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Yellowface: R.F. Kuang Writes a Meta, Mighty, and Merciless Dark Satire
Helen Keller’s memoir is unforgettable for many reasons, but is surprising for her admission of having retold a fable (Birdie and His Friends by Margaret T. Canby) as en eleven-year-old when submitting a short story (The Frost King) for her school magazine. Though, more surprising than this acceptance was Mark Twain’s letter to Keller, where…
Read MoreBright Ruined Things: Samantha Cohoe Creates An Average Magical 1920s Fantasy that Features Spirits, Secrets, and a Determined Heroine
It’s no surprise that young adult characters are sometimes judged from a mature, experienced lens for decisions that are very much based on their ‘young’ age. So I always set a reminder for myself while reading YA books: don’t judge the protagonist too much for their choices and simply comment on them from the story’s…
Read MoreEvery Variable of Us: Charles A. Bush Lets Young Characters Be Messy and Flawed While Exploring Individual Queer Journeys
We’ve often come across opinions about adult readers being a target audience for young adult books or not. Of course, the demographic is meant for the young readers but with the growing space for more YA books, a lot of stories might read like it’s meant for those who were teenagers. While all sorts of…
Read MoreThe Wonders: Elena Medel Boldly Interprets Class Hardships & Trauma Through the Lives of Three Spanish Women
This debut novel in English by the Spanish poet feels like a collection of short stories that weave back and forth through time. Attempting to bypass and often unknowingly giving in to intergenerational trauma, two working-class women try creating lives of their own for freedom from patriarchal constrictions, financial hardships, and everlasting grief, while these…
Read MoreIron Widow: Xiran Jay Zhao Crafts An Intimidating & Unapologetic Science Fiction Full of Feminist Rage
While picking up a feminist SFF, some might expect the men in these stories to find an independent place for themselves within these fictional worlds. Because that’s true feminism for many, right? We can’t have a heroine who drives the male protagonists’ arc by herself, with her strength, on her power. Of course, this isn’t…
Read MoreCan’t Resist Her: Kianna Alexander Lets the Characters Shine Individually in This Sapphic Romance
There’s something to be said about readers often and rightly complaining about the lack of stories featuring Black characters that don’t revolve around racism, but not supporting tales that actually centre Black love and their families, heritage, and inner conflicts. Can’t Resist Her quickly unravels a second-chance romance with excellent steamy scenes, great potential for…
Read MoreA River Enchanted: Rebecca Ross Explores Music, Myths, and the Meaning of Home in This Scottish-Inspired Fantasy
Some books really force you to decide what you like more: a fast-paced plot or a slowly-evolving character arc. A River Enchanted gives you enough reasons to go with the latter. Fantasy books, especially when not in the the young adult demographic, are often expected to let a complex plot, an extensively built world, and…
Read MoreMini Reviews — A Middle Grade Fantasy Explores Grief, A Political Dystopian Intrigues, And A Paranormal Romance Entertains
Furthermoor by Darren Simpson Bren is still grieving the tragic loss of his sister Evie and has numbed himself while going through the daily routines of home and school. Simultaneously, the school bully, Shaun, preys on the saddened Bren while also marking down a new kid. Bren is happy he at least has an imaginary…
Read MoreSofi and the Bone Song: Adrienne Tooley Hits the Right Notes in This Magical & Musical Fantasy of Self-Discovery and Deception
The myth of the tortured artist has turned real for many creatives all through past and present, like Vincent van Gogh who battled mental illness and secured his spot as the suffering artist when he chopped off his ear with a razor blade. But at the core of a creative world, the idea of suffering…
Read MoreAn Arrow to the Moon: Emily X.R. Pan Beautifully Blends Love and Lore in This Magical Mix of Romeo & Juliet and Houyi & Chang’e
Retellings have been trending on book lists and for all the right reasons. Whether it’s Chloe Gong’s YA romantic historical fantasy, These Violent Delights, or CB Lee’s fresh exploration of Treasure Island, as part of the “Remixed Classics” series by BIPOC authors, A Clash of Steel. Even reimaginings of Hindu epics like Ramayana (Vaishnavi Patel’s…
Read MoreFour Treasures of the Sky: Jenny Tinghui Zhang Unravels A Tragic Story of Reclamation in This Debut
It’s often interesting to see what motivated an author to craft a particular story. Especially when the push to create something powerful comes from empathy for the powerless. Like Sabaa Tahir who says her own experience of growing up as a kid who didn’t fit in and then reading about various stories of some absolutely…
Read MoreA Magic Steeped in Poison: Judy I. Lin Brews Loyalty & Treachery in Beautiful Cups of Aromatic Magic
Blending threads of mythology with courageous heroines and hints of romance against a mysterious fantastical backdrop inspired by folklore has recently found a huge space on bookshelves, and deservedly so. Whether it’s the recent YA fantasy, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh that retells a Korean folktale or the recent adult…
Read MoreBook Review: Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi
In her youth, Tara was wild. She abandoned her arranged marriage to join an ashram, took a hapless artist for a lover, rebelled against every social expectation of a good Indian woman – all with her young child in tow. Years on, she is an old woman with a fading memory, mixing up her maid’s…
Read MoreBook Review: Love Marriage by Monica Ali
Yasmin Ghorami in twenty-six, in training to be a doctor (like her Indian-born father), and engaged to the charismatic, upper-class Joe Sangster, whose formidable mother, Harriet, is a famous feminist. The gulf between families is vast. So, too, is the gulf in sexual experience between Yasmin and Joe.As the wedding day draws near, misunderstandings, infidelities,…
Read MoreBook Review: The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights by Alexandria Rogers
Twelve-year-old Ellie can’t help that she’s a witch, the most hated member of society. Determined to prove her worth and eschew her heritage, Ellie applies to the Fairy Godmother Academy—her golden ticket to societal acceptance. But Ellie’s dreams are squashed when she receives the dreaded draft letter to serve as a knight of King Arthur’s…
Read MoreBook Review: Skinship by Yoon Choi
An exquisite collection from a breathtakingly new voice–centered on a constellation of Korean American families, these stories announce the debut of a master of short fiction.A long-married couple is forced to confront their friend’s painful past when a church revival comes to a nearby town . . . A woman in an arranged marriage struggles…
Read MoreMini Reviews — Two Middle-Grade Books, Two Contemporary Romances, And A Translated Fiction
A Mystery at Lili Villa by Arathi Menon Enid Blyton’s Five Find-Outers meets Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew in this small-town mystery set against the beautiful backdrop of Kerala, India. For a desi kid, summer vacations are more than school holidays: they’re the perfect time for meeting up with distant family, delicious food, running wild while the elders napped in…
Read MoreBook Review: Not Here To Be Liked by Michelle Quach
Emergency Contact meets Moxie in this cheeky and searing novel that unpacks just how complicated new love can get…when you fall for your enemy.Eliza Quan is the perfect candidate for editor in chief of her school paper. That is, until ex-jock Len DiMartile decides on a whim to run against her. Suddenly her vast qualifications mean squat because…
Read MoreBook Review: When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord
Nothing will get in the way of Millie Price’s dream to become a Broadway star. Not her lovable but super-introverted dad, who after raising Millie alone, doesn’t want to watch her leave home to pursue her dream. Not her pesky and ongoing drama club rival, Oliver, who is the very definition of Simmering Romantic Tension.…
Read MoreBook Review: Minor Detail by Adania Shibli, Tr. Elisabeth Jaquette
Minor Detail begins during the summer of 1949, one year after the war that the Palestinians mourn as the Nakba—the catastrophe that led to the displacement and exile of some 700,000 people—and the Israelis celebrate as the War of Independence. Israeli soldiers murder an encampment of Bedouin in the Negev desert, and among their victims they capture…
Read MoreBook Review: If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich
Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartbreakers in front of the cameras and best friends backstage. But privately, cracks are starting to form: their once-easy rapport is straining…
Read MoreBook Review: House of Glass Hearts by Leila Siddiqui
Maera and her ammi never talk about the Past, a place where they’ve banished their family’s heartache and grief forever. They especially never mention the night Maera’s older brother Asad disappeared from her naana’s house in Karachi ten years ago. But when her grandfather dies and his derelict greenhouse appears in her backyard from thousands…
Read MoreBook Review: For All Time by Shanna Miles
Tamar is a musician, a warrior, a survivor. Fayard? He’s a pioneer, a hustler, a hopeless romantic.Together, Tamar and Fayard have lived a thousand lives, seen the world build itself up from nothing only to tear itself down again in civil war. They’ve even watched humanity take to the stars. But in each life one…
Read MoreBook Review: Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan
Jade Fire Gold is a debut young adult fantasy that borrows xianxia elements and is inspired by Chinese mythology. Published by HarperTeen in September 2021!
Read MoreBook Review: Kololo Hill by Neema Shah
Kololo Hill is a historical fiction featuring Ugandan Indians who traverse the horrors and hope of home. Released in 2021 by Picador Books UK!
Read MoreBook Review: Sway With Me by Syed M. Masood
Sway With Me is a coming-of-age YA romantic comedy featuring Muslim Pakistani-American characters. Released in 2021 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers!
Read MoreBook Review: It All Comes Back To You by Farah Naz Rishi
It All Comes Back to You is a coming-of-age YA romantic drama featuring Muslim Pakistani-American characters. Released in 2021 by Quill Tree Books!
Read MoreBook Review: The Archer by Shruti Swamy
The Archer is a coming-of-age novel set in 1960-70s Bombay and told through a protagonist who loves kathak. Released in 2021 by Algonquin Books!
Read MoreTen Books I Recently Read & My Thoughts On Them — Vol. 01
Thoughts on my recent reads: A Pho Love Story, The Scapegoat, Jay’s Gay Agenda, An Emotion of Great Delight, Pashmina, We Are Totally Normal, and others!
Read MoreBook Review: Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Firekeeper’s Daughter is a young adult mystery and thriller that dedicates culture and justice through a Native biracial protagonist. Released in 2021 by Henry Holt & Co!
Read MoreBook Review: Rea and the Blood of the Nectar by Payal Doshi
Rea and the Blood of the Nectar by Payal Doshi is a middle grade fantasy that thrills through a secret quest and explores family dynamics. Released in 2021 by Mango & Marigold Press.
Read MoreBook Review: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna is a young adult fantasy that places women with power in the centre and examines patriarchy through beliefs. Released in 2021 by Usborne Publishing.
Read MoreBook Review: Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles
Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles is an absolute favourite YA fantasy with themes of smashing sexism + rebelling against systems in the midst of romantic yearning and an air of mystery.
Read MoreBook Review: The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi is a heist-filled YA historical fantasy set in 1889 Paris with diverse characters, complex magic, romance, and themes around colonialism and hierarchical power.
Read MoreBook Review: We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal
We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal is the first in a YA fantasy duology set in ancient Arabia where darkness and cold is creeping over a kingdom of sand and sun. Released in 2019 by Pan Macmillan!
Read MoreBook Review: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong has easily become one of the best reads of the year and taken a place in my list of absolute favourites. It’s a historical fantasy romance set in 1926 Shanghai.
Read MoreBook Review: This Is All Your Fault by Aminah Mae Safi
This Is All Your Fault by Aminah Mae Safi is a YA contemporary where three young girls try to save their workplace, an independent bookstore on the verge of being closed; blog tour + giveaway!
Read MoreBook Review: A House Is A Body by Shruti Swamy
A House Is A Body by Shruti Swamy is a set of short stories published on August 11, 2020 by Algonquin Books. Read this book review to know why I rated this South Asian collection four stars.
Read MoreBook Review: Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar
Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar is a YA standalone with fast-paced mythology-inspired fantasy plot and lush writing that makes you want to be lost in the shine of a star. Released in August 2020 by HarperTeen!
Read MoreBook Review: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon
10 Things I Hate About Pinky is a desi young adult summer romance with a refreshing frenemies-to-lovers trope. Released in 2020 by Simon Pulse!
Read MoreBook Review: The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon is an insightful adult contemporary romance with strong personalities countering important themes. Released in 2020 by Forever Publishing!
Read MoreBook Review: Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena
Hunted by the Sky is an Indian and Persian mythology inspired fantasy romance where tyrants are thrown. Released in 2020 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux!
Read MoreBook Review: You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
You Should See Me in a Crown is a fluffy contemporary romance that is crafted amidst the chaos and charm of a high-school prom, and shines a spotlight on being a Black, queer young girl. Read on to find out all the great points of this YA 2020 release!
Read MoreBook Review: The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar is a sapphic contemporary romance with an excellent portrayal of a Bangladeshi-Irish lesbian girl challenging the evident cultural appropriation around her while falling in love.
Read MoreBook Review: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
The Poppy War is a story centred around war and the gruesome politics, violence, and dark themes that come along with it. Set during the Second Sino-Japanese War, it takes opium as a source to possess shamanic powers to consequently, destroy in order to save. The themes of lost humanity, gore violence, calling Gods, and…
Read MoreBook Review: A Spark Of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna
A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna is a Mahabharata inspired science fiction set in space that incorporates fantasy elements too. Read the full review of this emotional chaos among stars!
Read MoreBook Review: Circe by Madeline Miller
Circe is a historical fiction that follows a witch and goddess as she grows through every centuryand every page of this magical book. Released in 2018 by Bloomsbury Publishing!
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