Young Adult

Review of Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

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Synopsis:
For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings . . . until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game — and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy.

Review:
“If you think I’m jealous because someone else got to stab you, then you’re right.” (Page 329)

Magic and curses and the power of true love- what’s not to like? I absolutely love that this is a series set in the same world as Caraval with a few characters we know and oh so many new developments. I quite enjoy the stakes of this series, and how the truth of one’s emotions are learned through their actions. While parts of the series seemed like everything was obvious, the twists and turns left much ambiguous and to be discovered in full in future books. The depth and development of the characters is something that truly brings the world to life, just as much if not more than the magic we end up chasing. I love how everything is left to chance and there is always the possibility to change your future; much like real life.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard

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Synopsis:
Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.

The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that’s killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.

On top of that, following her dad’s convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own.

As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.

Review:
This book was bittersweet, picking up exactly where we left off. There were questions left unanswered at the end but almost everything I predicted in the first book was true in this one; the foreshadowing had been quite obvious, but that didn’t stop my enjoyment of the book/series. We really got to see Winnie grow and change and experience both PTSD as well as figuring out what she really cares about and what’s worth fighting for/being loyal to. The ending was absolutely heartbreaking to me. Quite a sweet series and I am quite glad to have read it.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

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Synopsis:
Hemlock Falls isn’t like other towns. You won’t find it on a map, your phone won’t work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you.

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie’s town—and the rest of humanity—from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night.

Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family’s good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.

Review:
This book hooked me from the first page, just like Dennard’s previous books I’ve read. There is mystery, intrigue, and always the whisper at the back of your head of if you’re good enough and deserve what’s happening. There’s a large part of the novel where Winnie has to battle with her own case of self worth and whether or not people who treated her poorly in the past are worth trying to trust now. I quite enjoy Winnie’s inner monologue, her quirks, and the anxiety she has from the traumas she has been through (and how every adult seems to think putting children through said things are FINE). There were several parts of this novel where Winnie was uncertain of herself and whether or not she’d succeed and I love that we were left to consider how much of Winnie’s wins are sheer dumb luck. Towards the end I believe I have figured out a culprit in Diana-ism but only the continual reading of book two will tell! My only gripe is that I have to wait til next month to continue reading!!

P. S. I think I figured out Jay’s secret but perhaps it will be revealed in book 2!!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Finale by Stephanie Garber

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Synopsis:
It’s been two months since the Fates were freed, since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist.

With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. . . .

Review:
What a whirlwind ride this series takes you on! Honestly, I was so glad to get to spend more time with Scarlett in this book as she is the sister I prefer (perhaps most older siblings do). Scarlett has to face both her heart and secrets she never expected in her life, and Tella has to fight for what she really wants versus what is easy. Finale becomes far more about interpersonal relationships and less about magic and the wonders thereof. Despite Legend’s attachment to the Fates we don’t see him actually interact with all that much; almost as if he feels less than/less god like when his power seems to fizzle. There definitely was a bit of an ending, but not as in depth as one would want… perhaps we’ll learn more of the characters in Once Upon a Broken Heart…

There were certainly times that I was rooting for Jacks, and I somewhat wonder if he’ll end up entangled with a future daughter…

That being said, beautiful and touching trilogy. Garber has a gift for fantastical worldbuilding and I was glad to be able to go for the ride.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Legendary by Stephanie Garber

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Synopsis:
Donatella and Scarlett Dragna escaped their cruel father and made it out of Caraval alive, but the games aren’t over yet. What Scarlett doesn’t know is that, in order to gain their freedom, Tella made a deal with a mysterious stranger and now it’s time to pay.

Except what Tella owes is something that no one has ever been able to deliver: the true name of Caraval Master Legend. Tella’s only chance at uncovering Legend’s true identity is to enter the dangerous game of Caraval once more, and win. But what will she have to sacrifice to do that?

Review:
Holy. Hell. This book took me for a spin I wasn’t expecting. I hadn’t quite liked Tella in Caraval, and that didn’t change for quite a while during this book, but I did enjoy seeing her learn that you cannot always be rash and sometimes you have to temper your ideas. There were plenty of different plots going on, and while some twists and turns I discovered along the way, despite finishing this last night I couldn’t stop thinking about what some of the reveals in this novel meant in regards to what happened in Caraval with Scarlett. The game was so different, yet so clearly slanted and pointed. I cannot help but wonder if all Caraval is about allowing ONE PERSON something in particular, having everyone else along for the ride, or if these two particular games are special. I love the idea that while both Scarlett and Tella are willing to take the world on their shoulders and try to carry all the burden that they learn that it’s okay to rely on others and accept help. A lot of this novel is descriptions of clothing and balls, and while that doesn’t bother me, it may not be to everyone’s taste.

This book left me with far more questions and burning desires than book 1, and I cannot wait to continue on with the Finale to perhaps get a picture of what the end goal is for our dear Legend, and what type of future our two Dragna girls have.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Caraval by Stephanie Garber

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Synopsis:
Welcome, welcome to CARAVAL, Stephanie Garber’s enchanting, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling fantasy debut about two sisters swept up in a mysterious competition filled with magic, heartbreak, and danger

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful and cruel father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to attend. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, and her sister disappears forever.

Review:
“Every person gets one impossible wish, if the person wants something more than anything, and they can find a bit of magic to help them along.” -Caraval

This book takes you on a fabulous journey and from the beginning you’re completely enthralled. This is a book you’ll both not be able to put down and cannot wait to finish but never want to have end. A gothic romance with magic that truly pulls you in, that I would definitely recommend for any fans of The Night Circus. The characterization, depth, and reasoning for how characters are and behave how they do is very well done. A world in which you never know what to expect or what is real, there were a few twists that were eluded to and expected that I quite enjoyed. Overall it was a stunning mystery from beginning to end and I absolutely adored every moment of it, even the terrifying/horrifying parts.

I thought that the anaologies and descriptions/imagery did a great job of pulling you into the world, but there was a huge undercurrent of trying to pull someone from a bad situation and remind them how to live again. There is a lot of time where Scarlett is left having to remember not to act in a certain learned behaviours because of the life she grew up in, and that she cannot always be meek and live in fear. Scarlett is also allowed to dream again, and remember/experience the magic she always wanted and dreamt of when she was younger.

It’s intriguing the way in which Tella is involved in the Caraval, which leaves the question of are all the games rigged? What’s also interesting is that Donatella is shortened to Tella and not Dona, though I definitely think it suits the character. We are never quite sure just how much Tella is acting and how much she truly is the wild sister, which I presume we will learn more of in book 2.

I frantically bought the next two books before I finished this one, and look forward to continuing in this world once they’re delivered. This had actually been on my to read list for a while and I’d picked up a paper copy while at a Barnes and Noble buy two get one sale- I definitely recommend this in paper as you’re going to want to be able to loan it out! There are so many tropes in this book, a few of which being sisterly love, older sibling parentification, enemies to lovers, magic/mystery. I highly recommend this book series to people who love magic, relatable heroines, circuses, and always straddling the line between what is and isn’t, what’s good and evil.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯



Review of Wild Scottish Knight: A fun opposites attract magical romance by Tricia O’Malley

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Synopsis:
Opposites attract in this modern-day fairytale when American, Sophie MacKnight, inherits a Scottish castle along with a hot grumpy Scotsman who is tasked with training her to be a magickal knight before the Kelpies wreak havoc on the people of Loren Brae.The knight was supposed to be a man.

Not me, Sophie MacKnight, a marketing associate from California.

This must be a practical joke that the Scots play on visiting Americans. Because otherwise I’ve inherited a haunted castle in Scotland, along with one irritatingly sexy Scotsman, who would be delighted if I turned tail and ran.

Frankly, I thought I would fly here, sell the heap of bricks, and head back home to a life that I…well, I was comfortable with at the very least. Instead, the people of Loren Brae are in trouble, and it appears that as the new owner of the castle, I’m next in line to reinstate the magickal Order of Caledonia. Which means, first, I have to learn to believe in magick. And secondly, I have to train to become a knight.

And my trainer? None other than Lachlan Campbell, the grumpiest man I’ve ever had the annoyance of meeting. It’s a toss-up who is pricklier, Lachlan, or his kilted Chihuahua, Sir Buster. Not only does Lachlan think that I can’t hack it, but he also resents my claim on his castle.

If only he didn’t look so devastatingly hot in his kilt.

Now, I’m stuck proving myself to him, all while trying to figure out how to help my new friends in Loren Brae.

Sparks fly as our swords meet, and we battle our rising attraction for each other.

Who will win in this (Highland) game of love?

Review:
From the very beginning line this book had me absolutely hooked. “What was it about death that brought out the worst in people?” (Page 1, Chapter 1) This is a cute enemies to lovers style book. I felt that the chemistry was organic and real, and all of the characters were well fleshed out. This was a quick and easy read.

I loved all of the invaluable lessons of life that Sophie mentions from her uncle, and the double meaning of her name. I also love the internal desire such as living out your best romance novel dreams. While Sophie learned many lessons throughout the novel, as did Lachlan, the biggest and most important being what you can find within–such an important lesson for us all. The responsibilities of a knight were pretty large but ambiguous which worked wonderfully in the story. I do think that for all the talk of magic and myths there could have been more on that front than a few interactions with kelpies, and I would have also liked to have seen Lachlan become something “official” to the island and to Sophie.

If you like Scotsmen, curvy girls, a hint of fantasy flavour and some spice, this is definitely the book and series for you! While I don’t intend to continue the next one immediately, I know I’ll return back at some point.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Born of Water: A Mermaid Fantasy and Elemental Origins Novel by A. L. Knorr

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Synopsis:

My mother is a creature of the deep; a siren, a mermaid, and because her daughter is human, she can never go home.

A mysterious shipwreck could unlock ancient powers… or send her to a watery grave.

Targa MacAuley feels more at home on dry land than in the watery realm of her mermaid ancestors. After 17 years on solid ground, she fears she’ll never grow into the creature her mother hoped she’d become. To keep her mom’s homesickness and true identity under wraps, Targa signs on for a mysterious salvage dive in the Baltic Sea.

Her plan to blend in with the rest of the crew is spoiled when she catches the eye of a handsome local. A freak accident and a strange connection to the ancient shipwreck below attract even more unwanted attention. With both her mom’s secret—and her life—in danger, Targa must finally find the courage to unleash the currents surging deep within.

Born of Water is a Readers Favorite Gold Medal Winner and the first book in The Elemental Origins, a captivating nonlinear series of YA urban fantasy novels, now updated in celebration of its 5th anniversary. If you like new twists on mermaid lore, simmering romance, and close-knit mother-daughter bonds, then you’ll love A.L. Knorr’s nautical adventure. Embark on a deeper dive into the story’s lore with The Wreck of Sybellen, a companion novel included with the book.

Review:
Firstly, uncertain of the kindle version contains The Wreck of Sybellen, but if it does then it makes total sense that the ending of the book seemed completely at a standstill and apart from the rest of the novel. I quite enjoyed this novel and thought the characters had great depth, and the story itself was well done. The magic system used is well explained by not coming up until it matters; one cannot teach everything about a new subject immediately just because someone else is interested, and there are so many little nuances that you wouldn’t even think of unless they became relevant. I quite loved how many of the things that set Mira apart are traits that are considered mermaid, and since Targa doesn’t seem to share that trait, she understands how different her mother is, but also remains human in her mentality/self.

The book itself is good, though at the end, especially with the particular ending, one is left wondering what really was the goal? A lot happens, but it leaves you wondering about so much still to go on, and it had a very abrupt ending. Given the ending, I feel more inclined to continue with Targa’s story as opposed to continuing the series the book is a first of with her friends because they were not introduced in a way that made me particularly attached to any of them. I am not sure I will continue in either regard at this time, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a good YA novel for someone interested in mermaids/magic/romance.

While there is romance, I did like that it kept to what I would consider the right amount of depth/spice for YA. As an author I do understand that YA is really just a delineate of where to place the books on the shelf/the age of the characters, but I personally do not feel that YA and Romance should be the same books/genre.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold

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Synopsis:
A dark, engrossing, blood-drenched tale of the familiar threats to female power—and one girl’s journey to regain it. Five starred reviews greeted this powerful story from Elana K. Arnold, author of the Printz Honor winner Damsel.

You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked. And the wolf is angry.

Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She’s kept mostly to herself. She’s been good.

But then comes the night of homecoming, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her.

A wolf attacks. Bisou fights back. A new moon rises. And with it, questions.

About the blood in Bisou’s past, and on her hands as she stumbles home.

About broken boys and vicious wolves.

About girls lost in the woods—frightened, but not alone.

Review:
This book has a cover and blurb like it’s YA and is written in an interesting style between experimental and emulating classic literature. The first couple of chapters made me want to throw the book across the room in frustration but it started picking up by chapter three. The writing style starts out as second person, which isn’t necessarily an issue, but you have thoughts and feelings thrust at you instead of allowing you to think, feel, and assess things on your own which is quite jarring at the beginning.

This book is the only book I’ve chosen to read for myself since my MFA in Creative Writing that has made me think “this would be a great book to write a literary analysis of”. A lot of the reasons why this book is so mysterious and murky are left in what isn’t said and what is left ambiguous. There is a clear tone of magical realism where the “normal” people aren’t expected to understand what’s going on, but those in the know accept it whole heartedly without ever trying to figure out what happens and why that may be. There is clearly a feminist undertone, and there are a lot of great moral dilemmas raised about how and why women are victims and men make poor decisions every once in a while but it shouldn’t matter to their future. This book is great for female empowerment and being comfortable in your own skin, as well as explaining your thoughts and feelings and embarrassments with partners/parents/friends; not everything needs to be dealt with alone.

Despite all of that, I’m not sure what to think of this book. It leaves you thinking, but the answers aren’t clear, and they aren’t meant to be. I’m left wondering what I do with this book, that I bought in paperback. It is very much written about and by the Amazon listings to be a YA book, though I cannot imagine when I was a teacher or now suggesting this book to a teen. I don’t intend to read it again, and I don’t intend to lend it out. It is well written, and it is very thought provoking, and in the end, I am glad I have read it, but I do not think I would recommend this one to others, even if given the warning of sexual abuse and adultness of the novel. If I did, it would purely be because I want to have a literary discussion about it afterwards.

Star rating: ✯✯✯

Review of The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

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Synopsis:
The one thing you never talk about while you’re in the Scholomance is what you’ll do when you get out. Not even the richest enclaver would tempt fate that way. But it’s all we dream about: the hideously slim chance we’ll survive to make it out the gates and improbably find ourselves with a life ahead of us, a life outside the Scholomance halls.

And now the impossible dream has come true. I’m out, we’re all out—and I didn’t even have to turn into a monstrous dark witch to make it happen. So much for my great-grandmother’s prophecy of doom and destruction. I didn’t kill enclavers, I saved them. Me and Orion and our allies. Our graduation plan worked to perfection: We saved everyone and made the world safe for all wizards and brought peace and harmony to all the enclaves everywhere.

Ha, only joking! Actually, it’s gone all wrong. Someone else has picked up the project of destroying enclaves in my stead, and probably everyone we saved is about to get killed in the brewing enclave war. And the first thing I’ve got to do now, having miraculously gotten out of the Scholomance, is turn straight around and find a way back in.

Review:
This book put us right back into the world we loved, and my hope, as everyone’s is, would be that Orion, Orion, Orion will come back! This book did showcase El making some poor choices, however, that’s understandable given her age and lack of social experiences. Really wanted to hate Liesel but understand why El felt the way she did. There were quite a few quirks and turns I didn’t expect but overall I quite loved it. HATE Ophelia, but all of you will if you read this. Would have liked more for an ending after having spent so long with these characters, but otherwise, a great ending to a very gripping trilogy.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯