Cemetery Boys

Cemetery Boys

By: Aiden Thoms

Audiobook narrated by: Avi Roque

352 pages 

Published September 1, 2020

My review 4.5 stars out of 5

I read this book to complete a prompt in the Boise Public Library's Ultimate Book Nerd challenge: Read a book about a holiday tradition you don't celebrate. 

A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas's paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys.
Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.


This story is about a trans boy trying to prove his place in his traditional latinx family. It includes some magical elements and lots of tradition. 

I loved the inner-city setting and the diverse mix of characters. The narrator, Avi Roque, did an amazing job of bringing Yadriel to life and making him feel like a real person. To be able to be in the mind of a transgender person, to see life from their eyes, it was enlightening. 

Though a work of fiction, I like to think that Thomas (the author) used some real-world stories to bring this character to life. He certainly felt real to me. There will be more in this series of books, but I loved that this was a full and complete story all on its own. No waiting for book two to know what happens because this book wrapped things up nicely. Other authors could learn a few things about books in a series! 

Another thing I really loved about this story was the way that the stories of Yadriel's culture were woven in. I feel like I really got to know a bit about the Latinx culture and why they celebrate el Día de los Muertos. That is why I originally picked up this book. I needed a book that fit the prompt: Read a book about a holiday tradition you don't celebrate. This fit it perfectly. I just saw this on the amazon q&a with the author about his inspiration: "What inspired you to write Cemetery Boys? Cemetery Boys was inspired by a writing prompt I saw on Tumblr — “What happened if you summoned a ghost and couldn’t get rid of it?” How great is that?! 

The Gilded Duology

Gilded

497 pages

Originally published 11/2/21

My review: 5 out of 5 stars

In Gilded, Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author, returns to the fairytale world with this haunting retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue. Or so everyone believes. 

When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her… for a price. Love isn't meant to be part of the bargain. Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.

This is the first book in the Gilded Duology by Marissa Meyers. I already know I love her books (see my reviews on the Lunar Chronicles). She just has a gift with taking a fairy tale and making it her own story. I listened to this in audiobook form and loved it. Couldn't wait to get my hands on the second book. Unfortunately, I had to wait almost a year for that one to be published! Oh the woes of finding a new release book you love. This story is a loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Serilda was cursed by the God of lies with the ability to spin stories that are "spellbinding and entirely untrue." Or so everyone believes. Then she gets the wrong kind of attention and ends up into a haunted castle surrounded by the creepiest of company. 

I just loved following Serilda through this story, seeing what was going to happen next. Listening to her stories myself and wondering how she could be so creative (oh yeah, God blessed, that's right!) Love, love, loved this book. Definitely will be giving it another read (or listen!) 

Cursed 

478 pages

published 11/8/22

My review: 5 out of 5 stars

Serilda and Gild attempt to break the curses that tether their spirits to Adalheid's haunted castle before the Endless Moon, when the Erlking means to capture one of the seven gods and make a wish to return his lover, Perchta, from the underworld. But as the story progresses, it becomes clear he doesn't want just one god—he wants to capture all seven, and force them to bring down the veil that keeps the Dark Ones separate from the land of the mortals. Serilda and Gild must try to thwart his plans, all while solving the mystery of Gild's forgotten name, freeing his younger sister who is trapped inside Gravenstone Castle, and trying to protect their unborn child.

Romance, adventure, and Serilda's journey to finding her power as a woman, a mother, and a partner make this a retelling that Meyer fans—old and new—will treasure.

I freaking LOVE Marissa Meyer! I will read every single one of her fairy tale re-tellings. I have re-read the Lunar chronicles three times now and I am sure this will be on my list to re-read again soon. This duology is written so well. You fall in love with the storyteller and even fall in love with the "bad guys." This story takes you on such a wild ride. You can vaguely see the framework of the "old" fairy tales in there, but she doesn't force herself into the box that was created by the original writer, she makes that story her own and I freaking love it. Keep at it Meyers! I will keep on reading everything you write! This is not only getting five stars from me, but I plan on buying the duology for myself (instead of just borrowing it over and over from the library). The narrator of the audiobook is amazing too. I don't think I would even know how to say half the names in this book and she did an amazing job putting the voice to these characters for me.

The Words In My Hands

Title: The Words In My Hands 

By: Asphyxia 

Published: November 30, 2021

My rating: four of five stars

I read this book to complete a prompt in the Story Graph Genre Challenge: A contemporary or literary fiction novel with disability rep. 

Part coming of age, part call to action, this fast-paced #ownvoices novel about a Deaf teenager is a unique and inspiring exploration of what it means to belong.

Set in an ominously prescient near future, The Words in My Hands is the story of Piper: sixteen, smart, artistic, and rebellious, she’s struggling to conform to what her mom wants—for her to be ‘normal,’ to pass as hearing, and get a good job. But in a time of food scarcity, environmental collapse, and political corruption, Piper has other things on her mind—like survival.

Deaf since the age of three, Piper has always been told that she needs to compensate in a world that puts those who can hear above everyone else. But when she meets Marley, a whole new world opens up—one where Deafness is something to celebrate rather than hide, and where resilience and hope are created by taking action, building a community, and believing in something better.

Published to rave reviews as Future Girl in Australia (Allen & Unwin, Sept. 2020), this unforgettable story is told through a visual extravaganza of text, paint, collage, and drawings that bring Piper’s journey vividly to life. Insightful, hopeful, and empowering, The Words in My Hands is very much a novel for our turbulent times.

This was a beautiful book, both the writing and the illustrations. 

If you borrow this book from a library (or a friend) make sure that you read either a hard-copy or read it digitally on a device that allows you to see the beautiful colors of these illustrations. I love how this story shows the importance of Deaf culture to a growing individual. You follow Piper who has been raised by a hearing mother who placed high importance on her learning to speak "properly" and learn how to lip read. 

When she meets Marley, the son of a deaf parent. He was raised learning to both speak and sign. As she spends more time with Marley and his mother, she begins to learn not only sign language but also how the Deaf community comes together and supports each other. 

During this whole storyline, there is so much more about food scarcity, political corruption and censorship. It makes for a very compelling story. One that had me up at 3 in the morning trying to figure out what was going to happen with Piper, Marley and their families.

A Guide To Being Just Friends

A Guide To Being Just Friends

by Sophie Sullivan
Narrated by Timothy Andrés Pabon and Stephanie Willing
Published January 17, 2023

My review 4 stars out of 5

 
When Harry Met Sally meets 500 Days of Summer in A Guide to Being Just Friends, a playful and emotional romantic comedy from the author of Ten Rules for Faking It.

"Sophie Sullivan’s writing feels like a warm hug.” —Rachel Lynn Solomon, bestselling author of The Ex Talk

Hailey Sharp has a one-track mind. Get By the Cup salad shop off the ground. Do literally everything possible to make it a success. Repeat. With a head full of entrepreneurial ideas and a bad ex in her rearview, her one and only focus is living life the way she wants to. No distractions.

Wes Jansen never did understand the fuss about relationships. With a string of lackluster first dates and the pain from his parents’ angry divorce following him around, he’d much rather find someone who he likes, but won’t love. Companionship, not passion, is the name of the game.

When Hailey and Wes find each other in a disastrous meet cute that wasn’t even intended for them, they embarrassingly go their separate ways. But when Wes finds Hailey to apologize for his behavior, they strike a friendship. Because that’s all this can be. Hailey doesn’t want any distractions. Wes doesn’t want to fall in love.

What could possibly go wrong?

Although I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review, all opinions remain my own.

 
This is an adorable story about two people who vow to be "just friends." You know how well that always works out! I loved that you got to see both characters points of view. You start off with Hailey's point of view, staring her new salad shop "By The Cup" off the ground, trying to make it a success. Then you met Wes who seems to be all business.

I just loved both of them. The audiobook is just adorable. This is also book three in the series but you wouldn't know it because it is just a cute little love story all on its own. Planning to add the first two to my TBR list now!

We Are All So Good At Smiling

We Are All So Good At Smiling

By Amber McBride 

Audiobook read by the author

Published January 10, 2023 

My review 4.5 stars out of 5

They Both Die at the End meets The Bell Jar in this haunting, beautiful young adult novel-in-verse about clinical depression and healing from trauma, from National Book Award Finalist Amber McBride.

Whimsy is back in the hospital for treatment of clinical depression. When she meets a boy named Faerry, she recognizes they both have magic in the marrow of their bones. And when Faerry and his family move to the same street, the two start to realize that their lifelines may have twined and untwined many times before.

They are both terrified of the forest at the end of Marsh Creek Lane.

The Forest whispers to Whimsy. The Forest might hold the answers to the part of Faerry he feels is missing. They discover the Forest holds monsters, fairy tales, and pain that they have both been running from for 11 years.

This entire book is a metaphor for the fight that one has with their mental health. It is a beautiful story and one I can see sharing with my daughters. We are all fighting some kind of battle, even if it isn't against an actual mental health diagnosis.

There were two quotes that jumped out at me from this story. They might not be transcribed perfectly as I was listening while working. The first one is from around 14% in the book:

A rough day, a bad year -- does not equal a bad life.

It is a good reminder to stick on your mirror or in your phone to see every day.

 
The second one was around 53% of the way through:

Faerry points at my neck, "Sorrow left its fingerprints on you, it always does, doesn't it?"

Another one that makes you think of your own life, of the things that leave fingerprints on you.

I listened to this audiobook read by the author. It has a great note after by her as well as some resources. I would love to take a quick look at a hard copy just to see it. It is a beautiful cover.

Brain on Fire

Brain on Fire: My Month Of Madness 

By Susannah Cahalan

Published November 13, 2012

My review: Four stars out of five

An award-winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller that goes far beyond its riveting medical mystery, Brain on Fire is the powerful account of one woman’s struggle to recapture her identity.

When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she’d gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career at a major New York newspaper. Now she was labeled violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened?

In a swift and breathtaking narrative, Cahalan tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen.

What Susannah went through is terrifying. I cannot imagine. Then to take a step back and look at all the things that had to go right for her to get the correct diagnosis, for her to be able to have a chance a healing, it is nothing short of a miracle. The idea that so many could be suffering with autoimmune problems that are being mistakenly diagnosed as mental illnesses is absolutely terrifying. This book opened my eyes to what could really happen if we had open access to not only the diagnostic tools and knowledge of specialists (no matter our insurance coverage, income or social status) but the ability to get the life-saving treatments, regardless of the cost. Susannah was beyond BLESSED to have the ability to pay that not many people would be able to do today. This book is eye opening for sure. Her book is written with help from her family, interviews with her doctors, hospital records and even journals from her parents from her month in the hospital. Gripping story you will want to finish!

When The Moon Was Ours

When the Moon was Ours

by Anna-Marie McLemore 

Published October 4, 2016

To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town. But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.

My overall rating: three out of five stars 

As one of the books recommended to me for my 2023 facebook challenge by my friend Crystelle, this book was a bit out of my comfort zone. 

I enjoyed it overall, but it was a bit too much into the metaphors and magical thoughts and less into the story for me. 

When it was focused on the story, it really moved so quickly for me, but then you would get stuck in the thoughts in Miel's head or something and it would just drag for me... 

Loved the idea of a magical girl just appearing from the water tower. The people who come beside to help raise her. How they end up becoming her family. The community and how they react to this strange girl. It was different and I loved that part.