MY DARK VANESSA BY KATE ELIZABETH RUSSELL // BOOK REVIEW

Mabuhay, friends! Today, we are going to talk about a book that addresses child sexual and emotional abuse. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell is a realistic and uncomfortable novel. It explores the life of Vanessa who had been groomed and raped by her English teacher, and how this trauma was deeply repressed as …

WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH BY ELIZABETH ACEVEDO // a daring coming-of-age novel

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclaimer policy for more info. WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH BY ELIZABETH ACEVEDO Ever since she got pregnant, seventeen-year-old Emoni's life has been about making the tough decisions - doing what has to be done for her young daughter and her grandmother. Keeping her head down at school, trying …

MY FATE ACCORDING TO THE BUTTERFLY BY GAIL D. VILLANUEVA|| AN QUIET BOOK ABOUT SUPERSTITIONS, FAMILY LOYALTY, AND RECOVERY

I am so loving all the new books with brown girls on the covers! Today, I bring you a book written by a Filipino author about the drug war in the Philippines from the perspective of a ten-year-old girl. It might seem like a scary story to tell (and it is!) but Gail D. Villanueva …

BOOK REVIEW: SOMETHING LIKE GRAVITY BY AMBER SMITH

Today, I bring you a cutesy summer read from Amber Smith about young love and vulnerability. I have been wanting to read Amber Smith's books for a long while now so I am grateful for the chance I got to review an actual hardback copy of the book! SOMETHING LIKE GRAVITY BY AMBER SMITH Chris …

PATRON SAINTS OF NOTHING BY RANDY RIBAY: A SOUL-SEARING STORY OF LONGING, REGRET, AND IDENTITY IN A HOME THAT IS STRANGE AND YET FAMILIAR

When I read a book with Asian characters, I still find that I have trouble relating because although these characters were Asian, their experiences differed greatly from the Filipino experience. So reading about these characters, while making me happy, still felt like watching events happen from afar. But with its first line of Patron Saints …