Neverwraith by Shakir Rashaan

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Stand by the people that love you!
Yasir has moved to Oakwood Grove to live with his uncle. He had to leave Atlanta, where he lived with his Nana. He doesn’t know why he was forced to leave, other than his Nana telling him he was in danger. Now that Yasir is in Oakwood Grove, he’s dealing with new problems with bullies coming out of the woodwork. He feels changes in himself and he’s trying his best to get a grip on life and keep calm. When some of his past is revealed, Yasir starts to wrap his head around the importance of standing by the people he loves.

Likes/dislikes: The slang is difficult to get used to. The story didn’t pull my interest until the last third of the book. I was relieved when the characters stopped saying that everything will be revealed later and finally started explaining what was happening to the main characters.
Mature Content: PG-13 for underage drinking
Language: R for 92 swears and 5 f-words.
Ethnicity: The characters are predominantly Black. Taylor has tawny skin. Kendyl is Afro-Latina. Ms. Tyler has beige skin.

The Woods are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins

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A creepy thriller!
18yo Josie and 18yo Neena are going on a hiking trip in the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachian Trail. They want to make this last trip together before they head different directions when college starts. The two best friends start off excited about the hike until they become unsure of the trail. When Josie falls in a sinkhole and Neena leaves to get help, they’re both visited by men that may or may not want to help them. Their friendship, determination and perseverance are put to the test and they have to rely on their intuition to get back home.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed reading about the description of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I like how the strength of friendship is portrayed. A creepy thriller that gave me chills.
Language: R for 104 swears and 30 f-words.
Mature Content: R for implied masturbating, “It took a moment to process what was in his hand, pink and fat and wormlike.”
Violence: R for bloody shootings, bloody murder, implied rape and murder, kidnapping, bear attack.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity falls to white but includes East Asian hikers, Josie is white and Neena is Indian American.

Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto

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Beginning of an intriguing new series!
Wren is competing in the Bonewood Trials where her father instructed her to not just pass, but pass spectacularly to impress her grandmother, the overseer of the trials. When Wren is double crossed, she’s exiled to the Breachfort which is pretty much ignored by everyone because it’s supposedly desolate. She’s doing her guard duty diligently and when the visiting Prince Leo is kidnapped, Wren goes after him to save him. Julian is an ironsmith with the group who kidnapped Prince Leo but when the group tries to assassinate Julian, he and Wren end up falling in a deep crevasse together. The two of them are born enemies but are forced to work together to save themselves, rescue the Prince, and figure out why someone was targeting Julian.
Likes/dislikes: Amazing world building. I enjoyed the character depth, development and growth. I love the characters of Wren, Julian and Prince Leo.
Language: R for 39 swears and 9 f-words.
Mature Content: PG-13 for passionate kissing.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: Wren is fair skinned. Julian has pale skin. Prince Leo has caramel colored hair and light brown skin. Wren’s father has olive skin. Commander has ruddy brown skin.

The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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A thoroughly enjoyable read!

Violet is forced to attend the Dragon Rider ritual by her mother, the Commander, even though she’s small, has some health issues, and wants to be a scribe instead of a rider. Several other students hate her because of the fact that her mother killed their parents for rebelling. Little do they know that Violet is nothing like her mother.
Violet keeps getting through the different challenges and shows her integrity by standing up for others, even the small featherlight dragon that three bullies try to kill on Threshing Day. Tairn, one of the deadliest dragons in Navarre, steps in to help protect the small golden dragon and chooses Violet as his rider.
Many students die daily through the grueling challenges and several bullies enjoy picking on Violet. She trains hard to strengthen her body and temperament so she can survive and she loves her dragons. A third year wingleader, Xaden, takes notice. He observes Violet and approves of her hunger to do well and her integrity and gives her the nickname, Violent.
An action-packed and exciting fantasy adventure that lives up to the hype!

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo!

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Nina, Zoya and Nikolai share the telling of this tale!

King Nikolai is fighting the monster within him that seems to be appearing more often while he’s asleep, and it’s causing greater harm and damage at an alarming rate. Zoya is helping Nikolai hide this problem by steadfastly standing by his side as Ravka’s Commander, chaining him to his bed at night and searching for him when he escapes. Nina is traveling to Fjerda to take Matthias to his final resting place and she’s with Adrik and Leoni. They find the perfect spot for Matthias and as she’s burying him, Nina hears cries for justice from the many dead and buried women nearby and what she finds rattles her to her core. Each group is heading into danger that’s beyond anything they’ve ever seen before and it’s going to take their knowledge, loyalty, and strength to overcome what lies ahead.
Likes/dislikes: I love the humor and banter from the characters. The mystery surrounding the strange occurrences throughout the kingdom was interesting to me. I enjoyed the vastness that the characters reached in their world.
Language: PG-13 for 26 swears and no f-words.
Mature Content: PG-13 for forced drug use on imprisoned young pregnant women.
Violence: PG for non bloody death (bone shard, birds pecking at chained bodies), mention of scalping.
Ethnicity: King Nikolai is white, Zoya, blue eyes and is of Suli descent which is similar to Indian,
and Nina is white. Leoni has dark brown skin and the twins have deep bronze skin.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

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More from Kaz and his Crows!

17yo Kaz and his crew are working together to get Inej back after she was kidnapped to be used as a trade for the young scientist who knows how to make the drug parem that increases Grisha power. This drug has become a highly sought after commodity because of its incredible strength but it has dire consequences for severe addiction. Nina is fighting that addiction after she took parem just one time so she could save the crew. The group is staying steadfast by her side and helping her fight the need for the drug. Another problem has cropped up involving Jesper’s father; he has been used as bait to lure Jesper and the Crows out of hiding so now Kaz is taking care of him too and helping get the money to save his family farm. Wylan finds out the truth about his mom that supposedly died when he was eight and how his father placed her in an insane asylum and divorced her to claim her money. All these situations intertwine to create another book full of complex schemes masterminded by Kaz Brekker, leader of the Crows.

Likes/dislikes: I love the humor. The cleverness and complex schemes kept me on my toes. The loyalty is priceless.
Language: R for 68 swears and 1 f-word.
Mature Content: PG-13 for passionate kiss.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody shot, explosion, bloody fights, and a fatal fall.
Ethnicity: Jesper is brown and his Dad is Kaelish-dark red hair and salt-white skin; Kaz is white, Inej is Suli (a Grisha heritage), and Nina is white.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

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A haunting that takes the reader into the mind of a killer!

In 1982, 20yo Vivian opens the story as she arrives at work for the night shift in Fell, New York at the Sun Down Motel. Thirty five years later in 2017, Vivian’s niece, 20yo Carly, arrives in Fell to investigate her aunt’s disappearance. Vivian is one among several women that are surrounded by unknown circumstances, four others were found murdered. This begins a haunted story that will take Carly through her Aunt Vivian’s last days and into the thoughts of a killer. Excellent story, 5 stars!

Likes/dislikes: Spooky hauntings and great writing with alternating points of view between Carly and Vivian.
Language: R for 127 swears and 17 f-words.
Mature Content: PG-13 for implied sex by mentioning getting rid of virginity.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: predominantly white.

Damsel by Evelyn Skye

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Soon to be a Netflix movie!
20yo Elodie is excited to meet her betrothed, Prince Henry of Aurea. Elodie is one of three princesses who will be given to the dragon during Harvest Week in exchange for Aurea’s prosperity. Each year for the last eight centuries, three princesses from different parts of the world have been brought to Aurea under the guise of marrying Prince Henry, only to be sacrificed to the dragon. After unceremoniously being sent into the dragon’s lair, Elodie keeps going by relying on her wits, her strength and the help of past princesses through clues they’ve left behind. She might just survive to save the next princess.

Likes/dislikes: The story is slow in the beginning to give the reader a sense of calm but then the action picks up once Elodie learns the secret of Aurea. I enjoyed how the author meshed the past and present princesses together and the perseverance of each. I’m impressed how the author’s 13yo daughter created a functional language for the dragons in this story. The language syntax, grammatical rules and words are in the back of the book.
Mature content: PG for brief kisses.
Language: R for 35 swears, no f-bombs.
Violence: PG-13 for Men being eaten by dragon, detailed sounds. Being burnt by flames. Pierced through skull by dragon wing point.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity of Elodie and Henry fall to white, but brown skinned characters are found in the book also.

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

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Bronx history with a supernatural mystery.

Charlize is looking for her older brother, 18 year old Cisco, who disappeared after infecting Raquel’s mom at the hospital where she works as a nurse. Cisco played a game that’s an urban myth and it backfired. Charlize, Raquel, 16, and her friend Aaron play the game to find Cisco. Twenty people have disappeared in the last year and no one has been able to get to the bottom of the problem but these three are determined to find and save Cisco so he can give information to help heal Raquel’s mom and stop the spread of infection. The game becomes creepy and brings the corruption of the past to light as the young people learn how residents were manipulated, used and pushed out of their Bronx homes. These teens have to work together to stop the corruption and save their families.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed learning about Bronx history and how it was used in the supernatural aspect of the story. The infection conveys the corruption in the community creatively. I like how Raquel, Aaron and Charlize work together and how the mystery becomes spooky quickly.
Mature Content: PG-13 for high off edibles, nondescript kiss.
Language: R for 85 swears and 23 f-bombs.
Violence: PG-13 mention of cannibalism, bloody unexplained death.
Ethnicity: The ethnicities include Black, Dominicans, White, Mexican American, and Puerto Rican.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

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Charming and full of humor!

Tress has left her home of Diggen’s Point to rescue the Duke’s son Charlie from a forced trip to meet and marry a worthy woman of royalty. He’s actually been sent to the Sorceress to die. Tress disguises herself as an inspector to board a ship and when the ship is attacked she boards the winning ship, Crow’s Song. Tress has adventures involving curses, dragons, magic and surprises in store. She also discovers her strengths and loyalties and how far she will go to take care of the people she cares about.
Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the humor throughout the book. The snippets of wisdom were fun. I like the unknowns of Tress’ adventures. The prose is charming and the world building is imaginative.
Mature Content: PG for brief kissing.
Language: PG-13 for 12 swears, no f-bombs.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicities: The book contains a variety of ethnicities. Tress is presumably white.