How do I have seven review books for the same pub date? Because I am a mess, obviously 🫠 Happy Book Birthday to these anyway, not a dud among them!

A Step Past Darkness by Vera Kurian
The Someday Daughter by Ellen O’Clover
My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino
For the Stolen Fates by Gwendolyn Clare
Disciples of Chaos by M.K. Lobb
Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle
Twice Lived by Joma West

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A Step Past Darkness by Vera Kurian
Published by Park Row on February 20, 2024
Pages: 448
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

SIX CLASSMATES. ONE TERRIFYING NIGHT. A MURDER TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING…

There’s something sinister under the surface of the idyllic, suburban town of Wesley Falls, and it’s not just the abandoned coal mine that lies beneath it. The summer of 1995 kicks off with a party in the mine where six high school students witness a horrifying crime that changes the course of their lives.
The six couldn’t be more different.

• Maddy, a devout member of the local megachurch
• Kelly, the bookworm next door
• James, a cynical burnout
• Casey, a loveable football player
• Padma, the shy straight-A student
• Jia, who’s starting to see visions she can’t explain

When they realize that they can’t trust anyone but each other, they begin to investigate what happened on their own. As tensions escalate in town to a breaking point, the six make a vow of silence, bury all their evidence, and promise to never contact each other again. Their plan works – almost.

Twenty years later, Jia calls them all back to Wesley Falls—Maddy has been murdered, and they are the only ones who can uncover why. But to end things, they have to return to the mine one last time.

Story time! When I started this book, I was really not feeling it. At all. So I went to look at some reviews, as one does, to see if it is worth it. This review convinced me that it was, and I am happy to report that I am so very glad I listened! It starts off slowww, but that is really my only complaint about this book. Once I got into it, I was hooked, could not put the thing down, and at that point it definitely did not feel long.

There are six main characters who end up sort of thrown together for a project which takes them out of their comfort zones (let’s just say these six were not exactly running in the same groups until this project). But it takes an unexpected turn when they see some at a mine party. And I do mean Some Stuff™. The book alternates between the past, during the summer that changed their lives, and the present, when they reunite- minus one- to figure out what happened to their fallen friend.

I don’t want to give much away, but the mines are so atmospheric and creepy (also, I very much hope that they were kind of based off Centralia, which I have always wanted to incorporate into a book of my own). To add to the sketchiness of the town, there is a mega-church which is culty at best, frankly. It gives those vibes- you know the vibes.  Some of our characters’ families are deep in the culty church scene, but the whole town is affected by it one way or another. And then you have murdery shenanigans happening, and a lot of questions.

The mystery was so good, I could not stop reading. I also loved the characters, and being able to see them both as teens and then adults was pretty fun- you see how all they have been through has changed them, and it makes things even tenser when they have to go back to their hometown and revisit the junk that made them get out of there to begin with. So to summarize, we have great character development, an incredibly compelling mystery, high stakes and murder, some humor to make it palatable, relationships to navigate, some commentary on the creepy mega churches, and it all adds up to a simply unputdownable book.

Bottom Line: It may start out slow, but it gets so good that I promise you won’t care.

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The Someday Daughter by Ellen O'Clover
Published by Harper Teen on February 20, 2024
Pages: 336
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

From the critically acclaimed author of Seven Percent of Ro Devereux comes another nuanced, heartrending, and ultimately healing novel, about a rising college freshman forced to spend a summer with the self-help superstar mother she’s never felt truly connected to.

Years before Audrey St. Vrain was born, her mother, Camilla, shot to fame with Letters to My Someday Daughter, a self-help book encouraging women to treat themselves with the same love and care they’d treat their own daughters. While the world considers Audrey lucky to have Camilla for a mother, the truth is that Audrey knows a different side of being the someday daughter. Shipped off to boarding school when she was eleven, she feels more like a promotional tool than a member of Camilla’s family.

Audrey is determined to create her own identity aside from being Camilla’s daughter, and she’s looking forward to a prestigious summer premed program with her boyfriend before heading to college and finally breaking free from her mother’s world. But when Camilla asks Audrey to go on tour with her to promote the book’s anniversary, Audrey can’t help but think that this is the last, best chance to figure out how they fit into each other’s lives—not as the someday daughter and someday mother, but as themselves, just as they are.

What Audrey doesn’t know is that spending the summer with Camilla and her tour staff—including the disarmingly honest, distressingly cute video intern, Silas—will upset everything she’s so carefully planned for her life.

After loving the author’s debut, I was so excited to see what she had in store for us next. Good news, this sophomore offering certainly did not disappoint! The Someday Daughter didn’t quite hook me from the start the same way Ro did, but it definitely delivered on the complex relationships and characters, as well as an overall feel-good story that I was very satisfied with by the time I was done.

“I went searching for my mother in the one place I can always find her: the airport bookstore.”

I loved that quote because it totally summed up Audrey’s feelings about her mom when we meet her. Audrey’s mother has been pretty much a non-presence in her life, dropping her at boarding school to tour the world as a famous author and self-help guru. Problem is, she now wants Audrey to spend the summer with her, as a spokesperson of sorts for her book, the titular Someday Daughter. But as you can imagine, Audrey feels kind of cheated- her mom is profiting from the concept of Audrey, without actually putting in the work to be a mother.

Audrey, when we meet her, is quite cold, and not all that likable. She has kind of become a perfectionist, and has this idea of what her life has to be. No wiggle room, no room for change. But as the summer forces some changes upon her, Audrey starts to see that maybe she doesn’t have to have her life completely mapped out in order to be happy. I love the character growth during this book, and the focus on all kinds of relationships- obviously the parental relationships, but also friendships and romance, even some mentor stuff too. There is also some great commentary on mental health, too.

Bottom Line: Another hit from Ellen O’Clover, cannot wait for whatever’s next!

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My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino
Published by Page Street Kids on February 20, 2024
Pages: 320
Format:ARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review

Labyrinth meets folk horror in this darkly romantic tale of a girl who wishes her baby brother away to the Lord of the Wood.

Growing up in the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania feels like drowning. Leah goes to church every Sunday, works when she isn’t at school, and takes care of her baby brother, Owen. Like every girl in Winston, she tries to be right and good and holy. If she isn’t the Lord of the Wood will take her, and she’ll disappear like so many other girls before her.

But living up to the rigorous standards of the town takes its toll. One night, when Owen won’t stop screaming, Leah wishes him away, and the Lord listens. The screaming stops, and all that’s left in the crib is a small bundle of sticks tied with a ribbon.

Filled with shame and the weight of the town’s judgment, Leah is forced to cross the river into the Lord of the Wood’s domain to bring Owen back. But the devilish figure who has haunted Winston for generations isn’t what she expects. He tells her she can have her brother back―for the price of a song. A song that Leah will have one month to write.

It’s a bargain that will uncover secrets her hometown has tried to keep buried for decades. And what she unearths will have her questioning everything she’s been taught to fear.

Content warning at start of book: “Blood, gore, death, animal death (deer), animal gore (deer), body horror, suicidal ideation”

Another book, more working against creepy religious sects. Love it, frankly. You can tell from the start of this one that there is something up with this town. (Interestingly, this one is also set in Pennsylvania. Love that, too!) At first, I was kind of confused, because people were being super rude to Leah, and I could not for the life of me figure out why. But this becomes far clearer as the story moves along.

Leah ends up heading out to the woods to try to get her brother back from the Lord of the Wood, who grabbed the kid when Leah had a fleeting thought of wishing he was gone. Whoopsie. Now they’re really not gonna like you, ma’am. In fact, they tell her she can GTFO of town and go fetch the kid, so… what’s a girl to do? She is scared because all the other girls who have gone baby-fetching have never returned.

Turns out that the Lord is less terrifying than she imagined, but there is still a lot of mystery surrounding both him and the Wood. Leah has to write a song for him in order to procure the aforementioned baby, and that part was not my favorite because I did not care about this song. At all. But, I liked the whole part where Leah has to figure out what is going on and who she can trust and what choices she should make. She learns a lot during the course of the story, which means that we the reader do, too. That made for an exciting story, and I also loved the messages that the author wove through the book.

Bottom Line: Pennsylvanians need to stop being culty and creepy I think.

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For the Stolen Fates by Gwendolyn Clare
Series: In the City of Time #2
Published by Feiwel & Friends on February 20, 2024
Pages: 368
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

In this heart-pumping sci-fi sequel to In the City of Time, two people have to work together to prevent the cataclysm that will soon break the laws of physics and render Earth uninhabitable.

Now in possession of the most dangerous book ever scribed, Willa and Saudade settle into the nineteenth century and start planning how to avert the cataclysm that will soon break the laws of physics and render Earth uninhabitable.

Faraz only wants his best friend, Leo, to have the time to come to terms with the death of his father―even if his father was a power-hungry villain who had to be stopped. But someone has stolen the editbook again, and now Faraz and his friends must track down Willa and challenge her for control of the editbook.

Meanwhile, Leo’s older brother Aris contemplates a path toward redemption after using the editbook to destroy the city of Napoli. Can he salvage his remaining relationships, after a lifetime of following their father?

But as far as Willa and Saudade are concerned, all these people are suspects in a crime that hasn’t happened yet.

My one problem with For the Stolen Fates was that I did not really remember a ton about its predecessor. And since we kind of jumped right into the action, I did feel a wee bit lost. For a good portion of the story, actually. But that is on me, isn’t it? Though like I said in that review, I still don’t fully get the world, because this is a companion to another series. And while you don’t have to read that one to enjoy this one (I didn’t read it!), I have a feeling it would all make more sense if I had. I digress, as I didn’t know it was a companion series at the time.

Anyway, we’re thrown right back into the action, with a bunch of characters, and again, I did not remember too many of them aside from Willa and Saudade. I did enjoy that we were back in the past, can you imagine how trippy that must be!? Honestly this book just made me want to jump around in time, I’ll certainly give it that! I also liked that the characters had to like, use the time travel as a strategic device, makes it fun. We’re not spending time with the characters that Willa grew close to in the first book, which is a bit sad because she had this found family situation, but she finds a whole new crew of characters to hang out with so there’s that! And they are trying to save all of humanity and earth, so obviously the stakes are high and there is quite a bit of action and excitement.

Bottom Line: Different time and some different characters, but still a very adventurous take on time travel!

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Disciples of Chaos by M.K. Lobb
Series: Seven Faceless Saints #2
Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers on February 20, 2024
Pages: 384
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

In this thrilling sequel to Seven Faceless Saints, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kerri Maniscalco, Roz and Damian must face their destiny as the world crumbles around them.

Damian Venturi isn't aware of it yet. But as small shifts start to crack the foundations of the Ombrazian power structure after the Rebellion's attack, cracks are beginning to show in Damian's own facade. Uncontrollable anger is bubbling to the surface and can't always be pushed down. Can he keep everyone safe, even from himself?

Rossana Lacertosa should feel victorious. She accomplished everything she set out to do, and more. The Rebellion's attack set countless prisoners free and brought attention to the unfairness in the Palazzo's structure. And Damian is back by her side where he belongs. Yet the war with Brechaat rages on and government officials are hellbent on keeping the status quo.

Then an Ombrazian general arrives from the front lines, and orders dozens of arrests, shipping Roz and Damian's friends up north. Determined to free those who matter most, Roz and Damian set their sights on Brechaat. But their journey is dogged by strange magic, and Damian shifts further from the boy he used to be.

The complications of love, magic, faith, and war will keep readers eagerly turning the pages as they head towards the gripping conclusion in the Seven Faceless Saints duology.

Another solid sequel here! We pick up where we left off, with a lot of fighting and messy political turmoil. And some magic, which let’s be real, is the last thing politicians need. (I will say, one of my favorite parts of this book was the political and war commentary, which felt incredibly relevant in today’s global climate.) I enjoyed the characters, though perhaps a bit less than the first book- Damian has undergone some unfortunate changes, and while it makes perfect narrative sense, it made me sad for his character, and for Roz having to watch it happen.

I loved that the world-building was taken to the next level in this installment, and a lot of my questions from the first book were answered. As always, I loved the ensemble cast that accompanied our main characters, and there was certainly a ton of action and adventure to keep the reader on their toes. The ending was both satisfying and narratively appropriate, and I can’t really ask for much else!

Bottom Line: Satisfying duology is satisfying.

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Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on February 20, 2024
Pages: 352
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

For fans of Talia Hibbert and Lynn Painter comes a funny and unflinchingly honest story about a teen who must come to terms with her disability and what it means for her identity, her love life, and her future.

Brynn Kwan is desperate for her high school persona to be real. That Brynn is head of the yearbook committee, the favorite for prom queen, and definitely not crumbling from a secret disability that’s rapidly wearing her down. If no one knows the truth about her condition, Brynn doesn’t have to worry about the pitying looks or accusations of being a faker that already destroyed her childhood friendships. She’s even willing to let go of her four-year relationship with her first love, Oliver, rather than reveal that a necessary surgery was the reason she ignored his existence for the entire summer.

But after Brynn tries to break up a fight at a pep rally and winds up barred from all her clubs and senior prom, she has nothing left to prop up her illusion of being just like everyone else. During a week-long suspension from school, she realizes that she doesn’t quite recognize the face in the mirror—and it’s not because of her black eye from the fight. With a healthy sister who simply doesn’t understand and a confused ex-boyfriend who won’t just take a hint and go away like a normal human being , Brynn begins to wonder if it’s possible to reinvent her world by being the person she thought no one herself.

Conditions of a Heart is such a lovely book with a lot of great disability representation, and how hard it can be to navigate all that comes with being a young person while also having a disability. Brynn is trying to pretend her condition doesn’t exist when we first meet her. She is trying to put forth the perfect persona, and wants no one to know that she has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or how significant a part of her life it is. It makes sense, too, because we find out very early in the book that the last person that Brynn opened up to treated her horribly, and as such, she doesn’t want to open herself up to that kind of hurt again.

Obviously, there is a lot at play in this story. Not only is Brynn’s health a major focus, but there is quite a bit of injustice at her school that she has to deal with. She is also trying to navigate friendships, and future plans, and all the normal junk that comes with growing up. She ended things with her boyfriend rather than explain to him why she needed surgery, and when she ends up suspended from school and having difficulties with her illness, she decides to just bail on school altogether.

Her dad, who also has EDS, has such a strong bond with Brynn, and even though it is clear that her mom and sister love her, they simply can’t relate. Brynn has also kept all her friends at arm’s length, so it is great to see how those relationships all transform and evolve over the course of the story, just like Brynn does. Also, a lot of fabulous commentary on how messed up the health”care” system is, and the kind of treatment that folks with chronic illness have to face- even from the doctors who are supposed to care for them, and extra especially for female patients.

Bottom Line: A lovely and heartfelt book with great rep for chronic illness, as well as wonderfully developed characters, messages, and relationships.

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Twice Lived by Joma West
Published by Tordotcom on February 20, 2024
Pages: 256
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Torn between two families and two lives, a troubled teen must come to terms with losing half their world.

Two Worlds. Two Minds. One Life.

There are two Earths. Perfectly ordinary and existing in parallel. There are no doorways between them, no way to cross from one world to another. Unless you’re a shifter.

Canna and Lily are the same person but they refuse to admit it. Their split psyche has forced them to shift randomly between worlds – between lives and between families – for far longer than they should. But one mind can’t bear this much life. It’ll break under the weight of it all. Soon they’ll experience their final shift and settle at last in one world, but how can they prepare both families for the eventuality of them disappearing forever?

Twice Lived is a novel about family and friendships, and about loss and acceptance, and about the ways we learn to deal with the sheer randomness of life.

Gosh, where do I even begin? I loved this book, and was hooked from the start. It was incredibly emotional, and I found the concept so intriguing, and the execution equally fabulous. In Twice Lived, some babies are born with the ability to “shift” between parallel worlds. There’s seemingly no rhyme or reason to who becomes a shifter, or the whys and hows, just… that it happens. And parents have to live with it. As for the shifters themselves, most settle in one world in early-to-middle childhood, and that’s that. Obviously, it leaves a huge hole in the parents’ lives, but there is simply nothing to be done.

Canna and Lily share the same body, but they absolutely do not think of themselves as the same person. Canna lives in her world, with her mother Georgia, and Lily lives with her parents and sister in hers. Canna has some great friends while Lily is more of a homebody, and they are simply just two very different people. Problem is, the oldest known shifter was 19 when they settled, and Canna and Lily are getting perilously close, devastating both of their families as well as each girl.

We take the journey with both Canna and Lily as well as their respective mothers as they navigate this trying ordeal. Not only that, but the reader is also following them on a journey to better understand shifting in general, which is tremendously fascinating. The whole book is incredibly thought-provoking, and so very thoughtful in terms of the relationships both girls are desperate to keep, goals they want to achieve, and simply their desire to hang onto their very selves. My only minor gripe is that I would have liked the ending to be a bit more fleshed out- it was kind of quick and I was hoping for a bit more, but overall, this was wonderful.

Bottom Line: So emotionally fulfilling, with an amazing and unique premise that sucked me in from the start and never let go.

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