The Half-True Lies of Cricket Cohen was really enjoyable and a book thaThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
The Half-True Lies of Cricket Cohen was really enjoyable and a book that looked so promising. It was memorable, and although the beginning was slow (and a bit confusing), every aspect of it was fabulous... practically.
DODO (Cricket's grandmother) WAS LIFE. I loved her. She was a rich, flirty granny who was a diff. character than we see in most middle grade books. It's so nice to see family relationships build in this book, and I can only help but WISH and BEG that many middle-grade books that are coming out will be the same. Same as in similar relationships. Cricket, our main character, on the other hand, was a responsible kid who just made me smile. I loved how she was just so honest with her grandma. Of course, what made me mad were the white lies Cricket made, but that was intentional as the whole story revolved around these lies. It was a book that can teach all of us something valuable for life. I can imagine the impact it can have on kids.
This was promising, however it was extremely boring in the beginning - it was slow, not getting anywhere, especially with the fact that she started going to surf camp which didn't really make sense. It seemed as if it was just filler, and too much for me to comprehend. There were characters introduced who were so random and it was too much. But after, the book redeemed itself.
The story as a whole was just hilarious. I truly loved Dodo and Cricket together The adventures they got into were THE BEST. DYNAMIC DUO FOREVER. You cannot even imagine how much I appreciate their relationship. It brightened up my day!
CRICKET AS A WHOLE: she has insecurities and she's so real. You can feel the desperation in her voice as she tried to be someone else - but Dodo helped her realize that her real self is better than her "memoir" self. Cricket had a better connection with her grandma than her own mother, and it kind of is sad, but happy at the same time. It's important for people to have connections with their extended family as well.
Even though The Half-True Lies of Cricket Cohen wasn't amusing in the beginning, I still really enjoyed this humorous and lesson-teaching (of kindness towards your family) story.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
Ben Hatke's Mighty Jack is one of the first comics I have read in a looThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
Ben Hatke's Mighty Jack is one of the first comics I have read in a loooooong time. Did I mention a "loooooong time?" Really long. And I must say, that I am so impressed with the quality of the story, Hatke's artwork, and the mark that it has left on me as a reader. Every future reader will fall in love with Hatke's lovely batch of characters who illustrate teamwork, pride and kindness throughout the whole story: Jack, Maddy, his sister, and Lily, his neighbour. I began enjoying this from the first page, where we are introduced to Jack and his family, and especially, their struggles. Hatke importantly stems out a message towards all of his readers, young and old, stating that children even have to deal with struggles and that their lifestyles are not always (and only) about playing and making up things with their imaginations. Jack and his sister, Maddy, spent the whole duration of this graphic novel struggling with themselves (Jack with his freedom and Maddy with finding her voice) and as well as their family's personal issues. I felt so bad for these kids, but them having to deal with these things outside of the seeds and plants made this even more believable.
I expected this to be a retelling of the famous tale, Jack and the Beanstalk. There surely are elements that could be pointed out as similar between the two, like the seeds and plants, but much of the two are completely different. One's modern (this) and the other is taken place in a time far away. The idea of these kids trying to change their lives after naïvely listening to a man at the flea market is absolutely sad, but makes the book even more compelling. I adored reading about their adventures and the numerous plants that they grew in Jack and Maddy's garden. It shows that kids can be busy and imaginative without using technology in their daily lives! *cheers*
I (literally) flew through this book. I believe that it took me less than half an hour to complete. This is a perfect book to quickly enjoy, and one that will boost your Goodreads reading challenge! It's enjoyable, light and meaningful—what else could you possibly ask for in a middle-grade novel? My sister read this after me and she decided to rate it five stars... she loved it!
Mighty Jack has an amazing protagonist who I just want to give a BIG hug to, and everything in between was just great. It's difficult for me to give a middle-grade novel five stars, and this just didn't need that extra star, but I still adored it otherwise. This will definitely be a bestseller. Kids, beg your parents for this adorable read!
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
I love reading books about kids growing up, mostly because I always getThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
I love reading books about kids growing up, mostly because I always get a flashback to when I was deciding what kind of person I wanted to be. Dana Middleton's The Infinity Year of Avalon James always looked so promising from the moment I saw its cover and read the summary, and I knew that I would enjoy it. Let's say that I certainly did adore it. This was a special story about a girl who realized that everyone's life has some kind of magic. It was cute, memorable, and something that I recommend to all middle-grade readers. This isn't your typical coming-of-age story, but a gorgeous tale that I cannot get out of my head.
BEFORE ANYTHING - let's talk about Atticus and Avalon's relationship. I am the biggest supporter of boy and girl best friend relationships because in society, they seem to be frowned upon as people immediately expect a romance to bloom. I just don't get it. Atticus and Avalon were adorable and even though so many obstacles came in the way of their relationship, practically tearing them apart, they still were still good. As in good, they still respected each other. And I loved that their friendship wasn't competitive, as they both were so excited for the powers involved with the Infinity Year.
Middleton's writing is adorable. I love the way she formatted the story and how it was completely fast-paced. I finished in a matter of hours, especially because it's only 224 pages, and it doesn't require heavy thoughts, just happiness and a good mood. This book just equaled HAPPINESS. Can they please make a Disney Channel Original Movie out of it to teach kids some cute lessons?
The Infinity Year of Avalon James is a great story that i definitely recommend. Go grab it and enjoy, because many books aren't like this one.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure was a lovely middle-grade reaThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure was a lovely middle-grade read that was so refreshing. It was different than everything I normally read, especially because I really do not pick up fantasy children's stories as I am always afraid that I will be put face-to-face with a Harry Potter wannabe story. (Sorry to all of you Harry Potter fans. It's just not my kind of read.) However, I have always been a fan of Ann M. Martin's books (she stole my heart with her Babysitters Club series) so I was hyped up to pick this up. It's been a long time since I received this in the mail, but I am SO glad I enjoyed it. This is a fun, adorable story that has that kind of cute vibe to it. It just warmed my heart and reminded me of the kind of books I always wanted to read when I was a kid.
SO. What is this book (with a weird title) truly about? Our protagonist, Missy-Piggle-Wiggle, lives in her aunt's house, since her aunt is trying to find where her husband is after he was abducted by pirates. This introduces us to a magical world, which I appreciated so much! My head was spinning with this imagery, so I can imagine what kids will go through when they read this lovely story. All of the children's parents in their town know about Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's magical skills to cure annoying habits (of the kids, obviously). Thinking that Missy didn't know how to perform the magical "work," the parents became worried as she was their only hope. Eventually, they figured out that she has the same skills as her aunt, so they took their problematic children to Missy. This is the story about the various journeys everyone encountered involving Missy's skills. In fact, it is a lovely story.
I really appreciated the characters that Martin created — as always. We have a huge pack of characters in Missy Piggle-Wiggle's world that are both humans and animals and even... houses. My favourite was Melody, from all of the characters. She's a bookworm (like me) and shy, showing that characters that are kids don't have to be perfect and loud and have a full HUGE personality. She had her own kind of magic in her character, which I really appreciated. Missy Piggle-Wiggle as a protagonist was just so cute - I think children would find her to be a great role model as she fixes situations and is just a positive influence. NOW - if you look at the cover of this book, would you expect a moving, listening house to be a character? I know I wouldn't, but this is what happened! That was really creative and interesting. I can honestly say that everything about this book was entertaining - the parents were (who were so anxious that it became hilarious) and the adorable animals like Lester the Pig (who acted like Missy's personal butler) and Wag the Dog! AH. IT'S SO CUTE!
As for the plot, the beginning was kind of slow for character development (in order for Martin to introduce the characters aside from the weird talking house). However, it was never boring - it was action-packed and fun, and I didn't want it to be over. Another flaw was the ending, which was kind of upsetting. But hey - there's a sequel which I will be reading, so I guess there'll be a continuation there!
Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure was really enjoyable - I was never bored and I was entertained. If we can only cure the 2017 kids like that! (CURE THE DAB AND THE FIDGET SPINNERS!)
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
Gertie's Leap to Greatness was first introduced to me before I attendedThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
Gertie's Leap to Greatness was first introduced to me before I attended BEA this year, and I just adored the old-looking Winnie the Pooh-like cover that easily seems like my kind of read. My sister read it prior to me, adored it, and handed it straight over, saying that I would really enjoy it. The final outcome? I sure did enjoy it! Kate Beasley is a remarkable author, and for a debut, this was pure awesomeness. It seems as if she has done this a million times with so much experience. I loved reading about Gertie's struggles to greatness and how she was such an ambitious little girl who would do whatever it takes to achieve her dreams and more, and impress the people around her. This wasn't a book about a girl who carried so much envy that she needed to leap to be even better than the other person. This was about searching for greatness, but Gertie has her own uniqueness where she was able to do whatever it takes to just be her, and achieve better grades and so on.
I read this many weeks ago, but my memory is still clear about all of the greatness of this story. We immediately meet Gertie, who is living in Montgomery, Alabama, with her great-aunt and her father, who is occasionally home when he comes back from working at the oil rigs. Gertie is really fond of her father, who works so hard to support Gertie and her aunt. On Gertie's first day of fifth grade, she immediately meets the new girl, Mary Sue, who is the daughter of a Hollywood director (or something like that). She came from California, and thinks that she knows EVERYTHING. Also, she steals Gertie's seat immediately and Gertie tries to make sure that she could redeem herself, especially for her teacher.
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This book is just touching. There are so many issues covered here that many middle-grade authors fail to cover because nobody wants to imagine a poor ten/eleven year old kid dealing with those kinds of things. The only thing that I was upset with was how the story with Gertie's mom was handled. I was extremely upset. Back to the "nobody wants to imagine a kid going through that" thing. I felt extremely confused with how Gertie and her mother's relationship was handled. Gertie's mother left when she was young, and she lived in the same neighbourhood. SAME NEIGHBOURHOOD WITH HER NEW FAMILY. Gertie was so heartbroken and I felt so bad for her.
I adored this because it was so easy to read. Everything about it practically was so amazing that I could just jump for joy. It reminded me so much of myself of when I was a fifth grader, being an overachiever, ambitious and a perfectionist. Gertie was adorable, relatable and I just wanted her to achieve everything, and have the best in life. When this story really began, I was unable to put it down and I slowly felt all of Gertie's life/friends pouring into me. You will get to know her so quickly—including her obsession with Twinkies and her family's quirks. There is seriously no better way to fall in love with a character than to adore their family.
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Gertie's Leap to Greatness inspires me, a sixteen-year-old, to go leap for greatness and try to do my best, including school-wise and beyond. I adored Gertie, her family, and her HUGE personality. I just want to fall in love with Beasley's writing all over again, and hopefully, that'll be real soon!
*A review copy was provided by the publisher via BookExpo America in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
What an achievement it is to say that I finished this series in a day.This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
What an achievement it is to say that I finished this series in a day. I actually read the two VIP books in a matter of hours because they were oh-so-good and so entertaining. Parents of girls who are not really interested in reading (and you want them to be), Jen Calonita's VIP series is the series that will satisfy your kids and have them commence reading like maniacs. I wish that this series existed when I was a kid, because I swear that I would've enjoyed it so much. I would have been so satisfied, so excited, obsessed with the characters and most especially, obsessed with Perfect Storm, a trio of cute guys that fangirls need to be real. Anyway, I'm getting too ahead of myself, because obviously these guys don't exist.Battle of the Bands is a lovely sequel that touches base with the previous book, reaching the same level and still being really good and enjoyable.
This sequel kicks off a few months after Mac's Spring Fling, and things get right into the action. Perfect Storm is still successful, causing teenage girls to awe and ooh over everything they do, which means that Mac and her mom are still able to tour with them as long as they are successful. Drama begins off right away, especially because as the title states, there is a battle between bands, and Perfect Storm is caught in it. We readers are introduced to Thunder and Lightning, a rip-off band of Perfect Storm who are signed with the same label. PS soon discovers that Thunder and Lightning has stolen a song that Kyle has written for Mac, and it goes viral. Next thing we know, a vlogger gets in the way, gossiping and creating a false, negative image of Perfect Storm.
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I liked how Jen Calonita created this novel. The first book was about the introduction to the characters, to the show business, to tours, and especially to Perfect Storm and its members. Now, since we readers know the characters well and what they're up to, the real drama begins. I loved the catfights, how tough Mac became, and everything in between. We don't really see a broad character development for anyone (which I would have loved)—that would be a flaw for me. Mac deserved that extra push since she does have an Alter Ego for herself, this comic book character called Mac Attack. Comics are included in the book, but I wasn't really entertained by them since they didn't mean/add anything to the plot.
That's why I have occasional issues with books. Authors like to add, add and add more, but in the end, the reason they added something in is senseless because it doesn't help with development, details or anything in particular. I loved Mac, as I did in the first book, but nothing changed about her. She was tough, but not confident to the extent that she wanted to see herself as.
There certainly was development with friendships. I love Jilly and Mac's friendship, and how from the first book to this sequel, they have gotten tighter and closer. NOTHING NEW WITH KYLE AND MAC. Like yeah, this is middle-grade, but there's nothing cute. *cries* We also see a nice relationship between Mac and her mother—one that is rarely featured in middle-grade fiction. Occasionally in the past, I have even read books where there is no parent present, but Mac and her mom are just great in this book, just how some mothers and daughters realistically are.
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I really liked the Bad Kitty addition. It's fun for kids to wait and guess who a mysterious person could be from one of the characters that they know. It was predictable for me, but from what my sister told me when she read this, it wasn't for her. I guess younger kids would love the ending, ten times more than I did. That's a definite good sign.
VIP: Battle of the Bands is exactly the kind of sequel I have been looking for in a middle grade series. In fact, it has been a while since I've read a middle-grade series, and I thank Jen Calonita for teleporting me back. There are so many young girls in the world who would appreciate this humorous, lively series filled with characters who you just cannot get out of your head. Go grab the two books now and fall in love!
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
My sister is obsessed with this series, guys. My sister is not a readerThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
My sister is obsessed with this series, guys. My sister is not a reader whatsoever unless my mom tells her to read, so her adoring VIP: I'm With the Band was something new and interesting for me because I am the reader in the house. Who would have known that she would get an obsession with Perfect Storm, a fictional band that features three cute guys who are around my current age, fifteen (almost sixteen!) and who keep getting into trouble. I seriously adored reading this first book of this series, and as I am writing this review, I am gearing up for reading the sequel. I am so excited to head back into the world (a few hours later after completing this) of Mac, Zander, Kyle, Heath and Jilly, characters who I now love for their different, fun personalities and how they seriously made this book comedic.
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VIP: I'm With the Band is exactly what you think it is, and perhaps a little more than what we all would presume, too. Jen Calonita, a frequently read author of mine, especially when I headed through my tween-cool-middle-grade phases when I was twelve, created a fangirl protagonist named Mac, or Mackenzie, who is the biggest fan of boy band Perfect Storm. Her and her two best friends, Iris and Scarlet, spend the beginning of the book trying to score tickets for Perfect Storm's show in Long Island the next day. They don't succeed, but Mac's mom surprises the three with tickets that she retrieved secretly. Mac fangirls, meets the guys, and has the best time of her life at the concert. The next day, her life changes once more when she discovers that her mom will be Perfect Storm's manager, and that she and Mac are going on tour with the band.
I WOULD'VE FANGIRLED TOO. This book, as a whole, just made me feel happy. Mac was a happy heroine who just fangirled wherever she went and made the best of the situation. VIP is written through the perspective of Mac, obviously, but in a journal format which makes things even more fun for the younger audience. The illustrator, Kristen Gudsnuk, also did a fabulous job at showcasing her image of Mac and the gang. This is honestly such a cute book as a whole.
"Melting! THEN ZANDER WELLING HELPED ME UP AND LED ME THROUGH THE CROWD TO THE MEET-AND-GREET DESK! Puddle on the floor!" (37)
After I finished reading, I told my sister that I will be rating this four stars out of five. She freaked out. "Why? I'm not talking to you anymore," she said. I'm not twelve, I cannot relate to this book a hundred percent. Back in my day, three years ago, I wasn't obsessed with any boy band. One Direction came a year later, but not at twelve. This was such a cute read, don't get me wrong, but it's completely unrealistic, because seriously, who in the world of entertainment (like Mac's mom) will get the chance to do what she does. IT'S RARE. And bringing her twelve-year-old daughter with her? That's extremely rare. I just inwardly wish that Jen could have focused a touch bit on realistic issues that are hinted at in the novel. For example, where is Mac's father? We all know that Mac's mother is single, because no man is ever mentioned and they wouldn't leave a father at home to go on the road, and that seemed important to me, since Mac is still young.
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I loved Mac as a protagonist. She had this carefree attitude, and I loved how she was striving to be mature around enemies like Lola. (I HATED THAT GIRL) Back to the unrealistic thing, the "romance" is completely unrealistic, as well. It is noted a few times that Zander, Mac's initial crush out of the three members in Perfect Storm, is fifteen years old. I'm fifteen, and I would never romantically pay attention to a seventh grader. I'm turning sixteen next month, so that's a different example. Okay, picture this: a ninth grader crushing on a seventh grader. Although you may not see it at first, it kind of happens.
I like middle-grade to be realistic, knowing who the audience is. The story is fluffy, cute, and definitely entertaining where tween girls can learn about show biz (because it seems that Jen has experience with this after interviewing people), but there's the part where you know that girls won't learn anything from this: it's practically impossible to occur. Anyway.
KYLE IS ADORABLE. HEATH IS ADORABLE. ZANDER IS... MEH. I loved Perfect Storm's attitude as a whole, but I loved Kyle and Heath the most. Zander is your ordinary, snobby member who is in it completely for the fame. We see how he wants the spotlight and all of the solos. *rolls eyes* I just cannot picture how a romance (or fling) could stem out of this series. I wonder what the next book will provide us with.
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"Seconds later Heath joined in. Zander was the only one without an instrument. I guess he doesn't need to play one when he has the voice of an angel. When Zander started to sing, I closed my eyes and listened without really trying to hear the words. It was always hard to catch them all on the first listen of a song, but I got the gist pretty quickly" (188).
VIP: I'm With the Band would seriously be loved by any tweenage (haha that word) girl who loves contemporary and funny books. I am so excited to read the sequel (RIGHT NOW) and see how Calonita's writing continues and how the series unfolds. Will the romance happen? Will Kyle keep being my crush? I hope so for the latter.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
Everyday, I take steps, leave my front door (most of the time, haha), eThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
Everyday, I take steps, leave my front door (most of the time, haha), eat, drink (WATER PEOPLE) and do homework. That is my reality. Everyday I like to pick a book up and devour it, reading a different author's perspective on a different subject every single day. Life goes by, things happen, good or bad, and we have to move on in order to stay sane. Last week, I received a beautiful, pristine copy of Jewell Parker Rhodes' Towers Falling in the mail, after anticipating it so long, not only because it is set in my favourite place in the world, but because NO middle grade author has ever conquered such a magical, difficult situation in their stories: 9/11. I have rarely even heard of fiction being based off on this tragic massacre that stunned the world on an "ordinary day" in September of 2001. I was only a year old, but after I discovered this particular moment of history, watched the videos, read survivor stories, and was immediately introduced to this event that changed the way our world rotates today, I was changed myself. Imagine how a class of ten year olds, who, if they look out of their classroom window, can see the remaining reflection of the Twin Towers, react to finding out the truth. It's remarkable, and Jewell Parker Rhodes stunned me with this middle grade, beautiful poignant story.
Towers Fallingis not just for ten year olds, like my sister. It is not just for teenagers who decide that they would like to read a book (with a beautiful, precious cover) that falls under the middle grade category. It is not just for librarians who will surely recommend the story to their young visitors. It is not just for parents who will like to read about an exemplar of what to tell their own children. This story is for everyone, young or old. We see so many current issues exemplified and implied in the two hundred and forty pages that I am still mindblown to this current moment.
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"We all bleed red. And all good stories are, by their nature, diverse because they are about individualism, uniqueness."
This is quote, quoted by the author in a speech of hers on the importance of diverse books. I firmly believe that it is true, that it makes so much sense. This is not only a diverse book, formed with three main characters (Deja, Sabeen and Ben) who all have different ethnicities, but it is also a story of belonging, hope, commemoration. I have so much praise for it and I believe that every child deserves a copy of this story. It impacts you as a reader so much, giving you emotion for Dèja, who has dealt with homelessness in the past, being a young girl who does not understand much about the world. It is so difficult for me to even try to compare this to any other middle grade book I have read; it is truly one of a kind, and those kinds of books come in one in a million chances.
This is not the book for a parent to give their child to have them understand 9/11. No. I would say that in order to really feel the impact of this story, a reader must have a little knowledge of this event. I am going to have my sister read this story and see how it impacts her, checking to see if it hit her the same way as me. That'll be some kind of psychological study for me to research. It is so easy to feel smitten with the characters that Jewell Parker Rhodes incorporates to this story. We know that in the end, it is about Dèja, her family's story, and what they have overcome, but we also receive an equal amount of screen-time between Sabeen and Ben. I love this trio of characters.
I like that this is real, that this is not a story that seems fictional to any extent. This is as real as stories go. I love the values and the emotions that I endured; tears were brought to my eyes several times and this was absolutely captivating. Knowing that there was a big secret in Dèja's family, I knew I had to keep reading, and instead of going to bed, I would be able to understand what really happened.
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"I turn away from the screen and look out Ben's window. It's beautiful. Birds, trees, sky, and clouds. What would it be like having a plane crush through like a missile? Destroying the world?" (98)
Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a copy of this glorious novel. This is truly inspiring, for authors to write like, and for readers to feel gratitude. With a perfect EVERYTHING, Jewell Parker Rhodes deserves the highest possible award for this beautiful story. You cannot go wrong or point at anything. It is as nourishing as a cup of water after being in the Sahara Desert, although I do not even know what that is like, I can only imagine, and that's what Jewell did with her vision here: imagine, but form a real story.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
Never in a million years did I imagine that when I'm a teenager, I willThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
Never in a million years did I imagine that when I'm a teenager, I will be reading pure middle grade fiction. And you know what? Middle-grade fiction is honestly a beautiful genre. Many authors capture moments in a protagonist where they still carry that childlike innocence where nothing is important except having fun, being a kid/girl and/or eating popsicles. That's the honest, evident part of MG fiction and is some of the reasons why us bloggers choose to read these books. Once in a while, I like to splurge on the books that I know my sister would read/eventually read. I honestly meant to give this one to her, but I hogged it anyways because I requested it. Har-dee-har-har. Natasha Friend's stories have always been with me through thick and thin when I was a tween, full of attitude and no good decision-making skills whatsoever.
With Anna's character and the way Natasha chose to portray her character in a bundle of 300 or so pages, I took a flashback back to the years where I was a tween. There were many instances in this book where I felt that I was reading about my younger self and the awful things I did or said. That's life, quite frankly. Where You'll Find Me is a story of self-discovery, deciding what you want to see yourself doing in a few years and how you would like to see yourself acting. Anna was the perfect, most splendid protagonist to showcase the perfect role model for little girls like herself. There are many, young or old, who could relate to her misfits and struggles of fitting in or doing the right thing(s).
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"It's hard to describe how it feels up there. The whole space is ours, and, even though the words aren't really ours, we own them right now. We've put them together in our own patchwork way. We are brave, we are rebels, we are dreamers who dare to dream. Our voices are pure and strong and open and defiant." (231-232)
Anna is a thirteen year old, who is honestly stuck in a messy situation. Her mother is recovering from a suicide attempt, she was recently dumped by her best friend for years, and her father is remarried. Did I mention the fact that she has a baby sister? She's second guessing everything, making doubts and thinking that everything occurred because of her, which is what children always end up thinking at one point of time.
Where You'll Find Me is actually heartbreaking. It could tear the heart of anyone, letting them know that there is a little girl (many of them) out there who are dealing with the same emotions and situations that Anna dealt with throughout this story. My heart felt for Anna and she was just so adorable. She had a mother-like personality, independently trying to do things and being so understanding, showing love for everyone around her, even if they didn't show it back. I feel like this is a book for every little girl out there. Everyone needs to grab a copy of this beauty and showcase it in their shelves with a big giant trophy stating, "Best Middle Grade Book Out There. For All." Y'all need to add this on your TBR lists right this instant.
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Natasha Friend has blown my mind with this beauty. Little girls, or any woman or man, if you enjoy coming-of-age stories, this one cannot be beat. I'm sure that the beautiful, sweet cover has already captivated you enough. Anna will speak to you through her words as if she's right in front of you, telling you her story and making dreams come true. This was exquisite.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
What a bunch of 3.5 star ratings I have been giving This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
*3.5 star rating*
What a bunch of 3.5 star ratings I have been giving to books lately. That's not a bad thing!—3.5 ratings are pretty good, if you ask me. Simon P. Clark's Tell the Story to Its End was sent to me a looooooonnnnnggggg time ago, and I am so upset that I chose to read it now. This is a fabulous middle-grade horror story that resembles the gorgeous A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, a book that stands as a classic horror story for me, most definitely because I have never read anything close to it and I can only use it as a sample to compare other lesser-good books to. This is honestly so so so similar, which kind of frustrated me because I came here for middle-grade luxury. I wanted to read a rich story filled with dark fairy tales and moments where I wanted to pull my hair out of my scalp. (Sorry for the harsh imagery!)
This wasn't scary, sadly. I am always in for a good horror read, and I will do whatever it takes to seek that perfect scary story that will cause me to have trouble sleeping at night. Whatever it takes. I honestly didn't even suspect that this was middle-grade fiction. I remember requesting it last year, simply for the reason that this was a horror story. I have read some great ones in the past, like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Asylum. I occasionally get so inspired by these stories that I write things based on them, including reviews, obviously. This? It was blander than I expected. Perhaps you middle-grade fans will enjoy this one—it was great, just not 100% me, you know?
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Tell the Story to Its End has this foggy, misty feel to it. It screams out eerie, it screams out craziness. I loved the cover from the first time I saw it, and I just wanted to read about this so-called monster named Eren. This book once was called Eren, in case you didn't know. What I really enjoyed was the protagonist's connection to this monster. Oli is our hero, in this case, and instead of that fear factor impacting each of us to death (practically), this was more of a friendship story, something that is really difficult to seek. It's just that I wasn't looking for friendship, but horror, instead.
"Living is the strangest story there is, boy. Try not to forget that. It's swings and roundabouts in the end. Stories define you, but you are the stories that matter. I'm just an outsider, in the end" (73).
This is just such a quick read, which was a HUGE highlight for me. Because of the way Clark has written and formatted the story, it deserves a small story with so much more depth on the outside for readers to explore. It simply was philosophical, and not about what's on the outside perspective—not Eren or Oli, but life. That's why I enjoy reading middle-grade from time to time; I am older, so I always find myself receiving a different message out of the book compared to the direct point-of-view. By the way: Eren is a story-eating monster. He keeps on living by hearing stories that Oli tells him. THAT'S MEGA COOL.
So, for a quick summary, this is your "new kid moves into a new town" kind of book where he has no friends and misses his home. Oli and his mother "temporarily" move into Oli's uncle's house a far distance from London, his previous home and the home he has always known, and Oli discovers Eren in the attic of his new home. He obviously makes some eerie friends outside of the house, and he just spends the novel seeking answers, seeking the answers to life and why everything that has happened to him has happened. It's simple, but carries so much more than the surface story.
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Oli was the cutest little boy, the most heroic hero I have read about in a while. Readers, he compares to kick-ass teenage protagonists, like Four from Divergent and yadda yadda yadda. THAT'S A HIGH STANDING. As mentioned before, Oli makes friends besides Eren: Takeru and Em. TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY AND COOL STUFF. We also need to talk about the illustrations in the book—they were gorgeous and self-explanatory. Without them, Clark's majestic story wouldn't carry the same depth as it actually did.
This is a book that you need to explore on your own—you need to go out and understand the tricks and twists to really enjoy it. I certainly liked that about Clark's story, because we rarely find these riddles and twists in middle-grade or in fiction at all. I like complexity, and this novel certainly did carry that throughout. I found the complexity as a goal, even. And it absolutely was succeeded.
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"As long as there's people, there's tales. Always has been, and touch wood, always will be!" (131)
Tell the Story to Its End is a real story about a kid. You don't have to begin reading to suspect a happy ending, because there will be that voice in you telling you that because of the mood, there might not be that happy ending after all. From beginning to end, I was intrigued with the storytelling-concept and the friendship between Eren and Oli, but I certainly was expecting something different. Patrick Ness, you should take a look at this one and see if you see a resemblance to something else that is quite... amazing.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
Get ready for Louis Sachar to blow your minds. Who cares that this is cThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
Get ready for Louis Sachar to blow your minds. Who cares that this is classified as middle grade fiction with fifth and seventh graders as the protagonists? This novel is just as mature and filled with a broad, thought-provoking subject matter than any other read, and even if you're not a huge fan of books that speak of the environment and all of that, you'll get a huge thrill from reading Fuzzy Mud. The title captivated me from the start!
Fuzzy Mud? was what I once thought after grabbing a copy of this at BEA. I knew that I've seen the name of the author somewhere, though I wasn't so sure about what other books he has written. After picking it up because it's a total short read that I can read in an hour or so, I looked up Louis Sachar on Goodreads and found that he had written There's a Boy in the Girls Washroom, which I read in the fourth grade! I never knew that Holes was by him too until I actually scanned the cover. By then I figured that this would be something that I'd really enjoy, and I was definitely right.
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Written through the perspective of young Tamaya as well as seventh grader Marshall, alongside some documents and conversations with the creators of the infesting-epidemic-causing bacteria that ruined everyone's lives, this doesn't seem like a whole middle-grade book. There's so many things found here that everyone, young or old, can find to enjoy through the heart-racing writing and mystery incorporated in a small amount of pages for young adults to devour. What is this about, you ask? The fuzzy mud, from how Tamaya describes it as.
At first, I thought the title was the oddest thing ever, but it definitely made sense. Why did the author have to make up some distinctive intelligent title for the infesting bacteria that young people are going to read about? That's definitely confusing. And it all begins with Tamaya and Marshall taking a shortcut home because a bully threatens Marshall to a fight. They find themselves becoming lost, and discover so much in the dark woods that no one has ever even seen before, which saves the world from a worldwide epidemic.
A thousand props and high-fives to Tamaya and Marshall. They're the perfect protagonists, both with a 2 year age difference which makes things so much more unique. When you think about it, these guys saved the world from something that's practically unstoppable, all because they decided to pick up the fuzzy mud and see the rashes occur. And then when *won't spoil* the bully gets lost as well and they go back for him, this makes the story action-packed times a hundred percent more. You'd think that kids can't be unstoppable and show kick-assness in their actions, but Tamaya and Marshall did, certainly.
As you can tell, I love Sachar's characters. They're utterly brilliant, and being placed in a super-prep "smart school" makes the story so much more believable. Yes, it's dystopian mixed with science-fiction, but these kinds of things can surely happen when you least expect it, and the author delivers a message of fate and expecting the unexpected because that can shatter lives and emotions of others completely. Imagine these kids in real modern society today: they'd be praised forever and ever. Tamaya once mentioned that she'd want to be written about in the history books, and indeed she did something remarkable that others would speak of for ages. Stories are supposed to highlight remarkable individuals who can be spoken about one day in modern society, and that totally occurred with this novel.
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Sachar totally knows what he's writing about, and the premise of the novel surely is something to remember. His writing fit right in with the rest of the literary elements that a book needs, and it's totally fast-paced. This seems like such a dark novel that you'll have to read with all of the lights on, but it's actually more realistic than you'd expect. No monsters involved, I promise you. No romance, either. Don't worry, we won't have a little-kid elementary relationship between the protagonists who save the day. There is a lot of friendship involved, which got my feels to kick in by the end.
But I only felt like tearing up by the end. I hadn't been shaking, but I was addicted to reading this story, which is my main highlight of its awesomeness. Only if this made me smile while reading by some nice life statement, but there weren't any memorable mentionable quotes, either. I guess you'll have to find some nice phrases and words for yourself. *smiles thinly*
This is one of those stories that will stay with you forever, even if you don't remember the names of the characters or the town, which was Heath Cliff, I'm pretty sure. The writing is absolutely intriguing and different for a middle-grade novel. Keep in mind that there'll be tweaks of science-fiction, which everyone can enjoy as they wonder what'll happen to our world one day. If I ever see a puddle of fuzzy mud somewhere one day, thanks to this great read, I now know what to do in the freaky situation. (But this isn't a survival guide, I promise.)
*A review copy was provided by the publisher via BookExpo America in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
Now that pride and books that feature LGBTQ subjects are all over the pThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
Now that pride and books that feature LGBTQ subjects are all over the place, every teacher or young person has been searching for that perfect middle-grade read that just seems to get it. Alex Gino's George did get it, and it gave it its all to readers, young or old. As it was once blurbed—everyone needs a copy of this book, and I surely agree. It's not everyday when us readers are practically blessed with a beautiful novel like this, and the cover is just something to start us off with.
From when its cover was released to the bookish public, I knew that I wanted to read this book. 2015 is a mega-huge year for all things pride and queer, and I'm so glad that this can be that read that shows that people can be different from a young age. There's not only those teenage-finding-yourself situations that impact us, something with only 240 pages can make us so excited and happy.
"Charlotte was dead, but George was alive in a way she had never imagined. She watched the remainder of the show from the side of the stage, in a heady post-performance glow. Soon the audience began to clap." (ARC, page 157)
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I loved this book, and let me mention that it's super cute! George is in the fourth-grade and "she" feels like she's actually a girl. She wishes to call herself Melissa and be happy and wear makeup, read girly magazines and giggle with her best friend Kelly like a girl would. But she feels that it's not normal for her to feel the way she does, and when the Charlotte's Web play comes around, she thinks this is the perfect way to pronounce her feelings to everyone—by playing Charlotte, a girl role. This is her 240-paged adventure that takes us through the hardships of being different in this stereotypical, rude society, especially for a small fourth-grader.
We usually read about these kinds of stories from the perspective of a teenager. Things by then usually become more understanding, and although bullying does increase by that stage, I believe that people are more normal and okay by the situation of someone feeling different, or transgender for that matter. George basically had one of the worst-case scenarios thrown into her life: her being young and not understanding everything. Because by adolescence, we seem to understand being transgender and the actual definition of it. George once believed that it was "typical" of her to be stuck feeling like a girl. Sure, it isn't normal or ordinary, but it's okay and she hadn't thought it was.
I guess that this threw me into a puddle of feels from the start. I felt so much sympathy and guilt for George as her life was turning for the worst. Her dad's out of the picture, she doesn't have many friends because she feels like she doesn't fit in, and her best and only friend is a girl. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS THE POOR GIRL. Feels? Feels. I can't even count on my fingers and toes the number of times I wanted to jump onto my bed and bawl into my pillow, you know? Gino captures this story perfectly into a small bundle of hope. That's what this book was, to educate young people about something that's becoming more and more typical for everyone to see or read about. I love this subject.
"Reading the word transgender sent a shiver down George's spine. She wondered where she could find a safe space like that, and if there would be other girls like her there. Maybe they could talk about makeup together. Maybe they could even try some on." (ARC, page 125)
You might be suspecting that this is a new favourite book of mine: it's not. I see the clear hype around this novel and I ADORE it, but it's not my favourite middle-grade read, though it certainly is one of the better books of the year so far. What kind of throws me into a negative curveball is the fact that I saw this to be more childish, which isn't one of the book's personal issues, it's mine, the reader's. I normally don't read middle-grade fiction, and when I do, I always like to appreciate the younger characters and atmosphere of the story. A lot of this book was focused on the Charlotte's Web play instead of George trying to confide in others (like her mom or brother) until the ending, which I really would've enjoyed far more than a 4 star rating. It sure had that capability.
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George is one of the most strongest heroines I've read about in a while. I'M SO PROUD OF MY CUTIE PATOOTIE! Want a load of character development? I think that you're already guessing what I'm going to say but I'll say it anyways: READ THIS BOOK. Want to see a character go from shy to speaking her words out loud? (And it's a tough thing to do, too.) George will grow to be your friend unlike any other character. Gino makes a character-to-reader relationship that feels that she's only telling her story to you and only you. Imagine sitting by a campfire eating smores with one of your friends and they tell you a story—it's like that. And you don't even have to relate to George to understand and love her story. It kind of just happens.
You know how there are some classics that you buy to add to your collection because you JUST KNOW that they have to be in your bookshelf? This is definitely one of them. Whether you're classified as a YA reader forever and always or an adult one, this is a read that you'll devour in an instant and one sitting. The book gods depend on you reading it. GO PRE-ORDER IT NOW, I'M BEGGING YOU. August 25 couldn't come any faster, I bet for you anticipating bookworms.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher via BookExpo America in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
As the summary states, this middle-grade debut surely is evocative. I cThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
As the summary states, this middle-grade debut surely is evocative. I can't continue that note even further until you all go out and pick up this gothic read. DeStefano's mind and world created is so dark and steampunk-ish. All I picture is grey skies, characters dressed up in bonnets and pretty dresses and did I mention grey skies? It's such a gloomy read filled with grief and discovering who you are, but at the same time it gives readers all of the feels. Any kid would enjoy this book somehow and it's absolutely recommended by me, myself, and I.
In her foreword, Lauren DeStefano describes her state of grief and what inspired her to write this novel. After her latest teen novel, she will have written 6 YA books and I completely understand her reason of switching into middle-grade. Like YA, middle-grade's a pretty new genre that has formed just for children who are still too young to understand/enjoy more mature subject matter. We all need that comfort read to turn to when times are rough, and I firmly believe that this book will become that for many kids. Our heroine, Pram, is eleven years old and she sees ghosts—what else can a kid want to relate to in a story? (Not that many children see ghosts these days...)
"'Don't be in any hurry,' Felix said. "I like you alive. I like the way you see things. It makes you who you are, the way the spirit world makes me who I am." (ARC, page 15)
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These characters are eleven years old and they're already so inspirational. That's really cute, if you ask me. And also to mention, this isn't scary by any means. It does have that spooky feel, but you won't be hiding under your covers in case any gorilla-monster will come up and take you away. Lauren did that aspect perfectly—you're in for a wild ride—and it brings us into a mystery of finding your family and discovering how it's okay to be different. NO, this isn't a cheesy concept whatsoever and if you think it is, something's wrong with your taste of books, just saying. *winks*
This story is about Pram Bellamy, short for Pragmatic, an attribute that Pram's mother didn't have at all. Pram's an orphan, as her mother died while giving birth and her father's completely out of the picture as he doesn't even know that Pram exists. Did I mention that she sees ghosts? Her closest friend is Felix, who's a ghost and is the only one who she can talk to. She lives with her two aunts and when it's time for her to actually start attending school (her aunts taught her for a while), she meets Clarence, who also has lost his mom in an accident and together they head off to discover answers from a spiritualist.
Things like this can surely happen to people. That's one of the reasons why I enjoyed this so much, even though it contains lots and lots of fantasy. A ghost killing someone and chasing you? That obviously isn't bound to happen in reality, but some of the book's events seems so real. FRIENDSHIP? Check. A NICE FAMILY? Check. It's complete beauty.
"Clarence. Pram thought of his blue eyes and his sad smile, and the tickets to Lady Savant's Spirit Show in his hand, and then the feel of his hand in hers. She could taste the chocolate-raspberry ice cream he'd bought her, and the haze trimmed." (ARC, page 134)
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Pram and Clarence were so freaking adorable. I bet that they'll end up being boyfriend-and-girlfriend one day, or as the series continues. *hopes* I am in full support of boy-girl friendships, especially in literature because we NEVER see enough of that. Fighting in the spirit world and helping each other out? That's cuter than watching two brown bears play fighting. They were always there for each other and now I'm squealing. Damn.
I didn't like Pram's character, sadly. I bet that you now know what's the special ingredient that brought my rating down, and it was that. I usually never have issues with middle-grade heroines/heroes, but in this case, she was disappointing. Too naïve, too gullible, I don't know. She fought for her answers, which was nice, but we didn't get to see that special something coming out of her, you know? But in that case, I'm letting you know that the writing is so descriptive, slow but imaginative. No fantasy author has ever done it that way, I can tell you.
The title of this book makes so much sense now that I've read the story. It speaks to readers, actually. This certainly is the best middle-grade read I've read this year, next to Fuzzy Mud and The Isle of the Lost, and I just can't wait for the next book in the Pram series. I'll fight a ghost to grab a copy of the sequel. I'M JOKING, I'd never do what the brave characters had to go through now that I think about it. Let me go read a cutesy contemporary because I just can't go without thinking about this spooky read. CHILDREN, GO AND LINE UP FOR THIS BOOK WHEN SEPTEMBER 1ST COMES.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher via BookExpo America in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
Disney has always been part of my life, whetThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more reviews!
*3.5 star rating*
Disney has always been part of my life, whether it's the movies, stories or morals related. Since Beauty and the Beast as well as The Lion King, my two favourite movies to this day, I’ve bene obsessed and I won’t ever forget or set aside the stories that brought my childhood together and taught me so many things. After discovering that Melissa de la Cruz, one of my all-time favourite authors, will be releasing a prequel to a coming Disney movie that’s all about the children of the villains that every kid knows about today, I WAS STOKED. I still am stoked, feeling excited and so thankful to have gotten the opportunity to read such a fabulous novel.
Before reading, or in your *points to review reader* situation, I recommend thinking about your likings of books. This is middle-grade, by the way, but I firmly believe that anyone will like this, young or old. ANY DISNEY LOVER will become obsessed, just saying. *giggles* Do you enjoy some fantasy associated with goblins, dwarves and plain spells and magic? If you’re okay with that (because I know I am) then you'll totally love this. Get ready for a true enjoyable read.
“This was the Isle of the Lost. Evil lived, breathed, and ruled the island, and King Beast and his sickly sweet billboards cajoling the former villains of the world to do good had no place in it. Who wanted to make lemonade from lemons, when you could make perfectly good lemon grenades?” (Hardcover, page 21)
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No one knows Disney better than Melissa over here. Just saying. I can imagine the amount of research and awesomeness needed to be put to make such a complex novel like this! And really, the storyline may seem simplistic and all, but there’s so much to it. Kids have to be interested and have weak attention spans these days, so shouldn’t this be full of details? *nods* AND THERE WAS. Where can I simply begin on the subject of plot and all? This was fabulous.
But before I get head of myself, let’s talk about my personal synopsis for you. :) It all begins with the story of each child, Cruella de Vil’s son, Carlos, Maleficent’s daughter, Mal, Jafar’s son, Jay and the Evil Queen’s daughter, Evie. They’re all thrown into each other’s life somehow, and at first, things don’t work well, but as their island and home is put at stake, they realize that they have to work together for peace, and to maintain their reputations, as well as discovering who they really are. And finding the Dragon’s Eye, of course. But, that’s an adventure that you’re going to have to take this time around, heh.
I feel that the Descendants movie that’ll be premiering on Disney Channel this summer’s going to be a hit. Think of Camp Rock, but for this generation of kids. *thinks of my sister* And of course, there’s all of the Disney live-action retelling films that are releasing now, like Maleficent and Cinderella. Everyone wants to see the children of the villains that we were grown to be scared of, no? It’s a new way to see Disney, and this was a perfect retelling. I mean, I bet not every kid’s going to pick this up and read it since it’s what happens before the main events of the movie, but it’ll always be there to hand a background story over to readers and give them a twist on the usual Disney that comes to mind. Right? Right.
This was the ultimate twist on Disney. ALL OF THE CHARACTERS THAT WE FELL IN LOVE WITH WHEN WE WERE KIDS ARE BACK. You’ll see flashbacks and moments with Ariel, Cinderella, Belle and the Beast, just to name a few. And you know how the princesses were all teenagers when their main story occurred? This is after the ever-after, and then you’ll get to read about what they’re up to now, and more on where they live and their kingdom. How did I not know anything about their USA? *lets everyone know that it’s not America* WOOT. The world setting was unlike anything I’ve read of before, filled with evilness and classes that are made according to your EQ (like your IQ, though all about how much evil you have inside of you). It’s a magical isle, I must say.
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Evie had to be my ultimate favourite character. She had to deal with so much, and her mother’s manipulation and her forcing of Evie having to be the fairest literally broke my heart, but it made it so much better because there was an outside issue that the characters had to deal with. And just to let you know, things did get better for her and her self-esteem. CONFIDENCE IS THE BEST REPUTATION TO HAVE. And she grew stronger, not letting some stupid evil girl get in her way out of jealousy. *coughMALcough*
And then we obviously had the other three main people: Jay, Mal and Carlos. (By the way, Belle and Beast’s son, BEN also makes appearances!) They pissed me off, just saying. I’m not sure if they were supposed to be really annoying and snobby, or it was just me and THE EVILNESS that they portrayed. Ugh. That sure was an issue for me, and I kind of dreaded when Mal’s POV and perspective came along because she annoyed me to the full extent. Huh. *sits grumpily in the corner* That could possibly be JUST me, just saying.
Was there romance? No, this is a middle-grade. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t ask me that question. Hah. But there was some crushy-cutesy related stuff happening with Evie and Carlos, possibly. Thankfully this wasn’t one of those unrealistic middle-grade fantasies where anything can happen, even though this is pure Disney. IT WASN’T PREDICTABLE, SO THAT’S A GOOD START.
All in all, I was really REALLY impressed with this pretty. It’s actually unlike anything I’ve ever read, and I normally don’t ever read middle grade unless I’m sure of it and know that I’ll like it and that it’ll be perfectly okay and fine for me. In this case, it certainly was and I ended up being the proudest person alive. Since I borrowed this from the library, I’LL HAVE TO grab myself a copy and get my little sister to read it, if she’s okay with goblins serving coffee. Hah. I want to live on the creepy island, the Isle of the Lost!...more
I used to be an avid middle grade fiction reader. ThThis review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
*2.5 star rating*
I used to be an avid middle grade fiction reader. That is what actually led me to discover the genre of young adult fiction and have me blogging. In fact, I am sure that I still have a few middle grade books on my Goodreads shelves, which is weird. Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk is not true. It is also not a great middle grade novel, in my opinion. But at the same time, it could be enjoyable for many, and depending on the whack of middle grade you usually read, you could seriously enjoy it.
I am not the craziest person about retellings. An author must perfect the retelling and make it nice for every reader, even for those who have heard the story hundreds of times. I kind of know the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" inside and out, and I would not even call this book a retelling of it, except for the fact that it uses the same name (Jack) and the same beginning. After that, Jack and his sister? go on an adventure together to save the ones they love. Yes, this is a fairytale, and impossibilities are possible, but COME ON.
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This book was okay, it was certainly not the most irritating read out there. Jack's perspective is found throughout the story, and readers just head in a simplistic, one-way direction where we read the slow paced story for what seems like forever. The book is based simply upon fear, survival, and giants, if that makes some kind of sense. For people (and kids!) who enjoy that base of familiarity of children's stories that feature confident, bright protagonists who could be the age of the children who are reading this, this is perfect. Every reader is bound to find something in Jack that could have them relate to everything.
The world building is actually extraordinary. The descriptions of the giants, the storm that started it all, the world above the clouds... I was mesmerized. It turned out to be difficult to let this book and its characters go for that reason. It is a fresh story, something that could give readers of other contemporary, perhaps, a change in scenery, just as if one were to head out of the fantasy genre and into romance, per se.
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It's not that this was not well written. I am a teenager, and because of my stubborn, selfish self (we all are, in some way!) this is not the kind of book for me. Others could enjoy it, I am in no way gearing people away from reading this. Shurtliff did manage to shock me in the end where I did produce some tears somewhere inside of me. The character relationships were part of it—that is the only thing I could spoil.
Jack is a good brother. In this case, a boy is doing something great for his family and is defying the stereotypes, being there for his sister and not pushing her away because they have no relationship. My heart is smiling. I promise.
Depending on your usual take on middle grade fiction, this could go either way for a reader. All in all, Jack was a cute story that boosted my energy, gave me smiles and left a message and moral, as most fairytales do. In this case, it was a story that could make a little kid and adult dream about the endless possibilities that our world has and how we could defy the impossibilities. I found myself bored here and there, but the pacing changes for all. I will not openly recommend it, though.
*A finished copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!*...more
Cassandra Clare is the master of literature. I don’t care if she keeps on writing about Shadowhunters for the rest of her life, and I’m totally againsCassandra Clare is the master of literature. I don’t care if she keeps on writing about Shadowhunters for the rest of her life, and I’m totally against all of the hate that she’s getting lately. But I do have to say that The Iron Trial was totally against my wishes and what I wish it could’ve been. This was a middle-grade book that was pretty much of a recap of Harry Potter, but with a little more mage and witchy stuff.
I’ve always felt embarrassed to admit that I haven’t ever read Harry Potter, and that I haven’t ever felt the need to. Some people may classify one as not a “real bookworm” if they haven’t given it the chance before, but hey—it’s not my type of good read. Mages and wizardry is against my liking, to be honest. I’m a diehard fan of fantasy, but I guess that this is icky to me.
“Don’t listen to it!” Tamara cried. “It’s a thing, not human—“Who would desire to be human? Human hearts break. Human bones shatter. Human skin can tear.”
I do have to say that this was a very delicate and well-formed story. The characters made decisions that I agree with, and what I’d do the same. At the same time, this was the impossible, but it also wasn’t at the same time. For people who enjoyed Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, then you guys are going to either love this or hate this, depending on your likes of a knockoff read. For me, this just gave me a first taste on this subject, and I was mildly impressed. The story focused on a magical-school type of setting. Most people would say that J.K. Rowling began it all, but of course there were even more signs of it in the past, before the literature master came along. I’ve seen different opinions on this subject, but with the fact that it was very similar to the popular novella series didn’t really bother me as I never had the chance to experience it. That, that was my opinion on the fact.
Shit, but the thing that did bother me was that I couldn’t see Clare’s usually sarcastic and passionate-fantasized ways in this book. I didn’t really see where her writing was getting picked up. But obviously, she did put tons of credit into the book—I’m not saying she didn’t. It’s either that her writing was very bland on this type of subject, or she wasn’t good at it. Never mind, this book was like a ‘tiny burp’ into the past.
To be honest, the only reason why I did decide to read this book was because of Clare, as she is my favourite author of all time. Without her say into it, my copy would’ve been sitting back at the bookshelf, waiting for another preteen or HP-fanatic to come around. As I never have had a look into Black’s writing in the past, I didn’t really have any expectations for her side of this story.
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I guess I’m too much of a fangirl, or some obsessed THG freak, but the whole ceremony where the mages were chosen when the parents were there did give me a tiny ‘Hunger Games’ moment. Obviously it was nothing like that, but I had a flashback. That whole ceremony did really piss me off, though. I was literally raging at the authors for making it so easy and unfair for them to just take Call like that. But then at the same time, where would this book be if the staff weren’t all rude and overtaking of everything, including preteens. I just felt a lot of guilt for Call’s father, as Call was all he had left. After the first few days when Call was at the Magisterium, I lost the ‘feeling’ of this book.
Basically, the idea’s straight and at the corner of your eye. Call is destined to become a mage, as the magic is found in his family, through his mother’s side, who is dead and was possibly killed at the time when she was also at the Magisterium, a magical school that is supposedly ‘safe and sound,’ especially for the mages who are destined to become strong and save the world. It’s your simple aspect of superheroes, but in a witchy sort of way. His father tells him to be afraid of magic, as he is worried that Call will get killed as his mother did, because of magic. He has to take The Iron Trial, a test that will see if Call is destined to have a future with magic. He tries so hard to fail, and they take him in, still, knowing that his power is the strongest amongst them all.
"Buried under the earth where no one can find it," his father told him grimly. "There's no light down there. No windows. The place is a maze. You could get lost in the caverns and die and no one would ever know."
You know how the first books in a trilogy are usually those where the ‘learning and knowing’ aspect of everything happens? Like where the protagonist is a newbie and where the world-development comes at its fastest pace? This was exactly it, except in the tinier minimum. For half of the book, Call and the other two choices, Aaron and Tamara, are destined to work as a team for the next five years that they will be at the school. Obviously at first, things are difficult and he tries his best to get himself into trouble. But as he learns that his power is so strong, he realizes that it’s his job to learn more.
Besides, who doesn’t want to learn to fly? The actual learning of spells and action was so interesting, as I’ve never had to deal with a book with these aspects before. The plot may have been simple and we didn’t really find out a past behind most of the characters, but there were some action scenes that shocked me, including the ending.
YES, THE ENDING. Just look at the back cover of the hardcover edition of the book:
“Fire wants to burn. Water wants to flow. Air wants to rise. Earth wants to bind. Chaos want to devour.”
Chaos and good and bad certainly changed the whole book like hell. But to be honest, I'm not 100% sure if I'm even planning on reading the sequel. I guess I'll have to see the summary and the reviews before I give it a chance.
This was freaking middle-grade, people. I normally would’ve never read this book, but then again, remember that it’s Cassandra Clare and Holly Black. I hate middle grade, as the characters are usually so immature. Like I’m 14, and I probably wouldn’t want to read about 9 year olds. How old was Harry Potter when his first book came out? The writing was simple, and totally lacked depth and past. I didn’t really know anything about these characters except their current personalities.
Callum: He was the hero of the book, obviously. Everything had to go perfectly perfect for him in his little world of magic. I liked him, but he wasn’t any hero to me. He was powerful and everything, but I didn’t see anything special about him except his moodiness and his all-so-gracious magical skills. The ending really showed what he really wants to be as a mage. *says it sarcastically*
Tamara: This girl totally kicked ass. She wanted what she wanted, and because she was so cool, she got it. In her own way, she was mysterious but present at the same time. To be honest, she was my favourite character.
Aaron: He was a little dweeb, haha. He was likeable, and friendly, and I felt like he got pushed around a lot and didn't get too much attention from the people. Call basically ignored him half of the time.
For the most part, a lot of this book was focused on the world-development and the magical theories and ways of things. The plot lacked what I expected, and this was a total bore and misunderstanding compared to the other fantasies I’ve picked up on lately. Will I read the sequel? I’m not sure, but at least it was Cassandra Clare.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*...more
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