Where Fiction and Reality Meet
Title: I Shall Never Fall in Love Author: Hari Conner Publisher: HarperAlley Length: 288 Pages Category: Graphic Novel, YA/Teen Romance, Historical Rating: 4 Stars At a Glance: Gorgeous artwork complements this story of pride, prejudice, and queer joy. Reviewed By: Lisa Blurb: George has major problems: They’ve just inherited the failing family estate, and the feelings... Continue Reading →
Title: Not for the Faint of Heart Author: Lex Croucher Publisher: Wednesday Books Length: 394 Pages Category: YA Romance, Historical Rating: 5 Stars At a Glance: Even amidst the battles and losses and heartbreak there is a bright and uplifting story told here of found family and affirmation and acceptance. The representation and support among... Continue Reading →
Title: Don't Let the Forest In Author: CG Drews Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Length: 336 Pages Category: Dark Fairy Tale, Fantasy, YA, Horror Rating: 4 Stars At a Glance: Don't Let the Forest In is esoteric and honest, unhurried and delivers some great twists that made me go back and read chapter one again to... Continue Reading →
Title: Nobody Loves an Incubus Series: Fangville High: Book Two Author: Dylan James Publisher: Deep Hearts YA Length: 165 Pages Category: YA, Paranormal Rating: 4 Stars At a Glance: I'm fully on board with this delightful YA adventure through the hallowed halls of monster academia. It's just so darn cute. Reviewed By: Lisa Blurb: Serge... Continue Reading →
Title: Compound Fracture Author: Andrew Joseph White Publisher: Peachtree Teen Length: 339 Pages Category: YA, Suspense/Thriller, Horror Rating: 3 Stars At a Glance: Compound Fracture offers a little wish fulfillment through vigilante justice, and while I agreed with its broader message in principle, it was too limited in world view and lacked enough nuanced critique... Continue Reading →
Title: Wrath Becomes Her Author: Aden Polydoros Publisher: Inkyard Press Length: 304 Pages Category: YA/Teen Fiction, Historical Fiction, Speculative Fiction Rating: 5 Stars At a Glance: Aden Polydoros has an immense gift for telling stories that are exceptional, eloquent, and introspective. Wrath Becomes Her is far and away one of the best books I’ve read... Continue Reading →
Title: Teach the Torches to Burn Series: Remixed Classics: Book Seven Author: Caleb Roehrig Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Length: 372 Pages Category: Teen/YA Romance, Historical Romance Rating: 5 Stars At a Glance: In Caleb Roehrig's enormously sublime reimagining of the classic tale, the patriarchy is the villain, and it's the forbidden friendship that develops between... Continue Reading →
Title: Where All Paths Meet Series: The Adventures of Holloway Holmes: Book Three Author: Gregory Ashe Publisher: Self-Published Length: 348 Pages Category: Mystery Rating: 5 Stars At a Glance: The Adventures of Holloway Holmes is a superb mystery series that pays homage to one of the greatest fictional detectives ever conceived, but does so in... Continue Reading →
Title: Divinity 36 Series: Tinkered Starsong: Book One Author: Gail Carriger Publisher: Self-Published Length: 333 Pages Category: YA/Teen, Space Opera Rating: 4 Stars At a Glance: From the world-building to the characters and the way I became invested in them and their connection to one another, this book simply affirms my love of Gail Carriger's... Continue Reading →
Title: Harley Quinn: Reckoning Series: DC Icons Series: Book One Author: Rachel Allen Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers Length: 390 Pages Category: YA/Teen Fiction Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: Reckoning is all about the Girl Power. Rachel Allen unapologetically instills this as the foundation of her plot, and embracing that is a... Continue Reading →
Title: The Old Wheel Series: The Adventures of Holloway Holmes: Book Two Author: Gregory Ashe Publisher: Self-Published Length: 430 Pages Category: YA Mystery Rating: 5 Stars At a Glance: The Big Secrets trope makes for some particularly good drama and suspense in The Old Wheel. The Big Reveals, though; they are something else altogether. Time... Continue Reading →
Title: My Dear Henry Series: Remixed Classics: Book Six Author: Kalynn Bayron Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Length: 272 Pages Category: Gothic Horror, Gaslamp Fantasy, Young Adult Rating: 4.5 Stars At a Glance: Kalynn Bayron does a great honor to the source material, working in characters who fit into this story, some in new ways, and... Continue Reading →
Title: The Strangest Forms Series: The Adventures of Holloway Holmes Author: Gregory Ashe Publisher: Self-Published Length: 290 Pages Category: YA, Murder Mystery Rating: 4.5 Stars At a Glance: The Strangest Form is on-brand Gregory Ashe—the pining, the missteps, the pining, the misunderstandings, the pining . . . Jack and Holloway are a convincing and competent... Continue Reading →
Title: The Taking of Jake Livingston Author: Ryan Douglass Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Length: 255 Pages Category: YA, Paranormal Thriller, Horror Rating: 5 Stars Content Warnings: See below as part of my review At a Glance: The Taking of Jake Livingston is a tour de force of horror, an absolute spectacle of storytelling, and the... Continue Reading →
Title: Self-Made Boys Series: Remixed Classics: Book Five Author: Anna-Marie McLemore Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Length: 336 Pages Category: YA/Teen Fiction, Transgender Fiction Rating: 5 Stars At a Glance: The ultimate power in reimagining a story is the power to reimagine its ending. Self-Made Boys gets the end it not only needs but deserves. Reviewed... Continue Reading →
Title: Friday I'm in Love Author: Camryn Garrett Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers Length: 269 Pages Category: YA/Teen Fiction Rating: 5 Stars At a Glance: If this book did anything besides charm me and make me think outside of myself and my own little corner of the world, it would be also making me... Continue Reading →
Title: Bone Weaver Author: Aden Polydoros Publisher: Inkyard Press Length: 403 Pages Category: YA/Teen, Fantasy/Folklore, Historical Rating: 5 Stars At a Glance: Aden Polydoros has once again penned a Teen novel that reaches beyond its intended audience and bewitches readers who love fantasy, horror, monster fiction and folklore, and he effortlessly weaves these things into... Continue Reading →
Title: Spellsworn Series: Journals & Journeys: Book One Author: Justin Schuelke Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 322 Pages Category: YA Fantasy Rating: 4 Stars At a Glance: I may have never rolled the dice in a single game of Dungeons & Dragons, but I appreciate the imagination that went into bringing this story and its characters... Continue Reading →
Title: If This Gets Out Authors: Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich Publisher: Wednesday Books/Macmillan Length: 408 Pages Category: Young Adult, Contemporary Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: There's a lot to unpack in If This Gets Out, and I think Dietrich and Gonzales do a darn good job of addressing it all. I liked that... Continue Reading →
Title: The City Beautiful Author: Aden Polydoros Publisher: Harlequin/Inkyard Press Length: 330 Pages Category: Young Adult, Gaslamp Fantasy, Paranormal, Murder Mystery Rating: 5 Stars At a Glance: The City Beautiful is exquisite in its storytelling, its characterizations, and the ways in which Aden Polydoros grounds his readers in the time and place, giving readers the... Continue Reading →
Title: You're the One that I Want Author: Simon James Green Publisher: Scholastic Fiction Length: 384 Pages Category: YA Contemporary Romance Rating: 4 Stars At a Glance: When all is said and done, this book is a fun and breezy read with a little poignance to keep it from being fluffy. The drama was OTT... Continue Reading →
Title: Jay's Gay Agenda Author: Jason June Publisher: HarperTeen Length: 368 Pages Category: YA/Teen Contemporary Rating: 5 Stars At a Glance: Jason June's absolute gem of a debut novel is gloriously heartwarming, genuinely sincere, and quintessentially charming from beginning to end. Reviewed By: Lisa Blurb: There’s one thing Jay Collier knows for sure—he’s a statistical... Continue Reading →
Title: Perfect on Paper Author: Sophie Gonzales Publisher: Wednesday Books Length: 350 Pages Category: Contemporary Teen Romance, Bi Romance Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: While I didn't love this book with quite the level of joy and excitement I did Only Mostly Devastated, it's got its own charms and delivers an important message to... Continue Reading →
Title: Young King Arthur and the Round Table Knights Series: King Arthur: Book One Author: Siryn Sueng Publisher: Deep Hearts YA Length: 210 Pages Category: Young Adult, Fantasy At a Glance: Young King Arthur and the Round Table Knights rates pretty high on the entertainment scale, and I was happily absorbed in the telling of... Continue Reading →
The Novel Approach Reviews 