Reviews written by Ashley Sickora

Valentines Are the Worst! which is for anyone who pretends they hate Valentine’s Day but secretly just wants tacos and maybe one tiny arrow of affection. Gilbert the Goblin vs. aggressive cupids? Comedy gold. It’s the perfect reminder that even the grumpiest goblin can’t outrun love forever.

I’ve officially found the ultimate survival mode inspiration, and suddenly my DIY projects don't feel quite so high-stakes! I read Follow the Water by Ellen Cochrane, and my jaw is still on the floor. Imagine it’s Christmas Eve, 1971. You’re seventeen, your plane is...

The City Spies are back, and the adrenaline is off the charts! This time, they’re racing across Rome, Paris, and London to stop a prison break. It’s fast, smart, and filled with the kind of clever coding and teamwork that James Ponti nails every single time. It’s basically Mission Impossible,...

Listening to A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford felt like wrapping myself in a cozy blanket woven from wonder, wit, and a dash of danger. From the moment the narrator’s voice brought Willow Stokes and her mostly fake magical shop to life, I knew I was in for...

Dragons, curses, secrets, and one extremely suspicious shadow of a man yeah, I was hooked before chapter three! I went into Dragon Cursed by Elise Kova knowing one thing: if you see a dragon, you’re probably already doomed. What I didn’t expect was how tense,...

When Aihui Ying’s father is killed under suspicious circumstances, she disguises herself as a boy to compete for a spot in the Emperor’s elite engineering circle hoping to find answers and maybe spark a little revolution on the side. This story has mechanical dragons, secret...

This was a charming, laugh-out-loud YA rom-com that’s equal parts enemies-to-lovers and heartfelt journey of self-discovery. The story follows Leah Zhang, a former model from LA who, after a linguistic mishap at her cousin's wedding, is sent on a two-week cultural immersion trip across China. Her parents hope this will...

This was such a fun read! With all of the adventures and antics between Ciara and Scorch I couldn't help but laugh and enjoy every minute I spent reading this story! There's also a deeper side and I really enjoyed that. It's a story about friendship, family, the truth and...

Queen of Faces might be the one that surprised me most. Dark, sharp, and unapologetically bold, it dives into identity, power, and survival in a world where bodies are currency. Ana’s story is brutal, brilliant, and morally messy in a way I couldn’t stop thinking about.

This is a charming and heartfelt story set in a whimsical town where the spring water is rumored to make people fall out of love. The story follows Celia, who plans a summer getaway with her two best friends, Ros and Touchstone, hoping to mend their hearts and perhaps win...

A Feast for the Eyes by Alex Crespo is part supernatural thriller, part small-town coming-of-age story, and part meditation on the things we hide even from ourselves. Set against the foggy backdrop of Oregon’s coast, the story introduces the Watcher, a cryptid that doesn’t just stalk its prey but feeds...

llie’s back in his hometown, Anchor’s Mercy, ready for a chill summer after his mom’s finally cancer-free. But the island? Yeah it’s not okay! Old friends are bitter, the vibes are off, and something dark is literally bubbling beneath the surface. Then a massive storm...

Heart's Gambit by J.D. Myall has time-traveling rival families who are cursed into a deadly magical duel. The yearning. The secret letters. The “we’re supposed to kill each other, but what if we kissed instead” energy? IMMACULATE.

Okay, listen Seven Deadly Thorns by Amber Hamilton had me clutching my Kindle, gasping, and whispering “just one more chapter” at 2 a.m like a total liar! This book is the perfect blend of dark fantasy, slow-burn romance, and “I probably shouldn’t love this morally gray character, but here we...

I went into Oxford Blood expecting academic ambition and a little rivalry but what I got was a razor-sharp, page-turning mystery that completely hooked me. Following Eva as she chases her Oxford dream felt raw and real, especially with the pressure of expectations, class divides, and her complicated family life...