This books setting in the 80s just filled my whole inner 80s soul (even though I was born way after the 80s hahah) it’s seriously one of my fav decades of film,tv and music!!
Anyways I’m going off track 🙈 but the pop culture references and how the chapter names are 80s songs!! So good!
Now with the book overall it was a good book, very captivating and made me want to read on and on which is a big positive…But there was a few sections throughout this novel I thought were Questionable(I spoke with Jords about this) I was just a bit like 🤔 and that sadly knocked it down for me.
In the end a 3star!
Perfect on paper
Oh this was what the title says…Perfect!
Everything about it was just a beautiful story and definitely at times emotional… especially some of the scenes with the two main characters 😭 one significant scene near the end too that made my heart glow and my tear ducts Flow 😭😂
I feel this book will be so important for quite a lot of people and @sgonzalesauthor really handles this book with so much care and love which you can see through the writing and speaking to Sophie Myself.
Everyone PICK THIS ONE UP! When this book releases next year! If you thought OMD was good this is just that little bit better but both are just 😍😍.
Thank you for Edelweiss/publishers for sending early review E-arc copy
Review below
Trigger warnings for sexual abuse,assault,Child abuse, opioid addiction, kidnapping, rape
Ooo I need to just have a little think On this one wether it’s a 4 or a 5 because damn this book was so good, I didn’t really know anything going into it (my fav thing to do with books) but when I started reading and got further and further into it, wow what a book this one is.
Grown is definitely full of trigger warnings and I would not go into this novel lightly this features some very upsetting themes and scenes throughout and for sure when I first read the beginning of this book and how it’s path was taking a dark turn I was shocked and definitely caught off guard and from then the story gets darker and darker.
This novel also definitely dealt with issues and themes that are very important and Tiffany D Jackson wrote and dealt with these with care and also showing what does happen when someone with a higher status can and will try and control and manipulate everything.
As our main character is an aspiring singer I loved the songs that get mentioned throughout this book because most of these Songs are some of my all time faves and for sure I had to listen to them once I had finished the novel 🙂 can’t go wrong with the classics.
A very challenging plus flinching story that is not to be taken lightly!! Definitely if you want to read this one please check the trigger warnings on reviews or that feature inside the book before the novel starts.
Thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for review
Review below
wow wow wow!!! what a book this one was, powerful from start to finish, so emotional and no spoilers but I just can’t get over that ending 😦 as it states in the synopsis we know that something terrible happens to Vivek Oji and that’s how we start the novel. from the first page I was sucked into this story and with what Emezi does best and we follow few different characters significant to the story and the switch between before and after of this incident that happens. Yes it is about the death of Vivek Oji but its not just that is explores the life of Vivek Oji and the company he kept (his family and friends) and how they treated Vivek with the ongoings of so many societal issues being put into these characters day in and out.
The way that Emezi can just write these stories is mind blowing and they are a force to be reckoned with from their writing and the beautiful prose to the characters and you can feel the emotion just rolling of the page with every novel Emezi writes, and this one did not disappoint. Auto buy author forever and always!!
this book deals with many subject matters that many readers could not want to read about but if you feel you are up for this novel I would recommend so so much!!!
Thank you to Netgalley/publishers for a early copy
Once upon an Eid synopsis
Once Upon an Eid is a collection of short stories that showcases the most brilliant Muslim voices writing today, all about the most joyful holiday of the year: Eid!
Eid: The short, single-syllable word conjures up a variety of feelings and memories for Muslims. Maybe it’s waking up to the sound of frying samosas or the comfort of bean pie, maybe it’s the pleasure of putting on a new outfit for Eid prayers, or maybe it’s the gift-giving and holiday parties to come that day. Whatever it may be, for those who cherish this day of celebration, the emotional responses may be summed up in another short and sweet word: joy. The anthology will also include a poem, graphic-novel chapter, and spot illustrations.
The full list of Once Upon an Eid contributors include: G. Willow Wilson (Alif the Unseen, Ms. Marvel), Hena Khan (Amina’s Voice, Under My Hijab), N. H. Senzai (Shooting Kabul, Escape from Aleppo), Hanna Alkaf (The Weight of Our Sky), Rukhsana Khan (Big Red Lollipop), Randa Abdel-Fattah (Does My Head Look Big in This?), Ashley Franklin (Not Quite Snow White), Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (Mommy’s Khimar), Candice Montgomery (Home and Away, By Any Means Necessary), Huda Al-Marashi (First Comes Marriage), Ayesha Mattu, Asmaa Hussein, and Sara Alfageeh.
My review below
This was such a beautiful collection of short stories entering around Ramadan and eid mubarak. very diverse full of very different meanings/ experiences of Eid/Ramadan written by all the others and really enjoyed that all the characters were all so unique in all their own ways and I didnt fell that there were one of the same in other characters.
some books were very happy and cheerful and some very sad but with hope swell which I loved the variations very much. learning more about the culture was so interesting and all the dishes that get made throughout this anthology sounded so amazing and I needed to eat them right away.
Even though im not the target audience for this book, it was just so amazing and if your muslim or not I very recommend you to read this book and to get a insight into the culture and you definitely learn quite a lot.
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!!!
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.
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.
This Arc was provided by the publishers via net galley in exchange for a fun and honest review..
This Graphic novel was such a fantastic and amazing story, the story has so many aspects that I really enjoyed very much such as. The.magic and family relationships that were so supportive all the time. It was amazing to see rep of a Female/Non binary relationship.(which was the cutest in the world).
This Graphic novel follows Nova a Chinese-American witch who sadly lost her parents and is still trying to grief in the best way she can. Nova lives with her Grandmas ( the best couple alert). All three of them work and look after Rare and special witch books which sometimes people come and and ask to rent them for a couple of days.
We also follow Tam a Non-Binary werewolf, who has come back to New England after leaving many years ago. Before they moved away Tam and Nova were really great friends and grew up together. Tam has came back because where they lived before he was having some issues with their family and they were not very kind at all to them.
I really enjoyed the underlay of the story of trying to find yourself in a world that can be very intimidating and tough at times, I Love how Nova and Tam always stuck together through everything and made sure that the other person was okay. Even though they both have their struggles individually they have that loving bond that can last a lifetime.
I just got to say that the Grandmas in this graphic novel are some of my fav people, they were so supportive, always wanting what was best for Nova and also welcomed Tam in with open arms and loving care.
Overall this Graphic novel was a Queer,Magical read that everyone needs to read when it is released and to meet these amazing characters. The rep in this I loved so much, the characters were amazing and finally the illustrations were gorgeous. Im definitely going to pick up a finished copy once it has been released just
so I can digest these visuals once again they are just the best.
Firstly would like to thank netgalley for a arc of this graphic novel In exchange for a honest review.
This graphic novel follows Hazel who all their life has been homeschooled and sheltered from the real world, so doesn’t really understand much about how much white privilege they has.
So when they get a summer job to work with a bunch of other teenagers around their age who are not homeschooled as they are and sees the diverse group of people with different backgrounds,races and so on. This really wakes up Hazel to a world they has never really seen or endured so is very interested to educate themselves.
Through this book we do see Hazel come into situations where they really do see their white privilege when one point of this book we see one of Hazel’s co workers who is black says something disrespectful about Hazel, they report it and he gets punished and chucked out of the job. But when someone else said something to a black girl It was pushed u set the rug and went unpunished.
This book definitely delved a little into a topic that is very major problem and has been a problem in society for years and years and which continue to keep happening everyday.
I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book I liked the images and because I read a arc copy a few pages were missing fully drawn art but was still great to see/ read and will be cool to see how it has been drawn in the finished copies.
Overall this graphic novel was a 3 stars for me, it’s definitely has important issues raised all through this that everyone should read but some parts of this graphic novel were a little bit like meh.
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