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looseleafellie's reviews
251 reviews
A Wicked Magic by Sasha Laurens
4.0
This book is a contemporary fantasy about three girls who live in a small town with lots of magical secrets. When two of them (Dan and Liss) stumbled across a book of spells and accidentally got a local boy kidnapped by a demon entity, their friendship fell apart. But now they have to work together with Dan’s new best friend, Alexa, to fix their mistake, or else they might all end up dead.
I absolutely adored the writing style in this book — it’s kind of a whimsical, slightly tongue-in-cheek voice that reminded me of many of my favorite books growing up. That's not to say that the writing is simplistic or childish, but it has a certain air of timelessness and nostalgia that I fell in love with immediately.
The pacing was a little slower than I expected, but I think that was because this book focuses a lot on the friendship aspect. It was a really interesting way to explore close female friendships through a fantasy lens. I personally would have liked the main plot to move a bit faster, but I wasn’t disappointed by the extra character development. By the end, I felt like Dan, Liss, and Alexa were my best friends too!
There are also several little mysteries in this story which get unraveled over the course of the narrative, which I totally loved. Some of the twists shocked me in the best way!
Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves witchy stories and doesn’t mind a slower pace. Thanks to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC!
I absolutely adored the writing style in this book — it’s kind of a whimsical, slightly tongue-in-cheek voice that reminded me of many of my favorite books growing up. That's not to say that the writing is simplistic or childish, but it has a certain air of timelessness and nostalgia that I fell in love with immediately.
The pacing was a little slower than I expected, but I think that was because this book focuses a lot on the friendship aspect. It was a really interesting way to explore close female friendships through a fantasy lens. I personally would have liked the main plot to move a bit faster, but I wasn’t disappointed by the extra character development. By the end, I felt like Dan, Liss, and Alexa were my best friends too!
There are also several little mysteries in this story which get unraveled over the course of the narrative, which I totally loved. Some of the twists shocked me in the best way!
Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves witchy stories and doesn’t mind a slower pace. Thanks to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC!
Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho
4.0
Wicked Fox was one of my favorite reads last year, so I was super excited to dive into the sequel. One of the main characters from the first book, Miyoung (the eponymous wicked fox), still has several chapters from her viewpoint, but we also get some of the story from the perspective of two amazing side characters from the first book: Junu and Somin!
I loved getting to know these characters better. Junu is a delightful insufferable flirt with a lot of insecurities, and Somin is a smol angry bean who won’t let anything get in her way. Basically, they’re both awesome, and their enemies to lovers romance arc is so cute!
I felt like this book started a little slow, but I soon got sucked back into the world of mythology, sassy characters, and yummy Korean food. It was really interesting to learn more about the mythical creatures that inhabit this world and how much trouble the characters got into when they got on the bad side of the wrong immortal.
Basically, if you like YA contemporary fantasy, you NEED to check out this duology!
Thanks to Penguin Teen for the e-ARC!
I loved getting to know these characters better. Junu is a delightful insufferable flirt with a lot of insecurities, and Somin is a smol angry bean who won’t let anything get in her way. Basically, they’re both awesome, and their enemies to lovers romance arc is so cute!
I felt like this book started a little slow, but I soon got sucked back into the world of mythology, sassy characters, and yummy Korean food. It was really interesting to learn more about the mythical creatures that inhabit this world and how much trouble the characters got into when they got on the bad side of the wrong immortal.
Basically, if you like YA contemporary fantasy, you NEED to check out this duology!
Thanks to Penguin Teen for the e-ARC!
Sources Say by Lori Goldstein
4.0
This was a super fun read that explores themes of ethical journalism, politics, and how we consume information in the modern era.
I was hooked the second the book started getting into Cat's and Angeline's respective passions of journalism and YouTubing. At first, they seem to be pretty different mediums, but as the story goes on we get an exploration of how both newspapers and YouTube videos can be used to spread information -- for better and for worse. This also parallels how Cat and Angeline clash at first, but learn that they have more in common than they think by the end of the story. I thought it was a great way to explore sisterhood through an interesting lens!
The writing style jumped around a little too much for my taste, but overall I found this to be an engaging story that made me think. It was also a pretty cathartic way of dealing with the stress over the real election :P
I was hooked the second the book started getting into Cat's and Angeline's respective passions of journalism and YouTubing. At first, they seem to be pretty different mediums, but as the story goes on we get an exploration of how both newspapers and YouTube videos can be used to spread information -- for better and for worse. This also parallels how Cat and Angeline clash at first, but learn that they have more in common than they think by the end of the story. I thought it was a great way to explore sisterhood through an interesting lens!
The writing style jumped around a little too much for my taste, but overall I found this to be an engaging story that made me think. It was also a pretty cathartic way of dealing with the stress over the real election :P
Meme by Aaron Starmer
5.0
Rounded up from 4.5 stars
The second I read the blurb for this book, I knew I had to have it. A cast of antiheroes? Twisted secrets? Internet meme culture? Yes please!
For the most part, this book totally delivers on what it promised. I devoured most of it in the space of a day because I couldn't put it down! It's not a super long book, but Starmer manages to create a claustrophobic atmosphere that feels just right for the length. While there is some discussion of meme culture, it doesn't overwhelm the plot development itself, which I appreciated. Several of the twists made chills creep down my spine, and the narrators themselves felt deliciously unreliable.
Oh yes, the narrators! Let's be clear, most everyone in this book is a terrible person, but they feel authentic in their terribleness. I especially loved Logan, the golden boy philanthropist who has the innocent charm of a puppy but isn't always assertive enough to do the right thing. Oh yeah, and he kind of starts to go insane toward the end. We love to see it *chef's kiss*
I would have rated this book the full five stars, but honestly the ending threw me a bit. It felt abrupt and I wasn't entirely sure what happened? I couldn't bring myself to dock a full star, because an ambiguous ending felt somewhat right for this kind of story, but I would have liked a little more closure.
Thanks to Penguin Teen for the e-ARC!
The second I read the blurb for this book, I knew I had to have it. A cast of antiheroes? Twisted secrets? Internet meme culture? Yes please!
For the most part, this book totally delivers on what it promised. I devoured most of it in the space of a day because I couldn't put it down! It's not a super long book, but Starmer manages to create a claustrophobic atmosphere that feels just right for the length. While there is some discussion of meme culture, it doesn't overwhelm the plot development itself, which I appreciated. Several of the twists made chills creep down my spine, and the narrators themselves felt deliciously unreliable.
Oh yes, the narrators! Let's be clear, most everyone in this book is a terrible person, but they feel authentic in their terribleness. I especially loved Logan, the golden boy philanthropist who has the innocent charm of a puppy but isn't always assertive enough to do the right thing. Oh yeah, and he kind of starts to go insane toward the end. We love to see it *chef's kiss*
I would have rated this book the full five stars, but honestly the ending threw me a bit. It felt abrupt and I wasn't entirely sure what happened? I couldn't bring myself to dock a full star, because an ambiguous ending felt somewhat right for this kind of story, but I would have liked a little more closure.
Thanks to Penguin Teen for the e-ARC!
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
4.0
I'm just gonna admit it right away: I love anything Sherlock Holmes. I devoured the original mysteries when I was a kid, and the BBC version is still one of my favorite TV shows of all time (as much as I love dunking on its flaws). So I was super excited to dive into this genderbent YA retelling!
A lot of progress has been made in attitudes toward female protagonists over the recent years, but it's still pretty difficult to pull off a flawed, even unlikeable, female protagonist that readers still want to root for.
Charlotte isn't the protagonist, precisely (as with the original mysteries, the story is narrated by the Watson character), but I loved getting to know this abrasive, morally gray, genius girl character with a drug problem who kind of hates people and has the weight of a family legacy on her shoulders. This kind of flawed character hits differently when it's a female instead of a male character, and it was really interesting to examine places where I judged Charlotte more harshly than I judged her male counterpart for the exact same behavior.
I really enjoy books that can deliver a feminist message without virtue signaling or hitting you over the head with it, because the alternative is basically explaining the themes to the reader like they're too stupid to pick up on the subtext. So I give this book top marks in that regard.
I only gave this book four stars because I didn't find the mystery itself very compelling, but I liked the characters enough that I'll probably pick up the next book in the series soon.
A lot of progress has been made in attitudes toward female protagonists over the recent years, but it's still pretty difficult to pull off a flawed, even unlikeable, female protagonist that readers still want to root for.
Charlotte isn't the protagonist, precisely (as with the original mysteries, the story is narrated by the Watson character), but I loved getting to know this abrasive, morally gray, genius girl character with a drug problem who kind of hates people and has the weight of a family legacy on her shoulders. This kind of flawed character hits differently when it's a female instead of a male character, and it was really interesting to examine places where I judged Charlotte more harshly than I judged her male counterpart for the exact same behavior.
I really enjoy books that can deliver a feminist message without virtue signaling or hitting you over the head with it, because the alternative is basically explaining the themes to the reader like they're too stupid to pick up on the subtext. So I give this book top marks in that regard.
I only gave this book four stars because I didn't find the mystery itself very compelling, but I liked the characters enough that I'll probably pick up the next book in the series soon.
A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney
5.0
Rounded up from 4.5
I tend to prefer second-world fantasy to contemporary fantasy, but this book is an Alice in Wonderland retelling, so of course I had to have it. Little did I know that I'd stumbled into one of the highlights of my Reading Rush week!
The idea of the Dreamwalkers and the worldbuilding in this story was super interesting, and I loved exploring this twisted version of Wonderland with Alice and her friends. There were several mysteries to be solved within the narrative, and the twists, turns, and reveals had me audibly squeaking in surprise.
I didn't give it *totally* full marks because I found it hard to keep track of all the characters at times, but I definitely had a blast with this book. I plan to pick up the sequel, A Dream So Dark, ASAP -- the third book in the trilogy comes out next January, and I want to be ready!
I tend to prefer second-world fantasy to contemporary fantasy, but this book is an Alice in Wonderland retelling, so of course I had to have it. Little did I know that I'd stumbled into one of the highlights of my Reading Rush week!
The idea of the Dreamwalkers and the worldbuilding in this story was super interesting, and I loved exploring this twisted version of Wonderland with Alice and her friends. There were several mysteries to be solved within the narrative, and the twists, turns, and reveals had me audibly squeaking in surprise.
I didn't give it *totally* full marks because I found it hard to keep track of all the characters at times, but I definitely had a blast with this book. I plan to pick up the sequel, A Dream So Dark, ASAP -- the third book in the trilogy comes out next January, and I want to be ready!
Slay by Brittney Morris
5.0
I'm one of those goobers who loves Ready Player One, so I really wanted to see whether I'd like this book, too. The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, I think I like it even better than Ready Player One (*cough* because of the lack of female objectification and white male mediocrity *cough*).
When I first started reading SLAY, I was a little skeptical about how a teenage girl could create a whole virtual reality video game by herself -- but luckily it turns out that she recruited some internet friends to help, so my disbelief got suspended pretty fast. From there on in, this book became a gripping, fast-paced read that also deals with important themes about race and community spaces.
I can't say much more because of spoilers, but suffice to say, you need this book yesterday! It's super well-written, super thoughtful, and super AWESOME. Brittney Morris is coming out with another book next year, and you can bet I'll be snapping that one up ASAP.
When I first started reading SLAY, I was a little skeptical about how a teenage girl could create a whole virtual reality video game by herself -- but luckily it turns out that she recruited some internet friends to help, so my disbelief got suspended pretty fast. From there on in, this book became a gripping, fast-paced read that also deals with important themes about race and community spaces.
I can't say much more because of spoilers, but suffice to say, you need this book yesterday! It's super well-written, super thoughtful, and super AWESOME. Brittney Morris is coming out with another book next year, and you can bet I'll be snapping that one up ASAP.
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
5.0
I love Karen M. McManus's One of Us is Lying duology, so I was super excited to dive into this one. I got everything I’d expect from one of McManus’s books — thrills, twists, and plenty of guessing!
As usual, this author is a master of pacing. There are several places where she skips over scenes that aren’t that important to the story in favor of getting to the juicy stuff, which I really appreciated.
The one thing that was a little jarring to me was the multiple perspectives. Ellery and Malcolm have pretty similar voices, and it wasn’t always easy to remember who was speaking. I didn’t really have a problem with this in her other books, for some reason, so it might just be that I wasn’t as familiar with these characters. However, I enjoyed the book so much that I couldn’t bring myself to deduct points for this.
As usual, this author is a master of pacing. There are several places where she skips over scenes that aren’t that important to the story in favor of getting to the juicy stuff, which I really appreciated.
The one thing that was a little jarring to me was the multiple perspectives. Ellery and Malcolm have pretty similar voices, and it wasn’t always easy to remember who was speaking. I didn’t really have a problem with this in her other books, for some reason, so it might just be that I wasn’t as familiar with these characters. However, I enjoyed the book so much that I couldn’t bring myself to deduct points for this.