Squills 28/2/25

Welcome to Squills, the official news bulletin of the Young Writers Society! Glad to see you for our February edition!

What will you find here? Tons of interesting news about YWS, including but not limited to: articles about writing, art, and the world of humanities; interviews with YWS members; shameless plugs; link round-ups; and opinionated columns. This time we have a bumper edition of Squills, filled with catch-ups with Featured Members and book recommendations from your favourite Squills columnists!

If you'd like to join our Squills Staff or have an article you'd like to be considered as a Guest Writer, please message one of our fine editors! And if you have feedback on this edition of Squills we'd love to hear your thoughts over at the Squills Fan Club .

Spoiler

Editorial Team
alliyah
(she/her)

IcyFlame
(she/her)

Liminality
(she/her)

Friendly Neighborhood Robot
SquillsBot
(beep/boop)

Literary Reporter
Available - PM Squillsbot if interested

Community Reporters
looseleaf
(she/her)

alliyah
(she/her)

Creativity Reporter
FruityBickel
(he/him)

Poetry Enchantress
alliyah
(she/her)

Resources Reporter
Available - PM Squillsbot if interested

Roleplay Reporters
Available - PM Squillsbot if interested

Code Master
Spearmint
(she/her)

General Reporters
foxmaster
(she/her)

Isbah
(she/her)

EllieMae
(she/her)

NadyaStatham
(she/her)

Staff Chef
LadySpark
(she/her)[/center]

1. LIM’S JOURNALING PROMPTS
2. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: THEROMANTICCHEMIST
3. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: KHUSHI17BANSAL
4. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: NOVEMBERCROW
5. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: TOASTK

6. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: AVIMOON
7. A TALK WITH THE YWS-TOWN
8. THE BEST AND WORST OF YA MURDER MYSTERIES
9. 6 BLIND DATES WITH 6 BOOKS
10. SHAMELESS PLUGS
11. SUBSCRIBERS

LIM’S JOURNALING PROMPTSwritten by Liminality< PM: >

At the end of 2019, I (re)started journaling in the margins of a festival pamphlet, and I’ve been keeping an almost entirely continuous journal since - though thankfully not in pamphlet margins. For me, journaling is a happy space in between a brain dump and ‘serious’ creative writing. These prompts are based around things I’ve enjoyed trying in my journals, and I hope you’ll enjoy them too!

1. Characters

Describe feelings, people or yourself as a character. You could do something like a video game character or a roleplaying game character sheet, complete with stats or the vague outlines of stats. Here’s an example of one I did for myself, based on the game Sunless Skies (which note: does have some mature content - though none of that is included in my example)

Me as a Signaller: The Wavering Scholar

The Wavering Scholar has learnt to read the stars in her explorations . . . She has also learnt to misread them, on purpose. She intends to uncover and record the mysteries of the skies but is tempted by fantastical escapism into other dimensions.

Species: Human
Affiliation: +1 Academe
Stats: Adds to Mirrors and Hearts

For context and for fun: Mirrors and Hearts are stats in Sunless Skies. If you know of Dungeons and Dragons, you can think of Mirrors as being Intelligence and Hearts as being Charisma. I’ve come up with a character that would be an Officer in the game - Officers aren’t player characters, but they staff the player character’s ship and have little side stories and interactions.

Envisioning people and feelings as characters is a cool way to gain new insight into them, especially into how you perceive them. In this case, I gained insight into how I perceive myself (as tempted to escape reality, the way many writers are!)).

2. Poetic Friends List

Make a list of poetic images, where each list item represents a friend or a favourite person of yours. You could also do this with characters from your novel or roleplay!

Here’s an example of a short one I did:

• Cornflowers, proud and vivid / wheat stalks shifting in the wind / the flash of lightning
• Oceanic / little red hermit crab crouching on a rock, very big eyes (for a crab) / wheat stalks on a cloudy day
• Forest / dappled / a moose in the distance / the rustling of dry leaves

I found this one enjoyable because it lets me combine something I love (poetry) with a few someones I love (my friends), and so the writing feels extra special.

3. Setting of Mind

Describe your state of mind as a place. To give you some structure to work with – pick three colours for your emotions and make that the colours of the ground, a feature on the ground and the sky. Or think of a texture based on the emotion and work from there.

For example, I feel that being disillusioned is like being lost in a field of long grass - so I came up with The Fields of Disillusionment, an abandoned farm overgrown with long, blue grass, with wind that forms circular patterns in the grass and a hut in the distance that never gets closer no matter how long you walk for . . .

This prompt is another way to put a ‘name’ to a feeling. I used to do this one fairly often in one of my old journals from 2023, and I remember I ended up with a whole network of locations, including a well at the bottom of a fountain, a desert of black sand and some crystal caverns.

4. Problems You’ve Solved

Write about all the problems, especially the minor ones, that you’ve solved or overcome today. Think your day has been unproductive? Think again - did you push a chair out of the way to get through a path? Did you pick up a fallen pencil? I like making mountains out of these sorts of molehills because they can be confidence-boosting mountains. If nothing else, at least it’s entertaining.

5. A short film about yourself

What if someone tried to make a short film about your life? What kind of mood would it have? Describe how you imagine this film would be in your journal.

An interesting angle to consider is different styles of film and how that might lead to different moments of your life being showcased, in different ways. For example, a documentary inspired by Studio Ghibli animations would probably focus on softer moments, with vivid and colourful visuals, whereas a nature documentary from a TV channel like Animal Planet would likely have narration and maybe a tense atmosphere. Which moments of your life would you include in a documentary with that style?

I find this prompt helpful for getting different perspectives on my experiences. I primarily used to see my life as being full of ominous dramatic and tense situations, so I compiled lists of moments I’ve had that might be included in a cosy slice-of-life short film. That helped me expand my view.

Here are some examples of scenes from that imaginary film:

• Flipping pancakes at my cousin’s house
• Mundane study montage: timed essay writing, papers filled with Math problems, lots of Quizlet
• Playing chess with a friend

After wrapping up this Squills article, I’m probably going to try the ‘short film’ one again in a different style! I think using aspects of imaginative writing in your journals can be a lot of fun. I like using ideas like these to process my thoughts and feelings, and I usually come up with something interesting. So why not give one of these a go?

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: THEROMANTICCHEMIST

written by alliyah < PM: >

If you frequent WFP quite a bit or just been browsing the People Tab in the last couple months you've probably ran into @theromanticchemist, also known as Chem! Chem was our site's Featured Member for the first part of November 2024 and is always a joy to chat with! Here's a little interview with them to hopefully get to know them even better!



theromanticchemist: I used to be on a different writing site, but at some point in August I tried to log in and it crashed. I panicked first--I'd lost a good amount of poetry that was on there!--but then I calmed down and decided to find an alternative. I think I found some list online and YWS was the first, so that's how it started!

I've found such a good community here, some of my favorite people in the world are people I've talked to in WFP and the people tab! Plus, one of my best friends and my girlfriend are on here too, so it's a great way to just connect with everyone. This community is just irreplaceable to me. YWS has also helped me grow as a poet so much, and I want to continue posting my work here for a long, long time!



t: Oh my gosh, I was so excited!! To me, it meant that I was recognized as part of the community, which made me feel super warm and accepted by everyone here--especially the lovely mod team that chose me. I'm pretty sure I jumped up, ran around my room, and promptly texted @avimoon.



t: So, I'm a hopeless romantic, which is where "romantic" comes from, and I've always been ridiculously interested in chemistry (I once made a supersized periodic table and taped it up on my bedroom wall!), and have wanted to study the science in college for a long time. For a while, I wanted to be a chemist! So that's where the "chemist" part comes from. I've been so lucky as to get nicknamed "chem" by YWSers, and I'm thankful for that, seeing as my full username is quite a mouthful.



t: To me, prose-poetry fusion is poetry that doesn't follow the usual pattern of line breaks and stanzas. There was a time where I felt that I had to do frequent line breaks and utilize stanzas, because that was what I had been taught was poetry. Once I discovered that poetry could follow a prose pattern of punctuation and form, there was no going back! I've written so much of it now, and although I have gone back to mostly doing line breaks and stanzas, it was a nice break from the "rules" I thought were instituted upon me.
Since I started writing in a prose poetry style more often, I've come to realize that poetry doesn't have rules or normal patterns--you do what you want! I think that is part of what makes me love this art so much.



t: Since I discovered the helicopter tab, I have wracked my brain for answers. Although I am a relatively new member, I do my due diligence in investigation...and I have come to believe that the helicopter is, in fact, a time machine that will be unlocked on Christmas 2123: 100 years after the date it shows. It will fly all YWSers back to the time of their choosing to change history and cause general chaos. As a member of Classified, the chaos part is what intrigues me...



t: Near the end of January, Avian made me realize that I needed to write for myself. I think for a while, I was writing for others, and it made me creatively stifled in a way. Now, I'm still working on that, but that advice has really changed my creative process to one that is more writer-focused as opposed to audience-focused.



t: ahhhhhh! so many! I will definitely miss some, and just know everyone on here means so so much to me.
@fatherfig, for being the first person I met on this site and became friends with! AKA the reason people call me chem.
@Quillfeather. for being the best WFP buddy and YWS daughter.
@eulogy, for being my Swiftie friend on YWS and a poet who I look up to very much.
@milkweed, who is also a poet I admire very much and a lovely chatter whenever we're in WFP together.
@LadySpark, someone who I haven't talked to much but admire immensely--her poetry has influenced mine so much and I am so glad I discovered it.
@noperfectformula, AKA one of my best friends both in real life and on YWS, and an incredibly wonderful person and supporter of mine.
@Avian, one of my favorite poets of all time, and more importantly, a great friend on here. Thank you, Avian, for all the advice you've given me--I am so glad we met.
finally, @avimoon, who I love to the end of the galaxy and am hoping I can spend the rest of my life with--both on YWS and in real life.

Thanks for your time and for sharing your thoughts chem!

Good bye until next time!

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: KHUSHI17BANSAL

written by alliyah < PM: >

The Squills staff loves to highlight YWS's talented featured members throughout the year, and it's time for an interview with one from this November! @khushi17bansal was the site's Featured Member from November 19 - December 3. Since joining YWS this last May she's made a mark in a variety of places on the site - but let's hear from the writer!



khushi17bansal: Hi alliyah! I'd love to answer any questions you might have!! I was actually looking for a site like YWS to post my writing on. I had started to follow this trend where I would start writing with great vigour, but after a few chapters it would all fizzle out. So, I was looking for a site where I could post my writing and get some feedback on it and hopefully that would keep me motivated and help me finish my project and improve my writing skills. I chose YWS because it felt safer and I was more comfortable here as compared to sites like Ao3 or wattpad.

Honestly, I really love this place! The people are so amazing and friendly and it's so much fun to chat and write with them. I really like all the forums, clubs, the review system, the events it's all amazing. Took me a while to figure the site out and the bbcode XD But I really like this place. That's why even though I don't have time to write or review these days I still come online every now and then and I don't plan on leaving any time soon! Once my study schedule clears up I definitely plan to be more active.



k: I was really confused at first XD I had just woken up and there so many notifications it took me a while to figure out what had actually happened lol. But once I did I was really happy! I couldn't stop smiling. It was surreal honestly. I remember thinking that the gif @RavenAkuma had chosen was spot on XD I felt like it matched my vibe well



k: Like I said before I really like all aspects of YWS. But I am a little partial towards the randomosity forum, the peoples tab, clubs and I really like reviewing as well! As for the events, I love them all! They're all so amazing! Scavenger hunts have been a highlight I guess, they're tough but so much fun! I don't participate much (or at all) in the poetry events, because not much of a poet, but I really enjoy all the events ^^



k: Well, I really like - The Greatest Mystery of the 21st Century (There is a Murder Involved Too… SHHHHHH….) - it's a short story and I'm just really proud of it! I really enjoyed writing it and I think it came out really well. It is 2 parts - Part 1 and Part 2!



k: Oh this one's tough. I've gotten such amazing reviews that have all been so helpful I couldn't possibly pick one. I did learn a lot of grammatical rules I didn't know before, particularly in relation to dialouges. But mostly I think I've grown in confidence and my relationship with writing has changed, I've become a lot more free with it, if that makes sense. Reviews and reviewers helped me realise that I had a very rigid view of what kind of work I should be writing (only things that were 'good enough') and I've changed that, now I just write whatever it is I enjoy! I also realised that my poetry is not as awful as I perceived it to be lol.



k: There are so many people I would like to thank I could never fit them all here XD So, I'll dedicate this shout out to everybody on YWS! You are all wonderful, supportive and amazing people, who deserve all happiness and joy in life. I'm very grateful to have met all of you and YWS is truly lucky to have you all! ^^

Thank you for being part of YWS khushi17bansal! It was great hearing from this Featured Member - if you haven't had a chance to read some of their literary works yet, be sure to stop over at their portfolio and take a look!

Good bye until next time!

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: NOVEMBERCROW

written by alliyah < PM: >

Have all your ducks in a row? No? How about your chickens? Well this Featured Member may be able to help you with that! @NovemberCrow (formerly AnotherCrowInARow) was our site's Featured Member in early December 2024. Crow is SUPER active in Randomosity, but also has been busy in YWS events, and writes some poetry and prose (especially the ghost-related-type-of-prose). Appropriately, they also made a huge splash this Fall during Spooktober, given their username, I'm not surprised at all! If you haven't met NovemberCrow yet, hopefully this interview will help you get to know them a little more! You're likely to see them in a Forum near you soon!



NovemberCrow: Oh wow, I’m honored, alliyah! Of course I can find some time for interview! I happen to remember this exactly! Thoughtlessly, I clicked on the Peoples tab and there I see the classic "We have a new FM!" message. Well, a few seconds later I realized that there is a crow on the GIF under the announcement. If you find the message, the first comment is my "wait a sec...". After that I just clicked and there I see that it was really me!

I was extremely honored and pleased - I care so much about YWS and the people here, so it was awesome to find out that some part of YWS also appreciates me here!



N: It’s not a secret that I’m a huge fan of autumn, so my favorite event is definitely Spooktober! But I also love NovMo (both November one and Camps). If I had to name my favorite sections of YWS, first in my mind are Randomnosity (where I spend a bit too much of time), clubs, Creativity Corner and of course, WFP pads (even thought I’m not always able to be online when everyone else is because of timezones).



N: I really want to dive into roleplaying!



N: Uffff, there’s a lot of those. First which come to my mind is one time I woke up at 3 in morning and randomly joined a pad party. There’s a lot more of memories from whole YWS, but another strong one was last year’s NovMo, which was first official NovMo I joined on this site (and somehow won).

I also love when tags start running around site - for example this year’s Social Week’s #truthordare is great and made a lot of fun around page.

Also, there’s always lot of fun in chat of WFP. Especially with mosquitoes turning into donkeys. If you know, you know.



N: That’s a secret. You can probably guess yourself that it has something to do with crows and Novembers. This is just a fun fact, but both of my usernames (current and old one) are inside jokes.



N: I don’t want to start a crow-chicken war, but in my heart, the ultimate favorites will forever remain crows. Sorry, chickens!



N: If we were on a Discord server, I would tag @/everyone here. The problem with shout-outs for me is that I always get extremely tangled in them and then feel bad about not naming everyone I know on YWS (which includes a lot of amazing writers). Well, I'll try to make it short: you are all fantastic, wonderful people. It wouldn't be the same here without you. The most amazing thing about YWS is the community and everyone who is a part of it is awesome in my opinion. Did it sounded very cliché? Probably. But sometimes, clichés are necessary.

Thanks for your time NovemberCrow!

And for everyone else, be sure to stop by NovemberCrow's profile and say hello or share a comment if something they said in their interview sparked some interest!

Good bye until next time!

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: TOASTKwritten by Liminality< PM: >

Hello hello! This FM is known for having great chats in WriterFeedPads and the People’s Tab, drawing in his Art & Photography thread, and for his knowledge of languages. That’s right, this time we’re interviewing @ToastK! Toast joined us in April 2024 and became FM in December 2024.



ToastK: Yeah no problem, that’d be awesome! Fire away any questions as long as they don’t ask about what’s in my basement you want



T: Well, at first I was surprised because I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was also really grateful since I got free advertising as I was the most important person for the 2 weeks I mean… I was grateful because of how many people congratulated me. Finding out that I was FM made me feel even more welcome to the Yewis community than ever before.



T: I like to hang out in WFPs because it's where all the cool hip people of YWS are (totally not biased I swear haha;;;), and it's a place where we can simultaneously have a really smart and philosophical discussion, and the next moment someone wants to talk about cheese.

I like to stalk people's status updates on the people's tab and see what they're up to. It's also the place where I discover I've not been following a certain member despite the fact that I've been talking to them for like a month... and I feel bad about it. So yeah, make sure to check the people's tab and see if you're following people. Sometimes, you don't even realize till like 5 months into talking with them on the WFP y'know.



T: I don't think my writing's been influenced that much by the WFP. However, my thoughts and opinions about other things in general have changed quite a lot as I hanged around the WFP. I think one of the main things is that my appreciation for poetry has gotten deeper, and now I'm learning French on duolingo (120 day streak, pls have mercy on me duo) because of a single conversation making me interested in the language.



T: I think since most of the people here write romantic poetry, I've come to appreciate it more. Also, I've come to appreciate poetry that has less to do with rhyme, and more to do with the story itself, as rhyme was usually what I used to associate with poetry.



T: If I’m limited to just words, definitely short stories. I am really bad at making over arching narratives and writing out a story for more than a couple thousand words, but poems are too short and sometimes it’s hard to portray nuances with not as much words as a proper chapter/story. However, if I can utilize other mediums, than comics and graphic novels are my favorite medium for storytelling. Unlike just books or poems, you have visual aids to help you imagine the scenes more vividly. However, unlike animations or films, the medium is still limited enough to where imagination is required to animate the scene to life yourself.



T: There’s a webtoon I’d highly recommend if you’re into magic and shenanigans. It’s called “Potion Witch” by imjayu and the artstyle is super cute! I was really happy when I found out that the series was officially translated to english because it is really good and for some reason webtoon can’t stop giving us the same basic romance regression into some sort of aristocrat webtoon over and over (though I eat those up lol), so it’s a nice breath of fresh air in a way.

If you’re not that into webtoons or those sorts, I can recommend you “The Storm” by Kate Chopin. You’ve probably heard of this but I really enjoyed how she uses colloquial dialects to bring the story to life.



If you’ve yet to do so, join us in congratulating Toast on his FM thread or on his wall!

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: AVIMOONwritten by Liminality< PM: >

This FM is known for writing amazing poetry and reviews, as well as being an active part of the social side of YWS. That’s right, it’s @avimoon! avimoon joined us in September 2024, and this January became one of our Featured Members. I had the chance to chat with her about poetry in an interview recently. Read on for some great insights!


avimoon: Ooh, yes, please! This sounds super fun



A: I couldn't believe it! It was very surreal. I saw my name in the FM post and my jaw just dropped. Then, my eyes got misty, and I texted my girlfriend (theromanticchemist) as the living embodiment of the smiley emoji with tears in its eyes but also the emoji with bright eyes and a wide smile.



A: Gosh, where to start? For me, poetry began as a way to get out everything I was feeling. I wanted to branch out and try all the forms of poetry I could (and in a way, I still do). Poetry is very much experimental and emotional for me. Inspiration strikes either when something big happens or I feel the need to write something new. Free verse comes the easiest to me, but I find a lot of rhyme schemes and alliteration to be absolutely exquisite and I feel super powerful and just overall great when I have a good rhyme scheme or string of words. Reading poetry is a way to feel the feels when I'm starting to feel numb and like I shouldn't be. Writing poetry is a way to get out everything I feel and preserve it-- like catching memories in marmalade jars at a grandparents' house. Converting what I feel into poetry and breathing life into it makes me feel more than I can put into words. I doubt I will ever truly be able to capture it all, but I am grateful for the moments I have tried.



A: Oof, I can't just pick a favorite, or even a group of favorites. However, if I were to choose only a few poems of mine for anyone to read, they would be the greats and the star in your sternum feel like the kinder poems I've written.



A: Thank you so much! It's really great to know that you enjoyed it
I love Nikita Gill, Kelsea Ballerini, Kori Jane Spaulding, and r. h. Sin, but I draw most of my poetic inspiration from Nikita Gill. Free verse poems that tell vivid stories and flow like water are kind of her style and I've let that influence me quite a bit. (It's always fun to have alliteration and a good rhyme scheme, too, though. )



A: My advice would be to keep going at it and write what you feel. There is so much going on in each and every individual's heart, mind, and soul, and while it's okay to let it all simmer, sometimes letting it out feels better. You are you and you are incredible. You have power and magic and kindness wrapped up inside you, and you can do with it what you want.



A: Thanks so much!!! It's been lovely talking with you

If you have yet to do so, join us in congratulating avimoon on her FM thread or on her wall!

A TALK WITH THE YWS-TOWN

written by NadyaStatham< PM: >

Hey everyone, welcome to A Talk with the YWS-Town! Today, you’ll hear from two awesome YWS members – one’s a sketch artist, and the other just finished a book! In this article, you'll read more about what they've shared on the People's Tab. Come check out what they’ve got to say:

Drawing Goals - fatherfig



fatherfig: hi yes I'd love to help you with that



F: I've had an artistic streak for as long as I can remember. As a child and I used to draw on walls and tables (highly discouraged by my family) with Cheeto fingers and wax crayons. I loved doing sidewalk chalk art as a kid. But I never really took it seriously and let myself get frazzled very easily and then quit for a long time (from elementary school to my first highschool year.) My perfectionist thinking leading me to ball up my art projects often and throw them at the walls like a hoodlum.



F: I would say my art teacher from middle school and highschool was so helpful to make my relationship with art a healthy one. He was constantly reminding me not to quit, reminding me to take a deep breath and sharpen my pencil and challenge myself.

I find most comic style art and animation intrinsically interesting. Vincent Van Gogh's art is compelling, and I think from yewis @LadyMysterio @FireEyes and @Quillfeather are really amazing artists who are improving every day as far as I can tell and they really inspire me. I wouldn't be shocked to find their art in a gallery somewhere someday.




F: I have over thirty names of famous and infamous women who meant something to someone in my art book. 36 currently I think? And I'm slowly sketching them and researching them and learning about these women. I'm learning how to properly draw women through practice, because I honestly realized a while ago I never drew women and I was like oh my that's not very well rounded of me. I'm an artist. So I'm doing this slowly and I think I'm getting better!



F: if you would like you can tell me about some interesting women famous or infamous or historic, maybe someone who inspired or shocked you. I enjoy the learning experience and the challenge of drawing something I'm not quite so good at.

You heard it people, if you know some interesting women, famous, infamous or even historical, make you stop by fatherfig's wall and let him know about it!

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Writing Goals - Elektra



Elektra: Of course!



E: It's honestly surreal. There were so many emotions that came with finishing the novel-- mostly accomplishment, but there's also this feeling of loss because I've lived with these characters for so long that it just feels bittersweet <3 I expected complete relief, but what really surprised me was how much I still think about the story, even now that it's done. There's still editing to do, but there's always that nagging feeling of 'What else could I have explored?' But, ultimately, I told Josephine's story, and I'm really proud of that.



E: The hardest part was definitely the middle-- keeping the tension high without making the plot feel like it was dragging. There were so many moving pieces, so many different character arcs that needed to be connected, and I spent a lot of time rearranging scenes to make the pacing seem right.

On the other hand, the emotional core of the story-- the relationships, the conflicts between Josephine and the people she loves-- those parts came naturally. Especially the scenes between Josephine and Persephone, and later, her dynamic with Jase. Those moments of raw emotion were the easiest to write because I felt them so deeply :').



E: Keep going. Even when it feels impossible. Every writer hits the point where they think: "this isn't working. This isn't good enough". Push through it. Getting halfway through can feel like a mess, but that's what revisions are for. Also, don't be afraid to step away and come back with fresh eyes. Some of my best ideas came from when I wasn't actively writing-- when I was walking, listening to music, even in the middle of doing something completely unrelated. Trust that your story will come together, even if it doesn't feel like it in the moment <3.



E: I love this question, so buckle in XD:

I'd love for my readers to think about what it really means to be strong. Josephine is a warrior/goddess, yes, but her strength isn't just in divine matters-- it's in her choices, in her ability to keep going even when everything is stacked against her. I also want to touch on the idea of 'legacy'. Throughout the novel, Josephine struggles with who she should be rather than what she wants to be, especially in the eyes of the gods.

How much of our identity is shaped by the people before us? How much to we owe them, and how much do we get to claim ourselves? DoW has themes of love and friendship, but a heavy theme is also finding your place in a world that constantly tries to tell you who you're supposed to be. <3

Thank you so much for answering the questions! XD And good luck editing Elektra ^^

Check out Elektra’s novel, Daughter of War here.

That's it for this month's Talk with the YWS-Town!

THE BEST AND WORST OF YA MURDER MYSTERIESwritten by EllieMae< PM: >

Do you like murder mysteries? If you do, then this is the article for you! In this article, we are going to talk about different books and series that I have read this month. I am going to share the good, the bad, the horribly written, and the brilliant! These opinions are entirely my own, and despite my comments and thoughts, I still admire the authors for taking the time to write these books and share their ideas with us. All facts are from my own memory and the way that I perceived the text. I encourage you to read the books yourself and form your own opinions!



This series has a third book, 'One of Us Is Back (2023)', which I have not yet read. There are also multiple stand-alone novels- Two Can Keep a Secret, The Cousins, You'll Be the Death of Me, Nothing More to Tell, and Such Charming Liars- which I will describe later and in the following months.

One of Us Is Lying: Five high school students are in detention, when one of them suddenly dies. The remaining four teenagers are all questioned as suspected of the death. Each of them has a different motive that could make them guilty, which are each discovered throughout the novel. The student who died, Simon, had a gossip app that he used to share horrible secrets about all of the students at the school. I found the plot incredibly engaging and the ending was fantastic! I give this book a solid 8/10.

One of Us Is Next: This book takes place a year after the first book and follows different students at the same school. An anonymous texter starts a texting game where students must pick between a truth or a dare. If they choose the truth or fail to complete their dare, a horrible secret about them will be revealed to everyone. The dares start off harmless, but quickly escalate to death... and maybe even murder. This ending did not have as big of an effect on me, but it was still well thought out and has some plot twists. I give this a 7/10.

One of Us Is Lying was adapted into a Netflix series as well!



24 years ago, everything seemed fine for the wealthy Story family, until it all fell apart. Each of the four children received an ominous letter that stated "You know what you did" and were suddenly disinherited from their mother. Now, in the present date, the three Story cousins get invited to meet their grandmother at her massive island resort and work there for the summer. Upon arriving, the cousins quickly realize that their grandmother was not the one who invited them, in fact, she had no idea that they were coming. They quickly realize that things are not as they seemed and the motive behind their invitation gets out of hand... fast.

I enjoyed this book a lot! I found the plot to be very well thought out and it did not feel like it went on longer than it needed to. The ending shocked me and there were other parts throughout the book that almost had me screaming with shock. I rate this an 8/10.



This book follows twins, Ellery and Ezra, whose mom has gone to rehab.The twins are sent to live with their grandmother, in the same town that their mother’s twin sister disappeared 23 years earlier. Mysterious threats begin to appear around town and the twins realize that they must solve the case before another girl goes missing... or are they already too late?

This book was AMAZING. At the end of the book, you think everything is solved, but the VERY LAST sentence is one of the most shocking things I have ever read in my entire life and it changes how you think about the whole story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be surprised! I rate this a 9/10.



After a series of seemingly unrelated tragic events, there are no cheerleaders left in Sunnybrook. 5 years later, the school wants to remember the cheerleaders, but Monica, the sister of one of them, just wants to forget it all. After finding some suspicious pieces of evidence, she begins to wonder if everything is not what it seems. The book jumps between Monica's and her sister's POV. It was pretty well written, but the first-person writing seemed a bit rough at times. The ending was a bit predictable, but still, I enjoyed this book overall. There were no huge 'AHA!!!' moments, but the ending was exciting, nonetheless. I rate this a 6.5/10.



This series contains three books, followed by two stand-alone novels that take place after the series (which I will talk about later). This series takes place at Ellingham Acadamy, a boarding school in Vermont for genius kids, most of which have a special interest or talent that cannot be nurtured in a traditional school. The series follows Stevie Bell, a teenage girl who is obsessed with solving crime. In the 1930s, the schools founders wife and daughter were kidnapped and murdered, but the case has never been solved. Stevie sets out to solve the murder, but when more of her classmates unexpectedly and suspiciously die, many new secrets begin to surface.

My honest review: The series is quite long and honestly, was not worth the read. You could read a summary online and get everything you need to. There are many filler chapters and an endless amount of plotholes. The books misrepresent mental health issues like panic attacks and the main character has a mindset that can become very annoying. At a certain point, you realize that the entire thing does not even matter because the murders happened nearly 100 years ago and everyone related to them is already dead. This author has a tendency to continually add information to the story, creating a situation where it is literally impossible for a reader to be able to guess the motives/ending because it is not possible until the very end when it is laid out. I was quite disappointed, but I still enjoyed the idea of the plot.

I will add- most of the reviews I read online say that this series is AMAZING, so maybe it is just me XD I rate this series a 4/10.



This book takes place directly after the Truly Devious series and follows Stevie and her friends as they become camp counselors at a summer camp with an unsolved murder. In the 70s a bunch of teenagers were murdered by this 'box in the woods'. Once Stevie and her friends arrive at camp, just like in the first book, more people die! I mention this book in a wall post. Honestly, I hated the ending so much. The murders make no sense. The motives are bad too. I actually enjoyed the rest of the book and was expecting a better solution I rate this one a 3.5/10 because of how disappointed I was.

I still have plenty more books that I have read to share with you! Check back next month for part two

6 BLIND DATES WITH 6 BOOKS

written by NadyaStatham< PM: >

Hey everyone! Valentine’s Day might be behind us, but love stories never go out of season. So, if you’re still in the mood for romance or if you just love a good surprise, this is the perfect article for you!

Here’s how it works: I’ve lined up 6 Blind Reads, each with a hint about the book’s central theme and a few bullet points to pique your interest. If one catches your eye, click the link to reveal the title, author, and a short summary. But here’s the twist—you have to read the book! No take-backsies!

So, grab a cozy blanket and let’s find your next bookish love story. You might just meet your perfect match.

#1 - Blind Read

• Brother’s Best Friend x Best Friend’s Sister
• Senior year of high school, scholarship dreams
• The Bro Code’s most important rule: never date your best friend’s sister.
• Well… to be honest some rules were made to be broken

#2 - Blind Read

• Grumpy girl x Sunshine boy
• A journey from darkness to light - one she refuses to go through
• He hides a life-changing secret from her
• Will love survive when truths are revealed?
• One more hint: @Skyvibes posted about this book a while ago - also one of the reasons I chose to read it.

#3 - Blind Read

• Fake Dating
• Opposites Attract
• With a strong moral compass, he challenges her to see beyond popularity
• One prom night. One fake date. One guy she can’t forget…

#4 - Blind Read

• Second Chance Love
• R16+ (mature content)
• In love with France (the country)
• An unexpected romance unfolds with a charming Brit
• What if life serves scones when you crave croissants?

#5 - Blind Read

• Anonymous Lovers
• Enemies in real life, Allies who find each other in an advice column
• He’s the school bad boy and faces impossible choices
• She hides her struggles under the perfect image
• Can enemies become each other's safe space?

#6 - Blind Read

• First Love, First Heartbreak
• She’s a reader that feels out of place in the real world
• He doesn’t have all the time he wants - yet he smiles
• Will their love survive and help them survive?

Alright, that’s it! If you’ve chosen your book, grab a cozy spot and let the story sweep you off your feet. Happy reading!

SHAMELESS PLUGS

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