I am so so so excited to see this book out in the world. I was fortunate enough to read an early draft and I absolutely fell in love with everything--I am so so so excited to see this book out in the world. I was fortunate enough to read an early draft and I absolutely fell in love with everything--the prose, the characters, the way Korean mythology was incorporated in the modern setting. This is a completely unique, wonderful book everyone should read...more
I pretty much begged a friend of mine to lend me the ARC of this book because I've been looking forward to its release SO MUCH and did not think I'd mI pretty much begged a friend of mine to lend me the ARC of this book because I've been looking forward to its release SO MUCH and did not think I'd make it to November.
Folks, this book lived up to my extremely high expectations and then some. Tara Sim is a master of building worlds and characters you immediately fall in love with. And on top of all that she writes a cracking good mystery, too.
Danny is one of my favorite new YA protagonists, and his relationships in this book, with his mother, his best friend Cassie (which, can we get a Cassie novella or something? I ADORED her!), his rival Daphne, and of course Colton. It really is the emotional beats that make this book so addictive and wonderful (and made me blaze through it in two days). Tara writes achingly about love, guilt, shame, and pain. I will not be getting these characters out of my head anytime soon, which I guess just means I will be VERY impatiently waiting for the sequel....more
A secret society, a hunt for lost treasure, and four siblings who are each hiding their own secrets…The Ivory Key is everything I love about epic, chaA secret society, a hunt for lost treasure, and four siblings who are each hiding their own secrets…The Ivory Key is everything I love about epic, character-driven fantasy, brimming with magic, lushly realized settings, and deliciously slow-burn romances. An immersive, unmissable debut....more
This is a spooky, heart-wrenching, weird & wonderful debut you don't want to miss!!This is a spooky, heart-wrenching, weird & wonderful debut you don't want to miss!!...more
This is an enchanting, creepy, lovely book with a setting like no other and a family of "freaks" and misfits that stole my heart from page 1. Part murThis is an enchanting, creepy, lovely book with a setting like no other and a family of "freaks" and misfits that stole my heart from page 1. Part murder mystery, part circus book, and entirely enthralling....more
I knew I was going to enjoy this book, but I wasn't ready for the way it swept me up and held me captive. This book is a masterclass in setting and woI knew I was going to enjoy this book, but I wasn't ready for the way it swept me up and held me captive. This book is a masterclass in setting and worldbuilding. I cannot get enough of New Reynes and the dangers and delights that lurk there. From St. Morse casino to Scrap Market and the Street of the Holy Tombs -- I haven't felt this enchanted by a fictional place since the first time I visited the Wizarding World.
But aside from the setting and the worldbuilding (the Shadow Game! Volts as currency! street gangs!) what made this book absolutely unputdownable was the characters. Enne is one of my favorite YA protagonists EVER, and Levi -- LEVI!!! I love him so much but I also want to smack him some of the time. This is a book where the villains are truly villainous, but the heroes aren't exactly faultless...it is the City of Sin, after all. I can't WAIT for this book to come out so I can scream about to everyone....more
I was super excited to snag an ARC of this book from the Romantic Times Convention, and I read it IMMEDIATELY upon coming home. I am just so thrilledI was super excited to snag an ARC of this book from the Romantic Times Convention, and I read it IMMEDIATELY upon coming home. I am just so thrilled that a book like this exists, and Audrey has done an amazing job with this debut. I fell in love with these two princess and the way they fall in love. Mare and Denna's romance was such a delicious mix of slow-burn, forbidden love, and friends-to-lovers.
But it wasn't just the romance that got me. The mystery and intrigue surrounding them kept me turning pages well into the night, and Mare and Denna's own individual journeys and growth were very rewarding.
I am definitely hoping for a companion novel or sequel, and in the meantime I can't wait for this book to actually come out so I can push it on all my friends....more
Set in a grim yet vivid futuristic Korea, Rebel Seoul truly has it all -- giant robot battles, k-pop, kissing, street brawls and secret government proSet in a grim yet vivid futuristic Korea, Rebel Seoul truly has it all -- giant robot battles, k-pop, kissing, street brawls and secret government projects. But what truly stuck with me, long after I finished blazing through these pages, were the characters. Tera and Jaewon are both written with nuance and aching truth, I didn't want to leave them. And the rest of the cast -- Alex, Sela, Tsuko and the adorable Ama -- were just as sharply drawn and authentic. I absolutely loved this book!!...more
An incredible follow-up to one of my favorite debuts of 2015. Adding Helene's POV to Elias and Laila's made this book richer, more tense, and took theAn incredible follow-up to one of my favorite debuts of 2015. Adding Helene's POV to Elias and Laila's made this book richer, more tense, and took the story in surprising (and sometimes brutal) direction. Sabaa weaves together so many different threads in this book, but she does it flawlessly. If you liked Ember, you will LOVE this book. If you LOVED Ember, then get ready my friends!...more
This is a gorgeous, thrilling & romantic fantasy that completely swept me away. I was already excited by the premise of this book, and by the shockingThis is a gorgeous, thrilling & romantic fantasy that completely swept me away. I was already excited by the premise of this book, and by the shocking end of the first chapter I was hooked. Swati's transportive writing took me into this world of Blood Forts, lush jungles, and magical treaties. The tension between the main characters absolutely CRACKLES and I would easily read an entire book of just their banter. But there's so much else--intrigue, magic, complex moral choices--to love in it, too. And can we talk about that cover for a second? It's BEAUTIFUL. I can't wait for this book to be out in the world so others can fall in love like I did....more
This book gripped me from page one and did not let go. Basically: princess's entire family is killed by invaders. Princess becomes a prisoner in her oThis book gripped me from page one and did not let go. Basically: princess's entire family is killed by invaders. Princess becomes a prisoner in her own land. Princess must find a way to fight back, while struggling with her growing feelings for the son of her captor and a boy from her past. You might think you've read this story before but NOT LIKE THIS. Theo is the Slytherin Sansa Stark of my DREAMS -- cunning, manipulative, resilient, and incredibly compelling. Part of what makes this book so brilliant is the way it takes tropes and twists them. I cannot WAIT to read the rest of this series!...more
Apparently I was so discombobulated by this book that it took me five days to mark it "finished." Because I did not feel finished when I got to the enApparently I was so discombobulated by this book that it took me five days to mark it "finished." Because I did not feel finished when I got to the end. I want more! This book is definitely my favorite of the trilogy so far, and I know that book 4 is going to knock it out of the park. It's nice when a series grows and deepens over the course of three books rather than sort of just chugging along for the sake of more plot....more
Definitely my favorite book of the series...underground hideouts, mountaintop fortresses, flying ships, what's not to like?Definitely my favorite book of the series...underground hideouts, mountaintop fortresses, flying ships, what's not to like?...more
A brilliant re-telling that puts the original questions of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein right at the forefront, while asking some gut-wrenching questioA brilliant re-telling that puts the original questions of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein right at the forefront, while asking some gut-wrenching questions of its own. This Elizabeth Lavenza is not the one you remember from Frankenstein, and I love her all the more for it. She is at turns cunning and vulnerable, ruthless and lost, and I would have happily spent 400 pages inside her head. This is a retelling exactly as they should be done....more
This book was absolutely everything I wanted it to be and more. Lada is one of those rare characters who sinks her teeth into you and doesn't let go,This book was absolutely everything I wanted it to be and more. Lada is one of those rare characters who sinks her teeth into you and doesn't let go, even after the last page is turned. So much rich history informs this stunning book, and I am in awe of the research that went into it. I can't wait to recommend this book to literally every person I know--whether they read YA or not!...more
Loading...
