Young Adult – Page 36 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)

Title: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 25, 2008
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what’s normal when you’re a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who’s becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn’t ready to let her go—especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary’s only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil—and also her father.
To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings—and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City’s Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Review:

Clary’s mother is still in the hospital in a magical coma, when the villainous Valentine strikes again. He starts killing members of each magical group in order to get another one of the Mortal Instruments. Clary and Jace are the ones who can figure out how to stop their father, Valentine, from taking over the Shadowhunters Clave.

This story had a faster pace than the first one. Each of the different kinds of magical creatures were introduced in the first one, so this story could jump right into the action. Every time the action started to calm down, something major would happen to disrupt their lives, which made me want to keep reading.

There was a lot of tension, especially with the final fight scenes. It didn’t seem like all of the characters were going to survive the end. There were also some hints as to secrets that will probably be revealed soon, to explain some of the plot points that didn’t make sense. I’m rooting for Clary and Jace’s romance, even though they’re supposedly biological siblings. I hope everything works out for them in the next book.

I love this story! I can’t wait to read the next one.

Other books in the series:

City of Bones
City of Glass
City of Fallen Angels
City of Lost Souls
City of Heavenly Fire

Have you read City of Ashes? What did you think of it?

Review: The Black Flamingo

Title: The Black Flamingo
Author: Dean Atta
Genre: Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 26, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

I masquerade in makeup and feathers and I am applauded.
A boy comes to terms with his identity as a mixed-race gay teen – then at university he finds his wings as a drag artist, The Black Flamingo. A bold story about the power of embracing your uniqueness. Sometimes, we need to take charge, to stand up wearing pink feathers – to show ourselves to the world in bold colour.

Review:

Michael has always had a hard time fitting in. He doesn’t act like the other boys, who play with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and like to fight. He would rather play with Barbies and sing. He also doesn’t fit in at home, where he lives with his white mother, rather than his black father. When Michael begins university, he finds his identity as the drag queen The Black Flamingo.

This story is written in verse. This was such a great format to tell the story, since it takes place throughout Michael’s life from when he was a child to when he was a young adult. The verse format gives snapshots of important moments that affected his life. It also conveys more emotions in the short lyrical lines than it would have in prose.

There were many parts of the story that were so well written that I had to pause and read them over. Two scenes stood out to me and really made me think. When Michael was a child, he wanted a Barbie for his birthday, but he was given a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle because it is considered a “boy” toy. When his sister was a child, she was allowed to play with his ninja turtles and Barbies, and wasn’t criticized for playing with a “boy” toy the way he was when he wanted to play with a “girl” toy. Another part that stood out was when the characters were talking about what things they look for in a partner. When they talked about preferring people of certain races, a character brought up how racist that was. Race shouldn’t be a factor in finding a partner, but I have heard people say that before. I hadn’t thought of the racist implications of that, and the way it was explained in this story made so much sense.

I loved this book! I highly recommend it!

Review: Her Royal Highness (Royals #2)

Title: Her Royal Highness (Royals #2)
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, LGBT
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Millie Quint is devastated when she discovers that her sort-of-best friend/sort-of-girlfriend has been kissing someone else. And because Millie cannot stand the thought of confronting her ex every day, she decides to apply for scholarships to boarding schools . . . the farther from Houston the better.
Millie can’t believe her luck when she’s accepted into one of the world’s most exclusive schools, located in the rolling highlands of Scotland. Everything about Scotland is different: the country is misty and green; the school is gorgeous, and the students think Americans are cute.
The only problem: Mille’s roommate Flora is a total princess.
She’s also an actual princess. Of Scotland.
At first, the girls can barely stand each other–Flora is both high-class and high-key–but before Millie knows it, she has another sort-of-best-friend/sort-of-girlfriend. Even though Princess Flora could be a new chapter in her love life, Millie knows the chances of happily ever afters are slim . . . after all, real life isn’t a fairy tale . . . or is it?

Review:

American Millie Quint was accepted into an elite Scottish boarding school, which is accepting female students for the first time, but she’s torn about whether she should attend. When she catches her girlfriend kissing someone else, she decides to escape from her broken heart and move to Scotland. Millie gets off to a bad start with her roommate, Flora, which is even more complicated when she discovers that Flora is actually Princess Flora of the Scottish Royal family. Flora and Millie don’t get along, until they realize they have feelings for each other.

When I first read the description for this book, I thought it was a completely different story from Royals, the first book in the series. At first, I was disappointed because I thought it wouldn’t have any of the same characters. Though the main characters are different from the ones in Royals, they are related. Flora is the younger sister of Prince Alex, whose engagement is in the story of Royals. I was glad to see some of the same characters I loved in Royals.

I loved the queer representation in this story. Millie is bi, and she owns her identity in Scotland. Though she doesn’t talk about it much in her home in Texas, her friends and family know she is bisexual. Flora is a queer member of the royal family, which isn’t often portrayed in stories or real life. It’s great to see characters like this who can love and be accepted for who they are.

I love these stories. They have actually inspired my current writing project about fictional Royals. I hope there will be more books in this series in the future.

Other books in the series:

Royals

Have you read Her Royal Highness? What did you think of it?

Blog Tour Review: Mayhem

Title: Mayhem
Author: Estelle Laure
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 14, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A YA feminist mash up inspired by The Lost Boys and The Craft.
It’s 1987 and unfortunately it’s not all Madonna and cherry lip balm. Mayhem Brayburn has always known there was something off about her and her mother, Roxy. Maybe it has to do with Roxy’s constant physical pain, or maybe with Mayhem’s own irresistible pull to water. Either way, she knows they aren’t like everyone else. But when May’s stepfather finally goes too far, Roxy and Mayhem flee to Santa Maria, California, the coastal beach town that holds the answers to all of Mayhem’s questions about who her mother is, her estranged family, and the mysteries of her own self. There she meets the kids who live with her aunt, and it opens the door to the magic that runs through the female lineage in her family, the very magic Mayhem is next in line to inherit and which will change her life for good. But when she gets wrapped up in the search for the man who has been kidnapping girls from the beach, her life takes another dangerous turn and she is forced to face the price of vigilante justice and to ask herself whether revenge is worth the cost.
From the acclaimed author of This Raging Light and But Then I Came Back, Estelle Laure offers a riveting and complex story with magical elements about a family of women contending with what appears to be an irreversible destiny, taking control and saying when enough is enough.

Review:

In 1987, Mayhem and her mother, Roxy, move back to Roxy’s hometown of Santa Maria. They are escaping Roxy’s abusive husband. Roxy has kept Mayhem away from her family for most of her life. She left her family after Mayhem’s father died tragically. Mayhem learns their family secrets while investigating a string of kidnappings.

There was a layer of magic to this story. Mayhem’s family, the Brayburns, have a mystical history involving the water in a special cave. The magical elements weren’t the main part of the story, but they enhanced the way that the kidnappings were investigated, and they gave the Brayburns a long family history.

There were some tough issues in this book. Mayhem and her mom were abused by her stepfather, causing them to return to Roxy’s family home. There was also a suicide and drug abuse. The addition of magic made these serious problems a little less catastrophic because it wasn’t happening in our reality.

This is a great story!

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

About the author:

Estelle Laure, the author of This Raging Light and But Then I Came Back believes in love, magic, and the power of facing hard truths. She has a BA in Theatre Arts and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and she lives in Taos, New Mexico, with her family. Her work is translated widely around the world.

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

Review: Code Name Verity

Title: Code Name Verity
Author: Elizabeth Wein
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 6, 2012
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Code Name Verity is a compelling, emotionally rich story with universal themes of friendship and loyalty, heroism and bravery.
Two young women from totally different backgrounds are thrown together during World War II: one a working-class girl from Manchester, the other a Scottish aristocrat, one a pilot, the other a wireless operator. Yet whenever their paths cross, they complement each other perfectly and before long become devoted friends. But then a vital mission goes wrong, and one of the friends has to bail out of a faulty plane over France. She is captured by the Gestapo and becomes a prisoner of war. The story begins in “Verity’s” own words, as she writes her account for her captors.

Review:

Verity is an upperclass Scottish girl, who has been captured by Nazis during WWII. She has to write down all of the information she knows about the war in England. She was captured when she was in a plane crash with her best friend, who has the codename Kittyhawk. Verity has to document her time in captivity, while knowing there is only one way her story will end, and she won’t survive it.

The details about the espionage in this story were fascinating. Some of the details that caused the spies to be captured were based on real events. They were caught due to small details, such as looking the wrong way when crossing the road. These minor details made the story exciting.

The format of this story was confusing. Verity told her story using her information about England, while also documenting what was happening to her in the present. Sometimes it was confusing to flip back and forth between the present and the past. She also used codenames and alternate identities for people in her story, and spoke about herself in the third person. The second part of the story was much easier to follow because it was told linearly. The story was difficult to figure out due to this unconventional format.

This story was interesting, but a little confusing due to the format.

Review: Burn Our Bodies Down

Title: Burn Our Bodies Down
Author: Rory Power
Genre: Young Adult, Horror
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Wilder Girlscomes a new twisty thriller about a girl whose past has always been a mystery—until she decides to return to her mother’s hometown . . . where history has a tendency to repeat itself.
Ever since Margot was born, it’s been just her and her mother. No answers to Margot’s questions about what came before. No history to hold on to. No relative to speak of. Just the two of them, stuck in their run-down apartment, struggling to get along.
But that’s not enough for Margot. She wants family. She wants a past. And she just found the key she needs to get it: A photograph, pointing her to a town called Phalene. Pointing her home. Only, when Margot gets there, it’s not what she bargained for.
Margot’s mother left for a reason. But was it to hide her past? Or was it to protect Margot from what’s still there?
The only thing Margot knows for sure is there’s poison in their family tree, and their roots are dug so deeply into Phalene that now that she’s there, she might never escape.

Review:

Margot has always lived with her mother, and she has never had any other relatives. They live a secluded life, and Margot longs for some family history. She finds a photo of her mother as a child with her grandmother’s phone number on the back. Margot decides to go and find the rest of her family, but she ends up discovering their secrets that should have stayed hidden.

This was an intense story. The tension grew slowly as different parts of Margot’s family’s past were revealed. There were some hints as to what was coming, though I only noticed that looking back on the story.

It’s difficult to talk about the story without giving away the ending. I can say that I really liked the way the story progressed. I was actually cringing at the descriptions by the end, but it was well worth the wait to find out what happened.

I enjoyed this suspenseful novel!

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

Review: Evil Thing (Villains #7)

Title: Evil Thing (Villains #7)
Author: Serena Valentino
Genre: Young Adult, Retelling
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Cruella De Vil is the perfect villain: stylish, witty, relentless…and possibly cursed.
From her lonely childhood, to her iconic fashion choices, to that fateful car crash (you know the one), Cruella tells all in this marvelous memoir of a woman doomed. Even the cruelest villains have best friends, true loves, and daring dreams. Now it’s Cruella’s turn to share hers.
This latest novel by the author of the wildly popular and darkly fascinating Villains series brings readers a tale told by the Evil Thing herself-a tale of the complicated bonds of female friendship, of mothers and daughters, and of burning, destructive desire.
After all, nothing is as simple as black and white.

Review:

Cruella De Vil was a spoiled little girl. Her father loved her and spent time with her, but her mother only bought her gifts to show her love. When Cruella’s father died, she was abandoned by her mother, who decided to travel the word after sending Cruella away to school. The only way that Cruella knows how to give and receive love is through money and gifts. The ultimate gift to her is fur, and it would be an even more special gift if it was a unique fur coat made from black and white puppies.

This is the first book I’ve read in this Disney villains series and I loved it! Cruella De Vil is one of the meanest Disney villains. She wanted to make a fur coat out of Dalmatian fur. This story didn’t try to justify what Cruella wanted to do, which is so horrible it can’t be explained. What the story does though is show how Cruella became a woman who wanted a coat made out of puppies.

Cruella narrates this story herself. She tells the story of her upbringing and her confusing relationships with other people. Cruella was from a high class family, who lived in a large house with servants. She would describe the people who she was close to, but weren’t quite at her high level in society, as in-betweens. This included her best friend Anita, who lived with an upper class family but was not given the same privileges as them. Anita later becomes the owner of the Dalmatians which Cruella wants to have for their fur. The relationship between Cruella and Anita was much more complex than in the movie 101 Dalmatians. This story explained why Cruella behaved the way she did.

I really enjoyed this story!

Thank you Disney Book Group for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Other books in the series:

Fairest of All
The Beast Within
Poor Unfortunate Soul
Mistress of Evil
Mother Knows Best
The Odd Sisters

Have you read Evil Thing? What did you think of it?

Review: Date Me, Bryson Keller

Title: Date Me, Bryson Keller
Author: Kevin van Whye
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Romance
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 19, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

What If It’s Us meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in this upbeat and heartfelt boy-meets-boy romance that feels like a modern twist on a ’90s rom-com!
Everyone knows about the dare: Each week, Bryson Keller must date someone new–the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Few think Bryson can do it. He may be the king of Fairvale Academy, but he’s never really dated before.
Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes.
Kai Sheridan didn’t expect Bryson to say yes. So when Bryson agrees to secretly go out with him, Kai is thrown for a loop. But as the days go by, he discovers there’s more to Bryson beneath the surface, and dating him begins to feel less like an act and more like the real thing. Kai knows how the story of a gay boy liking someone straight ends. With his heart on the line, he’s awkwardly trying to navigate senior year at school, at home, and in the closet, all while grappling with the fact that this “relationship” will last only five days. After all, Bryson Keller is popular, good-looking, and straight . . . right?
Kevin van Whye delivers an uplifting and poignant coming-out love story that will have readers rooting for these two teens to share their hearts with the world–and with each other.

Review:

At a New Year’s Eve party, Bryson Keller, the most popular boy in school, is dared to date a different person every week until Spring Break. The catch is that they have to ask him to date on Monday morning until Friday afternoon. When there are just a few weeks left to go in the dare, Kai Sheridan is paired up with Bryson for a drama project. On a whim, Kai asks Bryson to date that week. The rules said that a person had to ask him, not specifically a girl, though that was assumed. The problem is that no one knows that Kai is gay, so Bryson and Kai have to hide their fake dating for the week. Their new relationship becomes more than just a dare when they have to explore their identities.

I loved this story so much! Kai and Bryson were adorable together. The first two thirds of the story were filled with fun fake dating, where everyone was happy. In the last third, there was more conflict, but it was unavoidable with so many lies about the fake dating.

Kai and Bryson were so cute, but there was also a layer of lies since no one knew Kai was gay. He had to hide it from his friends and family, because he didn’t think they would accept him if they knew. He had a bad experience with a friend that he told when he was younger, so he was afraid to share his secret. The story addressed the way that everyone is automatically assumed to be heterosexual. Kai figures that any guy who he likes won’t like him back, because they are straight. Sexuality shouldn’t be assumed for anyone, but we often automatically make a decision based on how someone looks or who they date. Though Kai’s story is fictional and has a hopeful ending, it’s important to recognize that there are many people who don’t have such a positive life when coming out.

This is such a great story!

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

Review: Influence

Title: Influence
Author: Sara Shepard and Lilia Buckingham
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Get ready to delve into the world of teen influencers like you’ve never done before–from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of PRETTY LITTLE LIARS Sara Shepard and sixteen-year-old actress and social media personality Lilia Buckingham comes a twisty mystery that takes place in the fiercely competitive world of Internet stars.
After a video she makes goes viral, everyone knows Delilah Rollins. And now that she’s in LA, Delilah’s standing on the edge of something incredible. Everything is going to change. She has no idea how much.
Jasmine Walters-Diaz grew up in the spotlight. A child star turned media darling, the posts of her in her classic Lulu C. rainbow skirt practically break the Internet. But if the world knew who Jasmine really was, her perfect life? Canceled.
Fiona Jacobs is so funny–the kind of girl for whom a crowd parts–no wonder she’s always smiling! But on the inside? The girl’s a hot mess. And when someone comes out of the shadows with a secret from her past, it’s one that won’t just embarrass Fiona: it will ruin her.
Who wouldn’t want to be Scarlet Leigh? Just look at her Instagram. Scarlet isn’t just styled to perfection: she is perfection. Scarlet has a gorgeous, famous boyfriend named Jack and there’s a whole fanbase about their ship. To everyone watching online, their lives seem perfect . . . but are they really? The sun is hot in California . . . and someone’s going to get burned.

Review:

Sixteen-year-old Delilah enters the new world of being an influencer when she moves to L.A. with her family. She instantly joins parties with other top influencers and actresses Jasmine, Fiona, and Scarlet. When Delilah is caught flirting with Scarlet’s boyfriend Jack, Delilah learns just how mean the world of social media can be. Everything escalates until someone is murdered, and everyone is a suspect.

This book shows the dark side of social media. When a celebrity posts something, fans can take it to the extreme either loving or hating them. It’s easy to judge someone when you view their “perfect” life on social media, but what is posted isn’t the whole story. This story shows what can happen when online bullying is taken to the extreme.

This book reminded me of Pretty Little Liars. It had a lot of the same twists that that series had. I liked the suspenseful twists. I was surprised at who the murderer was at the end. I kept guessing who it was, but I was wrong every time. I love it when a book surprises me in the end.

This was a great, fast paced thriller.

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

Review: Stay Gold

Title: Stay Gold
Author: Tobly McSmith
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 26, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Debut author Tobly McSmith delivers a coming-of-age teen love story about a transgender boy who’s going stealth at his new Texas high school and a cisgender girl who is drawn to him, even as she’s counting down the days until graduation. Perfect for fans of David Levithan, Becky Albertalli, and Jenny Han.
Pony just wants to fly under the radar during senior year. Tired from all the attention he got at his old school after coming out as transgender, he’s looking for a fresh start at Hillcrest High. But it’s hard to live your best life when the threat of exposure lurks down every hallway and in every bathroom.
Georgia is beginning to think there’s more to life than cheerleading. She plans on keeping a low profile until graduation…which is why she promised herself that dating was officially a no-go this year.
Then, on the very first day of school, the new guy and the cheerleader lock eyes. How is Pony supposed to stay stealth when he wants to get close to a girl like Georgia? How is Georgia supposed to keep her promise when sparks start flying with a boy like Pony?
Funny and poignant, clear-eyed and hopeful, Stay Gold is a story about finding love—and finding yourself.

Review:

When Pony’s family moves to a new town in Texas, he can start at a new school and hide his transgender identity. Even though he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s transgender, he’s constantly worried about that part of his identity being revealed. Pony is attracted to Georgia as soon as he spots her across the schoolyard. She’s a popular cheerleader, who he probably has no chance with. Pony and Georgia end up sharing all the same classes and spending a lot of time together. However, their real relationship can’t begin until Pony is honest with Georgia.

I was so excited to read this book as soon as I heard about it! I read The Outsiders in middle school, so I recognized the phrase “Stay Gold” as soon as I read the title. This book wasn’t an exact adaptation but I recognized some of the same themes as in The Outsiders.

Though Pony was one of the main characters, this story also showed different kinds of transgender identities. Pony was obsessed with having top surgery, so he wore a binder everyday even though it was uncomfortable. His main goal was to earn enough money to be able to afford the surgery, because he wanted to present as male. At the same time, his friend Max was proud of his trans identity. He shared articles and petitions on social media, but Pony didn’t want to have that part of his life online. Sometimes I think people consider all people who share a gender identity to be the same, so I’m glad this story showed different perspectives.

I loved this story!

What to read next:

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju

Have you read Stay Gold? What did you think of it?

Goodreads Synopsis:

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What to read next:

City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3) by Cassandra Clare

The Beautiful (The Beautiful #1) by Renée Ahdieh

Other books in the series:

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What to read next:

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

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What to read next:

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud

Other books in the series:

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What to read next:

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Love and Other Curses by Michael Thomas Ford

About the author:

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What to read next:

They Went Left by Monica Hesse

The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein

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What to read next:

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin

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Review:

What to read next:

Fairest of All by Serena Valentino

Poor Unfortunate Soul by Serena Valentino

Other books in the series:

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Review:

What to read next:

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

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What to read next:

Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars #1) by Sara Shepard

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #1) by Holly Jackson

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What to read next:

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju