Rating: 4 Stars! Genre: LGBTQ+, Contemporary, YA Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Thank you to Harper360YA for the ARC If you asked seventeen-year-old Cass Williams to describe herself, she’d happily tell you she’s fat, queer, and obsessed with the Tide Wars books. What she won’t tell you—or anyone in her life—is that she’s part of an online Tide Wars roleplay community. Sure, it’s nerdy as hell, but when she’s behind the screen writing scenes as Captain Aresha, she doesn’t have to think about her mother who walked out or how unexpectedly stressful it is dating resident cool girl Taylor Cooper. But secretly retreating to her online life is starting to catch up with Cass. For one, no one in her real life knows her secret roleplay addiction is the reason her grades have taken a big hit. Also? Cass has started catching feelings for Rowan Davies, her internet bestie…and Taylor might be catching on. As Cass’s lies continue to build, so does her anxiety. Roleplaying used to be the one place she could escape to, but this double life and offline-online love triangle have only made things worse. Cass must decide what to do—be honest and risk losing her safe space or keep it a secret and put everything else on the line. If Willowdean Dickson is your ultimate book girlfriend and you wish Leah Burke was your best friend, you'll adore Cassidy Williams.
Cass Williams is a 17-year-old, out and proud queer teen who's more than a little obsessed with her secret online role playing group. When her mom leaves suddenly, Cass is left feeling abandoned by the parent she spent most of her time with, feeling like a third wheel with her best-friend and his girlfriend, and floundering at the prospect of having a cool girlfriend. To cope with reality, she retreats into a world of fantasy and virtual friends, but soon struggles to balance her in-person life with her online one as she navigates first kisses, first parties, and first heartbreak. Out of Character is a really great, body-positive, queer YA with a relatable MC and a lovely found-family element. What I loved about Cass is how much of myself I saw in her, I too had a very addictive Sims spiral in my teens, one that I can safely say has transferred to books. I love how positive and accepting Cass is of her body. It's really great to have a YA heroine who doesn't hate the way she looks and doesn't try to change it. She just accepts it, rocks it, and is surrounded by people who love her exactly the way she is. I too need an Ursula Halloween costume!! I also loved that this book wasn't a coming out story (even though I love those as well). It was really nice to read a contemporary YA where the main character was already out and didn't have to deal with much angst over her sexual identity. The author does a really great job of handling Cass's anxiety and her obsessive tendencies, making Cass a truly relatable narrator, even if she is a little too Minnesota-nice at times. The relationships in Out of Character are another thing I love, nothing feels rushed or unnatural. The relationships feel really organic and work really well, and I love that we have a sweet sapphic love story, with all of the messy, awkward mistakes you'd expect from a teen romance. The pacing of the book was good too, it wasn't particularly fast or slow, but Cass keeps the story flowing well and the added roleplay scenes at the end of each chapter add a really fun, cute element to the overall story. I think that Out of Character would be perfect for fans of Dumplin' by Julie Murphy, Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli, and To Be Honest by Maggie Ann Martin who're looking for a sweet and fun, body-positive, queer YA.
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Rating: 4.5 Stars Genre: LGBT/YA/Mystery/Thriller Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Gifted by the publisher In this queer contemporary YA mystery, a nonbinary teen with autism realizes they must not only solve a 30-year-old mystery but also face the demons lurking in their past in order to live a satisfying life. Sam Sylvester's not overly optimistic about their recent move to the small town of Astoria, Oregon after a traumatic experience in their last home in the rural Midwest. Yet Sam's life seems to be on the upswing after meeting several new friends and a potential love interest in Shep, the pretty neighbor. However, Sam can't seem to let go of what might have been, and is drawn to investigate the death of a teenage boy in 1980s Astoria. Sam's convinced he was murdered--especially since Sam's investigation seems to resurrect some ghosts in the town. Threatening notes and figures hidden in shadows begin to disrupt Sam's life. Yet Sam continues to search for the truth. When Sam discovers that they may be closer to a killer than previously known, Sam has a difficult decision to make. Would they risk their new life for a half-lived one? TW: Homophobia, transphobia, hate crimes, murder, attempted murder
This is another one of those times where, because I enjoyed a book, I don't have a great deal to say about it...but I'll do my best. It has made me desperately want to pull out all of my Queen and David Bowie records and just space out listening to them because of this book! The author did such a great job bringing the story and the characters to life in such a visceral way that I now can't get certain songs, and scents, out of my head. This book is definitely an experience. The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester has everything - it has neurodivergent rep, non-binary rep, trans rep, bisexual rep, gay rep, adoption rep - there's so much diversity, I love it! Then there's the plot which is part contemporary YA mixed with a dash of romance and then a paranormal-esque mystery/thriller that gave me chills. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book, and the mystery element kept me guessing until the final reveal. I love Sam, they're a unique character with a great voice and lots of heart. I love how the author portrays Sam and keeps their actions and responses feeling true to the character while adding in a cast of side characters that both compliment Sam and highlight their uniqueness. I really enjoyed how all of the different layers of this story intertwined. Some books have the characters constantly focused on a single main objective with no interruptions, but I love how the author keeps the pacing fresh and moving by having lots of issues and tension constantly building and circling Sam and their friends. To sum up, this book gave me major The Extraordinaries meets One of Us Is Lying vibes and would be perfect for fans of both of those books who love being kept on the edge of their seat. Rating: 4.5 Stars! Genre: Contemporary MM Romance/Romantic Comedy Series/Standalone: Signs of Love #6 (Can be read as a standalone) How I got this book: Bought via Kindle Unlimited True love is on the horizon, Sagittarius. It’s a good time to step out of your routine and into the unknown. Jason Lyall wants someone to come home to, someone he can be his most ridiculous self with. Someone who loves him regardless. But no matter how hard he tries, he can never quite make that connection, and now his last girlfriend has moved on—she’s engaged. So when his identical twin begs him to swap lives for a few weeks, Jason can see the appeal. Suddenly he’s living another life in a tiny Australian town, contending with weird, wild, and wonderful things the likes of which he’s never encountered before. Like spiders. Like snakes. Like his new neighbour, Sergeant Owen Stirling, who is all kinds of . . . suspicious. Prepare to be caught in a merry mix-up, Libra. It’s a dance of side-stepping and seduction. TW: Teen pregnancy, adoption, siblings/parent and child separated at birth.
Tropes: Opposites attract, fake identity, twin shenanigans, slow burn, small town. I downloaded this book at around 10:30pm last night on a whim and didn't stop reading until 2am. This book was exactly the injection of fun and shenanigans that I'd been missing. When it comes to writing clueless characters, slow-burn/insta-connection, and ridiculous misunderstandings, Anyta Sunday knocks it out of the park every time, and the Signs of Love series is one of my absolute favourites. In the latest instalment, Sagittarius Saves Libra, we meet Jason, an adopted pianist suffering from a bad case of loneliness. A few years ago he accidentally discovered the identical twin brother he was separated from at birth and the story starts with Jason and Carl deciding to switch lives for three weeks to help Carl escape his ex-boyfriends wedding, and to give Jason the chance to meet his birth family. But Jason doesn't expect the disarming man, Owen, who lives next door, or how difficult it is to pretend to be someone else, especially when Carl's small town starts to feel like home he's always craved. As with all of Anyta's Signs of Love characters, Jason is completely oblivious when it comes to what, or who, is standing right in front of him, which leads to some hilarious innuendo, misunderstandings, and frustration (on Owen's part). And, as always, the romance is sweet, the sex scenes steamy, and the found family element really beautifully done. I might just have to go back and re-read the entire series since this one was too good to put down! Filled with laugh out loud moments, sizzling chemistry, and an oblivious MC, Sagittarius Saves Libra is a fun-filled romantic comedy with a few surprises. Rating: 4 Stars! Genre: LGBT+/Contemporary YA/Mystery Thriller Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: eARC via NetGalley from Simon & Schuster Children's UK Gossip Girl but make it royal – a Black LGBTQ+ royal reimagining full of scandalous secrets, rollercoaster romances and one hell of a mystery. James has been a prince all of his life, and since he was born, he's been thrust into the spotlight as the first Black heir to the throne. But when his father unexpectedly dies, James is crowned king at seventeen. Now, the secrets he could keep as a prince with no real responsibility - namely, his sexuality and hidden relationship - are rocked as his life irrevocably changes. When his boyfriend suddenly goes missing, the royal secrets and scandals that only he knows start to leak online. And when it becomes clear that whoever is behind the messages isn't going to stop anytime soon, James begins to question everyone around him. TW: Death of a parent, forced coming out, racism, homophobia, terrorism. I honestly don't know where to even begin with this review. I just have so much I want to say and talk about but at the same time, know that I can't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it. So, I think the first thing I should say is, please go and read this book so that I can talk about it some more!!
The story starts with James, our protagonist. He's the teenage son of the King of England, and we meet him at the moment he finds out his father is dead and as the realisation hits that he is now the King. James is seventeen years old and very much not feeling up to the task of being King, or of facing the grief of losing his dad. His only solace comes from his very secret relationship with his boyfriend, but when he mysteriously disappears, James is left floundering and not knowing who he can put his trust in. James is an interesting character, and Benjamin Dean has done a fantastic job of making him utterly captivating from the very first page. Instantly James is a character I empathise with, who I connect with, and I want to see him succeed. One thing I had no idea of, from the blurb of The King is Dead, was how much of a mystery-thriller it would turn out to be. I was on the edge of my seat, trying my hardest to figure out who the 'big bad' was behind all the drama, but I just did not see those twists coming, and if there's one thing I love more than anything, it's a book that surprises me, and then keeps on doing it, and Benjamin Dean delivered this in spades. As more secrets and scandals come into the light, and as James has little time to deal with his own grief and his sudden plunge into the firing line, the author does a great job of conveying that feeling of barely keeping your head above water and sheer overwhelm, which only serves to make James more compelling. The thing that I was most conflicted about in this book, which ultimately led to my 4-star rating, was the ending...WHICH I CAN'T TALK ABOUT!!! 😬😬😬😬😬 Without giving anything away, it was an ending that shocked me because it was the first moment in the book where I really lost faith in James, our protagonist, and in some of the characters surrounding him. I also didn't particularly like how the romance element played out. BUT saying all of that, I can understand why the author chose that ending, and I did enjoy the fact that this book is a standalone with a clear ending that leaves just enough to your imagination. For me, this book felt like One of Us is Lying meets Red, White & Royal Blue, but British. It has the pacing and mystery of a really gripping thriller, with enough teen shenanigans and royal politics to inject just the right amount of humour and help juxtapose the darker themes of racism and homophobia. The King is Dead by Benjamin Dean comes out in the UK on 7th July 2022. Rating: 4 Stars Genre: LGBT/Dystopian/YA Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought When the Superflu wipes out most of the population, Jamie finds himself completely alone in a cabin in the woods - until an injured stranger crosses his path. Life is dangerous now and, armed with a gun, Jamie goes to pull the trigger. But there's something about Andrew ... something that stops Jamie in his tracks. Jamie takes him in, and as Andrew heals and they eventually step out into the strange new world, their relationship starts to feel like more than just friendship ... But trouble isn't far behind. As the boys make a perilous journey south, they'll come face to face with a world torn apart and society in ruins. And who, or what, will they find waiting for them at the end of it all? TW: Pandemic, illness, murder, gun violence, injury depiction, loss.
Review by Sophie. Ok, so I really didn’t think this book would be my cup of coffee, mainly because of the whole post-apocalyptic "super flu" setting, but I was intrigued as I don’t think I’ve read anything similar, and I’ll be the first to tell myself that I need to try new things… and truth be told, I’m really glad I did. Also, just look at the front cover! Andrew and Jamison have managed to survive the super flu and collide into each other’s lives, and we start our journey with them. Andrew stumbles across the cabin where Jamie resides after being injured in a bear trap. “I’ve been hobbling through the woods for the past day and a half looking for some shelter and a way to clean my wounds. Finding some medical supplies, a pantry full of food and Tom Holland wouldn’t hurt either. Instead, here we are. And not a Tom Holland in sight." They’re both very untrusting and wary of each other at first, but after spending weeks isolated together we start to learn about the struggles that both have endured since the start of the flu, and how it’s practically wiped out the human race. An altercation with a hostile group then forces Andrew and Jamie to leave the cabin. Andrew and Jamie are two very different people. Andrew is openly gay and a full-on sarcastic film fanatic, while Jamie, who's very strong minded and responsible is just figuring out that he’s Bi, and we see him struggle with that too. The world building throughout was good and really helped me to submerge myself in this post-apocalyptic world. I had no trouble at all in getting lost in this book. The pacing was quite fast and with the build up of tension that happens quite quickly, I found myself flying through it. I absolutely love Andrew and Jamie’s journey. Reading about how they grow, overcome their pasts, and how they face difficult situations side by side really pulled on my heart strings. I loved how their relationship developed from untrusting strangers, to friends, to more than friends, and I loved the banter in between. I think that Erik J. Brown does a fantastic job of having you as the reader laughing on one page, to sitting on the edge of your seat with the worst feeling of tension and dread for a character’s wellbeing on the next. It was a bit of a roller-coaster that was very touch and go! I think that anyone that reads All That’s left in the World will ultimately relate it to how extreme COVID could have been, but I know that Erik J Brown didn’t intend for it to be that way; it was originally written in 2015 and he hoped that it would be its own fictional creature, but for me, I think it added to the intensity of the setting, like with Covid and the initial fear of when it was announced, I think a lot of people thought that this could be the beginning of an apocalypse. “But then I look at him; I hear his laugh, I see his smile, and the darkness melts away. Then I do have hope--even just for a little while--because I know that there is something in this world I can fight for. Something I will fight for if I have to.” All in all, I thought this was a great read, I actually read it with in a day or two, and really didn’t want to put it down. It was very easy to read, and is probably one of the cutest, but nail-biting, love stories that I’ve read so far. So, if you currently have All That's Left in the World on your TBR, I'd highly recommend that you give it a go! Rating: 4 Stars Genre: Adult Fantasy Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought A dark and compelling fantasy about sisterhood, impossible tasks and the price of power, from award-winning author T. Kingfisher After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra―the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter―has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself. Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince―if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning. On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra's family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last. TW: Domestic Violence, Cannibalism (mentioned), Infant Death, Murder
This book took a left-turn right from the beginning when it casually threw cannibalism into the mix - I honestly had no idea what to expect as I'd heard nothing about the book or the author other than the blurb above, and honestly, I only picked it up because of the demon-possessed chicken. I admit that at the beginning I was worried I wasn't going to enjoy the book. I'm not sure what it was, I felt a little lost in the plot early on and I didn't feel any connection or great love for Marra, our main character. She seemed a bit dull and uninteresting at first and I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy her story. But then along came Bonedog, and the dust-wife, and Agnes, and Fenris, and the hen, and Finder, and they make for such a brilliantly fun cast of characters that the pace all of a sudden picked up and I couldn't tear myself away. “How did you get a demon in your chicken?' 'The usual way. Couldn't put it in the rooster. That's how you get basilisks.” One of things I really love about this book is that Marra is 30, or in her thirties, which I found really refreshing. I read so many fantasy books where the characters are super young and sexy, and here we have an almost nun who turns to magic and necromancy to help save her family from an evil prince. Her inner monologue adds a modern, fresh take on a medieval-style fantasy, and when paired with the rest of the characters in this book she really comes to life. The dust-wife and Agnes are my two favourite characters, I'm firmly shipping them as a couple, whether it's canon or not, and I love their back and forth which really livens up the plot. The magic in Nettle and Bone is really great, and at times super creepy. The goblin market gave me such Hellboy vibes and it was so vivid, I felt like I was there. The author then throws out left turn after left turn that are both hysterically funny and intensely sinister. “Still, I have to admit I didn’t see the chicken or the puppet coming.” The whole thing is a darkly magic adventure, featuring an unlikely band of characters who only make each other better the more the story progresses. The magic is surprising and the dialogue witty with satirical fairytale undertones that make it a great choice for fans of Gallant and Six of Crows. Rating: 5 STARS! Genre: LGBTQ+/Contemporary/YA Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought Barney's a shoo-in for his school's LGBTQ+ Society President at the club's next election. But when the vote is opened up to the entire student body, the whole school starts paying attention. How low will the candidates go to win? Buckle up for some serious shade, scandals and sleazy shenanigans. It isn't long before it's National Coming Out Day - for everyone's secrets! But when the group faces an expected threat - and a big opportunity - can the club members put politics aside and stand united? TW: Homophobia/Queerphobia/Transphobia, homophobic language, hate-fuelled violence.
Simon James Green does it again! It wouldn't be (almost) summer if Simon James Green wasn't releasing another LGBTQ+ YA novel for me to become obsessed with! Gay Club! is everything I've come to expect from an SJG novel - funny, witty, inclusive and quintessentially British. But where this book differs from those that came before is that it hits the nail on the head much, much harder. Barney Brown is certain he's going to be the next president of the LGBTQ+ club at school. After all, 2 out of 3 of the other members are his best friends, so surely it's in the bag? That is until his rival opens the vote to the whole school and suddenly there's politics, underhand shenanigans, and the school's golden boy causing trouble and ruffling Barney's feathers. "Here's my gay agenda: we're all voting for this, right? So let's make the whole school the gay club." Gay Club! has all of Simon James Green's classic humour and realistic British high-school antics that keep the plot fresh, fun and moving forward. Barney and his friends are diverse, relatable and leap off the page. They have great chemistry and it was impossible not to root for them. So much so that I devoured this whole book in just a day, desperate to find out what would happen next and how it all would end. One thing that felt very different in this book, compared to Simon's previous novels, was the queerphobia, which is an undercurrent throughout the novel. Simon tackles this head-on, in a no-nonsense way that was both really powerful and really difficult at times to read, but which goes to show exactly how resilient, strong and beautiful the LGBTQ+ community is as a whole. I love the messages in Gay Club! of standing up for what's right and being true to yourself and, as always, through Barney, Simon James Green has given us another sweet and entirely relatable main character that I'm pretty sure we can all see parts of ourselves in. I think Gay Club! is a fantastic book for everyone, whether you're gay, trans, bi, lesbian, questioning, straight - if you enjoy sweet, loveable characters, OTT British high-school drama, a little romance, and friends who're more like family, Gay Club! is the book for you! #VoteBarney "You don't have to come out to come in" Perfect for fans of Sex Education, Heartstopper, Jack of Hearts and Other Parts, and any of Simon's other YA books. Fans of Noah Can't Even should also look out for a familiar face popping up in Gay Club! Rating: 4.5 Stars Genre: YA/Fantasy Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source. Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways. Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from. Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him? TW: Grief, Mild Horror, Murder, Paranormal Fantasy
I didn't actually read the blurb for this book before I bought it. I read the first page, and from that moment I was hooked. "When he opens his hand, there is nothing left but a streak of ash and rot and a few white teeth, little bigger than seeds. He tips them out onto the wasted soil and wonders what will grow." Now, this could be me being an absolute wet lettuce, but I actually found this book really quite scary and creepy. I will admit that I don't read horror at all, and while I wouldn't categorise Gallant as horror per se, it did make me jump a couple of times. The tension in Gallant is palpable, so much so that I found myself holding my breath and quite literally on the edge of my certain at certain moments, and I adored the mystery and ominosity surrounding Olivia's parents, and Gallant and it's inhabitants. I found Olivia's character really compelling. She's strong-willed, independent and incredibly brave, even when she's afraid. Abandoned as an infant on the doorstep of an orphanage for girls, and without a voice, Olivia has to defend herself with her actions. She has such a loud presence and strong inner voice that I felt an instant connection with her. I don't think I've read a book containing, or at least not centring around, a non-verbal character before, and while I can't speak for how accurate the portrayal was, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Olivia and reading a story that was delivered more through visual language and imagery than through dialogue between characters. V.E. Schwab's writing pulled me into the story quickly, and I love the imagery she conjures with her words that sits so beautifully next to the illustrations by Manuel Sumberac. The book itself is incredibly visual with journal pages and ink drawings throughout, which really help bring the story to life. While dealing with bullies, in the form of other girls and the matrons, at the Merilance School for Girls, Olivia receives a letter from an unknown relative inviting her to Gallant, her home, something she's always craved but which her mother warned her to stay away from. Suddenly faced with her hostile cousin and ghouls lining the corridors, Olivia must discover whether this "home" is one worth fighting for when death comes knocking at the door. “Perhaps you are haunting me. What a comforting thought.” I think, for me, the big twist in Gallant was the ending, which I hadn't expected, even though I don't think any other ending would have worked. It's definitely a book that I adored, and V.E. Schwab is quickly becoming one of my favourite writers. Rating: 4 stars! Genre: Historical/Adult Fantasy Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: ARC from the publisher Welcome to the Winter Garden. Open only at 13 o'clock. You are invited to enter an unusual competition. I am looking for the most magical, spectacular, remarkable pleasure garden this world has to offer. On the night her mother dies, 8-year-old Beatrice receives an invitation to the mysterious Winter Garden. A place of wonder and magic, filled with all manner of strange and spectacular flora and fauna, the garden is her solace every night for seven days. But when the garden disappears, and no one believes her story, Beatrice is left to wonder if it were truly real. Eighteen years later, on the eve of her wedding to a man her late father approved of but she does not love, Beatrice makes the decision to throw off the expectations of Victorian English society and search for the garden. But when both she and her closest friend, Rosa, receive invitations to compete to create spectacular pleasure gardens - with the prize being one wish from the last of the Winter Garden's magic - she realises she may be closer to finding it than she ever imagined. Now all she has to do is win. TW: slavery (mentioned), mental health (depression), rape, infant abuse (violence), infant death, drug addiction
I had no idea what to expect when going into this, aside from the fact that it's published by DelRey, who have quickly become one of my favourite book publishers - their books never disappoint! The blurb gave me Tom's Midnight Garden meets The Night Circus vibes, so I was excited, but it was only when I started reading that I realised how dark and creepy this book is, which was so fantastic! It's a female-led, feminist fantasy centring around two main characters, Beatrice and Rose. Two women, two friends, whose choices lead them down very different paths revolving around the mysterious Winter Garden that came to Beatrice as a child. My favourite part of this book was the magic, which was incredible and beautifully woven into the story, from magical flowers that only open when you're grieving and clockwork creatures with souls; to a tiger made entirely of stars. The lyrical prose is beautiful, and the plot and characters carry the story well. There was never a moment where I felt bored with the story. There was always just enough mystery to keep me interested throughout. As you can see from the trigger warnings, there are some heavy themes that made it a much darker story than I'd expected. However, saying that, it was unexpectedly funny in places; through Beatrice in particular, who has a great wit. The only thing that disappointed me was the lack of diversity, but overall, I couldn't get enough of this dark and mysterious fantasy that's brimming with the most incredible magic. Highly recommended for fans of The Night Circus, Caraval and The Starless Sea. Rating: 5 STARS! Genre: LGBT/Fantasy Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: eARC via UKTor, BlackCrowPR and NetGalley When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead. Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop's owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over. But Wallace isn't ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo's help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life. When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days. By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this absorbing tale of grief and hope is told with TJ Klune's signature warmth, humor, and extraordinary empathy. TW: Death, grief, loss, murder, suicide
After reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, I had certain expectations about this book going into it, and I was mostly wrong. This book is not a sequel or a continuation of The House in the Cerulean Sea, but something entirely new and, for me at least, incredibly powerful. At the beginning of the book, we meet Wallace Price in his prime. A ruthless lawyer, in the process of firing a long-time employee in a way that shows he has no compassion or heart. TJ Klune delivers a character who should, on all accounts, be impossible to like. And yet, Wallace might just be one of the most relatable, empathetic characters I've ever read. I adore the emotional way in which TJ Klune writes, something I've enjoyed in his previous books, but never before has any book had such an emotional impact on me as Under the Whispering Door. I certainly don't remember any book where I spent at least 1/3 of it in tears. As someone who has lost loved ones, this book gives me hope for all of us, and reading it was an incredibly cathartic process. While it was emotional, the book wasn't by any means 'doom and gloom'. The characters and situations in the book had me laughing out loud and smiling at the sweetness and the possibility. The romance in this book is beautiful, with a found family at its core, and the perfect pairing between a complete cinnamon roll character and a grumpier character. "Wallace stared after him, burning like the sun." Only TJ Klune could write a book about death that’s so hauntingly and profoundly beautiful…but also makes you laugh out loud. I swear each book he writes is better than the last. "When we're lost, we need help to try and find out way again." |
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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