Tag Archives: Humor

Review: Aisle Nine by Ian X. Cho

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,
Aisle Nine by Ian X. Cho

Aisle Nine
Ian X. Cho
HarperCollins
Published September 24, 2024

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About Aisle Nine

“It’s Black Friday—and the apocalypse is on sale!

Ever since the world filled with portals to hell and bloodthirsty demons started popping out on the reg, Jasper’s life has gotten worse and worse. A teenage nobody with no friends or family, he is plagued by the life he can’t remember and the person he’s sure he’s supposed to be.

Jasper spends his days working as a checkout clerk at the Here For You discount mart, where a hell portal in aisle nine means danger every shift. But at least here he can be near the girl he’s crushing on—Kyle Kuan, a junior member of the monster-fighting Vanguard—who seems to hate Jasper for reasons he can’t remember or understand.

But when Jasper and Kyle learn they both share a frightening vision of the impending apocalypse, they’re forced to team up and uncover the uncomfortable truth about the hell portals and the demons that haunt the world. Because the true monsters are not always what they seem, the past is not always what we wish, and like it or not, on Black Friday, all hell will break loose in aisle nine.

Perfect for fans of Grasshopper Jungle or The Last of Us comes Aisle Nine, the debut young adult novel from rising YA star lan X. Cho.

My Review

Reading a book about the apocalypse that’s weird and funny was a lot of fun. This isn’t the kind of book I’d normally find myself drawn to. The balance of humor and high-stakes drama of the apocalypse definitely had me intrigued.

Jasper’s amnesia made him an interesting character in that he continued to look for clues about his previous life. His nightmares about the portals, his relationship with Lara, the cat-who-is-not-a-cat, and his awkward connection to Kyle offer a lot of threads for him to unravel as the story progresses.

While some of the moments of tension resolve quickly, the story rockets Jasper into one dangerous situation after another. I found it easy to keep reading from one chapter to another. The book is also on the shorter side of young adult fantasy, at 260 pages.

I think readers who enjoy apocalyptic stories paired with humor, especially in the cast of goofy characters, will love this one. It reminds me of the end-of-the-world movies from the 90s.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Kyle’s parents are from Taiwan.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some f-bombs and profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Portals from the abyss have opened up at various points worldwide. These are often referred to as portals from hell, and the monsters that emerge are referred to as demons. Four powerful beings are referred to as the horsemen (a reference to the four horsemen of the apocalypse from the Bible.) Beyond the use of those names, there’s no real connection to Christian theology.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some scenes include graphic violence as monsters attack people and soldiers fight back. The monsters sometimes have an almost comical appearance. At other times, they more closely resemble nightmare material.

Drug Content
In one scene, a mercenary reports that soldiers are often required to take medication meant to combat narcolepsy when they work long shifts. Someone else takes it to stay awake while they work.

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: Pablo and Splash: Time-Traveling Penguins by Sheena Dempsey

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

Pablo and Splash: Time-Traveling Penguins
Sheena Dempsey
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published September 3, 2023

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About Pablo and Splash: Time-Traveling Penguins

Join time-traveling penguins Pablo and Splash on an unexpected adventure to the time of the dinosaurs in this hilarious full-color graphic novel, perfect for fans of Dog Man and InvestiGators.

Antarctic penguins Pablo and Splash are polar opposites and besties for life. Pablo is a home-bird and a careful planner. Splash is easily bored and hungry for adventure. Sick to her flippers of the harsh, freezing weather, Splash persuades Pablo to go on a beach vacation with her. When they accidentally find themselves in a scientist’s time machine, they end up on the beach….back in the age of dinosaurs! Can Pablo and Splash make their way home before they become dino snacks?

This full-color graphic novel is perfect for animal lovers, reluctant readers, and graphic novel fans!

My Review

This is a fun read. The story follows the duo Pablo (the practical, methodical penguin) and Splash (the creative dreamer) as they decide they need a vacation from the bitter cold of Antarctica. The character differences between the two penguins make for a lot of humorous moments and silliness that young readers will appreciate.

What could make a graphic novel about penguins even more fun? If you said dinosaurs, then this is the perfect book for you. Haha! What’s wild is that immediately when I saw this book, I thought of my nephew, who loves both penguins and dinosaurs and is going to think this is a hoot. So, weirdly, it’s not as niche a market as one might initially think.

Dino lovers will also appreciate that the dinosaur species are easily identifiable, and the story includes a bit of trivia about a few of the prehistoric animals that appear in the story. There are also a few facts about different prehistoric periods, with maps showing changes in land masses.

The book is about 220 pages, so it’s comparable to the length of the InvestiGators series books. Readers looking for a light, goofy graphic novel will get exactly that, with bonus science facts here and there.

This is definitely one I’ll keep around for the late elementary-aged readers in my life.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 7 to 10.

Representation
Main characters are a boy and girl penguin. There’s a female scientist who appears briefly.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. The penguins run from a scientist who appears to try to capture them. The capsule they hide in takes them on a journey with a destination of the sun, and they panic as the interior of the ship gets hotter and hotter before they’re able to change course.

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

Check out the weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: Life in Hyperspace by Chris Solaas

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, Parenting, Spirituality, , , , ,

Life in Hyperspace
Chris Solaas
CreateSpace
December 22, 2016

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About Life in Hyperspace

Spraypainting the cat? What was he thinking??

With four-year college degrees under our belts and a dab of training in Child Psychology, my wife and I thought we were ready for anything when it came to this parenting gig. We had no idea we would be outnumbered and outgunned. From diet to riot, meds to charts, we’ve tried it all, to train up our ADHD kids in the way they should grow.

From the Home School of Hard Knocks, our four ADHD kids have taught us more about coping and planning ahead than any four-year college degree could have, especially when it comes to understanding what goes on in the mind of a five-year-old in a Buzz Lightyear costume flying on a treadmill. To Infinity, and Beyond.

This is the chronicle of two adult ADHD parents and their four ADHD kids living in a loving madhouse with four neurotic cats and a snow-white bi-eyed monster dog that eats trees. Inside, you will find more laughs and maybe some help and advice for what to do with the ADHD kids in your own home, from someone who’s Been There, Done That.

My Review

Sometimes it’s really nice to listen to other parents talk about the difficulties they’ve faced as parents. It helps us feel less alone. Bonus when the stories are funny.

In this book, the stories about kids, pets, and marriage range from hilarious (using Mom’s face cream to decorate a gingerbread house) to frightening (a car accident with a helicopter ride to the hospital). Over and over, kids do the things that make sense to them in the moment. And well, sometimes moms and dads do that, too. The stories in the book generally feature laughs at the author’s expense. They clearly show his love for his kids (even in the midst of frustrating experiences).

I laughed out loud multiple times reading this book. By chapter four or so, Solaas really hit his stride, and the recurring jokes (free to an unsuspecting home) got funnier and funnier.

Mostly, this is a book of shared experiences. Occasionally, usually toward the end of the chapter, the author will pause and offer a bit of hard-earned wisdom. Sometimes, that’s a simple exhortation to pray for your kids. Sometimes, it’s to share other resources or family values that the author finds personally helpful, including faith-based alternatives to trick-or-treating on Halloween and resources to help the reader craft a family Bible reading time.

Conclusion

Families looking for faith-based parenting books that celebrate neurodiversity and engaging with kids as they are will find LIFE IN HYPERSPACE offers shared experiences and much-needed comfort and joy.

Content Notes for Life in Hyperspace

Recommended for Ages 18 up.

Representation
The author, his wife, and all four of his kids have ADHD.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
The author briefly encourages readers to pay attention to the people their kids date and lists some criteria he asked his kids to consider as they dated or considered marrying someone.

Spiritual Content
The book is written with a Christian worldview and encourages readers to pray and seek counsel from the Bible and other Christian sources.

Violent Content
As the author describes some tense situations with kids, he is candid about feeling angry with them. He references (but doesn’t describe) spanking them– not in anger, though.

At one point, the author briefly relates having had a house fire, some accidents around the house, and later a car accident that caused some serious injuries. There are a couple stories involving animals injured accidentally by a car.

Drug Content
The author’s brother jokingly tells him to drink whiskey to cope with caring for a teething baby.

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 LIFE IN HYPERSPACE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Diary of a Confused Feminist by Kate Weston

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

Diary of a Confused Feminist
Kate Weston
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published January 2, 2024

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About Diary of a Confused Feminist

Kat wants to do GOOD FEMINISM, although she’s not always sure what that means. She also wants to be a writer, get together with Hot Josh (is this a feminist ambition?), win at her coursework and not make a TOTAL EMBARRASSMENT of herself at all times.

But the path to true feminism is filled with mortifying incidents, and when everything at school starts to get a bit too much, Kat knows she’s lost her way, and the only way forward is to ask for help . . .

Join Kat, AKA the Confused Feminist, as she navigates EVERYTHING from menstrual cups and mental health to Instagram likes and #TimesUp in her HILARIOUS, OUTRAGEOUS, and VERY EMBARRASSING diary.

My Review

I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard at a book since FINDING AUDREY by Sophie Kinsella. Seriously, this absolutely cracked me up. Kat is full of frank questions and sometimes irreverent observations. Her exploration of what feminism means and how to be a feminist felt so genuine and organic. She asks a lot of reasonable questions about her body, her period, and sex in pretty straightforward, often funny, ways.

The book is written in diary entries, as the title suggests, and I loved that, too, because it made this a pretty quick read. The scenes are generally pretty short and there’s a fair amount of white space on the pages.

I also enjoyed Kat’s relationships with her parents and brother. It’s always funny reading parents in YA novels as an actual parent. I think I may more attention to those characters than I would have as a teen, and I definitely appreciate it when they read like fully developed characters and believable parents. In this book, they’re not perfect parents by any means, but it’s clear that despite Kat wanting her privacy and rolling her eyes plenty, she loves her family members and has good relationships with them.

Not only did I laugh an absolute ton reading this book, but I cried quite a bit, too. Kat wrestles with some hard things, and one scene in particular broke my heart for her. I think the combination of the humor and the heart make this an incredible story (and a debut! Amazing!) and one that a lot of readers are going to connect with.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Two characters describe difficult experiences with anxiety. One character is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently. Also uses some crude language for body parts.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two boys. A girl accidentally walks in on a couple having sex in a bathroom and describes their disorganized state of undress.

Spiritual Content
A couple of jokes about how God must be a man because women endure so many biological trials.

Violent Content
A girl at school bullies Kat and says some very harsh things to her. It’s pretty cruel and upsetting.

Drug Content
Kat and her friends attend two parties where teens drink. At the second one, Kat mentions there being a cloud of marijuana smoke.

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

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: Theo Tan and the Iron Fan by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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

Theo Tan and the Iron Fan (Theo Tan #2)
Jesse Q. Sutanto
Feiwel & Friends
Published June 27, 2023

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About Theo Tan and the Iron Fan

A Chinese American Boy and his snarky fox spirit face down demon kings as they race against time to be reunited with his brother’s spirit in Jesse Q. Sutanto’s magical, action-packed sequel to Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit.

Theo Tan and his fox spirit, Kai, are willing to go to hell and back for their family. Literally.

After exposing the corruption at Reapling Corporation and trapping the demon king Niu Mo Wang, they learn that Jamie (Theo’s beloved brother and Kai’s first human master) was not allowed to move on after death, and is now trapped in a waiting room in Diyu.

If they can reach his soul before it faces judgment on the solstice, they might be able to convince King Qingguang to send his soul back to earth! Still, a trip to Diyu is no easy matter, and Theo and Kai can’t do it alone. Fortunately, they have good friends who are happy to help.

But even with Namita’s knowledge and Danny’s powerful dragon familiar, the odds are stacked against them. Can Theo and Kai’s new bond hold up against lying demons with grudges, impatient Kings of Hell, and the wrath of the demon king’s powerful wife, Princess Iron Fan?

My Review

I’ve heard so much about Jesse Q. Sutanto, so I am really excited that I was finally able to read one of her books. Kai’s character is a lot of fun. She makes snarky comments under her breath or in her mind a lot of the time, sometimes even leaving them in footnotes that appear at the end of her chapters. I liked that though she is prickly and particular, she is also loyal to her friends and will do whatever it takes to protect them.

I also loved the scene in which Theo and Jamie first reunite. It was so easy to feel the connection between them as brothers and the pain of their separation.

So much happens in the book. It was a wild ride from start to finish and a lot of fun too. I think readers who enjoy goofy characters and stories about folklore and mythology will find a lot to love here. It reminded me a little bit of DRAGON WARRIOR by Katie Zhao, but the voice in THEO TAN AND THE IRON FAN is a little more upbeat and goofy than in that series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Theo and Danny are Chinese American. Namita is Indian American. Kai is a fox spirit.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently. Theo and his friends journey to hell (literally). Most uses of the word are in reference to the place.

Kai and Danny encounter a ruler of one court of hell who is badly constipated. They are tasked with providing medicine that will help him or else face torture.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Theo and his friends journey to hell to find and free his brother’s spirit. They encounter various spirits and demons, all of whom are bent on causing suffering to the souls who inhabit the various courts of hell. One character is a fox spirit who shares a bond with Theo. Another character is a dragon spirit who shares a bond with Danny.

Violent Content
Some scenes show souls (blue translucent shapes) being tortured by a fall down a mountain of knives or being ground on a giant millstone.

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 THEO TAN AND THE IRON FAN in exchange for my honest review.