Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales

REVIEW: Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Darcy Phillips has a secret identity. She’s the one who doles out relationship advice through locker eighty-nine. And she has gone unnoticed for a couple years now. Until Alexander Brougham discovers her secret. In exchange for keeping quiet, Alexander wants Darcy to help him get his ex-girlfriend back.

As Darcy works to get past Alexander’s arrogant attitude to help him out, she’s also working on her own relationship issues. Her crush on her best friend, Brooke, has been going on awhile, but she can’t tell if Brooke might be interested, too. They are both in the Queer and Questioning Club at school. Brooke identifies as lesbian while Darcy identifies as bisexual. So, the potential is there. In fact, Darcy has already used her secret power of locker eighty-nine to keep Brooke from pursuing another relationship. Darcy just needs to figure out how to approach the subject.

But if Alexander spills the secret of locker eighty-nine and Brooke finds out it’s Darcy giving advice, Darcy’s entire world could blow up in her face.

Review

I enjoyed this new story from the author of Only Mostly Devastated (♥♥♥♥½). I liked Darcy and the thoughtful relationship advice she gives. The story was stressful, though. The reader knows almost from the start that there are secrets and lies to be revealed. I felt braced through so much of the book, waiting for everything to fall apart.

My favorite parts were the pieces around the Q&Q Club and Alexander dealing with his parents. Darcy has an interaction with the club about being bisexual and wondering if she’s “queer enough” if she’s in a relationship with a guy that alone was worth the reading experience. I thought it was so well done – this piece would make this a great book for discussion in a book group or classroom conversation, or in a real life queer club discussion. This piece of the book is something I have continued to think about since I first read it.

I also appreciated Darcy’s insightfulness – and the novel’s when Darcy missed things – about Alexander’s parents and the impact of their relationship on him. There are some beautiful moments at the end where Alexander gets some of his emotional needs met that I loved. Readers in the market for a teen romance that centers queer characters and queer voices should be sure to pick this one up. (Language, LGBTQ+, drug/alcohol use)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BONUS REVIEW: Spellmaker by Charlie N. Holmberg

BONUS REVIEW: Spellmaker by Charlie N. Holmberg

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and 47 North in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

In Elsie’s world, she was rare – a spellbreaker. In her mind, spells were like complicated knots she was able to untangle. She could also sense magic – visual signs for physical spells, sounds for spiritual spells, smells for temporal ones, and a certain sense in her mind for rational spells. But Elsie is self-taught and unregistered. Elsie’s secret caused a lot of trouble for her recently. And in the end, she discovered a killer. {Spellbreaker – ♥♥♥♥}

Now, she’s trying to figure out what to do with her discoveries. No one will believe her accusations. And despite the ways she was manipulated, Elsie bears some guilt for all that happened.

Then, someone reveals Elsie’s secret. And she is arrested for unregistered spellbreaking. Bacchus has a plan to get her released, though. Elsie will have to pretend that she just discovered her abilities. And they have to get married to keep with his story.

But a quick wedding and life with a man she’s sure will abandon her like everyone else in her life is only one of Elsie’s many problems. There’s still a killer on the loose who knows all too well what Elsie is capable of – and whose full plans have not yet come to fruition.

Review

This is a satisfying wrap up to the story begun in Spellbreaker. These books absolutely should be read in order. In fact, I read them back to back which helped a lot because there isn’t a lot of recap in Spellmaker for those who may have forgotten all that happened in the first book. The world building, while present and explained to a degree, relies on the reader already having a grasp of what has come before. For me, these books have a bit of the feel of the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger, but without the steampunk elements.

I liked the first book a bit more than I enjoyed this one. This adds the romantic pieces that for me became a distraction at times from the magic and action of the larger story. Those were the things loved in the first book. I appreciated the deeper look into Elsie’s psyche as she struggles with doubts about Bacchus and fears that she will be abandoned again. But the larger mystery/suspense pieces were more of a draw for me.

While I liked Elsie and Bacchus together, they didn’t stir up much for me feeling-wise. They were a logical match. And I appreciated how he saw and responded to Elsie’s insecurities. But I didn’t feel there was any “chemistry” there.

The fantasy/magical crimes story was really well done across the duology. I am eager to check out the author’s other work because I really enjoyed the fantasy elements here! And if she chooses to return to this world again, I will happily dive back into any books set in this universe.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Enneagram Empowerment by Laura Miltenberger

REVIEW: Enneagram Empowerment by Laura Miltenberger

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and DK Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

This opens with introductory information on the Enneagram including four pages per type in an overview. The book also introduces concepts like wings, stances, centers, and subtypes. I was sad to see it comes with a quiz. As I have said before, your Enneagram type is notoriously hard to discern with a quiz. Quizzes work well when evaluating observable behaviors. But the Enneagram is all about motivation. You may have several types who eschew conflict, but their reasons for doing so will differ. When I took the “quiz” here, I had five numbers with the same overall score. The goal of the quiz is to help readers narrow down the 9 types to 2 or 3. For me, I would have had 7 from the quiz.

When it comes to the introductory material, I would not recommend this book to Enneagram novices. Other than the quiz, there’s nothing “wrong” with the material at all. The introductory material is just pretty thin. I feel there are other resources that are better – The Road Back to You and Millenneagram to name a couple. They spend more time on the basics. (You can read my reviews other Enneagram resources here.)

Where this resource shines, though, is in the information on empowerment. The author splits the book into two sections – self-empowerment and relational empowerment. Self-empowerment includes things like self-care and empowered thinking, while relational empowerment includes boundaries, etc.. The author gives both general information on these various topics as well as Enneagram-type specific examples and suggestions. I found the Enneagram-specific pieces fascinating.

I am not sure I personally would get enough out of the empowerment pieces to add this to my Enneagram library. BUT I could see therapists and spiritual directors (although there is no faith component to the book) who work with people of a variety of types in empowerment tasks getting a LOT out of those pieces of this resource. I will definitely recommend this one to my helping-professional friends for their work.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Shuri: The Vanished by Nic Stone

REVIEW: Shuri: The Vanished by Nic Stone

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

As Shuri digs into her studies and training in order to earn a trip to a tech conclave with her brother, King T’Challa, she starts hearing rumors of missing teen girls. First, it’s someone she met on her last adventure. Then it’s someone her best friend K’Marah knows. Then Shuri is hacked by an American girl who also has a missing friend. And those three girls are just the tip of the iceberg. Girls from around the world between 10 and 15 years old, all with major STEM skills, have gone missing. But no one seems to have noticed.

When Shuri discovers coordinates in Ethiopia where the missing girls might be, she and K’Marah scheme for an opportunity to get away and check the place out. While they feel obligated to be sure the girls are safe, two more teenage girls on a rescue mission might not be the best choice. And what they find seems to raise more questions than it answers.

Review

This was fun! I loved the premise of the book – the missing STEM teens – and Shuri’s journey to solve the mystery. There’s nice development to Shuri’s relationship with K’Marah. And there are several fun appearances of folks from the larger Marvel universe. I would love to see the wrap up of this book become something bigger that gets explored more in a future story. Shuri seems well-positioned to make a difference for other bright young minds that don’t have the resources or support that she does.

Fans of the first book should NOT miss this one. Newcomers probably don’t need to have read that one to follow the action of this one, but it’s fun to see the full arc for Shuri in order. Readers should be aware that while there are some connections to the Wakandan world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this series does not line up 100% with the movie timeline. Also, this is a prose novel, not a graphic novel.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Nubia: Real One by L. L McKinney

REVIEW: Nubia: Real One by L. L McKinney

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and DC Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

You might think a second person with the powers of Wonder Woman would be welcome. But when she has brown skin like Nubia, it’s… complicated. For example, Nubia stops an armed robbery, but the victim assumes she is one of the culprits. She’s even cuffed and questioned by the police.

Nubia’s moms want her to lay low and stay out of the limelight. When her powers were discovered before, they always had to move to a new community. Nubia doesn’t want to leave her friends and a place where she is starting to feel she belongs. So she promises to keep her head down and stay out of things. But when trouble comes close to the people Nubia loves, she’ll have to decide what she is willing to risk to keep them safe.

Review

I was unfamiliar with the story of Nubia from DC comics history. This story is an amended take on the version where Nubia is Wonder Woman’s twin sister. (Yes, there’s an explanation here for the age difference.)

The Wonder Woman pieces of this are small. The larger focus is on Nubia and her peer group (friends, potential love interest), which I liked. Nubia’s friends are her world (in a good way), and they are the ones she wants to defend using her powers.

The conflict with Nubia’s moms is to be expected. They are torn between protecting her and giving her space to become the adult she is going to be. And there are also more stereotypical parent/teen conflicts they are working through as well.

My favorite parts were the places where Nubia’s journey intersects with contemporary issues – racism, sexism, sexual assault, police brutality, gun violence, etc. These very present, very real issues are placed up against Nubia’s supernatural gifts in a way I really enjoyed. (The publisher has included a content warning on the copyright page as well as reader resources in the back matter.)

Superhero fans, especially those looking for racially diverse and relevant characters and stories, should not miss this one! (Language, LGBTQ+, TW: racism, sexism, sexual assault, gun violence, school shooter)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick

REVIEW: The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and William Morrow in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Celia is still grieving the loss of her marriage (lousy cheater!) when she gets a response to her “Dear Birthmother” letter. Afraid her divorce will disqualify her from consideration, Celia drops the name of her famous alter ego – Calpurnia, the advice columnist. And it works. She has three months to find a big enough place to raise a child before the lawyer and birthmother come for a home visit. That also means she needs a raise at work.

Instead, Celia loses her job and inherits her Aunt Calpurnia’s home in Charleston. This might just be the silver lining in a season of clouds, loss, and sadness for Celia.

But the lovely, stately home of Celia’s childhood bears little resemblance to the disaster she has inherited. Calpurnia was a hoarder, and the house and yard are in miserable condition. But with a whole lot of work, Celia could have a home – and a neighborhood – where she could raise a child. But she’ll have to be willing to take a lot of chances to get there.

Review

Oh, this was lovely. It’s a delightful “found family” story that hit all the right notes for me. Celia is fantastic – the sort of person I would be friends with in real life. I loved the community she builds and the journey she is on. I would absolutely read this again.

The story really clicked for me when Celia got settled in Charleston. And as someone who kept a journal for a someday baby (who is now graduating from high school), I really connected with Celia’s journal entries for Peaches.

The only thing that didn’t really work for me was the romance. It was logical, but I never felt any real chemistry for them as a couple. Thankfully, though, the story is really about Celia – about her situation with the house, with being a mother, and with the community of people around her. The romance is a very small part of the story.

You do not want to miss Celia. Put this book on your reading list asap – it’s delightful. (TW: Infertility/adoption)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it ! Would read again.

REVIEW: Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Endless Waiting by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr

REVIEW: Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Endless Waiting by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

A hungry Ben starts his day without sausages (his stomach is pretty put out about that!), but with a fortune cookie. But then he has to give the cookie away (cue angrier stomach), leaving him with just the fortune: “Good things come to those who wait.”

This seems like good advice. And Ben wants good things. So he decides to do more waiting. But it doesn’t always make things better like he thought it would. For example, he waits to claim a partner for a class project and gets stuck with Walter. They used to be friends, but now Walter is kind of an outcast. In this case, waiting might have been a bad move.

Review

This is book 2 in the illustrated Cookie Chronicles series. I have not read book one, which was not an issue for understanding this book. This is primarily a friendship story. Ben follows his fortune and it causes a fracture in his relationship with his friends at school AND it gets him “stuck” with Walter on this project. I loved watching Ben wrestle through his friendship questions both with Walter and with the other kids. He makes some mistakes along the way, but his heart is in the right place. I think readers will enjoy the scavenger hunt pieces of the story as well as the friendship pieces.

Ben and Walter are both 8-going-on-9 which pitches this young in the world of middle grade novels. Because of that, I think this would also work for younger kids reading early chapter books who are ready for longer, more nuanced stories that still don’t delve into the more mature topics tackled in some middle grade books.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BONUS REVIEW: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

BONUS REVIEW: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

On the day of Deka’s purity ritual, her village is overrun by the violent, monstrous deathshrieks. But with the power of her voice alone, Deka makes them leave. This skill, and the gold that runs through her veins, marks her as a demon – alaki. Her sentence is death, but no matter how the elders try, she just won’t die.

The alaki are thought to be descendants of the Gilded Ones – four demons who terrorized the kingdom until the first Emperor defeated them. But Deka can’t fathom how she could be connected to them. And she’s consumed with shame for her impurity.

Deka is taken to serve the Emperor, committing to 20 years of service where she can earn her freedom. She and her “bloodsisters” will train with the most skilled alaki. Then they will lead the Emperor’s campaign against hundreds of thousands of deathshrieks. They will wipe them out forever, or die trying, no matter how many times it might take.

Review

Wow, this was great! I loved the world building here and the fascinating magic structures in the story. I was not expecting the smash-the-patriarchy angle to this, and I loved it. (There’s a great author’s note for readers on the themes of the book.)

I was impressed with how the author builds her story. It’s satisfying and compelling while also holding back significant information until the later sections of the book. The story never suffers in the waiting, though, but I did feel some of the reveals were more rushed than I wanted. I think slowing down to give more time to them would have negatively impacted the pacing of the story, though. So I will “suffer” with less depth and detail than I wanted. Maybe I’ll get that in the next book. I expected a cliffhanger for this, but the book stands on its own. There is still story to tell – this is just the start of a series. But the book ends in a way that feels “whole.”

I loved Deka in this – her sweet nature with her friends, her immense inner strength and loyalty, and her resilience. All of the core characters are great, but Deka really shines.

While the story has a lot to say about patriarchy and misogyny, it also hints at some questions about religion and faith. This is meaty and would make an amazing book group selection. YA fantasy fans should not miss this one! (Some language, violence/abuse, TW: references to sexual assault)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

REVIEW: Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

After her mother was killed, Rue’s long-absent father whisked her away to Ghizon, a secret, magical land. She doesn’t want to be there. She didn’t want to leave her younger sister. But she had no say in the decision.

A year later, Rue sneaks back to  her old neighborhood to see her sister, Tasha. She knows the rules – she can’t talk to her, won’t touch her. She’ll drop her gift on the stoop, and hide in the shadows. All that matters is that Tasha knows she loves her and hasn’t forgotten their life together.

But when Tasha’s life is in danger, Rue breaks all the rules, using her magic to save her sister. And the might of the power players in Ghizon comes crashing down on Rue’s head. And Tasha is in the line of fire.

But in one moment, before Tasha was rescued from that accident, before Rue used her magic, something strange happened. And Rue is determined to dodge her troubles in Ghizon, protect her sister from destructive forces from both worlds, and find out what really happened that day.

Review

I enjoyed this fascinating fantasy novel that merges a magical land with contemporary American settings. I felt like the beginning was slow; it took a lot longer than usual for me to feel like I had a grasp on this story and this world. The author does what everyone recommends – she starts in the middle of the action. But the world-building and backstory-building take time to develop. By the halfway point, though, I was hooked.

I loved Rue! Unlike in many YA novels, she is not a protagonist trying to figure out who she is. Despite the surprises of this magical world and a father she doesn’t know, she is exceptionally grounded and secure in her identity. She knows her value and her values, and everything she does operates from that core.

I loved how the two pieces of the story merged together – the things in Ghizon and the things in Rue’s old neighborhood. The big questions of the story are resolved by the end – no cliffhanger.  But there is still some justice that needs to be served in the sequel.

The racial pieces of the story – Rue and her father being the only Black people in Ghizon, the ways they are treated there, the ways her old neighborhood is abandoned by law enforcement, etc. – are handled really well. There’s a conversation between Rue and her best friend in Ghizon about dealing with the repercussions of racism in the story that bears re-reading. It’s painful, but it is also a necessary conversation for allies to wrestle with. I think this book would be a great book club selection – for teens or for adults – so the racial issues of the story could be applied to the racial issues of contemporary America. (And just to enjoy a good fantasy story!) Fantasy fans should not miss this one! (Language, violence, TW: racism)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

BONUS REVIEW: Love at First by Kate Clayborn

BONUS REVIEW: Love at First by Kate Clayborn

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Will was 15, he and his mom drove into Chicago. Typical teen, Will’s mind was mostly on school, his girlfriend, baseball, and the fact that his blurry eyesight was bound to start causing him trouble. (He thinks wearing glasses will be dorky, so he just lives with the blur.) When his mom asks him to wait outside while she talks to her brother – the brother Will didn’t even know existed – he goes.

That’s when he first hears the voice.

The girl it belongs to is pretty blurry up on her balcony, but first her voice and then her laugh grab his attention. He moves to approach her, but that’s when he overhears the conversation between his mother and his uncle. And it changes everything.

Sixteen years later, Will is back. He’s inherited his uncle’s apartment. And he wants nothing to do with it. He takes the recommendation of an acquaintance and plans to use it as a short term rental. The other building tenants are not pleased, including the building association president, Nora Clarke – the girl from the balcony that pivotal day.

Review

This is what I refer to as a “quiet” story. There’s no big adventure or quest or mystery.  It’s a lovely story about a group of neighbors and this couple at the center. Will and Nora both bring baggage to their encounters. And that drives some of the conflict that initially pits them against one another. Later, it holds them back from fully embracing their feelings for one another. But the conflict is more subtle and nuanced than in most of the stories I gravitate towards. There’s no Hallmark-esque secret or job change or return home that the reader sees coming a mile away. The central issue is more whether Will will let down his guard or if Nora will take a chance on change.

I enjoyed the characters and the story here. I was surprised by the full story of what happened when young Will first visited the apartment. Again, the conflict wasn’t the typical or expected, which was great.

Normally, quiet stories like this aren’t my style. I like the mysteries and explosions and magic and adventure in my usual books. But like with Love Lettering, the author has created captivating characters and a somewhat out-of-the-expected story that drew me in. Romance fans and fans of the author’s previous work should pick this one up. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+