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newkidonthebook's reviews
14 reviews
The Midnight Hour by Benjamin Read, Laura Trinder
adventurous
funny
mysterious
4.5
Join Emily on a quest to find her parents in a parallel world of magic and danger at the heart of London – The Midnight Hour brims with imagination and thrills 🌃!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
The Midnight Hour is a thrilling book. You never know what to expect and you’re eager to discover what new surprise awaits Emily in this strange enchanted world. It starts in Emily’s cosy home (complete with a feeding station for hedgehogs), then moves on to the incredible Night Post headquarters, and finally bursts into the parallel London, with supernatural beings and magic everywhere. There are some scary moments, like when Emily realizes her parents are gone and she’s left on her own! While a few elements felt clichéd, such as the ‘Bear’ villain she encounters and his chase scenes, on the whole the book shines with originality and builds an exciting alternative world.
Emily and her parents are very real as characters. I especially like the family dynamic between the brave and contrary Emily, her calm and composed father, and her odd and rebellious mother. Some characters are not as convincing, such as Tarkus (Emily’s new friend in the Midnight Hour), whose personality is hard to pin down and whose background is never fully explained.
One of the book’s strongest points is Emily’s truly distinct character and inner voice. Her thoughts and reactions to the sights and sounds of the Midnight Hour are entertaining and infuse such a sense of fun into the story. It’s so easy to read and think, yes, this exactly what Emily would say or do! She is not always likable: she can say hurtful things and fall into bad moods. On the other hand, I admire her bravery and ability to always say what’s on her mind. The authors have such a good grasp of her character that it helps make the world she travels in come alive as well.
The Midnight Hour is a great book for readers who would like to enter a magical Victorian London with a fiery heroine by their side and danger every step of the way.
🌠For the rest of my review and recommendations for similar books, look here: https://wordpress.com/view/newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com 🌠
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
The Midnight Hour is a thrilling book. You never know what to expect and you’re eager to discover what new surprise awaits Emily in this strange enchanted world. It starts in Emily’s cosy home (complete with a feeding station for hedgehogs), then moves on to the incredible Night Post headquarters, and finally bursts into the parallel London, with supernatural beings and magic everywhere. There are some scary moments, like when Emily realizes her parents are gone and she’s left on her own! While a few elements felt clichéd, such as the ‘Bear’ villain she encounters and his chase scenes, on the whole the book shines with originality and builds an exciting alternative world.
Emily and her parents are very real as characters. I especially like the family dynamic between the brave and contrary Emily, her calm and composed father, and her odd and rebellious mother. Some characters are not as convincing, such as Tarkus (Emily’s new friend in the Midnight Hour), whose personality is hard to pin down and whose background is never fully explained.
One of the book’s strongest points is Emily’s truly distinct character and inner voice. Her thoughts and reactions to the sights and sounds of the Midnight Hour are entertaining and infuse such a sense of fun into the story. It’s so easy to read and think, yes, this exactly what Emily would say or do! She is not always likable: she can say hurtful things and fall into bad moods. On the other hand, I admire her bravery and ability to always say what’s on her mind. The authors have such a good grasp of her character that it helps make the world she travels in come alive as well.
The Midnight Hour is a great book for readers who would like to enter a magical Victorian London with a fiery heroine by their side and danger every step of the way.
🌠For the rest of my review and recommendations for similar books, look here: https://wordpress.com/view/newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com 🌠
Kingdom of Secrets by Christyne Morrell
adventurous
3.5
Soar in a hot-air balloon with Prismena and Abi as they explore the mysterious Kingdom of Oren and uncover a sinister plot!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½
The Kingdom of Oren lives up to the book’s title, as it is full of all kinds of secrets. It’s exciting to see Prissy go uncovering them as she follows her new friend Abi into the kingdom’s underworld of rebellious orphans and secret plots. Each twist of the story raises new questions. What is the king hiding, and is the queen really as mad as people say? It’s easy to relate to Prissy as she tries to make sense of all the strange things she’s finding out about her home.
At the start of the story, Prissy is very uptight and nervous, but with Abi’s help she slowly comes into her own, and grows more confident and daring. Abi, for her part, is a strong and interesting character who could have been the protagonist. The book’s focus on hot air balloons is intriguing and I enjoyed learning about how they work and how they played into the story
However, while some elements of the book were original and exciting, others felt standard and predictable, such as the cruel orphanage and the rebellion plotline. It would have helped if more had been done to make the world of Oren seem like a unique place, and not simply a backdrop for the story. In some chapters, the book jumps from the present with Prissy and Abi, to the past, where it follows a young girl’s life in the kingdom years ago. These segments from the past are not interesting enough to capture the reader’s attention and slow the book down. The biggest drawback is that the book’s ending is not believable. Different problems and intrigues are resolved too quickly and tidily to really be satisfying for the reader.
Prissy and Abi’s hot-air-balloon capers in Kingdom of Secrets will delight readers looking for an adventure story with a twist, so long as they don’t mind rather standard settings and a slap-dash ending.
🌤️ Read my full review and get recommendations for similar books on my book blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2023/08/08/review-kingdom-of-secrets-by-christyne-morrell/ 🌤️
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½
The Kingdom of Oren lives up to the book’s title, as it is full of all kinds of secrets. It’s exciting to see Prissy go uncovering them as she follows her new friend Abi into the kingdom’s underworld of rebellious orphans and secret plots. Each twist of the story raises new questions. What is the king hiding, and is the queen really as mad as people say? It’s easy to relate to Prissy as she tries to make sense of all the strange things she’s finding out about her home.
At the start of the story, Prissy is very uptight and nervous, but with Abi’s help she slowly comes into her own, and grows more confident and daring. Abi, for her part, is a strong and interesting character who could have been the protagonist. The book’s focus on hot air balloons is intriguing and I enjoyed learning about how they work and how they played into the story
However, while some elements of the book were original and exciting, others felt standard and predictable, such as the cruel orphanage and the rebellion plotline. It would have helped if more had been done to make the world of Oren seem like a unique place, and not simply a backdrop for the story. In some chapters, the book jumps from the present with Prissy and Abi, to the past, where it follows a young girl’s life in the kingdom years ago. These segments from the past are not interesting enough to capture the reader’s attention and slow the book down. The biggest drawback is that the book’s ending is not believable. Different problems and intrigues are resolved too quickly and tidily to really be satisfying for the reader.
Prissy and Abi’s hot-air-balloon capers in Kingdom of Secrets will delight readers looking for an adventure story with a twist, so long as they don’t mind rather standard settings and a slap-dash ending.
🌤️ Read my full review and get recommendations for similar books on my book blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2023/08/08/review-kingdom-of-secrets-by-christyne-morrell/ 🌤️
The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
5.0
A brilliant book! Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess has Sherlock Holmes’ clever fourteen-year-old sister delving into a captivating mystery full of family secrets, deception and disguises!
Rating: 5 stars
This is a fantastic book! The plot is gripping, and the intimate writing style draws you in from the start. You feel as though Enola is talking directly to you through the pages. All the mysteries and coded messages entwined with the story are absolutely fascinating and show the care the author took with this book. Among my favourite parts are when Enola comes face to face with a riddle and you get to see how she puzzles through it to come to a brilliant solution. The book is filled with rich descriptions of Victorian life, from the peaceful existence of a country manor to the dangers of the streets of London, which give the story an immersive feel. Little details, such as the way people act and talk, seem to take you right back to the nineteenth century.
Enola herself is such an interesting character, very clever and slightly aloof but, at the same time, caring deeply about the people around her. You can’t help but marvel at her determination and great courage. At numerous points it seems easier for her to simply give up, but she keeps persisting and keeps resisting the impediments she faces, like the awful, restrictive clothing she’s supposed to wear and the way she’s dismissed as ‘just a girl’ by her older brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft. You really get an understanding of the challenges she faces as she tries to make it on her own, and you feel she develops as a person as she learns more about the difficulties other people face.
It’s amazing to have a brilliant Sherlock-Holmes-type story told from a girl’s point of view. In fact, instead of being a hindrance as her brothers believe, being a girl is actually an advantage for Enola, as it allows her to learn things belonging to the Victorian world of women, such as the language of flowers, which can be crucial to solving mysteries. This, along with Enola’s excellent deductive logic and investigative skills, make her a great detective and her adventures really interesting!
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy mystery stories set in the misty and treacherous streets of Victorian London and who would like to join Enola Holmes as she investigates puzzling mysteries in her own very determined way.
🕵️♀️For my full review and recommendations for similar books, check out my blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2023/04/10/review-enola-holmes-the-case-of-the-missing-marquess/🕵️♀️
Rating: 5 stars
This is a fantastic book! The plot is gripping, and the intimate writing style draws you in from the start. You feel as though Enola is talking directly to you through the pages. All the mysteries and coded messages entwined with the story are absolutely fascinating and show the care the author took with this book. Among my favourite parts are when Enola comes face to face with a riddle and you get to see how she puzzles through it to come to a brilliant solution. The book is filled with rich descriptions of Victorian life, from the peaceful existence of a country manor to the dangers of the streets of London, which give the story an immersive feel. Little details, such as the way people act and talk, seem to take you right back to the nineteenth century.
Enola herself is such an interesting character, very clever and slightly aloof but, at the same time, caring deeply about the people around her. You can’t help but marvel at her determination and great courage. At numerous points it seems easier for her to simply give up, but she keeps persisting and keeps resisting the impediments she faces, like the awful, restrictive clothing she’s supposed to wear and the way she’s dismissed as ‘just a girl’ by her older brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft. You really get an understanding of the challenges she faces as she tries to make it on her own, and you feel she develops as a person as she learns more about the difficulties other people face.
It’s amazing to have a brilliant Sherlock-Holmes-type story told from a girl’s point of view. In fact, instead of being a hindrance as her brothers believe, being a girl is actually an advantage for Enola, as it allows her to learn things belonging to the Victorian world of women, such as the language of flowers, which can be crucial to solving mysteries. This, along with Enola’s excellent deductive logic and investigative skills, make her a great detective and her adventures really interesting!
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy mystery stories set in the misty and treacherous streets of Victorian London and who would like to join Enola Holmes as she investigates puzzling mysteries in her own very determined way.
🕵️♀️For my full review and recommendations for similar books, check out my blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2023/04/10/review-enola-holmes-the-case-of-the-missing-marquess/🕵️♀️
No Place Like Home by Linh S. Nguyễn
adventurous
3.5
No Place Like Home whisks a lonely immigrant teenager into the enchanted world of Silva, where she must undertake a dangerous magical quest and find her way “home” 🌻✨
I love the premise of No Place Like Home: a girl wanting to be part of a fantasy story suddenly finds herself drawn into one and discovers that she is a witch no less! It is surely many a fantasy-reader’s dream to be among their favourite fictional characters completing a fantastical quest, and it feels wonderful to experience this with Lan as she’s swept from her Toronto basement apartment to the magical world of Silva. It’s also fun to explore Silva with Lan and her new companions Annabelle and Marlow as they make their arduous trek to the capital to ask the King to reverse the magical spell ruining Annabelle’s homeland. The peculiar beings they meet along the way are especially intriguing. In fact, I would have liked to read more about the lives of the inhabitants of this alternate world!
No Place Like Home really shines when it’s describing the world of Silva and the unique magic that floats through the air there. Though the magic is generally invisible, witches can sense it and need only reach out their hands to feel it coursing through their fingers. It’s exciting to learn where this magic comes from, and read about Lan’s experiments with it as she develops her powers as a witch! I also enjoy how Vietnamese culture and language are brought into the book through Lan’s memories of home. This helps you to realize how hard it must be for Lan to face daily challenges as an immigrant in a new country and what a welcome escape Silva must be for her.
Aside from Lan, however, the book’s characters do not always seem convincing. Marlow in particular is rather flat, and he seems to exist mostly as Lan’s love interest. Although Annabelle on the whole seems more real, her tendency to continually break down in tears feels exaggerated, especially since Marlow, by contrast, is almost emotionless. The three characters make a questionable decision near the end of the book which is seen as “incredible” but which one cannot help but think could easily have resulted in disaster. The story wraps up quickly afterwards with a straightforward resolution. One thing that especially bothered me about the story was how the main characters keep hurting and killing Silva’s creatures and magical beings (such as tree guardians and magical crows) in order to pass without permission through their territories, among other things. This is sad and you can’t help thinking that Silva is being harmed as well as helped by these three adventurers. It would have been more fun if they had made more use of their wits and less use of their weapons.
No Place Like Home really shines when it’s describing the world of Silva and the unique magic that floats through the air there. Though the magic is generally invisible, witches can sense it and need only reach out their hands to feel it coursing through their fingers. It’s exciting to learn where this magic comes from, and read about Lan’s experiments with it as she develops her powers as a witch! I also enjoy how Vietnamese culture and language are brought into the book through Lan’s memories of home. This helps you to realize how hard it must be for Lan to face daily challenges as an immigrant in a new country and what a welcome escape Silva must be for her.
Aside from Lan, however, the book’s characters do not always seem convincing. Marlow in particular is rather flat, and he seems to exist mostly as Lan’s love interest. Although Annabelle on the whole seems more real, her tendency to continually break down in tears feels exaggerated, especially since Marlow, by contrast, is almost emotionless. The three characters make a questionable decision near the end of the book which is seen as “incredible” but which one cannot help but think could easily have resulted in disaster. The story wraps up quickly afterwards with a straightforward resolution. One thing that especially bothered me about the story was how the main characters keep hurting and killing Silva’s creatures and magical beings (such as tree guardians and magical crows) in order to pass without permission through their territories, among other things. This is sad and you can’t help thinking that Silva is being harmed as well as helped by these three adventurers. It would have been more fun if they had made more use of their wits and less use of their weapons.
No Place Like Home‘s story about a Vietnamese girl trying to make a place for herself in two new worlds – the everyday world of Canada and the magical world of Silva – has a lot of appeal, but flaws like occasionally flat characterization and a tendency to kill off magical beings when they stand in the main characters’ way detract from the reader’s enjoyment.
🪄 Check out my full review and recommendations for similar books here: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2023/03/31/review-no-place-like-home-by-linh-s-nguyen/ 🪄
🪄 Check out my full review and recommendations for similar books here: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2023/03/31/review-no-place-like-home-by-linh-s-nguyen/ 🪄
The League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows combines adventure with myth as it whisks its hero from middle school to a legendary battle between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead 💀!
💫 Check out my full review on my blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2023/03/24/review-charlie-hernandez-the-league-of-shadows-by-ryan-calejo/ 💫
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½
Reading this book, I came to really root for Charlie as he tries to cope with all the weird events and perils of his changed life. I also liked Violet, who helps Charlie in his quest with her investigative skills. I especially enjoyed reading about how the two classmates gradually become friends and learn to trust each other when danger threatens.
The best aspect of the story is the use it makes of Spanish and Latin American folklore. I like Charlie’s love of his grandmother’s stories and the fact that his in-depth knowledge of legends ends up being essential to his survival in the strange, transformed world. It’s fascinating to see how the author weaves characters from folklore into Charlie Hernandez’ life to create a compelling story. I also like how Spanish expressions and phrases are used throughout the book! For readers who know Spanish, it’s fun to feel like you’re sharing something special with the characters. For those who don’t, have no fear because you will have no problem understanding everything – not to mention that you will be able to pick up a little Spanish and also discover some amazing Spanish and Latin American folklore.
One downside is that the narration, which is from Charlie’s point of view, can be rather awkward and unnatural. Charlie has thoughts that often don’t seem believable for someone in middle school. As a result, he often sounds more like an adult in what he thinks and says than like a boy. I find that it is very difficult in general for an adult to write convincingly in the first person as a child. Another downside is that the book portrays the historical figure of Juan Ponce de León very positively, overlooking his terrible treatment of Indigenous people. That cost the book a star in my review.
For more of this review and for other books you might enjoy, check out my full review: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2023/03/24/review-charlie-hernandez-the-league-of-shadows-by-ryan-calejo/ ✨
💫 Check out my full review on my blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2023/03/24/review-charlie-hernandez-the-league-of-shadows-by-ryan-calejo/ 💫
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½
Reading this book, I came to really root for Charlie as he tries to cope with all the weird events and perils of his changed life. I also liked Violet, who helps Charlie in his quest with her investigative skills. I especially enjoyed reading about how the two classmates gradually become friends and learn to trust each other when danger threatens.
The best aspect of the story is the use it makes of Spanish and Latin American folklore. I like Charlie’s love of his grandmother’s stories and the fact that his in-depth knowledge of legends ends up being essential to his survival in the strange, transformed world. It’s fascinating to see how the author weaves characters from folklore into Charlie Hernandez’ life to create a compelling story. I also like how Spanish expressions and phrases are used throughout the book! For readers who know Spanish, it’s fun to feel like you’re sharing something special with the characters. For those who don’t, have no fear because you will have no problem understanding everything – not to mention that you will be able to pick up a little Spanish and also discover some amazing Spanish and Latin American folklore.
One downside is that the narration, which is from Charlie’s point of view, can be rather awkward and unnatural. Charlie has thoughts that often don’t seem believable for someone in middle school. As a result, he often sounds more like an adult in what he thinks and says than like a boy. I find that it is very difficult in general for an adult to write convincingly in the first person as a child. Another downside is that the book portrays the historical figure of Juan Ponce de León very positively, overlooking his terrible treatment of Indigenous people. That cost the book a star in my review.
For more of this review and for other books you might enjoy, check out my full review: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2023/03/24/review-charlie-hernandez-the-league-of-shadows-by-ryan-calejo/ ✨
Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
I recommend this book to readers who like word puzzles and would enjoy a straightforward story about children exploring a mysterious hotel – and who can see through the stereotypes about women.
Read the rest here: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/12/30/review-winterhouse-by-ben-guterson/ 💫
lighthearted
mysterious
4.0
Winterhouse features an entrancing hotel with a dark magical history and word games-galore!
❄ Read my full review and get recommendations for similar books here: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/12/30/review-winterhouse-by-ben-guterson/ ❄
❄ Read my full review and get recommendations for similar books here: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/12/30/review-winterhouse-by-ben-guterson/ ❄
This is a fun winter holiday read featuring lots of winter sports like tobogganing as well as Christmas and New Year festivities. The book paints Winterhouse as such an enchanting place, and makes you dream of being whisked away there just like Elizabeth so that you too can go sledding, taste the hotel’s signature candy, Flurschen, and explore its wonderful library. The intriguing magical history tied to the hotel provides a rich backdrop to the plot. Elizabeth is a plucky heroine and I admire how she keeps digging for the hotel’s secret despite being warned to stop and being held back by Freddy, who is very timid (and rather dull). I also enjoyed the book’s many illustrations which add to the immersive feel of the story.
Puzzles and word games play an important role in the book and are a highlight of Winterhouse. I loved reading about the mysterious vigenère cypher and encountering all the anagrams sprinkled throughout the story. I especially enjoyed the word ladders – a puzzle where you must transform one word to another word by changing one letter at a time. It’s fun to see Elizabeth and Freddy continuously trying to best each other by coming up with new anagrams and word ladders.
Although Elizabeth is a strong female character, there is unfortunately some stereotyping of women in the book. For example, there is a family tree on the hotel wall with short descriptions of Norbridge’s ancestors. While the men receive such lines as: “He Took the Helm – Grandly”, “He Traveled the World” and “Noble in Life, Noble in Death,” it is said of the women that “The Kitchen was Hers”, “The Beauty of the North”, “Her Smile Consoled Us” and “Fifty-Five Years with a Broken Heart”. There was no need for these kinds of tired expressions about women and the book would have been better and fresher without them. Additionally, the story is quite simple. Everything progresses quite normally towards the conclusion so readers shouldn’t expect too many surprises.
Puzzles and word games play an important role in the book and are a highlight of Winterhouse. I loved reading about the mysterious vigenère cypher and encountering all the anagrams sprinkled throughout the story. I especially enjoyed the word ladders – a puzzle where you must transform one word to another word by changing one letter at a time. It’s fun to see Elizabeth and Freddy continuously trying to best each other by coming up with new anagrams and word ladders.
Although Elizabeth is a strong female character, there is unfortunately some stereotyping of women in the book. For example, there is a family tree on the hotel wall with short descriptions of Norbridge’s ancestors. While the men receive such lines as: “He Took the Helm – Grandly”, “He Traveled the World” and “Noble in Life, Noble in Death,” it is said of the women that “The Kitchen was Hers”, “The Beauty of the North”, “Her Smile Consoled Us” and “Fifty-Five Years with a Broken Heart”. There was no need for these kinds of tired expressions about women and the book would have been better and fresher without them. Additionally, the story is quite simple. Everything progresses quite normally towards the conclusion so readers shouldn’t expect too many surprises.
I recommend this book to readers who like word puzzles and would enjoy a straightforward story about children exploring a mysterious hotel – and who can see through the stereotypes about women.
Read the rest here: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/12/30/review-winterhouse-by-ben-guterson/ 💫
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
adventurous
mysterious
tense
5.0
The Mysterious Benedict Society has plenty of intriguing puzzles, quirky characters, and a plot that’s full of surprises! (Read my full review on my website: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/12/15/review-the-mysterious-benedict-society-by-trenton-lee-stewart/ 💫)
This is such an engaging book! It’s fun to try to figure out the puzzles in the story alongside the characters and enter into the strange plot which slowly unfolds as each new clue is found. You come to really feel the urgency of the situation as more and more pressure is piled on, and you end up on the edge of your seat wondering how the children are going to get through such a high-stakes challenge.
I love how most of the characters have their own personalities and eccentricities, and how these are brought out as the story develops. I especially enjoyed reading about Kate, who exudes cheery confidence, and Constance, who is so clever and witty that you can’t help liking her despite the fact that she is non-stop complainer. Mr. Curtain is a convincing villain, and the author makes you feel that he and his followers pose a real threat to the world.
...
I recommend The Mysterious Benedict Society for readers who would enjoy a gripping story about brainy kids cracking a mysterious evil plot – one daunting puzzle at a time.
Read my full review and get recommendations for similar books here: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/12/15/review-the-mysterious-benedict-society-by-trenton-lee-stewart/ 🌟
This is such an engaging book! It’s fun to try to figure out the puzzles in the story alongside the characters and enter into the strange plot which slowly unfolds as each new clue is found. You come to really feel the urgency of the situation as more and more pressure is piled on, and you end up on the edge of your seat wondering how the children are going to get through such a high-stakes challenge.
I love how most of the characters have their own personalities and eccentricities, and how these are brought out as the story develops. I especially enjoyed reading about Kate, who exudes cheery confidence, and Constance, who is so clever and witty that you can’t help liking her despite the fact that she is non-stop complainer. Mr. Curtain is a convincing villain, and the author makes you feel that he and his followers pose a real threat to the world.
...
I recommend The Mysterious Benedict Society for readers who would enjoy a gripping story about brainy kids cracking a mysterious evil plot – one daunting puzzle at a time.
Read my full review and get recommendations for similar books here: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/12/15/review-the-mysterious-benedict-society-by-trenton-lee-stewart/ 🌟
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
4.0
A fast-paced fantasy with twists and turns! Amari and the Night Brothers captivates readers with strong characters and an exciting plot.
Full review on my blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/09/20/review-amari-and-the-night-brothers-by-b-b-alston/ 💫
Full review on my blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/09/20/review-amari-and-the-night-brothers-by-b-b-alston/ 💫
I love what a strong protagonist Amari is. Even though she comes from a poor neighbourhood and has to deal with racism, she still pushes through and gains confidence in herself. I also like how the story covers the whole of Amari’s stay at the Bureau over the summer, because you get to discover how she grows as a person and how she surmounts each obstacle she faces. It’s interesting to see how her relationship with Dylan, another trainee at the Bureau, changes; at first they are passive enemies, then possible partners, then…
The Bureau itself is fascinating, and it’s exciting to learn about its unusual departments – like the Department of Hidden Places and the Department of Magical Science. You discover them all for the first time along with Amari, as she runs through its halls or zips around in its elevators (which each have their own personality). The plot has many twists and turns, and you get swept along by the fast-paced story which provides new revelations throughout the book.
...
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories about supernatural beings hidden in plain sight, and who would like to read about a girl overcoming adversity to become a heroine in a magical world.
...
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories about supernatural beings hidden in plain sight, and who would like to read about a girl overcoming adversity to become a heroine in a magical world.
The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
4.5
A chilling ghost story with a warm heart, The Girl and the Ghost intertwines a mysterious tale of Malaysian witchery with a story of family and friendship.
💫 My full review is on my blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/09/09/review-the-girl-and-the-ghost-by-hanna-alkaf/ 💫
The moment the book starts you get swept up in the story, eager to read about Suraya’s problems growing up and how Pink, with all his “darkness” and “coldness”, plays an essential role in her life. Suraya confides in Pink and he uses his powers to protect her from harm, filling the space left empty by Suraya’s distant mother and lack of friends at school. As you read the story, you become very attached to both Suraya and Pink and want to find out more about their adventures together.
I like how you get to experience the inner lives of both the girl and the ghost in this book. It was especially fascinating to read the story from Pink’s perspective, and the author was great at depicting how a “dark being” who insists he doesn’t have a heart (and yet, seems to have one anyway!) would think and act.
...
I recommend this book for readers who would enjoy an eerie and thrilling tale about a girl with a ghostly friend confronting difficulties and dangers in a magical Malaysian setting.
Read the rest here: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/09/09/review-the-girl-and-the-ghost-by-hanna-alkaf/ ✨
💫 My full review is on my blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/09/09/review-the-girl-and-the-ghost-by-hanna-alkaf/ 💫
The moment the book starts you get swept up in the story, eager to read about Suraya’s problems growing up and how Pink, with all his “darkness” and “coldness”, plays an essential role in her life. Suraya confides in Pink and he uses his powers to protect her from harm, filling the space left empty by Suraya’s distant mother and lack of friends at school. As you read the story, you become very attached to both Suraya and Pink and want to find out more about their adventures together.
I like how you get to experience the inner lives of both the girl and the ghost in this book. It was especially fascinating to read the story from Pink’s perspective, and the author was great at depicting how a “dark being” who insists he doesn’t have a heart (and yet, seems to have one anyway!) would think and act.
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I recommend this book for readers who would enjoy an eerie and thrilling tale about a girl with a ghostly friend confronting difficulties and dangers in a magical Malaysian setting.
Read the rest here: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/09/09/review-the-girl-and-the-ghost-by-hanna-alkaf/ ✨
The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
The Magic Misfits is an entertaining story about a team of kids from different backgrounds who use magical tricks to fight crime!
The Magic Misfits is full of interesting and delightful magic tricks. It’s really cool how the magician kids in the story almost seem to have special “superpowers”, because each one has a unique magical talent. Carter, for example, is good at making things disappear. Even though people label them as “misfits”, the kids stick together, bound by their friendship and love of magic. The young magicians hold their meetings at a very cozy and fantastical magic shop run by a helpful adult magician. Reading the book, you wish you could join them in their magical hideout and take part in their scheming. The abundant illustrations add an extra dimension to the story, and I like how the book encourages you to pick up magic yourself by including instructions for a few tricks.
(See my full review on my book blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/09/06/review-the-magic-misfits-by-neil-patrick-harris/ 💫)
The Magic Misfits‘ plot is straightforward, which means that the story is rather predictable. In fact, the book’s simple vocabulary and writing style make it seem more aimed at younger children than middle-grade readers. I liked the diversity in the cast of kids, but it would have been good to give them more interesting and distinct personalities...
I recommend this book to readers who would enjoy an entertaining, if somewhat simplistic, good kids vs bad guys story with cool magic tricks and illusions.
(To read the rest of my review, check out my blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/09/06/review-the-magic-misfits-by-neil-patrick-harris/ 💫)
The Magic Misfits is full of interesting and delightful magic tricks. It’s really cool how the magician kids in the story almost seem to have special “superpowers”, because each one has a unique magical talent. Carter, for example, is good at making things disappear. Even though people label them as “misfits”, the kids stick together, bound by their friendship and love of magic. The young magicians hold their meetings at a very cozy and fantastical magic shop run by a helpful adult magician. Reading the book, you wish you could join them in their magical hideout and take part in their scheming. The abundant illustrations add an extra dimension to the story, and I like how the book encourages you to pick up magic yourself by including instructions for a few tricks.
(See my full review on my book blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/09/06/review-the-magic-misfits-by-neil-patrick-harris/ 💫)
The Magic Misfits‘ plot is straightforward, which means that the story is rather predictable. In fact, the book’s simple vocabulary and writing style make it seem more aimed at younger children than middle-grade readers. I liked the diversity in the cast of kids, but it would have been good to give them more interesting and distinct personalities...
I recommend this book to readers who would enjoy an entertaining, if somewhat simplistic, good kids vs bad guys story with cool magic tricks and illusions.
(To read the rest of my review, check out my blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/09/06/review-the-magic-misfits-by-neil-patrick-harris/ 💫)