IT'S ONLY A GAME follows runaway Marina Chan who, alongside her new friends who are unaware of her past, is forced to play a video game with deadly reIT'S ONLY A GAME follows runaway Marina Chan who, alongside her new friends who are unaware of her past, is forced to play a video game with deadly real world consequences.
If you like fast-paced and compulsively readable YA thrillers, video games, found family and amazing friend groups, low key (and sapphic!) romance, you don't want to miss this one!...more
A DARK AND DROWNING TIDE follows a folklorist who reluctantly teams up with her academic rival (who is, of course, gorgeous) to discover who murdered A DARK AND DROWNING TIDE follows a folklorist who reluctantly teams up with her academic rival (who is, of course, gorgeous) to discover who murdered their mentor. Both its romance and mystery threads are a slow burn, but soon enough, it had me completely enthralled and under its spell.
Read this for: -a captivating sapphic love story -a folklore-rich world full of creatures, monsters, and a sentient forest -a fantasy exploration of antisemitism...more
Not Like Other Girls is, on the surface, a mystery about a girl searching for the truth of what happened to her missing ex best friend. Beneath that, Not Like Other Girls is, on the surface, a mystery about a girl searching for the truth of what happened to her missing ex best friend. Beneath that, though, is the far more gripping and emotional story of a girl searching to understand the truth of what happened to herself.
Read this for: -a complex, troubled yet relatable narrator and her powerful emotional arc -the raw, nuanced and intelligent social commentary exploring what it's like to be a teenage girl and what it really means when you're "not like other girls" -a mystery that will keep you turning the pages with a surprising end -a fun fake dating romance that makes consent hot!!...more
Fathomfolk is a tale of political intrigue set against the vivid backdrop of a half-submerged city populated with both humans and a large variety of mFathomfolk is a tale of political intrigue set against the vivid backdrop of a half-submerged city populated with both humans and a large variety of mythical creatures.
If you like: -vibrant world building -nuanced takes on real world issues through allegory -East/Southeast Asian inspired worlds -complex, multi-faceted female characters Don’t miss this one! ...more
This is a book about our lesbian heroine Phoebe who is stuck in a time loop, but when her former friend/crush crashes into the loop with her, her feelThis is a book about our lesbian heroine Phoebe who is stuck in a time loop, but when her former friend/crush crashes into the loop with her, her feelings on being stuck get a little more complicated as she starts to fall for them.
Read this for: a fast-paced read that will keep you turning pages easily and eagerly, an incredibly cute former-friends-to-lovers romance that you cannot help but root for, SO MUCH the intersectional representation we almost never see (a fat, Jewish lesbian with a chronic illness! a disabled nonbinary lesbian love interest!)--I am so happy for all of the teens who'll have the chance to pick this up and see themselves...more
Read this for: a very inclusive queernorm world with a unique magic system and a cute slowburn sapphic romance that's tropey in the best wayRead this for: a very inclusive queernorm world with a unique magic system and a cute slowburn sapphic romance that's tropey in the best way...more
Being the pretty cynical person I am, I'm wary when I see a lot of hype around a book, but upon starting this one, it became very clear very quickly tBeing the pretty cynical person I am, I'm wary when I see a lot of hype around a book, but upon starting this one, it became very clear very quickly that every ounce of hype it has is VERY deserved.
The prose is strong, commanding, captivating, and immediately drew me in, while the quick pacing kept me turning pages, and the twists had me gasping. The world is vibrant and fun, while simultaneously dealing with the heavy topics of the impact of war and imperialism in a thoughtful and nuanced manner. The characters are well fleshed-out, and their relationships with each other are equally fleshed-out, believable and compelling. (Honestly, the fact that I liked Faron as much as I liked Elara is a testament to the development of them both because Elara's character spoke so deeply to me on a personal level--the responsible lesbian older sister in her famous younger sibling's shadow helloooooo.)
There's a certain comforting familiarity to be found in the numerous big fantasy tropes to be found in this book (Chosen One, DRAGONS, etc), and yet, they're handled in such a fresh and thoughtful way that the book manages to feel both like a warm, familiar blanket, and something completely breathtakingly new.
Who should pick up this book: anyone and everyone who enjoys YA fantasy. Full stop....more
Fast-paced, compulsively readable, twisty, with a thoughtful (if dark) take on the very real issue of bullying in high schools --I can pretty safely sFast-paced, compulsively readable, twisty, with a thoughtful (if dark) take on the very real issue of bullying in high schools --I can pretty safely say this is everything I could hope for in a YA thriller. And boy, can I tell you, too, I would have LOVED to have read this as a teen....more
Started this because sapphic pirates who murder men could not be more up my alley, but this novella saw my expectations and then turned around and delStarted this because sapphic pirates who murder men could not be more up my alley, but this novella saw my expectations and then turned around and delivered something so much deeper. I was thrilled by the complexity (read: absolute messiness) of the relationships between Jaq and Lily, the slow reveal of its folkloric elements, and the prose is truly stunning. It's lush and strongly atmospheric in a way that inched its way under my skin until I couldn't look away and flips with ease between strongly sensual and deeply disturbing, sometimes hitting both at once.
Recommended for: fans of literary folk horror, unhinged women, messy sapphics, and feminine rage....more
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