Heartstopper Vol 3 by Alice Oseman

Summary from Goodreads:

In this volume we’ll see the Heartstopper gang go on a school trip to Paris! Not only are Nick and Charlie navigating a new city, but also telling more people about their relationship AND learning more about the challenges each other are facing in private…

Meanwhile Tao and Elle will face their feelings for each other, Tara and Darcy share more about their relationship origin story, and the teachers supervising the trip seem… rather close…?

Review:

I just can’t get enough of these books. And I guess I’m not the only one. I’m seeing them circulate like crazy at my library this summer. And I recently went to a an independent bookstore that was sold out of book 2 and 3! I love that kids (and adults) are reading them. They are just so good.  Book 4 is my next read and I can’t wait to start it tonight!

This volume has a special place in my heart because it takes place in Paris. It’s where my husband and I had our honeymoon, so seeing Charlie and Nick begin their love story there was super special for me. It was fun watching the characters go places I’d been to, and see things through their young eyes.

I also feel like I’m learning a lot from these books. I never really thought about how characters (or people) might have to come out over and over again to different people, and how each time and each person could be so different, and how draining that might be. Watching Nick experience it over and over was scary. And learning the long term effects of Charlie’s trauma are also scary. I love how Charlie and his friends are mostly so supportive and protective of the process for Nick. Yet, there are also moments (like one at a party) that are just so not fair and ugh, I feel like it’s so believable too.

Everything about these books feel so believable. The kids who are understanding and the ones who aren’t. Nick has to learn who to trust, who his real friends are, and it all seems like so much for characters who are so young, but I know this is how it is. And I love how much Nick and Charlie care about each other. All in all, I’m coming to really care for these characters, and I’m getting more excited to read volume 4, though I’m a little nervous my expectations are too high now for the Netflix show. I give this one a 9/10.

The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton

Summary from Goodreads:

Author Dhonielle Clayton makes her middle-grade debut with a fantasy adventure set in a global magic school in the sky.

Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, where Marvellers from all around the world come together to practice their cultural arts like brewing Indian spice elixirs, practicing Caribbean steel drum hypnosis, and bartering with fussy Irish faeries. Ella knows some people mistrust her Conjuror magic, often deemed "bad and unnatural," but she's eager to make a good impression—and, hopefully, some friends.

But Ella discovers that being the first isn't easy, and not all of the Marvellers are welcoming. Still, she connects with fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, who is never found without a magical creature or two. Just as Ella begins to find her way at the A.T.I., a notorious criminal escapes from prison, supposedly with Conjurors’ help. Worse, her favorite teacher Masterji Thakur never returns from a research trip, and only Ella seems concerned about his disappearance.

As tensions grow in the Marvellian world, Ella finds herself the target of vicious rumors and growing suspicions. With the help of her new friends, Ella must find a way to clear her family's name and track down her beloved mentor Masterji Thakur . . . before she loses her place at the A.T.I. forever.

Review:

I have to admit there were times when I thought this book was almost too much like Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor series….However, also like with Townsend’s books, I could not stop reading this one. I guess if I had to explain what this was, it’s kind of a mixture of Nevermoor and Amari and the Night Brothers (where are you book 2??). That being said, what a fun, magical start to a new series!

It took me a minute to get fully invested in the world. But, when I did, I really did. The folklore of New Orleans oozes through with every page. Then combine that magic and folklore with cultures and mythology from around the world.  Yes, please! Oh, and then a Hogwarts-esque school that’s up in the sky…and you have to take sky ferries to get there.

Also, racism is real in this book. The characters are diverse. If the magic involving kids with innate super powers, the immaculate world-building, the politics, and the fun characters don’t grab you, then there’s also the mystery storyline of an escaped convict, secret chaos societies, kidnappings, and hidden secrets layered throughout to keep you hooked. There’s just so much more I want to know! I guessed a major plot twist early on, but that’s only because this genre is my thing and I read A LOT. I can see kids being shocked.

I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I flew through this book. It was one of those instances where I was sad when it was over and went, “Oh…that’s it?” I’m excited to see where the author takes this story. I know kids will love this series too, especially fans of Townsend, Alston, and Messenger. I give it a 9/10.

Heartstopper Volume 2 by Alice Oseman

Summary from Goodreads:

Nick and Charlie are best friends. Nick knows Charlie's gay, and Charlie is sure that Nick isn't.

But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is discovering all kinds of things about his friends, his family ... and himself.

Review:

I think I liked this one even more than book 1. And I devoured book 1… I’m trying to space them out and not binge them all in one go, so I can savor these, but it’s so hard not to just go from one book to the next. They are just that good. I also really want to go watch the Netflix series now, but I’m not letting myself watch it until I read all the books first.

There’s just something so pure and authentic about these books. They ring so true to what falling in love for the first time feels like. I find myself having this stupid, goofy smile for most of my reading of it. Every scene that involves the ridiculously cute dog definitely brings out a smile. And I guess how can you not like this one more when the first book felt a little unrequited, and this one was just about love and starting a relationship?

So many YA and middle grade books are tough or serious (and we need those too), but it’s just so refreshing to read one that’s a little bit fluffy and easy. Though, this does have its moments too. Most of it is light. It’s a graphic novel you can sit down with and be done with in an hour, and then be tempted to go back to the beginning again.

The artwork is simple and monotone, but the expressions on the characters’ faces say everything you need to know. And a lot of the story is told via text messages. I’ll probably read the next two installments within the next week or so. And I’m really looking forward to it. They make for great, light, summer reads, particularly to those who like light romances. I give it a 10/10.

Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith

Summary from Goodreads:

In a magical medieval world filled with dragons, shape-shifters, and witches, a twelve-year-old hero will search for their place as an impending war threatens. A thrilling middle-grade series opener that stars a nonbinary tween and explores identity and gender amid sword fights.

My name is Callie, and I'm not a girl. I am here as Papa's squire, and I want to train as a knight.

In a world where girls learn magic and boys train as knights, twelve-year-old nonbinary Callie doesn't fit in anywhere. And you know what? That's just fine. Callie has always known exactly what they want to be, and they're not about to let a silly thing like gender rules stand in their way.

When their ex-hero dad is summoned back to the royal capital of Helston to train a hopeless crown prince as war looms, Callie lunges at the opportunity to finally prove themself worthy to Helston's great and powerful.

Except the intolerant great and powerful look at Callie and only see girl.

Trapped in Helston's rigid hierarchy, Callie discovers they aren't alone--there's Elowen, the chancellor's brilliant daughter, whose unparalleled power is being stifled; Edwyn, Elowen's twin brother, locked in a desperate fight to win his father's approval; and Willow, the crown prince who was never meant to be king.

In this start to an epic series packed with action, humor, and heart, Callie and their new friends quickly find themselves embedded in an ancient war--the only hope to defeat the dragons and witches outside the kingdom lies in first defeating the bigotry within.

Review:

I was both excited and a little nervous to read this one. Of course, I LOVED the idea of a nonbinary main character in a middle grade fantasy book about knights and magic and dragons! I guess I was a little nervous that the first representation for this would be overkill or not a great representation. I didn’t want the gender identity storyline to take such center stage so much so that kids would feel like they were being preached to. But, I also wanted this book to do justice to such an important topic. So, I guess it was a tough, but critical job for this author….

And for the most part, I think this author was very successful. I found the book hard to put down.   Sure, the similarities between the fantasy world and our own were very clear, but some of what was created for this world were amazing too. It wasn’t just the societal norms of women can only do this, and men can only do that….But, also, there was one bad person who abused her magic, so therefore, magic is bad and women who do too much magic are also no good.

It’s not the first book that tackles someone different wanting to be a knight, and it definitely made me think of Tamora Pierce. This is more the Tamora Pierce book of today, though less romantic and with a little more focus on gender identity (though there isn’t zero romance in it).

Personally, it felt like the author did run out of steam a bit at the end. It did feel a little overkill at the end too. I found myself skimming at that point. Not every single character has to learn about gender identity in book 1, or be punished for not getting it right away. I think too much went down at the end of the story. And I would have been okay and thought it more believable if that was spread out more throughout the series.

I did love all the training scenes, any parts that involved learning magic, and all the character development between the friends. I found the wold building to be excellent too. I think this is the start to what will be an excellent series. I just wish book 1 ended a little earlier. Overall though, I did really enjoy this book and I can see this book helping so many kids.  I was reading an ARC, and the finished book will be out in November. I give it an 8.5/10.

Gallant by Victoria Schwab

Summary from Goodreads:

Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

Review:

This was different…I kind of wish I read it on a rainy October evening, and not a heatwave sunny week in July. I feel like the best way to describe this book is to say that Victoria Schwab is already a successful author and can now do what she wants? You can tell she just went for it, and had fun with this story. It’s not the typical YA novel. This is a full-on atmospheric, horror story that will give you the creeps and keep you up late at night. And it’s not the kind of horror story I’ve come to anticipate. It’s not a fast-paced thriller. It’s the slow, eerie, almost old fashioned kind that makes you think of and black and white movies.

That being said, this book is not for everyone. And I can see a lot of folks putting this one down and not completing it. I almost did, a few times. I definitely tend to be more of a plot, high suspense kind of reader in the summer time. My brain just can’t appreciate the finer things when it is overworked and over-stressed, and overheated. That being said, I took classes on horror and noir in college, so this did speak to me….And the setting was everything. A mansion with secret passages, creepy gardens, family curses, doors to other worlds, zombie-looking ghosts, okay, yeah….this definitely spoke to me. The story also starts in a very creepy orphanage, reminiscent of the one in Jane Eyre.

I also found the idea of a mute main character interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the main character was mute. How this played into the story was really unique too. There were too many little mysteries that I wanted to find out. Were the ghosts really there? Why were they all missing limbs? What was the family curse? Why did her mother not want her to go to the house? The pacing was very slow. The book was more about the setting and the feeling of the setting than it was about the mysteries and not a lot happens until the very end. Then the end feels a bit rushed. However, I did mostly enjoy reading this. Not everyone will. Fans looking for something spooky, and anyone looking for a haunting ghost story will enjoy it. Just keep in mind, it’s not a lot like her other work. I give this one a 7/10.

Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

Summary from Goodreads:

Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more...?

Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn't been too great, but at least he's not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He's heard a little about Charlie - the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months - but he's never had the opportunity to talk to him.

They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner...

Review:

Sometimes you just need a super sweet, YA romance to fill you up with positive vibes. This is that book. I know I’m kind of slow to jump on this train. I guess this was on a lot of Library Best Books, in 2020, and since then has gotten also sorts of praise/positive reviews. I know it’s a Netflix series now too. I haven’t watched it yet. I think I want to read them all first. I know I must read them all.

I basically started this before bed one night, thinking I’d read a few pages before falling asleep (like I do with most books in the summer because my job exhausts me too much to read like I normally would for most of July), but I read the whole book in one go. I don’t do that often any more, even with graphic novels. I certainly don’t do that in July (busiest season for Cape Cod Children’s Librarians). But this book, just took me over, in a good way.

The artwork is just so charming, and simple in the best of ways. The panels are all big and easy to follow -no over complicated moments where you have to re-read something. The facial expressions of the teens are just so purely teenager. I have literally felt like I have seen teens making these faces. And everything they do is just so believable -from playing video games, to going to practice, to how they text each other. Nothing seemed too forced from the adult perspective.

And of course it’s one of my two favorite types of romance tropes: the friends to love trope. The two become best friends first. And you don’t get to see this kind of trope often with two guys in stories. It was all just so endearing and charming. I was sad when the book ended because I wanted more. I will have to get the next installment soon, so I can find out what happens next, and also so I can let myself watch the series too.

All in all, this un-put-down-able graphic novel was the sweet, fluffy romance I needed to read right now. I get the hype for it completely. I give it a 10/10.

Alliana Girl of Dragons by Julie Abe

Summary from Goodreads:

Once upon a time, Alliana believed in dreams and fairy tales as sweet as spun-sugar clouds. Alliana wished on shooting stars, sure that someday she and her grandmother would be able to travel to the capital city to see the queen. Then her grandmother passed away—and those dreams disappeared in a disenchanted puff.

Now Alliana’s forced to attend to the whims of her wicked stepmother—with long days of cleaning her stepfamily’s inn as her skin burns raw or staying up until the crack of dawn to embroider her stepsister’s ball gowns. Until she meets two beings who change her life forever—the first is a young nightdragon who Alliana discovers she can magically talk to. And the second is Nela, a young witch.

Nela needs Alliana’s help navigating the mysterious abyss, filled with dangerous beasts, a place Alliana knows by heart. Alliana sees Nela’s request as a chance to break free of her stepmother’s shadow and to seize a chance at a life she’s barely dared to hope for—but there’s a risk. If caught, Alliana will be stuck working for her stepmother for the rest of her life. Can Alliana truly make wisps of dreams into her own, better-than-a-fairy-tale happily ever after?

Inspired by the Japanese Cinderella story and set in the same world as the Eva Evergreen series, this story can be read as a standalone.


Review:

If you liked Julie Abe’s Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch, you’ll need to read this one too. I was lucky enough to get an ARC from my favorite book store in Chicago. I’m not a huge Cinderella fan, but I am a huge Julie Abe fan at this point. And how can anyone not fall in love with the cover of this book? Its publication date is sometime in August 2022 (so in a few weeks, I think).

What I loved about this version of Cinderella is that Alliana is no damsel. There is no prince. If you’re looking for the romance element of the tale, you’ll be disappointed. This one is more about self-worth, girl power, friendship, and choosing your own family. There is still a big ball where everything culminates, but what Alliana wants from the ball is a chance to get into a royal program that sounds kind of like an Ivy League school.

There are special magical elements to this book that really reminded me of old school Tamora Pierce. Alliana’s gift was a lot like the main character of Wild Magic. And I now have this strong itch to go back and read some old childhood favorites. I love how much time is spent talking about magical creatures. And this author also, weirdly, always makes me hungry….She spends a lot of time talking about baked goods!

The other thing Abe excels at in her books is a strong emphasis on the importance of kindness. Alliana (like Eva, and Eva’s mother before her) values helping others above almost all else. She wants to do right by her step-grandmother. She wants to help everyone. She sees value in doing the right thing. She never questions whether she should save the town she lives in or do what would value her more. In other words, Abe’s main characters are heroes. And it’s so nice to read about girl heroes.

I didn’t find the suspense or plot quite as riveting as I did in the Eva books. Maybe we all know the Cinderella plot so well, so there couldn’t exactly be a lot of surprises. I still read it rather quickly. I loved the characters and creatures. I liked the emphasis on kindness, and the overall message about standing up for your dreams and choosing your own family. I give it an 8/10.