YA Librarian

All Better Now – book review

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All Better Now by Neal Shusterman Science Fiction Thriller The world has barely recovered from COVID when the next virus attacks. This one, known as Crown Royale, is also devastatingly lethal for some folks, but those that survive – and even those that don’t, in their last minutes – experience a complete change in perspective. They become kinder, gentler, more helpful people. Two factions are arising – those that think the virus is a positive … Read more

Partition Project – book review

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The Partition Project by Saadia Faruqi Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Maha is initially unenthusiastic when her Dadi (grandmother) comes from Pakistan to live with their family in the US. Not only does she have to give up her bedroom and move into the attic, but since Maha’s parents are both very busy (dad is a doctor and mom is a nutritionist) they make Maha responsible for Dadi – she is supposed … Read more

Miles Away from You – book review

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Miles Away from You by A. B. Rutledge LGBTQ+ Realistic Fiction Romance * * * * Stars (Great!) Miles and Vivian were brilliant together. They created a website that attracted millions of creative, artistic people like themselves, and they were so very, very in love. But then Vivian tried to kill herself by taking too many pills and she wound up in a coma – neither dead nor alive. Her ultra-conservative parents swooped in and … Read more

Raven and the Reindeer – book review

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The Raven and the Reindeer by T. Kingfisher Adventure Fantasy Retelling of the Snow Queen Romance * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) In her author’s note, T. Kingfisher says this has its roots Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” but it’s much more palatable. “Hans Christian Andersen was a weird dude…His idea of a happy ending is that everybody died attended by angels (or if you are very fortunate, in church with your feet … Read more

Toto – book review

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Toto by AJ Hackwith Fantasy Retelling * * * Stars (Pretty good) The Wizard of Oz from Toto’s point of view (with nods to current culture trends). This is a breezy read in some ways – just touching upon a lot of plot points that receive more attention in L. Frank Baum’s books/the movie. But the characters offer up a lot of surprises – the Scarecrow wasn’t always thus and is a magic practitioner in … Read more

I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons – book review

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I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle Dragons Fantasy Funny Romance * * * * Stars (Great!) Princess Cerise is Exhausted from interviewing a never-ending succession of princes (all vying for her hand) until she meets Prince Reginald in the forest one day and finds herself completely smitten. She rushes home to put the castle in order before his arrival and entreats her father to bring in the dragon exterminator, as their accommodations … Read more