Kerry

Technically, it’s a wooden dolphin, but I didn’t have a whale. Before I jump from one fantasy to another, I thought I’d read a book I’ve had for ages. Song for a Whale, a middle grade book by Lynne Kelly, has actually been published since February, so here is my belated review of its ARC. (Since … Read more

Although I haven’t read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (yet), I couldn’t resist reading an advance copy of her new novel, The Starless Sea. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general. When Zachary Ezra Rawlins wanders through the fiction section of … Read more

Elizabeth Acevedo’s novel With the Fire on High tells the story of Emoni Santiago, a teenage mother, as she navigates her senior year of high school. She has natural skill in the kitchen, but when she finds out her new culinary arts class offers a weeklong trip to Spain, she hesitates. She isn’t sure how she will … Read more

I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab. Therefore, the version I read is just a proof and not the final version, so I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general. In this second installment in the series, Cassidy and Jacob find themselves in Paris to film the … Read more

To no one’s surprise, I have read another book by Victoria (V. E.) Schwab. This time, it’s one of her middle grade novels, City of Ghosts. Cassidy Blake was normal, until a year ago, when she nearly drowned in an icy river. Since then, she has been able to see ghosts, and cross into the … Read more

To no one’s surprise, I have read another book by Victoria (V. E.) Schwab. This time, it’s one of her middle grade novels, City of Ghosts. Cassidy Blake was normal, until a year ago, when she nearly drowned in an icy river. Since then, she has been able to see ghosts, and cross into the … Read more

The flowers are pentas, not poppies, but oh wellThe Poppy War, R. F. Kuang’s debut fantasy novel, follows Fang Runin (known as Rin) living in the country of Nikan. She grows up poor, in a foster family that treats her poorly. However, she decides to take a near-impossible exam in an attempt to get into … Read more

I’ve already discussed my favorite authors from back when I was a child, and a teenager, and now here we are to complete the triumvirate. So here are my ten favorite authors since I became an adult: 10. Jane Austen, author of Pride and Prejudice & Sense and Sensibility Oh, Jane. I really enjoy her stories, and most of the … Read more

In The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, Harlem teen Xiomara has a lot to deal with. She is just starting to notice boys, beginning to have serious questions about her Catholic faith, and suspecting that her twin brother is gay. She also writes poetry, but hides it from everyone—especially her intensely strict mother. However, when a … Read more

Rick Riordan’s debut novel, Big Red Tequila, tells the story of Jackson “Tres” Navarre, who has just returned to San Antonio from San Francisco. He spent ten years there, following the murder of his father, Jackson Navarre the Second. Now, he intends to solve this most personal case, long gone cold. However, when he starts to … Read more