Tag Archives: Costumes

Review: A Bite Above the Rest by Christine Virnig

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,
A Bite Above the Rest by Christine Virnig

A Bite Above the Rest
Christine Virnig
Aladdin
Published August 6, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Bite Above the Rest

A boy moves to a Halloween-themed town only to realize there may be more to the tourist trap than meets the eye in this fast-paced romp of a middle grade novel perfect for fans of The Last Kids on Earth and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library !

When Caleb’s mom decides they are moving to her childhood home in Wisconsin, Caleb is not thrilled. Moving schools, states, and time zones would be bad enough, but Mom’s hometown is Samhain, a small and ridiculously kitschy place where every day is Halloween.

Caleb is not a fan of Halloween when it only happens once a year, so Halloween-obsessed Samhain is really not the place for him. How is he supposed to cope with kids wearing costumes to school every single day ? And how about the fact that the mayor is so committed to the bit that City Hall is only open from sundown to sunup to accommodate his so-called vampirism? Sure enough, Caleb becomes an outcast at school for refusing to play along with the spooky tradition like the other sixth graders. Luckily, he manages to find a friend in fellow misfit Tai, and just in time, because things are getting weird in Samhain…or make that weird er .

But there’s no way the mayor is an actual vampire, and their teacher absolutely cannot really be a werewolf—right? Caleb discovers Samhain is so much stranger than he ever could have imagined. As one of the only people who realizes what’s happening, can he save a town that doesn’t want saving?

My Review

I had a lot of fun reading this book. It has a great voice– it reminded me of the tone of spoofy 80s movies (Like The ‘Burbs with Tom Hanks). Caleb and Tai are great characters, too. They each had different approaches to what was happening. I liked the way they helped one another out and the strong connection of their friendship.

It’s about 300 pages long, but several passages contain large illustrations. The short chapters also make this one a pretty quick read.

Even though it’s a little early, this Halloween-centric story made me want to curl up with a cup of tea and a bowl of candy. After this fabulous, goofy adventure, I can’t wait to see what Christine Virnig writes next.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Tai is Jamaican and Asian American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some characters appear to have supernatural abilities or powers.

References to witch trials. Halloween celebrations.

Violent Content
23 women were murdered by drowning in the town’s history during witch trials. After this, the townspeople executed 23 religious and political leaders for their roles in the murders. (None of that happens on scene.)

Tai and Caleb experience situations of peril.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner

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

Chaotic Good
Whitney Gardner
Knopf
Published on March 13, 2018

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Chaotic Good
Cameron’s cosplay–dressing like a fictional character–is finally starting to earn her attention–attention she hopes to use to get into the CalTech costume department for college. But when she wins a major competition, she inadvertently sets off a firestorm of angry comments from male fans.

When Cameron’s family moves the summer before her senior year, she hopes to complete her costume portfolio in peace and quiet away from the abuse. Unfortunately, the only comic shop in town–her main destination for character reference–is staffed by a dudebro owner who challenges every woman who comes into the shop.

At her twin brother’s suggestion, Cameron borrows a set of his clothes and uses her costuming expertise to waltz into the shop as Boy Cameron, where she’s shocked at how easily she’s accepted into the nerd inner sanctum. Soon, Cameron finds herself drafted into a D&D campaign alongside the jerky shop-owner Brody, friendly (almost flirtatiously so) clerk Wyatt, handsome Lincoln, and her bro Cooper, dragged along for good measure.

But as her “secret identity” gets more and more entrenched, Cameron’s portfolio falls by the wayside–and her feelings for Lincoln threaten to make a complicated situation even more precarious.

My Review
I had a ton of fun reading this story for its inclusion of Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) references and even descriptions of play as well as the scenes where Cameron sews costumes. I liked her spunky attitude and soft heart made me root for her from the first page to the last. Wyatt (Why) had me at hello. Such a great, offbeat character. Loved him!

The DnD parts of the story cracked me up and made me wish I was in the middle of my very own campaign. It highlighted all the fun parts of the game but also drew some attention to some of the girl-bashing that can happen. I kind of wish there had been more resolution between Cam and the boy who harassed her in person. In the story it becomes clear he kind of doesn’t get how his behavior affects others and is deeply stuck thinking about his own past hurts. Obviously there are people like that in real life, and sometimes they just don’t grow out of those hurtful behaviors, so in that way the story kept it pretty real. I did like the way her parents both supported Cameron’s interests but also challenged her and protected her. (I know that’s really vague… I don’t want to reveal some of the story elements, but I liked the relationship between Cameron and her parents.)

Another great surprise in Chaotic Good is the way the DnD campaign is often relayed in the form of graphic novel panels. So clever! I loved that idea. It set the campaign story apart from the narrative in a really fun way and added some visual humor, too.

On the whole, I enjoyed this book and felt like I tore through the story, always eager for the next chapter.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Cameron’s twin brother Cooper and her friend Wyatt are both gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl and two boys. Cameron references climbing into bed with a boy she finds attractive. She and a boy get into some heavy kissing and making out. At every step, he asks for her consent. When he seems interested in getting under her dress, she asks him to stop, saying she’s not ready yet, and he respects her wishes.

Cameron finds herself the victim of some online bullying and pretty intense trolling. She torments herself by reading comments on her blog from haters. These commenters leave cruel and sometimes explicit comments, sometimes referring to her with derogatory language.

Spiritual Content
Characters engage in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign in which one character pretends to be a wizard who can do spells.

Violent Content
Some narration of battles described for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Mild violence.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.