Cruella: Hello, Cruel Heart by Maureen Johnson

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The book Cruella Hello, Cruel Heart by Maureen Johnson is a fascinating explanation into Cruella De Vil’s life before she became Cruella De Vil. The book is about Estella, a poor teenage girl, just trying to survive with her friends Horace and Jasper. They live in an abandoned building that was bombed during the war and was never rebuilt. Estella, an aspiring fashion icon, pickpockets to get money or things she can sell to survive. Everything is fine for her and her friends, until she meets Magda and Richard, who are filthy rich and obsessed with Estella’s clothes. After being introduced to a life of luxury, wanting for nothing, Estella finally feels like she can make something of herself in the fashion world. She even meets Peter, the brains behind a hugely successful band, and finds something in him she didn’t know she needed. After deserting Horace and Jasper, Estella quickly finds out that her rich “friends” may not actually care, and the luxury may not be all that luxurious. This abrupt realization is one of the key points that leads Estella to become Cruella. 

I really liked Horace and Jasper because even after Estella was horrible to them and basically abandoned them, they still welcomed her back when she was having a hard time. They forgave her for leaving them and were not mad at her for it. That shows how loyal they are to Estella and how they’re a family, and rely on each other. I would recommend this book to any fan of 101 Dalmatians, the origins of villains, or just villains in general. 

*see our other review here

Ravage the Dark by Tara Sim

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Ravage the Dark, part of the Scavenge the Stars duology, by Tara Sim was a nice completion to the gender-switched version of “The Count of Monte Cristo.” The novel continues following the protagonist, Amaya, after her time on a debtor ship after her seven year sentence. Her hope was to meet her mother in her hometown of Moray. However, her plans change when she meets Boon. Boon offers Amaya a life of opulence and comfort in exchange for her help. The first book in the series left readers on a cliffhanger as Amaya is betrayed and forced to flee Moray to go to the Rain Empire—an enemy nation. She travels to the Rain Empire with her friends, but also a foe. Additionally, Amaya’s friends have their own dark pasts that creates conflict and distrust throughout the novel. 

One positive aspect of this story was the immense POC and LGBTQ+ representation. As an individual coming from Amaya’s hinted culture, which was never officially stated but could be inferred, I believe Tara Sim represented the culture well; she wasn’t overbearing about it and did not force it to make it seem like she was ticking a box. It was integrated in the story beautifully. As for the LGBTQ+ representation, a couple of the main characters and a few main characters were part of the LGBTQ+ community. Sim did a great job of weaving the representation into the story without it seeming forced. 

Another positive aspect to the story is the relatability during times like right now with the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout both books in the duology, there’s an epidemic that affects all territories in their world called the Ash Fever. In the first novel, Ash Fever plays a huge role in determining one of the main character’s motives and in the second book, this character is forced to make difficult decisions because of the hardships this disease caused. The first book in the duology was published in early 2020, before COVID-19 became as prominent as it is now, which is also intriguing. I think Sim was smart to continue with this idea and show how an illness can bring unity and division even in a fantasy world. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this duology and I think it is a quick read that everyone should pick up! I look forward to reading Sim’s other works.

Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova

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The romance in this book is what really hooked me, because the chemistry between the main characters was quite lovely. I had a difficult time putting this story down because I simply needed a satisfactory conclusion (or, more accurately, I needed the romance to fully develop). The plot was also creative and intriguing, bringing a neat yet emotionally resonant end to the series. The author really did a nice job explaining Ren’s (the protagonist’s) emotions throughout the book. That being said, I would have liked to see a little bit more of her character growth towards the end of the book. Throughout both Incendiary and Illusionary Ren runs from group to group, always feeling like she doesn’t belong. Instead of confronting this problem, at the end of the book she tries to run away again, which to me felt unsatisfactory. 


The book is also a bit intense at times, with scenes of violence and torture, so I recommend readers take that into account. That being said, I really did enjoy Incendiary, and would recommend it to anyone who loves YA fantasy and romance novels.

Recommended For You by Laura Silverman

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Recommended For You by Laura Silverman makes for a light, easy read that is difficult to put down. I found myself devouring the book from start to finish in a mere matter of hours. Silverman’s plot, characters, and descriptive dialogue all make for an exciting and humorous ride.

Shoshanna Greenberg has always found peace and solace working at her favorite bookstore, Once Upon, but she finds her world disrupted with the hire of a cute, but aggravating new employee: Jake Kaplan. They find themselves pitted against each other in a war to sell the most books and receive the holiday bonus. However, with the potential closure of Once Upon, coupled with troubles in Shoshanna’s personal life, Jake may be the only person who understands. Who knew a bookstore could be so exciting?

The story itself is original and fun, with new twists around every corner. The characters as well I can’t help but fall in love with. Each has their own quirky and unique personality such as Geraldine’s dream of becoming a beauty youtuber, or Jake’s love for baking. With witty commentary, lots of fluff, and descriptive imagery, this book is definitely “recommended for you”.

For me, this book served as a reminder that reading doesn’t always have to be complex and thought provoking. Sometimes all we need is a book that makes us smile, which this definitely did. Take a break from required textbook reading or English literary books and just read for fun! I highly recommend for anyone who wants a quick read, guaranteed to lift your spirits and make you smile.

When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler

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When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler is a book filled with opposites; grief is coupled with hope, sadness with joy, and exhaustion with resilience. Based on a real story, this book causes you to feel and reflect upon a deeper level of the history of our worldand how we continue to move forward. 

Set during the Holocaust, three young friends are faced with the challenges of growing up in a time where acceptance is hard to come by. A single photograph reminds them of one perfect day spent together before Elsa is ripped from her family and sent to Auschwitz, Leo struggling to escape Vienna and the Nazis, and Max turning into a monster that values praise and reverence before the moral conscious of his mind. Separated through distance and life experiences, each must find their own way through the dark times of Nazi Germany. 

Liz Kessler paints a haunting story. It inspires anger, disgust, and immense sorrow for the painful blotch the Holocaust left on our history. Her images and language are powerful, heightened by the truth behind the words. This book is filled with shadows, but even so we see small glimmers of hope and perseverance in the family ties of our characters. The love they share is stronger than all the hate of those who participated in the monstrous acts of the Holocaust.

This book may not be an easy read, or necessarily a fun read, but I believe it is an important read to share the stories of the survivors in such a dark time. The writing itself is well done and the story important. I recommend for anyone seeking a more serious and thought provoking story.

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

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To some, this might be just another book about racism, but that’s just not true. Every one of the stories in these brutal and sad books tells a different story, and each one is meaningful and heartbreaking in their own ways. This particular story tells of the experiences of Ashley, a Black highschooler in a mostly white private school, during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. It’s a melody of racial confusion, from the point of view of someone confused as to where they belong. Part love story, part drama, this book is for anyone who enjoyed The Hate U Give and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Overall, a lovely book.Oliver W.

Your Heart, My Sky by Margarita Engle

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Liana and Amado are two teens living in Cuba during the el perìdo especial en tiempos de paz (the special period in times of peace) in the 1990s. Their story is told by Margarita Engle in her poetry book, Your Heart, My Sky. During this time period in Cuba, many citizen’s basic freedoms were withheld by the government. Cuban natives, like Liana and Amado had very little food. Liana and Amado fall in love while trying to find creative ways to feed themselves, their families, and Liana’s special companion, her dog. Many of their acquaintances choose to attempt a treacherous and extremely dangerous escape to Florida by boat. Liana and Amado must decide whether they should risk it all for a better life or continue to starve and live off of each other’s love and faded dreams. 

I thought the descriptive phrases and figurative language that Engle used in this book made the story more engaging. It also helped me to better imagine what living in Cuba would be like during this tumultuous period. Usually I find poetry books to be slow and not worthwhile. Fortunately, this was not the case with this particular work. The story was conveyed in a way that was both descriptive yet appropriately paced. 

This book was incredibly moving. It made me very grateful for the life that I live and the food that I eat. I would recommend this book to any poetry lovers. 

Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

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Wings of Ebony by J. Elle is a relatively short fantasy novel that centers on the protagonist Rue. After the death of her mother, Rue discovers her godly ancestry and is taken to a place called Ghizon where her powers are unlocked. She meets her father in the process who impacts Rue’s development throughout the story. When her sister back in the real world is endangered, Rue does everything she can to save her, except there’s one problem—Rue can’t touch humans anymore because it is not allowed due to its consequences.

One thing I adored about the book was the POC representation. J. Elle did a good job of making themes in this book align to present day problems, like cultural appropriation and racism. Additionally, the fact that the protagonist was a strong female was empowering. 

I am typically a person who likes to read fast-paced novels, which made Wings of Ebony hard to get into in the beginning. J. Elle went thoroughly in depth with details, which results in good world building. However, in some parts of the novel, the overindulgence of details took away from the plot. 

While details were not always my favorite part of this book, the details about Rue’s connection with her sister were my favorite parts of the novel. As a person with a sister, I could relate to a lot of Rue’s motivations when it came to protecting her sister. Also, I am not a person who tends to gravitate towards romance in novels, so seeing the connection between sisters rather than a love-interest was refreshing. With this being said, there was still romance in the novel, but it was never overbearing and instead complemented the plot nicely. 

Overall, I enjoyed Wings of Ebony and it was a nice book, but it may not have been for me. Nonetheless, it is still a book I would recommend to others to pick up because of its POC representation, applicable themes, and the heartwarming sisterhood. 

Indivisible by Daniel Aleman

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Indivisible by Daniel Aleman is a novel with moving themes of strength and family. Mateo Garcia is a Mexican-American living in New York City. He enjoys acting and hanging out with his friends and works at the store his family owns. His life is turned upside down one day when ICE agents arrest his parents because they traveled to the United States without correct registration. Suddenly he must single-handedly care for his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, while he lives in a two-bedroom apartment with his uncle, aunt, and cousin. At the same time, he is managing the family store, keeping his grades up, and navigating his first relationship. Most importantly, he is trying to get his family together again, as his mother is in a detention center and his father is in jail. Will the Garcia family ever reunite?
I thought this was book was very good. It was incredibly moving and heartbreaking that a child would have to go through so much. Mateo had a relatable voice and the plot kept me glued to the book’s pages the entire time. 
I would recommend this book to anyone. It is very relevant to events occurring right now. It gives an inside look into what many teens’ lives in this country look like, which is important. 

Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson

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The book “Sing Me Forgotten” by Jessica S. Olson is a heart wrenching, gender swapped story based on “The Phantom of the Opera”. I am not familiar with “The Phantom of the Opera” myself so I don’t know how they compare, but I really enjoyed this book. It is about a girl, Isda, who is a gravior who lives in the dungeons of an opera house. Her mother tried to kill Idsa when she was born because graviors are believed to be dangerous due to their powers. When a person sings, Idsa can look into their memories and manipulate their emotions. The only reason Isda is still alive is because of Cyril who saved her from the well when her mother tried to kill her. Cyril is the owner of the opera house and lets Idsa live there since she can change how people feel about the performance which assures that the opera house stays in business. Isda is okay living in the opera house and experiencing the outside world through the memories of other people until she meets Emeric, who dreams of becoming a singer. When Emeric and Isda accidentally meet one night, Idsa offers to give him vocal lessons secretly. Isda sees this as a chance to look into Emeric’s past and learn new ways to use her powers, and to ensure that he stays at the opera house forever. The forbidden friendship between them quickly becomes more as together they discover the pure hatred society shoves toward things they fear. 
I really liked Isda’s character development throughout the story. She starts out as an outcast who’s too afraid to stand up for herself because she’s afraid she will become a monster. After she meets Emeric and starts giving him lessons, she starts to grow out of that fear and is more bold when talking to Cyril. When she finds out about Emeric’s sister she is brave enough to sneak into Cyril’s office and steal his book about graviors, which allows her to learn more about her powers. During the masquerade ball when her mask is taken off and her true identity is revealed she fights for her life and starts to care less about becoming a monster. At the end of the book when she saves Emeric from Cyril, she stops caring about trying to prove that graviors aren’t monsters and becomes one herself. I just like how she goes from actively making a point to not become what society thinks she is, to then realising that her only option is to do just that. For that reason, my favorite character is probably Isda, however I also really liked Emeric. He’s really sweet and cares a lot about Isda and his sister and just is an all-around nice person. I would recommend this book to any fan of “The Phantom of the Opera” since this book is based on that. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes romance or slow-burn stories.