Bookish Blog
The Sea Became Restless Review
By Megan Gaudino The Sea Became Restless (ARC Book Review) Cult novels have taken the world by storm in the past few years and I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for it, which is exactly why I picked up "The Sea Became Restless" by Megan Gaudino. This contemporary YA novel...
Bright Ruined Things Book Review
By Samantha Cohoe Bright Ruined Things (ARC Book Review) The Tempest meets The Great Gatsby in Bright Ruined Things, a new fantasy YA novel from Samantha Cohoe. Mae has never truly belonged on the island she grew up on, a source of great magic owned and controlled by...
In the Watchful City Book Review
By S. Qiouyi Lu In the Watchful City (ARC Book Review) Part novella and part anthology, “In the Watchful City” is a series of glimpses into the world of the City of Ora and its history through the eyes of one of its guardians, Anima, who lives interconnected to the...
My Heart is Chainsaw Book Review
By Stephen Graham Jones My Heart is a Chainsaw (ARC Book Review) “My Heart is Chainsaw” is, first and foremost, a dissection of the slasher horror genre told through the perspective of a troubled young teen named Jade, who is convinced a real-life serial killer has...
Chasing the Boogeyman Book Review
By Richard Chizmar Chasing the Boogeyman (ARC Book Review) An immersive read perfect for true crime lovers, "Chasing the Boogeyman” follows the mystery of a fictional serial killer in small-town Maryland through the perspective of an increasingly popular author. The...
The Nature of Witches Book Review
Avatar meets environmentalist witchcraft in this debut novel by Rachel Griffin.
With heatwaves burning through winters and storms running rampant, “The Nature of Witches” takes a look at an Earth on the edge of demise. For years, witches had control of the weather, their magic tied to seasons that brought them strength, but a winter witch isn’t made for battling the sun and a summer witch can’t handle hail. Only an Everwitch who has control over all four seasons has any hope of making headway against the perils they face. But Clara, the only Ever in generations, has seen what her magic can do. And it’s more dangerous than any storm could be…
Spells Trouble Book Review
P. C. Cast and Kristen Cast are back at it again with “Spells Trouble,” the first in a witchy YA series perfect for fans of “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.”
“Spells Trouble” follows twin witches, Hunter and Mercy, who live in Goodeville, Illinois at the apex of five ley lines of magic that keep gateways to the underworld at bay. But when something goes wrong in their yearly ritual, they realize the gates may open for the first time in centuries, letting nightmarish creatures into their world that will threaten the lives of those they love most…
Sorrowland Book Review
Rivers Solomon’s sophomore novel, “Sorrowland,” is a gorgeously evocative writing style wrapped around a clash of genres—a heartwood of dark fantasy and science fiction that would make Stephen King proud with the added surprise of horror elements standing starkly against a romantic plotline diving momentarily into erotica, and a few other dashes of this and that.
Sorrowland explores motherhood, trauma, the unbreakable connections between people and cultures, and ideas of bodily ownership through the story of Vern, a young woman who escapes from the cult of Cainland she grew up in to give birth to twin boys in the woods and raise them on her own. But as time goes by, Vern realizes that Cainland might not have been as easy to escape from as she realized and that in truth it may never have left her…
Off the Record Book Review
With this astounding sophomore novel, Camryn Garrett solidifies herself as one of the voices of today’s teens and an author I have no doubt will soon be counted amongst bestsellers like Nic Stone and Elizabeth Acevedo.
A heatfeltly poignant story, “Off the Record” is about a talented young writer named Josie who wins a contest and gets the opportunity to create a portfolio on an up-and-coming movie star for her dream publication. But when she stumbles onto a story that’s way out of her league, Josie faces an overwhelming choice: try to publish an impossible piece or turn her back on something terrible that she can’t stomach to ignore. But with her anxiety always lurking around the corner and threatening to get the best of her, the choice only becomes harder and harder to make…
The Between (ARC Book Review)
Reminiscent of “House of Leaves” mixed with the 1980’s movie “Labyrinth” but in a way that is shameful to both, “The Between” follows Paul Prentice after he discovers a trap door in his backyard leading to a series of impossible rooms that change and remake themselves and a host of dangerous roles waiting to be filled. With the help of his friends, Paul begins to understand that the place is a world between worlds, not knowing if it will be enough to truly escape…
Detransition, Baby (ARC Book Review)
Following a man who recently detransitioned and rejoined the boring business world, his accidentally impregnated girlfriend, and his trans ex-girlfriend, Detransition is an exploration of trans life in a way you’ve probably never seen it before…
Malice (ARC Book Review)
“Maleficient” by way of Sarah J. Maas, “Malice” by Heather Walter is the gay, fae fairytale retelling of the romance of Sleeping Beauty’s Aurora with the villain of the story…
