Tag: parental death

REVIEW: The Map of Flames by Lisa McMann

REVIEW: The Map of Flames by Lisa McMann

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Louis was the only “parent” the kids had known for years. While he was Brix and Birdie’s biological father, he’d filled the role for Tenner, Seven, and Cabot too when their parents had not returned.

Three of the superpowered adults had left the island first, in search of supplies. When no one heard from them, four more left as well. And now Louis is dead, leaving the five kids alone.

Birdie’s father left her a map and told her to find her mother. Her ability to talk to animals would be an asset in the journey. But some of the kids don’t want to leave the only home they’ve ever known – and risk anyone back in Estero City discovering they have powers. But Birdie can’t resist the pull of finding out what happened to their missing parents. They all want to know why they’ve been left alone, forgotten, all this time.

Review

I was captivated by the start of this one, but after a few chapters of the kids alone on the island, the book started to drag. I think this is something tricky about first books in a new fantasy series. There’s a lot of world-building and character introduction to do, and it can feel slow.

Section 2 of the book picks up with some danger situations. And section 3 was great. I was all in by the end. There are some nice twists and tons of unanswered questions to carry readers to book 2 in the Forgotten Five series – The Invisible Spy (November 2022).

Fans of fantasy stories like McMann’s other series – The Unwanteds, Going Wild, etc. – will find a lot to connect to. And I’d encourage readers to push through section 1 if they feel things are starting to slow down. It’s worth it to stick with the story. The ending is easily a 4 or 4.5 star adventure. (Grief and loss)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Planet Grief by Monique Polak

REVIEW: Planet Grief by Monique Polak

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic ARC/ review copy of this book from Netgalley and Orca Book Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Abby is furious with her father. She does NOT want to spend her weekend at some grief retreat. She’d rather be at soccer – with friends, running around, not thinking about how it is almost Mother’s Day and her mother is dead. If only a heart transplant had come through for her sooner, or if she had not even gotten sick at all.

Christopher isn’t quite as reluctant about the grief retreat as Abby. His main worry is that someone will find out exactly HOW his father died. His mom assures him that the retreat leader, Eugene, is the only one who will know. But Christopher still walks in with his defenses up.

The other kids in the group are Gustavo who has been to grief retreat before because of his father’s death. As a seasoned participant, he helps Eugene with the group activities. Antoine and his moms are grieving the loss of Antoine’s little brother who died from SIDS. And Felicia is there because both of her parents died.

As Abby and Christopher experience grief retreat and participate in some exercises to help them with their losses, they are surprised by the things they learn about their fellow group members – and about themselves.

Review

This is an emotional and touching story. And it is so well written. I felt like the grief and emotions expressed by the characters were completely on target. I felt them and understood them. The complicated experience of grief was portrayed in a way that middle grade readers can understand. I think kids who have experienced loss could read this and feel understood. They might even get some new insights into their own grief experience. Kids who have not experienced death have a chance to gain insight and empathy by reading the experience of these characters.

I think this book could find a home in every single classroom and school library as well as home libraries. For those who tend to avoid books with gay characters due to religious reasons, I think the two moms in this story (who are never in a scene together due to the extreme grief of one of the women) are a small part of a much larger – and much more important – story. I think the value of this book to grieving kids and their friends far outweighs any questions the kids might have about a character with two moms.

I highly recommend this story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½