Reviews written by Renae M

As a self-prescribed realistic fiction/“issues” book junkie, I’ve read a lot of novels that deal with tough and uncomfortable situations. So I think it’s significant that Bitter End impacted me as much as it did and caused the reactions it did. Rape culture and domestic abuse are two things I’m...

There were several points while I read The Sweet Far Thing that I rolled my eyes, grew frustrated, and wondered why I was bothering to read this. Five years ago, someone spoiled the end of the Gemma Doyle trilogy for me, and I more or less lost interest in reading...

Taken on its own merit, Rebel Angels is a very good book. The paranormal aspect is extremely compelling and unique, Libba Bray’s prose is lush and atmospheric, the characters, while hard to understand and not easy to like, are interesting at the very least. Where my problems came in was...

(General disclaimer: This is the third-and-a-halfth time I’ve read this book, so this review is the result of several years’ worth of musings on Gemma Doyle and her story, an attempt to step away from my initial impressions and think more critically.) I was thirteen when I...

To say that Faking Faith is a serious novel would probably do it a disservice. That is to say, Bloss deals with serious issues of identity and contentment in this book, but she does it with a light-hand, often adding grim humor to a situation that would otherwise cause readers...

Lately I’ve been on the hunt for unique YA reads that promises an interesting story. Anna Dressed in Blood filled those criteria, and skimming through, it seems to have gotten high ratings from my friends. And as an added bonus, it was on sale. So I was really happy that,...

Hmm…where do I start? Holly Black’s Curse Workers series is really, really good, and Black Heart was a really, really good book. Cassel Sharpe is a smart, likable guy, and it was really great to see his story get wrapped up. I think, in the end, I...

I am extremely conflicted about White Cat. On one hand, I’m in love with the uniqueness and set-up of the plot. On the other, this is a really upsetting book, and while I’d like to hope that the series has a good end (not necessarily happy, just good), I’m not...

If you come into The Demon Catchers of Milan expecting a fast-paced plot, intense exorcism scenes, a brassy heroine, and swoony Italian romance, you will be disappointed. This book has none of those things. However, The Demon Catchers of Milan is still a pretty good book, all things told. ...

I came into Every Other Day expecting an angsty teen paranormal with dramatic love scenes and gloomy prose. Instead, I got a breezy urban fantasy with upbeat narration and a shameless case of instalove. That certainly wasn’t what I was expecting, but I’ll take it. This book...

From what I’ve read, Leigh Bardugo’s debut novel Shadow and Bone is a love-or-hate sort of book. I see very few middle-ground reviews. I requested this from the library because most feedback I read was positive. Strictly speaking, fantasy is a genre I’m most likely to be unimpressed by, so...

Wanted is a book completely different from anything I’ve read before. It’s as if Bonnie and Clyde got fed up with anti-Hispanic racism, developed a Robin Hood complex, and were transformed into high school students. Heidi Ayarbe tackled a lot of tough subjects in this book, some of which I...

Fans of upbeat, non-serious paranormal will doubtless love The Nightmare Affair. It’s a quick read, featuring fun characters and a unique premise, and it’s unquestionably entertaining. Of course, at the same time, Arnett’s plot construction was a bit too simplistic, the story too predictable, and the text, overall, lacked the...

“We held hands when we walked down the gingerbread path into the forest, blood dripping from our fingers. We danced with witches and kissed monsters. We turned us into wintergirls, and when she tried to leave, I pulled her back into the snow because I was afraid to be alone.”...

I picked this book up for reasons I’m not sure of. I’d heard it mentioned—neither positively nor negatively, just mentioned—and it was on a table at Barnes and Noble, so I looked at it and said “Okay, I’m buying this” and headed to the checkout. All told, not one of...