Book review - Holly Horror

 

Title: Holly Horror

Author: Michelle Jabes Corpora

Genre: horror

Similar books: White Smoke by Tiffany D Jackson

                      Whispering Pines by Heidi Lang

Rating:

plot doesn't live up to the spooky imagery

Summary (provided by publisher): After her parents' painful divorce, Evie Archer hopes that moving to Ravenglass, Massachusetts, is the fresh start that her family needs. But Evie quickly realizes that her new home—known by locals as the Horror House—carries its own dark past after learning about Holly Hobbie, who mysteriously vanished in her bedroom one night.
But traces of Holly linger in the Horror House and slowly begin to take over Evie's life. A strange shadow follows her everywhere she goes, and Evie starts to lose sight of what's real and what isn't the more she learns about The Lost Girl.
Can Evie find out what happened the night of Holly's disappearance? Or is history doomed to repeat itself in the Horror House?

My opinion: There's no denying that the cover art for this book is creepy. A skeletal head in a prairie bonnet is a spooky image, especially when early scenes involve that head turning to look at people. The book doesn't live up to that promise, though. The plot on the whole is a pretty standard one and doesn't push much in the way of boundaries. Characters follow fairly expected patterns of behavior. The ending leaves a fair amount to be desired as well. While it's clearly setting up for a sequel, it doesn't do enough to resolve it's plot.

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Picture books for everyone

 

The Incredible Hotel by Kate Davies

At heart, this book tells a fairly standard story of a young person being undervalued because of their youth. It carries, then, messaging about how every person contributes to the whole and the importance of treating people with respect. The details won't be familiar to most. The average child has no experience with the inner working of a fancy hotel so it gives us a sense of peeking behind the curtain. The individual details are unique and the illustrations are wonderful, expressive and dynamic.

More information: The Incredible Hotel releases September 5.

Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Lost Library

 

Title: The Lost Library

Authors: Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee

                     Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Rating:

 

a charming love letter to books and small towns

Summary (provided by publisher): When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change.
Evan and his best friend Rafe quickly discover a link between one of the old books and a long-ago event that none of the grown-ups want to talk about. The two boys start asking questions whose answers will transform not only their own futures, but the town itself.

My opinion: Reading this book as an adult, the final twists seem pretty clear relatively early on. These secrets are well seeded in the first half of the plot. But that's okay. This is not really a mystery. Not beyond the surface elements. This is a story about kids at a point of transition, about examining the larger world for the first time, fearing the future but recognizing it's inevitability. Its about trauma and the things that break us. And the things that make us whole again. It is populated by compelling, complex characters who are believable. It's a charming, quick read that holds up to repeats.

More information: The Lost Library releases August 29 

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Graphic novel spotlight: Eerie Tales from the School of Screams

 

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable

Most of us go through a stage in our middle grade years where we devour horror stories. It's the reason for the consistent popularity of books like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or the Goosebumps series. This book fits neatly into that niche. As you might guess from the cover illustration it balances out the creepiness of the stories with a humorous cartoon style for the illustrations. The bulk of the book is a series of short stories, tales told by kids in the larger context of a creepy plot. None of it is terribly frightening, probably just enough to induce a shiver in a young reader. Don't expect this one to give your readers nightmares, just a bit of entertainment.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - I'll Tell You No Lies

 

Title: I'll Tell You No Lies

Author: Amanda McCrina

Genre: historical fiction

Similar books: The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

                      Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

Rating:

 

too scattered

Summary (provided by publisher): New York, 1955. Eighteen-year-old Shelby Blaine and her father, an Air Force intelligence officer, have just been wrenched away from their old life in West Germany to New York’s Griffiss Air Force Base, where he has been summoned to lead the interrogation of an escaped Soviet pilot. Still in shock from the car accident that killed her mother barely a month earlier, Shelby struggles with her grief, an emotionally distant father, and having to start over in a new home.
Then a chance meeting with Maksym, the would-be defector, spirals into a deadly entanglement, as the pilot’s cover story is picked apart and he attempts to escape his military and intelligence handlers—with Shelby caught in the middle. The more she learns of Maksym’s secrets, including his detention at Auschwitz during the war, the more she becomes willing to help him. But as the stakes become more dangerous, Shelby begins to question everything she has been told, even by her fugitive friend. Allies turn into enemies, and the truth is muddled by lies. Can she trust a traitor with her life, or will it be the last mistake she ever makes?

My opinion: This book starts with a solid premise - a girl already on the outside crossing paths with a defector and potential spy trying to find out the truth. It asks solid questions about where our loyalties lie and what things influence us. Not to mention shedding light on life inside of the USSR during the Cold War era. These were the elements that drew me in. The reality was far less compelling, mostly because it was too hard to follow. I can certainly understand how the lies inherent in the world of military intelligence would complicate every interaction. But a single conversation in this book asserts wildly different "truths". We have no time to rest in a story, to accept it and start believing it, before a character tells us that it is all lies. Nothing can be trusted and it changes so quickly that we don't form attachments to anyone or any thing. Without any consistency it's too hard to engage with the plot and characters.

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Non-fiction book review - Stuff Kids Should Know

 

Stuff Kids Should Know by Josh Clark, Chuck Bryant, and Nils Parker

If you're at all familiar with the podcast "Stuff You Should Know" then you have a pretty good idea of what you'll find in this book. In their typical humorous and conversational tone Clark and Bryant dig into the history of everyday items and events. The topics are all over the place but remain appropriate for a young audience. The vocabulary is careful and well explained but never talks down to it's intended audience. This is a great assortment of random information that will inform and entertain.

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Book Review - The International House of Dereliction

 

Title: The International House of Dereliction

Author: Jacqueline Davies

Genre: supernatural

Similar books: Ghosts, Toast, and other Hazards by Susan Tan

                     Almost There, Almost Not by Linda Urban

Rating:

 

A pleasant read

Summary (provided by publisher): Ten-year-old Alice is moving for the eleventh time.
She’s lived in so many houses, each more broken than the last, that home to Alice is nothing more than a place you fix and then a place you leave. After all, who needs a permanent home when you’re a whiz at fixing things?
But when Alice arrives at her new home, she can’t take her eyes off the house next door, the stately dark house that hulked in the dimming light. The once-grand mansion, now dilapidated and condemned, beckons Alice; it's the perfect new repair job!
As Alice begins to restore the House to its former splendor, she senses strange presences. Is there a heartbeat coming from the House’s walls? Is someone looking at her? Soon she realizes she’s not alone. Three ghosts have been watching, and they need Alice’s help to solve their unfinished business.
Will Alice be able to unravel the mysteries of the House and find her forever home . . . before it’s too late?

My opinion: It may seem odd at first, but there is certainly a place in middle grade fiction for books about ghosts that aren't scary. Her quest to help ghosts is a chance for Alice to act independently, to problem solve and discover her limits, but also to recognize when something is too big for a ten-year-old to handle on her own. This book presents us with four distinct reasons a person might become a ghost. It gives us rules for ghosts - where they can go, how much they can interact with the physical world, and how much they can remember. The quest has a clear set-up, a time frame limitation, and a solid complication. As one would expect from a ghost story, the messaging is primarily about living without regrets, finding a home, and being honest about your needs. It conveys these messages clearly but with finesse. An overall pleasant and engaging read.

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