The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great book; I could not stop turning the pages as I hung on every word about Alice and her mother's flights, the hazy grandmother who writes scary fairy tales about The Hinterland, and Alice's search accompanied by Ellery Finch. Alice is strong, conflicted about so much because she and her mother have always been on the run. So what is a girl to do when her mom disappears? Find her of course!!! And oh does Alice have scary adventures as she and Finch try to track down her mother while avoiding many nefarious people/creatures! I am definitely going to read the 2nd in the series!

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Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore

Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh did I love this book!!! I have loved all of Anna-Marie McLemore's books (Wild Beauty, When the Moon Was Ours, and The Weight of Feathers---all MUST READS) because of the rich characterization, lush magical realism and diversity. Latina Sisters Roja and Blanca couldn't be more different but they come from a family cursed to repeat losing one daughter to become a swan. Yet they are fiercely close and would never lie to one another -- unless each wants to protect the other. Based on fairy tales, McLemore weaves a dramatically beautiful story about becoming, believing, and surviving. To quote the author in her Author's Note: "My hope for you, reader, for all of us, is two sides of the same wish: that the world gives us each the space to write our own story, and that we leave room for each other's stories. They are where our hearts survive."

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Damsel by Elana K. Arnold

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to this Amelia Bloomer Award winner and Printz Honor as part of the 2019 HUB Reading Challenge. I loved the narration by Elizabeth Knowelden, did not like the plot of the story, could not identify with the main character or any of the other characters, except the Damsel Ama's lynx.

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East by Edith Pattou

East by Edith Pattou
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG! Did I love this book---while I did not get to read it as a high school librarian----I follow Jennifer Hubert's Reading Rants and her review of East and her high recommendation to read the latest in the series, West--had me reading, enthralled and in love with Edith Pattou's worldbuilding, touched by strong characters Rose and the White Bear, Neddy, and Father and cheering for Rose to find her white bear. I could not stop reading, Pattou held me captive with her writing and like Beauty and the Beast fairytale---the theme of good over evil and true love. Each time Rose mentions the sadness and pain in the bear's eyes I wanted to cry...so poignant! Rose's empathy, her strength of character, and good will have many who help her in her quest. I have the next book, West, on hold at the library and can't wait to read it. Highly recommended!

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Owl Eyes by Molly Laser

Owl Eyes: A Fairy Tale by Molly Lazer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Molly Laser's book was give to me by my great librarian friend, Randi Wall, to read and oh did I enjoy this improved Cinderella fairy tale in this powerful debut with a heroine who endures much and grows even stronger as a result. What Nora knows about her real parents isn't much, but volumes can be said about Greta and Peter, the servants who adopted her, showed her much love and taught her to endure despite the bullying, punishments, and slights. As Nora stumbles into truth, will she make the right decisions, for herself, about Greta and Peter and her lifelong friend, Jack? I loved Nora's world, could not put this book down, reveled in Nora's world and rooted for her to find the family and love she yearns for; highly recommended!

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Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Jennifer Ikeda's brilliant narration of this reimagining of the Snow White Tale in this 2017 release. The voices, the inflection and the feelings and inner monologues of Mina and Lynet were wonderful to listen to; Mina's feeling of entrapment by her father, her husband the king, and being told by her father she would/could never be loved by anyone because of her glass heart, plunged Mina into a life of harsh insecurity believing only her beauty would garner her success. Lynet, the princess was such a special, strong, capable character- even though her father, the king, kept her away from playmates, she found love and acceptance with Mina. I especially enjoyed Felix and his transformation over time; it was just so good, since everything was so calculated by Mina. It was always tough to listen to Gregory, he was such an evil heinous character. But the ending, oh the ending- it made me so so happy with this new re-imagining; Highly recommended!

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Mighty Jack and the Goblin King (Mighty Jack #2) by Ben Hatke

Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for the ARC, Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke. What a spellbinding read! Ben Hatke has done it again with a super charged graphic novel middle school and teen readers will totally enjoy. Mighty Jack and the Goblin King continues expanding the fairy tale begun in the first comic, Mighty Jack, with bright, electric illustrations crafting an action filled horror adventure story with Jack and Lilly with their swords and daring racing to save Maddy, with help from Phelix and goblins. Highly recommended for those who love fantasy, building tension, thrilling plot twists and fierce characters.

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Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Geekerella by Ashley Poston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books for the ARC, Geekerella by Ashley Poston. This modern-day Cinderella fairy tale uses fandom, cosplay, nerdy fans, blogging, and a fast food truck shaped like a Magic Pumpkin to deliver an awesome remake of a beloved tale. Elle delivers as a plucky girl who misses her dead father desperately and suffers under the mean, petty aspirations of her step-mother. When Elle gets a call from someone anonymous (Darien, the lead in the movie) about contacting her Father’s business, ExcelsiCon; what begins are nightly texts between two teens who share their lives, hopes, and dreams all the while geeking out about the movie, Starfield. The characters are adeptly depicted; my favorite being Sage, brash lesbian with green hair, killer sewing machine, and in many ways, Elle’s fairy godmother. This book will be a hit with teens who enjoy fractured fairy tales!

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The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved the world building, characters, and skill of Kelly Barnhill's sumptuous fantasy feast. Luna is a baby when she is inadvertently fed moonlight by friendly witch Xan. So rather than have another family raise her Xan, a swamp monster, Glerk and tiny dragon, Fyrian all lovingly tend to Luna as she grows. For luscious middle grade read, you will not get much better. An excellent fairy tale for all!

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Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this fairy tale as part of the Hub Challenge and Dashti, the servant girl of Lady Saren is the protagonist who stole my heart. She was down to earth, loyal, loved animals, and used music as a way to heal. Saren & Dashti are sealed in a tower for 7 years by Saren's father because she refuses to marry this evil man, Khasar. As they settle in, Khan Tegus is the ruler Lady Saren promised herself to and as he sneaks & visits them, Saren makes Dashti talk to Tegus as Lady Saren. This arrangement is uncomfortable to Dashti but she took and oath to obey her Lady and she continues to do what Lady Saren does throughout the story. What an engrossing tale Shannon Hale weaves, complete with animals Dashti & Saren love and depend on. The ending was my favorite part! Highly recommended for those who enjoy fairy tales and retellings and great storytelling.

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Winter by Marissa Meyer

Winter by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG, I LOVED Winter and Meyer's whole Lunar Chronicle series!!! I am so sad it is over BUT I have so many great memories to continue to replay over and over again about the awesome cast of characters! This final 4th book features characters we have come to know and love-Cinder, Kai, Scarlet, Wolf, Cress, Thorne, Winter, Jacin, and Iko. There was also a cast of characters to abhor and wish very bad ends to as well- Levana, Aimory, and those nasty thermatauges controlling and contorting people to Levana's evil wiles. Cinder's fight to be Queen was a valiant one with many new characters helping her attain her goal of helping all of those down trodden subjects on Luna, the shells, the wolves (bioengineered to fight)and the diseased people on Earth battling a deathly. I read this in a week- I could have sat and read it in one sitting but can you believe it? Life got in the way, so I snatched as much time as I could and savored/devoured this fairytale mix of rebellion, rising up against evil and falling in love. I highly recommend this series and this 4th book was satisfying in so many ways- you just have to read it!!!

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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jennifer Ikeda did a magnificent job of narrating this amazing audiobook! When I say I could not rip myself away from this 16 hour saga; I kept finding ways to keep listening because I just had to know what was happening to Feyre (human) wisked to a faerie court by the very scary wolf (Tamlin) who "imprisons" her in his world because she killed one of his huntsmen, Andris and "The Treaty" gave him the right to take her away from her human world to live in Prythia with the immortal faeries and fae. But this story is so so much more! There are lies, secrets, death, romance, magic, gore (and so much more) and it became so gripping to me to find out why Feyre who is a skilled huntress is constantly called a "stupid" human by Tamlin & those who live with him. It becomes very evident as the story progresses that the reader and Feyre must really listen and not believe everything said because all is as it seems. This definitely was a beauty and the beast type story for me but this is just a back drop to the violent world of the courts and the wicked female leader who is brutal, intent on killing and maiming faeries and fae. Sometimes I had to stop listening- what was happening to Feyre, Lucian, and Tamlin (and others) was pure hell so I would take a break - but then I couldn't stand it any more and I had to know!!! I definitely see this as a crossover book- adults will LOVE this as well as YA. All I can say is, I can't wait for the second book and I will listen to that as well. Just a little aside- this is my FIRST Sarah J. Maas book. Now I am going to begin the Throne of Glass series!

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