Friday means fun!

Friday Barnes: Girl Detective

By R.A. Spratt

Age Range: 8 - 12 years

Series: Friday Barnes

Hardcover: 272 pages

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (January 19, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1626722978

ISBN-13: 978-1626722972

Approximate Lexile: 1050

Publisher’s Blurb:
Imagine if Sherlock Holmes was an eleven-year-old girl!


    When Friday Barnes, girl genius, solves a bank robbery, she uses the reward money to send herself to Highcrest Academy, the most exclusive boarding school in the country―and discovers it's a hotbed of crime!
    Soon she's investigating everything from disappearing homework to the terrifying Yeti haunting the school swamp. But the biggest mystery yet is Ian Wainscott, the handsomest (and most arrogant) boy in school who inexplicably hates her. Will the homework be found? Can they ever track down the Yeti? And why is Ian out to ruin her?


My Thoughts:
    This was a lot of fun! Though I’m nowhere near as well-read, knowledgeable, or socially awkward as Friday, she reminds me enough of me at that age. My eight-year-old daughter is just at the young end of the age range for this book, though certainly at the right reading level. Like Friday, she is the family surprise baby; unlike Friday, we pay lots of attention to her! In a few months, I am definitely going to introduce her to Friday!
    Admittedly, some of the situations are a bit outlandish, but that’s part of the fun. It’s no more outlandish than, say, Pippi Longstocking, and less so than A Series of Unfortunate Events.
    There are many sly references tucked in for the adults, as well. I am four times the top of the suggested age range, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Maybe it’s also because I’m a teacher, so some of the descriptions of teachers at Friday’s boarding school were quite amusing to me.
    Friday solves many small mysteries on the way to the biggest mystery—the Swamp Yeti. The pacing in this book is perfect, with lots of action, and just enough rests to make the action fun rather than annoying. It’s also well-edited—yay!—and the descriptive passages are easy to visualize.
    Also good to note is that Friday develops emotional depth as the book progresses. Her character is allowed to be vulnerable and open to new friendships, and even to develop a crush (without it being sappy).


Possible Objectionable Material:
    Mild violence. Crime. Kids sneaking out at night and disrespecting authority. Dishonesty.


Who Would Like this Book:
    The suggested age range is a good start. The 1050 Lexile means it might be challenging for the lower end of that range. There is a girl on the cover, but boys shouldn’t be afraid of this book; Friday’s adventures and emotions transfer well, and there are plenty of male characters too. Kids who enjoy solving mysteries in the Encyclopedia Brown vein will probably like this one.


Thank you, NetGalley, for a fun read!

 

Special Abilites, and Scary Bad Guys

 

The Hidden Gifted Series

By M.L. Roble

Book 1: The Magician’s Doll

Series: The Hidden Gifted (Book 1)

Paperback: 318 pages

Publisher: M.L. Roble (February 1, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0988421313

ISBN-13: 978-0988421318
Approximate Lexile: 8201

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

Twelve-year-old Natalie has a lot to handle this school year, what with the bullies and the sudden development of her rather unusual abilities. But a circus is approaching, a storm is brewing, and with them comes the arrival of Beausoleil the Magician, his daughter, Louisa, his mysterious doll, and Natalie's biggest challenge yet!

The Magician's Doll sparks readers' imaginations with a tale of magical discoveries, profound friendship, a battle against evil, and the growth that comes with facing your fears and accepting who you are.

 Book 2: The Worlds Traveler

Series: The Hidden Gifted (Book 2)

Paperback: 260 pages

Publisher: M.L. Roble (December 1, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0988421348

ISBN-13: 978-0988421349
Apprixomate Lexile: 820

Publisher’s Blurb:

 Life on the run from madman Martin Reimer gets in the way of everything.

For fourteen-year-old Phillip, it has meant having to stay hidden, unable to use his gift of moving through maps to search for his missing father. But the arrival of a stranger named Delroy brings unexpected opportunity, for Delroy is a man with the ability to travel worlds hidden within our own, and he was sent by Phillip's father. Now Phillip will do everything he can to find his dad, even if it means tricking Delroy into helping him, or a quest through those hidden worlds.

Even if leaving home means Martin can now find him.

Follow in the adventures of Phillip Stone and Natalie Bristol in this sequel to the award-winning book The Magician's Doll!

My Thoughts:

There are many series that deal with groups of people who have special abilities that the rest of us lack. This series approaches it in a way I haven’t encountered before. The abilities vary from person to person, and they extend from the standard clairvoyance/telepathy/telekinesis/precognition vein. Some of the abilities Robles gives his characters are fascinating, such as the ability to have whatever you need by simply drawing it and pulling it out of your picture. (Too bad I can’t draw.)

That’s the high point. The low point is that—and maybe this is because I’m an adult reading work that is meant for middle grades—the protagonists, Phillip and Natalie, disregard adult advice, warnings, and even commands time and time again. They have the classic “I am the only one who can make things right” mindset, and their actions frequently put others in danger. Drives. Me. Nuts.

Natalie is the focus of the first book, and she and Phillip both are rocked by many revelations about their lives. This sets them on a path to fighting evil powers.

That path continues in the second book, in which Phillip is the focus.

Secondary characters are interesting; I especially like Delroy. Ullbipt is adorable.

Unfortunately, there are frequent trope incidents, like when Phillip has the chance to destroy a source of power for one of the baddies, but doesn’t, or when there are frequent acts of self-sacrifice for someone else—even though the victim urges that the sacrifice not take place and it does, in fact, make things worse.

Of the two books, I preferred the second one, although the first chapter was completely unnecessary. It did nothing to advance the plot, and what little it revealed about the growth of Phillip’s and Natalie’s talents was easily covered later on. The author acknowledges a friend who told him of the setting, and it seems that it was just something cool that got stuck in there just because.

Speaking of abilities, Natalie is a little too good to be true—she has remarkable powers of her own, AND is able to use and enhance the powers of those nearby. Obviously, it’s going to be all on her to defeat the bad guys, although probably not alone. Of course, that’s going to be complicated, but I won’t spoil it by saying why.

I will definitely read the continuation of this series. I hope that the kids will mature and get enough sense to stop doing stupid things that put them and others into danger and, instead, work with the adults for the benefit of all.

Hey, a parent’s gotta dream, right?

 

Possible Objectionable Material:

Disobedience galore. Kids roaming unaccompanied. “Magical” powers, if you are bothered by such things. Some violence and lots of danger, threatened and acted upon.

 Who Would Like These Books:

People who like fantasy, struggles between good and evil. Focus is equally weighted between boys and girls, although there are more male characters overall. The protagonists are early teens, and that’s a good market for these books.

 

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARCs.

Back to Camelot

The Camelot Inheritance Series

By Rosie Morgan

Book 1: The Golden Sword

Series: The Camelot Inheritance

Paperback: 198 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 4 edition (March 21, 2014)

ISBN-10: 1497402247

ISBN-13: 978-1497402249

Approximate Lexile: 1080

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

          Arthur Penhaligon is under the illusion that he’s just an ordinary skateboarder but, unknown to him, his destiny is calling and it involves a sword - of the legendary variety. Skateboarding might have to take second place.

Arthur and his friends find themselves sucked into an epic world of magic, mystery and danger.

A world where people travel through time, animals take control, and where rivals are willing to resort to murder.

Myth and legend, fantasy and adventure have never seemed so real, or so dangerous.

Excalibur is waiting.

The Golden Sword is a teenage adventure fantasy, packed full of mystery, for boys and girls age10 and up.

Book 2: The Time Smugglers

Series: The Camelot Inheritance

Paperback: 274 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2 edition (July 20, 2014)

ISBN-10: 1500531626

ISBN-13: 978-1500531621

Approximate Lexile: 1080

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

          Arthur Penhaligon is a skateboarder (usually). He also happens to be a Guardian, knighted by Excalibur.

It’s been a year since Arthur and his friends first met a shape-shifting cat and defeated a murderous rival intent on stealing Arthur’s birth-right.

But now, far below the Cornish hills, the deep magic is stirring again - summoning Arthur’s enemies to the contest for Cornwall’s crown.

It’s time to get back to the challenges of time-travel and the undeniable reality of myths and legends.

On a Cornish path a tiny, green-stone dragon stretches a claw.

In a churchyard a carved angel tests his wings.

And at sea an emerald-encrusted pocket watch chimes once… and slips through time.

Camelot is calling; Excalibur is waiting… and an epic world of magic, mystery and danger beckons.

 

My Thoughts:

My first thought is not kind: This author has no concept of how commas work. The higher Lexile on this series is in large part due to runon sentences that would benefit from the use of commas to separate the phrases and clauses. When she does use commas, they’re where a semi-colon is necessary.

So much for the highly technical part of this review.

As a fan of Arthurian myth and modern-day adaptations, I enjoyed the overall premise of this series. The narrative suffers from a lot of long descriptions of what’s happening or what characters are feeling and an occasional lack of action and showing emotion through dialogue and action.

Much of the main trio’s discovery of unfolding events is through overhearing adults talk. They seem to figure out very little through their own initiative. Indeed, the protagonist, Arthur, rather passively accepts his role as Guardian of Wales, as do his friends of their own parts in the preservation of their country.

Speaking of main trio—a boy who is the chosen one. His best friends, one goofy male and one smart female—who also have roles to play in defeating evil. Sound familiar?

The author obviously loves her homeland. I may even be (very distantly) related to her, given that my Morgan ancestors emigrated from Wales in the 1600s. Her artistic representations at the beginnings of chapters are lovely.

While middle-grade literature doesn’t need to be super-sophisticated, the narrative here is just a little too basic to be really engaging. I will probably read others in the series, because I hate to leave a story unfinished, but I am not sure I would recommend that anyone go out of their way to find these.

 

Possible Objectionable Material:

Children in perilous situations. Some frightening bits—especially the Crow Man. Children occasionally disobey adults. Fantasy elements, if you are opposed to such things. No cursing.

 

Who Would Like This Book:

Fans of Arthurian myth, those who enjoyed the Harry Potter group dynamic. While the protagonist is male, Tamar is definitely a strong female character. There are many other female characters, both good and evil. People who can disregard poor conventions and storytelling and just enjoy the plot. It’s aimed at 10-14, and I’d say that’s about right.

 

Thank  you, NetGalley, for the advance reader e-books.



 

Steampunk Dystopia

Fires of Invention (Mysteries of Cove)

By J. Scott Savage

Series: Mysteries of Cove (Book 1)

Hardcover: 288 pages

Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing (September 29, 2015)

ISBN-10: 1629720925

ISBN-13: 978-1629720920

Approximate Lexile: 730

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

Trenton Colman is a creative thirteen-year-old boy with a knack for all things mechanical. But his talents are viewed with suspicion in Cove, a steam-powered city built inside a mountain. In Cove, creativity is a crime and invention is a curse word.

Kallista Babbage is a repair technician and daughter of the notorious Leo Babbage, whose father died in an explosion an event the leaders of Cove point to as an example of the danger of creativity.

Working together, Trenton and Kallista learn that Leo Babbage was developing a secret project before he perished. Following clues he left behind, they begin to assemble a strange machine that is unlikely anything they’ve ever seen before. They soon discover that what they are building may threaten every truth their city is founded on and quite possibly their very lives.

 

My Thoughts:

            Oh, boy, another dystopian series! But this one has a male protagonist, and there’s no real love triangle. Okay, Trenton does have this girl that he’s had a crush on forever, and she does finally start paying attention to her, and he is working with Kallista.  But it’s NOT a love triangle. Well. Maybe a little bit.

            I enjoyed the thought-provoking aspect of a society that had stopped inventing new things, and which forbade the telling of stories. Nothing creative is allowed. Imagine how stifling that would be. I may be biased, because I am driven to create—sewing, knitting, writing, cooking—and I imagine I would be pretty miserable as a member of this society.

            Trenton definitely feels that urge to create, or at least to improve existing technology, but he also wants to be a good citizen, especially to please his mother, who survived a mine accident and seems to carry some pretty deep emotional scars.

            Kallista is a difficult character—very prickly and somewhat hard to like at first, but there are reasons for that. Eventually, Trenton overcomes that, and they work together.

            I struggled somewhat with how careless Trenton was about his lawbreaking as he worked with Kallista to solve the riddle that her father left her. Of course, he is 13 years old, no prefrontal cortex and all that, but he seems very casual about his activities.

            Naturally, the two teens solve the mystery just in time. I don’t think it’s giving too much away to say that they save the day, since this is the first in a planned series.

            Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and I will follow up with others in the series.

 

Possible Objectionable Material:

            Some violence, some intense scenes, particularly at the climax. Oppressive government. Teenage lawbreaking. Disagreements with parents. No swearing, no romance beyond teenaged puppy love.

Who Might Like this Book:

            Trenton and Kallista are both strong characters, and, while Trenton is the protagonist, Kallista’s journey is almost equally important, so this book doesn’t skew to one gender or the other. Anyone who likes creativity, invention, steampunk, and the fight against an oppressive society. Aimed at middle grades; I’d say age 10 and up. Older readers need to be able to enjoy YA/middle grade literature.

 

Thank you, NetGalley for the advance reader e-book.

 

 

Post-apocalyptic coming of age

An Inheritance of Ashes

By Leah Bobet

Age Range: 12 and up

Grade Level: 7 and up

Hardcover: 400 pages

Publisher: Clarion Books (October 6, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 054428111X

ISBN-13: 978-0544281110

Approximate Lexile: 750

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

The strange war down south—with its rumors of gods and monsters—is over. And while sixteen-year-old Hallie and her sister wait to see who will return from the distant battlefield, they struggle to maintain their family farm. 

 

When Hallie hires a veteran to help them, the war comes home in ways no one could have imagined, and soon Hallie is taking dangerous risks—and keeping desperate secrets. But even as she slowly learns more about the war and the men who fought it, ugly truths about Hallie’s own family are emerging. And while monsters and armies are converging on the small farm, the greatest threat to her home may be Hallie herself.

 

My Thoughts:

This is a beautiful book. Although it is set in a post-apocalyptic future, you could meet any of these people today. They are real, and their struggles are real. This is a story of people who have been broken, both by their pasts and their presents, and how they cope and move past that. There are grudges, and silences, and misunderstandings, and those things drive Hallie, the protagonist and point-of-view narrator, to do some things that end up causing more damage—even though she only wants to make things better.

 

Some reviewers have complained about the relationship between Marthe and Hallie, but I get it. They are both walking on eggshells, nursing their hurt feelings, and letting things stew until the lid blows off.

 

Likewise, I love the growing relationship between Hallie and Tyler. They have known each other forever, and Hallie is taken by surprise when she discovers that Tyler has more than friendship in mind. They are both broken—she by her father’s abuse, him by service in the war—and they grow into their love, rather than experience the insta-love that bothers me so much.

 

The supporting cast are realistic, and Bobet’s town is populated by people of a variety of colors, morals, and orientations.

 

The mysterious Heron’s secret wasn’t overly difficult to figure out, but his agony over both his past and his future are believable.

Some reviewers have complained that this book is not what they thought it should be. It’s not about the war, and rising up and fighting the mysterious forces threatening the town. This story isn’t about a quick-moving plot. The plot doesn’t race you along pell-mell; it’s true that it’s actually rather slow. This story is about the people, and all kinds of forgiveness, and moving past adversity to discover peace.

 

The writing is lovely, full of imagery. My favorite line as Hallie wakes up one morning with the need to tell her sister, Marthe, the truth hanging over her: “When dawn crawled hand over hand through my cracked window…”

 

Possible Objectionable Material:

There’s a same-sex couple. Magic and the killing of a “god”. Verbally abusive parent. Some violence and details of the recent battles.

 

Who would like this book:

Anyone who enjoys character-driven stories and doesn’t need a quick-moving plot. Those who enjoy coming of age. Although the protagonist is female, I believe this book could be equally interesting to both male and female. I believe the lower end of the recommended age range might not like the book much, lacking the maturity to understand the deeper themes.

 

Thank you, NetGalley, for a lovely read!

Steampunk fun

Lumiere

By Jacqueline E. Garlick

Series: The Illumination Paradox (Book 1)

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Skyscape (September 15, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1503944557

ISBN-13: 978-1503944558

Approximate Lexile: 830

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

Even in a land of eternal twilight, secrets can’t stay in the dark forever.

Seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth has only one hope left: finding her late father’s most prized invention, the Illuminator. It’s been missing since the day of the mysterious flash—a day that saw the sun wiped out forever over England.

But living in darkness is nothing new to Eyelet. She’s hidden her secret affliction all of her life—a life that would be in danger if superstitious townspeople ever guessed the truth. And after her mother is accused and executed for a crime that she didn’t commit, the now-orphaned Eyelet has no choice but to track down the machine that was created with the sole purpose of being her cure.

Alone and on the run, she finally discovers the Illuminator—only to see a young man hauling it off. Determined to follow the thief and recover the machine, she ventures into the deepest, darkest, most dangerous part of her twisted world.

 

My Thoughts:

In many ways, Eyelet bugs the heck out of me. She’s that typical YA “heroine” who doesn’t have much sense half the time. She is headstrong and doesn’t listen to reason. Yes, she has good reason to hide her infirmity, but you’d think she would be able to trust someone who is equally afraid of the authorities. Her desire to find her father’s machine and cure herself leads her to keep running into danger, rather than away from it.

The attraction between Ulrick and Eyelet reads like the typical “we hate each other, so of course we’re inexplicably attracted to each other” romance scenario.

That out of the way, however, I like the universe. Imagine a blighted world where the sun is out there somewhere, but cloud cover keeps it constantly from view. Oh wait, I don’t have to imagine. I lived in Portland for 12 years. Seriously though, some people have questioned how the world can continue to function—food can’t grow without sunlight. Let’s just suspend our disbelief and say the UV rays are making their way through.

This story has the undead for all the zombie lovers. What I love, though, is the steampunk inventions. This is steampunk the way I like it, with a winged, semi-sentient motorcycle and much more. Supporting characters are interesting and varied in their motivations. And yay, no teen-age dystopian YA love triangle! The underlying plot regarding the fathers of both Ulrick and Eyelet is interesting, and I will definitely search out the remainder of the series.

Bonus: The idea that science can’t explain everything, and that sometimes, you just have to believe that magic exists!

 

Possible Objectionable Material:

            Teenagers feeling attraction for each other, acting on it somewhat. Perilous situations. Violence. Sneakiness. Some cursing.

 

Who might like this book:

            Lovers of fantasy and/or steampunk. Those who like YA, dystopia, gadgets, zombies. It skews a little girly in my mind, but not overwhelmingly so.

 

I received a free e-book from NetGalley in return for this unbiased review.

Natasha Romanov's backstory revealed...a bit

Black Widow: Forever Red

By Margaret Stohl

Age Range: 12 - 18 years

Grade Level: 7 - 12

Series: A Marvel YA Novel

Hardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: Marvel Press (October 13, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 148472643X

ISBN-13: 978-1484726433

Approximate Lexile: 780

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

Enter the world of the Avengers' iconic master spy.

Natasha Romanoff is one of the world's most lethal assassins. Trained from a young age in the arts of death and deception, Natasha was given the title of Black Widow by Ivan Somodorov, her brutal teacher at the Red Room, Moscow's infamous academy for operatives.

Ava Orlova is just trying to fit in as an average Brooklyn teenager, but her life has been anything but average.The daughter of a missing Russian quantum physicist, Ava was once subjected to a series of ruthless military experiments-until she was rescued by Black Widow and placed under S.H.I.E.L.D. protection. Ava has always longed to reconnect with her mysterious savior, but Black Widow isn't really the big sister type.

Until now.

When children all over Eastern Europe begin to go missing, and rumors of smuggled Red Room tech light up the dark net, Natasha suspects her old teacher has returned-and that Ava Orlova might be the only one who can stop him. To defeat the madman who threatens their future, Natasha and Ava must unravel their pasts. Only then will they discover the truth about the dark-eyed boy with an hourglass tattoo who haunts Ava's dreams. . . .

Black Widow: Forever Red features all the heart-pounding adventure readers expect from Marvel, written by #1 New York Times best-selling author Margaret Stohl. Uncover a new side of the Marvel Universe that will thrill loyal fans and newcomers alike, as Stohl reveals the untold story of Black Widow for the very first time.

 

My Thoughts:

This was a little bit slow for me at first. The best parts were at the end of the chapters, as Natasha goes through a debrief/hearing regarding her actions—which also foreshadows the narration to come. Her voice rings true with the wry, Russian attitude that we’re accustomed to from the Marvel Comics Universe movies.

Intially, much of the action focuses on Ava and Alex. It looks like it’s going to be just another teenage adventure. Orphaned teen tries to get back at the world and those whom she feels abandoned her, etc. I do love that Alex and Ava are fencers—my two grown kids were both recreational fencers, and the fencing is properly done.

It’s once Natasha Romanov enters the scene that I started to enjoy the book. When she brings in Tony Stark, even better—their banter, again, rings true to what we’ve come to expect from the big screen.

This story is definitely aimed at the YA audience, with the teenagers being the primary point-of-view characters. It does give Natasha some backstory, without leaving her tied down by it. (Surprise—not. I totally saw it coming that a particular character would not survive the book.) Honestly, I found that part of the story to be a bit contrived and too convenient.The mysterious Red Room is further explained, beyond what was revealed in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Does it live up to the above billing of “the untold story of Natasha Romanov”? Only a little bit. The book, at its heart, isn’t really about Black Widow. She is merely a player in the story of Ava Orlova. Overall, it’s an enjoyable adventure that introduces a new character to the MCU, while filling us in some more on an old (and favorite) one.

 

Possible Objectionable Material:

            Perilous situations, violence (it’s a MCU story, after all), teenagers being sneaky. Mild cursing.

 

Who might like this book:

            Fans of the MCU, of course. That’s why I requested it! Teens mostly, though adults will find it perfectly tolerable.

 

I received a free e-book from NetGalley in return for this impartial review.