Review: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

I was a little apprehensive about embarking on reading a story that felt very Little Mermaid in its opening pages. But Skin of the Sea was much more detailed, much more exciting and was packed with Nigerian and West African folklore that quickly made the story much less a retelling, and entirely a novel in its own right.

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Review: Things to do Before the End of the World by Emily Barr

Who knew that YA pre-apocalyptic thriller was a genre I was missing? Apparently Emily Barr did because that was something I've never read before, and I found myself getting really into it!!

Review: Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

This is my first taste of Becky Albertalli's writing, and it was lovely. It's the exact kind of sweet contemporary YA that is easy to consume, makes you feel a little gooey inside (but would probably become a bit sickly with too much consumption!)

Review: What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson

Phew - slightly delayed, but here is my spot on the Ultimate Blog Tour from TheWriteReads for What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson.

Review: The Stranger Times by C. K. McDonnell

The Stranger Times was a fun combination of urban fantasy sleuthing with something that feels like a Miéville/Gaiman dejá vu. Except that it is really, really hard to write well like both of those authors. So instead I got something that felt too familiar to be wholly enjoyable that used snark and characters being nasty to each other in a way that really jarred with me.

Review: American Royals: Majesty by Katharine McGee

I would describe the American Royals series as nothing but a guilty pleasure. It's not mind-blowing, it's very hetero-relationship, boy-centric. But at times it gets the heart-warming and the romance just right.

Review: The Ship of Shadows by Maria Kuzniar

It is such a delight to read a book that completely captures the child-like desire to see the world, to travel, to experience things for the first time and to run away with female pirates who eat cake. This whole story was such a pleasure to read from start to finish.

Review: Camp by L. C. Rosen

This was a really cute 'coming of age' style story, that doesn't hold anything back regarding sexuality, attraction, or gender. This is a heartfelt and poignant gay rom com about being who we are.

Review: Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

I'm glad I read this. It's been sitting on my ARC shelf for a little while (read: slipped down the list when I requested too many books at once) and I just hadn't got round to it. It's very clear, incredibly diverse and parts are completely heart-wrenching. It didn't quite hit all the points for me personally but there was lots of the kind of raw emotion that makes you really feel for the characters.