Funny, quirky, and cute. Super happy the story subverted the "leave my friends for the popular kids " trope. I feel like I understand the characters personalities very well with only a few pages. The friendships in this story are so cute. I'm excited to see these characters in a cartoon soon.

I was thoroughly creeped out, and I enjoyed every second. We all know what happens when man tries to play God. I generally dislike apocalyptic/dystopian/scary stories, but I found this one intriguing. Gosh, just the thought of that bee goop touching my skin makes my skin crawl and not to mention

the bee-goop printer eyeball EKKKKKK! do not want.

I really liked the characters even with their short introductions and the fact that the mom's a little one-note (nagging mother). I think the backstory behind all the chaos was believable too.

The limited color palette is a little dry and ashy, but the splashes of orange are well-put. Also, I love the cover! It's bold and nicely-colored.

Beautiful artwork! Just tried to be too edgy for my taste. Also, I never thought I would see two TV people trying to have anal sex so...

By no means bad, but the story felt cliche. In the words of a Youtuber I like, "just because it's cliche doesn't mean it's not good, and just because it's good doesn't mean it's not cliche."

I loved the illustrations. They're cartoony and expressive and circular, and I like the color choices too. However, that's where it ends for me. I just had nothing to be excited about, BUT for kids who have never seen these tropes before should enjoy the journey.

I'll read the next book to see where things are going. Hopefully, since the plot-building is out of the way, things can get interesting!

SN: I love the inventor names for the kids, Tesla (Tess) and Edison. Super cute.

2.5 stars
2 for enjoyment
1.5 for the artwork!

Well, Inventing Victoria is not exciting (it's mad dry and needs some lotion), but it is a good portrayal of some of the horrors/realities African-Americans experienced during the 1800s (blatant discrimination/racial attacks but new triumphs as well). We don't get too much insight into Essie's head, so this story is more plot-driven. Honestly, I don't know too much about Essie. Besides her circumstances and the shame she feels from her mother, and her love of drawing, what does Essie like or think about? If I connected more with Essie, maybe I would've enjoyed the journey more.

Anyway, in the story, Essie's mother is a prostitute in a brothel house(?) where the uncles "white men" make their nightly visits. Her mother sometimes copes with this by using alcohol to get through it. Now, the uncles pay well (most of the time), so Essie does enjoy the gifts until she learns how they were bought.

[Not a spoiler!; she dies on page 1] Jumping to the future, Essie's mother dies which gives Essie a glimmer of a new opportunity. She gets her own room now (no more sleeping in a closet) and a renewed desire to leave the past behind. Essie is

bi-racial

with light-skin. Despite wishing she was as far away from white as possible, her complexion/colorism works in her favor for going up the black elite ladder. She finds her fairy godmother in the lovely Ma Clara and Dorcas Vashon. Can we give a handclap to Ma Clara? YOU THE REAL MVP!

The journey to Essie becoming the high-class Victoria should have been more interesting. I was thoroughly bored and exhausted (just like you, Essie) with the many tasks/trials she had to endure. I really like the growth Essie had from simply wanting to become elite to wanting to give back to her community.

There's some last minute romance that actually, I promise, happens in a span of five pages. "Was this love?" I don't know, Essie you just met him. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I thought they would tease the love interest a bit more and show us a glimpse of him earlier. It's okay though because that's not the primary focus.

On another note, it's a bit awkward when the characters meet Fredrick Douglass. I like to keep fictional characters separate from real people. I don't mind timely references, but I dislike historical figures in fiction stories. How am I supposed to know if they're in character? Haha.

Overall, this book is the perfect blend between Middle Grade and YA. The writing's simple but does not shy away from implications (racial, sexual, violent, etc). I recommend for older kids because I don't think it can keep most younger kids' interest. I loved Essie's mentors and the strained mother-daughter relationship.

Aww, her mama had kept the broken pearl necklace ;__;

Pretty cute. A traveling librarian and his apprentice, a half(?)/full(?) oni boy with a small horn on his head, and creatures that pop out of books make the first volume interesting.

Now, Kiichi's been ostracized for a while now do to his demon-like appearance, but after he saved Gan, the first boy to shun him, everyone loves him now??? I understand people are fickle, but y'all didn't even try to add some development there. :/

Mototaro's designed to have that aloof air of coolness,(cliche or not) I love characters like that. Kiichi's a little bit of Naruto and koolaid, but without the annoying dattebayo/believe it and prankster vibe. Hanna, the apprentice, seems like an ageless little kid. She's childish, but I don't think she has an exact age.

There's nothing groundbreaking, but I like it. I'll read the next one when I go back to the library.