Book review: Gallant by V. E. Schwab

 Book description:

    Olivia Prior has lived her whole life at Merilance School for girls. All she has from her parents is her mother's journal. One day a letter arrives inviting her home to Gallant. When she arrives she isn't expected and is not wanted. She is determined to figure out Gallant's secrets.

Book review:

    This book was a good read. There were times where the characters seemed a little flat and the story could have been given a bit more to work with. Despite those things the story was compelling and I wanted to keep reading to figure out what was going to happen next.

Book Review: The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn

 Book description:

    One day a whale washes up on the shore of the English Channel. The Seagrave children build an outdoor theater out of the bones of the whale. They put on plays in the theater until world war 2 breaks out. Cristabel and Digby Seagrave become secret agents in France.

Book review:

    This book is well written and I enjoyed the book. I wish we spent more time in the theater. There were times where there were weird time jumps. I also feel like the books could have been shortened and we would have gotten the same story.

Book review: Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao

 Book description:

    Two college students, Sophie and Joanna, have rival relationship advice instagrams. Sophie's advice is to be taken seriously, while Joanna's isn't supposed to be taken as seriously. They meet in person but they don't know the other is behind the rival instagram. Can their relationship survive if they knew the other is behind their rivals instagram page?

Book Review:

    I do appreciate a love story that isn't revolved around romantic love and is focused on platonic love. I did find the book juvenile at times. I did appreciate how the book ended.

Book review: Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

 Book Description:

    Sea dragon eggs are said to undo a person's greatest sorrow. Hanelei's father steals a sea dragon egg that is supposed to go to the princess and gives it to Hanelei instead. Hanelei and her father are forced into exile. Hanelei returns after her father dies and is determined to find another egg for the ailing princess with the prince.

Book Review:

    This book is one of the few books where I find the romance to not be overbearing when it comes into fantasy because it doesn't deal with teenage angst with it. I like how we are focused on the journey to find a sea dragon egg because of duty and out of love for the princess they are getting it for.

Book Review: Educated by Tara Westover

 Book description:

    This book follows Tara (the author) through her childhood being raised by survivalists in Idaho. She never attended school until she went to Brigham Young University.

Book Review:

    This is one of the best memoirs and nonfiction I have ever read. This book was so insightful into how it is for young people who grew up like Tara did and how it seems so normal until they are shown how everybody else is living and realize how they grew up might harbor abuse or trauma from those who you love and how hard it is to leave.

Book Review: Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 Book Description:

    Atl is being pursued by a vampire. She gets into Mexico City, which is vampire free. While in Mexico City, she meets Domingo. Atl and Domingo must get out of the city before getting caught by her pursuer or by the authorities.

Book Review:

    This book had an interesting premise but in my opinion the execution wasn't that good. The characters kinda felt flat and for most of the book it was mostly Atl and Domingo trying to come up with some kind of plan which was for me boring. It wasn't until the last 50 or so pages that it felt like something was happening.

Book Review: Aces Wild by Amanda Dewitt

 Book description:

    When Jack's mom is arrested for having ties with organized crime he returns to Las Vegas. Jack gets together with his online friends to try to clear his moms name. He soon realizes it's not as easy as it seems.

Book Review:

    I do appreciate this book for showing a heist that goes totally wrong at every turn. It shows that even when you think you have everything figured out you don't. I do like how this book is written to show that even though they are teenagers, and smart teenagers at that, the adults around them aren't completely clueless. In a lot of media written for teens, the adults are written as if they aren't that smart and don't pay attention and it is refreshing to have a piece of media that doesn't do that.

Book Review: Five Survive by Holly Jackson

 Book Summery

    Red is on a road trip with friends on spring break. When they stop for the night the RV breaks down. They are trapped with no cell service and there is someone outside keeping them in the RV until one of them confesses their secret.

Book Review

    At the beginning I wasn't really into it and was annoyed that Red was not completely there and couldn't keep her focus. I was about to not continue with the book but a friend told me to keep going. I'm glad I did because a few more chapters in I was hooked. I have to admit I did know who had the secret from the beginning but it was fun trying to figure out what the whole secret was and how things were going to play out.

Book Review: The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker

Book Description:

    Ren is a half Reaper and half Shinigami collecting souls in London. One night she loses control of her power and is forced out of London and must go to Japan and join the Shinigami.

Book Review:

    I found the premise of this book intriguing and was interested in the world. I was excited to learn about the Reapers and the Shinigami. I wanted to like this book. I was expecting a lot more world building. There were times when I couldn't take Ren and her doubting herself. Other times I was annoyed with her brother for acting like he didn't want to be there even though he chose to be there. Other than that I thought the book was well written and intriguing.