The Fallen Hero

The Fallen Hero by Katie Zhao
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm going to put a disclaimer at the beginning of this review. This is the second book in the series, and the series is clearly not over, but I can find nothing online about how more books are in the works, so the wait could be a while.

For me personally, this was a step down from the first book. I couldn't get behind the characters as much, especially the new ones. Ashley and Jordan just act so young. I get that this is a middle grade book, but it was a sudden flip from the way most of the characters acted in the first book. They are in a life or death situation, you would think that would affect them somehow.

I will say, I am glad that some things were explained early on in this book. I was left wondering at the end of the first one, and I'm not that patient of a person, so I'm glad the wait was short. Even if it took a while to come to a solution, I'm just happy there was an explanation so quickly.

This book really felt like a filler, so I'm hoping a third book comes out some time in the near future. The premise was interesting and it kept me reading, it just doesn't seem as finished as the first one, which in a way I understand since it is a series, but it makes it hard to review.

Age appropriate: Yes

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The Blonde Identity

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a quick and fun read. I feel like a broken record repeating what I have seen in other reviews, but this is similar to an adult Gallagher Girls book.

The story starts with the main character waking up with no memory of who she is, where she is, or what is going on. It only escalates when she finds herself the target of multiple enemies. Luckily for her, one mysterious hot guy comes to her rescue and helps her escape. He explains that all of her struggles are because of something her twin did. Everything could go back to normal if only anyone knew where to find this mysterious twin.

The rest of the story follows the main character Zoe and our hot guy as they try to stay alive and figure out how to find the problem twin.

There were some laugh-out-loud moments, especially during fake honeymoon scenes and when jumping scenes. I can't even explain the jumping scenes more without giving something away.

Zoe's internal monologue really makes the book. I think it would have just made it weird if everything that was going on in her head was spoken out loud, but the fact that the reader has the ability to just know what is going on in her mind, makes it funny without the cringe.

There is no way this will be a standalone, the book ends with a leadup to a new story. This book was one that was enjoyable to the point that I will be reading the sequel when it comes out.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: 08 Aug 2023

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Archibald Lox and the Rubicon Dictate

Archibald Lox and the Rubicon Dictate by Darren Shan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Seriously, the Merged and Sub-Merged just go at each other like there is no tomorrow. I will admit, I'm writing this after reading the whole series, and one of my favorite royals is Sub-Merged.

In a way, I can't blame the Sub-Merged for what they do, it's the exact thing the Merged had been planning on doing. While the Merged want royals to form their own views and choose for themselves if they will be Merged or Sub-Merged, the Sub-Merged want to sway royals in their favor, and view the Merged as doing the same thing.

I like the way Archie and his group handled the whole situation and talked to the Sub-Merged prince. His reaction kind of broke my heart, because of how shocked he was. I would write more on the whole situation, but that would just be a whole bunch of spoilers, and I don't want to do that.

I received a copy of this book from the author for a honest review.

Age appropriate: Yes
Content warning: Language

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Archibald Lox and the Slides of Bon Repell

Archibald Lox and the Slides of Bon Repell by Darren Shan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a classic example of keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Poor Archie doesn't know who is enemies are half the time, so it's hard for him to really be able to know who to watch out for.

I really wish I could watch a grop tournament. I kept imagining it in my head, but I real life would be so much better. I love how this is such a big event and someone Archie and Inez manage to not only show up, but get right in the thick of things. There is a reason for them to be there, but it still cracks me up. Those two are trouble magnets. You would think someone would have figured out that something is bound to happen if you plan something and include Archie and Inez. But no, they keep doing it.

I think the most important part of this book is what happens outside of the tournament, when Archie is left to fend for himself. He has no one to help him, and discovers just how strong he is and shows those that continually try to stop him that they will have to work harder to put him down.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Age appropriate: Yes
Content Warning: Language

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Last Stand of Dead Men

Last Stand of Dead Men by Derek Landy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As a note, this series gets darker the farther you get, so if you are reading along and find that a book is a little too much, you should probably stop. It has nothing to do with the quality of the series, but it does not go from dark back to light hearted.

The war between sanctuaries really gets me every time. It had been awhile since the first time I read the series, and I had forgotten that the lines between sides is blurred. It's hard to know who the Irish sanctuary can trust outside and inside of itself.

Darquesse of course comes out, because what would these later books be without this lovely character. I know some readers dislike her, but I love her quippy lines and internal monologue, especially when she is discovering some new skill she didn't know she possessed. Maybe, I'm just a sucker for the villain, although, not all the villains in this book are as great as she is. In fact, it's just her, so nevermind. Forget that last thought.

Author: Derek Landy
Content warning: Death, language, war
Age appropriate: Yes

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Signing Their Lives Away

Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence by Denise Kiernan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've taken a turn for historical non-fiction lately, so I figured I would read about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence. I have to say, while this book could have been boring and densely filled with facts, it had a lot of humor and was a fast read.

I appreciate that nicknames were included, and the reasons behind them. Some of them were just brutal, and should never be brought back.

There is not a whole lot to say about this book since it is each signer is covered in around a page and a half, but it was a fun read. I recommend it for anyone that has any interest in the founding of the United States.

Author: Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese
Publication Date: 1 May 2009
Publisher: Quirk Books

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Lost in Babylon

Lost in Babylon by Peter Lerangis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have to say, for the second book in the series, this was kind of a mind trip. As soon as parallel worlds are introduced, things go crazy, no matter what the book is. I did appreciate the premise of this one and the fact that it provided a way for the characters to actually go back to Babylon. I would say that is a spoiler, but it's in the title, so I think I'm okay.

There is so much that happens in Babylon that I want to touch on, but I can't figure out how to do so without actually giving the story away. Let's say, Marco makes a decision that affects everyone and everything, Cass's abilities are lifesaving, and the kids hold the future of a whole civilization in their hands, so you know, no pressure.

Author: Peter Lerangis
Publisher: HarperCollins
Parent content warning: None
Age appropriate: Yes

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Pygmalion

Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I did not realize before, but My Fair Lady is another name for Pygmalion. I think that is what most people know it by. I listened to the audio book, which I would recommend over just reading the play. Since Eliza's accent changes over time, it's great to be able to hear the change and really appreciate the difference. It's also great to hear how it starts. I live in America, I don't know how the different accents in England sound.

The men in the play made me mad. Professor Higgins really just looked at Eliza as a science experiment and didn't even think of her as a person. By the end of the story, I was totally on team Eliza. You treat a lady like a lady even if she sounds and looks like a flower girl.

Author: George Bernard Shaw

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Maximum Security

Maximum Security by Robert Muchamore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This series has me hooked. Also, this was a crazy first mission for Lauren to do. I have to admit it, she showed those boys how to actually handle a serious mission with a lot at stake.

As the title says, for this mission, James ends up in a Maximum Security Juvenile Detention facility in Arizona. His goal, break out with one specific inmate. You know, just your normal every day easy task. Of course, there are problems around every corner, and plans go sideways. It's not like you can expect a prison break to go to plan. If they did, everyone would be breaking out.

I have to admit, I do question the lady that just helped three kids escape. I know in a way they didn't give her a choice, but also, she had a choice. It's just a little odd. She could have been the adult, but I guess, then the mission would have failed, and so far, every mission has been a success, so we can't have that.

Author: Robert Muchamore

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Hello, Universe

Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a really cute book that I feel teaches important lessons, especially in today's world. The kids in this book are not your average kids. One is deaf, one is anxious, and one has family issues, but they are still just kids trying to figure out how to navigate the world. I feel that even as adults, it is important to see people outside of what is considered the "norm" portrayed in literature.

Seeing Valencia navigate the world and try to communicate with others shows us that the little things we do, like looking at someone when we talk to them, might not seem like a big thing to us, but could be the difference between someone being included or completely left out. Virgil shows us what it is like to truly be caring, even when you are scared of what might happen. Not only is he caring to others, but he is caring to the animals he comes across. I think the most important lesson we as adults can learn is from Chet. His view of what is going on around him is really not the best. He looks down on pretty much everyone and feels like he is better than them. As the story progresses and you get an inside look at what is going on in his personal life, it seems like everything changes.

This book really shows that the circumstances we are placed in growing up, the people that raise us and shape us, really affect how we look at the world. It can be so easy to just see what is right in front of us and judge based on first impressions, but being able to know a persons background and what they have gone through can change everything.

Author: Erin Entrada Kelly
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: March 14th 2017

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Space Case

Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I think I read this book mostly because of the title. I really liked the play on words, so good job Stuart Gibbs.

Space Case is a futuristic book following a group of families that live on the moon. When one of the scientists die under mysterious circumstances, twelve-year-old Dash is convinced that something is up. He doesn't believe the official story, and is determined to find out what really happened. Along the way, a humorous cast of characters is introduced and the truth about what really happened is slowly revealed.

I really was not expecting the ending, which made it a fun read. When the answer to a mystery is obvious early on in a book, it is hard to find the desire to read it until the end. There were so many possible scenarios going on, that the number of suspects was continually growing, and answers came from an unexpected source.

I also really enjoyed the little side stories about the characters. Most of the time, I want the main story, and get frustrated by the fact that the story keeps getting off track, but not this time. I feel like the side stories served a purpose. They added humor, while also providing some back story that helped add to the mystery. When you start the book, there seems to be only a couple people that could have had anything to do with the mystery, but the more backstories you read about, the more people you start to question. After a while, you wonder who is not a suspect.

All in all, it was a fun read, and I appreciate that it wasn't one of those books that takes place on the moon but has everyone living life like they do on Earth. The environment is different there, and so people living in that environment would face situations that are different than what we face. That is not lost in this book, but it is also not a huge focus.

Author: Stuart Gibbs
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 16th 2014

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Queen of Nod

Queen of Nod by C.W. Snyder
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm not going to lie, there is a ton going on in this book. If you have never read the first book, STOP, go back, read the first book. This is not one of those series where you may be able to figure out what is going on by starting in the middle of the series. If you're like me and read the first one, but it's been a while, I would recommend going back and reading the first one before starting this one. I didn't do that, and there were times when I was confused just because I couldn't remember all the details of something that was now playing a much greater role.

If you want a series that you can just casually read that takes little to no effort on your part to understand, this is not for you. This series requires you to think and remember the details that were mentioned before. Like I said, there is a ton going on. If you want something that takes a story that everyone, well most people anyway, already know really well and turns it into something that has a deeper more thought provoking meaning, give this series a try.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Author: C.W. Snyder
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication Date: November 20th 2018

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Balance of Mayhem

Balance of Mayhem by Edward Aubry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After my review of the last book in this series, the author, Edward Aubry, sent me a message to let me know that the fourth book would have more of a focus on a character I wanted more of. Boy did he ever deliver. So, thanks Edward Aubry for not only giving us more Dorothy, but giving her an entire book where she wasn't just a secondary character.

It's really hard to think of what to say about this book that will not give any spoilers. Ummm...let's just say that Dorothy teams up with Felicia to try and get Strontium out of her mind. Along the way, people start to question why Dorothy is doing what she is doing, while Dorothy herself is wondering if she can truly trust Felicia. Really, in my mind, you'd think you would figure out if you could trust someone before you go on this magical quest with only them as company, but I guess Dorothy really just wants her mind back by this point, which is a semi-valid reason to trust a traitor. I guess.

I really like the fact that the characters in this series have been developed to the point that it makes complete sense for them to realize quickly when someone is acting strange. Both Harrison and Claudia choose to do things that may seem to have little to no affect on the outcome of the situation, but in reality, they both know Dorothy enough to know what she will need even when she does not want to let them know what is going on.

While most of this book was pretty serious and intense, there is just no way you can take what happens to Strontium without finding it really funny. Since I got Edward Aubry to respond to one of my reviews before, I'm going to ask a very important question. What was going on in your head when you came up with the whole Strontium situation in this book? The whole book is going on, serious, dangerous, a little humor, serious, and then BAM, Strontium. I'm not complaining, it was great, but how does a mind come up with such things?

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Edward Aubry
Publisher: Curiosity Quills
Publication Date: November 6th 2018

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Sailor Moon

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 12 by Naoko Takeuchi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This review is for the entire Sailor Moon series.

It doesn't matter how old I get, or how many times I read these books, Sailor Moon is still my happy place. Maybe it comes from being a kid in the 90s, I don't know. Reading the series as an adult does leave me with a few questions, none of which would make me stop reading, but still, I wonder.

Why do half the characters seem to have no parents? It's not even that they are adults and their parents are somewhere else. They are teenagers still going to school and living alone. Also, for those kids living alone, how are they able to buy food and pay rent? I was not mature enough at 14 to be living on my own, forget the fact that in the U.S.A, it is illegal and I would have been taken away. Are things just different in Japan? Maybe kids are just more mature.

How much were Usagi's parents really paying attention to what was going on? That girl would sometimes just not come home, were they not worried? Did they just not question anything?

Oh well, I'm sure some of my questions only arise because of the cultural difference. I still love the series and will continue to read it even with the questions floating around in my head.

And really, for all of Usagi's faults, who wouldn't want to have what she has. Maybe not necessarily the power, but the strength, friendships, relationships, and a talking cat. All of the main characters are great examples for taking control of your life and being the best you can be.

Author: Naoko Takeuchi
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Publication Date: 2004

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I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President

I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I will fully admit, it was the title that first caught my eye. I challenge anyone that says that were not at least a little curious about the book after reading the title. It's not one that easily rolls off the tongue, but it conveys a lot.

While the main character was great, I was constantly left confused. I really don't understand why he acted like he barely understood what was going on around him, or why he was so focused on gaining his father's approval. I think part of the reason he and his father clashed was because of the way he decided to act. Maybe he was just creating his own issues.

For me, the notes to the teacher were the best part. The amount of time invested in playing with the teacher's mind was well spent.

Author: Josh Lieb
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: October 13th 2009

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Corner to Corner Crochet

Corner to Corner Crochet: 15 Contemporary C2C Projects by Jess Coppom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've just started to make blankets using the C2C method, so the basics were familiar to me before reading. This book contains not only patterns, but tips and a website that helps you design your own pattern, which is great. Some of the projects seemed a little complicated until I read how to actually do them. The book does a great job of breaking down the process so anyone can follow along.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Jess Coppom
Publisher: F+W Media
Publication Date: 16 Oct 2018

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The Third Mushroom

The Third Mushroom by Jennifer L. Holm
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a great addition to The Fourteenth Goldfish series. The first one ended in such a way that you could tell more was coming, so I'm glad this did not disappoint. In order to really understand what happens in this book, you have to have read the first one. There is too much backstory that will cause confusion if you try to only read this one.

The Third Mushroom sees Melvin coming back from his time abroad to join Ellie back in middle school and experiment with the specimen mentioned at the end of the first book. This book really focuses on the struggles of being a teenager and growing up in general. The target audience will easily be able to identify with the characters.

Although there wasn't really anything at the end of this book pointing to another one, I kind of want to see what is next for Melvin.

Author: Jennifer L. Holm
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: September 4th 2018

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Expelled

Expelled by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book really held my attention, possibly because I really get into mysteries, I have to know what happened. The other reason the book held my attention was the teaser on the cover. It talks about how being expelled affected Sasha, but for most of the book, it is not clear why. That little teaser was just sitting there as I read the book, waiting to reveal itself. I have to admit, once everything was revealed, I did not see any of it coming.

This is a good read that is not just another light-hearted YA book.

Author: James Patterson and Emily Raymond
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: October 23rd 2017

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It Wasn't Me

It Wasn't Me by Dana Alison Levy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mysteries tend to capture my attention, and this book was no different, especially since everyone seemed guilty.

The book is about Theo, who's photos were vandalized twice at school. The principal agrees to let a teacher try a Justice Circle over a week-long school break to find out what happened instead of automatically suspending everyone who may have been involved. The book takes place during the time spent in the Justice Circle. Each day of the week little pieces of information are given about each of the characters, making it difficult to figure out what really happen.

I liked that the characters had some depth to them. None of them were as clear cut as they seemed on the surface. They all had things in their personal lives that they didn't want the others to know about. These secrets created some distrust and confusion as to what really happened.

The ending was slightly predictable, but at the same time, I was surprised. There were mixed emotions when I finished the book. All in all, it was a good YA read.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Dana Alison Levy
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 13 Nov 2018


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The Vampire Hunter Comes to Call

The Vampire Hunter Comes To Call by J. Bennett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This series cracks me up. You would think that a series with a vampire would be dramatic when a vampire hunter is added, but this is the Vampire's Housekeeper Chronicles, thank you very much. Nothing is ever what it seems.

This story includes Facebook, arthritic knees, and a chess tournament to the death. Really, what more could you want in a book? I highly recommend this entire series.

Author: J. Bennett
Publisher: J Bennett
Publication Date: April 3rd 2012

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