How to Speak Boy by Tiana Smith — 4 stars
How to Speak Boy is such an adorable rivals-to-lovers story! I loved watching Quinn and Grayson try to one-up each other while their relationship slowly changed. Their banter was fun, and I loved the secret notes they unknowingly sent to each other. Also, there’s speech and debate—this was the first YA book I’ve read with this extracurricular!
Diana: Princess of the Amazons by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale — 4 stars
Diana: Princess of the Amazons is a cute middle grade graphic novel. This story of course focuses on Diana as she’s growing up as the only child around all of the Amazons, and it would be great for tweens struggling with loneliness and pure pressure. The artwork is very colorful and fun. The bright colors definitely help establish the tone for a younger audience and the drawings themself are very cute. Read my full review here.
The Night Country by Melissa Albert — 4 stars
The Night Country is the sequel to The Hazel Wood, and I highly recommend you read these back-to-back. While the sequel technically takes place a few years after the first book, it feels like it starts right where The Hazel Wood ended. Alice is back in New York and trying to re-establish her life . . . along with all of the other ex-stories who have now escaped too. The Night Country is dark, mysterious, and twisty. It was hard-to-put down this book as we follow Alice as she tries to figure out who is murdering the other ex-stories. And we get Finch’s POV this time as he travels across worlds trying to get back home. I actually think I liked this sequel even more than the first novel!
Finding Mr. Better-Than-You by Shani Petroff — 4 stars
Finding Mr. Better-Than-You is a fun read about finding yourself with the help of supportive friends. Going in I thought this would be a cute rom-com, but I loved that the story turned out to be about friendship! It was so good watching the main character figure out that she doesn’t need a boyfriend to be happy or fill a void. This story was definitely a love letter to the friends who stick with you no matter what! Read my full review here.
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han — 5 stars
I have been so excited for the PS I Still Love You movie that I knew I needed to reread the book before seeing it. I loved getting to know John Ambrose McClaren again and seeing Lara Jean and Peter K.’s relationship become real! The audiobook narrator really nailed Lara Jean’s younger voice.
Wonder Woman Warbringer: The Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardugo — 4.5 stars
The Wonder Woman: Warbringer graphic novel is the adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s DC Icons novel. I haven’t read the novel yet, but this appears to be an excellent adaptation. It’s an action-packed story showing us Diana’s first adventure away from Themyscira. The art itself is beautiful. The darker color tones age up the story for the YA audience and the pop of bright, bold colors add to the action. There was a mix of different types of panels that kept the story moving quickly. Read my full review here.
I read both WonderWoman graphic novels this year too! Unfortunately neither really stuck :/
I remember liking, but expecting more romance in Better-Than-You, but I adored How to Speak Boy. So fun!