Blog Tour Review: Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam

Hello, friends! I’m back with a blog tour review for Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam. Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it!

Thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

Meesh the Bad Demon
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 21 March 2023
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy Graphic Novel

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

A tale of unlikely heroes and myths is made real in this debut graphic novel series about a โ€œbadโ€ demon trying to find her place in the underworld. But sheโ€™ll have to save it first!

Meesh is a bad demon. โ€œBadโ€ meaning she always sees the good in those around herโ€“which, strictly speaking, isnโ€™t how a demon is meant to feel or act.

Bullied by the other demons, twelve-year-old Meesh is more likely to be found poring over Fairy Worldโ€™s magazines and fangirling the fairy princesses. When disaster strikes and her family is threatened, Meesh must journey to the Fairy World to find a healing crystal that can save the underworld. And speak of the devil! She meets a fairy princess right away.

But things in the Fairy World arenโ€™t so perfect either. As Meesh makes surprising new friends and unites a band of outcastsโ€“including her bullyโ€“she learns thereโ€™s more to being a demon than being bad.

Sometimes the secret to real power is in loving yourself, faults and all.

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Bullying, bigotry

๐Ÿ“š BUY A COPY!

TL;DR: The minute I finished Meesh the Bad Demon I immediately wanted more! I loved this illustration style so much. All of these characters were ridiculously adorable and it made the story even more fun to read. Meesh was an adorable demon who simply wanted to be good and I loved following her as she journeys beyond her world to save her home, makes unexpected friends along the way, and learns to love who she is. This is a story about being yourself, not judging others based on differences, and most importantly, it’s a story of friendship. It’s a funny, heartwarming and hopeful read!

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ARC Review: Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

Special thanks to the author and Underlined for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Fake Dates and Mooncakes
Publisher: Underlined
Publication Date: 16 May 2023
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(2 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that follows an aspiring chef who discovers the recipe for love is more complicated than it seems when he starts fake-dating a handsome new customer.

Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefsโ€”in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his auntโ€™s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn.

Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylanโ€™s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons.

In Theoโ€™s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend… but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theoโ€™s relatives reveal their true colorsโ€”but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan canโ€™t risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems.

Can Dylan save his familyโ€™s business and follow his heartโ€”or will he fail to do both?

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Classism, death of parent (recounted), cancer, alcoholism

TL;DR: Fake Dates and Mooncakes was high up on my list of anticipated YA contemporary romances this year and I was beyond thrilled to get a digital ARC! Sadly though, for various reasons, this book really didn’t work out for me. I loved the cultural and food aspects of the story and Dylan’s family was great as well. That said, the romance was instantaneous and I didn’t really feel their romantic connection. The writing also read on the younger end of YA, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I’m not sure that’s what the author intended and it also clashed with the more sexually suggestive overtones between Dylan and Theo. I wanted to see more of the mooncake competition but that played a woefully small part in the story. Overall, I’m sad that this didn’t end up being what I expected because I was genuinely looking forward to loving it!

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Blog Tour Review: The Next New Syrian Girl by Ream Shukairy

Hello, friends! I’m back with a blog tour review for The Next New Syrian Girl by Ream Shukairy. Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it!

Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

The Next New Syrian Girl
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 14 March 2023
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Rep: Syrian, Muslim

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

Khadija Shaami is a Syrian American boxer fed up with the expectations of being the perfect Syrian daughter. Saddled with a monstrous ego and a mother to test it, she will stop at nothing to leave Detroit and travel the world with her best friend.

Leene Taher is a Syrian refugee enraptured by the lavish lifestyle of the Syrian girls in Detroit. America is her fresh start, if only her haunting past will let her move on.

When their worlds collide, the result is catastrophic: To Khadija, Leene embodies the tame, dutiful Syrian ideal sheโ€™s long rebelled against. And to Leene, Khadija is the strong-willed, closed-off American who makes Leene doubt her place in the world.

But as Khadija digs up Leeneโ€™s past, a startling discovery brings the two of them closer together. As the girls secretly race to unravel the truth, their blossoming friendship challenges what each knows about the other and herself. And what they find takes them all the way across the world, back to the place of Khadijaโ€™s memories and Leeneโ€™s nightmares.

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Islamophobia, the Syrian Revolution, depression, suicide (off-page), reality of socioeconomic gaps, generational trauma, PTSD, Syrian refugee.

๐Ÿ“š BUY A COPY!

Note: The quotes below are taken from an advanced copy and are subject to change in the final version.

TL;DR: This was a complex and emotional coming-of-age story about family, identity, and belonging. It shines a pointed light on the impact of the Syrian War on the Syrians in Syria, Syrian refugees, and Syrian Americans. This story is rich in culture and is packed with love for Syria as highlighted by the experiences of Khadija and Leene, two Syrian teenagers whose families may come from the same country but have entirely different life experiences. I loved how they learn from each other and grow together and the strength of the friendship that they form was really heartwarming! This took me on a complex journey of emotions and overall, I thought it was a great debut novel!

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Blog Tour Review: I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu

Hello, friends! I’m back with a blog tour review for I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu. Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it!

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

I Will Find You Again
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 14 March 2023
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Rep: Queer, Lesbian, Sapphic, Asian American, Anxiety

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

All the Bright Places meets Ace of Spades in this smart, twisty teen thriller about a girl who canโ€™t stop pushing herself to be the bestโ€”even after losing her best friend and the love of her life.

Welcome to Meadowlark, Long Islandโ€”expensive homes and good schools, ambition and loneliness. Meet Chase Ohara and Lia Vestiano: the driven overachiever and the impulsive wanderer, the future CEO and the free spirit. Best friends for yearsโ€”weekend trips to Montauk, sleepovers on a yachtโ€”and then, first love. True love.

But when Lia disappears, Chaseโ€™s life turns into a series of grim snapshots. Anger. Grief. Running. Pink pills in an Altoids tin. A cheating ring at school. Heartbreak and lies. A catastrophic secret.

And the shocking truth that will change everything about the way Chase sees Liaโ€”and herself.

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Suicidal ideation, depression, suicide, hospitalisation, anxiety, drug abuse, drug addiction

๐Ÿ“š BUY A COPY!

Note: The quotes below are taken from an advanced copy and are subject to change in the final version.

TL;DR: This was a YA mystery that I don’t think I could’ve expected and I think will be very different to what many people expect too, but for me, it was very much in a good way! This story tackles some really tough issues that were hard to read about and I would recommend checking out the content/trigger warnings beforehand because although I think this author handled these issues sensitively, she also doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of them. These pages are packed with so much tension, raw emotion, and heartbreaking moments between best friends and lovers and the struggles they face living up to societal, cultural and familial expectations. Overall, an impressive mystery that I would recommend and I can’t wait to read more by this author soon!

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Blog Tour Review: The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill

Hello, friends! I’m back with a blog tour review for The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill. Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it!

Thanks to Random House Graphic for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

The Moth Keeper
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Publication Date: 7 March 2023
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy Graphic Novel

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

Being a Moth Keeper is a huge responsibility and a great honor, but what happens when the new Moth Keeper decides to take a break from the moon and see the sun for the first time? A middle-grade fantasy graphic novel about passion, duty, and found family.

Anya is finally a Moth Keeper, the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. Her village needs the flower to continue thriving and Anya is excited to prove her worth and show her thanks to her friends with her actions, but what happens when being a Moth Keeper isnโ€™t exactly what Anya thought it would be?

The nights are cold in the desert and the lunar moths live far from the village. Anya finds herself isolated and lonely. Despite Anyaโ€™s dedication, she wonders what it would be like to live in the sun. Her thoughts turn into an obsession, and when Anya takes a chance to stay up during the day to feel the sunโ€™s warmth, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences.

K. Oโ€™Neill brings to life a beautifully illustrated fantasy world about responsibility to yourself and your community. The Moth Keeper is filled with magic, hope, and friendship.

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Depression, trauma, burn out themes, abandonment (historical, shown on page through flashback), ableism (historical, minor)

๐Ÿ“š BUY A COPY!

TL;DR: If you’ve read anything by K. O’Neill before you’ll know that their stories are not only beautifully depicted through wonderful graphic illustrations, but their stories are full of heart and leave you feeling warm inside. The Moth Keeper is no different and despite the brevity of the story, it brought me joy, made me misty-eyed, and gave me a strong feeling of hope. This is a heartwarming story about community, found family, and belonging and I’d recommend it to everyone who loves folk tales and a good story!

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ARC Review: Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken

Special thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Silver in the Bone (Silver in the Bone #1)
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: 4 April 2023
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

#1 New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken cements her status as one of the top fantasy authors writing today in this stunning series opener inspired by Arthurian legend and fueled by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!

Tamsin Lark didnโ€™t ask to be a Hollower. As a mortal with no magical talent, she was never meant to break into ancient crypts, or compete with sorceresses and Cunningfolk for the treasures inside. But after her thieving foster father disappeared without so much as a goodbye, it was the only way to keep herselfโ€”and her brother, Cabellโ€”alive.

Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian vanished with a powerful ring from Arthurian legend. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsinโ€™s hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they arenโ€™t the only ones who covet the ring.

As word spreads, greedy Hollowers start circling, and many would kill to have it for themselves. While Emrys is the last person Tamsin would choose to partner with, she needs all the help she can get to edge out her competitors in the race for the ring. Together, they dive headfirst into a vipersโ€™ nest of dark magic, exposing a deadly secret with the power to awaken ghosts of the past and shatter her last hope of saving her brother….

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Brutal violence, blood and gore, a massacre including child death, parental abandonment, physical abuse (off-page, discussed by characters), death of a guardian

Note: The quotes below are taken from an advanced/unfinished copy and are subject to change in the final version.

TL;DR: I buddy-read this with Leslie & Julie and found that it was a great book to read with them as there were lots of theories to share and other elements to discuss, and we all ended up feeling the same way about it. This book got off to a rocky start and despite wishing that the world-building was stronger and the pacing was less erratic, it’s still a story that I think is worth sticking with because I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships. Plus, with all the tense action and surprising twists that come at the end, I’m excited to see where the story goes next.

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ARC Review: Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant

Special thanks to Grace Fell at SparkPoint Studio and Balzer + Bray for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Reggie & Delilah’s Year of Falling
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: 31 January 2023
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

Delilah always keeps her messy, gooey insides hidden behind a wall of shrugs and yeah, whatevers. She goes with the flowโ€”which is how she ends up singing in her friendsโ€™ punk band as a favor, even though sheโ€™d prefer to hide at the merch table.

Reggie is a D&D Dungeon Master and self-declared Blerd. He spends his free time leading quests and writing essays critiquing the game under a pseudonym, keeping it all under wraps from his disapproving family.

These two, who have practically nothing in common, meet for the first time on New Yearโ€™s Eve. And then again on Valentineโ€™s Day. And then again on St. Patrickโ€™s Day. Itโ€™s almost like the universe is pushing them together for a reason.

Delilah wishes she were more like Reggieโ€”open about what she likes and who she is, even if itโ€™s not cool. Except… itโ€™s all a front. Reggie is just role-playing someone confident. The kind of guy who could be with a girl like Delilah.

As their holiday meetings continue, the two begin to fall for each other. But what happens once they realize theyโ€™ve each fallen for a version of the other that doesnโ€™t really exist?

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Racsim, bullying, dyslexia, chronic migraines

TL;DR: This was a fun coming-of-age YA contemporary that was a well-balanced mix of fluffy and serious. It tackles themes of racism, identity, mental health, learning disability and bullying in a sensitive and well-rounded way. Both of the characters felt like real teenagers who are simply doing their best and despite being frustrated by their actions sometimes, it was easy to root for them to find their happiness. The romance was admittedly a bit too cheesy for me at times and I felt like the build-up of the story felt too drawn out, I still enjoyed this and I think many YA readers will too!

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Book Review: King of Wrath by Ana Huang

King of Wrath (Kings of Sin #1)
Publisher: Piatkus
Pub Date: 20 October 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

Sheโ€™s the wife he never wantedโ€ฆand the weakness he never saw coming.

Ruthless. Meticulous. Arrogant.

Dante Russo thrives on control, both personally and professionally.
The billionaire CEO never planned to marryโ€” until the threat of blackmail forces him into an engagement with a woman he barely knows.

Vivian Lau, jewelry heiress and daughter of his newest enemy.
It doesnโ€™t matter how beautiful or charming she is. He’ll do everything in his power to destroy the evidence and their betrothal.
Thereโ€™s only one problem: now that he has her…he can’t bring himself to let her go.

***

Elegant. Ambitious. Well-mannered.

Vivian Lau is the perfect daughter and her familyโ€™s ticket into the highest echelons of high society.Marrying a blue-blooded Russo means opening doors that would otherwise remain closed to her new-money family.

While the rude, elusive Dante isn’t her idea of a dream partner, she agrees to their arranged marriage out of duty.
Craving his touch was never part of the plan.
Neither was the worst thing she could possibly do: fall in love with her future husband.

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

King of Wrath is a steamy billionaire/arranged marriage romance. It contains explicit sexual content, profanity, and mild violence. Recommended for mature readers only.

*This review was first posted to Goodreads in January 2023*

TL;DR: Was this particularly new in any way? No. Did I have a fun time reading it anyway? Absolutely, yes. I haven’t read a marriage-of-convenience book in a while and while this billionaire romance isn’t normally one that I gravitate to often, I’ve been enjoying my fair share of them in the last few months! I enjoyed the dynamic between Vivian and Dante and found their romance pretty entertaining. This was also not as petty and drama-filled as I thought it would be but it had just the right amount of angst to keep me interested.

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Mini Book Review: The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow

The Six Deaths of the Saint (Into Shadow #3)
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Pub Date: 15 November 2022
Genre: Adult Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

The Saint of War spares the life of a servant girl so she can fulfill her destiny as the kingdomโ€™s greatest warrior in this short story of love and loyalty by New York Times bestselling author Alix E. Harrow.

Always mindful of the debt she owes, the girl finds her worth as a weapon in the hand of the Prince. Her victories make him a king, then an emperor. The bards sing her name and her enemies fear it. But the war never ends and the cost keeps risingโ€”how many times will she repeat her own story?

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

War and everything that comes with it (blood, brutality), death of a child (briefly recounted)

*This review was first posted to Goodreads in January 2023*

TL;DR: Stories such as this make me realise that I can love short stories and novellas just as much as full-length novels because what a masterpiece! I can see why some people won’t find it enjoyableโ€”whether it’s the POV or writing or “slow” paceโ€”but I found myself awed by the fact that all of this is packed into a story that’s 30 pages long. Long story short, read it or at least give it a try; I highly recommend it! Also, it can definitely be read as a standalone so you can dive right in.

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ARC Review: Seven Percent of Ro Devereux by Ellen O’Clover

Special thanks to HarperTeen for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Seven Percent of Ro Devereux
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: 17 January 2023
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

A clever, charming, and poignant debut novel about a girl who must decide whether to pursue her dreams or preserve her relationships, including a budding romance with her ex-best friend, when an app she created goes viral.

Ro Devereux can predict your future. Or, at least, the app she built for her senior project can.

Working with her neighbor, a retired behavioral scientist, Ro created an app called MASH, designed around the classic game Mansion Apartment Shack House, that can predict a personโ€™s future with 93% accuracy. The app will even match users with their soul mates. Though it was only supposed to be a class project, MASH quickly takes off and gains the attention of tech investors.

Roโ€™s dream is to work in Silicon Valley, and sheโ€™ll do anything to prove to her new backing companyโ€”and the worldโ€”that the app works. So itโ€™s a huge shock when the app says her soul mate is Miller, her childhood best friend with whom she had a friendship-destroying fight three years ago. Now thrust into a fake dating scenario, Ro and Miller must address the years of pain between them if either of them will have any chance of achieving their dreams.

Fans of Emma Lord and Alex Light will love this stand-alone contemporary novel with a masterful slow-burn romance at its core.

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death of a loved one, injury caused by angry mob, parental abandonment

**note: this review was originally written when i finished the book in January 2023!**

TL;DR: I didn’t expect to find another second 5-star read in January or for it to be another YA contemporary but lo and behold! There is SO MUCH to love about this bookโ€”from the friendships and family relationships to the romance, the honest exploration of self and the character growth, the writing, the tension, and the angst, it was all SO good and the fact that it’s a debut actually stuns me. I don’t know if it’s too soon to say but I think I may have found a new favourite YA contemporary! If you enjoy coming-of-age YA contemporaries or have a young reader in your life to give a rec to, I would highly recommend this for its realistic characters, wonderful friendships/relationships, and a swoontastic romance.

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