I've read this book more than once in the span of a few months, gushed about it to MANY people in person and online, and I still can't stop thinking about this powerful novel in verse. As an added bonus, the cover is just as breath-taking as the contents! Two years after Moth’s family is killed in a car accident, she meets a new classmate, Sani. Both feeling abandoned and uprooted, they set out on a summer road trip to reconnect with those roots and the ghosts they left behin

If you are a fan of fairy tale re-tellings, you simply cannot miss Brigid Kemmerer’s Cursebreakers series. Beauty and the Beast happens to be one of my favorites (in all its many iterations) and this series takes the story to a whole new level. Featuring an unwilling heroine with Cerebral Palsy, a cursed prince, and a stoic guardsman, Kemmerer spins a magical tale of fighting evil and falling in love. I mean come on, just look at these gorgeous covers! A terrifying enchantres

Alright this one really caught me off guard. I picked it up for a light read and I got hit with some major feels. Skye Shin is talented, and she knows it. She also happens to be plus size, and she knows that people can be really cruel about that. So when she decides to audition for a televised K-Pop competition, she isn't necessarily surprised that her body becomes a target for negative commentary. Skye sets out to prove that she can dance and sing with the best, even when th

If you were in the mood for an action-packed deep-sea adventure with monsters, you should check out Deeplight by Francis Hardinge. Hark, a 15-year-old orphan, has grown up on the island streets of Lady's Crave. It's a world governed by the sea and the stories of the gods that used to rule them. He's learned how to be tough, how to be an excellent liar, and to always have his oldest friend's back. When Hark discovers an ancient relic of the old gods (think gigantic sea-monster

If you happen to love the complex and somewhat nefarious Loki like I do, this is the next read for you! Full of just as many plot twists as Loki himself, this novel takes us back to the trials and triumphs of a teenage Loki. Look at that grin! Odin has been pitting Thor and Loki against each other as per usual, but things on Asgard get shaken up when a mysterious prophecy is revealed... After a few disastrous events and one exile, Loki finds himself sent to 19th century Londo

This is an interesting perspective that I’m very glad I took the time to read. "Patron Saints of Nothing" follows high school senior Jason (Jay), born in the Philippines and raised in the Midwest, on a journey of discovery. After he finds out his cousin and childhood best friend has been killed, Jay takes it upon himself to return to the Philippines and investigate. His family back in the Philippines is unwilling to speak about what happened to his cousin Jun, which only prom

"What I Carry" tells the story of Muiriel, so named for the John Muir Medical Center that nurses found her abandoned outside of as a baby. Now 17 and rapidly approaching her departure from the foster care system, Muir is getting a little panicked. For as long as she can remember, she's been preparing to strike out on her own. Every move has been carefully orchestrated to NOT rock the boat. Pack light, don't get too close to anyone, always be on time, blend in. She holds to th

Are you feeling isolated these days? Astronaut Mark Watney may give you a new perspective, because you can't get much more social distance than being alone on an entire planet. You may have seen the film adaptation of Andy Weir's The Martian. If you enjoyed the movie, you will absolutely adore the book. This was one of the rare cases in which I actually watched the movie first and picked up the book much later. Normally I'm a stickler for "book first, movie later!". Here's th

Michigan, I'd be on your team any day. This contemporary novel follows Michigan Manning, a dedicated hockey player and high school junior. When the school cuts the girl's hockey team due to lack of funds, Michigan is left with only two options: give up hockey, or try out for the boy's team. There's no way she's giving up hockey. If Michigan is anything, she is not a quitter. Even though she is a skilled player who out-skates quite a few of the guys, the coach and her teammate

If you are looking for a well-written YA murder mystery, then look no further! I started reading Maureen Johnson's "Truly Devious" series when I saw that the third and final novel was being published in January of 2020. A whole mystery series to binge! In the first novel we are introduced to a dazzling cast of characters, including our main character, Stevie. Stevie never thought she was all that special, and she applies to the prestigious, highly selective, and rather myster

Don't be fooled by the cotton candy cover! This novel surprised me with its depth. The main character, Allie Abraham, is an American-born Muslim of Circassian descent. The book starts off with a bang, as Allie's father is persecuted before her eyes for speaking Arabic on a plane. Other such incidents indicate a growing Islamophobia to Allie, and she's beginning to come to grips with her feelings about it. Her parents are essentially non-practicing Muslims, and Allie has grown