Jill's Book Blog

Review: Their Vicious Games

Title: Their Vicious Games
Author: Joelle Wellington
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: July 25, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A Black teen desperate to regain her Ivy League acceptance enters an elite competition only to discover the stakes aren’t just high, they’re deadly, in this searing thriller that’s Ace of Spades meets Squid Game with a sprinkling of The Bachelor .

You must work twice as hard to get half as much.

Adina Walker has known this the entire time she’s been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy—a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. It’s why she works so hard to be perfect and above reproach, no matter what she must force beneath the surface. Even one slip can cost you everything.

And it does. One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she’s sacrificed everything for is the Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family in which twelve young, ambitious women with exceptional promise are selected to compete in three mysterious the Ride, the Raid, and the Royale. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door.

But when she arrives at the Finish, Adina quickly gets the feeling that something isn’t quite right with both the Remingtons and her competition, and soon it becomes clear that this larger-than-life prize can only come at an even greater cost. Because the Finish’s stakes aren’t just make or break…they’re life and death.

Adina knows the deck is stacked against her—it always has been—so maybe the only way to survive their vicious games is for her to change the rules.

Review:

Adina Walker has always been on a scholarship at Edgewater Academy, an upper class (and mostly white) school, because her parents work there. After losing control in a moment with a former friend, Adina had her admission to Yale revoked. Adina will do anything to get that admission back, even compete in a high-stakes game that the Remington family hosts called the Finish. Several young women in Edgewater compete in the Finish to be accepted by the Remington family and have all the advantages of their wealth and power. However, the stakes of this game aren’t what Adina predicted. She must change the rules to survive the Remington’s vicious games.

This was an intense competition story that reminded me of The Hunger Games and Ace of Spades. The game had deadly stakes, which wasn’t what Adina had expected. There was some racism and classism in the story, since Adina was the only Black girl in the game as well as the only girl who didn’t move in the same circles of the Remingtons. I found myself holding my breath while reading this because I didn’t know what twists the games would reveal next.

Their Vicious Games is an intense and twisty story!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: racism, death, murder

Have you read Their Vicious Games? What did you think of it?

Happy Pub Day – August 8

Happy Pub Day to these authors!

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

The Raven Throne by Stephanie Burgis

Only a Trenza Away by Nadine Fonseca, Camila Carrossine (illustrator)

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, and Shadow Mountain for providing copies of these books!

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: We Ship It

Title: We Ship It
Author: Lauren Kay
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 20, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

This rom-com debut has the fierce girl energy of the movie Booksmart, blended with the awkwardness of Kelly Quindlen’s Late to the Party, topped with a thrilling international meet-cute a la Love and Gelato. Olivia Schwartz has a plan. It’s even color-coded. And the plan is a perfect SAT score, a prestigious college, and a straight path towards her dream of becoming a doctor. The last thing she wants to do—the summer before her senior year of high school, no less—is go on a cruise. Especially with her parents, younger brothers, and all the unspoken things between them since her older brother’s death so many years ago. Then Olivia meets Sebastian. He’s everything she’s charming, exciting, willing to take risks and run with them. For the first time, Olivia feels like she can have fun… But there’s a lot bubbling up under the surface on this cruise, and when past secrets begin to come to light, Olivia must face all the truths that she’s ignored for so about herself, Sebastian, her brother, the past she thought she understood, and the future she’s always planned.

Review:

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Schwartz has a plan to become a cardiologist. During spring break, she plans to do a project with her friend so they can win an internship. However, her parents surprise her with a cruise for their whole family, including her younger twin brothers. This cruise would have been a dream come true for Olivia’s older brother, who died when he was seventeen of a sudden heart attack. Olivia isn’t that close to her parents since they never want to talk about her older brother. Then Olivia meets Sebastian, a charming boy who gives her feeling she’s never had before. She opens up to him about her brother and starts to learn more about herself. Olivia decides to let loose and have fun on this cruise, but then she has to face the truths that she’s been avoiding for a long time.

This was a rom com with a serious undertone. Olivia went on a fun cruise with her family but they had the secret of her older brother’s death hanging between them. Her parents didn’t like to talk about him, but she didn’t know why. The romance between Olivia and Sebastian was cute, but it seemed short lived since they didn’t live anywhere near each other. I was surprised at the ending, when all the secrets everyone was keeping were revealed. I didn’t expect the ending to be so emotional, based on the cute cover and the rom com description.

We Ship It is a cute vacation rom com with an emotional side to it.

Content warnings: death of sibling, underage drinking, heart attack, overdose

Have you read We Ship It? What did you think of it?

Review: Everyone Here Is Lying

Title: Everyone Here Is Lying
Author: Shari Lapena
Genre: Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 25, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Welcome to Stanhope! A safe neighborhood. A place for families.

William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he’s been having an affair, an affair that ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road. So when he returns to his house, devastated and angry, to find his difficult nine-year-old daughter, Avery, unexpectedly home from school, William loses his temper.

Hours later, Avery’s family declares her missing.

Suddenly Stanhope doesn’t feel so safe. And William isn’t the only one on his street who’s hiding a lie. As witnesses come forward with information that may or may not be true, Avery’s neighbors become increasingly unhinged.

Who took Avery Wooler?

Nothing will prepare you for the truth.

Review:

William Wooler has been having an affair, but his mistress ends it one afternoon. He goes home and finds his difficult nine-year-old daughter home alone, when she should still be at school. They have an argument and William loses his temper and slaps her. He storms out of the house after apologizing. However, a little while later, William is called home because Avery has disappeared. Everyone on their street is a suspect, and everyone has secrets.

This was another awesome fast-paced Shari Lapena thriller. It was told through small scenes that alternated between all the characters which gave some insight into what everyone was thinking. It was still hard to figure out who was behind her disappearance because they were all guilty of something in their lives. The story took a surprising twist that I didn’t see coming. The ending was great and satisfying!

Everyone Here Is Lying is a fast-paced thriller!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book.

Content warnings: murder, child abuse, mentions of drug abuse, mentions of sexual assault

Have you read Everyone Here Is Lying? What did you think of it?

Review: Los Monstruos: Felice and the Wailing Woman

Title: Los Monstruos: Felice and the Wailing Woman
Author: Diana López
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Contemporary
Publisher: Kokila
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: April 18, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The twelve-year-old daughter of La Llorona vows to free her mother and reverse the curses that have plagued the magical town of Tres Leches in this delightfully sweet and spellbinding adventure by beloved author Diana López.

When Felice learns that she’s the daughter of La Llorona, she catches a ride to the magical town of Tres Leches, where her mother is said to be haunting the river. Growing up with her uncle Clem in Corpus Christi, Felice knew that she had been rescued from drowning—it’s where her intense fear of water comes from—but she had no idea her mother remained trapped between worlds, looking for her. Guided by the magical town’s eccentric mayor, Felice vows to help her mother make peace with the events that turned her into the most famous monstruo of US–Mexico border lore. Along the way, she meets the children of other monstruos, like La Lechuza and the Dancing Devil, and together they free Tres Leches from magical and metaphorical curses that have haunted its people for generations.

Diana López’s electric return to middle grade—the first in a series—brims with magic, adventure, and Mexican folklore, and is perfect for fans of Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega and the Jumbies series by Tracey Baptiste.

Review:

Twelve-year-old Felice grew up with her Uncle Clem in Corpus Christi after her mother and brothers drowned in a river in their hometown of Tres Leches. When her uncle’s friend comes to tell them that Felice’s mother is haunting the river as La Llorona, Felice runs away to go meet her mom. However, Felice has a strong fear of water, so she can’t even approach the river. She meets two children who also have parents known as Los Monstruos. With her new friends, Felice must figure out how to save Tres Leches from La Llorona.

This was a fun middle grade story. I enjoyed the representation of Mexican culture. The descriptions of the food made me so hungry! I also liked the representation of phobia and anxiety. Since Felice knew the river killed her mother and brothers, she had a phobia of water. She couldn’t even stand being near rain without having a panic attack. She had to figure out how to manage and conquer her fear, rather than letting it control her life. This was a positive message for kids.

Felice and the Wailing Woman is a great middle grade book!

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

Content warnings: death of parents, death of siblings, parental abandonment, drowning

Have you read Los Monstruos: Felice and the Wailing Woman? What did you think of it?

Happy Pub Day – August 1

Happy Pub Day to these authors!

Broadway Butterfly by Sara DiVello

The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall

Don’t Want to Be Your Monster by Deke Moulton

Guardians of Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones

Thank you Thomas and Mercer, Penguin Teen Canada, Tundra Books, and Wednesday Books for providing digital copies of these books!

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: The Only One Left

Title: The Only One Left
Author: Riley Sager
Genre: Thriller, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Dutton
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 20, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope

Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything.

“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead

As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.

Review:

Everyone believes that seventeen-year-old Lenora Hope was responsible for the deaths of her parents and her sister in 1929. Now, in 1983, Kit McDeere is sent to act as a caregiver to Lenora. Kit has to take the job after an incident at her last placement. Kit is a little uneasy about working for Lenora, since she’s suspected to be a murderer. However, Lenora is confined to a wheelchair without the ability to speak. She can only move her left hand. One night, Lenora gets Kit to bring her a typewriter. She tells Kit she will tell her everything about the infamous massacre. Kit is eager to find out, but as more details are revealed, Kit realizes she might be in more danger than she thought.

This was one of those books that I couldn’t put down. I needed to get to the end as quickly as I could to find out what happened. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say this was such a twisty thriller. There were a couple of things that I suspected throughout the story, but the ending literally made my jaw drop. It’s one of the best endings I’ve ever read!

The Only One Left is an intense and fast-paced thriller!

Thank you Dutton for providing a digital copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parents, stabbing, attempted suicide, stabbing

Have you read The Only One Left? What did you think of it?

Review: Thornwood (Sisters Ever After #1)

Title: Thornwood (Sisters Ever After #1)
Author: Leah Cypess
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: April 6, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A middle grade Sleeping Beauty rewrite about a girl who lives in the shadow of her older sister and the curse that has haunted her from birth.

For years, Briony has lived in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Rosalin, and the curse that has haunted her from birth–that on the day of her sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger on a spindle and cause everyone in the castle to fall into a 100-year sleep. When the day the curse is set to fall over the kingdom finally arrives, nothing–not even Briony–can stop its evil magic.

You know the story.

But here’s something you don’t know. When Briony finally wakes up, it’s up to her to find out what’s really going on, and to save her family and friends from the murderous Thornwood. But who is going to listen to her? This is a story of sisterhood, of friendship, and of the ability of even little sisters to forge their own destiny.

Review:

Briony’s older sister, Rosalin, was cursed at her birth to prick her finger on a spindle on her sixteenth birthday and send the entire castle into a 100 year sleep. Despite trying their best, the curse ends up coming true. When Briony wakes up after 100 years, she rushes to find her sister. She immediately knows something is wrong. The Thornwood, a giant forest of thorns has grown right up to the castle and it continues to grow through the windows and walls. Though Rosalin was woken by the kiss of a Prince, his story isn’t adding up. Briony had to take charge and figure out how to save her sister.

This was a fun retelling of Sleeping Beauty. It was told by the perspective of her sister who had to live in the shadow of her famous sister. There were a few mysterious elements that were different from the typical Sleeping Beauty story. I really enjoyed this fun twist on the fairy tale!

Thornwood is a great retelling of Sleeping Beauty!

Other books in the series:

Glass Slippers (Sisters Ever After #2)
The Piper’s Promise (Sisters Ever After #3)

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

Happy Pub Day – July 25

Happy Pub Day to these authors!

Ghosted by Amanda Quain

Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto

House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig

One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus

The Legacies by Jessica Goodman

Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

Thank you Wednesday Books, Simon and Schuster Canada, Penguin Teen Canada, and Penguin Random House Canada for providing digital arcs of these books!

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: DeadEndia: The Watcher’s Test

Title: DeadEndia: The Watcher’s Test
Author: Hamish Steele
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Young Adult
Publisher: Union Square and Co.
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Barney Guttman’s life has been turned upside down. His family is struggling to fully embrace his trans identity, but thanks to his best friend Norma, he’s just landed a job at Phoenix Parks, a Dollywood-esque amusement park inspired by the long life and career of mysteriously youthful actress and singer Pauline Phoenix. Soon, Barney and his dog, Pugsley, secretly move into the haunted house attraction. Little does Barney know, the house contains a portal to the demonic planes of Hell. When Courtney, Barney’s devilish new roommate, invites a demon king to Earth through the portal, they offer Barney and Norma as flesh vessels for the king, but in a strange twist, Pugsley is possessed instead! It’s a race through the park to save Pugsley—and the world—from the demon king’s reign of terror that leaves Pugsley with strange and magical side effects. With all of this chaos going on, Barney is also discovering he has crush on park employee, Logan, so he must face his biggest fear of all… talking to someone he likes.

Follow the lives of this diverse group of friends in this hilarious and moving graphic novel series, complete with talking pugs, vengeful ghosts, and first love.

Part workplace comedy, part supernatural horror adventure, with a splash of LGBTQ+ romance, The Watcher’s Test is perfect for fans of author Hamish Steele’s TV series Dead End: Paranormal Park who are in search of more adventures, for graphic novel lovers who want more diversity in their reads, or simply as an introduction to the zany, creative, and laugh-out-loud funny world of DeadEndia.

Review:

Barney Guttman’s parents aren’t completely accepting his trans identity, so when he gets a job at a haunted house in an amusement park, he leaves home and moves in there. Barney is working with his best friend Norma and he brought his dog Pugsley to live with him too. He soon discovers that this haunted house contains a portal to Hell. A demonic ambassador named Courtney invited a demon king to Earth which sets off several events including giving Pugsley the ability to speak and do magic. The group of friends go on a series of adventures throughout the amusement park to save Earth.

This was a hilarious and entertaining graphic novel with some serious moments too. I liked how the story focused on Barney’s present. Since his parents weren’t accepting his trans identity, they didn’t take up space on the page other than him mentioning them a few times. The other characters were fun and diverse. The characters were well developed right from the first page, so the story could focus on the events happening at the amusement park. This is also a beautifully illustrated graphic novel!

DeadEndia: The Watcher’s Test is a fun book!

Thank you Union Square and Co. for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: transphobia (mentioned), death, death of dog