John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

Touching on the timeless battle between blood and loyalty, Return to Cursed Canyon by Samuel Ludke is an emotional, action-packed glimpse into the contentious past. A young Native American boy embarks on an identity-shaping journey through grief and growth, trying desperately to reckon with a life torn between two warring worlds. Pulling readers back to the 19th century, and the uncertain aftermath of the Civil War, this sensitively penned, character-driven novel is a stirring American reflection and a powerful reminder that the lessons of history echo in every generation.

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Zan Safra plunges readers back in time to a golden age of mystery and monsters with Children of the Night, a harrowing but immersively entertaining work of YA historical horror. Safra captures a gothic atmosphere remarkably well, adding to the mythology for some of literature’s most iconic creatures, while weaving a gripping story of friendship, duty, and determination – even to save those who may see you as a monster. At times, the prose is choppy, and the first-person perspective keeps the descriptions and narration somewhat limited, but this memorable novel is enveloping – dark and ominous, while still reading […]

Capturing the energy, pace, and vibrancy of life in Brazil, Rik Stone delivers a thrilling underworld adventure in A Destiny to Die For. Angelita is a smart and savvy hustler who knows how to survive on the edge of danger, but once she finds a stash of drugs worth a life-changing amount of money, the danger on the wrong side of that edge comes looking for her. Written from Angelita’s colorful perspective, the dialogue and character interactions are believable, while some of the confessional moments feel painfully torn from lived experience. With rich descriptive passages, a vividly depicted setting, […]

A powerful and philosophic approach to self-improvement, overcoming trauma, and finding new direction after disappointment, Change. Self Heal. One Day It Just Clicks by Minii Begum is the kind of book that everyone needs at some point in their lives. Part self-help book and part spiritual reprogramming guide, the wisdom contained in this read is straightforward, but there is also greater depth and meaning that could take readers years to fully understand their complexity. As is true of the title, there is some awkwardness in the prose, as well as repetitive sentence structures and occasionally redundant or restated ideas. On […]