Icon Tag: Young Adult

Review: The Accidentals – Sarina Bowen

Review: The Accidentals – Sarina Bowen

The Accidentals had everything I love in a romance. There was heartache, there was happiness, there were awkward reunions, and sharp humor. Plus, there was a whole lot of music! Story: The Accidentals is a masterpiece of feelings. It was also a different kind of romance, because the main story wasn’t about the romance – it was about family and loss. And it was also about finding what had seemed lost forever. Plus, the music made me swoon… Because music was a very important part of The Accidentals, and it added more layers to both the characters and the story itself. Rachel had been to hell and back, and living in a group home was not her idea of being […]

Posted 22 October, 2018 by Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 12 Comments
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New Release Review ~ Someone I Used to Know ~ Patty Blount #2018NewRelease

New Release Review ~ Someone I Used to Know ~ Patty Blount #2018NewRelease

  Every once in awhile a young adult book comes along that is so profound I want to shout from the rooftop about its greatness. Someone I Used to Know is such a book. Revolving around rape culture in America, it depicts the impact of rape on the victim, the victim’s family, and the community. Blount did this in a way that was relevant, meaningful, and packed an emotional punch. Ashley, a high school freshman at the time, was raped. By a senior football player. In an effort to score points in a “game” the players historically participated in during homecoming week. Following the rape, the football program was cancelled. Now, two years later, it’s been re-instituted with a new […]

Posted 24 September, 2018 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 24 Comments
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Release Day Chat Review ~ Children of the Forgotten Gods ~ Kennedy Daly #2018NewRelease #COYER

Release Day Chat Review ~ Children of the Forgotten Gods ~ Kennedy Daly  #2018NewRelease #COYER

Thank you so much for turning me onto this book, wifey! It was a fantastic read! It was action-packed with a compelling story and engaging characters. Gah! I FLOVED it! What I need to know is: When is the next one coming?!? Okay, on to the chat… I was hooked from the beginning, and I know you were as well. What was it that drew you straight into this story? I think I was initially drawn in with the action…Daly had me curious from the get-go about Damien. But the characters are what, or rather who, really drew me in. I liked how close-knit they were and I was intrigued with their abilities, their dynamics, and their responsibilities to their […]

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Review: Children of Blood and Bone – Tomi Adeyemi

Review: Children of Blood and Bone – Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Blood and Bone is a complex fantasy novel, in which one people fight their way to win magic back in order to stay alive. There is a corrupt and vicious king, a credulous young prince, a very strong young woman, and a lot of action. Story: Children of Blood and Bone managed to tell a compelling story, build a complex world, and include magic that was quite different from other stories I’ve read. There was a dictatorial king, and he would kill the smallest flutter of magic he could find – to keep his people safe, or so he said. Zélie was learning to fight, to survive, to keep the former magic users – dîviners – safe. And […]

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Review: A Thousand Perfect Notes – C.G. Drews

Review: A Thousand Perfect Notes – C.G. Drews

A Thousand Perfect Notes is such a dark tale, where, at the beginning, there seems to be no hope. Then August enters Beck’s life and shows him that there is more. And wanting more can be dangerous… Story: While there is definitely a lot of darkness in A Thousand Perfect Notes – especially for Beck – there is also music, love, tenderness, and a tiny slice of hope. Because of health problems, Beck’s mother had to stop playing the piano. And so, she put all of her own hopes and dreams on her son. She fled the continent and installed her little family of tree – plus an extravagant piano – at the opposite side of the world. Because Beck’s […]

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Review: The Heart Forger – Rin Chupeco

Review: The Heart Forger – Rin Chupeco

The Heart Forger is an amazing fantasy story, and I have to say I’m surprised by how much I loved it! Story: I was so curious about The Heart Forger, even if I didn’t fall in love with The Bone Witch, I was very curious as to what would happen in this second installment. And I was wowed! Tea has grown so much as a character, and the pace was much better. There was a lot of action, through flashbacks, and the tale the Bard told as it was shown to him by Tea. There were many surprises, and the ending left me completely out of breath! I need more, and I need it now. In The Heart Forger, Tea […]

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Review: Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertalli

Review: Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertalli

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is one of the best YA books ever! I loved all the characters, they were so realistic. And I loved the dilemmas Simon and Blue faced with realizing they were gay. This is a book I’m getting for the library at the school where I teach, I think every teenager should read it. Story: I don’t think there’s much I can say about Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda that hasn’t been said before. Simon is just the perfect character in a young adult story. He’s a little awkward. A little obsessed with himself and his own problems – even if he loves his friends and his family. And he’s more than a little […]

Posted 21 February, 2018 by Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 24 Comments
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Review: Select – Marit Weisenberg

Review: Select – Marit Weisenberg

Select is an original story about a people that is more evolved than the rest of us. It involves how difficult it can be to fit in, and how not to make the general population know too much. Story: Julia and her family, and the other Select are hiding in plain sight. But they know they don’t have long before they have to move once more. In the past, this people was in hiding as tribes in the Amazon jungle, or far away from civilization. Now, they live in the city, but in the best part of it. Only, Julia’s father, their leader, has started to make some changes. These changes involves Julia and other youths not having the right […]

Posted 13 December, 2017 by Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 7 Comments
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Review: The Bone Witch – Rin Chupeco

Review: The Bone Witch – Rin Chupeco

The Bone Witch had a very slow pace, and felt more like a prequel disguised as a novel than an actual novel. It’s like its whole purpose was to set up the next book in the series. Story: There are dragons. There are necromancers. There are monsters, and monarchs. The Bone Witch had a lot of potential, but didn’t completely live up to it in my opinion. The switching between the present and the past could have been smoother, for example, because both gave me some very good insights to what might be going on. In a world where there are different kinds of witches, there is, of course a hierarchy among them. And Tea is kind of both at […]

Posted 17 October, 2017 by Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 23 Comments
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Review: Blood and Ink – Stephen Davies

Review: Blood and Ink – Stephen Davies

Blood and Ink mesmerised me! Very well done, mixing actual events and fiction, showing the differences in muslim faiths, how some are stricter than others, and what was done by a people to rise against their oppressors. Story: I was transported by Blood and Ink, through the way it unfolded two sides of a story. How it showed two sides of a war. Two sides of a religion. How good and bad can be blurred, and how difficult it is to change sides once a stance is taken. Because the story is based on true events, I think it was very realistic. Even ficionalised history can be well done, and I found the way everything unfolded to be enlightening. Taking […]

Posted 6 September, 2017 by Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 18 Comments
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