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If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude – The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour: Book Review
About the Book
We Are Okay meets They Both Die at the End in this YA debut about queer first love and mental health at the end of the world-and the importance of saving yourself, no matter what tomorrow may hold.
Avery Byrne has secrets. She’s queer; she’s in love with her best friend, Cass; and she’s suffering from undiagnosed clinical depression. But on the morning Avery plans to jump into the river near her college campus, the world discovers there are only nine days left to an asteroid is headed for Earth, and no one can stop it.
Trying to spare her family and Cass additional pain, Avery does her best to make it through just nine more days. As time runs out and secrets slowly come to light, Avery would do anything to save the ones she loves. But most importantly, she learns to save herself. Speak her truth. Seek the support she needs. Find hope again in the tomorrows she has left.
If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come is a celebration of queer love, a gripping speculative narrative, and an urgent, conversation-starting book about depression, mental health, and shame.
Content warnings: discussions of depression, suicidality, apocalypse, homophobia and religious trauma.
Add it on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62039307-if-tomorrow-doesn-t-come
Genre: Young Adult, Queer, LGBT, Romance, Science Fiction
About the Author
Lambda Literary Fellow Jen St. Jude (she/they) grew up in New Hampshire apple orchards and now lives in Chicago with her wife and dog. She has served as an editor for Chicago Review of Books, Just Femme & Dandy, and Arcturus Magazine. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her cheering on the Chicago Sky and Red Stars. If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come is her first novel.
What I Thought
Well, I’m writing this review as I wipe away tears from my eyes but surprisingly ones that feel hopeful and not just sad.
A book featuring discussion of suicide and an impending apocalypse would not be the top of people’s feel good reads but oddly enough this story has all sorts of beauty in it.
Our narrator Avery is ready to die, until it turns out all her loved ones are too. What follows is both countdown (to an asteroid collision) and count back (to when her depression materialised) and when things went wrong between her and the love of her life Cass.
This is the ultimate high stakes book, but its inevitable outcome is challenged time and again, creating a tense read at times, but with plenty of time for reflection too.
I loved the exploration of a multitude of different ways that humans decide to face the end and the powerful hope there is in clinging to the idea of survival.
Our main band of characters were all drawn so well (and we even get a YA book with two living parents) but it is Avery that shines. Avery who doesn’t believe her life is worth living who gives so much to those around her. But will she see it for herself in time? Can she hold on until the end? Would she hold on if the end never came?
All in all this was a wonderful read.
If you knew an asteroid was hurtling to earth what would you do? And once you’ve determined that why wait because what if tomorrow doesn’t come?
Thanks to The Write Reads and the publisher for the gifted ARC. As ever opinions are my own. Do check out the rest of the tour. Everyone is loving this one.
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With Fire in Their Blood by Kat Delacorte – Blog Tour Book Review
About the Book
‘Startingly original… Readers will be lured into this tumultuous world of warring families, forbidden power, and heart-searing romance’ – Lyndall Clipstone (Lakesedge, Forestfall)
From the word-of-mouth fantasy sensation Kat Delacorte – the standout debut star of 2022 YA Lit Con (YALC) – comes the first instalment in a new YA fantasy duology.
Packed to the brim with bisexual and queer representation, With Fire in Their Blood is a simmering supernatural romance set in the crumbling Italian city of Castello, where mafia clans make the rules, dark magic pulses the streets and the sins of the past threaten to consume the present. . .
When sixteen-year-old Lilly arrives in Castello, she isn’t impressed.
A secluded town in the Italian mountains is not where she saw her last years of high school playing out.
Divided for generations by a brutal clan-family war, the two halves of Castello are kept from destroying each other by the mysterious General, a leader determined to maintain order and ‘purity’. . . whatever the cost.
Lilly falls in with the rebellious Liza, brooding Nico and sensitive Christian, and sparks begin to fly. But in a city where love can lead to ruin, Lilly isn’t sure she can trust anyone — not even herself.
And then she accidentally breaks Castello’s most important rule: when the General’s men come to test your blood, you’d better not be anything more than human…
Perfect for lovers of Chloe Gong, Renée Ahdieh and V.E. Schwab, With Fire in Their Blood is quality YA storytelling at its best by an exciting new voice in YA fantasy.
About the Author
Kat Delacorte was eleven years old when her family moved from the United States to a small town in central Italy. She soon began writing stories about her new friends developing superpowers, and she hasn’t looked back since. She graduated with a BA in History from Columbia University, and lives in Venice, Italy.
What I Thought
This was such an enjoyable read. Super pacy and broodingly atmospheric. Think fantasy dysptopia – West Side Story meets The Wicker Man meets Carrie.
When they say make your setting a character, this book is exactly what they mean. The dilapidated Italian city of Castello is spooky, claustrophobic (no wifi!) and decidedly menacing. With its skulls and roses emblems, a secret key, clan wars and untold power built into its brick and marble.
The history of bloody clan wars has been overtaken by the focus on a new combined enemy – The Saints – and literal witch hunts against them including monthly blood tests to weed out the impure. The divided city and the pious general all gives echoes of Nazi Germany and the truce is tenuous.
The characters are all murky. Morally grey, conflicted and damaged in one way or another. This book is also filled with teenage angst and sexual tension.
Protagonist Lilly is an intriguing heroine. Her complex history with both of her parents form a large part of the plot and despite their absence on the page and the absence of their love in her heart their influence is a huge driver in this story and I’m intrigued to find out even more next time.
Liza, Christian, Nico – and Alex (who sadly doesn’t get a mention on the blurb) are all generally engaged with separately by Lilly with her almost acting as a catalyst in their complex relationships. I’d be interested in seeing more of them interacting with each other in the follow up.
We see more of the Marconi clan in book one than of the Paradisos but in the glimpses we see of the latter they are dripping with riches and cruelty. Chrissy (wake up – I don’t like you) is a girl in a red dress – think Cha Cha from Grease out for bloody vengeance. The love stories included aren’t across clan divides so it’s not quite West Side Story/Romeo and Juliet in this aspect.
This is the first in a Duology and I’m super intrigued to read book 2 which is set up perfectly at the end of this one (with this book rounding out it’s own story well too).
Huge thanks to The Write Reads and the publisher for the gifted copy for the purposes of an honest review.
Do see what everyone else thought by following the hashtag #WithFireInTheirBlood.
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You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus – #TheWriteReads #UltimateBlogTour Book Review
About the Book
From the author of One of Us Is Lying comes a brand new addictive thriller.
Ivy, Mateo and Cal used to be close – best friends back in middle school.
Now all they have in common is a bad day. So for old time’s sake they skip school together – one last time.
But when the trio spot Brian ‘Boney’ Mahoney ditching class too, they follow him – right into a murder scene.
They all have a connection to the victim. And they’re ALL hiding something.
When their day of freedom turns deadly, it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out . . .
It’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with murder, perfect for fans of One Of Us Is Lying and A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder. This explosive new thriller is impossible to put down.
About the Author
Karen M. McManus is the #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of young adult thriller/mystery novels, including One of Us Is Lying, One of Us Is Next, Two Can Keep a Secret, and The Cousins. You’ll Be the Death of Me will be her next novel, publishing December 2021. Her work has been translated into more than 40 languages worldwide. Karen lives in Massachusetts and holds a master’s degree in Journalism from Northeastern University, which she mostly uses to draft fake news stories for her novels. For more information, visit www.karenmcmanus.com or @writerkmc on Twitter and Instagram.
What I Thought
Karen M. McManus certainly knows how to write a thriller. I love the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and her previous books so was excited to join the tour to see how they combined in You’ll Be the Death of Me.
It’s told from the points of view of the three protagonists, Ivy, Mateo and Cal who used to be friends when they were younger. We also have have a few sections from their school’s YouTube news channel for an external report on events.
Trying to recreate their Greatest Day ever the three skip school and it isn’t long before sh*t happens. Adding a deadline for solving the case was genius because it ramped up the tension. Will they work out what happened to “Boney” and get Ivy to her mum’s award ceremony in time? That is if they all manage to evade the police.
Re-igniting old crushes, rivalries and wounds this plot was so action packed. Each character has plenty of secrets they want to keep hidden, but does that make one of them a murderer?
🤐 You will have to read to find out.
Thanks to Dave at The Write Reads and Penguin Platform for the gifted e copy for the purposes of an honest review. Check out the rest of the tour stops by following the hashtags #YoullBeTheDeathOfMe #TheWriteReads #UltimateBlogTour.
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