The Secret Horses of Briar Hill by Megan Shepherd

There are winged horses that live in the mirrors of Briar Hill hospital. In the mirrors that line its grand hallways, which once belonged to a princess. In those that reflect the elegant rooms, now filled with sick children. It is her secret.

One morning, when Emmaline climbs over the wall of the hospital’s abandoned gardens, she discovers something incredible: a white horse with broken wings has left the mirror-world and entered her own. 

Tucked into the garden’s once-gleaming sundial, Emmaline finds a letter from the Horse Lord. He is hiding the wounded white horse, named Foxfire, from a dark and sinister force—a Black Horse who hunts by colorless moonlight. If Emmaline is to keep the Black Horse from finding her new friend, she must collect colorful objects with which to blind him. But where can Emmaline find color when her world is filled with gray?

AMAZON

MY THOUGHTS:

5/5 STARS

This tiny book packed a hard punch... While it was wrote for Middle Graders, I found it to be very inspiring. The theme was high fantasy with magic laced between each word, but overall, the concept was very dark and eerie with a lot of meaning. 

It's a story about a young girl in a hospital for the sick. She sees winged horses in the mirrors and eventually finds one in the garden. There is a darkness that hovers over their safety though. In order to protect the horse, Emmaline must bring color to the gray atmosphere. It's a rich story about hope and dreams. A historical fiction that meets Narnia of the sorts.

You can't go into this one without an imagination though... The story has a strong foundation, but it's up to the reader on how they interpret the Author's words. For me, the black horse was death. I felt that darkness looming over Emma just threatening to take her life at anytime. I think for others though it could symbolize many things. It's all about perspective, age, maturity, and so on. I found myself truly touched after finishing this one... It really opened my eyes to the world around me. I found myself observing the color more and being appreciative for the simplest things. 

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true? 

MY REVIEW:

5/5 STARS

This was one of the most beautiful, thought provoking young adult books I've ever read. There were lessons within the words and grit beneath the surface. It was an intense book that pulled at my heartstrings and opened my eyes to a subject that I was blind to... It pulled me in with it's lyrical prose and kept me captivated with deep rooted emotion. 

Natasha and Daniel are both familiar with immigration... One has family pushing for the American dream, while the other is fighting deportation struggles. When their worlds collide, it brings an unexpected connection that leads to an emotional, passionate whirlwind romance. Together they participate in a questionnaire to prove that love can be scientific. In just one day they fall in love and embed inspiration in one another. It was a unique concept that brought so much to the table. 

This was my first book by Nicola Yoon and I honestly can't say enough good things. She took an intense subject with ugly situations and somehow turned them into inspirational beauty. The words made me stop and think and there were lines that I indulged in more than once. I think that especially during this time ... all readers need to give it a read. It's educational, romantic, and everything a ya contemporary should be.

Black Flowers, White Lies by Yvonne Ventresca

Her father died before she was born, but Ella Benton knows they have a supernatural connection. Since her mother discourages these beliefs, Ella keeps her cemetery visits secret. But she may not be the only one with secrets. Ella’s mother might be lying about how Dad died sixteen years ago. Newfound evidence points to his death in a psychiatric hospital, not as a result of a tragic car accident as her mother always claimed. After a lifetime of just the two of them, Mom suddenly feels like a stranger.

When a handprint much like the one Ella left on her father’s tombstone mysteriously appears on the bathroom mirror, at first she wonders if Dad is warning her of danger as he did once before. If it’s not a warning, could her new too-good-to-be-true boyfriend be responsible for the strange occurrences? Or maybe it’s the grieving building superintendent whose dead daughter strongly resembles Ella? As the unexplained events become more frequent and more sinister, Ella becomes terrified about who—or what—might harm her.

Soon the evidence points to someone else entirely: Ella herself. What if, like her father, she’s suffering from a breakdown? In this second novel from award-winning author Yvonne Ventresca, Ella desperately needs to find answers, no matter how disturbing the truth might be.

Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

AMAZON

MY THOUGHTS:

4/5 STARS

This was the perfect October read. It had a creep factor, tons of mystery, and a thrilling plot that held my attention through the final page. It had plenty of twists and turns and a jaw dropping reveal at the end. I found it to be a fast paced and filled with lust, charm, gore, and thrills. 

Ella's mom is about to get remarried and along with a stepdad comes a gorgeous stepbrother. He is almost too perfect. Good looks, great ideas, overly friendly... It's easy to get wrapped up in the charm. Especially when he is helping her figure out the mystery behind all of the crazy in her life. Shortly before the marriage... dark, twisted things begin to happen. Black flowers show up at the cemetery, muddy prints find their way to mirrors, bloody hand prints drip from the walls, and sick twisted secrets begin to surface... It all builds up and eventually brings Ella crumbling down with it. It pushes her to believe lies and it forces her to think the worst of herself. While there are a few suspects only one stood out to me. Unfortunately, I was wrong and left dumbfounded. I sort of expected it, but I definitely didn't want to believe it...

Looking back at the book as a whole... I am pleasantly surprised by the strong character development and rich content. The Author really packed a lot in 272 pages and for that I am thankful. I thought the story was unique and brought a lot to the table. It was diverse in that it had a little bit for each reader. Whether you like paranormal, romance, horror, thrillers, or ya contemporary you will find a piece to love in this story. I highly recommend it. Especially during the Halloween time!

Walk on Earth a Stranger (Gold Seer Trilogy) by Rae Carson

"Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes."

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift.
AMAZON

MY THOUGHTS:
5/5 STARS

When I was growing up, I became slightly obsessed with a game called The Oregon Trail... It was a Western survival game with tough choices about health, animals, supplies, and mapping out routes. This book brings that game to life (well life in the book world that is).

Leah/Lee is a on the journey of a lifetime. She loses everything she knows and decides to flee to the West with her best friend soon to be love interest. In order to escape without being noticed she has to don men's clothing and act as a lad. She works for her passage and eventually finds what she is looking for. It's a unique story with emotional turmoil and charming twists. I found myself intrigued and fascinated by the western frontier. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and when I finished, I instantly went to purchase the next book.

It was a historical fiction with fantasy elements, a tough heroine, and a slow burn romance. It captured the essence of a time period and was able to bring aw upon the gold panning days. I fell in love and think readers of all ages will too. It's a total MUST READ! 

The Illustrated Book of Sayings: Curious Expressions from Around the World by Ella Frances Sanders

From the New York Times bestselling author of Lost in Translation comes this charming illustrated collection of more than fifty expressions from around the globe that explore the nuances of language. From the hilarious and romantic to the philosophical and literal, the idioms, proverbs, and adages in The Illustrated Book of Sayings reveal the remarkable diversity, humor, and poignancy of the world's languages and cultures.

AMAZON

MY THOUGHTS:

4/5 STARS

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but was pleasantly surprised. It was an educational book that explored the phrases of different cultures. My husband and I had a great time guessing what each phrase meant... Some were easy, while others were a tad more difficult. The illustrations were gorgeous and really added to the overall reading experience. It was unique and fun and I would definitely recommend it to all readers looking to branch out and explore a different language.

*Shoutout to Random House (Ten Speed Press) for the review copy!*

Almost Autumn by Marianne Kaurin

It's October 1942, in Oslo, Norway. Fifteen-year-old Ilse Stern is waiting to meet boy-next-door Hermann Rod for their first date. She was beginning to think he'd never ask her; she's had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. 

But Hermann won't be able to make it tonight. What Ilse doesn't know is that Hermann is secretly working in the Resistance, helping Norwegian Jews flee the country to escape the Nazis. The work is exhausting and unpredictable, full of late nights and code words and lies to Hermann's parents, to his boss... to Ilse. 

And as life under German occupation becomes even more difficult, particularly for Jewish families like the Sterns, the choices made become more important by the hour: To speak up or to look away? To stay or to flee? To act now or wait one more day?

In this internationally acclaimed debut, Marianne Kaurin recreates the atmosphere of secrecy and uncertainty in World War II Norway in a moving story of sorrow, chance, and first love.

AMAZON

MY THOUGHTS:

3/5 STARS 

I love historical fiction and will read any WW2 books I can get my hands on... With that being said, this one wasn't as good as others I've read. While I enjoyed the book a lot, it didn't feel complete to me. There were so many perspectives that it came off a bit scattered. Like I get Hermann and Ilse's parts, but the family ones were built up to go no where... I think maybe if the book was longer and better developed I would have appreciated those parts more. What I did love about this book though were the lessons that were so intricately weaved into the story. The words taught us that time is precious and to never hold back. It also gave us a great perspective of what survival looks like. I'm torn. I keep going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars... On one hand it's history and that's important, but on another I craved more of that raw emotion that comes with war. I wanted to feel like the characters were in desperate situations and instead I felt like they were just going through the motions... riding the boat, sitting on the bed, stripping down... Where were the heart breaking scenes of turmoil? And also, why didn't we get more info on the paper that Hermann worked at... I guess looking at the book as a whole I just need to settle on a 3. I wanted to love this one, but it needed better execution.

Beast by Brie Spangler

Tall, meaty, muscle-bound, and hairier than most throw rugs, Dylan doesn’t look like your average fifteen-year-old, so, naturally, high school has not been kind to him. To make matters worse, on the day his school bans hats (his preferred camouflage), Dylan goes up on his roof only to fall and wake up in the hospital with a broken leg—and a mandate to attend group therapy for self-harmers.

Dylan vows to say nothing and zones out at therapy—until he meets Jamie. She’s funny, smart, and so stunning, even his womanizing best friend, JP, would be jealous. She’s also the first person to ever call Dylan out on his self-pitying and superficiality. As Jamie’s humanity and wisdom begin to rub off on Dylan, they become more than just friends. But there is something Dylan doesn’t know about Jamie, something she shared with the group the day he wasn’t listening. Something that shouldn’t change a thing. She is who she’s always been—an amazing photographer and devoted friend, who also happens to be transgender. But will Dylan see it that way? 

AMAZON

MY THOUGHTS:
5/5 STARS

I went into this book blind... 

The ARC showed up at my door and I immediately started it without reading the back. So imagine my surprise when Jamie's identity was revealed... It's not at all what I expected, but it worked so well. You can definitely call it a twist on Beauty & the Beast and I LOVED it. 

The words of this book wrapped around me and slowly pulled me beneath the surface of norm. It was heartwarming, educational, emotional, and inspiring. The focus was on first love, self exploration,  self harm, and painful peer pressure, but there was so much more between the words. Dylan is a troubled boy who is self conscious about his appearance.

"I like you too." she says.
"You are a wonderfully horrible boy."

When he "falls" off his roof and ends up in group therapy, his world is turned upside down. Jamie is going through a transition... When her and Dylan start to hang out, emotions slowly form into something a tad forbidden. Dylan is oblivious to the situation and when the truth is revealed it sends him running the opposite way. Slowly though, he lets his guard down and opens up to what his heart truly wants...

I wouldn't say I have an closed mind, but I definitely wouldn't seek out a trans book. After reading this one though, my feelings have changed. The Author did so good at making this book beautiful and all consuming that at the end I craved more. I wanted to know what happened to Jamie and Dylan after high school. I wanted to know if their love made it...

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL READERS!