contemporary, Four Star Book, Historical Fiction, poetry

White Rose Review

  • Title: White Rose
  • Author: Kip Wilson
  • Book Form: Physical ARC
  • Pages: 368
  • Publisher: Versify
  • Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Poetry
  • Rating: ★★★★


A gorgeous and timely novel based on the incredible story of Sophie Scholl, a young German college student who challenged the Nazi regime during World War II as part of The White Rose, a non-violent resistance group.

Disillusioned by the propaganda of Nazi Germany, Sophie Scholl, her brother, and his fellow soldiers formed the White Rose, a group that wrote and distributed anonymous letters criticizing the Nazi regime and calling for action from their fellow German citizens. The following year, Sophie and her brother were arrested for treason and interrogated for information about their collaborators.

– Goodreads

Thank you to Versify for a free copy of White Rose in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh man. Where do I even start. First, let’s talk about this cover. It’s beautiful. I love the solitary girl standing with her hand in the air. A sign of resistance and doing what’s right, because really, that’s what this book is all about.

Next, I loved that the novel was written in prose. I felt like it gave such depth to the story and just really punched it home.

This is a story about Sophie, who is a German during WW2. She doesn’t like what her government is doing, especially pertaining to the Jewish people. Sophie decides to do something about it.

White Rose is based on a true story. It’s so interesting to see a novel from a German’s point of view. Most WW2 novels I read are from a Jewish pov. I loved that change and I loved that it showed not all Germans were bad. There were some who disagreed and tried to fight the regime, even if it meant capture and death.

I loved that this was a story of resistence. It’s a story of fighting the power, knowing what is happening is wrong, and doing something about it. It’s a story of standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves, regardless of the consequences. It’s such a powerful tale, and so timely.

In the back of the novel, there was a list of characters included. It let you know the fates of all the characters in the novel in real life. That was so interesting to me. It made me fully realize these were REAL people who did REAL things in the face of adversity and an all encompassing power trying to repress anyone who wasn’t “perfect”.

I would recommend this book again and again. It was a quick read since it was written in prose, but it was SO POWERFUL. It left me wanting to do more, be more, speak up more.

Until next time…

Four Star Book

The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One Review

  • Title: The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One
  • Author: Amanda Lovelace
  • Pages: 210
  • Book Form: Egalley ARC
  • Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
  • Genre: Poetry, Feminism
  • Rating: ★★★★


Goodreads Choice Award-winning poet and USA TODAY bestselling author Amanda Lovelace presents the mermaid’s voice returns in this one — the third and final installment in her “women are some kind of magic” series, featuring a foreword from Lang Leav and 13 guest poems from leading voices in poetry such as Nikita Gill, KY Robinson, and Orion Carloto.

The mermaid is known for her siren song, luring bedroom-eyed sailors to their demise. However, beneath these misguided myths are tales of escapism and healing, which Lovelace weaves throughout this empowering collection of poetry, taking you on a journey from the sea to the stars. They tried to silence her once and for all, but the mermaid’s voice returns in this one.

– Goodreads

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts and feelings are my own. 

This was another great collection of poetry by Amanda Lovelace. I was so excited when someone told me her third book was available on Netgalley! 

I love that the central theme in this book was hope and healing. Yes, terrible, horrific things happened, but there’s always a chance for healing. It’s such a great message that’s so pertinent today. 

I did have a harder time connecting with this book, but I think that’s because the issues discussed have never happened to me. The poems were still beautifully written and I liked the inclusion of other poets. The subject matter did not take away from the book at all, even though it wasn’t something I had experienced. 

This was another amazing book of poetry that empowers women to take back their lives after tragedies and gives them hope to be able to heal. I would definitely recommend this book, along with her others.

Until next time…