Review: Anna K

Anna K: A Love Story

by Jenny Lee
ebook, 480 pages
Published March 3rd 2020 
by Flatiron Books
ARC from Edelweiss
Goodreads | 

Meet Anna K. At seventeen, she is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and Newfoundland dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna's brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather a sexting scandal; Lolly’s little sister, Kimmie, is struggling to recalibrate to normal life after an injury derails her ice dancing career; and Steven’s best friend, Dustin, is madly (and one-sidedly) in love with Kimmie.

As her friends struggle with the pitfalls of ordinary teenage life, Anna always seems to be able to sail gracefully above it all. That is…until the night she meets Alexia “Count” Vronsky at Grand Central. A notorious playboy who has bounced around boarding schools and who lives for his own pleasure, Alexia is everything Anna is not. But he has never been in love until he meets Anna, and maybe she hasn’t, either. As Alexia and Anna are pulled irresistibly together, she has to decide how much of her life she is willing to let go for the chance to be with him. And when a shocking revelation threatens to shatter their relationship, she is forced to question if she has ever known herself at all.

Dazzlingly opulent and emotionally riveting, Anna K.: A Love Story is a brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy's timeless love story, Anna Karenina―but above all, it is a novel about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love and first heartbreak. 

For starters; the original Anna Karenina is a complex tragic love story. This one is a hormone-charged YA with so many unbelievable shallow and spoilt rich kids running around drinking, doing drugs, partying and ultimately ruining each other lives. Pure escapism but requires a lot of suspension of belief.

Can't Wait Wednesday #92

Can't Wait Wednesday is a wonderful meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on Waiting on Wednesday created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating. 

10 Things I Hate About Pinky

(Dimple and Rishi #3)

by Sandhya Menon 

Expected publication: July 21st 2020 

by Simon Pulse 

Goodreads | 

The follow-up to When Dimple Met Rishi and There’s Something about Sweetie follows Pinky and Samir as they pretend to date—with disastrous and hilarious results. 

Pinky Kumar wears the social justice warrior badge with pride. From raccoon hospitals to persecuted rock stars, no cause is too esoteric for her to champion. But a teeny-tiny part of her also really enjoys making her conservative, buttoned-up corporate lawyer parents cringe.

Samir Jha might have a few . . . quirks remaining from the time he had to take care of his sick mother, like the endless lists he makes in his planner and the way he schedules every minute of every day, but those are good things. They make life predictable and steady.

Pinky loves lazy summers at her parents’ Cape Cod lake house, but after listening to them harangue her about the poor decisions (aka boyfriends) she’s made, she hatches a plan. Get her sorta-friend-sorta-enemy, Samir—who is a total Harvard-bound Mama’s boy—to pose as her perfect boyfriend for the summer. As they bicker their way through lighthouses and butterfly habitats, sparks fly, and they both realize this will be a summer they'll never forget.

The first book in the series was so adorable! I'm hoping this will also be the same. 

Diversity in YA Books

I love the fact that there are more and more YA books with a non-white main character in the market right now. For years, I was raised with a steady diet of blonde, blue-eyed characters that sometimes seemed unrelatable for people of color like me. I think it's refreshing to see books featuring a non-white girl on the cover not just because I'm Asian but there are stories to be told from a different point of view.

These are some of the books that I've read so far that represent such diverse characters. What are your favorites? Any recommended YA book with diverse characters? 

I do wish that there are more coloured protagonist in YA fantasy. For now, there seemed an abundance of African/Korean/Chinese/Indian American main characters in YA contemporary but not in fantasy. So writers/publishers out there, listen up! We need more diversity in YA fantasy, ok! 

Can't Wait Wednesday #91

Can't Wait Wednesday is a wonderful meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on Waiting on Wednesday created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating. 

The Boundless (The Beholder, #2) by Anna Bright 
Expected Publication: June 9th, 2020
HarperTeen
Goodreads | 

When Selah found true love with Prince Torden of Norway, she never imagined she’d have to leave him behind. All because the Beholder’s true mission was a secret Selah’s crew didn’t trust her to keep: transporting weapons to the rebels fighting against the brutal tsarytsya, whose shadow looms over their next port of Shvartsval’d. A place Selah hoped she’d never go. But gone is the girl who departed Potomac filled with fear. With a stockpile of weapons belowdecks and her heart hanging in the balance, Selah is determined to see the Beholder’s quest to its end. 

The book has such a stunning cover! It took me some time to warm up to Selah since she's such a damsel in distress. But after finishing the first book and finding out about that twist, in the end, I just can't wait to get my hands on this one. 

Review: The Beholder

The Beholder (The Beholder, #1)
by Anna Bright
ebook, 435 pages
June 4th, 2019
by HarperTeen
ARC from Edelweiss
Goodreads | 

Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.

But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.

From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and under the eye of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks…and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.

I ended up liking this book which is quite surprising since the female protagonist came off as a sheltered, naive weakling in the first few chapters. And the premise of setting on an adventure to desperately seek a potential suitor just offend my feminist inclinations. (Sorry not sorry). But along the way, our weakling finally learns to stand up for herself. Thank god. And the potential suitors certainly have quite a few tricks up their sleeves which make this story a lot more interesting.

Review: Yes No Maybe So

Yes No Maybe So
by Becky Albertalli, Aisha Saeed 
ebook, 448 pages
Published February 4th 2020 
by Balzer + Bray
ARC from Edelweiss  
Goodreads | Amazon| B & N | TBD

YES
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO
Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.

MAYBE SO
Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely. 

This has to be one of the most adorable teen romance I've ever read! Jamie's super awkward, dorky personality and his crazy family just made me smile so much. I ship Jamie and Maya so hard. Although that kiss might be controversial for Muslims. The cross-cultural romance and the political setting might raise some eyebrows but I love how it's handled. I've never read any book by Becky Albertalli before but after this, I definitely will. 

Review: To Kill a Kingdom

To Kill a Kingdom
by Alexandra Christo
Kindle Edition, 346 pages
Published March 6th 2018 
by Feiwel & Friends
ARC from Edelweiss
Goodreads | Amazon| B & N | TBD

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

A delicious twist to the popular The Little Mermaid fairy-tale. I love that both of the protagonists are very strong - willed and have opposing views in the beginning. Lira; the siren is such a kick-ass heroine which makes her in an equal footing to Prince Elian. And as fate would have it their slow burn romance is simply satisfying to read and provided a much needed break from the piles of instant love in other YA fantasies. 

And the best thing about this..is it's a stand alone. No filler chapters that bore you to tears just because the publisher wanted it to be part of a series.Seriously one of the best YA fantasy I've had the pleasure to read in 2018! 

Can't Wait Wednesday #90

Can't Wait Wednesday is a wonderful meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on Waiting on Wednesday created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating. 

We Hunt the Flame
by Hafsah Faizal
Expected publication: May 14th 2019 
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Goodreads | Amazon| B & N | TBD

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. 

Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.
Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands. 

Wow..that blurb sounds so amazing! I hardly ever read a YA set in a middle east setting so I'm really looking forward to this. Besides, it's about time that we have more diverse characters in YA. 

Review: Opposite of Always

Opposite of Always 
by Justin A. Reynolds 
ebook, 464 pages
March 5th 2019 
by Katherine Tegen Books
ARC from Edelweiss
Goodreads | Amazon| B & N | TBD

Jack Ellison King. King of Almost.

He almost made valedictorian.

He almost made varsity.

He almost got the girl . . . 

When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack. Jack’s curse of almost is finally over.

But this love story is . . . complicated. It is an almost happily ever after. Because Kate dies. And their story should end there. Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Beautiful, radiant Kate. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind. Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do—and let go—to save the people he loves. 

I haven't read a good YA contemporary for a while now so I was pleasantly surprised with this funny, sometimes a bit tragic romance. I love the fast-paced witty conversations between the main characters and how natural it seemed. Love the friendship between Jack, Franny and Jillian and just the overall journey of the book. Although the plot line of relieving the same time over and over again is nothing new, I just love how the author was able to spin this one with a few unique twists and turns. Love it to bits! But that ending is too vague for me. I was hoping for some closure for Jack and Kate. But all the time loops just get me super confused about what the ending is. 

Waiting on Wednesday #89: Shadow of The Fox

Can't Wait Wednesday is a wonderful meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on Waiting on Wednesday created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Shadow of the Fox
by Julie Kagawa
ebook 
Expected publication: October 2nd 2018
by Harlequin Teen

Goodreads | 

Once Every Thousand Years...

Every millennium, one age ends and another age dawns...and whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers holds the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for any one wish. The time is near...and the missing pieces of the scroll will be sought throughout the land of Iwagoto. The holder of the first piece is a humble, unknown peasant girl with a dangerous secret.

Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune shapeshifting powers. Yumeko escapes with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has...and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll. A wish will be granted and a new age will dawn. 

I am a big fan of Julie Kagawa's books. First it was fairies then vampires and now demons? I really can't wait for this. 

Waiting on Wednesday #88: Mirage

Can't Wait Wednesday is a wonderful meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on Waiting on Wednesday created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Mirage 
by Somaiya Daud Hardcover, 320 pages 
Expected publication: August 28th 2018
by Flatiron Books
Goodreads | 

In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated moon. 

But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place. 

As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection...because one wrong move could lead to her death. 

Another YA adventure in space! It sounds like the retelling of The Prince and the Pauper but with a gender twist. I hope that this YA debut will be amazing just like that blindingly beautiful cover. 

Review: My Plain Jane

My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2)
by Cythia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
ebook, 
464 pages 
Published June 26th 2018 
by HarperTeen
ARC from Edelweiss
Goodreads | Amazon| B & N | TBD

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!) Or does she? Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

This book is so addictive! I can't help but smile and laugh out loud at the antics of such delightful, crazy characters. This wacky retelling of Jane Eyre even has the author as one of the characters. I would have given this 5 stars if the story were trim a bit since some of the chapters are too long. Otherwise, it's a delicious gem of a book and one of my favourite this year.