Hurricane Katrina stories always made me cry, and this one is no different. Barry’s family tried to evacuate but a family emergency caused them to turn back. They weren’t prepared for the storm’s wrath. 

I really liked Barry’s narrative voice and the plot point with the dog. 

There are also facts included in the back that give more context to the storm.

 Cute. Your typical 'choose your own adventure' book. Get your bookmarks and sticky notes ready!

SN: Did anyone else get ominous vibes from the dad? it felt beyond parental punishment to me. 

Probably the best iteration of the series

i don't know any black family that calls their grandmother memaw

I enjoyed the world-building and the food creatures a lot. The pacing was very slow, but the character arcs were completed nicely. None of the romantic elements were hitting.

Like, there was no chemistry or hints for any of the characters. Was it added last minute? Hana's crush on Olivia seemed abrupt, and when did Olivia start liking Bobby? Then, he says he's liked Olivia all along too? Here comes drama in book two! This is also a rare portrayal of platonic boy-girl friends who don't fall in love.

 

Still, I'd read more of this series.

I love Lanolin's design! She's a cow, right?

Character development for Whisper here! Same ol Sonic fighting baddies/badniks as usual.

 Some of these weren't that Knuckles-centric, but I still liked them nonetheless.