Tag Archives: friendship

Review: Trouble at the Tangerine by Gillian McDunn

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Trouble at the Tangerine by Gillian McDunn

Trouble at the Tangerine
Gillian McDunn
Bloomsbury
Published April 2, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Trouble at the Tangerine

Award-winning author Gillian McDunn pens a delightfully quirky mystery that examines the meaning of home, perfect for fans of The Vanderbeekers series.

Simon’s family is always on the move. Every few months, they load up their van, “Vincent Van Go,” and set off for a new adventure. According to his dad, you can’t live an extraordinary life by staying in one place. But all Simon wants is to settle down, so he’s hatched a to make their latest apartment in the Tangerine Pines building his forever home.

When a priceless necklace is stolen, clues indicate the thief might actually be another neighbor. Simon worries he’ll have to move again if the thief isn’t caught. He usually doesn’t go looking for trouble, but if retrieving the necklace means establishing home, Simon is willing to risk it. With the help of his neighbor Amaya, pet-sitter, plant-waterer, and podcaster extraordinaire, Simon is determined to crack the case and finally put down roots.

My Review

I’ve read all the books Gillian McDunn has published so far, so I knew when I saw this one, that I had to read it. Her books are so great!

This one is a little different than the others. Maybe the one it’s most like is HONESTLY ELLIOT. I think TROUBLE AT THE TANGERINE reads a little bit younger than her other books, but I’m second-guessing that now. I’m not sure. That was my sense as I read the book, but I could be wrong.

TROUBLE also follows a mystery, which is something a little different. It’s also a story about making friends and being the new kid, so maybe it’s really half mystery, half new kid making friends. I liked the balance between those two things, and it made the mystery seem less intense, which I think is good.

I thought the story definitely had some very lighthearted, very upbeat Rear Window vibes. It’s not scary or tense at all like that movie, but it’s about a kid in an apartment building with a broken leg in the summer solving a mystery and observing his neighbors. So, there are a few similarities. (There are no hatboxes or scary things buried outside, though.)

On the whole, I think this will be a really fun summer read. It’s a perfect vacation or beach book or great for reading on a lazy, hot day.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
List.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
List.

Romance/Sexual Content
List.

Spiritual Content
List.

Violent Content
List.

Drug Content
List.

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.

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: Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Hooky (Hooky #1)
Míriam Bonastre Tur
Clarion Books
Published September 7, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Hooky

Two twins, one prophecy, and a whole lot of hijinks. From WEBTOON, the #1 digital comic platform, comes a fantastical story about twin siblings Dani and Dorian who have missed the bus to magic school and scramble to find a mentor to teach them before their parents find out. Perfect for fans of THE OKAY WITCH and the 5 Worlds series. 

When Dani and Dorian missed the bus to magic school, they never thought they’d wind up declared traitors to their own kind! Now, thanks to a series of mishaps, they are being chased by powerful magic families seeking the prophesied King of Witches and royals searching for missing princes.

But they aren’t alone. With a local troublemaker, a princess, and a teacher who can see the future on their side, they might just be able to clear their names…but can they heal their torn kingdom?

Based on the beloved webcomic from WEBTOON, Hooky is in stunning print format for the first time with exclusive new content sure to please fans new and old.

My Review

This is such a cute book! I felt like the original premise got a little lost at first. Dani and Dorian are technically playing hooky from school, but they keep looking for a mentor so they can still learn magic, so are they actually, truly playing hooky? I quickly gave up pondering this question in favor of following the twins through their goofy, fun adventures.

There’s a bright, quirky cast of characters, from the princess who used to be scared of witches and dreams of rescuing her true love to the troublemaking boy with abandonment issues. It’s definitely a wild ride.

Some chapters of the book felt more episodic than others. I’m not sure if that’s simply a function of its origin as a web cartoon, but I didn’t mind the transitions much at all. I didn’t realize when I read the book that there are two more in the series. I’d like to follow the story in the next book, but it might be a little bit before I get to it.

On the whole, this was just the silly, fun romp in a fantasy world that I was hoping it would turn out to be.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some hints at attraction between male and female characters.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic and are called witches.

Violent Content
It is now illegal to execute witches by burning them, but that wasn’t always so. A prophecy predicts a powerful witch will come to power and cause mayhem.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Otherworldly by F. T. Lukens

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

Otherworldly
F. T. Lukens
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published April 2, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Otherworldly

New York Times bestselling author of SPELL BOUND and SO THIS IS EVER AFTER.

Seventeen-year-old Ellery is a non-believer in a region where people swear the supernatural is real. Sure, they’ve been stuck in a five-year winter, but there’s got to be a scientific explanation. If goddesses were real, they wouldn’t abandon their charges like this, leaving farmers like Ellery’s family to scrape by.

Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. But it’s been years since he heard from his queen, and Knox is getting nervous about what he might find once he returns home. When the crossroads demons come to collect Knox, he panics and runs. A chance encounter down an alley finds Ellery coming to Knox’s rescue, successfully fending off his would-be abductors.

Ellery can’t quite believe what they’ve seen. And they definitely don’t believe the nonsense this unnervingly attractive guy spews about his paranormal origins. But Knox needs to make a deal with a human who can tether him to this realm, and Ellery needs to figure out how to stop this winter to help their family. Once their bargain is struck, there’s no backing out, and the growing connection between the two might just change everything.

My Review

I read SPELL BOUND last year, which was the first book by F. T. Lukens that I’d ever read. I absolutely loved it, and I knew I wanted to read more of their books. When I saw that OTHERWORLDLY was coming out this year, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Just like SPELL BOUND, OTHERWORLDLY takes us to a world much like ours, but with the addition of some magic and a pantheon of gods and goddesses. Ellery lives in what feels like a small midwestern suburb not too far from his family’s farm. The whole area has been stuck in an unending winter for the last five years, though.

The book follows four characters pretty closely. The chapters alternate from Ellery and Knox’s points of view. Ellery’s cousin Charley and her girlfriend are also in a lot of the scenes. I love the fun, closeknit community the four of them make. The relationships between them feel really natural. I found it easy to imagine what life looked like before the story begins.

Honestly, I can’t think of anything I didn’t like. I think readers who enjoy low fantasy with a slow burn romance will definitely want to try this book. I’m pretty sure it’ll be in my top ten favorites for the year.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Ellery is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. Their cousin, Charley, and her girlfriend are in a romantic relationship.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a nonbinary person and a boy.

Spiritual Content
The world is governed (spiritually) by three gods/goddesses who rule the sky, ocean, and otherworld, a place souls pass through on their journey to the afterlife. These deities have children and grandchildren who are minor gods and goddesses. They also have creations, such as familiars or shades, who serve them.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief battles between Knox’s allies and enemies. In one scene, a monster stabs someone. A couple of characters use magic to throw back enemies.

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: The Second Favorite Daughters Club: Sister Sabotage by Colleen Oakes

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

The Second Favorite Daughters Club: Sister Sabotage
Colleen Oakes
Pixel + Ink
Published April 2, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Second Favorite Daughters Club: Sister Sabotage

For fans of Sisters and Netflix’s The Baby-sitter’s Club, a contemporary series for the siblings who always come in last.

Santana Barnes is tired of playing second fiddle to her ballet protégé, honor student older sister Victoria. Casey Hammond is sick of her cute-as-a-button, adventurous little sister Sage, who steals all of their dad’s attention.

When the girls meet in their middle school library, they learn they have a lot in common: they both love reading, hate after-school activities, and most important, are clearly their parents’ second-favorite children.

Together, they create the Second Favorite Daughters Club. The members? Just the two of them. The mission? To become their parents’ favorite children by undermining their love-hoarding siblings. But is it possible to cheat your way to becoming your parents’ favorite kid?

Bestselling author Colleen Oakes’s middle-grade debut, SISTER SABOTAGE is a celebration of friendship and family in all its challenging forms, and a reminder that there’s no one way to stand out.

My Review

I love sister books. Sister relationships can be complex and challenging, but sometimes, even when it’s those things, there’s no one who defends you like a sister.

One of the things that I really appreciated about SISTER SABOTAGE is that Casey has an annoying younger sister but is the oldest herself, while Santana is the youngest, and annoyed by her older sister. That leads to the girls sharing some observations with each other about their siblings. For example, when Casey complains that her younger sister goes through her stuff, Santana sympathizes but also gets a little wistful and points out that that’s just what little sisters do.

I also enjoyed getting to see the friendship between the two girls take off. They were both so lonely before they met. I remember feeling that way and how I felt meeting a girl who would become one of my closest high school friends. Finding someone who gets you and really wants to be friends is such a huge thing. I loved that this book celebrates that.

The plan to sabotage the sisters made me a little nervous. I worried that especially the pranks played on the younger sibling would make it hard to like Casey. I thought the author tackled that part of the story in a way that let the girls’ feelings about the sabotage efforts evolve organically to a satisfying conclusion.

All in all, I think this is a really sweet book about sisters and best friends. I am really interested to see where the series goes from here.

I think readers who enjoy books by Kate Messner and Gillian McDunn will like the friendships and family challenges in this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A girl throws cupcakes across the room while angry. Two girls get into a fight in the auditorium of a theater.

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: Breathing Underwater by Abbey Lee Nash

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

Breathing Underwater
Abbey Lee Nash
Holiday House
Published March 5, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Breathing Underwater

In this slice-of-life, sensitively written novel, a teen girl grapples with a sudden epilepsy diagnosis, all while figuring out a new crush and an uncertain future.

Seventeen-year-old Tess Cooper lives by three train hard, study hard, work hard. Swimming is her best chance at a college scholarship. It’s what her parents, her coaches, and even her best friend expect from her—and Tess can always deliver.

Until tragedy strikes. Tess has a seizure, and her world suddenly becomes one of doctor visits, missed practices, and a summer job stuck behind a counter—not sitting high in the lifeguard chair like every year before.

Instead, her spot goes to new guy Charlie. Sure, his messy hair and laid-back demeanor sends Tess’ heart racing, but this isn’t really the time. She’s got to focus on getting back in the pool—regardless of what her doctor or anyone else says.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.

My Review

Okay, so some of the things I liked about the book are kind of spoiler-y, so I apologize if some of my statements are vague.

I don’t know much about competitive swimming, and what I do know is mostly from other books, like FLIP TURNS by Catherine Arguelles, so I can’t weigh in on the accuracy of the swimming components. They were engaging, though, and I liked the way the author used metaphors about swimming to show when Tess was feeling overwhelmed or anxious.

Tess has a complicated relationship with some of her teammates, at first because she feels like another girl is stealing her best friend and later because a few girls on the team witness a traumatic moment in Tess’s life. Those relationships felt pretty real to me. The conflicts felt like the kinds of things that I experienced as a teenager. It was super relatable.

I can’t speak to the accuracy of the representation of Tess’s seizure and diagnosis, but I was really moved by the things Tess felt and went through. Her anxiety about getting back in the water. Her frustration with her parents over their fear and shifting boundaries. All that resonated with me.

Her relationship with Charlie was maybe the weakest pull into the story for me. I enjoyed the relationship between them, and I especially liked the lightness it brought. It just didn’t add the value to the book that I expected, I guess? I don’t know if that makes sense. I liked the arc of the relationship, though.

All in all, I liked the book. I think readers looking for books about sports, especially girls in sports, or books featuring a main character with a disability should check this one out.

Content Notes for Breathing Underwater

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Tess has a seizure and later receives a diagnosis.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A girl nearly drowns during a swimming race.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol at a party. Tess takes a sip and decides she doesn’t like the alcoholic drink. She spends the evening with a boy who wasn’t drinking either. Later, she helps a drunk friend get home safely.

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 my own.

Review: Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Gathering Blue (The Giver Quartet #2)
Lois Lowry
HMH Books for Young Readers
Published September 25, 2000

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Gathering Blue

Lois Lowry’s Gathering Blue continues the quartet beginning with the quintessential dystopian novel, The Giver, followed by Messenger and Son.

Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaver and is given a task that no other community member can do. While her talent keeps her alive and brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes she is surrounded by many mysteries and secrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world and see what places exist beyond.

My Review

I thought that I’d read this book before, but either I did and have zero memory of it, or I’m mixing this one up with a different book. At any rate, I decided after listening to THE GIVER on audiobook that I would try to read the whole series this year. GATHERING BLUE is the second book in that series, though it doesn’t appear to connect to THE GIVER in any obvious way.

The first few chapters have some intensity to them. Kira has just come from a grief ritual honoring her mother, who has died. Upon her return to her village, she learns a powerful woman named Vandara intends to have Kira put to death so she and the other village women can have the land where Kira and her mother lived. Kira expertly navigates a conflict with Vandara, turning what could have become a violent confrontation into a visit to the elders for counsel.

I liked Kira’s character. In addition to being smart, she’s artistic and kind. Her mind whirs with patterns and ideas for embroidery. She takes care of a young boy named Matt and his little dog. I enjoyed the scenes getting to know her.

The Series So Far

The only issue I have with the book is kind of the same issue I had with THE GIVER. There’s a point in the story in which a minor character reveals something super important to Kira. She’s a passive observer. I wish that she uncovered that knowledge herself somehow, instead of waiting quietly and wondering.

The book kind of ends in a weird place, too. It’s unclear what Kira will do with her new knowledge. The third book in the series, THE MESSENGER, tells the story of the boy Kira cared for, though he is older at the start of that story. I’m hoping that book will address some of my unanswered questions.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Kira was born with a twisted leg and walks with a limp. She has chronic pain from her leg. Disability in Kidlit posted a review about how the story handles her disability..

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Kira carries a small scrap of fabric that she has embroidered in her pocket. The scrap seems to have a kind of magic to it– warning her before something bad happens or reassuring her when things will work out okay.

Violent Content
A group of women surround Kira, several holding stones, in a tense confrontation that teeters on the edge of violence. Kira worries about the woods and field where beasts prowl. Her mother and a village elder told Kira her father was killed by beasts on a hunt with the other men.

Drug Content
Kira wonders if someone was poisoned.

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