REVIEW: Heroine's Journey by Sarah Kuhn

**I received an ARC from Netgalley. In no way was I compensated for this review, and these are my honest opinions.**

Heroine's Journey by Sarah Kuhn

Release Date: July 5, 2018

My Rating: 4.75 stars

Summary: The final book in the smart, snarky, and action-packed Heroine series completes the "Heroic Trio" as Bea Tanaka joins her sister, Evie, and diva Aveda Jupiter in their quest to free San Francisco from its demon portal problem

If there's one thing Beatrice Tanaka never wanted to be, it's normal. But somehow, her life has unfolded as a series of "should haves." Her powers of emotional projection should have made her one of the most formidable superheroes of all time. And she should have been allowed to join her older sister Evie as a full-fledged protector of San Francisco, pulverizing the city's plethora of demon threats.

But Evie and her superheroing partner, Aveda Jupiter, insist on seeing Bea as the impulsive, tempestuous teenager she used to be--even though she's now a responsible adult. And that means Bea is currently living a thoroughly normal life. She works as a bookstore lackey, hangs out with best friends Sam Fujikawa and Leah Kim, and calms her workplace's more difficult customers. Sure, she's not technically supposed to be playing with people's mental states. But given the mundanity of her existence, who can blame her?

When a mysterious being starts communicating with Bea, hinting at an evil that's about to overtake the city, she seizes the opportunity, hoping to turn her "should haves" into the fabulous heroic life she's always wanted. But gaining that life may mean sacrificing everything--and everyone--she holds dear...

REVIEW: Final Draft by Riley Redgate

**I received an ARC from Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

Final Draft by Riley Redgate

Release Date: June 12, 2018

My Rating: 4.25 stars

Summary: The only sort of risk 18-year-old Laila Piedra enjoys is the peril she writes for the characters in her stories: epic sci-fi worlds full of quests, forbidden love, and robots. Her creative writing teacher has always told her she has a special talent. But three months before her graduation, he's suddenly replaced—by Nadiya Nazarenko, a Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist who is sadistically critical and perpetually unimpressed.

At first, Nazarenko’s eccentric assignments seem absurd. But before long, Laila grows obsessed with gaining the woman’s approval. Soon Laila is pushing herself far from her comfort zone, discovering the psychedelic highs and perilous lows of nightlife, temporary flings, and instability. Dr. Nazarenko has led Laila to believe that she must choose between perfection and sanity—but rejecting her all-powerful mentor may be the only way for Laila to thrive.

LIST: happy pride month!

Happy pride month!! I put together a list of LGBTQIAP+ books, which I totally meant to post yesterday but time got away from me. Special shout outs to Charlotte (inkslippers.blogspot.com), who helped me put a lot of this list together and to Alexis (lacyliteracy.com), who helped proofread this. Also check out LGBTQ Reads, a great resource with way more books!

Please note that I am human and make mistakes, so if there is one in this list, just @ me! (I haven't read everything on this list either.) And also, this is not a complete list of the books available nor will it ever be a complete list because of all the books that unfortunately escape the mainstream radar and/or that are being written right now, and this list only includes YA books. Next, not all tw's are noted, so please google them. Again, I haven't read all of these books, but usually you can find major ones in non-spoiler reviews. Final note, please don't forget to read some #ownvoices books this month and not just mlm books written by white women; there's so much more out there for you.

MINI-REVIEW: Geekerella by Ashley Poston

**I received a review copy from Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Release Date: April 4, 2017

My Rating: 4 stars

Summary: Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic science-fiction series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck and her dad's old costume, Elle's determined to win - unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons - before he was famous. Now they're nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he has ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake - until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again?

Part-romance, part-love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.

REVIEW: Summer Skin by Kirsty Eagar

**I received an ARC from Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and I was in no way compensated for this review.**

Summer Skin by Kirsty Eagar

Release Date: May 29, 2018

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary: From Kirsty Eagar, Summer Skin is a young adult novel about a modern-day riot grrl and an alpha male jock who explore love, trust, and double standards against the backdrop of today's hookup culture.

Jess Gordon is out for revenge. Last year the jocks from Knights College tried to shame her best friend. This year she and a hand-picked college girl gang are going to get even.

The lesson: Don't mess with Unity College girls.

The target: Blondie, a typical Knights stud, arrogant, cold . . . and smart enough to keep up with Jess.

A neo-riot grrl with a penchant for fanning the flames meets a rugby-playing sexist pig--sworn enemies or two people who happen to find each other when they're at their most vulnerable?

It's all Girl meets Boy, Girl steals from Boy, seduces Boy, ties Boy to a chair, and burns Boy's stuff. Just your typical love story.

Kirsty Eagar expertly handles a searingly honest and achingly funny story about love and sex amid the college hookup culture.

TOUR: Nothing Happened by Molly Booth

Today I'm a part of the blog tour for Nothing Happened by Molly Booth! Check out some excerpts and a giveaway. Don't forget to check out the rest of the blog tour in the schedule below.

Nothing Happened by Molly Booth

Release Date: May 15, 2018

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Summary: This modern-day retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing takes place at the idyllic Camp Dogberry, where sisters Bee and Hana Leonato have grown up. Their parents own the place, and every summer they look forward to leading little campers in crafts, swimming in the lake, playing games of capture the flag and sproutball, and of course, the legendary counselor parties.

This year, the camp drama isn’t just on the improv stage. Bee and longtime counselor Ben have a will-they-or-won’t-they romance that’s complicated by events that happened—or didn’t happen—last summer. Meanwhile, Hana is falling hard for the kind but insecure Claudia, putting them both in the crosshairs of resident troublemaker John, who spreads a vicious rumor that could tear them apart.

As the counselors juggle their camp responsibilities with simmering drama that comes to a head at the Fourth of July sparkler party, they’ll have to swallow their pride and find the courage to untangle the truth, whether it leads to heartbreak or happily ever after.

REVIEW: Furyborn by Claire Legrand

**I received an ARC from Netgalley. In no way was I compensated for this review, and these are my honest opinions.**

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Release Date: May 22, 2018

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary: Follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.