middle grade book
Book Reviews: Masterminds Trilogy
Masterminds (Masterminds, #1)
by Gordon Korman
3 out of 5 stars
The town of Serenity is not as serene as it seems. Eli and his friends begin to discover that their seemingly perfect town is hiding dark secrets.
I really liked the mystery in this book, and the gradual unravelling of the secrets that the townspeople are hiding. The adventure aspects of the story are exciting and kept my attention, but sometimes felt far-fetched and unrealistic. I was rolling my eyes a couple of times.
The characters are smart and emotional, and they all have such unique personalities. I really enjoyed getting to know each of them, and seeing how their flaws and strengths push the story forward. They each react in different ways when they discover what is really going on in the town, and I can’t wait to see what further character development they might have in the rest of the series.
Continue readingBook Review: Masterminds
Masterminds (Masterminds, #1)
by Gordon Korman
3 out of 5 stars
The town of Serenity is not as serene as it seems. Eli and his friends begin to discover that their seemingly perfect town is hiding dark secrets.
I really liked the mystery in this book, and the gradual unravelling of the secrets that the townspeople are hiding. The adventure aspects of the story are exciting and kept my attention, but sometimes felt far-fetched and unrealistic. I was rolling my eyes a couple of times.
The characters are smart and emotional, and they all have such unique personalities. I really enjoyed getting to know each of them, and seeing how their flaws and strengths push the story forward. They each react in different ways when they discover what is really going on in the town, and I can’t wait to see what further character development they might have in the rest of the series.
Continue readingComic Review: We Found a Monster
We Found a Monster
by Kirk Scroggs
4 out of 5 stars
Casey writes in his art journal to tell us the story of how monsters keep finding him! There’s a vampire in the attic, and gremlins in the basement. Frankenstein keeps recharging his brain batteries and making the electric bill go up. A huge cephalopod lives in the kiddie pool in the backyard. When a new girl arrives at school, Casey finds out that she is interested in monsters too. And there is a new pink monster in town.
I love the colorful art style! It really draws the reader into the story. The colors are so bright and fun. I love the funny expressions on the characters’ faces. Some of the sketches are just pencil drawings, and some are filled-in with color. It really looks like someone’s journal with text and illustrations thrown all over the page.
Continue readingComic Review: Teen Titans Go! Roll with It
Teen Titans Go! Roll With It!
by Heather Nuhfer, P.C. Morissey, Agnes Garbowska, Sandy Jarrell
4 out of 5 stars
Robin has gathered the Teen Titans to play an exciting game of Basements and Basilisks. The friends just want to have fun, but Robin wants to force everyone to follow the rules and make the game difficult. Jinx puts them under a spell to stay in the game, and only Robin can save the day. That is… if he can let go of the rules.
I liked the comedy in this comic! Robin is always getting up to crazy hijinks and ruining everyone’s game experience with his insane determination to make the game impossibly difficult. He is always trying to prove that he is the fastest, smartest, biggest hero, and that is the perfect backdrop for some truly hilarious failures.
Continue readingGraphic Novel Review: The Inkberg Enigma
The Inkberg Enigma
by Jonathan King
4 out of 5 stars
This graphic novel centers on a bookish young man, Miro, who lives in a fishing village where his father works in a history museum. There are strange occurrences around the town, and the fishermen have secrets to hide. Miro’s new friend, Zia, takes a photograph of a fisherman who has been attacked at sea, the local fishermen warn Miro and Zia to stay away and keep quiet about what they saw. But of course, they begin to investigate the weird phenomena around town.
I loved this book! The characters, the interesting plot, and the world-building are all excellent.
I liked that Miro is a bookworm, and spends his life diving into books but never having any real adventures. Each of the characters has their own vivid personality and backstory.
Continue readingBook Review: Starcross
Starcross (Larklight, #2)
by Philip Reeve (Goodreads Author), David Wyatt (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars
Myrtle and Arthur are having adventures again! This time they are visiting a seaside hotel called Starcross located in the asteroid belt. There are mysterious disappearances and strange beings lurking around the hotel, and it’s up to Myrtle and Arthur and their friends to save the empire!
I loved everything about this book! The plot, the characters, the hilarious writing, the world-building, the mystery, the adventure, and every single dramatic chapter all kept me reading for hours on end. This is one of those books where there isn’t a good place to stop reading. You just have to keep going through the next chapter and the next.
Continue readingBook Review: Borrowers Afield
The Borrowers Afield (The Borrowers #2)
by Mary Norton, Beth Krush (Illustrator), Joe Krush (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars
I love seeing how the Borrowers survive in the wild, fighting off insects, gathering nuts and berries, and finding shelter in an old boot. The plot in this book has so many interesting little twists and turns, as the Clock family meet Spiller, a Borrower who lives in the fields and hedges.
They are such funny characters with grit and determination. Pod is resourceful and serious, but cracks a joke now and then. Homily is fearful, but has a reserve of inner fortitude that comes up in a crisis. Arrietty is adorable and sweet, plucky and adventurous and playful. Spiller is mysterious and taciturn. I just love them all!
Continue readingBook Review: The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre
The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre (The Two Princesses of Bamarre, #0.5)
by Gail Carson Levine (Goodreads Author)
3 out of 5 stars
Perry is the adopted daughter of Lakti noble parents, but her real parents are Bamarre servants. Her true bloodline is kept a secret, because the Bamarre people are considered inferior and cowardly. The fairy Halina visits Perry and urges her to embrace her true heritage and free the Bamarre people from Lakti tyranny. With the help of a magic tablecloth, seven-league boots, and a perfect disguise, Perry plunges into espionage and rebellion. But can she ever escape her Lakti upbringing and be accepted by the Bamarre?
Continue readingBook Review: Ogre Enchanted
Ogre Enchanted (Ella Enchanted, #0.5)
by Gail Carson Levine (Goodreads Author)
3 out of 5 stars
Evie is a teenage healer, always concocting potions for her best friend, Wormy. When he proposes, she says no, and the fairy Lucinda curses her to be an ogre until she accepts a marriage proposal. Any marriage proposal from anyone. Evie travels to the Fens, hoping to learn the art of persuasion from the ogres who live there. Life as an ogre is more difficult than she imagined, but Evie becomes known as the healer ogre. She searches for someone who will awaken her ability to love, and hopes that someone will propose to her. But she isn’t even sure what love is supposed to feel like.
I was disappointed in this book.
The story was oddly disjointed, and there were several things that seemed exceedingly far-fetched, even for a fairytale world. The ending was rushed, and the relationships felt forced. The characters are okay, but I wasn’t amazed with their personalities or the bland character development.
Luminous Libro 