My Book Reviews

Category: Young Adult

This category contains any posts published in reference to books of Young Adult genre.

  • The Blue Witch (The Witches of Orkney #1) by Alane Adams

    The Blue Witch (The Witches of Orkney #1) by Alane Adams

    The Blue Witch (The Witches of Orkney #1) by Alane Adams
    Release: October 23rd 2018
    Format: Ebook
    Publisher: SparkPress
    Source: Netgalley

     


    Synopsis:

    Before Sam Baron broke Odin’s curse on the witches to become the first son born to a witch and the hero of the Legends of Orkney series, his mother was a young witchling growing up in the Tarkana Witch Academy. In this first book of the prequel series, the Witches of Orkney, nine-year-old Abigail Tarkana is determined to grow up to be the greatest witch of all, even greater than her evil ancestor Catriona. Unfortunately, she is about to fail Spectacular Spells class because her witch magic hasn’t come in yet. Even worse, her nemesis, Endera, is making life miserable by trying to get her kicked out.

    When her new friend Hugo’s life is put in danger by a stampeding sneevil, a desperate Abigail manages to call up her magic―only to find out it’s unlike any other witchling’s at the Tarkana Witch Academy! As mysteries deepen around her magic and just who her true parents are, Abigail becomes trapped in a race against time to undo one of her spells before she is kicked out of the coven forever!

    Rich in Norse mythology, The Blue Witch is the first of a fast-paced young reader series filled with magical spells, mysterious beasts, and witch-hungry spiders!

    The Blue Witch Review:

    A big thank you to NetGalley and SparkPress for providing me an advanced reader’s copy of “The Blue Witch“.

    I enjoyed reading this book for the most part, mainly for its adventure! The pacing is fast and does not contain a dull moment. There is always a grand adventure taking place, and I loved the way the author maintained this momentum. The main highlights of the story is when they battle with Queen Octonia, and their adventure with the Omera. I also liked the mysterious way in which Abigail meets some characters like her father, and Baba Nana.

    In fact, I liked the plot more than the characters. There characters are mediocre for the most part. Apart from Hugo, I really did not love any of the other characters including Abigail. I hated that she never stood up to Endera. I didn’t like Calla either because she appears in the middle of the story and seems self-centered.

    However, my main problem with this book was with how mean the villains act towards Abigail. The story is always fun with dastardly villains, but here, it was a bit too much. The tricks Endera and Melistra pull on Abigail were beyond devious and did not gel with the story. Surprisingly, the villains are highly abusive for a middle grade novel. I have not witnessed this kind of bullying in any other middle grade novel. Secondly, as this book is a prequel to the Legends of Orkney trilogy, there are quite a lot of references to the previous series which I could not comprehend, as I have not read the series.

    Overall, I did enjoy The Blue Witch, but would have probably liked it better if the author toned down on the bullying. I am keen on continuing the series to see how it turns out.

  • The Witches of Willow Cove by Josh Roberts

    The Witches of Willow Cove by Josh Roberts

    The Witches of Willow Cove by Josh Roberts
    Release: May 26th 2020
    Format: Ebook
    Publisher: Owl Hollow Press
    Source: Netgalley

     


    Synopsis:

    It’s not easy being a teenage witch. Seventh grader Abby Shepherd is just getting the hang of it when weird stuff starts happening all around her hometown of Willow Cove. Green slime bubbling to life in science class. Giant snakes slithering around the middle school gym. Her best friend suddenly keeping secrets and telling lies.

    Things only begin to make sense when a stranger named Miss Winters reveals that Abby isn’t the only young witch in town—and that Willow Cove is home to a secret past that connects them all. Miss Winters, herself a witch, even offers to teach Abby and the others everything she knows about witchcraft.

    But as Abby learns more about Miss Winters’ past, she begins to suspect her new mentor is keeping secrets of her own. Can Abby trust her, or does Miss Winters have something wicked planned for the young witches of Willow Cove?

    The Witches of Willow Cove Review:

    A big thank you to NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for providing me an advanced reader’s copy of “The Witches of Willow Cove” by Josh Roberts.

    This was such a fun story to read! It is the perfect middle grade novel (that can even pass off as YA) if you are in the mood to read a good Halloween like story about witches. All the characters are distinctive, funny and interesting in their own manner. Amethyst turned out to be my favorite character even though I didn’t like her in the beginning. The villain, Miss Winters is also very intriguing and you don’t really know what she has up her sleeve.

    In fact, I loved everyone in the entire group, whether it be Abby or Amethyst or Piper. The author has also paced the story very well, where we are thrown into the action right from the first chapter. I also liked how he included the history of the Salem witch trials into the plot with his own twist.

    However, there are some minor things which I felt could have been written better. While Daisy and Delphi were quirky and interesting with their Shakespearean qualities, I felt we did not see much of them. I would have liked to see more of Piper in the book as well because she was so interesting! Moreover, the book tended to focus mainly on Abby and Amethyst, along with Becca, Robby and Zeus. Also, while I enjoyed the story immensely, I really didn’t like the instant romance between Robby and Becca. It appeared out of nowhere, and it took me a while to get used to them. I’m not really a fan of insta love, and considering that this is more of a middle grade book, it was difficult picturing the two in that manner.

    But apart from that, I absolutely loved reading this tale and would definitely recommend if you are in the mood for a spooky read.



  • Emergency Room by Caroline B. Cooney

    Emergency Room by Caroline B. Cooney

    Emergency

    Emergency Room by Caroline B. Cooney
    Release: July 1st 1997
    Format: Paperback
    Publisher: Scholastic
    Source: Amazon

     

     

    Synopsis:

    College freshmen Seth and Diana volunteer in an emergency room to learn how to save lives — and along the way, they learn to live

    Seth volunteers at City Hospital to get first-hand experience with emergency medicine — and get comfortable with blood and trauma before attending medical school, so he’ll have an edge over the competition. Diana volunteers in the inner-city ER to save the world, one patient at a time. If she gets to show up arrogant Seth too, so much the better. The one thing these two college freshmen share is a desire to be a part of the ER’s action. Tonight, hour by hour and minute by minute, they will get their wish as they confront a student with a gunshot wound, the victim of a gruesome motorcycle accident, and a kidnapping gone horribly awry. Their adrenaline-fueled night will alter the course of Seth and Diana’s lives — and the lives of everyone in the emergency room — forever.

    Emergency Room Review:

    I usually hate giving negative reviews because I know the time and effort spent in writing, publishing etc. is not easy. But as a reader, I have to say that I hated reading this book!

    Back in the day, I loved watching medical dramas like ER, and I feel like the author wanted to write a book reminiscent to it. In the beginning, the story has a lot of potential as there are multiple characters introduced and you wonder how it is all going to get connected.

    Unfortunately, the story goes all over the place and is a big disappointment. Firstly, multiple plots and characters are thrown in the story and no conclusion is provided for most of them. Sure, there are some high adrenaline scenes like when Dunk takes Roo’s baby hostage. But other than these short moments, nothing really happens that we don’t know about a hospital. Similarly, there are characters like Anna Maria who get a lot of focus, yet we don’t get to know what happens to them.

    The main characters Diane and Seth are also so clichéd and I didn’t like them much. They are completely superficial and want to become doctors, but are lazy to even be volunteers. Moreover, they don’t do anything for the most part and suddenly realize that being in the medical field is tough. Also, I did not understand why there was so much buildup in Diane trying to find out if Richard Searle is her father. What a surprise, even that plot did not have any positive outcome and leaves the reader hanging.

    The only character I was remotely interested in and felt bad for was Alec. I felt sorry for him and wished he was more prominent to the plot. His plot was somewhat standalone and not related to the drama of the hospital. Meggie, Barbie and all the other hospital staff are completely boring and forgettable. Overall, “Emergency Room” by Cooney is not worth reading even if you are a fan of medical drama.



  • The Lost Mind by Christopher Pike

    The Lost Mind by Christopher Pike

    Lost Mind

    The Lost Mind by Christopher Pike
    Release: August 1st 1995
    Format: Paperback
    Publisher: Simon Pulse
    Source: Amazon

     

     

    Synopsis:

    She awoke in the woods beside a dead body. There was a knife in her hand, blood on her clothes. Had she killed the young woman who lay beside her? She couldn’t remember.
    She couldn’t remember anything.
    Not even her own name.
    It was as if someone had stolen her mind.
    Stolen her soul.

    Lost Mind Review:

    I actually enjoyed reading this book. The story is consistent and gripping with some unique surprises along the way.

    I have read a few Christopher Pike books, and know that he likes to incorporate philosophy and science fiction in his thrillers. But, these usually become a hit or miss for me, as I feel it sometimes takes the plot in an unbelievable direction. Even though “The Lost Mind” also has these elements, the story is very interesting. The plot actually made sense for the most part.

    Most of the characters are likable. Jenny is a good protagonist and it was interesting to see how she tries to clear the situation she is in. I wouldn’t have really liked her if she was anything like her diary entries. Also, I adored Gator and wanted to see more of him in the story. Amir is also a strong supporting character, and I liked how he gets connected to the main plot. In addition, I also love some of the philosophical passages the author mentions like:

    “It is only a life lived in total surrender and service that destroys the ego. It is only when you have left your ego behind that you have a chance to unite with your other aspects. “

    However, I feel the author could have written the ending in a better manner. While I enjoyed how the story ended, I felt like the scenes where Jenny fights the villain to learn the truth was very rushed. After that, it felt like a lot of things happen within the blink of an eye in one page, and I would have liked to seen it more drawn out. Moreover, there are some redundant characters like Mitch who did not add anything meaningful.

    Overall, “The Lost Mind” was a fun Christopher Pike book to read, and had all the classic elements. I would recommend it to anyone who likes the author or in the mood for a classic YA suspense novel. 

  • The Twin by Natasha Preston

    The Twin by Natasha Preston

    The Twin by Natasha Preston
    Release: March 3rd 2020
    Format: Kindle
    Publisher: Delacorte Press
    Source: Amazon



    Synopsis:

    In this twisty psychological thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Cellar, Ivy finds out that her twin sister, Iris, is trying to push her out of her own life—and might be responsible for their mother’s death.

    After their parents divorced, 10-year-old twins Ivyand Iris were split up—Ivy lived with Dad, Iris with Mom. Now, after a tragic accident takes their mom’s life, the twins are reunited and Iris moves in with Ivy and their dad. Devastated over Mom’s death, Iris spends the first few weeks in almost total silence—the only person she will speak to is Emmy. Iris feels her life is over and she doesn’t know what to do. Emmy promises her twin that she can share her life now. After all, they’re sisters. Twins.

    It’s a promise that Iris takes seriously. And before long, Ivy’s friends, her life at school, and her boyfriend, Tyler, fall under Iris’s spell. Slowly, Ivy realizes she’s being pushed out of her own life. But she’s just being paranoid, right? And Mom’s accident was . . . just an accident. Right? It’s not like she—or Dad—or Tyler—are in any danger. 

    The Twin Review:

    I loved reading this book! It is always fun reading a story of good twin vs. the evil twin. It is one of those books that is somewhat predictable, but at the same time, it is so gripping that you want to keep reading. Iris is conniving, manipulative, and unpredictable, so you really don’t know how she is going to bring Ivy down. At times, I really felt annoyed at Ivy because she vows to get back at Iris at the end of each chapter, but then goes back to being her old scared self in the following chapter. There are many instances where Ivy could have easily taken town Iris, but she decides to take the high road and give Iris another chance to bring her down. So frankly, I liked Iris more as the main character because Ivy came off as the weaker emotional character.

    The supporting characters are there, but I didn’t find any of them to be very memorable, including Ty. In fact, the only thing which I found a bit unbelievable when reading this story was how Ivy’s friends and family easily turned away from her and took Iris’ side. I mean, they have known Ivy all her life, and should have given her the benefit of the doubt, rather than blindly believing Iris. But apart from that, I loved reading this book. The ending, especially was shocking as I did not expect the story to end like that! I am not going to give away spoilers, but the ending blew me away and made me feel frustrated but also satisfied in a strange way.

    Moreover, I also enjoyed the author’s style of writing. It reminded me a lot of the “Fear Street” books by R.L. Stine that I loved to read back in the day, albeit this was a more toned down version. The pacing is decent and atmospheric, and the author builds up the suspense smoothly. Overall, “The Twin” by Natasha Preston is a thrilling YA novel that I enjoyed reading.

  • Dead Voices (Small Spaces #2) by Katherine Arden

    Dead Voices (Small Spaces #2) by Katherine Arden

    Voices

    Dead Voices (Small Spaces #2) by Katherine Arden
    Release: August 27th 2019
    Format: EBook
    Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
    Source: Amazon

    Voices



     

    Dead Voices Synopsis:

    Bestselling author Katherine Arden returns with another creepy, spine-tingling adventure in this follow-up to the critically acclaimed Small Spaces.

    Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent smiling man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready to spend a relaxing winter break skiing together with their parents at Mount Hemlock Resort. But when a snowstorm sets in, causing the power to flicker out and the cold to creep closer and closer, the three are forced to settle for hot chocolate and board games by the fire.

    Ollie, Coco, and Brian want to make the best of being snowed in, but there are strange occurances. Coco feels she has seen a ghost, and Ollie is having nightmares about frostbitten girls pleading for help. Then Mr. Voland, a mysterious ghost hunter, arrives in the midst of the storm to investigate the hauntings at Hemlock Lodge. Ollie, Coco, and Brian want to trust him, but Ollie’s watch, which once saved them from the smiling man, has a new cautionary message: BEWARE.

    With Mr. Voland’s help, Ollie, Coco, and Brian reach out to the dead voices at Mount Hemlock. Maybe the ghosts need their help–or maybe not all ghosts can or should be trusted.

    Dead Voices is a terrifying follow-up to Small Spaces with thrills and chills galore and the captive foreboding of a classic ghost story.

     

    Review:

    Watch my video review of Dead Voices by Katherine Arden

    [embedyt] https://youtu.be/uajNYsygc8Y[/embedyt]

    I never thought the sequel to Small Spaces would be as good as the original, but Dead Voices was MUCH better! You know the feeling you get after watching a really scary horror movie, or reading a creepy book, where even the slightest noise in the house makes you wonder if someone is there? This is what happened to me after I finished reading “Dead Voices”! There are so many eerie characters and macabre situations that occur. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it! Moreover, I loved that this book focused on Coco who happened to my favorite character from the first book. Even though I was at the edge of my seat throughout the story, my favorite scene was where Coco checkmates the villain. You will know what I mean when you read the book. Overall, a wonderful sequel to “Small Spaces”!

  • Small Spaces (Small Spaces #1) by Katherine Arden

    Small Spaces (Small Spaces #1) by Katherine Arden

    Spaces

    Small Spaces (Small Spaces #1) by Katherine Arden
    Release: September 25th 2018
    Format: EBook
    Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
    Source: Netgalley

    Spaces



     

    Small Spaces Synopsis:

    After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn’t think–she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with “the smiling man,” a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

    Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. However, there she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she’s been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn’t have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: “Best get moving. At nightfall they’ll come for the rest of you.” Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie’s previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.

    Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver’s warning. As the trio head out into the woods–bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them–the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: “Avoid large places. Keep to small.”

    And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

     

    Review:

    Watch my video review of Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

    [embedyt] https://youtu.be/cUZmaHVT3fU[/embedyt]

    I received an e-copy of this book from the publishers at Netgalley in exchange for my review and opinion and I absolutely loved it. Firstly, the characters are unique, witty and endearing. The plot is well defined and creepy, not in a gory way, but in a psychological atmospheric way. Moreover, the author covers some relevant topics like realistically coping with the loss of a loved one, and bullying. I also loved the story within a story concept and how we switch between Ollie and Beth’s tales. Overall, this is a great Halloween like story and I enjoyed it.

  • Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

    Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

    pet

    Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
    Release: September 10th 2019
    Format: EBook
    Publisher: Make Me a World
    Source: Netgalley

    pet



     

    Pet Synopsis:

    Pet is here to hunt a monster.
    Are you brave enough to look?

    There are no more monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. With doting parents and a best friend named Redemption, Jam has grown up with this lesson all her life. But when she meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colours and claws, who emerges from one of her mother’s paintings and a drop of Jam’s blood, she must reconsider what she’s been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster, and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption’s house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also to uncover the truth, and the answer to the question-How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?

    In their riveting and timely young adult debut, acclaimed novelist Akwaeke Emezi asks difficult questions about what choices a young person can make when the adults around them are in denial.

     

    Review:

    Firstly, I would like to thank the publishers of Make me a world for giving me an advanced e-copy of this book for my review. I really don’t like giving negative feedback in general because I know the author and a whole team of people take a lot of time to put a book out there. Having said that, I really did not like reading the book and was very disappointing with it.

    What I liked about Pet is how it highlights that even an idyllic world could be filled with monsters. Rather than facing the monster, people choose to ignore it and overprotect their loved ones to shield them from pain. I also liked the author’s style of writing, as it was simple and fairy tale like for the most part. I think that was what made me continue reading this book.

    My main problem with the story was that it started off very well, but then halfway into the book, it just slowed down and nothing happened. The story just became predictable where you know what is going to happen and how the protagonist is going to save the day. Hence, I didn’t think it was very interesting because there were no twists and turns. The reader finds out who the real monster is, and the main characters just fight him, the end.

    Also, I didn’t understand why the author brought up the conversation of Jam undergoing sex surgery when she was young. I guess the idea was to showcase a place and time where the characters could do such things and not feel conflicted over it. However, I did not understand what the point of it was, as it did not add anything to the story.

    Moreover, I really had a problem with the names in this story. Initially, there are only 3 or 4 main characters, but halfway into the book, more characters are introduced and all have named like Bitter, Jam, Redemption, Hibiscus, Moss etc. and it was kind of confusion to keep track of who each person was. The names themselves also did not have any relevance to the story or to the personality of the characters. Initially it seemed like fun and interesting, but yeah it soon became just confusing to read. Also, I wish the author provided a backstory Jam’s parents before she was born as it was interesting.

    If the author had focused more on the plot, I think this would have been much better. Overall, Pet was disappointing to read and I would give it only 2 stars.

  • Heaven (Casteel #1) by V.C. Andrews

    Heaven (Casteel #1) by V.C. Andrews

    Heaven

    Heaven (Casteel #1) by V.C. Andrews
    Release: November 1st 1990
    Format: Paperback
    Publisher: Pocket Books
    Source: Second Hand Bookstore

    Heaven



     

    Heaven Synopsis:

    Of all the folks in the mountain shacks, the Casteels were the lowest — the scum of the hills.
    Heaven Leigh Casteel was the prettiest, smartest girl in the backwoods, despite her ragged clothes and dirty face…despite a father meaner than ten vipers…despite her weary stepmother, who worked her like a mule. For her brother Tom and the little ones, Heaven clung to her pride and her hopes. Someday they’d get away and show the world that they were decent, fine and talented — worthy of love and respect.
    Then Heaven’s stepmother ran off, and her wicked, greedy father had a scheme — a vicious scheme that threatened to destroy the precious dream of Heaven and the children forever!

     

    Review:

    Watch my video review of Heaven by V.C. Andrews

    [embedyt] https://youtu.be/wOK3Su0boGE[/embedyt]

    I love reading soap-opera styled family sagas and it is one of my guilty pleasures. VC Andrews writes pretty trashy, but very gripping novels which I enjoy. “Heaven” was a fun read as it has some very scandalous events that even readers of today would find shocking. There are some shocking moments like when Sarah gives birth to the baby and when Kitty abuses Heaven in the bathtub. Moreover, I loved Heaven as a protagonist. Even though she comes from a poor family, she is ambitious and level headed and still supports her family. The author has also written the characters very well, as I really didn’t how Kitty would react since she is so unstable.

    However, the only thing which I thought could have been better was the pacing. This book is so slow at times where you feel like nothing happens. Overall, Heaven is a nice book to read, if you enjoy the classic VC Andrews style of writing of a family saga with incestuous relationships and shocking scandals.

  • The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

    The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

    Graveyard

    The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
    Release: September 30th 2008
    Format: Paperback
    Publisher: HarperCollins
    Source: Amazon

    Graveyard



     

    The Graveyard Book Synopsis:

    After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.

    Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. However, there are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod’s family…

     

    Review:

    Watch my video review of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

    [embedyt] https://youtu.be/yMuG_6TrANM[/embedyt]

    To begin with, this was such a unique, creepy and fun book to read. There is no other book that can capture the terror, love, humor, family, love and adventure like this book. Moreover, there are so many interesting sub plots and adventures surrounding Bod, where it is difficult to pick just one. I really liked his adventures with Scarlett, when he enrolls in school, and when he tries to save the witch. Also, I loved how he balances the the adult like terror of the plot with the child-like innocence in his writing. This book also pays homage to its inspiration of the Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, but in a more creepy and macabre setting. Overall, Neil Gaiman is one of those authors that can write in any genre and it would be pure gold, and I enjoyed this book a lot.