Category: Young Adult

Title: Six of Crows
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Source: Purchased
Release Date: September 29, 2015
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he’ll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:

Break into the notorious Ice Court
(a military stronghold that has never been breached)

Retrieve a hostage
(who could unleash magical havoc on the world)

Survive long enough to collect his reward
(and spend it)

Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done – and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable – if they don’t kill each other first.

Review:

I loved the Grisha Trilogy, so I had high hopes for this series. I was surprised that it was so different, but I actually ended up loving this book more than the Grisha Trilogy!

This story is in a much different format than the Grisha Trilogy. It’s set in the same world, but that’s where the similarities end. This story is told from third person perspective, rather than first person. There are some references to the things that happened in the trilogy, but it isn’t a continuation of the story.

I loved the tension in this story. Every time I thought I knew where the plot was going, it changed. The heist was planned down to the smallest details, but there were snags along the way. The planning in the story and the planning of the plot was so amazing.

I was shocked at how much I loved this story, so much more than the Grisha Trilogy. I had to go out and buy Crooked Kingdom right after finishing it, so I hope to read it soon!

Title: Wintersong
Author: S. Jae-Jones
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: February 7, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.

Review:

I liked this story. I’m so glad the sequel is out, so I can read it right away.

I liked the references to Christina Rossetti’s poetry throughout the book. The story is based on her poem “The Goblin Market.” But it also has a lot of the themes from Beauty and the Beast as well.

Liesl’s music was a great backdrop to the story. It was realistic that she was a great composer but her brother was the one to get the credit, just because he was a boy. I loved that music was able to unite people of all different backgrounds.

One thing that frustrated me was Liesl’s relationship with the Goblin King. They did a lot of pointless bickering. They had the same arguments over and over. It was annoying because I was rooting for Liesl to be happy, either with him or without him.

I liked this story, and I recommend it for YA fantasy fans.

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Purchased
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Review:

I listened to this audiobook a couple of years ago and I loved it. I found it a little difficult to differentiate between the characters when I was listening to it, so I bought a hard copy to read before reading the second book. I still loved the story.

It’s a great unique story. There’s mysticism and fantasy with Blue’s eccentric family. You never know what they’re going to do. The Aglionby boys were also unpredictable. It seems like the more you learn about them, the stranger they seem.

There was so much that happened in the story! Looking back on it, it seems like a whole series in one book. I can’t wait to see what happens in the rest of the series!

Title: #Prettyboy Must Die
Author: Kimberly Reid
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Macmillan
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: February 13, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A CIA prodigy’s cover is blown when he accidentally becomes an internet sensation in #Prettyboy Must Die, inspired by the #Alexfromtarget story.

When Peter Smith’s classmate snaps a picture of him during a late night run at the track, Peter thinks he might be in trouble. When she posts that photo–along with the caption, “See the Pretty Boy Run,”–Peter knows he’s in trouble. But when hostiles drop through the ceiling of his 6th period Chem Class, Peter’s pretty sure his trouble just became a national emergency.

Because he’s not really Peter Smith. He’s Jake Morrow, former foster-kid turned CIA operative. After a massive screw-up on his first mission, he’s on a pity assignment, a dozen hit lists and now, social media, apparently. As #Prettyboy, of all freaking things.

His cover’s blown, his school’s under siege, and if he screws up now, #Prettyboy will become #Deadboy faster than you can say, ‘fifteen minutes of fame.’ Trapped in a high school with rabid killers and rabid fans, he’ll need all his training and then some to save his job, his school and, oh yeah, his life.

Review:

I really enjoyed his story. It reminded me of the movie Agent Cody Banks, which was one of my favourites when I was a kid. It was also about a teenage secret agent.

I liked the beginning of the story. It throws us right into the action in the Ukraine. Then, the majority of the book is about a lockdown in Peter’s school. I wish there was some more background on how he became an agent. It would have also been nice to see him in more situations than just the one day at school.

Peter is a diverse character, but that isn’t obvious from the boy on the cover. When I started reading the book, Peter mentions that he is black. However, the boy on the cover doesn’t necessarily look black. Perhaps if his whole face was shown, it would have been more obvious, since only part of his face and hands show his skin.

This is a great book for fans of spy novels in a school setting.

Title: S.T.A.G.S.
Author: M.A. Bennett
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Greer, a scholarship girl at a prestigious private school, St Aidan the Great School (known as STAGS), soon realizes that the school is full of snobs and spoilt rich brats, many of whom come from aristocratic families who have attended the institute throughout the centuries. She’s immediately ignored by her classmates. All the teachers are referred to as Friars (even the female ones), but the real driving force behind the school is a group of prefects known as the Medievals, whose leader, Henry de Warlencourt, Greer finds both strangely intriguing as well as attractive. The Medievals are all good-looking, clever and everyone wants to be among their circle of friends. Greer is therefore surprised when she receives an invitation from Henry to spend a long weekend with him and his friends at his family house in the Lake District, especially when she learns that two other “outsiders” have also been invited: Shafeen and Chanel. As the weekend unfolds, Greer comes to the chilling realization that she and two other “losers” were invited only because they were chosen to become prey in a mad game of manhunt.

Review:

I’ve wanted to read this book since it originally came out in the U.K. in the summer. It was definitely worth the hype.

From the beginning of the story, we know how it will end. Greer will somehow kill someone at her weekend away. The whole story was building up to this ending, which was already revealed. But we don’t know how it happens. It was very well done. I was excited to read the whole thing and find out what happened. And the ending didn’t disappoint.

Tradition is a major theme in this story. When I went to England, I loved that everything was very traditional. There are large families in the story who trace their origins back more than a thousand years. The school STAGS also has historical origins.

The death occurred well before the end of the story, so I was surprised that there was so much left to happen. I thought the story was finished when they showed the death, but it continues right to the last page. I really liked the ending.

After I started reading this story, I read that it might be made into a movie. That’s so exciting and I’d love to see this story on the big screen!

Title: Wicked Charm
Author: Amber Hart
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Nothing good comes from living in the Devil’s swamp.

Willow Bell thinks moving to the Okefenokee area isn’t half bad, but nothing prepares her for what awaits in the shadows of the bog.

Girls are showing up dead in the swamp. And she could be next.

Everyone warns Willow to stay away from Beau Cadwell—the bad boy at the top of their suspect list as the serial killer tormenting the small town.

But beneath his wicked, depthless eyes, there’s something else that draws Willow to him.

When yet another girl he knew dies, though, Willow questions whether she can trust her instincts…or if they’re leading to her own death.

Review:

This was a very suspenseful story.

It is a great mystery. Girls who dated Beau go missing and are murdered near his home. It seems like Willow will be next. I didn’t guess who did it, but the solution makes sense if you look back on the story.

I didn’t feel a connection with Willow or Beau. I felt like they were only focused on the murders, and didn’t talk about anything else. Of course, the murders were concerning since Beau was a suspect, but I think they should have done some other things to build their relationship and develop their characters.

This was a great suspenseful story. If you’re looking for a creepy teen story, you should check this one out!

About the Author:

Title: Dear Martin
Author: Nic Stone
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Release Date: October 17, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.

Review:

This story is amazing. It’s very moving.

The issues that Justyce faced are familiar to anyone who watches the news. He was wrongfully arrested because of his skin colour. He was trying to do the right thing and ended up in trouble. After that, everything spirals out of control because Justyce wants to face this social injustice head on.

The plot of the story was very fast paced. I read the whole book in just a couple of hours. I couldn’t put it down! When the big twist happens halfway through the book, when the shots were fired, I was shocked.

I loved the irony in the way Justyce’s mom behaved. She wanted her son to have a good life and have opportunities so she sent him to a private boarding school. She didn’t want him to be judged by his skin colour. However, she refused to let him date a white girl, just because she has white skin. Even if the girl loved Justyce and was good for him, she still wouldn’t accept her just because of her skin. This ridiculous prejudice just shows how no one should be judged solely by the way they look. People from all different races and backgrounds are both good and bad. Appearance doesn’t define the way you behave.

It’s a great story for it’s entertainment value as well as it’s teachable moments. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

Title: The Hazel Wood
Author: Melissa Albert
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. Alice’s only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.

Review:

I loved this book! I love fairytale adaptations, and this one was very twisted and original.

The writing was amazing. Alice had a unique and mature voice. I really enjoyed her narrative. Some of the fairytales from Alice’s grandmother’s book were also in the story. They were super creepy. I had to stop reading it one night and switch to a lighter book so I didn’t have nightmares. But the stories were so good!

The concept of the fairytales coming to life was so creepy. This story reminded me of the Percy Jackson series in that way. Percy learned his family secrets, which brought him into the world of Greek mythology, just as Alice learns her family history in the world of her grandmother’s fairytales.

I really hope a book of Alice’s grandmother’s fairytales is published. It would be awesome to read them all. The physical book was described in the story, so it could be a beautiful book as well.

I loved this story! I recommend it for fans of fairytale adaptations.

Title: American Panda
Author: Gloria Chao
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon Pulse, Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Release Date: February 6, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

An incisive, laugh-out-loud contemporary debut about a Taiwanese-American teen whose parents want her to be a doctor and marry a Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer despite her squeamishness with germs and crush on a Japanese classmate.

At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents’ master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.

With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth–that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.

But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?

Review:

I really liked this story!

Mei’s situation is very relatable. Her parents insist that she go to medical school, but she doesn’t want to. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to study what I wanted, but I know that isn’t the case for many people.

I loved Mei’s mother. She was so funny. She was constantly leaving voicemails for Mei and always ending them by saying “It’s your mom,” as if she didn’t know. She also called the police when Mei didn’t return her call for hours. She was very strict but also funny.

I’m a very squeamish person, so I don’t like reading about medical things. There were a few moments where Mei was in medical environments which were so gross! It was ironic since Mei was such a germaphobe. Those parts really grossed me out.

Overall, I really liked this story! It’s definitely worth the hype!

About the Author: