Month: January 2024

Review: The Fall of the House of Tatterly

Title: The Fall of the House of Tatterly
Author: Shanna Miles
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Contemporary
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 10, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Theo Tatterly’s ability to see ghosts is a useful skill in a house full of dead relatives, but it makes him a loner at school and everywhere else, where ghosts eternally pester him for help. For Theo, life is easier on the periphery. When his first failed exorcism portends an end to the Tatterly line, Theo must bring together his entire family—living and dead—to save the home they’ve lived in for generations . . . and maybe the world.

Author Shanna Miles’s story of magical modern-day Charleston crackles with unforgettable characters and pays homage to the city’s rich culture, folklore, and history.

Review:

Twelve-year-old Theo Tatterly can see ghosts, which is useful in his family full of witches. He can communicate with his dead ancestors who live in their house, but he doesn’t have friends outside of the family. When he fails at an exorcism, everything starts to fall apart for his family. The Tatterly family must work together using their unique magical skills to save their family home. 

This was an exciting paranormal story. I love ghost stories, especially middle grade ones. They were my favourite when I was a kid. Theo came from a big family with many aunts and a few cousins, but they each had distinctive powers. He was able to see some older ancestors so he was in a unique position to get their help with problems too. Though Theo didn’t have many connections outside of the family at the beginning of the story, when he started playing basketball, he made some friends. The ending of the story was action packed and a little creepy too. 

The Fall of the House of Tatterly is a fun paranormal middle grade story! 

Thank you Union Square and Co for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warning: death of parent, parental abandonment

Have you read The Fall of the House of Tatterly? What did you think of it?

Review: The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet-Cute #1)

Title: The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet-Cute #1)
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Novella
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Source: Prime Reading
Format: Ebook
Release Date: January 23, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

On February 14, an accidental email to a stranger opens the door to an unexpected relationship in a captivating short story by the New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners.

One typo, and a boy and girl connect by chance. Wishing each other a happy Valentine’s Day isn’t the end. In fact, it becomes a friendly annual tradition—with rules: no pics, no real names, nothing too personal. As years pass, the rules for their email “dates” are breaking, and they’re sharing more than they imagined—including the urge to ask…what if we actually met?

Christina Lauren’s The Exception to the Rule is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

Review:

On Valentine’s Day in 2014, a student accidentally emails another student instead of their teacher. This begins a tradition of them emailing each other on Valentine’s Day for years, without giving away any identifying information. Eventually, years later, they decide to finally meet, but fate has other plans in store for them. 

This was such a fun novella! It’s a great quick read, with most of the story told through short emails. It was heartwarming and a sweet romance. There were some surprising and funny moments, without the tragedy of the third act break up. I’m excited to read the rest of the stories in this series. 

The Exception to the Rule is a fun romance novella!

Content warnings: death of parent, cancer

Other books in the series:

  • Worst Wingman Ever (The Improbable Meet-Cute #2)
  • Rosie and the Dreamboat (The Improbable Meet-Cute #3)
  • Drop, Cover, and Hold On (The Improbable Meet-Cute #4)
  • With Any Luck (The Improbable Meet-Cute #5)
  • Royal Valentine (The Improbable Meet-Cute #6)

Have you read The Exception to the Rule? What did you think of it?

Review: Marvel 1602

Title: Marvel 1602
Author: Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert, Richard Isanove
Genre: Graphic Novel, yHistorical Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Marvel
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 29, 2003
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

In Marvel 1602, award-winning writer Neil Gaiman presents a unique vision of the Marvel Universe set four hundred years in the past. Classic Marvel icons such as the X-Men, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and Daredevil appear in this intriguing world of 17th-century science and sorcery, instantly familiar to readers, yet subtly different in this new time. Marvel 1602combines classic Marvel action and adventure with the historically accurate setting of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign to create a unique series unlike any other published by Marvel Comics.

Review:

England, 1602: Queen Elizabeth I is the ruler, and she works with her spies Nicholas Fury and Doctor Strange to uncover a mysterious artifact being sent to England. Fury and Strange also work with Marvel superheroes such as Daredevil, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men to save the world from Doctor Doom and other dangers.

This was a fun adaptation of the Marvel comic characters. They were slightly different without all of their powers in this setting of Elizabethan London, but the characters were the same people. There were a lot of characters to keep track of throughout the story. I liked that even though some seemed to be original characters, they were later revealed to be part of the Marvel universe in disguise. 

Marvel 1602 is a fun graphic novel for Marvel fans!

Have you read Marvel 1602? What did you think of it?

Review: Curious Tides (Drowned Gods #1)

Title: Curious Tides (Drowned Gods #1)
Author: Pascale Lacelle
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Ninth House meets A Deadly Education in this gorgeous dark academia fantasy following a teen mage who must unravel the truth behind the secret society that may have been involved in her classmates’ deaths.

Emory might be a student at the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar Magics, but her healing abilities have always been mediocre at best—until a treacherous night in the Dovermere sea caves leaves a group of her classmates dead and her as the only survivor. Now Emory is plagued by strange, impossible powers that no healer should possess.

Powers that would ruin her life if the wrong person were to discover them.

To gain control of these new abilities, Emory enlists the help of the school’s most reclusive student, Baz—a boy already well-versed in the deadly nature of darker magic, whose sister happened to be one of the drowned students and Emory’s best friend. Determined to find the truth behind the drownings and the cult-like secret society she’s convinced her classmates were involved in, Emory is faced with even more questions when the supposedly drowned students start washing ashore— alive —only for them each immediately to die horrible, magical deaths.

And Emory is not the only one seeking answers. When her new magic captures the society’s attention, she finds herself drawn into their world of privilege and power, all while wondering if the truth she’s searching for might lead her right back to Dovermere…to face the fate she was never meant to escape.

Review:

Emory has healing magic, but she isn’t at the best student at Aldryn College for Lunar Magic. After Emory was the only survivor when her best friend, Romie, and seven other students died at Dovermere caves, her magic has changed. She gets help from Bas, her best friend’s brother, to learn her new magic. Both Emory and Bas are looking for answers as to why Romie was in the caves and how Emory gained new powers. Her powers catch the attention of a cult-like society at the school, so Emory joins them to get answers, but she’s led back to Dovermere, where it all began.

This story had rich, detailed world building. The magic that everyone possessed was determined by the moon when they were born. Their magic was strongest when that form of the moon was in the sky. It was a complex magic system so that world building took up a lot of the first half of the book. There were some great surprising twists near the end of the story. I can’t wait to read more books in this world!

Curious Tides is a great dark academia story!

Thank you Simon Teen and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing copies of this book!

Content warnings: parental abandonment, imprisonment, death, blood

Have you read Curious Tides? What did you think of it?

Click here to buy Curious Tides on Amazon (by clicking this link, I may receive a commission on any purchases made).

Review: The Secret in the Tower

Title: The Secret in the Tower
Author: Andrew Beattie
Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Sweet Cherry Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 8, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

1485. Richard III is King of England. Henry Tudor’s invasion looms.

Jack Broom thinks that war and politics have nothing to do with him. He is a simple apothecary’s boy dreaming of becoming a surgeon – until soldiers mistake him for a boy of noble birth.

Narrowly avoiding being dragged to the Tower of London, Jack sets out on a perilous mission to find out who he truly is. With the help of his new friend Alice, he uncovers conspiracies, treason, and the deadly lengths people will go to for power.

Review:

1485: Jack Broom is just an ordinary boy who works at his aunt’s apothecary shop. He dreams of being a surgeon one day, so he studies hard at school. When he meets a soldier from the Tower of London who could introduce him to the famous surgeon, Dr. Argentine, Jack goes against his gut feeling and follows the soldier. However, Jack is in danger when he gets to the Tower. The Tower holds conspiracy, treason, and secrets about Jack’s past. 

This was a thrilling children’s novel about the Tower of London. In the 15th century, when Richard III became King, he imprisoned two boys, who were the rightful heirs of the crown, in the Tower of London. They were never seen again, so they were thought to be murdered. This story imagines what happened if they were living in secret in the Tower. I loved the suspense of the secrets in Jack’s past, that even he didn’t know about. It kept me guessing until the end. I loved this reimagining of history.

The Secret in the Tower is a great middle grade historical story!

Thank you Sweet Cherry Publishing for providing a digital copy of this book.

Content warnings: child death, parental abandonment, death of parent, blood, vomiting

Have you read The Secret in the Tower? What did you think of it?

Review: Whiteout

Title: Whiteout
Author: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: November 8, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Atlanta is blanketed with snow just before Christmas, but the warmth of young love just might melt the ice in this novel of interwoven narratives, Black joy, and cozy, sparkling romance—by the same unbeatable team of authors who wrote the New York Times bestseller Blackout!

As the city grinds to a halt, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life. But will they be able to make it happen, in spite of the storm? 

No one is prepared for this whiteout. But then, we can’t always prepare for the magical moments that change everything.

From the bestselling, award-winning, all-star authors who brought us Blackout—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—comes another novel of Black teen love, each relationship within as unique and sparkling as Southern snowflakes.

Review:

One night, a few days before Christmas, Atlanta has a snowstorm. Everything in the city stops, but Stevie needs to try to win her girlfriend back. She enlists the help of her friends, who do all they can to get around the city and help Stevie, while also finding their own snowstorm romances.

I loved the book Blackout, which was written by the same authors, so I knew I would love this one. It was so fun to read these intertwined stories of different characters who were working towards the same goal, but who also had their own subplots happening at the same time. There was a list of clues at the end of the story to help you figure out who wrote each chapter. I tried to guess which author wrote which characters while I was reading it, and I think I got a couple of them right. 

Whiteout is a fun snowstorm romance!

Have you read Whiteout? What did you think of it?

Review: Adventures in Time: The Six Wives of Henry VIII

Title: Adventures in Time: The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Author: Dominic Sandbrook
Genre: Nonfiction, History
Publisher: Penguin Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 5, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Take a journey to a vanished world with the ADVENTURES IN TIME series – stories so exciting you won’t believe they’re all true.

Winter has come; and in a far distant land, a warrior queen is expecting a child…’Step through these pages into the Tudor a dangerous place, where one miss-step could cost your life. Through the eyes of Henry VIII’s six very different queens, from a brave Spanish princess to a wise English widow, historian Dominic Sandbrook takes us on a thrilling journey through the twists and turns of a dramatic age. For no one is safe from the wheel of it can take you from a golden throne to the Tower of London…The Adventures in Time series brings the past alive for twenty-first century children. These stories are every bit as exciting as those of Harry Potter or Matilda Wormwood. The only difference is they actually happened…

Review:

This book tells the stories of each of Henry VIII’s six wives. Each wife gets her own section of the book, which were proportionate in length as to how long they were married. It felt a little rushed at the end, but many things progressed quickly at the end of his life. 

This is a great overview of the wives of Henry VIII.

Have you read Adventures in Time: The Six Wives of Henry VIII? What did you think of it?