In addition to her communications and outreach work, Amber writes book reviews for various genre fiction. While in graduate school, Amber launched a book reviewing blog titled Du Livre. It was designed to couple her French degree with her love for reading. 10 years later, Amber continues to blog and covers genres such as Young Adult mystery, Adult romance, and Adult Fantasy.
In 2020, Amber became a freelance reviewer for the American Library Association's Booklist where she reviews Young Adult titles. Sample Booklist reviews are below.
The Jasmine Project
by Meredith Ireland
Ireland pens a refreshing YA contemporary about a young girl finding herself and taking a stance to finally live on her own terms. Jasmine has been in a relationship with her high-school boyfriend for four years, and she is content in their relationship. After graduation, they have plans to move in together and begin their happily ever after. Unknown to Jas—but well known to her extended family—Jasmine’s boyfriend has been cheating on her and wants to take a summer break to reassess their relationship. Enter Jasmine’s meddling family as they introduce three boys to Jasmine, à la The Bachelorette, to prove to her that she is deserving of love. This light and spirit-lifting tale weaves family, love, and uncertainty into a classic coming-of-age story. Jasmine and her blended family are the centerpieces as Ireland depicts a family that seemingly has nothing in common but are connected through their love and devotion to one another. To better shape her world and make her characters multidimensional, Ireland makes great use of podcast transcripts and family group chats, which add a pop of color to Jasmine’s perspective. This charming read is sure to lure readers in with its promise of romance, but it will truly capture hearts with its affectionate exploration of family.

Blood like Magic
by Liselle Sambury
In Sambury’s downright dazzling debut, Voya has finally started menstruating, which means she’s ready to come into her family’s magic and receive her gift from her ancestors. To receive this gift, each witch needs to complete a task given to them by an ancestor, and failing is not an option. To Voya’s misfortune, Mama Jova, who suffered at the hands of slavers, imparts her task: to echo the family’s mantra of “suffer and survive,” Voya is instructed to destroy her first love or risk losing her family forever. This engrossing novel features a world both familiar and unfamiliar, in a near-future Toronto. Sambury vividly captures the vibrancy of Toronto as well as the diversity within the witch community, and her dedication to world building lends authenticity to her characters. Family and heritage are two important themes here, demonstrated powerfully in the novel’s descriptions of history keeping, food, and daily family life. While this urban fantasy takes place in the near future, Sambury does not turn a blind eye to the persistent history of systemic racism against Black people, the evils of slavery, or the ways in which police brutality targets Black people, nor how those impact the Black community on a daily basis, all while keeping magic compellingly at the forefront. This impressive debut will wow readers and leave them eager for more from this writer to watch.
