I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was last week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about Every Gift a Curse by Caroline O’Donoghue. Thank you to Walker Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
With the return of the Housekeeper on the cards, Maeve must find out everything she can about the vengeful tarot spirit in order to finally defeat her. Crossing over into a parallel dimension inside the old school building, she explores the history of the Housekeeper – and spends too long in a world and a mind not her own.
With the Children of Brigid closing in once more, and Maeve’s friend group now fractured across Ireland, can they hope to ultimately save the town – and Maeve – from the grip of a power greater than they ever imagined?
Publication Date: 2nd February
TW: homophobia, conversion therapy, religious trauma, blood, self-harm, death, PTSD, transphobia, suicidial ideation
My Thoughts:
Every Gift a Curse is just fantastic. This tarot card based fantasy trilogy has been such a standout in UKYA fantasy for me over the past few years. O’Donoghue brings everything to a brilliant and explosive conclusion here, building character, lore and history even more.
Having previously read and loved All Our Hidden Gifts and The Gifts That Bind Us, I can safely say the All Our Hidden Gifts trilogy is an underrated gem. This is a trilogy that really digs into its social commentary and thrives in its proudly Irish flair. It is a modern myth in the making, with fantastical powers acting as metaphorical stand-ins for mental health, queer identity and personal struggles. O’Donoghue has created something that will truly help so, so many readers.
This trilogy really shines when it sits with our four central characters, who have been through thick and thin together. Their character development over these three books has been wonderful, with real tension, drama and changing dynamics that feel authentic. This is a real coming of age storyline that heavily focuses on the power of friendship, flawed and messy as they may be. O’Donoghue also heavily draws on themes of trauma and the cycle of trauma, leaving long lasting effects on the characters. They have to educate themselves and others to combat this vicious cycle and change the narrative. In particular, a storyline shines light on previously villainous figures and their backstories. It does not excuse the reprehensible actions of their past, but places them in a more complicated position. There is history and unearthed secrets there for you to uncover.
Every Gift a Curse breaks the mould of YA fantasy with a fresh and fantastic story that deserves to be picked up by everyone.
Next up, I’d like to talk about Friday, I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett. Thank you to Penguin Random House Children’s UK for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Mahalia Harris wants.
She wants a big Sweet Sixteen like her best friend, Naomi. She wants the super-cute new girl Siobhan to like her back. She wants a break from worrying-about money, snide remarks from white classmates, pitying looks from church ladies . . . all of it.
Then inspiration strikes: It’s too late for a Sweet Sixteen, but what if she had a coming-out party? A singing, dancing, rainbow-cake-eating celebration of queerness on her own terms. But it’s not long before she’s buried in a mountain of bills, unfinished schoolwork, and enough drama to make her English lit teacher blush. With all the responsibility on her shoulders, will Mahalia’s party be over before it’s even begun?
Publication Date: 2nd February
TW: homophobia, biphobia, racism, parental illness, chronic illness, financial struggles, surgery
My Thoughts:
Friday, I’m in Love is a celebration of everything YA should stand for.
Camryn Garrett is one of those authors that just has it. Her spark and determination to place pressing issues at the forefront of her writing is commendable, while also creating wonderful characters and storylines that bring hope and joy.
This is an unashamedly joyous look at queer joy, Black pride and coming of age, mixed with a realistic look at family, financial struggles and friendship. It is what rom coms wish they could be. That love letter to the beauty and vivacity found in our comfort films and books is deeply felt here. It captures the magic of that first glance and the slow build of a romance, while also celebrating friendship. The balance of those types of love is brilliant to see, emphasising the importance of platonic bonds and reaching out to your future.
Mahalia is a fantastic protagonist, learning and trying to find her way. Her voice was so engaging and relatable, with an infectious joy at times and a heart-breaking honesty at others. She has that head over heels type love that endeared me to her completely, though she does recognise eventually that she cannot just be consumed by love. Garrett just creates these snapshots of life that are so realistic. Here, Mahalia’s relationships with her parents form a key dramatic tension. With her dad, there is no easy resolution or magical happy ending, but an authentic realisation of her worth.
Friday, I’m in Love highlights just why Garrett is such an underrated force of nature in YA contemporaries. She just has that ability to capture a moment and let it sparkle.
Finally, I’d like to delve into The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi. Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Castenada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after – and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.
But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom soon finds himself unable to resist.
As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage… or their lives.
Publication Date: 16th February
TW: blood, violence, gore, animal death, paedophilia, harassment, child abuse, death, forced starvation, forced self-harm
My Thoughts:
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is an atmospheric, gorgeously written Gothic fairytale.
Chokshi’s writing has that delectably dark tinge to it in this Gothic, twisted tale of obsession. It is almost lyrical and ethereal in places, tapping into the beauty and fantastical nature of these stories and elements. However, there is always a shadowy nature lurking. You constantly feel the undercurrent of something threatening and deeply wrong. Chokshi is a fantastic storyteller. You become entirely immersed in this fable as she captures every one of your senses. The pacing is spot on, slower at moments to let the story breathe and suspense build, but it picks up as everything unravels.
This is an unhinged, toxic and obsessive fairytale gone horribly wrong. That slow spiral into delusion and obsession is fascinating to watch unfold. There is this deep connection between two women and their relationship, with heavy sapphic undertones, forms the core of this novel. That toxic co-dependence spirals into something much darker and dangerous, playing with forces beyond their knowledge.
I also really loved Chokshi’s meta commentary on myth and fairytale as well. There are so many snippets of myths and legends woven into the fabric of this tale, creating a rich tapestry of what Chokshi is paying homage to and spinning it into something new. The unnamed Bridegroom is a fun recognition of all the unnamed heroines of fairytale, placing the male character in that space of objectification and reduced power instead. Chokshi instead shines the spotlight firmly on her two flawed, fractured and deeply nuanced female characters. They are messy, power hungry and driven by their own desires, but there is something alluring about them. It is like watching animals stalk prey.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a beautiful nightmare of a book. Like a spider’s web, it pulls you in until you are unsure if you will ever escape its clutches.
A Short Book Lover 
Literally all of these books have gorgeous covers
LikeLiked by 2 people
They really do!
LikeLiked by 1 person