Netgalley Reviewathon Wrapup

This was a great idea.  I've had about a dozen books on my shelf to review for a while now.  Some were already published when I was approved to review them and some are new releases.  This 6 week reviewathon paired with the other readathons and challenges I'm doing this year gave me the push I needed to clean up my shelf a bit.  I still have quite a few more to go, but this was a good start considering I read a bunch of other stuff as well.

I started with 11 and was approved for 4 more during the 6 week period.  I was able to read and review 5 books for the Reviewathon.  This leaves me with 11 books left on my shelf, but 4 of those come out in September and October.  That leaves me with only 7 on my backlog to review which isn't too bad.

• Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
• Review
• This was a fun middle grade spooky story.  It is perfect for fall time.  It wasn't terribly scary in my opinion, but I like horror novels so take that with a grain of salt.   It gave me RL Stine Fear Street vibes, and I loved those as a kid.  I thought this was very entertaining and I can't wait for the sequel Dead Voices.
• Black Dawn by Mallory McCartney
• Review
• This debut fantasy had a lot of promise but didn't work out.  It had way too much going on, too many character perspectives, and lacked development.  I will not be continuing with the series.
• The Hanged Man and the Fortune Teller by Lucy Banks
• Review
• This is a paranormal historical fiction.  I really enjoy Bank's writing style.  This wasn't as humorous as her previous books, it was actually kind of sad and somber.  The historical fiction and time jumps were an interesting way to tell the story.  
• Extinction of All Children by L.J. Epps
• Review
• This is a dystopian story set in the year 2098.  It follows main character Emma who is the last child to turn 18, as she was also the last child allowed to be born in the impoverished Territory L.  This has Hunger Games vibes, but Emma is no Katniss Everdeen.  This is an OK start to the series, but it lacks character development and is fairly tropey and predictable.  I will continue on with the series, but I have other books that will likely take priority.
• The Whisper Man by Alex North
• Review
• This is one of my favorite thrillers of the year.  It follows a father and son as they are recovering from the loss of their wife/mother.  As they try to find a fresh start, a copycat murderer begins to plague the town they live in and the son appears to be his next target.  This was creepy without being too gory and I really enjoyed the twists and turns.  

Books due out soon

• The Grace Year by Kim Liggett due out September 17th
• Saving Fable by Scott Reintgen due out September 17th
• Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris due out October 3rd
• The Furies by Katie Lowe due out October 3rd
• Ashlords by Scott Reintgen due out January 2020

Books already published that I hope to get to by the end of the year

• Journey To Territory M by L.J. Epps
• Journey To Territory U by L.J. Epps
• An Act of Faith by C.A. Oliver
• A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart
• The Broken Destiny by Carlyle Labushagne
• Last Night by Karen Ellis

Photo Credit: Netgalley