Bayou Bytes Blog

Every Reason We Shouldn’t is a YA ice-skating romance. Fifteen-year-old Olivia is a Japanese American figure skating champion. Or she was, before she blew a big performance last year and washed out of her Olympic dreams. Now she’s adjusting to life as a “normal” teen. She’s back in public school and working at her parents’ ice skating rink, teaching six-year-olds how to skate.   Then Jonah Choi shows up, buying private ice time every day to practice his speed skating. Jonah and Olivia immediately hit it off. They share the intense and isolating experiences of child professional athletes and they develop a playful rivalry that pushes them both to train harder.   This was a cute story. It’s a light romance, aimed at younger teens, and the love story is intertwined with Olivia’s struggle with whether she should return to professional skating. The narrative also touches on some tough topics, like the pressure to succeed that child athletes often experience, as w...

I'll be the first to admit I picked this book up because of the cover. I was immediately  sold on the image of a witch and werewolf trying to make mooncakes.     The witch, Nova, lives in a small town with her grandmothers and helps them run the local magic shop. When her friend mentions sightings of a white wolf in the woods, Nova slips into the forest to check it out. She discovers her childhood friend, the werewolf Tam, is back in town. Tam is on the run and needs Nova's help to defeat a powerful demon. Together, with some charming supporting characters, they tackle the evil in the woods.   Mooncakes  is a really casual read with a cute art style and a traditional plot. You already know where the story is going, but the characters make it worth the read. The authors spent more energy designing the characters and their relationships.The story really focuses on the reunion of old friends, with a side of romance. This young adult graphic novel...