The Deadlands: Trapped by Skye Melki-Wegner cover shows a profile of a carnivorous dinosaur made from a landscape showing a triceratops, two small flying dinosaurs and a small walking dinosaur at the top of a mountain.

Review: The Deadlands: Trapped by Skye Melki-Wegner

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,
The Deadlands: Trapped by Skye Melki-Wegner cover shows a profile of a carnotaurus made from a landscape showing a triceratops, two small flying dinosaurs and a small walking dinosaur at the top of a mountain.

The Deadlands: Trapped (The Deadlands #2)
Sky Melki-Wegner
Henry Holt & Co.
Published October 3, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Deadlands: Trapped

Wings of Fire meets Jurassic Park in The Deadlands: Trapped, the second book of this action-adventure series by Skye Melki-Wegner about five outcasts ― and former enemies ― who are the only hope to save their warring kingdoms from impending doom.

As bloody battle rages on between the two surviving dinosaur kingdoms, Eleri and his fellow outcasts, newly exiled from their herds, are searching for evidence to prove a mass conspiracy―a conniving cabal of carnivores have manipulated the herbivore kingdoms into war, so they can feast on the slain. But after their temporary home is discovered by a vengeful pack of raptors, the exiles must flee and soon find themselves trapped inside the Fire Peak: the volcanic heart of the dreaded Carrion Kingdom.

Before they have a chance to escape, they discover a cavern of imprisoned herbivores, who are being picked apart―literally―one by one. Can the outcasts stage an elaborate heist to free the prisoners and gather proof of the Carrion Kingdom’s vicious plans in one fell swoop?

My Review

I feel like I’ve been seeing this series everywhere, and I’m not at all surprised. I had so much fun reading it. The story follows both Zyre (a small flying dinosaur) and Eleri (a small digging dinosaur) as they lead their herd toward a rumored sanctuary and an opportunity to sabotage the carnivorous dinosaurs’ plans.

Because Zyre was once hired to betray a member of the group, she feels she needs to earn the herd’s trust, and she goes to great lengths to do so. She’s tender and kind, but also very quick on her feet, and brave in the face of danger to her friends.

Eleri wrestles with unresolved issues between him and his brother. He doubts his ability to lead and to be brave and rushes into dangerous situations, trying to prove his worth to himself.

I’m not sure if you could read this one without having read the first book. There are places in the story that kind of bring readers up to speed, but there are also a lot of terms and references that aren’t fully explained in this book that would make sense if you’d read the first one.

I think readers who enjoy books about animals, such as the Warriors books, will love these dinosaur stories.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are herbivore dinosaurs.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
One dinosaur tries to convince others that to let carnivores eat them means they’ll “ascend” to a golden plane.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Mentions of warfare. In one scene, raptors tear another carnivore dinosaur apart.

Drug Content
Eleri collects thorns that can tranquilize dinosaurs.

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 DEADLANDS: TRAPPED in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Tethered to Other Stars by Elisa Stone Leahy

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

Tethered to Other Stars
Elisa Stone Leahy
Quill Tree Press
Published October 3, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Tethered to Other Stars

Perfect for fans of EFREN DIVIDED and A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE, this luminous middle grade debut follows a tween girl navigating the devastating impact of ICE’s looming presence on her family and community.

Seventh grader Wendy Toledo knows that black holes and immigration police have one thing in common: they can both make things disappear without a trace. When her family moves to a new all-American neighborhood, Wendy knows the plan: keep her head down, build a telescope that will win the science fair, and stay on her family’s safe orbit.

But that’s easier said than done when there’s a woman hiding out from ICE agents in the church across the alley–and making Wendy’s parents very nervous.

As bullying at school threatens Wendy’s friendships and her hopes for the science fair, and her family’s secrets start to unravel, Wendy finds herself caught in the middle of far too many gravitational pulls. When someone she loves is detained by ICE, Wendy must find the courage to set her own orbit–and maybe shift the paths of everyone around her.

My Review

This is such a beautiful story. I grew up with the movie OCTOBER SKY. This book felt like it had a little bit of the vibes from that story: A girl with big dreams and an eye on the sky. A town full of people who don’t see her or understand her. A group of friends who do see her (once she lets them in). And discovering the heroes in your midst.

I loved Wendy’s friend group. She keeps a lot to herself, so at first, there’s a lot of distance between her and her friends. As they slowly get to know one another and build their friendships, she sees that they each have fears and dark things they’ve hidden, too.

Wendy’s Mom is awesome. I love the way she quietly supports her children, sometimes without even using words. I also love that Wendy is the one who makes several pivotal choices and takes critical action that creates change in the story. It would have been easy to let that fall on an older character and have Wendy be a witness to what happens. Instead, she takes charge. Also, I loved the way her taking action gets connected to her love for stars and forces acting in the universe for change.

I loved this book, and I think anyone who loves astronomy or feels scared or alone will find lots to love about this book, too.

Content Notes for Tethered to Other Stars

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Wendy is Latine and American. Wendy’s friend Mal is Korean American. Her friend Yasmin is Muslim and wears a hijab. K.K. is Black. Etta is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Wendy feels attracted to a boy briefly.

Spiritual Content
Wendy learns that her friend retreats to a safe space at school to pray.

Violent Content
Scenes show bullying and microaggressions. For example, kids deface K.K.’s campaign posters and posters about a Unity Club for inclusivity. Anti-immigrant graffiti appears on the walls. A boy also tries to take credit for Wendy’s work on a science project, insinuating that she is lazy and hasn’t helped him at all.

Characters in the story follow the case of a woman who takes refuge at a church to avoid deportation. Some characters refer to her as “illegal,” and others explain how that term is dehumanizing. A person can’t be illegal. She can do something which is illegal, but she can’t be illegal herself.

Drug Content
A teenager smokes a cigarette in a parking lot.

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 TETHERED TO OTHER STARS in exchange for my honest review.

centered around a girl who loves the stars

Top Ten Tuesday: 2023 Reading Goals Check-In

Lists, News and Fun, , , ,

Top Ten Tuesday: 2023 Reading Goals Check-In

With the fall weather hopefully settling in around us, it’s starting to feel like the year is nearing its end. We still have three more months, though, to get all the things our past, starry-eyed, January selves imagined would be so easy to do this year.

Back at the beginning of the year, I posted a list of Top Ten Tuesday Bookish Goals for 2023. I also decided to do the BookRiot Read Harder 2023 and the Beat the Backlist 2023 reading challenge.

I posted some challenge pages to track my progress as the year has progressed. I was definitely much more focused on those goals for the first quarter of the year than I was this last quarter. Still, I’ve gotten a lot done, and I’m hopeful that with some careful (reasonable) planning, I can still get a few more things done before the end of the year.

Note: Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Anyone can join in by posting about the weekly prompt. This week, we’re posting about reading goals we still want to accomplish before the end of the year.

Another note: My goals for this year are really ambitious, but that’s because I spend a LOT of time reading these days. I listen to audiobooks while waiting in the car. I read for a couple hours most evenings. I can’t get enough, but that’s a me problem. Haha!

2023 Reading Goals (Top Ten Tuesday Post Check-in)

Reading Goals: 150 Books

So far this year, I’ve read 192 books, so this one I’ve more than met. Yay for starting off strong. I’ve been breaking my TBR down into four categories: middle grade fiction, young adult fiction, graphic novels (all ages), and nonfiction (all ages). Here’s how that looks for what I’ve read this year.

Middle Grade Fiction: 54 Titles Read So Far

So far this year, I’ve read 54 middle grade titles. This is the first year I’ve really tracked things based on when I read them (versus when the review posts or when I bother to update my Goodreads account), so I’m not sure how that compares to last year. I suspect it’s probably a little bit more than the number I’d read by the beginning of October last year. Seems like I read a little bit more middle grade each year. It’s filled with such hopeful stories. I really can’t get enough.

Young Adult Fiction: 100 Titles Read So Far

Young adult fiction is always the biggest category of books I read. When I started my blog, I reviewed YA exclusively, so I guess it makes sense. It’s also what I write, so I think that’s another reason it feels comfortable.

Nonfiction (all ages): 20 Titles Read So Far

Nonfiction has been a love I’ve come to later in my reading life. I think I depended on reading to be an escape for a long time and reading nonfiction felt too much like homework to me. There are some really incredible nonfiction titles about lots of different types of things, though, and some of them are so entertaining I hardly notice I’m learning as I read. At any rate, my goal in the past was to read one nonfiction title per month, so twenty is already well above that for the year. Yay!

Graphic Novels (all ages): 18 Titles Read So Far

I think I started reading and reviewing graphic novels on purpose last year. My nephews and niece really enjoy them, so it started as a way to connect with them and hopefully find new books they would enjoy. I’m pretty picky about my graphic novel reading, but I’ve ended up with some huge favorites and even a few auto-buy authors.

Goal: Read 3-5 Classics

It’s only as I’ve done some reading this year that I realize the edges of what constitutes a “classic” to me are a little fuzzy. Like, I read THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE by Louise M. Erdrich. It’s certainly stood the test of time. It’s noteworthy. Is it a classic? I’m gonna say yes. I’ve also read ANIMAL FARM and LITTLE WOMEN for the first time this year, and I reread THE GIVER.

I would like to read THE FIRE NEXT TIME by James Baldwin and THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK before the end of the year. I’ve got copies of both, so I think this is achievable.

Goal: Read 3-5 backlist Nonfiction Titles

 So far, I’ve read CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson, ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE by George M. Johnson, and MEG, JO, BETH, AMY by Amy Boyd Rioux.

My backlist nonfiction TBR is miles long. I would still like to read DISFIGURED: ON FAIRYTALES, DISABILITY AND MAKING SPACE by Amanda Leduc. I own several more backlist nonfiction titles I really want to get to, so we’ll see if I’m able to fit more in beyond that.

Goal: 10-12 Backlist Titles

I seriously over-achieved on this one, too. I’ve read about 54 backlist titles so far this year. I loosened my criteria for this a little bit, though. Initially, I imagined it would be backlist books that I own physical copies of, but I tend to be a really serious mood reader when it comes to my backlist. Those are books I’m squeezing in between the frontlist titles I’ve agreed to review. 17 of these books were also titles that I agreed to review or received from a publisher as part of agreeing to review book two in the series, so I’m not sure they should totally count. But since I’m the one making up the rules, I’ve decided THEY DO.

Even if I left out the ones I agreed to review, that’s still 37 backlist titles read. Yay!

Reading Challenges

I also signed up for the Bookiot Read Hard(er) 2023 and the Beat the Backlist reading challenges. You can check out my progress on that by clicking the challenge name in this paragraph.

How are you doing on your 2023 Reading Goals?

Did you set reading goals for yourself this year? What would you like to get finished before the end of 2023? If you posted about your reading goals for the year, whether it’s the Top Ten Tuesday post, something you wrote up back in January, or a Goodreads goal, leave me a link in the comments. I’d love to check it out.

Review: White House Clubhouse by Sean O’Brien

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , , ,

White House Clubhouse
Sean O’Brien
Norton Young Readers
Published October 3, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About White House Clubhouse

From a former White House, a middle grade series following two First Daughters who team up with historical presidential children to save the nation.

Marissa and Clara’s mom is the newly elected president of the United States, and they haven’t experienced much freedom lately. While exploring the White House, they discover a hidden tunnel that leads to an underground clubhouse full of antique curiosities, doors heading in all directions―and a mysterious invitation to join the ranks of White House kids. So, they sign the pledge.

Suddenly, the lights go out, and Marissa and Clara find themselves at the White House in 1903. There they meet Quentin, Ethel, Archie, and Alice, the irrepressible children of President Theodore Roosevelt. To get back home, Marissa and Clara must team up with the Roosevelt kids “to help the president” and “to make a difference.” White House Clubhouse is a thrilling and hilarious adventure that takes readers on an action-packed, cross-country railroad trip back to the dawn of the twentieth century and the larger-than-life president at the country’s helm. Black-and-white illustrations throughout.

My Review

I’ve read a couple of books in the last few years that draw readers into the (fictionalized) lives of real historical figures, and I love that idea. While it isn’t the same as reading a biography of the people by any means, it does get readers engaged with historical figures and thinking of them as real people with feelings, desires, and flaws. It also creates a great opportunity to research and see which elements of a story are fact versus which are fiction.

In WHITE HOUSE CLUBHOUSE, two sisters, Marissa and Clara, travel back in time to help the Roosevelt children solve a problem: a giant tree is about to be destroyed in California, and the land developer who plans to destroy it will then destroy other natural spaces.

Along the way, they learn about Teddy Roosevelt’s life. They meet a Rough Rider who charged up San Juan Hill with him. Alice Roosevelt speaks about being left behind by her father after her mother passed away. They witness Roosevelt sketch and paint a falcon. The girls also learn to trust one another and work together to achieve something.

I think readers who enjoy books featuring real-life characters will enjoy this fun-filled romp through a moment in Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Marissa and Clara are Latina, and their mother is serving as the President of the United States. Other major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Clara calls her sister names, including “spazo” to try to wake her after she is injured.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. A stern man chases children. A bull chases a man and children in a field. A man tosses two girls from a horse onto a moving train. An explosion injures a girl. Another child makes a dangerous climb up a very tall tree.

Drug Content
Two men smoke cigars under a tree. A fire starts when one doesn’t put out his cigar properly.

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 WHITE HOUSE CLUBHOUSE in exchange for my honest review.

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: Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

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

Twin Crowns (Twin Crowns #1)
Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
Balzer + Bray
Published May 17, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Twin Crowns

Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.

Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

My Review

Catherine Doyle’s Storm Keeper series is one of my favorite middle grade series ever, so when I saw that she was co-authoring this new YA series, I knew I had to check it out. Bonus: it’s about sisters! My favorite kind of story.

To start, I really liked the premise, and both Wren and Rose as characters. I felt like they were both pretty believable in the roles they’d grown up in. They were also different yet similar enough that I had no problem believing they were sisters.

I liked the pace of the story, too. At first it looks like Wren’s challenge will be keeping up the charade that she’s Princess Rose for thirty whole days. Then, when she realizes the kingsbreath’s true plan, the pressure reverses, so that it feels like she’s right up against a deadline with so much to do to stop her enemy and take the throne.

I only stumbled over a couple of things. One is the balance of romance to the quest for the crown. I think I expected the romance to be more of a subplot and to have the girls and their adventure be more centerstage. There were moments when I felt like the romance kind of overshadowed what was happening in a way that pulled me away from the rest of the story.

The politics also tripped me up a little bit. The story really builds up the strong prejudice against witches. They’re executed if found. People pray to the Protector if they think they’ve seen one. People worry they’ve been cursed if they have a string of bad circumstances. Those bad feelings seemed to unravel really easily, though. I found that hard to believe after the initial setup.

Honestly, all it meant for me was that I turned up my suspension of disbelief, because I really enjoyed the sisterhood and the magic and adventure elements that made up the rest of the story. I’m definitely going to continue on with this series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. Shen is from a desert kingdom. Celeste has brown skin. She and a couple other minor characters are queer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Brief reference to sexual arousal. In one scene, a boy takes off his shirt and a girl loosens her dress as they make out.

Spiritual Content
Wren and other characters have the ability to perform magic and are called witches. Rose’s people worship the Great Protector, a historical figure they’re taught saved them from the witches. In her kingdom, witches are executed.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. A boy battles a giant beetle. A girl tries to kill another by stealing her breath and using wind to shove her off a cliffside. A girl relives memories from a battle long ago and watches as witches are slain on the battlefield. References to the torture of witches. A man kills a woman by cutting her throat. A battle destroys a building and kills several people present. A leopard attacks a girl, severely wounding her.

Drug Content
Some characters drink alcohol until they’re drunk.

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

Review: This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson

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

This Dark Descent
Kalyn Josephson
Roaring Brook Press
Published September 26, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About This Dark Descent

THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US meets SIX OF CROWS in this spellbinding new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, and pulse-pounding action, where the eldest daughter of a renowned family on the verge of ruin joins forces with a mysterious, rogue enchanter and a handsome, ambitious heir to win a deadly race.

Mikira Rusel’s family has long been famous for breeding enchanted horses, but their prestige is no match for their rising debts. To save her ranch, Mikira has only one option: she must win the Illinir, a treacherous horserace whose riders either finish maimed or murdered. Yet each year, competitors return, tempted by its alluring prize money and unparalleled prestige.

Mikira’s mission soon unites her with Arielle Kadar, an impressive yet illicit enchanter just beginning to come into her true power, and Damien Adair, a dashing young lord in the midst of a fierce succession battle. Both have hidden reasons of their own to help Mikira — as well as their own blood feuds to avenge…

Steeped in Jewish folklore, THIS DARK DESCENT is a pulse-pounding new fantasy full of forbidden magic, sizzling romance, and epic stakes. In a world as dangerous as this, will the need for vengeance butcher Mikira’s chances of winning the Illinir … or will another rider’s dagger?

My Review

I definitely see the comparison from this book to SIX OF CROWS. Damian, the mysterious young nobleman, has that same calculating, cards close to the vest thing going that Kaz has in Bardugo’s duology. Unlike SIX OF CROWS, THIS DARK DESCENT follows only two points of view: Ariella and Mikira. I loved both of them pretty much right away. Ari is a self-taught enchanter, grasping for more of her own lost history and the magic of her people that’s since been forbidden. She teeters on the edge of an unnamed darkness as she pursues her magic, and I feel like I was on the edge of my seat, needing to know she would be okay.

Mikira is sparks and frenzy. She’s impulsive, fierce, and fiercely loyal. I wish we’d gotten a little more of her relationships with her sisters Nelda and Aileen. The scenes when she races are so intense. I couldn’t look away. Those moments and some of the behind-the-scenes politics reminded me a little bit of THE SCORPIO RACES.

This is a completely different story than that one, but it definitely has some similarities: strong, desperate heroine; powers that be trying to control the outcome of the race; unlikely alliances; and, of course, a high-stakes, highly dangerous race.

On the whole, I really enjoyed this book. It anchored me in its story world pretty quickly, giving me just the right amount of detail so that I felt oriented to what was going on but not bogged down in unnecessary trivia. The pacing kept me turning pages from one chapter to the next all the way until the end. There’s also a bit of romance. It doesn’t dominate the story, but I really enjoyed that, too. I also loved the references to Jewish folklore and the way faith and heritage or culture and the complex relationships they can be were celebrated in the story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Some characters are described as having tawny or brown skin. Inspired by Jewish folklore. Also– yay for Widget the cat-who-is-not-a-cat.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Mentions of attraction between same-sex couples. References to sex (happened off-scene).

Spiritual Content
Four Harbingers delivered magic to humans and are still revered and celebrated. Ari is Kinnish, but her family wasn’t devout. Now she longs to know more about the history, faith, and magic of her people, though it’s forbidden by the current rulers. Ari and another woman visit a temple. In intense moments, a couple of characters make reference to praying to gods or goddesses.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Two men attack Ari, intent on mugging her. A man puts on brass knuckles and prepares to beat two men who are restrained. Racers attack Mikira with weapons and magic. She and her horse fight back. A man tortures a young woman, trying to get information from her. A young woman tortures a man and kills him. A couple of scenes show knife or gun fights.

Drug Content
Characters drink wine and whiskey as part of social events. A character tells a story about getting accidentally drunk on whiskey once.

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 THIS DARK DESCENT in exchange for my honest review.