Loving the Wild Ones

This story has many sensitive topics.  It contains many trigger warnings: child endangerment, abandonment, abduction, human trafficking, prostitution, abuse (physical, mental, emotional, verbal, sexual), rape, misogyny, suicide, death, grief, victim’s guilt, blood, bullying, and violence.

TITLE: The Wild Ones

AUTHOR: Nafiza Azad
PUBLISHER: Margaret K. McElderry Books
RELEASE DATE: August 3rd, 2021

GENRES: YOUNG ADULT FICTION---Fantasy
BUY LINK: https://bookshop.org/a/11727/9781534484962

Released: August 3, 2021

The Wild Ones is one of the most interesting and beautiful books that I have read this year.  Author Nafiza Azad has written a book that looks at what it means to be female and deal with your demons and vulnerabilities.  This book is magical and the writing is superb! 

We meet the Wild Ones, a group of young women who are diverse and beautiful. They are named Paheli, Valentina, Sevda, Widad, Daraja, Kamboja, Areum, Talei, Etsuko, Ghufran, and Ligaya.   I like they come from all over the planet.  They move as one sisterhood, but they each have their own voice and personalities.  You learn more about them through the Book of Memories, whose pages are dispersed throughout the book.  What I love most about this book is the sisterhood between the Wild Ones.  Each comes from a difficult situation and they refuse to be victims again.  

The magic system and the magical creatures are unique to anything that I have previously read.  They help to keep the reader engaged in the story.  But the real star of this book is the writing.  As we are wrapping up the Olympics, I want to give a gold medal to Naiza Azad.  This book is simply beautiful.  She alternates between plot-based narrative and stream of consciousness writing, along with excerpts from this Book of Memory.  It has a poetic, flowery feel.  I know that is not everyone's cup of tea, but I dig it and it works so well for this story.

While parts of this book are heartbreaking and sad, it is not a sad story.  It is about this sisterhood of young women, who are brave and strong.  I enjoyed every bit of this book. As part of the Turn the Page Book Tour, I created a playlist inspired by this book.  This playlist has 12 songs: one for each Wild One and one for the author; it is music from around the world to represent the diversity of the Wild Ones and the cities they visit. Click this Spotify link to take a listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7wPnEF3FSXwHmkhVqRKsgu?si=43c2464138a443ce

Rating: 💖💖💖💖.5/5

SYNOPSIS:

Meet the Wild Ones: girls who have been hurt, abandoned and betrayed all their lives. It all began with Paheli, who was once betrayed by her mother and sold to a man in exchange for a favor. When Paheli escapes, she runs headlong into a boy with stars in his eyes. This boy, as battered as she is, tosses Paheli a box of stars before disappearing. With the stars, Paheli gains access to the Between, a place of pure magic and mystery. Now, Paheli collects girls like herself and these Wild Ones use their magic to travel the world, helping the hopeless and saving others from the fates they suffered. Then Paheli and the Wild Ones learn that the boy who gave them the stars, Taraana, is in danger. He’s on the run from powerful forces within the world of magic. But if Taraana is no longer safe and free, neither are the Wild Ones. And that…is a fate the Wild Ones refuse to accept. Ever again.

Author Nafiza Azad

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Nafiza Azad is a self-identified island girl. She has hurricanes in her blood and dreams of a time she can exist solely on mangoes and pineapple. Born in Lautoka, Fiji, she currently resides in British Columbia, Canada where she reads too many books, watches too many K-dramas, and writes stories about girls taking over the world. Her debut YA fantasy was the Morris Award–nominated The Candle and the Flame. The Wild Ones is her second novel.

Are You Willing to Pay the Cost of Knowing?

Release Date: April 6, 2021

Would you want to know the future? Would you try to change things? Would you tell anyone?  Brittney Morris' sophomore novel, "The Cost of Knowing" asks these very questions and dives into biases and prejudices in America.

Synopsis:

16-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best. He tries to be the best employee he can be at the local ice cream shop; the best boyfriend he can be to his amazing girlfriend, Talia; the best protector he can be over his 12-year-old brother, Isaiah.  But it is very hard for him to be present when every time he touches an object or person, Alex sees into its future. 

When he touches a scoop, he has a vision of him using it to scoop ice cream. When he touches his car, he sees it years from now, totaled and underwater. When he touches Talia, he sees them at the precipice of breaking up, and that terrifies him. Alex feels these visions are a curse, distracting him, making him anxious and unable to live an ordinary life. And when Alex touches a photo that gives him a vision of his brother’s imminent death, everything changes.

With Alex now in a race against time, death, and circumstances, he and Isaiah must grapple with their past, their future, and what it means to be a young Black man in America in the present. 

I loved this book.  Brittney Morris is also the author of Slay (which I loved!), it too tackled issues of family dynamics and race.  Ms. Morris again looks at family relationships and racial issues in America.  Without any spoilers, I loved how the relationship between Alex and Isaiah developed. Each is coping with grief the best way they know how and it's beautiful to see them work through it and discover just how much they have in common.  I love their love of music.  It's an excellent tool to bond over and to make a connection.

Music and books are a great pairing.  For my playlist inspired by the book, I created it as if I were scoring the book; like a movie.  I also choose to use only Black male artists because I wanted to celebrate the Black Boy Joy that is Alex and Isaiah. I left one song off the playlist because it is only available to stream but it is very important to this story.  Janelle Monae and Wondaland Records' "Hell You Talmbout" is powerful.  Use this link and listen to it after track 10: https://soundcloud.com/wondalandarts/hell-you-talmbout

Rating: 💖💖💖💖.5/5

Author Brittney Morris

The Golden Child

Lately, I have not read much for pleasure because I am on the judging panel for 2 different book panels.  However, I recently finished The Gilded Ones and it was FANTASTIC! (Thank you Hear Our Voices Blog Tour and Delacorte Press for gifting me a copy of the book.

Release Date: February 9, 2021

Author Namina Forna

The Gilded Ones is West African-inspired, feminist YA fantasy.  The author, Namina Forna, was inspired by the deeply patriarchal societies in her native country of Sierra Leone and here in the US, where she attended college.  Basically the same pig, just a different dress (my words, not the author).  The book looks at the patriarchy and it is used to determine the narrative for women including our place and our worth.  It also examines how it thrives and survives, including how women and non-binary people survive under the patriarchy. 

I loved all the powerful, uplifting, supportive women in this book.  The young women in this book are in a precarious situation, yet they support each other to the end.  Each character is powerful in their own way.  In a world where the men basically determine your worth, these young women uplift each other and find a way to determine their own worth.
The action was fast-paced, the characters were well developed and I like how Ms. Forna did not play to traditional gender roles.  The diversity in the book was well represented.  

Rating: 💖💖💖💖.5/5

Today is my Tour Stop for Hear Our Voices Blog Tours.  I was tasked with Dream Cast and a Playlist.

For the Dream Cast, I chose Ajiona Alexus because she looks like my image of Deka and I believe she could pull off the spirit of Deka.  I was torn between Ashton Sanders and John Boyega for Keita.  Both could pull off that nobleman next door attitude.  White Hands is Regina King all day, especially after seeing her as Sister Night.  Britta was the hardest to cast but after seeing Derry Girls and Bridgerton, I settled on Nicola Coughlan.  She plays Penelope on the Bridgertons.

For the Playlist, usually, I approach like I'm setting a musical score for the book but for this playlist I wanted to create a mood.  So much of this story is about the non-male characters finding their voices and determining their worth.  So I went with empowering songs that uplift and put you in a kick-ass type of mood.  You can listen to this when you've had a crappy day, when you're getting ready to hang out with your girls (as soon as it's safe again), or when you and your crew have to topple the patriarchy before drinks.

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs. But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death. Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat. Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great-walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one is quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself

Some Other Now...So Wonderful, So Emotional!

 Trigger Warnings: Death and Depression

Sarah Everett has written a beautiful YA that looks at grief, dying, and love as it pertains to the past, present, and future of a tight-knit "family".  And yes, the quotations marks are purposeful. 

Summary of the book:

"Before she kissed one of the Cohen boys, seventeen-year-old Jessi Rumfield knew what it was like to have a family—even if, technically, that family didn’t belong to her. She’d spent her childhood in the house next door, challenging Rowan Cohen to tennis matches while his older brother, Luke, studied in the background and Mel watched over the three like the mother Jessi always wished she had. But then everything changed.

It’s been almost a year since Jessi last visited the Cohen house. Rowan is gone. Mel is sick and Luke hates Jessi for the role she played in breaking his family apart. Now Jessi spends her days at a dead-end summer job burying memories of her life in the Cohen house. But when Luke comes home from college, it's hard to ignore the past. And when he asks Jessi to pretend to be his girlfriend for the final months of Mel’s life, Jessi finds herself drawn back into the world of the Cohens. Everything’s changed, but Jessi can’t help wanting to go back, even if it means breaking her heart and losing them forever this time."

Book Fam, your girl is not a punk, but this book...this book right here had me all up in my feelings. Grief is such a complex emotion.  We grieve over the loss of many things, not just a loved one who has passed on.  We grieve missed opportunities, past mistakes, and heartbreak.  

I really enjoyed the characters in this book.  They were complex and it showed how each person responds to grief.  I love the relationship of Jessi with the Cohens.  We have a saying in my family, "Blood does not make a family."  Some of my siblings are adopted and I have a slew of play cousins.  You find your family wherever your heart is welcomed unconditionally.  Ms. Everett's use of alternating the timelines between the past and the present was very effective.  You could feel the tension building and man it was a roller coaster ride.

Simply put, this book is beautiful...hard on the emotions, but beautiful.  Grab your Kleenex and settle into this fabulous read.

Rating: 💖💖💖💖/5

Some Other Now by Sarah Everett goes on sale February 23, 2021.  Buy your copy at your local Independent Bookstore or at Bookshop.org.

Daughters of Jubilation

Daughters of Jubilation is a magical story. It is a story of first love, letting go, and taking back what belongs to you. Set in the Jim Crow South, white supremacy reigns, and tensions are high. But Evalene Deschamps (Evvie) has other things to worry about. She has two little sisters to look after, an overworked single mother, and a longtime crush who is finally making a move.

On top of all that, Evvie’s magic abilities are growing stronger by the day. Her family calls it Jubilation - a gift passed down from generations of black women since the time of slavery. And as Evvie’s talents waken, something dark comes loose and threatens to resurface.  And when the demons of Evvie’s past finally shake free, she must embrace her mighty lineage, and summon the power that lies within her.

What a powerful and dynamic book!!  Ms. Corthron addresses very complex issues with a skilled hand. The main character Evalene wrestles with the expectations of her mother and her own wants and desires.  

Ms. Corthron does not shy away from the big topics. Throughout this story, she discusses sexual abuse,  teen sex, racism,  homophobia, and strained family relationships.  

DoJ was poignant and deep.  I wish there was more background on Evalene 's family but it was a very good story showing how a person must reconcile their past to embrace the future. 

Rating: 💖💖💖💖/5

Release date: October 13, 2020

Author Kara Lee Corthron

Legendborn: Southern, Arthurian Legend, Goodness!

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!
Do you hear me?!?!?!

In this book, we meet Bree Matthews as she is dealing with the death of her mother.  To escape her grief, Bree enrolls in an early admission program, Early College, for bright high schoolers at UNC-Chapel Hill.  Her first night on campus, Bree witnesses a magical attack...a demon feeding on human energies.

Soon she discovers a secret society called “Legendborns” students that hunt the demons and a mysterious young man who calls himself a “Merlin” and who tries to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw...but he fails.  The Merlin’s failed attempt unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory connected to the night her mother dies. Now Bree wants to know the truth about her mother's accident and she will do whatever it takes to find out the truth, including infiltrating the Legendborns as one of their initiates.

Bree enlists the help of Nick Davis, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their shaky partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets...and closer to each other. Soon Bree learns the true nature of the Legendborns and now she has to decide how far she will go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down or join the fight.

This book showed up at the perfect time. It addressed many things that we as Americans have not discussed.  Weaving the Arthurian legend with Black Southern folklore made this a magical and unique book on so many levels.  All the emotions and experiences that Bree goes through is so relevant and timely.  The themes of legacy, roots, heritage, and ancestors permeated this entire story and made for rich and gripping themes. I was totally transported and enthralled with this book.  When I finished I was wanted more of the story.  I'm praying that Ms. Deonn gives us another book.  This book is going to make waves in the fantasy community.  Much needed waves.  Kudos to Ms. Deonn for writing such a fantastic piece of fiction.

Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖/5

As part of the Legendborn Book Tour hosted by Hear Our Voices Book Tours, I was asked to create a Book Aesthetic and a Playlist.  A little explanation about both:

For the Book Aesthetic, I wanted the look and feel of the Aether which is so important in this story, as well as the earth and our ancestors.  To see my book aesthetic, head over to my Instagram page www.instagram.com/novelsistah

For the Playlist, I treated it like a movie score.  The songs follow the scenes in the book.  I primarily chose Black women and songs with a southern feel.  The whole list is a vibe and a mood for me.  I hope people feel it too.  Here's the link to Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5g0srIuuZocUhi60wbeYdC?si=uND8DP94QYa9lN7eI0sSgw

What If George Washington Said Yes to a Crown?

A YA version of "The Crown"!  

American Royals is a fun, elegant, alternative history in which the United States has a monarchy instead of our current ruling system. We follow the royal members of the House of Washington; primarily Princess Betrice, Princess Samantha, and Prince Jefferson. Each of the royal siblings deal with being royal in various ways and It is a roller coaster ride, full of scandalous gossip and royal secrets. I enjoyed this immensely and can't wait to see what's next. 

Perfect for fans of the Prince & Me and the Princess Diaries.

Slay All Day!

 Slay was amazing!  Excellent debut from Brittney Morris! She perfectly captured the dual role that Black students play when they are the minority in schools. That same feeling translates to towns, workplaces, and tons of other scenarios. You have to operate on various Blackness levels to fit in. So deep and so true. 

This book was so relatable and personal for me. The creation of the Slay universe was so cool. I want a novel set in The Slay universe. This book was timely, creative, and smart.  Excellent job!

Bloodleaf...Wow!

 I am all in my feelings about this book.  This book got under my skin and poked at my soul. This book was about love, power, relationships, and sacrifice. So many characters gave so much in the name of love. Smith explored love on so many levels: romantic love, a mother's love, the love for a sibling, love between friends, and the love of power. Bloodleaf is gritty, raw, and dark but it is also beautiful and powerful.  She is not afraid to go after main characters.  She's like the George R.R. Martin of YA. Crystal Smith is force to be reckoned with and I am looking forward to book 2. 

This book is a roundhouse kick to heart and readers will ask for more.

Crystal has a new fan!

The Kurt Vonnegut of YA: Mr. Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith always manages to capture the voice of the teenage male with such accuracy and a ton of respect.  Rabbit and Robot was an amazing, off-beat, funny, and sometimes sad story of dealing with sexual urges, growing up and it makes you question what it means to be a real boy.   It is also a commentary on the state of our country. I am a fan of the insane cogs and Maurice.  I feel as though there should be a Maurice plush to go with the book.  Excellent book!