Between her careless mom, her cheating ex-boyfriend, and her rotten reputation around town, Annie Lane is used to being left behind. But she’s never been left for dead before—until she wakes up to find her body’s been dumped on a mountain rumored to raise the dead.
Annie can’t remember who killed her, but she’ll stop at nothing to figure it out and make them pay. Because girls like her don’t get justice unless they take it for themselves.
This was an entertaining read, although it was a little too campy for me. Annie’s life must have sucked—I’ve never seen such a bunch of hateful, nasty people—but she wasn’t exactly a nice person herself, so hopefully her afterlife will improve. I didn’t see any character growth, just a deep-seated need for vengeance and revenge, even when it was unwarranted.
Codie Crowley lives in Salem, Massachusetts. Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch is her debut novel.
(Galley courtesy of Disney Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.)
After a mysterious attack claims the lives of her parents, all Estela has left is her determination to solve the case. Suffering from survivor’s guilt so intense that she might be losing her grip on reality, she accepts an invitation to live overseas with an estranged aunt at their ancestral Spanish castle, la Sombra.
Beneath its gothic façade, la Sombra harbors a trove of family secrets, and Estela begins to suspect her parents’ deaths may be linked to their past. Her investigation takes a supernatural turn when she crosses paths with a silver-eyed boy only she can see. Estela worries Sebastián is a hallucination, but he claims he’s been trapped in the castle. They grudgingly team up to find answers and as their investigation ignites, so does a romance, mistrust twined with every caress.
As the mysteries pile up, it feels to Estela like everyone in the tiny town of Oscuro is lying and that whoever was behind the attack has followed her to Spain. The deeper she ventures into la Sombra’s secrets, the more certain she becomes that the suspect she’s chasing has already found her . . . and they’re closer than she ever realized.
I feel like there was a lot going on in this novel: romance, magic, a bit of scifi, a mystery, family drama, and a whole lot of darkness. I enjoyed the read, but it did feel a bit chaotic. I liked how the opening scene gave a glimpse into Estela’s life and relationship with her parents, which later turned out to be only the tip of the iceberg. This was a solid read, and I’d be interested in seeing more in this world with these characters.
Romina Garber is a bestselling author. Castle of the Cursed is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Margaret Dashwood lives her life according to plan, and it involves absolutely zero heartbreak, thank you very much. Five years ago, love tore her family apart, and since then, she’s kept her own heart as safe as possible. It hasn’t been easy, especially since her sister Marianne—the world’s biggest romantic—has conveniently forgotten that love burned her so badly she literally almost died. So when their oldest sister Elinor invites Margaret along for a Marianne-free summer cruise, she can’t wait to soak up every scheduled moment with sensible Elinor before heading off to college.
But just before they set sail, a newly-single Marianne announces that she’s crashing their vacation. Suddenly, Margaret’s itineraries are thrown overboard, and the ship’s cabin feels even tinier with her sister wailing about her breakup from the bottom bunk. The only solution? Find Marianne a dose of love to tide her over until they reach land.
With help from Elinor, her husband Edward, and Gabe—a distractingly handsome new friend on the crew—Margaret sets out to create a series of elaborate fake dates that will give Marianne the spontaneously curated summer romance of a lifetime. But between a chaotic sister, the growing storm of feelings between Margaret and Gabe, and an actual storm on the horizon, this summer is destined to go off course. Margaret will have to decide what’s more important—following the plan, or following her heart.
This was a cute read! I love Sense and Sensibility—of course—and I thought this was a fun update. The life-on-a-cruise-ship angle was fairly new to me, so that added a bit of fun, too. The Dashwood sisters had an interesting dynamic and backstory, and I enjoyed how Margaret discovered herself and who she was, not her sisters’ shadow.
Amanda Quain lives in Pennsylvania. Dashed is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Four days alone in the desert. Except they’re not as alone as they think. A year ago, Katie and her cousin Aster survived a night that left their world and easy friendship fractured. Desperate to heal and leave the past behind them, they tackle four days of hiking in the Utah backcountry. But the desert they’ve loved for years has tricks up its sleeve. An illness, an injury, and a freak storm leave them short on confidence and supplies. When they come across a young couple with extra supplies on the trail, they’re grateful and relieved―at first. Riley exudes friendliness, but everything about her boyfriend Finn spells trouble. That night, after some chilling admissions about Finn from Riley, Katie and Aster wake to hear the couple fighting. Helpless and trapped in the darkness, they witness Riley’s desperate race into the night, with Finn chasing after. In the morning, they find the couple’s camp, but Riley and Finn? Vanished. Katie is sure Riley is in trouble. And with help a two-day hike away, they know they are the only ones who can save her before something terrible happens. The clock is ticking and their supplies are dwindling, but Katie and Aster know they have to find Riley before Finn―or the desert―gets to her first.
This did not make me want to go hiking very much—and I like to hike! Not backcountry hiking, though. I’m too much of a chicken. To me, there weren’t really any surprises here. I expect twists and turns from a Natalie Richards book, so I was on the lookout for signs. This was a quick read, and I enjoyed it for what it was.
Natalie D. Richards is a bestselling author. 49 Miles Alone is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.)
Title:49 Miles Alone Author: Natalie D. Richards Genre: YA Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Four days alone in the desert. Except they’re not as alone as they think. A year ago, Katie and her cousin Aster survived a night that left their world and easy friendship fractured. Desperate to heal and leave the past behind them, they tackle four days of hiking in the Utah backcountry. But the desert they’ve loved for years has tricks up its sleeve. An illness, an injury, and a freak storm leave them short on confidence and supplies. When they come across a young couple with extra supplies on the trail, they’re grateful and relieved―at first. Riley exudes friendliness, but everything about her boyfriend Finn spells trouble. That night, after some chilling admissions about Finn from Riley, Katie and Aster wake to hear the couple fighting. Helpless and trapped in the darkness, they witness Riley’s desperate race into the night, with Finn chasing after. In the morning, they find the couple’s camp, but Riley and Finn? Vanished. Katie is sure Riley is in trouble. And with help a two-day hike away, they know they are the only ones who can save her before something terrible happens. The clock is ticking and their supplies are dwindling, but Katie and Aster know they have to find Riley before Finn―or the desert―gets to her first. This did not make me want to go hiking very much—and I like to hike! Not backcountry hiking, though. I’m too much of a chicken. To me, there weren’t really any surprises here. I expect twists and turns from a Natalie Richards book, so I was on the lookout for signs. This was a quick read, and I enjoyed it for what it was. Natalie D. Richards is a bestselling author. 49 Miles Alone is her newest novel. (Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.) Book Review: 49 Miles Alone, by Natalie D. Richards
Marlowe Thompson understands a lot of things. She understands that calculus isn’t overwhelmingly beautiful to everyone, and that it typically kills the mood when you try to talk Python coding over beer pong. She understands people were surprised when golden boy Josh asked her out and she went from weird, math-obsessed Marlowe to half of their school’s couple goals. Unfortunately, Marlowe was surprised when Josh dumped her because he’d prefer a girlfriend who was more romantic. One with emotional depth.
But Marlowe has never failed anything in her life, and she isn’t about to start now. When she’s paired with Ashton Hayes for an English project, his black clothing and moody eyeliner cause a bit of a systems overload, and the dissonant sounds of his rock band make her brain itch. But when she discovers Ash’s hidden stash of love songs, Marlowe makes a desperate deal to unleash her inner romantic heroine: if Ash will agree to help her write some love letters, she’ll calculate the perfect data analytics formula to make Ash’s band go viral.
As the semester heats up with yearning love notes and late nights spent with a boy who escapes any box her brain tries to put him in, Marlowe starts to question if there’s really a set solution to love. Could a girl who has never met a problem she couldn’t solve have gotten the math so massively wrong?
This was a cute read! I really enjoyed Marlow’s POV, and Ash is a great character, too. A teenage boy who reads romances? Totally unbelievable, but awesome. I enjoyed Marlow’s two BFFs, too, but her sister kind of got on my nerves. This ended up being very sweet and fun, and would make a great weekend binge-read.
Serena Kaylor grew up in North Carolina. The Calculation of You and Me is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)
In the village of ice and darkness, Dira Cloon’s entire existence relies on her ability to pull the trigger. But when she faces a majestic white bear, her resolve falters. The bear’s presence stirs something deep within her – a force stronger than her love for her family, who believe that the only safe polar bear is a dead one.
It goes beyond the village legends of a lost world and a vanished civilization, the whispered tales of magic, and the ursine king’s enchantment. This force resonates with Dira’s heart, shattered and lonely. If she shoots the bear, her life will continue as it always has, with a piece of her soul and dreams forever lost. But if she lays down her weapon and follows the bear into the vast, frozen realm of snow, she may transform her people and their bloodlust.
This was an interesting dystopian/fantasy read. More than a bit depressing, frankly. I don’t like cold weather, so that was a me thing, but the society itself was pretty bleak—and I wasn’t a fan of the people. The author did a great job with the setting, though, and I enjoyed the story itself. What happened when Dira broke the curse wasn’t surprising at all, but I did enjoy this read.
Kyra Whitton is from Georgia. A Burden of Ice and Bone is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Sword and Silk Books in exchange for an honest review.)
Robbie and Trevor Cresmont have a body count—the killer kind. Handsome and privileged, the Crestmont brothers’ have enough wealth to ensure they’ll never be found guilty of any wrongdoing, even if all of Happy Valley believes they’re behind the deaths of their ex-girlfriends. First there was soccer star Victoria Moreno, Robbie’s ex, who mysteriously drowned at the family lake house. Then, a year later, Trevor’s girlfriend died of a suspicious overdose.
But the Crestmonts aren’t the only ones with secrets. Lauren O’Brian might be the new girl at school, but she’s never been a good girl. With a dark past of her own, she’s desperate for a fresh start. Except when she starts a no-strings-attached relationship with Robbie, her chance is put in jeopardy. During what’s meant to be their last weekend together, Lauren stumbles across shocking evidence that just might implicate Robbie.
With danger closing in, Lauren doesn’t know who to trust. And after a third death rocks the town, she must decide whether to end things with Robbie or risk becoming another cautionary tale.
I enjoyed this thriller! (It kept me entertained throughout a day of boring meetings.) The people of Happy Valley—especially the soccer girls—were pretty mean, and they were horrible to Lauren. I liked how the author interspersed chapters from Lauren’s past with the present-day storyline, without giving away what really happened. I thought the mystery was well-done, and I didn’t figure out who the killer was until just a little bit before Lauren found out.
Trish Lundy lives in California. The One that Got Away with Murder is her debut YA novel.
(Galley courtesy of Macmillan/Henry Holt and Co. in exchange for an honest review.)
She just hasn’t told her second-gen Korean American parents yet. They would never understand her unconventional dream to become a professional chef. Just ask her brother Justin, who hasn’t heard from them since he was sent to Rikers Island.
For now, when she isn’t avoiding studying for AP World History, Jackie is improving her French cooking techniques and working at her grandparents’ Midtown deli Melty’s.
Then the most unexpected thing: Jackie gets recruited for a casting audition for the teen edition of Burn Off!, her favorite competitive cooking show. Even more unexpected, Jackie becomes a contestant.
Jackie is thrown headfirst into the cutthroat competitive TV show world filled with psych outs, picky mom critiques, and dreaded microaggressions to lean into her heritage.
All Jackie wants to do is cook her way. But is her way to cook traditional French cuisine? Lean into her heritage? Or is it something more? To advance through the competition, Jackie must prove who she is on and off the plate.
Jackie Oh herself just didn’t work for me. I didn’t like her much at all. She had the whole I’m-a-special-snowflake mentality—but God forbid anyone treat her like a special snowflake—just let her do whatever she wants, already. It was perfectly fine for Jackie to judge everyone around her based strictly on appearances, but when someone dared judge her? Then they were narrow-minded, ignorant, and racist. While the things Jackie was so against are real issues, she was unlikable enough to make me skim over them.
The only reason I kept reading this was because of the food. Not all the food, but Jackie’s menus sounded fascinating and tasty, and I liked how she eventually got her act together and showcased the different cultures she was surrounded by. The ending was a total dud, as there was no resolution, merely a transcript of a social media posting. As a reader, I feel like the author broke my trust by leaving this story without a resolution.
Patricia Park is from Queens. What’s Eating Jackie Oh? is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Random House Children’s in exchange for an honest review.)
18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.
But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.
Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And – could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . .
I never quite figured out what was going on here! I suspected some things, but I was never sure. Kudos to the author for that! Bel’s prickly was actually quite appealing to me, although she went a little too far a few times—but at least she realized she’d gone too far, and backtracked. There are a lot of secrets in this novel, and some are very well-hidden. I enjoyed this thriller read and stayed up late to find out what was going on.
Holly Jackson is a bestselling author. The Reappearance of Rachel Price is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Random House/Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Spring break is a vibe—until someone gets murdered.
Partying with popular classmates they barely know is not what Eva and her BFFs had in mind for their spring break. But things have been off ever since Miles’ academic career took a turn for the worse (they don’t talk about it), so a trip to a private beach lodge might be exactly what they need. And Eva won’t admit it, but the chance to reconnect with Colton is worth putting up with Piper’s constant livestreams to her thousands of “besties.”
At first, it’s all sand and waves, but tensions run high when an anonymous letter shakes up an already-flailing love triangle.
When someone turns up dead, Eva can’t even trust her closest friends—but she thinks she can trust Colton. As they get closer to the truth, they uncover secrets that upend everything they thought they knew about their fellow spring breakers.
Frankly, Piper got on my very last nerve, and I had trouble keeping the other characters—well, the female characters except Eva—straight. It was a little hard imagining all these parents being okay with their teenagers going off on their own, with no phone service, so that required suspending my disbelief quite a bit. Despite the subject matter, this felt like a fluffy, quick read, and would probably be a good weekend read.
Gabriella Lepore lives in Wales. Bad Like Us is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Tomorrow Is Another Day 