Picture this: I'm having a relaxing night at home, just finished watching an episode of Shadow and Bone, and I'm deciding what to do before bed. Even though I'm already currently reading two books, I somehow wind up scrolling through my unread ARCs downloaded on my Kindle. My eyes land on Both Sides Now; it calls to me with its enchanting bookish force, saying Read me, Rose!! And who am I to deny the book's request? I open it up and start reading. Fast forward three hours and there I am, curled up in bed reading the last page of this book even though I should've been asleep an hour ago. I literally could not put this book down. You know those books that have some mystic magnetic force that keeps your eyes glued to the page, unable to be drawn away? The ones that you simply cannot stop reading even though you know you were supposed to be asleep an hour (or two) ago and have to be up early for an exam or coffee date but who cares because I need to keep reading?? Yeah, Both Sides Now is one of those books. Be warned: if you pick up this book, you will not put it down until you've reached the last page. Honestly, it should come with a disclaimer that says that. Anyhow, today I present my review of this charming, unputdownable book! Special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Now let's dive in! Synopsis/Book Information
My ReviewThis book was an absolute delight to read! There were so many great elements to it that combined to make one inspiring, unputdownable story. The writing style and characters really pulled me into this book and I adored every page of it. This book discussed some deeply important issues like transphobia, homophobia, and racism in a way that was both touching and intimate while still providing learning moments for readers unfamiliar with these issues. There is really so much you can learn from this book; there were many eye-opening moments that will certainly help educate readers on many various issues. Both Sides Now is also a brilliant coming-of-age story with lots of self-growth and a healthy dose of teenage angst. I love this book so much, and I can't wait for it to be released into the world for everyone to read. One thing central to this book was debate--Finch is part of the debate team at his school and this story focuses on his nationals debate tournament. For some reason, even though I myself have never been part of a debate team before and don't really even like casual debating with friends or family, debate in books always calls to me. Why? Who knows, really. Perhaps it's because they tend to center around important topics, like this book did with trans rights. But whatever it is, I really enjoy reading about characters participating in debate and speech competitions. The high stakes and and competitiveness ran throughout this book and made it so compelling to read: I needed to know what happened...which resulted in me reading waaaay late into the night. Finch himself was such a great main character. He had all the stuff you want from a protagonist: solid character arc, good self-growth, some flaws and mistakes made to make him seem nice and realistic, and a charmingly perfect personality to top it all off. He had a rough time throughout the book, what with questioning his sexual orientation, dealing with heated parental conflicts, worrying about not getting into his dream university, and being trans and not feeling very supported by his family. I wanted to give the poor guy a hug so many times! I loved watching him learn and evolve throughout this book. He was truly inspirational, and I felt so proud of him by the end of the book. Seeing him stand up for his beliefs and opinions was really touching and heartwarming. The other characters in this book were wonderful, too. Jonah in particular was honestly just the best. I can't even express how much I'd love to have him as my friend. He was just so sweet and I loved how passionate he was about conserving the environment, with his reusable water bottles and timed showers. I also liked Lucy for the most part (although she did annoy me occasionally), and it was nice to read about a character who's vegan, which I feel like we don't often see in YA literature. Unfortunately the romance was the one element of this book that I wasn't a fan of. It just felt weird. It seemed like everyone around Finch was screaming, YOU LIKE THIS PERSON!! ADMIT IT!! and when he did finally admit it, it was more because other people thought he should feel that way? Not because he actually discovered it for himself? I don't know, I had just been expecting it to go a different way, and when it didn't it was a bit disorienting for me. It was cute in the end, but I didn't enjoy the romantic discovery/growth process as much as I would've liked. The end of this book especially hit me so hard. Literally, that last debate scene nearly brought me to tears. It was just so touching and inspiring and the emotions were off the charts. A masterpiece of a scene, there. So good. You'll know it when you read it. Well, that's a wrap on my review of Both Sides Now by Peyton Thomas! I gave this book Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I hope you'll pick it up when it releases on August 24! Personally, I highly recommend binge-reading it in one night. You won't regret it (even if you do wake up bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived the next morning).
Have a fabulous day, and I'll see y'all later!
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Hey, bookworms! Happy Sunday! To be honest, I kind of wish it were Monday (isn't that a first!) so that I could make some snazzy comment about it being 'Mystery Monday' and channel the power of that glorious alliteration. Alas, we're stuck with Mystery Sunday, which really doesn't have the same pizazz as Mystery Monday, but I suppose it'll do. Well! On Mystery Sunday (and Father's Day, for that matter--Happy Father's Day, everyone!), I'm here with my tour stop for Turn the Page Tours' The Box in the Woods Tour! For those of you who don't know, The Box in the Woods is the fourth book in Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious series. However, it's also a standalone, which is awesome because it means you can read it whether or not you've already read the Truly Devious series! (Although if you haven't read the Truly Devious series, I do highly recommend picking it up--it's a fantastic series!) A huge thank you to Turn the Page Tours for choosing me to be part of this amazing tour, and also thank you to them and HarperCollins for providing me with a finished copy of The Box in the Woods as part of joining this tour! So it's time to pull out our magnifying glasses, don our deerstalkers (did you know that's what those detective hats are called? Because I sure didn't before my lovely friend Paige over at @pagebypaigebooks told me), and join Stevie and her friends for a new murder mystery! But first, make sure to enter this giveaway for a chance to win a finished copy of The Box in the Woods (open to US only). There will be one winner, and this tour began on June 15 and ends on June 22, 2021. And also, check out The Box in the Woods tour schedule here to follow along! Now keep on scrolling to check out my review of and favorite quotes from The Box in the Woods! Synopsis/Book Information
My ReviewIt's such a delight to be back in the world of teen-detective Stevie Bell and her friends! I missed these characters so much after finishing the Truly Devious trilogy, so I was thrilled to get another book about them. This mystery was just as twisty as the Truly Devious case and it was so fun to watch Stevie become her best detective self to solve a new case. Firstly, I'd like to say that Maureen Johnson's writing is simply fabulous. She has this way of weaving wit and dry humor into every sentence, making you snicker and grin at the most mundane remarks. I absolutely adore her writing style! I know Stevie was reckless in the original Truly Devious trilogy, but was she really this reckless? I can't remember for sure, but I do know that she made some slightly questionable decisions in this book. However, I'm not one to judge, because, after all, she's Stevie Bell. She knows what she's doing...I think? Either way, that just adds to the charm of her character. Stevie would probably give me her worst glare for referring to her as charming, but she just does have some irresistible teen detective charm that makes her so great to read about. If she asked me to solve a mystery with her, I'd say yes in a heartbeat, despite the danger that always follows her around like a shadow. Her friends, Nate and Janelle, are also such fantastic characters, so full of personality and quirks. I unfortunately can't say I was that huge of a fan of David in this book (I think I liked him more in the original trilogy? But now I'm questioning my character preferences), and I definitely wasn't thrilled with his and Stevie's relationship. There weren't enough scenes of them together doing relationship-y stuff for it to feel like an actual relationship--more like they were just acquaintances who met up every once in a while to make out in the woods and drive around town. But some of their interactions were pretty amusing, so I won't totally discount their relationship. As for new characters, Carson was simply hilarious and provided the perfect amount of comic relief. All of his weird eccentricities were too amusing to read about--but if we're being honest, Box Box does seem like the sort of odd thing people would be into in real life. Like with the original trilogy, I enjoyed how the chapters include some scenes from the past. This adds to the mysteriousness and drama of the case, and it allows the reader to get an intimate look at the victims, suspects, and surrounding people from that time. One thing I felt was a bit off was how quickly this book wrapped up; it felt like it went from extreme drama and tension to suddenly the case being resolved. Plus, it didn't feel like Stevie had much concrete evidence for her accusation--it was a bit too much guessing for my liking. However, it still was a relatively satisfactory conclusion to the mystery. Overall, I really enjoyed The Box in the Woods! It was an intriguing, twisty mystery that kept me guessing. It was wonderful to be back in the world of Stevie Bell, investigating a new murder case. This book will no doubt please both longtime fans of the series and newcomers alike! I gave this book Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Favorite QuotesAuthor Information
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Hey there, bookworms!My name is Rose (she/her) and I'm the creator of Books of Magic and Mystery. I love reading YA books, especially fantasy and mystery. When I'm not reading, you can find me baking, studying, or cuddling with my super-furry pets. Visit me on Instagram @booksofmagicandmystery! Archives
November 2021
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