Upcoming Reviews: April 2016

I live! Admit it. You were wondering.

Sorry. Between Spring Break (which was lots more SPRING than BREAK, to tell the truth) and Easter and illness in our house, I’ve let blogging fall to the wayside for the last couple of weeks. I’m hoping that this weekend I’ll be able to get caught up on the things I’ve missed and get into reading some of these awesome books– because FOUR of them come out in less than a week!

Not listed here, but on my agenda to review is Life Animated by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Suskind (which I HIGHLY recommend.) As a reminder, I do not accept requests to review non-fiction, but occasionally, I do read and review some non-fiction here.

Now, to business! Here are some of the books you can expect to find here at The Story Sanctuary in April 2016:

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Review: The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa TotenThe Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
Teresa Toten
Delacorte Press

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Almost-fifteen-year-old Adam meets Robyn at his group therapy session for teens with obsessive-compulsive issues. It’s hardly the setting for romance, but Adam can’t deny how he feels for her. Robyn seems drawn to him, too. Maybe. But while Robyn’s most troublesome days seem to be behind her, Adam’s life continues to spiral out of control. He’s at the mercy of his half-brother’s anxiety issues, and his mother refuses to get help though the threatening letters she receives only seem to be getting worse. As Adam desperately struggles to hold everyone together, he begins to split … Continue reading

Review: Off the Page by Jodi Picoult

Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van LeerOff the Page
Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer
Delacorte Press

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Delilah and Oliver can finally be together in the real world. But in order to maintain Oliver’s presence, Edgar had to take his place in the fairytale story where Oliver really belongs. As Oliver struggles to acclimate to the new and unfamiliar setting outside his story, he must impersonate Edgar well enough to fool Edgar’s mother and to fit in at school. When another portal between the story and the real world opens, two more characters swap for real life counterparts, leaving Delilah and Oliver to untangle the mess. For both of them, one … Continue reading

Review: Finding Hope by Colleen Nelson

Finding Hope by Colleen NelsonFinding Hope
Colleen Nelson
Dundurn

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Sixteen year-old Hope is trapped in a small town as her family wrestles with her brother’s addiction to crystal meth. After her mom pushes her to apply for a prestigious boarding school over an hour away, she’s shocked to discover she’s been accepted. There’s only one problem: if she moves away, how will her brother, Eric, survive on the street without the money and food she regularly slips to him? When Eric learns Hope has gone away to school, he follows her to the city. Unfortunately, his inner demons only torment him harder as he draws nearer to the memories that pushed his … Continue reading

Review: Just My Luck by Cammie McGovern

Just My Luck by Cammie McGovernJust My Luck
Cammie McGovern
Harper/HarperCollins

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Bad things keep happening to fourth-grader Benny and his family. His best friend moved away, and he hasn’t been able to find a new one. His dad’s still recovering from a brain injury (was it Benny’s fault?) His mom tells him to focus on being kind to others, and with a new kindness program at school, Benny’s trying his best, but no one seems to notice. As things get worse, Benny worries his family will never be able to recover, and nothing will be the same again.

Benny is quite possibly the most lovable boy in literature. He strives to be a good brother both to … Continue reading

Blog Tour: The Door By the Staircase and Top Ten Facts About Baba Yaga

Door Tour Banner

Irish Banana Tours Presents: The Door by the Staircase Tour

Today I’m participating in a book tour arranged by the beautiful Hannah at Irish Banana Blog Tours. Please check out the other stops on the tour (see below!) and enter the giveaway for a copy of The Door By the Staircase by Katherine Marsh. Also, check out Katherine Marsh’s top ten facts about Baba Yaga, a character from Russian folklore who inspired Madame Z in the book!

About The Door By the Staircase by Katherine Marsh

The Door by the Staircase by Katherine MarshTwelve-year-old Mary Hayes can’t stand her orphanage for … Continue reading