Another batch of March books, another batch of winners!

The Last Laugh by Mindy McGinnis
Drowning Practice by Mike Meginnis
Always Jane by Jenn Bennett
A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin
Message Not Found by Dante Medema

The Last Laugh by Mindy McGinnis
Series: The Initial Insult #2
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on March 15, 2022
Pages: 384
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

In the dark and stunning sequel to The Initial Insult, award-winning author Mindy McGinnis concludes this suspenseful YA duology as long-held family secrets finally come to light . . . changing Amontillado forevermore.

Tress Montor murdered Felicity Turnado—but she might not have to live with the guilt for long. With an infected arm held together by duct tape, the panther who clawed her open on the loose, and the whole town on the hunt for the lost homecoming queen, the odds are stacked against Tress. As her mind slides deeper into delirium, Tress is haunted by the growing sound of Felicity’s heartbeat pulsing from the “best friend” charm around her fevered neck.

Ribbit Usher has been a punchline his whole life—from his nickname to his latest turn as the unwitting star of a humiliating viral video. In the past he’s willingly played the fool, but now it’s time to fulfill his destiny. That means saving the girl, so that Felicity can take her place at his side and Ribbit can exact revenge on all who have done him wrong—which includes his cousin, Tress. Ribbit is held by a pact he made with his mother long ago, a pact that must be delivered upon in four days.

With time ticking down and an enemy she considers a friend lurking in the shadows, Tress’s grip on reality is failing. Can she keep both mind and body together long enough to finally find out what happened to her parents?

The only negative thing about Mindy McGinnis books is that we only get one like once a year. Because she’s a human, and writing takes time. It isn’t her fault she’s not a cyborg. But man, do I get excited when the time for one is here! The thing I love most about her books (in a long list of things I love) is that they’re simply unlike any other books out there. There’s always something unique and fresh feeling about them, for me. And this series has nailed that.

I absolutely devoured The Initial Insult last year, and was kind of giddy for this sequel/finale. And it delivered! I don’t want to give away much, because you should really read this series, but if you thought everyone in book one was messed up? You haven’t seen anything yet! This town is full of the Who’s Who of Human Crap (heh, Friends reference that I finally have a reason to use), with many, many folks sinking to new, vile lows. Like, yes, Tress is a mess, but Tress owns that she’s a mess. Plus, her backstory is rough, so you can definitely see why she makes some terrible life choices. In this sequel, we also get the POV of her cousin, Ribbit. Ribbit is… he sucks, okay? His chapters will probably infuriate you, but they’re great for the story overall.

I could not put this one down, much like its predecessor. And I kind of wanted to pace myself, because like I said, we only get one Mindy McGinnis book a year! But alas, I was too invested in the story, too pulled in by the darkness and debauchery of this town, to do anything but absolutely fly through the pages. If you loved the first book like I did, know that this book will give you a very satisfying conclusion. And if you’ve yet to read the first book… what the heck are you waiting for?!

Bottom Line: Nobody does messed up and wildly entertaining as well as Mindy McGinnis.

Drowning Practice by Mike Meginnis
Published by Ecco Press on March 15, 2022
Pages: 400
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Profoundly moving, filled with tenderness, and brought to life by a curious, sprawling imagination, Drowning Practice is the story of a mother and daughter trying to save each other's lives at what could be the end of the world

One night, everyone on Earth has the same dream--a dream of being guided to a watery death by a loved one on November 1. When they wake up, most people agree: after Halloween, the world will end.

In the wake of this haunting dream and saddled with its uncertainty, Lyd and her daughter, Mott, navigate a changed world, wrestling with how to make choices when you really don't know what comes next. Embarking on a quixotic road trip filled with a collection of unexpected and memorable characters, Lyd and Mott are determined to live out what could be their final months as fully as possible. But how can Lyd protect Mott and help her achieve her ambitions in a world where inhibitions, desires, and motivations have become unpredictable, and where Mott's dangerous and conniving father has his own ideas about how his estranged family should spend their last days?

Formally inventive and hauntingly strange, Drowning Practice signals the arrival of a singular new voice in Mike Meginnis, who writes with generosity and precision, humor and sorrowfulness. Stirring and surprising at every turn, Drowning Practice is literary speculative fiction at its best and with a pulsing heart: a mother and daughter trying to decide how they should live out what might be the final months of their--or anyone's--life on Earth.

Everyone in the world had the same dream one night: The world was ending. They were dying- drowning, really, on November 1. Obviously, there were folks who refused to believe it, which makes sense, but the world as a whole was pretty convinced that this was The End. Which, as you’d imagine, sends things… spiraling. Interestingly, things didn’t get quite as bad as quickly as I’d assumed, but that made sense too. Humans are, by and large, good at denial. The whole “let’s not think about it and it will go away” applies fairly often.

In the story, we follow young teen Mott, her mom Lyd, and her crappy father David. Actually strike that- David is straight up an abusive ass. Lyd and Mott have sort of gotten away from him, but he still tracks them and spies on them and it’s really creepy. Lyd is basically a hermit at this point, letting Mott pick up all the slack outside the house. But that all changes when she realizes that David is back on his bullshit and wants to get to them before the end. So, Lyd snaps out of her stupor, and they go on the run.

The story itself is fairly quiet, as the women go from city to city, building their relationship back up and evading David. We see from David’s perspective how twisted he really is. He has been.. collecting young folks? That’s the best way to explain it, I suppose, to live in his house and keep him company/make him feel needed. It’s weird, but so is he. And he seemingly will stop at nothing to recapture Mott and Lyd. Not because he loves them, but because he feels some sort of entitlement to them. Sick, really.

Meanwhile, Lyd and Mott don’t just have to deal with this jerk hunting them down, but with the ramifications of the end of the world looming in front of them. There’s a lot of quiet character exploration, which I really enjoyed, especially with the mother-daughter relationship at the forefront. I am also always here for ideas about how mankind would act when facing its imminent demise. I have no idea why, but it fascinates me and is incredibly thought-provoking. The author did a great job of making the atmosphere appropriately desolate and eerie.

The ending.. the ending was a little weird for me? I didn’t hate it, but nor did I love it? But, it too is incredibly thought-provoking, so I can’t be mad.

Bottom Line: A quiet, family centered exploration on how humanity would react if they knew the end was coming- and exactly when and how.

Always Jane by Jenn Bennett
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on March 29, 2022
Pages: 384
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

A chauffer’s daughter finds herself in the middle of a love triangle with the sons of her boss’s wealthy next-door neighbors in this delightfully romantic story from the author of Alex, Approximately, Jenn Bennett.

Love—and Fen Sarafian—do not care about your summer plans.

Eighteen-year-old chauffeur’s daughter Jane Marlow grew up among the domestic staff of a wealthy LA rock producer, within reach of bands she idolizes, but never a VIP. Every summer, Jane and her father head to the Sierras to work at the producer’s luxury lodge at Lake Condor—a resort town and the site of a major musical festival.

The legendary family who runs the festival are the Sarafians, and Jane’s had a longtime crush on their oldest son, Eddie—doltish but sweet. So when a long-distance romance finally sparks between them, she doesn’t hesitate to cross class lines.

But Jane’s feelings about Eddie are thrown into question after she returns to the lake and reconnects with his alluringly intense brother, the dark horse of her placid summer plans. A fellow lover of music—and hater of the game—Fen Sarafian has been ousted from the family and is slumming it at a vinyl record shop. He burns for Jane like a house on fire and will do anything to sabotage his older brother, even if it means taking a wrecking ball to a multi-million-dollar music festival. Or Jane’s heart.

Okay, I cannot believe I am saying this, but I had some mixed feelings about this one. Yes, mixed feelings, about a Jenn Bennett book, I can’t believe it either. Here’s the good news: I still really enjoyed the story. The bad news? There were times the characters were just… yikes. Overall though, and because the ending redeemed a lot of the troubling parts of the story, it was still an overall win. And look- there was definitely more good than bad, I just… don’t want to overlook the bad just because I enjoyed it, I think is my point.

The Good:

Like any Jenn Bennett book, I was immediately invested in the characters, messy as they may have been. Frankly, I like messy, and these two, well they win an award or something. The author just really has a way of writing characters that makes you care, almost immediately, no matter what. So care I did. The story itself contained some mysteries too, surrounding Jane’s past, and in some ways, her present. That made the whole thing really readable. Plus, the romance was obviously going to be something I shipped, as always, even if I didn’t love its beginning (see below).

I loved the family focus, especially Fen’s family. His mom is my fave, and will likely be yours too, because she’s really kind and caring but also just awesome. I know some people may end up not liking that Jane was initially “with” Eddie, Fen’s brother, when they start catching feelings. But. Upon reading about Eddie for, oh, three minutes, you’ll see that it’s really more of a relationship in Jane’s head than Eddie’s reality.

Without giving too much away, the route the story takes made up for all the issues I had at the start, so that is a huge plus. Jane and Fen both really need to figure out who they are, and I liked that the book paved the way for that to happen.

The Not As Good:

There is really only one thing in this category, and that is how cringey the characters were on occasion. And look- I get it, we’re all cringey at times! But the relationships they had were sometimes borderline unhealthy. And that is what gave me pause, especially when I consider the audience. Here’s the thing: Fen is obsessed with Jane. And it’s weird! Like my dude, you don’t even know her? And like, okay, obviously they do eventually get to know each other in a proper way, which is why I still have mostly positive feelings about the book. But wow, this guy needs a little therapy, frankly. Jane could probably use some too, now that I think about it. Nothing wrong with therapy, guys. I had just kind of hoped that Fen’s obsession/borderline love bombing would be addressed, and it really wasn’t.

Bottom Line: Still awesome and swoony because it’s Jenn Bennett, but with a minor glitch for me.

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin
Series: The Book of Tea #1
Published by Feiwel and Friends on March 29, 2022
Pages: 384
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

I used to look at my hands with pride. Now all I can think is, "These are the hands that buried my mother."

For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.

When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.

But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

I quite enjoyed A Magic Steeped in Poison, especially as the story got moving. I will admit, it was a bit of a slow start for me, but as soon as I got invested, I really enjoyed it! I fully admit to knowing less than nothing about tea. If you came to my house, I could not make you tea, except in my Keurig. I am fairly useless as a person. But I was definitely interested in how tea like… did stuff in this world! I mean, if I could find some tea that could change the world, I’d totally figure out how to brew it or whatever.

Anyway. Ning has made an oopsie and maaaybe poisoned her mother and her sister. The former is dead, the latter lingers near death. And Ning is bound and determined to save her sister’s life. So she jumps at the chance to enter a teamaker competition, even though that didn’t go so well the last time she tried her hand. This is where things really got interesting for me.

We’ve got all kinds of court politics at play here, some of which went a little over my head, but I got the gist of, at least. Ning isn’t just in a competition, the stakes are clearly much higher, and there is basically not a chance that this competition will be completed in a fair manner. So Ning finds herself in an even more precarious position, because her sister’s still poisoned, and now Ning is in the lion’s den, so to speak.

I loved getting to know all the people Ning met along the way, and am so excited to see what happens next in this series! Ning is a very likable character, and I cannot wait to see how her story unfolds! Also, that cover is quite literally to die for.

Bottom Line: An exciting start to the duology, I cannot wait to see what is in store for Ning next!

Message Not Found by Dante Medema
Published by Quill Tree Books on March 29, 2022
Pages: 400
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

An emotionally complex portrayal of secrets, loss, and grief from Dante Medema, Indies Introduce author of the Indie Next Pick title The Truth Project.

Bailey and Vanessa shared everything: laughter, secrets, and packets of Pop Rocks to ward off bad days. But that all changed the night Vanessa left Bailey's, headed for home, and ended up swerving off a cliff nowhere near her house. Now Bailey, who thought she knew Vanessa better than anyone in the world, is left with a million unanswered questions, and the only person with answers is gone.

To help grieve her loss, Bailey creates a chat bot of Vanessa using years' worth of their shared text messages and emails. The more data she uploads to the bot, the more it feels like she's really talking to her best friend. That is, until the bot starts dropping hints that there was more going on with Vanessa than Bailey realized--a secret so big, it may have contributed to Vanessa's death.

This compelling puzzle of a story, filled with engrossing twists and turns, is written in alternating prose and text message formats. Teens will gobble up this fast-paced page-turner.

I did not expect to fall in love with this book quite as hard as I did. But wow, fall I did. The thing you need to know is, yes this book is sad. And yes, you will likely cry unless you are some kind of cyborg. But it isn’t just sad. It’s a whole story, not just the tragic parts. And I think that is what made me love it so much. Yes, you will absolutely grieve with Bailey, but you will also root so hard for her, and for the others, to live their best lives despite this loss.

When Vanessa dies, tragically and incomprehensibly, Bailey just cannot cope with her grief. Understandable, since they were best friends, but to add to it, there are things about Vanessa’s last moments and death that just don’t add up for Bailey. She’s basically driving herself nuts trying to figure out what she is missing, likely as her coping mechanism. When she comes up empty with friends and family, she uses her mom’s program to create a Vanessa bot to chat with. I’m not sure how to explain it that doesn’t seem absurd, because it isn’t absurd. It’s heart wrenching, full stop.

Bailey grows so much as a person during the story, too. Yes, it is about her coming to terms with Vanessa’s death and secrets. But it’s also about her finding her own way, despite this giant hole in her life, despite the loss of the future she thought she’d have beside Vanessa. The people she meets through her journey, the new relationships she builds and the existing relationships she builds upon, are just wonderful to discover. This book absolutely won my whole heart.

Bottom Line: A powerful journey of heartbreak and loss, of healing and growth, I adored this book from start to finish.

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

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