3/5 (audiobook)

This is a cute monster story that is not too scary. I enjoy the way Adam Wallace made the monsters scary in a funny way. I think this helps make the book age appropriate for a younger audience while also making it engaging for a slightly older audience, as well.

2/5 (audiobook)

I don't really have much to say about this book other than it did not impress me much this time around. I think the characters and illustrations were cute, but I did not feel like I enjoyed the story as much as other picture book reads. This could be because the story did not seem to have much of a moral, which is a slight pet peeve of mine for children's literature. I feel it is important to teach and guide children as they read, so I enjoy a good picture book with a moral to tell.

2.5/5 (physical book)

So, I first read this series when I was in middle school, shortly after it was completed. It was one of the first dystopian novels I had picked up, and I was flying through the series. Unfortunately, I only made it through 2.5 books (I know, I was so close), and I never finished the series. I wanted to try and complete it now that I am a bit older and also have more free time. I was pretty excited going into this novel because I remembered how I had cruised through it the first time, but after the first couple chapters, I wasn't as blown away by it as I was a few years ago.

I think the main, overarching issue that I had and could not look past was the writing style. As I was reading, I couldn't help but become distracted with all of the sentence fragments and comma splices and never-ending adjectives. I feel like these things really slowed down paragraphs for me and made the story not as enjoyable or easy to read. I found myself constantly having to reread sections due to fragmented ideas. I enjoy the concept of this novel, don't get me wrong, but I became too distracted to enjoy the execution of it. I do not think that Suzanne Collins is a bad writer by any means, but I do think the writing style was a bit amateur for me.

The other thing that slowed me down was the seemingly lack of character development. Though I do like the strong independentness of Katniss, I felt like her character could have been so much more complex, especially through her emotions. Obviously, we got the fake love story line early on, and, unfortunately, it seemed to drag on with not much growth because, as a reader, I felt like I was not getting many emotional cues from Katniss. I think if she was developed a bit more in this plot development, I would have enjoyed it much more.

There was one scene, however, that Katniss' emotions choked me up, and that was the scene of Rue's death. I became attached to Rue, and I think it was because she is the small underdog of the Games that no one seems to really notice, similar reasons for Katniss choosing to become allies with her, I suppose. The emotion written out in this scene was pretty captivating, and I was close to tears. I am not 100% sure if this was due to the writing of the scene or if it was due to the fact that I knew it was coming and have seen the movie version of it played out. Either way, I think it was a smart decision on Collins part to have this scene in the middle of the Games to really draw at the reader's emotions and remind them what is at stake.

I still plan to continue with the series in hopes of finishing it this time around, but I hope I am more satisfied with the last two installments.

4/5 (physical book)

Another cute read for children. I think the overall theme throughout this book is beneficial to young readers and is put in a plot that is not commonly used. I also have to say that the illustrations are so vibrant and fun!

4/5 (physical book)

This was a cute read! I enjoy "Pete the Cat" books because they are so fun, and the end message in this book is great for children - "Sometimes you've got to dare to dream big" ~ James Dean

2.75/5 (audiobook)

This book...I first discovered this book about a year ago while working at my University's library, and I was instantly drawn in by the cover, and the title (the burger addition really caught my eye). I had high hopes for this read going into it this year, but I have to say I was not super impressed. Was it a good sappy, contemporary, young adult, romance read? Sure. But I felt like it kept dragging on about the same plot lines without much development.

One example of this is the idea of body image and the discussion of plus size women. This is an extremely important topic, and I was so excited that a book was going to discuss it and break down stereotypes, but I felt that it kind of got lost amidst the blossoming romance and battle for the dream job. The blog that Abby created, Plus Style, had a lot of potential to grow and I was really interested in learning what she was going to do with it, but, after finishing the story, I feel like it was kept hidden from not only the other characters but also the reader.

With that being said, I do like the self-acceptance from Abby's character. It is made know that Abby is conscious of her size, mostly seeming to be due to her mother's scrutiny, but she does not feel like any less of a person because of it. This is also supported by her super fun fashion sense with lots of bright colors and fruit! She breaks many of the stereotypes placed on plus sized women by society, and I applaud Amy Spalding for demonstrating that within a character instead of using it as a character flaw/weakness.

The other big thing that got me, though, was...Abby. Her character was super bubble and chatty, which are great personality traits to have, but the extent to which she would over-talk in a situation started to annoy me about halfway through the book. I am not sure if this was due to my listening to the audiobook and the way the narrator read it or if I would have felt just the same had I read the physical book. Either way, I found myself becoming distracted with Abby's internal and external dialogue almost every time she spoke.

All of this aside, to go against everything I just said, if you are looking for a cute, mostly light read, I would recommend giving this book a chance. It is a cute love story and makes you feel the feels at times. :)

3/5 (physical book)

This was a really cute story! The plot and illustrations were strong, and I thought the perspective shift was unique for a children's book. The one thing I wish was different was the ending. I think it could have benefited from being a bit more developed into Nia's reaction for getting Alfie back.

1.5/5 (physical book)

This one is not my favorite. The beginning started off kind of abruptly and then smoothed out, but I feel like there was not a huge purpose in the plot. It left me feeling kind of...empty.

4/5 (physical book)

This is such a cute children's book! I grew up reading this book, so being able to read it to my school kids was a great feeling. The theme of being different and not perfect is okay is really important for children at a young age to understand. I also love the illustrations in this book, like many other children's literature.

3.5/5 (physical book)

Mo Willems books are so fun! I think the way they are set up, being told through speech bubbles and onomatopoeias, makes these books much more engaging for readers and gives them a form of interaction with the characters as they read.