Reviews by Category: Romance

Teen Review
Cover photo of the book To Kill a Kingdom

To Kill a Kingdom

By Alexandra Christo
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Lisa J.
Nov 30, 2020

Lira has seventeen hearts in her bedroom. As a siren, she kills a human prince and takes his heart every year on her birthday. By doing so, she proves that she will be strong enough to take over her mother’s throne and become queen one day. However, after Lira disobeys her mother, she is punished by being transformed into a human — one of the creatures she hates the most. To win back her mother’s favor, Lira must claim the heart of Prince Elian, an infamous siren-killer and the heir to the most powerful kingdom in the land.

Teen Review
Cover photo of the book Quantum Weirdness

The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss

By Amy Noelle Parks
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Grace L.
Nov 25, 2020

The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss​ was a largely enjoyable read with only a few drawbacks. It was a very good romantic book. I was very invested in its main romantic plot. Unlike some other romance books I’ve read, this one felt believable. The relationship between Caleb and Evie was really interesting and I didn’t feel like many aspects of it felt forced. I genuinely enjoyed it. The supporting cast was small, so most of the important characters had more time to develop.

Teen Review
Cover photo of the book Where the Crawdads Sing

Where the Crawdads Sing

By Delia Owens
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Ava P.
Nov 18, 2020

Where the Crawdads Sing ​by Delia Owens is a fiction novel about a girl named Kya Clark and the townspeople living in Barkley Cove, a small North Carolina coast town. The novel alternates between two different timelines: one following Kya throughout her childhood, and the other detailing the progression of a murder investigation in Barkley Cove. As a child, Kya is left to fend for herself living in her family’s shack located in a marsh on the outskirts of the coast town.

Teen Review
The Code for Love and Heartbreak by Jullian Cantor

The Code for Love and Heartbreak

By Jillian Cantor
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Alisha M
Nov 12, 2020

Emma Woodhouse is a coding genius who appreciates numbers more than most people; numbers were simple and easy while people were just messy and over-complex. When her sister sparks an idea, Emma decides to build on a code that would determine the person of best compatibility to date as a submission to a coding competition. While some were skeptical at first, who could believe a code could tell you the best person to date, Emma was certain that her code was flawless.

Teen Review
Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan

Hot Dog Girl

By Jennifer Dugan

Rated by
Kayla B. from MO YA Lit Council
Nov 3, 2020

I actually picked the book because of the cover. I really liked the colors of the cover and I liked that there were drawings of the main characters. The cover reflects the contents since it showed the main characters and Magic Castle Playland. The most compelling aspect of the book was just trying to keep up with Lou. She’s a mess. I was really frustrated with Lou’s scheming and total disregard for other peoples’ feelings at the beginning of the book. I finished this book in a day and was not expecting that I’d like it as much as I did.

Teen Review
Rebel by Marie Lu

Rebel

By Marie Lu
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Taylor E.
Oct 5, 2020

Rebel​ is the fourth science fiction novel in Marie Lu's Legend series. It takes place a decade after ​Champion​ and illustrates Daniel and Eden Wings’ new lives in the supposed-utopia of Antarctica. Daniel learns to navigate his relationship with his now-grown brother as Eden tries to escape from his older brother's shadow. The two brothers must take on the notorious criminal Dominic Hann while challenging their government's beliefs and facing their pasts.

Teen Review

Fangirl

By Rainbow Rowell
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Madalynn L
Aug 27, 2020

Fangirl is a 2013 young adult novel written by Rainbow Rowell. Rowell is also known for Eleanor & Park (2012) and Carry On (2015). Fangirl is her second published work. The book focuses on Cath, a college freshman, as she transitions to living on her own for the first time. Cath, who is very introverted, expects to live in a dorm with her twin sister, Wren. But her plan for college changes when Wren decides not to share a dorm with Cath. Instead, Wren wishes to live an independent life away from her sister. Cath has to navigate college on her own.

Teen Review
Frankly in Love by David Yoon

Frankly in Love

By Yoon, David

Rated by
Kaitlin G. from BV YA Lit Council
Jul 24, 2020

Frank Li lives with his Korean-immigrant parents in California, growing up with American culture and feeling like his parents don't understand. As he starts to fall for Brit Means, a white girl his parents would never approve of him dating, Frank pretends to date Joy Song, a family friend who is in the same situation. But everything Frank knows about his life is much more complicated than it seems, especially high school dating. 

Teen Review
The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper

The Gravity of Us

By Phil Stamper

Rated by
Madelyn A from MO YA Lit Council
Feb 4, 2020

If you like romance, space, and getting back at greedy T.V. companies while saving NASA- this story is for you. The protagonist is witty, sarcastic, and likable, the side characters complex, and the plot is compelling. What more could you want? Stamper creates a story that revolves around very human experiences: the compulsion to fix what you love (even if it’s not your job), the rush of young love, sticking up for yourself and others in the face of opposition, and a love of space travel. Hard to imagine a better book.

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