Awakened Are the Starry-Eyed by Christine Dore Miller

June 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Awakened Are the Starry-Eyed by Christine Dore Miller
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), LGBTQ, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A new city and unexpected freedom give Andrea the fresh start she craved, but her haunting past threatens to unrest an already tangled future. In this tense and emotionally stirring sequel to Forgiven Are the Starry-Eyed, Awakened will leave you breathless as it navigates the heartbreaking disquiet of one survivor’s scattered and uncertain path towards healing.

Healing can be hard work, but it’s always worth it.

Andrea had a wonderful support system. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that showed how her parents and two best friends reacted to her when she was really struggling with her mental health. They were so kind and compassionate even when they didn’t always necessarily understand why she was behaving the way that she did.

This book’s depiction of the trauma, anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Andrea faced as a result of the abusive relationship she was in when I first met her was realistic and well written. Healing can be a painfully slow process sometimes, and I appreciated the fact that the author was so honest about that. There were times when I wanted to hug the main character and other scenes when I wished I could drive her to a therapy appointment myself.

My review of the first instalment of this series mentioned some pacing issues I noticed in it. I was quite pleased with the fast but even pacing this time around! Naturally, there were times in Andrea’s life when things were quieter or busier than usual, but I always felt like I had exactly the right amount of time with her no matter what she was going through. It’s a thrill to give a five-star rating to an author the second time around, and I’m excited to do it for her today. She did a wonderful job smoothing out the pacing and keeping this reader sitting on the edge of my seat from the first scene to the last one.

This is the sequel to Forgiven Are the Starry-Eyed. I’d strongly recommend reading this series in order due to how much character development takes place during it.

Awakened Are the Starry-Eyed should be read by anyone who is interested in a compelling example of what life can be like after escaping an abusive relationship.

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

Summer of L.U.C.K. by Laura Segal Stegman

May 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Summer of L.U.C.K. by Laura Segal Stegman
Publisher: Young Dragons/Lee Press
Genre: Middle Grade (8-12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

All Things Are Possible

Eleven-year-old stuttering Darby believes she’s supposed to be perfect, just like her mother demands. But summer away at camp promises temporary escape. There, she befriends twelve-year-old Justin, who hasn’t uttered a word since his dad died, and ten-year-old Naz, who is struggling to learn English.

When mysterious calliope music from a nearby warehouse grants the trio power to communicate without words, they sneak inside to find out why. After the abandoned building bursts into a full-sized carnival with magical rides, they’re greeted by the ghost of Leroy Usher, Carnival King, who can’t rest until his property brings joy to children once again. He asks for their help convincing his estranged sons and daughter to restore the carnival to its former glory before summer’s end. In return, Mr. Usher promises he’ll teach Darby, Justin, and Naz how to find their voices.

With each challenge they face, the kids’ confidence grows, and they learn they’re capable of accomplishing so much more than they ever imagined. But will it be enough to persuade the Usher siblings to bring the carnival back to life instead of selling the property for demolition?

Courage is all these kids need.
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Speaking as someone who also has a stutter, I adored what the author did with Darby’s character development as this young girl dealt with her anxiety and shame about her disability. It reminded me so much of the coping skills I tried to master as a preteen, especially when it came to being teased and feeling shy about trying new things that involved using my voice. This was something I would have loved to read in middle school and will be recommending to other people I know who also stutter. There’s nothing like meeting a character who has the same medical condition and similar challenges.

It was confusing to me to constantly switch among the three main characters. I liked all three of them quite a bit, but I would have preferred to experience this tale from just one of their perspectives so that I could get to know that character better and not need to jump from him or her to the other two protagonists so often. There was a postscript that mentioned this was the beginning of a series, so I would have been excited to switch to a different narrator in this group of friends for the sequel if that had been an option. I’m saying this as someone who otherwise had a wonderful time reading this book and wanted to give it a much higher rating.

The world building was well done. I loved the little details that were included like what it felt to climb on top of one of the magical carousel horses or why Naz was so thrilled to try green jello for the first time. These small moments added up to a setting that felt as otherworldly as it did relatable. I was pleased with what they described, but I must admit to smiling when I realized that this won’t be the last time the audience is invited to visit Camp Inch and the carnival right next door to it. There is so much more to explore here!

Anyone who loved summer camp or wishes they could have attended one should check out Summer of L.U.C.K.

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

Unchosen by Katharyn Blair

May 4, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Unchosen by Katharyn Blair
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

For Charlotte Holloway, the world ended twice.

The first was when her childhood crush, Dean, fell in love—with her older sister.

The second was when the Crimson, a curse spread through eye contact, turned the majority of humanity into flesh-eating monsters.

Neither end of the world changed Charlotte. She’s still in the shadows of her siblings. Her popular older sister, Harlow, now commands forces of survivors. And her talented younger sister, Vanessa, is the Chosen One—who, legend has it, can end the curse.

When their settlement is raided by those seeking the Chosen One, Charlotte makes a reckless decision to save Vanessa: she takes her place as prisoner.

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But when Dean’s life is threatened and a resistance looms on the horizon, the lie keeping Charlotte alive begins to unravel. She’ll have to break free, forge new bonds, and choose her own destiny if she has any hope of saving her sisters, her love, and maybe even the world.

Because sometimes the end is just a new beginning.

How many times can the world end before it ends for good? Every time Charlotte Holloway thinks that she’s seen the worst, something worse happens. Now, she’s looking at the choice between saving her sisters and saving herself. Trouble is, none of them might make it through this alive.

Charlotte is a hot mess when all of this starts. She’s in love with her older sister’s boyfriend for starters. In addition, she feels like she’s forever in the shadow of her older sister, Harlow, a talented musician before the Crimson, and now a leader you don’t want to mess with. She also feels overshadowed by her younger sister, Vanessa, an adept gymnast and the Chosen One. As a middle child myself, I could fully relate to Char’s feelings regarding her sisters. Knowing what it’s like to be in her shoes (sort of), I was even happier as I watched her come into herself and fully grasp the person she was meant to be.

Harlow has a tendency as the older sister to be both overbearing and overprotective of her sisters. While this might be normal and natural, she kneecaps Char a bit with her rules and expectations. I think Char wouldn’t have taken so many risks if Harlow had given her more level footing to work from in the beginning. Vanessa isn’t given a whole lot of page time, which is a shame. She doesn’t get a chance to really develop as a character until near the end of the book.

The pirates were some of my favorite characters. Seth, of course, is the handsome, alpha captain, without many of the alpha hangups. Rielle, Lucia, and Thomas are his crew, each of which has their own endearing personalities. Rielle is sweet and funny and takes no time to warm up to you. Lucia is a bit gruffer, but you soon learn she’s a softie when she wants to be. Thomas was there to keep Rielle and Lucia from going off the rails, I think.

Probably the most interesting thing about this novel was the Crimson. It’s a deadly curse of sorts that’s spread via eye contact and, once you’ve caught it, you deteriorate into what’s basically a zombie. I thought that having it spread this way was a different sort of angle on the usual super flu or something similar. I also really adored the pirate angle. You have runners kidnapping those who haven’t been exposed and selling them off, and then the ones working against the runners to save their cargo. It made for some exciting reading.

Unchosen is a different sort of adventure story. One where the not-chosen takes on the role of the chosen in an attempt to save the true Chosen One. A true story of love, family, and determination against the odds.

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

The Secret Runners by Matthew Reilly

April 16, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Secret Runners by Matthew Reilly
Publisher: Pan McMillan Australia
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, YA
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Gossip Girl meets Mad Max in this breakneck thriller where the line between rich and poor is the line between life and death. You can’t buy your way out of the end of the world in this edge-of-your-seat adventure from an internationally bestselling author.

Rich vs. Poor. Life vs. Death.

When Skye Rogers and her twin brother, Red, move to Manhattan, rumors of a coming global apocalypse are building. But the ultra-wealthy young elites at their prestigious school keep partying like there’s no tomorrow–while the city around them starts to fall apart.

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Skye and her twin brother Red have moved to Manhattan with their mother and step-father and are starting their junior year at the most exclusive school – The Monmouth School. Full of the richest and most elite children even in a city known for their wealth, Skye and Red still find the usual high school dramas everywhere. Cliques. Bullying. Home work and classes. Yet when Red, and then later Skye, are invited to join the most elite and secret club of them all, neither know just how dramatically it will change their lives.

I’ve had this book on my to-be-read pile for a long time. Matthew Reilly is one of my top favorite authors and I always love his work. So when I needed a change of pace and something a little lighter and more adventurous I was delighted to re-find this on my pile. Known for his massive (and slightly crazy) adventure and action sequences as well as his rocket-fast pace I loved how this was clearly the author flexing some of his considerable skill and stepping a shade or two outside his usual routine. While the last third or so of the book is absolutely lightning paced and full of adventure and thrills (and I actually squealed with laughter when the ever-present grappling hook made an appearance), the book as a whole is a delightful and refreshing change of pace with a steady character and society type of set up and not instant crazy action from the first page. I feel the author handled this really well and while definitely a step out of the norm for him I still absolutely loved this book.

In many ways this read a little to me like a YA book – but one of the best sorts, one that an adult can thoroughly and shamelessly enjoy. Skye is a teenage girl and Reilly didn’t shy from that but also didn’t wallow in it either. The angst of teenage years and high school cliques, the drama of boys and periods and bullying and social status is all present but they are there to support and aid the story – not to BE the story. I loved this balance and personally found it really well handled. I totally get this won’t be every reader’s cup of tea – particularly some men who want a Jack West Jr (or Scarecrow) style of action/military style of story which is Reilly’s staple. But for me, personally, I really enjoyed it and found the different style and plot was a delightful breath of fresh air.

My only quibble (and it’s a small one) was that for the first half or so of the book I didn’t feel the relationship between Red and Syke as siblings/twins was really used to its full potential. While clear the two loved and supported each other, they pretty much led divergent lives – Red fitting easily in with the cool kids and dating one of the “mean girls” and Skye on the outside fringes. I found it somewhat odd that Red happily went his own path with the elite crowd and didn’t think much of dating a mean girl who clearly didn’t like Skye at all. I found myself frequently hoping that Red would share more of his experiences with Skye and open his world to her a little more and found it puzzling when for much of it (with a few notable exceptions) this didn’t come to pass. Admittedly once Skye was let into that clique about half way through the book, this did come to pass, but I couldn’t help but feel there was a lost opportunity for Skye and Red to have shared more of those secrets earlier on in the book.

For the final third or so of the book everything comes to a head and man it was a thrilling rush to the end of the story. Many of the plots and sub-plots that had been so carefully woven and created in the first two thirds of the book all come crashing together and the true Reilly style came out to play. I read the final part of the book late into the night, simply unable to put it down. It exceeded my expectations and I can’t wait to dive back in and re-read it and catch all those smaller tidbits you always miss on the first reading.

Exciting and adventurous, slightly futuristic but all too relevant and modern this is an exceptional story and an amazing read. Highly recommended.

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

Period Power by Nadya Okamoto

April 15, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement by Nadya Okamoto
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Young Readers
Genre: Non-Fiction, YA, Middle Grade
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

PERIOD founder and Harvard College student Nadya Okamoto offers a manifesto on menstruation and why we can no longer silence those who bleed—and how to engage in youth activism.

Throughout history, periods have been hidden from the public. They’re taboo. They’re embarrassing. They’re gross. And due to a crumbling or nonexistent national sex ed program, they are misunderstood. Because of these stigmas, a status quo has been established to exclude people who menstruate from the seat at the decision-making table, creating discriminations like the tampon tax, medicines that favor male biology, and more.
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Period Power aims to explain what menstruation is, shed light on the stigmas and resulting biases, and create a strategy to end the silence and prompt conversation about periods.

I wish there had been a book like this when I was a teen.

There are a lot of things we aren’t always told when we’re younger. When I was a teen, my mother was shy about explaining my period. I might have gotten mine later than most of my friends, but I remember being mystified and embarrassed about it. I also wish there hadn’t been such a stigma about getting ‘feminine protection”. This book does a lot to explain to people in plain speak what the heck menstruation is and why it’s not a bad thing. I also liked that the author encompasses those who menstruate–all of us that do.

This book is geared toward the YA audience, but can be enjoyed by all ages, young adult and up. There are some sections that come across as a bit political, but if read with an open mind, it’s easy to see the author isn’t going the political route, bur rather the educational one.

If there’s anything you’ve ever wanted to know about periods, then this is the book to get and give.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Amy McDougall, Master Matchmaker by Gary Pedler

March 29, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Amy McDougall, Master Matchmaker by Gary Pedler
Publisher: Regal House/Fitzroy Books
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Contemporary, LGBTQ
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Thirteen-year-old Amy McDougall is worried about Travis, the single gay guy who adopted her when she was a kid. He wants a boyfriend, yet isn’t having any luck finding one himself. Amy decides the solution is for someone else to do the finding. Someone like her! Amy’s first attempts at matchmaking are embarrassing flops, despite advice from her hyper-smart best friend Grace. Soon Amy makes not only a match for Dad, but for other people she knows. Now no one can deny that she’s Amy McDougall, Master Matchmaker. Still, she finds there’s a price to pay for her meddling when all three matches cause problems she hadn’t foreseen. Amy McDougall, Master Matchmaker is a fun and engaging tale that takes a fresh look at important subjects like love and friendship.

How complicated can finding a boyfriend for one’s single gay dad possibly be?
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Amy was a likeable girl whose character development felt realistic to me. I enjoyed getting to know every side of her personality from her unbridled creativity to her tendency to meddle in other people’s lives over and over again. This particular flaw of hers played an important role in how the plot unfolded, especially in the beginning when she wasn’t aware of all of the issues that can be caused by someone trying to control what other folks do. It was amusing to see how she reacted to her loved ones not always responding the way she wanted them to when she quietly interfered with their love lives.

I would have liked to see a tad more attention paid to the downside of Amy’s attempts to play matchmaker. The humorous parts of her experiment popped up everywhere, and I giggled my way through them. With that being said, I did think the negative consequences of her trying to set people up together weren’t explored quite as fully as they could have been. This was especially true when it came to the dates she picked out for her dad. I adored this tale in general, and I would have given it a perfect five-star rating if she’d faced a few more logical consequences for her actions.

Travis and Amy became a family thanks to an transracial older child adoption. He was a single, white, gay man, and she was a school-aged biracial foster child. I’ll leave the specific details of how they became a family for other readers to discover for themselves, but I appreciated the fact that this book acknowledged the difficult parts of her past while still having such a hopeful and upbeat approach to the beautiful life they’d built together. There was so much love in the McDougall household that I can’t help but to hope for a sequel about them someday.

Anyone who has ever wished they could set their friends and family up with perfect love interests might really like Amy McDougall, Master Matchmaker.

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

St. Louis Sam and the Desperados by Pinkie Paranya

February 17, 2021 By Leave a Comment


St. Louis Sam and the Desperados by Pinkie Paranya
Publisher: Five Star Publishing
Genre: Historical, Romance, Suspense/Mystery/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

Going from St Louis, Missouri, in 1874 to the Arizona Territory is a frightening step for brother and sister, Garth and Samantha. They need to prove their uncle Millard Tremayne’s treachery in their father’s financial ruin and subsequent suicide. So far their uncle holds all the cards, their guardianship and inheritance. Since the uncle is secretly setting up a dynasty out west, eventually to rid himself of his family and waspish wife, Grace, Sam and Garth follow his trail to a town called Powder Keg in Arizona. The brother and sister collect a band of misfits to help them sabotage Uncle Millard. Mayhem, treachery, intrigue, humor, and romance follow.

Their mother died in the birth of her brother. Her Uncle stole money from the business and left their father broke. He committed suicide. The children’s money is gone. They are in their twenties now and decide to go west and steal back from him. He’s been investing there and intends to move there, leave his wife behind, and marry the gal that runs the saloon for him. They plan on stopping him.
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They buy a boarding house and ask their aunt on the other side of the family to join them. Samantha can’t cook. The aunt comes and then Sam and Garth get started trying to develop a gang to help them stop the stage coaches. They find a big Indian, a small Mexican, a dandy and a man not long out of jail.

In the meantime, Garth has been visiting the various businesses the Uncle owns and gathering paperwork that will show his crooked dealings. All is going their way until they hear their Uncle is coming to town to find out who is robbing him.

This is a well written western with remarkable characters. The desperadoes care about what happens to Sam and Garth. Sam is saved by one of them and finds herself falling in love. Garth is also finding love. Neither one was looking for it. It has a nice pace, keeps your attention, and makes you read faster at the end. The only unhappy one is the Uncle but he deserves it.

This is an enjoyable read that will stick with you awhile.

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

Escape by Emma Eggleston

February 12, 2021 By 1 Comment


Escape by Emma Eggleston
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Laila is Richardsville High’s quirky girl. She’s just biding her time until graduation when she has an unusual encounter with Matty, the all-American boy next door, everybody just can’t get enough of. When Matty and Laila start to talk, he shares a secret with her. He’s a part of a clinical study for a medication called effugium and it can really transport him to other places and times. Will Laila trust Matty enough to try the effugium?

Actions always have consequences.
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Mental illness is a complicated topic. This can be even more true for young men, so it was nice to see how Matty dealt with his diagnoses and the setbacks he suffered as his doctor tried to find the right combination of medications for him. There were no easy answers here which I found refreshing. All I could do was hope Matty and his medical team would figure out how best to help him cope with his illnesses as he slowly became more and more dependent on effugium.

The abrupt ending confused me. While it did wrap up the drug abuse storyline fairly satisfactorily, it left so many unanswered questions about the rest of the plot. This was especially true when it came to showing how Matty’s drug abuse negatively affected his relationships with those closest to him. The last sentence sounded like it should lead to at least one final chapter, so I wasn’t sure how to react when the story suddenly stopped after that.

I was as fascinated by the concept of an escape as I was by how the characters described it. That is to say, an escape referred to the trips that Matty took to other times and places after using effugium. There were well-defined, logical rules that he soon learned about where he was allowed to go, what sorts of things could happen to him, and how he could get home. This made it easy for me to relax and enjoy his adventures.

Escape was a thought-provoking read that I’d recommend to any teens who are struggling with mental illness or substance abuse.

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

Abnormally Abbey by Allan Evans

February 9, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Abnormally Abbey by Allan Evans
Publisher: Immortal Works
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Paranormal, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Being a spook magnet is not as glamorous as it sounds.

There’s something seriously wrong with the summer camp 14-year old Abbey is sent to. It’s not just the troubled kids, or the clueless camp counselors or even all the ghosts–yeah, the ghosts have found her there too–but now there’s a mysterious symbol that keeps appearing at all the worst moments. Abbey is not a happy camper.

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Imagine showing up for church camp only to realize something has gone terribly wrong!

The paranormal elements of the storyline were handled nicely. I liked seeing how gradually the plot built up to them. There were brief moments of paranormal activity in the beginning, but the author saved the most exciting scenes for much later on. This gave me plenty of opportunities to anticipate what might happen next which is one of my favorite things to do with this genre.

I wasn’t such a big fan of the romantic subplot or of Abbey’s love interest himself. This book was already so filled with twists and turns that there wasn’t much space for the romance to develop. There were also certain aspects of the backstory of Abbey’s love interest with that concerned me as well. He didn’t truly seem to understand the serious nature of the things that lead to him being sent to this camp, and that made me wonder if he was actually a safe person for her to be around. These aspects of the plot should have been developed much more fully. It took me a long time to figure out if the narrator was writing them as a cautionary tale, a genuine romance about two romantically inexperienced teens, or something else entirely.

It was nice to meet characters gradually. The camp Abbey’s father picked out for her had a lot of different teens and adults staying there, so it was nice to be introduced to people as they became important to the plot instead of all at once. This made it easy for me to keep track of everyone and get to know them before the storyline sped up and Abbey gathered more evidence about what was really happening at this strange summer camp.

Anyone who loves ghost stories with a spiritual bent should give Abnormally Abbey a try.

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

Pivot Move by Chris Boucher

January 26, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Pivot Move by Chris Boucher
Publisher: Wings ePress
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

At 14, Boyd’s life goes the way of his hair–down the drain. His dad leaves and his curly brown mop follows. Now he longs to be free, too.

Things seem to improve when he starts ballin’ with the Blazers. He works hard to win over his new coach and teammates–too hard–and his misguided attempts alienate more than they impress.

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As Freidrich Nietzsche says, “no one can construct for you the bridge upon which precisely you must cross the stream of life, no one but you yourself alone.” Remember these words as you read this review and book.

Boyd genuinely felt like a young teenager to me. His mind and body were changing rapidly in ways he couldn’t always predict, much less understand. This was especially true when it came to his reaction to the alopecia he’d developed fairly recently. Sometimes I shook my head at the impulsive decisions he made, but they were all common things not only for his age group but for his personality in general as it had been explained to me.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to the character development in this novel. As interesting as the characters were, it would have been nice to get to know them better and see them evolve as a result of the things that happened to them. This was especially true when it came to Boyd’s mother who was a pretty critical and discouraging parent. She put down her son’s interests so often that I wished the narrator had dug into this part of her personality much more thoroughly. There was a lot of space here to explore why she behaved this way and how she thought it was going to improve an already tough situation.

The basketball scenes were explained well. This wasn’t a sport I know much about, so it was helpful to go into as much detail about the various drills and moves the players were expected to learn as it did. I also appreciated the passages that described how and why the relationships between team mates can change in an instant depending on what happens during practice or games.

Basketball fans and anyone who has or is curious about alopecia, take note of Pivot Move. It has interesting things to say about both of these topics.

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