Good girl, Bad BloodThe review below is being done on a Netgalley Advanced Reader's Copy of Good Girl, Bad Blood. This review is my own, and I have written it in my honest opinion.
There is so much I want to say about this series by Holly Jackson. This is the second novel in her series that started with A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, and I must say that I enjoyed the second one just as much as the first. Pippa Fitz-Amobi is a high school student who did a capstone project on a local murder-suicide that took place five year prior. She did her project because she felt that the person in question of the murder, Sal, did not commit the crime. Her goal was to see how the media contributed to the case, but in the end she wanted to prove that Sal was innocent. During her project she ended up uncovering so many possible suspects and secrets that many wanted to keep hidden. I will not give out more information just in case you are wanting to read the book. This book I am reviewing takes place a year after her original capstone and Pip is asked once again to participate in uncovering a mystery. Jaime, the older brother of one of her closest friends, has gone missing. Jaime's family believes that something is wrong because staying away from home for so long without communication is not his style. Pip takes up this favor and realises that maybe Jaime was taken against his will, and hopefully still alive. In addition to following many leads and using social media to help her uncover the events of the night he went missing, Pip also publishes a podcast where she shares insight on her previous mystery experience as well as what is currently going on in the current case. I had originally seen the first novel at Barnes and Noble when it was the book club pick for the month, but I decided to wait to buy it later. Looking back, I wish I had bought it then and there because it was such a fast-paced book with so many twists and turns that I could not put it down. It was because of this series that I made time to wake up earlier each day to read before work. Although, this second book did take some time to get started with the uncovering of the mystery, but once it did, I again could not put the book down. Holly Jackson's series will end with the upcoming novel As Good As Dead later this year, so if you are interested in reading the first instalments, you can find them below: Amazon Audible Barnes and Noble Better World Books Powell's
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Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate The Magic of Reading and Writing YA*The review below is being done on a Netgalley Advanced Reader's Copy of Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA. This review is my own, and I have written it in my honest opinion.
I first heard about the Foreshadow project earlier this year during a virtual book conference and I was so excited to hear that this book was to release this year. Other than hearing it was a collection of stories, I didn't really know what to expect in terms of genres or themes, so it was pleasantly surprising to see that so many different genres were showcased in this collection. I would finish reading one story and felt that there was no way the next one could compare, but before long the next story consumed me and I was caught up in the cycle all over again. The following is a list of the stories that were in the collection and a brief description of each. In this collection you can find something for every YA reader to enjoy: Flight (Fantasy)- A mother/daughter story about identity and society vs. self. Risk (Fantasy)- A story about friendship, transformation, and lobsters. Sweetmeats (Fantasy)- A story of friendship and fairtyales turn Grimm as two girls go missing and are found. Glow (Romance)- Two friends set off an an adventure to destroy the world. Escape (Romance/Legend)- A family who owns a mysterious pochette find that danger lurks closer than they suspect. Pan Dulce (Realistic Fiction)- A high schooler crosses the boarder to party, but finds that it may be harder to get home. SUPER HAPPY THIS ONE TAKES PLACE IN MY HOMETOWN OF EL PASO!! Solace (Romance/ Realistic Fiction)- A young woman tries to find herself among her magical garden amidst turmoil and tragedy. Princess (Science Fiction)- A young girl must choose to change her life in order to survive death. Fools (Romance/ Fantasy)- A witch is given a young baby that was born to a bunch of lovesick fools. The "heartless" girl becomes a gate-keeper who guards a magical world. Monsters (Realistic Fiction/ Fantasy)- A girl moves to the states with her aunt and cousin, but sees some supernatural things along the way. Break (Romance)- Fate tries to bring two characters together a few games of spin-the-bottle. Resilient (Realistic Fiction)- Two cousins make their way to the United States to work in a turkey factory after Hurricane Maria destroys their hometown. Belly (Realistic Fiction)- Two families squabble over land that a magical and tumultuous river cuts through, and one of the members is more connected to the river than even she knows. If you would like to pick up a copy of Foreshadow go to the following websites: Amazon Barnes and Noble Grown*The review below is being done on a Netgalley Advanced Reader's Copy of Grown. This review is my own, and I have written it in my honest opinion. Grown is the first book that I have read by Tiffany D. Jackson, and I have to say it was AMAZING! Grown is about a seventeen year old girl named Enchanted who has a beautiful singing voice. During a televised singing competition, Enchanted is approached by the world famous entertainer Korey Fields. Korey is dazzled by Enchanted's voice, and they exchange numbers. One thing to know about Korey Fields though is that he is twenty-eight years old...which makes his communication with Enchanted dangerous. Korey offers to take Enchanted under his wing in the music business, and this could be the opportunity of the life-time for Enchanted and her family. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse once Korey becomes a little too obsessed with Enchanted, and he begins to control her interaction with others. When Enchanted joins Korey's tour, she begins to see her family less, and now even her parents cannot get through to her. When Korey is killed, Enchanted becomes a person of interest, but she cannot remember what happened that night. I wish I can say more, but you have to read the book to let Enchanted tell you her story. I had found this book hard to read at times, not because it was bad, but because it was so life-like. This book is important to read because it discusses topics of consent, healthy/unhealthy relationships, family, and self-worth. Even though I am not a teenager anymore, it still holds the reminder of what relationships should look like. Since Enchanted is a woman of color, this book also gives us a picture of some of the challenges we encounter. Enchanted is an incredible character on a wild journey, and I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this before release. If you are interest in getting your own copy, Grown was released today, September 15, 2020. Get yours below: Amazon Audible Barnes and Noble Better World Books Yellow Jessamine*The review below is being done on a Netgalley Advanced Reader's Copy of Yellow Jessamine. This review is my own, and I have written it in my honest opinion. Yellow Jessamine by Caitlin Starling is set in a small trade town. From the very beginning of the book we are introduced to our main character, Evelyn Perdanu who is in perpetual mourning after her family died under mysterious circumstances; she has taken over the family business of importing goods, but tragedy strikes as soon as one of her ships makes landfall. Members of the crew have been overcome with comatose states and doctors cannot identify what is the cause of their issue. As the book continues, more citizens succumb to the "plague" and Evelyn begins to wonder if her boats and crew were the cause of them. In addition to the already drama filled plot, Evelyn has found a man on the brink of death, but what makes matters worse is that he is an enemy of the country. Should she harbor a fugitive or let him die? This book has so many twists and turns that it did keep me wanting to read more to figure out what the mysterious illness was. As much as I love a good mystery though, this book does include a little bit of romance, not too much to be overwhelming, but enough to add to the suspense of the novel. All in all, I did enjoy the book, but I do wish the ending was different. When I first decided to request this book, it was listed under Horror, but when I read it I saw it more as a Fantasy novel instead. This may be why I did not enjoy the ending as much. Yellow Jessamine was released on September 5, 2020. You can get your copy below: Amazon Audible Barnes and Noble Better World Books Powell's Buried DeepBuried Deep by Margot Hunt was a fast-paced listen from Audible (about 2 and a half hours long) that follows the a husband and wife during a murder investigation. Maggie and James Cabot have been married for about 20 years and Maggie does not doubt that James loves her, but when a detective comes to her doorstep to inquire about James' missing fiance (from the past), Maggie begins to doubt her husband's love and loyalty. James was once engaged to a rising star, Hannah, one who was so beautiful she could not hide from the media once her disappearance during a camping trip occurred. Many, at the time of her disappearance, assumed she drowned after a late night at the beach; when her remains are found buried, police have no choice but to question James again. This causes Maggie and James' marriage to spiral as secrets are kept (on both sides), and it begs the question of who killed Hannah? As I was listening to this book I could not help but wonder how their marriage would survive this media circus. Maggie is such a curious character, and she does her best to find out information about the past in order to help out her husband. I was so engaged in the story that I was able to listen to it all in one sitting. Granted, I know it is a short story, but it is still very action packed and it leaves the reader dying to know what happened to Hannah. If you are interested in listening to Hunt's story, you can get your copy below: Audible |