April and May were a couple of rough reading months for me. I was sick for five weeks, I started and finished a temporary job, and I started another new job. This left me with very little energy and time to read. Because of this I only read 6 books total in the last two months. This totaled to 1,942 pages read with an average rating of 8.9/10.
1. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (361 pages) (Rating: 9.25/10)
This young adult high fantasy follows Yelena, a young woman who murdered her tormenter and as punishment must become a food taster for the Commander. I have a review up on my blog if you’re interested in hearing my thoughts.
2. A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Bridgid Kemmerer (496 pages) (Rating: 8.75/10)
This young adult high fantasy novel is a beauty and the beast retelling following Harper (Beauty) and Prince Rhen (The Beast). It takes place in both Washington D.C. and the fantasy world of Emberfall, which is cursed and under attack from a foreign land. Harper is a strong protagonist with a golden heart who doesn’t allow her cerebral palsy to hold her back. The novel’s major flaw is its lack of chemistry between Harper and Rhen (which the characters themselves acknowledge).
3. Autoboyography by Christina Lauren (407 pages) (Rating: 8.75/10):
This young adult contemporary novel follows Tanner, a bisexual teen who goes back in the closet when his family moves to Provo, Utah. Things become complicated for him when he falls for Mormon boy Sebastian. I enjoyed the novel and Tanner and Sebastian had good chemistry. Unfortunately, the other characters were underutilized. Additionally, the ending added in Sebastian’s POV after the majority of the novel was solely told from Tanner’s perspective. This felt random and misplaced.
4. Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller (326 pages) (Rating: 9.5/10)
This is one of the best young adult fantasy novels I’ve read in some time. It follows Rasmira, who has trained her entire life to be a warrior who protects her village. When she fails her trial (which determines her future) she is banished into the wild. She must kill the god Peruxolo who torments her village if she hopes to ever return home. Rasmira is a character of great strength and determination and the world is rich and well developed. My only qualm was that the ending felt rushed and too neat.
5. Stepsister by Jennifer Donnely (352 pages) (Rating: 9.5/10)
This young adult fantasy novel is a Cinderella retelling focusing on the stepsisters. I have a full review up on my blog if you’re interested, but while the plot was a little too convoluted, I enjoyed the characters and how faithful the novel stayed to the original fairytale.
6. Ink by Alice Broadway (336 pages) (Rating: 7.75/10)
This young adult dystopian novel is set in a world where everyone’s accomplishments and failures are inked onto their skin. The novel follows aspiring inker (this world’s tattoo artist) Leora, whose father was condemned to be ‘forgotten’ (the worst thing that can happen to someone in this world). A lot of time was spent developing the world (and it is a very intriguing world), but the characters, Leora included, lack much of a personality. Overall the novel had a lot of potential, but ultimately fell flat.
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