Category Archives: Middle Grade 8-12

Review and Giveaway: The Blue Moon Narthex by N. J. Donner

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

The Blue Moon Narthex Blog Tour Banner
Today I’m sharing a review as part of an Irish Banana Blog Tour. If you’re looking for an adventure book for middle grade boys, you definitely want to check this one out. Keep reading to find my review, some content information, a bit about the author, other stops on the tour, and a chance to win a copy of the book for yourself!

The Blue Moon Narthex  (Karmanic Sovereign Legion #1)
N. J. Donner
Steel Page Press
Published February 7, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About The Blue Moon Narthex

The balance of good and evil has been left in the hands of a thirteen year old…

Since the beginning of time, Karmanic matter worked silently and unassisted keeping good and evil in balance, until growing greed in the world meant Karma couldn’t keep up. As World War I rages, the secret Karmanic Sovereign Legion works behind the scenes to help Karma.

A suspicious train accident and an odd stone-shaped object that belonged to his father thrust Cole McCarthy and two schoolmates into the middle of this battle to keep dark forces in check.

With only the powerful stone, a letter, and grandfatherly Norm to guide them, the trio must unravel clues and tap into unknown strengths to discover who Cole’s father really was and keep themselves and those they love safe.

Includes chapter 1 of book 2 in the Karmanic Sovereign Legion series!

My Review

This book definitely made me think of the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. Cole isn’t as snarky and full of attitude as Percy, which was nice. I liked the relationship Cole shared with his father through letters and the stories he learned about from his father’s associates. His friends, Sophia and Britten, rounded out his inner circle nicely. I thought Sophie was pretty much adorable.

The story contains a large cast of characters, and I sometimes found it difficult to keep everyone straight, especially when several characters had similar names. For the most part, though, this didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the story. I thought often even minor characters had clear roles and specific goals and character traits. It felt like this story introduced me to a whole scene of characters who will probably reappear later on.

Elements of mystery and suspense kept me moving from chapter to chapter. Cole’s compassion and his determination kept me rooting for him from the first page to the last. Late elementary school readers who like adventure or suspense stories should totally get a copy of this book.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
The main character is a young wealthy white American. He joins a league whose lead council is made up of members of various races, but those adult characters play very minor roles in the story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of mild profanity. One instance of crude language (a girl refers to a rival as “the north end of a south-facing donkey.”

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
One vague reference to the creator of the universe. The premise of the story is that Karmanic energy (like karma) can be tracked and harnessed by those doing good deeds and stopping those who try to do bad deeds. Artifacts provide some characters a magical ability to travel instantly from one place to another. The villain uses henchmen that seem sort of blurred and ghostly.

Violent Content
Creepy sort of ghostly bad guys chase the good guys. Cole participates in a sporting event that’s a bit dangerous. It’s clear the bad guy’s goal is to kill Cole and anyone who tries to stop him. Cole believes his mission is to kill the traitor who killed his father. There are a couple of very brief battle scenes, no gore.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About N. J. Donner

Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram

N.J. Donner is the author of the new Karmanic Sovereign Legion books. N.J. loves to explore. The world fascinates him and he wants to figure out why and how things work, including Karma.

College adventures took N.J. far from his small Nebraska hometown to the southern hemisphere and the inner city. This was the beginning of his wanderlust and today he loves to travel with his wife, Amanda, and their three children.

N.J. became the first person to graduate with a minor in international affairs from Nebraska Wesleyan University and spent the years right out of college building a successful steel company.

Check Out the Other Stops on the Tour

Week 1:

2/6: Swoony Boys Podcast – Review
2/7: Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Q&A
2/8: Kara the Redhead – Spotlight
2/9: The Story Sanctuary – Review
2/10: Books are Love – Top 10

Week 2:

2/13: Such A Novel Idea – Q&A
2/14: Book Stacks Amber – Excerpt
2/15: Books Buying Beauty – Review
2/16: Red House Books – Guest Post
2/17: Basic Book Blog – Review

Week 3:

2/20: The Irish Banana Review – Review
2/21: Lisa’s Loves – World Building
2/22: Pondering the Prose – Review
2/23: Who RU Blog – Novel Secrets
2/24: The Plot Bunny – Review

Enter the Giveaway for a Chance to Win The Blue Moon Narthex Swag Box! (US Only, Sorry)

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Review: Above by Jason Chabot

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

Above (Broken Sky Chronicles #2)
Jason Chabot
Harper Trophy
Published September 1, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When a hidden figure hits Elia with a poisoned arrow, she knows the other members of the tribe she’s living with still haven’t accepted her into their ranks. In fact, one of them may be trying to kill her. The chief’s son tells her not to worry, and offers to introduce her to another outsider living in a neighboring village. Maybe this outsider will understand the significance of the artifact Elia fled Above to protect. If Elia can unlock its secrets, she can finally return home.

Elia goes to meet the woman, who like Elia fell from an island floating in the clouds of Above. While she’s away, Hokk, an outcast and Elia’s best friend, puts finishing touches on a plan to bring her home and himself escape to the world Above. The only way Hokk can silence the guilty memories of the lives he cost is to save Elia. He’ll bring her home no matter the cost.

If the summary of the book makes it sound like there’s a lot going on in this story, it’s because there is! People on floating islands, people on earth, people on the moon (who haven’t been heard from in years). It’s a lot to keep track of. The story focuses on several big settings, too: a tribe Below, a desert island Above, a rich home, and a towering capital city.

I loved the concepts of the story world. It was a lot to take in all at once, though, and I felt like the story didn’t have time to go deep in any one place. The setting descriptions are vivid and definitely show what things look like, but it was hard to figure out how things related to one another. Where was Hokk from, for instance? He calls his homeland Ago, but I couldn’t ever really figure out if that was a geographical location—somewhere else on earth? Or was he banished from another time? I suspect the answers are in the first book in the series, which probably contains a lot more of Hokk’s backstory.

Speaking of Hokk. I had a real love/hate relationship with that guy. Sometimes he did really smart things, sometimes he went all out to protect Elia (though it was hard to define his relationship with her), yet other times he did some pretty cruel things. I don’t know. I found those crueler moments to be a barrier for me to really wanting him to succeed.

I liked Elia– she had a lot of spunk and commitment, and often a lot of concern for others. But even Elia had some really selfish behaviors. And it’s not that she has to be perfect. Flawed characters can be really easy to fall in love with. I think what was missing for me on the part of both Hokk and Elia was remorse for their wrongs.

Overall, I thought the storyworld was really imaginative and different. This book would probably appeal to fantasy readers and those looking for an adventure story with emphasis on exploring and piecing together clues about artifacts. I’d recommend starting with the first book in the series, though.

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Cultural Elements
Two cultures live separated by world/distance. The people from Above, islands floating in the sky, have tanned skin, blond hair and an extra, transparent eyelid that protects their vision from the sun. Those who live Below, on earth, have very pale skin and aren’t used to bright sunlight. No mention of other ethnic groups or orientations.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between a girl and boy.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Someone poisons a young woman and her pet with darts. A chief pieces the eyebrow of his best warrior as a sign of honor. A young man throws a woman off the edge of a cliff. A young woman subdues an enemy with the darts. A hunter catches and skins a rabbit for dinner. Those in Above live in fear of violent scavengers who are rumored to snatch people off the edges of islands. Scavengers don’t exist, though.

Drug Content
The darts used by the tribe have two kinds of poison: one deadly, and the other more of a strong sedative.

Elia learns of incense sticks with a calming effect. After the calm wears off, though, the user experiences anxiety and paranoia. She observes this in others and uses them herself.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Middle Grade 8-12,

City of Ember
Jeanne DuPrau
Yearling Books
Published in 2003

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Lina has only known life in the City of Ember, a settlement built and stocked with all the supplies its citizens might need hundreds of years earlier. Now the shelves of the storehouses grow increasingly bare, and power outages plague everyone. When Lina and her best friend Doon discover a damaged document, Lina wonders if it could be from the Builders themselves. She and Doon work to decipher the message and save Ember before the city’s power supply fails for the last time.

I picked up this book because a friend recommended it, and I’m so glad I did. Actually, I wish I’d found it sooner, because it’s definitely the kind of story my daughter and I would have enjoyed reading together when she was a little younger. City of Ember would make an excellent family read. If there’s an audiobook version, I’d recommend it for a family road trip.

Reading the chapters, I felt like I could see the city underground. The characters are confused by references to things outside their experience that are commonplace for us. This definitely gave the story that closed-in feel while letting the readers have a bit of a laugh at the joke.

I loved Lina and her family, Doon, and especially Doon’s father, who always encouraged him to think more deeply and critically about the world around him, even when it was an unpopular thing to do.

If you liked The Giver or The Diary of Anne Frank you want to check this one out. Sorry, I know those are both classics… this story definitely has the same kind of feel to me, and has won many awards as well.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
There weren’t many cultural details given about the characters, but most appeared to be white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Long ago, Builders built the city and left Instructions for the people to follow. Citizens still keep the instructions as sacred, but not in a worshipped sense.

Violent Content
At one point, guards chase Lina and threaten her with confinement.

Drug Content
None.

 

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Review: Twinepathy by C. B. Cook

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

Twinepathy
C. B. Cook
Available July 14, 2016

Amazon  | Goodreads | Author’s Website

Twins Albany and Brooklyn keep their telepathic connection a secret from everyone. After all, who would believe them anyway? But when a strange girl shows up on their doorstep with no memory of how she got there and an inexplicable power of her own, the twins begin to realize there may be more people with powers, and not all of them use them for good. They learn about an organization of people with abilities and a terrible plot to destroy it. At first committed to sit on the sidelines, Albany soon realizes she and Brooklyn might be the group’s only hope for survival. She and her sister must decide whether they’ll join the fight, even if it means risking everything.

This is such a fun story. I liked all the silliness and joking between characters. Albany and Brooklyn were both great and easy to root for. The rest of the cast of characters does get a little overwhelming at times, since there are so many of them and their code names to remember on top of everything else.

Twinepathy is a pretty short read—I finished it in just a couple hours—but it’s the perfect length for a reluctant reader, and a great fit for fourth or fifth grade readers who are into Marvel or other superhero stories. This novel made me think a little bit of the Twintuition books by Tia and Tamera Mowry, which also feature gifted twins. It’s different in that Twinepathy focuses on the girls’ role in a larger group of gifted people.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
I don’t specifically remember descriptions showing a racially diverse cast.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
The girls’ older brother is dating a girl named Ezra. They do not witness any romance between them, though.

Spiritual Content
Brooklyn and Albany share a telepathic connection. Other characters possess special powers like telekinesis, teleportation, the ability to manipulate metal, etc.

Violent Content
Battles between the members of the superhero team and the villain and his clones.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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Review: Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz

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

Isle of the Lost
Melissa de la Cruz
Disney-Hyperion
Available May 5, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Mal, the daughter of Maleficent, and her best friend Jay, the son of Jafar, live on the Isle of the Lost, where their villainous parents were banished from the fairytale kingdom of Auradon twenty years ago. Surviving on leftovers shipped in from Auradon and prevented access to magic, the villains scrape by. But all long for the day when the magic returns and they can take revenge on those who imprisoned them. For Mal, that day comes when Carlos, Cruela de Vil’s son, creates an invention that sparks changes in the Isle, and the possibility of escape seems just within reach. Oh, also the possibility of destroying her longtime rival, Evie, the Evil Queen’s daughter. So that’s a plus.

The team of four have to work together—a tall order considering they’re better versed in how to trick and betray one another than they are in how to actually be friends. Some parts of the story show the point-of-view of Prince Ben, son of Belle and the Beast (wait, isn’t he a prince now?) and the trials of his coming of age and beginning to take on some royal responsibility. Strange dreams connect him and Mal, but they don’t know each other yet.

My daughter and I enjoyed reading the Ever After High books by Shannon Hale, so I picked this book up at a book fair thinking it was similar and we’d also enjoy it. And I was right—I did enjoy the story. I think I had the same experience with Ever After High books, where because I’d read Shannon Hale’s Book of a Thousand Days, I wanted that kind of finesse in the EAH books, too, and it’s just not that kind of story. So that happened here, too. I’ve read The Ring and the Crown, and the writing and characters are a lot more complex, so it took some adjusting for me to get into this book. They’re totally different kinds of books, and that’s okay. I just had to adjust.

I thought the story set up the series well. The end leaves a lot of questions unanswered, and shows some real growth on the part of the team of four villains. Carlos is totally my favorite. He’s so sweet and super smart. I loved that de la Cruz worked in the engineering element with his character. So great!

One noteworthy difference is that Ever After High pulls its storyworld from a broader spectrum of fairytales, whereas Isle of the Lost draws its characters from those in Disney movies. I can see that as being a positive or a negative, depending on how you look at things. Overall, I think readers who enjoyed Ever After High would enjoy Isle of the Lost.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
Often fairytale retellings are pretty white, but I love that de la Cruz went a bit diverse with her story here. Carlos is the Latin son of Cruella de Vil. Jay is the Middle-Eastern son of Jafar.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
The islanders live off of leftovers and garbage shipped in from Auradon, so some of that stuff is kind of icky. For instance, they eat old wilted food and stuff like that. Nothing crude per se, but kinda ick.

Romance/Sexual Content
Jay has a reputation as being a player. He flirts with a lot of girls, but nothing beyond that comes into the story.

Spiritual Content
The Isle of the Lost exists under a dome that prevents the villains from using magic, but magic begins to make its presence known.

Violent Content
Because the characters are the children of villains, their homes are generally unhappy. Their parents treat them cruelly—mostly in the way they speak and withhold affection. (Sad but not really violent, I know, but I thought it worth mentioning.)

Drug Content
At a party, one character encourages the others to do shots of toad’s blood. It’s unclear whether this causes any intoxication or is just a silly/gross challenge.

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Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2016

Lists, Middle Grade 8-12, News and Fun, Young Adult/Teen 12-18

Fall is flying by! In Central FL, it’s finally cool enough to walk to your car without breaking a sweat. I’m gearing up to go to YALLFEST in Charleston next month, so I’m super excited about that. I’m sure I’ll be tweeting and will write up a post about my experience there afterward. If you’re going to be there, leave me a comment! I’d love to meet up.

This month, I received a few more books in the mail. Actually, I’m kind of cheating here, because I received Every Exquisite Thing and The Secret of Goldenrod a couple of months ago and somehow they never made it into my calendar of books for review. So I’m including them here. The other two I got through BookLook Bloggers, which is a partnership between Zondervan and Thomas Nelson through which I get many of my Christian titles for review.

I also received my second ever OwlCrate box this month, and I absolutely loved it! I have a feeling I’ll be wearing the Lost Boys beanie on my Charleston trip. (Don’t judge! Upper 60s is COLD to this Florida girl!) I’ve already been wearing the Sleeping Beauty themed bracelet all over the place. So fun.

Also, if you missed my post yesterday about my Steampunk Book Fairy Costume, go back and check that out! My mom made it for me for my birthday this year, and I can’t wait to wear it to a costume party next weekend.

And, like always, here’s the list of books I reviewed this month. Check out the ones you may have missed, and let me know if you’ve read any or plan to!

October Reviews

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This was one of the most fun reads ever. We listened to the story on a road trip months ago. Entertained the whole car and we are still talking about it!

The Rise of the Chosen by Anna Kopp

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This would be a good go-to for a creepy read this season, though there’s more emphasis on the tactical military side than the scary zombie-like enemies the characters face.

The Row by J. R. Johansson

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Suspenseful story about a girl whose dad is on death row. She decides to find out for herself whether or not he’s guilty. I liked it.

Counterpart by Hayley Stone

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I loved the first book in this man vs machines series, so I was super excited that I didn’t have to wait long for the second book. My only complaint is that it ends on a cliffhanger and now I have to wait for the third!

Cease & Desist by Stephen David Hurley

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Really fascinating premise– Cease stars in a reality-drama, a TV show in which she plays Joan of Arc competing against other historical figures to be voted top couple with one of the boys.

Crooked Kingdom Leigh Bardugo

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This was the book I waited all year for, and it did not disappoint. I laughed, cried, devoured page after page from beginning to end. So. Good.

Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I loved this retelling of Aladdin in which the genie is a girl. The writing has this sort of ethereal feel to it that hooked me from page one.

The Goblin Crown by Robert Hewitt Wolfe

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This was another fun story in which kids jump to another world in which one of them has been foretold to save the goblins. Loved the voice and characters.

The Friendship Experiment by Erin Teagan

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This was such a fun read! I loved the way Teagan used science throughout the story and the lessons about friendship and forgiveness were perfect and heartfelt.

Ghost Maven by Tony Lee Moral

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This is the right time of year for this spooky read. A girl falls in love for the first time only to realize her true love is a ghost.

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This haunting story based on true events prompted me to spend an hour looking up more information about the situation that inspired the tale. I loved the writing and the characters immediately grabbed me by the heart.

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