Title: The Okay Witch Author: Emma Steinkellner Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Magical Realism Trigger Warning: Rating: 4 stars Release Date: September 3, 2019 Synopsis Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Roller Girl in this hilarious, one-of-a-kind graphic novel about a half-witch who has just discovered the truth about herself, her family, and her town and is doing her best to survive middle school now that she knows everything! Magic is harder than it looks. Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she’s about to discover that witches aren’t just the stuff of movies, books, and spooky stories. When some eighth-grade bullies try to ruin her Halloween, something really strange happens. It turns out that Founder’s Bluff, Massachusetts, has a centuries-old hi...

Title: The Avant-Guards, Vol. 1 Author: Carly Usdin, Noah Hayes (illustrator) Genre: Young Adult, Verse Novel, Contemporary Trigger Warning: Rating: 5 stars Release Date: September 3, 2019 Synopsis When Charlie transfers to the Georgia O’Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics, she struggles to find her feet, but winds up exactly where she belongs...in the school’s (terrible) basketball team. As a transfer student to the Georgia O’Keeffe College for Arts and Subtle Dramatics, former sports star Charlie is struggling to find her classes, her dorm, and her place amongst a student body full of artists who seem to know exactly where they’re going. When the school’s barely-a-basketball-team unexpectedly attempts to recruit her, Charlie’s adamant that she’s left that life behind…until she’s won over...

Last month, I posted my DNF reviews of books throughout the first half of 2019 here . In July, I ended up dnfing two earcs. Not Hungry by Kate Karyus Quinn A special thank you to Netgalley and West 44 Books for providing a free advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I was looking forward to this book, but it just kept getting worse and worse until I dnfed it at 61%. I rarely ever dnf something this far in, especially when it's this short, but I legitimately couldn't finish it. This may have a few spoilers, but the content was not sensitively portrayed and far too graphic. I felt really uncomfortable with the far too detailed descriptions of June puking after binging, but hoped it would get better. This is also a poorly written verse novel, but I could see that not bothering some other people. The part I ended up dnfing is when someone records June binging and then puking and I just can't read that video being released. None of the characters are likabl...

Title: Watches and Warnings Author: Ryan Wolf Genre: Young Adult, Verse Novel, Contemporary Trigger Warning: Mentioned Drug Abuse, Character Death, Description of Corpse Rating: 5 stars Release Date: August 1, 2019 Synopsis Hi-lo. Sixteen-year-old Philip is the son of two Evangelical youth pastors. He also secretly helps his older brother pay for his heroin addiction. When a massive tornado touches down in their small town, Philip’s family becomes heavily involved in the post-disaster cleanup as Philip struggles with the return of his detoxing brother. With his life swept into sudden chaos, Philip grapples with questions that cut him to the core. Review A special thank you to Netgalley and West 44 Books for providing a free advance digital copy in exchange for a honest review. This is going to be the book I point o...

Title: Beau and Bett Author: Kathryn Berla Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance Trigger Warning: Past sexual assault, Bullying Rating: 4 stars Synopsis After Beau LeFrancois's mother wrecks Bett Diaz’s luxury SUV, his family faces an impossibly large bill—and no car insurance to help pay it. To pay off the debt, Beau spends his weekends working at the Diaz Ranch. Beau’s prepared to work, but he’s definitely not prepared for the infamous temper of Bett Diaz—also known as "The Beast" at school. As Beau learns the secrets behind Bett’s tough exterior, he finds himself falling for her. That is, until he catches Bett in a lie. A contemporary twist on a classic fairy tale, Beau and Bett is a timely story of family, friendship, and the power of speaking out and standing up for yourself. Review ...