The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James

Title: The Woman in the Castello
Series: n/a
Author: Kelsey James
Source/Format: Won in a giveaway from the publisher; Paperback
More Details: Historical Fiction; Gothic; Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: John Scognamiglio Books; July 25, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Rome, 1965: Aspiring actress Silvia Whitford arrives at Rome's famed Cinecitt Studios from Los Angeles, ready for her big break and a taste of la dolce vita. Instead, she learns that the movie in which she was cast has been canceled. Desperate for money, Silvia has only one choice: seek out the Italian aunt she has never met. Gabriella Conti lives in a crumbling castello on the edge of a volcanic lake. Silvia's mother refuses to explain the rift that drove the sisters apart, but Silvia is fascinated by Gabriella, a once-famous actress who still radiates charisma. And the eerie castle inspires Silvia's second chance when it becomes the location for a new horror movie, aptly named The Revenge of the Lake Witch--and she lands a starring role. Silvia immerses herself in the part of an ingenue tormented by the ghost of her beautiful, seductive ancestor. But when Gabriella abruptly vanishes, the movie's make-believe terrors seep into reality. No one else on set seems to share Silvia's suspicions. Yet as she delves into Gabriella's disappearance, she triggers a chain of events that illuminate dark secrets in the past--and a growing menace in the present . . .

I was in the mood for another historical fiction novel, which is why I decided to give The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James a try. I liked this book for what it was: a story with family secrets, a crumbling and atmospheric castle, and a troubled movie set.

Set in 1965 Rome, it follows Silvia Whitford, a struggling actress hoping for a big break. Her initial hopes were dashed, but she got a second chance at a breakout role. Honestly, I liked how quickly the setup for the story came together, especially how the family secrets were a source of conflict but also closely connected to the movie.

Silvia was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She doubted herself—and she was far from perfect—but part of what was good about her character was her determination. The relationships she had—especially with her daughter and mother—were very complicated, but I ultimately liked how James handled that end of the story.

Some of the clues—especially about the rift between Silvia’s mother and aunt—were a little too obvious for me. It was a complicated situation, and the issue was larger than just some small misunderstanding. That being said, there were some thrilling scenes, and the castle—especially the portions about the film, which were detailed and good—were some of the best parts of the story. So, while I could guess how some of the scenario would go, I was still entertained by how the conclusion was executed.

Overall, I liked The Woman in the Castello.

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan

Title: The Death and Life of the Great Lakes
Series: n/a
Author: Dan Egan
Source/Format: Won; Paperback
More Details: Nonfiction; Science
Publisher/Publication Date: W. W. Norton Company; March 7, 2017

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The Great Lakes—Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior—hold 20 percent of the world’s supply of surface fresh water and provide sustenance, work, and recreation for tens of millions of Americans. But they are under threat as never before, and their problems are spreading across the continent. The Death and Life of the Great Lakes is prize-winning reporter Dan Egan’s compulsively readable portrait of an ecological catastrophe happening right before our eyes, blending the epic story of the lakes with an examination of the perils they face and the ways we can restore and preserve them for generations to come.

Years ago, I won a paperback copy of Dan Egan’s The Death and Life of the Great Lakes. And, for years, it languished unread on my shelf. At the end of January and beginning of February, I was in need of a palate cleanser, and this book fit the bill. It’s nonfiction about science and history, which is one of my favorite combinations for this genre. And, from the introduction onward, I was hooked (no pun intended).

“The first day of June 1988 was sunny, hot and mostly calm—perfect weather for the three young researches from the University of Windsor who were hunting for critters crawling across the bottom of Lake St. Clair.”—pg. 108

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes was fantastic, fascinating, and a gripping account of the history of the Great Lakes. It reminded me of a different nonfiction book I read last year, which was called Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall. One of the points that book made was the architectural detail put into the malls and the specific clientele they were meant to attract and serve, ultimately created something of a boom-and-bust cycle—when the tourism and novelty wore off. The same kind of concept was present here too. However, the consequences weren’t a mall emptying of stores but an ecological disaster that had—as the book laid out—far reaching (nationwide) consequences for rivers, lakes, and watersheds. This was especially when invasive and destructive species, disruptions in the food web, and toxic (basically annual) algae blooms threatened key bodies of water.

The author laid out how many of the decisions that caused the issues seemed almost innocuous, simple, and even well meaning. One of my main takeaways was: if it sounds too good to be true, then it likely is. And the narrative had this steady build up—with the chapters on the construction on the canals and seaway as well as the conversion of the Great Black Swamp to farmland—before doing a deep dive into the consequences, the proposed solutions, and the actions taken.

I really have to applaud Dan Egan. The Death and Life of the Great Lakes was a well-researched book!

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross

Title: A River Enchanted

Series: Elements of Cadence #1
Author: Rebecca Ross
Source/Format: Publisher (won); ARC
More Details: Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Voyager; February 15, 2022 

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Jack Tamerlaine hasn’t stepped foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the mainland university. But when young girls start disappearing from the isle, Jack is summoned home to help find them. Enchantments run deep on Cadence: gossip is carried by the wind, plaid shawls can be as strong as armor, and the smallest cut of a knife can instill fathomless fear. The capricious spirits that rule the isle by fire, water, earth, and wind find mirth in the lives of the humans who call the land home. Adaira, heiress of the east and Jack’s childhood enemy, knows the spirits only answer to a bard’s music, and she hopes Jack can draw them forth by song, enticing them to return the missing girls. As Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together, they find they make better allies than rivals as their partnership turns into something more. But with each passing song, it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they first expected, and an older, darker secret about Cadence lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all.

With unforgettable characters, a fast-paced plot, and compelling world building, A River Enchanted is a stirring story of duty, love, and the power of true partnership, and marks Rebecca Ross’s brilliant entry on the adult fantasy stage

A River Enchanted wasn’t really on my radar at the beginning of the year, but the more I learned about it, the more I wanted to read it. I happened to win a paperback ARC of it; although, my copy arrived after the release date, and I’ve just now gotten around to it.

A River Enchanted was everything I was looking for. It was the kind of slow fantasy story heavy on world building details and character backstory, which I’ve been into lately. There was a lot of history, stories, traditions and customs to sink-my-teeth into. And although magic could be put to use in similar but unequal ways on both sides of the isle, there were hefty consequences for the Tamerlaines and the Breccans. It was a thoroughly fascinating world to read about.

And the story, while at its surface appeared to simply be about unexplained disappearances on the isle, Cadence, was weighted by the secrets that ultimately fueled the motivation of the antagonist. Everything—decisions, secrets, magic, etc.—had known and unforeseen consequences to varying degrees of devastation.

Cadence was an isle, which gave the story an isolated feel. The location set the tone as well as the limits/price of magic.

I know Jack and Adaira were at the center of the story as they called on the spirits while trying to figure the situation out. I liked them both, especially when they had their scenes together with the banter and eventual honesty between them. But Torin and Sidra were my two favorite characters in the story, and they seemed to come alive on the page. I liked that their relationship was one that was already established. But they, like Jack and Adaira, experienced emotional turmoil that turned the easiness of their relationship into tension that needed to be resolved. There was no immediate epiphany that magically solved everything for them. The characters had to decide and be honest—first with themselves before others—to get what it was they wanted or needed. The individual character arcs were done really well here, and I appreciated how much it was explored.

The sequel to A River Enchanted is (the last I checked) coming out this December. I’m glad the release date isn’t too far away, because I’m really looking forward to the next one.

 

About the author....

Rebecca Ross writes fantasy novels for teens and adults. She lives in the Appalachian foothills of Northeast Georgia with her husband, their lively Australian Shepherd, and an endless pile of books. THE QUEEN'S RISING, THE QUEEN'S RESISTANCE, SISTERS OF SWORD & SONG, and DREAMS LIE BENEATH are her titles for young adult readers. A RIVER ENCHANTED is her adult fantasy debut, publishing February 15, 2022 with a sequel to follow. When not writing, she can be found reading or in her garden, where she grows wildflowers and story ideas. 

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Harper Voyager) in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Review: Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You by Scotto Moore

Title: Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You
Series: n/a
Author: Scotto Moore
Source/Format: Won from a contest; Paperback
More Details: Science Fiction; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Tor.com; February 5, 2019

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You is a story of music, obsession, violence, and madness by Scotto Moore

I was home alone on a Saturday night when I experienced the most beautiful piece of music I had ever heard in my life...

Beautiful Remorse is the hot new band on the scene, releasing one track a day for ten days straight. Each track has a mysterious name and a strangely powerful effect on the band's fans. A curious music blogger decides to investigate the phenomenon up close by following Beautiful Remorse on tour across Texas and Kansas, realizing along the way that the band's lead singer, is hiding an incredible, impossible secret.

When Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You initially came out, I completely missed it. But better late than never, right? So I have finally read this book, and it was nothing like I was expecting it to be. The summary on the back is vague and kind of implied a story that might be somewhat surreal and mysterious (think contemporary fantasy). Yet that wasn’t totally the case, and I will get to that in a minute.

Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You was a really good read. I would describe the story as like looking at an album, or more specifically as going through the stages of listening to each song—seeing how you react to it. The music is mysterious in the beginning—from the identity of the band, to the effect it had on people who listened to the songs—but the story doesn’t have much of a central mystery. Instead it had a feeling to it, a certain kind of atmosphere that was built upon as the story went along. Somewhere along the way, it quickly took a turn into cosmic horror with a musical edge, and it never left that track.

What I liked best about this story was how hard Moore leaned into the love of everything about music—with characters who knew their stuff—as well as the speculative elements. It culminated into a fast paced, page-turner of a read.

Review: The Album of Dr. Moreau by Daryl Gregory

Title: The Album of Dr. Moreau
Series: n/a

Author: Daryl Gregory
Source/Format: Won from a Twitter contest; Paperback
More Details: Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Tor.com; May 18, 2021

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Daryl Gregory's The Album of Dr. Moreau combines the science fiction premise of the famous novel by H. G. Wells with the panache of a classic murder mystery and the spectacle of a beloved boy band. 

It’s 2001, and the WyldBoyZ are the world’s hottest boy band, and definitely the world’s only genetically engineered human-animal hybrid vocal group. When their producer, Dr. M, is found murdered in his hotel room, the “boyz” become the prime suspects. Was it Bobby the ocelot (“the cute one”), Matt the megabat (“the funny one”), Tim the Pangolin (“the shy one”), Devin the bonobo (“the romantic one”), or Tusk the elephant (“the smart one”)? Las Vegas Detective Luce Delgado has only twenty-four hours to solve a case that goes all the way back to the secret science barge where the WyldBoyZ’ journey first began—a place they used to call home....

The Album of Dr. Moreau was a short, occasionally strange, and enjoyable mystery steeped in speculative elements right from The Island of Dr. Moreau. Except it had a music angle, with the genetically engineered people being in a popular but troubled band called the WyldBoyZ. When the band’s sketchy manager winds up dead, the mystery launches from there.

In terms of mysteries, The Album of Dr. Moreau was a pretty good read. The speculative elements were handled well, and if you know anything about The Island of Dr. Moreau, then you’ll sort of know what to expect going into this one.

The characters were interesting. In particular, the detective, Luce Delgado, was a personal favorite of mine. Her style of questioning was as razor sharp as her deductions.

I did like Gregory’s decision to make this a multiple POV story, which added another layer to the mystery and tension. And as the story progressed—with more and more of the past of the WyldBoyZ being revealed—there were sufficient motivations all across the board for almost every character.

In a general sense, the story delivers on everything mentioned in the synopsis, and it did feel like a loose reimagining of The Island of Dr. Moreau. I liked this one.  

Review:The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Title: The Hazel Wood
Series: The Hazel Wood #1
Author: Melissa Albert
Source/Format: Won in a giveaway; Paperback
More Details: Young Adult; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Flatiron Books; January 30, 2018

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.” 

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.

This is the second time I’ve picked up The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. The first time around, I wasn’t feeling it. However, I was in the mood for something with a fairy-tale atmosphere to it, and I decided to give this book another try.

The Hazel Wood was good. I liked it. I still encountered some of the same issues I had the first time around. Like the opening chapters, while interesting, weren’t my favorite part of the story—Alice Proserpine’s characterization and interactions with the characters around her somewhat contributed to that. That being said, once I got past the point that I originally stopped at, the story picked up some pace with the introduction of more of the fantastical elements. The “Tales from the Hinterland” and everything to do with it were among my favorite portions of The Hazel Wood. They were where the fairy-tale atmosphere and Alice shined the most—and the aspects about Alice that were sort of meh, made sense when put into context with the rest of the story. The Hazel Wood is, by no means, a light book. It deals with some of the darker aspects of fairy-tales, and that was true for most—if not all—of the Hinterland stories.

In general, the characters were interesting. Finch was probably my favorite character from The Hazel Wood, because I enjoyed his backstory and character arc the most.

Overall, I liked The Hazel Wood. The ending definitely left room for more possibilities, and since the sequel, The Night Country, is already out, I don’t have to wait to read it. Have you read The Hazel Wood? If so, what did you think about it?

Review: Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter

Title: Ghostly Echoes
Author: William Ritter
Source/Format: Won; Hardcover
More Details: Young Adult; Historical; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Algonquin Young Readers; August 23, 2016

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced...

This is another one of those books that I really had to stop and think about what I’d read before trying to write out the review. Except, this time it took me a lot longer than usual to finally get back to Ghostly Echoes. I read Ghostly Echoes back in early February, and I've just now gotten around to talking about it on the blog. I don't normally start with the third book in a series. However, I already had this book on my shelf, and I wanted to see if this was a series I would be interested in continuing before getting the other books. Honestly, there were some things about the story that I have some mixed feelings about, but the mystery and paranormal elements were actually pretty interesting.

Going into this book, I didn’t know much about the series or Ghostly Echoes. But, the idea of a ghost playing a part in trying to solve her own cold case murder was enough of an incentive to get me to read this book. This sounded like the kind of mystery I would actually enjoy reading. If I think about Ghostly Echoes as a whole, it wasn’t bad at all. And that mystery I was so interested in was the focus of the story. While the mystery was one of the more important aspects of the book, there were also others scenes that illustrated the relationship dynamics between the characters. I particularly liked those more personal scenes.

Since I got such a late start in the series I didn’t know much about the history of the characters. However, there was enough dialogue and bits and pieces of experiences recounted by the characters that I didn’t have any trouble getting into the story. The characters were okay. Jackaby was fine, but I don’t have much to say about him other than the fact that he had a very interesting ability. Abigail’s role in the story was, just like Jackaby’s, fine. I didn’t mind reading from her perspective.

Now, there is one more thing I want to make mention of before I end this review, and that’s the villains. You can’t have a good mystery without good villains to be in that antagonistic role. And Ghostly Echoes had villains that were cunning, ruthless, and coldhearted—which is what made the mystery so good.

So, Ghostly Echoes was a pretty good book. Now that I’ve read it, I would be interested in eventually going back and reading the rest of the series.

Review: The Bridge From Me To You by Lisa Schroeder

Title: The Bridge from Me to You
Author: Lisa Schroeder 
Source/Format: Won (Giveaway), Bound ARC
More Details: Young Adult; Contemporary; Romance
Publisher/Publication Date: Point; July 29, 2014

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Lauren has a secret. Colby has a problem. But when they find each other, everything falls into place... 

Lauren is the new girl in town with a dark secret. Colby is the football hero with a dream of something more. In alternating chapters, they come together, fall apart, and build something stronger than either of them thought possible--something to truly believe in...

The synopsis doesn’t tell much about the book, but I decided to give it a try anyway. And folks, let me tell you, I’m glad I did. The Bridge From Me To You is the first book I’ve read by Lisa Schroeder, and it was a very cute contemporary novel. The story focused on a high school football player and a girl just trying to find her place in the world. This concept had the possibility of turning into a been-there-done-that kind of thing. However, it was anything but typical, and I liked this book more than I thought I would. At first, I wasn’t too sure about how I would react to the writing, but actually, I really liked it. The development of the characters respective situations, backstories, and relationships didn’t suffer because of the alternating POVs and writing. The combination of prose and poetry was interesting to read, and worked well. I think Schroeder did a good job at the emotional aspect of the book, and I liked the chemistry between Lauren and Colby. The friendships were great too—they seemed realistic, and the connection between the characters was there. Another thing I liked was how this book didn’t gloss over the issues, but instead showed the potential worries and emotional damage that could come from them.

At the end of the day, The Bridge From Me To You was a very good book. I really enjoyed it, and I would consider picking up another novel by Schroeder.

Review: Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake

Title: Mortal Gods
Author: Kendare Blake
Source/Format: Won; Hardcover
More Details: Young Adult; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Tor Teen; October 14, 2014

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Ares, God of War, is leading the other dying gods into battle. Which is just fine with Athena. She's ready to wage a war of her own, and she's never liked him anyway. If Athena is lucky, the winning gods will have their immortality restored. If not, at least she'll have killed the bloody lot of them, and she and Hermes can die in peace. Cassandra Weaver is a weapon of fate. The girl who kills gods. But all she wants is for the god she loved and lost to return to life. If she can't have that, then the other gods will burn, starting with his murderer, Aphrodite. The alliance between Cassandra and Athena is fragile. Cassandra suspects Athena lacks the will to truly kill her own family. And Athena fears that Cassandra's hate will get them ALL killed. The war takes them across the globe, searching for lost gods, old enemies, and Achilles, the greatest warrior the world has ever seen. As the struggle escalates, Athena and Cassandra must find a way to work together. Because if they can't, fates far worse than death await...

I won a copy of Mortal Gods a while ago, and until recently it’s been sitting on my shelf unread. I’m not very familiar with Blake’s work, but I’ve heard no shortage of glowing praise about Anna Dressed in Blood. I also haven’t read books that involved Greek mythology in a long time. So, I was really looking forward to getting to Mortal Gods.

The first thing that struck me about the story was the premise, which is basically along the lines of: the gods are mysteriously dying out, and the main character, Cassandra, is caught up in the middle of it. There’s a lot of action, internal conflict amongst the gods, and all the while sides are being chosen. Sounds interesting, right? Well, Mortal Gods was pretty fantastic. I really did enjoy the book. It had a lot going for it, from the mythology aspect, to the utterly normal moments amongst the chaos. All in all, the combination had a cool effect.

The plot in itself was enough to carry the novel—it was interesting, and the early introduction of the conflict raised enough questions to keep me reading. I did enjoy Blake’s take on Greek Mythology. There were familiar names like Ares, Aphrodite, Athena, and Hermes—just to name a few. The roles they occupied were as their mythology dictates with some minor changes to accommodate the plot. Then there was Cassandra. She wasn’t a bad main character, but sometimes I felt like her decisions were getting clouded by her grudge against certain characters. Other than that, she fit seamlessly into a story with Athena and Co.

I’ve read books where things rapidly unfold, but there’s never much of a reaction to it. It’s like, okay, this thing went down. So, tell me how this impacts the characters. How do they feel about it? How are they going to deal with the consequences and emotional impact? That wasn’t a problem here. There was an emotional aspect to Mortal Gods that I particularly enjoyed. There were a lot of relationships, friendships, current love interests, and even ones who were previously lost. Blake dealt with the fallout of these things in a way that blended it with the present story, without having it take over the plot entirely—yet the characters were certainly influenced by it.

I never considered reading Anna Dressed in Blood before, but after reading Mortal Gods, I’m curious to see if all that glowing praise is true. Two thumbs up for this one.

Review: Royal Wedding Disaster by Meg Cabot

Title: Royal Wedding Disaster
Author: Meg Cabot
Source/Format: Won, Hardcover
More Details: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher/Publication Date: Feiwel & Friends; May 10, 2016

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison still finds it hard to believe that she's a real live PRINCESS OF GENOVIA. Not only does she get to live in an actual palace with her newly discovered family and two fabulous poodles (who all love her and think that she's anything but ordinary!) but she also gets her very own PONY! Of course, things aren't going exactly like she imagined. Her half-sister Mia is very busy learning how to take over the country while trying to plan a wedding and her father is actually getting remarried himself-to Mia's mother!-and spends most of his time "renovating" the summer palace, although Grandmere says he is just hiding from the wedding preparations. Olivia hardly gets to see either of them. Fortunately, Grandmere has her own plans for Mia's wedding, and needs Olivia's help to pull them off. Just when Olivia starts to think that things are going to work out after all, the palace is invaded by a host of new cousins and other royals who all seem to be angry at Olivia (although Grandmere says they are just jealous).

As the day of the wedding gets closer and closer, Olivia becomes more and more worried. For such a carefully planned event, it seems like a LOT of things are going wrong... Can Olivia keep this royal wedding from becoming a royal disaster?

I really enjoyed From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot, and after the ending of that one I couldn’t wait to pick up Royal Wedding Disaster. Mostly, I wanted to see the continuation of Olivia’s story and how she would adjust to changes that happened in the last book. Royal Wedding Disaster was far from a disappointment, and was definitely a good and entertaining follow-up to From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess.

This book is basically about Olivia adjusting to her new life in Genovia, while learning how to be a princess with Mia’s wedding date looming in the distance—with nothing ready. I liked Royal Wedding Disaster better than the first book in the series. The plot was pretty interesting. There wasn’t much of a mystery aspect, since Royal Wedding Disaster was more about Olivia’s life rather than anything else; however, the book was still a good one. As I mentioned above, it was entertaining.

As for Olivia she has sort of adjusted to her new life, but maintains her personality as she learns how to be a princess. It’s not all peaches and roses, and it isn't free from sudden hurdles—like learning how to dance, adjusting to a new school, and the stresses of helping with the wedding preparation; just to name a few. On the plus side, she also had a family who really cared about her, who didn’t exclude her every chance they got, and were willing to offer much needed advice when necessary. Olivia wasn’t a one-note, cardboard character—she was capable of being happy, sad, and even frustrated at times.

Several new characters were introduced, like Olivia’s cousin, Luisa. Olivia’s friend, Nishi, was also present. She was a good friend to Olivia in From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess, and she was also great in Royal Wedding Disaster. Cabot did a good job depicting their friendship as very ordinary and supportive—so two thumbs up just for that.

Overall, Royal Wedding Disaster was really good, I certainly enjoyed it.

Review: From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot

Title: From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess
Author: Meg Cabot
Source/Format: Won, Paperback
More Details: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher/Publication Date: Square Fish, May 19, 2015

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Return to the world of Meg Cabot's bestselling and beloved Princess Diaries series in From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess—this time through the illustrated diary of a spunky new heroine: Princess Mia's long lost half-sister, Olivia! Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison is a completely average twelve-year-old: average height, average weight, average brown hair of average length, average brown skin and average hazel eyes. The only things about her that aren't average are her name (too long and princess themed), her ability to draw animals (useful for her future career as a wildlife illustrator), and the fact that she is a half-orphan who has never met her father and is forced to live with her aunt and uncle (who treat her almost like their own kids, so she doesn't want to complain). Then one completely average day, everything goes wrong: the most popular girl in school, Annabelle Jenkins, threatens to beat her up, the principal gives her a demerit, and she's knocked down at the bus stop.... Until a limo containing Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia pulls up to invite her to New York to finally meet her father, who promptly invites her to come live with him, Mia, Grandmère and her two fabulous poodles. Maybe Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison isn't so average after all!

I admit that I haven’t read the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot, but I have seen the movies, so I’m not completely unfamiliar with the general plot. Anyway, I was really excited to receive From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess in the mail, and I ignored everything else to go ahead and read it. To sum it up, the story was short and cute.

Told from the perspective of Olivia, the story basically follows her as she discovers the truth about her family. The discovery isn’t much of a surprise, because the title and the synopsis are more than suggestive—and I was a little disappointed by that. However, that wasn’t too much of a fault since there were other things going on that were more of a surprise. I also liked how family ties and friendships were dealt with alongside the many changes happening to Olivia at once. The writing was done in a way that captured Olivia’s voice and really showed her as a character, which was great.

Overall, From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess was pretty good. Since I have the second book, I look forward to seeing what happens next and maybe I’ll finally go back and give The Princess Diaries series a try.

Review: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest
Author: Holly Black
Source/Format: Won, Print ARC
More Details: Young Adult, Paranormal 
Publisher/Publication Date: Little Brown Books for Young Readers, January 13, 2015
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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for...

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once. At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking. Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

I’m no stranger to Holly Black’s books. I enjoyed her Modern Faerie Tale series and liked the work she did with Tony DiTerlizzi on The Spiderwick Chronicles. Next on my list was The Darkest Part of the Forest.

At first, I had some reservations about how the story would work. The book is a standalone and the hype was tremendous at the time of its release. So, I was expecting a complete story with an ending good enough to be considered satisfying. Thankfully, I got what I was expecting. The story was good, and I did enjoy the book.

Black knows how to write faeries well, and does it in a style that’s shows the grittier, darker nature of the fey while playing off common themes—such as the magic and allergy to iron—while twisting them to suite the story. As with Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside before it, The Darkest Part of the Forest seemed to hold true to some of these themes. The setting of Fairfold complemented the atmosphere of mystery and magic that embroiled the character’s lives.

Hazel and Ben, brother and sister, were right in the middle of the mystery surrounding the glass coffin and the boy who slept within. After all, they had grown up in Fairfold, surrounded by magic and faeries their entire lives. Black showed how the environment had begun to affect them in different ways over time—shaping them into the characters that took center focus in the book.

Amidst the trouble brewing in Fairfold, really, The Darkest Part of the Forest was Hazel and Ben’s story—about their past and their present, and how their decisions were interpreted and the unforeseen consequences for their actions.

The ending was good, and the last several chapters consisted of my favorite parts. That is to say, there were plenty of surprises, and I was pretty happy about that. So, I definitely wasn’t disappointed by The Darkest Part of the Forest.

Review: The Marvels by Brian Selznick

Title: The Marvels
Author: Brian Selznick
Source/Format: Won, Hardcover
More Details: Middle Grade, Historical
Publisher/Publication Date: Scholastic Press, September 15, 2015

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Two seemingly unrelated stories--one in words, the other in pictures--come together. The illustrated story begins in 1766 with Billy Marvel, the lone survivor of a shipwreck, and charts the adventures of his family of actors over five generations. The prose story opens in 1990 and follows Joseph, who has run away from school to an estranged uncle's puzzling house in London, where he, along with the reader, must piece together many mysteries...

I read two of Selznick’s books before I finally got to the last one I had on my shelf, The Marvels. Following Selznick’s previously established style, The Marvels is told half in pictures and half in words. Thus, the book was a delightful, thoroughly engrossing story from beginning to end.

Half the story belonged to Billy Marvel, the sole survivor of a shipwreck. And the other half belonged to Joseph, a young boy in 1990 who has run away from school. Part of the intrigue with Selznick’s books, for me, is seeing how the stories will eventually connect. And with The Marvels, that was one of my primary reasons for reading the book. Joseph was a good character. I liked his story. He was a boy who caused some trouble even if that wasn’t what he intended. Billy’s story was equally enjoyable and just as integral to the plot. To understand Joseph’s story, Billy’s had to be told as well. The other characters were delightful as well, and their stories tied in with Joseph’s. Their interactions were some or my favorite parts.

The illustrations perfectly conveyed the characters emotions, and were effective at telling a story on their own. The setting was, again, historical, and developed in a way that showed that Selznick knew what he was doing and had done his research. In the end, I am glad that I read The Marvels. It’s easily become one of my favorites.

Review: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Title: Wonderstruck
Author: Brian Selznick
Source/Format: Won, Hardcover
More Details: Middle Grade, Historical
Publisher/Publication Date: Scholastic Press, September 13, 2011

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Ben and Rose secretly wish for better lives. Ben longs for his unknown father. Rose scrapbooks a famous silent actress. When Ben finds clues and Rose reads enticing news, the children independently run to New York for what they are missing. Ben's story in words, Rose's in pictures, come together in deafness...

Wonderstruck was wonderful. This book, from start to finish, was absolutely fantastic. Selznick has done it again, perfectly crafting a story through words and pictures.

Unlike The Invention of Hugo Cabret, I went into Wonderstruck without really knowing what I was getting into. But, thanks to my lack of prior knowledge about the book, I was left with moments that I can only describe as surprising. As the synopsis indicates, this story is divided into two perspectives set fifty years apart. The first is Ben, whose story is told mostly through words. And the second is Rose, whose story is told through pictures. One of the main reasons I read Wonderstruck was to see how these two timelines would eventually meet.

I got what I was looking for and then some.

Ben was a wonderful character. His reactions to situations were believable, and really, all I wanted to see was for him to get a happy ending—he went through a lot in a short amount of time, and that’s where the story begins. Ben is adjusting to changes in his life, mainly concerning his family. Rose was also wonderful. Although her story was told through pictures, the images captured her emotion and story so well that words weren’t really needed to tell it. Ben and Rose were great characters, and I enjoyed reading their story.

So, Wonderstruck was great. I have one more unread book by Selznick sitting on my shelf, and I plan to read it soon.