2021 Debut Author Interview: Kalena Miller!

In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and to spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun for years to come! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2021 debuts and chat with them about their writing process and what it's like to be a new author. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats, and more!

At the end of 2020, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Kalena Miller and her novel THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX, and we have been interested in it ever since! We even got the chance to read an ARC, and it was an absolute gem. We are so excited to have Kalena on the blog today to answer some of our questions! 

Kalena Miller grew up in College Station, TX with her mom, dad, and the most photographed hamster in history. After high school, she moved a thousand miles north to attend Carleton College, where she graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Religious Studies. After a brief stint working as a paraeducator in Seattle, Kalena decided she missed school too much, so she spent the next two years pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at Hamline University. Kalena currently lives in Hopkins, Minnesota with her husband, Kenny, and Toy Australian Shepherd, Toshley. She writes middle grade and young adult fiction and co-authors narrative nonfiction with her mom, Kathy Miller (check out her website here). She loves books that make her laugh and make her cry, preferably at the same time, and she firmly believes all quality novels should feature a cat.

Keep up with Kalena: Website / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads

The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?

Kalena: Thank you so much! It honestly feels unreal! I’m so grateful to have this opportunity to share my writing with readers across the country, and it’s still mind boggling when I imagine total strangers reading my words. 

The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?

Kalena: I absolutely adore first drafts, so staring at a blank piece of paper is the best part of the process for me. I love the feeling of endless possibilities and getting to experiment without deadlines or other issues influencing the process. For me, revising tends to be more difficult. Once I have a complete draft, my brain balks at the idea of messing it up because I’m overwhelmed by the prospect of putting it back together. This is when my tendency to procrastinate kicks in. Whenever it’s time to revise, you can probably find me cleaning my house instead.

The Book Bratz: Where did you get the idea for THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX?

Kalena: I was in a writing workshop, and one of my mentors told me I was skilled at writing sex scenes. I was so excited that I really ran with that compliment and started writing a book comprised entirely of sex scenes (as a joke). Well, it turns out that I enjoyed the characters and stories I was creating, so I backtracked to work on necessities like plot and momentum. The rest is history!

The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?

Kalena: Julia was the first POV I started writing, and she remains my favorite probably. I love her humor, her zany non sequiturs, and the earnestness with which she approaches the sex pact. I also think her voice is most similar to mine, so I could really channel my own energy in her sections. The most difficult character to write was Alex. Those chapters have a slightly more serious tone due to the seriousness of his storyline, which didn’t come quite as naturally to me. This was also the furthest I’ve written outside of my own cultural experiences and my first time writing a male protagonist, so both of those things challenged me as a writer as well. 

The Book Bratz: What surprised you the most about the publishing process?

Kalena: How long everything takes!! Actually, the turnaround from this project being acquired to publication day was much faster than most people’s experiences, but it still felt like forever ago that I started writing this book. I think as writers, we get used to doing everything on our own schedules, but once there’s a whole company involved and a billion different voices and meetings, the publishing process slows down a lot. 

The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX? 

Kalena: Honestly, I just hope readers have a good time. This is a fun, light-hearted book, and I really hope I’ve created a story that provides people an enjoyable escape from whatever is happening in their lives. For teens reading my book, I want them to be reassured that it’s perfectly okay to feel overwhelmed and directionless. There’s all this pressure on high school seniors to plan the next forty years of their life, but that’s just not realistic. Climb on top of a roof. Have (safe) sex with your partner. Buy a gazillion pop-tarts. It’s okay to take a breath and enjoy where you are now. 

The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?

Kalena: I don’t plan on returning to this world—at least there’s nothing in the works, but I won’t say never. However, I’m so excited to have a middle grade book coming out in the spring of 2023 with Delacorte. The story is about a middle schooler living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who’s thrust into the spotlight during a theatrical production of The Sound of Music. There’s friendship drama, family angst, and so many musical theatre references.

Title: The Night When No One Had Sex

Author: Kalena Miller

Publisher: Aw Teen

Publication Date: October 12th, 2021

Summary: It's the night of senior prom, and eighteen-year-old Julia has made a pact with her friends. (Yes, that kind of pact.) They have secured a secluded cabin in the woods, one night without parental supervision, and plenty of condoms. But as soon as they leave the dance, the pact begins to unravel. Alex's grandmother is undergoing emergency surgery, and he and his date rush to the hospital. Zoe's trying to figure out how she feels about getting off the waitlist at Yale--and how to tell her girlfriend. Madison's chronic illness flares, holding her back once again from being a normal teenager. And Julia's fantasy-themed role play gets her locked in a closet. Alternating between each character's perspective and their ridiculous group chat, The Night When No One Had Sex finds a group of friends navigating the tenuous transition into adulthood and embracing the uncertainty of life after high school.

Thank you so much to Kalena for stopping by and answering our questions! We absolutely adored reading THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX (you can read our review here), and it's out in the world now for you to enjoy! Plus, that's not all -- until 10/24, we're giving away our ARC on our Twitter!

2021 Debut Author Interview: Claire Winn

In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and to spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun for years to come! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2021 debuts and chat with them about their writing process and what it's like to be a new author. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats, and more!

At the end of 2020, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Claire Winn and her novel CITY OF SHATTERED LIGHT, and we have been interested in it ever since! We are so excited to have Claire on the blog today to answer some of our questions! 

Claire Winn spends her time immersed in other worlds—through LARP, video games, books, nerd conventions, and her own stories. Since graduating from Northwestern University, she’s worked as a legal writer and freelance editor. Aside from writing, she builds cosplay props and armor, tears up dance floors, and battles with boffer swords.

Keep up with Claire: Website / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads

The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?

Claire: Thank you! It’s been an amazing (and terrifying) year! I didn’t think the prospect of reviews would scare me after the highs and lows of querying and submission, but I was wrong. I don’t read reviews myself—a few friends send me screenshots—but so many reviews have been incredible and have made me tear up. I keep seeing people spreading love for the characters on social media, and ARC readers have been sending me DMs thanking me for writing the book and its queer rep. It’s been overwhelming in the best way. Despite all the stress that goes into debuting, the reader responses (even before release!) have made it all worth it.

The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?

Claire: For me, the best parts are the daydreaming—when I let my mind roam into all the exciting possibilities for the story—and the later drafts when I’ve fallen in love with the characters and everything begins to align with my vision. The hardest parts are…well, everything in between. Beginnings are usually a struggle for me, though I love writing climaxes and endings. Still, even in the deepest, messiest parts of drafting, I’ll frequently glimpse what the story could become and get chills. That vision is what keeps me going during the tricky parts. And of course, another of my favorite things is feedback that shows my work is resonating with other people!

The Book Bratz: here did you get the idea for CITY OF SHATTERED LIGHT?

Claire: City of Shattered Light started with a few stray flashes of inspiration. I envisioned a runaway space-princess, hiding her identity on a rickety transit ship, with a stolen alien heart beating inside her backpack—and I wanted to find out how she’d gotten there. Then, as a contrast to her, I wanted a female Doc Holliday-inspired space gunslinger. And something I frequently think about is the damage a superhacker could wreak as more devices go online, and I imagined a nasty, sentient A.I. that had taken over a high-tech city and could hack anything as it pursued the main characters—including combat tech, deepfake holograms, and personal communications. The setting and aesthetics were inspired by lots of video games and anime, but the emotional basis for the character arcs was a bit personal. I won’t go into too much detail, but Asa’s arc is about fiercely resisting what the world expects of you and finding happiness on your own terms, while Riven’s is about finding something to fight for despite depression and nihilism. One particular experience inspired parts of Asa’s journey. In college, I studied abroad in London and frequently traveled alone. One leg of that trip involved landing in Rome after midnight and getting lost on my way to the hostel. I was lugging a suitcase, I didn’t speak Italian, and my smartphone wasn’t in service (I only had an emergency phone for calls). I remember feeling a little bit desperate and willing to trust anyone I came across, but there was also a strange calmness, where I couldn’t stop or let myself feel anything until I’d figured it out. Several years later, those memories came flooding back while writing this book.

The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?

Claire: Unexpectedly, Asa was the most difficult to write, probably because I thought she’d be the easiest. She’s intelligent and poised but low-key nerdy, and her personality was very similar to mine as a teenager. But in early drafts, I kept asking “what would I have done in this scenario?” instead of “what would Asa do in this scenario?” It took several drafts to dig far enough into her background to fully understand her, and to discover her voice and underlying grit. It finally clicked, though, and I love how she turned out. Riven has always been the most fun. She’s all bad decisions, irreverent snark, and power, and she’s not afraid to grab the plot by the throat. She makes things happen, for better or worse. And although she’s extremely confident, capable, and brash, she’s still deeply damaged, deeply human, and fiercely protective of the people closest to her. 

The Book Bratz: Are there any other books or authors who give you inspiration for your own writing?

Claire: I admire Brandon Sanderson’s work immensely. The depth of his world-building—and the way it’s perfectly balanced with character development and action-packed plots—is unparalleled, and absolutely something I aspire to. I also love V.E. Schwab’s magic, mystery, and deep characterization. More recently, I’ve been impressed by the work of Tracy Deonn, Marie Rutkoski, and Emily Skrutskie.

The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from CITY OF SHATTERED LIGHT? 

Claire: Something that’s gotten a lot of love from readers so far is the casual LGBT+ rep. I think it’s important to normalize queer identities and relationships, and to present hopeful futures where gay kids can go on adventures and fall in love without their sexualities creating obstacles for them. I hope readers will also enjoy the range of female and LGBT+ characters with various strengths, aptitudes, and flaws. I think it’s easier to create real, messy girls and queer characters when they aren’t the only one in the group. And I hope Riven’s and Asa’s character arcs resonate with readers—the themes of breaking away from societal and parental expectations even when it’s scary, and discovering your own adventures and found families. 

The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of CITY OF SHATTERED LIGHT in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?

Claire: I can’t give too much away, but I absolutely do plan to return to these characters and world. CoSL was acquired during the height of the 2020 publishing shakeups, so any sequels are option books which will be pitched after release. But I couldn’t leave these characters alone—I had to write more of them, even if only for me. I drafted the sequel as soon as the substantive edits for CoSL were finished. I adore it, and I think as a duology it gives these characters an ending they deserve (while still leaving room for other adventures)! If you’ve finished CoSL, you can guess that the epilogue sets up one of the major plot threads of book two. I’m determined to share it with readers somehow! Cross your fingers that the stars align 😉 Otherwise, I’m also working on a few adult fantasy projects. They’re a little bit slower to draft than YA, but I’m finding I love the creative freedom for darker, more complicated themes.

Title: City of Shattered Light

Author: Claire Winn

Publisher: Flux

Publication Date: October 19th, 2021

Summary: As darkness closes in on the city of shattered light, an heiress and an outlaw must decide whether to fend for themselves or fight for each other. As heiress to a powerful tech empire, seventeen-year-old Asa Almeida strives to prove she's more than her manipulative father's shadow. But when he uploads her rebellious sister’s mind to an experimental brain, Asa will do anything to save her sister from reprogramming—including fleeing her predetermined future with her sister’s digitized mind in tow. With a bounty on her head and a rogue A.I. hunting her, Asa’s getaway ship crash-lands in the worst possible place: the neon-drenched outlaw paradise, Requiem. Gun-slinging smuggler Riven Hawthorne is determined to claw her way up Requiem’s underworld hierarchy. A runaway rich girl is exactly the bounty Riven needs—until a nasty computer virus spreads in Asa’s wake, causing a citywide blackout and tech quarantine. To get the payout for Asa and save Requiem from the monster in its circuits, Riven must team up with her captive. Riven breaks skulls the way Asa breaks circuits, but their opponent is unlike anything they’ve ever seen. The A.I. exploits the girls’ darkest memories and deepest secrets, threatening to shatter the fragile alliance they’re both depending on. As one of Requiem’s 154-hour nights grows darker, the girls must decide whether to fend for themselves or fight for each other before Riven’s city and Asa’s sister are snuffed out forever.

Thank you so much to Claire for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about CITY OF SHATTERED LIGHT and can't wait for it to be out in the world on October 19th! 

2021 Debut Author Interview: Laura Rueckert!

In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and to spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun for years to come! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2021 debuts and chat with them about their writing process and what it's like to be a new author. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats, and more!

At the end of 2020, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Laura Rueckert and her novel A DRAGONBIRD IN THE FERN, and we have been interested in it ever since! We are so excited to have Laura on the blog today to answer some of our questions! 

Laura Rueckert is a card-carrying bookworm who manages projects by day. At night, fueled by European chocolate, she transforms into a writer of young adult science fiction and fantasy novels. Laura grew up in Michigan, USA, but a whirlwind romance after college brought her to Europe. Today, she lives in Germany with her husband, two kids, and one fluffy dog.

Keep up with Laura: Website / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads

The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?

Laura: Thank you! It's such a mixture of feelings! I'm thrilled that people are staring to read this book that I've loved for so long. But I'm also kind of terrified about people reading it. For example, is my dad going to read the love scenes? *hides*

The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?

Laura: I really enjoy revising, but for me, the very best aspect is when some small detail I thoughtlessly inserted in my story early on unexpectedly fits perfectly with another part I'd believed was unrelated later. That serendipity astounds me every time. The hardest part of writing is getting started: finding and fleshing out the right idea, and writing the first draft.

The Book Bratz: Where did you get the idea for A DRAGONBIRD IN THE FERN?

Laura: The original inspiration came years ago, when I was touring a castle somewhere in the German countryside (I forget which one!), and the tour guide told us that the original lady of the house had been a highly educated French woman who spoke multiple languages, but not German, and was not happy to be stuck where she was. So it made me wonder what it would be like to marry and move to a rural area where no one speaks the same language as you. The second spark came because I live in Germany, and when my kids were diagnosed with dyslexia, a lot of well-meaning people (not experts) suggested I stop speaking my native language English to them, to avoid confusing them. But the research I did said plenty of dyslexic people are multilingual. So I wanted to depict that.

The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?

Laura: I liked writing all of them! Whether they're funny or arrogant or devious or kind, I love them all. I think Scilla was the hardest. She's a ghost going through an intensely traumatic experience and she doesn't have much possibility to communicate, but I still wanted her character to come through.

The Book Bratz: Are there any other books or authors who give you inspiration for your own writing?

Laura: Leigh Bardugo is definitely an inspiration in terms of defining different countries with their own cultures that feel real. But there are so many more! Also check out books by Alechia Dow, Rebecca Coffindaffer, Tracy Deonn, Elizabeth Lim, Joan He, Sarah Glenn Marsh, Rosaria Munda and Claudia Gray.

The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from A DRAGONBIRD IN THE FERN?

Laura: First off, I just hope readers are swept away to another world. We all desperately need a little escape! Beyond that, Jiara has undiagnosed dyslexia, and she's heard comments that made her doubt herself her whole life, even from her otherwise loving family. Whatever the reason, I think most of us know what it's like to struggle with self-confidence, so I'd like readers to embrace the message that they are capable of more than they think.

The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of A DRAGONBIRD IN THE FERN in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?

Laura: At the moment, I don't have further books planned in the Dragonbird world (but never say never, right?). I'm currently working on a speculative alternate history set in 1980s West Germany, and I'm brainstorming one or two YA fantasies.

Title: A Dragonbird in the Fern

Author: Laura Rueckert

Publisher: Flux

Publication Date: August 3rd, 2021 (Out now!)

Summary: When an assassin kills Princess Jiara’s older sister Scilla, her vengeful ghost is doomed to walk their city of glittering canals, tormenting loved ones until the murderer is brought to justice. While the entire kingdom mourns, Scilla’s betrothed arrives and requests that seventeen-year-old Jiara take her sister’s place as his bride to confirm the alliance between their countries. Marrying the young king intended for her sister and traveling to his distant home is distressing enough, but with dyslexia and years of scholarly struggles, Jiara abandoned any hope of learning other languages long ago. She’s terrified of life in a foreign land where she’ll be unable to communicate. Then Jiara discovers evidence that her sister’s assassin comes from the king’s own country. If she marries the king, Jiara can hunt the murderer and release her family from Scilla’s ghost, whose thirst for blood mounts every day. To save her family, Jiara must find her sister’s killer . . . before he murders her too.

Thank you so much to Laura for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about A DRAGONBIRD IN THE FERN, and it's out in the world now for everyone to enjoy! 

2021 Debut Author Interview: Lyndall Clipstone!

In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and to spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun for years to come! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2021 debuts and chat with them about their writing process and what it's like to be a new author. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats, and more!

At the end of 2020, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Lyndall Clipstone and her novel LAKESEDGE, and we have been interested in it ever since! We are so excited to have Lyndall on the blog today to answer some of our questions! 

Lyndall Clipstone writes YA Gothic about monsters and the girls who like to kiss them. A former youth librarian, she has a Bachelors in Creative Writing and a Graduate Diploma in Library and Information Management. She is represented by Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

Keep up with Lyndall: Website / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads

The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?

Lyndall: Thank you so much! Honestly it feels very surreal. I’ve been working on LAKESEDGE on and off for almost ten years, and it’s still hard to believe that it will be an actual book! I’m so very excited for my story to be out in the world and in the hands of readers.

The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?

Lyndall: My favourite part of the writing process is revisions – especially line edits, where I’m really digging into to the tiny details of each scene. I’ve loved working with my editor, and her suggestions have helped strengthen my writing in ways I’d never have been able to do on my own. The hardest part for me is drafting, always. Trying to get the perfectly envisaged story from my brain onto a blank page is always such a struggle! I’m still searching for ways to make the first draft stage fun – lately I’ve been doing writing sprints with friends, which has helped a lot.

The Book Bratz: Where did you get the idea for LAKESEDGE?

Lyndall: The basic premise for LAKESEDGE was The Secret Garden as a gothic romance. I wanted to write the sort of book I’d have loved to read as a teen. I drew inspiration from so many of my favourite things, including David Bowie as the Goblin King, Angela Carter’s vicious and empowering fairy tales, death and the maiden mythology, and Florence + the Machine’s Lungs album.

The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?

Lyndall: Violeta, the main character, is definitely my favorite. In writing Leta, I tried to capture a time of life when the world feels immense and every emotion you have is vitally important. She’s both brave and foolish, full of good intentions even as she makes so many terrible choices. As for most difficult, probably the Lord Under. He’s the villain, but for all the truly awful things he does, he and Leta do have a very genuine emotional connection. I spent so much time trying not to make him too nice or too human!

The Book Bratz: What surprised you the most about the publishing process?

Lyndall: That I have made such wonderful friends. Publishing can at times be very stressful, lonely, and chaotic – but finding a community of other authors to share this experience with has been so uplifting. My bookshelf and my heart are both very full!

The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from LAKESEDGE? 

Lyndall: One of the strangest (and loveliest!) things about being an author is how my book will belong to readers, and it will have a meaning for them that is very different from what it means to me. It’s quite magical! So I’m not sure what I hope people will take away, but I hope they will enjoy LAKESEDGE and that reading it can be a beautiful escape from the real world – much as it was for me while I was writing it.

The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of LAKESEDGE in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?

Lyndall: I will indeed return to the world of LAKESEDGE! A direct sequel, FORESTFALL, is set to publish in Fall 2022. I feel so lucky that I get to spend another book with these characters, and I’m so excited to share the conclusion of my series with readers next year. Aside from that… I do have a super secret project that I am currently drafting. It’s another gothic romance, but very different to LAKESEDGE. I’m falling very much in love with this story and characters, and I have my fingers crossed it will be published someday.

Title: Lakesedge

Author: Lyndall Clipstone

Publisher: Henry Holt

Publication Date: September 28th, 2021

Summary: There are monsters in the world. When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem. There are monsters in the woods. As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name. Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under. 

Thank you so much to Lyndall for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about LAKESEDGE and can't wait for it to be out in the world on September 28th! 

DNF Review: The Taking of Jake Livingston by by Ryan Douglass

Title: The Taking of Jake Livingston

Author: Ryan Douglass

Publisher: Putnam
Rating: 1/5 Stars (DNF)
Hardcover, 308 Pages
Publication Date: July 13th, 2021

Summary: Jake Livingston is one of the only Black kids at St. Clair Prep, one of the others being his infinitely more popular older brother. It’s hard enough fitting in but to make matters worse and definitely more complicated, Jake can see the dead. In fact he sees the dead around him all the time. Most are harmless. Stuck in their death loops as they relive their deaths over and over again, they don’t interact often with people. But then Jake meets Sawyer. A troubled teen who shot and killed six kids at a local high school last year before taking his own life. Now a powerful, vengeful ghost, he has plans for his afterlife–plans that include Jake. Suddenly, everything Jake knows about ghosts and the rules to life itself go out the window as Sawyer begins haunting him and bodies turn up in his neighborhood. High school soon becomes a survival game–one Jake is not sure he’s going to win.

I received an ARC of THE TAKING OF JAKE LIVINGSTON in exchange for an honest review. When we first found out about this 2021 debut, we were super intrigued, because even though I'm a huge contemporary romance reader, there have been some thrillers and paranormal stories that I've liked in the past. So first and foremost, thank you Putnam for sending me a copy to review! 

As the summary explains, the story follows Jake Livingston, one of the only Black kids at his local prep school -- but that's not the only thing that makes him stand out. He can also see the dead -- particularly, the ghost of a high school shooter who begins haunting him. It's an interesting premise that caught my eye, and it adds a fresh spin on paranormal thrillers in a way that I wasn't expecting.

Unfortunately, I just wasn't really able to get into this book. It was a bit confusing for me in the beginning, when the info about Jake's ghost-seeing powers is explained, and it isn't quite clear what things are actually happening in real life, what are visions, what are dreams, etc. I muddled through the beginning of this book feeling very confused. I also just had a hard time getting into it, but I think that's because I may not have been in the right headspace to dive into a super dark, deep paranormal thriller at the moment. I had just gotten over being really sick and found myself in a nastier reading slump than I had expected. So even though I wasn't able to get into/finish this book right now, maybe one day down the line when I find myself craving a thriller, I'll pick this one up! But for now, it just wasn't the right fit for me.

I just want to stress that while THE TAKING OF JAKE LIVINGSTON may not have been the right fit for me, that doesn't mean that someone else won't enjoy it! So if you were excited about reading this book, please do not let my review deter you. I'm simply sharing my own thoughts on why I was unable to finish the book -- but you might pick it up and decide that it's the perfect cup of tea that you've been waiting for! If you're into paranormal thrillers, I definitely encourage you to pick up this book and tell me what you think.

Did you have similar thoughts about THE TAKING OF JAKE LIVINGSTON? Did you love it? Want to read it? Comment down below and let me know all of your thoughts!

ARC Review: Fresh by Margot Wood (Jessica's Review)

Title: Fresh

Author: Margot Wood

Publisher: Amulet books
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Hardcover, 352 Pages
Publication Date: August 3rd, 2021

Summary: Some students enter their freshman year of college knowing exactly what they want to do with their lives. Elliot McHugh is not one of those people. But picking a major is the last thing on Elliot’s mind when she’s too busy experiencing all that college has to offer—from dancing all night at off-campus parties, to testing her RA Rose’s patience, to making new friends, to having the best sex one can have on a twin-sized dorm room bed. But she may not be ready for the fallout when reality hits. When the sex she’s having isn’t that great. When finals creep up and smack her right in the face. Or when her roommate’s boyfriend turns out to be the biggest a-hole. Elliot may make epic mistakes, but if she’s honest with herself (and with you, dear reader), she may just find the person she wants to be. And maybe even fall in love in the process . . . Well, maybe.

There aren't even words for how we reacted when we found out that Margot Wood was publishing a book. She had been our YA literary hero since we were little teens in high school who used to race home from the bus stop to catch the latest episode of Epic Reads's Tea Time with Margot & Aubrey. We've been fans of her for so long, following along with her writing journey, so it's safe to say that when she announced she was going to be a published author, we wasted no time adding the book to our TBR! And once more info came out about FRESH, we couldn't wait to get this book in our hands. So thank you to Margot for being so sweet and awesome and sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review! So without further ado, let's get into it.

As the summary explains, FRESH follows the story of Elliot McHugh as she leads the reader through her first year at Emerson College (which is where Margot actually went!). Elliot goes through a whole bunch of antics while she's there, some even based on Margot's own experiences -- everything from experimenting with sex, and friendship, classes, parties, and just the general anxieties and stress that come with going away to college for the first time (many of which I remember very well). And throughout the whole ride, she learns a lot of different things -- about herself, about her friends, and even about her future. The entire story is a fun rollercoaster ride, a loose retelling of EMMA, as Elliot makes her way through the chaotic jungle that is college.

I don't even have proper words for how much I loved this book. So just as a heads up, a majority of this review is going to be incoherent fangirling and flailing. It was so hysterical, and also so different than any other book I've ever read. I was so excited for my ARC of FRESH to arrive that I did something I'd never done before -- when it arrived, I stopped in the middle of the book that I was currently reading to dive right into it. I've never done that in my life before, so that's how you know how much I was anticipating this one! I enjoyed such a pleasant reading experience, laughing along with all of Elliot's antics, her internal monologues, her footnotes (which I'll talk more about in a second), and just all of the chaos and awkward situations she finds herself in. Her sparring with Rose was also super funny to see on the page, and watching them work out their dynamic was really fascinating. One thing I can absolutely say about FRESH is that it's so exciting and different, and really shook up my day-to-day monotony of reading the same types of books over and over. It absolutely stood out of me and I already started recommending it to so many friends and family members!

My favorite part of this book was definitely the footnotes. They were a fresh (ha), different take on reading a novel that I hadn't ever considered before. And they also added brief little snippets of the story that were directed straight toward the reader, so I didn't just feel like an outsider stepping into the story. I felt like I was actually part of the story myself, and Elliot even goes out of her way to address the reader directly several times. Fresh is also peppered with all sorts of interjections, choose-your-own-adventure segments, text transcripts, and more. All together, it made for a really fascinating, engaging, theatrical experience that I really enjoyed.

Overall, FRESH was such a fun, hilarious, sex-positive whirlwind of a ride that I enjoyed every second of. I spent so much time pausing my reading to share funny passages with my boyfriend and my co-bloggers, laughing out loud, and genuinely loving this story so much. I'm really looking forward to the book being published this upcoming Tuesday so I can go pick up a finished copy -- which is a hardcover without a dust jacket (!!) filled with all sorts of gorgeous endpapers, glossy text, and so much more that I'm excited to read. Let me reiterate: if you are a YA reader who needs a good laugh, you absolutely need to pick up FRESH. It's non-negotiable. And trust me, you'll thank me when you do!

Hats off to Margot Wood -- not only does she rock working in the publishing industry, but she rocks the author side of it as well! I'm really looking forward to reading more hilarious, captivating stories from her in the future.