Reviews written by Jan Farnworth, Digital Manager/Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer

Lies Between Us by Jessica Goodman was exactly the kind of YA mystery that keeps whispering, "Just one more chapter," until suddenly it's way past bedtime. Jessica Goodman knows how to write privileged friend groups with enough secrets to make everyone look guilty, and this book is no...

Sometimes you pick up a romance because you want something sweet, and sometimes you end up finding a story that leaves you smiling from beginning to end. Sparks Fly was exactly what I needed. It had the perfect balance of heartfelt moments, charming banter, and a romance that developed naturally...

I want to file an official complaint against Julie Kagawa. Every time I think I’ve figured out where this series is going, she casually pulls the rug out from under me, hands me emotional damage, and somehow convinces me to thank her for it. ...

Summer Solstice Wish by Kate Allen Fox feels like stepping into the longest, warmest day of the year and realizing everything is blooming at once — flowers, friendship, and that quiet kind of happiness kids don’t always have words for yet. Set during the summer solstice, the story...

Super Freddy by Luis Amavisca is a bright, silly, superhero-style picture book that leans all the way into kid logic: “What if I was tiny… but ALSO extremely powerful?” Freddy isn’t your typical caped crusader. He’s small, determined, and absolutely convinced that today is the day he becomes...

One Little Fishing Boat by Brooke Hartman and illustrated by John Joseph is pure read-aloud joy — the kind of picture book that practically begs to be read in a sing-song voice with hand motions and a toddler “I SAW THAT!” interrupting every other page. One Little Fishing...

The Sea We Call Home by Dominique Demers feels like being wrapped in a soft ocean breeze and handed a story about kindness, courage, and helping those in need. Little Gnouf and Mirabelle head to the sea expecting adventure, but things quickly turn serious when they discover a...

Little Hare Finds a Gift by Oleksandr Shatokhin is one of those quiet little picture books that sneaks up on you with its sweetness. It has soft woodland charm, gentle storytelling, and the kind of warmth that makes bedtime reading feel extra cozy. Little Hare sets off with...

Frog’s Day Out by Julia Donaldson is the kind of picture book that feels like a rainy-day puddle jump in story form. It’s bouncy, silly, energetic, and absolutely made for little readers who love animals getting themselves into tiny disasters. Frog starts his day with one simple mission:...

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...

War Hunt throws Coa right back into the nightmare and somehow makes everything worse. The politics are nastier, the betrayals hit harder, and every single character feels like they’re one bad decision away from destruction. The entire book carries this constant feeling of dread where nobody is safe and every...

Among Serpents by Marc J. Gregson delivers one of the coolest fantasy settings I’ve read in a long time: floating islands suspended above a deadly, unknown force lurking beneath the clouds. And this world does not feel safe for a single second. ...

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...

The Game of Oaths is the kind of YA fantasy that knows exactly what it’s selling: a deadly magical competition, a glittering circus atmosphere, revenge, betrayal, and enough danger to keep you side-eyeing every character. And honestly? I ate that up. The Game of Oaths is one of those books...

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...