5 Worlds: The Cobalt Prince by Mark and Alexis Siegel

Summary from Goodreads:

5 Worlds. 3 Unlikely Heroes. 1 Epic Battle for the Galaxy!

Oona Lee surprised everyone--including herself--when she lit the first beacon to save the Five Worlds from extinction. Can she light the other four beacons in time? Next stop, Toki! On the blue planet, Oona must face the sister who left her, and bring to light the Cobalt Prince's dark secrets. Meanwhile, An Tzu is fading away as his mysterious illness gets worse. Will it stop him from joining the fight? Or will his unique magic be just what the team needs? And Jax Amboy is a hero on the starball field, but in a moment of real danger, will he risk everything to save his friends?

Oona must rely on some surprising new allies in order to stop a terrible plot from unfolding and continue her quest across the 5 WORLDS!

Review:

I loved the first book. It was the beautiful artwork that drew me in to first read it. So, I was expecting some top-notch artwork in book 2. And I was not disappointed. The artwork might have even been a little better. I loved all the different types of aliens and creatures (like the oil). There’s a definite Miyazaki feel to it all (like some super fun blending of Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro).

The story did not disappoint either. I thought the first book would be perfect for Amulet fans. And guess what? There’s a blurb from Kazu Kibuishi on this one. He calls it, “A magical journey, as fun as it is beautiful.” And he’s right. It’s still a great read-alike for the Amulet books.

There’s some good underlining political elements to the plot too, making this a great series really for all ages. Kids will read it as a super cool space adventure. And adults will read it and see the tie-ins with current topics of immigration, racism, and tolerance.

I liked learning a little bit more about Oona’s sister. A lot was explained about her. Also, a lot was explained in general about why things happened the way they did in book 1. But, Oona’s smarter now, and more critical of what people tell her. I love that she doesn’t just believe everything the Cobalt Prince tells her.

I can’t wait to see more of the worlds, and see what happened with Jax Amboy who had his own adventure when the events of this book were taking place. I highly recommend this book to fans of Amulet, to fans of Avatar the last Airbender, to fans of Miyazaki, and really to just anyone who can appreciate the beauty of a well-done graphic novel. I give this an 8/10.

Bookish Boyfriends: a Date with Darcy by Tiffany Schmidt

Summary from Goodreads:

In this contemporary YA, a teenager’s favorite literary heroes woo her in real life

The first of two books in an intended paperback original series about a girl whose classic literary crushes manifest in real life. Merrilee Campbell, 16, thinks boys are better in books, chivalry is dead, and there’d be nothing more romantic than having just one guy woo her like the heroes in classic stories. She’s about to get the chance to test these daydreams when she, her best friend, Eliza, and her younger sister, Rory, transfer into Reginald R. Hero High, where all their fantasies come true—often with surprising consequences. 

Review:

This wasn't the best written book, or anything super new really...It just had the recipe for all things I love. And the author pulled it off extraordinarily well. It's a cute, fluffy YA for all the English majors of the world. For everyone who's fallen in love with Darcy, or who unfortunately knows a Romeo too. The literary references were everywhere (not just the two main books the main character reads, which are Pride and Prejudice and Romeo and Juliet. I definitely enjoyed the Pride and Prejudice moments the best.

What girl hasn’t read Jane Austen and connected instantly with Elizabeth Bennet? Or dreamt of her own Darcy? I feel like this author and I would be great friends. She essentially took my craziest daydreams (from teenage me) and then wrote them down in a YA contemporary book. She brought Darcy to life. And the main character is as obsessed with books as I am. It would have been hard for me not to like this book.

I loved this. I read a library copy, and am considering buying my own, so I can reread whenever I need to.

I love that the reader is never 100% sure if Merrilee is right and the books she’s reading are becoming her reality. Is her English teacher magic, or just unbelievably good? Why couldn’t I have had this teacher? I also loved Merrilee’s relationship with her sisters. I loved her best friends too. And while I have a feeling book 2 will be about her younger sister and her most likely future relationship with Toby and Little Women, I so desperately hope her awesome friend, Eliza, to get her own book magic too. She needs her own novel, for sure.

All in all this if a fluffy, fun, and sometimes silly romance. It would be a great book to take outside to the beach this summer. I give it a 9/10.

All Summer Long by Hope Larson

Summary from Goodreads:

A coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel about summer and friendships, written and illustrated by the Eisner Award–winning and New York Times–bestselling Hope Larson.

Thirteen-year-old Bina has a long summer ahead of her. She and her best friend, Austin, usually do everything together, but he's off to soccer camp for a month, and he's been acting kind of weird lately anyway. So it's up to Bina to see how much fun she can have on her own. At first it's a lot of guitar playing, boredom, and bad TV, but things look up when she finds an unlikely companion in Austin's older sister, who enjoys music just as much as Bina. But then Austin comes home from camp, and he's acting even weirder than when he left. How Bina and Austin rise above their growing pains and reestablish their friendship and respect for their differences makes for a touching and funny coming-of-age story.

Review:

I’m a big Hope Larson fan. I adored Compass South and Knife’s Edge. I have also been super into the increase of girl middle grade contempory graphic novels. This had the look of Sunny Side Up by Holm and Smile by Telgemeir going for it. And I had high hopes.

I guess maybe my expectations were a little too high. The art was really good, though very different from the author’s past graphic novels –more subdued. It was still easy to get into the story because of how fun and simple the artwork was. It was more the story that I just didn’t love as much. There wasn’t a lot going on.

Larson definitely captured how bored a young person can be when left alone all summer. But, that doesn’t’ necessarily make for the best reading material. The book moved slowly, as I’m sure the summer did for Bina. I liked the storyline with Austin’s sister. I found that to be interesting and believable. I guess I just wanted more to happen there though, overall. And I also kind of hated Austin. He did not deserve Bina’s friendship. She was super quick to forgive him, and maybe kids are like that, but I had a harder time letting things go, as a reader.

Also, I’m not sure they read as 12 to me. First Austin was too cool to have a girl best friend. Like he’d have cooties or something and get made fun of by the soccer guys. And two seconds later, we’re supposed to believe he’s emotionally ready to have this soccer girlfriend? Like what?

I also got confused about the timing of it. The clothes suggested 70’s/80’s, but then the kids were texting, so I decided to read it as current. But, then records and record players happened….along with pharmacy soda shops? Was it a weird combo of decades? I kept getting pulled out of the story, trying to determine the timing of it, and I don’t think that’s a good thing.

All in all, I didn’t hate this. But, I definitely didn’t love it either. I’m thinking maybe I’ll just stick to the fantasy stories by this author. I give this one a 6/10.

A Good Week in Books (181)

I had a nice, little book week. I finished reading a super adorable contemporary. I also read an awesome middle grade graphic novel. I finished my listening of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (which took some time at 17 discs!). I started reading a new contemporary. And I received three new pretties for review (thank you, Swoon Reads, Hyperion, and feiwel and Friends).

The new books:

The Brightsiders by Jen Wilde
The Life and Death Parade by Eilza Wass
Summer Skin by Kirsty Eager

I can’t wait to take some of these books outside to read now that the weather has finally gotten a bit nicer.

How was your week in books?

Puddin' by Julie Murphy

Summary from Goodreads:

It is a companion novel to Dumplin', which follows supporting characters from the first book in the months after Willowdean's star turn in the Clover City pageant.

Millie Michalchuk has gone to fat camp every year since she was a girl. Not this year. This year she has new plans to chase her secret dream—and to kiss her crush. Callie Reyes is the pretty girl who is next in line for dance team captain and has the popular boyfriend. But when it comes to other girls, she’s more frenemy than friend. When circumstances bring the girls together over the course of a semester, they will surprise everyone (especially themselves) by realizing they might have more in common than they ever imagined.

Review:

So, this book was everything! It was just the uplifting kind of story I needed to get through a busy, rainy week. It’s the kind of book that has me wishing for and craving more friendship stories. Girl power, friendships, and body positivity! This book just makes you feel good!

I was a little nervous going into this because I wasn’t certain I’d remembered all the things I needed to from Dumplin’. Good thing is this book could totally work as a standalone. You don’t have to have read the first book. However, I highly recommend it. And the deeper I got into the story, the more I remembered from book 1.

I loved Millie. She’s such a good person. It’s hard to read this and not want to be best friends with her. Her optimism, friendliness, and kindness would it make it hard for anyone not to want to know her. And I can see how her bubbly personality somehow just worked so well with Callie’s harshness.

There’s a lot going on in this book about body positivity, mean girls, family acceptance, bravery, first love, and forgiveness. But, at the root of it all is one of the best friendship stories I have read in a long time. There’s this line toward the end of the book that just jolted me. It gave me goose bumps when I first read it. And upon just finding it again now, it put a little tear in the corner of my eye. ‘“I would’ve never done this without you. I spend a lot of time telling myself to be brave, but you make me brave” (414). If this book was a song it would be “For Good” from the play, Wicked.

And if this book was a movie, it would be a super amazing, not sad, friendship version of “A Walk to Remember.” It has the elements of a good romantic comedy (which Millie would love). And there’s also something so innocent about it. What can be more innocent than a slumber party outside in tents, under the stars? Julie Murphy just gets all these different, separate points of adolescence and pieces them together in a giant puzzle board of nostalgia. I read this and had a weird longing for a Cheetos/Oreo infused sleepover of my past, something I haven’t even thought about in years.

I loved this book. 10/10.

A Good Week in Books (180)

So…I was this close to calling my post: The Mother Load. Seriously, I have a huge haul this week! I’m still slowly making my way through Goblet of Fire on audio (there are 17 discs!). I finished one great contemporary and one new graphic novel. It was a goal of mine to read more graphic novels this year, and so far that has not been a problem. So many good, new YA and middle grade graphic novels!

I also received the mother load of hauls from Hachette. I think there’s at least one new one from Macmillan. And the lovely boyfriend bought me another graphic novel on our fun trip into Boston this past weekend.

I kind of feel like I’ve been living in books lately. Between the gorgeous new books at home, and the end of my fiscal year at work when I get to order tons of new books for the library, I’m surrounded. And I have to say it’s a lovely feeling.

The new pretties:

5 Worlds: The Cobalt Prince by Mark Siegel (!!! So excited for this book 2!)
Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron
Airports, Exes, And other Things I’m Over by Shani Petroff
Once Upon a Time: Henry and Violet by Michelle Zink
Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert
City of Bastards by Andrew Shvarts
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: 2 Fuzzy, 2 Furious by Shanon Hale(!!)
Reflection: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim
Nothing Happened by Molly Booth
Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone
The Trials of Apollo: The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan (!)
Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton

How was your week in books?

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Summary from Goodreads:

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

Review:

This book was everything I was hoping it would be.

I can feel the books that inspired this masterpiece. I felt elements of Potter, some essence of Throne of Glass, and bits and pieces of The Hunger Games. Though, it was 100% it's own story. A story that kept me up late at night. It was super hard to put down. It's filled with plenty of twists and turns. And some of them I did not see coming!

I loved the characters, particularly the two main female characters. I love that Zelie kind of hates Amari at first, but then learns to see her strengths as the story goes on. Their friendship is something magical at the end. I also love Zelie’s relationship with her brother. It’s super strong, but also remarkably believable. They fight and disagree on a lot of things, but always have each other’s backs. And I guess, it was just super nice to read about a normal and good sibling relationship in a YA book.

There was also a hate to love kind of love story element that I super enjoy. And while I thought I was calling all the things that would happen there, I was wrong on so many wonderful levels. This author is not afraid to piss you off a little, and I love her more for that.

Also, the book just feels so important. So relevant to today. I know the whole “we need diverse books” thing has been going on for a while. But, I didn’t know how badly I needed such a diverse fantasy novel until this. Seriously, there are no other fantasy books like this. And now that I’ve had a taste, I want more! Diversity should be in more than just contemporary stories. And this book proves it over and over in how amazing it is.

I wasn't sure the author was saying what she was until I read her little afterward at the very end. And she's so brave and honest in there, that I love this book even more for it. It's nothing like anything else out there (even though it's also an homage to other YA). So much love for this book! I really hope a book 2 is in the works. I can’t wait to read more of what this author has to say. I give it a 10/10.