Category: Book Review

Book Review

Hazelthorn

TheShelfLife

Hazelthorn by CG Drews

Publication Date: October 2025 |Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: Not a book for everyone, but those tolerating botanical body horror will love the imagery as well as the characters.

4/5 Stars

Book Summary: Billionaire Byron Lennox-Hall took in Evander as a child, and in order to keep him safe has kept him relatively secluded in the estate of Hazelthorn. Evander must avoid going into the gardens and has been told to avoid Byron’s grandson Laurie, as he tried to kill Evander years ago. For some reason though, Evander is obsessed with Laurie. When Byron dies suddenly, Evander takes advantage of a new found freedom and his inheritance of Hazelthorn. As the secrets of the Lennox-Hall family come to light, Evander finds himself drawn closer to the growing garden. He quickly realizes that the garden is out of control, and has a taste for blood.

My Analysis: There is something about CG Drew’s writing that sticks with me. Even having read Don’t Let the Forest In quite awhile ago, I still find myself thinking of it from time to time. I have a feeling it will be the same with this one. Not everyone will enjoy this book. You have to like or tolerate botanical body horror as it is the main feature of this story. It is excellently done however, and the writing is simply beautiful. In addition to the plant horror, trigger warning for child abuse. The characters are interesting and all of them have their own individual flaws, which I appreciated. The story itself mostly revolves around the characters and their growth and relationships. It was very intriguing to see Evander’s character change from beginning to end. I did think that the ending was a little abrupt, but things are were wrapped up enough to satisfy readers. I’m curious to read more reviews on this one and see others thoughts. Overall, if you’re looking for horror and can take the botanical descriptions, this is a solid novel.

Book Review

The Leaving Room

TheShelfLife

The Leaving Room by Amber McBride

Publication Date: October 2025 |Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: Lyrically presented in verse, this novel provides a short but sweet story about the power of connection.

3.5/5 Stars

Book Summary: Gospel is a Keeper of The Leaving Room, providing a place and help for those who pass on. Whether it’s playing a game, talking or cooking food, Gospel helps the children that come to her room to move on. When she meets another Keeper named Melody, things begin to change. Everything that has been routine suddenly is interrupted and the connection between Melody and Gospel becomes entangled.

My Analysis: The concept of The Leaving Room being this place where someone can pause for a moment if they need before they move on is a powerful one. I thought this was beautifully written in a verse format that suited the story. If you are not a fan of novels in verse, this one may not be for you. It does incorporate more of a poetic style than some verse writing does. I do wish there was more to this though. This is just a little snippet of a much larger idea, and if you’re accepting of that then it was well done. I however always want more background information than not, and that was not the way this book was presented. Touching on the impact of connection, I appreciated how things wrapped up at the end. Overall it is a quick and worthwhile read if you’re looking for a powerful yet fantastical story.

Book Review

Mindworks: An Uncanny Compendium of Short Fiction

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Mindworks: An Uncanny Compendium of Short Fiction by Neal Shusterman

Publication Date: November 2025 |Thanks NetGalley for an ARC | Based on a limited (yet large) provided selection of stories from collection

Overall Verdict: A collection of imaginative stories that fans of Shusterman will appreciate.

4/5 Stars

Book Summary: A compilation of new and previous work of Shusterman together in one collection. These short stories stretch the imagination and have a wide range of focuses that fall within the realm of science-fiction, fantasy and horror.

My Analysis: First off I have to talk about the book cover. As an adult I can see the artistic vision behind it in incorporating elements from the stories. However, working with teens for as long as I have, there is a zero percent chance they would pick this one up because of that cover. They absolutely judge by the cover and I could even recommend it and they can see who the author is (he’s a popular one for us) and they would still be hesitant. As far as the stories go I was able to read the provided selection of shorts in the ARC, and it was still pretty extensive. From what I have gathered these are stories that are both new and previously written. They all definitely have that Shusterman flavor. Some I enjoyed far more than others, and I tended to be more intrigued by the sci-fi stories more than anything else. One in particular was fantastic, and I hear they may be adapting it to a film. All of the shorts varied in length, but all had the elements necessary for the reader. The writing was extremely imaginative and thought-provoking. If you are a fan of Shusterman’s other work there is a good chance you will like this collection too.

Book Review

Immortal Consequences

TheShelfLife

Immortal Consequences by I.V. Marie

Publication Date: July 2025 |Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: Unique fantasy world filled with memorable characters and survival.

5/5 Stars

Book Summary: Blackwood Academy is located on the outskirts of the afterlife. Students here are living in a purgatory of sorts, helping lost souls find their way to move on. Every decade Blackwood hosts an opportunity for one lucky student to showcase their skills and win the choice to either live among the Ascended with a permanent place in society with full access to magic, or to cross to The Other Side. This year, students become a part of a competition, pitting friends against one another to win the coveted chance to choose their fate. When this celebration becomes a competition, survival becomes paramount and relationships are tested.

My Analysis: Now THIS is a book! Any synopsis of this novel doesn’t do it justice. This is so much more than a book about a competition – that element just adds to what is an amazing story. I thoroughly enjoyed the concept of these characters in a purgatory, and thought that the author did a great job developing this entity. The plot was continually interesting, kept me wondering what was going to happen and wanting to read more. The characters were well-developed and I adored their relationships with one another. This is the first in a series (or perhaps a duology?) and I cannot wait to see what happens next after a cliff hanger ending. If you enjoy a unique fantasy world that combines together friendships, romance and survival…then you need to read this one. I can see a wide audience of YA fantasy readers liking this one. I highly recommend it!

Book Review

The Hidden Girl

TheShelfLife

The Hidden Girl by Louise Bassett

Publication Date: October 2025 |Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: A surface level but tactful look into human trafficking with emotional characters.

3/5 Stars

Book Summary: Melati has had her share of teenage struggles, including a bully who just can’t seem to stop targeting her. When she finds a diary written in Indonesian, she starts to learn the story of a girl named Devi. While Mel is on a school trip to Indonesia, she continues to translate the diary with the help of a boy named Michael. She learns that Devi is stuck in a tragic situation, and has been trafficked. Hidden in the written words is a cry for help that Mel can’t ignore. She begins to track down Devi and uncover what has happened to her.

My Analysis:

I decided to read this one to see how sensitively the topic of human trafficking (trigger warning!) was depicted. I do think the author was successful and tactful in addressing this tough topic, how impactful and emotional it is, but also without going into extreme detail of Devi’s encounters. It did feel to me for the first 70% of the book that it was two separate stories that she was trying to mesh together, it just didn’t really flesh out till the end. I am also not very confident the author has spent much time around teenagers as the way they spoke and their actions towards each other were overly immature. Even if a character had some immature qualities in their growth, this was every single teen character. Again though, the emotion of both Devi and Mel’s characters were well done, and readers can see a glimpse into their individual experiences. It should be noted that this is set in Australia and features a trip to Indonesia. I enjoyed reading about some of the cultural aspects of Mel’s time in Indonesia. Overall if you’re looking for a book that discusses trafficking at a pretty surface level but also provides emotional characters then this one would work for you.

Book Review

She Didn’t See It Coming

TheShelfLife

She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena

Publication Date: July 2025 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: An intense whodunnit with a healthy dose of paranoia.

3.5/5 Stars

Book Summary: When Sam receives a call that his wife did not pick up their daughter from daycare, he rushes to get the little girl and find his wife. Upon arriving home at their luxury condo, Bryden appears to have disappeared during the middle of her day working from home. An investigation begins and all of the people in Bryden’s seemingly perfect life are questioned. Paranoia builds as everyone tries to prove their innocence.

My Analysis: As with most of Lapena’s work, I liked it but didn’t totally love it. Of course that did not stop me from wanting to read another of her books. Her work is always solid, if flawed sometimes. This is a pretty standard whodunnit mystery with a lot of possible suspects. I appreciated her including so many options as it kept me wanting to know the outcome. It did seem however that she included almost too much background information on the supplementary characters that was almost unnecessary. My biggest hang up on this was the ending- I didn’t really like the end result of who was responsible. Ultimately I feel like with the characters she developed, things could have been more creative. I still feel like it’s still worth reading overall if you like an investigative mystery. This is an adult title, and has the potential to crossover to a YA audience, but I really don’t think they would be as interested in the characters and plot.

Book Review

The Confessions

TheShelfLife

The Confessions by Paul Bradley Carr

Publication Date: July 2025 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: A thought-provoking take on the influence of AI, but misses out on providing characters to connect with.

3/5 Stars

Book Summary: LLIAM is the most powerful AI that everyone in the US uses to make decisions for them. From what they should eat for breakfast to where to vacation, LLIAM has the answer for everyone. But when one day LLIAM discovers a conscious, he mails out millions of letters sharing the secret confessions of people he helped. The letters cause chaos enough, but when LLIAM is suddenly completely offline no one knows what to do. CEO Kaitlin must track down her estranged co-worker Maud, who helped create LLIAM to try and fix everything before it’s too late.

My Analysis: The concept of this one is really good, and timely given how AI is currently incorporating itself into the world. It really shows the influence something like this can have and how easy it would be for humans to completely rely on it. You can tell the author really did his research and based on his own experiences was able to accurately show the tech side of AI. The thing I felt that was missing from this book, and what prompted a lower star rating, is that I couldn’t really connect with the characters. The book focused so heavily on the tech of AI that I felt it missed the mark on the human connection. Which is a little ironic given that fact is discussed within the book itself. There were a couple times where we got to see how the confession letters impacted individuals who were not directly related to LLIAM, but it would have felt more complete to me to hear more of those perspectives. This is an adult novel, but I do think there is good crossover for YA readers as well. If you like reading about AI and don’t mind it being a little more technical, this one is worth checking out. If you are looking for an AI book with more thrill, there are better options out there.

Book Review

The Grove

TheShelfLife

The Grove by Brooks Whitney Phillips

Publication Date: June 2025

Overall Verdict: An intricate yet slow paced look at the socioeconomic status of a family in the 1960’s.

3.5/5 Stars

Book Summary: Set in the 1960s, The Grove shares the story of Pip living with her sister and parents on the brink of poverty. Selling oranges and taking care of the grove are a priority in which the girls are pulled into, and the only life they have ever known. Each year when the carnival comes to town, the sisters finally feel a glimpse of the possibility of wonder and something more. This year however, after the carnival leaves, the sisters begin to grow apart. When Pip feels so pushed away, she finds solace in a boy named Silas, who lives and works in the orange grove. Secrets come to light and the people of Pip’s world find themselves in some precarious situations.

My Analysis: I was expecting a slightly different story than the one I got in reading this book, but it didn’t sway my opinion on it overall. This story shares a deep look into a family who is living in poverty, and all of the things that they have to do and consider because of it. It’s interesting to see this through Pip’s eyes, growing up in the grove and not really knowing much different. I thought the insights to the socioeconomic status of the family were researched and well done. I liked Pip’s relationship with Silas and how the author included a strength in him that one may lot have anticipated for someone living as he is. When the sisters begin their separation from one another, I thought Sissy was a bit more harsh to Pip than she needed to be, which made me dislike her a bit. I know there were reasons behind her pushing Pip away, but I didn’t think she needed to be as cruel as she ended up being towards her. I think the author also did a nice job developing the characters overall, even the mother and father were well thought out and you could really see into their actions and motivations. If you like historical fiction, don’t mind a book that is interesting but slow paced, and want something a bit different, give this one a read.

Book Review

Influenced

TheShelfLife

Influenced by Sarah Darer Littman & Cindy Otis

Publication Date: August 2025 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: A cautionary tale of the impact of social media from both the perspective of the influencer and those who follow them.  Good choice for younger YA readers who could benefit from seeing the power of influence.

3/5 Stars

Book Summary: Lainey is having a challenging sophomore year, especially now that her twin brother is moving across the country to live with their father.  When she finds it challenging to connect with her friends at school, she reaches out to Bliss, an influencer who is starting to make a name for herself.  Bliss finds herself the center of attention when her wheelchair breaks down and her friends help to push her to their destination.  Capitalizing on going viral, she ends up with a large follower count and with the support of her parents, creates a persona to talk about her disability.  When a concerned Lainey shows up unexpectedly at Bliss’s apartment, things begin to unravel as not is all as it seems.

My Analysis: This is a great depiction of a parasocial relationship between a teenager and a teen influencer.  Something that is very relevant to current times, and would serve well as a cautionary tale of the impact social media and influencers have.  I liked that it not only shares Lainey’s experience with watching and interacting with an influencer, but also Bliss’s perspective as an influencer and how daunting a task it is to become a persona while also balancing your true self and life.  My biggest gripe with this one is that the big event happens so early on, that the rest of the story was a touch mundane.  It was interesting to go back into the past and see how the two main characters got to where they are now, but other than seeing how that played out there’s not much else to wonder about as the story goes on.  Lainey and Bliss are both interesting characters and I did appreciate their individual struggles with their families and friends.  I felt the authors did a decent job of making them realistic, although Lainey bothered me a little bit when it came to her interactions with her family.  Although they may have been part of what drove her to develop the relationship that she did with Bliss, it made it hard for me to want to root for Lainey when she acted the way she did to her friends at school and members of her family.  Overall, this was a decent book and provides a very relevant look at the influence of social media and how teenagers can get so caught up in both being an influencer (or wanting to be) and following those who share the fake personas they have created.

Book Review

Best of All Worlds

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Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel

Publication Date: June 2025 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: An incredibly thought-provoking concept with unique characters who bring with them individual personalities in a difficult situation.

4/5 Stars

Book Summary: Xavier reluctantly goes away with his Dad and pregnant stepmother to their cabin for the week.  Upon waking after their first night there, Xavier quickly realizes that their cabin is now surrounded by a farm, and not in its proper location.  As Xavier, his Dad and Nia explore the area, it becomes clear that they are trapped in a dome with no one else around.  Three years later, another family arrives with the hope of escaping their circumstances.  As the families adjust to living in the dome together and consider how they could get out, tensions rise.  

My Analysis: This is one of the most unique books I have ever read.  The concept of these characters all stuck together for some unknown reason in a dome was very well thought out.  It brings to light a lot of ideas on how circumstances, environment and family all intertwine to create an individual’s personality and beliefs.  It was interesting to see how characters with such different outlooks could interact with one another.  I think it was the author’s intention to be purposeful when pitting characters opposing beliefs against one another, and I thought it was well written.  I could see how some may think it was a bit mundane, as a lot of it is the day-to-day living of these families,  but I was still invested throughout.  Oppel does a nice job of depicting Xavier as a teenage boy and how one would react to being found in such circumstances.  This novel would make a great book club choice as it would have some great discussion points.  Overall, if you like Sci-Fi, want something that is going to make you think, and don’t mind a story that is more character development than plot, you should give this one a read.