Review: The Prince of Steel Pier by Stacy Nockowitz

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The Prince of Steel Pier by Stacy Nockowitz

The Prince of Steel Pier
Stacy Nockowitz
Kar-Ben Publishing
Published September 1, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Prince of Steel Pier

A young teen falls in with the Mob and learns a lesson about what kind of person he wants to be.

In THE PRINCE OF STEEL PIER, Joey Goodman is spending the summer at his grandparents’ struggling hotel in Atlantic City, a tourist destination on the decline. Nobody in Joey’s big Jewish family takes him seriously, so when Joey’s Skee-Ball skills land him an unusual job offer from a local mobster, he’s thrilled to be treated like “one of the guys,” and develops a major crush on an older girl in the process.

Eventually disillusioned by the mob’s bravado, and ashamed of his own dishonesty, he recalls words of wisdom from his grandfather that finally resonate. Joey realizes where he really belongs: with his family, who drive him crazy, but where no one fights a battle alone. All it takes to get by is one’s wits…and a little help from one’s brothers.

My Review

I feel like every time I read historical fiction, I find myself thinking I should read more of it, and THE PRINCE OF STEEL PIER definitely made me think that again. I really enjoyed the setting and time period. At one point, Joey talks about going to see the diving horses, and that made me want to watch WILD HEARTS CAN’T BE BROKEN again, which I haven’t seen in years.

I loved the scenes that showed Joey’s big Jewish family. His relationships with his brothers felt so real. Sometimes I couldn’t help laughing at the banter between them. At other times it was sad to see them growing apart.

Joey’s character totally drew me in. He chafed against the opinion he thought his family had of him as a weak or oversensitive person. But as he struck out on his own and tried to build a new reputation with Artie and his gang, Joey found that while they treated him like an independent person, they also expected things of him that he wasn’t sure he could give or even should give.

I thought the story balanced Joey’s character growth with the fast-paced plot pretty well. I felt like there was always just enough time to pause and explore Joey’s feelings before something new before the next conflict emerged.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book. Joey is a layered character who expertly guides us through his journey in a fascinating 1970s Atlantic City landscape.

Content Notes

Content warning for Antisemitic comments.

Recommended for Ages 9 to 13.

Representation
Joey and his family are Jewish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Joey encounters people who make Antisemitic comments about him and his family.

Romance/Sexual Content
Joey has a crush on a girl.

Spiritual Content
Joey worries about his faith. He doesn’t believe in God and worries that his family would be disappointed in him.

Violent Content
Joey witnesses some men trying to intimidate another man. Joey overhears some implied threats, too. In one scene, two men pull out knives, threatening another man.

Drug Content
A man at a bar drinks liquor. Joey talks about a time someone in his family gave him a shot of whiskey.

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 PRINCE OF STEEL PIER in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Three Kisses, One Midnight by Roshani Chokshi, Sandhya Menon, and Evelyn Skye

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Three Kisses, One Midnight
Roshani Chokshi, Sandhya Menon, and Evelyn Skye
Wednesday Books
Published August 30, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Three Kisses, One Midnight

New York Times bestselling authors Roshani Chokshi, Evelyn Skye, and Sandhya Menon craft a spellbinding novel about discovering the magic of true love on one fateful, magical night in THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT.

The town of Moon Ridge was founded 400 years ago and everyone born and raised there knows the legend of the young woman who perished at the stroke of twelve that very same night, losing the life she was set to embark on with her dearest love. Every century since, one day a year, the Lady of Moon Ridge descends from the stars to walk among the townsfolk, conjuring an aura upon those willing to follow their hearts’ desires.

“To summon joy and love in another’s soul
For a connection that makes two people whole
For laughter and a smile that one can never miss
Sealed before midnight with a truehearted kiss.”

This year at Moon Ridge High, a group of friends known as The Coven will weave art, science, and magic during a masquerade ball unlike any other. Onny, True, and Ash believe everything is in alignment to bring them the affection, acceptance, and healing that can only come from romance—with a little help from Onny’s grandmother’s love potion.

But nothing is as simple as it first seems. And as midnight approaches, The Coven learn that it will take more than a spell to recognize those who offer their love and to embrace all the magic that follows.

My Review

I read a pre-release version of THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT. I loved the stories and the ways they connected together. The formatting was a little strange, but I feel like that’s something I’m hesitant to assume is the way the published version of the book will be.

The story gives us the point of view of Onny, Ash, and True, but each in turn. So the first third of the book is Onny’s story. Then Ash’s. Then True’s. I recently read another book written that way, and I really enjoyed it, so it was fun to read another book written with the point of view split up that way.

I wish each section had individual chapters, though. Each point of view section is probably close to 100 pages. In the ARC, each point-of-view uses scene breaks (little stars across one line), but each section reads as one long chapter. That wasn’t my favorite. It feels weird to me to stop reading at a scene break instead of a chapter break. I don’t know if the final version reads that way. The sample section available on Amazon shows some scene breaks but not any chapter breaks.

Anyhow. One of the big reasons I wanted to read this book is because I’ve read other books by Roshani Chokshi (pretty much an auto-buy author for me at this point) and Sandhya Menon, whose books have been so much fun! I’m not totally caught up on her backlist, but I’m sure I will at some point. The only one of the trio that I hadn’t read before is Evelyn Skye, and I’ve got a couple of her books on my To Be Read list. So I was excited about getting to read something by her, too.

THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT delivered all the things I hoped for from the authors. It’s fun and romantic, but I felt like the characters were deep, too. I loved all three stories. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes, so I especially loved seeing that one in there.

I thought the party and the town’s lore about love were really great elements, too. All in all, I probably enjoyed this book more even than I expected to, and I expected it to be a fun read.

I think fans of Sandhya Menon’s other books or books by Kasie West will love the sweet tales of romance in THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Onny is Filipino American. Ash is Asian American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two men.

Spiritual Content
Onny believes in magic. She makes a love potion from a recipe her grandmother gave her. In one scene, a group of teens use a Ouija board. Some characters experience encounters with a ghost or spirit.

Violent Content
Boys steal a mannequin that True was supposed to guard. She confronts them, and the situation escalates to a physical confrontation.

Drug Content
Some jokes about the party’s punch being eventually spiked.

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 THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson

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Ravenfall
Kalyn Josephson
Delacorte Press
Published September 6, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Ravenfall

One magical inn, two kids with supernatural powers, and an ancient Celtic creature trying to destroy their world by Halloween night…

Halloweentown meets Supernatural in this spooky middle-grade series from the acclaimed author of the Storm Crow duology!

Thirteen-year-old Annabella Ballinkay has never been normal, even by her psychic family’s standards. Every generation uses their abilities to help run the Ravenfall Inn, a sprawling, magical B&B at the crossroads of the human world and the Otherworld. But it’s hard to contribute when your only power is foreseeing death.

So when fourteen-year-old Colin Pierce arrives at Ravenfall searching for his missing older brother and the supernatural creature who killed their parents, Anna jumps at the chance to help. But the mysteries tied to Colin go much deeper than either of them expects. . . .

As the two team up to find answers, they unearth Colin’s family’s secret past and discover that Colin has powers beyond his imagination. And now the supernatural creature, one with eerie origins in Celtic mythology, is coming after him. If Anna and Colin can’t stop the creature by Halloween night, the veil to the Otherworld could be ripped open—which would spell destruction for their world as they know it.

My Review

I loved this book! A while back I read another book about a magical inn on the edge of other magical worlds, and, I mean, it was okay? I liked it fine, I guess. I wanted something more from the book, though, and I don’t think I even realized what I’d been looking for until I read RAVENFALL.

Right from the beginning, I loved the quirky house and the cat-who-isn’t-a-cat. I loved the way Anna and her sisters each have a specific kind of magic and the way their gifts fit together. Colin’s mysterious past hooked me right away. His parents’ deaths. His missing brother. He had so much going on, and I felt like that well kept getting deeper and deeper in all the best ways!

I read this whole book within 24 hours, and I already feel like I want to read it again. I’m still thinking about the characters and some of the big moments in the story.

I went ahead and ordered copies of Kalyn Josephson’s YA duology, because after this one, I feel like I’m going to need more of her storytelling. I’m excited to read them.

So technically this is a middle grade book, as Anna and Colin, the point-of-view characters, are thirteen and fourteen. I think the writing was a bit more of a YA style, but the story fit the middle grade age group. I would put solidly in the in-between, for sixth to ninth grade readers.

Readers who love stories about reimagined fairytales will definitely love this one. Readers who enjoyed CINDER by Marissa Meyer or VASILISA by Julie Mathison should check this one out for sure.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Major characters are white. There are two LGBTQIA side characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Lots of characters have the ability to perform magic of a specific kind. Samhain is approaching, so Anna and her family expect to encounter more ghosts and spirits.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief descriptions of murder. Battle scenes.

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 Ravenfall in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Trex by Christyne Morrell

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

Trex
Christyne Morrell
Delacorte Press
Published August 30, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Trex

This middle grade mystery follows the adventures of a boy with an experimental brain implant, and a reclusive girl training to be a spy, as they’re pitted against school bullies, their own parents, and an evil, brain-hacking corporation. Perfect for fans of STRANGER THINGS.

Trex’s experimental brain implant saved his life–but it also made his life a lot harder. Now he shocks everything he touches. When his overprotective mother finally agrees to send him to a real school for sixth grade, Trex is determined to fit in.

He wasn’t counting on Mellie the Mouse. She lives in the creepiest house in Hopewell Hill, where she spends her time scowling, lurking, ignoring bullies, and training to be a spy. Mellie is convinced she saw lightning shoot from Trex’s fingertips, and she is Very Suspicious.

And she should be . . . but not of Trex. Someone mysterious is lurking in the shadows . . . someone who knows a dangerous secret.

My Review

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I loved both Mellie and Trex (though I kept stumbling over his name and calling him T. Rex). It was easy to get drawn into the small town of Hopewell with its Mom Squad and the statue of the Unnamed Girl.

Mellie’s shyness and loneliness both resonated with me, too. I love that the story is partly her journey toward better understanding herself and her own needs. The friendship between her and Trex is so sweet, too. I loved the way they both needed each other for different reasons. And the way that pursuing a mystery brought them together.

Another thing that will stick with me is the note from the author about her own experience with anxiety and being an introvert. I love that she shared something so personal and the way her own life intersects (and differs from) Mellie’s experiences. The note was really gentle and encouraging. I know that for me at the age Mellie is in the story, being an introvert wasn’t something that was really celebrated, especially at school. So I love that there’s some focus and encouragement for introverted readers.

I think readers who enjoy books like FLORA & ULYSSES by Kate DiCamillo or HONESTLY ELLIOT by Gillian McDunn will enjoy TREX.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Mellie has anxiety.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Adults drug a child. In one scene, a man throws a child into a pit, intending serious injury.

Drug Content
Adults drug a child with a sedative.

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 TREX in exchange for my honest review.

Review: A Taste of Magic by J. Elle

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

A Taste of Magic
J. Elle
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published August 30, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Taste of Magic

NYT bestseller J. Elle makes her MG debut in the delightful story of a girl who bakes up a plan to save her inner-city magic school.
Twelve-year-old Kyana has just discovered she’s a witch! This means classes every Saturday at Park Row Magic Academy, a learning center hidden in the back of the local beauty shop, and Kyana can’t wait to learn spells to help out at home. The only downside is having to keep her magic a secret from her BFF, Nae. But when the magic school loses funding, the students must pay huge fees at the fancy school across town or lose their magic! Determined to help, Kyana enters a baking contest with a big cash prize. Will she be able to keep up her grades while preparing for the competition and without revealing her magic? What about when a taste of magic works its way into her cupcakes?
Exciting up-and-coming author J. Elle combines the perfect balance of real-world issues and magical mishaps to create real magic.

My Review

I think my favorite part of this book was the love shared between three generations of women in Kyana’s house: her, her Mama, and Memaw. I loved the scenes where they cooked or baked together. They were always making such amazing things.

I also enjoyed the way Kyana’s experience baking influenced her approach to her magic. As she got more comfortable with the idea that she could use and perform magic, she discovered instincts for making potions that she couldn’t explain. She also connected with new friends. I loved her friendship with her bestie, Nae, too.

As Kyana’s plan to save her magic school begins to unravel, she has a choice between trying to get her rescue mission back on track alone, or reaching out to her new magic community and asking for help. I loved the way this became a story about community and the way a group offers so much more than an individual in terms of problem-solving ability.

All in all, A TASTE OF MAGIC is a fun, sweet story celebrating family and community and the magic of delicious food bringing people together. Readers who enjoyed A COMB OF WISHES by Lisa Stringfellow will love the heart and magic in this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Kyana is Black. Most characters are Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Kyana learns she has the ability to do magic. Other characters have magical ability, too.

Violent Content
None.

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 A TASTE OF MAGIC in exchange for my honest review.

Review: MacKenzie’s Last Run by Gayle Rosengren

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MacKenzie’s Last Run
Gayle Rosengren
HenschelHaus Publishing
Published September 1, 2022

Amazon | Goodreads

About MacKenzie’s Last Run

Thirteen-year-old MacKenzie (Mac) Lawrence secretly blames himself for his father’s death in a mall shooting. In his grief and guilt, he has pulled away from everyone, even his twin sister Tessa. When their mother announces her plans to remarry barely two years after Dad’s death Mac is furious and runs away in an attempt to force her to break off the engagement.

Unfortunately, nothing goes as Mac plans. He ends up seriously injured, miles from home, unable to reach out for help, while clues he inadvertently left behind suggest he’s been kidnapped—possibly by Mom’s fiancé—and set his twin sister Tessa on a desperate search to find him. But she’d better hurry, because the clock is ticking, and Mac is running out of time.

My Review

The first thing I saw as I opened MACKENZIE’S LAST RUN to read it was the article from the paper reporting on his disappearance and police believed he was a victim of kidnapping. I thought it was an interesting choice from a writing perspective to start with that. So that, as a reader, I was kind of anticipating that event at some point. I worried that it would make the story anticlimactic.

But as I read, I found myself only more deeply hooked into what would happen to Mac and whether Tessa would be able to find him before it was too late.

I read the book in one sitting. I kept reading one more chapter all the way until the end, when I finally felt I could breathe again.

For me, not only could I not put the book down, but the story pulled me in despite its beginning. To overcome a reveal like that on the first page or use it in such a clever way made me feel even more like this book was worth reading.

I loved the way memories about Mac and Tessa’s dad were dropped in to critical moments in the story, and the way Mac’s adventure helped him face some of the things he’d been, well, running from. Both Tessa’s and Mac’s characters drew me in and had me rooting for them. Each chapter is told from Tessa’s or Mac’s point of view. I loved the balance that brought to the story and the exploration of their relationship as twins who’d lost their dad.

All in all, I very much enjoyed this book, and I hope the author writes lots more.

Content Notes for MacKenzie’s Last Run

Content warning for brief descriptions of gun violence. Some descriptions of injuries from a knife and a fall.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Mac and Tessa are twins whose father was killed in a grocery store shooting.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Tessa’s mom makes her and her brother attend church with her. She says Mac “needs it.” Tessa is okay with church, but doesn’t seem to feel much of a personal connection to faith. In one scene she tries to pray for Mac, but worries she’s doing it wrong because she forgot to say, “Amen,” so she starts over.

Violent Content
Some description of the shooting that killed the twins’ dad.

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 MACKENZIE’S LAST RUN in exchange for my honest review.