Review: Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok

Title: Spectacle
Author: Jodie Lynn Zdrok
Genre: YA/Historical/Fantasy/Mystery
Release Date: February 2019
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Spectacle is an atmospheric YA debut that promises thrills and horror and, fortunately, the story delivers; set in 1887 Paris, we begin the story following Nathalie, a 16-year-old burgeoning reporter who is tasked with writing the morgue report for Le Petit Journal. While visiting the morgue, which is open to the public, to research her daily article, Nathalie finds herself supernaturally entangled in a mystery of a serial killer, and discovers she may possess unique gifts that could help the police unmask the murderer. Aided by her best friend Simone and a cute young investigator, Nathalie puts her journalism skills and her unique gifts to work in unraveling a gruesome mystery.

Throughout the book, Zdrok does an excellent job capturing the morbid fascination with true crime that was as true in the 19th century as it is today. In Nathalie's world, Parisians view corpses at the morgue with their toddlers in tow, visit wax museums depicting scenes of murder victims, and enjoy celebratory drinks after watching a public execution. Even though this book takes place in the summer, it has a very eerie vibe and the setting really drew me into the story with its cafés, cabarets, and catacombs.

There were def some Penny Dreadful vibes

In addition to the time period and the setting, I also really enjoyed being in Nathalie's head; she's smart and rational, so I wasn't constantly yelling at her like I find myself doing so often with mystery books. I also loved that Nathalie actually had friends who were fully developed and had their own lives, only adding to the realism of her world, and her parents really added to the story instead of fading into the background, which I find happens all too often in YA novels. I don't want to discuss too much of the plot in this review in order to avoid spoilers, but I thought there actually were a good amount of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I almost didn't trust a single person throughout the story, especially due to the elements of mysterious magic, missing memories, and visits to the insane asylum (I'm telling you, this book has it all). At times, the middle of the book was paced a bit slow, but it quickly picked up and sucked me back in.

I found this debut to be an excellent read that I would recommend to lovers of historical mysteries (I read all of the Lady Julia Grey books, so I'm the target audience) who also enjoy fantasy and horror elements thrown in as well. This is kind of a dark read with some gruesome details, but to me that adds to its appeal. I hope there are more books planned set in this world, because I'm dying to find out more!

Note: I received a digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing me this copy!

Review: The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

Title: The Night Tiger
Author: Yangsze Choo
Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Release Date: February 2019
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Last year, I discovered my favorite under-the-radar read, The Ghost Bride, which came out in 2013 and told a spellbinding story of a beautiful girl in Malacca, Malaya who is betrothed to a dead man, and the trials she must endure to avoid becoming a ghost bride and creating the life she truly wants. I finished the book in something like two days and I immediately searched for other works by the author, but was extremely disappointed to find out it was her debut and, only, book. 

Fast forward to seeing The Night Tiger on NetGalley a few months ago. I immediately cheered, added it on Goodreads and requested it, crossing my fingers that I would get approved. Now, here I am having finished, again in about two days, and I'm awestruck by this author once more. Similarly to The Ghost Bride, Choo's latest work intertwines folklore, myth, and magic with the everyday trials of grief, feeling like one's fate is out of one's hands, and examining the gender inequality so present in society. Taking place in a different Malaya location, mostly in Ipoh and Batu Gajah, during the early 1930's, the setting is a beautifully bittersweet rendering of a country that sees the blend of so many rich cultures side by side with the careful grip of colonialism. 

In this setting, we meet Ji Lin, a smart, clever girl whose name corresponds with the virtue of wisdom, even if at times she feels she is always doing the wrong thing. Ji Lin loved academics and longed to study medicine, but her family forbid it due to her gender, and instead she is relegated to apprenticing at a dress shop and earning extra money as a "dance instructor" at a dance hall, the May Flower. In 1930's Malaya, working in a dance hall is seen as being very unbecoming and lowers her status, but Ji Lin enjoys the female friendship and it's the only way she can make enough money to help cover for her mother's secret gambling debts. Ji Lin grew up along side Shin, (or xin, the the virtue of faithfulness) her stepbrother, and they were always close, even sharing a birthday, until they finished school and Shin left home to pursue the career in medicine that Ji Lin so desperately wanted.

The Ghost Bride, 2013

Running parallel to Ji Lin's struggles, we meet Ren, who is a possibly ten or eleven year old trying to pass for "almost thirteen", an orphan whose twin brother died years ago. Ren, an extremely competent houseboy, is on a mission to fulfill the dying wish of his former master, which was to be buried with his missing finger so that he could pass into the afterlife as a complete person. Ren, clever and determined and honestly the highlight of this book, goes to work for a new master, a doctor like his previous one, in the town where Shin happens to be working as an orderly. 

In the background of the private struggles of each character is a possible man-eating tiger who may not be a man or a tiger completely, but some fearsome combination of both. Add to this a magical blend of ghosts, premonitions, and dreams that feel "like stories unfolding", and you can almost picture the perfection that is The Night Tiger. Drawing from folklore and mythology combined with beautifully evocative writing, I'm glad that Choo took her time with this manuscript because the finished work has turned out to be one of my favorite books (once again!) that will stick with me for a long time. I highly recommend preordering this book, and even though I received an e-ARC of it, I'll probably end up purchasing it as well. Not only is the cover gorgeous, but I feel this is the type of story I will want to read and re-read and get more out of it with each reading. If you love historical fiction, settings that are often not written about historically, and a blend of magic and ghost story, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Note: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale

Title: Small Town Hearts

Author: Lillie Vale

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Young Adult

Release Date: May 2019

Rating: 4/5 Stars













Sometimes, you just need a solid small-town romance to cleanse the palate after reading a pile of literary fiction titles and for me, Small Town Hearts was the perfect sweet treat. Small Town Hearts is a bittersweet, beautifully written book that perfectly captures the in between of growing up and childhood, of moving forward or staying in place. The story follows 19-year-old Babe, who works and lives in the small Maine town of Oar's Rest. Babe is happy to stay in town after graduation and pursue her love of baking and coffee, and plans on spending the summer with her best friends who also happen to be dating. Babe herself hasn't dated since her ex girlfriend left for college, and she certainly doesn't plan on pursuing the cute, mysterious "summer boy" Levi who is in town for a summer art program. But Babe's summer gets complicated real fast and nothing turns out quite as she plans.

Babe is the best, she bakes and makes coffee

What I loved: the setting! Oar's Rest is an idyllic small town set on the coast of Maine. Babe lives in a freaking lighthouse and is a baker and barista at a super cute coffee shop called the Busy Bean. There's an annual fish fry and sandcastle competition, and neighbors around Oar's Rest look out for each other. Yet even in this sweet small town, there's drama. Babe doesn't know her father, and her mother basically takes off most of the year to work on a cruise line. At nineteen, Babe is basically on her own and supporting herself, so her friends play an extra important role in her life as sort of her found family. So when her perfect summer plans come to a halt when her best friend, Penny, decides to break up with her other best friend, Chad, and asks Babe to do it for her, Babe knows that no matter how much she hates change, this will be a summer full of it. Babe finds some relief in Levi, an artist in town for the summer as a part of the town's Art Center's artist in residence program, but she has no desire to fall for a boy who will only be in town for a few months, so she tries her best to keep him at arm's length. Meanwhile, she finds out her ex, Elodie, also an artist, is back in town for the summer and she dreads seeing the girl who broke her heart. As you can see there are lots of juicy moments throughout the story, but overall the authenticity of the characters really shines through, even with all of their faults.

How I pictured Babe's front yard

Plus, It was nice to read a story with a bisexual heroine whose coming out isn't the focus of the story, but instead her sexuality is just already a fact about who she is. The writing is really evocative and the setting makes you wish this town was real. Although there are quite a few dramatic moments between friends and exes, I thought that was very authentic given the age of the characters. Everyone is right on the edge of being done with high school and forced to start growing up, but also reluctant to be a full-fledged adult. Babe's story really rang true for me, and I would definitely recommend this to readers who love small town settings, realistic angst, and complicated friendships and relationships. Also, it will make you really hungry so make sure you have coffee and a baked good while you're reading!

Admittedly, it was kind of odd to read this book during the holidays since it takes place in the summer, but it actually perfectly captured that warm-and-fuzzy first love feeling that is fun to read about this time of year. It's expected publication date is next May, so it will come out right in time to be a perfect summer read. A really solid YA contemporary, and I look forward to hearing more from this author!

Unboxing: February Uppercase Box

I was recently gifted a subscription to Uppercase Box, which is a YA-focused monthly subscription box featuring one signed new release and a few little bookish goodies. So far, I've been loving my boxes! My first one came last month and I was super impressed with the book choice and the quality of items, and when this month's box came I literally gasped.

February Book of the Month

This is one of my most anticipated reads of 2018! I almost bought this book the other day because I had ordered it for my library and for some reason it hadn't come in yet and I was dying to read it, so when I opened my Uppercase Box and found The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross inside, I died! And the edition included is beautiful; cover is gorgeous and the pages are all deckled edges and super thick, plus it's signed by the author. This is the kind of book that is worth subscribing over!

Other Goodies

This box also included an exclusive sticker to go along with the book (last month had a magnet; if I'm being honest, I prefer a magnet), plus a cute little notepad and, my favorite goodie included, a library-themed whole-bean coffee. I think that Uppercase Box definitely knows its' audience.

Overall Thoughts

So far, and I've checked out quite a few other subscription boxes, Uppercase Box has easily become my favorite. The book selections are consistently books that I want to read and would love to own, the extra goodies are always fun and useful, and the special features like author videos and book playlists that are available through their website make the reading experience a bit more exciting. I would 100% recommend subscribing if you like YA new releases but aren't sure which ones to buy, or if you are looking to gift a book lover. Shout out to my mom for getting this subscription for me during the holidays.

Did you subscribe this month? How do you feel about the selection?

Review: The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo

Title: The Way You Make Me Feel
Author: Maurene Goo
Genre: Contemporary YA
Release Date: May 2018
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Maurene Goo is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary YA authors! I loved I Believe in a Thing Called Love and, to be honest, when I first started this book, I wasn't sure if it would live up to my expectations. Our main character is Clara, whose best friends are two prankster guys, and she loves joking around, playing pranks, and basically distancing herself from emotions and just having a good time. When one of her pranks goes too far, she's sentenced to work on her dad's Brazilian-Korean fusion food truck all summer long with her apparent enemy, Rose, who is a high achiever that Clara can't relate to at all. Meanwhile, a cute boy who frequents the food truck may make the summer a little more interesting.

At the start of the book, I straight up could not stand Clara. She was so obnoxious!!! And why didn't she have any female friends? But then, as I kept reading, I got to experience Clara's growth and see how she evolved throughout the story, and her relationships changed and grew, I found that I related to her quite a bit. I don't want to spoil the story so I won't elaborate much more, but basically this book has all the feels, and has a good balance of a romance but also focuses on friendships and family relationships, too. I always get a little annoyed in YA books when the parents are basically non-characters and the teens just live their lives-- it's so unrealistic! Goo does an excellent job including the familial relationships and giving depth to her characters, even to minor ones. Also, this book will make you incredibly hungry so make sure you have snacks handy while reading.

All the feels

I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of contemporary YA, readers who love stories about characters finding their identities, and lovers of feel-good romances with a good dose of comedy and emotional moments. Ahh it was so good! I can't wait to read more books by Maurene Goo. These are 100% books that I wish I could give to teenage me.

Me as I finished this book

Note: this ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Favorite Middle Grade Books of 2017

There were seriously so many awesome middle grade books that came out this year! Although I sadly couldn't get to them all (if only), there were still quite a few I read that I loved. Below, in no particular order, a few of my favorites from 2017. Keep an eye out for a future post of the middle grade reads that I'm most looking forward to in 2018!

My Favorite Reads

 

The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh (published September 2017)

This was one of my favorite overall reads of the year. I loved the sensitive main character, Bea, as she navigated middle school, changing friendships, and understanding how to be yourself when all kinds of circumstances are pulling you in different directions. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy honest, introspective books that deal with emotions in a realistic way. 

Paper Chains by Elaine Vickers (published October 2017)

This book is a follow-up to Like Magic, telling the story of a character from that book as she moves to a new town and has a new best friend. Both girls have secrets and make assumptions that get in the way of their friendship, but they also go through amazing growth to learn how to be brave for one another and for themselves. A lovely book that confronts serious issues of families splitting up and adoption without sacrificing that brutal kid honest that makes a story ring true.

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng (published February 2017)

I think this book was another star of 2017, and will definitely resonate with anyone who loved Carl Sagan's Cosmos as a kid. This book follows a precocious kid named Alex, who wants to win a rocket building contest and ends up on a bigger journey with his dog, Carl Sagan, than he initially anticipated. The book is told through recordings that Alex is making for possible alien lifeforms who may discover his "golden iPod", making for a unique storytelling device as well as a quick read, as it is largely dialog. Still, Cheng manages to incorporate some gut wrenching emotional moments as Alex deals with living with a parent who has issues that he doesn't understand, and living without a deceased father that he knows little about. A funny but insightful read.

Other Notable 2017 Releases

 

To be honest, so many awesome middle grade books came out this year that I can't really include them all, but here are a few that I feel should be getting a bit more buzz.

The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez (published August 2017)

Confession: when I was in middle school, I totally made zines and listened to punk music and scoffed at all things that I considered suburban and lame, so this book really speaks to me. A lovely, light book about self-expression, figuring out your identity, and determining what it means to feel like you "belong".

It All Comes Down to This by Karen English (published July 2017)

It's 1965 and Sophie has just moved to Los Angeles, where she finds herself on of the few African-American kids in an almost exclusively white neighborhood. Karen English blends the realism of growing up and dealing with shifting family dynamics and being the new kid, along with the historical events of the Watts Riots. A slower paced read that focuses more on the main character and her inner life that will appeal to historical fiction lovers.

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar (published April 2017)

Inspired by the author's actual experiences growing up in 1960's New York City, this book follows Ruthie, a Cuban-Jewish immigrant who navigates a new culture, a new language, and a horrific car accident. A realistic, inter-sectional book for readers who appreciate character growth and inclusive storytelling.

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (published October 2017)

And to balance out all of those realistic reads, a bit of magic. Morrigan Crow is fated to die when she turns eleven, but is instead swept away to a magical land by the mysterious Jupiter North for a chance to join the Wundrous Society. This imaginative, wonderful story will definitely draw in fantasy lovers who are Harry Potter fans or fans of other inventive worlds like those of Neil Gaiman. Plus it's always good to mix it up with a bit of the fantastic when reading all of these emotional middle grade books!

Side note: can we take a moment appreciate how awesome the cover art for all of these books is??? I love that middle grade is leading the charge for beautiful, engaging cover art. Anyway, that's all for now from me. I'll be assembling a few other best of 2017 lists for young adult and adult fiction, so keep a look out for future posts. 

Until then, happy reading!

Review: The Science of Unbreakable Things by Tae Keller

Title: The Science of Unbreakable Things
Author: Tae Keller
Genre: Realistic Middle Grade
Release Date: March 2018
Rating: 5/5 Stars

I feel incredibly lucky that the past few books that I've read have been super good, and The Science of Unbreakable Things by Tae Keller thankfully did not break the pattern. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I couldn't really write a review right away, I had to take a little while to process what I liked so much about this book. Basically, it follows seventh grader Natalie via the science log book that her teacher, Mr. Neely, has his class keeping for the school year. Natalie is smart, but can't really connect with science at the moment because she's distracted by the fact that her mother won't get of bed or go to work, and her father, a therapist who loves talking about feelings, won't tell her what's going on. Luckily, Natalie has her best friend Twig, who is unapologetically weird but a loyal friend nonetheless, and a possible new friend in Dari, the class science whiz. Mr. Neely suggests that Natalie compete in an egg drop competition for her year long project, and Twig and Dari get drawn into her plan to use the egg drop money to do something for her mom that she thinks will bring her old self back.

Needless to say, this book gives you all the feels. It's wonderfully written and some parts are so true I couldn't help but connect with Natalie. Her father is half Korean, but he isn't very interested in his heritage, often dismissing his Korean mother's cooking or traditions. Natalie, meanwhile, longs to connect with this side of herself. She mentions that she feels like she's not a very good Asian because she doesn't know much about her Korean background, and as someone who is half-Asian, I thought that her feelings about being multiracial rang incredibly true. This book is full of all sorts of little moments of honesty that I feel that readers of all ages could connect with. It also deals with depression in sensitive but truthful way, as well as emphasizing the importance of having a support network when you are dealing with mental illness, either first hand or through a loved one. This debut book really won me over and I would recommend it to readers of books like See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng, who enjoy realistic middle grade that is at times funny, at times sad, but always completely sincere.

Accurate depiction of me reading this book.

This book is definitely a must-read when it comes out next March, and I'm straight up loving all of the STEM-centered stories that have been coming out in the middle grade world. I'm working on doing a post on my favorite middle grade reads of 2017, since I've been reading a lot in that genre, as well as the new releases I'm most looking forward to in 2018. Stay tuned for more middle grade in future posts!

Note: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Title: The Belles

Author: Dhonielle Clayton

Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult

Release Date: February 2018

Rating: 5/5 stars

The Belles is a rich, engrossing fantasy story set in a French-inspired nation called Orléans, where Beauty is a goddess to be worshipped and blessed beings known as the Belles bestow her beauty amongst the rest of society. In the creation myth of this world, humans were cursed after Beauty was accused of caring for them too much, and they were turned into the Gris, with gray skin and devoid of traditional marks of beauty. The story follows Camellia, who is just graduating from her Belle upbringing to begin working to make people beautiful. Camellia is a sort of over-achiever, and longs to be the favorite of the royal family and be stationed as the official palace Belle. However, she finds that life at court is not what she thought it would be, and she's faced with choosing between following the strict rules of society and being an agreeable Belle, or finding what she truly believes in and standing up for herself.

How I pictured the world, except with less white people

What I loved about this book was definitely the beautifully imagined world that Dhonielle Clayton created. Every detail is richly described, and I was immediately transported into the world. The world-building was excellent, and the magic system, known as the Belle's arcana, was unique and well-done. The Belles is not a particularly short book, but it's highly addictive and definitely draws the reader in with its' beautifully rendered world, high-stakes drama, and strong, kind heroine, Camellia, as well as the supportive side characters such as her sister Belles and her servant, Bree. There are a lot of complicated women in this story, which makes it even more interesting. At times I thought that the villain was a little much (think Marie Antoinette meets Joffrey from Game of Thrones), but her actions didn't hinder the storytelling at all. Overall, an excellent start to the series and I can't wait to see how these characters evolve as the story continues!

Note: I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What I Can't Wait to Read: YA 2017

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Release date: March 14th, 2017 (today!)

This contemporary, geek-centric story focuses on best friends, fandom, a super convention, and what happens when lifelong friendships evolve into something more. It sounds super cute and like a lot of fun to read, plus the hot pink hair on the cover is amazing. I'm really looking forward to picking this one up now that it's out!

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo

Release date: May 30th, 2017

I am always looking for more YA books with Asian heroines, and the addition of K dramas in this book takes my fangirling for this release over the top. High school senior Desi Lee decides to take some inspiration from K drama in hopes of winning over her crush, and something tells me that won't go exactly as planned. Plus, the cover is so cute! 

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Release date: May 30th, 2017

I'm not going to lie, the cover definitely pulled me in to add this book to my TBR. The colors and the sheer joy in the cover make this book look like a really fun read. Plus, this book focuses on a contemporary romance between opposites and I love opposites attract love stories. 

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Release date: May 2nd, 2017

Although the Lara Jean books were intended as a duology, I was thrilled when Jenny Han announced a third installment. I loved Lara Jean's love story with Peter, going from a pretend romance to something real, and enjoyed watching her character grow and evolve on her own without her older sister present to shape her life. Some readers find Jenny Han books a bit too sappy, but I think she balances it out with a good dose of humor. I pre-ordered this one and will probably due a review of the whole series once I read it.

Dear Reader by Mary O'Connell

Release date: May 9th, 2017

This book is billed as Gilmore Girls with magical realism, which means I added it to my TBR immediately. I'm not sure how apt that comparison is, but it also is a sort-of retelling of Wuthering Heights, which I also find intriguing. Hopefully the male lead in this book isn't as terrible as Heathcliff, but you never know. It still sounds like a fun read and I can't wait to check it out!

The Authentics by Abdi Nazemian

Release date: August 8th, 2017

Again, the font and cover design definitely drew me in to this one, but I'm also intrigued by the story of an Iranian-American teen, Daria, who is proud of her culture and background but still learning more about it, not all of which she agrees with. I love contemporary YA about self-discovery and figuring out how to stay true to yourself, so this sounds like a good read.

The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana

Release date: July 18th, 2017

I had to throw a fantasy title in here since all my most anticipated reads seem to be contemporaries. Plus, look at the cover of this book! This book infuses fantasy with Indian folklore and follows the story of Princess Amrita who begins the story offering herself as a bride to save her people, but ends up a fugitive and on the run. I have high hopes for this book!

Hello, Sunshine by Leila Howland

Release date: July 11th, 2017

This looks like a fun summer read in the vein of Morgan Matson, and follows Becca as she moves to L.A. in hopes of making it as an actress. It sounds like a fun, inspirational book and I'm intrigued by the possible love interest not being a white guy (his name is Raj). Also, how cute is the font for the title?!

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Release date: September 19th, 2017

This one is coming out a little later this year than the other books I'm excited about, but I had to include it. I loved Jennifer Mathieu's Devoted, and when I saw she had a new book coming out I added it to my TBR right away. Plus, the main character in this book is the child of a 90's riot grrrl who decides to fight the patriarchy at her high school with zine making (I may have written my senior thesis on 90's riot grrrl and third wave feminism). It sounds so, so good!

Note: release dates are what is listed on Goodreads, and may change in the future.