Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I debated if I should do a related blog or not. I considered doing a tag or talking about my favorite book romances or simply romance novels. None of those ideas really appealed to me, though. I ended up finally settling on doing a blog about things (tropes, writing styles, character types, etc.) that I love to read in books. I figured it fits the Valentine's theme since it's things I love and Valentine's Day is all about love. It also allows m

WHAT IS MIDNIGHT SUN?/A SHORT HISTORY If you weren't a teenage girl (or her mom) during the height of Twilight's fame then you may be unaware. Twilight is a YA paranormal/fantasy romance novel written by Stephenie Meyer. It depicts the love story between a mortal girl (Bella Swan) and an immortal vampire (Edward Cullen). Twilight is the first in a series of four books known collectively as the Twilight Saga. Twilight is told from Bella's perspective. Midnight Sun is the same

October, the month of pumpkins, sweaters and Halloween, is almost upon us. I picked out some spooky books to get you in the proper spirit. I hope you enjoy these (semi) scary stories just as much as I did. 1. School's in Session with the Truly Devious trilogy by Maureen Johnson Welcome students to Ellingham Academy! Our prestigious school is the perfect setting for a world class education with a side of murder. It's located on a beautiful, isolated mountain and is full of cou

Jenn Bennett is the author of 4 YA contemporary novels to date. She has a fifth coming out in early November which I do plan to read and review but, for obvious reasons, it won't be included in this blog. She also has several adult fantasy novels and one YA fantasy novel. However, this blog solely covers her contemporaries. For each book I will give a brief plot summary, my review, and my star rating. The books are ordered from my highest to lowest rating. TITLE: Starry Eyes

Genre: YA Contemporary Length: 357 pages Rating: 4.5 ⭐️ Plot: The novel follows two teens navigating high school. Pony is a trans boy who is going stealth and Georgia is a cheerleader with other aspirations. The two develop feelings for each other but their relationship quickly becomes complicated. Characters: Pony is sweet and has an interest the film industry, and in particular the horror genre. He has a close relationship with his sister but a distant one with his father.

Genre: YA Fantasy Length: 431 pages Rating: 4.5 ⭐️ Plot: The emperor has died and noble dragon riders are called to compete in four trials to determine who will be his replacement. There is Emilia (the liar), Lucian (the solider), Hyperia (the murderer), Vesper (the servant), and Ajax (the thief). Five will enter the trials, but only one can win. Characters: Emilia is a bookworm who, due to her outlawed, chaotic magic has been isolated for the past four years. Lucian comes fr

Genre: YA Contemporary Length: 388 pages Rating: 5 stars Plot: Emoni is a senior in high school with a real talent and passion (or as her grandmother calls it magic) for cooking. Her life is complicated by the fact that at the age of fifteen she became a mother to a little girl with her ex, Tyrone. The novel follows Emoni through her senior year as she is faced with decisions about her future. Characters: The main character of this novel, Emoni is creative, and loving mother,

Genre: YA mystery Length: Truly Devious: 416 pages The Vanishing Stair: 369 pages The Hand on the Wall: 368 pages Ratings: Truly Devious: 5 stars The Vanishing Stair: 5 stars The Hand on the Wall: 4.5 stars Average Rating: 4.83 stars Plot: Stevie Bell is a true crime aficionado who begins her education at the prestigious, remote Ellingham Academy. In 1936 the wealthy founder, Albert Ellingham's wife and young daughter were kidnapped and the mystery was never solved. Stevie in

Genre: YA Historical Fiction Length: 513 pages Plot: In this YA historical fiction taking place in 18th century Europe, Henry 'Monty' Montague is a wealthy young man in love with his best friend Percy. The two, along with Monty's little sister Felicity, are taking a Grand Tour of the Continent, but their fun turns to a life on the run when Monty steals a mysterious box from a duke. Characters: Monty: He was a very charismatic character who loved drinking, sleeping around, and

Genre: YA fantasy Length: 369 pages Plot: The novel follows the story of a continent that once was rich in magic but has since lost it and now is in danger of being devoured by a dark, encroaching forest. Two people, Zafira the huntress and Nasir the crown prince/assassin, set out on an adventure to the cursed island of Sharr to restore magic to the land. Characters: There are quite a few characters and for the most parts my thoughts on them ranged from indifferent to liking