“I Was Born for This” by Alice Oseman (Review)

Oseman, Alice. I Was Born for This. New York: Scholastic Press, 2022.

ISBN-13: 978-1338830934 | $18.99 USD | 384 pages | YA Contemporary 

Blurb 

From the bestselling creator of Heartstopper and Loveless, a deeply funny and deeply moving exploration of identity, friendship, and fame.

For Angel Rahimi life is about one thing: The Ark — a boy band that’s taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark’s fandom has given her everything she loves — her friend Juliet, her dreams, her place in the world. Her Muslim family doesn’t understand the band’s allure — but Angel feels there are things about her they’ll never understand.

Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark. He’s their frontman — and playing in a band with his mates is all he ever dreamed of doing, even it only amplifies his anxiety. The fans are very accepting that he’s trans — but they also keep shipping with him with his longtime friend and bandmate, Rowan. But Jimmy and Rowan are just friends — and Rowan has a secret girlfriend the fans can never know about. Dreams don’t always turn out the way you think and when Jimmy and Angel are unexpectedly thrust together, they find out how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.

A funny, wise, and heartbreakingly true coming of age novel. I Was Born for This is a stunning reflection of modern teenage life, and the power of believing in something — especially yourself.

Review 

5 stars 

Just like with Loveless, I was excited to check out I Was Born for This upon its publication in the US. I continue to appreciate Alice Oseman’s knack for writing truly unique, emotionally moving, warm-hug queer books that also delve deep into topics that aren’t often explored in fiction, and this one is no different. 

There’s been an explosion of fandom, and especially boy band centric books lately, and while they touch on some of the mental health issues caused by the industry, I appreciate that Oseman takes things in a different direction. To explore the deeply personal connections between not only the fans and the idols, but between idols themselves and between fans, and to not have it be romance focused, is so beautiful. There’s a stereotype of fangirls  as being weird or obsessed, and while there is some representation of that, I love how the primary goal is to show the positive side, especially when the characters are all going through a lot of turmoil. I also appreciate that, while Jimmy and Angel are both queer, it’s not the queer identity specifically that causes these issues. 

On Angel’s side of things, there’s beauty in the bond she forms with Juliet, a fellow fan of the Ark she only just met in person, but has had a longstanding Internet friendship with. There’s some confusion as Juliet is also hanging around with a slightly toxic guy who lied about liking the Ark to get to know her, and Angel feels some jealousy thinking there’s an attraction and potential relationship there. 

I absolutely loved the anxiety and mental health rep when it comes to what Jimmy experiences. He deals with panic attacks and he carries a knife that his grandfather gave him for protection and security (which also plays a role in a crucial plot point late in the story). He also has such complex relationships with his bandmates. He and Rowan grew up together, and people keep shipping them, even though Rowan is straight (as well as having a secret girlfriend). Jimmy’s other bandmate, Lister, however, is revealed to have some unresolved, unrequited feelings for him. 

I love the way the two character arcs intersect, at first rather subtly, then converging completely. The secondary characters, especially the ones in Jimmy’s life, all feel fully fleshed out and the subplots involving them are incorporated to the best extent possible (along with a lovely bonus short at the end showing what Lister and Rowan got up to when Jimmy was “missing”). 

I adored this book, and enthusiastically recommend it to anyone, especially if you’re looking for queer books about fandom culture. 

Author Bio

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Alice Oseman is an award-winning author, illustrator, and screenwriter, and was born in 1994 in Kent, England. She has written four YA contemporary novels about teenage disasters: Solitaire, Radio Silence, I Was Born for This, and Loveless. She is the creator of LGBTQ+ YA romance webcomic Heartstopper, which is now published in physical form by Hachette Children’s Group, and she is the writer, creator, and executive producer for the television adaptation of Heartstopper, which is set to be released on Netflix.

Alice’s first novel Solitaire was published when she was nineteen. Her YA novels have been nominated for the YA Book Prize, the Inky Awards, the Carnegie Medal, and the Goodreads Choice Awards.

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“The Heartbreak Handshake” (Clover Hill Romance #4) by J.R. Hart (ARC Review)

Hart, J.R. The Heartbreak Handshake. [Place of publication not identified]: J.R. Hart, 2022.

ASIN: B09ZQDZY4S | $2.99 USD | Contemporary Romance 

Blurb

When Paxton agreed to fake date Remi, he didn’t realize they might be his perfect match. A heartwarming asexual romance.

Paxton McKee, Clover Hill’s rideshare driver and handyman, is known by his customers as responsible, dependable, and loyal. On first dates, though, he’s known by another word: boring. His dates never seem to appreciate his in-depth knowledge of famous aviation disasters or his LEGO expertise. His book club buddy, Mrs. Sawyer, keeps trying to set him up. But after so many failed dates, Paxton’s given up on finding someone who can accept him, special interests, stims, and all.

Hand-crafter Remi Sawyer put Clover Hill in their rear-view mirror to sell at craft fairs across the country. But being a traveling artisan is harder than Remi thought. With mounting bills, they’ve ended up back home. Being in their old teenage bedroom is weird. Even weirder, their mother keeps trying to set them up on dates, even after they’ve made it clear the homecoming is temporary.

To get Mrs. Sawyer off their backs, Paxton and Remi agree on a scheme: they’ll go on three dates. When it’s over, Paxton can pretend to be heartbroken, and Remi can get back on the road. They even shake on it. But awkward dates lead to the realization the two have a lot in common. Kissing is gross? Check. Spending quiet time doing projects together is enjoyable? Double check.

But Remi is still hell-bent on leaving Clover Hill again, and Paxton is dead-set on staying. Can they find a new vision that doesn’t involve Remi leaving their kindred spirit behind, or are they both destined to lose the person who might be their perfect companion?

In the series

#1 Winning Move by Skye Kilaen

#2 Visible Mending by M. Arbon

#3 Rooting for You by Roz Alexander

Learn more about Clover Hill here.

Review 

5 stars 

I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

The Heartbreak Handshake is indisputably my favorite of the Clover Hill series thus far. I’ve found a lot to enjoy about previous books, but this one? It made me feel seen as an autistic asexual, and confirms that you can write a beautiful, sweet romance without physical intimacy. 

I see a lot of myself in Paxton. Our experiences with autism and asexuality aren’t identical, but I recognize in him a similar fascination with specific subjects and hobbies others might find “boring,” and I absolutely relate to the idea that most romantic partners will expect, if not sex, at least kissing, which Paxton is uncomfortable with. 

Remi is equally lovely, and I appreciate how they’re able to connect with Paxton due to being similarly sex repulsed. It allows for a much deeper variant on the fake relationship setup, where two people genuinely love spending time together because they appreciate the emotional companionship and each other’s weird quirks. 

And the way the angst came in towards the end…while they pull off their plan of pulling the wool over Remi’s mother’s eyes, even being excited after their initial fake break up, it was beautiful to see them miss each other and contemplate if they could actually make it real  and more permanent. 

Mrs. Sawyer is also one of those Clover Hill townie characters who I just love, who wants the best for her child and friend. While meddling mothers can be annoying, it’s super-sweet to see the special relationships she has with both Remi and Paxton, and how she does what she does out of love. 

This is an absolutely delightful read, and a great example of the great work the Clover Hill series is doing to platform diverse queer stories, especially those who don’t fit conventional/mainstream romance genre standards. I strongly recommend everyone read this, especially if you’re looking for autistic/ADHD and asexual rep.

CWs: available here

Author Bio

J. R. Hart is a thirty-something author creating LGBTQ+ stories, focusing on #ownvoices content and intriguing romance. When they aren’t at home writing, they’re visiting their favorite coffee shop, exploring science museums, or relaxing by any body of water. They have one kiddo, two dogs, and far more coffee mugs than are necessary.

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“The Brilliance of Stars” (Jack and Ivy #1) by J’nell Ciesielski (ARC Review)

Ciesielski, J’nell. The Brilliance of Stars. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2022.

ISBN-13: 978-0785248453 | $16.99 USD | 352 pages | Historical Romance/Christian Fiction 

Blurb

Amid the chaos of the Great War, two elite assassins learn precisely how dangerous it is to have something—or someone—worth losing.

Washington, DC, 1914. Ivy Olwen knows how to survive on the streets without two coins to rub together. Then destiny thrusts her into the nest of a covert agency of assassins sworn to drive back the world’s darkness, and she acquires a new set of lethal skills. Her education—from explosives to etiquette, sharpshooting to sabotage—is as far reaching as the organization’s missions. But it’s the hours she spends among the towering bookshelves in the library and stargazing on the roof with Agent Jack Vale that make her heart fly.

Jack knew plenty of hardship before the agency refined his rough edges, transforming him into the man who never misses. But he didn’t know the feeling of home until Ivy entered his world. Now Jack’s heart drums with a singular purpose: he will fight for her, fight alongside her. No matter the cost.

When the pair is sent on a seemingly simple mission to take down Russia’s newest and most dangerous arms dealer—a soulless man using the Great War as an opportunity to further his own depraved agenda—they discover that no amount of training could have prepared them for a manhunt that takes them across the frozen tundra, to the Crimean Peninsula, and along the Trans-Siberian Railway . . . only to discover that there is evil in the world they will never understand.

The first book of an epic duology from bestselling author J’nell Ciesielski, The Brilliance of Stars incorporates her signature blend of thrilling adventure, glamorous espionage, and sweeping romance.

Review 

4 stars 

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

The Brilliance of Stars sees J’nell Ciesielski going in a different direction creatively as she writes her first series. While still set during the First World War, like her other books, it’s fun to see her trying something new by fleshing out a couple’s love story over multiple books. 

I love the way Ciesielski embeds real history into her work. And the fact that she’s written multiple books about WWI and touched on a new aspect every single time really gets at the multifaceted nature of the war itself. I liked seeing more of Russia and the Eastern front, especially from a civilian and international perspective (my previous reads of that perspective were more insular, focused on the Romanov family). The shifting political climate in Russia and how that impacted the landscape of the war is conveyed poignantly, as are the many moments of peril the major characters face. 

I really liked Jack and Ivy’s relationship as well. I love that they’re both orphans who grew up knowing the tough realities of the world, but are now contributing to the war effort. It was fun to see how they challenged each other, while also exploring how their love grew. And even with the intense rising stakes, I appreciate they were given moments, however brief, to be happy, get married, and act as a normal married couple would.

I really enjoyed this book, and can’t wait to find out what awaits the characters in the next book. If you enjoy historical fiction set during World War I and/or low-heat, high-stakes historical romance, I think you’ll enjoy this book. 

Author Bio

Bestselling author and with a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. She is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle.

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“Hold You Down” by Tracy Brown (ARC Review)

Brown, Tracy. Hold You Down. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2022.

ISBN-13: 978-1250834935 | $16.99 USD | 336 pages | Historical Fiction

Blurb

Hold You Down is an edgy novel from rising star Tracy Brown about the perils of love and the ties that bind…

New York City. Late 1980s to early 1990s.

Mercy and Lenox Howard have always only had each other. Growing up on the mean streets of Harlem with an absentee mother meant that they had to have each other’s backs. Now young, smart mothers they are determined to survive in New York City while raising their two sons, who have bright futures ahead of them.

Mercy is the quiet, straight laced hospital administrator, struggling to make ends meet. At night and on weekends, she pours her heart into her cooking and her dream of owning her own restaurant. Lenox is the diva, the wild child, looking for excitement and her big come up in life and love. Their boys, Deon and Judah, have been raised more like brothers than cousins, forging a bond that is unbreakable.

When Lenox heads down a path that she believes will bring success and power, it changes the entire course of her life and her family’s life forever. As a result of their mother’s choices, cousins Deon and Judah soon find themselves in uncharted territory.

Review 

4 stars 

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

I have never read Tracy Brown before, but my interest was piqued by Hold You Down, even if it’s not the type of book I usually pick up. It’s an incredibly moving family saga about the wounds of generational trauma, and how the choices one person makes can impact their family members. 

It’s easy to become invested in the family and their relationships with each other from the beginning. Mercy and Lenox have a rough upbringing, but at least initially, they lean on each other to survive. However, they’re also coming into the world in the midst of the crack epidemic, which wreaks havoc. I appreciated how it portrayed Lenox’s temptation to take advantage of the world of drugs to find success, exploring her perspective of what she’s gaining in the short-term, along with the long-term impact on herself and her family, especially after she passes on. 

And the impact continues to be felt as time passes, and the sisters’ children,  Deon and Judah, are navigating the world, sharing the same closeness their mothers had, even amidst all the hardships that come with growing up Black in the inner cities. 

This was a deeply moving book, and I’m not opposed to picking up more from Tracy Brown in the future. If you enjoy either family sagas or urban fiction, I recommend checking this out. 

Author Bio

Tracy Brown is the Essence bestselling author of Aftermath, Snapped, Twisted, White Lines and Criminal Minded. Writing has always been her passion, and she finds it an honor to depict for her readers the things she’s seen and heard. She is a native New Yorker, born and raised in Staten Island.

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“Silver in the Mist” by Emily Victoria (ARC Review)

Victoria, Emily. Silver in the Mist. Toronto, Ontario: Inkyard Press, 2022.

ISBN-13: 978-1335406705 | $18.99 USD | 384 pages | YA Fantasy 

Blurb

Eight years ago, everything changed for Devlin: Her country was attacked. Her father was killed. And her mother became the Whisperer of Aris, the head of the spies, retreating into her position away from everyone… even her daughter.

Joining the spy ranks herself, Dev sees her mother only when receiving assignments. She wants more, but she understands the peril their country, Aris, is in. The malevolent magic force of The Mists is swallowing Aris’s edges, their country is vulnerable to another attack from their wealthier neighbor, and the magic casters who protect them from both are burning out.

Dev has known strength and survival her whole life, but with a dangerous new assignment of infiltrating the royal court of their neighbor country Cerena to steal the magic they need, she learns that not all that glitters is weak. And not all stories are true.

Review 

3 stars 

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

Silver in the Mist is Emily Victoria’s second book, and the rare time I’ve encountered a real sophomore slump. I genuinely enjoyed her first book, but found myself very underwhelmed by this one, even with all the promise of its premise. 

The world building is intriguing, if a tad underbaked. There’s great lore to the world conveyed throughout, and the magic is a lot of fun. However, while there is a lot of literal ground covered, I didn’t really get a sense of place as to where this was meant to be. 

The characterization was…ok. Devlin’s a spy, and while I can’t say I was blown away by her character, she’s not incompetent. It’s pretty standard YA fare, minus any romance. And this is perhaps where I feel the story began to fall down a bit. I’m fine with a book with no romance, but I don’t know how I feel about that being equated as more or less synonymous with “ace rep,” apart from maybe a throwaway mention. I know the author herself is aroace, and it’s totally fair for her to write from that experience. But I wish it hadn’t been blatantly marketed as an “asexual fantasy,” given how varied identities under that umbrella are. And while I don’t think romance was prominent, if present at all, in her first book, with much stronger characterization and plot independent of those aspects, I found the virtual absence easier to forgive. I  did like the inclusion of a major non-binary character, and the usage of they/them pronouns, so there is some decent queer rep. 

The plot is fairly slow-moving, and if I wasn’t invested in the world even on a surface level, I would have likely bailed. It does pick up, but I nevertheless found my interest constantly flagging. 

While I found this book to be a bit of a dud, I can chock it up to a number of reasons, from the fact that I’m probably not the intended audience for the book to the more serious fact that I was looking for something where ace identity was at least somewhat more prominent. But if you’re a YA reader who doesn’t mind something on the younger side, and you don’t go in expecting groundbreaking asexual rep, you may enjoy this more than I did. 

Author Bio

Emily Victoria is an aroace Canadian prairie girl who writes young adult science fiction and fantasy. When not word-smithing, she likes walking her over-excitable dog, drinking far too much tea, and crocheting things she no longer has the space to store. Her librarian degree allows her to take home far too many books.

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“Prince of Song & Sea” (Princes #1) by Linsey Miller (Review)

Miller, Linsey. Prince of Song & Sea. Los Angeles: Disney Press, 2022.

ISBN-13: 978-1368069113 | $17.99 USD | 345 pages | YA Fantasy 

Blurb

For fans of twisted tales and villains is a brand new YA series that retells the classic Disney stories you thought you knew from the Disney Princes’ perspectives 

Before Prince Eric’s mother, the Queen of Vellona, went missing two years ago, she reminded him about the details of the deadly curse that has plagued his entire life. The curse? If he were to kiss someone other than his true love, he would die. With a neighboring kingdom looking for any excuse to invade their shores, and rumors of ghost pirates lurking the seas, Eric is desperate for any information that may help him break his enchantment and bring stability to Vellona. The answers he has been searching for come to him in the form of a letter left from his mother that reveals Eric must find his true love, the one with a voice pure of heart, or kill the sea witch responsible for cursing him in the first place. 

Now Eric is on a quest to find the Isle of Serein, the witch’s legendary home. But after he is rescued by a mysterious young woman with a mesmerizing singing voice, Eric’s heart becomes torn. Does he enter a battle he is almost certain he cannot win or chase a love that might not even exist? And when a shipwrecked young woman with flaming red hair and a smile that could calm the seven seas enters his life, Eric may discover that true love isn’t something that can be decided by magic.

Review 

4 stars 

Prince of Song & Sea reimagines The Little Mermaid from Eric’s perspective, both as the launching book of a new series following the Disney Princes and likely a tie-in for the upcoming live-action film. With the Disney incarnation of the story being so beloved, Linsey Miller strikes the perfect balance of being faithful to the original movie’s canon (even if not to the extended universe of media beyond that) and providing more depth to Eric’s story. 

Giving him his own personal familial ties to Ursula and her devastation was a nice touch. It perfectly ties with Ariel’s arc in that both of their families were impacted by her evil deeds, but still able, albeit for different reasons, to fall under her spell. And the fact that there’s extra stakes attached to the kiss on his side of things, making Ursula’s motivations seem even more devious is brilliant. 

It’s also cool to see more about Eric and Ariel’s relationship from Eric’s side of things, especially with those added stakes. He’s growing fond of Ariel, but he isn’t certain about her being his true love, because of the curse and her not having a voice for most of their interactions. And while Ariel and the girl who saved him end up being one and the same, I appreciate how the novel emphasizes it’s less about living according to the strictures of the curse, and following their hearts instead. 

I liked the usage of the secondary characters, from fleshing out Eric’s interactions with movie characters Grimsby, Carlotta, and Max to the new ones. Gabriella and Sauer are both wonderful new additions, adding more to Eric’s social life. 

This is perhaps the most interesting spinoff series I’ve seen from Disney, although my personal investment in the source material likely has a lot to do with it. If you’re a fan of The Little Mermaid and the Disney Princesses, you might also enjoy this book. 

Author Bio

Once upon a time, Linsey Miller studied biology in Arkansas. These days, she holds an MFA in fiction and can be found writing about science and magic anywhere there is coffee. She is the author of the Mask of Shadows duology, Belle Revolte, The Game, and What We Devour. Visit her at http://www.linseymiller.com.

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“Kiss Me, Catalina” by Priscilla Oliveras (ARC Review)

Oliveras, Priscilla. Kiss Me, Catalina. Seattle: Montlake, 2022.

ISBN-13: 978-1542034425 | $12.95 USD | 284 pages | Contemporary Romance 

Blurb

Dreams come true for an untamable rising star and a mariachi idol in a rousing romance about passion, fame, and family by USA Today bestselling author Priscilla Oliveras.

Ambitious San Antonio singer Catalina “Cat” Capuleta gets the chance of a lifetime when she joins superstar heartthrob and fellow mariachi Patricio Galán on his seven-week concert tour. Demanding and arrogant, Patricio challenges Cat on every level, as an artist and as a woman. But headstrong Cat is determined to be his match. No matter how seductive Patricio’s baritone voice, Cat’s eyes are only on the prize: success and making her familia proud.

No woman gets under Patricio’s skin like Cat. Her talent mesmerizes. Her passion is thrilling. And her drive, stemming from an old unhealed family wound, exposes a vulnerability he secretly recognizes in himself.

When the duo hits the road, the sparks don’t just fly—they detonate. Stage by stage, as each reckons with the past—and with each other’s quick-fire personalities—they bring crowds to their feet, and Cat’s long-held dreams come true. Will their road romance go up in flames? Or could making music together kindle the most rapturous love song of their lives?

Review 

4 stars 

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

Kiss Me, Catalina is the second book following the Capuleta sisters (although it’s not billed by the publisher as a formal series). Unlike the first, it’s not as centered on the family dynamics, but it’s still present in more subtle ways. It can stand alone, but you do get more understanding of the Capuleta family if you read the first book. 

I loved seeing more of mariachi, especially from a professional perspective, with Cat being a bright-eyed newcomer and Patricio the big star. It’s fun to see the industry from both sides, especially since Cat is more than able to hold her own. 

I love how Cat and Pedro challenge and excite each other, even as there are high stakes that serve as roadblocks to their being together. And their respective family dramas and baggage only serve as an additional factor for them to bond over. 

This is another fabulous read from Priscilla Oliveras, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a culturally rich contemporary romance with Latinx characters. 

Author Bio

Priscilla Oliveras is a USA Today bestselling author and 2018 RWA® RITA® double finalist who writes contemporary romance with a Latinx flavor. Proud of her Puerto Rican-Mexican heritage, she strives to bring authenticity to her novels by sharing her Latinx culture with readers. Her books have earned Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist along with praise from O, The Oprah Magazine, Washington Post, New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Frolic, and more. She earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University where she currently serves as adjunct faculty while also teaching the online class “Romance Writing” for ed2go. A long-time romance enthusiast, Priscilla’s also a sports fan, beach lover, and Zumba aficionado, who often practices the art of napping in her backyard hammock.

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“The Wicked Remain” (The Grimrose Girls #2) by Laura Pohl (ARC Review)

Pohl, Laura. The Wicked Remain. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Fire, 2022.

ISBN-13: 978-1728228907 | 10.99 USD | 480 pages | YA Fantasy 

Blurb

At Grimrose Académie, the fairy-tale deaths continue. And unless the curse is broken, one of the girls could be next.

Nani, Yuki, Ella, and Rory have discovered the truth about the curse that’s left a trail of dead bodies at Grimrose. But the four still know nothing of its origins, or how to stop the cycle of doomed fates.

And each girl harbors her own secret. One is learning why she was brought to the school. One struggles to keep her new and deadly power under control. One knows exactly how much time she has left.

And one, trying to escape her dark destiny, will come even closer to fulfilling it.

Can the girls change their own stories and break the curse? Or must one of them die to end it forever?

In the series

#1 The Grimrose Girls

Review 

4 stars 

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The Wicked Remain is the second installment and conclusion of the Grimrose Girls duology, and it’s just as good, if not better than the first one. 

The characters in particular feel richer and more developed, especially as they’ve each become disillusioned with the academy upon the revelations of the truth. It’s interesting to explore how their stories and the possible dark endings parallel the original fairy tales, and how that inspires fear in them. And I continue to love the queer rep in the books, and the romance in this one is more prominent, coming in places I didn’t expect, although I was happy to see it all the same. 

While this installment is quite a bit longer than its predecessor, it does not sacrifice brisk pacing for the longer length. It might possibly be translated a bit into some uneven pacing in places, but it’s otherwise fairly solid throughout. 

This series is incredibly enjoyable, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark fairy tale retellings. 

Author Bio

Laura Pohl is a Brazilian New York Times bestselling author. She likes writing messages in caps lock, quoting Hamilton and obsessing about Star Wars. When not taking pictures of her dog, she can be found curled up with a fantasy or science-fiction book. She makes her home in São Paulo.

She is the author of THE LAST 8, THE FIRST 7 and THE GRIMROSE GIRLS. When not writing, she likes reading science fiction and fantasy books and playing video games. Learn more about her on her website, and make sure to follow her on twitter, instagram, and pinterest.

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“Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win” by Susan Azim Boyer (ARC Review)

Boyer, Susan Azim. Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win. New York: Wednesday Books, 2022.

ISBN-13: 978-1250833686 | $18.99 USD | 336 pages | YA Historical Fiction 

Blurb

Most Anticipated YA by Buzzfeed

A fresh spin on the cult-classic Election meets Darius the Great Is Not Okay in Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win when an international incident crashes into a high school election, and Jasmine is caught between doing the right thing and chasing her dream.

It’s 1979, and Jasmine Zumideh is ready to get the heck out of her stale, Southern California suburb and into her dream school, NYU, where she’ll major in journalism and cover New York City’s exploding music scene.

There’s just one teeny problem: Due to a deadline snafu, she maaaaaaybe said she was Senior Class President-Elect on her application—before the election takes place. But honestly, she’s running against Gerald Thomas, a rigid rule-follower whose platform includes reinstating a dress code—there’s no way she can lose. And she better not, or she’ll never get into NYU.

But then, a real-life international incident turns the election upside down. Iran suddenly dominates the nightly news, and her opponent seizes the opportunity to stir up anti-Iranian hysteria at school and turn the electorate against her. Her brother, Ali, is no help. He’s become an outspoken advocate for Iran just as she’s trying to downplay her heritage.  

Now, as the white lie she told snowballs into an avalanche, Jasmine is stuck between claiming her heritage or hiding it, standing by her outspoken brother or turning her back on him, winning the election or abandoning her dreams for good.

Told with biting insight and fierce humor, Susan Azim Boyer’s Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is a fresh, unforgettable story of one Iranian-American young woman’s experience navigating her identity, friendship, family, her future, and a budding romance, all set against life-changing historical events with present-day relevance.

Review 

4 stars 

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is such a unique book, because I feel like I rarely see books set in the 1980s, even if it is in the realm of historical fiction for today’s teens. Heck, it’s still a struggle for people to see things set post-1950, a la Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books as “historical.” But this book highlights the dichotomy of being recent enough that the young audience can draw connections to it (especially in context of the broad social issues discussed), but also set long enough ago that there’s some objective distance. 

And that’s very much what you get in seeing the story through Jasmine’s eyes. While she lived in a different era, she’s similar in her drive to do well in school, even if it means telling a teeny white lie (or putting the cart before the horse), as well as her love for the popular music of the day. She’s very much in her own head, and that can sometimes make her a bit hard to like, especially when there are bigger things going on in the world than one little class election, but ultimately, she has her heart in the right place and she does grow over the course of the book. 

The racial tensions amid the Iran hostage crisis are deeply moving, and I appreciated seeing the ways it impacted Jasmine and her family, even in the more subtle ways they were treated and Othered. The way no one could get their surname right made me want to slap every single one of those people. And while Jasmine is more single-minded in her goal, to the point of distancing herself from her culture, Ali embraces it, advocating for Iranian culture and Iran itself. 

This book perfectly walks the line between being an “issue” book and a “messy teen coming-of-age” book. If you’re interested in a book that is a bit of both, with the addition of a 1980s setting, I recommend checking this book out! 

Author Bio

Susan Azim Boyer writes young adult fiction featuring Iranian American heroines (whom she *never* encountered growing up), who make messy, complicated choices that rapidly snowball into avalanches. Her debut novel JASMINE ZUMIDEH NEEDS A WIN is releasing on November 1, 2022 from Wednesday Books. She lives in the Palm Desert area with her husband, Wayne, and her Pug mix, Teddy. Her son, Alec, lives in New York.

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“Soul of the Deep” (Of Mermaids and Orisa #2) by Natasha Bowen (Review)

Bowen, Natasha. Soul of the Deep. New York: Random House Children’s Books, 2022.

ISBN-13: 978-0593120989 | $19.99 USD | 293 pages | YA Fantasy 

Blurb

The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller Skin of the Sea, in which the world must pay the price for one mermaid’s choice, and a dark force reverberates across realms. Perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and those eagerly anticipating the live-action film adaptation of The Little Mermaid.

One life.
One choice.
One sacrifice. 

To save those closest to her, Simi traded away everything: her freedom, her family, and the boy she loves. Now she is sworn to serve a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean. 

But when signs of demons begin to appear, it’s clear there are deeper consequences of Simi’s trade. These demons spell the world’s ruin . . . and because of Simi, they now have a way into the human realm. 

With the fate of the world at stake, Simi must break her promise and team up with a scheming trickster of a god. And if they succeed, perhaps Simi can also unbreak her heart along the way, and find herself again.

In the series

#1 Skin of the Sea

Review 

4 stars 

Soul of the Deep is the second installment of Natasha Bowen’s Of Mermaids and Orisa series. I assume it is a duology, but there’s plenty of room for more within the world. 

The world and mythology continues to be my favorite part, with its roots in African mythologies. It is a lot to take in at times, but Bowen handles all these concepts with ease and conveys them in a way that the reader doesn’t feel too out of step. 

Simi remains intriguing, and she deals with new challenges this time around. I appreciate how the decisions she made in the first book have consequences, impacting her current situation. I felt for her as she made personal sacrifices with the best intentions, only to see them backfire. 

This sets the stage for the adventure of the book, as she reunites with the cast of the first book to put things to rights. The stakes are raised, and the tensions and emotions are high. There’s beautiful angst between Simi and Kola, and I was ultimately satisfied with how they ended up. 

This is an enjoyable conclusion (?) to Simi’s story arc, and I’m eager to see what Natasha Bowen writes next. If you enjoy YA fantasy and/or are looking for stories about Black mermaids, I recommend this duology! 

Author Bio

Natasha Bowen is a writer, a teacher, and a mother of three children. She is of Nigerian and Welsh descent and lives in Cambridge, England, where she grew up. Natasha studied English and creative writing at Bath Spa University before moving to East London, where she taught for nearly ten years. Her debut book was inspired by her passion for mermaids and African history. She is obsessed with Japanese and German stationery and spends stupid amounts on notebooks, which she then features on her secret Instagram. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, watched over carefully by Milk and Honey, her cat and dog.

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