Review: The Girl King

The Girl King
by Mimi Yu

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Publication Date: January 8, 2019

I highly recommend THE GIRL KING. The book draws you in with its fascinating and intriguing worldbuilding, which is perfectly complemented by the gritty and realistic nature of the book’s own characters. You really feel like you’re with the characters as they navigate through a world of magic and political intrigue. Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough!

Review: Moonrise

Moonrise
by Sarah Crossan

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: May 8, 2018

Warning: this book will make you cry. MOONRISE by Sarah Crossan is a poignant novel that explores the far-reaching impacts of capital punishment in modern society. The book is written from the perspective of Joe Moon, whose brother, Ed, is on death row. It would have been easy for Crossan to make the novel purely a political statement, but, luckily for the readers, she doesn't. Instead, she uses complex characters to convey a nuanced perspective on this issue. 

The novel is written in verse rather than prose; if I'd known this when I was looking for a book, I probably wouldn't have chosen it, but don't let it stop you! The short lines ensure that each word packs a punch and add to the overall feeling of urgency. In all, MOONRISE is a truly incredible reading experience and is sure to stick with you for a long, long time.

Review: When Light Left Us

When Light Left Us
by Leah Thomas

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: February 13, 2018

WHEN LIGHT LEFT US by Leah Thomas is a thrilling, contemporary novel that is incredibly hard to put down. When the father of Milo, Ana, and Hank Vasquez inexplicably deserted his family, the three siblings were suddenly left with a gaping hole in their lives. But in the darkness of their backyard one summer night, that hole was filled. A foreign, shimmering light entered into the three bodies of the Vasquez children and slowly took control of their actions. After doing irreversible damage on the three children, this light abandons them, much like their father. When the light left them, the children were forced them to embrace the things that made them human and learn to live again without the alien presence that they had become so familiar with.

WHEN LIGHT LEFT US took my breath away. Leah Thomas brilliantly captured the separate thoughts and personalities of three very different children while characterizing them in such a way that I forgot they weren’t actually real. The setting was designed in a way that made me feel like I too was in rural New Mexico. At its heart, WHEN LIGHT LEFT US is not an alien book, it is a coming-of-age story about how an alien presence forever changed the perspectives of a family. In the end, this is an utterly engrossing story that I never wanted to end.

Review: Piecing Me Together

Piecing Me Together
by Renée Watson

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: February 14, 2017

In PIECING ME TOGETHER, Renée Watson writes about Jade, an artist and scholarship student at a predominantly white, private high school in Portland. Jade lives a different life than her classmates and is constantly being given “opportunities” by her school counselor, one of which is an offer to become part of a mentorship program called Women to Women. Though Jade accepts, she struggles to connect with her mentor, Maxine, and feels as though Maxine is attempting to repair Jade instead of supporting her. Throughout the novel, readers watch as Jade discovers the power and voice she has in the world, which Watson beautifully depicts through descriptions of Jade’s artwork. Her story is told clearly and expresses the importance of treating people equally, allowing yourself to discover what matters to you, and finding beauty in everything. She and her friends are strong characters with important messages and ideas. 

Review: The Edge of Everything

The Edge of Everything
by Jeff Giles

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication Date: January 31, 2017

In THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING by Jeff Giles, Zoe, a 17 year old who just lost her father, meets X, who comes from the Lowlands, a hellish afterlife. X is a super-powered bounty hunter who is assigned to capture Stan. Stan is attacking Zoe and her brother when X intervenes. Zoe and X fall in love but are separated when X has to return to the Lowlands, although he tries to escape and does what he can to reunite with her. The whole story is based off of the relationship of Zoe and X, but there are a few subplots that diverge the story and make it much more interesting.

While I really liked the book, it is written in the 3rd person, which causes some of the conversations to be a bit confusing, but it makes some parts seem more ominous. It also helps see things from an objective view, although sometimes I found it distracting me from the story. This book has a good mix of action, love, adventure, and fantasy: the supernatural boyfriend is a bounty hunter from hell and tries to escape into the real world. This book is very gripping and suspenseful. It has a satisfying ending which leaves room for a sequel, but also could be an ending to the story. There is a cliffhanger at the end, but not one big enough to suggest a sequel is definitely coming. I really liked this book and would want to read the sequel if there will be one.

Review: Inherit Midnight

Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Myers
Publication date: February 10, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

INHERIT MIDNIGHT is about a girl named Avery who races around the world doing challenges based on her ancestor’s past, and competing to win the family inheritance. There is a lot of action in this book, but it is mixed in with a lot of details about her stuck-up family and her love interest, who by the way, seemed very realistic, which I normally find never happens. The bits to do with her family were very relatable to me, even though I don’t think anyone’s family is as full of secrets as Avery’s. Another reason I particularly liked this book is because the main character is such a strong and independent female, who doesn't let her love interest get in the way of her main goal; winning the family inheritance. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes action fiction, but who doesn't necessarily want that to be the only thing they get from a novel. Ages 12 and up.

Review: One Past Midnight

One Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington
Publication date: July 22, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury

ONE PAST MIDNIGHT by Jessica Shirvington is the story of Sabine, an eighteen-year-old girl who switches between two lives every day. Since the day she was born, her world shifts at midnight, alternating between a life as a rich preppy girl to a punk in a poor family. In her more rebellious life, she tries to explain to her parents what is happening to her and is put in a mental hospital, being taken care of by Ethan, a cute boy with his own secrets. In her other, more "blessed" life, she deals with the petty drama of a popular girl living a life of luxury, from her boyfriend Dex to her annoying older brothers. This cross between David Levithan's novel Every Day and Lauren Miller's Parallel shows that there is more to people than meets the eye and that we all have secrets.

The major plot line and idea behind this novel is fantastic, but I feel that some of the relationships between Sabine and other people, namely Ethan, felt a bit rushed and unrealistic. Although the ending is a bit cliche, I found the last few pages thought provoking and outstanding. I have never heard of this author but I will definitely look to see what other books she has written. The sci-fi portion of the story is well explained and easy to follow. I would suggest this book for people ages 14-15 and up for mentions of attempted rape and self-harm.