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thereadingraccoon's reviews
1496 reviews
Guardians of Dawn: Ami by S. Jae-Jones
adventurous
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? No
3.5
Guardians of Dawn: Ami is the second book in the young adult fantasy series Guardians of Dawn.
The story picks up where Zhara left off, expanding on the character of Ami, a teenage scrivener who cares for her mentally ill father while hiding her affinity for magic. When she is recruited to transcribe texts by a mysterious masked figure known as “The Beast” at the local monastery, they discover that the blight and undead caused by demon energy are drawing ever closer.
Despite being Ami’s story, there is plenty of interaction with Zhara, Han, and the Bantang Brothers from the first book, who provide moments of levity. The book mostly follows a “quest” or journey-type plot, which, I admit, is not my favorite style of storytelling. There are moments of excitement and danger, but overall, the drawn-out travel and lack of romantic chemistry between the main couples made the book feel slower and longer than its 368 pages.
While there is plenty of world-building and political intrigue, I found myself losing interest in the details because the characters, tortured by their unique magical abilities, secrets, and pasts, weren’t always enjoyable to read about.
I recommend Guardians of Dawn: Ami to fans of the first book in the series and anyone who enjoys quests and plots with minimal romance. The ending sets the stage for the next installment in the series.
My copy of Guardians of Dawn: Ami was provided by NetGalley and Wednesday Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The story picks up where Zhara left off, expanding on the character of Ami, a teenage scrivener who cares for her mentally ill father while hiding her affinity for magic. When she is recruited to transcribe texts by a mysterious masked figure known as “The Beast” at the local monastery, they discover that the blight and undead caused by demon energy are drawing ever closer.
Despite being Ami’s story, there is plenty of interaction with Zhara, Han, and the Bantang Brothers from the first book, who provide moments of levity. The book mostly follows a “quest” or journey-type plot, which, I admit, is not my favorite style of storytelling. There are moments of excitement and danger, but overall, the drawn-out travel and lack of romantic chemistry between the main couples made the book feel slower and longer than its 368 pages.
While there is plenty of world-building and political intrigue, I found myself losing interest in the details because the characters, tortured by their unique magical abilities, secrets, and pasts, weren’t always enjoyable to read about.
I recommend Guardians of Dawn: Ami to fans of the first book in the series and anyone who enjoys quests and plots with minimal romance. The ending sets the stage for the next installment in the series.
My copy of Guardians of Dawn: Ami was provided by NetGalley and Wednesday Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power by Terry J. Benton-Walker
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This young adult horror anthology puts diverse characters in the main roles with the “white guy” as the first victim.
Goulfriends Online Blog by Terry J. Benton-Walker - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story sets up the book, explaining that there will be thirteen stories in the collection based on the movies a fictional filmmaker made before his disappearance.
All Eyes on Me by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A girl trying to break up with her boyfriend ends up with a flirty female clown in a hall of mirrors.
Hedge by Kalynn Bayron - ⭐️⭐️
I had problems focusing on this one. Two brothers return to the creepy topiary garden where their dad disappeared.
The Golden Dragon by Kendare Blake - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A girl finds out what her friends and the boy she likes really think of her when they take her to a haunted Japanese garden. This one was one of my favorites in the collection.
Best Served Cold by H.E. Edgmon - ⭐️⭐️
A Native American boy has a stomach-turning interaction with a serial killer and cannibal. This one was just too disgusting for me.
The Protégé by Lamar Giles - ⭐️⭐️
A boy is asked to watch a mysterious box for his neighbor and gets pulled into a group of evil magicians. I couldn’t get into this one.
Docile Girls by Chloe Gong - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Perfect for fans of teen slashers. A group of high schoolers decorating for a dance get picked off one by one. I enjoyed this one.
Gray Grove by Alexis Henderson - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two girls visit an old slave plantation looking for answers about a teenager’s disappearance decades earlier.
Everything’s Coming Up Roses by Tiffany D. Jackson - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A teenager’s letters to an unnamed pen pal slowly reveal her dark side. One of the best stories in the collection.
Heaven by Adiba Jaigirdar - ⭐️⭐️
Usually post-apocalyptic stories are my favorite, especially if there is a lot of government corruption and secrets, but I couldn’t get into this world or the characters.
Break Through Our Skin by Naseem Jamnia - ⭐️⭐️
A teenage museum intern who works with ancient relics gets even with the boss she hates. I didn’t enjoy this character.
Wasps by Mark Oshiro - ⭐️⭐️
A girl’s Brooklyn home is not for sale, and the greedy developers find out the hard way. I had a hard time focusing on this story.
Hell is Other Demons by Karen Strong - ⭐️⭐️
A girl gets invited to a demon raising and things go sideways. This one didn’t keep my interest.
The Road to Hell by Terry J. Benton-Walker - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A couple tries to fix up an abandoned Florida mansion, their teenage son in tow, only to have the sentient evil that lives in the home become obsessed with the boy.
Goulfriends Online Blog by Terry J. Benton-Walker - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story sets up the book, explaining that there will be thirteen stories in the collection based on the movies a fictional filmmaker made before his disappearance.
All Eyes on Me by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A girl trying to break up with her boyfriend ends up with a flirty female clown in a hall of mirrors.
Hedge by Kalynn Bayron - ⭐️⭐️
I had problems focusing on this one. Two brothers return to the creepy topiary garden where their dad disappeared.
The Golden Dragon by Kendare Blake - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A girl finds out what her friends and the boy she likes really think of her when they take her to a haunted Japanese garden. This one was one of my favorites in the collection.
Best Served Cold by H.E. Edgmon - ⭐️⭐️
A Native American boy has a stomach-turning interaction with a serial killer and cannibal. This one was just too disgusting for me.
The Protégé by Lamar Giles - ⭐️⭐️
A boy is asked to watch a mysterious box for his neighbor and gets pulled into a group of evil magicians. I couldn’t get into this one.
Docile Girls by Chloe Gong - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Perfect for fans of teen slashers. A group of high schoolers decorating for a dance get picked off one by one. I enjoyed this one.
Gray Grove by Alexis Henderson - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two girls visit an old slave plantation looking for answers about a teenager’s disappearance decades earlier.
Everything’s Coming Up Roses by Tiffany D. Jackson - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A teenager’s letters to an unnamed pen pal slowly reveal her dark side. One of the best stories in the collection.
Heaven by Adiba Jaigirdar - ⭐️⭐️
Usually post-apocalyptic stories are my favorite, especially if there is a lot of government corruption and secrets, but I couldn’t get into this world or the characters.
Break Through Our Skin by Naseem Jamnia - ⭐️⭐️
A teenage museum intern who works with ancient relics gets even with the boss she hates. I didn’t enjoy this character.
Wasps by Mark Oshiro - ⭐️⭐️
A girl’s Brooklyn home is not for sale, and the greedy developers find out the hard way. I had a hard time focusing on this story.
Hell is Other Demons by Karen Strong - ⭐️⭐️
A girl gets invited to a demon raising and things go sideways. This one didn’t keep my interest.
The Road to Hell by Terry J. Benton-Walker - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A couple tries to fix up an abandoned Florida mansion, their teenage son in tow, only to have the sentient evil that lives in the home become obsessed with the boy.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
The Wedding People is a contemporary novel about a suicidal woman who ends up entangled in a wedding event at an upscale Rhode Island hotel.
Phoebe Stone is alone, divorced, and has a dead cat in her basement when she walks off her job as an English professor and checks into the posh Cornwall Inn with no belongings except for her cat’s pain medication, which she intends to use to kill herself. But the rest of the guests are there as part of a million-dollar, six-day wedding celebration for a local couple, Gary and Lila. When Phoebe impulsively confesses her plans in the elevator, the bride isn’t having it. Over the following days, Phoebe will look back on her childhood, the loss of both her parents, infertility, and the heartbreaking end of her marriage as she suddenly finds herself entwined in the lives of “the wedding people.” As the bride and groom and the various guests confess their own feelings and experiences, Phoebe will find herself living and connecting with people for the first time in years after the isolation of Covid and the depression following her divorce.
This is a fantastic novel with both sad and deeply touching moments and snarky humor. I laughed out loud several times at the antics of the various family members and the bride’s lack of boundaries and her singular focus on having the perfect wedding. I recommend it alone just for the scene where the rented vintage wedding vehicle has to be replaced after it’s assaulted. I loved how Phoebe got a second chance at living through these strangers and the message of how no one is quite what they seem.
The Wedding People is an unforgettable novel, and I look forward to reading more from Alison Espach.
Narrator notes: The Wedding People is narrated by Helen Laser, who is the perfect voice for Phoebe, Lila, and the various wedding guests.
My audio copy was provided by Macmillan Audio for review purposes, but all opinions are my own.
Phoebe Stone is alone, divorced, and has a dead cat in her basement when she walks off her job as an English professor and checks into the posh Cornwall Inn with no belongings except for her cat’s pain medication, which she intends to use to kill herself. But the rest of the guests are there as part of a million-dollar, six-day wedding celebration for a local couple, Gary and Lila. When Phoebe impulsively confesses her plans in the elevator, the bride isn’t having it. Over the following days, Phoebe will look back on her childhood, the loss of both her parents, infertility, and the heartbreaking end of her marriage as she suddenly finds herself entwined in the lives of “the wedding people.” As the bride and groom and the various guests confess their own feelings and experiences, Phoebe will find herself living and connecting with people for the first time in years after the isolation of Covid and the depression following her divorce.
This is a fantastic novel with both sad and deeply touching moments and snarky humor. I laughed out loud several times at the antics of the various family members and the bride’s lack of boundaries and her singular focus on having the perfect wedding. I recommend it alone just for the scene where the rented vintage wedding vehicle has to be replaced after it’s assaulted. I loved how Phoebe got a second chance at living through these strangers and the message of how no one is quite what they seem.
The Wedding People is an unforgettable novel, and I look forward to reading more from Alison Espach.
Narrator notes: The Wedding People is narrated by Helen Laser, who is the perfect voice for Phoebe, Lila, and the various wedding guests.
My audio copy was provided by Macmillan Audio for review purposes, but all opinions are my own.
The Faculty Lounge: A Novel by Jennifer Mathieu
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Book Review: The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu
The Faculty Lounge is about what happens to the staff of a Texas high school after a substitute teacher passes away on the couch in the break room.
When a former teacher and substitute is found dead in the faculty lounge, the aftermath affects everyone from the principal to the custodian. Using different points of view, the author shows us the private lives of the adults responsible for ushering in the next generation of citizens. These inner lives are touching, relatable, and often humorous. I think readers will identify with this diverse group of people, especially if they have any connection to a school or education.
I highly recommend this entertaining and heartfelt read.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My review is based on a copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Faculty Lounge is about what happens to the staff of a Texas high school after a substitute teacher passes away on the couch in the break room.
When a former teacher and substitute is found dead in the faculty lounge, the aftermath affects everyone from the principal to the custodian. Using different points of view, the author shows us the private lives of the adults responsible for ushering in the next generation of citizens. These inner lives are touching, relatable, and often humorous. I think readers will identify with this diverse group of people, especially if they have any connection to a school or education.
I highly recommend this entertaining and heartfelt read.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My review is based on a copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
The Love of My Afterlife is a contemporary romantic comedy with a supernatural twist.
After twenty-something Delphie chokes on a microwaveable hamburger alone in her apartment, she finds herself in an afterlife waiting room. She’s just beginning to accept that she’s dead with the help of her “Afterlife Therapist” Merritt when a gorgeous man (Jonah) with whom she has instant chemistry pops into the waiting room with her. But he’s just visiting, as his body is back in London, alive but under anesthesia. Delphie is able to negotiate a deal with Merritt using a loophole to go back to Earth. Merritt’s terms are a ten-day quest to get a voluntary kiss from Jonah; only then can she stay on Earth. But even after returning to her apartment alive, she realizes that finding a man named Jonah in London is harder than it sounds, and Delphie needs the help of her grouchy downstairs neighbor (Cooper) to get some leads. Delphie spends the next ten days running all over London, pushing herself out of her comfort zones, and building connections with her neighborhood to find Jonah.
This is a cute and romantic story about how you can find yourself when you are supposed to be looking for someone else. After relentless bullying from a former friend and abandonment by her parents, Delphie is alone in the world but unable to recognize the opportunities around her. I actually found myself laughing out loud at some of her antics, and I loved the chemistry between her and Cooper.
I really enjoyed this one and look forward to more books by Kirsty Greenwood.
After twenty-something Delphie chokes on a microwaveable hamburger alone in her apartment, she finds herself in an afterlife waiting room. She’s just beginning to accept that she’s dead with the help of her “Afterlife Therapist” Merritt when a gorgeous man (Jonah) with whom she has instant chemistry pops into the waiting room with her. But he’s just visiting, as his body is back in London, alive but under anesthesia. Delphie is able to negotiate a deal with Merritt using a loophole to go back to Earth. Merritt’s terms are a ten-day quest to get a voluntary kiss from Jonah; only then can she stay on Earth. But even after returning to her apartment alive, she realizes that finding a man named Jonah in London is harder than it sounds, and Delphie needs the help of her grouchy downstairs neighbor (Cooper) to get some leads. Delphie spends the next ten days running all over London, pushing herself out of her comfort zones, and building connections with her neighborhood to find Jonah.
This is a cute and romantic story about how you can find yourself when you are supposed to be looking for someone else. After relentless bullying from a former friend and abandonment by her parents, Delphie is alone in the world but unable to recognize the opportunities around her. I actually found myself laughing out loud at some of her antics, and I loved the chemistry between her and Cooper.
I really enjoyed this one and look forward to more books by Kirsty Greenwood.
Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.25
Book Review: Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell
Slow Dance is an adult contemporary novel about two high school friends who get a second chance at love.
Cary and Shiloh were best friends in high school but could never quite find a way to romance. Cary joined the Navy, and Shiloh went off to college, leading their lives on separate paths. However, when they reunite at a wedding fourteen years later, they finally realize how many feelings were left unspoken. But Cary still has years left in the Navy, and Shiloh is co-parenting two small children with her ex-husband, making it difficult for either of them to see a path back to each other.
Slow Dance is a slow-burn love story about two people who love each other deeply but can never seem to get the timing right. It’s filled with great dialogue, realistic family drama, and explores what relationships and commitment look like with children and military service. I loved how both characters were so authentically themselves and unlike anyone else I’ve read before.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My copy of Slow Dance was provided by William Morrow Books for review purposes.
Slow Dance is an adult contemporary novel about two high school friends who get a second chance at love.
Cary and Shiloh were best friends in high school but could never quite find a way to romance. Cary joined the Navy, and Shiloh went off to college, leading their lives on separate paths. However, when they reunite at a wedding fourteen years later, they finally realize how many feelings were left unspoken. But Cary still has years left in the Navy, and Shiloh is co-parenting two small children with her ex-husband, making it difficult for either of them to see a path back to each other.
Slow Dance is a slow-burn love story about two people who love each other deeply but can never seem to get the timing right. It’s filled with great dialogue, realistic family drama, and explores what relationships and commitment look like with children and military service. I loved how both characters were so authentically themselves and unlike anyone else I’ve read before.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My copy of Slow Dance was provided by William Morrow Books for review purposes.
Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? No
4.0
Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is a contemporary fiction novel about a young woman who is forced to face her traumatic childhood and find the community around her.
Lenny Marks is a thirty seven year old teacher in a small town with only her former foster mother and old episodes of Friends as companions. But she’s trying to put herself out there and befriend the “cool” teachers, the quirky friendly grocer, Ned and she even steals a dog from an abusive owner. But the letters from the parole board keep coming and it’s time for Lenny to face what happened to her family all those years ago.
This is a heartfelt novel about childhood trauma and how it’s never too late to grow up and make your world a little larger. This is a book full of cute moments with a main character that has a unique way of looking at the world but also about the more serious issues around domestic abuse and mental health. I highly recommend it for readers that want a character they can root for.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 audiobook notes: Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder is narrated by Annie Maynard. She does an excellent job and brings authenticity to voice of Lenny and her inner dialogue.
- My audio and ebook copy of Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder were provided by the publisher and NetGalley for review purposes
Playmaker by Deanna Faison
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Book Review: The Playmaker by Deanna Faison
The Playmaker is an adult contemporary romance between two former best friends.
Maddie and Cameron were best friends growing up along Maddie’s brother Ethan. But when their relationship started to show a romantic side in middle school Cameron put on the brakes fearing that he’d hurt Maddie. But it broke her heart and she never dated seriously for the rest of her teenage or adult life. Cameron meanwhile has had a series of one-night stands and enjoys a one time hit-it-and quit-it policy. But the chemistry between the two of them never went it away and it boils over in their hometown during their college spring break.
This book was not great. The dialogue veered wildly between corny and horny and didn’t come off as authentic. The idea that this stunning girl would never find love or romance again because she had her heartbroken in 7th grade was ridiculous. The plot was a while series of modern contemporary romance cliches with the good girl virgin who studies all the time (even during spring break) and the football god who doesn’t do relationships. The only tension is THIS IS MY BEST FRIEND’s SISTER and a bunch of nonsense about if this inexperienced virgin could please this worldly skirt chaser. There is also a throwaway line about how main male character shared a teenage girl’s nudes with the football team in high school (and no he didn’t seem repentant or remorseful) and I’m surprised the publisher left this in. The fact that this is included as part of his man-whore history is gross and made me completely disgusted with him the entire book.
There wasn’t enough humor, plot or characterization for me unfortunately. The characters felt like cliches and I didn’t really care what they did or said.
2 stars
Her Dark Wings by Melinda Salisbury
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
Her Dark Wings is a young adult contemporary fantasy inspired by the Hades and Persephone myth.
Corey is a teenage year old girl living on an island with her dad and step-mom. The summer she was seventeen she had her heart broken when she was betrayed by her best friend (Bree) and her boyfriend (Ali). When at a party she kisses a stranger and wishes her former friend dead she is horrified to find that her wish came true and that Bree drowned. Her confusion, grief and rage will thin the barrier between worlds and make her able to see Hades and the entrance to the underworld. As she finds herself entangled in his world she is forced to face her own darkness and where she really belongs.
Her Dark Wings is a well-paced and enjoyable read. It didn’t talk down to the young adult audience but also didn’t turn Hades into a campy god of seduction or Corey into a naive heroine in need of rescuing. I wish they had more scenes together (with less of the Furies) but I also enjoyed the appearances of Hermes who was sly and brought fresh air to all his scenes.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.