Tag Archives: friendship

Rez Ball by Byron Graves cover shows a boy in a tank top and black shorts holding a basketball with a cloudy sky background.

Review: Rez Ball by Byron Graves

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,
Rez Ball by Byron Graves cover shows a boy in a tank top and black shorts holding a basketball with a cloudy sky background.

Rez Ball
Byron Graves
Heartdrum
Published September 12, 2023

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About Rez Ball

This compelling debut novel by new talent Byron Graves tells the relatable, high-stakes story of a young athlete determined to play like the hero his Ojibwe community needs him to be. These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.

When Jaxon’s former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him. But stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with.

After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon’s dreams, their story isn’t over yet.  This book is published by Heartdrum, an imprint that publishes high-quality, contemporary stories about Indigenous young people in the United States and Canada.

My Review

I like a lot of things about this book. First, Tre and his family were super easy to root for. I liked the closeness between them and could really feel the gaping hole that is their grief over Tre’s brother Jaxon’s death. Tre’s friends also make up a tight-knit community whose interactions seemed really natural and believable.

I was a little bit confused by the subplot about Tre’s love life, though. The opening of the book is very basketball-focused and then there’s a long interlude where he seems very focused on a girl, and then he’s back to focusing on basketball for the rest of the book. It felt a little bit uneven, and because of that part with the focus on the possible relationship, I think I expected there to be more of a romance subplot through the rest of the book.

On the whole, though, I enjoyed the way Tre’s experience on the team changed him and impacted his whole community. I wish there had been a deeper dive into his grief and the way that playing basketball made him feel closer to his brother and possibly helped his family to heal from that loss. It’s there, but I would have liked to see that get more time in the spotlight of the story.

I found the book to be an easy read and an inspiring one. I think readers who enjoy books about sports or are looking for inclusive stories about overcoming adversity will find lots to love here.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Main characters are Indigenous Ojibwe tribe members.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Brief references to traditional rituals before basketball games. Tre’s mom encourages him to make an offering and pray to the Creator when he’s having a hard time.

Violent Content
Two boys get into a fistfight when one of them is drunk.

Drug Content
Several scenes show teens drinking alcohol. Two boys get suspended from the basketball team for drinking. One boy asks the team to commit to sobriety at least through the rest of the season after learning about another team who lost because they’d been hungover during a game.

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 REZ BALL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans

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

The Otherwoods
Justine Pucella Winans
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published September 12, 2023

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About The Otherwoods

The Otherwoods is calling. And it won’t be ignored.

Some would call River Rydell a ‘chosen one’: born with the ability to see monsters and travel to a terrifying spirit world called The Otherwoods, they have all the makings of a hero. But River just calls themself unlucky. After all, it’s not like anyone actually believes River can see these things–or that anyone even believes monsters exist in the first place. So the way River sees it, it’s better to keep their head down and ignore anything Otherwoods related.

But The Otherwoods won’t be ignored any longer.

When River’s only friend (and crush) Avery is kidnapped and dragged into The Otherwoods by monsters, River has no choice but to confront the world they’ve seen only in their nightmares–but reality turns out to be more horrifying than they could have ever imagined. With only their cat for protection and a wayward teen spirit as their guide, River must face the monsters of The Otherwoods and their own fears to save Avery and become the hero they were (unfortunately) destined to be.

Justine Pucella Winans will have you cowering and cackling as you follow River’s reluctant hero’s journey, perfect for fans of Doll Bones, Ghost Squad, and Too Bright to See.

My Review

Without a doubt, the most charming part of this book is River’s aversion to danger and the evolution of their beliefs about themself. At first, River believes they aren’t brave because they ignore monsters instead of confronting them and won’t enter the Otherwoods. Right away, I doubted their assessment– it would take an enormous amount of bravery for me to keep sleeping in a room where a monster lived under my bed. River instead names the monster and tries their best to ignore it. It makes sense, though, why River sees themself as not brave since they find themself constantly afraid. I love River’s inner monologue. They piece together the things happening around them in what is often a very kid-like, funny way.

I also like the way that River’s journey into the Otherwoods makes them realize there’s more to being brave than feeling brave. I like the way the story turns our perceptions of things on its head with unexpected moments and humor.

Also: the cat. If you know me, you know this was coming. But seriously. Mr. Fluffy Pancakes is fantastic. Not just for his name, which cracked me up. That cat has a huge personality. He never does anything without some cattitude. His love for River is also very clear and endearing. I adore him. Yay for books with cats!

On the whole, this one has some scary, intense moments, but it also shows a character who feels deeply afraid find ways to deal with those fears and learn to speak up about them. I love the way the story invites readers into River’s fears and shows us what it means to be brave in the face of them. While it’s not for every reader, I think THE OTHERWOODS has a lot to offer. I’d recommend it for readers who like portal stories or anyone looking for books about kids in tough circumstances who must learn to speak up for themselves.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Main character is nonbinary. A couple of minor characters are also queer. One girl identifies as pansexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
River has a crush on their friend, Avery.

Spiritual Content
River sees monsters and spirits of the dead. They learn this is because they possess some magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Monsters come very close to River. A few scenes show confrontations between characters and monsters. In a couple, monsters are killed.

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 THE OTHERWOODS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Between Monsters and Marvels by Alysa Wishingrad

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

Between Monsters and Marvels
Alysa Wishingrad
HarperCollins
Published September 12, 2023

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About Monsters and Marvels

In the next standalone high-stakes middle-grade fantasy by Alysa Wishingrad, the author of the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection The Verdigris Pawn, a misunderstood young girl named Dare is shipped to the mainland from her tiny island and uncovers startling secrets behind her father’s death, the island itself, and the monsters that lend its lore.

Monsters are still lurking on Barrow’s Bay.

Dare Coates is sure of it. No drifter or ruffian could have killed her father, the Captain of the Guard, while he was on patrol. But everyone insists that monsters have been gone for years now. Dare’s mother. Her classmates. Even the governor, who swiftly marries her mother just months after her father’s death.
Dare’s suspicions grow even stronger when the governor suddenly ships her off to the mainland, away from any hope of uncovering the truth about her father’s death.

Or so she thinks. But when Dare finds solid proof that monsters still exist she starts to question everything she’s always known. Was her father who she thought he was? Who can she trust? Where is the line between good and evil?

The truth hides behind danger and deception.

But with the help of an unlikely crew of cohorts and a stray beastie, nothing can stop Dare from finding out what happened to her father and exposing who the real monsters are.

My Review

This is the first book by Alysa Wishingrad that I’ve read. I’d heard of THE VERDIGRIS PAWN, and I think it was one of those books that I kept seeing other reviewers talking about, but I haven’t read it yet. The themes in this story about truth and deception and puzzling out who to trust in an unpredictable world drew me straight into this book.

I loved the way Dare wrestles with distrust and loneliness. Sometimes her loneliness pushes her to be open with someone, even if it’s simply to keep the conversation going and keep her loneliness at bay a little longer. She quickly learns that not everyone who appears friendly actually is, and some have dark motives hidden under layers of lies.

I liked the way the fantasy world of Barrows Bay and City-on-the-Pike came together. It’s a world of monsters, secrets, and illusions. Every time Dare thinks she has things figured out, she peels back a new layer and has to reevaluate based on what’s underneath.

I found her loneliness to be really easy to connect with. She is odd and something of an outcast, and that’s captured so well in the story. Anyone who has ever felt excluded by peers or as though they’re out of place in their own family will be able to connect with Dare. That loneliness also makes it a real celebration when Dare forges true friendships and sees the fruit of those connections in the story.

All in all, this is one I want for my family library. It’s whimsical and fun but also packed with a lot of heart. It’s an authentic story of friendship.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white or white-passing.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Dare believes monsters with strange abilities still exist.

Violent Content
Reference to animal abuse (not shown on scene). Situations of peril. Some brief battle scenes. A brief description of Dare’s father’s death. She learns he was beheaded.

Drug Content
List.

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 BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Finch House by Ciera Burch

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

Finch House
Ciera Burch
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published September 5, 2023

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About Finch House

Encanto meets Coraline in this spooky middle grade story that deals with family ties, fear of change, and generational trauma as it follows a girl who must convince an old, haunted house to release its hold on her and her family.

Eleven-year-old Micah has no interest in moving out of her grandfather’s house. She loves living with Poppop and their shared hobby of driving around rich neighborhoods to find treasures in others’ trash. To avoid packing, Micah goes for a bike ride and ends up at Finch House, the decrepit Victorian that Poppop says is Off Limits. Except when she gets there, it’s all fixed up and there’s a boy named Theo in the front yard. Surely that means Finch House isn’t Off Limits anymore? But when Poppop finds her there, Micah is only met with his disappointment.

By the next day, Poppop is nowhere to be found. After searching everywhere, Micah’s instincts lead her back to Finch House. But once Theo invites her inside, Micah realizes she can’t leave. And that, with its strange whispers and deep-dark shadows, Finch House isn’t just a house…it’s alive.

Can Micah find a way to convince the house to let her go? Or will she be forced to stay in Finch House forever?

My Review

Sometimes it feels like a bit of a gamble to read a debut, but this book sounded so interesting right from the moment I heard about it. I loved the eeriness of it. And the fact that it centers on a girl main character and her family.

Micah’s relationship with her grandfather really drove the story home for me. I love the way they connect to one another. He is her anchor in a lot of ways, and I love that.

I didn’t totally follow how the story resolves. Micah made an agreement that felt a little nebulous to me, even after the story concluded. Despite that, I enjoyed the characters, the eerie strangeness of Finch House, and Micah’s explorations through it.

I think readers who like eerie stories, as opposed to horror or truly scary ones, will like the balance this story strikes.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Micah is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Micah and her friend Theo encounter translucent people they refer to as ghosts.

Violent Content
Micah sees a scene from the past in which a girl falls, and blood pools around her after she lands.

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 FINCH HOUSE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Bravest Warrior in Nefaria by Adi Alsaid

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

The Bravest Warrior in Nefaria
Adi Alsaid
Aladdin Books
Published September 5, 2023

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About The Bravest Warrior in Nefaria

Phineas and Ferb meets the Despicable Me series in this hilarious and heartwarming middle grade debut from acclaimed author Adi Alsaid about a wannabe hero who lives in a goofily evil kingdom where nefarious schemes abound.

Welcome to Nefaria, where nearly every day the kingdom faces another evil scheme.

Most are harmless, though, so the citizens of Nefaria simply learn to live with the latest hijinks and go on with their lives. This includes Bobert Bougainvillea, who is much more concerned with the fact that he seems to be invisible. From the teachers in his school to his classmates, almost no one notices Bobert, no matter how visible he tries to be. Then everything changes when Bobert follows his classmates to a cursed gumball machine.

Before he knows it, Bobert is sucked into one of Nefaria’s most villainous evil schemes, a plot that has been a long time in the making—too long, in the evil wizard Matt’s opinion. And retreating into invisibility this time won’t do, not when Bobert is the only one with the drive, knowledge, and—if his newfound courage doesn’t fail him—bravery to foil Matt’s plan.

My Review

I’ve read a couple of young adult books by Adi Alsaid, and when I heard about his middle grade debut, I could totally see how his writing style would suit middle grade as well as young adult. He has this incredible sense of when to shift point-of-view and how to piece scenes together to show all the important moments in a story.

THE BRAVEST WARRIOR IN NEFARIA is packed with silliness. Think A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS in a fantasy landscape. The characters’ names are silly, from the main character, Bobert, to the kids he hopes to call his friends, Candelabra, Stanbert, and Jennizabeth. They live in a kingdom in which evil schemes are as common as Mondays and sometimes annoying but harmless.

Before the story truly gets underway, Bobert already has a problem in which he is invisible to the people around him. He mostly winds up following other kids around and staying near them, but not really interacting with them, until one day, he plows right into the back of a group of kids walking toward town. I loved the way the story resolves this particular problem of Bobert’s and the way what he experiences changes how he feels about his invisibility.

On the whole, the absolute refusal to take itself too seriously and the never-ending antics make this book lots of fun. It’s got subtle messaging wrapped in humor, a fabulous combination. I hope Adi Alsaid writes more middle grade– though I thoroughly enjoy his young adult novels, too!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Bobert is described as having an olive skin tone.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. Spellbooks teach how to perform or undo spells.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to evil schemes that have caused harm. Kidnapping children. Controlling others (using magic) against their will.

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 THE BRAVEST WARRIOR IN NEFARIA in exchange for my honest review.

Review: All That Shines by Ellen Hagan

Contemporary, Poetry, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

All That Shines
Ellen Hagan
Bloomsbury
Published September 5, 2023

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About All That Shines

A contemplative novel in verse that questions what it means to lose everything you once treasured and rediscover yourself, falling in love along the way.

Chloe Brooks has only ever known what it’s like to have everything. Her parents’ wealth and place in society meant she had all she wanted, and friends everywhere she turned. Until it all crashes Her father is arrested in the middle of the night, under investigation for fraud.

Bankrupt and facing foreclosure, Chloe must forgo her lavish summer plans as she and her mom are forced to move into one of the rundown apartments they still own, just outside Lexington, Kentucky. Without her riches, Chloe loses her friends, her comfort, her confidence, and her sense of self, unsure of who she is and if she is even worth anything if she nothing to offer.

To Chloe’s surprise, she bonds with her neighbors, Clint, Skye, James, and Natalia, and they introduce her to the side of Kentucky she’s long ignored. Her new friends are the only ones who see her for who she truly is, but will they stay by her side once they discover her family’s true identity, or will Chloe lose them, too?

In her signature captivating verse, Ellen Hagan encapsulates the hesitant joy of reshaping your identity and rediscovering yourself.

My Review

This is the third novel in verse by Ellen Hagan that I’ve read, and I always enjoy the way she captures emotion with her writing. Both RECKLESS, GLORIOUS GIRL and ALL THAT SHINES are set in Kentucky and touch on state pride and love. It’s so rich and deep that it doesn’t surprise me at all that the author is from there herself.

I loved the relationships in the book between Chloe and the other kids at the Limestone Apartments. I loved the way they pulled her into their family and the way they reacted to information about Chloe’s past. Chloe’s relationship with her mom also really touched me. It was so sweet watching them both figure out how to connect to themselves, each other, and their possible new community in this new life they were living.

The only thing that I struggled with was how quickly Chloe believed her dad was guilty and how his guilt seemed a foregone conclusion. I wasn’t sure if that was because she knew things and had put pieces together. She seemed to describe herself as feeling close to him but also a little afraid of him, so I expected her to wrestle more with whether he was truly at fault.

I ended up assuming that that part of the story was summarized so that we could move on to the bigger, more central parts of the book: Chloe’s personal reformation.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I think DON’T CALL ME A HURRICANE is probably still my favorite of the books I’ve read by Ellen Hagan, but I liked a lot of things about this book, too. Readers who enjoy novels in verse or stories about resilience and community should add this one to their reading lists.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Chloe is from a white, wealthy family. Minor characters are BIPOC and LGBTQ+.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Mentions of suicidal thoughts.

Drug Content
Chloe and her friends get drunk on champagne at her dad’s business celebration.

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 ALL THAT SHINES in exchange for my honest review.