Pride or Die by CL Montblanc

Title: Pride or Die

Author: CL Montblanc

Pages: 336

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Expected publication date: April 15, 2025

*ARC provieded by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The LGBTQ+ club at Hillview High is in danger after a cheerleader is assaulted during a pep rally, and they're the only ones that were close enough to her to blame.

The school and the police seem happy to let the club members go down for the crime. Nobody is trying very hard to find out who is really behind the assault, so with nobody to help them clear their names, they have to take matters into their own hands if they want a shot at saving their club and their futures.

Thoughts

I don't have too much to say about this one. It's a quick and funny teenage sleuthing story and I enjoyed it. The relationships between all the club members was sweet and really gave the story some heart. I did predict who the culprit was pretty early on in the story, but predicting the assailant didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story at all. All in all a good debut, and I'll be looking forward to more from this author.

First Line Friday (15): Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah

First Line Friday is a bookish tag hosted over at Abstract Books that is used to showcase your favourite first lines of books.

There really is something to be said about a good first line, and I'm going to be using this tag from now on to showcase my current read's first lines.

This week for First Line Friday I'm bringing you the first line of Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah.

The land had always been parched but its thirst for blood was learned.

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Goodreads Synopsis

Andrea Hannah's Where Darkness Blooms is a supernatural thriller about an eerie town where the sunflowers whisper secrets and the land hungers for blood.

The town of Bishop is known for exactly two things: recurring windstorms and an endless field of sunflowers that stretches farther than the eye can see. And women—missing women. So when three more women disappear one stormy night, no one in Bishop is surprised. The case is closed and their daughters are left in their dusty shared house with the shattered pieces of their lives. Until the wind kicks up a terrible secret at their mothers’ much-delayed memorial.

With secrets come the lies each of the girls is forced to confront. After caring for the other girls, Delilah would like to move on with her boyfriend, Bennett, but she can’t bear his touch. Whitney has already lost both her mother and her girlfriend, Eleanor, and now her only solace is an old weathervane that seems to whisper to her. Jude, Whitney's twin sister, would rather ignore it all, but the wind kicks up her secret too: the summer fling she had with Delilah's boyfriend. And more than anything, Bo wants answers and she wants them now. Something happened to their mothers and the townsfolk know what it was. She’s sure of it.

Bishop has always been a strange town. But what the girls don’t know is that Bishop was founded on blood—and now it craves theirs.

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Add Where Darkness Blooms to your Goodreads TBR and look out for it's release on February 21, 2023

The Rumor Game by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Title: The Rumor Game

Authors: Dhonielle Clayton & Sona Charaipotra

Publisher: Disney Publishing Worldwide

Expected publication date: March 1, 2022

*Review copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

 Introduction

Bryn, Georgie and Cora are three high school seniors about to find out just how quick rumors spread and spiral out of control, especially in the age of social media.

Bryn made a mistake last summer, and she wants her old life back. It's hard to find her footing again.

Georgie lost weight, and she wants to try on a new personality like she's been trying on new clothes.

Cora thought she had a great relationship, and a great boyfriend, but as rumors fly, is she sure?

Through the good and bad, someone is spreading rumors online about all three of the girls, but who exactly is behind it? Can they figure it out and stop it before all of the girls settle into infamy?

Writing and Characters

I liked all three of the girls and I loved that the authors chose to switch POVs between all three of the girls to make sure that we got a clear view of the interweaving storylines and the rumors surrounding them.

Plot/Pacing

This book moved at a great pace, and there were lots of distinct plot points hit across the way. Also, the authors were great at choosing when to switch POVs so that one side of the story never ran dry.

Social Media/Mixed Media Aspect

I adore when books include other media as storytelling devices. With this book being so social media-centric, the use of screenshots. comments, posts, and emails was extremely effective and made me feel even more immersed in the story than I already would have been.

Themes

There are mature themes in this book, including that of sexual assault, so if that is triggering for you, this novel may not be for you.

Mystery-ish aspect

The discovery of who was feeding the rumor mill new ideas was well done. I didn't figure out who is was absurdly early  and everything was tied up and answered by the last page, so I was satisfied.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed this book! I think if you are a fan of books such as One Of Us Is Lying or Revenge of the Sluts by Natalie Walton, I think you would definitely be a fan of this one. Look out for it's release on March 1, 2022 and add it to your  Goodreads TBR here!

Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets by Chelsea Ichaso

Title: Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets

Original title: The Dark Way Down

Author: Chelsea Ichaso

Expected publication date: April 5, 2022

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pages: 204

Goodreads synopsis

Piper's fall was no accident. Did someone want her dead? It's up to her sister to discover the truth in this shocking new thriller with an unreliable narrator, from the acclaimed author of Little Creeping Things.

Piper Sullivan was in a strange hiking accident last month and has been in a coma ever since. Her older sister, Savannah, can't pretend to be optimistic about it; things look bad. Piper will likely never wake up, and Savannah will never get any answers about what exactly happened.

But then Savannah finds a note in Piper's locker, inviting Piper to a meeting of their school's wilderness club...at the very place and on the very day that she fell. Which means there was a chance that Piper wasn't alone. Someone might've seen something. Worse, someone might've done something. But who would want to hurt the perfect Piper Sullivan...and why?

To discover the truth, Savannah joins the club on their weekend-long camping trip on the same mountain where her sister fell. But she better be careful; everyone in the club is a suspect, and everyone seems to be keeping secrets about that tragic day.

And Savannah? She's been keeping secrets, too...

Quick thoughts

I had a hard time getting all the way through this book. I was looking forward to a twisty thriller like the synopsis seems to have promised but overall the plot and pacing fell flat for me. 

However, most of my lack of enthusiasm comes from not being overly interested in any of the characters, especially Piper and Savannah. Piper was painted as the typical smart and all around perfect little student, which we've all read probably an uncountable amount of times, and she seemed to lack an actual personality beyond that, even in the flashback style chapters. As for Savannah, most of the time she came off as obnoxious to me, and it's hard to believe that she would even be able to convince anybody to want to be her friend, much less help her figure out what happened to Piper on the night of her incident. I understand that she's supposed to be an unreliable narrator, which I usually love to read, but overall I don't think her voice or general tone was a great fit for the story. 

Overall this was not the right book for me, but if you're looking for a quick thriller it might be a good fit for you.

Meet Me In St. Louis by Heather Schneider

Title: Meet Me In St. Louis

Author:  Heather Schneider

Publisher: Bowker

Publication date: October 28, 2021

Pages: 148

Goodreads synopsis

Stephanie Clark has just graduated from high school and secretly dreams of going to college in Miami to study marine biology and help save the oceans. Her finances, however, are making the dream seem impossible. When an anonymous benefactor in her hometown of St. Louis offers a large cash reward to the winner of a scavenger hunt, she dares to hope her dream may come true. While deciphering clues and trying to beat out the competition, Stephanie never expects to cross paths with Camden Mills, a popular boy from high school that she knows little about. Will Stephanie have what it takes to win the scavenger hunt, or will she be sidetracked by Cam’s charms? In this distinctly place-based novel, be transported into the city of St. Louis and come along for the ride as Stephanie gives making her dreams come true one last shot.

Quick Thoughts.

This book was a quick read at only 148 pages, so I only have a few quick thoughts to share. I loved the idea of a city wide scavenger hunt and because it was a shorter length, the story was very fast paced which I think was really nice, it was such a quick fun read. I found the romance to be slightly cheesy but totally okay if you like things on the cutesy side. I think this book would go over really well with younger teens, like those who are just starting to dip their toes into the young adult sub genre.

Moonvine by Lucy Hoden (The Nightgarden Saga #2)

Title: Moonvine

Author:  Lucy Holden

Series: The Nightgarden Saga (#2)

Publisher: Fehu Press

Publication date: October 16th, 2021

Young Adult

Goodreads Synopsis

Secrets. Lies. Danger.

Harper Ellory has a secret: nobody knows what the emerald on her left hand really means. Sometimes she wonders if she imagined Antoine Marigny.

Harper knows holding a party is a bad idea. There are deadly creatures sleeping in the cellar, a mysterious stranger asking suspicious questions, and rough boys from the bayou who know more about the mansion than they should.

Harper doesn't want Antoine running to her rescue. She's made her choices, and he his. The mansion, and the dark secret beneath it, are her responsibility.

But now the secret is out, and Harper's friends are in the kind of trouble that only Antoine's brand of dangerous is equipped to handle.

Now Harper isn't the only one facing choices. Choices that will have dangerous consequences - forever.

Moon Vine is the second gripping installment in the Nightgarden Saga. A YA paranormal romance full of southern gothic atmosphere, dark twists with high stakes, and heart wrenching romance that will tear your heart up, Moon Vine will keep you up late into the night.

If you're a fan of The Vampire Diaries, Twilight, and romance that rips your heart out, you'll love the Nightgarden Saga.

Quick Thoughts

In the second installment of the Nightgarden saga, we see the return of all the characters we loved from the first novel, with a little bit of a shift of focus. This book focused a lot more on Connor and Cass' relationship than on Antoine and Harper's, which wasn't quite what I was hoping for but definitely necessary for plot and character development.  

Speaking of characters and well, their development, a new supernatural element was added and I'm so excited to see where that could take us in the future books.

I also loved that this saga is still giving very much The Vampire Diaries vibes, with the romance and the atmosphere.

Overall I enjoyed the book and seeing the characters and plotline develop further in this book and can't wait to see where the third installment takes all the supernatural and romantic elements that were introduced here.

The Grimrose Girls (The Grimrose Girls #1) by Laura Pohl

    

Title: The Grimrose Girls

Series: The Grimrose Girls #1

Author: Laura Pohl

Publication date: October 26, 2021

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pages: 400 (paperback)

Introduction

In this fairytale retelling, teenagers are dying at the prestigious Grimrose Academy, and friends Yuki, Rory, Ella, and newcomer Nani need to get to the bottom of it before whatever is coming for their fellow classmates, comes for them next.

Characters

I liked all the characters, but it times, it felt like their personalities fell a little flat. It felt like while this is not a middle grade novel, that the characters and their personalities were pulled from a middle grade novel and dropped in a young adult storyline. 

Plot

I really enjoyed the plot. Pretty much all fairytale retellings hold a special place in my bookworm heart, and this story isn't an exception. The only gripe that I really had was Nani's original plotline about her father seemed completely forgotten by the second half of the book. A lot of her drive came from wanting to know about what her father had been doing and once that disappeared, it was hard for me to care about her as an individual character rather than just as part of the core group.

Pacing

For the first half of the book, the plot and it's pace was moving very slowly. There were a lot of points where nothing was really going on and those parts were very hard to read passed. The saving grace is that it definitely picks up in the second half, and reading through the slower parts is 100% worth it.

Conclusion

As I said, dark fairytale retellings hold a special place in my heart and that statement includes this book. Overall I really liked the story and I'm looking forward to the future books in the series. 

Teaser Tuesday (21) The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can participate in Teaser Tuesdays. Just do the following:• Grab your read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

For this week's Teaser Tuesday, I'm sharing teasers from The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl (The Grimrose Girls #1). I was given an ARC copy for review via Netgalley and I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm currently a little bit more than halfway through.

Goodreads synopsis

The Descendants meets Pretty little liars.

Four troubled friends, One murdered girl... and a dark fate that may leave them all doomed.

After the mysterious death of their best friend, Ella, Yuki, and Rory are the talk of their elite school, Grimrose Académie. The police ruled it a suicide, but the trio are determined to find out what really happened.

When Nani Eszes arrives as their newest roommate, it sets into motion a series of events they couldn't have imagined. As the girls retrace their friend's last steps, they uncover dark secrets about themselves and their destinies, discovering they're all cursed to repeat the brutal and gruesome endings to their stories until they can break the cycle.

This contemporary take on classic fairytales reimagines heroines as friends attending the same school. While investigating the murder of their best friend, they uncover connections to their ancient fairytale curses and attempt to forge their own fate before it's too late.

My teasers

“Death pursues all the girls from the Académie,” Mrs. Vãduva said darkly. “I will not take part in it.”

There was a hanging pause in the air as Mrs. Vãduva looked at the picture. Ella followed her gaze. The one other thing the town talked about other than the witch? The witch’s daughter, the one who’d died.

Page 128.

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If you're intrigued by the synopsis or my teasers, don't forget to add The Grimrose Girls to your Goodreads TBR and look out for its release, expected November 2, 2021!

Waiting on Wednesday (12): So, This is Christmas by Tracy Andreen

 Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. *It appears that Breaking the Spine hasn't been active since 2016, but I still want to credit them as the creators.

For my 12th Waiting On Wednesday I want to spotlight So, This is Christmas by Tracy Andreen.

Expected publication date: October 6, 2021 

Publisher: Viking Books For Young Readers

Goodreads Synopsis

When Finley Brown returned to her hometown of Christmas, Oklahoma, from boarding school, she expected to find it just as she left it. Christmas hasn't changed much in her sixteen years. But instead she returns to find that her best friend is dating her ex-boyfriend, her parents have separated, and her archnemesis got a job working at her grandmother's inn. And she certainly didn't expect to find the boy she may or may not have tricked into believing that Christmas was an idyllic holiday paradise on her grandmother's doorstep. It's up to Finley to make sure he gets the Christmas he was promised. This is Finley's Christmas. It's about home and family and friends and finding her place, and along the way she also finds the best Christmas present of all: love.

Why I can't wait

This book just seems so adorable and lighthearted, and all of the reviews seem to confirm that as well. I've been reading a lot of not very adorable books lately, not to mention spotlighting them, my last four or so Waiting on Wednesday's have been books I found while browsing the horror section on Netgalley, so I think this book could serve as a little breather from more serious, heavy themed books.

Red Magnolia by Lucy Holden

Title: Red Magnolia

Author: Lucy Holden

Series: The Nightgarden Saga (#1)

Publisher: Fehu Press

Expected Publication Date: September 15, 2021

Introduction

Looking for a fresh start, Harper and her brother Connor move into an old, run down mansion that seems to harbor history of curses, not to mention that something weird seems to be going on in the old cemented-up cellar. Nobody seems willing to let this history go, especially not Antoine, a mysterious man who seems hellbent on getting Harper and her brother out of that mansion, no matter what the cost.

Pace

This book, in epub. format, at least, is less than 200 pages, making this a very quick and fast-paced story.

Characters & Relationships

Generally, I liked all of the characters, but I have a few small gripes about Harper's friend, Avery, her interest in Harper's brother, Connor, and Harper's, in my opinion, weird acceptance of it. It seemed like the only reason Avery ever came around was to ogle at Connor, and she hardly actually seemed interested in being Harper's friend just for friendship's sake. Given that Harper just moved to town, it's fair to assume that she would take friendship with anybody, but it's hard to believe that she would just let Avery come around so often when she's obviously just interested in Connor, and I can see that becoming a conflict in later books (which I'm excited to see play out, if that happens.)

Vampire Element

The vampire history and origin story of the vampires in this book is pretty on par with other YA vampire books that I've read. I like that the vampires here have to drink human blood as opposed to going the "vegetarian" route with animal blood or other substitutes. I've grown used to reading about vampires that don't drink human blood because They're Good Vampires and Hate The Curse and Would Never Harm Anybody because that's Not Who They Are so I liked this more classic route.

Twilight Vibes (Slight Spoilers)

There are STRONG Twilight vibes in this novel. The party scene where Antione swoops in to save Harper from a bunch of scary men is stunningly similar to the the scene in Twilight where Edward does the same for Bella.

Even more similar was the way that Antoine made Harper say that he was a vampire instead of saying the words himself, just like Edward.

I'm definitely not saying that these similarities are a bad thing, I just think it's worth mentioning that they are there, so if you love Twilight, this book might be for you.

Conclusion

I liked this book. It was a very quick read and good for scratching a vampire story itch. I think depending on if you enjoyed Twilight might gauge how you feel about this book because as I mentioned, there are a lot of similarities. I shamelessly enjoyed Twilight, so this was a good book for me, and the similarities were welcome. I would like to continue with this saga and will be looking out for more from this author.

Mini Review: Hematite by Victoria Maderna and Frederico Piatti

Title: Hematite

Authors: Victoria Maderna and Frederico Piatti

Date published: June 23, 2021

Publisher: Europe Comics

Format: epub.

Pages: 82

Goodreads Synopsis

Hematite is a young vampire who is trying to find her way. As a member of the illustrious Blackwood family, she faces pressure to conform to high society standards, but such grandstanding isn’t for her. And neither is drinking blood—she’d rather have vegetable soup! So it is that she opts for the more diverse Wolven School, rather than joining the ranks of her fellow vampires at the Diaemus Academy. Being different can be hard, though, and doesn’t always help to make friends. Luckily for Hematite, she has her poetry, as well as Drunela—a draugr who won’t let their differences keep them apart—and Emile, a human boy fascinated by the occult who would just love to take a peek at the Blackwoods’ private library. Unfortunately, bridging societal divides isn’t always easy, and can lead to terrible consequences…

Quick Thoughts

This was my first time reading a graphic novel since I read Ghostopolis in 2013, so I felt a little out of my comfort zone when I picked it up, but I'm so glad that I did. I loved this so much. 

The art was absolutely beautiful, I loved the style. Plot wise, it was a great introduction to what will hopefully be many more volumes. I can't wait for future installments so I can watch character growth deepen and more of the plot unfold.

The only thing that I wish was different was the length, but that's because I was enjoying it so much that I wanted it to last longer. 

Overall, this was a lovely book that I will be gushing about to anybody who will listen while I await the next book.

Meet Me At The Summit by Mandi Lynn

Title:  Meet me at the Summit

Author: Mandi Lynn

Expected publication date: August 31, 2021

Publisher: Stone Ridge Books 

Pages: 275

Introduction

Marly Price lost her parents in a car accident 9 months ago, and since then, she's just been going through the motions. She's getting through it, but every day feels the same as the last. When she's presented with the opportunity to travel across the US in a renovated VW bus, she knows she should do it. The old her, the person she was before her parents died, would have jumped at the opportunity. To travel again, to enjoy hiking again, to enjoy photography again. Those are all things Marly wants. But after everything that's happened, will Marly be able to find passion in the things that she used to love again?

Pacing

The pacing starts off very slow as Marly is being convinced by her family to take the bus on the road trip, but as it starts to take off, it quickly becomes very repetitive. The order of events for nearly the entire book is driving --> hiking --> Marly having a panic attack on the top of a mountain-->  Marly taking photos --> Marly struggling to sleep --> repeat. Dylan, the romantic interest quickly finds his place in the cycle when he starts to calm Marly's panic attacks, but that quickly grows repetitive in nature as well. Because of this cycle, I found myself having to take a lot of breaks from reading to avoid getting bored with the story.

Romance 

I was disappointed in Marly and Dylan's romance. They knew very little little about each other and there doesn't seem to be much of substance backing their feelings for each other, so it was hard for me to care about them.

Marly

Marly was just an average protagonist. The grief she felt about her parents dying was interesting to read about but I feel like she read a little younger than a nineteen year old. I think the most prominent example of Marly reading a little younger than she was intended to be was when she actually considered staying with Dylan in Colorado instead of finishing her trip so that she could make sure she kept his interest. It felt very childish to me and she didn't really get much better throughout the course of the book. I don't think she grew very much as a character with the exception of maybe the last 25 pages or so.

General Character Thoughts

I feel like at best, the characters were average, and at worst, a little forgettable. I especially feel this way about Dylan and Lori. They both had essentially no personality. Dylan enjoyed hiking, which is necessary, but we get enough of the hiking obsession with Marly. Lori felt a little bit excitable most of the time, but she just felt like the bubbly happy token character there to balance out Marly. Mostly, they both felt like they were both only there for Marly's development rather than having personalities on their own.

Conclusion

Overall, this book was only okay. The repetitive nature really bogged it down for me and since I wasn't really into the romance, even the cutesy scenes that served to break the routine a little bit didn't interest me very much. There does look to be a second book coming, so the story will continue, and I would consider giving it a chance in hopes to see a little bit more character development.

The Dead And The Dark by Courtney Gould

Title: The Dead And The Dark

Author: Courtney Gould 

Publishing Date: August 3, 2021

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Pages: 352

Introduction

Something isn't quite right about the town of Snakebite, Oregon, and when now-paranormal-investigators go back to their roots to investigate the town, things get weirder. A teen disappears, and then teens start getting killed. People are holding on to old anger, and old secrets. Is something stranger than just a few missing teens going on in this sleepy town in the middle of nowhere? Something stranger? Something darker?

Cover

You're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I will say that this cover is so gorgeous and it definitely grabbed my attention when I was browsing through Netgalley.

Tone

I loved the consistent slightly "off" vibe that runs through the whole story. Small town weird vibes are my favourite and this book delivered.

The Dark

I love the concept of The Dark being an entity of it's own. It reminds me of the "The Forest" element in We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu (review of that book here!) 

Alternating POVs

I loved the alternating POVs of Ashley and Logan and The Dark. Usually when I read a book that switches POVs I find myself being less interested in one of them, and eagerly waiting for the story to switch back to the POV I like better, but that didn't happen at all with this book, and that feels so refreshing for me.

Conclusion

I loved this book. I believe the editor described it "like Riverdale, but good," and I agree. With the small town vibes with an undertone of something strange going on, the shoe fits. Because of the general spookiness of the novel I would also recommend this book to fans of After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel, and, of course, We Were Restless Things. I will definitely be looking our for more from this author.

Mini Review: 14 Ways To Die by Vincent Ralph

Title: 14 Ways to Die

Author: Vincent Ralph

Publication Date: June 1, 2021

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pages: 400

Goodreads Synopsis

Ten years ago, Jess's mother was murdered by the Magpie Man.

She was the first of his victims but not the last.

Now Jess is the star of a YouTube reality series and she's using it to catch the killer once and for all.

The whole world is watching her every move.

And so is the Magpie Man.

Quick Thoughts

I enjoyed this book. The focus on social media was an interesting aspect that made it more unique than the basic catch a killer/revenge plot driven thriller. The only gripe that I had with it was that I didn't really like any of the supporting characters, particularly the protagonists friends, they all felt very surface level and I wasn't very attached to the relationships they had with Jess. Besides that, this turned out to be an easy read and I think it would be perfect for people who are looking for a fast-paced quick thriller. 

Mini-Review: Everyone Dies Famous In A Small Town by Bonnie Sue Hitchcock

Title: Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town

Author: Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

Publication Date: April 20, 2021

Publisher: Random House

Pages: 208

Goodreads Synopsis

A lyrical and heartfelt collection by an award-winning writer that connects the lives of young people from small towns in Alaska and the American west. Each story is unique, yet universal.

In this book, the impact of wildfire, a wayward priest, or a mysterious disappearance ricochet across communities, threading through stories. Here, ordinary actions such as ice skating or going to church reveal hidden truths. One choice threatens a lifelong friendship. Siblings save each other. Rescue and second chances are possible, and so is revenge.

On the surface, it seems that nothing ever happens in these towns. But Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock shows that underneath that surface, teenagers' lives blaze with fury, with secrets, and with love so strong it burns a path to the future.

Quick Thoughts

I loved this book. If you're looking for a book to get you out of a reading slump, I think this book might be the one to go to. Being a collection of short stories, I think there's something for everybody in here. I love how the author intertwined the stories in the end while still keeping them largely independent of each other. The writing was beautiful and I feel that the author was very successful in creating different plots and atmospheres to immerse the reader into. 

Synclair by Rachel Gold

Title: Synclair

Author: Rachel Gold

Publication date: November 17, 2020

Publisher: Bella Books

Pages: 212

Special thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books for granting me access to this title in exchange for an honest review!

This review is just a collection of quick thoughts as I don't feel like I have enough to say to format it as a full review!

Goodreads Synopsis

The summer before her senior year, Emma Synclair decides to find her true love: either a girl or God. Since she has a crush on her best friend―and on her best friend’s girlfriend―Synclair figures she’ll have better luck with God.

Which God? How will she know? Wicca, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity? Her atheist parents are out of the country for three months, so Synclair has the space to try some religions in peace.

Or so she thinks, until her friends decide that her house is the party house―that is: the dinner party house! How can she tell them no? She sneaks away to start her spiritual quest, but runs into her childhood friend Avery. Who grew up to be hot. And is also into girls. Is her true love Avery or God? Can she have both or is that the path to neither? Synclair vows to find out.

Quick Thoughts

I thought this book was okay. I liked all the characters and I loved that they displayed so much diversity, both with LGBTQ+ aspects and with various health issues/disabilities. It was wonderful to read a book with so much representation.

This book deals heavily with religious themes, and many different religious views are discussed. This is mentioned in the synopsis, but I want to emphasize that the religious themes are a huge part of the book, and not something that is simply mentioned a few times, so if directly exploring religious themes doesn't sound like your cup of tea, I would skip this book.

My only gripe with this book is that some of the events that take place feel a little ridiculous, like when Synclair falls into a pit and all of the events around that, or the very dramatic hail storm. At some points, it reads a little bit like fanfiction.

Overall, I think that this book was alright. If the subject matter appeals to you and you're okay with a little dramatics, you may enjoy this read. 

Smoke and Mirrors: The Trueheart by Helene Opocensky

Title: Smoke and Mirrors: The Trueheart

Author: Helene Opocensky

Publication date:  October 10, 2020

Pages: 380

Quick Thoughts

I was surprised at how much I loved this book. Fantasy books are always a bit hit and miss to me. I do admit that I am pretty picky with the genre, but this one really hit the mark for me.

What I loved most about this book was the all of the worldbuilding. Every element was developed with a great attention to detail. The history, the way the magic works, the reasons behind everything that happens, past and present, nothing was left out. The writing truly puts you inside the story, so you are surrounded by it in the best way possible.

The characters were also deeply developed, so I felt connected to all of them. They all had a purpose in the story, none of them felt like they were there just to take up space, which I really liked.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I don't have any complaints. If you're looking for a fantasy book with lots of attention given to the world-building, this book might be for you!

The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. by Colleen Nelson

Title: The Life and Deaths of Frankie D.

Author: Colleen Nelson

Expected Publication Date: April 13, 2021

Publisher: Dundurn

Pages: 266

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this title in exchange for honest review.

Introduction

Nothing about Frankie's life has ever been normal. As a child, she was found in an alley with no memory of who she was, who her family was, or why she would be left alone.

Years later, she still has no idea about what happened in her past, and she'd like to keep it that way. But then, she starts having dreams about a hundred year old circus. It shouldn't have anything to do with her, but somehow it all feels strangely familiar as she sees the circus through the eyes of a sideshow act. Could the dreams of this circus be the thing that unveils the mystery shrouding Frankie's past? Will she even be able to face the past she's buried so deeply?

Content

This book feels like it would be better aimed at a middle grade audience than a young adult one, but because of a few mature scenes, it has to be labelled young adult rather than middle grade. This book mentions three different instances of assault on different characters, so it would be a bit too heavy for middle grade readers.

Unfortunately, the rest of the story feels like a middle grade novel, so it feels a little immature for those wanting to read a young adult novel, save for the instances of assault.

Pacing

The pace was very fast, which was great in some ways and a little difficult in others. The fast pace made the heavier events like the assaults feel rushed, and they weren't quite felt at a depth that I think they deserved. The fast pace also made it hard to truly connect to any of the characters. However, the fast pace of the book meant that there was always something going on. There were no parts of the book that felt unnecessary or like they were there just to take up space, which I liked.

Characters

I thought our protagonist, Frankie, was okay. Parts of her character felt a little immature, like how she referred to pretty much all girls as an "April" Things like this definitely contributed to the story feeling more like a middle grade novel. However, I adored seeing how fiercely she cared about Kris and Jessica.

Kris was my absolute favourite because it was obvious how much she cared for Frankie, and I loved that she had a role in the book, so many books introduce parents because they feel like they have to, but don't really give them any character, so it was really nice to see a guardian have some personality.

Conclusion

Overall, I thought this book was okay. The fast pacing makes it a very easy read, so if that's what you're looking for, this book might be for you.

Down World by Rebecca Phelps

Title: Down World

Author: Rebecca Phelps

Publication Date: March 30, 2021

Publisher: Wattpad Books

Pages: 368

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to this title in exchange for honest review

Introduction (Goodreads Synopsis)

Stranger Things meets the Netflix series Dark in this paranormal thriller where three mysterious doors in a highschool basement hold the key to unlocking the mystery of what really happened the night Marina's brother died.

As the site of a former military base, there have always been rumors that East Township High School was the site of experiments with space and time. For years, students have whispered in the hallways of a doorway created within the school, one that can access multiple timelines and realities, a place known as the Down World.

As the new kid in school and still reeling from the unexplained death of her brother Robbie, Marina O'Connell is only interested in one thing: leaving the past behind. But a chance encounter with handsome Brady Picelli changes everything. He will lead Marina to a startling discovery. The Down World is real and the past, present, and future are falling out of balance.

Brady is determined to help Marina discover what really happened to her brother. However, what is taken from one world, must be repaid by another. And Marina is about to discover that even a realm of infinite possibilities has rules that must be obeyed.

Plot

In the synopsis, Down World is compared to Stranger Things and I can definitely see why, there are some similar vibes between the two. I was impressed to find that the storyline/plot was easy to follow and nothing seemed to "get lost" which I feel is a problem for me in a lot of books that deal with different dimensions/worlds. I always find that in building different realities, some aspects of the realities are left under-developed, this was not the case here. Each different setting was developed fully, and I was very impressed.

Characters

I liked all the characters well enough, although none of them felt particularly unique. To me, they all seemed to have pretty much the same personality.

Pacing

This book took a very long time for me to get into, and at times, I felt a little bit bored reading it because not much was going on. However, once I reached about 60%, it picked up a little more and retained my interest until the end.

Conclusion

Overall, I thought this book was okay. The idea of Down World and the general world-building was fantastic and executed in a way that was easy to follow. And although the characters felt a little bland to me and it was a little bit slow at points, it's still well worth the read.

The Wise One by K.T Anglehart (Scottish Scrolls #1)

Title: The Wise One

Series: The Scottish Scrolls

Author: K.T. Anglehart

Expected Publication Date: October 28, 2020

Publisher: Kat Biggie Press

Pages: 213 (epub.)

Introduction

There's something wrong with McKenna. She's always thought so, but after her 17th birthday, things start getting even weirder than they usually are. She's having vivid dreams, and seems to be influencing things. When she goes to her fathers for answers, they are forced to tell her the truth. Her birth mother, a mystic, left to protect her, and she is a Wise One.

They don't offer any other details, so McKenna knows that she must find her mother to to get the whole story. So, she ventures out to across Ireland, knowing that going back to living half in the dark about who is no longer an option.

McKenna

McKenna was an extremely annoying protagonist with very childish tendencies. She was written more like a fourteen year old than someone that just turned seventeen. Everything she does is done without thinking, literally at all. She had no plan for her trip to Ireland, or how she was going to find her mom when she got there, she didn't consider how her parents would feel and she didn't spend a second thinking about the consequences of any of her actions.

McKenna's Journey

I know this is a fantasy novel, but McKenna's journey, both to and around Ireland, was painfully unrealistic, and also painfully irresponsible. First, McKenna leaves without her parents knowing (with, I might add, all their savings stolen from a safe.) She had absolutely no plan. She dragged a person she barely knew with her. Neither of them had passports, and they still managed to get to Ireland, in a way that is so completely out of the realm of possibility that it actually baffled me when I read it, even with McKenna's abilities.

It was also outrageously irresponsible for her to agree to a ride from Cillian, and even more ridiculous that Nissa was the one that suggested it. Neither one of them were a poster child for rational thinking.

To me, everything just seemed like it worked out too perfectly, too much of the time. No obstacle stayed an obstacle, as everything just conveniently fell into place all of the time. I know parts of it were planted that way, but because so much just worked out on it's own, by the end the conflicts didn't hold very much weight to me.

Pace

This wasn't a long book, but unfortunately, there was a lot of time that felt like nothing was happening that was relevant to the story. There was a lot of filler on the road with Cillian that added nothing to plot.

Nissa

I didn't mind Nissa, and I liked her journey throughout the book, but it felt like Nissa was a part of the story most of the time just to be a quirky sidekick to balance McKenna out, and although I didn't mind Nissa's story/journey throughout the book, it was no more realistic than McKenna's was.

Cillian

I liked Cillian's character and his role in the book, although I didn't care much for the feelings that were growing between McKenna and him. It didn't feel like it was based on anything. They didn't know very much about each other on a personal level, so unless McKenna's Wise One influence was working it's mojo on Cillian, there just seemed to be no reason why they would like each other, so to me, it wasn't a very interesting aspect of the story.

Ending

The last 30 pages or so are about the most exciting part of the the whole book. It's the only part of the book where it actually feels like things are moving along at a good pace, and what ultimately upped my rating to two stars on Goodreads.

Conclusion

I was not a fan of this book, even though I so badly wanted to be. I even posted my very first Waiting on Wednesday for it, specifically stating how excited I was to get my hands on this book, but it really missed the mark for me. I liked the ending, but I don't think I will be continuing on with this series.