betweentheshelves's reviews
2662 reviews

Ruin Road by Lamar Giles

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I don't think this is my favorite Lamar Giles book, but it's got a lot going for it! Some of the time skips were a little confusing listening to it on audio, but I liked the way it all came together at the end. As always, Giles makes a lot of societal commentary through his thriller, and the sort of magical aspects worked well with the more thriller aspects of the book. Not quite as suspenseful as his other books, but a good addition to the YA thriller market.
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Visitations by Corey Egbert

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challenging emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Review to come!
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The Terrifying Tales of Vivian Vance by Josh Ulrich

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Definitely an enjoyable, slightly spooky read about an entire underground monster in a small town. What you think is just a bedtime story is really something else, adding to the overall mystery of the Flesh-Eaters. I do wish some of that world was expanded on a little and that there was a little more depth overall to the story. But it's still an entertaining read, and would be great for spooky season!
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The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It seems like dystopia might be making a comeback in the YA realm, which is great! This has a pretty heavy romance aspect, which was a little insta-lovey. Not always my favorite trope. But the world that Tew created was fascinating and felt scarily realistic, which in my opinion is what makes a great dystopian book.

The writing was paced well, pulling you along in the action while revealing what this government is actually doing. If you're a fan of YA dystopia, definitely pick this one up!
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The Glass Girl by Kathleen Glasgow

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dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Kathleen Glasgow doesn't shrink away from the tough stuff, and this book is no different. This isn't in any way an easy read, but it's definitely an important one for teens who might also find themselves in Bella's position. I also appreciated that this showed the road to recovery isn't a straight line and that you're not always going to be perfect. Such an important thing to show to teens also struggling.

If you're in the right mindspace, this one is definitely worth the read!
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Full Shift by Jennifer Dugan

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adventurous emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was fun! The art style worked really well for the story and I like the way the color palette changed when it was a flashback or something with important information the reader needed to know. The world building was also cleverly built into the art and the writing, and it just worked well together.

I enjoyed how Tessa's journey toward accepting her werewolf identity worked as a metaphor for queer identities as well. Also the fact that she was often wearing a red hoodie as a subtle nod to Red Riding Hood. Overall, if you like supernatural stories, this will definitely be for you!
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How Could You by Ren Strapp

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emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Review to come!
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Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

There are some issues in this book that hit kind of hard in today's climate, especially the discussions about abortion and the separation of church and state. It's for that reason I'm not surprised that it made its way onto a frequently banned books list, and will certainly make for interesting discussion tonight at book club!
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The Rules of Royalty by Cale Dietrich

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Rules of Royalty by Cale Dietrich! I was definitely in the mood for a fluffy romance, and this book fit the bill. If you just want to read something for the happy vibes at the moment, this will for sure be the book for you.

This is a loose retelling of The Princess Diaries, but making it queer instead. As someone who loved The Princess Diaries growing up, I loved the way this parallels that story. It’s got a lot of great moments between the two princes, and it just adds to the overall good feel of this book.

My main critique is that at times, I would forget which prince’s point of view I was in because they did tend to blend together. Some of the dialogue didn’t quite feel realistic; it felt a little disjointed to me.

Despite that, I did have a good time reading this book, and think it will make a great addition to any December TBRs! 
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Review to come!
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The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

If you like gothic fairytale retellings, you'll definitely want this book on your list. Not only is the world building lush and immediately transports you to this world, but Craig nails the feeling of a Grimm's fairytale. There's a darkness lurking throughout the whole story, all the while weaving in plot points that eventually bring the entire book full circle.

The characters are all well developed, and even if I wanted a bit more from Merrick, it was all in all an engaging story. Erin A. Craig has yet to disappoint!
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