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.

Finally, I’d like to delve into Hits Different by Tasha Ghouri and Lizzie Huxley-Jones. Thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Publication Date: 6th June

TW: ableism, references to queerphobia, racism and fatphobia

Goodreads | Waterstones

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My Thoughts:

Hits Different was summer bottled into a book. It was a pure ray of sunshine. 

Occasionally, I crave a good romance and this certainly hit the spot for me. That initial meet cute was funny and charming, with great chemistry and dialogue that just crackled. They’re two lovable goofballs in many ways and that shared awkwardness felt so true to life. From there, it builds beautifully with plenty of scenes that just are perfect and a dynamic that feels believable. It is just wonderful and so easy to lose yourself into. Cassie herself was a fantastic protagonist, funny, relatable and driven to pursue her dreams (even if she needs a little nudge getting there). She is talented and that shines through in her passion and love for her artform, friends and romantic connections. I also have to give a massive shout out to Cassie’s best friend Pen, who absolutely stole the show for me with every scene they were in. I’d read the Pen spin off. 

I liked how this is ultimately a story of Cassie’s self-love and acceptance, matched by a partner that loves and accepts every part of her. On that last part, it is great to see disability representation like this on page. It is still something that is rare to see across forms of media and I commend the authors for championing it so strongly here. Cassie’s deafness is an important aspect of her identity and any good partner should work to fully support and accomodate her so she can shine. 

While the romance was excellent, I loved how the primary focus was always on Cassie’s journey of self-love and acceptance, supported by a wonderful group of friends. Her dancing was described so vividly and captures that joy and escapism I always found in the medium. It is a way of saying so much through your body and becoming one with the music. Also, it delves into the hard work behind the seemingly effortless work of background dancers supporting music artists. The setting and this add a touch of glamour to proceedings, which adds to that summery escapism glow I found myself drawn to with this book. 

Hits Different lives up to its title and it just hits that summery vibe with an excellent self-love arc, great representation and a heart-warming romance to boot.

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Next up, I’d like to talk about Now, Conjurers by Freddie Kölsch. Thank you to Electric Monkey and Farshore for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Publication Date: 6th June

TW: murder, death, body horror, possession, grief, gore, addiction, child abuse, physical abuse, ableism, homophobia, violence

Goodreads | Waterstones

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My Thoughts:

Now, Conjurers is a grungy, Gothic nightmare of a book. This is a fantastic example of YA horror that has continued to haunt my dreams since reading. 

The beating heart of this book is the stellar characterisation Kölsch has crafted. You just fall in love with this coven, all of whom are somewhat outsiders to their Americana dream of a small suburb town. Instantly, you get the classic 90s horror film atmosphere and the way this will all inevitably explode. They’re all misfits in some way and their friendship is what binds them together and gives them a spark of light amongst the darkness. I connected with them all so quickly, rooting for them to succeed. Kölsch creates some fascinating character arcs across the timelines, allowing for growth and development, as well as exploring different parts of them across the narratives. 

Mr Nous is one of the most interesting and horrifying monsters I’ve had the displeasure of reading about recently. It embodies the extremity of the wish granting conundrum, asking what you would sacrifice to protect your loved ones. Kölsch takes this to some bizarre and spine-tingling places as the true horror of the reality warping inherent in this is exposed. For me, it symbolises the stasis of being caught in a small town and the way traumatic experiences can shape and control your life. It is a predatory beast, manipulating people and gorging on their fears. Make no mistake, it is pure nightmare fuel and some of those scenes really got under my skin. 

There is such a poignant and beautiful exploration of grief that permeates the book and provides some incredibly moving scenes. It is nuanced, exploring different reactions to and facets of grief. Kölsch keeps us flipping between the start of Nesbit and Bastion’s story to the present and the awful aftermath of a horrific death. You know it is fated to end in tragedy and yet you root for these two to work it out and live out their lives together. The writing is just so captivating and tinged with that melancholic hope for a better future. 

Now, Conjurers is a blazing beacon of YA horror brilliance and an incredibly strong debut. I will definitely be picking up more of Kölsch’s work in the future.

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Finally, I’d like to talk about Something to be Proud Of by Anna Zoe Quirke. Thank you to Little Tiger for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Publication Date: 6th June

TW: homophobia, transphobia, ableism, cheating, divorce

Goodreads | Waterstones

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My Thoughts:

Something to Be Proud Of was an ultimately uplifting, joyful celebration of finding pride within yourself and learning to love every aspect of yourself. 

Firstly, Imogen and Ollie are excellent characters that just instantly took a piece of my heart. They were dealing with their own issues but come together to fight for love and inclusion for all. The journey of pride within both of their narratives was wonderful and that kind of representation always brings joy to my heart. To have characters stand happily in their identity, unashamed to be themselves fully and authentically, is incredible and Quirke is bringing so much hope through this. Their dialogue is spot on, often hilarious and the way their dynamic evolves is just brilliant. The supporting cast of their wider friendship group was also well developed and fully realised, leaping off the page and providing different insights into the wider conversations at play as well. 

I really loved how this was an intersectional book full of love and hope for building a community for yourself that genuinely supports everyone. I really liked how it talked about accessibility and genuine inclusion as ongoing battles and conversations that are necessary to have. Often it can feel like people point to one space as a fits all catch for the entire LGBTQ+ community which doesn’t account for intersections and different needs for different communities. This pushes back against that with education, but also a sense of weariness that this still has to be a topic needed to be covered. It should be an integrated consideration, not the product of tireless activism. Burn out and fatigue is covered here with necessary support.

It really flags how friendships changes and evolve across time, particuarly for how they can change unexpectedly as you grow older. Quirk also explores how they can be strained and broken by bringing up important topics: for example, Imogen really struggles with this with her old friends when they are simply uncaring about her accessibility needs. It kickstarts a fire within her that will change everything. However, Quirke keeps the book ultimately focused on hope for positive change. It may be a battle to get there, but small steps are being taken. 

Something to be Proud Of was a love letter to friendship, genuine support and carving out a space for yourself against all odds. That is a joyous ode that I hope everyone listens to.