Today we’ve sharing reviews for book releases from both June 29 and July 6, 2021. We’ve got fantasy and sci-fi reviews this week, of books we really enjoyed.
Long Distance by Whitney Gardner
4/5
An out-of-this-world summer at camp shows Vega that friendship is more complicated–and wonderful–than she thought. And it doesn’t matter how far away from a friend you are–long distance friends are just as real and important as in-person friends. This was a cute middle-grade graphic novel about an introverted girl at a camp that is not at all what it first appears. I don’t want to spoil any of the twists, but it’s safe to say this is not just an ordinary summer camp book. I really enjoyed the emphasis on astronomy and science and the positive message about friendship.
We Have Always Been Here by Lena Nguyen
4/5
This sci-fi psychological thriller takes place on the uncharted planet Eos. The crew of the Deucalion is trying to uncover Eos’s mysteries along with psychologist Dr. Grace Park. Dr. Park knows something strange is going on from the fact that she isn’t allowed to see the planet to the unusual makeup of the crew. And when a strange psychological condition begins to spread among the crew, she knows she has to figure out what’s going on. The story itself is fascinating, told from Dr. Park’s present experience on the Deucalion, her past on Earth, and transcripts from the mission that first discovered Eos. It’s an incredible debut, and I can’t wait to see what Nguyen writes next.
Check out our full review of This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron, which was released on June 29. We’re also super excited to check out Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev and Atlas of Improbable Places by Travis Elborough and Alan Horsfield.