Tag Archives: siblings

Review: The Mostly Invisible Boy by AJ Vanderhorst

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,
Mostly Invisible Boy by AJ Vanderhorst

The Mostly Invisible Boy (Casey Grimes #1)
AJ Vanderhorst
INtense Publications
Published April 25, 2020

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About The Mostly Invisible Boy

Eleven-year-old Casey Grimes is invisible. Really. When he leaves suburbia and infiltrates a secret forest society, he can finally be seen—but Sylvan Woods hates outsiders as much as it loves killing monsters. As Butcher Beasts invade, his flimsy cover story falls apart, and courage is his only chance to belong.

My Review

My favorite thing about this book was the relationship between Casey and his sister, Gloria. The story definitely paints Gloria as an unrealistic character. She’s a young child and she’s hardly ever rattled, always loves others, has complete confidence in her older brother. However, I think because there are so many other dark things happening in the book, I didn’t mind that so much.

I thought the world of the Sylvan Woods was pretty enchanting and unusual, though I was a little confused at times. Why did Gloria already know the names of the creatures? Who explained everything to his parents, or did they already know? Why was Casey invisible at the beginning of the story? I felt like there were some things that got left unanswered.

On the whole, though, I really enjoyed the relationships between Luci and Casey and Gloria. They exchanged some fun banter and had lots of wacky adventures. The story entertains from the first page to the last.

I think fans of books by Lemony Snicket will enjoy the bizarre situations and reality juxtaposed with unreality as well as the almost caricature-like minor characters. It’s the kind of story my daughter and I would have enjoyed reading aloud when she was in fourth grade.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Casey and his family are white. Three of the Sylvans they meet are described as having brown/bronze skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Contains some magic and creatures of fantasy. Casey is literally invisible at the start of the story. Butcher Beasts, like giant wasps, seek to destroy the Sylvans.

Violent Content
Some situations of peril. Casey nearly falls out of a tree. Monsters chase him and Gloria through the woods and attack them in two different scenes.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of MOSTLY INVISIBLE BOY in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Again Again by E. Lockhart

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

Again Again
E. Lockhart
Delacorte Press
Published June 2, 2020

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About Again Again

In this novel full of surprises from the New York Times bestselling author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud, E. Lockhart ups the ante with an inventive and romantic story about human connection, forgiveness, self-discovery, and possibility.

If you could live your life again, what would you do differently?

After a near-fatal family catastrophe and an unexpected romantic upheaval, Adelaide Buchwald finds herself catapulted into a summer of wild possibility, during which she will fall in and out of love a thousand times—while finally confronting the secrets she keeps, her ideas about love, and the weird grandiosity of the human mind.

A raw, funny story that will surprise you over and over, Again Again gives us an indelible heroine grappling with the terrible and wonderful problem of loving other people.

My Review

It took me a little bit to get my footing with this book. Basically, as a scene unfolds, there are other possible outcomes that appear in bold (at least, they’re bold in the ARC). So you read a scene as it plays out several different possible ways. Then the text goes back to normal and you read on.

At first, I found it a little confusing. In a way, that made the story reflect Adelaide herself– because she’s definitely confused and kind of going in circles at the beginning of the story.

The more I read, the more I liked the style of storytelling and the characters in the book. I especially liked Adelaide’s relationship with her brother, Toby. It felt so raw and aching and yet like there was so much potential for joy there. The way they spoke about their parents felt so real in terms of sibling relationships.

I feel like AGAIN AGAIN delivered a thing that drew me to E. Lockhart’s writing in the first place (She also wrote WE WERE LIARS, which I LOVED!). It’s like she has this uncanny ability to peel back the outer layers and cut straight to the core of emotions and grief and sort of reinvent the experience of reading a book. I wouldn’t want every book to be told in this way, but I feel like it really worked for this particular book with this particular family. All in all, I am so glad I read it, and would definitely recommend it to others.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Adelaide’s roommate is a lesbian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used a couple dozen times or so throughout the book.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Reference to sex and nudity.

Spiritual Content
Some reference to a higher power.

Violent Content
A girl gets bitten on her wrist pretty severely by a Pitbull.

Drug Content
Adelaide and Toby’s parents are pretty permissive about teens drinking alcohol. One character develops an addiction to opiates and then heroin. One scene describes finding out a person has overdosed on heroin.

Note: I received a free copy of AGAIN AGAIN in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: The Eye of Ra by Ben Gartner

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

The Eye of Ra
Ben Gartner
Crescent Vista Press
Published February 1, 2020

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About The Eye of Ra

Exploring a mysterious cave in the mountains behind their house, John and his sister Sarah are shocked to discover they’ve time traveled to ancient Egypt!

Now they must work together to find a way back home from an ancient civilization of golden desert sand and a towering new pyramid, without parents to save them. The adventures abound—cobras, scorpions, a tomb robber, and more! The two kids have to trust each other, make friends who can help, and survive the challenges thrown at them . . . or be stuck in ancient Egypt forever.

For readers graduating from the Magic Treehouse series and ready for intense action, dive into this middle grade novel rich with meticulous historical detail.

My Review

I feel like books about time travel to ancient civilizations are really nostalgic for me because I used to really love a movie like that when I was little, so I was excited to read THE EYE OF RA for that reason.

It’s a cute story– brother and sister with really different personalities find themselves tossed into life in ancient Egypt and trying to figure out how to get home. I liked that Sarah is the adventurous one and John is the more structured, introverted one. I feel like lots of stories would have had those personalities reversed, so I thought it was kind of fun to see it this way.

Disclaimer: I know very little about ancient Egypt and the construction of the pyramids, so I can’t really speak to the historical accuracy there. I did find it a little odd that the characters from ancient Egypt still spoke in a modern way and the relationship between the husband and wife as well as between the parents and children was very modern. That part of it felt a little more like a Fred Flintstone version of ancient life, if that makes sense?

I thought it was cool that John and Sarah meet someone in ancient Egypt who face one of the same difficulties they face (moving far away) and that it made them consider elements of the move that they hadn’t considered before.

The ending seemed a little abrupt to me. I would have liked the kids to have been more actively involved in solving the mystery. At the start, they’re very much taking ownership of locating the thief and solving the crime, and I liked that– I wanted that energy to continue through the end of the book.

Overall, I thought it was a fun read that would be enjoyable for middle elementary school readers, like maybe third to fifth grade.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 10.

Representation
Sarah and John are white and the other kids are Egyptian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to a kiss between Sarah and a boy.

Spiritual Content
References to Egyptian mythology – the god Ra and others.

Violent Content
Some situations of peril.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE EYE OF RA in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Slug Queen Chronicles by S. O. Thomas

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

The Slug Queen Chronicles
S. O. Thomas
Published April 2, 2020

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About The Slug Queen Chronicles

She never believed in fairies… until one set its sights on her little brother. Now, she must risk everything to get him back.

On her twelfth birthday, Cricket Kane uncovers a chilling secret–tooth fairies have stopped collecting single teeth and have resorted to kidnapping children instead. When her brother is taken, the fairy leaves a changeling and a toxic black dust in his place. The dust soon infects the rest of her family, but to her surprise, she’s immune!

With the guidance of a mysterious cat, Cricket follows the fairy to a magical land where legendary creatures are real. When Santa himself takes her under his wing, Cricket learns she’s the only one who can harness the power of the dust to rescue her brother and the other missing children. But doing so might cost her life.

Can she summon the courage and strength to save her family and herself?

Find out now in this middle-grade fantasy for fans of Nevermoor and The Land of Stories!



My Review

One of the things I like about THE SLUG QUEEN CHRONICLES is that it features a blended family. Cricket’s dad has remarried and he and Cricket’s stepmom have just had a baby. Cricket talks a little bit about that adjustment, but more from the practical side and not much in terms of deep emotional processing. I liked seeing that representation in literature.

I also really like Cricket’s character. She’s loyal, determined, and smart. I found it easy to root for her on her quest to save her brother.

The story is pretty action-oriented. Things happen quickly, new complications rising in every episode or chapter. The cast of characters is a bit large, but they’re introduced more slowly, which helps make it easier to keep track of them all.

I think readers who enjoy dark fantasy, like SHADOW MAGIC by Joshua Khan will enjoy this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Cricket is black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The story contains magical creatures and fairy bargains– such as trading something you want for something you need. Not all humans can sense magic or see fairies. Cricket is special in these abilities.

Violent Content
Some situations of peril. Cricket has to eat or drink gross-looking or -smelling things. Some of the creatures are scary. An old woman gets hit on the head and collapses.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE SLUG QUEEN CHRONICLES in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Queen Bee and Me by Gillian McDunn

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

The Queen Bee and Me
Gillian McDunn
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published March 3, 2020

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About The Queen Bee and Me

Meg has been friends with confident, self-assured Beatrix since kindergarten. She’s always found comfort in Beatrix’s shadow—even their families call them Beatrix-and-Meg. But middle school has brought some changes in Beatrix, especially when Meg tries to step outside her role as sidekick. Upsetting Beatrix means risking The Freeze—or worse.

Meg gets into a special science elective and wants to take the class, no matter what Beatrix thinks. But when quirky new girl Hazel becomes Meg’s science partner, Beatrix sets her sights on Hazel. At first, Meg is taken aback at how mean Beatrix can be—and how difficult it is to stand up to her friend. But as Meg gets to know Hazel while working on their backyard beehive project, she starts to wonder: What’s it really like to be the Queen Bee? And more importantly: Is being Beatrix’s friend worth turning down the possibility of finding her own voice?

My Review

You know how some books have really great layering, where there are things happening between the adults that sort of bleed over into what’s happening with the kids, but the kids don’t always 100% get what’s happening between the adults?

I thought THE QUEEN BEE AND ME showed that kind of layering really well. Meg recognizes some of the pressure and manipulation in the way Beatrix treats her as being the way Beatrix’s mom speaks to others and wonders if Beatrix realizes she’s even copying that way.

Another thing that I really liked was that the message in the story wasn’t, “Beatrix is a bad friend, Meg just needs a new, better friend.” Instead, she has an opportunity to have a new friend, but that doesn’t fix all of what’s become so toxic in her relationship with Beatrix. Meg needs to learn to change how she behaves, not just change who she hangs out with. And I felt like that was a critically important, deeply insightful lesson.

As a mom with kids where there’s a huge age gap, I really appreciated this positive portrayal of a family with a big age gap between kids. I also thought Meg’s relationship with her mom felt very realistic and complex– definitely captured some of the kinds of struggles that can happen between parents and middle school kids.

If you can’t tell, I simply loved this book. I wish I could go back in time and give myself this book in late elementary school. THE QUEEN BEE AND ME is perfect for fans of books by Kate Messner or THE LIST by Patricia Forde.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white. Meg deals with anxiety and specifically a fear of bees that can result in her fainting.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None. There are a few instances of verbal manipulation and verbal bullying.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE QUEEN BEE AND ME in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Fire in the Star by Kamilla Benko

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

Fire in the Star (The Unicorn Quest #3)
Kamilla Benko
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published February 18, 2020

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About Fire in the Star

After a lifetime of being the younger sister–of letting Sophie fight her battles, of following her on countless Experiences and through a fireplace into a magical land–it’s finally Claire Martinson’s turn to lead. And she’ll do anything to keep her big sister safe: resist the wraiths’ cold shadows, experiment with new and dangerous magic, become a thief in disguise.

When Claire discovers that “only a queen can defeat a queen,” she knows she must steal and reforge the ancient Crown of Arden to stand a chance against the darkness that threatens the world and her family. Because Queen Estelle d’Astora, desperate to reclaim her power, will stop at nothing to gain the support of the four guilds–even if it means killing the last unicorn. Claire will need every friend she’s made to help her as the fate of Arden hangs in the balance . . . But the secrets of the unicorns are deeper than anyone could have ever imagined. Does Claire have what it takes to ignite the long-buried magic of this world and wake the fire in the stars? Or will the true salvation of Arden rest on one final and heartbreaking sacrifice?

My Review

What a finale! I love sister books, so this series has been lots of fun to read. I love that it’s the little sister who’s the star of the books, too. I really enjoyed watching Claire find her gifts and her confidence and her place in the world.

FIRE IN THE STAR brings together a lot of characters from the earlier books, but it’s pretty easy to keep track of everyone as the story kind of refreshes you on who’s who as you read.

I also really loved that in the story, Claire and her allies all need each other, need to work together to save Arden. It meant learning to value one another, trust each other, put aside past grievances, and find a way to work together. Definitely a feel-good story in that sense.

This has been one of my favorite middle grade series, and I really can’t wait to see what Kamilla Benko writes next. She’s an author I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to any middle or late elementary school-aged readers.

If you like books by Jessica Day George, you really need to check out The Unicorn Quest series.

Here is my review of the first book in the series, THE UNICORN QUEST.

Here’s my review of the second book in the series, THE SECRET IN THE STONE.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 up.

Representation
Claire and her family are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity. The characters sometimes use made up curses like “slug soot”.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between a boy and girl and references to a crush between them.

Spiritual Content
A unicorn healed Sophie and saved her life with its magic in the first book in this series, and that moment is referenced in this one, too. Other characters have magical abilities as well. Claire learns to make gems glow with her magic. Other characters can manipulate plants or metals. Deep shadows called wraiths chase the girls and their allies, trying to stop them. Sensitive readers may be frightened by descriptions of the wraiths… they’re a little bit like the Dementors in Harry Potter maybe? Not quite as scary as that.

Violent Content
Some brief descriptions of battle violence and situations of peril.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of FIRE IN THE STAR in exchange for my honest review.