Tag: delacorte press

Book Review: A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Horror
Length: 464 pages
Author: Ann Fraistat
Publisher: Delacorte
Release Date: January 16th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A teen girl and her family return to her mother’s childhood home, only to discover that the house’s strange beauty may disguise a sinister past, in this contemporary gothic horror from the author of What We Harvest.

The house was supposed to be a fresh start. That’s what Libby’s mom said. And after Libby’s recent bipolar III diagnosis and the tragedy that preceded it, Libby knows she and her family need to find a new normal.

But Libby’s new home turns out to be anything but normal. Scores of bugs haunt its winding halls, towering stained-glass windows feature strange, insectile designs, and the garden teems with impossibly blue roses. And then there are the rumors. The locals, including the mysterious boy next door, tell stories about disappearances tied to the house, stretching back over a century to its first owners. Owners who supposedly hosted legendary masked séances on its grounds.

Libby’s mom refuses to hear anything that could derail their family’s perfect new beginning, but Libby knows better. The house is keeping secrets from her, and something tells her that the key to unlocking them lies in the eerie, bug-shaped masks hidden throughout the property.

We all wear masks—to hide our imperfections, to make us stronger and braver. But if Libby keeps hers on for too long, she might just lose herself—and everyone she loves.

Thank you to Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

NOT FOR ME.

I felt like trying a genre I don’t typically read and had high hopes. Unfortunately I clashed with the general plot of this book and it’s a total case of, it’s me not the book. So take this review as you will.

Most of this book revolves around seances, communing with spirits and and an exorcism vibe. Those are things that aren’t really my thing and thus, I felt disconnected from the book.

I thought the writing was great, it didn’t feel too long and I did enjoy the main characters. There were good moments and the subtle romance had some cute scenes too.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Horror
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of prior suicide attempt, suicide ideation, mentions of potential self harm, being possessed

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ALC Book Review: Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 304 pages
Author: Kristy Boyce
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: January 9th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!

Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway. Crucial to this plan is to bring back her high school’s spring musical, but when Riley takes her mom’s car without permission, she’s grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad’s game shop.

Riley can’t waste her time working when she has a musical to save, so she convinces Nathan—a nerdy teen employee—to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she’ll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous.

But Riley didn’t realize that meant joining Nathan’s Dungeons & Dragons game…or that role playing would be so fun. Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn’t require as much acting as she would’ve thought…

Thank you to Get Underlined for my final copy and PRHAudio for the gifted audiobook.

THIS WAS CUTE.

I had no expectations going in other than hoping the cute cover would supply a cute book. And it did! Very much a young adult romance that is great for a younger audience.

The combination of theater and D&D was fun. I liked seeing both side of this and how you can do all the things you want too. The themes of not having to box yourself into one hobby or passion was important. I also loved seeing divorced parents who could still be amicable for their child and working on not being a negative influence about the other parent.

There’s some fake dating that does have the added high school drama. I loved the side characters and the audiobook was fantastic. If you’re in need of something quick and light I’d recommend this one!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none that I remeber
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: divorced parents, parent in the hospital

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Book Review: The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Magical Realism
Length: 336 pages
Author: Adrienne Young
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: October 17th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old curse, solve her mother’s disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Spells for Forgetting.

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’sdecades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

With The Unmaking of June Farrow, Adrienne Young delivers a brilliant novel of romance, mystery, and a touch of the impossible—a story you will never forget.

WHOA.

I think Adrienne Young has really found her sweet spot in this magical realism/romantic/mystery combination. I love how lyrical they are and that I can’t put them down. I binged listened to this because I was INVESTED.

The mystery absolutely kept me guessing. Some times this time warp books can make my head spin a bit (and while that did happen), I was still able to follow along and get the gist of the subtle magic system at play.

And the romance stole my soul. It felt dangerous and passionate, that consuming I know you and I will protect you. I was here for every moment between them and how things played out on that front.

Another beautiful book. I loved the themes and characters. How fascination can quickly turn deadly and what we’ll do for those we love. 100% recommend it as an audio book too!

Overall audience notes:

  • Magical Realism + Romance/Mystery
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Violence: moderate – high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, loss of a loved one, grief depiction

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Book Review: A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Josie Silver
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: October 3rd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A young chef stumbles on a secret family recipe that might lead her to the love—and life—she’s been looking for in this stunning novel.

When Iris decides to move to New York to restart her life, she realizes she underestimated how big the Big Apple really is—all the nostalgic movies set in New York she’d watched with her mom while eating their special secret-recipe gelato didn’t quite do it justice. 

But Bobby, Iris’s best friend, isn’t about to let her hide away. He drags her to a famous autumn street fair in Little Italy, and as they walk through the food stalls, a little family-run gelateria catches her eye—could it be the same shop that’s in an old photo of her mother’s?

Curious, Iris returns the next day and meets the handsome Gio, who tells her that the shop is in danger of closing. His uncle, sole keeper of their family’s gelato recipe, is in a coma, so they can’t make more. When Iris samples the last remaining batch, she realizes that their gelato and her gelato are one and the same. But how can she tell them she knows their secret recipe when she’s not sure why Gio’s uncle gave it to her mother in the first place?

Iris offers her services as a chef to help them re-create the flavor and finds herself falling for Gio and his family. But when Gio’s uncle finally wakes up, all of the secrets Iris has been keeping threaten to ruin the new life—and new love—she’s been building all winter long.

IN MY FEELS.

I didn’t expect this book to take over my entire day, but this audiobook and I hung out until I was finished because it was SO GOOD. I loved this book!! If you’re looking for something a little bit heavier for a holiday romance, this could be it.

Iris and Gio really just hit me over the head with the feels. For a fast paced romance, the chemistry was there. I genuinely enjoyed them as a couple and seeing how both were working through some dark moments of their past and allowing this light to shine between them. The little bit of flashback chapters squeezed my heart and helped bring a better understanding to the present day plot.

My one little gripe was that I felt Iris could have been open about a few things sooner and would have saved some of the unnecessary drama. I didn’t totally mind how it has handled after the fact which led me to feel positive about the whole situation. Especially some of those ending scenes as Iris was finally able to lock the door on who was haunting her past.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: fade to black/vague open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: abusive ex (recounted), loss of a spouse (recounted)

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