Category: book review

Secret of the Shadow Beasts by Diane Magras || Adventure Fantasy With An Unforgettable Squad

Secret of the Shadow Beasts by Diane Magras || Adventure Fantasy With An Unforgettable Squad

Content Tags: Middle Grade     Adventure     Fantasy     Diversity     Squad Vibes     Character Death     Perfect for readers who want: Diverse characters working together as a team to save the world Dark shadow creatures that need to be defeated An interesting (and dangerous) mystery that needs to […]

Harley James and the Mystery of the Mayan Kings by Leah Cupps || Mayan-Centered Mystery

Harley James and the Mystery of the Mayan Kings by Leah Cupps || Mayan-Centered Mystery

Content Tags: Middle Grade     Adventure     Mystery     Mythology     Diversity     Guatemalan     Mayan     Perfect for readers who want: Easy chapter book, perfect for reluctant or struggling readers Simple, easy-to-follow plot with an interesting mystery Lots of focus on Mayan culture (Though . . . […]

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu || Black Girl Magic Saves The Day

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu || Black Girl Magic Saves The Day

Content Tags: Middle Grade     Fantasy     Urban Fantasy     Adventure     Coming of Age     Diversity     Black     Nigeria     Superpowers     Perfect for readers who want: Magical fast-paced adventure Black girl magic Boarding school for gifted children Superpowers! Alternate Nigeria as a setting […]

The Last Fallen Moon by Graci Kim || Portal Fantasy With Korean Mythology

The Last Fallen Moon by Graci Kim || Portal Fantasy With Korean Mythology

Content Tags: Middle Grade     Fantasy     Portal Fantasy     Adventure     Mythology     Family Bonds     LGBTQ+     M/M Relationship     Diversity     Korean     Perfect for readers who want: Portal fantasy into an afterlife type world Lots of Korean mythology and culture Super […]

Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater || A Dark Disney Fairy Tale

Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater || A Dark Disney Fairy Tale

Content Tags: Young Adult     Fantasy     Historical     Retelling     Mythology     Family Bonds     Enemies-to-Lovers     Ill-Fated Love     Character Death     Perfect for readers who want: A retelling of a beloved Disney classic, Brave An expansion of a familiar story that delves deeper […]

Steve L McEvil by Lucas Turnbloom || Villain-Driven Graphic Novel

Steve L McEvil by Lucas Turnbloom || Villain-Driven Graphic Novel

Content Tags: Middle Grade     Graphic Novels     Humor     Superpowers     Villains     Perfect for readers who want: Colorful, engaging graphic novels Funny supervillains along the lines of Captain Underpants A super relatable protagonist just trying to do what’s wrong, like his family demands Lots of humor A quick, […]

Ballad & Dagger by Daniel José Older || Diverse Cultures, Diverse Mythology

Ballad & Dagger by Daniel José Older || Diverse Cultures, Diverse Mythology

Content Tags: Young Adult     Fantasy     Urban Fantasy     Mythology     Diversity     Cuban     Jewish     Death     Perfect for readers who want: Diverse cultures that have all come together and mixed Bilingual characters with some Spanglish slipped in Unique mythology A hilariously relatable narrative […]

Two Truths and a Lie by April Henry || All the Nostalgia of a ’90s Horror Film With None of the Gore

Two Truths and a Lie by April Henry || All the Nostalgia of a ’90s Horror Film With None of the Gore

Content Tags: Young Adult     Mystery     Thriller     Death     Perfect for readers who want: Locked room mystery type thriller Murder hotel tropes Teen sarcasm and banter Nostalgic ’90s horror vibe Many thanks to Christy Ottaviano Books and TBR and Beyond Tours for an eARC in exchange for an honest, […]

Save The People by Stacy McAnulty || Nonfiction For The Dystopian At Heart

Save The People by Stacy McAnulty || Nonfiction For The Dystopian At Heart

Content Tags: Middle Grade     Nonfiction     Humor     Perfect for readers who want: A deeper look into potentially catastrophic disasters A tongue-in-cheek recount of some of the biggest natural disasters in history Various ways that humans could be doomed, usually in the not-so-near future Lots of delicious, geeky, nerdy science goodness […]

Duet by Elise Broach || A Bird’s Eye View of Chopin

Duet by Elise Broach || A Bird’s Eye View of Chopin

Content Tags: Middle Grade     Contemporary     Mystery     Music     Animal Protagonist     Perfect for readers who want: Heartwarming contemporary about following your passion Middle grade book about music and music history Animal point of view Very engaging narration style Low-key music-themed mystery Many thanks to Christy Ottaviano Books […]