Angelite by Rebecca Henry

March 21, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Angelite by Rebecca Henry
Ambrosia Hill #5
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When love is broken and fate uncertain only truth can be found in angelite.

Zinnia’ s fifteen birthday is marked by her move to Ambrosia Hill with her mother Lily. After surviving a wicked Halloween with Ursula Geist and banishing the dark witch to the depth of Lake Cauldron, Lily decides Zinnia needs the protection and guidance of the aunts as she continues her journey as a green witch.

Zinnia’ s dream of moving back to Ambrosia Hill becomes a reality as she is reunited with Billie and is welcomed by the charmed volleyball team as their lucky number thirteen. Zinnia has everything she’ s ever wanted including a coven of witches to practice her green magic with. The Aunts as always, have tricks up their sleeves and prepare to host a surprise kale-pulling gala at Fern House to call forth Lily’ s true love.

Things seem perfect in the Fern House living on top of the tallest hill in a sleepy town until Zinnia meets the new girl, Scarlet at the kale-pulling gala. Scarlet is a ward living with the catholic nuns at Ambrosia Hill Episcopal Convent. Her uncanny beauty and charismatic charm soon win the attention of the charm volleyball team and most importantly, Billie. Zinnia is overcome with a fit of searing jealousy as Scarlet’ s presence emerges a darker side of Zinnia. Strange and unsettling happenings are reported in the town. Cows dry up overnight and a mysterious serpent is seen lurking in Ambrosia Hill, hiding within the tall grass, ready to strike. Zinnia fears she has been cursed when her fate line breaks in two on the palm of her right hand and Zinnia is forced to rely on her inner strength when magic fails her. But who can save Zinnia when she soon discovers that the monster in Ambrosia Hill this time is her?

Moving is an adventure.

I know I’ve mentioned the wonderful world building in all of my previous reviews of these books, but the author once again surprised me with new details. As someone who grew up in a few small towns, I smiled and nodded along as Billie introduced Zinnia to some interesting secrets about the community that Zinnia thought she already knew so well. It happens in real life sometimes, too, so of course it could also happen in fiction! Locals don’t always think to share everything right away with newcomers, especially when it comes to information that may be a little controversial or out of the ordinary. Kudos for the author for keeping me guessing.

With that being said, it would have been helpful to have more time spent exploring and developing the latest secrets of Ambrosia Hill. It wasn’t until the last 50 pages or so that I learned much of anything about them at all. While I know the author probably wanted to keep some things under wraps for the future, it was a little disappointing for me as a reader to have to wait until the end for even a few of my questions to be answered. It felt like there was a lot more that could have been done with these developments, and I would have happily gone with a five-star rating if they had either been introduced earlier or if several more chapters had been added on to explore what Zinnia thought of them and how they might change her life.

The character development was often slow in the first four Ambrosia Hills books, so I was glad to see it pick up here. Zinnia was given some great opportunities to deal with her jealousy and practice self-control when other people irrationally – or, in some cases, rationally – irritated her. Did she always make the most gracious life choices? Absolutely not, but that was a good thing. Everyone has bad days, and it was refreshing to observe how she behaved when she wasn’t her usually pretty calm and collected self. You can learn a lot from how someone behaves when they’re in a terrible mood, so I’m excited to see where Ms. Henry takes Zinnia and everyone closest to her from this point forward.

This is the fifth instalment in a series that I’d recommend reading in order due to all of the character and plot development that has already occurred in this universe, some of which the narrator assumes the reader already knows.

Angelite made me grin and wish for another adventure with Zinnia.

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Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

January 3, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
Publisher: Ember
Genre: LGBTQ, Contemporary, YA (Ages 14+)
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Based on true events—and narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS—Two Boys Kissing follows Harry and Craig, two seventeen-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record. While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teens dealing with universal questions of love, identity, and belonging.

Two boys kissing and so much more.

This book has been singled out as something to be banned, but I disagree. This book was fantastic. Yes, there are two boys kissing in this book, but it’s so much more. I liked the variety in the book, the characters and the tone. This isn’t an easy book to read. The author tackles hard topics–boys kissing, transgender issues, depression and thoughts of suicide. It’s not easy. But it’s worth the read.

I liked the various characters and seeing how they handled different situations. My favorite characters are the ones who came before, the ones telling the story. Their wisdom and wistfulness, along with their frankness, was the best part. They don’t mince words and I loved it. I liked the commentary.

This is a book everyone should read at some point. It’s sweet at times, endearing, sad and heartbreaking, but it’s realness is what really shines through. Recommended.

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The Storybook Coroner by A.J. Schaar

December 11, 2023 By Leave a Comment


The Storybook Coroner by A.J. Schaar
Publisher: Black Chicken Unlimited
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Kidnapping. Robbery. Death Queens. PsychoPumps. Master Plans. Hell Holes. Gods. Dragons. True Love. Sandwiches.

This is a tale full of irreverent humour, with a broad cast of gods introduced, mysteries uncovered, and grand rescue plans concocted… Easily readable and whimsical… An interesting and entertaining romp through mythology, with a modern twist.

Love conquers all…right?

Greek gods like Hermes and Pan were included in this tale, but the narrator made sure to describe them in ways that were understandable for all sorts of readers. One didn’t need to have any prior knowledge of the Greek pantheon in order to find this amusing, but readers who did know a little – or a lot – about the topic would discover additional layers of meaning. That is a difficult balance to strike when writing about this sort of topic, so I tip my cap to the author for figuring out how to make this appealing on so many different levels.

The storyline seemed non-linear at certain points, and the portions of it that were shared in chronological order didn’t always make sense to me until I learned some other details about those scenes later on. I had trouble keeping track of what happened when, especially for characters who weren’t always clear about when their memories happened. While I commend the author for taking risks with how they pieced together this tale, this reader often found the execution of it to be confusing and more complex than it needed to be.

Some of the most interesting scenes were the ones that described the romance. They were perfect for a teenage audience and felt so much like developing a crush or falling in love for the first time. The excitement and uncertainty of that stage in life is a wonderful, if also sometimes bittersweet, experience. I thought the author did a great job capturing that stage of life and how it can affect everything else that’s going on in someone’s life – or afterlife – at the same time.

The Storybook Coroner was a unique tale that made me reminisce about life as a teenager.

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Survival by Shirley Bigelow DeKelver

November 6, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Survival by Shirley Bigelow DeKelver
Climate of Fire Book 1
Publisher: BWL Publishing Inc.
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The year is 2045, global warming escalates, and wildfires are rampant. Vancouver has been devastated by an earthquake and tsunami. Those who have survived have moved north or taken up residence at Little Mountain, the highest point in the city. Food and water are scarce, there are more violent storms and rising temperatures. The ashfall from the volcanoes increases daily, making it difficult to breathe. Four young adults, Taylor West, Carlie Fleming, Mai-Li Wong, and Willie Arbuckle, and three children, twin brothers Rusty and Eddie Coleman, and Debbie, who has Downs Syndrome, have gravitated together, forming a motley crew of survivors, living in constant fear of the violent gangs.

Making a life-saving decision, they decide to walk to the Interior, hoping to find a better life. Inexperienced, they face unknown obstacles, daily hardships, and hunger. Traveling across the devastated Wastelands is fraught with danger with unexpected complications making the journey more treacherous than they ever imagined. Reaching a sanctuary and indeed their very survival hangs in the balance. Relationships are tested time and again. What will remain strong and what will shatter?

Nothing is guaranteed in this dangerous, new world.

Compassion can be expressed in many different ways. I enjoyed seeing how the characters wrestled with the thought of what total strangers should do for each other in a crisis and how much someone should be expected to risk their own safety to help others who may be injured, young, or helpless. These aren’t questions that have black and white answers in most cases, but they are good jumping-off points for all sorts of discussions about many of the scenes in this book. Sometimes I found myself wishing I’d read this as a part of a book club so I could discuss my thoughts on what certain characters should or shouldn’t have done in specific situations with other readers!

The main characters made odd and illogical decisions that I struggled to understand. For example, Carlie was given the chance to be rescued by the military in one of the earliest scenes, but she decided to hide instead for reasons that were never clear to me. This was the first of many examples of characters refusing to do simple things that would make their already-difficult lives easier without explaining why they thought those choices were the right ones. I don’t expect teenagers to always think things through the way an adult would, but this pattern of picking the hardest option for no reason happened so often that it did reduce my enjoyment of the plot in general.

I enjoyed the strong, steady pacing. Carlie and her companions regularly had new problems to solve on their journey whether they were minor ones like disagreements between certain characters or major ones like not having enough food or water. There was never a good time for me to stop reading and do something else. That’s the sort of conundrum I always like to have when I’m reading as it means that the author planned everything out evenly and made sure that their audience would have plenty of things to think about when we did eventually need to take a break and do something else.

Survival was adventurous.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Uncategorized, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

River’s Reach – Coming of Age Amid the Fish War by David Scott Richardson

September 19, 2023 By Leave a Comment


River’s Reach – Coming of Age Amid the Fish War by David Scott Richardson
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

ADVENTURE. HISTORY. AWAKENING. Life is good for high school senior Alex Haugen. He has a group of buddies to fish the Nisqually River with, his membership on the football team guarantees status with his peers, and he’s recently set his sights on Amanda Schneider – an engaging blend of brains, beauty, and personality. He’s beginning to think that the lead cheerleader and star lineman go together like burgers and fries.

Learning that his dad participated in the latest fishing raid at Frank’s Landing, Alex’s curiosity is piqued. The more he reads, the more he realizes how little he knows about the deep-rooted conflict between the Washington State Game Department and local tribes. The state claims the right to enforce conservation measures and the tribes claim that their treaty rights supersede state regulations.

Alex has strong convictions about conservation but wonders if there’s more to the story. Indian netting can’t be the only reason fish are in decline. Strident and entrenched certainties dominate both sides of the fishing controversy, and Alex begins to resent that a side may have been chosen for him at birth.

Chancing conflict with his dad – an officer with the game department – Alex’s quest for understanding rouses discovery of his own voice and the courage to stand apart from his parents and peers. Along the way, he befriends Charlie McCallister, a Nisqually Indian his dad arrested in a raid.

Amanda, whose mom does pro bono work for the tribe, is a social justice warrior at heart. As the fish war heats up, her readiness to support the tribe clashes with Alex’s reluctance to rock the boat with his father and threatens to drive a wedge in their blossoming romance.

Charlie, Amanda, and the Nisqually River form the key catalysts for Alex’s awakening as the story unfolds against the backdrop of a nation gripped by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the seismic tunes of rock ‘n roll.

Sometimes change is painfully slow.

The last year or two of high school can be such an exciting and restless time in life. Soon classes will end and everyone will go their separate ways in life. This was a quieter portion of the storyline in the beginning, but it grew more and more enjoyable and meaningful as Alex and his friends inched closer towards graduation and the many different paths they all would take. Mr. Richardson captured this stage in life nicely, and it has made me curious to see what else he may write in the future.

I struggled with the slow pacing of this novel. Most of the plot and character development was released gradually and between scenes that didn’t always seem to push anything forward. As interesting as the descriptions of nature and the small town setting were, there were so many of them that they were distracting for me as a reader as well. In my opinion, this would have been a stronger story if some of those scenes were trimmed down to either shorten the length of this in general or to provide more space for action scenes.

Racism is a complex topic, especially for teens like Alex who hadn’t spent much time thinking about how race can impact everything from how a student is treated by his or her peers to what sorts of jobs someone might be encouraged or discouraged to apply for. The historical setting amplified these themes as well given that societal expectations of what should and shouldn’t be said about race can shift a lot from one decade to the next. I appreciated how much effort the author put into developing this portion of the plot and showing how even a kind and sensitive kid like Alex can still have misconceptions about race and culture.

River’s Reach – Coming of Age Amid the Fish War was a thought-provoking read.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

Solitaire by Alice Oseman

September 8, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Solitaire by Alice Oseman
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: YA, Ages 14+, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

The amazing novel that introduced Nick and Charlie from HEARTSTOPPER — and the unforgettable Tori Spring.
Tori Spring isn’t sure how to be happy again. Then she meets Michael Holden, and they try to unmask the mysterious Solitaire (and survive high school) in Alice Oseman’s stunning, unflinching honest debut novel, which first introduced her fan-favorite Heartstopper characters Nick and Charlie.

Teens and tragedy, but it’s so good.

I have to start this by mentioning this story will have triggers. There is a mention of suicide, thoughts of suicide, eating disorders, mental health and LGBTQ issues. These all make this book so good. They do. This is how life is seen through the eyes of teens, many who are struggling and just can’t make sense of their lives. It’s relatable and real.

Tori Spring is the sister of Charlie Spring (from the Heartbreaker books) and she’s lost. Not physically, but she feels lost in the ocean of high school. This book is set in England, but applies to students all across the world in that age range (14+). She feels lost and she’s not entirely sure why. Reading as she sorted out parts of her life was interesting, tender, sweet and so tragic at times. She’s trying so hard, but yet not trying at all.

I loved the reality of the story and how the characters popped from the page. They love themselves, but secretly hate themselves. They’re simple, yet complicated. They’re human.

If you’re looking for a complex YA book that will leave you with lots of thoughts, then this is the book for you. Check it out.

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Serenade of Solitude by Asif Hossain

August 25, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Serenade of Solitude by Asif Hossain
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In the idyllic coastal town of Portofino, Italy, where azure waters meet picturesque landscapes, an introverted post-teen named Firo found solace in solitude. The enchanting harmony of nature and the tranquility of his own company were all he ever desired. At the tender age of 19, Firo had become well acquainted with loneliness, drifting through life with a longing for connection he couldn’t quite fulfill. His life takes an unexpected turn as he encounters a captivating young woman named Anna on a rainy evening.

Love can sneak up on a person at any age.

The descriptions in this novella were vivid and beautiful. Sometimes reading it felt like watching a movie because of how effortless it was for me to imagine everything that was happening, from little moments like a character stepping outside into a clean, glittering world just after a rainstorm ended to scenes that changed the course of the plot forever. There clearly had been a lot of effort put into these passages, and they paid off nicely.

With that being said, I struggled with the slow storyline. So much attention was paid to describing the settings that there wasn’t as much space left over for plot development as I would have liked to see. Sometimes this made it hard for me to remain as interested in the characters as I was in the beginning.

Firo was an interesting and self-aware protagonist. I appreciated the fact that he knew what his flaws were and tried to correct them. That’s a difficult thing for anyone to do, especially someone who is nineteen years old and sometimes acts younger than his chronological age. I found myself wishing I could speed ahead in his life by a few decades to see how much insight he gained about his strengths and weaknesses when he was middle aged or even older than that. There was a lot of potential for growth with him, although I was satisfied with what the author shared at this point in this character’s life as well.

Serenade of Solitude was peaceful.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Thank You, Neighbor by Ruth Chan

August 11, 2023 By 1 Comment


Thank You, Neighbor by Ruth Chan
Publisher: HarperCollins Childrens
Genre: Contemporary, YA, Childrens (4-8 yrs)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Celebrate all the people, places, and things that make our neighborhoods special with Thank You, Neighbor! Selected as a best picture book of the year by Publishers Weekly.

Join our narrator and her dog on their daily walk as they greet the people in their neighborhood—from the mail carrier and bus driver to the sanitation workers and grocery clerks and more.

Whether listening, asking, helping, or just saying hello and thank you—it is our patience and kindness that make a neighborhood feel like home. This charming story gently reminds us to slow down and be grateful for all the people, places, and things around us.

With funny and heartfelt illustrations, this charming book includes an author’s note about how Ruth Chan’s own Brooklyn community inspired her to create this special picture book. Perfect for sharing at home or in the classroom.

Cute book with a great message!

I liked this book because it showed the people in the neighborhood. The writing is sharp, and the story moved along at a great clip, too. I loved the colorful illustrations and felt drawn right into the story.

In some places, it’s hard to know the neighbors. This book shows how it can be much easier if you just open yourself up a little bit. I liked that the main character used her dog as a reason to get out into the community and that she was willing to open up and simply say hi. It showed that just because you don’t look like your neighbors doesn’t mean you can’t be friends.

If you want a story that’s got a great message and it’s fun, then this is the book for you.

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Purplicious by Victoria Kann Elizabeth Kann

August 9, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Purplicious by Victoria Kann Elizabeth Kann
A Pinkalicious book
Publisher: HarperCollins Childrens
Genre: YA, Childrens (5-10 yrs), Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In this follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Pinkalicious, a young girl remains true to herself and discovers that pink isn’t only a pretty color, but also a powerful one.

While everyone knows Pinkalicious’s favorite color is pink, the bullies at her new school don’t agree. All the girls are wearing black, painting in black, and making fun of Pinkalicious for loving pink. “Pink is for babies and stinks!” they tell her. Pinkalicious feels left out until she learns that pink can be a powerful color, and that the most important thing is to be yourself.

Pink isn’t just a pretty color, it’s powerful.

I liked this book because it took on the topic of peer pressure and being true to yourself. Many young people feel they have to cave to peer pressure because it’s so strong. This book shows how this young lady started to give in, but also found strength she didn’t know she had. I liked her journey and am glad I went with her on it.

The other girls tell her black is the best color and pink is for little kids or pink isn’t cool any longer. It’s up to Pinkalicious to decide what she wants. It’s a fun story, but also shows young people that it’s okay to be original.

If you’re looking for a book about being true to yourself and giving yourself a chance to explore, then this might be the book for you.

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Dog’s Day by Jane Cabrera

August 8, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Dog’s Day by Jane Cabrera
Publisher: Orchard Books
Genre: YA, Childrens (0-6 yrs), Animals
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Dog has a very busy day with his animal friends, swinging from the trees with Monkey, flying through the clouds with Bird, and hopping and jumping with Rabbit.

Fun with Dog!

I picked up this book because of the dog on the cover. The colors simply popped. The story is very simple, but that’s okay. I liked it because it showed young readers what this particular dog is up to and teaches interactions, but also does it with bright colors and a fun storyline. I liked that younger children could read this to themselves. It’s simple, but that’s the beauty of the story. Dog has a great day doing all sorts of things and it’s fun.

If you’re looking for a short book to read with your blossoming reader, then this is a fun one to consider.

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