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.

Review: Garden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Pool

Blogger's Favorites, Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,
Garden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Poole

Garden of the Cursed (Garden of the Cursed #1)
Katy Rose Pool
Henry Holt & Co.
Published June 20, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Garden of the Cursed

In this thrilling YA fantasy/mystery duology from award-winning author Katy Pool, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with one of the most powerful nobles in Caraza City to gain entry into an illustrious—and deadly—society that holds clues to her mother’s disappearance. Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron.

Since fleeing the gilded halls of Evergarden for the muck-filled canals of the Marshes, Marlow Briggs has made a name for herself as the best godsdamn cursebreaker in Caraza City. But no matter how many cases she solves, she is still haunted by the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.

When Adrius Falcrest, Marlow’s old friend and scion of one of Caraza’s most affluent spell-making families, asks her to help break a life-threatening curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with the boy who spurned her a year ago. But a new lead in her mother’s case makes Marlow realize that the only way to get the answers she desperately seeks is to help Adrius and return to Evergarden society—even if it means suffering through a fake love affair with him to avoid drawing suspicion from the conniving Five Families.

As the investigation draws Marlow into a web of deadly secrets and powerful enemies, a shocking truth emerges: Adrius’s curse and her mother’s disappearance may just be clues to an even larger mystery, one that could unravel the very foundations of Caraza and magic itself.

My Review

This book hooked me from its early pages. I love the gritty world of the Marshes and the magic system, which uses spells contained within cards. The city reminded me a little bit of where Kaz lives in Six of Crows. The magic system and main character being a fish-out-of-water reminded me of Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody, which I also enjoyed.

Once I got to know Marlow and Adrius, I could not put this book down. Their past relationship was a little different than I thought from the back cover description, but that was because I made some assumptions that I didn’t realize I made. They’re both great characters. Some of the side characters, like Swift, Silvan, and Gemma grew on me as the story went on. Silvan is Adrius’s best friend and seems sullen and angry, but he’s fiercely loyal, and he has a pet snake that is always with him, which is somehow endearing.

Swift is another great character. He’s Marlow’s best friend. They have a super close bond, too, from past adventures together. I also love Marlow’s cat, Toad. She’s great.

The blend of fantasy and mystery elements really worked for me in this book. The magic system is unusual, and it gets used in interesting ways. The chemistry between Marlow and Adrius keeps their relationship sparky in more ways than one.

This is the first book in a duology. It has a satisfying conclusion that opens up a whole new set of problems for book two. As soon as I finished reading Garden of the Cursed, I bought and started reading the second book. I have to know how this story ends.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Main character is white. One minor character has had same-gender romantic relationships. Another might be queer. Other characters’ race is ambiguous.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs. Other profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to a romance between two girls.

Spiritual Content
References to gods. Cards contain spells or curses and can be activated by saying a magic word.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to torture. Threats of torture. Harmful magic such as hexes and curses. A character tries to kill another character with a knife.

Drug Content
Characters drink alcohol.

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: These Infinite Threads by Tahereh Mafi

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

These Infinite Threads (This Woven Kingdom #2)
Tahereh Mafi
HarperCollins
Published February 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About These Infinite Threads

With the heat of a kiss, the walls between Alizeh, the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom, and Kamran, the crown prince of the Ardunian empire, have crumbled. And so have both of their lives.

Alizeh, the heir to the Jinn throne, is destined to free her people from the half-lives they’ve been forced to live under human rule. When Kamran, the heir to the human throne, falls in love with her, he’s forced to question everything he’s been taught about Jinn.

Kamran’s grandfather lays dead at the hand of Cyrus, ruler of the neighboring kingdom of Tulan. Cyrus has stolen Alizeh away to his homeland and plans to marry her there, giving her everything she needs to become the Jinn queen—and when she assumes the throne he will have fulfilled his own bargain with the devil.

Alizeh wants nothing to do with Cyrus’s deal or the devil. But without a way to escape Tulan, and with the fulfillment of her own destiny tantalizingly close, she’ll have to decide whether she can set aside her emotions to become the queen her people need.

Kamran, meanwhile, is picking up the pieces in Ardunia. Facing betrayal at every turn, all he knows is that he must go to Tulan to avenge his grandfather. He can only hope that Alizeh will be waiting for him there—and that she hasn’t yet become the queen of Tulan.

Full of explosive magic, searing romance, and heartbreaking betrayal, this breathtaking sequel to THIS WOVEN KINGDOM is from the award-winning and bestselling author of the Shatter Me series and is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sabaa Tahir, and Tomi Adeyemi.

My Review

I think last year I had a chance to request this book as an ARC and didn’t because I wouldn’t have had time to read THE WOVEN KINGDOM beforehand. This was a good call. Not only is this book very much a middle story, it would have been hard to enjoy without the adventure and heat of the first book and the anticipation of the upcoming finale.

I LOVED the first book in this series. It made me wonder why I hadn’t kept up with everything Tahereh Mafi writes. I loved the writing, the intricate magic system, and story world. The bits of history. The political intrigue. I loved how it feels as though the central characters are caught up in an unseen battle between the devil and the gods.

I am glad I read the second book, but I definitely struggled with it. The first hint I noticed that this one might be a harder read for me was when I read the cover copy for the third book. Everything from the first book was basically already in place for that third novel to begin. I worried that might mean the second book would be a little thin plotwise and kind of suffer from second-book-syndrome, where the middle book in a series really serves as a bridge between the first and third.

And, yeah. I mean, a few key things happened, for sure. Kamron faces some interesting discoveries, so I am glad those came to light. I didn’t feel like there was much development between Alizeh and Cyrus, though. Stuff happened, sure. So much of it was the two of them going back and forth and having the same conversation again and again.

Alizeh feels disgusted by him. Angry. After all, he kidnapped her. Then, she sees him as a tortured soul and feels sorry for him. Then he ticks her off again. Around and around. I don’t know. I think if Cyrus was a point-of-view character, I might have invested in his story more and had more patience with Alizeh’s feelings. I’m not sure.

Conclusion

I enjoyed a lot of moments in the story, especially in Kamron’s viewpoint. His scenes with Hazan were among my favorites. I love Hazan’s firefly.

At this point, I haven’t read the third book, but I’m honestly wondering if this could have been a duology instead of a trilogy. I’m invested enough in the story that I want to read the third book, but I will probably wait a little bit to do that.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Based on Persian folklore.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Alizeh’s gown was very nearly destroyed just before this novel begins. She notes several times that she’s very exposed until she can change out of the dress. A few scenes later, she spills her tea down the front of her white gown, and someone remarks that they can see through the bodice.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. One character has made a bargain with the devil, Iblees. This means his life will be forfeit if he doesn’t do the things he agreed to do.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some descriptions of a battle that left a young man on the brink of death.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Pablo and Splash: Time-Traveling Penguins by Sheena Dempsey

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

Pablo and Splash: Time-Traveling Penguins
Sheena Dempsey
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published September 3, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Pablo and Splash: Time-Traveling Penguins

Join time-traveling penguins Pablo and Splash on an unexpected adventure to the time of the dinosaurs in this hilarious full-color graphic novel, perfect for fans of Dog Man and InvestiGators.

Antarctic penguins Pablo and Splash are polar opposites and besties for life. Pablo is a home-bird and a careful planner. Splash is easily bored and hungry for adventure. Sick to her flippers of the harsh, freezing weather, Splash persuades Pablo to go on a beach vacation with her. When they accidentally find themselves in a scientist’s time machine, they end up on the beach….back in the age of dinosaurs! Can Pablo and Splash make their way home before they become dino snacks?

This full-color graphic novel is perfect for animal lovers, reluctant readers, and graphic novel fans!

My Review

This is a fun read. The story follows the duo Pablo (the practical, methodical penguin) and Splash (the creative dreamer) as they decide they need a vacation from the bitter cold of Antarctica. The character differences between the two penguins make for a lot of humorous moments and silliness that young readers will appreciate.

What could make a graphic novel about penguins even more fun? If you said dinosaurs, then this is the perfect book for you. Haha! What’s wild is that immediately when I saw this book, I thought of my nephew, who loves both penguins and dinosaurs and is going to think this is a hoot. So, weirdly, it’s not as niche a market as one might initially think.

Dino lovers will also appreciate that the dinosaur species are easily identifiable, and the story includes a bit of trivia about a few of the prehistoric animals that appear in the story. There are also a few facts about different prehistoric periods, with maps showing changes in land masses.

The book is about 220 pages, so it’s comparable to the length of the InvestiGators series books. Readers looking for a light, goofy graphic novel will get exactly that, with bonus science facts here and there.

This is definitely one I’ll keep around for the late elementary-aged readers in my life.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 7 to 10.

Representation
Main characters are a boy and girl penguin. There’s a female scientist who appears briefly.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. The penguins run from a scientist who appears to try to capture them. The capsule they hide in takes them on a journey with a destination of the sun, and they panic as the interior of the ship gets hotter and hotter before they’re able to change course.

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.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

Check out the weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days
Fiona Hardy
Kane Miller Publishing
Published September 1, 2019

Kane Miller Website | Bookshop | Goodreads

About How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days

‘How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days’ is the story of what happens when 11-year-old Hayley Whelan tries to bring her horror-movie vision to the big-screen over the summer holidays.

Friendships will be tested, the fake blood will flow, and the snacks budget will be well and truly blown in this wonderful, heart-warming reel of contemporary Aussie MG.

My Review

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days is a companion novel to How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life. I read the other book first, though this one takes place first. They’re only loosely connected, so I think you could read them in any order.

Truthfully, I think the other novel is more compelling. I found Murphy (the main character in How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life) immediately resonated with me. I enjoyed Hayley as the main character of this book, but I guess I didn’t find her as moving. By the end of the book, I felt like I understood her and loved her, but it was a connection that developed more slowly for me.

One of the things I do love about this book is that it focuses on Hayley’s grief over the loss of her grandmother. The movie was a project that they talked about working on and planned out together, so finishing it is part of Hayley’s grief process.

Her grandmother sounds like quite a character, too. She had quirks and bad habits, but she supported Hayley’s interest in filmmaking and celebrated her ideas and successes. I like that Hayley’s memories of her include hard moments or moments when her grandmother was rude or abrasive. That made her character seem well-rounded, even though she never appeared on scene.

I also enjoyed the scenes that explained Hayley’s filmmaking process, from her film schedule to her finding locations and props to her editing process. There was enough detail to keep me oriented to what was happening, but not so much that it overwhelmed me or slowed down the story.

On the whole, I enjoyed the book and the fact that it followed a young filmmaker and a group of kids making a movie about a carnivorous, terrifying rosebush. It’s a fun story for middle-grade readers who enjoy making their own movies or summer adventures.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
A few characters are indigenous. One is Latine.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to characters dating one another. In one scene, a couple is spotted holding hands.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to bullying. A boy hurts his back and his ankle. A five-year-old is hospitalized with abdominal pain.

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: Animal Farm by George Orwell

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

Animal Farm
George Orwell
Signet Classics
Published April 1, 1996 (Orig. 1945)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Animal Farm

A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned –a razor-edged fairy tale for grown-ups that records the evolution from revolution against tyranny to a totalitarianism just as terrible.

When ANIMAL FARM was first published, Stalinist Russia was seen as its target. Today it is devastatingly clear that wherever and whenever freedom is attacked, under whatever banner, the cutting clarity and savage comedy of George Orwell’s masterpiece have a meaning and message still ferociously fresh.

My Review

I’d never read ANIMAL FARM before, but I’ve heard lots of people talk about it. It was a pretty quick read, honestly. The story moves quickly and the telling of it is straightforward. The toughest thing about it is the number of named characters. The names felt kind of random to me. I kept mixing up Clover (horse?) and Muriel (a goat, I think?), and I’m not sure what the dogs’ names were.

I started listening to the audiobook, but ended up switching to an ebook version from the library. Tthe name confusion, and the fact that things happened so quickly made me feel like I had to really pay attention. If you want to do the audiobook version and find the large cast difficult, it might be helpful to make a cheat sheet of names and descriptions to keep handy.

Anyway, the story progresses quickly. The animals get rid of the farmer and celebrate their newfound freedom. Only, before too much more happens, the pigs place themselves in charge. They’re the most educated– having learned to read and write. Some of the other animals try to learn but can’t manage it. One opts out because he believes things will always be bad no matter what he does.

Honestly the way things unfold, with this steady creep toward total control by one character and various levels of willful ignorance or futile truth-telling by others reminded me a lot of LORD OF THE FLIES. It’s kind of a “what happens when someone pursues absolute power” sort of story.

There’s more to it than that, of course. Orwell wrote the story with an eye toward Stalinism and what was happening in Russia at the time. You can read more about that if you search for an analysis of the book.

Conclusion

Overall, it really made me think about the importance of not taking freedom for granted and not accepting what someone in power says without at least doing some critical thinking about it. I’m glad I read the book, and I can see why the story has endured.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are farm animals.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
A raven tells the animals stories of a place called Sugarcandy Mountain, where he says animals go after they die and live a life of ease and bliss.

Violent Content
Animals rebel, fighting against and chasing off the farmer and farm workers. One man is kicked in the head and goes unconscious. A few animals are injured when they’re shot. Dogs kill several other animals.

Drug Content
Mr. Jones, the farmer, drinks too much alcohol and neglects the animals. Some of the animals drink alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Skyriders by Polly Holyoke

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

Skyriders (Skyriders #1)
Polly Holyoke
Viking Books for Young Readers
Published March 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Skyriders

An Amazon Best Book of the Month!

Wings of Fire meets Skandar and the Unicorn Thief in this epic fantasy adventure set in a world where human and skysteed share a deep bond of friendship and love.

When monsters emerge to attack the empire, it’s up to Kiesandra and her beloved winged horse N’Rah to prove to herself and the imperial army that she has what it takes to lead them to victory . . . and survival.

Thirteen-year-old Kiesandra’s best friend isn’t human, but that doesn’t stop her from sharing jokes and secrets with her winged horse, N’Rah. She, like every other person with a skysteed, can communicate with N’Rah through her mind. Their bond is critical when one day, monsters from long ago reemerge to ravage a nearby village. No one knows how to fight the fearsome chimerae except Kie’s uncle . . . and now Kie.

Injured in the battle, Uncle Dug makes her promise to bring his attack plan and weapons to the capital. Kie reluctantly agrees. At the palace, she and N’Rah attempt to gain the trust of the royals and train the army in Dug’s lessons. But how can a young girl and her skysteed convince anyone that only they know how to defeat the deadly monsters?

Buzzing with action, heart, and friendship, this first book in the Skyriders series show that kids can achieve the impossible—especially with flying horses on their side.

My Review

This book made me feel like I was reading fantasy from an earlier decade (but in a really good way). Some of the language was a little nostalgic. For example, Kie refers to her skysteed (winged horse) as “Dear N’Rah” in some intense moments.

While Kie is a great fighter, her passion is for her work as a courier and running her family’s apple farm back home. So when she has to drop everything and journey to the capital in a desperate bid to get generals to change battle tactics for fighting the chimerae, which everyone believed to be extinct, she’s not very happy about it. Especially since she has to leave her injured uncle and his skysteed behind.

A lot of the critical characters in the book are skysteeds, which I enjoyed. They had slightly different ways of thinking about things or approaching things than the human characters. I liked that the bond between skyrider and skysteed had to be continually nurtured. It felt like a real relationship, and the issues between skysteeds and skyriders highlighted the importance of communication and relationship-building.

The only thing I wish was different about the book is the pacing of the ending. A lot happens in the last forty pages or so, and it’s a really important chain of events. It felt a little bit rushed, since so much happened in so few pages, and I wish things had unfolded a bit more slowly. I felt like rushing through made the events seem smaller or less crucial than they were.

That said, I’m still really looking forward to reading the second book, which I also have on my shelf, so look for that soon! This is definitely a series for fans of Wings of Fire or Skandar and the Unicorn Thief.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Characters are from a variety of (made up) races.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Brief references to gods and goddesses worshipped in the world. Long ago, a powerful mage helped forge the agreement between humans and skysteeds. Skyriders can communicate telepathically with their skysteeds. Humans called Scourge Masters control the chimerae, possibly through some dark magic. Chimerae are created to destroy humans.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief battle violence. Kie’s uncle and others close to her get severely injured, and she isn’t immediately sure whether they’ll recover.

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.