Review: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie LloydA Snicker of Magic
Natalie Lloyd
Scholastic
Published February 25, 2014

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About A Snicker of Magic
Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart.

But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck’s about to change. A “word collector,” Felicity sees words everywhere—shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog’s floppy ears—but Midnight … Continue reading

Review: Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin

Blood for Blood by Ryan GraudinBlood for Blood
Ryan Graudin
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Published November 1st, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Blood for Blood

There would be blood. Blood for blood. Blood to pay. An entire world of it.

For the resistance in the Third Reich, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun. Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skinshift, is on the run: the world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against Hitler’s army, and … Continue reading

Review: Between the Lies by Cathy MacPhail

Between the Lies by Cathy MacPhailBetween the Lies
Cathy MacPhail
Kelpies
Published on April 20, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Between the Lies
Judith Tremayne is missing. She hasn’t been online, nobody has heard from her. She simply appears to have vanished, until Abbie Knox, a school nobody, receives a message: “I want to come home.” Suddenly everyone knows Abbie’s name. The mean girls and the misfits alike are obsessed with Jude’s disappearance. Abbie finds herself at the centre of a whirlwind of rumours, secrets and lies. Why would popular, fun Jude be messaging loner, loser Abbie? Why would Jude disappear? Can Abbie bring her home? Award-winning author Cathy MacPhail authentically captures the … Continue reading

Review: Definitions of Indefinable Things by Whitney Taylor

Definitions of Indefinable Things by Whitney TaylorThe Definition of Indefinable Things
Whitney Taylor
HMH Books for Young Readers
Published April 4, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About The Definition of Indefinable Things
This heartbreaking, humorous novel is about three teens whose lives intersect in ways they never expected.

Reggie Mason is all too familiar with “the Three Stages of Depression.” She believes she’s unlocked the secret to keeping herself safe: Nobody can hurt you if you never let them in.

Reggie encounters an unexpected challenge to her misanthropy: a Twizzler-chomping, indie film-making narcissist named Snake. Snake’s presence, while reassuring, is not exactly stable—especially since his ex-girlfriend is seven months pregnant. As … Continue reading

Review: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan GraudinWolf by Wolf
Ryan Graudin
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Published October 20, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Wolf by Wolf

Her story begins on a train.

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor’s Ball in Tokyo.

Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The … Continue reading

Review: It Looks Like This by Rafi Mittlefehldt

It Looks Like This by Rafi MittlefehldtIt Looks Like This
Rafi Mittlefehldt
Candlewick Press
Published September 6, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About It Looks Like This
A new state, a new city, a new high school. Mike’s father has already found a new evangelical church for the family to attend, even if Mike and his plainspoken little sister, Toby, don’t want to go. Dad wants Mike to ditch art for sports, to toughen up, but there’s something uneasy behind his demands.

Then Mike meets Sean, the new kid, and “hey” becomes games of basketball, partnering on a French project, hanging out after school. A night at the beach. The fierce … Continue reading