Genre: Contemporary

National Poetry Month Feature: Reviews of Your Heart My Sky & Turtle Under Ice

Since April is National Poetry Month, I thought I’d feature reviews of a couple of recent YA verse novels. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Your Heart My Sky highlights a time in Cuba’s history that many people don’t know about: “The special period in times of peace.” Sounds wonderful, right? Well, I suppose that’s how the government wanted people to see it, but many people in Cuba […]

Posted April 17, 2021 in Reviews / 3 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of The Chance to Fly; You Should See Me In a Crown; Salty, Bitter, Sweet; The Memory Keeper; and The Stars of Whistling Ridge

Today I’ve got some bite-sized reviews of some of my recent reads: Two MG contemps, a MG contemporary fantasy, and two YA contemps. I hope these bite-sized reviews are enough to feed your fiction addiction! An utterly empowering book for anyone with a disability, The Chance to Fly follows Nat, a young girl with a spectacular singing voice who has always wanted her chance to shine in the spotlight. The only problem? She’s in a wheelchair, […]

Posted April 14, 2021 in Reviews / 4 Comments

List of Ten by Halli Gomez: Review & Gomez’s Top Ten Addictions

Today I’m featuring LIST OF TEN by Halli Gomez, a heart-wrenching #Own Voices contemporary about a boy with Tourette Syndrome and OCD who’s counting down to the day he will commit suicide. Read on for my thoughts on the book and then make sure you also check out Halli’s list of top ten addictions! (But don’t worry—it’s much more lighthearted than the list of ten in the book—I feature this list a lot because it […]

Posted March 16, 2021 in Author Top Ten Lists, Reviews / 11 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of Legendborn, Ana on the Edge, Furia, The Mystwick School of Musicraft, and Amal Unbound

Today I’ve got some bite-sized reviews of some of my recent reads: A YA fantasy, a YA contemp, a MG fantasy, and a MG contemp. I hope these bite-sized reviews are enough to feed your fiction addiction! This YA paranormal reimagining of King Arthur’s court is utterly addictive! The book goes deep into the world of secret societies when sixteen-year-old Bree goes to her late mother’s private school and discovers that demons are running amok—along with […]

Posted March 4, 2021 in Reviews / 13 Comments

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds and Danica Novgorodoff

As my regular readers know, I make an effort to feature POC authors on the blog regularly. Still, since this month is Black History Month, I figure there’s no harm in putting a little extra spotlight on some recent books by Black authors. Here’s the first feature: a review of the graphic novel version of Long Way Down, which I was very excited to get my hands on! I absolutely loved Long Way Down when I read […]

Posted February 9, 2021 in Black History Month, Reviews / 11 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of Admission, Meow or Never, The Canyon’s Edge, and You Have a Match

I still have some more Cybils reviews to post, but I’m taking a little time off from that to post some newer releases. (Though I will be coming back to some of my favorite Cybils books still). Today, I have two YA contemps and two MG contemps (one in verse!) I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Let’s face it, we were all more than a little fascinated when […]

Posted January 21, 2021 in Reviews / 11 Comments

Alone by Megan E. Freeman: Review, Giveaway & Freeman’s Top Ten Addictions

Today I’m featuring my good friend Megan E. Freeman’s debut ALONE, a middle grade retelling of Island of the Blue Dolphins in verse. Alone releases tomorrow, January 12th, so get yourself to a bookstore and buy it now (I can’t wait to pick up my finished copy)! This book so accessible and beautiful—it’s sure to capture the hearts and minds of even the most reluctant readers. Make sure you also check out Megan’s list of […]

Posted January 11, 2021 in Author Top Ten Lists, Giveaways (Ended), Reviews / 18 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch; Four Days of You and Me; Maya and the Rising Dark; and Hello, Arnie!: An Arnie the Doughnut Story

I’ve got four reviews for you today: two MG fantasies, a YA contemporary, and a picture book. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! An utterly adorable fantasy adventure about finding and playing to your strengths. This reminded me a lot of The Worst Witch (a series that my daughter really enjoys) because Eva’s magic often goes a bit awry. Except this book is set in a fantasy world […]

Posted October 8, 2020 in Reviews / 8 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of My Life in the Fish Tank; Girl, Serpent, Thorn; Flamer; and Graceling

I’ve got four reviews for you today: two YA fantasies, a MG contemporary, and a YA historical graphic novel. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! A compelling story about grief and mental health, My Life in the Fish Tank examines how secrecy and shame can be the root of pain. When Zinnia’s brother is in an accident, her whole life changes, not because he’s hurt but because […]

Posted September 8, 2020 in Reviews / 11 Comments

Two Books by Natalie Rompella: Secrets of Storytelling: A Creative Writing Workbook for Kids & Cookie Cutters and Sled Runners – PLUS Rompella’s Top Ten Addictions!

Today I’m featuring two books by Natalie Rompella: her newly-released kids’ writing book, Secrets of Storytelling: A Creative Writing Workbook for Kids, and her MG contemporary, Cookie Cutters and Sled Runners. Plus, scroll down to see Natalie’s top ten addictions! Natalie is a friend of mine from my SCBWI critique group, so I was excited to get this chance to feature her! Purchase Links: This workbook is perfect for the budding writer! Filled with interesting prompts […]

Posted August 19, 2020 in Author Top Ten Lists, Reviews / 10 Comments