I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program; it arrived on 17 April 2026. Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and realizes that I'm reading it from a different perspective.

I've read most of Kelley Armstrong's books, YA and adult alike, and sadly this ranks among my least favourite. I'm not against tropes, but I like it when they're a basic framework and the author adds on. I don't think Armstrong did that much. Maddox is the obligatory "loner"; Theo is the "star". And Liliana? She suffers the most from lack of character development, sadly. She seems to slip into the heiress life without many difficulties, despite supposedly struggling for months. Apparently once she gets used to the on-site barista, she's good.

The mysteries are good enough, but nothing new. Character-wise, I found Allegra the most interesting. Most of the adults, thankfully, don't fall into the "unbearably stupid for reasons of plot convenience" category. A DEADLY INHERITANCE ends up being pretty standard teen/YA fare. It's not a bad read, but you can find better—by Armstrong herself and within the category.

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program; it arrived on 31 October 2025. Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and realizes that I'm reading it from a different perspective.

I'm admittedly not a big noir fan, but I hoped the addition of fey aspects would make it more palatable for me. Unfortunately not. The writing is okay, but most of the characters never really popped for me. (A separate story about Hien, though? Count me in.) I liked the addition of the ephemera, but the "hand-written" ones were difficult to read.

Maybe noir fans will get more out of this, but for me, BAD IN THE BLOOD was simply average, and probably not a book I'll revisit.

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program; it arrived on 14 July 2025. Apologies for the late review!

Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and realizes that I'm reading it from a different perspective. I haven't read two of the previous books, so I'll be lacking backstory knowledge but will do my best to judge it on its own merits.

AMONG GHOSTS is set in the same world as Hartman's other YA novels, but it's not necessary to have read them all; I've only read two of the other four and was able to follow this one without a problem.

AMONG GHOSTS didn't completely dazzle me the way TESS OF THE ROAD did, but it's still an excellent, layered fantasy that rewards readers who pay attention to details. The cover art is gorgeous and has lots of symbolism from the book, and there are a lot of issues covered with delicacy and care. Hartman has a great skill in bringing up sensitive topics and dealing with them realistically. This book (and her others) may be aimed at teens, but the gentle life lessons are something we could all take to heart. It's very easy to draw parallels between the plague in the story and COVID, and I think Hartman handles those similarities well.

My only real quibble was the characterization of Charl. As a protagonist, he just felt rather... plain. Maybe it's because we see almost everyone else through his gaze and thus they seem interesting, but I wish Charl had a bit more depth. show more Aside from that, it was another wonderful read from Hartman that I'll be happy to recommend to readers young and old. show less

I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers; my copy arrived on 12 February 2025.

JUST MAKE SOMETHING is a quick read full of prompts and some insights. I don't know if anything in it is particularly new, but sometimes it doesn't have to be new: it just has to be presented in a way that makes sense to you in that moment. I don't think this would get me out of a bad creative rut, but there are some interesting concepts and starting points.

I received this copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program; it arrived on 12 November 2024. I'm also an adult who enjoys reading YA, but tries to review it with that bias in mind.

A poor girl with a mysterious past and only one friend in the world. Not the most original story set-up in the world, but Ann Sei Lin's world-building makes up for it. I loved the amount of detail, big and small, from the Crafters's paper jewellery to the shikigami cores and the floating cities. I felt the character development was lacking, though, and I hope the author fleshes out the characters more in subsequent books. I also agree with several reviewers in that this feels more like a middle-grade novel than YA. Overall I enjoyed the story and will be watching for the sequels, but I hope the characters get more development moving forward.

I received this copy as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program; it arrived on 12 July. I am an adult who enjoys reading YA and tries to judge it accordingly. I also read this book previously, but reread it for the sake of review. Cherie Dimaline always creates engaging protagonists, and Winifred is no exception. Winifred is one of the more relatable teens I've read about as of late: not too idealized, not too bratty, she feels like a genuine person. Faced with the prospect of losing the only home she's ever known--and her main physical connection to her mother--she deals with anxiety, grief, and fear. On the other hand, the antagonists almost feel like Scooby-Doo caricatures. You can picture her cousin Penny rubbing her hands together at the prospect of money. When Winifred's social media leak (via supposed best friend Jack) happens, it feels cliche, just another burden added to the pile rather than a genuine concern. FUNERAL SONGS FOR DYING GIRLS ebbs and flows, both as a story and in quality, but on the whole it's an engaging read.

I won this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers and my copy arrived on 4 June 2024. Disclaimer: I am an adult who also enjoys YA, and I try to keep that in mind when reviewing.

First, kudos to Paris Anthony-Walker and Gigi Lau for the cover art and design, respectively. The cover for AND THEN THERE WAS US is definitely eye-catching!

Overall, AND THEN THERE WAS US is a very solid, engaging read. (My overall rating is probably more of a 3.5 or 3.75.) Coi mostly comes across as a realistic older teen facing trauma both past and present, and the narrative isn't overwrought. Carter doesn't rely on yelling matches, slammed doors, and the like to convey emotions; his characters actually have conversations—hard ones, awkward ones, ones that are long overdue. For such a comparatively short book, AND THEN THERE WAS US packs a big emotional punch.

On the flip side, Coi could be difficult to relate to at times. She's quite privileged and doesn't seem to acknowledge it much. Her boyfriend's mother just HAPPENS to have a downtown apartment and is cool with letting her live there for months? Sweet deal. Her (underage for her province) drinking is barely discussed, which seems like an oversight in a novel about dealing with trauma.

AND THEN THERE WAS US showcases loss and growth in a relatively small amount of pages, but the shorter length does leave it lacking in certain areas. It's still a very good read, and I'll definitely be looking for more books by Kern Carter.

I won this through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program; it arrived on 23 October 2023. I am also an adult who enjoys YA fiction, and tries to review it with the intended audience in mind.

HOUSE OF ASH AND BONE has a fantastic cover and an interesting premise, but it never really clicked for me. Some bits were foreshadowed so far in advance it was hard not to get frustrated with the delayed culmination, and the characterization was definitely thin. I'm struggling to think of any defining feature of Josephine's mother aside from "she loves her kids"; at least the father shows some personality. Josephine is supposed to be 16/17, but doesn't come across that way. There were just too many cliches at play that weren't given new life. A house inherited from a mysterious relative. (Seriously, in this economy, don't we ALL want a mysterious great-aunt to leave us some property?) Young family going to a remote location hoping it will solve their problems. A spirit only one person can see. None of the weaknesses are deal-breakers, but they certainly didn't bolster the story. Sutherland's writing is solid and I know this is first YA novel, so maybe he just needs to find his footing. He certainly has good ideas; I just thought they needed a better foundation.

I won this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers and my copy arrived on 16 June 2023. Disclaimer: I am an adult who also enjoys YA, and I try to keep that in mind when reviewing.

OF LIGHT AND SHADOW is a wonderfully lush read. Bhathena layered details and plot points well. There were small bits of character information that came up later in ways I didn't expect, and Roshan was an engaging protagonist: good but not flawless, interesting but not 'over the top', and very relatable.

I do wish the glossary was a little more complete, though, and I almost wish this book had been split in two so we could get more information about how things that are set in motion near the end will unfold. I also think there could have been more detail and depth with the Shadow Clan: for having over forty members, we only hear of a handful of them by name, and some of those don't even get much attention.

This takes place in the same world as HUNTED BY THE SKY and RISING LIKE A STORM, but you don't need to read them beforehand. I recommend them, however, and this one (as well as Bhathena's other two books). Bhathena creates intriguing worlds and scenarios and brings them to life with relatable characters.

IN THE SERPENT'S WAKE falls a bit short of TESS OF THE ROAD for me, but it was still a solid, enchanting read. I know it's a genre joke of sorts to talk about maps in fantasy novels, but I think one definitely would have helped here; the glossary was useful, but not complete. If TESS OF THE ROAD was about Tess finding her place in the world, IN THE SERPENT'S WAKE is about Tess finding her world's place in the larger scheme. There are a lot of lessons and revelations about colonialism and sometimes they can feel preachy, but on the whole they're handled gracefully. I would recommend (re)reading TESS OF THE ROAD before so some characters and concepts are more familiar, but IN THE SERPENT'S WAKE was another delight.

I won this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers and received it on 31 March 2023.

DISCLAIMERS:
- I'm an adult who also enjoys reading YA and tries to read and critique it in the spirit it was intended.
- I know this work is part of a series, but I'll be reading this book first regardless.

War stories generally aren't my thing, but I was pleasantly surprised by CODE NAME VERITY. There was enough detail to make the story rich and engaging without weighing down the story, and the focus was definitely on the bond between Maddie and Julie, even when it wasn't obviously so. The horrors of war were shown on the small scale, which I think makes it even more effective. I often complain that there aren't enough books (especially in YA) that focus on the strength and importance of friendship, and CODE NAME VERITY is a wonderful example of the power of friendship in even the most dire of circumstances. I'll definitely be looking for some of the books which connect with this one.

I won this through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program and received it on 7 December 2022.

ZORYA has some interesting concepts and could easily be the start of a series, but it's not refreshingly original either. Terms like "Daywalker" and "Nightwalker" are used instead of "human" and "vampire", and there are several Romanian (of course it's Romanian!) terms sprinkled in, and I guess I was just hoping for something fresh. Honestly, Miruna was more interesting to me than Zorya, and I would happily read a book about her. As it is, Zorya's life seems strangely lacking in important female characters: her mother is basically there to worry and serve meals, her best friends are barely described, and then there are a few random adults (teachers, trainers, etc.) who are little more than names. I found the story dragged in the middle and then the ending was so abrupt that it was rather unsatisfying. ZORYA is by no means a bad read, but if you're looking for an exciting new take on vampires, this isn't it.

I won this through LibraryThing ER. I am also an adult who often reads YA and passes it along to her niece.

THE CROSSWOOD is probably the best of the "high-interest" novels I've read through LibraryThing. (The dyslexia-friendly font was appreciated, and I hadn't realized how much difference a small change like that could make.) Blue Jasper, the protagonist, is relatable and has a nice balance of virtues and flaws, and the faerie characters are engaging. The story has enough magic and adventure to keep readers intrigued without getting bogged down in a ton of detail, and the ending leads in nicely to future books in the series.

I won this through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, and it arrived on 28 September 2020. Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and I realize that I'm reading it from a different perspective.

On the surface, I should love THE STONE OF SORROW. Runa is a flawed but interesting protagonist and she meets equally flawed but interesting people on her journey. A lot of the concepts Carter uses are intriguing and relatively uncommon, and there are plenty of ways the story could branch out. There's a nonbinary character and a lesbian couple, and neither one is A Thing: they're just characters in the story, full of highs and lows like anyone else, which was nice to see.

That said, I wasn't drawn in. It feels more like middle grade than YA to me, and while Runa struggles with her abilities at the beginning, the development of her runecasting isn't explained well. I love the potential for world-building in this story, but Runa herself needs to be rounded out a lot more.

I won this through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, and it arrive on 15 July 2020.

It's been a while since I've read any poetry, so Sophia Thakur's SOMEBODY GIVE THIS HEART A PEN was a nice change of pace for me. It's very clear that she's a performance poet, and that's both a good and bad thing. While it's easy to 'hear' the rhythm of many of the poems, some of them feel like an awkward fit on the page. I found her shorter poems tended to be better; the longer ones tended to ramble. Her words are strongest when they're the most concise. All in all, though, an enjoyable collection, and I'll keep an eye out for more of her work. Rating: 3.5/5.

Favourite poems in the collection:
Let Hurt
Shiny Black
Fairground Lenses
Journey of Mirrors
Sewn Together
When to Write

I received this copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It arrived on 22 October 2019.

I'm a fan of Dave McKean's art, and for the most part he didn't disappoint here. It's obviously impressionistic and exaggerated, but given the age of the narrator, I think it's a good fit: everything feels bigger and more intense when you're young.

Unfortunately, that's about all I enjoyed. The story is thin, with the reader left to fill in a lot of gaps. I'm fine with a wandering plot, but there wasn't much of a point here. There are glimpses of Davie's grief and such, but never enough of any one motivation to pull me through the story. As much as I like McKean's art, I would be disappointed if I had paid full price for this.

I received this copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It arrived on 14 June 2019.

Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and I realize that I'm reading it from a different perspective.

The middle books in trilogies often seem to feel a bit flat, and AMBER FANG: BETRAYAL suffers a bit from that. The "witty" dialogue is pretty predictable and for being a librarian in training, Amber's not really all that knowledgeable. Dermot's characterization inched forward a bit, but not much. Naomi could be interesting, but developments with Amber's family didn't pack the punch they could have.

The plot felt like it was treading water. There was little forward motion and honestly, for the length of these novels, the trilogy really should have just been tightened up and realized as one complete novel. I think it would have helped with the pacing and tone.

My enthusiasm for the trilogy definitely dipped after this installment, but I'll probably still read the third book to see how the story ends. Amber's story could have been really intriguing, but right now, it feels like it's trying too hard to be a worthy contender of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.

I received this copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It arrived on 5 April 2019.

Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and I realize that I'm reading it from a different perspective.

I've been thinking about MOTHER TONGUE for a few days since I finished it and I'm still not quite sure how to rank it. The writing is strong and it's easy to sympathize with Darya. Her world is falling apart piece by piece, and she's looking for answers and relief wherever she might find them. The decisions she makes aren't always smart ones, but they're understandable.

But I'm still not sure the story fits. The author mentions that she worried about "trespassing" and I'm not entirely sure she couldn't have told the heart of this story while setting it in another context. To use another country, another culture, and a very specific tragedy for what is essentially a coming-of-age story doesn't sit quite right. Why couldn't this story be told in England in the wake of a terrorist attack or even a crash with a school bus, with the protagonist moving from the countryside to London? It is the loss of Nika that's the impetus, not the attack.

Mayhew's writing in MOTHER TONGUE is engaging and I enjoyed many of the references, but I still came away from the novel vaguely uncomfortable, thinking it wasn't quite Mayhew's story to tell, at least not in that setting and that context.

I received this copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It arrived on 20 March 2019.

Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and I realize that I'm reading it from a different perspective.

If I had to sum up THE BEAUTY OF THE MOMENT in a word, I'd choose 'warm'. Bhathena's writing is cozy and comfortable, and all of the characters feel very real. The narration alternates between Susan and Malcolm, which I appreciated, and the story excels at spotlighting similarities and differences alike: between people, between cultures, between expectations and reality. Important issues (immigrant struggles, refugees, etc.) are brought up, but the tone never gets preachy or accusatory.

On the negative side, I don't think the title or the cover really do the story any favours. The title, though it's from dialogue in the book, is rather bland and vague and could be about anything. Likewise, although it spotlights some important aspects of Susan's story and is lovely on its own, the cover is generic. The cover and the title aren't deal-killers, but they wouldn't make me pick up the book either. Some of the plot points (drunk at a party! embarrassing video!) are so overdone in YA that they lack any real punch anymore.

(A note: Zarin Wadia, from Bhathena's A GIRL LIKE THAT, is briefly mentioned, but reading that novel before this one isn't necessary. I haven't read A GIRL LIKE THAT (yet) and had no problems.)

THE BEAUTY OF show more THE MOMENT was a very human read, which probably sounds silly. But the story feels like it could be happening right now, and in some incarnation, it probably is. Bhathena has a strong sense of rhythm in her writing and I'll definitely be looking for more of her books. show less

I received this copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It arrived on 27 February 2019.

Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and I realize that I'm reading it from a different perspective.

I'm not quite sure what to make of AMBER FANG: HUNTED. On one hand, it doesn't really feel like YA: I don't think I would have been that interested in the adventures of a 24-year-old grad student when I was 12, even if said student was a vampire. On the other hand, it's not really an adult novel either. It's a bit nebulous, which isn't a bad thing, but I'm definitely intrigued enough that I want to read the second book in the series.

Amber is an interesting protagonist to follow. She follows a specific moral code, but also isn't afraid to veer off-course in other respects. She has a nice balance of snark and survival skills: she doesn't quip her way through an entire fight, but she can unleash a one-liner as readily as her fangs. Most of the other characters, unfortunately, fall flat in comparison, but I guess we need to keep in mind that this is a trilogy. The ending is a bit lackluster too, but again it's leading toward other books. Some of the plot points were very predictable and there were no big twists, but the first book in a trilogy is usually about establishing the groundwork.

I mean, with a tagline like "a librarian who also happens to be a vampire is recruited to be an assassin", I'm already on board, and show more none of my minor quibbles amount to enough to dissuade me from reading more. Is it a "fresh take on the vampire genre" as promised? Eh, debatable. I didn't find anything brilliantly new here. But it's definitely better than a lot of the cash-grabs that came along in the wake of TWILIGHT.

3.75/5. show less

I received this copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It arrived on 14 January 2019. Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and realizes that I'm reading it from a different perspective.

I was pleasantly surprised by TRAIL OF CRUMBS. I worried that it might have the cloying tone of an old-fashioned after-school special, but Lawrence struck a good, if at times uneven, balance between imparting wisdom and spotlighting the often-bleak reality of a rape survivor.

Greta and Ash are both interesting enough to follow through the story. Patty, the requisite evil stepmother, isn't fleshed out much, and Roger's character is equally thin, but other secondary characters come to the fore in surprising ways, particularly Elgin and Nate. I thought Lawrence led up to Greta's revealing flashbacks quite well by peppering in small little details (e.g., Greta's reaction to an underwear display in the mall) rather than by going the "high school rumour mill" route of so many teen stories. There are many different type of hardships portrayed in the novel and while none are graphic, Lawrence also doesn't shy away from the grim realities of poverty, bullying, etc.

On the downside, I thought the flashbacks (while necessary) were often oddly placed, and the transitions to them were awkward. I'm not saying they had to be set in italics or anything so obvious, but Greta could be sitting in class and then suddenly we're in the midst show more of a flashback without much warning. There were also some odd fits in terms of chronology and continuity. The subtle Hansel and Gretel references were hit or miss for me: they didn't add much, but they also didn't take away. (I was more doubtful of a landlord who would simply offer a room to two teenagers, but maybe I'm just jaded. There are certainly kind people in the world, but Elgin's kindness sometimes felt a little too convenient to the plot.)

All in all, Lawrence tackled some hard topics in TRAIL OF CRUMBS and wisely offered no easy answers, because there rarely are any. Greta, like most survivors of sexual assault victims, will have a long, complicated road ahead of her, but Lawrence shows that there is a road and there are many ways to walk it, and it's up to each individual survivor how and when they do. show less

I received this copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It arrived on 14 November 2018.

Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and realizes that I'm reading it from a different perspective.

THE LIVES OF DESPERATE GIRLS is solidly average. Maybe that sounds cruel or dismissive, but I think it's honest. The writing serves the story well enough, but it's not going to be a novel you quote endlessly. The characters aren't particularly developed, but they're not horrible either. The theme is honourable, but Common often falls into the trap of lacking subtlety. Some of Jenny's social justice revelations are annoyingly obvious, and thus can feel cliché; same goes for a lot of the dialogue. The core of the story is good, but it lacks depth. For anyone with more than passing knowledge of the mistreatment of Native/First Nations people in Canada, this won't hold much weight. Some of the commentary on high school culture, though, was quite strong.

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program; it arrived on 13 July 2018.

Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and realizes that I'm reading it from a different perspective.

INFINITE BLUE is a miss for me. I know it's meant to be shorter, but I felt like Ash and Clayton weren't developed at all. Ash likes swimming and Clayton; Clayton likes art and Ash. That's about what we get. We got more of Blythe's quirks and motivations, stereotypical though they were, than Ash's. Also, I dislike the whole "destined to be together" motif, especially when it's aimed at teens; I think it's misleading and potentially harmful.

The cover is gorgeous, and is referenced several times by Clayton's art. The story, though, is too simple; it needs more. The big plot turns are predictable, and most of the characters are one-note. Even with the clichés, this has the bones of a beautiful (if often told) story, but the story is simply lacking. Maybe with an extra 70 pages or so, it would be rounded out, but right now it feels more like a summary or an outline.

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program; it arrived on 13 March 2018. Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and realizes that I'm reading it from a different perspective.

The author herself has mentioned being a fan of Alice Hoffman, so I don't think it's unfair to bring up the comparison here: THE PRICE GUIDE TO THE OCCULT is not PRACTICAL MAGIC—and not in that faux-edgy "Not your mother's [whatever]" marketing way. There are the bones of a great story here, and the setting sounds lovely. The characterization, though, was really lacking to me. We're often given more about Savvy's hair colour than we are about how a character is feeling. For being Anathema Island being so remote, you would think everyone would know each other (and thus we would know about them), but for too many characters, it's just the basics: a name, maybe where they work, and how Nor (the protagonist) knows them.

The ending sets up a sequel, but in a clumsy, heavy-handed fashion, and the final battle is vague and disappointing. This is really the type of story where you need to be rooted in the family to feel the depth of the pain and emotion, and it just wasn't there for me. It wasn't a bad read by any means, but it could have been so much more.

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program; it arrived on 20 February 2018.

Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and realizes that I'm reading it from a different perspective. I also didn't realize it was connected to other books, so I'll be lacking backstory knowledge but will do my best to judge it on its own merits.

Trigger warnings (YMMV): corporal punishment of a child (in flashbacks), elder abuse, teenage alcoholism, slut-shaming, sex slavery (implied), dubious consent (flashback/recollection), rape (implied). If you have any questions in this regard, just ask.

First off, the cover. Yeah, yeah, I know we're not supposed to judge books by them, but the art is gorgeous. Maybe the scene portrayed doesn't happen precisely, but I took it as symbolic of Tess's struggle against the looming world. The title isn't exactly gripping, but it fits. In terms of comparisons, TESS OF THE ROAD reminds me a bit of Cashore's GRACELING, but with hints of Pratchett's DISCWORLD humour (not to mention the no-nonsense women who Get Things Done).

My quibbles are few, so I'll cover them first. This is probably a rare instance of where I wish a fantasy novel DID have a map, because it would have been nice to get a clearer sense of Tess's journey. Also, being unfamiliar with the world and the other books in it, I would have liked a bit more description of the quigutl as well. Some of the flashbacks felt oddly show more placed, as if the author knew she needed to include some information but wasn't sure how to make it quite relevant. The biggest quibble for me is the lack of resistance to Tess's disguise. Simply cutting her hair and dressing like a boy wouldn't have been enough to fool everyone, yet she doesn't have many problems passing as a boy; when her disguise is revealed, I thought at least ONE of those encounters would be dangerous, but it felt like most people shrugged it off. Perhaps it's commonplace in a world where women have few options, but it still stood out to me.

Other than those few things, though, I loved it. I imagine I'm going to have a book hangover for a few days, because I connected with Tess in a way I haven't connected with a protagonist for quite a while. It's always nice to get a female adventurer, a quest from a perspective other than "intrepid young man". She's brash and not always likable, but she's dynamic, growing chapter by chapter. There was decent diversity among the characters, and while the novel covers a lot of social justice ground, it rarely feels preachy or shoehorned in. Tess regularly had her preconceived notions (e.g., beliefs about nuns, prostitutes, etc.) put to the test, and she learns from every encounter she has, even if it takes a while for the knowledge to sink in. Actions have consequences, and good deeds aren't always rewarded (or appreciated), and while Tess gets help from many people along the way (peers, adults, quigutl, etc.), ultimately she is the one who saves herself.

The world feels enchantingly full: characters don't just exist as plot points for Tess's journey. When she parts ways with someone, it doesn't feel like their story is ending or becoming irrelevant; that person is merely going on a different path than hers, and there are many secondary characters (Boss Gen, Mother Philomela, Big Arnando, etc.) who could fill a novel in their own right. I imagine some people feel Josquin is too good to be true, and perhaps he is, but I found his presence to be one of the most emotional in the book.

I haven't read SERAPHINA or SHADOW SCALE, but now I definitely want to. Late in the book, a character says "But this is my road. I'm so happy you came and traveled with me" (497). I'm so glad I had the chance to travel with Tess. show less

I won this title through the LibraryThing Member Giveaway and it arrived on 7 December 2017.

Disclaimers:
As an adult who also enjoys reading YA, I know I'm not the target audience.

The positives:
- The author sent along some nice book-themed treats. That doesn't affect my review, but it's always nice to find an author who appreciates her readers and reviewers and gets creative with their review packages.
- The protagonist. I'm not saying Meg is someone I'd want to hang out with, but it's easy to see what motivates her, even when she's doing bad things. Aside from a few clunky bits of dialogue, she comes across like a teenager, which is getting rare in YA.
- Consequences. In a lot of YA novels, the past is the past and never comes back to haunt anyone. Here, Meg's past and present are almost constantly at odds. It's a good reminder that actions have consequences.

Your mileage may vary:
- Rather than using the traditional paragraph structure with indents, the author is using a blank space between paragraphs. I've done enough reading and writing online that this format doesn't faze me, but I know some people aren't keen on it.

The negatives:
- Lack of editing. There are a lot of comma errors and quite a few typos. They're mostly common ones ("viscous" instead of "vicious", for example), and another round of careful editing would have cleaned it up nicely. There are also some formatting issues that should have been caught during editing.
- At times, it feels more like an outline show more than a finished novel. I'm not fond of authors who overdo detail, but I definitely could have done with more here.
- The ending fell flat for me. It almost feels like it was cut off mid-scene. The book is short as it is (not even 200 pages), and when I reached the end, I was wondering where the rest was.

Overall:
FULL OF IT has the bones of a good story. I would be interested in reading more about Meg and how she juggles her ever-increasing number of lies. However, it is very much a skeleton and there needs to be more effort in adding the muscles that really make a story move forward. show less

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program; it arrived on 6 March 2017. Review to follow.

Disclaimers: I'm definitely older than the YA target audience, and I had read this book a few years ago when it was originally released.

CAPRICIOUS isn't quite as strong as AUDACIOUS was, but it's still a great read. While I thought the majority of the poems in AUDACIOUS worked on multiple levels (on their own, in an arc, as a full narrative), the poems in CAPRICIOUS are definitely more tied to the characters and the narrative. This makes sense, of course: it's the second book, so it's building on what comes before.

That's really my only quibble. Ella is still an engaging, refreshingly real-sounding teenage, and her problems are relatable. The supporting cast wavers in quality and consistency a tiny bit, but not enough to weaken the story. Some hard truths were brought up in this book, and Prendergast doesn't shy away from tough times, which I appreciate. I also thought the "advice" portions were well balanced: not too preachy, not too glib. The characters feel and sound genuine.

I hope Prendergast continues on with Ella's story, because I'd love to see Ella's final year of high school and her plans for beyond.

I received this advance uncorrected proof through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It arrived on 29 April 2016. Review to follow.

Disclaimer: I am an adult who also enjoys reading YA, and therefore not the target audience. I try to keep this in mind when framing my reviews of YA.

I'm a bit conflicted about GENA/FINN. On the plus side, it took me right back to the days when I was more active in fandom. (RIGHT IN THE FEELS!) Who in fandom hasn't encountered a self-centered fan like Tylergirl93? Who hasn't had that one friend who just GETS you? It doesn't matter what form your fandom's source material takes (book, movie, comic, etc.), there are certain things that are universal across fandoms, and GENA/FINN does a great job of remembering that a fandom, while united by a common love for something (aforementioned book, movie, comic, etc.), is ultimately about the fans. The elation of a good episode, the drama of fandom in-fighting, the "teams" within a fandom: it's all here, and (for the most part) described from a fan's point of view, not that of an academic or author trying to be cool and talk about a "subculture".

On the down side, though, I find myself wondering if GENA/FINN is actually a novel. Yes, it's a story. Yes, it has an arc. But it's up to the reader to supply a lot of the narrative bridges, and at times, particularly near the end, the "story" aspect just falls flat. The format of blogs, chats, etc. isn't unheard of anymore, so it's lost some novelty. In show more some ways, you could find a similar story playing out for real in any given fandom at any given moment, so why pay to read about a fictional one?

Overall, I enjoyed GENA/FINN, but I don't know if it's going to be a book that stays with me. Just like the nature of fandom itself, it lacks a bit of staying power. It's an interesting look at two people who bond quickly and intensely, though, and a reminder (for those who need it) that "internet friends" are just friends you met through a particular medium. show less

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It arrived on 15 March 2016.

Disclaimer: I'm an adult who also enjoys reading YA and the occasional MG. I know I'm not in the target audience, and I try to account for that in the review.

For the target audience, I'd say MOVERS is a definite four-star. Pat is a sympathetic protagonist; he could be rounded out more, but his "blankness" also allows a wide variety of readers to identify with him. Maggie is a solid child character: true to her age without being a caricature of "annoying little sister". The villain, as others have noted, is rather flat, but since this is a series, there's room to grow. The book also touches on matters of bullying, fitting in, acceptance, etc., but not in a cloying manner.

I found the concepts of Movers and Shadows interesting, and was eager to learn more. (Not going to lie: I think McIsaac could have found/made a far better word than "pungit". Maybe it'll turn out to be an acronym or have some hidden meaning, but I had a hard time seeing "pungit" as a serious scientific word.) All in all, McIsaac started an interesting, layered story, one I'd be interested in following.

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It arrived on 16 February 2016. (Which means it's not as "advanced" a review as an ARC should have.) Disclaimer: I'm not in the target audience for this book, but rather an adult who also enjoys reading YA; I do my best to keep that in mind when composing my reviews.

SPIRIT LEVEL may start slow, but it develops into a multi-layered story of identity. I appreciated the many different perspectives: Lucy with her lesbian moms, Harriet with her "single mother by choice", etc. The issues at hand in this book—primarily those of donor families and transgender identity—are weighty and complex, but the author treats them respectfully, and from varying angles.

Several reviewers have complained about the lack of resolution. To me, that's one of the strong points of the novel. These aren't issues that have clean, quick answers. They are life-long issues, ones that twist and turn and change, so I thought it made perfect sense that there was no cut-and-dried ending. There's the possibility for a sequel, sure, but it's also just an open ending, one anchored by hope. Disagreements aren't conveniently resolved, because guess what? People harbour grudges sometimes! New relationships aren't solid yet, because many of these characters have only known each other for a matter of weeks. I far prefer an open ending in this scenario to some flash-forward "Six months later" epilogue with a tidy summation.

That's not to say show more that SPIRIT LEVEL doesn't have flaws and weaknesses; all books do. Della's stances, while logical and educated, often didn't seem to take her daughter's feelings into account; for example, it's one thing to be technically right, but can you really fault someone for being upset when they were assaulted, even if they know there were extenuating circumstances? How many "second chances" do you reasonably give someone? That said, I felt the strengths outweighed the weaknesses, and I was pleasantly surprised by the story. SPIRIT LEVEL could have easily fallen into preachy, rote explanations about acceptance, but instead shows us more of the struggles of genuine, meaningful acceptance. show less