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REVIEW: Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson

US preorder link | insta | booktok | goodreads

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

To Keep It Short: I had a good time, but I was honestly expecting more from such a long book. (A TL;DR can be found at the bottom of this review!)

Summary: As a fantastic thief with flexible morality, Jack Nevin is the perfect assistant to the world-famous magician: the Enchantress. He likes what he does. Or at least, he thinks he does. Forced to flee and choosing to perform at the 1909 Alaska–Yukon–Pacific World’s Fair Exposition in America, Jack meets Wilhelm, and suddenly he isn't so sure.

Wilhelm doesn't know who his real parents are. Teddy made sure of that when he kidnapped him as a child after discovering Wilhelm's magic - his ability to travel to and from places in the blink of an eye. For the last decade, Teddy has been using Wilhelm against his will to carry out his heists. And now they're headed for the big game: the Fair Exposition, where Teddy intends to pose as Lazlo, a magician, in order to pull off their most risky heist yet.

THE BOOK:

CWs: kidnapping, involuntary bloodletting, manipulation, gaslighting, physical, mental, and emotional abuse/torture Release date: 9/28/2021 Publisher: HarperTeen Page Count: 512 Genre: YA Historical Fantasy Is It Queer: Yes! Achillean main romance, sapphic side romance.

THE REVIEW:

It's a little hard to describe how I felt about this book. Given that it's 500+ pages, I definitely expected more. I'm usually really into character-driven narratives, and while I certainly enjoyed Jack and Wilhelm's story well enough -- I finished it, after all -- it really did drag at some points. There's a lot of room to explore within 500 pages, but by the end, it felt like we'd only just dipped beneath the surface level of who Jack and Wilhelm really are. In Jack's case in particular, we learn early on that he lived on the streets for a time after his mother died, but we don't really get to see in any real depth the mark this left on him. I also wish we'd gotten to see more of Lucia, Ruth, and Jessamy, because I really did love them. All of the characters are wonderfully unique, and we see teasers into their lives and emotions and wants and needs, but we don't really get to delve into that. Everything as a whole might have felt more solid had we spent more time with them. Teddy and George can rot <3 All that said, I did enjoy it well enough! As dual narrators, Jack and Wilhelm are engaging and easy to love and root for. The romance was incredibly sweet, healthy, and well developed, and I enjoyed watching them realize what real love could feel like. The real plot of Before We Disappear was ultimately the romance, which is fine, although it left me wanting in regard to the subplots, all of which were deeply interesting but just... not quite there. If you're a stickler for historical accuracy, you might find yourself a bit annoyed with how homophobia is approached here, but SDH makes a really good statement in his author's note: "We were there in 1909 whether people knew it or not, and while Jack and Wil's story isn't true, I'd like to think it could have been." I'm personally in the middle ground, as I love to see gays just bein' happy and will always root for more of these narratives, but from a writing perspective, broaching the subject of homophobia could definitely have added a bit more emotional depth to the characters and subplots. All in all, it's a fun read and worth your time if you're looking for something a little lighter (that still hits on some deeper, more serious topics such as mental and physical abuse, gaslighting, kidnapping, etc.).

★★★✰✰/5 STARS (3/5)

TOO LONG; DIDN'T READ:

Pros: Great cast and narration, incredibly sweet romances, an overall fun read

Cons: Characters and plot needed further development, drags at moments, historical inaccuracy if that irks you

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REVIEW: Under the Whispering Door by TJ Kune

US preorder link | insta | booktok | goodreads

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor-Forge for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

To Keep It Short: This is, without a doubt, my favorite read of 2021 thus far. I have SO many emotions (A TL;DR can be found at the bottom of this review!)

Summary: When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead. But instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop's owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over. But Wallace isn't ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo's help, he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

Death is only their beginning.

THE BOOK:

CWs: death (primarily unexpected), panic attacks, mentions of suicide Release date: 9/21/2021 Publisher: Tor Books Page Count: 384 Genre: Adult Paranormal Fantasy Is It Queer: Yes yes! Bi MC, gay love interest, queer side characters

THE REVIEW:

Oh my God. Seriously, oh my God. Okay, in short: I am so in love with this book and my heart has not stopped aching in wonderful ways. TJ Klune just... knows how to write - a master of storytelling. Never before have I so quickly wanted to reread a book immediately after finishing it. Under the Whispering Door is like cuddling with your dog under a weighted blanket. There's a cup of tea steeping on your bedside table. A fire is crackling. Overhead, through a skylight: the stars, unhindered by light pollution. This emotional, character-driven story is a breath-taking exploration of grief, compassion, and healing. It is, as many of Klune's works tend to be, one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. I've heard mixed opinions on the plot - perhaps because it is far more character-driven than, say, The House in the Cerulean Sea - but I, for one, loved it with every single part of my soul. It felt raw and real and honest in the most vulnerable and human of ways. My chest ached with emotion every time I picked it up to read. The romance, although certainly sugar-sweet and a crucial aspect of the story, is secondary to Wallace's journey of coming to terms with his own unexpected death and realizing the fact that in life he was... well, a total asshole. The character development is something we (as both human beings and as writers) can only dream of. And it's not just for Wallace. Each of our wonderful side characters - all of whom feel so rich and unique and so very real - grow and change over the course of the novel in delightful and perhaps even unexpected ways. Not a single character, no matter how little part they play, is left unchanged. Klune seemingly accomplishes this with such ease and grace, and it only contributes to how fantastically real this cast felt. I loved each and every character with all of my heart, and the fact that I can't be best friends with them all infuriates me. I am not a crier when I read sad books - but this one got me. The subject of death is so painfully personal, and Klune handles it perfectly as he explores how death impacts not just those left behind, but those whose own lives have been cut unfairly short. But it's not all tears, don't worry! This is simultaneously one of the funniest, most joyful books I've read in a very long time. I caught myself full-body laughing out loud on more than one occasion. The fanart this book is going to influence is going to be absolutely incredible. At the end, you're going to have a lot of questions regarding the rules of this world. And I'm of the mind to say that to be upset over that would just be silly - it's a story about not having all the answers. About not knowing or understanding what comes next or hell, even what came before. Nobody truly knows what the future holds; nobody truly understands life after death. I would have been disappointed if Klune had tried to answer the unknowable. TL;DR for this paragraph: Klune understood the afterlife assignment. This is, without a doubt, my favorite read of 2021 thus far. TJ Klune is a genius. You will deeply regret it if you miss this story, I promise. Also, if nothing else here has successfully convinced you: there is a ghost dog, and he is, in fact, the best boy.

★★★★★/5 STARS (5/5)

TOO LONG; DIDN’T READ:

Pros: Beautiful written, deeply emotional (a serious tear-jerker), laugh-out-loud funny, incredibly fleshed-out characters, a ghost dog

Cons: I literally have nothing bad to say about this book

[pocketreads]

REVIEW: Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain

Thank you to PenguinTeen for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

To Keep It Short: I knew this was going to be a fun, spooky read, but I definitely didn't anticipate it to be this good of a time! (A TL;DR can be found at the bottom of this review!)

Summary: La Cachette, Louisiana, the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World where Grey spends her summers, is the worst place to be if you have something to hide--and the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey's best friend, disappeared six months earlier.

Grey can't believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she can believe that nobody in a town full of psychics knows what happened. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something - her grandmother Honey; her childhood crush Hart; and even her late mother, whose secrets continue to call to Grey from beyond the grave.

When a mysterious stranger emerges from the bayou - a stormy-eyed boy with links to Elora and the town's bloody history - Grey realizes that La Cachette's past is far more present and dangerous than she'd ever understood. Suddenly, she doesn't know who she can trust.

In a town where secrets lurk just below the surface, nobody can be presumed innocent.

THE BOOK:

CWs: alcoholism, smoking, physical child abuse, mentioned murder/drowning of children, brief mention of self-harm/suicide Release date: 8/31/2021 Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin Teen) Page Count: 432 Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller Is It Queer: No, aside from an "oh, he's gay" for a side character

THE REVIEW:

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I knew it was going to be an interesting one from the get-go, but I honestly didn't expect to like it as much as I did - I'm not typically a fan of YA thrillers. But Dark and Shallow Lies was fast-paced, beautifully written, deliciously eerie, and - shocker - dark! I loved the small-town bayou setting - murder mysteries where everyone knows everyone are always so intense, and this was no different. So much heartbreak at stake (and oof did I feel that heartbreak). And speaking of the mystery - this one had me guessing up until the very end. I'm not the best at guessing plot twists, but I'm not half-bad, and still, this one kept surprising me over and over. I seriously thought I had guessed it a few chapters in, but oooh, I was dead wrong! (Haha... get it... dead? Ahem.) There really are so many dark and twisted secrets to keep your attention glued to the pages! I enjoyed the cast - especially the voice of our narrator, Grey - although I do wish we could have delved deeper into some of our side characters. I felt as though Zale in particular had a lot more story to him that we didn't get to see, and would have loved to see his character expanded upon. The same goes for Sander, who I feel very deeply deserved more page-time because I love him very deeply. There is a love triangle of sorts, which I'm not usually a big fan of. The same remains true for this book, but I found that the plot cast most of it in shadow, so it's completely tolerable if you're also not into love triangles. And if you are, it's still present enough to fill all your love triangle needs, I promise! If you're as intrigued as I was by the idea of a thriller with small touches of the paranormal, check it out; it won't disappoint!

★★★★✰/5 STARS (4)

TOO LONG; DIDN’T READ:

Pros: Fast-paced, eerie, fun cast of characters, fantastic mystery!

Cons: Some characters could have been further developed

[pocketreads]

To Keep It Short: This will probably be a story that a lot of readers love... unfortunately, I am not that reader (A TL;DR can be found at the bottom of this review!)

Summary: Jake Livingston is one of the only Black kids at St. Clair Prep. It’s hard enough fitting in but to make matters worse and definitely more complicated, Jake can see the dead. In fact, he sees the dead around him all the time. Most are harmless. Stuck in their death loops as they relive their deaths over and over again, they don’t interact often with people.

But then Jake meets Sawyer. A troubled teen who shot and killed six kids at a local high school last year before taking his own life. Now a powerful, vengeful ghost, he has plans for his afterlife–plans that include Jake. Suddenly, everything Jake knows about ghosts and the rules to life itself go out the window as Sawyer begins haunting him and bodies turn up in his neighborhood.

High school soon becomes a survival game–one Jake is not sure he’s going to win.

THE BOOK:

CWs: graphic imagery; death/murder; suicidal ideation and attempts; mass shootings/gun violence; child abuse, mental and physical; attempted sexual assault; racism, bullying, and homophobia Release date: 7/13/2021 Publisher: Putnam (Penguin Teen) Page Count: 308 Genre: YA Paranormal horror Is It Queer: Yep! Main MLM romance

THE REVIEW:

I had really high hopes for this one. I love a classic paranormal slice-of-life novel, and all the better when it's starring a queer Black boy. Unfortunately, this book just... wasn't great. The Taking of Jake Livingston follows Jake as he navigates being not only gay and one of the only Black kids at his private school, but also being a medium. The ability to see the souls in the After isn't new for him, but he's always tried to ignore it up until now. Suddenly, Jake's already stressful life is made worse when he finds himself haunted by the ghost of Sawyer Doon--the boy who shot up his high school before taking his own life. Now, it's not just Jake's life on the line, but his friends, his families, his crush--and even the ghosts of the kids whose lives Sawyer took in the shooting. Some positives! The main plot was pretty fast-paced and therefore did a pretty good job of keeping you engaged. The ghost-world was unique and intriguing, and I enjoyed the concept of using "ecto-mist" as a weapon. There were some fantastically gory and creepy imagery, some undeniably spooky, hair-raising scenes, and the author certainly succeeds at unsettling the reader, especially within Sawyer's (the shooter) scenes. Like, objectively, this is a fun book. Unfortunately, these things couldn't really compete with the fact that this book reads much like low-budget teen superhero movie. There are so many strange lines, metaphors, and similes thrown into intense life-or-death scenes that gave me straight up whiplash (I will never forget "my neck cracked like a crisp lobster"). The dialogue typically felt distant and unnatural, and the pace at which relationships developed was much the same. Perhaps the biggest issue to be raised is that this plot and its characters are just seriously lacking in foundation. The characters, although they definitely stand apart from one another, are notably underdeveloped and flat, including Jake. Each character felt like they were made of one (1) character trait. For Jake's friend group, for example: the anxious one, the confident one, and the adventurous one. You never really learn anything about any of their hopes, their dreams, how they feel about... anything. The scenes felt slapped on top of one another with flimsy bridges to connect them. Often, emotional repercussions didn't seem to carry over--Jake has his life threatened by a ghost, he runs downstairs to witness a school fight, and he isn't even shaken by the former. The plot twists were unpredictable not because they were clever, but because they were almost completely baseless and a little unhinged. Most plot points occurred because they could, not because they made sense. Like, suddenly, Jake can merge with another ghost to become more powerful (similarly to Sawyer), I guess? And to be fair, this is a super cool idea--it just needed more of an explanatory build-up to it. Why can he do this? Can all mediums do this? How did he do it without even knowing it was possible? There are a lot of other questions I have for this world pertaining to just about everything--some of which aren't necessarily questions that need to be answered, but I felt should have at least been offered. The romance was pretty cute, and although a little cringe-worthy at times (as high school romances oft tend to be), it definitely made me smile. It's also just nice to see a queer romance between Black boys in YA for once. In the end, this just wasn't my cup of tea, but it does have its moments. I can easily see this appealing more to a different audience, so if it sounds like something you might enjoy, or if you're just looking for a fun, fast-paced read without any life-changing revelations, consider checking it out!

★★✭✰✰/5 STARS (2.5)

TOO LONG; DIDN’T READ:

Pros: A cute romance, fast-paced, unique and intriguing, gory, and all around just an objectively fun time

Cons: Flat, one dimensional characters, baseless plot twists ("I can so I will"), reads like a low-budget superhero film, etc, etc.

[pocketreads]

REVIEW: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

To Keep It Short: It's books like Boyfriend Material that make years like 2020 worth it. (A TL;DR can be found at the bottom of this review!)

Summary: Luc O’Donnell is tangentially—and reluctantly—famous. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.

To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship…and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately, apart from being gay, single, and in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled.

But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that's when you get used to someone. Start falling for them.

Don't ever want to let them go.

THE BOOK:

CWs: eating disorder, homophobia (minimal), cancer, emotional abuse, panic attacks/disorders, depression, drugs/alcohol Release date: 7/7/2020 Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca Page Count: 434 Genre: NA Contemporary Romance Is It Queer: Yep! Main MLM romance with some side gays and a bi.

THE REVIEW:

This is the kind of book I could gush about for hours. It's the kind of book I stayed up to 3am reading three nights in a row. It's the kind of book I'll be thinking about for years. The humor and wit is spot on! Hall definitely has a way of making you feel things. I spent 70% of this book laughing, 20% gushing, and 10% crying. This is one of those stories that I never wanted to end - that I desperately wished was real just so I could meet these characters and give them all a well-deserved hug. I often struggle with romcoms or contemporaries. The relationships often feel unrealistic, or the plot twists are cliché and overused. I didn't feel that was the case here! Predictable - yes, because we all know the structure of these kinds of stories by now - but that predictability didn't negatively impact the story at all, and nothing about this felt unrealistic or overdone. It was wonderfully refreshing to read a story like this, and as soon as I finished, I wish I could read it again for the first time. Mental illness and trauma also play large roles in the main characters' motivations and actions, and that representation was something I very much appreciated! It was handled extremely well, and I personally felt seen an understood. Oliver and Luc's relationship was imperfectly perfect. They're sweet, awkward, hilarious, sexy, catastrophic, and much more all at once. These characters are perfect foils for one another, and yet, their relationship makes perfect sense. Not to be that person, but they really did fit together like pieces of a puzzle. The side characters did feel somewhat one-dimensional, but I think this is common in romcoms, and I honestly adored them all the same. It doesn't detract from the story, but I still looked forward to seeing them on the page again! Boyfriend Material does have a slightly slower pacing. Personally, I adored this! But understandably, it's not everyone's cup of tea. Even so, if this is something you might struggle with, I suggest trying to push through all the same, because it seriously is worth the read.

★★★���★/5 STARS

TOO LONG; DIDN'T READ:

Pros: Consistently hilarious and relatable, wonderful voice, extremely lovable characters, positive rep of mental illness, packs an emotional punch

Cons: somewhat one-dimensional side characters, slightly slower pacing if that isn't your cup of tea

This is at the top of my 'read before you die' books list!

[pocketreads]

REVIEW: The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

To Keep It Short: This is one of those books you have to read before you die. (A TL;DR can be found at the bottom of this review!)

Summary: Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV’s ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite, Oregon before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she knows something is wrong. Teens are disappearing, some turning up dead; the weather isn’t normal. Worst of all, all fingers seem to point to her dads.

Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and now that the Ortiz-Woodleys are back in town, his ghost is following her. When Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who—or what—is haunting Snakebite, their investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and themselves that neither of them are ready for.

The Dark has been waiting for far too long, and it won’t stay hidden any longer.

Note: This book releases on 08/03/2021!

THE BOOK:

CWs: homophobia (verbal), child death, murder, claustrophobia (buried alive), drowning, slurs Release date: 8/3/2021 Publisher: Wednesday Books Page Count: 352 Genre: YA Paranormal horror/mystery Is It Queer: Yep! Bi, lesbian, and gay rep in every direction!

THE REVIEW:

Guys. Oh my god. I feel like the only thing I can say right now is wow. Wow wow wow wow. I am so in awe! I finished The Dead and the Dark with a pounding heart, utterly blown away by how incredible it was.

This is one of those books that snags you from the very first line and never lets you go. The hook all by itself is mind-blowing, and I knew right then that this was going to be one of my favorites of the year. The prose is rich, pulling you in so deep you’ll be seeing a vivid movie behind your eyes. Admittedly, I found a few lines to be a little too familiar (“She let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding”). And sure, for the briefest of moments, it removes you from the story. But I’m telling you here and now, Gould is such an incredibly talented storyteller that within a single heartbeat, you’re reeled right back in.

The atmosphere of this story was incredible. It felt dusty and dark and damp and cold and hot all at once (in the best possible way!) and I had a wad of excitement and anticipation lodged in my chest every second while reading. It felt like stargazing in a field at the edge of the woods by yourself only to… slowly realize… you’re perhaps not as alone as you might have thought.

That said, if you’re looking for a good scare, this might not be the best place to look. I wouldn’t say this is a horror as much as it is a suspense. Perhaps for a younger audience (think late elementary/early middle school), this might have readers squinting into the dark and cowering beneath covers, but the heart of this story rests in tension rather than true fear.

The cast of characters were all deeply relatable in their own ways, and I adored all of them from the second they were introduced. I love a somewhat pessimistic protagonist, which is what we get with Logan without being overbearing or exhausting. Ashley’s uncertainty and fear and confliction hit me right where it hurts. I wanted to wrap both of these girls up in a blanket and give them the tightest hugs they’ve ever had – I want to be best friends with them. And, of course, Alejo and Brandon… well, what’s not to love about a pair of mysterious ghost-hunting husbands? (Yes, it’s as perfect as it sounds.)

The main romance in this story is seen between Logan – an openly gay teen and the adopted daughter to the two aforementioned ghost-hunting dads – and Ashley, a girl from a small, close-minded town whose boyfriend, Tristan, has recently gone missing. Ultimately, the romance is not the primary focus of the story, but don’t get me wrong: it’s here, it’s queer, it’ll make your heart melt. It’s something of a slow burn, and it’s so worth it. Writing a relationship in which one character is not only grieving but battling her own internalized homophobia is not an easy thing, but Gould manages and handles it extraordinarily well. The romance, while still being soft and wonderful, was refreshingly raw and real. I miss them dearly already.

Remember when I casually mentioned the missing boyfriend? I think I could talk about the mystery here for paragraphs upon paragraphs, but I will once again bring it short with a holy crap. Once again: mind blown. The mystery was beautifully dark and twisted and so insanely clever. I was jotting down notes trying to work out what was going on (I did not succeed, but holy hell was it fun to try and connect the dots). Almost everything ties up so neatly… **** ** *** **** **** *** ******? But honestly, everything else was pretty concrete, so in regard to the final rating, I’m letting it slide! Nothing’s perfect, after all.

★★★★★/5 STARS

TOO LONG; DIDN'T READ:

PROS: Super rich prose, incredible atmosphere, wonderful characters & romance, top notch mystery! CONS: A couple cliche lines, a loose thread in relation to the mystery (nothing worth neglecting the story over, in my opinion)

This is easily one of my favorite reads of the year thus far! You don’t wanna miss it!