S. Kaeth reviewed Never Say Never by Justine Manzano
Review of 'Never Say Never' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I received an ARC through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Never Say Never is an imaginative contemporary fantasy with a cast of memorable characters and a healthy dose of YA snark. Justine Manzano's signature sass comes through just as clearly in this, her latest book published through Sword and Silk Books, as it did in her debut, The Order of the Key. Brynn has a lot of Jaclyn's attitude, though she's her own character, and she was entertaining to read along with.
Brynn has sworn off love. Too bad her friend Val turns out to be the goddess Aphrodite--and she takes that as a challenge. Amidst the emotional storm of discovering her mother's affair and weathering her parents' divorce, Val's incessant, embarrassing attempts to set her up with every possible guy their age wear on Brynn. Val's boyfriend Adam ends up being a source of …
I received an ARC through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Never Say Never is an imaginative contemporary fantasy with a cast of memorable characters and a healthy dose of YA snark. Justine Manzano's signature sass comes through just as clearly in this, her latest book published through Sword and Silk Books, as it did in her debut, The Order of the Key. Brynn has a lot of Jaclyn's attitude, though she's her own character, and she was entertaining to read along with.
Brynn has sworn off love. Too bad her friend Val turns out to be the goddess Aphrodite--and she takes that as a challenge. Amidst the emotional storm of discovering her mother's affair and weathering her parents' divorce, Val's incessant, embarrassing attempts to set her up with every possible guy their age wear on Brynn. Val's boyfriend Adam ends up being a source of solace, and when Brynn realizes she's uncovering feelings she really shouldn't have for her friend's boyfriend (even if that friend wasn't a jealous love goddess), she back pedals as fast as she can.
I really loved the diverse cast of characters and the strong friendships shown here, especially between Brynn and Nina, although I'm not a huge fan of Greek mythology in real life. That just means this book wasn't written for me, and that's ok! It's still a solid book and the ending ramped up the tension like crazy. It was a quick read, and the characters stuck with me between readings, too. I love Nina's family-- they're so wholesome, and I love seeing examples of wholesome families in literature. Brynn's family dynamics felt real to me too, and her motivations made sense even when I disagreed with her actions.
Overall, if you're looking for a cast of vibrant characters that feel alive, especially if you love Greek mythology, you should definitely try Never Say Never.
Indie Story Geek review: indiestorygeek.com/story/662