Review | Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab

January 12, 2024 DeAnneLeave a comment

Where there are ghosts, Cassidy Blake follows … unless it’s the other way around?

Cass thinks she might have this ghost-hunting thing down. After all, she and her ghost best friend, Jacob, have survived two haunted cities while travelling for her parents’ TV show.

But nothing can prepare Cass for New Orleans, which wears all of its hauntings on its sleeve. In a city of ghost tours and tombs, raucous music and all kinds of magic, Cass could get lost in all the colourful, grisly local legends. And the city’s biggest surprise is a foe Cass never expected to face: a servant of Death itself.

Cass takes on her most dangerous challenge yet…

I’m so glad I finally picked up the conclusion to the Cassidy Blake trilogy and a little upset I waited so long. I don’t want to delve into too much since it is the last book of the trilogy, but I really enjoyed how Cassidy seemed to grow up a little in this book, she was more open to recognizing things about herself. I think New Orleans as a setting was perfect, though I think my favorite setting of the three was Paris overall, and felt like the locations they selected for the TV show to highlight were very appropriate. All in all it was a really solid conclusion and I was more than satisfied with where the characters were left at the end.

Happy reading!

Review | Gamer Girls: Gnat vs. Spyder by Andrea Towers

January 4, 2024 DeAnneLeave a comment

Thirteen-year-old Natalie lives a double life. By day, she’s an average eighth grader at Golden Trails Middle. At night, she’s Gnat112, a streamer for her favorite video game, Alienlord. But when the new girl moves in next door, will Natalie’s double life be revealed?Natalie has a secret. She’s a gamer.By day, Natalie is an average eighth grade student. At night, she’s Gnat112! Living a double life is hard . . . and keeping a secret from your friends is even harder.In this illustrated middle grade book (the first of an all-new series, Gamer Girls), Natalie and her three BFFs learn to navigate the gamer world together, one girl at a time. This series is a great read for gamers and gamer enthusiasts of all kinds. Plus, there’s the occasional middle school drama . . . if only Natalie could battle math teachers like video game aliens!

This was an adorable read! I loved how it touched on being yourself and being ok with being yourself at a young-ish age. It’s a great example of being tempted to hide your interests, but learning not to. Plus I always enjoy some gamer rep, whether it be people getting into gaming or people who already love it. This is a great book for younger readers who are gamers themselves, or any that might be struggling with navigating friendships and such. All in all a fun read!

Happy reading!

Review | Everyone’s Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni

December 3, 2023 DeAnneLeave a comment

Mean Girls meets Dear White People in this big-hearted, sharp-witted UK boarding school story about family, friendship, and belonging—with a propulsive mystery at its heart. Within the walls of Wodebury Hall, an elite boarding school in the English countryside, reputation is everything. But aspiring photographer Iyanu is more comfortable observing things safely from behind her camera. For Iyanu’s estranged cousin, Kitan, life seems perfect. She has money, beauty, and friends like queen bee Heather. But as a Nigerian girl in a school as white and insular as Wodebury, Kitan struggles with the personal sacrifices needed to keep her place—and the protection she gets—within the exclusive popular crowd. Then photos from Iyanu’s camera are stolen and splashed across the school the week before the Valentine’s Day Ball—each with a juicy secret written on it. With everyone’s dirty laundry suddenly out in the open, the school explodes in chaos, and the whispers accusing Iyanu of being the one behind it all start to feel like déjà vu. Each girl is desperate to unravel the mystery of who stole the photos and why. But exposing the truth will change them all forever.

As soon as I heard that this was a Shakespeare retelling, I was hooked as I have a soft spot for Shakespeare, especially certain plays – A Midsummer Night’s Dream being one of them. I definitely felt that the buzz words of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Mean Girls was appropriate. It definitely wasn’t just a light, funny story though, there were very real issues that were tackled and woven into the story, such as bullying, racism and other issues that teens face on a regular basis. It was a fast paced read for me that was hard to put down once the secrets started being revealed. I wasn’t expecting to go through a lot of twists and turns, so was happily surprised when there were points where I was left guessing what was going on. All in all a fantastic debut and I look forward to what this author comes up with next.

Happy reading!