You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne: A Graphic Novel Review

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You and Me on Repeat by Mary ShyneIf Chris O’Brien can share a perfect first kiss with his crush, Andy, he’s sure that he can finally break the time loop that has had him repeating his high school graduation day … well … repeatedly. It makes pefect sense to Chris since Andy is a great girl but she’s been weirdly hesitant about taking their relationship to the next level. Surely, this is the thing to break the loop.

Except Chris keeps fumbling the actual kiss.

Then there’s the fact that Alicia Ochoa has been stuck in this loop for much longer. The nerdy valedictorian is running out of ways to break the monotony of the loop even with chasing fleeting internet fame, dramatic mic drops at graduation, and avoiding all of her baggage with Chris.

Former friends who grew apart when Chris chose the cool crowd and swim team, now Chris and Alicia have to work together if they want to make it through graduation and move onto whatever comes next in You and Me on Repeat (2025) by Mary Shyne.

Find it on Bookshop.

You and Me on Repeat is Shyne’s debut graphic novel. It was a finalist for the 2026 Morris Award. Chris is white and Alicia is latine with additional diversity in the supporting cast. Shyne’s monochrome illustrations make use of color throughout to convey the passage (or lack thereof) of time with flashbacks in blue and different iterations of the time loop going through the rainbow.

Moving through the time loop gives both Chris and Alicia ample space to contemplate their previous friendship, the reasons they grew apart, and what should come next. While Chris is desperate to get out of the time loop as quickly as possible, Alicia is less sure about moving forward with a future mired in responsibilities that include numerous family obligations that haven’t given her much room to think about her individual wants and hopes.

While Chris and Alicia are fully-realized characters, their chemistry as a couple doesn’t always translate well onto the page with both characters lashling out meanly at certain points in the story. Motivations for other secondary characters can feel similarly opaque alongside a frustrating lack of consequences for Mr. Landau–a teacher described in the story as cultivating inappropriate relationships with his students.

Shyne’s impressive artwork makes excellent use of colorwork to convey time and place within a restricted palette. Varied panels and page design create dynamic spreads filled with movement–especially as Chris and the swim team help Alicia craft a viral video during one graduation day. The depiction of adult characters is also somewhat confusing with many seeming much older than their stated ages (Chris’s coach is born in 1988 but looks more like a senior citizen than her actual 37 years assuming the book is set in 2025 when the story is first published).

You and Me on Repeat is a visually stunning time loop story where Shyne’s artwork shines while reminding readers of the value of taking things one day at a time (whether that day is being repeated or not).

Possible Pairings: Dreamover by Dani Diaz, Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield, Tripping Over You by Suzana Harcum, A Star Brighter Than the Sun by Kazune Kawahara, Hitomi-Chan is Shy With Strangers by Chorisuke Natsumi, The Kiss Bet by Ingrid Ochoa, The Do-Over by Lynn Painter, See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Flip by Ngozi Ukazu, Fall in Love You False Angels by Coco Uzuki

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*

The Cuffing Game by Lyla Lee: A Review

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that when there is a hot person, there is also someone with a crush on them.

The Cuffing Game by Lyla LeeBeing the girl with a plan has served Mia Yoon well. She got a full scholarship to her dream film school, she has a four year plan for her classes, and she’s ready to produce her first show at Marlon University. Everything is right on track with the added bonus of distracting her from her incredibly frustrating crush on Noah Jang.

Noah Jang loves film school; it was the logical next step after years of creating short form videos for his popular social media channel. He doesn’t understand why the school voted him “most eligible student bachelor” but he knows it’s good for his brand the same way being part of his fraternity is even if Noah doesn’t have much use for all of the campus parties.

In class, Mia and Noah argue back and forth constantly–much to their professor’s dismay. But, even if Mia hates to admit it, with his campus celebrity status Noah might also be the key to getting her show from ideation to actual production. With Noah’s promotion and the support of her friends on the production crew Campus Crush is quickly rebranded as The Cuffing Game and set to film over winter break.

With a tight schedule, themed competitions, and lots of personalities, the show has everything fans love from good reality TV. But as Mia and Noah get closer behind-the-scenes it also has a lot of backstage drama. As Noah’s dates get more romantic and Mia is watching it all unfold behind the camera, will Noah and Mia have a chance at their own happy ending before the final credits roll? in The Cuffing Game (2025) by Lyla Lee.

Find it on Bookshop.

Lee’s latest standalone YA novel is an homage to reality TV and film wrapped up in a refreshingly modern remix of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Chapters alternate between Mia and Noah’s perspectives with transcriptions between chapters of footage from the show including cast interviews. Mia is Korean American by way of Texas while Noah is a Korean emigrant with family still residing in South Korea. The supporting cast is realistically and authentically inclusive with characters from a variety of social and ethnic backgrounds as well as across the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

The show-within-the-book adds another layer to the story as readers are able to read Noah and Mia’s reactions to how the show progresses (particularly with Noah and Mia’s roommate Celine who has been crushing on Noah and nominates him for the show) while also seeing how the audience feels about the show in included comments as each episode airs online. This combination leads to social commentary worthy of Austen herself as societal expectations and interpersonal relationships are turned upside down again and again as the show’s “cuffles” change for better or worse throughout the week of production. With both protagonists learning how to be vulnerable and feel their feelings, Mia and Noah have to figure out how to love themselves throughout the novel even as they navigate their changing feelings for each other.

Filled with wintry vibes and snowy landscapes, The Cuffing Game is inherently cozy and always keeps its teen audience in mind. While there is plenty of romance it is grounded in scenarios that are developmentally relevant and authentic to actual teen readers. The resolution of various side plots is also handled gently at every level (Noah’s big confrontation with this novel’s version of Wickham ends with a dance-off that occurs off page).

The Cuffing Game is enthusiastic, cheerful, and so fun on every level. A must read for romance readers and not to be missed by Austenites.

Possible Pairings: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan, Lemons and Lies by Alexis Castellanos, Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao, Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc, 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston, Even if it Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn, Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller by Meredith Ireland, Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood, Solving for the Unknown by Loan Le, Make My Wish Come True by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick, I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm by Mariama J. Lockington, The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss by Amy Noelle Parks,  Being Mary Bennet by JC Peterson, The Boy You Always Wanted by Michelle Quach, Accomplished: A Georgie Darcy Novel by Amanda Quain, Class Act by Kelsey Rodkey, See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Emiko by Chieri Uegaki, Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon, Alien, Barbie, Cabin in the Woods, The Kardashians, Lamb, Love is Blind, Love Island, Oppenheimer, Roman Holiday, A Star is Born (2018), Selling Sunset, Singin’ in the Rain, Tangled 

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*

We Could Be Magic by Marissa Meyer, illustrated by Joelle Murray: A Graphic Novel Review

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We Could Be Magic by Marissa Meyer, illustrated by Joelle MurrayTabitha Laurie loves the Sommerland theme park with her whole heart. Even though her parents divorced when she was little, Tabi has always been able to look to Winda Sommers’ characters to restore her faith in true love. After seeing the magic of Sommerland firsthand, Tabi’s dream is finally coming true with a coveted summer internship at Sommerland at the end of high school. While the dorms aren’t quite as magical as she’d imagined, Tabi is so ready to do her part to help make magical memories for a new generation of park visitors.

Tabi knows she has everything it takes to be one of Sommerland’s most competitive park jobs as a princess. The only problem is that all of Sommerland’s princesses are thin and Tabi isn’t. Now, instead of meeting guests and participating in the daily performances and parades, Tabi is relegated to the nacho food stand–one of the worst jobs for park interns. She doesn’t even get a cute uniform!

With hard work and perseverance, Tabi is determined to make her dreams of being a princess come true. She just needs to convince park management to look beyond her size with a little help from her friends, a new crush, and her own dose of Sommerland magic in We Could Be Magic (2025) by Marissa Meyer, illusrated by Joelle Murray.

Find it on Bookshop.

We Could Be Magic is Meyer’s first graphic novel and features full-color illustrations by Joelle Murray. The story centers Tabi, a Black girl, and features a supporting cast with a variety of skin tones.

From the first page, Tabi’s enthusiasm and affection for Sommerland is infectious. Her fondness for the park and its characters imbues the story making it easy to believe that Sommerland is real and to easily follow the quick world building to establish the park ecosystem. Meyer has written a story that is inherently kind where, given the full length of the book, everything will work out for Tabi and her friends. Murray’s illustrations are beautifully detailed with an inviting palette of soft colors and intricate line work.

A rocky start with a failed princess audition, placement at the infamous nacho stand, and obnoxious comments about her size from some of the other park interns only strengthens Tabi’s resolve to not just succeed but thrive at Sommerland. An evolving friendship with her initially prickly roommate Kyra and support (and light romance!) with park expert James add additional layers to the story.

We Could Be Magic is a gentle story where dreams can come true with hard work and optimism–and sometimes that can feel just a bit like magic

Possible Pairings: Lifetime Passes by Terry Blas, Claudia Aguirre (Illustrator), Nerdcrush by Alisha Emrich, It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood, Mall Goth by Kate Leth, Diana Sousa (colorist), and Robin Crank (lettering), You Belong Here by Sara Phoebe Miller, Morgan Beem (illustrator), Ready or Not by Andi Porretta, Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks, Zoe Rosenthal is Not Lawful Good by Nancy Werlin, Navigating With You by Jeremy Whitley, Casio Ribeiro (Artist), Nikki Fox (Letterer), Micah Myers (Letterer), Love, Decoded by Jennifer Yen

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard: A Review

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The Executioners Three by Susan DennardFreddie Gellar didn’t plan to get half the student body of Fortin Prep boarding school arrested. She was simply being responsible when she heard screaming in the woods. Just like any normal person would.

Unfortunately for the Fortin Prep students the police descend on a party rife with underage drinking. Fortunately for Freddie’s school, Berm High this gives them a major edge in the years-long prank war with Fortin Prep.

Deemed a local prank wizard, Freddie is more than willing to take credit for the genius move when it means she has an in with the popular crowd and, dazzingly, with her crush. No one except Freddie’s best friend Divya has to know why she really called the cops as the two girls join the inner circle of Berm High’s prank planners.

While Freddie schemes for ways to best the annoyingly capable Fortin Prep prank captain Theo, it soon becomes clear that something is very wrong in City-on-the-Berme Village Historique. It starts with a dead body in the woods. Then there’s a creepy poem in the town archives and even creepier happenings throughout the town. That isn’t counting Theo’s horrifying taste in boy bands or the way that Freddie might disastrously be falling for the enemy.

As an aspiring detective, Freddie knows it’s her duty to get the bottom of what’s happening in her town–especially before it can interfere with the annual festival her mom has been planning all year–but when things take a supernatural turn Freddie will need all of her expertise from practical experience and from repeated viewings of The X-Files to save the town–and Theo–before it’s too late in The Executioners Three (2025) by Susan Dennard.

Find it on Bookshop.

The Executioners Three is a delightfully fun standalone mystery. Set in the 1999 this book is delightfully grounded in the time period with nods to technology and trends of the time. Readers should be ready to choose a boy band to back in the eternal struggle between NSYNC and Backstreet Boys–a war that is almost as timeless and important to the plot as the prank war between the two high schools.

Dennard blends supernatural elements with a contemporary setting to create a genre blender reminiscent of classic shows like Scooby Doo crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The idyllic small town setting of City-on-the-Berm even adds a Gilmore Girls sensibility to the entire thing.

Lush descriptions of the forest and town give peak fall vibes as Freddie and City-on-the-Berm move inexorably toward their annual autumn festival and the dangerous resolution of the strange happenings in the town. Although Freddie is the driving force in the investigation she also has a strong ensemble cast behind her notably including her reluctant (and risk averse) sidekick Divya and her rival-turned-ally-turned-love-interest Theo. The very real scares of the murders and strange happenings around town are lightened with the escalating pranks between the schools and, of course, with Freddie’s romance with Theo.

The Executioners Three is a satisfying mystery and so much fun. Come for the pranks and stay for the scares. Highly recommended.

Possible Pairings: In Every Generation by Kendare Blake, Don’t Get Caught by Kurt Dinan, How to Survive a Horror Movie by Scarlett Dunmore, Burden Falls by Kat Ellis, Dead Flip by Sara Farizan, The Lies of Alma Blackwell by Amanda Glaze, Girl Forgotten by April Henry, The Drowning Summer by CL Herman, The Forest Demands its Due by Kosoko Jackson, A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance, Six of Sorrow by Amanda Linsmeier, The Hex Girls: A Rogue Thorn by Lily Meade, There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins,The Haunting by Natasha Preston, When the Bones Sing by Ginny Myers Sain, Past Perfect by Leila Sales, Small Town Monsters by Diana Rodriguez Wallach, Now Entering Addamsville by Francesca Zappia

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*

Red as Royal Blood by Elizabeth Hart: A Review

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“Nothing is more dangerous than a crown.”

Red as Royal Blood by Elizabeth HartLife as a palace maid is far from glamorous but it’s all Ruby has ever known after being found as a baby and taken in by the royal cook. The work is far from stimulating and often leaves her mind free for reading in her scant free time and playing chess against an unknown opponent in the palace library.

Everything changes when the king dies after a prolonged illness and names Ruby as his heir. No one is more suprised by this change of circumstances than Ruby herself. The king’s widow is horrified. Prince Asher, the reluctant new heir after his older brother’s recent death, is furious. Prince Rowan–Ruby’s most secret friend–is shocked. That isn’t even counting the rest of the royal family or the council.

Ruby barely has time to understand her new role before she finds a shocking missive from the dead king telling Ruby that he was murdered. And Ruby will be next if she can’t find the culprit.

In order to solve the murder Ruby will have to dig up all of the palace’s secrets including the most dangerous one of all: the truth behind her own mysterious past in Red as Royal Blood (2025) by Elizabeth Hart.

Find it on Bookshop.

Red as Royal Blood is Hart’s debut novel. Ruby and most main characters are cued as white. Ruby’s affinity for chess and puzzles imbues her first person narration as she works to make sense of the strange circumstances that have so elevated her station.

Solving the mystery alongside Ruby is entertaining with ample clues to lead readers through the plot without, for the most part, feeling too heavy-handed. The romance with both Rowan and Asher adds tension to the story. Some readers might feel hesitant supporting a love interest who attempts to strangle Ruby in their first meeting after her becoming heir to the throne although the pair’s chemistry otherwise is clearly meant to offset this rocky start. These relationships also give Ruby some much needed allies besides her best friend and fellow maid, Sara.

Red as Royal Blood is a largely satisfying mystery with a resilient heroine and just the right amount of romance and a hint of wish fulfillment as a common maid is elevated to royalty. Recommended.

Possible Pairings: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Contest of Queens by Jordan H. Bartlett, Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau, The Kindred by Alechia Dow, Rule by Ellen Goodlett, The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning, The Shadows Between Us Tricia Levenseller, Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte, Castles in Their Bones by Lauren Sebastian, Midnight Strikes by Zeba Shahnaz

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*

December 2025 Recap

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  Monthly Reading Recap graphic

Blog Posts:

Read:

  1. We Met Like This by Kasie West (owned)
  2. The Cuffing Game by Lyla Lee* (audio)(owned)
  3. Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake*
  4. Red As Royal Blood by Elizabeth Hart
  5. This Raging Sea by Elizabeth De*
  6. Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng*
  7. Mate by Ali Hazelwood
  8. Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto*
  9. Spectacular by Stephanie Garber (owned)
  10. Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu*

Project Zero TBR:

TBR at the start of the month: 146
TBR at the end of the month: 146

Owned books at the start of the month: 399
Owned books at the end of month: 406

TBR at the start of 2025: 172
Owned books at the start of 2025: 378
(Find more details on @princesschapters‘ Instagram.)
I’ll be marking owned books above to keep myself honest although I won’t be tracking books I give away. I’ll also be posting a monthly to read stack over on Instagram.

Diverse Baseline Challenge:

Total read: 6
Read at least 3 books by BIPOC authors read in the month (indicated by * above)
Adapted from a challenge (including more specific monthly prompts) on Instagram thanks to @bookish.millennial and @themargherita.s.

How My Month Went:

It’s been a rough end to a rough year. Nothing is quite where I’d like it to be but I keep trying because that’s the only choice. Mom and I spent most of this month tired but are happily over our November bout with the flu. Bella hurt her leg and is on bed rest but is slowly recovering and is, thankfully, still her perfect happy self.

As you can see from this recap and my top books of 2025 post I didn’t read a lot this year. I have plans to change that in 2026 but I’m also trying to give myself a lot of grace because it’s been triage for one disaster after another since 2023 and all I really want from the next year is health and space to rest. We’ll see.

This sounds like the month was a downer but there was some fun stuff. I got to my favorite holiday market a couple of times, I got my annual holiday market belgian waffle, and I have a lot of fun gift exchanges in the works with friends both local and long distant which has been incredibly restorative.

With Project Zero TBR I shaved 26 books of my to read list. I have a plan to reorganize some of my book storage at home and am going to continuing focusing on reading down books I own in the new year.

If you’re reading this I hope your December was gentle and you had the time for small joys and festive moments this winter season.

You can also see my recap from last month.

Miss Print’s Top Ten: 2025

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It’s time to share my favorite reads of 2025.

In 2025 I read about 121 books this year (about 25 of which were manga or graphic novels). If you’ve been following along with my monthly recaps, you already know that this was a hard year; some years are for learning and growth, some are triage. I’m proud of myself and everything I accomplished this year, including making it through this year. If you read through these books you’ll notice that a lot of them are about characters who are starting again, who are learning how to be resilient and take up space in a world designed to discourage those things. That idea of resilience, if anything, is the defining trait I’m taking away from this year both in books and in real life.

Here’s the full list:

  1. Lemons and Lies by Alexis Castellanos
  2. Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot by Preeti Chhibber
  3. The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard
  4. The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst
  5. Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz
  6. The Cuffing Game by Lyla Lee
  7. A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
  8. Yours, Eventually by Nura Maznavi
  9. Skipshock by Caroline O’Donoghue
  10. Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

I also want to take a moment to highlight my two favorite graphic novels of the year: Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen and We Could Be Magic by Marissa Meyer and Joelle Murray

And two series I finished this year that have cemented their spots as forever favorites: Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan Stroud (individual titles: The Screaming Staircase, The Whispering Skull, The Hollow Boy, The Creeping Shadow, The Empty Grave) and Little Thieves by Margaret Owen (individual titles: Little Thieves, Painted Devils, Holy Terrors).

You can also shop the list on Bookshop.

The Ravenous Sky by K.D. Kirchmeier: A Review

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A more condensed version of this review originally appeared in the article “19 YA Series That Are Bursting with Emotion” for School Library Journal:

The Ravenous Sky by K.D. KirchmeierThomas and Cassie continue to search for ways to combat the blitz–dragon-like creatures causing mass destruction and the erosion of modern technology and civilization with their attacks.

Seeking answers in a prized mythology book from Thomas’s old life and in natural gifts like Cassie’s “supercharged” intuition lead the duo on separate paths. Cassie investigates the origins of the blitz while Thomas forges an alliance with grotesque ghouls as they both try to find a way forward for humanity.

Meanwhile old threats and new alliances have the potential to change everything for both teens and the other remaining survivors in this post-blitz landscape in The Ravenous Sky (2025) by K. D. Kirchmeier.

Find it on Bookshop.

The Ravenous Sky is the second book in Kirchmeier’s dystopian fantasy series which begins in The Shadow Road. This installment picks up soon after the events of book one recapping both the events that led our protagonists on their current path and the world building that pulls mythological creatures including the blitz into the modern world. Alternating chapters follow Thomas and Cassie who are both cued as white. A third new characters also has some chapters and expands the world with hints of new alliances and avenues to try and stop the blitz.

lthough the narrative voices sometimes lack distinction, Kirchmeier’s unique world building pulled from folklore from around the world will draw in readers. Light romance strengthens Thomas and Cassie’s bonds while breaking up some of the high action from battle scenes and chases. The Ravenous Sky is an action packed adventure for survival; perfect for fans of both dystopian and fantasy titles.

Possible Pairings: H20 by Virginia Bergin, Unchosen by Katharyn Blair, Winterkill by Kate A. Boorman, The 13th Continuum by Jennifer Brody, The Thousand Steps by Helen Brain, Hunter by Mercedes Lackey, Swarm by Jennifer D. Lyle, The Sandcastle Empire by Kayla Olson, Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto, The First 7 by Laura Pohl, Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate, The Merciless King of Moore High by Lily Sparks, The Young World by Christ Weitz, Under the Forgetful Sky by Lauren Yero

Skipshock by Caroline O’Donoghue: A Review

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An earlier version of this review originally appeared in the article “19 YA Series That Are Bursting with Emotion” for School Library Journal:

Skipshock by Caroline O'DonoghueMoon is used to people telling him that they couldn’t do a job like his. What they really mean is they wouldn’t do a job like his. Salesmen are twice as likely to be alcoholics, three times as likely to die by suicide, and infinitely more likely to disappear without anyone caring at all. They haggle in languages they don’t speak, they train themselves to fall asleep anywhere. Legally barred from putting down roots, they run on confidence and charisma; try to shoot a salesman in the middle of a sales pitch and the bullets would bounce right off.

Moon was found by another salesman when he was twelve. He’s had his license since he was thirteen. In a universe where days in the North can last mere hours while wealthier Southern worlds have time to spare, it isn’t always easy to eke out a living as a salesman. Eventually the skipshock from the rapid time changes will kill Moon. But it’s the only way anyone can legally travel between worlds including the formerly nomadic Lunati who followed the full moon between worlds until their portals were closed and travel restricted.

Margo is supposed to be on a train to Dublin to attend a new boarding school after her father’s death. The old school had pushed for a therapist who had suggested that Margo had depression and, perhaps, a nature that was naturally morose. Old school reports were cited with comments on Margo’s primary school years where she was content in her own company, lost during group projects and (rather cruelly, she thinks) where Margo never left much of an impression on the other girls.

All of this to say there must have been some underlying reason for Margo to sell her dead father’s watch before trying to run away from home. Boarding school, her mother tells Margo, will be a new start. And that is how we find Margo before she falls between worlds landing on the same unfathomable train as Moon.

Hunted by the authorities, recruited by revolutionaries, and always accompanied by Moon, Margo has to figure out how she got here if she ever wants to get home in Skipshock (2025) by Caroline O’Donoghue.

Find it on Bookshop.

Skipshock is the first book in O’Donoghue’s new duology. It has received four starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Shelf Awareness, and School Library Journal (full disclosure: I wrote the one for SLJ).

The writing in Skipshock has a distinct cadence and style that toes the line between lyrical and snappy. O’Donoghue doubles down on this with the perspectives used for Moon and Margo’s narrations. Moon’s chapters are written in first person, present tense emphasizing the decisiveness and immediacy needed to move through worlds with days that are as few as two hours long. In contrast Margo’s chapters are written in third person, past tense underscoring how removed she is from this foreign world where time is its own type of currency.

Vast world building, distinct characters, and gripping action propel the narrative forward with starts and stops that mirror the different passing of time on the worlds Moon and Margo visit. These elements underpin the astute commentary on privilege, wealth, and colonialism in the story at large–especially as demonstrated with the Lunati’s restricted movements that have effectively eroded their nomadic cultural identity.

Skipshock is a deeply romantic story which proves home isn’t a place but a mindset grounded in choosing the people we care about again and again. With action as fast as a two hour day on Khaise and enough pathos to fill one of our own twenty-four hour days Skipshock is one of the best books of 2025. Highly recommended.

Possible Pairings: The Immortal Games by Annaliese Avery, The Moonlight Blade by Tessa Barbosa, Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino, Costumes for Time Travelers by A. R. Capetta, The Vanishing Station by Ana Ellickson, The Dark Fable by Katherine Harbour, A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by CB Lee, Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel, The Floating World by Axie Oh, Powerless by Lauren Roberts, Daughter of the Bone Forest by Jasmine Skye, The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland, Wendy’s Ever After by Julie Wright

The Demon and the Light by Axie Oh: A Review

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A more condensed version of this review originally appeared in the article “19 YA Series That Are Bursting with Emotion” for School Library Journal:

The Demon and the Light by Axie OhUnrest is stirring in the Floating World. With a power vacuum and those all too eager to fill it, Ren races to learn more about her powers as the last Celestial Maiden and heir to the throne. After years of hiding from her heritage, Ren has to embrace her past on her own terms if she wants to protect both the world she left behind and the one that became home with her adoptive family.

The Underworld is still reeling after recent attacks and ever-growing demand for Mithril–the blue substance that keeps the Floating World airborne among its other more dangerous properties. Sunho, meanwhile, struggles to control the Demon within him. Haunted by newly-returned memories he doesn’t know how to reconcile the boy he once was with the monster he now contains.

After finding each other and losing each other, Ren and Sunho will now have to save themselves before they can be reunited in The Demon and the Light (2025) by Axie Oh.

Find it on Bookshop.

The Demon and the Light is the second book in Oh’s latest duology which begins in The Floating World (read my review). The series is partially inspired by the Korean folktale of “The Heavenly Maiden and the Woodcutter” as well as the videogame Final Fantasy. Alternating chapters follow Ren, Sunho, and Ren’s childhood-friend-turned-advisor Jaeil who offers a needed break from the romantic couple’s pining with a wider view of the world (and his own light romance plot).

Grounded in a search for family both found and biological, Ren and Sunho gain strength from their trust in each other as they strive to save themselves and face encroaching threats from their pasts in this taut sequel. The Demon and the Light blends fantasy and romance elements perfectly to create a satisfying conclusion.

Possible Pairings: Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell, The Nightblood Prince by Molly X. Chang, The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle, Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim, The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le, The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller, A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim, Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin, Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray, The Deceiver’s Heart by Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Last Tiger by Julia Riew, Illusions of Fire by Nisha Sharma, The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao