Sister Mischief by Laura Goode

Sister Mischief by Laura Goode
"Listen up: You’re about to get rocked by the fiercest, baddest all-girl hip-hop crew in the Twin Cities - or at least in the wealthy, white, Bible-thumping suburb of Holyhill, Minnesota. Our heroine, Esme Rockett (aka MC Ferocious) is a Jewish lesbian lyricist. In her crew, Esme’s got her BFFs Marcy (aka DJ SheStorm, the butchest straight girl in town) and Tess (aka The ConTessa, the pretty, popular powerhouse of a vocalist). But Esme’s feelings for her co-MC, Rowie (MC Rohini), a beautiful, brilliant, beguiling desi chick, are bound to get complicated. And before they know it, the queer hip-hop revolution Esme and her girls have exploded in Holyhill is on the line."- summary from Amazon

This was a really interesting read for me. I mean, where else are you going to read about an all-girl hip-hop group with a lesbian MC? The voice was done really well and sucked me into the book; there were some times where the dialogue seemed a bit like it was trying too hard though. I really enjoyed the inclusion of the group's lyrics (as well as the occasional lyrics from established rappers) and also footnotes (I LOVE footnotes!).

Aside from the music, I loved how Goode handled the whole lesbian aspect of the novel and there's some frank discussions in here. It's hard to find a good lesbian YA novel and I'm really glad this has been published. The romance in here is sweet but also realistic, which I appreciated.

I also loved the whole free speech part and the group's fighting back against the establishment, I guess, lol. I love stories where the underdog triumphs over the closed-minded people who are just plain wrong. The road to get there though with the closed-minded people in charge frustrates me because I want to just slap them and tell them how wrong they are. That's how I want to solve a lot of the problems in my life and in the world, lol.

All the characters were great and my favorite one probably has to be Ms. DiCostanza (I'm fairly sure that's her name), one of their teachers who's on their side. She was just plain awesome. And of course I loved the four main characters too.

Overall, this is just a wonderful, original contemporary that I think a lot of readers will enjoy. There is a lot of cursing though, so if that sort of thing offends you, maybe not the book to read.

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Fragment Friday- The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Fragment Friday is a monthly meme hosted here on this blog where you read an excerpt from either your current read or one of your favorite books and post it on your blog to share with others! It's a fun way to learn about new books or to hear a sample from a book you're dying to read. I only participate once a month and host the Mr. Linky, but other bloggers and readers can make vlogs every Friday as part of it. Please put all your Fragment Friday links from the last few weeks in the Mr Linky below. Next month, the Fragment Friday date will be September 2. Fragment Friday will now be held the first Friday of every month!

Here it is: Fragment Friday again! The Mr. Linky is below the video. Can't wait to see everyone's fragments! Today, I'm reading from The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab, which is out in stores now.



Hope you all enjoyed my fragment! Now link to yours!

Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman

Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman
"Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.

Abby is starting high school--it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke--he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again."- summary from Amazon

I got this book randomly from the publisher but I'm so happy I got it because I've been meaning to read something by Littman. This book is really good and it makes me want to read more from her. The story is structured wonderfully, broken up into 3 parts. the first part is all about Abby getting to know Luke and then going to meet up (it's the longest section), the second part switches between the perspectives of Abby's little sister Lily, her best friend Faith, and Billy, a boy in her science class, as well as some police reports, and the third section deals with the aftermath of Abby being found.

It's hard to read this book because watching Abby fall under Luke's spell is just heartbreaking and can be a bit frustrating. I think that frustration comes from the reader already knowing she's going to be abducted but Littman does a good job of making the reader identify with Abby a bit- the start of high school being scary, feeling lonely, not being listened to, etc. All of us, I'm sure, has felt something that Abby went through that got her to be open to Luke's lies.

I almost cried a few times during the third part which isn't something that happens often when I read a book. That alone should show you how good this book is at conveying emotions and sucking the reader deep into the story. It takes a lot to get me to tear up (and even more to actually cry) so if an author can do that, kudos to them. I think the only other book to do that to me was Alive and Well in Prague, NY by Daphne Grab and that was over 3 years ago (June 2008).

Overall, just a fantastic book. Littman has written a riveting and emotional tale that should be devoured by many. As a side note, the author will be at the PAYA Festival later this month so if you're nearby, come on by to get a book signed!

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
"This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about Nightshade begins just where it ended-Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer-one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack-and the man-she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive."- summary from Amazon

I loved Nightshade and couldn't wait to read this novel. It started off a bit slow, which is hard to believe with that opening, but it happened. But after a while, I really got back into the story and the characters and the book seriously flew by. So much crazy stuff is revealed and there's quite a bit of action and of course romance.

I loved all the new characters that were introduced in this novel. They were all really fun to get to know (well, Ethan came around) and I enjoyed spending time with them, as well as the old ones. The ending was really unexpected and I simply cannot wait for Bloodrose, the final book. This series is simply amazing.

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Meandering Monday- PAYA Festival!

So last year, I went to the first ever PAYA Festival, which is all about bringing YA to PA and helping out their libraries, and it was started by Harmony, a fellow blogger. It was amazing and a ton of fun! I'm really hoping I can go this year but it really depends on a lot of things, so we'll see what happens.

If you're anywhere near PA, definitely consider going. There's going to be a writing workshop, book signings, food, raffles, and a ton of book-ish people to mingle with! Here's a partial list of the authors:

Josh Berk (Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin)
Cyn Balog (Fairy Tale, Sleepless, Starstruck)
Jeri Smith-Ready (Shade/Shift)
A.S. King (Dust of 100 Dogs, Please Ignore Vera Dietz)
Dianne Salerni (We Hear the Dead)
Shannon Delany (13 to Life/Secrets and Shadows/Bargains and Betrayals)
Shelena Shorts (The Pace/The Broken Lake/The Iron Quill)
Ellen Jensen Abbott (Watersmeet, The Centaur's Daughter)
Alissa Grosso (Popular)
Jennifer Murgia (Angel Star/Lemniscate)
Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman (Sirenz)
Sarah Darer Littman (Purge, Life After, Want to Go Private?)
Amy Holder (The Lipstick Laws)
Keri Mikulski (PrettyTOUGH series)
Chelsea Swiggett (Rae)

and there may be a few others joining in too! If you want to RSVP and learn more about it, go to the Facebook page and look around! It will be happening on Saturday, August 27 from 12pm-3pm in West Chester, PA. Check the Facebook page for the exact location.

To prepare for the festival, I'm reviewing a book from the festival every week in August until the festival is here. So keep an eye out for those- they should be happening every Thursday! If I forgot anything, leave your question in the comments and I'll answer it there (and update this post).