In the last couple of years, dark academia has become one of my favorite genres. I have a soft spot for those morally grey characters who I’d condemn In the last couple of years, dark academia has become one of my favorite genres. I have a soft spot for those morally grey characters who I’d condemn in contemporary or romance.
We Are Villains has the same blunt writing as Felix Ever After (Kacen Callender’s most popular book) but with darker vibes. From the blurb, Milo and Liam seem to be the main characters, while, in fact, Ari sets the pace of this story. I love books with multiple POVs, but if there are more than two, I always get a little wary. In this book, Kacen Callender used at least eight, but I didn’t mind and found it very interesting to be in all those other minds for a short time. Their chapters were just little snippets that gave an extra layer of depth to what happened to Ari and the atmosphere of Yates, the boarding school.
Just like so many other dark academia stories, this book is f*cked up. Yates is central where tyranny and patriarchy rule, everyone is pretending to be something or someone else than they really are, and the reader starts sympathizing with the ones, who are bad news. My favorite was Liam, even though I hated him too for what he did. But love and hate are never far from each other, right?
It’s always easier to look at someone else—to see how they’ve made mistakes. Always easier to see how someone else is the villain. It’s harder to admit when we’re the villains, too.
Don’t expect a romance because there isn’t any. Also, don’t expect lots of angst. Instead, We Are Villains focuses on all those messed-up teens, their f*cked-up relationships, and what they’re trying to hide. I flew through the pages because of Kacen’s vivid writing, even with so many POVs.
Stars in Your Eyes is one of my favorite adult romances, but I wasn’t a huge fan of Infinity Alchemist. I was a little afraid to see another genre, but I shouldn’t have feared because I really liked this one and will definitely read other dark academia stories by Kacen Callender.
Thank you, Abrams Books and Edelweiss, for this ARC!
William Hussey is one of my favorite YA authors. Hideous Beauty is a gem, and I expected to find the same writing, the same emotions, and the same kinWilliam Hussey is one of my favorite YA authors. Hideous Beauty is a gem, and I expected to find the same writing, the same emotions, and the same kind of love story from that book in The Boy I Love, a YA story about English boys going to war in France in 1916. The best book I’ve ever read about WWI (or actually overall) is In Memoriam. So, I expected a YA version of that book, the vividly written scenes in the muddy trenches, the brotherhood between those soldiers, the hurt and the pain, and above so much love.
Did I get all of this? Yes, because The Boy I Know is a beautifully written story that took me to those grimy trenches and let me feel the brotherhood between those men. It made me fall in love with Danny, sweet, cheerful Danny and made me want to throw my fist at Gallagher and Beddowes (please know I’m not a violent person) for the terrible men they were. It made me weep because of Ollie, oh sweet Ollie, and smile when Stephen and Danny admitted their feelings for each other. It made my heart thunder in my chest when, for one moment, Stephen thought Danny had died, and it made me feel so much more.
After finishing this book, I only wanted one thing, though. That I had read In Memoriam after this one and not before. How is it possible to compete with such a masterpiece? And maybe it’s not fair to compare those two stories.
So, If you haven’t read In Memoriam yet, read this one first. If you think In Memoriam is too triggering, you might want to try this one since it’s less graphic. And if you’ve loved any of William Hussey’s books and/or In Memoriam, I’d still recommend reading this one too.
Thank you, Andersen Press and NetGalley, for this wonderful ARC. It was one of my most anticipated 2025 releases, and I’m so happy I could read it early!
Pitched for fans of Raven Boys and Cemetery Boys, but in my opinion closest to F.T. Lukens’ Spell Bound and their The Rules series.
I love the rival tPitched for fans of Raven Boys and Cemetery Boys, but in my opinion closest to F.T. Lukens’ Spell Bound and their The Rules series.
I love the rival to lovers trope, but I like the grumpy-sunshine trope even more, and I loved that one the most in The Hollow and the Haunted. Miles is the empath, always helpful and thinking about others. Gabriel is the brooding one, distant and cold. But when a friendship grows, Gabriel opens up, and Miles finds out, that a sweet boy is hiding underneath all those layers of coldness. Be aware this is a slow, slow, slow-burn and that the romance isn’t the main theme. This story is about two rivaling families, and Miles and Gabriel find themselves in the middle of the feud.
Camilla Raines writing is incredibly vivid and made this story such a pleasure to read. Miles and Gabriel, including the side characters, splashed of the pages, and I smiled so many times. At Miles’ and Gabriel’s banter, but also at Miles’ car because Camilla managed to make Blanche almost human.
To be honest, while reading that ending, I was like ‘WHAT?’, but now I can’t wait to read the sequel! I’d love to be back with Miles and Gabriel again.
It is, I think, the best pink sky moment I’ve had yet.
Don’t you love those pink sky moments? Those moments at night when the sky turns into these softIt is, I think, the best pink sky moment I’ve had yet.
Don’t you love those pink sky moments? Those moments at night when the sky turns into these soft colors, and everything looks suddenly so beautiful. I was so happy that Alis was enjoying these moments because this story is sometimes hard to read. Like really hard and, therefore really triggering. But it’s also genuinely good. So, if you’re interested in reading this one and get triggered easily or have specific triggers, please, please check out the trigger warnings first!
So, Earth to Alis. Lex Carlow reached out to me and asked if I wanted to read her debut, but I immediately wanted to decline because it would be released in about a week, and I had enough other ARCs on my shelf. But then I checked the blurb, and suddenly, I said yes, and I’m SO happy that I did!
Alis is a teen who’s fighting his own demons and real ones. He’s such a lonely boy (by choice), and I loved to see him opening up to other people and letting them in while traveling through Europe. Noor, Drew, Dakota, and of course Craig, were the best friends Alis could have. They were so caring, and the found family trope is such a sweet thing in this book!
But be prepared because even though this is upper YA, it’s harrowing at times. Think of the detailed scenes in Young Mungo (adult and different themes!). As an adult (for ages) sometimes even I had to look away from the pages because it became too much for me, and I can handle almost everything. At one particular time, I wanted to scream at Alis don’t, don’t, don’t, but he did it anyway. And I felt numb, tears burning behind my eyes. But even though the story is heavy, messy, and full of drama (bullying, neglecting parents, a fallout with a best friend), it also made me smile so many times. I adored cute cinnamon roll Craig and was so happy to see a more bulky love interest!
Another huge plus was that I finally read a book by a North American author, and I wasn’t frowning because of the stereotypical descriptions of Europe. I especially loved to be in Interlaken again ...more
The roaring engines and the tension from Summer Sons meet the mirrors from Beholder in this eerie and thrilling young adult dark academia story.
Where The roaring engines and the tension from Summer Sons meet the mirrors from Beholder in this eerie and thrilling young adult dark academia story.
Where Graves is stone and lightning, Henry is softer, slipperier, a boy I’m never quite sure if he’s there to save me or because he likes watching me struggle.
Okay, first of all, this is not a romance, not even close. There’s so much attraction and repulsion without knowing if there’s a sexual charge underneath that it made me gasp for air and want to read on and on and on. Eyes lock, fingers brush, bodies touch until the tension is almost unbearable, but there’s never a sweet kiss, a shiver out of anticipation, a smile of recognition. This story is twisted and obsessive and sooo addictive.
The movement brushes my hair against his cheek and lets his breath tickle my ear.
Jenni Howell’s writing is phenomenal, lush, and feverish, as if it were screaming in capital letters. Sometimes, I was wondering what the eff I was reading and where it would lead to, IF it would lead to something. But at the same time, I didn’t care because I highlighted so many passages and felt the constant thrill tugging at my heart.
Graves’s mouth moves, but I can’t hear him, all I can hear is the engine’s roar and the violins’ whine and then there’s Henry, his hand moving to mine.
Jenni said either you’re team Henry or team Graves, and I think she’s right. I had a soft spot for the violin-playing, wicked smart boy seeming to be made of stone, but he felt so much softer on the inside to me, constantly hiding his true self.
I can feel his eyes on me, reminding me of every time he’s had me inside out, splayed across the table in front of him. He says nothing.
This book grips you at your throat and tries to suffocate you, so you probably end up loving or hating it. But that’s exactly what this story is about. Hate is not that far from love, after all. I’m a lover and can’t wait for what Jenni Howell has in store for us next!
Thank you so much, Tatiana from Fiercereads, for letting me read this story. It’s fantastic and I will gush about it as much as I can!
This is how it’s supposed to feel. When longing meets knowing.
I Wish You Would Read This Story. It’s messy. Adorable. So vividly written! AND includesThis is how it’s supposed to feel. When longing meets knowing.
I Wish You Would Read This Story. It’s messy. Adorable. So vividly written! AND includes one of my favorite tropes: friends to lovers!
I have to admit, I was already in love with this story before I even started reading. I adored the cover, loved the blurb, and then saw raving reviews. So I had to know if my instant crush would survive my reading sittings. And how it did! Mixed (Latina) but white-passing Natalia and ‘hating his famous father’ Ethan just cemented themselves into my heart.
Two days, this story takes place in less than two days. And pours all the doubt and the hurt, and even the love from before on the pages. It’s perfectly paced, and the writing is so vibrant! And it’s a debut y’all! A fantastic debut!
I loved to read those letters and guess who those letters were from. Letters about catfishing someone, coming out, doing what you really want to do, and so many other topics.
Thanks so much, Tatiana from Fiercereads, for sending me an invite to the ARC of this book!
Just like Caught in a Bad Fauxmance, 10 Things I Hate about Prom is the perfect read for those who love vivid and bright wri3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Just like Caught in a Bad Fauxmance, 10 Things I Hate about Prom is the perfect read for those who love vivid and bright writing, chaotic main characters, witty remarks and banter, AND perfect Latin rep.
I flew through the pages while reading this story. Ive is a messy narrator, and that might be because she has a lot going on. Working at her Tio’s restaurant, her mom dating again, college applications, prom, etc. And, of course, her best friend Joaquin. He is adorable and everything a teen wishes for in a friend. And maybe in a boyfriend too, even though Joaquin wants to take someone else as his dare to prom.
I loved both Ive and Joaquin, but I have to admit that I didn’t laugh as much as I hoped I would. I blame my previous read. But I’m pretty sure lots of people will love this lighthearted and funny story, and therefore, I round my 3.5 rating up to 4 stars.
Thank you, Random House Children’s and NetGalley, for this ARC!
Just like Caught in a Bad Fauxmance, 10 Things I Hate about Prom is the perfect read for those who love vivid and bright writing, chaotic main characters, witty remarks and banter, AND perfect Latin rep.
I flew through the pages while reading this story. Ive is a messy narrator, and that might be because she has a lot going on. Working at her Tio’s restaurant, her mom dating again, college applications, prom, etc. And, of course, her best friend Joaquin. He is adorable and everything a teen wishes for in a friend. And maybe in a boyfriend too, even though Joaquin wants to take someone else as his dare to prom.
I loved both Ive and Joaquin, but I have to admit that I didn’t laugh as much as I hoped I would. I blame my previous read. But I’m pretty sure lots of people will love this lighthearted and funny story, and therefore, I round my 3.5 rating up to 4 stars.
Thank you, Random House Children’s and NetGalley, for this ARC!
Wow, wow, wow! Some stories silence me, and this is one of them. Just take a look at that stunning cover! It’s so quiet and, at the same time, so vibrWow, wow, wow! Some stories silence me, and this is one of them. Just take a look at that stunning cover! It’s so quiet and, at the same time, so vibrant. Exactly like Deedee and Jay are. I love it when a cover and a story fit so well together.
Sometimes, I want to hug bookish main characters badly, and Deedee and Jay are two of them. Deedee tries to be the perfect daughter. She has to follow all of her Filipino mom’s rules (many!), but she thinks she’s bad and longs to be unconditionally loved. Deep inside, she’s screaming for acknowledgment and, most of all, for freedom. Jay is the perfect son, having an almost full-time job to help his mom to pay the bills. But he has buried so much underneath his seeming ease.
This story is raw and messy, about two lonely teens who are stuck in life, never showing to the world who they really want to be, needing each other so much, and maybe even thinking they can fix the other. My chest tightened quite a lot, especially when Deedee got sadder and sadder with all those intrusive thoughts that she’s never good enough. But don’t think this story only has dark sides. It’s a powerful story and, in the end, hopeful too.
Thank you so much, Clare, for sending me an ARC of your book! You’re such a talented author, and after reading this impressive debut, I can’t wait for what you have in store for us next!
For fans of If This Gets Out or Kiss and Tell. Or those with a soft spot for anxious teen boys. And for those who can handle hActual rating 4.5 stars.
For fans of If This Gets Out or Kiss and Tell. Or those with a soft spot for anxious teen boys. And for those who can handle heavier and darker-themed stories.
Even though Under All the Lights is a sequel, this story is perfectly readable as a standalone.
I was curious but also a little scared when I started reading because Ollie was in a solid relationship with Aisha after book one. Although I really wanted to know what was going to happen between Ollie and Jessie, I didn’t want to get stuck in a cobweb of lies because of a love triangle. And luckily, that didn’t happen. But be prepared; this story is messy. Let me just love messy and harder hitting stories! Under All the Lights is about a boy and his confused feelings. About a boy who’s trying to battle with severe anxiety. About a boy who’s suddenly in the spotlights, including sh*tty social media rumors. About a boy and his past and the inextricable link to his internal biphobia. And yeah, it’s also about a boy with a wonderful girlfriend who finds out he likes a guy, too.
I loved reading from Ollie’s POV. I already had a soft spot for him when I was reading When It All SyncsUp, and after I found out what happened to him in the first installment of this series, my blood was boiling, and I wanted to protect him against all costs. And therefore, I fully understood why Ollie felt he needed to ignore his feelings for boys. But after meeting Jesse, his feelings came flying back like a boomerang, and suddenly, he couldn’t shrug off what he knew deep inside anymore.
Some stories hit me hard, and this is one of them. Those two boys, both struggling so much but not letting the other in. I felt their inner fights throughout the book. The soft spot I had for Olly has become bigger, and he nestled himself deep into my heart. Just like Jesse, actually, and I’m secretly hoping Maya Ameyaw will write a follow-up story with a dual or even triple POV because with that ending and all, I’m not done yet with these characters, and I really, really, really need more!
Thank you so much, Maya, Annick Pres, NetGalleyand, and Edelweiss, for the eARCs of this book. I know I needed a few of them before I was finally able to read this story, but I’m so glad I could in the end because I loved Olly, Jesse, Aisha, Neil, and all the others!
Sometimes, we have to look back in order to move forward.
Abdi Nazemian is a superb YA author. His previHistory is All You Left Me meets Hideous Beauty
Sometimes, we have to look back in order to move forward.
Abdi Nazemian is a superb YA author. His previous books, Like a Love Story and Only This Beautiful Moment, were fantastic. And here’s another amazing one. Think of History is All You Left Me, but maybe most of all Hideous Beauty. Desert Echoes is a beautiful, sad boy story, a mystery imbued with hope, written in a dual timeline: the year Kam returned from Joshua Tree without Ash, and two years later when Kam goes back to Joshua Tree and has to face what happened back then.
There’s Covid in this book, talk of masks, social distancing, and vaccines, things I hate to see in stories—I even DNF’d books with mentions of Covid in it. But for the first time, I didn’t mind because the Covid references portrayed loneliness and the loss of human connections so beautifully, both significant themes in this story. Kam craves those connections so much, of course with Ash, but maybe even more with his parents and Bodie, his best friend.
In the now chapters, Kam’s grief is palpable on every page. In the videos he watches, in the music he listens to, in the conversations he has with Bodie. And slowly, I realized his pain wasn’t only because of Ash’s disappearance. The same applies to the then chapters. The love Kam and Ash had for each other felt so energetic, almost frantic. I smiled so many times, and still …
When I found out more about the truth, my heart ached for Ash. At the same time, I wanted to hug Bodie so badly because his love for Kam shone so brightly from page one, and Kam was so oblivious.
This story is about first love and moving on, about (co)dependency and cravings, and like I said above about loneliness and human connections. And just like Only This Beautiful Moment, this story is incredibly personal. Tears burned in my eyes while reading the last chapter and then I started to smile so much! This story, including the title and the cover is gorgeous!
Thanks so much again, HarperCollins International, for allowing me to read this beauty! I will gush about it wherever and whenever I can!
Not everything is an omen, Crosby. Not everything means something.
Meet Me in the Fourth Dimension is a unique upper YA story told in verse about conviNot everything is an omen, Crosby. Not everything means something.
Meet Me in the Fourth Dimension is a unique upper YA story told in verse about convictions so strong that they eventually lead to family and friends turning against each other and, in this case, believing in the end of the world. It reminded me sometimes of We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson (one of my favorite YA books ever), even though both stories are way different.
Crosby is an anxious, shaky mess, distrustful, and balancing on the edge of reality and deeply held convictions. She believes firmly in witchcraft, and when her best friend Shannon buys earrings she likes (from Malachite), and Crosby tries to convince her those earrings are not the right match for her, they fall apart. Then, she’s in college and watches at a party through a telescope. When she sees the rogue dwarf planet Malachite, Colby is convinced Sharon’s earrings are a warning and that the planet is a message for something bad to happen.
The writing is beautiful and poetic and so fitting for a story like this. The characters are fully developed, and the descriptions are so vivid, I felt I was there, but even without them, I could read this book only for the writing, immersing myself in the words and the sentences, the cadence, and the rhythm. It’s soft and atmospheric while Crosby’s anxiety and the eeriness of her beliefs bubble under the surface but emerge more and more.
Meet Me in the Fourth Dimension is a fantastic debut, and I can’t thank Rita Feinstein enough for asking me if I wanted to read an ARC. And thank you, Pagestreet YA, for sending me this ARC!
For fans of The Ghosts We Keep, When Haru was Here is a messy, painful and at the same time beautiful story about grief and loActual rating 4.5 stars.
For fans of The Ghosts We Keep, When Haru was Here is a messy, painful and at the same time beautiful story about grief and loneliness. And isn’t that cover stunning?
When he loses his best friend, Daniel, Eric more or less stops living. Time passes without him noticing, and he’s in his head a lot. He makes up stories and thinks he sees Daniel everywhere. Then, Eric meets Haru again, the Japanese boy he once had a beautiful day with. Haru becomes Eric’s lifeline, whether he’s real or not.
While reading, I found another summary of this story, probably an older one, and all of a sudden, something in my head clicked. Goosebumps started dancing over my skin because I realized Eric’s feeling of loneliness wasn’t only because of Daniel.
Grief is a complicated thing, and we all cope differently with the abundance of people we love so much. Eric’s coping mechanism is holding on to the beautiful memories he made with Haru and the new ones he’s making. That, he can manage. Real life, he cannot.
This story might seem messy and jumpy, and side characters are hardly visible. I believe my sudden inkling helped me to understand what was happening better, but I also think Dustin Thao wrote Eric’s story like this intentionally. It’s a brilliant concept, even though I also know that it might make people confused. Please just know Eric makes up stories a lot.
This novel shows a very lonely boy being in so much pain, a boy who disjoints from real life because he just can’t cope anymore. And from the moment, I had an my inkling, my chest tightened, and my heart went out to that nineteen-year-old so many times. Those letters and that epilogue … I cried. Of course, I cried—massive tears of love for this lonely and sad boy. But I also smiled because, in the end, I knew he was going to be okay again.
I haven’t read You’ve Reached Sam yet; it has been on my TBR for so long, but I’m definitely going to, and I can’t wait for Dustin’s spin-off of that book!
Thank you so much, Erin, from Macmillan International, for letting me read this beautiful story early!
Intimacy is the only shield against insanity. Ambrose Cusk
I often have difficulties getting into a highly anHow easily I pushed that five star button …
Intimacy is the only shield against insanity. Ambrose Cusk
I often have difficulties getting into a highly anticipated read. My eyes want to roam over the pages in just a few seconds to get to the next page, scared they won’t deliver what I’m hoping for. At the same time, I don’t want to read further because I’m too afraid the story will be over too soon. Starting a highly anticipated book can be a challenge.
So, I was a mess while reading Owl’s POV in part 1. I only calmed down when I met Ambrose in part 2. Oh, sweet Ambrose. So lost and constantly in search of intimacy. And then suddenly, I was with Yarrow, and my heart broke. Kodiak mended it a little, but then I got back to Owl, and my fragile heart fell into a million pieces again.
Somewhere along the road, a thought entered my mind. I didn’t think anything when I read the blurb—or the author’s note. But, burrowing myself more and more in this book, my comparison to Cloud Cuckoo Land in my review of The Darkness Outside Us sparked up in my head. People separated by time and space. And then it clicked. IT CLICKED. Eliot, did my review ignite a spark in your brain to write this sequel??? Because … because … Owl and the guns firing at …and even Cuckoo in the sky. Are those Easter Eggs? Or maybe this is me trying to prove my own theory.
Back to the story because it is again a brilliant masterpiece. Don’t expect as many plot twists as the prequel has. Instead, this book leans far more on the first quote in this review (from The Darkness Outside Us): Intimacy is the only shield against insanity.
The Brightness Between Us made me laugh, made me cry, and made me laugh-cry. It’s about humanity in all its forms. About surviving as human beings in a world that’s decaying. About surviving in a new world with only a few people around. But most of all this story is about loneliness, (found) family, grief, and the human connections we seek, to live on. So, even though this is a Sci-Fi book, it’s deeply human.
Now I need that movie ASAP. Or a third book. Or preferably both.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, HarperCollins International, for this ARC. I was so happy you let me read this sequel early. You definitely made my day!
Glasgow Boys. The title and blurb immediately reminded me of gritty stories set in Glasgow like Shuggie Bain and YouMy family is who I allow it to be.
Glasgow Boys. The title and blurb immediately reminded me of gritty stories set in Glasgow like Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo, or even Boys Don’t Cry, set in Dublin (please pick up this one if you haven’t yet), but while reading I found beauty and hopefulness instead of darkness.
I have to admit, I had to get used to the writing. Third person, present tense is never my favorite, and combined with the short, blunt sentences and chapters, it felt distant to me. But the writing grew on me.
Meet Finlay, the bony, blonde, socially awkward, closeted student. Meet Banjo, the short, ginger, hot-headed, athletic boy. Both craving for love.
Two boys so different, but once close as brothers when they lived in the same group care home. Until they had a fall out. Neither of them having had a hug for ages. Both surviving on their own. Neither of them needing anyone else.
Sometimes, my mom’s heart hurt tremendously, and I all wanted to do is hug those two boys. I had lumps in my throat when they thought about the one at the other side of the bathroom door, or when they touched the wooden dresser and knew another person was touching it too. I had tears in my eyes when Banjo got beaten up or Finlay felt so alone. I bawled my eyes out when Banjo gave Mr Black to Finlay. And when I read what had happened between them I sobbed. Uncontrollably. But …
I didn’t only have tears from anger of sadness. I blinked wildly when Finlay talked about his sexuality and when Alena’s mom called Banjo a sweetheart. And for most of the book, a smile danced on my face. Because of Finlay’s immediate crush on Akash, because of Banjo’s joy in working in a greasy kitchen, because of the people who accepted them for who they were, and because of the bond those two boys so visibly had in the past.
Be aware this is not a romance. Yeah, there are love interests, but falling in love is not the main theme. Glasgow Boys is about love though. It’s about finding your place in the world, finding your people, and, most of all, finding yourself and loving yourself for who you are.
The writing and the story are quite unique and it’s difficult to compare this beautiful story to any other YA book. But if I had to, I’d choose When You Call my Name. A completely different story but somehow those two books both brought up the same feelings in me.
The last page of Glasgow Boys gave me goosebumps. Of happiness. And a part of me now longs for a sequel to follow those two boys into adulthood and see their dreams come true.
Thank you so much, Faber & Faber and NetGalley for this wonderful ARC! So happy I found it on NetGalley!