Category Archives: By Age Range

Review: Cazadora by Romina Garber

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,
Cazadora by Romina Garber

Cazadora (Wolves of No World #2)
Romina Garber
Wednesday Books
Published August 17, 2021

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About Cazadora

In Cazadora, Romina Garber weaves together Argentine folklore and what it means to be illegal in a timely, intimate, and emotionally powerful narrative.

Werewolves. Witches. Romance. Resistance.

Enter a world straight out of Argentine folklore…

Following the events of Lobizona, Manu and her friends cross the mystical border into Kerana–a cursed realm in Argentina–searching for allies and a hiding place. As they chase down leads about the Coven–a mythical resistance manada that might not even exist–the Cazadores chase down leads about Manu, setting up traps to capture and arrest her.

Just as it seems the Cazadores have Manu and her friends cornered, the Coven answers their call for help. As Manu catches her breath among these non-conforming Septimus, she discovers they need a revolution as much as she does.

But is she the right one to lead them? After all, hybrids aren’t just outlawed. They’re feared and reviled. What happens when the Coven learns of Manu’s dual heritage? Will they still protect her? Or will they betray her?

And after running this far, for this long–how much farther can Manu go before her feet get tired, and she stops to take a stand?

“In this effervescent sequel full of magic and beautiful imagery, Manu learns to reclaim her own narrative and, together with her lovable found family… stake out a place in the world where she belongs…An inspiring, powerful tale of belonging.” ―Kirkus, starred review

Must-Read 2021 YA Fantasy ―Book Riot

Must-Read Books by Latinx Authors Out in 2021 ―Hip Latina

My Review

CAZADORA picks up pretty much where LOBIZONA leaves off. Manu and her crew are on the run being pursued by Cazadores, a law enforcement group for the Septimus, which includes the Lobizones (werewolves) and Brujas (witches). I know that’s a lot to digest. This is one of those books you shouldn’t read unless you’ve read the first book already.

The story keeps up that fast pace with Manu fleeing, finding allies, enemies closing in, stakes mounting, all the way to the last page. There are some pauses for romance and for Manu to explore her connections with her parents. CAZADORA has a big cast, so it doesn’t go deeply into many of the relationships between characters, though.

One of the things that does get explored a lot is the issue of gender identity in what is a very binary culture. In the Septimus world, boys are Lobizones. Girls are Brujas. A person’s whole identity within the community is based on those facts. So what does that mean for someone who doesn’t fit those binary definitions?

Manu being a girl with werewolf powers, a Lobizona, at first feels to her like a personal fight for recognition of her identity. But as she pursues a place in her community, she meets others who are in hiding or on the run because of who they are. One Lobizone lost his ability to transform after an attack by a monster. Another is transgender.

So Manu begins to see the restrictive rules of the community as not only impacting herself, but also harming others. In some ways it’s an echo of the fight she’s had her whole life as an undocumented immigrant. So she has to decide whether she’s going to keep running, whether she’s just fighting for herself or for everyone who’s different.

I liked the way those conversations and themes were woven into the story. It felt like those ideas emerged naturally and organically, so it didn’t feel forced to me. I also loved the way the Manu grew as a character through the story. At first, she was just running and surviving. Watching her reach a place where she took control of her story and made her own hard decisions was really moving.

And, of course, like any good second book in a series, this one ends with a new adventure already in its sights. I’m already excited about a third book, and I will definitely be reading it!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are Latinx. Two female characters are in a romantic relationship. A minor character has a disability. Another minor character is transgender.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some scenes showing kissing between couples. A couple scenes show making out and one leads up to sex but fades out at that point.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to transform into werewolves. Others have magical abilities, like the ability to freeze things or create fire. These are thought to be gifts from a goddess.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some battle violence.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Stolen Science by Ella Schwartz

Biography, Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, , , , , , ,

Stolen Science
Ella Schwartz
Illustrated by Gaby D’Alessandro
Bloomsbury
Published August 31, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Stolen Science

Over the centuries, women, people from underrepresented communities, and immigrants overcame prejudices and social obstacles to make remarkable discoveries in science-but they weren’t the ones to receive credit in history books. People with more power, money, and prestige were remembered as the inventor of the telephone, the scientists who decoded the structure of DNA, and the doctor who discovered the cause of yellow fever.

This book aims to set the record straight and celebrate the nearly forgotten inventors and scientists who shaped our world today.

My Review

I devoured this book. Seriously, I couldn’t get enough of these stories of men and woman who did these incredible things. Some of them knew that they could not (under current racist or sexist systems) receive credit for what they’d done. Others never stopped fighting for the recognition they deserved. I loved getting this opportunity to learn some of the real history of different scientific advancements, some of which I’d heard of or learned about in school, and learning that there was so much more to the story, and often someone I’d never heard of behind it all.

You don’t have to go back very far in my family to find my Italian relatives who emigrated to the US, so the story of Antonio Meucci, the true inventor of the telephone really struck a deep chord with me. I found myself online reading articles and looking for more information about him.

The beginning of the book points out how there are few women scientists that most people can name off the top of their heads. You know, besides Marie Curie. I loved reading about these women who overcame steep prejudices to even get access to the field of science. While it was awful thinking about these people who were taken advantage of by their colleagues or a deliberately racist and/or sexist system, it was also inspiring to read about people who had such a passion for their work.

Some of the stories in STOLEN SCIENCE are about inventors who, because they were slaves, could not legally apply for or be listen on a patent, and therefore couldn’t be given credit for their work. This shouldn’t have surprised me, given what I know about that period in history. I wasn’t surprised exactly. I guess it just reinforced the gross wrong that slavery and racism was and is.

Reading STOLEN SCIENCE made me want to find other books like this. I want to read more books that celebrate little-known or overlooked scientists or inventors and to learn more about them. If you like nonfiction that explores the less well-known contributions that people have made to our world, check out this list celebrating Women’s History on Bookshop. You might also be interested in THE BOY FROM BUCHENWALD by Robbie Waisman or GIRL WARRIORS by Rachel Sarah.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Features biographies of white, Black, Jewish, and Chinese inventors.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief mention of men insulting a woman’s appearance.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Mentions of slavery, Nazi rule, and internment camps.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: The Other Side of Luck by Ginger Johnson

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

The Other Side of Luck
Ginger Johnson
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Published August 10, 2021

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About The Other Side of Luck

Follows two children from opposite circumstances as their fates cross and change both their lives forever.

Ever since her mother’s death, Princess Una has suffered through years of loneliness in the royal palace, where girls are treated as an afterthought. She yearns for a different life but is unsure how to make anyone notice her. Then her father announces a special contest: Whoever finds the rare Silva Flower can present it to Una for her twelfth birthday and receive a reward. Frustrated by her father’s grand but empty gesture, Una decides to take her fate into her own hands.

Julien, a young pauper, has tried his whole life to make something of nothing, alongside his hardworking Baba. When Baba is arrested by terrifying debt collectors, Julien’s only hope to save his father is to win the palace contest–to find the elusive Silva Flower. Little does he know that Una has decided to embark on a journey to find the prize, as well. As Una and Julien search for the flower, their destinies intertwine and offer a reward greater than anything either could ever hope for.

My Review

This book. My heart.

When I see a book that’s being promoted as having a lyrical or poetic style, I’m always drawn to that. Sometimes it’s a bit of a two-edged sword, though, because sometimes I get excited and expect something specific, and then end up disappointed. This time was not one of those times, though!

From the very first page, I loved this book. The writing is definitely more poetic and lyrical. Because both main characters have one really strong sense (smell in one case and hearing in the other), the descriptions for those characters major on their strong sense. I felt like this created a really immersive story. Even though some of the scenes had a little bit of a bird’s-eye-view type feel, the sensory details kept the story feeling really close and personal, super emotive.

In other words, all things I like!

And the themes. Oh goodness. Grief and estrangement. Fear and anxiety. Loneliness. Those were all so deep and well done. Best of all, though, was the exploration of the healing power of friendship and found family. Those all wove together and created such a moving, soothing story. I love it so much.

Every year as I read, there are a few books that I hold on to as possible Christmas gifts for family and friends. This one will be at the top of that list. I think readers who like whimsical, sweet and deep stories like THE FIREBIRD SONG will love this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Julien is white and Una is described as having brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some magic. Julien can hear leaves unfurling and other sounds that plants make. A woman makes a special soup that has healing properties.

Violent Content
A man lies to authorities so than an innocent man is arrested of a crime he didn’t commit. A band of robbers kidnap and tie up victims, threatening to kill them. Children face situations of peril.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of THE OTHER SIDE OF LUCK in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

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

Lord of the Flies
William Golding
Penguin Books
Published December 16, 2003 (Originally Published 1954)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Lord of the Flies

At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. Anything. They attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin and evil. And as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far from reality as the hope of being rescued.

Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, LORD OF THE FLIES is perhaps our most memorable novel about “the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.”

My Review

LORD OF THE FLIES is one of those iconic books that gets referenced all the time in our culture, but I’d never read it before. My daughter had to read it for school last year, and she had some anxiety about the content. I decided to read it first so she’d be ready for anything that might be difficult for her.

I read the book last fall as things were heating up before the presidential election here in the US. At that time, I actually wrote an initial review. But because I kept pushing back the date for posting the review, I have updated the review and added some more stuff that I’ve thought about on reflection.

Before I started reading LORD OF THE FLIES, I felt really weird reading all these big name authors talking about how pivotal this book has been for their writing. I think it’s Suzanne Collins who says that she reads LORD OF THE FLIES every year. That seemed really weird to me for a book with such a dark reputation. Every year? I mean, no offense meant. When a book resonates with you like that, I get wanting to read it every year. For a long time I had a book that I read every year, too. I guess I just found myself surprised about people feeling that way about a book that’s often referenced to describe uncontrolled violence or mayhem.

Anyway. So I went into the book with both some dread (expecting violence, which can be hard for me to read), and some, I don’t know, fascination, I guess?

The thing that still stands out to me most about the book is how easily some boys began to think of others as not human, as animals to be hunted. There’s a moment, after one boy has been killed where two boys talk around what happened. One boy comes right out and says that it was murder. The other boy recoils and tries to defend what happened as something else. He tries to explain it away as something not evil and wrong. It doesn’t work, and for a moment they’re both confronted with the horrible truth.

Watching the vigilantism and the violent language increasingly used by elected officials and repeated online while reading LORD OF THE FLIES was really creepy, y’all. Like, it seriously marked me. I would read a scene and feel like, this is awfully close to the way people are talking to each other or about each other right now. Or I’d get to a scene and think, well, surely our leaders won’t sink this low. And then. Stuff happened.

I couldn’t stop– and still can’t stop– thinking about the way the story explores the power of fear. The collapse of reason that happens when people are afraid and respond with that fear and anger. The steady shift toward things that once seemed unimaginable. I knew what was coming because I’d heard enough about the book that I basically knew what to expect. And yet, the violence of it and the dehumanization of it still shocked and shook me.

Reading this book, I can see not only from the story why it endures, but also from the writing. Like, I felt genuinely pulled into the tale. Even when I wasn’t reading, I thought about it. I wanted to know what would happen. Even though I already pretty much knew what was coming, I couldn’t look away from what was happening. It gripped me and paralyzed me with horror. (Much the way I felt weeks later watching the coverage of the January 6 insurrection.)

Honestly, I won’t say I enjoyed it– not like, celebrated reading it. But it really moved me. I think I would read it again. I think I NEED to read it again.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
All the boys are British private school students.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The boys fear a mysterious evil they call the Beast. They leave food sacrifices for it, hoping that this will keep the Beast away from them.

Violent Content
At least one racist comment equating Indians with savages. Multiple violent descriptions of hunting and killing pigs. Boys beat another boy to death. A boy falls to his death after being hit with a rock.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Heartless Heirs by MarcyKate Connolly

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

Heartless Heirs (Twin Daggers #2)
MarcyKate Connolly
Blink
Published August 10, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Heartless Heirs

Now torn between two worlds, Aissa must decide who she can trust. Especially when it comes to her twin.

Now without a home and on the run, Aissa has never felt so trapped and alone even with her sister and friend by her side. Zandria—once her other half—has become cold and inflexible after her time in the Technocrat’s dungeon and is bent on revenge Aissa no longer feels. Their friend Remy may still side with his father, a Magi leader who refuses to believe his spy, Darian Azul, has turned traitor. And Aissa herself is now an enemy of her Magi people after falling in love with—and binding her heart to—Aro, a Techno prince who puts all their lives at stake.

Using clues her parents and others left behind, Aissa is determined to uncover the secrets of the Alchemist Alliance that helped create her and Zandria’s unique magical powers … as well as learn whether the Alliance’s research holds the key to healing the rift between the Magi and Technocrats after centuries of war. But with her people preparing for battle, and Darian poised to use the Technocrats’ might for his own ends, it will take more than lost spells and hidden secrets to accomplish her goal. Especially as the dangerous bond between her Aro grows deeper and threatens everything Aissa has ever believed.

My Review

I didn’t realize this was a sequel before I began reading it, which is totally my own error. I’ve tried to be more careful about this, but I think I was specifically looking for Blink books when I stumbled onto this one, so I probably downloaded it without looking carefully enough.

No worries, though. I was confused at the very beginning because a LOT is happening in that first scene. Aissa and her sister are on the run, reeling from a serious betrayal, grieving over their parents’ deaths, and Aissa is missing the boy she loves and to whom she is now magically bonded. Once I got that sorted out and figured out who everyone was, I followed the story without much trouble.

I have kind of mixed feelings about the story. There were things I liked, like the fact that it’s a book about sisters. I love those. It’s also got some interesting exploration of two peoples with grievances against each other going back generations. It shows leaders who want to try to bring them together despite those past wounds and traumas. I liked that there were two distinct people. Magi have the ability to perform magic as defense or offense. Technocrats have no magic but create powerful machines to protect themselves or battle the Magi.

On the other hand, some things about the book didn’t resonate with me. Aissa and Aro are pretty gooey with each other. A couple times, they’re literally in the middle of a battle or intense situation and they just drop what they’re doing for a minute and get all smoochy. I felt like that interrupted the tension in the scene. It didn’t feel to me like something that would realistically happen in a situation where adrenaline would be that high and for trained fighters.

I also had some issues with the way Aissa treated Aro. There were times she was really patronizing, treating him like he was this fragile flower who had to stay locked away to protect her because of their magic bond, which meant that if he got injured or killed, the same would happen to her. I at least wanted him to confront her about the way she was treating him. I didn’t feel like there was a satisfying resolution to that issue.

On the whole it was an interesting book, and I enjoyed some things about it. It reminded me a tiny bit of the Safe Lands series by Jill Williamson because of its dystopian-type setting.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
A couple minor characters are described as having bronze or brown skin. One minor character, a woman, is married to another woman.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. They share a bed, but there’s no description of anything happening between them there beyond cuddling.

Spiritual Content
Some references to “the Anvil” or “forges” which seem like references to a faith or spiritual belief or history of some kind, but it’s never explained. Magi possess magical powers that allow them to change things around them.

Violent Content
Battle scenes, references to and some descriptions of torture.

Drug Content
The Technocrats have created ways to siphon the Magi’s power (which harms Magi) to benefit themselves.

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

Review: The Toll by Neal Shusterman

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3)
Neal Shusterman
Simon & Schuster
Published November 5, 2019

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About The Toll

It’s been three years since Rowan and Citra disappeared; since Scythe Goddard came into power; since the Thunderhead closed itself off to everyone but Grayson Tolliver.

In this pulse-pounding conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.

My Review

I needed a break between THUNDERHEAD, the second book in the series, and THE TOLL. The ending of THUNDERHEAD kind of overwhelmed me, so it took me a while to feel like I was ready to pick up where it left off.

This is kind of a dark book, especially at the beginning. Scythe Goddard is in charge and pretty much willing to do anything to cement his power. Rowan and Citra return, but of course if Goddard finds out they’re alive, they’ll be in trouble. Grayson finds himself in a really strange situation with the Thunderhead once again. As he and his allies discover more about the history of the Scythe system and Goddard becomes still more unhinged, it becomes pretty clear they need to do something big.

I liked all the buildup where the story bounced between different characters, and it feels like all of them begin moving toward one cohesive goal. This book introduces some new characters that I enjoyed a lot. I think this book needed to feel really big, and it did feel like that to me.

Thoughts on Technology in The Toll

In this whole series, humans have a really interesting relationship with technology. The Thunderhead knows all of history and connects to each person (outside of the Scythes) so that it knows them deeply. It also views itself as a sort of shepherd of humanity, and humans have come to rely on it as a companion they can speak to at any time. It’s not presented really as a religion, but it sort of functions that way.

On the one hand, I really enjoyed that this is a technology-positive story. There are TONS of books out there where the computer turns out to be the super villain, right? This one isn’t really like that. But it does present some interesting questions about our dependence on technology and whether that’s a good thing. So, I liked some of questions the story raised in that vein.

I’m glad I finally did sit down and finish the series. I think it was worth finishing. Readers who enjoy a good dystopian series should check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
In this futuristic story world, all races are pretty mixed. Certain characters are also described as “leaning” toward a particular race or other. Scythes are mandated to kill across a diverse population or else face punishment.

One character is genderfluid.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to sex between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Tonists are a cult of people whose worship centers around sound. They believe in the Toll, a prophet of sorts.

Violent Content
Sythes glean (kill) people in various ways, sometimes violent ones. Tonists attack and attempt to kill people they oppose.

Drug Content
None.

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