The worst part about being an ARC (advance review copy) reader is finding favorite books that you want to shout about from the rooftops, but everyone else doesn’t get to read them for months. These books were instant faves that I want everyone I know to read – ASAP!
Here’s five books to look forward to in 2023 that you will not regret pre-ordering:
Lying in the Deep
About the Book
Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban
Genre: YA Thriller
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Book Review
Move over, Karen McManus. There’s a new queen of YA thrillers. I’ve been delighted to read all of Diana Urban’s thrillers, and she’s really perfected the art. This twisty, fast-paced thriller provides a unique twist on the locked-room trope.
Lainey always gets what she wants. And what she wants includes her best friend’s boyfriend.
Jade’s going on a semester abroad on a cruise ship to try to forget about her first love leaving her for her best friend, then blocking her number. But when she’s boarding the ship, she sees beautiful, wealthy, free-spirited Lainey boarding with Silas, the boy who’d been the love of Jade’s life. No matter where she goes, Jade keeps seeing them. Not even a hot, brooding boy named Felix can distract her forever. Then, after a boozy night of Monopoly that ends with Jade accidentally stabbing Silas with a letter opener, Lainey goes missing, and Jade’s the number one suspect.
Jade’s convinced she’s not the only person Lainey’s backstabbed, and the deeper she digs into her fellow shipmates’ lives, the more connections she finds. Jade convinces Felix to help her investigate, but their budding romance is complicated by signs that Silas might be having second thoughts about ending things with Jade. This teen thriller simmers with jealousy and passion as more teens meet unfortunate ends, ending in a startling but satisfying conclusion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book
The Davenports
About the Book
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Release date: Jan. 31, 2023
Book Review
A YA Bridgerton with a social conscience.
It’s 1910 in Chicago, and the Davenports have built a fortune through a carriage business. This gives them entry into wealthy society, a place usually closed to Black families. Though some treat them like they still don’t deserve their fortune, for the most part, the Davenport children live sheltered, privileged lives.
Olivia attends the society’s balls, seeking an approved husband, until a chance meeting with activists leads to sparks flying between her and Washington DeWight, a lawyer and civil rights leader. Sister Helen is content to sneak out to the garage to work as a mechanic on the new-fangled automobiles, until a man catches her attention. Unfortunately, he’s already courting someone else in her circle. Olivia’s best friend Ruby longs for Olivia’s brother John to notice her, but John spends more time staring at the maid, Amy-Rose.
The course of true love never runs smooth, and this book provides dishy entanglements and crossed wires as the young, wealthy Black children seek their love matches. Each couple sparkles and delights, but as in real life, some matches turn out better than others.
This book also shows its characters grappling with the real-life issues of the day. Olivia struggles with her parents’ choice to give money to the cause, but not march themselves. Entranced by the young activist DeWight, she reads everything she can get her hands on about civil rights and attends protests, venturing out of her wealthy circle to learn what life is like for those who work for a living. Ruby struggles with her father’s decision to run to try to become the first Black mayor, believing that he can make a difference, but feeling resentful as it almost bankrupts the family.
This book provides a unique perspective, as it was inspired by the true story of the C.R. Patterson dynasty. It made me want to find some nonfiction about the same topic.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
About the Book
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: Jan. 10, 2023
Book Review
This is perfection in book form! This made my list of instant favorites.
Emily Wilde is a misanthropic, introverted researcher working to write the first conclusive encyclopedia of fairies, which of course exist in the world of the book. She and her dog Shadow travel to a tiny village in Norway that’s within the Artic Circle to research the local fae population, much to her colleague Bamblesby’s dismay. Emily enjoys her solitude, but when she manages to insult the village headwoman, she’s grateful for the charming Bamblesby’s arrival to smooth things over with the villagers. Indeed, Emily may need his help, because all her usual rules for dealing with fae and their curses may not be enough here. Bamblesby’s secrets may be the only thing that can save her.
From a friendship with a common fae named Poe to changelings in the village to the legend of the Fairy King trapped in a tree, the further Emily gets immersed into her research, the greater the dangers.
Emily’s dialogue with Bamblesby is a delight. Their dynamic consists of her being grumpy and unable to fall for his charms, and him finding her company completely delightful because of her abrasiveness. They both struggle with basic survival skills, as one of them manages to cut another with an axe while trying to chop wood. Emily’s convinced of Bamblesby’s laziness, as she knows of at least one scholarly paper that he’s faked, but his charm gets him invited everywhere, making him her key to scholarly success. He’s also her only friend.
Here’s a sampling of their dynamic:
“Get inside! You’re bleeding!”
“I will not bleed any less indoors, you utter madwoman.”
“The worst of it was that Bambleby had warned me away from the tree – if I descended into a murderous rage, or turned into a tree myself, he would be very smug about it.”
This was an interesting take on the fairy world, with Emily’s perspective as a researcher providing a new angle. It’s written from Emily’s perspective, as she’s giving the account in her diary, though Bambleby writes a few entries – without permission, of course! Emily also gives us fairy stories throughout the book, as she thinks the stories are the closest thing the fairy world has to rules and laws.
This book deals out the charm in spades. You will not regret reading it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Collected Regrets of Clover
About the Book
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
Genre: Literary Fiction
Release Date: May 9, 2023
Book Review
A moving story of how one woman’s obsession with death helped her rediscover how to live.
You’ll instantly find space in your heart for Clover. After she was halfway across the world when her beloved grandfather died, she moves into his apartment and works as a death doula – making sure that others do not have to die alone. She’s living an isolated life as a kind of penance for the guilt she feels. Clover’s an interesting heroine – big-hearted but unwilling to connect with those not dying, awkward yet draws people in, and finding peace through tracking others’ last words, regrets and advice.
When she gets a job sitting with Claudia, a former photographer dying of cancer, her nosy grandson seems determined to pull Clover into his orbit. When one of Claudia’s regrets is never getting in touch with a long-lost love, Clover and the grandson, Sebastian, set out on a road trip to find him.
The perfectly-paced, deeply-felt prose brought the characters to life. I loved watching Clover gain confidence and work through her emotions both surrounding her grandfather’s death and her own lack of experience in love. She’s a heroine to root for.
This memorable book will make you think: what makes a life well-lived? This one is perfect for book clubs, and I highly recommend it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Nocturne
About the Book
Nocturne by Alyssa Wees
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
Release Date: Feb. 21, 2023
Book Review
One of the finest Gothic retellings I’ve ever read, bringing a new take on the Phantom of the Opera. The sweeping, dreamy world of 1930s Chicago hides horrors in its shadows.
Grace, an orphan, experienced a lot of suffering and death before she wins a place in a ballet school. Now, she’s striving to become prima and dance all the best parts, while the school struggles to find a patron. But when Grace gets chosen prima and finds a mysterious patron, she feels more dread than joy. Master De La Rosa drops hints that he’s been watching her for longer than she can imagine, and he wants all of her, not just the parts Grace is willing to give. The lyrical, nightmarish prose draws the reader – and Grace – into a world filled with all kinds of monsters. Grace will have to decide how hard she’s willing to fight to live.
I loved Grace’s friendship with Emilia, the retiring prima donna. Both girls – isolated because of their differences – have a fierce friendship. Emilia tries desperately to reach and save Grace, even as her own wedding approaches.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of book in exchange for an honest review.
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