When I first saw XOXO by Axie Oh at the Harper Collins Canada Frenzy Presents: spring/summer preview, I immediately knew I had to read it; it looked so fun! I did NOT expect it to totally take over my life, make me laugh and cry, and have me messaging friends in all caps because I was so stressed about what was going to happen to the characters.
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There’s something about YA thrillers that hit different, and this one was a non-stop, heart-pounding ride. I knew this book was going to be fast-paced, but friends, I was SPEED READING as fast as I could to get to the end.
“She was here, in the daylight. She is breaking all her own rules. She is going to finish what she started.”
Friends, I did it: I finally read a book that takes place in the woods that didn’t scare my pants off! Sure, it made me uncomfortable at times, but it didn’t give me nightmares (yet). Instead, Some Kind of Animal by Maria Romasco Moore used a creepy setting to create thriller centered around the love two twin sisters have for each other.
I can’t remember the last time I read a book that made me cry as much as More Than Us by Ryan Jones did. This book deals with themes of suicide, mental health, and self-harm, so please be aware if you decide to add this title to your TBR list.
“How to keep a fire burning. How to stitch a fight up until it’s only a scar. That’s the kind of thing you learn with a mother like mine. Mostly, though, you learn how to be loved without any proof.”
I finished reading Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power just over one week ago, and after screaming into the void because OMG, IT’S JUST SO GOOD (!!!), I am finally ready to write actual words about how truly wonderful this book is.
In April I put together a list of books to read if you love reality TV, and I wish I waited to put it together because Followers by Raziel Reid is perfect for fans of the Kardashians, any of the “Real Housewives” series, or teen dramas such as Gossip Girl or The O.C. I devoured this book, and it left me reeling.
“Everyone knows about the dare. Each week, the king of Fairvale Academy, Bryson Keller, must date someone new—the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes.”
When I first saw the description for Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye I was expecting a cute, fluffy gay romance. While aspects of that were definitely in the book, there was also so much more included in this story.
“This is an attack. The scientist said the infected are here. Zombies. He called them zombies. The zombie apocalypse is here now.”
When I first received my copy of Girls Save The World in This One by Ash Parsons, I did not think I would be reading it during a global pandemic. This horror-comedy is about a group of best friends that attend a zombie convention and then find themselves in a very real zombie outbreak, and certain parts felt a little too off-putting to read during a worldwide viral outbreak.
Reading about quarantine zones and fighting for survival was a little too close to home, but after I put those aspects aside, the rest of the story was enjoyable.
“The weird thing about being a victim is, no one expects it to be them. Victims are always someone else, somehow tragically naive who foolishly trust the wrong person. I’d never make bad decisions like that. I was always careful. And yet, it wasn’t enough.”
I’ve always said the hardest book reviews to write are for the books I absolutely loved, and this sentiment applied to The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly by Meredith Tate. I devoured this book in three sittings, and was totally immersed in the story from beginning to end. It’s easily one of the best YA contemporary thrillers I’ve ever read, and deals with incredibly important topics.
Before we get any further, I’ll note that the author has a list of content warnings for this book on her website.
literarylizard.com 