Friends with ARCs | Lucky Caller + Seven Deadly Shadows

Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

pub 1/14/20 by Henry Holt & Company
Young Adult - Contemporary
Received from pub for review

It really pains me to say this but Emma Mills' last couple of books really haven't worked for me and that includes her recent one, Lucky Caller. Even though all the elements I typically love about her books are still present – namely friendship, unique plot, and a cute romance – they're not coming together the way they used to. In Lucky Caller, Nina is taking a radio broadcasting class and the big assignment is to create a radio show and do live episodes. Her team is an eclectic group consisting of two people she's never really talked to before and a childhood sorta ex-friend that she has a complicated history with. I actually loved the idea of the radio show and what their team came up was right up my alley. But everything felt very surface level. I never truly connected with Nina. The friendships were fun but again, I didn't feel invested and the same went for the romance. It was sweet but I personally felt lukewarm towards their scenes. Throughout the story I kept thinking an emotional core was missing that I remember feeling when I read This Adventure Ends and Foolish Hearts (my two favorites from her). By the end of it, I thought the book was okay. Not bad but certainly not great, just okay.

What kind of radio show would you create? | This is the most cliche answer ever but I'd just play music, specifically 90s alternative rock, on my radio show.

Seven Deadly Shadows by Courtney Alameda, Valynne E. Maetani

pub 1/28/20 by HarperCollins
Young Adult - Fantasy
Received from pub for review

If you like anime but want something fantasy-light and fun, then Seven Deadly Shadows will be right up your alley. But despite being on the lighter side, I thought the authors did a good job of setting up the world and the characters even though we're literally thrown into things with very little preamble. Honestly though, I didn't question much and was just happy to be along for the ride. Kira Fujikawa is ignored by her parents and bullied at school but her sanctuary is her grandfather's Shinto shrine, where she's training to be a priestess and putting her ability to see demons to use. Then the shrine is attacked by a vicious band of yokai demons and only Shiro, the shrine's half-fox/half-boy kitsune, is willing to help her set things right. So when Kira discovers that the shrine harbors an ancient artifact of great power, together they must recruit seven death gods and find a way to together to stop those who take the artifact for evil purposes. This is essentially my favorite kind of anime where you go on a quest of sorts (to be fair, they don't really venture too far), gather a motley crew, and they form connections (friendship and romantic) along the way. It's fast-paced, fun and a standalone so definitely a great choice for a quick, fantasy read.

Fave manga series | I've only read one manga series and it's The Ancient Magus' Bride. I just finished catching up and I love it.

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Collaborative feature with Alexa. We read ARCs together and post our reviews on the same date.