Month: August 2021

REVIEW: Whatever Happens (Julie and the Phantoms) by Candace Buford

REVIEW: Whatever Happens (Julie and the Phantoms) by Candace Buford

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Edelweiss and Scholastic in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Includes SPOILERS for the Netflix show Julie and the Phantoms.

[At the end of season one of Julie and the Phantoms, the band has finished playing at the Orpheum, but the guys don’t “cross over.” Their unfinished business, whatever it is, isn’t done. Julie finds them in the studio, still suffering from Caleb’s power over them. But something happens that releases them from Caleb; their club stamps disappear. And for the first time, Julie can touch them even though they are ghosts.]

While Alex and Reggie leave to find Willie and see what they can figure out about their more solid ghostly state, Luke and Julie reminisce about their show at the Orpheum and talk about their most cherished days from the past. For Luke, it’s the day Sunset Curve was preparing to play the Orpheum the first time in 1995. For Julie, it’s a day she spent with her mom in 2019, before they knew her mom was sick.

Review

This is so clever! It fills in fun backstory for the characters without getting in the way of any potential season 2 stories for the show. Fans will get to read about songwriting moments for Luke, Julie, and Rose as well as some family interactions for Alex, Flynn, and Julie. Readers get a glimpse at Bobby and his place in the band and find out a little more about Reggie’s family.

As old as I am, I am probably way too attached to a show for kids and teens, but I absolutely *adore* these characters. I have my fingers crossed that Netflix will shoot at least one more season of the show. But while we all wait, fans will love getting to spend time with these characters in some new stories which fit perfectly into the show and reveal a little more depth to each of the teens. This book made me love my favorite characters all the more.

If I was rating this on my enjoyment alone, I would give this 4.5 stars. I loved it. I would re-read this. The author does almost too good of a job conveying the chemistry between Luke and Julie (this is a middle grade story, after all), and I am thrilled to add some backstory to my head canon about these characters. A lot of that character depth comes from the characters getting to tell their own parts of the stories. Each of the 6 teens has at least one point-of-view chapter. But that is also where the wrinkle comes in for me. The set up is that Luke and Julie are alone, telling these stories to one another. There’s no place in that set up for the other 4 characters to chime in with their perspective on group events, much less sharing about things that happened away from Luke or Julie. That structural wrinkle would drop my book rating to probably a 3.5 – the story is otherwise solid. I’m going to give it an average rating of 4 here, but in my head, the content is definitely rated higher than that.

Readers will want to have at least a passing knowledge of the events in the show and the characters in order to enjoy this. Fans craving new content for these characters should snap this up. (LGBTQ+, TW: coming out stories/parental disapproval)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read (but you know I totally will with this one!)

REVIEW: Capture the Crown by Jennifer Estep

REVIEW: Capture the Crown by Jennifer Estep

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Princess Gemma works at keeping her pampered princess persona and reputation in place. It disarms people, and they tell her things – things that help her work as a spy.

Her latest mission has her posing as a miner as she tracks missing stockpiles of tearstone. But her mission puts her directly in the path of her nemesis, Prince Leonidas Morricone of Morta. HIs family was behind the Seven Spires Massacre (Kill the Queen), an event that still haunts Gemma, 16 years later.

When someone tries to kill Leonidas, Gemma reluctantly saves him. When her life is in danger, he returns the favor. It makes sense for them to team up against the actual villain. And once they’ve thwarted *his* plan, the two royals can go back to hating each other.

Review

I loved this! I wanted to pick it back up and start over as soon as I finished it. And I would have if I didn’t have so many other stories vying for my attention. I’m so happy this is the first review to post after the completion of my blog sabbatical.

This is NOT a fourth book in the Crown of Shards series – after Kill the Queen (♥♥♥♥♥), Protect the Prince (♥♥♥♥½), and Crush the King – but a spin off. Gemma is a child in those books, but now she is an adult, ready for her own adventure – and romance. There are references to the events of the Shards series, but this kick off to the Gargoyle Queen series is all about Gemma, and I adored it!

I am enjoying the magic system in this world as much as the heat and tension between Gemma and Leo. I’m trying to puzzle out what Leo’s family is up to – and especially what the story is with his sister. The teaser for book 2 – Tear Down the Throne – gave me no answers, and only made me whine all the more about the long wait until it releases.

Crown of Shards fans should run right out and pick this one up. I don’t know that you have to have read that series to dive into this one, but I think it helps. Besides, it’s an outstanding series that fantasy fans should not miss. I re-read the original series after finishing this, and it was so helpful for filling in little story gaps I had forgotten. Now that my autographed copy of Capture the Queen has arrived, I am ready to read it again! Don’t miss this one. (Language, violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

BOOK NEWS: August 3, 2021

BOOK NEWS: August 3, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy August! There are so many books releasing this month to get excited about. Let’s take a look at some of this week’s new releases!

Books for Kids

Squasherella – A fall twist on Cinderella.
The Secret Life of Viruses – A picture book about the science of viruses.
Agent Moose: Moose on a Mission – Book 2 in the Agent Moose graphic novel chapter book series. Agent Moose, Granny Moose, and Owlfred are working a new case when the circus comes to the forest.
J.D. and the Family Business – A brother and sister with a flair for working with hair team up to grow their businesses. This looks awesome!
Super Turbo Protects the World (Graphic Novel) – A graphic novel version of book 4 in the Super Turbo series.
Total Mayhem: Monday Into the Cave of Thieves AND Tuesday The Curse of the Blue Spots – The first two books in the Total Mayhem chapter book series starring a kid named Dash Candoo.
Unicorn Diaries: Bo and the Merbaby – Book 5 in the delightful Unicorn Diaries series. Bo wants to help a merbaby who can’t swim on her own yet.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Black Boy Joy – A collection of 17 stories celebrating Black boys.
Boots – Book 3 in the League of Secret Heroes series. This is a fun historical fantasy mashup with a trio of teen superheroes helping fight World War II. The Infinity Trinity take on the Metallic Falcon when he captures Mae’s aunts.
I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2021 (Graphic Novel) – A graphic novel adaptation of the I Survived novel about 9/11. This is a perfect release for the 20th anniversary of an event that impacted the world today’s kids live in, but happened long before they were born. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Julie and the Phantoms: Whatever Happens – A book that takes place immediately after the end of season one of Julie and the Phantoms, but which reveals stories from before the boys became ghosts and before Julie’s mom died. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai – After a break-up, Jenna swears off boys. But her ex is competing with her for a major scholarship and another boy keeps stealing her favorite diner booth where she goes to hide every day.
Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares – Book 2 in this series from Rick Riordan’s imprint. Paola is having nightmares again, but with her relationships in flux, there’s really no one she can tell. But her mysterious and absent father is at the center of the nightmares – and he just might be the solution she needs to help her ailing grandmother.
Stowaway – The latest middle grade story from the fabulous John David Anderson. This is the first book in a planned sci-fi duology. Leo and his brother have been stranded in space when the galactic battle over a rare but important resource discovered on Earth heats up and their scientist father is kidnapped. This one is on my review list.
Wish Upon a Stray – Looking for friends in her new American home, Maria gets attached to a stray who turns out to belong to her neighbor. In exchange for more time with the dog, she agrees to sing in her neighbor’s band.
Dangerous Play – When Zoe is assaulted at a party, she and her field hockey teammates decide to do whatever they have to in order to ensure no girl ever feels unsafe again.
The Dead and the Dark (LGBTQ+) – Two girls team up to find out what has been happening to the teens in the town of Snakebite, but neither are ready for what they discover.
The Fatal Error – First book in the Holding the Fort series. A secret military project decides it doesn’t want to be kept a secret any more. And a group of teens wakes up to find everyone else in their town has gone missing. I have this one on my wish list.
Suns Will Rise – Book 3 in the System Divine series described as “Les Misérables meets The Lunar Chronicles.” I’m not sure I can do the description to this justice since I haven’t read the first two books. But book one, Sky Without Stars, is on my list.

 

Books for Adults

An Amish Schoolroom (Trade Paperback) – A collection of three stories about Amish school teachers.
The Chocolate Raccoon Rigmarole (Hardcover) – Book 18 in the Chocoholic Mystery series. Lee starts looking into a series of robberies where only sweets are taken when her friend’s boyfriend becomes a suspect.
The Dating Dare (Trade Paperback) – Sequel to the fun novel, A Sweet Mess. While their secret dates always end in some romcom-level disaster, their chance meetings are always something special. And that’s a problem because Tara doesn’t want anything serious, and Seth is going to be leaving the country soon for a job. This one is on my review list.
Death in Castle Dark (Mass Market Paperback) – First in a new A Dinner and a Murder Mystery series which I have heard is written by Julia Buckley. An actress cast in a murder mystery troupe finds a real mystery when one of the other actors is killed during a performance. This is also on my review list.
Delia Suits Up (Trade Paperback) – A woman convinced her job woes would be gone if only she was a man finds herself magically transformed.
Hostile Intent (Trade Paperback) – Book 4 in the Danger Never Sleeps series. A military officer requests an early discharge to spend time with her dying mother, but she’s attacked. Now the special agent of the FBI who saved her says she may have the answers to a series of unsolved murders. And they need to work together to find the killer before the killer strikes again.
If the Shoe Fits (Hardcover) – From the author of Dumplin’. Cindy, a shoe-loving fashion designer who can’t find work in her field, finds herself thrown into a reality tv show when a guest cancels and the show-runner (Cindy’s step-mother) needs a fill-in. As the first plus-sized woman to appear on the show, Cindy finds herself getting a lot of attention, but she’s not sure she can trust any of it – the fans, her fellow contestants, or the things she is feeling for the star of the show. This is also on my review list.
Murder Most Fowl (Hardcover) – Book 29 in the always delightful Meg Langslow Mystery series. While Meg’s husband is directing a production of Macbeth, and a group of reenactors are exploring the life of the real Macbeth, a murderer strikes. (Book 30, The Twelve Jays of Christmas, will release in October.) This one is on my review list.
So We Meet Again (Trade Paperback) – When Jessie heads home to lick her wounds after being laid off, she runs into her childhood nemesis who, surprisingly, offers to help her relaunch her YouTube cooking channel. I have adored the last couple books I have ready by Suzanne Park, so I am eager to dig into this one, which is on my review list.
To Write a Wrong (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency series after the wonderful To Steal a Heart. When a mystery writer finds himself the target of murder attempts, he enlists the help of the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency. And Daphne, a mystery writer herself, is assigned to help. I am so excited about this one!
The Walnut Creek Wish (Trade Paperback) – First in the Creektown Discoveries series. A couple in a strained marriage move to Walnut Creek and find unexpected help at an antique store.
3 Big Questions that Change Every Teenager (Hardcover) – Based on research from the Fuller Youth Institute. Contains information to help pastors, parents, youth leaders, and mentors shepherd teens through their three big questions: Who am I? Where do I fit? and What difference can I make? This sounds amazing!
The Daily Bible Project (Three-Year Journal) – A multi-year journal with a Bible reading prompt (roughly three chapters a day) with room for notes. Will take the reader through the Bible in a year, three times. No text, just the reference so any translation can be used. I am eager to see this one in person.
Holy Hot Mess: Finding God in the Details of This Weird and Wonderful Life (Hardcover) – No matter how “messy” life feels, you can trust you are being transformed into Christ’s likeness.
A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year A AND Year W (Trade Paperback) – A lectionary focused on the stories of women in the Bible.