#young adult reviews

[reedreadsbooks]

Book Review: Dreadnought by April Daniels ✨🏙️⚡️

rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

(5/5)

After Dreadnought, the world’s greatest superhero, is killed in combat, closeted trans girl Danny Tozer inherits his powers and is transformed to have the body she’s always wanted to have. Now she has to deal with having superpowers and being an out trans woman, all the while hunting down the supervillain who murdered her predecessor.

This book was phenomenal, and I’m kind of at a loss for words to describe how much I liked it.

To start, I love the world of this book. This is such a classic superhero story. Daniels uses the conventions of the genre without making things feel like a parody and subverts tropes just enough to make the story distinct.

I also really love Dreadnought as a trans narrative. This book doesn’t shy away from transphobia. Between Danny’s parents, kids at her school, and other heroes she meets, we get a pretty broad and realistic representation of the types of abuse a young trans woman might face. There’s also so much trans joy in this book. It was really nice to see Danny come into herself, and it was cathartic to watch her realize that no one could take her transition away from her. This is the type of story that will give trans kids hope for the future.

I would recommend this book to literally everyone. In fact, I plan on recommending this book to literally everyone. But because that’s not helpful, I’ll be more specific and say I highly recommend this book to fans of Andrew Joseph White. Obviously, it’s very different from his work, genre-wise, but I think the themes are really similar. If you like Hell Followed with Us and The Spirit Bares It’s Teeth, I can definitely see you liking Dreadnought.

[purplebunnyreads]

👾Radio Silence👾 by Alice Oseman

“It’d take hours to explain,” I said.

“I’d listen to you for hours,” he said.

“Being friends with Aled made me feel like I’d never had a real friend before, ever.”

“I couldn’t quite believe how much i seriously loved Aled Last, even if it wasn’t in the ideal way that would make it socially acceptable for us to live together until we die.”

“Why are you so nice to me?”

“Because I’m an angel.”

“You are.” He stretched out his arm and patted me on the head. “And I’m platonically in love with you.”

Oh, to have a friendship like theirs.

Alice Oseman understands me on a fundamental level. Reading this book, especially the first half of it, felt like someone had invaded my soul and put it on paper. I related to Aled and Frances more than I’ve related to any characters possibly ever. Put them together so they are one person, and they are me. You wouldn’t be able to spot a difference.

Here are some quotes from the book that I especially related to:

“You’re an idiot,” said Mum, when I relayed to her the entire situation on Wednesday. “Not an unintelligent idiot, but a sort of naive idiot who manages to fall into a difficult situation and then can’t get out of it because she’s too awkward.”

“Yeah, he’s that sort of person.”

“What sort of person?”

“The sort of person who doesn’t speak spontaneously.” She folded her arms. “Who won’t say anything if you don’t ask.

“Honestly, I need to stop being scared of being a normal teenage girl.”

“Long ago, I was afflicted with a terrible predisposition to never say a word, and I honestly cannot understand why or how that happened.”

I love this book more than I can put to words. Even though I literally just reread it, I'm itching to read it again. I think it's my favorite of Alice Oseman's books. Maybe even one of my favorite books of all time. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.

If you liked anything else Alice has written, if you are/grew up a weird, quiet, fandom-obsessed kid with a minimal amount of friends, or if you're tired of only seeing romance in the YA genre and are looking for a book that centers around a platonic relationship instead, then please, please, PLEASE read this book.

“Art reflects life,” said Carys. “Or… Maybe it’s the other way round.”

[jetwhenitsmidnight]

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White

Release date: 3 September 2024

Genre: young adult contemporary horror/thriller

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis

A gut-wrenching story following a trans autistic teen who survives an attempted murder, only to be drawn into the generational struggle between the rural poor and those who exploit them.

On the night Miles Abernathy—sixteen-year-old socialist and proud West Virginian—comes out as trans to his parents, he sneaks off to a party, carrying evidence that may finally turn the tide of the blood feud plaguing Twist Creek: Photos that prove the county’s Sheriff Davies was responsible for the so-called “accident” that injured his dad, killed others, and crushed their grassroots efforts to unseat him.

The feud began a hundred years ago when Miles’s great-great-grandfather, Saint Abernathy, incited a miners’ rebellion that ended with a public execution at the hands of law enforcement. Now, Miles becomes the feud’s latest victim as the sheriff’s son and his friends sniff out the evidence, follow him through the woods, and beat him nearly to death.

In the hospital, the ghost of a soot-covered man hovers over Miles’s bedside while Sheriff Davies threatens Miles into silence. But when Miles accidently kills one of the boys who hurt him, he learns of other folks in Twist Creek who want out from under the sheriff’s heel. To free their families from this cycle of cruelty, they’re willing to put everything on the line—is Miles?

Content warnings

Transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming

Death, murder, violence, blood, gore, body horror, injury, fire injury

Gun violence

Hospitalisation

Car crash

Mentioned animal death/abuse

Implied sexual assault

Toxic friendship

Drug abuse/drug addiction

Ableism

Classism

(I did my best to get all the content warnings, but I might have missed some things so do be warned)

Review

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!!!

I have heard nothing but good things about the author's other works, so I went into this book excited, but trying to temper my expectations in case I got let down.

Y'all. This book is pure FIRE.

This book is horrifying and visceral, but at the same time, it's moving and sincere. While this book tackles heavy topics like transphobia and classism, it's also very much about the importance of family and community.

Not to mention that the story/plot is absolutely gripping. I was tempted to finish this in one sitting, but I made myself pace it out so that I could enjoy it longer. Every chapter ended on a cliffhanger that made me want to keep reading. The author does a great job of interspersing the really dark moments with hopeful ones, so the book never gets too bogged down in despair.

One thing I have to mention is that I was very much NOT prepared for how dark this book got. I think I underestimated it because it's categorised as young adult, but this book gets really heavy.

If I had to critique something, it would be the formatting. The first page of each chapter is all black with white text, and all the other pages are the regular white with black text. The changes in page and text colour threw me out of the story a little, but TBH this is like a really minor nitpick, and also the only negative thing I have to say about this book.

[rainlov3r]

i loved aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe but i don't like that it's only seen as a "queer romance" i feel like the romance in this book wasn't even the main focus. this book is about loneliness and family trauma and growing up and understanding the people around you and then the main characters fall in love and that is ONE of the things they have to come to terms with besides so many other things. but for example ari didn't have problems opening up because he is gay but because he has to carry his family's trauma. i loved the romance part of this book so much. but the book would have also worked if dante and ari were just two friends who loved each other a lot, because the book is so much more then just a romance.

[rlbookreviews]

Paper Towns by John Green My rating: 5 of 5 stars I really enjoyed this young adult novel when I was in school. I definitely will read this book again since I rediscovered it again while I was going through my old books. I love the friendship Quin and Margo has in the book. If I had to pick a favorite quote from the book it would be this one, "The town was paper, but the memories were not." Chapter 19, page 227 I recommend all young adults and adults to read this book View all my reviews

[thatstonerfriend]

I’m not sure if anyone who follows me is big on reading, but I’m just getting back into it (I’m terrible at feeding my hobbies). Anyways, I’m a HUGE lover of young adult books. It’s one of my top favorite genres, I just think the writing in Y.A. is unmatched and transformative.

I just read Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White. When I tell you I devoured this book. The plot, the characters, everything was perfection. The education and insight it gives into the LGBTQ+ world, especially for young adults; it’s amazing. I wish I’d had a book like this growing up. One that made me realize the differences and fluidity in sexuality and gender and how beautiful every aspect of our community can be.

I highly recommend this book if you like Y.A. Fiction with a post apocalyptic feel. Normally I’m not an apocalyptic girly but everything about this from the religious turmoil and family trauma, to the romance and community is utter perfection.

[gardenfeather-book-reviews]

"The Spirit Bares its Teeth" by Andrew Joseph White

Silas Bell, a young autistic transgender man living in the 1880s in England, wants to be a surgeon. Not a wife and mother. After a botched escape from a future devoted to a husband, he is diagnosed with “veil sickness,” a disease that causes violet eyed women to open the veil and communicate with the dead, an act that is illegal for women to do. 

        He is sent to Braxton's Finishing School and Sanatorium and engaged to a wealthy lord's son. But Braxton might not be what it seems. And Silas is the only one who can save the life of his new friends by uncovering the secrets of the school, all while fighting the voice in his head telling him to just do as he is told. For Silas, doing as he is told is not an option.

        Andrew Joseph White has crafted an incredible story. All of the characters are complex and every character has so much depth. White is able to balance the main character, Silas, with all aspects of his identity. They are all woven throughout the story in an authentic way that gives him personality outside of those defining traits while still acknowledging how important they are. It is one of the best representations of autism I have ever read.

       The setting and accuracy to historical detail makes the stakes seem real and send you to the time period. He uses the time period to bring light to the story he wants to tell. His use of imagery is terrific. 

        White is able to discuss so many important topics throughout the book, all of which apply in some way to our society today. He somehow is able to highlight and tackle each complex theme in one book while giving them each the space to be recognized for their individual importance.  

        Gory and dense while also romantic, The Spirit Bares its Teeth is an amazing novel with an incredible message to fight for your life and happiness, even if the whole world is against you.   

[richincolor]

Book Review of A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur (허주은)

Summary: Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.

1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.

Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom’s turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death.

Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know who he can trust.

When Iseul's and Daehyun's fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king. Armed with Iseul’s family connections and Daehyun’s royal access, they reluctantly join forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever seen:

Save her sister. Free the people. Destroy a tyrant.

Review: [Cruel tyrant is not an exaggeration so there is a content warning in the author's note that indicates the following: rape (mentioned), sexual abuse, misogyny, kidnapping women and girls, sex trafficking, incest (mentioned), violence, murder, animal cruelty, suicide (mentioned), infanticide (mentioned), psychological trauma, and panic attacks.]

Though this story is fiction, the setting and King Yeonsan are part of actual history. June Hur has not tidied up his tyrannical behavior so there are a lot of atrocities to witness in Iseul and Daehyun's path. This does make for a difficult read, but there is also love and strength that shine through. The dedication says, "To those who have dared to be a beacon of light in the bleakest of moments." There are numerous characters who are that light for others and even in the midst of so much awfulness, there is hope. That's what kept me reading.

Iseul's life has turned upside down and she has realized that she had taken her sister for granted. She is out on her own for the first time and is making brave and rash decisions because she seemingly is unaware of how truly risky and deadly her choices might be. Watching some of her actions is hard, but as she stumbles and begins to find her feet, she is also making connections with some folks who are those beacons of light.

It is equally troubling to watch Daehyun make decisions when there really are no  actions to choose that feel truly right. My heart was with both of them knowing that they really were doing the best with their circumstances even when there were no good options. And even when they pick a way that seems best, there is endless frustration as they continue to face horrifying loss and disappointment. Many characters in this story, in addition to so many Korean people in that time period,  dealt with a feeling encompassed in the word han. In the book it's described as the "feeling of outrage, the vicious urge for vengeance to right the wrong, pierced by the acute pain and grief of knowing our overwhelming odds at ever claiming justice."

Yes, the odds seem overwhelming, but Iseul, Daehyun and their allies continue to fight, sacrifice, and are willing to give their all to try anyway. They are all inspired by the Korean people, their families, loved ones, and the hope of creating a more peaceful place for all. Some of these allies are so wonderful and even though they are side characters, they managed to worm their way into my heart too. In the midst of all of the effort of so many people, there are also intrigues and mysteries to puzzle out so it's definitely a page turner.

Recommendation: Get it now. For those who watch historical K-dramas already, this will definitely be a must read. For others, this will appeal to anyone who enjoys history with some romance and political intrigue. Though it shows a lot of trauma and hardship, June Hur also provided characters that will touch hearts and stay with readers for a long time to come.

Extras:

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Pages: 368 Review copy: Digital ARC via publisher Availability: On shelves now

[lovebooksforeversblog]

Books recommendation 📚😇😊🥰

[jessread-s]

✩🖋️✉️Series Review:

⋆ Historical romantasy

⋆ Rivals to lovers

⋆ Found family

⋆ Dual pov

You know those books that just speak to your heart and soul? The ones that are so good that you feel numb afterwards and think about them for days? “Divine Rivals” and “Ruthless Vows” are those books for me. From page one, Ross sucked me in with her lyrical prose and atmospheric writing. I hungrily devoured each line, immersing myself in her seamless world-building and the high stakes atmosphere. Iris and Roman’s love story was just the icing on the cake! Their development from rivals at the Oath Gazette to lovers desperately clinging to each other on the battlefield is well paced, emotion filled, beautifully done in every other respect. Watching the two fall in love over letter correspondence and in-person despite the war forcing them apart tugged my every heartstring. I cannot wait to devour Ross’ backlist and get my hands on her newest project once it has been released!

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[obamasleftkidney]

Do not scroll.

I have a deal for you.

I receive: Your follow

You receive: Your username will go down in a small pretty notebook as my first few followers for my novel + a novel with exactly what you like, as if this fell onto your page, you're the target audience

With regards to the novel: Premise? No I refuse to say. Main character? I refuse to say. Tropes? I refuse to say. I'd like to make this a project of trust, and perhaps the suspense of the storyline will only enhance your reading experience. I'll post quotes, paragraphs, and more little clues. And the first person to guess the plot (I hope my publishers allow this) will receive a free signed copy once the novel is published (maybe merch depending on the accuracy of the plot guessed).

I may disappoint. But how do you know for sure I will?

[thebooksareeverywhere]

bookmail💌

[biandlesbianliterature]

In a social media graphic for the book, the author describes Imogen as having "queer discourse brainworms", which is a good way to put it. She tries to educate herself about queer issues, but just ends up thinking that there’s only one right way to be queer. She doesn’t feel the same way about girls as she does in her crushes on guys, so she concludes that means she doesn’t like girls at all. Even when faced with obvious evidence to the contrary, she convinces herself that she’s just trying to be bisexual for clout and that she’s a bad person for appropriating queerness.

Imogen longs to be part of the queer community, and while I’m sure there is some 100% straight and cis person this applies to in the world, it’s such a relatable queer experience. I was in middle school when I excitedly talked about looking forward to joining the Gay/Straight Alliance in high school, and how if I could choose, I’d be pansexual and panromantic. But, of course, I too was "hopelessly straight"…

The Enthusiastic Ally to Bisexual Pipeline: Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli was reviewed at the Lesbrary

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

[instagram]

Huge thank you to Mad Cave Studios and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was the CUTEST DANG THING. Oh my gosh, my heart. I loved everything about it.

I loved the way this book tackled so many heavy topics in such a heartfelt, earnest way. Neesha’s disability, both characters races and sexuality, biphobia, Gabby’s PTSD, all of it felt so thoughtful and planned out. Nothing felt tacked on for the sake of it or under-developed. This book made me so emotional.

I loved the story within a story and the way it really brought these two together. Their quest to find each volume was so much fun and getting the last volume genuinely made me tear up!

The romance is so soft and sweet and full of understanding. Neesha and Gabby have such great, open communication. They just really seem to get each other and are comfortable asking for what they need or offering something the other might need and it just made my heart feel so full.

Honestly, I can’t recommend this one enough.

[yourfavebooklrsfavebooklr]

5 stars

Whenever I like a book that’s mildly popular, I never know fully if I like it because I heard it’s so good and I’m subconsciously bandwagoning, or if it really is amazing.

That being said, I thought this was excellent. I loved that Lily was interested in science and that this continues throughout the book, we can always use more stories about women in stem. I also thought the flashback chapters were an incredibly effective way to help the reader understand the adults in this story and their emotional attachments. Lily was such a strojf protagonist and the arc of her and Shirley was really well-written. The vibe of the telegraph club was so well-written. And of course the development of the relationship between Lily and Kath was amazing, the two complimented each other wonderfully and it was such a perfect pairing. The ending was so well done- I’m not going to spoil it but I didn’t expect the book to go that direction and yet I thought it was a very satisfying conclusion.

I’d recommend this book if you like historical YA, books about women in STEM, butch x femme pairings, books with complicated childhood friendships, and books centered around historical queer communities (ft. lesbian bars and drag kings)

[aroaessidhe]

2022 reads // twitter thread  

Every Bird A Prince

MG about a girl dealing with amatonormativity from her friends and mother, who are all obsessed with crushes and relationships

meanwhile the forest kingdom of birds she’s discovered have named her as their champion to save them & her town from anxiety-targeting frostfangs