Reviews

Bumps in the Night by Amalie Howard

briparker195's review

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Perhaps one too many references to skittles, but it can be overlooked.

jtaylor97's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

ninebookishlives's review

adventurous mysterious

4.25

stacyrenee's review

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Middle-grade
Fantasy
Horror ?

Darika ‘Rika’ is spent to stay the summer in Trinidad with her grandmother, where she learns she is descended from a long line of witches. After finding out that her long lost mother might be on the island, Rika will do whatever it takes to find her. 

Steeped in Trinidad lore / mythology. I’m getting Percy Jackson vibes in the best way. 
Jumbies! 

 

craftymxlibrarian's review against another edition

adventurous funny

4.0

This was a fun read. I would not hesitate to hand this to Percy Jackson fans... it basically is Trinidadian PJ, when they are in the Minataur's maze. It's a fun read, and I'm looking forward to the next one!

scoutabout's review

Not in the mood

cboddie's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

5th & up

drdonnab's review

emotional mysterious reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

bookmarkedbybecky's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Highlights: 

✨Trinidad: I had never read a book set in Trinidad before, but I fell in love with everything about this one: the tropical island setting, the vivid descriptions of food (don't read this while hungry), and the captivating folklore.

✨Cool Kids: Riki, our MC, along with her Minders set out to save some family members. The Minders have the ability to control elemental magic - Fitz controls earth, Monique controls fire, Hazel controls water, and Nox controls wind. In addition, Rikir and the Minders are accompanied by a talking iguana named Piku, who can sometimes offers some tough love. As the story progresses, these lovable characters learn that they must work together to save the people they love.

✨Narration: Yamin Mwanza gives each character a personality with attitude and Caribbean accents, immersing the reader deep into the story.  

Quick loves: Magic, the devil tree which includes a maze, the trials (puzzles, riddles, vampires, evil creatures), a bag of Skittles (that helps save the day), and themes of climate change. 

While the book is atmospheric, it's not too scary. I think any kid ages 9-13 will love this big adventure.  

paytonbox21's review

4.0

This is a great kids book, especially within the horror genre. I loved the themes, the characters and the overall story. The life lessons in this book are subtle but clear which means you just feel like you’ve learned something fun and new rather than leaving the book feeling like you had to learn things. 

The Trinidad culture in this book is so vibrant and clear you can picture so many of the scenes and characters. This is a great book for kids to experience new cultures in a fun exciting way that also teaches about folklore as well!