Tag: identity

REVIEW: Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy

REVIEW: Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Aviva and Holly have grown up knowing they were adopted. For Aviva, sometimes that makes her feel like she’s not really Jewish, like her grandmother. But with Bubbe’s encouragement, she agrees to perform a Hanukkah song at a holiday pageant at the Senior Center. Performing is like breathing to her!

Holly isn’t a performer like Aviva – her creativity is in her writing. It’s something she and her grandfather have in common. Her family is checking out the Senior Center for her grandfather who has had a few scary falls at home lately. But when Holly and Aviva come face to face at the center, it’s like looking into a mirror.

Could they be twins?!

Review

“I barely know you, but that expression on your face looks like trouble.”

Who doesn’t love a twin-swapping story? And this is a fun one! I enjoyed every bit of this. The two girls are great – separately and together. Their families are lovely, too.

There’s a fascinating piece of this story were Aviva wrestles with her identity as an adoptee in a Jewish family, wondering if she is “Jewish enough” while also realizing how much she doesn’t know about the Jewish faith, holidays, and traditions. Both girls get to explore this in the book while Aviva also gets to check out some pieces of Christmas while she lives with Holly’s family for a few days.

The swap is a lot of fun for the reader. And it opens up some other places where the girls get to think about identity and family and what they hope their discovery of each other can mean for the future.

This is exactly the right mix of holiday cozy and middle grade fun, and I highly recommend it. It would make for a great classroom read aloud around the holidays.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

REVIEW: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Viv the orc has decided to retire from fighting monsters and securing bounties. She’s (literally) hanging up her sword to open a coffee shop.

Using some old magic, she’s found the perfect spot – and made a few new friends to help her launch her business. But a local protection scam and an old “friend” are putting her shop, her plans, and her new friends in danger. If Viv goes back to her old ways to protect her fresh start, will it ruin all of her work to become a different sort of person and live a different sort of life?

Review

This is a surprisingly low key book for as engrossing as this story is! I was reading this as a print book before bed each night, and I looked forward to getting back to it every evening. I loved the characters and adored the mellow vibes of the coffee shop.

While this “cozy fantasy” is low key, it’s not without tension and danger and conflict. But most of the pages are devoted to fleshing out these characters and building this world – and I was invested in all of it. Viv is a great protagonist, sorting out her identity in a new environment with new challenges. And her surrounding cast is a delight!

Fans of this story can pick up the prequel, Bookshops & Bonedust, out now. I snapped it up before I had even finished this book. Looking forward to diving in! (Language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Princess Protection Program by Alex London

REVIEW: The Princess Protection Program by Alex London

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

When Princess Rosamund wakes after 100 years of slumber to a smooching prince (Ew!), it takes a bit to get her bearings and remember her story. But when she arrives at the Orphans Home Educational Academy, it all comes back to her – the spindle, the 100 years, the angry fairy.

But Rosamund is now in the Princess Protection Program. It’s a safe, protected space for fairy tale characters who have left their stories to prepare for life in the “real” world.

As Rosamund acclimates to her new home and friends, however, she begins to notice strange things around the school – monsters, missing and forgotten friends, mysterious magic. Maybe HEA isn’t the happily ever after she’s been led to believe it is.

Review

This was a lot of fun! I enjoyed the worldbuilding here a lot. There are some clever design choices along with some little shout outs to other stories and writers of other fractured fairytales. This is a genre I have always enjoyed, and this is a great addition.

The characters here are lovely. I really liked this version of Sleeping Beauty – her curiosity, her questions, and her loyalty. The author does a great job keeping the focus on a small group of recognizable princesses while telling the larger story. Folks looking for middle grade books with LGBTQ+ representation will find some of that here, too.

My favorite thing of all was the way the author wove ideas of personal responsibility, independence, choice, autonomy, and identity into this fun fairy tale story. I’d love to read more books with these themes. And if these characters come back for another adventure, I am here for their stories!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza

REVIEW: Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Showing up at the site of a murder was a mistake. Her kid needed a bathroom. The rookie cops hadn’t secured the scene well. But after just a few moments, Andrea Stern had theories about the crime. It was an instinct she had used to help the FBI catch a serial killer. Before.

Kenny starts covering the murder for the local paper. It’s a constant blow to his ego to be working at such a rag. He used to be a “real” reporter. He had won a Pulitzer for heaven’s sake. Before.

Andrea and Kenny knew each other as teens. They left home and found success and notoriety. And then lost it all – the dream careers, the respect, the potential futures. But maybe they each could revisit the lives they left behind – if they can work together to solve this murder.

 

Review

Maybe I should have picked a romance to review for Valentine’s Day, but this was next up on my list, so today’s the day to talk about it! Wow. This is fantastic!

I picked this up because I came across the sequel in the bookstore – The Self-Made Widow. And I rarely start a series in the middle. So I bought this, and it sat on my TBR for ages. But I was in  the mood for a mystery, so I picked this up to try.

For the first quarter of the book, I was absolutely captivated by Andrea and Kenny. They don’t feel like the usual protagonists for a story like this. Andrea’s profiling and observational skills are spooky good. And she and Kenny are both in this “How did I get here”/”Is this my life now?” emotional space, wondering if they’ve left their best days behind them. And that angle to their characters grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.

Then, once the mystery developed, I couldn’t put the book down. I had to see how all the pieces would come together. I enjoyed the twists and layers of this. It’s all brilliant. Mystery fans should not miss this one – I highly recommend it! I can’t wait to dig into book 2.

I would list a trigger warning for marginalized people. There’s racism and homophobia displayed by some of the characters, and it’s ugly at times. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

 

REVIEW: Birtle and the Purple Turtles by Tara J. Hannon

REVIEW: Birtle and the Purple Turtles by Tara J. Hannon

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Tootie makes a new friend in Turtletown, but they are a curious looking turtle.  But “Teeny” and Tootie discover they have SO much in common, they quickly become best friends. Even though they found her a shell so she looks more turtle-like, though, Teeny really isn’t enjoying the food or activities the other turtles like. And she’s afraid to let Tootie know.

Review

This is amazing! I adored Tootie’s enthusiasm and encouragement. What a perfect friend to have during an identity crisis! And Teeny is so sweet and worried about not fitting in. The artwork is adorable, and the color scheme was perfect for me. This is a lovely story about friendship and acceptance and identity. I highly recommend this graphic novel for chapter book readers. This is labeled “Volume 1,” so I hope that means there will be more adventures for these two friends.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

 

 

REVIEW: Cranky Chicken: Crankosaurus by Katherine Battersby

REVIEW: Cranky Chicken: Crankosaurus by Katherine Battersby

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

Here are three new adventures for Cranky Chicken and her best friend Speedy.

  • Cranky needs a nap.
  • Speedy has an identity crisis.
  • Cranky and Speedy learn about eggs.

These are cute stories – not has laugh-out-loud funny as the last book, but these are still cute and fun for readers. There’s plenty of activity to keep kids engaged. I personally loved the trip to the library in the third story. Series fans should pick up this latest adventure. Newcomers can easily start here.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Main Character Energy by Jamie Varon

REVIEW: Main Character Energy by Jamie Varon

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Poppy Banks has always wanted to be a writer. But life has not gone like she planned. It’s gotten so bad she’s ready to give in to her critical mother’s constant negativity and give up writing completely.

But Poppy’s mysterious aunt isn’t going to let her just quit. She leaves Poppy her exclusive writer’s retreat – at a villa in France. In order to inherit, Poppy has to live there for six months and write a novel.

Without hope for writing, Poppy is tempted to bide her time and sell the villa to dig herself out of the hole. But her aunt was the only one who ever seemed to believe in Poppy. And it would be ungrateful to not let her aunt’s plans unfold and just see how things might turn out.

Review

This was excellent! Early on I really connected with the writing of this novel – the way the author described and phrased things. I would mark pages with especially good passages. But before long I was captivated by Poppy – by her struggles, the family drama, the war within herself between confidence and fear. I didn’t want to put this down.

A lot of the conflict in the novel is internal for Poppy, so in some ways this was a little more introspective than you might expect from a “romance.” I liked it this way. While there are several moments of emotional conflict, for the most part this is light on tension and turmoil, which I loved. (Language, sex – TW: attempted sexual assault)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert

REVIEW: Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Conrad’s not in a great place when the trip first comes up. He’s barely getting by, and his landlord is putting her house up for sale. One of his newer jobs is making cuts, so he’s about to lose that gig too. He’d probably be better off if he scalped the ticket to Massive Odyssey Con West. But he knows if he could go – and win the tournament – it could change the trajectory of his whole life.

Alden also thinks MOCW could change his life. And he needs something. He’s still living in his moms’ carriage house, and since he didn’t get into medical school he’s feeling stuck and aimless. His moms are pressuring him to make a plan. “Win a deck-building tournament” probably isn’t what they had in mind.

Alden and Conrad can’t stand each other. But in order to get to MOCW they’ll have to grit their teeth because this is a cross-country trip. The two of them – and all of their animosity – alone in a car for days.

Review

Enemies to lovers is not a trope I seek out or gravitate toward very often. In fact, several chapters in I wasn’t sure I wanted to stick with this.  Con and Alden were both hard to like from the outside. Thankfully the author gave both of them point-of-view chapters which helped me stick with the book. The gaming angle was the main reason I picked this up – I adore con/convention stories, so I had to give this a try. This is a different sort of convention than what I usually attend, but the gaming and convention vibe worked for me.

I enjoyed watching Con and Alden work through both their assumptions about the other AND their personal challenges as they grew closer. And I appreciated the twists the author threw in to get us to a happy ending. (I also appreciated the lack of panicked shenanigans like lost bags or stolen money on the road trip. Every time they stopped, my anxiety ramped up. And then, happily, nothing like that happened. It was a relief!)

For Pride month, I am trying to focus on reviews of LGBTQ+ titles, and I enjoyed this one. I had no idea there was a sequel, but I found Out of Character recently and immediately picked it up. Check both of these out. If you are looking for other conventions stories, you can explore some other options here.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

REVIEW: The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When her father dies, the only ways for Lady Camembert to inherit are for her to marry a man – something she has no interest in – or pretend to be one. So she moves away – somewhere no one will know her with only one servant – and becomes Count Camembert.

And that plan might have worked if she was content with a quiet life at home, mostly on her own. But “Count Camembert” can’t resist a party and eventually becomes friends with Princess Brie. And before long, she’s fallen in love with her. But the princess can never know the truth.

Review

While I don’t read historicals often, when I do the idea of women fighting to keep their inheritance is a theme I gravitate toward. I love those stories. But I think I prefer them in prose over graphic novels. I found myself wanting more here.

That said, I did enjoy this graphic novel. The characters were fun and the artwork is gorgeous. I think readers will get a kick out of the cheesy references and Cam’s journey to the freedom to wholly be herself.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Bruce Wayne Not Super by Stuart Gibbs

REVIEW: Bruce Wayne Not Super by Stuart Gibbs

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Bruce is the only non-powered kid at his middle school which makes him feel like a nobody. His driving desire is to clean up his city and protect others. But between school administration and Alfred, his dream of being a vigilante is getting a lot of push back.

Review

This was a fun story! I enjoyed the characters in a middle school context, and Bruce’s quest to find a way to make his mark at the school and in Gotham. The illustrations here are excellent. I loved pouring over the pictures to find all the familiar DC characters.

My only complaint here is about the portrayal of some of those characters. The portrayal of Clark Kent, for example, did not fit the historic Clark Kent at all. I don’t know if the thinking there was “these are kids who will grow into their better selves,” but it was distracting. (I have seen other reviews bring up these same issues.)

I would definitely read a sequel to see how they continue to build this new take on the characters.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.