There are zombie stories, and then there are zombie stories involving mysterious glowing green goo, wood-eating orphans, scientific investigations, secretive ninjas, and an entire town at risk of literally being eaten. Zombie Zoo: Adventures in Tub by Melanie Abed is the first book in the Felix & Ninja series, and it kicks things off with plenty of action, mystery, humor, and wonderfully strange world-building.

The story takes place in the Territory of Tub, specifically the wooden island town of Spinachi. Thirteen-year-old Felix is a young naturalist who would probably be perfectly happy staying in his tree fort, observing the world and recording everything in his field journal. Unfortunately for Felix, his home is suddenly facing a much bigger problem than anything he can simply observe from a safe distance.

A mysterious bioluminescent green substance is turning orphans into wood-eating zombies.

And when your entire town is made of wood, that is a pretty serious problem.

Felix quickly realizes that this outbreak doesn’t seem accidental. Someone may have intentionally unleashed the plague, and whoever is behind it could still be out there. To figure out what is happening, Felix is forced to leave the safety of observation behind and actually jump into the action.

That is where Ninja comes in.

Ninja is another orphan, but unlike Felix, she approaches problems through instinct, secrecy, and spycraft. She is clever, cautious, and not exactly quick to trust anyone. Felix, meanwhile, relies heavily on scientific observation, evidence, and data. Putting these two together creates a fun dynamic because they approach almost every problem from completely different directions.

Their personalities and methods are one of my favorite parts of the book.

Felix brings a lot of humor to the story, while Ninja has a cleverness and mysterious quality that makes you want to know more about her. Watching these two loners slowly learn how to work together gives the story more than just its zombie adventure. At its heart, this is also a story about friendship and learning when to trust someone else.

One of the things I especially enjoyed was the way the author speaks directly to the reader.

There is this wonderful feeling that the stories we are reading are supposedly true accounts from the Territory of Tub and that the storyteller knows much more about this strange world than we do. The narration gave me strong Lemony Snicket vibes. I really enjoy stories where the narrator feels almost like another character—someone guiding us through the events while also making comments, giving warnings, or hinting that there is much more happening beyond the current story.

That storytelling style immediately made the world feel bigger.

We also get glimpses of the Territory of Tub and its elementals, which made me curious about what else exists beyond Spinachi. Since this is the first book in a planned five-book series exploring different territories, I think there is a lot of potential here for the world to grow as the series continues.

I also liked the STEM element woven into the adventure. Felix isn’t just running away from zombies. He is observing what is happening, looking for patterns, following evidence, and trying to understand the science behind the outbreak. That scientific curiosity fits naturally into the mystery without making the story feel like a lesson disguised as a novel.

At the same time, Ninja balances Felix perfectly because she approaches situations with completely different skills.

Together, they have to uncover the mystery behind the outbreak, figure out who they can trust, discover why the zombies are attacking the town, and hopefully find a cure before Spinachi is completely destroyed.

And there is a lot happening.

The story moves very quickly, which I think many middle-grade readers will love. There is rarely a quiet moment before another clue, danger, discovery, or zombie-related disaster appears.

That fast pacing was also my one small complaint.

Sometimes the action happened a little too quickly for me. I would have loved a few more quiet moments with Felix and Ninja so I could get to know them better as characters. Their personalities are interesting enough that I wanted more time with them outside of the immediate danger.

I especially wanted a little more room for their friendship to develop.

That said, the quick pacing never ruined the reading experience for me. If anything, it makes the book especially well suited for readers who enjoy stories that keep moving and don’t spend too long lingering in one place.

Middle grade readers who enjoy creepy adventures with plenty of humor should have a lot of fun with this one. The zombies are strange and spooky without making the story lose its playful tone, and the mystery surrounding the outbreak gives readers plenty of reasons to keep turning the pages.

Fans of Goosebumps, The Last Kids on Earth, or stories with quirky narrators and unusual worlds may especially enjoy exploring the Territory of Tub.

Overall, Zombie Zoo: Adventures in Tub is a funny, imaginative start to a new middle grade series. Between Felix’s scientific curiosity, Ninja’s spy skills, the mysterious elementals, and an outbreak of wood-eating zombies, there is definitely no shortage of adventure.

I’m giving this one ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 out of 5 stars.

The action moved a little faster than I personally would have liked, and I hope future books give us more time to get to know Felix and Ninja. But the unique world, clever narration, humor, and mystery made this a fun reading experience—and I’m definitely curious to see what other strange adventures are waiting in the Territory of Tub.

About the book:

Genre: Middle-grade Mystery
Publishing date: September 15, 2026

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Synopsis:

Creepy, clever, and laugh‑out‑loud funny, ZOMBIE ZOO blends STEM investigation, paranormal mystery, and friendship forged in chaos.

When mysterious bioluminescent green goo turns orphans into wood‑eating zombies, 13‑year‑old naturalist Felix can’t hide in his tree fort anymore—someone unleashed this plague deliberately, and they’re still out there. Forced to team up with Ninja, a shadow‑dwelling orphan who trusts no one, Felix must trade his field journal for action. Two loners with opposite methods—Felix relies on scientific observation and data; Ninja depends on instinct and spycraft—race to uncover who released the plague and find a cure before their wooden island town of Spinachi is devoured. As the outbreak spreads and Doc Brunne’s loyalties crumble, buildings collapse, and clues point to sabotage, the pair must solve the mystery, deploy a cure, and learn to trust—before they become the next victims.

First in a 5-book series exploring the territories of Tub. Perfect for readers who loved Goosebumps,Amari and the Night Brothers, Last Kids on Earth, It Found Us, and anyone ready for a zombie adventure where being different might just save the world.

Meet the author:

In kindergarten, my life’s goal was to become a teacher who wore only pink and ate French fries all day long. Now that I’ve matured, my goal in life is to become a Miss Marple-Sherlockian-Jedi Knight—I’m totally serious; it’s a real thing.

I love stories, and I’ve had the privilege of working in Hollywood for over a decade in many different capacities, working with celebrities, directors (I’m married to one, plus he’s my illustrator), and a few executives (the head-honcho types that I can’t talk about because I signed confidentiality waivers). I’m not sure any of these people would have hired me if they knew I had a closet full of mint-condition Star Wars toys…

However, the life of a freelancer is not for the faint of heart. I’ve kept myself busy with my extracurricular activities, from skydiving to scuba diving, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, a degree in Fine Art, an M.A. in Psychology (with a focus in Neuroscience), and a few other things that I like to keep top secret. …Some people think I’m a spy, but I’ll never tell!

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Set on the exclusive private Caribbean island of Mokani, the book follows Avery as she returns to the place she considers her happy place for another summer with her extremely wealthy friends. This year, though, she brings someone new along: Nora, her college roommate and very much an outsider to Avery’s privileged social circle.

Almost immediately, things feel off.

Avery’s ex is still hanging around and clearly isn’t over their breakup. Her friends are behaving strangely. Nora starts asking questions that make everyone uncomfortable. Avery’s family is dealing with financial problems she doesn’t completely understand. Meanwhile, a tropical storm is moving toward the island, and it becomes increasingly clear that just about everyone has something to hide.

And some of those secrets may be worth killing for.

What I liked

One of my favorite parts of How the Other Half Die was the way Roscoe slowly pulled me down the rabbit hole of everyone’s drama. The story rotates between the perspectives of Leo, Avery, and Hugo, and each point of view gives you another small piece of what is really happening on Mokani Island.

Of course, every new piece of information also gives you about five new questions.

Some of the most interesting characters don’t get their own point-of-view chapters. Archie, his sister Sydney, and especially Nora remain slightly harder to read because we’re always seeing them from someone else’s perspective. That worked really well for the mystery because I spent a lot of the book wondering what each of them knew and what they might be hiding.

Nora is particularly suspicious from the beginning. She’s Avery’s college roommate, but she doesn’t exactly slide easily into this group of wealthy friends. She asks a lot of questions, pays attention to things everyone else seems determined to ignore, and seems especially interested in Archie and Sydney’s father.

Then there are Nora and Sydney’s strange interactions with each other.

I started developing theories about those two fairly early in the story. I won’t say whether I was right because that would take us straight into spoiler territory, but their behavior definitely made me suspicious. I managed to guess some of the reasoning behind what was happening, yet the ending still delivered a satisfying shock.

That balance worked for me. I like being able to figure out a few puzzle pieces without predicting absolutely everything.

The other mystery that kept me interested involved Avery’s parents and their money problems. In a story about people with an enormous amount of wealth, watching cracks form in that perfect, privileged image adds another layer to the drama. Pretty much everyone on Mokani Island has a secret, and Roscoe does a great job giving you just enough information to keep you reading.

The book definitely has that delicious White Lotus feeling of watching rich people behave badly while knowing something much darker is happening underneath all the luxury.

What didn’t work

There were a couple of things that didn’t work as well for me.

The friends-to-lovers romance between Leo and Avery was probably the weakest part of the story. Their relationship just didn’t grab me, and I found most of the romantic storyline a little snooze-worthy. Thankfully, the mystery and interpersonal drama were interesting enough that the romance never became a reason for me to stop reading.

My bigger frustration was Avery herself.

For someone surrounded by so many strange conversations, unusual reactions, obvious secrets, and increasingly suspicious behavior, Avery could be incredibly naive. I had a hard time believing she could remain so unaware of what was happening with her parents or fail to question some of Nora’s comments and reactions more seriously.

There were moments when I wanted to reach into the book and tell her to please start paying attention.

I also wasn’t completely convinced by the secret Nora was holding over Avery involving Avery copying on a college exam. The story treats it as a pretty powerful piece of leverage, but it felt a little far-fetched to me that this particular revelation would have quite that much power.

At the same time, Avery comes from a very different family and social world than I do, so maybe the potential consequences make more sense within her circumstances. For me personally, though, it didn’t feel like the explosive secret the book wanted it to be.

Those complaints aside, How the Other Half Die was an entertaining, drama-filled thriller that kept me invested until the end. The multiple perspectives, private-island setting, suspicious friendships, wealthy-family secrets, and steady stream of revelations made this an easy book to keep turning pages through.

If you enjoy YA mysteries where basically everyone is suspicious, everyone has something to hide, and beautiful locations are hiding very ugly secrets, this one is worth checking out.

Fans of The White Lotus, twisty rich-people drama, and mysteries that make you constantly reconsider who you trust should have a lot of fun with How the Other Half Die.

And after that ending? I’m definitely curious to see what happens in the companion novel, How the Other Half Kill.

About the book:

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 7, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5

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Synopsis:

A steamy thriller set on a private Caribbean island where the ultrawealthy’s summer vacation is full of sun, schemes, scandals, and murder. Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and older readers who enjoyed The White Lotus.

The exclusive Mokani Island is Avery’s happy place. This summer, she’s invited her college roommate, Nora, to hang out in paradise and party with her superrich friends.

But the vibe feels off from the start. Avery’s ex can’t get over their split. Her best friend is acting weird. A hot new staff member can’t keep his eyes off her. And nobody likes Nora, who keeps sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.

​A tropical storm is brewing and everyone on the island seems to be hiding something—but are some secrets worth killing for?

Don’t miss the companion, How the Other Half Kill!

Meet the author:

P.C. Roscoe has sold cheese in Borough Market in London, scrubbed pans in a kitchen, processed invoices for a multinational, researched TV scripts, and edited romance. But her favorite job, by far, is writing, where she gets to immerse herself in tension-filled, high-stakes stories. She grew up in London before moving to a cottage in Norfolk where she splits her time between writing, cooking disasters and half-finished DIY projects and she honestly couldn’t be happier.

That was the plan.

I opened Sisters Alone by Shifa Saltagi Safadi thinking I would read a few pages to get a feel for the book before writing about it.

And then I couldn’t stop reading.

Seriously. A few pages turned into a few more, and before I knew it, I was completely wrapped up in Rama and Leena’s story. Safadi’s writing pulled me in almost immediately, and by the end, I was sitting there in complete awe of what she had managed to accomplish with so few words.

Because Sisters Alone is written entirely in verse.

And it is stunning.

The story follows Syrian-American sisters Rama and Leena, who are both grieving the death of their mother but handling that grief in very different ways. Rama is fiery, angry, and struggling with intrusive thoughts while feeling an enormous responsibility to hold her family together. Leena has withdrawn into herself, carrying guilt over her mother’s death and becoming quieter and more disconnected from the world around her.

Then their father has to leave for work.

When a blizzard hits, the sisters find themselves trapped alone in their rural home. What begins as an inconvenient storm quickly becomes something much more dangerous as they lose power, food, warmth, and eventually the security of their home itself.

Suddenly, these two sisters who have been struggling to reach one another emotionally have to depend on each other to survive.

And yes, you might want tissues nearby.

Actually, just keep the whole box next to you.

One of the things that absolutely amazed me about this book was how distinct Rama and Leena felt. Verse novels have fewer words to work with than traditional prose, so every word has to matter. Safadi somehow gives each sister such a unique voice that I never had trouble knowing who I was with.

More importantly, I didn’t just know who they were.

I felt who they were.

Rama’s anger, anxiety, fear, and determination come through so strongly. Leena’s grief feels quieter, but that doesn’t make it any less powerful. Their pain manifests differently, and watching those differences affect their relationship made the sisterhood at the center of this story feel incredibly real.

There is also something about the verse format that makes the emotional moments hit even harder. A handful of carefully chosen words can land with the force of an entire paragraph. Sometimes the empty space on the page feels almost as important as the words themselves.

I kept stopping to think, How did she do that?

How did Safadi make me understand this much about these girls with so few words?

That is talent.

The survival element also gives the novel a wonderful sense of urgency. You’re dealing with grief and anxiety on one level, but at the same time, there is a very real physical danger surrounding the sisters. The storm keeps escalating, which means the emotional and external stakes rise together.

But what stayed with me most wasn’t the blizzard.

It was the relationship between Rama and Leena.

At its heart, Sisters Alone is a story about two sisters who are hurting. They love each other, but grief has created distance between them. Being forced to rely on one another strips away some of those walls and reveals how desperately they both need connection.

And my heart could barely handle it.

I also really appreciated the Syrian-American and Muslim representation woven into the story. These details help build a fuller picture of the sisters, their family, and the ways they find comfort and connection. Young readers deserve books that allow them to recognize their own cultures and experiences on the page, while books like this also give other readers a chance to step into a life that might be different from their own.

This is one I would absolutely recommend for classrooms.

Teachers, librarians, and parents—put this one on your lists.

Because it is written in verse, I think it could be especially appealing for reluctant readers who might feel intimidated by a 300-plus-page novel. The pages move quickly, but the story still has tremendous emotional depth.

It would also be fantastic for an English or language arts classroom studying poetry or novels in verse. There is so much to explore here: voice, word choice, pacing, formatting, characterization, imagery, grief, anxiety, family relationships, culture, and how an author can communicate enormous emotions through very little text.

Students could learn a tremendous amount simply by looking at how Safadi creates two completely recognizable narrators.

And then, of course, there’s the fact that it’s nearly impossible to put down.

That’s always helpful when you’re trying to convince kids that reading can be exciting.

Sisters Alone surprised me in the very best way. I expected to sample it. Instead, I devoured it. I expected an interesting survival story. Instead, I found a beautiful, painful, hopeful story about sisterhood, grief, mental health, culture, and the strength we sometimes find when everything around us seems to be falling apart.

Shifa Saltagi Safadi has done something remarkable here.

Five stars doesn’t feel like enough.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Five stars all the way to the moon—and please, for the sake of your emotions, keep those tissues nearby.

About the book:

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 8, 2026
Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery/Survival
Representation: Syrian-American, Muslim, Anxiety
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Five stars all the way to the moon!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Rep: Syrian-American, Muslim, Anxiety

Synopsis:

From the National Book Award–winning author of Kareem Between comes a powerful novel in verse about two sisters trapped in a blizzard in a heart-wrenching story of sisterhood and survival.

Two sisters. One storm. A fight for their lives.

Rama is all fire—fierce, quick to anger, and trying to hold her family together while battling the monster of intrusive thoughts. Leena is all ice—quiet, numbed to the vibrancy of the world, as she silently blames herself for their mother’s death.

When their father must travel for work, a sudden blizzard traps the sisters alone at their rural home. As the storm tears through their house, they’re left without power, without food, without shelter—and with no one to rely on but each other.

Told in powerful, poetic verse, Sisters Alone is a heart-stopping story of sisterhood, survival, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going, even when the world feels like it’s falling apart.

Content Warning: death of a parent, hospitalization, medical content, hypothermia, grief, anxiety, panic attack

Meet the author:

Shifa Saltagi Safadi is the National Book Award-winning author of Kareem Between, the Amina Banana series, and several picture books, including The Gift of Eid.

Shifa was born in Syria and immigrated to the US with her parents when she was a young girl. She is a bilingual Arabic/English speaker, and is very familiar with the challenges of learning English and navigating two languages.

Shifa has a bachelor’s degree in English literature, is a former English teacher, and is a former reviewer of Muslim books on her blog, Muslim Mommy Blog.

She is passionate about spreading a love of reading to children through fun storytimes and engaging school visits.

Website | Instagram | Goodreads

The similarity for me wasn’t necessarily in the individual plots. It was the feeling that the story wasn’t going to give me an easy “good guy versus bad guy” situation. Instead, it asks readers to look deeper at the person behind the crime and consider how trauma, environment, mental health, and past experiences can shape someone’s actions.

That moral gray area was easily one of the most interesting parts of ALTERED.

The story begins when Frank Devlin walks into the office of renowned New York City psychiatrist Justin Wright. Frank has multiple personalities, or “alters,” and Justin takes him on as one of the most challenging patients of his career. Justin wants to help Frank find some stability and build a better life.

Unfortunately, Justin has no idea just how deeply Frank—and his alters—will eventually become intertwined with his own family.

And that is where things get complicated.

Justin Wright Is More Than Just the Psychiatrist

One thing I really appreciated was that Kaufman didn’t make Justin simply the psychiatrist whose only purpose was to analyze Frank. Justin has plenty of problems of his own.

His marriage and family life have complications, and his relationship with his son is particularly strained. Those personal conflicts gave him more dimension and made him feel like a real person rather than the stereotypical brilliant psychologist who somehow has everyone else completely figured out.

Spoiler alert: he definitely doesn’t.

I enjoyed the way Kaufman wove Justin’s family struggles into the larger mystery surrounding Frank. As Justin becomes increasingly involved in his patient’s situation, the separation between his professional and personal worlds becomes much harder to maintain.

That creates much of the book’s tension.

Frank’s Story Broke My Heart

Frank was the character who affected me most.

Without getting too deeply into spoilers, what happened to him when he was young is devastating. There were moments when I genuinely cried because his story was so painful to read.

That is also where ALTERED becomes more complicated than a straightforward crime thriller.

You may be horrified by certain actions while simultaneously feeling enormous sympathy for the person responsible for them. Frank’s history doesn’t magically erase accountability, but learning what he endured changes how you look at him.

That reminded me again of what I enjoyed about The Sinner. Sometimes the most fascinating crime stories aren’t primarily about discovering who did something. They’re about understanding why.

Books like this also make me think about how much our understanding of trauma and mental health has changed over the decades. There are still many complicated questions surrounding the relationship between traumatic experiences, psychiatric conditions, coping mechanisms, memory, and behavior. While trauma doesn’t provide one simple explanation for every mental illness, Frank’s story certainly made me think about how profoundly a person’s experiences can affect the rest of their life.

Where the Book Lost Me: The Pacing

My biggest problem with ALTERED was the pacing.

For a thriller, there were simply too many sections where the story moved slower than I wanted it to. I found the characters interesting, and I never had trouble following the plot, but there were several moments when I wished the book had been tightened up.

Some scenes felt like they could have been shortened—or possibly removed altogether—without losing anything important.

That may partially come down to personal reading preference. I tend to read more young adult and new adult thrillers, which often move very quickly. Adult psychological suspense can take more time developing characters, motivations, and internal conflicts.

Even knowing that, though, ALTERED dragged enough in places that I couldn’t quite push my rating to four stars.

And that frustrated me a little because the core story is good.

Final Thoughts

ALTERED is dark, emotional, uncomfortable, and sometimes heartbreaking. Rob Kaufman creates a psychological thriller where the distinction between victim and villain becomes increasingly difficult to define.

I especially enjoyed Justin Wright as the central character. His own family problems make him more interesting, while Frank’s story gives the novel its emotional weight. The interactions between Justin, Frank, and Frank’s alters kept me curious about where everything was heading—and when the truth behind Frank’s past begins emerging, the story becomes genuinely painful.

The slower pacing kept this from being a four- or five-star read for me, but the premise, characters, psychological elements, and emotional complexity made it memorable.

If you enjoy thrillers like The Sinner, where solving the crime is only part of the story and understanding the person behind it matters just as much, ALTERED may be worth adding to your reading list.

Just prepare yourself emotionally.

Frank’s story is not an easy one to forget.

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ — 3.9/5

About the book:

​Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 270 pages
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Publisher: Rob Kaufman
Release date: May 2023
Content Rating: PG-13 +M: ALTERED has a few profanities and alludes very subtly to abuse but never gets graphic or says the words. “Trauma” is used by Justin, the psychiatrist.​

Book Description:

When Frank Devlin walks into Justin Wright’s office, the renowned New York City psychiatrist decides to take on one of the most challenging cases of his career.

Justin is determined to help Frank, a young man with multiple personalities (“alters”), live a happier, more fulfilling life. Little does he know that Frank and his alters are secretly weaving themselves into Justin’s life in ways that will affect the Wright family forever.

A suspense-filled story driven by emotion, angst, and the ultimate revenge, “Altered” takes readers down a twisted path of uncertainty and mind games—leaving them shocked, heartbroken, and questioning what could possibly come next...​

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CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE JUSTIN WRIGHT SUSPENSE SERIES:

Book Details:

​Book Title: JADED (JUSTIN WRIGHT SUSPENSE SERIES Book 2) by Rob Kaufman
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 246 pages
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Publisher: Rob Kaufman
Release date: March 2023
Content Rating: PG-13 +M

Jade, a beautiful young woman suffering from depression and despair, is trying to escape her past… a former life that catches up with her during every full moon. Justin’s biggest obstacle to helping her is Jade herself. The closer he gets to the root of her problems, the further away she pushes him — leaving Justin questioning both her sincerity and his own professional skills.
​
As with “Altered”, this novel is packed with suspense and emotion, mainly due to people from Justin’s past, including Frank Devlin, the man who has made himself the bane of the Wright family’s existence.
Once again, readers are led down a road that keeps them wondering what is real, who did what, and when will Justin and his family finally find the peace they deserve?

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Book Details:

​Book Title: AVENGED (JUSTIN WRIGHT SUSPENSE SERIES Book 3) by Rob Kaufman
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 256 pages
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Publisher: Rob Kaufman
Release date: June 2023
Content Rating: PG-13 +M

SO MANY THINGS START TO MAKE SENSE IN “AVENGED” — BOOK 3 of the Justin Wright Suspense Series.
​
It all starts with Richard Davis, Justin’s new patient seeking help for uncontrollable anger and hostility. He can barely walk a New York City street without exploding at the people around him. Can Justin relieve him of his negativity or is he too consumed with his own son Michael — a boy found after seven years in captivity who is now void of any compassion or joy?
​
As with the first two books, “Avenged” is teeming with emotion and suspense, not only because of Richard Davis and Michael’s issues but because Frank Devlin and Jade continue to haunt Justin and Mandy from afar. As with all Rob Kaufman books, readers get the ride of their lives on a roller coaster of thrills and uncertainty until the very last page.

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Book Details:

​Book Title: SCARED (JUSTIN WRIGHT SUSPENSE SERIES Book 4) by Rob Kaufman
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 266 pages
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Publisher: Rob Kaufman
Release date: Jan 2024
Content Rating: PG-13 +M

IT’S BEEN 15 YEARS SINCE JUSTIN’S NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE, and life has changed dramatically for the Wright family.

Michael, now a psychologist, has a past that’s catching up with him at the same time an unsatisfied patient is planning his revenge. Justin, now practicing from his home office, has a patient consumed by the fear of death — a young man scared of just about everything — including fear itself.

As both father and son deal with their patients’ problems and their own internal challenges, they also struggle daily with Mandy’s health issue, a potentially deadly illness that threatens to take away the most important woman in their lives.
​
Like every other Justin Wright book, “Scared” brings you into a suspense-filled world loaded with emotion, uncertainty and, of course, mind games. It’s a story rife with complicated people, some who are not only vengeful, but scared — of both life...and death.

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Book Details:

​Book Title: DECEIVED (JUSTIN WRIGHT SUSPENSE SERIES Book 5) by Rob Kaufman
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 250 pages
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Publisher: Rob Kaufman
Release date: May 2024
Content Rating: PG-13 +M

IN THE MIDST OF THEIR GRIEF, THE WRIGHT FAMILY IS PUSHED TO THEIR LIMITS by a stranger who will change their lives forever.

A single phone call sets off a chain of events that will test Justin’s every belief.

When a mysterious woman claims kinship, Justin’s instincts scream deception. But when they meet, her mesmerizing appearance shatters his doubts, unveiling a truth he never saw coming.

Justin keeps the woman’s existence hidden from Michael as his son grapples with a relentless stalker, a malicious wife, and a patient who suffers from a compulsive disorder — an affliction that leads her down a path from which she’ll never return.
​
In this fifth Justin Wright novel, secrets collide and loyalties are tested with unexpected twists that propel you deep into a world of suspense and intrigue where nothing — and no one — is as it seems.

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Book Details:

​Book Title: REVEALED (JUSTIN WRIGHT SUSPENSE SERIES Book 6) by Rob Kaufman
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 250 pages
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Publisher: Rob Kaufman
Release date: Sep 2024
Content Rating: PG-13 +M

IN THE GRIPPING CONCLUSION OF THE JUSTIN WRIGHT SUSPENSE SERIES, every burning question and hidden secret comes to light.

As time marches on, the Wright family faces numerous changes, yet one mystery endures: the whereabouts of Daniel. Was Monica responsible for his disappearance? Should Benji be implicated, or has Barb wrongly accused him?

Haunted by echoes of his own past abduction, Michael grapples with his son’s absence, while also trying to help a patient plagued by Paranoid Personality Disorder—a man whose deep mistrust challenges Michael in unexpected ways. Meanwhile, Justin contends with the prison release of Richard Davis, something that rekindles old fears and compels him to constantly watch his back.
​
This sixth and final book brings you on the most suspenseful journey yet, one that concludes with events that will change the Wright family forever. It’s a story of psychological thrills and mystery that carries you into the past, the future, and back to the present, all told through the eyes of someone you might consider a stranger—or would you?

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Meet the author:

Meet the Author:

Rob Kaufman is a celebrated psychological thriller author, known for crafting emotionally intense stories that delve into the human psyche. With a degree in Psychology, he weaves his deep understanding of human behavior into gripping narratives filled with relatable characters and compelling twists.

Fascinated by what drives people toward darkness while seeking love and acceptance, Rob explores the fine line between good and evil. His novels aren’t just suspenseful—they unravel everyday events that spiral into extraordinary psychological dramas.

Readers become deeply invested in his characters, experiencing a range of emotions from laughter to heartbreak. His books have earned national and international acclaim for their unique, thought-provoking storylines and masterful plotting.

Beyond writing, Rob actively engages with readers, sharing insights into his creative process and the psychological depths of his characters. His commitment to authenticity and emotional resonance continues to captivate audiences, cementing his place as a compelling voice in psychological thrillers.

connect with the author: website ~ X ~ facebook ~ instagam ~ goodreads

Wish You Well by Jamie Sumner does not.

This book grabs your heart with both hands and says, “You’re coming with us.”

It’s emotional. It’s heartbreaking. It’s funny in places where you almost feel like you shouldn’t be laughing. And at the center of everything are three kids with big diagnoses, even bigger personalities, and absolutely no intention of being reduced to the things happening to their bodies.

And I loved them for it.

About the Book

Violet Marino does not want sympathy. She doesn’t want people fussing over her, and she definitely doesn’t want new friends. What she wants is to play soccer and figure out how to deal with the fact that she is slowly going blind—preferably on her own terms.

Then she meets Wyatt.

Wyatt has a newly transplanted heart and the kind of personality that immediately makes you think, Oh no. This kid has ideas.

And he does.

Then there’s Noor, who is sharp as a blade, undergoing chemo, and armed with excellent snacks she can’t even eat.

On paper, these three do not exactly scream instant best friends.

Which, naturally, means they are absolutely perfect together.

All three have something else in common: a wish-granting foundation that keeps trying to get in touch with them. Wyatt decides that instead of simply accepting their individual wishes, they should team up and game the system. One sick kid getting one wish might be nice. Three sick kids taking three epic adventures together?

That could be legendary.

What begins as a scheme and a distraction, though, slowly becomes something none of them were planning on.

A real friendship.

And that is where Wish You Well gets you.

My Review

Violet completely won me over.

She’s feisty in the best possible way. She is hurting, but she is not fragile. She is scared, but she is not helpless. She has built walls around herself, but Jamie Sumner makes it incredibly easy to understand why those walls are there.

Violet doesn’t want her diagnosis to become the most interesting thing about her. She doesn’t want everyone looking at her differently or treating her like she could break at any moment. She wants soccer. She wants independence. She wants some control over a situation that is increasingly outside her control.

That combination of anger, fear, determination, and vulnerability makes her feel wonderfully real.

Then Wyatt comes crashing into the story with all his charm and terrible ideas.

I loved the energy he brings to this trio. He is the kind of character who can make you laugh while simultaneously making you wonder whether somebody should perhaps be supervising him a little more closely.

And then there’s Noor.

I adore Noor.

She’s clever, direct, and wonderfully sharp. Her humor gives the story another layer, especially because it exists right alongside the reality of what she is going through. None of these characters exist simply to represent an illness. They are funny. Irritating. Stubborn. Afraid. Hopeful. Occasionally ridiculous.

They are kids.

That distinction matters.

A story centered around three seriously ill children could very easily become overwhelmingly sentimental. Wish You Well certainly has emotional moments—and yes, there were parts that hurt—but it never feels as though the characters are there only to make the reader sad.

Instead, the heart of this story is friendship.

At first, Violet, Wyatt, and Noor are connected by circumstance and by Wyatt’s ridiculous plan. Their partnership is almost transactional. They have a common goal, so they might as well work together.

But somewhere along the way, pretending to be friends starts looking suspiciously like actually being friends.

And friendship is complicated.

Letting somebody into your life means giving them the opportunity to know you. It means allowing them to see the things you would rather hide. It means caring about what happens to them.

And when your future—or your friend’s future—feels uncertain, caring about someone can be terrifying.

Because when you finally let people in, you also give them the power to hurt you.

Or leave.

Or matter.

A lot.

That emotional idea was what stayed with me most.

There is so much fear underneath these kids’ actions, but Wish You Well is not ultimately a story about being afraid. It is about deciding that connection is worth the risk anyway.

I also really appreciated that the friendships aren’t magically perfect. These kids have complicated emotions. They make questionable choices. They push each other. They get things wrong. Their illnesses might be what initially bring them together, but their personalities—and everything messy that comes with them—are what make their relationship worth following.

And honestly, watching these three become a team was my favorite part of the book.

Final Thoughts

Wish You Well is one of those middle grade novels that reminds me why I love the category so much. It tackles enormous subjects—illness, fear, uncertainty, independence, grief, and what it means to have a future you cannot completely control—without forgetting that its characters are still kids who want adventures, friendships, jokes, and something exciting to look forward to.

Violet, Wyatt, and Noor absolutely grabbed me by the heart.

Their circumstances are heartbreaking, but this story is not without joy. There is humor here. There is mischief. There is hope. Most importantly, there is the reminder that opening yourself up to other people can be scary precisely because those relationships have the potential to mean so much.

Sometimes protecting your heart means keeping everyone out.

But sometimes the people you let in are exactly the ones who make the difficult parts worth facing.

Wish You Well is emotional, funny, tender, and beautifully human.

Just maybe keep the tissues nearby.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 stars

About the book:

Book: Wish You Well
Author: Jamie Sumner
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Buy the Book

Synopsis:

From the acclaimed author of Roll with It comes a “winning, cathartic joy ride” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) of a middle grade novel about three kids with big diagnoses, bigger personalities, and one outrageous plan to team up and scam a wish-granting foundation.

Violet Marino doesn’t want sympathy. And she definitely doesn’t want friends. She just wants to play soccer and deal with the whole slowly-going-blind thing on her own terms.

Then she witnesses a boy choke on a hot dog at a hospital picnic. Enter Wyatt: dangerously charming and full of terrible ideas, especially for a kid with a newly transplanted heart. Add sharp-as-a-blade Noor, who is always armed with excellent snacks she can’t eat, thanks to chemo. Other than their illnesses, the three don’t have much in common—except for the fact that a wish-granting foundation keeps calling.

Ever the optimist, Wyatt has a plan: team up to game the foundation, even if it means faking friendship. One wish is fine, but three sick kids on three epic adventures? That’s history-making. The scheme starts off as a distraction. But soon the stakes feel real. Because when you finally let someone in, there’s more to lose.

About the Author

Jamie Sumner is the author of the Roll with It trilogy, Tune It Out, One Kid’s Trash, The Summer of June, Maid for It, Deep Water, Please Pay Attention, Schooled, Glory Be, and Wish You Well. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She is also the mother of a son with cerebral palsy and has written extensively about parenting a child with special needs. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit her at Jamie-Sumner.com.

Still, when I first started reading, part of me wondered if I already knew exactly how this story was going to go.

A dog is being mistreated. Kids realize something is wrong. Adults don’t help. Kids come up with a crazy plan to rescue the dog. Mission accomplished.

You know—the kind of rescue-the-dog story that feels like it has appeared on every bookshelf at some point.

Well, I was wrong.

The Dog Heist surprised me almost immediately because while saving Lyra is definitely at the center of the story, this book is about so much more than rescuing a dog. It is also about loneliness, family changes, friendship, feeling left behind, figuring out where you belong, and realizing that sometimes the person you least expect to understand you becomes exactly the friend you need.

Caleb is having a seriously terrible September. His parents have separated, he has moved to a new town, he is living with his dad, and he desperately misses his dog. Add the pressures of starting over at a new school and dealing with his ADD, and it’s easy to understand why he sometimes struggles.

I really felt for Caleb.

One of my favorite things about his character is that Jansen doesn’t make him feel like a collection of problems that need to be fixed. He feels like an actual middle school kid trying to cope with way too many changes at once. He can be impulsive and frustrating, but he is also funny, caring, and incredibly determined when something matters to him.

Then there is Valery.

At first, she and Caleb seem like two people who should absolutely NOT become friends.

Valery has problems of her own. A new school year is beginning, and instead of being excited to spend it with her best friend, she suddenly feels pushed aside because her friend has a new boyfriend. Anyone who has ever had a close friend suddenly become distant will understand that particular kind of hurt.

I loved Valery because her feelings felt so believable. She is lonely, angry, embarrassed, and trying to pretend she doesn’t care nearly as much as she actually does.

And then Caleb arrives.

She finds him annoying.

He probably finds her annoying.

Basically, it’s a perfect beginning to a friendship. 😂

What finally brings them together is Lyra, the neglected dog living nearby.

Both Caleb and Valery know something is wrong. They can see how badly Lyra is being treated, but the adults around them either can’t or won’t solve the situation quickly enough. With a hurricane approaching, waiting around becomes even more dangerous.

So naturally, the kids come up with a plan.

They’re going to steal the dog.

Is this a good idea?

Probably not.

Did I want them to do it anyway?

ABSOLUTELY.

This was where the book really hooked me. I genuinely started worrying about Caleb, Valery, and Lyra. Their neighbor isn’t just a cardboard cutout of the stereotypical “mean dog owner,” either. He is intimidating enough that every encounter raises the tension, and that made the kids’ decision to rescue Lyra feel legitimately risky.

The approaching hurricane makes everything even more intense. It gives the story this ticking-clock feeling because you know Caleb and Valery cannot simply keep putting off their plan.

And poor Lyra!

As a dog lover, reading about her situation was hard. I wanted somebody to get that dog out of there immediately. At the same time, I appreciated that the story never felt like it was using Lyra’s mistreatment merely to make readers sad. Her situation becomes the reason these two lonely kids finally see something in one another that they didn’t notice before.

They both care.

They both feel overlooked in different ways.

And neither one of them is willing to ignore someone else who needs help.

That friendship ended up being my favorite part of the book.

Top 5 Reasons to Read The Dog Heist

Since this tour is all about sharing five reasons to pick up The Dog Heist, narrowing it down wasn’t as hard as I expected!

1. 🐶 Lyra will steal your heart.
If you’re an animal lover, you’re going to be rooting for Lyra from the moment you meet her. Her situation gives the story its emotional heart and makes Caleb and Valery’s mission feel incredibly important.

2. 💛 Caleb and Valery feel like real kids.
Neither character is perfect, and that’s exactly why I liked them so much. Caleb is dealing with his parents’ separation, moving, missing his dog, and ADHD, while Valery is coping with the hurt of feeling abandoned by her best friend. Their struggles make them easy to relate to.

3. 👫 The unlikely friendship is wonderful.
Caleb and Valery definitely don’t start out as instant best friends. Watching two lonely kids who initially find each other annoying slowly realize they might actually need one another was one of my favorite parts of the story.

4. ⛈️ There’s genuine suspense and adventure.
The hurricane adds a ticking clock to an already risky rescue mission. Once Caleb and Valery decide they’re going to save Lyra themselves, I genuinely worried about what might happen to all three of them.

5. 📚 It tackles important topics without feeling like a lesson.
Family changes, ADHD, changing friendships, loneliness, animal welfare, courage, and asking adults for help are all part of the story, but they never overpower the adventure. Young readers get plenty to think about while still getting an entertaining story.

Those five reasons really sum up why this book surprised me so much.

I started The Dog Heist expecting a fairly predictable dog-rescue adventure and ended up getting attached to Caleb and Valery just as much as I did Lyra. Dani Jansen creates middle grade characters who feel like actual kids—messy, emotional, impulsive, funny, and capable of surprising bravery.

There are also plenty of topics here that could lead to great conversations with younger readers: divorced parents, changing friendships, neurodiversity, loneliness, animal welfare, standing up for what you believe is right, and knowing when you need help from adults.

And while there are serious subjects, the story never becomes overwhelmingly heavy. There is adventure, humor, friendship, suspense, and, of course, a dog.

What else do you need?

So, teachers, parents, media specialists, and librarians: get this book on your shelves. I can easily see middle grade readers—and even some slightly younger strong readers—getting completely invested in Caleb and Valery’s mission.

Especially the animal lovers.

I went into this one thinking I knew exactly what kind of story I was getting, and Dani Jansen completely proved me wrong. The Dog Heist has heart, humor, lovable characters, real tension, and a rescue mission that had me worrying right alongside Caleb and Valery.

Five very enthusiastic stars from me. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

And for the official canine review?

My dog Akira loved it too.

Okay, technically she didn’t read it.

But I’m pretty sure she approves. 🐕😂

About the Book

Publisher: Second Story Press
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publication Date: September 1, 2026
Book Tour: Toppling Stacks Tours
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars

Content Warning: Animal neglect/abuse

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Synopsis:

A neglected dog brings two misfits together in this adventure for middle schoolers who love animals and stories where the kids take charge.

For Caleb, September is off to a rough start. His parents have split up, he’s moved to a new town, and—worst of all—he misses his dog. Valery is his new neighbor, but apart from being in the same class, they have nothing in common. Valery is lonely and hurt since her best friend abandoned her for a boy, and she thinks Caleb is just obnoxious. Under normal circumstances, they’d never be friends. But these aren’t normal circumstances.

There’s a hurricane coming, and Valery and Caleb are both worried for Lyra, their neighbor’s terribly neglected dog. None of the adults in their lives will do anything, so they hatch a plan to rescue her themselves, no matter how risky.

Meet the Author

Dani Jansen is an English and drama teacher who lives in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. She performed (as a teacher) in her school’s glee show for eight years. Yes, there is probably video evidence of this. No, she will not point you in the direction of where to find it. Dani helped found her school’s Gay-Straight Alliance and has only occasionally subjected her students to the Bard. Her writing has appeared in This Magazine, Lunch Ticket, The A3 Review, and Fiction Southeast. She has also contributed to Maman Loup’s Den. Her debut novel, The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life, came out September 22, 2020.

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What I got was definitely an interesting supernatural mystery with a strong main character, secret societies, romance, and plenty of questions to unravel—but it wasn’t quite the type of romantasy I thought I was picking up.

Sianna Adu had plans. Westfield University, an elite institution tucked away in the Virginia swampland, was supposed to be part of her future. Then tragedy strikes, and in one devastating day, Sianna loses her family and discovers that she has gained an unusual ability. She can see lifelines and, through objects, glimpse pieces of the past and future.

Instead of heading off to her dream university, Sianna finds herself struggling simply to survive. She works dead-end jobs, worries about rent, and tries to make a life for herself in New Jersey.

This was actually one of my favorite parts of the book.

Sianna has grit.

She is independent, stubborn, and determined to keep moving even after experiencing a loss that could easily have completely broken down her plans for the future. I appreciated that Agyemang allows us to see that struggle. Sianna isn’t instantly swept away into some glamorous magical existence after discovering her abilities. She still has bills. She still needs somewhere to live. She still has to figure out what comes next.

That grounded struggle made her feel much more real to me.

I also really liked the way her supernatural ability was handled. Being able to touch an object and get glimpses into its history sounds amazing at first. Think of everything you could discover!

Except…would you really want to?

Agyemang does a good job of turning Sianna’s ability into both a gift and a burden—and most of the time, it feels much more like a burden. She doesn’t always get to control what she sees, and knowing things about the past or future isn’t necessarily helpful when you can’t change them. I liked that the magic had weight and consequences rather than simply making Sianna more powerful.

Then Kasem Saint James enters the picture.

Kasem is connected to Westfield, and his arrival pulls Sianna back toward the future she thought she had lost. It also raises questions about her abilities, the mysterious connection between the two of them, and Westfield itself. Once Sianna arrives at the university, secret societies, old histories, curses, and plenty of people with their own agendas begin complicating things.

The supporting characters were another strong point for me. Sianna doesn’t have to navigate everything completely alone, and I enjoyed watching the relationships surrounding her develop as she tried to figure out exactly what was happening. With so much mystery involved, it was fun trying to decide who could be trusted and what pieces of Westfield’s history really mattered.

My biggest issue with Divine Oaths, however, is less about the actual story and more about how the book is being presented to readers.

I picked this up because I saw it categorized as New Adult romantasy. And when someone tells me “romantasy,” my brain admittedly goes somewhere very different.

Give me strange kingdoms. Magical worlds. Mystical creatures. Sprites. Goblins. Fairies. Elves. Dragons. You know…fantasy fantasy.

And honestly, the cover reinforced that expectation for me. It has the same lush, dramatic, magical look that I’ve come to associate with a lot of romantasy novels—the kinds of books where I expect mystical creatures, elaborate magical systems, hidden kingdoms, or some other larger fantasy world waiting inside.

But Divine Oaths is set in our modern world, and its supernatural elements are much more contained. Most people don’t seem to be walking around openly using magic or interacting with mythical creatures, and Sianna’s abilities felt more paranormal to me than the type of magic I normally associate with many of today’s romantasy releases.

That doesn’t mean a fantasy novel needs dragons, elves, fairies, or an entirely invented world to qualify as fantasy—it absolutely doesn’t. And the dark academia label makes sense, particularly once Westfield and its secretive history become central to the story.

Still, I can’t help wondering whether a different cover and slightly different marketing might have better prepared readers for what this book actually is. A cover leaning more toward paranormal romance, supernatural suspense, or contemporary dark academia might have set more accurate expectations while still capturing the mystery and romance at the heart of the story.

Because expectations matter.

When both the genre label and the cover suggest one kind of reading experience, readers naturally walk into the book expecting certain things. Put the right book in front of the wrong audience, and you run the risk of readers deciding early on that it isn’t for them—or even putting it on the DNF pile—not because the story is bad, but because it isn’t the story they thought they were buying.

I can easily imagine someone looking specifically for sweeping fantasy romance picking this up and wondering where the fantasy world they expected went. On the other hand, readers who love paranormal abilities, secret societies, mysterious universities, curses, contemporary settings, and romance may find exactly what they’re looking for here.

So don’t go into Divine Oaths expecting dragons to fly over Westfield University.

Go in expecting a resilient heroine, a dangerous supernatural gift, a mysterious university, complicated relationships, old secrets, and a curse that needs unraveling.

Once I adjusted my expectations, I appreciated the story much more for what it actually was.

For me, Sianna and her abilities were the highlights, and the mystery kept me interested. The genre mismatch with what I expected kept it from being a higher-rated read, but I’m glad I gave Sianna’s story a chance.

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 4/5 Stars

About the Book

Publisher: Requited imprint of Hachette Book Group
Publication Date: September 1, 2026
Genre: New Adult Romantasy / Dark Academia
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 4/5 Stars

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Synopsis:

Ninth House meets Legendborn in this thrilling dark academia debut following a new student fueled by questions about her prestigious university and the haunting answers she uncovers as her heart pulls her in two different, dangerous directions.

Westfield University was supposed to be Sianna Adu’s dream school. But just when she’s on the cusp of attending the elite academic institution hidden in Virginia’s swampland, an unexpected tragedy changes everything. In one day, Sianna loses her family and gains an extraordinary power—the ability to see lifelines and witness other people’s pasts and futures.

With all she’s lost, Sianna puts her college dreams on pause and spends her days navigating dead-end jobs and a not-so-secret crush on her coworker. But when Kasem Saint James, the undeniably handsome heir of Westfield, approaches her with a strange request, the future Sianna has long deferred becomes a dangerous new reality. Worried that her powers are now tied to Kasem, she has no choice. Fate has called her to Westfield.

At an academy where secret societies abound, connections are everything, and an ominous history—stretching back centuries—determines the future, Sianna and Kasem must piece together the past to undo a curse that binds them to each other.

With a swoony romance and jaw-dropping twists, this layered dark academia novel introduces a university where nothing is quite as it seems.

Meet the Author

Elizabeth Agyemang is the author of several books, including the graphic novels Fibbed, which was a Parents.com Best Children’s Book of 2022 selection, a Chicago Public Library Best Fiction for Kids 2022 pick and a Fox 43 AM Live Best Book of the Week pick, and A Beginner’s Guide to Leveling Up, both of which she illustrated. She is also the author of the young adult novel Heart-shaped Lies, a mystery thriller which has been featured on Ebony Magazine, Paste Magazine, OkayAfrica, and Girls’ Life Magazine, and Divine Oaths, a dark academia, romantic fantasy that is her adult debut. When she isn’t gushing over books or comics, she spends her free time dissecting classic movies and TV shows. Find her works online at elizabethagyemang.com.

Elizabeth is represented by Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary.

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That is the deliciously complicated situation at the heart of Mirrorwoven by Bori Cser, a YA fantasy filled with hidden identities, court politics, music, magic, and sapphic romance. The premise immediately caught my attention, but what has impressed me most while reading is actually the way Cser introduces her world. This is one of those fantasy novels where I genuinely feel like I am discovering a new place alongside the main character instead of stopping every few pages for a history lesson.

Del has two very important rules: stay away from royalty and don’t fall in love. Unfortunately for her, this is a fantasy novel, so naturally neither rule is going to remain uncomplicated.

Del is secretly a runaway princess. After the death of her sister, she leaves her homeland, her family, and her new responsibilities as heir behind. Using magic, she creates a new “mirrorwoven” face so no one will recognize her and escapes to the lagoon-city of Salato, where she hopes to disappear into a completely different life.

There is just one rather inconvenient catch: true love’s kiss can undo the magic disguising her identity.

So obviously falling in love is off the table.

Probably.

One of my favorite things about Mirrorwoven so far is its worldbuilding. Cser does a wonderful job weaving Salato’s culture, government, history, and everyday life into Del’s story without making all of that information feel like a giant fantasy encyclopedia has been dropped into the middle of the novel.

As Del travels through Salato and tries to join the bard guild, I’m learning about the city right along with her. At the same time, little pieces of Del’s northern homeland and her past are revealed naturally through her experiences, memories, and comparisons between the two places.

As a reader, I love this.

As a writer, I’m slightly jealous.

I actually caught myself thinking, I need to figure out how Cser is doing this because I want to learn this technique for my own writing. The world feels developed without the author constantly stopping the story to explain why everything works the way it does. Instead, I feel like I’m visiting Salato with Del, noticing things as she notices them.

Del herself is another highlight. She is funny, intelligent, observant, and just messy enough to be entertaining. Considering everything she has experienced, there is also quite a bit happening beneath the personality she shows everyone around her. I especially enjoy the contrast between the seemingly ordinary musician Del wants people to see and the politically educated princess she is desperately trying to hide.

And then, of course, Del manages to break her first rule by becoming court bard to Clara, the newly widowed First of Salato.

Because apparently running away from royal life only works until royal life finds you again.

This brings Del into Clara’s orbit as well as that of Clara’s brilliant and potentially dangerous sister-in-law, Nasca. Between Del’s secret identity and the growing relationships among these women, there is plenty of potential for romantic tension, political trouble, and some spectacularly bad decision-making.

My biggest issue with the book so far, though, is the pacing.

For as much as I enjoy exploring this world with Del, I keep waiting for the story itself to give me a little more urgency.

The primary threat hanging over Del is the possibility that someone will discover who she really is. That should create enormous tension, especially when she keeps moving closer to the exact kind of people she originally planned to avoid. Yet I haven’t consistently felt that danger.

Del seems to skate past situations where she could potentially be noticed, questioned, or exposed. I wanted more obstacles in her path—more moments when maintaining this new identity became genuinely difficult or when one mistake had consequences she couldn’t easily escape.

Because those complications haven’t happened as often as I would like, parts of the plot have started to drag for me.

The romance and banter also lean heavily into the slow-burn side of things. I can absolutely see other readers loving that. If your favorite part of a fantasy novel is lingering romantic tension, sapphic yearning, witty conversations, and watching relationships develop gradually, the pacing may work much better for you.

For me, though, I need a little more external conflict mixed in with all that yearning.

I’m currently sitting at 3.7 stars, which feels like the perfect representation of my reading experience so far. I’m impressed by the writing and genuinely fascinated by the world. I like Del, I want to know more about what happened in her past, and I’m curious enough about her increasingly complicated relationships with Clara and Nasca that I definitely want to see where everything goes.

At the same time, I’m a little bored getting there.

That may change as the story progresses. There are certainly enough secrets, political complications, dangerous relationships, and terrible possibilities waiting in the wings for things to get very interesting very quickly.

For now, Mirrorwoven is a beautifully constructed YA fantasy with a protagonist I enjoy spending time with and some of the most naturally incorporated worldbuilding I’ve read recently. I just wish the plot would give Del a few more problems she couldn’t talk, charm, or quietly slip her way out of.

If you love sapphic YA fantasy, hidden identities, court politics, masquerades, slow-burn romance, clever banter, and immersive worldbuilding, Mirrorwoven may be exactly the kind of fantasy you’ve been looking for.

As for me? I’m still reading—and still waiting for Del’s carefully constructed house of cards to finally start falling.

About the book:

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: YA Fantasy
Representation: Sapphic, LGBT+
Content Warnings: Family trauma, death of siblings
Current Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 4/5

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Synopsis:

You are cordially invited to the Dragon Masquerade …

Del has two rules. stay away from royalty. don’t fall in love.

The first – because Del is secretly a runaway princess. After the death of her sister at the hand of her boyfriend, Del flees her family, home and all the responsibilities that come with being the queendom’s new heir. With a magically constructed mirrorwoven face, Del is now unrecognisable, and disappears to the faraway opaline lagoon-city of Salato.

The second rule – because the enchantment hiding Del’s identity can only be unravelled by true love’s kiss. But that’s just fine. Del’s had enough of love anyway.

When Del breaks Rule One and becomes court bard to the newly widowed First of Salato, she is resolved to keep her head down. But Clara is naïve and trusts too easily, and soon Del finds herself having to guide Clara through the shoals of court life, somehow without revealing her own secret.

As Del grows closer to both Clara and Nasca, Clara’s brilliant, dangerous sister-in-law, it will only take a push to bring Del’s house of cards tumbling down.

Like, for example, breaking Rule Two

Meet the author:

Bori Cser is a Hungarian-Australian author of young adult fantasy. At various times she has identified as a classically trained clarinettist, a biology PhD dropout and a dinosaur puppeteer, but these days mostly describes herself as in need of a nap. She lives on Dharug and Gundungurra country in Australia’s Blue Mountains with her partner and three high-maintenance cats.

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This book is AMAZING.

Once I started reading, I genuinely could not put it down. Freeman tells this story in verse and in second person, and the result is an incredibly intimate reading experience. There are fewer words on each page and plenty of white space, but somehow those spaces become part of the story. What isn’t said can feel just as important as what is.

That absolutely blew my mind.

At the center of the novel is a teen who has spent years feeling invisible in her own family. Her brother’s addiction consumes her parents’ attention, energy, money, and worry. Meanwhile, she becomes the child who is assumed to be okay—the one who doesn’t cause problems and therefore doesn’t seem to need anything.

But being “the okay one” comes with its own kind of hurt.

When an opportunity takes her far from home to Norway, she finally has the chance to discover who she might be outside of her family’s problems. What follows is a story about anger, loneliness, family, first love, starting over, and the radical realization that choosing yourself doesn’t make you selfish.

When a Book Hits Close to Home

This story was especially emotional for me because I could relate to it on a deeply personal level.

I also have a sibling who has struggled with addiction and mental illness, so I understood that feeling of becoming the child who gets overlooked because someone else needs more attention. When one person in a family is constantly in crisis, everything can begin revolving around them. The child who seems fine can slowly disappear into the background.

That feeling of not quite belonging in your own family? I understood it.

And Freeman captures it with remarkable honesty.

One passage that immediately got me was:

“who do you rival?
no one, you say
I am always eclipsed.”

Eclipsed.

What a perfect word for that feeling.

As a parent now, I can also understand the other side more than I could when I was younger. When one child is struggling, of course a parent wants to help them. Of course that child may temporarily require more time and attention. But this book is such an important reminder that parents still have to see the other children. We cannot assume that the child who isn’t screaming for help doesn’t need us.

Sometimes the quiet child needs someone to notice them most of all.

So Few Words, So Much Emotion

What impressed me most about The Secret to Belonging is Freeman’s ability to create tremendous emotional depth with such sparse language.

Verse novels can sometimes make readers worry that they’ll be missing the detail or character development of a traditional novel. That is absolutely not the case here.

Freeman gives us exactly what we need.

A gesture. A pause. A few carefully selected words. An image.

And suddenly you understand everything the character isn’t saying.

Another passage I loved describes a piece of gum from her mother:

“the mint tastes like all the apologies
your mother couldn’t speak”

How can something so simple hurt that much?

That’s the magic of this book. Freeman doesn’t need pages and pages explaining the complicated relationship between a mother and daughter. She can give you a piece of gum and a handful of words, and somehow you understand years of hurt, love, disappointment, and things left unsaid.

The second-person narration makes everything even more immediate. Instead of standing outside the protagonist’s life watching her experience these emotions, you are constantly addressed as “you.” Her anger becomes closer. Her loneliness feels sharper. Her moments of hope feel personal.

And when she begins discovering what it feels like to be noticed—to be wanted, welcomed, and appreciated—the shift is beautiful.

A Fantastic Choice for Reluctant Readers—and English Teachers

I also think this would be a fantastic book for reluctant teen readers.

At 336 pages, it may look like a typical YA novel from the outside, but the verse format and generous white space make the pages move incredibly quickly. A reader who is intimidated by dense blocks of text could pick this up and experience the satisfaction of moving through a book quickly without sacrificing emotional complexity.

But don’t mistake “quick to read” for “simple.”

There is SO much here to discuss.

English teachers could build incredible conversations around family dynamics, addiction, identity, second-person point of view, symbolism, word choice, negative space, feminine rage, guilt, boundaries, and what it means to belong. Students could spend an entire class discussing only a few lines because Freeman packs so much meaning into them.

This is the kind of accessible book that could show students how powerful poetry can be.

Final Thoughts

I honestly think The Secret to Belonging has the potential to become one of those YA books people continue recommending for years.

It is heartbreaking without being hopeless. It acknowledges the damage addiction can cause throughout an entire family while still allowing its protagonist to be angry. She doesn’t have to erase her own pain because someone else is suffering.

Most importantly, this book understands that sometimes finding where you belong begins with deciding that you are worth choosing.

Five huge stars from me. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Megan E. Freeman completely won me over with this one, and now I need to go back and read her other books—starting with Alone.

If The Secret to Belonging is any indication, I have a feeling I’ve just discovered an author whose books are going to stay with me for a very long time.

About the Book

Title: The Secret to Belonging
Author: Megan E. Freeman
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Imprint of Simon & Schuster)
Publication Date: September 15, 2026
Genre: Young Adult / Novel in Verse / Contemporary

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Synopsis:

A neglected teen travels to Norway for a fresh start in this “lush…aching” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) coming-of-age novel in verse about longing, love, and the courage to create joy from the ashes of despair by award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Megan E. Freeman.

You are invisible in your own family. Your parents spend all their care and attention on your brother, who is addicted to drugs. Your dreams don’t matter to anyone but you.

Your only ticket out is a college fund left by your grandfather—until your parents use it to pay for your brother’s drug rehab.

Just when your future seems about to collapse, you are offered a lifeline: a scholarship to become an exchange student in a remote part of Norway. It’s an invitation to begin a new life in a new place with new people…a place where you might finally feel like you belong.

Meet the Author

Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week, and she has been a writer ever since. She writes middle grade and young adult fiction. Megan is also a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet. An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan taught multiple subjects across the arts and humanities to students of all ages. She divides her time between northern Colorado and the Texas Gulf Coast. Visit her online at MeganEFreeman.com.

Since I didn’t get a chance to read this one yet, I’m sharing it today as a book spotlight rather than a review. But the premise definitely sounds like one that mystery and thriller readers may want to check out!

🔎 About The Naturals

Seventeen-year-old Cassie has a talent most people don’t have—she can read people.

By noticing the smallest details, Cassie can often figure out who someone is, what they want, and what might be motivating them. It’s an ability she’s never thought much about until the FBI comes calling.

The FBI has created a classified program that recruits exceptionally gifted teenagers and uses their unique abilities to help investigate infamous cold cases. Cassie’s natural profiling skills make her exactly the kind of person they’re looking for.

But joining the program means Cassie is suddenly surrounded by other teens whose talents are just as unusual as hers. And it quickly becomes clear that everyone in the Naturals program is carrying secrets of their own.

Then a new killer strikes.

What begins as an opportunity to help solve old crimes becomes something much more dangerous when the investigation starts hitting close to home. Cassie and the other Naturals find themselves caught in a deadly situation where understanding the killer may be the only thing that keeps them alive.

🧠 Why It Might Catch Your Attention

The setup of The Naturals combines several elements that mystery readers tend to love: criminal profiling, cold cases, secret government programs, gifted teenagers, and a killer who may be closer than anyone realizes.

The book has been compared to Criminal Minds and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, which gives you a pretty good idea of the kind of suspenseful atmosphere to expect.

There’s also a romantic element mixed into the mystery, so readers who enjoy a little relationship drama alongside their murder investigations may find plenty to keep them turning the pages.

📚 Series Information

The Naturals kicks off a multi-book series, so if you enjoy stories where you can continue following the same characters and investigations, there’s more waiting after book one.

The series includes:

• The Naturals

• Killer Instinct

• All In

• Bad Blood

• Dangerous Impulses

That makes this a fun option for readers looking for a YA mystery series they can binge rather than a standalone story.

⚠️ Content Warnings

Readers may want to be aware that The Naturals contains or discusses some heavier material, including:

Death, blood, violence, gore, torture, abduction, mental illness, and psychopathy.

Because of the serial-killer and crime-investigation elements, this one may be darker than some other YA mysteries.

📖 Book Details

Title: The Naturals
Series: The Naturals #1
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Genre: YA Mystery
Publication Date: January 6, 2026

🔗 Find the Book

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💭 Final Thoughts

While I didn’t get a chance to rate or review this one, the concept certainly sounds intriguing. A group of unusually talented teens helping the FBI solve cold cases already makes for an interesting setup, and adding a new killer who puts the Naturals themselves in danger raises the stakes even more.

If you enjoy YA mysteries, criminal profiling, serial-killer investigations, secret programs, gifted characters, and high-stakes suspense, The Naturals may be worth adding to your reading list.

Have you read The Naturals or any of the other books in the series? Let me know what you thought!

Meet the Author:

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) is the author of more than a dozen critically acclaimed young adult novels. She has advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science, including graduate degrees from Cambridge University, where she was a Fulbright Scholar, and Yale University, where she received her Ph.D. in 2012. Jen wrote her first published novel when she was nineteen-years-old and sold her first five books while still in college. In additional to writing YA novels, Jen has also written original pilot scripts for television networks like USA and MTV, and she is one of the world’s leading experts on the psychology of fandom and the cognitive science of fiction and the imagination more broadly. Jen is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she holds a dual appointment in Psychology and Professional Writing.

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While not every part of the book felt completely fresh to me, the mystery kept pulling me along, and I had a lot of fun trying to figure out exactly what was happening.

Deja Freeman comes from a family of witches, but unlike the women who came before her, she was never welcomed into the magical Web. After Deja’s mother died, her aunt deliberately kept her away from magic in an attempt to protect her. But that protection becomes a lot harder to maintain when Deja enrolls at Tanglewood Preparatory School—the same prestigious school her mother attended before her murder.

At Tanglewood, Deja meets Tóbi Ẹkúndayọ̀, a straight-A student who seems to have her future completely mapped out. Tóbi is popular, ambitious, and determined to become junior class president. She certainly doesn’t need the complication of the mysterious new girl who has just arrived at school.

Unfortunately for both girls, something strange connects them.

Deja and Tóbi begin experiencing disturbing dreams that seem to overlap, and those dreams may be connected to the disappearance of one of Tanglewood’s students. As they begin putting the pieces together, they uncover secrets surrounding the school, its history, and the magical forces hiding beneath the surface.

One of my favorite things about Dreamweaving was the combination of magic and mystery. There are spells, witches, strange dreams, hidden histories, and plenty of secrets waiting to be uncovered. Sangoyomi gives readers little pieces of information at a time, which made me want to continue reading just to see how everything would eventually connect.

The mystery was probably the strongest part of the story for me. There always seemed to be another question hiding behind the answer to the previous one. Just when I thought I had a good idea of what was going on, another secret or twist would appear.

That page-turning quality helped make up for one of my biggest criticisms: the overall plot didn’t feel especially original.

Dark academia stories involving mysterious schools, secret magical societies, missing students, dangerous family histories, and groups of teenagers investigating something the adults don’t want them to know are definitely familiar territory. There were several moments where I could recognize the general direction the story was taking.

Still, familiar doesn’t necessarily mean boring.

Even when I felt like I had encountered similar ideas in other YA fantasy books, I was interested enough in the mystery to keep reading. The magical Web and the dream connection between the girls gave the story enough of its own personality to hold my attention.

I also really enjoyed the emphasis on friendship. Deja and Tóbi don’t have identical personalities or experiences, which makes watching them navigate their strange circumstances more interesting. As the mystery grows, the group around them becomes an important part of the story as well. I always enjoy fantasy novels where the characters have to rely on one another, especially when magic and danger start complicating everything.

Deja herself was a little more difficult for me.

At times, she gave off very stereotypical angry-teenager vibes, and I found her personality somewhat off-putting. There were moments when her reactions frustrated me or made it harder for me to immediately connect with her.

At the same time, her backstory adds important context to that anger.

Deja is dealing with the death of her mother, unanswered questions about what happened to her, a magical legacy that was deliberately kept from her, and the realization that the adults in her life haven’t necessarily told her everything. That’s a lot for anyone to process. Even when I didn’t always like how her frustration came across, I could understand where some of it was coming from, and I remained interested in discovering more about her family history.

Tóbi provided a nice contrast. Her ambitious, high-achieving personality and carefully constructed place at Tanglewood give her a different perspective on the school and its secrets. Bringing these two girls together through their shared dreams was a fun way to connect characters who might not otherwise have ended up on the same path.

The Tanglewood setting also works well for this kind of story. A prestigious preparatory school naturally brings with it expectations, competition, traditions, and the feeling that there are things happening behind closed doors. Add witches and a dark history, and it becomes an ideal backdrop for a YA mystery.

Overall, Dreamweaving was a fun and engaging read filled with magic, spells, complicated friendships, strange dreams, and plenty of secrets. I wouldn’t say the core plot reinvented the dark academia fantasy genre, and I struggled with Deja’s personality at times, but the mystery was twisty enough to keep me turning the pages.

If you enjoy YA fantasy featuring witches, magical schools, dark academia vibes, mysterious disappearances, shared dreams, family secrets, and friendship, this one is definitely worth adding to your list.

The mystery ultimately won me over, and despite a few issues, I had a really good time uncovering Tanglewood’s secrets alongside Deja, Tóbi, and their friends.

⭐⭐⭐⭐½ — 4.5 out of 5 stars

About the book:

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5)
Genre: YA Fantasy / Dark Academia
Publisher: Page Street YA
Publication Date: October 13, 2026
Representation: Black
Content Warning: Death of a parent

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Synopsis:

A high-stakes, dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of The Raven Cycle and Legendborn.

Deja Freeman comes from a long line of witches, each one ushered into the magical Web by a woman before her—only she was never woven in. After her mother’s death, Deja’s aunt sought to protect her from the complications of magic. But when Deja enrolls at the prestigious Tanglewood Preparatory School, her mom’s alma mater, she finds herself walking the same perilous path that got her mother murdered.

Straight-A student Tóbi Ẹkúndayọ̀ is Tanglewood’s most popular student and future valedictorian. The only thing she has left to accomplish is winning junior class president. But her life keeps throwing curveballs, including strange, disturbing dreams that Tanglewood’s newest student seems to share.

Each dream is a piece of a complicated puzzle, but one thing lies at the center: the mysterious disappearance of one of Tanglewood’s best students. Joined by a motley crew of friends, the girls must work together to untangle the school’s dark history before the administration, or something far more sinister, catches up with them.

Meet the author:

O.O. Sangoyomi is an award-winning author. Her debut novel Masquerade was a NAACP Image Award finalist and has been featured in media outlets such as People Magazine, PBS, and more. In 2025, she was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and an Ebony Power 100 honoree. She is a graduate of Princeton University, where she studied literature.

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Bella appears to have everything. After leaving her old life—and her best friend Kerry—behind, she transforms herself into a wildly successful influencer. Known online as “Such a Lucky Girl,” Bella shares her supposed secrets for manifesting success with millions of followers. Her carefully curated life is filled with sponsorships, attention, and everything she once dreamed of having.

Kerry, meanwhile, has been left to deal with the pain and anger caused by Bella’s abandonment. When she discovers a vintage self-help book about shadow work, its rituals seem to offer her a way to get revenge on the person who hurt her most. Unfortunately, the book is connected to something much darker than either girl realizes. Once that ancient force is released, Kerry and Bella discover that jealousy can become much more dangerous than an unpleasant emotion.

Such a Lucky Girl had me hooked from the first page. The story immediately establishes a sense that something is not quite right, even beneath the glossy surface of Bella’s online world. That early tension kept me interested because I wanted to understand how Bella became so successful, why her friendship with Kerry fell apart, and what was waiting behind the book’s supernatural promises.

I especially enjoyed the characters and their internal conflicts. Neither Bella nor Kerry can be reduced to a simple hero or villain. Their choices are influenced by insecurity, ambition, anger, loneliness, and the desire to be seen. Even when I disagreed with their decisions, I could understand the emotions driving them. Their complicated history gives the horror a personal foundation. The supernatural threat is frightening, but the damaged friendship at the center of the story is just as important.

One of the strongest themes, at least in my interpretation, is the evil eye. The novel examines what can happen when jealousy grows into resentment, particularly when someone appears to have more success, beauty, money, or attention than everyone around them. Bella’s entire career depends on presenting an enviable version of her life. She teaches people how to become “lucky,” but her brand also encourages her followers to constantly compare their lives to hers.

That idea felt especially relevant in a story about influencer culture. Social media often invites people to display their happiest moments and biggest accomplishments while hiding everything difficult or ordinary. Bella’s followers see the sponsorships, glow-up, confidence, and success, but they do not necessarily see the sacrifices or consequences behind that image. The book suggests that constantly flaunting what we have can attract the wrong kind of attention—and that envy can harm both the person experiencing it and the person receiving it.

The manifestation element also worked well. I liked how Heard takes language commonly found in online self-help spaces and connects it to rituals and magic. Bella packages manifestation as something positive, marketable, and easy to share with her audience. Kerry’s vintage book, however, reveals a much darker version of trying to shape reality through desire. This contrast creates an interesting question: When does working toward the life you want turn into believing you are entitled to take it from someone else?

Another highlight was the backstory surrounding the demonic entity. Horror novels do not always explain where their ghosts, demons, or supernatural forces originated. Sometimes that mystery is effective, but I appreciated that Heard gave this particular evil a history. Learning how it was created made the threat feel more developed and gave the story’s mythology greater weight. It also showed that the jealousy and vanity affecting Bella and Kerry are not new problems. People have struggled with envy, pride, and the desire for recognition throughout history.

The cult aspect added another layer that I was not expecting. It strengthened the book’s commentary on influencer culture because both cult leaders and online personalities can build communities around charisma, promises, and carefully controlled messages. Bella’s followers believe she possesses the secret to becoming lucky. That level of devotion becomes unsettling when mixed with ritual, jealousy, and supernatural horror.

My only real complaint is that the ending dragged in a few places. I appreciated that Heard took the time to tie up the story’s loose ends, but some of those explanations and resolutions could have happened faster. After such a gripping beginning and tense middle, I wanted the final portion to maintain that same momentum.

However, the final chapter was an absolute chef’s kiss. I will not reveal what happens because it is best experienced without spoilers, but it gave the ending exactly the extra touch it needed. It left me thinking about the characters, the supernatural mythology, and the story’s warnings about envy and manufactured perfection.

Overall, Such a Lucky Girl is a compelling horror novel that combines dark magic with a sharp examination of social media fame. Its memorable characters, unsettling mythology, cult elements, and exploration of the evil eye made it difficult to put down. Despite an ending that could have moved a little faster, the final chapter delivered.

Readers who enjoy twisty young adult horror, morally complicated characters, influencer stories, dark rituals, and novels about friendships turned toxic should add this one to their reading lists.

Final rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

About the book:

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Publication date: June 16, 2026
Genre: Young Adult Horror
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ — 4.7/5 stars

Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Rory Power and Tiffany D. Jackson, this twisty horror novel follows a magnetic young influencer who gets ensnared in a web of dark, jealousy-fueled magic.

★ “Puts the “cult” back in influencer culture.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Three years ago, Bella dumped her best friend Kerry to follow her dreams of becoming an influencer. It worked; she is Such a Lucky Girl, famous for her epic manifesting glow-up and dedicated to helping other girls be “lucky,” too. She’s living the dream—success, sponsorships, and fame. She burned her old life to the ground and never looked back.

Leaving Kerry behind. Alone. Angry.

When Kerry picks up a vintage self-help book on shadow work, she’s fascinated by the suggested rituals. Get back at those who have wronged her? Yes, please. She has one person in mind, and that girl is smiling at her millions of followers, having forgotten Kerry long ago. But there’s something tied to the book, something dark and ancient, and Kerry and Bella may not be ready for what is about to be unleashed.

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Meet the author:

Wendy Heard is the author of the acclaimed YA novels We’ll Never Tell, Dead End Girls, and She’s Too Pretty to Burn, which Kirkus Reviews praised in a starred review as “a wild and satisfying romp,” as well as the adult novels The Kill Club, Hunting Annabelle, and You Can Trust Me. She lives in Los Angeles, her hometown, and enjoys haunting local bookstores and spending time with her little rescue dogs. Readers are invited to enjoy more content via her newsletter at wendyheard.com.

The facts initially seem straightforward. After one of the McClain family’s infamous barn parties, seventeen-year-old Sadie Cooper and her apparent killer, Mason Vreeland, are both dead. Sadie’s twin sister, Jayne, witnessed the murder and held Sadie as she died. Mason was then killed by Sadie’s boyfriend, Ben, while he was supposedly trying to save her.

It sounds like a tragic but uncomplicated case. Mason killed Sadie. Ben killed Mason. Case closed.

Except this is a thriller, so naturally the case is approximately as closed as a screen door during a hurricane.

The story unfolds through the perspectives of Jayne, Ben, and Sadie’s best friend, Liz, as they explain to the police what happened at the party and during the days leading up to it. The problem is that their stories do not quite match. At first, the differences appear small enough to dismiss. Someone remembers a conversation differently. Someone leaves out an interaction. Someone insists they were in one place when another person’s account suggests otherwise.

Then those tiny inconsistencies begin multiplying, and suddenly everyone looks suspicious.

One of the strongest parts of Killing Sadie is the way Rachel Peterson handles the unreliable narrators. Every point-of-view character is either lying, hiding something, manipulating the truth, or doing an impressive combination of all three. Trying to decide who deserves your trust becomes part of the fun. Just when I thought I understood a character’s motivations, another detail appeared and made me reconsider everything.

The book is filled with gaslighting, betrayal, secret grudges, questionable relationships, and people making spectacularly bad decisions. In other words, it contains nearly everything I want from a fast-paced young adult thriller. The drama is delicious, the tension keeps building, and the characters’ shifting versions of events create a constant sense that something important is being hidden just out of sight.

I did predict the culprit after chapter five. As an avid thriller reader and writer, I always make a prediction before reaching the ending because apparently I cannot simply relax and let a mystery happen to me. I need to mentally assemble a crime board, connect imaginary red string between suspects, and decide who did it before the book tells me.

This time, my early prediction was correct all the way through.

However, figuring out the answer did not make me want to stop reading. That is an important distinction. Some mysteries collapse once you identify the person responsible, but Killing Sadie remains compelling because the mystery is not limited to one question. Knowing—or suspecting—who did it does not automatically reveal how the situation developed, what each character is concealing, or why everyone is working so hard to control the narrative.

I wanted to see how all the lies connected. I wanted to know which details were genuine clues and which were carefully constructed distractions. Most of all, I wanted to watch the characters’ stories fall apart.

The third act shifts into Sadie’s perspective during the days before the party, finally allowing readers to see the events through the victim’s eyes. This change gives the book’s title and central mystery additional meaning. Sadie may be at the center of everything, but she does not fully recognize what is happening around her. Watching the truth come together through her point of view is both satisfying and frustrating because the warning signs become increasingly visible—even when Sadie cannot interpret them correctly.

The final reveal is worth the wait. Although experienced thriller readers may recognize certain clues early, I think many readers will be surprised by the full truth. Peterson does a fabulous job of using omissions, assumptions, and conflicting perspectives to keep the story moving. The suspense does not depend entirely on a single shocking moment. Instead, it comes from gradually realizing how much information has been distorted.

My only real criticism is that the overall concept did not feel particularly original to me. Unreliable narrators, deadly parties, tangled teenage relationships, and victims who missed something important have all appeared in other young adult mysteries. The publisher recommends the book for fans of How to Survive Your Murder and Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets, although I have not read either comparison title, so readers familiar with those books may notice similarities that I cannot evaluate.

Still, originality is not the only thing that makes a thriller successful. A familiar idea can be incredibly entertaining when executed well, and Killing Sadie is very well executed. The multiple perspectives are engaging, the discrepancies are carefully placed, and the constant lying gives the story an addictive momentum. I may have solved the central mystery early, but I still had a fantastic time watching every secret crawl into the light.

Overall, I am giving Killing Sadie 4.8 out of 5 stars. It may not completely reinvent the young adult thriller, but it delivers a compulsively readable mystery filled with lies, gaslighting, betrayal, and characters who should never be allowed to coordinate their stories without legal supervision.

Pick this one up when you are in the mood for a twisty, fast-paced thriller that will make you suspicious of everyone. Just do not start it before bed unless you are prepared to say, “One more chapter,” several times before accidentally finishing the entire book.

About the book:

Synopsis:

For the first printing only! This hardcover features sprayed edges while the special edition supply lasts.

Perfect for fans of How to Survive Your Murder and Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets, this young adult thriller unspools the truth behind a tragic murder through multiple unreliable narrators who all have secrets to keep.

Here’s what we do know: there was another infamous barn party at the McClain family farm last night, and things went horribly wrong. By the end of the night, there were two dead bodies in the old barn: seventeen-year-old Sadie Cooper and her killer, Mason Vreeland. The murder was heartbreakingly witnessed by Sadie’s twin sister, Jayne, and Sadie died in her arms. Mason was killed by Sadie’s boyfriend, Ben, in an attempt to save Sadie.

Aside from figuring out Mason’s motive, it should be an open and shut case.

But it’s not.

The story unfolds just after the murders, and Jayne, Ben, and Sadie’s best friend, Liz, are telling the cops what transpired at the party and the events leading up to it. But little details don’t match. And those little details start to add up to big discrepancies. But who’s lying, and why?

The shocking truth is revealed in the third act, when the POV shifts to victim Sadie herself, in the days leading up to the party. Witness exactly what happened—and see if you can piece it all together. Because poor Sadie totally missed what was right in front of her.

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About The Author

Rachel Peterson graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a degree in English and creative writing. Born and raised in Ohio, she started her career in advertising before spending nearly a decade in New York City as a marketing executive for technology companies. An avid traveler, Rachel now splits her time between Manhattan and the Midwest, where she lives with her husband, Ken; their dog, Olive; and horse, Hope.

The premise immediately caught my attention: Uyai and Fiyin may be enemies, but they share one painful truth—the same popular boy hurt them both. If they want to take him down before graduation, they’ll have to put aside their differences and become teammates.

I’m always interested in stories that challenge the damaging double standard that shames girls while excusing boys with “boys will be boys.” Girls should never be treated as sexual objects or blamed for someone else’s harmful behavior. Accountability belongs with the person who exploited, humiliated, or hurt them—not with the girls who were harmed.

Featuring Black and Nigerian representation, a boarding-school setting, enemies-to-allies tension, and a twisty revenge plot, The Revenge Playbook sounds like an important and compelling YA novel.

⚠️ Content warnings: Sexual assault and oppression
⭐ Rating: No rating—book not read (Follow me on Goodreads for my rating and review, which will be posted later)

About the book:

Genre: YA Contemporary
Publishing date: July 21, 2026

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Rep: Black, Nigerian

Synopsis:

In this deliciously twisty YA novel, two girls ( enemies) at a boarding school must team up to take down the boy who hurt them– perfect for fans of Ace of Spades and Do Revenge.

Uyai and Fiyin may be roommates at Blue Waters Secondary School, but they are not friends. Uyai is popular and fierce– she dominates every room she walks into. Fiyin is nerdy and quiet– she’s easy to miss. Anyone who knows them (assuming they know who Fiyin is at all) would argue that, besides that shared dorm room, the two girls have absolutely nothing in common.

But they do.

Because both girls have been hurt. Humiliated. Taken advantage of. And both girls have just one boy to blame for it.

Fiyin thinks Uyai is an irresponsible mean girl. Uyai thinks Fiyin is an uptight loser. They both think the boy that hurt them deserves to suffer. But taking down one of the most popular guys in school isn’t a one-woman task. If they want to get their revenge before graduation, Uyai and Fiyin will need each other’s help– regardless of how they feel about each other.

After all, you don’t need to be friends to be teammates.

Content Warning: sexual assault, oppression

Meet the author:

Rimma Onoseta is a Nigerian author who writes stories she wanted to read when she was younger: stories about young girls who are chaotic and fierce and who question what they’re taught.

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That is the unsettling situation twelve-year-old Joni Bird faces in The Ginghams, the eerie and imaginative middle-grade debut by T.C. Kemper. Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), this mystery combines creepy science-fiction elements, friendship struggles, humor, and an important message about individuality.

When Joni returns to Olive Springs, she immediately realizes that something is wrong. Her best friend, May, is no longer the loud, drum-playing, head-banging girl Joni remembers. Instead, May wears her hair in a tight bun, dresses more conservatively, and suddenly believes that playing the drums is “unladylike.”

May is not the only person behaving strangely.

The town’s ice cream shop now serves only vanilla. Women and girls wear nearly identical dresses and large pearl earrings. Neighbors who once had distinctive personalities have become unnervingly cheerful, obedient, and proper.

At the center of these changes is the Gingham family, the unsettling new residents of Olive Springs. With their old-fashioned clothing, carefully controlled manners, and frozen smiles, the Ginghams seem determined to transform the town into their version of a perfect community. Anyone who attends their Thursday-night book club returns as a polished, smiling “model citizen” devoted to Mr. Gingham’s lifestyle guide, The Pillars of Perfection.

Joni is not fooled. With the help of her friend Tyler, she begins investigating the Ginghams, hoping to discover what is hidden behind their basement door and, more importantly, how to bring May back.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was its concept. The story reminded me of The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin, as well as the 2004 movie adaptation starring Nicole Kidman and Bette Midler. Like that story, The Ginghams explores the disturbing idea of people losing their individual personalities in the pursuit of an artificial standard of perfection.

Kemper makes this concept appropriate and engaging for a younger audience. The result is creepy without becoming too frightening and thought-provoking without feeling like a lecture. Young readers will understand that something is wrong with Olive Springs, but they will also have fun following Joni as she searches for clues and tries to outsmart the Ginghams.

Joni’s narration is another strength. She is relatable, curious, stubborn, and wonderfully spunky. Her determination frequently gets her into trouble, but it also makes her exactly the kind of character needed to uncover what is happening. She refuses to accept the changes around her simply because the adults and other children act as though everything is normal.

I also appreciated that Joni is not portrayed as perfect. She can be impulsive, and she does not always understand what May needs from their friendship. This gives the story emotional depth beyond the mystery itself.

The conflict between Joni and May was especially effective. At first, it is easy to assume that May has simply been taken over by the Ginghams. As the story develops, however, readers begin to understand why she allowed their influence into her life. The Ginghams offer structure, approval, and a clear picture of how someone is supposedly meant to behave. For a child who feels uncertain or misunderstood, that kind of acceptance can be tempting.

This conflict makes Joni’s mission more complicated. Saving May is not only about defeating a sinister family. Joni must also recognize the problems that already existed between them and consider whether she has truly been listening to her friend. Their relationship helps reinforce the idea that friendship requires more than knowing someone’s favorite music or remembering how they used to behave.

The book’s strongest theme is the importance of individuality. Olive Springs becomes unsettling because everything unique about its residents begins to disappear. Personal style, unusual interests, strong opinions, and creative expression are replaced with sameness.

Through this exaggerated transformation, the story shows young readers that there is no single correct way to dress, behave, create, or live. People should not have to erase parts of themselves to earn acceptance. Differences are not flaws that need to be corrected, and “perfect” is often an impossible standard created to control people.

There were, however, a few elements that did not work as well for me.

Tyler, the queer or gender-nonconforming character, initially felt somewhat stereotypical. His personality is communicated through kimonos, brightly feminine clothing, painted nails, and makeup. I understand why the author emphasizes his bold appearance: when the Ginghams change him, the disappearance of his usual style creates a dramatic and immediately recognizable contrast. Still, I would have liked his identity and personality to be developed through more than clothing and appearance.

I also struggled to understand why more people did not become suspicious of the Ginghams. The changes in Olive Springs are extremely obvious. Personalities shift, clothing becomes uniform, and familiar businesses lose their variety. While the story requires most of the town to overlook or accept these changes, I sometimes wished the book had offered a stronger explanation for why so few unaffected people questioned what was happening.

Despite those concerns, The Ginghams is a fast-moving and entertaining mystery with plenty for middle-grade readers to enjoy. The creepy smiles, suspicious book club, hidden basement, and race to save Olive Springs create an adventure that should keep readers turning the pages.

More importantly, the story delivers a valuable message about accepting differences, resisting pressure to conform, and paying attention when a friend may be struggling beneath the surface.

I think kids will connect with Joni’s determination, recognize the complicated emotions within her friendship with May, and enjoy imagining how they might fight back against the Ginghams. Readers who like eerie mysteries, strange neighborhoods, clever young investigators, and stories about standing up for yourself will find a lot to appreciate here.

Final rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨3.8 out of 5 stars.

About the book:

Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Publishing date: July 28, 2026

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Synopsis:

An eerie middle grade mystery debut that follows a young girl who returns home to find the people of her little town, including her best friend, chillingly changed after the arrival of the prim and proper Gingham family.

“A rip-roaring adventure, but more importantly, a kids’ power ballad to the importance of being yourself.” —New York Times-bestselling author Gordon Korman

When 12-year-old Joni Bird returns home from summer camp, it’s clear something strange is afoot in Olive Springs. May, her usually head-banging best friend, now wears her hair in a tight bun and calls playing the drums “unladylike.” The ice cream shop only serves vanilla ice cream. The women and girls of the neighborhood all sport big pearl earrings and crisp cotton dresses.

At the heart of it all? The creepy new family in the neighborhood with their soulless, carnival smiles and retro fashion sense: the Ginghams. Everyone they invite to their Thursday night book club re-emerges as dead-eyed, smiling, Gingham-approved “model citizens,” all thanks to Mr. Gingham’s lifestyle guide, The Pillars of Perfection—and something even more sinister hidden behind his basement door.

Through quick thinking and cunning, Joni and her friend Tyler set out to fight not only to get their friend May back, but to save their whole town from forever falling under the Ginghams’

Meet the author:

T.C. Kemper is an American author of sparky kidlit and speculative fiction. When she’s not sipping peppermint tea sweetened with local honey or hiking woodland trails with her family and rescue pup, she’s likely lost in a beautifully crafted story.

Upcoming release: THE GINGHAMS (Henry Holt BFYR/Macmillan Children’s): a fresh middle-grade twist on THE STEPFORD WIVES, with book banners as villains, A.I.-powered mind control, and a friendship breakup. This spooky sci-fi is full of spine-tingling surprises!

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Superstar Blair Baker is preparing for a triumphant homecoming concert when she is murdered only moments before she is supposed to take the stage. Her younger sister, Stevie, is determined to discover who killed Blair, even if searching for the truth puts her in danger.

This is not the first time Stevie has desperately searched for answers after someone she loves was hurt. She was younger then and unable to uncover the truth, but now she refuses to let another mystery remain unsolved. As Stevie investigates Blair’s death, she is pulled deeper into the darker side of fame and begins discovering secrets much closer to home. Someone wants those secrets to stay hidden—and they may be willing to do anything to stop Stevie from exposing them.

From that premise alone, I knew Drop Dead Famous would be my kind of book. What I did not expect was how completely invested I would become in Stevie, her investigation, and the people she meets along the way.

Stevie is a compelling main character because her determination comes from such a personal and emotional place. She is not investigating a random crime or chasing attention. Blair was her sister, and Stevie needs to understand what happened to her. That grief gives the mystery real weight. Even when Stevie takes risks, her choices make sense because readers understand how much she has already lost and how desperately she needs answers.

The investigation also forces her to look beyond Blair’s polished public image. To millions of fans, Blair was an international superstar. To Stevie, she was a sister with flaws, secrets, and relationships that the public knew nothing about. I loved the way the story explored the difference between a celebrity’s carefully managed image and the complicated human being behind it.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the friendship Stevie forms with Colby, a die-hard fan of Blair. Colby easily became my favorite character. She brings so much personality and humor to the story, especially through her quirky comments and memorable behavior. Her ability to run in cowboy boots deserves recognition all by itself! Those small details made her feel fun, distinctive, and completely real.

Stevie and Colby also make an excellent investigative pair. Colby’s enthusiasm and knowledge of Blair’s career give her a different perspective, while Stevie understands the personal side of Blair’s life. Their friendship adds warmth and energy to a story built around grief and danger. I loved watching their partnership develop as they followed clues, questioned what they thought they knew, and moved closer to the truth.

The mystery itself is incredibly well constructed. Every time I thought I might have figured something out, another discovery made me reconsider my theory. The story kept moving without feeling rushed, and the clues were scattered throughout the book in a way that made me want to pay attention to every conversation and suspicious detail.

Pearson also balances the suspense with humor and emotion. The funny exchanges never take away from the seriousness of Blair’s murder. Instead, they give the characters—and the reader—a moment to breathe before the tension builds again. That balance helped make the story feel like more than a standard whodunit. It is a mystery, but it is also a story about grief, trust, family, friendship, and the cost of living in the public eye.

And then there is the ending.

Without revealing anything that could spoil the experience, I will say that I loved the twist involving the identity of Blair’s killer. The revelation about Blair’s secret—and the way that secret connects to the reason she was killed—was shocking and satisfying. It made me mentally revisit earlier moments and clues, which is exactly what I want from a great mystery.

The ending did not feel as though it came out of nowhere simply to surprise readers. Once the truth was revealed, the pieces began falling into place. I wish I could say more, but this is definitely a book best enjoyed without knowing too much beforehand.

Jennifer Pearson is a former teacher who lives in northeast England with her husband and two sons. She has written several middle-grade novels under the name Jenny Pearson and has received recognition from the Costa Children’s Book Award, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and the Laugh Out Loud Book Awards. Drop Dead Famous is her young adult debut, and the press release also notes that a sequel featuring a new murder investigation is planned for summer 2027.

Overall, I loved everything about this book. The characters were entertaining, the emotional stakes felt genuine, the mystery kept me guessing, and the final twists delivered exactly the kind of surprise I was hoping for. Stevie and Colby are a fantastic duo, and I would happily follow them into another investigation.

Drop Dead Famous hooked me from the first page and kept me reading all the way to the end. Fans of fast-paced YA mysteries, celebrity-centered thrillers, strong friendships, family secrets, and shocking revelations should add this one to their reading lists.

Five stars all the way! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the book:

An investigation turns into an obsession when the younger sister of a slain pop star is determined to uncover her sister’s killer, no matter the cost, in this “tense and intricately plotted thriller” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

When superstar Blair Baker is murdered moments before her triumphant homecoming concert, her younger sister, Stevie, knows she has one chance to find out who’s responsible.

The thing is, Stevie’s been here before, desperately searching for clues that might reveal who hurt someone she loves…but Stevie was younger then, just a kid. This time, she won’t let the truth slip through her fingers.

What begins as a search for answers about Blair’s death turns into a dangerous journey through the darker side of global fame. Soon, Stevie begins to uncover dark secrets closer to home—secrets that someone wants desperately to keep hidden. Is Stevie ready to confront what the truth reveals?

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Meet the author:

Jennifer Pearson is a former teacher and author who lives in the northeast of England with two energetic boys and her somewhat energetic husband. She’s the author of several middle-grade novels, writing as Jenny Pearson, and has been short-listed for the Costa Children’s Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and was the winner of the Lollies (Laugh Out Loud Book Awards). When she’s not writing, Jenny can either be found doing something sporty or binge-watching true crime documentaries while eating astounding quantities of cheese.

That question lies at the heart of Amanda Connolly’s The Lure of Wolves and Whispers, a dark, Irish lore–inspired romantasy filled with forbidden magic, political intrigue, deadly competition, and dangerously attractive men who may or may not be trustworthy. As the first book in The Martyred Isle series, it introduces a mysterious fantasy world that left me with plenty of questions—and a strong desire to continue reading.

On the mist-covered Isle of Eireann, magic has almost completely disappeared. What remains can be purchased, but every magical bargain comes at a terrible price. When Maeve’s beloved older sister is gravely injured, Maeve refuses to stand by and watch her die. Desperate to save her, Maeve seeks forbidden magic and trades her own life to Wolf, a ruthless rebel leader known as the Whisperer.

Bound to obey him, Maeve is sent into a dangerous royal competition to become the next queen. To survive, she must compete for a place beside Prince Cashel, the son of the tyrannical king responsible for much of the suffering throughout the isle. Maeve quickly discovers that the royal court is filled with secrets, shifting loyalties, and people who are far more complicated than they first appear.

Maeve was easily my favorite part of the book. She is brave, stubborn, resourceful, and wonderfully full of spunk. Her dedication to her sister drives many of her decisions, including some that are incredibly dangerous. Even when she is frightened or uncertain, she continues fighting for the people she loves.

I especially enjoyed the mystery surrounding Maeve, her mother, and her family’s past. There are hints that Maeve may be connected to the lost magic of Eireann in ways she does not yet understand. Every new clue raises even more questions. What happened to the magic? What secrets did Maeve’s mother keep from her? Is Maeve capable of challenging the king and helping magic return to the isle?

The magical system also fascinated me because magic does not feel ordinary or easily accessible. It feels ancient, mysterious, and slightly frightening. The people of Eireann know that magic once existed, but most of it was lost after war, conquest, and the rise of a brutal king. In a way, magic feels almost as distant to them as it does to us. They have stories and traces of it, but they do not fully understand what was lost or how it might be restored.

Then, of course, there is the romance.

The developing love triangle between Maeve, Wolf, and Prince Cashel added plenty of tension. Both men are intimidating, powerful, secretive, and more than a little dangerous. They are also frighteningly attractive, which makes Maeve’s situation even more complicated.

Wolf is ruthless and commanding, and his motives are difficult to read. He controls Maeve through their magical bargain, yet there are moments suggesting that there may be more beneath his cold exterior. Prince Cashel has an equally troubling reputation, especially because he is the son of the king Maeve has every reason to hate. However, he may not be exactly the man the rumors have made him out to be.

I spent much of the book questioning which man Maeve could trust—if she should trust either of them at all.

The secondary characters were another highlight. Talon, Aoife, Maeve’s sister, and her sister’s girlfriend all bring something interesting to the story. None of them feels completely transparent. Everyone seems to be keeping a secret, hiding an allegiance, or waiting for the right moment to reveal what they know. I am hoping future books explore these characters further and finally uncover some of their secrets.

Connolly also does an excellent job creating tension between the nobles, the royal family, and the common people. The class system in Eireann is deeply unfair and often infuriating. People are judged, mistreated, and denied opportunities simply because of their birth. The nobles and members of the royal court possess wealth and power while commoners are expected to suffer quietly.

This caste-like system gives the story more emotional weight because Maeve is not only fighting for herself or her sister. She is entering a world built to keep people like her powerless. Watching her challenge that system made me even more invested in her journey.

My biggest complaint is that the book does not include a map. I firmly believe a map should be a requirement for fantasy novels—especially stories involving multiple territories, political factions, royal strongholds, and a complicated history.

Connolly provides vivid descriptions of Eireann, its buildings, and its political structure, but I occasionally struggled to picture how everything connected. A map would have made the world easier to navigate. I also would have loved a few illustrations showing the interiors of important buildings, the different regions, or the clothing worn by the characters.

That said, the absence of a map did not prevent me from becoming absorbed in the story. The world is atmospheric, the political conflicts are compelling, and the unanswered questions kept me turning the pages.

The Lure of Wolves and Whispers is an exciting beginning to what promises to be a dramatic romantasy series. It offers a determined heroine, forbidden magic, cruel rulers, hidden identities, dangerous bargains, and a love triangle filled with uncertainty. Readers who enjoy royal competitions, morally complicated love interests, political intrigue, and fantasy worlds shaped by lost magic should find plenty to love here.

By the end, I was left wondering who Maeve can truly trust, what happened to Eireann’s magic, and whether she might be the person destined to bring down the treacherous king.

I am ready for the next book—and I am still trying to decide whether I am rooting for Wolf or Prince Cashel.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨4.5 stars

About the book:

Publisher: Sarah Barley Books

Release Date: July 7, 2026

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

One sister offers her life in exchange for the other’s in this dark, Irish lore–inspired romantasy and “sizzling, high-stakes debut launching a series that readers will greedily devour” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

On the mist-shrouded Isle of Eireann, buying magic comes with a price.

But when her beloved older sister is gravely injured, Maeve risks everything to buy the forbidden magic that might save her. In exchange, Maeve trades her life to a ruthless and dangerously alluring rebel leader. Bound to do his bidding, Maeve finds herself thrown into a deadly competition to become the next queen and stand beside a prince rumored to be more brutal than his tyrannical father.

With the isle on the brink of war, trust and survival come at a terrible cost—one that will tear Maeve’s world, and her heart, in two.

What would you sacrifice to survive?

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Meet the Author:

Amanda Connolly is a Canadian political journalist and editor. A winner of the EU-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship, she is a dual citizen of Canada and Ireland. The Lure of Wolves and Whispers is Amanda’s debut novel.

The novel follows eighteen-year-old Jade Whitney, who is sent to live with her Great Aunt Ruth at Blythe House, her family’s grand and mysterious mansion in Grove Hollow, New York. From the moment Jade arrives, it is clear that this town, her family, and her new home are hiding more than a few secrets. Blythe House may be beautiful and impressive, but it also has that perfect gothic feeling where every room seems like it could be holding a secret.

Jade is immediately thrown into a world that feels unfamiliar, intimidating, and not always welcoming. At her new private school, she struggles to find her place. Most of the students keep their distance, but she eventually connects with a group known as the Misfits. They are edgy, genuine, and exactly the kind of friends Jade needs while adjusting to a new life. They spend their time exploring abandoned haunted mansions and listening to The Cure, which gives the story such a strong 80s atmosphere.

One of the things I enjoyed most about Metamorphosis was how easy it was to relate to Jade. She is the new girl trying to fit in, figure out who she can trust, and understand where she belongs. That feeling of being caught between different people and different versions of yourself was very believable. Jade is drawn to the Misfits because they feel real and accepting, but she is also pulled toward Brad, the handsome and popular rugby captain who seems to notice her when others do not.

Brad brings in plenty of classic teen drama, especially since he breaks up with the head cheerleader to date Jade. It has that perfectly angsty YA energy where crushes, jealousy, social circles, and complicated feelings all collide. I liked that the romance was not simple, because Jade is also connected to William, the Victorian ghost tied to a cursed locket she finds in an abandoned estate.

William, or Will, adds one of the most compelling layers to the story. His mystery, his connection to the locket, and his growing bond with Jade kept me turning the pages. There is something so dramatic and fun about a ghost boyfriend situation, especially when it is wrapped in old family secrets, curses, and a setting that already feels haunted. Jade’s attraction to Will creates a complicated emotional pull, and I enjoyed watching her try to understand what he needs from her while also questioning what she wants for herself.

The side characters also stood out to me. Great Aunt Ruth is memorable, and Nigel, her very stereotypical butler, adds to the old-mansion atmosphere in a fun way. These characters help make Blythe House feel like more than just a setting. It becomes a place with personality, history, and secrets tucked into every corner. The family drama is one of the strongest parts of the book, and I loved how the story slowly reveals that Jade’s family history is darker and more complicated than she ever imagined.

Another highlight for me was the 1980s setting. The references to music, technology, and teen culture helped ground the story in its time period without feeling overwhelming. The Cure references, the lack of modern technology, and the overall mood gave the book a nostalgic feel that worked really well with the paranormal and gothic elements. The 80s backdrop made the mystery feel more isolated and atmospheric, which added to the tension.

The book also does a great job balancing different elements: teen angst, paranormal romance, mystery, family secrets, and gothic drama. There is always something pulling the story forward, whether it is Jade trying to fit in at school, uncovering the truth about her family, dealing with her feelings for Brad, or trying to help Will. The combination made the book engaging and easy to keep reading.

My only complaint is that I did get frustrated at times with how long it took to get answers. The mystery is interesting, but there were moments when I really wanted the story to reveal more a little sooner. That said, the slower reveal was not enough to stop me from enjoying the book or wanting to finish it. The characters, atmosphere, and family secrets kept me invested even when I was impatient for the bigger answers.

Overall, Metamorphosis is a lovely and compelling start to the Grove Hollow series. It has likeable characters, a strong gothic setting, great 80s details, family history, drama, secrets, and a complicated ghostly romance that makes the story stand out. Jade is an easy main character to root for, and her journey into the strange world of Grove Hollow is full of mystery and emotion.

Fans of YA paranormal romance, haunted mansions, cursed objects, dark family secrets, and messy teen feelings will find a lot to enjoy here. With its mix of gothic atmosphere, 80s nostalgia, and romantic tension, Metamorphosis is a page-turning read that left me excited to see where the Grove Hollow series goes next.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½✨ | 4.8 out of 5 stars

About the book:

Genre: YA Paranormal
Publishing date: July 6, 2026

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Synopsis:

Stranger Things meets Twilight in this stunning gothic paranormal romance! A teen girl is swept into an opulent world of love, lies, and ghosts after she moves in with the wealthy, mysterious family she never knew she had. Book One in the Grove Hollow series, this is an 80s dark academia-tinged tale full of fated love, a cursed amulet, and twisted family secrets.

The year is 1985, and eighteen-year-old Jade Whitney is about to discover her family holds a dark secret that will change her life forever. Sent to live with her Great Aunt Ruth, Jade moves into Blythe House, her family’s sprawling, gilded mansion—but picturesque Grove Hollow, New York, is anything but welcoming.

At Jade’s new private school she’s shunned by everyone except for the Misfits, the school’s edgy outcasts, who spend their weekends exploring abandoned haunted mansions and listening to the Cure. But Jade’s eye keeps wandering back to Brad, the charming, handsome rugby captain, who might just be the only other kid at school to welcome her.

Everything changes when Jade finds a cursed locket in a derelict estate. The locket is connected to a Victorian ghost named William, who desperately needs Jade’s help, and who Jade feels an undeniable attraction to. And the closer they grow, the more urgent it becomes for Jade to decide where her heart truly lies—and if she’s really willing to let Will go.

Meet the author:

Shelby Nicole is a multi-talented author, business owner, artist, and graphic designer known for her enthralling gothic paranormal series, Grove Hollow. With intricate narratives, mysterious plotlines, and fantastical elements, Shelby breathes new life into the paranormal romance genre, taking readers to otherworldly realms.

Through her magnetic storytelling, Shelby sets herself apart as an author, leaving readers eagerly awaiting the next thrilling chapter in The Grove Hollow series.

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What I appreciated most about For the Greatest Good was the issue at the heart of the story. The book makes it clear that “moral victories” are not enough when people are living through a public health crisis. Pondville needs money, infrastructure, and real help. The story does a good job showing how environmental injustice affects poor communities and how those communities are often expected to simply endure problems that would be treated as emergencies elsewhere. The message is one of the strongest parts of the book: people should not have to leave the towns they love just to have clean, safe water.

I also really liked the way Pondville itself was portrayed. Small towns in YA books with queer characters are often shown only as hostile, judgmental, or religiously extreme places where LGBTQ+ people cannot safely belong. While that absolutely can be true in some communities, it is not the only reality. In this book, Pondville has a tight-knit feeling. People know each other, look out for each other, and have reasons for staying beyond simple stubbornness. There is a sense of community care that almost feels like found family, and I appreciated seeing that in a queer YA story.

One of the most effective parts of the book, for me, came in Chapter 3, when Gavin and MacKenzie interview a town resident about why she stays in Pondville. That scene added so much emotional context. It showed that leaving is not always easy, possible, or even fair. Poverty can keep people rooted in place, but love can too. Why should people have to abandon their homes, memories, neighbors, and history because the government and corporations have failed them? That scene helped make the stakes feel real and human. Honestly, I wish the book had opened closer to that moment.

Unfortunately, the first two chapters did not work well for me. I struggled to get into the story at the beginning, and I almost put the book down after Chapter 2. I kept reading because I had signed up for the tour with Toppling Stacks Tours, and I am glad I pushed through because the book does improve once the larger community issues come into focus. Still, the opening felt weaker than the premise deserved. Starting with the interview in Chapter 3 would have pulled me into Pondville’s crisis much faster and given me a stronger reason to care right away.

My biggest issue with the book was Gavin. I understood what he was trying to do, and I understood that desperation can make people justify bad choices. But I did not like him much as a character. He often came across as selfish and careless, especially when he was willing to hurt people to get what he wanted. The book wants Gavin’s choices to feel morally complicated, and they are, but I needed more emotional grounding to believe in how far he was willing to go.

That missing piece affected the story for me. I did not feel fully convinced that Gavin loved Pondville enough to risk everything for it. The book tells us the town matters, but I wanted to see more of how Pondville supported him as a gay teenager, how it made him feel safe, seen, or valued, and why saving it was worth conning his estranged father, manipulating the grant process, or risking serious consequences. There is one scene where Gavin is treated poorly in a nearby town because he is gay, which could have been a strong contrast, but I still needed more examples of Pondville actively being the place where he belongs.

The estranged father-son dynamic, however, was compelling. Gavin’s relationship with his father adds tension and emotional complexity to the plot. Their interactions are uncomfortable in a way that fits the story, because Gavin is not just trying to save his town; he is also dealing with unresolved family pain. I liked that this relationship was messy and transactional. It gave the book another layer beyond the political and environmental conflict.

Overall, For the Greatest Good has a strong message, an important topic, and a premise full of potential. I loved that it centered clean water access, public health, poverty, and queer representation in a small-town setting that was not reduced to stereotypes. But the uneven opening, my frustration with Gavin, and the lack of deeper emotional proof behind his devotion to Pondville kept this from being a stronger read for me.

This is a thoughtful YA novel with a lot to say, even if the execution did not fully convince me. Readers who enjoy morally complicated characters, political/social issue-driven fiction, small-town stories, and LGBTQ+ representation may find a lot to discuss here. For me, it lands at 3.5 stars: promising, important, and worth reading, but not without some holes.

About the book:

Genre: YA Contemporary
Publishing date: June 30, 2026

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Rep: Gay, LGBT+

Synopsis:

Moral victories don’t solve public health crises. Money does.

After years of poor water quality, Gavin fears his town, Pondville, is one burst pipe away from losing access to safe drinking water forever.

Demoralized, Gavin and his best friend MacKenzie turn to his estranged father, a board member of the infamous water company CrispFlow. CrispFlow is known for giving out grants to improve public facilities, but they’ve also been buying and privatizing cities’ failing water systems, often leaving those towns’ situations worse than they found them. Gavin wouldn’t trust CrispFlow to privatize their water, but with his father on the board and Gavin and Mack interning at town hall, he might just be able to walk away with the grant money instead. Gavin’s dad agrees to rig the grant process if Gavin and MacKenzie sabotage the competition to help Crisp­Flow win an infrastructure bid. It’s not above board, but everybody wins, as long as no one gets caught . . .

Content Warning: Social injustice, estrangement of a parent

Meet the author:

My name is Blair Hanson, and if it’s not already obvious, I am not an expert at building websites! I am much more passionate about writing contemporary young adult fiction. In my (mostly nonexistent) free time, I enjoy falling down Wikipedia wormholes and cuddling with the world’s most adorable cats.

My books include America’s Not-So-Sweetheart (June 17, 2025, Page Street YA) and the forthcoming For the Greatest Good (expected June 30, 2026, Page Street YA).

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This book is bold, dramatic, and sharp, and the thrills are what made it work best for me. I gave it 4.5 stars because once the story leans into its danger and dystopian chaos, it becomes very hard to look away. There is something unsettling but also darkly entertaining about a world where fame, performance, survival, and politics are all tangled together. The idea of a singing competition where the stakes are life and death is both ridiculous and horrifying, which is exactly why the satire lands. It takes the familiar structure of reality TV competition and pushes it into nightmare territory.

For me, the strongest part of Survival Show was the tension. The thrills kept me engaged. I liked the danger of the competition, the sense that everything could go wrong, and the way the book uses entertainment as a mirror for bigger issues. The concept is campy, but underneath the camp is a lot of bite. Dawson is not just writing a wild dystopian spectacle for fun, though there is definitely fun in the chaos. The book is also looking at the world we live in now: climate anxiety, political fear, anti-LGBTQ policies, international instability, and the way people in power can turn suffering into entertainment.

That combination of satire and real-world relevance gives the story more weight than the premise might suggest at first. Yes, it has the “sing for your life” energy of a dystopian talent show from hell, but it also asks uncomfortable questions about what society values, who gets exploited, and how far people will go for survival, fame, or control. The best dystopian stories are not really about the future. They are about the present wearing a scary outfit. This one understands that.

I also liked the campy tone. A story like this needs to know what it is. If it took itself too seriously, the premise might become too heavy. If it leaned only into the fun, the darker themes might not land. Survival Show walks that line with a lot of energy. It has drama, danger, and spectacle, but it also has enough real-world sharpness to keep it from feeling empty. The book knows reality TV can be absurd, addictive, cruel, and emotionally manipulative, and it uses that knowledge well.

The part that did not fully work for me was the romance. The book includes a sapphic rivals-to-lovers relationship, and while I can see that being a major draw for many readers, it personally did not do as much for me as the thriller and dystopian elements did. I did not dislike the romance, but I did not feel as invested in it as I wanted to be. The danger, satire, and competition were much more compelling to me. Every time the story focused on survival and the larger dystopian world, I was more hooked.

That said, the romance not being my favorite part did not ruin the book. It just meant that I connected more strongly with the external stakes than the romantic ones. Readers who love rivals-to-lovers dynamics may respond differently and enjoy that part more than I did. For me, the book was at its best when it was intense, chaotic, and satirical. Give me the deadly singing competition. Give me the political commentary. Give me the “what nightmare version of entertainment culture are we in now?” energy. That is where the book shines.

The pacing also helps. A premise like this needs momentum, and Survival Show delivers plenty of it. The story has that “just one more chapter” quality because you want to know what is going to happen next, who will survive, and how much worse the situation can get. Spoiler: in dystopian satire, the answer is usually “worse, but with better lighting.”

I would recommend Survival Show to readers who enjoy YA dystopian stories with a satirical edge, reality TV-inspired plots, high-stakes competitions, queer representation, and a little camp mixed with their chaos. If you liked the idea of The Hunger Games but want something more performance-based, pop-culture aware, and theatrical, this one is worth checking out. It is especially good for readers who like their dystopian books to be both entertaining and pointed.

Overall, Survival Show is a thrilling, dramatic, and darkly fun read. The romance did not completely grab me, but the concept, tension, satire, and survival elements absolutely did. It is the kind of book that takes a familiar entertainment format and asks, “What if this was much worse?” Then it answers with glitter, danger, and a microphone.

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

About the book:

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: August 4, 2026

Genre: Young Adult LGBTQ Dystopian Thriller

Synopsis:

The American Idol meets The Hunger Games in this “chilling, satirical dystopian adventure” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) about a teen betting her life that her singing talent can make her a star from the celebrated author of This Book Is Gay, Juno Dawson.

The world just seems to take and take from Taryn Beck, but there’s one thing it’ll never have: her voice. Only when she’s singing does Taryn feel like she can escape her reality—free from the aftermath of the War, free from the Scottish refugee camps where she and her family now live, and free from the responsibility of making ends meet for the sake of her sick brother.

Taryn’s voice is her one ticket out, and that’s why she enters to be a contestant on the world’s most watched television program: Starmaker, where kids from the New Peace Global Alliance compete for the chance to join an all-singing, all-dancing pop group. Rise to the top, and a life of luxury, stardom, and money awaits.

There’s only one small catch. The lowest ranking face a televised public execution. Starmaker thanks their participants for their noble sacrifice to Project Population.

Taryn’s about to sing for her life.

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Meet the author:

Juno Dawson is a #1 Sunday Times (London) bestselling novelist, screenwriter, and journalist and a columnist for Attitude magazine. Juno’s books include the global bestsellers This Book Is Gay and Clean. She also writes for television and has multiple shows in development both in the UK and US. Juno grew up in West Yorkshire, writing imaginary episodes of Doctor Who. She later turned her talent to journalism, interviewing luminaries such as Steps and Atomic Kitten before writing a weekly serial in a Brighton newspaper. Her writing has appeared in Glamour, The Pool, Dazed, and The Guardian. She has appeared on Pointless Celebrities, BBC Women’s Hour, ITV News, Channel 5 News, This Morning, and Newsnight. Juno lives in Brighton. She is a part of the queer cabaret collective known as Club Silencio. In 2014, Juno became a School & College Role Model for the charity Stonewall.