THE STEEP & THORNY WAY/WINK POPPY MIDNIGHT/UNICORN TRACKS

The Steep & Thorny Way

by Cat Winters

From Goodreads:


Scene: Oregon, 1923. Dramatis personae: Hanalee Denney, daughter of a white woman and an African American man Hank Denney, her father—a ghost Greta Koning, Hanalee’s mother Clyde Koning, doctor who treated Hank Denney the night he died, now Hanalee’s stepfather Joe Adder, teenage boy convicted of accidentally killing Hank Denney Members of the Ku Klux Klan Townspeople of Elston, Oregon Question: Was Hank Denney’s death an accident…or was it murder most foul?


What I thought:

The writing is beautiful. The story is brilliantly crafted. I loved everything about the book. The setting was a character in itself. The friendships were perfectly drawn. Really, I have only nice things to say. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who likes YA and adult novels.

My Rating: *****

Find it on Goodreads.

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Wink Poppy Midnight

by April Genevieve Tucholke

From Goodreads:

Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.

Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.

What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.

What I thought:

I loved this book. I have so many feelings but can't put them into words without giving spoilers. Ugh! Love the multi-POVs. Short chapters kept the action moving. Love the WTF atmosphere. Overall just yes, read this book. 

My Rating: ***** 

Find it on Goodreads.

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Unicorn Tracks

by Julia Ember

From Goodreads:

After a savage attack drives her from her home, sixteen-year-old Mnemba finds a place in her cousin Tumelo’s successful safari business, where she quickly excels as a guide. Surrounding herself with nature and the mystical animals inhabiting the savannah not only allows Mnemba’s tracking skills to shine, it helps her to hide from the terrible memories that haunt her.

Mnemba is employed to guide Mr. Harving and his daughter, Kara, through the wilderness as they study unicorns. The young women are drawn to each other, despite that fact that Kara is betrothed. During their research, they discover a conspiracy by a group of poachers to capture the Unicorns and exploit their supernatural strength to build a railway. Together, they must find a way to protect the creatures Kara adores while resisting the love they know they can never indulge.


What I thought:

Fell in love with the characters here and fantastic world building. Mnemba's story was touching and I loved the relationship between her and Kara. I wanted them to make better decisions regarding putting themselves into danger, and there was a moment or two that left me shaking my head, but, for the most part, I was swept away by this story and definitely recommend it.

My Rating: ****


Find it on Goodreads.

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That's all for now. Follow me to catch all my reviews and giveaways and drop me a comment to let me know what you think. You can find me on twitter @chellypike.


Happy Reading,

Chelly

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RATING SCALE:



5* = OMFG loved it. Will read it again. Touch my book and I will cut you.

4* = Really good. Highly recommend. Miiiight reread. Maybe. Don't touch my book.

3* = Good. I liked it. Go ahead and touch it. 

2* = Not for me, finished but struggled. Didn't connect.

1* = DNF. Couldn't do it.

Waiting on Wednesday! A SHADOW BRIGHT AND BURNING by Jessica Cluess

A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1)

by Jessica Cluess

From Goodreads

I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she's brought to London to train with Her Majesty's sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she's the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves?

"Unputdownable. I loved the monsters, the magic, and the teen warriors who are their world's best hope! Jessica Cluess is an awesome storyteller!" 
—Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author

"A fun, inventive fantasy. I totally have a book crush on Rook." 
—Sarah Rees Brennan, New York Times bestselling author

"Pure enchantment. I love how Cluess turned the 'chosen one' archetype on its head. With the emotional intensity of my favorite fantasy books, this is the kind of story that makes you forget yourself." 
—Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen

"A glorious, fast-paced romp of an adventure. Jessica Cluess has built her story out of my favorite ingredients: sorcery, demons, romance, and danger."
—Kelly Link, author of Pretty Monsters

This book has been on my radar for some time now and I can't wait to get my hands on it. The release date is Sept. 20th. which is getting closer. Yay! Anyone else dying to read this one? 

Find it on Goodreads for links to preorder! 

Happy reading,

Chelly

NEVERNIGHT by Jay Kristoff

Nevernight (The Nevernight 

Chronicle #1)

by Jay Kristoff

From Goodreads:

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, a sixteen year old Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic — the Red Church. Treachery and trials await her with the Church’s halls, and to fail is to die. But if she survives to initiation, Mia will be inducted among the chosen of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the only thing she desires.

Revenge. 

What I thought:

This is one of those books that people seem to LOVE LOVE LOVE or HATE with a thousand burning suns (or maybe just three). *Shrugs* I fall into the LOVE camp, but there is something to be said for the latter. Mainly, some of those DNF reviews are hilarious. Some are actually in the voice of the book's narrator, which, again, hilarious. But it also tells me the book spoke to them...just not in a way they liked.

Ahem.

The beginning is a little tricky. Time-shifty and complicated.  The reader is tossed right in; left to sink or swim. I like complicated. I like dark. This book is both. I read it at a slower pace than my normal. First, because I wanted to savor it. Second, so I didn't miss anything. As far as pacing, the book really picks up about a third of the way through and hauls ass until the end. 

The story is clever and so well done. It's vivid and gory in a delightful way. Did I mention it's dark? Yep, dark. The voice here is fabulous. Like, I fell in love from the first page. There's a large cast of characters and they are all unique and fully fleshed. I had an "aha" moment about 75% of the way through, where I knew what was going to happen next, though it made it no less enjoyable when it actually happened. 

But, holy shit, I did not see that ending coming. At all. Late in the story, some of the...happenings (no spoilers here) felt a tiny bit too anticlimactic, which stifled some of the feels I might've had in the feels department. Of course, I don't know if the finished version changed anything. Overall, I'm 100% on-board with this series and can't wait to see where it goes.

I give it 5 ***** glowing stars, because I will definitely read it again. I loved it so much, I pre-ordered a copy for my bookshelf so I can pet it. (Don't judge me.) This is not a YA book. YA protagonist, yes. YA content, not so much. It's dark and not for the faint of heart, but if that's your thing, you need this book in your life. If you're not sure if dark and complicated is your thing, start with this book. 

Find more reviews and links to buy on Goodreads. And leave me a comment, tell me what you think. 

Happy reading,
Chelly
@chellypike

*I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  

RATING SCALE:

5* = OMFG loved it. Will read it again. Touch my book and I will cut you.
4* = Really good. Highly recommend. Miiiight reread. Maybe. Don't touch my book.
3* = Good. I liked it. 
2* = Not for me, finished but struggled. Didn't connect.
1* = DNF. Couldn't do it.