Hello, fellow book lovers!

Photo credit: Emma K.

Howdy, YA'll!

I'm Emma, an avid reader and writer, as well as a journalism student at Columbia College of Chicago, and I love YA (young adult) books. I often frequent my local library and peruse the teen section for the best reads. One thing I've been noticing lately, though, is that many readers shy away from YA books for fear of encountering their most hated tropes: she doesn't like dystopias, he can't stand love triangles-- the list goes on and on.

So, I've developed a solution: book reviews that include all the important information you need to know about a book before you pick it up. That includes, but is not limited to, the level of magic, the danger of imminent death to a beloved character, the tear-jerking factor, and the cheesiness of the romance. I know how important these things are to readers, so I will do my best to provide quality ratings.

A book rating might look something like this:

(Note: this is entirely fictionalized and is not based on any specific book)

Dystopia: 10 degrees of futuristic.

Teenage angst levels: UGHHHH!

Deadly diseases: Not a sickly person to be found.

Use of Magic: Spells around every corner.
Danger of imminent death: An easy amble through the park.

Violence: A good smack across the face here and there, nothing tragic.

Sexual content: A little heat, but nothing steamy.

Number of romantic interests: A low count of one!

Protagonist's moral compass: North, north, north.
Sad factor: An hour's worth of tears.
Romance cheese: A nice and gooey brie.

Of course, I will also include a regular review of the book, including things I did and didn't like, plot summaries-- the whole shebang. I'll provide a rating out of five stars as well, based on all of the information provided in the review and what I believe constitutes a good/bad book.

I'm also hoping to interview YA authors, cover artists, and others in the field, to bring the opinions and insight of the best of the industry straight to you.

With all this in mind, what are some books you would like me to review? Do you have any suggestions for me to help better your YA reading experience?

Much love,

Emma