Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Raisa's Recap - Fantastic Teen Reads at Books of Wonder

Hello everyone! I am back from my hiatus that I call the end of sophomore year. It is over. And now I am free to read. To celebrate my end of semester, I decided to go to a book signing at Books of Wonder for Fantastic Teen Reads, featuring Roshani Chokshi, Sarah Mccarry, Marie Rutkoski (who teaches at my college; I found out!), and Renee Ahdieh. 

Monday, May 30, 2016

[Review] SST Review - Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

Hey guys! I'll be reviewing this book as part of Nori's SST. So, I received this book in exchange for an honest review, which doesn't impact my review in any way.

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee
Version: ARC Paperback
Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:
San Francisco, 1906: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty in Chinatown, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.
On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. With martial law in effect, she is forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the army to bring help—she still has the “bossy” cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?
I remember reading the Magic Treehouse series as a kid, one of which took place in 1906, San Francisco, during the great earthquake. Many years later, I am reading about this earthquake, but from a totally different (and more accurate!) perspective.

Mercy Wong is a Chinese-American teen growing up in San Francisco's Chinatown. The first few chapters are an eye-opening experience to the racism of the time, with Mercy conniving her way into St. Clare's School for Girls, to show that she is just like any other girl, so she can succeed and help her family. 

Sunday, May 8, 2016

[Review] SST Review - Beyond the Red by Ava Jae

Hey guys! I'll be reviewing this book as part of Nori's SST. So, I received this book in exchange for an honest review, which doesn't impact my review in any way.

Beyond the Red by Ava Jae 
Version: E-ARC
Rating: 3.5 stars

Published: March 1st 2016


Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.

Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.
When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves into the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.