This was such a great narrative about letting go/accepting change. The humor was chaotic and fun, and the drinking ghosts' dynamic is one I hadn’t seen before. I enjoyed this from beginning to end.

A minor nitpick, I thought Lily and her friends seemed older than ten. It would have made more sense to me for them to be middle schoolers going to high school than elementary schoolers going to middle school. Either way, that’s minor and subjective on my part.

Read this!

“Never judge a person by the mistakes of yesterday. It’s what we do today that matters.”

This series could be an acquired taste with its mean-spirited characters and gross-out humor, but it has wacky shenanigans; I don’t think I mesh with the humor here, unlike other similar titles. Some of the jokes just don’t stick, and it often just flashes to a character burping or farting. 

This volume takes a dive into more of the ultra-fantastical with the Lux/alternate world. The sister also takes a lead role as one of the few competent characters here. 

SN: Lux is so cute!

I’m trying to keep in mind that the targeted audience, kids, may enjoy more than I did. This seems like a good end for a trilogy, but still keeps things open for new installments.

 I didn't find any of these that scary, but the artwork was beautiful. 

 I’m telling you upfront don’t come here looking for anything messy. Although I could see a few shady digs here and there. She details Matthew’s constant infidelity from day one, but takes the high road. This is a classy memoir. 

In all seriousness, this was very engaging. It’s so easy to see how the experiences of Knowles’ childhood informed her adult life and parenting. 

Knowles’ childhood was loving but filled with strict, abusive nuns, poverty, and an emotionally repressed parent. Her youth was similar to many Black Americans of a certain age dealing with the bludgeoning racism, anti-blackness, segregated schools, and other people’s inferiority complex. It also showed how the communities were much more intact, back when the neighbor would watch and care for a child as their own. I was reminded of so many of my parents’ and grandparents’ stories. 

Family is a core value for her. She paints a picture of each of her immediate family members and even details some of the struggles Beyoncé and Solange had as children. Knowles was very cognizant and never wanted to pit her daughters against each other as rivals (even if others did/do). I wasn’t aware of Uncle Johnny and his impact on the family, but this gives him his flowers. 

Lastly, I enjoyed reading this. It’s truly centered on Tina. If you want the Beyonce, Solange, or the lowdown dirty on Matthew, you need another book. But I felt like I learned about her, and it wasn’t too cookie-cutter. The book is divided into three parts: daughter, mother, and woman. I love that. A mother isn’t all she is, nor a daughter, she’s still an individual. Her own woman.  

 There's nothing that stands out, and it's tropey but fun. A lot of Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Quest, and JRPG energy/references are dispersed throughout this. A good read for kids interested in manga without anything unsavory!

I'd like to see more character from Orin. Margo has some character motivation (why she must protect him; a family situation hinted at) and vices (money-hungry) that make her more dynamic and interesting. Outside of being the chosen one, there's not much to Orin, but I hope he gets more fleshed out in subsequent volumes. He's a good kid.

The middle-aged dad being added to the RPG party was a hoot and a favorite of mine.

I'd read volume two. This debut sets up the story and its main characters well. I see the main evil dude's daughter is a wildcard, which should be fun. 

Not Junie B Jones still holding up after all these years.

This is a fun way to reintroduce this series to a new generation. There are minor updates, like tablets and cellphones, but the charm and Junie's too-muchness are still very prevalent here. I think the art style also works well.

One thing that impresses me is how realistic Junie B's narrative is. It feels like an actual kid's narrative.