SHADOW AND BONE by LEIGH BARDUGO (Shadow and Bone #1) (2012) A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo offered readers something fresh when it came out in 2012. While the YA world’s obsession with fantasy novels was just getting underway, Bardugo helped popularize them with her…
EVERLESS by SARA HOLLAND (2018) A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN Everless by Sara Holland is the latest entry in YA’s fantasy obsession. There’s a kingdom, a queen, sad villagers struggling against an unjust monarchy, and a sprinkling of magic. Everything you’d expect from a YA fantasy novel. However, Everless manages…
THE SELECTION by KIERA CASS (2012) A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN The Selection by Kiera Cass spawned its own little phenomenon upon its release in 2012. Marketed as a dystopian version of The Bachelor, The Selection was the novel for you if you wanted more romance than what The Hunger…
CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by TOMI ADEYEMI (Legacy of Orisha #1) (2018) A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi is massive. Literally and figuratively. Clocking in at 530+ pages, Children of Blood and Bone breaks the “debut novel” standard in more ways than…
A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN DEMIAN by HERMANN HESSE (1919) Demian by Hermann Hesse may seem like an odd choice for this review, especially since my reviews focus on young adult novels, but hear me out: It’s a young adult novel. Maybe you read Demian in high school. Maybe you…
A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI by SANDHYA MENON When Dimple Met Rishi is an “older” new release, considering it came out in May of 2017, but after reading it, I knew it had to be the subject of my review. YA is currently undergoing a transformation…
A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN UNEARTHLY (Unearthly #1) by CYNTHIA HAND (2011) Unearthly by Cynthia Hand was published amidst a wave of YA fiction centered around angels. Along with Fallen by Lauren Kate and Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, Unearthly was something of a vanguard for the angel trend. I…
A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN THE CRUEL PRINCE (The Folk of the Air #1) by HOLLY BLACK (2018) The Cruel Prince by Holly Black comes thirteen years after the publication of her first book, Tithe. With the release of Tithe and her subsequent books, Ms. Black has enjoyed great success.…
A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN THE IRON KING (The Iron Fey #1) by JULIE KAGAWA (2010) The Iron King by Julie Kagawa came out in 2010, just five years after the publication of the first Twilight novel, and two years before the movie adaptation. This is important to note because…
A tight story filled with twists that can keep you guessing until the end. This is a different style of book — you are presented with three couples and their take on what happened the night of the barbeque. The book relives that day piece by piece from each couple…