Phyllis Feng
Editor’s Note: I received a free copy of this book an exchange for a fair, honest review. After taking the world by a storm with the Red Queen series, Victoria Aveyard has returned to grant us another fantasy series, promising us another addictive read. Realm Breaker, the pilot of her next fantasy series, is a
Editor’s Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair, honest review. Tahereh Mafi, author of the acclaimed Shatter Me series, returns with a wrenching, intimate novel that gives voice to those who were silenced in the aftermath of 9/11. It’s 2003, and 17-year-old Shadi is reeling from a slew
Trigger Warning: This article discusses serious issues regarding minors. I’m no stranger to the tumult of social media and its inhabitants. I’ve written extensively on the relationship between social media and mental health, relatability culture, family vloggers, commentary channels, and more. The internet is a fascinating, irresistible landscape, chock-full of social dynamics and divisions just
I was terrified of this book. I know — crazy. What’s to fear about ink on a page? It’s just a book, right? Except nothing’s just a book now in the book community. Nothing is as simple now as a story, a cast of beloved characters, a downpour of emotions. Now, there are cultures and fanbases.
In recent news, the beloved show Umbrella Academy has been called out for perpetuating the “Silent Asian” phenomenon in the entertainment industry. Number 6, also named Ben, is a deceased sibling of the Hargreeves family, a tight-knit party of supernaturals. He lingers in the world as a ghost, trailing behind Klaus’ antics, who can communicate with
Reality TV is the world’s greatest guilty pleasure. The characters are messy, melodramatic and infuriating. The storylines range from bizarre to downright outlandish — riddled with loose ends, plot holes and unresolved conflicts. In fact, ninety-nine percent of the time, we’re not truly enjoying the show so much as itching to throw a heavy object
The turn of the twenty-first century has seen a radical shift in our attitudes towards mental health. Before, it was viewed as a taboo. Those afflicted with it, when brave enough to reveal their struggles, were scorned and forced through traumatizing medical procedures such as lobotomies. They were categorized as weak. Thankfully, our reservations
Just do it. Be happy. Don’t give up. After every storm comes a rainbow. Time heals all wounds. Everything happens for a reason. Sound familiar? If you rolled your eyes at the second one and felt your fists clench by the last phrase, they probably do, because they are everywhere. These eye-rolling, stomach-lurching platitudes saturate
It is an indisputable fact that there can never be enough rom-coms in this world. Subsumed into the usual doom and gloom of social and political affairs, we need some frivolity this year. No, not the superficial, vapid kind. The type that alleviates our burdens, that halts the encroaching stresses. The type that sweeps us
At its heart, it’s simple: we flock towards those who are most like us. We crave connection, and where better to find it than with those who share common ground? Whether it’s by race, gender, socioeconomic status, religion, interest or any other categorical factor, we unconsciously divide ourselves into sectors. Into us and them. It
“I was reading a book awhile ago where this girl was like seventeen and dating an immortal, and all I could think about was how weird the age gap was — and how ridiculous it was that the girl never had homework and went out clubbing,” a friend said to me in a conversation about
A national health crisis. Cries of activism. The answering tide of social reform. Along with this havoc, comes a stirring within the YouTube community in 2020 to question our influencers’ intentions. During this era of restlessness and fatigue, we reflect on the scars marring America’s relationship with race. Wounds that still reverberate in every institution
