Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell ARC Review

This is a spoiler-free review! This is an ARC review - Boys with Sharp Teeth will be available on April 8, 2025. 

I would first like to thank NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. The premise of this book - and its gorgeous cover - drew me in immediately, and I was thrilled that a paranormal mystery would be making its way into my pile. This book does not waste any time in introducing the main character and the haunting reason on why she has enrolled in Huntsworth Academy. Right off the bat, I was reminded of how I felt when reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt - there was something sinister in the air, and you could tell that there were secrets hidden between the walls of this school and its students.

Marin has infiltrated this prestigious school in order to uncover her cousin's murderer, and in order to do so, she has enrolled under the alias Jamie Vane, and is quick to associate herself with the group of students she suspects of being guilty. With Henry, Adrian, and Baz at the top of her list, she begins her quest to gain evidence and confessions to the crime that took her cousin from her, all while trying not to tip them off or reveal her true identity. However, things are not as they seem at this school, and something much more unnerving has encompassed the lives of some of these students. As Marin grows closer to her peers, she unknowingly thrusts herself into a paranormal conundrum that has its talons in the very individuals she seeks answers from.

Henry and Adrian's relationship is so incredibly complex and as readers, we are able to see how co-dependent and intricate it is, even without necessarily having their perspectives throughout the book. We see their lives tethered together through Marin's eyes and the slow progression of Marin herself being weaved into their intimate and alluring dependency. My mind kept referring to the trio as the evil Challengers - everything from their interactions to their intimacies are convoluted and go well beyond the surface level. Adrian and Henry go in tandem with one another - where one is, the other follows - and this certainly causes some riffs as the story goes on and Marin develops differing relationships with the boys.

I fell in love with the setting of this book - Howell does an excellent job immersing the reader into the story and making you feel as though you are walking the halls or attending the parties with the students. The introduction of paranormal elements was a great choice - much like Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, we are able to enter a dark academia setting while experiencing something greater than mortal beings. This addition to the story only solidified my interest and captured me into the plot - we discover everything as Marin does, and it allows us to stay oblivious to the true nature of some of the students until the very moment the information is revealed and we are thrust into the mortifying truth.

Boys with Sharp Teeth was one of my most anticipated 2025 reads and it truly lived up to all of my expectations. Rarely do I see a young adult mystery that captures the true horrors of what people are capable of while also diving into the unknown and paranormal. This is the perfect book for those looking to ease into the genre without being overloaded with information. Howell's incorporation of Decartes and classical literature elevated the undertones of this novel to the fullest extent, and makes me even more excited to Meditations, which has been sitting on my shelf for a few months begging me to crack it open.

You can add Boys with Sharp Teeth on Goodreads now, and follow the authors to stay up to date on releases and publications.

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Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #2) by Maggie Stiefvater Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Almost 11 years later and I have returned to this series!! It appears freshman year high school me was very ambitious (and new to BookTube) and was reading everything in sight. I will admit, it took a few chapters to re-orient myself back into this series, but everything began to click back into place and came together. 

To be completely honest, every single time they mentioned werewolves, I could only think of Twilight - these wolves seem so opposite compared to others in literature. They are more "people turning into wolves" instead of "people shifting into wolves as they wish" - and considering the emotional toll it takes on these characters, I am glad they only have to deal with themselves and not any other supernatural creatures. The premise that the werewolves do not remember their time as wolves is honestly terrifying - I would never be able to cope with not knowing what happened for a number of months every single year.

Grace and Sam are attached at the hip and seem to be unable to spend a moment without each other - understandable considering what they have been through, and since they are teenagers, completely expected. Isabel's presence in this book was a point of annoyance for me - I just could not get into her character, and her perspective portions in this book were nowhere near as intriguing as Grace, Sam, or Cole's portions. I wish I could have enjoyed her involvement more, and Cole's inner battle throughout the book was a serious reality check for the rest of the characters.

There were a lot of moments in this book where I felt as though the pacing was suffering - too often I wanted to put the book down and I had to push myself through the slowing plot. That being said, the actual main plot of this installment was intriguing, and really picked up towards the end of the book. It is unfortunate that this reads more like a filler book rather than an load-bearing sequel. I wanted to see more come from this, and it simply fell flat in my opinion. I was hesitant on my opinion on Cole, but he warmed up to me by the end of the book and I found an appreciation in his character.

The last ten or so chapters were honestly the most intriguing part of this book, and this was essentially the only time that I was locked in and was ready to see what happened. Stiefavter's writing suffered mildly, more in the actual flow than in her characterizations. I hope to see the writing improve in the remainder of the series, but I can imagine that if it continues to follow this structure, the storytelling may be impacted negatively.

I do not have any particular attachment to these characters compared to characters of other series, but I am aiming to see this series through, whether it takes another eleven years or not. The idea of Cole and Isabel as a couple does not draw me further into the series, but does not exactly cause me to walk away either. Sam's characterization shows that he is able to be vulnerable in his life and honestly he seems like he would love to just bake bread all day and hang out with Grace. One day I will return to these books, but for now, I think I will take another break.

You can add Linger on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter (X), and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy, #1) by Adaline Winters Review

This review does not contain spoilers for Seducing Hope. A list of trigger warnings can be found on Goodreads. I would like to thank the author for reaching out to me to read this book! It is currently available for free on Kindle Unlimited.

Natia, our heroine, discovers that she is more than meets the eye when it comes to being human. While she may appear to be human, her family certainly has their fingers dipped into numerous supernatural pots. Told through first person, we as readers get the experience of being "talked to" by Natia -- she makes a lot of commentary to the reader in passing, and we see a lot of her inner monologue throughout the book.

We have multiple perspectives in this book -- Natia and Archan -- that show the world building and general tone for the story. My toxic trait is that I was rooting for something to happen between Natia and Archan in the beginning of the book because I was sensing some serious sexual tension in the room. The development of their relationship throughout the book is not rushed and has you curious about what is going to happen next -- will they or won't they?

The dynamic between Natia, Zee, Duncan, and Aaden is fun to read and provides a lot of context regarding their relationships with one another. You can tell that they all look out for Natia in their own, special way, while also driving her up a wall at any chance they get. They are all very protective of her, especially when it comes to her and Archan interacting with each other.

Winters does a great job establishing world-building while combining modern elements to a supernatural world. It is easy to understand and even when you are thrown right into the plot, you won't have a hard time following along and pick up the story with ease. I really enjoyed the incorporation of mythology and classics into the story -- the way that they are interwoven into the supernatural world Winters created was well done and as a fan of mythology, as I was pleased.

As the characters are on their own personal journeys, on multiple agendas, the "big bad" is eventually revealed to us and this is where we see the two opposing sides of the story start to come together. While secrets are still being kept, somewhat of a united front begins to take form between Natia's team and Archan's team as they search for supernatural beings and important objects.

There are numerous references to modern day songs, television shows, and movies, which is seen mostly through dialogue commentary from Natia and Duncan as banter and normal conversation. Normally, I try to stay away from books with references only because I like to separate my reading from my "daily life," but Winters does a fine job of keeping them at a moderate occurrence so they do not overpower the story she is telling.

This is definitely a great book for someone who wants to dip their toes into the supernatural genre. I had a lot of fun reading it, and the cliffhanger was great. The last quarter of the book is filled with lots of development and plot discovery, and I was restraining my eyes from going to the bottom of the page so I would not spoil anything ahead of time. I would recommend this series to fans of Blackmoon Beginnings by Kaitlyn Hoyt and Fighting Destiny by Amelia Hutchins -- you can read my review, here.

You can add Seducing Hope and the rest of the The Hope Legacy trilogy on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on publications and releases.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!