Tag: YA Fantasy

Posted in Book Talk

Mini Review: The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist

Posted on by Sara B.

The perfect YA book concept doesn’t exi–

Okay, that doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but you get my point. The premise for The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist sounded so wild and fun, I had to check it out. Protagonist Ivy finds that her favorite fictional hero Weston Razorbrook has come to life — but something’s off. It’s not just the character but the fanfic version of the character Ivy wrote. He’s literally made for Ivy, yet it doesn’t take too long for Ivy to realize he may not be exactly what she wants.

Continue reading “Mini Review: The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist” →
Posted in Book Talk

Double Feature: You and Me at the End of the World & The Half-Life of Love

Posted on by Sara B.

Y’all, I might have found a new author to add to my “Read Everything They Ever Write” list. Brianna Bourne came in with her debut YA novel You and Me at the End of the World in 2021, and later with The Half-Life of Love this past March — two contemporary romances sprinkled with the right amount of fantasy. I love discovering realistic stories and characters that seem like they’re touched with just a liiiittle bit of magic. Enough to make you want to believe in it.

Continue reading “Double Feature: You and Me at the End of the World & The Half-Life of Love” →
Posted in Book Talk

Review: Together We Rot

Posted on by Sara B.

If there’s one thing that makes me squirm, it’s bugs, and supernatural thriller Together We Rot is crawling with them. I just — I can’t do bugs. *shivers* I can’t, but good writing has a way of pulling me in and keeping me there. Skyla Arndt’s creepy and chilling debut novel follows ex best friends Wilhelmina and Elwood navigating the horrors of a small-town cult. Bugs aside, I am allured by all things dark, and exploring all the mystery and complexity of that, so I was excited to get to the bottom of this cult business.

Continue reading “Review: Together We Rot” →
Posted in Book Talk

Review: Throwback

Posted on by Sara B.

Throwback by Maurene Goo is a coming-of-age fantasy YA novel about a Gen Z Korean-American named Samantha who travels back to the 1990’s and meets her teenage mother, with the mission to change their future. With that description alone, I was ready to swan dive into this book. It sounded like a wonderful package of the things I love, like a zany k-drama meets 90’s teen movie. And I’m so glad that it fully delivered.

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Posted in Listicles

My Top 10 Most Anticipated YA Books (2020)

Posted on by Sara B.

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Well, isn’t this perfect timing. It’s summer, I’m out of school (for good! 🥳), and suddenly, all the big YA books are trickling out. The following list is only ten of the many that I’m excited to get my hands on. Mostly contemporary, that being my favorite genre, and some fantasy here and there. I went ahead and included stars to rate my personal excitement, as well as every book’s release date — so mark your calendars! Here we go! Continue reading “My Top 10 Most Anticipated YA Books (2020)” →

Posted in Book Talk

Mini Review: Opposite of Always

Posted on by Sara B.

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I love Groundhog Day. I love About Time. And oh man, I love the Supernatural episode “Mystery Spot.” (🎵 Heeeeat of the moment 🎵) So I was bound to love the time-travelling trope thrown into a swoony YA romance. I’d seen the pretty cover of Justin A. Reynolds’s Opposite of Always floating all over the place, and I finally found the time to read it. Or hear it, I guess, since I experienced the story with Audible. The voice actor brought protagonist Jack’s charm to life, making it so easy to fall into this world. And phew, I fell running. Continue reading “Mini Review: Opposite of Always” →