Review: The Wicked Ones (Dark Ascension #1)

March 20, 2023Leave a comment

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Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.

This book serves as a prequel to the Disney movie, Cinderella, and explores how Drizella and Anastasia became evil stepsisters.

The plot was well executed. I liked that the book started off with a prologue in the viewpoint of their father, which helped set up the story and shed some light on Lady Tremaine and her motives. The rest of the book is told in alternating points of view between Drizella and Anastasia, with an epilogue in the viewpoint of Lady Tremaine. The story is fairly basic, but it works. It highlights how the sisters weren’t born being evil, they became evil.

The character development was also well done. The sisters are very likable in the beginning and you can’t help but root for them to pursue their dreams. By the time you reach the end, you understand how and why they became evil and why they dislike Cinderella so much.

I do want to note that there is bullying, abuse, and neglect in the story and there isn’t a happy ending. If you’re looking for a light hearted Disney read, this book isn’t for you.

Overall, I really enjoyed this dark dive into the world of Cinderella. If you like villain stories, consider picking this book up!

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Review: This Time It’s Real

March 3, 2023Leave a comment

Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.

This was such a cute book!

The story centers on the classic fake dating trope, so a lot of it is predictable. I did get major To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before vibes at times, which is not a bad thing because TATBILB is one of my all time favorite books.

Everything about this book was super adorable and sweet. I loved all of Eliza and Caz’s interactions. They really brought out the best in each other and most importantly, helped each other grow and develop.

I also liked that the book explored long distance friendship. I haven’t seen that too often in books and it offered a good contrast to the relationship storyline.

My one critique is that the ending felt rushed. It ended super fast and I wanted to see a little bit more resolution. I would have loved to have seen it end with the final article she was writing for her internship because that would have brought the story full circle (the whole thing started because of a piece she wrote). Also, since none of the blog posts are featured in the book, it would have been nice to have at least one.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! I highly recommend it if you love the fake dating trope and young adult romances.

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Review: Go the Distance (Twisted Tales #11)

February 12, 2023Leave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.

This is only the second Twisted Tale I’ve read (the other being Reflection, which coincidentally has a somewhat similar storyline) so I can’t rank it in comparison to the others.

This was such a fun read!

I love that the book focused on Meg instead of Hercules. Meg is one of my favorite Disney characters and is so underrated. This book not only gave Meg her own story, but also dove into her past and showed more of her relationship with Hercules that we didn’t see in the movie.

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Other characters from the movie are also in the book including Phil, Pegasus, Zeus, and of course Hades. There are also plenty of new characters. I would have liked to have seen a little more of Hercules, but given that this is truly Meg’s story, his lack of presence was justified.

As for the story, I found it entertaining and full of adventure, while also still having a lot of heart.

Lastly, I loved that it is revealed (on page 252) that Meg’s last name is Egan. In case you didn’t know, Egan, is the last name of Meg’s voice actor (Susan Egan).

Overall, if you are a fan of the movie or Meg, I recommend this book!

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Review: Inheritance

May 8, 2022Leave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher for promotional purposes.

This was a beautifully illustrated and powerful poem!

Being a huge poetry lover, I surprisingly have not read any of Elizabeth Acevedo’s previous works. I’ve heard countless amazing things about her work, so I was excited to finally read something by her. I was not disappointed!

The poem was short yet so impactful. It beautifully highlighted the struggles of natural hair as well as the complexities of being Afro-Latinidad. It’s personal, real, and authentic, which are all qualities I look for when reading poetry.

Since it is a visual poem, I have to talk about the illustrations and the role they played. The illustrations were gorgeous. They were so colorful, bold, and vibrant. They complemented the poem and its message very well. I can tell a lot of thought went into the illustrations. For example, some of the words are written in cursive which mimics the curves and coils of curly hair.

Overall, I highly recommend this little book! Get it for yourself, or gift it to a friend who loves poetry and/or Elizabeth Acevedo (I cannot reiterate how stunning this book is. It would make a great gift).

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Review: My Fine Fellow

April 4, 2022Leave a comment

Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Harper Teen) for promotional purposes.

This was a really cute My Fair Lady retelling! I have seen My Fair Lady, but it was a while ago so I didn’t pick up on any of the references to it. If you’re a fan of the movie I’m sure you would appreciate those references.

I loved that it was a gender swapped retelling. I also loved that Penelope was half Filipino and Elijah was Jewish and that their backgrounds were a central and integral part of the story. The book explored the prejudices that both of them faced.

The three main characters were all well developed. I particularly liked seeing Helena’s character arc unfold and how her actions affected her friendships with Penelope and Elijah.

Food is a big part of the story so do not read this book on an empty stomach. You will get hungry! Luckily there is a recipe at the end for the empanadas mentioned in the book.

Since this is a retelling, the story is a little predictable and straightforward. There are no big surprises.

Overall, I enjoyed this historical YA retelling of My Fair Lady. If you like reading about 1830s England or books about food, I recommend checking this book out.

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Review: Kneel

February 4, 20221 Comment

Rating: ★★★★½

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher (Inkyard Press) for promotional purposes.

I want to preface this review by stating that I’ve been a huge Colin Kaepernick since the beginning (the 49ers are my team) and I have always supported his peaceful protest of kneeling during the national anthem. I was very excited to read this book inspired by Kaepernick’s protest. I was not disappointed!

The storyline felt very real. It depicted the racism and injustice black people face every day in a very nuanced way. It did a fantastic job highlighting the internal struggle of deciding whether or not to speak out. Taking a stand, or in this case, kneeling, has both positive and negative consequences, and this book dove right into the complexity of it all. It really made you think.

The characters were also well done. They felt multi-dimensional and helped move the story along. For example, Russell’s parents showcased the dichotomy between wanting what’s best for your kid and letting your kid choose what they want to do. Russell’s dad in particular, was not happy about Russell’s kneeling because he knew it would mess up Russell’s chances of getting a football scholarship. On the other hand, Russell wanted to follow his heart and stick up for his friend. This felt so realistic because it’s understandable that a parent would want their kid to stay silent in order to have a better future.

My only critique of the book is that I would have liked the end to have been developed a bit more. A lot happened in the last 50 pages and I wanted to see it debriefed more.

Overall, this is an important and timely read. It shows exactly why Black Lives Matter and why the movement is calling for change. I highly recommend this book!

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Review: Whistle

October 1, 2021Leave a comment

Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free from the publishers (DC Comics) in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun origin story for a new superhero!

First off, the art in this is amazing. I loved the color palette of blue, orange, and green. It made for a striking combination. The art style reminded me of the old school cartoons I used to read in the newspaper as a kid.

The storyline is interesting. Many reviewers mention the ending, in which things are not wrapped up completely. Things are left in a morally gray area so it may leave some readers unsatisfied. Personally, I was fine with the ending because it leaves open the possibility of more installments. Also, the morally gray ending was thought-provoking so I appreciated that aspect.

Whistle’s powers were intriguing. Her dog-like powers and ability to communicate with dogs reminded me of Marvel’s Squirrel Girl and her squirrel-like powers. However, I would have liked more story development on her powers. There wasn’t a lot of exploration on them, and since this is a new character, it would have been helpful to see the full extent of what she could do.

I loved the subtle cameos/references to other DC characters. For example, Black Canary makes a brief musical appearance (pg. 135), Willow wears a Flash tee shirt (pg. 139), and there is Harley Quinn graffiti (pg. 142).

Overall, this was a solid start to a new superhero story. I am curious to see where it goes next.

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Review: Snapdragon

September 13, 2021Leave a comment

Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free as part of an Instagram book tour (Storygram Tours) I did to promote the book.

This was such a cute graphic novel!

The story was so heartwarming. I loved how Jacks and Snapdragon’s backgrounds and pasts were connected. There were some parts where I was wondering on the relevance of some things (like the story of One-Eyed Tom), but it all came together at the end.

However, in regards to the plot, I wanted more about the magic. Since this is a book about a witch, naturally there is magic, but it was a little vague on how it all worked. I would have loved to seen it explored in more detail.

The diversity and representation in this book is amazing! There was so much black and LGBTQ representation. For example, Snapdragon’s friend, Lulu is transgender. I loved seeing how Lulu slowly came out to be the person she was meant to be!

The art style worked well with the story. The color use in particular was incredibly well done. I liked how vibrant the art was.

Lastly, I thought they should have stuck with the original name of the novel, Roadkill Witch. Snapdragon is too basic of a name for this slightly odd (in a good way) graphic novel.

Overall, this was a charming graphic novel with a dash of magic. If you’re looking for a quick read this spooky season, give this one a try!

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The Beautiful (The Beautiful #1)

July 31, 2021Leave a comment

Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free from he publisher for promotional purposes.

First off, this is not your typical YA vampire book. It’s a very subtle vampire book. The word vampire isn’t even used until way late in the book.

This book is a slow burn, which I liked. It definitely takes a while to get into the story. I found that the slower pace worked well in creating the mystery and intrigue. This is the first book in a series that is projected to have 4 books, so a lot of this book is likely setting the stage for the rest of the series. The slower pace is to be expected.

The book has a lot of interesting supporting characters. My favorite was Odette. She was awesome. I can’t wait to see how her character progresses in the coming books. There’s a lot to explore with her. I also loved Pippa because she’s quite the mystery. This book didn’t delve much into her past or background so I am intrigued to find that out in the coming books.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I am very curious to see how the rest of the series pans out. I recommend this book if you are interested in a more historical fiction take on vampires and also if you want to read a YA vampire series that isn’t Twilight (no shade against Twilight, I just know it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea).

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Review: From Little Tokyo, With Love

June 19, 20212 Comments

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Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher for promotional purposes.

This was such a cute and heartwarming story!

I loved the representation in this. Both the main characters are biracial. Rika is Japanese and white and Hank is Filipino and Chinese. I am biracial myself (Filipino and white) so I related a lot to them. I really resonated with something Rika said. She states, “But it’s not like white people look at me and think I’m one of them” (pg. 130). I have felt that way my whole life.

Also in terms of representation, Rika’s aunts were lesbians which I found very refreshing and important especially in regards to the Asian American community. Often times LBGTQA+ people are not accepted by the Asian American community and this book highlighted that fact.

I liked that the Rika was flawed. So many young adult female leads are written as perfect people, so it was nice to see one who had flaws. It made her feel more realistic.

I also enjoyed that the city of LA was utilized well. Numerous books just use LA as a backdrop but never explore the city. Here, it was given a life of its own and featured lesser known attractions like the old Griffith Park Zoo (I never knew this existed and need to check it out!).

Lastly, going back to Asian American communities, this book delved into the shortcomings of said communities. One character states,

“I really wish so many of our communities would just, like, acknowledge that anger isn’t always a bad emotion…You can’t just reject it — you have to let yourself feel it, make room for it, or all that repressing will burn you up inside”
pg 313

That is so true. We are often taught to just hold our anger inside but that isn’t healthy. We can and should be angry. Additionally, the book also talks about shame in relation to not being what is considered to be “perfect” in the community.

Overall, this book was relatable with a super cute romance, but it also struck a more serious note and shed a light on the Asian American experience.

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