Category: Young Adult

Review: Demon in the Wood (Grishaverse #0)

Title: Demon in the Wood (Grishaverse #0)
Author: Leigh Bardugo, Dani Pendergast (illustrator)
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 27, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

Before he led Ravka’s Second Army, before he created the Fold, and long before he became the Darkling, he was just a lonely boy burdened by an extraordinary power.

Eryk and his mother, Lena, have spent their lives on the run. But they will never find a safe haven. They are not only Grisha—they are the deadliest and rarest of their kind. Feared by those who wish to destroy them and hunted by those who would exploit their gifts, they must hide their true abilities wherever they go. But sometimes deadly secrets have a way of revealing themselves…

Discover the start of a grand and sinister destiny in this must-have graphic novel prequel to the bestselling series and international Netflix sensation Shadow and Bone from spectacular new talent Dani Pendergast and #1 New York Times bestseller Leigh Bardugo.

Review:

Before he was the Darkling, Eryk lived on the run with his mother. They were both Grisha, or witches, running from people who hunted them. Not only were Eryk and his mother Grisha, but they were the most powerful amplifiers who can increase another Grisha’s power. When they seek refuge with a group of Grisha, Eryk makes a mistake that threatens to reveal their secrets. 

This was a great graphic novel adaptation of Demon in the Wood. It’s so fun to see characters come to life in illustrations. The Darkling is such a complex villain, so it’s great to see his childhood and the challenges he faced that turned him into the Darkling. 

My only criticism is that I wish it was longer. There were many pages with no dialogue, and while the illustrations were beautiful, I would have liked more of the story of his life. 

Demon in the Wood is a great Grishaverse graphic novel!

What to read next:

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Have you read Demon in the Wood? What did you think of it?

Review: Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)

Title: Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: April 1, 2008
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose… 

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks… This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. 

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price..

Review:

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, and the students are going on a ski trip. The trip is mandatory for everyone this year, because of a Strigoi attack on one of the Royal families. A number of guardians are brought into the school, including Rose’s estranged mother. Rose is in a love triangle, which gets more complicated when the new guardians join the trip. When Rose gets a tip on where the dangerous Strigoi are hiding out, she can’t keep it to herself, leading to a dangerous trip across the country that not everyone will survive. 

This is a great sequel! I loved that the story is quite different from the first book and a complete story in itself. There were some intriguing new characters that I’m excited to get to know in the next books. Though it had a tragic ending, I’m looking forward to reading the next book. 

Frostbite is a captivating Vampire Academy story!

What to read next:

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Other books in the series:

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

Review: Twin Crowns (Twin Crowns #1)

Title: Twin Crowns (Twin Crowns #1)
Author: Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Blazer + Bray
Source: Litjoy
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 17, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.

Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

Review:

Wren Greenrock has been trained her whole life to take over her twin sister’s place on the throne. However, her twin sister, Rose, doesn’t know Wren exists. Wren and her friend Shen break into the palace and kidnap Rose, leaving Wren in her place. Wren enters a world where she’s destined to marry a prince and be controlled by the Kingsbreath, who is ruling in place of a King. Meanwhile, Rose enters the world of witches, who she has been taught to fear and hate. Both sisters want to have control of the throne, as their eighteenth birthday and coronation day approaches, but they must defeat the Kingsbreath who stands in their way. 

I knew I was going to love this book as soon as I saw the cover. YA fantasy about royalty is my favourite kind of book. There were a few moments in this book that reminded me of The Parent Trap, which is one of my favourite movies, but as if one of the twins didn’t know the other existed. That situation made some great tension and twists throughout the story. 

Twin Crowns is a fantastic YA fantasy! I can’t wait for the sequel next year!

What to read next:

Sisters of the Snake by Sarena and Sasha Nanua

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

Have you read Twin Crowns? What did you think of it?

Review: Lord of the Fly Fest

Title: Lord of the Fly Fest
Author: Goldy Moldavsky
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Horror
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Source: Once Upon a Book Club
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 30, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

One of Us Is Lying meets Lord of the Flies meets Fyre Fest in this wickedly addictive and funny YA thriller.

Rafi Francisco needs something really special to put her true crime podcast on the map. She sets her sights on River Stone, the hearthrob musician who rose to stardom after the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend. Rafi lands herself a ticket to the exclusive Fly Fest, where River will be the headliner.

But when Rafi arrives on the Caribbean island location of Fly Fest with hundreds of other influencers and (very minor) celebrities, they quickly discover that the dream trip is more of a nightmare. And it’s not just confronting beauty gurus-gone-wild and spotty WiFi. Soon, Rafi goes from fighting for an interview to fighting for her life. And, as she gets closer to River, she discovers that he might be hiding even darker secrets than she suspected . . .

Review:

Rafi Francisco has a true crime podcast called “Musical Mysteries.” For season 2 of her podcast, she decides to explore her theory that heartthrob musician River Stone killed his girlfriend and lied that she mysteriously disappeared. Rafi goes to Fly Fest, an influencer festival on a Caribbean island where River will be performing. However, there isn’t anything set up on the island when everyone arrives. There are no buildings, no food, and almost no Wi-Fi. Rafi convinces everyone to stay so that she can get her interview with River, but she discovers what lengths influencers will go to to have a good time at the festival. 

This story was more funny than I expected. The influencers who were on the island with Rafi were caricatures of influencers, going to extreme lengths to make it look like they were having a good time. I loved the quote: “People would rather live in a lie utopia than in a true dystopia.” So much on social media is a lie made to look much better than real life. I’ve done that too. When I’ve been having a bad day, I’ll post a positive, happy post rather than something that reflects how I’m really feeling. This story took it to the extreme where the influencers made it seem like they were having a great time while it was actually a disaster. 

I was expecting this story to me more dark and graphic, but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t that dark. It had a creepy atmosphere on the island, but everything that happened had a logical explanation. There were some gross scenes, but there were so many funny parts that made up for it. 

Lord of the Fly Fest is a fun YA story.

What to read next:

You’re So Dead by Ash Parsons

The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

Have you read Lord of the Fly Fest? What did you think of it?

Review: The Witch Haven (The Witch Haven #1)

Title: The Witch Haven (The Witch Haven #1)
Author: Sasha Peyton Smith
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 31, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Last Magician meets The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy in this atmospheric historical fantasy following a young woman who discovers she has magical powers and is thrust into a battle between witches and wizards.

In 1911 New York City, seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell spends her days as a seamstress, mourning the mysterious death of her brother months prior. Everything changes when she’s attacked and a man ends up dead at her feet—her scissors in his neck, and she can’t explain how they got there.

Before she can be condemned as a murderess, two cape-wearing nurses arrive to inform her she is deathly ill and ordered to report to Haxahaven Sanitarium. But Frances finds Haxahaven isn’t a sanitarium at all: it’s a school for witches. Within Haxahaven’s glittering walls, Frances finds the sisterhood she craves, but the headmistress warns Frances that magic is dangerous. Frances has no interest in the small, safe magic of her school, and is instead enchanted by Finn, a boy with magic himself who appears in her dreams and tells her he can teach her all she’s been craving to learn, lessons that may bring her closer to discovering what truly happened to her brother.

Frances’s newfound power attracts the attention of the leader of an ancient order who yearns for magical control of Manhattan. And who will stop at nothing to have Frances by his side. Frances must ultimately choose what matters more, justice for her murdered brother and her growing feelings for Finn, or the safety of her city and fellow witches. What price would she pay for power, and what if the truth is more terrible than she ever imagined?

Review:

1911: Frances Hallowell is a seamstress in New York, still mourning her brother after his mysterious death months ago. When she’s attacked one night by her boss, he ends up dead with her scissors in his neck. Before she can be arrested for his murder, she’s whisked away to Haxahaven Sanatarium, which is a school for witches disguised as a tuberculosis sanatarium. Frances learns how to use some of her new found magic, but she wants to learn more. She’s lured out to the forest to meet her brother’s old friend, Finn, who promises to teach her more magic and find out who killed her brother. As Frances learns more, she must figure out what’s most important to her: Finn, her new witch friends, or discovering her brother’s murderer. 

This was a great witchy story. I loved the spooky atmosphere of New York in 1911. There were people being mysteriously murdered and incurable diseases. Indigenous racism was also addressed a bit, as one of the witches at the school was abused at a residential school. 

There were some great twists at the end of the story. I suspected the big one before it was revealed, but I was still surprised with how the story ended. I’m glad the sequel is out now so I can read it soon!

The Witch Haven is a great witchy story.

What to read next:

The Witch Hunt by Sasha Peyton Smith

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

Other books in the series:

  • The Witch Hunt

Have you read The Witch Haven? What did you think of it?

Review: Love from Mecca to Medina (Love from A to Z #2)

Title: Love from Mecca to Medina (Love from A to Z #2)
Author: S.K. Ali
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Salaam Reads
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: October 18, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

Adam and Zayneb. Perfectly matched. Painfully apart. 

Adam is in Doha, Qatar, making a map of the Hijra, a historic migration from Mecca to Medina, and worried about where his next paycheck will come from. Zayneb is in Chicago, where school and extracurricular stresses are piling on top of a terrible frenemy situation, making her miserable. 

Then a marvel occurs: Adam and Zayneb get the chance to spend Thanksgiving week on the Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, in Saudi Arabia. Adam is thrilled; it’s the reboot he needs and an opportunity to pray for a hijra in real life: to migrate to Zayneb in Chicago. Zayneb balks at the trip at first, having envisioned another kind of vacation, but then decides a spiritual reset is calling her name too. And they can’t wait to see each other—surely, this is just what they both need.

But the trip is nothing like what they expect, from the appearance of Adam’s former love interest in their traveling group to the anxiety gripping Zayneb when she’s supposed to be “spiritual.” As one wedge after another drives them apart while they make their way through rites in the holy city, Adam and Zayneb start to wonder: was their meeting just an oddity after all? Or can their love transcend everything else like the greatest marvels of the world?

Review:

Adam is in Doha, Qatar, trying to find work as an artist while his MS isn’t bothering him. Zayneb is in Chicago, trying to find an apartment while she studies and has to fend off accusations from her school’s newspaper. They are both looking forward to spending a week together in England, but when Adam is offered a trip on the Umbrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, he has to take the opportunity while he’s feeling well. They change their plans to go on the Umbrah together, but their relationship faces the ultimate test on this spiritual journey, making them question if they’re meant to be together. 

This was another fabulous S.K. Ali book! It was so nice to be reunited with these familiar characters. There were also characters from the Saints and Misfits books, which was fun to see all of the characters together. The characters were college age, so they had to deal with more adult problems than in a young adult novel, but it was nice to see the characters grow up in this story. There were some chapters from the perspective of Bertha Fatima, Adam and Zayneb’s cat, which were so entertaining. 

I didn’t know anything about the Umbrah or Mecca and Medina so I learned a lot in this story. It inspired me to look up some of the terms and places to be able to picture them. The story was detailed and described the entire trip so I got a full picture of this experience. 

Love from Mecca to Medina is a great story! 

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

What to read next:

The Eid Gift by S.K. Ali

Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali

Other books in the series:

Have you read Love from Mecca to Medina? What did you think of it?

Review: Sweet and Bitter Magic

Title: Sweet and Bitter Magic
Author: Adrienne Tooley
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: Owlcrate
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: March 9, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this debut fantasy, a witch cursed to never love meets a girl hiding her own dangerous magic, and the two strike a dangerous bargain to save their queendom.

Tamsin is the most powerful witch of her generation. But after committing the worst magical sin, she’s exiled by the ruling Coven and cursed with the inability to love. The only way she can get those feelings back—even for just a little while—is to steal love from others.

Wren is a source—a rare kind of person who is made of magic, despite being unable to use it herself. Sources are required to train with the Coven as soon as they discover their abilities, but Wren—the only caretaker to her ailing father—has spent her life hiding her secret.

When a magical plague ravages the queendom, Wren’s father falls victim. To save him, Wren proposes a bargain: if Tamsin will help her catch the dark witch responsible for creating the plague, then Wren will give Tamsin her love for her father.

Of course, love bargains are a tricky thing, and these two have a long, perilous journey ahead of them—that is, if they don’t kill each other first..

Review:

Tamsin is a powerful witch, but after casting some dark magic, she’s kicked out of the Coven and cursed to never love again. The only way for her to have any feelings of love is to take them from people who need her magic. Wren is a source of magic. People who are sources are required to go to the Coven to be trained, but Wren didn’t want to leave her father alone. Now, her father is sick with a memory-stealing plague, so she approaches Tamsin to help heal him. Wren asks Tamsin to help her find the witch that started the plague to find a cure, and in return she will give Tamsin the love she feels for her father. The two girls must journey into the Coven to find the source of the dark magic. 

This was a cute sapphic witch story. I love it when the duality of good versus evil are explored in a story. Tamsin seemed like a dark witch who stole people’s love just to be mean, but she had a traumatic history that made her behave that way. Wren had conflicting feelings about trusting a witch, but she loved her father so much that she was willing to give up that love to cure him. Love was very valuable in this story. 

There were some surprising twists in this story that I didn’t see coming. I liked how everything wrapped up at the end. It was a complete ending but there’s also the possibility to return to this world and the characters. 

Sweet and Bitter Magic is a great sapphic witchy story.

What to read next:

Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

Have you read Sweet and Bitter Magic? What did you think of it?

Review: Twelfth Grade Night (Arden High #1)

Title: Twelfth Grade Night (Arden High #1)
Author: Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm, Jamie Green
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Contemporary
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 11, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

The course of true love never did run smooth . . . and neither does high school in this new graphic novel series for fans of Heartstopper and The Prince and the Dressmaker.

Vi came to Arden High for a fresh start and a chance to wear beanies and button-ups instead of uniform skirts. And though doing it without her twin feels like being split in half, Vi finds her stride when she stumbles (literally!) into broody and beautiful poet-slash-influencer, Orsino. Soon Vi gets roped into helping plan the school’s Twelfth Grade Night dance, and she can’t stop dreaming about slow dancing with Orsino under the fairy lights in the gym.

The problem? All Vi’s new friends assume she’s not even into guys. And before Vi can ask Orsino to the dance, he recruits Vi to help woo his crush, Olivia. Who has a crush of her own . . . on Vi.

Star-crossed love abounds in this hilarious and romantic story of self-discovery, mistaken identities, and the magic that happens when we open our hearts to something new.

Review:

Vi decided to go to Arden High for a fresh start in high school and to get away from wearing her uniform skirts. Her brother Sebastian stayed at their boarding school, leaving Vi to start this journey on her own. As soon as she walks into the cafeteria, Vi stumbles into the poet influencer Orsino, and she instantly likes him. They spend time together but before Vi can ask Orsino to the Twelfth Grade Night dance, Orsino asks her to ask Olivia out to the dance for him. Things get even more complicated when Olivia reveals she has a crush on Vi. All of these star crossed lovers come together in a mix of mistaken identities at the Twelfth Grade Night dance. 

As soon as I saw the title of this book, I knew I had to read it. Twelfth Night is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays and She’s the Man is one of my favourite adaptations. This story was set in Arden High, which was full of different Shakespeare characters who will probably be in future books. 

Vi was a girl who dressed in masculine clothing, so others assumed that she was attracted to other girls. This also made Vi look identical to her twin brother. Vi’s masculine appearance led to the mistaken identities that are present at the end of Twelfth Night. These queer and gender identities were a great way to adapt Twelfth Night into a modern story. 

Twelfth Grade Night is a fabulous graphic novel adaptation!

What to read next:

Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth

That Way Madness Lies edited by Dahlia Adler

Have you read Twelfth Grade Night? What did you think of it?

Review: The Weight of Blood

Title: The Weight of Blood
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Contemporary
Publisher: HCC Frenzy
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: September 6, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

Author Tiffany D. Jackson ramps up the horror and tackles America’s history and legacy of racism in this YA novel following a biracial teenager as her Georgia high school hosts its first integrated prom. 

When Springville residents—at least the ones still alive—are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have the same explanation… Maddy did it.

An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she’s dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington.

After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High’s racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their image: host the school’s first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it’s possible to have a normal life.

But some of her classmates aren’t done with her just yet. And what they don’t know is that Maddy still has another secret… one that will cost them all their lives.

Review:

Maddie Washington has always been teased by her classmates for being different. She’s quiet, keeps to herself, and has wears old-fashioned clothes. When she’s caught in the rain one day during gym class one day, they learn her biggest secret: she’s biracial. Her classmates bully her even more, making fun of her hair by throwing pencils at her. Some students put out viral videos, which show how deep the racial roots are in this small town. Wendy, the popular white cheer captain, decides to make a change so her racist friends don’t look so bad to the rest of the world. She organizes the town’s first interracial prom, and she asks her popular Black boyfriend to ask Maddie to the dance so that she fits in. However, Maddie has one more secret that will destroy the town. 

The Weight of Blood is a retelling of Stephen King’s Carrie. That’s my favourite King novel so I was so excited to read this one. There were some Stephen King Easter eggs throughout the story. The ending of this book wasn’t exactly the same as Carrie, so I was surprised at the twists. 

The racism in this story was disturbing. Maddie’s white father tried to make her appear white and kept her away from the Black community. Maddie’s classmates said and did horrible things to her, including dressing in blackface. They even had segregated proms. I find it shocking and disturbing that this kind of thing can happen today. Hopefully, books like this one will promote change in the future. 

The Weight of Blood is a fantastic retelling of Carrie with an important message. 

Thank you HCC Frenzy for giving me a copy of this book!

What to read next:

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

Carrie by Stephen King

Have you read The Weight of Blood? What did you think of it?

Review: The First to Die at the End (Death-Cast #0)

Title: The First to Die at the End (Death-Cast #0)
Author: Adam Silvera
Genre: Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary, Fantasy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this prequel to #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon They Both Die at the End, two new strangers spend a life-changing day together after Death-Cast first makes their fateful calls.

It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict when someone will die, or is it just an elaborate hoax?

Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die. He has a serious heart condition, and he signed up for Death-Cast so he could know what’s coming.

Valentino Prince is restarting his life in New York. He has a long and promising future ahead and he only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.

Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first round of End Day calls goes out, their lives are changed forever—one of them receives a call, and the other doesn’t. Though neither boy is certain how the day will end, they know they want to spend it together…even if that means their goodbye will be heartbreaking.

Told with acclaimed author Adam Silvera’s signature bittersweet touch, this story celebrates the lasting impact that people have on each other and proves that life is always worth living to the fullest.

Review:

2010: Death-Cast is a new service that will call you between 12 AM and 2 AM on the day you will die. On the first night that they’re open, no one is sure if it will work or not, because the creator of Death-Cast, Joaquin Rosa, hasn’t shared his secret of how he will know when someone will die. On that night, Orion Pagan has signed up for the service. He lost his parents in 9/11 and he has a heart condition, so he has accepted that he will die young. Valentino Prince has moved to New York City to pursue a career in modeling after his parents cut him out of their lives for being gay. Valentino’s twin sister had a near death experience in a car accident, so Valentino signs up for Death-Cast to be prepared for his own death. Orion and Valentino meet by chance on the opening night of Death-Cast, which forever changes their lives. One of them gets the call that night, but the other doesn’t. They decide to spend this End Day together, knowing it will only end in heartbreak. 

This prequel completely blew me away. I knew it would be an emotional read, which I tend to avoid. I’m so glad I read this one because it was so beautifully crafted. There were cameos from characters from They Both Die at the End that were both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Every character had an important purpose that contributed to the ending of the story. 

The First to Die at the End is one of my favourite books of the year, and probably of all time. 

Thank you so much HCC Frenzy for sending me this copy!

What to read next:


Infinity Son by Adam Silvera

Heartstopper, Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

Other books in the series:

Have you read The First to Die at the End? What did you think of it?