Against the Tide was written as a prequel to the live action Little Mermaid from Disney. This was such a cute read that plunks readers right into the middle of the ocean with Ariel and her family and a mystery!
One of Ariel’s sisters is kidnapped, Triton and the kingdom’s security are searching the seas for her, but Ariel works together with her sisters to find her.
Ariel also meets Flounder for the first time in this book, and it’s such a sweet meet-cute.
I devoured this book! I loved the descriptions of the different oceans and the banter between sisters. I especially found Ariel to be a great character, as she’s stubborn and loves to learn new things (I totally can relate!)
I cannot believe I left Cinderella is Dead sitting on my TBR pile for so long. This was such a unique retelling of the Cinderella story and I really enjoyed reading this book!
I liked the main character, which is not something I have been able to say about may of my recent reads. Plus, there was good world building and just enough action and adventure without all of it over powering the overarching storyline. Plus, there’s nothing like “The Princess Saves Herself” trope.
There was so many layers to the Fairy Godmother, too! She was a great character.
I enjoyed reading Prom Babies – it was definitely an interesting and unique story and the narrators for the audiobook – Andy Garcia, Imani Jade Powers, Krysta Gonzales, Matt Bridges, Victoria Connelly and Yinka Ladeinde, were unique for each character.
I found it interesting that the author chose to write in the current day for prom 2024, which meant that the parents were in their senior year in 2005. That was the year of my senior prom as well, and the I found I could relate to those three in both the 2005 and 2024 timeline. That could have been me trying to make that tough decision, but it also feel like me talking to my niece (who’s 16) now in 2024.
It was a little difficult at first for me to keep the names sorted, especially since I was listening to the audiobook, the individual narrators for each character did help a little.
While this is solidly YA fiction, it doesn’t have that typical YA feel and can easily be read and enjoyed by NA and older.
Thank you to Turn the Page Tours for the #gifted copy and to Spotify Audiobooks for the advanced audiobook version.
.
.
SYNOPSIS:
A compelling, multi-generational novel from the Coretta Scott King and Printz Honor-winning author of How It Went Down, Light It Up, and The Minus-One Club, Prom Babies chronicles the stories of three teen girls who become pregnant on prom night. Eighteen years later, their three babies, now high school seniors, are headed to prom and facing their own set of complicated issues and questions.
Mina, Penny, and Sheryl have the typical expectations of prom night in 2005: dresses, dancing, and of course some coming of age moments. None of them plans to get pregnant, but when all three do, they band together as they face decisions that have the power to shape the rest of their lives. In 2024, their three children–Blossom, Amber, and Cole–are high school seniors, gearing up to go to prom and facing some big decisions of their own. As they seek to understand who they are and who they want to be, they grapple with issues that range from consent to virginity, gendered dress codes, and the many patriarchal, heteronormative expectations that still come along with prom. A generation later, will this prom night change lives too?
So. Many. Pies. Honestly, I finished reading Check, Please Book. 2: Sticks and Scones and had a serious hankering to bake everything! That said, I did not love book two as much as I loved the first one.
On the other hand, Jack and Bitty are absolute relationship goals.
It’s really hard to review a memoir – but A’ja Wilson’s Dear Black Girls was such a wonderful read.
While this is written for young black girls, I found that many of her stories resonated with me as well; and many women and girls will connect with A’ja.
I didn’t know of A’ja before picking up this audiobook (not a big sports person here), but after listening to her narrate this book, I feel like I spent the past 4 hours getting to know her.
This is definitely a must read for all girls out there.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the gifted audiobook.
Heartstopper is one of the swooniest graphic novel series I’ve ever read, and the latest installment is not only cute as all get out, but also touches on real topics like mental health and planning for your future.
Nick and Charlie continue to adorable and are absolutely relationship goals.
Bunt! Was such a fun read! I’ve been loving the graphic novels coming out recently, and Bunt! was no different. Molly pulls together a ragtag team of art students to create a softball team with hopes of gaming their college’s financial aid system.
I adored all of the characters in this, each of them unique, and I would love to part of this friend group (minus the whole softball thing).
SYNOPSIS: Molly Bauer’s first year of college is not the picture-perfect piece of art she’d always envisioned. On day one at PICA, Molly discovers that—through some horrible twist of fate—her full-ride scholarship has vanished! But the ancient texts (PICA’s dusty financial aid documents) reveal a loophole. If Molly and 9 other art students win a single game of softball, they’ll receive a massive athletic scholarship. Can Molly’s crew of ragtag artists succeed in softball without dropping the ball?
The author of the New York Times best-selling Check, Please series, Ngozi Ukazu returns with debut artist Madeline Rupert to bring an energetic young adult story about authenticity, old vs. new, and college failure. It also poses the question: “Is art school worth it?”
Forty Words for Love is a sweet YA romance, and not something I would have picked up of myself, so I am so thankful that Once Upon a Bookclub sent it to me for being a VIP!
I loved this story of belonging and accepting change in our lives. Yas and Raf were such sweet characters to follow.
Thank you to Once Upon a Book Club for the #gifted copy!
You know you’re in for a wild ride when the story begins with preparations for a royal ball and seamlessly transitions to a story about hidden powers, and out smarting the mad prince to save the kingdom.
Secrets of a Rose was such a fast paced read! The world building and character development was fantastic, and I found myself absolutely sucked into this audiobook. The beauty of this story is in the details – the world is rich and lush while the writing isn’t bogged down or with long boring sections.
The narrator, Nichole James, really brought this book to life, too! I am finding that I enjoy the fantasy genre even more as audiobooks, and this now was an absolute delight.
Secrets of a Rose is the beginning of the YA fantasy Royal Blood series. Thank you to Never and Ever Publishing for the audiobook of this beauty!
Kismet connection was a cute story, and I enjoyed the cultural aspects written into the book.
This is a fake-dating, friends-to-lovers YA romance
Synopsis:
Is it possible to change your fate?
Madhuri Iyer is doomed. Doomed for her upcoming senior year to be a total failure, according to her astrology-obsessed mother, and doomed to a happily ever after with her first boyfriend, according to her family curse.
Determined to prove the existence of her free will, Madhuri devises an experimental relationship with the one boy she knows she’ll never fall for: her childhood best friend, Arjun Mehta. But Arjun’s feelings for her are a variable she didn’t account for.
As Madhuri starts to fall for her experimental boyfriend, she’ll have to decide if charting her own destiny is worth breaking Arjun’s heart—and her own.
Thank you to Once Upon a Book Club for the #gifted copy!
(If you enjoyed Prom Theory, you’ll like Kismet Connection.)
Leann Reads Books 