Book review - What Comes Next

 

Title: What Comes Next

Author: Rob Buyea

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Tips for Magicians by Celesta Rimington

                      Things You Can't Say by Jenn Bishop

Rating:

 

not my favorite

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Thea and her family are moving to a new town for a fresh start--her parents' bright idea. To Thea, it feels like running away. She lost her best friend, Charlie, in a tragic accident, and in the painful aftermath, she has gone mute. Her two younger sisters, however, are excited about moving, especially after their dad promises that the family will get a rescue puppy. This doesn't change Thea's mind, though, until Jack-Jack bounds into her life and makes it clear that he is no ordinary dog. As she bonds with Jack-Jack, and as the dog's mischievous ways steer her toward someone she can confide in, Thea opens up to the possibility of new friendships and forgiveness, and comes to believe in what cannot be fully explained.

My opinion: There's this method that authors use to parcel out information, where they hint at something, talk around it, for multiple chapters before finally telling us in a clear way what happened. That can be effective in the short term but when it is the main source of tension in the plot it can feel manipulative. A dog as a device for dealing with grief is a solid plot element but that dog having almost mystical abilities didn't really do much for me.

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Father's Day paint

 I have one of those dads who is really difficult to shop for. He has very plain tastes, doesn't really collect anything. His current hobby is watching his bee hive. That's right - sitting in a chair and watching the bees fly in and out of their hive. I can't explain what interests him, but it led me to make him this custom t-shirt.

Of course, a t-shirt isn't much of of a gift but that was really more of a token. His real gift was a project we'd talked about a couple of weeks ago. My parents have a spring horse that they keep for the kids they babysit. It gets a lot of use and thus has been looking a bit worn recently.

 

we'd taken to calling it "Old Paint"

I gave it a good scrub to clear of the mud, moss, and any loose paint. For the new paint, I used Rust-oleum multi-surface spray paint. Once the paint has cured for a full 24 hours, it will get a layer of clear coat spray.

 

I wanted to call this new version "Wet Paint" but I've been outvoted

 

Book review - Ham Helsing

 

Title: Ham Helsing Vampire Hunger

Author: Rich Moyer

Genre: fantasy/comedy/graphic novel

Similar books: Dungeon Critters by Natalie Riess

                      Cucumber Quest by D.G. Gigi

Rating:

 

good fun

Summary (provided by publisher): Ham Helsing is the descendant of a long line of adventurers and monster hunters--who don't often live to rest on their laurels. Ham has always been the odd pig out, preferring to paint or write poetry instead of inventing dangerous (dumb) new ways to catch dangerous creatures.
His brother Chad was the daredevil carrying on the family legacy of leaping before looking, but after his death, it's down to Ham. Reluctantly, he sets out on his first assignment, to hunt a vampire. But Ham soon learns that people aren't always what they seem and that you need a good team around you to help save your bacon!

My opinion: The plot of this book is fairly predictable, but that's honestly not much of a problem. Even if we know where the book is headed the journey is pretty fun. The jokes are usually based on the lowest common denominator, but that makes it pretty accessible for a middle grade audience. And you don't need much beyond a basic understanding of vampire lore to understand the ideas on which the book is based. A quick glance at the illustrations will make it clear that this is not intended to be taken seriously. The large heads and small limbs of the characters are indicative of the humorous nature of the plot. And it is pretty silly. There is some simple messaging about the assumptions we make about others based on stories we hear growing up and the destructive nature of pride. Mostly just a lot of fun with an entertaining cast of characters.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen With Me

 

Baby and Solo by Lisabeth Posthuma

This book promises personal secrets (the summary includes the phrases "The Bad Thing That Happened" and "What Was Wrong With Him" in capitals like that for emphasis) and the backdrop of small town life in the 90s. I expect good things from this one.

Book review - Oddity

 

Title: Oddity

Author: Eli Brown

Genre: fantasy/alternate history

Similar books: The League of Seven by Alan Gratz

                     Uncrashable Dakota by Andy Marino

Rating:

 

an exciting read

Summary (provided by publisher): The daughter of a murdered physician vows to protect the magical Oddity he left behind in an alternate nineteenth century where a failed Louisiana Purchase has locked a young Unified States into conflict with France.
It’s the early 1800s, and Clover travels the impoverished borderlands of the Unified States with her father, a physician. See to the body before you, he teaches her, but Clover can’t help becoming distracted by bigger things, including the coming war between the US and France, ignited by a failed Louisiana Purchase, and the terrifying vermin, cobbled together from dead animals and spare parts, who patrol the woods. Most of all, she is consumed with interest for Oddities, ordinary objects with extraordinary abilities, such as a Teapot that makes endless amounts of tea and an Ice Hook that freezes everything it touches. Clover’s father has always disapproved of Oddities, but when he is murdered, Clover embarks on a perilous mission to protect the one secret Oddity he left behind. And as she uncovers the truth about her parents and her past, Clover emerges as a powerful agent of history. Here is an action-filled American fantasy of alternate history to rival the great British fantasies in ideas and scope.

My opinion: Oddity is a story that jumps right in with action and never quits. We are introduced to a wide variety of characters, each with a unique flaw that influences the plot. Some characters overcome their flaws, others embrace them. The moral issues that the characters confront are more subtle than we often see in middle grade fiction. I might have liked to have explored the oddities themselves, their nature and source, a bit more but there's room for a sequel that could achieve this end. The story is exciting enough to keep us reading through to the end with enough thought and heart that it has the potential to spark conversation after reading.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Fly puppet

 I'm in the process of developing some puppets to sell at craft fairs. While I come up with the right designs, I've been playing with other ideas including the sock puppet I made this weekend of a housefly. My favorite part is the sequins on top of metallic paint for the eyes.

Book review - Happily for Now

 

Title: Happily for Now

Author: Kelly Murphy

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Under the Bottle Bridge by Jessica Lawson

                     The Perfect Place by Teresa Harris

Rating:

 

heartfelt

Summary (provided by publisher): Fiona may have problems, but she's no damsel in distress. She'd rather be the one wielding the wand in the story: she wants to be the fairy godperson. So when her mom sends her off to stay with relatives in a place called Cold Hope for the summer, Fiona decides it's time to start training for the role.
And wow, do these people need help! Aunt Becky's bakery is failing, Great-uncle Timothy draws but never speaks, and Great-Aunt Alta is the gloomiest, doomiest woman she's ever met.
But helping people in the real world isn't as easy as it sounds in fairy tales. Change is messy. What if she's actually making things worse?
Still, with practice (and some deep breaths), Fiona will discover that sometimes messy is okay. Sometimes things do get worse before they get better. And sometimes trying to help fix other people's problems can help you work on your own...

My opinion: Jones has combined an interesting group of elements here. We don't often see a book for a young audience like this with a parent battling addiction. That detail, while a relatively minor plot element, does a lot to inform Fiona's character. It is the reason behind her anxiety and need for control, her dislike for yelling and her compulsive need to help. I like the emphasis on setting boundaries, empowering children to say "I don't like that" or "this is the right thing for me". While the adult characters are fairly one dimensional, the kids are complex. A solid read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley