sfbookgirl's reviews
412 reviews

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What I love most about this story are the relationships that the main character has with family. Gifty, a sixth-year Ph.D. student at Stanford University, studies reward-seeking behavior in mice as a tool to discover why her brother was addicted to OxyContin. Raised in a religious household, Gifty grapples with the tension between science and religion and how to balance these two important aspects of her life.

I have yet to read Yaa Gysai’s Homegoing, but I really enjoyed Transcendent Kingdom. Some of the scenes involving the lab mice made me squirm and I didn’t love the fact that there were several incorrect Bay Area references, but overall, I liked this character study. Transcendent Kingdom might resonate more with readers who identify as religious, but I found the main character’s inner battle between religion and science fascinating. I can’t see myself rereading this book, but it’s one I will definitely keep on my shelf to remind myself of Gyasi’s prolific writing.

Content Warnings

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Here we gooooo! One of the most anticipated releases of the year is almost here! Just like Michaelides’s first book, The Maidens is fantastic. Set in present-day Cambridge, England, group therapist Mariana receives an alarming call from her niece, Zoe, notifying her that one of Zoe’s friends has been murdered. After visiting Zoe’s college campus in Cambridge, Mariana is sure that Professor Edward Fosca is the culprit. But Fosca is considered untouchable. He is adored by all and leads a secret society prestigious of female students called The Maidens. And Zoe’s murdered friend was a member…

The Maiden’s short chapters kept me turning pages like none other. The Cambridge setting and Greek mythology was *chef’s kiss* and having visited Cambridge a while back, I had a lot of fun visualizing the book's scenes. While the ending was not as suspenseful or unexpected as The Silent Patient, I still had a blast. There are even some fun extra elements to this story that will knock fans of Michaelides off their feet. But that’s all I’m willing to say for now. 🤫

Thank you Celadon Books for the advanced reader copy!

Content Warnings

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Go to review page

challenging dark inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

This work of nonfiction is a masterpiece. Wood tells the story of her childhood in South Carolina and New York in verse. Split between two homes, Wood never fully feels at home in either place. Having grown up during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and 70s, Wood gives readers a glimpse into her life in which she learns to find her voice through writing at a young age. It’s difficult to put into words how much I enjoyed this book. Run, not walk, to pick it up at your local library or bookstore!

“I want to catch words one day. I want to hold them then blow gently, watch them float right out of my hands.”

Content Warnings

Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler

Go to review page

reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

Grab some sunscreen and a beach towel for this fun summer romance. Cool for the Summer’s protagonist, Lara, has had googly eyes for Chase Harding for the entirety of her high school career. But when Lara spends the summer at a beach town, she meets a girl named Jasmine and realizes that she has the hots for her too. So when Chase suddenly starts making moves on Lara, she isn’t sure what to do…

Named after Demi Lovato’s song, Cool for the Summer is the perfect young adult read. I love Lara’s character development, the questioning of her sexuality, and finding comfort in her Jewish and Russian roots. The easy-to-follow plot kept me turning pages wanting to find out what would happen next. Who does Lara choose?…

Thank you Wednesday Books for the advanced e-copy!

Content Warnings

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

My goodness, this book. THIS BOOK. I think the best way to describe The House in the Cerulean Sea is Animal Crossing in book form. I’m not kidding. The story is touching, heartfelt, and provides eloquent commentary on social issues. The book starts with Linus Baker, a caseworker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. Linus is assigned a new case at a classified orphanage in the Cerulean Sea with a group of magical creatures. There, adventure awaits.

This is the book I will be pushing into the hands of all adult readers. I urge you to pick it up; I guarantee you will love it. The children at the orphanage are what make this book spectacular. They are hilarious, kind, puzzling, and incredibly intelligent. So rarely do I connect with a book as magical as this one. Believe the hype.

Content Warnings

Sarahland by Sam Cohen

Go to review page

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I am a big fan of short stories and Sam Cohen’s short stories are a hooooot! The themes are genuinely human, a little weird, but also quite fun, exploring what it means to be Jewish, femme, and queer. I found myself in Sarahland among its Jewish themes and being called one of the “Sarah’s.” And while my name isn’t Sarah, it might as well be based on how many times people assume that is my name. 😆

But really, we are all Sarah’s attempting to figure out how to live our lives and navigate our way through the weird thing called humanity. So even if you aren’t named Sarah, you will find yourself in Sarahland.

Thank you Grand Central Pub for my gifted copy!

Content Warnings

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional tense 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

The Book Thief is an incredibly moving story about World War II in Nazi Germany. Geared towards young adult readers, The Book Thief is an excellent introduction to the Holocaust and is narrated by Death itself. Like all Holocaust books I have read over the years, The Book Thief is one that will stay with me for a while. It is important that we remember the inhumane actions of society that resulted in complete and utter destruction. Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Day of Remembrance, is occurring this year beginning on the evening of April 7th. Let us observe this day and remind ourselves of the 12 million people who perished as a result of Nazi Germany.

While its subject matter is heartbreaking, The Book Thief is amongst many of the important books to read about the Holocaust. The one element that made this book unsettling (besides its tough subject matter) is the use of blackface in the novel. A young boy is seen in blackface to appear like his hero, Jesse Owens. I found this completely unnecessary and inappropriate and I am surprised that this issue isn’t more widely discussed amongst reviews of this book. Like many books we may have enjoyed during our childhood, it’s important that we think critically about what underlying concepts these classics contain.

Content Warnings

Vera by Carol Edgarian

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

What a masterpiece! Set during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Vera is a book that will pull at your heartstrings. 15-year-old Vera Johnson has grown up straddling two mothers: her adoptive mother and the other, her biological mother who refuses to give Vera the intimacy and love she desires. On the day of the quake, Vera is forced to navigate her rocky future without her mothers by her side. But luckily, she has a few unexpected acquaintances to help her along the way.

This book is a beautiful and vivid love letter to the resilient city of San Francisco. I loved Vera’s story because I grew up (and still live) in the Bay Area. Furthermore, Edgarian paints the city and its residents with such strength and bravery. The story is well-researched and it references key landmarks from a perspective that only an SF resident would notice. Vera is an incredible story with grit, perseverance, and love. I definitely recommend checking this one out!

Content Warnings

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

If you’re looking for something quick to read, this is it! I was a big fan of the short chapters and the easy-to-follow storyline. I didn’t even predict the ending! Every Last Fear begins with NYU student, Matt Pine, learning that his family has been murdered in Mexico. The local police claim that the murder was an accident, but the FBI is skeptical. This isn’t the first time that the family has been in the spotlight. The scandal with Matt’s older brother (tldr: in prison for allegedly killing a girl) and a true-crime Netflix series is what first created headlines.

Matt, along with Agent Keller from the FBI, go on an adventurous chase to solve the murder of Matt’s family. Written from alternating perspectives, the reader won’t be able to guess the killer until the very end. And while though I didn’t predict the ending, the story didn’t give me that shocked "omg" reaction. The stereotypes presented about people in Mexico had no place in the book and some of the side storylines weren’t complete, but the book is a solid thriller for a reader looking for a quick thrill.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy!

Content Warnings

More...

sfbookgirl's reviews 412 reviews

sfbookgirl's reviews
412 reviews