Book review - They're Watching You

 

Title: They're Watching You

Author: Chelsea Ichaso

Genre: thriller/mystery

Similar books: Sanctuary Bay by Laura J Burns

                     Poor Little Dead Girls by Lizzie Friend

Rating:

 

maybe too much of a stretch

Summary (provided by publisher): It's been two weeks since Polly St. James went missing. The police, the headmistress of Torrey-Wells Academy, and even her parents have ruled her a runaway. But not Maren, her best friend and roommate. She knows Polly had a secret that she was about to share with Maren before she disappeared— something to do with the elite, ultra-rich crowd at Torrey-Wells.
Then Maren finds an envelope hidden among Polly's things: an invitation to the Gamemaster's Society. Do not tell anyone, it says. Maren is certain her classmates in the Society know the truth about what happened to Polly, though it's no easy feat to join. Once Maren's made it through the treacherous initiation, she discovers a world she never knew existed within her school, where Society members compete in high-stakes games for unheard-of rewards—Ivy League connections, privileges, favors.
But Maren's been drawn into a different game: for every win, she'll receive a clue about Polly. And as Maren keeps winning, she begins to see just how powerful the Society's game is—bigger and deadlier than she ever imagined. They see, they know, they control. And they kill.

My opinion: A book about a secret society is already asking you to willingly suspend your disbelief. So it has to create a believable, compelling scenario. I though that was going to be the case here. I actually really love the idea of this society structuring around games. Not games of chance, but those of skill, of planning your moves twelve steps ahead and using information to your best advantage. It's a solid concept. Unfortunately the details are for more to the extreme. And the characters are not compelling and believable enough to drive the plot and keep us engaged. The result is a story that tries too hard and suffers as a result.

More information: They're Watching You releases January 3.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

What better way to roll into the new year than with a heavy tale about a kid living through the COVID pandemic learning about the Ukranian famine of the 1930's? In all seriousness, this sounds like a fascinating tale about a very seldom mentioned part of history that I am genuinely looking forward to hearing. 

Non-fiction book review - Meet the National Animals

 

Meet the National Animals by Catherine Veitch

I don't know about anyone else, but I had never really thought much about what animals might be the symbol for other nations, so This was a fun exploration. Some will come as little surprise  - the kiwi for New Zealand, the panda for China, the Lemur for Madagascar - but others required a bit of explanation. And we do get that. Each page gives us a few facts about the animal and a sentence or two about why they are the symbol for that nation. With a simple vocabulary and cartoon style illustrations even a young child will enjoy this book in small doses.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Book review - Ode to a Nobody

 

Title: Ode to a Nobody

Author: Caroline Brooks DuBois

Genre: realistic fiction/verse novel

Similar books:The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

                     Rhyme Schemer by K A Holt

Rating:

 

solid

Summary (provided by publisher): Before the storm, thirteen-year-old Quinn was happy flying under the radar. She was average. Unremarkable. Always looking for an escape from her house, where her bickering parents fawned over her genius big brother.
     Inside our broken home / we didn’t know how broken / the world outside was.
But after the storm, Quinn can’t seem to go back to average. Her friends weren't affected by the tornado in the same way. To them, the storm left behind a playground of abandoned houses and distracted adults. As Quinn struggles to find stability in the tornado’s aftermath, she must choose: between homes, friendships, and versions of herself.
       Nothing that was mine / yesterday is mine today.

My opinion: DuBois has created an interesting combination of elements here. You might not think that a natural disaster story would be well conveyed by the verse novel format but since the tornado functions largely as a catalyst for addressing relationship issues, for forcing Quinn to come to terms with her own opinions and strengths, it words surprisingly well. As with any verse novel, our relationship with and understanding of the characters is limited. But this is a strong example of the genre.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 1

Christmas wouldn't be complete if I didn't make at least one sheep. I found my inspiration from this pin. I'm not sure what the original was made from but I used cardboard, a little craft foam, and some angora yarn that I spun. This was part of my first attempt at spinning and it was messy, to say the least. It wasn't going to knit well so this was the perfect way to use it. The base is simple, a ring with small rectangles for legs. Since the legs will be exposed I wanted them reinforced with craft foam.

Then I just wrapped the yarn around the ring until it the body looked fluffy enough. I glued on another piece of foam for the head and secured the loose end of the yarn on top. With a pin back and a little string bow, it adds nicely to my coat.

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 2

 Christmas is nearly upon us! That means it's time to start making holiday pies. Personally, I'm partial to blueberry. But when I set about making this fellow he insisted on being more of a cranberry color.

I neglected to photograph the process here but his tin is made from a whipped topping container, the crust and filling from an old foam mattress pad. Both foam and plastic are covered in pieces cut from old t-shirts.

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 3

 I have decorated this wreath every year and never found a design that I was especially happy with. This year, though, I may have found a keeper. I decorated some wood ornament cutouts with permanent marker and glued them to the wreath. What's more festive than pokeballs?