To Read or Not To Read

Strength takes many forms, and most forms aren't always visible to the naked eye. Society epitomizes strength through the perfect female heroine, or through unattainable beauty standards, or through having a perfect, drug-free life. Not all of these things are possible. To be strong is to throw away the ideal of perfection everyone else sees and to take control of your own narrative. In the series, The Modern Faerie Tales, Holly Black introduces two female protagonists who do just that. By facing who they truly are, overcoming harrowing struggles, and completing impossible quests, Valerie's and Kaye's stories are the perfect introduction to Holly Black's errie Faerieland.  Holly Black is the #1  New York Times  bestselling author of over 30 fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldw...

Fans of Les Misérables and French history will love this gritty retelling of one of Hugo's doomed characters. In this blended-genre debut, we follow a quick, clever kitten-turned-cat of a girl who learns how to wield her claws to protect those she loves. With a main character as compelling as that, how could you not want to read, always on the edge of your seat, praying that she'll somehow pull it all off in the end and save her sister? In the first novel of her trilogy, Kester Grant introduces us to the hopeful, twisted, saving-grace-sphere of The Court of Miracles, and all the people who inhabit it. If you've ever hoped for a better ending for Éponine, or to see a character succeed against all odds, then Kester Grant's fairytale of a story is exactly what you need.  Kester Grant is a British-Mauritian writer of color. She was born in London, grew up between the UK, DemocraticRepublic of Congo, and the tropicalisland paradise of Mauritius. As a wanton nomad she and h...

For all of us who want an exciting sea voyage while stuck in quarantine, we're in luck. Adalyn Grace brings us the newest adventure of a lifetime between the pages of her debut YA fantasy novel, All the Stars and Teeth . If you've always wanted a novel about a princess who will sacrifice everything for country, this is the book for you. If you've always wanted a novel with underlying themes of feminism and women in power, then you need to pick up this book. If you just want a fast-paced read where secrets are uncovered and lies are exposed at the turn of each page, don't hesitate to order this book from the safety of your home. In essence, this is a book for everyone, and this is the book for you.  Adalyn Grace is a New York Times  bestselling author of All the Stars and Teeth , which was named "2020's biggest YA fantasy" books by Entertainment Weekly . Prior to becoming an author, Adalyn spent four years working in live theatre, acted as the managing...

Very rarely do you find a book you never want to put down, because you want to read it forever. Very rarely do we find a story that consumes us, so much so that it becomes a story we never want to end. A combination of factors makes this feeling possible, and it is difficult to get that combination right. After 8 years of breathless anticipation, Erin Morgenstern has delivered us the perfect combination of fantasy, reality, dream, and fairytale in the form of the novel, The Starless Sea . This, at its core, is a truly beautiful, heartbreaking, breathtaking love story -- to stories. If you call yourself a reader, a lover of stories, then I have this review space to convince you to pick up this book.  Erin Morgenstern is the author of The Night Circus  and The Starless Sea , and someday hopefully more! She grew up in Massachusetts and studied theatre and studio art at Smith College. She currently lives with her husband Adam and the world's cutest kitten in the middle of the woo...

Colors and actions have power in everyday life. Specific colors provoke specific responses, and intentional (even unintentional) actions all have consequences. Dancing in red shoes provokes a specific image, especially if you're familiar with the dark and twisted fairytale. Retellings, one of my favorite sub-genres of young adult fiction, keep getting darker and more twisted as the years go on -- quite possibly a reflection of the world we're growing to live in. Anna-Marie McLemore, in their fifth and most recent novel, Dark and Deepest Red , tackles agency, history, cultures, faith, and power by connecting the stories of two women who will give it all up, to save all those they love.  Anna-Marie McLemore is the author of fairy tales that are as queer, Latinx, and nonbinary as they are. Their books include  The Weight of Feathers , a 2016 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist; 2017 Stonewall Honor Book  When the Moon Was Ours , which was also longlisted for the Na...

This is a story about so many things: family, truth, understanding. To extend on that, it's a story about how stories have the power to be damaging when they're built on a foundation of lies. It's a story about the ability of one person, and one family, to take back agency and control of their own story. It's a story about all kinds of love, across all times and spaces. It's a story about how land and people affect one another, and how they'll always be in opposition if they don't work together to tell the correct story. It's a story about women upholding a burden they didn't deserve, but did anyways. But most of all, Anna-Marie McLemore, with Wild Beauty , gave us a story that we can all learn and grow from.  Anna-Marie McLemore is the author of fairy tales that are as queer, Latinx, and nonbinary as they are. Their books include The Weight of Feathers , a 2016 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist; 2017 Stonewall Honor Book When the Moon Was...

Not a lot of small towns have claims to fame, and not a lot of people are truly famous the way we currently use the word. Not a lot of people experience truly heartbreaking things early on in life, so not a lot of people are so sure of who they are by the time they're a teen. These are the ideas that build the foundation to Emma Mills's fourth novel, Famous in a Small Town . Packed full with Mills's signature wit and feeling, Sophie's story is a study in secrets, tragedy, and hope.  Emma Mills is the author of  First & Then, This Adventure Ends, Foolish Hearts , Famous in a Small Town , and  Lucky Caller . She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and has recently completed a PhD in cell biology. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter @elmify. If you're interested in more of my reviews of her work, you can find them all here .  For Sophie, small-town life has never felt  small. With her four best friends--loving, infuriating, and all she could ever ask for...

"The course of true love never did run smooth" Shakespeare tells us in one of the opening lines of A Midsummer Night's Dream . Of course, love never accounts for foolish hearts or foolish actions, no matter the kind of love -- between friends, family, or lovers. There is a lot of love in the world, and none of it is easily obtained or easily held on to, if it's worth it. Mills takes a stab at this idea, and captures the feelings associated with budding and evolved love in her third novel, Foolish Hearts . Starring a flawed yet likable main character with her unexpected new friend, Claudia takes on new adventures in her last year of high school, that might just lead to new understanding of herself, and of those all around her.  Emma Mills is the author of First & Then, This Adventure Ends, Foolish Hearts, Famous in a Small Town , and Lucky Caller . She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and has recently completed a PhD in cell biology. You can find her on Instagram...