Cory Anderson puts her characters through a lot, but What Beauty There Is rewards persistent readers with a glimpse of something beautiful.
‘American Betiya’ review: Anuradha D. Rajurkar’s book calls attention to gaslighting, manipulation, and fetishization
Anuradha D. Rajurkar’s American Betiya is an OwnVoices novel about Rani Kelkar, an Indian American teen who enjoys photography, volunteering to work with kids, and intends to pursue pre-med in her goals of becoming a pediatrician. Her world comes crashing…
‘Game Changer’ review: Neal Shusterman offers a coming-of-social-awareness story with a sci-fi twist
In Neal Shusterman’s latest young adult book, Game Changer, the coronavirus pandemic is over, the Tibbetsville Tsunamis are gearing up for a new football season, and Ash Bowman’s world is pretty much okay. At least that’s what Ash thinks. He’s…
‘Yolk’ review: Mary H.K. Choi’s timely novel about grief, illness, and authenticity in collective experience
In her newest young adult #ownvoices novel, Mary H.K. Choi writes about two Korean-American sisters struggling to cope with individual illnesses. As Choi discusses in a Refinery29 interview, Yolk delves into the “shame around illness, the idea that being sick…
‘Namesake’ review: Adrienne Young’s seafaring sequel brings the story to shore, while getting a little lost along the way
Namesake, Adrienne Young’s highly anticipated sequel to her nautical themed fantasy Fable, struggles to stay afloat under the high expectations set by the previous installment. The story starts off moments after the end of Fable. Fable finds herself abducted by…
‘The Mirror Season’ Review: Anna-Marie McLemore tells a poignant and powerful story about learning to heal after trauma
Striking, compelling, and full of Anna-Marie McLemore’s signature lyrical prose, The Mirror Season is a heavy, but commanding piece of fiction. Inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale, The Snow Queen, this book is a poignant and powerful story about…
‘Ravage the Dark’ review: Tara Sim offers revenge, heists, and alchemy in this dazzling sequel
Ravage the Dark by Tara Sim gives us a satisfying sequel to Scavenge the Stars, a fun and inventive retelling. Slipping back into this series felt warm and comfortable, even if the world is anything but that, because I enjoy…