Blog Tour: The Honeys // Moodboard and Review!

Hiya everyone! It’s been a while, so how are all of you? Are you well rested? Drinking enough water? Well, I sure hope so. Anyways, today I have a special post because it’s a blog tour! I haven’t participated in one for a while, so I’m very happy about this. Alrighty, let’s get into it!

Book Info

Title: The Honeys

Author: Ryan La Sala 

Publisher: Scholastic Press

RELEASE DATE: August 2th, 2022

GENRE(S): Horror, Young Adult LGBT Contemporary, Mystery Queer Thriller Fiction Mystery Thriller Boarding School

BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Honeys-Ryan-Sala/dp/133874531X

Tour Schedule Link: https://turnthepagetours.wordpress.com/2021/11/23/tour-schedule-the-honeys/

Synopsis

From Ryan La Sala, the wildly popular author of Reverie, comes a twisted and tantalizing horror novel set amidst the bucolic splendor of a secluded summer retreat.

Mars has always been the lesser twin, the shadow to his sister Caroline’s radiance. But when Caroline dies under horrific circumstances, Mars is propelled to learn all he can about his once-inseparable sister who’d grown tragically distant.

Mars’s gender fluidity means he’s often excluded from the traditions — and expectations — of his politically connected family. This includes attendance at the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy where his sister poured so much of her time. But with his grief still fresh, he insists on attending in her place.

What Mars finds is a bucolic fairytale not meant for him. Folksy charm and sun-drenched festivities camouflage old-fashioned gender roles and a toxic preparatory rigor. Mars seeks out his sister’s old friends: a group of girls dubbed the Honeys, named for the beehives they maintain behind their cabin. They are beautiful and terrifying — and Mars is certain they’re connected to Caroline’s death.

But the longer he stays at Aspen, the more the sweet mountain breezes give way to hints of decay. Mars’s memories begin to falter, bleached beneath the relentless summer sun. Something is hunting him in broad daylight, toying with his mind. If Mars can’t find it soon, it will eat him alive.

Book Review

Now it’s time for the review!

What I Liked

• I absolutely adored Mars! I can relate to feeling like the shorter end of the stick, especially when you’re constantly being compared to others. However, with time those feelings faded away. Hence why I was elated when Mars finally came into their own.
• The dialogue! Lately, I find that dialogue between teenagers in YA books is slightly cringy. They try too hard to be trendy, which I dislike. Luckily, The Honeys wasn’t like that at all!
• The eerieness! Usually, I read mysteries set in fall or winter, never summer. So when I picked this one up, I didn’t expect the book to be this scary. It was the perfect amount of spooky.
• The mystery aspect was perfect! I like a good mystery that doesn’t rely on shock value to wow the audience when the perpetrator is revealed. Moreover, The Honeys has a great-paced mystery. It’s not too predictable, but also doesn’t completely stump the reader.

What I Disliked

• The only issue I had with the story was that it took about 20% of the way in for me to be fully invested. The Honeys is slightly slow-paced in the beginning, but the pace really starts to pick up as you read on.

Moodboard

About the Author

Ryan La Sala writes about surreal things happening to queer people. Ryan resides in New York City, but only physically. Escapist to the core, he spends most of his time in the astral planes and only takes up corporeal form for special occasions, like brunch and to watch anime (which is banned on the astral planes). Ryan is the author behind the riotously imaginative Reverie, and the brilliantly constructed Be Dazzled. He has been featured in Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Tor.com, and one time Shangela from RuPaul’s Drag Race called him cute. Right in the middle of the road downtown! So. Pretty big deal all around, yes?

And that’s a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed this tour stop, because I had so much fun making it. Have a wonderful day, and stay safe! ❤

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What Lives in the Woods | An ARC Review

Hi everyone! I hope you’re doing well. Today I’ll be reviewing an ARC of What Lives in the Woods by Lindsay Currie. Enjoy!

**Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Kids, and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

(Synopsis from goodreads)

Welcome to the decrepit Woodmoor Manor…where something in the woods is always watching. From the author of Scritch Scratch comes a chilling middle grade story about a creepy mansion and sinister creatures in the woods. All Ginny Anderson wants from her summer is to relax. But when Ginny’s father—a respected restoration expert in Chicago—surprises the family with a month-long trip to Michigan, everything changes. They aren’t staying in a hotel like most families would. No, they’re staying in a mansion. A twenty-six room, century-old building surrounded by dense forest. Woodmoor Manor. Locals claim the surrounding woods are inhabited by mutated creatures that escaped a mad scientist over a hundred years ago. And some say campers routinely disappear never to be seen again. When the creaky floors and shadowy corners of the mansion seem to take on a life of their own, Ginny uncovers the wildest mystery of all: there’s more than one legend roaming Saugatuck, Michigan, and they definitely aren’t after campers. They’re after her.

First, let’s talk about the plot. What Lives in the Woods promises a story about a girl who uncovers secrets within the woods around the creepy manor she’s staying at over the summer. However, I found that this wasn’t the case when reading my ARC of the novel. The main character Ginny is being haunted, and most of it happens within the mansion. Unfortunately, the woods around the manor has very little to do with the story.

In addition, the main character Ginny is really fun! She’s imaginative and passionate. Although, her brother was portrayed in a very stereotypical way. The majority of the jokes made in the book revolve around how Ginny’s brother Leo acts. I understand that he was used as comic relief, but the jokes were overused. Luckily, I adored Ginny’s parents, along with her new friend Will. They were wonderful supporting characters.

Moreover, the dialogue was just okay. As mentioned previously, I didn’t find the jokes to be very appealing.

Fortunately, the writing was done well. It was gorgeously eerie, and really made my skin crawl! However, Ginny mentions Agatha Christie way too often. Her character development towards the end of the story felt very on the nose as well. On a more positive note, I’m happy that the story’s message was very sweet. It’s about making the most of one’s situation, which I thought was really nice.

Overall, I enjoyed What Lives in the Woods. While it wasn’t my favorite read, I definitely encourage young readers to pick up this thriller!

Age Rating: 10 and up

Trigger Warnings: Talk of death, scary imagery

Overall Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars or 6.5 out of 10. 

⭐⭐⭐

Who’s your favourite author that writes thrillers? Have a wonderful day!

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The Ex Hex | A Review

Happy (belated) Halloween!! This is the first Halloween I am celebrating during my blogging journey, so of course I had to end this year’s spooky season off with a review for one of October’s most read title; The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling. I hope you enjoy!

(Synopsis from goodreads)

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two. That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all. Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.

Packed with witchy fun, The Ex Hex is the banter-filled read you don’t want to miss this fall!

The Ex Hex is a fun and whimsical book jam-packed with twists and turns! The main character Vivienne faces challenge after challenge, and never catches a break. This made for a very well-developed plot.

However, I did feel that some aspects of the book were quite repetitive. For example, Vivienne and Rhys (her ex), have feelings for each other, but always try to deny it. Unfortunately, their angst merely scratched the surface of what could have been such a thought-provoking relationship. Since The Ex Hex is mostly about Vivienne and Rhys’ relationship, I was hoping for much more substance. Luckily, their chemistry really saved me from writing a two-star review. 😆 

“The best cure for anything was candles and a bath”
― Erin Sterling, The Ex Hex

Furthermore, the dialogue was slightly tacky. It tried hard to be sarcastic, but never truly delivered any laugh-out-loud lines. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the dialogue. But considering this is a romantic comedy, I was hoping for more witty dialogue. 

On a more positive note, the writing in The Ex Hex really surprised me. Unlike the dialogue, it was absolutely hilarious. The mishaps Vivienne and Rhys deal with are comedy gold. The author does a wonderful job at portraying awkward situations in a way that doesn’t make me get second-hand embarrassment. If you ask me, that alone is an achievement in itself. Also, the writing is incredibly atmospheric. It depicts small towns during the fall in such a cozy way! 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s fast-paced and absolutely perfect for the autumn season. Halloween might be over, but who says you can’t enjoy a spooktacular read during the fall? 

Age Rating: 16 and up

Trigger Warnings: The death of a parent is brought up.

Overall Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars, or 7.5 out of 10.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

What’s your favorite witch-themed read? Have a fabulous day!

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The Dead and the Dark | An ARC Review

Hey everyone! I hope you’re doing well, and enjoying this lovely spooky season. Today I’ll be reviewing The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould. This book was definitely outside of my comfort zone, so I’m happy I received the opportunity to read it! Without further ado, here are my thoughts on it!

PS: Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Dark has been waiting for far too long, and it won’t stay hidden any longer.

Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning up dead, the weather isn’t normal, and all fingers seem to point to TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV’s ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there’s more secrets buried here than they originally let on.

Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and she’s felt his presence ever since. But now that the Ortiz-Woodleys are in town, his ghost is following her and the only person Ashley can trust is the mysterious Logan. When Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who—or what—is haunting Snakebite, their investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and themselves that neither of them are ready for. As the danger intensifies, they realize that their growing feelings for each other could be a light in the darkness.

(Synopsis from goodreads)

I’m not going to lie, it took a while for the book to fully grasp my attention. The book was very complicating and repetitive at times. However, as the story progressed, I found myself becoming more and more enthralled!

The main characters Logan and Ashley are quite peculiar characters. They’re both morally grey, and you can never truly tell if they’re friends or not. But this only adds to the excitement you feel while reading The Dead and the Dark. Readers will never know if they’ll become close, or betray one another. In addition, Logan and Ashley’s parents are incredibly mysterious. This only adds to the eerie vibe of the story. Every character in the book has a story to tell, and it was such an amazing experience to see it all unravel.

In addition, the dialogue didn’t stand out to me. Since The Dead and the Dark is a mystery, I expected there to be more suspicious or nail-biting dialogue. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. 

On a more positive note, I adored the writing. While many scenes felt repetitive, the author described each setting a bit differently every time Ashley or Logan returned to that specific place. This was such a unique way to showcase the change in perspectives! 

Overall, I really enjoyed The Dead and the Dark. It started off slow, but very quickly grasped my attention. I definitely recommend this novel for the fall season!

Age Rating: 15 and up

Trigger Warnings: Violence, death, drowning

Final Rating: 8/10 or 4 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐

What’s a spooky book you adore? I’d love to know! Have an amazing day!

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Sugar and Spite | A Review

Hi everyone! Today I’ll be reviewing Sugar and Spite by Gail D. Villanueva. I hope you enjoy!

Can a bully be defeated by a magical love potion?

Jolina can’t take Claudine’s bullying any longer! The taunts and teasing are too much. Though Jolina knows she’s still in training to use her grandfather’s arbularyo magic, she sneaks into his potions lab to get her revenge. Jolina brews a batch of gayuma, a powerful love potion. And it works. The love potion conquers Claudine’s hateful nature. In fact, Claudine doesn’t just stop bullying Jolina — now she wants to be Jolina’s BFF, and does everything and anything Jolina asks. But magic comes with a cost, and bad intentions beget bad returns. Controlling another person’s ability to love — or hate — will certainly have consequences. The magic demands payment, and it is about to come for Jolina in the form of a powerful storm…

First let’s talk about the plot. Sugar and Spite promises a magical enemies-to-friends story. And well, I’m happy to say that it delivered! Young readers will find this short and sweet novel both immersive, and exciting. 

Furthermore, the characters were very three dimensional! In many cases, I’ve found that middle grade protagonists don’t have much personality. Thankfully, Jolina and Claudine were very intriguing characters. The side characters also added quite the amount of liveliness to the story too. Jolina’s relationship with her grandfather was absolutely adorable!

In addition, I really liked how the dialogue was done. Many Fillipino phrases and words were used, which is great as it allows people to understand more about The Philippines. Moreover, the character interactions also felt very authentic and real.

“Your being brown doesn’t make you ugly. Mom always says we’re beautiful.”

― Gail D. Villanueva, Sugar and Spite

Unfortunately though, I didn’t love the writing. At times, the storyline became too confusing. The world building was done poorly as well. The only things the audience knows about the magic system is that it aids people, and that it’s passed down by generation. (I’m not entirely sure though, so please take what I said with a grain of salt.) However, I loved the talk about colorism and classism. The book promotes the idea that no one should be discriminated against, regardless of socioeconomic status, or race. And I think that’s such a beautiful message!

Overall, I really enjoyed Sugar and Spite! It’s educational and exciting. Younger kids will surely enjoy this story to the fullest!

Age Rating: 8 and up

TW: Natural disaster, bullying

Final Rating: 7/10, or 3.5 stars

⭐⭐⭐

What is your favorite Middle Grade novel? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have a fabulous day!

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Some Girls Do | A Review

Hey everyone! Today I’m super excited because I’m going to be reviewing Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan. I hope you enjoy!

(PS: This was a buddy read with the amazing Calliope @ Confessions of a Reading Addict)

Morgan, an elite track athlete, is forced to transfer high schools late in her senior year after it turns out being queer is against her private Catholic school’s code of conduct. There, she meets Ruby, who has two hobbies: tinkering with her baby blue 1970 Ford Torino and competing in local beauty pageants, the latter to live out the dreams of her overbearing mother. The two are drawn to each other and can’t deny their growing feelings. But while Morgan–out and proud, and determined to have a fresh start–doesn’t want to have to keep their budding relationship a secret, Ruby isn’t ready to come out yet. With each girl on a different path toward living her truth, can they go the distance together? 

The plot of Some Girls Do was right up my alley! It was very summer-y, which I liked. However, I struggled a lot with the characters.

The main characters Morgan and Ruby are quite dislikeable. They were both very negative and unoptimistic. There is nothing wrong with that per se, it’s just that I prefer it when at least one main character is positive. Even by just a little bit. Moreover, Morgan was insufferable. It’s hard to put into words why, but I’ll try. Morgan was by all means not privileged in terms of the homophobic experiences she went through, but she felt very “I’m only supporting queer kids because I’m in that community”. She didn’t understand that POC and poor kids go through a lot too. I do think that the side characters were written very well though. Especially Morgan and Ruby’s parents. 

In addition, the dialogue was just okay. In my opinion, it tried too hard to be funny. 

Furthermore, the writing wasn’t anything special either. Some words were overused a bit too much for my liking. For example, ‘mysterious’, and ‘said.’

To conclude, I didn’t enjoy Some Girls Do as much as I hoped I would. While I can appreciate the summer-y atmosphere and unique premise, I disliked the characters and writing style. However, I still recommend this book to Jennifer Dugan fans!

Age Rating: 15 and up

TW: Homophobia

Final Rating: 6/10 or 3 stars

⭐⭐⭐

What’s your favorite book with a summer-y vibe? I’d love to know! Have a great day!

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A Place Called Perfect | A Review

Hi all! Today I’ll be reviewing A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan. I hope you enjoy!

(Synopsis from goodreads)

Violet never wanted to move to Perfect. Who wants to live in a town where everyone has to wear glasses to stop them going blind? And who wants to be neat and tidy and perfectly behaved all the time? But Violet quickly discovers there’s something weird going on – she keeps hearing noises in the night, her mum is acting strange and her dad has disappeared. When she meets Boy she realizes that her dad is not the only person to have been stolen away…and that the mysterious Watchers are guarding a perfectly creepy secret!

A Place Called Perfect delivers a creepy and whimsical tale on friendship, and fighting for what you believe in.

The synopsis was said to be a book fans of Roald Dahl would like. I’m happy to report that this pitch is quite accurate! However, it did miss the mark for me in some places.

One aspect of the book I didn’t like were the characters. The main character Violet can’t do much on her own. She always needs the help of a boy whose name is…Boy. This annoyed me as young children, specifically young girls, will read this and see a girl their age constantly being saved by a boy. Here is a quote from page 237 in which I feel has some sexist undertones. For context, the main character Violet says this line. “I think I prefer the gate.” To which Boy responds. “Don’t be such a girl.” Boy laughed. It’s almost as though Boy is using the word ‘girl’ as an insult. The line was unnecessary, and adds nothing to the story. There was another line similar to this one. I can’t remember the page, but for context, Violet is cold. To which Boy responds, “Boys don’t get cold.” I just don’t think these comments are needed, especially in a children’s book. Overall, the main characters Violet and Boy were written very poorly. It’s such a shame because A Place Called Perfect had so much potential for witty banter.

Luckily, the side characters, specifically the Archer brothers, add a lot of creepiness to the story. The background characters also have this bizarre monotone expression to everything. It’ll only make you want to read on!

The dialogue, as mentioned earlier, contained a few sexist remarks. This unfortunately was a big turn off for me.

On a better note, the writing was deliciously eerie and gripping. It definitely reads like a thriller-mystery. The book is also quite easy to read, which is a plus since the target audience is under thirteen. My only complaint is that the pacing felt off at times. It went from 0 to 100 far too many times, and the transitions weren’t very smooth. Nevertheless, Helena Duggan still delivers a great story!

The overall enjoyment level of this book is fairly high. It was engaging, but could easily become boring for those who don’t love thrillers. All in all, if you’re looking for a creepy story to read on a rainy day, I highly recommend A Place Called Perfect!

Age Rating: 10 and up

TW: Some scenes might scare younger children, mind control, some violence

Final Rating: 7.5/10 or 3.75 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐

What’s your favorite mystery novel? Have a great day!

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One Last Stop | An ARC Review

Hiya! Today I’ll be reviewing One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. Enjoy!

**I received an advanced readers copy via Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

(Synopsis from goodreads)

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures. But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train. Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

The original premise of One Last Stop excited me. However, it never really stood out as something out of the ordinary. A time travel love story is something I see a lot within the science fiction genre. I was actually quite interested to see how the plot would be executed. On top of that, I was very eager to read the book due to all the hype surrounding it. Unfortunately though, One Last Stop fell extremely flat. 

Saniya, how could you?! Yes, yes, I know, it’s a popular book and I am very happy for the author. No one wanted a 2> star review for One Last Stop. But, this was dare I say, not my up of tea. Allow me to explain myself…

Let’s start with the characters. Our two MCs August and Jane felt very two dimensional, and had an even more superficial relationship. Aside from Jane liking punk rock music, the two seemed to have no personality. Because of this, I was unable to root for them. 

Luckily, I enjoyed reading about Myla! She was eccentric and book smart, which is one of the best combinations possible if you ask me. The other side characters didn’t keen my interest at all though. Thus when almost 80% of the book was August interacting with the side characters, I couldn’t bring myself to care about their conversations. Furthermore, I also felt as though there were too many people being introduced into the story. Henceforth why I quickly became overwhelmed as more characters were introduced. 

In addition, the dialogue was one aspect I had a tough time with. August and her roommates seemed to talk about rather pointless things that added nothing to the plot. I would have been completely fine with this if the dialogue was actually amusing or intriguing. However, the snarky remarks came off as odd and unfunny instead. 

The writing is where I had another huge issue with. There was an abundance of rambling that added nothing but ~length~ to the story. The chapters were also incredibly long, and it felt like a chore to push through the book. The time travel aspect also made absolutely no sense at all. This led to me being confused and uninterested.

Overall, One Last Stop was an unenjoyable read for me. The story dragged on way too much, and the jokes just weren’t funny. Despite disliking the book, I recommend this to all the Casey McQuiston fans out there!

Age Rating: 16 and up

TW: Drinking, depression, anxiety, familial death, familial estrangement, missing persons

Final Rating: 3.5/10 or 1.75 stars

⭐⭐

Have you read One Last Stop? If so, what did you think of it? Have a lovely day, and thank you for reading!

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We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This | An ARC Review

Hi all! I hope you are well. Today I bring you my review for We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Enjoy!

**I received an advanced readers copy via Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

(Synopsis from goodreads)

Quinn Berkowitz and Tarek Mansour’s families have been in business together for years: Quinn’s parents are wedding planners, and Tarek’s own a catering company. At the end of last summer, Quinn confessed her crush on him in the form of a rambling email—and then he left for college without a response. Quinn has been dreading seeing him again almost as much as she dreads another summer playing the harp for her parents’ weddings. When he shows up at the first wedding of the summer, looking cuter than ever after a year apart, they clash immediately. Tarek’s always loved the grand gestures in weddings—the flashier, the better—while Quinn can’t see them as anything but fake. Even as they can’t seem to have one civil conversation, Quinn’s thrown together with Tarek wedding after wedding, from performing a daring cake rescue to filling in for a missing bridesmaid and groomsman. Quinn can’t deny her feelings for him are still there, especially after she learns the truth about his silence, opens up about her own fears, and begins learning the art of harp-making from an enigmatic teacher. Maybe love isn’t the enemy after all—and maybe allowing herself to fall is the most honest thing Quinn’s ever done.

This book will punch you in the gut, but in the best way possible. 

Incredibly poignant and heart-wrenching, Rachel Lynn Solomon delivers a young adult contemporary unlike any other. To start off, the book wasn’t predictable at all, which is quite rare for me in terms of YA romance. Furthermore, the initial plot of We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This had me thinking this would just be a romantic comedy, and boy was I wrong! This was such a rich novel, whose characters laid bare on the page.

Speaking of characters, despite not throwing in a gazillion references to pop cultures, the book’s characters are immensely relatable. Seventeen year old Quinn Berkowitz hates grand gestures. Eighteen year old Tarek Mansour on the other hand? It’s all he knows romance to be. The story essentially follows Quinn’s life as she navigates love (it wouldn’t be a Rachel Solomon book without it), family life, and the future. I  must say, the experiences Quinn goes through really had me all over the place. Despite disliking Quinn, (I found her to be extremely infuriating), she feels so real as a character. Moreover, Tarek was the absolute sweetest! His character was so endearing. Tarek loves baking, and of course, rom-coms. What I found to be quite refreshing is that despite being a guy, he loves romance. His infatuation in it is something I have strictly only seen in female protagonists, so it was definitely a nice change of pace. Unfortunately though, I could never really understand what Tarek saw in Quinn. When he was basically head over heels for Quinn, she didn’t reciprocate even 50% of that energy despite having a huge crush on him. Admittedly, this made me dislike her a lot more.

On a more positive note, an aspect of We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This that I absolutely adored was the representation. Quinn is Jewish, and lives with OCD. Tarek is Muslim, and lives with eczema, and depression. I can’t speak on how accurate the OCD, Jewish, or depression representation was. However, I am someone that lives with eczema and is Muslim. In terms of eczema rep, I think it was represented quite accurately. As for the Muslim rep, I didn’t feel represented in it at all. But that’s okay! Not every Muslim person is the same.

In addition, the dialogue is where it really hit me. It was just too good! The interactions Quinn and Tarek have are so genuine. They fight, they grieve, they love, and here I am tearing up, witnessing their whirlwind of emotions.

The story is told through Quinn’s point of view, and is written very smoothly. There aren’t any clunky paragraphs, and no typos either. Although, I will say that some chapter transitions seemed as though they had cut off mid scene. Moreover, Tarek and Quinn had a very on and off relationship. At times, it felt much too repetitive. Nevertheless, the writing style was very charming, which is always a plus!

The overall enjoyment level of We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This is, is very high. It explores various aspects such as mental health, relationships, consent, and so much more! We rarely get to see these topics compiled into a single novel, and that my friends is what makes this book a must read for all. 

Age Rating: 15 and up

TW: OCD, Depression, Anxiety, some us of alcohol

Final Rating: 9/10 or 4.5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What’s one contemporary that made you emotional? 😆 Have a lovely day, and thank you for reading!

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Scritch Scratch | A Review

Hey everyone! I hope you are well. Today I’ll be reviewing Stritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie. I must say, this one scared me quite a bit. Yes, yes, I’m a scaredy cat. We’ve established that by now. 😆 Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

(Synopsis from goodreads)

Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She’s a scientist, which is why she can’t think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she’s made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There’s something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour…he’s gone.
Claire tries to brush it off, she must be imagining things, letting her dad’s ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her.
Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something…and Claire needs to find out what before it’s too late. 

Deliciously eerie and mysterious, Lindsay Currie brings us a story all thriller fans will adore! The plot hooked me right from the beginning, and kept my attention till the end! Scritch Scratch is fast-paced and gripping, so it’s definitely the perfect read to get out of a slump.

Furthermore, the characters were not that interesting. Although I respect the author’s ability to create semi-realistic kids without throwing in a gazillion references, I did not feel any connection to the characters. None of them were annoying per se, they were just lacking in development. Fortunately, the main character’s parents were very well developed. They each had their own unique personalities. The MC’s dad is a ghost story author, and runs his own spooky tour bus company. While their mom runs a baking business. How cool is that?!

“Love Ms. Mancini. She’s the only teacher I have who wouldn’t shame a student for falling asleep in class. I think she remembers what it was like to be in seventh grade and that’s what makes her so good at her job.”
― Lindsay Currie, Scritch Scratch

In addition, the dialogue fell short on personality. Most of it was trope-y, and uneventful. However, it’s the writing that really grabbed me.

Man oh man does Lindsay Currie know how to write a chilling story! I was very frightened, yet so intrigued throughout the book. What I found interesting, was that the writing was not very descriptive. This fascinated me as typically thrillers are quite descriptive. Luckily, this didn’t have a negative affect.

The overall enjoyment level of Scritch Scratch is very high. If you’re looking for a thrilling story with a wonderful message about friendship, and never forgetting those who came before us, then this is definitely the novel for you!

Age Rating: 10 and up

TW: Some scenes might scare younger children, lots of talk of a drowning accident, talk of abandonment

Final Rating: 7.5/10 or 3.75 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐

What’s your favorite thriller? I’d love to know. Have a lovely day, and thank you for reading!

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