BRIARCLIFF PREP by BRIANNA PEPPINS A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN Briarcliff Prep by Brianna Peppins is a surprising novel. Our main character, Avielle LeBeau, is fourteen years old and in her first year of school at an HBBS, a historically Black boarding school–Briarcliff Prep. Avi has a loving family and a…
THE WHISPERING DARK by KELLY ANDREW A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew has been on my radar for a long time now, mostly because I’m acquainted with the author herself! When I saw that Kelly had a book coming how, I knew I had to…
IF YOU COULD SEE THE SUN by ANN LIANG A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN Rounding out the new year for my reviews is If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang. This book follows Alice Sun, who has dedicated her life to excelling in her prestigious international school in Beijing,…
CREEP by LYGIA DAY PENAFLOR A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN I must confess, dear readers. I had no idea this book existed until a couple of weeks ago. I read the brief synopsis on Goodreads and I was hooked. Why? Because Creep by Lygia Day Penaflor is billed as the young…
DIREWOOD by CATHERINE YU A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN Listen, I know spooky season is over. I know it’s nearly Thanksgiving and the holidays are almost upon us, but hear me out: Every day is spooky season for me. So when Direwood by Catherine Yu came across my radar, I was…
THE STARS BETWEEN US by CRISTIN TERRILL A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill is one of those books that, on paper, I should have loved. This book is essentially a Dickensian commentary on class and wealth set on another planet. There’s romance! Intrigue! Space stuff! I…
THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD by TIFFANY D. JACKSON A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN Here we are again, dear readers. I’m reviewing yet another Tiffany D. Jackson book. At this point in my tenure as AOPLD’s book reviewer, I’ve come to the realization that I’ve reviewed every single one of Tiffany’s…
VAMPIRE ACADEMY by RICHELLE MEAD A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN Well, the time has come, dear readers: I’m finally doing it. I’m reviewing my favorite book of all time. Yes, it has a cheesy name. Yes, it was adapted into an equally cheesy movie. Yes, it’s currently a TV show…
LONG LIVE THE PUMPKIN QUEEN by SHEA ERNSHAW A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN As most goth children growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, I loved Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. It was one of my favorite movies growing up and I can safely say I’ve seen it at…
HOUSE OF HOLLOW by KRYSTAL SUTHERLAND A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland is a dark fairy tale of a YA novel, constructed around the lives of three very unusual sisters and their mysterious disappearance when they were children. There’s Iris, Vivi, and Grey, each extraordinarily…