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emilyalthea's review against another edition
5.0
This book is the perfect teddy bear in these weird times. I loved everything about it, and felt love for all of the toys, but especially Spark.
readingvicariously'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!
reading_and_dreaming's review against another edition
3.0
We are the sworn protectors of this house. We serve goodness and truth. We give refuge to the innocent. We defend the light to the final light in times of darkness. By the power bestowed upon us by the League of Ursus, We command you to be gone.
A spooky Toy Story book sounded like an adorable fall read and it was. Spark is a teddy bear who is sworn to protect her dusa - best friend/owner - from monsters. But then! Children start going missing and suddenly that promise is very real.
This book was a cute story about love, the power of creativity, the power of friendship, and family. I appreciated the disability rep and the talk about bullying - especially since it's a middle grade book. I think this would be a fun book to read during the spooky season with your kids - and then you can all make a movie!
I received this book from Quirk Books in exchange for review.
A spooky Toy Story book sounded like an adorable fall read and it was. Spark is a teddy bear who is sworn to protect her dusa - best friend/owner - from monsters. But then! Children start going missing and suddenly that promise is very real.
This book was a cute story about love, the power of creativity, the power of friendship, and family. I appreciated the disability rep and the talk about bullying - especially since it's a middle grade book. I think this would be a fun book to read during the spooky season with your kids - and then you can all make a movie!
I received this book from Quirk Books in exchange for review.
gmc16's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
scostner's review against another edition
3.0
Spark seems like an ordinary teddy bear, until the lights are out and everyone is asleep - or until danger strikes. As a stuffed bear she is part of the League of Ursus and pledged to defend her dusa (the child who has loved her to life), Loretta. Spark's mentor, Sir Reginald, is the guardian of Loretta's older brother, Matthew When a mysterious creature begins carrying off children from their neighborhood, Spark and Sir Reginald go into action. As brave as they may be, can a few toys hope to defeat something that even adults can't fight?
This is a book that combines elements from many beloved stories. The toys come to life through the love of a child, much like The Velveteen Rabbit. They only move and talk to each other when no humans are around, or are asleep - like in "Toy Story." A nod to "Monsters Inc." has the defenders talking about monsters that feed on human fear. The children are involved in film-making contests and refer to favorite movies such as "Jaws" and "The Empire Strikes Back." The League of Ursus itself is a sort of gathering of knights like Camelot, out to defend the vulnerable and stand back to back against the darkness. In this case that darkness is after children with imagination, similar to the way the Emperor always wants to seduce away young Jedi to the dark side.
If you enjoy stories with a fantasy element, especially a secret world that wakes while we sleep, then try out the tale of Spark.
This is a book that combines elements from many beloved stories. The toys come to life through the love of a child, much like The Velveteen Rabbit. They only move and talk to each other when no humans are around, or are asleep - like in "Toy Story." A nod to "Monsters Inc." has the defenders talking about monsters that feed on human fear. The children are involved in film-making contests and refer to favorite movies such as "Jaws" and "The Empire Strikes Back." The League of Ursus itself is a sort of gathering of knights like Camelot, out to defend the vulnerable and stand back to back against the darkness. In this case that darkness is after children with imagination, similar to the way the Emperor always wants to seduce away young Jedi to the dark side.
If you enjoy stories with a fantasy element, especially a secret world that wakes while we sleep, then try out the tale of Spark.
librarianlayla's review against another edition
4.0
I received an advanced copy of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/4 stars.
A really great concept, with fantastic characters. I really enjoyed the dynamics between the bears and how they each took on the traits of their owners. I also enjoyed Spark's character development within the story from straight laced, naive bear to a born leader, bold and true. This is a very entertaining, at times dark, adventure that will lead the reader on a journey through fear, strife and bravery.
If I have any criticism at all, it would be that at times there were some unnecessary explanations which detracted from the story itself. This caused a paragraph to drag a little, and make it too trudgy, interrupting the flow.
3.5/4 stars.
A really great concept, with fantastic characters. I really enjoyed the dynamics between the bears and how they each took on the traits of their owners. I also enjoyed Spark's character development within the story from straight laced, naive bear to a born leader, bold and true. This is a very entertaining, at times dark, adventure that will lead the reader on a journey through fear, strife and bravery.
If I have any criticism at all, it would be that at times there were some unnecessary explanations which detracted from the story itself. This caused a paragraph to drag a little, and make it too trudgy, interrupting the flow.
kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition
2.0
Spark is a teddy bear, sworn to protect her owner from the monsters that attack in the night. But when a truly powerful monster threatens the children of the house, it will take a special league of bears to fight off the monster.
This book was darker and scarier than I expected. The monster is really freaky, with scales, insect claws, pincers, horns, spider legs, and the head of a human. The monster wears a creepy medallion around its neck with a human head on it that comes to life. Even with all the gross descriptions of this monster, I can't quite picture it in my head. It's like half-human, half scorpion. Ugh.
At the beginning of the book, the monster has already kidnapped children. Much of the book is about the adults and children going in search parties to look for the missing kids, and putting up Missing Child posters around the town. It's heart-wrenching to see them grieving and anxious, barely sleeping and barely eating and fighting among themselves because the tension is so high. This is not a happy book.
I liked the writing style, but had problems with the way this story was organized. The pacing is awkward. There are a LOT of flashbacks and memories. And there are plot holes all over the place.
There are a lot of plot explanations, where a character explains to another character how something works, but we the reader are never told HOW that character got that information. They just magically know what is happening and explain it out of thin air. How could they possibly know that? Very frustrating.
The plot is full of convenient happenstances. Spark spends the entire book being so super careful that no humans could possibly see her moving around the house, and then at the end, Spark decides to just run past a group of humans and hope they don't notice. They see something blurry go past, but aren't sure what it was. Really? And they don't see her because...?? Because she ran so fast? How very convenient that suddenly humans are stupid and don't have eyes, even though Spark spent the entire book lumbering around like a slow clumsy teddy bear with no hint that she was secretly faster than the human eye.
There are multiple instances like this where the plot does not make sense, or contradicts previously established facts. I lost count of the times that something impossible happened which did not fit with the magic system that had been established, or that might have fit in this world but it was not explained how it fit. A lot of the story doesn't make sense.
There is very little resolution at the end. The immediate threat is resolved when the teddy bears succeed in scaring off the monster, and the missing children are found. But the monster isn't defeated. The monster is still around, and the bears are just waiting for the next attack. The monster also has an extensive backstory about how it was cursed, and it was hinted that the bears could find a way to lift the curse and save the monster and maybe make him good, but that storyline was never explored any further. I wonder if this will end up being a series, and the monster's story will be resolved later on.
I liked the characters, but I didn't really connect with them. All the elements of a good character were there for each of them, backstory, depth, personality, special interests, and relationships with the other characters. Then each character just sat there, moving through the story like robots. There was very little development or meaningful growth.
I think that a child reading this book would probably not notice the many plot holes or stale characters. There is enough of a good story and good characters there to keep your interest in the book. However, a child young enough to not notice the problems in the story, would also be young enough to get scared by the dark elements in the story.
The kidnapping feels much too real and frightening, and the descriptions of the monster are truly disgusting. I found it disturbing. A child young enough to be interested in a book about teddy bears would certainly find it terrifying.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
This book was darker and scarier than I expected. The monster is really freaky, with scales, insect claws, pincers, horns, spider legs, and the head of a human. The monster wears a creepy medallion around its neck with a human head on it that comes to life. Even with all the gross descriptions of this monster, I can't quite picture it in my head. It's like half-human, half scorpion. Ugh.
At the beginning of the book, the monster has already kidnapped children. Much of the book is about the adults and children going in search parties to look for the missing kids, and putting up Missing Child posters around the town. It's heart-wrenching to see them grieving and anxious, barely sleeping and barely eating and fighting among themselves because the tension is so high. This is not a happy book.
I liked the writing style, but had problems with the way this story was organized. The pacing is awkward. There are a LOT of flashbacks and memories. And there are plot holes all over the place.
There are a lot of plot explanations, where a character explains to another character how something works, but we the reader are never told HOW that character got that information. They just magically know what is happening and explain it out of thin air. How could they possibly know that? Very frustrating.
The plot is full of convenient happenstances. Spark spends the entire book being so super careful that no humans could possibly see her moving around the house, and then at the end, Spark decides to just run past a group of humans and hope they don't notice. They see something blurry go past, but aren't sure what it was. Really? And they don't see her because...?? Because she ran so fast? How very convenient that suddenly humans are stupid and don't have eyes, even though Spark spent the entire book lumbering around like a slow clumsy teddy bear with no hint that she was secretly faster than the human eye.
There are multiple instances like this where the plot does not make sense, or contradicts previously established facts. I lost count of the times that something impossible happened which did not fit with the magic system that had been established, or that might have fit in this world but it was not explained how it fit. A lot of the story doesn't make sense.
There is very little resolution at the end. The immediate threat is resolved when the teddy bears succeed in scaring off the monster, and the missing children are found. But the monster isn't defeated. The monster is still around, and the bears are just waiting for the next attack. The monster also has an extensive backstory about how it was cursed, and it was hinted that the bears could find a way to lift the curse and save the monster and maybe make him good, but that storyline was never explored any further. I wonder if this will end up being a series, and the monster's story will be resolved later on.
I liked the characters, but I didn't really connect with them. All the elements of a good character were there for each of them, backstory, depth, personality, special interests, and relationships with the other characters. Then each character just sat there, moving through the story like robots. There was very little development or meaningful growth.
I think that a child reading this book would probably not notice the many plot holes or stale characters. There is enough of a good story and good characters there to keep your interest in the book. However, a child young enough to not notice the problems in the story, would also be young enough to get scared by the dark elements in the story.
The kidnapping feels much too real and frightening, and the descriptions of the monster are truly disgusting. I found it disturbing. A child young enough to be interested in a book about teddy bears would certainly find it terrifying.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
veiledmountainfury's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC of this title via NetGalley (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.
A beautiful story about monsters, growing up, friendship, and bravery from an unsuspecting place. I finished this book in one day as I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. Anyone who had (or for our younger audience has) a stuffed animal best friend who helped them fight the monsters under their bed will immediately connect with the story. It also lets us know how far they will go to protect their children and how they feel about them getting older.
A beautiful story about monsters, growing up, friendship, and bravery from an unsuspecting place. I finished this book in one day as I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. Anyone who had (or for our younger audience has) a stuffed animal best friend who helped them fight the monsters under their bed will immediately connect with the story. It also lets us know how far they will go to protect their children and how they feel about them getting older.
manwithanagenda's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
Spark is a teddy bear sworn to protect her owner, or ursa, from the monsters that would seek to harm her. A fellow teddy instructed her in the lore surrounding the monsters that have been held at bay for decades, but has trained her hard to prepare for any monster that may show up.
Now a monster has started showing up, sniffing around the edges of the room, looking for a weakness. Spark overhears a neighborhood child has gone missing - a sure sign of a monster. With her mentor, a sock monkey and select toys of her ursa's friends, Spark must save the day.
For me this was an unfortunate misfire. The internal logic of the story kept coming apart at the edges and actual child predators appeared to be tied in to the lore by the end of the book. Not something I'd recommend.
Now a monster has started showing up, sniffing around the edges of the room, looking for a weakness. Spark overhears a neighborhood child has gone missing - a sure sign of a monster. With her mentor, a sock monkey and select toys of her ursa's friends, Spark must save the day.
For me this was an unfortunate misfire. The internal logic of the story kept coming apart at the edges and actual child predators appeared to be tied in to the lore by the end of the book. Not something I'd recommend.
teri_b's review against another edition
4.0
This book is about teddy bears and monsters in the closet and elsewhere. It is a book about family and siblings and friendship. But mostly, it is about teddy bears, as Spark, the main character in this tale is a teddy bear and so there for the girl, Loretta, she has bonded with quite a while ago.
Another kid has disappeared in town and when Loretta's brother goes missing overnight, the search turns frantic and Spark has to step in and get all the resources she can get in order to help solve the crisis.
The story runs between realistic and fictional moments, mixing the two together in places. For possibly the first half of the book, it was not clear to me for where the story was meant to go to, but then, it took off.
I enjoyed reading this story and was, specially in the second half, glued to my chair when all of a sudden the action picked up and up and up. Who knew teddy bears could be that fierce and inventive and feisty and have such a strong code of honour.
This story holds also a lot of representation that I found very well done. To name but a few, teddy bears, siblings, family, crisis, physical impairment, dealing with bullying, friendships, kids as film makers.
I possibly will return to this book later this year and do a reread, as I feel this is a story that needs to settle, and possibly can be better appreciated in a second or third read.
This review refers to an eARC I received from the publisher via Netgalley. All views expressed are my own.
Please check for trigger warnings. This book touches down with some quite scary moments. On the other hand, this book might be fantastic to talk about an experienced trauma.
Another kid has disappeared in town and when Loretta's brother goes missing overnight, the search turns frantic and Spark has to step in and get all the resources she can get in order to help solve the crisis.
The story runs between realistic and fictional moments, mixing the two together in places. For possibly the first half of the book, it was not clear to me for where the story was meant to go to, but then, it took off.
I enjoyed reading this story and was, specially in the second half, glued to my chair when all of a sudden the action picked up and up and up. Who knew teddy bears could be that fierce and inventive and feisty and have such a strong code of honour.
This story holds also a lot of representation that I found very well done. To name but a few, teddy bears, siblings, family, crisis, physical impairment, dealing with bullying, friendships, kids as film makers.
I possibly will return to this book later this year and do a reread, as I feel this is a story that needs to settle, and possibly can be better appreciated in a second or third read.
This review refers to an eARC I received from the publisher via Netgalley. All views expressed are my own.
Please check for trigger warnings. This book touches down with some quite scary moments. On the other hand, this book might be fantastic to talk about an experienced trauma.