Tag: ya

Roar

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Aurora is the heir to the Pavan throne. Her family is one of the oldest Storming bloodlines in existence, and Aurora’s storm magic abilities are rumored to be one of the most powerful of all time. Little does everyone know… Aurora has shown no signs of her family’s legendary gifts.

When faced with an arranged marriage, Aurora is ready to submit to her fate. Yet when she encounters a young storm hunter who was born without magic, but took it from the heart of a storm, she dreams of charting her own path. Roar is the first book in the Stormheart trilogy. The second book has already been published, and the conclusion is currently scheduled to come out in 2021.

What I loved most:

I’ve read a lot of YA fantasy books. And don’t get me wrong, I love a typical YA fantasy world – but it seems like so many of them tell the same story over and over again. Roar tells a new story. The world and the magic in this series are so unique. I’ve never encountered a fantasy world built around storm magic. I also loved the concept of people being able to take magic for themselves, rather than relying on inheriting magic through their bloodline. Three cheers for creating your own destiny!

Read this book if you like:

Fantasy trilogies, strong female protagonists, romance, challenging people’s expectations for your life

Things to be aware of:

There is some sexual content, so this might not be appropriate for high school students. There is also spirit magic involved in part of the book.

Book details:

  • Author: Cora Carmack
  • Publisher: Tor Teen
  • Date of Publication: June 13, 2017
  • Series: Stormheart #1
  • Age Recommendation: Late high school to college
  • Look up Roar on WorldCat to find it at library near you!

Grown

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Then… Enchanted Jones is a high school student who dreams of being a singer. When super-famous R&B artist Korey Fields takes notice of her at an audition, she can’t believe her luck. Korey gives her his number, but tells her to keep it on the down low.

Now… Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands, and Korey is dead.

Grown is a riveting thriller that touches on power dynamics, racial identity, and our culture’s determination not to believe girls and women.

What I loved most:

Tiffany D. Jackson is an astounding writer. I love her books, and I tend to burn through them quickly – she writes the kind of stories that are next to impossible to put down. She depicts the cycle of abuse in such an engaging way, juxtaposing Korey’s violence in one minute with his sweetness in another. Honestly though, one of my favorite parts of this book was the inclusion of the text chain between a group of people that Enchanted hangs out with. Their reactions line up so well with how our culture tends to respond to accusations of sexual assault.

Things to be aware of:

With all of the aforementioned love for this book that I already stated… Grown is being marketed as a YA book, and I would not recommend it for (most) high school students. There’s extremely mature content in this book – sexual and physical violence are intrinsic to the story. The protagonist is still in high school when the narrative starts, and these are absolutely issues that are real for many high school students. However, I would exercise caution before handing this to a kid in high school.

Read this book if you like:

Mysteries, the entertainment industry, the #MeToo movement, calling out abuses of power

Book details:

  • Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
  • Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
  • Date of Publication: September 15, 2020
  • Age Recommendation: College Students to Adults
  • Look up Grown on Worldcat to find it at a library near you!

K-Pop Confidential

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Candace has always kept her appreciation for K-Pop music on the down low. It seems like way too much for the Korean-American girl to also be into K-Pop. But when she finds out that one of the biggest labels in K-Pop is holding open auditions for the next big girl group in her home state of New Jersey, she takes the jump and decides to audition. She never actually thought she’d make the cut… but then she’s chosen to head to the label’s headquarter’s in Seoul for a training program. Will she be able to rise above the strained social dynamics between her potential group mates, the prohibition on dating, and the intensity of the K-Pop stans to become the next big K-Pop star? 

What I loved most:

This is literally a book that I opened with the intention of reading the first chapter or two before moving on to productive activities in my life… and before I knew it, I was halfway through. I just could not put it down! Books about singers/actors/famous people in the entertainment industry are my non-guilty pleasure (#sorrynotsorry), and I loved following Candace’s journey from standard American high school student to trainee in this super hard core program. I’m also here for any books about identity formation, and watching Candace reconcile who the label wants her to be with who she is on the inside is such a beautiful journey. Other bonus: this is an #OwnVoices book, which I’m always pumped about.

Things to be aware of:

Candace (and the rest of the trainees) are placed on a crazy-strict diet by the label. There’s a lot of problematic body expectations that are placed on all of the trainees, which I do think are an accurate depiction of the way that the entertainment industry treats people. It could be triggering/hard to read for people who have struggled with an eating disorder. 

Read this book if you like:

Books that suck you in right away, K-pop (obvi), the entertainment industry, following your dreams, I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee, summer reads

Book details:

  • Author: Stephan Lee
  • Publisher: Point
  • Date of Publication: September 15, 2020
  • Age Recommendation: High school students and young adults
  • Look up K-Pop Confidential on Worldcat to find it at a library near you!