Category: Contemporary

Review: The Undercover Book List

Title: The Undercover Book List
Author: Colleen Nelson
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher: Pajama Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 5, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

He’s known as the class troublemaker. She’s known as the bookworm. But when every note they send is anonymous, identity is suddenly what they make it.

Between her father’s posting overseas and her best friend Sienna’s move to the other side of the country, seventh grade is looking lonely for Jane MacDonald. But Sienna has left her with one last trick: a hidden message in a library book—the perfect plot to start a secret club and find Jane a new book-loving friend.

Tyson Flamand has problems of his own. Since the fourth grade he’s had a reputation as a bad kid, and there’s no point fighting it when teachers always think the worst. So when he finds an anonymous note in the library looking for a nerdy new friend, he knows he’s the last person in the world it could be meant for. But something makes him answer it anyway, and Tyson finds himself pulled into a secret book club where being hidden may be the first step to being truly seen.

With the insight of a veteran middle-school teacher, Colleen Nelson, author of the award-winning Harvey Comes Home and Sadia, weaves together two stories of identity, expectation, and the courage to challenge both. As their paths move ever closer, Jane and Tyson both discover their own self-reliance and their ability to overcome obstacles that seemed insurmountable.

Review:

When Jane’s best friend moves away, she leaves Jane a book scavenger hunt to find a new friend who loves to read as much as she does. There was a note left in the book Liar and Spy, with the start of the Undercover Book Club for Jane to start with someone else. Tyson sees Jane with the note, and decides to play along with the secret book club to play a trick on Jane. However, when he starts reading the books she suggests, he realizes that he actually likes to read. Jane tries to solve the mystery of who’s leaving notes for her in the Undercover Book Club, while Tyson tries to adopt a more serious attitude towards school and reading.

In this book, the kids compete in a Kid Lit Quiz, which is a trivia competition about books. I don’t think that was around when I was a kid, but I would have loved it. I haven’t read many of the books mentioned in this story and I’m curious to read them now. I loved that the book club and quiz in this story turned Tyson, a reluctant reader, into a book lover. Whenever someone tells me they don’t like reading, I just say that they haven’t found the right book yet. That was true for Tyson in this story.

This story had two narratives, a first person narrative from Jane and a third person narrative about Tyson. It wasn’t obvious to me why Jane told her own perspective while Tyson’s narrative had a third person narrator. Jane had a more complex storyline, so maybe that’s why, but I’m curious why they didn’t have the same kind of narrator.

The Undercover Book Club is a fun middle grade story!

Thank you Pajama Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Harvey Comes Home by Colleen Nelson

Me and Banksy by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Have you read The Undercover Book List? What did you think of it?

Blog Tour Review: Meet Me in London (Meet Me #1)

Title: Meet Me in London (Meet Me #1)
Author: Georgia Toffolo
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: HQN Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Fans of Josie Silver’s One Day in December and Christina Lauren’s In a Holidaze will adore watching Victoria and Oliver’s pretend engagement dissolve as their very real chemistry threatens to upend all their carefully laid-out secrets. Set against the most charming London backdrop, Meet Me in London is an irrisistable seasonal treat!

What do you do when your fake engagement starts to feel too real… 

Aspiring clothes designer Victoria Scott spends her days working in a bar in Chelsea and her evenings designing vintage clothes, dreaming of one day opening her own boutique. But these aspirations are under threat from the new department store opening at the end of her road. She needs a Christmas miracle, but one is not forthcoming.

Oliver Russell’s Christmas is not looking very festive right now. His family’s new London department store opening is behind schedule, and on top of that his interfering, if well-meaning, mother is pressing him to introduce his girlfriend to her over the holidays—a girlfriend who does not exist. He needs a diversion…something to keep his mother from meddling while he focuses on the business.

When Oliver meets Victoria, he offers a proposition: pretend to be his girlfriend at the opening of his store and he will provide an opportunity for Victoria to showcase her designs. But what starts as a business arrangement soon becomes something more tempting as the fake relationship starts to feel very real. But when secrets in Victoria’s past are exposed, will Oliver walk away, or will they both follow their hearts and find what neither knew they were looking for…?

Review:

Victoria Scott is an aspiring fashion designer who works in a bar in Chelsea. She’s worried that her neighbourhood will be under threat from the big department store moving onto the street. Oliver Russell is the CEO of that department store. When he meets Victoria, he realizes she can help solve his major problem: she can pretend to be his fiancé at their opening night so his mother will stop asking him about his nonexistent girlfriend. Victoria agrees when Oliver offers to showcase some of her designs at the opening of the store. However, things get more complicated when they start to fall in love. Victoria has to keep the secrets of her past, which would ruin any possibility of a relationship with Oliver.

This was a fun holiday romance. I was rooting for Victoria and Oliver the whole time. Though they had many differences in their lives, they had powerful chemistry. There were some serious moments in this romance. Victoria had been in an accident when she was younger that left her with physical and emotional scars. Oliver also had to deal with his sick father, who could no longer work like he used to.

I would have liked to see more of an explanation of Victoria’s past. Also, Oliver’s family was very present in the story, but Victoria’s wasn’t, though they didn’t live that far away. I also would have liked to see a bigger conclusion or even an epilogue. I’m curious to see what other characters would have thought of the ending.

Meet Me in London is a sweet holiday romance!

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love at First Like by Hannah Orenstein

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer

About the author:

Georgia Toffolo is a broadcaster and TV personality. She has been a firm favourite with the public right from the start of her TV debut, Made in Chelsea, all the way to winning over the hearts of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2018.

Georgia turned her eye to fashion and has curated two sell out collections with fashion retailer Shein. An ambassador for many British brands, both large and small, Georgia has also collaborated with Dyson, Baileys, Emma Bridgewater, Great British Racing, Foreo and Malibu amongst many more.

Most recently, Georgia has dived into the world of fiction by publishing her debut novel Meet Me in London with publishing house Mills and Boon. This is the first of an original series of four books following a group of lifelong friends and bringing personal anecdotes to life with humour and charm.

Where to buy:

Have you read Meet Me in London? What did you think of it?

Review: The Matzah Ball

Title: The Matzah Ball
Author: Jean Meltzer
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Mira Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Oy! to the world

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl with a shameful secret: she loves Christmas. For a decade she’s hidden her career as a Christmas romance novelist from her family. Her talent has made her a bestseller even as her chronic illness has always kept the kind of love she writes about out of reach.

But when her diversity-conscious publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, her well of inspiration suddenly runs dry. Hanukkah’s not magical. It’s not merry. It’s not Christmas. Desperate not to lose her contract, Rachel’s determined to find her muse at the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, even if it means working with her summer camp archenemy—Jacob Greenberg.

Though Rachel and Jacob haven’t seen each other since they were kids, their grudge still glows brighter than a menorah. But as they spend more time together, Rachel finds herself drawn to Hanukkah—and Jacob—in a way she never expected. Maybe this holiday of lights will be the spark she needed to set her heart ablaze.

Review:

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt has a secret career as a bestselling Christmas novel author. She has to keep it a secret because her father is the well-known Rabbi Goldblatt. Rachel also has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which she also keeps a secret because people often think that’s not a real condition. When her publisher decides they want a more diverse, Hanukkah themed story, she has to find inspiration. Jacob Greenberg was Rachel’s boyfriend at camp when they were twelve-years-old, until he broke her heart and humiliated her in front of everyone. Jacob returns to New York to put on the event of the season: The Matzah Ball. Rachel has to find a way to get a ticket to the Matzah Ball to find the inspiration she needs to save her secret writing career.

This was such a fun holiday rom com. I don’t think I’ve ever read a Hanukkah themed rom com, but I loved learning about these traditions. One important theme of the story was shame. Rachel was ashamed of her success as a Christmas novelist because she was Jewish. Christmas brought her joy, and it isn’t shameful to enjoy certain holidays, whether they are part of your religion or not.

Rachel was also ashamed of her illness because of how other people perceive it. Her condition is invisible, which always makes it more difficult for others to believe when they can’t see it for themselves. It’s important to remember that there are invisible diseases and conditions, so people shouldn’t be judged for their symptoms even if they aren’t visible.

The Matzah Ball was a wonderful holiday rom com!

Thank you HCC Frenzy for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

Have you read The Matzah Ball? What did you think of it?

Review: Lifetime Passes

Title: Lifetime Passes
Author: Terry Blas, Claudia Aguirre (illustrator)
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Contemporary
Publisher: Abrams
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: November 23, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

In this darkly comedic YA graphic novel, a group of teens starts a program to bring senior citizens to a local theme park to take advantage of the unofficial park policy: If someone dies on the property, the rest of their party is given lifetime passes!

Sixteen-year-old Jackie Chavez loves her local amusement park, Kingdom Adventure, maybe more than anything else in the world. The park is all she and her friends Nikki, Daniel, and Berke—although they aren’t always the greatest friends—talk about. Kingdom Adventure is where all Jackie’s best memories are, and it’s where she feels safe and happy. This carries even more weight now that Jackie’s parents have been deported and forced to go back to Mexico, leaving Jackie in the United States with her Tía Gina, who she works with at the Valley Care Living seniors’ home. When Gina tells Jackie that they can’t afford a season pass for next summer, Jackie is crushed. But on her next trip to Kingdom Adventure, she discovers a strictly protected secret: If a member of their party dies at the park, the rest of their group gets free lifetime passes.

Jackie and her friends hatch a plot to bring seniors from Valley Care Living to the park using a fake volunteer program, with the hopes that one of the residents will croak during their visit. The ruse quickly gets its first volunteer—a feisty resident named Phyllis.

What starts off as a macabre plan turns into a revelation for Jackie as Phyllis and the other seniors reveal their own complex histories and connections to Kingdom Adventure, as well as some tough-to-swallow truths about Jackie, her friends, and their future.

With artist Claudia Aguirre, Terry Blas has crafted a graphic novel that is dark and deeply moving. This book is Cocoon meets Heathers—a twisted satire about a magical land and the people who love it, even to the point of obsession. Jackie’s summer is about to turn into a wild ride filled with gallows humor, friendship, and fun—or is it?

Review:

Sixteen-year-old Jessica Chavez loved going to the local amusement park, Kingdom Adventure, but her aunt tells her that at the end of the summer, she won’t be able to afford to renew her season pass. Jessica and her friends heard a rumor that if someone dies while at the park, the rest of the party with that guest receives lifetime passes to the park. They decide to bring the elderly people who live in the facility where Jessica’s aunt works, in the hopes that they will die while at the park. Jackie ends up becoming friends with Phyllis, a woman who always wants to go to the park. Phyllis and the other seniors share their stories with these teens, and open their eyes to the similarities of their histories.

This story had a dark premise, but I can believe that teens would think this was a good idea. Many of Jessica’s friends were ignorant and rude, only wanting to get lifetime passes for themselves, but not actually caring about the elderly people they brought to the park. One of these teens ended up having an ironic ending, so they didn’t win in the end.

There was a common theme in this story about kids living without their parents or family. Jessica’s parents were deported to Mexico, so she lived with her aunt. One boy who accompanied them to the park was adopted and wanted to learn more about his Korean heritage. Phyllis was a Holocaust survivor, who left her family behind after moving to the United States. Each of these characters had different circumstances from different time periods, yet they all lost their biological family in some way.

Lifetime Passes is a dark comedic graphic novel.

Thank you Abrams for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hotel Dare by Terry Blas, Claudia Aguirre

Ghosted in L.A., Vol. 1 by Sina Grace, Siobhan Keenan, Cathy Le

Have you read Lifetime Passes? What did you think of it?

Review: This Winter (Solitaire #0.5)

Title: This Winter (Solitaire #0.5)
Author: Alice Oseman
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ, Novella
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: November 5, 2015
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A short story, based on characters from Solitaire – praised as ‘The Catcher in the Rye for the digital age’ The Times
I used to think that difficult was better than boring, but I know better now…

I’m not going to think about the past few months, about Charlie and me, and all of the sad. I’m going to block it all out. Just for today.
“Happy Christmas, ” I say.

The festive season isn’t always happy for Tori and her brother Charlie. And this year’s going to be harder than most.

Review:

The Spring family is going to have a difficult time at Christmas this year. Charlie has just returned from treatment for an eating disorder. Tori wants to make sure he feels included in the holiday, but everyone else makes a big deal out of it. Meanwhile, their little brother, Oliver, just wants to play Mario Kart. The Spring siblings have to figure out a way to get through this tough holiday.

When I first picked up this book, I didn’t realize it was part of the Heartstopper series. I’ve only read the first graphic novel in that series but I loved it. This edition of the book also included some illustrations of the characters that looked like the graphic novel.

This story had a brief look at mental health and disordered eating in males. Usually in fiction, disordered eating is only portrayed in female characters, though it could happen to anyone. I appreciated this unique look at this disorder.

The difficult holiday that the Spring siblings experienced was so relatable. There are often relatives at holiday events that ask inappropriate questions or make hurtful comments, like they did with Charlie. Sometimes the best thing to do in that situation is to just remove yourself, which is what Charlie had to do.

This Winter is a great Christmas novella!

Solitaire by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper, Vol. 1 by Alice Oseman

Other books in the series:

  • Solitaire

Have you read This Winter? What did you think of it?

Review: White Smoke

Title: White Smoke
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 14, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The Haunting of Hill House meets Get Out in this chilling YA psychological thriller and modern take on the classic haunted house story from New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson!

Marigold is running from ghosts. The phantoms of her old life keep haunting her, but a move with her newly blended family from their small California beach town to the embattled Midwestern city of Cedarville might be the fresh start she needs. Her mom has accepted a new job with the Sterling Foundation that comes with a free house, one that Mari now has to share with her bratty ten-year-old stepsister, Piper.

The renovated picture-perfect home on Maple Street, sitting between dilapidated houses, surrounded by wary neighbors has its . . . secrets. That’s only half the problem: household items vanish, doors open on their own, lights turn off, shadows walk past rooms, voices can be heard in the walls, and there’s a foul smell seeping through the vents only Mari seems to notice. Worse: Piper keeps talking about a friend who wants Mari gone.

But “running from ghosts” is just a metaphor, right?

As the house closes in, Mari learns that the danger isn’t limited to Maple Street. Cedarville has its secrets, too. And secrets always find their way through the cracks.

Review:

Seventeen-year-old Marigold and her family move from their home in California to a Midwestern small town where her mom has accepted a job that includes a free house. The rest of the houses on the street are abandoned, and the neighbours in the area are suspicious of everything. As soon as they arrive, things start going wrong in the house. Doors open on their own, lights turn off, shadows appear in hallways and items disappear. Mari’s ten-year-old stepsister starts talking to an imaginary friend in the house, who wants Mari to leave. As the incidents in the house increase and become more dangerous, Mari has to do whatever it takes to save her family.

This story had some heavy subjects that I wasn’t expecting. I didn’t think there would be as many realistic elements as there were. Some of these serious subjects were drug addiction, overdose, and a severe allergic reaction. Though this was a spooky horror, there were a lot of realistic implications to the story.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked that the ending made sense and was logical. The only thing that I would have liked to see was justice at the end. There were many layers of destruction happening in the community, and I would have loved to see the events after the story finished where they got what they deserved.

White Smoke is a thrilling horror story!

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Horrid by Katrina Leno

Have you read White Smoke? What did you think of it?

Review: All Our Hidden Gifts (All Our Hidden Gifts #1)

Title: All Our Hidden Gifts (All Our Hidden Gifts #1)
Author: Caroline O’Donoghue
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 8, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Maeve’s strangely astute tarot readings make her the talk of the school, until a classmate draws a chilling and unfamiliar card—and then disappears. 

After Maeve finds a pack of tarot cards while cleaning out a closet during her in-school suspension, she quickly becomes the most sought-after diviner at St. Bernadette’s Catholic school. But when Maeve’s ex–best friend, Lily, draws an unsettling card called The Housekeeper that Maeve has never seen before, the session devolves into a heated argument that ends with Maeve wishing aloud that Lily would disappear. When Lily isn’t at school the next Monday, Maeve learns her ex-friend has vanished without a trace.

Shunned by her classmates and struggling to preserve a fledgling romance with Lily’s gender-fluid sibling, Roe, Maeve must dig deep into her connection with the cards to search for clues the police cannot find—even if they lead to the terrifying Housekeeper herself. Set in an Irish town where the church’s tight hold has loosened and new freedoms are trying to take root, this sharply contemporary story is witty, gripping, and tinged with mysticism.

Review:

While cleaning out a closet in her school during detention, Maeve Chambers finds an old deck of tarot cards. Fiona, another student, insists that Maeve start reading tarot cards for everyone. One day Maeve reads the cards for her ex-best friend, Lily. Lily draws a card called “The Housekeeper,” that Maeve has never seen before, but that she knows is bad news. Then, Lily disappears without a trace. Maeve knows the secret to Lily’s disappearance lies with the Housekeeper card, and she is the only one who can save Lily. Along with Fiona and Lily’s gender-fluid sibling, Roe, Maeve has to explore her magic to find Lily.

This was a fascinating magic story. There’s so much mystery behind tarot cards, that are able to determine a situation, but especially when an unknown card suddenly appears in the deck. The Housekeeper card was creepy and strange, holding powers in itself. It was at the center of the mystery of Lily’s disappearance.

The magic in the story was one layer of a deeper theme of injustice. There was an extremist group in the town, who were terrorizing people who didn’t share their beliefs. They committed hate attacks, particularly against the LGBTQ community. This part of the story added some realistic social justice elements to a magical and mystical story.

All Our Hidden Gifts is a powerful magic story. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Thank you Walker Books and Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain

Edie in Between by Laura Sibson

Have you read All Our Hidden Gifts? What did you think of it?

Blog Tour Review: You Can Go Your Own Way

Title: You Can Go You Own Way
Author: Eric Smith
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: November 2, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

No one ever said love would be easy…but did they mention it would be freezing?

Adam Stillwater is in over his head. At least, that’s what his best friend would say. And his mom. And the guy who runs the hardware store down the street. But this pinball arcade is the only piece of his dad that Adam has left, and he’s determined to protect it from Philadelphia’s newest tech mogul, who wants to turn it into another one of his cold, lifeless gaming cafés.

Whitney Mitchell doesn’t know how she got here. Her parents split up. She lost all her friends. Her boyfriend dumped her. And now she’s spending her senior year running social media for her dad’s chain of super successful gaming cafés—which mostly consists of trading insults with that decrepit old pinball arcade across town.

But when a huge snowstorm hits, Adam and Whitney suddenly find themselves trapped inside the arcade. Cut off from their families, their worlds, and their responsibilities, the tension between them seems to melt away, leaving something else in its place. But what happens when the storm stops?

Review:

Adam Stillwater helps his mom run the pinball arcade that his father started. Though pinball isn’t as popular today as it once was, Adam is determined to keep their arcade running, and not sell it to Philadelphia’s newest tech mogul. Whitney Mitchell runs the social media account for her dad’s esport cafe. That job takes up so much of her time that her friends have ditched her and her boyfriend has broken up with her, because she never had time for them. After an accident with Whitney’s brother breaking a pinball machine at the arcade, Whitney and Adam start a social media argument that goes viral. Whitney and Adam used to be best friends, but stopped talking in high school. Then, a huge snowstorm hits, trapping Whitney and Adam together for the night. They have no choice to but to talk about their feelings and figure out where they’re meant to be in life.

There was a lot of 80s and 90s nostalgia in this book. Pinball machines may seem like an ancient technology to young readers today. I loved how passionate Adam was about the pinball machines. He knew every detail of them. Adam also loved the rock bands that his father loved. He wore vintage a lot of band shirts. There were also some more modern references from Whitney, who was from a more modern, high tech background. Adam and Whitney were the best of both worlds.

This book is the perfect winter read. The descriptions of the storm were so evocative that I was actually feeling cold while reading it. I wouldn’t want to be trapped in a cold building during a snow storm, but it’s fun to read about.

You Can Go Your Own Way is a great new contemporary novel!

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Have you read You Can Go Your Own Way? What did you think of it?

Blog Tour Review: The Secret Garden on 81st Street: A Modern Graphic Retelling of the Secret Garden

Title: The Secret Garden on 81st Street: A Modern Graphic Retelling of The Secret Garden
Author: Ivy Noelle Weir, Amber Padilla (illustrator)
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Contemporary
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 19, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The Secret Garden with a twist: in this follow-up to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, this full-color graphic novel moves Mary Lennox to a New York City brownstone, where she and her very first group of friends restore an abandoned rooftop garden…and her uncle’s heart.

Mary Lennox is a loner living in Silicon Valley. With her parents always working, video game and tech become her main source of entertainment and “friends.” When her parents pass away in a tragic accident, she moves to New York City to live with her uncle who she barely knows, and to her surprise, keeps a gadget free home. Looking for comfort in this strange, new reality, Mary discovers an abandoned rooftop garden and an even bigger secret…her cousin who suffers from anxiety. With the help of her new friends, Colin and Dickon, Mary works to restore the garden to its former glory while also learning to grieve, build real friendships, and grow.

Review:

After her parents died suddenly in a car accident, Mary Lennox moved to New York to live at her uncle’s home. Her uncle has traveled constantly for work since his husband died, so Mary is left with his housekeeper and neighbour. While she’s exploring the house, Mary discovers a hidden garden that used to be tended to by her uncle’s husband. She also finds her uncle’s son, Colin, who is kept away in his room because he suffers from anxiety and panic disorder. Along with her other new friend Dickon, Mary helps rebuild the garden and learn how to grieve.

I haven’t read The Secret Garden since I was a kid, so I don’t remember the story very well. I’m sure a lot was changed in this adaptation to make it modern. Mary came from a high tech home in Silicon Valley, and she had to get used to life in New York. One thing I didn’t understand was why she didn’t start school right away since she moved there in the winter. Her uncle mentioned her starting school in the fall, and once Mary said something about online school, but it was strange that she would have been out of school for so long.

I appreciated the representation of anxiety and panic disorder in this book. Colin was kept away from the rest of the house because he was so anxious. The anxiety started after his father died. It was difficult for others to understand his feelings at first, because the doctors said there wasn’t anything physically wrong with him, though he felt pain in his chest when he experienced anxiety. Luckily, Mary figured out a way to help Colin manage his anxiety and live a fuller life.

The Secret Garden on 81st Street is a great, modern adaptation.

Thank you Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero, Bre Indigo (illustrations)

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

About the author:

LIvy Noelle Weir is a writer of comics and prose. She is the co-creator of the Dwayne McDuffie Award-winning graphic novel Archival Quality (Oni Press), the upcoming The Secret Garden on 81st Street (Little, Brown for Young Readers), and her writing has appeared in anthologies such as Princeless: Girls Rock (Action Lab Entertainment) and Dead Beats (A Wave Blue World). She lives in the greater Boston area with her husband and their two tiny, weird dogs.

Purchase links:

Tour schedule:

Have you read The Secret Garden on 81st Street? What did you think of it?

Review: Spell on Wheels, Vol. 1

Title: Spell on Wheels, Vol. 1
Author: Kate Leth, Megan Levens, Marissa Louise
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Contemporary
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 30, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A road trip story. A magical revenge fantasy. A sisters-over-misters tale of three witches out to get back what was taken fom them.

Andy, Jolene, and Claire aren’t your average twenty-somethings. They’re legacy witches making their way through a modern world. When a jealous nonmagical ex breaks into their home and steals a spell that could awaken potentials with magical powers, the witches plan their revenge. Traveling down the East Coast, they must retrieve their powerful stolen artifacts and strengthen their friendship… the big bad is even worse than they imagined. 

Collects Spell on Wheels #1–#5

Review:

Andy, Jolene, and Claire are witches in their twenties. One evening, Claire’s non-magical ex-boyfriend breaks into their house and steals a bunch of their artifacts, including a spell that will awaken powers in someone without them. The three witches have to track down everything that he stole and sold on a witch app, while also figuring out who broke into their home and why he did it.

I love witchy stories right now. This one is perfect for the spooky season. Though the characters are in their twenties, the tone of the story was like a young adult story. There wasn’t swearing or anything too mature, so it would be appropriate for a young adult reader.

This story has a witchy theme, but the illustrations had bright colours. Often magical graphic novels with a dark tone also have dark illustrations, but this one has a brighter tone with vibrant colours. The illustration style reminded me of the Archie Comics I read as a kid, so I liked this style.

Spell on Wheels is a fun, witchy graphic novel!

What to read next:

Spell on Wheels, Vol. 2: Just to Get to You by Kate Leth, Megan Levens, Marissa Louise

Heavy Vinyl, Vol. 1: Riot on the Radio by Carly Usdin, Nina Vakueva

Other books in the series:

  • Spell on Wheels, Vol. 2: Just to Get to You

Have you read Spell on Wheels, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?