Dear Reader,

Welcome to our May YA Newsletter! Exploration of other worlds, internal and external, continue in these reviews of contemporary YA fiction. Entertaining and intriguing, they give a great vantage on power relationships, emotional challenges, and the wonderful diversity of our world as well as their own. As Lindsey writes in this newsletter: "These stories, though often set in unrelatable worlds, have something that everyone can relate to."

Happy Reading!

John & all DIESELfolk

Feyre, Rhysand, and the rest of the Inner Circle have been hard at work rebuilding both the Night Court and the world beyond in the wake of the conflict with Hybern. Winter Solstice is quickly approaching, but even the cheer of the holiday season can’t cover the shadows of the past. As everyone works to heal and renew, Feyre finds that those closest to her have scars that run deeper than she ever predicted, scars that will have a lasting impression on their Court. 

I loved this book. I’ve been a big fan of Sarah J. Maas from the beginning, and this is no exception. I will admit, this book was not what I was expecting. The focus of this book is healing, and it’s fluffy and heart-warming rather than plot-driven. It was a nice change of pace and a good chance to explore how the characters interacted with each other when lives weren’t on the line and they were able to relax. This novella was intended to be a set-up for the next book, and it did its job well.  --Lindsey

In the highly anticipated sequel to Given to the Sea, we’re thrown back into the world of Stille. Khosa’s marriage to Vincent has made her Queen of Stille, and the people think she now controls the sea, but the sea still calls to Khosa, just as Khosa calls for Donil. While Khosa struggles in Stille, Dara crosses the island on a quest for vengeance. Her goal is to kill the leader of the Pietras as retribution for the massacre of the Indiri. With the steady rising of the tide, everyone is hard pressed to find a way out of this mess before its too late. 

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was nice to be back in this world, and I loved watching the characters continue to grow. I especially loved Dara’s storyline. She was incredibly raw and I love her dedication to the Indiri bloodline. Without giving too much away, I liked seeing how characters who had never met finally came face to face. Overall, I think it was a great book and I loved how the ending brought everything together.  -- Lindsey

The Sea Beast Takes a Lover is a collection of science fiction short stories. These stories explore a range of themes in a multitude of different settings. This book includes the tales of Jenny, the girl born without a head, and Andy, who will certainly explode, though no one knows when. These stories are playful and often just a little bit scary. These stories, though often set in unrelatable worlds, have something that everyone can relate to.

I really liked these stories. This is an adult book, so there is a bit of content that might not be appropriate for younger readers. There’s nothing graphic, but I would definitely recommend this for more mature readers. All of the stories are well written and interesting, but my favorite was the titular story, The Sea Beast Takes a Lover.--Lindsey