Young Adult – Page 4 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: Better Than the Movies (Better Than the Movies #1)

Title: Better Than the Movies (Better Than the Movies #1)
Author: Lynn Painter
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 4, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar – and maybe snag him as a prom date – even befriend Wes Bennet.

The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic-comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love – and rethink her own ideas of what happily ever after should look like.

Review:

Liz Buxbaum loves rom coms because it connects her to her mom who passed away when she was a child. She dreams of having her own romance her childhood crush, Michael, who moved away when they were kids. Now, Michael has moved back to town. Liz wants to have her rom com moment with Michael and go to prom with him. She convinces her next-door neighbour and frenemy Wes to help her get Michael to notice her. However, the more time Liz spends with Wes, she wonders if he’s meant to be the romantic lead in her love story.

This was such a cute romance! I loved all the references to rom com movies and books. Liz was living her own rom com. At first, Wes convinced her to change things about herself to attract Michael. Liz eventually had to learn the hard lesson that it’s important to find someone who loves you for who you are, not to turn yourself into someone different to please someone else.

Better Than the Movies is a cute YA rom com!

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

Content warnings: death of parent (off page), car accident, vomiting, blood

Other books in the series:

Nothing Like the Movies (Better Than the Movies #2)

Have you read Better Than the Movies? What did you think of it?

Review: An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1)

Title: An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1)
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Review:

Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. When their house is raided one night, her grandparents are murdered, her brother is taken to jail, and Laia escapes. She finds the Resistance who say they will help save her brother if she infiltrates the military school as a slave to the leader, the Commandant. Elias is a soldier at the school, and the estranged son of the Commandant. He plans his escape from their prison-like school, but instead he is put in the Trials to find the person who will inherit the Emperor’s position. Both Laia’s and Elias’s goals become intertwined as they try to destroy the empire that created them.

I’ve had this series on my TBR and I’m so glad I finally started it. It had descriptive world building that hooked me right away. The chapters alternated between Laia’s and Elias’s POVs. It was fast paced, and I had to keep reading to find out what happened next! I’m so glad I can read the rest of the series right away.

An Ember in the Ashes is a great YA fantasy!

Content warnings: death of parents, death of grandparents, kidnapping, stabbing, slavery, abuse

Other books in the series:

A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2)
A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3)
A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4)

Have you read An Ember in the Ashes? What did you think of it?

Review: HoverGirls

Title: HoverGirls
Author: Geneva Bowers
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 6, 2024
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The web comic sensation about magical girls by acclaimed illustrator Geneva Bowers, now in a beautiful print edition, featuring an expanded storyline and revised art!

Jalissa and Kim Vasquez are cousins who move to the city of Los Aguaceros together. Kim dreams of becoming a famous model and fashion designer, while Jalissa is just trying to hold herself together after a breakdown the year before.

When a curious incident on the beach leaves them with supernatural powers and monsters start attacking the city, Kim decides that using their powers to stop them is the perfect way for them to become famous. But being heroes isn’t as easy as it seems–and Los Aquaceros is in more danger than they imagine.

This beautifully illustrated and hilarious YA graphic novel began as a web comic and quickly became a WEBTOON sensation. This print edition features an expanded story and updated art, offering something for new and old fans alike!

Review:

Jalissa and Kim Vasquez are cousins who move to the city of Los Aguaceros together to start new lives. Kim wants to be a famous fashion designer and model, while Jalissa wants to escape her problems at home. An incident on the beach leaves them with magic powers and strange fish-like monsters in the city. Kim decides the way to get famous is to defeat these monsters and save the city. However, there is something out of this world behind the cause of their powers and the monsters, which they must defeat to survive.

This story had a lot of potential. I loved the vibrant illustrations. Kim and Jalissa had opposite personalities. Kim was excited and eager but forgetful. Jalissa kept to herself and seemed angry most of the time. I didn’t feel a connection to either of the characters because they both had unlikeable traits.

Unfortunately HoverGirls wasn’t for me.

Thank you Bloomsbury for providing a digital copy of this book!

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

Review: I Kissed Shara Wheeler

Title: I Kissed Shara Wheeler
Author: Casey McQuiston
Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQ, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 3, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop and Red, White & Royal Blue comes a debut YA romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need…

Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she’s spent the past four years dodging gossipy classmates and a puritanical administration at Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that’s kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect progeny.

But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes.

On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbor with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara’s trail of clues and find her. It’ll be worth it, if Chloe can drag Shara back before graduation to beat her fair-and-square.

Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe—probably not, but maybe—more to Shara, too.

Fierce, funny, and frank, Casey McQuiston’s I Kissed Shara Wheeler is about breaking the rules, getting messy, and finding love in unexpected places.

Review:

Chloe Green is competing with Shara Wheeler to be valedictorian at her conservative Christian school. After prom night, Shara vanishes without a trace. Everyone in school is obsessed with her and wondering where she is, and Chloe can’t help but be curious too. Shara randomly kissed Chloe in school one day, and Chloe thinks that has something to do with her disappearance. While she’s searching for answers, Chloe discovers that Shara left cryptic notes for her boyfriend Smith and her next door neighbour Rory. Though they don’t have anything else in common, Chloe, Smith, and Rory follow the clues that Shara left behind to figure out the secrets Shara has been keeping.

This was a great YA novel. Chloe had two moms and she was bisexual, so she was constantly fighting against the homophobic rules that were in place at her school. Shara seemed like a Regina George-type character at the beginning. She was the most popular girl in school and everyone seemed to be obsessed with her. However, there was more to her, and to most of the students at their school, than there appeared to be on the surface. I really liked the twist that happened once they solved all of Shara’s clues!

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a great queer YA romance!

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

Content warnings: homophobia

Have you read I Kissed Shara Wheeler? What did you think of it?

Review: Sunderworld, Vol. 1: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry

Title: Sunderworld, Vol. 1: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry
Author: Ransom Riggs
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Penguin Teen Canada
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 27, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The much-anticipated new fantasy series from Ransom Riggs, his first since introducing the #1 global phenomenon Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series.

Seventeen-year-old Leopold Berry is seeing weird things around Los Angeles. A man who pops a tooth into a parking meter. A glowing trapdoor in a parking lot. A half-mechanical raccoon with its tail on fire that just won’t leave him alone. Every hallucinatory moment seems plucked from a cheesy 1990s fantasy TV show called Max’s Adventures in Sunderworld—and that’s because they are.

Not a good sign.

In the blurry weeks after his mother’s death, a young Leopold discovered VHS tapes of its one and only season in a box headed for the trash—and soon became obsessed. Losing himself in Sunder was the best way to avoid two things: grieving his mother and being a chronic disappointment to his overbearing father. But when the strange visions return—at the worst possible time on the worst possible day—Leopold turns to his best friend Emmet for help. Together they discover that Sunder is much more than just an old TV show, and that Los Angeles is far stranger than they ever imagined. And soon, he’ll realize that not only is Sunderworld real, but it’s in grave danger.

Certain he’s finally been chosen for greatness, Leopold risks everything to claim his destiny, save the world of his childhood dreams, and prove once and for all that he’s not the disappointment his father believes him to be. But when everything goes terribly, horribly, excruciatingly wrong, Leopold’s disappointments prove to be more extraordinary than he ever could have imagined.

How do you battle darkness when no one believes in you—not even yourself?

Visionary storyteller Ransom Riggs weaves the familiar with the peculiar in a stunning loss, triumph, friendship and magic, reminding readers everywhere that true heroes are made, not born—and that when you’re never the chosen one, sometimes you have to choose yourself.

Welcome to Sunderworld.

Review:

Seventeen-year-old Leopold Berry keeps seeing strange things around Los Angeles. He saw a raccoon on fire and a man who opened a portal from a parking meter. All of these strange sights come from Sunderworld, a 90s TV show. Leopold became obsessed with Sunderworld after finding the VHS tapes in his mother’s belongings after she died. When Leopold asks his friend Emmet for help with these visions, they discover that Sunderworld is a real place. They travel there together, which seems like a dream come true for Leopold, but everything goes wrong. It isn’t the place that Leopold expected, and he ends up running for his life and discovering secrets about his past.

I was so excited when I heard about this book! It lived up to my expectations. It was fast paced and exciting. The story reminded me of the Miss Peregrine series, but it was a different story. There were some great mysteries set up that I’m sure will be explored in future books.

Sunderworld, Vol. 1: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry is a great start to a new series!

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parent (off page)

Have you read Sunderworld, Vol. 1: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry? What did you think of it?

Review: Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy #1)

Title: Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy #1)
Author: Lauren Roberts
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: January 31, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.

The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.

Review:

In Ilya, the Elite have been granted extraordinary powers. Those who don’t have those powers are called Ordinary, and they have been banished by the King. Paedyn Gray is an Ordinary, but she’s a clever thief who is able to pose as an Elite with psychic powers. After saving Prince Kai in the city, Paedyn is taken to the palace and sent to the Purging Trials. The trials is a competition that is meant to showcase the powers of the Elite, which Paedyn doesn’t actually have. Paedyn is joined in these trials by Prince Kai who has been trained to enforce the laws for the King and can’t resist being close to Paedyn. She must try to convince everyone she has powers and survive the trial so that her secret isn’t discovered.

This was a great fantasy competition story. There were nods to some classic YA fantasy stories including a love triangle with two princes and a magical hedge maze. I liked that the narrative skipped over transition scenes and showed the important events. Fantasy stories can become tedious if they focus on every small detail but this one kept up a steady pace. I’m excited to read the sequel!

Powerless is a great YA fantasy!

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

Content warnings: death, stabbing, death of parent

Other books in the series:

Powerful (The Powerless Trilogy #1.5)
Reckless (The Powerless Trilogy #2)

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

Review: The Ghostkeeper

Title: The Ghostkeeper
Author: Johanna Taylor
Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 23, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of everything from Lockwood & Co to The Haunting of Hill House, this gothic graphic novel follows a young medium with the gift—or curse, as some might say—to communicate with the dead.

Dorian Leith can see ghosts. Not only that, he listens to their problems and tries to help them move on to the afterlife. It’s a gift that’s made him an outcast to everyone in town. That is except for his dearly departed grandmother, who he’s partnered with to turn this paranormal ability into an honest living, and the local bookshop owner, who seems to be the only non-deceased person willing to give him a chance. But it’s all worth it to Dorian, who feels like he’s been given a bigger purpose. A chance to save those who cannot save themselves.

Then one day, the key to Death’s Door is stolen, trapping all the ghosts in the land of the living. Since he’s only one who can see them, the spirits rely on Dorian to retrieve the key before it is too late. If they can’t move on, they’ll soon be consumed by a ghostly rot that has begun to plague them.

As it continues to fester and spread, and the ghosts become desperate for relief, Dorian must do whatever it takes to find a way to bring peace to the restless dead—even if that peace comes at the cost of his own….

Review:

After a brush with death as a child, Dorian Leith could see and speak to ghosts. He listens to their problems and helps send them to the afterlife. However, this gift has made him an outcast in town. There are plague doctors who want to get rid of the ghosts using potions, rather than helping them find peace like Dorian does. The local bookshop owner is the only person in town willing to help Dorian. One day, the key to Death’s Door is stolen by the ghost of a young girl, which prevents any ghosts from passing through to the afterlife. Dorian must find a way to retrieve the key before the ghosts rise up and destroy everyone in town.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! I love stories about people who can communicate with ghosts. This story had a Victorian style setting, which is one of my favourite book settings. There was a lot of tension and heartbreak around the ghosts. Some had quite tragic endings, such as the little girl who stole the key. There were some positives with the ghosts, though, like Dorian spending time with his grandmother’s ghost since he didn’t know her when she was alive.

The Ghostkeeper is a great paranormal graphic novel!

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

Content warnings: death, death of child, death of parent

Have you read The Ghostkeeper? What did you think of it?

Review: Seven Faceless Saints (Seven Faceless Saints #1)

Title: Seven Faceless Saints (Seven Faceless Saints #1)
Author: M.K. Lobb
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Thriller
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: February 7, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the city of Ombrazia, saints and their disciples rule with terrifying and unjust power, playing favorites while the unfavored struggle to survive.

After her father’s murder at the hands of the Ombrazian military, Rossana Lacertosa is willing to do whatever it takes to dismantle the corrupt system—tapping into her powers as a disciple of Patience, joining the rebellion, and facing the boy who broke her heart. As the youngest captain in the history of Palazzo security, Damian Venturi is expected to be ruthless and strong, and to serve the saints with unquestioning devotion. But three years spent fighting in a never-ending war have left him with deeper scars than he wants to admit… and a fear of confronting the girl he left behind.

Now a murderer stalks Ombrazia’s citizens. As the body count climbs, the Palazzo is all too happy to look the other way—that is, until a disciple becomes the newest victim. With every lead turning into a dead end, Damian and Roz must team up to find the killer, even if it means digging up buried emotions. As they dive into the underbelly of Ombrazia, the pair will discover something more sinister—and far less holy. With darkness closing in and time running out, will they be able to save the city from an evil so powerful that it threatens to destroy everything in its path?

Discover what’s lurking in the shadows in this dark fantasy debut with a murder-mystery twist, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kerri Maniscalco.

Review:

Roz Lacertosa has been devastated since her father was killed on the battlefield. It made her want to rebel against the system that put him in the war, by using her powers as a disciple of Patience. Damian Venturi is the captain of security at the Palazzo, which houses disciples of the seven saints. When the disciple of Death is found murdered, Damian is asked to investigate by himself, but he ends up teaming up with his childhood friend Roz. Roz is also investigating some strange murders outside of the Palazzo. They notice similarities between the murders, but as they search for answers, they discover dark secrets that put their whole world in danger.

This book was a thrilling murder mystery. It was fast paced and intense. Roz and Damian were in opposing positions. Roz was a disciple of Patience, but she resented her powers because it was the people in charge of the disciples who killed her father. Damian had not been chosen by the saints as a disciple, so he was considered one of the unfavored in society. While Roz resented her powers, Damian wished he had them. The story ended on a bit of a cliffhanger so I’m excited to read the sequel!

Seven Faceless Saints is a thrilling fantasy!

Content warnings: death, death of parent, gun violence, poisoning

Other books in the series:

Disciples of Chaos (Seven Faceless Saints #2)

Have you read Seven Faceless Saints? What did you think of it?

Review: The Lightning Circle

Title: The Lightning Circle
Author: Vikki VanSickle, Laura K. Watson (illustrations)
Genre: Young Adult, Poetry
Publisher: Tundra Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: March 26, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

An intimate coming-of age novel for teens, told in verse with delicate line art, chronicling the beauty, magic and transformative power of summer camp, for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Judy Blume.

After having her heart broken, seventeen-year-old Nora Nichols decides to escape her hometown and take a summer job as an arts and crafts counsellor at an all-girls’ camp in the mountains of West Virginia. There, she meets girls and women from all walks of life with their own heartaches and triumphs. Immersed in this new camp experience, trying to form bonds with her fellow counselors while learning to be a trusted adviser for her campers, Nora distracts herself from her feelings, even during the intimate conversations around the nightly campfires. But when a letter from home comes bearing unexpected news, Nora finds inner strength in her devastation with the healing power of female friendship. Presented as Nora’s camp journal, including Nora’s sketches of camp life, scraps of letters, and spare poems, The Lightning Circle is an intimate coming-of-age portrait.

Review:

Seventeen-year-old Nora wants a break from her hometown this summer after having her heart broken, so she goes to a summer camp as a counselor in West Virginia. She meets young women, both campers and counselors, from different backgrounds with their own heartaches. Nora must learn to open herself up to new friendships to begin healing.

This was a beautiful book. It is written in verse, which suits the emotional time Nora is experiencing. Each section of the story was concise, but also evoked the teenage emotions of the story. There were also beautiful illustrations in a sketch style that accompanied the verses.

The Lightning Verse is a beautiful summer camp story.

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

Content warning: eating disorder

Have you read The Lightning Circle? What did you think of it?

Review: As Good As Dead (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #3)

Title: As Good As Dead (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #3)
Author: Holly Jackson
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The finale to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. By the end of this mystery series, you’ll never think of good girls the same way again…

Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?

Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.

Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle… and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears…

Review:

Pip is ready to go to college, but she can’t stop thinking about her last two cases. It doesn’t help that Max Hastings, who should be in prison, is suing Pip for defamation. When Pip starts to get threats, she finds connections to a serial killer, the Duct Tape Killer. However, the DT Killer has been in prison for six years. Pip must figure out if the wrong man is in prison, with the real killer still out there, before she becomes his next victim.

This was a great finale to the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. The mystery in this book was connected to both of the other books. The second half of the story kept me on the edge of my seat. I would have been too scared to do the things that Pip did, but she had to do them for the best outcome. She had to make her own justice when the authorities wouldn’t listen to her.

As Good As Dead is a great finale!

Content warnings: death, murder, drugging, blackmail, gaslighting, blood

Other books in the series:

Kill Joy (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #0.5)
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #1)
Good Girl, Bad Blood (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #2)

Have you read As Good As Dead? What did you think of it?