Category: YA Review

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal. Caitsbooks Review: 5 Stars

We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1) by Hafsah Faizal – I’ll Never Recover (Review)

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[ We Hunt the Flame cover (girl with arrows standing on a cliff overlooking a desert ]

Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 4.5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: We Hunt the Flame is a stunning debut. This book is absolutely gorgeous, inside and out. You do not want to miss out on this one of a kind read.

“We hunt the flame, the light in the darkness, the good this world deserves.”

(I know this is the quote everyone is using in their reviews but HOW COULD YOU NOT?? It’s so perfect)

[ Related: Currently Reading – We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal (Thoughts & Predictions) ]

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// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Assault, Torture, Suicide Mention, Child Abuse, Animal Death, War Themes, Murder, Misogyny //

“A life without purpose may be no life, but a life without love is nothing but an existence.”

Release Date: 5/14/2019
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Page Count: 472
Premise:
We Hunt the Flame takes place in Arawiya, a kingdom divided into five caliphates, inspired by ancient Arabia. Zafira is one of the only people able to venture into the Arz, a magical forest, and come back unaffected. Disguised as The Hunter, she uses this ability to feed her village. But when she is told of a way she might be able to get rid of the Arz forever, she travels to the mysterious island of Sharr. Nasir is an assassin, son of the Sultan and Prince of Death. When his father sends him after The Hunter with orders to find what The Hunter is after then kill him, Nasir does not hesitate. But Sharr is full of ancient magic and forgotten powers, and with old threats rising, their quests, and their lives, are in jeopardy.

Read more for all of my thoughts on this amazing book!!

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Caitsbooks Reviews Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud - 3 Stars

Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud – A Cute Read (Review)

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Overall: 3/5 Stars
Characters: 3/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Plot and Themes: 3/5
Awesomeness Factor: 3/5
Review in a Nutshell: Truly Madly Royally would be great if you’re looking for something easy to read and basic. It’s not great, but it’s fun.

[ Related: 12 Summer Romances (6 YA + 6 Adult) ]

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Release Date: 7/30/2019
Publisher: Point Paperbacks
Page Count: 304
Premise:
When Zora goes to a prestigious summer college program, she never expects to meet an actual prince. She also didn’t expect the instant chemistry they would share. But dating a prince comes with attention, and being in the spotlight isn’t always fun.



Read more for all of my thoughts on Truly Madly Royally!

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Wicked Fox (Gumiho #1) by Kat Cho - Caitsbooks Review: 3.5 stars

Wicked Fox (Gumiho #1) by Kat Cho – Was It As Good As I Hoped?

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Overall: 3.25/5 Stars
Characters: 3.5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Plot and Themes: 3/5
Awesomeness Factor: 3/5
Review in a Nutshell: Wicked Fox is a fun read, great for fans of k-dramas or paranormal romance, but otherwise may not be worth it.

“Night and darkness made a believer of everyone.”

[ Related: Top 7 June 2019 Releases ]

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// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Abuse, Murder, Illness //

“The rest of the night, all Jihoon thought about were myths and fables. The lessons they taught and the price they came with.”

Release Date: 6/26/2019
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 429 
Premise:
Wicked Fox follows Miyoung, who is half-human, half gumiho (nine-tailed fox). To survive, she must feed off of men’s gi every full moon, but Miyoung doesn’t want to be a killer. When she sees a stranger, Jihoon, being attacked by a goblin, she saves him, but in the process, she loses her fox bead- a magical bead that grants control over who to whoever holds it. However, when she tries to reunite with her bead, the results only cause more problems.

Read more for all of my thoughts on Wicked Fox!

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Caitsbooks Reviews Soul of Stars (Heart of Iron #2( by Ashley Poston - 4.5 Stars

Soul of Stars (Heart of Iron #2) by Ashley Poston – One Of My Most Anticipated 2019 Releases (Review)

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Overall: 4.5/5 Stars
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 4/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4.5/5
Review in a Nutshell: Soul of Stars is an out-of-this-world sequel. And I’m not sorry for that pun.

[ Related: Heart of Iron (Heart of Iron #1) by Ashley Poston – Review ]

// Content Warning: Violence, Death //

“Love was stubborn, and love was impatient, and thoughtless and self-centered and vainglorius. It hid in the crevices of your soul when you thought it had run away, and it never left– like a scar: deep and ugly and enduring.”

Release Date: 7/23/2019
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Page Count: 400 pages
Premise:
Soul of Stars takes place several months after the heartbreaking events of Heart of Iron. Our main characters are still trying to deal with what happened (honestly, so am I), all while trying to save their friend and the kingdom. 

Read more for all of my thoughts on this book!

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Caitsboosk.com 3 late summer/fall 2019 Review Teasers- The Lady Rogue, Rage, Well Met

Summer & Fall 2019 Releases – 3 Review Teasers

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I usually try to write full reviews on Tuesdays, but this past month, I haven’t read anything that I can review. I’ve been focusing a lot on getting ahead and making my way through my BookCon/BEA ARC pile, but because these books won’t be released until later this year, I don’t want to write full reviews just yet.

That said, I still want to talk about them. So while we wait for their release dates to grow closer, here are some quick teasers for a few of the ARCs I’ve been reading.

Read more to hear about some Late Summer/Fall 2019 releases!

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Becoming the dark prince by kerri maniscalco review caitsbooks 5 stars

Becoming the Dark Prince (Stalking Jack the Ripper #3.5) by Kerri Maniscalco – Everything I Hoped and More (Review)

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Note: Since this is a pretty short novella, I won’t be following my typical reviewing format. If you want to know my thoughts specifically on the characters/setting/writing/plot of this series, I have full reviews of Stalking Jack the Ripper and Escaping From Houdini)

Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 4.5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: Becoming the Dark Prince reminded me of every single reason why I love Thomas Cresswell (and there are many). 

“I will follow you beyond death and drag you back if I must.”

[ Related: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco (Review) ]

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// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Murder, Gore //

“The price of love doesn’t come cheaply, but the cost is worth it.”

Release Date: 7/15/2019
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Page Count: 64

Premise: 
Becoming The Dark Prince is a Stalking Jack the Ripper series novella, told from Thomas Cresswells POV. It picks up at the end of Escaping From Houdini and continues a little bit beyond where that book left off. And while technically I don’t know if you absolutely need to read it before reading Capturing the Devil, I can say with confidence that you really, really should. 

Read more for all of my thoughts!

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these broken stars review amie kaufman meagan spooner caitsbooks 5 stars

These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner – A 5 (Unbroken) Star Read!

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I’m sorry for that title. The pun was just there and I had no choice.

Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4/5
Review in a Nutshell: These Broken Stars was the first Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner book I ever read, and it made me fall in love with this author duo. It’s funny, adorable, heartbreaking, and slightly ominous- basically everything you could ask for in a book.

“But who names a starship the Icarus? What kind of man possess that much hubris, that he dares it to fall?” 

[Related: Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (Review)]

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// Content Warning: Violence, Death, PTSD //

“You don’t mention death when it’s hovering near someone you love. You don’t want to attract the reaper’s attention.”

Release Date: 12/10/2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Page Count: 384
Premise:

These Broken Stars is what you would get if you put Titanic in space (except, with a lot more Man vs. Wild in there too). Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen are from two different worlds. Lilac has lived in luxury her whole life, as the daughter of the richest man in the galaxy. Meanwhile, Tarver is a soldier who came from nothing. But their two worlds collide on the Icarus, a luxury space-liner. However, the Icarus itself then collides with a planet in the middle of nowhere. Lilac and Tarver are lucky to survive the crash, but can they stay alive on this mysterious planet?

Read more for all of my thoughts on this book!

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My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies #1) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows – Hilarious, Witty, and Fun (Review)

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Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 4.5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: My Lady Jane is the perfect fun, lighthearted comedy, filled with plenty of references and jokes that will actually make you laugh out loud.

“Through books she could see the world.” 

[Related: My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (Review)]

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“Dedication
For everyone who knows there was enough room for Leonardo DiCaprio on that door.
And for England. We’re really sorry for what we’re about to do to your history.”

Release Date: 6/7/2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 491
Premise:

My Lady Jane is a fun, happy retelling of the story of Lady Jane Grey. You might wonder how that’s possible, considering Jane Grey was queen for only nine days before she was beheaded, so how can her story be happy? That, you’ll have to find out for yourself. 

Read more for all of my thoughts!

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Caitsbooks Review The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson 4 stars

The Storm Crow (The Storm Crow #1) by Kalyn Josephson – Actually Good Mental Health Representation in Fantasy?! (ARC Review)

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*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Overall: 4/5 Stars
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 4/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4.5/5
Review in a Nutshell: The Storm Crow is a great start to what will definitely be a magical and amazing fantasy series. 

“It’s difficult to walk against the wind. It takes strength.”

[Related: Interview with Kalyn Josephson, Author of The Storm Crow]

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// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Depression, Self Harm, Animal Death, War Themes, Mental Illness, PTSD //

“Gone was the world I knew, and I’d let it be taken.”

Release Date: 7/9/2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Page Count: 352
Premise:

The Storm Crow follows Princess Anthia, whose kingdom was attacked by the Illucian empire. The attack was brutal, killing her mother, the queen of Rhodaire, and killing all of the magical Crows her kingdom relies on. With her sister, Caliza, now on the throne, focusing on Rhodaire’s future, Thia can only think of the past and what was lost. When the threat of war becomes too much, Caliza has no choice but to marry Thia off to the Illucian prince, Ericen. But before Thia can be whisked away, she finds the one thing that can offer hope to her kingdom. A Crow egg.

Read more for all of my thoughts!!!

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Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim 5 Star Review Caitsbooks

Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars #1) by Elizabeth Lim – A Fantastic Fairytale (Review)

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*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: Spin The Dawn is a fun, fast paced fantasy. It was pitched to me as Mulan, Project Runway, and a hint of Aladdin, and honestly, that is the best way to describe it. 

“Artisans such as you are soldiers in times of war.”

[Related: Interview with Elizabeth Lim, Author of Spin the Dawn]

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// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Assault, Alcoholism, Animal Death, War Themes, Murder //

Release Date: 7/9/2019
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 387
Premise:

Spin the Dawn follows Maia, the only daughter of a skilled tailor. When her father is summoned to compete in a competition to become to Imperial Tailor, she disguises herself as a boy and takes his place. However, winning the title of Imperial Tailor is harder than she could imagine, as she must balance her secret, sabotaging competitors, and the impossible task granted to her. 

“‘I, too, once journeyed beyond the stars’ 
‘What did you find?’ 
His voice turned lethally soft. ‘That it’s just the beginning.'”

Read more for my thoughts on Spin the Dawn!

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