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At the very southern tip of South America looms an isolated finishing school. Legend has it that the land will curse those who settle there. But for Mavi—a bold Buenos Aires native fleeing the military regime that took her mother—it offers an escape to a new life as a young teacher to Argentina’s elite girls. Mavi tries to embrace the strangeness of the imposing house—despite warnings not to roam at night, threats from an enigmatic young man, and rumors of mysterious Others. But one of Mavi’s ten students is missing, and when students and teachers alike begin to behave as if possessed, the forces haunting this unholy cliff will no longer be ignored. One of these spirits holds a secret that could unravel Mavi’s existence. In order to survive she must solve a cosmic mystery—and then fight for her life.

I’ve been delving into creepier books and books that can be classified as horror and thriller. I guess I enjoy freaking myself out haha. This book seemed like it would be a really great, really creepy ghost story. The secluded mansion, with dark secrets, made it a book I knew I wanted to try. Trigger warnings: pedophilia, self-harm, grief, gore, mentions of suicide

Continue reading “The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring” →

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For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse. For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home.

I enjoyed Sky In The Deep, though I didn’t love it. I found myself craving another book by Adrienne Young. She’s a fantastic writer and I was curious to see what she would do with this story. It intriuged me, that this would follow one of the minor characters of Sky and take place ten years later. And the new main character, Tova, sounded really awesome.

Continue reading “The Girl The Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young” →

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In the walled city-state of Alu, Kammani wants nothing more than to become the accomplished healer her father used to be before her family was cast out of their privileged life in shame. When Alu’s ruler falls deathly ill, Kammani’s beautiful little sister, Nanaea, is chosen as one of three sacred maidens to join him in the afterlife. It’s an honor. A tradition. And Nanaea believes it is her chance to live an even grander life than the one that was stolen from her. But Kammani sees the selection for what it really is—a death sentence. Desperate to save her sister, Kammani schemes her way into the palace to heal the ruler. There she discovers more danger lurking in the sand-stone corridors than she could have ever imagined and that her own life—and heart—are at stake. But Kammani will stop at nothing to dig up the palace’s buried secrets even if it means sacrificing everything…including herself.

This book sounded haunting and brutal and maybe a little terrifying. It’s about girls who given the “honor” of being buried alive with their ruler and a palace with secrets lurking around every corner. Kammani, the main character is a healer and wants to save her sister from a death sentence, while her sister wants the honor. I really enjoy sister stories and I was looking forward to seeing how this one would unfold! Trigger warnings: gore, violence, mention of rape, sexual assault (groping), grief

Continue reading “Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon” →

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Annie and Lee were just children when a brutal revolution changed their world, giving everyone—even the lowborn—a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders. Now they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn’t be more different. Annie’s lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee’s aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet. But everything changes when survivors from the old regime surface, bent on reclaiming the city. With war on the horizon and his relationship with Annie changing fast, Lee must choose to kill the only family he has left or to betray everything he’s come to believe in. And Annie must decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.

I will probably always want to try any book with dragons in it. And this book was no exception. From the title, the cover, and the synopsis, this sounded like it would be a proud dragon book with family, dragonriders, and a really interesting world.

Continue reading “Fireborne by Rosaria Munda” →

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Traveling with her treasure-hunting father has always been a dream for Theodora. She’s read every book in his library, has an impressive knowledge of the world’s most sought-after relics, and has all the ambition in the world. What she doesn’t have is her father’s permission. That honor goes to her father’s nineteen-year-old protégé—and once-upon-a-time love of Theodora’s life—Huck Gallagher, while Theodora is left to sit alone in her hotel in Istanbul. Until Huck arrives from an expedition without her father and enlists Theodora’s help in rescuing him. Armed with her father’s travel journal, the reluctant duo learns that her father had been digging up information on a legendary and magical ring that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler—more widely known as Dracula—and that it just might be the key to finding him. Journeying into Romania, Theodora and Huck embark on a captivating adventure through Gothic villages and dark castles in the misty Carpathian Mountains to recover the notorious ring. But they aren’t the only ones who are searching for it. A secretive and dangerous occult society with a powerful link to Vlad the Impaler himself is hunting for it, too. And they will go to any lengths—including murder—to possess it.

I’m a huge fan of Jenn Bennett books. She was written amazing contemporaries and I have loved her stories and her characters. This one is definitely more on the fantasy side, and I was looking forward to seeing how she writes a different genre! Plus, Theodora sounded amazing and I love treasure hunting books

Continue reading “The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett” →

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Will love break the spell? After cruelly rejecting Bao, the poor physician’s apprentice who loves her, Lan, a wealthy nobleman’s daughter, regrets her actions. So when she finds Bao’s prized flute floating in his boat near her house, she takes it into her care, not knowing that his soul has been trapped inside it by an evil witch, who cursed Bao, telling him that only love will set him free. Though Bao now despises her, Lan vows to make amends and help break the spell.

 

 

 

I’ve heard lots of good things about Dao’s books, but I haven’t read her previous two yet (I KNOW!). Though, this one sounded good. It sounded like it would be simple, but with a really strong storyline.

Continue reading “Song Of The Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao” →

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When a determined girl is confronted with the culture of toxic masculinity, it’s time to even the score. Michigan Manning lives for hockey, and this is her year to shine. That is, until she gets some crushing news: budget cuts will keep the girls’ hockey team off the ice this year. If she wants colleges to notice her, Michigan has to find a way to play. Luckily, there’s still one team left in town … The boys’ team isn’t exactly welcoming, but Michigan’s prepared to prove herself. She plays some of the best hockey of her life, in fact, all while putting up with changing in the broom closet, constant trash talk and “harmless” pranks that always seem to target her. But once hazing crosses the line into assault, Michigan must weigh the consequences of speaking up – even if it means putting her future on the line.

I heard about this book from my friends and it sounded like something I would enjoy! I love reading about female athletes, even if I don’t love watching sports. I guess reading about them makes it more interesting to me haha. Kids Can Press was awesome enough to send me an ARC in exchange for review (which is kind of nuts and I can’t really believe it), so thank you so much to them! This will not effect my review. Trigger warnings: physical abuse, sexism, toxic masculinity, homophobic slurs (one used in two instances), underage drinking, a girl being drugged

Continue reading “Michigan Vs. The Boys by Carrie S. Allen” →