Category: Young Adult

Title: Killing November
Author: Adriana Mather
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s a school completely off the grid, hidden by dense forest and surrounded by traps. There’s no electricity, no internet, and an eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes include everything from Knife-Throwing and Poisons to the Art of Deception and Historical Analysis. And all of the students are children of the world’s most elite strategists—training to become assassins, counselors, spies, and master impersonators. Into this world walks November Adley, who quickly discovers that friends are few in a school where personal revelations are discouraged and competition is everything. When another student is murdered, all eyes turn to November, who must figure out exactly how she fits into the school’s bizarre strategy games before she is found guilty of the crime…or becomes the killer’s next victim.

Review:

This story was intense with a complicated list of characters, but I really enjoyed it.

A boarding school is a great setting for a thriller. This school was very isolated and hidden from the world. No one even knows where it was located.

The connections between the characters and their families was complex. It took a while to figure out who everyone was, and what side they were on. The main character, November, was thrown into the situation with as much information as the reader, so we learned along with her.

The only thing that disappointed me was that the story didn’t really start until halfway through the book. I was kind of lost up until then. The different families and their histories weren’t clearly laid out until that point and that was an important part to the story. I wish it was made clear closer to the beginning, so it wasn’t as confusing.

The ending was open to a sequel, so I hope the story will continue!

What to read next:

Have you read Killing November? What did you think of it?

Title: Other Words for Smoke
Author: Sarah Maria Griffin
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 12, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Years ago, the house at the end of the lane burned down. The townspeople never learned what happened, but Rita Frost and her teenage ward, Bevan, were never seen again. Only Mae and her brother Rossa know the truth of what happened that summer—and they’ll never say a word. When they were told they’d be spending their summer with their great aunt, Mae and Rossa were anything but thrilled. But nothing at Rita’s is as it appears. Bevan is enthralled by a dangerous power lurking behind the walls of Rita’s home. The power—known as Sweet James—is hungry, and what he wants most is a taste of the twins. And Bevan wants the magic and escape that Sweet James is offering her. But Sweet James is never satisfied, no matter what Bevan brings him. Mae would give Bevan almost anything—she is in the grip of first love, both dying for Bevan’s attention and worried she’ll get it. But Rossa is learning some of the terrible secrets the house is hiding, secrets that paralyze him with fear. As the summer draws to a close, Bevan tries to free Sweet James from his prison within the walls, but is thwarted by Rita and her cat (who is more than a cat), Bobby Dear.

It’s over for Mae and Rossa, isn’t it? They return home. They don’t talk about the strangeness of that summer. But it never completely abandons them. And things at home only get worse.

And so three years later, Rossa and Mae are sent once again to Rita’s home, as their parents’ marriage finally seems to crumble. At first it seems that the strangeness has dissipated. But Sweet James never left. He has been lurking within the walls, waiting the perfect time to return. He’s been waiting much longer than any of them know—any of them except Rita, who has been keeping secrets of her own. Secrets that bring the house down in flames around them and bring them all to the brink of the things they most want—and what they most fear.

Sarah Maria Griffin is a rare talent with a unique and atmospheric writing style. Fans of Maggie Stiefvater’s All the Crooked Saints and Libba Bray’s The Diviners will devour this dark and unusual novel.

Review:

This was an exciting story. It’s unique because it’s a mix of suspense, fantasy, and a little bit of horror.

This story was unique in the narratives. The focus switched between characters. Most of it was written in third person, but when it switched to Bevan’s perspective it became second person. I’ve only read a short story written from the second person perspective, so this was new to me. In second person, the narrator speaks to “you.” Bevan was in an unusual position in the story, so it makes sense that she had an unusual narrative.

The ending of the story was quite surprising. I loved the mix of horror and fantasy. There were a lot of magical elements, such as a cat who could talk and an owl who lived in the walls of the house. I think it has elements of horror too, in the way that the house’s layout would change, which disturbed the characters. I really liked this mix of genres.

I loved this story! It’s a great, unique book.

What to read next:

Have you read Other Words for Smoke? What did you think of it?

Title: Destroy Me (Shatter Me #1.5)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

Review:

This story contains some spoilers for the end of Shatter Me, so don’t read my review if you’re planning on reading Shatter Me.

This novella takes place after the end of Shatter Me. It follows Warner after he was shot. Juliette has run away, and Warner has to deal with his father’s reaction to him losing his experiment.

Warner finds Juliette’s journal from when she was locked up in her room. When he reads it, we get to see more of what she wrote. Bringing her journal into the story was a good way of keeping her narrative in this novella.

I really liked that we get to see Warner’s perspective in this story. It made him seem like a fuller character, because we can see his relationship with his father and his soldiers.

I love this series! I can’t wait to read the next book, Unravel Me.

What to read next:

Have you read Destroy Me? What did you think of it?

Title: Chicken Girl
Author: Heather Smith
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Everybody has a story that will break your heart; a poignant coming-of-age YA for fans of David Arnold, from the author of the acclaimed The Agony of Bun O’Keefe, a Kirkus Best of the Year selection.

Poppy used to be an optimist. But after a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter is mocked online, she’s having trouble seeing the good in the world. As a result, Poppy trades her beloved vintage clothes for a feathered chicken costume and accepts a job as an anonymous sign waver outside a restaurant. There, Poppy meets six-year-old girl Miracle, who helps Poppy see beyond her own pain, opening her eyes to the people around her: Cam, her twin brother, who is adjusting to life as an openly gay teen; Buck, a charming photographer with a cute British accent and a not-so-cute mean-streak; and Lewis a teen caring for an ailing parent, while struggling to reach the final stages of his gender transition. As the summer unfolds, Poppy stops glorifying the past and starts focusing on the present. But just as she comes to terms with the fact that there is good and bad in everyone, she is tested by a deep betrayal.

Review:

This is an amazingly powerful story.

This story was set in Canada. There was a reference to the restaurant Swiss Chalet, which I was so excited about! Swiss Chalet is a rotisserie chicken restaurant in Canada. Usually, there are references to Tim Horton’s which point to Canada, but that is kind of cliche nowadays. The mention of Swiss Chalet was way more accurate and original!

There is a lot of gender diversity in this story. Poppy’s twin brother is gay. She meets a group of homeless people who live under a bridge, which includes a transgender teenage boy. One thing I loved about this story is that Poppy made mistakes while talking to both boys. For example, she asked Lewis what his name was before he became a boy. He told her that was the wrong thing to ask. Most people who don’t have experience with trans people wouldn’t know that, and Poppy reflected that ignorance.

This is a character driven novel, which I don’t typically like, but these characters were so heartbreaking, I couldn’t help but feel for them. My favourite character was Miracle, a six year old girl whose mother was a prostitute. Miracle spends time with the homeless men under the bridge while her mother worked at night. She was so innocent and impressionable, and she was brutally honest at times. I just loved her!

I loved this amazing story! I’m looking forward to seeing the reception of this book, because I think it will become a modern classic.

What to read next:

Have you read Chicken Girl? What did you think of it?

Title: Riverdale: The Day Before
Author: Micol Ostow
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: December 26, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Based on the massively successful CW show, Riverdale, this prequel novel explores what the gang was doing before Season One. 

Why did Jughead and Archie have a falling out? What did Veronica’s life look like in the Big Apple? And how long has Betty really been in love with Archie? 

Told from multiple POVs, your favorite characters tell their story their way.

Review:

I was so excited to read this book! It’s super fast-paced. I read most of it in one sitting!

Each chapter is narrated by a different character, either Archie, Jughead, Betty, or Veronica. This story takes place the day before the Riverdale TV series begins. That means that Betty is in LA doing an internship (which I don’t remember being in the show) and Veronica is in New York City, because she hasn’t moved to Riverdale yet. Archie and Jughead are in Riverdale, but they have drifted apart.

This story does some foreshadowing for what’s to come in the series. Though there is the mystery of the murder that happens at end of the book, fans of the show will already know what happened. Between chapters, there were other forms of narratives, such as texts and emails between other characters.

I loved this book! It is a must read for fans of Riverdale!

What to read next:

Have you read Riverdale: The Day Before? What did you think of it?