Category: YA

Book Review: Crown of Coral and Pearl, by Mara Rutherford

crown of coral and pearl
Image belongs to Inkyard Press.

Title:  Crown of Coral and Pearl
Author:   Mara Rutherford
Genre:   YA, fantasy
Rating:   5 out of 5

Their entire lives, Nor and her twin sister Zadie knew one of them would be chosen to wed the Crown Prince of Ilara, who ruled Varenia, where their people lived. When Nor was scarred years ago, she knew that honor would fall to Zadie, but Nor still dreams of seeing a city, a castle, and everything that happens on land.

Then Zadie is injured, and Nor is chosen to replace her. Now she’ll live her dreams of seeing far places. But Ilara isn’t the place she imagined. Instead, it’s cold and dark and locked in the heart of a mountain. And the Crown Prince is cruel and dangerous—and intent on destroying the Varenian way of life for his own ends.

Nor must learn to navigate the intrigues at court if she is to save her people and unravel the mysteries of Ilara—a murdered queen, a failing royal bloodline—and the prince’s half-brother, Talin, is the only one she can trust.

Crown of Coral and Pearl was entrancing from the very first page. I cannot imagine never setting foot on land, but the culture of Varenia is so vividly drawn that I felt comfortable there. Nor and Zadie’s love for each other, despite their mother’s hatefulness, is so loving and uplifting, and I rooted for everything to work out for them. Ilara is completely different, yet just as vividly realized, and, while I had no desire to visit there, the setting was just as much a part of the story as the characters. An excellent read!

Mara Rutherford is a journalist turned author. Crown of Coral and Pearl is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Inkyard Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Color Me In, by Natasha Diaz

color me in
Image belongs to Delacorte Press.

Title:   Color Me In
Author:   Natasha Diaz
Genre:   YA
Rating:   4.5 out of 5

Sixteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz never really thought much about her roots or her racial identity, but when her black mother and Jewish father split up and she and her mom move in with her mother’s family in Harlem, she comes face-to-face with it. Nevaeh loves this family and wants to be a part of them, but one of her cousins hates that she passes for white and doesn’t understand the injustices their family has to face.

When she spends time with her dad—and his new girlfriend—her dad pushes for her to embrace her Jewish side—the side he never gave much attention to himself, guaranteeing her life at her posh private school becomes even tougher. She doesn’t know which side of her heritage is really her.

Then Nevaeh falls in love and starts to realize she has a voice, a voice she can use to speak out against the hate and oppression she encounters every day, as she embraces her newfound identity and all the joy—and sorrow—it brings with it.

The journey of self-discovery and realization Nevaeh experiences is riveting and the opposition and prejudice she experiences is infuriating. Her entire world has been turned upside down, and she just wants to find where she belongs, but everyone opposes her, making her more confused than ever. The power and strength she uncovers when she embraces her true identity is inspiring and uplifting. This is a fantastic read!

Natasha Diaz was born in New York and lives there still. Color Me In is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Delacorte Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Silence Between Us, by Alison Gervais

the silence between us
Image belongs to Blink Publishing.

Title:   The Silence Between Us
Author:   Alison Gervais
Genre:   YA
Rating:   4 out of 5

Maya didn’t want to move halfway across the country right before senior year. She didn’t want to leave her school for the deaf for a hearing school, either. She wants to go into the medical field, so she needs the grades to do that, and she’s determined to get them. She’s happy being deaf, but Engelmann High has never had a deaf student, so some of the students don’t know what to make of her.

Beau is the student body president and resident overachiever, so Maya is wary when he starts learning sign language, but it’s nice to be able to talk to someone instead of lip-reading. Maya never thought a deaf/hearing relationship would work, but she’s happy with Beau. Until he starts encouraging her to get a cochlear implant, and she begins to wonder why he doesn’t accept her for who she truly is.

I’m not sure I’ve ever read any book from a deaf person’s point-of-view, so this was eye-opening. So many “little” things I never considered have a huge impact on Maya’s life. She is such a strong, determined character with a solid sense of identity, and she’s determined to make those around her accept her for who she is—not who they wish she was.

Alison Gervais has an English degree she’s not sure what she wants to do with. The Silence Between Us is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Blink via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Blog Tour for The Last Hope, by Krista and Becca Ritchie

The Last Hope_Cover
Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books.

Title:   The Last Hope
Author:  Krista and Becca Ritchie
Genre:   YA, sci-fi
Rating:   4 out of 5

Franny, Court, and Mykal have been imprisoned for weeks on an enemy ship. Through their link, they feel everything the others are going through. As if being on the verge of death isn’t enough, they are also reeling from the knowledge that they are human. When a mysterious stranger shows up and offers them a way out, they are skeptical—but eager to survive. They agree to help but keep their link secret.

Stork won’t tell them much, just that there’s one way to save planet earth and the remnants of humanity. He offers tantalizing hints at the answers to all Franny’s questions, and she’s eager to find out the truth. But the truth behind their mission—to find a baby girl, the first of her kind, who can cloak and teleport planets—is far more than the linked trio can begin to comprehend.

So…I didn’t read The Raging Ones. (Not sure how I managed to end up reading the second book without reading the first, as that’s something I wouldn’t normally do.) I struggled a bit at the beginning, trying to catch up to the worldbuilding and what happened in the first book, but the story was compelling enough that I pushed through. The dynamics are interesting between the trio, and Stork is an excellent foil for the three of them. There’s lot of action and adventure here, making this a quick, exciting read.

Krista and Becca Ritchie are twins and bestselling authors. The Last Hope is their newest novel, the second book in The Raging Ones duology.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: House of Salt and Sorrow, by Erin A. Craig

house of salt and sorrow
Image belongs to Delacorte Press.

Title:   House of Salt and Sorrows
Author:   Erin A. Craig
Genre:   YA, fantasy
Rating:   4 out of 5

Annaleigh Thaumus lives a sheltered life at Highmore. Once there were 12 Thaumus girls, but since her mother died and then four of her sisters, things are grim in the home. Even more grim are the whispers from surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Her sisters sneak out every night to attend secret balls, but what is the glitz and glamour hiding? When Annaleigh starts seeing ghostly visions and a handsome stranger arrives, she starts to wonder if her sisters’ tragic deaths were really accidents—or something more.

The culture in House of Salt and Sorrows is vivid and imaginative, with hints of fairy tales and legends sprinkled about. I liked Annaleigh, but I didn’t connect with her as well as I could’ve. Some parts of this book were very creepy, and the myths and the gods were intriguing. I’d have to say I liked the culture itself—and the hints of the cultures of surrounding lands—the most.

Erin A. Craig lives in Memphis, Tennessee. House of Salt and Sorrows is her debut novel.

(Galley provided by Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Book Review: The Merciful Crow, by Margaret Owen

the merciful crow
Image belongs to Henry Holt and Co.

Title:   The Merciful Crow
Author:   Margaret Owen
Genre:   Fantasy, YA
Rating:   5 out of 5

Fie is a Crow—a caste of undertakers and mercy-killers immune to the plague and despised and persecuted by society. When her band is tasked with disposing of two royal bodies, they encounter the conniving queen who plans to cheat them of their pay and cost them even more respect. But Fie thwarts the queen—and discovers the two royal bodies aren’t exactly dead.

Instead, the crown prince and his clever body double have faked their own deaths to escape before the murderous queen can kill them. If they can make it to their allies, they have a chance at overthrowing the queen. They strike a deal with Fie:  if she sees them safely to their allies, the prince will protect the Crows when he’s king.

But the queen’s ruthless assassins are on their trail, and Fie might lose everything she cares about to fulfill the promise she made.

From the very first page, I was enthralled. I couldn’t put this book down, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’ve never read anything like this and found the worldbuilding both vivid and unique. The magic system was odd—teeth?—but compelling, and I adored Fie as a character. She’s tough and prickly and fierce, but she can, eventually, see reason. I fell into this world headlong and did not want to leave.

Margaret Owen is an author and illustrator. The Merciful Crow is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Henry Holt and Co via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Specter, by Katie Jane Gallagher

specter
Image courtesy of author.

Title:   Specter
Author:   Katie Jane Gallagher
Genre:   YA, paranormal
Rating:   4 out of 5

Lanie loves horror movies, so the appearance of two ghosts in her room—from the 80s, clearly—should be something she enjoys. Except it’s not. Because the third ghost that appears isn’t quite so friendly…or so human. So Lanie does her best to avoid the ghosts—and the questions she has from forgotten memories of her childhood.

When she meets stoner Ryan in the library, she soon finds herself telling him all about the ghosts—and hatching a plot to figure out their secrets. But Lanie and Ryan’s questions stir up things that someone in her hometown would prefer to stay hidden, and soon the ghosts aren’t the only thing threatening them.

I’m not usually into ghost stories, but Specter was much more than that. I enjoyed Lanie’s personality—she did have a few moments that seemed a little out-of-character, but hey, she’s a teenager—and Ryan was a good foil for her. I found that third ghost creepy, but the way everything twisted together just made sense:  the missing persons, the murder investigation, the past and the future. This is a solid read with a little bit of chills to it.

Katie Jane Gallagher is a life-long writer and an avid read of YA. Specter is her newest novel.

Book Review: Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore, by Birgitte Märgen

evie
Image belongs to the author.

Title:   Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore
Author:   Birgitte Märgen
Genre:   YA, fantasy
Rating:   3.5 out of 5

Evie doesn’t feel like she fits in. She comes from the wrong side of the tracks, so she doesn’t really have any friends. One night, when she’s running through the woods, she falls down a hole and finds herself—like Alice—in a strange world. An angry gnome gives her a compass stick, and Evie must use it to guide herself through the strange, mixed-up world where fairies bite, unicorns attack, and mermaids are evil.

I loved the concept of this book. It’s creative, and all the different worlds Evie travels through are intriguing. I especially like the giant world and the snow elves. Evie herself is erratic, though. Her internal voice sounds normal, but occasionally, she veers off into some backwoods/Appalachian hillbilly dialect and sayings that feel forced and unnatural after her mostly “normal” voice. And, her feeling of isolation because of her wrong-side-of-the-tracks background is the motivation for her flight through the woods, but it isn’t really touched on again. Once she’s fallen into Nevermore, it’s her against the world (literally), but it feels more like a series of obstacles without an actual plot or antagonist to give it focus. I did enjoy the different settings, but overall, this felt a bit unfocused.

Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore is the newest book by Birgitte Märgen.

(Galley courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl, by Kristine Scarrow

gamers-guide-book-cover
Image belongs to Dundurn.

 

Title:   The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl
Author:   Kristine Scarrow
Genre:   YA
Rating:   4 out of 5

Zack is a gamer. He’s all for adventure, as long as it’s from the safety of his own couch. Then the girl of his dreams walks into his life—in the mall—and Zack manages to stick both feet in his mouth instead of impressing her. Well, it’s not like he’ll have to see her again, right? His embarrassment can die, along with his dreams.

Except the biggest storm in Saskatchewan’s history has people trapped in the mall. Zack, his best friend, Zack’s dream girl, and a handful of others are trapped while the storm rages outside. The waters are rising, the winds are raging, and soon they realize they aren’t the only ones in the dark mall. Zack finds himself in the middle of a real-life adventure, pitting himself against the storm and the shadowy figures that threaten his group as he tries to win the girl.

I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews for this book, and I guess it depends on your expectations. I was expecting a quick, fun read with a bit of romance against the backdrop of a storm…and that’s exactly what I got. Zack’s a good character:  he says the wrong thing without realizing, but he tries to do the right thing and puts himself before others. There’s even a couple of great scenes where he sets an example to some younger guys for how to treat women and people in general. The only thing that really bothered me was the tornado:  I’m from Texas. Tornadoes here drop out of the sky without warning. They don’t loom for hours (I’m not talking about a tornado watch, where the conditions for one are good, but I mean an actual tornado is on the ground for hours), as they did in this book, so that was actually a deterrent and pulled me out of the story. But…I’ve never been to Saskatchewan; I don’t know how the weather is there. This is just my own personal weather experience.

Kristine Scarrow believes in writing as a healing art. She’s also a mother, an author, and a proudly hails from Saskatchewan. The Gamers Guide to Getting the Girl is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Dundurn via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Spin the Dawn, by Elizabeth Lim

spin the dawn
Image belongs to Knopf.

Title:  Spin the Dawn
Author:  Elizabeth Lim
Genre:  YA, fantasy
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Maia Tamarin works as a seamstress in her father’s shop. She’d love to become a tailor, but she’s a girl, so marriage is the only thing in store for her. Even better if her future husband is wealthy enough to help her family out of their poverty.

But Maia still dreams of making beautiful clothes, and when a messenger from the emperor arrives commanding Maia’s father to the palace to compete for the position of imperial tailor, Maia disguises herself and joins the competition, knowing she’ll pay with her life if anyone discovers her secret.

The treachery and lies in the competition are one thing, but Maia draws the attention of Edan, court enchanter, whose dark gaze sees everything. Maia’s final task is to sew three dresses:  from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. Maia has no idea how to accomplish this. She just knows she must.

I enjoyed this book immensely! I like the Mulan-like concept of Maia disguising herself as a son in order to save her family, but this is its own tale. Maia’s battles are more subtle—and just as deadly—and the magic here is woven so skillfully through the setting and the characters that it all just worked for me. Highly recommend!

Elizabeth Lim graduated from Harvard and completed her graduate studies at The Juilliard School. Spin the Dawn is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Knopf Books for Young Readers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)