Reviews written by Samantha Randolph

Amy Lukavics is one of my favorite horror writers. All of Lukavics's books are a little odd (in the best way), but NIGHTINGALE takes the cake for weirdness (again, in the best way). Set in 1951, June is everything society doesn't like in young women: outspoken, bold, independent, and a...

What I Loved About THE COLD IS IN HER BONES: Milla lives an isolated life on her parents's farm. They fear the risk of demons too much to allow her to go anywhere or have a life of her own. Milla's brother, Niklas, is...

The top 3 reasons you need WILDER GIRLS by Rory Power on your shelf: 1.) The characters: If your favorite characters are usually written by Courtney Summers, then you need to read Rory Power's debut immediately. They have the same gritty tones, complex interior lives,...

3 Reasons You Need THE OTHER F WORD on your shelves: 1.) The list of contributors: The range of voices included in this collection celebrating loving your body and telling your own story is incredible. From authors like Julie Murphy to illustrators like Jiji Knight, there is...

Tristan Strong isn't doing too well. He lost his best friend, Eddie, in a bus accident, lost a boxing match, and lost his main home for the summer to stay in Alabama with his grandparents. His biggest comfort is Eddie's journal, filled with stories he used to tell. When a...

*This review contains spoilers for book one, A BLADE SO BLACK* A DREAM SO DARK, sequel to A BLADE SO BLACK, follows where the first book left off: Alice is in deep trouble with her mom, Hatta is on the verge of Madness, and the evil coming...

Lily Anderson’s sophomore novel follows Elliot "Ever" Gabaroche during an intense summer program to compete for a scholarship. It’s Not Me, It’s You readers will see many familiar faces, but this can still be read as a stand-alone. A few things I adored about this book: ...

Tiffany D. Jackson has knocked it out of the park yet again with LET ME HEAR A RHYME. When Steph is murdered, Jasmine,Steph's younger sister, and Quadir and Jarrell, Steph's best friends, are left in grief, not knowing what to do. Then, they decide to do the impossible: make Steph...

THE DARK BENEATH THE ICE is a stunningly written YA horror that follows Marianne as she starts losing time, sees objects literally break around her, and more. This story asks questions like: what does it mean to be possessed, how much can you trust yourself, and what really is fear?...

After reading Justina Ireland's YA, Dread Nation, which has a solid amount of scare, I was ecstatic to pick up her latest MG, Scream Site. There has been a micro-trend of horror MG lately, and this is absolutely up my alley. Sabrina Sebastian dreams of being...

Top 3 reasons you need to read Overturned by Lamar Giles (and read the rest of his books while you're at it, because they deserve more attention!) 1.) The setting- Vegas isn't the most common setting for YA books, and it was a thrill to read a...

What I Loved: While there are many things to love about THE LOST GIRL, my personal favorite is how Ursu captures the frustration of being a kid in an 'adult' world. There are so many times Iris and Lark try to talk to the adults in their...

THE EVERLASTING ROSE picks up where THE BELLES left off, with Camille, Edel, and Remy on the run. Sophia is determined to hunt them down and erects a special prison to keep all the Belles in called the Everlasting Rose. Camille has to figure out how to get Princess Charlotte...

Shalanda Stanley's DROWNING IS INEVITABLE is one of my top underappreciated books, so I was thrilled to receive a copy of Stanley's sophomore title, NICK AND JUNE WERE HERE. Nick and June have been together for years- first as friends, then as something more. June struggles with schizophrenia, an untreated...

When Serendipity "Sara" Rodriguez sees her ex with his new girlfriend, she finds herself eager and ready to have fun with someone new. One spontaneous hook-up and several weeks later, she realizes that she may not have gotten Jack's number, but she did get something else from him: she's pregnant....