The School for Good and Evil

Soman Chainani, the author of The School of Good and Evil, is coming to Read Up Greenville this year, so I was excited to read the first book in this series.  I’m always up for a twisted fairy tale (see my review on As Old As Time), however, this one fell a little flat for me.

Sophie and Agatha live in the tiny town of Gavaldon where all kids are obsessed with reading fairy tales…because every four years two children are kidnapped and then later appear INSIDE the fairy tale stories.  Sophie is sure she will be kidnapped because she’s been meticulously planning her good deeds to show she’s the best choice.  Her sullen and reclusive friend Agatha thinks Sophie’s crazy, but when the girls are kidnapped, they are dropped into their fates…Agatha’s dropped into the School of Good and Sophie’s dropped into the School of Evil.  Sure there’s been a mistake, the two friends try to figure out a way to change places and find their Happily Ever After.  Easier said than done since they are up against a mysterious School Master, wolf and fairy guards (more vicious than they sound), and stereotypical classmates who want them to fail.

What originally got me to pick this one up was the premise:  what happens when good and evil are switched?  What if both sides claim to be good?  I found the concept interesting, but the execution, for me, was off.  First, I really didn’t like the characters.  Their classmates were so stereotypical (the villains were all ugly, glowering, and bent on beating Good; the princesses were all beautiful but vapid and shallow and the princes were even worse).  Sophie and Agatha had some character development, but it was slow and repetitive and unbelievable by the end.  The other thing that bothered me was the plot.  The story is 488 pages…and it feels like it.  Some of the plot seems to be added just because they wanted the story to be longer instead of driving and adding to the central story.  It was just frustrating because I had such high hopes for this novel, and it didn’t meet my expectations.

Teens may still enjoy this book (and all the drama involved), but for me, it didn’t live up to the hype.

To Be Honest

This book by Maggie Ann Martin was a cute YA rom-com (with only a few plot holes) that just made you feel good.

Savannah and her older sister have always been close, but now her sister is off at college and can no longer be the buffer between Savannah and her weight-loss driven mother.  Savannah is larger, and ever since her mother lost a lot of weight on a TV reality show, she’s been nagging at Savannah to lose some weight too.  Savannah, however, is confident in her body, a stellar math student, and an investigative reporter for her school’s newspaper.  And she may have a new love interest in George, her best friend’s cousin who just moved to town…that is, IF he reciprocates her feelings.  Savannah has a lot of duties to juggle during her senior year, and with a little help she might be able to survive in one piece.

This book had a lot of smaller conflicts going on (love interest, her newspaper story, feeling estranged from her sister, her untrusting relationship with her divorced father) but it really revolves around loving your body and feeling comfortable in your own skin.  Savannah, I think, sets a good confident example while her mother seems the weaker one for allowing her weight-loss to consume her thoughts.  My one complaint was that there was a lot of side stories going on (you can keep up with them all, it just made the story seem unfocused at times) and the fact that we know almost nothing about George’s previous life before moving.  Yes, it has the high school drama, but overall it was a fun, quick read.

If you want to buy this for yourself (or a high schooler you know), it comes out August 21!

**Thanks Net Galley for this free book in exchange for an honest review.**

The Lost for Words Bookshop

This book just happened to be in the “newly arrived” section of the library where my husband snagged it, read it, and passed it on to me saying, “It’s about an antisocial girl who prefers books to people.  You’ll like it.”  I may classify myself as introverted (not antisocial) and would pick a book over people about half the time (people are just exhausting to be around in large quantities), but I did feel empathy for the main character Loveday Cardew.

Loveday works at the Lost for Words Bookshop, where the owner Archie hired her when she was fifteen.  Now twenty-five, Loveday prefers to keep her past to herself, until one day a book shows up that she swears was in her family’s home growing up.  This opens up some memories she would prefer to keep clamped down.  Around the same time, Nathan shows up at the bookstore to retrieve a lost book.  Between Nathan and Archie, they may be able to get Loveday to open up and live her life, but it’s not easy dealing with a misanthrope.

The book is told not in chronological order but in genres based on what’s happening during that time.  Each genre tells the story of that particular time in Loveday’s life, from poetry to history to crime to biography.  The storytelling itself is more like a stream of consciousness from Loveday’s point of view, and she even breaks the fourth wall a few time just to keep it personal, like she’s telling you this story herself.  Even though I was able to predict her background story, the last 100 pages will give you a run for your money, with multiple shocks along the way.

This book would be a great read for someone who enjoys quirky characters and a little bit of mystery.

**Looking for another similar book?  Try The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend!

The Bad Kids in 4B: Welcome to 4B

This book is the first in a series about a group of seventh graders in room 4B.  They’re labeled the “bad kids”…the ones who can’t get along with others, the ones with anger issues, the ones with some learning difficulties…and Mila knows she doesn’t belong here.  After pushing her teacher to tears, Mila’s moved to Miss Andrew’s class in 4B.  Mila’s new to the school but even she knows you don’t want to be sent to 4B and is trying to find a way out.

Each book in the series follows a different kid from the class, which is really nice because then you get to see their backstory.  As a teacher, I try to teach my kids not to judge someone based on one perception.  To truly know someone, you need to take the time to really understand their background and their story.  This story (and I’m assuming the next ones in the series) takes up that theme of not judging a book by it’s cover.

This series is what we call a HiLo book (high interest but low reading level).  The Lexile level for this book is only a 500, which is around a 3rd or 4th grade reading level, but the target audience for this book is upper elementary and middle schoolers.  This doesn’t mean the book is bad just because it’s low; it just means there’s a specific audience for this kind of book.  Although I found the book simple reading, I will probably get this for my school bookshelves because I know many kinds who need this level of book but also want the drama and interest of a normal middle school book.

**Thanks Net Galley for this free book in exchange for an honest review**

A Touch of Gold

This YA novel is a twist on the tale of King Midas.  When cursed with the ability to turn anything to gold, he accidentally turns his seven-year-old daughter, Kora, into gold.  After pleading to the gods to turn her back, Kora is now stuck with a permanent gold sheen and a few unnerving abilities.  The first is the ability to sense gold, especially the other ten items Midas turned to gold with his Touch.  The second ability has already killed a man…and Kora’s been locked up in the palace for ten years because of it.  Now her father’s kingdom is poor and falling apart, King Midas is slowly being possessed by his cursed gold, and someone’s invaded the castle to steal it.  With the help of Aris, a besotted suitor, Kora takes to the seas to track down the cursed gold before her father withers away to nothing.

This book was full of action and adventure…and PIRATES.  At first Kora doesn’t trust the unwashed men aboard the ship, but she soon learns how strong she can be and how loyalty is earned.  She realizes a feared pirate is the one who’s taken the treasure and that he might try to use her abilities to hurt people.  Oh, and he collects the heads of his victims.

This is a YA book, but I feel like it’s perfectly suited for middle schoolers.  There’s no language or over-the-top romance (besides kissing), just a lot of sword fighting and a few bouts of danger.  

Overall, it’s a solid adventure read.  If you want your own copy, this book comes out August 14th!

**Thanks Net Galley for this free book in exchange for an honest review.**

My Year in the Middle

This middle grades book is a must read in my book!  It also answers the question lots of students ask me when we study the Civil Rights Movement:  what about the other minorities?  Were they discriminated against just like black people?

It’s 1970 in Alabama, and Lu Olivera is stuck in the middle row of her 6th grade class.  Her school recently integrated, so the black students sit on one side of the room, the white kids sit on the other side of the room, and the kids who don’t quite fit in with either sit in the middle row.  Lu’s parents immigrated to America from Argentina, and she is the only kid in her class that knows Spanish.  Lu is shy and has a few friends, but when the governor’s race heats up between Wallace (the governor in power when integration was forced on the state and focuses on “bringing back Dixie”) and Brewer (the liberal candidate who disagrees with segregation), Lu is forced to pick a side:  white or black?  Along with the politics, Lu is also prepping for a field day race, trying to figure out boys, and attempting to understand what makes a good friend.

The themes of this book hooked me from the start.  Lu is trying to come to terms with her heritage and identity in her current culture.  She’s also learning about gumption and what it means to stand up for what you know is right, even when people try to stand in your way.  This book is one that I’ll recommend my students read, especially during our Civil Rights unit.  

**Thanks Net Galley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review!**

The Belles

I picked up this book because the author, Dhonielle Clayton, is coming to Read Up Greenville this October (yay!), but I did have some mixed feelings about The Belles.  There were parts that I just had to skim saying, “Okay, I guess I’ll just have to roll with that,” and parts that were so intense I couldn’t put it down.

Basically the story is fantasy, set in the Kingdom of Orleans where all people are born gray.  The Goddess of Beauty created a special people called Belles who are born beautiful and have the ability to manipulate people’s looks…for a cost.  There used to be hundreds of Belles, but now there are only six competing to be the Queen’s favorite, who gets to live in the castle and work with royalty.  Camellia wants to be the best and beat her Belle sisters for the title of “favorite,” but what will be the cost?  Throw in secret disfigured Belles, a conniving and manipulating princess, and a secret romance, and you get the gist of this book.

The hard part for me was accepting the fantasy world.  I enjoy fantasy, but there were certain times when I just had to go with the story and not ask lots of logistical questions.  Another part that seemed rushed was the ending.  There were quite a few twists in the last 100 pages, some of which seemed a little forced.  Also be prepared for a sequel because the conflict doesn’t really get resolved this time around.  I did like the characters and their development, from Camellia’s determined spirit to Princess Sophia’s twisted sense of power.  Finally, I loved the message.  Camellia’s purpose as a Belle is to make the people naturally beautiful as the Goddess of Beauty intended, but the people have manipulated the Belle’s power to make them “perfect,” never being satisfied with what they have.

It all comes down to if you love fantasy and magic.  If you do, then this book would be a good pick for you.  If you want a book more based in reality, just pass.

Offbeat

This month I’m trying to get through some of my free arcs (advanced readers copies) from Net Galley starting with this book by Megan Clendenan.

This is a cute story about Rose, a fourteen year old who’s going to folk festival with her fiddle group.  While there, she’s in a competition where the winner gets to play with Lunar, her favorite band.  For Rose, the competition means even more because her mother gave her an ultimatum before leaving…get serious about classical music or lose her music lessons.  Maybe if she wins to competition, she can show her mother that performing is her true passion.  

This book has a few conflicts:  best friend drama, a potential crush, a broken violin…but they all seemed to be resolved quickly and with minimal fuss.  While at the festival, Rose meets Liam, a boy who’s her biggest competition and keeps (accidentally) stealing her songs.  Liam invites her to a music jam session, but it’s after Rose’s curfew so she convinces Shiloh, her best friend, to cover for her, which ends up backfiring.  There wasn’t anything wrong with this book, but there wasn’t anything that made it stand out as special.  The best part of the book was the setting of the festival, which was quirky and fun.

This book is a fine upper elementary/middle school book, but I can see older kids getting a little bored with it.

*This copy was free from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.  Want to buy the book?  It comes out August 28th!

The Fill-In Boyfriend

This book’s premise is exactly what the title suggests:  Gia’s college boyfriend dumped her in the parking lot of her senior prom.  Fearing for her social status and what her friends would say, she makes the spur-of-the-moment decision to ask a boy sitting in his car to be her fake date.  But things go a little too well; Gia now can’t stop thinking about the mysterious boy and keeps reminding herself he was only playing the role of doting boyfriend.  Gia’s conflicted because she’s never had to chase down a boy before, but she now finds herself tracking down the mystery boy’s sister Bec to figure out his story.  She’s also dealing with the guilt of lying to her best friends about her prom date.

This book brings up a lot of issues teens deal with today:  how their presence on social media is tied to their self-worth, how to express feelings in a productive way instead of destructive way, and what does it mean to be a true friend.  Gia finds that she’s popular but unsure of herself.  She realizes that she’s never really put herself out there for others to know her, not even her closest friends.  Her parents don’t deal with issues and instead choose to not have any conflict, which Gia realizes isn’t the best way to deal with feelings.  Another powerful message is being a better person.  Gia realizes that her actions have consequences, even small things like laughing at someone or not speaking up when her friends say something derogatory.  And sometimes being a better person means that you will loose friends along the way who don’t want you to change for the better.  

This is only my second Kasie West novel, but so far they’ve been cute and enjoyable.  They’re middle school appropriate (no physical intimacy past kissing) while still bringing up issues girls need to hear, like having self-worth and being your own person.  I will definitely be reading more of her books and recommending them to my middle schoolers.