Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton (★★★★☆½)

The backstabbing ballerina duology that began with Tiny Pretty Things has come to a close. Who will score prestigious spots with the American Ballet Company, and what will they do to get them? Get ready for more drama, even more questionable choices and plenty of bad YA parenting.

Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke (★★★☆☆½)

I didn’t know what to expect from Wink Poppy Midnight, but the beyond gorgeous cover gave me high hopes. Unfortunately, while Tucholke writes magical realism beautifully, the plot was severely lacking, and there were several points in the story I couldn’t help but wonder: where is this even going?

Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes (★★★☆☆½)

As far as Alice in Wonderland adaptations go, Queen of Hearts is a less than perfect attempt at a Wonderland prequel. Totally lacking the whimsy of its original source material, Queen of Hearts suffers from unlikable one-dimensional characters, a human Cheshire Cat (WHY!?!) and a rambling plot.

The Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente (★★★★☆½)

In the penultimate Fairyland book, author Catherynne M. Valente turns the series on its head, moving away from main character September for an entire story about a troll named Hawthorne who is taken from Fairyland to grow up in Chicago. It shouldn’t work. But you know what? It totally does!

Charlie the Choo-Choo by Beryl Evans (★★★☆☆½)

The fictional Dark Tower children’s book Charlie the Choo-Choo has been brought to life, and I’m pretty sure it’s a love story about a man and his train. Perfect for fans of the Dark Tower series — or so I’m told — as a standalone book, Charlie the Choo-Choo is an eerily illustrated children’s book from the mind of Stephen King which wasn’t creepy enough for my taste.

The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine (★★★★☆½)

What if the chosen one wasn’t actually the chosen one? In this brand new fantasy series, future queen Elli is horrified to learn that the prophecy about her incredible magical prowess is entirely wrong. While I loved the beginning and end of the novel, I’m having trouble being excited for the second book in the series, which follows completely new characters and sports a very unexciting cover.

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (★★★★☆)

The sequel to Illuminae features a brand new set of characters but the same experimental premise. Once again told through chat logs and security footage, Gemina adds another intriguing element: illustrations from its brand new heroine Hanna. Even though I don’t think Gemina is nearly as strong as its predecessor, I ended up falling head-over-heels in love with Hanna and Nik.

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2016 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Books Read This Month: 1
Totals: 35/27

• The Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente

2016 New Release Challenge

Books Read This Month: 5
Totals: 44/14

• Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton
• Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke
• Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
• The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine
• Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

2016 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge

Series Caught Up On This Month: 4
Totals: 31/14

• Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton (Shiny Broken Pieces)
  
• Queen of Hearts Saga by Colleen Oakes (Queen of Hearts)
• The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine  (The Impostor Queen)
• The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (Gemina)

2016 Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge

Books Read This Month: 4
Totals: 24/10

• Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke
• Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
• The Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente
• The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine

2016 Horror Reading Challenge

Books Read This Month: 1
Totals: 12/7

• Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff