Tag: penguin canada

Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery by Melanie J. Fishbane | Review

April 25, 2017 / 2 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Review
Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery by Melanie J. Fishbane | Review

Review: Maud by Melanie J. Fishbane I’ve already told you all about my wild excitement at Maud, as well as my obsession with all things Anne of Green Gables. So let’s dive right into Maud. =p My first thoughts when reading MAUD: This reads like Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books! There’s something very simple, direct, and 19th century about the prose in Maud, and it instantly brought me back to all my moments learning about pioneer life as a child. Here’s the thing, though: this is not an idyllic time. Unlike L.M. Montgomery’s whimsical Anne of Green Gables, teen Lucy Maud […]

Maud by Melanie J. Fishbane | Waiting on Wednesday

Maud by Melanie J. Fishbane | Waiting on Wednesday

Guys. Gather round. Let me tell you a story. So it’s no secret that Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite heroines of all time. I’ve been fascinated with her and with author L.M. Montgomery for a very long time. So when I first heard about MAUD, a YA novel based on Montgomery’s teen life a few years ago? I freaked out. Not only did I hear about it, but I heard about it from a friend. My friend Melanie Fishbane, who I met through book blogging. And the reason she was telling me about it? Because she wrote […]

Mini-Reviews: Illustrated Fantasy, Dark Realities

April 7, 2016 / 4 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Mini-Reviews, Review
Mini-Reviews: Illustrated Fantasy, Dark Realities

Beautifully illustrated and executed, this latest (and possibly last?) installment of the Griffin & Sabine series really belongs somewhere within the third book of the trilogy, The Golden Mean. It is, as described, additional letters and correspondence between Griffin and Sabine as they try to make their way towards each other to Alexandria. For those who have not read the series, I think it will be a little difficult to follow this piece – it’s almost like an added novella to the series. That said, since the reading experience of these books is so delightful, I would go ahead and […]

Waiting on Wednesday: Tumbling by Caela Carter

Waiting on Wednesday: Tumbling by Caela Carter

I feel like I’ve been waiting for Tumbling by Caela Carter forever; I first heard about it last year and it immediately made my must-have list because GYMNASTICS YA. Have I mentioned I’m a huge fan of Make It Or Break It, the short-lived ABC Family series, and sports YA in general? The synopsis makes me think this is definitely going to be a lot like that show when the stakes get high. And as we know…when the stakes get high, that’s when the competition really gets fierce. Is Tumbling on your TBR? Are you a fan of sports in your books? […]

When We Collided by Emery Lord | Book Review

March 30, 2016 / 9 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Favorites, Review
When We Collided by Emery Lord | Book Review

Review: When We Collided by Emery Lord When We Collided is Emery Lord’s best book. I just have to lay this out there. It’s her tightest, most impassioned, most honest and raw piece of fiction, a book about a girl, Vivi, a seventeen year old who wants to live in the small moments in life and soak in all the beauty and fire of first love, but is hampered by her own mental health issues. Vivi and her mother move to a small California town for a summer and there, Vivi meets Jonah, a boy who is responsible for more […]

2 YA Books To Read On Sexual Assault : The Way I Used To Be & Exit, Pursued by a Bear

March 25, 2016 / 9 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Discussion, Review
2 YA Books To Read On Sexual Assault : The Way I Used To Be & Exit, Pursued by a Bear

Hi everyone, today I have reviews of two recent YA books to read on sexual assault: The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith and Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnson.If you’ve read this blog recently or follow me on Twitter at all in the last year, you know that consent and sexual abuse are issues that I care very deeply about. I’ve chosen to bundle these reviews together because they deal with the rape of teenage girls in two vastly different, but equally honest and thought-provoking ways. It’s fascinating to read them together and to see just how wide the range of […]

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner | Book Review

March 14, 2016 / 8 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Favorites, Review
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner | Book Review

Review: The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner effervesces with the warmth and darkness of a small Southern Gothic town. Zentner creates an atmosphere that is both stiflingly oppressive and starkly beautiful – a landscape where both ramshackle homes and restored Victorians can coexist, where there’s dignity in both wanting to leave a small town and wanting to stay. It’s the beginning of senior year, and our main characters, Lydia, Travis and Dill are best friends looking to the future. For Lydia, the future looks bright. She’s a popular fashion blogger with a massive following […]

Under A Painted Sky by Stacey Lee | Review

March 7, 2016 / 4 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Review
Under A Painted Sky by Stacey Lee | Review

Review: Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee was on so many bloggers’ favorites lists for 2015, and was on my own highly anticipated reads…and then I didn’t read it for ages. Thank goodness for my book club having it as the pick for Jan/Feb, because I really, really needed to read this one, and I think you will, too. Under A Painted Sky is the story of Samantha Young, a Chinese girl living in Missouri on a border town to the Oregon Trail in 1849. She’s been pretty sheltered for most of […]

: Review: The Distance From Me To You by Marina Gessner

October 16, 2015 / 2 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Review, Uncategorized
: Review: The Distance From Me To You by Marina Gessner

Review: The Distance From Me To You is a book for people who like no-nonsense writing and fast pacing. It’s a straightforward look at stubborn, independent McKenna, a 17-year old who decides to hike the entire Appalachian Trail after high school. Without her parents knowing, McKenna decides to go it alone after being abandoned at the last moment by her best friend. Along the way, she meets and falls in love with thru hiker, Sam, who is trying to outrun his very broken home life. The bulk of this book deals with Sam’s and McKenna’s relationship and his belief that […]

Waiting on Wednesday: Exit, Pursued by A Bear by E.K. Johnson

Waiting on Wednesday: Exit, Pursued by A Bear by E.K. Johnson

I found out about this book last week and I was completely floored by the title, the cover, and the synopsis. I was a cheerleader in high school, but I wasn’t popular, so this book kind of speaks to me in that way…but I also think it’s going to deal with the body and image issues that I had so much trouble with as a teen. I haven’t read anything by E.K. Johnston yet, but I have heard outstanding things about The Story of Owen and A Thousand Nights, and I’m excited to dig into my first work by this rising […]