All posts by Kasey

About Kasey

Reads things. Writes things. Fluent in sarcasm. Willful optimist. Cat companion, chocolate connoisseur, coffee drinker. There are some who call me Mom.

Rockstar Book Tours Review: The Legendary Mo Seto by A. Y. Chan

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, , , , , ,
Rockstar Blog Tours Presents The Legendary Mo Seto by A. Y. Chan

The Legendary Mo Seto
A. Y. Chan
Publisher
Published June 4, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Legendary Mo Seto

A fast-paced, high-kicking debut that’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets Stand Up, Yumi Chung as a young taekwondo artist uses an ancient book to help save her dreams—and her father.

Twelve-year-old Modesty “Mo” Seto dreams of being a taekwondo champion. Even though her mom disapproves, Mo can always count on her dad, who is her number one fan and biggest supporter. Lately, Mo has been on a losing streak, and it doesn’t help that she keeps losing to her archnemesis, Dax, who’s much bigger than her. If only she were faster, stronger, not so petite. Mo can’t even lean on her dad like usual with how distracted he’s been lately.

When Mo learns about the chance to audition to star alongside her idol and legendary martial artist and movie star Cody Kwok, she knows this her chance to prove to her dad, to the world, and to herself that she can compete with anyone, no matter her size. Unfortunately, Dax is auditioning, too. As Mo and her nemesis progress to callbacks, someone attempts to sabotage the movie set and Mo’s dad disappears—and both events seem linked to a mysterious book, the Book of Joy.

The book contains information on a secret dance-like martial art developed by Mo’s ancestral grandmother. Armed with these powerful moves and an unexpected ally, Mo embarks on a high-octane adventure to rescue her father, save the movie, and discover an unexpected joy in being small.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

My Review

Reading this book took me back to watching Jackie Chan movies back in the day. I loved the energy of the scenes showing martial arts sparring or competition. Mo is a great character, too. She has goofy, awkward moments, but she is also incredibly sincere and passionate about everything she does.

I liked the relationship she has with her mom. Really, she struggles to understand both of her parents and believes they don’t see her for who she is or don’t value her for the things about herself that she cherishes. As the story progresses, Mo’s understanding of her parents changes, and she begins to see them in different ways.

Her relationships with others evolve as well. Mo and Nacho cling to their close friendship even as sparks begin to fly between them. There are hints at a possible romance, but their feelings remain on the sidelines as Mo deals with more urgent problems like her missing dad and the audition sabotages.

This story has a lot of pep in its pages, making it a lot of fun to read. I think readers who enjoy books about martial arts, movie auditions, or exploring relationships with family and close friends will find lots of reasons to love this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Mo and her family are Chinese American. There are other characters whose families are from other parts of Asia.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Mo and another character seem attracted to one another.

Spiritual Content
Mo begins to learn moves for a secret form of martial arts. When she executes the moves, she feels happy inside.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some scenes show Mo sparring with opponents. Someone sabotages the movie auditions in increasingly dangerous ways. Two people kidnap others. Mo fights people dressed in black.

Drug Content
None.

About A. Y. Chan

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

A. Y. Chan grew up in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area reading all the middle grade and young adult books she could get her hands on. To this day, those remain her favorite genres. After achieving her black belt in Taekwondo, she explored other martial arts, such as Wing Chun, Hapkido, and Muay Thai. These days, she continues her martial arts training some mornings, writes in the afternoons, takes long walks to muddle out plot points, and falls asleep reading.

Enter for a Chance to Win a Free Copy of The Legendary Mo Seto by A. Y. Chan

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: A Magic Fierce and Bright by Hemant Nayat

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

A Magic Fierce and Bright
Hemant Nayat
Simon & Schuster
Published July 9, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Magic Fierce and Bright

A young technomancer teams up with a handsome thief to save her sister in this propulsive, magic-filled young adult fantasy that is perfect for fans of Gearbreakers and Iron Widow.

Adya wants nothing more than to be left alone. Content to be loyal to no one but herself in the isolated jungles of South India, she dreams only of finding her lost sister, Priya, and making enough money to take care of their family. It’s too bad that her rare ability to wake electric machines—using the magic that wiped them out five centuries ago—also makes her a coveted political pawn. Everyone seems to believe that her technomancy can help them win the endless war for control over the magic’s supernatural source.

These senseless power struggles mean little to Adya. But when her enemies dangle news of her sister before her, she’s all too quick to leap at the chance to bring Priya home—even if it means teaming up with a rakish, disreputable thief in order to do it. With the threat of invasion looming ever larger on the horizon, Adya must reconcile the kind of person she is with the kind of person she wants to be and untangle the web of intrigue, conspiracy, and deceit that threatens to take all of India down with it.

My Review

Once in a while I read a debut novel and come away from it knowing I’ll happily read whatever the author writes next. A Magic Fierce and Bright is one of those debuts.

The story has so many incredible elements. First, I love the unusual magic of the technomancers. In this book, machines have souls, and Adya can sense them. They communicate with her, too. Honestly, there’s one motorcycle that’s quite possibly my favorite character in the whole book. It’s got a great personality and hilarious insults.

I’m also a huge fan of sister stories, so Adya’s quest to find her missing sister absolutely resonated with me. Her relationship with her overly optimistic younger brother is so sweet, and her antagonistic relationship with Dsouza, the boy she refers to as Bad Day made me laugh. (And maybe swoon, a little bit.)

I devoured chapter after chapter of this book, getting lost in its dense jungle and magic-soaked cities. It’s a fantastic adventure with a sliver of romance. I have no idea if it’s a standalone or the beginning of a series, but I will eagerly watch for the next book by this author.

Fans of Flower and Thorn by Rati Mehrotra or The Star-touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi will not want to miss this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Most characters are Indian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
A brief kiss between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Adya prays to focus her magic. She encounters the spirits of different machines and can repair them using magic. Other kinds of magic exist in India, too. Adya’s mother believed combining them could be incredibly powerful, but Adya believes it’s what got her killed.

The story contains other fantasy characters and creatures like giants, elves, werewolves, and vampires.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to torture. A group of mercenaries burn a home to the ground with a woman trapped inside. A powerful gangster executes people who displease him in a cage into which he lowers a spiked platform.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Ballad of Darcy and Russell by Morgan Matson

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

The Ballad of Darcy and Russell
Morgan Matson
Simon & Schuster
Published May 7, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Ballad of Darcy and Russell

Darcy believes in love at first sight. Even though it’s never happened to her, she’s spent her whole life waiting for that magical moment, hoping that when she meets the right guy, everything will fall into place perfectly.

But right now, her life is anything but perfect. Heading home from a music festival, engine trouble means she’s stranded at a Nevada bus station until morning. Even worse, it’s the day before she leaves for college, her phone is dead, and she has no cash. Darcy’s convinced nothing good can come of this night…but then she meets Russell. Cute, nice, funny, and kind, this is the guy—and the moment—she’s been waiting for. As they walk and talk, the two connect, and Darcy is able to put aside all her fears and doubts about the future to focus on this perfect guy.

Over the course of one fateful night, Darcy and Russell discover things they never imagined about each other and themselves. But can you really know someone after only a handful of hours? Is it possible to fall in love in less than day? Before they part, both their lives will be changed, and Darcy and Russell will have to decide if it’s worth saying hello when you know you’re destined for a goodbye.

My Review

Until this book, I’d never read anything by Morgan Matson, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The swoony storytelling reminds me a bit of Kasie West, but with a little bit more physical romance. The Ballad of Darcy and Russell features big, blended families and complicated relationships with parents as Darcy and Russell transition from high school to college.

The only part that really gave me pause in the story is near the beginning, when Darcy and Russell meet and leave the bus station together to look for a phone charger. If Darcy were my friend, I would have encouraged her not to leave the bus station with someone she’d never met, especially if she didn’t have the ability to use her cell phone. At first, I thought they left the bus station at night, but then I think it turned out to be late afternoon.

I wanted to enjoy the romance blossoming between Darcy and Russell, so I put all that aside as the story progressed. Their exchanges over puns and fun facts were cute and highlighted their well-suited relationship. The information reveals happened at great moments, and Darcy’s reaction made a lot of sense. Her response to unexpectedly meeting a large group of people made sense, too.

The descriptions of everyone hanging out together and the ease between them despite the nature of some of their relationships felt genuine. It made me want to hang out with a group like that. Those scenes really captured how inviting that crew was and how much Darcy longed for connections, even if she didn’t recognize it at first.

All in all, this was a fun summer romance. It’s exactly right for a beach or poolside afternoon.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
A few minor characters are BIPOC. Two girls (minor characters) are in a relationship. Lots of sets of twins mentioned or appearing in the book.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A small number of F-bombs scattered throughout. No other swearing.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. A couple swims in their underwear and kisses. One scene shows a couple tumble into bed and then fades to black after clarifying that each partner checks in with the other and makes sure they’re okay at every phase of the encounter.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to a bus station in Vegas at night not being the safest place for a girl traveling alone.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: A Whisper of Curses by J. Elle

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , ,

A Whisper of Curses (Park Row Magic Academy #2)
J. Elle
Bloomsbury
Published July 9, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Whisper of Curses

New York Times bestselling author J. Elle continues her magical middle grade series with our favorite witches from Park Row Magick Academy!

While the new Magick Academy is under construction, an invitation to Retreat Week arrives! Before the students leave Park Row, Kyana is grabbed by an Available and, even after she slips from the spirit’s grasp, can’t stop either laughing or crying. Ashley thinks whatever it is, Dr. Minzy, a famous teacher at the retreat, will know what to do. But when the portal to the retreat suddenly dissolves, trapping everyone, Ash Availables are involved. With Kyana acting weird and Russ live-casting everything to the MagickWorld, Ash must say something to the directors (even though she isn’t sure she’s right) or mind her business and trust that Dr. Minzy will fix it?

In this adventurous sequel to A Taste of Magic, can Ashely, Kyana, and Russ figure out what the spirits are up to and save the day?

My Review

I loved getting to visit this magic-infused world again. In the first book in the Park Row Magic Academy series, Kyana has only just discovered she’s a witch with access to a whole hidden world of magic. She enters a baking competition to try to help save her magic school.

Because baking and food featured so prominently in the first book, I expected to see some food or baking in the second book. There is some focus on food, but not baking, like in the first book. What’s really interesting is the way that different foods impact characters and events in the book. I thought the author’s use of them was pretty clever.

I also enjoyed the theme about leadership and what makes a good leader. Several characters position themselves as leaders, from a leading researcher to a camp director to Kyana’s role in student leadership at her magic school. As Kyana tries to figure out how to lead effectively, she learns surprising lessons about effective leadership from the people around her and her own experience.

The chapters alternate between Kyana and Ashley’s points of view. I liked getting to know both girls more and seeing what was happening in their minds as they tackled different problems and sometimes had different ideas about how to help each other.

On the whole, this is an excellent addition to a fun series. I’m excited to see where J. Elle takes the story and these characters next!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Kyana is Black. Ashley is Latine. One minor character wears a hijab.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Characters can perform magic and travel through portals to other realms. Some characters are not human but magical individuals called Availables who have different abilities than humans.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Someone grabs and holds characters with the intent to harm them.

Drug Content
Potions and charms have the ability to impact people around them. For example, a sleep potion makes someone go to sleep.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs posting about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: It’s Only a Game by Kelsey Yu

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s Only a Game
Kelsey Yu
Bloomsbury YA
Published July 9, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About It’s Only a Game

In this twisty, fast-paced YA thriller, a dangerous game becomes all too real when Marina and her friends are framed for murder.

When Marina Chan ran from her old life, she brought nothing with her-not even her real name. Now she lives in fear of her past being discovered. But when her online gaming team is offered a tour of their favorite game company, Marina can’t resist accepting, even though she knows it might put her fake identity at risk.

Then the creator of the game is murdered during their tour. Whoever killed him plans to frame Marina and her friends for the murder unless they win four rounds of a dangerous game. A game that requires them to lie, trespass, and steal. A game that could destroy everything Marina’s worked so hard to build…. A game that she might not survive.

My Review

The really interesting part of this book is that it mashes up what is essentially a video game contest with a murder mystery. Marina carries secrets that she worries could put her friends and teammates in danger, but she longs to have uncomplicated connections with people and values the closeness in those relationships.

The chapters alternate between two different timelines. In the present, Marina and her team attempt to complete challenging levels of a video game to meet the demands of an unidentified person who threatens to harm the people each teammate loves. The other timeline begins ten years earlier and shows glimpses of Marina’s past, where she lives with her mom. She tries to piece together why the two live such an isolated life.

The tension spikes as the two timelines intersect, and pieces of the mystery come together. The relationships between the characters impact the story in some interesting ways, and I found it easy to root for all of them.

While this isn’t my favorite style of book, I did enjoy reading it. It felt like a quick read with its short chapters, and I particularly liked the mash-up of video game conquests and murder mystery elements. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that done before, and it worked really well here.

Readers who enjoy books by Karen McManus or liked How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao should check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Marina is Chinese American and romantically interested in a girl. One of her friends is transgender. Another friend is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Marina witnesses a shooting. Someone threatens Marina and her friends, effectively holding them hostage until they complete a series of tasks. A woman harms child repeatedly.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Lady of Steel and Straw by Erica Ivy Rodgers

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Lady of Steel and Straw
Erica Ivy Rodgers
Peachtree Teen
Published June 4, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Lady of Steel and Straw

Star-crossed lovers grapple with forbidden attraction and a growing army of ghostly dead in this swashbuckling YA fantasy debut.

After ten years of exile, following regicide in the House of Tristain, an alarming royal edict is delivered to the immortal scarecrow Guardians who once defended the crown: surrender themselves to the church of the Silent Gods, or stand accused of further treason. But with a puppet prince set to take the throne and vengeful wraiths appearing with alarming frequency, something foul and sinister is at work in the kingdom of Niveaux.

Lady Charlotte Sand was born to calm the restless dead. A headstrong heroine, she refuses to relinquish her family’s lavender Guardian to the Cardinal’s Watch—a rash misstep that costs her brother his life and sets her on a path for revenge.

For pious and handsome Captain Luc de Montaigne, it’s an excruciating predicament. His long-lost, childhood love has triggered a faction war that could tear the realm asunder. Now Charlotte and Luc must choose between killing one another and stepping closer to victory—or yielding to the electricity between them.

Heartily inspired by The Three Musketeers, this multiple-perspective narrative features a unique system of bone and herbal magic, sultry banter, and a feisty cast of well-rounded supporting characters. This rousing first entry in a romantic fantasy duology is a gorgeous read and excellent pick for fans of Rin Chupeco and Margaret Rogerson.

My Review

This book has one of the best fantasy worlds I’ve read all year. I loved the lore about wraiths and Guardians and how the Guardians came to be. I also loved the connection to scarecrows and all the references to plants and trees throughout the characters’ expressions. Amazing.

Almost the entire story (except the prologue and final chapter) follows Charlotte and Luc’s perspectives. Charlotte has a very coming-of-age feel to her character, where she begins as a girl in an apprenticeship destined for a small life and longing for more. Luc has risen to a high rank as a soldier and serves as the cardinal’s guard captain, so in some ways, he almost reads more like an adult character, though his childhood haunts him pretty closely, which reminds us how young he is.

Though I really enjoyed the book, I struggled with the slow-burn romance between Luc and Charlotte. I get that there’s some magic or spiritual connection between them, but it was hard to dismiss the fact that Charlotte was bent on revenge against the man who killed her brother but had much warmer feelings for the guy who gives so many orders to harm her and the people she loves. I think a lot of people will be able to suspend disbelief, though, because of how compelling the other story elements are.

This ends with a strong setup for a follow-up novel, and I will absolutely be reading it. I can’t wait for a chance to revisit this incredible story world and find out what happens to these characters.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Few (if any) race details given.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs and strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Wielders use forbidden power to disturb dead spirits, raising them as wraiths who inspire fear, pain, and torment in others. Very rarely, when someone dies, they become a Guardian, or an immortal warrior bonded to a person who will fight someone wielding the dead or settle disturbed spirits as part of the Order of old gods.

Now, under the cardinal’s rule as regent, the people worship a new duo called the Silent Gods, and the old ways are increasingly forbidden.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Swordfights to the death. Torture. Descriptions of wraiths attacking people. Description of mass murder. In one scene, soldiers escort people to the gallows, preparing to hang them. In another, a girl sees the decayed body of an executed prisoner.

Drug Content
One character has been manipulated into dependence on a drug. Another is an alcoholic.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.