Blogger Blitz: Trailer of The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta

Title: The Lost Dreamer
Author:  Lizz Huerta
Publisher: Macmillan/ Farrar, Straus and Giroux 
Release Date: March 1, 2022
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IndieBound

 

Synopsis:

A stunning YA fantasy inspired by ancient Mesoamerica, this gripping debut introduces us to a lineage of seers defiantly resisting the shifting patriarchal state that would see them destroyed—perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir.

Indir is a Dreamer, descended from a long line of seers; able to see beyond reality, she carries the rare gift of Dreaming truth. But when the beloved king dies, his son has no respect for this time-honored tradition. King Alcan wants an opportunity to bring the Dreamers to a permanent end—an opportunity Indir will give him if he discovers the two secrets she is struggling to keep. As violent change shakes Indir’s world to its core, she is forced to make an impossible choice: fight for her home or fight to survive.

Saya is a seer, but not a Dreamer—she has never been formally trained. Her mother exploits her daughter’s gift, passing it off as her own as they travel from village to village, never staying in one place too long. Almost as if they’re running from something. Almost as if they’re being hunted. When Saya loses the necklace she’s worn since birth, she discovers that seeing isn’t her only gift—and begins to suspect that everything she knows about her life has been a carefully-constructed lie. As she comes to distrust the only family she’s ever known, Saya will do what she’s never done before, go where she’s never been, and risk it all in the search of answers.

With a detailed, supernaturally-charged setting and topical themes of patriarchal power and female strength, Lizz Huerta’s The Lost Dreamer brings an ancient world to life, mirroring the challenges of our modern one.

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It’s here! Enjoy The Lost Dreamer book trailer and mark your calendars for its release on March 1, 2022.

A stunning YA fantasy inspired by ancient Mesoamerica, this gripping debut introduces us to a lineage of seers defiantly resisting the shifting patriarchal state that would see them destroyed—perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir. 

 

Blogger Blitz: Treat Yo Shelf to The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta

Title: The Lost Dreamer
Author:  Lizz Huerta
Publisher: Macmillan/ Farrar, Straus and Giroux 
Release Date: March 1, 2022
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IndieBound

 

Synopsis:

A stunning YA fantasy inspired by ancient Mesoamerica, this gripping debut introduces us to a lineage of seers defiantly resisting the shifting patriarchal state that would see them destroyed—perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir.

Indir is a Dreamer, descended from a long line of seers; able to see beyond reality, she carries the rare gift of Dreaming truth. But when the beloved king dies, his son has no respect for this time-honored tradition. King Alcan wants an opportunity to bring the Dreamers to a permanent end—an opportunity Indir will give him if he discovers the two secrets she is struggling to keep. As violent change shakes Indir’s world to its core, she is forced to make an impossible choice: fight for her home or fight to survive.

Saya is a seer, but not a Dreamer—she has never been formally trained. Her mother exploits her daughter’s gift, passing it off as her own as they travel from village to village, never staying in one place too long. Almost as if they’re running from something. Almost as if they’re being hunted. When Saya loses the necklace she’s worn since birth, she discovers that seeing isn’t her only gift—and begins to suspect that everything she knows about her life has been a carefully-constructed lie. As she comes to distrust the only family she’s ever known, Saya will do what she’s never done before, go where she’s never been, and risk it all in the search of answers.

With a detailed, supernaturally-charged setting and topical themes of patriarchal power and female strength, Lizz Huerta’s The Lost Dreamer brings an ancient world to life, mirroring the challenges of our modern one.

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“The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta has been dubbed Spring’s buzziest YA debut by Entertainment Weekly and the official book trailer drops tomorrow, 11/5. Visit my page tomorrow for your first look!“

 

 

Blog Blitz: Treat Yo Shelf – Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Title: Vespertine
Author:  Margaret Rogerson
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: October 5, 2021
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IndieBound

Synopsis:

The dead of Loraille do not rest.

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.

When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.

As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

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TREAT YO SHELF ON OCTOBER 5, 2021

About the Author:

Margaret Rogerson is the author of the New York Times best sellers’ An Enchantment of Ravens and Sorcery of Thorns. She has a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from Miami University. When not reading or writing she enjoys sketching, gaming, making pudding, and watching more documentaries than is socially acceptable (according to some). She lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, beside a garden full of hummingbirds and roses. Visit her at MargaretRogerson.com, on Twitter @MarRogerson, and on Instagram @margaret_rogerson.

Note: A huge thank to Simon Teen for providing me a free physical copy of Vespertine to read and review.  

Blog Tour: Review and Favorite Quotes from As If On Cue by Marisa Kanter

Title: As If on Cute
Author: Marisa Kanter
Publication date: September 21, 2021
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads / Amazon / Kindle / Barnes and Noble / IndieBound

Synopsis:

A pair of fierce foes are forced to work together to save the arts at their school in this swoony YA enemies-to-lovers romance that fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson are sure to adore.

Lifelong rivals Natalie and Reid have never been on the same team. So when their school’s art budget faces cutbacks, of course Natalie finds herself up against her nemesis once more. She’s fighting to direct the school’s first ever student-written play, but for her small production to get funding, the school’s award-winning band will have to lose it. Reid’s band. And he’s got no intention of letting the show go on.

But when their rivalry turns into an all-out prank war that goes too far, Natalie and Reid have to face the music, resulting in the worst compromise: writing and directing a musical. Together. At least if they deliver a sold-out show, the school board will reconsider next year’s band and theater budget. Everyone could win.

Except Natalie and Reid.

Because after spending their entire lives in competition, they have absolutely no idea how to be co-anything. And they certainly don’t know how to deal with the feelings that are inexplicably, weirdly, definitely developing between them…

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♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Review and Favorite Quotes ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Once again, I have to rave about Marisa Kanter’s unforgettable writing and characters. Kanter’s As If on Cue is angsty, emotional, and the perfect contemporary romance to curl up with. As a personal fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, this slow-burn romance did not shy away with prank wars, banter, and complicated emotions.

As the main character, Natalie is not only dealing with high school shenanigans, but her junior year encompasses her journey to understanding complex family dynamics and friendships, and her passion for writing and theater. The angst and several aspects of miscommunication go awry throughout many of Natalie’s social circles–friends, parents, and teachers–which results in her joining forces with her childhood nemesis Reid to create a show-stopping musical. 

Kanter’s characters portray so much heart and vulnerability throughout the novel. I could not get enough of this coming-of-age story filled with banter, angst, swoons, and a heartwarming ending. Intertwined with Jewish representation, musical references, teenage angst, and familial issues, I highly recommend that you “treat yo shelf” to a copy of As If on Cue. 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ about the author ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Marisa Kanter is a young adult author, amateur baker, and reality television enthusiast. She is the author of What I Like About You and As If On Cue. Born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, her obsession with books led her to New York City, where she worked in the publishing industry to help books find their perfect readers. She currently lives in Los Angeles, writing love stories by day and searching for the perfect slice of pizza by night. Follow her at marisakanter.com

 

Blogger Note: A huge thank to Simon Teen for inviting me on this blog tour and providing me a free copy of As If on Cue to read and review.  All fangirling, statements, and opinions in this review are my own. Please note that my favorite quotes shown in the quote graphics are from an ARC of As If on Cue and are subject to change upon publication. 

Blog Tour: Raves & Craves for Magic Dark and Strange by Kelly Powell

Synopsis:

The Bone Witch meets Sherlock Holmes in this thrilling historical fantasy about a girl with the ability to raise the dead who must delve into her city’s dangerous magical underworld to stop a series of murders.

Catherine Daly has an unusual talent. By day she works for a printer. But by night, she awakens the dead for a few precious moments with loved ones seeking a final goodbye. But this magic comes with a price: for every hour that a ghost is brought back, Catherine loses an hour from her own life.

When Catherine is given the unusual task of collecting a timepiece from an old grave, she is sure that the mysterious item must contain some kind of enchantment. So she enlists Guy Nolan, the watchmaker’s son, to help her dig it up. But instead of a timepiece, they find a surprise: the body of a teenage boy. And as they watch, he comes back to life—not as the pale imitation that Catherine can conjure, but as a living, breathing boy. A boy with no memory of his past.

This magic is more powerful than any Catherine has ever encountered, and revealing it brings dangerous enemies. Catherine and Guy must race to unravel the connection between the missing timepiece and the undead boy. For this mysterious magic could mean the difference between life and death—for all of them.

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Filled with murder, mystery, and magic, Kelly Powell’s Magic Dark and Strange is the perfect atmospheric book to add to your autumnal TBR. The story is very character driven, with a smart and fierce heroine solving the mystery of a missing timepiece with her friend Guy, who is just the sweetest cinnamon roll. I loved that the author creates a very eerie, Gothic, and Victorian-esque atmosphere throughout the pages. If you are in the mood for a quick and engaging murder mystery with a dash of romance and adorable friendships, Magic Dark and Strange is the perfect page-turner for you.

Welcome to another “Raves & Craves” post where I pair a book with a tasty snack or treat. Today we are pairing Magic Dark and Strange with a rounded-pan of enchanted graveyard brownies. Catherine and Guy spend a lot of time in local cemeteries and graveyards, using their magic to either manipulate time or death. Their sleuthing through graveyards inspired this yummy snack of brownies sprinkled with crushed Oreos (graveyard dirt), and you guys, this snack tastes so gooey and good.

Ingredients:

• Brownie mix
• Oreo cookies (remove the filling of 10 Oreos and then crush the cookie parts in a plastic bag to make edible graveyard dirt)
• Chocolate icing
• Sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Bake your brownies. Follow the instructions on your brownie mix package.
2. After your brownies have cooled, spread the chocolate icing on top of the brownies.
3. Then sprinkle your crushed Oreo pieces on top of the icing.
4. Add your favorite sprinkles. I used some Halloween themed ones.
5. I was going to use cookies to make tombstones, but by luck I found these cool RIP tombstone picks.
6. Enjoy!

Kelly Powell has a bachelor’s degree in history and book and media studies from the University of Toronto. She currently lives in Ontario. She is the author of Songs from the Deep and Magic Dark and Strange. Visit her online at PowellKelly.com or on Twitter @KellyCPowell.

Blog Tour: Review & Favorite Quotes of Recommended For You by Laura Silverman

Title: Recommended For You
Author: Laura Silverman
Publication date: September 1, 2020
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets You’ve Got Mail in this charming and hilarious rom-com following two teen booksellers whose rivalry is taken to the next level as they compete for the top bookseller bonus.

Shoshanna Greenberg loves working at Once Upon, her favorite local bookstore. And with her moms fighting at home and her beloved car teetering on the brink of death, the store has become a welcome escape.

When her boss announces a holiday bonus to the person who sells the most books, Shoshanna sees an opportunity to at least fix her car, if none of her other problems. The only person standing in her way? New hire Jake Kaplan.

Jake is an affront to everything Shoshanna stands for. He doesn’t even read! But somehow his sales start to rival hers. Jake may be cute (really cute), and he may be an eligible Jewish single (hard to find south of Atlanta), but he’s also the enemy, and Shoshanna is ready to take him down.

But as the competition intensifies, Jake and Shoshanna grow closer and realize they might be more on the same page than either expects…

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♦ ♦ ♦ Review and Favorite Quotes ♦ ♦ ♦ 

If you are fan of swoons, bookish shenanigans, and the holidays you are going to adore Laura Silverman’s Recommended For You. Mainly set at an independent bookstore called Once Upon, the main character, Shoshanna, uses her love and knowledge of books as the means to help her win a holiday bonus competition at the bookstore. But what Shoshanna doesn’t expect is for the new hire, Jake, a non-reader, to be her main competitor. It also does not help that she thinks he’s cute, and of course, he smells like delicious bakery goods.

As the story progresses, the banter and wordplay between these two Jewish characters creates an atmosphere of the most perfect tension-filled, but merry rom-com. In addition to the brewing but swoony rivalry, Shoshanna is taking it into her own hands to solve familial problems, while also creating a miscalculated move on her part that affects her friends. But as the pages turn, I enjoyed that direct communication and accepting responsibility become the key ingredients to help Shoshanna’s relationships. Shoshanna is a do-gooder and a straight-forward problem-solver, but I liked that the story is filled characters and realistic situations that challenge her and help her mature.

Overall, I loved that Recommended For You was filled with such a diverse cast of characters with their own issues being explored. The book is overflowing with holiday traditions from multiple backgrounds, disability representation, LGBQ+ representation, and the two main characters even have a deep conversation regarding accessibility. Meshed with funny repartee, swoony scenes, and bookish shenanigans, Recommended For You is the perfect book to give you the best and warm holiday vibes.

♦ ♦ ♦ About the Author ♦ ♦ ♦

Laura Silverman is an author and editor currently living in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her MFA in writing for children at the New School. Her books include Girl Out of Water, You Asked for Perfect, It’s a Whole Spiel, and Recommended for You. Girl Out of Water was a Junior Library Guild Selection. You can contact Laura on Twitter @LJSilverman1 or through her website LauraSilvermanWrites.com.

Blog Tour & Giveaway: What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

Title: What I Like About You
Author: Marisa Kanter
Publication date: April 7, 2020
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Can a love triangle have only two people in it? Online, it can…but in the real world, its more complicated. In this debut novel that’s perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson, Marisa Kanter hilariously and poignantly explores what happens when internet friends turn into IRL crushes.

Is it still a love triangle if there are only two people in it?

There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash.

He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much as she does. And she never has to deal with the awkwardness of seeing him in real life. They can talk about anything…

Except who she really is.

Because online, Halle isn’t Halle—she’s Kels, the enigmatically cool creator of One True Pastry, a YA book blog that pairs epic custom cupcakes with covers and reviews. Kels has everything Halle doesn’t: friends, a growing platform, tons of confidence, and Nash.

That is, until Halle arrives to spend senior year in Gramps’s small town and finds herself face-to-face with real, human, not-behind-a-screen Nash. Nash, who is somehow everywhere she goes—in her classes, at the bakery, even at synagogue.

Nash who has no idea she’s actually Kels.

If Halle tells him who she is, it will ruin the non-awkward magic of their digital friendship. Not telling him though, means it can never be anything more. Because while she starts to fall for Nash as Halle…he’s in love with Kels.

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♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ book highlight ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Marisa Kanter’s What I Like About You is the perfect contemporary novel to vicariously experience through this current quarantine. As a dedicated YA reader, the main character is a teen book blogger who pairs her reviews with cupcakes. She fangirls about YA books, fellow bloggers, authors, and even BookCon.

The novel is a whirlwind of emotions that focuses on friendships, grief, family, love, and finding a path in life that suits yourself, your personality, and your mental health. Kanter’s novel provides an exceptionally believable outlet for teens trying to find their voice through a world bombarded by dreams, future jobs, college options, alternative career paths, and the positive and negativity that comes from social media outlets. Halle’s story is constant page-turner, and although the miscommunication or the lack of communication throughout the pages causes chaos in her life, the learning steps she takes along with her family and friends will make your heart ache in the best possible way.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ giveaway ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

You guys, I am so excited to team up with Simon & Schuster, and host a giveaway for What I Like About You. In order to win a hardcopy of What I Like About You , just click on the picture below and follow the instructions on the Tweet. 

Please note, one winner will receive a finished copy of What I Like About You courtesy of Simon & Schuster. The contest is U.S. only and ends on April 28, 2020. Good luck!

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ about the author ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Marisa Kanter has worked in publicity for major publishers and covered YA books for MTV. Currently, she works in sales, on the distribution side of the publishing industry. She can often be found searching for the best iced chai in NYC, or reading on the 3 train. What I Like About You is her first novel. Follow her at marisakanter.com

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ tour schedule ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Week 1
3/30/2020	Novel Novice	BookHighlight W/ Giveaway
3/31/2020	Book Bratz	Review
4/1/2020	The Novel Knight	Author Guest Post
4/2/2020	Book Princess Reviews	Review
4/3/2020	eleven thirteen pm	Author Q&A
Week 2
4/6/2020	Vicky Who Reads	Creative Post
4/7/2020	Pub Day (Marisa)	Creative Post
4/8/2020	Kayla Reads and Reviews	Author Q&A
4/9/2020	The Heart of a Book Blogger	Author Q&A
4/10/2020	Mary Had a Little Book Blog	Review
Week 3
4/13/2020	Jen Ryland Reviews	Review
4/14/2020	Love in Panels	BookHighlight W/ Giveaway
4/15/2020	Forever and Everly	Review
4/16/2020	I’m All Booked Up	Review
4/17/2020	Awkwordly Emma	Author Q&A
Week 4
4/20/2020	Rants & Raves of a Bibliophile	BookHighlight W/ Giveaway
4/21/2020	Read By Tiffany	Author Q&A
4/22/2020	A Court of Coffee and Books	Review
4/23/2020	From the Library of Alexis	Review
4/24/2020	Bookishly Jules	BookHighlight W/ Giveaway
Week 5
4/27/2020	Lost in a Book	Review
4/28/2020	Pages and Pugs	Review
4/29/2020	Skye’s Scribblings	Review
4/30/2020	Kait Plus Books	BookHighlight W/ Giveaway
5/1/2020	We Live and Breathe Books	Review

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Blogger Note: A huge thank to Simon Teen for inviting me on this blog tour and providing me a free copy of What I Like About You to read and review.  All fangirling, statements, and opinions in this review are my own.

Blog Tour: Raving Review of We Are the Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian

Title: We Are the Wildcats
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Publication date: March 31, 2020
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports

Synopsis:

A toxic coach finds himself outplayed by the high school girls on his team in this deeply suspenseful novel, which unspools over twenty-four hours through six diverse perspectives.

Tomorrow, the Wildcat varsity field hockey squad will play the first game of their new season. But at tonight’s team sleepover, the girls are all about forging the bonds of trust, loyalty, and friendship necessary to win.

Everything hinges on the midnight initiation ceremony—a beloved tradition and the only facet of being a Wildcat that the girls control. Until now.

Coach—a handsome former college player revered and feared in equal measure—changes the plan and spins his team on a new adventure. One where they take a rival team’s mascot for a joyride, crash a party in their pajamas, break into the high school for the perfect picture.

But as the girls slip out of their comfort zone, so do some long-held secrets. And just how far they’re willing to go for their team takes them all—especially Coach—by surprise.

A testament to the strength and resilience of modern teenage girls, We Are the Wildcats will have readers cheering.

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As a novel solely focused on a field hockey team, We Are the Wildcats alternates between six of the teammates’ perspectives. The book focuses on a 24-hour time period, and Siobhan Vivian masters writing this short period of time into a very steady paced story that seamlessly flows.

As a very character driven book, I loved that each of the field hockey players provide a definitive voice through each of their chapters. Not only is the story focused on comradeship, but we delve into each of the girls’ backstories, focusing on their relationship with their family, friends, and their toxic Coach. The story steadily unravels as each character’s thoughts, doubts, successes, and even worries about the upcoming season are revealed.

The main element that I loved about We Are the Wildcats was the focus on female friendships. As a team, these girls have each other’s backs on the field, but throughout the pages, they also begin escaping that individual mindset of “putting yourself first.” As the chapters unfold, we delve deeper into the characters being there for each other in and off the field. I love that they surpass stilted or lack of communication, which was often offhandedly implanted by their Coach. If you are fan of determined and fierce female characters that have each other’s back, I highly recommend that you add We Are the Wildcats to your TBR.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Blogger Note: A huge thank to Simon Teen for inviting me on this blog tour and providing me a free copy of We Are the Wildcats to review.  All fangirling, statements, and opinions in this review are my own.

Blog Tour: Raving Review of The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Midnight Lie
Authors: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: March 3, 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy,

Synopsis:

Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.

Nirrim keeps her head down and a dangerous secret close to her chest.

But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.

Set in the world of the New York Times–bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, beloved author Marie Rutkoski returns with an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us—and the lies we tell ourselves.

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I am a huge fan of The Winner’s Trilogy, and once again Marie Rutkoski did not disappoint with her new novel The Midnight Lie. This novel is a beautiful sapphic fantasy filled with the most memorable characters. Rutkoski’s storytelling is very melodic and beautifully entrancing from page one. Focused on an orphan named Nirrim, the novel becomes a centerpiece for self-discovery, while Nirrim also tackles and confronts the abuse and the lies inculcated throughout her life. 

The complexity of relationships and the classism of Nirrim’s world are key components molded and manipulated throughout the book. Although Nirrim is seen as naive, innocent, and a knowledge seeker; her bravery, maturity, and ability to tackle and understand the threats around her, shine brightly throughout the pages. And while in prison for bravely returning a bird, Nirrim meets Sid–a very talkative, mysterious, seductive, and charming character that I loved as Nirrim’s character foil. The banter and scenes between Nirrim and Sid are humorous, sweet, and sexy. 

As the first book of a series, The Midnight Lie is such an engaging and fascinating read. I found Nirrim to be a very gifted and beloved heroine; I loved that her story is both emotionally and action driven. And after that jaw-dropping ending, I cannot wait to see how the series unfolds in the next book. 

Note: A huge thank you to Fierce Reads for inviting me on this amazing blog tour and providing me an ARC to read and review. All statements and opinions are my own. Please note that all quoted material is not final and may change in the final publication of the book.

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Review & Favourite Quotes of Red Hood

Title: Red Hood
Authors: Elana K. Arnold
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: February 25, 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings, Fairy Tales

Synopsis:

You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked.

And the wolf is angry.

Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She’s kept mostly to herself. She’s been good. But then comes the night of homecoming, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her. A wolf attacks. Bisou fights back. A new moon rises. And with it, questions. About the blood in Bisou’s past and on her hands as she stumbles home. About broken boys and vicious wolves. About girls lost in the woods—frightened, but not alone.

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As a novel mainly told in second person point of view, Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold is a very jolting and raw story. The main character, Bisou, does not shy away from being so up front, straightforward, and brutally honest when it comes to her actions, emotions, and womanhood. Closely based off the didactic fairy tale, “Little Red Riding Hood,” Red Hood proposes the same moral stance–“always be aware and cautious, because every one has a hidden agenda.”

Similar to Buffy in the 1992 movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the main character in Red Hood depends on her menstrual cycle to fight and hunt, in her case, werewolves. Throughout the book, Bisou is bombarded with conflicts that relate to the gruesome and tense scenes of protecting herself and the women around her. The author does an excellent job of allowing Bisou’s narrative to become part of the reader’s own story, throwing you in the thick of every nail-biting choice that Bisou makes.

Red Hood has some very terrifying and tense moments, but overall this novel is a constant page turner. The book explores so many modern issues that are often socially avoided: periods, teenage sex, rape, abortion, slut-shaming, toxic masculinity, and domestic violence. Filled with female empowerment, justice, and self defense, Red Hood will leave you in shock and awe.

 

WIN a copy of RED HOOD  (USA only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

ELANA K. ARNOLD is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children’s books, including the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. Several of her books are Junior Library Guild selections and have appeared on many best book lists, including the Amelia Bloomer Project, a catalog of feminist titles for young readers. Elana teaches in Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and lives in Southern California with her family and menagerie of pets.

TOUR SCHEDULE

 

Note: Thank you to the The Fantastic Flying Book Club for having me on this blog tour. And a huge thank you to Harper Teen for providing me an e-ARC to read and review for free in exchange for an honest review. All statements and opinions are my own. Please note that all quoted material is not final and may change in the final publication of the book.