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Be First Book Club

Please note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Be First Book Club has been postponed until further notice.


 

 

Be First is a teen book club with a twist. Receive an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) of the selected title and read a book before it's even published. These books are pre-publication copies of books that are normally only available to industry insiders. On book club date, make sure you come back to the store to discuss what you've read with our other fantastic group members.

This book club is intended for teens ages 13-17.

If you're interested in joining the Winnipeg's Be First Bookclub, please phone us at (204) 475-0492 to have your name added to the calling list.

Next Winnipeg Session: Cancelled

Next Saskatoon Session: Cancelled

Below is a listing of our most recent Be First books our participants have reviewed and their reactions to them. 

Click here to see our full list of previously reviewed books. These are now available at a McNally's near you!

If you're interested in reviewing more soon-to-be-released books, check out our Two Thumbs Up Review Program.


Thorn by Intisar Khanani (discussed March 11th, 2020)
Cover image for ThornPrincess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life, but when her mother betroths her to a powerful prince in a distant kingdom, she has little hope for a better future. Until Alyrra arrives at her new kingdom, where a mysterious sorceress robs her of both her identity and her role as princess—and Alyrra seizes on the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl. But as Alyrra uncovers dangerous secrets about her new world, including a threat to the prince himself, she knows she can’t remain silent forever. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds, and ultimately must decide who she is and what she stands for.

"I really enjoyed this book, especially the character development and descriptions." -Darrah

"I really liked this book! It was a really good retelling of a classic fairy tale." -Ruby

"A really wholesome ending. I hate Valka, like I really hate her, get out you dumb prince stealing weirdo." -Teddi

"Very, very good character development. Overall a very interesting book." - Dillon

"Thorn has a great message, a talking horse, and is a great take on the original Goose Girl." -Jessica

"I liked Alyrra's determination and I liked how the king promised to protect her from her brother." -Josie

"I thought this book is an interesting retelling of the Goose Girl story, with great descriptions and an interesting plot." -Addie

"Good!" -Annabel  

Wicked as you Wish by Rin Chupeco (discussed February 24th, 2020)
Cover image for Wicked As You WishMany years ago, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left desolate and encased in ice when the evil Snow Queen waged war on the powerful country. Its former citizens are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the crown prince and his protectors are stuck in...Arizona. Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is in hiding in a town so boring, magic doesn't even work there. Few know his secret identity, but his friend Tala is one of them. Tala doesn't mind—she has secrets of her own. Namely, that she's a spellbreaker, someone who negates magic. Then hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of legend, and Avalon's most powerful weapon, the Firebird, appears for the first time in decades. Alex and Tala unite with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the world as they know it.

"Entertaining but drags for quite a while."- Norah

"Very confusing and random in the beginning. It's nice to have LGBTQ characters represented well."- Alyssa

"This book is a great example of intigrating culture into literature. This book has a great world and character building and development, however the sudden dumps of information can be quite overwhelming at times."- Sontaye

Havenfall by Sara Holland (discussed February 12th, 2020)
Cover image for HavenfallHidden deep in the mountains of Colorado lies the Inn at Havenfall, a sanctuary that connects ancient worlds--each with their own magic--together. For generations, the inn has protected all who seek refuge within its walls, and any who disrupt the peace can never return.For Maddie Morrow, summers at the inn are more than a chance to experience this magic first-hand. Havenfall is an escape from reality, where her mother sits on death row accused of murdering Maddie's brother. It's where Maddie fell in love with handsome Fiorden soldier Brekken. And it's where one day she hopes to inherit the role of Innkeeper from her beloved uncle. But this summer, the impossible happens--a dead body is found, shattering everything the inn stands for.

 "Havenfall is an entertaining fantasy story with a touch of mystery" -Ruby

"Tiny imperfections make the book frustrating, but otherwise it is passable." -Annabel

"I was a little bit confused about the bridge? First there was a stone bridge and then it was a draw bridge." -Schalin

"Havenfall is a very confusing book. What age is Maddie again?" -Sarah

"While I found the plot rather confusing and full of plot holes, I still enjoyed it." -Darrah

"Kind of disappointing, confusing, and inconsistent." -Teddi

"This book is a nice and light read, but a little confusing at points. Overall, a good book." -Addie

"An interesting book, but it's very confusing and needed a bit more work."-Dillon

"This book is alright, doubt i'm going to read it again or but the next though." -Jessica