Tag Archives: boarding school

Review: Deephaven by Ethan M. Aldridge

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , ,
Deephaven by Ethan Aldridge cover shows a boy holding up a torch and standing in front of an opened gate. Behind and above him lurks a shadowy monster with glowing eyes and tentacle-like hair.

Deephaven
Ethan M. Aldridge
Quill Tree Books
Published September 5, 2023

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About Deephaven

From Ethan M. Aldridge, bestselling creator of ESTRANGED, comes a gothic middle grade prose novel that follows a nonbinary student who is drawn to their boarding school’s forbidden east wing, where something stalks the shadowy corridors. Perfect for fans of J. A. White and Mary Downing Hahn!

When Guinevere “Nev” Tallow receives an acceptance letter to the exclusive Deephaven Academy, they know it’s the fresh start that they’ve been looking for. But things are strange from the moment they arrive—the house itself seems to breathe, students whisper secrets in dark corridors, and the entire east wing of the academy is locked away for reasons no one wants to explain. And Nev knows something ragged stalks the shadowy corridors, something that sobs quietly and scratches at the walls, waiting to be released. With the help of another first-year student, Nev takes it upon themself to unravel the mysteries hidden in Deephaven’s halls. But will they risk their fresh start to bring the academy’s secret to light?

My Review

Since I’ve read everything I can find that Ethan Aldridge has ever written (including these charming short stories), I knew I would read DEEPHAVEN. I didn’t realize at first that it was a prose novel, so I was a little surprised when I started the first page. But the story of Nev and the strange school they were going to attend pretty quickly drew me in.

Nev, especially, is such a cool character. They are always picking up bits of things– screws, bobbins, stuff like that– which they save and use to create mechanical toys. I loved the descriptions of them working on the toys. The author describes Nev as having a magpie mind, and I loved that.

The story contains black and white illustrations spaced throughout, usually one toward the end of each chapter. I thought the author made really great choices as to which moments of the story to illustrate. It really helped me grasp the characters and reinforced the creepy setting of the boarding school.

The book is under 300 pages, so it’s a pretty quick read. I enjoyed it. I think readers who prefer graphic novels but maybe want to branch out into prose should give this one a try. Definitely, other fans of the author’s work will want to add DEEPHAVEN to their collections.

Content Notes for Deephaven

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Nev is nonbinary. Nev’s best friend is Black. Two minor characters, upper-grade girls, are in a romantic relationship.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Nev hears rumors that ghosts live in the abandoned East Wing of the school. Some characters have the ability to perform magic. Nev discovers what appears to be a monster.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. A boy stabs a dangerous creature with a fencing foil. A dangerous creature threatens Nev and their friend.

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 DEEPHAVEN in exchange for my honest review.

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: Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta’s Academy #1)
Sandhya Menon
Simon Pulse
February 18, 2020

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About Of Curses and Kisses

The first novel in a series set at an elite international boarding school, that’s a contemporary spin on Beauty and the Beast.

Will the princess save the beast?

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right?

His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can’t shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck…

As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.

My Review

I think this is one of the books I bought during the early days of the pandemic, but it’s obviously taken me a while to finally read it. After I heard another blogger (can’t remember who it was) name OF CURSES AND KISSES as their favorite YA romance, I moved it up my TBR list. The next time I found myself needing a romance as a pick-me-up after a darker book, I reached for this one.

I’m a huge fan of fairytale retellings, so I immediately loved the Beauty and the Beast storytelling in this book. I liked that there was a little bit of magic through the curse, but that it didn’t dominate the story. Another thing that I seem to generally be in favor of are grouchy boys, so I found Grey lovable right away. Despite his prickliness, I couldn’t wait to see the romance develop between him and Jaya. I think my favorite moment in the whole book, though, was when Jaya imagined telling Kiran off after receiving an email from him. I literally laughed so hard I had to put the book down.

On the whole, I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the swoony elements and the friend group around Jaya and Grey. I think readers who enjoyed BOOKISH AND THE BEAST by Ashley Poston will find similar fun and romance here.

Content Notes for Of Curses and Kisses

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Jaya and her sister are Indian royalty.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
The family lore says Jaya’s family cursed Grey’s family after his ancestor stole a ruby that belonged to the people of India and refused to return it.

Violent Content
A boy has a nightmare about falling off a mountain and a girl stomping on his hand as he tries to hold on.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol at parties.

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

Review: Rise of the School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

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

Rise of the School for Good and Evil
Soman Chainani
HarperCollins
Published June 7, 2022

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About Rise of the School for Good and Evil

The battle between Good and Evil begins.

Two brothers.

One Good.

One Evil.

Together they watch over the Endless Woods.

Together they choose the students for the School for Good and Evil.

And together they train them, teach them, prepare them for their fate.

Then, something happens.

Something unexpected.

Something powerful.

And something that will change everything and everyone.

Who will survive?

Who will rule the School?

The journey starts here. Every step is filled with magic, surprises, and daring deeds that test courage, loyalty, and who you really are. But they only lead you to the very beginning of the adventures that are THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL.

My Review

It’s been a long time since I read the first book in the School for Good and Evil series. (My review of the first book in the series, THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, was back in 2015.) I remember really liking the premise and the characters in the story. I also like that Chainani explores what makes someone “good” versus “evil.”

RISE OF THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL is the second book in the series that I’ve read. It’s basically something of an origin story. It’s not exactly a true origin story, since the school is already established at the beginning of the book, and the two brothers have been running it for decades as immortal teenagers. But it’s an origin story that tells how the school shifted from its original purpose to become what it is when Sophie and Agatha arrive in book one. So more of a prequel, I guess?

In any case, I really enjoyed the tale. At the beginning I wasn’t sure if I would like it. It begins with the two brothers, and it took me a few chapters to feel like I found my orientation within the story and understood what it was going to be about. Once I was a few chapters in, though, I found it easy to get carried away by the book.

Some of my favorite things about the story are spoilers, so I won’t specify them here, but let me just say that the ending was so much better than I could have imagined. I loved the way it brought the story full circle but also made me look back at all the things that happened with fresh eyes.

I could see fans of the Percy Jackson series or other magical boarding school books being a fan of this series really easily. Also, if you read and liked any of the other books in the series, definitely pick this one up. I think it delivers a great story with some really fun characters.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
I’m not sure of the representation, but one major character is Aladdin. There are hints that one of the brothers is attracted to other boys.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Attraction between two boys.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have magic. Certain types of magic are forbidden to certain magic users. For example, Seers can’t reveal predictions about the future without paying a price: aging ten years. Members of the School of Good can’t use blood magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Fighting between students. References to torture.

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 RISE OF THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Hunt for Eden’s Star by D. J. Williams

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,

Hunt for Eden’s Star
D. J. Williams
Tyndale House
Published April 4, 2023

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The Hunt for Eden’s Star

A coming-of-age teen is thrown into a world of ancient secrets when he discovers a supernatural compass that protects a weapon of mass destruction. With the help of a diverse group of friends, he embarks on a global adventure, seeking the truth about his sister’s death. He uncovers two clandestine, supernatural societies waging an epic, hidden war that threatens the future of civilization.

D. J. Williams’s suspenseful, page-turning style whisks readers into a wildly exciting, supernatural adventure that grabs hold of the imagination and never lets go. As Jack races to collect ancient artifacts critical to the survival of the world, readers are transported to incredible locales across Asia, including the lush jungles of the Philippines and the high-energy streets of Hong Kong. Themes of addiction, revenge, faith, and friendship emerge as Jack battles literal and psychological demons, and even his own friends and family members, on his quest to thwart the forces of evil.

My Review

This was a tough one for me. Suspense is always a bit of an iffy genre, so it could be that I’m generally less comfortable reading that type of story. I found myself struggling not only with some of the suspense elements, but also other elements of the story as well.

One of the things I wrestled with most was the portrayal of characters. I felt like a lot of the characters came across as kind of flat. Jack and his friends kind of acted a bit like frat boys, only interested in girls when they were attractive or could offer the boys a benefit of some kind (a key to an exclusive area, for example). Do high school boys act like that? Yeah, I’ve known some who did. But I found it to be an odd choice to cast those boys as the heroes of the story?

I also felt like Jack never really gained real forward momentum. There were a few scenes where he would make a grand statement about having a goal (one time this was about getting revenge for his sister’s death), and in the next scene, another character would basically tell him that was the wrong goal because reasons. And Jack would abandon his stated goal and kind of be back to trying to figure out his next move. I think I expected him to at some point become the character making things happen.

He does have moments where he accomplishes this. For example, he rescues a bunch of girls who are prisoners being trafficked by the bad guys. It’s a cool scene, but it didn’t really connect to the larger story other than to remind us that the bad guys are super bad.

Conclusion

HUNT FOR EDEN’S STAR has a lot of interesting elements in it. For example, Jack and his friends attend a coed, elite boarding school with four houses. Each house is identified with a particular set of virtues. Students are assigned to a house by a sort of magical process. Very reminiscent of a certain wizarding school. It was cool, and maybe the various houses are more involved in later books in the series, but I didn’t really catch much connection to the story in this first book.

Lots of the story takes place in Hong Kong, so I enjoyed the connection to history and politics/current events happening there. I kind of wish the story had featured that more in connection to the plot.

So, there were some really cool elements. I don’t know if the author just wanted to include all the things that will be relevant to later books to kind of garner reader interest for those things and set up some elements for later? It made the book kind of a long one for YA, especially for YA suspense, at almost 500 pages.

On the whole, I think this series really isn’t for me. Parts of it reminded me of the TIME ECHOES series by Bryan Davis which also has kind of a secret society, murder mystery thing going on. If you liked that one, then HUNT FOR EDEN’S STAR might be a good fit, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Jack is white. Some minor characters are BIPOC.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some comments by boys about girls being attractive. A man brings a girl who is bound and blindfolded to Jack’s room and hints that Jack is to have sex with the girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters worship Elyon. It seems like this might be supposed to be a representation of Christianity. (The book is published by a Christian publisher.) The religion is pretty transactional. Characters earn supernatural gifts by fully committing to the faith. Jack must pass tests where he must master his fear and instead have faith. If a servant of Elyon goes to a forbidden place, they lose their supernatural abilities and eventually die. Jack’s sister made a kind of contract with Elyon– her life for his– and this means Jack must be the one to complete a mission she left unfinished.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some battle scenes involving gunfire. Jack witnesses a political protestor murdered by police in the street. Jack discovers a group of girls who are victims of human trafficking. All are bound and blindfolded.

Drug Content
Jack and his friends visit a club and drink alcohol. Jack takes a pill that a stranger hands him in passing. He reflects on his past as an addict and credits his sister with saving him.

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 HUNT FOR EDEN’S STAR in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Review: Moongarden: Plotting the Stars by Michelle A. Barry

Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Sci-Fi, , , , , , , ,

Moongarden: Plotting the Stars
Michelle A. Barry
Pixel + Ink Books
Published November 1, 2022

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About Moongarden

The Secret Garden meets The City of Ember as an unlikely heroine confronts loneliness and crippling parental expectations, finding her seed of courage to weed out an intergalactic government conspiracy tied to failed climate change policy in this STEM-inspired series starter.

Centuries ago, Earth’s plants turned toxic, rendering life on the planet impossible, and humanity took to space to cultivate new homes. Myra Porter is in her first year at an elite school on the Moon to train and develop her Creer in math as a Number Whisper—like her famous Number Whisperer parents. But she’s crumbling under the pressure, she doesn’t fit in, and worst of all, the tattoos that signal her Creer growing aren’t developing. In her heart, she knows she doesn’t have a Creer, and soon, everyone else will, too.

My Review

I can definitely see the comparison to THE SECRET GARDEN and CITY OF EMBER in this book. I think I kept wishing for more overlap with THE SECRET GARDEN, though. Like, I kept looking for or hoping for my favorite things about that story to be included in this book. There are a few things that made it into MOONGARDEN, though.

In THE SECRET GARDEN, the main character, Mary, follows a robin who leads her to the garden. In MOONGARDEN, a small robot Myra names Bin-ro, taken from the ID label on its underside, leads her to a hidden garden. I really enjoyed the parts with his character. There’s also an older man who was once a gardener who helps her, like Ben from the original story.

Just like in CITY OF EMBER, Myra and her friends discover a cover-up that could indicate their whole civilization is in danger. She also discovers forgotten and forbidden magic that could save everyone.

So there are a lot of really cool elements to the story, and I thought all of those elements worked well together.

I guess I kind of have mixed feelings about the main character, Myra. There were things I liked about her a lot. She doesn’t back down when she believes in something, even if the idea is unpopular. That stubbornness sometimes frustrated me, though. Maybe I wanted to see the garden have an effect on her the way it does Mary in THE SECRET GARDEN? I’m not sure what I hoped for there.

On the whole, I love that this is a middle grade sci-fi novel, and I think readers who liked CITY OF EMBER should check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
One character, Bernie, is a clone and has fewer rights/isn’t seen as truly human. Lila, Myra’s friend and roommate is described as having brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Most characters have a certain affinity for magic.

Violent Content
Some instances of bullying.

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 MOONGARDEN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Sevenfold Hunters by Rose Egal

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,

The Sevenfold Hunters
Rose Egal
Page Street Press
Published October 25, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Sevenfold Hunters

Sci-fi fans will love this genre-bending debut full of cutthroat school politics and the speculative intrigue of alien contact.

There’s nothing hijabi alien hunter Abyan wants more than to graduate from Carlisle Academy and finally rid the Earth of the Nosaru, a species hidden in plain sight.

Everything is going to plan until the Nosaru kill one of Abyan’s squad mates, leaving the team devastated. To make matters worse, the school admins replace her elite squad member with a sub-par new recruit, Artemis. Despite Artemis failing every test—and bringing the team down with her—their cutthroat instructors refuse to kick her out.

Together Abyan, Artemis and the rest of the team unravel the mystery of why Artemis is actually there, what the Nosaru really want, and what Carlisle Academy has been hiding from them all.

My Review

An elite team of teens fighting vampire space aliens called Nosaru. A girl wrestling with the her boyfriend’s sudden death. A girl on the hunt for revenge for her family’s deaths. All that seemed like it would add up to a pretty compelling read.

For me, those elements just didn’t come together in THE SEVENFOLD HUNTERS. Artemis felt kind of flat. In a couple scenes she seemed motivated to learn more about her boyfriend’s death, but mostly she was so distracted about her own survival that her grief got really pushed to the side. Concern for her survival makes total sense, but it was weird that the story framed her as this grieving girl, and I didn’t feel like it delivered that.

Abyan, however. She’s complex. A girl from a poor family in a school of wealthy elites. A practicing Muslim. The top team’s driven leader, with a tragic, secret past and a desperate hope for revenge. I was all in on her.

At times, I felt pulled forward through the intense, action-packed scenes. They fight space vampires who’ve invaded earth. It’s super cool. But.

I didn’t understand some of the dynamics of the overall battle between the humans and aliens. Like, the operatives know there are a number of hives of Nosaru near the school, but they just sort of… let them be? I thought this was a kill or be killed kind of enemy?

After a Sevenfold mission goes badly because one team member turns on the others, everyone goes back to base for a debrief where they… worry about this team member’s feelings? They’re like, we can’t press this person to tell us why they did what they did because it involves secrets from their past. We need to wait for them to feel comfortable to tell us.

That didn’t add up for me. Most of the members of the team were (I think) in their last year at the school, very near to being able to graduate and work as paid operatives in the fight against the Nosaru. It seemed like the first concern should have been, is this team member going to get me killed? Is this team member capable of serving the needs of the team, or do they need to step back and deal with whatever past issues are interfering with them and risking everyone’s safety?

I don’t know, but that whole part read very strangely to me.

There were also a couple of reveals that came late in the story that I felt like didn’t really get explored. It’s possible that those were primarily supposed to be a setup for a sequel. I just didn’t see how they fit into this story and they were big things, so it was weird that they didn’t have more focus or weren’t revealed earlier.

On the whole… I struggled with this book. There were things I liked. Abyan’s character is at the top of that list. I loved her. I liked some of the other team members, too, especially Kade and Hank. The plot felt a bit unfocused and some parts didn’t make a lot of sense to me. So that made the book harder for me to read. I thought the story world was interesting and there are a lot of cool elements to explore if there are further books to come in the series.

Content Notes for The Sevenfold Hunters

Content warning for torture and violence.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Abyan is Somali and Muslim. Artemis is biracial and bisexual. Other characters identify as LGBTQIA+.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
References to Abyan practicing daily prayer and keeping to halal foods.

Violent Content
References to a brutal attack on a group of teenagers. Situations of peril and battle scenes. One scene shows a man torturing a captive.

Drug Content
One scene shows several teens drinking alcohol at a party. Another scene shows a teen vaping.

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 SEVENFOLD HUNTERS in exchange for my honest review.