booksare42's Reviews (608)

emotional hopeful

 What an absolutely fantastic middle-grade mystery adventure! This was my first five star read of the year and this book is definitely going to play a starring role in my year-end wrap-ups this year. 

In Murder on the Safari Star, Hal and Uncle Nat are taking the Safari Star from Pretoria to Victoria Falls. Hal, who is still buzzing from his crime solving on The Highland Falcon and the California Comet, is secretly hoping there will be a crime for him to solve. When he sees the owner of the train acting suspiciously, he’s convinced that something nefarious is going on on the Safari Star and he’s determined to figure it out. Later on in the journey, when a passenger is found dead in their locked compartment, Hal is even more determined to figure out what’s going on. 

Hal is such a fantastic character. I love how his enthusiasm and knowledge of trains has grown throughout the series. Even though he has some mature moments, especially when solving crimes, he also has a lot of impulsive moments that remind the reader that he’s twelve. I love how he’s grown throughout the series and how he’s getting better at knowing when he should get Uncle Nat, or another adult, involved with his crime solving. I also enjoyed reading about Uncle Nat in this series, I thought he did a good job balancing the role of responsible adult while also trusting Hal. 

As far as the side characters go, Murder on the Safari Star did not disappoint. All of the Adventures on Trains books have had an interesting assortment of passengers on them who all had moments that made them a bit suspicious. The characters that stood out the most to me were Winston, Chipo, and Mr. Crosby. Winston and Chipo (a mongoose) helped Hal solve the crime. I thought they made a great team and I loved how Winston taught Hal about wildlife and conservation along the way. Chipo is currently the front runner for the best animal character of the year and I especially loved the illustrations that she was in. Mr. Crosby was a thoroughly unlikable character, he was loud, rude, and obnoxious and he caused a lot of drama on the Safari Star. There were also some fantastic female characters in this book and I loved the moment at the end where some of them came together with a business plan. 

The mystery aspect of Murder on the Safari Star did not disappoint. There were quite a few twists and turns that kept me on my toes. Lots of characters had motive and I loved the interview process after the murder took place. While I was able to piece parts of the mystery together, there were some aspects that left me guessing until the very end. 

The other thing I want to talk about is wildlife and conservation. This book had some fantastic messages about conservation, protecting endangered species, and poaching. There was a lot of talk about the black horn rhino and how critically endangered it is. I love it when middle-grade books have important messages like this because it gets kids aware and they can learn a ton. 

I also want to mention how much I love the illustrations in this book. Elisa Paganelli is a fantastic illustrator and her artwork made the story come to life. I love seeing Hal’s drawings on the page and it’s one of the many things that make this series standout. 

Overall, this was a fantastic read and I cannot wait to see what Hal and Uncle Nat get up to next. 

 Cat Among the Pigeons is one of the better Hercule Poirot books that I’ve read lately. It was super easy to read and get into, and in fact, I read it in one sitting. 

What I liked most about this book was the setting. This book mostly takes place at a boarding school, and I’m generally a fan of mysteries set at boarding schools. I like seeing how the staff and the students interact and boarding schools are always full of secrets. 

What I didn’t love about this book was the international conspiracy aspect. Part of the mystery involves some missing jewels that have international significance. I don’t want to say much more about this, because of spoilers, but I wasn’t a huge fan of this aspect. 

I did love Julia Upjohn, one of the students at the boarding school. I thought she was incredibly clever and it would have been neat if Christie had decided to use her in other books. 

Poirot did not play that big of a role in this one. He came into the story near the end and his role was quite small. Normally this would disappoint me, but I enjoyed some of the other characters enough to make up for his absence. 

Overall, while I found the mystery to be enjoyable, I found the book to be overall underwhelming. It had it’s clever moments, but there wasn’t anything that jumped out at me to make this a memorable read. 

Thank you to The Write Reads for organizing and inviting me to be part of this blog tour. Thank you to the publisher, Neem Tree Press, for providing me with a digital copy of Clytemnestra’s Bind for the tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I want to start off my review by saying that Clytemnestra’s Bind has a lot of potentially triggering content. Clytemnestra’s Bind contains scenes of violence, murder, infanticide, rape, domestic violence, and child abuse. There is other potentially triggering content, these are just some of the major potential triggers.

I went into this book not knowing anything about Clytemnestra and having very little knowledge about Greek Mythology in general. There were a few names I recognized, but most of the characters were completely unknown to me. I spent a lot of time trying to piece together who was who and how they were connected, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it did lead to some confusion.

I enjoyed how the story was told in Clytemnestra’s Bind. I think the author did a good job of telling the story of Clytemnestra without bogging the reader down with an overwhelming amount of information. As someone who didn’t know anything about Clytemnestra, I was able to follow along fairly well.

I also loved the writing in Clytemnestra’s Bind. It was vivid, descriptive, and it flowed beautifully. The writing style really brought the story to life and some of the scenes really jumped off of the page. This was a bit of an issue with some of the more graphically violent scenes, but the writing made for an enjoyable read.

I really did not like any of the characters in this book, though I don’t think they were meant to be likable. Clytemnestra was a complicated character. She was caught in an impossible situation and I think the author did a great job illustrating this. While I felt sympathy for her, and my heart broke for her many times, I still wasn’t fond of her and some of the decisions she made, especially with how she sometimes treated her children.

While I didn’t really like the characters in this book, I did like how the relationship between the characters evolved throughout the story. Alliances and friendships were made and betrayed throughout the book. I liked how it was hard to know which characters could be trusted because it seemed like most everyone had their own agenda. I enjoyed the plotting even though I didn’t like how violent some of the outcomes were.

Speaking of violence, one of the things I disliked about this book was how violent and gruesome some of the scenes were. I’m not a fan of graphic violence and some of the scenes in Clytemnestra’s Bind made me want to put the book down and not return to it. The opening chapters were horrific and hard to get through. While I appreciated their purpose and they did provide some valuable insight into the characters, they were a sign that mythology might not be for me.

Overall, I think the author did a great job bringing Clytemnestra’s story to life but ultimately this book really wasn’t for me. I think this book is perfect for fans of Greek mythology, but I think that Greek mythology is just a tad bit too violent for my tastes. 
Loveable characters: No

I went into Death and Fromage with relatively high expectations because I really enjoyed Death and Croissants. Unfortunately, Death and Fromage did not reach my expectations and I was kind of disappointed with this book. 

What I enjoyed about Death and Fromage was the twisty mystery. I liked that the list of suspects kept changing and I enjoyed trying to piece together how everyone was connected. I also liked how many layers there were to the mystery because it left a lot of potential motives behind the murders. I also enjoyed the scene near the end where the criminal was revealed to the town, it reminded me of a scene from a Poirot novel. 

What bothered me about Death and Fromage was Richard. I don’t want to spoil anything, but his lack of backbone really irritated me. It bothered me that he was seemingly incapable of standing up for or making decisions for himself. In Death and Croissants he was clueless, but it was slightly endearing because he had been unwillingly thrown into the world of crime solving. In this book, his cluelessness was more irritating than endearing. 

As far as the other characters so, I did enjoy seeing Valerie again. She’s a whirlwind and a mystery. I enjoyed learning a bit more about her, though I still have dozens of questions about her. I also enjoyed seeing Madame Tablier, I appreciate her no-nonsense attitude. 

As far as humour goes, Death and Fromage had a few amusing moments. Overall though, I found that a lot of the humour fell flat for me. 

Overall, I didn’t love Death and Fromage and I’m not sure if I’m going to continue with this series. While the mystery aspect of the book was entertaining, not being a fan of the main character made this a difficult book to get through. 
fast-paced

M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman have done it again! Danger at Dead Man’s Pass is a twisty and delightfully fun middle-grade mystery.

In Danger at Dead Man’s Pass, Hal and Uncle Nat go undercover to help uncover what happened to Alexander Kratzenstein and if there is any truth behind the Kratzenstein family curse. Up in the Brocken mountains, Hal uncovers secrets about the Kratzenstein family but also some secrets about his own family while investigating.

This book was different from the previous books in the series because Hal and Uncle Nat were asked to investigate a mystery instead of stumbling upon one. It had some fun scenes at the beginning like Uncle Nat teaching Hal about how to go undercover. There were also a few moments that made me laugh when Hal was scrambling to not blow his cover.

What made Danger at Dead Man’s Pass extra exciting was it was clear that Uncle Nat was hiding something from Hal. I enjoyed seeing Hal put the pieces together and the conversation Hal and Uncle Nat had after Hal confronted him. I’m curious to see how Uncle Nat’s past plays a role in the remaining two books in the series.

I enjoyed the mystery in this one. There were a lot of suspicious characters and the idea of a family curse kept things a bit creepy. I liked how Hal gathered clues and put things together. I also loved his big reveal at the end and how he explained to everyone how he put everything together.

Even though this adventure didn’t fully take place on a train, trains did play a big role in the story. I loved the train journey from the UK to France to Germany. I also thought the Kratzenstein family’s personal train was pretty neat. It’s been fun seeing how much Hal has learned about trains throughout the series and how enthusiastic he’s become.

I liked the side characters in this book. Hilda, Ozan, and Herman were so welcoming to Hal. They seemed to have a ton of fun together, and I loved the scenes where they were playing detective. One of my favourite things about this series is the friends that Hal makes on his journeys and how they help him solve the crime.

Overall, I enjoyed this train adventure. I adore this series and I cannot wait to dive into book five.
fast-paced

 I cannot believe I waited this long to dive into the world of Percy Jackson and the Olympians! The Lightning Thief was such a fun and enjoyable read. I understand the hype and I am so glad I finally read this book. 

My favourite thing about The Lightning Thief was the pacing. I liked that every chapter had some sort of action or battle scene. This made for an exciting read and I found myself wondering what trouble would Percy, Annabeth, and Grover find themselves in next. I loved how vivid the scenes were and how I was able to visualize what was going on. I also loved that all of the chapters had titles and I enjoyed trying to guess what the title was hinting at. 

My next favourite thing about The Lightning Thief was the characters. I enjoy a reluctant hero and Percy Jackson definitely falls into that category. He was easy to root for and a great mix of clever and reckless. I also enjoyed Annabeth and Grover. I thought the three of them made a great team and I loved that they all brought something unique to the quest. 

I also enjoyed the side characters. I liked meeting some of the gods like Zeus, Poseidon, Ares, and Hades. I also liked seeing the different mythical creatures like centaurs, satyrs, and nymphs. I’m curious about what role some of the other campers will play in future books and what side the different characters will take. 

I enjoyed the mythology in The Lighting Thief. I didn’t have a mythology phase growing up, so I’m not overly familiar with a lot of the stories and figures. I liked that the stories and figures were introduced in a way that didn’t require any prior knowledge. I feel like I was able to learn quite a bit about mythology while reading this book. 

Overall, this was a fun and action packed book. I’m very glad I read it and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series. 
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Thank you to the Write Reads team and the BBNYA team for inviting me to join this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book to read during the competition. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ghosts of Mars is a fun middle-grade book full of friendship and adventure. It follows 13-year-old Eva, who is the first human born on Mars. Eva has a habit of getting into trouble and breaking the rules. She’s bold and determined, and when her Dad is in danger, she’s willing to risk it all to try to save him.

I enjoyed the premise of this book. I don’t read a ton of books set in space, so this was a nice change of scenery for me. I enjoyed the world-building and seeing how humans have managed to live on Mars and learning about their base. I also liked some of the technology on the base. I also enjoyed the concept of the Ghosts of Mars, I thought it was unique, though there were a few things that left me a bit confused. I think a bit more detail could have helped, but overall it was a great concept.

I had mixed feelings about the main character, Eva. I thought she was clever and resourceful, but there were too many instances where she acknowledged that her actions would have consequences, but then continued to carry on recklessly. I understand that she’s relatively young, but she was a bit too self-centered at times for my liking.

I liked the group of friends in Ghosts of Mars. I’m a fan of books where a group of friends team up and go on an adventure, especially if it’s a dangerous and ill-advised adventure. I liked that the group all had their strengths and I enjoyed seeing them work together to try to save the day. I also loved Thunderbird, the AI system, that helped Eva and her friends along the way, and I especially appreciated Thunderbird’s sarcasm.

This book was full of action-packed scenes. There were lots of dangerous moments, and also moments where I was wondering if Eva and her friends were going to get caught. This made the book a very quick read as it jumped from one action scene to another. If I remember correctly, some of the dangerous moments were a bit dark.

Another thing I appreciated about this book was the type 1 diabetes rep. Eva is a type 1 diabetic. She’s upset because everyone tells her that this condition means she’ll never fulfill her dream of being an astronaut and exploring different planets and she’s determined to prove them wrong. I like seeing books, especially middle-grade books, with rep like this.

Overall, I thought Ghosts of Mars was a fun read. There were a few minor things that I didn’t love, but it was overall enjoyable. If the author decides to write another book starring Eva and her friends, I will definitely check it out.

Thank you to The Write Reads for inviting me to join this tour and for providing me with the materials for it. Thank you to the publisher, Neem Tree Press, for providing me with a digital copy of this book through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Belly Woman is a non-fiction book that is mostly set in Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak from 2014 to 2016. This book is not the kind of book I would normally reach for, but I’m glad that I read it because it was very eye-opening.

Belly Woman is not an easy book to read. It contains a lot of triggering content, including graphic descriptions of medical procedures, miscarriages, and lots of death. It was difficult to read about so many people dying because the system wasn’t properly equipped to handle the situation. I often found myself taking breaks between chapters to process what I had just read, but to also step away from the suffering depicted in this book.

Writing wise, I found Belly Woman to be easy to read and understand. It wasn’t bogged down with technical or medical terms. Even when medical procedures were being described and technical language was being used, it was easy enough to follow what was going on.

I learned a lot while reading this book, not just about Ebola and maternal medicine in Sierra Leone, but also a lot about humanitarian work and MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)). This book opened my eyes to the balancing act between different international organizations and the governments of the countries they are assisting in.

I enjoyed meeting the people whose stories were told in this book. A lot of their stories were tough to read and lots of them ended in tragedy. I also enjoyed meeting Dr. Black’s colleagues, both the expats and the local professionals that worked at the sites. Meeting these people, learning their names, and hearing parts of their story added a human element to the crisis depicted in Belly Woman. This human element did make the book more difficult to read, but it also made it more powerful.

Overall, I thought Belly Woman was a very well-written and powerful read. I learned a lot while reading it and it also gave me a lot to think about and reflect upon. 

Thank you to BBNYA and The Write Reads for providing me with the material and book for this blog tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I didn’t know what to expect going into Wrath of Olympus because I have complicated feelings about mythology. I’m happy to say Wrath of Olympus left me pleasantly surprised and I’m already looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

What I enjoyed most about Wrath of Olympus was the main character, Maia. I thought Maia was a well-rounded and fantastic character. She was unsure of herself, but she was also brave. She was determined to try her best, even though she had a sinking feeling that things wouldn’t work out for her. She was kind and she was clever. I loved her interactions with the other characters and watching her grow and become more confident.

I also enjoyed the other characters in this book. Raven was mysterious and I would love to learn more of his backstory. Matrona and Captain Plinius were also great and I loved how much they cared for and believed in Maia. Milo left me with a lot of questions and I’m curious to see what he gets up to later on in the series. Blossom was also very memorable and a unique character.

Speaking of Blossom, I thought the concept behind the ships was unique. Women found to have Potentia (essentially divine blood) are enlisted into the naval academy and eventually become ships. These living ships are powerful and wise and are respected. They, with the help of their captain, lead their crews and support and defend Britannia.

I also enjoyed the mythology aspect of this book. There were some references that went over my head, because I’m not that familiar with mythology, but for the most part everything was simple enough that I could understand.

I also enjoyed the world building in this book. I liked the concept of Potentia and the mages, priests/priestesses, adepts, and other career paths for people who have Potentia. I liked that there were mentions of politics, but the story wasn’t bogged down with who was in charge of who and whatnot.

I also loved the mystery aspect of this book. Maia was essentially an orphan with no idea who her family was. I enjoyed following the thread through the story of Maia’s background and trying to figure out how everything tied together. This mystery kept me very invested in the story and made me want to keep reading.

Overall, I thought this book was fantastic. It was full of rich world building and memorable characters. I’m looking forward to picking up the next book soon to see what’s next for Maia.