Anna, M., 17The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver follows a transgender boy named Neil Kearney who has just “broken up” with his boyfriend upon hearing the daunting confession of “I love you” and was unable to return the feelings. Although, Niel believed that they were only ever friends and were never together so they could not have “broken up” to begin with. His friend does not take this well much to Niel’s confusion, and he has come to the realization that he has nobody to help him get through his older brother’s marriage and his insufferable family and has the need to get back at his best friend for the confession. So, naturally, he finds himself a date. The date in question is his roommate, an annoying constant in his life that is persistent on being nosy, at his high school boarding school. At first Niel’s new date, Wyatt, believes him to be a down right jerk to his old friend, however as they spend more time together Wyatt forms a deeper understanding over Niel’s situation in life. As Wyatt bonds with him, Niel in turn learns how to open up to somebody new. Right off the bat the story had caught my attention by beginning the story with a break up, which served to nicely introduce the character Niel Kearney. At first Niel is seen as a jerk and instead of making excuses for his character, the author serves to give the reader a deeper analysis of the character to grasp as to why he is acting like this. The author also treats gender and sexuality with care throughout the entire book. He uses the book to question and expand the identity of multiple characters. This is important for readers to see within today’s society especially if they feel as though they are not represented properly in media. I recommend this story to anybody who has an interested in the YA romance section and want to be seen as a transgender and/or queer teen. Please be mindful for any trigger warnings. REFERENCES
Anna M. (2022, October). Teen Review. CIN Catalog. (2022). Retrieved from: https://catalog.cin.bywatersolutions.com/ Goodreads [Cover Images and Genre/Themes]. (2022). Retrieved from: https://www.goodreads.com/ Mason Deaver Writes [Author's Official Website]. (2022). Retrieved from: https://www.masondeaverwrites.com/ NoveList Plus: The Feeling of Falling in Love [Read-alikes]. (2022). Retrieved from: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=neh&tg=UI&an=11079248&site=novp-live&custid=s5664038 Overdrive Catalog. (2022). Retrieved from: https://cin.overdrive.com/
Anna M., 17Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min is a beautifully spun story packed full of anime references, indie rock, queerness, self-discovery, and fateful love. The book follows two protagonists, Santiago and Suwa Moon. Santiago, otherwise known as Santi, is a teenager who had his heart broken by an internet friend, Memo, after leaking their song. He has recently moved to Los Angeles with his guardian in hopes of piecing his life back together. This comes in the form of joining the marching band at his new high school, the Sunshowers. The head trumpet player of the Sunshowers is Suwa who is a trangender teen with a passion for music and a prickly personality that instantly takes a dislike to Santi. Soon the feelings between the two become mutual crushing that later leads to much more, but before their love is able to fully blossom they are hit with their past just as Suwa was beginning his music career and Santi getting his feet back on the ground. The writing of the story is down right impeccable; Lio Min has a wonderful way with making situations feel real and palpable, especially when it comes to dealing with heavier topics. The book is a hurricane of feelings from the very beginning. Some parts of the story had me giggling like a little girl while others made me bitter with disdain. Both characters, and their friend group, have layers and history that adds depth to them and makes their stories intriguing. The main relationship was also well done with it feeling real and both characters actively recognizing and realizing their faults and coming back together because of that. Beating Heart Baby touched on topics such as queerness and race in an elegant way and was clearly handled with care by the author. I recommend this story to anybody that enjoys wanting to feel seen within a romance/coming-of-age novel that otherwise would have been pushed to the side. Please be mindful of the trigger warnings before picking this book up. REFERENCES
Anna M. (2022, September). Teen Review. CIN Catalog. (2022). Retrieved from: https://catalog.cin.bywatersolutions.com/ Goodreads [Cover Images, Genre/Themes, and Read-alikes]. (2022). Retrieved from: https://www.goodreads.com/ Overdrive Catalog. (2022). Retrieved from: https://cin.overdrive.com/ Lio Min [Author's Official Website]. (2022). Retrieved from: https://liomin.com/
Loren F., 184/5 Stars Synopsis: In Ilvernath, seven major families battle for dominance over powerful high magick, with each one more brutal and cunning than the next. Every twenty years, during the Blood Moon, each family sets forth a champion to compete in a tournament to the death. But this time around -- the champions of this year's tournament are done playing by the same old rules. As they build alliances and face painful betrayals; the truth behind the cursed Blood Veil and its tournament begins to unravel...and it is twisted and darker than you could imagine. The Hunger Games + dark magic + incredible storytelling? Sign me up! This book had it all, a truly unique magic system, extremely well-written characters with depth and fascinating backstories, and a fast-paced writing style that kept me engaged the whole way through. Each chapter was told from the different POV of each main character (all while staying in the third person narrative) which really allowed us to see into the minds and hearts of each character and learn more about their struggles, fears, and desires. I also really enjoyed how the authors' writing styles seemed to blend together seamlessly, all while telling a compelling and creative story. Merciless, dark, and intriguing; "All Of Us Villains" is the perfect blend of suspense, excitement, and mystery that will leave you yearning for more. With shocking twists and a ton of "OMG" moments, I can definitely say this is one of my favorite reads of the year, and will surely be a huge hit when it is officially released. I can't wait for the sequel, as this book definitely ends on a bit of a cliffhanger! --- For more book reviews from Loren, checkout her Instagram: @reading.with.frances! REFERENCES
Amanda Foody [Author's Official Website]. (2021). Retrieved from: https://www.amandafoody.com/ CIN Catalog. (2021). Retrieved from: https://catalog.cin.bywatersolutions.com/ Goodreads [Cover Images, Genre/Themes, and Read-alikes]. (2021). Retrieved from: https://www.goodreads.com/ Loren F. (2021, July). Teen Review. Overdrive Catalog. (2021). Retrieved from: https://cin.overdrive.com/ |
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