On the shelf: “The scream I scrumpt” while reading

By Courtney Warren

My students are about to do me in! I started off 2024 reading with no true goal, and I should have known better. I have yet to find a book that I haven’t given a five-star rating. 

Recently, my best friend came over to babysit my daughter. When I got back home, while we sat in the bedroom, she looked at my bookshelf and said, “That looks like at one point it was beautifully organized.” 

Well, she wasn’t wrong. Books were crammed on the shelves from end to end and then shoved into the corners. I had books stacked on other stacks and in front of stacks and behind stacks and on the floor…in stacks. So, with the rest of the house desperately in need of a good cleaning, we did what any rational person would…we completely ignored all adult responsibilities and took every book off of the shelf to reorganize them. I tell you that story to tell you this one: because of this reorganization, I was able to make a “to be read” shelf and found several books my students have been suggesting for quite some time now. 

I first started with Lightlark by Alex Aster. In this story, every one hundred years, the island of Lightlark appears and hosts the Centennial, which invites the rulers of six realms and gives them one final chance to break the curses on their realms. Every ruler and realm has an ability, but they also have a curse – except for the main character, Isla Crown. Isla is ruler of Wilding – a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. With an incredible world, beautiful descriptions, creatively written characters, and a crazy plot twist, I told my students “the scream I scrumpt when I jumped through my home to grab book two and find out what happened.” I raved about this one. It was the Hunger Games meets the TV show Love Island. The next day, I saw four copies in the hallways, as students had gone to get their own books after school. It made my heart so happy. 

Now, next, I have to tell you about Campbell and how she continues to ruin my happiness for her own enjoyment. 

We all have those students that leave a huge impression on us – Campbell is on my very long list of students who have left handprints on my heart. From the moment I met her, I knew she was special.

But, also, she’s a menace. I say this lovingly and know she will find it amusing, because she takes joy in giving me books from series that she knows are not complete. These books are amazing. These books draw you in. These books keep you up at night. 

Every single one of these books ends on a cliffhanger.

You see what I mean about her ruining my happiness? This brilliant, brilliant child has such an eye for great stories, specifically fantasy. She inhales a story and loses herself in a book as if she has entered a completely different world. It’s beautiful to watch her read. So, when she recommended Belladonna by Adalyn Grace to me, I ignored her. And for good reason! At the time, Belladonna only had one book in the series. Recently, the sequel, Foxglove, was released, and I thought it was now safe to read. Campbell said it was. Campbell told a story. 

In the book, Signa Farrow can’t die. Not only can she not die, but she can see Death and spirits that have yet to cross over. When her most recent relative has passed, orphaned Signa goes to live at Thorn Grove with cousins, where her aunt mysteriously died and her cousin has taken ill. But, when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer. However, Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself. Once again, “the scream I scrumpt!” I inhaled the first book, flew through the second book, and in typical Campbell fashion SHE DID NOT TELL ME there was a third that has yet to be released. 

So, long story short, check out these young adult books Lightlark and Belladonna. But you’ve been warned!