wanderingcurls's reviews
483 reviews

“Often, we can find ourselves playing what-if instead of recognizing what we can do now to build the life we want. The truth is the past is one of the only things as stubborn as us humans.”

I screamed when @netgalley @randomhouse and @dellromance approved me for the Out of the Woods ARC a few months ahead of its release, and I devoured it immediately. I became an instant @authorhannahby stan the minute I finished Out on a Limb, the preceding novel, to Out Of the Woods. I loved getting the opportunity to learn more about the seemingly stable, happy couple, Sarah and Caleb, and their relationship beyond the small glimpses we see in OOAL. I appreciated how Bonam-Young poignantly wrote about the challenges of young love and the growing pains of a relationship. This book hit incredibly close to home as I met my husband at 19 years old, and we have also had our share of obstacles and need for couples therapy to buoy our relationship when life seemed destined to rip us apart due to unforeseen circumstances. For Sarah and Caleb, it’s grief, the untimely loss of Sarah’s mother due to ALS, and the need to forge their own identities outside of each other. What struck me the most about this book was how astutely Bonam-Young captured the experience of how love is constantly evolving and that sometimes we need just a little help to see our partners clearly again. Caleb and Sarah unpack their grievances and try to find their way back to each other at a nature retreat that helps couples rekindle their relationship, all while not being the outdoorsy type of people, making it even more entertaining and beautiful as they put themselves outside their comfort zones in more ways than one. I cried a lot reading this book — primarily because of how tender and affirming it was — and I was filled with joy getting to see Bo, Win, and Gus again.

Highlights:

🌲Found family

🏕️High school sweethearts

🌲Marriage in crisis

🏕️ Grief and healing

🌲 Personal growth

CW: death of a parent, grief, terminal illness, medical trauma, head injury

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Ruin Road by Lamar Giles

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2.5

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu

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dark informative mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I’ve had Not Quite A Ghost on my radar for a while now and was so glad I read it recently. I usually don't find myself reading horror or middle-grade books — I’m mostly a YA and romance girlie these days — but this book was one of my favorites this year. It was gripping, honest, and poignant. I found Violet and her family’s struggles to understand her decline and health challenges post-illness incredibly relatable as she experiences medical gaslighting, loss of lifelong friendships, and confusing symptoms. Interestingly, the house on Katydid Street is also a character in the novel as it comes to life and is a magical horror that Violet has to contend with as well as dealing with her very real post-viral symptoms. One of the things I appreciated most while reading this book is that I could feel that the author had real-life experience dealing with chronic illness because the scenes of dealing with medical professionals and dismissive teachers and friends felt too authentic to be purely fictional. While those scenes were painful to read, I appreciated how Ursu showed through Violet how it's possible to reevaluate relationships and friendships and put one's energy towards ones that are affirming — an important lesson not just for pre-teens but adults too. I’d highly recommend anyone read this, but especially if you or a loved one are dealing with a post-viral illness, such as long COVID or ME/CFS.

Highlights:
💜 Middle-grade horror
💜 Post-viral illness
💜 Moving & transitions
💜 Starting middle school
💜 Changing friendships
💜 Haunted house
💜 Chronic illness
💜 Inspired by “The Yellow Wallpaper”

CW: medical gaslighting, medical trauma, bullying

Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.

Couldn't connect to the characters or plot. Felt much more like middle grade or younger than YA.

How You Get The Girl by Anita Kelly

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Dukes and Dekes by Torie Jean

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I have had Dukes and Dekes on my TBR list for ages, and by some stroke of luck, I won a signed copy as part of a fall giveaway. And it is the perfect, cozy, and heartwarming fall read. I adored the sunshine and grumpy and friends to lovers tropes, but more than that, I appreciated the authentic representation of a male caregiver and the effects years of medical gaslighting and illness can have on someone’s emotional state. Even though this was a quick read and lighthearted at times, it was certainly not without heavy and intense themes, which @authortoriejean handled with such care. If you're looking for your next fall read and want to feel seen as a spoonie, especially if you are living with diagnosed or undiagnosed endometriosis, this is your book!

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wanderingcurls's reviews 483 reviews

wanderingcurls's reviews
483 reviews