WHAT? | The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

Two boys, alone in space.

After the first settler on Titan trips her distress signal, neither remaining country on Earth can afford to scramble a rescue of its own, and so two sworn enemies are installed in the same spaceship.

Ambrose wakes up on the Coordinated Endeavor, with no memory of a launch. There’s more that doesn’t add up: Evidence indicates strangers have been on board, the ship’s operating system is voiced by his mother, and his handsome, brooding shipmate has barricaded himself away. But nothing will stop Ambrose from making his mission succeed—not when he’s rescuing his own sister.

In order to survive the ship’s secrets, Ambrose and Kodiak will need to work together and learn to trust one another… especially once they discover what they are truly up against. Love might be the only way to survive.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

It’s been weeks since I’ve read this book, and I still don’t think I’ve calmed down enough to talk about it.

I’ve had The Darkness Outside Us on my TBR for a while, but I hadn’t yet gotten around to it before my friend read it. I asked to borrow their copy, and they warned me that the book was a trip.

I don’t think I’ll ever recover from this book.

The Darkness Outside Us follows Ambrose and Kodiak as they travel through space in order to save Ambrose’s sister. Immediately, I could tell there was something wrong with the details both the characters and I knew of their situation. I think this aspect is one of the more compelling reasons readers will get sucked into this story, and I really enjoyed the way this mystery was shown to both the readers and the characters throughout the story. It never felt like the reader or the characters had more information than the other, and I never felt frustrated by not knowing what was going on. Every secret was revealed in a perfect timeline of information.

I also really loved the characters themselves and seeing them interact with each other. Ambrose and Kodiak should be rivals, and both their amnesia and the details they know about their situation should have them afraid to seek each other out, but I enjoyed seeing these two work together throughout the book to figure out what was happening. Seeing them prioritize each other and get into a relationship throughout this book was another aspect I really enjoyed in this story!

However, one of the biggest things I took away from this book was just an awe of what I had read. I had my ideas, of course, of what was going to happen, but nothing could have prepared me for reading the actual ending to this book! I definitely really recommend The Darkness Outside Us if you are in need of a book to absolutely wow you, and I know for a fact that I will be picking up my own copy of this book to read again in the future!

My Sneories (Snail Theories) | Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

For thirty years, Area X has remained mysterious and remote behind its intangible border – an environmental disaster zone, though to all appearances an abundant wilderness.

The Southern Reach, a secretive government agency, has sent eleven expeditions to investigate Area X. One has ended in mass suicide, another in a hail of gunfire, the eleventh in a fatal cancer epidemic.

Now four women embark on the twelfth expedition into the unknown.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I’ve heard of Annihilation before now, but I’ve never really wanted to read it.

That’s mostly because I didn’t actually know what Annihilation was. I thought this was an 800-page sci-fi epic with big words and difficult to understand concepts.

It’s 200 pages, for one.

Annihilation has an interesting tactic for telling its story: none of the characters are named. We follow four women as they investigate Area X, trying to figure out what is going on to make everyone who came before them come back wrong and changed. Each woman is referred to by her job description (the psychologist, the biologist, etc), but none of the women are ever hinted at having a name.

The further you get into this book, the more sure you are that something is horrifically wrong with Area X. While I didn’t know a lot of what was going on, I found this book hard to put down as I made theories of what would happen later on. Was a giant snail creature using spores to infect the researchers investigating Area X? Were certain characters secretly able to turn into giant snail creatures? Was the main character going to be slowly changed into a giant snail creature?

I had a lot of sneories (snail theories) for a book that did not ultimately contain any snails.

There’s something about this sort of story that I really enjoy, though I haven’t quite figured out why yet. Is it the need to know what sort of change the main character goes through, even though I’m sure it will be horrific? Is it the questions of why these things happen? Will curiosity kill the book reader?

I am only sure that I found it almost impossible to put this book down until I finished it. And then I sat there for a long moment, quiet, still, and unthinking.

The Lake by Natasha Preston | A Review

Esme and Kayla once were campers at Camp Pine Lake. Now they’re back as counselors-in-training. Esme loves the little girls in her cabin and thinks it’s funny how scared they are of everything–the woods, the bugs, the boys…even swimming in the lake. It reminds her of how she and Kayla used to be. Before…
Because Esme and Kayla did something terrible when they were campers. Something they’ve kept a secret all these years. They vow that this summer will be awesome. Two months of sun, s’mores, and flirting with the cute boy counselors. But then they get a message:
THE LAKE NEVER FORGETS.
The secret they’ve kept buried for so many years is about to resurface.

⭐⭐

Rating: 2 out of 5.

The biggest surprise to me in this book was that it was published in 2021 and not 2013 like the incredibly juvenile writing suggests.

The Lake is the story of two girls haunted by their past when they realize the girl they left for dead isn’t actually dead. However, the entire plot could be solved just by the girls telling literally anyone about what they did in their past. They know they wouldn’t get in trouble for it. Readers know they wouldn’t get in trouble for it. And yet, they hide this secret from everyone they meet for no good reason.

The ending to this book is very abrupt in what I assume was the author’s attempt to shock readers. However, I felt absolutely nothing but confusion and fury for this book. I don’t know if the author forgot about one specific aspect of their own story or if they assumed readers would be stupid enough to not notice, but there’s a very big detail that would help the main character get out of this “shocking situation” easily.

If you’re thinking of picking this book up: don’t.

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco | A Review

Two sisters.
One brutal murder.
A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…
And an intoxicating romance.
Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost—even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.
Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked—princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

The plot to this book is definitely intriguing.

Most of my notes on this book are based on plot related things. Me screaming in my phone’s notes app over things happening that I didn’t expect. On the wild ride this book took me through.

But it’s all factual. Nothing emotional.

I think that’s the main point I want to convey in this review: while the book itself was an interesting story that made me want to immediately jump into the sequel, there wasn’t anything emotionally binding me to this. I just found it… okay.

We focus on our main character, Emilia, who finds her sister’s dead body in the basement of a church. Even worse, she finds a man leaning over her dead sister’s body, licking her blood off of his fingers.

Yet this man isn’t her sister’s killer. Instead, the two work together to figure out who has been murdering young, female witches in the community. It takes her through many different secret aspects of not only her own witchy heritage, but the Wicked themselves.

The only bits of my notes that may be even slightly emotional are more closer to the end, near the setup for the next book. Having read the sequel before writing this review, I definitely am more invested in the sequel than I am this first book. But as a foundation for this world and the two sisters’ stories, this book felt just… okay.

The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill | An ARC Review

There’s always been a mystery to Vika Hale’s life. Ever since she was a child, she’s had an unknown benefactor providing for her and her family, making sure that Vika and her sister received the best education they could. Now, Vika longs for a bigger life than one as a poor barmaid on a struggling planet, but those dreams feel out of reach. Until one day Vika learns that her benefactor was a billionaire magnate who recently died under suspicious circumstances, and Vika has shockingly been included in his will. Invited to live on a glittering neighboring planet, Vika steps into a world she can hardly believe is real.
The only blight on Vika’s lavish new life is the constant presence of Sky Foster, a mysterious young man from Vika’s past who works for her benefactors. She doesn’t like or trust Sky, but when she narrowly escapes an explosion and realizes someone is targeting the will’s heirs, Vika knows Sky is the only one who can help her discover the identity of the bomber before she becomes their next victim. As Vika and Sky delve into the truth of the attacks, they uncover a web of secrets, murder, and an underground rebellion who may hold the answers they’ve been looking for. But Sky isn’t who he seems to be, and Vika may not escape this new life unscathed.

The Stars Between Us gets published August 2nd, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I had my doubts when I first opened this book.

As someone who doesn’t like sci-fi that much (and especially doesn’t like space books), I looked at my review copy for this book and asked myself “why did you request this?”

But y’all. I’m obsessed.

I knew very early on that I wouldn’t be able to put this book down. 7% of the way through this book, I turned to my vlogging camera and told it “this is going to be the best book of my entire life.”

We open with our main character, Vika, who finds out that the mysterious man who has been paying for her education and health bills has recently died and left her as part of his will. But in order for her to get his inheritance, she has to marry his son.

And then his son’s spaceship is blown up.

I don’t know how someone could just skip past this book. I told the camera about my obsession. I told my friends. I told my mom.

For a book that centers around the mystery of who killed Vika’s fiancé, I felt like this book was a bit obvious at times. There’s a certain twist readers are included in fairly early on that felt really obvious before it was revealed, and the buildup to finding out who has been targeting Vika’s inheritance felt like there was no mystery at all. Still, I could appreciate this book for just being a fun time and letting me read this little journey.

Until I was bamboozled and reminded that I truly just cannot guess the villain in thrillers. My one failing.

I will say, however, that the ending to this book is quite bittersweet. I understand how it is the perfect ending for these characters and this book, but I want more, damn it! If the author would please grace me with a little snippet of the characters a few months into the future, I would be very appreciative. 🥺

But until then, I’ll just reread this book another hundred times…

Warcross by Marie Lu | A Review

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.
Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

⭐⭐

Rating: 2 out of 5.

This book was just one unfortunate circumstance after another for me.

First of all, I’ve noticed through reading and reviewing books for almost two years now that I don’t tend to like conflict in books. As in… any conflict. I know it’s important to the plot of the book, but I hate that downfall moment where the characters don’t believe in themselves and their situation. This book opens in a sort of “downfall” situation for the main character, where she’s struggling to pay her rent and everything is about to go horribly, terribly wrong.

It took me a lot longer than it should have to read the opening bit of this book. It was hard for me to push through it and get to the actual meat of the story because it was so depressing.

And then, the worst thing that could have happened to this book occurred: while looking in the back for the page count, my eyes happened to glance over a spoiler.

This was a world-ending spoiler. A massive spoiler that changed the entire way I viewed this book. While I found the book’s application of VR in the real world interesting, it was hard to care for the book with the knowledge I had accidentally obtained. I couldn’t look at the characters in the way the author had intended while I knew certain details of the ending, completely ruining the experience for me.

I’m sure a lot of people would like this book, and I can kind of see why. But I couldn’t connect to this book in the way I should have, so I must personally rate it quite low.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas | A Review

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I’ve been wanting to read this book since before it even came out, and I finally got the chance to recently.

I should maybe start by saying that the part of the description that talks about Yadriel’s “traditional Latinx family [having] problems accepting his gender” is, in fact, a large part of this book, and readers who may not want to focus on that sort of plot may want to steer clear of this book. I’ve never wanted to punch an entire family before, but I vowed very early on to fight every family member except Yadriel’s mom.

Speaking of acceptance, I really loved how accepting Julian and his group of friends were. There was a quote spray painted in their hideout (“hay niñas con pene, niños con vulva y transfóbicos sin dientes”) that I’m still deciding whether I want it to be tattooed on my body or put on a shirt.

A large part of my enjoyment of this book stems from the fact that Julian is a himbo. I love dumb, funny characters like him, and I could not put this book down once he was introduced.

The plot to this book was very surprising, especially near the end. Looking back on it, the reveal may have been really obvious, but I think I was more in this for a fun post-murder mystery with a ghost boy than I was analyzing what the characters were saying in the background.

I definitely enjoyed this book a lot, and I’m so happy I finally got the time to read it!

Magic Forged (Hall of Blood and Mercy #1) by K.M. Shea | A Review

I’m one scrappy wizard. As someone with barely a flicker of magic, I’ve spent my life being mocked and surviving fights with bullies. But when my parents die in an accident, and I find myself responsible for our whole wizard house and family, I know my usual tactics aren’t going to cut it.
The situation veers from bad to catastrophic when my backstabbing cousin stages a coup and takes my family hostage. I barely manage to flee, but the only supernatural willing to help me is Killian Drake – the most feared vampire in the region, and a far more deadly villain than the jerk threatening my family.
Is Killian sexy and charismatic? Heck yeah.
He’s also so powerful that my flight or fight instincts kick in every time our eyes meet. And he’s definitely using me as his personal magic detector in his feud against the local fae.
But Killian is also the first person to believe I might have more than just a scrap of magic. And if I can convince him to train me, I might get strong enough to free my family and get my house back.
I’m not sure what happens when a scrappy wizard is taught how to fight by a hall of deadly vampires, but I’m about to find out.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I wasn’t really expecting what this book gave me.

First of all, that basic plot? The main character getting overthrown by a family member and forced to make a deal with the vampires in order to save herself? How am I just supposed to pass this book by?

But that’s more of an overarching plot for the series. This first book actually focuses on a murder mystery as vampires (and the humans who choose to be around them) are found dead. With no leads as to who the murderer must be, the vampires have no idea what to do. And our main character just can’t stand by and watch this happen.

I thought this book was super funny once we got to relax and meet the vampires in a more casual setting. There was a section where I laughed five times in as many pages, and I definitely found myself really enjoying and caring for the characters.

This book was quick to read through and pretty simple, but I definitely enjoyed it a lot, and I’ve already put the second book in this series on my TBR.

Unremembered by Jessica Brody | A Reread After Seven Years

The only thing worse than forgetting her past . . . is remembering it.
When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage – alive – is making headlines across the globe.
Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.
Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.
Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

When I was a sophomore in high school, a bunch of authors came to my school.

I think they were actually there to give a presentation about writing and publishing books, but most of what I remember is paying over $100 to buy seven books I had never heard of before that day.

Unremembered was one of those books.

It’s been sitting on my bookshelf since, and I came to the realization recently that while I had read it (and enjoyed it) in high school, I couldn’t remember many details.

Thus: my reread.

It was really interesting to see what I have remembered since high school versus what I had forgotten and how vague memories popped up as I was reading. For example, I didn’t remember the character Rio, but upon meeting him again, I immediately remembered part of the ending of the book.

I also feel like this is a book people can read today and not find issues with. In my experience, some books published in the past have awkward scenes that don’t fit in with today’s viewpoints, but I didn’t have that issue with this book. While it doesn’t feel like something that would be published today, based simply on the trends of what is currently being published, the test of time has not rendered it unreadable.

But one of my favorite things about this book is that the plot goes places I wouldn’t have expected from reading the summary. The story in this book is definitely bigger than it first appears, and it’s easy to look back and see how big the scope of this story has expanded.

It’s nice to see that my rating of this book has not changed since high school. I’m excited to revisit it in another decade(ish) and try the test of time again.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.
She’s wrong.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a book with a really good beginning that will pull you in and make you want to learn more.

We open with a party, where Mara and her friends are playing around with an ouija board. As with all times someone plays with an ouija board, the question is asked: how is this person going to die?

And the question is answered: MARA.

Six months later, all of Mara’s friends are dead. Mara has amnesia. But she’s also hallucinating, and we know there must be more unsaid.

When trying to describe this in my vlog, the only word I could come up with was “wild”. I even said it twice. This book (and the mystery of how her friends died) was so unexpected that I knew I wanted more. The strange things that are happening around Mara are crazy, and I could never see what was going to happen next. A bath suddenly turns deadly. A trip out to lunch is suddenly an adventure to find out a new way to seek out the past.

The secrets Mara is unintentionally keeping from herself are world-changing.

I loved every moment in this book that focused on the mystery of the past, but that’s not all this book focuses on. It also contains a romance between Mara and a boy named Noah, who may be more wrapped up in this “thing” going on with Mara than it first seems. I actually wasn’t a fan of this relationship, as Noah didn’t often listen to Mara telling him no, but his character is important for the plot, and he is therefore not leaving, so I can put up with him.

While a lot in this book is unexpected, the last few pages really ramp up. A lot of things happen one after another, and I’m excited to see more of this series and figure out what happens next for Mara Dyer.