Book Reflections

Content Tags: Supernatural, CSA, Representation, Incredulity Description from Storygraph : There are no monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up with this lesson all their life. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colors and claws, who emerges from one of her mother’s paintings and a drop of Jam’s blood, she must reconsider what she’s been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster—and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption’s house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also uncover the truth, and the answer to the question—How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist? In their riveting and timely young adult debut, acclaimed novelist Akwaeke Emezi asks difficult questions about what choices a young person can make when the adults around them are in denial. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This books is about how to face "monsters" when everyo...

Content Tags: Horror, LGBTQIA+, Abuse, Alcoholism, Animal Death, Death, Racism, Fantasy, Nightmares (Hauntings), Violence, Self-Harm, Sex, Cult, Religious Trauma Description from  Storygraph : Vern - seven months pregnant and desperate to escape the strict religious compound where she was raised - flees for the shelter of the woods. There, she gives birth to twins, and plans to raise them far from the influence of the outside world. But even in the forest, Vern is a hunted woman. Forced to fight back against the community that refuses to let her go, she unleashes incredible brutality far beyond what a person should be capable of, her body wracked by inexplicable and uncanny changes. To understand her metamorphosis and to protect her small family, Vern has to face the past, and more troublingly, the future--outside the woods. Finding the truth will mean uncovering the secrets of the compound she fled but also the violent history in America that produced it. Rivers Solomon's Sorrowla...

Content Tags: Depression, Suicidal Ideation, Suicide, Racism, Stress, Cute Puppies, Sex Description from Storygraph : Nicola Yoon meets Jenny Han in a heated first-love romance about two teens who are torn apart one summer by prejudice and mental illness, and find each other once again. Eighteen-year-old Devon longs for two things. The stars and the boy she fell in love with last summer. When Ashton breaks Devon's heart at the end of the most romantic summer ever, she thinks her heart will never heal again. But over the course of the following year, Devon finds herself slowly putting the broken pieces back together. Now it's senior year and she's determined to enjoy every moment of it, as she prepares for a future studying galaxies. That is, until Ashton shows up on the first day of school. Can she forgive and open her heart to him again? Or are they doomed to repeat history? From debut author, Ronni Davis, comes a stunning novel about passion, loss, and the power of first ...

Content Tags: Fear, Minimal Blood and Gore, Nightmares, Fantasy, Anxiety   FOR THE SCIENCE!!!! My sister read this book and was also involved in the Sooz Your Own Adventure creation of it. And she had the following to share: "While I loved the story and thought it was incredible, one thing I am curious about is if there's enough backstory and connecting information for someone who didn't participate in the adventure. [...] Would The Luminaries be as enjoyable for someone who doesn't have the additional background that came from Sooz Your Own Adventure? Or would it leave them pleased but mildly confused at times? (Taking volunteers to determine this, for science!)" So, naturally, I volunteered, for the science. You can read her full review to see the synopsis along with her thoughts on the book. Without having the same background knowledge, the beginning of the book was a tad confusing and then a lot of information to process and keep track of. But, in all honesty...