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sarasreadingnook's reviews
511 reviews
Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe
4.5
4.5 Stars
When I sat down to start this book, I knew a couple of things: this is about a sixteen-year-old kidnapped boy told that his former life was all a lie and that he needed to adapt to his new environment to survive. I thought I came prepared for the emotions I would feel along this journey - I was not.
First, the book is unsettling. Even before the kidnapping, I felt uneasy due to conflicting emotions. Sayers is a highly complex character; you see his weakness, strengths, and humanity. Presented as a teenager from an incredibly wealthy background, I appreciated how his privilege impacts his behaviour at school and with his family and friends.
Secondly, Sayers has to adapt to survive, and how he does so impacted me immensely. As the plot progressed, I could appreciate how a knowledge base and background research would be essential to write this story. The book presented some theories in psychology that impacted Sayers in the story, some he recalls later on.
Third, many characters were multi-dimensional - you could see a clear contrast between their personalities at the beginning and end of the book. In fact, some characters were almost unrecognizable by the end and others, such as Garrett, were static. Sayers' personality experienced many changes; some of the directions his mind went brought me to tears.
Finally, I like that this was a story not just of the event - the kidnapping, but responses to trauma and the aftermath. Learning to cope in an abusive environment was Sayers' key to survival. Sadly, the intense trauma he faced hindered him in some very unexpected and heartbreaking ways. At several points, I desperately wanted to plead with Sayers on what he should do - I can imagine other readers having the same response.
Please review the content warnings before reading this book. This book is such a memorable, emotional, and intense read. It is my first time reading the author's works and I look forward to reading many more!
Thank you to NetGalley, Robin Roe, and HarperTeen for providing this review copy. All opinions are my own.
When I sat down to start this book, I knew a couple of things: this is about a sixteen-year-old kidnapped boy told that his former life was all a lie and that he needed to adapt to his new environment to survive. I thought I came prepared for the emotions I would feel along this journey - I was not.
First, the book is unsettling. Even before the kidnapping, I felt uneasy due to conflicting emotions. Sayers is a highly complex character; you see his weakness, strengths, and humanity. Presented as a teenager from an incredibly wealthy background, I appreciated how his privilege impacts his behaviour at school and with his family and friends.
Secondly, Sayers has to adapt to survive, and how he does so impacted me immensely. As the plot progressed, I could appreciate how a knowledge base and background research would be essential to write this story. The book presented some theories in psychology that impacted Sayers in the story, some he recalls later on.
Third, many characters were multi-dimensional - you could see a clear contrast between their personalities at the beginning and end of the book. In fact, some characters were almost unrecognizable by the end and others, such as Garrett, were static. Sayers' personality experienced many changes; some of the directions his mind went brought me to tears.
Finally, I like that this was a story not just of the event - the kidnapping, but responses to trauma and the aftermath. Learning to cope in an abusive environment was Sayers' key to survival. Sadly, the intense trauma he faced hindered him in some very unexpected and heartbreaking ways. At several points, I desperately wanted to plead with Sayers on what he should do - I can imagine other readers having the same response.
Please review the content warnings before reading this book. This book is such a memorable, emotional, and intense read. It is my first time reading the author's works and I look forward to reading many more!
Thank you to NetGalley, Robin Roe, and HarperTeen for providing this review copy. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Child abuse, and Bullying
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Child death
A Cat Cafe Christmas by Codi Gary
3.0
My cat Olivia and I were looking forward to this book as it was a romance during Christmas featuring cats!
However, unfortunately I felt the romance fell pretty flat as did the plot. I think this would have benefitted from more editing and care into formulating characters/names/descriptions/etc. The resolution of the book, as well, left me feeling underwhelmed.
We really enjoyed the cafe, the cats, and the fundraising ideas. Chaos was such a cool cat to learn about!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy- all opinions are my own.
Ghostcloud by Michael Mann
3.75
3.75 stars!
This middle-grade novel is dark yet whimsical – an excellent choice for Autumn.
Initially, I chose this book due to its stunning cover and synopsis. The novel seemed like a fantastic choice for a fantasy read about ghosts! I always look for captivating reads, and I was pleasantly surprised that each chapter drew me in and kept me wanting to read more. The writing kept me engaged, despite feeling rushed at the book’s beginning. Fortunately, the book just got better as I went.
The novel has several dark themes, including kidnapping and forced child labour. These topics are sometimes challenging to read because child trafficking and child slavery are real world problems and human rights violations. Now, the novel includes these dark themes in a middle-grade fantasy. And while the book is a whimsical novel, the grim and dark atmosphere is reminiscent of Charles Dickens’ novels, though presented in a way that is potentially more accessible to younger readers.
I did enjoy this novel, though the power plant was difficult to visualize. I don’t think this will be an issue for all readers, but the greyscale descriptors made it difficult for me to discern the setting.
Finally, I’d like to touch on some things I thoroughly enjoyed in this novel. Of course, we always love a cat appearance, and Olivia and I were so happy to be introduced to Stealth the cat. I love the bond that Luke and Stealth shared and Stealth’s storyline. I enjoyed most of the characters – my favourite character was Luke’s grandma, Nana Chatterjee. I would have loved to have more of her in the book! It’s so nice to see character growth for several characters. And the concept of embracing parts of us that are unique is excellent to include in the book. I recommend this book (though, please check out the content warnings) and am looking forward to book 2, “Nightspark!”
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings:
https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/5c2eb7c1-1211-402c-b258-acbf0dd201b0/content_warnings
This middle-grade novel is dark yet whimsical – an excellent choice for Autumn.
Initially, I chose this book due to its stunning cover and synopsis. The novel seemed like a fantastic choice for a fantasy read about ghosts! I always look for captivating reads, and I was pleasantly surprised that each chapter drew me in and kept me wanting to read more. The writing kept me engaged, despite feeling rushed at the book’s beginning. Fortunately, the book just got better as I went.
The novel has several dark themes, including kidnapping and forced child labour. These topics are sometimes challenging to read because child trafficking and child slavery are real world problems and human rights violations. Now, the novel includes these dark themes in a middle-grade fantasy. And while the book is a whimsical novel, the grim and dark atmosphere is reminiscent of Charles Dickens’ novels, though presented in a way that is potentially more accessible to younger readers.
I did enjoy this novel, though the power plant was difficult to visualize. I don’t think this will be an issue for all readers, but the greyscale descriptors made it difficult for me to discern the setting.
Finally, I’d like to touch on some things I thoroughly enjoyed in this novel. Of course, we always love a cat appearance, and Olivia and I were so happy to be introduced to Stealth the cat. I love the bond that Luke and Stealth shared and Stealth’s storyline. I enjoyed most of the characters – my favourite character was Luke’s grandma, Nana Chatterjee. I would have loved to have more of her in the book! It’s so nice to see character growth for several characters. And the concept of embracing parts of us that are unique is excellent to include in the book. I recommend this book (though, please check out the content warnings) and am looking forward to book 2, “Nightspark!”
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings:
https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/5c2eb7c1-1211-402c-b258-acbf0dd201b0/content_warnings
The Nine: Origins by Kes Trester
2.25
"The Nine: Origins" has a fascinating premise and a beautiful cover, both of which sparked my interest and compelled me to read this book. I liked the concept of the nine gifts and wanted to learn more about what they looked like in practice, who would be able to use them, and what they meant in terms of the overarching story.
As I read the book, there were quite a few issues that I encountered along the way. Many chapters featured odd pacing and transitions and needed to be fleshed out. It improved in later chapters but was an issue for at least 1/3 of the book. Some descriptive terminology ranged from off-putting to awkward. For example, "anemic" was used as a descriptor for a peach tree (jarring to use this in YA, although a tree can exhibit iron deficiency, assuming that is the intent here). The description of Cindy and her boyfriend in Chapter 7 was judgemental at best. These are only two examples. The more frequently I encountered this type of language, the harder it was for me to continue reading the book and root for Blake.
Many of the characters lacked depth and reflected stereotypes. Because this book is a YA novel, I would expect it to be able to contend with other books within that category. Unfortunately, it isn't up to par with what we can find on the market.
The most favourable features of this book are the overall story and the magic system. I will not continue this series, but I am thankful for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Where to find us:
Blog | Bookstagram | Twitter | Booktube | BookTok | Storygraph
As I read the book, there were quite a few issues that I encountered along the way. Many chapters featured odd pacing and transitions and needed to be fleshed out. It improved in later chapters but was an issue for at least 1/3 of the book. Some descriptive terminology ranged from off-putting to awkward. For example, "anemic" was used as a descriptor for a peach tree (jarring to use this in YA, although a tree can exhibit iron deficiency, assuming that is the intent here). The description of Cindy and her boyfriend in Chapter 7 was judgemental at best. These are only two examples. The more frequently I encountered this type of language, the harder it was for me to continue reading the book and root for Blake.
Many of the characters lacked depth and reflected stereotypes. Because this book is a YA novel, I would expect it to be able to contend with other books within that category. Unfortunately, it isn't up to par with what we can find on the market.
The most favourable features of this book are the overall story and the magic system. I will not continue this series, but I am thankful for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Where to find us:
Blog | Bookstagram | Twitter | Booktube | BookTok | Storygraph
Lore by Alexandra Bracken
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Lore has been on my radar for quite a long time. The cover is so simple, elegant and stunning that it was impossible to avoid purchasing it. That said, the synopsis was a bit hazy. For some reason, I couldn’t wrap my brain around the whole concept. I would pick it up and set it back down again. Finally, I put it as a July TBR candidate, the TBR wheel chose it for me, and I suppose you could say that reading the novel came down to fate.
At the start of Lore, I found it challenging to understand what was happening. I felt immediately thrown into the book, the action began, and I tried to stay afloat while processing it. Essentially, Lore is the main character and reluctantly takes part in the “Agon,” a hunt in which ancient Greek gods and goddesses must roam the earth as mortals as punishment for a previous rebellion. Lore was raised as a hunter, belonging to Perseus’ bloodline (Perseus, the slayer of Medusa). Athena, the goddess of war, is the one pulling her into the hunt. She has some crucial intel and makes an offer to Lore.
The setting takes place in modern times and makes for a curious read. It was a point that I was highly skeptical of enjoying, but for some reason, it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. In reflection, I wonder if I might have enjoyed it more if set in centuries earlier, but I’ll never know.
There were elements I enjoyed. Greek mythology is such a fascinating field. I’m always eager to learn more about this topic. A net positive is that I learned more about the myths and tales of Medusa, Perseus, and Athena. For example, I didn’t know why Medusa became a gorgon.
In Lore, there just wasn’t enough of what I wanted and too much of what I didn’t. In other words, I wanted so much more Greek mythology and world-building and fewer action-packed scenes. I craved background information on the various bloodlines and a greater understanding of the hunt, its origin, and what happened during earlier rounds. Therefore, this resulted in a very rushed feeling with an overall lack of depth. I did enjoy the story, but it felt like it was published a decade or more ago – I was surprised to learn that it was published in 2021. The characters needed more depth to them and fell flat. But overall, I enjoyed the story and conclusion but had several issues with it along the way.
I recommend this to those interested in a fast-paced, action-packed YA Fantasy with Greek mythology elements intertwined.
Content Warnings
Mini review/vlog: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMN3nRPSy/
Blog Post: https://sarasreadingnook.ca/2022/09/0...
Where to find us:
Blog | Bookstagram | Twitter | Booktube | BookTok | Storygraph
At the start of Lore, I found it challenging to understand what was happening. I felt immediately thrown into the book, the action began, and I tried to stay afloat while processing it. Essentially, Lore is the main character and reluctantly takes part in the “Agon,” a hunt in which ancient Greek gods and goddesses must roam the earth as mortals as punishment for a previous rebellion. Lore was raised as a hunter, belonging to Perseus’ bloodline (Perseus, the slayer of Medusa). Athena, the goddess of war, is the one pulling her into the hunt. She has some crucial intel and makes an offer to Lore.
The setting takes place in modern times and makes for a curious read. It was a point that I was highly skeptical of enjoying, but for some reason, it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. In reflection, I wonder if I might have enjoyed it more if set in centuries earlier, but I’ll never know.
There were elements I enjoyed. Greek mythology is such a fascinating field. I’m always eager to learn more about this topic. A net positive is that I learned more about the myths and tales of Medusa, Perseus, and Athena. For example, I didn’t know why Medusa became a gorgon.
In Lore, there just wasn’t enough of what I wanted and too much of what I didn’t. In other words, I wanted so much more Greek mythology and world-building and fewer action-packed scenes. I craved background information on the various bloodlines and a greater understanding of the hunt, its origin, and what happened during earlier rounds. Therefore, this resulted in a very rushed feeling with an overall lack of depth. I did enjoy the story, but it felt like it was published a decade or more ago – I was surprised to learn that it was published in 2021. The characters needed more depth to them and fell flat. But overall, I enjoyed the story and conclusion but had several issues with it along the way.
I recommend this to those interested in a fast-paced, action-packed YA Fantasy with Greek mythology elements intertwined.
Content Warnings
Mini review/vlog: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMN3nRPSy/
Blog Post: https://sarasreadingnook.ca/2022/09/0...
Where to find us:
Blog | Bookstagram | Twitter | Booktube | BookTok | Storygraph
The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
3.75
3.5 to 3.75 stars.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Nancy Johnson did a great job setting the tone and timeline, crafting complex characters, and maintaining interest in Ruth's story. I wasn't as captivated by Midnight's perspective and found Ruth's story alone compelling. I would have preferred his story presented without flipping between Ruth's and Midnight's POVs.
I recommend this book to those intrigued by the synopsis and those who enjoy family/community drama and mysteries.
Content Warnings
Where to find us:
Blog | Bookstagram | Twitter | Booktube | BookTok | Storygraph
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Nancy Johnson did a great job setting the tone and timeline, crafting complex characters, and maintaining interest in Ruth's story. I wasn't as captivated by Midnight's perspective and found Ruth's story alone compelling. I would have preferred his story presented without flipping between Ruth's and Midnight's POVs.
I recommend this book to those intrigued by the synopsis and those who enjoy family/community drama and mysteries.
Content Warnings
Where to find us:
Blog | Bookstagram | Twitter | Booktube | BookTok | Storygraph
A Treacherous Tale by Elizabeth Penney
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
A dark fairy-tale of a cozy mystery. And an absolute pleasure to read.
This is the second book in The Cambridge Bookshop Series by Elizabeth Penney and I was so excited to read it, especially after enjoying Book 1 – Chapter and Curse. They both have their charm and Book 2 was an absolute delight to read. I loved learning about the mysteries that cat lover and bookshop part-owner Molly Kimball gets pulled into along the way.
This time, Molly is meeting with Iona York, co-author of The Strawberry Girls to discuss her latest book, The Strawberry Girls. While visiting, a family acquittance of Iona’s, Robin, has tumbled off her roof to his demise. Additionally, Iona’s daughter suddenly goes missing and is nowhere to be found. Was Robin’s death an accident? Or could there be a link between the two events, and perhaps to a crime committed in the past that still leaves questions to this day? Molly, yet again, is left to uncover the truth.
This book will have you hooked and wanting to know more after the very first chapter. In fact, every chapter leaves on a bit of a cliff-hanger, encouraging you to keep reading which I absolutely love. Molly is a character that truly seeks to support her friends and family and is fiercely loyal to them, and I think that acts a powerful driving factor as to why she is so invested in helping to investigate these cases, despite not being a formal investigator herself.
I loved the mysteries in this book, which had a scavenger hunt feel to them at times, but I truly loved one element which is the incorporation of a story-within-a-story. The Strawberry Girls was co-written by Iona’s former, Nate, who also had a similar suspicious death to that of Robin. Passages of the book are incorporated into the novel, and I absolutely loved that! It really helped set the stage and evoked mystery and intrigue in the story, while also making you feel as if the real-life characters of the book were in their own dark fairy tale.
Cats Puck and Clarence are always a joy to read, and we hope to see much more of them in future instalments!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced eGalley of this book. All opinions are my own.
For Full Review, check out our blog.
Where to find us:
Blog | Bookstagram | Twitter | Booktube | BookTok | Storygraph
This is the second book in The Cambridge Bookshop Series by Elizabeth Penney and I was so excited to read it, especially after enjoying Book 1 – Chapter and Curse. They both have their charm and Book 2 was an absolute delight to read. I loved learning about the mysteries that cat lover and bookshop part-owner Molly Kimball gets pulled into along the way.
This time, Molly is meeting with Iona York, co-author of The Strawberry Girls to discuss her latest book, The Strawberry Girls. While visiting, a family acquittance of Iona’s, Robin, has tumbled off her roof to his demise. Additionally, Iona’s daughter suddenly goes missing and is nowhere to be found. Was Robin’s death an accident? Or could there be a link between the two events, and perhaps to a crime committed in the past that still leaves questions to this day? Molly, yet again, is left to uncover the truth.
This book will have you hooked and wanting to know more after the very first chapter. In fact, every chapter leaves on a bit of a cliff-hanger, encouraging you to keep reading which I absolutely love. Molly is a character that truly seeks to support her friends and family and is fiercely loyal to them, and I think that acts a powerful driving factor as to why she is so invested in helping to investigate these cases, despite not being a formal investigator herself.
I loved the mysteries in this book, which had a scavenger hunt feel to them at times, but I truly loved one element which is the incorporation of a story-within-a-story. The Strawberry Girls was co-written by Iona’s former, Nate, who also had a similar suspicious death to that of Robin. Passages of the book are incorporated into the novel, and I absolutely loved that! It really helped set the stage and evoked mystery and intrigue in the story, while also making you feel as if the real-life characters of the book were in their own dark fairy tale.
Cats Puck and Clarence are always a joy to read, and we hope to see much more of them in future instalments!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced eGalley of this book. All opinions are my own.
For Full Review, check out our blog.
Where to find us:
Blog | Bookstagram | Twitter | Booktube | BookTok | Storygraph
Lucky Cat by Melody Cheng, Helen Wu, Janet Wang
3.25
Good story that shows the struggle of immigrant families trying to run a business in a new country.
Lucky Cat is a Children’s picture book written about an immigrant family moving to America opening and running what they hope will be a successful restaurant. June’s Mama is excited that there is a Lucky Cat left behind at this restaurant. Although June and the new feline do their best to to help out, it appears that Lucky Cat is not able to help out as she would like to and that, funny enough, luck might not be on her side. With time, June’s family works hard to find a business venture that will work for them. And learn that luck is not everything - hard work and dedication pay off.
One of the major strengths of this picture book is the beauty of the illustrations, most often occupying the entire page. At times, it feels like looking at stills from a major film production. There are beautifully captured character emotions and details in the book. Though, I’m not a fan of the image of the Lucky Cat stuck in the wash - of course this is a fictional, magical cat but I think this visual is just unnecessary and doesn’t add to story. Additionally, the text was difficult to read in pages that have a grey background with black text.
Regarding the story, I like the overall themes, that real luck is earned through hard work and perseverance. While June of course wants to help out , it is a bit odd to me that June is more concerned about the businesses than her parents appear to be at times. However, being the daughter of an immigrant family that ran a family business myself, I understand having concern as a child and trying to help out. I just wish June didn’t feel like she had to take so much responsibility for it all since she’s just a kid after all.
Overall, I think this is a good story and enjoyed reading it as it shows the amount of hard work and perseverance it takes for immigrant families to succeed when moving to a new country.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.
Lucky Cat is a Children’s picture book written about an immigrant family moving to America opening and running what they hope will be a successful restaurant. June’s Mama is excited that there is a Lucky Cat left behind at this restaurant. Although June and the new feline do their best to to help out, it appears that Lucky Cat is not able to help out as she would like to and that, funny enough, luck might not be on her side. With time, June’s family works hard to find a business venture that will work for them. And learn that luck is not everything - hard work and dedication pay off.
One of the major strengths of this picture book is the beauty of the illustrations, most often occupying the entire page. At times, it feels like looking at stills from a major film production. There are beautifully captured character emotions and details in the book. Though, I’m not a fan of the image of the Lucky Cat stuck in the wash - of course this is a fictional, magical cat but I think this visual is just unnecessary and doesn’t add to story. Additionally, the text was difficult to read in pages that have a grey background with black text.
Regarding the story, I like the overall themes, that real luck is earned through hard work and perseverance. While June of course wants to help out , it is a bit odd to me that June is more concerned about the businesses than her parents appear to be at times. However, being the daughter of an immigrant family that ran a family business myself, I understand having concern as a child and trying to help out. I just wish June didn’t feel like she had to take so much responsibility for it all since she’s just a kid after all.
Overall, I think this is a good story and enjoyed reading it as it shows the amount of hard work and perseverance it takes for immigrant families to succeed when moving to a new country.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.
Wow! Underneath the Earth's Crust. Trip to the Core of Our Planet by Mack van Gageldonk
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This is a super informative nonfiction children’s book all about the Earth’s crust presented in a fun and engaging way!
Some topics discussed include:
- layers of the earth’s crust
- animals and planets that live underground
- caves and underground natural resources and their respective industries (e.g., mining)
- gemstones, fossils, gold and stones
- submarine locations, animals, and caves
- geysers, thermal springs, tectonic plates, and volcanoes
- the earth’s core
To keep the readers engaged, there are beautiful images that vary in size from small to large, filling two pages, and some even include illustrations. The text is visible, though at times I think it could have been a little bit larger for early readers. Additionally, I think that for learning and comprehension, the incorporation of a glossary may have been useful for learners (especially for the bolded terms and other terms such as the term “fluorescent”) as there is quite a lot of new scientific and advanced terminology. A glossary may also be beneficial for instructors who may want to prepare educational material from this book.
I think this would be a great educational resource for classrooms.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.
Some topics discussed include:
- layers of the earth’s crust
- animals and planets that live underground
- caves and underground natural resources and their respective industries (e.g., mining)
- gemstones, fossils, gold and stones
- submarine locations, animals, and caves
- geysers, thermal springs, tectonic plates, and volcanoes
- the earth’s core
To keep the readers engaged, there are beautiful images that vary in size from small to large, filling two pages, and some even include illustrations. The text is visible, though at times I think it could have been a little bit larger for early readers. Additionally, I think that for learning and comprehension, the incorporation of a glossary may have been useful for learners (especially for the bolded terms and other terms such as the term “fluorescent”) as there is quite a lot of new scientific and advanced terminology. A glossary may also be beneficial for instructors who may want to prepare educational material from this book.
I think this would be a great educational resource for classrooms.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.