What’s new, folks? Last year I read The Loop, a YA dystopian novel by debut author Ben Oliver that kicked off in the future on first-person narrator Luka Kane’s sixteenth birthday. But he couldn’t really enjoy himself while behind bars in the Loop, a death-row prison that the World Government used to run experiments on and … Continue reading My 2 Cents on The Block by Ben Oliver
Tag: Books
My 2 Cents on Silver Tears
What’s new, folks? I closed out 2020 with my top ten books of the year, a list that ranked The Golden Cage by the doyenne of Nordic noir Camilla Läckberg in the #4 slot. It’s one of those thrillers that bowls you over with its psychological momentum and sticks with you long after you read the last … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Silver Tears
My 2 Cents on Dial A for Aunties
What’s new, folks? As a reader who gobbles up rom-coms, it isn’t often when I turn up one that entertains me with the dark comedy of something as morbid as covering up an accidental murder. This is exactly what Jesse Q. Sutanto (author of the young adult thriller The Obsession) expertly executes in her latest novel, Dial … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Dial A for Aunties
My 2 Cents on Five Queer Must-Reads for Young Adults
What’s new, folks? June is here, which means it’s also Pride Month! The publishing industry is continuing to prosper with more and more queer-centric books targeted at young adults. It’s vital to have these books around as enthralling stories that promote inclusion, compassion, and self-love to their growing readers. Here are five picks I recommend. … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Five Queer Must-Reads for Young Adults
Announcing the 2 Cents Critic Podcast!
Hey everybody, I just want to let you know that my blog is now going on the waves via Anchor. As someone who consumes plenty of podcasts, launching one of my own has been a longtime ambition. I'm kicking things off by converting blog reviews into podcast episodes, then I’ll see how this evolves down … Continue reading Announcing the 2 Cents Critic Podcast!
My 2 Cents on A Court of Silver Flames
What’s new, readers? If you’re a reader who’s drawn to young adult fantasy, you’ve most likely heard of Sarah J. Maas (though her recent work has been labeled “New Adult” and then simply “Adult” due to its—how can I word this properly—sheer horniness). I myself started getting into more of this subgenre last year, including … Continue reading My 2 Cents on A Court of Silver Flames
My 2 Cents on The Ex Talk
What’s new, readers? YA author and fellow Seattleite Rachel Lynn Solomon (Today, Tonight, Tomorrow) made her adult debut a few weeks ago on January 26 with The Ex Talk, a positively irresistible contemporary romance revolving around a podcast that I very much want to listen to in real life. 29-year-old Seattle native Shay Goldstein has slowly … Continue reading My 2 Cents on The Ex Talk
My 2 Cents on Detransition, Baby
What’s new, readers? On January 11 Torrey Peters released her debut novel, Detransition, Baby, in which the opening focuses on Reese, a trans woman who grew up in Wisconsin and now lives in New York City, ruminating on her fear of isolation and introspection that has driven her to cheat with a string of married men … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Detransition, Baby
My 2 Cents on Concrete Rose
What’s new, readers? As a massive fan of The Hate U Give—both the young adult novel with which author Angie Thomas debuted in 2017 and the 2018 film adaptation driven by Amandla Stenberg’s propulsive performance as teenage lead Starr Carter—I was thrilled upon learning a few months ago that Thomas’ next novel would be a prequel … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Concrete Rose
My 2 Cents on The Top Ten Books of 2020
What’s new, readers? Hooboy, are you as relieved as I am that 2020—the year of COVID-19, bloodred skies, murder hornets, the wrongful deaths of numerous Black Americans at the hands of police, the passing away of Chadwick Boseman and Alex Trebek, the lunacy of Donald Trump and his sycophants, the blazing wreckage that is the Artemis … Continue reading My 2 Cents on The Top Ten Books of 2020
2 Cents Critic 