Book review - The Murderer's Ape

 

Title: The Murderer's Ape

Author: Jakob Wegelius

Genre: mystery

Similar books: The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by Eugene Yelchin

                      The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Rating:

detail oriented

Summary (provided by publisher): Sally Jones is not only a loyal friend, she's an extraordinary individual. In overalls or in a maharaja's turban, this unique gorilla moves among humans without speaking but understanding everything. She and the Chief are devoted comrades who operate a cargo boat. A job they are offered pays big bucks, but the deal ends badly, and the Chief is falsely convicted of murder.

For Sally Jones this is the start of a harrowing quest for survival and to clear the Chief's name. Powerful forces are working against her, and they will do anything to protect their secrets.

My opinion: Stylistically, this book is reminiscent of older books. I was reminded somewhat of reading Doctor Dolittle or Toby Tyler. These are slower, meandering adventures with plenty of attention to detail. And that is certainly the case with The Murderer's Ape. There is far more attention paid to how Sally Jones occupies her time after the Chief's arrest than in the investigation into clearing his name. The new evidence comes along largely as a side product as Sally Jones meets new people and has varied experiences. While the mystery is compelling and thoughtful, the slower pace may be frustrating for younger readers.

More information: The Murderer's Ape releases September 10.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Night of the Living Head by  Hanna Alkaf - Alia's normal bad luck gets even worse when her family moves back to a remote village from Kuala Lampur. When her estranged sister returns home as well, things take a spooky turn. Could it be that her sister is not what she appears?

What did you recently finish reading?

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Listen with me

 

Nightmare in the Backyard by Jeff Strand

I've read a couple of Strand's books before and they're typically good for a solid, middle grade friendly scare. And a campout is a pretty standard setting for a spooky story, so I'm curious to see Strand's approach. Let's find out together.

Non-fiction book review - What Do We Eat?

 

What Do We Eat? by Meagan Clendenan

What people eat sounds like a simple topic but it's surprisingly complex and fascinating. For one thing, Clendenan isn't just looking at types of foods. This book explores agriculture, preserving food, culture, ceremonial and holiday foods, and trade. It is the ways that food play into multiple parts of our lives and are informed by relationships both individually and on a global scale. With art throughout breaking up the blocks of text, this is interesting to read and look at. Choose this book for kids who are interested in how people interact and culture.

More information: What Do We Eat? releases September 17.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Finding the Clotilda

 

Finding the Clotilda by Anitra Butler-Ngugi

Africatown and the Clotilda were terms I'd heard but could not remember any details so I was primed for this book. The vocabulary is accessible and Butler-Ngugi lays out the information in a clear and concise manner. From this book we learn the whole story: the history of the Clotilda; the formation of Africatown; how racism destroyed the community that was built; how the Clotilda itself was found and verified; and how that discovery lead to the preservation of Africatown. A compelling read for fans of lesser known history.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Denim bowls

 Ever had a worn out pair of jeans and felt bad about throwing them away? There are many ways you can use that denim in crafting. For instance, my mother has been cutting jeans into strips and using crochet cotton to turn them into bowls like these:

Incidentally, these bowls and a few other designs are available on our Etsy shop.

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

House of Thorns by Isabel Strychacz - Lia's family has been falling apart for five years, ever since her older sister vanished and they fled from their house. She's been trying to be perfect. But now the house is calling them back and it's secrets will be revealed.

What did you recently finish reading?

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