Book reviews for the young and the old. This site reviews children, teen, and adult books with a few interesting things thrown into the mix. Check out the labels on the right hand side for specific genres or topics.
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Punching Bag by Rex Ogle
Monday, November 21, 2022
A Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Novel in Verse
Source: I purchased a copy
This is one of those books that grabs you in the beginning and won't let go. Will is outside his apartment with his best friend when a shooting occurs. From the time he was young, he has been taught what to do. If you hear shots, you "eat the pavement." After a few minutes, he stands up to see who the unlucky person is, only to discover it is his brother. Another thing he is taught is you never cry. He takes his mother back inside, where she numbs herself the way she always does. Finally, he goes to the room he shared with his brother. He looks through his brother's drawer until he finds the gun his brother has. He slides it under his pillow. The third rule of the code he has grown up with is you kill the person who killed your loved one. The next morning Will puts the gun in the back of his pants and gets on the elevator to take care of business. When the elevator stops on each floor, someone from his past gets on and talks with him, his uncle, his dad, and others. They each have advice for him. All of these are people who have died. The question we read to find an answer to is, on this long way down, would he listen to them?
My heart broke for the character losing his brother the way he did. It broke even more, knowing that so many young people live this very life. I had a student many years ago who told me he had not done his homework because they had several drive-by shootings that night. He said his biggest fear was getting struck by a bullet while sitting in his room. This is a quick read since it is written in verse. I am not sure how I feel about the ending. If you want to know what I am referring to you need to read the book.
Saturday, November 5, 2022
The Lonely Dead by April Henry
Adele is a young girl who lives with her grandfather. Both of her parents are dead. When she was young her grandfather took her to a psychiatrist who diagnosed her with schizophrenia. They determined it ran in the family. But what if it isn't schizophrenia? What if her ability to see and speak to the dead is real. She has taken medication for years to keep her from seeing and hearing the dead. All it took was for her to miss one dose and realize how much of life she has missed out on for her to make a conscious decision to not take any more.
Adele is invited by her former best friend to a party at her house. After a few drinks that lead to a mistake she can't take back, she is ousted from her friend's house in front of everyone at the party. It isn't until she is walking home through the park that she comes across her friend. The problem is that her friend is dead. Now Adele has become the prime suspect and possibly the target of the real killer.
The characters were spot on. You have Adele who has gone through a lot of hardships. Then you have her ex-best friend Tori who has issues of her own. All of the characters are believable. April Henry did such a wonderful job of creating her setting I could see it in my head. What I like most is the tension she creates in her novels. It steadily builds. It eases up just a bit then full steam ahead again. There are so many more of her books for me to read. I just have to get them away from my students. It seems that once you talk up any of her books the kids can't keep their hands off of them. I highly recommend this and all of her books.
Monday, October 10, 2022
Exalted by Kandi J. Wyatt
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: I received a copy to
facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
COMING NOVEMBER 1, 2022
Exalted is the third
book in the Four Stars Over Ardatz series. In book one, Uprooted,
we meet Hest, an orphan stable boy who believes he is sold into slavery. He
learns that the money paid to his employer was compensation for the lost wages
she would earn from his services. In the
second book, Blessed, we find Hest has been elevated to the highest
position in the kingdom. In this third book, Exalted, we find Hest
riddled with nightmares. Having killed
the father of his enemy the son seeks revenge. He wants nothing less than to
destroy the King, but not before the King watches everything and everyone he
loves destroyed.
If you are
unfamiliar with Kandi’s books, let me tell you that she creates fantasies that feature
dragons in a way you would not believe. She is a true artist. You feel at one with the dragon’s she
creates. They are so realistic they seem almost human. The bond she creates
between the dragon in the book and the King is a bond that is so strong that it
has the power to destroy them both, or bring them victory. You will need to
read this book. Kandi has created a glossary of words in the back for the
specific vocabulary her characters speak. She has created worlds so realistic
you feel you are there with the characters. I have loved all of her books.
However, I believe she has gone over the moon in the writing of this series.
There are five more books planned in this series and I can’t wait to read them
all.
If you want to
learn more about Kandi J. Wyatt then visit her website at https://kandijwyatt.com/
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Perchance to Dream by Tamara Belko
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic
Fiction
Source: I won a copy from
LibraryThing. The opinions here are my own.
I read this book in a little under two hours. This is a
story of characters who are broken. How can one broken person help another? We
have four characters here who are working through some major issues. Grace has
lost her mother to cancer. She is losing her father to alcohol, and she lost
herself when she died. Xander lost himself and his music due to Becca, a very
broken girlfriend. Mrs. Carter is broken, but few people know this. Music ties
Xander, Grace and her father together. They say that music is healing and in
this case it seems to be.
I grew up in a house of music. It has always been my go to
when I was down or faced with a problem. It is what centered me during my
trying physical therapy after double knee replacement. Unfortunately, I had a
lot in common with Grace. Often kids aren’t willing to talk about cutting. When
they talk with me and find out I truly do understand a door is open. This is a
book I will definitely put on my shelves. It is very powerful. I don’t know who
might need this book, but I thank the author for creating something so pure and
raw. I highly recommend this gut wrenching, honest look at brokenness and
healing.
Saturday, July 16, 2022
Child of Etherclaw by Matty Roberts
From the very first page of this book the reader is taken on a Science Fiction ride where the action is non-stop. The author has created a very realistic world where society lives on the fringes. Only those in New Cascadia who work for the major company, controlled by a "religion" live a good life. Fenlee and her brother Elliott live on the bottom tier of New Cascadia. Fenlee is pretty much raising her brother as their father is away for work. I mean away as in somewhere in space. The lives of Fenlee and hear two best friends are put in danger the day Eliott is kidnapped.
Fenlee learns just how corrupt the government is, and it is so much worse than she ever imagined. I was hooked from page one. The world building is so realistic I was drawn in and felt the fear, anger and range of emotions that Fenleed and the other characters felt. The book ended in a way that was nice and tidy. However, I am hoping that there will be a sequel as there were a couple of things that were not tied up a neatly as I would have like. This is definitely a book I want to put in the hands of my students.
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Blessed by Kandi J. Wyatt
I absolutely love the character of Hest. He is honest, yet we see his fear. He is a loyal friend. I love the other characters as well. They are flawed yet well developed. I would never want to read a book where all the characters are perfect. Even in fantasy we want to feel some realism. As I have said before about Kandi's books, her world building is out of this world. I felt I was in this world. I could visualize it. I love her writing about dragons. There is something both beautiful yet terrifying about them. She makes them seem so realistic.
I have not yet figured out how she creates her own languages for her characters. My most favorite thing about her books is that she brings her faith into it, yet is is not done in a way that is preachy at all. I have not found any of her books that I have not liked. She is a very talented author.
Sunday, June 12, 2022
The Girl in the White Van by April Henry
I absolutely love this author’s books. She takes young people and puts them in
situations that are a nightmare in themselves.
Savannah is a young girl who is kidnapped. She is taken out to an old
trailer where she finds Jenny. She is another kidnap victim and has been held
for ten months. Savannah and Jenny are completely different. Savannah takes
Kung Fu and so she fights back. Jenny
seems to have just given up until she meets Savannah. As they try to escape knowing the danger the
tension is brought to a whole new level. Just like in her book, “The Night She
Disappeared” the author has given us a character in Savannah that is willing to
fight back. This action keeps the story moving forward. I love how her
characters are strong girls, or girls who find the strength to do what they
didn’t know they could do. I had to wait until the summer to read this because
my students handed it from one to the other.
I can make sure to get this book into the hands of my students.
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward
Source: I purchased a copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This was one of the stranger books I have read. I had actually started it last year and never finished it. Today was as good as any day to finish it. Eliza is not very out-going. She and two of her friends go down near the swamp. When her friends leave her to take a picture outside a cave she walks on. Suddenly she finds herself falling through the earth. Eliza is found by a group of people who have fallen down as well. They’ve not been able to find a way out so they have formed a colony.
Eliza learns many things about herself while she is underground. She learns to be more assertive. She learns what true friends are. The friends she had on the surface were not true friends. She learns you can’t just sit back and wait when things take a wrong or bad turn. Sometimes you have to step up and go for what you want or what you know you should do.
For me I felt the ending needed a
bit more. It was like watching a movie build up to the end and then you want to
know what happened next, but never find out.
I will still recommend this book to my students and others who like
adventures and young adult books.
Friday, June 10, 2022
The Lake Never Tells by Alex Tully
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
My Name is Layla by Reyna Marder Gentin
Saturday, May 28, 2022
In A Dark, Dark Wood by Cece Louise
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery
Source: I received a copy from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I had a conversation with two colleagues on the last day of
school. All three of us were discussing the types of books we like to read and
our choices for the summer. None of us like gushy romance. What I read in Cece
Louise’s book, In A Dark, Dark Wood is the exact type of book I will
recommend to them. Calia is trying to save her sisters. She goes to the castle
hoping to secure employment for herself and her sisters. Instead she concocts a
plan that will secure her sister’s well-being, free her brother from a prisoner
ship and solve an issue for the King and Queen. Since she resembles their
missing daughter, she will go to Ebonwood to marry the prince in their daughter’s
place. This is important since their kingdom is on the edge of ruin.
Calia
is not exactly welcomed by the Prince. At first he come off as very
cynical. As I read further into his
story I realized the effect abusive words and betrayal had on him. It is Calia,
a survivor who has the ability to change all of that. She is willing to
sacrifice everything, including herself for her siblings. How far will she go
to help this prince she is slowly falling in love with?
This
book had it all for me. A touch of romance that builds slowly and is not shoved
in your face. A mystery that must be solve. Since I had not read this author
before I was surprised by how well written the mystery is. I was completely
blindsided. I loved the darkness of this book. To me there is a difference
between downright evil feeling darkness in a book and mysterious, murderous
darkness. This had that dark gothic feel that I love. Can’t wait to share this with my two friends.
I love this author enough I have purchased the first three books in this series
to read.
Sunday, February 6, 2022
Uprooted by Kandi J. Wyatt
As always Kandi Wyatt has created a series you have to read.
Once I started the book I could not put it down. As I have said before, her
world building is so realistic you find yourself along for the ride with the
characters. She has created a world
where some lands are in almost total darkness, while some lands have too much
light. This creates a unique problem
that kids who have taken science will understand. Without light you can’t grow
products to help you life. On the other hand if you have too much light you
have the same issue. She has created these worlds and the people who inhabit them
with such skill.
Hest, the main character lives in a land where very little
grows. He has never seen a tree. Any wood they have must be imported so it is
limited. His parents are dead so he works
for a woman who runs the tavern. He has feelings for her daughter and her son
is like a little brother to him. He is in charge of the stables and beyond good with horses. One day a man shows up with
a magnificent horse. Hest doesn’t get off to a very good start with him. The
next day as the man prepares to leave he finds Hest working his horse. It is
through this activity a life changing decision is made for Hest. He sees the
man hand a bag of money to the woman who has been like a mother to him since
his own died. He believes he has been sold.
He goes with the man. It is along
this trip he learns he is not a slave but something more.
Hest grew as a character and a man throughout this
story. However, knowing this is a new
series I know there is so much more to learn about this character. He proves
his loyalty not only to the people of the new land he now belongs to but also
to a dragon. Yes! I knew the master storyteller of dragons
would have to place one somewhere. At least I hoped she would. I can not wait to read the next book and
learn more about this new world she has built. I do hope I left enough teasers
here to make you order your copy today. You won’t regret it.
Sunday, January 23, 2022
The Robber Girl by Franny Billingsley
Genre: Middle Grades, Young Adult, Adult, Fantasy
Source: I purchased a copy
Sunday, January 9, 2022
The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry
Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Mystery
Source: My own shelves
I absolutely love April Henry's books. In this book the first chapter grabs you and reels you in. A young girl comes to unsure where she is, who she is or what has happened. The only thing she knows for sure is she just overheard two men talking about how she knows nothing and they need to kill her. From here on out the story unfolds in layers. From her escape at the beginning of the story to finally remembering who she is, what happened to her, and finally to its awesome ending, this book will keep you sitting on the edge of your seat. I read it in about three hours. I knew there was no way I could not finish the book. This has been on my shelves at school and many of my students have read it. The only reason I finally got my hands on it was it was turned back in and I immediately put it in my own bag to read. I highly recommend this book. The events are so realistic I found myself worried for the main character. The reader finds themselves identifying with the character and wondering what they would do in a situation like that. Go ahead start with this one and see if you don't have to read her other books.
Sunday, December 12, 2021
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
I am reviewing a book on here because I have read it in three different languages and I am once again sharing it with my students. It is one of my all-time favorite books. I first read this book in my French class in my freshman year of high school. We moved to Florida the next year and I read it in my Spanish class. I read it the next year in English.
No story has stood the test of time and is still as relevant today as it was when first written. This is a story of a little prince who leaves his planet, (an asteroid) and visits several other asteroids before finally landing on earth. What he learns from each of the men on those other asteroids is relevant today. We hear the phrase from each of the men on the planets he visits say they are concerned "with matters of consequence". What is important is the question the prince must ask himself about what is important. He sees these adults as self-consumed and concerned with things that are vain and empty. It was important for me to share this wonderful book with my students, since these are things that must be discussed today. A wonderful allegorical book that is full of wisdom. This book should be required reading in every middle or high school. There are so many lessons to be learned throughout the book. It is told in a manner that may be a little difficult to understand. This is great because it makes such wonderful discussions in the class.
You may be wondering why I am speaking of this as a book for the classroom. To be clear, my blog was started years ago when I came to my current school. My husband suggested since I was teaching reading and students who were learning English at different levels that maybe I should start a blog where I talk about books. My students didn't seem to know how to find a good book. They were poor readers and so it was too much effort to try to sort that all out. My students AND parents are given my website and blog address at the beginning of the year. This way they can look for books for their children. So when I find a book this important for my students I believe it is just as important for the general public. So I offer this review with no apologies.
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Beyond Invisible by Marjorie Jackson
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own
Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction
Every now and then a book comes along at the perfect time. This is the sequel to the book "Being is Better". In the second book Missy is still trying to help her mother put her life back together. She is also crushing on her best friend's brother. Her best friend Amber is still fighting to get her seizures under control. Both of them have entered high school. Missy is once again "strongly encouraged" to visit her father. She agrees to do this only if her best friend Amber can come with her. Her father agrees. Things are very tense between Missy and her father. Amber is there to help Missy keep her cool. This is especially important when they meet someone very important to her father; his girl friend. While visiting her father they walk around town and stop into a yogurt shop. It is here that Amber meets the boy of her dreams, "Dev".
From this point forward you know as you read that things aren't quite what they seem. Missy is still trying to find out what argument her brother Frankie had with her dad. This is the argument that sent her brother off into the military where he was killed. Maybe with Amber, and her brother Mase's help they can solve this puzzle and figure where all of the other characters fit in.
This is a book of hope. We get a look at Missy's father and what a first class jerk he is. For kids who have gone through a family divorce and their life has been turned upside down, it shows them there can be a silver lining for them. I am thrilled to put these two books on my shelves. May it reach out and touch so many lives.
Saturday, November 6, 2021
Being is Better by Marjorie Jackson
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction
Source: I received a copy to review
I absolutely loved this book. The author has done a wonderful job of telling a story in alternating points of view. Not only will I put this book on my shelves at school, but will also use is to teach POV in a story. This author created two separate stories that merge into one. Amber suffers from seizures. No one wants to be friends with her so she remains invisible. Missy comes from a very dysfunctional family after the loss of her brother. She too has been invisible for so long. Her solution is to change herself to make herself noticed. Unfortunately she attacks the wrong type of friends. Things change when the two meet and start talking. Friendship can heal so many hurts. I have a sister and a niece who both suffer from the way Amber does. I could sympathize with her family. I have seen Missy's situation in the lives of so many of my students. Not all of them turn out the way Missy's does. This is a book of raw pain, hope, and true friendship. I am looking forward to reading the second book "Beyond Invisible" which comes out just a couple of days before Thanksgiving. This is a definite must-read book.
Sunday, October 24, 2021
The Grim Fugue by Alfred M. Struthers
Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Mystery
Source: I reviewed a beta copy and purchased a copy.
I have loved all of the
books in this series. This one was by
far my favorite. First, I have to say that the story took the suspense and fear
to a whole new level. I felt fear for Nathan and Gina. In this book we learn
something new and surprising about Nathan’s father. I loved the science aspect
included in this book. We also find out something new about Jameson and why he
is so passionate about this. In this book we are introduced to a new character
named Burk. Loved his character and hope to see more of him in the future. I
loved the way the author tied up one part of the mystery only to open the door
to another part. I think the level of writing was stronger in this book. What I
mean is that there was more conflict that kept moving the story forward. I
would just catch my breath and then was hit with another wave of suspense. I feel
I know Nathan well enough that I knew he would respond in a way that made me
even more nervous for Nathan. There is so much history here as well as
science. It is obvious that the author did a lot of research. I absolutely love when I read a book that is
so well written that I can’t put it down. I also love a book where I learn
something new. This author has a
tendency to do this with all of his books. It is such a loved series I have students
fight over his books in my classroom. I recommend this book to everyone I can.
Saturday, July 3, 2021
Hey, Kiddo by Jarret J. Krosoczka
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic,
Biography
Source: I purchased a copy
This was a tough book to read as I lost my niece to heroin a year ago. She left behind four kids. This is a book I want my nephews to read and later their sisters. My sister did her best to raise the kids but had her own issues. They were eventually put in foster care until other arrangements could be made. I think they will be able to identify quite a bit with the author and I believe it may actually show them that no matter what happens in your past, you can always move ahead in life. This is a book I will definitely recommend to my students. As a teacher I hear stories from my students like this all the time. I am so happy the author decided to share his story and how his past shaped his present. This is such an important message.