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brittster622's review against another edition
3.0
I had such high expectations for this book. I just love the concept and have read a few similar type books before.
It was cute, but didn’t quite reach my expectations. The first 40% of the book was just.. I don’t know, nothing was really happening. When we finally met one of the other main characters we starting getting some League lore and backstory which was super interesting. Things really picked up from there. For the rest of the book the pace was pretty good and it had some surprising depth at times for a teddy bear story, which was really nice.
It was cute, but didn’t quite reach my expectations. The first 40% of the book was just.. I don’t know, nothing was really happening. When we finally met one of the other main characters we starting getting some League lore and backstory which was super interesting. Things really picked up from there. For the rest of the book the pace was pretty good and it had some surprising depth at times for a teddy bear story, which was really nice.
readingrobin's review
Have too much to read right now and this book wasn't really gripping me enough to finish. It'll probably be enough for younger readers but for adults it rings as sort of just okay.
lillanaa's review against another edition
5.0
This book was received as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this expecting something far less intense than what this book is, and that's definitely not a bad thing. From minute one there's a huge amount of action, and it never stops which I absolutely love. A gem of a middle grade book, cute and easy to follow but also packed with action and adventure. It's adorable, which I expected from the synopsis, but at the same time there's something sinister about it, hitting basic human fears.
Most of these kind of books don't go below surface level feelings, but this... I wasn't sure how far it would go. I'm astonished by the fact that the characters seem actually fleshed out despite it being from the viewpoint of an extremely unreliable narrator. The characters are fun, Loretta is a really awesome one despite not having a ton of screentime, and all the bears are so cool!
All in all, one that I'd recommend to a lot of my friends who like middle grade books, the action never stops and the whole thing is so cute and fun at least in the end of it all.
I went into this expecting something far less intense than what this book is, and that's definitely not a bad thing. From minute one there's a huge amount of action, and it never stops which I absolutely love. A gem of a middle grade book, cute and easy to follow but also packed with action and adventure. It's adorable, which I expected from the synopsis, but at the same time there's something sinister about it, hitting basic human fears.
Most of these kind of books don't go below surface level feelings, but this... I wasn't sure how far it would go. I'm astonished by the fact that the characters seem actually fleshed out despite it being from the viewpoint of an extremely unreliable narrator. The characters are fun, Loretta is a really awesome one despite not having a ton of screentime, and all the bears are so cool!
All in all, one that I'd recommend to a lot of my friends who like middle grade books, the action never stops and the whole thing is so cute and fun at least in the end of it all.
daenknight's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
rkiladitis's review against another edition
4.0
Have you ever seen that meme with a teddy bear standing over a sleeping child, challenging a looming monster? If you have, you've got the basis for Spark and the Legends of Ursus. Spark and Sir Reginald are teddy bears, pledged to protect their now-tween children, Loretta and Matthew, from monsters. Sir Reginald is the elder bear and mentor to Spark, the one who introduced her to the League of Ursus - the secret society of teddy bears, sworn to protect. Things are dire when a monster shows up in Loretta's room, and when a neighborhood girl goes missing. Spark and Sir Reginald are determined to protect their charges, but find themselves up against a terrible evil that they need help battling. Additional League of Ursus members, a sock monkey, and Amazon warrior princess doll are all that stands between the monster and the children of their neighborhood.
This is an exciting, heartfelt adventure book that embraces our love of teddy bears. Their gentle natures belie the fact that they are bears, who can be pretty ferocious! The story also looks at the love between a toy and a child - in this universe, a toy doesn't "awaken" until it's loved by a child - and how that changes as the child gets older and finds less time for their toys. If you have Toy Story fans, and readers of books like Brian Lynch's Toy Academy series, that are ready for a more involved book, this is the book to give them. Spark is a wonderfully idealistic, eager young character, waiting to be called upon for her moment; Sir Reginald is a world-weary warrior with much to pass along to his student. Loretta and Matthew are burgeoning filmmakers with their own YouTube channel, so there's some filmmaking tidbits here and there that could link up nicely with some Summer Reading programming involving filmmaking, maybe on a cell phone.
Spark and the League of Ursus is a good first fantasy novel to give to readers who are looking for something new, and a good fantasy novel to give to readers who may need that reassurance that it's still okay to love a teddy bear. (I do.) Have Stranger Things fans? Give them this one, too - that monster can surely come from The Upside Down.
This is an exciting, heartfelt adventure book that embraces our love of teddy bears. Their gentle natures belie the fact that they are bears, who can be pretty ferocious! The story also looks at the love between a toy and a child - in this universe, a toy doesn't "awaken" until it's loved by a child - and how that changes as the child gets older and finds less time for their toys. If you have Toy Story fans, and readers of books like Brian Lynch's Toy Academy series, that are ready for a more involved book, this is the book to give them. Spark is a wonderfully idealistic, eager young character, waiting to be called upon for her moment; Sir Reginald is a world-weary warrior with much to pass along to his student. Loretta and Matthew are burgeoning filmmakers with their own YouTube channel, so there's some filmmaking tidbits here and there that could link up nicely with some Summer Reading programming involving filmmaking, maybe on a cell phone.
Spark and the League of Ursus is a good first fantasy novel to give to readers who are looking for something new, and a good fantasy novel to give to readers who may need that reassurance that it's still okay to love a teddy bear. (I do.) Have Stranger Things fans? Give them this one, too - that monster can surely come from The Upside Down.
bookish_whispers's review against another edition
4.0
A huge thank you to Quirk Books for my copy of Spark and the League of Ursus, what follows is my honest review!
The best way to describe this book is a cross between Toy Story and the movie Small Soldiers. Only unlike Toy Story, not all the toys come to life, only the ones that children truly bond with manage to come to life. But, no all the toys that come to life are protectors. There's a cute little sock monkey in this story who only has a little bit of courage.
Despite the comparison Spark and the League of Ursus stand as its own story. It's about the teddy bears that protect us from the monsters that hide in the dark, and for me, an older reader, it was a reminder of all the best parts of childhood. That fear of never letting your feet stick out from under the covers, jumping on the bed so the monsters under your bed can't grab at your feet, and curling up with my favorite bear during a storm, snug under all my blankets.
It was also a little bit creepy as well. I have to admit the Jakmal was creepy and I would not enjoy waking up to find something like that on my wall. Though, I think it's the right amount of scary a Middle Grade. There's the fear of losing a sibling and the monster you thought you saw and for Spark the fear of finding your way.
I really liked the way we learned about the League of Ursus as well, and about the family that Spark is protecting. It's all told through flashbacks, and I felt that fit into the story quite nicely and kept the story from slowing down. It also leads to the discovery of who the Jakmal is and kind of why it does what it's doing. Our monster isn't just doing this because it's a monster, but because it was sort of driven to it by one of the original members of the League.
For me, this felt like a perfect spooky bedtime story. I could see it being read aloud with voice, or read under your blankets with a flashlight, only to sleep with the lights on for the next couple of nights. Or, for us older readers, curled up on the couch.
The other part I really liked was the human aspect of this book. It's not just about Spark trying to save this family from the monster. You also see real emotions from the family as one of them goes missing. They struggle, but they never give up. I felt like seeing that through Spark had me rooting that they managed to save the day. It's one of the few times I had my fingers crossed for that happy ending.
Also! I cannot forget this because I thought it was really neat. The story does mention that the older people get the less they believe and can perceive magic and monsters. However, that doesn't mean they can't see the aftermath. I really like that few times got destroyed a few pages later a logical explanation of that damage was given. Things weren't just magically fixed when a monster destroys something, but it fixes the perception so adults don't question as anything but an accident. For example, the monster destroys one fo the family's cars, and the next morning a tree branch has fallen on the car. A logical explanation. I just through it was cool there was the little sidebar of why adults lose a belief in monsters.
All-in-all this was a really cute and spooky book. The perfect way to start off my Spooky Season reading!
This and other bookish post can be found on my blog, Bookish Whispers!
The best way to describe this book is a cross between Toy Story and the movie Small Soldiers. Only unlike Toy Story, not all the toys come to life, only the ones that children truly bond with manage to come to life. But, no all the toys that come to life are protectors. There's a cute little sock monkey in this story who only has a little bit of courage.
Despite the comparison Spark and the League of Ursus stand as its own story. It's about the teddy bears that protect us from the monsters that hide in the dark, and for me, an older reader, it was a reminder of all the best parts of childhood. That fear of never letting your feet stick out from under the covers, jumping on the bed so the monsters under your bed can't grab at your feet, and curling up with my favorite bear during a storm, snug under all my blankets.
It was also a little bit creepy as well. I have to admit the Jakmal was creepy and I would not enjoy waking up to find something like that on my wall. Though, I think it's the right amount of scary a Middle Grade. There's the fear of losing a sibling and the monster you thought you saw and for Spark the fear of finding your way.
I really liked the way we learned about the League of Ursus as well, and about the family that Spark is protecting. It's all told through flashbacks, and I felt that fit into the story quite nicely and kept the story from slowing down. It also leads to the discovery of who the Jakmal is and kind of why it does what it's doing. Our monster isn't just doing this because it's a monster, but because it was sort of driven to it by one of the original members of the League.
For me, this felt like a perfect spooky bedtime story. I could see it being read aloud with voice, or read under your blankets with a flashlight, only to sleep with the lights on for the next couple of nights. Or, for us older readers, curled up on the couch.
The other part I really liked was the human aspect of this book. It's not just about Spark trying to save this family from the monster. You also see real emotions from the family as one of them goes missing. They struggle, but they never give up. I felt like seeing that through Spark had me rooting that they managed to save the day. It's one of the few times I had my fingers crossed for that happy ending.
Also! I cannot forget this because I thought it was really neat. The story does mention that the older people get the less they believe and can perceive magic and monsters. However, that doesn't mean they can't see the aftermath. I really like that few times got destroyed a few pages later a logical explanation of that damage was given. Things weren't just magically fixed when a monster destroys something, but it fixes the perception so adults don't question as anything but an accident. For example, the monster destroys one fo the family's cars, and the next morning a tree branch has fallen on the car. A logical explanation. I just through it was cool there was the little sidebar of why adults lose a belief in monsters.
All-in-all this was a really cute and spooky book. The perfect way to start off my Spooky Season reading!
This and other bookish post can be found on my blog, Bookish Whispers!
reads_vicariously's review against another edition
3.0
When I hear a book being touted as "Toy Story meets Stranger Things," I'm going to give it a shot. The problem with comparisons though is that they are not always accurate, and thus they can be misleading. Not always, but in this particular instance I was certainly hoping for more than what I actually got.
Safe. Simplistic. Bland. Meh.
Those are some of the words that come to mind when I think back on my reading of Spark. The further I get from it the more I feel disinterested by it. It's not a bad book by any means. The writing is adept, the story structure is sound, the background lore is interesting, and the characters are fairly dynamic. Yet, I never found myself fully invested in it whilst reading. And I'm still struggling to put my finger on exactly why.
Unlike Toy Story, I didn't feel emotionally connected to any of these characters. It has its poignant moments, but for most of the book I was just turning pages and my heart wasn't into it. And unlike Stranger Things, the monsters were less than terrifying and the action scenes less than gripping. It's hitting the right beats for the story, but not knocking them out of the park or do anything unique. I really enjoy YA horror, but this one wasn't nearly scary or profound enough for me to sink my teeth into.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Safe. Simplistic. Bland. Meh.
Those are some of the words that come to mind when I think back on my reading of Spark. The further I get from it the more I feel disinterested by it. It's not a bad book by any means. The writing is adept, the story structure is sound, the background lore is interesting, and the characters are fairly dynamic. Yet, I never found myself fully invested in it whilst reading. And I'm still struggling to put my finger on exactly why.
Unlike Toy Story, I didn't feel emotionally connected to any of these characters. It has its poignant moments, but for most of the book I was just turning pages and my heart wasn't into it. And unlike Stranger Things, the monsters were less than terrifying and the action scenes less than gripping. It's hitting the right beats for the story, but not knocking them out of the park or do anything unique. I really enjoy YA horror, but this one wasn't nearly scary or profound enough for me to sink my teeth into.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
mommamel11's review against another edition
3.0
Children are protected by the toys they love. When children go missing, Spark, a teddy bear, knows it is monsters. But Spark is a. young bear and she needs to call on the help of ancient society of bears as she descends into an alternate world to protect her owner. The book starts with a bang and the action never stops. Sure to be a hit with middle grade readers.
kathryn_fletcher's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the blend of Toy Story elements (live toys who freeze when people are in the room) with Stranger Things type stuff (portals to another place and monsters). I found the story unpredictable in that I thought one thing would happen but it went another direction. Not in a bad way though. I liked the surprises.
A full review will be on quillandbooks.com this week!
A full review will be on quillandbooks.com this week!
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
So cute: teddy bears are our protectors (tbh, I've always thought that about mine - and my very first, imaginatively named Theodore, sits on a shelf watching as I type) and when Spark's person Loretta is in danger, he activates the League of Ursus to help him out. The author's Mort(e) series does a great job of making animals "human", with all their flaws, and this shows the same flair for stuffed animals and childhood toys. Any reader still afraid of the monster under the bed will be relieved to know that their teddy bear is always on duty, ready to spring into action.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.