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booksare42's Reviews (608)
This was the January book of the month for the Middle-Grade Marvels book club, and I am so glad that I participated this month because this book was an amazing read.
Frostheart has everything you could want in a book; it has adventure, found family, dangerous creatures, a setting that you want to learn more about, memorable characters, and a grumpy yeti.
Frostheart is full of amazing and memorable characters. The main character, Ash, is essentially an orphan. His parents aren’t necessarily dead, he just doesn’t know where they are, and he barely remembers them. Since his parents aren’t in the picture, his stronghold appointed a guardian for Ash, a very grumpy yeti named Tobu. Ash and Tobu are both misfits in their village, and when Ash reveals that he has magical powers, the pair gets exiled, and the Frostheart crew takes them in. Ash is a memorable character, and I enjoyed reading about him trying to figure out more about his magical, song-weaving powers and trying to find his place in the universe. I also loved Tobu, and I especially appreciated how grumpy he was. It was clear that beneath his grumpy exterior, Tobu really cares for Ash, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of him in the rest of the trilogy.
Next, I want to talk about the found family aspect of this book. The crew on the Frostheart, a pathfinder ship that travels from stronghold to stronghold, is an amazing found family. The characters are from different strongholds, and together they keep the Frostheart moving forward. Each character brings something new to the crew, and it’s clear that they all rely on each other and that the crew is a family. I love how the crew accepted Ash and Tobu into their ranks and how Ash was able to find himself a family in the crew. I also liked that the Frostheart felt like a pirate ship crew, except instead of the open seas, it’s the open snowy wilderness that they’re travelling through.
Up next, I want to talk about the setting. Frostheart takes place in a snowy wilderness, making it the perfect wintery read. The Frostheart travels from stronghold to stronghold, scattered throughout the Snow Sea. In this book, we see three different strongholds; each one is unique and adds some character to the world-building in this book. I also liked that this book left a lot of room for world-building and that it left me wanting to read the next book because I desperately want to see Aurora.
One of the reasons I like middle-grade books so much is because a lot of them contain adventures, and this book did not disappoint in the adventure department. The Frostheart crew travels across the Snow Sea, dodging dangers and exploring the world. They face dangerous situations that leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering if the crew will make it out okay. The book contains villains and evils that need to be overcome. It has all the elements you want in a good adventure, and I loved reading about it.
Overall, this book was a lot of fun. I loved the characters and the world-building. The adventure was exciting, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy soon.
Frostheart has everything you could want in a book; it has adventure, found family, dangerous creatures, a setting that you want to learn more about, memorable characters, and a grumpy yeti.
Frostheart is full of amazing and memorable characters. The main character, Ash, is essentially an orphan. His parents aren’t necessarily dead, he just doesn’t know where they are, and he barely remembers them. Since his parents aren’t in the picture, his stronghold appointed a guardian for Ash, a very grumpy yeti named Tobu. Ash and Tobu are both misfits in their village, and when Ash reveals that he has magical powers, the pair gets exiled, and the Frostheart crew takes them in. Ash is a memorable character, and I enjoyed reading about him trying to figure out more about his magical, song-weaving powers and trying to find his place in the universe. I also loved Tobu, and I especially appreciated how grumpy he was. It was clear that beneath his grumpy exterior, Tobu really cares for Ash, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of him in the rest of the trilogy.
Next, I want to talk about the found family aspect of this book. The crew on the Frostheart, a pathfinder ship that travels from stronghold to stronghold, is an amazing found family. The characters are from different strongholds, and together they keep the Frostheart moving forward. Each character brings something new to the crew, and it’s clear that they all rely on each other and that the crew is a family. I love how the crew accepted Ash and Tobu into their ranks and how Ash was able to find himself a family in the crew. I also liked that the Frostheart felt like a pirate ship crew, except instead of the open seas, it’s the open snowy wilderness that they’re travelling through.
Up next, I want to talk about the setting. Frostheart takes place in a snowy wilderness, making it the perfect wintery read. The Frostheart travels from stronghold to stronghold, scattered throughout the Snow Sea. In this book, we see three different strongholds; each one is unique and adds some character to the world-building in this book. I also liked that this book left a lot of room for world-building and that it left me wanting to read the next book because I desperately want to see Aurora.
One of the reasons I like middle-grade books so much is because a lot of them contain adventures, and this book did not disappoint in the adventure department. The Frostheart crew travels across the Snow Sea, dodging dangers and exploring the world. They face dangerous situations that leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering if the crew will make it out okay. The book contains villains and evils that need to be overcome. It has all the elements you want in a good adventure, and I loved reading about it.
Overall, this book was a lot of fun. I loved the characters and the world-building. The adventure was exciting, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy soon.
The Love Hypothesis was my first romance novel of 2022, and it was such a great romance to start the year off with. This book was fun, full of great characters, and very memorable.
As usual, I want to start my review off by talking about the main characters. Olive is a third-year Ph.D. candidate who gets herself into an awkward fake dating situation. Olive is a great friend, super caring, very awkward, and smart. I loved that Olive went into her Ph.D. with a specific question that she wanted to research, and I thought she was amazing for having enough drive to tackle that question. Adam Carlsen is a professor known to make students cry; he is the grumpy character in our grumpy/sunshine dynamic. However, underneath his grumpy exterior, it’s clear that he really cares about science and about Olive. Together, this fake couple makes a great pair, and they were really enjoyable to read about.
As far as the side characters go, I loved Malcolm, and I thought he was a fantastic friend to Olive. I thought Professor Holden was an absolute Cinnamon roll, and I would not be opposed to having him come up again in future books. I didn’t mind Olive’s best friend, Anh, however, she did have some moments that left me slightly annoyed and uncomfortable, and at times I felt like she only existed to push the plot forward. I was not a fan of Tom from the start; there was just something about him that did not sit right with me from the get-go.
One thing I enjoyed was that this book featured women in STEM. Olive is brilliant, she’s doing amazing things, and her research shows potential to be revolutionary and life-changing. Her best friend, Anh, is also amazing, and I love how much outreach she does for women, specifically women of colour, in STEM. I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Ali Hazelwood if they feature women in STEM.
One thing that bothered me a bit about this book was how often Olive brought up that she was Adam’s fake girlfriend. I understand that Olive is a bit of an awkward character, but after a while, I got a bit annoyed with that. However, I will say that as far as fake dating goes, this is one of the better books I’ve read.
I loved the romance in this book. I am a sucker for a male character calling the female character sweetheart in a romance book, and this book did not disappoint on that level. This book had a decent amount of spice in it, even though there were a few moments during the spicy chapters that made me do a double-take because they were a tad bit awkward.
Overall, this book was a lot of fun. The romance was cute, the spice level was decent, and I think it is worth all of the hype.
As usual, I want to start my review off by talking about the main characters. Olive is a third-year Ph.D. candidate who gets herself into an awkward fake dating situation. Olive is a great friend, super caring, very awkward, and smart. I loved that Olive went into her Ph.D. with a specific question that she wanted to research, and I thought she was amazing for having enough drive to tackle that question. Adam Carlsen is a professor known to make students cry; he is the grumpy character in our grumpy/sunshine dynamic. However, underneath his grumpy exterior, it’s clear that he really cares about science and about Olive. Together, this fake couple makes a great pair, and they were really enjoyable to read about.
As far as the side characters go, I loved Malcolm, and I thought he was a fantastic friend to Olive. I thought Professor Holden was an absolute Cinnamon roll, and I would not be opposed to having him come up again in future books. I didn’t mind Olive’s best friend, Anh, however, she did have some moments that left me slightly annoyed and uncomfortable, and at times I felt like she only existed to push the plot forward. I was not a fan of Tom from the start; there was just something about him that did not sit right with me from the get-go.
One thing I enjoyed was that this book featured women in STEM. Olive is brilliant, she’s doing amazing things, and her research shows potential to be revolutionary and life-changing. Her best friend, Anh, is also amazing, and I love how much outreach she does for women, specifically women of colour, in STEM. I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Ali Hazelwood if they feature women in STEM.
One thing that bothered me a bit about this book was how often Olive brought up that she was Adam’s fake girlfriend. I understand that Olive is a bit of an awkward character, but after a while, I got a bit annoyed with that. However, I will say that as far as fake dating goes, this is one of the better books I’ve read.
I loved the romance in this book. I am a sucker for a male character calling the female character sweetheart in a romance book, and this book did not disappoint on that level. This book had a decent amount of spice in it, even though there were a few moments during the spicy chapters that made me do a double-take because they were a tad bit awkward.
Overall, this book was a lot of fun. The romance was cute, the spice level was decent, and I think it is worth all of the hype.
Last year, I started a book club for some of my friends, and our January book of the month was The Shadow of the Wind. This is my second time reading it, and I definitely enjoyed it more this time around.
The Shadow of the Wind is complicated in that it’s almost like a book in a book. This book follows Daniel, the son of a bookseller, who discovers a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Soon Daniel learns that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of Carax’s books, and as he dives into Carax’s life, he gets tangled up in a web of dark secrets. There are a lot of parallels between Daniel’s story and Carax’s story, and it’s fascinating to watch as the two timelines intertwine with each other.
This book has a lot of characters in it, and most of them are quite memorable. This book takes place over a long period, and it was interesting seeing Daniel grow up. At the beginning of the book, he’s young, naïve, and infatuated with another character. As time goes by, he grows up, experiences different friendships and relationships, and you can see him maturing and turning into a young man, even if he is in over his head at times.
I think my favourite character in the book was Fermin. I thought he was a memorable character, and I enjoyed his character arc. He had many moments that amused me, and I liked his sense of humour. I also liked that he had ties to both sets of characters from the two parallel storylines in this book.
Even though it was complicated at times, I think what makes this book truly special is the parallel timelines. I loved how this book went from the present to the past, and how the past bled into the present. I loved how different conversations unveiled different parts of Carax’s story and how everything ended up tying together at the end. It was a complicated web that was woven through the story, but by the end of it, it was quite amazing.
I loved the setting of this book. This book takes place in Barcelona, after the war. The city is healing, but there are still scars everywhere. It’s a different place, and I loved watching the story unfold there.
I also loved that this book was about how a book can change your life. All of the events in this book unfolded because Daniel stumbled upon The Shadow of the Wind in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. I also loved that this book was full of a bunch of fantastic lines that I tabbed like crazy so I can go back and read them again.
A few other things that I want to mention is that this book did have its share of cringy moments. This book also had its fair share of violent scenes, which made me a bit uncomfortable because I generally don’t handle violence very well.
Overall, this book is fantastic. It has lots of layers, and I am so glad that I picked it up again for a reread.
The Shadow of the Wind is complicated in that it’s almost like a book in a book. This book follows Daniel, the son of a bookseller, who discovers a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Soon Daniel learns that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of Carax’s books, and as he dives into Carax’s life, he gets tangled up in a web of dark secrets. There are a lot of parallels between Daniel’s story and Carax’s story, and it’s fascinating to watch as the two timelines intertwine with each other.
This book has a lot of characters in it, and most of them are quite memorable. This book takes place over a long period, and it was interesting seeing Daniel grow up. At the beginning of the book, he’s young, naïve, and infatuated with another character. As time goes by, he grows up, experiences different friendships and relationships, and you can see him maturing and turning into a young man, even if he is in over his head at times.
I think my favourite character in the book was Fermin. I thought he was a memorable character, and I enjoyed his character arc. He had many moments that amused me, and I liked his sense of humour. I also liked that he had ties to both sets of characters from the two parallel storylines in this book.
Even though it was complicated at times, I think what makes this book truly special is the parallel timelines. I loved how this book went from the present to the past, and how the past bled into the present. I loved how different conversations unveiled different parts of Carax’s story and how everything ended up tying together at the end. It was a complicated web that was woven through the story, but by the end of it, it was quite amazing.
I loved the setting of this book. This book takes place in Barcelona, after the war. The city is healing, but there are still scars everywhere. It’s a different place, and I loved watching the story unfold there.
I also loved that this book was about how a book can change your life. All of the events in this book unfolded because Daniel stumbled upon The Shadow of the Wind in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. I also loved that this book was full of a bunch of fantastic lines that I tabbed like crazy so I can go back and read them again.
A few other things that I want to mention is that this book did have its share of cringy moments. This book also had its fair share of violent scenes, which made me a bit uncomfortable because I generally don’t handle violence very well.
Overall, this book is fantastic. It has lots of layers, and I am so glad that I picked it up again for a reread.
I received this book to read and review as part of the 2021 BBNYA competition and the BBNYA tours organised by The Write Reads Tour team. All opinions are my own, unbiased, and honest.
This book was such a cute, magical, and quick read, which made it an absolute treat to dive into.
Octavia Bloom and the Missing Key is a magical middle-grade story that features a portal to a magical world, a magical world that needs to be saved, and a bunch of strong female characters who are ready to save the day.
I liked the characters in this book. Octavia Bloom is so curious, and I loved her determination. I also liked her sister and cousins, and I was excited to find out that all of these characters have their own books in the series, which I’m definitely hoping to check out. I also loved how important family is in this book, and I’m looking forward to learning more about the Bloom family when I read the rest of this series
I also liked how magical this book is. Fairyland sounds like a magical place, and I would love to visit it someday. I liked the battle of good versus evil, even if it was a bit cliché. I liked the animals in this world; I also liked that flowers played an important role in the storyline in this book.
There were parts of this book that felt a bit rushed, and I found myself rereading some parts to make sure I didn’t miss anything because it felt like the story jumped. I think this book could have been a little bit longer, just to provide a bit more transition between scenes.
I loved how quick of a read this was. It’s definitely the kind of book you can read in one sitting, and it was enjoyable enough that I could have easily binged the entire series in a weekend.
Overall, if you like magical middle-grade stories, you should check out this book. It’s full of adventure, and it’s a great way to spend the afternoon.
This book was such a cute, magical, and quick read, which made it an absolute treat to dive into.
Octavia Bloom and the Missing Key is a magical middle-grade story that features a portal to a magical world, a magical world that needs to be saved, and a bunch of strong female characters who are ready to save the day.
I liked the characters in this book. Octavia Bloom is so curious, and I loved her determination. I also liked her sister and cousins, and I was excited to find out that all of these characters have their own books in the series, which I’m definitely hoping to check out. I also loved how important family is in this book, and I’m looking forward to learning more about the Bloom family when I read the rest of this series
I also liked how magical this book is. Fairyland sounds like a magical place, and I would love to visit it someday. I liked the battle of good versus evil, even if it was a bit cliché. I liked the animals in this world; I also liked that flowers played an important role in the storyline in this book.
There were parts of this book that felt a bit rushed, and I found myself rereading some parts to make sure I didn’t miss anything because it felt like the story jumped. I think this book could have been a little bit longer, just to provide a bit more transition between scenes.
I loved how quick of a read this was. It’s definitely the kind of book you can read in one sitting, and it was enjoyable enough that I could have easily binged the entire series in a weekend.
Overall, if you like magical middle-grade stories, you should check out this book. It’s full of adventure, and it’s a great way to spend the afternoon.
I received a copy of this book to read as part of the 2021 BBNYA competition. Thank you to the TWR and BBNYA teams for organizing this blog tour and providing me with the materials for it.
I didn’t know what to expect when I went into this book, but I am so grateful that I got to read it because it ended up being one of my favourite reads from the later part of last year.
The KC Warlock Weekly: Accused follows Levi, a normal guy who runs a newspaper. The catch is, his newspaper reports on magical things, a world that he didn’t intend on getting himself mixed up with. In this book, he also happens to get himself accidentally tied up with a murder and now he’s on the run, trying to prove his innocence while trying to solve the murder. This book was an action-packed, wild ride, that had me hooked from the beginning and desperately wanting to know what happened next.
I really liked the main character in this book. I liked reading about him scrambling around, trying to solve the mystery to clear his name. I liked his personality, and I definitely want to read more books that feature him. I also liked that this book had autistic rep in it, though I cannot comment on the quality of the rep.
I liked the world building in this book. Urban fantasy is my second preferred type of fantasy (middle-grade being my first choice) and I thought this book fell excellently into the urban fantasy category. This book takes place in our world, and I liked learning about the hidden magical world that co-exists secretly with the normal world. I liked how the magical community all knows each other, and I also liked the idea of magic existing in plain sight.
I also liked the mystery aspect of this book. I’m a fan of mysteries in general and the mystery in this book did not disappoint. I liked following Levi as he followed the clues, trying to put the story together. I liked watching him fall deeper and deeper into a world he didn’t know existed, uncovering secrets that he wasn’t supposed to discover.
I also liked that there was a tiny bit of romance in this book with Levi and Ben. I enjoyed their scenes together, I enjoyed how they worked together, and I’m hoping that Ben shows up again in the sequel.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend it. I’m hoping to read the second book in this series soon and I am so grateful that this book came into my life.
I didn’t know what to expect when I went into this book, but I am so grateful that I got to read it because it ended up being one of my favourite reads from the later part of last year.
The KC Warlock Weekly: Accused follows Levi, a normal guy who runs a newspaper. The catch is, his newspaper reports on magical things, a world that he didn’t intend on getting himself mixed up with. In this book, he also happens to get himself accidentally tied up with a murder and now he’s on the run, trying to prove his innocence while trying to solve the murder. This book was an action-packed, wild ride, that had me hooked from the beginning and desperately wanting to know what happened next.
I really liked the main character in this book. I liked reading about him scrambling around, trying to solve the mystery to clear his name. I liked his personality, and I definitely want to read more books that feature him. I also liked that this book had autistic rep in it, though I cannot comment on the quality of the rep.
I liked the world building in this book. Urban fantasy is my second preferred type of fantasy (middle-grade being my first choice) and I thought this book fell excellently into the urban fantasy category. This book takes place in our world, and I liked learning about the hidden magical world that co-exists secretly with the normal world. I liked how the magical community all knows each other, and I also liked the idea of magic existing in plain sight.
I also liked the mystery aspect of this book. I’m a fan of mysteries in general and the mystery in this book did not disappoint. I liked following Levi as he followed the clues, trying to put the story together. I liked watching him fall deeper and deeper into a world he didn’t know existed, uncovering secrets that he wasn’t supposed to discover.
I also liked that there was a tiny bit of romance in this book with Levi and Ben. I enjoyed their scenes together, I enjoyed how they worked together, and I’m hoping that Ben shows up again in the sequel.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend it. I’m hoping to read the second book in this series soon and I am so grateful that this book came into my life.
Thank you to The Write Reads for organizing and inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Thank you, Farshore, for providing me with a copy of this book through Net Galley and tour materials in exchange for an honest review.
The first thing that I want to say about this book is that if you have arachnophobia, you should probably avoid reading Dread Wood.
Dread Wood is what you get when you mix The Breakfast Club with Jurassic Park and add way too many legs. It is wonderful, creepy, and will keep you on the edge of your seat.
When four students at Dread Wood are forced to come together for Saturday detention, they aren’t expecting much. They aren’t friends with each other, none of them want to be there, and it’s out of character for them to wind up in Saturday detention anyway. What happens when they get there, and the gate to the school grounds closes and locks behind them, is more than they could have ever imagined. What started as lame, quickly turns into strange, and then things get horrifying very quickly. What follows is an afternoon of detention that will keep you on your toes and wary of what lurks in the shadows.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters in this book. I liked that they were all different and brought different things to the table. I also liked that all four characters were dealing with their own real-life problems that felt like realistic problems outside of school. I liked that once the characters began to open up to each other, and got to know each other a bit more, they were able to form a friendship and use each other’s strengths to their advantage. They were the kind of characters I could root for, and I enjoyed watching them work together to sort out the horrific situation they found themselves in.
I liked the mystery aspect of this book. It was clear that something creepy and sinister was going on, and I enjoyed trying to piece it together. I liked watching the characters work together to sort out the clues and sort out what was happening. Even though the reveal of what was going on was a bit disappointing and cliché, I still enjoyed it. I also thought the villains in this book were definitely super creepy.
Generally speaking, I like books that take place in schools, even creepy schools with creepy caretakers. The descriptions of the school allowed me to visualize the school grounds and remind me of all of the places I definitely want to avoid at that school. I am also very glad that I am no longer in school anymore because this book would make me want to avoid all greenspaces on any school property.
This book was creepy, but it was unrealistic enough (I hope) that it didn’t leave me super paranoid. That being said, I am glad that I read this book during daylight hours. I liked that this book wasn’t overly gory or violent, though a few scenes were a bit on the gory and violent side. Another thing to note is that there was some animal death and violence towards animals in this book, which was a bit difficult to read at times. This book was fast-paced, and it kept me on the edge of my seat.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was quick, creepy, and had a great cast of characters. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
The first thing that I want to say about this book is that if you have arachnophobia, you should probably avoid reading Dread Wood.
Dread Wood is what you get when you mix The Breakfast Club with Jurassic Park and add way too many legs. It is wonderful, creepy, and will keep you on the edge of your seat.
When four students at Dread Wood are forced to come together for Saturday detention, they aren’t expecting much. They aren’t friends with each other, none of them want to be there, and it’s out of character for them to wind up in Saturday detention anyway. What happens when they get there, and the gate to the school grounds closes and locks behind them, is more than they could have ever imagined. What started as lame, quickly turns into strange, and then things get horrifying very quickly. What follows is an afternoon of detention that will keep you on your toes and wary of what lurks in the shadows.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters in this book. I liked that they were all different and brought different things to the table. I also liked that all four characters were dealing with their own real-life problems that felt like realistic problems outside of school. I liked that once the characters began to open up to each other, and got to know each other a bit more, they were able to form a friendship and use each other’s strengths to their advantage. They were the kind of characters I could root for, and I enjoyed watching them work together to sort out the horrific situation they found themselves in.
I liked the mystery aspect of this book. It was clear that something creepy and sinister was going on, and I enjoyed trying to piece it together. I liked watching the characters work together to sort out the clues and sort out what was happening. Even though the reveal of what was going on was a bit disappointing and cliché, I still enjoyed it. I also thought the villains in this book were definitely super creepy.
Generally speaking, I like books that take place in schools, even creepy schools with creepy caretakers. The descriptions of the school allowed me to visualize the school grounds and remind me of all of the places I definitely want to avoid at that school. I am also very glad that I am no longer in school anymore because this book would make me want to avoid all greenspaces on any school property.
This book was creepy, but it was unrealistic enough (I hope) that it didn’t leave me super paranoid. That being said, I am glad that I read this book during daylight hours. I liked that this book wasn’t overly gory or violent, though a few scenes were a bit on the gory and violent side. Another thing to note is that there was some animal death and violence towards animals in this book, which was a bit difficult to read at times. This book was fast-paced, and it kept me on the edge of my seat.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was quick, creepy, and had a great cast of characters. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Thank you, HCC Frenzy and Harper Collins Canada, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lulu and Milagro’s Search for Clarity is a coming-of-age story featuring two sisters, a cross country road trip, and many misunderstandings. This was a cute story with memorable characters, and I am very glad that I picked it up.
The first thing I want to talk about is the two main characters. Lulu and Milagro are sisters. Lulu is the youngest, Milagro is the middle child, and their older sister, Clara, is away at college. Lulu and Milagro don’t have a lot in common. Lulu is brilliant; she has big academic dreams and wants to make a difference in the world. Milagro spends a lot of time in detention, and she’s still trying to figure everything out, she doesn’t think she’s as smart as her siblings, and she’s not sure what her future holds, but she wants to have fun right now. I thought both of these characters were memorable, and I loved reading about them trying to figure everything out. I also loved how much Milagro cared about Lulu and how good she was at hyping her up and looking out for her.
I also liked that this book featured a cross-country college road trip. I liked seeing the different campuses, and I liked the buddy system in this book. I liked that all of the characters from the all-girls catholic school were paired with a character from the all-boys catholic school. I liked watching the friendship blossom between Milagro and her partner and Lulu and her partner. I also liked that while the characters were on the college tours, they got to sit in on classes and that there were activities planned to give them a taste of the campus.
One of my issues with this book was the lack of communication between Lulu and Milagro and their tendency to assume what the other was thinking. It usually annoys me when the plot of a book hinges on a lack of communication, but I was okay with it in this book because the characters are teenagers, and they were dealing with a lot. It would have been nice if Lulu had told Milagro that she was trying to figure out what was going on with Clara because I think they could have worked together to solve that mystery, but they did have a lot going on.
Overall, this was a cute, coming-of-age story. I liked the characters, the road trip, and watching the characters try to figure everything out. I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for the next book that this author writes because I will be adding it to my TBR.
Lulu and Milagro’s Search for Clarity is a coming-of-age story featuring two sisters, a cross country road trip, and many misunderstandings. This was a cute story with memorable characters, and I am very glad that I picked it up.
The first thing I want to talk about is the two main characters. Lulu and Milagro are sisters. Lulu is the youngest, Milagro is the middle child, and their older sister, Clara, is away at college. Lulu and Milagro don’t have a lot in common. Lulu is brilliant; she has big academic dreams and wants to make a difference in the world. Milagro spends a lot of time in detention, and she’s still trying to figure everything out, she doesn’t think she’s as smart as her siblings, and she’s not sure what her future holds, but she wants to have fun right now. I thought both of these characters were memorable, and I loved reading about them trying to figure everything out. I also loved how much Milagro cared about Lulu and how good she was at hyping her up and looking out for her.
I also liked that this book featured a cross-country college road trip. I liked seeing the different campuses, and I liked the buddy system in this book. I liked that all of the characters from the all-girls catholic school were paired with a character from the all-boys catholic school. I liked watching the friendship blossom between Milagro and her partner and Lulu and her partner. I also liked that while the characters were on the college tours, they got to sit in on classes and that there were activities planned to give them a taste of the campus.
One of my issues with this book was the lack of communication between Lulu and Milagro and their tendency to assume what the other was thinking. It usually annoys me when the plot of a book hinges on a lack of communication, but I was okay with it in this book because the characters are teenagers, and they were dealing with a lot. It would have been nice if Lulu had told Milagro that she was trying to figure out what was going on with Clara because I think they could have worked together to solve that mystery, but they did have a lot going on.
Overall, this was a cute, coming-of-age story. I liked the characters, the road trip, and watching the characters try to figure everything out. I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for the next book that this author writes because I will be adding it to my TBR.
