Epilie Aspie Chick

The quick cut : A priestess paid to bring the dead home takes on a high paying job that becomes unexpectedly chaotic when the body comes back to life.  A real review :   Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the arc for an honest review.   Every culture has its mythology and stories about death or the afterlife. Some say we are reborn while others say we move on to somewhere new. For priestess Kang, that question of what happens is relevant when her dead body instead

The quick cut : The competitors on the latest season of an escape room competition show try to solve the murder of a contestant from the previous season.  A real review :   Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing the arc for an honest review.  Competition shows involving mystery and intrigue are nothing new. What if the majority of the intrigue was coming from the unsolved murder that occurred the previous season? This is the scenario for seas

The quick cut : Four unlikely partners work together to solve the mystery behind a teen's disappearance.  A real review :   Small towns often have their secrets and myths, but what if your town's secret was deadly? This is the situation for the town of Carrion.   Every thirteen years, a swarm of particularly loud cicadas arrives and the local people have a celebration. What's lessor known is how a litany of locals also disappear without a trace at the same time. When a loc

The quick cut : In a cyberpunk future, two girls find their lives intwined as they find themselves stuck in a virtual cold war.  A real review :    We all have an image in our heads of what the future looks like. Considering the rampant pace that technology is growing at, it's fairly likely that it will continue to take a main role in our lives. For Eirale and Lia, this is very true when they are given assignments that give them the impression that what they're doing may b

The quick cut : A boy and girl meet at a cancer treatment and write their love story.  A real review :    While we would all love to think that we have all the time in the world, the reality is that death comes for us all. For June and Jesse, it's a reality rapidly approaching as they both have leukemia.   June has a dream of being the novelist who writes the greatest love story of all time, but she's never been in love. Jesse has a bright future in football until his canc

The quick cut : A boy and girl are destined to use their magical wands to save their world from a winter cataclysm. Chaos ensues when it turns out one must kill the other to do so.  A real review :    We love stories about ordinary people being chosen by destiny to fulfill a chosen prophecy and save everyone. While it's unrealistic at best, it's a story we love to see. For Domenic and Ellery, this is a reality when they each have a powerful wand who chooses them to be the

The quick cut: A girl whose boyfriend died saving her from drowning gets a second change to ensure he lives. She falls in love with her boyfriend's best friend in the process. A real review : Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the arc for an honest review. Death is difficult at any age, but it's even more complex to tackle with when you feel to blame for it. When it comes to Nieve, she feels very responsible when her boyfriend Carter does - and his best friend M

The quick cut : A girl who doesn't see eye to eye with her mom ends up transported in time to when her mom was in high school. A real review : We don't always understand our parents, especially when we're teenagers. While it may seem like they have odd rules or requirements, the truth is that they're often based in their own teenage experiences. For Samantha, she's about to discover this for herself when she goes back to the 90s and her mom Prescilla as a teenager. Saman

The quick cut : A cursed prince and a female swan become partners to help with one another's problems. A real review : Fairy tales have a way of inspiring greatness, even if the stories themselves are somewhat ridiculous. In this story of a prince most likely to die and a girl who is most likely to be held captive by love, these two find a way to work together and try to get the life they hoped for. Prince Arris is most likely going to die and he knows it. Due to a poorl

The quick cut : Three friends who are rejected from the magical college of their choice decide to steal a magical education while working on the campus. A real review : Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing the arc for an honest review. Getting into the college of your choosing can feel like a high pressure situation, especially if you have your heart set on one in particular. For Raven, Atticus, and Dorian, this is the case when they're

The quick cut : A teen girl who stopped believing in love is surprised when she receives a letter from the future - a boy who is in love with her. A real review : Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for providing the arc for an honest review. Love is a fickle feeling. While everyone may want to find that special someone that makes them happy, there is the undeniable reality that it doesn't always last. When Emma saw her parent's marriage end, she stopp

The quick cut: A girl finds her interview week at Oxford even more stressful when her best friend is killed.  A real review:   Thank you to Wednesday Books for Young Readers for providing the arc for an honest review.  Where you go to college can be such a point of focus for many families. While some see it as no big issue, other families see it as essential to go to an elite university. For Eva, it's always been her dream to study English at Oxford and the privileged familie

The quick cut : A contemporary reimagining of classic book "Little Women", with Beth being murdered and the remaining sisters searching for her killer. A real review : Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for providing the arc for an honest review. If your sister was found dead unexpectedly, what would you do to find her killer? What would your response be if it looked like a fellow sibling did it? This is the case for the March sisters. The March siste

The quick cut : Two sisters who make a living selling fraudulent spells get the score of a lifetime: a count who asks them to rid his home of a ghost. A real review : If you came from a long line of witches, would you take advantage of your legacy? For the Fontaine sisters, it's a way of life as they sell fake spells to keep the family business going. Mallory comes from a long line of witches, but that doesn't make her one. A self proclaimed expert on Count Saphir, she s

The quick cut : A teen girl desperate to keep her father's shop open finds a new hope when a girl turns their fake enchanted objects into real ones. A real review : Family businesses aren't always big corporations with illustrious reputations. For Willow, the family business is renowned for selling fakes. All Willow has left is her father's shoppe and it's desperately holding on. Since it is known by the locals for selling fakes, the only customers they have are tourists

The quick cut : A teen girl cursed to become a monster is determined to do what it takes to end it, even if it means killing the family whaling company.  A real review :   Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the arc for an honest review.  Every family comes with its own legacy, but for a select few that comes with expectations and plans to continue the family business. For Annie, that means taking over the family whaling company, that kills magical whales for their

The quick cut : A teen guy is surprised when his college roommate changes to the prince of hell. Chaos ensues when they begin fake dating. A real review : Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the arc for an honest review. College is a difficult time. Between just starting your adult life and trying to determine who you want to be, it can feel like every decision has long term implications. For Owen, this is very true when his college roommate is switched from a reg

The quick cut : A teen girl diagnosed with Niemann-Pick type C writes down her life before her memory makes that impossible. A real review : When you're young and about to finish high school, it feels like your life is just starting. The possibility of college, forging your path, and imagining your life as an adult feels so close. For Sammie, it's something that isn't mean to be after a rare genetic disorder starts eating away at her memories. Sammie had a simple plan: f