Tag: friendship

REVIEW: Shuri: The Vanished by Nic Stone

REVIEW: Shuri: The Vanished by Nic Stone

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

As Shuri digs into her studies and training in order to earn a trip to a tech conclave with her brother, King T’Challa, she starts hearing rumors of missing teen girls. First, it’s someone she met on her last adventure. Then it’s someone her best friend K’Marah knows. Then Shuri is hacked by an American girl who also has a missing friend. And those three girls are just the tip of the iceberg. Girls from around the world between 10 and 15 years old, all with major STEM skills, have gone missing. But no one seems to have noticed.

When Shuri discovers coordinates in Ethiopia where the missing girls might be, she and K’Marah scheme for an opportunity to get away and check the place out. While they feel obligated to be sure the girls are safe, two more teenage girls on a rescue mission might not be the best choice. And what they find seems to raise more questions than it answers.

Review

This was fun! I loved the premise of the book – the missing STEM teens – and Shuri’s journey to solve the mystery. There’s nice development to Shuri’s relationship with K’Marah. And there are several fun appearances of folks from the larger Marvel universe. I would love to see the wrap up of this book become something bigger that gets explored more in a future story. Shuri seems well-positioned to make a difference for other bright young minds that don’t have the resources or support that she does.

Fans of the first book should NOT miss this one. Newcomers probably don’t need to have read that one to follow the action of this one, but it’s fun to see the full arc for Shuri in order. Readers should be aware that while there are some connections to the Wakandan world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this series does not line up 100% with the movie timeline. Also, this is a prose novel, not a graphic novel.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Endless Waiting by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr

REVIEW: Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Endless Waiting by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

A hungry Ben starts his day without sausages (his stomach is pretty put out about that!), but with a fortune cookie. But then he has to give the cookie away (cue angrier stomach), leaving him with just the fortune: “Good things come to those who wait.”

This seems like good advice. And Ben wants good things. So he decides to do more waiting. But it doesn’t always make things better like he thought it would. For example, he waits to claim a partner for a class project and gets stuck with Walter. They used to be friends, but now Walter is kind of an outcast. In this case, waiting might have been a bad move.

Review

This is book 2 in the illustrated Cookie Chronicles series. I have not read book one, which was not an issue for understanding this book. This is primarily a friendship story. Ben follows his fortune and it causes a fracture in his relationship with his friends at school AND it gets him “stuck” with Walter on this project. I loved watching Ben wrestle through his friendship questions both with Walter and with the other kids. He makes some mistakes along the way, but his heart is in the right place. I think readers will enjoy the scavenger hunt pieces of the story as well as the friendship pieces.

Ben and Walter are both 8-going-on-9 which pitches this young in the world of middle grade novels. Because of that, I think this would also work for younger kids reading early chapter books who are ready for longer, more nuanced stories that still don’t delve into the more mature topics tackled in some middle grade books.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: The Retake by Jen Calonita

REVIEW: The Retake by Jen Calonita

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

When Zoe gets back from her family’s summer vacation, she discovers her best friend, Laura, has moved on without her. New friends, new in-jokes, new interests. And Zoe is left to negotiate the start of 7th grade watching Laura from the sidelines.

Zoe is convinced if she was only cooler, if she did things Laura likes, then they can get back to being best friends. And a mysterious new app on her phone gives her the chance to test this theory.

The app lets Zoe go back in time to key moments in her friendship with Laura and get a do-over. And it works! But not in the ways Zoe was hoping for….

Review

This is another fun twist on the time travel/do over story. No time loop in this one, which is refreshing, but Zoe does get to do a few moments of the last year over. The set up of this story is clever and fun.

It was heartbreaking to see how much of herself Zoe is willing to sacrifice in her efforts to hang onto Laura – who was not a great friend in the first place. Zoe’s sister has Laura figured out from the start, but Zoe has to walk the journey to see those things for herself. And it was satisfying – although cringe-worthy – to watch her work through the issues and decide how she wants to move forward.

This would be terrific as a classroom read aloud or a book group selection. My review copy didn’t have discussion questions, but I think they almost write themselves. Kids could get a lot out of digging into the friendship dynamics of the kids in the book. And the discussion of moments readers might choose to do over would be fascinating. Don’t miss this friendship story with a science fiction/time travel twist from Jen Calonita.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher

REVIEW: Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Amelia and Jenna became best friends on one of the worst days of Amelia’s life. Jenna’s family welcomed Amelia in as a daughter. And they gave her a sense of home. As a graduation gift, they even send the girls to a book festival in California where they have VIP tickets to see a presentation by Amelia’s favorite author, N. E. Endsley.

But Endsley cancels his session. Amelia is devastated.

To make matters worse, Jenna explains that she met Endsley. The immensely private author was having a panic attack. And Jenna told him to be true to himself and do what was necessary to care for himself, so he left. Amelia was incensed. Jenna met him? And made him leave? The fight after that was probably the first of their friendship.

And the last.

Jenna is killed in a car accident not long after. And Amelia is lost and adrift. Then a special edition book by N. E. Endsley arrives from a bookstore in Michigan. Amelia can’t imagine how it found its way to her, but she is certain it has something to do with Jenna. So she takes a trip to Michigan to see what Jenna might be trying to tell her.

Review

I don’t know that I have the words to do this justice. I was captivated from the first page. Just reading through the summary above makes me want to pick the book up again and dive in. I thought I knew roughly how the story would play out, but I was surprised time and time again in so many perfect ways. If I had to choose an exemplary “perfect” book for me, this would be one example. Characters, setting, heart, story – every piece was a perfect fit for me.

I loved Amelia and the main characters of the story. The book store in Michigan sounds like a place I could get lost in for days. The author’s descriptions – of the Orman books, of Amelia’s pictures, of her connection to her closest friends – drew me in. Sometimes a book’s prose will capture my attention, pulling me out of the story with lovely turns of phrase. Instead, in this book, the writing was so fantastic it pulled me further into the story. I lost track of the reading experience and just lived in the story for awhile. It was magical.

Every piece, every page, every bit. Lovely. Perfect. Exceptional. This will be one of the 2021 books that will stick with me for years to come. (Language, TW: grief/loss)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

*♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best

REVIEW: Get a Clue by Tiffany Schmidt

REVIEW: Get a Clue by Tiffany Schmidt

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Huck’s intentions were good. He can’t help his highly observational nature. With so few people in the class, it was obvious the instructor was refusing to call on girls in the class. Huck offered to speak up, but the instructor’s primary target said no. So Huck took the video as proof to share with his friends from his old school.

He never meant to post it.
He never meant for it to go viral.
He never meant for a picture of one of his classmates to be turned into a slew of unflattering memes.

So Huck is learning from his mistake. He’s keeping his mouth closed and his observations mostly to himself. He’s doing extra work with Ms. Gregoire and also reading Sherlock Holmes. And he’s pining for his crush, Win, who goes to another school. Any excuse he can find to hang out with Win’s older brother Curtis, Huck takes so he can maybe see Win.

Huck’s observational skills get a workout with Win’s family. There are a lot of unspoken things in the family that are practically screaming at Huck. He saw what happened last time he tried to fix something.

But when Huck discovers someone is pulling a smear campaign on Win that is costing him friends, the trust of his family, and a chance to transfer to Huck’s school, he promises Win he’s going to figure out the mystery. Just like Holmes would. Although that means Huck needs to stay objective about the case. No dating Win until the mystery is solved.

Review

I was devastated to read this would be the last of the Bookish Boyfriends series, “at least for now” according to the author. I have adored this series from the first book. Each new book is my “series fave” – until the next book is released. Books 2 and 3 were in my most favorite of favorites lists for the years when I read them. I adore the premise of the series, the characters, the humor, the charm, the books, and the romances.

Huck feels like a young Shawn Spencer (from the show Psych) although with more emotional insight and self-awareness. His observational skills are (usually) brilliant and on target. He’s also charming like Shawn (and unlike Sherlock Holmes), so he’s adorable, someone you are cheering for from the beginning.

I loved the mystery in this. It was a pretty intense situation for such a fun and funny series. It made for a lovely contrast. And the severity really highlights some of the issues Win is dealing with. Huck learns some good lessons about boundaries as he wrestles with the best course of action to both solve the mystery and protect Win.

The emotional and relational pieces of the story are excellent as always. All of my favorite series characters are here. The interplay is great; the chemistry between Win and Huck is delightful. And I loved watching what it meant to Win to have someone who really sees him and believes him in his corner, fighting with and for him.

If every teenager named in this book was given a story of their own, I would buy every last one. This series is such a breath of fresh air for me. It always makes me laugh and always leaves me with warm feelings about the main couple. These are perfect examples of comfort books – the ones you go back to time and time again because you know they will provide the perfect escape. Do not miss the fourth book in this incredible series.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding

BONUS REVIEW: Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan

BONUS REVIEW: Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

When Everly’s 30th birthday starts with finding her boyfriend in the middle of cheating on her, it’s just another in a string of awful birthdays and disappointing life moments. But when the story accidentally gets broadcast at her job on the radio, she realizes it’s time for some changes in her life. Her friend Stacey helps her come up with the Ten Rules for Faking It – ways to push herself out of her comfort zone and build the life she wants.

Chris is Everly’s boss, so his intense attraction to her has to be kept in check. With his dad’s ultimatum about Chris’s future with the company, and the key role the radio station plays, he can’t afford any distractions. He has to push the station to a new, more profitable level.

While Chris’ dad sees the debacle of Everly’s birthday story going out on the air as grounds to fire Everly and Stacey both, Chris sees things differently. First, he doesn’t want to fire either of the women. Aside from his feelings for Everly, both women are great at their jobs. Plus, the “debacle” has turned into ratings and social media gold for the station. This isn’t a crisis, but an opportunity. They can leverage the attention Everly’s birthday disaster has garnered to boost ratings and ad revenue.

Chris develops a plan to build a Bachelorette-style segment for Everly based on listener feedback. She chooses some dates, writes social media posts about how they go, and the public gets to vote on who Everly should see again. It’s a good idea – for the show and for Stacey’s and Everly’s careers. But Everly is going to need every one of her new Rules for Faking It to get through it.

Review

This was so fun! I loved Everly from the start. Her relationship with Stacey is lovely, despite the rocky birthday situation. And her chemistry with Chris is excellent.

The Bachelorette dates were a smaller part of the story than I expected. I’ve read similar plots before, and the dates are usually a bigger factor. I loved that they weren’t here. It was obvious from the start that Chris and Everly belonged together. The question was how they would pull that off or if Everly would settle for someone else rather than push through the obstacles in her relationship with Chris. So the focus is more on Everly and her list and her personal growth, and that was just right for me.

There’s an inside joke in “Romancelandia” that readers latch onto any and every secondary character, demanding they all get their own book. This story is a perfect example of that. Whether it’s Stacey, or Chris’ siblings, or the friend with the  bakery, if the author decides to turn this into a series with these characters, I am here for every single spin-off book!

Romance fans should not miss this one. It’s a terrific slow-burn with excellent characters and a story that kept me turning pages almost from start to finish. (Language, sexual references, TW: anxiety, panic attack)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Goodbye, Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

REVIEW: Goodbye, Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Mr. Terupt’s favorite students are back for another year of middle school. Their summer is full of camp and festivals and babysitting Mr. Terupt’s daughter, Hope. But when their 8th grade year starts, Mr. Terupt is teaching 7th grade science. All the kids are disappointed to not have him as their teacher for another year.

But when the school announces a one hour advising block every two weeks, the “Babysitters Gang” is thrilled to find out their advisor is Mr. Terupt. The kids are looking forward to the projects Mr. Terupt comes up with for them, like the time capsule, before they move on to high school.

In the midst of their season of change at school, the kids are also dealing with personal issues:

  • Peter is maturing, getting in less trouble, and doing well in school and wrestling. But he’s also watching his friends struggle, not aware that his own crisis is coming.
  • Jessica’s dad is moving back to town, hoping to reconnect with his family. But will he stick it out this time?
  • Anna misses the quality time she used to have with her mom before she got engaged to Danielle’s older brother.
  • Jeffrey is determined to make varsity wrestling as an 8th grader, in a lower weight class, no matter what it takes.
  • Lexie wonders if she carries the breast cancer gene now that her mom is in remission, so she steals a test to find out.
  • Luke is trying to excel in his advanced courses, which includes spending a lot of time with Danielle on the farm for a project.
  • Danielle is adjusting to the logistics of an insulin pump and wondering about her new feelings for Luke.

But the kids don’t know Mr. Terupt has his own changes on the horizon – and those changes will impact them most of all.

Review

What a perfect send off for this delightful series! Oh, how I cried. It’s been years since I spent time with these characters, but I felt like I was with old friends. They are older, wrestling with more mature life moments. But they are still sweet and loyal and compassionate. Wonderful friends. And they are soaking up time with the teacher who loves them and has drawn out the best in them over the years. (I wrote a post about my favorite teachers in children’s literature, and Mr. Terupt is on the list. You can read that post here.) And aside from some coaching, literally and figuratively, he gives them the space to step into their own opportunities to care for others and make a difference.

The focus of the book is relationships – the relationships between the kids, including some dating relationships (hand holding, a couple kisses), as well as the kids with their families, and ultimately their relationship with Mr. Terupt and his family. Through the lens of relationships, the book addresses communication, warning signs of trouble, service, friendship, and loyalty. There’s also a faith component for some of the characters that is lovely and feels genuine. With the dating and relationship pieces and some of the other material these 8th graders face, this might appeal more to the older end of the middle grade age range, even pushing up to “Older Middle Grade” readers between 10 and 14.

Fans of the series will NOT want to miss this final installment. Mr. Terupt even gets a point-of-view chapter in this book! If you are a parent or teacher planning to read this aloud, bring your tissues. I cried often. This is a beautiful story! If this series is new to you, be sure to grab all of the books – Because of Mr. Terupt (♥♥♥♥♥), Mr. Terupt Falls Again (♥♥♥♥♥), and Saving Mr. Terupt (♥♥♥♥♥) – and read them in order so you can enjoy the evolution of the relationships and watch the impact of this great teacher on his beloved students. You can read my reviews of the author’s other series, The Perfect Score, here. (TW: Eating disorders, cancer remission)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

♥♥♥♥½* = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: The Boomerang Effect by Gordon Jack

REVIEW: The Boomerang Effect by Gordon Jack

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lawrence Barry is one screw up away from expulsion. An appeal from his guidance counselor and a scathing letter from his lawyer father are the only things that kept it from happening already. So Lawrence agrees to an act of community service to cement his “commitment” to getting clean and staying out of trouble – mentoring an exchange student.

Spencer Knudsen is a freshman from Norway who seems destined for bullying and humiliation. He’s too smart, dresses too formally, and has awkward social skills. Lawrence is determined to help Spencer survive high school.

But Lawrence finds himself in a pile of trouble during Homecoming, including being framed for things that could send him to military school. And – surprise, surprise – Spencer may turn out to be exactly the friend, and the help, Lawrence needs.

Review

This was fun! I liked Lawrence, even though he had a habit of wanting to fix everyone to be what he thought they should be. The sobriety part of his story was unexpected, but I liked it. I also enjoyed Spencer and Eddie and Audrey. There’s a quirkiness to the cast here that was delightful!

Lawrence has a lot going on – his partying and sobriety, his relationship with his parents, figuring out his identity at school if he’s not going to party anymore, his “fixing” tendencies, and also being framed for all the trouble at school. There’s a nice balance here between Lawrence’s story and the school story. And I liked both parts equally.

Be sure to check this one out if you enjoy light mysteries (like who is framing Lawrence at school), friendship stories (like the relationship between Lawrence and Spencer), or school stories (like this one centered around Homecoming activities). There’s a lot here to enjoy! (Language, drug use and drinking, recovery)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Lies Like Poison by Chelsea Pitcher

REVIEW: Lies Like Poison by Chelsea Pitcher

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderberry Books/Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When they were 14, and they were convinced Raven’s stepmother was abusing him, Belle came up with the plan and showed it to Poppy. They would put petals of belladonna and poppies into the woman’s tea. It would look like an accident as the girls had just been making garlands. Raven’s stepmother would die, and Raven would finally be safe. When Lily found the plan, she wanted in, too. They might have been talking about her mother, but Lily wanted her gone just as desperately.

But it never happened. Raven went away to boarding school. Lily went into a treatment facility. And the four teens drifted apart.

Three years later, Raven’s stepmother is found dead. And there’s belladonna in her tea. The police found their childhood plan. Belle is arrested. Raven comes home. Poppy, now going by “Jack,” reaches out to Lily for help. And the secrets between them, and those they kept from one another, start to take on a life of their own.

Review

Wow! This is super twisty! It’s the sort of book that is compelling. You’re not sure what exactly is going on, but you *have* to keep reading so you can figure it out. And it’s a doozy! There are some terrific fairy tale moments cleverly woven in that I enjoyed.

This is the sort of book that’s hard to review because almost anything I say could be a spoiler. I don’t know that I liked many of the characters in this. There are so many twists and lies and secrets, it’s hard to really know them or trust them. But at the same time, I was completely invested in finding out what really happened. In fact, I would have liked a few more pages at the end with definitive details of what happens next for everyone. Fans of found family stories should check this one out.

If you are a fan of twisty, suspenseful stories like We Were Liars (♥♥♥♥) or One of Us Is Lying (♥♥♥♥), don’t miss this one! (Language, sexual references, LGBTQ+, TW: grief/loss, abuse/neglect, eating disorders, inpatient treatment)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BONUS REVIEW: Teen Titans Go!: Roll With It

BONUS REVIEW: Teen Titans Go!: Roll With It

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Robin convinces the rest of the Teen Titans to play his favorite role playing game, Basements & Basilisks. Yes, they need a tutorial on the rules and some LARP practice, but they are 100% in it to win it.

But in typical fashion, Robin goes to extremes. He takes everything seriously and makes the game impossibly hard. His friends threaten to quit if Robin doesn’t find them a different game master. For the sake of the game, he agrees. He asks his crush, Becky, to help them.

But “Becky” isn’t who anyone thinks she is. And she has her own special game planned for the Teen Titans.

Review

I was eager to read this one because of the D&D-like game play but I forgot to remind myself that Teen Titans Go is often more over-the-top than I enjoy. It took some time to get into this one. Robin is controlling – as usual. And just as he made the game less fun for the Titans, he made it less fun to read about. But once the external villain was revealed, I enjoyed this a lot more.

Raven continues to be my favorite of the Titans, but the ensemble was in good form, too. Cyborg’s issues with the villain were a fun wrinkle to their adventure.

This is a long, meaty campaign for the Titans. Fans will enjoy spending this time with the characters.

Rating: ♥♥♥½ – Good+