The Prince and the Apocalypse was a fantastic road trip romance that had a unique premise, a genuine sense of suspense, and a couple worth rooting for, but its follow-up, Heir, Apparently, has a little less spirit, zip and originality on tap. It’s still a fun ride. When last we saw Wren Wheeler, she’d just…
Amber Chen’s Of Jade and Dragons is the sort of novel I would have loved back when I was fourteen. At its best, it’s a YA Mulan with delightful worldbuilding and a compelling mystery to be solved, but at its worst… well, we’ll get into that. Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying is the oldest daughter of an…
Now this is some good writing! Beastly Beauty is fantastically crafted, with some sharp prose and an enrapturing tale. While it definitely leans toward the younger side of the YA scale, it’s a creative and absorbing story fit for all ages. Arabella labors under a curse placed upon her as a youth by a furious…
I’m a longtime fan of Emma Lord’s books so I was excited to read The Getaway List, her latest YA novel. While I enjoyed watching the characters as they had adventures and found their way in the world, I didn’t love this one as much as her other books. Riley is graduating from high school…
Brynn Whitaker is a senior at Greenlough Academy where she is known as the Flirt Expert. Brynn helps students write texts to their crushes and, in return, they Venmo her $20 per text and $50 if they end up with a date. Students at her school are wealthy but Brynn is not. Her parents are…
In this not-quite stand-alone sequel to An Improbable Season, Eleanor, friend to Thalia, Kaliope and Charis, the debutantes who featured in the previous book finds true love. Well-done and sweet-natured, this boon is nonetheless a little less compelling than its predecessor. Eleanor Lockhart has one big plan for her first season now that a proper…
Valentina Tran, raised by her single dad after her mother died, used to love Valentine’s Day. She even had an imaginary friend, a cherubic Cupid. But when revelations about her mother come to light, Valentina discovers love isn’t what she thought it was – and her companion isn’t a sweet greeting-card baby, but the frightening…
What a cracking, enjoyable read! A fun, sweet epistolary novel for younger readers that older ones will surely enjoy as well, Yours from the Tower takes you into a memorable summer just before the turn of the twentieth century for three enterprising, interesting young women trying to figure out who they are and where they…
People of a certain age will understand what I mean when I say My Fair Brady by Brian Kennedy is a solid entry into the “pulling a Marcia Brady makeover” trope. If you are a bit younger, you might consider it a “Can’t Buy Me Love,” or even younger, you’d maybe think it’s a “She’s…
A Fragile Enchantment is a sparky novel featuring a hate-to-love romance filled with lively conflict that will definitely keep teens engaged. Unfortunately, it also – and very notably – cribs some obvious plot points from the Bridgerton universe, including a gossip columnist with a pseudonym. Niamh Ó Conchobhair’s greatest gift is her greatest curse. She…
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