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Monthly Wrap-Up: July 2017

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July 2017 Monthly Wrap-UpThe summertime always flies by, but July 2017 seemed like an especially busy month. My girl participated in a local theater production of The Lion King, which was loads of fun, and our fantastic new contributor, Gabrielle, posted her first review, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber.

In other big news, a new little reader will be joining my family this winter. Yep. In about five more months, my girl, who has been a solo kid her whole life, will become a big sister. We’re all excited and busy busy with the changes it will bring to our family.

Unfortunately, that means slowing down my blogging a little bit. If you’ve been to the review request pages, you’ve probably already noticed I’m not accepting new review requests at this time. I’ve got plenty of books to keep me busy through the fall, so I’ll continue to post reviews, but I don’t feel comfortable making commitments to authors and publishers when I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep them.

Had your own busy summer schedule? Here are the books you may have missed. Check them out and see if you can’t squeeze in a few more summer reading titles!

July 2017 Middle Grade and Young Adult Book Reviews

Frog Princess Returns by E. D. Baker

Review | Amazon | Goodread

Emma’s back to save her kingdom from another unknown threat. A quick, fun read, perfect for summer.

The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Gabrielle calls this book a bold approach to heavy topics and unique in its plot. As a Mary Weber fan myself, I’m excited to have this one on my own reading list.

Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Loved the imaginative storyworld and the sailing elements of this story. Caro had me from the getgo, and I could not wait to see how the situation with her secret cargo played out. One of my favorite summer reads so far.

Day Moon by Brett Armstrong

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Another unusual read. I liked the sci-fi elements and the use of Shakespeare (the first of two novels I read this month which used clues from Shakespeare to solve a mystery) as clues Elliot’s grandfather left him.

 

Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I’d been waiting for this book for a whole year, and I was not disappointed in any aspect of it. The full cast of characters from Ink and Bone return to fight against the powerful Library. I couldn’t stop turning pages, and I already can’t wait for the next installment!

The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

The writing in this book was so good I could have eaten it with a spoon. I loved the protagonist and the way the author created a mystery around the works of Shakespeare.

Murder, Magic, and What We Wore by Kelly Jones

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Gabrielle gave this book 5 out of 5 stars, so you know it’s got to be good. I’m a huge sucker for blends of historical and magic or fantasy, so this sounds like a win to me, too!

What Goes Up by Katie Kennedy

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Funniest book I’ve read this summer, easily. I enjoyed the quirky dialogue and fun characters. Enough science to satisfy, plenty of humor to entertain.

The Song From Somewhere Else by A. F. Harrold

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Probably the most unexpected story I’ve read this summer. Reminded me a little bit of Roald Dahl in its dark-ish feel and fantastic, unusual characters.

We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

If you’re a fan of Ellen Hopkins, you definitely want to check out this book. It’s angsty and packed with emotion, forbidden love, and social issues.

What have you been reading?

How’s your summer reading going? Read anything awesome? Leave me a comment! I’d love to know.

Review: What Goes Up by Katie Kennedy

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What Goes Up
Katie Kennedy
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published July 18, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About What Goes Up
Rosa and Eddie are among hundreds of teens applying to NASA’s mysterious Multi-World Agency. After rounds of crazy-competitive testing they are appointed to Team 3, along with an alternate, just in case Eddie screws up (as everyone expects he will). What they don’t expect is that aliens will arrive from another dimension, and look just like us. And no one could even imagine that Team 3 would be the only hope of saving our world from their Earth-destroying plans. The teens steal the spacecraft (it would be great if they knew how to fly it) and head to Earth2, where the aliens’ world and people are just like ours. With a few notable exceptions.

There, the teens will find more than their alternate selves: they’ll face existential questions and high-stakes adventure, with comedy that’s out of this world.

My Review
I definitely enjoyed the constant jokes and comedy between the characters. It created this deep sense of camaraderie in the group and kept the story from getting too bogged down by all of the scientific details. I liked the juxtaposition of the serious crisis and the comedic moments.

The point-of-view alternates between Eddie and Rosa, who at first don’t have great impressions of each other. It’s not long before they come to respect, admire and come to need each other. I liked the chemistry between Rosa, Eddie, and Trevor. They made a great team and balanced each other well.

What Goes Up was a quick read for me. Every time I sat down to read just a few pages, I’d fly through chapter after chapter, always wondering what the teams would face next. There’s enough science to keep sci-fi fans flipping pages and enough great dialogue to keep fans of more character-driven stories well-satisfied. Totally a fun summer read.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Rosa is Asian and Trevor is black. At one point Trevor wonders whether his alternate self is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
At one point Rosa needs help getting to town for supplies to manage her period. She’s embarrassed, but doesn’t give any real details about her situation. Brief kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A group of boys try to throw Rosa down the stairs. Eddie is nearly injured when a bomb goes off. A couple of skirmishes between Eddie’s team and alternate Earth guys bent on destroying Earth. Nothing graphically violent.

Drug Content
Eddie gets very drunk after a conflict with a family member and the leadership of the program he’s in.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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