Kicky’s Post It Note Reviews: Elysium Girls, Verona Comics and a lot of April Henry Novels

It’s a pandemic and we’re sheltering in place, which means that we should have all the time in the world for reading, right? I am personally one of the ones who through a combination of anxiety and illness, have not really been able to read. The Teen, however, has been reading like normal. So she joins us today for another installment of Kicky’s Post It Note reviews. You may recall that she wants to be a forensic scientist so she’s been reading a lot of April Henry books lately. Let’s see what she’s reading and what she thinks about it. Here’s what a teen reader thinks about some of the YA lit she’s been reading.

Publisher’s Book Description:

In this sweeping Dust Bowl-inspired fantasy, a ten-year game between Life and Death pits the walled Oklahoma city of Elysium-including a girl gang of witches and a demon who longs for humanity-against the supernatural in order to judge mankind.

When Sal is named Successor to Mother Morevna, a powerful witch and leader of Elysium, she jumps at the chance to prove herself to the town. Ever since she was a kid, Sal has been plagued by false visions of rain, and though people think she’s a liar, she knows she’s a leader. Even the arrival of enigmatic outsider Asa-a human-obsessed demon in disguise-doesn’t shake her confidence in her ability. Until a terrible mistake results in both Sal and Asa’s exile into the Desert of Dust and Steel.

Face-to-face with a brutal, unforgiving landscape, Sal and Asa join a gang of girls headed by another Elysium exile-and young witch herself-Olivia Rosales. In order to atone for their mistake, they create a cavalry of magic powered, scrap metal horses to save Elysium from the coming apocalypse. But Sal, Asa, and Olivia must do more than simply tip the scales in Elysium’s favor-only by reinventing the rules can they beat the Life and Death at their own game.

Post It Note Review: I really enjoyed this book and I loved all of the relationships.

Karen’s Note: One of the draw backs of this review format is that sometimes it really under sells a book. We talked a lot about this book and she really found it quite enthralling. You should check out The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough as a similar read.

Publisher’s Book Description:

From the author of Hot Dog Girl comes a fresh and funny queer YA contemporary novel about two teens who fall in love in an indie comic book shop.

Jubilee has it all together. She’s an elite cellist, and when she’s not working in her stepmom’s indie comic shop, she’s prepping for the biggest audition of her life.

Ridley is barely holding it together. His parents own the biggest comic-store chain in the country, and Ridley can’t stop disappointing them—that is, when they’re even paying attention.

They meet one fateful night at a comic convention prom, and the two can’t help falling for each other. Too bad their parents are at each other’s throats every chance they get, making a relationship between them nearly impossible…unless they manage to keep it a secret.

Then again, the feud between their families may be the least of their problems. As Ridley’s anxiety spirals, Jubilee tries to help but finds her focus torn between her fast-approaching audition and their intensifying relationship. What if love can’t conquer all? What if each of them needs more than the other can give?

Post It Note Review: I didn’t finish this book but it was sweet.

Karen’s Thoughts: Dugan is the author of Hot Dog Girl, a book The Teen really liked. She didn’t finish this book and I think it may have to do with the fact that an important relationship of hers ended during this time, but Amanda loved it.

Publisher’s Book Description:

Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of the car while her stepmom fills a prescription for antibiotics. Before Cheyenne realizes what’s happening, the car is being stolen.

Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne and once he finds out that not only does she have pneumonia, but that she’s blind, he really doesn’t know what to do. When his dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes–now there’s a reason to keep her.

How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare?

Post It Note Review: This book was really interesting. I didn’t want to stop reading it.

Publisher’s Book Description:

Cheyenne sets out to save her former captor in this much-anticipated sequel to Girl, Stolen.

Six months ago, Griffin Sawyer meant to steal a car, but he never meant to steal the girl asleep in the backseat. Panicked, he took her home. His father, Roy, decided to hold Cheyenne―who is blind―for ransom. Griffin helped her escape, and now Roy is awaiting trial. As they prepare to testify, Griffin and Cheyenne reconnect and make plans to meet. But the plan goes wrong and Cheyenne gets captured by Roy’s henchmen―this time for the kill. Can Cheyenne free herself? And is Griffin a pawn or a player in this deadly chase?

Post It Note Review: I learned a lot of new things from this book and I loved it.

Publisher’s Book Description:

What happens when someone who’s only ever wanted to be a hero becomes a suspect?

When a woman’s body is found in a Portland park, suspicion falls on an awkward teen who lives only a few blocks away, owns several knives, loves first-person shooter video games, and doodles violent scenes in his school notebooks. Nick Walker goes from being a member of a Search and Rescue team to the prime suspect in a murder, his very interest in SAR seen as proof of his fascination with violence. How is this even possible? And can Alexis and Ruby find a way to help clear Nick’s name before it’s too late? 

Post It Note Review: I read this book so fast because it kept me guessing so much.

Karen’s Thoughts: As I’ve mentioned, The Teen wants to be a forensic scientist. Hooking her up with the April Henry books was a genius move on my part. She’s really enjoying them and I get to feel like I’m supporting her scientific and professional interests. It’s a win all around.

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