Charm

Author: Tracy Wolff

Series: Crave #5

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release Date: November 8, 2022

The fifth book in the Crave series is another great read that fans of the series will not want to miss!

What happened during the missing four months while Grace was stone? After coming to Katmere Academy, Grace finds that nothing in her world is as it seems. Now, she is surrounded by Vampires and any and all dangerous creatures she always thought were myth, the most dangerous of all is Hudson Vega. Somehow Grace ends up trapping Hudson and herself in her mind while she is stone. They are trapped together for months, but time doesn’t run the same while trapped in stone. The longer they are together, the more frustrated they become with each other while also growing closer. How are they going to get out and back to their family members and will they be able to do it before it’s too late.

For anyone that has read the Crave series, it is easy to fall in love with these characters and the story created. Tracy Wolff has crafted a world that fans of Harry Potter and the Twilight universe will love, and this latest installment will give readers an inside look at what happened when Grace and Hudson were trapped inside her mind. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but enjoyed the time spent reading it. While I did enjoy it, I wouldn’t say it was my favorite in the series; to be honest, it could have cut out two hundred pages and been just fine. Those two hundred pages caused it to drag some in the middle and had me skimming the pages at times.

The story of what happened with Grace and Hudson while she was stone is something that readers of the series have been wanting to know for a while now. The dynamic between these two is sensational, so much tension driving the story forward that it is hard to not fall in love with what you are reading. I did miss the other characters from the previous novels that added to the dynamic. Even though this series is marketed to teens and young adults, I would not recommend this to younger readers because of the sexual aspects and language. For older more mature readers this will be great addition to a fantastic series.

2022 Top Young Adult Fiction

We’re all a little young at heart, so it’s not surprise that we still enjoy YA Fiction! Check out our top picks for the year!

Top Pick: Court by Tracy Wolff

I must give Tracy Wolff a hand, it is hard to write a book over 700 pages and keep the reader interested and even aching for more after turning the last page. Plus, the woman must write like a fiend with the next two coming out later this year also, insert happy dance! This series came to my attention last year and I have been hooked since. If you are fan of teen fantasy, especially books such as Twilight, Hunger Games and even Harry Potter, you will love these.

Read the full review here.

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Runner-Up: Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts by Erika Lewis

Kelcie Murphy starts out fast and doesn’t let up; this is the exact right kind of book I look forward to recommending to young readers looking for fantasy, magic, adventure and a great story. I loved the way Kelcie used all the hardships she went through to bring out the strength she needed to prove to herself and others she belonged.

Read the full review here.

Order your copy today!

Runner-Up: Nine Liars by Marueen Johnson

Read the full review here.

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Nine Liars

Author: Maureen Johnson

Series: Truly Devious #5

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: December 27, 2022

When it clicks, it clicks; that’s how it works for Stevie Bell and that’s what works in these novels! This is a great addition to a fun-filled series. Loved every page!

Stevie Bell is taking her detective skills abroad to try and solve a murder mystery from the 90’s. Her boyfriend, David, has been studying in London and invites Stevie for a visit. When she arrives, she learns of a cold case from his friend Izzy whose aunt was there when two of her friends were murdered. In 1995, nine friends who met at Cambridge University go to a country house and play hide-and-seek leaving two of them murdered with an ax. No one was ever charged, and the friends went on with their lives until Stevie arrives and starts investigating. Things start to get intense as Stevie uncovers clues and the gang must keep in touch with Ellingham Academy to stay with the schedule that has been approved for them. As she gets closer to uncovering what really happened, things start to fall apart for Stevie and she doesn’t know what to do next.

Stevie Bell and the Truly Devious series gets better with each book. I have found myself loving the mysteries and fun dynamics of these stories. I have only one negative about these books, there is an aspect of LGBTQ throughout them all. As an adult reading these I can deal with but with this being marketed as young adult I don’t like that aspect advertised to younger readers. The story is fantastic, the characters are true to how I would see them acting in the progression of each book and the mysteries unfold beautifully. Not only is Stevie dealing with the case to solve but also trying to deal with the aspect of her boyfriend being in London and how things have changed in their time apart.

So many great aspects of this story that kept the pages turning quickly and hard to put down. Stevie Bell is the new age Nancy Drew and the cases she keeps coming across call to her and with the help of her friends she can help solve cases that no one else has been able to solve. My favorite thing about this series is the way they are so different from many of the other books I have read. So many books these days are a formula and the same old thing, these books are very different and entertaining. The story is mostly told from the point of view of Stevie but also at times shows what happened in the past, this back and forth helps with the story and for the reader to understand. I recommend this book to adult readers who love a good mystery with great characters and fun stories. I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

All My Rage

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: March 1, 2022

A contemporary story that will pull at your heartstrings and climb deep into your soul long after you have finished the very last page.

Starting out in Pakistan, Misbah has just married Toufiq in a pre-arranged marriage and they quickly leave the country they have always been in to move to America and open a motel. Jump ahead many years to the present with Sslahudin, the son of Misbah and Toufiq, is trying to navigate the world he is growing up in and the ever-changing relationship with his best friend Noor. They are both outcasts at school and try to restore their relationship after a huge fight. When Misbah falls ill, Sal tries to run the family business as his father drinks away his grief. Noor works for her uncle who owns a liquor store and wants nothing more than to get away, so she applies to college to hopefully leave him and the town that means so little to her. Sal and Noor must figure out what they mean to each other and if what they have is worth fighting for.

This is not the normal novel written by Tahir as this is very different but in a very good way. In All My Rage, readers get to see characters that grow in such a drastic way you can’t help but feel for them and all they go through. I thought it was very helpful that the front of the book contained trigger warnings for those reading it to be aware of some of the content. Even though this book is in the Young Adult category, I think that label can be misleading at times. I wouldn’t consider this great for young teens but older teens and those in their early twenty’s would probably really enjoy this one.

I enjoyed the way the story played out and the characters; I loved many of them and the ones I couldn’t stand were okay because I wasn’t supposed to like them. Being able to write characters in this way shows just how amazing Sabaa Tahir is as an author. Her first series is nothing like this and goes in a completely different direction, which shows she has great range.

I would recommend this book to those that enjoy seeing characters go through very difficult circumstances but work hard to overcome them and grow with the story.

The Take-Over Friend

Author: Carol Dines

Publisher: Fitzroy Books

Release Date: September 27, 2022

While I would not classify this as a young adult book, it did have value within the pages for younger readers amid the challenges of growing up and friendships.

Frances has had a hard time since her best friend moved away and has felt very isolated after starting high school. On the second day of school, she meets Sonja, the opposite of Fran’s introverted self. Sonja integrates herself into Frances’s family immediately as the girls declare themselves best friends. When Sonja’s family has trouble, she moves in with Fran and the two have to quickly discover that their fast friendship is going to be put to the test.

This book has a lot of good points dealing with young friendships and how hard it can be growing up and making friends. I understand being an introvert and wanting to have friends and what it’s like when someone comes on strong with an overpowering personality. This was a good premise but read slowly, and for a YA book, or any book for that matter, that’s not necessarily positive. As I was reading, I wouldn’t classify this as a Young Adult book, for it to be that I feel like it needs to be writing a little differently to engage the young readers. This will appeal to an eclectic group of readers but not any average reader that pick it up for a quick read.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Blood Scion

Author: Deborah Falaye

Series: Blood Scion #1

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: March 8, 2022

An interesting debut that was brutal, bloody and full of action and complex characters.

Sloane lives with her grandfather after her mother disappeared. She has a deep secret inside that if revealed would be the end of her. She is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods. If her emotions run high, she can incinerate her enemies; so, keeping her powers hidden has kept her alive while the Lucis’, those that rule the country, hunt the scions down and kill them. On her fifteenth birthday, Sloan is drafted into the Lucis’ army and uses this as a way to get on the inside and destroy them from within before they hurt anyone else she cares about.

Blood Scion is one of those unique books that was a bit of a slow start with the world building but once it got me, I didn’t want to put the book down. This was definitely a dark book at times and not one for a young audience; even though it is marketed as a YA book I would keep this to the older teen market as much as possible with some of the more mature themes. Sloane is an interesting character and developed really well throughout the course of the book. I would love to see more from her in future novels in the series, so I got really excited when I found out this is a duology. The story does wrap up nicely at the end but is left open for more to come when the author decides to expand on this storyline. There were several characters that played smaller roles that I would like to see expansion on their character arc, each of these minor characters really helped pull the story together. While the premise overall was unique to me I did notice hints of other stories throughout, especially the Divergent series, just minor moments here and there that made me think of the other series. Overall, I would recommend this to older teen readers that enjoy a good fantasy read that has lots of action and adventure.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Search for the Astral Dragon

Author: Bryan Davis

Publisher: Wander Press

Release Date: March 8, 2022

A Young Adult novel that has themes of Star Wars and other science fiction novels that is full of action and adventure.

Search for the Astral Dragon follows a young girl, Megan, who is on a search across the planets to find her mother. While searching for her mother, Megan witnesses horrors throughout the planets causing her to join with a group of teens to fight and become a voice for those in need. Together they will race to help each other and those around them before it is too late.

I wanted to like this book, I really did, but I had a really hard time getting into it and staying engaged with the characters and story. I have read others by Bryan Davis and enjoyed them but for some reason couldn’t get into this one. Even though I had trouble getting into this one I do think it is a good one for young readers that are big into science fiction and fantasy type novels. Megan is an intriguing protagonist, if the story had been a little quicker picking up speed to get me engaged, I would have been more likely to keep reading. While it wasn’t the right fit for me, I do believe young readers will enjoy this clean read, which is something I think is important with so many books incorporating mature content while still aimed at a young audience.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Court

Author: Tracy Wolff

Series: Crave #4

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release Date: February 1, 2022

For what I once thought was going to be the end, it sure does a fantastic job setting up more to come for fans of this fantastic series. Even when I want to stop reading, I can’t put the book down! Too good!!!

Just when things started to calm down, everything falls apart again for Grace and her friends. Flint is about to lose it; Jaxon is changing by the day and Hudson is shutting himself off from Grace as they are about to face their biggest battle yet. To survive, they are going to need an army of their own, the Gargoyle Army. The only problem is they have been frozen in time for a thousand years. The group works together to battle the most dangerous villain around, but with every battle they take on, they are faced with more and more challenges and not everyone is going to make it out alive.

Probably one of the aspects that impressed me the most is Wolff’s ability to create this world and characters in a way that made it so believable unlike many of today’s authors can come close to. In this fourth installment, readers see Grace in even more trouble and dealing with her feelings for Hudson; the way this relationship is written got me in all the right places. Grace is the perfect female protagonist with amazing secondary characters to keep the story moving at a remarkable pace. Again, to write a book over 700 pages and keep the reader’s interest shows her talent and she obviously listens to her fans and gives them what they want with this story and these characters. Readers do need to be aware of the mature themes throughout and subject matter that is not appropriate for younger readers in my opinion. For the older readers that enjoy this type of fantasy series don’t miss this one.

Steelstriker

Author: Marie Lu

Series: Skyhunter #2

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Release Date: September 28, 2021

Steelstriker is a fantastic follow up to Skyhunter with all the drama, action, romance, and suspense I’ve come to expect from Marie Lu!

After Mara has fallen to the Karensa federation, Talin is under the Premier with her mother, held captive, and used against her to make her do whatever the Premier wants her to do. Her friends and other Strikers are dead or in hiding as she is transformed into a Skyhunter, one of the deadliest war machines ever. Red is hiding out with the other Strikers waiting for the time they can free Talin and help free the other countries held under the federations power. Talin and Red still have a connection from their time together and try to use their link to help them go against the Premier. With challenges at every turn, they are going to have to fight harder than they ever imagined to come out on top and set those they love free.

By the time I finished this book I found myself comparing many aspects of it to other well-known YA dystopian series. If you have read one in particular, you will fully understand what I mean by this. One of the best aspects of this novel for me was the dual point of views so we got to see more of what was happening as opposed to just seeing the view from Talin’s eyes. It was easy to feel all the angst that Talin and Red were going through at every turn with the beautiful writing Marie Lu put on the pages. This series, along with other series I read by Lu, really get me in the feels with the main characters and what they go through. I have a real empathy for them, and it only works because the writing in this genre by this author. Young Adult Dystopian can be hard to write and write well but Marie Lu does it so good. I love a Dystopian novel if it is done right and this one was. The only exception I have is the use of a few adult themes throughout the book when it is marketed to Young Adults. The relationship between two of the male characters doesn’t go too far but it isn’t my favorite aspect of a book for young adults. I realize that many adults read these books as well and it will be no issue for many, but I don’t like it pushed in books for kids. The story flowed well and I think readers that enjoy the Dystopian genre will not want to miss these books.

Skyhunter

Author: Marie Lu

Series: Skyhunter #1

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Release Date: September 29, 2020

A perfect fit in the YA Dystopian category that is Marie Lu at her best! I loved the first series I read by her, and this is going to rank right up at the top!

In the future, the world is a very different place. Strikers are some of the deadliest weapons around with the best fighting skills and loyal to defend Mara, the last free nation left. Talin is a Striker, but also an outcast; she wasn’t born in Mara but fled with her mother after her homeland was invaded. She has no voice after fumes from fires destroyed her vocal cords leaving her to communicate with signs and work to be accepted as a Striker to help destroy the evil Federation who uses mutated humans called Ghosts to win their battles. When Mara captures a changed soldier from the Federation, he turns out to be the answer to their prayers after Talin works to keep him alive and convinces him to work on their side against the Federation. Together they will have to work to try and save them all or die trying.

It has been a while since I have read a great YA/Dystopian that really caught my attention and held it. Marie Lu is great in this genre and really knows how to write in a way that captures readers’ attention and keep it until the very end. It can be hard to write a character that doesn’t speak; Talin lost her ability to speak when she was young and starts communicating through signs. Once she meets Red and has a connection with him, they start communicating through their link and it makes the story flow very smoothly. Each character in this book carries a certain amount of the story and it takes all of them, even the ones that are not very likable, to make the story come together the way it does. The only thing I didn’t like was the few adult themes that I thought weren’t right for a book in the YA section, but they were pretty subtle and not enough for me to not recommend to my kids when they get to the point of reading these books. This is the type of story that I think both girls and boys will enjoy, even though the main character is a female it will appeal to both boys and girls. I recommend this to readers that are fans of Young Adult Dystopian novels with lots of action and drama throughout.