While this wasn't my favorite book from Ellen Oh, it was nice to not only read a middle grade sci-fi title, but also one that was a great length for tWhile this wasn't my favorite book from Ellen Oh, it was nice to not only read a middle grade sci-fi title, but also one that was a great length for the younger side of middle grade. CW: racism, ill treatment of animals, animal experimentation, assault of a minor. 3.5 Stars
Haru, Zombie Dog Hero is an exciting middle grade sci-fi novel told in 3rd person that follows Luke, Haru (the dog), and Penny the cat. Luke and Haru are extremely close and do everything together with Luke's friends Max and Ben. Everything seems to go well until Luke and his family have a bad interaction with their landlord. During this interaction Haru attempts to protect Luke from the landlord who then accuses Haru of attacking her. Haru is taken away and it's up to Luke and his friends to find Haru and figure out whether his disappearance is connected to the illicit behaviors of Sinclair Industries.
What Worked: There were some really interesting elements in this one. It felt like a mix of discussions related to pollution/conservationism and animal rights. I was confused on how Oh was going to weave in Haru becoming a zombie, but it worked well. The relationships between Haru, Luke, and Penny were great as well. Oh did a fantastic job allowing readers to see the events that occur in the town through the lens of each character. Incorporating the mystery behind the Sinclair Industries was fascinating and gave the novel a little bit of edge that I did not expect.
What Didn't Work: The pacing of this one was off. While I appreciate the shortness of the novel as a whole, the ending felt rushed and jumbled up. Readers are left wondering what happens to the town post the reveal of what occurs at Sinclair Industries and to the animals left in their "care." While I'm all for cliff hangers, there is no indication on whether we will be getting a second novel so the story ultimately felt incomplete.
Overall, this was a solid read. I'm hoping that Ellen Oh and her publisher are considering adding an additional novel or two this story so that readers will have a better picture of what ends up happening to this community....more
Another powerful middle grade book that addresses the impact of parental addiction on children. This is my first time reading Jamie Sumner, but it defAnother powerful middle grade book that addresses the impact of parental addiction on children. This is my first time reading Jamie Sumner, but it definitely won't be my last! CW: PTSD, descriptions of overdose, descriptions of drug use.
Maid for It was an unexpected, yet powerful read! It follows main character Franny who has recently moved with her newly sober mother to a new town in an apartment above a laundromat. It's a chance for Franny and her mother to start new as Franny's mom attempts to remand sober. When the mom gets into a car accident, Franny begins to not only panic about money needed to pay the bills, but also the chance that her mother will break her sobriety due prescription medication offered to her for pain relief. In order to maintain their household, Franny decides to secretly take over her mother's cleaning jobs. Things start off okay, but slowly Franny begins to realize that the burden just may be too difficult to carry alone.
What Worked: This was a raw, yet beautifully crafted novel. There are a handful of books on my TBR that address addiction, but I must admit that this one in particular was not on my radar. Sumner does an excellent job with the character development of Franny. There are a lot of emotions that she attempts to process as she realizes the financial burdens that could possibly impact her family. Franny is overwhelmed, stressed, fearful, and on the edge. Sumner skillfully writes these emotions in a way that they essentially seep off of the page. It gave me a more powerful connection to Franny and my heart ached for the trauma she faced every time she thought her mom had overdosed. There are other middle grade issues that are tackled in this book including first crushes, new friendships, bullying, academics, and more. I appreciated the balance that Sumner was able to create with all these topics. This book doesn't have a perfect ending. Franny's trauma doesn't just disappear and that can be hard to reckon with as a reader; however, it's realistic. There are some pretty impactful lines made by Franny's mom at the end that will resonate with any parent, caregiver, and child that's come into contact with a loved one battling addiction. And Sumner never goes without making sure that Franny has a support system outside of her mother.
Overall, this was a good read and one that I will be adding to my list of recommendations for youth who need books about addiction....more
Interesting conclusion to the Cassandra Nova arc! I feel like I learn something new about characters every time I pick up a comic. This was interestinInteresting conclusion to the Cassandra Nova arc! I feel like I learn something new about characters every time I pick up a comic. This was interesting and I loved seeing Emma and her girls come through at the end for the entire mutant community. With this conclusion, I’m excited to dive into the 3rd volume and learn more about how this entire ordeal is going to affect not only the Eath, but also the Shi’ar community since Cassandra infected the mind of Lilandra. The storytelling was amazing as expected, but the art was a little too chaotic for my taste. I didn’t enjoy the change in artist. I’m hoping that it becomes more consistent again in the next volume. ...more
I definitely liked this one better than the first volume. As an adult, I must say Willow will grind your gears but developmentally it all makes sense.I definitely liked this one better than the first volume. As an adult, I must say Willow will grind your gears but developmentally it all makes sense. There are kids who really struggle with being away from and the most natural thing to do is to latch onto the one person that they know. I’m glad that Olive was told not to be responsible for Willow’s happiness because it’s easy to fall into the habit of trying to accommodate someone else at the expense of your own feelings and well being. The two girls have a pretty big fall out but I was happy to see the way everything was resolved. Overall, a solid read with fun and bright artwork. This is definitely one that’s perfect for the summer. ...more
I think that this was a solid start to an X-Men series that informs so much of what we are currently seeing with X-Men. I’m typically a fan of Grant MI think that this was a solid start to an X-Men series that informs so much of what we are currently seeing with X-Men. I’m typically a fan of Grant Morrison as a whole so it shouldn’t have surprised me that I was intrigued by the storyline of this one. There are so many elements of this book that are applicable to our current world. I’ve always been intimidated by anything X-Men related but this feels like a good entry point to modern Marvel. I’ll definitely be looking forward to continuing the rest of the series. ...more
This was an okay volume. I preferred the first volume because the pacing was better, BUT I am excited to see where the rest of the series is going to This was an okay volume. I preferred the first volume because the pacing was better, BUT I am excited to see where the rest of the series is going to go and the cooking scenes are *chefs kiss.* ...more
This was a little silly, but still enjoyable. I've been trying to explore more food manga to check out and this one was high on my priority list. It fThis was a little silly, but still enjoyable. I've been trying to explore more food manga to check out and this one was high on my priority list. It feels like you're stereotypical romance manga, but I must say that the food element makes it more interesting. Especially since the majority of the manga takes place at a culinary school. ...more
I think I wanted to love this one so much more! It wasn't a bad book, but I expected a little more from both these authors. CW: racism, Islamophobia, I think I wanted to love this one so much more! It wasn't a bad book, but I expected a little more from both these authors. CW: racism, Islamophobia, death of a child, grief
Four Eids and a Funeral at it's core is a love story about two young adults who have lost their connection for an unknown reason. Tiwa and Said were close growing up and spent a great deal of time together at their local Islamic Center; however, when Said goes to boarding school the two lose a connection. It's only through the death of their hometown librarian that the two are forced to reconnect with each other and work to save the Islamic Center after it burns down.
What Worked: I'm not Muslim so I can't speak to how other members of the Muslim community feel about the representation in the book; however, I appreciated that YA is getting another book that focuses on celebrations and religions outside of the Judeo-Christian sphere. Overall, we're starting to see a lot more representation regarding Eid in children's literature and I love that. There were a few conversations that Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar had throughout the course of the novel that I appreciated including Tiwa's experience as a Black Muslim, the grief that the family experiences after the death of her brother, the importance of the Islamic Community Center, as well as navigating familial relationships. Although the topics could have been discussed at greater length, it was nice to see them included in the text.
What Didn't Work: The pacing of this one felt a little off in some areas. There are flashbacks of Tiwa and Said during their childhood including previous Eid's that were celebrated together, but they felt surface level especially the one that should have connected Said to Tiwa's experience of familial loss and grief. It prevented me from being able to connect to their relationship as friends and their blooming relationships as something that is more than friends. The reveal was probably the biggest disappointment of the book. There is a very specific reason why Tiwa and Said stop communicating when he's off at boarding school. Eventually readers are clued into that reason and it just didn't work well. It was outside forces at play and the justification for why there was any interference wasn't plotted well. It didn't make me root for Tiwa and Said or become more invested in their relationship. Unfortunately, I was more invested in them as individuals than as companions.
Overall, this was a solid read. It was slightly disappointing, but there were specific elements that I did enjoy and I would be interested in seeing these two pair up again for another novel....more
If there's anything certain in life, it's that Abby Jimenez is going to make you cry! What a beautifully crafted novella. Because this is so short theIf there's anything certain in life, it's that Abby Jimenez is going to make you cry! What a beautifully crafted novella. Because this is so short there isn't much that I would like to reveal in regard to the plot, but this was great. I connected with this in a way that was unexpected and part of me wishes that Abby would have considered making this a full length novel. Definitely check this one out if you have the time!...more
I'm typically not a huge fan of Christina Lauren, but I actually enjoyed this one!
The Exception to the Rule is part of the Amazon Improbable Meet CutI'm typically not a huge fan of Christina Lauren, but I actually enjoyed this one!
The Exception to the Rule is part of the Amazon Improbable Meet Cute series. This specific installment follows two main characters who meet via their school district email when the hero accidentally emails the heroine instead of a teacher. The two begin to email each other every Valentine's Day as a way to check in with each other. This goes on for years and as the novella progresses, readers begin to figure out who the two characters are and whether they've ever crossed paths. For a novella, I found this to be short, sweet, and engaging. The romance between the two characters was actually believable. Their interactions were authentic and somehow Christina Lauren was able to create beautiful pacing around the years that passed between the two characters. I'm not sure if the rest of the series will be this good, but this was a strong way to start off the collection....more
Clairboyance is a book that I've been excited to read since it was officially announced. There aren't a lot of middle grade books that take place in HClairboyance is a book that I've been excited to read since it was officially announced. There aren't a lot of middle grade books that take place in Hawaii from Native Hawaiian authors. It was great to be able to add this to my running list. CW: discussion of divorce, health issues experience by family member
Clairboyance follows main character Clara who is struggling with a host of problems. She's questioning whether to leave O'ahu and move to Arkansas to live with her dad, her mom is currently deployed in Alaska, she's recently lost her best friend, and she's having trouble making and maintaining friendships at school. In order to repair her relationship with her best friend, Clara makes a wish upon a family heirloom to hear what boys are thinking. Surprisingly her wish comes true and her new gift causes her more issues than expected.
What Worked: Oh goodness! There was so many great elements included in this book. I absolutely adored Clara as a character. It was wonderful to see a coming of age story, but from the perspective of a place and culture that often goes underrepresented in children's literature. Not only is Clara attempting to juggle the idea of leaving O'ahu, but she's attempting to figure out ways to repair her friendship with Leo. I was particularly nervous about Clara being able to hear what middle grade age boys were thinking; however, Kahakauwila handled it was such grace and class and in a way that captured the intricacies of friendships that so many of us experience at that age. Clara learns a lot through her gift and it takes her time to learn how to balance hearing people's thoughts and her inclinations to react and intervene on those thoughts. There were so many great culturally moments where Kahakauwila introduces readers to both Ōlelo Hawaiʻi and Hawaiian Pidgin which were both rewarding to listen to via audio. I highly recommend checking out the author's note at the end to learn more about the history of both languages. I also adored the relationship between Clara and Tūtū. The support, care, and love shared between them was felt in every interaction. I was glad to see Clara have Tūtū as a support system especially when she was attempting to navigate her friendships and when and how to use her voice in times of struggle/conflict.
What Did Not Work: I absolutely loved the familial connection to Clara's gift; however, it felt as though readers didn't get enough background information on it. I wanted to know more history related to it and the broader impact it had on the family.
Overall, this was good read. I'm appreciating all these middle grade books that are coming out that are detailing the impact of friendship break ups. I hope to see more from Kristiana Kahakauwila in the future!...more
This was an absolutely brilliant read. I've read part of Fantastic Four Life Story (I will be going back to read the rest of it), but I do know if I wThis was an absolutely brilliant read. I've read part of Fantastic Four Life Story (I will be going back to read the rest of it), but I do know if I was expecting the amount of emotion that was woven into Zdarsky's Spider-Man: Life Story. The intricacy of the storytelling, the artwork, all of it worked so well together. Not only did Zdarsky make sure we understand the cultural events occurring in America during each decade, but he seamlessly wove in significant Marvel events that are extremely rewarding for those that know or are invested in Spider-Man lore. As someone who originally wasn't a huge fan of Spider-Man fan, I have grown to appreciate his complexity as a character over time. Zdarsky illustrated every nook and cranny of this man's character over the course of 200+ pages. Even if you're not a huge Spider-Man fan or you don't know much about him as a character, this is one that I would recommend broadly for the storytelling. This is one of my favorite Spider-Man books to date!...more
Bookishrealm
>
Books:
books-read-in-2024
(551)
Loading...
