From acclaimed author E. L. Shen comes a sun-drenched, cinematic YA novel about three Asian American girls, their unbreakable bond, and one life-changing summer, perfect for fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Best friends Jia Lee, Ariel Kim, and Everett Hoang are inseparable. But this summer, they won’t be together.

Everett, aspiring Broadway star, hopes to nab the lead role in an Ohio theater production, but soon realizes that talent and drive can only get her so far. Brainy Ariel is flying to San Francisco for a prestigious STEM scholarship, even though her heart is in South Korea, where her sister died last year. And stable, solid Jia will be home in Flushing, juggling her parents’ Chinatown restaurant, a cute new neighbor, and dreams for an uncertain future.

As the girls navigate heartbreaking surprises and shocking self-discoveries, they find that even though they’re physically apart, they are still mighty together.

While this isn’t the typical type of book I’ve been picking up lately, I was eager to read it upon reading the description of it. I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience with this book and am so glad I picked it up. This is definitely a story about friendship, but also about finding your own way and discovering your individual story as well. I loved the different settings that were explored and felt that each girl’s story and character were well defined. There were a number of real world situations delved into with each girl as well as the group of three friends. It really felt like the perfect summer read that may seem light on the surface, but really explored deeper subjects, issues and relationship dynamics. I was not expecting for it to make me emotional at times, but it certainly did! Also, the writing style flowed really well in my opinion and never really felt like the pacing slowed or was off, which is something I really value.

Happy reading!

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Chang is at her fourth school in seven years. Her self-imposed solitude is lonely but safe. At Plainstown High, however, Olivia’s usual plan of anonymity fails when infamous it-girl Mitzi Clarke makes a pointed racist comment in class. Tired of ignoring things just to survive, Olivia defends herself.
And that is the end of her invisible life.

Soon, Olivia joins forces with the Nerd Net: a secret society that’s been thwarting Mitzi’s reign of terror for months. Together, they plan to unite the masses and create true change at school.

But in order to succeed, Olivia must do something even more terrifying than lead a movement: trust other people. She might even make true friends along the way . . . if Mitzi doesn’t destroy her first.

This title had a lot of buzzwords for me as I like to pick up books that might address very current issues such as racism. I also liked that this book really tackled Olivia finding her own niche and come out of her anonymous shell. I can understand her original mindset to not draw any attention towards herself and wanting to disappear in the crowd, but it was really nice to see her mature and find herself. The relationships that she builds along the way were really nice to see and felt authentic to me. The writing style flowed well and it was a quick read but still had some impact. Please keep in mind that there are definite trigger warnings for bullying and racist language.

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The Haunting of Bly Manor meets House of Salt and Sorrows in award-winning author Kyrie McCauley’s contemporary YA gothic romance about a dark family lineage, the ghosts of grief, and the lines we’ll cross for love.

The Sleeping House was very much awake . . .

Days after a tragedy leaves Marin Blythe alone in the world, she receives a surprising invitation from Alice Lovelace—an acclaimed horror writer and childhood friend of Marin’s mother. Alice offers her a nanny position at Lovelace House, the family’s coastal Maine estate.

Marin accepts and soon finds herself minding Alice’s peculiar girls. Thea buries her dolls one by one, hosting a series of funerals, while Wren does everything in her power to drive Marin away. Then Alice’s eldest daughter returns home unexpectedly. Evie Hallowell is every bit as strange as her younger sisters, and yet Marin is quickly drawn in by Evie’s compelling behavior and ethereal grace.

But as Marin settles in, she can’t escape the anxiety that follows her like a shadow. Dead birds appear in Marin’s room. The children’s pranks escalate. Something dangerous lurks in the woods, leaving mutilated animals in its wake. All is not well at Lovelace House, and Marin must unravel its secrets before they consume her.

I was definitely ready for the spooky aesthetics that I hoped were in this book and I was not disappointed. To me there was never a dull moment and I was really shocked and pleased with the examination of grief and different ways of coping with it. The only detractor for me was the romance in the book, but mostly because it wasn’t what I was expecting and kind of broke me out of the dark and twisty parts of the book. That aside, I loved the journey this book took me on overall, it was just what I was looking for with the creepy factor and the writing was engaging and kept the pace going.

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Finding the truth seems impossible when her own dark past has her seeing lies everywhere she looks…

From the outside, criminal psychiatrist Dr. Madeline Pine’s life appears picture-perfect–she has a beautiful family, a successful mental health practice and a growing reputation as an expert in female violence. But when she’s called to help investigate a mysterious death at a boarding school for troubled girls, Madeline hesitates. She’s been through tragic cases before, and the one she was entangled in last year nearly destroyed her…

Yet she can’t turn away when she hears about Charley Ridley. After the girl was found shoeless and in pajamas at the bottom of an icy ravine on campus, the police ruled it a tragic accident. But the private investigator hired by her mother has his doubts. And if it were Madeline’s daughter who died, she’d want to know why.

Arriving at the secluded campus in upstate New York, Madeline’s met by an unhelpful skeleton staff and the four other students still on campus during winter break. Each seems to hold a piece of the puzzle. And everyone has secrets–Madeline included. But who would kill to protect them?

Intertwining the narrative with the transcript of an anonymous interview, this stunning suspense debut from Katie Garner will take you on a twisting path where nothing–and no one–is what it seems.

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This book definitely took me on a journey I did not expect it too. I often don’t love books that have unreliable narrators, but this one I really enjoyed as we had the dual story points of solving the murder that Madeline was called in to investigate as well as figuring out Madeline herself. I was really intrigued by the transcript sections that were sprinkled throughout the book and felt they really added to the impact of the story itself. If you’re looking for something that will keep you guessing and is full of twists and turns, or if you enjoy unreliable narrator stories that are done really well, this is a great one to pick up.

Katie Garner was born in New York and grew up in New Jersey. She has a degree in Art History from Ramapo College and is certified to teach high school Art. She hoards paperbacks, coffee mugs, and dog toys and can be seen holding at least one of those things most of the time. 
​Katie lives in a New Jersey river town with her husband, baby boy, and shih-poo where she writes books about women and their dark, secret selves. The Night It Ended is her debut novel.

Social Links | Author site | Twitter | Instagram |  Goodreads

Happy reading!