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Jess’ End of The Year Mini Reviews
No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfeld
A vicious murder-suicide at an idyllic lake house leaves a small town reeling. and a society housewife on the run.
I found this to be an enjoyable quick read. It’s a study in class and the choices afforded to those with money and privilege. Rosenfeld does deep dives into her characters, which can sometimes leave the plot wanting.
I hate to be that person but I clocked the twist in this book by the 4th chapter. I read this on audio and print– the print makes the twist very obvious. I think the author is somewhat aware of this and the ‘reveal’ actually comes in the middle of the book instead of the end.
Now that we are firmly in the 2020’s I’m finding more books are having to consider social media when delving into the character’s past. If a character is between 18-30 years old you can’t talk about their high school experiences without considering what their high school Facebook or Instagram looked like.
Heartbreak Symphony by Laekan Zea Kemp
My first impression of this book was wow…this feels like it could be a prestige television show. It was this down-to-earth and character-driven book with an ominous narrative twist. Aspiring DJ Aarón Medran embarks on a series of clandestine humanitarian missions around his small barrio at the behest of La Maquina, a celebrity DJ and hometown hero Aarón is never alone on these missions as La Maquina’s 7-foot-tall robot mascot has been following him since his mother’s death. This seemingly friendly robot has a foreboding nature and leads to some of the more poignant and moving parts of the story. I liked this strange aspect of the story. I always enjoy YA books that go for a high or unusual concept.
We also follow Nina, a high school senior whose self-doubt has kept her from pursuing her dreams and performing the trumpet she loves dearly. Her story honestly felt like it could have been a companion book. I felt like both stories could have stood on their own.
Kemp masterfully balances grief, hope, and forgiveness in this emotion-packed read.
AudioFile’s 2022 Best Young Adult Audiobooks
Listen up audiobook fans ! It’s the end of the year which means it’s time to announce AudioFile’s 2022 Best Young Adult. Don’t forget to check out all of AudioFile’s 2022 Best Audiobooks. 🎧📚
AIN’T BURNED ALL THE BRIGHT
by Jason Reynolds | Read by Jason Reynolds, Nile Bullock, Tatum Marylin Hall, JaQwan J. Kelly, DePre Owens [Simon & Schuster Audio | 37 mins.]
How do you create an amazing audiobook from an illustrated novel in which the vibrant art takes center stage? Record two takes: one deftly narrated by Reynolds himself, and the second voiced by an outstanding cast.
AudioFile Earphones Award
REVIEW: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/211710/
ALL MY RAGE
by Sabaa Tahir| Read by Deepti Gupta, Kamran R. Khan, Kausar Mohammed [Listening Library | 10.5 hrs.]
A stellar trio of narrators delivers the alternating viewpoints in this superb contemporary novel and National Book Award-winner set in California’s desert. Grief and loss paint narrator Kamran R. Khan’s voice as he portrays Salahudin, who fears the loss of his mother and the breakdown of his friendship with Noor.
AudioFile Earphones Award
REVIEW: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/211863/
BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN
by Natalia Sylvester| Read by Frankie Corzo [Harper Audio | 9.25 hrs.]
Frankie Corzo delivers a satisfying and beautiful performance with her heartfelt and nimble narration. Peruvian-American teenager Veronica has hip dysplasia; being in the water is the only way she feels relief. She longs to become a mermaid performer—but her parents don’t approve.
AudioFile Earphones Award
REVIEW: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/214701/
THE HONEYS
by Ryan La Sala| Read by Pete Cross [Scholastic Audiobooks | 10.5 hrs.]
Narrator Pete Cross delivers a compelling performance of this supernatural thriller filled with secrets and emotional twists and turns at a summer camp full of surprises—and the not-so-sweet Honeys.
AudioFile Earphones Award
REVIEW: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/220096/
THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD
by Tiffany D. Jackson| Read by JD Jackson, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, Joy Nash, Christopher Salazar, Karen Malina White [Harper Audio | 11 hrs.]
Versatile narrators effectively differentiate interwoven characters’ perspectives in this retelling of Stephen King’s CARRIE. Maddy, a timid biracial teen who is bullied at school, has secret psychic powers that explode on prom night with disastrous consequences.
AudioFile Earphones Award
REVIEW: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/216419/
WHAT SOULS ARE MADE OF
by Tasha Suri| Read by Alex Williams, Becca Hirani [Macmillan Audio | 8.25 hrs.]
Alex Williams and Becca Hirani give impassioned performances in a captivating retelling of Emily Brontë’s WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Suri’s adaptation gives listeners perspectives on the minds of two teenagers who are desperately in love, while also delving into their backstories and underscoring the impact of British colonization.
AudioFile Earphones Award
REVIEW: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/219026/
The Charmed List by Julie Abe
I didn’t think cozy soft-magic romance was my thing…but this magical YA road trip romance/coming-of-age has me second-guessing that.
In Abe’s world the magic community exists in secret alongside the regular world. Ellie and Jack are former childhood best friends who grew up in their family’s magic-infused retail shops. Jack’s mother’s death pushed them apart and they’ve been making life hard for each other ever since. The last thing they want to do is embark on a road trip to a magical retailer convention together.
Did someone say enemies-to-lover second chance romance with the only one-bed trope ?
I enjoyed the simple mythology of magic in this world. Magic is a resource that the magic-aware can use to create small charms or enhance a food item. Magic does little things like boost confidence or fix a cracked phone case. Abe goes out of her way to make sure the magical system has rules and she even crafts a bit of magical history.
This book is called The Charmed List because Ellie also has this list of things she wants to do to make herself less of a wallflower. I’ll admit I’m getting a wee bit tired of the female main character who always feels ignored and has to learn to shine.
Jack and Ellie’s adventures down the California coast was the best part of this book. I felt like the ‘charmed list’ plot point didn’t really gel with the story and could have been left out.
This was an ideal blend of contemporary and fantasy!
Romance Readers and Writer’s Expo
Last weekend Kat and I grabbed tickets to the FREE Romance Readers and Writers Expo. It was a great opportunity to meet and buy books from Black romance authors.
…Virginia is for (Book) Lovers feat. Burn The Page and Razorblade Tears
I inadvertently read two local-to-me authors last month a while ago. I didn’t plan to review these books together but I found that one informed how I thought about the other. Both explore what it means to exist outside of the cis-heteronormative identity in the South.
Though they are coming from VASTLY different perspectives.
…