On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.
This is a wonderful first book in a new YA fantasy series. The kingdoms of Myral and Gralanth are separated by a range of mountains. The Myral people have magic. It’s capital is Ringard and it’s ruled by a High Enforcer, who is a member of a group of fierce warriors called Ringada. Gralanth people do not have magic, and both sides are wary of each other.
Continue reading “Wounds of Ash: Book One of the Vendi Chronicles by K.L. Hester”
This is a really good, creepy YA mystery/thriller that keeps your attention from page one. The book opens with Casey being mad that her sister Sutton is missing. She’s convinced that Sutton took off for selfish reasons and is laughing that everyone is frantically looking for her. Casey puts on a show as a worried sister for the cameras, but inside she’s fuming. There is no love lost between her and Sutton, but no way is she telling the police about their argument just before Sutton went missing.
Continue reading “The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade”
I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. As a former high school theater nerd myself, I could totally relate to Bridget’s angst, as well as the personalities and quirks of her friends. Bridget’s growth in the story was incredible and I liked how the author was able to subtly show these changes throughout the book, without hitting us over the head with it. The realization at the end of the book was almost a surprise, even though you had been along for the ride with Bridget from the start.
Continue reading “The Unstoppable Bridget Bloom by Allison L. Bitz”
I loved this book and read it in one sitting. The growth of Rae throughout the book was wonderful to read. She went from grief-stricken and alone to hopeful and outgoing. The friendship with fellow theater-lover Mac was beautiful. I remember being in high school and having that one best friend that just “got” me. Someone you could trust with all of your troubles, fears and hopes with and know that they would always be there to support you. I loved re-living those wonderful memories as I read this book.
Continue reading “I’ll Be There For You by Brieanna Wilkoff”
I loved this book so much!! Miles recently came out as trans, prompting his football star boyfriend Shane to break up with him. Miles is determined to get Shane back and beat his archnemesis in the Midwest’s biggest classical piano competition, all before the end of the year. To that end, Miles begins taking lessons with a new, terrifying piano teacher who tells him that he’s playing like he doesn’t know who he is. What? As Miles struggles with all the changes in his life, he meets new kid Eric. Eric is a talented cartoonist that is comfortable in his own skin and seems to get Miles, something Miles is not used to since he came out. After pretending to be a couple to get invited to a popular couples-only Valentine’s Day party, Miles and Eric’s fake kiss turns into something real. But this doesn’t fit into Miles plans, and besides, there has to be a catch as to why Eric likes him. Right?
Continue reading “Always the Almost by Edward Underhill”
I really enjoyed this YA mystery/thriller set in an all-boys high school, Urban Promise Prep School, in Washington D.C. Principal Moore is an activist that started the school and based his strict program discipline, called the Principal Moore Method, claiming it turns boys into men. Principal Moore claims that almost all boys in his school go from trouble youth to college-bound men because of his method and school. But when Moore is murdered at school, his school and method come under strict scrutiny. Three boys serving detention that afternoon are targeted by the police as prime suspects. All three state that they are innocent, and it’s clear they need to band together to find the real killer before they are arrested and lost in the system.
Continue reading “Promise Boys by Nick Brooks”
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
This is a fun YA Fantasy re-telling of Camelot. Arthur is an intelligent bookworm that isn’t much of a fighter. Lancelot is a gay castle guard that was demoted from a page (on track to becoming a knight) after a misunderstanding. Both we content bumbling along until Arthur accidentally pulls the sword from the stone, and now everyone thinks he’s some kind of hero. Emry Merlin poses as her twin brother at court to learn magic and serve Arthur. It’s supposed to be temporary, but nothing goes to plan and she’s there permanently. Princess Guinevere is betrothed to Arthur, but neither wants to marry the other.
Continue reading “The Other Merlin (Emry Merlin, #1) by Robyn Schneider”
This is a touching coming of age story about Sabiha, a 16 year old girl living in Australia with her mom. They moved to Australia from Bosnia and lived a typical life there until her grandfather joined them from Bosnia. After that, Sabiha’s mother decides to become a dutiful Muslim daughter and fit back into the Bosnian community and wants Sabiha to do the same. Sabiha doesn’t want to do that, and can’t understand why things can’t stay the same. At the beginning of the book Sabiha is a typical spoiled, rude, self-absorbed teenager and isn’t very likeable. She is struggling with the changing friendship with the best friend from her former school, fitting into a new school, her first crush, trying to care for her mother, and deal with her interfering family.
Continue reading “Sabiha’s Dilemma by Amra Pajalic”
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