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Reviews in a Minute: Hello, June

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What we have here is early June books, but moreso, really damn good early June books.

The Afterlife of Mal Caldera by Nadi Reed Perez
Fiasco by Constance Fay
Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Apostles of Mercy by Lindsey Ellis
Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet by Molly Morris
The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton



Reviews in a Minute: Hello, June The Afterlife of Mal Caldera by Nadi Reed Perez
Published by Titan Books on June 11, 2024
Pages: 448
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Mal's life is over. Her afterlife is only just beginning...

By turns irreverently funny and deeply moving, this debut contemporary fantasy is perfect for fans of They Both Die at the End and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue .

Mal Caldera—former rockstar, retired wild-child and excommunicated black sheep of her Catholic family—is dead. Not that she cares. She only feels bad that her younger sister, Cris, has been left alone with their religious zealot of a mother, picking up the pieces Mal has left behind. While her fellow ghosts party their afterlives away at an abandoned mansion they call The Haunt, Mal is determined to make contact with Cris from beyond the grave.

She manages enlists the help of reluctant local medium Ren, and together, they concoct a plan to pass on a message to Cris. But the more time they spend together, the more both begin to wonder what might have been if they'd met before Mal died.

Mal knows it's wrong to hold on so tightly to her old life. Bad things happen to ghosts who interfere with the living, and Mal can't help wondering if she's hurting the people she loves by hanging around, haunting their lives. But Mal has always been selfish, and letting go might just be the hardest thing she's ever had to do...

Funny, emotional and life-affirming, The Afterlife of Mal Caldera will have readers laughing one minute and sobbing the next.

“You don’t know my ”—I almost spat the wrong word—“afterlife.”–Mal Caldera

Is it weird that a book about death is delightful? Well, you’ll have to make peace with it, because The Afterlife of Mal Caldera was just that. Mal is dead, and she has some things to do. She wants to communicate some things to her sister, even though the new fellow ghosts she meets advise her against it. Both in life and death, Mal is not likely to take anyone’s advice. That is the premise, as briefly as I can tell it to you. Because trust me that you want to go into this without knowing too much. It makes it so much more fun. Mal has to learn to navigate between the world of the living and her new world of the dead, but we as the reader make this journey with her, so I hesitate to say too much.

I will tell you this: I fell wholly in love with this story, with Mal, ornery as she could be at times, and certainly with all the folks- dead and alive- she meets along the way. Every person she encounters ends up playing a part in Mal’s growth and development, because surprise! You can grow as a person in the afterlife! And Mal needs to do just that unless she wants to turn into a full-fledged “broken” spirit. Not only does she have to confront decisions she’s made post-death, but those she made in her time alive, too. But all of this happens with an undercurrent of hilarity, as well as quite a few emotional moments. I have a feeling that this story will stay with me for a long time.

Bottom Line: Beautiful, funny, and motive, I loved everything about Mal’s afterlife journey.


Reviews in a Minute: Hello, June Fiasco by Constance Fay
Series: Uncharted Hearts #2
Published by Bramble on June 4, 2024
Pages: 352
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Equal parts steamy interstellar romance and sci-fi adventure, Constance Fay's FIASCO is a perfect wild romp amidst the stars.

Cynbelline Khaw is a woman of many names. She’s Generosity, a cultist who never quite fit in. She’s Bella, the daughter who failed to save her cousin’s life. And then there’s Cyn, the notorious bounty hunter who spaced a ship of slavers.

She’s exhausted, lonely, and on her very last legs―but then a new client offers her a job she can’t refuse: a bounty on the kidnapper who killed her cousin. All Cyn has to do is partner with the crew of the Calamity, a scouting vessel she encountered when she was living under a previous alias. One tiny little issue, she’s been given an additional deliver the oh-so-compelling medic, Micah Arora, to the treacherous Pierce Family or all her identities will be revealed, putting her estranged family in danger.

Hunting a kidnapper doesn’t usually mean accidentally taking your sexy new target to dinner at your parent’s house, a local mystic predicting you’ll have an increasingly large number of children, or being accompanied by a small flying lizard with a penchant for eating metal, but, as they field investigative hurdles both dangerous and preposterous, Cyn and Micah grow ever closer. When a violent confrontation reveals that everything Cyn thought about her past is wrong, she realizes that she has the power to change her future. The first part of that is making sure that Micah Arora is around to be a part of it.

I quite enjoyed Calamity, and was looking forward to Fiasco– if a bit worriedly, as we were to be following a new main character this go around. I shan’t have been worried; I daresay this installment was better than the first once I got back into it! This series is just so great. Yeah, it has tons of action and excitement, but it is also so freaking funny and full of heart, too. Sure, it has romance, but it also features all kinds of other relationships- family dynamics, friendships, personal growth, etc.
adored Cyn as a character. She felt so authentic and flawed, and I just felt such a connection with her. She’s also going to go through it during this book, but that makes her development that much more important. I loved meeting her family, too- they were so delightfully messed up, and who among us can’t relate to that? I don’t want to give too much away, because it is a space mystery, really. But I will say that this one was even better than its predecessor, which is saying something! I think having this book show a different point of view really gives us so much more information about the world, and even about the other characters from the first book, so bring on the next one! (I’ll also add, if you are the impatient sort, these books end in a satisfying way, so you won’t be stabby waiting for the next installment!)

Bottom Line: Loved the world and characters, and found the plot even more compelling than the first book.


Reviews in a Minute: Hello, June Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Series: Rowan & Neil #2
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on June 4, 2024
Pages: 384
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

They fell for each other in just twenty-four hours. Now Rowan and Neil embark on a long-distance relationship during their first year of college in this romantic, dual points of view sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow .

When longtime rivals Rowan Roth and Neil McNair confessed their feelings on the last day of senior year, they knew they’d only have a couple months together before they left for college. Now summer is over, and they’re determined to make their relationship work as they begin school in different states.

In Boston, Rowan is eager to be among other aspiring novelists, learning from a creative writing professor she adores. She’s just not sure why she suddenly can’t seem to find her voice.

In New York, Neil embraces the chaos of the city, clicking with a new friend group more easily than he anticipated. But when his past refuses to leave him alone, he doesn’t know how to handle his rapidly changing mental health—or how to talk about it with the girl he loves.

Over a year of late-night phone calls, weekend visits, and East Coast adventures, Rowan and Neil fall for each other again and again as they grapple with the uncertainty of their new lives. They’ve spent so many years at odds with each other—now that they’re finally on the same team, what does the future hold for them?

I absolutely adored Today Tonight Tomorrow, like most of polite society did. Sequels are a scary thing- they can expand the story in awesome ways, or taint your entire love of the original. This, for the most part, thankfully does the former! There are so many things to appreciate in this follow up, I shall highlight them for you!
  • College/changes. Look, it is not always easy and glamorous, and I love when authors keep it real. Gosh, change is hard. College was truly the most tumultuous time of my life, no exaggeration. There were good moments, eventually, but I’ll be honest in saying that a huge majority of it was a clusterfuck of me falling into mental illness spirals. Seeing this on page? Huge. I felt so… not just alone, but like I was the only one reacting to college poorly. So this is just so vital, IMO.
  • Prison dads. If you think my kids won’t be reading this, you’d be wrong. It was so unbelievably refreshing to see Neil going through these emotions, and trying to navigate this. I have no idea how my kids will handle it, but seeing that others go through it too? So huge. Extra especially to see a male character going through it. Thank you immensely, Rachel.
  • Mental health being a huge focus. Look, I am always here for excellent mental health rep, and Rachel Lynn Solomon excels at this, always has. This is just another wonderful example.
  • Romance after the “HEA”. I mean, that is kind of the whole point of this, right? What happens after “the end”? I have always always wondered that every time I have read a romance book. Obviously unless this is a tragedy in disguise, they continue to live after these pages, and at only 18, we can assume they’re living quite some time. So… how the heck does it work? Does it work? I love that the author delved into these questions, because they are truly questions I am always asking!

What was keeping it from being a new fave? I have no idea. It just didn’t have the… the vibes, for lack of a more coherent explanation. Still really enjoyed it, thrilled it happened, it didn’t at all taint my love of the first book, and it added a lot to the story. I am rounding up because I cannot pinpoint anything I don’t like, frankly.

Bottom Line: Such a thoughtful response to the eternal question “what comes after ‘happily ever after’?”.


Reviews in a Minute: Hello, June Apostles of Mercy by Lindsay Ellis
Series: Noumena #3
Published by St. Martin's Press on June 4, 2024
Pages: 464
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Apostles of Mercy is the new alternate history first contact novel from the instant New York Times, Wall Street Journal and LA Times bestselling Lindsay Ellis.

First Contact has not been going well. The nations of Earth are rapidly militarizing against the arrival of the Superorganism, an alien civilization that promises to destroy humanity before it can develop into a real threat. The Superorganism has done it before–to their distant transient relatives–and they could easily do it again. But the alien Ampersand and his human interpreter Cora Sabino are done with trying to save humanity from both the Superorganism and itself; to them, this is a civilization that does not deserve to be saved.When a strange new form of communication between the two of them reveals to Cora how alien Ampersand truly is, she begins to question her blind devotion. But she soon learns of a danger that may force them to leave Earth before either of them are a group of superorganism enemies that have been wreaking havoc on Earth for decades. Existence on the margins has made them desperate and bent on revenge against any of Ampersand's race whose path they cross. Before Cora and Ampersand can make their final escape, these hostile aliens stage an attack, and take that which is most dear to both of them.Ampersand's enemies will not consider any form of truce; the greatest threat to them is not from the Superorganism, but from an increasingly fearful and violent human civilization newly aware of their existence. Cora and Ampersand must go to extreme measures to take back what was stolen and prevent wholesale human extermination–but in doing so they may be no better than the civilizations they are trying to escape.

Just when I was starting to worry that we’d never get a new installment in this series, it came back, and with a vengeance! I have noticed that with both the second book and this one, it does take me a minute to get back into the world/characters. Probably didn’t help that there was a lot of time between, but as always, once I got going, I was invested!

In this book, we finally get a better look at the other entities that Ampersand has been talking about, and I think that helps a lot with the understanding of the world. We also start out with a quite despondent Cora. In fact, she is almost unlikable for parts of the book, even though you can wholly understand why she is feeling certain things, doing certain things, etc. Without giving anything away, I was glad to see her have to face some of these more toxic behaviors, including the way Ampersand has treated her. We’re introduced in depth to Paris, who is an absolute breath of fresh air as a character, and challenges Cora in ways she needs to be challenged to keep growing.

I thought this was a trilogy, but it is clearly not, as it ends quite openly. So you’ll have to wait for the next installment to see who the heck is going to remain on Earth- unless all the factions kill each other in the meantime!

Bottom Line: So glad this series is back for another great installment!


Reviews in a Minute: Hello, June Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet by Molly Morris
Published by Wednesday Books on June 4, 2024
Pages: 384
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Every ten years in the strange little town of Lennon, California, one person is chosen to return from the dead…

Wilson Moss entered the town’s top-secret contest in the hopes of resurrecting her ex-best friend Annie LeBlanc, but that doesn’t mean she thought she’d actually win. Now Annie’s back and Wil’s ecstatic—does it even really matter that Annie ghosted her a year before she died…?

But like any contest, there are rules, and the town’s resurrected dead can only return for thirty days. When Wil discovers a loophole that means Annie might be able to stay for good, she’s desperate to keep her alive. The potential key? Their third best friend, Ryan. Forget the fact that Ryan openly hates them both, or that she and Wilson have barely spoken since that awkward time they kissed. Wil can put it aside for one month; she just needs to stop thinking about it first.

Because Wil has one summer to permanently put an end to her loneliness—it’s that, or lose her only friends…again. But along the way, she might have to face some difficult truths about Annie’s past and their friendship that, so far, she’s left buried.

Look, I have no idea why people get to come back from the beyond for a month. Neither do the characters in the story, just that they do. Wilson hasn’t any more answers than we do, but she does know one thing, and that is she is bound and determined to bring back dead former-bestie Annie LeBlanc when she wins the chance to do so. I thought the lack of “why” answers would bother me more than it did, so if it is giving you pause, don’t let it! This is such a heartwarming tale of friendship and love and growing up, and I really enjoyed it!

Basically, Wilson has thirty days to figure out if she can somehow get Annie to stay- forever. She tries to get the ol’ friend group back together, but there is a lot of bad blood among these three, for various reasons you’ll find out about. Suffice it to say, Wilson has her work cut out for her. But her intentions are noble, and it is nice to see them getting a second chance. I did kind of hope for a few more answers (like- there was talk of a “photo…dated 1800” like guys that didn’t exist then. Is it supposed to be more of the “specialness” of the town, or is it just an error?) but the story was really good regardless.

There is a lot of humor, which helps keep the morbidness of Annie being dead from being too overwhelming. I know I would want to hang out with these people, basically. And they all have their reasons for how things played out- no one is totally wrong, no one is totally right, and they have to come to terms with that. A lot of character development and growth takes place, is what I am saying. I also think knowing that Annie has an expiration date, for lack of a better term, helps make the book feel extra readable. You just cannot help flying through the pages, wondering what will become of the girls. Plus, it is quite thought provoking- would  you bring someone back? What would you do with the chance? You just cannot help but put yourself in Wilson’s shoes.

Now, the ending was a little… confusing for me. I think I liked it, but only if I understood it the way I think I did? I think it could have used just a touch more fleshing out, but only so I could be sure that I liked how it ended! It’s okay though, because I am content in my ignorance, in this case.

Bottom Line: Such a charming book that ponders what one young woman would do when given a second chance at lost friendships.


Reviews in a Minute: Hello, June The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton
Published by Harper Voyager on June 11, 2024
Pages: 336
Format:ARC, eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

In her breathtaking debut—part space odyssey, part sapphic rom-com—Emily Hamilton tells a tale of galaxy-spanning friendship, improbable love, and found family.

So, here’s the thing: Cleo and her friends really, truly didn’t mean to steal this spaceship. They just wanted to know why, twenty years ago, the entire Providence crew vanished without a trace, but then the stupid dark-matter engine started on its own. Now these four twenty-somethings are en route to Proxima Centauri and unable to turn around while being harangued by a hologram that has the face and snide attitude of the ship’s missing captain, Billie.

Cleo has dreamt of being an astronaut all her life, and Earth is a lost cause at this point, so this should be one of those blessings in disguise that people talk about. But as the ship travels deeper into space, the laws of physics start twisting; old mysteries come crawling back to life; and Cleo’s initially combative relationship with Billie turns into something deeper and more desperate than either woman was prepared for.

The Stars Too Fondly was quite an entertaining space adventure with a wonderful cast of characters! I mostly loved this one, save a couple things I didn’t, so I think it best to break it down!

What I Loved:

  • The premise was amazingI was so excited about the premise, and it absolutely delivered. I mean, a whole ship of people just… vanish? And now the world is on its last legs, and then oops some randos accidentally steal the ship?! It is just such a great mix of high stakes and absurdity that I loved it.
  • Speaking of high stakes mixed with absurdity, the balance of emotions was great. I mean- obviously there are going to be some harrowing moments, right? And there were. Intense, scary, sad, you name it. But they were interspersed with so many great funny and heartwarming moments that it was incredibly readable.
  • As I said, I loved the characters. Cleo and her  friends just had such a great rapport together. You could tell that they cared deeply for one another, but also were not afraid to call each other out when needed.
  • There are so many mysteries to figure out! I loved the mystery element. There are secrets raging in the past and the present that the gang is going to have to figure out if they have any hope of getting home one day, and I loved reading about them all. It kept me guessing, and I could not put the book down because of them.

What I Struggled With: 

  • The romance. Sure, it’s a little… unusual that Cleo and the AI have some feelings, but that isn’t what bugged me. It was that they seemed to go from “moderate crush” to full-blown “I love this person more than anything in any universe” without a ton of development. It was just… not even too fast, just too understated? Like I legit wondered if I missed something, because to go from butterflies to love that quickly didn’t add up.
  • The ending was a little too easy/neatIt did end in a way that wrapped things up, so don’t worry about that! It just seemed a little too easy for me after the entirety of the book not being easy, if that makes sense?

Bottom Line: Amazing premise and great characters, this was definitely an overall win!

Have you read any of these books? Plan to? Let us chat about them!  

The post Reviews in a Minute: Hello, June appeared first on It Starts at Midnight.


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