New Release Spotlight + Mini-Review: Extasia by Claire Legrand

Today I'm excited to share a spotlight for Claire Legrand's latest release: EXTASIA! Extasia is a new YA horror full of witches, cult-like elements, and a dark, foreboding atmosphere that will keep you hooked for every page. Below, you will find some information about the book and author, as well as a short review from me. 

ABOUT EXTASIA:
Author:  Claire Legrand - Website
Pub. Date: February 22nd
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 496
Find it: Amazon | Bookshop.org  

SYNOPSIS:

“From New York Times bestselling author Claire Legrand comes a new, bone-chilling YA horror novel about a girl who joins a coven to root out a vicious evil that's stalking her village. Perfect for fans of The Handmaid's Tale and The Grace Year. 

Her name is unimportant. 

All you must know is that today she will become one of the four saints of Haven. The elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will stand against the evil power that lives beneath the black mountain--an evil which has already killed nine of her village's men. 

She will tell no one of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. Or the faceless gray women tall as houses. Or the girls she saw kissing in the elm grove. 

Today she will be a saint of Haven. She will rid her family of her mother's shame at last and save her people from destruction. She is not afraid. Are you? 

This searing and lyrically written novel by the critically acclaimed author of Sawkill Girls beckons readers to follow its fierce heroine into a world filled with secrets and blood--where the truth is buried in lies and a devastating power waits, seething, for someone brave enough to use it."

 

Review:

You can't ever really have too many books about witches and religious cults, and Claire Legrand's latest book is a unique and welcome addition to this concept. In Extasia, we follow Amity, one of four girls soon to become a saint of Haven, a role that will essentially make her an outlet for the people of her religious sect to vent and confess their sins. This is a deeply sexist and difficult world to read about, and Legrand did an excellent job of creating a setting that was completely abhorrent and frustrating to read, a world where women are silenced and religion acts as a major oppressor. 

Extasia is a story of questioning what one has been taught and brought up with, and whether it can be worth it to keep questioning and looking for something different–even if that means the consequences for doing so will be dire. The atmosphere and setting of Extasia were both vividly created to the point that I could feel the apprehension and dread that seemed to ooze out of each page and scene. The characters were well-developed and I enjoyed getting to follow Amity on her intense, life-changing journey. And as you may have already seen in other excited reviews, we do indeed have some sapphic relationships that were the perfect additions to this story. 

If you're in need of some witchy horror, complete with intense cult-like religions and a disquieting atmosphere, then be sure to give Extasia a read. 

*I received a copy of Extasia in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my enjoyment of the nove.*

Review + Spotlight: Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: January 19th, 2021

Hardcover. 416 pages

About Amari and the Night Brothers:

"Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good.

 

So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.

 

Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.”

 

With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton."

Amari and the Night Brothers is an adventurous and magical new middle grade fantasy that I truly had a blast reading. This books takes some fairly common tropes, such as magical schools, the protagonist having amazing powers they weren't aware of, etc., and really does some exciting things with them that allowed this book to feel fresh and enjoyable. 

Amari struggles with fitting in at the private school that she has a scholarship to attend. She lives in the housing projects of Rosewood and is constantly reminded of that fact, not to mention the fact that her incredible older brother, Quentin, has disappeared and many people seem to act as if he simply went down the "wrong path" and chose to disappear rather than had something bad happen to him. Amari, however, doesn't buy that story and when given the opportunity to enter a world in which she could potentially find out what happened to her brother, she jumps at the chance and never lets up with trying to find out what happened. 

This determination that Amari exudes is one of my favorite things about her and I think she is a fantastic example of what it means to follow what you know is right and to stand up when necessary. Amari isn't perfect, she disobeys her mom and authority figures at times, but she also has an incredible heart and strength about her that sets her apart. I specifically remember one scene in which she has a knee-jerk reaction to immediately refuses even considering learning something dark and dangerous, which I think says a lot about her character as a whole in her efforts to do good and focus on helping others. She has to put up with a lot of types of bullying and hatred and prejudice, and I love how she learns about herself and others while doing this. 

The world-building of this book is so fun and is one of those that I can tell is just bursting at the seams and oozing with new details and depth. Because of this, there are times when it seemed as if Alston had so much he wanted to include that it ended up only being small snippets that never got fully developed and left me wanting more, but I do hope that more is explored and elaborated in subsequent books, as there is a lot of really great potential there. 

This book tackles so many great topics, the most prominent of which is prejudice. I love how Alston tackles this topic in so many varying ways, all of which developed a different aspect of how prejudice can and does affect people in different ways, as well as all of this often hidden forms it takes and how many people don't even realize it's happening when it does. 

The only real quibble I have with this book is that there were occasionally times where I felt as though some major revelations occurred or something momentous happened to the protagonist and everything was just accepted very quickly. There didn't always feel like there was enough questioning or confusion around things, which felt a little odd to me, but at the same time--if I may contradict myself--I sort of feel like doing this allowed the pacing and plot to keep moving quickly and will absolutely keep readers, especially young readers, engaged. It was something that stood out to me as a bit inconsistent and odd, but at the same time didn't really take away from my reading experience too much because I was still very much engaged with the story. 

Overall, it's an easy 4.25 stars from me! I cannot wait to see where B.B. Alston takes Amari next and I would highly recommend this to anyone that is a fan of exciting middle grade fantasy. 

*I received a copy of Amari and the Night Brothers courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the book.*

Buy the book: Amazon | IndieBound

 

About the author: 

 B.B. Alston started writing in middle school, entertaining his classmates with horror stories starring the whole class where not everyone survived! After several years of trying to break into publishing, he had just been accepted into a biomedical graduate program when a chance entry into a twitter pitch contest led to his signing with TBA, 20+ book deals worldwide, and even a film deal. When not writing, he can be found eating too many sweets and exploring country roads to see where they lead.

B.B. was inspired to write AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS because he couldn’t find any fantasy stories featuring Black kids when he was growing up. He hopes to show kids that though you might look different, or feeldifferent, whatever the reason, your uniqueness needn’t only be a source of fear and insecurity. There is great strength and joy to be found in simply accepting yourself for who you are. Because once you do so, you’ll be unstoppable.

Find B.B. Alston: Twitter | Instagram

 

Advance Praise:

 

“The author weaves magical whimsy with honest, realistically portrayed circumstances, allowing Amari’s literal #BlackGirlMagic to shine even when she doesn’t believe in herself. This timely, energetic, first-person narrative moves quickly with clear descriptions, a thrilling buildup, and strong messages about profiling. An impressive debut series opener.” 

—Kirkus Reviews

 

“Supernatural creatures are hidden in plain sight in B.B. Alston's exhilarating middle-grade fantasy debut...The definitive hook of this narrative is Alston's exceptional skill for world building....fans of the Harry Potter series will likely find much to enjoy in Alston's imaginary Bureau, which features significantly more authentic diversity than Rowling's Hogwarts. Amari stumbles into one capricious adventure after another en route to a stunning conclusion that also lays the track for a sequel to this breakout debut."

—Shelf Awareness

 

“An enchanting fantasy adventure filled with heart and soul. Amari is magical!”

—Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE HATE U GIVE

 

“As a former black girl misfit who wanted nothing more in the world than to be magical, this book is a song to my soul. Amari is the heroine we all need.”

—Nic Stone, #1 New York Times bestselling author of DEAR MARTIN

 

“Sharp, funny and brightly imaginative -- a big adventure filled with magic and heart.”

—Jessica Townsend, New York Times bestselling author of the Nevermoor series

 

"Clever, imaginative, and filled with heart. I loved every magical page."  

—J.C. Cervantes, New York Times bestselling author of THE STORM RUNNER

 

“Amari and the Night Brothers gives an electrifying jolt to middle-grade fantasy, that takes  the ingredients we know and love--strong-willed, relatable protagonist, a worthy quest,  and a thrilling magical portal--and makes them fresh and new. From the first pages, Amari  is at once self-possessed and an underdog, battling racism, bias and poverty, all later  mirrored in her efforts to find her brother inside the fantastical labyrinth of the Bureau of  Supernatural Affairs. Funny, fast-paced, and ultimately moving, B.B. Alston's debut is a  rousing success and kicks off a series that will truly stand out from the rest!”  

—Soman Chainani, author of the bestselling The School for Good and Evil series

 

"The surprises and story never slow down for a minute in this magical, astonishing world,  with a heroine who’s like Buffy meets Meg Murry multiplied by Shuri to the power of  awesome. I want to live in Amari’s world and watch her save it (or have her come here and  save ours!)!"

—Tui Sutherland, bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series

Children's Book Spotlight: Touch the Earth by Julian Lennon

by Julian Lennon 

(recording artist, environmental activist, and Grammy Award nominee)

Sky Pony Press hardcover, also available as an ebook

On Sale: April 11, 2017 | ISBN: 978-1-5107-2083-1

Price: $17.99 | 40 pages | Ages 3–6

About the Touch the Earth (from the publisher):


From internationally known singer, songwriter, and environmental activist Julian Lennon—along with New York Times bestselling author Bart Davis and beloved Croatian illustrator Smiljana Coh—comes TOUCH THE EARTH, an inspiring and lyrical story about how children can change the word and make it a better place.

In this debut picture book, readers will jump aboard the White Feather Flier, a magical plane that can go wherever you want, just point it up in the air, or down into the water. The White Feather Flier’s mission is to take children to places all over the world, engage them in helping to save the environment, and teach them how to keep it clean for future generations.

A passion project that comes from the heart, this stunningly illustrated book is inspired by the white feather he was given by his father when he was young. TOUCH THE EARTH is the first in a planned trilogy of similarly-themed picture books, and each will be released one year apart on Earth Day. A thrilling interactive experience à la Press Here, readers will participate in the action by pushing buttons within the book to help “fly the plane.”

Lennon has written an original poem to accompany the release of this legacy book, and all proceeds will be donated to the White Feather Foundation.

Blurbs about Touch the Earth:

“When a book takes you on an adventure, it’s a good thing and allows you to think about something in a new way. When a book also reminds us how to treat what we have, it’s even better because it’s a win win. That’s exactly what Julian has done with his book. . . . He’s given us a win win.” —Whoopi Goldberg

“I’ve always admired Julian Lennon’s singing, because for all he has seen of the world, his melodies contain such childlike wonder . . . his words, too. Buy this book, and his words turn into actions.” —Bono

My thoughts:

When I was contacted by Sky Pony Press about Touch the Earth, I was excited to have the opportunity to check out such a unique and beautiful book. This is a truly adventurous, one-of-a-kind reading experience that I highly recommend to anyone with young children in their lives. Touch the Earth is a wonderfully interactive way to teach kids about the importance of the earth and protecting the environment. The book itself becomes a plane of sorts that urges kids to press the 'buttons' and direct the plane in various directions. It's a ton of fun--definitely check this one out. :)

About the Authors and Illustrator:

Julian Lennon (author) is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, photographer, documentarian, and philanthropist. Born in Liverpool, England, Lennon is an observer of life in all its forms developing his personal expression through his artistic endeavors. In 2007, Lennon founded the global environmental and humanitarian organization The White Feather Foundation whose key initiatives are education, health, conservation, and the protection of indigenous culture.

Bart Davis (author) is an international bestselling author of novels and nonfiction books. His most recent is Black and White—The Way I See It, the biography of Richard Williams, father of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams. He has also written two feature films and a wide range of print articles. Davis lives in New York City.

Smiljana Coh (illustrator)is an artist who studied film animation and combines traditional and digital illustration techniques in her work. She has illustrated thepicture books I Want to Be a Ballerina and wrote and illustrated The Seven Princesses. She lives in Croatia and can be found online at cohillustration.com.

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