At no point, did I really understand what was going on ... But let me see if I got this right.

A bounty hunter named White Bolt brings in the most wanted killer, Happy. Jimmy Neutron is the current sheriff of the town and wants full control of everything. The former sheriff's wife thinks he's too reckless and negotiates for White Bolt to kill him. There is a whole lot of back-stabbing and explosions. Also, in the background, the town has random boxing matches and the majority of characters have a southern accent and there's a weird fight scene in an astronaut suit. I mean ... the characters have some cool lines but it just falls flat.

Let another character say, "I want blood." It's a drinking game, guys. One that your liver won't make it through.

The art style is unique with small, blocky heads and elongated bodies. The wacky proportions and murky colors might turn readers off. I don't mind the art too much. It's just cartoony and unsymmetrical at times.

Unfortunately, I'm not interested in reading more. I didn't get any enjoyment from this, and I just wanted it to be over. I picked this book up because it was on display at the library and it had "samurai" in the title.

I think this story would be great re-worked a bit. Maybe update the art and make it less wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am with the story.

"Now was not the time for casual necksmelling, even if someone smelled tantalizingly of cinnamon, like a manly Christmas cookie" (pg 91). 

STORY:
Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Strohm (320 pages) is about Dylan's country bumpkin, beauty queen sister getting married to a lord (but prince sounds catchier! hence the title). Unfortunately, this forces the rest of the fam onto a reality TV show. Poor Dylan would just like to pass by un-noticed except network television is not having that! 

First, I'm sorry (not really), but I'm tired of those cliche American vs. British jokes. You guys have fish and chips? Oh you, Brits! You guys deep-fry everything? Oh you, Americans! That's about 75% of the book right there. Please stop! It's cute at first but then it just gets grating.


Yeah, the plot twist is as obvious as a glow stick in a dark room. I guess the anticipation is waiting for Dylan to realize it.

I didn't care for the

hidden pregnancy

or the sacrificial reality-tv lamb storyline. Surprisingly the

deadbeat dad

plot was actually fun. I enjoyed that part. 

"Now, I knew romance could be perfect stillness" (pg 96).

Jamie and Dylan liked each other rather quickly. Still, that's the basis for a crush, right? Instant attraction. A few lines about poetry and the girl's hooked.

CHARACTERS:
The characters are fine. Heaven's got the most personality for me (and I really wanted to know more about her beyond being a best friend). 

Dylan's the ugly-duckling who is actually not ugly but just overlooked. Apparently, she plays sports, likes books, and has never been kissed. I didn't really feel for her because beyond hating the reality show, liking Jamies, and feeling resentful toward her sis, there was nothing distinct about her.

Dusty, the beauty queen sister, has a little depth to her that makes her cool.

I liked Jamie but come on! He was written to be super likable as if there was a sign attached to his head saying, "Hey, like this guy! He spouts poetry references and likes Frozen!"

OVERALL:

"Perhaps that's what happens when you meet someone you really quite like [...] You both feel a bit as though you've tricked the other person into liking you" (pg 198).

A sweet relatively wholesome story with some cute moments ("You missed, Dylan ... " AWWW) though too predictable for anyone not interested in a light-hearted read. This is by no means a bad story; it's just I may have liked this more when I was younger. Still, I definitely recommend this for Hallmark movie lovers. 

Cute and relatable

"It's not selfish to want people in your life who care about you" (pg 261).

A contemporary story with likable imperfect characters and pretty cover. There are some wonderful friendship moments like the "broken miniature greenhouse", sweet moments likes the kiss just because I want to make you feel good, and fun dialogue 75% of the time.

I really liked/disliked Brit. She felt realistic to me. I've seen people like her in real life, and I like each dynamic she has with the individual characters. Sophie has a big heart which is both a positive and negative thing for her. She sort of dislikes how everyone views her in this saintly-good-person light. Relatable.

I liked that the ending didn't end in the way I expected. I didn't really care about the August-Sophie connection. That was a little meh (he's hot; let's date; argument; kiss; awkward tension; kiss; fight argument repeat until conclusion) and the whole find Megan Pleasant thing ran a little long for me. I guess I just found the friendship/family interactions and characters to be the best part(s).

The Ciara being dead part confused me. She died in a car accident, but the story talked about her in the present tense until that was revealed.

This is exactly 3.5 stars for me!

I'm always excited to read some diverse fiction and a French-Canadian boy of Haitian descent in the US sounded interesting. Unfortunately for me, a lot of this can be summed into Norris pops his gums and writes checks his butt can't cash.

I didn't care for any of the characters or the romance. Usually, I LOVE snarky/ sarcastic/"I'm so above you, plebians" characters (Big Nate and Artemis Fowl comes to mind), but I did not like Norris. It's sweet that he cares about his mom and loves hockey. He's his mother's #1 fan at her presentations, and his friendship with Maddie is sort of cute. But that's where it ends. He's just too snarky and mean-spirited. I definitely don't mind characters with bad attitudes but his mouth seems unwarranted at times.

The vast majority of the time Norris puts people in check for micro-aggressions (tho sometimes he handles Aarti with kitten gloves) and happily acknowledges his heritage. He also doesn't put up with any homophobia and calls it out despite making a few gay jokes.

Concerning the romance, I was indifferent. I get the snow globe thing. It's like getting a gas station charger for your birthday gift that you know the person just bought last minute. Okay. But why was this never properly voiced!? UGH, HIGHSCHOOLERS! COMMUNICATE! Also, I figured

the Norris/Maddie angle was going to happen or that she was gonna hook up with Liam.

I feel the highlights were Liam's backstory, Norris' mom's fear about police brutality and his safety conversation, and the ending. Parts of the family dinner was fun too.

" Put me in the family will and grant me your daughter's hand in marriage, bitches" pg (255).

Although the ending was much more interesting than the first 75% of the book, it's just too much high-school drama for me.

Overall, the book ends with a strong conclusion! I liked seeing Norris come to terms with himself and acknowledging his flaws

and that everything doesn't end happily-ever-after though it is optimistic

. A good look at not pre-judging people. I didn't love this book but so many others have, so you just gotta read it for yourself!

2.5!
2 for my enjoyment
3 for story

They'll never truly understand because they don't wanna understand someone like me (pg 282)."

Respectability politics aside, I really liked this story. It's refreshing to read about a black girl and even more so one that is an awesome MC/rapper but still a prideful, funny, and vulnerable little girl. Also, thank you for acknowledging that police brutality happens to black women too and the snapshot of the sexism in hip-hop.

Also, I like the subversion of the MAJOR SPOILER:

childhood lover. I thought Curtis would turn out to be a butthole and use Bri for clout. That's the cliche way things usually end, so I'm glad it did not. He traded her timbs for Nikes like a Cinderella. AWW. I enjoyed that conversation they had after the 5-O booked Aunt Pooh. AND I called it! I knew Miles was Sonny's internet bf. It all just fit too perfectly. :D

I absolutely loved Bri's grandaddy. Her grandparents, shady grandmom and all, are a gem. Honestly, I loved all the people that were around Bri. I liked seeing a healthy brother-sister relationship because I get tired of seeing sibling at odds all the time. I liked Jayda a lot. I want to root for Jayda and her struggles, her strengths, and her love. I hadn't thought about the stigma of black people who have recovered from substance abuse. I honestly just never thought about it. I have seen my share of stories with characters starting drugs and doing them and trying to quit, but I cannot really think of one that explored the after effects when they got sober. Kudos. On the otherhand, Malik was on the weaker side. Did he ever come clean to Shana?

For nitpicks, I feel like there are too many Wakanda Forever references haha. Bri, Sonny, and Malik will throw that into a conversation whenever possible.

Also, it's really unfair this burden to never have raw emotion and have to always act correctly (This is by no means a license to act a dee-diddle-fool). For people and racists who ALREADY have a view of you, being a model citizen or public enemy #1 doesn't matter to them. I'm saying this as someone who doesn't like all the b*tches/hoes, shoot'em up, and drugs songs. You could save the whole world and their inferiority complex and pre-conceived notions will only put you in the box they allow.

Rant over. But this is good. This book made me feel things.

Anyway, I guess the takeaway from On the Come Up is to try to present yourself in the best light possible. Fair. But my above point still stands. I don't have to prove myself to anyone. Bri knew she wasn't being true to herself; she didn't like this false character she was playing/being misconstrued. It's easy to get roped into playing the part someone else or society wants you to play.

Overall, read this. The narrative is crisp and relatable with loveable, realistic characters. The rhymes are nice too. AND Bri likes Lauryn Hill too? Girrrrllll. "That thing, that thing, that thing"

Yoooo, that epilogue! THAT AIN'T NO STUDYING hahaha.

The artwork is beautiful, and I love how each girl has their own sense of style. Now, the story is very tumblr-ish. Depending on who you are that's either a positive or negative. It just felt too heavy-handed or preachy often; absolutely no subtlety. This modern retelling tackles bullying, interracial families, and coming out and the 4th-wall is broken at the end. I think this retelling's strength is in the diversity and the new changes made, but the characters felt flat. And Jo was too annoying.

I read Little Women a long, long time ago like when I was like 10 or 11 (I remember a librarian asking if I was old enough to enjoy it). I don't remember a lot, but Amy falling through the frozen ice and Laurence and Jo stand out. MAJOR SPOILER:

Um... It's nice that this retelling kept things lighthearted with a happy ending, but Beth dying was a major plot point (so major that I remember that even after all these years). So... why was she kept alive? Because they didn't venture out to include that, I can only imagine how the story would have ended. I guess the book was already covering so many other relevant things there wasn't room to tackle grief.