Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: Song of the Court by Katy Farina

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,
Song of the Court by Katy Farina

Song of the Court
Katy Farina
Union Square Books
Published October 6, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Song of the Court

A charming fairy tale—told in graphic novel style—about two unlikely friends who encourage each other to pursue their dreams.

In order to buy seeds for her beautiful garden, Arietta plans to sell her treasured family violin. Then music-loving Princess Cassia spots Arietta with the instrument and excitedly asks her to perform at her upcoming birthday party. What the Princess doesn’t realize is, Arietta can’t play! Too ashamed to tell Cassia the truth, Arietta sets out to learn a special song for the occasion. But as Arietta’s musical passion blossoms, her devotion to her garden fades . . . and her trees and flowers begin to die. Will she be able to master the tune in time for Cassia’s celebration—and save the garden, too?

My Review

One of my big problems this summer has been keeping enough books around the house for my littlest to read. She’s aging out of chapter books and just tiptoeing into middle grade. Graphic novels have worked out as a great format for her right now. I’m able to read a lot of things first before handing them over to her. I’ve also got a backlog of titles that I’ve read that I think she’d be interested in. I’ll probably do a list soon that corrals some of her favorites together, since I’m sure a lot of families face similar challenges as their readers age up into middle grade.

Song of the Court was a lucky find for us at our local library. We have two cats, and my littlest loves them, so I’m always on the lookout for stories with a cute cat on the cover. (I haven’t been able to sell her on the Warriors series yet, but it’s early.)

The story follows a cat named Arietta, who cares for her family’s garden. She sells flowers and fruit at the weekly market to make a living. At the opening of the book, money is short, so Arietta decides to pawn her grandfather’s violin. On the way to the music store, she meets Princess Cassia, who is looking for a musician to perform at her birthday party. Arietta gets so flustered at meeting the princess that before she knows it, she’s promising to play a song at the party.

Fortunately for Arietta, her best friend Emily is an accomplished violinist, and she offers to teach her to play a special song. Arietta finds great joy in learning to play the violin, and soon her garden wilts because she spends so much time playing music. She wants to keep playing music, but she doesn’t want to give up the garden. How can she balance both?

The storytelling is so gentle and upbeat. I love that Arietta wrestles with this problem of passion versus responsibilities. Ultimately she learns that a balanced, happy life has room for both.

Conclusion

What a sweet story! This book is perfect for readers aging out of chapter books into middle grade literature. A couple of the names were hard for my seven-year-old to decode, but that was an easy bridge to cross. If you liked the Cat and Cat Adventures series by Susie Yi or the Tea Dragon Society series by K. O’Neill, then put Song of the Court on your reading list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from my local public library. All opinions are my own.

Review Once for Yes by Allie Millington

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

Once for Yes
Allie Millington
Feiwel & Friends
Published March 25, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Once for Yes

The Odenburgh, an old apartment building made of brick and blunt opinions, is the last of its kind in a swiftly changing neighborhood. After years of putting up with people and their many problems, the Odenburgh knows there’s no point in getting attached. They all just leave eventually. A truth that comes all too soon when the building is sold and slated for demolition, giving tenants a month to move out.

No one is more troubled by the news than eleven-year-old Prue, who refuses to leave her family’s apartment. Not when it was the last place she lived with her sister Lina, before she lost Lina forever. When Prue launches a plan to save their home, the Odenburgh joins in—flickering lights, jamming elevators, triggering fire alarms—all to try and bring a building full of bickering residents together. In the process, Prue meets Lewis, an eccentric boy who lives across the street—and the only one who can help her discover the missing elements of her sister’s story.

My Review

I love that the apartment building is such an important character in this book. The Odenburgh is a bit grizzled and feisty, but it obviously cares about the tenants, no matter how quirky they are. The story is mostly told from the Odenburgh and Prue’s perspectives, but a few other characters narrate random scenes here and there, including Lewis, the boy from across the street.

Prue’s family still grieves her sister’s death, though they have all been grieving privately. As Prue approaches her twelfth birthday, she feels everything is wrong. After she turns twelve, her sister Lina will never again be older than Prue is. At times, Prue’s grief is palpable. Her commitment to the talk show game that she used to play with her sisters is funny and heartbreaking. I love that she continues to narrate certain events, like her mother’s emotional changes, as parts of the show.

At the beginning of the book, Prue thinks she is the only one grieving. Through her connection with the Odenburgh and their attempts to save the building, Prue learns that many of her neighbors nurse secret hurts and losses, too. As they begin stepping outside their apartments and sharing memories with one another, Prue stops feeling so alone. I loved that transition in the story, when Prue and some of her neighbors start to see their grief reflected in each other’s experiences. It helped them see past the squabbles they had and work together to try to save the building they love.

I’m definitely a fan of stories that make space for grief, since I don’t think we do enough of that in real life. I’m also a huge fan of stories that explore building community– another thing we often lack. This book offers both, and though it’s got some moments that will have readers reaching for tissues, it’s also got some that leave us cheering for Prue and her neighbors.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to a crush between two twelve-year-old characters.

Spiritual Content
Prue believes the Odenburgh’s flickering lights are a sign that Lina is there with her. The Odenburgh is a character in the story and can communicate through flickering lights, shutting off power, water, and air conditioning, etc.

Violent Content
Death of a sibling (before the story begins). References to a drunk driver killing a young pedestrian.

Drug Content
See Violent Content.

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 with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

Review: The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson

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

The Snowman Code
Simon Stephenson
Simon & Schuster
Published December 16, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Snowman Code

A beautifully hopeful, funny and heartwarming tale about the lasting power of love and friendship, from the critically-acclaimed and award-winning screenwriter behind Pixar’s Luca and Paddington 2.

In London, in a winter which shows no sign of ending, a unique friendship begins.

This is the story of Blessing, aged ten-and-a-half, and Albert Framlington, aged six hundred – an eccentric snowman who has seen many winters in many cities, and who is duty-bound by the Snowman Code to help any child in need. Together, Blessing and Albert must find a way to defeat Blessing’s bullies, win back Albert’s long-lost love Clementine, and even overcome the never-ending winter itself…

Perfect for fans of The Christmasaurus, A Boy Called Christmas, The Snowman and Paddington, The Snowman Code is a heartwarming, hilarious and unforgettable modern classic for families to curl up with on frosty winter nights.

My Review

This is the kind of book that people will either love or feel pretty indifferent about, I think. Through the whole story, Albert Framlington “educates” Blessing about the way the world works. Africa, a land of glaciers, is where penguins live. When people go to the hospital, appendix problems are generally the cause. Blessing tries to correct him, but he persists in his way of thinking.

It’s cute, and it keeps the story away from the snowman serving as a magically wise mentor, and makes Blessing the decision-maker and chief problem-solver.

Blessing’s mother has what appears to be seasonal depression (it’s never labeled in the text). The longer the winter drags on, the more severe her depression becomes, and Blessing worries that her mom will be hospitalized and Blessing will have to live with a foster family. Blessing understands that her mom is sad and that she can’t fix it, but the story doesn’t delve deeply into her mom’s experience or show many interactions between Blessing and her mom. This does help to keep the story age-appropriate.

I can definitely see younger middle grade readers enjoying this playful story. The chapters are pretty short and feature frequent illustrations, making this a good choice for readers transitioning from the shorter chapter books to middle grade novels.

This would be a great reading choice for that moment when winter seems like it will never end, and we all wish for a little sunshine and magic.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 11.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to adults in love.

Spiritual Content
Snowmen are alive and can move and talk. They adhere to a strict set of rules called “The Snowman Code,” which keeps them discreet.

Violent Content
Three kids have been bullying Blessing (mostly off-scene).

Drug Content
Having a pipe is a big deal for a snowman, especially a real one. One snowman has a pipe so new it still smells of tobacco.

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 Last Vampire by Romina Garber

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

The Last Vampire
Romina Garber
Wednesday Books
Published December 2, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Last Vampire

Pride & Prejudice meets Crave when Austen-loving Lorena Navarro attends a new boarding school expecting to find her own Mr. Darcy, but accidentally finds the world’s last vampire instead!

Pride comes before the fall.

When a boarding school opens in a once-condemned Victorian manor buried in the woods of New Hampshire, Austen-loving Lorena Navarro enrolls in hopes of finding her own Mr. Darcy. Instead, she stumbles across a coffin and accidentally awakens the world’s last vampire.

After hibernating for nearly three centuries, William Pride is desperate to find his family—and clueless about the modern world. Relying on Lorena for more than just blood, he enrolls at the school to catch up on all he’s missed.

Soon, William uncovers a chilling truth: He is the last hope for his kind’s return to power. Torn between protecting the humans around him and fulfilling his fate, William must make a choice that could change everything. Will he sacrifice his species for love . . . or will he embrace his dark destiny at last?

My Review

I like a lot of things about this book. It draws on some of the vampire tropes found in other popular vampire novels and presents them in a fresh (more consent-conscious) way. William respects Lorena’s personal space and doesn’t show up in her room uninvited. Though at first he feeds on Lorena without her consent, he quickly realizes how wrong this is and changes his behavior.

The Pride and Prejudice references come up as Lorena shares her love of the novel. She makes side comments comparing the school to Pemberley and William to the character Mr. Darcy. Her literature class reads and discusses the story (along with several others). I think the strongest connection is Lorena’s initial disgust with William and his subsequent transformation. She doesn’t pester him about changing, and her romantic feelings don’t really develop until he proves himself a better person.

That said, I wouldn’t at all call this a reimagining of P&P or anything like that. The reference is there, and the story explores some themes about pride and prejudice, but those are more subtle. I didn’t really think of William and Lorena as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet as I read the story. I don’t think you have to make those connections to enjoy the story, either.

I picked this book up primarily because I enjoyed the “Wolves of No World” series by this author. It’s a story about werewolves and witches and Argentinian folklore. The Last Vampire is set at an elite boarding school in New England, so it has a different feel to it. If you’re looking for a modern take on a vampire story, it’s worth checking out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used fairly infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Touching over and under clothes. A couple of scenes show sexual contact.

Spiritual Content
Some characters are vampires and are immortal.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Scenes show a vampire biting and feeding from a human, sometimes with consent and sometimes without it. Murder and brief graphic violence.

Drug Content
References to alcohol use and smoking pot.

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 Time Traveler’s History of Tomorrow by Kendall Kulper

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

A Time Traveler’s History of Tomorrow
Kendall Kulper
Holiday House
Published November 4, 2025

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About A Time Traveler’s History of Tomorrow

A time-bending love story between a prickly young woman and a carefree stranger, who are tasked with saving the universe—after accidentally destroying it in the first place.

Genevieve Newhouse and Ash Hargreaves weren’t supposed to meet like this. Unless it was always meant to be . . .

Gen is a fastidious science prodigy with a chip on her shoulder, and she can turn herself invisible.

Happy-go-lucky Ash has just escaped a sheltered (read: cultish) childhood, and he can manipulate time.

The gifted eighteen-year-olds cross paths at the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair, where Genevieve’s experimental physics project causes an apocalyptic explosion. Ash tries to avert catastrophe by gallantly rewinding time a few minutes, but instead, he transports them back to 1893. The duo finds themselves trapped in an unfamiliar, unwelcoming era, with no idea how to return to their own time—or if their own time even exists. Their cataclysmic leap across decades might have destroyed the world as they know it . . .

Fate and free will intertwine in this page-turning historical romance that sets two irresistible strangers down a chaotic, potentially apocalyptic path. “Will they or won’t they” takes on a whole new meaning as Gen and Ash fight for survival while falling in love.

Hand to fans of Immortal Longings and Anatomy: A Love Story, and don’t miss companion novels Murder for the Modern Girl and A Starlet’s Secret to a Sensational Afterlife.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

My Review

I read The Starlet’s Secret to a Sensational Afterlife by Kendall Kulper, which is about Genevieve’s sister Henny, two years ago, so I was excited to read this companion novel. The historical setting has the same noir feel as the other book, which I love. Most of the story takes place in Chicago in 1893, in and around the World’s Fair.

The chapters alternate from Genevieve and Ash’s perspectives, and I enjoyed both characters. I like that she is the scientist and he is the romantic, people-oriented person in the partnership. It would have been easy to write the characters the opposite way, and I like that Kulper challenged some gender expectations with these characters. Genevieve also finds a talented Black woman in 1893 who mentors her. That created some opportunities for the narrative to note the ways that misogyny didn’t only affect white women, but also women of color.

The pacing in the last quarter of the book felt so fast to me. I loved how quickly things unfolded, though I think I lost the thread of the character arcs for both Genevieve and Ash as they prepared for their big move to save the world and un-pretzel the timeline.

Despite that, I had a lot of fun reading this book. I didn’t realize that Genevieve and Henny’s older sister, Ruby, has her own novel: Murder for the Modern Girl. So I’m definitely adding that one to my reading list.

Definitely check out Kulper’s books if you enjoy a good historical novel with a bit of magical realism or fantasy elements.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used fairly infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have supernatural abilities, like traveling through time and turning invisible. At the beginning of the story, one character lives in a highly controlling religious cult community.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Two scenes include a person nearly falling to their death. Two scenes include someone nearly drowning. One person dies in the water. Someone collapses with some kind of apparent medical crisis. Reference to death in a fire (not shown on scene).

Misogynistic and racist characters restrict the ability of talented women and people of color to participate in the science field and/or receive credit for their work. References to the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893 and the Indigenous people and people of color incarcerated at the fairgrounds as part of an exhibit. The narrative also acknowledges the fact that certain cultures and people groups were excluded from exhibits on progress and science.

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.

MMGM Review: Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina

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Graciela in the Abyss
Meg Medina
Candlewick Press
Published July 1, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Graciela in the Abyss

“A thrilling, action-packed journey filled with heart, bravery, and ghostly exploits.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A sea ghost, a mortal boy, and a dangerous enchanted harpoon . . . A Newbery Medalist takes us far beneath the waves in this extraordinary foray into fantasy.

In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela—once an ordinary girl—now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep. Though Graciela’s spirit is young, she has lived at the bottom of the ocean for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, in the mortal world on land, twelve-year-old Jorge Leon works in his family’s forge. He’s heard of the supernatural spirits living beneath the ocean’s waves—tales that do nothing to quell his fear of the water. But when Jorge discovers a hand-wrought harpoon with the power to spear a sea ghost, he knows he must destroy it any way he can.

When the harpoon is accidentally reunited with its vengeful creator, unlikely allies Graciela and Jorge have no choice but to work together to keep evil spirits from wreaking havoc on both the living and the dead. If only the answer to saving what they care about didn’t lie within the depths of the abyss . . . Newbery Medal winner Meg Medina and illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso have crafted a thoughtful tale infused with magic and high-stakes adventure that will leave readers wondering what power lies in the depths of the ocean—and inside each of us.

My Review

That this book received a starred review from Kirkus is no surprise to me. The story world is so imaginative and immersing. The characters feel so real.

I will say the opening is a little bit jarring, only because it’s unusual to open a story with the main character’s death, and especially a death by such a tragic accident. (Graciela falls off a cliff into the sea.) But it does offer a lot of insight into who Graciela is, so that as she awakens as a spirit, we’re unsurprised by some of her choices.

She really grows as a character, and it feels very organic. I love the contrast of her character in the opening scene versus in the final scene. What a transformation.

I have to talk about Jorge, too. He has such a joyless life, and yet, he still finds ways to create joy for himself. He’s kind to others, too. I love the way the story works out for him, though there were moments that I could not see how there would be any happiness at the end for him. That final scene really got me. So perfect.

This story has such a unique setup. Usually, the living human is the main character and the ghost is more of a side character. While both Jorge and Graciela tell the story in their points of view, it feels a little more weighted toward Graciela’s perspective to me. So much of the story is set in the spirit world with Graciela and her community. I love the fantasy landscape that Medina created beneath the ocean’s surface.

The back of the book has a glossary of terms related to the spirit world and the book has a map as well.

If you’re looking for something dark and unusual for your middle grade reader, check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
When someone dies in the ocean or at sea, they sleep for 100 years and then wake as a spirit, where they’re tasked with certain roles to protect the ocean or other spirits. The Almas are guardians who watch over the ocean and all the spirits.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Description of a girl’s accidental death falling from a cliff into the sea. Descriptions of a ship’s crew lost at sea. Some characters use a harpoon to hunt spirits, intending to kill them and steal their pearl teeth. Jorge’s parents are cruel, threatening him with violence (burning out his tongue, for instance) if he doesn’t do what they expect.

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

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 with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

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