Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith | ARC Review

Posted April 1, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

Thank you so much to HMH Teen for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review! Bloodleaf arrived at my doorstep on one of the last days of 2018, completely unexpectedly and I was thrilled! Though I hadn’t heard much about the title before, it came in absolutely beautiful packaging with a stunning cover that had me eager to dive into the book, despite sometimes having an on and off relationship with YA fantasy. Upon doing a little research, I also found out that the story was not only fantasy but a retelling of the Goose Girl fairy […]

Blog Tour | Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

Posted November 13, 2018 in Blog Tours, Books, Reviews / 6 Comments

Today I’m partnering with The Royal Polar Bear Reads and Bookable Reads for the Empress of All Seasons Blog Tour! Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play | Book Depository Empress of All Seasons may be another title in a sea of YA fantasy releases, however it immediately stood out to me within the first few chapters for several reasons, the strongest being the feminist themes and inversion of tropes generally associated with the male and female privilege in society. Protagonist Mari lives in a village comprised of shape shifting “Animal Wives” who are a kick-butt, take no prisoners, matriarchal society who highly value the […]

Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepard | ARC Review

Posted November 12, 2018 in Reviews / 2 Comments

* Thanks so much to HMH Teen for providing a review copy free of charge!* From the moment I first encountered Grim Lovelies, I was enchanted by its aesthetic. An urban fantasy set in Paris featuring magic and witches? Sign me up! The cover and all of the promotional materials were so gorgeous that I couldn’t help but be excited to read my first Megan Shepard novel. Though I haven’t been to France (yet), Grim Lovelies gave me so many Parisian vibes while reading, from the stately home full of antiques that Anouk and her fellow Beasties (animals enchanted into […]

His Fair Assassin | Trilogy Mini Review

Posted March 5, 2018 in Reviews, Series Reviews / 10 Comments

I’ve had Grave Mercy sitting on my shelf for a few years. As the winter season always makes me crave fantasy reads, I figured it was time to give it a shot (Warrior nuns? Why not?) It was an almost exciting premise to read a book that was so backlist compared to the new releases that I always get hyper focused on as a blogger, and I was glad I could go into this book with little to no influence. The beginning was super intriguing and action-packed. Ismae is in a horribly abusive situation and even before her convent training […]

With Malice by Eileen Cook | Review

Posted July 18, 2016 in Reviews / 7 Comments

Thrillers are perhaps the hardest genre to read and write, because readers are going in with a very specific set of expectations: plot twists, unreliable narrators, dangerous secrets, edge of your seat pacing, and a satisfying conclusion. I’m not sure if this complicated recipe for a good thriller is why they don’t seem to be super common in the YA market, but I’ve noticed a lack of them, which is why With Malice caught my eye. The stunning cover made it impossible for it to escape my notice, and the premise had me clicking “buy” without a second thought, curbing […]