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Thank you to The Write Reads for organizing and inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Thank you, Aria Fiction and Net Galley, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book starts with Maya having one of the worst days of her life. She gets fired, and when she flies out to San Francisco to surprise her long-time boyfriend for her birthday, she finds out from his Lift driver that he’s been cheating on her. Instead of moping at the airport for 24-hours, the Lift driver, Max, convinces her to spend her birthday in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Max texts Maya a personalized itinerary, and they spend the entire day texting, making it one of the best days of Maya’s life. A year later, Maya finds herself back in Carmel-by-the-Sea, determined to find out more about the mysterious Max and to sort out the feelings she’s had since her first adventure in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
The first thing I want to say about this book is that it was super cute. Romance is my favourite genre, and this book did not disappoint. Once I started reading, it was hard to put the book down, and I likely would have stayed up all night to finish it if I didn’t have to go to work the next day. This book features the insta-love trope, which usually isn’t something that I’m interested in, but I didn’t mind it in this book because other things were going on.
I absolutely adored the characters in this book. I loved watching Maya take her life into her own hands, become more confident, and grow as a person. I liked that she fit right into Carmel-by-the-Sea and build some great friendships with the people there. I also thought that Maya was a memorable character, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I mention her a lot on my blog when I make various list posts or do book tags. I also liked the other characters, and I’m hoping that the author eventually writes a spin-off novel or two featuring some of the other characters that were introduced in this book.
As far as the story goes, I thought that it was original. I can’t think of any other romance novels that start with the characters meeting in the way that Maya and Max meet, and the idea of exploring a new place with a secret personal tour guide seems unique.
I also liked how bookish this book was. One of the characters is a published author, and Maya writes stories in her spare time.
The one downside to this book is that I figured out what was going to happen. However, I liked the build-up to it finally happening, so it was still an enjoyable reading experience.
This book starts with Maya having one of the worst days of her life. She gets fired, and when she flies out to San Francisco to surprise her long-time boyfriend for her birthday, she finds out from his Lift driver that he’s been cheating on her. Instead of moping at the airport for 24-hours, the Lift driver, Max, convinces her to spend her birthday in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Max texts Maya a personalized itinerary, and they spend the entire day texting, making it one of the best days of Maya’s life. A year later, Maya finds herself back in Carmel-by-the-Sea, determined to find out more about the mysterious Max and to sort out the feelings she’s had since her first adventure in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
The first thing I want to say about this book is that it was super cute. Romance is my favourite genre, and this book did not disappoint. Once I started reading, it was hard to put the book down, and I likely would have stayed up all night to finish it if I didn’t have to go to work the next day. This book features the insta-love trope, which usually isn’t something that I’m interested in, but I didn’t mind it in this book because other things were going on.
I absolutely adored the characters in this book. I loved watching Maya take her life into her own hands, become more confident, and grow as a person. I liked that she fit right into Carmel-by-the-Sea and build some great friendships with the people there. I also thought that Maya was a memorable character, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I mention her a lot on my blog when I make various list posts or do book tags. I also liked the other characters, and I’m hoping that the author eventually writes a spin-off novel or two featuring some of the other characters that were introduced in this book.
As far as the story goes, I thought that it was original. I can’t think of any other romance novels that start with the characters meeting in the way that Maya and Max meet, and the idea of exploring a new place with a secret personal tour guide seems unique.
I also liked how bookish this book was. One of the characters is a published author, and Maya writes stories in her spare time.
The one downside to this book is that I figured out what was going to happen. However, I liked the build-up to it finally happening, so it was still an enjoyable reading experience.
Thank you to The Write Reads for organizing and inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Casey Grimes is invisible, well, mostly invisible. Since he moved to his new home and started at a new school, people can’t see him, and this causes him to be pretty lonely. His little sister, Gloria, is in the same boat, though she’s a bit better at pretending to be happy. Then, on the last day of school, his parents announce that they’re going on a last-minute vacation and that Ms. Jones, a travelling babysitter, will be taking care of them for the next week. What follows is a magical, middle-grade adventure, full of terrifying creatures, ancient trees, and a whole new world to explore.
My favourite thing about this book was the sibling relationship between Casey and Gloria. Casey and Gloria have such an amazing bond, and reading about them coming together, sticking together, fighting together, and protecting each other, made me very happy.
In general, I loved the characters in this book. I loved Casey and Gloria, and my heart broke for them at the beginning of the book. I spent the entire book rooting for them to succeed at the adventure they were going on together. I thought Luci was a bit mysterious, but I liked her a lot. I thought that Robert was a bit of a pain, but I grew to like him eventually. As far as Ms. Jones goes, I adore her, and I want to know everything about her and her travelling babysitting career.
As far as the story goes, I loved the premise of it, and I think secret forest societies are awesome. I loved how important the trees were to the story, and to me, that makes this book stand out. I loved the hints of magic, the terrifying creatures, and I want to learn everything I can about Sylvan Woods. I also loved the idea of a secret, magical world, being just outside of your backyard.
One very minor downside to this book was there were some moments where the story got a bit jumpy. Fortunately, once I got sucked into the magic of the Sylvan Woods, I barely noticed any of the jumpings.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable middle-grade adventure. I definitely want to read the sequel, and I highly recommend this book to people who want a little bit of monster fighting and magical, tree-filled adventure in their lives.
Casey Grimes is invisible, well, mostly invisible. Since he moved to his new home and started at a new school, people can’t see him, and this causes him to be pretty lonely. His little sister, Gloria, is in the same boat, though she’s a bit better at pretending to be happy. Then, on the last day of school, his parents announce that they’re going on a last-minute vacation and that Ms. Jones, a travelling babysitter, will be taking care of them for the next week. What follows is a magical, middle-grade adventure, full of terrifying creatures, ancient trees, and a whole new world to explore.
My favourite thing about this book was the sibling relationship between Casey and Gloria. Casey and Gloria have such an amazing bond, and reading about them coming together, sticking together, fighting together, and protecting each other, made me very happy.
In general, I loved the characters in this book. I loved Casey and Gloria, and my heart broke for them at the beginning of the book. I spent the entire book rooting for them to succeed at the adventure they were going on together. I thought Luci was a bit mysterious, but I liked her a lot. I thought that Robert was a bit of a pain, but I grew to like him eventually. As far as Ms. Jones goes, I adore her, and I want to know everything about her and her travelling babysitting career.
As far as the story goes, I loved the premise of it, and I think secret forest societies are awesome. I loved how important the trees were to the story, and to me, that makes this book stand out. I loved the hints of magic, the terrifying creatures, and I want to learn everything I can about Sylvan Woods. I also loved the idea of a secret, magical world, being just outside of your backyard.
One very minor downside to this book was there were some moments where the story got a bit jumpy. Fortunately, once I got sucked into the magic of the Sylvan Woods, I barely noticed any of the jumpings.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable middle-grade adventure. I definitely want to read the sequel, and I highly recommend this book to people who want a little bit of monster fighting and magical, tree-filled adventure in their lives.
Thank you to The Write Reads for organizing and inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Thank you, Penguin Platform and Net Galley, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
After her parents divorced, Evie decides that she doesn’t believe in love anymore, and she needs to get rid of her romance novels. When she finds a Free Little Library to stuff them into, the woman who owns it insists that she take a book called Instructions for Dancing in exchange for her donation. After Evie takes the book, she starts to get visions when she sees couples kissing, which shows her how their relationship started and how it ends. This book also leads Evie to a dance studio, where she meets X, enters a ballroom dance competition, and realizes that love and life are more complicated than she initially thought.
The first thing I want to say about this book is that it was beautiful, and it made me feel a whirlwind of emotions. After I finished the book, I sat on my kitchen floor eating bread because that seemed like the best way to process everything I was feeling. This is a book about love and heartbreak, family and friendship, and learning to savour the moment. It’s a book that has a lot of layers, and it’s a story that makes you think and reflect on your own life.
As far as the characters go, I loved them. Evie is snarky and stubborn, and she’s dealing with a lot as her world is changing around her. Her parents got divorced, she’s in her final year of high school, and she doesn’t believe in love anymore. X is a beautiful soul who moved across the country to chase a dream, who is determined to always say yes because of a recent and tragic experience. I loved watching the relationship between Evie and X grow, I love what they brought out in each other, and they had a lot of moments that made me laugh out loud.
As far as secondary characters go, Fifi was my favourite. Fifi is the dance instructor at La Brea dance studio, and I adored her. She was so determined to turn Evie and X into the best amateur ballroom dancers, and I thought she was wonderful. I also liked Martin, Evie’s best friend from high school, and I liked that they had the kind of friendship where they could confide in each other, even when weird things were happening.
As I mentioned before, this book has a lot of layers in it, and I loved how all of the storylines intertwined. I don’t want to go into too much detail about all of the different storylines, but I thought that they all combined beautifully, and together they hit me with a tidal wave of emotions that I wasn’t ready for. I also loved that the storylines featured different kinds of love and not just the romantic kind.
Overall, I loved this book. It tore my heart out and made me feel way more emotions than I was ready to feel on a Thursday night. I highly recommend this book because everyone deserves a book hangover.
After her parents divorced, Evie decides that she doesn’t believe in love anymore, and she needs to get rid of her romance novels. When she finds a Free Little Library to stuff them into, the woman who owns it insists that she take a book called Instructions for Dancing in exchange for her donation. After Evie takes the book, she starts to get visions when she sees couples kissing, which shows her how their relationship started and how it ends. This book also leads Evie to a dance studio, where she meets X, enters a ballroom dance competition, and realizes that love and life are more complicated than she initially thought.
The first thing I want to say about this book is that it was beautiful, and it made me feel a whirlwind of emotions. After I finished the book, I sat on my kitchen floor eating bread because that seemed like the best way to process everything I was feeling. This is a book about love and heartbreak, family and friendship, and learning to savour the moment. It’s a book that has a lot of layers, and it’s a story that makes you think and reflect on your own life.
As far as the characters go, I loved them. Evie is snarky and stubborn, and she’s dealing with a lot as her world is changing around her. Her parents got divorced, she’s in her final year of high school, and she doesn’t believe in love anymore. X is a beautiful soul who moved across the country to chase a dream, who is determined to always say yes because of a recent and tragic experience. I loved watching the relationship between Evie and X grow, I love what they brought out in each other, and they had a lot of moments that made me laugh out loud.
As far as secondary characters go, Fifi was my favourite. Fifi is the dance instructor at La Brea dance studio, and I adored her. She was so determined to turn Evie and X into the best amateur ballroom dancers, and I thought she was wonderful. I also liked Martin, Evie’s best friend from high school, and I liked that they had the kind of friendship where they could confide in each other, even when weird things were happening.
As I mentioned before, this book has a lot of layers in it, and I loved how all of the storylines intertwined. I don’t want to go into too much detail about all of the different storylines, but I thought that they all combined beautifully, and together they hit me with a tidal wave of emotions that I wasn’t ready for. I also loved that the storylines featured different kinds of love and not just the romantic kind.
Overall, I loved this book. It tore my heart out and made me feel way more emotions than I was ready to feel on a Thursday night. I highly recommend this book because everyone deserves a book hangover.
Thank you to The Write Reads for organizing and inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Thank you, Penguin Platform and Net Galley, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This coming-of-age story takes place during the lead up to the end of the world, and it was unlike anything I’ve read before. The premise of this book seemed promising, and I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately, I could not suspend my disbelief enough to fall in love with the story.
My favourite thing about this book was the main character, Libby. Libby is shy. She’s the kind of shy that plans out conversations in her head before having them, and she often doesn’t have the courage to have the conversation she planned. I found her shyness to be relatable, and I enjoyed watching her grow and become more confident and comfortable with herself. However, I found her too naïve at times, and I wanted to throw some red flags at the book to help her out during some parts.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t a huge fan of the other main character, Natasha. I don’t want to say too much about Natasha, but a lot of her actions made me uncomfortable and anxious, which took away from my enjoyment of the book.
The other thing that I liked about this book was the travelling. I haven’t done very much travelling in my life, so I always like to see different places through the eyes of fictional characters. I enjoyed the descriptions of Spain and France, and I enjoyed exploring these places with Libby.
One thing that threw me off with this book is that the end of the world didn’t seem like it was that big of a deal. At the beginning of the book, a doomsday date is announced, and a large portion of mundane, everyday life continues to go on as usual. I don’t read a lot of books about the end of the world, especially right now with the current global health crisis, but it felt unusual to me.
Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was the family secret aspect of it. I enjoyed trying to piece together what happened with Libby’s Uncle and the truth about that portion of her family. I wasn’t a huge fan of what was going on with Libby’s mum during the second half of the book because the trope where an adult refuses to tell their almost-adult child the truth is one of my least favourite tropes; however, that’s a personal taste thing for me, and it probably doesn’t bother most people.
The main reason why I rated this book three stars is because there was an aspect of the story that I could not suspend my disbelief over because I’ve worked in a law firm for the past five years. It’s a very specific thing that probably won’t bother most readers, but it bugged me because of my personal experience. I don’t want to say anything specific about it because I don’t want to spoil anything, but if that portion of the story didn’t exist, I likely would have enjoyed this book more.
Overall, I enjoyed the twists and turns in this book. Some aspects were predictable, but other parts kept me on my toes. The story itself was interesting, and the characters were memorable, but unfortunately, I couldn’t look past some moments.
This coming-of-age story takes place during the lead up to the end of the world, and it was unlike anything I’ve read before. The premise of this book seemed promising, and I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately, I could not suspend my disbelief enough to fall in love with the story.
My favourite thing about this book was the main character, Libby. Libby is shy. She’s the kind of shy that plans out conversations in her head before having them, and she often doesn’t have the courage to have the conversation she planned. I found her shyness to be relatable, and I enjoyed watching her grow and become more confident and comfortable with herself. However, I found her too naïve at times, and I wanted to throw some red flags at the book to help her out during some parts.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t a huge fan of the other main character, Natasha. I don’t want to say too much about Natasha, but a lot of her actions made me uncomfortable and anxious, which took away from my enjoyment of the book.
The other thing that I liked about this book was the travelling. I haven’t done very much travelling in my life, so I always like to see different places through the eyes of fictional characters. I enjoyed the descriptions of Spain and France, and I enjoyed exploring these places with Libby.
One thing that threw me off with this book is that the end of the world didn’t seem like it was that big of a deal. At the beginning of the book, a doomsday date is announced, and a large portion of mundane, everyday life continues to go on as usual. I don’t read a lot of books about the end of the world, especially right now with the current global health crisis, but it felt unusual to me.
Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was the family secret aspect of it. I enjoyed trying to piece together what happened with Libby’s Uncle and the truth about that portion of her family. I wasn’t a huge fan of what was going on with Libby’s mum during the second half of the book because the trope where an adult refuses to tell their almost-adult child the truth is one of my least favourite tropes; however, that’s a personal taste thing for me, and it probably doesn’t bother most people.
The main reason why I rated this book three stars is because there was an aspect of the story that I could not suspend my disbelief over because I’ve worked in a law firm for the past five years. It’s a very specific thing that probably won’t bother most readers, but it bugged me because of my personal experience. I don’t want to say anything specific about it because I don’t want to spoil anything, but if that portion of the story didn’t exist, I likely would have enjoyed this book more.
Overall, I enjoyed the twists and turns in this book. Some aspects were predictable, but other parts kept me on my toes. The story itself was interesting, and the characters were memorable, but unfortunately, I couldn’t look past some moments.
Thank you to The Write Reads for organizing and inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Thank you, Penguin Platform and Net Galley, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Becky Albertalli is one of my favourite YA authors, and I’m happy to say that this book did not disappoint. Kate in Waiting is about Kate Garfield and her best friend, Anderson Walker, who share everything, including crushes. When they both start to develop feelings for Matt Olsson, it causes some tension with their friendship, and they begin to realize the problem with sharing everything.
The first thing I want to say about this book is that it was super cute! Becky Albertalli is known for writing cute books, and this one was extra adorable. I loved the friendship between Kate and Anderson, and I loved that this book was more about friendship than romantic relationships. I loved Kate and Anderson, and the dynamic between them, and watching their friendship go through its ups and downs. I also loved the bigger squad, and I loved the friendship between Brandie and Raina, and I hope that one day we get a book that focuses on them. I loved the relationship between Kate and her brother Ryan, and I thought they had a lot of great sibling moments. Finally, I thought Noah and Matt were cinnamon rolls, and I love a good cinnamon roll character.
I loved that this book focused on a bunch of theatre kids and how excited they were about the school production of Once Upon a Mattress. I loved how supportive the characters were of each other and how they hyped each other up. I loved that they encouraged each other and that they were genuinely happy for each other. I also loved seeing the behind-the-scenes things for the musical’s production, like the staging, tech week, and the chaos leading up to the performance.
The other thing that I loved about this book was how diverse the cast of characters are and the rep in this book. Kate is Jewish, and I loved the moments that were mentioned when she was younger at Temple or when her family was celebrating a Jewish holiday in their own way. Anderson is black and gay, Raina is transgender and bisexual, and Brandie hasn’t told any of her friends how she identifies. Kate and Ryan’s parents are divorced, and I liked seeing co-parenting and Kate and Ryan having a residency schedule and living with both parents.
I also liked that this book dealt with some bigger issues like bullying, specifically cyberbullying, and anxiety.
One last thing that I want to talk about is the swearing in this book. Kate and her group of friends refer to the jocks as “f-boys” or “f-girls,” and I’ve seen a lot of people mention that they didn’t like the continued use of the f-word. I can see why this would turn people off, but personally, it didn’t bother me. In my experience, high school kids swear, and I didn’t find the language to be unrealistic. I’m also not turned off by swearing in general, so this wasn’t a problem for me.
Becky Albertalli is one of my favourite YA authors, and I’m happy to say that this book did not disappoint. Kate in Waiting is about Kate Garfield and her best friend, Anderson Walker, who share everything, including crushes. When they both start to develop feelings for Matt Olsson, it causes some tension with their friendship, and they begin to realize the problem with sharing everything.
The first thing I want to say about this book is that it was super cute! Becky Albertalli is known for writing cute books, and this one was extra adorable. I loved the friendship between Kate and Anderson, and I loved that this book was more about friendship than romantic relationships. I loved Kate and Anderson, and the dynamic between them, and watching their friendship go through its ups and downs. I also loved the bigger squad, and I loved the friendship between Brandie and Raina, and I hope that one day we get a book that focuses on them. I loved the relationship between Kate and her brother Ryan, and I thought they had a lot of great sibling moments. Finally, I thought Noah and Matt were cinnamon rolls, and I love a good cinnamon roll character.
I loved that this book focused on a bunch of theatre kids and how excited they were about the school production of Once Upon a Mattress. I loved how supportive the characters were of each other and how they hyped each other up. I loved that they encouraged each other and that they were genuinely happy for each other. I also loved seeing the behind-the-scenes things for the musical’s production, like the staging, tech week, and the chaos leading up to the performance.
The other thing that I loved about this book was how diverse the cast of characters are and the rep in this book. Kate is Jewish, and I loved the moments that were mentioned when she was younger at Temple or when her family was celebrating a Jewish holiday in their own way. Anderson is black and gay, Raina is transgender and bisexual, and Brandie hasn’t told any of her friends how she identifies. Kate and Ryan’s parents are divorced, and I liked seeing co-parenting and Kate and Ryan having a residency schedule and living with both parents.
I also liked that this book dealt with some bigger issues like bullying, specifically cyberbullying, and anxiety.
One last thing that I want to talk about is the swearing in this book. Kate and her group of friends refer to the jocks as “f-boys” or “f-girls,” and I’ve seen a lot of people mention that they didn’t like the continued use of the f-word. I can see why this would turn people off, but personally, it didn’t bother me. In my experience, high school kids swear, and I didn’t find the language to be unrealistic. I’m also not turned off by swearing in general, so this wasn’t a problem for me.
Thank you to Dundurn Press for inviting me to participate in this blog tour and for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Frankie Doe is a foster child with a rare skin condition who is currently living with Kris, her support/social worker, who has been helping her since she was mysteriously found in an alley when she was a child. Frankie has no recollection of her life before she was found in the alley that night; she doesn’t remember who she was, if she had any family, or anything that might help her figure out her past. When she starts having dreams about a carnival sideshow, with a performer known as Alligator Girl who has the same rare skin condition she has, she begins to wonder if maybe these eerily familiar dreams are the key to figuring out her past. As she dreams more about Alligator Girl, and the lines between her dreams and reality start to blur, things start to get more complicated, and she begins to wonder if something else is going on.
I want to start this review by talking about the main character, Frankie. Frankie has a rare skin condition called Ichthyosis Vulgaris, which means that her skin is almost scale-like and constantly dry and flaking off. Frankie is very self-conscious about her skin, and she wears heavy goth makeup to cover it up. Frankie has been through a lot in her short life, including being bounced between different foster homes, and she’s built up a pretty hard shell to protect herself. She might not be the most likable character that I’ve encountered, but I had a soft spot for her, and I wanted her to succeed and figure out the mystery behind the sideshow that’s been haunting her dreams.
I enjoyed the carnival sideshow aspect of this book, but it does have the potential to make people feel uncomfortable. In Frankie’s dreams, Alligator Girl is an act in a sideshow that took place around 100 years ago. The performers in this sideshow are all people who are discriminated against by society because they have a condition or a disability that makes them different; for example, there’s a set of conjoined twins, an albino performer, and Alligator Girl who is put on display because of her skin condition. I didn’t like how these characters were treated by the public who came to view their performances, but I liked the sense of camaraderie among the group. I also liked Alligator Girl, and I was rooting for her to find the strength that she needed to achieve her goals.
The other thing that I enjoyed about this book was the Egyptian aspects. Throughout the book, the Ankh plays an important role, and it pops up often. I liked reading about Frankie exploring this symbol’s meaning and the other ancient Egyptian rituals and symbolism that pop up in her dreams.
I want to mention a few more things before I get to trigger and content warnings. I loved Frankie’s art teacher; he seemed like the kind of teacher everyone deserves to have in their lifetime. I loved Kris, and I especially love that she always encouraged Frankie but never pushed her to do anything she wasn’t ready to do. I also loved the relationship between Kris and Frankie, and I am so happy for both of them that they have each other. Finally, although I enjoyed the ending, it did feel a little bit rushed, and I wish it were a bit more drawn out.
As far as trigger and content warnings go, there is mention of sexual assault, child abuse, child exploitation, and bullying. There are also themes of trauma and PTSD because of the things that Frankie experienced. There is also discrimination against the performers at the sideshow.
Frankie Doe is a foster child with a rare skin condition who is currently living with Kris, her support/social worker, who has been helping her since she was mysteriously found in an alley when she was a child. Frankie has no recollection of her life before she was found in the alley that night; she doesn’t remember who she was, if she had any family, or anything that might help her figure out her past. When she starts having dreams about a carnival sideshow, with a performer known as Alligator Girl who has the same rare skin condition she has, she begins to wonder if maybe these eerily familiar dreams are the key to figuring out her past. As she dreams more about Alligator Girl, and the lines between her dreams and reality start to blur, things start to get more complicated, and she begins to wonder if something else is going on.
I want to start this review by talking about the main character, Frankie. Frankie has a rare skin condition called Ichthyosis Vulgaris, which means that her skin is almost scale-like and constantly dry and flaking off. Frankie is very self-conscious about her skin, and she wears heavy goth makeup to cover it up. Frankie has been through a lot in her short life, including being bounced between different foster homes, and she’s built up a pretty hard shell to protect herself. She might not be the most likable character that I’ve encountered, but I had a soft spot for her, and I wanted her to succeed and figure out the mystery behind the sideshow that’s been haunting her dreams.
I enjoyed the carnival sideshow aspect of this book, but it does have the potential to make people feel uncomfortable. In Frankie’s dreams, Alligator Girl is an act in a sideshow that took place around 100 years ago. The performers in this sideshow are all people who are discriminated against by society because they have a condition or a disability that makes them different; for example, there’s a set of conjoined twins, an albino performer, and Alligator Girl who is put on display because of her skin condition. I didn’t like how these characters were treated by the public who came to view their performances, but I liked the sense of camaraderie among the group. I also liked Alligator Girl, and I was rooting for her to find the strength that she needed to achieve her goals.
The other thing that I enjoyed about this book was the Egyptian aspects. Throughout the book, the Ankh plays an important role, and it pops up often. I liked reading about Frankie exploring this symbol’s meaning and the other ancient Egyptian rituals and symbolism that pop up in her dreams.
I want to mention a few more things before I get to trigger and content warnings. I loved Frankie’s art teacher; he seemed like the kind of teacher everyone deserves to have in their lifetime. I loved Kris, and I especially love that she always encouraged Frankie but never pushed her to do anything she wasn’t ready to do. I also loved the relationship between Kris and Frankie, and I am so happy for both of them that they have each other. Finally, although I enjoyed the ending, it did feel a little bit rushed, and I wish it were a bit more drawn out.
As far as trigger and content warnings go, there is mention of sexual assault, child abuse, child exploitation, and bullying. There are also themes of trauma and PTSD because of the things that Frankie experienced. There is also discrimination against the performers at the sideshow.
Thank you to the publisher, Circuit Breaker Books, and Net Galley, for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What do you give a person who has everything and is always gifting people amazing gifts and experiences? How about writing them a book about all of the wild times you shared together and all of the life lessons you learned from them? That’s what Jeremy Rhyne did for his friend Caesar “Cwiz” (pronounced Quiz) Ruiz in His Name is Cwiz: Lessons from a Lifelong Friendship. In this book, the author chronicles some of his favourite stories about his friend Cwiz from when they were kids, while growing up, and as adults once they both matured a bit and settled down.
To say that Cwiz has had an exciting life would be an understatement. He’s travelled the world, played countless pranks, had a successful career, made many friends, and has left a lasting impression on hundreds of people. Cwiz is loved by many people, and it seems like any time spent with Cwiz is memorable, and this book only covers a tiny fraction of those memorable moments. To a certain extent, this book felt like I was crashing a stranger’s 60th birthday party while all of their friends are giving speeches about the good times they’ve had together, which made for a strange reading experience at times. Some stories in this book made me laugh, but generally, I don’t think I’m the right audience to find most of the stories in this book funny.
What I liked most about this book is that it was about friendship and the value of having experiences and living life to the fullest. Given everything that’s going on in the world right now, this book was a nice palate cleanser. Even though I found a lot of the stories about pranks in this book to be repetitive and a bit annoying, the pranks were all good, clean fun, where no one got hurt (except a few bruised egos here and there). A lot of the stories mention church because Cwiz has been involved with the youth program at his church since he was a youth; however, none of the stories in this book are preachy, and the church is just the setting for some of the shenanigans. I also enjoyed the travel stories because it’s nice to see different parts of the world through other people’s eyes.
At the end of every story, there’s a life lesson that the author learned from his adventures with Cwiz. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the life lessons because I’m not the kind of person who hangs motivational posters on my wall, but I can appreciate the appeal of them. The life lessons in this book range from the cliché to the unusual, but overall, I think the main lessons of this book are to do the thing, take time to have experiences, and to do things for other people when you can. I enjoyed reading about Cwiz’s generosity, especially towards strangers, and I think this is the kind of book that has the power to inspire people.
Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read. I found it repetitive at times, and I’m not sure I’m the right audience to fully appreciate all of the humour, jokes, and pranks described in this book. After reading this book, it seems like Cwiz is a genuinely good person who leaves a lasting impression on everyone that he meets. I also think that writing down all of a person’s stories and turning them into a book is a unique and heartfelt gift to give someone.
Rating: 3 Stars!
What do you give a person who has everything and is always gifting people amazing gifts and experiences? How about writing them a book about all of the wild times you shared together and all of the life lessons you learned from them? That’s what Jeremy Rhyne did for his friend Caesar “Cwiz” (pronounced Quiz) Ruiz in His Name is Cwiz: Lessons from a Lifelong Friendship. In this book, the author chronicles some of his favourite stories about his friend Cwiz from when they were kids, while growing up, and as adults once they both matured a bit and settled down.
To say that Cwiz has had an exciting life would be an understatement. He’s travelled the world, played countless pranks, had a successful career, made many friends, and has left a lasting impression on hundreds of people. Cwiz is loved by many people, and it seems like any time spent with Cwiz is memorable, and this book only covers a tiny fraction of those memorable moments. To a certain extent, this book felt like I was crashing a stranger’s 60th birthday party while all of their friends are giving speeches about the good times they’ve had together, which made for a strange reading experience at times. Some stories in this book made me laugh, but generally, I don’t think I’m the right audience to find most of the stories in this book funny.
What I liked most about this book is that it was about friendship and the value of having experiences and living life to the fullest. Given everything that’s going on in the world right now, this book was a nice palate cleanser. Even though I found a lot of the stories about pranks in this book to be repetitive and a bit annoying, the pranks were all good, clean fun, where no one got hurt (except a few bruised egos here and there). A lot of the stories mention church because Cwiz has been involved with the youth program at his church since he was a youth; however, none of the stories in this book are preachy, and the church is just the setting for some of the shenanigans. I also enjoyed the travel stories because it’s nice to see different parts of the world through other people’s eyes.
At the end of every story, there’s a life lesson that the author learned from his adventures with Cwiz. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the life lessons because I’m not the kind of person who hangs motivational posters on my wall, but I can appreciate the appeal of them. The life lessons in this book range from the cliché to the unusual, but overall, I think the main lessons of this book are to do the thing, take time to have experiences, and to do things for other people when you can. I enjoyed reading about Cwiz’s generosity, especially towards strangers, and I think this is the kind of book that has the power to inspire people.
Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read. I found it repetitive at times, and I’m not sure I’m the right audience to fully appreciate all of the humour, jokes, and pranks described in this book. After reading this book, it seems like Cwiz is a genuinely good person who leaves a lasting impression on everyone that he meets. I also think that writing down all of a person’s stories and turning them into a book is a unique and heartfelt gift to give someone.
Rating: 3 Stars!
Thank you to The Write Reads for organizing and inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Karolina Dalca, Karo, is a half-vampire, but she’s lived her life sheltered from the vampire side of her family and the magical societies associated with it. One day, the magical societies she’s been sheltered from her whole life come barging through her door, killing her mother, and sending her on the run with a mysterious dark vampire who she knows nothing about. What happens next is a whirlwind, action-packed adventure out of Canada, to Romania, and then Russia, where Karo tries to stay alive and piece together the world she’s been thrown into.
The first thing I want to talk about is all of the characters. I really liked Karo, even though I found her lack of impulse control annoying at times. I admired her determination and moral compass, and I thought she was a badass. I liked Andre, especially because he was a morally grey character. I enjoyed trying to figure out his motivations, and I hope to learn more about him in the second novel. I had mixed feelings about Ro because I thought he was a bit too controlling at times, but I did think he was a decent friend to Karo.
I liked that this book took place in so many different places. I’m Canadian, so I love it when a book takes place in Canada. I also enjoyed exploring Romania and Russia with the characters, especially because I haven’t read a lot of books that take place in either of those places.
I loved all of the action in this book. There are a lot of fight scenes as the characters try to escape the evil forces that killed Karo’s mother, and I thought that they were all awesome. I loved seeing Karo learn how to control her various magical powers and learn more about the various magical powers, creatures, and systems. I liked the idea of magic being based on the four elements and then having dark and light magic. I also enjoyed learning how the different types of magic can be used against different creatures and learning about the magic system in general.
I will say that a few moments in this book had me questioning what on earth I was reading, but I also struggled to put the book down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I thought the book’s ending was fantastic, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Karolina Dalca, Karo, is a half-vampire, but she’s lived her life sheltered from the vampire side of her family and the magical societies associated with it. One day, the magical societies she’s been sheltered from her whole life come barging through her door, killing her mother, and sending her on the run with a mysterious dark vampire who she knows nothing about. What happens next is a whirlwind, action-packed adventure out of Canada, to Romania, and then Russia, where Karo tries to stay alive and piece together the world she’s been thrown into.
The first thing I want to talk about is all of the characters. I really liked Karo, even though I found her lack of impulse control annoying at times. I admired her determination and moral compass, and I thought she was a badass. I liked Andre, especially because he was a morally grey character. I enjoyed trying to figure out his motivations, and I hope to learn more about him in the second novel. I had mixed feelings about Ro because I thought he was a bit too controlling at times, but I did think he was a decent friend to Karo.
I liked that this book took place in so many different places. I’m Canadian, so I love it when a book takes place in Canada. I also enjoyed exploring Romania and Russia with the characters, especially because I haven’t read a lot of books that take place in either of those places.
I loved all of the action in this book. There are a lot of fight scenes as the characters try to escape the evil forces that killed Karo’s mother, and I thought that they were all awesome. I loved seeing Karo learn how to control her various magical powers and learn more about the various magical powers, creatures, and systems. I liked the idea of magic being based on the four elements and then having dark and light magic. I also enjoyed learning how the different types of magic can be used against different creatures and learning about the magic system in general.
I will say that a few moments in this book had me questioning what on earth I was reading, but I also struggled to put the book down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I thought the book’s ending was fantastic, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
I received this book to read and review as part of the BBNYA 2020 tours organised by the @The_WriteReads tours team in exchange for an honest review. If you want some more information about BBNYA, keep reading because I have some information about how you can be part of the 2021 BBNYA competition after my review!
Calico Thunder Rides Again is a fairly dark story full of magical creatures, organized crime, and circus life. Jake Strickland thought he had dealt with all of the financial problems that his father had left him when he inherited the circus. Unfortunately, one day a group of very dangerous mobsters show up, demanding a quick payment of an impossibly large debt that Jake’s father left unpaid. What follows is a whirlwind of events while Jake desperately tries to scrape the money together to keep himself, his friends, and his circus alive.
My favourite thing about this book was the look into circus life. Even though the circus was the backdrop for a darker, I loved all of the glimpses into circus life. The performances sounded magical, and I loved that Jake was still enthralled with the show after all of the years and struggles he went through. I also liked reading about the routine of the circus while it was on the road and the camaraderie among the performers. I also want to mention that I loved the glossary of circus terms at the beginning of the book, and I wish more books would feature glossaries at the beginning.
I also liked the characters in this book. Jake Strickland seemed like a great person, who genuinely cared about the circus and the performers, even though he had plenty of reasons to dislike the circus. I felt bad for Jake when he realized just how big of a mess his father had left him to clean up, and I was rooting for him the entire time to find a solution to his problem. I loved Grace and her performance with the magical creatures. She seemed like a badass, and I have a lot of admiration for anyone who can tame a dragon and a pair of griffins. I also liked Bruno, and I wish we could have learned a bit more about him.
My biggest complaint about the book is that it felt like something was missing. At 200 pages, Calico Thunder Rides Again is fairly short, and I wish it would have been a bit longer because there were so many things I wanted to know more about. For example, this book takes place in a world where there is a ban on a lot of magical things, and I would love to know more about why the ban is in place. I also want to know more about the circus, the performers, the different creatures, and about Calico Thunder herself.
Another thing that I want to mention is that this book is fairly dark. If you were to judge this book by its cover, you’d think it was a magical story with a dragon and the circus, but there is a lot more to the story than that. This book offers a lot of glimpses into the circus, but the main storyline is Jake trying to take care of the massive debt while dangerous people are after him. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I think it’s worth mentioning, so no one is surprised when they pick up this book.
Finally, I want to talk about Calico Thunder. Calico Thunder is a dragon who has been with the circus for a long time. I thought Calico Thunder was a majestic creature, and I loved all of the moments that featured her. I thought that the author did a great job writing about her and the magical creatures in general, and I liked none of them were over the top. Calico Thunder’s mannerisms reminded me of a cat, and I love any cat-like creature.
Overall, Calico Thunder Rides Again was an enjoyable read. It took me a while to get into, but it was difficult to put down once I got into it. I liked the magic, the characters, and I enjoyed reading about circus life.
Trigger/Content Warnings: Death of a parent (mentioned), animal mistreatment, & violence (including gun violence).
Calico Thunder Rides Again is a fairly dark story full of magical creatures, organized crime, and circus life. Jake Strickland thought he had dealt with all of the financial problems that his father had left him when he inherited the circus. Unfortunately, one day a group of very dangerous mobsters show up, demanding a quick payment of an impossibly large debt that Jake’s father left unpaid. What follows is a whirlwind of events while Jake desperately tries to scrape the money together to keep himself, his friends, and his circus alive.
My favourite thing about this book was the look into circus life. Even though the circus was the backdrop for a darker, I loved all of the glimpses into circus life. The performances sounded magical, and I loved that Jake was still enthralled with the show after all of the years and struggles he went through. I also liked reading about the routine of the circus while it was on the road and the camaraderie among the performers. I also want to mention that I loved the glossary of circus terms at the beginning of the book, and I wish more books would feature glossaries at the beginning.
I also liked the characters in this book. Jake Strickland seemed like a great person, who genuinely cared about the circus and the performers, even though he had plenty of reasons to dislike the circus. I felt bad for Jake when he realized just how big of a mess his father had left him to clean up, and I was rooting for him the entire time to find a solution to his problem. I loved Grace and her performance with the magical creatures. She seemed like a badass, and I have a lot of admiration for anyone who can tame a dragon and a pair of griffins. I also liked Bruno, and I wish we could have learned a bit more about him.
My biggest complaint about the book is that it felt like something was missing. At 200 pages, Calico Thunder Rides Again is fairly short, and I wish it would have been a bit longer because there were so many things I wanted to know more about. For example, this book takes place in a world where there is a ban on a lot of magical things, and I would love to know more about why the ban is in place. I also want to know more about the circus, the performers, the different creatures, and about Calico Thunder herself.
Another thing that I want to mention is that this book is fairly dark. If you were to judge this book by its cover, you’d think it was a magical story with a dragon and the circus, but there is a lot more to the story than that. This book offers a lot of glimpses into the circus, but the main storyline is Jake trying to take care of the massive debt while dangerous people are after him. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I think it’s worth mentioning, so no one is surprised when they pick up this book.
Finally, I want to talk about Calico Thunder. Calico Thunder is a dragon who has been with the circus for a long time. I thought Calico Thunder was a majestic creature, and I loved all of the moments that featured her. I thought that the author did a great job writing about her and the magical creatures in general, and I liked none of them were over the top. Calico Thunder’s mannerisms reminded me of a cat, and I love any cat-like creature.
Overall, Calico Thunder Rides Again was an enjoyable read. It took me a while to get into, but it was difficult to put down once I got into it. I liked the magic, the characters, and I enjoyed reading about circus life.
Trigger/Content Warnings: Death of a parent (mentioned), animal mistreatment, & violence (including gun violence).
I received this book to read and review as part of the BBNYA 2020 tours organised by the @The_WriteReads tours team in exchange for an honest review. If you want some more information about BBNYA, keep reading because I have some information about how you can be part of the 2021 BBNYA competition after my review!
Ever Alice is a dark and twisty tale that takes place a few years after Alice’s first adventures in Wonderland. It’s full of scandal, intrigue, lies, and deception, with a tiny bit of love thrown in for good measure. If you’re a fan of Alice in Wonderland, this book needs to be up next on your TBR because you will not be disappointed.
I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked up this book because, on the one hand, it sounded fantastic, but on the other hand, I don’t care for Alice in Wonderland. Fortunately, this book had enough twists and turns to keep me hooked until the end, and I was not disappointed. It was full of familiar faces from Alice in Wonderland and some new characters to give us a deeper look into the Queen of Heart’s court and Wonderland as a whole.
My favourite thing about this book was the Queen of Hearts, or as she’s known in his book, Rosamund. I’ve always The Queen of Hearts is usually one of the first characters to pop into my head when I have to list villains, and this book was a deep dive into her character. Rosamund is vain and paranoid. She’s convinced that there’s a traitor, and she’ll behead whoever she has to figure out who it is. Throughout the book, you can see her spiralling downwards as she becomes convinced that more and more people are against her.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Alice in this book, but to be fair, I’ve never been much of a fan of Alice. I thought that Alice was a bit of a pushover and that she didn’t have a lot of original thoughts. To be fair, though, Alice returned to Wonderland to help carry out a dark and sinister plot, and that doesn’t leave much room for original thought.
On another note, I did not like the asylum aspect of this book. It doesn’t surprise me that Alice was sent to an asylum after her first adventures in Wonderland, but I wasn’t a fan of it. The parts where Alice was in the asylum made me feel anxious, and in the future, I’m going to avoid books that feature asylums for my mental health.
Another thing that I liked about this book was getting a deeper look at Wonderland. Wonderland is a fascinating setting, and I enjoyed exploring it more and learning more about it. This book is full of the topsy turvy language that you would expect to find in Wonderland, and it takes a little while to get used to. This book is darker than I expected, so I don’t think whimsical is the right word to describe Wonderland, but it’s still strange and lopsided.
Overall, this wasn’t my favourite book because I’m generally not a fan of Alice in Wonderland. However, I plan on screaming about this book for a long time because I know a lot of people who love Alice and Wonderland, and I think they need this book in their lives ASAP.
Ever Alice is a dark and twisty tale that takes place a few years after Alice’s first adventures in Wonderland. It’s full of scandal, intrigue, lies, and deception, with a tiny bit of love thrown in for good measure. If you’re a fan of Alice in Wonderland, this book needs to be up next on your TBR because you will not be disappointed.
I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked up this book because, on the one hand, it sounded fantastic, but on the other hand, I don’t care for Alice in Wonderland. Fortunately, this book had enough twists and turns to keep me hooked until the end, and I was not disappointed. It was full of familiar faces from Alice in Wonderland and some new characters to give us a deeper look into the Queen of Heart’s court and Wonderland as a whole.
My favourite thing about this book was the Queen of Hearts, or as she’s known in his book, Rosamund. I’ve always The Queen of Hearts is usually one of the first characters to pop into my head when I have to list villains, and this book was a deep dive into her character. Rosamund is vain and paranoid. She’s convinced that there’s a traitor, and she’ll behead whoever she has to figure out who it is. Throughout the book, you can see her spiralling downwards as she becomes convinced that more and more people are against her.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Alice in this book, but to be fair, I’ve never been much of a fan of Alice. I thought that Alice was a bit of a pushover and that she didn’t have a lot of original thoughts. To be fair, though, Alice returned to Wonderland to help carry out a dark and sinister plot, and that doesn’t leave much room for original thought.
On another note, I did not like the asylum aspect of this book. It doesn’t surprise me that Alice was sent to an asylum after her first adventures in Wonderland, but I wasn’t a fan of it. The parts where Alice was in the asylum made me feel anxious, and in the future, I’m going to avoid books that feature asylums for my mental health.
Another thing that I liked about this book was getting a deeper look at Wonderland. Wonderland is a fascinating setting, and I enjoyed exploring it more and learning more about it. This book is full of the topsy turvy language that you would expect to find in Wonderland, and it takes a little while to get used to. This book is darker than I expected, so I don’t think whimsical is the right word to describe Wonderland, but it’s still strange and lopsided.
Overall, this wasn’t my favourite book because I’m generally not a fan of Alice in Wonderland. However, I plan on screaming about this book for a long time because I know a lot of people who love Alice and Wonderland, and I think they need this book in their lives ASAP.