Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker

Music Boxes is a middle grade fantasy book that was sent to me by the publisher. It comes out on March 5, 2019. Lindsey is an amazing ballerina, and has just moved to New York. Soon after arriving, she meets the mysterious Madame Destinée who offers dance classes for free in exchange for participation in a performance every night in a magical studio. However, soon Lindsey realizes that Madame has evil intentions of turning the students into music boxes and stealing their talent.

While somewhat predictable, the plotline was also fascinating and I was perfectly entertained. This is a great leisure read. I love the bond Lindsey has with her sister, and I love how she was included in the climax. This book has the perfect balance of creepiness and fun. I loved the transition between lovely to fear. Lindsey's unease flew off the pages. Extremely well written, the imagery was highly present and I could full envision their magical world.

The tale was so sweet, creative, and relatable to young girls. I love how Music Boxes teaches how there's no shortcut to success. You have to work for your dreams to come true. The mystery aspect was very cool, and I enjoyed guessing how the story was going to turn out and how she'd beat the witch. The climatic scene at the end was amazing, and my pulse was racing along with Lindsey's fear and determination. The ending was bittersweet, and wrapped up the story nicely. The cover is also very creative and highly representative.

I highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait to read it again!

Title: Music Boxes
Author: Tonja Drecker

Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press
Pages: 158

Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Love Letters to the Dead is a YA realistic fiction book about coping with guilt and loss. Laurel's older sister, May, fell off a bridge and died, leaving behind a broken family and a traumatized little sister who blames herself. Her English teacher gave an assignment to write a letter to a dead person, and before Laurel knows it, she has a notebook full of them, illustrating her childhood and the close bond between her and May. Through these letters and her new friendships, she discovers that only by accepting what happened can she truly forgive herself and move forward.

This is a profoundly moving tribute to grief, written with sensitivity and care. The story was heartbreaking, as well as beautiful at the same time. I applaud the author for including so many controversial topics, from suicide, abuse, and alcoholism to LGBTQ romance. Every character was deeply flawed and learning to heal from a variety of tragic experiences. Love Letters to the Dead is a journey of acceptance and forgiveness.

I love the format of this book as letters. It was easier for her to write to someone who will never read it, because she could be free to be honest to herself without judgement from others. Love Letters to the Dead is about loving and forgiving yourself, and letting go of the past.This is an extremely emotional, intense read that will leave you with tears in your eyes. Laurel largely developed as a person and I loved seeing her transform into self-love and respect.

I highly recommend this book!

Title: Love Letters to the Dead
Author: Ava Dellaira

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Pages: 336
Series: No

Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads

Dead Ends by Erin Jade Lange

Dead Ends is an inspirational YA book. Dane is a bully, and is one suspension away from being expelled. Everyone's afraid of him, except for Billy, his new next door neighbor. While he drives Dane insane, Dane has a rule not to hurt girls or people with disabilities. Billy mistakes his ignorance for friendship, and ends up dragging Dane into helping him find his dad through a series of puzzles.

It was hard to like Dane, especially in the beginning, but after awhile he grew on me. Yes, he's a bully, but he is also a human who makes mistakes. I personally love books that feature a narrator who is troubled because I get to see their internal dialogue and find out why. I love books that tackle stereotypes such as this one, because I get to see what's going on in their life, why they act a certain way because we can't see that just by looking at someone in real life. Billy kept asking Dane the same question over and over throughout the book: "Why do people hit?"

Dane thought he was doing the right thing, protecting others and hurting people who "deserved it". He didn't know that he was being a bully- and that's the most insightful part of this book. Nobody is hopeless, especially not a bully. They can learn to change their ways and be a better person. There's potential in everyone that schools and peers often miss. think that when people picture a bully, they see a monster, a tyrant, or someone to always run away from- not a human who doesn't know any better and needs help but is too scared to admit it. Most, unfortunately including myself, don't stop to ask why. Dead Ends teaches readers that everybody needs a friend.

I highly recommend this book!

Title: Dead Ends
Author: Erin Jade Lange

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 336

Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

The Shield of Nike (A War on the Gods Companion Story) by A.P. Mobley

The Shield of Nike is a YA short story prequel to the War on the Gods series. This new fantasy book was sent to me by the author, and releases today. Valeria and her friend Greg were out hiking and proclaiming their love for each other when the Greek Gods attacked Earth in a violent storm. Valeria is knocked unconscious when a shield falls from the sky. Awakened by a voice in her head, she is shocked to discover that her world has been decimated and Greg is missing. She also learns that she is a demigod, the daughter of Nike, caught between a war with humanity and the Gods. In order to find Greg, she must use her newfound powers to fend off the monsters that roam and discover who she truly is.

This a quick, fun read! I loved Valeria's sarcastic, funny attitude that made her character come alive! I enjoyed her inner dialogue and internal conflict that made her character come alive! The imagery was fantastic and I could fully envision every detail. This tale was extremely fast paced and exciting. I am impressed at the quality of writing and plot development for such a short tale. I am happy with the ending and how it set the stage for The Helm of Darkness. My only complaint would be that the story felt too short, and I wanted more. 

I recommend that you read this book and this series!  I am looking forward to reading the second book in the  series, Poseidon's Trident, released in November 2019.

Read my review of the first book in this series, The Helm of Darkness!

Title: The Shield of Nike
Author: A.P. Mobley
Publisher: Sea of Ink Press

Pages: 104

Series: Yes, Prequel
Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten YA New Books in 2019

One of the most exciting things about a new year is new books to read! Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by That Artsy Reader Girl. If you want to participate, click here. The theme for this week is Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2019. The following books are in order of release date.

1. The Last Eight by Laura Pohl

Release Date: March 1st, 2019

After aliens invade and destroy Earth, only eight people on the planet are left alive.

2. Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

Release Date: March 5th, 2019

When Ari Helix pulls a magic sword out of the ground, she is revealed to be a reincarnation of King Arthur and must fight evil in the galaxy and unite the people of Earth. 

3. The Quiet You Carry by Nikki Barthelmess

Release Date: March 5th, 2019

Victoria is dumped in a foster home while her stepsister is left behind with their abusive father. She tries to get through senior year, but she can't forget about her past. 

4. Focused by Allison Gerber

Release Date: March 26th, 2019

Clea has been diagnosed with ADHD, and is desperately trying to find a way to focus.

5. Over the Moon by Natalie Lloyd 

 Mallie enters a competition where she has to train a flying horse to defeat the monsters lurking in the mountain. If she wins she earns a life of luxury, but fighting for her life uncovers a grave mystery. 

6. The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews

Release Date: April 4th, 2019

Sam and his older brother are homeless, and survives by breaking into people's houses for food when they are away. One day he gets caught- but rather than call the police, this huge family takes them in. 

7. Through the White Wood by Jessica Leake

Release Date: April 9th, 2019

Katya has the power to control ice, and is banished from her village and sent to live with the Prince, who can control fire. Instead of punishment, he invites her to join forces to save their kingdom from an approaching army.

8. These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling

Release Date: May 28th, 2019

Hannah is one of the elemental witches in Salem, and if she uses her powers in front of mortals, she will lose them. She must make the ultimate sacrifice to save her town from the evil Blood Witch. 

9. Impossible Music by Sean Williams

Release Date: July 2nd, 2019

Simon, a musician, is devastated when a stroke leaves him deaf. 

10. The Year they Fell by David Kreizman

Release Date: July 30th, 2019

When Josie, Jack, Archie, Harrison, and Dayana's parents die in the same plane crash, they are left with nobody but each other to lean on.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Monument 14 is the first book in a YA dystopian trilogy. One day in 2024, a volcano erupts, which triggers a massive tsunami, which triggers an earthquake. In this specific town, the earthquake breaches a chemical plant, which creates a gas leak, making the air toxic. Under these circumstances, a school bus of kids becomes stranded in a superstore.

One of my pet peeves with this book is the fact that it is set in 2024. There is nothing futuristic, nothing that signifies anything out of the normal. We see toxic chemical poisoning and natural disasters all the time. The plot was also very anticlimactic. There was no escalation or surprise. Yes, there were lots of very good ideas but they weren't extreme enough for my liking. 

It seemed too easy to survive. Just live in a huge store with food and water for about a year and babysit. I was waiting and waiting for something to happen but nothing did. Needless to say, this book was boring, except for the occasional violence, romance, and drugs that are conveniently siting in the pharmacy, which was useless. I think many borderline "mature" scenes were just added for fun and there was no use or purpose whatsoever for most of the content of the book to begin with.

In general there wasn't really anything all that special or different. Apart from the concept itself, the characters were quite bland. Dean is just an average boy, and really isn't very good at anything. Yes, there was a wide range in personality of all the characters, but there was nothing solid or emotional to grow attached to. I didn't care for the characters, and therefore, the story. 

I might continue reading the series just to find out what happens, but I do not recommend this book. 

Title: Monument 14

Author: Emily Laybourne

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 352
Series: Yes, Book 1 of 3

Rating: 2 Stars

Goodreads

Agate Memory (Bronze Rebellion Book 3) by L.C. Perry

Agate Memory is the third YA dystopian book in the Bronze Rebellion series. This book was sent to me by the author. Princess Irene joined the rebellion to end slavery, oppression, and slaughters ordered by her corrupt parents. She's fought in battles, but now she must take on her toughest challenge yet; taking over the castle from the inside. She'll return to her home and take over, using her power as future queen to free slaves and change the world. She soon finds that nothing is more powerful than secrecy, and her family's past might hold the key to topple the kingdom. Meanwhile, Ebony and the other rebels fight to the death, and Ebony will have to reveal her biggest secret to save her life.

I love how Irene blossomed into the queen we all knew she could be. She is ready to take over her kingdom and fix all of her parent's mistakes. She's ready to show her scars and use them to her advantage. I love how she walked each step with confidence and authority. The pressure she had to be carrying was enormous but not once did she crumble. I loved watching her take action and help free her people. She might be one of my favorite heroines of all time, especially considering her tremendous amount of growth in these past few books. Her persistence and morality is amazing- this world needs leaders like her.

This is by far the most dramatic book in the series so far, and I loved every page! Just as how I adored the scenes of brute strength, smug, and confidence, the fragile scenes of screaming and crying were breathtaking as well; these were so well written that I could feel her every cry piercing my heart, however I am also very proud. It was mind blowing to see how much strength and power radiated from Irene's body and how she could command even her own parents. I am impressed at the author's creativity, not only to build this world and the characters, but of the revelations she created towards the end of the book. They were bizarre enough to be believed, and yet catastrophic. I am very excited to see where the next book goes with the most recent confession.

I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read the next and final book in the series, Obsidian Fragrance!

Read my review of the previous book in this series, Emerald Dream.

Title: Agate Memory
Author: L.C. Perry
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Pages: 495
Series: Yes, Book 3 of 4
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

The Taking by Kimberly Derting

The Taking is the first book in a YA dystopian trilogy about a girl who disappears for five years and emerges with special powers. Kyra awakens five years later next to a dumpster with no recollection of where she's been. To make things stranger, she hasn't aged a day, and has strange abilities. The last thing she remembers is being surrounded by fireflies and a bright light. It turns out that alien fireflies are the least Kyra has to worry about.

Kyra is not a heroine or a character that I would ever look up to. For one thing, her attitude is disrespectful and egotistical. She doesn't care about anybody, and doesn't even stop to care for herself, either. She's angry that the world went on without her and that her friends grew up. It's been five years! Right off the bat, there is another thing that really makes me angry- there's no freaking out. Where's the screaming? Crying? There is no emotion or huge anxiety- just a selfish, "whatever" attitude.

The only dramatic scenes really just revolved around Tyler, who was supposed to be 12 and a little kid. I also understand that maybe he secretly liked her all those years ago and was excited of the prospect of being with her, but anyone with a little common sense would freak that this girl disappeared for five years. Seriously, he wasn't the least bit concerned about aliens? The bottom line is that The Taking featured a character that I have no interest in with a plot that is too hard to believe. I was so excited to read this book, and it was a huge disappointment.

I do not recommend this book, and I will not be reading the rest of the series.

Title: The Taking
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 368
Series: Yes, Book 1 of 3
Rating: 1 Star
Goodreads

Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities Book 7) by Shannon Messenger

Flashback is the seventh book in my favorite series ever, Keeper of the Lost Cities. Sophie's adventures and troubles are far from over, as the Neverseen proves to a bigger threat than ever. Healing from her previous endeavors, Sophie and her friends will learn how to finally fight back against the impossible- but the truth of the "Vacker Legacy" is far more shocking than what anyone could have believed.

I must admit that I don't love this one as much as I loved the past six books. The major breakthroughs and climatic events were almost too mind-blowing, and the pacing was strange to say the least. For 850 pages, it could have been structured better, and there were parts that could have been taken out as well as ones that I wish were expanded upon.

However, that is not to say that I did not love this book and will re-read it over 100 times just like all the other books in the series. Flashback was angled and structured in a heavy angle toward character development and is more of a story about the setting than it is about Sophie and her struggles.

I love the large strides it took in world-development, as the map of their universe expanded. Quite frankly, the best way I can describe this book is like the filling of an Oreo; the soft, filling, part rather than the violent, hard action cookie. The filling is sweet and full of love and support and character development. In some ways Flashback was a relief from the excitement in the previous book, like Messenger took a break from the suspense and excitement and focused on developing a "filling" of the other characters and their world, so to speak. Essentially, Flashback simply expanded on previous story lines, which is probably leading into something huge in the next book.

Overall, I felt that Flashback was a very interesting addition and I still enjoyed the book (as well the result of the love triangle and who Sophie will end up with!!!); however I had some issues and it could have been better than it ended up being. Don't get me wrong- I still completely adore this series and this book, however it felt short of my very high expectations.

I do recommend this book, and highly recommend this series, as I always will.

Read my review of the previous book in this series, Nightfall.

Title: Flashback
Author: Shannon Messenger
Publisher: Aladdin
Pages: 848
Series: Yes, Book 7
Rating: 3 Stars
Goodreads

Survivors of PEACE (Secrets of PEACE Book 3) by T.A. Hernandez

Survivors of PEACE is the final book in the thrilling YA dystopian trilogy, Secrets of PEACE! Sent to me by the author, this installation is released today! The PEACE Project has fallen, and the Republic has risen. With a nation desperately trying to heal, chaos and terrorist attacks are frequent. When an old friend comes to Zira asking for her help in tracking down terrorists, Zira, Tripp, and Jared are glad to help. However, they soon find themselves getting into much more than they bargained for in a final battle for democracy.

What I loved most about this book was how all the characters held each other up and supported each other. Tripp dealt with overcoming his addiction, and it was sweet how the whole group held him up. Zira suddenly must lead a team of special operatives for the federal government, and everyone welcomes her! Unlike in previous books where there's cruelty on every page, there's acceptance and love on every page of Survivors of PEACE, and that's amazing. There was an overall hopeful tone, which I really loved.

Even though they don't have to blindly follow orders from Ryku anymore, it is obvious that the horrors left their mark. While their country is moving forward, the characters must forgive themselves for what they've done in the past and be able to move on with their lives, too. I enjoyed how Zira and Jared fought their inner demons in addition to fighting Ryku and terrorism. Something I found special was how Survivors of PEACE brought up real-world issues and the fundamentals of democracy, as well as equality. I felt that this book wrapped up the series nicely.

I highly recommend that you read this series!

Read my review of the previous book in this series, Renegades of PEACE!

Title: Survivors of PEACE
Author: T.A. Hernandez
Publisher: Sanita Street Publishing
Pages: 281
Series: Yes, Book 3 of 3
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads