Time for a few more book reviews! These will also be posted in my library’s literary magazine called Wordplay, in case you’re interested in that. The next issue will be out in February and includes the following short summaries, as well as a piece on self-publishing. Hope you’ll be on the lookout for that!

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Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer: If you’ve read any of Marissa’s other books, which include the Renegades trilogy, the Lunar Chronicles series, and Heartless, you might be surprised to find that she’s tackling realistic fiction. While her previous works have revolved around magic, superheroes, and twisted fairy tales, she writes an excellent storyline in this newest stand alone, complete with phenomenally relatable characters and a sprinkling of, as the title suggests, karma. I  loved the development of a romantic flame between Prudence and Quint, polar opposites of each other, and adored the features of a few cute sea creatures as well. 

SkyHunter by Marie Lu: The first thing you should know about this work of science fiction is that it ends on a cliffhanger, and because it was published relatively recently, we will most likely not see a sequel for another couple months. In that case, you should definitely place it on your to-be-read list, because there are several unique aspects of the novel which blew me away. One of the most notable elements within the story is the representation demonstrated by Talin, the main character, who does not have the ability to speak and instead relies on a form of sign language to communicate with others. To me, it was refreshing that Lu didn’t solely focus on this trait as a terrible weakness but emphasized it as a strength, and proceeded to drive the intense, drama-filled plot along through confrontation between the Federation, an imperialist nation, and Mara, the last free country. 

You Say it First by Katie Cotugno: We’ve all gotten those calls from people asking us to donate money or take a survey, which can be annoying, but this situation is what drives two characters together over the course of the novel. Meg is a passionate, politically active teen who works at a voting registration non profit, and on the day she calls a boy named Colby, who couldn’t care about anything except a recent tragedy in his life, their worlds collide. I loved that this book asked the hard questions about whether two people with completely different views on the world can still connect with each other. 

All This Time by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott: If you liked 5 Feet Apart, co-written by Mikki Daughtry, you’ll enjoy this new collaboration piece. It tells of Kyle’s tale of lost love and heartbreak after he deals with the aftermath of a tragic car crash, and while I admit that there were stretches in the middle of the book where I was bored, the climax and the falling action are quite shocking and thrilling to read. There were so many clues along the way pointing to the reality of the situation, but I didn’t realize how all the puzzle pieces fit together until the end. If you like being surprised, this may be the book for you!