Young Adult – Page 46 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: The Grey Sisters

Title: The Grey Sisters
Author: Jo Treggiari
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Two years after a deadly plane crash, best friends D and Spider head into the mountains to face their grief. A gripping psychological thriller for fans of The Cheerleaders and Sadie.

D and Spider have always been close friends, and they are further united in their shared heartbreak: they both lost siblings in a horrific plane crash two years earlier. A chance sighting of a beloved cuddly toy in a photograph of the only survivor spurs D to finally seek closure. She and Spider and their friend, Min, set off on a road trip to the mountainside site of that terrible crash.

Ariel has lived on the mountain all her life. She and her extended family are looked down upon by neighboring townsfolk and she has learned to live by her wits, trusting few people outside of her isolated, survivalist community. A terrifying attack sends her down the mountain for help; on her way, she comes upon the three girls — a chance encounter that will have far-reaching consequences for them all.

Review:

This book was a gripping thriller!

The story is told from multiple perspectives. D, Min, and Spider all have third person narratives. Ariel is the only girl who tells her story from a first person perspective, and she is the only one from the isolated community. The parts about the community seemed like they could have taken place a hundred years ago because of the isolated way that they lived. Since that was the only narrative that was told in first person, it made it easier to relate to her character.

The two different types of narratives seemed like separate stories for a lot of the book. D, Min, and Spider were going to see the crash site of a plane crash that killed D’s and Spider’s siblings. Ariel happened to live near the crash site. When both narratives came together, I was so shocked. They were connected in a way I never could have predicted. It was an amazing ending!

I loved this book! It’s a great, unpredictable book!

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

Review: Hotel Dare

Title: Hotel Dare
Author: Terry Blas, Claudia Aguirre
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Graphic Novel
Publisher: KaBOOM!
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 11, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s not your typical family vacation when Olive, and her adopted siblings Darwin and Charlotte find themselves falling into other worlds as they explore Grandma Lupé’s strange hotel.

OPEN THE DOOR. ADVENTURE AWAITS.

Olive and her adopted siblings Charlotte and Darwin are spending the summer with their estranged grandma at her creepy hotel and it’s all work and no play. They’re stuck inside doing boring chores but they soon stumble upon an incredible secret… Behind each room door of the hotel lies a portal to a different strange and mysterious place. The simple turn of a knob transports them to a distant magical world filled with space pirates. Behind the next door are bearded wizards. Down the hall is a doorway to a cotton-candied kingdom. But once the doors are opened, worlds start colliding, and only one family can save them before they tear themselves apart.

Written by Terry Blas (The Amazing World of Gumball) and illustrated by the talented Claudia Aguirre (Kim & Kim), this world-hopping fantasy tale breaks down the door to imagination and dares you to embrace the idea that family is everything.

Review:

This was a great graphic novel!

Within a few minutes of starting this book, I was hooked! The mysterious elements were introduced slowly, as the kids discovered secret portals to other worlds in the hotel. The story developed at a fast pace, which made me want to keep reading.

The one thing that I would have liked is more background on the characters. I think there is an interesting story that has brought Charlotte, their adoptive sister, into their family that I’m curious to learn. The ending of the story hinted at a sequel that’s about the rest of the family, so I hope it is written!

I loved this story!

Thank you BOOM! Studios for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Six Goodbyes We Never Said

Title: Six Goodbyes We Never Said
Author: Candace Ganger
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Two teens meet after tragedy and learn about love, loss, and letting go

Naima Rodriguez doesn’t want your patronizing sympathy as she grieves her father, her hero—a fallen Marine. She’ll hate you forever if you ask her to open up and remember him “as he was,” though that’s all her loving family wants her to do in order to manage her complex OCD and GAD. She’d rather everyone back the-eff off while she separates her Lucky Charms marshmallows into six, always six, Ziploc bags, while she avoids friends and people and living the life her father so desperately wanted for her.

Dew respectfully requests a little more time to process the sudden loss of his parents. It’s causing an avalanche of secret anxieties, so he counts on his trusty voice recorder to convey the things he can’t otherwise say aloud. He could really use a friend to navigate a life swimming with pain and loss and all the lovely moments in between. And then he meets Naima and everything’s changed—just not in the way he, or she, expects.

Candace Ganger’s Six Goodbyes We Never Said is no love story. If you ask Naima, it’s not even a like story. But it is a story about love and fear and how sometimes you need a little help to be brave enough to say goodbye.

Review:

This was a beautiful story about grieving.

There was some great representation of mental health in this book. Dew has anxiety and panic attacks. Naima has anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. I really liked the way her OCD was represented in the repetition of words and sentences. It showed the way she repeated actions and words right on the page.

Though both Dew and Naima were orphans, they had very different experiences. Dew had been adopted by his foster parents, and had a new family. Naima had just lost her father and couldn’t reconcile her final goodbye to him, when she ignored him. They had some things in common, but they dealt with their problems differently.

I loved this book!

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

Review: Bloodlust and Bonnets

Title: Bloodlust and Bonnets
Author: Emily McGovern
Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical, Fantasy, LGBTQ
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 17, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the creator of the hit webcomic My Life As a Background Slytherin comes a hilarious graphic novel pastiche of classic Romantic literature led by a trio of queer misfits—and several angry vampires.

Set in early nineteenth-century Britain, Bloodlust & Bonnets follows Lucy, an unworldly debutante who desires a life of passion and intrigue—qualities which earn her the attention of Lady Violet Travesty, the leader of a local vampire cult.

But before Lucy can embark on her new life of vampiric debauchery, she finds herself unexpectedly thrown together with the flamboyant poet Lord Byron (“from books!”) and a mysterious bounty-hunter named Sham. The unlikely trio lie, flirt, fight, and manipulate each other as they make their way across Britain, disrupting society balls, slaying vampires, and making every effort not to betray their feelings to each other as their personal and romantic lives become increasingly entangled.

Both witty and slapstick, elegant and gory, Emily McGovern’s debut graphic novel pays tribute to and pokes fun at beloved romance tropes, delivering a joyous, action-packed world of friendship and adventure.

Review:

I loved this new graphic novel!

This story was set in the nineteenth century, with Lord Byron as one of the main characters. Along with two friends, Lucy and Sham, Lord Byron searches for a vampire Lady Violet Travesty. Each character has their own secret reason for joining in the vampire hunt. There were loads of other fantastical elements as well, including a succubus and a talking castle.

I laughed the entire time I was reading this story. Each of the characters were exaggerated in a hilarious way. Lord Byron was in love with himself and didn’t pay attention to the people around him. Sham was serious and spoke the truth with no filter to protect the feelings of others (when Lucy thinks that Sham likes her the same way that she likes Sham, Sham replies with yes I do like girls, just not you). Lucy was kind of clueless to people around her, and she was blinded by her desire to join the vampire cult. These characters were hilarious together!

This was such a funny graphic novel! I highly recommend it!

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Babysitters Coven (The Babysitters Coven #1)

Title: The Baby Sitters Coven (The Babysitters Coven #1)
Author: Kate Williams
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 17, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it’s kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she’s good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let’s just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She’s Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria food. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme’s babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra’s mother left her: “Find the babysitters. Love, Mom.”

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they’re about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home.

Review:

This book was so amazing! It’s a mix of the Babysitters Club and witchcraft.

I loved all of the references to other magic/witchcraft stories. There were references to Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There were also references to the Babysitters Club. That was one of my favourite series when I was a kid! In this story, Esme and her friends had a babysitters club, based on the one in the book. These references made the book so relatable.

The pace of the story grew steadily throughout the book. It started out with Esme in her regular life, until she developed telekinetic powers. It got so exciting towards the end, that it was hard to put down. There were also some surprises at characters who weren’t who they pretended to be.

I loved this book so much! I don’t know how I’ll wait until next year to find out what happens next!

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

Review: The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce

Title: The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce
Author: Angie Manfredi (editor)
Genre: Young Adult, Nonfiction
Publisher: Abrams Kids
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The definitive collection of art, poetry, and prose, celebrating fat acceptance

Chubby. Curvy. Fluffy. Plus-size. Thick. Fat. The time has come for fat people to tell their own stories. The (Other) F Word combines personal essays, prose, poetry, fashion tips, and art to create a relatable and attractive guide about body image and body positivity. This YA crossover anthology is meant for people of all sizes who desire to be seen and heard in a culture consumed by a narrow definition of beauty. By combining the talents of renowned fat YA and middle-grade authors, as well as fat influencers and creators, The (Other) F Word offers teen readers and activists of all ages a guide for navigating our world with confidence and courage.

Review:

I absolutely loved this book!

Often when I read collections of essays or stories by a variety of authors, I like a few of the pieces but not all of them. I loved every essay and piece of work in this collection. I could relate to most of them, and I learned new things from the ones I couldn’t relate to.

This collection is so important. It isn’t just for fat readers. Everyone can benefit from reading this book, because it gives a glimpse into the lives of fat people. Being fat is treated as even worse than other traits. When sexist and racist jokes aren’t allowed in mainstream media today, fat jokes still remain. This may be because people think you can change your weight easier than you can change your skin colour or gender. However, this is not always the case.

I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to read this book. It really means a lot to me! I would have loved to have read it when I was a fat teenager. I hope this book gets the recognition it deserves!

Thank you Abrams Kids for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: A Treason of Thorns

Title: A Treason of Thorns
Author: Laura E. Weymouth
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Violet Sterling has spent the last seven years in exile, longing to return to Burleigh House. One of the six great houses of England, Burleigh’s magic always kept the countryside well. And as a child, this magic kept Violet happy, draping her in flowers while she slept, fashioning secret hiding places for her, and lighting fires on the coldest nights to keep her warm.

Everything shattered, though, when her father committed high treason trying to free Burleigh from the king’s oppressive control. He was killed, and Vi was forced into hiding.

When she’s given a chance to go back, she discovers Burleigh has run wild with grief. Vines and briars are crumbling the walls. Magic that once enriched the surrounding countryside has turned dark and deadly, twisting lush blooms into thorns, poisoning livestock and destroying crops. Burleigh’s very soul is crying out in pain.

Vi would do anything to help, and soon she finds herself walking the same deadly path as her father all those years before. Vi must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her house—before her house destroys everything she’s ever known.

Review:

I loved this spooky story about a house coming to life.

A lot of this story is told through memories. Violet’s father passes away at the beginning of the story, but there are many memories of him at the house throughout the story. The house, Burleigh, shows Violet memories as a way to communicate with her. It was a creative way for the House to help Violet on her quest.

The way that the house would come to life was quite creepy. There was a lot of description of the way its mortar would become a part of the people inside the house. It started as a fairytale type story, with the house communicating with Violet, but it became dark by the end.

The ending of the story had so much tension. I kept holding my breath because I didn’t know what was going to happen. The final events lasted many pages, which created a lot of anticipation.

This is a great story to read in the fall!

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

Review: Serpent and Dove (Serpent and Dove #1)

Title: Serpent and Dove (Serpent and Dove #1)
Author: Shelby Mahurin
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 3, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.

Review:

I’ve heard so much about this book, and I was so excited to finally read it! It definitely lived up to the hype.

This story had two different narratives, Lou and Reid. At first, I didn’t know why it had both narratives, since Lou’s narrative was more frequent. By the end of the story it made sense, because one character could tell the story if the other wasn’t able to give their perspective. It also gave both sides of the argument of the witches versus the witch hunters.

I loved the battle between the witches and the Chasseurs, the witch hunters. The storyline that brought Lou and Reid together was kind of silly at first. It was a little extreme to make them marry after being caught in a compromising position. However, they represented larger parts of the long battle between witches and witch hunters. It all came together beautifully at the end.

I loved the cliffhangers at the end of the book! I don’t know how I’m going to wait to find out what happens next!

Review: The Lady Rogue

Title: The Lady Rogue
Author: Jenn Bennett
Genre: Young Adult, Historical
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 3, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Last Magician meets A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue in this thrilling tale filled with magic and set in the mysterious Carpathian Mountains where a girl must hunt down Vlad the Impaler’s cursed ring in order to save her father.

Some legends never die…

Traveling with her treasure-hunting father has always been a dream for Theodora. She’s read every book in his library, has an impressive knowledge of the world’s most sought-after relics, and has all the ambition in the world. What she doesn’t have is her father’s permission. That honor goes to her father’s nineteen-year-old protégé—and once-upon-a-time love of Theodora’s life—Huck Gallagher, while Theodora is left to sit alone in her hotel in Istanbul.

Until Huck arrives from an expedition without her father and enlists Theodora’s help in rescuing him. Armed with her father’s travel journal, the reluctant duo learns that her father had been digging up information on a legendary and magical ring that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler—more widely known as Dracula—and that it just might be the key to finding him.

Journeying into Romania, Theodora and Huck embark on a captivating adventure through Gothic villages and dark castles in the misty Carpathian Mountains to recover the notorious ring. But they aren’t the only ones who are searching for it. A secretive and dangerous occult society with a powerful link to Vlad the Impaler himself is hunting for it, too. And they will go to any lengths—including murder—to possess it.

Review:

I really enjoyed this magical, historical story.

Theodora and Huck travel around Romania and Bulgaria in search of her father, and rings that were supposed to belong to the real man who inspired Dracula. This story reminded me of Bram Stoker’s book Dracula, because of the way they traveled around Eastern Europe.

The story was fast-paced. It kept twisting so I didn’t know how it was going to end. The magical elements made it much more unpredictable. It was set in our world, but there were witches with talismans and magical rings, which made the reality uncertain.

The ending of this story left the door open for a sequel. I would love to see these characters go on another adventure.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: American Royals

Title: American Royals
Author: Katharine McGee
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Random House
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 3, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

What if America had a royal family? If you can’t get enough of Harry and Meghan or Kate and William, meet American princesses Beatrice and Samantha.

Two princesses vying for the ultimate crown.
Two girls vying for the prince’s heart.
This is the story of the American royals.

When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Like most royal families, the Washingtons have an heir and a spare. A future monarch and a backup battery. Each child knows exactly what is expected of them. But these aren’t just any royals. They’re American. And their country was born of rebellion.

As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America’s first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling. Nobody cares about the spare except when she’s breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn’t care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her. And then there’s Samantha’s twin, Prince Jefferson. If he’d been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.

The duty. The intrigue. The Crown. New York Times bestselling author Katharine McGee imagines an alternate version of the modern world, one where the glittering age of monarchies has not yet faded–and where love is still powerful enough to change the course of history.

Review:

This book definitely lived up to the hype!

I loved this reimagining of America. It shows what it would have been like if the United States had a monarchy instead of the government. It was a unique revision of history.

There were four different narratives of girls who are part of the royal family. Two narratives were of the princesses, Beatrice and Samantha. The other two narratives were about girls who were on the outside of the royal family but were very close friends of the family, Nina and Daphne. All of these perspectives gave a complete picture of the life of the royal family.

The only thing that bothered me about this story was how boy crazy the girls were. They were all strong, independent women, yet they spent all of their time worrying about the boys they liked. The multiple relationships made for some intense scenes, because no one was ending up with the person they loved. However, I wished the women were able to live without depending on those men.

I loved this book! I hope the story continues because it left on quite a cliffhanger!

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Sadie by Courtney Summers

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Dead Weight: Murder at Camp Bloom by Terry Blas, Molly Muldoon, Matthew Seely

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

The Inevitable Collision of Birdie and Bash by Candace Ganger

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, Jane Austen, Tony Lee, Cliff Richards

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Shadowland (The Mediator #1) by Meg Cabot

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World by Kelly Jensen (editor)

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth

Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Nocturna (A Forgery of Magic #1) by Maya Motayne

Grim Lovelies (Grim Lovelies #1) by Megan Shepherd

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

The Last Magician (The Last Magician #1) by Lisa Maxwell

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings #1) by Mackenzi Lee

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Royals (Royals #1) by Rachel Hawkins