Book Review | THE FARAWAY INN by Sarah Beth Durst

THE FARAWAY INN

BY SARAH BETH DURST | PUBLICATION: MARCH 31, 2026
DELACORTE PRESS | GENRE: YA FANTASY
RATING: ★★★★

"Cozy, modern fairy tale • vivid imagery • gentle emotional truth."

____________________________________________________________________

When sixteen-year-old Calisa arrives at her great-aunt’s B&B in rural Vermont for the summer, she’s shocked to find a rundown inn rather than the cozy bed-and-breakfast she was expecting. Grumpy and eccentric, Auntie Zee is determined to keep anyone from messing with her beloved inn . . . even though she clearly needs the help.

To convince her great-aunt to keep her around, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn, enlisting extra help from the groundskeeper’s (handsome) son. But the longer she stays, the surer she is that there’s something strange about the B&B—and its guests. Something almost . . . otherworldly.

The inn is keeping a magical secret—but to protect the place she’s come to love, Calisa must unravel the truth before it’s too late.

____________________________________________________________________

THE FARAWAY INN is one of those quiet, cozy books that doesn’t shout its magic — it hums it. Durst writes with a simplicity that’s deceptively vivid, creating scenes that feel warm, homey, and softly enchanted. This is the kind of modern fairy tale that awakens a sense of wonder without ever slipping into childishness. It’s magic for grown people who still believe in becoming.

What stayed with me most was how deeply human the story is. Beneath the whimsy and the enchantment lies a tender exploration of vulnerability — the courage it takes to ask for help, the way friendship can hold us steady, and the gentle acceptance of people who are quirky, odd, or beautifully different. Durst understands that magic isn’t just a power —it’s a responsibility. And she treats talents and gifts the same way — as things that shape us, challenge us, and sometimes burden us.

The book also touches on love with surprising softness: falling in, falling out, and finding your way back to something truer. It’s not dramatic or sweeping —it’s quiet, honest, and rooted in emotional growth.

One of the things I loved most about The Faraway Inn is how clearly it shows that becoming isn’t reserved for the young. Every character in this story is shifting, softening, learning, or opening up in their own way. Even Aunty Zee — stubborn old bat — eventually accepts change. She’s prickly, set in her ways, and hilariously resistant, but she still grows. Durst treats her with such tenderness, reminding us that transformation can happen at any age, and sometimes the people who fight it hardest end up changing the most.

Honestly, everyone in the book is becoming… except the Mirror.
She’s stubborn as hell and refuses to evolve, and that contrast makes everyone else’s growth shine even brighter.

This theme — that becoming is lifelong — is one of the quiet strengths of the novel. It’s gentle, hopeful, and deeply human.

Durst knows wonder.
And in The Faraway Inn, she uses it not to dazzle, but to comfort — reminding us that becoming isn’t loud. It’s gentle. Communal. And often requires letting others in.

A cozy, atmospheric read for anyone who loves modern fairy tales with heart.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:
Sarah Beth Durst grew up in Northboro, MA, a town in central Massachusetts which (she claims) was temporarily transformed into a fairy-tale kingdom for several days in 1986. These events later inspired her novel, INTO THE WILD, as well as her paralyzing fear of glass footwear.Sarah has been writing fantasy stories since she was ten years old. She holds an English degree from Princeton University and currently resides in Stony Brook, NY, with her husband and daughter.

*Penguin Random House provided the eARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | LIFE: A LOVE STORY by Elizabeth Berg

LIFE: A LOVE STORY

BY ELIZABETH BERG | PUBLICATION: MARCH 17, 2026
RANDOM HOUSE | GENRE: WOMEN'S FICTION
RATING: ★★★★★

"I read this slowly, painfully, gratefully.
It understood me."

____________________________________________________________________

As ninety-two-year-old Florence "Flo" Greene nears the end of her life, she writes a letter to Ruthie, the woman who grew up next door to her, describing the items Flo is leaving Ruthie in her will. But as it goes on, telling surprising stories about those “little” things Flo will leave behind (What could possibly be the worth of a rubber band kept in a matchbox tied up in red ribbon?), an unforgettable portrait of the life she has lived emerges.

The letter starts off as an autobiography in things, but it turns out to do much more than that: ultimately, it will transform Flo and those around her. In the time she has left, Flo decides to take herself up on tiny dares. She encourages Ruthie to reconsider her impending divorce by sharing a startling, long-buried secret about her own perfect-seeming marriage. Flo has never had a pedicure before now, and as long as she's going to a beauty parlor, she arranges to have a blue streak put in her hair, too. And as these adventures lead her to make new friends, Flo helps them, too, find the fulfillment that living a full life has led her to understand.

Full of Elizabeth Berg's characteristic mix of warmth, humor, and poignancy, Life: A Love Story is a reminder that whatever your circumstances, as long as you're alive, you can keep on investing in life. The joy will inevitably follow.

____________________________________________________________________

It took me a long time to finish Elizabeth Berg’s Life: A Love Story, and I’m grateful for every slow, deliberate day I spent with it. This isn’t a book you rush. It’s a book that asks you to breathe differently, to acknowledge yourself, and to sit with the parts of your life that still ache.

Flo’s story touched me in a way few novels ever have. She lived a long, imperfect, deeply human love with Terrence — the kind of love that shapes you so completely that losing it feels like losing the architecture of your own life. And yet, after Terrence’s death, Flo chooses to keep living. Not by “moving on,” not by erasing him, but by carrying him forward in the way she continues to love others, help others, and enrich the world around her.

Her final letter moved me — not written out of nostalgia, but out of devotion. Flo doesn’t write because she merely remembers Terrence; she writes so that others won’t forget. Their love wasn’t perfect, but it was lived — and lived love deserves witnesses.

Finishing this book in the quiet of the back garden my late husband tended, made the experience even more tender. I still hurt from losing him. I probably always will, and I don’t think I want that pain to disappear. But Berg reminded me that there are people who understand this kind of grief — the kind born from a love that shaped decades. And she reminded me that when I’m ready, I can choose to live fully again, not in spite of the hurt, but alongside it.

Flo chose Terrence every day, even after he was gone.
Not instead of living — but while living.
She chose the courage to keep choosing connection even when loss has already carved her open.
And at the end, when she had the whole span of her life to look back on, the story she wanted remembered was still his.

LIFE: A LOVE STORY is gentle, sad, hopeful, and profoundly human. It doesn’t offer easy answers. It simply shows that love — real love — continues in memory, in legacy, and in the lives shaped by it.

I finished this book feeling seen. And I finished it believing that choosing life, even after great loss, is its own quiet act of love.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

Elizabeth Berg is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including The Story of Arthur Truluv, Open House (an Oprah’s Book Club selection), Talk Before Sleep, and The Year of Pleasures, as well as the short story collection The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted. Durable Goods and Joy School were selected as ALA Best Books of the Year. She adapted The Pull of the Moon into a play that enjoyed sold-out performances in Chicago and Indianapolis. Berg’s work has been published in thirty-one countries, and three of her novels have been turned into television movies. She is the founder of Writing Matters, a quality reading series dedicated to serving author, audience, and community. She teaches one-day writing workshops and is a popular speaker at venues around the country. Some of her most popular Facebook postings have been collected in Make Someone Happy, Still Happy, and Happy to be Here. She lives outside Chicago.
Photo by Teresa Crawford

*Random House provided the eARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | MORE THAN ENOUGH by Anna Quindlen

MORE THAN ENOUGH

BY ANNA QUINDLEN | PUBLICATION: FEBRUARY 24, 2026
RANDOM HOUSE | GENRE: WOMEN FICTION
RATING: ★★★★✬

"Ordinary life, ordinary women, made real."

____________________________________________________________________

A woman finds herself asking surprising questions about her family and friends in this wise, wonderful novel of life, loss, and moving on—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of After Annie.

High school English teacher Polly Goodman can talk about everything and anything with the women in her book club, which is why they’ve become her closest friends and, along with the support of her veterinarian husband, the bedrock of her life. Her private school students, her fraught relationship with mother, her struggles with IVF—Polly’s book club friends have heard it all.

But when they give Polly an ancestry test kit as a joke, the results match her with a stranger. Despite it seeming clear that this match is a mistake, Polly cannot help combing through her own family history for answers. Then, when it seems that the book club circle of four will become three, Polly learns how friendships can change your life in the most profound ways.

Written with Quindlen’s trademark warmth, humor, and insight into the power of love and hope, More Than Enough explores how we find ourselves again and again through the relationships that define us.

____________________________________________________________________

Polly is part of a book club — a lively group of women who buy the book but never actually read it. That’s their rule. They gather to talk about everything except the assigned title. Not very bookish, but deeply relatable. It’s the kind of detail Quindlen writes so well: ordinary life, ordinary women, made real.

The DNA storyline didn’t interest me as much. What held me was Polly herself — her journey, her longing to be a mother, and the quiet ache beneath her hope. And Mark… the patience he shows her reminded me starkly of my own late husband. That tenderness, that steady presence, that willingness to keep believing even when life gives you difficult news — Quindlen captured something I’ve lived.

I like Quindlen’s writing. She makes her characters as real as people you could meet, or remember.

Reading MORE THAN ENOUGH was slow for me, not because the story lacked momentum, but because it touched parts of my life I’m still learning to carry. Quindlen writes with a tenderness that makes ordinary women feel extraordinary, and Polly’s journey reminded me that hope, even when fragile, is still worth holding. This book didn’t just tell a story — it made me remember my own.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

Anna Quindlen is a novelist and journalist whose work has appeared on fiction, nonfiction, and self-help bestseller lists. She is the author of many novels: Object Lessons, One True Thing, Black and Blue, Blessings, Rise and Shine, Every Last One, Still Life with Bread Crumbs, and Miller’s Valley. Her memoir Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, published in 2012, was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Her book A Short Guide to a Happy Life has sold more than a million copies. While a columnist at The New York Times she won the Pulitzer Prize and published two collections, Living Out Loud and Thinking Out Loud. Her Newsweek columns were collected in Loud and Clear. Photo by Maria Krovatin

*My thanks to Will Lyman of Penguin Random House
for providing the eARC in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | LIAR'S DICE by Juliet Faithfull

LIAR'S DICE

BY JULIET FAITHFULL | PUBLICATION: APRIL 28, 2026
RANDOM HOUSE | GENRE: LITERARY FICTION
RATING: ★★★✬

"...the novel is undeniably heartbreaking."

____________________________________________________________________

A heart-rending and hopeful debut about a teenage girl in 1970s Brazil who is unexpectedly torn away from her disabled twin sister—and who must learn what it means to fight for those we love when all the odds are stacked against us.

Everyone knows, but no one talks.

Identical twins Dolores and Mita grow up in lockstep in rural Brazil, speaking their own secret language, dancing together, inseparable even when they sleep. But at age seven, they discover that Mita has a degenerative condition—and Dolores does not. On the cusp of adolescence, Mita's illness becomes debilitating, and without telling Dolores, their parents send Mita across the Atlantic Ocean to a hospital in their father’s native London.

The rest of the family moves to Rio and begins to live a bourgeouis lifestyle, but Dolores is miserable there. She misses her small-town and most especially her twin, who her parents seem to have forgot ever existed. And she has no way to contact Mita—particularly since, at twelve years old, Dolores still cannot read or write. She is desperate to speak to her again—and desperately alone and unhappy at her posh new school. But everything begins to change when she meets a brave, headstrong girl from the favelas who shows Dolores a new side of Rio, and how to survive it.

Tensions are on the rise with the dictatorial government cracking down on protesters and dissenters. Both at home and in the country at large, there are cover-ups at play—and Dolores pushes to find the truth about right and wrong, her lost sister and her place in life. In a setting where repression and silencing were part of everyday life, Liar’s Dice is about the secrets we hold, both personal and political, and the consequences of keeping them. Atmospheric and intimate, Juliet Faithfull's coming of age novel captures the intensity of forming your own identity, and the courage and love required to forge a different life.

____________________________________________________________________

LIAR'S DICE is a poignant coming of age novel that explores the shifting dynamics of a family in turmoil and the struggle to hold on to one’s sense of self amid profound change. It is not a light or fast read, but it is undeniably resonant.

The first half took some time to draw me in, yet by the midpoint the narrative had fully captured my attention. Juliet Faithfull weaves Portuguese into the text with care, offering cultural depth without distancing readers unfamiliar with the language. What struck me most was the author’s ability to convey Dolores’s tangled emotions—her guilt, love, confusion, and longing—with such clarity. The author’s note suggests that elements of the story may be autobiographical, which adds an additional layer of emotional weight.

While beautifully written, the novel is undeniably heartbreaking. It challenges the assumption that children experience emotions more lightly than adults; in fact, it shows how deeply and seriously they feel the world around them.

Overall, Liar’s Dice is an affecting and worthwhile read. Though it begins slowly and occasionally lacks fluidity, its emotional depth and thoughtful exploration of identity, family, and silence make it a memorable novel.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

JULIET FAITHFULL is a Spanish-British-American writer who grew up in Brazil. Liar’s Dice, her first novel, was a winner of the 2024 Irish Writers Centre’s Novel Fair and a semifinalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship. She was awarded a Pauline Scheer Fellowship by GrubStreet’s Novel Incubator program and her short stories have been published in the Bellevue Literary Review and Urbanus Magazine. A graduate of Harvard University and Smith College School for Social Work, Juliet works as a trilingual psychotherapist and currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her two sons. Photo: © Sharona Jacobs

*Penguin Random House provided the eARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | ROBOT ISLAND by Cary Fagan

ROBOT ISLAND

BY CARY FAGAN | PUBLICATION: OCTOBER 14, 2025
TUNDRA BOOKS | GENRE: MIDDLE-GRADE
RATING: ★★★★

“Robot Island is more than a whimsical adventure—it’s a celebration of books, friendship, and the families we create for ourselves.”

____________________________________________________________________

Forced into stealing valuable books from a rich widow, Willis takes refuge on an abandoned island populated by robots in this new middle-grade novel by acclaimed writer Cary Fagan. For fans of The Wild Robot.

It isn’t bad enough that Willis has to live with his cold uncle Tod in a dusty old house of used books. He can’t even spend time with his friends Harrison and Galaxi because of the nasty after-school jobs his uncle makes him take on. But then his uncle asks him to visit an old widow lady in the mansion on the hill.

To his surprise, Willis likes Mrs. Shorthouse and even the books they read together (Little Women, Great Expectations). Meanwhile, taking a rowboat ride, Willis discovers an abandoned town from the 1950s populated by square-headed robots. What is the connection between Mrs. Shorthouse and Robot Island? What will happen after the police find out that Willis has been stealing rare books from the mansion? And when Willis turns on the electricity and the robots of Robot Island come to life, will they turn out to be friends or enemies?

____________________________________________________________________

"Books, Robots, and the Families We Choose"

Cary Fagan’s Robot Island is a middle-grade adventure that blends whimsy with heart, asking what it means to belong, and reminding us that families can be found in the most unexpected places.

Willis lives under the stern watch of his uncle Tod, surrounded by dusty shelves of used books and weighed down by endless chores. When Tod sends him to visit Mrs. Shorthouse, a wealthy widow in her hilltop mansion, Willis unexpectedly discovers both companionship and the joy of reading classics like Little Women and Great Expectations. But his uncle’s schemes force Willis into stealing rare books, setting off a chain of events that lead him to a mysterious abandoned town from the 1950s—Robot Island. When Willis awakens its square-headed inhabitants, he must face questions of loyalty, friendship, and belonging.

As fantastic as an island of robots sounds, Cary Fagan’s novel is more compelling than its premise suggests. Robot Island is, at its heart, a book for book lovers—especially young readers who recognize the thrill of discovering that stories can change them. It captures that first spark of falling in love with reading, and the way books can become companions in difficult times.

The “found family” trope is woven beautifully into the narrative. Mrs. Shorthouse, the robots, and Willis’s circle of friends remind us that family can be chosen and built through kindness. The friendship arc is particularly moving, even when Willis tries to push Harrison, Galaxi, and Daphne away, they refuse to abandon him. Their loyalty and courage shine, offering a model of empathy and resilience.

Fagan’s storytelling radiates warmth. Though the novel nods to modern technology, it ultimately celebrates human connection, kindness, and the timeless comfort of books. It’s a heartwarming middle-grade adventure that will inspire readers to treasure both their friendships and their stories.

Robot Island is more than a whimsical adventure—it’s a celebration of books, friendship, and the families we create for ourselves. Cary Fagan has crafted a tale that will resonate with young readers and remind adults of the moment they first fell in love with stories.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

CARY FAGAN's kids' books include Robot Island; Hans Christian Andersen Lives Next Door; Water, Water (winner of the Vine National Canadian Jewish Book Award); The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster; the Kaspar Snit novels; and the Wolfie and Fly chapter book series. He is also the author of many picture books, including Mr. Zinger's Hat (Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award winner), Little Blue Chair, and Bear Wants to Sing. Cary has received the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. He lives in Toronto, Canada.
Photo by Josh Levine

*Penguin Random House provided the ARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | MY MOTHER, THE MERMAID CHASER by Jamie Jo Hoang

MY MOTHER, THE MERMAID CHASER

BY JAMIE JO HOANG | PUBLICATION: SEPTEMBER 23, 2025
CROWN BOOKS | GENRE: YA FICTION
RATING: ★★★★

"It holds space for forgiveness, for healing, for the limits of what people can endure."

____________________________________________________________________

Told in dual POV, this gripping companion piece to My Father, the Panda Killer, follows a teenage son who defies his sister's wishes by searching for more information about their absent mother. Meanwhile, his mother's poignant backstory reveals her struggle with grief and longing, culminating in her heart-wrenching decision to leave her children.

San Jose, 2008: Paul yearns to know more about the mother who abandoned his family, but she is the only topic no one discusses. Now’s he’s in Vietnam, feeling displaced and considered an outsider. Plus, a ghost is haunting him even though he doesn’t believe in ghosts. His cousin and the grandmother he’s never met before now keep telling him that he’ll get answers only if he’s willing to open his ears.

Vũng Tâu, 1975: Ngọc Lan is eleven when her family breaks her brother is drafted into the army; her father leaves on the last helicopter to the US. She and her sister are sent from Vietnam on a harrowing journey by boat. Only Ngọc Lan will survive. But what is the American dream when you are haunted by the death of your sister, missing your homeland; seeing ghostly mermaid sightings; lost in an abusive marriage; struggling as a parent?

Told in the alternating perspectives of Paul and Ngọc Lan, My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser is a haunting story about the intergenerational effects of war, estranged family bonds, and how a teenager discovers a new connection to a lost part of himself.

____________________________________________________________________

I came to this book without having read its companion, My Father, the Panda Killer. And maybe that’s fitting—because this story, too, begins with absence. With the ache of not knowing. With a boy named Paul, who chooses to seek the truth about his mother, even when that truth might hurt.

This is a poignant novel. It blends adventure and humor with the quiet devastation of wanting to understand your parents. Beneath the surrealism and whimsy lies something raw: the longing to make sense of abandonment, of trauma, of choices that ripple across generations.

Paul is the heart of this story. He’s like an open vessel—willing to receive, willing to give, willing to believe. His openness stands in sharp contrast to his sister Jane, whose guardedness feels like a shield forged from years of disappointment. Watching Paul navigate this emotional terrain is deeply moving. He steps into adult shoes, yes—but he never stops being a boy.

Hoàng has a gift for writing complex family dynamics. She doesn’t shy away from pain, but she also doesn’t drown in it. Her prose carries trauma and tenderness in equal measure, often laced with humor and surreal imagery that make the emotional weight bearable.

As a mother myself, I found myself asking: How could a mother abandon her children to an abusive father? It’s a question that lingers. And yet, Hoàng invites empathy—not just for the children, but for the flawed adults who made impossible choices. The story doesn’t excuse, but it understands. It holds space for forgiveness, for healing, for the limits of what people can endure.

There are slow parts, yes. But I stayed. Because some stories deserve patience. And this one, with its quiet bravery and emotional honesty, is worth every page.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:
Jamie Jo Hoang is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees. She grew up in Orange County, CA—not the rich part—and worked as a docuseries producer before shifting to writing full-time. Her debut young adult novel, My Father, The Panda Killer, was named one of NPR’s Books We Love and received an Honorable Mention from the Freeman Book Awards. Hoang is also the author of the award-winning adult novel Blue Sun, Yellow Sky, which was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews and won a silver medal at the Independent Publishers Awards. Her work has been published in TIME, SALON, and Tiny Buddha. When she’s not writing, Hoang loves to take long walks, travel, and scuba dive. She lives in house covered in Post-It Notes with her husband and son.

*Penguin Random House provided the ARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | THE NIGHTBLOOD PRINCE by Molly X. Chang

THE NIGHTBLOOD PRINCE

The Nightblood Prince Series, Vol. 1
BY MOLLY X. CHANG | PUBLICATION: JULY 1, 2025
RANDOM HOUSE | GENRE: YOUNG ADULT FANTASY
RATING: ★★★★

"Fei’s defiance of the gods, her refusal to be a pawn, and the enigmatic premise kept me hooked."

____________________________________________________________________

Two princes. One prophecy. A fate she cannot outrun.

The night Fei was born, a prophecy was made: she would one day become the Empress of All Empresses.

Torn from her family as a child and raised in the palace to one day marry the Crown Prince of the most powerful empire in the land, Fei has only ever known loneliness. When the opportunity arises to seize her own destiny for the first time in her life, Fei sets out to hunt a legendary tiger, knowing it might cost her everything. What she doesn’t expect is to fall under the mercy of Yexue, the beautiful runaway prince from a rival kingdom. Blessed by the night, harboring a dangerous magic, and capable of commanding an army of deadly vampires, Yexue could be the key to Fei gaining more than just her freedom.

But to outrun destiny, Fei must spark a wave of events that will change the world as she knows it. Torn between two princes and plagued by nightmares of bloodshed, she finds that the stars might be more inescapable—and more irresistible—than she ever considered before. . . .-PRH

____________________________________________________________________

A prophecy. A tiger hunt. A prince cloaked in night. THE NIGHTBLOOD PRINCE delivers a sweeping tale of destiny, defiance, and blood-soaked magic that reads like a fever dream stitched from the histories of Vlad the Impaler and Genghis Khan.

Fei, the prophesied Empress of All Empresses, is a heroine who refuses to be confined by fate. Torn from her family and raised in a palace that treats her more as a symbol than a person, Fei’s journey is one of reclaiming agency—of choosing herself over the empire’s expectations. Her inner battle is compelling, though at times confusing. She longs to be chosen for who she is, not for what she represents. And while her arc is powerful, her inability to fully “let go” until it’s too late left me aching.

The story is fast-paced, with no dull chapters to slog through—a rare treat. The love triangle trope, which I usually avoid, didn’t bother me here. Perhaps because it’s woven into a larger tapestry of royal court intrigue, enemies-to-lovers tension, and slow-burning emotional stakes. Yexue, the rival prince with dangerous magic and a vampire army, is enigmatic and beautifully written. The romance simmers rather than scorches, and I appreciated that restraint.

Fei’s defiance of the gods, her refusal to be a pawn, and the enigmatic premise kept me hooked. There were moments that made me cringe—scenes that felt a bit too dramatic or forced—but they didn’t derail the experience. The familial connections and communal responsibilities added depth, grounding the fantasy in something tender and real. And the inclusion of Chinese proverbs throughout the story adds a quiet reverence for heritage, grounding the tale in cultural memory while honoring the wisdom passed down through generations.

Who Should Read This
Beyond its fantasy trappings, The Nightblood Prince feels eerily relevant and speaks to timely themes: autonomy, identity, and the cost of being a symbol. Fei’s struggle to define herself outside of prophecy mirrors the pressure many face today to live up to inherited expectations—whether cultural, familial, or societal. Her refusal to be used as a justification for conquest mirrors a deeper truth: power rooted in brutality is not strength—it’s cowardice dressed in armor.

In a world where war is still wielded as a tool of pride and dominance, I hope the younger generation reads The Nightblood Prince. Not just for the magic and monsters, but for the mirror it holds to history. This book invites readers to reflect—to see how power has been wielded, how symbols have been used, and how empires have risen on the backs of the unwilling.

We are living in a time that feels precarious. The world teeters between progress and regression, between civility and the savagery our ancestors tried to haul us from. I do not believe in “casualties of war.” Fiction like this reminds us that destiny is not fixed. I believe in stories that challenge the arrogance of empire and remind us that choosing wisely—choosing peace, truth, and autonomy—is the bravest act of all.

“Fate is not as strong as the human heart.”
(命不如心强 — Mìng bùrú xīn qiáng)

Final Reflection
As Fei learns, and as we must remember: Fate is not as strong as the human heart. Stories like THE NIGHTBLOOD PRINCE remind us that even in the shadow of prophecy, we can choose who we become.

I peeked at the hardbound cover art by Gollancz and loved how it captured the story’s haunting tone. I’ll be waiting for Book Two, curious to see how the stars shift next.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

Molly X. Chang is the bestselling author of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods and the upcoming young adult fantasy The Nightblood Prince. She’s a first-generation immigrant born in Harbin, China. Photo by Katrina Wong

*Penguin Random House provided the eARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | THE LAST TIGER by Julia Riew; Brad Riew

THE LAST TIGER

BY JULIA RIEW, BRAD RIEW | PUBLICATION: JULY 29, 2025
KOKILA | GENRE: YA FANTASY
RATING: ★★★

"...the blush of first love and bridging impossible divides."

____________________________________________________________________

Inspired by true stories from the authors’ grandparents’ lives during one of the darkest periods in Korean history, The Last Tiger is a debut young adult fantasy novel about the power of love to give voice to a silenced people.

In a colonized land where tigers are being hunted to extinction and ancient magic stirs, two star-crossed teens—Lee Seung, a servant yearning for freedom, and Choi Eunji, a noble girl defying tradition—join forces to try and reshape their respective fates.

But their relationship evolves from begrudging accomplices to bitter adversaries as they soon find themselves on opposite sides of a battle over the last tiger, a symbol of their people’s lost freedom and key to the liberation of their country. As the ties between Seung and Eunji are complicated by their conflicting loyalties, tensions rise—especially when a charming princeling of the empire begins to rival for Eunji's affection.

In this friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story of forbidden romance, antagonists turned allies, oppression and liberation, neither Seung nor Eunji can abandon their mission—or each other. And as they embark on separate quests to find the elusive creature, each must also find the power within themselves to make their own destiny. -PRH

____________________________________________________________________

I finished this book, but not without a fight.

The Last Tiger has all the ingredients of a compelling historical fantasy: a colonized Korea under Imperial Japan, magical realism rooted in dragon spirits and ki, and a symbolic quest to protect the last tiger—a living emblem of resistance and cultural identity. The premise is rich, and the authors’ inspiration from their grandparents’ real-life love story adds emotional weight.

But despite its potential, this story didn’t resonate with me.

The central romance—between a noble girl and a servant—leans heavily into the princess/poor trope, which I’ve never found appealing. The narrative still hinges on familiar beats: forbidden love, class defiance, and a princeling rival. It felt more like a YA fantasy checklist than a fresh take.

That said, the protagonist deserves credit. Choi Eunji didn’t wait to be saved. She climbed, she fought, and she earned her place through grit and determination. Her arc was the only thing that kept me coming back, even when the rest of the narrative felt like a chore. I huffed, I puffed, I put the book down more times than I can count—but I finished it.

I admire the historical context, especially the brutal depiction of tiger executions, which echoes the violence of cultural erasure. As someone whose own grandparents lived through the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, I felt a personal connection to the themes of oppression and survival. But even that couldn’t carry me through the story’s pacing and emotional tone.

This book might speak more deeply to younger readers—those drawn to the blush of first love and bridging impossible divides.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Authors:

Julia Riew is a Korean-American composer-lyricist, librettist, and novelist from St. Louis and NYC. She is best known for her viral hit Dive, a reimagining of the Korean folktale Shimcheong, which has captivated millions online and is currently being developed for the stage at the American Repertory Theater with Tony-Award winning director Diane Paulus and GLAAD-Award winning playwright Diana Son.

Brad Riew is an MFA candidate in Fiction at New York University's creative writing program. He graduated from Harvard College in 2018 with a degree in Psychology, where he won the Ecker Short Story Prize. The Last Tiger, co-written with his younger sister Julia Riew, is his first novel. Brad lives in Brooklyn, New York.

*Penguin Random House provided the eARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES by Katherine Rundell

IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES

Impossible Creatures Series, Vol. 1
BY KATHERINE RUNDELL
ART BY ASHLEY MACKENZIE | PUBLICATION: SEPTEMBER 10, 2024
KNOPF | GENRE: YA FANTASY
RATING: ★★★★★

"It’s a rallying cry for every soul who still believes in wonder, in courage, and in the quiet power of kindness."

____________________________________________________________________

The day Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever. It's the day he learned about the Archipelago, a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years—until now. And it's the day he met Mal, a girl on the run who desperately needs his help.

Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what's happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.

Katherine Rundell’s story crackles and roars with energy and delight. It is brought vividly to life with more than 60 illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures. -PRH

____________________________________________________________________

Remember Kindness

There are books that entertain. There are books that comfort. And then there are books like IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES—books that summon. Katherine Rundell’s tale of Christopher and Mal isn’t just a fantasy adventure—it’s a rallying cry for every soul who still believes in wonder, in courage, and in the quiet power of kindness.

Set between the Scottish Highlands and the Archipelago—a hidden world where mythical creatures still breathe—the story begins with a baby griffin, a boy who dares to save it, and a girl named Mal who can fly and is running from something far darker than monsters. Together, they race across islands, consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the real battle? It’s against despair. Against the fading of magic. Against the kind of apathy that lets beauty die without protest.

The Archipelago feels like the kind of place that’s been waiting in the collective imagination—just out of reach, until someone like Katherine Rundell gave it form. The part that makes the Archipelago feel truly alive—not just the creatures, but the people who live alongside them. Rundell hints at entire civilizations tucked into the folds of the islands, each with their own stories, rituals, languages, and ways of understanding the impossible. Rundell doesn’t over-explain. She trusts us to feel the weight of what’s not said. That there are people we haven’t met yet, and when we do, they’ll change everything.

The Archipelago feels like a sanctuary—not just from danger, but from the noise and cruelty that seem to echo louder in our world lately. It’s a place where wonder is protected, where kindness is woven into the fabric of life, and where the impossible thrives because people believe in it together. It’s comforting to imagine that somewhere out there, tucked behind the veil of reality, there’s a place untouched by division. Where cultures coexist not in spite of their differences, but because of them. Where every creature, every person, has a place and a purpose. A world stitched together from myth and memory, where griffins soar and nereid slip through the waves, and where the impossible isn’t just possible—it’s home.

Rundell didn’t just build a world—she remembered it for us. Like she cracked open a secret door in the back of the wardrobe and said, “Here. You knew this place existed. You just forgot.”

Mal and Christopher are the archetypes of what we need more of: kids who ask hard questions, who risk safety for truth, who understand that saving the world means doing the work. And Rundell doesn’t flinch from the cost. There’s danger. There’s loss. But there’s also hope—and it’s earned, not gifted.

Christopher is the quiet heartbeat of Impossible Creatures. His magic isn’t mythical—it’s moral. And he’s the one who chooses to show up, again and again, even when the path is terrifying, even when he doesn’t fully understand what he’s stepping into. That kind of courage—the kind that’s rooted in loyalty, empathy, and instinct—is rare. And it’s beautiful.

And the way he never says no? That’s not just bravery—it’s deeply rooted love. For Gelifen, for Mal, for the Archipelago. He steps into the unknown not because he’s fearless, but because he cares. It captures something deep and ancient—like the Archipelago itself was waiting for Christopher, whispering his name through feathers and fur and wind. He didn’t stumble into destiny; he was claimed by it. Before he understood, before he agreed, before he even believed—the creatures knew. They saw the quiet strength, the kindness, the willingness to leap without asking why. That’s the kind of hero who stays with you long after the last page.

It’s rare in stories to see characters chosen not for power or prophecy, but for heart. And that’s why Mal and Christopher stays with us. They gave up their childhood innocence for something worth fighting for, accepted the quest, and they refused to be helpless. They are the kind of people the world needs more of—the kind who says yes, even when the cost is high, even when the path is unclear.

Rundell’s stories shimmer with strangeness—griffins, flying girls, impossible islands—but it’s the kindness that anchors them. Not just fleeting gestures, but the kind that demands courage, persistence, and sacrifice. She has this rare gift—she writes for young readers without ever condescending to them. Her language is lyrical, her ideas are layered, and her emotional truths are unflinching. She trusts her readers, no matter their age, to grapple with beauty and grief, with wonder and loss.

For the kind people: If you’ve ever felt the world growing colder, more cynical, more cruel—read this. Let it remind you that kindness must be taught, modeled, and fought for. That protecting innocence doesn’t mean shielding children from truth, but arming them with empathy and courage.

This book is a seed. Let’s plant it in every heart that still believes in impossible things.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

KATHERINE RUNDELL is the internationally bestselling author of Impossible Creatures. Her other books for children include Rooftoppers, Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms, The Wolf Wilder, The Explorer, and The Good Thieves. She grew up in Zimbabwe, Brussels, and London, and is currently a Fellow of St. Catherine’s College, Oxford. For adult readers, Rundell has written Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures and Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne, which won the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. She was the recipient of the British Book Award for Book of the Year and Author of the Year.

*The video above is fully owned by Random House Kids,
no copyright infringement is intended in sharing it here.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | THE HOMEMADE GOD by Rachel Joyce

THE HOMEMADE GOD

BY RACHEL JOYCE | PUBLICATION: JULY 8, 2025
DOUBLEDAY CANADA | GENRE: LITERARY FICTION
RATING: ★★★★★

"It’s never the loudest character or the most dramatic twist—it’s the quiet truth that lingers."

____________________________________________________________________

There is a heatwave across Europe, and four siblings have gathered at their family’s lake house to seek answers about their father, a famous artist, who recently remarried a much younger woman and decamped to Italy to finish his long-awaited masterpiece.

Now he is dead. And there is no sign of his final painting.

As the siblings try to piece together what happened, they spend the summer in a state of lawlessness: living under the same roof for the first time in decades, forced to confront the buried wounds they incurred as his children, and waiting for answers. Though they have always been close, the things they learn that summer—about themselves—and their father—will drive them apart before they can truly understand his legacy. Meanwhile, their stepmother’s enigmatic presence looms over the house. Is she the force that will finally destroy the family for good?

Wonderfully atmospheric, at heart this is a novel about the bonds of siblinghood—what happens when they splinter, and what it might take to reconnect them. -PRH

____________________________________________________________________

"The Quiet Resurrection of a Goose: A Masterpiece"

In THE HOMEMADE GOD, Rachel Joyce once again proves that the heart of a story doesn’t need to be loud to be unforgettable. While the novel opens with the death of Vic Kemp—the flamboyant artist and flawed patriarch—it’s his son Goose who quietly steals the narrative. Often overlooked, Goose becomes the emotional compass of the novel.

Rachel Joyce is a genius at crafting fractured, complex characters who feel heartbreakingly real. Here, she places four siblings—Netta, Susan, Goose, and Iris—inside the sweltering heat of an Italian summer, in a lakeside villa that holds more ghosts than memories. What begins as a mystery surrounding their father Vic’s death and missing masterpiece soon reveals itself to be something deeper: a portrait of a family in quiet collapse.

The first part of the novel is deceptively warm. The siblings, despite their differences, share a bond forged in childhood and shaped by their adoration for their father. But Joyce, as always, knows how to shift the light. The second part dives into the undercurrent—the unspoken wounds, the buried resentments, the truths too painful to name. It’s here the novel breaks open. And it’s here that Goose, the third in the pack, begins to rise.

What struck me most was how Joyce, as she always does, finds her center (which I'd like to discuss in detail on a different post). It’s never the loudest character or the most dramatic twist—it’s the quiet truth that lingers. Goose reminded me so much of Benji from Fredrik Backman’s books. Both are beautiful, broken men who carry their pain with grace. Goose, despite his damage and breakdowns, remains open. Joyce paints him with aching tenderness: a failed artist, a wounded child, a man searching for something that doesn’t hurt to hold. And when Billy enters the story—a miracle in human form—everything changes. Billy is the kind of person everyone needs: gentle, firm, enveloping. His love doesn’t fix Goose; it allows him to heal. Goose's journey back to art, and into the arms of Billy, is not just a subplot—it’s a resurrection. In a family fractured by ego and grief, Goose chooses creation over destruction. His love story is gentle, his healing slow, but every step feels earned.

This book is slow. It takes its time. It cries out all its tears. And then, with quiet courage, it opens its palms to love again. Goose’s return to art, and his acceptance of love, is the novel’s heartbeat. In a story filled with grief and legacy, he chooses creation. He chooses peace.

In the final chapter, Bella-Mae’s masterpiece reminds us that art isn’t made from what’s pristine—it’s made from what’s lived. Broken things, forgotten things, everyday things. Together, they form something divine. And in that image, the Kemp family finds not just closure, but grace.

This novel doesn’t offer easy redemption. It offers something better: the possibility of peace. And Goose, with his paintbrush and his quiet heart, shows us how to get there. The Homemade God is a book of hope, of healing, and of art—the art of loving and being loved.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

Rachel Joyce is the author of the Sunday Times and international bestsellers The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, and Perfect. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was short-listed for the Commonwealth Book Prize and long-listed for the Man Booker Prize and has been translated into thirty-six languages. Joyce was awarded the Specsavers National Book Awards New Writer of the Year in 2012. She is also the author of the digital short story A Faraway Smell of Lemon and is the award-winning writer of more than thirty original afternoon plays and classic adaptations for BBC Radio 4. Rachel Joyce lives with her family in Gloucestershire. Photo by Justin Sutcliffe

*Penguin Random House provided the eARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | THE MIDWATCH INSTITUTE FOR WAYWARD GIRLS by Judith Rossell

THE MIDWATCH INSTITUTE FOR WAYWARD GIRLS

BY JUDITH ROSSELL | PUBLICATION: MAY 27, 2025
DIAL BOOKS | GENRE: MIDDLE-GRADE MYSTERY
RATING: ★★★★✬

"A must-read for middle-grade lovers and anyone who believes in the power of learning and compassion."

____________________________________________________________________

For fans of The Swifts and A Series of Unfortunate Events comes the story of a young orphan at the edge of society who finds herself at the center of a city’s secrets.

Maggie Fishbone is not expecting much when she’s sent to the Midwatch Institute for Orphans, Runaways, and Wayward Girls—the last resort after causing a ruckus at the orphanage where she was living. Except . . . the Institute isn’t some dreadful, dreary place like she thought.

Instead it’s full of curious girls training to solve mysteries, fight bad guys, and keep the city safe. In between fencing lessons and discovering all the shortcuts in the building, Maggie finds herself making friends at the Midwatch and finally feeling like she’s home. And when a woman goes missing, Maggie’s off on her first assignment, with each step leading her deeper into the secrets of the city.

With gorgeous black-and-white illustrations and pages of “Useful Things Every Girl Should Know” (like how send messages in morse code and how to shout extremely loudly), The Midwatch is a whimsical, adventure-filled mystery from internationally bestselling author-illustrator Judith Rossell.

____________________________________________________________________

"Holy Mackerel!"

Judith Rossell’s THE MIDWATCH INSTITUTE FOR WAYWARD GIRLS is a delightful, whimsical mystery that wraps adventure, heart, and empowerment into one beautifully illustrated package. It follows Maggie Fishbone—a spirited orphan who finds herself at a school unlike any other.

Sent to the Midwatch Institute after causing a stir at her previous orphanage, Maggie expects gloom and punishment. Instead, she discovers a vibrant world where girls are trained to solve mysteries, defend the city, and grow into their best selves. With fencing lessons, secret passages, and a missing person case to unravel, Maggie’s journey is one of friendship, courage, and self-discovery.

🌟 What Makes This Book Shine:

• A Joyful Adventure: The story is packed with excitement, warmth, and the thrill of discovery.

• Found Family: Maggie’s bond with the other girls is tender and uplifting—a reminder that belonging can be found in unexpected places.

• Gentle Wisdom: The Institute offers a safe space to make mistakes, learn, and be guided with compassion.

• Empowering Message: Knowledge is the greatest weapon—even the smallest, most frightened characters can rise when armed with understanding.

• Charming Extras: The “Useful Things Every Girl Should Know” pages are clever, practical, and full of charm.

• Gorgeous Illustrations: The cover and interior art add depth and whimsy to the reading experience.

This book is a celebration of curiosity, kindness, and courage. It’s a reminder that every child deserves a gentle hand and a safe place to grow. I finished it wanting more—more mysteries, more lessons, more Midwatch.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

Judith Rossell is the multi-award-winning author-illustrator of the bestselling Stella Montgomery series (Withering-by-Sea, Wormwood Mire and Wakestone Hall). Judith has written fifteen books and illustrated more than eighty, including the recent picture books Bogtrotter and Pink!, both written by Margaret Wild. Her work has been published in the US and UK, and translated into more than twenty languages. Before becoming an illustrator, Judith trained as a scientist, and worked for CSIRO, and for a cotton-spinning company. She lives in Melbourne.
Photo from PRH site. No infringement intended.

*Penguin Random House provided the eARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | THE OTHERWHERE POST by Emily J. Taylor

THE OTHERWHERE POST

BY EMILY J. TAYLOR | PUBLICATION: February 25, 2025
G.P. PUTNAM'S SON | GENRE: YA FANTASY
RATING: ★★★★

"Deliver this book to anyone who loves magic with bite, a heroine with scars, and romance that ignites through ink."

____________________________________________________________________

A Good Morning America YA Book Club Pick

The New York Times bestselling author of Hotel Magnifique returns with another glittering dark fantasy about a deadly mystery that spans worlds and a teenage girl who must risk everything to uncover the truth.

Seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy lost her world, her father, even her name. Desperate to escape the stain of her father’s crimes, she lives under a fake name, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots.

Then she receives a mysterious letter with four impossible words Your father was innocent.

To uncover the truth, she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she’ll be trained in the art of scriptomancy—the dangerous magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But looking into her father’s past draws more attention than she’d planned.

Her secretive, infuriatingly handsome mentor knows she’s lying about her identity, and time is running out to convince him to trust her. Worse, she begins to receive threatening letters, warning her to drop her investigation—or else. For Maeve to unravel the mystery of what happened seven years ago, she may have to forfeit her life.- PRH

____________________________________________________________________

Deliveries. Lies. Magic. Love.

Emily J. Taylor's THE OTHERWHERE POST brings a masterfully layered story that deserves far more hype—and it's not too late to shout about it.

🌌 Worldbuilding & Magic

• Taylor conjures a universe brimming with intrigue: courier doors to other worlds, scribing magic that pulses with ash and intent, and letters that carry as much danger as they do hope.


• The magic system isn’t entirely new—but it’s brilliantly twisted. Between poisoned Aldervine vines and ink-infused portals, Taylor redefines arcane craft with delicious creativity.

💔 Maeve: A Hero Who Never Pretended

• Maeve’s journey is far from idealized. She’s carved from hardship, not heroism. She's not the chosen one wrapped in prophecy; she’s the one who fights despite trembling fingers and an empty pocket. A girl with nothing but scraps, secrets, and that relentless spark that refuses to go out.


• She lies. She schemes. She nearly dies—more than once. But what makes her unforgettable is her fierce heart. Her loyalty to the few who earn it is absolute.


• Her vulnerability isn’t a weakness—it’s defiance. She feels deeply and still charges forward.

❤️ Romance & Relationships

• Enter Tristan—the dream boyfriend with ink-stained fingers and a soul full of warmth. Smart, tender, just the right amount of steamy. Their slow burn simmers beneath danger and decoding, until it explodes with emotional and magical resonance.


• The side characters sparkle with depth and wit, giving Maeve reasons to fight beyond herself—and proving that chosen family may be the most powerful spell of all.

Scribbled in ink, sealed with love—THE OTHERWHERE POST delivers danger, desire, and devotion on every page.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

Emily J. Taylor was born and raised in California and has since refused to stay put. She’s lived in four states and on two continents, all of which have conveniently given her an endless amount of story fodder. She currently works as a creative director in Minneapolis, where she spends the long winters dreaming up glittering worlds to spin into dark tales. Follow her @emilycanwrite, or find her at emilyjtaylorauthor.com.
Photo from PRH site, no infringement intended.

*Penguin Random House provided the eARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →

Book Review | SKIPSHOCK by Caroline O'Donoghue

SKIPSHOCK

BY CAROLINE O'DONOGHUE | PUBLICATION: JUNE 3, 2025
WALKER BOOKS US | GENRE: YA FANTASY
RATING: ★★★★★

"Where love, survival, and fate collide across train tracks."

____________________________________________________________________

Set in a universe where time is key to power and privilege, this dazzlingly inventive, genre-defying fantasy romance is the first in a duology by best-selling author Caroline O’Donoghue.

Margo is a troubled schoolgirl. After the death of her father, she’s on her way to a new boarding school in a new city.

Moon is a salesman. He makes his living traveling through a series of interconnected worlds on a network of barely used train lines.

They never should have met. But when Margo suddenly appears one day on Moon’s train, their fates become inextricably linked. If Margo wants to survive, she has to pass as a traveling salesman, too—except it’s not that easy.

Move north on the train line and time speeds up, a day passing in mere hours. Move south and time slows down—a day can last several weeks. Slow worlds are the richest ones: you live longer, your youth lasting decades. Fast worlds are sharp, cruel, and don’t have time for pleasantries. Death is frequent. Salesmen die young of skipshock. That is, if they’re not shot down by the Southern Guard first.

As Margo moves between worlds and her attachment to Moon intensifies, she feels her youth start to slip between her fingers. But is Moon everything he seems? Is Margo?

Told through the eyes of both naive Margo and desperate Moon, the unforgettable realm of Skipshock will shake the way you think about love, time, and the fabric of the universe. The first in a planned duology from the best-selling author of the Gifts series, this utterly original epic is a must-read. -PRH

____________________________________________________________________

"TRAIN TRACKS"

This book consumed me.
Every world, every moment, every emotion—I’m still recovering. I tried to read slowly. I really did. But SKIPSHOCK refused to let go.

Caroline O'Donoghue’s storytelling is nothing short of genius—Skipshock is a masterclass in world-building, emotional depth, and intricate character development. This book is brilliant in every way.

Set in a universe where time itself dictates power and survival, Skipshock introduces a world so uniquely crafted, it feels like stepping into a dimension where time is both an ally and an enemy. Each world has its own time cycle—some offering only two hours of daylight before darkness takes over. And as you move north, time dwindles, shortening not just days, but lifespans. The result? The skipshock illness—a devastating consequence of a world where time is never enough.

Yet, beyond the brilliantly immersive world-building, Skipshock carries something even more profound—a romance that is both fierce and humbling. It’s not just about passion. It’s about survival, understanding, and building something unbreakable. Before love, there is friendship. Before desire, there is trust. And amidst trauma, oppression, and the constant weight of death, two souls fight for each other in ways that make every moment feel raw, real, and earned.

Even the secondary characters are meticulously crafted, each adding depth and complexity to the story. No one feels like a mere side character—everyone has a purpose, a presence, and a story that enriches the world.

The adventure is gripping, the stakes are high, and the emotions hit deep. And then—the cliffhanger. The agony of waiting begins. I need the next book. I need it now.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

About the Author:

CAROLINE O’DONOGHUE is the New York Times best-selling author of All Our Hidden Gifts, her YA debut fantasy, which has been published in more than twenty territories around the world. She has written for The Times and The Guardian, and is the host of an award-winning podcast, Sentimental Garbage. She was born in Ireland and lives in London. The Rachel Incident is her first adult novel to be published in the U.S.
Photo: © Jamie Drew

*Penguin Random House CA provided the ARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
This is a free ad.

Read more →