kailey_luminouslibro's reviews
3794 reviews

Mila is a wild girl, growing up on a deserted island with a family of dolphins. When she is rescued, she is placed with a doctor who studies the way that humans learn language. The doctor hopes to learn the girl's dolphin language, and uses music to capture the sounds dolphins make. Mila begins to connect with her caregivers and their families; even the janitor cannot help connecting with this unique girl. At first, Mila is interested to learn English and learn how humans interact and live. But soon, she begins to miss her dolphin family and the simplicity of her life on the island. Her spirit starts to despair and turn inward, searching for the music she used to know.

This was definitely an interesting book with a unique voice. Mila's narration starts out very simple and grows more complex as she learns to communicate as a human. The very simplicity of her words brings forward a stark honesty in the story. Nothing is hidden behind fancy words. Everything is sincere and true for Mila, and those around her are forced to face the truth as well. The writing is genius is its extreme simplicity.

I like that Mila's situation brings up a lot of philosophical questions about how human societies live and what we value and how we treat each other. It was interesting to see how the other humans try to explain these things to Mila, but they end up looking foolish when she cuts right to the truth with her clear logic.

Archie's parents are part of the Septemberist Society, a secret organization that has kept evil monsters locked away for centuries. When the Swarm Queen begins to awaken out of her prison, Archie's parents are kidnapped and brainwashed to release the monster. Archie and his robot servant have to unravel the secrets of the ancient civilizations that imprisoned all the monsters in the first place. Along the way, Archie befriends two other children who are also searching for answers... and revenge.

I really loved the imaginative setting in this book! There are all these different tribes and states, and I especially appreciate the cool map of all the different nations and republics. Electricity (or as they call it "lektricity") is forbidden because the monsters feed on it and grow strong enough to break out of their prisons, so everything is run on steam power. It's like this interesting alternate history for North America that is really weird and different.

I liked the characters very much. They are all complex and diverse. Archie is especially conflicted because his parents have been taken, and he has these ideas about being a hero to save them. But he begins to realize that there are more secrets in the Septemberist society than he ever knew. Because of these secrets, he begins to question his family history and his whole identity. This throws the whole team into chaos, and they all have to deal with conflicting emotions and try to stay on track with their mission to stop the Swarm Queen.

The plot moves along quickly with many different battles and adventures. There is a lot of intrigue and secrets and mysteries that I enjoyed reading about.

The writing style is really good, and it brings you into the story. But I found myself skimming through some of the descriptions.

When his parents die unexpectedly, Colin goes searching for answers. He hears of a mysterious wise man who guards the entrance to a maze. Colin enters the maze, accepting the challenge to find a new country where his questions will be answered and his grief assuaged. Along an arduous journey, he meets people who have given up in despair, those who have turned to evil, and those who are willing to help him and guide him through the maze. But ultimately, Colin must answer his own heart and find the inner strength to endure.

I loved this beautiful story! It is very intense and emotional, but always full of hope. Colin goes through some terrible ordeals and suffers greatly. He sees others succumb to the darkness, but there is always some little ray of hope to light his way if he just chooses to keep moving forward.

I love how there is an element of allegory to the plot and characters (similar to Pilgrim's Progress), but it is never heavy-handed or too preachy. It feels like a gentle word of encouragement or warning, but the author doesn't beat you over the head with the moral lessons. The focus is more on Colin discovering these lessons through his journey, so the moral lessons feel natural to the story. There are a lot of nuggets of wisdom in this book.

The writing style is excellent! The writing is concise and powerful. The plot moves quickly from one phase of the journey to the next. The author manages to say a great deal with just a few meaningful words. There are so many relatable insights into the human experience.

But it's not all allegory, insight, and moral lessons. The adventure is exciting, the characters are so interesting and complex, and the setting is imaginative and wild! Don't be fooled by the dorky 1970s covers; this book is beautifully written and absolute genius from start to finish!

I had put off reading this book for years, because I had built it up in my mind, and I was worried that the reality would not match my high expectations. I shouldn't have waited so long! This book exceeded my expectations and gave me a lot to think about for many years to come.

Robert Dudley, the Earl of Lancashire, has a secret marriage with Amy Robsart. He is keeping it hidden from Queen Elizabeth I, hoping to win favor at court and perhaps a crown of his own. His lies are supported by his evil servant, Varney, who schemes on his behalf. Together they keep Amy locked up at Cumnor Place, hiding her from the world. The noble Tressilian discovers their plots and tries to assist Amy, but she loves her husband and won't move against him. At court, Walter Raleigh gains the favor of the Queen, and famously lays down his cloak over the mud for her. Tressilian tries to present a case against the Earl of Lancashire at court, but his plans are foiled by the scheming Varney.

This was such an interesting window into history. I loved all the little side characters to this great drama. We get to see people in all different walks of life, from the great Queen all the way down to a lowly servant. There is a mysterious alchemist, an astrologer, lords and ladies, loyal servants, and servants who will betray their employers for the right price. There are various swordsman and soldiers ready for a duel at any moment. Shakespeare even makes a brief appearance!

I love the rich language of Scott's writing! There is something so weighty and yet light-hearted in his prose. The dialogue is sparkling, but the themes are deep and heavy.

Dudley has to gather certain servants and soldiers around him who are willing to go along with his evil plans. We spend a lot of time with the villains of the story. I found it interesting that some of the bad guys feel remorse for what they have done, and some of them don't. Some dip their toe into the waters of evil, and immediately draw back, repenting and changing their ways. Some dip their toe in, and find that they are stuck and must plunge deeper to cover up their lies, leading them into greater atrocities and murders. They all find ways to justify what they do, rationalizing their crimes, even hiding behind Holy Scripture to pretend that what they are doing is good.

And the good guys are just as complex. Tressilian wants to charge in and save the lady in distress, but she won't let him. So he has to devise roundabout circumspect ways to save her. He places his trust in people that society has cast out, finding valuable allies in strange places. He has to play the political games of the court, and make sure to choose the right time to reveal the truth. Fighting against evil becomes like a puzzle or a game of chess, where the right strategy could save the damsel's life. Nothing is straightforward in this story where all the little moving pieces are shifting in the shadows.

Dinah and her mother move into a dilapidated old house, where Dinah discovers a small griffin statue. She names the house the Griffin's Castle, and hopes that they will be able to stay forever. But her mother is not exactly reliable, and the landlord can't stand children. Dinah notices animal statues in the city, wishing that they could protect her new home. The misty spirit of a lioness statue follows Dinah home, and Dinah can see and feel the lioness even though no one else can. Soon, more of the animals statues begin to follow Dinah home, and they become so real that others can feel their presence. Dinah's friends at school are worried about her. Are the animals really protecting the house, or are they imprisoning Dinah within the crumbling walls?

I liked how the real and the mystical were blended in this story. At first, you can't really tell if Dinah is just imagining the animals, or if they are really there. She has a very active imagination, but somehow the things she dreams of seem to come true for other people as well. She can draw other characters into her world of daydreams where anything seems possible.

There are some really deep themes explored in this book. Dinah is searching for permanence in her living situation, and she looks to her family heritage for the stability that her mother can't provide. The animals are like the embodiment of her fears and desires, but they get out of control, leading her down dangerous paths.

Dinah has dealt with some difficult times because her mother bounces them around between homes, staying with friends, or sleeping in shelters. Dinah has had terrible experiences that she stuffs down inside, but they come out in her fears and her weird little habits. There is an awful memory she has of babysitting a friend's baby, but the apartment they lived in had broken windows and no heating. The baby died from hunger and cold while the adults were out partying. When Dinah meets another family with a baby, she is very worried about the baby's well-being. These scenes are heartbreaking and disturbing.

I love this author's writing style! She really brings emotional weight into the story with the little details of the setting. However, I did not like that the POV keeps changing between Dinah and her two friends at school. That's a pet peeve of mine when the POV changes.

Jane is visiting her brother Edward at his large estate. Their acquaintance Adelaide Fisk is getting married again, but her previous husband shows up on her wedding day... dead. He was thought to have died abroad years ago, but his murdered body is discovered adjacent to Edward's property. As the magistrate, Edward must investigate - with Jane to help, of course!

I really liked this story and the history behind it. There is quite a lot of real history woven into the story with Jane's family and her acquaintances, but of course the murder mystery and Jane's involvement in the investigation are entirely fictional.

I enjoyed seeing more of Jane's brothers and their sibling relationships. It's really interesting to imagine what their family might have been like, how they might have talked with one another, and how they would have interacted. I especially liked the scene with Jane and her niece Fanny.

The murder mystery itself is good. I was completely shocked at the ending! I never imagined what the ending could be, and it was a total surprise.

I love the formal writing style that mimics the Regency era language. The dialogue is fairly close to what a real conversation might have been like in that time period. It really immerses you in the history.

Basil is the Sherlock Holmes of the mouse world. He listens in on the cases of the great Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street, to learn at the feet of the master. Then Basil can use that knowledge to solve mysteries among the mice of the world. In this book, Basil and his trusty sidekick Dawson are on their way to Mexico to investigate the theft of a famous painting.

I love this story so much! I have always been a fan of the Great Mouse Detective cartoon, so I was delighted to discover that the movie was based on a book series. The writing is charming, the story is exciting, and the mystery is full of wild clues that only Basil can figure out. I also loved the adorable illustrations that bring the characters to life.

This fourth book in the series was especially wonderful, because the setting is in Central Mexico where I grew up. It was so cool to hear about the characters hiking up Mount Popocatepetl, near where I used to live.

This chapter book would be perfect for young readers ages 6-10 who are starting to read on their own, but it is also enjoyable for older children to read. I loved reading it even as an adult!

Dana has disturbing dreams about a boy being murdered centuries in the past. Her psychologist hypnotizes her to help access memories from her previous life, and discover the origin of the nightmares. Dana begins to realize that people from her past lives are still nearby, involved in her modern-day life. Her father and mother, her little brother, her boyfriend, and even her rival at school might all be reincarnations of people she knew in her past lives... and one of them is a murderer.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the mystery, as Dana uncovers more memories from her past lives. At first, it only comes in little bits and pieces, so we don't know much about what truly happened in the past. Then Dana begins to discover some things about the past that really scare her and reveal some disturbing truths about herself. Events that happened in the past begin to leak into her present, and the danger becomes real and immediate. The suspense was wonderful, but there are a few violent scenes that were upsetting to read. It got to the point where I didn't want to read this book at night, for fear that it would give me nightmares, because I'm a big scaredy cat.

I really liked Dana's character. She is sensitive and artistic. She has a temper, but holds everything very close inside. She spends most of the book lost in introspection, and analyzing the people around her, just the type of psychological mystery that I enjoy. The mystery hinges on the personalities of the people around her.

The writing is excellent, and it draws you into every emotional scene. This author really knows how to paint a scene with very few words, drawing attention to little details that make it feel real and full of meaning.

Edward becomes the assistant to a new magician who just moved into a cottage outside of the village. But Moongobble is not a very good magician. He is still learning magic and hoping to be admitted into the exclusive magician's guild. He has to complete several quests in order to prove his worth to the other magicians, and Edward is coming along to help!

I love the imaginative plot and delightful fairy-tale characters. The story is simple, but meaningful and full of fun! I like how each book in the series builds on each other as we meet more characters and visit more enchanted places in this fantasy world. These books are really funny too! The characters are sassy with some great dialogue and fun jokes.

The magic is very innocent, and the stories are never too scary. I love how almost every villain they encounter throughout the series turns out to be a misunderstood monster or a cursed person who needs help. They go questing around doing good for others and solving magical mysteries.

I think it's very sweet how Edward and Moongobble establish a trust right away. Although Moongobble is the adult and Edward is a child, it is often Edward who takes care of and protects Moongobble. But Moongobble is also very protective over Edward, so between the two of them, they come safely through all their adventures.

The writing is simple enough for a first-grader to read, but enjoyable enough for an adult to read. I loved this fun series!

Edward becomes the assistant to a new magician who just moved into a cottage outside of the village. But Moongobble is not a very good magician. He is still learning magic and hoping to be admitted into the exclusive magician's guild. He has to complete several quests in order to prove his worth to the other magicians, and Edward is coming along to help!

I love the imaginative plot and delightful fairy-tale characters. The story is simple, but meaningful and full of fun! I like how each book in the series builds on each other as we meet more characters and visit more enchanted places in this fantasy world. These books are really funny too! The characters are sassy with some great dialogue and fun jokes.

The magic is very innocent, and the stories are never too scary. I love how almost every villain they encounter throughout the series turns out to be a misunderstood monster or a cursed person who needs help. They go questing around doing good for others and solving magical mysteries.

I think it's very sweet how Edward and Moongobble establish a trust right away. Although Moongobble is the adult and Edward is a child, it is often Edward who takes care of and protects Moongobble. But Moongobble is also very protective over Edward, so between the two of them, they come safely through all their adventures.

The writing is simple enough for a first-grader to read, but enjoyable enough for an adult to read. I loved this fun series!