I want to preface this post by stating that this is not a goodbye post or a going on hiatus post. This post is long overdue and I have been avoiding it for months. 2022 was a weird reading year for me – I couldn’t read as often as I used to. Books were not giving me the spark and joy I had relied on for so many years. Frankly, I lacked the time to just sit, breathe and dive into a new literary world and my blog suffered for that. I didn’t intentionally allow myself time to read and most of my self care time prioritize sleep which I desperately needed each week. That being said, as the year came to an end I did some deep reflecting. I realized that reading is an essential part of who I am – along with Anime, KPOP, conventions and DIY stuff. I couldn’t give up on reading and I was doing a disservice to myself by not taking the time to enjoy what I loved most about reading – exploring new worlds.
I don’t know what direction I plan to take this blog in 2023, but I do promise to upload at least one blog post a month. I created this blog as a way for me to look back and read why I enjoyed a book, or why a particular book did not suit me. Through that blog, I gained followers who also enjoyed my thoughts. 2023 is already looking good in terms of my reading goals – I’ve read 4 books so far! But this blog may change. Nothing is set in stone but I do want to write about the other joys and interests in my life. For those who stood on after all this time with no recent blog posts from me, I truly thank you and appreciate you.
Title:The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses Author: K.N. Smith Publisher:Two Petals Publishing Publication Date: September 29 0215 Genres:Young Adult Fiction
Thank you JeanBookNerd and Two Petals Publishing for the opportunity to review and to be a part of this book tour!
Rating : 4 stars
Synopsis
Welcome or unwelcome. Fate has arrived.
“A captivating and poetic tale of mystery, fantasy, and reality tied together by action!” 5-stars, Lars Jackson, Amazon Customer
A suspenseful incident in a forbidden preserve heightens the senses of five friends. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become super-gifts that forever change the world. But furious battles confront the boys as they try to understand their sensory super powers in a race to save mankind. With light beings and mysterious strangers complicating their plight, can the boys defeat the evil Druth before it’s too late? Get prepared for the twisting and grinding of this award-winning, action-adventure story — an edge-of-your-seat narrative for young and mature readers alike.
Review
Danville Heights – a town that gives small town vibes. A unexpected event that changes the lives of five young boys. Now, with heightened sense and abilities that are deemed superhero worthy, five boys are on a mission to save their home. K.N. Smooth had a way of creating a story that was both exciting and still had a bit of mystery. It’s a super-esque story with young teen boys fighting a greater threat to save their home. Through their heightened senses – each one possessing a different heightened sense, they bond through this unexpected new powers. I really enjoyed the focus of friendship and testing the limits of friendships. I also enjoyed that this book showed young boys as superheroes. It is always good to have more of that representation and K.N. Smith did it well.
In regards to the superpowers, I really enjoyed how the five senses were used to be the superpower. It was like if Spiderman was a 5 teen super team and each sense complimented the other. The pace and world building were pretty good, but I wanted to have some of the action scenes pick up just a bit quicker. This story held multiple POV’s and while I am usually a fan of that particular storytelling style, it was difficult at times to distinguish which voice narrative was occurring.
Overall it is a good read with a good pace and a cool story.
About the Author
K.N. Smith, winner of the “Best of” in the category of “Outstanding Young Adult Novel” at the Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Awards, and Readers’ Favorite “Gold Medal” honoree for “Young Adult – Mystery”, is an author and passionate advocate of literacy and arts programs throughout the world. Her lyrical flair sweeps across pages that twist and grind through action-adventure and urban fantasy in edge-of-your-seat narratives. K.N. has over twenty-five years’ experience in communications and creative design as an award-winning consultant. Reading is still her foremost hobby. K.N. inspires people of all ages to reach their highest potential in their creative, educational, and life pursuits. Visit K.N. Smith at www.knsmith.com.
Thank you Turn the Page Book Tours and HarperTeen for a review copy and the opportunity to be on this tour.
Rating: 3 Stars
Synopsis
Decadent, thrilling, and romantic, this Black Mirror-esque retelling of the reign of one Marie Antoinette is perfect for fans of THE BELLES and AMERICAN ROYALS. The year is 3070, and Marie Antoinette has just arrived at the glittering, thrilling palace of Versailles to marry the shy, soft-spoken Louis-Auguste. But beneath the luxurious world lies a sinister underbelly and an uncompromising elite who want to keep Marie and Louis pawns in a deadly game. Will history repeat itself? Or will these doomed lovers outwit their enemies and escape their grisly fate?
Cake Eater will take readers to a dazzling world full of breathless luxuries, deadly secrets, and a thrilling romance that attempts to rewrite history itself.
Review
Cake Eater is a futuristic Young Adult retelling about Marie Antoinette. Taking place in 3070, we meet a young influencer in Marie and her computer whiz prince. Going into this story I was intrigued by this unique retelling because it is not often you see a mix and mash of different genres. I do want to preface that a 3 star rating is still a good rating in my opinion.
Before I dive in, I will state again that the blending of genres was something I saw a lot of promise in this novel and the author did as good as they could to deliver a fairly good and enjoyable read. For anyone who knows of the original story of Marie Antionette, there were no real surprises for me in regards to the events. However, the ending was the one part of the novel that I was a bit disappointed in. If it was executed a bit better, this story would have been so much more enjoyable for me. Although the ending wasn’t for me, there is an audience of readier who will thoroughly enjoy the story. To be fair, I really enjoyed the futuristic backdrop of the novel and the focus on social media – something that is very prevalent for teens today.
What I enjoyed the most aside from the characters, because both Marie and Louis had redeeming qualities was the romance. The romance felt sweet and not rushed. Marie and Louis and the example of when opposites attract. Now, back to the characters, Marie is so relatable because she is navigating being in a uncertain environment and finding her self within. Readers know from the beginning that Marie gives up her old life when she is set to marry Louis. This self discovery in done in a tech and social media heavy world, which again is something may people can relate to now with how influential social media can be in people’s decision making and discovery of their identity in the real world and internet world.
Cake Eater is a coming of age story set in a futuristic world where a historical story is intertwined in the grasp of a very social media heavy world. It is filled of twists and turns, a good romance and two main characters you want to know more about. While the pacing wasn’t consistent and the ending felt off, Cake Eater overall was a good read and would be a great read for anyone interested in a unique and creative retelling of an infamous historical events.
About the Author
Allyson Dahlin grew up on a farm in central New York, where she had little to do but read loads of library books and make up magical and slightly creepy stories about the woods and farm animals while pretending to be a witch/homesteader. She studied psychology in college while working as a housekeeper at a motel in Cooperstown. That job involved a lot of boring hours to think up backstories for the guests whose rooms she cleaned. A shawl left on a chair by an aging opera soprano, a stack of old baseball cards left by a Hall of Fame inductee, and the legend of a monster in the lake were all fodder for stories. It was during that time she transformed from a reader and a daydreamer to a writer.
With some writing courses and a psychology certification in hand, Allyson worked in school counseling and then at a boarding school for girls with complex trauma. Writing kept her spirits up during her intensely emotional work. Eventually, she fell into internet marketing, which meant writing for her day job as well as focusing on her novels. Her first novel, CAKE EATER, was inspired by a trip to Versailles and the realization that the circumstances of Marie Antoinette’s life could just as easily happen today.
Title: The Edge of Summer Author: Erica George Publisher:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publication Date: June 14th, 2022 Genres: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Thank you TBR and Beyond Tour and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for a review copy and the opportunity to be on this tour.
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis
Fans of Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson will be swept away by this big-hearted novel about one girl navigating first loss and first love during her summer on Cape Cod.
Saving the whales has been Coriander Cabot and her best friend Ella’s dream since elementary school. But when tragedy strikes, Cor is left to complete the list of things they wanted to accomplish before college alone, including a marine biology internship on Cape Cod.
Cor’s summer of healing and new beginnings turns complicated when she meets Mannix, a local lifeguard who completely takes her breath away. But she knows whatever she has with Mannix might not last, and that her focus should be on rescuing the humpback whales from entanglement. As the tide changes, Cor finds herself distracted and struggling with her priorities.
Can she follow her heart and keep her promise to the whales and her best friend?
Review
The Edge of Summer is such a good summer read. It is also a story that talk about loss and grief in a way that feels okay. Ericka’s writing style with this story was concise and easy to follow.
We are introduced to Coriander who is staying with her Uncle as she prepares for a cool marine internship. It is part of a bucket list she created with her friend Ella. She is now checking things off on her own while dealing with the loss of her friend Ella. Throughout the summer Cor starts a romance with lifeguard Mannix and navigate loss and new love. When thinking of Cor and Mannix, their relationship was messy but the chemistry was there. The feelings didn’t feel forced or too perfect and it was something that felt relatable even to an adult like myself. While Cor can be a hard character to warm up to with some of her actions such as not responding, placing her anger or sadness on the wrong people, I still appreciated how much of a teenager Cor was. Teens are not perfect, and we’ve all been in some situation where our emotions are just a lot sometimes. I appreciated how Cor was written while also acknowledging that some of her actions were hurtful, especially towards Mannix. Speaking of Mannix, he was a cool, carefree kind of teen boy growing feelings for a girl he just met.
When thinking of the setting of Cape Cod and the focus of whales, I felt like I was reading on a beach hearing the ocean sounds. The one things I enjoyed was how the story intertwined advocacy for whales while also connecting that to the main story. It made me as the reader feel inspired to want to keep those majestic sea mammals safe while learning more about them. Overall, I was a fan of the whale talk because it was not forced talk. Overall, this was a quick and fun read. If you are a fan of summer contemporary young adult romances, this is a go to read.
About the Author
Erica George is a writer of young adult fiction. She is a graduate of The College of New Jersey with degrees in both English and education, and is currently an MFA student at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She resides in scenic northern New Jersey, but spends her summers soaking up the salty sea air on Cape Cod. Many themes in Erica’s writing rotate around environmental activism and helping young people find their voice. When she’s not writing, you can find her exploring river towns, whale watching, or engrossed in quality British drama with her dog at her side.
Thank you TBR and Beyond Tour and Flux Books for a review copy and the opportunity to be on this tour.
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars but rounded up to 4 stars
Synopsis
Victory is the only option.
Once a year, the Olympian Empresses grant the wishes of ten people selected by a lottery—for a price. Seventeen-year-old Gen, a former circus performer, wants the freedom of her father, who was sentenced to life in prison for murders she knows he didn’t commit. Castor plans to carry the island Arcadia into the future in place of her brother, Pollux, but only after the Empresses force a change in her island’s archaic laws that requires a male heir.
To get what they want, Gen and Castor must race to complete the better half of ten nearly impossible labors. They have to catch the fastest ship in the sea, slay the immortal Hydra, defeat a gangster called the Boar, and capture the flesh-eating Mares, among other deadly tasks.
Gen has her magic, her ability to speak to animals, her inhuman strength—and the help of Pollux, who’s been secretly pining for her for years. But Castor has her own gifts: the power of the storms, along with endless coin. Only one can win. The other walks away with nothing—if she walks away at all.
Review
I have to say – this was a pretty enjoyable read. I enjoyed the focus of Greek mythology in the plot and scenery. I am not well versed in the Hercules 12 labors so IK had to do a bit of research to under this was a genderbent retold version of it. However, not having this knowledge ahead of time did not hinder my ability to enjoy this story. Game of Strength and Storm has multiple points of views, which is always a selling point for me. I like to dive into a story and hear the perspective of the main characters. Rachel Menard was bale to write POV’s well and create a storyline that did not feel disconnected. It was a fast paced read that didn’t feel too predictable.
There are ten winners and those ten winners can receive a wish. But there’s a catch – they have to complete/win 6 of the 10 tasks needed to have their wish granted by the Empress. The competition aspect of the story sold me heavily and was one of the main reasons I continued reading on. It gave the nostalgic feeling form the books I read as a teen of competitions and survival.
When thinking of the characters, I enjoyed Gen, Castor and Pollux for very different reasons. Gen has the ability to speak to animals and has a wish to free her father from prison. Gen felt like the character with the moral compass. Her storyline was similar to Castor because their wish to rule could feed their other wishes. What I admired most about Gen was her love towards her family. She was truly fighting for them and it showed. Castor is also a very strong character, but may be going about things in an unpopular opinion kind of way. Pollux, her brother is next in line to rule their island of Arcadia – the very throne Castor wants. Her mission is to dismantle the misogyny by having her wish granted to become the next ruler. Sounds great right? Well when you have a teddy bear, sweetheart of a brother, it is hard to focus or root for someone who wants to see his lineage disrupted to become Queen. Regardless of Castor’s not so altruistic wish, her determination and strong will make her a force to be reckoned with.
There was a small romance brewing between Gen and Pollux but I felt that it wasn’t developed enough to know if it would be a developing relationship or just a crush. I’d be excited to see overall how the story along with the romance pans out in future books.
About the Author
Rachel Menard was born in New Jersey, raised in Arizona, and then relocated to Rhode Island. Throughout her life she has been a barista, college radio DJ, singer in an alt-country band, marketer, designer, and finally, a writer. Her short fiction has been featured on the Cast of Wonders podcast and her non-fiction has been seen in Writer’s Digest. Her debut novel, Game of Strength and Storm, is coming from Flux Books in 2022.
A Bronx Latina Reads 