Category: Mini-Reviews

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager & Slayer | Reviews

January 14, 2019 / 1 Comment / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Mini-Reviews, Review
The Field Guide to the North American Teenager & Slayer | Reviews

Review: The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe A unique voice, a strong story thread, and a well-developed cast of characters made The Field Guide to a North American Teenager a fun but not fluffy read. Main character Norris Kaplan is forced to leave his hometown of Montreal (a tragedy for a hockey fan) to move to the boiling hot city of Austin when his mother gets a tenure-track position there. Norris’ wise-cracking mouth and even more sardonic mind are challenged right away by his entry as a student at Anderson High, a huge place that […]

The Good Luck Charm, Boy Toy, Making Up, and Sweet & Wild | Recently in Romance #9

The Good Luck Charm, Boy Toy, Making Up, and Sweet & Wild | Recently in Romance #9

Hi all, it’s summer, so I’ve been reading a ton of romance! I’ve got a couple of new romances for you to consider – two releasing this month, a couple from fave authors, and one that I read and re-read because it was so darn good. Give them a look! REVIEW: THE GOOD LUCK CHARM BY HELENA HUNTING You guys know how much I love my hockey romances, so when The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting (Toronto author, yay!) was pitched to me, I was an immediate yes. The Good Luck Charm is a second chance contemporary romance starring […]

Recent DNFs: American Panda and Meet Cute

February 21, 2018 / 1 Comment / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Mini-Reviews, Review
Recent DNFs: American Panda and Meet Cute

Hey guys, hope you’re doing well. Today I have a couple of reviews for books that just didn’t work for me: American Panda by Gloria Chao and Meet Cute, a YA anthology. Check them out and let me know if you agree with my thoughts or not! ***** REVIEW: American Panda by Gloria Chao Oh man. American Panda is one I seriously wish I’d loved more. It’s got an Asian-American protagonist going to college with the baggage of a tiger mom, jilted dreams of being a dancer, tons of Mandarin, and a cute Japanese-American love interest. And yet, Mei’s story […]

Recently in Romance #8 | New Adult Romance Picks for Everyone!

Recently in Romance #8 | New Adult Romance Picks for Everyone!

Hi guys! It’s been awhile, huh? I’m so sorry I’ve been out of touch with the book world lately – pregnancy has been taking over my life! But here are some recent romance reads that kept me going – let me know if you’ve read any of them or if you have other recs for me that are quick and enjoyable! Recently in Romance is my mini-review feature for all of you who like the X-rated books!  RECENT LOVES: If you’re into family stories and stories of unexpected/surprise pregnancy, this is totally your book. Bountiful is the fourth book in Sarina […]

Saints and Misfits & I See London, I See France | Mini-Reviews

July 19, 2017 / 2 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Mini-Reviews, Review
Saints and Misfits & I See London, I See France | Mini-Reviews

Review: Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali Janna Yusuf is a teen who is living with a secret. She’s been sexually assaulted by her friend’s cousin, a guy who her community sees as a pillar of Muslim teenagerhood. Meanwhile, her parents are divorced, her brother is taking a year off from school and dating the local perfect Muslim girl, and she’s got a crush on a guy who isn’t Muslim at all. All of this, plus dealing with her job caring for an elderly man, the delicate girl friendships, and trying to get great grades is taking its toll. Janna’s […]

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, Paper Hearts & Tell Me Three Things | Mini-Revi..

July 11, 2017 / 4 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Mini-Reviews, Review
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, Paper Hearts & Tell Me Three Things | Mini-Reviews

Review: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee Henry Montague (Monty) and his best friend Percy – whom he is most certainly NOT in love with – are embarking on their Grand Tour. Monty has been the disappointment of his family for years – with a carefree spirit, he’s always been the rake of the family. Along with them on their tour is Felicity, Monty’s sister, who wants to be more than what her family expects of a lady. Percy, meanwhile, is being sent to Holland after his tour, so Monty is looking at this as one final, […]

Three Swoony Summer Reads That Get It Right | Ramona Blue, Coming Up for Air & When Dimple Met ..

June 27, 2017 / 5 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Mini-Reviews, Review
Three Swoony Summer Reads That Get It Right | Ramona Blue, Coming Up for Air & When Dimple Met Rishi

Review: RAMONA BLUE by Julie Murphy Beautifully intersectional, Ramona Blue is equal parts complex family dynamics, small-town poverty, friendship goals, and swoony romance. Julie Murphy has an incredible gift of being able to bring all of these pieces together in a way that never feels forced, but always lyrical. Ramona Leroux is 17, entering her senior year of high school, with no plans for the future other than staying in Eulogy, Mississippi. She’s got her part-time jobs, her friends, and her sister Hattie, who is pregnant at 19. And she has a summer romance with Grace, a vacationer who’s not […]

Highly Recommended: Letters to the Lost & My Lady Jane | Mini-Reviews

April 10, 2017 / 6 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Mini-Reviews, Review
Highly Recommended: Letters to the Lost & My Lady Jane | Mini-Reviews

Review: LETTERS TO THE LOST by Brigid Kemmerer Letters to the Lost is a captivating book that delves deeply into two characters’ lives. Juliet Young is a girl who lost her photographer mother in a car accident a few months ago. She is still deeply grieving. Meanwhile, Declan Murphy is an angry guy who is currently doing community service after a traumatic and dangerous incident. The book is beautifully narrated, switching between Juliet and Declan’s perspectives. There’s also really strong dialogue between the characters and their best friends and families, who are well-rounded and real. The romance between Juliet and Declan […]

Just Another Girl by Elizabeth Eulberg | Mini-Review

March 30, 2017 / 1 Comment / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Mini-Reviews, Review
Just Another Girl by Elizabeth Eulberg | Mini-Review

Mini-Review: Just Another Girl by Elizabeth Eulberg A surprisingly serious read for Elizabeth Eulberg, Just Another Girl deals with our perceptions of girls, love triangles, and how much we learn when we try to give people the benefit of the doubt. The narrative switches between Hope, who is in love with her best friend Brady, and Parker, who is currently dating Brady and is in a really bad (but also secret) home situation. When the book starts, we get a lot of Hope’s perspective, and a lot of her pain at having a ginormous crush on Brady. It’s desperate, and […]

A Peek At the New Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | J.K. Rowling

A Peek At the New Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | J.K. Rowling

Hi all, I’m delighted to be promoting this new edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling! Thanks to Raincoast Books, I got a copy of this last week, and let me tell you, Potterheads, you need this. About the Book: As many of you probably know, Fantastic Beasts started as a Hogwarts school book that Harry Potter and his friends use in class.  Written by Newt Scamander, it’s a guide to the many weird and wonderful creatures in the Potterverse. This book was the basis for the Fantastic Beasts movie that came out last year […]