Keeper of the Lost Cities: Stellarlune by Shannon Messenger

Summary from Goodreads:

In this stunning ninth book in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie and her friends discover the true meaning of power—and evil.

Sophie Foster changed the game.

Now she’s facing impossible choices:
When to act.
When to trust.
When to let go.

Her friends are divided and scattered, and the Black Swan wants Sophie to focus on their projects. But her instincts are leading her somewhere else.

Stellarlune—and the mysterious Elysian—might be the key to everything. But finding truth in the Lost Cities always requires sacrifice. And as the Neverseen’s plans sharpen into terrifying focus, it appears that everyone has miscalculated. The Lost Cities’ greatest lie could destroy everything. And in the battle that follows, only one thing is certain: nothing will ever be the same.

Review:

There are very few books I pre-order any more…This was one of them. I think I might have even  been waiting over a year for it….During the initial shut-down in 2020, these books were my lifeline. I’m so glad they exist. Are they great literature? Absolutely not. I feel like I find so many editing mistakes in them. But, reading them is like binging the ultimate guilty pleasure tv show. In fact, they’d make for some outstanding television.

I have to admit that my brain is getting older and even though I read all of this series not that long ago, I started this book and scratched my head. I had to go to Wikipedia and look up some past plot points and characters. Thank God for fans. There are so many fans and fan theories out there for these books that I didn’t even know about! After I fell down that rabbit hole, I was back in the game, and reading this was just a pure delight.

The beginning of the book was a little slow for me. Not a lot happened. It was a lot of back and forth between the characters with not a lot of action. Basically, they all argued a lot about the things that transpired in the previous book, and everyone seemed super upset at Sophie.  But, finally Sophie gets her groove back and things pick up plot-wise. By mid book, I couldn’t put it down.

I was a little put off by the lack of appearance of my favorite character. However, this was more than made up for (and then some). I’ve already gone back and re-read a certain scene a few times because I guess I’m a fan now….And of course this wouldn’t be the book we were all waiting for if it didn’t have crazy twists and turns in it, along with a nuts-o cliffhanger at the end. Let’s just hope it’s not another 2 years before the next installment. I give this one an 8/10.

Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega and art by Rose Bousamra

Summary from Goodreads:

A middle grade graphic novel about Marlene, a young girl who stops straightening her hair and embraces her natural curls.

Marlene loves three things: books, her cool Tía Ruby and hanging out with her best friend Camila. But according to her mother, Paola, the only thing she needs to focus on is school and "growing up." That means straightening her hair every weekend so she could have "presentable", "good hair".

But Marlene hates being in the salon and doesn't understand why her curls are not considered pretty by those around her. With a few hiccups, a dash of embarrassment, and the much-needed help of Camila and Tia Ruby—she slowly starts a journey to learn to appreciate and proudly wear her curly hair.

Review:

As someone with extraordinarily thick, curly hair, I had to read this….The cover alone drew my attention. I related to the main character on so many levels. I never had anyone force me to straighten my hair. However, until I was an adult, I never really felt like anyone understood how to cut, style, or work with my hair (including my mother, any person working in a salon I went to, or myself). Thankfully, over the course of the years, I’ve developed my own routine of products, salons, and styles. But, you’d think my hair was from outer space or something….

What made this book so heart-wrenching was that all (or most) of Marlene’s image problems were coming from her mother. Her mother was perpetuating the notion that curly and frizzy and natural was ugly because that was what she was taught. And again, while this might not have been something I got from my Mom, there are other lessons I did learn from the generation before that are just not true. Let’s face it. This new generation is a generation of more acceptance -more body positivity and less shaming. Or, I’m hopeful that’s the direction we are going in.  And Frizzy  did a good job of covering the differences in our generations.

If only we all had that fairy godmother character (Tia Ruby) though….Thank Goodness she was there to show Marlene the magic of leave-in conditioner.  For those of us that don’t have curly hair aunt superheroes who can take us under their wings, I guess there are plenty of Youtube or TikTok tutorials? I’m also not sure it was entirely believable that the mother ended on such a good note…Don’t get me wrong. The ending was adorable. I might have gone “Awwww,” out loud, but I’m positive it would not gone that way in real life. While I’m glad it ended well for Marlene, the mom joining them was a tad over the top for me.

Still, all in all, I’m glad this book exists. I love the positive messages it shares bout different people and different types of hair. I also love what it says about generations learning the wrong thing sometimes and needing to un-learn those things. All in all, it was a very sweet, quick read. The art is fantastic. And I can see a lot of kids really liking this one. I give it an 8/10.

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

Summary from Goodreads:

Lahore, Pakistan. Then.
Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.

Juniper, California. Now.
Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding.

Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah’s health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle’s liquor store while hiding the fact that she’s applying to college so she can escape him—and Juniper—forever.

When Sal’s attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth—and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst.

From one of today’s most cherished and bestselling young adult authors comes a breathtaking novel of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness—one that’s both tragic and poignant in its tender ferocity.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir comes a brilliant, unforgettable, and heart-wrenching contemporary YA novel about family and forgiveness, love and loss, in a sweeping story that crosses generations and continents.

Review:

So, I wasn’t expecting to love this book so much, but I did. It’s the kind of YA novel that punches you in the gut, and makes you feel all of the emotions. I love stories that cross generations like this one. It was the immigrant story and the children of immigrants story. It was the survivor story and the dreamer story. There was so much harshness in here at times, I had to put the book down and just question why the world was so hard. I would have devoured this book as a teenager. And as an adult, it just makes me feel everything. And sometimes you just need a book that does that.

I’ve had a rough week. I lost a friend who was way too young, and as I write a review for a book that deals a lot with grief and I think about all the things connecting me to this story, I also can’t help but think of hope. There’s something so special to the love in this book. That Sal and Noor can experience all the hardship that they do, yet be so selfless and good is just remarkable. The characters in this book are of course flawed and real. They wouldn’t feel so real otherwise. But, there are these underlying themes of love, redemption, hope, and recovery.

I’m not sure if I’ve read Tahir before, but now I’m definitely curious about her, and want to read more. If her fantasy books have a fraction of the talent and character development of this book, they’d be worth the read.

It is worth noting that this book covers a variety of tough topics that could be triggering for some readers. It covers everything rom physical abuse, drug use and sales, alcoholism, bullying, xenophobia, sexual abuse, and death of family. It is not a light read. It’s a beautiful, powerful, truthful read. I give it a 10/10.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Summary from Goodreads:

Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama's betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her.

Review:

This was my second Elizabeth Lim novel. I really enjoyed Spin the Dawn, though I struggled a bit getting into its sequel. Sometimes, I just wish authors would end books with 1. I might attempt to read it at another time though because I LOVED this one. When I saw more books by the author, I had to try them. This appealed to me because it sounded a bit like another fantasy series I love with swans, and it turns out it’s based upon the same classic fairytale. However, this is definitely a unique take on that tale. And I believe it’s set in the same universe as Spin the Dawn.

Any author that wants to throw in dragons, sorcerers, demons, paper cranes, and forbidden magic into the classics, should by all means just go for it! This was an entertaining read for sure. I recommend this book to fans of Juliet Marillier, Mary E. Pearson, and Renee Ahdieh. I might have liked this one a little bit more than the first book I read by the author. I found the trials and hardships that Shiori had to go through a lot easier to read. Maybe all princesses should have to learn a thing or two about being a servant? Maybe they can skip the torturous tasks, and silent curses though….Though, that made for a really good book.

I loved that so much of this book was about family. It wasn’t all about love/romance. It was about Shiori keeping her brothers alive. And breaking a curse that affected her family. Though, I didn’t hate the romance either. It a friendship turned romance, which I liked. And if a guy can fall in love with you when you have a giant bowl for a head…..that says something. She was literally cursed to have a bowl on her head (blocking her face) and she could’t speak or it would kill her brothers who were turned into cranes. Most people who came across her thought she was a demon.

Again, the only thing is I wish it ended at the end. I’m not sure it really needs a sequel…I like the idea of getting more of the dragons/dragon world that seems to be promised in book 2. But, is that really cause for a sequel? I guess we’ll see. All in all, I really had a lot of fun reading this. And I look forward to reading more by the author. I give this a 9/10.

The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

Summary from Goodreads:

Dreams are today’s answers for tomorrow’s questions.
 
11-year-old Kofi Offin dreams of water. Its mysterious, immersive quality. The rich, earthy scent of the current. The clearness, its urgent whisper that beckons with promises and secrets…
 
Kofi has heard the call on the banks of Upper Kwanta, in the village where he lives. He loves these things above all else: his family, the fireside tales of his father’s father, a girl named Ama, and, of course, swimming. Some say he moves like a minnow, not just an ordinary boy so he’s hoping to finally prove himself in front of Ama and his friends in a swimming contest against his older, stronger cousin.
 
But before this can take place, a festival comes to the villages of Upper and Lower Kwanta and Kofi’s brother is chosen to represent Upper Kwanta in the wrestling contest. Encircled by cheering spectators and sounding drums, the two wrestlers from different villages kneel, ready to fight.
 
You are only fine, until you are not.
 
The match is over before it has barely begun, when the unthinkable–a sudden death–occurs…
 
The river does not care how grown you are.

As his world turns upside down, Kofi soon ends up in a fight for his life. What happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves.

Review:

As I mentioned on Goodreads, this is powerful stuff. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone. I have probably loved all of the books I've read so far by this author, but by far this is the most significant. I couldn't put it down last night. It was a stay-up late read -until your done kind of book. And then as the rest of the house is sleeping, your brain can't let it go. And I was up thinking about it... It haunts you, and stays with you and your soul just feels this book.

I knew what this book was before going into it, so there was this bit of dread each time I opened it too. When was the unthinkable going to happen to the character I was growing to love?  Kofi is just such pure joy and hope. You can’t help but love him and want him to succeed in everything. I wanted him to beat his cousin in the swim race. I wanted him to succeed in school. I wanted him to have his first kiss with the girl he was in love with.  I wanted him to learn everything from his strict teacher. I wanted everything for him and he’s so smart.

Also, there’s this window into a a world/life/culture I know close to nothing about. Reading about this life in Africa was almost like reading a fantasy novel for me; that’s how little I know about this part of history and this way of life. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those ignorant people who never learned the horrors of slavery. I just 100 percent feel there’s this missing component to the education of it. We don’t get the humanity and the culture of the people before the horrors of it. This book is all about life and love and everything that happens before. It was eye-opening. It doesn’t make the horror of what does eventually happen any easier. If anything, it makes it more intense. I was up late crying my eyes out….

Even now, maybe a week later, I still have tears in my eyes thinking about it. This was a powerful, intense, human story that was eye opening and also lyrical. I can’t imagine what the audio book version is like. I almost wish i listened to it instead -but then I’d be a mess in my car. I am so grateful for reading this, and I hope it wins all the awards and recognition it deserves. I give it a 10/10.

The Song that Moves the Sun by Anna Bright

Summary from Goodreads:

This sweeping YA fantasy romance full of star-crossed love, complex female friendship, and astrological magic is perfect for fans of Laini Taylor, Alexandra Bracken, and V.E. Schwab. From the acclaimed author of The Beholder.

Best friends Rora and Claudia have never felt more like their lives are spiraling out of control. And when they meet Major and Amir--two boys from one of the secret cities of the spheres, ruled by the magic of the astrological signs--they discover they're not alone. There is a disruption in the harmony between the spheres, and its chaos is spreading.

To find the source of the disharmony, Rora and Claudia will embark on a whirlwind journey of secrets, romance, and powerful truths--about themselves, each other, and two long-ago explorers named Dante and Beatrice, who were among the first to chart this course toward the stars.

Inspired partly by the classic works of Dante Alighieri, this gorgeous stand-alone contemporary fantasy will captivate readers of Lore and Star Daughter.

Review:

This ARC survived my move. I think because of the pretty cover and the blurb that marked it for fans of Laini Taylor, Alexandra Bracken, and V.E Schwab….I had to read it.  I’m not a huge horoscope person, so that didn’t super appeal to me, but I have to admit I’ve never read about a world determined by your star chart before…And I like reading about new things.

Did it make sense? Not really…I found myself scratching my head a lot. The reasoning behind why the worlds all worked the way they did was because of one bad break up. Well, I guess for a universe centered around horoscopes….And there were way too many point of views. Some time I love a good YA novel with some point of view shifts, but that’s when each character is extraordinarily different, and in a different place. Here, often, the characters were all in the same room. And some of them seemed like the same person! I wish it was maybe just in two people’s points of view. Either the two best friends or the two love interests.

And I didn’t love the love interests. I guess this goes back to all the points of view switching, but I was constantly confusing the guy characters. They were basically the same person to me by the end of the book. One just had royal parents. One liked to be outside on the farm. Or, maybe that’s the same guy? Regardless, there was a problem here.

The book also sometimes went back in time hundreds of years to another set of point of views! I’m not joking about the point of views. But, at least those ones definitely stood out. They were the original explorers/colonizers/whatever you want to call them. And I didn’t hate getting that perspective.

I did like the back and forth between the best friends. And I like the focus on trauma and mental illness. It was a different type of mental illness than we typically see in YA, so I’m glad it was represented, and in a sci-fi romance book too! The girl characters were definitely distinguishable. Most of the time.  I liked watching them shine.

I liked the characters, the world-building, and the concept of this universe. It was rather unique for me. It made kind of want to go look up my horoscope/star chart. I just wish there were not so many points of view confusing things. And maybe if the focus was more on the friendship story and less on the romance, the book would have felt more whole. All in all, I give it an 7/10.

The Battle for Roar by Jenny McLachlan

Summary from Goodreads:

The final book in the thrilling trilogy about a set of twins who journey back into the imaginary land they created as children. Perfect for readers who dream of exploring Narnia and Neverland, this heartwarming and gorgeously illustrated story with a classic feel takes readers on an adventure through a vivid and lush imaginary world. A bestseller in the UK!

Arthur and Rose Trout are the heroes of Roar, a magical world they created together when they were little, where anything they imagine can become real.

Roar is filled with incredible wonders from their own imaginations. Arthur and Rose are looking forward to exploring beyond the End of Roar, an as-yet unexplored part of the world. When they arrive, they're greeted by some long-forgotten fairies who are very excited to see them. Maybe too excited...

Facing down a new nemesis, Arthur and Rose must team up with friends old and new to save both Roar and the real world beyond it from total destruction.

Review:

I’ve really enjoyed reading these books. I’m not sure why, but there’s something that will always call to me about stories where kids can venture into a fantasy world from the real one. Maybe it’s because I used to pretend to do this as a child, and I definitely made up stories about this too. Jenny McLachlan succeeds in making in the reader yearn for childhood, yearn for the days when you could pretend to crawl under a bed and, and break through into a land with dragons and fairies.

What these books do too is also focus on the sibling dynamic. They are not just about the fantasy. A lot of focus is about growing up and learning about who your true friends are. But, so much also is about the bond between brother and sister. And there is something so special here about this. I also love all the moments when their grandfather comes in too. And the fact that their grandfather has his own fantastical world? Gold. Pure gold. Also, these are great books for kids who need humor. There are a lot of funny moments.

I’m not sure this was the grand finale I was hoping for, but the more I think about it days later…the more perfect I kind of know it was. I don’t want to go into too much detail because it would  seriously spoil things, but the turnaround of certain past characters and the way certain character learn to work together is just so great. How better could it possibly have ended? I don’t feel like there was much closure at all in the outside world, but these books really weren’t about that much. And there’s certainly some room for any continuation if the author wants to come back.

I recommend these books as a level up from the Dragon Masters series, and they are definitely good for kids who loved the Magic Tree House books, but are ready for something more challenging -an intro to fantasy for kids who are sort of in between series books and the thicker, harder novels like Narnia and Wings of Fire.

All in all, this was a fun final installment. It was a fantastic fantasy series for young readers. And  I hope more kids read them. I give this one a 9/10.