Tag: DNA testing

REVIEW: Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Meg and her family are playing host to a group out of Canada that is working with her brother’s company. And for the most part they are a lovely, yet stressed, group. But their boss, Ian, is awful and has everyone walking on eggshells. Meg and a few other Mutant Wizards board members are hoping to dissolve the contract between Ian’s company and Mutant Wizards – both to get rid of Ian, but also to protect Rob’s company from Ian’s bad business practices. But before the board can take action, Ian is dead.

There’s no shortage of suspects, from disgruntled employees to angry clients whose lives Ian nearly ruined. But Meg is on the case. If she’s lucky, she can wrap up the investigation so the Canadians can head home before the predicted snow storm arrives.

Review

Another fun Meg Langslow mystery! This one felt a little more tame compared to the last one. The cast was a manageable size while still giving series readers some of the quirky antics we have come to love.

In addition to a solid mystery, there were several laugh-out-loud moments here that made this a lovely reading experience. I can’t wait to see what Meg and her family and friends get up to next! I recently picked up the e-book of Murder, with Peacocks, the first book in the series. It’s probably been 20 years since I last read it. I am hoping for some re-reading time over the holidays so I can pick it up and revisit the series’ beginnings. The next book in the series, Birder She Wrote, is the 33rd book in the series, and it is scheduled to release in August of 2023.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Search for Sasquatch by Laura Krantz

REVIEW: The Search for Sasquatch by Laura Krantz

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

The author, a journalist and podcaster, shares how she got involved in researching Sasquatch/Bigfoot and what she’s learned along the way. She ties as much as she can to science, the scientific method, and scientists like her famous ancestor, anthropologist Grover Krantz.

Review

This is fantastic! The content and illustrations are engaging. This is a meaty nonfiction book for kids about the science in the search for Bigfoot. Bigfoot enthusiasts will recognize many of the names she references throughout the book. And the sciences of DNA, eDNA, and anthropology are described in terms that will work for the kids and teens who will gravitate toward this title.

Amazon says this is for readers between 8 and 12, but this seems heavy for the younger kids in that age range. While reading I felt like this would be perfect for the older elementary and middle school crowd, 10 to 14 years old. This would be an excellent addition to classroom and library collections, especially where teachers and librarians are looking for engaging and contemporary nonfiction. This is the first book in a new Wild Thing line; I can’t wait to see what else they add to the collection!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: You Have a Match by Emma Lord

REVIEW: You Have a Match by Emma Lord

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Abby takes a DNA test to be supportive of her best friend (and crush) Leo, she never expects it will shake every foundation of her life. But when the results come in, it says she has a sister. A full-blooded, older sister.

When Abby and Savvy meet up in secret, it’s obvious the results are accurate. The questions start piling up – why did Abby’s parents place Savvy for adoption? How are they connected to Savvy’s adoptive family? Why have they kept this secret from Abby her whole life?

Abby decides to meet Savvy at Camp Reynolds for the summer. It meets her parents’ insistence on academic recovery work, but it will also let the girls dig into this mystery and get to know one another for the first time.

Review

Emma Lord is now a must-read author for me. Last year I fell in love with her delightful debut, Tweet Cute. And now I have fallen again for Abby and Leo and Savvy and Mickey and Finn and the rest. This was a start-to-finish read for me. It’s funny, suspenseful, and emotionally touching. It’s everything I want when I sit down with a YA novel. I can’t wait to read it again. And again. (In fact, the minute I finished reading the ARC, I pre-ordered my own copy.)

The family story was the hook for me. There are other things happening in the story – Abby’s feelings for Leo, the pressures from her parents regarding school, the camp, her reluctance to share her photography with others, her grief over the loss of her grandfather, and her questions about the future. And every one of those pieces was beautifully handled and part of the joy that is this book. But I was all in on the relationship between Abby and Savvy and on finding out the truth of their story. And it was so satisfying! There were moments when I couldn’t read fast enough to take in everything as quickly as I wanted to.

“Comfort reads” are a real thing, especially in these weird days. These are the books you know you love and you go back to them over and over to enjoy sinking into a great story with great characters. I have many YA comfort reads – Tweet Cute, 10 Blind Dates, Prince in Disguise and more. And now You Have a Match. The writing, the characters, the story, the humor, the heart – all of it was fantastic. YA fans do not want to miss this one! (Language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!