I downloaded this one on a whim since it was Read Now from an indie publisher on NetGalley. I went in witFox: a Southern Fairy Tail by S. R. W. Black
I downloaded this one on a whim since it was Read Now from an indie publisher on NetGalley. I went in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it!
Summary: This sequel to Alone brings more explanation to Freeman’s dystopian world where cities across Colorado evacuation from an impending threat. ASummary: This sequel to Alone brings more explanation to Freeman’s dystopian world where cities across Colorado evacuation from an impending threat. Alone follows Maddie who has been mistakenly left behind after evacuations. Away follows a cast of four middle school age children who have been moved with their families to the same evacuation camp. Each teen brings their own perspective: an aspiring journalist, filmmaker, doctor, and rancher. What begins as a project to create a documentary of the camp turns into the group questioning how authentic the threat really is.
Review: I loved revisiting the world Freeman created. I feel like there was more world building and explaining in this book, so it felt more like a true dystopian story. I also liked that the format includes movie script and feature article formatting in addition to the novel in verse formatting. Everything felt very clever and intentional. Much like the first book, though, there’s a lot of implausible plot points and the ending doesn’t feel fully resolved. This is the kind of book that students will devour. I know several students who are eagerly awaiting the release of this one!
Thanks to NetGallry for the ARC! available Feb 2025...more
This was a sweet autobiographical story about a dog named Muffy who hates other dogs after being attacked and how she finds out that not all dogs can This was a sweet autobiographical story about a dog named Muffy who hates other dogs after being attacked and how she finds out that not all dogs can be bad when she meets Valor. This was cute and sweet. It would be a great read for any animal loving children out there.
I received a free ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
This was a sweet autobiographical story about a dog named Muffy who hates other dogs after being attacked and how she finds out that not all dogs can be bad when she meets Valor. This was cute and sweet. It would be a great read for any animal loving children out there.
I received a free ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review....more
Intense and captivating! What happens if a plan accidentally crashes into a nuclear power plant?
This one had more characters and locations than her pIntense and captivating! What happens if a plan accidentally crashes into a nuclear power plant?
This one had more characters and locations than her previous books. I found myself getting kind of bored when the POV switched. I also felt like the ending was rushed.
Despite that, this was an intense story that really creeped me out at times. It felt too real. I love the themes of sacrifice, connection, family, and camaraderie that are explored. The characters felt like real people who I was rooting for.
I definitely recommend if you liked Newman’s other books or fast paced speculative fiction....more
This is a thrilling adventure with short chapters and as many curveballs as you can think of (plus a few more). Readers will devour this third installThis is a thrilling adventure with short chapters and as many curveballs as you can think of (plus a few more). Readers will devour this third installment in Philbrick's adventurous series!
Nick and Jess have only a few minutes to react as a tsunami is headed towards their town. They barely manage to escape but become stranded deep in the woods and must climb and fight their way out. Through their journey, they meet an elderly couple they know who are stranded and need help. Nick and Jess continue to fight not just for themselves, but for their old friends' survival.
This was a light, fluffy read with problems that are solved almost as quickly as they arrive. Some of the events didn't seem plausible, but I kept reading to see what crazy things would happen next. The chapters are very short and end on cliffhangers that make this perfect for a reluctant reader or even as a read-aloud with a class that needs something fast paced. I raced through it, rooting for Nick and Jess the whole way. Definitely check it out! ...more
This was like middle grade Guardians of the Galaxy. I didn’t enjoy this as much as The Land of Stories but I know it will appeal to some middle grade This was like middle grade Guardians of the Galaxy. I didn’t enjoy this as much as The Land of Stories but I know it will appeal to some middle grade readers. It is fast paced and silly which will be a win for many readers!
The story has all of Colfer’s signature humor and pop culture references, many of which will go over younger reader’s heads. The characters are pretty flat as well. There’s a Cyborg with no understanding of figurative language, a gray alien who only communicates in beeps (hello, Groot), an overly optimistic and overly wise human-like leader, and large furry cat-like alien (though not a raccoon…). Cassie (the Furgarian) is almost a carbon copy of Trollbella from TLOS who immediately forms a crush on main character Roswell and doesn’t have any ounce of character development throughout the story. She starts obnoxious and ends obnoxious. Each character stays firmly in their stereotype as they planet hop on their quest. There is plenty of conflict, but no real suspense as each problem is quickly tackled and characters are on to the next. This is truly meant for younger readers. There are no attempts at explaining how all the different species can flawlessly communicate and survive on one another’s planets. The twist at the end is pretty obvious for older readers. However, for younger fans who want to venture into sci-fi, this should be a low stakes option!
*slight spoiler - Roswell is Black and struggles with facing prejudice on Earth. He gains hope as he sees the different alien species working together mostly in harmony through the Galactic Alliance. This was a good message, but it really didn’t fit the tone of the book and was handled in a rush way like most of the other plot points....more
This book made me cry SEVERAL times on a plane in public, and I am not a crier… it is heartwrenching and inspirational.
Joe lives with his grandmum. TThis book made me cry SEVERAL times on a plane in public, and I am not a crier… it is heartwrenching and inspirational.
Joe lives with his grandmum. Their house is full of love, but they don't have much else, and Joe doesn’t always know where his next meal will come from. He idolizes superheroes who face and conquer every “And then, BOOM” surprise situation. Imagine any and every thing that could go wrong, and Joe probably faces it throughout this book.
This novel in verse book will make you grateful for what you have and think harder about how you can help others who don’t have as much. It made me reflect on what I could do to give back to the community.
Fans of Starfish, A Work in Progress, and Louder than Hunger will love this! It's a novel in verse that packs a bunch and deals with heavy topics beautifully. It would be a great read aloud to spark discussions about community service and community programs....more
1989 USA - Luisa works as a CIA code breaker, though her Oma simply believes she works in finance. Letters with an eerily familiar symbol come across 1989 USA - Luisa works as a CIA code breaker, though her Oma simply believes she works in finance. Letters with an eerily familiar symbol come across her desk and she realizes that her Opa had more family secrets than she realized. There was a reason he raised her to crack codes and break cyphers, and now her expertise may help save her family. Alternating storylines show Luisa's adventure in 1989 and her father's turmoil behind the wall in the 1970s. (Also... don't read the Goodreads summary because it literally gives the whole story away.)
My knowledge of the Cold War and Berlin Wall eras is vastly lacking. This time period and story were fascinating to read about. I knew about the Berlin Wall, of course, but I never thought about how long it had been up and how it had come to exist. I never thought about the family members who may have been separated on either side. After this book, I want to go on a deep dive into all the great nonfiction. Katherine Reay (the author) included a substantial list of reference books at the end that she used while writing this.
The ending felt a bit rushed and wrapped up a little too neatly in my opinion. I can't share too much without spoiling, but I felt like help and solutions showed up a bit too easily in the final quarter of the book. Some people love a happy and neat ending, though!
I also highly recommend the audiobook. The two narrators do a wonderful job, especially with accents.
This is a fascinating book about animal communication! Each page spread is dedicated to an animal and is fully illustrated with overlaying captions exThis is a fascinating book about animal communication! Each page spread is dedicated to an animal and is fully illustrated with overlaying captions explaining how the species communicates. The book is organized by classification with a section on mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, plants and fungi. There are a variety of commonly known animals like gorillas, koalas, hippos, squirrels, as well as more obscure species like the African Demon Mole Rat, Peruvian Warbling Antbird, and Deathwatch Beetle.
I learned a lot. Particularly that bears scratch their backs on trees to leave their scent, rhinos mark their territory by scraping their poop around, mosquitos have to match the pitch of their buzzing to find a compatible mate, and the cordyceps fungus creates ant zombies to spread itself.
This book is great for any science nerd or animal lover! ...more
This one has languid dystopian vibes like Never Let Me Go and Klara and the Sun. I would even recommend readers who liked The Giver to give it a try. This one has languid dystopian vibes like Never Let Me Go and Klara and the Sun. I would even recommend readers who liked The Giver to give it a try. This one is angled more as a character driven story with plot and explanations of the world taking a back seat to Odile's feelings and transition. I wanted more scifi than literary, but there will be readers who LOVE this one!
DNF Read to page 51/282 ... I may have to revisit this one. The plot is much slower than I hoped, and the lack of dialogue punctuation is making it more of a slog....more
Laure is spending a few weeks with Iris and Gabriel after discovering her husband Pierre had cheated and had a child out of wedlock. Iris and Gabriel Laure is spending a few weeks with Iris and Gabriel after discovering her husband Pierre had cheated and had a child out of wedlock. Iris and Gabriel are happy to host Laure at first until her stay gets extended. Suddenly, she’s staying indefinitely and as the weeks stretch on, it becomes too much. Laure becomes part of every aspect of their lives. Things get worse as secrets are revealed, friends begin disappearing, and we begin to wonder who can be trusted.
The beginning is slow and the ending is kind of rushed, but I can honestly say I never guessed who was responsible until the “tell all” at the end. You truly don’t know what some people will do in desperation. I wanted a little bit more from the pacing, but I’m somewhat picky with my thrillers.
The audio is a great option. The narrator did a great job of distinguishing voices and giving things the perfect tone.