Of all the world’s pantheons of gods, I remember the Greek one the best, having learned about them in school, watched them in movies and television, and continued to read them in fiction (cough Percy Jackson cough). Ah, distinctly, I remember watching the 1997 film version of The Odyssey in English class—Odysseus bending to the … Continue reading Circe, by Madeline Miller →

You would think that, having frequented the fantasy section numerous times, I would have tried some of Holly Black’s work. She has won many accolades for her faerie stories, full of dangerous revels, forbidden forests, but most of all, of tantalizing faeries with beautiful faces and terrible magic. The Darkest Part of the Forest is … Continue reading The Darkest Part of the Forest, by Holly Black →

I am torn—so, so torn—with this one. The last YA book I read with a political overtone was Meg Cabot’s All-American Girl, when I was fourteen. Twelve years later, I picked up Red, White, and Royal Blue at the behest of some good friends who loved it. I’m not saying this review will compare the … Continue reading Red, White, and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston →

I must admit: I’ve gotten better at looking at fluffy YA books and allowing excitement to take control, rather than stuffy contempt. Although, I think part of why I picked up today’s book is because, for once, I could make a book suggestion to my sister Robin. You know, the family Potterhead? The one who … Continue reading Prince Charming, by Rachel Hawkins →

In the fandom world, we have a lot of what we call “feels.” When a piece of entertainment media hits you so hard that you can only squeal and jump and laugh and altogether react to whatever’s happened in the movie, TV show, book, comic, etc. And right now, I have a lot of them … Continue reading The Princess and the Fangirl, by Ashley Poston →

Many people underestimate how awesome of a playground history is for fiction. Most of the time, writers create sweeping love stories in bygone eras, or maybe they rewrite a historical character with better or worse qualities. But how about meshing history with fantasy to create a biting commentary? Fantasy can easily help to reflect society’s … Continue reading Dread Nation, by Justina Ireland →

John Green is a name that sends literary circles into either scoffs of indifference or screams of fangirlish delight. When I moved to Indianapolis to go to Butler University’s MFA program, my older sister Robin ecstatically asked to see the city with me, so as to point out all the places mentioned in The Fault … Continue reading Looking for Alaska, by John Green →

What original remark can I make about the queen of contemporary young adult literature, Sarah Dessen? She’s actually won an award for her contributions to young adult literature, for goodness sakes! And I applaud that, truly I do. But I was not all that excited to pick up The Rest of the Story because I … Continue reading The Rest of the Story, by Sarah Dessen →

I’m probably the only American girl that didn’t go through a horse phase. Nonetheless, I’ve always found horses to be a walking paradox. They are strong and powerful, but, once trustful of you, they are extraordinarily gentle. On many occasions, I’ve merely stood next to a horse, stroking its muzzle, and it produces the same … Continue reading Misty of Chincoteague, by Marguerite Henry →

Thanks to Wunderkind for sending me an ARC of The Vine Witch in exchange for an honest review. Happy Halloween season, everyone! I probably should have said that in my first review of October, but I think this one is probably the most fitting to make that announcement on anyway. I’ve already established that I … Continue reading The Vine Witch, by Luanne G. Smith →