Young Adult – Page 5 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: Punk Rock Karaoke

Title: Punk Rock Karaoke
Author: Bianca Xunise
Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A debut young adult graphic novel from Ignatz Award-winning and nationally syndicated cartoonist, Bianca Xunise.

When life gives you guitars, smash them!
School is out for summer and Ariel Grace Jones is determined to make it one for the books! Together with their bestie bandmates, Michele and Gael, Ariel believes they’re destined to break into the music industry and out of Chicago’s Southside by singing lead in their garage punk band, Baby Hares.

But before Baby Hares can officially get into the groove, the realities of post grad life start to weigh on this crew of misfits. Ari begins to worry that it’s time to pull the plug on their dreams of making it big.
Just when all hope feels lost, a fellow punk and local icon takes an interest in their talent. It seems like he might be the only one Ariel can rely on as frustrations between bandmates reach at an all-time high.

Punk Rock Karaoke is a coming-of-age tale that draws upon the explosive joy of the underground scene, while raising questions about authenticity, the importance of community and what it means to succeed on your own terms.

Review:

Ariel Grace Jones has a band with her best friends Michelle and Gael. It’s finally summer and she wants to break into Chicago’s music industry with her band Baby Hares. When April meets her local music idol, Clyde McLaren, she falls in love with him and thinks he will help her with her music career. However, Ariel will only succeed if she can truly be herself and believe in her own worth.

This was a fun graphic novel! Most of the characters came from diverse backgrounds and gender identities. I liked that when each character was introduced there was a brief bio including their pronouns. This story showed how easy it is now, and has been throughout history, for cis white singers to steal the music or art of people of colour or queer people. Unfortunately many famous singers have stolen music in this way, but this graphic novel showed how Ariel was able to save her music.

Punk Rock Karaoke is a great graphic novel!

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

Have you read Punk Rock Karaoke? What did you think of it?

Review: When You Were Mine

Title: When You Were Mine
Author: Rebecca Serle
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 18, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of One Italian Summer and In Five Years comes an intensely romantic modern recounting of the greatest love story ever told—narrated by the girl Romeo was supposed to love.

What’s in a name, Shakespeare? I’ll tell everything.

Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her—and when he finally does, it’s perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose’s best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit wild…and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn’t even stand a chance.

Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet’s instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob’s heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends.

Review:

Rosaline Caplet knows she’s destined to be with Rob Montag, her best friend and next door neighbour. When they go on a date at the beginning of their senior year, Rose is certain her life is falling into place. Then, Rose’s cousin Juliet Caplet moves back to town. As soon as Juliet gets ahold of Rob, he ditches Rose to be with Juliet. Rose is devastated at the loss of her best friend and potential boyfriend. However, rumors of Juliet’s instability and suicide attempts make Rose worry about Rob’s life. Rose has to come to terms with the fact that her future isn’t going the way she planned.

Romeo and Juliet is one of my favourite plays, so I was excited to read this adaptation. This retelling of Romeo and Juliet focuses on a character who isn’t actually in the play. Rosaline was the girl who Romeo was in love with before Juliet. This story was set in contemporary California, but most of the main plot points of Romeo and Juliet were the same. I really liked seeing Rosaline’s perspective on Romeo and Juliet’s whirlwind romance.

When You Were Mine is a great Romeo and Juliet retelling.

Content warnings: infidelity (off page), suicide, car accident (off page)

Have you read When You Were Mine? What did you think of it?

Review: Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth #1)

Title: Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth #1)
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Fairy Loot Box
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: February 20, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Enemies-to-lovers doesn’t get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli’s latest romantic fantasy.

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can’t help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.

Review:

Rune Winters is a witch in a world where witches are illegal. Rune gave up her grandmother to the Blood Guard at her grandmother’s request so Rune could be saved. She became the Crimson Moth, rescuing witches who have been captured for execution. Meanwhile, a Captain of the Blood Guard, Gideon Sharpe, is trying to hunt the Crimson Moth. When he finds out the Crimson Moth has been using ships owned by Rune to smuggle witches out of the country, he decides to court Rune so he can figure out if she’s the Crimson Moth. Rune also wants to get close to Gideon to learn information about where the captured witches are being held. The closer they get to each other, the more their feelings develop into real love, so they must decide if they will love the enemy or continue with what they believe in.

This was such a great enemies to lovers story! It had a vivid setting with lots of magic. There was a lot of feminine rage, and the witch magic was feminine since they used their own blood to cast their spells. The ending had a tragedy and it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger so I don’t know what’s going to happen next!

Heartless Hunter is a great YA fantasy romance!

Content warnings: blood, death of parents (off page), suicide (off page), torture, murder

Have you read Heartless Hunter? What did you think of it?

Review: Never Trust a Gemini (Never Trust a Gemini #1)

Title: Never Trust a Gemini (Never Trust a Gemini #1)
Author: Freja Nicole Woolf
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ, Romance
Publisher: Walker Books US
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 9, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Cat Phillips has her head in the stars, but her romantic fantasies may ruin her shot at real-life love in this sweet and funny lesbian story.

It’s Libra Season, and Cat Phillips is ready to run headfirst into love. The only problem is that her crush is on her best friend, Alison Bridgewater, who is more interested in chatting with boys. Maybe Cat should take this as a sign to get over Alison, even if that means dating the musically challenged Jamie Owusu. After all, a new boyfriend is the best cleanse, at least according to Cat’s friends. Unfortunately, having a boyfriend is a lot harder than Cat expected. And then Morgan Delaney swoops in with her green glasses, enigmatic smile, and talent for teasing Cat in ways that make her feel überlicious. But Morgan is a Gemini, and there’s no way that’s in Cat’s horoscope. Will Cat finally get the girl of her dreams? Or is there a chance there’s more to life than Alison Bridgewater? The stars align for the cast of this energetic romp full of comedic misunderstandings and sparkling language.

Review:

Fourteen-year-old Cat Phillips follows her horoscope exactly, so when she finds out that this Libra season is for falling in love, she’s ready. Cat has had a crush on her best friend Allison for a long time, and she’s finally ready to reveal it. When she goes to tell Allison, she finds Allison with a boy, who’s her new boyfriend. Cat takes that as a sign that it’s time to get over her crush and start dating a boy too. Dating a boy isn’t what Cat expected though, and she’s suddenly interested in Morgan, the new girl at school. However, Morgan is a Gemini and Cat can’t date a Gemini. Cat must figure out if she should try to date Allison again or if she can open her heart to Morgan.

This was such a fun book! It reminded me of the Georgia Nicholson books that I loved when I was a kid. Cat was like a younger Georgia. There was a lot of bullying between girls, including homophobic comments. However, that was resolved in such a sweet way at the end. I’m so excited that there’s a sequel to this book that’s going to be published this fall!

Never Trust a Gemini is a fun queer YA romance!

Thank you Candlewick Press and Walker Books US for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: homophobia, fire

Have you read Never Trust a Gemini? What did you think of it?

Review: Promposal

Title: Promposal
Author: R.H. Bird
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Ebook
Release Date: March 4, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Luca Esposito is in detention again. “Guess who’s selling her prom tickets?” Nathan asked with a goofy grin. “It’s Piper Kraft. Your ex.” Luca’s heart stopped. They broke up ten months ago, but he can’t get Piper out of his mind. Could this be his chance to win her back? Just two she hates him, and there are only twelve hours to prom. The clock is ticking. Can he pull off the world’s most amazing Promposal and recapture the girl he loves?

Review:

1990: While sixteen-year-old Luca Esposito is in detention, he finds out that his ex-girlfriend, Piper, is selling her prom tickets because she didn’t have a date. Even though he broke up with her months ago, he can’t stop thinking about her. Then, his friend gets into a fight that is threatened to continue after prom. His friend wants Luca there to help him out. Luca tries to get Piper to accept his invitation to prom, and then figure out how to get them ready for the big night.

This was a cute YA rom com, which was told from the perspective of the male main character. It wasn’t really clear from the beginning that the story was set in 1990, but from the lack of cell phones, I suspected it wasn’t set in recent years. The characters felt like real teenagers in the way that they had no filter with what they said at times.

Promposal is a fun prom-themed rom com!

Thank you R.H. Bird, The Wild Rose Press, and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a digital copy of this book for a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: bullying, alcohol use

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

Review: Sleep Like Death

Title: Sleep Like Death
Author: Kalynn Bayron
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: June 25, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author and TikTok sensation Kalynn Bayron returns to fairytales with a lush, thrilling and original YA Snow White retelling that brings a new and exciting voice to this familiar tale. Perfect for fans of Cinderella Is Dead.

Only the truly desperate – and foolish – seek out the Knight, an ancient monster who twists wishes into curses. Eve knows this first-hand: one of her mothers was cursed by the Knight and trapped in the body of a songbird. With the unique abilities to communicate with animals and conjure weapons from nature, Eve has trained all her life to defeat him.

With more and more villagers harmed by the Knight’s corrupt deals, Eve believes she’s finally ready to face him. But when Queen Regina begins acting strangely – talking to seemingly no one, isolating herself, and lashing out at the slightest provocation – Eve must question if her powers are enough to save her family and her kingdom.

Review:

The people of Queen’s Bridge seek out the Knight when they want to make a wish. However, every wish comes with dire consequences. One of Princess Eve’s mothers was cursed to the body of a songbird after making a wish with the Knight. This has made Eve eager to collect stories about the Knight and learn how to defeat him. When Eve’s other mother, Queen Regina, begins acting strangely, speaking to a mirror in her room, Eve’s task of defeating the Knight becomes more urgent. Eve must figure out what is wrong with her mother and end the Knight for good.

This was such a great fairytale story! It is a loose retelling of Snow White. It doesn’t follow the original in the usual way, but there are several references to Snow White, such as the magic mirror and poison apple. This story is set in the same world as Cinderella Is Dead, but you don’t have to read that one to understand this book. There were hints to other fairytales in the same world at the end of this story, so I hope there will be more books set in this world!

Sleep Like Death is a thrilling fairytale retelling!

Thank you Bloomsbury Books US and Bookinfluencers.com for sending me a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign.

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

Other books in the series:

Cinderella Is Dead

Have you read Sleep Like Death? What did you think of it?

Review: Four Good Liars

Title: Four Good Liars
Author: Sarah Wishart
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 6, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The unputdownable, explosive new YA thriller from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder, perfect for fans of Karen McManus, Cynthia Murphy and Holly Jackson.

Layla. Kai. Liam. Fliss.

Terrified big sister. Troubled surfer. Insecure genius. Pampered princess.

They have nothing in common, except they were all on the school bus that morning. The morning of the crash. The morning they discovered the dead driver’s holdall, containing one million pounds – and a gun.

All of them have secrets, and all of them need that money. But someone dangerous is hunting it down, and drawing closer every minute. If Layla, Kai, Liam and Fliss want to survive, they’ll need to stick together. But can four good liars really trust one another? Or are some truths just too powerful to stay buried…?

Review:

Kai, Layla, Liam, and Fliss go to the same school, but other than that they have nothing in common. One day when they’re on the school bus, the driver crashes and goes over a cliff. The four of them escape the bus with the driver’s holdall bag, which holds one million pounds. Each of the teens has their own reasons for wanting to split the money, so they decide to keep it a secret from the police so they can keep it for themselves. However, someone knows they have the money. They’re being followed and receive threatening messages. They must decide if they’ll keep the money and their secrets or if they’ll finally tell the truth.

This was a great suspenseful thriller. The chapters were short and fast-paced. The way that the kids were being followed was really creepy. I was surprised at the reveal of who was behind it all. It was a great twist ending.

Four Good Liars is a great thriller!

Thank you Frenzy Books for sending me a copy of this book.

Content warnings: death, car accident, cancer, parental abandonment, heart attack, gun violence

Have you read Four Good Liars? What did you think of it?

Review: Not Like Other Girls

Title: Not Like Other Girls
Author: Meredith Adamo
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller
Publisher: Bloomsbury Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: April 30, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A girl risks everything to find her former best friend in this powerful debut mystery about trauma, girlhood, and what we deserve.

When Jo-Lynn Kirby’s former best friend—pretty, nice Maddie Price—comes to her claiming to be in trouble, Jo assumes it’s some kind of joke. After all, Jo has been an outcast ever since her nude photos were leaked—and since everyone decided she deserved it. There’s no way Maddie would actually come to her for help.

But then Maddie is gone.

Everyone is quick to write off Maddie as a runaway, but Jo can’t shake the feeling there’s more to the story. To find out the truth, Jo needs to get back in with the people who left her behind—and the only way back in is through Hudson Harper-Moore. An old fling of Jo’s with his own reasons for wanting to find Maddie, Hudson hatches a fake dating scheme to get Jo back into their clique. But being back on the inside means Jo must confront everything she’d rather forget: the boys who betrayed her, the whispers that she had it coming, and the secrets that tore her and Maddie apart. As Jo digs deeper into Maddie’s disappearance, she’s left to wonder who she’s really searching for: Maddie, or the girl she used to be.

Not Like Other Girls is a stunning debut that takes a hard look at how we treat young women and their trauma, through the lens of a missing girl and a girl trying to find herself again.

Review:

Jo-Lynn Kirby is a seventeen-year-old junior in high school. Her former best friend, Maddie Price, disappears after asking Jo for help. Jo has been an outcast ever since her private photos were leaked, so she doesn’t know why Maddie would go to her for help. The police decide that Maddie has just run away on her own, but Jo suspects there’s more to her disappearance. She joins together with her former fling, Hudson, to figure out what happened to Maddie, but she ends uncovering her own secrets as well.

This was such an intense YA thriller. It was so hard to put down. I think readers who love awesome thriller writers like Karen M. McManus and Holly Jackson will love this debut thriller!

Thank you Bloomsbury Books US and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book for part of a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: sexual assault, rape, gaslighting

Have you read Not Like Other Girls? What did you think of it?

Review: Good Girl, Bad Blood (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #2)

Title: Good Girl, Bad Blood (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #2)
Author: Holly Jackson
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 2, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Pip is not a detective anymore.

With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.

The police won’t do anything about it. And if they won’t look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town’s dark secrets along the way… and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it’s too late?

Review:

Following the success of her podcast about the murder of Andie Bell, Pip is continuing to share episodes about the trial. Pip says she won’t investigate any crimes again, but when her best friend Connor asks for her help in finding Jamie, his missing brother, Pip agrees to help find him. The police won’t look for Jamie because he’s an adult, but Pip knows his disappearance is suspicious. With the help of her friends, Pip begins recording season 2 of her podcast, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, to get the public’s help in finding Jamie.

This story kept me on the edge of my seat. I really couldn’t put it down. There were so many twists and clues that I couldn’t predict where the story would end. The ending was a little complicated with multiple people involved. I don’t think you could solve the entire thing with the clues given throughout the story, but I was very surprised at who was involved in Jamie’s disappearance.

Good Girl, Bad Blood is a great sequel! I can’t wait to read the next book!

Content warnings: death, death of parent (off page), child abuse (off page), child death (off page), knife violence, gun violence, fire

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

Have you read Good Girl, Bad Blood? What did you think of it?

Review: A Study in Drowning

Title: A Study in Drowning
Author: Ava Reid
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Gothic
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 19, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin’s legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them—and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

Review:

Effie Sayre is the only girl in her university architecture program. She wasn’t allowed to attend the literature program because girls aren’t allowed in. Her favourite book is Angharad, the famous book by Emrys Myrddin about a girl who falls in love with the Fairy King and then destroys him. When Myrddin’s son creates a contest for an architecture student to redesign the late Myrddin’s home, Effie enters and wins. She goes to the estate, where she meets Preston, a literature student who is researching Myrddin’s documents to prove he was a fraud. That goes against everything Effie has always believed about her favourite author, but she can see some truth in it. Effie and Preston have to discreetly look for evidence to prove Myrddin was a fraud, while his estate crumbles around them.

This was such a powerful story about women finding their voice. Effie had experienced so much sexism and misogyny at school. She wasn’t believed at home or school because she was a girl. I liked the theme of history repeating itself. Effie’s story was universal, because at some point in every woman’s life they have heard comments like this or experienced horrible acts simply because of their gender. This story also addresses what happens when the author of your favourite book, that you’ve always believed in, betrays you. It’s very difficult when someone you’ve admired for your whole life turns out not to be the person you thought you were, but unfortunately that happens.

A Study in Drowning is a thought-provoking story!

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

Content warnings: sexual assault, misogyny, sexism, drowning, death of parent (off page)

Have you read A Study in Drowning? What did you think of it?