Title: Riverdale: The Ties That Bind Author: Micol Ostow, Thomas Pitilli (illustrator) Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group Source: Publisher via Edelweiss Format: Ebook Release Date: May 4, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Archie’s second original graphic novel features the world of CW’s Riverdale! Four interconnected stories trap each of our main characters in a unique high-stakes conflict over the course of a few pressure-cooker hours!
Jughead’s locked in and left behind with Moose at Stonewall Prep, Veronica is trapped with Cheryl at a nearby suburban shopping mall, Betty and Polly are stalked by a possible madman when a girls’ night goes horribly awry and Archie is held hostage by a ‘long lost relative’ of Fred’s who’s come to town seeking payback of any and every kind.
Will Archie and company even make it to sunrise? If they do, will they ever be the same again?
Review:
Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica all have encounters with a strange cult over the span of a few hours. Jughead and Moose are locked in their school library. Archie and Reggie are trapped in an escape room at school. Betty and her sister are stalked by a madman to an empty motel. Veronica and Cheryl are chased around a closed shopping mall. Each of these separate incidents are all connected to the same cult.
This was a great fast paced graphic novel. It was short, at just over a hundred pages, so I didn’t expect it to have such a detailed story. Each of the four main characters had a complete story told about their night being terrorized. Even though these stories were separate incidents, they were all connected by a group with the same cult tattoos.
The details of this group behind these events weren’t given so I hope there will be a sequel. Each of the incidents were connected, and some of the background of why they were being targeted was given, but I would have loved if there was a clearer solution. I hope there will be another graphic novel that explains this group who targeted Jughead and his friends.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel.
Thank you Penguin for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
The Day Before by Micol Ostow
A Werewolf in Riverdale by Caleb Roehrig
Have you read Riverdale: The Ties That Bind? What did you think of it?
This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!
What I just finished:
This weekend I finished Riverdale: The Ties That Bind by Micol Ostow, Thomas Pitilli (illustrator).
What I’m currently reading:
I’m currently reading These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy.
What I’m reading next:
Next I will be reading Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.
This Sunday I’m reading These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy.
Goodreads Synopsis:
A queer retelling of “The Firebird,” a Russian folktale
When twin heirs are born in Tourin, their fates are decided at a young age. While Izaveta remained at court to learn the skills she’d need as the future queen, Asya was taken away to train with her aunt, the mysterious Firebird, who ensured magic remained balanced in the realm.
But before Asya’s training is completed, the ancient power blooms inside her, which can mean only one thing: the queen is dead, and a new ruler must be crowned.
As the princesses come to understand everything their roles entail, they’ll discover who they can trust, who they can love—and who killed their mother.
Title: The Sky Above Us Author: Natalie Lund Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Publisher: Philomel Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: April 13, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
From the author of We Speak in Storms comes a twisty, psychological thriller about three friends searching for the truth in the aftermath of a plane crash.
The morning after their senior year beach party, Izzy, Cass, and Janie are woken by a thundering overhead. Then they and their classmates watch in shock as a plane crashes into the water. When the passengers are finally recovered, they are identified as Izzy’s twin brother, Israel, Cass’s ex-boyfriend, Shane, and Janie’s best friend, Nate. But Izzy can feel when her brother is in pain, and she knows he’s not really dead. So she, Cass, and Janie set out to discover what actually happened that day–and why the boys were on the plane.
Told in alternating timelines and points of view, this powerful and captivating novel follows the three boys in the weeks leading up to that fateful flight, and the girls they left behind as they try to piece together the truth about the boys they loved and thought they knew. A spellbinding story about the ripple effects of tragedy, the questions we leave unanswered, and the enduring power of friendship.
Review:
The morning after a beach party, Izzie, Cass, and Janie are woken up by a plane flying overhead. They watch the plane crash into the ocean, and Izzy instantly knows who was on it. The victims are pulled out of the ocean: Izzy’s twin brother Israel, Cass’s ex-boyfriend Shane, and Janie’s secret boyfriend Nate. Each of these girls had a strong connection to the boys. They have no idea what would drive the boys to crash a plane, but they need to find out to get closure. This story is told through alternating timelines, with the boys’ stories before the crash and the girls’ stories after the crash.
This was a devastating story about grief. The girls mourned the loss of the boys in their own ways. The boys also had their own grief that they experienced before the plane crash. Shane had to mourn the loss of his relationship with Cass. Nate mourned the loss of his future soccer career after an injury. Israel experienced his death in a past life every night in a dream. All six of them, and their parents, had different ways of experiencing grief.
One fascinating part of this book was the experience Israel had of remembering his past life. He’d had dreams since he was a child of a man dying in a car crash. He knew that the man was him from a past life. There was a forum he used to speak to other people who also remembered their past lives. I hadn’t thought much about this phenomenon before reading this story, but the circumstances around the man dying, who Israel believed was him in a past life, made Israel’s claim quite convincing.
This was a tragic story that had me hooked from the beginning until the end.
Thank you Penguin Teen for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
The Stepping Off Place by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum
All This Time by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott
Have you read The Sky Above Us? What did you think of it?
This week I was invited to attend the virtual Summer 2021 Preview of books from HCC Frenzy, HarperCollins Canada’s teen imprint. All of these books look amazing! I’m going to try to get my hands on all of them.
All of these graphics were made by the amazing team at HCC Frenzy!
I can’t wait for these books to hit shelves this summer!
Do you see any books on this list that you’re excited to read?
Title: Your Corner Dark Author: Desmond Hall Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Publisher: Atheneum Source: Publisher Format: Paperback arc Release Date: January 19, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
American Street meets Long Way Down in this searing and gritty debut novel that takes an unflinching look at the harsh realities of gang life in Jamaica and how far a teen is willing to go for family.
Things can change in a second:
The second Frankie Green gets that scholarship letter, he has his ticket out of Jamaica.
The second his longtime crush, Leah, asks him on a date, he’s in trouble.
The second his father gets shot, suddenly nothing else matters.
And the second Frankie joins his uncle’s gang in exchange for paying for his father’s medical bills, there’s no going back…or is there?
As Frankie does things he never thought he’d be capable of, he’s forced to confront the truth of the family and future he was born into—and the ones he wants to build for himself.
Review:
Frankie Green lives with his father in Jamaica. When he gets a scholarship letter from the US, he knows he has his ticket out of Jamaica. To celebrate, Frankie decides to go to a party that is put on by his uncle’s gang. Frankie’s father doesn’t get along with his brother, but he shows up at the party and gets shot. Frankie has to get money quick to save his father from a bad infection, so he joins his uncle’s gang. Frankie’s life takes a sudden turn, changing the future he had planned.
Frankie was an ambitious boy. He had big dreams of studying engineering in the US. He worked so hard all of his life, but one small decision he made derailed all of his plans. This shows that just one moment can change your life, for better or worse.
This story dealt with some serious topics. Frankie had to join a gang in order to get his father medical care. He gave up his dream of becoming an engineer in order to save his father’s life. That’s something I’ve never had to face, and I’m sure many other readers haven’t had to deal with either. It’s so important to read stories like this, with diverse lifestyles, to understand a little of what life could be like in other places in the world.
This was a suspenseful read!
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Have you read Your Corner Dark? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words, where you give the first few lines of a book to hook your readers before introducing the book.
Here are my first lines:
“I’ve read many more books than you. It doesn’t matter how many you’ve read. I’ve read more. Believe me. I’ve had the time.”
Do you recognize these first lines?
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
And the book is… Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon.
Goodreads synopsis:
My disease is as rare as it is famous. It’s a form of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, but basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in fifteen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives. New next door neighbors. I look out the window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black t-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. I want to learn everything about him, and I do. I learn that he is funny and fierce. I learn that his eyes are Atlantic Ocean-blue and that his vice is stealing silverware. I learn that when I talk to him, my whole world opens up, and I feel myself starting to change—starting to want things. To want out of my bubble. To want everything, everything the world has to offer.
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.
Have you read Everything Everything? What did you think of it?
Jill's Book Blog 