What makes Every Heart a Doorway unique, though,  is how it shows the aftermath of those stories and the tenderness it gives to children with trauma.

Mindfulness and Self-Love in Chef’s Kiss

Review: Chef’s Kiss By Hank Jones Rating: 5/5 Genre: Graphic Novel/Romance QUILTBAG Main Character: Yes QUILTBAG Minor Character: Yes Main Character of Color: No Bechdel Test: Yes Summary: Ben Cook, a recent graduate with an English degree, dreams of working in the publishing industry. But although his friends/roommates seem to be fulfilling their career goals, …

Beautiful Fall Arcs in Truth & Other Lies

I love when villains go absolutely feral, when they finally realize playing by the rules isn’t going to get them what they want.

Owning Your Worth in Defekt

Do you ever feel like a book just reaches into your soul? Like you’ve been seen in a deep, intimate way that leaves you breathless?

Taking a Stand in The City Beautiful

What blew me away about this book was how well it has interwoven Jewish culture and history while subverting harmful and all too familiar tropes.

Characters Driving Plot in Darling

Effortlessly balancing tension, exposition, and world building, Darling tells an increasingly dark tale of what happens to boys who don’t want to grow up.

Swimming Towards Growth in Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World

What absolutely makes this a five-star read for me, however, is how the novel focuses on people’s ability to change.

The Past and the Future in Dark Rise

Who we are is less important than who we could be.

Living Truth in Candidly Cline

... the story at its core is one about the freedom we find when we are able to be our truest selves, and how those selves can experience amazing things in life.

Fighting Fate in She Who Became the Sun

Spanning over a decade, She Who Became the Sun is a slow-burn of a novel, moving at a pace perfectly suited for the kind of story it is telling.