young adult fantasy

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life” Vol. 1, by Miyu Morishita

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Mythical creatures are now mainstream and integrated with human society. Yutaka Shinso wants to get to know more of them so, he transfers to a more mixed school where he meets Tsumiki Ogami, a werewolf who inspires him to become as confident as she is.

This is a fun little high school fantasy. We don’t go into many different creatures as the main focus is on Tsumiki and her friendship with Yutaka. It’s still just the first volume so, it’s very slice of life but it’s very sweet. A light read with some comedy and heartfelt moments that made me smile. 3.7 out of 5 for the good start.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Gargoyles: Here in Manhattan” by Greg Weisman & George Kambadais

75702770

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

As the clan grows and the younger ones find their own way, they come against a new threat and the possibility of a new gargoyle egg falling into the wrong hands.

This was fun to read but to try and have the opening line of the show at the beginning of every chapter was less and less fun as the book went on. It just felt repetitive by the end of it and I just skipped it. Other than that, there’s a lot going on. A new egg, the widespread knowledge of gargoyle existence to the general populace, a rift in the gargoyle family; all not bad. It’s still a little narration heavy which makes it feel the dark enigmatic tine of the show is burdened by so much exposition. It was decent, 3 out of 5… Maybe more of a 4 but not something I’m fiending after to read again. 

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Brooms” by Jasmine Walls & Teo Duvall

143330475

(Image Source)

In 1930’s Mississippi, magic is common but either banned or severely restricted for people of color. Despite this, Billie Mae and Cheng Kwan introduce young Mattie and Emma broom racing in order to participate in underground broom racing to earn money to learn magic from a real school.

Despite the abundance of characters, it’s easy to empathize with their struggles and hopes. The racing is a lot of fun and while the representation is wide – there are participants of all races, ages, and ability – it doesn’t feel forced; more like all of these “outcasts” can come together to buck the system and cut loose. I would LOVE to see this as an animated movie. The flying scenes scream for it. Absolutely check this one out! 4.5 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “My Love Mix-Up!” Vol. 5, by Wataru Hinekure & Aruko

60321306

(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Aoki and Ida are starting to think about college but Aoki’s grades are not the best and he’s sent to cram school. A college student named Okano is tutoring Aoki and gets the wrong idea about Aoki’s relationship.

This couple has a cute relationship. Aoki and Ida are nice people and have decent people in their lives and it’s good to have queer characters surrounded by support. Even though there are misunderstandings, things are overall kind. Not every story with gay characters needs a ton of drama and homophobia. This is a great comfort read and good for teens so far. 4 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

They finally got it: Parents in cartoons.

I’ve had issues with how parental figures have been portrayed in young adult fiction and cartoons in the past. Being a parent can warp how you see media; and I won’t be elitist in saying parenthood is the only trigger. There are plenty of people in my age group who have had their perspective shifted when it comes to the media they consumed in the past versus what we consume now. Where once we identified with the impetuous kid, we now can relate to the worrisome adult. The best part is that we can recognize that and become better people as a result. I can’t tell you how often I was able to empathize with my own offspring, allow them their freedom while still imposing reasonable restrictions (that they still get all puberty about but at least there is more talking than screaming).

And that brings me to Camila Noceda:

03e

(Image Source)

In the season finale before the hiatus, I can say without spoilers, Camila is brave, understanding, smart, and heartbreaking. Yes, I may be an adult who still watches cartoons and you can judge me all you want for that but seeing an adult handle their special magical child in such an earnest and realistic way will hopefully pave the way for better depictions of parents in young adult media. Not all parents will be understanding but maybe there’s a weird kid out there who won’t believe all adults will be overly critical and closed-minded. Some of us can be worried about you without being lame, judgmental, or overprotective. We can be worried, we won’t be happy if you lie to us, and fighting demons may not be the profession we’d like you to have, but it comes from a place of love and some of us will understand.

More adults like Camila, please! Young people and adults deserve it.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

New Stuff!

Ah, it has been a while but I have been mentally drained from slowly going back to working in the library some days and some days from home. It’s anxiety-inducing to not be just doing one or the other and also dealing with how differently we have to run things without letting the public into the building.

I have some reviews pending and I’ve been doing more cleaning out. I unearthed a bunch of old books that I’ve decided to put up on eBay. I’ve also been encouraging my daughter to clean out, so there are a couple kids books up for sale. It’s all free shipping and I make sure to ship things within 48 hours on business days. As I clean more, I’ll be adding more stuff so keep an eye out.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Imitatore” by A. Rose

38592955
(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

*This review is cross-posted to Otakus and Geeks.

Born with multiple magical abilities, Sophie knows she is destined to do great things. But when she meets Oliver, an Imitatore who has the gift to use her powers and amplify them, her destiny rushes headlong at her, upending her life and leaving her with few she can trust and the future of the world at stake.

This book encapsulates every trope of YA fiction: Very tell, don’t show, simple sentences, and a wayward protagonist. By ‘wayward’ I mean the plot seems to blow her along; not leaving her to make many decisions. I do appreciate the diverse cast; a dark-skinned main character and non-gendered costar. There’s some cool world building but this is absolutely geared for someone younger than myself. I still had fun reading it, though. 3 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “The Black Bull of Norroway” by Cat Seaton & Kit Seaton

39913349
(Image Source)

Sibylla is given a prophecy as a young girl that she will marry a monster named The Black Bull and despite dreaming of a life of adventure, she goes willingly when the beast appears at her door years later. They embark on a quest to break his curse but no one will tell Sibylla why this curse exists or if it should be worth her life to end it.

This is an impressive and interesting start to a young adult series with very strong characterization for such a short volume. Sibylla is a strong woman obviously out of her depth with all the mystical things suddenly surrounding her but she strives to learn as much as she can. I enjoyed following her through this journey and I look forward to the next one! 3.9 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Markswoman” by Rati Mehrotra

35008759
(Image Source)

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

*This review is cross-posted to Otakus and Geeks.

After her first mark, newly initiated Markswoman Kyra lives to avenge the death of her clan. But her duties to the order of Kali take precedence as she tragically loses her mentor to what is obviously murder. Kyra embarks on a quest to expose the traitor in her order and bring them to justice.

I am honestly shocked this is marketed as YA but I loved reading this book. Kyra manages to be both determined but inexperienced without pandering or getting annoying. The fantasy world building is tight without a bunch of info dumps and the action is badass. I especially liked that Kyra’s journey is chosen instead of forced. She elects to go; not cast out.

The ending kinda felt a little bit of a copout as well as a cliffhanger but I am SO down for the sequel. 3.9 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Sinless” by Sarah Tarkoff

35121216
(Image Source)

*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

*This review is cross-posted to Otakus and Geeks.

Grace lives in a world where your sins are physically manifest on your body. Pretty people are good and bad people have been punished with physical deformities and are ostracised from society until they earn forgiveness. When she encounters a boy seemingly immune to Punishment, it starts a chain of events forcing her to face some rather ugly truths about the world she lives it.

While an awesome concept, it feels immature in execution. About halfway through the book, Grace comes off to me as stumbling over the line between “flawed character” and “spoiled brat” so I found her hard to relate to; even as a YA novel. As things go on, (spoiler maybe??) she turns into the Queen of Being Kidnapped as this happens WAY too often in order to get her to the next plot point.

It’s a good thing this is essentially told by an older character because I am way more interested in adult Grace than teenage Grace. I almost want to read the next one with that want in mind. Despite not being thrilled with the protagonist, I still wanted to know what happened next enough to read through to the end. 2.7 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.