I loved Jennifer Donnelly’s Poisoned for many of the same reasons I enjoyed her book Stepsister – it’s a heartfelt, feminist retelling of a classic fairytale, with a strong female lead and enjoyable, fleshed-out side characters.
Fact: I had a terrible time getting through A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. Reading it felt like being dropped into the middle of a conversation that’s in a language I don’t know. Disorienting is the only word I can think of to describe the feel and pace of this book. And yet…there are some great thematic pay-offs: coming-of-age, embrace-your-power, find-your-friends kind of stuff. And the last line? Perfection!
Jordan Ifueko’s Raybearer is a full, robust reading experience. Excellent world-building and satisfying character arcs. I loved many of the themes, including a “found family,” the difference between uniform/unified, an individual’s purpose, and the notion of justice.
This book was very “Patrick Ness”-ish. Which is to say, a little weird, but compelling and well-written. I finished Burn and wondered “What did I just read?!” and “How can I explain this to anyone else?” Especially why they should absolutely read it, too.
I love when authors create dark, flawed characters without apology and have them act true to form, rather than changing them too much or too fast and compromising the reader’s trust. Tricia Levenseller does just that with The Shadows Between Us, making for a compulsively enjoyable read.
BOOK:30 