Review: All the Bad Apples – Smoky with Old Magic

  Title: All the Bad Apples Author: Moïra Fowley-Doyle Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books Release Date: August 1st, 2019 (UK); August 27th (NA) Genre(s): YA Contemporary, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction Subjects and Themes: Family, Women's Rights, LGBTQIAP+ (lesbian mc, queer side characters) Page Count: 319 (hardback) Rating: 8.5/10     CW: Rape, homophobia, and a myriad …

Review: Last Bus to Everland – Life Sucks But We’re in it Together

Title: Last Bus to Everland Author: Sophie Cameron Publisher: Roaring Brook Press Release Date: June 18th, 2019 Genre(s): YA Contemporary, Portal Fantasy Subjects and Themes: Mental Health, LGBTQIAP+ Page Count: 336 (hardback) Rating: 8.0/10       Brody Fair feels like nobody gets him: not his overworked parents, not his genius older brother, and definitely …

Double Reviews: The Guildmaster and All the World Between Us – Water-themed Romances

One book has pirates. The other has swimming. Both involve water. (And I'm a sucker for themes) Let's get to it.   The Guildmaster (Vanguards of Viridor 3) by T.S. Cleveland Having helped foil the attempt to kill Viridor’s queen, Merric’s return to the Guardians’ Guild should have been celebrated. Instead, his support of elementals …

Review: Deposing Nathan – Heartwrenching, Raw, and So Very Important

  Title: Deposing Nathan Author: Zack Smedley Publisher: Page Street Publishing Release Date: May 7th, 2019 Genre(s): YA Contemporary Subjects and Themes: LGBTQIAP+, Religion, Abuse Page Count: 400 (hardback) Rating: 9.0/10     For sixteen years, Nate was the perfect son—the product of a no-nonsense upbringing and deep spiritual faith. Then he met Cam, who …

Review: Starworld – Girl Friendships, Family Drama, and Roleplaying via Text

Title: Starworld Author: Audrey Coulthurst & Paula Garner Publisher: Candlewick Press Release Date: April 16th, 2019 Genre(s): YA Contemporary Subjects and Themes: LGBTQIAP+, Female Friendships, Family Page Count: 352 (hardback) Rating: 6.5/10   Sam Jones and Zoe Miller have one thing in common: they both want an escape from reality. Loner Sam flies under the …

Review: Summer Bird Blue – Of Grief, Music, and Sisterhood

Title: Summer Bird Blue Author: Akemi Dawn Bowman Publisher: Simon Pulse Release Date: September 11th, 2018 Genre(s) and Subject(s): YA Contemporary, Death/Grief, LGBTQIAP+ Page Count: 384 (paperback) Goodreads Rating: 8.0/10         Rumi Seto spends a lot of time worrying she doesn’t have the answers to everything. What to eat, where to go, …

Review: Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe – Hilarious and Life-Affirming

Title: Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe Author: Preston Norton Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Release Date: June 5th, 2018 Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Speculative Page Count: 416 (hardback) Goodreads Rating: 9.0/10   Life is more than just existing. And it's more than just a door with death and nothingness on the other side. Life is a …

Review: Summer of Salt – Magical in Premise, Faulty in Execution

Title: Summer of Salt Author: Katrina Leno Publisher: HarperTeen Release Date: June 5th 2018 Genre(s): Contemporary, Fantasy, Young Adult Page Count: 272 (hardback) Goodreads Rating: 5.0/10       This is one of those "You could have been amazing, so what the hell happened?" books. The premise is fantastic. Described as Practical Magic meets Bone …

[Review] Fire Song – A Story of Canadian Aboriginal LGBTQ+ Youth

Title: Fire Song Author: Adam Garnet Jones Publisher: Annick Press Release Date: March 13, 2018 Genre(s): Contemporary, YA Page Count: 232 Goodreads Rating: 6.5/10         It's been a while since I've read Canadian Aboriginal fiction. The last one had been Green Grass, Running Water from my highschool AP English class, which was...well, …

[Review] How to Stop Time – A Moving Look at Time and Happiness

Title: How to Stop Time Author: Matt Haig Publisher: Harper Avenue Release Date: February 6th, 2018 Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Sci-fi, Contemporary Page Count: 336 pages Goodreads Rating: 7.5/10         I think every one of us has, at one point or another, wished our lives were longer. That we could take the distance …