Thumbs down for Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. Young adult fantasy.
I am tempted, so very tempted, to go all teenage girl and write a review that consists of nothing but “It was ok I guess.” This book has much okay about it. The writing is okay, the characters are okay, the worldbuilding is okay, the plot was okay, the love triangle was okay.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers. Young adult fantasy.
A teenage assassin nun kicks ass in medieval Brittany. Yes, you read that right. Enormous good fun—lots of assassining, some romance, a surprising amount of politics that sounded entirely believable. Also, I think there were some very witty bits; but I read this in one evening after just discovering martinis (thanks, Eunice!), so I may not be the best judge.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for Waterways by Kyell Gold. Young adult romance.
Sometimes I think I follow my own reading taste in the exception rather than the observance. See, I was at Worldcon and I ended up at a panel for Furry writers…this would make sense if I were a fur but I’m not, long story tell you later…and the moderator spoke glowingly of the works of Kyell Gold, specifically this book.… >> Read more
Moonlight by Ann Hunter. Young adult fantasy.
A retelling of the classic Irish folktale The Children of Lir. No review, because I know the author and reviewing the work of friends is strictly against my blog policy. That said, if you like fairytale retellings, please support an independent author by purchasing her inexpensive e-book and checking out her blog!
… >> Read moreEvery day Aowyn could see Ciatlllait growing hungrier.
The Subtle Beauty by Ann Hunter.
A retelling of Beauty and the Beast. No review here, because I know the author and reviewing the work of friends is strictly against my review policy. That said, if you like fairy tale retellings, please support an independent author by trying a free sample of her e-book (no e-reader required) and checking out her blog!… >> Read more
Thumbs up for Graceling by Karen Cashore. Young adult fantasy.
One of the best works of young adult fantasy I’ve read. The plot is fairly straightforward, but what makes it great is Katsa, the main character. The single fantasy element of the universe is that certain people have Graces, which you can think of as superpowers if you like. Katsa has the killing Grace, discovered when she killed a man with her bare hands at age eight.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Young adult.
Junior, a Spokane Indian, realizes that he will never escape the reservation unless he does something drastic. So he decides to go to the rich white school instead. You can probably guess that what happens will be both funny and sad. You would be right.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. Young adult.
I have to confess that I have a bit of a crush on both John Green and his brother Hank. Given that my last (and incidentally first) crush – circa 1998 – was on Mr Spock, who, as one might note, is not even a real person, this is saying something.… >> Read more