After binge-watching beauty videos online, a shy comic book fan masters the art of makeup and sees her social standing skyrocket as she becomes her school’s prettiest pretty girl overnight. But will her elite status be short-lived? How long can she keep her real self a secret? And what about that cute boy who knows her secret?
Review:
This is a great sequel to True Beauty! Jugyeong has to keep the secret of how different she looks without makeup. People treat her differently when she wears makeup and looks traditionally pretty, from when she looks like her natural self. I think she’s starting to understand the problem with becoming someone she’s not, just to conform to society’s standards.
Title: Realm United (The Felserpent Chronicles #3) Author: Katie Keridan Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publisher: SparkPress Source: Bookinfluencers.com Format: Ebook Release Date: October 8, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
This enemies-to-lovers YA romantacy is the last book in the popular Felserpent Chronicle series, bringing the story full circle with timely themes of sacrifice, war, and love.
Sebastian Sayre and Kyra Valorian, the former Felserpent King and Queen, thought they knew what reuniting the divided realms of Aeles and Nocens would require of them. But fulfilling their promises to stop Tallus and bring peace between those with silver and gold blood will require sacrifices they didn’t expect to make.
Furious over Kyra’s refusal to help him turn Daevals into Astrals, Tallus assumes control of Aeles and announces he’s developed a weapon capable of killing everyone with silver blood. Kyra discovers a way to defeat him, but it will require her to perform a terrible act she isn’t sure she can live with. Sebastian loathes becoming a recognized public figure, and given his dark past, there are those who don’t trust him to hold a position of power, even as he and Kyra race to reunite the realms.
Filled with old friends and new allies, devastating betrayals and surprising revelations, this heart-pounding conclusion to the Felserpent Chronicles ends where it began: in the grey waters of Death. Controlling the past might change the future, but will saving their world cost Sebastian and Kyra the very bond that binds them across time?
Review:
This book is a great finale to the Felserpent Chronicles! Kyra and Sebastian had a lot to do to complete their goal of uniting their two realms, and I wasn’t sure if they would be able to do it in the space of this novel. I loved the ending! All of the questions I had were answered, and there was also a heartwarming surprise!
Realm United is an exciting conclusion to the Felserpent Chronicles!
Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!
Content warnings: kidnapping, death, murder, death of parent (off page)
Title: Missing Clarissa Author: Ripley Jones Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary Publisher: Wednesday Books Source: Purchased Format: Hardcover Release Date: March 7, 2023 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
In a gripping novel perfect for fans of Sadie and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, two best friends start a true crime podcast—only to realize they may have helped a killer in the process.
In August of 1999, dazzlingly popular cheerleader Clarissa Campbell disappears from a party in the woods outside the rural town of Oreville, Washington and is never seen again. The police question her friends, teachers, and the adults who knew her—who all have something to hide. And thanks to Clarissa’s beauty, the mystery captures the attention of the nation. But with no leads and no body, the case soon grows cold. Despite the efforts of internet sleuths and true-crime aficionados, Clarissa is never found—dead or alive.
Over twenty years later, Oreville high-school juniors and best friends Blair and Cameron start a true crime podcast, determined to unravel the story of what—or who—happened to this rural urban legend. In the process they uncover a nest of dirty small-town secrets, the sordid truth of Clarissa’s relationship with her charismatic boyfriend, and a high school art teacher turned small-town figurehead who had a very good reason for wanting Clarissa dead. Such a good reason, in fact, that they might have to make him the highlight of their next episode…
But does an ugly history with a missing girl make him guilty of murder? Or are two teenage girls about to destroy the life of an innocent man—and help the true killer walk free?
Review:
This is a suspenseful thriller! It really kept me guessing until the end. I couldn’t figure out what could have happened to Clarissa or who could have killed her. I really liked Cam and Blair. They were a fun pair of best friends to read about because they were similar but also different in a lot of ways. The ending was very fast-paced and exciting! I’m looking forward to reading the sequel!
Missing Clarissa is a suspenseful and exciting thriller!
Content warnings: death of parent (off page), kidnapping, stalking, grooming (off page)
Other books in the series:
The Other Lola
Have you read Missing Clarissa? What did you think of it?
Title: Blood Divided (The Felserpent Chronicles #2) Author: Katie Keridan Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance Publisher: SparkPress Source: Bookinfluencers.com Format: Ebook Release Date: October 3, 2023 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Kyra Valorian and Sebastian Sayre have finally remembered their pasts as the former Felserpent Queen and King, and now it’s time for them to change the future―by reuniting the realms and bringing peace to Astrals and Daevals. But tensions between Aeles and Nocens have never been higher, and those of silver and gold blood are more divided than ever.
In addition to improving her recovrancy abilities and completing internship, Kyra is determined to uncover her father’s role in the evil Astral experimentation program, no matter the danger. As Sebastian learns to be in a relationship, he finds himself facing the traumas of two very different pasts, forcing him to make tough decisions about his chosen profession and who he wants to be. Meanwhile, Tallus, arch-enemy to the Felserpent monarchy, has also returned―and it will take help from Cyphers, as well as friends both old and new, to find and stop him.
As Kyra and Sebastian struggle to navigate the differences between their past and current relationship, one thing’s part of fulfilling their destiny means accepting their fate. The choices they make will reach all the way into Death in this thrilling found family sequel to Reign Returned .
Review:
This book is a thrilling sequel to Reign Returned! There was more action in this story since the characters and world were introduced in the first book. I loved how more of Kyra and Sebastian’s past lives together were slowly being revealed to them. They found more people who were also been reincarnated with them. I’m excited to read the final book in the trilogy!
Blood Divided is a great fantasy sequel!
Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!
Content warnings: death of parent, knife violence, child abuse, fire
Other books in the series:
Reign Returned (The Felserpent Chronicles #1)
Realm United (The Felserpent Chronicles #3)
Have you read Blood Divided? What did you think of it?
Title: Fly Me to the Moon, Vol. 1 Author: Kenjirō Hata Genre: Manga, Young Adult, Romance Publisher: Viz Media Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: September 8, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
From the day his parents named him, Nasa Yuzaki has felt connected to outer space…whether he likes it or not. His efforts to outperform the space program veer off course when an accident introduces him to Tsukasa, a mysterious girl with strange powers. Is she an alien, a moon goddess or something else? Since she insists on marrying him, Nasa will have plenty of chances to find out!
Review:
This manga was so cute. It was sarcastic and funny at times. It had the “love at first sight” trope, which isn’t usually my favourite, but it was done in an exaggerated and funny way so it was entertaining. It was often cinematic in the way the story was told. I’m looking forward to continuing the series!
Fly Me to the Moon, Vol. 1 is an entertaining manga!
Thank you Viz Media and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!
Content warnings: car accident, hospital scene, blood
Have you read Fly Me to the Moon, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?
Title: Dogsred, Vol. 1 Author: Satoru Noda Genre: Manga, Young Adult Publisher: Viz Media Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: March 18, 2025 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Ice hockey action from the creator of Golden Kamuy!
Rou once chased figure-skating glory. Now he chases redemption in the ice hockey rink.
After winning the national championship, 15-year-old figure skater Rou Shirakawa was on his way to the Olympics. But with his mother’s tragic death on his mind, he threw it all away in an outburst of rage. Banned from figure skating, he and his sister move to Hokkaido. When he meets some local kids at the skating pond, they convince him to be a stand-in player for their soon-to-be-disbanded hockey team. The team has never won a game, and they’re up against the local champs—but if they’ve got to go down, they want to score at least one goal before it’s all over. Rou hasn’t got a clue how to play ice hockey, but he sure knows how to skate!
Review:
In this manga, a promising young figure skater, Rou, gives up his future of skating at the Olympics after his mother passes away. Even though he doesn’t want to figure skate anymore because it reminds him of his mother, he still skates on his own and some kids talk him into playing hockey with them. I liked that Rou didn’t completely give up his passion of skating. He found a different way to skate in a new sport. There were some hints of what’s to come at the end of the story, of Rou possibly joining a hockey team.
Dogsred, Vol. 1 is a great start to this manga series!
Thank you Viz Media and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book for a paid campaign!
Content warnings: death of parent (off page)
Have you read Dogsred, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?
After binge-watching beauty videos online, a shy, comic book fan masters the art of make-up, then sees her social standing skyrocket as she becomes her school’s prettiest pretty girl literally overnight. But will her elite status be short lived? How long can she keep her “real self” a secret? And what about that cute boy she likes? Could you imagine if he found out the truth?
Review:
In this book, a teenage girl transforms her looks and her life by wearing makeup. However, when she goes out without wearing makeup, no one recognizes her. It’s funny, but it’s true that some people can be unrecognizable without their regular makeup. Makeup can also transform the way you look and the way people treat you, but the only time that Jugyeong was her true self was when she wasn’t wearing makeup.
True Beauty, Vol. 1 is a great start to this graphic novel series!
Other books in the series:
True Beauty, Vol. 2
True Beauty, Vol. 3
True Beauty, Vol. 4
True Beauty, Vol. 5
Have you read True Beauty, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?
Title: Fable for the End of the World Author: Ava Reid Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, LGBTQ Publisher: HarperCollins Source: BookSparks Format: Hardcover Release Date: March 4, 2025 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this standalone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.
By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society.
Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.
Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks.
When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive.
For Melinoë, this is a game she can’t afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption.
As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything: Inesa wonders if there’s more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she’s capable of more than killing.
And both wonder if, against all odds, they might be falling in love.
Review:
This book was such an intense and emotional story. There was tension between every character, mostly because they were fighting to survive. This dystopian world doesn’t seem that far from our future reality now, with the way things are changing. I wasn’t sure how the story would end because there were so many possible outcomes and most of them were tragic. I would love to revisit these characters in another book one day to see what happens next!
Fable for the End of the World is a thrilling dystopian read!
Thank you BookSparks for sending me a copy of this book as part of the Winter Reading Challenge!
Title: (S)Kin Author: Ibi Zoboi Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Poetry, Contemporary Publisher: Versify Source: BookSparks Format: Hardcover Release Date: February 11, 2025 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ibi Zoboi comes her groundbreaking contemporary fantasy debut—a novel in verse based on Caribbean folklore—about the power of inherited magic and the price we must pay to live the life we yearn for.
Fifteen-year-old Marisol is the daughter of a soucouyant. Every new moon, she sheds her skin like the many women before her, shifting into a fireball witch who must fly into the night and slowly sip from the lives of others to sustain her own. But Brooklyn is no place for fireball witches with all its bright lights, shut windows, and bolt-locked doors.… While Marisol hoped they would leave their old traditions behind when they emigrated from the islands, she knows this will never happen while she remains ensnared by the one person who keeps her chained to her magical past—her mother.
Seventeen-year-old Genevieve is the daughter of a college professor and a newly minted older half sister of twins. Her worsening skin condition and the babies’ constant wailing keep her up at night, when she stares at the dark sky with a deep longing to inhale it all. She hopes to quench the hunger that gnaws at her, one that seems to reach for some memory of her estranged mother. When a new nanny arrives to help with the twins, a family secret connecting her to Marisol is revealed, and Gen begins to find answers to questions she hasn’t even thought to ask.
But the girls soon discover that the very skin keeping their flames locked beneath the surface may be more explosive to the relationships around them than any ancient magic.
Review:
This is a beautiful novel in verse. It follows two girls: Marisol and Genevieve. They were connected through their shared power, where on every new moon, they shed their skin and fly like a comet with the ability to hurt someone who has harmed them. I read most of this book in one sitting. It was fast paced and so hard to put down. It addressed racism, bullying, and slavery in an intense and engaging plot.
(S)Kin is a beautiful story!
Thank you BookSparks for providing a copy of this book as part of the Winter Reading Challenge.
Title: Beyblade X, Vol. 1 Author: Homura Kawamoto, Hikaru Muno, Posuka Demizu Genre: Manga, Young Adult Publisher: Viz Media Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: January 14, 2025 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Who will rise to the top of The X in the ultimate Beyblade showdown?!
Bladers are ready to battle it out! They’ve set their sights on the top of The X tower and prepare to fight their way to victory. With new technology and powerful opponents entering the arena, Beyblades are pushed to their extremes as they race through a new era.
Amateur Blader Robin Kazami is left without a team after a crushing defeat. Things start to look up when he runs into former Beyblade champion Jaxon Cross, who is on his own journey to fight back to the top of The X tower under the alias “Blader X.” This unlikely duo teams up and vows to rise to the top of Beyblade!
Review:
This was such a fun manga! It’s about kids who compete in Beyblade tournaments. I didn’t play with Beyblades much as a kid, but a lot of my friends did. This book reminded me of playing during recess in elementary school. I think this book will make adult readers nostalgic and introduce young readers to the game!
Beyblade X, Vol. 1 is a great YA manga!
Thank you Viz Media and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!
Have you read Beyblade X, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?
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