First of all, let's just take a moment to admire that GORGEOUS cover art. Honestly, I'm so in love with it!

There were quite a few things I really enjoyed about Renna's Crossing. The premise gave an original spin to the whole "teenage hero completely unaware they were born with great powers" trope. Despite not knowing much about the demon, its presence was really felt throughout, as it guided some of the main characters' choices.

I also really liked the diverse cast, and definitely appreciated seeing a discussion on pronouns early on. Contrary to some other books I've read recently, the diversity here didn't feel token and we weren't repeatedly bashed over the head with how diverse this book is. Each character brought their own unique background and personality to the game, and that just made it... themselves. So refreshing! I really enjoyed how some elements from different religious traditions were included, and particularly the loa, which I knew nothing about and prompted me to do a bit of research. I really LOVE it when books help me learn something new!

The style was a bit hit-and-miss for me. I tended to really enjoy the descriptions and world-building: they felt extremely vivid, and I could picture it all clearly, which is always a good sign! The dialogues though fell really flat for me. Most of them felt too forced and unnatural, which made them hard to enjoy. It probably didn't help that as the story progressed, I found most of the characters annoying. The only ones I really cared about by the end were the dads and children in the foster home, and I wish we got to see more of them.

The pacing was also a bit off. The book started off strong and very quickly lost steam, so that for most of it it felt like the story was just dragging on and then it rushed to the ending. This was really a shame, as it had the potential to be much more gripping! The magic was also slightly underwhelming, and I would have definitely liked to see more of it throughout.

Overall, this was a fairly pleasant read that might appeal to someone looking for a diverse fantasy. It is a slow burn, so avoid if you're looking for a fast-paced read.

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way. ( )

Renna Porter seems to be followed around by strange occurrences ever since she was the sole survivor of a house fire that killed her immediate family when she was young. Now, Renna lives in an amazing foster home with three dads and an amazing group of siblings. Then, a person named Job shows up. Job explains that he trained under Renna's grandmother, Mab who was a powerful witch. Mab died trying to fight off the demon that is actively hunting Renna. Job wants to take Renna to a safe haven and train her as a witch. Renna agrees as she and Job set out on a strange journey where Renna learns about her power, her family and unlocks her past.

Renna's Crossing is a coming of age story mixed with witchcraft and mystery. The characters were all wonderfully developed. From the beginning, I was thoroughly intrigued by Renna, all of her foster siblings, the three dads and the entire Inglenook home. I do wish more of the story could have taken place here. I also loved that there were diverse characters without it being too in your face. Most of the plot of the story centered around Job trying to get Renna to a place called the Rectory, where they believe she would be safe. However, there are many many unforeseen obstacles along the way. In the journey there were some pacing issues, where there was a lot of focus and time spent on little mundane things and large events happened rather quickly. Although, there was a lot of growth for both Job and Renna at the time and I did like that the focus was on their student and teacher relationship and not a romance. The ending was exciting and I hope it leads to a sequel.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program, and I'm grateful to the publisher for the opportunity to read this.

This book was interesting, with some pacing issues and also some... age group issues? I wasn't sure who this book was for--given Renna's age, and some of the framing of the story, it felt like maybe older YA, but the parts at the house felt younger, and there were some moments, like discussing Renna's trauma responses, that felt older. (Do teens know what "dissociation" is? I certainly didn't until I was in college.)

Sometimes the story seemed to crawl, which made parts of the ending feel too fast/underdeveloped. It was fun to have a fleshed out non-binary character whose gender was not a hugely intrusive part of the story, and having a Muslim woman practice magic was cool too (though I think that whole section with the fundamentalist Christians was a little heavy-handed.)

Overall I think it was interesting, just suffered from some pacing issues. Could be a cool read for older kids who like Harry Potter but yknow we don't want as much transphobia or blatant racism. ( )

Thank you to Library Thing for allowing me to read and review this YA Fantasy Novel!

The well developed characters were a stand out for me. My biggest criticism is the ending as it seemed "too quick" and fell flat.

The cover art of this book is beautiful. Good job ( )

A young women with a tragic young life get a surprise. Yes she’s different but not because she’s a freak, she’s a witch! She starts on a journey to learn more about herself and her new powers with a polyamory witch named Job. Adventure and miss steps ensue. A great story with colorful characters. I can’t wait for the next book. ( )