Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.51k reviews by:
popthebutterfly
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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 book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Sugar and Spite
Author: Gail D. Villanueva
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: one of the main characters has 2 moms, Filipino characters
Recommended For...: magical realism, mg, fantasy, contemporary, Filipino
Publication Date: April 20, 2021
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 12+ (bullying, internalized colorism, animal death, grief, some scary moments)
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 208
Synopsis: Jolina can't take Claudine's bullying any longer! The taunts and teasing are too much. Though Jolina knows she's still in-training to use her grandfather's arbularyo magic, she sneaks into his potions lab to get her revenge. Jolina brews a batch of gayuma, a powerful love potion.
And it works. The love potion conquers Claudine's hateful nature. In fact, Claudine doesn't just stop bullying Jolina -- now she wants to be Jolina's BFF, and does everything and anything Jolina asks.
But magic comes with a cost, and bad intentions beget bad returns. Controlling another person's ability to love -- or hate -- will certainly have consequences. The magic demands payment, and it is about to come for Jolina in the form of a powerful storm...
Magic and reality mingle in this brilliant new middle-grade novel by Gail D. Villanueva that asks whether it's ever okay to take away someone's free will.
Review: I really liked this book overall. The plot was well developed and the writing was amazing. I loved the back and forth between the characters and I loved their development. I also loved the story and the world building. I through the book also did well to show off the Filipino culture from what my limited knowledge is (and what other Filipino reviewers have said) and I overall really enjoyed this book.
The only thing that I was issue with was that the pacing was a little slow in some spots and it broke the pacing of my reading, but overall I really enjoyed this!
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Book: Sugar and Spite
Author: Gail D. Villanueva
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: one of the main characters has 2 moms, Filipino characters
Recommended For...: magical realism, mg, fantasy, contemporary, Filipino
Publication Date: April 20, 2021
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 12+ (bullying, internalized colorism, animal death, grief, some scary moments)
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 208
Synopsis: Jolina can't take Claudine's bullying any longer! The taunts and teasing are too much. Though Jolina knows she's still in-training to use her grandfather's arbularyo magic, she sneaks into his potions lab to get her revenge. Jolina brews a batch of gayuma, a powerful love potion.
And it works. The love potion conquers Claudine's hateful nature. In fact, Claudine doesn't just stop bullying Jolina -- now she wants to be Jolina's BFF, and does everything and anything Jolina asks.
But magic comes with a cost, and bad intentions beget bad returns. Controlling another person's ability to love -- or hate -- will certainly have consequences. The magic demands payment, and it is about to come for Jolina in the form of a powerful storm...
Magic and reality mingle in this brilliant new middle-grade novel by Gail D. Villanueva that asks whether it's ever okay to take away someone's free will.
Review: I really liked this book overall. The plot was well developed and the writing was amazing. I loved the back and forth between the characters and I loved their development. I also loved the story and the world building. I through the book also did well to show off the Filipino culture from what my limited knowledge is (and what other Filipino reviewers have said) and I overall really enjoyed this book.
The only thing that I was issue with was that the pacing was a little slow in some spots and it broke the pacing of my reading, but overall I really enjoyed this!
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying
Moderate: Grief
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-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 from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: In Deeper Waters
Author: F.T. Lukens
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: bisexual main character, m/m romance, depression character rep, POC characters
Recommended For...: pirate fans, ya readers, fantasy lovers, history readers, romance lovers, LGBT readers
Publication Date: April 20, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy Historical Romance
Recommended Age: 14+ (gore, violence, death, panic attacks TW)
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Prince Tal has long awaited his coming-of-age tour. After spending most of his life cloistered behind palace walls as he learns to keep his forbidden magic secret, he can finally see his family’s kingdom for the first time. His first taste of adventure comes just two days into the journey, when their crew discovers a mysterious prisoner on a burning derelict vessel.
Tasked with watching over the prisoner, Tal is surprised to feel an intense connection with the roguish Athlen. So when Athlen leaps overboard and disappears, Tal feels responsible and heartbroken, knowing Athlen could not have survived in the open ocean.
That is, until Tal runs into Athlen days later on dry land, very much alive, and as charming—and secretive—as ever. But before they can pursue anything further, Tal is kidnapped by pirates and held ransom in a plot to reveal his rumored powers and instigate a war. Tal must escape if he hopes to save his family and the kingdom. And Athlen might just be his only hope…
Tasked with watching over the prisoner, Tal is surprised to feel an intense connection with the roguish Athlen. So when Athlen leaps overboard and disappears, Tal feels responsible and heartbroken, knowing Athlen could not have survived in the open ocean.
That is, until Tal runs into Athlen days later on dry land, very much alive, and as charming—and secretive—as ever. But before they can pursue anything further, Tal is kidnapped by pirates and held ransom in a plot to reveal his rumored powers and instigate a war. Tal must escape if he hopes to save his family and the kingdom. And Athlen might just be his only hope…
Review: This is the type of book I’ll read over and over again. I absolutely loved the story (I’m really into tour/sea-faring stories) and the plot. The characters are what really make this book though and I loved how cute it was in regards to the romance. The world building was also amazingly well done and I am definitely rereading this in the future.
The only issue I had was that the romance kind of took the primary role in some parts of the book where I wanted it to the on the backburner, but it was amazing overall.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
sad
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:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Dark Lord Clementine
Author: Sarah Jean Horwitz
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: MG readers, fantasy lovers
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some dark moments, curses, slight violence and gore)
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Dastardly deeds aren’t exactly the first things that come to mind when one hears the name “Clementine,” but as the sole heir of the infamous Dark Lord Elithor, twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous has been groomed since birth to be the best (worst?) Evil Overlord she can be. But everything changes the day the Dark Lord Elithor is cursed by a mysterious rival.
Now, Clementine must not only search for a way to break the curse, but also take on the full responsibilities of the Dark Lord. As Clementine forms her first friendships, discovers more about her own magic than she ever dared to explore, and is called upon to break her father’s code of good and evil, she starts to question the very life she’s been fighting for. What if the Dark Lord Clementine doesn’t want to be dark after all?
Review: Overall, I really liked it! I was a bit of an emo child growing up and I loved the middle grade emo feel of this book. The narration and the characters were great, the development was awesome, and I loved the world building. The narration is what really sets this book apart from other middle grade I’ve read recently. It really sounds like a kid talking to another kid. The book also had a solid plot.
The only issue I had is that the book was a bit slow in parts, but other than that I loved this book!
Verdict: Loved this story!
Book: The Dark Lord Clementine
Author: Sarah Jean Horwitz
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: MG readers, fantasy lovers
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some dark moments, curses, slight violence and gore)
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Dastardly deeds aren’t exactly the first things that come to mind when one hears the name “Clementine,” but as the sole heir of the infamous Dark Lord Elithor, twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous has been groomed since birth to be the best (worst?) Evil Overlord she can be. But everything changes the day the Dark Lord Elithor is cursed by a mysterious rival.
Now, Clementine must not only search for a way to break the curse, but also take on the full responsibilities of the Dark Lord. As Clementine forms her first friendships, discovers more about her own magic than she ever dared to explore, and is called upon to break her father’s code of good and evil, she starts to question the very life she’s been fighting for. What if the Dark Lord Clementine doesn’t want to be dark after all?
Review: Overall, I really liked it! I was a bit of an emo child growing up and I loved the middle grade emo feel of this book. The narration and the characters were great, the development was awesome, and I loved the world building. The narration is what really sets this book apart from other middle grade I’ve read recently. It really sounds like a kid talking to another kid. The book also had a solid plot.
The only issue I had is that the book was a bit slow in parts, but other than that I loved this book!
Verdict: Loved this story!
