Young Adult Fantasy

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

All of Us Villains follows seven champions who must compete in a tournament until only one is left and the prize is control over the high magic in the world. This year a book detailed all of the secrets of the tournament and now the champions have a chance to end the tournament once and for all or fight till the death.

This was an immersive young adult fantasy with an interesting plot and great pacing. There were many plot twists that will shock the reader. The characters were all so complex and interesting. Each of the characters go through different challenges and solve them in different ways. The character development was excellent, all the sides of the characters were shown and they changed throughout the book. The writing and storytelling is descriptive and enchanting. This was an exciting and mysterious young adult fantasy about betrayal, power, sacrifice, love and family.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Signa is an orphan who has been raised by different relatives who only cared about her wealth. After her Aunt dies Signa is brought to live with her last living relatives, the Hawthornes who live in a mysterious and spooky estate. When the Hawthornes mother’s spirit claims she was poisoned, Signa decides to help and allies herself with Death, who has been around since she was young. Will Signa discover who killed her Aunt Lillian and save her family?

This was an enchanting and mysterious romantic fantasy about wealth, desire, betrayal, love and power. This book had great Gothic vibes and was very immersive. The plot was intriguing and the pacing was perfect! There were so many twists and turns that will shock the reader. The characters are relatable and complex. The character development was very well done, the characters faced many challenges that shaped their personality in many ways. The author is such a great writer and storyteller, the beautiful writing will transport the reader into the Gothic world.

This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede

Alessa has a gift she received from the god’s, but instead of magnifying her partner’s power, she has killed every partner she’s touched. Alessa doesn’t have much time to find a partner before an invasion of demons will devour her home. Alessa’s soldiers try to kill her when a priest tells everyone that the island will be saved if Alessa is killed. Then Alessa hires Dante, a killer and an outcast to become her bodyguard. Will Dante be able to help Alessa control her power or will he kill her?

This was a transportive young adult fantasy about love, power, and betrayal. The plot was so interesting and the pacing was perfect! There were several twists and turns that will shock the reader. This book has everything you could want in a fantasy romance including magic, slow-burn romance, one-bed, demons and more. Alessa was so strong, persistent, determined and stubborn, and will do anything for Dante. Dante was very charming, sweet, brave, strong and very handsome. The side characters were also very well rounded and each had their own personality. The romance between Alessa and Dante was very well done, they both saw the good in each other and were able to understand each other.

Mystery

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Pippa Fitz-Amobi, a high school student, chooses a case for her final year project that has been closed for years in which Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh, but Pip doesn’t believe he did it. As she learns more about the case she uncovers several secrets. Will she be able to solve the mystery and how far will the killer go to keep from Pip uncovering the truth?

This book was so intriguing and exciting. This was a fast-paced and shocking book that will keep the reader engaged till the very end. The mystery was surprising and was unpredictable. The characters were all relatable and complex.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Inheritance Games follows Avery Grambs, a high schooler learns that Tobias Hawthorne, a billionaire who gives his fortune to Avery. Avery must live in the Hawthorne mansion to gain her inheritance. Avery realizes that she is at the center of a dangerous game of wealth and privilege.

This was a fast-paced and exciting mystery full of riddles and secret passages. The characters were well rounded and were relatable. The mystery was fun and engaging. There were several surprises and revelations that will keep the reader at the edge of their seat.

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

This was a powerful and interesting young adult mystery about the importance of family and reclaiming your history. Warrior Girl Unearthed takes place 10 years after the events of Firekeeper’s Daughter and follows Perry Firekeeper-Birch, a teenager who is in an internship program to pay her Aunt back for the damage to her car. Perry becomes involved in an investigation to find Indigenous women who have gone missing and tries to reclaim her ancestors’ remains which have been taken. Will Perry find the missing women and reclaim her ancestors before it’s too late?

This was such a powerful and emotional story that is beautifully written. The story was engaging and the book included several unexpected plot twists that will leave the reader wanting more. The author did an excellent job of making the story engaging and thoughtful while also discussing the injustice that Indigenous people face. The author put her love for her culture and tribe into this book. The characters are so well developed and have several complexities to them. Perry is a strong, resilient, caring, compassionate and loyal person who will do anything for her family and community. Shense is a relatable character who is brave, hardworking, loyal, kind and always puts her baby and community first. I loved the Native American representation in this book, it’s so important that everyone’s story is told.

Romance

Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

This is such a cute and beautiful novel about love, mental illness, family and learning to love yourself. I loved this book so much! The pacing was perfect and the plot was interesting. I love Nick and Charlie so much! They are perfect for each other and they are so sweet to each other. I also love their friends including Tara, Tao, Elle and Darcy. I love Tori, she is so awesome! I love the illustrations in this book, they are so beautiful! I really appreciate how the author talked about mental illnesses in this book, that there are good days and bad days and it takes time for the person to get better. I recommend this book to anyone who loves romance, graphic novels and beautiful and heartwarming stories.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

This was a brilliant and heartbreaking romantic fantasy about love, family, loss, courage and strength. Divine Rivals follows Iris who is a writer for a newspaper during a time of war between two gods. Iris writes letters to her brother every night and slips them under her closet door and the letters appear into the hands of her academic rival at the newspaper, Roman Kitt. Roman anonymously writes back to her and they create a deep connection that transcends time and space.

I fell in love with this story and the characters from the very first page. The pacing was perfect and the plot was engaging. The world building is excellent; the author spent a great deal of time crafting the intriguing world of gods, goddesses, monsters and magic. The author discussed important topics including grief and loss, she showed that it’s a long and continuous process. The writing is so poetic and beautiful, it honestly touched my heart. The storytelling was excellent, the author was able to transport the reader into the world through her writing. The characters were so complex and interesting. Iris is a relatable, smart, kind, brave, strong, and caring person. Iris’ character development was excellent, she grew a great deal and discovered her purpose in life. Roman is relatable, witty, courageous, smart, kind, and so protective of Iris. The banter and the chemistry between Roman and Iris was excellent. The romance between the main characters was great, they understood each other and communicated well.

Lore Olympus Volume One by Rachel Smythe

Persephone, the goddess of spring, was raised by her mother, Demeter in the mortal realm. Persephone is allowed to live in the glamorous world of Olympus after she promises to train as a sacred virgin. When Artemis, her roommate, takes her to a wild party she meets Hades, the charming god of the Underworld and she feels a spark with him. Persephone must learn the relationships and politics in Olympus as well as discover her own place and power.

This was a fantastic retelling of Hades and Persephone about love, power, politics and discovering your place in the world. The author created a modern age perspective of Hades and Persephone in a graphic novel format. The art and illustrations in this novel are beautiful. I love Hades and Persephone so much! I love how sweet and kind Hades is to Persephone. I appreciate that the author mentioned content warnings in the second page of the novel.