bibliokyra's reviews
1111 reviews

LOBIZONA is an Argentinian-folklore-inspired YA fantasy that I tore through in one day!
 
Our young heroine, Manuela, has spent her entire life hiding in fear of being deported, hiding from her father’s Argentine crime family, and hiding her unique eyes behind sunglasses. When Manu’s mother is taken by ICE, she sets out for answers about her father’s family and his mysterious past. Her search takes her from Miami to a Hogwarts-style school for witches and werewolves who travel between worlds and come alive every full moon. In this magical world, Manu starts to discover who and what she really is.
 
This was such a fun, eye-opening read. Garber educates her readers on the struggles and injustices that undocumented immigrants endure every single day in this country. The incredible world-building takes us to a vivid, magical realm rich with Argentinian culture but much like our own modern society, this world is also plagued with bigotry. LOBIZONA explores heavy-hitting topics such as undocumented immigrants, race, gender roles, menstruation and all of the characters are Argentinian or Latin-X.

Garber has crafted a fantastical tale about family, friendship, belonging and what it means to be an immigrant. I highly recommend and cannot wait for the next book!

The Black Kids is a powerful coming-of-age tale set in LA during the 90s. The story centers around the Rodney King riots and is told from the perspective of a young black woman navigating her final weeks of high school. With poetic prose, Reed explores race, class, police brutality and identity. I loved everything about this timely, transportive novel and I highly recommend you pick this one up!

If you think this cover is breathtaking, just wait until you’re lost between these pages!

YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER by Sarah Hogle was such a fun read. It’s a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy that centers around an unhappily engaged couple drowning in miscommunication. You will loathe Naomi and Nicholas at the beginning of the story and then be rooting for them with all of your heart by the end. This book is absolutely hilarious and will tug at your heartstrings. I highly recommend this gem for any rom-com lovers.

After years and years of feeling like a complete failure, Nora Seed decides to kill herself. Only, things don’t go as planned. Nora finds herself at a stopping point between life and death, known to her as The Midnight Library. Nora’s host is her childhood school librarian and she explains that Nora is being given one last chance to undo her regrets and see where she would have ended up if she had made different choices throughout her life. The library holds infinite parallel lives and Nora is free to drop into any of them and can stay if she finds true happiness, but not without consequence.

It’s clear from his insightful writing that Haig has had his own battles with mental health and holds a deep understanding of depression, philosophy and life. Although the subject matter seems dark, Haig manages to humor and comfort the reader. Books rarely make me cry but I did shed a few (happy) tears at the end of this one. With the world feeling like it’s going to hell in a handbasket lately, this book was like a breath of fresh air. This is a truly meaningful story about the beauty of everyday life and living in the present.

TW: suicide, depression, death, self-harm

A bank robbery gone wrong turned hostage situation. Anxious People is an interesting book about human connection and it hit me right in the feels. Backman brings an entertaining cast of well-developed characters to life. His writing is thought-provoking, hilarious, heartwarming and will pull at your heartstrings.