An unassuming, but wonderful MG gem. This book is a “peculiar” mix of genres, combining a little bit of mystery, steampunk, and dark fairy tale. I think it works well, and the stakes feel important. You‘re not dealing with your average cute, Disney faeries. Will definitely be picking up the second book in the duology.

A fun middle grade romp through Renaissance Italy. As a lover of Renaissance art, and children‘s literature, this was absolutely lovely.

Flowery, poetic language paired with disturbing, uncomfortable world building make a great backdrop for this book. The so-so rating comes from some issues with pacing and a too-passive MC. If you like detailed fantasy settings, or are interested in the questions surrounding beauty standards and dangerous body alteration, maybe give this one a try.

This book wasn‘t good, which was heartbreaking. No shade to anyone who liked it! Just as in the Caraval series, Garber creates a world that draws you in, but can‘t quite stick the landing. The characters and plot are all over the place, there‘s way too many POVs, and there was a bizarre choice to move the central love story plot to the back burner in favor of side character shenanigans. I really wanted to like it, but I couldn‘t continue.

Another Pendergast mystery this week! It‘s excellent, although scaredy-cat me sometimes had to wait till morning to continue reading. Like “Cabinet of Curiosities,” the who and why dunnits completely blindsided me in a good way. I also enjoyed the surprisingly sweet subplot of Pendergast‘s relationship with his temporary teenage assistant. If you like creepy mysteries with unusual (to put it mildly) solutions, this series might be for you.

Oof. This one was tough. This book suffered from a number of things, ranging from weak characters, overplotting, incoherency, etc. etc. I‘d say the no. 1 issue was the utter passivity of the MC. Everything in this book happens to her or despite her, rather than because of her (apart from perhaps the last 20 pages). I almost bailed several times throughout. I can‘t say it was too terrible for words, but neither can I recommend it.

Jane Austen fans, take heed. This book is excellent. Heartbreaking, romantic, and hopeful. It‘s also incredibly well-researched, so much so it is difficult to see where the real Jane ends and the fiction begins. Definitely worth a try if you love the author and her works.

The MC is supposed to fit the charming bad boy trope, except he‘s not that charming and he‘s not that bad.

This book is a hidden gem. Based on Malaysian folklore with a bittersweet and unique relationship at the center, I‘d definitely recommend for fairytale lovers on the hunt for something off the beaten path.

This book is fantastic. The writing, the characters, the absolutely unsettling setting all work wonderfully well. Be warned, it‘s also not for the faint of heart. There are some deeply dark and disturbing moments throughout. Do a little research before you decide to pick it up yourself. And if you do decide to accompany Alice down the rabbit hole once again, know it‘s well worth it.

I usually love Ally Carter‘s work, but this was a big swing and a miss for me. The MC isn‘t super likable and spends half the book having various meltdowns that feel forced. The writing was also not super likable. It‘s filled with cliche one liners that often contradict previous plot points or characterization. Not to mention the plot is driven mostly by the MC stumbling onto important information by accident. Not one I‘ll recommend for the store.

Naomi Novik does it again. I laughed, I cried, I jumped for joy. I've never been particularly interested in the Napoleonic wars, but now I might have to put in a little research, even knowing Temeraire might not be mentioned... ;)

The mystery is intriguing, the setting is incredibly detailed, but the teenage characters are tedious and eye-roll-worthy. Is this how you know you've reached adulthood? It seems like every time I go for a YA, it's a tough slog.
That being said, I can absolutely see why people like the series. If the summary sounds interesting, it's probably worth a read. Be warned, I've heard the mystery doesn't wrap up in the first novel.

If you ever need reminding about the beauty and depth of children‘s literature, pick this one up! Loved it. 💙

Full disclosure, it‘s been a while since I bought my copy of this book. As in, still a teenager a while. So perhaps my younger self would have enjoyed it more. As it is, I found the love triangle tedious at best and the MC to be the classic manic pixie dream girl protagonist we all got tired of years ago. Shoutout to the amazing, horror-tinged, creepy version of Wonderland though. It was disturbing and memorable in all the best ways.

I've heard this book described as diet Michael Crichton, and I would agree with that assessment. It tries to get there, but it's not as satisfying or interesting as actual Michael Crichton books. It's a “meh“ from me.