ARC Review: The Dark Tide (The Dark Tide #1) by Alicia Jasinska

Every year on St. Walpurga's Eve, Caldella's Witch Queen lures a boy back to her palace. An innocent life to be sacrificed on the full moon to keep the island city from sinking. Lina Kirk is convinced her brother is going to be taken this year. To save him, she enlists the help of Thomas Lin, the boy she secretly loves, and the only person to ever escape from the palace. But they draw the queen's attention, and Thomas is chosen as the sacrifice. Queen Eva watched her sister die to save the boy she loved. Now as queen, she won't make the same mistake. She's willing to sacrifice anyone if it means saving herself and her city.When Lina offers herself to the queen in exchange for Thomas's freedom, the two girls await the full moon together. But Lina is not at all what Eva expected, and the queen is nothing like Lina envisioned. Against their will, they find themselves falling for each other. As water floods Caldella's streets and the dark tide demands its sacrifice, they must choose who to save: themselves, each other, or the island city relying on them both.

First of all, thank you NetGalley for this ARC! Second of all, excuse me while I flail helplessly at this book because I just loved it so freaking much. The writing sucked me in immediately and I DID NOT WANT IT TO END! The writing was beautiful and magical and atmospheric and it was amazing. And it was so incredibly dark too. The world building was incredible and I loved the magic. There was something so poetic about this book. I can't even put it into words, which is s shame, mainly because I know that is the one requirement for a book review. Ha. I loved the two characters too. Lina was fierce and determined and oh, so passionate. She was amazing. Eva was just as passionate, but mainly about being queen and trying to get revenge for what happened to her sister. If there is one complaint I had, it's that I wanted a little more depth to the relationship between the two girls. But their chemistry was off the charts, so it's all good. The author kept me engaged throughout the entire book; there was so much action and the climax was unreal. The ending was so satisfying, but there is still a sequel. I don't know where the author will be going with it, but I can't wait to read it!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC Review: The Extraordinaries (The Extraordinaries #1) By: TJ Klune

Nick Bell? Not extraordinary. But being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right? After a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City’s mightiest hero (and Nick’s biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he’ll do it with or without the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick's best friend (and maybe the love of his life).

This book just exceeded every single expectation that I had. Nick is the most lovable and awkward and realistic character I have encountered in a long time. Nick has ADHD and I have to say that there were conversations where I felt like I was listening to my husband . . . it was eerily accurate! He went on so many tangents and his friends just teased him and loved him through it all. I loved how well the author portrayed his ADHD and that it wasn't just a convenient plot device. What I liked about this book is that even though there are obvious fantasy elements (what with all the superheroes and everything), this was also a contemporary novel about friendship and dealing with death and family and Nick's crazy obliviousness when it came to his feelings for his best friend, Sam.

First of all, Nick's friends are AMAZING. Gibby and Jazz are lesbians and they were so incredibly freaking sweet and adorable -- they made my tooth ache they were so sweet. I loved their relationship with each other, and with Nick. I loved how they just sat back sometimes and watched him be awkward while making their quips. They were hilarious. Sam and Nick are best friends and it is obvious to EVERYONE but Nick that they are in love with each other. It's so cute. And here's the thing: there was so much diversity with race and sexual orientation and I loved that someone being gay or bisexual wasn't a huge deal -- it was just a part of who they were. I also loved Nick's relationship with his dad. Nick and his dad have been struggling big time ever since Nick's mom died in a bank robbery. Theirs was an incredible relationship. It was obvious that Nick's dad loved him, even if they both made mistakes sometimes. Part of the reason why Nick wanted to be a superhero so much was because he wanted to save people the way he could not save his mother. 

So the main issue I did have with the book was that the pacing was a little slow at times. Sometimes Nick's tangents just went on a little too much. And I would have loved a little more of the superhero part of it. We got a lot of action from the two superheroes (and the "twist" where they were concerned was kind of predictable, but still amazing), but we didn't get a whole lot of world building around it. Maybe that will come in future installments? I did love the message of the book and that epilogue was AMAZING and made me want to get my hands on the sequel RIGHT NOW!!! 

This was a fantastic read and I can't wait for more from these characters!  

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC Review: What You Wish For By Katherine Center

Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before. When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.

This is the second book I have read by Katherine Center and I have absolutely loved both of them. She may be my new favorite author. The characters in this book were so well developed and so lovable. Sam is a librarian who adores her school and her students and her books (naturally). But she has an illness she tried to hide from and a childhood that makes it hard to trust others to not leave and she has decided to fight for joy every single day. I loved the whimsy of her library and her bright pink bangs and all the bright colored socks that she wore to school. I admired her and her determination to be joyful on every single page. Now I honestly wasn't sure how I felt about Duncan because he was so straight laced and the complete opposite of Sam in EVERY way. Not only that, but he seemed pretty obsessed with school safety (maybe a little too much, but also understandable in today's climate) and the changes that he wanted to make were just so outrageous. I became just as frustrated and upset as Sam, but when his history was explained, I felt so much empathy for him and I just wanted to hug him and give him back his joy. This book was both funny and sad at times and the romance and chemistry between Sam and Duncan were an incredible slow burn, which I LOVE. Even though Sam had a huge crush on Duncan in the past, I really liked that the author didn't try to make this an insta love kind of thing. I loved that these two characters actually got to know each other and that they learned to trust each other. This was such an emotional and delightful read. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC Group Review: Burning Our Bodies Down, Saving Ruby King, One to Watch, and Voting Booth

This is a review of some of the ARCs that I have read lately. I am so grateful that NetGalley has given me these ARCs to review. I have read a lot of great ones lately!

Burning Our Bodies Down by Rory Power

Ever since Margot was born, it’s been just her and her mother. No answers to Margot’s questions about what came before. No history to hold on to. No relative to speak of. Just the two of them, stuck in their run-down apartment, struggling to get along. But that’s not enough for Margot. She wants family. She wants a past. And she just found the key she needs to get it: A photograph, pointing her to a town called Phalene. Pointing her home. Only, when Margot gets there, it’s not what she bargained for. Margot’s mother left for a reason. But was it to hide her past? Or was it to protect Margot from what’s still there?

This book was . . . interesting, to say the least and I am still not sure how I feel about it. The writing was pretty phenomenal. It made me want to keep reading to see if what was going to happen. The problem was that it took so long to get to the interesting parts. The pace was very slow and it was also tough to connect to the main character, Margot. I did feel her desperation and frustration, but I didn’t really know much about her and there was a disconnect between the reader and her that made the story tough to enjoy. The ending was twisted, but it was also bizarre, and I am not really sure I understand it. This was just an okay read for me.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West

When Ruby King’s mother is found murdered in their home in Chicago’s South Side, the police dismiss it as another act of violence in a black neighborhood. But for Ruby, it means she’ll be living alone with her violent father. The only person who understands the gravity of her situation is Ruby’s best friend, Layla. Their closeness is tested when Layla’s father, the pastor of their church, demands that Layla stay away. But what are his true motives? And what is the price for turning a blind eye?

This book was such an incredible surprise. I requested this book on a whim. I kept hearing about it and the I loved the sound of the premise. This book is about a black community in the South side of Chicago, dealing with family secrets, police brutality, racism, and domestic violence. There were a number of characters and I thought the author did an incredible job of developing each of them and giving them rich backstories. I think my favorite point of view was that of the Calvary Church itself. Since the church was such an important part of the fabric of the community, I loved that added touch. Those chapters gave a more nuanced look at some of the happenings with the other characters of the book. The author’s writing was incredibly detailed and vivid and she did a wonderful job of drawing me into the story. I loved the mystery of the characters and the secrets and the author built up an incredible conclusion that was both shocking and satisfying. I definitely recommend this one.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

Bea Schumacher is a devastatingly stylish plus-size fashion blogger who has amazing friends, a devoted family, legions of Insta followers--and a massively broken heart. Like the rest of America, Bea indulges in her weekly obsession: the hit reality show Main Squeeze.But Bea is sick and tired of the lack of body diversity on the show. Just when Bea has sworn off dating altogether, she gets an intriguing call: Main Squeeze wants her to be its next star, surrounded by men vying for her affections. Bea agrees, on one condition--under no circumstances will she actually fall in love. She's in this to supercharge her career, subvert harmful anti-fat beauty standards, inspire women across America, and get a free hot air balloon ride. That's it. But when the cameras start rolling, Bea realizes things are more complicated than she anticipated. In this joyful, razor-sharp debut, Bea has to decide whether it might just be worth trusting these men--and herself--for a chance to live happily ever after.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was just such a delight. Bea is a woman who (for the most part) is happy with who she is and she tries not to let the trolls of the world make her miserable. And she is fed up with the fact that the TV show Main Squeeze (a bachelor/bachelorette type show) only has thin women on the show, so of course she can’t help but say yes when she is asked to be the latest contestant. I think Bea handled herself very well with a lot of the fatphobic people who ended up on the show. I did enjoy the romance part of it, but honestly the best part was seeing her growth throughout the story. Yes, Bea is comfortable in her own skin, but it soon becomes apparent that she has a problem believing that she is worthy of love. And that she still thinks she has to settle. But the story and the ending had such an awesome message and I was so satisfied with how everything was resolved. Fantastic read!! 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert

Marva Sheridan was born ready for this day. She's always been driven to make a difference in the world, and what better way than to vote in her first election? Duke Crenshaw is do done with this election. He just wants to get voting over with so he can prepare for his band's first paying gig tonight. Only problem? Duke can't vote. When Marva sees Duke turned away from their polling place, she takes it upon herself to make sure his vote is counted. She hasn't spent months doorbelling and registering voters just to see someone denied their right. And that's how their whirlwind day begins, rushing from precinct to precinct, cutting school, waiting in endless lines, turned away time and again, trying to do one simple thing: vote. They may have started out as strangers, but as Duke and Marva team up to beat a rigged system (and find Marva's missing cat), it's clear that there's more to their connection than a shared mission for democracy. 

I thought this was such a great read and so timely with the fact that today’s youth are becoming more and more vocal and politically active. Marva is so passionate about politics and is incredibly excited to vote in her very first election. Duke’s mom is more excited about him voting than he is and he seems somewhat apathetic about the process, though he does want to vote. But there are issues and Marva becomes involved and they spend a whole day together, trying to make sure he can vote and I loved that. The book deals with activism and racial injustice and gun violence and yet there are lighter moments in the book too. I like that Duke tried to teach Marva to live in the moment a little. The only thing I didn’t care for was Alec, Marva’s boyfriend. She is pissed at him because he doesn’t want to vote. While I can understand her frustration at his lack of caring, she kept talking about it as though he should vote because he told her he would and not because it’s the right thing to do. That irked me a little, but I began to understand where she was coming from, especially because of the fact that he was white and privileged, which meant he could afford to not care about certain things, but she couldn’t. Great book by this author. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐