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2.51k reviews by:
popthebutterfly
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Keeper of the Night
Author: Kylie Lee Baker
Book Series: Keeper of the Night Book 1
Diversity: Japanese MC and side characters
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, Japanese mythology and legend
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: October 12, 2021
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 394
Recommended Age: 15+ (Death, Violence, Gore, Racism, Language, Animal Gore, Animal violence)
Explanation of CWs: Racism is throughout the book. Gore and violence is frequent. There is one scene with animal gore and violence. There is also slight language.
Synopsis: Death is her destiny.
Half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami, Ren Scarborough has been collecting souls in the London streets for centuries. Expected to obey the harsh hierarchy of the Reapers who despise her, Ren conceals her emotions and avoids her tormentors as best she can.
When her failure to control her Shinigami abilities drives Ren out of London, she flees to Japan to seek the acceptance she’s never gotten from her fellow Reapers. Accompanied by her younger brother, the only being on earth to care for her, Ren enters the Japanese underworld to serve the Goddess of Death… only to learn that here, too, she must prove herself worthy. Determined to earn respect, Ren accepts an impossible task—find and eliminate three dangerous Yokai demons—and learns how far she’ll go to claim her place at Death’s side.
Review: Overall I really liked this read! It was a fun and fast paced. The book had a lot of action sequences and a lot of interesting and informative Japanese mythology. I loved the character development and world building. I also thought the writing was well done overall and the book was well plotted.
The only issue I had is that the book slowed down it's pacing in a few places, but other than that it was a fun read.
Verdict: I loved it! Highly recommend.
Book: Keeper of the Night
Author: Kylie Lee Baker
Book Series: Keeper of the Night Book 1
Diversity: Japanese MC and side characters
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, Japanese mythology and legend
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: October 12, 2021
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 394
Recommended Age: 15+ (Death, Violence, Gore, Racism, Language, Animal Gore, Animal violence)
Explanation of CWs: Racism is throughout the book. Gore and violence is frequent. There is one scene with animal gore and violence. There is also slight language.
Synopsis: Death is her destiny.
Half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami, Ren Scarborough has been collecting souls in the London streets for centuries. Expected to obey the harsh hierarchy of the Reapers who despise her, Ren conceals her emotions and avoids her tormentors as best she can.
When her failure to control her Shinigami abilities drives Ren out of London, she flees to Japan to seek the acceptance she’s never gotten from her fellow Reapers. Accompanied by her younger brother, the only being on earth to care for her, Ren enters the Japanese underworld to serve the Goddess of Death… only to learn that here, too, she must prove herself worthy. Determined to earn respect, Ren accepts an impossible task—find and eliminate three dangerous Yokai demons—and learns how far she’ll go to claim her place at Death’s side.
Review: Overall I really liked this read! It was a fun and fast paced. The book had a lot of action sequences and a lot of interesting and informative Japanese mythology. I loved the character development and world building. I also thought the writing was well done overall and the book was well plotted.
The only issue I had is that the book slowed down it's pacing in a few places, but other than that it was a fun read.
Verdict: I loved it! Highly recommend.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Disclaimer: I received this arc and e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Once Upon a Wardrobe
Author: Patti Callahan
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4.5/5
Recommended For...: biography, historical fiction
Genre: Historical Fiction Biography
Publication Date: October 19, 2021
Publisher: Harper Muse
Pages: 275
Recommended Age: 13+ (Sexism, Religion, Parent death)
Explanation of CWs: Sexism is seen and mentioned. Religion is discussed and there is general disagreement with atheism in the book. There is a parent death mentioned.
Synopsis: Megs Devonshire is brilliant with numbers and equations, on a scholarship at Oxford, and dreams of solving the greatest mysteries of physics.
She prefers the dependability of facts—except for one: the younger brother she loves with all her heart doesn’t have long to live. When George becomes captivated by a copy of a brand-new book called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and begs her to find out where Narnia came from, there’s no way she can refuse.
Despite her timidity about approaching the famous author, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with the Oxford don and his own brother, imploring them for answers. What she receives instead are more stories . . . stories of Jack Lewis’s life, which she takes home to George.
Why won’t Mr. Lewis just tell her plainly what George wants to know? The answer will reveal to Meg many truths that science and math cannot, and the gift she thought she was giving to her brother—the story behind Narnia—turns out to be his gift to her, instead: hope.
Review: Overall, I thought this was a pretty good book. The book reads like a love letter to CS Lewis and Narnia. The story was fairly compelling and the character development was pretty good. I really loved how the author did the World building with CS Lewis's past and with the world that were in when Meg is telling the story. I also think this is a good read for fans of Narnia.
The only issue I had with the book is that the POV switching during the chapters was a bit off-putting and confusing at first. It took me out of the moment and the first couple times that happened I was very confused about what was going on.
Verdict: It was good!
Book: Once Upon a Wardrobe
Author: Patti Callahan
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4.5/5
Recommended For...: biography, historical fiction
Genre: Historical Fiction Biography
Publication Date: October 19, 2021
Publisher: Harper Muse
Pages: 275
Recommended Age: 13+ (Sexism, Religion, Parent death)
Explanation of CWs: Sexism is seen and mentioned. Religion is discussed and there is general disagreement with atheism in the book. There is a parent death mentioned.
Synopsis: Megs Devonshire is brilliant with numbers and equations, on a scholarship at Oxford, and dreams of solving the greatest mysteries of physics.
She prefers the dependability of facts—except for one: the younger brother she loves with all her heart doesn’t have long to live. When George becomes captivated by a copy of a brand-new book called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and begs her to find out where Narnia came from, there’s no way she can refuse.
Despite her timidity about approaching the famous author, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with the Oxford don and his own brother, imploring them for answers. What she receives instead are more stories . . . stories of Jack Lewis’s life, which she takes home to George.
Why won’t Mr. Lewis just tell her plainly what George wants to know? The answer will reveal to Meg many truths that science and math cannot, and the gift she thought she was giving to her brother—the story behind Narnia—turns out to be his gift to her, instead: hope.
Review: Overall, I thought this was a pretty good book. The book reads like a love letter to CS Lewis and Narnia. The story was fairly compelling and the character development was pretty good. I really loved how the author did the World building with CS Lewis's past and with the world that were in when Meg is telling the story. I also think this is a good read for fans of Narnia.
The only issue I had with the book is that the POV switching during the chapters was a bit off-putting and confusing at first. It took me out of the moment and the first couple times that happened I was very confused about what was going on.
Verdict: It was good!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this arc and e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Night When No One Had Sex
Author: Kalena Miller
Book Series: Standalone
Diversity: Korean American MC, Plus size Chinese American male character, F/f romance, MC with Lupus
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, sex-positive
Genre: YA contemporary
Publication Date: October 12, 2021
Publisher: AW Teen
Pages: 342
Recommended Age: 16+ (Sex, Sexual content, Sexual fantasies, Fatphobic comment, Language, Porn mentioned, STDs mentioned, Racism mentioned, Animal violence mentioned, Masturbation mentioned)
Explanation of CWs: Sex and all it's different forms are mentioned and discussed in the book. There is one instance of a fat phobic comment. Lots of swearing. Animal violence is mentioned as well as beastiality in a unlikable joke.
Synopsis: It's the night of senior prom, and eighteen-year-old Julia has made a pact with her friends. (Yes, that kind of pact.) They have secured a secluded cabin in the woods, one night without parental supervision, and plenty of condoms. But as soon as they leave the dance, the pact begins to unravel. Alex's grandmother is undergoing emergency surgery, and he and his date rush to the hospital. Zoe's trying to figure out how she feels about getting off the waitlist at Yale--and how to tell her girlfriend. Madison's chronic illness flares, holding her back once again from being a normal teenager. And Julia's fantasy-themed role play gets her locked in a closet. Alternating between each character's perspective and their ridiculous group chat, The Night When No One Had Sex finds a group of friends navigating the tenuous transition into adulthood and embracing the uncertainty of life after high school.
Review: For the most part I really enjoyed this read. It was well written and I loved the switching POVs. The character development was great as was the world building. I also love how sex-positive the book was and how it discussed different aspects of sex and consent. Definitely a win for teens who are looking for books that openly discuss it and doesn't back down from awkward talks.
The only thing I really thought could have been improved on was that the switching POVs did take me a bit to get into and there is a large cast of characters that take a bit to know as well.
Verdict: It was good!
Book: The Night When No One Had Sex
Author: Kalena Miller
Book Series: Standalone
Diversity: Korean American MC, Plus size Chinese American male character, F/f romance, MC with Lupus
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, sex-positive
Genre: YA contemporary
Publication Date: October 12, 2021
Publisher: AW Teen
Pages: 342
Recommended Age: 16+ (Sex, Sexual content, Sexual fantasies, Fatphobic comment, Language, Porn mentioned, STDs mentioned, Racism mentioned, Animal violence mentioned, Masturbation mentioned)
Explanation of CWs: Sex and all it's different forms are mentioned and discussed in the book. There is one instance of a fat phobic comment. Lots of swearing. Animal violence is mentioned as well as beastiality in a unlikable joke.
Synopsis: It's the night of senior prom, and eighteen-year-old Julia has made a pact with her friends. (Yes, that kind of pact.) They have secured a secluded cabin in the woods, one night without parental supervision, and plenty of condoms. But as soon as they leave the dance, the pact begins to unravel. Alex's grandmother is undergoing emergency surgery, and he and his date rush to the hospital. Zoe's trying to figure out how she feels about getting off the waitlist at Yale--and how to tell her girlfriend. Madison's chronic illness flares, holding her back once again from being a normal teenager. And Julia's fantasy-themed role play gets her locked in a closet. Alternating between each character's perspective and their ridiculous group chat, The Night When No One Had Sex finds a group of friends navigating the tenuous transition into adulthood and embracing the uncertainty of life after high school.
Review: For the most part I really enjoyed this read. It was well written and I loved the switching POVs. The character development was great as was the world building. I also love how sex-positive the book was and how it discussed different aspects of sex and consent. Definitely a win for teens who are looking for books that openly discuss it and doesn't back down from awkward talks.
The only thing I really thought could have been improved on was that the switching POVs did take me a bit to get into and there is a large cast of characters that take a bit to know as well.
Verdict: It was good!
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Falling Girls
Author: Hayley Krischer
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Diversity: f/f romance side characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, mystery, thriller, drama, Heathers like
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Genre: YA Mystery Thriller
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, death, gore, drug use and abuse, overdose TW)
Explanation of CWs: Drug use and abuse is shown in detail. There is an overdosing scene. There is also violence, death, and gore.
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Shade and Jadis are everything to each other. They share clothes, toothbrushes, and even matching stick-and-poke tattoos. So when Shade unexpectedly joins the cheerleading team, Jadis can hardly recognize who her best friend is becoming.
Shade loves the idea of falling into a group of girls; she loves the discipline it takes to push her body to the limits alongside these athletes . Most of all, Shade finds herself drawn to The Three Chloes--the insufferable trio that rules the squad--including the enigmatic cheer captain whose dark side is as compelling as it is alarming.
Jadis won't give Shade up so easily, though, and the pull between her old best friend and her new teammates takes a toll on Shade as she tries to forge her own path. So when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious circumstances, Shade is determined to get to the bottom of her death. Because she knows Jadis--and if her friend is responsible, doesn't that mean she is, too?
Review: For the most part I enjoyed this book. I liked The Heathers like nature of the read and it was an ok read. The book did well to world build and to character build. The plot was interesting and kept me hooked on the book until the end. I also liked the mystery of it.
However, the writing was weird and it felt so draining to read this book. It took a lot out of me to complete the book. There was also some queer baiting in my opinion as there’s multiple characters who are written in queer-coded language but aren’t queer in the book.
Verdict: It was ok, but I’m a bit off-put by it.
Book: The Falling Girls
Author: Hayley Krischer
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Diversity: f/f romance side characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, mystery, thriller, drama, Heathers like
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Genre: YA Mystery Thriller
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, death, gore, drug use and abuse, overdose TW)
Explanation of CWs: Drug use and abuse is shown in detail. There is an overdosing scene. There is also violence, death, and gore.
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Shade and Jadis are everything to each other. They share clothes, toothbrushes, and even matching stick-and-poke tattoos. So when Shade unexpectedly joins the cheerleading team, Jadis can hardly recognize who her best friend is becoming.
Shade loves the idea of falling into a group of girls; she loves the discipline it takes to push her body to the limits alongside these athletes . Most of all, Shade finds herself drawn to The Three Chloes--the insufferable trio that rules the squad--including the enigmatic cheer captain whose dark side is as compelling as it is alarming.
Jadis won't give Shade up so easily, though, and the pull between her old best friend and her new teammates takes a toll on Shade as she tries to forge her own path. So when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious circumstances, Shade is determined to get to the bottom of her death. Because she knows Jadis--and if her friend is responsible, doesn't that mean she is, too?
Review: For the most part I enjoyed this book. I liked The Heathers like nature of the read and it was an ok read. The book did well to world build and to character build. The plot was interesting and kept me hooked on the book until the end. I also liked the mystery of it.
However, the writing was weird and it felt so draining to read this book. It took a lot out of me to complete the book. There was also some queer baiting in my opinion as there’s multiple characters who are written in queer-coded language but aren’t queer in the book.
Verdict: It was ok, but I’m a bit off-put by it.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Disclaimer: I received this finished book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Bullet Train
Author: Kotaro Isaka
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Diversity: Japanese characters and setting
Recommended For...: mystery lovers, thriller, Japan based and characters
Publication Date: August 3, 2021
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Recommended Age: 16+ (Violence, gore, death)
Explanation of CWs: Lots of violence and gore. Some death.
Publisher: Abrams Publishing
Pages: 432
Synopsis: Nanao, nicknamed Lady Bird—the self-proclaimed “unluckiest assassin in the world”—boards a bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with one simple task: grab a suitcase and get off at the next stop. Unbeknownst to him, the deadly duo Tangerine and Lemon are also after the very same suitcase—and they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard. Satoshi, “the Prince,” with the looks of an innocent schoolboy and the mind of a viciously cunning psychopath, is also in the mix and has history with some of the others. Risk fuels him as does a good philosophical debate . . . like, is killing really wrong? Chasing the Prince is another assassin with a score to settle for the time the Prince casually pushed a young boy off of a roof, leaving him comatose.
When the five assassins discover they are all on the same train, they realize their missions are not as unrelated as they first appear.
When the five assassins discover they are all on the same train, they realize their missions are not as unrelated as they first appear.
Review: For the most part this was an ok book. I liked the way the book was written and it was a fun assassin novel. The book also had a good mix of comedy and action for me.
However, the plot failed to keep my interest throughout the book and it book reads as a first in a series of novels as it overexplains and goes into too much detail about the train and the characters on board.
Verdict: It’s good, just not for me.
adventurous
medium-paced
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Entrant: Antigravity Racing League
Author: Rock Forsberg
Book Series: The Entrant Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, science fiction, racing
Publication Date: September 28, 2021
Genre: YA Sci-fi
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence and some gore)
Explanation of CWs: Some violence and gore in the book.
Publisher: Spit City Publishing
Pages: 380
Synopsis: Galactic Racer by Day. Getaway Pilot by Night.
The ARL race craft run on sonic speeds just a few metres from the track and race massive rollercoaster circuits all across the galaxy. It is the biggest sport under the federation.
Zane Silvering, the son of an ARL legend, races in a local antigravity league and dreams of making it big in the galaxy.
On his eighteenth birthday, after being kicked out of his team, an ARL team offers him a position as a substitute of a substitute. Despite the warning signs, he seizes the opportunity, and boards a massive spaceship, the mobile base of a team competing for the galactic championship.
But the life of an ARL racer isn't as easy as he thought. The craft are raw and powerful, the competition relentless—also inside his team—and the game sometimes gets dirty. Just to get to race, he has to beat some of the galaxy's best racers.
And there's more to the team than racing: a group of them run secret missions for the enigmatic owner. Soon Zane works night-shift as their getaway pilot.
When the day and night jobs meet, he must step out of his father’s shadow, and race, not only for the glory, but for his life.
Review: For the most part, the book was pretty well done. The world building and the character development was good. The writing was well done. And I also was intrigued with the book from start to finish.
However, I did feel like there was a learning curve with this book. It felt like the author threw the reader in the book without explanation and expected the reader to pick up on things (I didn’t know what was going on for at least 10% of the book). The book also had a good plot, but it didn’t flow well and I felt like some of the pacing was off and slow in parts.
Verdict: It’s good!
Book: The Entrant: Antigravity Racing League
Author: Rock Forsberg
Book Series: The Entrant Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, science fiction, racing
Publication Date: September 28, 2021
Genre: YA Sci-fi
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence and some gore)
Explanation of CWs: Some violence and gore in the book.
Publisher: Spit City Publishing
Pages: 380
Synopsis: Galactic Racer by Day. Getaway Pilot by Night.
The ARL race craft run on sonic speeds just a few metres from the track and race massive rollercoaster circuits all across the galaxy. It is the biggest sport under the federation.
Zane Silvering, the son of an ARL legend, races in a local antigravity league and dreams of making it big in the galaxy.
On his eighteenth birthday, after being kicked out of his team, an ARL team offers him a position as a substitute of a substitute. Despite the warning signs, he seizes the opportunity, and boards a massive spaceship, the mobile base of a team competing for the galactic championship.
But the life of an ARL racer isn't as easy as he thought. The craft are raw and powerful, the competition relentless—also inside his team—and the game sometimes gets dirty. Just to get to race, he has to beat some of the galaxy's best racers.
And there's more to the team than racing: a group of them run secret missions for the enigmatic owner. Soon Zane works night-shift as their getaway pilot.
When the day and night jobs meet, he must step out of his father’s shadow, and race, not only for the glory, but for his life.
Review: For the most part, the book was pretty well done. The world building and the character development was good. The writing was well done. And I also was intrigued with the book from start to finish.
However, I did feel like there was a learning curve with this book. It felt like the author threw the reader in the book without explanation and expected the reader to pick up on things (I didn’t know what was going on for at least 10% of the book). The book also had a good plot, but it didn’t flow well and I felt like some of the pacing was off and slow in parts.
Verdict: It’s good!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Luminous
Author: Mara Rutherford
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, magic, witchy reads
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (animal death, animal gore, gore, violence, death, grief, parent death, slight romance)
Explanation of CWs: Animal death and gore shown and mentioned. Violence and gore throughout the book. Death and grief are prevalent themes. Slight romance.
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Liora has spent her life in hiding, knowing discovery could mean falling prey to the king's warlock, Darius, who uses mages' magic to grow his own power. But when her worst nightmare comes to pass, Darius doesn't take her. Instead, he demands that her younger sister return to the capital with him. To make matters worse, Evran, Liora's childhood friend and the only one who knows her secret, goes missing following Darius's visit, leaving her without anyone to turn to.
To find Evran and to save her sister, Liora must embrace the power she has always feared. But the greatest danger she'll face is yet to come, for Darius has plans in motion that will cause the world to fall into chaos--and Liora and Evran may be the only ones who can stop him.
Review: For the most part I enjoyed the book. It was really well done world building wise and I was fascinated by the plot of the book. I like witchy reads and this one was fairly average on the witchy scale. The book also had some good plot twists.
However, I felt like the book was weirdly written. The pacing was slow and the flow of the book was very off-kilter. The ending was rushed and the romance was kind of flat. There was very little character development in my opinion and they all just felt flat on the page.
Verdict: It was ok.
Book: Luminous
Author: Mara Rutherford
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, magic, witchy reads
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (animal death, animal gore, gore, violence, death, grief, parent death, slight romance)
Explanation of CWs: Animal death and gore shown and mentioned. Violence and gore throughout the book. Death and grief are prevalent themes. Slight romance.
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Liora has spent her life in hiding, knowing discovery could mean falling prey to the king's warlock, Darius, who uses mages' magic to grow his own power. But when her worst nightmare comes to pass, Darius doesn't take her. Instead, he demands that her younger sister return to the capital with him. To make matters worse, Evran, Liora's childhood friend and the only one who knows her secret, goes missing following Darius's visit, leaving her without anyone to turn to.
To find Evran and to save her sister, Liora must embrace the power she has always feared. But the greatest danger she'll face is yet to come, for Darius has plans in motion that will cause the world to fall into chaos--and Liora and Evran may be the only ones who can stop him.
Review: For the most part I enjoyed the book. It was really well done world building wise and I was fascinated by the plot of the book. I like witchy reads and this one was fairly average on the witchy scale. The book also had some good plot twists.
However, I felt like the book was weirdly written. The pacing was slow and the flow of the book was very off-kilter. The ending was rushed and the romance was kind of flat. There was very little character development in my opinion and they all just felt flat on the page.
Verdict: It was ok.
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Disclaimer: I received this finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: A Rugrats Chanukah
Author: Kim Smith
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Jewish story and characters
Recommended For...: picture book readers, people who want to learn about Chanukah/Hanukkah, Rugrats fans
Publication Date: September 28, 2021
Genre: Picture Book
Recommended Age: 0+
Explanation of CWs: 1 “meanie” of Chanukah and saving Grandpa
Publisher: Quirk Books
Pages: 40
Synopsis: In time for the Rugrats' 30th anniversary, the beloved Chanukah Special is now a delightful picture book for readers of all ages!
On the eighth night of Chanukah, Grandma Minka reads aloud a story about the meaning of the holiday to Tommy, Chuckie, Lil, Phil, and Angelica. The babies imagine themselves as the characters in the story, but then Grandma stops reading to make latkes, and the ending is left unknown.
Soon they’re all off to the synagogue, where Grandpa Boris is acting in the Chanukah play. The children, misunderstanding the phrase “the meaning of Chanukah,” believe that an actor in the play is the “meanie of Chanukah” and storm the stage to save Grandpa. How will the Rugrats get out of trouble this time? And will they ever learn the true meaning of Chanukah?
Review: Awwww this was such a sweet read! It’s absolutely cute and the perfect thing to show your children, even if you don’t celebrate Chanukah (traditional form of Hanukkah). I always loved the Rugrats, they show so many good things that children need to learn, and I love how they were the first tv show to celebrate Chanukah, so a book about Chanukah is perfect for every kid young and old to learn about the holiday and meaning of it.
Verdict: Absolutely wonderful, recommended reading.
Book: A Rugrats Chanukah
Author: Kim Smith
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Jewish story and characters
Recommended For...: picture book readers, people who want to learn about Chanukah/Hanukkah, Rugrats fans
Publication Date: September 28, 2021
Genre: Picture Book
Recommended Age: 0+
Explanation of CWs: 1 “meanie” of Chanukah and saving Grandpa
Publisher: Quirk Books
Pages: 40
Synopsis: In time for the Rugrats' 30th anniversary, the beloved Chanukah Special is now a delightful picture book for readers of all ages!
On the eighth night of Chanukah, Grandma Minka reads aloud a story about the meaning of the holiday to Tommy, Chuckie, Lil, Phil, and Angelica. The babies imagine themselves as the characters in the story, but then Grandma stops reading to make latkes, and the ending is left unknown.
Soon they’re all off to the synagogue, where Grandpa Boris is acting in the Chanukah play. The children, misunderstanding the phrase “the meaning of Chanukah,” believe that an actor in the play is the “meanie of Chanukah” and storm the stage to save Grandpa. How will the Rugrats get out of trouble this time? And will they ever learn the true meaning of Chanukah?
Review: Awwww this was such a sweet read! It’s absolutely cute and the perfect thing to show your children, even if you don’t celebrate Chanukah (traditional form of Hanukkah). I always loved the Rugrats, they show so many good things that children need to learn, and I love how they were the first tv show to celebrate Chanukah, so a book about Chanukah is perfect for every kid young and old to learn about the holiday and meaning of it.
Verdict: Absolutely wonderful, recommended reading.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Violets Are Blue
Author: Barbara Dee
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, contemporary
Publication Date: October 12, 2021
Genre: MG Contemporary
Recommended Age: 12+ (drug illusions, divorce, parents fighting, slight child neglect)
Explanation of CWs: Illusion to drug use shown. Parents fighting and slight child neglect also shown and mentioned.
Publisher: Aladdin
Pages: 304
Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Wren loves makeup—special effect makeup, to be exact. When she is experimenting with new looks, Wren can create a different version of herself. A girl who isn’t in a sort-of-best friendship with someone who seems like she hates her. A girl whose parents aren’t divorced and doesn’t have to learn to like her new stepmom.
So, when Wren and her mom move to a new town for a fresh start, she is cautiously optimistic. And things seem to fall into place when Wren meets potential friends and gets selected as the makeup artist for her school’s upcoming production of Wicked.
Only, Wren’s mom isn’t doing so well. She’s taking a lot of naps, starts snapping at Wren for no reason, and always seems to be sick. And what’s worse, Wren keeps getting hints that things aren’t going well at her new job at the hospital, where her mom is a nurse. And after an opening night disaster leads to a heartbreaking discovery, Wren realizes that her mother has a serious problem—a problem that can’t be wiped away or covered up.
After all the progress she’s made, can Wren start over again with her devastating new normal? And will she ever be able to heal the broken trust with her mom?
Review: I really liked this book for the most part. It was so cute and sweet. The book does well to show some very scary and adult situations that children might be facing in their own private home lives. The book did well with character development and world building. The book was also well plotted and I was intrigued from start to finish.
However, I did feel like the book didn’t show good methods for children to reach out to trusted adults to deal with big situations like the ones shown in the book.
Verdict: It was good, just wished it showed more
Book: Violets Are Blue
Author: Barbara Dee
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: middle grade readers, contemporary
Publication Date: October 12, 2021
Genre: MG Contemporary
Recommended Age: 12+ (drug illusions, divorce, parents fighting, slight child neglect)
Explanation of CWs: Illusion to drug use shown. Parents fighting and slight child neglect also shown and mentioned.
Publisher: Aladdin
Pages: 304
Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Wren loves makeup—special effect makeup, to be exact. When she is experimenting with new looks, Wren can create a different version of herself. A girl who isn’t in a sort-of-best friendship with someone who seems like she hates her. A girl whose parents aren’t divorced and doesn’t have to learn to like her new stepmom.
So, when Wren and her mom move to a new town for a fresh start, she is cautiously optimistic. And things seem to fall into place when Wren meets potential friends and gets selected as the makeup artist for her school’s upcoming production of Wicked.
Only, Wren’s mom isn’t doing so well. She’s taking a lot of naps, starts snapping at Wren for no reason, and always seems to be sick. And what’s worse, Wren keeps getting hints that things aren’t going well at her new job at the hospital, where her mom is a nurse. And after an opening night disaster leads to a heartbreaking discovery, Wren realizes that her mother has a serious problem—a problem that can’t be wiped away or covered up.
After all the progress she’s made, can Wren start over again with her devastating new normal? And will she ever be able to heal the broken trust with her mom?
Review: I really liked this book for the most part. It was so cute and sweet. The book does well to show some very scary and adult situations that children might be facing in their own private home lives. The book did well with character development and world building. The book was also well plotted and I was intrigued from start to finish.
However, I did feel like the book didn’t show good methods for children to reach out to trusted adults to deal with big situations like the ones shown in the book.
Verdict: It was good, just wished it showed more
adventurous
slow-paced
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: A Beast So Beautiful
Author: Carlyle Labuschagne
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: young adult readers, new adult readers, fantasy, retellings
Publication Date: April 20, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 14+ (violence, child abuse TW, romance, slight gore)
Explanation of CWs: A few instances of violence and gore. Child abuse is shown. There is some small romance scenes.
Publisher: CHBB Publishing
Pages: 177
Synopsis: A darkness falls over the land when the Queen of Rurith dies.
Consumed with grief, King Ivar blames their son, Prince Leif, for her demise, and locks him away in the castle.
The Prince is left in total despair, until a girl, with hair the colour of a red sunset and green eyes shows him mercy.
For six years she visits him in secret, giving him hope where none existed before.
But Ruith hides many treacherous things that threaten to bring the Kingdom to its knees.
Until the Prince and his beastly curse are released.
Consumed with grief, King Ivar blames their son, Prince Leif, for her demise, and locks him away in the castle.
The Prince is left in total despair, until a girl, with hair the colour of a red sunset and green eyes shows him mercy.
For six years she visits him in secret, giving him hope where none existed before.
But Ruith hides many treacherous things that threaten to bring the Kingdom to its knees.
Until the Prince and his beastly curse are released.
Review: This was an okay book. The world development was well done and for the most part the book was well plotted. It was intriguing for most of the book and I was intrigued by it.
However, I felt kinda underwhelmed by the book. The pacing was off, the book didn’t flow well, and it was kind of a choppy read. The book did a lot of telling and very little showing. The book is weirdly written and I just didn’t care about this book towards the end of it.
Verdict: It’s ok.