Tag: ya books
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Back to the Basics with Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea
I am going to be honest here and say I have not read The Books of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. Any of them. I had heard of them, of course, but it is only now in my mid-twenties that I possess a copy of them. This copy has already shocked and surprised me…
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Susan Dennard’s The Whispering Night – The Conclusion to a YA Dark Naturalism Fantasy Wonder
The conclusion to this wonderful YA dark naturalism fantasy has arrived. The Whispering Night by Susan Dennard, third and final of the Luminaries trilogy, brings all the threads together and delivers in an intense, action-packed, quick-paced gut punch of a novel. The magic of The Luminaries and the tensions of The Hunting Party collide in…
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In The Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken Breaks My Heart
It all comes down to this. The actions and decisions in Alexandra Bracken’s The Darkest Minds Trilogy have culminated in In the Afterlight, an action-packed finale rife with high tension, character conflicts, and a main character perspective so layered and different you can’t help but feel for Ruby in the midst of this mounting finale.…
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Mockingjay’s Cruelty is Unmatched
My heart has been ripped from my chest countless times while reading Mockingjay, the final book in Suzanne Collins’s phenomenal The Hunger Games trilogy. It is a concise novel, but that doesn’t make it any less punchy. In fact, I think I’m bruised all over after getting through this book. All jokes aside, Mockingjay ups…
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Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief Is A Modern Classic
A stunning book unlike any other, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak has been around for almost two decades now. In that time, it has proven to be a novel of distinction, and I strongly believe it stands as a modern classic and a historical fiction novel that everyone can enjoy. But what if I…
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William Ritter’s The Dire King – An Ending Rushed?
As the final book in William Ritter’s Jackaby series, The Dire King had a checklist to complete. It needed to wrap up a rather busy but interesting story, tie up plot lines and character arcs, and provide a few conclusions for romantic relationships. Unfortunately, too many cooks spoilt the broth as narrative elements slipped through…
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My Late Review of Rachel Gillig’s Two Twisted Crowns
Several months on from finishing Two Twisted Crowns, I write up my review. I feel, though it was a complete mistake on my part for losing track of what reviews I’d written up and what I hadn’t, that it’s a good thing I’ve sat on this one for a while. With many people reacting to…
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Another Sweet, Eerie YA Dark Fantasy With Small Favors
After reading House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, I had to pick up more of her work. Her dark fairytale horrors are so vivid and descriptive and when I saw Small Favors I knew I needed to read it. An isolated religious town. An ominous vibe in the air. Bees. What’s not…
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Is Stalking Jack the Ripper a Good Historical Fiction Murder Mystery?
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco is an introduction for YA readers into the marvels of historical fiction, more specifically, the historical fiction murder mystery realm. But the problem I have with it is that it doesn’t feel like a truly memorable book, and its subject matter is the Jack the Ripper case which…