Booked up
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews and Lists
  • Quotes
  • Beyond Reading
  • Project: Adapted
  • About
  • Contact

Book Reviews

The Glass Town Game by Catherynne M. Valente

5/10/2018

Comments

 
Thank you to @kidlitexchange for providing @bookedupblog with a free copy of The Glass Town Game by Catherynne M. Valente  in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. ​
Picture
For all of you who just love a good fantasy about your favorite classic authors, look no further than The Glass Town Game!  Young Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell Brontë find themselves in the middle of their make-believe games after a train-ride whisks them away to a life-size version!  The fictional Glass Town comes to life complete with the Bronte’s favorite toy soldiers! The siblings soon realize their delightful childhood games are much more serious than they initially imagined, and one wrong step could mean life or death.  
A tome of a middle-grade novel, I gave this fantasy three stars. While it’s marketed to grades 4-7 due to the attitudes, adventures, ages of the main characters, I think the language and the length are a bit too daunting for that age range.  This book seems to appeal more to adults who have enjoyed the works and history of the Bronte’s, yet would also like some fantastical fiction based on their lives. While Valente is a beautiful writer, I think this one is better left for a more mature middle-grade reader.  It’s a great challenge for your more bookwormy middle-grade kiddos or for a read-along! 

TL/DR: At 500+ pages, you may need to convince your younger readers to give this historical fantasy a try.  If anything, you’ll enjoy reading it as an adult!

Rating: 3/5 stars
Comments

Jorie and the Magic Stones by A. H. Richardson

11/16/2017

Comments

 
Thank you to @kidlitexchange for providing the free copy of Jorie and the Magic Stones by A. H. Richardson in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.
Picture
Nine-year-old Jorie is your typical girl with a typical childhood who has gone to live with her Great Aunt Letty at Mortimer Manor.  She likes to explore and play, especially with her new friend, Rufus.  Rufus and Jorie travel to an magical land called Cabrynthius, a location that is not in their imaginations.  Guided by a talking cat through the local lake (yes, through), Jorie and Rufus discover that Jorie isn’t so “typical” at all.  She is the Child with Hair of Fire foretold by legends as the savior of Cabrynthius.  Jorie must find the missing Stones of Maalog before an evil sorcerer so that he cannot gain their power and wreak havoc in Cabrynthius.  Along Jorie’s dangerous journey she and Rufus encounter dragons, a greedy tutor, caves of fire, and shape-shifting creatures.  It’s an adventure straight out of a storybook that you have to read to believe.  

Read More
Comments

The Wish Granter by C. J. Redwine

10/19/2017

Comments

 
Thank you to Kid Lit Exchange for the free copy of The Wish Granter by C. J. Redwine in exchange for an unbiased review.  
All opinions are my own.
Picture
Inspired by the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale, The Wish Granter is an adventure like I’ve never experienced before.  Teague is the infamous and titular Wish Granter, a fae who grants people their greatest desires in exchange for something quite valuable: their souls.  The exchange leads to nothing but misery for now King Thad and his sister, Ari.  Their mother was murdered, the former king and his family were killed, all in exchange for Ari’s safety.  When Ari learns about the magical contract between her brother and Teague, she’ll stop at nothing to save her brother and her community from the reign of the Wish Granter.  She gains a friend, Sebastian, along the way, who may not be exactly who he says he is.  Everything is on the line for both Ari and Teague, and if Ari can’t outwit him she’ll lose everything, including her soul. I loved this one so much that I’m giving it a full review on the blog! Read more to see my rating and full review. 

Read More
Comments

Tiger Kingdom and the Book of Destiny by Stacie Eirich

10/10/2017

Comments

 
Thank you to Kid Lit Exchange for providing me with a free advanced copy of Tiger Kingdom and the Book of Destiny by Stacie Eirich in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.
Picture
Reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia, Tiger Kingdom and The Book of Destiny is a middle grade read for kiddos who want to be transported into another land. Twins Suzie and Jack find themselves in Tiger Kingdom’s enchanted forest filled with talking animals and creatures. As they continue exploring they learn that they aren’t the only humans in the land and that they have been called to help find Queen Mohini and her cubs. The Tiger King, Sampson, sends them on a quest to find the Book of Destiny to help restore the Queen to her home. 
This was a short read, but it was engaging. I found myself wanting to know more and more as each chapter progressed. I was disappointed to find that the story ends right as the plot begins to thicken! However, I did find that the short poems included at the beginning of each chapter was a great way to introduce free-verse poetry to younger readers. I could see many teachers using this in their classrooms as an example of poetry used to tell a story and as a “finish the story” writing prompt. 

Stacie Eirich has a great start to the story-and I’m anxious to know if there will be more! 

Rating: 3 out of 5  (mostly because of the abrupt ending)
Comments

The Metropolitans by Carol Goodman

10/9/2017

Comments

 
Thank you to Kid Lit Exchange for providing me with a free advanced copy of The Metropolitans in exchange for an honest review.
​All opinions are my own.
Picture


The Metropolitans
is a fast-paced adventure that would make any history-buff kiddo fall in love with the story. Join the four thirteen-year-old heroes (or villains) as they attempt to save the world following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Taking place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (hence the title), history jumps off the page in the strangest ways! This fantasy allows the characters, and readers alike, to experience Arthurian tales that come to life as the teens attempt to stop more attacks on the US by the Nazis. It's a healthy mix of Arthurian tales, spies, and World War II, with diverse characters that will appeal to many middle-grade readers. It was reminiscent of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson adventures and some fun timey-wimey Doctor Who fun. My only qualm is that there is so much history packed into this novel, that it felt a bit overwhelming. However, if you can't get enough historical fiction with a fantastical twist, you'll think this book is the bee's knees.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Comments

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

9/20/2017

Comments

 
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced copy of Girls Made of Snow and Glass from Flatiron Books and @starsabovejess' Instagram giveaway in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. 
Picture
I have a confession to make: I really enjoy retellings. It’s fun to come back to a beloved tale and see it from a new perspective. Girls Made of Snow and Glass fit the bill for me as a retelling of the Snow White tale. Taking the demure and passive heroine formerly known as Snow White and reimagining her as a strong, independent young woman with ideas of her own, Melissa Bashardoust treats readers to a different view of one of those classic Disney princesses.  Not only that, readers are treated to both back story and dual perspectives of the stepmother and the daughter character, as they both wrestle with their place in the world and their ability to change it. If you’re looking for a more hopeful retelling of Snow White on behalf of both of the main female characters, a little bit a magic, and no mention of dwarves, this is the retelling for you.  Read more to see if this book is a good fit for you!

Read More
Comments

Erasable by Linda Yiannakis

9/19/2017

Comments

 
Picture
Thank you to @kidlitexchange for a review copy of this book-all opinions are my own.
​

Ever wish you could just erase the worst parts of you life? That's exactly what nine-year-old Ellie has the chance to do in this middle grade fantasy, Erasable. Ellie soon finds out that erasing your troubles can cause even more problems-bigger than the ones she started with in the first place. Author Linda Yiannakis takes readers on a journey that will have middle grade students discovering that you never truly know what you have until it's gone. A great conversation starter for kiddos who think their lives are unfair, this novel will have them second guessing their complaints of pesky siblings and math tests. I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 stars in non-erasable, permanent ink
Comments

    Author

    The way to Alexandra's heart is through a great book recommendation.

    Archives

    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016

    Categories

    All
    2018
    2020
    Adventure
    ARC
    Audiobook
    Autobiography
    Biography
    Chick Lit
    Comedy
    Contemporary
    Crime
    Culture
    Fantasy
    Fiction
    Five Star Reads
    Four Star Reads
    Giftable
    Graphic Novel
    Guest Review
    Historical Fiction
    History
    Humor
    January
    Kid Lit Exchange
    Libro.fm
    Memior
    Middle Grade
    Mystery
    Nature
    NetGalley ARC
    Nonfiction
    Novella
    Novels
    Page Turner Club
    Page-Turner Club
    Penguin Teen
    Personality
    Picture Books
    Poetry
    Realistic Fiction
    Romance
    Science
    Science Fiction
    Short Stories
    Summer Reads
    Suspense
    Teen
    Three Star Reads
    Thriller
    Two Star Reads
    Unpopular Opinions
    Young Adult

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews and Lists
  • Quotes
  • Beyond Reading
  • Project: Adapted
  • About
  • Contact