Category Archives: Blogger’s Favorites

Review: The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project by Lenore Appelhans

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,
The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project by Lenore Appelhans

The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project
Lenore Appelhans
Carolrhoda Lab Books
Published March 5, 2019

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About The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project

Riley lives in TropeTown, where everyone plays stock roles in novels. Riley, a Manic Pixie Dream Boy, is sent to group therapy after going off-script. He knows that breaking the rules again could get him terminated, yet he feels there must be more to life than recycling the same clichés for readers’ entertainment. Then he meets Zelda, a Manic Pixie Dream Girl (Geek Chic subtype), and falls head over heels in love. Zelda’s in therapy too, along with several other Manic Pixies. But TropeTown has a dark secret, and if Riley and his fellow Manic Pixies don’t get to the bottom of it, they may all be terminated.

My Review

This book is super cute. It reminded me a little bit of OFF THE PAGE by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer. Both stories take place in a world populated by story characters. In MANIC PIXIE, the characters are sort of like stereotyped actors who show up for roles in multiple stories. Only Riley and his friends are tired of being typecast.

I like the bright, chipper tone of the story. MANIC PIXIE is one of those books that’s not afraid to poke fun at itself, too, which was great! It made it lots of fun to read. I like how quirky the characters are (yay for manic pixie dream boys and girls!). Just overall, this was a really fun read.

Readers who liked OFF THE PAGE and/or fans of Scott Westerfeld’s SO YESTERDAY totally need to check out MANIC PIXIE DREAM BOY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
One minor character is a lesbian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some off-scene violence – someone burns down a building.

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. I received a free copy of THE MANIC PIXIE DREAM BOY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Dark Lord Clementine by Sarah Jean Horwitz

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

The Dark Lord Clementine
Sarah Jean Horwitz
Algonquin Young Readers
Published October 1, 2019

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About The Dark Lord Clementine

The new face of big evil is a little . . . small.

Dastardly deeds aren’t exactly the first things that come to mind when one hears the name “Clementine,” but as the sole heir of the infamous Dark Lord Elithor, twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous has been groomed since birth to be the best (worst?) Evil Overlord she can be. But everything changes the day the Dark Lord Elithor is cursed by a mysterious rival.

Now, Clementine must not only search for a way to break the curse, but also take on the full responsibilities of the Dark Lord. As Clementine forms her first friendships, discovers more about her own magic than she ever dared to explore, and is called upon to break her father’s code of good and evil, she starts to question the very life she’s been fighting for. What if the Dark Lord Clementine doesn’t want to be dark after all?

My Review

What a cute book! The story world is quirky and adorable, and the writing is fun but with a lot of emotion packed into it. I giggled through some scenes and had teary eyes in others. It was so easy to identify with Clementine’s wish to do the right thing while also battling her loneliness and her longing to find her own place in life.

The relationships pulled me into the story, too. Clementine gets to know a village boy and a traveling hunter, and through them gains something she’s never experienced before: friendship. She also learns to trust herself and to view her dad in a different way– to see his flaws and love him anyway, but also to challenge him where she believes he’s wrong.

It reminded me a little bit of THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, though it’s a little less dark than that one is. I think fans of that story would definitely enjoy THE DARK LORD CLEMENTINE, though.

If you’re a fan of fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, you really want to check out THE DARK LORD CLEMENTINE.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Not much character description other than Clementine’s color-changing hair. 🙂

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some clear attraction between Clementine and a village boy.

Spiritual Content
Use of spells and magic. Mythical creatures like satyrs and unicorns.

Violent Content
A few descriptions of battle, nothing gory.

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. I received a free copy of THE DARK LORD CLEMENTINE in exchange for my honest review.

Review and Blog Tour: Naked Mole Rat Saves the World by Karen Rivers

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

Naked Mole Rat Saves the World
Karen Rivers
Algonquin Young Readers
Available October 15, 2019

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About Naked Mole Rat Saves the World

Can Kit’s super-weird superpower save her world?

Kit-with-a-small-k is navigating middle school with a really big, really strange secret: When she’s stressed, she turns into a naked mole rat.

It first happened after kit watched her best friend, Clem, fall and get hurt during an acrobatic performance on TV. Since then, the transformations keep happening—whether kit wants them to or not. Kit can’t tell Clem about it, because after the fall, Clem just hasn’t been herself. She’s sad and mad and gloomy, and keeping a secret of her own: the real reason she fell.

A year after the accident, kit and Clem still haven’t figured out how to deal with all the ways they have transformed—both inside and out. When their secrets come between them, the best friends get into a big fight. Somehow, kit has to save the day, but she doesn’t believe she can be that kind of hero. Turning into a naked mole rat isn’t really a superpower. Or is it? 

My Review

Okay, so you’re probably thinking this book sounds weird. And it is a bit weird. But oh. My. Gosh. It’s layered. And complex. The characters face incredibly challenging things and have these really complicated, very believable (okay except for the changing into a naked mole rat part!) responses to those situations. I love both kit and Clem. Their friendship felt so real. So did kit’s troubling relationship with her mom.

One thing that was tough for me is that though the book has some characters dealing with mental health issues, there isn’t really anyone calling that out and offering help. Kit feels an incredible burden, but she doesn’t know where to turn and the only other adult regularly in her life encourages some enabling behavior rather than seeking help.

I know sometimes that’s really what happens. Sometimes there isn’t anyone really looking out for a person who’s barely treading water in the midst of anxiety or depression. This book made me want to find all the kids like kit and do something to help them. To provide them with better support.

Overall I totally love this book. The emotional journeys of kit and Clem gripped my heart. I love the way the friendships felt so organic and real. I love the way Clem’s grandma told awkward family stories and laughed at strange moments.

I think readers who enjoyed FLORA & ULYSSES will love NAKED MOLE RAT SAVES THE WORLD. It’s got a lot of the same kind of deep emotional wrestling and quirky departures from reality.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Clem is Latina and is depressed. Kit and her mom both have anxiety issues, and kit was born prematurely, so that she is still small for her age and has alopecia universalis, which causes her to have no hair.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Clem’s twin brother has a crush on a girl which she teases him about.

Spiritual Content
One character learns about a relative who joined a cult and died by suicide with the whole group.

Violent Content
Some description of Clem’s accident which results in serious injuries. Brief descriptions of robbery. See above.

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. I received a free copy of NAKED MOLE RAT SAVES THE WORLD in exchange for my honest review.

About Karen Rivers

I was born, grew up, and currently live in British Columbia, where I take a lot of photos, walk a lot of paths, and write books for children, teens and adults.  

The stories I tell are emotionally honest, but they aren’t about real people.   Fiction has a way of telling the truth though, don’t you think? 

I believe that readers are always asking the question, “Am I OK?”  I write characters who suspect that they are not OK, but who eventually find inside themselves the strength to change that belief. 

Growing up is harder than ever.  The world is often egregiously unfair.  Things can seem impossible.

How do we go on?

I believe in the power of stories.  I think that stories will save us.  They can show us the way.

Novels are magical.  Books can be mirrors or windows.  We sometimes need to see ourselves.  We always need to understand others. 

Stories are all secret passages to alternate worlds where we can be safe to explore the unsafe, the unsettling or the unfair hands some people have been dealt.  

In the pages of a book, we can be braver than we are, we can go further than we’d normally dare, we can understand more than we know.  

Books make us better, period.

I believe in magic.  Do you?  

Be brave.   Be kind.   And believe this:  You are OK.  

I believe in you. 

Review: The Other Better Me by Antony John

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

The Other Better Me
Antony John
HarperCollins
Published October 1, 2019

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About The Other Better Me

From the critically acclaimed author of Mascot comes this heartfelt novel, perfect for fans of John David Anderson and Cammie McGovern, about a girl searching for the meaning of family.

Lola and Momma have always been a team of two. It hasn’t always been easy for Lola, being one of the only kids she knows with just one parent around. And lately she’s been feeling incomplete, like there’s a part of herself that she can’t know until she knows her dad.

But what will happen—to Lola, to Momma, to their team of two—if she finds him?

My Review

This was such an enjoyable book to read. I laughed and teared up and loved every minute of Lola’s story. The way she pieced together things happening around her, from things like brunch meaning a meal you make when you’re feeling lazy and planning to use a lot of dishes to her empathy and understanding toward a prickly classmate, made me fall totally in love with THE OTHER BETTER ME.

I love the community elements in the story. Lola feels like her family is just herself and her mom, but all the way through the book, she’s surrounded by friends and mentors. All have their own baggage or issues, but they all care for Lola and her mom, too. I love when a book creates a believable, tight-knit community like this.

Fans of WONDER by R. J. Palacio or JUST MY LUCK by Cammie McGovern will love the emphasis on kindness and community as well as the bold, upbeat writing and precocious narrator. This one is a must-read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Very little character description.

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 which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE OTHER BETTER ME in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine

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

Sword and Pen (Great Library #5)
Rachel Caine
Berkley Books
Published September 3, 2019

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About Sword and Pen

With the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone must decide if it’s worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never before, to forge a new future for the Great Library . . . or see everything it stood for crumble.

My Review

I’m so torn about this book but probably not for the reason you think! I am so sad that the series is over, but so happy I got to read every page of it.

I’m always nervous picking up a book in a series after a break in reading earlier books. I worry that I won’t like it as much as I liked earlier books or that I’ll be confused about what’s going on because I’ve forgotten too many things.

Rachel Caine handled both of these concerns like the expert she is in SWORD AND PEN. From the first page, I fell straight back in love with Jess and his friends and the amazing story world of Alexandria and the Great Library. I felt like reminders about who people were and what had been happening where SMOKE AND IRON (book 4) left off were organically woven into the narrative without stealing any attention away from the current tension.

The Great Library is one of my favorite series. It’s one of a very few series longer than three books that I’ve actually managed to stick with– and really, I couldn’t help it! I love the characters so much– Khalila and Dario, Thomas and Glain, Santi and Wolfe, I love them all. Each one is so different, so well-imagined that they feel real. As soon as I start reading a section, I know exactly whose POV I’m in, and I love when authors write like that.

SWORD AND PEN is every bit the conclusion I was hoping for in terms of its intensity. I won’t promise you’ll love every minute– there are some sad moments that really smack you in places that hurt. But it wouldn’t be such a powerful story without those, either. And for the most part, even those sad moments felt right to me.

The Great Library is one of those series you really need to read from the beginning, so don’t start with SWORD AND PEN. Check out my review of INK AND BONE and then fall in love with the whole series with me!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Representation
Santi and Wolfe (two men) are gay and in a relationship together. Khalila is from the Middle East. Dario is Spanish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used very briefly.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between girl and boy. Two men are lovers (we don’t see anything but longing exchanged between them). One boy and girl have a suggestive conversation about sex, but end up parting ways without any further exchange.

Spiritual Content
Some Egyptian and Greek gods are represented in the story, and some characters are devoted followers of the gods. Others are Catholic or Muslim. The story treats all faiths equally.

Violent Content
Battles between humans and automata (liquid metal robots that look like gods, mythic creatures or lions). Battles between soldiers involving guns and swords. Situations of peril and graphic descriptions of grave injuries. References to torture.

Drug Content 
Some reference to drinking alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of SWORD AND PEN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

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

Salt to the Sea
Ruta Sepetys
Philomel Books
February 2, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Book Depository

About SALT TO THE SEA

World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people—adults and children alike—aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

My Review

Okay, so not that you’ve been clocking my reading lists the last few years, but SALT TO THE SEA has been on my list since 2016. I’ve heard amazing things about Ruta Sepetys, but this is the first book of hers that I’ve finally read.

The writing is super compelling. Each character is distinct, down to their priorities, and how they behave. For instance, one refugee is a former shoe maker. He views every problem in the world as one of shoes. Whatever problem you’re facing, having the right shoes will make a huge difference. It may seem silly, but in the context of the story, it creates several powerful moments, and he shows so much compassion for others through the way he looks after their shoes.

The story can be pretty brutal. Lots of the brutality happens in passing, which means it’s not long descriptions, but they still tend to be sometimes horrifying. War brings out the best and the worst in humanity, and SALT TO THE SEA shows both.

I think in some ways, that brutality makes the point that war is horrifying. That we sometimes look back at history remembering the glorious victories, but we do not want to remember the civilians who were brutalized by advancing soldiers or who starved or froze to death. Or in this case, the tragic death of more than nine thousand people.

Readers interested in World War II history will find this little-explored event compelling and detailed. Sensitive readers may find some descriptions too brutal. See below for further content details.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Representation
Characters are mainly German or Eastern European.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity used.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between girl and boy.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Sensitive readers, beware. References to some super dark things. Characters hear rumors of horrors committed by the Russian army as they advance through Germany. References to rape. Some scenes show the events leading up to an assault. Some brief descriptions of the desperate things people do to escape the Russians: murder/suicide of an entire family, desperate people ultimately killing their small children trying to save them.

When the ship sinks, some people make sacrifices so others may live. Other people refuse to help those around them, even harming them in their desperation.

Drug Content 
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing but which help support this blog.