Hello! I’m back to talk about another arc I was approved to read on NetGalley, and one I completely fell in love with. **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 sharing my thoughts about Miss Meteor, a YA contemporary (with slight magical elements) written by Anna-Marie McLemore and Tehlor Kay Mejia. It’s written in dual perspective where we follow two former teens on a quest to take down a beauty-queen-to-be. I am familiar with both of these author’s work, and will be picking up anything they collaborate on in the future. This whimsical story following friendship, family, love of all kinds, and identity of all kinds left me wanting to read so many more heartfelt books. I requested this on a whim, read it since I was approved, and was entranced by the beauty within. Additionally, the cover is stunning, is it not?

Over time, Chicky Quintanilla and Lita Perez fall out of friendship because the two are keeping their own secrets they’re not yet ready to share. But sophomore year of high school, the girls reunite under a common goal to take down local sweetheart (and school bully) Kendra Kendell and win “The Fiftieth Annual Meteor Regional Pageant and Talent Competition Showcase” themselves. With the help of their family and friends, Lita and Chicky come to realize that becoming Miss Meteor isn’t just about being beautiful – it’s about learning to love every part of you, even the things that make you different and special, and sharing who you are with the world.

This book was such a delight that absolutely stole my heart. The light magical elements that made it fantastical, the characters, the representation, and the sense of belonging carried me through to the end with a smile on my face. Mejia and McLemore wove together the lives of two girls who see themselves different as their peers, for their own reasons, but find solace in each other and their friends. You can tell from the beginning that both Lita and Chicky miss their former friendship – the two are opposites but brought out the best in each other, so when the opportunity presents itself for them to team up they can’t say no, and they slowly make their way back to each other, and learn to be okay with making mistakes about how to handle certain things, as long as your willing to learn. While I will admit when I saw this categorized as LGBT, I, along with a few other reviewers, believed it would be a romance between two childhood friends, but I loved the direction each girl’s romance went – their personal connections to their respective love interests were established prior to the novel as, aided by interactions throughout the book, felt entirely believable (friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, so seeing it done twice in one book was definitely a plus in my book). And I appreciate how those romances are not the focal point. At heart, this is about believing in yourself, learning to love every quirk and feature that makes you stand out, and knowing yourself well enough to share those parts of you with the ones you love.

Woven throughout the story are underlying themes of racism, homophobia, transphobia. Sometimes it’s casual and subtle, an off-handed remark about Lita and Chicky’s closeness being something other than friendship, othertimes it’s an outright racist comment being thrown at one of the contestants while on stage at the pageant. Some passages were difficult to read, but the book never idolizes that mindset, and lends these topics in a way to lead to further discussions. There is also an absolute tone of acceptance, and finding people who will love and accept you for who you are. There may be people in this world who do not accept you, but that is through no fault of your own, and those people do not matter nearly as much as the people who will support you no matter what.

Miss Meteor was absolutely an unexpected gem. It made me laugh, cry, and filled my heart with so much emotion. I finished this book in one day because I just needed to make sure things worked out in the end for the characters. If you’re at all interested in pagents, discovering your own sense of beauty, strong familial bonds, friendship, and light fantastical elements, I HIGHLY recommend picking it up when released on September 22nd, 2020 (or, if you’re able, preorder it from a local indie bookstore – find one here.) **Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, HarperTeen, for this e-copy, all thoughts and feelings are my own**

Places to find Miss Meteor:
Amazon
Goodreads
Anna-Marie McLemore’s site
Tehlor Kay Mejia’s site
HarperCollins

Hello! I’m continuing on my never-ending quest to review the books I’ve been grateful to read before they’ve been released and share my thoughts about them (in the hopes of, most of the time, convincing you to pick it up as well). 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 talk about Written in the Stars, a debut adult romance novel by Alexandria Bellefleur. I picked this book up in July, and it honestly gave me all the fall / winter feels I needed. I was approved for this book on NetGalley, and ended up being completely immersed in Elle and Darcy’s story. Two main aspects I really enjoyed when explored through the novel were that sometimes the best things can come to you in unexpected ways, so you can either turn away from them or embrace them, and when you learn that someone’s way of thinking may differ from yours, take an extra second before passing any initial judgement. I really enjoyed how the story was told, and am excited to pick up work from this author in the future (including a companion novel that may or may not follow Darcy’s brother, Brendon). But before we touch on any of those, I should probably talk a little bit more about Written in the Stars.

Darcy is a no-nonsense stick-in-the-mud actuary who’s had her heart broken before and now has no time (or the patience) for romance. Elle is a free-spirited astrologer, hoping to one day find her soul mate. When the two are introduced by Darcy’s brother, Brendon, who happens to be Elle’s new business partner, the date does not go as planned. But Darcy lies and says they hit it off. So in order to get Brendan out of her business for a while, and attempt to get Elle’s family to take her more seriously, they concoct a plan to fake date – they learn everything there is to know about each other, agree to go on outings with the other’s family, and even set a termination date of December 31st. But the thing is, sometimes, love is simply meant to be, and is written in the stars from the very beginning.

I like to think of my feelings towards this book as the progression of Darcy and Elle’s relationship. I couldn’t get into it for the first few chapters, but as I got to know the characters and see their growth, I began to truly appreciate it for what it was (*this may have been to the state of mind I was in while reading, so I will not put the book at fault here*). Darcy and Elle are definitely a sort of opposites-attract situation – Darcy doesn’t believe in astrology, while Elle has made is somewhat of a profession running an account linking astronomical phenomena with human behavior, Darcy isn’t looking for love because she’s been hurt and closed herself off while Elle is looking for “the one.” Eventually, the two do develop a sort of understanding of how the other operates, and while they may not fully see eye to eye all of the time, they realize there is significance to what the other deems important, and respect it (maybe even love each other even more for it). I wish some of the side characters could have been explored a bit more, but that just gives me even more hope for book two, where Brendon might get his happily ever after, because he may seem as if he’s alright with all these failed attempts at romance, but he’s a sweetheart at his core and deserves true love too. There are scatterings of “which of these are you based on your horoscope?” which made me laugh, and even though I’m in between Elle and Darcy when it comes to believing in astrology, I thought they added a nice fun element to the story.

I think an important point of the novel is seeing how Elle and Darcy are carrying out their lives happily, despite what their parents may think. Elle was working towards her PhD when she realized she wasn’t happy, and quit when Oh My Stars started going viral. Her family thought she was burned out, having a quarter-life crisis, losing her mind, or throwing her life away. But Elle wasn’t doing any of those things – she was following an unconventional path that would lead her to happiness, despite what anyone else wanted to think. Darcy was trying to avoid her mother’s mistakes, finding a stable job with security after growing up with a mother who lost a bit of herself and had poor money management skills following a divorce. She also vowed not to lose a bit of herself, either, following a breakup with her ex-fiancé. Although they are unable to block out a sense of doubt all of the time, they are learning to come into their own, create their own paths to success, and perhaps prove to their families that they are creating their own joy.

This was such an enjoyable read that still comes to mind even a month after I’ve read it, and I just really can’t wait for the world to meet Darcy and Elle and fall in love with them, too. I’m excited to see what Alexandria Bellefleur has in store for the future, and I’ll be sure to pick it up, whether it’s still set in the world or not. If you’re at all interested in this slight grumpy / sunshine, astrology skeptic / believer, “enemies” to lovers romance, please consider picking up Written in the Stars when it’s released into the world on November 10th, 2020. You’re in for a great time. **Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Avon Books, for the e-copy, all thoughts and feelings are my own**

Places to find Written in the Stars:
Amazon
Goodreads
Alexandria Bellefleur’s site
HarperCollins

Hi! I’m back again to talk about another review copy I received through NetGalley. This time, we’re talking about All the Right Mistakes, a debut women’s fiction novel by Laura Jamison following the lives of five women before and after one of them decides to tell the others’ secrets to the world. As someone who primarily reads YA fiction, this book certainly took me out of my comfort zone. It’s a slow novel, focusing on the personal and professional issues each woman faces in their lives, and it was certainly an interesting read that I’m glad I gave a chance.

Five women, Heather, Elizabeth, Carmen, Martha, and Sara, once a tight-knit group in college are now all approaching forty, and have encountered different obstacles on their journeys through life. Elizabeth, an attorney, is about to get passed for a promotion at work, and has struggled to have another child after her first. Martha, a former doctor, is torn between staying home with her kids after her baby is born or going back into medicine. Sara, an attorney, grapples between having more time at home with her four kids or taking a hefty promotion that will provide them with the money they desparately need. And Carmen, the only stay-at-home mom of the bunch, is dealing with a husband who may not love her anymore and an inability to get pregnant. When Heather, COO of her company FLASH, comes out with a book equating each of her friends’ lives to four major mistakes younger women should avoid, the group must decide whether they’re going to follow Heather’s advice, or prove her wrong. **trigger warnings for miscarriage, death of a child, and death of a significant other**

It took me a while to get into this book, and that might’ve been all the different perspectives, the short chapters, and the way all the women are intertwined into each other’s storylines. I enjoyed that each of the women had a distinct personality, and each of their character choices felt like natural reactions to the situations they faced. This book was a nice character study into the lives of these older woman, which, like I stated above, is definitely a change from what I usually read. I wish there was a different perspective from a woman whose major focus wasn’t on having kids, because I believe that could’ve been an important conversation to have (that being said *minor spoiler* I did appreciate where Carmen’s storyline went in that regard). It felt it a bit jarring when they would all go back and forth on whether they should forgive Heather for writing the book in the first place, especially Elizabeth, who had always felt the closest to Heather, and Sara, who thought the book did make some good points, but I liked the conversation the book had about how you can forgive someone for doing something to you, but you can’t forgive them for doing something to someone else – that is not for you to decide, and that forgiveness is solely up to the person who has been hurt. The conversation also touched on how there really is no complete map to success to follow – each of us have our own obstacles we have to face and challenges to overcome, and just because we may not reach these “milestone moments” when society deems it appropriate, that does not mean we are in any way a failure.

The longer it’s been since I’ve finished this book, the more I want to make this point. Each of us has a story. We can choose to share it with our friends, our family, our loved ones, or keep parts of it to ourselves, but ultimately it is our decision, and ours alone. The book touched upon Heather, a character who has found greater success than her four friends in college, believing she has all the answers because she has watched them make mistakes and struggle while she has risen to fame. But those stories, those personal anecdotes Heather included in her self-help book, were not hers to share. She did not consider how her actions would affect her friends in their personal and professional lives, and even when she claimed she kept it “anonymous,” the sheer act of tagging them in a post “thanking them for inspiration” alerted her audience to make the obvious connections. Even if Heather had good intentions of preventing younger women from making these same mistakes, that did not make it justified. It is never your place to share those stories, because when you think you’re sharing a novel you may not have even read a single chapter. I appreciated that the book did not make excuses for Heather’s actions, and that she did, in the end, make the right decision to rectify her own past mistakes.

In the end, All the Right Mistakes was a quiet book about women who’ve made choices in the past that perhaps were not the greatest, but it led them to exactly where they needed to be. They came together and, for the most part, were there for each other in their darkest moments and worked to support and build each other up. I believe that many will be able to find something to relate to in one of these five women. All the Right Mistakes is being released on August 4th, 2020 (which is the day after this post goes live), and I’m excited to see what people think. *thank you NetGalley and She Writes Press for the e-copy, all thoughts and feelings are my own*

Places to find All the Right Mistakes:
Amazon
Goodreads
Laura Jamison’s site
She Writes Press

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.

Hello! Now that I’ve finally posted my favorite book of June, I can start talking about all of the advanced copies I was able to read in the month of July. I never cease to be grateful for the arcs I win / receive / am approved for across all outlets, and acknowledge my privilege in getting to read books before their release. As always, 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.

The post will be talking all about the contemporary romance RomeAntically Challenged by Marina Adair, which all sites and documents continually tell me I’ve spelled wrong (the cover says it’s right, Google, chill). I was able to trade in my points for this book on BookishFirst, after writing first impressions every Monday and reviewing books that they’ve previously featured on their site. I was really excited to see an adult romance on there, and that excitement grew when I was able to read the first few chapters and see the chemistry between our two main characters. It was a lot deeper than I initially believed, however I was on board almost immediately.

Adopted from China by a white family and growing up in America, Anh Nhi (Annie) Walsh has always felt out of place. She has tried to make a family of her own, but always finds herself “not enough,” in some way. It doesn’t help that every guy she’s dated has found “their person” immediately after they break up. After her ex-fiance calls off their wedding, Annie needs a change of scenery and accepts a job in Rome, only to find herself working at a hospital in Rome, Rhode Island (instead of, you know, Italy) renting out a cabin whose owner may or may not have returned unexpectantly. Photojournalist Emmitt Bradley has been sent back to Rhode Island after covering a legitimately explosive story in China, only to find his his daughter all grown up, and he’s worried that she no longer wants him to be a part of her life. He also finds his cabin rented out to a stranger, a rather cute stranger. Emmitt and Annie may be able to help each other gain the confidence they need to fight for what they want, and they can definitely achieve their goals without falling in love. Or can they?

My first impression of this book was that it was going to be a cute rom-com with the “there’s only one bed” trope that would end with a happily ever after. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those kinds of books, and I’ll read them any day of the week. There was just so much more substance to this novel than I had expected. Yes, the chemistry between Anh and Emmitt is undeniable from their first unexpected encounter, and yes, there are a few steamy scenes, but I’d have to agree with other reviewers that the romance doesn’t seem like the main focus of this novel. Anh and Emmitt are both struggling with different aspects of their lives, and find themselves leaning on each other to come to much needed realizations. Anh has grappled with her identity every since she was little – feeling too “white” in some circles, too “Asian” in others. She also finds it difficult to understand how every ex-partner has seemingly found “their person” immediately after breaking up with her. Emmitt, on the other hand, feeds off his image that he is a womanizer, but actually only has room in his heart for Paisley, his daughter. He so desperately wants to be a part of her life, but it’s hard with a job that requires constant lengthy travel, and the fact that she already has a stepdad and uncle who would do anything to make her happy. They both yearn for a sense of belonging, in the town, in their family, in their society, and maybe, just maybe, through self-depricating humor, roommate agreements, and sticky note arguments, they’re able to work through their feelings and achieve just that.

If you’re looking for a book with “small-town sweetness, endearing characters, and a unique quirky flair,” (in the words of NYT best-selling author Carly Phillips whose blurb is on the back), then I’d definitely recommend picking up RomeAntically Challenged. Marina Adair has crafted a novel with adult characters who are still trying to figure out where to belong in the world, and that’s something we love to see. I can’t wait for the next installment, Hopeless RomeAntic, when I can dive back into this world surrounding Rome, Rhode Island. RomeAntically Challenged releases on July 28th, 2020 (which should be the day this post goes live if everything works out), and a quick thanks to BookishFirst and the publisher, Kensington Books, for the copy – all thoughts and feelings are my own.

Places to find RomeAntically Challenged:
Amazon
Goodreads
Marina Adair’s site

Hello! I believe we’re up to the last review of the arcs I read in June! I’ve already racked up several that I’ve read and need to review in July, but I’d say I’m making some good progress. As always, 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 read How to Be Remy Cameron back in February, and I fell in love with Julian Winters’ writing style. So when I heard he was writing a book that was essentially a love letter to nerd culture, that takes place in a bookstore in the summer in California, with a best friends to lovers romance? I knew I had to try and read it. I requested it on a whim on NetGalley, and honestly was not expecting much, but was incredibly excited when I was approved (so I’d just like to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Interlude Press, for a copy of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own). Again, I was absolutely captivated with this novel, from the characters and their struggles to the setting and the discussions it sparked. Please excuse me while I gush about this book a bit.

Wesley Hudson excels at two things – ignoring his responsibilities and pining after his best friend, Nico. He spends the summer before college working his dream job at Once Upon a Page, writing lists of ways to confess his feelings and trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life after high school. When the future of the bookstore is threatened by an expanding coffee shop, he must team up with his misfit group of coworkers to try and come up with ways to save the store. To top it all off, his brother, Leo, is trying to plan a wedding, and needs Wesley to help with wedding duties. Can Wesley save the store, get the guy, and assist with the wedding all in just a few months? It truly shapes up to be the summer of everything.

In true Julian Winters’ fashion, this book packed a punch while having an underlying message of hope. It tackles topics such as grief, death of a parent, privilege, first love, and figuring out your future in a way that felt natural and necessary. The diverse cast of characters was refreshing to see – so many racial identities, sexual orientations, and genders are explored and unquestioned. Personally, I started tearing up when a character comes out as aroace (aromantic and asexual), because it’s how I identify and we don’t often see characters portrayed as such, and I believe so many people will be able to experience that same feeling while reading this book – Winters does not shy away from writing the rep on page, so if the character has no questions or hesitations about their identity, the reader will not have any as well. The plot itself was fun to follow, and I appreciated the crazy shenanigans Wesley and his friends engage in to try and save the store – it shows that when you’re passionate about something, and it’s threatened, you really will try to do anything to save it. Platonic love, friendship, and found family play such an important role, and it’s something I absolutely love to see. Leo felt like a realistic older sibling, and while him and Wesley feel disconnected for most of the novel, they are still family and Leo will do anything to help his little brother. And I must say, the best friends to lovers trope was so well done, I was rooting for Wesley and Nico to sit down and talk about their mutual feelings – it also felt nice that romance wasn’t rushed, and the characters had conversations about boundaries and no one did anything that made them uncomfortable.

*this next paragraph may have minor spoilers, so please read at your own risk*
Wes is having a hard time figuring out the direction his life should be going in after high school. He knows he’s going to UCLA with his best friend Ella who will be studying communications, and will be separated from Nico when he’s at Stanford pursuing biology and medicine, and it seems like even Zay, who’s a year younger, has his life planned out and is doing 60 mph in the driver’s seat while Wes is stuck on his bike with a map in his hands reading the road signs. What I appreciated about this book is that Wes didn’t magically find an answer at the end – he made a deal with his parents that he would do his best and try his hardest for one year at UCLA, and if that didn’t work he could transfer or quit, or really do what he thinks is best. And while yes, I agree that the first few years of college are for discovery, and some people do figure out what they want to do with their lives during this time (myself included), college isn’t for everyone, and for some people the decision not to go to college, or to drop out, is the right decision for them, and should absolutely be respected as a valid option.

All in all, I can’t wait for this book to come out so I can purchase a finished copy and add it to my Julian Winters collection on my shelf. His books just have a way with words that make me want to revisit them for comfort, and The Summer of Everything is no exception. This book truly is a love letter to nerd culture, summers in California, found family, and first love. If you’re looking for an enjoyable read, I highly recommend picking this one up when it’s released on September 8th, 2020.

Where you can find The Summer of Everything:
Amazon
Goodreads
Julian Winters’ site
Interlude Press

Hello! It’s new release Tuesday, which means that some of the books I read as review copies are being released out into the world for everyone to read! I want to make sure this review, as well as Inheritors are posted so I’m more caught up. As always, 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’ve taked briefly about BookishFirst when I reviewed the copy of Heiress for Hire I redeemed back in April. It’s a cool site that allows you to read snippets of a new book every week that is being released sometime in the next few months, write a first impression of it, enter to win it in a raffle, and rack up points so you can redeem a copy from this week’s raffle. I’ve been using the site consistently since February, and with writing reviews and first impressions, and sharing them on sites like Amazon, Goodreads, and this blog, I’ve been able to collect quite a few points. And the book I’ll be reviewing here, The Friday Cage by Andrew Diamond, was actually the first book I won through the weekly raffle! I received an electronic copy, so thank you BookishFirst and the publisher, Stolen Time Press, and I just wanted to share a few of my thoughts about the book.

Claire Chastain has recently moved back to Washington D.C. with her grandmother from New York City. She picks up a data analytics job, does good work, and doesn’t make very many friends. After hearing about the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of a childhood friend, Claire starts to notice a few things out of place – a Lincoln Continental tailing her to work, a spreadsheet that should have never made its way to her hands, a window open in her basement, mail missing out of her mailbox. It seems she’s been thrust into a dangerous game she has no interest in playing, but Claire needs to keep the upper hand in order to make things right and stay alive.

I’ll start off by saying that Claire is an incredibly unlikeable character, from start to finish. We learn a bit of her background – father ran off, mother died in a car crash, grandmother emotionally and physically abused her when she was young. I suppose it’s supposed to make you simpathize with Claire, but her actions and thoughts towards others were occassionally unnecessarily malicious. The story sometimes gives you flashbacks to the past – examples include Claire’s childhood and conversations with her grandmother, her job interview at the office in D.C, and the moment she found out about her friend Gavin’s death – and a few times I found it a bit difficult to tell the difference between the past and present. There were some definitely fast-paced moments, and I did enjoy how some little tidbits of information mentioned for a split second became very significant later in the novel. I did like how everything came together in the end, but sometimes I felt like any problem encountered was solved with little to no difficulties, which may be due to the length of the novel but it made things feel a bit unrealistic.

Overall, I’d say this was a pretty average read, and not something I normally would have picked up on my own but I’m still glad I gave it a chance. I believe some others books by Andrew Diamond, Wake Up, Wanda Wiley and Gate 76, was also featured on BookishFirst, so I might give those ones a go as well. If you’re a fan of unlikeable main characters, short reads, and perhaps a few laughable villains, I recommend checking out The Friday Cage, out July 14th, 2020 (which is today if all goes well).

Places to find The Friday Cage:
Amazon (it’s only $0.99 for Kindle)
Goodreads
Andrew Diamond’s site

Hello! It’s new release Tuesday, which means that some of the books I read as review copies are being released out into the world for everyone to read! I want to make sure this review, as well as The Friday Cage are posted so I’m more caught up. As always, 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.

Here is another instance of entering a bunch of giveaways for books and forgetting I did so until I get an email saying I won. Back in May I received an email from Doubleday Publishing telling me I had won an electronic copy of Inheritors by Asako Serizawa. I typically don’t read historical fiction or short story collections, so I was surprised that I had entered in the first place, but I am still incredibly grateful to the publisher, Doubleday, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy. Even though I am not obligated to review a book I won, I still would like to share my thoughts, which are all my own.

Inheritors by Asako Serizawa is a collection of stories in various styles and perspectives spanning over 100 years, that paint a kaleidoscopic picture of the effects of loss, imperialism, and war.

As previously stated, this book is extremely out of my comfort zone, both in writing style and genre, but it certainly was an interesting read. When I picked it up, I was unaware it was actually a collection of short stories, so the plot felt very disjointed and I didn’t get much satisfaction out of each individual section. I did appreciate the linearity of the stories, and I found the concept of following multiple generations of people through their struggles of war, loss, and societal influence intriguing. A variety of writing styles (interviews, first person perspective, third person perspective, etc.) are riddled throughout, and while I connected more to others, and did find myself confused several times throughout the novel, I thought the message of each story was clear and I had a general understanding of what it was trying to convey. I found the book as a whole extremely well-written, immersive, and I think the strongest aspect was the character development, because sometimes we’re only following a character for a few pages, but in that short amount of time we learn their struggles and are able to form connections. Each character has a purpose, and signifies a certain aspect of the time in which they are placed, so the reader has a view into the period, and form a connection even if they previously held no bonds to that era. The book truly took me on a journey, and I will forever respect it for that.

It’s no surprise Inheritors won’t end up on a list of my favorites – I chalk that more up to me than the book. Not every book I pick up is going to be a favorite, and it’s fine to have preferences on what you want to read. However, I still believe that Inheritors is a collection of stories that will heavily impact its projected audience, and I will be glad to see those people enjoy every second of this book when it’s released on July 14th, 2020 (which should be the day this is posted, if scheduling works out).

Places to find Inheritors:
Amazon
Goodreads
Asako Serizawa’s site
Penguin Random House

Hello! I’ve been slowly but surely catching up on all my blog posts, and the next few will be ARC reviews (or reviews of books that I received advanced reader copies of), whether through NetGalley or physical copies I’ve won in giveaways. As always, 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 finally get to geek out about Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, and I am so excited. So one thing to note about me is that I enter a lot of book giveaways – whether through publishers, Goodreads, Twitter, or book conventions. I don’t win very often, but I have gotten an occasional book in the mail from a giveaway. In late April, an email popped up in my spam folder saying “Congratulations, you’ve won an ARC of Cemetery Boys as a part of the YALLSTAYHOME Sweepstakes.” I didn’t think much of it, but I was a bit skeptical since I didn’t remember entering anything for YALLSTAYHOME, and it showed up in my spam folder. Lo and behold, a few weeks later, a physical arc of Cemetery Boys shows up on my doorstep, and people, when I say I was excited that is such an understatement. So please join me on this journey where I gush about magic and brujx and boys who stole my heart.

Yadriel’s family is having a hard time accepting his identity after he comes out as transgender. When they deny him his quinces, a ceremony where brujx receive their blessing from Lady Death, he recruits his cousin, Maritiza, to help him perform the ceremony himself. After hearing that their cousin Miguel has died, Yadriel wants to prove he’s a true brujo by summoning his spirit, finding out what happened, and releasing him into the afterlife. There’s only one problem – the spirit he summons isn’t Miguel; it’s resident bad-boy Julian Diaz, and his spirit refuses to be released so easily. Julian has some unfinished business to attend to before he can move on, and while the three of them try to uncover the mystery behind Miguel’s disappearance, and Julian’s death, Yadriel comes to realize that maybe he’s not ready to rid himself of Julian just yet.

I absolutely fell in love with this book. It’s definitely one I plan to reread in the fall after it’s released, maybe closer to Halloween to bask in all the fall vibes. The magic system surrounding Day of the Dead is thought-out and intricate, and while it plays off the trope of “women do this, while men do that” it allows for the inclusion of transgender individuals, and those who may not fit into any binary “category,” and highlights the issues that can arise from a society following these strictly gendered roles. Yadriel is someone who has to fight to be seen, and as a reader you feel his struggle and frustration with every down fall, and you understand his quest to be accepted and understood by his community. Then you throw Julian into the mix, a guy who knows who he is, knows people are not going to understand him because they automatically stereotype him, but he would die (maybe quite literally) for those he cares about in a heartbeat. Watching the two of them come together throughout the novel and help each other in ways I cannot quite explain without giving too much away was wonderful to see. Add in Maritza, the cousin & best friend who always wants to be along for the ride to either laugh with you or at you (and fight for you wholeheartedly), and you have the perfect cast of characters for this special young adult fantasy. I did not expect the ending the first time around, and when I read through it a second time I see all of the bread crumbs that are expertly laid out, just adding to my satisfaction of the book. Watching all of the puzzle pieces fit into place, just as the author had planned, was so satisfying to see.

Cemetery Boys releases inot the world on September 1st, 2020 (after being delayed due to COVID-19), and I’ve already preordered myself a copy since I’ve passed my ARC onto a friend. This was an incredible debut, and I cannot wait to devour each and every novel Aiden Thomas puts out in the future. The story is intriguing, the magic is complex, and the characters are captivating – what more could you ask for? I’m counting down the day until everyone gets the chance to read it, so if you’re at all interested, I highly recommend picking up this incredible YA fantasy novel this fall.

**Thank you to publsiher Swoon Reads and YALLSTAYHOME for hosting this giveaway, and even though I didn’t have to leave a review, all thoughts and opinions are my own**

Places where you can find Cemetery Boys:
Amazon
Goodreads
Aiden Thomas’ site
Swoon Reads