noun [kee-smash] a random string of letters and symbols typed out on a keyboard or touchscreen, used to signal intense emotion in written communication:
The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters has been on my most anticipated July release list, and I am so happy that I got the chance to finally dive into this amazing, sapphic horror fantasy last month. It was everything the blurb promised: full of magic, a heaping of gothic horror, and an irresistible thriller/mystery to bind it all together.
This is the first time I am sitting down to review Sabaa Tahir’s A Torch Against The Night, the second book of her debut series, An Ember In The Ashes. However, I have read this book a thousand times before, and with every re-read, the story just gets better.
Continue reading “Review: A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir (Ember Quartet #2)”Becoming Brooklyn by Amanda Deich follows the story of a superhero teenage girl, who in her quest for wanting to know more about her heroic father, agrees to join an elite military that will do anything to fight terrorism at home and abroad. What follows is just the beginning of Brooklyn’s heroic journey as the terrorists find out about her super powers and decides to bring the war to her.
Thank you Xpresso Book Tours for having me as a tour host for this book. My review of this post is at the end of this post, where you can win a chance to enter an international giveaway too!
Continue reading “Blog Tour: Becoming Brooklyn [International Giveaway + Review]”![Review: Hana Khan Carries On By Uzma Jalaluddin [Exclusive International Giveaway]](https://thekeysmashblog.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/blog-banner.png?w=825 "Review: Hana Khan Carries On By Uzma Jalaluddin [Exclusive International Giveaway] - The Keysmash Blog")
As a South Asian Muslim woman myself, I was beyond excited to get my hands on Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin, a delightful love story featuring a bold, brilliant and ambitious young Muslim protagonist, two competing rival halal restaurants, and a diverse cast of colored characters. I have to admit, this is definitely going to be one of the best book of 2021. Hana Khan Carries On takes all the things you love in a romantic-comedy and gives it a refreshing new twist.
Thank you so much Colored Pages Tour for having me as a tour host for this amazing book, and to Atlantic Books for sending me a review copy. Read on below for my full review (or get the TL;DR version here) & participate in an exclusive giveaway to win ONE FINISHED COPY OF Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin.
Continue reading “Review: Hana Khan Carries On By Uzma Jalaluddin [Exclusive International Giveaway]”
Alma Underwood Is Not A Kleptomaniac by Lacey Dailey is a surprisingly sweet, heartwarming love story between a kleptomaniac (yes you are a klepto Alma, stop lying to yourself) and a runaway teenager. Though I am not typically one for romances, I finished this one sitting and actually really enjoyed this.
Continue reading “Review: Alma Underwood Is Not A Kleptomaniac”
This is a classic that has received equal parts praise and criticism. It has been lauded as a feminist novel and then also condemned for not being a feminist novel. In this discussion post, I’ll explain why I believe this is a feminist story and try to highlight all the subtleties that are rarely talked about whenever this novel is discussed.
Continue reading “All The Modern, Feminist Ideas You May Have Overlooked In Little Women”
Note: This is a series review, meaning that I will be reviewing all three books of the series (The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King and Queen of Nothing) as a whole and will also be rating the series as a whole.
I rarely enjoy stories about the fae–despite their popularity, especially in the YA fantasy genre, very few writers have managed to properly encapsulate their terrifyingly violent and yet comically whimsical nature. The only good fae story, really good fae story that comes to mind is Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series. If you haven’t read it, you are absolutely missing out–it is one of the best fantasy novels that I have read and will forever cherish in my heart.
(And yes I have read Sara J Mass’s Court of Thorns series. No, I did not like it one bit)
Continue reading “The Folk Of The Air Series By Holly Black: A Brutal And Brilliant Fantasy”
A collection of poignant, beautifully crafted verses, No Matter The Wreckage by Sarah Kay is the kind of poetry book that touches your heart, mind and soul. I am aware that this sounds cliche, but it is true. Her turn of phrase, use of imagery and rhythm and repetition creates vividly written, captivating poems that makes the reader step into her skin and see the world through her lens. Most importantly, the topics that she covers in this book and some of her own personal experiences are written with such resonating quality that you cannot help but be able to relate to her words.
Some of my favorites where Love Letter #137, No Matter The Wreckage, Brother, The Toothbrush To The Bicycle Wheel, The Ladder, Some Things We Don’t Talk About Part 1, and Evaporating, but there were many others too that I couldn’t help but reread over and over because they made me feel.
Definitely the kind of poetry book you would want to keep on your shelf. I highly recommend this to everyone who loves poetry.
If there is any book that I can say have made a profound impact on my life, then it would be The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Misunderstood to be a children’s book by a surprisingly large number of people, The Little Prince is actually a book for young adults, providing us with thoughtful guidance and insights as we learn to navigate through life and all the complications and messes it brings us.
Continue reading “The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery: Food For Thought”
What power can bruise the sky?
Two worlds are poised on the brink of a vicious war. By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera’s rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her.
When the brutal angel emperor brings his army to the human world, Karou and Akiva are finally reunited–not in love, but in tentative alliance against their common enemy. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people. And, perhaps, for themselves.
But with even bigger threats on the horizon, are Karou and Akiva strong enough to stand among the gods and monsters?
Trigger Warning: This book contains graphic scenes of violence
Dreams of Gods and Monsters is without a doubt, an excellent ending to an excellent series, but before I start fangirling reviewing this book, please note that this review might contain minor spoilers for those who have not yet read Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight. I highly recommend you read my review of those books first before you read this review.
Here’s what I enjoyed about this book:
World building (again): this time we get to explore the other side of Eretz, the home of the mysterious Stelians. The imagery is so vivid, and it truly shows how fantastical Taylor’s imagination is.
Continue reading “Review: Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor”