Non fiction book review - Secrets of the Dead

 

Secrets of the Dead by Matt Ralphs

The appeal to this book is pretty clear. We take the mild ick/spook factor of the word "dead" and the clear influence of ancient Egypt in the central image. That alone is probably enough to get many kids to pick up this book. If they do, they won't be disappointed. There's plenty to read and learn about there. We of course get the exploration of the big discoveries - King Tut, Otzi, that sort of thing. But there are many other discoveries in this book as well from often over-looked cultures. With each entry we learn about the associated culture, the circumstances of the discovery, and what we have learned about history as a result. This is a solid read for fans of science and history alike.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Forgotten Magic of Zoey Turner

 

Title: The Forgotten Magic of Zoey Turner

Author: Erin Stewart

Age range: middle grade

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar book: When Wishes Were Horses by Cynthia Voight

Summary (provided by publisher): Zoey Turner used to see magic everywhere. With a dad like Zoey’s, it was hard not to. Not only did they read The Magic of Ever After series together every day, they also used to create original stories together. Used to. Ever since her dad died unexpectedly last year, all Zoey sees is danger.

Fear has shrunk homeschooled Zoey’s life to the span of one block, where she keeps close to the people that she needs the most. Her mom is almost never out of sight, and Jada, the owner of Ever After Books, is always around to talk about their favorite fantasy trilogy. Zoey finally ventures outside her comfort zone for the chance to meet famed author Raven M. Wells, only for the outing to lead to a panic attack.

Instead of a signed book, Zoey ends up with a novelty pencil embossed with the phrase make your own magic that she uses to cope with her disappointment by writing a story like the ones she and her dad shared. The next day, Zoey is shocked to find her fantastical tale has come true. Emboldened by the pencil, Zoey takes risks she thought were long behind her in pursuit of her happy ending. But is she really in charge of how the story ends?

What I liked: For all of it's overtures towards magic, this book is quite grounded and realistic. The characters are believable, their motivations fairly typical of middle grade fiction. It doesn't push us to accept anything too weird.

What I didn't like: While it's a largely believable plot it does rest a bit too heavily on some coincidence. While the depiction of grief is nuanced, the relationships are otherwise fairly simple.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay - Four generations of Filipino men living in the United States

What did you recently finish reading?

All the Blues in the Sky by Renee Watson - A girl copes with grief after the sudden death of her best friend.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Secret of Moonrise Manor by Stephanie Bearce

Listen with me

 

Our Shouts Echo by Jade Adia

I can't quite settle on how I feel about this book. From the start, when it was clear that the protagonist's prepper tendencies were rooted in a traumatic incident, I was anticipating a dramatic reveal. Because Adia very carefully talks around what happened without ever making it clear. And that reveal never came. There were a couple of other grand dramatic encounters that I expected that were never realized. In that way Adia defies the cliche scenes but it may not be to the book's ultimate benefit. There is no emotional resolution to some pretty significant set up. While the characters are compelling and the line by line reading is engaging, the book on the whole left a little something lacking.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Needy Little Things

 

Title: Needy Little Things

Author: Channelle Desamours

Age range: teen

Genre: mystery

Similar book: To Whatever End by Lindsey Frydman

Summary (provided by publisher): Sariyah Lee Bryant can hear what people need—tangible things, like a pencil, a hair tie, a phone charger—an ability only her family and her best friend, Malcolm, know the truth about. But when she fulfills a need for her friend Deja who vanishes shortly after, Sariyah is left wondering if her ability is more curse than gift. This isn’t the first time one of her friends has landed on the missing persons list, and she’s determined not to let her become yet another forgotten Black girl.

Not trusting the police and media to do enough on their own, Sariyah and her friends work together to figure out what led to Deja’s disappearance. When Sariyah’s mother loses her job and her little brother faces complications with his sickle cell disease, managing her time, money, and emotions seems impossible. Desperate, Sariyah decides to hustle her need-sensing ability for cash—a choice that may not only lead her to Deja, but put her in the same danger Deja found herself in.

What I liked: I love this variant of the psychic ability. I've seen a lot of restrictions on abilities but they usually are limits on the moment a person sees or a need for physical contact. Sariyah's ability and its intrusive nature make for an excellent plot device.

What I didn't like: The mystery here, while initially compelling, never made a lot of sense to me and that only deepened as the plot progressed. It goes in directions that are too extreme. While it makes an effort to highlight the unequal treatment of missing persons based on race, the plot follows dubious logic that ultimately harms its message.

More information: Needy Little Things releases February 4.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Digger by Deborah Cholette - A middle grade dystopian novel about kids in a race against time against a climate crisis.

What did you recently finish reading?

Needy Little Things  by Chanelle Desamours - A teen with the innate ability to give people the thing they most need searches for answers when her friend goes missing.

What do you think you'll read next?

A Better Nightmare by Megan Freeman

Book review - Under the Same Stars

 

Title: Under the Same Stars

Author: Libba Bray

Age range: teen

Genre: historical fiction

Similar books: Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar

                    The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh (this one skews younger but has similar bones)

Summary (provided by publisher): It was said that if you write to the Bridegroom’s Oak, the love of your life will answer back. Now, the tree is giving up its secrets at last.

In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message waiting for her in the Bridegroom's Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is sending messages too—but not to find love. As World War II unfolds in their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may hold the key to resistance against the Nazis.

In 1980s West Germany, American teen transplant Jenny feels suffocated by her strict parents and is struggling to fit in. Until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl hell-bent on tearing down the wall separating West Germany from East Germany, and meeting Frau Hermann, a kind old lady with secrets of her own.

In Spring 2020, New York City, best friends Miles and Chloe are slogging through the last few months of senior year when an unexpected package from Chloe’s grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two unidentified teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom’s Oak eighty years ago.

What I liked: It is apparent to the reader from very early on how these three narratives are connected. Sort of. We know that characters in the 80s and 2020 sections represent the older versions of characters from the earliest narrative; it isn't entirely clear until the end who is who, though. I spent a fair amount of my reading time guessing and changing my mind about identities. This is a deeply complex narrative but with enough in each section to drive the reader forward towards the inevitable conclusions.

What I didn't like: It is, perhaps, overly wordy at passages, lingering unnecessarily on some descriptions. And there is an element of predictability that will drive some readers away.

More information: Under the Same Stars releases February 4.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley