Tag: family

REVIEW: Upside Down Magic: Dragon Overnight

REVIEW: Upside Down Magic: Dragon Overnight

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Nory and the Upside Down Magic (UDM) kids are taking a field trip to Dragon Haven, a sanctuary for injured and orphaned dragons. The only thing that can dampen their excitement is the fact that they aren’t the only school group at Dragon Haven. What if the other kids are snobby? What if they make fun of the UDM kids and their “wonky” magic?

Andres is getting weary of the struggles that come with his magic. He feels like the leash that keeps him from floating away is a punishment. The leash makes him feel like a baby. People forget about him – or the “brickpack” he needs to stay on the ground. When will he ever have a chance to be independent?

Nory is in for some surprises on this field trip, too. While everyone is feeling nervous about the other school of kids, Nory has extra pressure. The kids are from Sage Academy – her dad’s school! And her dad is on the field trip. How will he treat her? What does he think of her Upside Down Magic?

Review

Identity is one of my favorite themes in books. And the Upside Down Magic series does a great job exploring that theme for young readers. While Nory is the main character for the series, each of the other kids gets a book where their story is explored. This time it’s Andres’ turn. He’s a flyer but not in the usual way. He flies all the time. Only ceilings, a leash, and a backpack full of bricks protect him from floating away. But those things also make him dependent on others and limit his freedom. I was frustrated by how often the adults charged with Andres’ care neglected his needs or forgot about him. But at Dragon Haven, Andres gets to shine and it is so enjoyable.

The setting for this story was fantastic. Lots of creative dragon types for this world. And the setting also let the UDM kids interact with another group of kids. I enjoyed how things played out with the two groups.

In some ways this story is simple. But the setting and the identity pieces made it enjoyable for me. Fans of the series will enjoy this addition and getting Andres’ story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Everything All at Once by Katrina Leno

REVIEW: Everything All at Once by Katrina Leno

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Helen Reaves is a beloved author. Her Alvin and Margo Hatter series is the most popular set of children’s books of all time. When she passes away at 40, the world mourns.

To Lottie, though, Helen Reaves is so much more than a favorite author. She’s Aunt Helen. And Lottie and her family are devastated by their loss.

Even though her aunt is dead, Helen still has something to say to Lottie. She leaves her 24 letters to be opened one at a time. When Lottie completes a letter’s challenge (do something risky, celebrate life at a party, get angry), she opens another.

Each letter pushes Lottie. The anxiety and panic attacks she experiences threaten to overwhelm her, but she still tackles each challenge out of love for her aunt. But one letter may push her too far. And what will Lottie do when the letters are finished but her grief remains?

Review

From the opening scene (which some might find horrifying, but I found funny, having had a cremains issue once myself), I was hooked. I loved the relationship between Helen and Lottie, even though we only know about it from the letters. I loved Lottie’s family. Each person is grieving in his/her own way, and they give each other space for that while still being supportive.

The glimpses into Helen’s famous series invoke hints of a Harry Potter-like popularity and also reminded me of the structure of Fangirl. They were fun interludes that eventually tie into Lottie’s story.

There’s an interesting twist to the story. I have mixed feelings about it. I saw it coming, and it changed how I felt about the whole book. It shifted where I thought things were going. It all came together in the end in a satisfying way. But it changed what I thought the story was going to be. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Lake Effect by Erin McCahan

REVIEW: The Lake Effect by Erin McCahan

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Briggs has an awesome job for the summer before he heads off to college to study law and business. He’s going to spend the summer at a house on the beach in South Haven, Michigan helping an elderly woman with household projects and transportation. He has no idea that so much of his summer will be spent at funerals, carting Mrs. B to one after another after another.

While Briggs is enjoying his summer at the Lake, he starts to see things in his life from a new perspective – his family’s money trouble, his relationship with his parents and grandmother, his friendships and his future plans. Neighbor, Abigail, intrigues him. South Haven locals razz him about his “tourist” status. And he will NEVER live down the cell phone incident at the funeral.

This summer is going to be different than anything Briggs imagined.

Review

Briggs was the highlight of this book for me. He’s extremely likable, even when he goofs up in memorable ways. He’s good natured about Mrs. B’s quirks (although some of that comes from how much he wants to keep his job). He’s let the hard ties in his life teach him skills and gratitude.

Briggs’ family dynamics were also very interesting. Even though most of the story takes place at the lake, the meat of the relationships are centered around Briggs’ relationships back at home. I enjoyed how all the pieces came together in the end. In fact, the last 100 pages are probably my favorites in the book.

A great summer read (or a reminder that summer will come again). A great teen story about family and relationships. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

REVIEW: Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Elizabeth Somers is an orphan. She lives with a Dursley-ish aunt and uncle. This Christmas, penny-pinching Aunt Purdy and Uncle Burlap are going on an unprecedented vacation. Elizabeth is being sent to Winterhouse, a beautiful old hotel. Elizabeth has no idea how her aunt and uncle can afford to send her on the train or pay for a three-week stay at Winterhouse, much less afford a vacation. But everything is taken care of, and Elizabeth is welcomed into Winterhouse.

There are mysteries all around Elizabeth before she even boards the train. The weird feeling she gets before something unexpected happens. The whispered conversation between her aunt and uncle about a mysterious benefactor. And the conflicting stories and feelings about what happened to her parents.

At Winterhouse, the mysteries continue with the unhappy couple with a coffin of “books, ” and a curious library where people skulk around at midnight with flashlights. Soon Elizabeth is using her gift for puzzles, codes and crosswords to sort out the mysterious events at Winterhouse.

Review

This was an interesting book. Like The Westing Game or The Mysterious Benedict Society mashed up with Harry Potter. Puzzles and magic together. I enjoyed Elizabeth. Her affinity for puzzles and love of reading really clicked for me. The illustrations are also fantastic.

The setting of Winterhouse was great. It’s full of interesting and mysterious treasures and rooms that draw Elizabeth and her friend Freddy into the history of the hotel and the Falls family.

The author does a great job of doling out clues and questions from the beginning to keep the reader turning pages. Weird things started happening right from the start, and they built throughout the story. There is an element of dark magic at work, so sensitive readers should be prepared for that. I found it mild, but I read a lot of fantasy. The author leaves a few threads unresolved for future books. I am eager to see what might happen with these characters next and what other secrets are hidden in the Falls Family and Winterhouse.

Thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co for an electronic review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti

REVIEW: As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Madison, Nevada is a dusty, rundown town in the middle of the desert. It’s the sort of place you pass through on your way to something else. And the locals like it that way. They don’t want folks to linger.

That’s because Madison is hiding a secret. While it seems like a dump on the surface, they are hiding magic. A wish-granting cave. Any time a resident of Madison turns 18, he or she goes to the cave and makes a wish. And that wish always comes true.

Eldon Wilkes is looking forward to his wishing day like someone would “look forward” to an invasive medical procedure. He’s seen how wishes have turned out for others. His parents’ marriage is strained to put it mildly. His sister’s condition is because of a wish. People are trapped in Madison because of wishing. Eldon’s feeling the pressure to make a wish to “fix” his family, but he knows no wish could fix what’s really wrong. But the clock is ticking. Eldon HAS to decide what he’s going to wish for.

Review

Wow. This book has really forced me to think. What impact did wishing have on the town and people of Madison? What would I have wished for? Would I have done something different in Eldon’s place? Eldon’s conversation with Othello Dewitt was the most thought provoking part of all. It’s the sort of passage you would go back to and read through again.

Eldon is an interesting character. I can’t say that I liked Eldon, but I was captivated by him and by his dilemma.  He’s complicated. His whole family is grieving while he is trying to make this huge decision. He’s feeling pressure from all sides. While a guaranteed wish sounds like an awesome thing, Eldon shows that there’s a dark side.

It’s easy to see the wish pieces of this story from the perspective of the decisions teens are making as they anticipate graduation and their future. I love that this book really made me think – even after the reading was done. I would like to read this with some high school juniors and seniors and talk about the parallels with the decisions they are trying to make. This would make a great book for group discussion. (Language)

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for an electronic advanced reader copy of this for review purposes in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Escape Claws by Linda Reilly

REVIEW: Escape Claws by Linda Reilly

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lara returns to Whisker Jog, New Hampshire to check on her aunt, Fran. Lara hasn’t seen her in 16 years. A childhood friend tells her Fran is having some health issues. She’s also trying to take care of eleven cats. Lara feels responsible for checking up on Fran.

There’s tension between the women from the start. Lara feels guilty for being out of touch for so long. Fran is hurt that Lara never responded to her letters. Only, Lara never received them.

Before they can dig very far into the events of the past, the local land developer is found dead on Fran’s property. He was notorious around town for being a bully. And everyone in town had heard about the argument Fran had with him over property lines and his development plans. Now, Fran and Lara are prime suspects in his murder.

Lara is feeling torn between her responsibilities back in Boston and her desire to help Fran in New Hampshire. Maybe, if she can pin down who really killed the developer, she can clear Fran and get back to her old life.

Review

This was really good! The mystery was great. The rotten land developer is a fairly common set up for cozy mysteries, but there were some other twists in this case that kept the story fresh. There were plenty of suspects to choose from, and the overall solution kept me guessing regarding the motive and the big picture.

The characters were delightful in this book. The tension between Lara and Fran gave a nice layer to this story that is not typical in cozies. I hope future books will dig more into the lost years between them. Lara’s childhood friend and the potential love interests for both Lara and for Fran rounded out the core group well. I’m eager to see what happens next for these folks.

The cat angle was fun. They each had some personality, which was great. The mysterious Blue added yet another interesting layer to the story. I will definitely read more books in this series in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington/Lyrical Underground for the opportunity to read an early electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm

REVIEW: Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

It’s hard for Dylan to live in her sister, Dusty’s, shadow. Dusty is tall and gorgeous and popular and confident. She was Miss Mississippi. And now she is marrying Ronan, a Scottish lord-to-be that she met on the Bachelor-style reality show Prince in Disguise. Next to Dusty, Dylan feels geeky and awkward and out of place.

This is especially true when she finds herself at Ronan’s Scottish castle for their Christmas Eve wedding. First, the best man leaves her standing in the cold for almost an hour, waiting for a ride to the castle. She’s rescued by another groomsman, Jamie. At least he’s her age, smart and funny. But at the castle, she feels the cameras all around her. Dusty may be fine with all the TV attention, but Dylan wants no part of it.

The wedding-prep days include a lot of surprises for Dylan – things she’d like to keep off camera and to herself. Not the least of which are her feelings about Jamie. But she may find there are more important things than protecting her own privacy.

Review

I’m not sure I have words big enough for how much I loved this book! It was outstanding! I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a book like I did this one. It’s SO funny! It’s romantic. Sweet and fun and fiesty! I wanted it to go on and on. I loved the characters and wanted to spend even more time with them. This will definitely be a re-read for me! If the author decides to write a sequel, I will be the first in line to buy it!

Everything worked for me in this. The reality TV plot was terrific. It forced characters to decide what was for public consumption and what wasn’t. And how they would handle the difference. The family relationships changed and developed in the story in great, realistic ways. The chemistry between Dylan and Jamie was endearing. I loved them together. There were some fun surprises and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. This could easily be my favorite book of 2017.

Many, many thanks to Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for the opportunity to read an electronic review copy of this spectacular book in exchange for an honest review. I honestly adored it. I read another book by Stephanie Kate Strohm earlier this year – It’s Not Me, It’s You– and I loved it too. That book made it onto my Holiday Hint List for 2017 – and if I had read this before I published the list, Prince in Disguise would have been on there, too.  Hand both of these books to the teens in your life – especially the ones who might not want books with the language and mature content found in some other books for teens and young adults.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++

REVIEW: The Trouble with Murder by Kathy Krevat

REVIEW: The Trouble with Murder by Kathy Krevat

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Colbie and her son, Elliott, have moved in with her dad temporarily after her dad got sick. Their relationship became strained when she got pregnant at 18 and he kicked her out. Maybe now they can start repairing their relationship.

The new living arrangement is working pretty well. Elliott found a local theater group to join. Colbie is able to build her Meowio Batali Gourmet Cat Food business through local farmer’s markets. She even joined the Sunnyside Power Moms, a group of women with at-home businesses. Colbie is starting to find her rhythm.

The first wrinkle in the system is the nasty review Colbie’s business receives. Reviews like that could ruin her line before it even has a chance to take off. And she can’t pinpoint who the unhappy customer is – or if he is even really a customer. Then the head of the Power Moms is found dead. And Colbie is the prime suspect. With a police detective obsessed with finding her guilty, and a creepy guy threatening her family, Colbie is going to have to do her own sleuthing and find the real killer before she loses everything.

Review

This was such a fun mystery! The gourmet pet food home business is an angle I’ve read in another series. But the two distinguish themselves by the animals involved. Trouble, the cat in this book, is a great character. The whole cast in this book was terrific! Looking forward to reading another book in this series.

I was able to puzzle out the mystery, but there were still some nice surprises. It was fun watching Colbie work through each suspect on her quest for the truth. I hope future books include more of the lead police detective (the reasonable one), and the “puzzle guy.” They were probably my favorite characters after Trouble the cat.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington/Lyrical Press for the opportunity to read an early electronic copy of this book for review purposes in exchange for my honest opinion. This book was a delight to read!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Me and Mom Vs. the World by Jo Whittemore

REVIEW: Me and Mom Vs. the World by Jo Whittemore

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Tori and her mom are getting by. But it’s just the two of them. Expenses exceed income, and money is really tight.

When they get word that Great-Aunt Muriel has died, and she planned a contest for a family member to win the estate, Tori wants to try to win.

The contest is to see who is the last family standing after two weeks of living like a Colonial family. Farming. No electricity. Doing things by hand. Not only will Tori and her mom have to figure out how to leverage both of their gifts, but Tori’s going to also have to work against sabotage and the temptation of a teenage boy.

Review

I’ve mentioned before that I enjoy the MIX line of books from Aladdin. This is one of the books in that line, previously published under the title Colonial Madness.

The story is fun! Tori and her mom have an interesting dynamic since it’s been just the two of them for so long. And while Tori tends to be the serious one, she has a lot to learn about her mom. She sees only how they are different – not the things that make her mom special and capable in her own way.

For me, the contest was secondary to the mother/daughter story and the other things going on between the characters. I was frustrated by some of the adults and the ways they handed things that came up. But it all come together in a satisfying ending!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

REVIEW: Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Ruby has gotten used to being abandoned. After her parents’ divorce, her dad drifted off to a new life without Ruby, or her sister Cora. When Cora left for college, she never looked back at her life with an alcoholic mother. Even though she had been Ruby’s protector when they were kids, she left Ruby alone with their mother. Now, Ruby’s mom has walked off, too, leaving 17-year-old Ruby to fend for herself. And she can only dodge their landlord for so long before someone notices that she’s alone and barely getting by.

Once Social Services gets involved, Ruby is sent to live with Cora and her husband, Jamie, in their ritzy neighborhood with expensive cars and expensive private schools. How is Ruby supposed to live in this foreign place with the sister who left her? They are like strangers now. Her other life may have been lonely and desperate, but it was familiar and comfortable. Maybe Ruby would be better off going back to that life.

Review

I must confess, I’ve never read a Sarah Dessen book before. She’s wildly popular, but I just hadn’t tried one. A former student said this was her favorite, and I decided to give it a try on her recommendation.

I really enjoyed it. It felt familiar in some ways – the teen pulled out of her unhealthy yet familiar surroundings, struggling against a safe yet foreign new way of living. But I loved the configuration of family and friends – and circumstances – that led Ruby to eventually give this new life a chance. The road isn’t easy. New challenges and revelations push Ruby to see herself and her life from new angles. This is so well done.

Definitely for teens with language and substance abuse as well as child abuse and neglect. This was so well done. I would definitely read more Sarah Dessen books after enjoying this one.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥