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.

Return to Roar by Jenny McLachlan

Summary from Goodreads:

The imaginary world they created has been waiting for them to come back.

Twins Arthur and Rose created the magical world of Roar when they were very young, and until recently, they’d all but forgotten it exists. But when the villain who still haunts their nightmares kidnaps their grandfather, Roar becomes part of their lives again.

When the twins go back to Roar for their first visit after rescuing Granddad, they soon discover there’s no time to explore—Crowky, the villain, is poised to destroy their world, using a weapon that brings their deepest fears to life. Arthur and Rose must use all their courage and travel to the End of Roar to confront Crowky and save the world they built.

This enchanting, action-packed novel is the sequel to The Land of Roar, a bestseller in the UK, and is perfect for readers who’ve always dreamed of exploring Narnia and Neverland.

Review:

Not enough people love these books. They are special. For all the kids who grew up, creating their own make-believe worlds, dreaming Narnia and Oz could maybe happen to them. Reading this sequel was like returning to the world I made up as a kid, and remembering the imagination I have put aside for grocery lists, and credit card statements, and student loans. There’s something so pure about this book that you almost forget you are an adult for a few minutes, and really do escape reality while reading it.

It wasn’t quite as engrossing for me as book 1, plot-wise. However, the character development was stronger. I really feel like I’m getting to know the twins and even the side characters better. Maybe the bullying plot arc is just not doing it for me any more, or maybe I was hoping for some bigger twist than the one I got? I did think the writer, wrote the fears of the kids exceptionally well. And Rose was definitely believable. I can see her being more afraid of something more tangible as she got older.

On the fantasy side of things, the book did not disappoint. It had a Neverland feel. There were mermaids, unicorns, dragons, pirates, boxes that turned up your worst fears, bears that ran hotels, scarecrows who wanted more than they should, and so much more. If you are a reader of children’s literature, you can find little references to so many classics: Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, etc. But, it’s also clearly it’s own story.

I think Book 3 is about to come out, and I know I will have to read the conclusion to the series. I need to know how it all resolves. I’m almost kind of inspired too to go back to a world I created as a child and maybe write something down. I give this a 9/10.

A Good Week in Books (230)

I’m moving at the end of the summer, so taking/accepting new books is kind of silly, but….My library got a ton of boxes of ARCs recently. And we can’t sell them or add them to the library. We are putting most of them in our Little Free Libraries and I’m giving away a lot as prizes to kids in the Summer Reading Program. But, I pulled a few to read, myself too….Though, I might end up putting them in the Little Frees, when I’m done. I’m really trying to lighten the book load. I also received one for review thanks to Hyperion. I have so many good books to look forward to!

The new pretties:

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

Gallant by Victoria Schwab

Fireborn by Aisling Fowler

Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho

The Wide Starlight by Nicole Lespearance

Summary from Goodreads:

A novel that follows sixteen-year-old Eli as she tries to remember what truly happened the night her mother disappeared off a glacier in Norway under the Northern Lights.

According to Arctic legend, if you whistle at the Northern Lights, they'll swoop down and carry you off forever. Sixteen-year-old Eline Davis knows it's true because it happened to her mother. Eli was there that night on the remote glacier in Svalbard, when her mother whistled, then vanished.

Years later, Eli is living with her dad on Cape Cod. When Eli discovers the Northern Lights will be visible for one night on the Cape, she hatches a plan to use the lights to contact her missing mother. And it works. Her mother arrives with a hazy story of where she's been all this time. Eli knows no one will believe them, so she keeps it all a secret. But when magical, dangerous things start happening--narwhals appearing in Cape Cod Bay, meteorites landing in the yard by the hundreds, three shadowy fairytale princesses whispering ominous messages--the secrets start to become more like lies.

It's all too much, too fast, and Eli pushes her mother away, not expecting her to disappear as abruptly as she appeared. Her mother's gone again, and Eli's devastated. Until she finds the note written in mother's elegant scrawl: Find me where I left you. And so, off to Svalbard Eli goes.

Review:

As I said on Goodreads, this was a bit of an odd duck, but I eventually got into it. I love the magical realism and Norwegian folklore. It just takes a while to get into the somewhat jarring writing style. And I wish the main character was a tad but more like-able.

The book had a little “Staff Picks” type bookmark in it at a local favorite bookstore of mine. When I noticed it took place (at least partially) in Cape Cod, it was kind of an instant purchase for me. It also deals heavily with mythology surrounding the Northern Lights, something I’ve always been fascinated in. So, when it was time to start a new book and I had a little time off, it kind of jumped to the top of my TBR pile.

As mentioned, it’s not the average YA fantasy or YA contemporary. The writing style is odd. A lot of chapters start with this beginning: “Once upon a time, in a stark white hotel at the top of the world…” There’s a lot of magical realism. You’re never 100% certain what’s real and what’s story. Is the main character really seeing what she’s seeing? Was she really just being naive? Or did these crazy things happen at the top of the world. Did her mother get lost in the Northern Lights? Or did she have a mental breakdown? Or possibly fall down a fjord? Did magic truly happen?

And when you come to realize what the magic is, the book becomes so much cooler. And again, you still have to fully decide for yourself. But, wow its cool. This book will not be for everyone. And I almost gave up on it early on. But, I’m so glad I kept going. Mostly, it just took me a minute to vibe with it. But, eventually I learned to appreciate the fairy tale-eque writing style. I saw how intentional it all was. I loved the overall theme of freedom, family, and rebellion.

What I never really did though was learn to love the main character. She always came off a bit naive and selfish to me. I wish she was kinder to her father. I wish treated her best friend better. She really just had a one track mind. And I never truly cared too much about her. Like what did she care about? I guess she like to knit….but what else made her who she was? If I did like her more, this would have been a 10/10. The setting, the writing, the idea for the story were all just pure magic. I like how dark it was, and how there seemed to be multiple mythological tales incorporated in here. All in all, it gets an 8/10.

Aru Shah and the End of Time the graphic novel by Roshani Chokshi

Summary from Goodreads:

The graphic novel adaptation of the fantasy adventure by Roshani Chokshi, inspired by the great Hindu epics she grew up on.

Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?

One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.

But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them.

The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?

Review:

Well, this was tons of fun! It reminded me that I never came back and read more books after book 1! And I’ve heard such amazing things about this series too. I remember feeling like the book was lacking something when I read it. Almost too much mythology and action takes place in the first volume, if that’s possible and not enough character development.

Yet, in a graphic novel where everything happens so much faster, everything seemed to almost work better….I feel like the story was meant for this format. Aru Shah and Mini are such superheroes. They belong in bright, bold panels. The way they defeat each task feels like something that just works in a comic book setting. That, and the artwork in here is just so on point!

I want to go and check out the rest of the series now. I can see this book brining more readers to the books. I can also see fans of the books being pleased with the adaptation. They did such a good job.

If you’re looking for a fun, high action, girl power adventure, look no further. Again, there isn’t a ton of character development or back story. But, I have a sense that that is coming in more installments. And I definitely was reminded that I need to get to those installments, sooner rather than later. I give this one an 8/10.

Pages and Co: The Book Smugglers by Anna James

Summary from Goodreads:

Fourth in the modern-classic and bestselling bookwandering series for ages eight to twelve that celebrates all that is best in life: books, adventure, friendship – and cake.

Milo lives on board the Sesquipedalian, or “Quip” – a magical train that uses the power of imagination to travel through both Story and the real world. The train is owned by Milo’s uncle, Horatio, and Milo has witnessed many of his uncle’s dodgy dealings as a book smuggler trading in rare books.

When Horatio takes on a dangerous new job, he needs the help of Tilly Pages. And Tilly owes Horatio a favour. But when poisoned copies of The Wizard of Oz are sent to Horatio and Tilly's grandfather, sending them both into deep sleeps, Milo and Tilly find themselves racing against time to save them – and to figure out what is going on.

Their journey takes them to the Emerald City with Dorothy, rocketing on the unruly Quip, and eventually to Venice in Italy, in pursuit of the mysterious Alchemist. The very essence of imagination, story itself, may be in danger . . .

Review:

I love this series. I’ll always remember getting the first two installments in Paris, on my honeymoon. And whenever more books come out, they never cease to bring a smile to my face. Honestly though, how can a librarian not smile? They are always full of literary references, literal “book magic,” charming bookstores, magical libraries, imagination trains, special archives, and a mystery or two.

I liked that this installment involved both a point of view shift (a chunk of the story is about Milo), and a rescue mission (both Horatio and Tilly’s grandfather are in comas from being poisoned after touching a certain copy of The Wizard of Oz). The new characters are amazing. I loved getting to know Milo more. Seeing his favorite books and places to book wander was just the best.There’s this moment where he and Tilly need help from their favorite fictional characters. So, his favorite characters meet Tilly’s, and it’s this literary mismatch of fun.

I also love the idea behind the villain in this story and what he’s trying to accomplish. Of course someone would want to control what he’s trying to do! Watching Tilly sort of become the sidekick to Milo was interesting too. She’s normally the one in charge. But, she clearly knows she’s not the one in charge of the train.

I guess the one flaw in this one, is it felt a little rushed at the end. I wish the last quarter of the book had the same amount of attention to detail the first 3/4 of the book did. Like I literally had to re-read some parts with the archivist to understand what actually transpired. That, and I’m not sure I believed how little attention was paid to some of the kids at the end. But, all in all, I loved it. I still give it an 8/10.

A Good Week in Books (229)

I had a nice week in books. I finished one fun Middle Grade Fiction title and one fun graphic novel. I also received a few new books for review from Hachette. I went and purchased one new book for myself from a local favorite bookstore of mine as well. When I saw a book recommended by the staff there, that combined a Northern Lights story with the setting of a place I live in (Cape Cod), I just had to buy it!

The new books:

The Wide Starlight by Nicole Lesperance

The Last Fallen Moon by Grace Kim
Happily Ever Island by Crystal Cestari

Ballad and Dagger by Daniel Jose Older