Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch by Julie Abe

Summary from Goodreads:

Eva Evergreen has fulfilled her dream of earning the rank of Novice Witch, and discovered the chilling truth behind the mysterious Culling -- the violent magical storm wreaking havoc across Rivelle Realm.

Revealing the truth, however, proves to be a difficult task and soon the culprit is at large. To make matters worse Eva learns what might be the horrible truth behind her pinch of magic and her mother's own mysterious connection to the Culling and rogue magic.

With her spirits at an all-time low, Eva must muster up the courage to prove her mother's innocence and learn to believe in her own magic, if she wishes to put a stop to the Culling once and for all.

Review:

I saw this book going through the delivery at my library and I hadn’t realized it had already come out! I really enjoyed the first book. I even attended a virtual library panel and watched the author do a reading from this sequel. I was super excited for it’s release. And then all of a sudden it surprised me! I of course ordered it right away.

The first book was like a sweeter version of Kiki’s Delivery Service mixed with Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and a little bit of Pokemon. It just made me feel good. I wish it was a Netflix series I could binge. I remember thinking the sequel would probably be a cute companion or I’d probably enjoy it just as much or maybe not quite as much. I was wrong. I liked it more!

This one has all the sweetness and fluff of book 1. But, it’s also deeper! There’s more darkness. There’s more bravery and rescue to this one. It’s more about saving people then about saving the world and I know this doesn’t like it, but it felt more dramatic. The characters were more developed. The world felt more real. There becomes a point, about half way through, when it’s just impossible to put this story down. You have to know what’s going to happen! The stakes are just so high.

All in all, I loved this. Julie Abe is an author to keep your eye on, for sure. I can’t wait to read more from her. I give this one a 10/10.

A Good Week in Books (228)

 

I don’t do a lot of these posts any more. But, I’ve recently received a lot of books to review, thanks to Hachette and my favorite independent bookstore in Chicago. I took a trip back there for the first time since the pandemic started. And stepping into my favorite bookstore for the first time in 2 years, after learning that some of my old libraries and other bookstores had closed for good, was like re-connecting with family members. I also purchased one signed book while shopping.

My husband, my puppy, and I also listened to a lot of audiobooks on our 2 day road trip to Chicago, and then our 2 day road trip back to MA. I didn’t do a ton of reading on my vacation, but I’ve been a reading a lot since. And I can’t seem to get out of the audiobook trend lately. I go in and out of loving them.

Here are all the lovely new books accumulated over the last few weeks:

All My Rage (signed) by Sabaa Tahir
Alliana Girl of Dragons (ARC 8/22) by Julie Abe

The Song that Moves the Sun (ARC 6/22) by Anna Bright

Outlaw Saints Book 1: Ballad & Dagger (ARC 5/22) by Daniel Jose Older

Aru Shah and the End of Time the Graphic Novel by Roshani Chokshi

Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa

Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate

I can’t wait to dig into them!

The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

Summary from Goodreads:

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Last summer, Mackenzie Bishop, a Keeper tasked with stopping violent Histories from escaping the Archive, almost lost her life to one. Now, as she starts her junior year at Hyde School, she’s struggling to get her life back. But moving on isn’t easy, not when her dreams are haunted by what happened. She knows the past is past, knows it cannot hurt her, but it feels so real. When her nightmares begin to creep into her waking hours, she starts to wonder if she’s truly safe.

Meanwhile, people are vanishing without a trace, and the only thing they seem to have in common is Mackenzie. She’s sure the Archive knows more than they are letting on, but before she can prove it, she becomes the prime suspect. Unless Mac can track down the real culprit, she’ll lose everything: not only her role as Keeper, but her memories – and even her life. Can Mackenzie untangle the mystery before she herself unravels?

Review:

So, I devoured book 1. I knew it wouldn’t be very long before I’d get to book 2. And I of course ate this one up also. I might have liked this one even more than the first installment. I certainly read it quicker. I could’t put the book down. I was up really late reading, even though I had work in the morning. And honestly, is there a better kind of book?

This one seemed more real to me than the first book. Mac had school to deal with. She somehow had to manage her crazy, supernatural/ghost-hunting job, do her secret agenda detective work, help her family out with their new coffee shop business, and attend a private school for the first time. It all seemed more believable now. I guess her parents seemed more believable in this one too. They definitely seemed more aware of where their daughter was and what she looked like (ie: why she’d randomly be bruised and broken). It seemed more in the “real world,” than book 1, which felt more dream like.

This book also had the whole “Am I going crazy?” trope going for it. Mac didn’t know if she was actually seeing things or if she was going mad from lack of sleep. She was blacking out and unsure of herself and this made the whole mystery even more mysterious. Also, everything just felt more developed. The world, the characters, the concepts. Everything just fit together more. And honestly, I wouldn’t hate another book in this series….Though, I know it’s been quite some time since this book came out.

I loved that things weren’t always what they appeared to be. I was surprised a few times. But, also I came to comfortably expect surprises, if that makes sense. this would make a fantastic Netflix show (or CW drama).

Basically, I don’t really have anything negative to say about this. I loved it. I read it way too quickly. I want to go find all the books I haven’t read by this author and read them now. I give it a 10/10.

Starfish by Lisa Fipps

Summary from Goodreads:

Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this debut novel-in-verse.

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life–by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.

Review:

Wow. What a fantastic book!  I was not expecting to be so emotionally connected to this, but I was. I had to have Kleenex nearby for this one. I was not a fat kid, but when I hit puberty, I grew heavier and was bullied a little for it. Ever since, I’ve struggled with weight. I have certain health issues that make dieting very hard (I cannot eat a lot of healthy things, like raw vegetables). And like Ellie, I’ve have had a rocky relationship with my mother when it comes to food. There’s something about mothers, daughters, and food. I think part of it is that mothers know and don’t want their daughters to go through the torment. And part of it is a health thing. They want their children to be healthy and live a long time.

But, in Starfish, it’s abundantly clear, that Ellie’s mother has a lot more on her mind than health. She’s obsessed with Ellie’s weight. Ellie is in therapy and doesn’t feel loved by her mother because of this obsession. She is bulled at school for her weight. She is bulled at home for her weight. The only place she feels safe really is in her swimming pool, where she is left alone.

This is a book about finding your voice, about learning to stand up for yourself, and about getting help when you need it because no matter what anyone says, all people (no matter what they look like) deserve help and deserve to be loved. There were moments I had to pause because the book was so sad. It took physical bruises for Ellie’s sister to understand the level of bullying that was taking place. And the shift in their relationship was great, but it hurt so much that this is what it took for her to see things clearly. The hardest relationship though was with the mother. The things she did were just so terrible. The doctors, the articles, the trash searches, and mirror monitors, the words said and unsaid, were just terrible.

Poor Ellie had nowhere safe really. When something terrible happened at school, she couldn’t talk about at home with her mother. She had no sympathy there. Her siblings were worse. And her best friend moved away. It was just so sad. I was so glad when she started talking to her therapist. I’m glad she had her father. This really pointed out too how little teachers get involved, and how prevalent and easy it is for kids to bully or to do nothing when bullying is happening. This wasn’t an easy book to read. It was sad, but also had a hopeful ending. It reads quickly somehow, maybe because it’s told in verse. All in all, I thought the author did a fantastic job conveying everything, and expressing how to handle tough situations. I give it a 10/10.

Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow by Emma Steinkellner

Summary from Goodreads:

In this hilarious and heartwarming sequel to the bestselling and critically acclaimed graphic novel, The Okay Witch, half-witch Moth Hush uses magic to boost her confidence with disastrous results—perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Molly Ostertag!

Moth Hush is starting to settle into her newfound witch heritage and powers, but life at school continues to be rough. Even her best friend, Charlie, doesn’t entirely understand what it’s like for her to always be the one who gets mocked, and things only get worse when Moth’s mom starts dating one of the dorkiest teachers in the school! Then Moth gets hold of a mysterious charm that can unleash another version of herself—one who is confident, cool, and extremely popular. What could possibly go wrong?

Review:

I found this sequel just as enjoyable, if not more so to book 1. I hope this becomes a long series. I love seeing a POC main character in what is typically such a white role. I also love the fresh take on bullying, on self-esteem, on teen witches, and even on talking cats. Everything about this story is a re-fresh on a classic trope, and I’m all for it.

It was also kind of nice to have a main character who isn’t secretly crushing on anyone. It’s not about being saved by a boy or even rescuing a boy. It’s serious about Moth, and her needs and wants. And again, I’m all for it! I also love the intergeneration storyline with the daughter, mother, and grandmother. The world-building is fantastic. I also felt like I was getting to know some of the side characters a bit more. There are some other characters I want to know more, but  I feel like this could be just the beginning. I hope it’s just the beginning. I really think it could be the start of something big and wonderful.

Moth has to learn when to do things the hard way, and when to do things with magic. But what young witch wouldn’t have to learn that? And who wouldn’t want to use magic to get people to like them, or to stop bullying them? I really like Moth and her mother. I can’t help but want them to succeed.

I highly recommend these books to all graphic novel fans, particularly ones who like fantasy. I give this one a 9/10.

A Good Week in Books (227)

I haven’t done one of these posts in a long time! I’ve gotten remarkably good at not buying books, and mostly utilizing my library, and actually reading the very large TBR shelf I have at home. I do receive some new books for review every once in a while, and I wanted to share some I received recently from Hachette, which is killing it right now with their Middle Grade books. I received 4 from them recently. I cannot wait to get reading!

The new books:

Shattered Midnight by Dhonielle Clayton

Tiger Honor by Yoon Ha Lee
Solimar by Pam Munoz Ryan
The Temperature of Me and You by Brian Zepka

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Summary from Goodreads:

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous—it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost, Da's death was hard enough, but now that her little brother is gone too, Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself may crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

Review:

This is one of those books that I have owned forever and have known that I would love forever, but just have never gotten around to reading. I have no idea why. The concept of this book sounds so awesome. I already know I love this author. I have read both a kids book and an adult book by her that I LOVE. Weirdly, I think this is the first book I owned by the author….I even have it signed by the author and made out to me, circa 2013….I have no excuse.  So, basically, I opened this book up 9 years later, and what’s my verdict?

I’m obsessed.

What was I waiting for? It’s literally a combination of all the things I love in one book: a tough girl main character who kicks serious butt, ghosts (aka: histories), a library to end all libraries, haunted old buildings, secret worlds within worlds that most people don’t know about, a very dark family hunter/ Supernatural (tv show) way of passing the torch, empathic powers, love triangles, and a Twilight Zone atmosphere. This is something I’d call catnip for me.

I couldn’t put this book down. For some reason, I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. It didn’t get as high a rating as the author’s other books online. It’s definitely some of her earliest work. But, I loved it. It’s one of those books that will keep you up late at night both because you have to know what will happen next, (What do those librarians really do? What is actually happening in this apartment building? Why are there so many ghosts/histories?) but, also because it’s soooo creepy. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Mac has the ability to read the history of an object or a place too. And she witnesses a very awful murder in the bedroom she has to sleep in! Talk about a dark book…I would not be able to sleep there.

The only thing I can’t help but noticing in more and more YA books, as I get older is how authors write the absence of parents. And I first thought Mac’s Da was dead and I kept getting confused because then the book mentioned her father….But, then I pieced together that “Da” was actually her grandfather. I guess I was just slow on that one… But, what I’m trying to say is, the author tried to make Mac’s parents absent or maybe absent minded because they were all in mourning. And while I can see this working to some extent, I’m not sure it was believable to the extent where Mac would be gone at all hours and return covered in scars and bruises. How did her parents not see any of this???? I get that this life has to be a secret, but I feel like her parents were TERRIBLE, and not just excused for being in mourning. Or am I just really showing my age here?

All in all though, I could not put this book down. I cannot wait to get to book 2. I give this one a 9/10.