**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Racism Score: Five out of ten.
It was okay. The social media hashtag ideas feel like virtue signa**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Racism Score: Five out of ten.
It was okay. The social media hashtag ideas feel like virtue signalling, though....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Racism, bullying, physical assault and injury in the past mentioned, sex**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Racism, bullying, physical assault and injury in the past mentioned, sexual harassment Score: Five out of ten.
Timid by Jonathan Todd could’ve been better. But it was disappointing. This one wasn’t it. A person aged 15 might find it hard to enjoy this one. I only heard of this illustrated novel a few days ago but it felt underwhelming when I finished it. I should’ve avoided it because of the low ratings.
It starts with Cecil Hall, a Black American boy, moving from Florida to Boston in 1988 in the opening pages, where he stays for the rest of the narrative. Other than Cecil adjusting to his new life while he draws, as it’s his passion, there isn’t much plot to Todd’s creation. I enjoyed some parts of Timid but not others.
The art was mostly pleasing to look at except for the character design for Cecil, who looks more like a man aged 30 or 40 than a boy aged 12. Cecil’s family encourage him to make friends with Black people only, else people would label him an Oreo, meaning Black on the outside but white on the inside. No one in his family wants him to befriend white people even though his school is a PWI.
Cecil ignores that advice and befriends white people anyway but predictably they are not what they seem as first glance as some scenes depict them as not having the kindest intentions. The pacing, at 260 pages, feels slow with filler content in the form of side plots. Removing those could help. There’s one scene where Ruth touches his hair, but why would she do that?
There were a lot of side characters, with Cecil and Ruth only getting minor character development. Cecil learns to stand up for himself whereas Ruth is more careful with her actions. Making character development stronger, adding new character dynamics and removing side characters could improve Timid.
There was only one Asian character but there wasn't a character dynamic involving her as there were only ones involving Black and white people and not others. The conclusion is okay.
Also, Black isn't capitalised when discussing race on the blurb and author’s note. Perhaps it was to comply with Australian English....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, physical assault and injury, xenophobia, animal **spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, physical assault and injury, xenophobia, animal abuse Score: Seven out of ten.
This one was intriguing. I only saw The Monster and the Maze, the first instalment in an illustrated novel series, a few days ago on a library shelf and wanted to read it after picking it up. The ratings were high but it was so obscure no one I knew read it yet. However, when I closed the final page, it was enjoyable.
Maple Lam's creation starts with Sun Wukong arriving in a place with other monkeys in the opening pages. He is the Monkey King as seen in the prophecies in the narrative, and fortunately the central storyline doesn't lose steam from there. Lam executed the worldbuilding well with a scene detailing how deities, humans and beasts were at peace until a war ruined everything, which explains why they are so distant now. Wukong wants and tries to become a deity but he fails. I like the message where it says people can change, and the tone is surprisingly hilarious. Mostly. The mood can get more sombre when it talks about topics like exclusion, though.
The humour sometimes involves subversion of expectations and dialogue, which I enjoyed as much as reading most of the characters. I liked Wukong the most since he experienced character development, but I hope Lam doesn't erase that and force him to start again in the following instalment, unlike some authors. The art is okay, with a full colour palette and the eyes being simplistic, with them either being lines or dots. I didn't think the combination of Chinese and Greek mythology would work, but it did. The time Wukong escaped death seems believable when I think about it.
It's an intriguing take to turn the Minotaur into a false antagonist. Lam uses this opportunity to have a conversation between him and Wukong about how he was only a neglected child and not a monster as people say. Not even the supposed Greek villain was the antagonist, no, an evil spirit controlled him. Everything is unexpected here. Did I mention that spirit started the war? The concluding pages were fast-paced with action scenes, the protagonist's victory and a heartstopping finish....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten.
What in the world was this? I only got the illustrated adaptation of **spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten.
What in the world was this? I only got the illustrated adaptation of Alice in Wonderland a few days ago and picked it up, hoping it would be enjoyable. The blurb looked intriguing and I headed in with high expectations until I checked the low ratings. When I closed the final page, I found it only okay and not like the original version.
Russell Punter's adaptation, illustrated by Simona Bursi, starts with Alice (whose last name remains undisclosed) sitting in a park reading a book in the opening pages, when she sees a rabbit wearing a watch and chases it. She soon falls down a rabbit hole and ends up in a room she wants to escape from, but first she has to deal with enlarging and shrinking foods. Let's dissect each aspect of the illustrated adaptation. First, the art. The illustrations are okay, with a pastel full colour palette, but it doesn't push the envelope. There's already a lot of illustrated novels with the same design language. I want something different for once. Perhaps more striking colour choices would do.
The characters aren't that easy to connect or relate to, but adding more depth could make me empathise with them more. Some of the pages are full of words. You heard that right. Words. I remember reading one page that has a poem only using words. That defeats the entire purpose of an illustrated novel, since 90% of it is illustrations, but there are some pages where there is only prose. What's the point of that? Using more pictures than words could resolve that problem. The pacing is enough to keep the central storyline going, as it barely lasts over 100 pages. The plot itself is absurd and barely believable, but I can understand why it is that way, as I saw characters from the original like the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter. Perhaps Punter wanted to stay close and not change anything too much, which explains that. The concluding pages are only okay, but at least they are faithful as Alice realises it was all a dream and I leave Wonderland....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Six out of ten.
It was okay, but it reminded me of other books, so it's not that origi**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Six out of ten.
It was okay, but it reminded me of other books, so it's not that original....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Near-death experience in a body of water, racism, internalised racism, b**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Near-death experience in a body of water, racism, internalised racism, bullying, physical injury Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Mabuhay by Zachary Sterling is like what happens when a novel combines two entirely different concepts barely linked and fails. I only saw it a few days ago on a library display shelf and I wanted to read it since I remember the algorithm recommending it. However, when I closed the final page, it could've been better.
It starts with JJ and Althea Bulan who have to work for their family's food truck, The Beautiful Pig, while also dealing with school, which is harder for them given they are both Filipino American in the opening pages. The institution is privileged, even though it's majority POC, since it has a gym and a pool (a rare sight.) Why did a literal pool monster try to kill Althea though? If it weren't for JJ, she would've been done for.
Other than that, not much happens in the first half except for nightmares about mythical creatures, which soon play a critical role later. JJ and Althea have a lot to deal with, like racist bullying, family expectations and, most prominently, victim blaming from the school. I felt sympathetic for them as they had to take it all in, but it gets worse when I saw a scene where the characters want to assimilate into American culture and forget Filipino culture, a sign of internalised racism.
Instead of getting help, they resolved their issues themselves and a minor antagonist, a white girl, redeemed herself, which I found unrealistic as she didn't receive any consequences. Sterling could've made Mabuhay either a realistic narrative about Filipinos or an epic based on Filipino mythology. What I got was elements of both, putting Mabuhay in the magical realism category, but I would've preferred if it stuck to one genre. The characters are likable and I know some people can relate to them and they developed when they appreciated their heritage and got magical abilities. I would've liked them more if Sterling focused less on fantasy and more on their roots, as I only got a brief glimpse.
The second half picks up the pace as the tension builds, with JJ and Althea's parents turn out to be magical beings who can summon figures from mythology, but how do the non-magic humans not notice this, I have no idea. Sterling based this world on mythology, and answers why some people have magic, since the world was full of magic people but eventually society moved on and forgot about them. That is until a serpent arrives and only the magic people can stop it, which they do, creating a heartwarming conclusion.
Addendum: What does it mean by first generation? Does it mean JJ and Althea were born in the Philippines and not America? The font is hard to read....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Well t**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Well that was absurd. I didn't have much choice except to read Your Pal Fred by Michael Rex, an illustrated novel no one I knew has read yet. The premise based on the blurb information seemed intriguing, but the ratings were low, so I lowered my expectations. When I closed the final page, it could've been improved.
It starts with a prologue where I see the world far in the future, and what happened to it? It looks like a post-apocalyptic dystopia where the surviving people still fight in the opening pages. Two minor characters accidentally turn on a robot called Fred, and his sole attribute is his unrelenting kindness. Other than that though, there's not much to him. It's difficult to tell who is a human and who is a robot at times, since they look so similar. Is Fred a powerful AI? Perhaps that's the reason he can act like a human (and he can already pass as one.) It also appears robots and people can coexist. Well that's a relief.
The worldbuilding leaves some questions, like where am I? Am I in America, and is the rest of the world this messed up or is it only that country? There could be other remnants of humanity or robot communities that survived since they didn't battle each other at every opportunity. How was Fred made and why? Fred was off for a while, so how could he store power for so long someone could turn him on? How long can he live? Unfortunately, aspects like those remain unexplored. Fred can take a lot of punishment, like when lightning struck him and then a giant mechanical boot kicked him, and he survived.
The focus here is not on the world, but on Fred, meaning it's character driven. All I got to see was Fred creating character dynamics, most prominently, an unnamed worker robot (whom he names Yummy) and even the two antagonists, Papa Mayhem and Lord Bonkers, but I disconnected from that. Adding depth and expanding the world could improve the reading experience, though. At least the art was pleasing to look at. The conclusion feels more sappy than heartwarming as after Fred's speech, the war is over and the two faction leaders (who are brothers) reunite, but it's too sweet for my liking....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Biracial (half Black and half Asian,) Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Fire Score: Five out of ten. Find th**spoiler alert** Representation: Biracial (half Black and half Asian,) Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Fire Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I didn't have much choice except to read Lost Time by Tas Mukanik. This novel was so obscure I didn't hear of it, but the fact it was an illustrated novel was all I knew about it. The ratings were low so I lowered my expectations, and even though it still looked promising, it was rife with issues when I closed the final page.
It starts with Evie (whose last name remains undisclosed) somehow arriving on a version of Earth set 65 million years ago. How does this happen, I have no idea. The world may seem all natural in the opening pages, with some dinosaurs interspersed here and there, except for a few human-made buildings scattered across the planet which didn't add to the immersion. The only enjoyable aspect is the art, which seems to have come from the author and illustrator herself.
There aren't many human characters as I only saw four, and the most frustrating aspect is the worldbuilding, as I got no answers. Zero. From what I've learned, Evie got into a time machine that sent her 65 million years into the past, but the time machine has so much potential Mukanik missed. What is its limits? If it can send someone 65 million years in the past, can they get sent to the formation of the Earth, or even the Big Bang? What about the future? If a meteor were to strike Earth, would it kill everything and everyone, including the human characters like Evie? What time did they come from? The early 2020s or sometime in the near or far future where time travelling is possible?
Those questions remain unanswered. The characters are likable but difficult to relate with, but expanding on them and the narrative itself would improve the reading experience. The only dynamic I got is with Evie and her parents and Evie and her companion, Ada (not a human, a pterosaur.) If Lost Time is a standalone, it would be disheartening to leave the storyline like this, but if this turns into a series, then I would raise my hopes. I hope the latter happens. At least the conclusion is heartwarming with Evie finding other humans, but I lost time reading Lost Time....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Biracial (half Black and half Latino/a,) Latino/a and Black characters Trigger warnings: Implied PTSD, death of a chi**spoiler alert** Representation: Biracial (half Black and half Latino/a,) Latino/a and Black characters Trigger warnings: Implied PTSD, death of a child and brother in a hurricane in the past, grief and loss depiction, bullying, child abuse, physical assault and injury, chronic and physical illness, near-death experience Score: Eight out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
This one wasn't perfect. But it was close. The library only had Aniana del Mar Jumps In in eBook form so it was more difficult to get but I got it anyway. The blurb seemed intriguing, so I headed in hoping for an enjoyable read, but when I closed the final page, I found it a lot heavier than expected.
It starts with a flashback involving Aniana 'Ani' del Mar experiencing swimming for the first time when she was six (better late than never) before cutting to part one of the central storyline (there are six parts) with her now being a competitive swimmer, at least for her age (12.) Everything looks ordinary in the opening pages until she says something's wrong with her body, as she feels pain in her joints, but she doesn't know what it is yet.
There's a subplot that soon turns out to be a critical part of the narrative, where Aniana's mother remembers a traumatic event where she lost her brother, Mateo, in a hurricane and she never completely moved on ever since. I get that losing someone is difficult, but the way Aniana's mother tries to cope makes her look like a helicopter parent. Let me get this straight: the protagonist's family is dysfunctional, as her father is barely there and her mother doesn't want her to swim, fearing she may lose Aniana too. Aniana's father takes her away to swim in secret, but that didn't last forever as her mother found out, and now banned swimming. Is it me or does it feel like an antithesis to another novel I've read before? Aniana's mother forced her out of swimming instead of in.
I liked Aniana as a character the most, but her parents aren't role models, and the side characters like Maria Tere and Delilah only appear for a few pages, but I would've liked to see more. The pacing is slow, with the book lasting 400 pages, but I didn't mind, since it was enough to keep the creation going. The writing style is unique and Jasminne Mendez executed it well. Finally! Actual poetry! It took me long enough to find one after reading spaced out prose for a while.
Did I mention Aniana's family is Christian? The middle four parts feature Aniana trying to cope with the swimming ban, and when a doctor diagnosed her with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA,) all Aniana's mother can do is to pray it away, but advice from a therapist to do physical therapy also helped. The therapist says swimming can reduce the effects of JIA, but Aniana's mother is steadfast, even when she tries out for an elite swim camp, her mother caught her again since the ban still applies (she resorted to physical measures once.) However. The conclusion, part six, felt like an afterthought. It took Aniana's mother to almost lose her son, Matti (to the sea,) for her to change her mind? Really? At least the prohibition is gone now and the finish is heartwarming.
Addendum: Matti started swimming at age four (which isn't too late.) There's no exploration of intersectionality (since Aniana is a young biracial Dominican American girl with a chronic illness.) Why is this?...more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I didn't have much ch**spoiler alert** Representation: Black characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I didn't have much choice other than to read J.R. Silver Writes Her World by Melissa Dassori. I only heard about this book a few days ago when I picked it up when the novels I wanted were all gone. I glanced at the intriguing blurb, and I headed in with high expectations considering the ratings, but it was only okay.
It starts with Josephine Rose 'J.R.' Silver recounting her life as a 6th grader, presumably somewhere in America, and nothing is going well according to her, as her friend, Violet, and parents distanced themselves. That is until her teacher, Ms Kline, assigns her some tasks, prompting her to write short stories based on magazine covers from a series called Gothamite (that looks familiar.) Sounds intriguing? It seems so, until I see how Dassori executes the premise. Let's start with the positives, the pacing is enough to keep the plot going, with the length being around 250 pages, and the writing style is mostly accessible except for a few more unfamiliar words that might put off the target audience, like wanderlust. Adding a glossary would help.
Unfortunately, I can only compliment the creation in so many ways, so now it's time to turn to the areas needing improvement, like the characters. The characters are hard to connect or relate with, lacking depth and development, but expanding on them would improve the reading experience. I only saw a glimpse of the character dynamics involving J.R. and her English teacher, J.R. and her parents and J.R. and her friends. I got to observe the first one the most, but I only wanted a deeper exploration. Dassori fumbled the climax as the payoff wasn't it. J.R. discovers the stories she writes come true like when she could score soccer goals, make her parents allow her to use her phone and even go on school trips, but her actions must have consequences, but they weren't there. Where were they? This is not it. The concluding pages weren't that engaging because of that. Also, why does the cover look like it wants to have a staring contest with me?...more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and Latino characters, character with a physical disability Trigger warnings: Sexism Score: Six and a hal**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and Latino characters, character with a physical disability Trigger warnings: Sexism Score: Six and a half out of ten.
I have reduced expectations from Kayla Miller following my less than stellar reading experience from Break, written by the same author. That being said, I liked act, but it too wasn't as strong as Click. I wanted to read this one to finish off the Click series I read out of order, but when I closed the final page, it was okay.
At least I know what happened to some of the characters. It starts (more like continues) with Olive Branche recounting her life in the 6th grade, including the scenes where she goes on a school trip, only to discover those who can't afford it can't go. Thus, Olive runs for student council, competing against other peers like Trent and Sawyer to try to do something about this issue. Other than that and one other subplot about someone violating the dress code, there wasn't much to Act. Trent and Sawyer's gimmick is to hand out free pudding to every student, which I found unrealistic, but okay. Sure.
I liked the characters, but I couldn't connect or relate to them, which is either a problem on my end because of the age gap or because of the characters and the writing themselves. Based on information I found when I read through a few pages I finally discovered what happened to Bree: she moved back to New Zealand from Camp, where she stayed there ever since. Anyway.
The part about movements that happened (not only ones that happened in America) was fascinating as it inspired Olive to protest against this injustice. I appreciated the art and the pacing is enough to keep Act going because it barely lasts over 200 pages without wasting any, but I can't say anything about the writing style though, as it uses more pictures than words. However, the concluding pages were contrived as initially, Trent and Sawyer looked like they won, but then there was a three way tie where Olive claimed the victory, and the finish proved more abrupt than heartwarming. The bonus content was intriguing, too....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Body shaming, internalised body shaming, implied eating disorder and restrictive dieting, anore**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Body shaming, internalised body shaming, implied eating disorder and restrictive dieting, anorexia, bulimia Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
It was okay, but what's the point of calling A Kids Book About Body Image by Rebecca Alexander a picture book if there are no pictures?...more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Biracial (half Black and half white) and Black characters Trigger warnings: Racism Score: Five out of ten. Find this re**spoiler alert** Representation: Biracial (half Black and half white) and Black characters Trigger warnings: Racism Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
It was okay, but what's the point of calling A Kids Book About Racism by Jelani Memory a picture book if there are no pictures?...more
**spoiler alert** Representation: First Australian characters Trigger warnings: Death of a child from a dingo attack Score: Seven out of ten. Find this r**spoiler alert** Representation: First Australian characters Trigger warnings: Death of a child from a dingo attack Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Anxiety, panic attack Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Th**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Anxiety, panic attack Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
This one was surprisingly enjoyable. I haven't heard of Drawing Deena by Hena Khan until a few days ago, when I picked it up from a library shelf, since I had no other choice when the books I wanted were gone. The ratings were high, and when I closed the final page, I liked this work, but it was heavy for its target audience.
It starts with Deena recounting her life, particularly how she feels stressed, but her mother dismissed that, saying her problems are worse than hers, initially sending a message of ignoring mental health, but that soon changes. The book then turns to other, more lighthearted subplots, including one about art where Van Gogh inspires Deena, and another where she modernises her mother's store by making a website. When I think about it, there aren't too many of them, but it feels jarring when juxtaposed against the central storyline of anxiety. I appreciated another character wanting more artists of colour to inspire Deena instead of only white artists in the guise of 'decolonising' her mind, but not literal decolonisation, which I found intriguing. The pacing is enough to keep the creation going without being overwhelming, lasting over 200 pages, and nothing goes to waste, and I enjoyed seeing the diverse cast, given Deena and her family are Pakistani American. I still don't see enough non-American Asian stories, though.
However, I don't understand why Deena's panic attacks went unnoticed for so long I had to read to the last 50 pages for the resolution. Conversations soon arise with Deena, her mother and the school about her mental illness, but not before a counsellor advises Deena to try out some coping strategies like breathing. Khan also implies people like Deena's mother tend to hide mental health issues, but not every person is the same. Khan thinks families are like this, but she also thinks they can change their stances with the right people. The characters are likable, but even with character development, I couldn't relate to her passion, as I'm not an artist myself, but I can see how people who live with similar conditions can connect. The concluding pages are heartwarming. That's all I can say....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters, character with dyscalculia Trigger warnings: Bullying Score: Six out of ten. Find this revi**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters, character with dyscalculia Trigger warnings: Bullying Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I wanted to enjoy Figure it Out, Henri Weldon by Tanita S. Davis more than I did, but I can't always get what I want. I only saw this one on a library shelf, and I only heard about it a few days ago. I checked the low ratings and adjusted my expectations, but when I closed the final page, I could've liked it more if only it received some improvements.
It starts with Henrietta Grace 'Henri' Weldon, recounting her life, particularly discussing a significant event, she transitioned from a school for neurodivergent people like her to a typical public school. I don't see how that can't go wrong, but okay. Sure. There was a lot to take in after that, though. Unfortunately, Figure it Out, Henri Weldon, has a lot of issues I'll address, but I'll start with the positive aspects, I liked Henri as a character, and I relate to her in a way because of her neurodivergence. I don't see a neurodivergent POC every day, either, as Henri is a young Black girl with dyscalculia, showing an example of intersectionality.
However, Figure it Out, Henri Weldon, stumbles with subplots, since there's a lot of them to put into a storyline that only lasts slightly above 300 pages. There's so many I'm unsure what the narrative is about. I'd assume it's about Henri trying to cope with a school designed for neurotypicals, but it lost focus. There's one about a sick pet snake, one involving character dynamics with her mother, another about Henri's interactions with another family, the Morgans, one about poetry and one about Henri joining the soccer team. Perhaps concentrating on one plot would improve the reading experience.
If Davis wanted to express all her points in her latest creation, there wasn't enough pages dedicated to every single part of the novel. Adding more pages would help. I only got a brief glimpse of the other side characters, like her sister, mother and other characters, like her tutor, Vinnie, and her peers, like Hayden (an Asian,) but I would appreciate the composition more if Davis dedicated more page time to them. The conclusion was alright as Henri 'figured herself out,' as I see her as a soccer player and a poet, but not a mathematician....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and Latina characters Trigger warnings: Physical assault, child abuse and implied injury, sexual harassm**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and Latina characters Trigger warnings: Physical assault, child abuse and implied injury, sexual harassment, bullying, sexism Score: Seven out of ten.
For a book targeted at a younger audience this was surprisingly heavy. I can't believe this one isn't YA. Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee circled my recommendations until I saw it on a library shelf and picked it up. I headed in with high expectations, and when I closed the final page, it was enjoyable, yet flawed.
It starts with Mila recounting her life at school when she notices something, the boys, like Callum, sometimes hug her without consent and for a strangely long time, a few seconds too long. Mila doesn't know what this feeling is yet for the first opening pages, but what she does know is this isn't flirting. This is something else, despite her peers calling her reactions immature and over-the-top. Mila drives the central storyline with her character development of realising what sexual harassment is. Why didn't she tell anyone about this? I presume she didn't have the words yet. Or another reason.
I'm glad Dee put in effort by also making her see words are better than actions, which made me like her, despite her flaws. The pacing is enough to keep the plot going, with a length below 300 pages, but I sometimes feel a lot is going on. Mila has a lot of character dynamics with her friends, like Mila and Naomi and people she prefers not to interact, like Callum, and Dee dedicated lots of subplots to them, like the one about her mother attending an exercise program, but it detracts from the narrative.
The writing style is okay, except for one choice: if Mila (and therefore Dee) can say Asian, like in the term Asian American, why can't she say Black or Latina? Like others, Maybe He Just Likes You solely focuses on characters' experiences based on gender, but there's no intersectionality, which felt like a missed opportunity given the cast is diverse. The concluding pages are engaging though, as I get to see the satisfying end of Mila's arc....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Disappearance of a child Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The S**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Disappearance of a child Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Unfortunately, Break wasn't as strong as Kayla Miller's other instalments in the Click series, like Click. I wanted to read this one for a while and I only picked it up a few days ago. I glanced at the intriguing blurb and headed in with high expectations considering the high ratings, but when I closed the final page, it was okay.
Did I mention the edition I read is a special Australian English edition?
It starts (more like continues) with Olive thinking of plans of what to do during the spring break when she and her brother, Simon, have to go to New Zealand for one week to visit her father who recently moved there. Once there, Olive met some side characters that happened to be there when she arrived, like Bree (this is the second time I've heard of this name) and Natasha, but that begs a few questions. What are they doing here in New Zealand? I thought they were Americans. Have they always been there or did they briefly move to America in previous books like Camp and Clash before moving back? I'm unsure. These minor characters only use a few pages worth of time, with Olive, her brother and father taking most of it. The pacing is enough to keep the storyline going, but I can't say Break has a writing style as it is an illustrated novel, but I can say I appreciated the art.
What I didn't appreciate though, is Olive. Initially, Olive preferred to interact with her friends over her family, going so far as to shout at them, which I found irritating, but she eventually develops her character and grows closer to her family. None of the other characters, like Simon, Bree and Natasha are easy to connect or relate with as their traits do not go beyond the fact they have platonic relationships with Olive. If Break is the final instalment, then the series did not go out well, but if there are future creations in the works, maybe I can like the series more, but for now, I can't recommend Break in its present state. The concluding pages are heartwarming as Olive and Simon return to America where their mother lives, but you can go read any other story instead of this one....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Implied Brown character Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Six out of ten.
Turn the Tide by Elaine Dimopoulos could've been m**spoiler alert** Representation: Implied Brown character Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Six out of ten.
Turn the Tide by Elaine Dimopoulos could've been much better. I wanted to read this one, but it was hard to get it as no library had it physically, so I resorted to getting an eBook edition instead. I glanced at the intriguing blurb, and the high ratings yet mixed reviews painted a picture of uncertain expectations, and when I closed the final page, it was okay.
It starts with Demetra 'Mimi' Laskaris, a Greek American, having to move from Massachusetts to Wilford Island in Florida since her parents thought that might improve their business, but that's beside the point. The central point is Mimi sees plastic pollution, and inspired by people like Greta Thunberg, decides to do something about it. Her idea is to get a law passed in Wilford Island to ban plastic and promote better options like using paper bags by getting people to sign a petition, if only she can get past a preemption law, meaning bans are banned (fortunately, she does.)
I liked the theme of climate change and the message advocating for more community action, but if there's one aspect that irritates me the most, it's the sledgehammers, and unfortunately, Dimopoulos used a sledgehammer to shove her ideas into my head, and even though banning plastic is a start, the unsubtlety and preachy tone frustrated me when I read Turn the Tide. I get it. Plastic harms the environment. Why would you repeat that, though? I'm not done yet though, as there are other problems that need addressing, first, the writing style, writing Turn the Tide all in verse is an uncommon choice, and it takes authors who write genuine poetry and not spaced out prose for this to work, but Dimopoulos fell into the trap of the second category. There are few poetic devices. I liked the characters, but Mimi has no other traits other than being an activist, even if it takes over her studies. Writing Mimi so her schoolwork and protesting share equal importance would've been a better decision. The pacing is slow too, with a length of over 300 pages, but at least the climax was engaging, with a protest against plastic and other scenes with Mimi being a step closer to achieving her goal....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Biracial (half Latina and half white,) Latino/a characters and a character with autism Trigger warnings: Death and mu**spoiler alert** Representation: Biracial (half Latina and half white,) Latino/a characters and a character with autism Trigger warnings: Death and murder of relatives and a disappearance of a child in the past, grief and loss depiction, physical injury Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Shine On, Luz Véliz by Rebecca Balcárcel is everything In The Key of Code isn't. Surprisingly, this is only the second book I've read featuring a young protagonist who programs, and this one circled my recommendations until I saw it on a library display shelf and picked it up. When I closed the final page, it was enjoyable.
Did I mention this one got me out of a streak of okay or disappointing books? It starts with Luz Véliz having to stop playing soccer for a while after she injured her knee in the opening pages. She has to find something new to do after that, so she takes on programming (or coding as she calls it) for the first time. I liked many aspects, so I'm unsure where to start, but I'll try, first, I liked the theme of redefining yourself and the message that people can change. I enjoyed reading the characters, especially Luz, since Balcárcel put in the extra effort by developing her character. I appreciated that and the support networks she has. Shine On, Luz Véliz has a subplot where Luz discovers she has a half sister, Solana, adding intrigue and another layer of development, but I would've liked to see more of the side character with autism briefly mentioned for a few pages.
The pacing was engaging enough, with a length of less than 300 pages without being too overwhelming. Unlike In the Key of Code, this novel took time familiarising me with the two ways of programming used, one language on an old Apple computer and another called Scratch (I've heard of that before.) It feels realistic since there is no unfamiliar programming languages or ones that would be too complex to understand for a person aged similarly to Luz, like Java. On the contrary, there are some Spanish phrases. I don't understand Spanish, but adding a glossary would've helped and the conclusion involving a programming competition was worth the wait as I get to see Luz doing what she is most passionate about. Wow....more
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