Happy weekend, friends! This week has been a week, honestly. But we made it! Due to everything that’s been going on, I haven’t done quite as much reading as usual. I also read a few longer books, so that probably contributed. I think I’m going to get some good reading in this weekend, though! At least, that’s the current plan. For the Week of 10/10, I finished a grand total of 5 books.
I’m getting caught up on review books, too! And I’ve been granted access to a few 2021 releases, too. 2021 releases I’m really looking forward to, like Courtney Summers’ new book, as well as Phil Stamper’s! Closer to the end of the year, I’ll do my 2021 preview, because there are a lot of great books coming out next year.
Bite Size Reviews: Week of 10/10
Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass (10/13)
Connor Major’s summer isn’t looking great. He’s isolated from everything, and his mom has turned against him. After finding out he was gay, she sent him to Nightlight Ministries, a conversion camp in the middle of the jungle. But there’s secrets that the employees at the camp are hiding. In order to escape, Connor and the other campers have to reveal the truth. Before it’s too late. I’d been hearing all about this book on Twitter and Bookstagram, and for good reason! It lives up to the hype. It’s a story about discovering found family when yours betrays you. A story about queer strength and standing up for yourself. The only thing that didn’t hit the mark was the timeline; time passed too quickly in this book. But other than that, it hit all the marks! (4.5 stars)
We Didn’t Ask for This by Adi Alsaid (10/15)
During Central International School’s annual lock-in, Marisa has planned a protest. Together with a group of other students, they lock everyone in the school until the school commits to some sustainability practices. As students start to realize they’re stuck in the school, things start to spiral out of control. I loved that this book was social justice minded, because I think that will resonate with a lot of teens that read it. Teens fighting for what they believe in is always something I can get behind. My main qualms with this book was that there were too many characters and the timeline seemed…unrealistic. Overall, it was still an enjoyable story, one that will definitely strike a chord with teen readers (3 stars).
The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae (10/15)
Zahru’s a Whisperer, which means she doesn’t rank high on the social scale in Orkena. When she gets a chance to visit the palace for one night, she jumps on the chance. But she quickly finds herself entangled in the conflicts surrounding the three royal siblings–and is accidentally chosen to be the sacrifice in their competition for the throne. Now, she has to figure out how to outsmart the most dangerous people in the kingdom. This reminded me a bit of Red Queen and The Selection, action packed and a competition for the crown. While I didn’t necessarily like the main character, she was a bit annoying, the side characters made up for it. I’m interested enough to read the second book when it comes out, though! (3 stars)
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth (10/16)
I already posted a full review for this, so a few thoughts here! I went into this thinking it was YA, but I think I would more consider it New Adult. It feels like a spooky gothic novel, reminding me a bit of Jane Eyre. There are illustrations, a story within a story, and lots of great characters. If you’re looking for a new spooky novel to read for Halloween, definitely check this one out when it comes out next week (4 stars).
Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram (10/16)
We pick up with Darius a few months after returning to the US after visiting Iran. He’s out to his parents and has a new boyfriend, has joined the soccer team, and has a job at his favorite tea place. He should be happy, right? But something doesn’t feel right, and his family is struggling. When his grandmothers come to help out, Darius doesn’t know how to get them to open up. Not to mention he’s got feelings for another guy on his soccer team. Darius thought he knew who he was, but maybe it isn’t set in stone. I read this entire book in one night; I just love Darius’s voice and Khorram’s writing. It’s emotional, heartfelt, and feels so relatable. Khorram might just be a new favorite author for me! (4 stars).