Tag Archives: games

MMGM Review: The Big Bad Wolf Murder by P. G. Bell

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The Big Bad Wolf Murder by P. G. Bell

The Big Bad Wolf Murder
P. G. Bell
Feiwel & Friends
Published January 20, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Big Bad Wolf Murder

A girl accused of killing a famous wolf must solve his murder while on the run, in this twist on Little Red Riding Hood!

At twelve years old, Ruby Calvino is the youngest human player in the Tooth & Claw championships. It’s her fast legs and even faster mind that leaves her as the last player left during the final game, and she’s ready to claim victory. But when the undefeated Alarick— the wolf player hunting her— is finally upon her, he…drops dead?

With poison found in Ruby’s bag, all fingers (and paws!) point to her. Desperate to prove her innocence, she teams up with a young wolf accused of helping her commit the crime. But figuring out who killed Alarick certainly won’t be easy while on the run from cops and another vicious wolf.

Luckily, Ruby’s Tooth & Claw training just might come in handy!

My Review

This is the first I’ve read of P. G. Bell’s books, but I will absolutely read more. I loved this mystery-laced twist on Little Red Riding Hood and the game the characters compete in during the book. The Tooth & Claw Championship is a little bit like capture the flag. One team’s goal is to cross the field without being captured and to raise their flags, while the other team (made up of anthropomorphic wolves) wins by capturing all players. Alarick’s murder interrupts Ruby’s team’s potential championship win.

The elements of the championship and the game were easy to understand and very well integrated into the story. In order to track down Alarick’s murderer, Ruby even had to use some of her best Tooth & Claw moves. I also enjoyed Ruby and Fillan as a team. They have very different backgrounds and personalities, and it takes them some time to learn to trust one another. Once they do, though, they make a powerful team.

At 224 pages, this fast-paced story is easy to read. Give this to readers who enjoyed The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter or who enjoy stories where fantasy and sports themes or mysteries intersect.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Ruby witnesses a wolf dying from poisoning. A wolf bites a girl in an attempted robbery. A wolf hunts Ruby and Fillan, clearly intending to kill them. Ruby and Fillan face other potentially fatal threats.

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.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

Review: Ready or Not by Andi Porretta

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Ready or Not
Andi Porretta
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published July 2, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Ready or Not

An anxious teen hopes that a summer of adventure and offbeat dares will keep her friend group together after graduation in this luminous coming-of-age graphic novel with the feel-good vibes of Booksmart and Morgan Matson’s Since You’ve Been Gone.

With senior year finally behind them, Cassie and her three best friends are on their way to what’s next. Like their parents, the crew has always been there’s Marcy, the artist, for whom style is self-expression and sarcasm is a love language; Aaron, the future lawyer, whose good humor balances out his competitive streak; Nico, the musician, whose flirtatiousness, obliviousness, and recent interest in a rising senior are becoming increasingly unbearable to Cassie; and of course, Cassie herself, the only one who doesn’t have her future all figured out.

This summer is their last chance to make memories together in New York City before everyone but Cassie scatters across the globe for college—and she’s determined to make the most of it. Her plan? They’ll spend August playing the game of dares and risks they invented as kids! From adventurous to outrageous, these dares will definitely make for an unforgettable summer. Even better, Cassie is hopeful they’ll help the group stay friends no matter what…because she is not ready for a future without them.

My Review

The tricky thing about this book is that it centers around four friends, who all appear in the opening pages. Because they appear before we learn their names, I found it a little hard to keep track of who was who. One of the things I really like, though, is that each character’s speech bubbles appear in a different color, which helps readers track who’s speaking even when they’re not on the page. (A lot of conversations happen via text message.)

Once the group agrees to play the game they call Risky Slips, the story starts to move more quickly, and I felt more connected to the characters. The four of them invented the game as kids. It involves tearing up a kids’ menu from the diner where Cass works. They each write dares on the slips of paper and put them into a cup. One by one, they draw a slip of paper with a dare on it. Then they have 24 hours to complete the dare or they’re out of the game.

It really energizes the group and gives them something to look forward to each day. This helps them celebrate the bond of their friendship and helps Cass push off her anxiety about the fall for a bit longer.

I enjoyed the connections between the characters. There are some great scenes that really show when someone feels hurt, and it goes unnoticed by the other person or there’s a miscommunication. The staging (if I can call it that) of the scenes is nicely done.

All in all, Ready or Not is a fun summer read, perfect for a sunny afternoon by the pool or at the beach.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Cass and her friends are a diverse group.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs. Some strong profanity used somewhat infrequently.

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

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A girl slaps another girl across the face. A boy punches another boy. A girl says some cruel things to another girl. Someone steals a sign from a neighbor’s yard.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol. Brief reference to smoking.

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: Finale by Stephanie Garber

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Finale (Caraval #3)
Stephanie Garber
Flatiron Books
May 7, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Book Depository

About FINALE

A love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.

It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist.

With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win, and those who will lose everything.

Welcome, welcome to Finale. All games must come to an end…

My Review

I’m not gonna lie, when I first read CARAVAL, I wasn’t sure I would actually finish this series. I liked the book a lot. The story world was amazing and different. I liked the game elements. I liked that Scarlett did so many things to protect her sister and learned to risk loving someone.

But I wasn’t sure I would like Tella, the girl who wasn’t interested in anything serious and seemed so shallow. Then I read LEGENDARY and actually, I think I grew to like Tella more than Scarlett! Oops.

So reading FINALE, sometimes I wanted to rush through Scarlett’s scenes and get back to what was happening with Tella because omg was she actually going to figure out how to win Legend’s heart or what?! The suspense was intense. Ha.

I read a review of FINALE awhile ago that kind of made me wonder if I’d enjoy it. The reviewer said that there really wasn’t much in the way of the game and that it was really more of a love story. I can see why she said that. I liked the battle between the Fates and the sisters and all the things Tella goes through to try to figure out how to actually kill an immortal being.

Some of the story got a bit dark. Some things the Fates would do were kind of creepy. I guess the series as a whole has had an edge of darkness to it, so maybe this won’t surprise you if you’re familiar with the earlier books.

On the whole, I enjoyed reading FINALE so much. I had a lot of trouble sleeping the nights I was reading it, so actually, it was nice to have something so captivating to read while I was awake.

If you’re looking for a twisty, realistic fantasy romance, I recommend this trilogy. You definitely want to read them in order, though. Check out my reviews of CARAVAL and LEGENDARY for more of my thoughts on the books.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Julian and Dante have bronze/brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between girl and boy. At one point, a girl and boy go to bed together, meaning to have sex, but he stops before they’re even undressed.

Spiritual Content
Powerful immortal beings called Fates have escaped their prisons and now fight for power. If they rule, they’ll punish humans pretty severely. Legend has his own magic and seeks to use it to conquer the Fates. The only way to kill them is to make them mortal. And the only way to do that is to make them fall in love.

Violent Content
Some of the Fates do pretty ugly/horrible things. One sews the mouths of her victims closed. Another forces them to drink poison which turns them to stone. One ties their limbs to ropes, turning them into human marionettes.

Drug Content 
Some scenes show characters drinking alcohol.

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