Felix ever after by kacen callender!!! Review

Thank you to the publisher and edelweiss for the eArc in exchange for review.

Synopsis below

From Stonewall and Lambda Award–winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time.

Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.

When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle….

But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.

Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you deserve.

My review below

5/5 stars 

before I get into the review thank you so much to the publishers for approving me of this eARC.

The trigger warning for this book are outing, transphobia, homophobia

WOW…This book was so powerful and so poignant and everyone and also to people who feel like they don’t belong. wether that’s coming to terms with your own sexuality and/or becoming the person you were truly meant to be in this world need to read this book. as as its released. 

this book is definitely a new favourite of mine, and I loved The character of Felix very much. Reading about a trans male/ Demi boy plus being black and queer it was just so emotional, and it really brings to light even more so in this day and age plus with Felix in this book how Felix gets treated differently to a white queer boy . seeing Felix navigate everyday life just thinking he didn’t belong was such so heart wrenching to see and I just wanted to give Felix a hug and tell him he is Lovable and he belongs anywhere he wants to be. 

Such a beautiful story that tackles so many issues throughout the novel, Which Kacen always does well in all their books. 

just having a Demi boy main character represented i loved learning more about and this cover with the top surgery scars is so beautiful to see being represented.

Witches of ash and ruin by E. Latimer – review

Thank you to Little brown publishing for this Ebook copy of this book in exchange for review

Synopsis

Modern witchcraft blends with ancient Celtic mythology in an epic clash of witches and gods, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy and A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES.

Seventeen-year-old Dayna Walsh is struggling to cope with her somatic OCD; the aftermath of being outed as bisexual in her conservative Irish town; and the return of her long-absent mother, who barely seems like a parent. But all that really matters to her is ascending and finally, finally becoming a full witch-plans that are complicated when another coven, rumored to have a sordid history with black magic, arrives in town with premonitions of death. Dayna immediately finds herself at odds with the bewitchingly frustrating Meiner King, the granddaughter of their coven leader.

And then a witch turns up murdered at a local sacred site, along with the blood symbol of the Butcher of Manchester-an infamous serial killer whose trail has long gone cold. The killer’s motives are enmeshed in a complex web of witches and gods, and Dayna and Meiner soon find themselves at the center of it all. If they don’t stop the Butcher, one of them will be next.

With razor-sharp prose and achingly real characters, E. Latimer crafts a sweeping, mesmerizing story of dark magic and brutal mythology set against a backdrop of contemporary Ireland that’s impossible to put down.

Review below

AMAZING wow this was so gooooood one of the best witch books if not the best witchy book I have read!!!

This was amazing and included so many representations included from OCD to F/F romance and lgbt plus diversity in colours and race!! This book I though I would enjoy but not love it as much as I did… i couldn’t stop reading as soon as I started it was go go go with some atmospheric and eerie writing and setting 🙂 it had so many different POVS and they were all so good and loved all the stories intertwining together.

Will definitely recommend this book to everyone!!!

5/5 stars

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender – review

Synopsis

Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family.

It would be easier if King could talk with his best friend, Sandy Sanders. But just days before he died, Khalid told King to end their friendship, after overhearing a secret about Sandy-that he thinks he might be gay. “You don’t want anyone to think you’re gay too, do you?”

But when Sandy goes missing, sparking a town-wide search, and King finds his former best friend hiding in a tent in his backyard, he agrees to help Sandy escape from his abusive father, and the two begin an adventure as they build their own private paradise down by the bayou and among the dragonflies. As King’s friendship with Sandy is reignited, he’s forced to confront questions about himself and the reality of his brother’s death.

Review

4.5/5 stars

TW – child abuse and talks of physical abuse and racism

another middle grade that was just so beautifully written and just ripped your heart out but in the end it picked up the pieces and put it back together again. this novel is about trying to live to fullest and coping with grief in the best possible way and trying to move forward even when it feels impossible to do and also about finding the strength and courage to figuring out yourself and only being able to do that by believing in yourself and having the support system to make you feel comfortable to do/be who you want to be.

the poetic and beautiful writing throughout by Kacen Callender was just stunning and as this is my first book by this author I’m really excited to dive into Kacen’s other novels including his upcoming release Felix, ever after!!!

🌟🌟🌟🌟 💫

The only black girls in town by Brandy Colbert – review

Thank you for the publishers for sending me a E-Galley of this book in exchange for review!

Book synopsis

Award-winning YA author Brandy Colbert’s debut middle-grade novel about the only two black girls in town who discover a collection of hidden journals revealing shocking secrets of the past. 

Beach-loving surfer Alberta has been the only black girl in town for years. Alberta’s best friend, Laramie, is the closest thing she has to a sister, but there are some things even Laramie can’t understand. When the bed and breakfast across the street finds new owners, Alberta is ecstatic to learn the family is black-and they have a 12-year-old daughter just like her.

Alberta is positive she and the new girl, Edie, will be fast friends. But while Alberta loves being a California girl, Edie misses her native Brooklyn and finds it hard to adapt to small-town living.

When the girls discover a box of old journals in Edie’s attic, they team up to figure out exactly who’s behind them and why they got left behind. Soon they discover shocking and painful secrets of the past and learn that nothing is quite what it seems.

Review below

WOW!!! Brandy Colbert has done it once again, this was absolutely beautiful, stunning, important, amazing and so on!!!

This was brandy Colbert’s debut into the realm of middle grade and wow was a rollercoaster of a ride this read was, it packed a hell of a lot of punch, with so many important topics and trying to find Your place in the world.

Alberta the main character was such a delight to read about, as we see her grow throughout this book from feeling like she doesn’t fit in, to growing up and dealing with the changes that are happening in her life with her school plus friends and family.

The friendship with the new girl in town Edie was just so beautiful to read about and Nothing could come between this dynamic duo!!! From the moment they met to where we left them at the end of the novel. Can we just get novels of them growing up through the years after because I would read it 🙂

Brandy Colbert never disappoints when it comes to her writing and the inclusivity she adds to her novels all the time and it’s just so wonderful to read about, Alberta’s two fathers are So wonderful aswell and how they always support Alberta in the best way they can and the family dynamic is just the best.

This novel was everything and more!!! From the first page to the last, here’s to hopefully many more middle grade novels by Brandy Colbert and for sure this will be a contender to be on my top ten of the year!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars

Foul is fair by Hannah Capin review – blog tour

Synopsis

Elle and her friends Mads, Jenny, and Summer rule their glittering LA circle. Untouchable, they have the kind of power other girls only dream of. Every party is theirs and the world is at their feet. Until the night of Elle’s sweet sixteen, when they crash a St. Andrew’s Prep party. The night the golden boys choose Elle as their next target. 

They picked the wrong girl. 

Sworn to vengeance, Elle transfers to St. Andrew’s. She plots to destroy each boy, one by one. She’ll take their power, their lives, and their control of the prep school’s hierarchy. And she and her coven have the perfect way in: a boy named Mack, whose ambition could turn deadly. 

Foul is Fair is a bloody, thrilling revenge fantasy for the girls who have had enough. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes.

Review below

Ooo this book was something else haha, this was a retelling of Macbeth but for the new generation giving me full on vibes of heathers, mean girls, riverdale and a few other shows. This was a revenge filled and violent book.

Very dark retelling with characters that lots of people may dislike and some people may like, but for me this book was an okay book, in the middle ground as it was enjoyable but I wasn’t blown away by.

Going back onto my earlier point the characters for me I just couldn’t connect with unfortunately and I felt some of the characters were a little over the top/cheesy but that’s just my own opinion.

It’s a very unique book though I will say that 🙂

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for sending me a copy of this book and I’m on the blog tour for this too

3 stars

Eileen Zimmerman – smacked review

Synopsis

A journalist pieces together the mysteries surrounding her ex-husband’s descent into drug addiction while trying to rebuild a life for her family, taking readers on an intimate journey into the world of white-collar drug abuse.

“A rare combination of journalistic rigor, personal courage, and writerly grace.”—Bill Clegg, author of Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man

Something was wrong with Peter. Eilene Zimmerman noticed that her ex-husband looked thin, seemed distracted, and was frequently absent from activities with their children. She thought he looked sick and needed to see a doctor, and indeed, he told her he had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. Yet in many ways, Peter seemed to have it all: a beautiful house by the beach, expensive cars, and other luxuries that came with an affluent life. Eilene assumed his odd behavior was due to stress and overwork—he was a senior partner at a prominent law firm and had been working more than sixty hours a week for the last twenty years.

Although they were divorced, Eilene and Peter had been partners and friends for decades, so when she and her children were unable to reach Peter for several days, Eilene went to his house to see if he was OK.

So begins Smacked, a brilliant and moving memoir of Eilene’s shocking discovery, one that sets her on a journey to find out how a man she knew for nearly thirty years became a drug addict, hiding it so well that neither she nor anyone else in his life suspected what was happening. Eilene discovers that Peter led a secret life, one that started with pills and ended with opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamine. He was also addicted to work; the last call Peter ever made was to dial in to a conference call.

Eilene is determined to learn all she can about Peter’s hidden life, and also about drug addiction among ambitious, high-achieving professionals like him. Through extensive research and interviews, she presents a picture of drug dependence today in that moneyed, upwardly mobile world. She also embarks on a journey to re-create her life in the wake of loss, both of the person—and the relationship—that profoundly defined the woman she had become.

Review below

Sent this book in exchange for review!!! By @randomhouse

Firstly just want to say, that with memoirs and being about someone’s life I do not rate non fiction, as I’ve said before it’s someone’s life and experience!!!. This memoir was such an heartbreaking story about Eilene, who’s husband had an drug addiction for so many years and the repercussions it put into their family’s lives following the addiction, as well as it being such a emotional memoir on drugs it’s also informative and educational on all the signs of addiction and it breaks the stereotypes of who’s using drugs too, Eileen also told us about the many years she was with her husband and the very progression of his drug addiction and how sick he became.

This is such an important memoir that needs to be read by everyone and especially for me I couldn’t put it down from start to finish.

The worst best man by Mia Sosa review

Synopsis

Critically acclaimed author Mia Sosa delivers a sassy, steamy enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy about a woman whose new job requires her to work side-by-side with the best man who ruined her wedding: her ex-fiancé’s infuriating, irritating, annoyingly handsome brother. Perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory, Helen Hoang, and Sally Thorne!

A wedding planner left at the altar. Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina’s managed to make other people’s dreams come true as a top-tier wedding coordinator in DC. After impressing an influential guest, she’s offered an opportunity that could change her life. There’s just one hitch… she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials. 

Tired of living in his older brother’s shadow, marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he’ll be working with his brother’s whip-smart, stunning—absolutely off-limits—ex-fiancée. And she loathes him. 

If they can survive the next few weeks and nail their presentation without killing each other, they’ll both come out ahead. Except Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride, and Lina’s ready to dish out a little payback of her own. 

But even the best laid plans can go awry, and soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina isn’t interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again…

Review below

Such an enjoyable romance novel from start to finish, if u know me I love a good hate to love trope and this for sure was a great one. It has so many great elements throughout and I loved the dynamic between both the main characters and the writing just seemed to flow and make this relationship work and feel authentic, which I love.

One thing I love in any books are family aspects and this for sure has many moments with some great members of Linda’s family and friends which I really enjoyed and loved how dysfunctional they all were in such good ways. Loved how they always tried to encourage Lina to do what she wanted to do too.

Overall it was a really great novel, not top tier as in out of this world romance but I really nice and sweet romance that you can fly through!!!

3/5 stars 🌟🌟🌟

Tweet cute by Emma Lord (blog tour review)

Synopsis

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming — mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese — that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life — on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate — people on the internet are shipping them?? — their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

Review

first of all would like to thank the publisher for sending me a E-Arc of this book and for letting me be apart of the blog tour of this wonderful romance novel.

Tweet cute was just the cutest story ever and has all the elements in a romance novel that all/most people would love to read about and it will definitely make you go heart eyes over the two main characters we follow in this book.

Tweet cute follows pepper and Jack who online are currently in a twitter war against each other for their families big restaurent chains who are rivals, but under all this all is not as it seems as the two main characters who go to the same school have no idea that they are the ones that they are having this online and viral against each other. under the surface though we see pepper and jack also are speaking on an app created by jack called weasel which lets you talk anonymously to someone who is in their school for a certain time. so as the story unfolds we see all the trials and tribulations with what happens between the both of them and also the viral sensations of both their families Restaurants.

if your looking for a Romance novel and are looking for a story that will keep you hooked and leaving you wanting more and more from these characters and all their cuteness then you need to pick this book up ASAP!!! just be warned though while your reading this book get ready to imagine and read about all these amazing sounding recipes that Pepper talks about in this book.

recommend this book to everyone and very excited for more to come from Emma Lord and to see what more novels she hopefully has up her sleeve.

if this book interests you it will be available in stores on the 21st of January 2020

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

January 2020 books that im looking forward to!!!

Even though we still have a little bit left of 2019 to go 2020 is definitely creeping up fast so for these next two months its definitely now the time of year to get in your last minute reading sessions in wether that is finishing up your current series’s, or even getting through all of your favourite authors books, or even if u set yourself a reading challenge at the start of the year and you have just a few books left to go before its complete and before its a whole new year. Im so excited for the releases of next year already and here is a bunch of them below that you will hopefully add to your TBR if you haven’t already!!!

Lucky caller by Emma Mills

Goodreads synopsis
When Nina decides to take a radio broadcasting class her senior year, she expects it to be a walk in the park. Instead, it’s a complete disaster.

The members of Nina’s haphazardly formed radio team have approximately nothing in common. And to maximize the awkwardness her group includes Jamie, a childhood friend she’d hoped to basically avoid for the rest of her life.

The show is a mess, internet rumors threaten to bring the wrath of two fandoms down on their heads, and to top it all off Nina’s family is on the brink of some major upheaval.

Everything feels like it’s spiraling out of control―but maybe control is overrated? 

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore

Goodreads synopsis

Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family, and Lavinia may have to do the unimaginable to save herself and everyone she loves.

Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva’s feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever’s history better than anyone: Emil, whose family was blamed for the fever five hundred years ago. But there’s more to what happened in 1518 than even Emil knows, and discovering the truth may decide whether Rosella survives the red shoes.

With McLemore’s signature lush prose, Dark and Deepest Redpairs the forbidding magic of a fairy tale with a modern story of passion and betrayal.

Scavenge the stars by Tara Sim

Goodreads synopsis

When Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning, she fears her rash actions have earned her a longer sentence on the debtor ship where she’s been held captive for years. Instead, the man she saved offers her unimaginable riches and a new identity, setting Amaya on a perilous course through the coastal city-state of Moray, where old-world opulence and desperate gamblers collide. Amaya wants one thing: revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. But the more entangled she becomes in this game of deception—and as her path intertwines with the son of the man she’s plotting to bring down—the more she uncovers about the truth of her past. And the more she realizes she must trust no one…

Packed with high-stakes adventure, romance, and dueling identities, this gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo is the first novel in an epic YA fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Goodreads Synopsis

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

Infinity son by Adam Silvera

Goodreads synopsis

Growing up in New York, brothers Emil and Brighton always idolized the Spell Walkers—a vigilante group sworn to rid the world of specters. While the Spell Walkers and other celestials are born with powers, specters take them, violently stealing the essence of endangered magical creatures.

Brighton wishes he had a power so he could join the fray. Emil just wants the fighting to stop. The cycle of violence has taken a toll, making it harder for anyone with a power to live peacefully and openly. In this climate of fear, a gang of specters has been growing bolder by the day.

Then, in a brawl after a protest, Emil manifests a power of his own—one that puts him right at the heart of the conflict and sets him up to be the heroic Spell Walker Brighton always wanted to be.

Brotherhood, love, and loyalty will be put to the test, and no one will escape the fight unscathed.

Three things I know are true by Betty Culley

Goodreads synopsis

The reminder is always there—a dent on the right side of Jonah’s forehead. The spot you’d press when you felt a headache coming on. The bullet tore away bone, the way dynamite blasts rock—leaving a soft crater.

Life changes forever for Liv when her older brother, Jonah, accidentally shoots himself with his best friend Clay’s father’s gun. Now Jonah needs round-the-clock care just to stay alive, and Liv seems to be the only person who can see that her brother is still there inside his broken body.

With Liv’s mom suing Clay’s family, there are divisions in the community that Liv knows she’s not supposed to cross. But Clay is her friend, too, and she refuses to turn away from him—just like she refuses to give up on Jonah.

Seven Deadly Shadows by Courtney Alameda and Valynne E. Maetani

Goodreads synopsis

Kira Fujikawa has always been a girl on the fringe. Bullied by her peers and ignored by her parents, the only place Kira’s ever felt at home is at her grandfather’s Shinto shrine, where she trains to be a priestess.

But Kira’s life is shattered on the night her family’s shrine is attacked by a vicious band of yokai demons. With the help of Shiro—the shrine’s gorgeous half-fox, half-boy kitsune—Kira discovers that her shrine harbors an ancient artifact of great power . . . one the yokai and their demon lord, Shuten-doji, will use to bring down an everlasting darkness upon the world. 

Unable to face the Shuten-doji and his minions on her own, Kira enlists the aid of seven ruthless shinigami—or death gods—to help stop the brutal destruction of humankind. But some of the death gods aren’t everything they initially seemed, nor as loyal to Kira’s cause as they first appeared.

With war drawing nearer by the day, Kira realizes that if this unlikely band of heroes is going to survive, they’re going to have to learn to work together, confront their demons, and rise as one to face an army of unimaginable evil.

Not so pure and simple by Lamar Giles

Goodreads synopsis

Del has had a crush on Kiera Westing since kindergarten. And now, during their junior year, she’s finally available. So when Kiera volunteers for an opportunity at their church, Del’s right behind her. Though he quickly realizes he’s inadvertently signed up for a Purity Pledge.

His dad thinks his wires are crossed, and his best friend, Qwan, doesn’t believe any girl is worth the long game. But Del’s not about to lose his dream girl, and that’s where fellow pledger Jameer comes in. He can put in the good word. In exchange, Del just has to get answers to the Pledgers’ questions…about sex ed.

With other boys circling Kiera like sharks, Del needs to make his move fast. But as he plots and plans, he neglects to ask the most important question: What does Kiera want? He can’t think about that too much, though, because once get the girl, it’ll all sort itself out. Right?

Every other weekend by Abigail Johnson

Goodreads synopsis

Adam Moynihan’s life used to be awesome. Straight As, close friends and a home life so perfect that it could have been a TV show straight out of the 50s. Then his oldest brother died. Now his fun-loving mom cries constantly, he and his remaining brother can’t talk without fighting, and the father he always admired proved himself a coward by moving out when they needed him most.

Jolene Timber’s life is nothing like the movies she loves—not the happy ones anyway. As an aspiring director, she should know, because she’s been reimagining her life as a film ever since she was a kid. With her divorced parents at each other’s throats and using her as a pawn, no amount of mental reediting will give her the love she’s starving for. 

Forced to spend every other weekend in the same apartment building, the boy who thinks forgiveness makes him weak and the girl who thinks love is for fools begin an unlikely friendship. The weekends he dreaded and she endured soon become the best part of their lives. But when one’s life begins to mend while the other’s spirals out of control, they realize that falling in love while surrounded by its demise means nothing is ever guaranteed.

Run, Hide, Fight back by April Henry

Goodreads synopsis

Six teens must band together to survive after a shooting breaks out.

When a deadly shooting breaks out in a Portland shopping mall, a diverse group of teens ends up trapped behind a store’s security shutter. To her own surprise, seventeen-year-old Miranda finds the others looking to her as their leader. But she’s hiding a big secret—and she’s not the only one. The group has only three choices—run, hide, or fight back. The wrong decision will have fatal consequences.

You Too ? edited by Janet Gurtler

Goodreads synopsis

A timely and heartfelt collection of essays inspired by the #MeToo movement, edited by acclaimed young adult and middle-grade author Janet Gurtler. Featuring Beth Revis, Mackenzi Lee, Ellen Hopkins, Saundra Mitchell, Jennifer Brown, Cheryl Rainfield and many more.

When #MeToo went viral, Janet Gurtler was among the millions of people who began to reflect on her past experiences. Things she had reluctantly accepted—male classmates groping her at recess, harassment at work—came back to her in startling clarity. She needed teens to know what she had not: that no young person should be subject to sexual assault, or made to feel unsafe, less than or degraded.

You Too? was born out of that need. By turns thoughtful and explosive, these personal stories encompass a wide range of experiences and will resonate with every reader who has wondered, “Why is this happening to me?” or secretly felt that their own mistreatment or abuse is somehow their fault—it’s not. Candid and empowering, You Too? is written for teens, but also an essential resource for the adults in their lives—an urgent, compassionate call to listen and create change.

Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown

Goodreads Synopsis

A powerful memoir for fans of Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson and American Street by Ibi Zoboi.

Echo Brown is a wizard from the East Side, where apartments are small and parents suffer addictions to the white rocks. Yet there is magic . . . everywhere. New portals begin to open when Echo transfers to the rich school on the West Side, and an insightful teacher becomes a pivotal mentor. Each day, Echo travels between two worlds, leaving her brothers, her friends, and a piece of herself behind on the East Side. There are dangers to leaving behind the place that made you. Echo soon realizes there is pain flowing through everyone around her, and a black veil of depression threatens to undo everything she’s worked for.

Heavily autobiographical and infused with magical realism, Black Girl Unlimited fearlessly explores the intersections of poverty, sexual violence, depression, racism, and sexism—all through the arc of a transcendent coming-of-age.

Twice in a blue moon by Christina Lauren review

Review below

First read of the month and even though it’s had its mixed reviews and I was a little apprehensive going Into this I thoroughly enjoyed this new Christina Lauren book. I went down the audiobook route and the narrator was really good and flew through it real fast.

I didn’t really know much about this one before going into it but I did know about a encounter that happens twice throughout the main characters life, but other than that nothing else. So when I was listening to this book and it was about an actress and the behind the scenes look at the life on set of a movie it really suprised me and really enjoyed it.

Yes throughout this book there were moments I was like mmm and didn’t know wether I quite like that part overall a very good read, for me definitely not one of my favs but it definitely hasn’t been the baddest. The unhoneymooners is still my favourite to date. Another part of this story is a feel that maybe the ending could of Been rushed as it seemed like it went from one thing straight the next thing in a matter of a moment or two.

But as with any Christina Lauren novel I get so excited to read any book by them and when a new book is announced it is just wonderful haha and now I’m very excited for the newest book to be released.

Overall 3.75/5 stars