Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin

Title: Totally Psychic

Series: n/a
Author: Brigid Martin
Source/Format: Bookish Firs; Hardcover
More Details: Middle Grade; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Inkyard Press; August 15, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

This debut middle grade series stars a Cuban-American tween medium navigating friends, family and ghosts!

Paloma Ferrer is psychic. In fact, everyone in her family line has “the gift.” Now that Paloma has come into her powers, she dreams of a famous medium to celebrities, being just like her beloved grandma. When Paloma’s parents move them from Miami to Los Angeles, she hatches a plan to get her career as a medium up and running: Host seances at her new school and stream on social media Build her profile and make a name for herself Avoid detection from her tattletale of a little sister
But when a reading gone awry leaves Paloma in a sticky situation with a new friend, she’ll need more than a crystal ball to find her way out of this mess.

I read an early excerpt of Brigid Martin’s Totally Psychic through Bookish First and was very intrigued as well as charmed by the main character’s enthusiasm for her abilities. The rest of the story lived up to my earlier positive feelings about it.

Totally Psychic was delightful with plenty of supernatural hijinks alongside such themes as change and making new friends amid growing up and into one’s own. Set against a backdrop of a significant move from Miami to Rancho Cucamonga, California, as well as ongoing tension between Paloma Ferrer and her parents.

I liked Paloma as a character. The story spent enough time in Miami with her family and friends that I got a sense of how they interacted with one another—and the ground rules about how mediums used their abilities in the story— which helped with understanding Paloma’s sadness about the move. After all, she wanted to be just like her abuela, a famous medium that was a big deal both in and outside of her family. But her love of her powers and desire to follow in her abuela’s footsteps was an area of consternation with her mother. And that particular relationship reminded me of another book I read in July called Holly Horror. It was a very different story of course, since it was a young adult novel with a darker tone. However, in that review—you can find that HERE—I mentioned how Evie Archer’s backstory made her susceptible to supernatural trouble. That same sort of situation was here as well, with Paloma keeping secrets and trying to solve everything on her own when the situation went wrong, rather than reaching out more to the adults in her life for help. But a big part of the story was Paloma’s character growth, and her journey involved learning the cost of being irresponsible with her powers as well as realizing that she needed better communication with those in her life.

So Totally Psychic had a good balance between the supernatural aspects and the personal conflicts within the lives of the characters. It was, all around, an enjoyable read.

About the author....

Brigid Martin is a New York based writer and publishing professional, fulfilling her goal of working in an industry that promotes educational and diverse content for children. With several years of sales experience at companies such as Scholastic, Perseus Books Group and Disney Publishing Worldwide, she's had the privilege of reading and promoting the works of many talented authors throughout her career. She holds a B.A. in English Literature and Music from Stony Brook University as well as a M.S. in Strategic Marketing Communications From Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business.

Website

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Inkyard Press) via Bookish First in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Music Monday (252): Tkay Maidza, DeBarge

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: My pick this week is one of my favorite songs from Tkay Maidza's Last Year Was Weird Vol.3. It's called Eden.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Rhythm of the Night by DeBarge. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (239) & Book Beginnings: Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

This debut middle grade series stars a Cuban-American tween medium navigating friends, family and ghosts!

Paloma Ferrer is psychic. In fact, everyone in her family line has “the gift.” Now that Paloma has come into her powers, she dreams of a famous medium to celebrities, being just like her beloved grandma. When Paloma’s parents move them from Miami to Los Angeles, she hatches a plan to get her career as a medium up and running: Host seances at her new school and stream on social media Build her profile and make a name for herself Avoid detection from her tattletale of a little sister
But when a reading gone awry leaves Paloma in a sticky situation with a new friend, she’ll need more than a crystal ball to find her way out of this mess.

Beginning: "My abuela, Gloria, had a gift."

56: "The next morning I trudged down the stairs, yawning as I went."

Comments: I had the chance to review this book (thanks to Bookish First & the publisher). It's a delightful middle grade novel with plenty of psychic hijinks. It releases on the 15th, and my review for it will be posted next week. What are you reading this weekend?

Music Monday (251): Halle, Johnny Kemp

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: My pick this week is Angel by Halle. You might recognize her name because she's one half of the Chloe X Halle duo and recently starred in The Little Mermaid. I've been looking forward to her solo music debut, and I really love the song!

   

Andrea: Hi all! I'm listening to Just Got Paid by Johnny Kemp. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

Field of Screams by Wendy Parris

Title: Field of Screams 
Series: n/a
Author: Wendy Parris
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Middle Grade; Horror
Publisher/Publication Date: Delacorte Press; August 1, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

A new pulse-pounding supernatural mystery about twelve-year-old Rebecca, who has always wanted to hunt ghosts . . . until she meets one.

Paranormal enthusiast Rebecca Graff isn't happy about being dragged to Iowa to spend the summer with family she barely knows. But when she tracks a ghostly presence to an abandoned farmhouse, she starts to think the summer won't be a total lost cause! The trouble is no one believes her. Then Rebecca finds a note stashed in a comic belonging to her late father--a note that proves the same spirit haunted him when he was twelve. Suddenly she feels a connection to the dad she pretends not to miss, and she is determined to uncover the story behind the haunting. But the more Rebecca discovers, the scarier the ghost becomes. Soon she is in a race to piece together the puzzle and recover a family legacy before it is lost forever and a horrible tragedy repeats itself.

It’s been a minute since I picked up a middle grade horror novel, but when I saw that Field of Screams was about a paranormal enthusiast and abandoned farmhouses—and the cornstalks on the cover reminded me of Small Spaces—I was instantly interested. Field of Screams is, of course, a very different story from Small Spaces. But what the two books had in common was a good balance between the themes—family, loss, grief—and a spooky atmosphere/happenings tied to a local mystery that found its roots far closer to home than the characters ever expected.

The story follows Rebecca, as she and her mom head to Iowa for the summer. It was the perfect setup, because it quickly removed the characters from familiar places and into the virtual unknown. The setting wasn’t inaccessible per say, it was rural and had a lot of large farms, but it was utilized well. Particularly in regards to the way that the environmental challenges heightened the sense of isolation, tension, and general creepiness.

And, from what I got from Rebecca’s perspective, most of the aforementioned was less than ideal, which was understandable (sometimes the phrase “be careful for what you wish for,” is actually sound advice). But, I liked how the story dealt with her character under circumstances that were best described as stressful and terrifying. Her hope for finding the uncanny; the frustration over missing summer with her best friend; the discontent over being stuck with family members who were almost strangers; and feeling alone and unheard. It was good stuff.

Field of Screams was spooky, but the story was also endearing (thanks to the characters) with an ending that was heartwarming. So, if you’ve liked books like Small Spaces by Katherine Arden and the Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown, then Field of Screams should be on your radar.    

About the author....

Wendy Parris grew up in the Midwest loving books and hoping to glimpse a ghost. After graduating from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s degree in radio/television/film, she acted in Chicago storefront theaters, performed improv comedy, and freelanced in public relations. Now she writes spooky novels for kids. A member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Wendy has been published in the Illinois chapter’s Prairie Wind quarterly. She lives with her family near Chicago in an old house that is probably not haunted. FIELD OF SCREAMS is her debut novel.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Delacorte Press) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!