**spoiler alert** Representation: Black character Trigger warnings: Death of a child and brother in the past in a body of water, grief and loss depicti**spoiler alert** Representation: Black character Trigger warnings: Death of a child and brother in the past in a body of water, grief and loss depiction Score: Seven out of ten.
I should've read Delicates by Brenna Thummler before reading Lights. I can't believe it. Anyway. I knew Lights was the final instalment in the Sheets trilogy, which I haven't read in years. My expectations were high given the ratings and I enjoyed all its aspects.
It starts (more like continues) with characters that need no introduction, Marjorie, Eliza and Wendell, a ghost. This time the focus is on Wendell and the central storyline is why he died. I already know how, but I'll find out the reasons why. Lights assumes a non-linear structure which flows well and isn't too disjointed. I was afraid there would be confusing scene cuts but that didn't happen. The art also helped as it uses two palettes, a full colour one and a palette only using shades of pink. One palette was easier to look at but the other feels unsettling. At least they're distinguishable.
Thummler explores Wendell's character deeper here with all these flashbacks so that I could see what Wendell was like as a human. He looks young (he looks like he's six,) which makes it all the more tragic when he died. That doesn't mean Thummler leaves out the other characters like Marjorie and Eliza as I saw character dynamics which didn't detract too much from the narrative. There's no writing style as Lights is an illustrated novel but I'd say it's more appropriate for a YA than a younger audience because of the heavy themes and content, but there isn't too much dialogue overcrowding the pictures. The only characteristics Wendell had were his innocence, age and active imagination, but that changed when he assumed his ghost form as he has a more subdued personality.
Lights handles grief and paranormal aspects better than other novels I've read, which is a positive. There was a character in the flashback scenes that looked familiar, since she also appears in the present day scenes, but I couldn't guess what her name was (Jolene) until the end. She looked related to Wendell, too. If I read Delicates before I read Lights some plot points would make more sense as Lights isn't a standalone. The conclusion is satisfying, as all questions were answered but bittersweet as there was a death on page....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black character Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, blood, grief and loss depiction, World War Two, e**spoiler alert** Representation: Black character Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, blood, grief and loss depiction, World War Two, explosions, gun violence, death of a father implied in the past, antisemitism, physical injury, near-death experience Score: Seven out of ten.
Finally, a well-executed illustrated novel. A few days ago, I saw I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 by Lauren Tarshis, adapted by Georgia Ball and illustrated by Brian Churilla. Stories in this illustrated format have been a mixed bag, with some underwhelming me but others didn't disappoint. Fortunately, it was enjoyable.
Before I begin, I'll refer to Tarshis' creation as The Battle of D-Day. The full title is too long. Anyway. It starts with a prologue scene with Paul Colbert in the middle of a war, then it cuts to before that in the opening pages. The action doesn't stop there though, as Paul discovers an American paratrooper stuck in a tree, who tells him about the Allies' plan to take back German occupied territory. There isn't a lot of plot when I think about it, but Tarshis did the best she could with that and delivered.
The art is the strongest aspect, with a full colour palette I didn't mind, since it looked pleasing, especially with the minimal dialogue. However, the characters could've resonated with me more. I tried to relate to Paul, given he's in a conflict, but there isn't much to his character other than that. I couldn't connect with the side characters either. Adding more depth and development could help. There isn't a writing style to speak of here. The pacing is swift at 150 pages, but it isn't too overwhelming, unlike other compositions I've read. The Battle of D-Day is an intriguing look into what D-Day was like in an illustrated format, and while the extra material helps, someone would be better off researching the topic if they want to know about it in detail.
The conclusion is engaging as Paul and the other characters execute the plan to sabotage the Germans as D-Day is ongoing, which proves successful. I'm unsure why an epilogue, with Paul being older, is there....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and Latino characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten.
I'm glad it's over. A few days ago, My**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and Latino characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten.
I'm glad it's over. A few days ago, My library purchased Together Forever, the final instalment in the Making Friends series by Kristen Gudsnuk. I wanted to read it but should've stopped continuing the series as it was disappointing. The ratings were high, but Gudsnuk underwhelmed me again when I closed the final page.
It starts with a character that needs no introduction, Dany, living a surprisingly lonely life since her friend, Madison, disappeared in the opening pages. I only discovered Madison's whereabouts when she was on a TV show, My Magical Best Friend, with a Dany doppelganger, Daphne. Dany wants Madison back, which sets up the premise, which seems intriguing, until I read how Gudsnuk executed it, and I thought it needed improvement. There are so many flaws I'm unsure where to start.
The characters are okay but don't have any depth or development. Adding more of that could help. The plot is disjointed. Together Forever is an illustrated novel, so it relies on pictures for its pacing, but sometimes I felt like I skipped a few pages until I realised I didn't. That's how frustrating it was to read that, even without any sort of writing style. Making transitions smoother can help. Prose creations, and even some other illustrated ones, handle transitions better. Mostly.
There are no chapters either, only one central storyline. I struggled to tell Dany and Daphne apart, and wondered why there were two Dany's at times. I would've appreciated it if Gudsnuk distinguished between them more. There's too much dialogue, but reducing that would rectify the issue.
Not even the art itself could save Together Forever. The cover images look pleasing, making me hope the rest is as enjoyable to look at, but it felt rushed, as if Gudsnuk had a time limit to write and draw the narrative. The colours were acceptable, but the lines felt like Gudsnuk drew them in 10 minutes. Working on the art could improve the reading experience. Some parts of the worldbuilding was confusing, like how did Daphne steal Madison? What about the magical notebook? Daphne could've done whatever she wanted but she didn't.
The story confused itself so much reality started falling apart (due to Daphne's actions) in the concluding pages, almost leading to the universe's destruction. Literally. The conclusion was bittersweet as Dany drew a new dimension for Madison to live in. Madison can still visit Dany though in the epilogue, but I'm unsure how she would do that....more
**spoiler alert** I'm sorry, but Up for Air by Laurie Morrison is going on my pile of shame. Maybe I'll try it again later.**spoiler alert** I'm sorry, but Up for Air by Laurie Morrison is going on my pile of shame. Maybe I'll try it again later....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black characters Trigger warnings: Death and murder of a brother and another person by suicide in a body of water, ne**spoiler alert** Representation: Black characters Trigger warnings: Death and murder of a brother and another person by suicide in a body of water, near-death experiences, shipwreck, blood, grief and loss depiction, caning, physical assault and injury, slavery, colonisation Score: Nine out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander circled my recommendations for months until the library finally purchased it and I soon picked it up. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem heavy, yet intriguing, and the ratings were high. I don't see poetry novels every day, and it was another hit when I closed the final page.
It starts with Kofi Offin living in the Asante Kingdom in 1860. Well that was a breath of fresh air. I wanted to read a piece of historical fiction that isn't white history or entirely set in a Western country for once. The opening pages look typical until I read 150 pages, and that's when the central storyline darkens the tone from there. It was heavy enough when Kofi's teacher forced him to speak English and not his first language, Twi, but now his future looks uncertain after he accidentally killed his opponent from the other part of the kingdom.
But wait! It gets worse. Kofi's life worsens when he is captured and is now a slave. It's a simplistic plot that's easy to follow, but it's a fascinating look into what slavery was like through Kofi's POV. The pacing is slow, almost lasting 400 pages, but it didn't feel tedious or repetitive as there was always something happening. The Door of No Return isn't a coming of age story like a quote on the front cover told me, it's more like a piece of historical fiction in verse.
Alexander executed the writing style well, meeting my expectations, since he wrote compositions I enjoyed before this one. The final pages were heartbreaking as Kofi's fate is up in the air. Other than that one miss I still regard him as an excellent writer. The Door of No Return is the first instalment of a planned trilogy, which explains the abrupt conclusion, so I'm excited to see what happens next....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
This one wa**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
This one wasn't any better.
It's been a few months since I last read from this series, but I picked up another instalment, Teacher's Pet, written by Francine Pascal, adapted by Nicole Andelfinger and illustrated by Claudia Aguirre. That's a lot of authors. I headed in with low expectations, but it felt underwhelming when I closed the final page.
It starts (more like continues) with Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, this time focusing on their ballet class, which turns out to be a dominant theme throughout the novel. Other than that there's not much plot or literary value to this creation. The pacing is enough to keep the plot going, with a length of exactly 200 pages, and the art stayed the same with no improvements or downgrades. The character development from Best Friends seems to have disappeared, as Jessica must develop her character (again) from a sister distancing herself from Elizabeth to a more caring person.
Why is this? I'm unsure. There are only a few pages dedicated to the side characters, like the twins' mother. Adding more pages showing them would've improved the reading experience. The plot here is during a ballet class, there is an upcoming play called Coppélia, and of course both protagonists would do anything to become the lead actor. The author fumbled the diversity since there was only one Asian character and two Black characters (all of whom are girls) in a PWI, and I would've liked to see more, but they are mostly out of the spotlight. It feels tokenistic. It was easier to find women characters than those of other genders. A person in the target audience (meaning younger readers,) wouldn't mind, and perhaps I'm not the type of person who would enjoy Teacher's Pet. The concluding pages are heartwarming as I see one of the sisters perform well in the play.
At this rate, it would take a few more months for the continuation of the series, Choosing Sides, to arrive, which isn't anytime soon, but I'll stop reading this series for now if the quality doesn't increase....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death of a grandmother, blood, grief and loss depiction, military violen**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death of a grandmother, blood, grief and loss depiction, military violence and war themes, fire, explosions, physical assault and injury, near-death experiences from falls, sexism, sexist slur Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Well that was another disappointment.
I haven't read from Chris Colfer in months but I picked A Grimm Warning up to pass the time, hoping it would be better than the previous two instalments (A Wishing Spell and The Enchantress Returns.) It wasn't. I headed in with lowered expectations, but it was still underwhelming when I closed the last page.
It starts (more like continues) with Alex and Conner Bailey picking up after the events of the preceding book, but this time there's a twist, but it only makes the central storyline more disjointed. Conner lives on Earth, otherwise known as the Otherworld, but I'll use the first name (the last makes me cringe.) Alex lives in The Land of Stories, which includes fairies, the Fairy Godmother, fictional figures and mythical beasts, of course. The multiple 3rd person POV is an intriguing choice as it allows Colfer to tell two stories. The pacing is slow, though, with a length of more than 450 pages, but it could've been shorter if the filler pages weren't there. The protagonists don't develop. Rather, they remain the same throughout A Grimm Warning, adding to my disengagement.
I discovered The Enchantress Returns to lack diversity in my review, so I thought Colfer solved that issue, at least in A Grimm Warning, when he included a Black character, Lindy, and an Asian, Wendy, but they were gone soon enough, much to my dismay. There were so many side characters it felt like character soup and it was difficult to keep track, like Breanne 'Bree' Campbell, Rook, Mindy, Cindy and Emmerich. Not to mention the group of fairies. Even when Conner and Bree land in The Land of Stories, it felt repetitive as this is the third time this happened. Can I go somewhere else, at least? The concluding 100 pages are action-packed (where the fairy tale characters fight a French army from the 1800s) with a heartstopping finish, which is the only enjoyable section, but other than that it was tedious to read. The big reveal happens when the Masked Man is the twins' biological father, but I don't think the following three continuations would be an improvement....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
At least I**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
At least I didn't take a few years to get around to reading Sunny Rolls the Dice by Jennifer L. Holm. After reading Swing it, Sunny, I hoped this one would be as good if not better, but let me get this straight: I wasn't disappointed. I only found the other three instalments slightly more enjoyable, but at least it wasn't an underwhelming reading experience.
It starts (more like continues) with Sunny opening a 1970s magazine and completing a quiz on how 'groovy' she is (according to late 1970s standards,) only to discover she is 'not groovy.' The theme of this collection of illustrations seems to be self-worth and how judging yourself could lead to negative consequences, and that is a discussion topic that is still relevant. The central problem is Sunny continues to judge herself harshly and changes her attributes to make herself more 'groovy' for most of the narrative, and she only stopped that in the concluding pages.
Let's move on to some other aspects, the pictures were engaging and so were some of the characters, with the spotlight being on Sunny this time as she keeps developing and changing as a character. The side characters are sometimes on the page, like Arun (an Asian,) but not as often as Sunny. Dedicating more page time to them would help though. It appears Sunny stopped judging herself mostly by herself, with help from other people, but there wasn't a support network. Perhaps people didn't understand problems like this back then in the late 1970s? (If so, then there's one downside to living in that decade.) The lighter scenes like when Sunny plays Dungeons and Dragons (a contemporary game at that period) with her friends is a jarring juxtaposition compared to the heavier subjects. At least the finish is heartwarming as I see Sunny's arc come to a close. There is one more book in the Sunny series to read, Sunny Makes Her Case, but no library has it, so I'll write my thoughts on it once I obtain it. It sounds intriguing, though....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Character with a physical disability Trigger warnings: Loss of limb (arm,) drug use, abuse and addiction mentioned in**spoiler alert** Representation: Character with a physical disability Trigger warnings: Loss of limb (arm,) drug use, abuse and addiction mentioned in the past Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
It looks like I finally read this one. I haven't read from Jennifer L. Holm in almost two years, but I needed to complete the Sunny series (which I read out of order, since I read the first and then the fourth instalments) so I picked Swing it, Sunny, up. I headed in with high expectations and found it enjoyable.
Did I mention this one is one of the few illustrated novels I haven't read yet until now? It starts (more like continues) with Sunny Lewin moving away from Florida after the events of the first novel and now enters her first year of middle school. I initially thought it would only be another story in the list of school narratives, but it goes deeper than that. The only intriguing subplot is one involving her brother, Dale, who had to attend boarding school because of his drug abuse issues. I appreciated the pictures, which looked engaging and the likable characters, though I couldn't relate to the dysfunctional family, with Dale distancing himself from his siblings and parents, but I'm sure others can relate.
The pacing is enough to keep the book going, with its length barely over 200 pages, so I didn't find it too slow, overwhelming or filled with filler pages that add nothing. Even when Dale briefly visits Sunny during Thanksgiving, an American holiday, she thinks he changes, but he eventually warms up to her, showing intriguing character dynamics and development. I don't see settings like the one in Swing it, Sunny, that often, as Holm set this one in the late 1970s, allowing for a fascinating look into what happened at that time. Some readers may feel young in a way, but I didn't mind that much. Not all side characters are the same, with some being memorable, and others, not quite as such. Developing more characters beside Dale would improve the reading experience, though. At least the conclusion is heartwarming. I'll write my thoughts on Sunny Rolls the Dice after reviewing this one....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Autistic characters Trigger warnings: Bullying, ableism Score: Seven out of ten. I own this book. Find this review on T**spoiler alert** Representation: Autistic characters Trigger warnings: Bullying, ableism Score: Seven out of ten. I own this book. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I wanted to read this since I enjoyed the previous instalment, Do You Know Me, written by the same authors, so I headed in with high expectations once I bought it. I glanced at the blurb, which made it seem intriguing, and I started to read it not long after. When I closed the final page, the book was enjoyable.
It starts (more like continues) with Tally entering Year Eight (the British version of eighth grade) with most of her friends in the opening pages. I noted that Tally uses the term autistic, and not person with autism, so I'll go with that from there. Surprisingly, Layla leaves Tally behind to move to Florida, much to Tally's dismay, and she already said her life is harder than other neurotypicals because she's autistic, which also applies to Year Eight.
The situation looks fine at first but it quickly deteriorates as Tally finds it hard to adapt and adjust to secondary school as an autistic person, and also deal with ableism and bullying. Unfortunately, everything fell apart from there as Tally felt secondary school was too much so her parents sent her to an alternative school where she can learn without the pressures specific to being neurodivergent in a mostly neurotypical society. I liked the plot since it didn't get too convoluted with unneeded subplots and it's distinct enough that it isn't repetitive. I liked the characters, too, and at last, I could connect and relate to them, and I also predicted Tally would bounce back when everything feels overwhelming, and I was right. The pacing is enough to keep the narrative going, and the writing style is basic, but accessible (I think that's intentional, though.) I haven't read Can You See Me and Ways to Be Me, but I'll get those when I can....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death, war themes, blood, grief and loss depiction, physical injury and child abus**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death, war themes, blood, grief and loss depiction, physical injury and child abuse, building collapse Score: Six and a half out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Is it me or has Shannon Messenger plateaued? I enjoyed Keeper of the Lost Cities and the second and third instalments were delightful too, but from there it's only okay. The fourth one, Neverseen, wasn't it--it didn't reach the same level as book one. I wanted an improvement when I read Lodestar but I didn't get that.
It starts (more like continues) with Sophie and other characters picking up after the events of the fourth novel, Neverseen in the opening pages, where nothing much is happening other than the characters processing everything that happened. Remember the issues I found in Neverseen? They're also in Lodestar, but more prominent I don't know where to begin, but I'll try, first, the repetition. I'm tired of the repetitive plot telling me parts of the story I already heard of before like the Black Swan and the Neverseen. The only new subplots introduced in Lodestar are (you guessed it,) the Lodestar, at least the symbol of it, and a special stone that uses blood. The conflict thickens, but not by much as the ogres are the against council, and the Black Swan is supposed to be this benevolent organisation What is the Lodestar supposed to do? The pacing is like Neverseen, but slower as Lodestar spans more than 600 pages, most of which are filler. Removing filler could've tightened the reading experience. I still like the characters like Sophie, but without any character development, I disconnected from them. I can't relate to the characters if they don't have character development. Did Messenger forget to put that in? Please fix it in the sixth part, Nightfall. At least the conclusion has a slightly faster pace but the final pages are predictable since the finish is the same as the other narratives....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death of people in the past mentioned Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on T**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death of people in the past mentioned Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Well. It looks like I finally read Neverseen. I wanted to read it for a while after reading Everblaze but not finding it as enjoyable as Keeper of the Lost Cities. I glanced at the blurb, making Neverseen seem intriguing, and did I mention Neverseen is the fourth book I've read from Shannon Messenger? When I closed the final page, I found it good, but not great.
It starts (more like continues) with Sophie and some other characters, who left Foxfire because of the conflict that has been happening since Keeper of the Lost Cities between the Black Swan and the (you guessed it,) Neverseen. I liked the worldbuilding expansion since I got to see Exilium, the school the characters mentioned in previous instalments after so long, I also liked the characters as usual, and I think they grew on me over time. However, Neverseen has flaws concerning many aspects of the narrative that I don't know where to start, but I'll try, the pacing is slow, making me disengage from the story sometimes. Sometimes slow pacing works when there's a slow burn, but when there's nothing happening, what's the point? Sophie and the other characters' journeys to places in the world can detract from the central plot, but removing subplots would tighten the reading experience. The writing style is enough to keep Neverseen going, though, and at least the conclusion picks up the pace with some action scenes, but I'll head in with lower expectations once I get Lodestar....more
Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I wanted to read this for a while when IRepresentation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I wanted to read this for a while when I saw it in a library, but someone else got it before I could. I had to go to another library to get this one. I glanced at the blurb, making Super Boba Café seem intriguing, and soon enough I picked it up. However, when I closed the final page, it was a unique reading experience.
(view spoiler)[It starts with the first person I see, Aria, moving to San Francisco from another town for undisclosed reasons. She soon helps her grandmother, Jing, run a bubble tea store, but something felt off the moment I kept reading the pages. It felt like the decisions Jing made hid something of negative implications, but I didn't know yet until the latter half of Super Boba Café. I headed in expecting a light-hearted read but instead I got a suspenseful one. It turns out that Jing has to feed a monster living in San Francisco no one knows of except her, and the only way to feed it is to cook a giant boba ball taking nine hours, or else the monster eats Jing instead. The last 100 pages or so revolve around Aria stumbling upon said monster and surviving the encounter, with her and Jing feeding it more boba. When you think about the plot, it sounds repetitive, and the world-building wasn't explained clearly enough. The characters are also only okay, and perhaps a second instalment in the series should clarify everything. At least there's a high note in the end. (hide spoiler)]...more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death of a father in the past, fire, explosions, near-death experience, **spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death of a father in the past, fire, explosions, near-death experience, implied building collapse Score: Seven points out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I read and enjoyed the first instalment of the City of Dragons series last year, so I wondered whether the second part would be better. Soon enough, I saw the library get Rise of the Shadowfire, so I immediately picked it up and read it. However, when I finished it, I didn't think it was a step up or down.
It starts (more like continues) with the characters that need no introduction: Grace and her dragon friend from The Awakening Storm, Nate. Rise of The Shadowfire takes a while to get going--half the narrative is about Grace still residing in Hong Kong, but not before Nate takes her somewhere else to explain that the antagonist is in an ongoing search for a dragon-controlling jewel. It's up to her and her accomplices to stop that before it's too late. Fortunately, the latter half of Rise of the Shadowfire is much faster paced as Grace, alongside others, travels to Paris with the Shadowfire after them. The ending is dramatic, leaving me anticipating further expansion of the City of Dragons series....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death of children, a father and an uncle, blood, grief and loss depiction, loss of**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death of children, a father and an uncle, blood, grief and loss depiction, loss of limb, military violence and war themes, explosion, fire, bullying, dead bodies, pregnancy, building collapse Score: Seven and a half points out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
This novel is one I wanted to read ever since I heard the library was getting it. I missed the opportunity to pick it up the first time around but not the second time. After not enjoying a previous novel I hoped I would delight myself in reading this one. Turns out it's not fiction, it's a memoir, and it even rivals The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat.
It starts with the first person I see, Muhammad Najem living in Syria for the early childhood section of his life until the Syrian Civil War started when he was eight. Life took a downward spiral the older he got as he lost his father at 13 and at fifteen he didn't want to sit and do nothing anymore. Thus, Muhammad decided to act. This memoir shines in its accurate portrayal of Syria during its civil war but it doesn't pull any punches. It's more suitable for young adults than middle graders due to the graphic content inside. I delighted myself in seeing all the likable characters, and I could connect and relate to Muhammad as he develops his character. At least the conclusion is a high note as Muhammad finally becomes a reporter....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Bullying Score: Six points out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Bullying Score: Six points out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Best Friends by Nicole Andelfinger was circling my recommendations for a while and when I saw that a library has this one, I seized the opportunity to get it. Eventually, I picked it up and read it, but when I finished it, I was underwhelmed. There were so many flaws I had to lower Best Friends to three stars.
It starts with the first two characters I see, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield who both go to the same school, Sweet Valley. They are identical but their passions are nowhere near that as Elizabeth wants to write the school newspaper and Jessica wants to join the Unicorn Club. The novel's strengths lie in its immersion because I could never stop reading Best Friends and the setting looks contemporary. However, it has flaws that are most prominent in the characters. Jessica was insufferable to read since she irritated her sister and she got worse when she bullied people when she was in the Unicorn Club. The portrayal of Black and Asian characters rubbed me the wrong way for two reasons: it felt like tokenism and the depiction wasn't outstanding. Why are the white people the protagonists and the Black and Asian people bullies and antagonists? At least Jessica had character development, but that left a sour taste. I might read the second instalment in the series when the library gets it....more
Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Bullying Score: Seven points out of ten. I own this book. This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
Someone IRepresentation: N/A Trigger warnings: Bullying Score: Seven points out of ten. I own this book. This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
Someone I know had this novel, but she passed it to another person, who then passed it to me. I put it off for a while until I ran out of reading material, so I finally picked it up and read it. When I finished it, I didn't realise it was part of a series until I checked the facts. Unfortunately, this instalment is the only one I have, and no one else has any other ones. It starts with the first character I see, Elizabeth Allen, or Elizabeth for short, returning to school after some time. Initially, during her first year, Elizabeth had a distaste for school after some events branded her as the naughtiest girl, but she hopes to change that. Elizabeth arrives at school for what I assume is her second year at an institution called Whyteleafe. Everything looks typical at first, until an incident occurs involving some of the students, and that calls for the student council. I don't see many schools having councils with that much power like that, since they can decide sentences like a court; usually the principal or teacher does that. But not here. I don't think Whyteleafe, run by students, would be orderly for long. Here's where the flaws surface: Though I liked the characters, I couldn't relate to them, which might be either a one-off problem or a recurring issue in this series, but I'll know when I read the rest of it. I also liked the mood; it never got too dark or emotional, and the conclusion hit the nail on the head. I hope the first part of the series will be as good if not better than this one....more
Representation: N/A? Trigger warnings: Near-death experiences, death of a father in the past and another person, building collapse, fire Score: Six poinRepresentation: N/A? Trigger warnings: Near-death experiences, death of a father in the past and another person, building collapse, fire Score: Six points out of ten. This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
Man, I gave this author one last chance and he squandered it. I saw this book hiding on the shelves of one of the two libraries I visit so I picked it up hoping that it would be better than The Wishing Spell and finally read it. When I finished it, I felt that it was at the same level as the preceding instalment and not a step up. Shame. It starts (or continues) with the main characters Alex and Conner Bailey who recently left The Land of Stories when some new characters arrive on what they call the Otherworld (but I call it Earth.) They tell the news that a new villain (you know, the classic big bad one,) the Enchantress has kidnapped Alex and Conner's mother (did I mention that another person, Bob, would be their new stepfather?) Soon enough they return to The Land of Stories but here is where the flaws surface, the author still left all the old and new characters remain underdeveloped which I didn't appreciate, the worldbuilding was off and the writing style, well.
I get that the author would write the book so that it'd be more accessible to a greater amount of readers but I would've enjoyed it more if there were more details instead of telling everything in the narrative. Never have I seen a book abuse italics and capital letters as much as this one which irritated me since half the time I thought all the characters were shouting. If there was an award for a story with the most basic descriptions ever, the instalment I read would get it. As mentioned above, there is no representation. I understand that it's hard to get right (when I consider authors that write books that have Black, Asian, Latino/a, neurodivergent characters, those who have disabilities or different body types who sometimes get it right and other times get it wrong) but a story can be diverse and outstanding. What I read was neither of those. It underwhelmed me.
Alex and Conner build an airship considering The Land of Stories is centuries behind Earth and no one in the former would think of that except them, assemble the Wand of Invincibility to defeat the Enchantress but it wasn't necessary in the final pages. All for nothing save for Alex using compassion to remove the Enchantress' powers and a fairy tale wedding ending the book. Ah well. It's time to move on to the next one I suppose....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death of a pet bird, child and friend from an illness, near-death experience, hosp**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death of a pet bird, child and friend from an illness, near-death experience, hospitalisation, body shaming, deportation, child abandonment in the past, adoption, loss of limb, surgery, scars Score: Four out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I can't give a novel that has white saviourism three stars nor can I support Sonnichsen because of that. So, I removed a star.
Red Butterfly by A.L. Sonnichsen is an example of cultural appropriation and yellowface.
I picked the last verse novel up from the library. I felt uncomfortable reading it and was disconnected from the story.
It starts with Kara. She and her stepmother live in China. Her stepfather lives in Montana. Her hand is a stump with no fingers. It's unclear why. Kara stays there for a few pages but she longs to visit her stepfather in America. However, that never happens. A visitor falls on the stairs. The police make Kara's stepmother lose custody.
It appears Sonnichsen spammed the Enter key and called it 'poetry.' All characters didn't engage me, like Kara, now has a third family. The Guernseys are white. They are Kara's second adoptive family and adopt her. The other adopted children are Asian. They feel like white saviours here. Sonnichsen is also white.
It's inauthentic. Sonnichsen thought she could write this because she found an abandoned baby and lived in Hong Kong. It would be better if an Asian wrote it. Kara returns to Montana. Her first and second adoptive mothers meet. Kara has gone through three families, one biological and two adoptive now.
I've read better stories than this. Please avoid Red Butterfly....more
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