Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Waiting on Wednesday #468

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

WISHES AND WELLINGTONS BY JULIE BERRY

Goodreads Description:

From award-winning author Julie Berry comes a brand new middle-grade fantasy adventure full of humor and heart.

Maeve Merritt chafes at the rigid rules at her London boarding school for "Upright Young Ladies." When punishment forces her to sort through the trash, she finds a sardine tin that houses a foul-tempered djinni with no intention of submitting to a schoolgirl as his master.

Soon an orphan boy from the charitable home next door, a mysterious tall man in ginger whiskers, a disgruntled school worker, and a take-no-prisoners business tycoon are in hot pursuit of Maeve and her magical discovery. It'll take all of her quick thinking and sass to set matters right. Maeve Merritt is one feisty heroine you won't soon forget.

First published as an Audible Original in 2018.

Hardcover, 368 pages
Expected publication: October 13th 2020 by Sourcebooks Young Readers
Pre-Order here
and here

This book looks all kinds of adorable. And I cannot wait to read it. I have this gorgeous ARC of it, and I think I will be reading it next, finally. <3 I'm hoping and thinking that I will love this book a whole bunch :)
What are you waiting for on this rigid Wednesday?

Saturday, September 26, 2020

In My Mailbox #464

This has been a mostly good week for me. I'm exhausted and haven't gotten much done online and such. Oops. But I did read two books. So I'm happy about that. Got a bit of lovely mail. Also currently listening to Christmas music on my radio. Oops. I want it to be Christmas already. Sigh. <3 Though we have some gorgeous fall colors outside right now :) And freezing cold. Ha. But this coming week will be warmer, so I'm excited about that. A few new blog posts this week. I shared my second review of Foxheart. <3 This week I'm waiting on Far From Normal :) And shared my review of Thornlight :D I shall do my best to do more catching up soon. Ahh. Not supposed to be so far behind on everything. Ugh. I'm doing as well as I can, though. Hope you are all doing good and staying safe. <3 Hope you're all reading amazing books :D

Maya and the Rising Dark. This book looks awesome and sounds pretty great too. I'm hoping to love it.
Far From Normal. This looks adorable and I'm hoping to love it a lot. <3 Crossing my fingers. So cute.
The Secret Commonwealth. UK paperback edition is out. Ack. I still hated this book. Sigh. But must own.
Super Mario 3D All Stars. One day I shall find time to play this awesome thing :D One day. Soonish. Ha.

 More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Review: Thornlight by Claire Legrand

I have been waiting years for this companion novel to Foxheart. And then, suddenly, it's here. And I got a chance to read it early. I could not resist. I am so glad that I did not. Because Thornlight was every kind of perfect. I loved it beyond words. Giving it five stars, of course. This story was simply way too incredible. Sigh.

As always, the writing was so perfect. I never have any trouble falling in love with Claire's writing. She's amazing and her books have all been so too. Claire also writes the very best characters. And stories. This book was simply way too good. And I enjoyed it very much. I wish it had been even longer; I kept wanting more.

This book is told from three point of views. All amazing and all needed. I never had issues with jumping from one to the other. And I loved reading from all of them. Sigh. I shall try my best to not post spoilers about this precious book. But I will be sharing some details. All good, all awesome. This book was long and so precious and I  loved every moment of it. We get to know twins Thorn and Brier. And Queen Celestyna. There is so much to love about this. Like in Foxheart, there was magic. But not in the same way. Not many people in this place had magic. The witches were gone. There was a big chasm splitting their land in two. With darkness escaping and changing the land. With a monster trying to climb out of this place to kill them all. It was so awesome.

Thorn and Brier were twelve years old. And completely different. Brier was the hero of their town. Best at harvesting lightning to help them. She even has her own unicorn. He was great. Brier was amazing. And Thorn was not. She was the shadow of her sister. She swept trash from the streets. People did not notice her. She was quiet and shy and cried all the time. I loved her to pieces. And she and Brier were the best of friends. They loved each other the most. Their parents were even alive, haha. But away at the chasm.

Celestyna was sixteen years old, older than the twins. And she was the queen of this place. Her parents dead. Only her younger sister with her. She would do anything to keep the monster from breaking free. She would do anything to keep them all safe. And so she does. I loved this girl. But gosh. She was fully complicated. And I loved that even more. Her story was so sad too. And I cried a few times in this book. Mostly because of scenes with Celestyna. She was just amazing. And I loved her little sister. Adorable.

We get to read from all three point of views. And I loved that so very much. We also get another point of view. From Cub. And my gosh. He was amazing. I so loved his chapters. I loved getting to know him and learn about his past. There was so much to know. Sigh. I cannot fully describe this book. Just that I loved it so much. These characters went through so much. All broken at some point. All so strong and brave. I loved how they changed, got better, braver. Each had a journey to take. Reading about this was the best.

There is so much going on in this book. It is full of adventures. Dangers. Monsters. Curses. Witches. All of it beyond incredible. There is some type of special lightning that Brier harvests along with others each day. They use this lightning to try to keep the monster in the chasm from escaping and killing all of them. We learn so much about all of this. So many secrets. So much pain and death. I loved all of it so much. We get to know a bunch of characters, and I couldn't help but love all of them. Ha. They were awesome.

As this was a middle grade, there was no romance. But there were hints of romance to come. Between Thorn and Zaf. And it was the cutest thing. Their friendship was adorable and their almost romance was so cute. They would be perfect together. The friendships in this book were all written so well. Between the twins. Between Thorn and her cute animal Mazby. Between Brier and her unicorn Noro. Noro and Thorn too. They spent a lot of time together in this book. And it was so very awesome. I so adored this unicorn.

We also see Quicksilver again. And Sly Boots. And Ari too. They are not in this book a lot, just enough. A few years older, still fully adorable. It is not fully confirmed that Quicksilver and Sly Boots were a couple, but well. The hints were huge. And I still ship them the most, haha. So a couple it is. I just loved this small glimpse into what happened after Foxheart too. Thornlight is very much a companion novel, yet set in the same world, just a few short years later. Filled with magic and adventures. They're both incredible books.

Thornlight was even more perfect than I thought it would be. Completely incredible and heartbreaking. Such perfectly flawed characters. Such great friendships and relationships. Very well written magic and witches. This book had such a great plot. And I loved every moment of this book. It was simply perfection. Huge thank you to Greenwillow Books for my auto-approval on Edelweiss, so that I could read this book seven months before it comes out. I cannot wait to own all the finished copies. You must read this story.

Waiting on Wednesday #467

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

FAR FROM NORMAL BY BECKY WALLACE

Goodreads Description:

From Stealing Home author Becky Wallace comes a Devil Wears Prada-inspired YA romance, in which “normal girl” Maddie must repair the image of Major League Soccer’s bad boy to ace her internship. A perfect read for fans of Morgan Matson and Miranda Kenneally.

Maddie McPherson is sick of Normal—both her hometown of Normal, Illinois and being the ‘normal’ sibling. But when she lands a summer internship with a sports marketing firm, she finally has a chance to crawl out of her genius brother’s shadow. Not to mention, a glowing letter of recommendation could secure her admission to her dream college.

But Maddie’s nickname is “CalaMaddie” for a reason, and when the company tasks her with repairing the image of teen soccer phenom Gabriel Fortunato, she wonders if she’s set herself up for embarrassment. Gabriel is a tabloid magnet, who’s best-known for flubbing Italy’s World Cup hopes. As Maddie works with him to develop “pleasant and friendly” content for social media, she also learns he’s thoughtful, multi-talented, and fiercely loyal—maybe even to a fault. Falling for a footballer is exactly how CalaMaddie would botch this internship, but with the firm pressuring her to get the job done, perhaps her heart is worth risking?

Hardcover, 240 pages
Published September 22nd 2020 by Page Street Kids
Pre-Order here
and here

I know, this book came out yesterday :D But I am still waiting on my copy to arrive, so this still counts, haha. I know, I do not read a lot of contemporary books. But I have read the first book by Becky. And I very much wanted to give this new book of hers a try. Also, there was some awesome pre-order gifts I could get too, ha. <3 And I think and hope that I will end up enjoying it a lot. Keeping fingers crossed :)
What are you waiting for on this normal Wednesday?

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Review: Foxheart by Claire Legrand

It has been four years since I first read this book. Now, finally, I have gotten to read this again. To get ready for my eARC of the companion book, Thornlight. Eee. Very excited. Re-reading this book was the very best. I loved it so much back then. And I loved it even more now. It was such a beautiful and perfect story. Sigh.

As always, the writing by Claire is perfection. I have loved all of her books, always. And I cannot wait to read even more by her. Reading this book again was so very good. I had forgotten much of it. But not how badly I loved it. So happy that I still very much loved this book. So heartbreaking. But so stunning and exciting.

There is so much I wish to share about this book. I shall try to contain myself. Ha. Which will be hard. As I loved this one so very much. Sigh. This book tells the story of twelve year old Quicksilver. At age three, her parents left her at a convent. She never knew why, or what happened to them. She grew up at this place with a lot of other girls. She never told the nuns her real name. Even with how often they tried making her tell them. And so they started calling her Girl. Which was so rude and heartbreaking to read about. But even worse was when she got a little older. And another girl started calling her Pig. And Witch. And then Pigwitchgirl. She was so cruel. It broke my heart. Rude. But Quicksilver was so strong. She got revenge a bunch of times.

Quicksilver ends up having to escape the convent. As she witnesses someone hurting one of the nuns. She runs away, while hearing the rest of the girls screaming. She arrives in a nearby town. Where she meets a boy named Sly Boots. This is where she names herself. She tells him her name is Quicksilver. And so that is her name. And I loved that. I loved how she named herself, and how awesome that name was. She has not been all alone, though. She had a dog. Whom she named Fox. He was the cutest thing.

The day after she meets Sly Boots, they are watching the market, waiting to steal things to help his poor parents whom are ill. A stranger arrives. Whom turns out to be an older Quicksilver. With an older Fox by her side. This old woman time travels them all away, several hundred years into the past. Which is where this story truly begins. This is a story of witches. Of a Wolf King hunting them all down. Of seven old ones controlling him, trying to find the missing bones of their monsters. And oh, it was all so very exciting. Eee.

There is so much to say about this book. I shall not say too much. Just that the plot was fully amazing. I loved the witches and all the spells. I loved how Fox changed when they arrived in the past. I loved how alone and broken Quicksilver was at times. How she slowly let the old woman and Sly Boots get closer to her. I loved how heartbreaking this book was too. So many bad things happen. It broke my heart. I loved every moment of it. I simply can't mention all the things about this book that I loved. There was too much.

I had forgotten much about Sly Boots and Quicksilver. How they argued so much. How he betrayed them at one point. It was fully heartbreaking to read about. I was so angry with him. Yet did not want to be, as I loved their friendship the very most. And, of course, wanted them to be more than friends. Ha. They were just too cute together. But yeah. There were fighting. And bad things spoken between them. And it was all so very real and so very well written. I loved how they got through it too. They both grew a lot as people.

I am also a little angry at the moment. I saw that this book has few reviews on Goodreads. And that is simply not okay. Why haven't more people read this book? I hope this means that a lot of kids have read it. Because they very much should. Everyone else must too. Claire writes the most perfect heartbreaking books. And they are all a must read. All of her books are precious. And I need this one to get read more. Especially now that Thornlight is coming out too. They are stand-alones, but should still be read together.

Foxheart was still everything I wanted it to be and so much more. It was perfect to me four years ago, and it is still so today. I have been a fan of Claire since her first book. And that will never change. Claire writes the most perfect books. Full of adventure and action. Heartbreak and friendships and love. She writes the best girls. Broken and strong. Re-reading Foxheart was a must for me. And I am so glad that I did so. As this book only got better for me. I can't wait to read Thornlight next. You all really need to read Foxheart.

Saturday, September 19, 2020

In My Mailbox #463

Another week gone by. Gosh. Time is moving so fast lately :) The world is still a mess. I'm still doing okay. And I'm so thankful for it. There is so corona in my town. I can still live life as normal. For now. Spreading faster in Norway. But not here just yet. Not looking forward to it at all. Ugh. Anyway. I had a good week. I read one book, and starting another one very soon. I got a few stunning books. <3 A few new blog posts. This week I'm waiting on The Accidental Apprentice :) And shared my review of Dustborn. <3 I hope you are all doing well. Saying as safe as possible. I'm still behind on things, but getting better at doing little :)


Scorpio Sea Tarot. Ahh! I got this so early via bookdepo. It looks gorgeous. Sigh. I so love all the cards.
The Other Side of the Sky. Ahh.This hardcover is fully gorgeous. And gosh. How badly I loved this one.
House of Salt and Sorrows. US paperback edition was out :D And I had to have it, ha. I loved this book.
Sadie. Eee. New US paperback edition. Sigh. This book was so precious and evil. Courtney is the best.
The Witch's Boy. Gosh. When Kelly shared about this UK edition I had to order it. I adored this ages ago.






Thornlight. EEE! I am so goddamn excited. Ahh. A new Claire book. <3 I loved Foxheart so much. And this companion is going to be amazing. Eee. I'm about to re-read Foxheart, then starting this one. I cannot wait. Sigh. It shall be so perfect. Got this via Edelweiss, auto-approved from Harper. <3 I'm so very thankful.


 

 More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Review: Dustborn by Erin Bowman

This was a book I needed the moment I heard about it. As I am a huge fan of Fury Road. And a bigger fan of Erin and her books. I knew this new one by her would be amazing. So I could not help but request it the moment that I could. And very thrilled that I got accepted to read it early. Very much worth it. Giving it four stars.

Pretty much perfect to me. The writing was so stunning. Had no problems at all with connecting with the characters and the story. The world building was amazing. I loved the setting so much. It was awful and depressing and I loved every moment of it, haha. This book was filled with hope while they all lived in a bad place.

And I enjoyed reading every moment of this book. It takes place in a world like ours, set far in the future. The place in this book is all desert. Barely any water left to find. No green anywhere they know of. This is the world Delta lives in. And oh, how I loved it. It was a horrible life. A life I would not have survived living in. But Delta and her pack did. She lives with about fourteen others. Her mother and sister. They are doing their best to stay alive. While hearing stories about other people getting raided and killed. Hoping it will never happen to them. Knowing they will have to move from their homes soon, as their water is almost gone. Their home is in the desert. And though it was a very hard life most of the time, it was their life, and they were as happy as they could.

For a while. Until another short desert storm arrived, and her sister got into labor. Where things went wrong and Delta had to travel with her to get help when the storm passed. She wants her sister saved more than anything. It is a days journey of walking to find what passes for a doctor in their world. Delta makes it there with her sister. But her sister dies and her baby lives. Delta wants nothing to do with this baby. Yet she takes it with her, to bring to her mother. But when she arrives back home, no one is there.

Which is what starts this journey. Delta and this tiny newborn journey to try finding her mother and their pack. To get them back from this general person, whom she had never heard of before. It is a hard and difficult journey. And so much happens in this book. Gosh. I shall not write much more about it. Just a few things. It was such an interesting and exciting book to read. So great reading about the desert and how much Delta had to travel through it. How she was always thirsty. I could never have lived like this. Gosh.

There is so much going on in this book. I loved how much we got to know Delta. How she has a secret brand on her back, which her pack put on her when she was a child. How this is included in this book. How they are searching for a better place to live. How that search ends. Sigh. This book was awesome. And I liked it so very much. There is also a boy. Asher. And he and Delta shares a past. They were best friends until they turned nine. When Asher and half the pack stayed behind while the rest moved away.

I loved reading about Delta and Asher. I loved learning more about their past. When they meet again in this book it was not a good first meeting. Ha. And I loved it very much. They have some issues to work through. And I liked that very much. There is some small romance too. And it was so very sweet. Sigh. There is a villain in this book. I wish there had been more about him, as he was very in the background. Yet so interesting too. Not sharing much more about this. You all need to read it. It was very good. Eee.

I'm giving it four stars, because even though I loved it, I was still hoping for a little bit more. A little darker. A bit happier conclusion. A bigger battle at the end. Yet this was such a stunning book and I loved every moment of it, despite wishing for more at certain times. Because this book was also enough. Characters were awesome. And I very much enjoyed reading about this world. I just wanted even more of it all, haha. I wanted to feel more connected to the other characters. I only really cared about Delta and Asher. Oops.

But even so. Dustborn was everything I wanted it to be. Fully exciting with characters I adored. Such a stunning yet horrible world. It was a book filled with hope for a future that seemed lost. There were some awesome twists along the way and I enjoyed them very much. Made me a little sad too, haha, as these twists were rude. But so well written. So glad I read this lovely book. Huge thank you to HMH Books for Young Readers for accepting my request to read it early via Edelweiss. You all need this great book too.


Waiting on Wednesday #466

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

THE ACCIDENTAL APPRENTICE BY AMANDA FOODY

Goodreads Description:

A boy who accidentally bonds with a magical Beast must set off on an adventure in the mysterious Woods in this whimsical and cheeky middle grade fantasy debut—perfect for fans of Nevermoor and How to Train Your Dragon.

The last thing Barclay Thorne ever wanted was an adventure.

Thankfully, as an apprentice to the town’s mushroom farmer, Barclay need only work hard and follow the rules to one day become the head mushroom farmer himself. No danger required. But then Barclay accidentally breaks his town’s most sacred rule: never ever EVER stray into the Woods, for within the Woods lurk vicious magical Beasts.

To Barclay’s horror, he faces a fate far worse than being eaten: he unwittingly bonds with a Beast and is run out of town by an angry mob. Determined to break this bond and return home, Barclay journeys to find the mysterious town of Lore Keepers, people who have also bonded with Beasts and share their powers.

But after making new friends, entering a dangerous apprenticeship exam, and even facing the legendary Beast of the Woods, Barclay must make a difficult choice: return to the home and rules he’s always known, or embrace the adventure awaiting him.


Hardcover
, 304 pages
Expected publication: March 30th 2021 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pre-Order here
and here

This book looks all kinds of adorable and awesome and I just cannot wait to read it. Eee. I am hoping that I will love it very much. And I think it will. It sounds pretty epic and fun. And just. I love the cover so much.
What are you waiting for on this accidental Wednesday?

Saturday, September 12, 2020

In My Mailbox #462

Another week gone by. Ahh. I haven't read anything yet. Oops. Haven't felt well enough yet. A week ago, after I published my IMM post, I went on my daily walk. And managed to fell on wet moss on rock. And twisted my knee. Sigh. Which hurt badly for a few days. Still painful, but much better. Hopefully nothing broken in there. But yeah. It hurt. And I haven't felt up to doing much since. Hoping tomorrow will be a reading day. Fingers crossed. Oh. And I also got my brand new iPhone 11 Pro Max this week, ahhh :D Which I'm loving beyond words. Gosh. It may have been too expensive. But worth it. It's amazing. Sigh. Anyway. I also got way way way too much mail this week. Help. But so in love with it all, eee. <3 Sadly only one new blog post. Sigh. This week I'm waiting on Lore :) I'm doing good. Hope you are all safe. <3



The Lost Book of the White. Eee. My Waterstones editions have arrived, haha. Had to get them both :D
The Red Scrolls of Magic. UK paperback edition. Oops. I know. I shouldn't. But still getting all editions.
Descendant of the Crane. US paperback edition of this gorgeous book. <3 Sigh. It was so so very good.
Twin Daggers. EEE! Thank you so much MarcyKate :D I won this lovely personalized ARC. So excited.
Blood & Honey. Ahh. I did like book one a whole lot. But unsure when I will get to read this one. Oops.
The Language of Ghosts. I only heard about this some weeks ago. And I bought it. Hoping it's amazing.
Taylor Swift: Folklore. Eee. Four other editions of this stunning album, haha. <3 I had to have them all.
Far From Normal Swag. Ahh :D Thank you so much Becky for this perfect pre-order swag. <3 Love it all.


Ahh! Package from Alyssa have arrived. <3 And oh my gosh. Look at all of this gorgeousness :D Oh. I am dying. Thank you so much Alyssa. You are the very best. Sigh. So happy with everything. <3 Some stunning pre-order offers that were only for US people. And some books I could only get in the US. And a lovely special edition of Maleficent 2, which I love so much. And two lovely pop figures. Some gorgeous swag from Alyssa below too. Ahh. I am beyond so so happy and thankful. Sniffs. Love it all the most. <3

More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Waiting on Wednesday #465

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

LORE BY ALEXANDRA BRACKEN

Goodreads Description:

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Minds comes a sweepingly ambitious, high-octane tale of power, destiny, love and redemption.

Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths.

Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.

The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.


Hardcover
, 480 pages
Expected publication: January 5th 2021 by Disney-Hyperion
Pre-Order here
and here

Oh. I need this book. It looks stunning. I like that cover a lot, eee. And I think it sounds pretty amazing too. I think I will end up loving this one :D And I just cannot wait to get to read it. Story sounds so good.
What are you waiting for on this ancient Wednesday?

Saturday, September 5, 2020

In My Mailbox #461

Another week gone by. I got medicine this week, in my own town, thankfully. Went okay :) I'm exhausted. And not feeling better yet. Ugh. But hoping I will do that soon :) One book read. And planning on starting another one tonight or tomorrow. A little bit of stunning mail. <3 Waiting on something epic this Monday. Eee. And I might have bought myself a new iPhone. Oops. More about that next week :D SO so excited. Sigh. A couple of new blog posts. <3 Shared my review of You Were Never Here. <3 And this week I'm waiting on Every Single Lie :) I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. <3 I'm as good as possible.



The Lost Book of the White. Okay, I haven't read book one yet, ahh. But so so excited for them both :D
Pop Figures. Some new Harry Potter ones. <3 Love them all. And a Shawn Mendes one, eee. So cute.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Waiting on Wednesday #464

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

EVERY SINGLE LIE BY RACHEL VINCENT

Goodreads Description:

In this gripping YA novel about social media bullying and half-truths, one girl's discovery of a dead baby in her high school locker room rocks an entire community.

Nobody in Beckett's life seems to be telling the whole story. Her boyfriend Jake keeps hiding texts and might be cheating on her. Her father lied about losing his job before his shocking death. And everyone in school seems to be whispering about her and her family behind her back.

But none of that compares to the day Beckett finds the body of a newborn baby in a gym bag-Jake's gym bag -on the floor of her high school locker room. As word leaks out, rumors that Beckett's the mother take off like wildfire in a town all too ready to believe the worst of her. And as the police investigation unfolds, she discovers that everyone has a secret to hide and the truth could alter everything she thought she knew.

Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication: January 12th 2021 by Bloomsbury YA
Pre-Order here
and here

I am nervous and excited for this book, ack. It sounds like there will be school drama. Which is not really for me. Except. This is Rachel, whom I have loved books by before. And I think this book sounds pretty much exciting and different too. I think I will end up enjoying this one a lot. At least, I really hope so :D
What are you waiting for on this shocking Wednesday?

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Review: You Were Never Here by Kathleen Peacock

This book was all kinds of thrilling and I am so glad that I read it. I mean, I knew that I would, as I have been a fan of Kathleen for years now. And this new book by her sounded amazing. Happy to say that it very much was so. Giving this four stars, as I loved pretty much all of it. A few small issues, nothing big. I adored it.

Will begin by saying that the writing was perfection. No trouble at all connecting to the characters and story. Which was the best. I adored reading about all of the characters. So much. The setting was great; I liked this town. A small part of supernatural, family powers. It was so good. Really liked all of the twists. Well written.

I loved the main girl, Cat, the very most. The whole book is from her point of view, which was awesome. Getting to know this girl was simply the best. Most important, she was fat. Like me. And I very rarely get to read books where the main character has been fat. I can only recall one book right now. Which is disappointing. As reading about Cat was so very amazing. I loved that she was chubby. I loved how awesome she was. I loved how her being fat was mentioned in this book. How it was not a big deal. Simply put, this book was written so well. And Cat was the very best. And I am so glad that Kathleen wrote her as bigger than most characters in books. I so need to read more books with chubby girls. I know there must be more like this one; which was so good.

But that was not what this book was about. We get to meet Cat just as she is crossing the border into Canada. She's leaving her home to spend the summer with her aunt Jet. As her dad kicked her out and took her phone and laptop away, for reasons we do not learn until later. I did not like her dad. At all. He was okay at times, but yeah. Not a good dad. I disliked Jet at times too. Oops. But she turned out to be pretty much awesome and I grew to love her too. Cat has not been to visit her aunt since she was twelve.

Back when she learned something about herself and when she lost her best friend. One of the things that I loved about Cat was the secret about what she could do. How she could touch someone and see things. It was so awesome and I loved it most. I wish she didn't feel like she could never touch anyone. How she had been so alone and without touch for so many years. It was sad, but understandable too. I completely adored Cat. She had some faults, but I loved all of them. She was so cute and adorable and fully fierce.

We learn so much about her in this book. We learn about her past, what happened before this summer. And what happened those five years ago. We learned about her and Riley, her best friend for the summer she was twelve. She and him were amazing together. It broke my heart to read about how they stopped being friends. They were both at fault, but gosh, how I wish Cat had done something about it. Ahh. They were so good together back then. Sigh. But yeah. I loved reading about her past. Most about her present.

Cat makes some new friends when she arrives at her aunt's place. First the boy renting a room in the big house. Aidan. I will confess that I did not like him. Oops. He was fully handsome and flirted with her all the time. Which she wanted. And yet I did not like him. Most likely because we got to know the boy next door too, Noah. Riley's older brother. Riley had been missing for three months. Noah would do anything to find out what happened to him, to find him. Noah was dark and mysterious. And I loved him right away.

I would not call this book a love triangle. Sure, there are two boys. But romance was not a focus of this book. There was no drama. I had no bad feelings in my stomach. Okay, maybe this was because I never liked Aidan, haha. I wanted Cat with Noah. She is attracted to Aidan. But it feels like she has feelings for Noah. And though this book had almost no romance, for reasons, I shipped them so very much. Reading about Cat becoming friends with both of them were so great, though. I loved that she slowly opened up.

There was also Skylar. Whom was all kinds of adorable. I loved that girl. And her growing friendship with Cat was simply the best. And Joey and Chase too. They were great new friends. Well, I hated something Joey said. Very much. Hmph. But the others were great, haha. I just loved getting to know them. I loved getting to know Cat and growing to love her. I loved shipping Cat and Noah more and more. Okay, I wish there had been more romance. Sigh. But this book was still almost perfect and I enjoyed it so very much.

This book was about Cat trying to figure out what happened to Riley. Where he went. Did he choose to go, was he taken. A girl ends up in the river, almost dead. She does not remember what happened to her. But Cat is shaken. And want even more to know what happened to Riley, her once best friend. There was mystery in this book. Liked that very much. The final reveal was pretty great. I did somewhat wish there had been more death, ha. But I still liked this plot so much. And the town it was set in was awesome too.

Yoou Were Never Here was just as amazing as I expected it to be. Thrilling and exciting. Most amazing chubby main girl. A great mystery. I was worried about the romance, but I had no reason to. I only wish there had been more. Four stars, as I wish there had been a little more scary parts. And more romance. And because I felt like there were a lot of moments where nothing happened. Oops. But I did not mind at all. Such a great book. Thank you HarperTeen for letting me read this early via Edelweiss. So glad I did.