User Profile

I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: physical abuse & imprisonment, kidnapping, arson & graphic injuries from fire, historic racism & misogyny, claustrophobic situations, manipulation & violent threats, bloodletting as a punishment, gun violence
4.4

For Jack, life as a magician's assistant is almost all he knows. Of course The Enchantress is not always the easiest to work with, and they pad their pockets with cons and the occasional pickpocketing and break ins, but it's a life Jack is comfortable in. For Wilhelm, working as a magician's assistant is not something he chose nor something he is used to- in fact, up until recently he has been used by his captor, Teddy, as an unwilling accomplice in heists, something his secret power makes easy. For reasons unknown to Wilhelm, Teddy has set his sights not on a vault to crack, but on the World's Fair, gaining attention through magic tricks fueled by Wilhelm's power to Travel. It's a nice reprieve from being forced to steal, and it helps him meet Jack, who's also working at the Fair, but he knows it's only a matter of time before Teddy reveals what they're really there for.

As a concept, this book is really fun. The blurb compares it to The Prestige, and as one of my favorite movies, I was hooked from that alone. It does carry the seedy yet elegant, sophisticated yet irreverent feelings of that movie, and the choice to remove homophobia from the time period also gives the feeling of safe perimeters to let loose in.
The combination of magicians, unexplained magical powers, semi-forbidden love, and heists makes this book impossible not to get absorbed into.

Hutchinson plays with tension well in this book, which also keeps it hard to disengage from for long. Whether it's the precarious situation Jack's adoptive family is in, Wilhelm's imprisonment, bootlegging, stage magic, or any number of other situations, there's always something begging you to keep your eyes on it.

And, of course, there's the romance. I'm never quite sure what I'm getting into with Hutchinson's books because I've had very mixed experiences both overall and with his romances in general, but this one is solid and very cute. Both these characters are interesting and different from each other while fitting together in ways that make perfect sense. The build up of their relationship has good pacing and is very nice to watch, and by the time things settle into an official romance you are absolutely sold and rooting for them.

For me, there were just a few spots where things felt thin or overstuffed, like they were meant to be rounded out but it never quite got there. I also am not a fan of the ending in general, just because it felt a little simple and I'd been hoping for more explanation- though that's 100% my own personal expectations and preferences.

Mostly, I had a lot of fun with this book! It balances the trauma of Wilhelm's situation with the glitz and seediness of the magicians and the sweet, tenderness of the growing relationship incredibly well, and definitely sticks with you far past the last page.

TW: unhealthy parental dynamics, cheating, potentially fatal heart problem
4.2

When Abby sends in her DNA to a genealogy service it's for two reasons- winning a bet, and supporting her best friend and crush, Leo, who seems ready to look for biological relatives. What she doesn't expect is to find out she has an older sister basically right next door who's also been clueless about her. Sneaking behind her parent's back and avoiding summer school, Abby makes her way to the summer camp her new found sister, Savvy, is a counselor at to find out exactly what their parents are keeping secret. But it also turns out that that camp she's heading to? It's the camp Leo has been going to for years. Which means now she's stuck with Leo without a buffer, after the Big Embarrassing Incident that's been making thigs between them awkward. It also means those camp friends he spends every summer with? Savvy's one of them.

This is a very light, fluff drama type story of sisterhoods and crushes, which made it a fun read that I managed in one sitting. You do have to suspend your disbelief at certain moments, but it's definitely a fun time anyway.

I love interesting sibling dynamics, so I love that this book is about estranged secret sisters and that Lord manages to do that really well! I love the way Abby and Savvy navigate having each other in their lives, and the surprising pain and sensitivity it causes both of them, while also growing a sister bond. I was worried this book would solely pit them against each other or try to make Savvy a solely rigid, unlikable character for most of it. But that doesn't happen! You get to see both of them through different lenses- responsibility, their friendships, their parents, their interests- which makes them have more depth and lets their dynamic gain a lot of interesting layers. By the end you get a real sister bond, and it's both great to see and fun to get there!

The romance is built up on some stuff I didn't love, but is, through and through, very cute. Leo is hard to dislike, and I love the fact that he already has ties to these other characters and is always connected in some way, no matter if we're focusing on the crush or not. He's so inherent to the story you really feel like best friend and lowkey boy next door energy off of him.

And the energy in general is great. The summer camp vibe is strong, and the slightly kooky, teenage bids for freedom and soft rebellion all make this feel almost nostalgic. Plus the addition of Leo connecting with his culture and the side romance going on between Savvy and Mickey make the whole things feel that much more wholesome.

My issues lie with the constant miscommunication because I hate it in general and it felt over the top here, and with the unnecessary addition of a strange love triangle. I really could have lived without the love triangle, and I don't understand why it exists in this book.
Beyond that, I felt like the ending was flat. It's a rushed fix-it, so it feels cheap. With the context of the initial problem, I feel like either it would have been fixed a long time ago or the simple, quick fix would have never in a million years gotten them back to brand new like it did. It's just a weird ending that didn't feel like it lined up.

In general this is a cute, quick story of parent-trapping, family secrets, and best friend crushes. Definitely a feel good book!

TW: aphobia, sexual pressuring, racism
2.5

When her girlfriend breaks up with her over being asexual, Alice is determined to steer clear of the dating game. Anyway, she's got 2 long-term best friends turned roommates and a job she likes, so even the pain of a break up and the occasional headache that is her boundary-less family it should be easy to stick to the plan and still have a great summer. That is, before new hire at her job and certified "cutest man she's ever met" Takumi shows up and complicates things. Now Alice's friends are mad at her, she's not sure how to handle her identity, and nothing seems easy anymore.

All I knew about this book was that it was supposedly a romance starring an asexual poc, so I came here completely for the rep. However, this book wasn't for me the way I'd been hoping.

I'm glad for a story about an asexual alloromantic person navigating the waters, and for the messiness of questioning your identity or not knowing how to explain your experience from the bottom up. I'm sure a lot of people saw themselves in Alice, even though I did not. There are many ways to be ace, and tackling the confusion and borderline self-punishment will probably make this novel ring true for a good number of ace people.

However, for me, I was let down by Alice as asexual rep. As I said, I do think some people can identify with her strongly, but I'm at the point where I'm sick of a lot of the things this book does. Such as the shame in being ace, which I understand addressing, but I personally would rather not have to rehash whenever we get one of our rare representations. And then there's the strange amount of sexual conversation and sexual details, which feels like it's added in to make it more "mature", and feels too close to random sexual content to prove something for me. And, finally, Alice is very much personified as a more cute, childish character personality-wise, which is a giant stereotype for aces. I get that some of this can be squarely because of my own biases, but it's why it didn't work for me personally.

The other thing that super didn't work for me was that I disliked the entire supporting cast. A large portion of this book is about Alice finding herself in a fight with her best friend(s), and by the end we're supposed to believe they were both equally wrong and they should go back to the way things were. Now, I am very sensitive when it comes to manipulative, self-centered, "refuse to change or do better" friends who want you to only care about their own well being, so I am possibly overblowing this, but the constant scenes of Feenie verbally attacking Alice for having another person in her life, blaming Alice for wanting to have a life outside of their apartment, and then trying to punish her for not immediately groveling and apologizing for all that makes me furious. As does the fact that Feenie gets to end this narrative off without ever having to change, and in fact still maintaining that Alice was "being a bitch". And her boyfriend isn't as bad but he's a push over and should do better.

As for Takumi... Well, first off this is barely a romance. It's heavily buried under the friend drama and family drama, and even then it doesn't feel like more than a subplot to pass the time. But Takumi himself is really irritating and has no reason to be interested in Alice, and, better yet, Alice has no reason to be interested in him. Not only is he the classic hipster-y guy trope without much else to him, he's just as judgmental as the rest of the people in Alice's life! It's just that instead of trying to control her future like her family, or the people she spends time with like Feenie, he is constantly trying to control what she eats. Not as bad in comparison, but still- in this context, he's just one more person telling her what to do and acting like he's the authority she should be listening to!

I was expecting a feel good, fluffy asexual story with a cute romance, and it is not at all what I got. I'm still glad that book with the representation in them that this one has can be published and loved, but the actual execution did not work for me at all.

TW: suicide, described brutal motor accident, death by fire, mentioned domestic abuse, mentioned child rape & murder
4.2

It began 8 months ago, a disease inflicting people with two sets of memories- one real, one not, though both feel as if they've been lived through. An NYC cop is on the scene for a suicide, a woman who does not want to live in a world she swears her child has been deleted from. She's not the first to kill herself due to not being able to deal with the memories, but it's her death that sends that cop, Barry Sutton, onto a path that will change everything. A path begun years ago- life times ago, really. He will stumble into the truth... False Memory Syndrome is not at all what the world believes.

This book grabs you from the very first page. Nothing about this book is filler, it begins and ends with a challenge. I was invested from the very beginning, and honestly, all these days later I still feel invested. It pulls you in and forces you onto the ride.

And it's a twisty ride! Made up of layers of timelines and back and forth point of views, you're never entirely sure what is possible or where things are leading. This book feels so perfectly speculative and exploratory, it's really a whole experience, almost like watching someone perform an impressive trick in front of you. You don't try to poke holes, you're transfixed, hoping something magical happens- and it does.

Part of what makes the whole thing so interesting and new, is the concept of "dead memories" and the refusal to play into a classic paradox. The inability to get out from under cause and effect makes everything feel that much more important and precarious. It also made it easier to keep track of, while also feeling almost like amassing a body count.

The only thing that didn't work for me was the ending. In general I like the turn it took, but it didn't really make sense to me at the very end, and felt more like a cop out. It seemed like Barry just made the mapping of dead memories work without actually figuring out how to? After all the science and trial and error I have no idea why he'd be able to make that major leap without even more time working through that specific puzzle.

This is an engrossing and captivating speculative scifi book! I'll be thinking about it for a long, long time.

I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: mentioned physical punishment, fire, implied mass animal death, implied animal sacrifice, prejudice, drugging, torture
3.3

Koffi and her mother's long indentured servitude in the Night Zoo will be over soon- or, it would have been, before Koffi's mistake ruined everything. And worse, Koffi managed to do something impossible, something that seemed like magic... Now the only way to get her, her mother, and the boy she thinks of as family, free from the Night Zoo is to catch the legendary and deadly Shetani, a beast that has killed many and who would be a perfect new addition to the zoo.
Ekon is about to join his family's legacy as a Son of the Six, protectors of the people. But a run in with the Shetani changes all of that. No one sees the creature and lives to tell the tale- but thanks to the run away servant who intervened, somehow they both managed to live. But letting the girl run means he is not suitable to join the Sons of the Six. Ekon is certain if he kills the Shetani that will prove him worthy of the brotherhood- a task seemingly impossible, until his paths yet again cross with the girl who saved him and is looking for the Shetani herself.

This book has gotten a lot of hype and professional praise, and personally I was lured in with the idea of the Night Zoo itself, as well as a mythic hunt that seemed a bit like a pan-African version of [b:Written in Starlight|51796779|Written in Starlight (Woven in Moonlight, #2)|Isabel Ibañez|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1590077998l/51796779.SY75.jpg|71412797]. However, much of this book fell flat for me.

What I do like is the mythology. The stories told are interesting, and the way they directly interact with the actual story of the plot. I like what we know of their myths and gods, and the magic there feels very real.
In fact, a lot of that is because it borrows from folklore and cultural stories from all different African cultures. It's blended well, and it does give it enough weight and realism to feel like an actual magical world. There are a lot of cool magical moments and magical entities that make this an interesting read.

The ending is also good. I think the last fifth or so of this book really picks up and delivers interesting new ideas and directions. Because of that that portion read quickly, and the sequel has some hope of being better than this one. There is definite pay off, and it promises more pay off to come.

Unfortunately, nothing else really worked for me.
The pacing of this story is painfully slow, to the point where I was dreading reading it. It takes so long for the plot to take off, and then even once it's technically started moving it continues being slow in order to describe every thing they come across with so much detail it's impossible to tell what's actually supposed to be important. There is far too much time, as well, given to nothing bonding these characters in an attempt to make a romance happen- which, personally, did not even slightly work for me.

The romance is built on nothing but the fact that these two people are now working together, and as a YA book we can assume a romance arc has to happen. There's no real chemistry, they jump directly into Koffi acting like she has a crush on him for no real reason (particularly in the context of their lives, roles, and the prejudice of the land), and it does absolutely zero for the plot except add to that horribly slow pacing. You have to come into this story with an understanding of how these books "work" in order for this romance to make real sense.

And, actually, that's the problem by large. Most of the things brought up here for character or world building are not supported on page, they depend on you having a certain modern understanding or bias. The world building is so flimsy it doesn't even stay consistent, they constantly throw around modern words and ideas without any thought to the setting, and they never explain the intentions, pros and cons, limitations, etc of any of the things in this book, they expect you to know "brotherhood good" and the like without telling you anything about it.

There's also little things like the beginning throwing you into what reads like a 2009 romantic fantasy, the dialogue feeling forced- particularly where they're, for some reason, joking around-, and how half hearted the secondary characters were.

This book just didn't feel like anything new to me, and it relied way too much on pathos it didn't even sew the seeds for. I know I'm most likely going to be in the minority with my opinions, but this simply wasn't a book I spent much time enjoying.

I received an ARC from the author via BookSirens
3

Hattie is already not happy to be moving to a strange small town, but things become completely terrible and out of her control once magical creatures over run it, stealing away her parent's Selves. Unsure why she can see things others can't, but having collected a few allies and leads to follow, Hattie forces her way into a magical world she shouldn't have been able to get to and makes a deal.

I have to first state that this book was listed as YA, which it is not, and had instead read it with the proper headspace of a Middlegrade book, I probably would have been less judgmental about certain aspects. For any who may be on the fence about the intended age range- the main character is 12 and the story itself is pretty juvenile, I do think the middlegrade audience might like this story, but it's too childish for teen or up.

What's nice about this book is the descriptions. Fuller clearly has a vivid picture of the things in this world, and can write them well. There are plenty of magical creatures and places that are described in such detail I feel I might actually be picturing what Fuller is. That's a skill, and it's used well, if not a bit overused.

There's also a quirky cast of characters that work well for a middlegrade. I think it's pretty easy to get excited about a demon in a lantern that operates an elevator, and I think kids would have a goof time with him, as well as the others.

I also think the ending of this book is well done in terms of expansion. If this does continue as a series, there's certainly a good set up for a sequel that makes you want to know what comes next.

Over all, beyond the mis-marketing, I think there are just a lot of issues with the way this book begins. The descriptions come fast and clog up the plot, there are a lot of assumptions made, the pacing is inconsistent and overly fast. And even afterwards, though you can tell Fuller is excited to explain the world a lot of it contradicts itself or makes the details flimsy.

This book feels like a lot like a Spirited Away clone, mixed with [b:So You Want to Be a Wizard|116563|So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards #1)|Diane Duane|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328877065l/116563.SY75.jpg|3464], and while I'm sure it has an audience, it doesn't seem like it's quite found its feet.

TW: homophobia, misogyny, mentioned abusive husband, strangulation, rape, gang violence
4.2

Jess has been afloat since graduating college- she's in a long distance relationship that's also completely secret, since she'd rather never have to deal with coming out to her parents, and she's the only person she knows without a job. So moving with her parents, back to Malaysia, a place she doesn't even remember, is a strange step but not one she has any reason to fight against. Except that apparently stepping foot in Malaysia has made the voice of her grandmother's ghost stronger. She wants to believe it's stress, but as strange things continue happening it's harder to pretend. Jess has found herself in the middle of family secrets and old gods, with nothing to help her but her belligerent dead grandmother and a degree she can't use.

This book was a lot of fun! There's a great sense of humor woven throughout the story, and a lot of unexpected moments for godliness to bleed through that made the whole experience so unique.

Jess herself is a great character. She's a very no nonsense, unshakable millennial type, and she's the perfect voice to navigate this old, tangled world of entitlement and assumptions. She's definitely flawed, and comes up short in many regards- which makes it even easier to root for her, and get invested in just what she's going to do to deal with this new responsibility and new roles.

I love the addition of the gangs, and the way the workers interact with the gods contrasted with the new world, upper class people's view of the gods. You really feel like you're getting a full idea of the world at work, and it makes the vibe something tangible.

I also love the way the dreams are presented. Jess' dive into memories and conversations inside her own head, through visions, are a atmospheric break from the real world and somehow both silkier and more brutal than anything else we see. They're such nice moments, and it makes the spiritual and physical both feel so much more defined and impactful.
Cho's writing as a whole is fantastic, actually. In the real world there are great descriptions, and in both you can get wrapped up in the way the dialogue is written. There's a great rhythm to the writing that makes it enjoyable to read.

The family dynamic is nice as well. You get to see Jess with her parents, and learn how she navigates being with these people she loves but also can't be herself around, and it feels so, so real. And then there's the extended family brimming throughout the house and the different personalities they bring.

I only wish the plot itself felt a little tighter/more focused. It isn't fast paced, and it tends to linger throughout in different places, which made it a little harder to pay attention. It felt hard to find the main focus, especially as things cycled through and repeated.

But as a whole I really enjoyed this book, and I'd happily pick up another one by Cho.

TW: drug addiction, mentioned animal death, casual racism, ableism
3.3

Denise's sister is still missing, her mother is using, and the comet isn't waiting for them. By now they should have been evacuated to their mandated safe house, prepared to hunker down while the comet crashes and changes the atmosphere of Earth. But after a series of mishaps, Denise and her mother find themselves let in on a massive secret- there is still one spaceship grounded on Earth. They're let on with strict plans to evict them again before they take flight, but Denise is desperate to find a way to stay and keep all of her family safe. But how is she going to make a case for an autistic teen, an addict, and a girl who isn't even there?

This is the only Duyvis book I hadn't read yet, so I picked it up based on that alone, but also because I liked the idea of an autistic main character and a desperate bid for limited spots on a spaceship. It sounded like a great blending of high stakes, epic scifi and relatable characters & odds. Some of it worked for me, while some didn't.

I, as always with Duyvis, really appreciate the representation. The main character is an autistic POC and her sister is trans. There's also a more nuanced take on addiction than many books would give in this situation.

I also do like the concept, as I said, and the high stakes stay constant. You never lose sight of it being life or death, and the ability to expand the focal point enough to show all the people and other living things that are effected by the comet helps it feel bigger and more universal.

The ending was something I have more complicated feelings on, but I do think the idea behind it is a good one and an interesting idea as a compromise between all the details given.

For me, Denise was often a hinderance in my enjoyment of the story. As much as I appreciate her conceptually, I found myself both feeling a bit annoyed at her more stereotypical nature, and the main plot point her intentions are built off of felt unrealistic and made it hard to get invested. The very idea that Denise could waltz onto a spaceship and prove her family of incredibly average people deserve to skip a waiting list is really self centered and didn't make any sense to me. It's often framed that the problem lies with Denise being autistic, but that almost never appears as an obstacle on its own. The fact that she keeps blaming the situation on her autism was frustrating because it felt very entitled and like the entire story was overlooking how impossible it would be for anyone to get on that ship.

The romance aspect felt flimsy and there was no space in the story, or Denise's arc, at all for it to make an impact. I'm glad it gets dropped, and allowed to be a friendship, but it still took up too much time when there was more important drama and worries to be dealt with.

And I do really have mixed feelings about that ending. It didn't make any sense to me for Denise to make that decision, and it felt like a let down after reading the entire back and forth of the book. The idea behind it, again, is interesting, but as a whole it just felt unsatisfying.

This is an interesting idea for a novel, and as always has additional diversity that elevates the experience, but this book left me a bit wanting.