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YA Review: The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay (Ryan Douglass)

June 20th, 2026 by Stephanie Augustine, Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer

About the Book:

Seventeen-year-old Nick Carrington wants nothing more than to leave Greenwood, Oklahoma, behind and make a name for himself in the papers. But when tragedy strikes, dreams turn into a twisted reality. Forced to start anew in Harlem, only a letter of acceptance from the prestigious West Egg Academy is able to pull him back into the world.

But the supposedly integrated private boys’ school is more of a catchy headline than a fact, with the same prejudices Nick left behind back home. And his secret but growing feelings for the founder’s wickedly charismatic son, Jay Gatsby Jr.— who dances past society’s conventions with practiced ease—only add more complications.

When Nick’s cutting pen exposes dangerous truths about West Egg and leads to perilous consequences, he and Jay must decide whether to spend a lifetime outrunning trouble or be the ones to light the match. Can they not only fight back but triumph? Or will the powers that be win yet again?

*Review Contributed by Rachel Moulden, Staff Reviewer*

After reading Douglass’ prior novel, The Taking of Jake Livingston, I knew I was in for a treat with this Great Gatsby retelling. Douglass does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the original story while also adding new elements that readers will enjoy. Set during the roaring 20s, the novel follows Nick Carrington who leaves Oklahoma after tragedy and meets Jay Gatsby while starting a new life in New York. Though the young men come from very different worlds their newfound relationship connects them on a deeper level. But when truths of their world at West Egg become exposed it’s a dangerous race against time to expose the truth to world.

This novel is a highly immersive read from the authors great descriptions of the glamour of the era but also doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of racism, bullying, social class, among other issues the main cast of characters face. Douglass allows his readers to get lost in Nick and Jay’s world while also balancing the thin lines they teeter through every day. Each chapter is detailed and engaging making sure that the plot never loses steam throughout the novel.

Though the novel is stated as a retelling of Great Gatsby, I feel like this novel does so much more than that. It feels like such a fresh and imaginative read overall. The characters have a life of their own and feel separate from the original source material. Douglass does a great job of centering queer Black experiences during the early 1920 on top of the story’s great emotional depth because of the Tulsa tie-in at the beginning of the tale. The characters and romance plotline were handled with great care.

This is fantastic read that explores themes such passion, ambition, trauma, and the meaning of family. It’s a well-written queer coming-of-age story that is more than just a retelling and I recommend this to readers who enjoy historical fiction.

*Find More Info & Buy It Here!*

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YA Review: Letters to Misty (Misty Copeland)

June 19th, 2026 by Stephanie Augustine, Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer

About the Book:

New York Times bestselling author and first black female American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland offers “[a]ffirming life lessons to encourage athletes, creatives, and everyday dreamers” (Kirkus Reviews) based on letters she’s received over the years from fans.

As the first African American principal female dancer at American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland has spent most of her career navigating a white-dominated industry that puts many barriers in her path. Through it all, Misty has credited the many mentors who have helped her become the dancer and person she is today.

With Misty’s profile now at peak heights, she has found herself in a mentor role, often asked for advice on everything from dance-specific questions to life lessons about being the “other” in certain spaces by her fans. As Misty herself has said, “I think it’s really important to have a community around you, a support system, mentors, people that are going to be there for you on those days when you just aren’t strong enough to do it yourself.”

*Review Contributed by Rachel Feeck, Staff Reviewer*

In a society that obsesses over results and achievements, affirmations on the value of joy and self-care can be shockingly rare. Here, Misty does just that, drawing on her experience as a renowned ballerina to speak to preserving creative passion and a healthy life balance when schedules and other pressures prioritize demanding schedules and a seemingly constant striving for perfection.

Framed as an intimate Q&A, or responses to questions from young fans, this book shares anecdotes from Misty’s career and childhood. In these reflections, Misty shares encouragements that aren’t often said. Taking a break doesn’t mean giving up, for studies or for hobbies. Joy is important. Perfection is not the only goal. Other themes include the power of passion to overcome introverted shyness, how to handle criticism, the importance of finding a support circle (of both peers and mentors), how to build confidence, and what it means to face impostor syndrome or feel like you’re putting on a brave face or a façade.

Of course, becoming the best of the best requires dedication, but for kids and teens exploring interests and finding their path in life, these reminders that hobbies and side projects and things we do just for fun are valid and valuable are so important.

Each section is generally two-four pages, making for easy reading as a daily dose of inspiration. It can seem a little repetitive to read the entire book straight through, but hey, extra positive reinforcement is a good thing. And with the range of questions, it feels like everyone will find more than one subject that they relate to.

Of course, dance comes up quite a bit, but so does music and family life, and the themes and broader discussion are easily applied to other activities, sports, or hobbies.

*Find More Info & Buy It Here!*

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YA Review: The Empire Wars (Akana Phenix)

June 18th, 2026 by Stephanie Augustine, Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer

About the Book:

The Empire Wars is a powerful YA debut where survival and magic are a deadly mix.

Coa, who was born feral in the North Transatlantic wilds, has just been captured. Now, Coa is subject to public humiliation and execution in a gruesome spectacle known as The Great Hunt.

If participants die in the Great Hunt their entire family will be executed–in front of everyone. The nationalist regime, known as the Allied Force, will not rest until all foreigners are exterminated. Coa’s best hope of survival might be Princess Ife–born of privilege, but newly married into the authoritarian lineage.

Her riskier choice is an alliance with a gorgeous, cunning fellow participant, marked as a traitor to his militarized nation. Coa entangles herself with the captivating young man, but soon finds he could be her ultimate downfall …

*Review Contributed by Jan Farnworth, Digital Manager/Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer*

Some books arrive politely. Empire Wars arrives carrying a flamethrower and unresolved generational trauma.

Empire Wars is a dystopian fantasy that drops readers into a brutal empire where survival is entertainment, oppression is infrastructure, and every chapter feels sharpened on a whetstone. The story follows Coa, a hunted survivor forced into the Great Hunt, which is essentially “what if state-sponsored murder became primetime television?” Delightful little nightmare fuel.

What really hooked me was the atmosphere. This book feels cold. Not emotionally empty cold, but frostbite-under-your-fingernails cold. Every page carries this suffocating tension, as if the world itself is holding its breath, waiting for something catastrophic to happen. And usually something catastrophic happens, because this novel has the emotional mercy of a collapsing staircase.

Coa is the standout here. She isn’t the usual polished YA heroine with perfectly timed sarcasm and convenient bravery. She feels jagged. Exhausted. Angry in the deeply human way that comes from being cornered too long. Her survival instincts are practically animalistic, and it makes her compelling even when she’s making terrible decisions. Especially then, honestly.

The dual perspectives work well, too, because they show both sides of the empire’s machinery. One character clawing through survival on the outside, another trapped within the system itself. It creates this constant tension between rebellion and complicity that gives the story real weight beneath all the action and fire magic.

And yes, the magic. The elemental abilities are woven into the political horror instead of sitting on top like decorative frosting. The fantasy elements never overpower the dystopian core, which I appreciated. This is still very much a story about control, propaganda, violence, and what people become when survival costs too much.

That said, this book is dense. The worldbuilding is ambitious to the point of occasionally feeling like being handed a history textbook while someone screams battle strategies in the background. There were moments where the pacing slowed under the sheer amount of lore being introduced. I found myself rereading certain sections like a conspiracy theorist pinning red string across a corkboard.

But even when it stumbles, Empire Wars swings hard. It’s messy in the way many ambitious debuts are messy: overflowing with ideas, intensity, and raw conviction. I would rather read a book that reaches too far than one that plays it painfully safe, and this one absolutely lunges for the ceiling chandelier.

Fair warning, though: the vibes are grim. This is not a cozy fantasy nibbling pastries beside enchanted bookstores. This is “humanity is held together with rusted nails and bad political decisions.” Everyone desperately needs therapy, soup, and probably several uninterrupted naps.

Overall, Empire Wars feels like the opening cannon blast of a larger saga. Brutal, cinematic, emotionally exhausting, and impossible to ignore. I finished it feeling slightly hollowed out in the best way.

*Find More Info & Buy It Here!*

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Interview With Mark Morton (The Headmasters)

June 18th, 2026 by Cherokee Crum, Blog Manager and Staff Reviewer

Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Mark Morton (The Headmasters)!

Meet the Author: Mark Morton

Mark Morton, author of the award-winning novel The Headmasters is also the author of four nonfiction titles Cupboard Love: A Dictionary of Culinary Curiosities (nominated for a Julia Child Award); The End: Closing Words for a Millennium (winner of the Alexander Isbister Award for nonfiction); The Lover’s Tongue: A Merry Romp Through the Language of Love and Sex (republished in the UK as Dirty Words), and Cooking with Shakespeare. He’s also written more than 50 columns for Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture (University of California Press) and has written and broadcast more than a hundred columns about language and culture for CBC Radio. Mark has a PhD in sixteenth-century literature from the University of Toronto and has taught at several universities in France and Canada. He and his wife, Melanie Cameron, (also an author) have four children, three dogs, one rabbit, and no time.

Website * Instagram

About the Book: The Headmasters

How do you learn from the past if there isn’t one?

Sixty years ago, something awful happened. Something that killed everyone except the people at Blue Ring. Something that caused the Headmasters to appear. But Maple doesn’t know what it was. Because talking about the past is forbidden. Everyone at Blue Ring has a Headmaster. They sink their sinewy coils into your skull and control you, using your body for backbreaking toil and your mind to communicate with each other. When someone dies, their Headmaster transfers to someone new. But so do the dead person’s memories, and if one of those memories surfaces in the new host’s mind, their brain breaks. That’s why talking about the past is forbidden. Maple hates this world where the past can’t exist and the future promises only more suffering. And she hates the Headmasters for making it that way. But she doesn’t know how to fight them – until memories start to surface in her mind from someone who long ago came close to defeating the Headmasters. But whose memories are they? Why aren’t they harming her? And how can she use them to defeat the Headmasters? Maple has to find the answers herself, unable to tell anyone what she’s experiencing or planning—not even Thorn, the young man she’s falling in love with. Thorn, who has some forbidden secrets of his own . . .

Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

~Author Chat~

YABC: What inspired you to write this book?
I’ve always loved stories that take place in dystopian environments, whether they are novels like The Hunger Games and 1984, or TV series like The Walking Dead and The Last of Us, so I wanted to write the kind of dystopian novel that I’d have wanted to read as a young adult. To me, dystopias are compelling because they quickly reveal a person’s true character, pushing them towards becoming a hero or a villain. I also wanted to write a novel that focussed on resilience and hope. I think it must be very hard for a young person in our actual world not to feel discouraged and worried, when there are so many huge issues like climate change, global conflicts, pandemics, and the rapid change and impact of new technologies. So I wanted to write a book that showed that hope is possible, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, and that the most important trait we can have – apart from love for one another – is resilience.

YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
There’s a scene where a character named Ivy, who’s conspiring with the Headmasters, is pursuing Maple with the intention of killing her. It’s an exciting scene, because it takes place as the building around them is crumbling, but it’s also a scene in which we can see that Ivy is not merely “evil,” but rather is acting out of her own fear and her own need for certainty. In fact, Ivy is doing what she believes to be right. I think that makes her a compassionate character, but at the same time we don’t want her to harm Maple. I like creating that complexity of character.

YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
The most important thing about being a writer is that you have to write. There are days where I don’t feel like writing or where I wonder if a given writing project is any good, but I still need to sit down in front of the laptop and make words appear on the screen. A writer can’t just wait for inspiration to come along out of thin air – you have to be persistent, you have to keep at it, both when the writing comes easily and also when it’s a struggle. No doubt that’s true of almost anything that a person wants to excel in. To put it another way, “grit” is just as important as talent.

YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
The cover of The Headmasters depicts a creature that looks like a plate-sized wood tick attached to the back of a young woman, and the cover as a whole has a creepy greenish tinge. This perfectly captures how I imagined the Headmasters: as disturbing, inscrutable aliens that make themselves part of us. I also like that we can’t see the face of the young woman – who I imagine is Maple – because it suggests how she herself isn’t yet aware of who she can become.

YABC: What are your favorite themes or tropes?
My favourite trope is characters in the process of discovering themselves and transcending what they perceive to be their limitations.

YABC: Do you have a playlist you listened to while writing?
I don’t listen to music when I write because I find it distracting, but I do like to have a bit of hubbub in the background. That’s why I like to write in coffee shops where the conversations of other people blur into a gentle wave of sound. Sometimes I also like to listen to playlists of “Lofi beats,” but I don’t think of that as music so much as just a rhythmic beat laid over some soothing white noise. When I’m not writing, I listen to a diverse range of music, from 1920s blues to 1990s grunge, and from Bob Dylan to Sabrina Carpenter.

YABC: What kind of animal would your main character be and why?
One of the main characters in The Headmasters actually is an animal – namely, a dog named Farley, though in fact he’s really a kind of “spirit guide,” who only interacts with Maple, the main character, when she enters the collective “mindscape” of the Headmasters. The Farley in the novel is based on one of my own dogs, who was also named Farley. After my wife and I adopted two older children, Farley was so important in helping our new kids adjust to our family – it was as if they were adopting him. The relationship that humans can have with dogs – a relationship that dates back tens of thousands of years – is one of the most important aspects of being human. As for Maple herself, I think of her more like a tree than an animal — specifically, as her name suggests, a maple tree. I gave her that name partly because the novel is set in a remote part of Canada, and Canada’s national tree is the maple. Second, maple trees are incredibly strong and resilient, and in the fall their leaves turn into explosions of color — reds, and oranges, and yellows. I see that as symbolic of Maple as a young woman: as she discovers who she is and her capabilities, she turns into a brilliant and powerful hero.

YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
As a writer, I think my superpower is coming up with a good idea for a story, and then trusting that the story will reveal itself as I work on it. I see it as being kind of like driving on a highway in the fog: you know where you want to get to, but you can’t see more than 50 yards ahead, and yet you trust that the highway is there, even though you can’t yet see it.

Has The Headmasters received good reviews?
It’s got a 4.5 rating on Goodreads, so ordinary readers are really liking it. And here are some of my favourite reviews that it’s received:

“A new science fiction novel that feels like it’s already a classic… Morton’s The Headmastersinvites the reader into a dystopian future that is rife with traditional science fiction world building. His work brings to light the challenges of control and the puzzles that come with trying to navigate a future when the past is lost to memory. . . This well-paced young adult novel captures the readers’ attention right from the beginning, engaging them in epic storytelling and reminding them that there is a time when it’s important to stand up and fight for what you believe in.”— Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy Jurors, 2025 CCBC Book Awards

“Mark Morton’s The Headmasters is a brilliant science-fiction debut from one of Canada’s best-loved nonfiction writers. This compelling YA novel is a spot-on updating of Robert A. Heinlein’s classic The Puppet Masters for the new millennium, with intricate world-building, a great science-fiction puzzle, and — ironic for a novel about suppressed memories — a main character you’ll never forget. I loved it.” — Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of The Downloaded

“A provocative and intelligent science fiction novel that challenges its readers to think about oppression and domination, what it means to truly resist, and what motivates one to fight against a tyrannical system even when the citizens don’t know that they are being tyrannized.” – LitPick (Five Star Book Review Award winner)

“Eminently readable and exciting . . . The Headmasters is a worthy companion to books such as Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids . . . in contemplating humanity and freedom in a Canadian context.”— Bill Rambo, The Winnipeg Free Press

YABC: What’s up next for you?
I’ve completed another novel called The Child I Once Was that takes place in the same world as The Headmasters, but its darker in tone and it’s intended for adults rather than young adults. I see it as kind of similar to Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel or The Road by Cormac McCarthy. And I’ve also started to work on another novel that takes place just after the First World War and is about a golem (that is, a human-like creature made of mud) and an illusionist who runs in the same circles as Harry Houdini.

Title: The Headmasters

Author: Mark Morton

Release Date: 2024

Publisher: Shadowpaw Press

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Range: Young Adult (12+)

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YA Review: Fate Be Changed: A Twisted Tale (Farrah Rochon)

June 17th, 2026 by Stephanie Augustine, Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer

About the Book:

What if the witch gave Merida a different spell? This New York Times best-selling series twists Disney•Pixar’s Brave into a fast-paced story in which Merida is sent back in time.

If you could change your fate, would you? Merida understands that as princess of Clan DunBroch, she has certain obligations—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it. Especially when one of those obligations means losing her freedom by becoming betrothed to a man she has never met. Merida balks at this tradition, but her mother Queen Elinor insists that Merida must do this to embrace her role as future queen.

Determined to chart her own path, Merida follows magical wisps to a witch’s cottage, where she is given a magic pastry and promised it will incite “a great transformation” in her mother. But instead of feeding Elinor the pastry, Merida eats it herself.

Merida awakens in the past, a now-teenage Elinor holding a knife to her throat and accusing her of espionage. She’s been transported to a time when the Clans MacCameron and DunBroch are bitter enemies. And it just so happens that the timing of Merida’s arrival has kept Elinor and Fergus from meeting.

Will Merida be able to bridge the rival clans, help her parents fall in love, and change her own fate?

*Review Contributed by Connie Reid, Site Manager and Staff Reviewer*

Disney Pixar’s Brave has joined the ranks of Disney Twisted Tales, with Fate Be Changed, which asks, “What if the witch gave Merida a different spell?” The answer to that is a delightful bit of time travel where Merida meets her parents, Princess Elinor and Fergus, before they meet each other.
Merida has grown up with the story of her parents meeting and falling in love, but when she ends up unknowingly being the one thrown by her horse and found by Elinor instead, she has a lot of work to bring these two together.
Along the way, Merida gets a chance to befriend Elinor and see that at her age they have similar feelings about marriage and the burden of being a Princess. She also sees that many things are different from her time, such as meeting her coldly strict grandparents for the first time.
I really like the portrayal of Fergus in this story. In the movie he is oafish and comic relief. In this story he is quietly calm, kind, and competent, making it believable why Elinor would fall in love with him even though she is betrothed to another since her birth.
This book is a cozy reimagining of the story of Brave and hits all the feel-good notes of Merida trying to get her parents to fall in love in time for her to exist. During the story, she is slowly turning into a bear; that doesn’t add much to the plot but doesn’t hurt it either.
I read this book as an audiobook, which was a great choice to feel immersed in the story. The Scottish accent made it feel authentic, and she sounded like the voice from the movie, giving it added credibility. Overall, this is a fun addition to the Twisted Tale series, and we are left with a few changes in the Brave world for the better.

*Find More Info & Buy It Here!*

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Guest Post with Ama Ofosua Lieb (Goldenborn)!

June 17th, 2026 by Cherokee Crum, Blog Manager and Staff Reviewer

Today we are excited to share a guest post from author Ama Ofosua Lieb (Goldenborn).

Read on for more about the author, the book, and what she has to say!

Meet the Author: Ama Ofosua Lieb

Ama Ofosua Lieb was born in Ghana, and has lived in Canada, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Nigeria, and South Africa. She now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and their two young children. She holds an MA in Sociology and a BA in Economics, both from Stanford University. Goldenborn is her debut novel.

Website * Instagram

About the Book: Goldenborn

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA YA BOOK CLUB PICK

A girl with a mission. A god with a deal. A story that could change everything.

When 17-year-old Akoma Addo stumbles into a world of ancient gods and modern magic, she’ll have to choose between saving her father… or staying true to everything she’s ever believed.

Akoma Addo has one rule: don’t get too close to the supernatural.

Ever since a blazing orb of light left her father in a coma, she’s buried herself in her secret job investigating magical crimes in San Francisco’s AfricaTown — just enough to keep her grief at bay. But when a body turns up in a pool of molten gold and ash, Akoma’s pulled into something much bigger — and far more dangerous. At the center of it all is Anansi, the trickster god of stories, who makes her an impossible offer: help him catch a killer and awaken the ancestral magic buried deep in her blood… and in return, he’ll give her a chance to bring her father back. To take the deal, Akoma will have to lie to everyone she loves and embrace the very power she’s spent years trying to deny. And as her connection grows with Xander, the new guy in town with secrets of his own, Akoma must decide who she can trust — especially when she’s no longer sure she can even trust herself. Rooted in Ghanaian mythology and packed with mystery, danger, and slow-burning romance, Goldenborn is a gripping fantasy about legacy, lies, and what it really means to rewrite your story.

Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

~ Guest Post ~

Three Things I Loved as a Teen That Made It onto the Pages of Goldenborn

They say to write what you know, and while Goldenborn is full of magic, mystery, and danger, some of the details came from real parts of my own teenage years. I loved weaving in moments, rituals, and passions that shaped me as a teen and finding ways to let them be reflected in Akoma’s story. Here are three of them.

(1) Found Family

I was lucky to form some of my closest friendships at seventeen, when I started college—friendships I can still rely on today. Those bonds taught me that family is not only about blood. Sometimes it’s also about the people who choose you, show up for you, challenge you, and love you through every version of yourself.

In Goldenborn, Akoma’s childhood best friends are integral to her story. They bring humor, support, and comfort, especially during one of the hardest moments of her life. Because found family is so important to me, I wanted to show the power of those bonds in the novel. Akoma receives a lot of love from her friends, but she also gives that same loyalty and care right back.

(2) Fashion

I wore a school uniform for many years growing up, so whenever I had the chance to wear non-uniform clothing, I took it seriously. Fashion became an important form of self-expression for me. I loved bold colors, playful patterns, and pieces that made me feel like I was exploring different versions of myself. Accessories were especially fun. To me, big hoop earrings, bangles, and combat boots could announce my mood.

That love of fashion shows up in Goldenborn in both mundane and magical ways. Akoma wears fingerless gloves as one of her daily signature accessories, and she enjoys getting fashion advice from her best friend, Lara. One scene that was especially fun to write—not a spoiler—captures the excitement of having a friend help you get dressed for a first date. Choosing the perfect outfit with someone who knows you well can be a treasured ritual, full of fun and care.

(3) Sports

As a teen, I loved being part of competitive sports. I played softball, volleyball, field hockey, and ran track. I loved the rush of competition and the camaraderie of being on a team.

In Goldenborn, Akoma is a runner and enjoys archery. Thanks to a potential love interest, she also learns a new sport—one I had to familiarize myself with in order to write the scene well. I had a lot of fun using sports to reveal different sides of Akoma’s personality, especially her competitive streak. It also felt exciting to let sports become a way for her to connect and flirt with a date!

Title: Goldenborn

Author: Ama Ofosua Lieb

Release Date: 6/2/26

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Genre: YA Fantasy

Age Range: 12+

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YA Review: Darker by Four (June CL Tan)

June 16th, 2026 by Stephanie Augustine, Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer

About the Book:

A vengeful girl. A hollow boy. A missing god.

Rui has one goal in mind—honing her magic to avenge her mother’s death.

Yiran is the black sheep of an illustrious family. The world would be at his feet—had he been born with magic.

Nikai is a Reaper, serving the Fourth King of Hell. When his master disappears, the underworld begins to crumble…and the human world will be next if the King is not found.

When an accident causes Rui’s power to transfer to Yiran, everything turns upside down. Without her magic, Rui has no tool for vengeance. With it, Yiran finally feels like he belongs. That is, until Rui discovers she might hold the key to the missing death god and strikes a dangerous bargain with another King.

As darkness takes over, three paths intersect in the shadows. And three lives bound by fate must rise against destiny before the barrier between worlds falls, and all Hell breaks loose—literally.

*Review Contributed by Stephanie Augustine, Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer*

Darker by Four is a mish-mash of different ideas, but somehow makes them all work!

In a world where Gods exist and they each have a different role, when one God goes missing, it messes with the order.

Four ushers spirits to the underworld once it’s their time. Without Four and their Reapers, souls are susceptible to becoming revenants.

Exorcists help deal with random Revenants and protect the human realm. However, when Four disappears, Revenants are more prevalent but are also becoming something more… Hybrids.

We follow Rui, who became a top cadet and her school for Exorcists. After her mother was killed by a hybrid (which no one believes exists), she is focused on revenge. With a high spirit awareness, she finds Zizi, who is a magician, and tests out spells for him. Rui and Zizi have a strong friendship and connection.

Yiran is a bastard son of the family that runs the exorcist. His half-brother is a prodigy, and he has zero spiritual awareness. Disappointing his Grandfather for the last time, he is on the verge of exile.

As Rui goes out to test a spell for Zizi, she and Yiran cross paths, and to save Yiran’s life, Rui uses the spell on them. This causes Rui’s spiritual magic to travel to Yiran.

Connected now, they must navigate this world, find Four, and figure out how they all fit into each other’s lives.

I loved this story and world. It was so interesting, and the lore was so rich. Some revelations were obvious, and some were not. However, it takes a minute to enjoy all of this.

All of the characters, except for Zizi, in the beginning, are insufferable. They are quick to temper, entitled, annoying — but as the book went on, their characters grow. Rui and Yiran’s friendship develops, as does Rui and Zizi’s. I’m glad that Rui and Yiran did not end up being the love interest but friends instead. Their relationship works so much better that way.

The story explodes and secrets are revealed! I can’t wait to continue this story and see what happens next. Since a lot of the personalities have developed, I am definitely anticipating the next book.

Overall, Darker by Four by June CL Tan was a fun ride. While the beginning was a little rough due to character personalities, the world was always rich. All of the characters developed so well, and as the story grew, so did they. This was such a great progression! I highly recommend this book if you enjoy demons, death, magic, and revelations. You’ll be in for a treat!

*Find More Info & Buy It Here!*

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YA Review: Downfall (Above the Black #3) (Marc. J. Gregson)

June 15th, 2026 by Stephanie Augustine, Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer

About the Book:

The riveting fantasy adventure from New York Times bestselling author Marc J Gregson comes to an explosive conclusion in Book Three of the Above the Black fantasy trilogy.

Mayhem has erupted in the Skylands. Uncle’s iron-fisted grip has eroded peaceful governance, and the Meritocracy hovers on the brink of civil war. Disowned once again, teenage hero Conrad is sent to invade the Below’s colonies—a perilous mission with almost no chance of survival, where Conrad is left for dead.

Rescued by an old enemy and escaping capture by sky pirates, Conrad finds shelter on a faraway island in the Eastern Airs. Under the guise of a new identity, Conrad undergoes training from the King’s enemies and takes to the dueling pits where he competes for the status to challenge Uncle once and for all. Can a dead prince rise again, or will Conrad succumb to the brutal horrors of his world? To rally support and overthrow a despot, Conrad will have to prove the Meritocracy won’t be trading one feckless tyrant for another.

Take a seat for the bloodiest of showdowns in the final installment of the Above the Black fantasy trilogy. Marc J Gregson’s action-adventure revels in gory monster battles, fierce duels, empathetic characters, and a morally gray dystopia that is strikingly imaginative.

*Review Contributed by Jan Farnworth, Digital Manager/Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer*

Downfall book three in Above the Black series by Marc. J. Gregson is the literary equivalent of being shoved off an airship while someone screams, “GOOD LUCK” as explosions happen behind you.

This book does NOT believe in peace. Or emotional stability. Or letting Conrad sit down for five minutes.

Marc J. Gregson really looked at this trilogy and said, “What if the horrors continued… aggressively?” and honestly? Respect.

Conrad spends this entire book exhausted, hunted, traumatized, morally conflicted, and one bad day away from becoming an actual menace to society. Every chapter feels like watching a teenager carry the weight of an entire collapsing world while running on approximately three hours of sleep and pure survival instinct.

And somehow it works SO WELL.

The pacing is absolutely feral. The second you think everyone might finally catch a break, BOOM: political betrayal. Giant monsters. Arena violence. Emotional devastation. Airship warfare. More trauma. Nobody in this series gets to heal before the next disaster crashes through a wall.

The worldbuilding remains wildly cinematic. Floating cities, dangerous creatures, brutal class systems, rebellion plots — it all feels massive and vivid without losing the emotional core. Everything feels like it’s on the edge of collapse at all times, which makes every choice feel huge.

And the MONSTERS.

Marc J. Gregson writes creatures like he’s personally terrified of them. Every monster encounter feels stressful in the most “oh no, this is going horribly wrong immediately” kind of way. These are not casual fantasy beasts. These are “someone is about to need emotional recovery” monsters.

But underneath all the chaos, this book is really about fear. Fear of becoming cruel. Fear of losing yourself. Fear of failing the people you love. Conrad’s internal struggle carries this finale hard because he never feels invincible — he feels human, angry, terrified, and desperate to remain true to the kind person his mama raised him to be.

Also, the found family dynamics in this series continue to hurt my feelings professionally.

Everyone is loyal to each other in that deeply unhealthy “we would absolutely die for one another without hesitation” fantasy way, and I ate it up.

The action scenes are huge. The emotional damage is larger. The ending? Absolutely catastrophic for my mental stability.

This trilogy honestly feels perfect for readers who love:

brutal YA fantasy

morally gray characters

giant flying creatures

political rebellion

found family chaos

nonstop action

emotional suffering with vibes

Downfall is loud, relentless, emotional, and somehow still hopeful underneath all the destruction. A finale that feels like surviving a war and immediately needing therapy afterward.

*Find More Info & Buy It Here!*

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YA Review: Falling Like Leaves (Misty Wilson)

June 13th, 2026 by Stephanie Augustine, Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer

About the Book:

Gilmore Girls meets Jenny Han in this “delightfully autumnal small-town romance” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about a city girl stuck in a quaint small town who must confront her future and her old flame while the town prepares for an annual fall festival.

Ellis has a plan: spend her senior fall prepping her application for Columbia, get into their journalism program, and set the foundation for a respectable career. So when her parents announce that not only are they separating, but Ellis has to move with her mom from New York City to Bramble Falls, Connecticut, to live with her aunt and cousin, it couldn’t come at a worse time.

From past summers spent in Connecticut, Ellis knows Bramble Falls is idyllic and charming. But it also seems to be full of distractions. There’s local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis’s one-time best friend and first kiss who now wants nothing to do with her. And then there’s the Falling Leaves Festival, a local autumnal celebration run by Ellis’s aunt where people from all over come to see Bramble Falls’s beautiful foliage. The house is stuffed with decorations, and every conversation seems to center around the festival.

Dragged to every oh-so-charming event from apple picking to pumpkin carving, Ellis can’t stop bumping into Cooper…or falling for the quaint town and its quirky residents. As her return to Manhattan gets repeatedly delayed, Ellis finds herself caught between two very different places—and the futures they represent.

*Review Contributed by Cherokee Crum, Blog Manager and Staff Reviewer*

Falling Like Leaves was an undeniably cute coming of age, young adult romance.

This book was 100% fall vibes. Misty Wilson does a fabulous job transporting the reader to Bramble Falls in the autumn. Regardless of the time of year you read it, you’ll be immersed in the feel of crisp weather, pumpkins, and all the smells. The story is full of apple-picking, festival prep, and quirky residents that gave the story such a warm, atmospheric glow.

Falling Like Leaves is a true coming of age story about learning to forge your own path. Ellis has such an emotional journey. A good portion of the story, I found her selfish and disrespectful. I know she was written this way for a reason, and it does work out in the end. Her growth was very much needed for the plot to work perfectly.

I love, love, loved Cooper! He was so sweet. The push and pull between him and Ellis had me hooked. I had stomach dropping and heart racing moments right along with them.

I really liked the fact that Wilson didn’t rush right into the romance between Cooper & Ellis. She instead gave the character the opportunity to let their relationship somewhat heal and deepen, making the moments when it happens feel genuine. Honestly, Falling Like Leaves has everything you’d want in a seasonal Second Change Romance.

This is a perfect read for anyone craving a charming, well-paced romance that delivers on its promise of a truly sweet and satisfying journey. Falling Like Leaves is a delightful and emotional autumn read that I’d recommend to anyone who loves second-chance romance and small-town charm.

*Find More Info & Buy It Here!*

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YA Review: Sky’s End (Marc. J. Gregson)

June 12th, 2026 by Stephanie Augustine, Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer

About the Book:

Plummet into a kill-or-be-killed competition where a scrappy underdog hell-bent on revenge must battle colossal monstrosities and claw his way to the top in this fast-paced, breakout sensation from YA fantasy author Marc J Gregson.

Exiled to live as a Low under the merciless rule of the Meritocracy, sixteen-year-old Conrad refuses to become heir to his murderous uncle. But when behemoth sky serpents attack the floating island of Holmstead and devour Conrad’s ailing mother, Conrad cuts a deal to save the only family he has left. To rescue his sister from his uncle’s clutches, Conrad must enter the Selection of the Twelve Trades.

Freshly recruited into Hunter, the deadliest of all the Trades, Conrad endures rigorous training, manipulative peers, and the Gauntlet—a brutal final challenge that pits Conrad’s skyship crew against the very terrors that orphaned him. As Conrad competes in the lowest of stations, he overhears whispers of rebellion in the dark. Conrad had never known anything existed below the toxic black clouds of the Skylands . . . until now.

Grab your copy of Book One of the Above the Black trilogy and immerse yourself in a richly detailed dystopia, where failing to rise will most certainly mean your fall. Chock-full with epic, edge-of-your-seat battles, nail-biting twists, and bonds of brotherhood, this action-packed series starter is reminiscent of Attack on Titan and will appeal to fans of Red Rising. A captivatingly wild ride to keep you up late at night as you race toward the finish!

*Review Contributed by Jan Farnworth, Digital Manager/Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer*

Reading Sky’s End felt like someone took Red Rising, Attack on Titan, sky pirates, giant nightmare murder snakes, and teenage rage and threw them into a blender powered entirely by caffeine and unresolved trauma. And somehow? It WORKED.

This book does not believe in emotional stability. Every five pages, Conrad is either getting emotionally obliterated, physically destroyed, betrayed, almost murdered, or making the kind of reckless decisions that had me yelling “BRO PLEASE THINK FOR TWO SECONDS” at the wall. The boy wakes up every day and chooses violence, vengeance, and poor coping mechanisms.

The worldbuilding absolutely eats. Floating islands above toxic black clouds? Meritocracy run by absolute psychos? Massive armored serpent monsters terrorizing skyships? Marc J. Gregson really said, “What if survival itself was a full-contact sport,” and committed to the bit.

And the ACTION?? This book moves like it’s being chased. There is no breathing room. Training sequences, deadly trials, skyship battles, political manipulation, horrifying monsters—every chapter feels like the literary equivalent of hanging onto the side of a moving train while someone throws knives at you. The pacing is absolutely unhinged in the best way.

Conrad, as a protagonist, is all sharp edges and bad decisions, which, honestly, made him incredibly entertaining. He’s angry, impulsive, stubborn, and running entirely on grief and revenge. But underneath all of that, there’s this desperate need to protect the people he loves, and that emotional core keeps the whole story from collapsing into pure chaos.

Also, can we discuss how this book casually racks up emotional damage? Because people are NOT safe here. Marc J. Gregson writes like he enjoys watching readers develop trust issues. Every alliance feels temporary. Every victory feels suspicious. I spent the second half of the book convinced disaster was around every corner, and unfortunately, I was correct.

What really surprised me was how much heart the story has underneath all the brutality. Buried beneath the murder serpents and societal collapse is a story about class, survival, loyalty, and trying to hold onto your humanity. At the same time, the world keeps demanding you become a weapon.

Is it subtle? Absolutely not.

Is it occasionally melodramatic? Oh, for sure.

Did I care? Not even a little.

This is the kind of YA fantasy that grabs you by the throat and screams “WE RIDE AT DAWN” while launching you off a floating island. If you love deadly competitions, messy morally gray characters, nonstop action, and stories where everyone desperately needs therapy, this book is going to consume your life.

*Find More Info & Buy It Here!*

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