Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas My rating: 5 of 5 starsCW: violence, mis-gendering, exploration of parent death, references to blood magic and ritualsFirst things first, narrator Avi Roque does an amazing job reading this book. I was glad to see that not only is the book #ownvoices, but so is the narration! Please note that… Continue reading Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas is a wonderful queer YA debut novel
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston My rating: 4 of 5 starsOur protagonist August is a 23-year-old student who's been college and major-hopping for a while because she doesn't know what she wants to do with her life once she's done with college. That's partly because she grew up with a mother entrenched in the… Continue reading One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston is a fun queer romantic comedy with a lot of diverse representation
The Last Final Girl by Stephen Graham Jones My rating: 3 of 5 stars (rounded down from a 3.5)I really enjoyed the overall plot of The Last Final Girl by Stephen Graham Jones. However, there were a few things about the book that I didn't enjoy, and that's why I'm only giving it 3 stars.The… Continue reading The Last Final Girl by Stephen Graham Jones has a cool premise but may have been better as a screenplay
Final Girls by Riley Sager My rating: 4 of 5 stars (3.5 stars rounded up to a 4)I have heard a lot of good things about Riley Sager. Final Girls is both his first published novel and my introduction to his works. CW: sui mention, violence/slasher themes, substance abuse (drugs, alcohol), toxic relationships, questionable sexual… Continue reading Final Girls by Riley Sager reminds me of B-movie horror films, in a good way
Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words by Annika Sharma My rating: 4 of 5 starsThe Chai Masala Club series by Annika Sharma, which begins with Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words, has a lovely premise. Four South Asian friends with various backgrounds are living in New York City. They're all in their thirties, and decide… Continue reading Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words by Annika Sharma is a cute multicultural slow-burn/strangers-to-friends-to-lovers
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine My rating: 4 of 5 starsI remember enjoying Ellla Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine when I was younger, so I was excited to try Fairest, another book in that universe. In this installment, Levine uses several plot elements from the classic Snow White story.Our first person point-of-view character, Aza, is… Continue reading The full-cast recording of Fairest by Gail Carson Levine is a great YA fantasy for Broadway-lovers
Girl, Unstrung by Claire Handscombe My rating: 4 of 5 starsGirl, Unstrung is a contemporary YA book about Clara, a high school freshman who has three siblings and semi-famous parents in her blended family. She auditioned as a violist to attend LACHSA, the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, but did not make… Continue reading Girl, Unstrung by Claire Handscombe is a pleasant contemporary YA novel that shows needed love to violists
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle My rating: 4 of 5 starsAt under 150 pages, The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle was a perfect horror read for me to celebrate the beginning of Spooky Month. It also went towards my participation in #BlackOWeenAthon, a read-a-long hosted by Loc'D Booktician on booktube.CW:… Continue reading The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle is a great short read for Spooky Month
Off the Grid by Kay Richard My rating: 3 of 5 stars 2.5 stars that I'm rounding up to a 3. The author tells 90% of the time and shows 10% of the time and that isn't a pleasant ratio for me. The worldbuilding is also lackluster.I read the ebook version of Off the Grid,… Continue reading Off the Grid by Kay Richard is a debut novel that tells more than it shows
True Loaf by L. Austen Johnson My rating: 4 of 5 starsTrue Loaf is a YA fantasy short story that can be read in less than 30 minutes. A strange man puts in a strange request at the bakery where our heroine Riley works, causing her to go on a small adventure to find an… Continue reading Short Story Short Review: True Loaf (A Balkan Folklore Inspired Short Story)
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