kailey_luminouslibro's Reviews (3.79k)

Four friends are concerned that the winter is not ending. They begin to suspect that there may be magical forces at work which are holding off the spring. A mysterious green man gives them magical objects, but they don't know how to use them. They start to wonder if ancient legends are controlling the weather.

I did not realize that this is the second book in the series, and I got sort of confused about why these very different teens were all friends. Their friendship doesn't quite make sense, because they don't really have anything in common. It probably would have made more sense if I had read the first book where their friendship is forged in the fires of adversity.

The plot is very imaginative, but a little chaotic. The story roams all over the place and it's sort of repetitive. At different times the various characters meet the green man and he gives them some sort of magical object, but it felt boring to do the same scene over and over with a different character. It was too formulaic.
There are a few plot points that are never quite explained, and it's just a magical mystery that is left hanging.

The writing style is good. The characters are interesting, but a little one-dimensional. They have that one trait that defines them, and that's all they are. There is not much depth to their personalities, but they are all memorable and different. I didn't really connect with the characters though.

Overall it's an enjoyable story, and I liked it!

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.

What are the character traits that make a good leader? This book explores ten important attributes that are essential for any leadership role, and demonstrates how C. S. Lewis displayed those traits through his life and his writing. Here we analyze the details of why Lewis's influence still continues to inspire countless Christians through his fiction and apologetic books.

At first I picked up this book because I was interested in learning more about C. S. Lewis, one of my favorite authors. I have read a couple of biographies and analysis of his work, but I had never seen this particular subject addressed, and I found it intriguing. But not only did I learn more about Lewis, I also found myself inspired to be a better leader and a better Christian in my own small sphere of influence. This book took me beyond what I had expected, and encouraged me to look at my life in a new way.

The ten traits included are humility, morals, vision, courage, intellect, compassion, duty, resilience, inspiration, and creativity. They are all heavily researched and the writing is very effective at proving that Lewis exhibited the ten traits that are discussed. There are examples and quotes from people who knew Lewis, and direct quotes from his books that powerfully demonstrate his leadership qualities.

The writing style does sometimes read like a school essay, but there are also some wonderful anecdotes about Lewis and even some stories from the author that give it a personal feeling. The writing is energetic and vivid, bringing a compelling quality to each chapter that captures your imagination and your heart.

I really enjoyed that there are so many good quotes in this book, not just from Lewis but also from other influential researchers and writers. There are also discussion questions at the end of each chapter, where you can consider how to apply these traits to your own life.

There are spoilers for Chronicles of Narnia, the Space Trilogy, The Great Divorce, Screwtape Letters, and Till We Have Faces. However, it is easy to skip over these portions if you don't want to be spoiled, because the paragraphs are clearly titled.

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.

Belrog the Minotaur tells the younger minotaurs the tale of Grom, a legendary minotaur warrior who fought the Blue Dragon in a great war. Grom was once a simple soldier, apprenticed to learn from one of the fighting Masters. General Kelkak leads them to war when a dragon and his army of orcs threaten their peaceful city. The dragon has orcs and evil elves on his side, but the Minotaurs have their own magicians and a secret company of berserk minotaurs who will fight to the death.

I liked this story pretty well. The world building is good, and I liked the history of the minotaurs. The characters are interesting, but not very complex or deep. The plot has some good scenes, but there is not a lot going on. It's straightforward with very few twists or turning points in the story.

There is some profanity, oddly all jumbled into one chapter, and nowhere else in the book. There are a lot of typos and spelling errors in the ebook that I read. I'm not sure if that was because I received it as an ARC, and maybe an editor has cleaned it up in another edition.

I loved the cool illustrations! There are only a few illustrations, but they are really well done and detailed.

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.

Nell's horrible parents are going to Paris, and Nell begs to be allowed to go with them. Her former nanny, Pear, left years ago and lives in Paris, and Nell is desperate to find her. Pear is the only person who ever really loved Nell, and Nell stopped hearing from her months ago. Nell is worried that Pear may have disappeared, but when she arrives in Paris, Nell discovers that the mystery goes far deeper than one missing au pair.

I loved this book so much! The plot is a mixture of many different mysteries that all blend together. I loved the way the different characters' storylines overlapped. A bellhop with a secret underground lair. A baker's son who worries that their bakery might go out of business. A poor young seamstress who dreams of going to school. And Nell's evil parents, who are definitely up to something nefarious.

Nell is such a wonderful main character. Her personality is powerful and complex. She has a phobia about the dark, and in one scene she is forced to hide underground. With pure willpower, she finds the courage to overcome her phobia, and the whole description of her emotional turmoil is incredibly inspiring. Over and over through the story, she finds herself in difficult situations, but she has the tenacity and the intellect to deal with anything. I loved her internal struggle and her character development! She is so kind and sweet that she wins the hearts of people she meets, and makes loyal friends wherever she goes. But she is so bold and fierce that she also makes enemies wherever she goes. I adore this girl!

All the supporting characters are amazing too! They are varied and memorable and interesting. I loved meeting each person and seeing how they interact with Nell in different ways. It was really cool to see how they gradually warm up to Nell and join her in her quest to find her au pair. There are a few awkward beginnings, but as they start to understand Nell better, they become decidedly loyal to her.

The setting in Paris is fantastique! The author really makes Paris come alive, describing the streets, the food, the people, the light, the architecture, and of course the beautiful art. Because Nell is fascinated with Paris, we get to see the city through her eyes.

I love this writing style! The pacing keeps that suspense going, and makes you want to keep reading for hours. I enjoyed this book so much!


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.

This graphic novel doesn't really have a story. It's more like a collection of poetic lines with a loose story line of a lady unicorn, who gazes at the moon with her princess friend and little fauns. She meets a male unicorn and the artwork shows the male jumping over her while she rolls on her back on the ground. This is suggestive, but the text just says that "Love meets Life". Then we understand that the lady unicorn is pregnant.

When the baby unicorn is born, the illustrations show the baby coming out of the mother in the process of birth. It's quite graphic but beautiful. The text describes the pain and blood, and the artwork shows the placenta. But it doesn't feel inappropriate or gross. It shows the miracle of birth in a special way.

The little colt grows and learns to walk. He suckles milk from his mother, and plays with the little fauns.

I liked the pretty artwork, but some of it was strange. I liked the pretty poetic text, but some of it was strange. The whole book has a dreamy quality. It's sentimental and moonlit and weird.

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.

Mellie finds a stray cat and names him Bert. Bert won't eat regular cat food, and prefers to hunt for mice and frogs and squirrels. His strange behavior causes Mellie's friends to speculate that Bert might be a zombie cat! But Bert's unique abilities are the result of his past at the YummCo factory. Could the factory have experimented on animals and created a monster zombie cat? Mellie loves him anyway.

This trilogy is so funny and exciting! I loved the mysterious plot and the interesting characters. Mellie is a wonderful main character. She has a complex personality and I loved seeing all the different relationships she has with friends and with her weird family. She has a lot of confidence in herself, and this helps her to stand up to bullies and adopt an ugly cat and save the day.

This is the perfect trilogy for kids who want something a little bit creepy, but not scary. Bert leaves headless rodent corpses for Mellie, but it's not super gross. Only a little gross. At one point in the trilogy, we do see some mild zombie action, but they don't eat brains. Bert likes to hang out in a graveyard, but it's not too spooky.

I liked the black and white illustrations that bring the story to life! The artwork is really good, and I liked the designs for all the characters.

I enjoyed learning about the town where Mellie lives and about the history of the mysterious YummCo Food factory. The setting is interesting and gives some depth to the story.

There are a few shorter chapters that are told from Bert's perspective. I thought it was kind of odd that most of the story is told in first person narration from Mellie's POV, and then the chapters from Bert's POV are in third person. It's kind of a bold choice for a writing style, but it works.

The best part about this trilogy is how funny it is! I was laughing and giggling, and it's just FUN.


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.

Mellie finds a stray cat and names him Bert. Bert won't eat regular cat food, and prefers to hunt for mice and frogs and squirrels. His strange behavior causes Mellie's friends to speculate that Bert might be a zombie cat! But Bert's unique abilities are the result of his past at the YummCo factory. Could the factory have experimented on animals and created a monster zombie cat? Mellie loves him anyway.

This trilogy is so funny and exciting! I loved the mysterious plot and the interesting characters. Mellie is a wonderful main character. She has a complex personality and I loved seeing all the different relationships she has with friends and with her weird family. She has a lot of confidence in herself, and this helps her to stand up to bullies and adopt an ugly cat and save the day.

This is the perfect trilogy for kids who want something a little bit creepy, but not scary. Bert leaves headless rodent corpses for Mellie, but it's not super gross. Only a little gross. At one point in the trilogy, we do see some mild zombie action, but they don't eat brains. Bert likes to hang out in a graveyard, but it's not too spooky.

I liked the black and white illustrations that bring the story to life! The artwork is really good, and I liked the designs for all the characters.

I enjoyed learning about the town where Mellie lives and about the history of the mysterious YummCo Food factory. The setting is interesting and gives some depth to the story.

There are a few shorter chapters that are told from Bert's perspective. I thought it was kind of odd that most of the story is told in first person narration from Mellie's POV, and then the chapters from Bert's POV are in third person. It's kind of a bold choice for a writing style, but it works.

The best part about this trilogy is how funny it is! I was laughing and giggling, and it's just FUN.


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.

Mellie finds a stray cat and names him Bert. Bert won't eat regular cat food, and prefers to hunt for mice and frogs and squirrels. His strange behavior causes Mellie's friends to speculate that Bert might be a zombie cat! But Bert's unique abilities are the result of his past at the YummCo factory. Could the factory have experimented on animals and created a monster zombie cat? Mellie loves him anyway.

This trilogy is so funny and exciting! I loved the mysterious plot and the interesting characters. Mellie is a wonderful main character. She has a complex personality and I loved seeing all the different relationships she has with friends and with her weird family. She has a lot of confidence in herself, and this helps her to stand up to bullies and adopt an ugly cat and save the day.

This is the perfect trilogy for kids who want something a little bit creepy, but not scary. Bert leaves headless rodent corpses for Mellie, but it's not super gross. Only a little gross. At one point in the trilogy, we do see some mild zombie action, but they don't eat brains. Bert likes to hang out in a graveyard, but it's not too spooky.

I liked the black and white illustrations that bring the story to life! The artwork is really good, and I liked the designs for all the characters.

I enjoyed learning about the town where Mellie lives and about the history of the mysterious YummCo Food factory. The setting is interesting and gives some depth to the story.

There are a few shorter chapters that are told from Bert's perspective. I thought it was kind of odd that most of the story is told in first person narration from Mellie's POV, and then the chapters from Bert's POV are in third person. It's kind of a bold choice for a writing style, but it works.

The best part about this trilogy is how funny it is! I was laughing and giggling, and it's just FUN.


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.

The Ratso brothers, Louie and Ralphie, start up a charity concert with their friends to help raise money to repair the playground. But Chad Badgerton makes fun of them for their glittery costumes and silly dance moves. Ralphie is nervous about the concert. He loves the music they are singing, but is not sure if he wants to wear the costumes. Louie and the others help Ralphie to have the courage to like what he likes, and not worry about what other people think.

This is such a cute book! The writing style is just right for children who are learning to read chapter books on their own. The illustrations are so adorable! I loved the moral messages about not judging others, and having the courage to be your true self.

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.

Loki has been banished from Asgard. Odin has given Loki the form of an 11-year-old human, and sent Thor, Heimdall, and Hyrrokkin (also in the form of humans) to keep an eye on him. Loki must learn to be good and keep a record of his good or bad deeds in a magical journal. In this second book of the series, Loki is trying to make some new friends, but he goes about it in all the wrong ways.

This is such a funny series! I liked all the cartoony comic illustrations on each page. Sometimes the text of the story changes to a comic strip for one or two pages, then back to the regular text again. The narrative is told from Loki's perspective as he is writing about his quest in the magic diary that gives him points for being good. I thought this was a wonderfully effective story-telling technique!

The characters of Thor, Heimdall, and Hyrrokkin were really hilarious! They are all trying to adjust to life as a human family, and they try to do human traditions like birthday parties to fit in with other humans. They want to give Loki a chance to be good, but he keeps using his selfish trickery and that makes it hard to trust him.

All the kids Loki meets at school are pretty typical. Some are bullies, some are nerds; they are just kids. Loki keeps trying to make new friends, but he just bribes or bullies them instead of really connecting with anyone. One of the side characters, Valerie, is Loki's only friend, and we meet her two moms. She calls one Ma and the other one Mom.

I liked that, although Loki is selfish and mean, he really is trying to do good in this book. He is such a crazy complex character, and this book did a good job reflecting that. I liked that although Loki does bad things and bullies people, this book turns that around into a positive moral message about kindness and selflessness.

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.