Some great sneak peeks of upcoming books. The one that really surprised me was Lord of the Fly Fest. I wasn’t sure from the description, (normally I wouldn’t want to read about being stranded on an island) but the main character has such a funny, fresh voice that really drew me in.

Thanks to Fierce Reads and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this exciting new sampler. Quality titles are especially important for young adults and youth librarians. I am excited to read these excerpts.

This was a fun way to get acquainted with upcoming Fall 2022 young adult literature! Great selection and some exciting books to come.
Thank you to NetGalley for this DRC.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing us an early peak at all of these exciting titles to come! I'm lucky enough to have been approved for full eARCs of The Princess of Souls, The Sunbearer Trials, and Strike the Zither!

I seriously can’t wait to read STOLEN CITY, THE SUNBEARER TRIALS, SELF-MADE BOYS and STRIKE THE ZITHER! I’ve already read AFTERLOVE and WE DESERVE MONUMENTS, both of which I highly recommend!

Amazing collection of diverse titles!

I want to thank NetGalley and Fierce Reads for this opportunity to sample so many books I might have not heard about otherwise. I was blown away by the creativity and character building within each of these novels and have added many of them to my TBR. I eagerly await their release! More detailed reviews for each book below:

Lord of the Fly Fest
Lord of the Fly Fest wastes no time on exposition and puts us straight into the chaos. It’s an interesting premise, with clear similarities to the ill fated Fyre Festival, but its pop culture references are a little too on the nose. Execution will be key for this modern day Lord of the Flies.

The Sunbearer Trials
I can already tell this one’s going to be perfect for fans of Percy Jackson. With a whole new magic system inspired by Mexican culture, readers can get excited to immerse themselves in this whole new world of demigods and adventure.

Self-Made Boys
I didn’t think I would be interested in this one, but apparently I have more fondness for the Great Gatsby than I initially thought. Modern day social consciousness is cleverly folded into the original setting, and I’m curious to find out how much of the story is kept and how much of it is changed.

Stolen City
I have no idea what this book is going to be about, but I already love it. The world feels very new and intriguing, and the characters are distinct and well written. I’ll be on the lookout for the full book for sure.

Afterlove
The opening of the book is very interesting, and quite dark. The main character is quite intriguing, but I’d have to read more to form an opinion. Not hooked, yet (though this also isn’t my usual genre).

Princess of Souls
This is shaping up to be a tension-packed enemies to lovers, complete with a captive “princess” and evil tyrant. Despite the interesting premise, however, the cover isn’t doing this book any favors. I’ll have to finally check out To Kill A Kingdom as I wait for this one.

We Are the Scribes
I had no idea what to expect going into this sample, but I already want more. The emotions–grief, powerlessness, frustration, anger–can be felt bubbling beneath the surface of the book’s beautiful prose, and I already know this will be a powerful novel for our times.


Strike the Zither
I was most excited to read this book, and the sample did not disappoint. I love a good historical retelling with strong female main characters, and cannot wait for the full release. A must read for fans of Xiran Jay Zhao and Chloe Gong.

We Deserve Monuments
There’s something about going back to our childhood home that tears down the walls and carefully curated images we build for ourselves. We Deserve Monuments is already shaping up to be a heart wrenching read about family, identity, and love in all its forms.

House of Yesterday
This book was a little too spooky for me.

A good sampler of upcoming reads! I enjoyed getting to view a little of these books before they come out.

I wanted to check out the samples for The Sunbearer Trials and Strike the Zither, and they did not disappoint! I have pre-ordered both books.

The Fierce Reads spring sampler is very dangerous to my TBR! I’m very excited to read Strike the Zither, because I love Joan He’s work. Anna-Marie McLemore is also one of my favorite writers and I am very excited to read Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix. I had not previously heard about Afterlove, but I felt drawn in by the cover alone. Princess of Souls was also intriguing- I will definitely be following up on all the books in the sampler! Thank you so much to Fierce Reads/Macmillan’s Children Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read the sampler in exchange for honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fierce Reads for this sampler!

I love samplers, it s a great way to see what’s upcoming and a chance to potentially try something new that I normally wouldn’t read. Out of this sampler, I’ve already read Afterlove by Tanya Byrne and it was excellent. I’m most intrigued by Strike the Zither (which I currently have an eARC for!) by Joan He and Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo. I’ll probably end up reading all of them at some point as I did like each chapter sample I read.

Thank you again NetGalley and Fierce Reads!

I absolutely love the sneak peeks and samplers! What a great way to decide if you want to read a book. I really enjoyed all these samples. I was slightly confused by the sample for the SunBearer Trials - I loved the sample and really want to read the story. However as I’m reading the sample the main character is talking to someone about the trials and then suddenly the next paragraph is about the layout of an area and then there is a fire presumably and the character presumably goes to save someone. The switch between the conversation and fire was jarring so I’m hoping it was a glitch with the sample or a page was missing? Otherwise the author should have thought of a better way to lead into that that doesn’t feel like you’re missing a paragraph or page because context is missing. Regardless I still plan on reading a majority of these in full once they are released now that I’ve read the samples. I appreciate the samples because they help me find books I likely wouldn’t have chosen for myself otherwise! Thank you NetGalley and FierceReads for the early opportunity!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Fierce Reads for this sampler. This in no way changed my opinions or ratings**

I love samplers because it allows me to try a bunch of books quickly to decide ahead if a book is one I'm interested in, aside from the synopsis. This sampler has some highly anticipated reads for me, as well as some I hadn't heard of. The titles included:

-Lord of the Fly Fest by Goldy Moldavsky (August 30)
-The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas (September 6)
-Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore (September 6)
-Stolen City by Elisa S. Bonnin (September 20)
-Afterlove by Tanya Byrne (September 27)
-Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo (October 11)
-We Are the Scribes by Randi Pink (October 18)
-Strike the Zither by Joan He (October 25)
-We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds (November 29)
-House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur (November 29)

I've broken down thoughts on each title to better help with this review:

Lord of the Fly Fest:
-Lord of the Flies mixed with that Fyre Fest documentary; YA Thriller
-Mixed group of cast aways. I initially thought maybe it was "Lord of the Flies, but with girl cast aways." There's a mix of everyone.
-One group of "normals", one group of influencers. The influencers are lead by a guy named Jack and they are definitely the choir group from the original book.
-replaced the conch shell with a microphone
-Added this to my TBR

The Sunbearer Trials:
-YA High Fantasy/Mythology; LGBT; Part of a Series
-This was one of the ones I downloaded the sampler for
-Teo is a semidiós who's mother is Quetzal, the goddess of birds
-the sunbearer trials are a Hunger Games like ritual that occurs every 10 years to keep the sun fueled and ensure the "safety of the world for the next 10 years"
-This one had a glitch where a page was missing, but I still enjoyed it
-Added this to my TBR

Self-Made Boys:
-YA Retelling of the Great Gatsby
-I had heard of this one, but had ZERO interest in it because I don't like the Great Gatsby even a little bit.
-Nick and Daisy are Latinx in this one; Daisy is passing as white and has changed her last name, which I find interesting as a biracial person
-Nick and Jay are both trans men
- I think the writing was good but there were inconsistent color descriptions that annoyed me (ex. pg 1. "leaf-green light." pg. 2 "lemon-meringue light" pg. 3 "leaf-filtered light". Just pick one. Those aren' t the same color. There's another where the lake is described as blue and then green in the SAME SENTENCE)
-...I'm mad that I liked this enough to want to read it 😂

Stolen City:
-YA Fantasy
-Heist book
-At least 3 POV characters. I hope it's not much more than that, or it will be too much
-Island setting with 2 sides (I believe the Imperial Quarter and Leithon?)
-It was interesting. I added it to my TBR

Afterlove:
-YA Contemporary; LGBT
-The between pages ("Before", "After") have those moths with the skulls on them on the page, which makes me wonder if they'll become symbolic
-Seems to have a UK setting
-Ashana is Indian; didn't really get a back story on Alice, but I felt it was implied she's white
-It seems like Ashana becomes a reaper and Alice might be dead or dying?
-Did not add to my TBR; there wasn't enough of a hook in the sampler to make me want to read more

Princess of Souls:
YA Fantasy; Rapunzel Retelling
-Selestra is a witch who can tell when someone will die or kill them with a lock of hair; She's bonded to the king but doesn't have full access to her power until her mother dies
-Nox is a soldier and the love interest (?)
-The king has face tattoos, so all I could picture was a mean version of Post Malone 💀
-Some of the characters sound like they look horrifying. Ex. Selestra has "snake eyes", "pale skin", and "clover-green hair".
-Did not add to my TBR: I didn't love the other book by Christo I read and this didn't change my mind

We Are the Scribes:
-YA Contemporary/Historical Fiction mix w/ a supernatural slant (?)
-Ruth's sister dies in the first chapter and she becomes tasked with "writing the movement" (Social Justice movement) by her sister and, it's implied, Harriet Jacobs
-I didn't think going into this that I would be into this, but the writing was great. I will probably read this!

Strike the Zither:
-YA Fantasy/Retelling
-I had requested this title prior to the sampler
-Gives me kind of similar writing vibes to Iron Widow, which was exciting
-Main character is a war strategist and might have panic/anxiety disorder (mentions that she has "breathing attacks"); She's lost her sister
-Still want to read this one! I can't wait until November!

We Deserve Monuments:
-YA Contemporary; LGBT
-I had requested this title prior to the sampler
-Avery is moving from DC to Georgia to help her grandmother, who has cancer
-I HATE the grandma already. She was super rude for no reason
-The writing was really well done and I'm still excited to read this one

House of Yesterday:
-YA Contemporary (Maybe Gothic Horror/Ghost Story?)
-The main character, Sara, is Afghan. The cover does not feel reflective of this. I thought the main character was white based on the cover. I would like the cover to better reflect the character's description.
-Book is set in long island
-Parents are separated; Sara lives with her Madar and grandmother, Bibi jan, who has dementia
-She's a photographer; Mom flips houses for a job, and so Sara photographs the houses for before and after shots
-She sees a ghost of her grandmother as a young woman in this weird house
-Probably won't read; Ghost books aren't my jam, but I did like the writing on this one. Even in the first chapter, I could tell that Sara and her Bibi jan have a great and touching relationship, so if gothic stories are your thing, this might be for you!

Absolutely good samplers here and I enjoyed what was in here! Hoping to check out the books in full when available.

Thank you so much for the sampler! Several of the titles I hadn’t heard of so it was good to get a glimpse of them. I’m most excited for The Sunbearer Trials, Afterlove and House of Yesterday.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for the samples.

More samples like this!! I absolutely loved having a sample of each of these books to read early. It not only kept me excited while I wait, but really helped me narrow down what I might really enjoy.

All of these covers are gorgeous and congratulations to the authors and publishers on your upcoming releases.

Thanks for the opportunity to read these snippets!

Obsessed with some of the titles in the fall 2022 digital sampler. Lord of the Flyfest is outstanding and really draws you in. Sunbearer Trials is also a standout. Looking forward to reading the complete novels.

This sampler has so many amazing books that I absolutely cannot wait to read! I’m especially excited about Lord of the Flyfest and Self-Made Boys, retellings of two of my favorite classics!

Lord of the Flyfest is a fun and modern take on Lord of the Flies with some true crime/thriller vibes, the excerpt drew me in immediately!

Self-Made Boys is a trans retelling of The Great Gatsby, and I have been looking forward to this book for more than a year! I’ve LOVED every McLemore book I’ve read, and Gatsby is one of my favorite books of all time, so I absolutely can’t wait for its pub date!

So excited to check out the rest of these books - thanks for the samplers, NetGalley and Macmillan!

There are some books here that I’ve had my eyes on always like: Strike the Zither by Joan He, but there are a few surprises in here that I’m adding to my anticipated reads list!

Lord of The Fly Fest by Goldy Moldavsky: I love the author voice and the thread of humor running through the prose.

Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas: right away I was fascinated by the world of gods and goddesses and the mischief making of Teo.

We are Scribes by Randi Pink: drew me in completely, I can already tell that this is the beginning of a compelling tale.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the samples, definitely will be checking these titles out!

I love the Fierce Reads samplers to get a taste of upcoming books I'm anticipating, ones I'm curious about, and ones I haven't heard of. There were several of each in this edition.

Lord of the Fly Fest - This is one I hadn't heard of, and I'm not completely sold on it, but I must admit to being rather intrigued by the sample. I'm guessing from the name it's a remix of Lord of the Flies (which I haven't read) using that festival scam scandal as inspiration. I'm not really into festivals or influencers or celebrities -- which is why I'm sorta intrigued by the main character because she really doesn't seem to be either. I probably won't seek it out, but if it were to fall on my head (read: appear at my library) then I'd read it out of curiosity.

Sunbearer Trials - Gorgeous cover, but I think this is one I'm gonna pass on (which shows why these samplers are useful because I was totally gonna request and/or preorder it). It reads a little younger than I typically like and it reminds me so far a lot of TJ Klune's The Extraordinaries. Which, to be fair, I did enjoy, but I have limited reading time and an overflowing TBR already.

Self-Made Boys - I love Anna-Marie McLemore's writing, and I love the remixed classics series, and I love the Great Gatsby - especially queer versions of it that have been coming out lately. Needless to say, I've been highly anticipating this one. I'm so happy to get a sneak peek and thrilled that it's just as beautifully written as I'd hoped. Definitely preordering this one.

Stolen City - hmmm. I'm all for stories about thieves and rebels and magic, but this one seems to rely heavily on vague capitalized words. the Imperials. the Resistance. the Imperial Quarter. the Weavers. Not enough to write it off, but enough to give me pause. The rest of the sample is good, though, and drew me in. I maybe won't seek it out, but I won't turn it down if it comes my way.

Afterlove - definitely an intriguing start, with too many questions and answers spread out grudgingly. Not really my type of story, though. Too sad, for one.

Princess of Souls - the magic is intriguing, but the story didn't really draw me in.

We are the Scribes - this looks like it will be heartbreaking and beautiful. It sucked me in from the start, making me instantly sympathize with the main character. I would definitely read it, but would make sure to be emotionally fortified first.

Strike the Zither- Maybe not a story I would seek out, but one I would definitely read. I did feel a bit removed from the characters / situation. I don't know if that would change as the story continued. I'm intrigued by the synopsis though and willing to give it a shot.

We Deserve Monuments - Vivid writing with details that paint the scene effortlessly. I was immediately invested.

House of Yesterday - Vivid and intense. Not my sort of story I think, but looks sure to be gripping.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this sampler, I'm so excited for all of these!! Will definitely be requesting the Great Gatsby Remix as well as the Sunbearer Trials