TW: CPS (child protection services), kids being taken away from guardians, abusive parents, PTSD
I WAS SO THRILLED TO GET THIS ON NETGALLEY! I absoluteTW: CPS (child protection services), kids being taken away from guardians, abusive parents, PTSD
I WAS SO THRILLED TO GET THIS ON NETGALLEY! I absolutely adored the first book in this series and have been anxiously awaiting this one. It did not disappoint. This is a book about secrets, found family, and just general fun with a hint of mystery. I've seen some other reviewers denounce its status as 'Middle Grade' but this is an incredibly well-written book. The writing is clear but not condescending and the characters all have unique voices.
I zoomed through this book needing to know what happened but also knowing the sequel will likely not be out until next year.
The story surrounds April and her fellow foster kids and their guardian Gabriel (who is doing his best to take care of them but is both on his own and suffering from serious PTSD). It is a mix of adventure and mystery and is incredibly enchanting. It was such a pleasure to be with these characters again and seeing Sadie invent, Colin con, and April just generally get into trouble. There is no infighting between the kids: they all love each-other and respect that each of them have different skills and interests.
Gabriel wrestling with parenting alone is something that I imagine is quite topical for parents right now and shows that parents can mess up when under pressure and that the title 'parent' is based on actions and not bloodlines.
So I am 26 (and my mom 54-- we buddy read this) in one sitting. This was an enthralling book and while I am not the target age group, I was nonethelesSo I am 26 (and my mom 54-- we buddy read this) in one sitting. This was an enthralling book and while I am not the target age group, I was nonetheless immediately sucked in. A beautiful array of diverse characters that meld together beautifully. The book was hilarious while also being ominous and the mysteries in the book were incredibly appealing (and also who wouldn't want to live somewhere with hidden rooms?!) The entire book I was of two minds of who I wanted to trust and who I thought was trustworthy-- Ally Carter does such a wonderful job creating characters that are enjoyable for all ages! I had to go back and reread bits that I had missed because I was reading too fast and kept missing things and I want to be Sadie when I grow up (get younger?? Basically, she's my hero)....more
For fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and the like!
I love this series and when I saw I got approved for this on Net Galley I almost cried (and I imFor fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and the like!
I love this series and when I saw I got approved for this on Net Galley I almost cried (and I immediately called my mom). This book is the epitome of "Be Gay Do Crime" and I loved every second of it. Very few YA books that I've read depict diversity as well as this series does-- we have people of different genders, ethnicities, traumas without seeming like Roshani Chokshi (who is amazing and everyone should follow on Instagram) is just trying to tick groups off on a list. The characters are nuanced and fun and three dimensional and the story (started with Gilded Wolves) is GLORIOUS.
This is a heist book that melds technology and fantasy wonderfully and just the world-building itself is beautiful and intricate. I was so honoured to get this as an arc but now I CAN'T WAIT TIL BOOK THREE COMES OUT. But it was totally worth it.
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