Aces Wild: A Heist by Amanda DeWitt
Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review. 1 out of 5 stars As the son of a wealthy Las Vegas casino owner, Jack is content running a secret blackjack club at his high school. But then his mother is arrested for shady dealings– but Jack knows that she was set up by the family’s rival, Peter Carlevaro. When no one else seems to be trying to help, Jack decides to recruit his best friends, who make up an online asexual support group. Will Jack and his friends be able to uncover the truth? I wanted to love this book. I wanted to at least like it. A cast of ace characters??? A heist??? In Vegas??? The potential is astounding! But it just didn’t land for me. I honestly started skimming just so I could get through it. I loved the ace rep. There is not enough ace/aro rep in YA (or any books). I like that it explored their relationships with each other. But the characters were mostly unlikable or not fleshed out enough. I really just didn’t like Jack very much. I found him very arrogant and annoying. As for the heist? Can we really even call it a heist? I won’t give away too much, but it was very disappointing. Honestly, I could nitpick a lot of things I didn’t like, but I don’t want to be THAT negative. But you can scroll down to see some of my spoiler-filled rantings. I keep going back and forth between 1 or 2 stars. On the one hand, I honestly didn’t care too much to finish the book. On the other hand, the ace rep! ACE REP! But take my personal bias out of it, and I just didn’t like it much. ***SCROLL FOR SPOILER-FILLED RANTINGS*** Spoiler-filled rantings
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Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of Hollow by Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White, Berenice Nelle (Illustrator), Kaitlyn Musto (Colorist) 4 out of 5 stars Izzy Crane and her family just moved to Sleepy Hollow, a town that capitalizes on the story written by Washington Irving. The residents of Sleepy Hollow take the story very seriously, but Izzy is a skeptic. It’s just a story, right? Enter Sleepy Hollow royalty, Vicky Van Tassel, and resident prankster Croc Byun, and the three get caught up in a curse that has been plaguing the town- and the Van Tassel family- for years. Will they be able to stop the curse before it's too late? I actually have never read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, so I didn’t pick up on all the little Easter eggs throughout the story, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. I LOVE Lumberjanes with all my heart, so when I saw this was by Shannon Watters, I knew I needed to read it. The story had the same kind of vibe as Lumberjanes, which I really enjoyed. It was funny, but also interesting and had a good mystery. The illustrations were a bit fuzzy (which is an issue I’ve had with NetGalley graphic novel ARCs before), but they were really cute and I’m excited to see a final, print version. Overall, this is just a really fun read. I can't believe July is already over. This summer has been wild, but I read some really great books this July!
Here is my July 2022 Wrap-Up! 1. The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager 4 out of 5 stars This wasn't my favorite Riley Sager, but I still enjoyed it. There were so many twists- some I guessed, some that caught me completely off guard. The plot sounds like something you've read before, but I guarantee you haven't. I'm still not really sure how I feel about the ending, but it was a wild ride and I had fun. 2. Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox 3 out of 5 stars This is a good trans graphic memoir. I really liked how it would break away from the narrative to let characters (mom, dad, etc.) explain how they processed the situation at the time vs. how they see it now. 3. Only on the Weekends by Dean Atta 4 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book and I love Atta's writing. While it didn't blow me away like The Black Flamingo, it's still a solid book. 4. Flip the Script by Lyla Lee 5 out of 5 stars I loved this book so much. It's a great story about the pressures of being in the spotlight, but also highlights the differences between what that means in the US vs South Korea. I loved the characters, the drama, and everything. My heart. 5. This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron 4 out of 5 stars This was such a great follow up to This Poison Heart and a great ending for this story. I love all of the mythology and magic of this world. I'm glad this was a duology, because we got a great story that was fleshed out, but didn't drag on. 6. Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa 5 out of 5 stars If you're looking for a fantastical magic book, this isn't the book for you. But if you're looking for a real-world, pagan/wiccan magic book, this is it! I wasn't sure how I felt about it at first, but by the end I really, really enjoyed it. I've never read a book about real witches like this before and I loved it! I love how they explain magic and different ways to practice (kitchen witch, etc.). I just really appreciated it. 7. Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler 3 out of 5 stars High school cheerleader/quarterback romance, but make it gay? Yes, please. I enjoyed it. I liked the story and the characters. Was it amazing? Eh. But it was fun and I will definitely recommend it to others. 8. Slip by Marika McCoola 3 out of 5 stars Content Warning: suicide, self-harm, mental illness This is a powerful story of a girl trying to cope after her best friend attempts suicide. I liked the exploration of Jade trying to cope. I also really like the grayscale illustrations and the use of red for particularly emotional panels. 9. Go Hunt Me by Kelly deVos 2 out of 5 stars This was a fun horror book, but also just meh? There was a lot going on and I understand what it was trying to do. But I don't feel strongly one way or another. I'll recommend it to people who like horror books, for sure though. 10. Tidesong by Wendy Xu 5 out of 5 stars I loved this! It gave me Tea Dragon Society and Studio Ghibli vibes and it was so cute and sweet. The illustrations were beautiful. I just really loved it. 11. Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen 5 out of 5 stars This is one of the cutest things I have ever read. Garlic is an anxious little bulb who takes on a mission to keep a vampire from harming their village. Need I say more? It's slightly disturbing that the anthropomorphic veggies are selling regular veggies to others to eat, but I'm just going to roll with it because the illustrations and the story are just so dang cute. 12. Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer 5 out of 5 stars People argue that being queer is "wrong" and "unnatural." This book proves otherwise. It's funny, heartfelt, and educational. And I will forever talk about homosexual dolphin empires. My favorite passages: "This book (like almost all the articles I've read on queer animal behavior) does not try to argue for queer human sexuality from the example of animals. Instead, it's the reverse: what I am saying is that we can no longer argue that humans are alone in their queerness, that nonheteronormative human sexualities and gender identities are unnatural because they don't exist in the rest of the animal kingdom. That position is simply not valid. Queerness is a well-established and fundamental part of nature. If queerness is 'wrong,' then you'd better be willing to say that the entire animal kingdom is wrong. In which case-I guess you can go hang out with some bacteria?" "What naysayers call 'nature's intention' is just how centuries of humans have decided it ought to be. And there's no need to keep traditions that hurt or exclude anyone. After all, traditions are just peer pressure from dead people." 13. Silk Hills by by Ryan Ferrier, Brian Level, Kate Sherron (Illustrations) 1 out of 5 stars This just wasn't for me. The story was confusing (still not sure I understand it) and it was more gross body horror than anything else, which is not my thing. 14. Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey 4 out of 5 stars "The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing." That blurb says it all. I loved it. 15. Crumbs by Danie Stirling 3 out of 5 stars This is a really sweet story with cute illustrations. Was it spectacular? Eh. But I still thoroughly enjoyed it. 16. Sir Ladybug and the Queen Bee by Cory Tabor 5 out of 5 stars I love it so much. It's cute, funny, and teaches you not to be a bully. 17. Ham Helsing #2: Monster Hunter by Rich Moyer 4 out of 5 stars I just love Ham Helsing and his crew. 18. She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick 3 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book and how it explored all of the things Molly and Alex were going through, but in the end, it still felt super cliché. That doesn't make it any less enjoyable, though! |
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AuthorI'm HaileyAnne! I'm a queer librarian who loves books and kpop. Archives
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