Title: The Stolen Kingdom: An Aladdin Retelling Author: Bethany Atazadeh Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Retelling Review: When I heard that The Stolen Kingdom was a retelling on the classic Aladdin, I was interested to see how Atazadeh would approach it. Some of the retellings I’ve read recently are less “retell” and more “rehash,” and I find that I enjoy the …
Title: Long Way Down Author: Jason Reynolds Genre: Poetry, Paranormal Fiction Review: To be honest, I’ve been in a bit of a book slump recently. I’ve had trouble connecting to what I was reading, and I was really hoping for something new that would draw me in and surprise me. Long Way Down was just what I was looking for. …
Title: Aurora Rising Author: Amy Kaufman & Jay Kristoff Genre: Science Fiction, Action & Adventure Review: Every time it seems that Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff have reached their peak in storytelling, they outdo themselves. Aurora Rising is no exception. A masterpiece in descriptive writing and world-building, this sci-fi drama will win over the heart of anyone who’s ever felt …
Title: Romanov Author: Nadine Brandes Genre: Historical Fantasy Review: Romanov by Nadine Brandes is an epic historical fantasy novel that takes an interesting twist on the infamous Romanov monarchy. Pulling inspiration from the magical intrigue cloaking the family’s history and the mysterious circumstances surrounding their deaths, Brandes weaves a never-before-seen retelling that is both gripping and heart-wrenching. …
The Path Keeper by N.J. Simmonds is a thrilling story of love and loss, driven by a greater force that brings people together as the world simultaneously tears them apart. Simmonds writing flows like poetry, each sentence meticulously crafted. Although the piece is artful as a whole, there’s an underlying tension to it that cannot be …
Title: The Impossible Girl Author: Lydia Kang Genre: Mystery Review: The Impossible Girl spins a dark, edge-of-your-seat mystery that revolves around corpse theft but somehow still manages to be beautifully written. The book revolves around Cora Lee, who lives a double-life as both herself and her “brother,” Jacob. Cora is known as a smart, young girl with …
Title: She’s Not Here Author: Mandi Lynn Genre: Thriller Review: I had the awesome opportunity to get an early copy of She’s Not Here, and let me tell you, I was not ready for this book. The story follows Willow, a hospital worker that was forced to watch her father slowly deteriorate due to his Alzheimer’s. After he passes away, …
Title: City of Ghosts Author: Victoria Schwab Genre: Paranormal, Adventure Review: I had the wonderful opportunity to snag an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of City of Bones when I was at BookCon, and I’m so glad I did! This book was really enjoyable and it was an awesome summer read. City of Ghosts follows a girl named Cassandra. After she nearly …
Title: In the Shadow of the Dragon King Author: J. Keller Ford Genre: Fantasy, Adventure Review: In the Shadow of the Dragon King is a gripping fantasy novel by J. Keller Ford. It follows two teens, Eric and David, as their lives connect and collide in ways they never imagined. They are forced to get over their differences and …
Title: You Author: Caroline Kepnes Genre: Romance, Thriller, Suspense Review: When I first picked up this book, I knew absolutely nothing about it — and that was not an exaggeration. I picked it up for one of those “blind dates with a book” and all I had to go on was a short summary on …
J. L. Willow 