The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles | Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Before you guys say anything... I didn't hate this book! At all. Would I reread it? Doubtful. Would I have liked it as a teenager? Absolutely. Am I giving some serious props to the author, who was literally a teenager when she wrote this? YES. As far as plotlines go, The Kissing Booth is as sweet as can be--it's straight forward and highly out of my age range at this point. It's your typical teenage rom-com in the form of a book and you have to appreciate it for what it is, which is merely fun.

I watched the film adaptation of it before reading it, which was fun (and flawed) in its own right. The movie sparked enough curiosity in me that I picked up a copy of the book pretty soon after. The Kissing Booth is one of those rare adaptations that keeps the essence of its source material pretty well but also makes it into its own story.

Something you'll notice about Beth Reekles writing right away is that she is a sweetheart. You can just tell. And this shines in lead character, Elle. It's striking how much these kids seem like actual kids and this is entirely due to Reekles herself being so young when she penned this romance. Everything in it felt pretty genuine in terms of coming-of-age and first love stories and Reekles age both showed and didn't throughout The Kissing Booth.

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning | Rating: ★★★☆☆

Forget everything you know about the infamous villain in The Little Mermaid. While this book took a bit of time to get into, its groove not especially found straightaway, it was haunting and quite intriguing once I really got into it. Sea Witch is an interesting spin on the classic tale and it offers up a fresh and new take on the mythology behind mermaids. Sarah Henning clearly put forth a lot of work in crafting this tale and I found it to be quite enjoyable for many reasons.

I will warn you guys: the first... let's say 35% of the book wasn't the greatest. There wasn't a lot going for it. I had my reservations about whether or not the story was even compelling enough to continue. Despite its flaws, and the general slowness to it, there was still something drawing about Henning's prose. I do love mermaids and I do love a good retelling. Sea Witch is just that--a good, but not great, retelling.

That being said, there were a lot of qualities I liked about Sea Witch. The dreary tone, for example, really added a nice layer to the storytelling. It was not dreary in a painful way, but in an almost captivating and matter of fact way. You could almost see this story playing out on screen with an almost blue and gray contrast to the films colouring. I don't know if that makes sense, but I did dig it a lot. Because one of Sea Witch's strongest suits was its atmosphere.

Dead Girls: Essays on Surviving an American Obsession by Alice Bolin | Rating: ★★★☆☆

Alice Bolin's offering of Dead Girls is a solid debut. It's surely an interesting and complex read that analyzes the ever-appearing dead girl trope. Yet, it's also something I am of two minds about--which has been happening fairly often for me this year. You know when you read something and you're partly like, "Yeah. I liked this a bit." and still a bit, "But I kind of didn't like this, either."and it's just all very... puzzling? That's how I felt when finishing Dead Girls.

From an academic standpoint, every essay reads exactly as Bolin meant for it to. Highly intelligent and thought-provoking, Dead Girls really and truly gives some great insight to the title topic. Yet, the flow of each essay seemed almost a bit misplaced--and the collection itself felt quite like it wasn't marketed quite like it should have been. As someone who seemingly questions everything, I really enjoyed the criticism that Bolin brings forward on who we are as a society and what we give the most attention and coverage to.

And I Darken by Kiersten White | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

Do yourself a favor, and check out this book. ASAP. I don't normally start my reviews with statements like that but And I Darken is bound to be the exception to my rule. Ditch all thoughts you might have about what this book may be like. It exceeded even my wildest dreams and, while it had some flaws, this is entirely due to the pace Kiersten White maintains during all 475 pages. Not only is her worldbuilding vivid and striking, her characters are  developed in strength, wit and viciousness, and the plotline is incredible.

Darkly enticing, the very definition of alluring, it signals what is sure to be a standout series and I'm so sad it has taken me so long to pick it up!

And I Darken reads less like a YA book and more like a standard fiction/fantasy novel, albeit a little cleaner cut. White has a prose that stands out amongst many YA authors (this isn't to say that YA is bad writing, mind you) for its crisp and full of life intelligence. Marked by its premise as a re-telling of sorts (Vlad the Impaler, for example, is now a young woman named Lada) it still feels like its own story.

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

Before I picked up Undead Girl Gang, I had a pretty good idea on what it would make me feel. I was either going to adore it or despise it. Fortunately, I adored Undead Girl Gang and was completely captivated by it. Lily Anderson really held nothing back with this book and I appreciated this immensely. Not only was it an incredibly compelling and magical mystery-thriller, complete with just the right dash of humor and romance, it was a pretty accurate look at, well, life. And death. And all those little moments in between.

As a whole, Undead Girl Gang hit all the right notes for so many genres I cannot begin to explain. Secondly, it was a truly unique coming of age story that will leave readers on the edge of their seat. Anderson gets really creative both with her prose and characters, the premise only grows more and more enjoyable as the story unravels. If you are a fan of contemporary YA, this book will be right up your alley. If you aren't typically a fan of these types of story, the supernatural elements and dark humor will satisfy your desires for something more. Most importantly, you'll love the characters and the bonds they form in unlikely circumstances.

Undead Girl Gang gives off the impression, at first glance that it could be one of two things. (1) Just a simple slasher novel, with a ghostly twist or (2) A ZOMBIE TALE. It's neither of those things but also, kind of, something that takes tropes from both of these. We meet our main character, a teenage witch, Mila, quickly after the quick, unexpected, deaths of her best friend and two other classmates.

Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente | Rating: ★★★☆☆

"Life is beautiful and life is stupid. As long as you keep that in mind, and never give more weight to one than the other, the history of the galaxy, the history of a planet, the history of a person is a simple tune with lyrics flashed on-screen and a helpful, friendly bouncing disco ball of glittering, occasionally peaceful light to help you follow along. Cue the music. Cue the dancers. Cue tomorrow."

For many years, I'd heard nothing but rave reviews when it came down to Valente's prior releases. Immediately, I saw in it just what everyone had been saying all along--she's got a beautiful prose. In truth, Catherynne M. Valente could probably write about an orange being set on fire and thrown into space and it would still sound so much more stunning than most of her peers. For me, Space Opera was gorgeously executed with a highly captivating premise--it just wasn't entirely my cup of tea and, at times, hit some slower points.

This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy Space Opera. I really did like a good chunk of it! The start pulled me in, but somewhere about 25-75% of the way through I felt myself losing interest. Then, right around that 75% mark, it picked itself up again. Still, Valente's writing is what made me keep up and continue on--it was much less about her skills as an author and much more about my inability to connect with the story for one reason or another.

Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis | Rating: ★★★★★

So. How does one describe Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now in a single word? Remarkable. This book is truly and completely a remarkable, thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, and at times stomach curdling, read. Dana L. Davis really knocked it out of the park with this one and left me in shambles by the time the story reached its end.

Every year, I feel like there are less and less books that are able to actual evoke genuine emotions from me. But, Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now quite frankly owned me from the very start and was so, so gripping. I will never forget this book. Ever. It is truly an impossible to put down read. Even moreso, it's an impossible to forget novel and one of the best debuts of all time.

When I was younger, the first time I remember reading and having a good cry over a book was Candle in the Wind by Maureen Crane Wartski and The Girl Death Left Behind by Lurlene McDaniel. Last year saw the very emotionally charged releases of Dear Martin by Nic Stone, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now joins the ranks of these books in the sense that it will truly move you.

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon | Rating: ★★★☆☆

“The thing Anna has always hated most about being a small woman is the disadvantage she has in situations like this. People assume they can touch you, pat you, shake your hand without permission. They assume that if your size is little more than that of a child, you must be one. That you can be talked down to or coerced. It is hard for a small person to be intimidating or to be taken seriously. This lack of stature has forced Anna to develop other skills through the years: to sharpen her wit, to treat her tongue like a blade and her mind like a whetstone.” 

Like so many people my age, I first heard of the Romanov family through the animated film Anastasia. It wasn't until years later--when I was only just a teenager--that I began to understand the story behind the highly romanticized tale. I was horrified and intrigued. The year in question, we were watching a documentary in history class on Romanov imposters. I don't recall the details of which imposters were talked about, but I remember asking myself: "What would possess someone to feign their identity as a long lost member of the imperial family, who were long dead?"

There is still a part of me that wonders what it was they were thinking. Financial gain. Mental illness. There were so many possibilities. I Was Anastasia is a highly vivid historical fiction release that is told backwards, and in split narration. We begin at the end of the life of Anna Anderson, one of the most infamous faux Anastasia impersonators, and the way the story unfolds from their is unique and engrossing.

Opal by Maggie Stiefvater | Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.5)

"Sometimes bad ideas were so bad they looped right around until they became good ideas."

Let me be honest: I love Maggie Stiefvater's writing and it pains me to give something by her such a low rating. I adore Stiefvater's work, her prose, the characters, etc. The Raven Cycle is one of the most magical YA series I have ever read and the relationship between Ronan and Adam is one of my all-time favourites. When I saw that Opal was, well, a thing, and read the brief premise of the 38 page story, I pounced on it. 

I want to make something very, very clear. I didn't hate Opal. Not in the least. I just found myself thinking, in the course of it, "Was this necessary?" Yes and no. As a fan, I always wanted to here more of these characters and Opal is someone, a dream creation come to life, who is just so intriguing. A lot of us wanted to hear more of her, get inside her head a little, see her interactions with Ronan and Adam. While Opal did give us a glimpse into this relationship, it just felt... awkward?

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

This first thing you should know about The Cheerleaders is simple: it won't be what you're expecting. At. All. I am glad! I am even more happy with the fact that this was my first experience with Kara Thomas' writing--because The Cheerleaders is one of my favourites of the year. Dark, mysterious and poignant, it is the perfect read for fans of Megan Abbott and Abigail Haas. Thomas writes a tale so beautiful, I found myself emotional to let go of it once we reached a resolution and got our answers.

Before I read the book, I saw a fellow reviewer call The Cheerleaders compulsive and am going to confirm its accuracy 100%. Thomas does more than write realistically and chilling, she knows how to lure her readers in to the point of addiction. This doesn't take long; I was hooked from its very first chapter and many readers will feel similarly.

Based on the cover art and description, I wrongly thought that The Cheerleaders would be a bit more slasher film levels of creepy. The end product surprised me--it was smart and eerie in terms of definition. A damn good thriller that will grip you. It's wrapped up in the general mystery of what happened, a few years back, to the cheer-leading squad (which is now non-existent) and the unraveling of present days events--a healthy combination of mystery, tragedy and the general ups and downs of coming of age. It is also told in a split narration/timeline that adds a new layer of emotional depth to an already sensational, heartbreaking story.