Lisa's Looking Forward To #45 - January 21st, 2020

Back to joining up with the Waiting on Wednesday Posts, and the Can't Wait Wednesday posts hosted by Wishful Endings.  Five books to share this week.

From my ARC list for January 21st, 2020:

I've heard such good things about this and my friend who works for Macmillan right now just sent me an ARC!  Hope to get to it soon.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected.

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 

Sounds pretty original!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
 
An Indie Next List Pick!

In his first contemporary teen novel, critically acclaimed author and two-time Edgar Award finalist Lamar Giles spotlights the consequences of societal pressure, confronts toxic masculinity, and explores the complexity of what it means to be a “real man.”

Del has had a crush on Kiera Westing since kindergarten. And now, during their junior year, she’s finally available. So when Kiera volunteers for an opportunity at their church, Del’s right behind her. Though he quickly realizes he’s inadvertently signed up for a Purity Pledge.

His dad thinks his wires are crossed, and his best friend, Qwan, doesn’t believe any girl is worth the long game. But Del’s not about to lose his dream girl, and that’s where fellow pledger Jameer comes in. He can put in the good word. In exchange, Del just has to get answers to the Pledgers’ questions…about sex ed.

With other boys circling Kiera like sharks, Del needs to make his move fast. But as he plots and plans, he neglects to ask the most important question: What does Kiera want? He can’t think about that too much, though, because once he gets the girl, it’ll all sort itself out. Right?

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 

I've got an ARC of this that I got from the publisher at AASL, hope I get a chance to get to it soon!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

For readers of Robin Benway's Far From the Tree, a powerful and heartwarming look at a teen girl about to age out of the foster care system.

Growing up in foster care, Muir has lived in many houses. And if she's learned one thing, it is to Pack. Light.
Carry only what fits in a suitcase.
Toothbrush? Yes.
Socks? Yes.
Emotional attachment to friends? foster families? a boyfriend? Nope!
There's no room for any additional baggage.
Muir has just one year left before she ages out of the system. One year before she's free. One year to avoid anything--or anyone--that could get in her way.

Then she meets Francine. And Kira. And Sean.

And everything changes.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

Still need to read the first one in this series, but now there's another one out to maybe push me to get to it!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

In this utterly gripping thriller, Sarah, the fearless heroine of Orphan Monster Spy, hunts a rogue German doctor in West Africa who might be a serial murderer.

Still hiding in plain sight as "Ursula Haller," the Shirley Temple of Nazi high society, Sarah Goldstein gathers information for Captain Floyd at parties, and when he learns of a German doctor who went rogue in West Africa, she wants to help him hunt the doctor down. Rumors say the doctor has discovered a tool of germ warfare known as "the Bleeding" that could wipe out whole nations. The journey begins as a thrilling adventure for Sarah but as they get closer to the doctor, and see more effects of "the Bleeding" in the communities they pass through, their trip turns from caper to nightmare. A biracial German/Senegalese girl who travels with them, a black French priest with a foul mouth, and the doctor's glamorous daughter round out the cast of this unbearably high-stakes thriller that pushes Sarah to face the worst humanity is capable of--and challenges her to find reasons to keep fighting.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

Sounds kind of unique.  Love the cover as well!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Two teens, one stuck atoning for her sins and one destined for heaven, fall in love in purgatory in this darkly hilarious and heartfelt rom-com, perfect for fans of The Good Place.

Beatrice Fox deserves to go straight to hell. At least, that's what she thinks. On her last day on Earth, she ruined the life of the person she loves most--her little sister, Emmy. So when Bea awakens from a fatal car accident to find herself on an airplane headed for a mysterious destination, she's confused, to say the least. Once on the ground, Bea receives some truly harrowing news: not only is she in purgatory, but she has been chosen to join the Memory Experience team. If she wants another shot at heaven, she'll have to use her master manipulation skills to help 5,000 souls suss out what's keeping them from moving on.

There's just one slight problem. Bea's first assigned soul is Caleb, the boy who caused her accident, and the last person Bea would ever want to send to the pearly gates. But as much as Bea would love to see Caleb suffer for dooming her to a seemingly endless future of listening to other people's problems, she can't help but notice that he's kind of cute, and sort of sweet, and that maybe, despite her best efforts, she's totally falling for him. And to make matters worse, he's definitely falling for her. Now, determined to make the most of her time in purgatory, Bea must decide what is truly worth dying for--romance or revenge.


Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

Final Thoughts:
Definitely more good books coming out this year.  Have you read any of these yet?  Are they on your TBR?  And hey, while you're here, you should go try to win some of my ARCs from Cleaning Up My TBR Post HERE.  The US only giveaway is open till Friday at midnight.

ARC Review: The Pretenders (The Similars #2) by Rebecca Hanover

Book info:

Title:  The Pretenders
Author:  Rebecca Hanover
Series:  The Similars #2
Genre: YA science fiction
Release Date:  December 10th, 2019
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Fire
Source:  ARC from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating: 4 stars


Synopsis: 
In this conclusion to The Similars duology, Emma must figure out who she really is, decide between two boys with the same face, and stop a dangerous plan based on revenge.

Emma is still reeling from the events of her junior year at Darkwood. Not only is her best friend, Oliver, shockingly alive, but the boy she loves—his Similar, Levi—is still on the island where he grew up, stranded with his deranged creator.

More importantly, she is grappling with who she really is. Emma can't accept the hard truths she learned last year and refuses to share her secrets with anyone, isolating herself from her friends and Ollie.

But when more of the Similars' creator's plot is revealed, Emma and her friends will have to try to stop him from putting a plan into motion that could destroy everyone she loves. 


My Review:
I didn't get a copy of this until after it was published, even though I had it listed as not being published till January, it actually was released in December. So sorry this review is a bit late!  This conclusion the story was really good.  There were lots of twists and turns, some hinted at in the end of book one.  Without giving much away, it turns out that the plot is even more terrifying than was believed in the first book, and what happens at the school, and out in the world itself is more than Emma and the other Similars expect to have to deal with.  This story had a lot of action and edge of your seat moments.  It was a page-turner and I finished it very quickly once I picked it up, because I had to know where each turn was taking us, and how it would all end.  Definitely a great conclusion to a debut author's first duology.  

ARC Review: Chosen (Slayer #2) by Kiersten White

Book info:

Title: Chosen
Author:  Kiersten White
Series:  Slayer #2
Genre: YA paranormal
Release Date:  January 7th, 2020
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Source:  ARC traded for from Twitter's Books for Trade hashtag
My rating:  5 stars


Synopsis: 
“Will get Buffy fans up in their feels.” —Entertainment Weekly on Slayer

Nina continues to learn how to use her slayer powers against enemies old and new in this second novel in the New York Times bestselling series from Kiersten White, set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Now that Nina has turned the Watcher’s Castle into a utopia for hurt and lonely demons, she’s still waiting for the utopia part to kick in. With her sister Artemis gone and only a few people remaining at the castle—including her still-distant mother—Nina has her hands full. Plus, though she gained back her Slayer powers from Leo, they’re not feeling quite right after being held by the seriously evil succubus Eve, a.k.a. fake Watcher’s Council member and Leo’s mom.

And while Nina is dealing with the darkness inside, there’s also a new threat on the outside, portended by an odd triangle symbol that seems to be popping up everywhere, in connection with Sean’s demon drug ring as well as someone a bit closer to home. Because one near-apocalypse just isn’t enough, right? 

The darkness always finds you. And once again, it’s coming for the Slayer.


My Review:
 It was so easy to jump right back into this series with page one of the book.  I also adored all the little cameos of characters from the original BTVS tv series, Clem, Oz, Harmony, just to name a few.   The author does a great job with hitting just the right sense of humor and snark with the characters in a way that reminds me of the original tv series.  For instance, when they misheard a name, and called him Ian Von Assface.  But I also loved the newer pop culture additions, like Harry Potter references, fist pump for all my fellow Hufflepuffs, like Nina.  Then there were twists and turns, where I just knew something was going to happen, but what did happen in the end was totally not what I'd been expecting.  There were the betrayals of those I thought you could trust, as well as ones I suspected throughout.   I loved that the author even brought in the Tales of the Slayer stories in a way, when she referenced the history of slayers, and of course loved Buffy always being referred back to.  Because even though this is a new series with new characters, Buffy will always be "THAT" slayer.  Probably more well known than even the First Slayer, to all current slayers.  I loved it so much.  I just hope that the author can continue to write more in this world and that I will have a third book to look forward to next year!

ARC Review: Song of the Crimson Flower (Rise of the Empress companion) by Julie C. Dao

Book info:

Title:  Song of the Crimson Flower
Author:  Julie C. Dao
Series:  Rise of the Empress companion

Genre: YA fantasy
Release Date:  November 5th, 2019

Publisher: Philomel Books
Source:  ARC one on Bookish First which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4 stars

Synopsis: 
From the acclaimed author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns comes a fantastical new tale of darkness and love, in which magical bonds are stronger than blood.

Will love break the spell? After cruelly rejecting Bao, the poor physician's apprentice who loves her, Lan, a wealthy nobleman's daughter, regrets her actions. So when she finds Bao's prized flute floating in his boat near her house, she takes it into her care, not knowing that his soul has been trapped inside it by an evil witch, who cursed Bao, telling him that only love will set him free. Though Bao now despises her, Lan vows to make amends and help break the spell.

Together, the two travel across the continent, finding themselves in the presence of greatness in the forms of the Great Forest's Empress Jade and Commander Wei. They journey with Wei, getting tangled in the webs of war, blood magic, and romance along the way. Will Lan and Bao begin to break the spell that's been placed upon them? Or will they be doomed to live out their lives with black magic running through their veins?


My Review:
I really enjoyed this story of love and magic.  There was a lot I didn't necessarily see coming from the beginning.  Of course it is always a story-line that the orphan who isn't good enough for the princess ends up actually being royalty in some way, but it's nice that the "princess" in this story was really a nice person, and her one time of lashing out and acting above someone had to do with some really  heartbreaking news she'd received at that time, from him.  The story also showed how a girl had to deal with the prejudices of the males, not only our main character, but even other warriors and young women trying to do what they wanted.  While I haven't read any of the other books by this author that are part of this series, it wasn't needed in order to understand and enjoy this story.  I am definitely interested in reading other books in the series now, and will be sure to recommend it to my students at my library, as well as customers at the bookstore where I work.  

ARC Review: The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

Book info:

Title:  The Beautiful
Author:  Renee Ahdieh
Genre:  YA paranormal romance
Release Date:  October 8th, 2019
Publisher:  G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR
Source:  ARC won from Bookish First which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4 stars

Synopsis:
New York Times bestselling author Renée Ahdieh returns with a sumptuous, sultry and romantic new series set in 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight.

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien's guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.

When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.

At once a sultry romance and a thrilling murder mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet: The Beautiful.


My Review:
I was immediately drawn into this story with its vivid descriptions of a New Orleans from yesterday.  Even with the paranormal aspect to the story, having been to New Orleans several times over the past year and having wandered around the city on my own, I could feel as if I was right in the story with the characters.  The glamor and beauty of the upper society as well as the sinfulness of the underworld that Celine found herself in was so beautifully described, I wish I could have actually seen it with my eyes in pictures.  I was kept guessing throughout as to who the killer was, my guess never really landed on who it turned out to be, and I do love when there are hints and clues but you still are surprised.  Especially when the surprise is still feasible and makes sense.  I'm also pleased that while it had an ending that could satisfy if there were no more books to follow, it is supposed to have a sequel, and the cover is just as beautiful, but in a different way.  While we are pretty sure of vampires with this story when you begin and from the synopsis, there are other creatures, and that makes it so much more intriguing of a story.

A few issues I had, one point, somewhat early on in the relationship or scenes between Celine and Sebastien, there are a few lines about it was the first time she'd heard him laugh like that, or the first time he'd smiled like that.  That bugged me, because she had just met him, so yeah, it would be the first time she'd have heard or seen those things, and so, really?  Now I had to put it down to read some other books I had to review for blog tours, and there were a couple weeks I went without reading at all.  When I picked it back up, I had to reread a bit before to remember what had happened with specific people, but all of it really was woven in together well so that in the end it all came together and I got just as wrapped up in at as I had been at the beginning.  If I'd had more time, I would definitely have been able, and been happy, to read this over 400 page story in just a day or two.  I also loved the first book in this author's first series, and I can only hope that what happened with that one, I didn't get the second one as an e-galley or ARC, doesn't happen this time and slow me down!  

ARC Review: Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz

Book info:

Title:  Sick Kids in Love
Author:  Hannah Moskowitz
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Date:  November 5th, 2019

Publisher:  Entangled Teen
Source: Physical ARC received from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis: 
Isabel has one rule: no dating.
It's easier--
It's safer--
It's better--
--for the other person.
She's got issues. She's got secrets. She's got rheumatoid arthritis.
But then she meets another sick kid.
He's got a chronic illness Isabel's never heard of, something she can't even pronounce. He understands what it means to be sick. He understands her more than her healthy friends. He understands her more than her own father who's a doctor.
He's gorgeous, fun, and foul-mouthed. And totally into her.
Isabel has one rule: no dating.
It's complicated--
It's dangerous--
It's never felt better--
--to consider breaking that rule for him.


My Review:
I don't know exactly where to start with this one, except to say how much I adored it!  It was such a sweet and cute story, but with a lot of moments that were still emotionally intense or else really made you think.  Since I am not a sick person, there's a lot I don't understand first hand. But, I think this story did a great job at sharing things that people who do have chronic illnesses feel and hear from "healthy" people all the time.  The story really made me think a lot about how I feel or think when I hear about people who are sick and what they have to deal with on a daily basis.  It definitely brought to mind all the times in the past that I may have even said something about a person not looking like they were sick or disabled whenever they pulled into a handicapped parking spot or something similar.  Things in recent years after meeting more people who don't look sick, but are, I've quit even thinking that way myself, and now it does stand out when I hear other people around me say those things.  I really liked that the author was able to write a story where as the tagline says, they don't die in this one, but there were still some emotionally tense situations in the book.  

It wasn't just the part about being sick kids that was so good in the book either though.  There were normal teen situations, absentee parents, not  knowing how good some friends really were, and then of course feeling attractive to the opposite sex.  It was so great to be able to see a toxic friendship ended, but the character still wondering if she was doing the right thing.

And oh the humor!  I loved Sasha's sarcasm in so many situations, as well as his hilarious answers to Isabel's questions.  While the dead girl answers weren't completely clear to me for what they actually did for the story, it was a unique and different idea to be included. 

A great story, I can't wait to get this for the kids in my school library to read! 

ARC Review: The Burning Shadow (Origin #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Book info:

Title:  The Burning Shadow
Author:  Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series:  Origin #2
Genre:  NA paranormal romance
Release Date:  October 8th, 2019
Publisher:  Tor Teen
Source:  ARC received through books for trade on Twitter
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:
#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the world of the Lux with The Burning Shadow, the steamy, shocking second installment of the Origin series that will leave readers reeling.

When Evelyn Dasher crossed paths with Luc, she was thrown headfirst into the world of the Lux―only to discover that she was already far more involved in their world than she ever suspected.

Because the Luxen aren’t the only ones with a hidden past. There’s a gap in Evie’s memory, lost months of her life and a lingering sense that something happened, something she can’t remember and nobody is willing to tell her. She needs to find out the truth about who she is―and who she was. But every answer she finds only brings up more questions.

Her search for the truth brings her ever closer to Luc, the Origin at the center of it all. He’s powerful, arrogant, inhumanly beautiful, extremely dangerous…and possibly in love with her. But even as Evie falls for him, she can’t help but wonder if his attraction is to her, or to the memory of a girl who no longer exists.

And all the while, a new threat looms: reports of a flu-like, fatal virus that the government insists is being spread by Luxen. A horrifying illness that changes whoever it touches, spreading panic across a country already at its breaking point.


My Review:
I hate that I got so behind on reading once school started back because I was so excited to read this one!  Of course once I did pick this one up, it was so hard to put down, well, other than how big the book is, so it was hard to hold for too long either!  LOL!!  There were so many new obstacles and things with the Luxen and Arum and Origins and even some new people/creatures/beings/secret organizations thrown in.  And yeah, all four of those things, not me just trying to be random.  I was also so excited when there was something that happened in the book that took place in my city of Kansas City, and I knew exactly where it was supposed to be happening!  So much back story learned during this one, but also so many more questions and things we need to know!  And that ending!  Wow!  Total cliffhanger.  I still adore Luc of course, but maybe still Daemon more though.  But now we need to know exactly what is happening to Evie.  I will say I got a little annoyed with her whole wondering if he only loved the girl he remembered and that his feeling weren't really for her now.  Hopefully she'll move on from that in the next book.  Which, do I have to wait a whole year?  Because I don't know if I can wait!  Well, my arms can, they did get a little tired holding this one in bed at night.  Honestly, this size of book is exactly why e-books are sometimes better!  Oh yeah, and I loved seeing the name of a former book blogger that I know is friends with the author for one of the characters.  
 

Lisa's Looking Forward To #34 - October 15th, 2019

Back to joining up with the Waiting on Wednesday Posts, and the Can't Wait Wednesday posts hosted by Wishful Endings.  And once again it seems like the list of books coming out is getting smaller than the week before.

From my ARC list for October 15th, 2019:

Love the cover and sounds good, but as a dragon book, it's not a top priority as they aren't always my favorites.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Game of Thrones meets Red Rising in a debut young adult fantasy that's full of rivalry, romance... and dragons.

Annie and Lee were just children when a brutal revolution changed their world, giving everyone—even the lowborn—a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders.

Now they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn’t be more different. Annie’s lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee’s aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet.

But everything changes when survivors from the old regime surface, bent on reclaiming the city.

With war on the horizon and his relationship with Annie changing fast, Lee must choose to kill the only family he has left or to betray everything he’s come to believe in. And Annie must decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.

From debut author Rosaria Munda comes a gripping adventure that calls into question which matters most: the family you were born into, or the one you’ve chosen.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 
 

I have an ARC of this one, need to get to reading it!  I really like this author.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

A WOMAN ON THE RUN. A CAPTAIN ADRIFT IN SPACE. ONE OF THEM IS INFECTED WITH AN ALIEN PARASITE.

In this dark science fiction thriller, a young woman must confront her past so the human race will have a future.

Rosalyn Devar is on the run from her famous family, the bioengineering job she's come to hate, and her messed-up life. She's run all the way to outer space, where she's taken a position as a "space janitor," cleaning up ill-fated research expeditions. But no matter how far she goes, Rosalyn can't escape herself. After too many mistakes on the job, she's given one last chance: take care of salvaging the Brigantine, a research vessel that has gone dark, with all crew aboard thought dead.

But the Brigantine's crew are very much alive--if not entirely human. Now Rosalyn is trapped on board, alone with a crew infected by a mysterious parasitic alien. The captain, Edison Aries, seems to still maintain some control over himself and the crew, but he won't be able to keep fighting much longer. Rosalyn and Edison must find a way to stop the parasite's onslaught...or it may take over the entire human race.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

I know that I really need to read this author!  And this one sounds really good!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Dear Martin --which Angie Thomas, the bestselling author of The Hate U Give, called "a must read"--comes a pitch-perfect romance that examines class, privilege, and how a stroke of good luck can change an entire life.

Meet Rico: high school senior and afternoon-shift cashier at the Gas 'n' Go, who after school and work races home to take care of her younger brother. Every. Single. Day. When Rico sells a jackpot-winning lotto ticket, she thinks maybe her luck will finally change, but only if she--with some assistance from her popular and wildly rich classmate Zan--can find the ticket holder who hasn't claimed the prize. But what happens when have and have-nots collide? Will this investigative duo unite...or divide?

Nic Stone, the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out, creates two unforgettable characters in one hard-hitting story about class, money--both too little and too much--and how you make your own luck in the world.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 

Sounds like it could be a good spooky story.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
 
Sixteen-year-old Clara Morris is facing an awkward summer with her father in the tiny upstate town of Redmarch Lake. Clara’s relationship with her parents—and with life in general—has been strained since she lost her twin sister, Zoe, when the girls were eight. As a child, her sister had been her whole world—they even shared a secret invented twin language. Clara has managed to rebuild herself as best she can, but she still feels a hole in her life from the absence of her twin, and she suspects she always will.

She soon finds that Redmarch Lake, where her father’s family has lived for generations, is a very unusual place. The townspeople live by odd rules and superstitions. The eerily calm lake the town is named for both fascinates and repels her. The town’s young people are just as odd and unfriendly as their parents. Clara manages to befriend the one boy willing to talk to an outsider, but he disappears during a party in the woods.

The next day, he is found dead in the lake under mysterious circumstances. The townspeople all treat this as a tragic accident. Clara isn’t buying it, but she doesn’t know what to do until she receives a mysterious note hinting at murder—a note written in the language she shared with her twin sister, Zoe.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 

Final Thoughts:
I've got one of these as ARCs this week, but still a bit behind.  Have you read any of these yet?  Are they on your TBR?  And hey, while you're here, you should go try to win some of my ARCs from Cleaning Up My TBR Post HERE.  The US only giveaway is open till Friday at midnight, there are even some 2019 ARCs that can be one of your two choices. 

Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

Hardcover: 352 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250299705
ISBN-13: 978-1250299703

Praise for THE GOOD LUCK GIRLS

“Don't underestimate the girls in the Arkettan welcome houses because you might just lose your life. Davis' The Good Luck Girls is a dust-filled, bloody fairytale set in a menacing world haunted with the reminder―the price of freedom is high, but it's worth fighting for at all costs. Rise up, teen readers!” ―Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles

“This dystopian debut is deeply connected to today’s social issues, and readers will feel that impact.” ―Booklist

Book info:

Title:  The Good Luck Girls
Author:  Charlotte Nicole Davis
Genre:  YA Dystopian
Release Date:  October 1st, 2019
Publisher:  Tor Teen
Source:  ARC won from Bookish First which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:
Westworld meets The Handmaid's Tale in this stunning fantasy adventure from debut author Charlotte Nicole Davis.

Aster, the protector
Violet, the favorite
Tansy, the medic
Mallow, the fighter
Clementine, the catalyst

THE GOOD LUCK GIRLS

The country of Arketta calls them Good Luck Girls--they know their luck is anything but. Sold to a "welcome house" as children and branded with cursed markings. Trapped in a life they would never have chosen.

When Clementine accidentally murders a man, the girls risk a dangerous escape and harrowing journey to find freedom, justice, and revenge in a country that wants them to have none of those things. Pursued by Arketta's most vicious and powerful forces, both human and inhuman, their only hope lies in a bedtime story passed from one Good Luck Girl to another, a story that only the youngest or most desperate would ever believe.

It's going to take more than luck for them all to survive.

You can purchase The Good Luck Girls at the following Retailers:

        

My Review:

This was a really great new dystopian story.  It totally had an Old West feel with "stagecoach" robberies and horseback getaways.  While there were definitely some parts that could be considered a bit standard for a dystopian story, I feel that those are things you kind of need to make the story work.  There were times I wondered if those who were tentative allies were actually allies or there for other possibly nefarious reasons, but that is what kept me intrigued and turning pages as fast as I could to see what would happen next, and how they would get past each obstacle that was thrown in their path. The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was that it was in third person, and I feel like having it in first person might have worked better for some parts. However I feel that is my personal opinion, and not at all anything that reflects on how great the story is overall.  I can't wait to get a copy of this one for my school library for my students to read and enjoy!

About the Author:

Photo Credit: Brett Pruitt

Charlotte Nicole Davis is the author of The Good Luck Girls, a young adult fantasy novel releasing in Fall 2019 with Tor Teen. A graduate of The New School’s Writing for Children MFA program, Charlotte loves comic book movies and books with maps in the front. She currently lives in Brooklyn with a cat with a crooked tail.

       

WEEK ONE
SEPTEMBER 30th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW
OCTOBER 1st TUESDAY Twirling Book Princess EXCERPT
OCTOBER 2nd WEDNESDAY A Court of Coffee and Books REVIEW
OCTOBER 2nd WEDNESDAY Kait Plus Books EXCERPT
OCTOBER 3rd THURSDAY Bibliobibuli YA INTERVIEW
OCTOBER 4th FRIDAY Novel Lives REVIEW
OCTOBER 4th FRIDAY Movies, Shows, & Books EXCERPT 

WEEK TWO
OCTOBER 7th MONDAY BookHounds YA REVIEW
OCTOBER 8th TUESDAY Lisa Loves Literature REVIEW
OCTOBER 8th TUESDAY Pages Below the Vaulted Sky REVIEW
OCTOBER 9th WEDNESDAY Casia's Corner REVIEW
OCTOBER 10th THURSDAY Lauren's Bookshelf REVIEW
OCTOBER 10th THURSDAY Starlight Reads REVIEW
OCTOBER 11th FRIDAY Nay's Pink Bookshelf REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*


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ARC Review: Slay by Brittney Morris

Book info:

Title:  Slay
Author:  Brittney Morris
Genre:  YA contemporary?
Release Date:  September 24th, 2019
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Source:  ARC from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:
By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the "downfall of the Black man."

But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for "anti-white discrimination."

Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?


My Review:
This was such an amazing #ownvoices story!  The author was able to pull in so many issues that teens, as well as even adults in this day and age are thinking or feeling or dealing with.  And she touched on all of them in what I felt was probably a pretty realistic way.  This video game wasn't one that had a bunch of killings and senseless violence, it was a card duel type of game, one that used so many different "Black" customs and history in ways that were definitely tongue-in-cheek for those familiar with the terms or even just very, what's the word, something like complimentary, but that's not really what I'm trying to say.  I don't feel that in any way these things were done in an offensive or insulting way, it was like loving all the parts of yourself, as well as those who are alike and different.  The book touched on many hot-topics or sensitive subjects that seem to remain no matter what.  Like cultural appropriation, is it "okay" for white people to get dred-locks?  Or is it even right to ask one person of a culture if it is okay, because should they be the ones to have to speak for everyone?  There was the bit about having a game "just" for the black people.  So many times you hear people talk about this with things like colleges and clubs.  Mixed race couples.  On the one hand, why shouldn't someone be able to love whoever they want?  But is it okay for a black man to think black women and men should only be together, that it is diluting their race to mix with white or other people?  

The number of controversial topics and hot button issues touched upon in this story is amazing, but also so ideal for the current political and cultural climate.  This book was not just really deep, it had great characters and action going along all the way through.  I could barely put it down when I had to do things like eat or sleep or work.  I can't wait to purchase a couple copies of this for my school library where I work. And I will get more than one copy, because I can see this being one several students will want to read at the same time once word gets around.  

Oh, one thing though, I think the word "ain't" had been around long before ebonics or the AAVE are considered to be started.  But I could be wrong!  Makes me want to do my research!