Search
Sarah Leonard
- Feb 11, 2019
- 3 min
"Crown of Feathers" Book Review
Author: Nicki Pau Preto Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: 5/5 When I read Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto, I felt like a warrior princess, because the characters were so amazingly awesome, I felt like the book couldn’t contain it all so I just absorbed it as a reader. It made me want to kick a cat-caller. It made me want to ride the nearest bird to victory. The novel follows the stories of three protagonists: a teen with a phoenix egg who dreams of becoming a legendary Phoenix R
503 views0 comments
Sarah Leonard
- Dec 27, 2018
- 3 min
"Muse of Nightmares" Book Review
Author: Laini Taylor Genre: YA Rating: infinity/5 Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor is one of the best books I have ever read, 2nd just under Harry Potter. I cried three times. THREE TIMES! I don’t think I’ve ever cried that much while reading. The novel is the closing to the Strange the Dreamer duology and has left me feeling slightly hollow. I already miss it... So, if you have any Strange the Dreamer-like recommendations, let me know. In this novel, Minya has taken contro
67 views0 comments
Sarah Leonard
- Dec 10, 2018
- 4 min
"The Wicked Deep" Book Review
Author: Shea Ernshaw Genre: YA Rating: 5/5 The Wicked Deep? More like Wicked GOOD. Don’t hate me too much for the pun…The Wicked Deep is a YA novel by Shea Ernshaw that earned its 5/5 easily. Why don’t we dive right into the plot? Another pun you’ll hate me for. Two centuries ago in the town of Sparrow, three sisters were accused of witchcraft and were killed by being drowned in the lake. But with that “death” came an evil curse. Now, every year on June 1st, they inhabit the
166 views0 comments
Sarah Leonard
- Nov 27, 2018
- 4 min
"Caraval" by Stephanie Garber Book Review
Author: Stephanie Garber
Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: 3.8/5 (maybe round up to 4) Caraval: the game where you play to win in a world of fantasy and tricks, and this year, the winner gets a wish from the gamemaster himself, Legend. Tella, desperate for freedom from her abusive father, drags her sister, Scarlett, and guide/lover, Julian, to the games. But then Tella is taken by Legend himself. Caught in the world of Caraval, Scarlett and Julian have to look past the deceptive curt
572 views0 comments
Sarah Leonard
- Oct 15, 2018
- 2 min
"Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" Book Review
Author: Becky Albertalli Genre: YA Rating: 5/5 Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda: Another edition to my LGBT reading list. The novel is a fun, quick, and packed to the binding with quotable, heartfelt moments. And, Albertalli, I appreciate the many Harry Potter references. You know how to reel a girl in. 10/10. The novel is about a gay teenager, Simon, who has been emailing anonymously emailing another gay teenager, Blue. Neither of them use their real name, because neither o
863 views0 comments
Sarah Leonard
- Sep 9, 2018
- 3 min
"The Devil's Thief" Book Review
Author: Lisa Maxwell Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: 4/5 After my binge read experience with The Last Magician, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel, The Devil’s Thief. And, overall, I wasn’t disappointed. Maxwell does an amazing job at progressing the story and making me love characters I already adore. We should all aspire to be Viola: amazing, badass, and loyal (although, I do not support murder). The novel begins where the last novel leaves off. Hiding from the threat
107 views0 comments
Sarah Leonard
- Aug 31, 2018
- 2 min
"To All the Boys I've Loved Before" Book Review
Author: Jenny Han Genre: YA Romance Rating: 5/5 To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han is yet another binge read of mine. It’s easy, fun, and so engaging. I’d take a letter from Lara Jean any day. Why would you, Sarah, take a letter from Lara Jean, you ask? How does that have to do with anything? Well, for those who haven’t read the book, let me tell you. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is about a girl who writes secret love letters to the guys she loves. It’s her w
1,313 views0 comments
Sarah Leonard
- Aug 6, 2018
- 4 min
"Strange the Dreamer" Book Review
Author: Laini Taylor Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Rating: 5/5 When I finished Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, I wanted to recommend it to everyone. I wanted to rave about it until my voice hurt. In fact, after that last page, I just sat for about a minute trying to process the perfection of what I just read and how I had gone without it for so long. Strange the Dreamer is one of the most fantastical, magical, beautiful, and well-done novels I have read. Drinking in the inc
361 views0 comments
Sarah Leonard
- Jul 30, 2018
- 7 min
"This Mortal Coil" Book Review
Author: Emily Suvada Genre: Young Adult Rating: 4.8/5 So, I’ve read This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada twice now. Each time, reader overtook editor and I lost myself in the pages of the book. It has everything I thirst for when I pick up a novel: an other-worldly setting, a love interest, twists, and beautiful, bloody violence. That makes me sounds like a sociopath….or like the WRATH has taken me over (You’ll understand that more later). With all the twists and factoring elemen
1,418 views0 comments
Sarah Leonard
- Jul 23, 2018
- 6 min
"The Hate U Give" Book Review
Author: Angie Thomas Genre: Young Adult Rating: 5/5 The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is so good, I thought I’d have trouble finding enough words for this review. I guess I was wrong. I could have written more if it wouldn’t have turned into a fangirling/rambling session. This book definitely has a political standpoint. By the synopsis alone, that’s clear. But no matter what you believe—democrat, republican, liberal, etc.—read this novel. You can’t ignore the fact that it has m
115 views0 comments
Sarah Leonard
- Jul 16, 2018
- 7 min
"Crazy Rich Asians" Book Review
Author: Kevin Kwan Genre: Adult Romance/Humor Rating: 5/5 Crazy Rich Asians makes Jeff Bezos’ finances laughable. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit. That man’s net worth is $112 billion. He just chooses not to drop it on dresses worth more than my house and rooms practically made of gold. But who does? That’s right, folks: crazy rich Asians. Written by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians is funny, culturally informative, and makes these people look so rich it could only be
591 views0 comments
Sarah Leonard
- Aug 10, 2017
- 12 min
Beautiful Disaster" Book Review
Author: Jamie McGuire Genre: YA Romance Rating: 4/5 stars Dust cover: The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and c
1,479 views0 comments
{"items":["5c871fa69f6dc8001c8b5305","5c871fa6989a05001c983c80","5c871fa6f83ea3001c2ac313","5c871fa6647b43001cd9871e","5c871fa6b29ebd001c4e9d77","5c871fa6e95250001c6f23cc","5c871fa6989a05001c983c7f","5c871fa7275daf001d8e1208","5c871fa7647b43001cd98721","5c871fa74ebaa7001bc6f366","5c871fa73e5520001c7159d3","5c871fa7f83ea3001c2ac314","5c871fa87a27fb001ce47fb2"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1.3333333333333333,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":30,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":32,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"rotatingScatter":"","chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":1,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":1,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":true,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_THE_RIGHT","galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":0,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":1,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"jsonStyleParams":"","gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":940,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_12","value":"rgba(204,204,204,1)"},"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":2,"targetItemSize":940,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0.5},"container":{"width":940,"galleryWidth":972,"galleryHeight":0,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}