Every week I list all (or almost all) of the YA books (and the occasional MG) that are coming out within that week!
P.S. Click on the book's cover for the Goodreads page!
Did I miss any books?
What books, if any, do you plan to read?
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Cover vs. Cover: The World Between Blinks by Amie Kaufman & Ryan Graudin
This week's pick is...
VS. 
US Australia
I added this book to my TBR before it had a cover because I love Amie Kaufman's books and the synopsis sounded interesting. If it had the US cover when I first found out about it, it is unlikely that it would have been added to my TBR. I absolutely hate the US cover. I know someone must have worked hard on it, but it honestly looks like it as made in the year 2000 and resembles an indie-published book designed on a low budget rather than a book published by Harper Collins. I really wouldn't have as much of a problem if it were indie published, but Harper Collins has a lot more resources than an indie-published author so I expect a lot more. I also usually don't like the 3D animation look on book covers. The background looks interesting, but the characters just look really awkward. So, the Australian cover was released this week and I am just extremely jealous. Like this is what I expect from an MG book in the year 2021. It is wonderfully illustrated and it showcases the fantastical aspects of the book, but they feel smoothly integrated together.
Final Verdict: Australia's Cover
What do you think? Give me your thoughts on which cover is the best!
I added this book to my TBR before it had a cover because I love Amie Kaufman's books and the synopsis sounded interesting. If it had the US cover when I first found out about it, it is unlikely that it would have been added to my TBR. I absolutely hate the US cover. I know someone must have worked hard on it, but it honestly looks like it as made in the year 2000 and resembles an indie-published book designed on a low budget rather than a book published by Harper Collins. I really wouldn't have as much of a problem if it were indie published, but Harper Collins has a lot more resources than an indie-published author so I expect a lot more. I also usually don't like the 3D animation look on book covers. The background looks interesting, but the characters just look really awkward. So, the Australian cover was released this week and I am just extremely jealous. Like this is what I expect from an MG book in the year 2021. It is wonderfully illustrated and it showcases the fantastical aspects of the book, but they feel smoothly integrated together.
Final Verdict: Australia's Cover
What do you think? Give me your thoughts on which cover is the best!
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Waiting on Wednesday: Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
Waiting on Wednesday (or Can't Wait Wednesday) is a weekly meme, hosted by Wishful Endings, where we talk about the books we're waiting (a bit impatiently) for!
This week I am waiting for...
Korey Fields is dead.
When Enchanted Jones wakes with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night, no one—the police and Korey’s fans included—has more questions than she does. All she really knows is that this isn't how things are supposed to be. Korey was Enchanted’s ticket to stardom.
Before there was a dead body, Enchanted was an aspiring singer, struggling with her tight knit family’s recent move to the suburbs while trying to find her place as the lone Black girl in high school. But then legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots her at an audition. And suddenly her dream of being a professional singer takes flight.
Enchanted is dazzled by Korey’s luxurious life but soon her dream turns into a nightmare. Behind Korey’s charm and star power hides a dark side, one that wants to control her every move, with rage and consequences. Except now he’s dead and the police are at the door. Who killed Korey Fields?
All signs point to Enchanted.
Release Date: September 15th, 2020
Why am I waiting?
I've only read one book by Tiffany D. Jackson, but I can tell she is a fantastic writer. She also doesn't pull punches and writes books with plenty of twists, but with truths about the world (I still need to read Allegedly but I don't think I will ever be emotionally ready for it). This book also sounds like it will be a difficult read, but I can't help but be intrigued.
What book are you waiting for this week?
What book are you waiting for this week?
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
REVIEW: The Companion by Katie Alender
Goodreads / Amazon/ Barnes&Noble / Book Depository/ IndieBoundThe other orphans say Margot is lucky.
Lucky to survive the horrible accident that killed her family.
Lucky to have her own room because she wakes up screaming every night.
And finally, lucky to be chosen by a prestigious family to live at their remote country estate.
But it wasn't luck that made the Suttons rescue Margot from her bleak existence at the group home. Margot was handpicked to be a companion to their silent, mysterious daughter, Agatha. At first, helping with Agatha--and getting to know her handsome older brother--seems much better than the group home. But soon, the isolated, gothic house begins playing tricks on Margot’s mind, making her question everything she believes about the Suttons . . . and herself.
Margot’s bad dreams may have stopped when she came to live with Agatha – but the real nightmare has just begun.
I've been waiting years for this book to come out! I loved Katie Alender's previous books, and when I saw a book called The Breaking Tide on Goodreads, I was ecstatic. And then I waited. And waited. And waited. Four years later, I had given up hope, and that's when the cover was revealed, with the title change The Companion. It was finally happening!
To be perfectly honest, I didn't even know what I was waiting for. I'm sure I read the original synopsis four years ago when I first added it, but I bet the book's details changed a lot in that time. I really just wanted another book by Katie Alender. This book wasn't quite what I expected. Based on her other books I expected more paranormal elements, but I certainly wasn't disappointed!
After her whole family dies in a car accident, Margot is left alone. She has no family left, no items left (because everyone thought she also died), and no home. When a rich family takes her in as a ward, she isn't sure what to expect. She certainly isn't expecting to become the companion to the family's rich daughter, Agatha, a beautiful girl who is sick and in a catatonic state. At first, she is glad to be a part of a family, and she starts to enjoy the slow pace of the estate life. But something isn't right about the family and the estate. She keeps getting odd feelings, seeing the word GO, and thinking Agatha is trying to tell her something. But what if she is just imagining it? What is really going on in this house?
When I first started this book, I was completely sucked into the story. We are very quickly sucked into this creepy atmosphere. We have the rich family, the orphan, the mysterious girl, and the old estate. These are elements that we're used to seeing in horror/thriller books and this very easily could've turned into the typical horror/thriller, but Alender did such a great job in creating a unique and suspenseful story. I had no idea how this book was going to turn out. We are taken in so many mysterious directions throughout the book, that I was constantly on the edge of my seat (figuratively, at least). Alender takes what we expect and turns it on its head, and I couldn't wait to find out the true story of what was going on in the estate.
As for characters, I connected with the MC, Margot, right away. She is coming to this estate still with grief over losing her family, but she also is a very tough character. She has been dealt a bad life, yet everyone calls her lucky because, despite her bad life, she still gets these chances. Margot feels like an unreliable character, but throughout the whole book, we don't know who to trust. Margot isn't even sure if she can trust herself, and this makes for an interesting read.
There is some light romance in the book. I didn't care for it, but I didn't hate it. It was just there, and just expected. I tend to prefer to not having romance in a book, but the romance didn't ruin the book for me.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this book did not disappoint me! This is yet another suspenseful read from Katie Alender and I look forward to more books from her (but I hope there won't be as long of a wait next time!)
I hereby give this book
4 Stars!
Meaning: I really liked this book!
Sunday, August 23, 2020
New Releases in YA! (August 23rd-31st)
Every week I list all (or almost all) of the YA books (and the occasional MG) that are coming out within that week!
P.S. Click on the book's cover for the Goodreads page!
Did I miss any books?
What books, if any, do you plan to read?
Thursday, August 20, 2020
REVIEW: The Darkest Legacy by Alexandra Bracken
Five years after the destruction of the so-called rehabilitation camps that imprisoned her and countless other Psi kids, seventeen-year-old Suzume "Zu" Kimura has assumed the role of spokesperson for the interim government, fighting for the rights of Psi kids against a growing tide of misinformation and prejudice. But when she is accused of committing a horrifying act, she is forced to go on the run once more in order to stay alive.
Determined to clear her name, Zu finds herself in an uncomfortable alliance with Roman and Priyanka, two mysterious Psi who could either help her prove her innocence or betray her before she gets the chance. But as they travel in search of safety and answers, and Zu grows closer to the people she knows she shouldn't trust, they uncover even darker things roiling beneath the veneer of the country's recovery. With her future-and the future of all Psi-on the line, Zu must use her powerful voice to fight back against forces that seek to drive the Psi into the shadows and save the friends who were once her protectors.
From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a harrowing story of resilience, resistance, and reckoning that will thrill loyal fans and new readers alike.
MY THOUGHTS
I have learned over the years to be wary when it comes to spin-off books.
When this book first came out, I was hyped for it. I even preordered it. But I didn't get to reading it right away, because I never felt in the mood for it. And as time went on, I grew wary about reading this book.
Here's the thing about spinoffs. Sometimes they go right. Sometimes they bring back the world and the characters you love. Sometimes they give a new perspective in a unique and interesting way. Sometimes they feel necessary.
But, more often than not, I get the letdown spinoffs. This one was that. It's not that I hated this book, it's not that I even disliked it. To be honest, I think it did a better job in the spinoff department than Rebel. But I just felt meh about this whole book. I felt disinterested the whole time, even in really intense scenes. It took me much too long to read this book because I kept taking breaks. I felt like I was forcing myself to read it.
Here's what makes rating this book difficult for me, because I can't fully place why this book didn't work for me. I could say it was the pacing or characters, but I worry that part of it is because I just am not as interested in these kinds of books anymore. I used to love dystopian fiction, but when the world looks more and more dystopian every day, I don't really want to escape into dystopian books. But it's also been six years since I've read In The Afterlight. Six years ago I was graduating from High School. Six years ago, dystopian was my jam. Now, my tastes have obviously changed. This makes me worry whether I would enjoy The Darkest Minds series if I reread it today.
Even though I felt like I was slogging my way through this book, I did like some parts. Once I got, say, 300 pages in, I grew more interested. I do think it added a lot of new details. It answered questions that readers of the original trilogy might have had. I also liked that it didn't kill off any of the major gang, which I have seen spinoffs do in the past. This book kind of shows how disastrous the world is years after the original series, and how the cast still has a lot of work to do. I think it was interesting to have a book from Zu's perspective, even if I had trouble connecting with her in the book.
When this book first came out, I was hyped for it. I even preordered it. But I didn't get to reading it right away, because I never felt in the mood for it. And as time went on, I grew wary about reading this book.
Here's the thing about spinoffs. Sometimes they go right. Sometimes they bring back the world and the characters you love. Sometimes they give a new perspective in a unique and interesting way. Sometimes they feel necessary.
But, more often than not, I get the letdown spinoffs. This one was that. It's not that I hated this book, it's not that I even disliked it. To be honest, I think it did a better job in the spinoff department than Rebel. But I just felt meh about this whole book. I felt disinterested the whole time, even in really intense scenes. It took me much too long to read this book because I kept taking breaks. I felt like I was forcing myself to read it.
Here's what makes rating this book difficult for me, because I can't fully place why this book didn't work for me. I could say it was the pacing or characters, but I worry that part of it is because I just am not as interested in these kinds of books anymore. I used to love dystopian fiction, but when the world looks more and more dystopian every day, I don't really want to escape into dystopian books. But it's also been six years since I've read In The Afterlight. Six years ago I was graduating from High School. Six years ago, dystopian was my jam. Now, my tastes have obviously changed. This makes me worry whether I would enjoy The Darkest Minds series if I reread it today.
Even though I felt like I was slogging my way through this book, I did like some parts. Once I got, say, 300 pages in, I grew more interested. I do think it added a lot of new details. It answered questions that readers of the original trilogy might have had. I also liked that it didn't kill off any of the major gang, which I have seen spinoffs do in the past. This book kind of shows how disastrous the world is years after the original series, and how the cast still has a lot of work to do. I think it was interesting to have a book from Zu's perspective, even if I had trouble connecting with her in the book.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, though I don't think this book was necessary. But, if fans of the series love it and if it makes other readers happy, then it's fine. I just wish I loved it more than I did.
I hereby give this book
2.5 Stars
Meaning: I almost liked it, but not quite
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)