book review

Book Review: Emily and the Spellstone

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Emily and the Spellstone by Michael Rubens
Emily and the Spellstone 
by Michael Rubens (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Emily hates adventures, but when she discovers a magical stone that acts as a cellphone, she is thrown into a magical adventure that proves she is strong and resourceful against the greatest of enemies. A fiery monster named Gorgo is trapped in the Spellstone, and vows to eat Emily if he ever gets free. But Emily needs his help to defeat the nasty people who are seeking the stone’s power for their own evil purposes.

I loved the wit and humor of this book! The dialogue is snappy and every new magical situation is hilariously weird. The plot is full of action and danger. The characters are beautifully written with plenty of contrast and development. Continue reading →

Book Review: Marvelous Land of Oz

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The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum
The Marvelous Land of Oz (Oz, #2) 
by L. Frank Baum

2 out of 5 stars on GoodREads
 Tip is a young boy living in Oz, servant to a nasty witch. He fashions a pumpkin head that comes to life, and they travel to the Emerald City to meet the Scarecrow and Tin Man, falling into the middle of a revolution along the way.
I didn’t really enjoy this book, maybe because I listened to it as an audiobook, and I didn’t like the narrator. Usually I love the Oz books, but this one fell flat. The characters are so dry, the jokes aren’t funny, and even the imaginative setting of Oz felt like a rehash of the same old things from every Oz book. Maybe it was the narrator. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this book. Maybe because I’ve been reading the Oz books out of order, so I already knew some of the plot points. It’s a good story, but I somehow couldn’t enjoy reading it.

Manga Review: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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Manga Classics by Crystal Chan
Manga Classics: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 
by Crystal Chan (Goodreads Author) (Adapted by), Kuma Chan (Art by), Jeannie Lee (Lettering), Mark Twain (Original novel)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

A wonderful adaptation of Mark Twain’s Adventure of Huckleberry Finn into manga form! I think the authors and illustrators did an excellent job of condensing the story into a small volume without losing the integrity or flavor of the story. I love how the various accents of the characters are preserved, but the dialogue is still clear and easily understood.

The artwork brings a lot of emotion into the story, and firmly connects the reader to the characters. Seeing the expressions on character’s faces as they experience joy, grief, fear, sadness, or relief, made me feel those things too as I was reading!
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Graphic Novel Review: The Altered History of Willow Sparks

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The Altered History of Willow Sparks by Tara O'Connor
The Altered History of Willow Sparks 
by Tara O’Connor (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

I really enjoyed this graphic novel about a girl who discovers a magic book that will change her life! Willow is a nerd being bullied by the popular girls at school, but she has friends and a great job working in a library. The book gives her the power to rewrite her life, but of course, magic comes with a price. Willow uses the book to become one of the popular girls, and her life at school seems to be better, but at a cost. If only, Willow can realize the truth before it’s too late, she might be able to salvage her friendships with the people who truly care about her.
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Book Review: Travels with Gannon and Wyatt: Greenland

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Travels with Gannon and Wyatt by Patti Wheeler
Travels with Gannon and Wyatt: Greenland 
by Patti Wheeler, Keith Hemstreet (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodREads

Another wonderful book in this series! Twin brothers, Gannon and Wyatt, travel across Greenland by dogsled, racing to the rescue of a native group of travelers whose dogs have mysteriously fallen ill. Battling the harsh winds and below freezing temperatures, they will need every bit of courage and strength to survive.

I love the writing in these books! You can really feel the desperation of the characters, their awe at the beauty of Greenland, and their struggle to find the inner strength to endure such harsh conditions. It’s a really emotional story, with lots of action and danger too.

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Comic Review: Archival Quality

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Archival Quality by Ivy Noelle Weir
Archival Quality 
by Ivy Noelle Weir (Goodreads Author), Steenz (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator)

2 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

When Celeste loses her job as a librarian, she’s willing to accept any new job, even one in a haunted museum. The more she dives into the archives, Celeste discovers the secrets of the museum’s past, and begins to have dreams of a ghost who died there. She’ll need the help of her new coworkers to uncover the truth about the ghost and the secretive museum board.
I was disappointed in this comic. The artwork isn’t that good, and looks as though it were just thrown together. The story fell flat for me.

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Book Review: Travels with Gannon and Wyatt: Egypt

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Travels with Gannon and Wyatt by Patti Wheeler
Travels with Gannon and Wyatt: Egypt 
by Patti Wheeler, Keith Hemstreet (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Once again, Gannon and Wyatt are exploring the world, this time in Egypt, as they search for the lost tomb of Cleopatra. They are up against superstition, tomb robbers, booby traps, false trails, and their own fears and doubts as they embark on this dramatic adventure.

I love the brotherly camaraderie between the twins, Gannon and Wyatt, and how they tease each other, annoy each other, but ultimately rely on each other through thick and thin. They have a grudging respect for one another, even though they have such different personalities. Continue reading →

Manga Review: Valentine

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Valentine Tome 1 by Vanyda
Valentine Tome 1 (Valentine, #1) 
by Vanyda, David Bolvin (Colorist)

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Valentine is the quiet one in a group of rowdy friends. Between school and parties, her friends try out smoking and drinking and meeting up with boys, but Valentine is only interested in getting her crush to notice her. She’s too shy to speak to him though, and she gets dragged along for the ride with her friends.

Despite the fact that Valentine doesn’t do or say very much in the story, her facial expressions and quiet moments of repose display an emotional depth to her character in stark contrast to her boisterous friends. I really enjoyed the subtlety of Val’s experiences and seeing her gentle reactions to the world around her. Continue reading →

Comic Review: Sci-Fu

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Sci-Fu by Yehudi Mercado
Sci-Fu 
by Yehudi Mercado

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Wax is determined to be the best DJ in the world, but when his mixes accidentally answer an interstellar challenge, he’ll have to be the best DJ in the universe to protect his family and friends from the robots of Discotopia, where he fights against the evil King using the ancient art of Sci-Fu, a martial art that uses sound waves as weapons.

I’m not much of a fan of rap music, but I am a musician, so I was more than intrigued about a comic that uses music to fight off alien robots! I loved all the rhyming and rhythm. I could almost hear the music in my head as I was reading the book!
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Graphic Novel Review: Photographic

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Photographic by Isabel Quintero
Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide 
by Isabel Quintero (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Zeke Peña (Illustrations)

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


A poetic and dream-like journey through the personal history and photographs of Graciela Iturbide, a famous photographer in Mexico.

There’s an emphasis on Graciela’s fascination with birds, and how her thoughts on flight and wings inspired and influenced much of her work. There’s an ethereal feeling to each page, with drawings showing both the photographer and reproductions of her photographs. Continue reading →