Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Disclaimer: The opinions in this review are solely my opinions and do not reflect the views of the author. I purchased this book on my own from Barnes and Noble.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a Young Adult Contemporary Fiction novel. This novel follows the life of Melinda, an incoming freshman who faced challenges over the summer which have followed her into her new school year. Melinda starts the new school year as an outcast, not having any friends, people now stare, her old friends now snicker behind her back, and she is currently silent. She only speaks when it is necessary. Speak is a compelling novel regarding the challenges faced by those who harbor a secret that could affect many but most importantly the fear of sharing. Melinda has a dark secret she is afraid to share, and this secret is eating her up inside. She can’t seem to make friends or even talk with her parents. Her parents continue to argue with each other about Melinda’s situation as they watch her withdraw from social situations. Melinda’s grades are falling, she is skipping school, and hides any chance she can. Why won’t she speak? What is this secret? What will happen when she speaks? Unfortunately, I do not want to share too much information, but I recommend you read this book.

Overall, I thought this book is well written. This entire book had me on the edge of my seat. I thought it was different the book did not have chapters but separated by marking periods. The book is only 175 pages which made it a short read for me, but I did love the authors comments at the end. The author provided a question and answered at the end of the novel. I enjoyed learning about how she thought of the Melinda character, and I hope for another book that gives a glance at Melinda’s future after high school. I gave this book a four-star rating because it was a little bit predictable. I knew why Melinda was troubled and why she was an outcast from the beginning of the novel. There are numerous reasons why people tend to decide to go mute. Her reasoning was because of a traumatic event that occurs in the story. In the end, I wanted more action and more of a love story for Melinda and David. I wanted a little bit more happiness for Melinda, but I did like that the happiness wasn’t overbearing or unrealistic. I also wanted more added to the storyline, and i felt like there just was not enough in this book for me. I did however still love this book which why I did not give it a low rating.

I recommend this book to anyone who interested in reading a compelling contemporary novel that allows you to gain a better understanding of the effects traumatic events have on everyone involved.

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Disclaimer: This review is solely my honest opinion. I purchased this book on my own from Barnes and Noble. The opinions in this review do not reflect the views of the author.

Asylum by Madeleine Roux is a suspenseful young adult novel following the journey of Daniel Crawford and his two friends. Daniel Crawford signed up to go to a college prep school the summer before his senior year. He had heard there were trouble with the previous dorms and the school had decided to house the student a in an old asylum. When that voice inside his head told him to turn around, he did not listen and there will be consequences. This novel has an interesting take on asylums and describes how a little bit of fate brought Daniel Crawford and his two friends to this school for the summer. These three “Nancy Drew’s” decide to walk around the campus and explore the old asylum hoping to learn more about the place they will be housing in for the next six weeks. They find more than old papers, they find connections between themselves and the asylum. Will these three let their curiosity get the best of them? Will they head the warning signs? Who can you really trust in an asylum? You will have to read the book to find out!

Here is the synopsis, this is pretty convincing!

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, the New Hampshire College Prep program is the chance of a lifetime. Except that when Dan arrives, he finds that the usual summer housing has been closed, forcing students to stay in the crumbling Brookline Dorm—formerly a psychiatric hospital. As Dan and his new friends Abby and Jordan start exploring Brookline’s twisty halls and hidden basement, they uncover disturbing secrets about what really went on here . . . secrets that link Dan and his friends to the asylum’s dark past. Because Brookline was no ordinary mental hospital, and there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

HarperCollinsPublisher Book Summary

Overall, I thought this book was great. It definitely had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I gave it a four star rating because I wanted to know more about Daniels “real” parents and find out exactly his connection to the asylum. We find out about Abby and her connection but not Daniel. Also, I wanted to know what Jordan had to do with anything besides being an extra person in the story. The development of Abby as a character was great but I thought Dan was the main character in the story. I did like the excerpt at the end of this book for the next book in the series, it definitely makes me want to go out and get it. I also thought there would be a bit more romance in the novel but there wasn’t any. I did love the whole mystery of the entire novel and the suspense. The author did a great job keeping me engaged the entire time.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in The American Horror Style books. This book gave off that feel the entire story. It is still technically young adult.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Disclaimer: This review is solely my honest opinion. I purchased this book on my own from iBooks and checked out the audiobook from my local library. Here is a link for you to buy the book from Amazon. The opinions in this review do not reflect the views of the author.

The beginning half of this review gives you a background of the main two characters and gives away information about how the story begins but not how it ends. Proceed with caution as there is information that is not in the synopsis of the book. 

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is an adult historical fiction novel that follows the life of Vianne Mauriac and her sister Isabelle during World War II in France. This compelling book showcases acts of kindness, bravery, struggle, and the real meaning of family. These two ladies go through great hardships and showcase their strength by pushing themselves to the limit to do what is right and protect their families. The novel begins in America with Vianne, now old, in her home cleaning out her attic with her son as they prepare to move her to an assisted living home. She goes into her attic and finds a trunk with old items, and this is where we were taken back to France in 1939. We are transported back in time to V’s home in Carriveau with her husband Antoin and daughter Sophie. This is during the time in which we find out that Antoin has been drafted to go to serve in the war. V has never lived on her own and must learn to adjust to life without her husband. During this time we learn intimate details about V’s character, learning about her past, her relationship with her father, the location of her mother, and her relationship with her sister Isabelle. Vianne’s character is developed well in this story, and it is so heart wrenching to hear about her struggles to find a place she feels loved. The story then takes us to the point of view of Isabelle, who is a spunky eighteen years old stuck in a boarding school. She is continually trying to find her place, being shuffled from one boarding school to another. She is then expelled from her last one before she is sent to Paris to live with her father, a bookstore owner. The war is nearing France, as many hope for the end, but that is something we will soon find out is not shortly. It is after Isabelle has moved in with her father that they find out in 1940 that the Germans were coming into Paris. Isabelle’s father tells her to pack up her belongings and get ready for a journey out of Paris and head to stay with her sister. Isabelle will make a treacherous trip to Carriveau, meeting many people on the way. Throughout the rest of the story, we learn so much more about the challenges faced by many women during the war. The hardships of those who were born Jewish during the Nazi invasion of France. The women of the war made a huge impact and were underestimated by the Germans significantly. I do not want to give any more information away, but I hope the beginning of half of this review provides some background of the characters.

This book was amazing. I know that it is historical fiction, but it is one of few that I can say I enjoyed. I have a BA in History, and the tale of the Nazi’s entering France is nothing like I have read in the past. Kristin Hannah does a fantastic job of capturing the attention of the reader and bringing awareness to the war efforts made by women. These two women are amazing. Isabelle does some very risky maneuvers in this story, risking her life and the lives of others to save many. She starts out as a rebellious character and continues with this mentality throughout the entire story. She stood up for what she believes in and continued to surprise me throughout the whole novel. I loved the development of both characters and the backstory provided. I could not have predicted that through so much tragedy there could be bonds formed. I could gush about this book for hours and talk about how it was outside my usual realm of Young Adult books, but I just wanted to tell you that you need to read this. It is so wonderfully written, captivating, emotional, and thrilling that you must go get this book.

I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in historical fiction books or anyone looking to read something outside of their comfort zone.

Busted by Gina Ciocca

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Busted by Gina Ciocca is a contemporary young adult fiction novel that follows the journey of the main character Marissa. Marissa has been placed in a position that she did not necessarily want to be in after helping her best friend. Busted focuses on the lengths of friendship, trust, forgiveness, high school drama, and deciding how far you will go to capture the story.  Marissa is a spunky main character who wants to go to college to study journalism, but when choosing how to pay for school, an option is thrown into her lap. This new option may or may not have consequences. This new opportunity is thrown into her lap by her ex-best friend Kendall. Kendall reenters Marissa’s life after finding out that Marissa helped her best friend Charlie, who goes to a different school than Marissa, bust Charlie’s boyfriend cheating. Kendall begs Marissa to do the same with her boyfriend after she assumes that he is cheating. Marissa attends the same school as Kendall’s boyfriend and accepts the new challenge. The story continues with a lot of twists and turns and betrayal. Marissa must learn to put her feelings aside during the investigation and not get tangled in Kendall’s love life. This story has high school drama written all over it.

This is the synopsis of the book found on Amazon:

And her next case? It’s for ex-frenemy Kendall. She’s convinced her boyfriend, TJ, has feelings for someone else and persuades Marissa to start spying on him. But the more Marisa gets to know sincere and artistic TJ, the more she starts to fall for him. Worse yet, the feelings seem to be mutual. Marisa knows she needs to give up her investigation—and the spoken-for guy who may just be the love of her life. Then she uncovers new secrets about Kendall and TJ, secrets that take “cheater” to a whole new level…

I purchased this book after reading the portion of the synopsis above. This sounds like it is going to be amazing, right? I thought that it would be amazing.  I liked this book and thought it had a good storyline but the plot twist was a lacking. There was a lot of build-up to the plot, but I did not think it met my expectations. I assumed there would be more drama or connection between the characters. I mean everything felt a little bit forced. Of course with most contemporary novels, it has a cliche happy ending. I wanted more development in this story. There could’ve been more done with this book with the title. It is definitely a contemporary drama, mystery, romance novel. I did love the development of the friendship between Charlie and Marisa. I love the style of writing but not necessarily all the content.

I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in a bit of cliche high school drama with a little bit of romance and betrayal.

Disclaimer: This review is solely my honest opinion. I purchased this book on my own from Barnes and Noble. Below is a link for you to purchase the book as well. The opinions in this review do not reflect the views of the author.

You can purchase a copy of this book from Amazon  or Barnes and Noble. This book was published on January 2, 2018.

The Forgotten Lands by Jennifer Strain

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

 

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Disclaimer: This review is solely my opinion. I was given a copy of this book from the author Jennifer Strain, in exchange for my honest review. The comments in this review do not reflect the views of the author.

The Forgotten Lands by Jennifer Strain is a fantasy juvenile fiction novel. It follows the story of Sadie and her two cousins. The Forgotten Lands is a short story, being only seventy-five pages long but it is filled with adventure. It makes you remember those stories you grandfather used to tell you as a kid. The stories about when they were younger and how they loved to go on an adventure. This is exactly how this story begins. Sadie’s grandfather tells her the tales of this mysterious apple in the family’s orchid that will lead any child who finds it, on a wonderful adventure through the forgotten lands. I don’t want to give too much away since this is a short book. I do recommend this book to anyone who has a child and is interested in reading it. It is a quick read and is appropriate for any child learning to read chapter books as this is not too overwhelming.

If you are interested in purchasing the book or learning more about the author, use the links below.

Link to purchase the Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1684014522

Link to learn more about the author:  https://www.instagram.com/theforgottenlands_books/

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

img_1625

Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5 stars

*This review contains a few spoilers in the beginning. This review is solely my own opinion.*

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris is a juvenile fiction read that focuses on the life of Carter. Carter has had a rough start to his life and continued to face challenges. He is left in the care of his Uncle Sly; the name fits perfectly with his personality. All his life he has just wanted to belong, and you hope that he does. In an attempt to separate himself from his Uncle and no longer be subjected to his Uncle’s foolery, he decides to run away. Carter hops on a train and lands in an unusual town known as Mineral Wells. Carter embarks on a tremendous journey to find a place where he belongs. Of course, this would not be a story without a villain; the villain is B.B. Bosso, a carnival owner, and magician. Carter would not call himself a magician because he did not believe in magic but he did know tricks and had a keen eye for noticing them. Carter stumbles upon the carnival as he enters the town and is amazed by all the tricks. Carter later runs into a gentleman called Mr. Vernon, a man who considers himself to be a magician. As Carter continues to stay in this new town, he must learn who to trust and who not to trust after he is offered a deal that some would not refuse. In this novel we watch Carter meet new friends, build new relationships, and accept himself for who he is. Carter learns to trust his instincts and be more open-minded when it comes to magic. Will Carter stay in Mineral Wells after everything? Who is B.B. Bosso and what is his involvement in the plot twist? I guess you will have to read this book to find out. I have already shared a lot of information.

This book is a selected title for the book club I host. I knew that this is something I must read. The author serves as the narrator in the story by providing inserted magic lessons and interacting with the reader. I love the connection that is made between the narrator and the reader. It feels like the narrator is talking directly to you and it feels like someone is merely telling you a story. This book is very much appropriate for young children as it is filled with magic, adventure, life lessons, and family. It teaches to youth to explore their imagination, to believe in magic, and to always be honest with your friends regardless of the potential outcome. There was one piece of this story that left me wondering. Carter was given a box from his parents, but in the end, we still have no idea what is in that box. I wanted to know more about his parents and what was in that box. I am excited to note that this is the first novel in the series and that there will be more.

This book is available for purchase on all major book outlets such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Emmaline and the Second Summer by Britt Hampton

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

Rating : 4 out of 5 Stars

Emmaline and the Second Summer by Britt Hampton is a juvenile fiction novel. A copy of this novel was provided to me in exchange for my honest review. This review is solely my opinion. This novel focuses on solving the problem of broken stories. Emmaline is a reserved child that prefers reading over adventures. She doesn’t cry or make a fuss. Her life changes and first the first time she cries because she feels a change coming. A spiral of events occur after her parents reveal some life changing news to her. She must learn to have fun this summer at her grandfathers farm. Can she have an adventure? She arrives at her grandfathers farm and upon her arrival he gives her a ring that belonged to her grandmother. Once she grasps the ring she is transported to a new place, confused with so many questions. She must taken on a new important role this summer and truly take an adventure by trusting her feelings. As she takes on this new role as a storysmith, she must decide who to trust and who not to trust. If you want to learn more about Emmaline’s adventure, this book is available to purchase.

Overall this short read was absolutely adorable. I would recommend it to younger kids. This book challenges your imagination and forces the reader to look at the bigger picture. I loved the connection between the characters and the writing. I personally wanted to know more about her parents and what happened to her grandmother. I also hoped to find out who the mystery person was. ( you’ll have to read it to figure out what I’m talking about)

Mustaches for Maddie by Chad Morris

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Mustaches for Maddie is a contemporary juvenile fiction novel. I chose this book for my book club and want to have the kids read it. Maddie finds happiness behind brightly colored mustaches. She faces many challenges with her health and still remains positive when life gets hard. She faces challenges at school and makes new friends by being herself. Maddie loves to make people laugh, whether is by creating a new game or putting on a mustache when situations get hard. She is definitely a strong character and I loved that this is based on a true story. I adored the authors commentary at the end of the novel and the note from Maddie herself. I was able to email the author and get a few questions answer for my book club. I recommend this book for juveniles between the ages of 10-14. It is based on the life of a middle school girl.

Here is some of the questions and answers from the author. A special thanks to Chad Morris for answering my questions.

1. What was your inspiration for this book? 

“Mustaches for Maddie is based on the true story of my daughter. She’s funny, loves acting, and thinks fake mustaches are hilarious. She has quite the collection. But  a few years ago, she was diagnosed with a tumor pressing up against her brain. She faced two neurosurgeries with hope, good friends, and humor. In fact, hundreds, if not thousands of people, put on mustaches to make her smile while she was recovering. Maddie is great inspiration. “

2. How does this book relate to kids in this age group. 

“Mustaches for Maddie is a middle-grade book, so targeted at kids in the 3-7 grades. It’s sweet spot is probably more 4-6. And I think it’s especially relatable because Maddie went through her surgeries during those grades. She also deals with friend trouble, and facing her own fears in ways that kids those age can relate to. For example, auditioning for a play and trying to get enough courage to stand up to someone whose doing something mean. “

 

3. What are some challenges you faced while writing this book?

“Writing a book is always a challenge, but this one had some special difficulties. For example, my wife (Shelly Brown) and I were trying to capture a real person’s voice on the page. That made us nervous. In some ways that was easy. We know her and she has a great personality. In other ways this would be recorded for forever and we really wanted Maddie to like it. We wanted it to be a blessing in her life, rather than a regret. So she read and approved each draft. She also had a note at the end. “

“Another challenge was writing difficulties Maddie faced in school. She had to deal with some very manipulative girls (a less talked about way of bullying) and we didn’t want to immortalize their weaknesses. So we decided to fictionalize Maddie’s trials. We based them off of true moments and themes, but changed the characters and circumstances enough that they felt new. This is also explained in a note at the back of the book. “

4. What is something you like kids to know that decide to read this book? 

“That they can meet any challenge with compassion, humor, and good friends. School Library Journal said that Mustaches for Maddie is “a good readalike for fans of R.J. Palacio’s Wonder.” We think that the same way Wonder teaches people to be kind, Mustaches for Maddie encourages compassion. There is a website Mustachesformaddie.com that even has teaching guides and activities for school classes and families. “

We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is a young adult contemporary fiction novel focus on the challenges faced by twin high school teenagers whose lives are intertwined. Stuart and Ashley are two teens who must face their own challenges and learn to get along. This book discusses divorce, family, friendships, bullying, sexual assault, and new relationships. It’s a great contemporary novel to give to any teen facing problems in school. Stuart is a friendly kid who has been bumped up a grade because he is “gifted.” His dad tells him he should not tell that to everyone. Ashley is a popular freshmen in high school who just wants to have all the attention. Her parents are divorced and her dad is gay. She wants to keep her dads sexuality a secret from her friends. As Stuart’s dad and Ashley’s mom make the decision to move in together, things start to get complicated. Can these two teens get along? Will Ashley ever accept Stuart as her step brother?

I loved the plot twist and kind of hated Ashley the entire story. In the end Ashley changed but that took the entire story. You definitely get the popular girl vibe from Ashley and the geek vibe from Stuart. Stuart wants to do what’s right and protect his new family member, while Ashley just wants to be popular. I wanted more from the title and I wanted more from the story. Overall, it had a great message but it was predictable in some places and the end was kind of cheesy. I would definitely recommend this to other teens who are interested in this book but only to older teens who are okay with LGBTQ reads. It was a bit mature for younger teens but very well written.

I give it a 4 out of 5!

Illusional Reality by Karina Kantas

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

68AA5AEC-42A0-42BE-96A5-BC1123764D06.jpeg*I was given a copy of this book for my honest opinion.*
This book was a very interesting read. It is a fantasy fiction YA novel that provides a bit more on the romance side. The main character Becky is transported to a new place where she is deemed to rule. In the beginning she thinks she is dreaming. The challenge this novel faces to resolve is the challenge of saving her new found land from evil. What happens if the evil is destroyed? Will peace ever be restored? This is a lot of pressure for someone who has lived a life her whole life unaware of the powers she possesses.

I liked the romance and the action but I wanted to know more about the unique power that Becky possesses. I also wanted to know more about the people and their unique powers. Why is she so strong and why aren’t their others like her.

The novel is well written and I would recommend it to others who like a contemporary fantasy YA novel. I give this book  4 out of 5 stars.