Book review - Dark Parts of the Universe

 

Title: Dark Parts of the Universe

Author: Samuel Miller

Genre: mystery

Similar books: We Don't Swim Here by Vincent Tirado

                      The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D Jackson

Rating:

 

intriguing

Summary (provided by publisher): In Calico Springs, Willie’s life has been defined by two powerful forces: God and the river. The “miracle boy” died for five minutes as a young child, and ever since, Willie is certain he survived for a reason, but that purpose didn’t become clear until he found the Game.
The Game is called Manifest Atlas, and the concept is simple: enter an intention and the Game provides a target—a blinking blue dot on the map. Willie’s second time playing Manifest Atlas, his intention takes him to an ominous target: three empty graves. Willie is sure the Game is telling him he’s going to die.
Willie’s older brother, Bones, doesn’t believe him, but their friends are intrigued. Sarai, a girl from across the river, sets the next intention: something bloody. The group follows the Game’s coordinates and they discover something even more unsettling than the graves: a dead body. Sarai’s stepfather’s body. The Game is suddenly personal.
Willie is dedicated to proving the Game works while Sarai is set on finding out what happened to her stepdad. Bones just wants to enjoy his last summer before real life begins. As the group digs deeper into Manifest Atlas, stranger and wilder things begin to appear, unlocking a much deeper mystery running like an undercurrent through the small town.

My opinion: I think I was at least halfway through this book before it was clear to me whether or not something supernatural was going on. I was guessing about reality and what was going on through the lion's share of it. I wasn't always sure that I liked it, but I was constantly guessing, and that was enough to keep me reading. It helps that the characters are strong. Most characters we meet are complex characters with motivations that we don't fully understand. The ultimate resolution of the plot was not what I expected but made sense in the context of the plot.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - War of the Winds

Title: War of the Wind

Author: Victoria Williamson 

Genre: mild sci-fi

Similar books: Where the Lockwood Grows by Olivia Cole

                      Song of the River by Gill Lewis

Rating:

 

decent payoff

Summary (provided by publisher): A thrilling new adventure story with delightfully diverse disability representation. Set on a remote Scottish island, War of the Wind introduces us to a cast of characters with additional support needs. It is simultaneously a page-turning eco-thriller about government testing gone wrong and a heartwarming celebration of our differences.

My opinion: This novel has a strong premise and makes a concerted effort at representation. What it lacks is nuance. Our protagonist views the world through a very narrow focus and refuses to see any other viewpoints. He's a frustrating character and can be a bit off-putting. The plot, too, lacks complexity. We can guess pretty early on that this experimental program is having a negative affect on the population. It keeps the action moving, though. The physical threat is real enough to be thrilling to young readers without becoming overly intense. There are a few scenes that sensitive readers will find upsetting, so be forewarned. The plot pays off in a satisfying way it just requires a little patience to get there.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
 

Book review - The Kill Factor

 

Title: The Kill Factor

Author: Ben Oliver

Genre: dystopia

Similar books: Teen Killers Club by Lily Sparks

                      Hardwired by Trisha Leaver

Rating:

 

decent premise, decent execution

Summary (provided by publisher): A brand-new game show that offers young criminals the chance at freedom has been greenlit. Little do they know, winning is their only chance at survival. A captivating examination of the dark truths around the criminal justice system, Ben Oliver, critically acclaimed author of The Loop trilogy, delivers an action-packed thrill ride with deadly high stakes.
Fifty contestants. Five mental and physical challenges. One winner.
In a near-future where a virtual currency of digital content fuels a fame-hungry society, a brand-new experiment that combines social media and reality TV has been greenlit.
Voted on, and contestants are sent to a maximum-security reform camp on an island where they can have no contact with the outside world. To lose means prison. But to win is to be free. The most popular young offender with the most upvotes by the end is given both a second chance in society and a cash prize.
This kind of money could mean everything to Emerson and her family who live in the Burrows, one of the subterranean villages where the government have buried affordable housing. It's more than freedom. It could mean the chance to change her family’s circumstance and finally find a place in the society they’ve never been allowed into.
But what Emerson doesn’t know, what the viewers don’t know, is that the prison on the island is empty. Those who lose, those who are voted off aren’t incarcerated. Each challenge will leave more and more contestants to die. And the only choice they have is to win over viewers before it’s too late.

My opinion: This book starts with one of the more believable premises I've encountered - a world where social media following determines your wealth and teen offenders are exploited for entertainment, promised a chance at freedom and power. But with such a clear agenda the thrust of the plot becomes pretty predictable. We can guess, pretty early on, that the promise of the game is not as it appears. And the writing supports that. The reader will join the characters in their doubt. It's action heavy and violent without becoming overly descriptive. But the characters are under developed and the twists are more manipulative than natural outcomes of plot. It's moderately entertaining but fails to explore the morals of the world in a meaningful way.

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Hometown by S A Fanning - An offhand comment in the wake of a riot at a football game puts a teen at the center of controversy in his small town.

What did you recently finish reading?

Dark Parts of the Universe by Samuel Miller - An app leads a young man to uncover dark secrets in his town.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Mystery of Raspberry Hill by Eva Frantz

Non-fiction book review - The Lost Forest

 

The Lost Forest by Jennifer Swanson

This book deftly combines science and history. It takes us step by step through the discovery of an ancient forest, from the initial mapping of the site to the complications of exploring to what the scientists learned from the exploration. The text is clear and easy to understand, well supported by plenty of photos and charts. This could have been a dry topic but Swanson makes it interesting.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Hair pins

 Years ago I made headbands with a t-shirt flower attached and somewhere along the line I got out of the habit. I decided to try it again but attach them instead to bobby pins. And for an extra flourish, I've added some rhinestones to the center.

These are for sale on my Etsy shop, if you're interested.

Graphic Novel Spotlight - Monkey King and the World of Myths

 

The Monster and the Maze by Maple Lam

There's something appealing about a trickster. Anansi. Loki. And Monkey King. They give us the opportunity to cheer for borderline wicked behavior. We get to see them misbehave but sometimes redeem themselves and usually get their comeuppance.  This book introduces the reader to not only Monkey King but a world in which all mythologies exist simultaneously. Monkey King is on a mission to get the gods to see him, a beast, as valuable and powerful. Along the way he crosses paths with all sorts of mythological beings. His mischief both helps and harms his quest. The simplicity of the story and the art makes this easy for young readers to follow and stay engaged.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
 

Picture books for everyone - The Little Regent

 

The Little Regent by Yewande Daniel-Ayoade

This is a situation that we see sometimes in fiction - a child or someone else unexpected and atypical suddenly thrown into a leadership position. Usually it's played for laughs but ultimately comes to the conclusion that the unconventional leadership style is to everyone's benefit. That is somewhat the situation here, but in larger part our protagonist is following the example of her father. She leads with compassion, recognizing problems and finding practical ways to help. That's the strongest benefit of this book. It teaches children how to lead by example, how to affect practical change. With charming, dynamic illustrations that use rich colors this is a book worth reading.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass - A young woman in Tobago trying to hold onto life running a hotel while her best friend readies to leave the country and and her ex-boyfriend, now an international pop star, is back in town.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Kill Factor by Ben Oliver - A mash up of dystopian fiction, teen convicts, and influencer culture.

What do you think you'll read next?

War of the Wind by Victoria Williamson

Book review - Maddie's Ghost

 

Title: Maddie's Ghost

Author: Carol Fisher Saller

Genre: mystery

Similar books: A Case of Grave Danger by Sophie Cleverly

                      The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

Rating:

 

a pleasant mystery

Summary (provided by publisher): She was the first baby born at the new millennium, and a local TV station wants an interview. But when the reporter uncovers the dark history of Lainie's great-grandmother Maddie, who was executed for murder, the interview takes an alarming turn.
Determined to clear her ancestor's name, Lainie and her two best friends embark on a thrilling race against time. Following clues left by Madeleine herself, they unravel a shocking mystery that has been buried for decades.

My opinion: Saller has done a clever thing here, having her character investigate an historic murder. We get the importance of a murder mystery without the danger and direct threat. It matters for the characters. They are motivated to find the truth. But there is no danger to them. This one does suffer a little from emotional disconnect. The characters have little development. But it plays with the idea of ghosts in an intriguing way. Not a book that everyone will enjoy but one that will likely find an audience in a particular subset of middle grade readers.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso

 In many ways, this book is an example of what has become standard in a teen thriller. We have: a missing teen; friendships that largely exist in the summer; the power imbalance of the wealthy in a coastal town; a tenuous romance that is affected by grief; secrets that run deep in a community. It's not treading a lot of new ground or pushing boundaries, but sometimes that's okay. We don't always need a thriller to challenge us, just to entertain us. And this book is entertaining. It keeps a strong pace and balances revelations with emotional interest. Characters are strong enough to be engaging though not terribly deep. While some of the events push the bounds of beleivability, it doesn't go too far. This isn't a book bound to be a classic but it is entertaining.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Keeping Pace

 

Title: Keeping Pace

Author: Laurie Morrison

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros

                      Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera

Rating:

 

nice character arcs

Summary (provided by publisher): Grace has been working for years to beat her former friend Jonah Perkins’s GPA so she can be named top scholar of the eighth grade. But when Jonah beats her for the title, it feels like none of Grace’s academic accomplishments have really mattered. They weren’t enough to win—or to impress her dad. And then the wide, empty summer looms. With nothing planned and no more goals or checklists, she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to be working toward.
Eager for something to occupy her days, Grace signs up for a half-marathon race that she and Jonah used to talk about running together. Jonah’s running it, too. Maybe if she can beat Jonah on race day, she’ll feel OK again. But as she begins training with Jonah and checking off a new list of summer goals, she starts to question what—and who—really matters to her. Is winning at all costs really worth it?

My opinion: This novel presents us with a pair of ambitious characters who think they know everything about each other - and they don't like it. So of course they learn that other people are complex and outward appearances aren't what they seem. The lessons here are pretty clear cut. But that's okay. The characters are strong. And the arcs they go through are believable. They come to the end of the book as slightly improved versions of themselves. Grace is still ambitious and driven. Jonah is still emotionally closed off and a little oblivious. They're just working on becoming better and that's all we can really ask of realistic characters. This could be classified as a sports book but isn't too weighed down with jargon requiring explanation. It can be understood and appreciated by most middle grade readers.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Vest

 I spotted this photo a while back and I became obsessed with this look. Its one I'd love to recreate but the vest eludes me.

 

I thought I'd try recreating it myself and came up with this vest.

 

Not quite the same but it will do for now.

WWW Wednesdays

What are you currently reading?

Maddie's Ghost by Carol Saller - A girl looks for evidence of her great-grandmother's innocence, following clues that seem to come from a supernatural source.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Undercover Book List by Collen Nelson - In an effort to make a new friend when her bestie moves away, a girl communicates anonymously via a note in a library book and makes an unexpected connection.

What do you think you'll read next?

Crash Landing by Li Charmaine Anne

Non-fiction book review - Three Summers

 

Three Summers by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess

This is a compelling snapshot of Bosnia before the war. While there is some exploration of the rise of Slobodan Milosevic, this is not the main focus of the memoir. Instead it's a picture of being a girl, of dealing with grief and trying to figure out aspects of femininity that seem to come easily to others. It's forming close relationships with other girls and testing out boundaries. It's the limits and tenuous nature of life in a communist country. We get a strong picture of the culture of Bosnia, the historic relationship between Serbs and Muslims and how that became conflict. For the most part it's a lovely picture of relationships with just small glimpses into the conflict to come and what that meant for people. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Survival Scout: Tsunami

 

Survival Scout: Tsunami by Maxwell Eaton III

Extreme weather is a branch of science with high appeal for kids. And graphic novels add to that appeal. They allow the author to explain the science visually. This book adds a thin layer of "story" to the text but it's mostly a breakdown of the stages and causes of earthquakes and tsunamis. It conveys the danger and urgency of the situation without becoming overblown or fearmongering. There are plentiful safety and planning tips as well so this a a good one for parents to read with their children.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: Racism

 Some topics can be hard to talk about, hard to get kids to understand and empathize with. But they're part of everyday experience and must be explored. Racism is one of those topics and a book can be a great tool for facilitating conversation. Here are six books published in the past six months that feature racism as a central element.

6 new books that address racism

1. Tagging Freedom by Rhonda Roumi
2. Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill
3. Ghost Roast by Shawnee Gibbs
4. One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome
5. Call Me Iggy by Jorge Aguirre
6. Call Me Al by Wali Shah
   

Book review - Coyote Lost and Found

 

Title: Coyote Lost and Found

Author: Dan Gemeinhart

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Ashes to Asheville by Sarah Dooley

                     Far From Fair by Elana K Arnold

Rating:

 

entertaining and heart-felt

Summary (provided by publisher): It's been almost a year since Coyote and her dad left the road behind and settled down in a small Oregon town. . . time spent grieving the loss of her mom and sisters and trying to fit in at school. But just as life is becoming a new version of normal, Coyote discovers a box containing her mom’s ashes. And she thinks she might finally be ready to say goodbye.
So Coyote and her dad gear up for an epic cross-country road trip to scatter the ashes at her mom’s chosen resting place. The only problem? Coyote has no idea where that resting place is—and the secret’s hidden in a book that Coyote mistakenly sold last year, somewhere in the country. Now, it’s up to Coyote to track down the treasured book . . . without her dad ever finding out that it’s lost.
It’s time to fire up their trusty bus, Yager, pick up some old friends, discover some new ones, and hit the road on another unforgettable adventure.

My opinion: Clearly, this is a sequel to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise. You could read and understand this book without knowledge of the other but the background sure helps. Given the set up - traveling cross country on a bus on a time sensitive quest when her father doesn't know all the details - this could easily be a rehash of the first book. But Gemeinhart introduces new elements and characters. Setting the book at the beginning of the pandemic is one of those twists. The world is changing just as Coyote is trying to figure out her place in the world, how to fit in with her peers, and coming to terms with her grief. As with the first book, the journey is funny and heart-breaking in equal measure, showing the reader how the world can be cruel and kind. A solid choice for any middle grade reader.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis - Raised in a family of international thieves, our protagonist signs up for an elite heist competition in order to save her mother.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson - Bel is the reluctant participant in a documentary about the mysterious disappearance of her mother. Things get far more interesting when her mother reappears and her story doesn't sit right with Bel. Uncovering her mother's secrets brings to light more than Bel ever bargained for.

What do you think you'll read next?

Three Summers by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess

Book review - The Wrong Way Home

Title: The Wrong Way Home

Author: Kate O'Shaughnessy

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry by Chad Morris

                      Watch the Sky by Kirsten Hubbard 

Rating:

 

interesting and sympathetic

Summary (provided by publisher): Fern’s lived at the Ranch, an off-the-grid, sustainable community in upstate New York, since she was six. The work is hard, but Fern admires the Ranch's leader, Dr. Ben. So when Fern’s mother sneaks them away in the middle of the night and says Dr. Ben is dangerous, Fern doesn't believe it. She wants desperately to go back, but her mom just keeps driving.
Suddenly thrust into the treacherous, toxic, outside world, Fern thinks only about how to get home again. She has a plan, but it will take time. As that time goes by, though, Fern realizes there are things she will miss from this place—the library, a friend from school, the ocean—and there are things she learned at the Ranch that are just...not true.
Now Fern will have to decide. How much is she willing to give up to return to the Ranch? Should she trust Dr. Ben’s vision for her life? Or listen to the growing feeling that she can live by her own rules?

My opinion: There are a lot of elements of this book that we could discuss. Most important is the relationship between Fern and her mother, of course. The dynamic between them informs a great deal of the plot. The same could be said for the mother and her relationship with adults in her life. As her history is revealed we come to understand how her relationships lead her to living on the Ranch. It's all quite thoughtfully and carefully laid out. But I'm most interested in Fern herself. From the book's opening we see how Dr. Ben manipulates his followers. We can see and understand the toxicity of their environment. So Fern's insistence on returning to the Ranch is pretty clearly "wrong" to the reader. We know she's making choices that won't benefit her. But she is a consistent and empathetic character. Even as we understand that her decisions are wrong we can see why she makes them, why they are the logical choices for her. It's quite skillfully done and opens up an avenue for discussion with young readers. It's a great opportunity to talk about how environment and experience color perception and may contribute to helping young readers become more empathetic.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
 

Listen with me

 

The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso

It's becoming a familiar premise - a teen investigates the disappearance of her friend (or sometimes a sister) and uncovers secrets in her town. Still, it's a thriller which makes for good listening while running and I'm interested to see how Ichaso handles the concept. Let's find out together.