Category: Five Star Reviews

REVIEW: Better Late Than Never by Jenn McKinlay

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

An overdue book mystery. It’s amnesty day at the library! That means anyone and everyone can return their overdue and damaged materials without repercussions. But no one expects to find a 20-year overdue book in the stack! And when Lindsey discovers the book was checked out by a patron who was murdered later that night, she has to find out where the book came from. And who the murderer is.

Overdue book mystery

Review

I loved the “cold case” twist to this book! It freshened up a series I already adore (this is book 7), taking it to a new level of awesome!

What do I love about this series? First, the main character is a librarian and the series centers around the library. As a former school librarian, there are a lot of familiar factors for me. And there are lots of book references which I enjoy.

Second, the core characters are fun! This book focused on Lindsey, Sully (love interest #1), Robbie (love interest #2), and a couple of the other librarians. The crafternooners (a crafting book club) make an appearance but aren’t a huge piece of this story. I love these characters. The author has done a great job of giving all of the main group some focus so they have clear personalities, distinct from one another.

Third, I love the mysteries. This one kept me guessing almost to the very end. And I loved the details of the case as Lindsey puzzled it out.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

This one can probably be read in any order, although it is easier to get to know the characters if you read them in order. I love the whole series. Book one is Books Can Be Deceiving.

 

REVIEW: The Charming Life of Izzy Malone by Jenny Lundquist

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Izzy Malone struggles to fit in. She can’t compete at home with a musical prodigy older sister. She can’t compete at school where the other girls pick their rowing team based on popularity rather than skill. Izzy knows she doesn’t fit the typical mold. And for the most part she doesn’t care. But when your mom is running for mayor, the pressure to conform is even higher. Izzy’s only hope is a correspondence charm school. If she can complete the assignments, maybe she’ll finally find her place in the world.

Great books for kids

Review

This book was outstanding! I loved Izzy from the start. Earnest, confident and caring, Izzy just wants to be accepted for who she is. But she doesn’t feel that acceptance at home or at school.

The correspondence charm school is terrific. The tasks are simple at the outset, but nothing ever goes quite right. The letters give Izzy a chance to tell someone what’s really on her heart – and she feels affirmed and accepted in some ways for the first time.

The family dynamics are fascinating. As an adult, I could infer what’s going on with Izzy’s mom. For kids, this would be a great dynamic to discuss to help build empathy and understanding for others. The evolution of that relationship was satisfying – no magic solution, but progress, which felt realistic.

The heart of this story is what drew me in, compelled me to finish it in one sitting, and keeps me thinking about the characters and the story even after the book is closed. This is a book I will keep and read again. And one I will talk about with kids any chance I get.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: A Dark and Stormy Murder by Julia Buckley

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lena became a writer because she has loved the books by Camilla Graham her whole life. So when she has a chance to work for her writing idol, Lena jumps at the chance. But her dream job in Indiana unfortunately comes with a dead body. And some suspicious characters around town. Pretty soon, Lena is writing, defending a new friend from the local gossip, and dodging assailants!

cozy mystery about authors

Review

Wow! This was an excellent mystery! The author does a great job introducing her characters so you know who is who without difficulty. I felt like I had read other things with Lena and Camilla because I was so comfortable with them immediately. The mystery for this book was great – I kept getting surprised by what happened. All my theories were wrong. I loved getting to be surprised by a well-plotted mystery!

I felt like I got a bonus with this book because there’s an over-arching mystery that comes up early in the book, carries throughout, and is the primary focus of the last chapter after the main mystery for this book was done. And the over-arching mystery will carry readers right into book 2. Death in Dark Blue  is currently scheduled to release on May 2, 2017 (release dates subject to change).

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Christmas Town by Donna VanLiere

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

A fantastic Christmas story! Lauren grew up in a string of foster homes. At 20, she longs for a family – for a place to be known, a place to belong. On a whim one night, Lauren takes a drive and ends up in a town named Grandon. Little by little, the town and its people start drawing her in. But a nice town and nice people may not be enough to overcome a lifetime of pain and disappointment….

Christmas story about hope

Review

Oh, how I adored this book! Even now, a month after finishing it, I remember all the things that made this a special holiday read! This might be my favorite Christmas story ever (after the original, of course!).

Lauren is a fantastic character. I hurt for her past and hoped with her for the future.

I enjoyed how different threads of the book slowly worked together – the girl with a heart defect, the grocery store bagger (my FAVORITE character), the parks and recreation manager, the waitress – all the pieces with potential to help Lauren’s dream come true.

This story begs for an epilogue. Just to see how everything works out.  Just to spend more time with these characters. I think this book would be a perfect story to read each year to kick off my holiday season. I love the theme of hope and the message that God is at work even when we don’t see it.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

REVIEW: Madly (The Potion Diaries) by Amy Alward

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Samantha comes from a long line of alchemists – potion makers without magic but with a gift for mixing and creating potions for whatever ails you. When the princess gets a bad potion, all the alchemists in the kingdom are summoned to join the hunt for a cure. The one who can make a potion to cure the princess wins gold and magic! Too bad for Samantha that her grandfather refuses to join the hunt. She’s just an apprentice. What can she do?

madly potion-diaries

Review

Ever since I first saw the cover for The Potion Diaries, I have wanted to read it. I thought about it all summer long, counting down to the October release date.

Then in September I realized that it’s not a new book, but a re-packaged book. My local library had had Madly, the same story but with a different title and cover, all along!!

The story is fantastic. The potion/magic pieces create the world, but the characters are the story. Stephanie and her family are great. I especially like how the world is set up with magic users and “ordinary” folks. Stephanie has a pretty easy time figuring out the ingredients thanks to her family gift. But actually obtaining those ingredients is another whole story!

The characters made this story for me! And the adventures in getting the potion ingredients kept me turning pages.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

royal-tour

I read book 2, The Royal Tour, right after I finished Madly. It sagged at spots in the middle for me, but it was still enjoyable. I’m glad I pressed through the slow spots. The characters continue to be terrific. I loved seeing more of the princess and Sam’s sister in this book. Major cliffhanger at the end sets up book 3 to be a doozy!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

REVIEW: The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

This is book two in the Fixer series. The Fixer was my favorite book of 2015. The Long Game is shaping up to be my favorite book of 2016!

Tess Kendrick is back, ready to stick up for the little guy. Still trying to figure out her place in her family. Wondering who to trust in Washington – and even at her own school.

I’d love to tell you more but this story is so twisty, it’s hard to share but not spoil. Just trust me. This was amazing. Mystery. Suspense.  All kinds of awesome.

the-long-game

Review

I adore Tess Kendrick. Her dry humor and snark are fun. I love her commitment to take up for the underdog, even if it puts her against very powerful people. I love her friends, especially Asher who is a delight. He is one of my favorite characters in all of literature. So sarcastic and funny!

When I started this book, I loved it because it was some of my favorite characters doing things I loved to read about. It was fun. It was comfortable in the best possible way. A smooth transition from book one to book two.

Then BAM! Everything – action, betrayal, danger – amps up to 11. Suddenly I found myself reading a very different sort of story. It was tense. It was unbelieveable. And it was awesome! I am hoping to have time to read it again over Thanksgiving or Christmas break. I can’t wait to sink into that story again!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of my go-to authors. If you’ve never read her stuff, start with The Fixer and then The Long Game. Then, if you love her work like I do, try her series, The Naturals. The final book in that series came out earlier this month, so you can read them all, back to back, without waiting.

 

REVIEW: The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase by Wendy Mass

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Logan, Miles, Daisy and Philip, stars of The Candymakers are back for Candymakers #2. The factory is ready to start making the harmonicandy – the winning entry from the contest in book one. But Logan realizes there’s a problem with the recipe. In an effort to fix things, the kids head out on an epic road trip to hunt down a 50 year old secret and try to make their harmonicandy dreams come true.

candymakers-2

Review

I have been recommending The Candymakers to students and parents for years! It is constructed in a unique and clever way. Each character takes a turn telling his/her part of section one of the story. Then section two is told all at once. It’s a great example of perspective and “voice” as it highlights each character  and his/her part of the story as a whole. The story gets new depth as each character adds his/her part of the story. It’s brilliant!

Each of the main four characters gets to tell his/her story again this time, going deeper into their family stories and into how their lives changed because of the things that happened in the first book. About half of the book is told by all of the kids together. That’s when the road trip kicks off. I don’t want to give anything away but that road trip is not just about candy. It’s also about the past, the future and family.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

I can’t recommend these two books  highly enough! Please read them in order so you can really get all of the nuances in the relationships between the kids.

REVIEW: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

A set of triplets born to be Queen. Each girl born to eliminate the other two and win the crown. Katharine is a poisoner. Arsinoe is a naturalist. Mirabella is an elemental. Each girl is nurtured in her powers by factions that want their girl to win – and their group to be in power. Who will win? Who will die? And who can be trusted?

Three Dark Crowns

Review

This was amazing from start to finish! If you are a fan of Young Adult fantasy, I highly recommend this story. The author did a great job making each of the sisters distinct. Each one has a unique “support system,” too. I expected to like one more than the others from the start. Maybe get more of her perspective. I thought there might be a clear favorite at the outset. But they were so different. I cared about them all. And even when I did develop a “favorite,” the author up-ended things enough to leave me wondering if she would still be my favorite when it’s all done.

The author does a fantastic job of hinting at backstory, but she does it sparingly so that even at the end, we have unanswered questions. The ending was HUGE and sets up the next book perfectly. My only complaint is having to wait so long for it!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Howard Wallace, PI by Casey Lyall

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Howard Wallace is a middle school detective, ready to solve your mystery! Sure, his “office” is a hodgepodge of discarded school equipment. And he looks really weird in that bathrobe he thinks works as a trench coat. But he’s a good detective. Then a black-mailing case comes to his desk. Even with his “junior partner,” Ivy, helping, Howard might be in over his head on this one.

Howard Wallace PI by Casey Lyall

Review

I love mysteries. They’ve been my favorite genre since I was a kid. So I thought this would be a perfect middle grade mystery for me, even before I started reading.

And then I read the first paragraph.

Immediately, I pictured a black and white scene, and the voice over of a seasoned old detective who had seen everything. I expected him to use the word “dame.” The image fell apart when Howard’s mother called him by his full name, as all moms do when their kids are in trouble. By then, though, I was sold!!

Howard’s “voice” is exceptional. I loved his commentary on things and his perspective on his middle school world. The pacing of his partnership with Ivy was terrific, too. There’s a pretty big cast of characters in this book, but they were all easy to track. Howard’s parents are a great part of the story, too.

The mystery was fantastic! Howard was even better. This would be a great story to read out loud to a class or as a family. I hope there will be many more books staring Howard Wallace, PI!

Rating:♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Charlie thinks it’s a routine day of ice fishing – until the fish she reels in can talk! And the fish offers her a wish if she lets it go. Unfortunately for Charlie, magic wishes rarely go as planned. But fish and wishes take a back seat to more serious problems in Charlie’s family. If only magic wishes could fix everything.

The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner

Review

I love Kate Messner! This story reminded me a lot of her book All the Answers. In both books, magical items  aren’t always the treasures they seem to be at first. The complications coming for Charlie’s family in The Seventh Wish put talking fish and dance dresses into perspective.

The author took some flak earlier this year when a school cancelled her visit because they felt the issue of addiction addressed in the book was too mature for middle grade readers. You can read about that kerfuffle here. I worked with addicts many years ago. I felt like The Seventh Wish handled the topic beautifully and in a very appropriate way for an upper elementary/middle school (and older) audience. Charlie’s reaction is logical and realistic for her age. The author doesn’t offer pat answers or miracle solutions – just honest, age-appropriate questions. (In this way, it reminds me of Still a Work in Progress). If you are looking for books about addictions for kids, I’d start here. Reading this out loud in a classroom, or reading it with students in a book group, or as a family could lead to amazing discussion.

As with any book for this age, students who aren’t ready for this topic will usually choose not to finish it, or they’ll keep reading and talk with a trusted adult about their questions. I would share this readily with students in the middle grade age group.

Rating:♥♥♥♥♥