Here is the first batch of May books! Some really good books in this bunch!

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
This Is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde
Cursed Crowns by Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber
The Ferryman: A Novel by Justin Cronin
Not Alone: A Novel by Sarah K. Jackson
If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude

---

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
Published by Balzer + Bray on May 2, 2023
Pages: 433
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

With humor and insight, #1 New York Times bestseller Becky Albertalli explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship.

Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she’s got the World’s Greatest Ally title locked down.

She's never missed a Pride Alliance meeting. She knows more about queer media discourse than her very queer little sister. She even has two queer best friends. There's Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen's biases in check. And then there's Lili—newly out and newly thriving with a cool new squad of queer college friends.

Imogen's thrilled for Lili. Any ally would be. And now that she's finally visiting Lili on campus, she's bringing her ally A game. Any support Lili needs, Imogen's all in.

Even if that means bending the truth, just a little.

Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: she's told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is a raging hetero—not even Lili’s best friend, Tessa.

Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with. . .

I don’t know how Becky Albertalli does it, but man, every single character she writes feels so completely relatable, regardless of what we have in common. This is clearly a very personal book for the author, as she delves into in her author’s note, but it involves her journey to discovering that she was part of the LGBTQ community. Which is Imogen’s journey, too.

The story basically revolves around Imogen figuring her life out. Not just her sexuality, though that is certainly a big part of it, but lots of stuff. Like her future plans, where she fits in the world, all that good stuff that we all have to navigate while growing up. She is very drawn to her friend Lili’s college friend group, and she seems to fit right in when she goes to visit. But what she hadn’t bargained for was some burgeoning feelings for one of the girls in the group. Worse, when she tells her friend at home, Gretchen (who let the record show behaves like she’s the Queer Police in general) about these confusing feelings, Gretchen completely dismisses her and basically makes fun of her. So now, Imogen is extra confused.

I adored taking this journey with Imogen. I loved her friends, and I loved the humor and wittiness infused on every page. It is very clearly such a heartfelt story, chronicling Imogen’s sometimes messy, always genuine odyssey to find herself.

Bottom Line: I loved every minute of this story, which is very clearly oozing with heart and love.

---

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
Published by Henry Holt & Co. (BYR) on May 2, 2023
Pages: 400
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Perry Firekeeper-Birch was ready for her Summer of Slack but instead, after a fender bender that was entirely not her fault, she’s stuck working to pay back her Auntie Daunis for repairs to the Jeep.

Thankfully she has the other outcasts of the summer program, Team Misfit Toys, and even her twin sister Pauline. Together they ace obstacle courses, plan vigils for missing women in the community, and make sure summer doesn’t feel so lost after all.

But when she attends a meeting at a local university, Perry learns about the “Warrior Girl”, an ancestor whose bones and knife are stored in the museum archives, and everything changes. Perry has to return Warrior Girl to her tribe. Determined to help, she learns all she can about NAGPRA, the federal law that allows tribes to request the return of ancestral remains and sacred items. The university has been using legal loopholes to hold onto Warrior Girl and twelve other Anishinaabe ancestors’ remains, and Perry and the Misfits won’t let it go on any longer.

Using all of their skills and resources, the Misfits realize a heist is the only way to bring back the stolen artifacts and remains for good. But there is more to this repatriation than meets the eye as more women disappear and Pauline’s perfectionism takes a turn for the worse. As secrets and mysteries unfurl, Perry and the Misfits must fight to find a way to make things right – for the ancestors and for their community.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter comes a thrilling YA mystery about a Native teen who must find a way to bring an ancestor home to her tribe.

Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter is straight up one of my favorite books of all time. Loved it beyond words. So needless to say, Warrior Girl Unearthed had some big ol’ shoes to fill. First, to answer your most burning question, yes we get some much-loved updates about some of our faves from FD! I was so giddy excited to catch back up with them, even if they didn’t happen to be the main focus (though Daunis is still a pretty important character, no worries).

In this book, we follow Perry, who is interning (mostly against her will) in the summer to pay her Aunt Daunis back after she crashes the Jeep she’d given her and her twin, Pauline. Pauline is stoked to be part of the program, but Perry had no such motivations. But, as she starts her summer journey, she begins to find out a lot of facts about remains and artifacts of Native peoples which are basically being used by non-Natives for financial gain. Some are sold on sites like eBay, some in local shops, but Perry is infuriated by the fact that these artifacts (and in some cases, entire bodies) are not being returned to their tribes, due to some loophole in the law. It’s pretty horrible, I concur, and loved that Perry became so invested in this cause.

The thing about Perry is, she doesn’t always think before she acts. So she gets herself in some trouble more than once, and I do wish she had learned a bit more from her actions. I loved how deeply the characters (and obviously the author, too) care about their culture. I feel like I learned so much while reading this book, and the author delivers this information in a way that the reader will find compelling, and also, be outraged about, as they should be.

I liked the characters certainly, though not quite as much as FD. Perry was great, and her love for her culture was great, but I think Daunis will just always have a special place in my heart. I felt like Perry underwent a lot of personal growth during the story too, though I do wish she’d become a tad less impulsive? But I think maybe that is just who she is as a person heh. Overall, another huge win!

Bottom Line: There is so much love for Native people and their culture in this story, and it was incredibly eye opening while still being very enjoyable.

---

This Is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde
Published by Wednesday Books on May 9, 2023
Pages: 272
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Hazel Wood are cordially invited to spend one fateful night surviving an elite private school’s epic masquerade ball in Jen Wilde’s debut thriller, This Is the Way the World Ends.

As an autistic scholarship student at the prestigious Webber Academy in New York City, Waverly is used to masking to fit in—in more ways than one. While her classmates are the children of the one percent, Waverly is getting by on tutoring gigs and the generosity of the school’s charming and enigmatic dean. So when her tutoring student and resident “it girl” asks Waverly to attend the school’s annual fundraising Masquerade disguised as her, Waverly jumps at the chance—especially once she finds out that Ash, the dean’s daughter and her secret ex-girlfriend, will be there.

The Masquerade is everything Waverly dreamed of, complete with extravagant gowns, wealthy parents writing checks, and flowing champagne. Most importantly, there’s Ash. All Waverly wants to do is shed her mask and be with her, but the evening takes a sinister turn when Waverly stumbles into a secret meeting between the dean and the school’s top donors—and witnesses a brutal murder. This gala is harboring far more malevolent plots than just opening parents’ pocketbooks. Before she can escape or contact the authorities, a mysterious global blackout puts the entire party on lockdown. Waverly’s fairy tale has turned into a nightmare, and she, Ash, and her friends must navigate through a dizzying maze of freight elevators, secret passageways, and back rooms if they’re going to survive the night.

And even if they manage to escape the Masquerade, with technology wiped out all over the planet, what kind of world will they find waiting for them beyond the doors?

I do love books that feature the potential end of days, don’t I? I have at least three happening in this post alone, in fact! This one was a little different than the others, and definitely worth chatting about so… let’s!

What I Loved:

• It features a queer, autistic main character. That is a win right there, yes? Extra because the author is both queer and autistic also! Add to it, I quite liked Waverly as a character too.
• Who doesn’t love a masquerade ball? I mean, that is cool! And then you tell me that shit’ll hit the fan during said ball?! Yes please! Fancy apocalypses are kind of the best!
• The story itself kept me intrigued and reading. Look, I wanted to know what was going on, full stop. So the author definitely did a good job of making the stakes high and the story exciting and readable. The action is pretty on point, and entertaining. And, I enjoyed Waverly enough to want to know her fate (and that of her friends).

What I Struggled With:

• I read some reviews that talk about the author maybe trying too hard to appeal to teens, and I have to agree. Part of this is a personal thing, I don’t love an overabundance of references to current cultural icons and media, as it has a tendency to date the book. It also really takes me out of a story, and again, I am not even sure why, it just does. And there is a lot of it in this book, and it isn’t like, necessary to the story in any way.
• I wish we’d delved into Waverly’s autism a bit more. She tells us about it a lot, but we don’t actually get a sense of what she is dealing with. There were a few very random moments where her autism shone through in her behavior, but it was incredibly inconsistent, and I didn’t just want her to tell the reader she was autistic. I hate being nitpicky about this because this is #ownvoices, but as someone who works with kids with autism every day of the week, I know it is more than just a stereotypical “clapping excitedly” and then sis can go about her life totally fine even during super stressful situations. So I guess I wish we were shown instead of just told.
• It requires a lot of suspension of disbelief. I just didn’t buy a lot of what happened in this story, especially in the second half of the book. As such, I can’t say a ton about why, but I’ll do my best. Basically, the “bad guys” were just… over the top? And their reasoning didn’t make a ton of sense? Also, I felt like a lot of questions that I personally had went unanswered.

Bottom Line: It was entertaining and intriguing, though I did feel a bit let down by the reveals.

---

Cursed Crowns by Catherine Doyle, Katherine Webber
Series: Twin Crowns #2
Published by Balzer & Bray/Harperteen on May 9, 2023
Pages: 512
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Bestselling authors and real-life sisters-in-law Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber join forces on a compelling YA fantasy bursting with high-stakes adventure, romance and humour. Two queens, one throne. What can possibly go wrong . . .?

Twin queens Wren and Rose have claimed their crowns . . . but not everyone is happy about witches sitting on Eana's throne.

Cool-headed Rose sets off on a Royal Tour to win over the doubters, but soon finds herself drawn to the Sunless Kingdom. Here secrets are revealed about those closest to her, and Rose finds her loyalties divided.

Meanwhile rebellious Wren steals away to the icy north to rescue their beloved grandmother, Banba. But when she accepts King Alarik's deadly magical bargain in exchange for Banba's freedom, the spell has unexpected - and far-reaching - consequences . . .

As an ancient curse begins to arise from the darkness, the sisters must come together and unite the crown. Their lives - and the future of Eana - depend on it.
Break the ice to free the curse,Kill one twin to save another . . .

I was super pleasantly surprised by the first book in this series, Twin Crowns. So I was pretty excited to get to its sequel, as one is. It was pretty good, though I will admit that the first 30-40% was a bit of a struggle for me. I had a hard time recalling who was who, and was very grateful for some recap bits. There were whole plot points that I was a but confused on, so that was rough. But eventually, things did pick up and I started enjoying the story as I had the first.

The twins are once again separated, which I actually didn’t totally mind? Like, it made sense for the story, so I was down. Plus, it allowed us to see more of the world, and more characters. So I did find it to be a good choice. The writing is witty and charming as ever, and the humor infused in the story is definitely my favorite part. I also really enjoyed that the characters had to make some really brutal decisions, and there were often choices that were bad no matter what they did. That is a favorite of mine, so I was on board.

Without giving much away, I really enjoyed some of the twists and turns the story took. Some of them were pretty messed up, but honestly that is likely why I loved them. Always here for weird stuff, frankly. I will definitely be tuning in for the next installment!

Bottom Line: Once it got going, I was fully invested and enjoyed it as I had the first!

---

The Ferryman: A Novel by Justin Cronin
Published by Ballantine Books on May 2, 2023
Pages: 560
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Founded by the mysterious genius known as the Designer, the archipelago of Prospera lies hidden from the horrors of a deteriorating outside world. In this island paradise, Prospera's lucky citizens enjoy long, fulfilling lives until the monitors embedded in their forearms, meant to measure their physical health and psychological well-being, fall below 10 percent. Then they retire themselves, embarking on a ferry ride to the island known as the Nursery, where their failing bodies are renewed, their memories are wiped clean, and they are readied to restart life afresh.

Proctor Bennett, of the Department of Social Contracts, has a satisfying career as a ferryman, gently shepherding people through the retirement process--and, when necessary, enforcing it. But all is not well with Proctor. For one thing, he's been dreaming--which is supposed to be impossible in Prospera. For another, his monitor percentage has begun to drop alarmingly fast. And then comes the day he is summoned to retire his own father, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message before being wrestled onto the ferry.

Meanwhile, something is stirring. The Support Staff, ordinary men and women who provide the labor to keep Prospera running, have begun to question their place in the social order. Unrest is building, and there are rumors spreading of a resistance group--known as "Arrivalists"--who may be fomenting revolution.
Soon Proctor finds himself questioning everything he once believed, entangled with a much bigger cause than he realized--and on a desperate mission to uncover the truth.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Passage comes a riveting standalone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia--where the truth isn't what it seems.

This is my first Justin Cronin book, though I deeply loved the show version of The Passage and will definitely read it at some point. I really quite enjoyed his style of writing, so I have little doubt I’ll enjoy his earlier fare as well. The Ferryman definitely had my head spinning, but in a really great way. And I am having a terrible time figuring out how to tell you about this one without spoiling basically everything, so. We’ll keep this short and sweet, eh?

Basically, our main character, Proctor, is a Ferryman. This means his job is to escort people to the nursery where they are “retired” and begin life anew in a new body. It’s a lot- some people go willingly and happily, and others resist, hence the need for someone to accompany them. But it’s very clear that there are some shenanigans going on beyond what Proctor can see. He knows something is “off”, but doesn’t know what or why, not really. But he seems determined to uncover some secrets, and so we begin the journey.

No one is quite what they seem, and Proctor (and the reader) are unsure who they can trust. The twists are wild and fabulous, and while the book can feel a bit long at points, it is absolutely worth the ride.

Bottom Line: Mind-bendingly great, the twists and turns kept me guessing throughout.

---

Not Alone: A Novel by Sarah K. Jackson
Published by Doubleday on May 2, 2023
Pages: 352
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

An exhilarating debut novel, tracing the harrowing journey of a mother and son fighting for survival and a future in a world ravaged by environmental disaster

Five years ago, a microplastic storm wiped out most of the population. No infrastructure. No safe havens. No goodbyes.

Since then, Katie and Harry have lived in isolation in their small flat outside London. Katie forages, hunts the surviving animal population, and provides for Harry, who was born after the Storm, and who has never left their little home. After years without human contact, Katie and Harry are shocked by the arrival of a threatening newcomer. And this proof of life beyond their familiar environment spurs Katie to undertake a previously unthinkable journey, in search of her fiancé, Jack, who never came home, and a different kind of life for Harry.

Outside their protected bubble, Katie and Harry encounter an altered world, full of new dangers, other survivors--both friend and foe--and many surprises. Katie's resources, energy, and parenting abilities are pushed to the brink, as Harry's life and safety waver in the balance, knowing that the further they get from their flat, the harder it will be to return if things go wrong. Sarah K. Jackson combines beautiful language, palm-sweating adventure, and a deep, true-to-life parent-child bond that transcends its postapocalyptic setting, in a debut that emphasizes the importance of relationships, trust, and sustainability today.

TW at start of book: “This book contains references to suicide and sexual assault.”

Not Alone is a pretty intense book. Not in terms of action per se (though it does have some tense moments, make no mistake!) but in terms of emotions. It can be hard to read at times, because it is so dark, and lonely. You can’t help but feel for Katie, who is raising a toddler son during the actual apocalypse. There are some kind of… I don’t know, let’s call them particles, that make people sick and can kill them. Have killed most people on Earth, really. And Katie has Henry to protect. This is such a fear, right? Not just having to worry about yourself at the end of the world, but a tiny, totally dependent human as well. She’s been surviving for years, but has she been living? Not really.

But then, she miraculously finds a clue that her fiancé Jack may still be alive. And really that is all she needs to make the perilous journey in search of him. There is so little left for her and Henry, that she figures it is worth finding out the truth about Jack. And it is certainly an adventure along the way. They meet several other survivors, some of whom are decent folks trying to live through the end times, and some who have more nefarious intentions.

The story weaves through their journey, but also looks into Katie’s past, so we get a glimpse of who the important people in her life really were, including Jack. It’s nice, because you kind of understand why she is so desperate to locate him. And it’s heartbreaking to see just how alone she and Henry really are in this messed up world. It’s a lovely story, certainly heartbreaking, but absolutely with moments of hope.

Bottom Line: If the end times weren’t bad enough, imagine having a young child to keep alive. This book is, therefore, quite intense.

---

If Tomorrow Doesn't Come by Jen St. Jude
Published by Bloomsbury YA on May 9, 2023
Pages: 416
Format:ARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review

We Are Okay meets They Both Die at the End in this YA debut about queer first love and mental health at the end of the world-and the importance of saving yourself, no matter what tomorrow may hold.

Avery Byrne has secrets. She's queer; she's in love with her best friend, Cass; and she's suffering from undiagnosed clinical depression. But on the morning Avery plans to jump into the river near her college campus, the world discovers there are only nine days left to an asteroid is headed for Earth, and no one can stop it.

Trying to spare her family and Cass additional pain, Avery does her best to make it through just nine more days. As time runs out and secrets slowly come to light, Avery would do anything to save the ones she loves. But most importantly, she learns to save herself. Speak her truth. Seek the support she needs. Find hope again in the tomorrows she has left.

If Tomorrow Doesn't Come is a celebration of queer love, a gripping speculative narrative, and an urgent, conversation-starting book about depression, mental health, and shame.

Please note, there is an author’s note before the book which explains the trigger warnings, which includes suicide.

Well. This book was beautiful. Beautiful! It broke my heart, then rebuilt it gorgeous page by gorgeous page. There is so much love packed into this book, I don’t even have proper words. And yes, there is a romance, and it is spectacular, but there are many kinds of love showcased in this story, which I think was my favorite part. Not only was there a very compelling romance, but there are incredible familial bonds and friendships throughout.

The book opens with Avery contemplating suicide, so it is heavy. Avery is a mess at college, and I will be honest, I so desperately wish this portrayal was around when I was in college. Back then, it seemed like every representation of college was that it was some kind of “magical time”, but it was truly the most depressed I have ever been in my life. Seeing Avery in the same dark place was really eye opening, like “wow maybe I wasn’t the only one”. Anyway, obviously Avery does not end her life in chapter one, or this would be a short book. Basically, right as she’s on the verge, all hell breaks loose. It was very reminiscent of Jasper in S4 of The 100, and I thought that storyline was so important, so I was hooked from the start.

Avery finds her roommate, who is desperate to get home to Nigeria but cannot, and a professor who failed her, and they head to meet up with Avery’s bestie/love of her life, Cass in Boston. Then, the gang plans to head to Avery’s parents’ house, which is reachable in the midst of the chaos. I don’t want to tell you more about the adventure and plot, but I will talk about some of the things I loved!

• I will always love an apocalypse story, and this one delivers. It felt very realistic, and the reactions of the humans is very on point. People suck, in general, but some people like Avery’s group sticks together. Their quest for survival is just so raw and real, and I could not stop reading.
• Like I said, all the relationships. Avery had a pretty tricky relationship with her mom, who is super religious and isn’t exactly tickled about Avery being gay. Add to it, her mom’s sister died by suicide the day Avery was born, making her mom extra protective. Avery has a brother, too, and I adored their relationship. He is older, married with a son, and his family is lovely too. Aisha, Avery’s roommate, is desperate to make contact with her own family, and also has to repair her relationship with Avery while they are together. And of course, the relationship between Cass and Avery is complex and absolutely lovely.
• Lots of discussion about LGBTQ issues and religion. Avery had kind of turned away from the church, because of their gross stance on LGBTQ folks. Which, very understandable. But because she grew up in the church, she obviously had a lot of lingering feelings about it, and I loved how delicately and wonderfully the author explored this. I feel like it was extra pertinent since it was, you know, potentially the end of the world and these questions would be coming up more than ever.
• Obviously, lots of talk about mental health. Now, there can’t exactly be “regular” therapy, since the world is in chaos, but the author still makes sure that the mental health topics are properly explored and discussed, which is no easy feat while also worrying about the end times.
• The emotiveness was off the charts. And sure, tears (I absolutely ugly cried), but many happier emotions, too! It was very, very heartfelt, and the love the characters had for each other leapt off the pages. I was so invested in each of these characters and their fates, I simply could not put this book down.

Bottom Line: This book is stunning. I could gush about it all day, but instead, just read it for yourself.

Have you read any of these books? Plan to? Let us chat about them!