I usually tend to enjoy Bowling’s works. With this one, while not a bad book at all, my expectations of her typical works – firmly contemporary, coming of age type works – set me up for a disconnect when this one had some magical realism in it. If I had read the synopsis prior to starting, I would have had more appropriate expectations so that one’s on me. The disconnect, something completely my fault, kept me from connecting with the
characters and the narrative which unfortunately, affected my experience. I will definitely continue reading from Bowling though.
Sometimes an author is a one hit wonder. For me, unfortunately, Ibañez has entered those ranks. I loved the first book I read from her, Together We Burn, liked the first book in her most recent duology, felt disappointment about the conclusion and then read this one. This book had a fantastic premise – turning the Renaissance world of the Medici’s fantastical – but nothing ended up working. Rather than focusing on the fantasy and the plot affecting the main character, Ibañez gave
her insta-love for her captor/employer. This book confirms for me that romantasy is definitely not my genre. I will likely still read more from her but only if her books remain popular enough to make the Goodreads Choice list.
Day crafted an excellent nonfiction story which I could easily see middle schoolers engage with despite the lack of topics that might naturally interest them. I love how Day told the story, complete with the direct questions to the readers which the author used to apply the narrative in a pedantic way. I definitely recommend this book.
Cordalis beautifully weaves together memoir, family history, and broader history in this book. I highly appreciate Cordalis’ willingness to share her family’s story and the story of the river so essential to her family with the reader. She brings a life experience forward that helps all those who read broaden their horizons and hopefully increase their empathy.
Audio is the way to go for this book. The main character struggles in school due to undiagnosed neurodivergence in a time just before it started to become more recognized and accommodated. As it is a novel in verse, I made my way through this book quickly but managed to stay engaged and connected with the character. I definitely recommend this book.
This is an adorable story of a young Chinese immigrant learning how to fit in yet still stay connected with his parents even with their idiosyncrasies. It’s not groundbreaking but that’s okay.
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