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Review: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

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

With the Fire on High
Elizabeth Acevedo
QuillTree Books
Published May 7, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About With the Fire on High

With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.

Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.

My Review

It’s probably weird that the first book by Elizabeth Acevedo that I’ve read is the one that isn’t a novel in poetry? I usually gravitate toward those, and I do have hard copies of both THE POET X and CLAP WHEN YOU LAND, but somehow I wound up reading this one first. (Truthfully it happened because I needed to sit in my littlest’s room to make sure she didn’t sneak out of bed, and I needed something to read from my phone.)

I loved Emoni right from page one. Her experience cooking and her understanding of it, her love and instinctive approach all had me spellbound. I loved that everyone has such an emotional experience eating her cooking, too. It’s not quite magical realism, but it made the story feel bigger than just contemporary.

The journey Emoni takes in learning to go beyond cooking by instinct and how to sort of put that together with cooking as part of a team was really powerful and felt so realistic. I wanted to try all her recipes and visit an unusual upscale restaurant to try dishes with unusual pairings (though we are not eating at restaurants right now… someday!).

Also, and many people have already said this, I appreciated her experience as a young, single mom. She tries to do all the right and admirable things. She knows the stakes are high, for herself and for her daughter. I love that she consistently puts Emma first, and that her challenge is learning how to be a mom without limiting herself to being just a mom.

Her relationship with ‘Buela also totally got me. The protectiveness on both sides. The love. I never doubted ‘Buela’s role as the parent in the relationship, and it’s so clear that it’s not easy for her, but she loves her family so much.

On the whole, this is a phenomenal book. I love it so much, and I feel like this is one I might read again soon, just to experience it all again. I absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys cooking or stories about following your dreams.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Emoni is Black and Puerto Rican. Her best friend is Black and a lesbian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently. Emoni doesn’t like anyone swearing near her daughter, and she tries very hard not to swear at all.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some references to Emoni and her ex having sex. She also talks about how once people know she has had a child, they sometimes treat her a certain way. With men, sometimes this means treating her like she will have sex with anyone, which isn’t how she is. A couple scenes show a boy and girl kissing. One scene shows them taking off shirts and touching and references them doing more, but doesn’t describe.

Spiritual Content
Malachi mentions that he has studied Islam.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Emoni and her friends visit a bar in Spain. It’s legal for them to drink there, but against the agreement in the field trip forms they’ve signed. A couple students get very drunk. One girl gets sick and is super embarrassed about her behavior later. Emoni does not drink alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir

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

A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4)
Sabaa Tahir
Razorbill
Published December 1, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About A Sky Beyond the Storm

Picking up just a few months after A REAPER AT THE GATES left off…

The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.

Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory–or to an unimaginable doom.

And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life–and love–he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save–or destroy–all that he knows.

My Review

Normally, I really struggle with longer books, but I pretty much tore through this one. There were so many things on my list of things I needed to see happen. Romances that needed to be faced. Villains I wanted destroyed. So many things.

I am going to do my absolute best not to give anything away in this review, since I know a lot of people are still reading or haven’t been able to start reading yet. So bear with me if I sound cryptic.

The author has pretty much already stated that there are some heartbreaks coming in the book. There are. Some of them were really tough. There were some big surprises that had me cheering, too. Lots of things unfolded in ways that weren’t quite what I expected, and often I was like wait, wow!

Ultimately, I will say that I loved getting to follow the story to its conclusion. I think one of my favorite things about the series as a whole is Laia’s evolution from the girl too afraid to do anything but run to the girl who not only learns combat from the Blood Shrike, but who’s like, “Hey the Nightbringer has an awesome weapon which I believe I will try to steal right off his back.”

I also love, love, LOVE Helene. She’s 100% my favorite character, though I did not like her at all at first. I think the fact that she is so committed to protect her family and so committed to her people– and so committed to doing what’s right, even if it doesn’t follow traditions or what people in power want her to do– made it impossible for me not to love her.

There are so many complex, amazing characters in the book, though. I loved that over and over one of the things that Laia and Elias and Helene have to do is learn the story of their enemies. Learn what makes them who they are. I thought that exploration made the story a lot deeper and changed how I felt about certain characters.

On the whole, I feel like this is one of those books that you’re either already planning to read or you haven’t followed the series this far or at all. This isn’t the book you’d want to start with, if you’re unfamiliar with the series. Definitely start with AN EMBER IN THE ASHES if you haven’t read it yet.

I think this one was worth the wait. I’m super glad it came out before the end of the year so that I had something to look forward to reading this month.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Tribes and Scholar people are oppressed by the Empire. Scholars have been enslaved for many years. Both have bronze skin and dark hair. Elias’ father was a Scholar, and he was raised in a tribe. Laia is a Scholar.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used fairly infrequently. Most swears are things like, “Skies.”

Romance/Sexual Content
Several scenes show couples being intimate. There are enough details to let you know what’s happening. Most are descriptions of kissing and undressing, but some brief descriptions beyond that.

Spiritual Content
Elias is the Soul Catcher who serves Mauth, or death. He is responsible to help human ghosts make peace with their deaths and pass on. Mauth first created the Jinn to serve this purpose, but they’ve rebelled against him. There are other spirit creatures like efrits who have elemental abilities and ghuls that feed on grief and wights which spy for a character.

The tribes also have a spiritual leader who passes on stories. There’s a spiritual component to how the stories are kept and discovered. There is also a leader who performs burial rites for tribe members to help them pass on peacefully.

Violent Content
Many depictions of battle violence, some pretty graphic.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: The Monster of Marnmouth Valley by CJ Greene

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

The Monster of Marnmouth Valley
CJ Greene
Published October 15, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About The Monster of Marnmouth Valley

“Deep in the Kelna forest in the heart of Marnmouth Valley lies a fountain with extraordinary water. A creature discovered the fountain and began to drink the water. It has since found a way to ensure it is the only one that gets any of the water from the fountain. The less water that reaches the land, the more it dies. And if the valley dies, everyone in it will have to leave, or perish along with the land.”

Ellian Woodborough has dreamt of adventure all twelve years of her life and when the neighbouring Marnmouth Valley is threatened by a mysterious creature, she is given the chance to go on a real quest. The only issue? Ellian is given the role of the sidekick while the one fated to save the valley turns out to be 72-year-old Beth who would much rather stay at home and finish her knitting.

With Beth knowing nothing about adventures or fighting monsters and harbouring secrets even she is unaware of, Ellian soon finds her lifelong dream becoming a nightmare. Still, she must lead Beth along the treacherous path towards her destiny if they ever want to survive the forest and defeat the monster of Marnmouth Valley.

The Monster of Marnmouth Valley is the debut middle-grade fiction novel of author Charlie J Greene. It explores the idea of exceeding the expectations and limits people have for you—even the ones you have for yourself. Young readers will delight in the humour, danger, and what it really means to be a hero.

My Review

This is one of those books that I read telling myself, “Just one more chapter,” all the way until I reached the end. The characters, especially Ellian, had me invested and engaged, and I had to know how the quest would end.

I loved that the storytelling created this feeling of leaving breadcrumbs, where characters would discover something or learn something, and then later it would be important. It was often done through things that celebrated the story world but also then helped with the plot.

THE MONSTER OF MARNMOUTH VALLEY is a pretty quick read. I finished it in a single sitting, which is pretty amazing since I’ve been so tired lately that often when I sit down to read, I fall asleep after 30 pages or so.

I think readers who enjoy adventure stories and tales of mentors and unusual friendships will like this one a lot. I think fans of TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE by Jessica Day George will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
One character has learned spells from her mother.

Violent Content
Mentions of attacks by a monster or other dangerous creatures. Situations of peril. A couple battle scenes.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

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A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3)
Sabaa Tahir
Razorbill
Published June 12, 2018

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About A Reaper at the Gates

Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.

The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister’s life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But while hunting for a way to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would aid her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she’d have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias’s devotion–even at the cost of his humanity.

My Review

This might be my favorite book in the series. I loved Helene’s point-of-view. Of all the characters facing all the situations, I felt the most moved by her story– especially her love for her sister and Harper.

Which isn’t to say I loved Laia and Elias any less in this book. I think one of the things I like so much about the series as a whole is how much Laia has grown. At the beginning of the first book she could barely stand in the presence of soldiers. Now she’s about to lead the rebellion against the whole empire. And I find her transformation totally believable.

I also love that this is such a female-centric story. Yes, we have Elias and the Nightbringer and some other male characters here and there. But when you stop and think about the critical story characters, so many of them are female: Laia, Helene, Cook, the Commandant. Every single one of those is an absolute force. I love it so much.

The only truly difficult thing for me in these books is the level of violence. It’s a lot. There are references to and threats of rape (not so much in this book, but in the first for sure), some scenes showing torture and graphic battle violence. So it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.

On the whole, I’ve really enjoyed the first three books in the series (see the links to my earlier reviews below.), and I’m super anxious to read the final story, A SKY BEYOND THE STORM, which is supposed to come in December of this year.

An Ember in the Ashes Series Reviews

Book One: An Ember in the Ashes

Book Two: A Torch Against the Night

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Laia has bronze skin and dark hair and is from an oppressed and often enslaved people called Scholars.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. One scene shows two characters leading up to sex.

Violent Content – Trigger Warning
Emperor Marcus continues to abuse his wife, Helene’s sister, hurting her and threatening to hurt her if Helene doesn’t deliver the results he wants. Multiple graphic battle scenes. Scenes involving torture. A woman kills her husband and child to spare them from being tortured further.

Spiritual Content
The Nightbringer uses magic to heal or manipulate others. Another character uses magic to heal. Elias is tasked with helping ghosts pass through to another place. Some ghosts possess humans and attack others. Augers relay prophesies about certain characters. Other spirit creatures, ifrits and jinn, try to stop Laia and her allies. Another character uses spirits to spy for him.

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.

Review: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

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

Heartless
Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends
Published November 8, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Heartless

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

My Review

A couple people I know LOVE this book, but I’ve put off reading it for a long time, in part because I knew it would be sad. And it absolutely is a sad story.

But it’s also packed with amazing characters and loads of whimsy and hope for impossible things, and I so loved every moment of that. I loved Cath’s passion for baking and her inspiration with varying flavors, and the dreams that spawned lemon trees and roses in her room. The tea party and the ball and the ridiculous king and his court. Hatta and Haigha. Jest and Cath. There’s just so much to love.

So… yep. I’m a huge fan, even despite the fact that it’s a terrible time to read a sad book. The journey through the story was so much fun and so beautifully done that I would read it all over again.

If you liked CINDER, in that you liked a reimagined fairy tale world with vibrant characters and soaring adventure, I definitely recommend HEARTLESS.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
One brief reference to a man being in love with another man.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some magic. Three sisters guard a well with healing powers and issue prophesies about the future.

Violent Content
Some situations of peril. A fierce monster attacks at a party. References to a war in the kingdom of Chess. Two characters are beheaded with an ax. (It’s not graphically described in either instance.)

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.

Middle Grade 2020 Holiday Gift Guide

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Middle Grade 2020 Holiday Gift Guide

I don’t think I’ve ever done this before, but this year I wanted to post a giant list of recommended titles for the holiday season. Whether you’re looking for stories to fill the weeks at home between school days or filling your shopping bag with gifts for those you love, these titles are among my favorites and the ones I most highly recommend from books published this year. I’ve divided this holiday gift guide into sections so hopefully the list is less overwhelming. If I’ve posted a review of the book, you’ll see a link to next to the publication date.

Without further ado, here are the books I recommend for the 8-12 year old reader in your life this holiday season.

Note: This post contains affiliate links which do not cost anything for you to use, but which help support this blog.

Silly, Funny, and So Much Fun

These books all made me snort with laughter or grin until my face hurt. If your reader enjoys goofy heroes and ridiculous antics, these titles are totally worth exploring.

My Life as a Potato by Arianne Costner

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: An unwilling team mascot, a possible potato curse, and a chance at the prettiest girl in school. Super fun.

Published March 4, 2020 | My review

Finally, Something Mysterious by Doug Cornett

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Three friends. Hundreds of rubber duckies. A town enthralled with its upcoming bratwurst competition. I laughed out loud!

Published April 14, 2020 | My review

Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini by Betsy Uhrig

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A boy gets hired by his aunt to help her fix her children’s book about a grumpy frog and prize-winning zucchini. Sounds hilarious to me!

Published September 22, 2020

Unusual Adventures

Sometimes what makes a book so magical is that it takes us places we could never visit on our own. These books transport the reader to a setting or into circumstances far outside ordinary life to create a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

The Storm Keeper’s Island/The Lost Tide Warriors by Catherine Doyle

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: This is my FAVORITE middle grade series right now. I love the magic and the adventure and the power of family and friendships. If you haven’t read it, you need to start with book one, THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND, but both are excellent.

Storm Keeper’s Island Review | Lost Tide Warriors Review

Foreverland by Nicole Kear

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A runaway decides to live in a theme park, which becomes an adventure with an unexpected friend.

Published April 21, 2020 | My Review

Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Goodreads describes this one as “Coco meets Stranger Things with a hint of Ghostbusters.” Spooky and sweet. Also, I heard there’s a cat!

Published April 7, 2020

The Circus of Stolen Dreams by Lorelei Savaryn

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A sister looking for her lost brother. A magical circus where the cost of entry is a memory. For fans of CIRCUS MIRANDUS and THE NIGHT GARDENER.

Published September 1, 2020

Dragon Warrior/Fallen Hero by Katie Zhao

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A super fun series featuring Chinese mythology, adventure, and heroism.

Dragon Warrior Review | Fallen Hero Review

Clifton Chase on Castle Rock by Jaimie Engle

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Clifton Chase Adventures #2. A new 11th century adventure. Magic arrows. A chance to warn a dear friend so he can avoid his death. More Clifton Chase?! Yes!

Published November 24, 2020

Memorable and Moving

It might be just me, but I’m a huge fan of stories with a powerful message about family and healing. These are some of the best, most moving stories I’ve read this year. I hope there’s a special reader in your life who will find these among their holiday gifts this year.

What Happens Next by Claire Swinarski

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A solar eclipse, a search for a missing telescope, and a girl missing her older sister. Perfect for fans of THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH.

Published May 19, 2020 | My Review

The Dream Weavers by Reina Luz Alegre

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: An ownvoices story about a 12 year-old girl who connects with her Cuban heritage and about discovering where you belong for the first time.

Published June 23, 2020

Believe by Julie Mathison

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: An imaginative girl creates a plan to track down her missing mother.

Published August 4, 2020 | My Review

Mary Underwater by Shannon Doleski

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A hopeful (and at times heartbreaking) story of a young girl who decides to build a submarine and sail it across the Chesapeake Bay.

Published April 7, 2020 | My Review

Nevertell by Katharine Orton

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: The haunting, lovely story of a girl who escapes a Soviet prison camp in search of her grandmother with Russian fairy tales woven throughout.

Published April 14, 2020 | My Review

What’s On Your Middle Grade 2020 Holiday Reading List?

Do you purchase books for young readers as gifts over the holidays? Are any of these titles on your shopping list? What books would you put on your own holiday gift guide?

If you have questions about anything on the list, please feel free to ask me in the comments!