Labyrinth Lost was a book of contradictions: both wonderful yet terrifying, dark yet sweet. I absolutely loved the main character, Alejandra, or Alex, who is extremely flawed yet finds herself in possession of extreme power as the encantrix. Sure, there is the Chosen One trope, with some destiny followed in an adventure. But what makes […]
What happens when one day, you’re refreshing your YouTube video over and over again to get more views, and the next, your web series has gone viral? Or supernova, as Tash likes to think of it. This book was sooo sweet, charming, and everything I like in contemporary books. Tash Hearts Tolstoy follows the first […]
This book was heart-aching at times, extremely down-to-earth, and wholeheartedly triumphant as readers stay with Kiko every moment of her growth and transformation in the end of high school and beyond. Ever since reading the synopsis of this book, I was extremely excited (and definitely not disappointed!). Starfish captures the voice of a half-Japanese, half-white […]
Only countries destroy other countries. Only selfishness breeds selfish actions. Without nationhood, there is no war. Without nationhood, there is only peace. Unity in all things; humanity above monstrous division. Step into a dazzling, yet conflicting world where war propaganda runs rampant, and the Eastern Asian countries have come together to form a Neo Alliance […]
What would you do if everyone you trust proves untrustworthy? This is the question Rhee, the Crown Princess of the Ta’an dynasty of Kalusia, grapples with throughout Empress of a Thousand Skies. Told between alternating third person views of Rhiannon and Alyosha, or Aly, Empress of a Thousand Skies is filled with action from start […]
I’m forever looking for Chinese representation in books, so when I heard about The Epic Crush of Genie Lo, I knew I had to pick it up! This book was so much fun, and a great nod to Chinese folklore, particularly the Legend of the Monkey King. The story centers on Genie, a Chinese teenager who […]
Note: This is the sequel to The Girl From Everywhere and will contain minor spoilers for the first book. You can find my rap review here and Jeann’s mini-review here. This sequel was really quick-paced and covered a lot more ground than the first book. I really loved The Girl From Everywhere and this one […]
With a lush, opulent world, breathtaking plot, and endearing heroine, The Library of Fates was a wonderful read. I think the mention of The Star-Touched Queen in the blurb is very apt for this one – I can see aspects reminiscent of the former, and not just because of the foundation of Indian folklore for […]
It’s not often that we see LGBTQIA+ own voices read in Aussie YA, so I thought it might be a good idea to share what I loved about these two books! One of them is a gender fluid sci-fi read about time travel, and the other is a memoir about Nevo transitioning and discovering their […]