Category: Teen/YA Fiction Review

BONUS REVIEW: The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

BONUS REVIEW: The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

In the spring of 1992, Ashley is trying to endure the final days of her senior year. She’s a good student, and her parents’ hard work and success have given her opportunities she might not have had otherwise. She recognizes that being Black makes her perspective on things different from that of her while friends. But usually she tries to operate like it’s a non-factor.

Then the officers who beat Rodney King are acquitted, and her LA community explodes in anger and protest.

As her uncle’s store sits in the middle of the violence, and her cousin moves into their house for safety, and Ashley’s sister joins the demonstrations, Ashley tries to negotiate the ways the riots change her life and the way she thinks about herself, her friends, and her family.

Review

There’s a lot going on in this book. Ashley’s waiting to hear about college, she’s doing daily life with the white kids she’s grown up with. She and her family experience the same racist behavior as any other Black person in her community. Her fancy school, and her parents’ money, can’t protect them from those who only see skin color.  There’s relationship drama and prom and then rumors about one of the Black athletes at school. Ashley’s sister has eloped, which has only increased the tension between her and Ashley’s parents. The LA riots are a thread that runs through the story, but it’s one thread of many, and in some ways it seems more like a setting piece or part of the story’s context rather than a major part of the book itself.

This feels more like a cross-section of teen life than a story centered on the riots. Yes, Ashley is wrestling with her racial identity, and the wrestling is elevated by the Rodney King verdict. But there’s so much else going on. I struggled to hold onto a through line because I thought the riots were going to be that through line, and they weren’t for me. And at times, I also struggled with the timeline of passages of the book. A question might be raised, which would lead to backstory or fill-in details, but the answer for the question would come later or in the next passage. I found myself stopping and backtracking to see if I somehow missed the answer to the question. It’s a style choice that will work for some readers, but didn’t always click for me.

I think I would have gotten into the groove of this faster if my expectations were different. The materials I read leading up to starting the book left me with the impression that this would be more about the riots – something like I’m Not Dying with You Tonight – than it was. Instead, when you read this one, keep in mind that the riots are a backdrop for a more personal story about Ashley. This is really about her – her identity, her relationships, and the seismic shifts that come with graduation and with the impact of the riots on her family and community.

(Language, off-page sex, drug/alcohol/cigarette use, LGBTQ+: M/M couple, F/F flirting and kissing. TW: Abuse, suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood

REVIEW: More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Every year the core class teachers at Aligheri Prep choose a senior to represent their subject in a Renaissance Man competition. And every year excited parents and bored students listen to the presentations on English, math, physics, biology, chemistry, geography, and economics. It is the kind of thing that looks good on a college application for the few who are chosen. And the winner gets $5000 and doesn’t have to take the final for their subject area. But none of that mattered to Danyal Jilani because he was not the sort of student to ever be chosen for the Renaissance Man.

Except he IS chosen. By his history teacher. Mostly out of spite.

Danyal is supposed to speak about Winston Churchill. His history teacher is a major Churchill fan. But as Danyal starts reading about Churchill and talking to his father, he finds out about Churchill’s role in the Bengal Famine. Danyal feels a responsibility to talk about that part of Churchill’s story. But Danyal’s parents say he needs to deliver the story his teacher expects so he can graduate. His crush says the same. She likes him, but her parents won’t even consider a match between them if Danyal is going to settle for squeaking through high school and becoming a chef. He needs to wow them at the Renaissance Man, go to college, and follow the expected path.

If Danyal’s going to go against his parents, his teacher, and the girl he wants to someday marry, and live to tell the tale, he has to crush his speech at the competition. And Danyal’s rarely excelled at anything non-food related in his life. But his new friend Bisma might be just the help he needs.

Review

In the beginning, Danyal felt like an underachieving screw up. He’s not driven except when it comes to cooking. He struggles at school, both academically and with motivation. He goes for the laugh in awkward moments or when he’s caught unprepared. I thought I had him all figured out.

Then he defends Bisma, a girl he barely knows, to her father. And my whole understanding of Danyal shifted.

I am a character driven reader. If I love a character, I will excuse a lot of things that might not work for me in the storytelling. If I don’t like a character, it’s hard for me to be excited about even a well-written story. In that one moment, with Bisma and her family, I fell in love with Danyal. And he only got better as the book went on. And I loved it.

There’s a lot happening in this book. There’s the Renaissance Man speech that Danyal gets roped into. He has to decide how to approach his topic, do the research, write and prepare his presentation, and then deliver it in front of a crowd. In the midst of that, he has his “dream girl,” Kaval, pushing him to be someone he’s not. His parents are looking for a marriage match for him yet at the same time his father basically tells him that he’s a loser. Cooking is Danyal’s passion and something he is good at, but few people in his life value that about him (unless he is feeding them). Then Danyal meets Bisma, whose father shames her repeatedly. Danyal is decent to her – a true friend – and in friendship she helps him with his contest preparation.

The Renaissance Man contest and one of Danyal’s friend’s deep faith raise fascinating questions about colonization, history, and sin that weave in and around the people in this story and in their relationships with one another. And I thought it was perfect. There’s so much to enjoy here – don’t miss it.

(Language, TW: Shaming over sexual behavior) NOTE: While I thoroughly enjoyed this story, some Muslim reviewers have had a different opinion of the story and raise issues with how their faith is represented. Be sure to check out their reviews as you consider this book.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BLOG TOUR: The Mall by Megan McCafferty

BLOG TOUR: The Mall by Megan McCafferty

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Welcome to the BLOG TOUR for The Mall by Megan McCafferty. I am so happy to have you here today! Let’s talk about The Mall.

Summary

Cassie Worthy’s senior year (Go, Class of 1991!) did not finish as she planned. With the worst case of mono her doctor had ever seen, she was down for over a month. No prom. No graduation. But through it all, her boyfriend, Troy, was loyal, caring, and dedicated. They were moving steadily toward their plan for college – different schools, but in the same university system. And they even worked together at the cookie shop at the mall.

All of that fell apart the moment Cassie was well enough to step back into her life.  No job, no boyfriend, and even her big college plan was tainted.

While Cassie is still trying to figure out what just happened to her, she knows she needs another job asap – something at the mall, but far from Troy and the cookie shop. The one she finds leads her to an old friend, a secret stash of Cabbage Patch dolls – and a hunt through the mall for treasure!

Review

This was a delightful walk down memory lane! Stripped down to its core, this is a familiar tale of bouncing back after a break up, rediscovering an old friend, and preparing for the launch to college. And it’s a good version of those common story elements. I loved the characters in this. I cared about Cassie’s break-up recovery, and I thoroughly enjoyed her relationship with Drea. On its own, that made for a solidly good story.

But setting this in the early 90s at the mall made this nostalgia heaven for me. The clothes, the music, the cassette tapes and answering machines. Cassie had to go to the mall book store to research something; there’s no cell phone or Google. Someone in the book got a pre-paid calling card as a gift. It was perfect! While some pieces were nostalgic, others were hilarious! I enjoyed every minute of this.

My only hesitation here is that I’m not sure if the target audience will have the same reaction or appreciation for the 90s pieces of this. The core story will stand on its own, but will the 90s references be a distraction? Or will they make this as magical for other readers as they did for me?  All I can say for sure is that I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I recommend it. Be sure to check out The Mall by Megan McCafferty!

(Language, sex, sexual references, TW: assault reference)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon

REVIEW: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Samir had been so excited about this internship at a major DC law firm. It was prestigious. He was one of their top candidates. And it got him away from his helicopter mom for the summer. He loved her, but after she beat cancer, she became so smothering. He needed this summer away. Then, on his first day, he found out the internship fell through.

Pinky was spending the summer on the East Coast with her cousin Dolly and their families as usual. And as usual, Dolly was the perfect child while Pinky always earned the side eye. If anything went wrong, everyone assumed it was Pinky’s fault. She was sick of being the outcast and the problem child.

When Pinky hears about Samir’s internship woes, she makes him a deal. Pretend to be her boyfriend for the summer – he’s exactly the kind of guy her parents would love – and she’d get him a new internship with her mom’s law firm.

But if they keep fighting all summer, it will be more likely they’ll kill each other than they will convince anyone they are a couple!

Review

This was a fun addition to the series, following When Dimple Met Rishi and There’s Something About Sweetie (♥♥♥♥½). I loved Samir. He shows Pinky that a guy can be attractive AND fun and loyal and decent. Just because he’s stable and polite, and already knows what he wants to do with his life, doesn’t mean he can’t be boyfriend material.

Pinky was harder to like. She’s defensively abrasive, something Samir calls out when he sees it. She has a big personality, naturally, but she’s learned to also use it to get attention or to rebel. Once you see where some of her behavior comes from, she’s easier to like and root for.

Samir, Pinky, and Dolly get caught up in an effort to save a butterfly habitat from developers. This adds a plot to the story beyond the fake relationship, and it also gives Pinky’s toughest relationships – with Samir and with her mother – something to interact with. I didn’t enjoy that part of the story as much as I loved the back and forth of Samir and Pinky figuring out their feelings. The relationship parts of this were especially rich.

Fans of the previous books should definitely pick this up. I don’t think these have to be read in order, though, to be enjoyed.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope by Sam Maggs

REVIEW: The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope by Sam Maggs

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Nadia Van Dyne – the Unstoppable Wasp – was stolen from her father, Hank Pym, before she was born. Her mother was kidnapped while pregnant and killed, and Nadia was raised in the Red Room. But now she’s free. She’s with her step-mother, Janet Van Dyne, and she runs a science lab called G.I.R.L. – Genius In action Research Labs. Nadia runs the lab out of Pym Laboratories and hopes it will convince SHIELD to recognize and encourage more female scientists.

Nadia’s training, her personality, and her bipolar disorder make her pretty driven. And when she’s struggling, she can take on too many things at once and become a workaholic. To help, she takes her meds, goes to therapy, and her friends keep an eye on her. Also to help, Janet gives her a virtual assistant – VERA.

VERA reminds Nadia to get enough sleep and take her meds. It also helps her do research and track her projects. She even gets to meet VERA’s creator, Margaret Hoff. But despite all of her productivity, Nadia is soon feeling estranged from all of her friends and lost in projects that the others don’t think she should be working on. Nadia’s family is concerned about her, but she doesn’t seem to recognize that she might be in trouble.

Review

I have mixed feelings on this one. There are things I loved and others things I struggled with. My only connection to Wasp before this was the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is not the same timeline/universe, so I had a lot of catching up to do when I started reading this. That added to the lag I felt early on as I tried to find the rhythm of this. Other readers more familiar with Nadia won’t have that issue.

Other places I struggled:

  • VERA, the crux of the plot, was barely present in the first third of the story. While this made for some great character development time, I kept wondering where the plot was.
  • There’s some name dropping early on that didn’t feel essential to the narrative. I get anchoring the book in the larger universe – and characters like Janet and Bobbie and a fun surprise at the end do that. It makes sense that a Marvel author would want to play with the larger palette of Marvel characters, but when a name seems to be there just to be there, I was distracted.
  • I was also distracted by the use of the words “boys” and “girls” when talking about adults in the story. For example, there was one scene in my review copy where Nadia and Margaret are together doing something and the book refers to them together as the “girls.” Nadia is 16; Margaret is at least 23 or 24. I couldn’t find her exact age, but she started her company at 22, and it’s been doing business for at least a little while.  In a story about empowering women and girls, it was jarring to see this pair referred to as “girls” when one of them is an adult.
  • The previous things probably sound minor in the scheme of things, but the one piece that almost drove me to giving up on the book was the intrusive inclusion of “Nadia’s Neat Science Facts” throughout the story.  These are not footnotes (which the book also has, but uses pretty well), but instead they are first person interludes of science information. I found that they interrupted the flow of the story almost every time they were used. And some didn’t even seem necessary at all to explain the science going on in the story. I wish they had been included at the beginning or end of chapters instead, where there’s a natural break, rather then interrupt the narrative of the book.

But it wasn’t not all a struggle. There were also things I loved:

  • I thoroughly enjoy found family stories, and this is a great one.
  • Nadia’s squad has some diversity in race, in sexual orientation (two of the girls are dating), and one team member has cerebral palsy.
  • The action descriptions, especially in the fight scenes, are outstanding. I read a lot of superhero stories, and often the fight scenes lose me, and I skim past them. They get wordy and drag down the story. This was NOT the case in this book. I could actually visualize the scene from the writing. The author did an exceptionally good job with this in my opinion.
  • The mental health and therapy pieces are woven in naturally. Medication and education about her bipolar disorder are normalized, everyday parts of Nadia’s life.
  • Once the VERA story takes off, I enjoyed the book. I didn’t click readily with the team in this because of some of the dynamics in play because of the story, but I did enjoy seeing Nadia and her crew working together.

I might check out a sequel if the storyline sounds compelling. Sadly, I didn’t really click with any of the characters enough here for them to draw me back no matter what, so the plot will be a big factor.

If you enjoy the Unstoppable Wasp already, or if you like superhero stories or STEM stories featuring young women, consider giving this one a go.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

REVIEW: Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Two hundred years after Cinderella died, the country of Mersailles has become an oppressive place for women. They may honor the story of Cinderella with repeated readings and magical thinking and an annual ball, but the magic is all a lie.

The king reigns with an iron fist. Men are the heads of households, and whatever they do is “right” and acceptable. Anyone who doesn’t fall in line is either executed or they disappear. Girls who attend the annual ball three times without being chosen by a suitor tend to disappear, too.

Sophia doesn’t want a suitor. She wants her best friend Erin. But same-sex relationships aren’t allowed. Both girls are required by law to attend the ball and go with whatever suitor chooses them, no matter what. But when everything turns ugly that night, Sophia runs off.

She meets Constance who shares the true story of Cinderella and her family. They had challenged the king of their day – and paid the price for it. Their example, though, is just the inspiration Sophia was looking for. Maybe there’s something she can do to change life for her people who have suffered so much.

Review

This was an interesting twist on the story of Cinderella with a strong “smash the patriarchy” vibe. I was completely on board with the girls destroying the misogynistic world they suffered through, but I wasn’t 100% sold on how the fairy tale tied into the way things were. I want my fantasy stories to have well-developed world building, so I wanted more here.  But I did enjoy the twists and the way the magic system played out in the big picture, though.

The characters are interesting. I liked Constance’s connection to Cinderella and the ways her story enhanced the typical Cinderella tale. I also liked Sophia’s strength and determination throughout the story.

The romance didn’t click for me. Sophia’s immediate draw to Constance and some of their flirtations and long looks and such felt a little forced, especially when Sophia was supposedly so devoted to Erin at the start. I did appreciate Sophia’s integrity in at least trying to talk with Erin before giving into her feelings for Constance.

Fans of fairy tale retellings, fantasy stories, and fans looking for F/F romance in young adult novels should check this one out. (Language, LGBTQ+: F/F relationships, reference to M/M relationship)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Infinity Son by Adam Silvera

REVIEW: Infinity Son by Adam Silvera

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Brighton has wanted to be a celestial all his life. Who doesn’t want super powers? He’s had to settle for his YouTube channel – Celestials of New York. But he and his twin brother are about to turn 18. And everyone knows that’s when the powers kick in.

Emil loves his brother, but he does not need the stress and anxiety of celestial life. Public opinion on their status as “heroes” is iffy. And then there are the battles with specters – people who use the blood of magical creatures to get powers. Emil and Brighton were caught in the middle of one of those battles the other night. All so Brighton could get footage for his YouTube channel. Not Emil’s scene. He’s much happier at his job at the Museum of Natural Creatures. While he’s stuck working in the gift shop, his favorite place is the Sunroom – the room that celebrates every kind of phoenix.

Thanks to Brighton’s lack of a sense of self-preservation, and his desperation for YouTube views, Emil finds himself on the run once again from a specter who wants to cause trouble. But when Brighton is in danger, Emil manifests powers. Specter powers. Where did they come from? And what do they mean?

Review

This is the superpowers book you’ve been waiting for. Fascinating world building. Great characters. Stunning ending.

Wow. This was…. wow. When I think of where everything starts and where it all stands in the end, it’s dizzying. At their core, Emil and Brighton don’t change a lot. Emil is timid. He longs for a simple life with the things and people he cares about. Brighton is desperate for significance. They are committed to one another completely, despite all the shake ups in the story. But as their circumstances change, they want what they want. Emil will use his powers for the greater good, but there are lines he won’t cross. Brighton will always have Emil’s back. But he is jealous of Emil’s powers. And he’s determined to show that he is powerful in his own way. It’s a fascinating identity story and friendship story wrapped in a magical fantasy.

I enjoyed the interplay between the various characters. There are TONS of interesting dynamics. Hand this to X-men fans, superhero fans, and fantasy fans. Book 2, Infinity Reaper, is scheduled to release in 2021. (LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Layoverland by Gabby Noone

REVIEW: Layoverland by Gabby Noone

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Bea died, she was driving her car around, aimlessly, thinking about her little sister – her best friend, Emmy – and how she ruined Emmy’s life. One moment she’s looking into the eyes of the kid who hit her. The next, she’s on a weird airplane with strangers.

Turns out, Bea is in purgatory. And because of the abrasive, disagreeable way she lived her life, she has to work in the Memory Experience department, helping other souls deal with the regrets of their lives that have kept them from going to Heaven. Bea just has to help 5,000 others work through their issues, and then she gets to go to heaven, too.

But Caleb is one of the first soul’s assigned to Bea. And she realizes he’s the one from the accident. The guy who killed her. There’s no way she’s going to help him move onto Heaven after that! She’ll just have to find a way to sabotage him. Not enough so she gets into trouble and gets sent to Hell, but just enough to push him back into the lottery to wait for another chance at Heaven.

Review

This was SO quirky! The whole premise is a hoot! Bea spends the entire book in the “airport” of purgatory, with its gross food and odd characters and blank books. Periodically there’s a chapter about what happened before the accident on the day Bea died. It’s actually pretty tragic to think of what things could have been like for her family after her death.

Caleb’s a nice guy who has no idea about the connection to Bea. He goes along with every question she asks, trusting her completely in the Memory Experience process. Which leads to an interesting dynamic between them.

This is a pretty secular view on the afterlife. There’s no reference to Jesus. And people can move out of purgatory when their number is called if they cooperate with the process to figure out what repressed issue has gotten in their way. Bea is freakishly good at discerning what people need to help with that process. The ending of this was interesting.

While this was quirky from start to finish, it was also compelling. I was curious about what happened between Bea and her sister. I wondered what would happen with Caleb when he discovered the truth. I had to know if a loophole would get Bea to Heaven sooner or if she’d really have to work with 5,000 souls first.

If you enjoy odd, existential stories, don’t miss this one! (Language, references to underage drinking and abortion)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Shadow Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis

REVIEW: Shadow Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

After the events of Realm of Knights, Reid is sent to Axian for an arranged marriage to Prince Henrick’s son, Prince Dexter. They have a rocky history, and he seems as excited about the match as she is – that is to say, not at all.

Reid and Dexter are both aware of the king’s true lineage. And neither of them trust him. But a marriage will align their counties and put them in a stronger position if King Eldon ever decides to cause trouble.

But Reid also has an obligation to the Knights of the Realm, at least until she is married. They want to know where Dexter sneaks off to. And they are keeping an eye on Eldon and some suspicious activity around the kingdom.

When assassins come for Dexter and Reid, it’s obvious that Eldon has escalated his plans. Whatever Eldon’s true goal, the attempt helps Reid and Dexter break through the frosty barriers between them. And together, they could be a formidable force against the illegitimate king.

Review

I would have liked a little more information at the beginning of the book to refresh my memory from book one, but once I was back in the flow of the story, I couldn’t put this down.

The development of Reid’s character in this is terrific. I feel like the match with Dexter is FAR better than the weird romantic dynamic in book one. Dexter – and his family – seem to bring out the best in Reid. And for the first time she gets to be as much herself as she can be with the Axian customs and her role as the prince’s fiancée.

There’s a major twist at the end of this that I totally saw coming, but loved anyway. And this left me breathlessly waiting for book 3 so it could all be explained. There are some nice, big developments at the end of this that add to the suspense for book 3 – Hidden Knights – and I was caught up in all of them. I was thrilled when my local library ordered book 3. They have been great about helping me stay connected to this whole series. (I wrote this review months ago and by now I have read – and enjoyed – book 3. I won’t be posting a full review of it due to my review backlog.)

This series is fantastic! The royal intrigue and the girl-power moments are right up my alley. There are some laugh-out-loud moments to balance out the suspense and seriousness of assassination, conspiracy, and war. Don’t miss this great series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Queen's Peril by E. K. Johnston

REVIEW: Queen’s Peril by E. K. Johnston

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

When Padmé Naberrie became queen of Naboo, she surrendered her name and her former identity – for the length of her service – for the good of her office. She was Queen Amidala to everyone, even her family. But behind the closed doors of her quarters, with only her handmaidens around, she could be Padmé again, at least a little.

The handmaiden group Queen Amidala and Captain Panaka developed was new for the monarchy. Actually, Panaka had proposed just a double, a body guard. The queen had the vision for a larger group. And together the girls developed a system that would both protect the queen and use all of their individual skills to help her excel in her new role.

And the girls will need their protection systems well-honed and the kinks all worked out if they are going to survive the threat to Naboo and to Queen Amidala’s throne that is on the way.

Review

This was great! While I liked Queen’s Shadow (♥♥♥♥), which is a companion novel with these characters that takes place later in the timeline, I thought this was better.

This is an origin story. It begins with Padmé waiting for the results of the election. It showcases the recruitment of each of her handmaidens and the development of their security team. This was my favorite part of the novel.

By the midway point, events on Naboo have caught up to the story of The Phantom Menace. Since I’ve seen the movie, I appreciated how the author left the movie moments out of most of the story. She made enough references to tie the two together, but this fills in some great context and behind the scenes information. Since I have seen the movie, I don’t know how this storytelling choice will play out for those who have NOT seen the movie. (Would someone pick up this book without having seen the movies? I don’t know.)

As soon as I finished this, I had to watch The Phantom Menace for a refresher. I don’t think there is anything in the book that changed the movie in a significant way, but I did enjoy having some “insider information” about what was going on. This also makes me want to go back and re-read Queen’s Shadow now that I know more about the various handmaidens. (This might sound weird, but I also appreciated how the author wove menstruation into the story considering most of it focused on teenage girls. There’s been discussion in YA circles about how you rarely see periods acknowledged even though half the population have them, unless the book is specifically about menstruation in the first place – like Go With the Flow (♥♥♥♥) or Revenge of the Red Club.)

This is not as quiet of a story as Queen’s Shadow. The tie-ins with The Phantom Menace brought more action to the story – battles, holding camps on Naboo with executions and torture (off page), etc. Readers who are looking for Jedi and light saber battles won’t find as much to enjoy here as they might in a different line of Star Wars novels. But those looking for a richer character-based story and more on Padmé and her bodyguards should definitely check this out. (Violence: executions, torture – off page. LGBTQ+: F/F relationships)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½