Tag: YA

Book Review

All That’s Left to Say

TheShelfLife

All That’s Left to Say by Emery Lord

Publication Date: July 2023 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: A powerful look into the impact of opioid addition with well-developed characters. A slow pace, but well worth the read.

4/5 Stars

Book Summary: Hannah is lost in the grief of her cousin, who died unexpectedly of an overdose. No one close to Sophie knew she was using, and Hannah is determined to find an explanation for her death. Enrolling at her cousins private school, Hannah uncovers secrets while keeping many of her own. Along the way, she ends up teaming with Sophie’s friends and her long time enemy.

My Analysis: I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure at first as it went at a bit of a slow pace, but I do ultimately think that is was necessary for the author to get the depth of character development that she was able to accomplish. This story shares an important topic about opioid addition and the fallout for everyone involved with those using. The author handles the topic very well, and gives insight into the impact of family and friends of those who have overdosed. There is also a dual-time line with past events and present events intertwined. I thought this was helpful to the overall story and keeps the reader guessing, but as the time lines came closer together I did find myself having to double check which I was currently reading through. Overall, definitely recommended to any fans of realistic fiction.

Book Review

Here Lies Olive

TheShelfLife

Here Lies Olive by Kate Anderson

Publication Date: October 2023 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: If you are very into reading ghost-related material and have exhausted everything else on the topic, give this a read. If not, it may be best to skip this one.

1/5 Stars

Book Summary: Ever since Olive had a near death experience, she has been obsessed with what comes after we die. She has decided to keep everyone at a distance, with the thought that the Nothing that comes after death makes creating relationships pointless. Olive finds herself faced with a ghost, who she strikes a deal with. She will help him locate his unmarked grave if he tells her what comes next in the afterlife. A somewhat unlikely crew bands together on this endeavor in hopes of getting answers and saving the town from some suspicious events that occur.

My Analysis: I had a really tough time getting into this book. The premise sounded interesting, but overall, I just don’t think it was executed well. I really liked the descriptions in the beginning of the dark tourism of the town, but unfortunately it went downhill from there. I think ultimately it would be better suited as a middle grade book (with the removal of some more YA moments) and would appeal more to that audience. Olive’s mental health struggles with death were done well, as were her relationships with the other characters. As much of a horror book as this set out to be however, the supernatural aspects and ghosts represented fell flat. I had thought by the summary that Olive would be the only one able to see the ghost in the story, and I think that would have been much better for the plot. Understanding that some suspension of reality must occur in this genre, the supernatural abilities seemed overly coincidental for the characters who happened to get together in the narrative.

Book Review

Last Girl Breathing

TheShelfLife

Last Girl Breathing by Court Stevens

Publication Date: November 2023 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: A suspenseful thriller that focuses on deep character development, trauma, and the lengths people will go to to protect and survive.

4/5 Stars

Book Summary: Lucy has never been able to escape the tragedy that took her younger brothers life. Years later, she is focused on making the Olympic Air Rifle team when disaster strikes her small town again. Two murders that occur on the same land where her brother died push her into investigating secrets and suspicion seems to be pointing at everyone.

My Analysis: I enjoyed this book! I am a fan of Court Stevens, and the writing did not disappoint. It is a little slower paced at some points, but overall the characters keep you guessing throughout. Although it is written for a YA audience, I can see some of the younger side of that demographic struggling to get into the story. This novel is more depth than pure entertainment to read. I like that the author included a female protagonist that is interested in air rifle shooting. This is something that could be appealing to some readers who don’t usually get to see that combination represented. I really appreciated the character development throughout and the comprehensive nature to the story which combined together past and present events. So long as you’re able to put up with the slow burn pace, this is a thriller you don’t want to miss.

Book Review

The Rosewood Hunt

TheShelfLife

The Rosewood Hunt by Mackenzie Reed

Publication Date: October 2023 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: An entertaining read that focuses on friendship in all forms! The mystery of the hunt keeps you guessing all the way through. A solid stand-alone by a debut author.

4/5 Stars

Book Summary: When Lily Rosewood’s grandmother dies suddenly and the fortune from the family company goes missing, her life starts to unravel. Always fascinated with riddles and clues, Gram leaves behind one last game as her legacy. A last letter appears from Gram however, giving Lily a piece of a much larger puzzle. In order to be successful, Lily finds herself teaming up with an unlikely group in the hunt for an inheritance. Along the way to locating the money, they learn about themselves as individuals as well as their relationships with one another.

My Analysis: I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It is very reminiscent of The Inheritance Games series, but it holds its own in providing a very different story. The focus of the novel is less on solving actual puzzles and finding clues and instead really dives deep into the characters. Reed did a fantastic job in her portrayal of the individual characters and creating their relationships with one another. There are some moments where I think the narrative could have been a little more suspenseful, but it moves along as a quick pace. Well-written by a debut author- recommended!

Book Review

Summer Rental

TheShelfLife

Summer Rental by Rektok Ross

Publication Date: June 2023 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: A thriller with some good jump scares, but only worth the quick read if you can put up with lackluster writing and suspended reality.

2/5 Stars

Book Summary: Summer Rental tells the story of a group of recent graduates who rent a house on remote Palm Key Island to have one last party before college. Even though they are a seemingly close group of friends, everyone is hiding something from one another. When a hurricane hits, they are cut off from the rest of civilization and trapped inside the house. This is only the beginning of their problems however, as they soon find one of their group has been murdered. As the body count rises, everyone is forced to confront their secrets.

My Analysis: I have mixed feelings about this book. The premise is very intriguing and overall the plot moves forward at a nice pace. There are a lot of ‘jump scare’ moments that I enjoyed and added to the thriller aspect of the novel. I did not see the twist towards the end coming until it was just about to happen, which I appreciated as the reader. The language that the author used however, drove me a little crazy. Making the characters very clear that they were teenagers was way overdone – the slang she included detracted from the story. I also did not appreciate the toxic friendships that were portrayed in the narrative. I understand why the author wanted to show this, but it is not a great example for teen readers to see characters acting this way toward one another. I think she could have gotten her point across without them being quite so awful to one another, even if many of them were entitled. Overall it is a quick psychological thriller that may be enjoyable if you can get past the writing.

Book Review

Wolfpack

TheShelfLife

Wolfpack by Amelia Brunskill

Publication Date: June 2023 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: An intriguing story told in verse. If you are willing to only gain a surface level understanding of the characters and cult life, it is worth the quick read! Realistic fiction with a mystery twist.

3.5/5 Stars

Book Summary: Wolfpack shares the story of a group of girls living in a remote location that they are told is a safe haven from the outside world. Under the leadership of a man named Joseph, these girls live life by his code and readers see a glimpse into their experiences. When one of the girls goes missing and no one seems to notice, the group starts to investigate the cause of her disappearance.

My Analysis:

This book is written in verse, and is a very quick read. It is broken up into chapters each focusing on one of the ‘wolfpack’ girls, but the author does little to really dive in to each specific character. If it wasn’t indicated, each chapter could have been the same characters perspective. I wish more time had been spent getting to know the individuals, I think it would have made for a larger impact to the story overall. It is also important to note that if you are looking for a book that dives into the inner workings of cults, that this is not what you’re looking for. Although it is clear these girls have grown up in a cult environment and that is key to their story, only surface level information about the cults inner workings are revealed throughout. Overall it did hold my attention and I was curious to know the outcome of the mystery that is presented as the story unfolds. The inner thoughts of the girls at Havenwood are intriguing and their bond with one another helped to garner emotion. If the characters and the cult life went a little deeper, it definitely would have added greatly to the story.

Book Review

The Scarlet Veil

TheShelfLife

The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin

Publication Date: September 2023 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: Give it a read if you really enjoyed the Serpent and Dove series and it’s characters and are willing to put up with a slow moving and sometimes predictable plot.

3/5 Stars

Book Summary: Set after the Serpent and Dove series. Celie has taken her vows to become the first female Chasseur. A new evil is on the horizon, resulting in many dead bodies. As Celie works to investigate, she finds herself in the company of vampires. How far is she willing to go to do what is right? What will she learn about herself in the process?

My Analysis: I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it fell short for me. I am a big fan of Mahuin’s Serpent and Dove series, and as soon as I heard this was coming out, it was immediately on my TBR list. The same world and characters and the inclusion of vampires? Sounded like a win. Overall there were some really interesting parts to the book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the vampire characters. To me, getting to know them was absolutely the best part. My biggest hang up with this story was Celie’s character development. I can understand the author trying to share the feminine side of this protagonist, but to me she seemed to come off as way too weak and innocent. More so than she really needed to be to get her point across. The Scarlet Veil is written as Celie’s story and as such the first 60% of the book was rough for me to get through because of her character. The story does pick up though towards the end and it is action packed (although somewhat predictable) until the last page. Ultimately, if you really enjoyed Serpent and Dove, want to read more about those characters and can put up with a slower pace, this is worth a read.