FOUNTAINS OF SILENCE by Ruta Sepetys

By TPS reader maniarr24

The Spanish Civil War in 1936 is known as one of the bloodiest wars in history and Franco’s regime is no less. It was a rebellion against the Republican government of Spain. When an initial military coup failed to win control of the entire country, a horrifying civil war ensued, fought with great passion on both sides. This was set the stage for World War II and Francisco Franco’s regime was terrifying to law-abiding Spanish citizens. The government was now run entirely by Franco and his friends. They did black market trades, instated a police force to control the citizens even if they did nothing wrong.

 In the novel The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys, we become exposed to life post-civil war in Spain. We meet Ana and her siblings, who are all working to get by in Franco’s Spain. Ana works as a maid in the Hilton Madrid and there she meets Daniel, who is the 18-year old son of a Texan oil tycoon with a passion for photographs. Ana and Daniel become unlikely lovers as they are whisked into mysteries and secrets that Franco’s regime holds in Madrid. I love this book so much because Sepetys is the queen of plot twists and development. I think that the concept is great and she really delivers. Daniel’s passion for Ana and photography is so evident, and we realize that it’s not just a side knack for him, it’s his life. Thank you for this amazing book!

A CURSE SO DARK & LONELY by Brigid Kemmerer

By TPS reader maniarr24

A Curse So Dark & Lonely is an amazing retelling of Beauty and The Beast by author Brigid Kemmerer. Harper is just a girl on the streets without parents in Washington, D.C when she is seemingly kidnapped by a mysterious man and is transported to a faraway world named Emberfall. She’s confused, disoriented, and mad. The mysterious man introduces himself as Grey, Prince Rhen’s captain of the guard. Except, there’s no army to be captained. The evil sorceress Lilith has cast a spell over Emberfall’s castle that turns Prince Rhen into a monster until he finds one true love. Suddenly, Harper is swept into a storybook she never thought she’d be in. I read this book as soon as it came out and quickly became a fan of Harper’s banter with Rhen. The sequel is just as good. Review on that to come 🙂 Kemmerer is amazing with heroines and descriptions. I love how Harper is so strong. It was incredibly clever of her to have the citizens of Emberfall refer to Washington D.C as Disi. It took me a little bit to get that but I love it more! This book is amazing and is @rhea_reads certified!

THE GRACE YEAR by Kim Liggett

by TPSreader maniarr24

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett was a book that I’ve seen float around Twitter forever. When I finally got a copy from my school’s awesome librarian, she handed it to me with this statement: Imagine Lord Of The Flies married The Handmaid’s Tale. This is their baby. Well, obviously I was very intrigued. Once I started this book, I couldn’t seem to put it down! This tale follows Tierney James, a 16-year old girl in a dystopian world, led by corrupted men who believe that women are magical and must expel their magic before they are married off. They do so by expelling all of the 16 year old girls into the forest by themselves to expel their magic with little supplies to last a year. Usually, the lucky ones come back, the group smaller, and less limbs. Tierney knows that this isn’t right. And, well, things take a turn for the worst in the forest. Danger lurks everywhere and in this world, anything can happen. This book was really well written and while heartbreaking and rather gruesome, Liggett does very well with characters. I felt like all of the characters, even the minor ones that I knew for a few chapters, I knew them like I knew Tierney. Overall, this book was great and I hope there’s a sequel!

COLLATERAL DAMAGE by Taylor Simonds

by TPS reader maniarr24

This review is part of @rhea_reads #12DaysOfYA challenge on Twitter! Collateral Damage is written by the amazing Taylor Simonds and self published, which is awesome. Out of the many philosophical and moral-bending ethical questions many YA books possess, I believe that Collateral Damage takes the top in that category. It asks the eternal question that has been floating around in my mind for centuries. Who actually are the extras in Marvel movies who get their car crushed? What are their lives like? Collateral Damage dives deep into this paradox and more. Meg Sawyer is a normal teenager. Well, if normal counts having your car crushed by a superhero. Again. She works at a coffee shop with her best friend Oliver next door when suddenly she’s whisked into a mystery, investigating the murder of one of the superheroes that protect her city. She’s shoved into the limelight of a story that she’d never want to be in. With a complex but riveting plot, Taylor Simonds produces a story that is hilarious and astounding. Taylor is the queen of plot twists and it was executed with ease. You’ll never look at the background of a Marvel movie the same again. With amazing character dynamics and banter between Meg and Oliver, I couldn’t think of a more perfect quarantine read. Also, I met Taylor at the 2020 Trinity Prep Author Fest, and she is just the sweetest thing ever! This read is @rhea_reads certified for sure!