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Book Reviews

When the Beat Drops by Anna Hecker

6/25/2018

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Thank you to BookSparks and author, Anna Hecker, for sending me a free copy of When the Beat Drops in exchange for an honest review in the #readbythesea2018 blog tour. All opinions are my own.
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If I could describe When the Beat Drops in just a few words, I’d have to choose friendship, sisterhood, unconditional love, personal trials, and, of course, music! Best consumed while listening to your favorite EDM DJ, it’s perfect for fans of Love, Hate, and Other Filters and Listen to Your Heart! Read more to find out why I found myself unable to put down this lovely YA novel.

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The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

6/20/2018

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Thanks to @kidlitexchange for providing me with a free copy of The Beauty That Remains in exchange for an honest review.  
​All opinions are my own.
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A book that explores the many forms of grief that comes with unexpected loss, The Beauty That Remains follows three teens at they learn that life can still be beautiful in the midst of the hard.  The book flips between the three narrators, and a little over half-way through you see the threads that connects their stories. This book examines more than just grief, though. Targeting the YA audience, it tackles coming-of-age, LGBTQ themes, love, guilt, anger, and passion.  This would be a great story to pass along to a young person that may be struggling with a major loss, just so they can see their thoughts reflected on the page. I know I would have loved to read this one after I lost several loved ones in high school. This one does have trigger warnings for suicide, biphobia, drug use, grief, death, car accidents, leukaemia, and physical and mental abuse, which made the book seem pretty heavy at times.  Overall, a solid three star read to pass along.
TL/DR: The Beauty That Remains is as beautiful on the inside as its cover.  Young readers would benefit from a book club discussion on the themes and topics discussed.
​

Rating: 3 / 5 stars
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The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser

3/26/2018

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Thank you to @kidlitexchange for providing @bookedupblog with a free copy of The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. ​
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One of the most delightful middle grade reads I’ve read in a long time, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser takes us into the heart and home of the Vanderbeekers at Christmastime.  All is merry and bright, until the family learns their landlord is refusing to renew their lease and they must be out by the end of the month. The 5 Vanderbeeker children take matters into their own hands, showing their unique personalities and talents in an attempt to change their Scrooge-like landlord’s mind before it’s too late.  Each character is charming in their own way. Great for the classroom or for independent reading, this middle grade novel will teach kiddos never to give up when faced with the impossible and to never judge a book by its cover.

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Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life by Shelley Tougas

3/2/2018

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Thank you to @kidlitexchange for a free copy of Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life by Shelley Tougas in exchange for an honest review.
​ All opinions are my own.
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Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life is a perfect read if you grew up reading or watching Little House on the Prairie.  It brought a flood of nostalgic feelings back to my reading life, leaving me wanting to go back and reread (and rewatch) the original.  Tougas highlights all the ways in which Laura Ingalls Wilder portrays life on the prairie, including many ways in which she misrepresents the people and the experience.  

​The main character, Charlotte, moves to Walnut Grove with her twin brother, little sister, and their dog’s ashes after their mother has a dream about Laura Ingalls Wilder.  As a writer, Charlotte’s mom needs the inspiration only Laura’s childhood can provide, causing upheaval in everyone’s lives, especially Charlotte’s.
When they finally arrive, however, Charlotte’s mom begins to spiral into a depression, struggles to write about the prairie, and breaks her promises to her children.  Blaming Laura for all her family problems, Charlotte expresses her disdain for Walnut Grove in an essay assignment, explaining in detail all the ways Laura has ruined her life.  

Perfect for adults needing a tug on their nostalgic heartstrings and middle-grade readers that want to see how life on the prairie compares to the past, check out why you should read Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life​.

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Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge

10/27/2017

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It might sound like your typical “stuck on a desert island” story, but I assure you, Castle of Water is anything but.  Yes, it has two castaways with a bit of a language barrier and no hope of survival.  Yes, our two castaways learn to set aside their differences in the name of survival.  But, folks, this one is so much more than another version of the movie Castaway.  It has humor, romance, heartbreak, and an ending that left me literally hugging the book to my chest.  Billed as a “modern day castaway story with a French twist,” Castle of Water is easily my favorite book of the year.  I loved the characters.  I loved the plot.  I loved all of the twists and turns along the way.  Most of all, I loved the writing.  It’s a story about the triumph of the human spirit, and I hope you check out the blog to read more about why this book is getting five stars very high stars from me.

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And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

6/21/2017

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If you're paying attention this summer, you know that Fredrik Backman is on everyone's lips for his newest release, Beartown.  I have yet to read it, as his works are in translation from Swedish, and I haven't had the best of luck with books in translation in the past (I'm looking at you, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).  When I ventured into my local library earlier this week, I found myself looking for Beartown or A Man Called Ove, just to give him a shot.  Then And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer caught my eye.  I could easily make the joke that the title is longer than the novella itself, but I'll spare you.  So, because this book was only 76 pages, I decided it would be the best use of my time to decide if I really do want to tackle Backman's other works.  I thought, "It's only 76 pages.  If I don't like it, I haven't wasted my time reading too much of a book.  If I do like it, I'll give Beartown a shot."  So what was my verdict? Well, readers, this one left me wiping away tears as I read those last few pages, but not for reasons you might think.

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After You by Jojo Moyes

8/10/2016

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​I started this book with a sigh and ended it the very same way.  After devouring Me Before You, I was a little hesitant to pick up Jojo Moyes’ sequel, After You.  You either loved or hated Me Before You, but no matter what camp you chose you had strong feelings about it.  

Did I want to find out what happened to Lou?  Yes.

Was I afraid that After You would ruin the ending of a story I felt had such wonderful closure?  Absolutely. 

Am I happy my curiosity got the best of me and I read After You anyway?  Eh.
 
If you haven’t read Me Before You, there are spoilers about it in the rest of this review.  Proceed at your own risk.  

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

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