copy, all thoughts and feelings are my own.**

Places to find Blazewrath Games:
Amazon
Goodreads
Amparo Ortiz’s site