At first this gave me some solid, old-school YA Fantasy vibes (think The Dark is Rising), with some epic scenes and some cool twists. But strangely, the ending really just didn’t entice me to continue to book two. I think in the end, the main character hadn’t won me over as much as I was looking for. Still enjoyed the read, and I think if you’re looking for a YA Fantasy with a classic, epic feel and a few surprises, you’d enjoy this one.
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I’ve picked up most of T. Kingfisher’s books by now at some point, and I think this one will be a hit for most Kingfisher fans. It’s fairly short Beauty and the Beast retelling with T. Kingfisher’s usual flair of bugs and plants shining through. No big surprises, but an enjoyable, fast read for fans of fairytale retellings.
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One of our friends recommended this to my kids and I for our family book club, and we loved it! My 10yo and 8yo were super invested, and it’s such an awesome true story of ingenuity and grit. Some heart-rending moments, but ends with triumph. Five stars from all of us. (We read the young reader’s edition aloud, and it also has come cool pictures of William’s village.) My friend did not recommend the movie because she said it veered too far from the book, so we skipped it.
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This is one of those beautiful books that absolutely destroys you, and then you immediately go recommend it to everyone you know. Told in an epistolary style (through letters), with pops of humor and amazing character development, the Correspondent is a gorgeous multitude that flutters like a butterfly and hits like a sledgehammer. Highly recommend the audiobook, which has a full cast. I was absolutely trying not to cry (SUPER rare for me) while I was mowing the lawn. Five glowing stars.
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This was an engaging YA high fantasy that feels like Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Hunger Games in an interesting world with a likable MC and a fabulous audiobook narrator. I’ve been in a reading slump for SO long, but this one grabbed me right out of the gate and kept my attention throughout. Definitely recommend.
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(Full disclosure, I did try to read book 2 this summer, and while I enjoyed the multi-POV, the characters and plot progress didn’t grab me in quite the same way, and I didn’t finish.)
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The was a sweet, super cozy fantasy with a relatable princess; a saucy, unserious pirate; fun, quirky world building; and pops of humor. The midst of a book slump, I definitely enjoyed the read, but I did wish the romance had a little more oomph.
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As a big Shiloh Briar fan, I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while and was super stoked when it made the transition from indie to Orbit! I got a book box from the author and then was even be able to convince our book club to make it the read of the month! Though I love the new cover, I do think it puts more emphasis on the romance than the indie versions (which honestly, we agreed as a book club, might match the story a little better.) Personally, I wouldn’t call this a “romantasy” and more of a quirky-dark fantasy with a strong side of slowburn, closed-door romance. The characters totally pop, and I highly recommend for the unique adventure with tons of banter and solid heart.
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I can’t remember where I found this mystery, but I was looking for something to get me out of a book slump, and while the first half flowed pretty well, the twists in the second half really just didn’t land for me. So, not the book for me, but might be for you!
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My husband lives with chronic, undiagnosed pain, so the premise of two people with chronic illness/pain was intriguing, and while I was super into the first half, the dynamics of the second half didn’t quite hit for me. So while this one was really for me, if you’re looking for a romance (+spice) with chronic pain rep, this might be for you!
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So my sons and I got into the Warrior Cats books after a friend sent me a Hank Green video on the theology of Warrior Cats. Naturally we were intrigued, and we picked up this book first because we had no idea what we were doing. Luckily, even though this technically isn’t the first book, it does stand alone, and I have to say, even though I would more classify as dog people than cat people, we were all hooked. The world here is super well built, the characters are complex and interesting, the plot is fast-paced, and it’s well illustrated. My 9yo and 7yo ended up reading the whole series, so it’s definitely a 5 stars from all of us, highly recommend.
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