Yellowface by R F Kuang

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: death, racism, impersonation, gaslighting, manipulation

Kuang proves once again why she is one of my all time favourite authors. Her books are challenging, cerebral and inspire me to go off and learn so much more. Yellowface is a biting, sharp-edged satire on racism within publishing, the wider bookish world and asks who gets to control the narrative.

Full review here.

The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst

🏳️‍🌈🧠💙

TW: death, murder, blood, stalking, gun violence, violence, suicide, arson, anxiety & panic attacks, graphic injuries

This had an incredible premise and Durst’s atmospheric writing lived up to that premise, full of fog and secrets. It was a twisty story that I enjoyed, but unfortunately did not totally love & do not think it fully lived up to the hype set by its premise.

The Haunting of Alejandra by V Castro

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: menstruation, suicidal ideation, sexual assault, pregnancy and birthing, miscarriage, bloody injury and gore, medical gaslighting, parental abandonment, religious oppression

This had a hauntingly beautiful and horrific in equal measures look at intergenerational trauma, the way women are abused by the patriarchy and a reclamation of one’s own life. Castro weaves this with a dark, Gothic retelling of the La Llorona myth in stunning ways.

Full review here.

The Cloisters by Katy Hays

🧠

TW: death, drug use, death of parent, murder, infidelity, suicide, blood, violence, manipulation, drugs & alcohol, bad relationships, accidents, loss, grief, trauma

I really enjoyed the academic aspects of this Dark Academia novel and the ending was solid, surprising and pushed up my enjoyment. However Ann Stillwell was a very bland character that was manoeuvred by every other character. It was fairly obvious what was happening, but she is so frustratingly blank and influenced by everyone else. I couldn’t find myself caring about any of the characters.

The Last One to Fall by Gabriella Lepore

🧠

TW: sexual assault, death, murder, blackmailing, gaslighting, drug use

This was a highly entertaining and fast-paced read that I enjoyed, with plenty of twists that left me reeling. The characterisation work was great and those central entangled relationships were complex enough. However, it just felt slightly generic YA mystery for me, hence the three stars rather than four.

Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn

🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: suicidal ideation, emotional abuse, neglect, self-harm, depression and anxiety

Dunn has crafted a gorgeously Gothic sapphic fairytale that completely had me under its spell. The character work, yearning and dynamics were all stunning.

Full review here.

This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: anxiety, blood, gore, body horror, cannibalism, captivity, confinement, dead bodies, deadnaming death, drugging, drug use, fire, grief, loss, gun violence, intrusive thoughts, murder, nightmares, racism, white supremacy, parental neglect, needles, scars, sexism, pandemic, suicidal ideation, transphobia (all taken from the start of the book)

This was a darkly comedic mix of gut-churning horror, queer romance and the power of female friendship, set in a post-apocalyptic music festival. If that does not hook you, I do not know what will!

Full review here.

Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban

⭐️ (side characters) 🧠

TW: death, murder, hanging, emotional abuse, blackmail, blood, vomit, alcohol, drug use, violence, injury, cheating

She’s quickly becoming a go-to for YA mysteries for me. This was another highly bingeable and thrilling read, with twists and turns aplenty but also some intriguing character work and a large focus on the fractured interpersonal relationships of these characters. Highly enjoyed the throughline about the pharmaceutical industry as well.

Full review here.

This Is The Way The World Ends by Jen Wilde

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠💙

TW: racism, ableism, homphobia, death, murder, blood, violence, drugging, ableism, classism, anxiety attacks, sensory overloads, internalised homophobia

Firstly, I want to highlight how diverse and inclusive this book is and commend Wilde for the amount of on-page and well thought out representation. The beginning of this book set up a solid mystery, with intriguing characters and the secret dark underbelly of the elite. All of this was building towards a masquerade party, allowing for disguise and secrets, but I was left stunned by the mid-book twist. For me, this just felt like a step out of reality, but I did enjoy the rest of the book.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: grief, death of a parent, alcoholism

This book reminded me of the joy you can get from YA romances. It was just so full of heart, love and brilliant characters. Of course, I adored all of the food as well. This is a pure tonic of hope and happiness against the odds.

Full review here.

Where the Light Goes by Sara Barnard

🧠

TW: death, grief, death by suicide, suicidal ideation, drug use, addiction, impulsive behaviour

Barnard proves once more why she is such a heavy-hitter in YA. This book floored me.

It is so emotionally rich and complex, with one of the best depictions of grief I have ever seen. I cannot fault this book and can only implore everyone to read it.

Full review here.

The Last Beautiful Girl by Nina Laurin

TW: murder, death, blood, violence, possession

This book was pitched to me as Black Mirror meets The Picture of Dorian Gray, but the first part of that comparison is utterly false. The characters were so one-dimensional and it felt very predictable. I enjoyed aspects of the build up, but the ending felt so rushed and nonsensical with characters appearing from nowhere and deaths left unresolved.

We’ll Never Tell by Wendy Heard

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: death, murder, violence, blood, kidnapping

Heard is a master at building suspense and complex characters, pulling you entirely into the story and the tangled threads she weaves around you. This is no exception, with a sharp and shocking story that I throughly enjoyed reading.

Full review here.

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter

⭐️🧠

TW: death, murder, violence, bombing, racism, police brutality, institutional racism, hit and run

This book is easily one of the best crime books I have read this year. I loved the writing style, through the transcript of the TV episodes, interviews and reactions via Reddit and newspaper reviews. It was such a complex, layered and thrilling story that I devoured. Hunter is onto a winner here.

Full review here.