Happy weekend, everyone! This past week was the week that I finally got out of my reading slump. Yay! It probably helps that I’m pretty much moved into my apartment now, barring a few pieces of furniture I still need to get. But that’s going to wait until next month. Things at work have also slowed down a bit now that summer reading is over, so I’ve gotten a chance to do some reading there too. So, for the Week of 8/14, I finished a total of 8 books!
I also had a bunch of library audiobooks come in last week, so my reading included a lot of listening. Or, listening as much as I could. Which honestly ended up being a lot!
Bite Size Reviews: Week of 8/14
A Chorus Rises by Bethany C. Morrow (8/15)
The sequel to A Song Below Water, this book follows Naema, who is a teen influencer and also an Eloko (someone who woos people with song). After the events in A Song Below Water, Naema is trying to figure out how to move forward when she’s been made the villain. I loved how this book expanded the world we got in the first book, and it had so many important discussions about how society treats Black girls and Black women. While this isn’t a standalone, I definitely recommend both books. And the audiobooks are really well done! (4 stars).
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune (8/15)
I already wrote a review for this book, so just a few thoughts here! If you liked The House in the Cerulean Sea, this is probably the next TJ Klune book that you should pick up. It has a similar feel to it, and will definitely make you feel all the things. What I liked most about this book was the found family aspect and the relationship between Hugo and Wallace. It was so cute and heart-melting and I just loved it! (5 stars).
We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley (8/17)
Another one that I wrote a review for this week! I have a lot of September books to review, so be sure to watch out for those in the coming weeks. This book is a book about the effects of gun violence, specifically looking at how it is related to domestic violence. And how it usually isn’t taken seriously in teen relationships. I read this entire book in one sitting, and you’re definitely going to want to pick it up when it comes out in September! (4.5 stars)
Slingshot by Mercedes Helnwein (8/17)
Grace is used to being a loner, preferring to keep herself distant from her fellow students at her boarding school in Florida. However, Wade breaks that after she accidentally saves him from a bully. Will she be able to make a relationship work? Okay, this book was a total miss for me. A lot of the plot doesn’t have to do with what was described in the summary, and Grace lusts after one of her teachers for about half of the book. Plus, she’s a very unlikable character, and it was hard for me to get into this story. And I had high hopes for this one! (2 stars).
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson (8/19)
A full review for this one will be coming later this week! After an incident in California, Marigold and her family are uprooted to the Midwest, where her mom has won a fellowship. However, the neighborhood they move to isn’t so friendly. This is a spooky horror book that is being pitched as Get Out meets The Haunting of Hill House, and honestly, that’s the perfect description. It was spooky and tense and overall well done. The resolution just happened a bit too quickly for my taste (4 stars).
Ravensong by TJ Klune (8/19)
Finally finishing the Green Creek series! After finishing this one, I’m planning on reading at least the next one this weekend. Maybe the next two, depending on how quickly I finish them. This book follows Gordo; we get his past and then we’re up to speed with where Wolfsong left off. The emotions in this were off the charts, and even if Gordo is a bit rough around the edges, he still deserves his happy ending with Mark. Be warned: this one leaves off on a bit of a cliffhanger! (5 stars).
Switch by A.S. King (8/20)
When the Earth gets trapped in a fold in space and time, all of the world’s clocks stop. Humanity continues to keep time with the N3WCLOCK, a website that picked up where time stopped. Tru lives in a house with a switch, built by her dad, that doesn’t seem to be connected to anything. But Tru is going to find out what it does. Going into an A.S. King book, I know there’s going to be a lot of surrealism and it’ll probably take until the end to figure it out. However, this one was just too out there for me. The writing was hard to get into and figure out what was exactly going on. Another miss for me this week. (2 stars).
My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand (8/20)
My last audiobook listen of the week! This is a new trilogy from the ladies who brought us the Janies trilogy. This time, we’re following Marys! In this book, we get the story of Mary Queen of Scots, with a slightly different (and happier) ending. What I love about these books is the way that they play with history and insert little pop culture things throughout. They are truly fun, and I can’t wait to see what historical figure they pick next! (4 stars).
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