Review: The Summer Queen by Rochelle Hassan

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The Summer Queen by Rochelle Hassan shows a boy holding a sword with a girl holding a cat and a boy with one hand on his hip standing behind him

The Summer Queen (The Buried and the Bound #2)
Rochelle Hassan
Roaring Brook Press
Published January 23, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Summer Queen

This captivating sequel to THE BURIED AND THE BOUND draws readers into the twisted and irresistible world of the Fair Folk—perfect for fans of THE CRUEL PRINCE and THE HAZEL WOOD.

As a new coven, Aziza, Leo, and Tristan faced evil and triumphed. All that’s left is to put their lives back together, a process complicated by the fallout from painful secrets, the emotional and physical scars they now carry, and the mysteries that still haunt them.

But with the approach of the solstice comes the arrival of strange new visitors to Blackthorn: the Summer Court, a nomadic community of Fair Folk from deep in Elphame. They’ve journeyed to the border between the human world and fairyland, far from their usual caravan route, to take back something that belongs to them—something Leo’s not willing to lose.

Refusing to give up without a fight, he makes a risky deal with the Summer Court’s princess and regent. The challenge she proposes sends Coven Blackthorn into the farthest, wildest reaches of Elphame.

But when you play games with the Fair Folk, even winning has a cost.

My Review

I fell in love with Rochelle Hassan’s middle grade debut and devoured THE BURIED AND THE BOUND, so it was never a question as to whether I was going to read THE SUMMER QUEEN. I love the magic-alongside-our-world in this series. The characters are so great! It only took me a couple of days to read this book, and I thought about it so much between my reading sessions. I’ve already gone back and reread some of my favorite passages.

Like the first book in the series, THE SUMMER QUEEN follows the points of view of Aziza, Leo, and Tristan. They’re an interesting trio who joined forces in the first book to defeat a powerful hag who had killed Aziza’s parents. All three characters have super distinct personalities and voices, so I never doubted whose perspective I was reading.

The book is packed with adventure and high stakes. Leo joins the Wild Hunt without really understanding what he’s doing, only knowing if he wins the hunt, he can rescue his sister. Of course, joining means that he, as a human, is taking on a powerful, experienced foe from among the Fair Folk. Pretty intense.

There’s also some star-crossed love happening. Leo has been cursed to forget his true love, and he can’t stop trying to find this person… and can’t tell when he’s standing face to face with them. I couldn’t help hoping that a breakthrough was coming with every new chapter of the book.

All in all, this sequel more than lived up to my expectations. If you like THE LUMINARIES by Susan Dennard or Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, definitely add this trilogy to your list. (And start with book one, THE BURIED AND THE BOUND.)

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Aziza is Pakistani American. Tristan is gay. Leo has been in a romantic relationship with a boy before.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. References to sex.

In one scene, Leo discovers that one of the Fairies assaults the servants. He doesn’t witness anything, but overhears a conversation and sees bruises on someone afterward.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. The story contains fairies and magical creatures, such as pookas, nymphs, and others. Two characters are necromancers and have the ability to summon spirits of the dead and control shadow creatures.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

Drug Content
The fairies try to convince Leo and his allies to drink Lily wine (which makes them very vulnerable to suggestion) or fairy food, which can also enchant them in some way. Aziza remembers a night spent celebrating with her friends with vodka and beer.

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 THE SUMMER QUEEN in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Still on My TBR After 2023

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Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books Still on My TBR After 2023

Well, 2023 came to a much more chaotic end than I anticipated, which left me with kind of a disorganized mess at the start of this new year. I have been trying to sift through the rubble and make sense of what I left mid-process and what things still need to be done. One of the things this means is taking stock of the books I meant to read last year and did not get to, AKA books still on my TBR after 2023. Here’s my list.

Notes: Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl in which bloggers are invited to share a list of their top ten (or however many) books in line with the week’s theme. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost anything for you to use, but they help support this blog.

Ten Books Still on My TBR After 2023

The Fire Next Time
James Baldwin
Vintage (reprint)
Published December 1, 1992

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What It’s About: Two letters written to Baldwin’s nephew about the state of race relations in America at the start of the Civil Rights movement and America’s history with racism.

Why I Want to Read This: I think I first heard about this book from Mara at BooksLikeWhoa a few years ago when she included it in a list of books she enjoyed. I’d been thinking about broadening my experience reading classics, especially classics by women and BIPOC, and Mara’s description of this book pretty much had me sold. I’ve actually read the first half of the book already. The writing is a little bit dense, with some longer sentences. It’s frank; it’s deep; it’s absolutely unapologetic, and I absolutely want to finish it this year. I can’t believe it’s still on my TBR after 2023.

So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix (Remixed Classics #2)
Bethany C. Morrow
Feiwel & Friends
Published September 7, 2021

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What it’s about: This reimagining of LITTLE WOMEN follows the four daughters of a Black family living in the Freedpeople’s Colony of Roanoke during the Civil War.

Why I Want to Read This: Last year, I read LITTLE WOMEN for the first time and then read a book offering background on the author’s life, the journey the book has taken since publication, and why the story still resonates with us so deeply. With all of that fresh in my mind, I really wanted to read this reimagining of the original story. I love what this series is doing, and I’ve loved both the books I read in it so far. I love this idea, and I am so glad Bethany C. Morrow wrote it. I loved the writing in A SONG BELOW WATER.

What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix (Remixed Classics #4)
Tasha Suri
Feiwel & Friends
Published July 5, 2022

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What It’s About: An abandoned son of an Indian sailor returns to England where he meets a girl being groomed for proper society whose mother was also Indian. Forbidden love, wild emotions, English moors, etc.

Why I Want to Read This: WUTHERING HEIGHTS is among the few classics I had to read in school that I really did not like. (The other is TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES.) When I saw that the Remixed Classics series was going to tackle this tale and reimagine the whole “outsider” component of Heathcliff’s character, I decided this might be one I want to revisit. I’ve got an audiobook version of the original story, and I might read that first– or try to, anyway– just as a refresher. But I think I’m hoping that a redo on this will be a pallet cleanser and offer me a fresh perspective both on the novel and the original work.

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
Zoulfa Katouh
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published September 13, 2022

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What It’s About: A speculative novel set during the Syrian Revolution about a girl who helps the wounded at a hospital and the imagined companion who protects her until she realizes what she wants her role in the revolution to be.

Why I Want to Read This: This is one that I heard about from a friend on Twitter, who absolutely loved it. I think this one and HOTEL MAGNIFIQUE were her favorite books of 2022. I managed to read HOTEL MAGNIFIQUE last year, but this one is still on my list, despite the fact that my husband gave me a copy of it two Christmases ago. Of all the books on this list, this is the one still on my TBR after 2023 that I’m most excited about reading.

Bone Weaver
Aden Polydoros
Inkyard Press
Published September 22, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What It’s About: A teen girl adopted by a family of benevolent undead, a boy branded as a witch, and a dethroned tsar team up to protect the empire from a revolutionary leader.

Why I Want to Read This: I remember hearing so much buzz about this book around the time it came out, and I just could NOT fit it in my review schedule. I’ve got a copy, and I read the sample pages available online when the book came out, so I already know I like the writing and at least one of the main characters. After reading another book by Aden Polydoros last year, I’m only more certain I need to read this one!

A Guide to the Dark
Meriam Metoui
Henry Holt & Co.
Published July 18, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What It’s About: Described as The Haunting of House Hill meets Nina LaCour. Two girls in a rural hotel on a spring break college road trip. One’s nightmares of her dead brother spark some investigation, which reveals eight people have died in that hotel room, and the girls need to figure out the connections between them before one of them becomes the ninth.

Why I Want to Read This: For a long time, a book like this would have really been outside my interest, but lately, I’ve been enjoying more books with a bit of a scary edge. I like the sound of the mystery and the connection to a lost sibling, as well as the possibility of romance between the two friends. All in all, this sounds like a fun one to me.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Eagle Drums
Nasugraq Rainey Hopson
MacMillan Children’s Books
Published September 12, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What It’s About: Described as “a magical realistic middle grade debut about the origin story of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Alaskan tradition.” A boy must climb to the top of a mountain where two of his brothers died. There, a terrifying eagle god confronts him and demands that the boy follow him or face death.

Why I Want to Read This: One of the things I try to consistently pursue as a reviewer is making sure I’m reading books with a broad range of representation. That doesn’t happen without a bit of research and deliberate choosing, and last year when I stopped to evaluate how many books by indigenous authors I reviewed, the number was pretty low. I spent the year trying to find new authors and books to check out and looking for books I’d missed in the past. This one showed up in the mail one day, and I was like, hey this is perfect. Now I just need to read it! This is another one that I can’t believe is still on my TBR after 2023.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Looking Up
Stephen Pastis
Simon & Schuster
Published October 10, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What It’s About: A lonely girl sees her town changing for the worse and joins forces with a boy who lives across the street to save the places she loves.

Why I Want to Read This: While the illustration style isn’t one I usually find compelling, I think this story sounds really sweet. I love the description of the main character, Saint, as a lover of medieval knights and lost causes. She sounds exactly like the kind of friend I’d want in a middle grade book about saving a town.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

The Bigfoot Queen
Jennifer Weiner
Aladdin Books
Published October 24, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What It’s About: A team of kids, including a girl from a Bigfoot tribe, face a threat to the tribe’s existence. They must work together with friends and frenemies to unearth secrets and build connections if they hope to save the tribe and their ways of life.

Why I Want to Read This: I can’t believe I totally missed this series until the last book came out. It sounds like such an interesting story of friendship and community– both things I love to read about in middle grade books. I kind of want to start the series from the beginning, which is one of the reasons I haven’t gotten to this book yet. I hope to listen to at least the first one as an audiobook and go from there.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Juniper’s Christmas
Eoin Colfer
Roaring Brook Press
Published October 31, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What It’s About: An eleven-year-old girl must save Christmas and stop a villain trying to steal Santa’s magic.

Why I Want to Read This: So… I’ve never actually read anything by Eoin Colfer before, but this story sounds like such a cool Christmas tale. I really wanted to try to fit this into a December evening with a cup of hot cocoa and some fluffy blankets, but my December kinda went sideways, and I just didn’t have time. Fortunately, the winter weather will last a few more months, so I might just have to have Christmas in February or whenever I am finally able to fit this book into my reading list.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

What’s still on your TBR?

So now you know some of the books left on my TBR after 2023. What books are sitting at the top of your TBR that you meant to read last year and never managed to get to? Tell me about them in the comments.

Also, if you shared a list, whether part of today’s Top Ten Tuesday meme or not, leave me a link to your post or video! I’d love to check it out.

Review: Maybe It’s a Sign by E. L. Shen

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Maybe It’s a Sign
E. L. Shen
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Published January 23, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Maybe It’s a Sign

An uplifting middle-grade novel about loss, luck . . . and deep-dish chocolate chip cookies―perfect for fans of King and the Dragonflies and The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise.

Seventh-grader Freya June Sun has always believed in the Chinese superstitions spoon-fed to her since birth. Ever since her dad’s death a year ago, she’s become obsessed with them, and believes that her father is sending her messages from beyond. Like how, on her way to an orchestra concert where she’s dreading her viola solo, a pair of lucky red birds appear―a sure indication that Dad wants Freya to stick with the instrument and make him proud.

Then Freya is partnered with Gus Choi, a goofy and super annoying classmate, for a home economics project. To her surprise, as they experiment with recipes and get to know each other, Freya finds that she may love baking more than music. It could be time for a big change in her life, even though her dad hasn’t sent a single sign. But with the help of her family, Gus (who might not be so annoying after all), and two maybe-magical birds, Freya learns that to be her own person, she might just have to make her own luck.

In MAYBE IT’S A SIGN, E. L. Shen cooks up a deliciously voicey, comforting family story sweetened with a dollop of first romance, a dash of whimsy, and heaps of heart.

My Review

There’s something really special about a book that gently invites readers into the landscape of grief. Some of the moments in the book are so heartbreaking. Freya’s longing for her dad, her struggle to make sense of the world without him, and to find signs from him around her to keep him close felt so real.

I loved the way she discovered her unexpected love for food and cooking and how that helped her reframe some of the memories about her family and even forge new connections with family and friends. I also liked that between the lines of the book, it was easy to see Freya’s mom and sister wrestling with their own grief in their own ways. The author really nailed those kinds of moments in the book, where Freya doesn’t pick up on someone else’s feelings, but there are enough clues for the reader to figure it out.

On the whole, I really liked this book. I loved the role of music, food, and family in the book, and the relationships between the characters. I think fans of Gillian McDunn and Kate Messner will love this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Freya and her family are Chinese American. Her friend Gus is Korean American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A boy kisses a girl on the cheek. Some references to crushes and dating.

Spiritual Content
Freya’s dad taught her about different Chinese superstitions and luck, like not wearing white in your hair and red or pairs being lucky.

Violent Content
Freya remembers the story of her father’s death. He collapsed at work and died of a heart attack eight months before the story begins. Freya has a panic attack when something triggers her memory of her dad’s death.

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 MAYBE IT’S A SIGN in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays. Check out other blogs posting about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: Life in Hyperspace by Chris Solaas

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Life in Hyperspace
Chris Solaas
CreateSpace
December 22, 2016

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Life in Hyperspace

Spraypainting the cat? What was he thinking??

With four-year college degrees under our belts and a dab of training in Child Psychology, my wife and I thought we were ready for anything when it came to this parenting gig. We had no idea we would be outnumbered and outgunned. From diet to riot, meds to charts, we’ve tried it all, to train up our ADHD kids in the way they should grow.

From the Home School of Hard Knocks, our four ADHD kids have taught us more about coping and planning ahead than any four-year college degree could have, especially when it comes to understanding what goes on in the mind of a five-year-old in a Buzz Lightyear costume flying on a treadmill. To Infinity, and Beyond.

This is the chronicle of two adult ADHD parents and their four ADHD kids living in a loving madhouse with four neurotic cats and a snow-white bi-eyed monster dog that eats trees. Inside, you will find more laughs and maybe some help and advice for what to do with the ADHD kids in your own home, from someone who’s Been There, Done That.

My Review

Sometimes it’s really nice to listen to other parents talk about the difficulties they’ve faced as parents. It helps us feel less alone. Bonus when the stories are funny.

In this book, the stories about kids, pets, and marriage range from hilarious (using Mom’s face cream to decorate a gingerbread house) to frightening (a car accident with a helicopter ride to the hospital). Over and over, kids do the things that make sense to them in the moment. And well, sometimes moms and dads do that, too. The stories in the book generally feature laughs at the author’s expense. They clearly show his love for his kids (even in the midst of frustrating experiences).

I laughed out loud multiple times reading this book. By chapter four or so, Solaas really hit his stride, and the recurring jokes (free to an unsuspecting home) got funnier and funnier.

Mostly, this is a book of shared experiences. Occasionally, usually toward the end of the chapter, the author will pause and offer a bit of hard-earned wisdom. Sometimes, that’s a simple exhortation to pray for your kids. Sometimes, it’s to share other resources or family values that the author finds personally helpful, including faith-based alternatives to trick-or-treating on Halloween and resources to help the reader craft a family Bible reading time.

Conclusion

Families looking for faith-based parenting books that celebrate neurodiversity and engaging with kids as they are will find LIFE IN HYPERSPACE offers shared experiences and much-needed comfort and joy.

Content Notes for Life in Hyperspace

Recommended for Ages 18 up.

Representation
The author, his wife, and all four of his kids have ADHD.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
The author briefly encourages readers to pay attention to the people their kids date and lists some criteria he asked his kids to consider as they dated or considered marrying someone.

Spiritual Content
The book is written with a Christian worldview and encourages readers to pray and seek counsel from the Bible and other Christian sources.

Violent Content
As the author describes some tense situations with kids, he is candid about feeling angry with them. He references (but doesn’t describe) spanking them– not in anger, though.

At one point, the author briefly relates having had a house fire, some accidents around the house, and later a car accident that caused some serious injuries. There are a couple stories involving animals injured accidentally by a car.

Drug Content
The author’s brother jokingly tells him to drink whiskey to cope with caring for a teething baby.

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 LIFE IN HYPERSPACE in exchange for my honest review.

13 Incredible Middle Grade Books Coming Winter 2024

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13 Incredible Middle Grade Books Coming Winter 2024

I’m getting a late start on putting together my lists for this year, but I really wanted to share some of the middle grade books coming out in January and February that really look too good to miss. This list is entirely based on my preferences, and I’m already planning to review many of the books listed here. I hope you enjoy the list– please let me know if you’ve already read any of these titles or are as eager to check them out as I am!

Since I’m late getting this posted, some of the review links are already live, so please feel free to check out my full reviews if any of these books interest you. Stay warm and happy winter reading!

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost anything for you to use but help support my blog when you use them for your shopping.

13 Incredible Middle Grade Books Coming Winter 2024

Courtesy of Cupid by Nashae Jones

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: When Erin discovers her dad is actually the love god, Cupid, she experiments with her own love power… and must face the consequences. An adorable MG rom-com.

Published January 2, 2024 | My Review

The Griffin’s Egg by Cole Poindexter

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: A girl and a goblin work together to save the last griffin’s egg– and a magical world– from destruction. I love stories that feature unexpected pairings, and a girl and a goblin definitely intrigues me!

Published January 15, 2024 | My Review to Come

Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: An older sister desperately tries to hold her family together but can’t help wondering if that’s the best thing for her and her siblings. I loved LOTUS BLOOM AND THE AFRO REVOLUTION, so I couldn’t wait to check this one out.

Published January 16, 2024 | My Review

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: A girl struggling to adjust to a changing family and friend group moves into a creaky attic bedroom in a new house where she falls ill and can’t seem to get better. I loved Anne Ursu’s MG fantasy novel from last year, and this sounds like a story that will pack equally surprising twists and turns.

Published January 16, 2024 | My Review to Come

Maybe It’s a Sign by E. L. Shen

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: A girl who lost her dad a year ago looks for messages from him all around her. When she faces new choices and doesn’t see signs from her dad, she realizes she’ll have to make her own luck. Sounds like a sweet, poignant story– with deep dish chocolate chip cookies!

Published January 23, 2024 | My Review to Come

Emma and the Love Spell by Meredith Ireland

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: A secret witch tries to use a love spell to save her crush’s marriage and keep them from moving away. I love the magic-with-unexpected-consequences theme, and I can’t wait to read more.

Published January 23, 2024 | My Review to Come

The Girl Who Sang by Estelle Nadel, Sammy Savos, and Bethany Strout

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: A powerful graphic memoir following a Jewish girl and her family who must hide during the Nazi occupation of Poland. This is a heartbreaking story beautifully told.

Published January 23, 2024 | My Review

Waverider (Amulet #9) by Kazu Kibuishi

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: Emily finally understands the power of the amulet. She and her allies must stand together to conquer the shadowy threats against them. The highly anticipated conclusion to a popular series. I’m a newer reader to this series (I’m currently on book three), but I really want to catch up and finish all nine books this year.

Published February 6, 2024 | My Review to Come

Drawing Deena by Hena Khan

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: A Pakistani-American young artist uses her talents to help her mom’s local business and soon realizes she’s turned something that helped her manage her anxiety into a source of it. I’m seeing more and more MG novels exploring characters with anxiety, and I love the resilience and hope in these books.

Published February 6, 2024 | My Review to Come

City Spies: Mission Manhattan (City Spies #5) by James Ponti

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: Charged with protecting a teen scheduled to speak to the United Nations General Assembly, the City Spies head to NYC in the fifth book in the series. Looks like an exciting adventure in the Big Apple.

Published February 6, 2024 | My Review to Come

Sick!: The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs by Heather L. Montgomery

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: Find out how scientists study animal diseases and how the animal’s bodies adapt to the germs in this twisty nonfiction book filled with graphic novel-style art.

Published February 20, 2024 | My Review to Come

The Unicorn Legacy: Tangled Magic by Kamilla Benko

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: A young magic apprentice must prove that her sister is not harming unicorns in this gorgeous new series by the author of The Unicorn Quest series. I’m so excited to return to the land of Arden.

Published February 27, 2024 | My Review to Come

Finally Heard (Finally Seen #2) by Kelly Yang

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: In the sequel to FINALLY SEEN, Lina sets out to go viral on social media but quickly feels overwhelmed by the flood of accounts, pressure to compete with her classmates, and pressure to keep up with new emojis, apps, and ways to interact. This couldn’t be more timely.

Published February 27, 2024 | My Review to Come

What’s on your winter reading list?

Do you have big reading plans for the rest of the winter season? What books are at the top of your reading list?

If you follow middle grade books, are any of my top picks on your reading list?

Review: Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston

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Shark Teeth
Sherri Winston
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published January 16, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Shark Teeth

From National Book Award longlisted author Sherri Winston comes an important middle grade novel about a girl’s tumultuous journey to keep her family together, even when she’s falling apart.

Sharkita “Kita” Hayes is always waiting.
Waiting for her mama to mess up.
Waiting for social services to be called again.
Waiting for her and her siblings to be separated.
Waiting for her worst fear to come true.

But Mama promises things are different now. She’s got a good job, she’s stopped drinking, stopped going out every night-it’s almost enough to make Kita believe her this time. But even as Kita’s life is going good, she can’t shake the feeling that everything could go up in flames at any moment. When her assistant principal and trusted dance coach starts asking questions about her home life, Kita is more determined than ever to keep up appearances and make sure her family stays together-even if it means falling apart herself.

As the threat of her family being separated again circles like a shark in the water, the pressure starts to get to Kita. But could it be that Kita’s worst fear is actually the best thing that could happen to her family . . . and to her?

My Review

Writing about kids in foster care is such an important thing and such a complex thing to do. Here, I felt like the author tackled these topics with care and gentleness without romanticizing or glossing over the messiness and trauma these experiences bring with them.

As I read each scene relating Kita’s life at home, it was so easy to feel the pressure her mom placed on her and the weight of her siblings’ needs. She seemed caught in the middle in so many ways.

I love that the book shows how her involvement in a baton twirling group provided a safe place for her to be a kid and to forge her own supportive community around her. I remember having friends with painful or complicated lives at home who had similar experiences with school programs. I loved seeing that celebrated in this book.

There were a couple of moments in which the story dealt with Kita’s anxiety that I wished had progressed more slowly. For the most part, I think the author described Kita’s experiences with anxiety, panic attacks, and sleep paralysis really well. I pieced some things together from the symptoms she described, but there were a couple of points when it felt like the story rushed through Kita processing new information about what she experienced.

So much of the story pulled me straight into Kita’s mind and heart, though. I felt her protectiveness toward her younger siblings. Kita’s desperation for her mom’s love and approval, combined with her frustration and anger toward her, made so much sense. I rooted for Kita from the first page to the last.

All in all, SHARK TEETH is a book I’d easily recommend. It’s an incredibly moving story with unforgettable characters.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Kita and her family are Black, as are some of the other minor characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A boy kisses Kita on the cheek. She wonders about what it’d be like to have a boyfriend.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Kita’s mom says cutting things to her sometimes. Kita gets injured while trying to take care of her younger siblings. Her brother pushes her and accidentally hits her in the nose with his head. A child starts a fire.

Drug Content
Kita and her siblings worry that her mother, who is an alcoholic, will start drinking alcohol again. In one scene, Kita sees her mom drinking alcoholic drinks with her friends. In another, her mom is hung over and trying to hide it.

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 SHARK TEETH in exchange for my honest review.