Young Adult

Review: The Blackest Blue by Luna Wright

The Blackest Blue by Luna Wright

A classic fellowship fantasy with original twists and a dystopian mystique, The Blackest Blue by Luna Wright is an ambitious novel that tackles broad ideas of power, loyalty, and freedom. A young woman living a double life – plotting long-term revenge on a society that demands absolute subservience – seeks to expose the truth, even if it costs her everything, in this powerful piece of cautionary fiction.

Sy shines at the heart of this story, brazen and bold in her deception as an acolyte of the all-powerful Rem, deeply committed to a dark purpose instilled in her after witnessing the […]

2022-08-18T14:25:13+02:00August 18th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , , |

Review: A Rakista’s 90s Mixtapes by Danna Rose

A Rakista's 90s Mixtapes by Danna Rose

Author Danna Rose delivers a spot-on dive into the struggle of teenage life in the Philippines with her first novel, A Rakista’s 90s Mixtapes. What begins as a youthful fling of garage band aspirations becomes the real deal, with real consequences, record deals, broken hearts, and a surprising number of dramatic twists.

Evie is like many other protagonists of heartfelt coming-of-age novels, but also incredibly unique, accurately referenced as an “odd boy.” The foundational loss of her father shapes her character in countless ways, most obviously her obsession with all things related to music. How that love and loss are […]

2022-09-14T18:00:38+02:00August 5th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , , |

Review: Blood for the Fisher King by Endy Wright

Blood for the Fisher King by Endy Wright

Author Endy Wright unleashes his imagination and narrative sensitivity in Blood for the Fisher King, a continuing tale of his fascinating work of science fiction, The Omicron Six.

Following the harrowing revelations at Deep Woods Academy from the preceding book, Cooper and Coupe attempt to return to a normal life, but the truth, scope, and origins of their powers are hard to ignore. Coupe has begun to flex his impressive intellectual muscles for the first time, while Cooper continues to explore his shocking physical gifts, but their newfound skills aren’t going unnoticed, particularly by the black SUV following […]

2022-06-28T03:56:56+02:00June 27th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , , |

Review: There’s No Basketball on Mars by Craig Leener

There's No Basketball on Mars by Craig Leener

Author Craig Leener delivers an inspiring story of reaching impossible dreams, despite impossible odds, in his new YA novel There’s No Basketball on Mars, a stirring dream-fueled adventure.

Depicting a character on the autistic spectrum without falling into tropes or unfair stereotypes is challenging for some authors, but Leener approaches this protagonist with compassion, patience, grace, and humor. Lawrence Tuckerman is the sympathetic beating heart of this brilliantly told tale. Although his particular condition makes it more challenging for him to navigate a busy world of noise and people, it has made him a mathematical prodigy, a fact that […]

The Reign of the Occult by Lauren Louise Hazel

The Reign of the Occult by Lauren Louise Hazel An epic novel of forbidden magic, tangled loyalties between dark and light, and the fierce strength of family, The Reign of the Occult by Lauren Louise Hazel is a breakout start to a riveting new series.

With her incredible power of foresight keeping them one step ahead of anti-magic officers determined to exterminate her kind, Prue and her brother Everett have been on the run for years. Picking up powerful new allies along the way, their journey takes them back to the fiery depths of the Underworld, and into the heart of the Occult’s power, to cut off its sinister […]

2022-05-13T03:24:27+02:00May 12th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , , |

Review: Sitting on Top of the World by Cheryl King

Sitting on Top of the World by Cheryl King

A novel straddling middle grade and young adult fiction, Cheryl King’s Sitting on Top of the World tells the story of the Great Depression through the eyes of a spunky young girl from Tennessee, magnificently blending a story of misfortune with an inspiring tale of human ingenuity.

June Baker is twelve years old when the stock market crash hits the small town of Maynardville in 1930. All of a sudden, banks are out of money, store shelves are practically empty, and men who’ve lost their jobs are traveling west to find paying work. June’s family starts having a tough time […]

2022-04-20T09:34:08+02:00March 23rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , , |

Showmances and Stage Kisses by Bowden Walker

Showmances and Stage Kisses by Bowden Walker The first title in the Heights High series, Bowden Walker’s Showmances and Stage Kisses is a highly entertaining and nostalgia-rich work of young adult fiction exploring the sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll-fueled world of 1980s New York City.

Seventeen-year-old Sebastian Weiss is a certified genius who started attending Columbia as a child, but he’s feeling restless and unhappy with his life. He’s destined to matriculate at an elite university, but he’d rather spend time with his best friend Nicholas Howell – the young star of “Heights High,” a soap opera about a Brooklyn Heights school. Sebastian’s life is the […]

2022-03-16T08:11:38+02:00March 15th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Anatheum by D.M. Ross

Anatheum by D.M. Ross A few words can say a great deal, as D.M. Ross masterfully proves in his thoughtful collection of wise mantras, Anatheum, a unique work of self-help aimed at a young adult audience. Though it can be read in a single sitting, this is the type of pocket-sized book that will be continually reopened for a dose of guidance.

A meditative, thought-provoking read, some of these insights have been heard and spoken aloud many times before, while others are unique turns of phrase – simple, yet strikingly profound. “There are no answers, only decisions to be made” and “Thoughts come […]

2022-01-28T03:59:11+02:00January 26th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |
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