Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo, Ren Graham

 
Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo, Ren Graham
My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Tony Price is drawn to a quiet guy at school, it feels like something is finally going right. Between his dad failing to pay attention to him and his lifelong best friend becoming more and more vicious, Eli Hirsch is the one good thing happening. At least that’s the case until his best friend bullies Eli, his dad continues to barely pay attention to him, and werewolf starts lurking in the woods. Everything happening at once turns his life upside down, but only one thing is making sense: Eli. 

This is an absolutely cute and heartwarming story with a little humor that pulls the heartstrings at times. I received a sampler of the book, but I did read the rest of the book on Jeannette Arroyo’s tumblr. When I first got to the end of the sampler, I was left on a cliffhanger as it ends at a pivotal moment. That’s when I decided to check out the author to see if they have published any other books and discovered the entire novel is posted on their tumblr. Even though they currently have it posted, I fully plan on buying the book because I absolutely love it.

We follow Tony and Eli, who are two teenagers trying to get through their last year of high school. As the story picks up, we learn that Tony’s life may seem to be that of a picture-perfect high school star, but he’s actually a little sad and forever chasing after the approval of his father. Meanwhile, Eli appears to be of the flaky weird kid when he’s actually lonely and living with an autoimmune disease that makes him frequently miss school. The more we get to know them, the more the target audience learns that not everything is as it appears on the surface.

While the overall message of the story is wonderful, the way it is told just brings these characters and the story to life. Other than the beautiful artwork, we’re presented a group of characters who each appear as a stereotype on the surface but are full of depth and not the stereotypes they appeared to be. They each bring a different piece of reality to the table and is mixed with a few paranormal elements. I love the way werewolves and ghosts are presented, though the werewolf lore is lacking.

The more we learn about the characters, the smaller details continue to echo life. Even though Tony and his father don’t have the strongest relationship, I loved both characters along with their family dynamic. We also don’t see much of Eli’s family, but his mom is certainly one of the unkind sides of the world.

Much of the story is hinged on acceptance, rejection, and the fear of rejection. I found this particularly realistic, especially based on the character’s lives and what they are going through. Tony teeters on the edge of accepted and rejected, and then there’s new realizations and circumstances that vastly tip in the direction he hopes it doesn’t go. It made a deep impression on me because it stirred up old feelings from when I was a teenager, so this book definitely touches on some important topics.

All in all, I loved the book and look forward to seeing what the author publishes in the future.

Hoop Quilts for Beginners: 15 Designs from Easy Patchwork and Embroidery by Anne Marie Chany

 
Hoop Quilts for Beginners: 15 Designs from Easy Patchwork and Embroidery by Anne Marie Chany
My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Fox Chapel Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Last year, I bought a box of fabric scraps so that I could make a fun quilt. The problem? I have yet to actually start quilting! When I saw this book, I thought that hoop quilts would be a great way to dip my toes into quilting. It’s done on a small scale, so I won’t get overwhelmed piecing together a throw blanket while also learning how to quilt.

As a total beginner, the list of tools and why we need them is extremely helpful. There are things I already have since I cross stitch, embroider, and sew. However, there are still some supplies (like a rotary cutter) I should pick up because it’ll just make life easier. I love that the information is brought in such a simple format. It’s easy to gather what’s needed and why without feeling overwhelmed.

One thing I love about this book is that it’s extremely beginner friendly. There’s a lot of information included, but it’s presented in a way that makes it seem very simple. I love that there are step by step instructions along with graphs and other helpful information. Plus, the entire opening has a lot of information that will be needed at some point during the process of making hoop quilts, so it’s easy to flip back and double check the instructions before moving forward.

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

 
The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
My Rating: ★★★★★

Morgan used to have a simple and happy life before her parents divorced. Now she’s miserable, her younger brother is short tempered, and she can’t wait to get off the little island her family lives on. What’s more pressing is that she lives with a big secret and is just counting the years until she can leave the island and be her true self out in the open. Until then, she’s just pretending to be movie teenager normal. Everything changes when a mysterious girl, Keltie, appears from nowhere and saves her from drowning. Keltie is the first person she feels comfortable revealing her secrets too, but it’s only a matter of time before everything comes out for all to see.

I found that this was such a sweet and relatable book with a touch of fantasy. We follow Morgan, who is doing everything she can to appear normal. She has many secrets, but the main one is that she’s gay, and she can’t share it with anyone. Even her closest friends have no idea, and she spends every day carefully making sure she fits the part so no one dares to glance at her longer than they should. I found her story extremely realistic. Between the pressure to fit in with what your friends like and not knowing what will happen if anyone finds out that you’re gay, it’s a relatable experience.

There’s a touch of fantasy here with Keltie being a selkie. I loved Keltie, and she comes in as the mysterious girl who does what she wants and dresses how she likes. While that’s stereotypical, I love that the way she’s brought in is different. She’s a selkie who 100% herself at all times because that’s just how it’s always been for her, and she doesn’t realize it’s not always that way in the human world.

While this book has many realistic things mixed with fantasy, it’s meant to be a heartwarming tale, so there isn’t a sad ending. I loved nearly all the characters, who each represent a different part of something we each face or have faced. On top of everything, the artwork is absolutely stunning. Most of the pages look like they could be beautiful posters. I’ve read one of Molly Knox Ostertag’s other books before and enjoyed it, so I’m excited to continue to see what else she publishes in the future.

Crazy for Cookies, Brownies, and Bars: Super-Fast, Made-from-Scratch Sweets, Treats, and Desserts by Dorothy Kern

 
Crazy for Cookies, Brownies, and Bars: Super-Fast, Made-from-Scratch Sweets, Treats, and Desserts by Dorothy Kern
My Rating: ★★★★★

If you’re looking for a good variety of recipes ranging from cookies to various bars, this is the book for you! Growing up, my mom and I would have mommy and me baking sessions where we would make various baked goods from scratch. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a mommy and me baking session, but I still have a deep love for baking and have been looking for the perfect, chocolaty brownie recipe for some time. Have I finally found the recipe I’ve been looking for? I think I might have! While I haven’t baked anything from this book before I review it, I fully plan on baking some cookies and brownies in the future. I’ll be taking this book with me to buy the ingredients I don’t have and get baking as soon as I’m able to.

One of the things that I like about this book is that it talks about what ingredients are interchangeable vs which ones must stay the same. Ingredients and measurements are extremely important with baking, or it’ll change the consistency, flavor, and even overall texture. It’s not always fully explained what could happen if one switches out an ingredient that cannot be changed, so it was nice to see it listed here, which helps make this a good book for new and experienced readers alike.

Another thing I noticed is that there’s an entire section on freezing baked goods. I was raised believing that freezing freshly baked items is a no go, which is something I never questioned even though frozen baked items are sold all the time, whether cooked already or just ready to bake. That said, I think the tip on using paper towels solves the issue of why my family doesn’t like to freeze freshly baked goods. The paper towel tip is something I’m looking forward to trying out so that I can bake things and freeze them for later.

All in all, I think this is a great book full of beautiful pictures for each recipe along with many recipes that are easy to read and follow. I’m looking forward to checking out Dorothy Kern’s other cookbooks, especially the one on pies!

The Nice House on the Lake, Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV, Álvaro Martínez Bueno, Jordie Bellaire

 
The Nice House on the Lake, Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV, Álvaro Martínez Bueno, Jordie Bellaire
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from DC Entertainment through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Every one of Walter’s friends knows he’s a little odd. He seemingly loves with his whole heart and cares about his friend’s lives more than his own. When Walter invites a select group of friends to vacation at a fancy lake house, no one thinks much of it. Plus, they each need a vacation of some kind, so why not do it while catching up with old friends? Sure, Walter is adding a little mystery to it by giving everyone a code name, but he’s always been on the eccentric side. At least, that’s what everyone thought until life as they knew it flies straight out the window.

When I picked this up, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into other than what was sure to be an excellent horror story since I’m familiar with the author’s other work. When I tell you that this volume goes from zero straight to 100, I am not joking. We follow a select group of Walter’s friends expecting a nice vacation with a little mystery thanks to whatever mini games and such their old friend has planned. What this group of people doesn’t expect is for the world to be turned upside down all while finding out that Walter is not who they thought he was. Did they ever really know Walter, and was the friendships they each had with him just a game? Every possible question is on the table as they find themselves stuck in the fancy lake house for the foreseeable future.

I honestly can’t think of a single bad thing about this volume. If anything, I’m left extremely interested in the follow up volume and I really want to learn more about Walter along the way. Right now, we know the bare minimum about who he truly is other than he seemingly really does care for the friends he chose for this so-called vacation. There’s enough mystery here to keep the story going for however long it’ll run, whether it’s a long or short one, and I know I’m going to be here for every volume.

That said, I do hope we get some character development along the way. Right now, we don’t know a whole lot about the characters given how early they are into the situation they’ve found themselves in. I’m really interested in seeing where this goes and what we’ll learn along the way. This is the type of TV show and movie I would sit down and watch, so I’m excited to see where the series goes.

The Witch and the Beast, Vol. 6 (The Witch and the Beast #6) by Kousuke Satake

 
The Witch and the Beast, Vol. 6 by Kousuke Satake
My Rating: ★★★

Ashaf and Guideau find themselves in a whole new world, literally, after taking a trip to The Fall. Now complete outsiders, they must make contact with envoys so they can make the most of this trip. Unfortunately for them, they find themselves sticking out like a sore thumb and unwilling participants in one of their envoy’s secret plots.

This is the first time that I’ve been disappointed by a volume and I’m feeling a little iffy about that. I was pretty excited about Ashaf and Guideau’s adventures to an entirely different world from theirs only to feel like the whole volume was dragging along. It kind of felt like I was reading the opening volume for a new series rather than an ongoing one since there was a lot of world building and exposition to set up the new location.

That said, I do appreciate the effort put into worldbuilding and the way it was done. I like that it was an ongoing explanation to Guideau since they aren’t familiar with it. However, I do wish that the plot got rolling sooner than it did because it really dragged along. I have a feeling that I’d like this volume much better if I read it and the following volume back-to-back, but I’ll have to wait until I get the seventh volume to confirm this.

All in all, it’s not a bad volume. It just felt like it took a step or two back due to how slow it was with not much going on given how far into the series we are.

Daughter of the Moon (Tales of Inthya #5) by Effie Calvin

 
Daughter of the Moon by Effie Calvin
My Rating: ★★★★

After Princess Netheia attempted and failed to take the throne from her sister, she finds herself completely isolated before being banished to Ieflaria. Angry and miserable in exile, she prays to Reygmadra only to get crickets in response. Not a single person in Ieflaria is interested in having anything to do with Netheia, especially after she angrily attacks her personal guard. At least her outburst brought someone interesting into her life: Klavida of Navola. Not only was Klavida strong enough to prevent Netheia from doing any real damage, but she’s also genuinely nice to her. The more time they spend together, the more the two build an unlikely friendship… one that Reygmadra is not happy about.

I’ve loved every book in this series, so I’m not surprised that I loved this one as well. As I had predicted, it was quite interesting to follow Netheia in exile. In the previous installment, we only ever saw her from Ioanna and Vitaliya. This time around, we get to learn who she is above the surface and the extreme actions she took in the previous novel. We also get a new cast of characters along with getting to see some familiar characters once again.

I instantly loved one of the newst characters, Klavida. Not only is she a very kind and caring person, but she has her own burdens that she’s working through. On top of everything, she’s not afraid to call Netheia out and force her to look at herself and her actions. There’s only so much Netheia can blame on others, which is something she’s forced to face while in exile thanks to Klavida. We also embark on the mystery we were given in the previous novel, which is when and why did Reygmadra become a chaos goddess over time.

Overall, the romance is very sweet but it’s not the core theme of this book. I saw this as more of a book following two lonely characters who feel isolated for different reasons that are very drawn to each other. I wouldn’t say the romance is fire, because it’s not, but it’s a very sweet and heartwarming one built off an excellent friendship.

I’m very interested in seeing where this series goes next. I believe there will be another installment, so it’ll be interesting to see where Effie Calvin takes us and if it’ll lead to more books in the series. I have a feeling the series will be wrapping up soon, but we’ll see if that’s the case based on how the next book goes. I’m very interested in what Calvin’s plans are for the series as well as what they come up with next when they eventually publish either a standalone novel or start a new series.