Waiting on Wednesday (94)

Lizzie by Dawn Ius
Genre: Young Adult/LGBT/Contemporary
Page Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: April 10, 2018

About Lizzie (via Goodreads):

Seventeen-year-old Lizzie Borden has never been kissed. Polite but painfully shy, Lizzie prefers to stay in the kitchen, where she can dream of becoming a chef and escape her reality. With tyrannical parents who force her to work at the family’s B&B and her blackout episodes—a medical condition that has plagued her since her first menstrual cycle—Lizzie longs for a life of freedom, the time and space to just figure out who she is and what she wants. Enter the effervescent, unpredictable Bridget Sullivan. Bridget has joined the B&B’s staff as the new maid, and Lizzie is instantly drawn to her artistic style and free spirit—even her Star Wars obsession is kind of cute. The two of them forge bonds that quickly turn into something that’s maybe more than friendship. But when her parents try to restrain Lizzie from living the life she wants, it sparks something in her that she can’t quite figure out. Her blackout episodes start getting worse, her instincts less and less reliable. Lizzie is angry, certainly, but she also feels like she’s going mad…

Waiting on Wednesday (93)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that you are eagerly anticipating.

Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Page Length: 384 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: April 10, 2018

About Beyond a Darkened Shore (via Goodreads):

The ancient land of Éirinn is mired in war. Ciara, Princess of Mide, has never known a time when Éirinn’s kingdoms were not battling for power, or Northmen were not plundering their shores.

The people of Mide have thankfully always been safe because of Ciara’s unearthly ability to control her enemies’ minds and actions. But lately, a mysterious crow has been appearing to Ciara, whispering warnings of an even darker threat. Although her clansmen dismiss her visions as pagan nonsense, Ciara fears this coming evil will destroy not just Éirinn, but the entire world.

Then the crow leads Ciara to Leif, a young Northman leader. Leif should be Ciara’s enemy, but when Ciara discovers that he, too, shares her prophetic visions, she knows he’s something more. Leif is mounting an impressive army, and with Ciara’s strength in battle the two might have a chance to save their world.

With evil rising around them, they’ll do what it takes to defend the land they love…even if it means making the greatest sacrifice of all.

Waiting on Wednesday (92)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that you are eagerly anticipating.

Everless by Sara Holland
Series: Everless #1
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Page Length: 336 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: January 2, 2018

About Everless (via Goodreads):

In the land of Sempera, time is extracted from blood and used as payment. Jules Ember and her father were once servants at Everless, the wealthy Gerling family’s estate, but were cast out after of a fateful accident a decade ago. Now, Jules’s father is reaching his last hour, and she will do anything to save him. Desperate to earn time, she arrives at the palace as it prepares for a royal wedding, ready to begin her search into childhood secrets that she once believed to be no more than myths. As she uncovers lost truths, Jules spirals deeper into a past she hardly recognizes, and faces an ancient and dangerous foe who threatens her future and the future of time itself.

What a beautiful title and a beautiful cover.  The book just screams "EPIC" and I didn't expect it to be a time travel novel but now I cannot wait.

Words in Deep Blue (Review)

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
Format: ARC (received from Penguin/First in Line)
Page Length: 273 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 6, 2017

About Words in Deep Blue (via Goodreads):

Love lives between the lines.

Years ago, Rachel had a crush on Henry Jones. The day before she moved away, she tucked a love letter into his favorite book in his family’s bookshop. She waited. But Henry never came.

Now Rachel has returned to the city—and to the bookshop—to work alongside the boy she’d rather not see, if at all possible, for the rest of her life. But Rachel needs the distraction, and the escape. Her brother drowned months ago, and she can’t feel anything anymore. She can’t see her future.

Henry’s future isn’t looking too promising, either. His girlfriend dumped him. The bookstore is slipping away. And his family is breaking apart.

As Henry and Rachel work side by side—surrounded by books, watching love stories unfold, exchanging letters between the pages—they find hope in each other. Because life may be uncontrollable, even unbearable sometimes. But it’s possible that words, and love, and second chances are enough.

Words cannot describe my love for Words in Deep Blue. While the synopsis did express that there was tragedy in Rachel's life, I had not anticipated how much this book would DESTROY me. There was definitely an adorable romance in there that I loved, but I was also a sobbing mess for most of the book as well.

The way the story blended those two aspects was unlike anything I've read before. Typically in books, I've seen a sort of savior narrative where the love interest comes in and rescues the other from all the problems or thinks they could have been the one to save them, but this story wasn't like that all. In fact, I got to see that there were moments of vulnerability in all the characters (not just Rachel and Henry), and while they each supported each other, they weren't simply able to wash all the pain and hardships away.

While I've probably said this a million times before in the past, I love character-driven stories. This was one of them, and the author went above and beyond my expectations. Crowley put so much detail into building each and every character, major and minor, weaving their narratives together and creating believable and lovable people who each had their own developments and problems to overcome.

I don't want to go too much into the plot or romance for fear of spoiling (and if I'm being honest, I'm also writing this review several weeks after finishing so some of the details are a bit blurry), but I absolutely loved all aspects of this book. It's way too hard for me to articulate how wonderful this book was, and this review definitely does not give it justice, but please give it a try because it definitely surprised me in the best of ways and it's a new favorite of mine.

My rating: 4.5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (91)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that you are eagerly anticipating.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Page Length: 448 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 6, 2018

About Children of Blood and Bone (via Goodreads):

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

Waiting on Wednesday (90)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that you are eagerly anticipating.

Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda
Genre: Young Adult/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror
Page Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: February 20, 2018

About Pitch Dark (via Amazon):

From Courtney Alameda, the author of Shutter, this thrilling, sci-fi horror and space adventure will be sure to stay with readers long after the last pages. Lost to time, Tuck Morgan and his crew have slept in stasis aboard the USS John Muir for centuries. Their ship harbors a chunk of Earth, which unbeknownst to them, is the last hope for the failing human race. Laura Cruz is a shipraider searching the galaxy for the history that was scattered to the stars. Once her family locates the John Muir and its precious cargo, they are certain human civilization is saved. When Tuck's and Laura’s worlds collide―literally―the two teens must outwit their enemies, evade brutal monsters that kill with sound, and work together to save the John Muir . . . and the whole human race.

Wow my emo soul LOVES this cover.

Also, Amazon lists this as a space opera!?  Sign me up