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Penguin Teen Summer Fest Preview Show Sampler
Titles include:
THE BONE SPINDLE by Leslie Vedder
Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones in this thrilling fairytale retelling for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and The Cruel Prince.
SUNNY G'S SERIES OF RASH DECISIONS by Navdeep Singh Dhillon
For fans of Sandhya Menon and Adam Silvera, a prom-night romantic-comedy romp about a Sikh teen's search for love and identity
HOTEL MAGNIFIQUE by Emily J. Taylor
For fans of Caraval and The Night Circus, this decadent and darkly enchanting YA fantasy, set against the backdrop of a Belle Époque-inspired hotel, follows seventeen-year-old Jani as she uncovers the deeply disturbing secrets of the legendary Hotel Magnifique.
RIGHT WHERE I LEFT YOU by Julian Winters
Kacen Callender meets Becky Albertalli in a deliciously geeky best friends-to lovers romance from award-winning author Julian Winters!
KISS & TELL by Adib Khorram
A smart, sexy YA novel about a boy band star, his first breakup, his first rebound, and what it means to be queer in the public eye, from award-winning author Adib Khorram
THE BONE SPINDLE by Leslie Vedder
Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones in this thrilling fairytale retelling for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and The Cruel Prince.
SUNNY G'S SERIES OF RASH DECISIONS by Navdeep Singh Dhillon
For fans of Sandhya Menon and Adam Silvera, a prom-night romantic-comedy romp about a Sikh teen's search for love and identity
HOTEL MAGNIFIQUE by Emily J. Taylor
For fans of Caraval and The Night Circus, this decadent and darkly enchanting YA fantasy, set against the backdrop of a Belle Époque-inspired hotel, follows seventeen-year-old Jani as she uncovers the deeply disturbing secrets of the legendary Hotel Magnifique.
RIGHT WHERE I LEFT YOU by Julian Winters
Kacen Callender meets Becky Albertalli in a deliciously geeky best friends-to lovers romance from award-winning author Julian Winters!
KISS & TELL by Adib Khorram
A smart, sexy YA novel about a boy band star, his first breakup, his first rebound, and what it means to be queer in the public eye, from award-winning author Adib Khorram
211 pages, ebook
Published August 20, 2021
55 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Vedder
8 books411 followersLeslie Vedder (she/her) is a queer ace author who loves girl adventurers and heroes! She grew up on fantasy books, anime, fanfiction and the Lord of the Rings movies, and met her true love in high school choir. She currently lives in Colorado with her wife and her cat Fox Mulder, who believes the treats are out there.
When she's not reading or writing, you can find her watching anime and sci-fi shows, walking in the woods and pretending they're enchanted forests, or playing old video games. She always collects all the Skulltulas in Zelda and all the Dalmation puppies in Kingdom Hearts.
Her debut YA THE BONE SPINDLE was an ABA indie bestseller.
When she's not reading or writing, you can find her watching anime and sci-fi shows, walking in the woods and pretending they're enchanted forests, or playing old video games. She always collects all the Skulltulas in Zelda and all the Dalmation puppies in Kingdom Hearts.
Her debut YA THE BONE SPINDLE was an ABA indie bestseller.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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July 2, 2022**Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the Sampler of these titles in exchange for this review. This in no way changed my thoughts or ratings for each title**
I'll be honest: I downloaded this solely for Adib Khorram's Kiss & Tell and weirdly, that ended up being my least favorite of the five. I don't know how to feel about that because Darius the Great is Not Okay is in my top 2 books of all time. However, these are the thoughts I have on each title in this sampler.
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder:
-A very interesting and refreshing take on Sleeping Beauty retellings
-Seems like it's going in a great direction for a Fantasy quest with two badass heroines
-Feels like it would be good for fans of Throne of Glass or All The Stars and Teeth
-Will be reading this when it releases
Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon:
-Gives me vibes similar to Darius the Great is Not Okay crossed with Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
-Thought the protagonist was very fun
-Easy to read. The writing style was very engaging
-Not a huge fan of the knock-off Harry Potter series, but glad that they called out the lack of diversity in titles like that and have made their own thing from it
-Will be reading this when it releases
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor:
-The most surprising on the list. I was not expecting to like this when it was compared to Caraval
-Really liked the setting and the inclusion of the lore for the hotel early on
-I enjoyed Jani as a character and her devotion to her sister
-This sample ended too soon and I want to find out what happens immediately. Will be reading this when it releases
Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters
-Another one I wasn't too sure about going in
-Another one where the writing was very engaging and a quick read
-I'm curious if this is going to be a slow burn because it was mentioned at the beginning that the character is into that and I historically do not enjoy slow burn romances. I would be willing to try because I liked the sample, though.
-Will probably be reading this when it releases
Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram:
-Characters were well done, as expected from this author
-I'm hoping we meet more of the other band mates besides Ashton in this book. I know he has a closer relationship with him, but I would like to know more about the other three, as well
-Really like the love interest
-This one had some "jokes" I was on the fence about and that made me uncomfortable. The buzzfeed like quiz where they ask you to "build a pho order" to find out "which solo you are" from the ONE Asian band mate and the story about The Label flying in kids with HIV "from Africa I think" were some of the stand outs. The HIV one felt especially unnecessary. The idea that any current band would do a charity single instead of just donating money to the cause feels a little tone deaf in 2021, especially after the reception of the celebrity "Imagine" cover for COVID. I also didn't think it was necessary to throw in they were "from Africa". There are, unfortunately, plenty of kids living with HIV all over the world and that didn't sit right with me to continue a harmful stereotype.
-I will probably be reading this upon release because I like Khorram's other work, but I'm less excited for it than I was going into this sample
I'll be honest: I downloaded this solely for Adib Khorram's Kiss & Tell and weirdly, that ended up being my least favorite of the five. I don't know how to feel about that because Darius the Great is Not Okay is in my top 2 books of all time. However, these are the thoughts I have on each title in this sampler.
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder:
-A very interesting and refreshing take on Sleeping Beauty retellings
-Seems like it's going in a great direction for a Fantasy quest with two badass heroines
-Feels like it would be good for fans of Throne of Glass or All The Stars and Teeth
-Will be reading this when it releases
Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon:
-Gives me vibes similar to Darius the Great is Not Okay crossed with Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
-Thought the protagonist was very fun
-Easy to read. The writing style was very engaging
-Not a huge fan of the knock-off Harry Potter series, but glad that they called out the lack of diversity in titles like that and have made their own thing from it
-Will be reading this when it releases
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor:
-The most surprising on the list. I was not expecting to like this when it was compared to Caraval
-Really liked the setting and the inclusion of the lore for the hotel early on
-I enjoyed Jani as a character and her devotion to her sister
-This sample ended too soon and I want to find out what happens immediately. Will be reading this when it releases
Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters
-Another one I wasn't too sure about going in
-Another one where the writing was very engaging and a quick read
-I'm curious if this is going to be a slow burn because it was mentioned at the beginning that the character is into that and I historically do not enjoy slow burn romances. I would be willing to try because I liked the sample, though.
-Will probably be reading this when it releases
Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram:
-Characters were well done, as expected from this author
-I'm hoping we meet more of the other band mates besides Ashton in this book. I know he has a closer relationship with him, but I would like to know more about the other three, as well
-Really like the love interest
-This one had some "jokes" I was on the fence about and that made me uncomfortable. The buzzfeed like quiz where they ask you to "build a pho order" to find out "which solo you are" from the ONE Asian band mate and the story about The Label flying in kids with HIV "from Africa I think" were some of the stand outs. The HIV one felt especially unnecessary. The idea that any current band would do a charity single instead of just donating money to the cause feels a little tone deaf in 2021, especially after the reception of the celebrity "Imagine" cover for COVID. I also didn't think it was necessary to throw in they were "from Africa". There are, unfortunately, plenty of kids living with HIV all over the world and that didn't sit right with me to continue a harmful stereotype.
-I will probably be reading this upon release because I like Khorram's other work, but I'm less excited for it than I was going into this sample
October 2, 2021
Thank you so much to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This sampler gives readers a sneak peek into five upcoming titles Penguin Young Readers will be publishing.
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed reading this. I'm a huge Cruel Prince fan and the Fi/Shane both gave me major Jude Cardan vibes - both are super badass, adventurous, and not afraid of a little danger. I can definitely see the Sleeping Beauty x Indiana Jones here. And I'm a sucker for fresh gender-bending retellings so I would LOVE to get my hands on a copy of this. Why'd you have to end the sample at a cliffhanger though 🥲?
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This looks like it's going to be a solid debut. I was really upset when I couldn't read anymore of it. I love a good dark fantasy/adventure tale. Plus Caraval x Night Circus? Yes please. Reason why I didn't give it 5 ⭐️ though is because I was a bit thrown off by Jani's jealousy. Definitely will be reading it still.
Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon - ⭐️⭐️
I feel like I would've enjoyed this if the writing was a bit better. It didn't really pull me in the way I hoped it would. Not sure if I'll be picking it up.
Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters - ⭐️⭐️
Also not sure if I'll be picking this up. It didn't really hook me in the way I thought it would. It was a quick read though!
Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram - ⭐️⭐️
Jokes in this made me really uncomfortable.
This sampler gives readers a sneak peek into five upcoming titles Penguin Young Readers will be publishing.
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed reading this. I'm a huge Cruel Prince fan and the Fi/Shane both gave me major Jude Cardan vibes - both are super badass, adventurous, and not afraid of a little danger. I can definitely see the Sleeping Beauty x Indiana Jones here. And I'm a sucker for fresh gender-bending retellings so I would LOVE to get my hands on a copy of this. Why'd you have to end the sample at a cliffhanger though 🥲?
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This looks like it's going to be a solid debut. I was really upset when I couldn't read anymore of it. I love a good dark fantasy/adventure tale. Plus Caraval x Night Circus? Yes please. Reason why I didn't give it 5 ⭐️ though is because I was a bit thrown off by Jani's jealousy. Definitely will be reading it still.
Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon - ⭐️⭐️
I feel like I would've enjoyed this if the writing was a bit better. It didn't really pull me in the way I hoped it would. Not sure if I'll be picking it up.
Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters - ⭐️⭐️
Also not sure if I'll be picking this up. It didn't really hook me in the way I thought it would. It was a quick read though!
Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram - ⭐️⭐️
Jokes in this made me really uncomfortable.
September 7, 2021
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group for offering this sampler of upcoming releases for free on NetGalley.
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder — ★★★★★
Oh, these first couple of chapters hooked me. I went from having no idea about this book to needing it immediately. It felt very much like a fairytale Tomb Raider, with booby traps and ancient magic and all that fun stuff. I'm so excited for this title. (Please tell me it's sapphic.)
Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon — ★★★☆☆
This story was okay, but I didn't really like the narrator. Sunny is certainly likeable but he walks the line between quirky and obnoxious. I likely won't purchase or continue reading this book.
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor — ★★★★☆
I liked this one, but it didn't grab me immediately; I was kind of bored with the main characters and the atmosphere. But the premise of the magic hotel and the small glimpses we got of it kept me reading quickly through the end. I wish there was just one more chapter included! I might consider this book if I see it out at a discount.
Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters — ★★★★★
After reading the summary I was pretty lukewarm on this title, but the sample made me like it a lot more. I love the narrator, Isaac, and even though I'm not the biggest fan of friends-to-lovers I'm still rooting for him and Diego. The cliffhanger this sample ended on was unacceptable!!
Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram — ★★★★☆
This book is the reason I downloaded the sampler. I love Adib Khorram, and after reading IF THIS GETS OUT by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich (which is PHENOMENAL, btw) I was excited for another boy band romance. I was a little disappointed to find that the romance isn't between members however, it's just the lead songwriter falling for someone else. Still, I am looking forward to the rest of this book being available!
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder — ★★★★★
Oh, these first couple of chapters hooked me. I went from having no idea about this book to needing it immediately. It felt very much like a fairytale Tomb Raider, with booby traps and ancient magic and all that fun stuff. I'm so excited for this title. (Please tell me it's sapphic.)
Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon — ★★★☆☆
This story was okay, but I didn't really like the narrator. Sunny is certainly likeable but he walks the line between quirky and obnoxious. I likely won't purchase or continue reading this book.
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor — ★★★★☆
I liked this one, but it didn't grab me immediately; I was kind of bored with the main characters and the atmosphere. But the premise of the magic hotel and the small glimpses we got of it kept me reading quickly through the end. I wish there was just one more chapter included! I might consider this book if I see it out at a discount.
Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters — ★★★★★
After reading the summary I was pretty lukewarm on this title, but the sample made me like it a lot more. I love the narrator, Isaac, and even though I'm not the biggest fan of friends-to-lovers I'm still rooting for him and Diego. The cliffhanger this sample ended on was unacceptable!!
Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram — ★★★★☆
This book is the reason I downloaded the sampler. I love Adib Khorram, and after reading IF THIS GETS OUT by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich (which is PHENOMENAL, btw) I was excited for another boy band romance. I was a little disappointed to find that the romance isn't between members however, it's just the lead songwriter falling for someone else. Still, I am looking forward to the rest of this book being available!
September 1, 2021
This sampler is a little goldmine! I was very excited to see that this had one of my most anticipated books for 2022 in it, Hotel Magnifique, and the sample did not disappoint. After finishing it, I now have several books that I am very eagerly looking out!
Firstly, a huge thank you to Penguin Teen for putting this together, it is extremely generous and it has made me very keen for their upcoming books. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for allowing me to read this.
The Bone Spindle
This preview was fantastic! I was hooked immediately, I can tell that I'm going to like this one. Described as 'Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones', this was exciting and left me wanting to read more. I'll definitely be looking to read this one when it is released.
Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions
This is a YA which seems like it will be addressing some intense issues. It also does seem quite funny, with some humourous parts in the sample, so I'll give it a read when it is released.
Hotel Magnifique
Okay so firstly this is one of my most anticipated reads, so I was over the moon to read this sample. It did not disappoint! The concept is fantastic, and the magic system involved sounds fantastic. I could not be more excited for this one!
Right Where I Left You
I am not a huge fan of friends to lovers, but this one does seem quite sweet. The fandom in this is ridiculous (ridiculous good), because the author has created a very impressive superhero story.
Kiss & Tell
This was SO GOOD. I love the concept, firstly, and the characters seem so open and exciting. I got drawn into the story immediately, and I am looking forward to reading this book to find out more.
Firstly, a huge thank you to Penguin Teen for putting this together, it is extremely generous and it has made me very keen for their upcoming books. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for allowing me to read this.
The Bone Spindle
This preview was fantastic! I was hooked immediately, I can tell that I'm going to like this one. Described as 'Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones', this was exciting and left me wanting to read more. I'll definitely be looking to read this one when it is released.
Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions
This is a YA which seems like it will be addressing some intense issues. It also does seem quite funny, with some humourous parts in the sample, so I'll give it a read when it is released.
Hotel Magnifique
Okay so firstly this is one of my most anticipated reads, so I was over the moon to read this sample. It did not disappoint! The concept is fantastic, and the magic system involved sounds fantastic. I could not be more excited for this one!
Right Where I Left You
I am not a huge fan of friends to lovers, but this one does seem quite sweet. The fandom in this is ridiculous (ridiculous good), because the author has created a very impressive superhero story.
Kiss & Tell
This was SO GOOD. I love the concept, firstly, and the characters seem so open and exciting. I got drawn into the story immediately, and I am looking forward to reading this book to find out more.
September 12, 2021
This was a great sampler of five upcoming titles.
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder: This is one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 and this preview did not disappoint! I’m even more excited about this Sleeping Beauty retelling!
Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon: This seems like it’s going to be a cute novel that deals with some serious issues. Just added it to my TBR!
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor: I need this book now! It has a magical hotel and two sisters are the center, one of which is the main character. I really wish this was out in the world already – I need to know what happens to this cast of characters!
Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters: Julian Winters needs to write a full-length superhero story, especially after creating a superhero fandom in this novel and writing a superhero short story. I like Diego but I’m not sure about the main character Isaac.
Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram: The LGBTQ+ boy band take over continues! I’m intrigued by the premise and want to see how the main character, Hunter, gets over his last relationship and starts a new one.
All in all, there’s a lot of titles here that I am really looking forward to reading!
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder: This is one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 and this preview did not disappoint! I’m even more excited about this Sleeping Beauty retelling!
Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon: This seems like it’s going to be a cute novel that deals with some serious issues. Just added it to my TBR!
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor: I need this book now! It has a magical hotel and two sisters are the center, one of which is the main character. I really wish this was out in the world already – I need to know what happens to this cast of characters!
Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters: Julian Winters needs to write a full-length superhero story, especially after creating a superhero fandom in this novel and writing a superhero short story. I like Diego but I’m not sure about the main character Isaac.
Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram: The LGBTQ+ boy band take over continues! I’m intrigued by the premise and want to see how the main character, Hunter, gets over his last relationship and starts a new one.
All in all, there’s a lot of titles here that I am really looking forward to reading!
April 8, 2022
I saw a few books I wanted to read so I give this sampler five stars. The reasons I gave it five stars is because I read about some amazing books that I would add to my tbr pile.
September 18, 2025
This sampler features previews of:
-The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder
-Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon
-Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
-Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters
-Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram
The world in The Bone Spindle seemed interesting, but it didn't seem like something I'd be into. It was a gender swapped Sleeping Beauty retelling.
Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions is about a boy going to prom, his love for some kind of fandom and trying to get out of his late brother's shadow. This one wasn't for me either.
I remember wanting to read Hotel Magnifique when it came out. It's about two sisters in a poor town trying to get jobs in a magical hotel that reappears every 10 years.
Right Where I Left You is about two best friends, Diego and Isaac, spending their last summer together before Isaac heads to college in the fall. I like to characters and writing style in this one. I really want to read the book now.
The last sample, Kiss & Tell, is about an openly gay boy band member who's preparing to go on a huge world tour. I liked this one the second best.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
-The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder
-Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon
-Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
-Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters
-Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram
The world in The Bone Spindle seemed interesting, but it didn't seem like something I'd be into. It was a gender swapped Sleeping Beauty retelling.
Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions is about a boy going to prom, his love for some kind of fandom and trying to get out of his late brother's shadow. This one wasn't for me either.
I remember wanting to read Hotel Magnifique when it came out. It's about two sisters in a poor town trying to get jobs in a magical hotel that reappears every 10 years.
Right Where I Left You is about two best friends, Diego and Isaac, spending their last summer together before Isaac heads to college in the fall. I like to characters and writing style in this one. I really want to read the book now.
The last sample, Kiss & Tell, is about an openly gay boy band member who's preparing to go on a huge world tour. I liked this one the second best.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
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