Tag: book review

eARC Review – Michigan vs. The Boys

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Title: Michigan vs. The Boys

Author: Carrie S. Allen

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Publication date: October 1st, 2019

304 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

When a determined girl is confronted with the culture of toxic masculinity, it’s time to even the score.

Michigan Manning lives for hockey, and this is her year to shine. That is, until she gets some crushing news: budget cuts will keep the girls’ hockey team off the ice this year.

If she wants colleges to notice her, Michigan has to find a way to play. Luckily, there’s still one team left in town …

The boys’ team isn’t exactly welcoming, but Michigan’s prepared to prove herself. She plays some of the best hockey of her life, in fact, all while putting up with changing in the broom closet, constant trash talk and “harmless” pranks that always seem to target her.

But once hazing crosses the line into assault, Michigan must weigh the consequences of speaking up – even if it means putting her future on the line.

Review

**Thank you to Kids Can Press, Netgalley, and Carrie S. Allen for providing me a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review**

Michigan starts off her school year ready to play hockey with her girls. Her plans come crashing to a halt when she’s told her team has been disbanded due to budget cuts, along with the boy’s swim team. She loves hockey, but doesn’t have the same opportunities others from her team have to find a new team. Instead, she decides to try out for the boy’s hockey team at her school. She knows there will be some push back, but she can handle it… right?

Not so much. When one boy in particular starts taking hazing to a whole new level, Michigan is in over her head. With a new boyfriend she’s trying to impress, a friend group she’s trying to keep together, and school – she knows she just needs to put her head down and get through it. She’s tough, and able to sweep a lot under the rug in the name of hockey, but when she starts getting too good, that one boy works to keep her off the ice for good.

Michigan vs. the Boys has some content that could be triggering for some people. Hazing, assault, underage drinking. However, this story is one that is so necessary in today’s social climate. It continues the conversation of what is appropriate and what is too far. As more females work to enter a male dominated sport or field, the events of this book become less fiction and more fact. All genders can read this book and learn a lesson from Michigan, and the Boys.

I really enjoyed reading Michigan’s story. She is a strong, female character, everyone can respect for her story. You hurt when she hurts, and you’re happy when she’s successful on the ice. With some great supporting characters, Michigan vs. The Boys is a great story that will resonate will all audiences.

Happy reading, bookish friends! 🙂

Book Review – Five Dark Fates

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Title: Five Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns #4)

Author: Kendare Blake

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication date: September 3rd, 2019

452 pages

3/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

After the battle with Katharine, the rebellion lies in tatters. Jules’s legion curse has been unbound, leaving her out of her mind and unfit to rule. Arsinoe must find a cure, even as the responsibility of stopping the ravaging mist rests heavy on her shoulders, and her shoulders alone. Mirabella has disappeared. 

Queen Katharine’s rule over Fennbirn remains intact—for now. But her attack on the rebellion exacted a high price: her beloved Pietyr. Without him, who can she rely upon when Mirabella arrives, seemingly under a banner of truce? As oldest and youngest circle each other, and Katharine begins to yearn for the closeness that Mirabella and Arsinoe share, the dead queens hiss caution—Mirabella is not to be trusted. 

In this conclusion to the Three Dark Crowns series, three dark sisters will rise to fight as the secrets of Fennbirn’s history are laid bare. Allegiances will shift. Bonds will be tested, and some broken forever.

The fate of the island lies in the hands of its queens.

Review

The Three Dark Crowns series was one I was very interested in, it seemed like a newer, darker, Hunger Games-esque story. I love a book that pits people against each other to the death, what can I say? As I continued on in this series I became less and less enthused with how the story progressed. I didn’t agree with a lot of what Kendare Blake decided to do and where she decided to take the story. By the end, I just wanted to finish the story to give it a chance to change my mind with the ending. I’m going to keep this review as free of spoilers as I can, since it is the fourth book in a quartet.

I was disappointed, I’m not going to lie. I wish I had enjoyed Five Dark Fates more as I was so excited for it for so long. Queen Katharine is my fave of all time and all I wanted was a good storyline for her. I do feel like her arc got cleared up pretty well, but I didn’t feel that way about all the characters.

One serious issue with these books is the amount of information and set up required to keep it moving. I was legitimately bored for the first 200 pages and had to put it down and read something else for awhile before going back to it. There is just so much build up and set up where next to nothing is happening, until brief spurts of action come by.

Do I recommend this series? Heck yes. It is dark and mysterious and twisty, will religion, magical powers, politics, etc. I think everyone should try this series because even though I would have preferred a different ending, there are people out there that will love this. Kendare Blake is an amazing writer and I would gladly read more of her work.

Happy reading, bookish friends! 🙂

Book Review – The Kingdom

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Title: The Kingdom

Author: Jess Rothenberg

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company

Publication date: May 28th, 2019

352 pages

4.25/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Welcome to the Kingdom… where ‘Happily Ever After’ isn’t just a promise, but a rule.

Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species–formerly extinct–roam free.

Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful “princesses” engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time… love.

But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana’s memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty–and what it truly means to be human.

Review

In the end, it does not matter what a story is about. It only matters who gets to tell it.

Jess rothenberg, the kingdom

The Kingdom is a futuristic Disney World concept where there are robotic “Princesses” that are programmed to be perfect customer service employees, basically. They are forced every day to provide cheer and perfect experiences for their guests in the park, because the outside world is so bleak and the people deserve to have a perfect time at The Kingdom. Ana is a Fantasist that comes to recognize the faults of her pretty, perfect life and starts to fight back slowly, as much as she is capable of.

Owen is a park employee that Ana meets one day. Ana falls in love with him after several interactions where Owen shows her kindness. As the reader you know there is more to his interaction with her than Ana sees in the moment, which lends a deeper level of intrigue to this already interesting human/robot relationship.

Y’all this book is DARK. I put off reading The Kingdom for awhile because the synopsis made it feel somewhat fluffy for my tastes but I was SO WRONG. Immediately you are presented with Ana in the present and the past. The chapters switch between before she is accused of Owen’s murder, and during her trial for Owen’s murder. This provides you with SOME context, but really it doesn’t give anything away as you read the book. It somewhat like the Illuminae Files in how half the chapters are structured.

Also, when I say this book is dark, I mean it is SUPER FREAKING DARK. There are themes of memory tampering, sexual harassment/assault, violence, animal torture, etc. It seems The Kingdom is meant to be a Black Mirror-esque take on Disney World and how far our society could go to create amusement parks. It also brings up an interesting discussion about what rights robots have in society and what their moral compass is.

If you are looking for a light, fun, easy read; The Kingdom may not be for you. If you want a dark, serious, thought provoking take on society and our pitfalls; definitely pick up The Kingdom. And seriously, if you watch Black Mirror, read this.

Happy reading, bookish friends!

Book Review – Demon in the Whitelands

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Title: Demon in the Whitelands

Author: Nikki Z. Richard

Publisher: Month9 Books

Publication date: September 24th, 2019

300 pages

3.5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

DEMON IN THE WHITELANDS is LET THE RIGHT ONE IN meets INTO THE FOREST, a debut YA novel from Nikki Richard. 

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, some things cannot be explained.

Sixteen-year-old Samuel, son of devout cleric, has endured shame and prejudice his entire life. Although he is destined to become clergy too, he longs for an ordinary life in the whitelands away from demons and holy roots. 

When the mayor claims to have captured a mute demon girl, Samuel is forced to become her caretaker. But as Samuel gets to know the prisoner, he finds her not to be very demonlike. Instead, she is intelligent, meek, and an exceptional artist. Despite her seeming goodness, some more concerning things cannot be explained. Samuel is hard-pressed to reconcile her uncanny strength and speed, missing arm, ambiguous gender, and the mysterious scars covering most of her body.

Samuel forms a deep attachment to the girl with predator eyes and violent outbursts, against his father’s advice. Their friendship could turn into something more. But when Samuel discovers the mayor’s dark intentions, he must decide whether to risk his own execution by setting her free or watch as the girl is used as a pawn in a dangerous game of oppression, fear, and murder. 

Review

**Thank you to Month9 Books and Nikki Z. Richard for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Demon in the Whitelands takes place in a post apocalyptic world. Samuel is the 16 year bastard of a cleric (and clerics are not allowed to touch anyone physically let alone have a child). Samuel has been training to take after his father a cleric when the mayor of the town captures what he believes to be a demon. The girl doesn’t speak but has unexplainable powers and is very violent when provoked. Samuel is offered the opportunity to become a patrolman instead of be a cleric, which he gladly accepts. Demons in the Whitelands follows his story in watching over the girl and deciding what to do with his life.

I like this book because none of the characters are redeemable. They ALL have their issues and pretty much accept that. There is no perfect character. The religion aspect is interesting, and seems pretty reasonable for a post apocalyptic world. There is some minor political intrigue that drives the plot of the book, but is not the focus of the book.

Overall, I thought this was a decent read. I felt the ending could have done more but I also understand why the author chose to end the story that way. The writing is on the darker side and there is a decent level of violence in this book. There really isn’t much romance, it’s touched on briefly but is not the primary focus of the book.

Demon in the Whitelands is Nikki Z Richard’s debut novel for Month9 Books. Check it out!

Happy reading, bookish friends! 🙂

Book Review – Merged

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Title: Merged

Author: Jim and Stephanie Kroepfl

Publisher: Month9 Books

Publication date: September 17th, 2019

300 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Seven of our country’s most gifted teens will become Nobels, hosts for the implantation of brilliant Mentor minds, in an effort to accelerate human progress. 

But as the line between what’s possible and what’s right, draws ever blurrier, the teens discover everything has a cost. 

Scientists have created an evolved form of living known as Merged Consciousness, and sixteen-year-old Lake finds herself unable to merge with her Mentor. 

Lake, the Nobel for Chemistry and Orfyn, the Nobel for Art, are two from among the inaugural class of Nobels, and with the best intent and motivation. But when Stryker, the Nobel for Peace, makes them question the motivation of the scientists behind the program, their world begins to unravel. 

As the Nobels work to uncover the dark secrets of the program’s origins, everyone’s a suspect and no one can be trusted, not even the other Nobels. 

As the Mentors begin to take over the bodies and minds of the Nobels, Lake and Orfyn must find a way to regain control before they lose all semblance or memory of their former selves.

Review

**Thank you to Month9 Books, Jim Kroepfl, and Stephanie Kroepfl for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Merged is a new novel by the author duo, who also happen to be husband and wife, Jim and Stephanie Kroepfl. Merged is about a futuristic world where scientists have discovered how to “merge” one consciousness with another. Mostly, they want to put brilliant individuals of various disciplines into 16 year olds (Nobels) with a proclivity for their topics of expertise. The merged consciousness will be able to communicate with their Nobel in their dreams. The Nobel would then continue the work left behind by the deceased genius.

Lake and Orfyn are two Nobels, Chemistry and Art respectively. They begin to notice that not everything is as it seems with the organization that has started this experiment. When other Nobels begin to suffer negative effects from the merged consciousness, they begin to investigate and unravel the plans of adults with far more power than they have.

I really enjoyed reading Merged, and I thought the plot was well conceived and well executed. Chapters are told from 3 different Nobels points of view, and then also from the Darwinians (the organization running the experiment). It was really interesting to be able to have the insider information provided by the Darwinian chapters, especially as it coincided with what the Nobels were experiencing.

My only critique is that I want MORE. No spoilers, but that ending doesn’t seem to wrap up the book well, and I desperately want to know what happens to Lake, Orfyn, and Stryker after the fact. If you are interested in science fiction, definitely go check out Merged!

Happy reading, book friends! 🙂

Book Review – Sky in the Deep

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Title: Sky in the Deep

Author: Adrienne Young

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Publication date: April 24th, 2018

340 pages

5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother’s betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

Part Wonder Woman, part Vikings—and all heart.

Review

We find things, just as we lose things. If you’ve lost your honor, you’ll find it again.

Adrienne young, sky in the deep

Okay, friends. I ordered Sky in the Deep from Amazon because it was on a super sale and I’d heard great things about it on Bookstagram. What I didn’t know, was that it was going to jump up to one of my favorite reads of this years! I’ve never thought I would be into Viking style books, but I’ve read several this year and they were all amazing!

Two tribes, the Aska and the Riki have been at war for decades in order to curry favor with their gods. Eelyn is of the Aska tribe, and she recently became of age to participate as a warrior. During a battle with the Riki, she sees her brother, who was thought dead for several years – fighting for the Riki. When trying to find out how this happened, she was captured by the Riki and turned into a slave for them. Sky in the Deep explores love, friendship, and to what lengths those will go to for their family.

I think Sky in the Deep is a great example of how different factions of people are from each other, but more importantly how similar they are. When a common enemy forces the Aska and Riki to join forces, everything that was once concerned fact is thrown into question.

Eelyn goes through a real journey during this book. It was absolutely fascinating to read and see exactly how her worldview changes based on the events she is living through. Adrienne Young did an amazing job with the characters arcs in Sky in the Deep. It’s normally hard to do as much as she did in a standalone novel, because you just don’t have as much time to take your characters on their journey.

I am now a huge Adrienne Young fan, and she is a new auto-buy author. Definitely go check out Sky in the Deep. There is another book in this world (not sequel though) that just came out a few weeks ago, so I’m going to go get that book and read it too!

Happy reading, bookish friends! 🙂

eARC Review – The Stone Rainbow

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Title: The Stone Rainbow

Author: Liane Shaw

Publisher: Second Story Press

Publication date: September 17th, 2019

288 pages

3.5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Jack Pedersen is finding life complicated ever since he came out to his mom. Even though she’s been doing her best to be understanding, it’s obvious to Jack that his mom still wants to cry every time she says the word gay. Complications go into hyperdrive when a new student arrives at school, and Jack starts experiencing feelings he’s never allowed himself to feel before. When a near tragedy turns life upside down, Jack realizes it’s time to stop hiding from himself and everyone around him, and he decides to organize his small town’s first Pride Parade.

Review

**Thank you to Second Story Press, Netgalley, and Liane Shaw for providing me an ebook copy of The Stone Rainbow in exchange for an honest review**

Trigger Warning: homophobia, suicidal ideation, violent acts

Jack is a high school senior who is going through a lot. He lives in a very conservative, small town that doesn’t accept who he is as a homosexual male. He was saved by his friend Ryan after walking into a river without being able to swim. Unclear if he was trying to commit suicide, but he was very overwhelmed about not being himself. Now he’s known as the suicidal, gay kid, which isn’t the best in high school. He is just trying to keep his head down and make it to graduation.

That is, until Benjamin shows up as the new Vice Principal’s kid, and Benjamin is out and proud. Jack is instantly attracted to Benjamin but has no idea how to be attracted to someone, or even date someone. Benjamin also has these crazy ideas about bringing their small town out of the dark ages – like hosting a Pride Parade. Jack has to face his fears about homophobia and expressing himself. When the unimaginable happens, Jack is forced to make a choice…

The Stone Rainbow was a good representation of many areas of the United States. It’s a coming of age story that I’m sure many can relate to and find comfort in. It brings up a conversation around sexuality that has been growing over the last few decades in this country.

I did enjoy this book but it did not wow me. Worth a read, and those who really enjoy contemporaries will enjoy this. There is awesome LGBTQIA and disability representation here, with most of the main cast falling into either category.

Happy reading, book friends! 🙂

eARC Review – We Met in December

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Title: We Met in December

Author: Rosie Curtis

Publisher: Avon Books UK

Publication date: September 5th, 2019

376 pages

3/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

What if you couldn’t get away from the one who got away?

This December, unlucky-in-love Jess is following her dream and moving to Notting Hill. On the first night in her new house-share she meets Alex, the guy in the room next door. They don’t kiss under the mistletoe, but there’s still a spark that leaves Jess imagining how they might spend the year together – never mind the house rule against dating…

But when Jess returns from her Christmas holiday, she finds Alex has started seeing Emma, who lives on the floor above them. Now Jess faces a year of bumping into the man of her dreams – and, apparently, the woman of his.

Jess is determined to move on and spend the year falling in love with London, not Alex – but what if her heart has other ideas?

Review

**Thank you to Avon Books UK, Netgalley, and Rosie Curtis for providing a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review**

I was excited to read this book because it was Christmas themed (and of course I’m looking forward to Christmas in the middle of September) and because it seemed like a lovely romance/love story. I ended up being disappointed with this one, and I’m pretty bummed about it.

Jess is 29, living in a small town in England, and just broke up with her boyfriend of several years. She is working a job she doesn’t love, and when she is offered a promotion she realizing this is NOT the job she wants to be in forever. She applies to a publishing house in London and gets it, to her surprise, and makes the move to pricey London. Miraculously, her college friend Becky inherited a multi-million dollar home in Notting Hill and is willing to rent a room to her for pennies. She moves in, and there is immediate romantic chemistry between her and another house mate, Alex. Problem is, Becky has a no relationships clause in the lease to cut down on drama. We Met in December follows Alex and Jess in their life for about a year in London.

Alex and Jess met about 3% into the book. And then proceed to have the. slowest. burn. romance. ever. A year of time goes by and they are still just friends – no flirty glances, no almost kisses, no anything. They both date other people, and most of the book is just random happenings of all the characters. I really didn’t feel like the plot was moving forward at all.

It was well written, I will say that. I never wanted to DNF the book, I kept holding out hope that something would happen. It wasn’t a bad story, just not at all what I was expecting and it was disappointing for me.

If you enjoy contemporary books with light romance, We Met in December will be right up your alley. Just because it wasn’t an insta fave of mine, doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be for you!

Happy reading, book friends! 🙂

Book Review – The Crowns of Croswald

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Title: The Crowns of Croswald (The Crowns of Croswald #1)

Author: D. E. Night

Publisher: Stories Untold Press

Publication date: July 21, 2017

314 pages

4/5

Goodreads Synopsis

In Croswald, the only thing more powerful than dark magic is one secret… 

For sixteen years Ivy Lovely has been hidden behind an enchanted boundary that separates the mundane from the magical. When Ivy crosses the border, her powers awaken. Curiosity leads her crashing through a series of adventures at the Halls of Ivy, a school where students learn to master their magical blood and the power of Croswald’s mysterious gems. When Ivy’s magic—and her life—is threatened by the Dark Queen, she scrambles to unearth her history and save Croswald before the truth is swept away forever.

Review

**Thank you to Stories Untold Press for providing me a copy of The Crowns of Croswald in exchange for an honest review**

Hello again, all! I read The Crowns of Croswald while on a road trip to/from Louisville, KY with my boyfriend. I had some difficulties getting into this book in the beginning, and actually needed to take a break from it before I could finish it.

Ivy is an orphan who has grown up as a scaldrony maid (scaldrons are lizards that power the ovens) before she is sent away by her boss. As she is dismissed, she is picked up by a strange man who tells her she is meant to be attending the magical school at the Halls of Ivy – where students with magical blood go to be scriveners or Royals (depending on their birth). She is revealed to have magical blood, so she goes to attend school. While there, she deals with bullies and a secret that no one can remember, but everyone is protecting. The Crowns of Croswald follows Ivy as she discovers who she is, her destiny, and also save the world from the Dark Queen.

So basically, this book is a gender bent Harry Potter. This is why I had to take a break from it in the beginning, because it really felt too close to Harry Potter for me to get into. I love Harry Potter, but this was a bit too much. I gave it a day and read something else before I came back to it. I’m very glad I did because I really ended up enjoying it as the story progressed.

One critique I will say is that the magic system didn’t seem very well fleshed out, and there were some confusing scenes that I had a hard time following. Other than that, it was a good story.

Happy reading, book friends! 🙂

eARC Review – Realm of Knights

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Title: Realm of Knights (Knights of the Realm #1)

Author: Jennifer Anne Davis

Publisher: Reign Publishing

Publication Date: September 10, 2019

270 pages

4.5/5

Goodreads Synopsis

Reid has spent her whole life pretending to be a man so she can inherit her father’s estate, but when a chance encounter threatens to expose her lie, she is forced to risk everything.

In the kingdom of Marsden, women are subservient to men and land can only pass from father to son. So when Reid Ellington is born, the fifth daughter to one of the wealthiest landholders in the kingdom, it’s announced that Reid is a boy.

Eighteen years later, Reid struggles to conceal the fact she’s actually a young woman. Every day, her secret becomes harder to keep. When one of Marsden’s princes sees her sparring with a sword, she is forced to accept his offer and lead her father’s soldiers to the border. Along the way, she discovers a covert organization within the army known as the Knights of the Realm. If Reid wants to save her family from being arrested for treason and robbed of their inheritance, she will have to join the Knights and become a weapon for the crown.

To protect her family, Reid must fight like a man. To do that, she’ll need the courage of a woman.

Review

Special thanks to Netgalley and Reign Publishing for sending me this ebook in exchange for an honest review! I flew through this book in just a few hours (it’s on the shorter side), which just shows how into it I was! (I also feel like I say this about every book I read… I swear I actually have a life and a real job outside of reading!)

Realm of Knights follows Reid Ellington, who is a woman pretending to be a man so her fathers duchy can stay in their family. Under Marsden law, a female can not inherit land – so Reid’s father made the difficult decision to force Reid to be a male in public. Reid’s secret almost gets out when the Princes of the Realm come knocking on their door – blackmailing Reid into riding with them to the capital. Prince Ackley has a special mission that only Reid can accomplish. Reid is quickly swept away into a world she has no experience in, but is uniquely qualified to succeed in.

I adore reading about knights, kings, queens, and epic quests. This sub-genre of book is what first captivated me and made me love reading. Add in a woman pretending to be a man, and I am SOLD. I loved the plot, the twists & turns, and all of the characters. The budding love story is such a slow burn, with an element of being unrequited as they are unable to be together. All told, this is a very well constructed book.

One critique I have is that I wanted more. I felt like the plot could have been expanded upon to explain more. The book is fairly short, not even hitting 300 pages. I would have loved to see more, and I can only hope that she will write longer books as the series continues. I will definitely be coming back to read sequels. After that ending, I need to know who the good/bad guys are!

For fans of Tamora Pierce, Jennifer Anne Davis weaves a tale straight out of Medieval times, with a hint of progression towards modern age thinking. If sword fights, political intrigue, and wily Princes get your bookworm senses tingling, I suggest you give this one a try!

Happy reading, bookish friends 🙂