Weekly Wrap-Up #9

It’s been a while since my last Weekly Wrap-Up, but I’m making up for it today by briefly reviewing all the books I’ve read in the past two weeks.

1. The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas 💙

This was tense, taunt and heavily atmospheric. Compulsively readable with a great, flawed and intelligent protagonist. I found that I couldn’t trust anyone, which was the perfect amount of unsettling creepiness that thrillers need. Four and a half stars.

2. See All The Stars by Kit Frick 💙

I was expecting an awful lot out of this book, with its super vague description and coming off an excellent YA thriller. However, it just felt like shedloads of exposition, though I did enjoy the twisted group dynamic, but kept willing it to go further. I’m looking forward to All Eyes On Us still. Three stars.

3. Potkin and Stubbs by Sophie Green 💙

A dark, noir and gritty MG mystery with a heavy focus on shady politics and utterly page-turning. I loved Lil Potkin and Nedly and cannot wait for their next adventures. The writing was so evocative and the casual representation of a prosthetic limb was an added bonus. Four stars.

4. Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy 🏳️‍🌈 ⭐️ 💙

I received a stunning edition of this in the March Illumicrate box and fell in love with this ragtag band of misfits. It’s a whole host of diverse and awesome characters in a gender-bent, LGBT+ King Arthur adventure in space. It’s wacky, non-stop and like The Gentleman’s Guide level of sheer complexity, randomness and drama. Four stars.

5. Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C Dao 💙 ⭐️

The world-building and character work in this is stunning.

I loved Forest of A Thousand Lanterns so much, so obviously I craved more and boy, was I given more. This was an amazing Snow White re-telling that uses elements of the original story, while crafting more nuanced characters and fantastical elements. Four and a half stars.

6. Opposite of Always by Justin A Reynolds ⭐️ 💙

This is such a unique, brilliant contemporary about grief, love and the cycle you get trapped in when someone close to you dies. Jack and Kate’s story is one to treasure and I need to see more people shouting about it. Four stars.

7. The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G.Drews 💙 ⭐️ 🏳️‍🌈 (major side character)

I just fell into Sam’s story and couldn’t seem to pull myself out until the end. I laughed, I cried and I just wanted these boys to be happy and safe. Utterly heartbreaking and memorable. Basically, Cait has just become an auto-buy author for me. Four and a half stars.