Young Adult – Page 16 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: Squad

Title: Squad
Author: Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Contemporary, Fantasy
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 5, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Pretty Little Liars meets Teen Wolf in this fast-paced, sharply funny, and patriarchy-smashing graphic novel from author Maggie Tokuda-Hall and artist Lisa Sterle. When the new girl is invited to join her high school’s most popular clique, she can’t believe her luck—and she can’t believe their secret, either: they’re werewolves. Fans of Mariko Tamaki and Elana K. Arnold will devour the snappy dialogue, vivid artwork, and timely social commentary.
When Becca transfers to a high school in an elite San Francisco suburb, she’s worried she’s not going to fit in. To her surprise, she’s immediately adopted by the most popular girls in school. At first glance, Marley, Arianna, and Mandy are perfect. But at a party under a full moon, Becca learns that they also have a big secret.
Becca’s new friends are werewolves. Their prey? Slimy boys who take advantage of unsuspecting girls. Eager to be accepted, Becca allows her friends to turn her into a werewolf, and finally, for the first time in her life, she feels like she truly belongs.
But things get complicated when Arianna’s predatory boyfriend is killed, and the cops begin searching for a serial killer. As their pack begins to buckle under the pressure—and their moral high ground gets muddier and muddier—Becca realizes that she might have feelings for one of her new best friends.
Lisa Sterle’s stylish illustrations paired with Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s sharp writing make Squad a fun, haunting, and fast-paced thriller that will resonate with fans of Riverdale, and with readers of This Savage Song, Lumberjanes, and Paper Girls.

Review:

When Becca and her mom move to an elite suburb in San Francisco, she’s surprised to be welcomed into the popular clique at school. Arianna, Marley, and Mandy are idolized at school and go to all the parties. However, one night Becca learns their secret: they’re werewolves. Every month the wolves target a guy from another school who takes advantage of girls. Then the werewolves take turns feeding off of him. Becca joins in their hunting, until things take a dark turn. Arianna’s boyfriend is murdered, which makes the police investigate a number of similar murders of young men in the area. This puts pressure on the pack, and they have to figure out how to hide their true lifestyle.

This graphic novel immediately reminded me of Mean Girls. Arianna, Marley, and Mandy were a lot like the Plastics. Becca was an unsuspecting new girl, who they took under their wing, just like Kady in Mean Girls. That’s one of my favourite movies, so these similarities were so fun.

I loved the social justice part of this story. The werewolf pack wanted to get justice for the girls who had been harmed by these horrible guys, so they chose them as their targets. Some of the names of these guys were similar to real life male predators, which was an insightful reference. Eventually, though, these attacks went too far and the trail appeared to lead back to the wolf pack.

Squad is a fun, feminist graphic novel!

Review: Spells Trouble (Sisters of Salem #1)

Title: Spells Trouble (Sisters of Salem #1)
Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Double double, twins spell trouble…
Hunter and Mercy Goode are twin witches, direct descendants of the founder of their town of Goodeville. As their ancestors have done before them, it is now time for the twins to learn what it means to be Gatekeepers–the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds, ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and nightmares come to life.
When their mother becomes the first victim in a string of murders, the devastated sisters vow to avenge her death. But it will take more than magic to rein in the ancient mythological monsters who’ve infected their peaceful town.
Now Hunter and Mercy must come together and accept their destiny or risk being separated for good.

Review:

Hunter and Mercy Goode are twin teenage witches in their town of Goodeville, which was founded by their ancestor. The girls are gatekeepers to the portals of the underworlds of ancient and mythological lands. However, when their mother’s death begins a string of murders in their town, the sister witches must do something to stop the demon who is threatening their town. Mercy and Hunter must accept their legacy as protectors of Goodeville or risk ruining it forever.

I went into this book blind and I was completely surprised by what it was about. I didn’t expect the mythological aspects. There were creatures and gods from Greek, Norse, and Egyptian mythology mentioned. It was an unusual blend of the modern world with these ancient stories.

There was an awkward subplot about Mercy’s terrible boyfriend. It involved a “slut-shaming” incident which didn’t really add to the story. That part felt out of place and could have been replaced with something that wasn’t so controversial since it didn’t move the plot forward.

My favourite part of this story was Xena, the Goode family’s cat. She surprised them by transforming into a person after their mother died. Even though she became a human, she still had cat behaviours and called everyone “kitten.” She was adorable and funny.

Spells Trouble is an original modern witch story.

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book.

Other books in the series:

Omens Bite

Have you read Spells Trouble? What did you think of it?

Review: Very Bad People

Title: Very Bad People
Author: Kit Frick
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: April 5, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this dark academia young adult thriller for fans of The Female of the Species and People Like Us, a teen girl’s search for answers about her mother’s mysterious death leads to a powerful secret society at her new boarding school—and a dangerous game of revenge that will leave her forever changed.
Six years ago, Calliope Bolan’s mother drove the family van into a lake with her three daughters inside. The girls escaped, but their mother drowned, and the truth behind the “accident” remains a mystery Calliope is determined to solve. Now sixteen, she transfers to Tipton Academy, the same elite boarding school her mother once attended. Tipton promises a peek into the past and a host of new opportunities—including a coveted invitation to join Haunt and Rail, an exclusive secret society that looms over campus like a legend.
Calliope accepts, stepping into the exhilarating world of the “ghosts,” a society of revolutionaries fighting for social justice. But when Haunt and Rail commits to exposing a dangerous person on campus, it becomes clear that some ghosts define justice differently than others.
As the society’s tactics escalate, Calliope uncovers a possible link between Haunt and Rail and her mother’s deadly crash. Now, she must question what lengths the society might go to in order to see a victory—and if the secret behind her mother’s death could be buried here at Tipton.

Review:

Six years ago, Calliope Bolan’s mother drove their van into a lake. Only Calliope and her two younger sisters survived. Now, Calliope is still looking for answers for what made her mother drive off the road. She transfers to the elite boarding school Tipton Academy, which her mother attended. Calliope is invited to join the secret society, Haunt and Rail, which stages pranks across campus in order to achieve social justice. She discovers a possible link between the society and what happened to her mother, involving a mysterious man she sees in town who reminds her of the crash. As the society takes on a huge social justice issue, Calliope discovers the secret behind her mother’s death.

This was such a suspenseful thriller. I couldn’t put it down. There were so many layers to the story, including the car crash where Calliope’s mother died, the Haunt and Rail society, and the new relationships Calliope made at school. All of these plots came together at the end.

The only thing that I didn’t like was that the story ended on a cliffhanger. I realized when I had about ten pages left that there wasn’t enough space to resolve all the questions I had. I’m really hoping there will be a sequel because I need to know what happens next!

Very Bad People is a suspenseful, boarding school thriller!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book.

Review: Hush (Hush #1)

Title: Hush (Hush #1)
Author: Dylan Farrow
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 6, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

They use magic to silence the world. Who will break the hush?
Seventeen-year-old Shae has led a seemingly quiet life, joking with her best friend Fiona, and chatting with Mads, the neighborhood boy who always knows how to make her smile. All while secretly keeping her fears at bay… Of the disease that took her brother’s life. Of how her dreams seem to bleed into reality around her. Of a group of justice seekers called the Bards who claim to use the magic of Telling to keep her community safe.
When her mother is murdered, she can no longer pretend.
Not knowing who to trust, Shae journeys to unlock the truth, instead finding a new enemy keen to destroy her, a brooding boy with dark secrets, and an untold power she never thought possible.

Review:

Seventeen-year-old Shae has lived a quiet life, despite experiencing losses. Her brother died of the disease called Blot, caused by ink. Writing and books are banned in their country. Her father also died and her mother never spoke again after her brother died. Shae lives in fear of the strange way her illusions bleed into her reality and of the Bards, who use their magic of Telling things into reality to keep the community safe. When Shae discovers her mother has been murdered, she must find answers, but no one else believes that she was murdered. Shae runs away to the capital to find answers, and she discovers a power she didn’t know was inside her.

I went into this story completely blind and I’m so glad I did. I loved this fantasy world. Writing and reading books are my entire life, so it was fascinating and scary to imagine a world where they are banned. That would be my worst nightmare, but I can believe that people can be told something is dangerous enough times that it becomes believable.

Shae was an unreliable narrator, because no one believed what she said. It even made me question if what she said was true, because everyone said she was wrong. This was a powerful story about speaking your truth despite others not believing it.

Hush is a beautiful story. I’m so excited to read the sequel!

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book.

Other books in the series:

Veil

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

Blog Tour Review: Sense and Second-Degree Murder (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #2)

Title: Sense and Second-Degree Murder (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #2)
Author: Tirzah Price
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: April 5, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Three of Jane Austen’s classic novels receive a murder mystery makeover in this romantic and thrilling three-book series that’s perfect for fans of The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy and Stalking Jack the Ripper. In Sense and Second-Degree Murder, aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood and her sister Marianne, a budding detective, work together to solve the mystery of their father’s murder.
When eighteen-year-old aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood discovers her beloved father slumped over the desk of his office study, she knows his death means dire straits for the Dashwood women. To make matters worse, an outdated will entails his estate—including Norland & Company, the private investigation firm where her younger sister Marianne worked as her father’s partner and protégé—to their half-brother and his haughty wife, who waste no time in forcing the Dashwoods out of their home and into a cramped apartment on London’s Barton Street.
But before they go, the Dashwood sisters make a startling discovery that points to foul play, and the killer might be family.
Obviously, the girls must investigate. It could be dangerous; it could ruin their reputations; and most importantly, it won’t bring back their father. But if the Dashwood sisters can combine their talents and bring their father’s murderer to justice, it may bring them all some comfort—and it might even lead to love.

Review:

When eighteen-year-old Elinor Dashwood discovers her father’s body in his study, it’s only the beginning of their problems. Her father hadn’t updated his will since Elinor and her sisters were born, so everything he had was left to his son, John Dashwood, from his first marriage. John and his wife, Fanny, take their rightful inheritance and kick Elinor, Marianne, Margaret, and Mrs. Dashwood out of their house without their fortune. However, Elinor and Marianne aren’t comfortable with the way their father died. They search his study before they leave the house and discover evidence of murder. The sisters must investigate their father’s murder while also unravelling some other mysteries along the way.

I have read Sense and Sensibility a couple of times, but it isn’t one of my favourite books by Jane Austen. Despite that, I loved this adaptation. Mr. Dashwood had been a private investigator and his daughters took up that job once he was gone. This is completely different from Jane Austen’s story, yet this storyline fit into the plot of Sense and Sensibility perfectly. This book hit all the main plot points in a way that made sense to the original story.

I love adaptations of classics. I think they’re a great way to teach the younger generation about classical literature that can seem heavy at times. This book is the second in the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series. It could be read as a stand-alone, but there were some fun mentions of the first book which readers of Pride and Premeditation will love. I hope more of Austen’s novels will be adapted in this way because I loved it!

Sense and Second-Degree Murder is a great adaptation of Sense and Sensibility!

Thank you HarperTeen and TBR and Beyond Tours for providing a copy of this book.

Other books in the series:

Pride and Premeditation

About the author:

Tirzah Price grew up on a farm in Michigan, where she read every book she could get her hands on and never outgrew her love for YA fiction. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is a former bookseller and librarian. Now, she’s a contributing editor at Book Riot, where she can be found recommending books on the site, newsletters, podcasts, and social media accounts. When she’s not writing, reading, or thinking about YA books, she splits her time between experimenting in the kitchen and knitting enough socks to last the fierce Michigan winters.Tirzah is pronounced TEER-zuh. Pronouns are she/her.

Where to buy:

Tour schedule:

April 4th
Kait Plus Books – Interview
Worlds Unlike Our Own – Review
Books With Michelle – Top 5 Reasons to Read Sense and Second-Degree Murder & Mood Board
Stephanie Reads – Review

April 5th
Stuck in Fiction – Promotional Post
Bibliophile On Loose – Review & Mood Board
laura’s bookish corner – Review
The Book View – Review & Mood Board

April 6th
Books and Strokes – Journal Spread
Pages & Plots – Promotional Post
Phannie the ginger bookworm – 15 Reactions While Reading Sense and Second-Degree Murder
Books Over Everything – Review

April 7th
The Book Dutchesses – Interview
Books Are Magic Too – Review
Book Notes by Athina – Promotional Post
Gwendalyn’s Books – Review

April 8th
Nine Bookish Lives – Promotional Post
Fanna for Books – Review
The Blind Scribe – Book Look
Jill’s Book Blog – Review

April 9th
Stuck in the Stacks – Review
decklededgess – Book Look
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post
The carly library – Review

April 10th
The Clever Reader – Interview
Ana en Noir – Review
Little Corner Reads – 15 Reactions While Reading Sense and Second-Degree Murder
teatimelit – Review

Have you read Sense and Second-Degree Murder? What did you think of it?

Review: The Witch’s Hand (The Montague Twins #1)

Title: The Witch’s Hand (The Montague Twins #1)
Author: Nathan Page, Drew Shannon
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, LGBT
Publisher: Knopf
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 14, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Brothers. Detectives. Witches? Meet Pete and Alastair Montague in the first installment of a new graphic novel duology that is the Hardy Boys meets Paper Girls.
Pete and Alastair Montague are just a couple of mystery-solving twins, living an ordinary life. Or so they thought. After a strange storm erupts on a visit to the beach, they discover there is more to their detective skills than they had thought. Their guardian, David Faber, a once prominent professor, has been keeping secrets about their parents and what the boys are truly capable of.
At the same time, three girls go missing after casting a mysterious spell, which sets in motion a chain of events that takes their small town down an unexpected path. With the help of David’s daughter, Charlie, they discover there are forces at work that they never could have imagined, which will impact their lives forever.
An exciting new graphic novel from innovative creators Nathan Page and Drew Shannon that is at once timely and thrilling.

Review:

Pete and Al Montague are teenage twins who live with a professor and his family. Pete and Al solve mysteries in their town. However, they have a magical secret behind their success. After a storm, the boys find a mysterious witch in a lighthouse. Then three girls disappear, including the daughter of a prominent man in town. Along with the professor’s daughter, Charlie, Pete and Al investigate this disappearance and the mysteries of their town.

This story was set in the 1960s, which reminded me of vintage Archie comics meets the Hardy Boys. There was some diversity in this story, with queer characters talking about coming out. I enjoyed this setting for this story.

This was an exciting mystery novel. I loved the addition of some magic along with the mysteries. There was some witch lore involved as well. I liked that the mysterious elements were introduced in this story, and it left a lot of questions to be explored in the next volume.

The Witch’s Hand is an exciting start to the Montague Twins series!

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book.

Other books in the series:

The Devil’s Music

Have you read The Witch’s Hand? What did you think of it?

Blog Tour Review: A Forgery of Roses

Title: A Forgery of Roses
Author: Jessica S. Olson
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: March 29, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Myra Whitlock has a gift. One many would kill for.
She’s an artist whose portraits alter people’s real-life bodies, a talent she must hide from those who would kidnap, blackmail, and worse in order to control it. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone.
But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor’s dead son. Desperate, Myra ventures to his legendary stone mansion.
Once she arrives, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. Someone dangerous lurks within these glittering halls. Someone harboring a disturbing obsession with portrait magic.
Myra cannot do the painting until she knows what really happened, so she turns to the governor’s older son, a captivating redheaded poet. Together, they delve into the family’s most shadowed affairs, racing to uncover the truth before the secret Myra spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.
From Sing Me Forgotten author Jessica S. Olson comes a gothic fantasy murder mystery perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Erin A. Craig.

Review:

Myra Whitlock is a Prodigy. That means she can paint someone’s portrait and then use it to alter their appearance in some way. Under the current Governor, Prodigies are illegal. Myra’s Mom, who was a Prodigy too, and her dad have disappeared. Myra is left to look after her ill sister on her own. When the Governor’s wife approaches Myra with a proposition that will give her a huge paycheck, she can’t resist. The Governor’s wife wants Myra to paint her son, who has secretly died, and bring him back to life. Myra has never brought anyone back to life, but it isn’t as easy as fixing a small injury on a portrait. She discovers a murder mystery which puts her life, and her sister’s life, at risk.

This book reminded me so much of Stalking Jack the Ripper and The Picture of Dorian Gray, two of my favourite books. The idea that a portrait can alter a person’s real appearance is fascinating. Pictures can show things on a person that they don’t notice themselves. This talent that Myra had was useful at times but also dangerous because it can harm a person as well as heal them.

I was completely shocked at the ending. The final twist was not what I expected at all. There were hints at the end of the possibility of a sequel and I hope there will be one because I loved this book!

A Forgery of Thorns is an exciting fantasy mystery!

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book.

About the author:

Jessica S. Olson claims New Hampshire as her home but has somehow found herself in Texas, where she spends most of her time singing praises to the inventor of the air conditioner. When she’s not hiding from the heat, she’s corralling her four wild—but adorable—children, dreaming up stories about kissing and murder and magic, and eating peanut butter by the spoonful straight from the jar. She earned a bachelor’s in English with minors in editing and French, which essentially means she spent all of her university time reading and eating French pastries. She is the author of Sing Me Forgotten (2021) and A Forgery of Roses (2022).

Have you read A Forgery of Roses? What did you think of it?

Review: The Storyteller

Title: The Storyteller
Author: Kathryn Williams
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Once Upon a Book Club Box
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 11, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

This story follows a teenage girl’s quest to uncover the truth behind her secretive great aunt Anna, who just might be the long lost Russian princess Anastasia.
It’s not every day you discover you might be related to Anastasia…or that the tragic princess actually survived her assassination attempt and has been living as the woman you know as Aunt Anna.
For Jess Morgan, who is growing tired of living her life to please everyone else, discovering her late aunt’s diaries shows her she’s not the only one struggling to hide who she really is. But was her aunt truly a Romanov princess? Or is this some elaborate hoax?
With the help of a supremely dorky, but undeniably cute, local college student named Evan, Jess digs into the century-old mystery.
But soon Jess realizes there’s another, bigger truth waiting to be revealed: Jess Morgan. Because if she’s learned anything from Aunt Anna, it’s that only you can write your own story.

Review:

In 2007, while Jess Morgan is helping her mom clean out her great-great aunt’s house a couple of years after she died, she finds an old trunk full of diaries. They’re all written in Russian, so she has to find a translator. Evan, a local college student accepts the job of translating them. However, they soon discover that the journals were written by Anastasia Romanov, who was supposedly killed with her family in 1918. Jess has to know if her aunt really was the Russian Princess, so she must do her own research to figure this out. Meanwhile, she has drama with her best friend, her boyfriend, and her parents. Jess uses her investigation into her great-great aunt to distract herself from the other problems in her life.

The story about Anastasia Romanov is fascinating. For some reason, throughout the 20th century, there have been many women who claimed to be her. One popular impersonator, Anna Anderson, was mentioned in this story. The main question in this story is whether Jess’s great-great aunt Anna really was Anastasia Romanov.

The setting of 2007 is important to this story. There was a key discovery made in the Romanov mystery in that year. I won’t give it away in case it spoils the story. It cleared up a lot of questions I had about the story. I was worried the ending would be completely made up, but it followed the facts of the true story of Anastasia Romanov quite faithfully.

The Storyteller is a great YA mystery!

Blog Tour Review: Killing Time

Title: Killing Time
Author: Brenna Ehrlich
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: March 8, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Summer in Ferry, Connecticut, has always meant long, lazy days at the beach and wild nights partying in the abandoned mansions on the edge of town. Until now, that is.

Natalie Temple, who’s never been one for beaches or parties in the first place, is reeling from the murder of her favorite teacher, and there’s no way this true-crime-obsessed girl is going to sit back and let the rumor mill churn out lie after lie—even if she has to hide her investigation from her disapproving mom and team up with the new boy in town…

But the more Natalie uncovers, the more she realizes some secrets were never meant to be told.
Expertly-plotted and brimming with suspense, Killing Time is more than just a mystery. It’s a thoughtful novel about true crime stories and how we tell them.

Review:

Natalie Temple is obsessed with true crime. When her favourite teacher is murdered, Natalie wants to investigate it herself to put on her podcast. Her mom disapproves of Natalie’s true crime obsession because she has a secret history with a criminal investigation. Natalie sneaks around, behind her mother’s and her best friend’s backs, to get the story, but she ends up getting more tangled up in the murder investigation.

This was a very suspenseful story about a teenage girl investigating a murder in her small town. Natalie’s mom seemed a little extreme in the way she controlled everything Natalie did, but she had her own reasons which were told through some flashback chapters. Though her mom was overprotective, there were a few moments where Natalie was able to sneak around without getting caught. If her mom was as protective as she said she was, I don’t think Natalie would have been able to get away with so many things. She did get into some very dangerous situations so I can’t blame her mom for trying to protect her.

There were some potentially triggering scenes. There was murder, suicide, assault, and a couple of non-consensual kisses. The non-consensual kisses were kind of brushed off. Since it was clear that Natalie didn’t want them to happen, I would have liked that to be addressed more to make it clear that she didn’t want it and that it wasn’t a good situation.

I figured out some of the twists before they happened. The murderer was in my top two suspects, but I still enjoyed this story.

Killing Time was a suspenseful thriller!

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book.

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh

About the author:

Brenna Ehrlich is a journalist, YA author, and editor who has worked everywhere from MTV News to Rolling Stone. She resides in New Jersey with her husband Morgan and their two cats, Nimbus and Hazel. She enjoys horror movies and romcoms in equal measure.

Have you read Killing Time? What did you think of it?

Review: Gallant

Title: Gallant
Author: V.E. Schwab
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: March 1, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.
Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.
Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.
Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

Review:

Olivia Prior has grown up at Merilance School for girls, with only her mother’s old journal as company. Olivia doesn’t speak and she doesn’t have friends at school. One day, she receives a letter from her uncle inviting her to live at Gallant, the one place that her mother warned her never to go. However, once she arrives there, she discovers that her uncle is dead and no one at the house is expecting her. The house is full of ghouls and secrets. Olivia has finally found the place where she belongs, but she must convince the residents, and the manor, that she belongs there.

This story was like a fairytale. Olivia is school age, but her actual age wasn’t given. Though she’s not an adult, there were some more mature themes, like the image of death, that would appeal to an older audience. The story seemed like it could have been part of our world, but also a fantasy world. It had a timeless quality, which also made it feel like a fairytale.

This book was filled with gorgeous illustrations that were replicas of the drawings in Olivia’s mother’s journal. The illustrations were of things in the past, but they also reflected what was going on in Olivia’s present life. They were a gorgeous addition to this book.

Gallant is a beautiful dark fairytale.

Thank you HCC Frenzy for providing a copy of this book.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Paper Girls, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Omens Bite by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

Other books in the series:

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Veil by Dylan Farrow

Other books in the series:

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Other books in the series:

About the author:

Where to buy:

Tour schedule:

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

The Devil’s Music by Nathan Page and Drew Shannon

Other books in the series:

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

About the author:

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Romanov by Nadine Brandes

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh

About the author:

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth