Tag: YA books

Reviews

NetGalley Review: My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding

Sonya

Zurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you’re part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don’t include hip hop violin. After being rejected by Juilliard, Zuri’s last hope is a contest judged by a panel of top tier college scouts. The only problem? This coveted competition happens to take place during Zuri’s sister’s extravagant wedding week. And Zuri has already been warned, repeatedly, that she is not to miss a single moment.

In the midst of the chaos, Zuri’s mom is in matchmaking mode with the groom’s South African cousin Naveen—who just happens to be a cocky vocalist set on stealing Zuri’s spotlight at the scouting competition. Luckily Zuri has a crew of loud and loyal female cousins cheering her on. Now, all she has to do is to wow the judges for a top spot, evade getting caught by her parents, resist Naveen’s charms, and, oh yeah . . . not mess up her sister’s big fat Indian wedding. What could possibly go wrong?

Title: My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding
Author: Sajni Patel
Grab your copy today!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Rating: ⭐ 4.5/5

“There was a piece perpetually missing from my soul until my wrist and arm moved with emotion over the violin, and sweet music fluttered into the air like butterflies of a million colors dancing through the skies and touching the hearts of every person who could hear.” – Sajni Patel, My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding

continue reading ➤
Advertisement
Blog, Readalongs/Readathons

Rebuilding the Forest! – #PondathonII Begins

Sonya

This post is super late, but I’m excited to be participating in this year’s Pondathon!

Some of you may remember that I used the first Pondathon in 2019 as a fun way to motivate myself to read during my school semester. When I found out about Pondathon II, I was more than happy to join in the fun again!

continue reading ➤
Blog, Book Lists, New Releases

My Most Anticipated 2022 Releases

Sonya

I’m a little late with this post, but… Happy New Year!

I can’t believe 2021 has ended! The past 2 years have honestly blended in my mind, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all. But, with the start of a new year comes new book releases to look forward to!

continue reading ➤
Reviews

NetGalley Review: Beast Boy Loves Raven

Sonya

It seems like years, but it’s only been a few days since Raven Roth recovered her memories, trapped her demon father, Trigon, into her amulet, and had her heart broken for the first time. But she doesn’t have time to think about the past…she has to focus on finding a way to get rid of Trigon for good.

Garfield Logan still can’t believe he has powers that allow him to change into different animals, but the price of knowing that his parents kept this secret hidden from him just feels too high. And what’s more, his difficulty controlling these abilities could have unexpected consequences.

Both are seeking answers from the one person who seems to have them all figured out: Slade Wilson.

When their paths converge in Nashville, Raven and Gar can’t help but feel a connection, despite the secrets they both try to hide. It will take a great amount of trust and courage to overcome the wounds of their pasts. But can they find acceptance for the darkest part of themselves? Or maybe even love?

Title: Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven
Author: Kami Garcia
Illustrator: Gabriel Picolo
Grab your own copy!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Rating: ⭐ 4.5/5

Beast Boy Loves Raven is such a cute read!

continue reading ➤
Reviews

Book Review: Star Daughter

Sonya

If the night sky holds many secrets, it holds Sheetal Mistry’s secret the closest. A secret that explains why her hair is the silver of starlight, or why some nights the stars call Sheetal by name. Stars like her mother, who returned to her place in the constellation Pushya years ago. Since that day, Sheetal has been forced to hide.

But as her seventeenth birthday draws near, the pull from the sky is growing stronger. So strong that Sheetal loses control, and a flare of starfire burns her human father—an injury only a full star’s blood can heal.

Sheetal has no choice but to answer the starsong and ascend to the sky. But her celestial family has summoned her for a reason: to act as their human champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of heavens.

Desperate to save her father, Sheetal agrees. But nothing could have prepared Sheetal to face the stars’ dark history—or the forces that are working to shut the gate between the realms for good.

Title: Star Daughter
Author: Shveta Thakrar

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Rating: ⭐ 3.5/5

“The silver-tressed, brown-skinned girl before her stared back, powerful. Soft and sturdy as spider silk. Mistress of herself. A hint of starry fire smoldered in her eyes like a signal.” – Shvveta Thakrar, Star Daughter

continue reading ➤
Reviews

ARC Review: My Last Summer with Cass

Sonya
My Last Summer with Cass book review header

Megan and Cass grew up joined at the brush. Every year, their families vacationed together in Michigan, where the girls relaxed by the lake and created art – from scribbles as toddlers to sophisticated portraits in their teenage years. Megan was always cautious, and Cass was always rebellious. But together, each summer, they grew as artists and friends. The summer after her junior year of high school, Megan arranges to stay with Cass and her mother at their apartment in New York City. Suddenly Megan’s world explodes into color. The girls begin collaborating on a piece that pushes both of their artistic boundaries, one that will be showcased in a local gallery show. But when a secret comes to light and one of them crosses a line, will their friendship be able to survive?

Title: My Last Summer with Cass
Author: Mark Crilley
Publisher: Little, Brown for Young Readers
Expected Publication: March 2021

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Rating: ⭐ 3/5

My Last Summer with Cass is a story about friendship and growing up.

continue reading ➤
Reviews

NetGalley Review: Admission

Sonya

It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer. She’s headed off to the college of her dreams. She’s going to prom with the boy she’s had a crush on since middle school. Her best friend always has her back, and her mom, a B-list Hollywood celebrity, may finally be on her way to the B+ list. It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer–at least, it was, until the FBI came knocking on her front door, guns at the ready, and her future went up in smoke. Now her mother is under arrest in a massive college admissions bribery scandal. Chloe, too, might be facing charges, and even time behind bars. The public is furious, the press is rabid, and the US attorney is out for blood.

As she loses everything she’s long taken for granted, Chloe must reckon not only with the truth of what happened, but also with the examination of her own guilt. Why did her parents think the only way for her to succeed was to cheat for her? What did she know, and when did she know it? And perhaps most importantly, what does it mean to be complicit?

Title: Admission
Author: Julie Buxbaum
Publisher: Random House Children’s (Delacorte Press)

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Rating: ⭐ 4/5

Privilege, entitlement, wealth, and pressure – Admission looks at the high competitiveness of college application season and how far some are willing to go.

continue reading ➤