Title: Patron Saints of Nothing
Author: Randy Ribay
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Format: eBook (ARC)
Length: 352 pages
Publisher: Kokila
Publish Date: June 18, 2019
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Recommend: Yes
“A novel that celebrates life and love the way only the best fantasy tales can.” -Kirkus Reviews
SEEKING LOVE, REVENGE, AND A CURE FOR DEATH…
In this thrilling fantasy adventure, sixteen-year-old Tessa Skye shapeshifts into a sparrow using a windrider—a forbidden magical amulet. When she accidentally reveals herself to the wicked Conjurer Lord Fellstone, the tyrant has her papa killed. Overcome by guilt and remorse, Tessa sets out for the castle to steal Fellstone’s Dreadmarrow, his most prized magical artifact, which has the power to restore life. She’s joined by Calder, searching for his lost love, and Ash, whose growing attraction to Tessa distracts from his plan to avenge his murdered twin.
DREADMARROW THIEF is an enchanting coming-of-age story about a girl who seeks to wield great power, only to learn it comes at a terrible price.
“The quest narrative is exciting and compelling… a work of classic fantasy.” -The BookLife Prize
Book Overview:
Author: Marjory Kaptanoglu | Series: The Conjurer Fellstone Series | Format: eBook – ARC | Length: 225 pages | Publish Date: October 9, 2017 | Genre: YA Fantasy | Rated: ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Maybe
“Even Ryland often told me how he loved that I wasn’t a “typical” girl, but I rejected the notion that girls were all of a type instead of each being unique.”
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I usually love fantasy books, and I feel like my bookshelves are full of them. However, for some reason, I just wasn’t able to get into this one as I would have liked.
One of the facts that I thought was cool was the idea that an item can make someone change into an animal. In the beginning of the book, the main character Tessa is in the form of a sparrow, thanks to an amulet called a “windrider”. She’s not an expert in using it by any means, but she has learned quickly how to use it to her advantage. Her entire world changes when her father is murdered brutally in front of her eyes, and she is almost captured by the evil Lord Fellstone and his cronies. However, she is able to escape, and it’s up to her, a shady fortune teller name Calder, and a boy named Ash to figure out a way to save her father from being permanently dead. They have to do all of that without being killed themselves.
I was glad that Ash was the one that went on the adventure rather than Tessa’s almost husband Ryland. That dude was a complete coward, and he wasn’t even that good of a swordsman. I think I would have been disappointed if it was Ryland that went on this adventure, as I feel like he would have been pretty much useless. The story is written well, and the pace is there, but I just couldn’t appreciate it the way I wanted to.
Now that doesn’t mean that I don’t think you shouldn’t read it. To each their own, and while I may not have loved it, I didn’t hate it either. I would say give it a chance, and you can come to your own conclusion. I may read the next book that comes out just so I can know what happens next.
Are you under a lot of stress? Feeling too much pressure to get good grades? Trying to avoid social media because you’re being bullied? Grappling with your sexual/gender identity? Feeling depressed—even suicidal?
What are the reasons why teens decide to take their own lives? What can be done to stop them? Through stories, studies and strategies, Dead Serious helps teens, parents and educators navigate the choppy waters of adolescence and provides tools that can help break the cycle of teen suicide.
Teen suicide is preventable.
Book Overview:
Author: Jane Mersky Leder | Series: None | Format: eBook – ARC | Length: Unknown | Publish Date: January 23, 2018 | Genre: Nonfiction Psychology | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes
“Truth is there is never one reason why someone takes his/her own life. And never just one person to blame.”
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was an extremely hard book for me to read because it hit home for me. I have known people that have committed suicide, not as teens but as young adults, and I myself have almost gone down this dark path in the past. Reading this book was almost an eye opener for me, bringing this hard topic to light.
There were so many statistics in this book that I had no knowledge of until I read this. There are so many teens out there that either know someone who has committed suicide, have attempted suicide, or still have thoughts of suicide. So many stories in this book show that suicide affects everyone, not just the person who commits it. There is never a clear reason as to why these teens killed themselves, and no matter how much their friends or family try to find answers, there just aren’t any. They now have to figure out how to heal during this dark time, and it doesn’t completely go away.
“If only he had done something then, maybe Brad would be alive now.”
The thought that maybe if these people who were brave enough to tell their story had done something earlier, they could have prevented it. They are so full of guilt, not understanding why their loved one could do such a thing, and beating themselves up for not seeing the signs before. Would they even know what those signs were if they had to go back? Would they be able to stop it? Would their loved one be alive today? All of those thoughts are going through their minds, and their pain and hurt of reliving these moments can’t help but make you feel for them. It hurts, and all we can do hope that their loved ones are in a better place now.
As the cover of this book states, this book is for teens, adults and educators. I would say that this book is for anyone that has ever had to deal with thoughts of suicide, or someone in their life that has committed suicide. Even if they haven’t done it yet, this book helps you to determine what the signs are, and how to get them the proper help before it’s too late. Suicide should not be a taboo topic, and more people need to discuss it to make sure that we can help those suffering by themselves, begging for help before they do something that they can’t take back.
I really do recommend this book. Keep it as a resource, and hopefully you will be able to help someone in your life get the help they need.
Sometimes Leelynn Reads 