kailey_luminouslibro's reviews
3794 reviews

 Did you know that the deepest part of the ocean, the Mariana Trench, is deeper than Mount Everest is tall? There is a rare plant that only blooms every 100 years. The largest candy bar ever made was 9 feet long! The world's longest bridge is 102 miles long.

This book gives amazing facts about everything under the sun (and beyond) with colorful artwork and photos on every page. Each fact connects in some way with the previous fact, leading you around in a trail of random information that is sure to grab your attention.

I love the attractive design of this book! Every page is so colorful and bright.

The facts are short and easy to read quickly. I wish that some of them had further explanations though. Many of the facts didn't make sense to me and needed some more information added to them. Some of them are more theories than facts, since there is no way they can be proven. I wish the book was more clear about which of the factoids are actually just theories.

I enjoyed reading this book very much! It's full of interesting information.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone. 

Ivy is distraught when her royal witchy parents disappear during a terrible storm. She goes searching for them with the help of her "familiar", a shapeshifting wolf boy. A friendly witch examines dust left behind from the disappearance and discovers that there are traces of "taint", a cursed ingredient. They travel to the land of the Cunning Folk, and get help from a boy with a flying carpet. But can they discover who cursed their parents before it's too late and more people start to disappear?

I loved this cute story! Ivy is such a sweet character. The adventure is a lot of fun as they follow the clues, and we get to see some of imaginative places and people of this magical land. Even though the characters are witches and they like creepy things, this book is not creepy at all. There is a cozy atmosphere and adorable characters, even in the midst of the cobwebs and dusty castles.

The writing is simple for this age group, but there is a sweet charm to each page that I enjoyed even as a grown-up reader. The illustrations are beautiful too! Such cute artwork!

This book was marked as "Nothing Found" on the Screen It First website, indicating that there is no sensitive or objectionable content in the book. https://screenitfirst.com/book/ivy-newt-and-the-storm-witch-ivy-newt-in-miracula-2547931

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Zara and Amina are twins who have just moved to a new home and they are about to start at a new school. Quiet Zara is worried about trying to make new friends, but Amina is confident and talkative. They get a new kitten named Pixie, and are excited to show her to their new school friends. But when a disagreement arises, Pixie gets scared and runs off to hide. The twins are desperate to find her and are blaming themselves. Can they put aside their differences and work together to find their lost kitten?

This book is so adorable! It reminded me of getting my cat, Jellybean, when she was a little kitten and she would sleep at the end of my bed. I love the way the writing describes feline behavior, so that the reader can really envision everything that is happening in the story.

I really loved the way the family handles the stress of moving to a new place. It's not an easy transition and there are some frayed nerves and disagreements, but ultimately the family support each other through those difficulties and they learn to adjust to their new living situation. Such a lovely character arc for a sweet family!

I enjoyed the simple writing style which is perfect for young readers. Every three or four pages there is a pencil illustration with soft lines. I liked the art work and how it enhanced the story!

This book was marked as "Nothing Found" on the Screen It First website, indicating that there is no sensitive or objectionable content in the book. https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-smallest-kitten-pet-rescue-adventures-2547937

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Elodie has her own detective business, and she has to help find a missing cat. But this isn't just any old cat. This cat is famous. This cat is in the middle of shooting a movie and having a biography written. This cat is a wealthy heiress!
Elodie is joined by her dog, Carnegie, and her neighbor, Oscar, who loves tumbling and acrobatics. Most adults don't take a child detective seriously, but Elodie is determined to prove herself. She follows the clues and regards everyone as a suspect, but all the neighbors are so nice. None of them would steal a beloved cat... would they?

This is such a fun mystery! I loved the cute characters, and all the varied personalities of the neighbors. The mystery takes many twists and turns as Elodie tries to investigate every possible avenue of inquiry. Most of the time she hits a dead end, until one clue finally becomes clear.

The writing is simple (just right for this age group), but it also has a charm and warmth that draws the reader into the story. Even reading as an adult, I really enjoyed it!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

The Pincher family are all thieves and liars. They love to steal and cheat, except for Theo who gets a stomachache if he tries to tell a lie or do anything dishonest. It doesn't help that their next-door neighbor is a policeman! When Theo and his sister quarrel over an old cat statue, they break the statue and unleash the curse of the Egyptian cat! Their moralities are switched, and not Theo wants to steal and cheat, and his sister wants to be honest. Can they get switched back or will Theo be cursed to a life of crime?

This book is hilarious! It's so funny to see parents doing the opposite of what would be normal, encouraging their kids to lie and steal. Poor Theo, he just doesn't fit in. He's too honest and good. This book had me laughing and chuckling at all the silly escapades of the Pincher family. I really liked that, although his family has different values, Theo recognizes what is truly valuable in this world and it isn't expensive baubles or shiny jewelry.

I loved the fun illustrations in each chapter and the cute character designs! What a fun book!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

Sally and her brother Faolon don't know where they came from. They were found as orphans and raised in The Land, a settlement enclosed in walls where mysterious "shapes" assist in healing and growing food. When the fox trickster Reynard arrives in The Land, he is curious about the "shapes" and tricks Sally into helping him by promising to lead her to answers about her past.

This story has a very dream-like quality. Nothing is ever quite explained. It's all sort of mystical and unreal. The prose is really beautiful and haunting, and the story takes these lovely philosophical paths that we get to explore along with the characters.

I liked Sally's character because she is a solid kind of person. She wants answers. She wants to know the facts. She is determined and strong and intelligent. But in the end, she has to come to terms with the truth that you can't always know the facts. Some things are meant to be unknown and mysterious.

I did not like Faolon's character. He is evidently on the spectrum, since he has some trouble conforming to social situations. I felt sorry for him, because no one but his sister takes the time to understand him or provide a more nurturing environment for him. But he's incredibly selfish. He either doesn't realize how he is hurting his sister or just doesn't care. And he has this psychotic break where he goes wild and lives like an animal for a few weeks, and that was really disturbing. I think it was meant to be liberating for his character, like he becomes one with nature or something, but I thought the way it was described was gross. It's violent in many ways, and I found that upsetting.

This book can be read as a stand alone, but you will get what I think were minor spoilers for the previous books in the series. It briefly mentions some characters from the previous books, but I haven't read the previous books, so I don't know how much of that would count as spoilers.

To see the details of minor violence in this book, check it out on the Screen It First website: https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-forest-yet-to-come-wolfstongue-saga-3-2518449

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

Nova is a spy for the Anarchists. She has infiltrated the Renegade headquarters, pretending to be one of them so that she can plot against them. But Nova's loyalties are divided as she finds herself more and more involved with Adrian, a young superhero whose two dads are the leaders of the Renegades. In this final book of the trilogy, Nova is starting to really feel the pressure of her double life as the violence in the city escalates. The Renegades definitely suspect her, and her secret identity is seriously compromised.

I have been enjoying this series about superheroes and villains! The plot is adventurous and has many layers and twists. But the pacing is way too slow. The writing just drags on and on, telling the reader things we already know, slowing down the action to explain things that are obvious. This book could have been much shorter.

I really liked Nova's character. She has to navigate between these internally flawed groups of Anarchists and Renegades and try to find a place for herself. She is very guarded and tries to act tough, but we also get to see her sensitive heart. In this book, she finally has to make a decision about where her loyalties lie and it tears her apart.

Adrian was also a compelling character. He is eager to prove himself to his two dads. They are the leaders of the entire city and the most powerful superheroes in the world, and he wants to prove that he is also powerful and wise and capable. The secrets that he has been holding in finally come to light in this book and he has to deal with the reality of his own flaws, which is hard for him because he's always trying to be perfect.

I liked the sweet romance between Nova and Adrian. In this book, their connection is strained because they start to learn the truth about each other. Ultimately, they have to decide if their feelings are real and figure out some way to move forward from the shambles of the war-torn city.

To see details about the violence and other questionable content in this book, check it out on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/supernova-renegades-3-792432

DNF after page 69
Daniel owns a rare book that is the last one from the author. A mysterious man has been systematically finding all the author's books and burning them, so now Daniel has the last copy. When he is a child, Daniel falls in love with a woman ten years older than himself, then as a teen, he is devastated to discover that she has a lover. 

This book includes an explicit sex scene, violence, crass comments and sexual innuendos. 
To see details of the objectionable and explicit content in this book, check it out on the Screen It First Website. https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-shadow-of-the-wind-the-cemetery-of-forgotten-books-2480671

I was really disappointed in this book because the prose is beautiful, but the subject material is so ugly and disgusting.

Carlo finds an ancient map to a long-forgotten treasure and sets out on a journey into faraway lands to search for the fortune. Baksheesh offers to work as his servant and guide him from the coast into the inland city and beyond through the desert. They are also joined by Shira, a girl running away from slavers, trying to return to her home in the mountains. Their caravan is attacked by bandits, and they get lost in the desert. Carlo is mistaken for a foreign prince and held for ransom. Through all their adventures, Carlo wonders if the treasure is even real or worth all this trouble.

The adventure is exciting, and there are tons of twists and turns in the story. There are some supernatural/mystical elements in the story as well, like a hermit who paints the future, and a merchant who sells dreams. But for the most part, they have to struggle through their adventures on sheer luck and their own wits.

I liked the clean romance between Carlo and Shira. They are really sweet together, and I love how Carlo is very protective of Shira even though she can handle herself in tough situations. 

There is a lot of violence and descriptions of dead bodies and people being tortured. It wasn't too graphic, but I still didn't care for it. 
There is also a little bit of profanity in this book, which surprised me because I thought it was for middle grade readers.
To see the details of violence and other sensitive content in this book, you can check it out on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-golden-dream-of-carlo-chuchio-1024652

When the woodcutter's daughter is born into a large family, her mother is so disappointed at having yet another girl that she refuses to give the child a name. The girl is simply called "the pika" (which means "girl") or referred to as "the lass". When she is grown, a mysterious polar bear comes to their cottage and begs her to live in his ice palace for a year. Knowing that he must be under some kind of enchantment, the lass agrees to go with him. She is sure that she can break the curse he is under, and she investigates the mysteries of the ice palace. But every time she asks the servants questions, she is putting herself and them in danger.

I really loved all the imaginative fairy tale elements of the story! Some of it was familiar because I have read the fairy tale this is based on, but it was lovely to see that fairy tale reimagined and retold in this way. The plot is adventurous and I loved the mystery of the ice palace, but I felt that the ending was a little too abrupt. Everything is resolved fairly quickly at the end, which is common with fairy tales, so that might be why the story structure is so quick at the end. I liked the ending, but felt like it needed a little more denouement.

The character of the lass is wonderfully complex. She is brave and curious and intelligent, but she makes a lot of mistakes too. She feels things deeply, but that emotional sensitivity only makes her stronger. I love her determination to do what is right. She is tenacious and tough, but also tender-hearted.

I appreciated that the romance was clean and sweet. You get the sense that they truly care about each other on a deep level beyond superficial attraction. But most of the story is taken up with the lass's adventures, and not much time is spent on the romance.

I really thought that the lass not having a name would play into the plot more. I thought it would protect her from some sort of dark magic and be a big plot twist thing, but it wasn't even mentioned in that context. It's a little disappointing because it's just not at all what I expected. The story made such a big deal about it in the beginning, and then it wasn't even that important to the plot.

To see the small amount of minor violence and dark magic in this book, you can check it out on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/sun-and-moon-ice-and-snow-1416727