Crier’s War by Nina Varela: Romance, Revolutionaries, and ALL the Angsty Fluff

I’m honestly so overwhelmed by just how much I enjoyed this book. High fantasy isn’t normally my jam, but from the very beginning of this, I was obsessed. There’s a timeline at the start of the story that in itself was such an entertaining and interesting read for me, and I couldn’t get enough of …

The Tea Dragon Society & The Tea Dragon Festival by Katie O’Neill: Soft, Precious, and Lush

I knew this was going to be cute, but I never imagined just how cute it would be. Everything about this series is so lovely, it’s such a sweet and heartfelt experience. The reading experience of these books is genuinely so pleasant and calming, I can’t recommend it enough. If you want a quick and …

Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi: A Relatable and Modern Contemporary feat. 20 year-old Characters

Mary H.K. Choi's Permanent Record is not a love story. It's a coming of age story. Choi's writing style is refreshing and extremely appealing to an infrequently catered to market. It's labeled as YA by Simon and Schuster (14+), but I think the people who will enjoy and relate to this the most are college …

Color Me In by Natasha Diaz: An Honest Coming-of-Age Story of a White-Passing Teen

I knew this was going to be good, but I didn't expect such a unique and individual story about identity. Color Me In revolves around Neveah who is a biracial Black and Jewish fifteen year old girl who's trying to understand her identity, how she fits in the world, and deal with her parent's divorce …

Fan the Fame by Anna Priemaza: A Geeky Story of Discovery feat. Modern Activism Subtext

I loved reading Priemaza's debut Kat and Meg Conquer the World back in 2017 and have been anxiously waiting for Fan the Flame. And wow--Priemaza brings all the geeky goodness with some familiar names (remember LumberLegs?) but fresh new stories. We have three protagonists and they're at a gaming convention, and throughout the story, each …

Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman: A Twisty Thriller feat. The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

I didn’t realize I wanted to read a thriller, but I wanted to read a thriller. Swipe Right for Murder is a twisty, action-packed, on-the-run type of thriller where you can’t be sure who’s the bad guy, but you know things are going on. It’s full of “everything is going to hell,” teens making bad …

Immunity by Erin Bowman: An Underappreciated Sci-Fi Thriller Duology

I read Contagion last year (spoilers ahead for Contagion, book 1, of course!) and enjoyed it, but frankly, I don’t think I appreciated this series enough back then. I think Contagion and the sequel Immunity bring something special to YA’s science fiction table. I’d categorize it as crossover fiction, branching YA and adult well. I …

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim: A Lush and Beautiful Fantasy with a Romance I Wasn’t Into

I knew this was going to be good, but I definitely did not know just how good it would be. Elizabeth Lim’s Spin the Dawn was a classic-style story with a lush and beautiful world and gorgeous prose. Featuring the classic “girl dressing as a boy” trope, a Project-Runway-esque competition, and a quest, Spin the …

Wilder Girls by Rory Power: A Sharp and Vicious Debut feat. Body Horror and Smart Subtext

Rory Power’s Wilder Girls is a sharp and biting debut full of high stakes, a vicious world, and the monsters inside teenage girls. I struggled a lot with this review because it’s so hard to accurately capture the sheer power that this novel has. It’s fierce, it’s vicious, and it’s so raw and real—I can’t …

Symptoms of a Heartbreak by Sona Charaipotra: A Bookish Playlist Guest Post & My Review of This Unique RomCom!

There's so much awesomeness in this post today (mostly because I have the wonderful Sona Charaipotra guest posting!) and I'm so excited to share it all with you! I don't want to keep you for too long, but we have a bookish playlist, my review, and tons of gushing about this YA solo debut romcom! …