Read in July

Sisters Of The Snake by Sasha & Sarena Nauna

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Rating: 3.5/5

“That’s what stories do. They teach us to remember, and to overcome.”

Sisters Of The Snake is a retelling of The Prince and The Pauper but instead this time, it tells the story of Princess Rani who longs to escape her gilded cage and prove herself and Ria, a street urchin stealing to keep herself alive. When the two collide, they decide to take a gamble and decide to switch places as the they are unmistakably identical. But, danger lurks in the darkness and the two girls must adapt to a world that is unlike their own while trying to stay alive at the same time.

I’ve been getting into retellings as of late and this was a fun filled enjoyed ride from the start. While it had it’s downsides which I’ll get to in a bit, it was enjoyable for the most part. The dual narriative being told from Ria and Rani’s perspectives was a plus as it helped give readers a better understanding of the girl’s motives and what they truly wanted in order to feel like their own person. This is a story of familial sacrifice, fate, opposites attract with a magical aspect to add to the cultural aspects throughout the book that make it very real.

However, there are some drawbacks that made me fall in love with it completely. I would’ve liked to seen more world-building and contextualization as there were times where I was confused with the magic system. There were some part that were very predictable and I didn’t feel very invested in the romance. With the romance, I feel there was much too much focus on that and not enough on the characters and the world around them. The notion of Ria’s and Rani’s fate being intertwined is very interesting and I would’ve liked more development then the romance.

Even with it’s faults, Sisters Of The Snake is a fun retelling of an old tale and it’s rich diversity and cultural aspects make it even more interesting than the original. A fun read so check it out if you want!

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

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Rating: 3/5

“After all, everyone’s entitled to be the hero of their own story. So I must be permitted to be the hero of mine. Even though I’m not. I’m the villain.”

Mariana Andros is a troubled but brilliant therapist trying to heal herself from the death of her husband while living living in London. She becomes fixated on The Maidens, an all female secret society and the man they adore Edward Fosca. The professor is adored by the students and staff alike but Mariana is convinced that he’s no good and her suspicions are heightened when a member of The Maidens, is murdered. Not only was she a member of the group but also a friend of her niece, Zoe. Mariana is determined to find out the truth but soon she finds herself in more trouble than she bargained for.

I will admit that I did not enjoy this book as much as I wanted to and it’s a shame. I was first introduced to Michaelides when a friend recommended The Silent Paitent and I loved it so I started following him. When I first heard about this book, I was excited and intrigued cause it sounded like it was right up my alley. First, the plot was super interesting and intriguing and I liked how it was setting up but then it took a dive that I didn’t see coming in later chapters that didn’t make a lot of sense. I lost interest but was able to finish the book but did enjoy the plot twist but wish the other stuff was executed better. But that’s sometimes how it goes!

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

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Rating: 4/5

“You have to believe you’re worthy of the life you want. If you don’t believe that, who else will?” 

For centuries witches have maintained who have maintained their climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now, their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season. But, Clare wants nothing to do with her power, as the price for her magic means losing the ones she loves the most. In autumn, it’s wild and volitale, in winter fires burn and storms rage, in spring she finds herself falling for the witch, Sang who training here and with summer, she must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves.

This was a fun read! The story is a coming of age as Clara is struggling to figure out who she is and what she wants out of her life. In addition to that, she doesn’t have a lot of support around her as she doesn’t have any family and isolated from her peers. She carries the burden of being the one who will save everyone yet no one can tell her why she’s the one who has to carry it. I could understand her resistance to her powers and what was involved in that because that can place a lot of stress on someone so young. Plus, it can feel like not having your own agency if people are telling you who are you, what you’re meant to do or be, and not asking what you want do. So I understood her frustration with that aspect because that can be very overwhelming.

I absolutely LOVED the magical elements, I thought it was really well done and probably my favorite part of the book. The way that Griffin wrote made it feel so real and made me think about the first I read Harry Potter and fell in love with magic in books. Each season had a magical element and it was.so cool how the witches controlled the environment and it added so much mystery and intrigue to the book. I highly recommend this book! It was really great!

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

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Rating: 4/5

“Kindness is something that seems small, Daunis, but it’s like tossing a pebble into a pond and the ripples reach further than you thought.” 

Firekeeper’s Daughter tells the story Darius Fontaine, a young woman who has felt like she’s never fit in not only with her tribe but in her hometown. The young woman dreams of studying medicine but those plans are put on hold when tragedy strikes and Darius must put her dreams on hold in order to care for her mother. As she struggles with her own insecurities and being an outsider, she does start to find one bright spot through it all, Jaime a handsome and charming new recruit on her brother’s hockey team. But, while she battles with her feelings for Jaime, she stars to wonder if he’s hiding something as things aren’t adding up and she begins to question does she really know at him at all? Before she can get to the bottom of it, she witnesses a shocking murder putting her at the center a of a murder investigation. Reluctantly, she finds herself going undercover in order to find out what happened and hopefully solve the investigation but the more she digs, the more that people keep dying and she has more questions than answers.

I can’t believe this was a debut! I really enjoyed this book as it wasn’t what I expected it to be and I couldn’t put it down. It was a beautifully well written thriller from start to end with interesting characters, both main and side. I thought Darius was a relatable character especially with figuring out what she wants out of her life while also accepting her flaws and all. It is really a story of a young woman who wants to feel as she belongs to not only her tribe but to others around her. I thought Boulley did a great job at intertwining the two so that the reader has a better understanding of Darius’s struggle.

The only drawback of the book is the slower pacing which can deter some readers as pacing of a book can make a reader not finish it. But, I do feel like in the case of this book that he pacing does help seeing as it is a thriller but if you’re into fast paced mysteries/thrillers, this may not be your cup of tea. Being a thriller/mystery, I thought Boulley did a nice job with the build up and keeping it suspenseful throughout the book as it helped keep me interested, surprised, and engaged not only with the character but the plot.

All in all, this is a beautifully written suspenseful debut while also intertwining Native American culture which was great to see. So check it out if you want!

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

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Rating: 4/5

“I stop myself from apologizing-because what would I even be sorry for? Existing too loud?”

Niveous Private Academy is where the money paves the hallways and the students never look less than perfect. Until Aces, the anonymous texter is bringing two students dark secrets to light and it will change everything they thought they knew about them. Devon, a talented musician who buries himself into his work is unable to escape the spotlight when his private photos go public and Chiamaka, who isn’t afraid to get what she wants and soon those around will know the price she paid for power. Someone is out to get them both and they must find out who it is before it’s too late because Aces is planning something more than a high school prank.

This was a non-stop rollercoaster and nearly had me gasping for air by the time it was over. It was such a thrilling, emotional and intense read that touches on heavy topics that everyone needs to talk about. The writing, characters, pacing, and the plot made the book so much more than I thought it would be. I hadn’t intended to read it until a friend of mine mentioned it to me and I’m glad that I decided to read it. Let’s start off with the characters, they were flawed, well-written, and interesting and the way that Faridah writes makes them feel very real. The antagonist Aces can go away for good now, I hated them so much and normally I don’t get so invested in the antagonist but Aces can rot for all I care. Every time they did something to the characters in particular, Deveon and Chiamaka, it boiled my blood. I believe the reasons that I hated them so much is because of how real Aces felt, there was no justification for their actions and this is very relevant to what has been happening in the real world especially within the last two years.

Faridah shows the characters going through educational gatekeeping, institutional racism, blackmailing, PTSD, outing, stalking, classism, and elitism and I felt like she did a great job with showing how issues like these can impact people in different ways. I think that’s why it was so intense because things like this happen daily.

Even with the dark themes, there were some entertaining and warmhearted moments that kept hooked until the end. But, if you feel like the dark themes are too much for you then this book may not be for you and that’s fine. What was covered in the book is very important and I felt that it was really well-written, engaging, emotional, and a thrilling read from beginning to end.

Am I Normal Yet? By Holly Bourne

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Rating: 5/5

“Everyone’s on the cliff edge of normal. Everyone finds life an utter nightmare sometimes, and there’s no ‘normal’ way of dealing with it… There is no normal, Evelyn.” 

For Evelyn, all she’s ever wanted to be was normal. That’s what she hopes will happen as she starts a new college while adjusting to life off her meds. She wants to start over, make new friends, and have stability and not be seen as the girl who went crazy. But, life doesn’t always work out that way as relationships are messy and what you think will make you happy doesn’t always happen in the way that you want. Evie begins to see that being normal isn’t all what it’s cracked up to be and embracing the messy side of life and stepping into who you are is a terrifying yet rewarding experience all in one.

It’s very rare for me to give a book a five star rating but this book totally went beyond my expectations and even though I may overreacting when calling this one of the best ya contemporaries I’ve read, it’s absolutely true. I laughed, cried, cheered, and went through a rollercoaster of emotions and enjoyed every minute of it. I found the mental health rep particular fantastic as some ya books can be hit and miss with mental health rep. But, I thought the way mental health was portrayed in the book was really well. The story was interesting but it was really the characters who were well-written and interesting in their own way. Evie is definitely someone that I really resonated with in particular her struggles with her mental health but I felt like she was very well. The dynamics throughout the book also added to the individual characters and it helped with the story. I am excited to read the next book and hopefully I’ll enjoy it as much as I did this one.

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

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Rating: 4/5

“That’s the beautiful thing about the universe. It puts you through trials, but it never gives you anything you can’t handle. We grow from these things.” 

Ollie thinks he’s found his perfect match in Will Tavares, he’s fun, affectionate, and kind and Ollie can’t wait to continue the romance after summer ends. There’s just one problem, Will stops texting Ollie as soon as break is over and Ollie is crushed. Add insult to injury, Ollie finds himself moving across country due to a family emergency and Ollie is less crushed when he finds out he’ll be going to the same school as Will. But, Ollie soon sees a very different Will and not someone he wants to be around especially when Will goes from hot to cold every other week. But just as much as Ollie doesn’t want anything to do with him, Will starts showing up in Ollie’s life a bit more than Ollie wants. Ollie wants to keep his resolve up and not fall back into Will’s hands but it starts to become harder and harder.

A bit of a slow start but nonetheless a pretty good read. I did find it a little short and would’ve liked to read more about Ollie and Will. At first, I wasn’t sure if the romance would work because they seemed to different and I didn’t see the attraction at first but the more I got into the book, the more I liked their relationship. This is my second read by Sophie Gonzales, I read Perfect on Paper in June and really liked it so I decided to check this one out. A fun and easy read with a cute plot with interesting characters.

Fly With The Arrow by Sarah K.L. Wilson

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Rating: 3/5

“We are the story of our choices, our grim failures, our crippled successes. We are the story of our molten passions, our loves and hates, our tears in the silence. We are the story of how others touched or shunned us, of loves returned, revenges enacted. When all flesh and glory melts away and there is nothing left of us, we will be only the story going on to what comes next.”

No one told her the most important law of the court-the law of greeting. If she knew about it, maybe she wouldn’t have greeted Bluebeard who had come to claim a mortal wife. If that hadn’t happened, she wouldn’t have swept into away to the lands of the Wittenhame as his sixteenth wife. But, if none of that had happened then she wouldn’t have been such a integral part of the game that takes place every two years that will set the fate of the nations. But, as she tries to navigate her way not only as Bluebeard’s wife but her own identity, she will discover that not all is at it seems in more ways than she could imagine.

What a confusing, addictive, fun and entertaining book this was! When I was younger, I was obsessed with pirates and a huge fan of POTC but I grew out of it. I remember reading tales of Bluebeard so when I saw this pop up on my recommendations, I decided to give it a try. In this telling, Bluebeard is a misunderstood fae who is equally puzzled by Izdola, our heroine who is different from his previous fifteen wives. The enemies to lovers trope is a favorite of mine and it was done rather well throughout the book. There were a few parts where I was very confused but thankfully that didn’t last long the more that I got into the story and became very interested in what was to come.

It was a great read up until the last act which I felt like was a little rushed and a bit predictable. On top of that, it ended in a cliffhanger and we don’t know what happens until the second book comes out in September. I felt a little disappointed in the ending, I would’ve liked the book to be a bit longer and not end as a cliffhanger. It’s a fun and interesting story with a great dynamic between Bluebeard and Izdola but I felt like the last part of the book fell flat for me.

But if you’re looking for a fun and adventurous book, this is right up your alley!

Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anne-Marie McLemore

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Rating: 4/5

“And it’s not the perfect moment. It’s not even one of the six movie moments we’ve had in the past week. But it’s the moment. It’s our moment. Something in me just knows.”

The Miss Meteor pageant hasn’t any a winner like Chicky Quintanilla and Lita Perez in all it’s history. But that’s not why Lita and Chicky want to enter the competition as Miss Meteor isn’t about being perfect but sharing who you are to the world and loving the parts of yourself. So to pull off the biggest underdog in Miss Meteor’s pageant history Lita and her ex-best friend Chicky are going to try and put the past behind them and imagine a future where girls like them are more than enough, they are everything.

I love a good underdog story and this book was a real treat. Anne-Marie McLemore is one of my favorite authors so when I saw this book on goodreads, I decided to check it out. It was such a fun, witty, heartfelt, endearing story with magical elements that kept you glued to the page. While it took awhile to get used to the writing style as I’m used to McLemore’s flowery style but there’s a lot more to focus on than that. Miss Meteor is a story of self-empowerment and stepping into yourself accepting your imperfections and owning who you are. I think that was my favorite aspect of the story with the characters reclaiming what they were shamed for and it’s so relevant especially in today’s world.

The dynamics between Lita and Chicky were great, I enjoyed reading about their friendship and with what happened in the past I hoped they would find their back to each other. Not only do they have a great bond but their friendship felt very real and I enjoyed it. I would also say that for the rest of the characters throughout the book as there was a lot of love from sisters, families, and other characters that was very heartwarming and wonderful to see.

Overall, a very endearing story about self-empowerment and being proud of you are flaws and all.