3 reviews for some recents reads!

The Ravens by Kass Morgan & Danielle Page

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A super engaging, witchy YA fantasy!

I listened to this on audio and thought that narrators did an absolutely fantastic job bringing this story to life. I feel like this age range of just starting college is really underrepresented and I loved getting to experience it through this book.

This follows a sorority house of witches keeping lots of dark secrets. I thought this had a great ominous tone while still feeling fun and engaging. This book was essentially a horror version of Greek and had me hooked from start to finish.

This had all the fun of a classic 90’s horror movie – filled with moments where you’ll find yourself yelling at the characters to not go into the dark woods alone. I had such a good time with this book and can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel!

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The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

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My final feelings on this book are kind of conflicted. On one hand I was completely captivated by this book. I loved the writing and was totally engrossed in the story while it was unfolding. I was on the edge of my seat and was fully invested in the crazy people shenanigans going down. 

The audiobook really brought the story to life, and I thought the narrators did a fantastic job. So overall I enjoyed my time reading this.

But I didn’t find anything about this surprising or shocking which is really important to me in a mystery/thriller. I thought the reveal(s) were pretty straightforward – especially since this was retelling. So I kept waiting for something shocking to happen. And then the book ended… Which left me feeling slightly underwhelmed. I just wanted this to go a tiny bit further. 

But while I thought this was missing the shock factor, the writing and plot itself was engaging and engrossing. So it’s definitely worth picking up! Rachel Hawkins is an absolutely amazing writer and I can’t wait to see what she does in the adult age range next!

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You Have a Match by Emma Lord

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2021 is already delivering some amazing books. Emma Lord wrote on of my favorite YA contemporaries of 2020 and I think she will making that list again this year. This book was difficult, heartbreaking at times, and so wonderfully impactful. I definitely teared up more than once throughout this book.

I loved the strong emphasis on family and friend relationships. This really explores what it means to be family and what it takes to be a good friend. And Emma Lord has such a knack for writing realistic and believable teenage characters. Abby is such a difficult character read from at times because she is flawed and 16. She’s stubborn and hard headed and make choices that drove me absolutely wild. But that’s what being that age is and I really appreciated that perspective. Abby does not have her life together and figured out and I think a lot of teens will appreciate and relate to her character. 

The family dynamics and relationships in here were heavy and tough but this story always had a feeling of lightness to it. There is so much humor and wit weaved into this to balance out some of the more difficult topics. 

This slow burn romance was everything. I was screaming by the 3/4 point for these two just admit their feelings. But it was so worth the wait. I absolutely loved these characters together!
Overall I’m just in love with how Emma Lord writes relationships. This book was absolutely wonderful and I already can’t wait for her next release!

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