Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender | ARC Review

Title: Felix Ever After
Series: n/a
Author: Kacen Callender
Release date: May 5, 2020
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: young adult, contemporary, LGBTQ+
Pages: 386
My Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads page

This review has no spoilers.

Synopsis

Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.

When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle….

But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.

Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you deserve.

[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]

Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan | ARC Review

Title: Verona Comics
Series: n/a
Author: Jennifer Dugan
Release date: April 21, 2020
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: young adult, contemporary, romance, LGBTQ+
Pages: 352
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Goodreads page

This review is spoiler-free.

Synopsis

Jubilee has it all together. She’s an elite cellist, and when she’s not working in her stepmom’s indie comic shop, she’s prepping for the biggest audition of her life.

Ridley is barely holding it together. His parents own the biggest comic-store chain in the country, and Ridley can’t stop disappointing them—that is, when they’re even paying attention.

They meet one fateful night at a comic convention prom, and the two can’t help falling for each other. Too bad their parents are at each other’s throats every chance they get, making a relationship between them nearly impossible…unless they manage to keep it a secret.

Then again, the feud between their families may be the least of their problems. As Ridley’s anxiety spirals, Jubilee tries to help but finds her focus torn between her fast-approaching audition and their intensifying relationship. What if love can’t conquer all? What if each of them needs more than the other can give?

[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu | ARC Review

Title: The Kingdom of Back
Series: standalone
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books
Genre: young adult, historical, fantasy
Pages: 336
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Goodreads page

I was given an ARC in exchange for a review. This review are my thoughts, and there are no spoilers in this post.

Synopsis

Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart.

Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish–to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she’ll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age–her tyrannical father has made that much clear.

And as Nannerl’s hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true–but his help may cost her everything.

In her first work of historical fiction, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu spins a lush, lyrically-told story of music, magic, and the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister.

[ This synopsis is from Goodreads. ]