“There’s no rule
that says you have to be a prodigy to be a hero,” [Nova] insisted. “If people
wanted to stand up for themselves or protect their loved ones or do what they
believe in their hearts is the right thing to do, then they would do it. If they
wanted to be heroic, they would find ways to be heroic, even without
supernatural powers.”
—excerpt
from Renegades by Marissa Meyer
I’m changing things up a bit. Usually,
this is the time of month where I’d post a book review if I’ve read a good one lately.
Or I’ll just cram something else in its place. Seeing as I like to feature exclusive
content on my blog before I post things on Goodreads and how my reading
schedule is all sorts of messed up, I don’t have a book review for today.
I have five!
If you enjoy young adult and new adult novels,
you’re in for a treat. Book are arranged by the order I read them.
Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier
Genre: young adult, fantasy
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Mini description: secretive… shhhh…
“The look Mercedes sent him was pained. ‘That is your first choice? Not every girl enjoys playing with dolls.’“Elias gave her a considering glance. He guessed again. ‘Knives?’”
Yes, Elias. Give the little ghost children
knives. There’s no way that could possibly go wrong. A plot built on secrets
with characters determined to unravel them, Isle of Blood and Stone
swept me away with its world-building.
The sequel, Song of the Abyss, just
came out, and I’m impatiently waiting for my library to get a copy. Anybody
know how long it typically takes a library on the continental US to get new
books? I’m used to waiting a year if that’s any sort of reference.
Renegades by Marissa Meyer
Genre: young adult, science fiction,
superheroes
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Mini description: heroes?
I almost passed this one up, but I’m glad
I didn’t. A story that plays on and embraces superhero tropes and culture, Renegades
is an excellent page-turner. Not to mention the characters are well-developed,
more so than from what I remember of The Lunar Chronicles, which I
actually had some issues with. Renegades, on the other hand, confronts
many aspects in its world.
If I could have any prodigy power from
those in the book, I’d go with Honey’s. She can talk to bees and wasps and
such. Never get stung again and have a lifetime supply of honey. I see no downsides
to this aside from possibly getting labeled a supervillain. #savethebees
#allthehoney
I recently talked my sister into reading
the book. Mwuahaha! And I read the sequel, Arch-Enemies—which was a
little mind-bending—and the third and final book, Supernova comes out
this fall! Super excited!
The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews
Genre: young adult, contemporary
My rating: 5 STARS!
Mini description: waffles
You know how I pre-ordered this book and
kept ranting about Drews’ work? (By the way if you haven’t already, you should
check out her blog at Paper Fury.) Well, I finally got around to reading
her second book, and it was even better than the first! While I was reading it,
I kept thinking things like, “Aw! That part’s cute… Oh… Oh, dear. There’s NO
WAY this can end well.”
I’ll try not to give spoilers (or repeat
authors in reviews on my blog, shhhh), but this book helped me through a
recent bout of depression. You should check it out. And for all my American
friends, you can buy it in print via Book Depository or other international
sellers, AND it’s now out in e-book via Amazon and Barnes & Noble! *throws
glitter that will permanently get stuck in the scales of my dragons*
For the full review, check out Goodreads.
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca
Zappia
Genre: young adult, contemporary
My rating: 5 STARS!
Mini description: relatable
The contemporary novels win the year. I’m
just saying. Having read one of Zappia’s works before, I thought I’d give this
one a try. Within the first few chapters or so, Eliza and Her Monsters
had me hooked, and by that, I mean I-stayed-up-until-two-a.m.-hooked. Since graduating
from college, I don’t do that with many any books. And the story hit close
to home in its social anxiety and depression representation without belittling
either.
For the full review, check out Goodreads.
Sadie by Courtney
Summers
Genre: new adult, contemporary, mystery
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Mini description: fight for
justice
Yeah, so this book ripped my heart out and
stomped on it. A lot of people classify this one as young adult, but I’d put it
in the new adult section, especially if you consider the age of the protagonist—19.
It was a good book with a fast pace and alternating points of view, though the
content was rather intense.
Interested in any of these books? You
might also enjoy The Supervillain and Me by Danielle Banas (superheroes),
In the Palace of Rygia by L. Nicodemus Lyons (non-magical fantasy), A Thousand Perfect Notes by C. G. Drews (contemporary, see book review), and Made You Up by Francesca Zappia (contemporary).
***
Let’s chat! Have you read any of the
listed books? Which did you enjoy? Which are you most excited about reading?
Want to more mini reviews like this one? Let me know!
Similar book reviews: Kids Like Us,
Antiheroes, and A Thousand Perfect Notes
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