#Kiana Krystle

[bookaddict24-7]

(New Young Adult Releases Coming Out Today! (August 6th, 2024)

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Have I missed any new Young Adult releases? Have you added any of these books to your TBR? Let me know!

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New Releases:

Dance of the Starlit Sea by Kiana Krystle

Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan

This Is Not A Dead Girl Story by Kate Sweeney

Loving, Ohio by Matthew Erman , Sam Beck (illustrator)

Silent Sister by Megan Davidhizar

Better Left Buried by Mary E. Roach

The House Where Death Lives by Various

The Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow

This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings

Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson

Here Lies A Vengeful Bitch by Codie Crowley

Witty in Pink by Erica George

The Empire Wars by Akana Phenix

Maradonia & the Guardians of the Portal by Sofia Nova

A Family of Killers by Bryce Moore

New Sequels:

Ami (Guardians of Dawn #2) by S. Jae-Jones

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Happy reading!

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in August 2024 🌈

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Happy reading!

[ Text list below ⤵ ]

❓What was the last queer book you read?

[ Release dates may have changed. ]

❤️ Failure to Comply - Sarah Cavar 🧡 I Spit On Your Celluloid - Heidi Honeycutt 💛 You're Embarrassing Yourself - Desiree Akhavan 💚 Death of the Hero - Briona Johnson 💙 Between Dragons and Their Wrath - Devin Madson 💜 The Crimson Crown - Heather Walter ❤️ Sacrificial Animals - Kailee Pedersen 🧡 Oath of Fire - K. Arsenault Rivera 💛 The Palace of Eros - Caro De Robertis 💙 This Ravenous Fate - Hayley Dennings 💜 Mistress of Lies - K.M. Enright 🌈 Wolf Bite - T.J. Nichols

❤️ In the Valley, A Shadow - Samantha Tano 🧡 Follow My Lead - Adrian J. Smith 💛 The Last Woman I Kissed - Venetia Di Pierro 💚 Full Shift - Jennifer Dugan & Kristen Seaton 💙 Hers for the Weekend - Helena Greer 💜 Come Out, Come Out - Natalie C. Parker ❤️ Rules for Ghosting - Shelly Jay Shore 🧡 How to Leave the House - Nathan Newman 💛 Plot Twist - Carmen Sereno 💙 On the Far Side of a Crescendo - Kalyn Hazel 💜 Tiny Oblivions and Mutual Self Destructions - Maxwell I. Gold 🌈 Daylan and the River of Secrets - Edd Tello

❤️ The Italy Letters - Vi Khi Nao 🧡 The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie - Lee Wind 💚 The House Where Death Lives - Alex Brown 💙 Ash's Cabin - Jen Wang 💜 The Avian Hourglass - Lindsey Drager ❤️ The Heart Wants - Krystina Rivers 🧡 A Grand Love - Janna Barkin 💛 You Can't Go Home Again - Jeanette Bears 💜 Libertad - Bessie Flores Zaldivar 🌈 Her Golden Coast - Anat Deracine

❤️ Mighty Millie Novak - Elizabeth Holden 💛 Rise and Divine - Lana Harper 💚 Dying for You - L Flowers 💙 I'll Have What He's Having - Adib Khorram 💜 Changing Her Tune - Amanda Kabak ❤️ Monogamy? In this Economy? - Laura Boyle 🧡 The Rainbow Age of Television - Sayna Maci Warner 💛 Medusa of the Roses - Navid Sinaki 💙 Confounding Oaths - Alexis Hall 💜 Idol Lives - K.T. Salvo 🌈 Brother's Keeper - Quinn Cameron

❤️ Key Lime Sky - Al Hess 🧡 Crushing It - Erin Becker 💛 The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou 💚 Not for the Faint of Heart - Lex Croucher 💙 Tasting Temptation - JJ Arias 💜 Ami - S. Jae-Jones ❤️ You're the Problem, It's You - Emma R. Alban 🧡 Cubs & Campfires - Dylan Drakes 💛 The Dark We Know - Wen-yi Lee 💙 Practical Rules for Cursed Witches - Kayla Cottingham 💜 Riyati Rebirth - Kalani Shimizu 🌈 The Brujos of Borderland High - Gume Laurel III

❤️ A Bánh Mì for Two - Trinity Nguyen 🧡 Dance of the Starlit Sea - Kiana Krystle 💛 Scattered Snows, to the North - Carl Phillips 💚 Beyond a World Apart - Caitlin Myers 💙 Don't Let It Break Your Heart - Maggie Horne 💜 Nothing Heals Me Like You Do - Harper Bliss ❤️ How It All Ends - Emma Hunsinger 🧡 How Do I Sexy? - Mx. Nillin Lore 💛 The Palace of Eros - Caro De Robertis 💙 Prince of the Palisades - Julian Winters 💜 Better Left Buried - Mary E. Roach 🌈 Back to Back - Jo Fletcher

❤️ DITCHLAPSE / [REALLY AFRAID] - Tommy Wyatt 🧡 The Love Archives: Bonus Scenes & Excerpts for Palestine - Various 💛 Guardian: Zhen Hun - Ying Priest 💚 The Sunforge - Sascha Stronach 💙 Queering Reproductive Justice - Candace Bond-Theriault 💜 Gender Explained - Diane Ehrensaft & Michelle Jurkiewicz ❤️ The Unlikely Pair - Jax Calder 🧡 In Universes - Emet North 💛 We Love the Nightlife - Rachel Koller Croft 💙 Lessons from Cruising - Martin Goodman 💜 Wild Ginger in the Rhubarb - Eule Grey 🌈 Not My Circus - Delicia Niami

❤️ Asunder - Kerstin Hall 🧡 The Phoenix Keeper - S.A. MacLean 💛 Encounters with James Baldwin - Various 💚 Verity's Game - Jennifer Giacalone 💙 Hunt Me! I Crave the Chase - Fae Quin 💜 The Audacity Omnibus - Carmen Loup ❤️ Haunted to Death - Frank Anthony Polito 🧡 Blood Orange - Paige Grunewald 💛 The Bad Things We Did - Chris Archeske 💙 Dark Restraint - Katee Robert 💜 Worth the Wait - Kenna White 🌈 The Maid and the Crocodile - Jordan Ifueko

❤️ Loving Corrections - Adrienne Maree Brown 🧡 The Last Witch in Edinburgh - Marielle Thompson 💛 The Duchess of Kokora - Nikhil Prabala 💚 The Scales of Seduction - Rien Gray 💙 Survival Is a Promise - Alexis Pauline Gumbs 💜 Loka - S.B. Divya ❤️ The Every Body Book of Consent - Rachel E Simon 🧡 Southern Lights - Liz Arncliffe 💛 Then Things Went Dark - Bea Fitzgerald 💙 Death at Morning House - Maureen Johnson 💜 The Last Doorbell - William Parker 🌈 The Pairing - Casey McQuiston

[richincolor]

New Releases - Week of August 6, 2024

We found quite a few books being released this week and they seem to be full to the brim with magic and supernatural activity. 

Ami (Guardians of Dawn #2) by S. Jae-Jones Wednesday Books

When the Pillar blooms, the end of the world is not far behind.

Li Ami was always on the outside—outside of family, outside of friendships, outside of ordinary magic. The odd and eccentric daughter of a former imperial magician, she has devoted her life to books because she finds them easier to read than people. Exiled to the outermost west of the Morning Realms, Ami has become the sole caretaker of her mentally ill father, whose rantings and ravings may be more than mere ramblings; they may be part of a dire prophecy. When her father is arrested for trespassing and stealing a branch from the sacred tree of the local monastery, Ami offers herself to the mysterious Beast in the castle, who is in need of someone who can translate a forbidden magical text and find a cure for the mysterious blight that is affecting the harvest of the land.

Meanwhile, as signs of magical corruption arise throughout the Morning Realms, Jin Zhara begins to realize that she might be out of her element. She may have defeated a demon lord and uncovered her identity as the Guardian of Fire, but she’ll be more than outmatched in the coming elemental battle against the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons…unless she can find the other Guardians of Dawn. Her magic is no match for the growing tide of undead, and she needs the Guardian of Wood with power over life and death in order to defeat the revenants razing the countryside.

The threat of the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons looms larger by the day, and the tenuous peace holding the Morning Realms together is beginning to unravel. Ami and Zhara must journey to the Root of the World in order to seal the demon portal that may have opened there and restore balance to an increasingly chaotic world.

Dance of the Starlit Sea by Kiana Krystle Peachtree Teen

Lila Rose Li arrives at her aunt’s cottage with dashed dreams. For years, she pushed herself to become the perfect ballerina her parents would approve of, but after collapsing on stage, she snapped and lashed out violently. Now, exiled to Luna Island, with its sparkling blue waters and rose-covered boutiques, Lila struggles to believe that a girl like her—a natural disaster—deserves good and gentle things.

As the islanders gear up for their beloved tradition, the Angel of the Sea pageant, Lila vows to remain on the sidelines. But the more she learns about the island’s lore, the more she grows suspicious. Luna Island was nothing more than a failed fishing village before angels supposedly came and blessed them with abundance. The pageant is a competition to seek a High Priestess for their commune. To win is to be loved and adored by all, the ultimate blessing.

However, the Angel of the Sea is supposed to reign for seven years, and the previous winner only reigned for one. Something is haunting the island, throwing off the balance the pageant ensures. And as an eerie voice calls to Lila, drawing her closer to the ocean—to its depths—she worries its haunting her, too. The only way to discover what’s really going on, and protect herself, is to win the pageant. But how can a monstrous girl like her ever hope to be crowned by angels?

Kiana Krystle’s enchanting debut simmers with forbidden romance and dark secrets. A lush and sinister blend of paranormal mystery and mythology, wrapped up in fairytale about a teen girl’s hard-earned journey toward loving every part of herself.

The Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow Delacorte Press

Princess Ying Yue believed in love … once upon a time.

Yet when she’s chosen to wed the crown prince, Ying’s dreams of a fairy tale marriage quickly fall apart. Her husband-to-be is cold and indifferent, confining Ying to her room for reasons he won’t explain. Worse still are the rumors that swirl around the imperial palace: whispers of seven other royal brides who, after their own weddings, mysteriously disappeared.

Left alone with only her own reflection for company, Ying begins to see things. Strange things. Movements in the corners of her mirror. Colorful lights upon its surface. And when, on the eve of her wedding, she unwittingly tears open a gateway, she is pulled into a mirror world.

This realm is full of sentient reflections, including the enigmatic Mirror Prince. Unlike his real-world counterpart, the Mirror Prince is kind and compassionate, and before long Ying falls in love—the kind of love she always dreamed of.

But there is darkness in this new world, too.

It turns out the two worlds have a long and blood-soaked history, and Ying has a part to play in the future of them both. And the brides who came before Ying? By the time they discovered what their role was, it was already too late.

This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings Sourcebooks Fire

The first book in a decadent fantasy duology set in Jazz Age Harlem, where at night the dance halls come to life—and death waits in the dark.

It’s 1926 and reapers, the once-human vampires with a terrifying affliction, are on the rise in New York. But the Saint family’s thriving reaper-hunting enterprise holds reign over the city, giving them more power than even the organized criminals who run the nightclubs. Eighteen year-old Elise Saint, home after five years in Paris, is the reluctant heir to the empire. Only one thing weighs heavier on Elise’s mind than her family obligations: the knowledge that the Harlem reapers want her dead.

Layla Quinn is a young reaper haunted by her past. Though reapers have existed in America for three centuries, created by New World atrocities and cruel experiments, Layla became one just five years ago. The night she was turned, she lost her parents, the protection of the Saints, and her humanity, and she’ll never forget how Elise Saint betrayed her.

But some reapers are inexplicably turning part human again, leaving a wake of mysterious and brutal killings. When Layla is framed for one of these attacks, the Saint patriarch offers her a deal she can’t refuse: to work with Elise to investigate how these murders might be linked to shocking rumors of a reaper cure. Once close friends, now bitter enemies, Elise and Layla explore the city’s underworld, confronting their intense feelings for one another and uncovering the sinister truths about a growing threat to reapers and humans alike.

The House Where Death Lives edited by Alex Brown Page Street YA

A dance to the death. A girl who’s just as monstrous as H.H. Holmes. A hallway that’s constantly changing―and hungry. All of these stories exist in the same place―within the frame of a particular house that isn’t bound by the laws of time and space.

Following in the footsteps of dark/horror-filled YA anthologies like His Hideous Heart and Slasher Girls and Monster Boys, and Netflix’s groundbreaking adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House, this YA speculative fiction anthology explores how the permanence of a home can become a space of transition and change for both the inhabitants and the creatures who haunt them.

Each story in the anthology will focus on a different room in the house and feature unique takes on monsters from a wide array of cultural traditions. Whether it’s a demonic Trickster, a water-loving Rusalka, or a horrifying, baby-imitating Tiyanak, there’s bound to be something sinister lurking in the shadows.

Hovergirls by Geneva Bowers Bloomsbury YA

Jalissa and Kim Vasquez are cousins who move to the city of Los Aguaceros together. Kim dreams of becoming a famous model and fashion designer, while Jalissa is just trying to hold herself together after a breakdown the year before.

When a curious incident on the beach leaves them with supernatural powers and monsters start attacking the city, Kim decides that using their powers to stop them is the perfect way for them to become famous. But being heroes isn’t as easy as it seems–and Los Aquaceros is in more danger than they imagine.

This beautifully illustrated and hilarious YA graphic novel began as a web comic and quickly became a WEBTOON sensation. This print edition features an expanded story and updated art, offering something for new and old fans alike!

[pupsmailbox]

STARTING WITH K

MASCULINE︰ kade. kaden. kaeden. kai. kaiden. kairo. kaison. kaleb. kalvin. kam. kamari. kamden. kameron. kameryn. kane. kannon. karl. karson. karter. kasen. kasey. kash. kashton. kason. kayden. kaysen. kayson. keanu. keaton. keegan. keith. kellan. kelley. kelly. kelsey. kelvin. ken. kendrick. kenith. kennedy. kenneth. kenny. kenrick. kent. kenton. kenyon. kenzo. kermit. kester. kev. kevan. kevin. kevyn. khalil. kian. kiaran. kieran. kieron. killian. king. kingsley. kingston. kip. kirby. kirk. kit. klaus. klay. klein. knox. koa. kobe. koby. koda. kodey. kody. koen. kohen. kolby. kole. kolton. konnor. korbin. korey. kory. krew. kris. kristopher. kurt. kurtis. kylan. kyle. kylen. kyler. kylo. kynaston. kyng.���kyree. kyrie. kyro. kyson.

FEMININE︰ kacey. kacie. kadence. kae. kaelea. kaelee. kaelyn. kaety. kaia. kaila. kailani. kailee. kailey. kailyn. kaitlin. kaitlyn. kaitlynn. kalani. kaleigh. kaley. kali. kalia. kalie. kaliyah. kalla. kallee. kallie. kalyn. kalysta. kam. kameron. kamila. kamille. kamiyah. kamryn. kandace. kandi. kara. karaugh. karen. karena. karina. karissa. karla. karlee. karlene. karly. karol. karolyn. karrie. karsyn. karyn. kasandra. kasey. kassandra. kassia. kassidy. kassie. kassy. kat. kataleya. katalina. kate. katee. katelin. katelyn. katelynn. katey. katharine. katharyn. katherina. katherine. katheryn. katheryne. kathi. kathie. kathleen. kathlyn. kathryn. kathy. katie. katlyn. katrina. katriona. katy. kay. kaya. kaycee. kayden. kaydence. kaye. kayla. kaylan. kaylani. kayleah. kaylee. kayleen. kayleigh. kaylen. kayley. kaylie. kaylin. kayly. kaylyn. kaylynn. keanna. keara. keeleigh. keeley. keely. kehlani. keighley. keila. keilani. keira. keitha. kelcey. kelda. kelia. kelleigh. kelley. kelli. kellie. kelly. kelsea. kelsey. kelsi. kelsie. kemari. kendal. kendall. kendra. kenna. kennedi. kennedy. kensley. kenya. kenzie. kerena. keri. kerri. kerrie. kerry. kestrel. kevyn. keyla. khaleesi. khloe. kiana. kianna. kiara. kiarra. kiera. kierra. kiersten. kiki. kiley. kilie. kim. kimber. kimberlee. kimberleigh. kimberley. kimberly. kimberlyn. kimbra. kimmie. kimmy. kinley. kinsey. kinslee. kinsleigh. kinsley. kira. kirby. kirrily. kirsten. kit. kitty. kizzie. kizzy. kolleen. kora. kori. korrine. kortney. kourtney. kris. krista. kristal. kristeen. kristen. kristi. kristia. kristie. kristin. kristina. kristine. kristy. krystal. krystelle. krysten. krystina. krystine. krystle. kyla. kylee. kyleigh. kylie. kym. kyra. kyrie. kyrsten.

NEUTRAL︰ kacey. kade. kadence. kaelin. kahlo. kai. kaiser. kal. kalani. kale. kaleidoscope. kalvin. kamari. kamdyn. kameron. kami. kamryn. kane. kapri. kari. karsen. karson. karsten. karsyn. karter. kartier. kase. kasey. kash. kashmir. kasper. kass. kassidy. kat. kayce. kaycee. kaydence. kaylin. keagan. kearney. keary. keaton. keegan. keelan. keifer. kel. kelby. kell. kellan. kellen. kelley. kellsie. kellson. kelly. kelsey. kelton. kendall. kenley. kennedy. kenneth. kent. kenzie. kerry. kestrel. kevin. khai. khalil. khari. khaza. kick. kiel. kieran. killian. kim. kimberly. king. kingsley. kingston. kinsey. kip. kipling. kirby. kirin. kit. kitkat. kitt. kitty. klaus. knives. knowledge. knowlton. knox. koa. koah. kobe. kobi. koda. kodi. kody. kohen. kolby. konstantin. konstantine. kooper. kopin. korbyn. kori. kory. kris. kristen. kristian. kristoff. kryptonite. kurt. kyan. kyle. kylian. kylin. kylo. kymani. kyo. kyree. kyrie. kyro.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 1/5

Book Blurb:

“Hades and Persephone” meets Phantom of the Opera by way of Laini Taylor, in a sensually rendered world that seethes with intrigue and indulges the senses. Welcome to Luna Island.

Violet, magenta, deep blood red.  Passion, violence, destruction.

Lila Rose Li arrives at her aunt’s cottage with dashed dreams. For years, she pushed herself to become the perfect ballerina her parents would approve of, but after collapsing on stage, she snapped and lashed out violently. Now, exiled to Luna Island, with its sparkling blue waters and rose-covered boutiques, Lila struggles to believe that a girl like her—a natural disaster—deserves good and gentle things. 

As the islanders gear up for their beloved tradition, the Angel of the Sea pageant, Lila vows to remain on the sidelines. But the more she learns about the island’s lore, the more she grows suspicious. Luna Island was nothing more than a failed fishing village before angels supposedly came and blessed them with abundance. The pageant is a competition to seek a High Priestess for their commune. To win is to be loved and adored by all, the ultimate blessing. 

However, the Angel of the Sea is supposed to reign for seven years, and the previous winner only reigned for one. Something is haunting the island, throwing off the balance the pageant ensures. And as an eerie voice calls to Lila, drawing her closer to the ocean—to its depths—she worries its haunting her, too. The only way to discover what’s really going on, and protect herself, is to win the pageant. But how can a monstrous girl like her ever hope to be crowned by angels? 

Kiana Krystle's enchanting debut simmers with forbidden romance and dark secrets. A lush and sinister blend of paranormal mystery and mythology, wrapped up in fairytale about a teen girl's hard-earned journey toward loving every part of herself.

Review:

A ballerina who is sent away to live with her aunt on a mysterious island after an incident finds herself immersed in the island's mysterious pageant... and a boy is who just happens to be an angel. Lila Rose Li wanted to be a ballerina... but that all went down the drain after she attacked her mother and choked her to the point where she was bleeding and now she has been sent to live with her aunt on Luna Island. There she discovers the islander's beloved tradition, the Angel of the Sea Pageant and Lila becomes obsessed with wanting to win after she meets a mysterious boy who happens to be an angel named Damien who tries to warn her off of it. The more she discovers about the island's lore and the residents of the island the more she finds herself drawn to the ocean and it's secrets. This book felt so odd to read, it felt so repetitive yet boring, Lila was unlikable and honestly I did not care for her at all, and then the romance just felt like a giant no to me. I initially went into this book with such high hopes and expectations but it so quickly crumbled unfortunately. The vibes were not there, the aesthetic was meh, and the actual plot line felt lacking. The writing just didn't feel all that polished and the characters felt lacking. I wish I could say I liked it more but I honestly just forced myself to finish this book and was just happen to have made it to the end.

Release Date: August 6,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Peachtree Teen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[theobviousparadox]

Review: Dance of the Starlit Sea by Kiana Krystle

Dance of the Starlit SeaKiana KrystlePeachtree TeenPublished August 6, 2024 Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads About Dance of the Starlit Sea “Hades and Persephone” meets Phantom of the Opera by way of Laini Taylor, in a sensually rendered world that seethes with intrigue and indulges the senses. Welcome to Luna Island. Lila Rose Li arrives at her aunt’s cottage with dashed dreams. For years, she…

[herlenebwriter]

[ARC REVIEW] “DANCE OF THE STARLIT SEA”

AUTHOR: Kiana Krystle

GENRE: YA, Romance, Fantasy

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𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★☆☆ - 3/5 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀

Warning: some mild spoilers ahead.

Thanks to Netgalley and PeachTree Teen for providing this free ARC digital copy in exchange of an honest review!

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱‧₊˚

Dance of the Starlit Sea is a vibrant fantasy romance debut novel, which deals with themes of girlhood, beauty and acceptance. It is specifically targeted to girls who feel very close to their femininity and appreciate the coquette/cottagecore/pastel aesthetic.

I picked up this book based on vibes alone. I happened to come across a self-promo post of the author on twitter, one of those posts with little arrows that point at a book and connect it to a few engaging characteristics.

But while someone may pick up a book based on its vibes only, the reason why said book sticks to the reader should be its story. I can read paragraphs, even pages of vivid and detailed descriptions, if it helps me achieve a full immersion into the story. In Dance of the Starlit Sea, I found this aspect kind of lacking.

But let's start with what I liked (and what you might like) first!

1. Prose!

The prose is purple (a pastel purple, since pastel is the color code of this book), flowery and flowing like water. I could compare it to a neatly organized shelf with ornaments and a porcelain vase of lush flowers in the middle. A sight for the eyes.

The writing is very descriptive, in a colorful and vivid way that made me feel completely immersed in the world of Luna Island. It was overall very visual and sometimes it felt cinematic.

The sea as a metaphor of duality between beauty and danger was on point.

2. Deep Thoughts!

Reflections on the concepts of girlhood, anger, self acceptance, friendship, competition, beauty and innocence were very nuanced and it was evident the author deeply felt what she was writing. As the reader, perfectly part of the target audience, I felt a little understood.

3. Character Development

The main character, Lila Rose Li, blooms into a girl who's conscious of her worth and has accepted her flaws and good qualities as equal parts of herself at the end of the book.

4. A Few Other Things!

Plot twists were kind of predictable but they worked fine I guess.

And of course, being a romance and all, it has a HEA.

Overall, this book reads like a beautiful impressionist painting with a decorated frame. If you look at it from afar, you'll see its otherworldly beauty, its vibrant colors and the soothing sensations it evokes in you. But when you step forward to take a closer look, you'll actually notice how utterly vague it is; shapes blend into each other, messy and disorganized, the brushstrokes are chaotic and overlap each other.

That's pretty much it. Aside from aesthetics, this novel doesn't have much to offer.

Things that didn't convince me:

1. Lore? What Lore?

When I pick up a book marketed as fantasy, I expect its lore to be structurally sound and well thought out. But this book's lore is all over the place! Some elements are vaguely introduced and then never mentioned again. I've spotted a few striking contradictions, but most of all its magic system is inconsistent and it's never really clear how it works; not to mention the worldbuilding doesn't have any particular significance other than providing an aesthetic.

A group of fallen angels chose a humble fisherman's island in the middle of the Atlantic as their new abode after having lost their home in the sky, and that's why the island became... beautiful, like straight out of a fairytale? But they've  been saved by the angel Lucifer who's now stuck under the sea and became the devil? Also, they started a cult of beauty and every seven years they announce a pageant to choose the most beautiful and graceful girl, who shall become the high priestess of their cult to appease the goddess of the moon and then... disappear?? No questions asked. And we're in a contemporary setting, mind you.

An awfully beauty centered competition. Might as well have comped this to The Selection... it makes even more sense, when you reach the end and understand what the "pageant" really is about.

(Nobody is even using a phone!! Lila's mom has to send letters to contact her... in 2024. Are we for real right now?)

2. Do It For The Drama!

An awful lot of the events in this story happen... just because. No apparent real reasoning or logic behind them. It felt like they only existed to generate more drama and conflict, or to drag the story out for a few more pages.

Has Lila never questioned why, while all the other girls in that competition do just fine, all the craziest things only happen to her?

The last 12% of the story is also excessively chaotic & feverish and I couldn't grasp much about what happened. Only there were many pages of author cosiderations on girlhood and forgiveness spoke through Lila's stream of consciousness, and Lila became Over Powered for Reasons.

3. Insert Relatable Female Main Character Here

Our main character, Lila Rose Li, is a third generation Chinese ballerina whose dreams were shattered by a bad fall on stage. And the fact she choked her mother in a fit of rage, which got her sent on a weird island to an aunt she barely knows, instead of therapy.

This act of wrath is the source of most of her psychological turmoil, imposter syndrome and guiltiness. Too bad it's not properly resolved nor used in a satisfying way.

Despite growing as a character, for a good 80% of the book she was pretty much insufferable. I mainly remember her for self deprecating at any given moment, being obsessed with beauty and perfection, running and screaming at any minor inconvenience, constantly interrupting narration with her stream of consciousness that probably aimed at making her struggles sound relatable, and her stiletto nails. Which for some reason hold a position of importance to her character.

She gives chosen one, but for all the strangest reasons. She randomly wields the magic of a goddess because she was born on a very "special" day or something. Heck she even destroys the whole island in a fit of rage at some point!

Might as well call you Achilles because girl, you sure are wrathful!

Oh right! I also remember her for being distrusting towards any other girl. Seeing them as competition and always judging and allat. It was justified as an internalized habit from the ballet industry or whatever.

So much for girlhood and sisterhood, I guess. Maybe girlhood is only cool when it's about baking biscuits, sipping tea and doing each other's makeover?

Fortunately it doesn't last forever, she heals from this during the last 20% of the book. A good 12% of which is a total fever dream.

4. Help I Accidentally Forgot To Fill My Characters With Purpose Now They Taste Bland!

When I said Lila, the main character, bloomed beautifully at the end of the book. I meant ONLY Lila.

Aside from her, all the other characters can be separated in two categories: those who support Lila and those who don't. Yeah, they're that simple. Those in the former category (which includes all the major side characters by the way!) find their main purpose in helping, praising, validating and enabling her; they never once contradict her or reprimand her, mostly putting up with her outbursts and wondering where the hell she ran off to this time. The latter, on the other hand, have the important task of showing how much better the protagonist is than them by antagonizing her with either cheap tricks or straight up psychological warfare. But she's a bad bitch! Go girl, show em! Kick their ass with kindness! And similar.

One creepy thing I've noticed is that two specific characters, Roisin and Lila's aunt Laina, quite literally stop existing the moment Lila is not in the picture.

Get this. Lila runs off to cope with her emotions; she stays away for a while, and when she comes back, until the moment these two characters see her, I kid you not, they're COMPLETELY UTTERLY STILL. Either sitting on the sofa or on the bench swing, they don't move nor talk until the main character is there.

I hope I wasn't the only one who noticed.

In short, every other characters revolves around the protagonist to actually have an importance. They don't feel real.

Needless to say, similarly to the MC in Shatter me, she's the only one who goes through a little change from beginning to end. She definitely whines less, I'll give her that.

5. Cardboard Cutout Love Interest

In a romance, there should be two main characters. In this case, we should've had a FMC and a MMC.

But this MMC... man... uh...

Who is he again??

His name is Damien, he's an angel (why is an angel named after the antichrist...?), his response to any minor inconvenience  is running away (something he has in common with the FMC) and he has daddy issues. That's kinda it.

He and Lila have an insta love dynamic. (god help me)

He saves her from drowning, they dance, they fall for each other. The End. Oh right, he drugs her to make her forget. And lies to her about a life and death matter which did, in fact, concern her.

He felt more like a side character than the MMC. Only appeared when it was convenient and was always there to support her, and I mean like ONLY to support her. Conflict and banter were forced and arose from miscommunication, or lack thereof.

No discernible personality. Their relationship happens just because, and he's never really present. It all read very random and there is no actual chemistry between the two.

It never feels real.

This guy can go join Adam Kent!

If you really wanna know, Lila definitely had better chemistry with

6. Her Best Friend!

Roisin Kelly was the only side character who somehow stood out, because she had a purpose other than living for Lila! Shocker! Basically she lost her girlfriend to the pageant and now participates again to know what actually happened to her. That was pretty cool, considering she's the only sapphic character in sight.

But I'm not kidding when I tell you Lila had better chemistry with this girl than with her legit love interest. Because they actually do something together and Roisin has an actual presence! They have an adorable girl night when Lila feels down and Roisin often succeeds at encouraging her and helping her regulate her emotions. They're both very attached to each other for right, concrete reasons. Did I mention Lila reminds Roisin of her lost girlfriend? The heartbreak! The comfort! It was all there and never used! What a WASTE!!

Lila even says the CHEESIEST stuff about her and you wanna tell me she's in love with Cardboard Angel Guy??

"I don't want them to know how much she means to me. They can take anything else, just not her."

HELLO???

They would have definitely made a better, more interesting couple. At least they'd have a REAL dynamic!

7. Lila's Stiletto Nails

I feel like I should mention them because for some reason they always pop up in the descriptions about Lila, even at the wrongest times, and they survive a literal natural disaster. At this point, they've become a character of their own. A round of applause, please!

Conclusions: I am not as harsh with debut novels as I am with other books, and I didn't hate this one. I'm a snarky lil brat, but definitely not a hater, and one-starring a debut novel can be the ruin of a career before it even starts.

The only real problem, to sum it all up, is that it feels like the author prioritized vibe over plot & character. It reads juvenile and immature, other than plain random, difficult to follow and even self-insertish at times. There was an imbalance between narrative sequences, dialogues, descriptions and thoughts. I get it, 1st person limited can be tough. I should also mention repetitions in the prose. But these are all things that can happen in a debut novel, and I'm sure there is plenty of room for improvement!

One more small thing: the comp titles are all wrong. There is not much of the myth of Persephone (other than something at the end), and even less of the Phantom of the Opera. It's misleading.

As always, excuse me for any weirdness in my writing! English is not my first language 😭

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in August 2024 🌈

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Happy reading!

❓What was the last queer book you read?

[ Release dates may have changed. ]

❤️ Failure to Comply - Sarah Cavar 🧡 I Spit On Your Celluloid - Heidi Honeycutt 💛 You're Embarrassing Yourself - Desiree Akhavan 💚 Death of the Hero - Briona Johnson 💙 Between Dragons and Their Wrath - Devin Madson 💜 The Crimson Crown - Heather Walter ❤️ Sacrificial Animals - Kailee Pedersen 🧡 Oath of Fire - K. Arsenault Rivera 💛 The Palace of Eros - Caro De Robertis 💙 This Ravenous Fate - Hayley Dennings 💜 Mistress of Lies - K.M. Enright 🌈 Wolf Bite - T.J. Nichols

❤️ In the Valley, A Shadow - Samantha Tano 🧡 Follow My Lead - Adrian J. Smith 💛 The Last Woman I Kissed - Venetia Di Pierro 💚 Full Shift - Jennifer Dugan & Kristen Seaton 💙 Hers for the Weekend - Helena Greer 💜 Come Out, Come Out - Natalie C. Parker ❤️ Rules for Ghosting - Shelly Jay Shore 🧡 How to Leave the House - Nathan Newman 💛 Plot Twist - Carmen Sereno 💙 On the Far Side of a Crescendo - Kalyn Hazel 💜 Tiny Oblivions and Mutual Self Destructions - Maxwell I. Gold 🌈 Daylan and the River of Secrets - Edd Tello

❤️ The Italy Letters - Vi Khi Nao 🧡 The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie - Lee Wind 💚 The House Where Death Lives - Alex Brown 💙 Ash's Cabin - Jen Wang 💜 The Avian Hourglass - Lindsey Drager ❤️ The Heart Wants - Krystina Rivers 🧡 A Grand Love - Janna Barkin 💛 You Can't Go Home Again - Jeanette Bears 💜 Libertad - Bessie Flores Zaldivar 🌈 Her Golden Coast - Anat Deracine

❤️ Mighty Millie Novak - Elizabeth Holden 💛 Rise and Divine - Lana Harper 💚 Dying for You - L Flowers 💙 I'll Have What He's Having - Adib Khorram 💜 Changing Her Tune - Amanda Kabak ❤️ Monogamy? In this Economy? - Laura Boyle 🧡 The Rainbow Age of Television - Sayna Maci Warner 💛 Medusa of the Roses - Navid Sinaki 💙 Confounding Oaths - Alexis Hall 💜 Idol Lives - K.T. Salvo 🌈 Brother's Keeper - Quinn Cameron

❤️ Key Lime Sky - Al Hess 🧡 Crushing It - Erin Becker 💛 The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou 💚 Not for the Faint of Heart - Lex Croucher 💙 Tasting Temptation - JJ Arias 💜 Ami - S. Jae-Jones ❤️ You're the Problem, It's You - Emma R. Alban 🧡 Cubs & Campfires - Dylan Drakes 💛 The Dark We Know - Wen-yi Lee 💙 Practical Rules for Cursed Witches - Kayla Cottingham 💜 Riyati Rebirth - Kalani Shimizu 🌈 The Brujos of Borderland High - Gume Laurel III

❤️ A Bánh Mì for Two - Trinity Nguyen 🧡 Dance of the Starlit Sea - Kiana Krystle 💛 Scattered Snows, to the North - Carl Phillips 💚 Beyond a World Apart - Caitlin Myers 💙 Don't Let It Break Your Heart - Maggie Horne 💜 Nothing Heals Me Like You Do - Harper Bliss ❤️ How It All Ends - Emma Hunsinger 🧡 How Do I Sexy? - Mx. Nillin Lore 💛 The Palace of Eros - Caro De Robertis 💙 Prince of the Palisades - Julian Winters 💜 Better Left Buried - Mary E. Roach 🌈 Back to Back - Jo Fletcher

❤️ DITCHLAPSE / [REALLY AFRAID] - Tommy Wyatt 🧡 The Love Archives: Bonus Scenes & Excerpts for Palestine - Various 💛 Guardian: Zhen Hun - Ying Priest 💚 The Sunforge - Sascha Stronach 💙 Queering Reproductive Justice - Candace Bond-Theriault 💜 Gender Explained - Diane Ehrensaft & Michelle Jurkiewicz ❤️ The Unlikely Pair - Jax Calder 🧡 In Universes - Emet North 💛 We Love the Nightlife - Rachel Koller Croft 💙 Lessons from Cruising - Martin Goodman 💜 Wild Ginger in the Rhubarb - Eule Grey 🌈 Not My Circus - Delicia Niami

❤️ Asunder - Kerstin Hall 🧡 The Phoenix Keeper - S.A. MacLean 💛 Encounters with James Baldwin - Various 💚 Verity's Game - Jennifer Giacalone 💙 Hunt Me! I Crave the Chase - Fae Quin 💜 The Audacity Omnibus - Carmen Loup ❤️ Haunted to Death - Frank Anthony Polito 🧡 Blood Orange - Paige Grunewald 💛 The Bad Things We Did - Chris Archeske 💙 Dark Restraint - Katee Robert 💜 Worth the Wait - Kenna White 🌈 The Maid and the Crocodile - Jordan Ifueko

❤️ Loving Corrections - Adrienne Maree Brown 🧡 The Last Witch in Edinburgh - Marielle Thompson 💛 The Duchess of Kokora - Nikhil Prabala 💚 The Scales of Seduction - Rien Gray 💙 Survival Is a Promise - Alexis Pauline Gumbs 💜 Loka - S.B. Divya ❤️ The Every Body Book of Consent - Rachel E Simon 🧡 Southern Lights - Liz Arncliffe 💛 Then Things Went Dark - Bea Fitzgerald 💙 Death at Morning House - Maureen Johnson 💜 The Last Doorbell - William Parker 🌈 The Pairing - Casey McQuiston

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💙 YA Book Releases August 2024

🦇 Good afternoon, my bookish bats. I hope you have a good book, hot cuppa, and sweet snack within reach! No TBR is complete without a few young adult novels, and plenty were released in August! Here are a few YA releases to consider adding to your shelves.

❤️ Which of these are on your TBR?

✨ August 6 ✨ 💜 The Girl with No Reflection - Keshe Chow 💜 Ami - S. Jae-Jones 💜 Death at Morning House - Maureen Johnson 💜 Better Left Buried - Mary E. Roach 💜 Silent Sister - Megan Davidhizar 💜 Dance of the Starlit Sea - Kiana Krystle 💜 Witty in Pink - Erica George 💜 This Is Not a Dead Girl Story - Kate Sweeney 💜 A Family of Killers - Bryce Moore 💜 Medici Heist - Caitlin Schneiderhan 💜 This Ravenous Fate - Hayley Dennings 💜 Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch - Codie Crowley

✨ August 13 ✨ ❤ The Dark We Know - Wen-yi Lee ❤ Zombie Apocalypse Running Club - Carrie Mac ❤ Return to Sender - Lauren Draper ❤ Ghostsmith - Nicki Pau Preto ❤ Kisses, Codes, and Conspiracies - Abigail Hing Wen ❤ Under the Surface - Diana Urban ❤ Hemlock House - Katie Cotugno ❤ Holly Horror: The Longest Night - Michelle Jabès Corpora

✨ August 20 ✨ 💙 A Bánh Mì for Two - Trinity Nguyen 💙 Love Requires Chocolate - Ravynn K. Stringfield 💙 Prince of the Palisades - Julian Winters 💙 Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo - Adam Cesare 💙 Something Like Right - H.D. Hunter 💙 Drown Me with Dreams - Gabi Burton 💙 Wisteria - Adalyn Grace 💙 My Salty Mary - Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows 💙 House of Thorns - Isabel Strychacz

✨ August 27 ✨ ❤ Mysterious Ways - Wendy Wunder ❤ Everything We Never Had - Randy Ribay ❤ The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal - Ambika Vohra ❤ Libertad - Bessie Flores Zaldivar ❤ One House Left - Vincent Ralph ❤ Sync - Ellen Hopkins ❤ Fyrebirds - Kate J. Armstrong ❤ Practical Rules for Cursed Witches - Kayla Cottingham ❤ Our Shouts Echo - Jade Adia ❤ Don't Let It Break Your Heart - Maggie Horne ❤ The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry - Ransom Riggs ❤ With Love, Echo Park - Laura Taylor Namey ❤ The New Camelot - Robyn Schneider ❤ Come Out, Come Out - Natalie C. Parker

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Young Adult Book Releases August 2024

✨ August 6 ✨ 💜 The Girl with No Reflection - Keshe Chow 💜 Ami - S. Jae-Jones 💜 Death at Morning House - Maureen Johnson 💜 Better Left Buried - Mary E. Roach 💜 Silent Sister - Megan Davidhizar 💜 Dance of the Starlit Sea - Kiana Krystle 💜 Witty in Pink - Erica George 💜 This Is Not a Dead Girl Story - Kate Sweeney 💜 A Family of Killers - Bryce Moore 💜 Medici Heist - Caitlin Schneiderhan 💜 This Ravenous Fate - Hayley Dennings 💜 Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch - Codie Crowley

✨ August 13 ✨ ❤ The Dark We Know - Wen-yi Lee ❤ Zombie Apocalypse Running Club - Carrie Mac ❤ Return to Sender - Lauren Draper ❤ Ghostsmith - Nicki Pau Preto ❤ Kisses, Codes, and Conspiracies - Abigail Hing Wen ❤ Under the Surface - Diana Urban ❤ Hemlock House - Katie Cotugno ❤ Holly Horror: The Longest Night - Michelle Jabès Corpora

✨ August 20 ✨ 💙 A Bánh Mì for Two - Trinity Nguyen 💙 Love Requires Chocolate - Ravynn K. Stringfield 💙 Prince of the Palisades - Julian Winters 💙 Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo - Adam Cesare 💙 Something Like Right - H.D. Hunter 💙 Drown Me with Dreams - Gabi Burton 💙 Wisteria - Adalyn Grace 💙 My Salty Mary - Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows 💙 House of Thorns - Isabel Strychacz

✨ August 27 ✨ ❤ Mysterious Ways - Wendy Wunder ❤ Everything We Never Had - Randy Ribay ❤ The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal - Ambika Vohra ❤ Libertad - Bessie Flores Zaldivar ❤ One House Left - Vincent Ralph ❤ Sync - Ellen Hopkins ❤ Fyrebirds - Kate J. Armstrong ❤ Practical Rules for Cursed Witches - Kayla Cottingham ❤ Our Shouts Echo - Jade Adia ❤ Don't Let It Break Your Heart - Maggie Horne ❤ The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry - Ransom Riggs ❤ With Love, Echo Park - Laura Taylor Namey ❤ The New Camelot - Robyn Schneider ❤ Come Out, Come Out - Natalie C. Parker