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Review: Roll for Initiative by Jaime Formato

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,
Roll for Initiative by Jamie Formato cover shows a diverse group of girls sitting in a cluster around one girl with her arms crossed.

Roll for Initiative
Jaime Formato
Running Press Kids
Published September 27, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Roll for Initiative

Perfect for fans of Dungeons & Dragons, Raina Telgemeier, and Jessica Kim, a heartfelt coming-of-age middle grade novel about finding your voice and believing in your best geeky self.

Riley Henderson has never taken a bus to school in her entire life. Or made an afterschool snack, or finished her homework on her own, or—ewww—done her own laundry. That’s what her older brother Devin was for.

But now Devin’s gone. He’s off in California attending a fancy college gaming program while Riley is stuck alone in Florida with her mom. That is, until a cool nerd named Lucy gives Riley no choice but to get over her shyness and fear of rejection and become friends. The best part is . . . both girls are into Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, playing D&D was something Riley and Devin used to do together, with Devin as the dungeon master, guiding Riley through his intricately planned campaigns. So, of course, Riley is more than a little nervous when Lucy suggests that she run a campaign for them. For the chance at a friend, though, she’s willing to give it a shot. 

Soon, their party grows and with the help of her new D&D friends, Riley discovers that not only can she function without Devin, she kind of likes it. She figures out that bus thing, totes the clothes down to the laundry room and sets up her D&D campaigns right there on the slightly suspect folding table, makes her own snacks and dinner— the whole deal. But when Devin runs into trouble with his program and returns home, it’s pretty clear, even to Riley, that since he can’t navigate his own life, he’s going to live Riley’s for her. Now she has to help Devin go back to college and prove to her mom that she can take care of herself . . . all before the upcoming Winter-Con.

It’s time to Roll for Initiative.

My Review

Oh my gosh, this book! It’s got so many great layers. First, I really enjoyed the way the Dungeons and Dragons games were captured in the text. The Dungeon Master’s narration is written in italics, so it feels really atmospheric and stands apart from the characters’ dialogue and questions. I thought that was super clever.

The story contains some really great character arcs and contrasts, too. For example, there’s a strong contrast between Devin and Riley. At first, Riley sees herself as kind of a bumbling goof next to her brother, who has everything hyper-organized and planned to within an inch of its life. As she begins to stretch her wings and builds some confidence in herself, she begins to see that her style– more creative and spontaneous– is both valuable and valid. She starts having her own preferences instead of deferring to his.

She also notices similarities between her brother and her friend, Hannah, though at first, she thinks they’re nothing alike. Once she sees the common ground between them, it really helps her formulate how to break through the fog of fear and grief her brother is caught in.

I loved the creativity of the D&D games, and the ways the characters interacted came across as so genuine and full of heart. I would play tabletop with Riley any day of the week. Readers who enjoy video games or D&D should obviously check this one out, but I think it would also appeal to readers in late elementary school navigating changing friendships.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Two of Riley’s friends are Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
“Heck” is used a few times, but nothing stronger.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some descriptions of game characters’ actions in a role-playing game.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Sorceline Book 2 by Sylvia Douyé and Paola Antista

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Sorceline Book 2 (Sorceline #2)
Sylvia Douyé
Illustrated by Paola Antista
Andrews McNeel Publishing
Published August 22, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Sorceline Book 2

Return to the Island of Vorn, where mythical creatures roam free and only the brightest students are invited to study them! Follow along as the kids (and creatures) of Professor Balzar’s famous school of cryptozoology unearth the long-hidden secret at the heart of their story.

Sorceline has proven herself a star student at Balzar’s prestigious academy—but her gifts might have gotten the best of her. As Sorceline fights for her life, her classmates must work to uncover her origin story, revealing details of her past that may offer a key to their present.

At the back of the book, enjoy an illustrated bestiary along with behind-the-scenes bonus material!

My Review

This graphic novel begins right where the first book in the series left off: Sorceline is in a deep sleep, and the professor and her friends must figure out how to wake her. As they pursue a cure, they run into pieces of other mysteries and dangers.

I felt like I got to know the characters better in this book, even though much of the story is about the quest to find and stop a bad guy from the past. I liked the way the relationship between Sorceline and Merode developed– he’s one of my favorite characters.

Though it’s a pretty short book at just over 100 pages, a lot happens in those few chapters. The panels are gorgeous, showcasing lots of mythical creatures and beautiful forest scenes. I’m super glad I read this one. It’s definitely a series I want on my library shelves!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
The main character is white-passing. Other characters are POC.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A boy has a crush on one of the girls.

Spiritual Content
Characters have the ability to perform magic and encounter magical creatures.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. A vampire tries to bite Sorceline so she’ll never grow up. She faces a deadly enemy.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of SORCELINE BOOK 2 in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Brick Dust and Bones by M. R. Fournet

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

Brick Dust and Bones
M. R. Fournet
Feiwel & Friends
Published July 18, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Brick Dust and Bones

A twelve-year-old cemetery boy and monster hunter–along with his flesh-eating mermaid friend–has to race against the clock to save the ghost of his dead mother in Brick Dust and Bones, M.R. Fournet’s magical middle grade debut.

Marius Grey hunts Monsters. He’s not supposed to. He’s only twelve and his job as a Cemetery Boy is to look after the ghosts in his family’s graveyard. He should be tending these ghosts and–of course–going to school to learn how to live between worlds without getting into trouble.

But, Marius has an expensive goal. He wants to bring his mother back from the dead, and that takes a LOT of mystic coins, which means a LOT of Monster Hunting, and his mother’s window to return is closing.

If he wants her back, Marius is going to have to go after bigger and meaner monsters, decide if a certain flesh-eating mermaid is a friend or foe, and avoid meddling Demons and teachers along the way. Can Marius navigate New Orleans’s gritty monster bounty-hunting market, or will he have to say goodbye to his mother forever?

My Review

Darker middle grade (or YA) isn’t something I have a lot of experience reading, so I was a little nervous picking up this book. I’d never heard of it until a copy from the publisher arrived in the mail, but I wanted to check it out. Darker books have surprised me before, after all. (See THE PLENTIFUL DARKNESS by Heather Krassner or THE DARKDEEP by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs.)

Some of the imagery is very creepy. Monsters stand over sleeping children. What appears to be a woman unzips her skin and a green, sinewy monster steps out. Things like that.

What I truly loved about this story is Marius. He’s alone and lonely, desperate to save his mother and protect his best friend, a monster mermaid who has sworn off eating humans. Marius bravely faces monsters, stopping them from hurting children. At one point, he encounters a boy who indicates he’s being abused. Marius gifts the boy a magical necklace to protect him.

While this isn’t a book that readers in my house (who all seem to have vivid nightmares easily inspired by books or movies), I could see readers who love scary stories eating this one up. It has great characters and a very immersive story world.

A second book in the series is currently scheduled for release next summer.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Marius is described as being basically shades of gray rather than a member of a specific race. Minor characters are POC.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kiss between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Marius encounters a boogeyman who feeds on the souls of children. A magic book captures monsters through a recited spell. Marius visits various magical shops and encounters other magical creatures and people who possess magic, like witches. His family is responsible for the care of the ghosts in the graveyard where he lives. Some humans enter a pact with a demon in which they temporarily receive power but owe their soul to the demon.

Violent Content
Situations of peril and scary imagery, such as monsters trying to attack a child.

Drug Content
References to adult characters telling stories while they’re drunk.

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

Review: A Sky Full of Song by Susan Lynn Meyer

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

A Sky Full of Song
Susan Lynn Meyer
Union Square Kids
Published April 11, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Sky Full of Song

This heartwarming, beautifully written middle-grade historical novel about an untold American frontier story is destined to be a cherished classic. 
 
North Dakota, 1905
 
After fleeing persecution in the Russian Empire, eleven-year-old Shoshana and her family, Jewish immigrants, start a new life on the prairie. Shoshana takes fierce joy in the wild beauty of the plains and the thrill of forging a new, American identity. But it’s not as simple for her older sister, Libke, who misses their Ukrainian village and doesn’t pick up English as quickly or make new friends as easily. Desperate to fit in, Shoshana finds herself hiding her Jewish identity in the face of prejudice, just as Libke insists they preserve it.
 
For the first time, Shoshana is at odds with her beloved sister, and has to look deep inside herself to realize that her family’s difference is their greatest strength. By listening to the music that’s lived in her heart all along, Shoshana finds new meaning in the Jewish expression all beginnings are difficult, as well as in the resilience and traditions her people have brought all the way to the North Dakota prairie.

My Review

Maybe the quickest way to describe this book is AN AMERICAN TAIL meets LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. I loved that the story showed both Shoshana’s life in Liubashevka (Ukraine) and her experiences on the farm in North Dakota. The bonds between her and her family members felt very natural– especially as she reconnected to her father and brother, who had been in America for a long time.

One of my favorite characters is, of course, the cat, Zissel. Bringing the cat with her from New York showed so much of Shoshana’s impulsiveness and her love for animals. I loved how that choice had an unexpected outcome, too.

The story briefly acknowledges that the Dakota people were cruelly forced from the land Shoshana’s family has settled on. Shoshana thinks of the way the government in Russia treated her family and empathizes with the plight of indigenous people.

A SKY FULL OF SONG is a sweet story, featuring music, celebrations of faith and family as well as sharing a moment in history with young readers. I had a lot of fun reading this one, and I love that it included a cat!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Shoshana and her family are Jewish and emigrated from Ukraine.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Boys and a man in town use racist slurs toward Shoshana and her family.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Shoshana’s family affixes a mezuzah to their door, honoring their Jewish faith. They celebrate Shabbos together. Shoshana and her family light a menorah and sing a prayer as part of their celebration of Chanukah. The other girls at school make plans to celebrate Christmas with a performance and decorations at school.

Violent Content
See profanity/crude language content. Boys at school bully Shoshana, and one grabs her wrist, bruising her. A sudden blizzard catches characters off guard, putting their lives and the life of an animal in danger.

Drug Content
Brief reference to men being drunk and laughing or stumbling.

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

All Alone With You by Amelia Diane Coombs

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

All Alone with You
Amelia Diane Coombs
Simon & Schuster
Published July 25, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About All Alone with You

HBO Max’s Hacks gets a romantic twist in the vein of Jenn Bennett in this swoon-worthy novel about a standoffish teen girl whose loner status gets challenged by a dynamic elderly woman and a perpetually cheerful boy.

Eloise Deane is the worst and doesn’t care who knows it. She’s grumpy, prefers to be alone, and is just slogging through senior year with one goal: get accepted to USC and move to California. So when her guidance counselor drops the bombshell that to score a scholarship she’ll desperately need, her applications require volunteer hours, Eloise is up for the challenge. Until she’s paired with LifeCare, a volunteer agency that offers social support to lonely seniors through phone calls and visits. Basically, it’s a total nightmare for Eloise’s anxiety.

Eloise realizes she’s made a huge mistake—especially when she’s paired with Austin, the fellow volunteer who’s the sunshine to her cloudy day. But as Eloise and Austin work together to keep Marianne Landis—the mysterious former frontwoman of the 1970s band the Laundromats—company, something strange happens. She actually…likes Marianne and Austin? Eloise isn’t sure what to do with that, especially when her feelings toward Austin begin to blur into more-than-friends territory.

And when ex-girlfriends, long-buried wounds, and insecurities reappear, Eloise will have a choice to make: go all in with Marianne and Austin or get out before she gets hurt.

My Review

I can see the comparison to Jenn Bennett in the marketing copy– I felt like the vibes between Eloise and Austin were a little like the relationship between Bailey and Alex in ALEX, APPROXIMATELY. There’s not a rivalry, but there’s definitely a vested interest in dislike on Eloise’s part, especially at the beginning of the book. The romance blooms slowly, and everyone sees it coming before Eloise herself. In fact, sometimes she’s willfully blind to the signs that it’s there.

I really liked the exploration of friendship in the book, too. Eloise was burned pretty badly by her former friends during a personal crisis, so she’s got her defenses up sky-high when she’s introduced to Austin and Marianne. Her prickliness and Marianne’s take-no-prisoners attitude make for some really fun banter.

Between Marianne’s past and Austin’s present role as bass player in a local band, there’s quite a bit of focus on music in the book, too. Each chapter begins with a quote from a song by the Laundromats. One scene shows Austin’s band rehearsing for a gig. Another shows them playing the gig. I enjoyed the way those scenes played out and how they added a lot to Austin’s character beyond the goofy, Mr. Sunshine character we’d gotten to know.

All in all, I think if you’re looking for a prickly, slow-burn romance, with cross-generational friendship, ALL ALONE WITH YOU is a perfect fit and definitely worth checking out for Jenn Bennett or Jennifer E. Smith fans.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Eloise has depression and anxiety. Austin is Korean American and lost his dad. Marianne is a lesbian and struggles with alcoholism.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Very brief reference to the fact that Eloise struggled with suicidal ideation. She refers to Austin’s white van without windows as a “murder van”.

Drug Content
Marianne smokes cigarettes and drinks vodka in several scenes. Eloise notices a bong among Marianne’s things.

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

Review: Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

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

Descendant of the Crane
Joan He

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Descendant of the Crane

In New York Times and Indie bestselling author Joan He’s debut novel, Descendant of the Crane, a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggles to do right in a world brimming with deception. This gorgeous, Chinese-inspired fantasy is packed with dizzying twists, complex characters, and intricate politics.

TREASON

For princess Hesina of Yan, the palace is her home, but her father is her world. He taught her how to defend against the corruption and excesses of the old kings, before revolutionaries purged them and their seers and established the dynasty anew.

Before he died, he was supposed to teach her how to rule.

TRIAL

The imperial doctors say the king died a natural death, but Hesina has reason to believe he was murdered. She is determined to uncover the truth and bring the assassin to justice.

TRUTH

But in a broken system, ideals can kill. As the investigation quickly spins out of Hesina’s control, she realizes that no one is innocent. Not the heroes in history, or the father she thought she knew. More blood will spill if she doesn’t rein in the trial soon—her people’s, her family’s, and even her own.

My Review

This book has been on my reading list for SO. LONG. I’m so glad I finally had the chance to read it.

DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE is about 400 pages, which is pretty near the high side in terms of my preferred page count. However. I devoured the story in two days. Every time I picked up the book, I couldn’t stop reading it.

The pace of the story moves quickly– right away, we know there’s been a murder, and Hesina, the new queen, is committed to discovering who killed her father, even risking her own death to ensure the truth is revealed in a trial.

She’s also just become queen of a country on the brink of war with a fierce neighbor. And queen of a country internally torn apart by fear and prejudice against people called sooths, who have the ability to perform magic or read the future.

Add to that all the usual new, young ruler court machinations, and you’ve got a pretty good idea where the story begins. And the stakes only get higher.

One of my favorite characters is Akira, a prisoner that Hesina has been told she needs as her representative in the trial to convict her father’s murderer. He’s mysterious, sardonic, and sometimes turns out to have inside information that Hesina needs to survive. There’s a very, very slow burn romance happening between them, so of course I was all in on that.

Conclusion

I feel like this was a really ambitious story to craft. It’s partly a history-inspired fantasy, partly a murder mystery, and partly a commentary on prejudice and the way that we shape people’s views and values through our telling of history. Which is a lot to tell in just 400 pages!

Not only do I feel like Joan He succeeded in her storytelling, but she also crafted a cast of engaging characters caught up in this compelling drama that I couldn’t stop reading. I think readers who love Elizabeth Lim absolutely need to check out DESENDANT OF THE CRANE.

Content Notes for Descendant of the Crane

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Characters are Chinese-coded.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. Brief references to sex (A man hastily summoned to court complains that he hates to leave a partner unsatisfied.).

Spiritual Content
Some characters, called Sooths, have the ability to do magic that has to do with time. Some can see the future. Others can influence an object’s state by making its future state present. For example, sooth could turn a rock to sand by changing the rock’s current state to its state in the future after it’s been crushed.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. The court investigates the murder of the king. A couple scenes include battle violence. A violent mob attacks citizens, cutting them and executing more than one. A bomb explodes, injuring several people.

Drug Content
The king died by poison (before the story begins). A man drinks poisoned wine and becomes violently ill.

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