A beautiful, thoughtful, harrowing follow up to The Marrow Thieves. Well done on audio.

Definitely in my top 3 of the series. McGuire dealt with the traumas in the story with such care and gentleness. I found myself filled with dread through the first section, then relief when she was plucked from her situation and into a magical world, as is alluded to on the first page. I would imagine this could be a very healing read for those with similar experiences. It all left me with even more love for and attachment to this series. 

A well-paced, empowering realistic fiction novel on Afro-Latina identity, hair pride, relationships, starting middle school, and finding your voice. Sicily's challenges and even mistakes are relatable and believable and readers will learn a lot about Black Panamanian culture along the way.

A sweet story of friendship, magic, and family that requires a lot of suspending of disbelief and perhaps wraps up too neatly and quickly. Ideal for upper elementary.

4.5 A stand-alone follow up to Amal Unbound with all the heart and courage of the original. Omar’s journey towards understanding the injustice he is enduring and standing up for himself and others to change the system is inspiring and nuanced. All together a well-written, spare novel that packs a punch and exposes readers to life in another part of the world.

A fast paced middle grade sci fi with an intriguing premise and heartwarming characters, but a lackluster and disappointing conclusion. 

Probably my favorite Tiffany D. Jackson novel yet. Outstanding on audio.

Great character development, setting, and themes. The plot and logistics involved in it may have middle grade readers losing the thread in this one, but I’m interested in reading other works by the author.