Review: Sweet and Bitter Magic

Title: Sweet and Bitter Magic
Author: Adrienne Tooley
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: Owlcrate
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: March 9, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

In this debut fantasy, a witch cursed to never love meets a girl hiding her own dangerous magic, and the two strike a dangerous bargain to save their queendom.

Tamsin is the most powerful witch of her generation. But after committing the worst magical sin, she’s exiled by the ruling Coven and cursed with the inability to love. The only way she can get those feelings back—even for just a little while—is to steal love from others.

Wren is a source—a rare kind of person who is made of magic, despite being unable to use it herself. Sources are required to train with the Coven as soon as they discover their abilities, but Wren—the only caretaker to her ailing father—has spent her life hiding her secret.

When a magical plague ravages the queendom, Wren’s father falls victim. To save him, Wren proposes a bargain: if Tamsin will help her catch the dark witch responsible for creating the plague, then Wren will give Tamsin her love for her father.

Of course, love bargains are a tricky thing, and these two have a long, perilous journey ahead of them—that is, if they don’t kill each other first..

Review:

Tamsin is a powerful witch, but after casting some dark magic, she’s kicked out of the Coven and cursed to never love again. The only way for her to have any feelings of love is to take them from people who need her magic. Wren is a source of magic. People who are sources are required to go to the Coven to be trained, but Wren didn’t want to leave her father alone. Now, her father is sick with a memory-stealing plague, so she approaches Tamsin to help heal him. Wren asks Tamsin to help her find the witch that started the plague to find a cure, and in return she will give Tamsin the love she feels for her father. The two girls must journey into the Coven to find the source of the dark magic. 

This was a cute sapphic witch story. I love it when the duality of good versus evil are explored in a story. Tamsin seemed like a dark witch who stole people’s love just to be mean, but she had a traumatic history that made her behave that way. Wren had conflicting feelings about trusting a witch, but she loved her father so much that she was willing to give up that love to cure him. Love was very valuable in this story. 

There were some surprising twists in this story that I didn’t see coming. I liked how everything wrapped up at the end. It was a complete ending but there’s also the possibility to return to this world and the characters. 

Sweet and Bitter Magic is a great sapphic witchy story.

What to read next:

Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

Have you read Sweet and Bitter Magic? What did you think of it?

Happy Pub Day – October 18

Happy Pub Day to these authors!

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra

Love from Mecca to Medina by S.K. Ali

Read of the Lost by Nafiza Adai

The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew

Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken by Nita Tyndall

Somebody That I Used to Know by Dana L. Davis

Tell Me No Lies by Andrea Contos

Beneath the Wide Silk Sky by Emily Inouye Huey

We Are the Scribes by Randi Pink

Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things by Maya Prasad

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

Greywaren by Maggie Stiefvater

Marikit and the Ocean of Stars by Caris Avendaño Cruz

Poster Girl by Veronica Roth

The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke

A Cosmic Kind of Love by Samantha Young

Built to Last by Erin Hahn

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai

Outside Nowhere by Adam Borba

The Spirit Queen by Arnée Flores

The Last Chairlift by John Irving

Maybe an Artist by Liz Montague

Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: Twelfth Grade Night (Arden High #1)

Title: Twelfth Grade Night (Arden High #1)
Author: Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm, Jamie Green
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Contemporary
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 11, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The course of true love never did run smooth . . . and neither does high school in this new graphic novel series for fans of Heartstopper and The Prince and the Dressmaker.

Vi came to Arden High for a fresh start and a chance to wear beanies and button-ups instead of uniform skirts. And though doing it without her twin feels like being split in half, Vi finds her stride when she stumbles (literally!) into broody and beautiful poet-slash-influencer, Orsino. Soon Vi gets roped into helping plan the school’s Twelfth Grade Night dance, and she can’t stop dreaming about slow dancing with Orsino under the fairy lights in the gym.

The problem? All Vi’s new friends assume she’s not even into guys. And before Vi can ask Orsino to the dance, he recruits Vi to help woo his crush, Olivia. Who has a crush of her own . . . on Vi.

Star-crossed love abounds in this hilarious and romantic story of self-discovery, mistaken identities, and the magic that happens when we open our hearts to something new.

Review:

Vi decided to go to Arden High for a fresh start in high school and to get away from wearing her uniform skirts. Her brother Sebastian stayed at their boarding school, leaving Vi to start this journey on her own. As soon as she walks into the cafeteria, Vi stumbles into the poet influencer Orsino, and she instantly likes him. They spend time together but before Vi can ask Orsino to the Twelfth Grade Night dance, Orsino asks her to ask Olivia out to the dance for him. Things get even more complicated when Olivia reveals she has a crush on Vi. All of these star crossed lovers come together in a mix of mistaken identities at the Twelfth Grade Night dance. 

As soon as I saw the title of this book, I knew I had to read it. Twelfth Night is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays and She’s the Man is one of my favourite adaptations. This story was set in Arden High, which was full of different Shakespeare characters who will probably be in future books. 

Vi was a girl who dressed in masculine clothing, so others assumed that she was attracted to other girls. This also made Vi look identical to her twin brother. Vi’s masculine appearance led to the mistaken identities that are present at the end of Twelfth Night. These queer and gender identities were a great way to adapt Twelfth Night into a modern story. 

Twelfth Grade Night is a fabulous graphic novel adaptation!

What to read next:

Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth

That Way Madness Lies edited by Dahlia Adler

Have you read Twelfth Grade Night? What did you think of it?

Happy Pub Day – October 11

Happy Pub Day to these authors!

Season of Love by Helena Greer

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews

The Raven Song by Luanne G. Smith

Runaway Groomsman by Meghan Quinn

Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller by Meredith Ireland

The Edge of Being by James Brandon

Grace Things Like Love by Sara Bennett Wealer

The Witch Hunt by Sasha Peyton Smith

I Miss You, I Hate This by Sara Saedi

The Truth About Everything by Bridget Farr

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe

Twelfth Grade Night by Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm, Jamie Green

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner

That Summer in Berlin by Lecia Cornwall

Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo

The Other Side of Night by Adam Hamdy

Fayne by Ann-Marie Mac Donald

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: The Weight of Blood

Title: The Weight of Blood
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Contemporary
Publisher: HCC Frenzy
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: September 6, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Author Tiffany D. Jackson ramps up the horror and tackles America’s history and legacy of racism in this YA novel following a biracial teenager as her Georgia high school hosts its first integrated prom. 

When Springville residents—at least the ones still alive—are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have the same explanation… Maddy did it.

An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she’s dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington.

After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High’s racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their image: host the school’s first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it’s possible to have a normal life.

But some of her classmates aren’t done with her just yet. And what they don’t know is that Maddy still has another secret… one that will cost them all their lives.

Review:

Maddie Washington has always been teased by her classmates for being different. She’s quiet, keeps to herself, and has wears old-fashioned clothes. When she’s caught in the rain one day during gym class one day, they learn her biggest secret: she’s biracial. Her classmates bully her even more, making fun of her hair by throwing pencils at her. Some students put out viral videos, which show how deep the racial roots are in this small town. Wendy, the popular white cheer captain, decides to make a change so her racist friends don’t look so bad to the rest of the world. She organizes the town’s first interracial prom, and she asks her popular Black boyfriend to ask Maddie to the dance so that she fits in. However, Maddie has one more secret that will destroy the town. 

The Weight of Blood is a retelling of Stephen King’s Carrie. That’s my favourite King novel so I was so excited to read this one. There were some Stephen King Easter eggs throughout the story. The ending of this book wasn’t exactly the same as Carrie, so I was surprised at the twists. 

The racism in this story was disturbing. Maddie’s white father tried to make her appear white and kept her away from the Black community. Maddie’s classmates said and did horrible things to her, including dressing in blackface. They even had segregated proms. I find it shocking and disturbing that this kind of thing can happen today. Hopefully, books like this one will promote change in the future. 

The Weight of Blood is a fantastic retelling of Carrie with an important message. 

Thank you HCC Frenzy for giving me a copy of this book!

What to read next:

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

Carrie by Stephen King

Have you read The Weight of Blood? What did you think of it?

Review: The First to Die at the End (Death-Cast #0)

Title: The First to Die at the End (Death-Cast #0)
Author: Adam Silvera
Genre: Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary, Fantasy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

In this prequel to #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon They Both Die at the End, two new strangers spend a life-changing day together after Death-Cast first makes their fateful calls.

It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict when someone will die, or is it just an elaborate hoax?

Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die. He has a serious heart condition, and he signed up for Death-Cast so he could know what’s coming.

Valentino Prince is restarting his life in New York. He has a long and promising future ahead and he only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.

Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first round of End Day calls goes out, their lives are changed forever—one of them receives a call, and the other doesn’t. Though neither boy is certain how the day will end, they know they want to spend it together…even if that means their goodbye will be heartbreaking.

Told with acclaimed author Adam Silvera’s signature bittersweet touch, this story celebrates the lasting impact that people have on each other and proves that life is always worth living to the fullest.

Review:

2010: Death-Cast is a new service that will call you between 12 AM and 2 AM on the day you will die. On the first night that they’re open, no one is sure if it will work or not, because the creator of Death-Cast, Joaquin Rosa, hasn’t shared his secret of how he will know when someone will die. On that night, Orion Pagan has signed up for the service. He lost his parents in 9/11 and he has a heart condition, so he has accepted that he will die young. Valentino Prince has moved to New York City to pursue a career in modeling after his parents cut him out of their lives for being gay. Valentino’s twin sister had a near death experience in a car accident, so Valentino signs up for Death-Cast to be prepared for his own death. Orion and Valentino meet by chance on the opening night of Death-Cast, which forever changes their lives. One of them gets the call that night, but the other doesn’t. They decide to spend this End Day together, knowing it will only end in heartbreak. 

This prequel completely blew me away. I knew it would be an emotional read, which I tend to avoid. I’m so glad I read this one because it was so beautifully crafted. There were cameos from characters from They Both Die at the End that were both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Every character had an important purpose that contributed to the ending of the story. 

The First to Die at the End is one of my favourite books of the year, and probably of all time. 

Thank you so much HCC Frenzy for sending me this copy!

What to read next:


Infinity Son by Adam Silvera

Heartstopper, Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

Other books in the series:

Have you read The First to Die at the End? What did you think of it?

Review: The Last Hope in Hopetown

Title: The Last Hope in Hopetown
Author: Maria Tureaud
Genre: Middle Grade, Paranormal, LGBT
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Audiobook
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A debut novel about one girl’s dilemma over the decision to save her vampire parents or do what’s right for the greater good.

Twelve-year-old human Sophie Dawes lives a good life in Hopetown. There, vampires and humans live in harmony and Sophie and her adoptive vampire moms are living (or unliving) proof. There are a lot of rules that vampires must follow to keep the humans they live around feeling safe, but if regular visits from child protective services and abiding by a nightly curfew keeps their family together, Sophie will do anything to stay with her loving vampire parents. But then, normal, law-abiding vampires begin to go rogue.

After Sophie’s own mother— the sweetest person she knows— goes rogue, Sophie decides it’s up to her to find a cure. But taking matters into her own hands might be way more than she bargained for if it means braving a secret council of vampires, executing epic heists, and facing the true bad guys head on. With her best friend by her side, Sophie will fight for hope, freedom and a family bonded by a love that’s thicker than blood.

Review:

Twelve-year-old Sophie Dawes lives in Hopetown with her adoptive vampire moms. Vampires have to follow a lot of rules to keep the humans safe in their town. When one law-abiding vampire goes rogue, the entire community is put on alert. No one knows what’s causing the vampires to turn on humans like that. Then, one of Sophie’s moms goes rogue, almost killing Sophie and her other mom. Sophie is joined by her best friend Delphine, a three-hundred-year-old vampire in a twelve-year-old’s body, and they hunt for the cure before Sophie’s mom goes out of control. 

This was such a fun vampire story. The characters were so original. I loved Sophie’s moms, who were called Mama and The Duke. They were quite original and had fun stories from their long lives. Delphine was also a fun character since she had lived a long life but looked so young. She hated technology, so she wasn’t a typical twelve-year-old. 

I really enjoyed the audiobook version of this story. The story was clear and concise with lots of action. It was also fast paced, so it held my attention the whole time. 

The Last Hope in Hopetown is a great middle grade vampire story!

Thank you Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this book.

What to read next:

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Have you read The Last Hope in Hopetown? What did you think of it?

Happy Pub Day – October 4

Happy Pub Day to these authors!

In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore

The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond by Amanda Glaze

All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox

The Empress of Time by Kylie Lee Baker

The Last Hope in Hopetown by Marie Tureaud

Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne

In Myrtle Peril by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont by Nick Brooks

How to Heal a Gryphon by Meg Cannistra

The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park

You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky

So This Is Christmas by Jenny Holiday

Curse of the Reaper by Brian McAuley

The Invincible Miss Cust by Penny Haw

Miss Del Río by Bárbara Mujica

One Woman’s War by Christine Wells

The Restless Dark by Erica Waters

Monarch Rising by Harper Glenn

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

Across the Sand by Hugh Howey

The Storyteller’s Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal

Holidays in Virgin River by Robyn Carr

Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery

A Match Made at Christmas by Patricia Davids

Flight 171 by Amy Christine Parker

New Dragon City by Mari Mancusi

Curse Undone by Brandie June

Sisterhood of Sleuths by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Manmade Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers, Jeff Edwards (illustrator)

A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo

Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert

Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

After Dark with Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

The White Hare by Jane Johnson

When Life Gives You Vampires by Gloria Duke

Extra Witchy by Ann Aguirre

A Curse of Queens by Amanda Bouchet

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese

Prince of Song and Sea by Linsey Miller

The Wolves Are Watching by Natalie Lund

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: Cake Eater

Title: Cake Eater
Author: Allyson Dahlin
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Once Upon a Book Club Box
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 9, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

She has a million followers on social media.

She uses her fashion-forward eye to pick the perfect angle and filter on every photo.

She’s iconic.

She’s a trend-setter.

She’s Marie Antoinette, the year is 3070, and she’s arrived in the Franc Kingdom to marry the prince, secure an alliance, and rake in likes from her fans.

Versailles is not the perfect palace Marie’s seen on The Apps. Her life is a maze of pointless rules, and the court watches her every move for mistakes. Her shy husband Louis is more interested in horses and computer-hacking than producing heirs. Versailles seems like a dream full of neon-lit statues, handsome android soldiers, and parties till dawn. Under the surface, it’s a creepy den of secrets: surveillance in Marie’s bedroom, censored news feeds, disappearing courtiers.

When Marie and Louis become king and queen long before they’re ready to rule, any efforts to aid their suffering subjects are stamped out by the mega-corporations of the First Estate. Between riots in Paris and image-wrecking social media firestorms, Marie can’t afford to lose her head. Using her social media savvy and Louis’ hacking knowledge, they try to fix their reputations and change their kingdom for the better, but the royals may find it’s already too late. They’re ruling over the end of an era.

Review:

In the year 3070, social media influencer Marie Antoinette is sent to the Franc Kingdom to marry the dauphin Louis. Versailles is not what she expected from what she saw on the Apps. She isn’t able to do the same kinds of social media promotion like she could at home. Her new husband is more interested in working on technology than being with his new wife. Marie is under constant surveillance, but she doesn’t know who’s watching. On top of all that, there are riots in the streets for reasons that are kept from Marie and the rest of the Royal family. Marie and Louis have to work together using their technology knowledge to save their kingdom. 

This was a fun reimagining of Marie Antoinette in the future. The comparisons of technology and the things that the first Marie Antoinette did in her life were clever. One of the main themes in this story was how history can repeat itself. I think that’s so apparent today, when things that are happening in the world today are reminiscent of historical events. 

The only issue I had with this book was the year it was set. It was set in the distant future of 3070, over 1000 years from today. This world was quite similar to ours with the same technology and similar social media sites. Thinking back to 1000 years in the past, our world is completely different from then, so I don’t think the world in 1000 years in the future will be that similar. We probably can’t even imagine the types of technology that will be around then, just like the people 1000 years ago couldn’t imagine our technology now. 

Cake Eater is a fun sci-fi reimagining of Marie Antoinette

What to read next:

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Have you read Cake Eater? What did you think of it?

Review: A Day for Sandcastles

Title: A Day for Sandcastles
Author: JonArno Lawson, Qin Leng (illustrator)
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 10, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A dazzling wordless picture book celebrates creative problem-solving, teamwork, and the sun-splashed wonder of a day at the beach.

The creators of the acclaimed Over the Shop evoke a perfect summer beach day—and themes of creativity, cooperation, flexibility, and persistence—all without a word in this sun-warmed, salt-stained delight of a story. A busload of beachgoers spills out onto the sand for a day of fun and frolic. Three siblings begin work on a castle, patting and shaping the sand as the sun arcs over the sky. Time and again, their progress is halted: a windswept hat topples their creation; a toddler ambles through it; the tide creeps close, and then too close. Meeting each demolition with fresh determination, the builders outdo themselves time and again, until the moment arrives to pile back into the bus for home. An authentic portrait of sibling cooperation—and glorious inspiration for creative people of all ages—A Day for Sandcastles channels the thrill of surrendering expectations on the path to infinite possibility.

Review:

In this picture book, a family spends the day at the beach. Three siblings build a sandcastle, but things keep happening to destroy it over and over again. At the end of the day, the family packs up and leaves. 

This picture book didn’t have words on the page. I used to love picture books without words when I was a kid, because then I could make up the story myself. It can be different every time. The detailed images also depicted the people on the beach around the family, which shows that there is a larger world just beyond the story being told. 

A Day for Sandcastles is a beautiful picture book. 

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

What to read next:

Hat Cat by Troy Wilson, Eve Coy (illustrator)

Have you read A Day for Sandcastles? What did you think of it?