★★ “You have always been the worst of my children,” he said. “Be sure to not dishonor me.” “I have a better idea. I will do as I please, and when you count your children, leave me out.” Circe was always an odd child and she became an even odder adult. It was clear from her… Continue reading Circe by Madeline Miller
Dark Places – Gillian Flynn
★★★★ I was raised feral, and I mostly stayed that way. Libby Day is famous for all the wrong reasons. When she was seven years old when her mother and two sisters were murdered at the height of the Satanic Panic in her small town in Kansas. All the evidence pointed to Ben, Libby's older brother. The… Continue reading Dark Places – Gillian Flynn
Thorn – Intisar Khanani
★★★★★ “We all need our quiet, I think. We all have our unspoken wishes, hopes we cannot mention, choices we may yet regret.” Princess Alyrra spent her life balanced on the precipice of fear - her brother finds joy in being cruel and her mother could care less. Her greatest wish is to fade into the background… Continue reading Thorn – Intisar Khanani
Down a Dark Hall – Lois Duncan
Kit Gordy's mom just got married and during the absurdly long honeymoon, she's shipped off to Blackwood Hall - an all-girl's school that promises individual attention and personalized learning. At first...she was okay about the idea. She'd do anything for her mother. But very quickly on, she realizes that there's something...off about this school. The dorm rooms… Continue reading Down a Dark Hall – Lois Duncan
Nimona – Noelle Stevenson
“You can't just go round murdering people. There are rules, Nimona.” Nimona, a wild young shapeshifter, finds a new talent... when it comes to being evil. “In the meantime...how would you feel about robbing a bank? " "Positively! I feel positively about robbing a bank!" She teams up with Lord Ballister Blackheart - the villain… Continue reading Nimona – Noelle Stevenson
Yellow Jessamine – Caitlin Starling
Evelyn Perdanu runs a tight ship. She's beyond wealthy, surrounded by loyal servants and is just-so-happening to be harboring the darkest of secrets. She returns from her latest voyage and almost immediately her crew begins to act erratically before slipping into a deathless state. Fearful that she's brought a plague upon the (crumbling) city, she begins to investigate.… Continue reading Yellow Jessamine – Caitlin Starling
The Bone Witch – Rin Chupeco
★★★★ When people cut us, we are expected to do only two things: smile and bleed. Tea, a young girl in a poor village, comes from a family of witches. She always imagined her powers to be similar to her family - something domestic and heartwarming. But...when her brother returns from the war, dead, and then… Continue reading The Bone Witch – Rin Chupeco
The Devastations of Lust – LH Pritchard
★★★ ½ For all intents and purposes, I am Lust. If you have heard of the Deadly Sins, you'll understand the concept. In this world, the Seven Deadly Sins are personified by vampires and they "drink" the life-force of humans who are living the sins. "Lust" has been miserable with her life for a long time. Like a… Continue reading The Devastations of Lust – LH Pritchard
Jeremy Thatcher – Bruce Coville
★★★ ½ Nothing you love is lost Jeremy Thatch is NOT having a good day. He gets chased by Howard and Freddie, Mary Lou tried to kiss him AND he manages to get lost in his own neighborhood. At least, the shop he's wandered into looks pretty cool. There's all sorts of dangerous and mysterious… Continue reading Jeremy Thatcher – Bruce Coville
The Monster’s Ring – Bruce Coville, Katherine Coville (illustrator)
★★★ To change yourself into a hideous monsters, place the ring on the ring finger of your right hand...Use with caution, and never on the night of a full moon. Russell Crannaker is constantly being babied by his mom and bullied by the kids at school. He's SO SICK of it! He wishes - for once -… Continue reading The Monster’s Ring – Bruce Coville, Katherine Coville (illustrator)
