Mallory Books

We’ll Never Tell by Wendy Heard Genre: Young Adult Mystery Thriller Publishing Date: May 16, 2023 An ambitious and juicy whodunit doused in Hollywood lore, perfect for readers of sexy summer thrillers like The Twin by Natasha Preston and The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson. No one at Hollywood High knows who’s behind We’ll Never Tell—a viral YouTube channel where the anonymous creators trespass behind the scenes of LA’s most intriguing locales. The team includes CASEY, quiet researcher and trivia champ; JACOB, voice narrator and video editor, who is secretly dating EDDIE, aspiring filmmaker; and ZOE, coder and breaking-and-entering extraordinaire. Now senior year is winding down, and with their lives heading in different directions, the YouTubers vow to go out with a bang. Their last episode will be filmed at the infamous Valentini “murder house,” which has been left abandoned, bloodstained, and untouched since a shocking murder/suicide in 1972. When the teens break in, they...

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Publishing Date: April 4, 2023 Synopsis: #1 New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken cements her status as one of the top fantasy authors writing today in this stunning series opener inspired by Arthurian legend and fueled by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline! Tamsin Lark didn’t ask to be a Hollower. As a mortal with no magical talent, she was never meant to break into ancient crypts, or compete with sorceresses and Cunningfolk for the treasures inside. But after her thieving foster father disappeared without so much as a goodbye, it was the only way to keep herself—and her brother, Cabell—alive. Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian vanished with a powerful ring from Arthurian legend. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsin’s hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the ring. As word spreads, greedy Hollowers...

Last Sunrise in Eterna by Amparo Ortiz Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Publishing Date: March 28, 2023 Synopsis: Three teenagers are invited to spend seven days on the secluded island floating off the coast of Puerto Rico to learn the magic of the elves. All they have to do is give up their dreams. Seventeen-year-old goth Sevim Burgos hates elves. Everyone else on earth loves the elves (especially their handsome princes) and would give anything to participate in Eterna’s annual Exchange, where three teens can trade their dreams for a week of elven magic. But Sevim knows things most people don’t. She can see through the illusions the elves use to conceal their crimes. Ever since elves killed her father, Sevim has longed for revenge. So to help support her single mother, she has been selling abandoned elf corpses on the black market. But it turns out that the elf prince Aro has noticed Sevim bodysnatching, so he kidnaps her mother in retaliation. To get her mother back, Sevim must participate...

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction Publishing Date: November 1, 2022   Synopsis: Most Anticipated YA by Buzzfeed A fresh spin on the cult-classic  Election  meets  Darius the Great Is Not Okay  in  Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win  when an international incident crashes into a high school election, and Jasmine is caught between doing the right thing and chasing her dream. It’s 1979, and Jasmine Zumideh is ready to get the heck out of her stale, Southern California suburb and into her dream school, NYU, where she’ll major in journalism and cover New York City’s exploding music scene. There’s just one teeny problem: Due to a deadline snafu, she maaaaaaybe said she was Senior Class President-Elect on her application—before the election takes place. But honestly, she’s running against Gerald Thomas, a rigid rule-follower whose platform includes reinstating a dress code—there’s no way she can lose. And she bette...

  Sunkissed by  Kasie West Genre:  Young Adult Contemporary Publishing Date:  May 4, 2021 A lighthearted and swoony contemporary YA romance by fan - favorite author Kasie West about a  girl who finds that a summer spent at a family resort  isn’t as bad as she imagined...and that falling  in love is filled with heartache, laughter, and surprises! After being betrayed by her best friend, Avery is hoping for a picture - perfect summer. Too bad her  parents have dragged her and her sister to a remote family camp for the entire summer. And that’s  not even the worst part. Avery also has to deal with no internet, a cute but off - limits staff member,  and an always - in - her - face sister. But what starts as a disaster turns into a whirlwind summer romance as A very embarks on an  unexpected journey to figure out what she truly wants and who she wants to be.  | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | I...

View this post on Instagram A post shared by MJ (@bookdreamr)   The Castle School (For Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel         Moira’s parents are sending her to a reclusive? all-girls boarding school in the middle-of-nowhere-Maine. Regardless of what they say, she knows this is a punishment for all the trouble she’s caused them since the death of her best friend, Nathan. At The Castle School, Moira and 11 other girls are isolated from the rest of the world, and expected to talk everything out with Dr. Prince, the strange headmaster. Moira isn’t interested in making new friends. At night, she hears strange music from the woods, and then she discovers the lock on her window is broken. She and her roommate, Eleanor sneak out and find out they aren’t that isolated after all. There is a second, very different Castle School, only it’s filled with boys. Moira starts to suspect the doctors running the schools are hiding something, like a secret...

This story follows the devastating consequences of climate change through a fictional but chillingly realistic severe drought in Southern California that turns neighbors against one another and our always growing cast of characters are forced to do whatever it takes to survive when the taps run dry.  I enjoyed this story especially as a low commitment stand alone with a gripping plot. I enjoyed how the various characters were built into the story, but never became too hard to keep track. I didn’t particularly adore any of the main characters and I’m sorry but I just kept picturing Kelton as an older version of the annoying kid from Polar Express but luckily I really liked his (much needed) character growth. I still found myself crying a little at the end scenes so clearly they got me invested in the end. It felt pretty realistic (sadly) and a true representation of the darkness inside humanity that we’ve seen glimpses of lately. I actually had to go get myself some water while read...

  PLOT:  Charlotte thought her childhood crush, Dean, falling in love with her older sister was the end of her world, until the real end came with the Crimson, a curse that is spread though eye contact, transforming humans into monsters. Her older sister in now the Commander of their settlement, while her younger sister, Vanessa, is the Chosen One— the one destined to end the curse, meaning Charlotte is still stuck in their shadows. When they are raided, Charlotte declares herself the Chosen One in order to save her sisters, and she must keep up her lie if she wants to keep them and Dean safe, and better yet, stay alive herslef. This Is her chance to define her own destiny and try to save thee world.   MY THOUGHTS: If I had to describe this book in one word it would be captivating. I have never read anything quite like it. The concept, the most unique twist on a zombie-like-apocalypse (emphasis on like) I’ve ever encountered, was amazing! Sea captains, curses, action, rom...

  What it’s about: Nova Huang is a teenage witch working at her grandmothers’ bookshop. Her job ranges from selling spell books to investigating all things supernatural in her town. After reports of a white wolf sighting in the woods, Nova discovers her childhood crush, Tam Lang, fighting a demon horse. Naturally, Tam is a wandering werewolf trying to escape the dark magic seeking a wolf for a ritual. Tam and Nova team up to explore Tam’s powers and defeat the dark magic at work. With all the demons, witchcraft, and bird boys, who couldn’t help but catch some feelings in the meantime?  My thoughts: This novel was so fun and cozy! I felt like I was transported to a northern autumnal bubble of warmth and magic. The art is INCREDIBLE and matched the story so well. I loved the characters, and the representation was great too (I can not speak to the accuracy of all the representation however) Tam is non-binary and I definitely haven’t read a lot of stories with NB characters. I lo...

  🔮 REVIEW: The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige  🕯 Westerly College’s campus is full of sororities and frats, but Kappa Rho Nu (The Raven’s) isn’t just the most selective sorority, it’s also a secret coven of real witches. Vivi Deveraux sees joining Kappa as her chance to finally be who she wants away from her hectic childhood. Scarlett Winters was raised to become a Raven leader and this is the year she has to prove herself, without the secrets of her past coming to light. Vivi and Scarlett are chosen to be each other’s Big and Little, forced to work together when dark magic threatens to destroy the coven, and it is connected to both of their pasts.  The Raven’s was a refreshing modern day witch tale, full of magic, a college setting, girl power, and dark, morally grey characters. I loved the magic system used, it was unique to other stories I’ve personally encountered, while being easy to understand. However, a lot of the magical information was dumped into t...