Hidden Bookshelves

Author: Fallon Arsenault

  • 5 Young Adult Series that are Completed

    5 Young Adult Series that are Completed

    Young adult is not a genre itself, but more of a range of ages that the book is ‘recommended’ for, but of course folks of all ages enjoy young adult. 

    Below is a list of completed young adult series that anyone can enjoy. (Some of these are my favourite series and I’m well into my late twenties.)

    1. Harry Potter by JK Rowling

    This story follows the journey of a young wizard, Harry Potter, as he discovers his magical heritage and attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Alongside his best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, Harry faces thrilling adventures, dark magic, and the growing threat of the dark wizard Voldemort, who seeks to conquer the wizarding world.
    Filled with themes of friendship, bravery, love, and the fight between good and evil, the series captures Harry’s growth from an orphaned boy to a hero who must stand against unimaginable odds.

    2. Gone by Michael Grant

    This series is a gripping young adult dystopian saga that begins with a startling premise: in the blink of an eye, everyone aged 15 and older vanishes from the town of Perdido Beach. The remaining children find themselves trapped within an impenetrable, dome-like barrier, cut off from the outside world. As they struggle to establish order and survive, some begin to develop supernatural abilities, leading to power struggles, alliances, and conflicts that test their morality and resilience. Central to the story is Sam Temple, who emerges as a reluctant leader, facing off against adversaries like the manipulative Caine Soren and the sadistic Drake Merwin, all while contending with a mysterious, malevolent force known as the Darkness or the Gaiaphage

    3. Alive by Scott Sigler

    It is the first installment in the Generations Trilogy, a gripping young adult science fiction novel that blends elements of mystery, horror, and dystopia. The story follows a teenage girl who awakens in a coffin with no memory of her identity or how she got there. Upon escaping, she discovers others in the same predicament, all trapped in a mysterious facility filled with dangers and secrets. As they navigate this treacherous environment, they must uncover the truth about their pasts and the purpose of their confinement. The novel delves into themes of identity, leadership, and survival, keeping readers on edge as the characters confront the unknown

    4. Maximum Ride by James Patterson

    This series is an action-packed young adult sci-fi adventure following Max and her “flock” — six kids who are 98% human and 2% bird, giving them incredible abilities like flight. Genetically engineered and raised in a sinister lab called “The School,” they escape and fight to protect themselves from relentless pursuers, including the terrifying “Erasers” — human-wolf hybrids.
    Led by Max, the flock faces constant danger while unraveling secrets about their origins, their purpose, and a looming threat to humanity.
    Fast-paced, emotional, and full of humor and heart, the series explores themes of freedom, family, and survival against impossible odds.

    5. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

    This is a thrilling young adult fantasy saga set in a divided world where society is split by blood — Silvers, who have supernatural abilities, and Reds, who do not.
    Mare Barrow, a Red commoner, discovers she possesses a deadly power of her own — something that shouldn’t be possible. Forced to hide her true identity, Mare is thrust into the dangerous world of the Silver elite, caught between rebellion, betrayal, and the fight for justice.
    As war brews and alliances shift, Mare must navigate a treacherous path of love, loyalty, and power, where one wrong move could cost her everything.

    Do you have any Young Adult completed series that you would recommend? Comment down below to let us know what we should add to our TBR!

  • Review: Never Been Worse by Morgan Elizabeth

    Review: Never Been Worse by Morgan Elizabeth

    ​Never Been Worse by Morgan Elizabeth is a charming romantic comedy that follows Harper Abbott, a fashion designer whose life takes a chaotic turn after a prank with her best friends leads to an unexpected arrest. As her cheating ex and his new girlfriend attempt to sabotage her budding career, Harper finds an unlikely ally in Wes Holden, the guitarist of the band Atlas Oaks. Wes, who has harbored feelings for Harper for years, proposes a marriage of convenience to help both their public images. What starts as a strategic arrangement soon blossoms into genuine affection, forcing Harper to confront her past and consider a future she never imagined

    Recently read via Kindle Unlimited Never Been Worse I think is an underrated romance that more people need to read. 

    This blog post contains spoilers, so please read at your own risk.

    The prank that this novel opens with is pure genius. Forking a yard? Amazing, if not time-consuming which is what caused them to be caught and charged in the first place. Her ex? A total A-hole who deserved everything that happened to him. 

    Wes? He seems to be the perfect fake husband and it doesn’t hurt that he already had feelings for her to begin with. 

    This book includes the tropes of marriage of convenience, he falls first, and friends-to-lovers.

    I normally don’t enjoy friends-to-lovers, but this author did the whole friendship-to-lovers very well, and it didn’t feel forced.

    I loved how petty Harper is as a person, going as far as out bidding her ex’s current girlfriend to get a meal with Wes who is a guitarist in the ex’s favourite band. Then to ‘marry him’ is amazing. 

    If you are looking for a romantic comedy with a petty FMC who sometimes takes pranks too far and a fake husband who encourages it, then I would recommend reading Never Been Worse by Morgan Elizabeth

    -Fallon

  • Review: Happily Never After by Lynn Painter

    Review: Happily Never After by Lynn Painter

    ​Happily Never After by Lynn Painter is a witty and heartfelt romantic comedy that follows Sophie Steinbeck, who discovers just before her wedding that her fiancé has cheated on her—again. Unwilling to confront the situation herself due to her future father-in-law being her father’s formidable boss, Sophie enlists Max, a professional “wedding objector,” to disrupt the ceremony by declaring, “I object!” -Penguin Random House

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    I recently read Happily Never After by Lynn Painter on Libby.

    This blog post main contain spoilers for it, so please read at your own risk.

    It follows Sophie as she hires Max, who as a side job, objects at weddings, because her fiancé cheated on her (and not for the first time) Afterwards, she gets in contact with Max and joins him as they become partners in crime. Of course since they’re spending so much time together they grow close and some feelings bloom, but here is the thing. Sophie does not believe in love. She never did. 

    I personally have been a romance kick and using Libby has made accessing romance books super easy while not having to buy them. This was, I think, the fourth book I read on Libby. 

    While the book itself was not the best written book ever (not Pride and Prejudice or Sherlock Holmes), it definitely kepy my attention and I found it to be very character driven. 

    I strive to have Sophies reaction if I had ever found out my fiance was cheating on me. Hiring someone to object at your own wedding and blast the reason why? Amazing. The fact that this book ends with a HEA with the person you hired to object at your wedding is hilarious. 

    Now what I did find odd in the book is that the best friend/maid of honor is the one who had known about Max’s side gig and had originally hired him for Sophie…but she isn’t really mentioned again? I feel like she should have been more involved in the story then just that  night of the wedding where the three of them get trashed. She just seemed to disappear after that and wasn’t really mentioned again.

    This I think is a he falls first trope and I love the way he (Max) approaches it. I also love the way he deals with her ‘senior’ roommates. He definitely could have been more communicative for one of the conflicts of the book. But obviously wasn’t because otherwise the conflict wouldn’t have happened in the first place. So miscommunication is another trope you see in this book.

    All in all, I did enjoy this light, funny book that I devoured in one evening (yes I stayed up way too late to finish it.)

    -Fallon

  • Why Libby Is Underrated

    As a new Libby user (I know surprised me too) I get some weird satisfaction from opening up the Libby app on my phone and seeing that folks are waiting for the book I’m currently in the middle of reading.

    I have been told for years now that I need to update my library card ( I let it expire by accident) and sign up for Libby. I never saw the appeal because I’m the type of person that wants to have the books on her shelf like some sort of trophy that collects dust.

    I also read a lot on Kindle Unlimited, but with the recent updates Amazon made, I want to reduce my ebook purchases through them, best way to do that? Libby.

    Libby is an app on your phone or tablet (you can also get the books to your Kobo) that allows you to connect your library card and get ebooks and audiobooks on loan just like you would at your physical library. So essentially with a little patiences you get access to free ebooks and audiobooks from your library without needing to leave your house (Bonus!)

    Just like at your local library the book you want to ‘check out’ may already be borrowed by another Libby user, but no fear, you can put it on hold! Meaning that when that book is returned it will go to your account! Some libraries will have multiple copies of the same book in attempt to cut down the wait time on popular books.

    When you check out a book there is a 14 day period where the book is in your account. If you don’t read/listen to it in that time then it is returned. You can return it early if you complete it before your time is up. 

    Access Multiple Libraries: Libby can be linked to multiple library cards, allowing users to explore different collections and access a wider range of titles. (Ask us how we know)

    One thing is that your library may not have access to a copy of an ebook you want to read, but you can put a notification on so that if/when it does become available to you, then you can borrow/put it on hold. (I already have four or five books I put this notification on.)

    I think that more folks should get involved with using Libby if they’re readers. Not only are you supporting your local libraries, but you’re helping reduce the profit (even if only by a smidge) of big businesses like Amazon who really only care about their profits instead of consumers experience. 

    I wish I would have started using Libby way sooner and would highly recommend it to anyone who has or wants a library card.

    -Fallon