The Voices Upstairs by Laura DiNunno

 

The Voices Upstairs by Laura DiNunno   162 pages

Fourteen-year-old Jason Myers thinks he's a hero for taking down the school bully. So, he got suspended. What's the big deal? It's a week off from school, right? But Jason's little vacation quickly turns into a week-long stay with his grandmother to keep him out of trouble. With no freedom, no cell phone, no video games, and a house that reeks of cat pee—life can't get any worse for Jason. Now, Jason has bigger things to worry about. What do the ghostly voices coming from upstairs in his grandmother's house want with him? As Jason searches for answers, he learns the house holds a dark family secret and that some will do anything to keep that secret buried in the past.

 …until the dead start talking. 

This was a quick listen as it is a YA/MG book but it entertained on some morning walks. I feel it took him a bit too long to figure out the mystery but...kid's book. 

Tell Me What Really Happened

 

Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti  416 pages

There are stories about the woods around Salvation Creek, about the people who have gone missing. Now their friend is one of them. A riveting, fast-paced YA mystery told entirely through first person police interviews of four teens over the course of a few hours.

It was all her idea. They would get away from their parents and spend the weekend camping. Down by Salvation Creek, the five of them would make smores, steal kisses, share secrets.

But sometime around midnight, she vanished.

Now the four friends who came back are under suspicion―and they each have a very different story to tell about what happened in the woods.

The clock is ticking. What are they hiding? Who is lying? Dark truths must come to light if their friend is to be found...

Told entirely through first-person police interviews, this riveting mystery asks: what really happened that night?

This book was entertaining and probably more so as an audiobook due to the different voices.

They Both Die At The End

 

They Both Die At The End  389 pages

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day.

I enjoyed this story very much and recommend it. It also shows how we can affect other's lives without even knowing it.

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place

 

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place   by Julie Berry  368 pages

The students of St. Etheldreda's School for Girls face a bothersome dilemma. Their irascible headmistress, Mrs. Plackett, and her surly brother, Mr. Godding, have been most inconveniently poisoned at Sunday dinner. Now the school will almost certainly be closed and the girls sent home—unless these seven very proper young ladies can hide the murders and convince their neighbors that nothing is wrong.

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is a smart, hilarious Victorian romp, full of outrageous plot twists, mistaken identities, and mysterious happenings.

This was cute and fun to watch the girls work together when everything that could go wrong did.

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones

 

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones  244 pages

In August of 1999, dazzlingly popular cheerleader Clarissa Campbell disappears from a party in the woods outside the rural town of Oreville, Washington and is never seen again. The police question her friends, teachers, and the adults who knew her—who all have something to hide. And thanks to Clarissa’s beauty, the mystery captures the attention of the nation. But with no leads and no body, the case soon grows cold. Despite the efforts of internet sleuths and true-crime aficionados, Clarissa is never found—dead or alive.

Over twenty years later, Oreville high-school juniors and best friends Blair and Cameron start a true crime podcast, determined to unravel the story of what—or who—happened to this rural urban legend. In the process they uncover a nest of dirty small-town secrets, the sordid truth of Clarissa’s relationship with her charismatic boyfriend, and a high school art teacher turned small-town figurehead who had a very good reason for wanting Clarissa dead. Such a good reason, in fact, that they might have to make him the highlight of their next episode…

But does an ugly history with a missing girl make him guilty of murder? Or are two teenage girls about to destroy the life of an innocent man—and help the true killer walk free?

This was an easy read that kept me interested. I would recommend it. 

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 5,6,7 & 8 by Ryoko Kui

 

  

 

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 5 by Ryoko Kui, 200 pages

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 6 by Ryoko Kui, 208 pages

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 7 by Ryoko Kui, 216 pages

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 8 by Ryoko Kui, 200 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I don't have much else to add, but I love this series! The "real" plot of the series picked up in volume 5, and I'm intrigued to see where it goes!

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 3 & 4 by Ryoko Kui

 

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 3 by Ryoko Kui, 192 pages, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

New dangers and new recipes await the party in the third installment of the utterly unique and endearing Delicious in Dungeon!

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 4 by Ryoko Kui, 192 pages, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The time has come! Showdown with the Red Dragon!!!

After finally reaching the fifth floor, it's time for the adventurers to face their greatest challenge yet. They're putting their lives on to the line in a fight with a monster with crimson hide that turns away even the toughest steel and a fiery breath that turns even bones to ash. Can they save Laios's sister? ...And maybe just as importantly, can they eat dragon meat?!?

I love that the series is picking up in terms of plot, it's very intriguing!

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert

 

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph  336 pages

Dove "Birdie" Randolph works hard to be the perfect daughter and follow the path her parents have laid out for her: She quit playing her beloved soccer, she keeps her nose buried in textbooks, and she's on track to finish high school at the top of her class. But then Birdie falls hard for Booker, a sweet boy with a troubled past...whom she knows her parents will never approve of.

When her estranged aunt Carlene returns to Chicago and moves into the family's apartment above their hair salon, Birdie notices the tension building at home. Carlene is sweet, friendly, and open-minded--she's also spent decades in and out of treatment facilities for addiction. As Birdie becomes closer to both Booker and Carlene, she yearns to spread her wings. But when long-buried secrets rise to the surface, everything she's known to be true is turned upside down.

As a reader,  I felt for the teenage character Birdie. Some of the things she went through brought back memories of being a teenage girl myself. It had an interesting twist at the end. I would recommend  this book to a young reader.

A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand

A Crown of Ivy and Glass (The Middlemist Trilogy #1) by Claire Legrand, 560 p.

"Lady Gemma Ashbourne seemingly has it all. She's young, gorgeous, and rich. Her family was Anointed by the gods, blessed with incredible abilities. But underneath her glittering façade, Gemma is deeply sad. Years ago, her sister Mara was taken to the Middlemist to guard against treacherous magic. Her mother abandoned the family. Her father and eldest sister, Farrin—embroiled in a deadly blood feud with the mysterious Bask family—often forget Gemma exists.

Worst of all, Gemma is the only Ashbourne to possess no magic. Instead, her body fights it like poison. Constantly ill, aching with loneliness, Gemma craves love and yearns to belong. Then she meets the devastatingly handsome Talan d'Astier. His family destroyed themselves, seduced by a demon, and Talan, the only survivor, is determined to redeem their honor. Intrigued and enchanted, Gemma proposes a bargain: She'll help Talan navigate high society if he helps her destroy the Basks. According to popular legend, a demon called The Man With the Three-Eyed Crown is behind the families' blood feud—slay the demon, end the feud. But attacks on the Middlemist are increasing. The plot against the Basks quickly spirals out of control. And something immense and terrifying is awakening in Gemma, drawing her inexorably toward Talan and an all-consuming passion that could destroy her—or show her the true strength of her power at last."--Amazon

While this took me a while to get through, and sometimes I felt like I needed to make myself listen, I nonetheless really enjoyed this book. I've read Legrand before and was eager to try another. The story was exciting and engrossing most of the time, though I found some of the dialogue a bit "corny." I especially enjoyed the character development in regards to the sisters and father. This will be a strong series, I believe, and I will pick up the next one when it's released!

 

Steelstriker by Marie Lu

Steelstriker (Skyhunter #2) by Marie Lu, 384 p. 
 

"As a Striker, Talin was taught loyalty is life. Loyalty to the Shield who watches your back, to the Strikers who risk their lives on the battlefield, and most of all, to Mara, which was once the last nation free from the Karensa Federation’s tyranny.But Mara has fallen. And its destruction has unleashed Talin’s worst nightmare. With her friends scattered by combat and her mother held captive by the Premier, Talin is forced to betray her fellow Strikers and her adopted homeland. She has no choice but to become the Federation’s most deadly war machine as their newest Skyhunter.

Red is no stranger to the cruelty of the Federation or the torture within its Skyhunter labs, but he knows this isn’t the end for Mara – or Talin. The link between them may be weak, but it could be Talin and Red's only hope to salvage their past and safeguard their future. While the fate of a broken world hangs in the balance, Talin and Red must reunite the Strikers and find their way back to each other." --Amazon

The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune

The Extraordinaries (The Extraordinaries #1) by T.J. Klune, 405 p.

"Some people are extraordinary. Some are just extra. TJ Klune's YA debut, The Extraordinaries, is a queer coming-of-age story about a fanboy with ADHD and the heroes he loves.

Nick Bell? Not extraordinary. But being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right?

After a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City’s mightiest hero (and Nick’s biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he’ll do it with or without the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick's best friend (and maybe the love of his life)."--Goodreads blurb

As a Klune fan, I was excited to start this series. My experience with Klune has been sweet and emotional books that I have loved, and this was a bit of a departure from that. This is a YA novel and very much reads like one. But that doesn't mean it wasn't good. First and foremost, it was hilarious. The mind of a gay teenage boy with ADHD is apparently very entertaining! Regardless of it being fantasy, go into this being ready to suspend belief, because it's not just the setting, but the characters that are quite unbelievable at times. Will definitely be continuing on with this series!

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao - 400 pages

"The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

 
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​
 
To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed." 

This is a standard YA fantasy book, expect for the fact that it's technically sci-fi. It's fast-paced and mostly plot-driven with decent characters, so I was able to read it in just a few days. And that should have be that. However, the last 30 or so pages were so unexpected and exciting that it completely changed my opinion. This is going to be a duology, and I'll absolutely be reading the next book.

Right as Rain by Lindsey Stoddard

Right as Rain by Lindsey Stoddard 296 pages It's been almost a year since Rain's brother Guthrie died, and her parents still don't know it was all Rain's fault. In fact, no one does-Rain buried her secret deep, no matter how heavy it weighs on her heart. So when her mom suggests moving the family from Vermont to New York City, Rain agrees. But life in the big city is different. She's never seen so many people in one place-or felt more like an outsider. With her parents fighting more than ever and the anniversary of Guthrie's death approaching, Rain is determined to keep her big secret close to her heart. But even she knows that when you bury things deep, they grow up twice as tall. Readers will fall in love with the pluck and warmth of Stoddard's latest heroine and the strength that even a small heart can lend. I love to read YA books. I chose this book because it was a Truman award nominee this year. Such as touching story of how a young girl has to deal with the death of her brother, while her mom and dad refuse to deal with it. Sometimes children as wiser than adults in these issues.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

 

If I Stay by Gayle Forman. 196 pages

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.

I had watched this movie,  but never read the book.  I usually always read the book first,  but this was a wonderful reminder of how the book is always better.  I enjoy reading YA books. 

Teen books (I'm a day late entering it)

Blended by Sharon Draper

 

Blended by Sharon Draper -308 pages

This YA book was a fantastic book to read after the civil unrest in the past year.  Blended is about a young bi-racial girl who is not really sure where she fits in, but most people treat her like an African American. This book opened my eyes even more to how African Americans are treated in our society.  Surprise ending, but very enjoyable book to read!

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

 We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - 320 pages

Cadence Sinclair is born into a wealthy family that goes to their private island every summer.  Her two cousins and her aunt's boyfriend's nephew are all the same age.  Cady so loving calls their group of four "The Liars."  Their group is inseparable until summer fifteen, where an accident happens to Cady.  Over the next two summers, everything changes as Cady remembers what has happened - what she has done. 

This book has a twist ending that I never once expected, although the back of the book literally says, "Read it.  And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE."