poc authors Archives - Hsinju’s Lit Log

ARCs, Blog Tour, Book Reviews, Bookish, Fiction

Blog Tour: You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

9th November 2020
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
- Publisher: Scholastic Press
- Release Date: June 2, 2020
- Genre: Young Adult
- Page Count: 336 pages
Click on the cover for my review on Goodreads.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop.org

Hey y’all! I am Hsinju (she/they/他), a queer Taiwanese book reviewer and blogger currently residing in Illinois. Today (November 9th, 2020) is my Hear Our Voices Book Tours blog stop for the uplifting sapphic YA with a Black teen lead You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson! Set in the Midwest (hi neighboring Indiana), we follow Liz’s journey of running for prom queen.
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi | ARC Review

20th September 2020
The Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves #2) by Roshani Chokshi
- Publisher: Wednesday Books, September 22nd 2020
- Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
- Format: Ebook (eARC)
- Page Count: 416 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
CW: dismemberment, torture, blood Forging, off-screen killings, emotional abuse, alcohol, (possible) panic attacks, antisemitism, racism, suicide of a very minor character, bombing, manipulation

I love the tagline, “They are each other’s fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.” Upon finishing, I realized just how true it is.

“We debase ourselves for the ones we love.”
Laila
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Book Reviews, Fiction

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

15th September 2020
The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1) by Roshani Chokshi
- Publisher: Wednesday Books, 2019
- Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
- Format: Ebook
- Page Count: 388 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
The overall atmosphere Chokshi had created was gloomy, haunting, and breathtaking. She stated that the idea for this trilogy stemmed from hearing about the “human zoo” displaying Filipinos in 1904 World’s Fair. Then she came across another “human zoo” featuring “Negro Village” in 1889 Exposition Universelle. The Gilded Wolves series was never meant to be a cheery story. Set in the 19th century, Chokshi wanted to show the “beauty and horror” of La Belle Époque, The Beautiful Era. In her words, “When we revise the horror and sanitize the grotesque, we risk erasing the paths that led us here.” And I love how she managed to achieve telling an honest story with a magical twist in this first installment.
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

Moon Fever by Ileandra Young | ARC Review

20th August 2020
Moon Fever (The S.P.E.A.R. Mission Files #2) by Ileandra Young
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, August 11th 2020
- Genre: Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 303 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
CW: speciesism from main character, ableist language from main character, blood, transphobia, sexism, loss of body parts, torture

I have very conflicted feelings about this sequel. Danika’s egotistic actions irk me constantly, but I am still very invested in her story. In Both Ways, her stubbornness and rashness often lead her into horrible situations. And now? Things are worse. With her team investigating in recent werewolf attacks, she is drastically overpowered by the edanes and yet somehow thinks it is a good idea for her to get involved in their conflicts.
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Book Reviews, Fiction

Both Ways by Ileandra Young

15th August 2020
Both Ways (The S.P.E.A.R. Mission Files #1) by Ileandra Young
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, 2018
- Genre: Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Ebook
- Page Count: 301 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
CW: speciesism from Danika, homophobia, violence, pregnancy, blood, one-time unintentional misgendering from Rayne, one-time nonconsensual m/f kissing

This book was nothing like I imagined and completely outdid my expectations.
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