Category Archives: By Genre

Review: City Spies by James Ponti

Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, , , , , , , ,
City Spies by James Ponti

City Spies (City Spies #1)
James Ponti
Aladdin
Published March 10, 2020

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About City Spies

Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency.

Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.

Before she knows what she’s doing, Sarah is heading to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school’s computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain…all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.

No one said saving the world was easy…

My Review

I’m waaay behind on the City Spies series, but I keep hearing people talk about it, so I wanted to give it a try. I have books five and six on my shelf, so I would love to catch up enough to read them.

The first novel that I read by James Ponti is The Sherlock Society, which I had a ton of fun reading. The tone of that one is different than City Spies, which makes sense, since one is a mystery and the other is a spy thriller. I think personally, I prefer the more low-key, Florida-based mystery vibe in The Sherlock Society, but I still found a lot to like about City Spies.

City Spies rotates through several points of view. It starts out with Sarah’s perspective and then introduces Paris’s point-of-view and that of the mentor they call “Mother.” We also see some scenes from the perspective of a girl no longer on the City Spies team. This allows us to get some backstory on how the team formed and what’s truly at stake. It also created a really nice setup for a sweet moment between Sarah and Mother at the end.

The book perfectly set up the series. It leaves tons of room for future adventures for the team who operate under the names of the cities they were recruited from. I love that little snippet of geography and the fact that future books take the team to different places. I’m interested to read more.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Someone threatens others with a biological weapon.

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 library. All opinions are my own.

Review: Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George

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

Dragon Spear
Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury
Published May 12, 2009

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About Dragon Spear

The third and final installment in New York Times bestselling author Jessica Day George’s dragon fantasy series races to a dramatic finale.

As far as Creel is concerned, all is finally right with the world. For the first time in centuries it seems dragons and humans might be able to live together in peace. So what better time for Creel and Luka to plan their wedding.

But then the dragon queen, Velika, is kidnapped by a band of rogue dragons in need of a ruler. When Creel and Luka rush to help, they discover that Luka’s father has plans to take back the Far Islands from the dragons. Creel’s happily ever after just might be postponed . . . again.

My Review

Oof. Okay. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, though there are some moments, even in that first one, that I think would benefit from an update. I liked the second book as well, so I decided I would finish the trilogy. (I’m tracking my series reading now, and trying to finish a series when I can.) It didn’t take long before I realized Dragon Spear was going to be a really hard book for me to review due to the problematic content. (See below.)

Each book in the series broadens the world the author has built by exploring other nations and places within it. Each new place has different values and a unique relationship with the dragons who live there. I like the idea of continuing to explore different regions within the world. I wish the story had taken different directions from some of the ones it did take. (See my notes in the representation section below.)

One thing I was interested in seeing the story explore more is the matriarchy of the dragons. In the first book, Creel learns the dragons are led by a queen, and in the second, Queen Velika returns to her people to lead them. In this book, the Creel’s dragons encounter a group of other dragons who enslave humans and make other claims about the matriarchy.

For most of the book, Shardas, the dragon king, leads the dragons, making decisions and forging alliances. Some of the time, Velika is unavailable to make those choices, so it’s clear Shardas stands in her place. But at other times, even though the queen is available, she seems to sit back while the male dragons argue about what to do. It’s possible that I didn’t clearly understand the roles of the queen versus king in the series. I did find myself wishing that the matriarchal rule had been more deeply explored since it would have greatly contrasted the world in which Creel and her other human friends live.

Conclusion

This book wasn’t my favorite in the series, and I think some content would be better removed or revised. In the story, we do get a satisfying conclusion for Creel and Shardas, which is nice. I saw another review in which someone suggested that the author could have included the high notes of this third book as an epilogue in the second book, and I think that’s an interesting idea.

While the writing in the book feels very suited to middle grade readers, some of the content and characters ages make it better suited to older readers. Creel is nearly an adult herself, and busy planning her wedding, for example.

All in all, I’m not sure this is a book I would recommend. I am glad I finished Creel’s journey. Dragon Slippers, the first book in the series, was a lot of fun. It tells a complete story that I think readers could treat as a standalone.

Content Notes for Dragon Spear

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Problematic Content
Creel encounters people described as being primitive and tribal. At first, she believes they have darker skin with white tattoos. She learns the white markings are their actual skin tone, which they preserve by covering the skin with leather pieces while they sleep in the sun. To try to fool the group into believing she is one of them, she darkens her skin. I think this was supposed to come across like a spying disguise, but I couldn’t help thinking that it sounded an awful lot like blackface. The representation of the dragon-enslaved people Creel meets is also problematic and depends on some harmful tropes.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. A wedding.

Spiritual Content
Creel and the dragon characters discuss the history and lore of the dragons, including practices dating back to the first queen.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Enemies capture Creel and her allies and hold them by force. A group of dragons enslaves humans, forcing them to do their bidding.

Drug Content
Enemy dragons drug Velika to keep her sedated while imprisoned.

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

Review: Joy to the World by Kai Shappley and Lu Bunker

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

Joy to the World
Kai Shappley and Lu Bunker (writing at the time as Lisa Bunker)
Publisher
Published May 9, 2023

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About Joy to the World

A young Dumplin’ meets Melissa in this joyful and energetic middle grade novel about a twelve-year-old girl living her life to the fullest, celebrating her love for sports and fighting for her right to cheer.

Joy, a twelve-year-old trans girl, just moved to Texas with her mother and older brother. Her family has accepted Joy as the girl she is early in her transition, with little fuss, leaving Joy to explore her love of sports, competition, teamwork, school spirit, and worship. But when she is told she’s off the cheerleading team, Joy wants to fight for her right to cheer.

As her battle with the school board picks up momentum, Joy attracts support from kids all around the country . . . she even gets the attention of her hero, trans activist Kai Shappley. Inspired by Kai’s own life, Joy, to the World is a timely story of living life to the fullest, celebrating and centering trans joy, courage, and resilience. 

My Review

I picked up this book because I want to read more fiction by and about transgender characters, especially trans girls. What I found here, though, is such a beautiful story about a family and community coming together to celebrate cheerleading and validate a young girl’s existence.

I imagine there are still a lot of places in which people don’t meet transgender kids. It’s not a super common thing, and some, like Joy, choose to live in stealth and not advertise their identities, for very understandable reasons. Books like this one offer readers a chance to read about the experience that a trans girl and her family might have. Joy is a sweet, friendly girl who loves cheerleading and enjoys spending time with her friends.

I really enjoyed the portrayal of Joy’s family unit. Her mom takes time to think things through, but she remains supportive of Joy and cares about her feelings. Joy’s older brother, Will, doesn’t always see eye to eye with her, and sometimes takes the opportunity to tease her in the way older brothers do. But when push comes to shove, he supports her and offers helpful insights into how Joy can speak up for herself.

Though in the story, Joy experiences hate and ignorance, the narrative remains positive and often very gentle. Joy relates a positive experience with her faith. She also loves cheerleading. These things challenge the tendency that we have to reduce people to one part of their identity.

This book is an essential narrative about the experience of growing up transgender. I highly recommend it for readers looking for a positive, uplifting story about living authentically, celebrating your interests, and building community.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Joy is a Christian and attends a LGBTQIA+ affirming church. She references finding comfort in her faith and closes each of her journal entries with a brief prayer asking God to bless others around her.

Violent Content
The book contains some transphobic comments, though these are often summarized or referenced rather than outright stated. Joy is misgendered a few times. She experiences hateful comments from people online. One person uses emojis to suggest that they would shoot a transgender child.

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: Keeper Chance and the Conundrum of Chaos by Alex Evanovich

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

Keeper Chance and the Conundrum of Chaos
Alex Evanovich
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published October 8, 2024

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About Keeper Chance and the Conundrum of Chaos

For graduates of Percy Jackson comes the adventure-filled story of an average boy offered a life of villainy that’s about good vs. evil, mischief vs. mayhem, and making your mark on the world, by acclaimed author Alex Evanovich. 

If you’ve ever lost a sock in the dryer, it might have been the work of the Evil Villains International League, EVIL. And if your feet smell so bad, they keep you from making friends, good news! You might be invited to join.

After growing up in the care of his nagging grandmother and coasting through school with a mediocre GPA, Keeper Chance gets invited to try out for a spot in his local chapter of EVIL. Keeper’s not sure his unremarkable life makes him villain material, but things get more remarkable, and fast, when Keeper and another new recruit, Toby, face the chapter’s first test—and disasters begin to snowball.

As cookies and members of EVIL go missing, a mysterious girl named Y who doesn’t miss anything joins Keeper and Toby’s efforts. Despite the urgency of his mission, Keeper still can’t shake the question of why he was chosen for the league when he’s nothing special.

As Keeper races against the clock to save his new friends, nothing is easy, and nothing is ever as it seems. Can he uncover his true nature in time to ensure the survival of villainy—or does his true destiny follow a different path?

My Review

This is such a silly book. Though main characters Keeper Chance and his new best friends are sixteen, the lighthearted, caricature-ish story feels targeted to upper middle grade readers. The characters behave more independently than younger characters might believably act, too.

The story roams between points of view, taking readers into the minds of the villains and heroes alike, showing both adult and teen perspectives. Some of the characters, such as Keeper’s grandmother, are pretty cartoonish, but that feels like the vibe the story is going for, so it works.

I enjoyed how the plot seamlessly leads Keeper and Toby from one problem to the next. A search for cookies leads them to a lost dog and a kidnapping that’s part of a larger plot. This kept the story moving and balanced the danger and mischief elements while adding lots of fun into the mix.

Overall, this one is like The Incredibles, with the silliness dialed way up. I can see fans of superhero stories getting a pretty big kick out of this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to attraction between two characters.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have special superhuman abilities.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

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: The Floating World by Axie Oh

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

The Floating World (The Floating World #1)
Axie Oh
Feiwel & Friends
Published April 29, 2025

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About The Floating World

From Axie Oh, the New York Times-bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone in this romantic fantasy reimagining the Korean legend of Celestial Maidens.

Sunho lives in the Under World, a land of perpetual darkness. An ex-soldier, he can remember little of his life from before two years ago, when he woke up alone with only his name and his sword. Now he does odd-jobs to scrape by, until he comes across the score of a lifetime—a chest of coins for any mercenary who can hunt down a girl who wields silver light.

Meanwhile, far to the east, Ren is a cheerful and spirited acrobat traveling with her adoptive family and performing at villages. But everything changes during one of their festival performances when the village is attacked by a horrific humanlike demon. In a moment of fear and rage, Ren releases a blast of silver light—a power she has kept hidden since childhood—and kills the monster. But her efforts are not in time to prevent her adoptive family from suffering a devastating loss, or to save her beloved uncle from being grievously wounded.

Determined to save him from succumbing to the poisoned wound, Ren sets off over the mountains, where the creature came from—and from where Ren herself fled ten years ago. Her path sets her on a collision course with Sunho, but he doesn’t realize she’s the girl that he—and a hundred other swords-for-hire—is looking for. As the two grow closer through their travels, they come to realize that their pasts—and destinies—are far more entwined than either of them could have imagined…

My Review

I’m not going to lie; this book had me at Final Fantasy. I may have been waiting my whole life for a book that gave Final Fantasy VII vibes so strongly, and in all the best ways. I may have hummed the Sephiroth theme out loud more than once while reading.

The story mainly alternates between Ren and Sunho’s perspectives. I loved both of them as characters. Sunho has memory gaps that add to the intrigue surrounding him. Ren remembers her past, but she actively avoids thinking about it. A third point of view appears now and then, and his scenes both raise new questions and tie things together.

The story world feels like something straight out of Final Fantasy. It has a clearly defined class system with a shadowy power structure. I loved piecing together what was happening in the mythril mines and figuring out the memories Sunho had lost.

I think this is the first part of a duology. The second part comes out in October and is called The Demon and the Light. I will definitely be reading that!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Profanity used rarely.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
One character has the ability to use magic. The story explores a myth about a goddess who lost her wings. Strange creatures referred to as demons attack and kill people.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle scenes. A girl witnesses a murder.

Drug Content
Someone injects others with an experimental substance, sometimes without their consent.

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: Their Just Desserts by Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, , , , , , , , ,

Their Just Desserts (The Cookie Crumbles #2)
Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow
Quill Tree Books
Published May 13, 2025

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About Their Just Desserts

Perfect for fans of The Great British Baking Show and Clue, this enchanting and rollicking follow-up to The Cookie Crumbles follows two best friends caught up in a twisty mystery when jewels go missing at a high-stakes baking competition.

Baker extraordinaire Laila Thomas and budding journalist Lucy Flores are living it up at the top of the junior high food chain as eighth graders. But between busy schedules and kinda-boyfriends, these two best friends haven’t gotten to hang out as much. So, when Jaden, an ex-competition rival, begs the duo to step back into the world of cooking competitions and crime—the answer is yes.

Jaden is His father is accused of stealing prized jewels on the set of an amateur kids’ holiday baking show. The plan is for Laila to smash the competition while Lucy investigates behind the scenes—but their half-baked plan gets turned totally upside down when Lucy ends up in front of the cameras instead.

As the investigation and competition heat up, Lucy and Laila’s bond is put to the ultimate test. Can they solve this bakeoff mystery, or will they—and their friendship—crack under pressure?

My Review

Where do I even start?! What a fun book. I love all the references to the holidays. The story takes place near Christmas, and Laila and Lucy reminisce about their own treasured holiday traditions: watching holiday-themed murder mysteries and enjoying delicious baked treats. Can’t beat that! The movie descriptions are fabulous. They have that over-the-top holiday movie vibe. Definitely something I’d watch with a cup of hot cocoa and a holiday cookie.

One of the really sweet, subtle things about the book is the way that it explores loneliness. I remember being Laila’s age and having the loneliest time of my life, even though I was constantly surrounded by people. Laila notices her loneliness and struggles to voice her feelings. As she’s working through this, she notices loneliness in others around her, and that helps her see people in a new way. Some characters she viewed as arrogant or aloof actually turn out to be shy and lonely themselves, and recognizing that helpes Laila connect with them.

I also enjoyed the mystery element to the book. The girls race to find missing diamonds and uncover the identity of the thief before police charge a dear friend’s dad with the crime. Putting the baking show and the mystery together worked really well, as both eliminate suspects within a specific timeline. And the baking show added deadlines and pressure to the quest.

This book was an absolute joy to read. I think middle grade readers interested in mysteries or anyone who loves baking will want to check this one out.

Author Q&A with Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow

Don’t miss out on this fabulous Q&A with Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow that I posted last week. I had so much fun learning about some behind-the-scenes story information and the duo’s collaborative process. Be sure to check it out!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to attraction between characters. One character is excited about the possibility of starting a relationship.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to a thief stealing diamonds.

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.