Bite Size Reviews: Week of 12/12

Just one week until Christmas, friends! Also, I made it to my unofficial goal of 300 books for this year! Yay! What a crazy year for reading, among other things. I actually finished some series that have been on my list for a while, and did some great audiobook listening this week. Starting to think about some plans for next year, too. Like possibly starting to make YouTube videos! We’ll see what the year brings, but I’m excited about the prospects. Especially now that I’m officially done with my degree.

Anyway, I officially finished 5 books this week! Knocking them off my list one by one. My unread shelf is actually looking pretty good! Yay for that!

Bite Size Reviews: Week of 12/12

Class Act by Jerry Craft (12/14)

This is the follow up to the Newberry winning New Kid, which is a phenomenal graphic novel if you haven’t read it yet! However, this time, we’re following Jordan’s friend Drew, who’s struggling with the difference between him and his classmates at Riverdale. When his friend Liam starts to feel like one of those privileged kids, Drew isn’t quite sure what to do. Not only does Craft examine the difficulties that a lot of Black kids face, he also looks at things like fitting in and puberty. I also enjoyed the nods to other popular graphic novels throughout the book. Such a great sequel, and I can’t wait to see what else Craft comes up with (5 stars).

Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (12/15)

In this sequel to Aurora Rising, Kaufman and Kristoff pick up pretty much where they left off. Squad 312 are wanted from the GIA, but they’re the only ones who can save the galaxy. Then Kal’s sister shows up and everything falls into chaos. Especially when they find out that Aurora’s old ship, the Hadfield, has been found. This book series benefits from more books because I feel like we’ve gotten to know the characters even more in this book. We see budding relationships, important background stories, and great character development! Even though it ends on a cliffhanger, it was definitely worth the read (4 stars).

The Last Final Girl by Stephen Graham Jones (12/16)

After the entire homecoming court is slaughtered by the killer known as Billie Jean, Lindsey chooses a host of girls to replace them. What ensues is a fight for survival. This book is written like a screenplay, playing with a lot of horror movie tropes throughout. While the concept was interesting, I had a difficult time getting into it. I think the format had a lot to do with it, because the characters just felt like tropes to me, too. It had a lot of potential, but mostly just feel flat for me (2 stars).

Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis (12/16)

Ashely is no stranger to the woods. In fact, hiking is one of her favorite pass times. However, when she catches her boyfriend cheating at a party in the woods and goes tearing off, she falls down a cliff and severely injures her foot. And now she’s lost. She just has to survive until she finds her way home. This book definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. Even though most of the book is Ashley on her own, flashbacks and memories help to build her story. It’s an intense survival story, filling a hole that has been missing in YA for a while (4 stars).

Escaping from Houdini by Kerry Maniscalco (12/18)

Audrey Rose and her partner in crime, Thomas, are on a voyage to America. On this voyage, someone starts killing innocents on the ship during the carnival performances on board. Together, Audrey Rose and Thomas have to figure out who the killer is before it’s too late. After waiting for this audiobook forever, I finally got to listen to it! It wasn’t quite as strong as the first two books in the series, particularly because there’s a love triangle introduced that really isn’t necessary in the third book in a series. This book mostly feels like a bridge between books 2 and 4, which isn’t a bad thing! I just was expecting a bit more (3 stars).