The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Moth Hush has never fit in her small town. It’s okay because she has her mom, but she wishes she could make a friend or at least finally fit in enough to stop getting picked on by her peers. Everything changes on one glorious Halloween. Not only does she make a friend, but she discovers that she’s a witch! Coming into the magic she didn’t know runs through her family is the coolest thing that’s ever happened to her. Unfortunately, her mom swore off magic before she was born and doesn’t want to teach Moth a thing. In fact, she has a no magic rule. Falling face first into very real centuries old witch hunt, things quickly get out of control and she comes into her own right in the middle of it all.

I’m a huge fan of all things witches so I was very excited when I saw this book because it sounded cute, inspiring, and right up my alley. I was not disappointed because Emma Steinkellner had me glued to every page and ready to see what happens next. I love Moth as a character. She doesn’t fit in and she’s lonely, but she marches to the beat of her own drum and doesn’t let it get in the way of her interests.

The storytelling and artwork go hand in hand and tell a beautiful story about a 13-year-old girl finding who she is at an age where everyone is still confused about who they are and who they want to be. Moth is extremely relatable, and I think that any kid who has been picked on or bullied can see a piece of themselves in Moth. I love that she’s outspoken, thoughtful, and makes mistakes along the way.

Alongside Moth is a great cast of characters ranging from her mom and new friend to a helpful ghost and a group of witches who just want fellow witches to be safe and happy. I love the way that Moth’s family history, which is tied into the true history of her small town, are presented and explained through a series of flashbacks. I was so absorbed in the story at this point that my phone rang, scaring me, and I was waiting for that call when I started reading!

At its core, this is a story of friendship, family, and compromising rather than trying to force love ones to do what one thinks is best for them. I loved seeing Moth and company become a strong unit as she comes into her own and finds the confidence and strength to help and save the people she loves. I absolutely love the story and the artwork and I am looking forward to reading more of Steinkellner’s work in the future.

Aru Shah and the Song of Death (Pandava Quartet #2) by Roshani Chokshi

Aru Shah and the Song of Death by Roshani Chokshi

My Rating: ★★★★★

Aru Shah is trying to get the hang of being a Pandava when someone using her likeness steals the god of love’s bow and arrow. Unable to prove that she’s been framed, Aru, Mini, and the third Pandava are given a new task: retrieve the bow and arrow in ten days or find themselves booted from the Otherworld forever. Overwhelmed, Aru and her soul-sisters team up with a boy assigned to help them and find themselves barely strapped in for a wild ride.

I was very excited when this book dropped earlier this year and I was even more excited when I finally got my hands on it because I absolutely loved the first book in the series. Picking up where the previous book left off, we follow Aru and Mini on their next great adventure. This time, they have a new soul-sister, Brynne, and her best friend Aiden along for the ride. Sadly, Boo is held back as Aru and company are guilty until proven innocent.

The story is fast paced, funny, and has a lot of serious moments as well as moral lessons. It’s a great story that has the potential to be ageless in the same way that Harry Potter is. I love that the theme of this story is to look past the surface because things are not always what they seem, and there’s two sides to every story. It’s an important lesson for people of all ages and it’s something that is seamlessly weaved throughout the book in a way that doesn’t hit its readers over the head.

Roshani gives us such a great cast of characters. Aru is a self-conscious kid who finally feels like she’s apart of something now that it’s been revealed she has one of the Pandava brother’s souls. Like most kids her age, she just wants to fit in, so she feels like she’s finally being seen rather than cast out. Unlike most kids her age, she fears that she will eventually turn on her soul-sisters and work with the Sleeper as was predicted in the previous book. I like Aru. She’s funny, relatable, and has a heart of gold.

Aru’s sister, Mini, is my favorite character. Also a self-conscious kid, Mini is also under an immense amount of pressure by her family. Poor mini is also a huge germaphobe, which makes for great comedy when things get tough. I think she’s my favorite because I relate to her in a lot of ways, especially when I think about how I was as a pre-teen and teenager.

This time around, we have two new characters: Brynne and Aiden. Brynne is the newest soul-sister and she feels like she has a lot to prove, especially because of how she’s been treated all her life. Aiden, Brynne’s best friend and Aru’s neighbor, has everything going for him but he’s got his own hardships that slowly come out as the story continues. I rather like the new additions and I look forward to seeing how their stories develop as the series continues.

My only complaint about this book is that Aru and company do not read as a group of 12-year-olds. In the first installment, there were moments where Aru and Mini read as two 16-year-olds. This time around, if I didn’t know they were supposed to be 12, I would’ve thought they were 16 or 17 because they are much more mature than they should be for the age bracket they’re supposed to be. Otherwise, it’s a great story and I’m already looking forward to the third book.

Keep This to Yourself by Tom Ryan

Keep This to Yourself by Tom Ryan

My Rating: ★★½

A year after a serial killer breezed through Camera Cove, Mac and his small group of friends are trying to recover from the murder of one their friends and move on with their lives. Unfortunately for Mac, he discovers a note indicating that his late best friend, Connor, stumbled upon something major about the murders. He can’t move on with his life until he gets to the bottom of this note. What did Connor know, and would he have survived if Mac discovered the note sooner?

Told in the first person, we follow Mac Bell at the end of his senior year. Mac is a self-conscious, quiet, kid who has lived in a small town his whole life. After his best friend was murdered, is small group of friends barely talk anymore and he coasts along the social sidelines. I understand why he’s having difficulty figuring out his life when the story picks up. Entering adulthood can be overwhelming as it is, but he’s still reeling from the murder of his best friend and he’s having trouble starting the next phase of his life because his closest friend will never have that opportunity.

I think this would’ve made a better story if the characters were better developed. Majority of the characters are stereotypical, and we don’t get to see anything past the surface on those characters. Mac is very one dimensional and never seems to grow as a character in any direction in addition to being pretty dense for someone who finds clues the police missed. Quill and Connor are the most developed characters and I found myself wishing that we were following Quill. He splashed some life into the story the moment he appeared and is definitely the brain of this investigating duo.

I think the mystery itself was great and it took some interesting turns. I thought it was great some of the characters turned out to be much different than we were initially led to think. It’s always interesting when characters have a persona that is very different from who they really are, so it was interesting to see that one of the characters fell under this umbrella. While I think Mac should’ve been better developed, especially as our narrator, I did enjoy the book and couldn’t tear myself away from it.

The book was a fun read, but the conclusion left my jaw hanging. The detective on the case made a decision that is so off the wall unrealistic that I’m honestly dumbfounded. I would give this book a solid three stars if it wasn’t for that decision, so I’m giving this book a 2.5 because there is no way that decision would’ve ever been made. Otherwise, this was a fun read and I enjoyed some of the twists and turns it takes.

The Grim Assistant (Tales from the Grim #1) by Jodi Hutchins

The Grim Assistant by Jodi Hutchins

My Rating: ★★★

I received a copy from NineStar Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Samantha spends her early mornings surfing and the rest of the day delivering mail. The rest of her time is spent pining over her friend, Lauren, and supporting her sister while she goes through a bad divorce. Life is as simple as it can get when there’s drama surrounding a divorce until Sam drowns while she’s out surfing one early morning. Waking up in the space between life and death, Sam is given a choice by a Grim Reaper: stay dead and move on to wherever her spirit is meant to go or return to life. She chooses life, but there’s a catch to this deal. Sam must aid the Grim Reaper, Margo, in ushering difficult spirits onto the next phase of the afterlife.

Told in narrating perspectives, we follow Sam and Lauren through their lives. I think the story would’ve been better if it was either told with a single narrator or in the third person. It’s not that the first person is bad, because it isn’t, but Sam and Lauren have the same exact voice. If the shift in narrators didn’t clarify who was speaking, it would’ve been confusing until I saw the setting.

I did struggle with telling some of the characters apart in the early chapters because they were so similar that I thought a few of them were the same person based on how they spoke and acted. I kept confusing Sam and Lauren’s best friend, Jackie, during Lauren’s perspective during the early chapters. On the plus side, the characters start coming into their voices around halfway through, but they did blend into one another for several chapters early on.

I thoroughly enjoyed the supernatural aspect of the book. I see books following Grim Reapers often, so it was exciting that they were at the forefront here. Sadly, we didn’t see too much in that world for much of the book since Margo was very tight lipped until later. Once things got rolling, I was fully absorbed in the story and excited to meet new characters and see more into the supernatural world.

I was a little sad when I got to the final chapter, but I think I’ll stick around and check out the next installment. Similar voices aside, it’s a nice, fluffy paranormal romance that’s mostly fun to read. I’m looking forward to seeing the characters continue to develop as well as see how Sam’s supernatural crash course continues to go.

These Witches Don't Burn (These Witches Don't Burn #1) by Isabel Sterling

These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling

My Rating: ★★★

Hannah’s preparing to enter high school and doing all the usual things a teenager does, such as dealing with dramatic breakups, attending wild parties, and sneaking around while grounded. Oh yeah. There’s one teeny, tiny detail missing. Hannah’s a witch. In fact, she’s an elemental witch, which means she can control earth, water, fire, and air. Growing up in Salem, Massachusetts means she’s more than aware of the stereotypes that follow witches around. Hannah is okay with it since no one outside of the supernatural world knows she’s a witch. In fact, it’s forbidden to use magic in front of Regs let alone tell them she’s a witch. Her life is as normal as it gets as a teenage witch until someone performs a blood ritual at a bonfire. Terrified, Hannah suspects a Blood Witch is in town and tries to smoke them out with the help of her ex-girlfriend only to find out that they’re dealing with someone far worse than they ever could’ve imagined.

Told in the first person perspective, we follow Hannah as she narrates her life. Unfortunately for me, I disliked Hannah early on and she’s the sole narrator of the book. It’s okay though because I do like the story and several of the other characters. In fact, I liked the story and these characters so much that I continued even when I was irritated by Hannah. The reason I dislike her is because she’s extremely immature for her age in addition to thinking she knows more than everyone else. However, she was right when she sensed danger was in town right away, so I’ll give her that.

Thankfully, Isabel Sterling created a great cast of characters that I enjoyed following throughout the story. Hannah’s ex-girlfriend, while pushy, is a great character. I love Hannah’s best friend, Gemma, in addition to Hannah’s family and other friends who pop in and out of the story. I also love Morgan and look forward to seeing how her story takes form as the series continues. I can hope that the next book will be narrated by a different character, but I think I’ll be okay if Hannah is still the narrator because there’s a great cast of characters that I want to see continue to develop.

The mystery of who was attacking Hannah and company was well developed and kept me guessing all book long. I had an idea of who it was and was totally wrong in the end. I had to crack a smile when all was revealed because, at some point, I thought it would be funny if this particular character turned out to be the one Hannah and company were looking for all along only to shrug it off. It couldn’t be this person! Boy, was I wrong. What a great twist!

I love the way that the paranormal world is presented and how the backstory on witches is slipped in with ease. I look forward to learning more about the other Clans, especially Blood Witches and their true story. I’m also looking forward to seeing how Hannah and Veronica’s magic continues to develop as the story continues. It’ll be interesting to see where Isabel takes us next and how long this series will be, so you can count me in when the next book drops.

Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright

Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright

My Rating: ★★★★★

Putting a hilarious spin on history in all the right places, Jennifer Wright will crack you up while telling you all about some of the worst plagues that have been documented. If you’re someone who hears about diseases or ailments and immediately think that you have them, this book might not be for you. However, if you’re someone who likes to read about history and are interested in learning about some of the most notable disease outbreaks, this is the book for you.

When I picked up this book, I was not expecting to laugh as much as I did. Don’t get me wrong; the subject matter is serious, but Jennifer has a sense of humor that translates well even in nonfiction. Every time she inserts a photo, the caption has me rolling. At one point, there’s an illustration showing two people being treated for the Bubonic Plague. Her caption reads:

“These guys were lucky—they had pillows and an in-home wizard.”

There was never a funny moment that was horribly misplaced. There are chapters where the author is not funny because there just isn’t a time for it. However, other chapters let her personality shine through in sections and I was cracking up. It’s not a book that has a monotone voice like some nonfiction novels have.

I learned a lot throughout the chapters. I had heard of majority of the diseases and had some knowledge about them, but the only one I really knew a lot about was the travesty that was lobotomies. This is the one chapter that’s not an actual disease but rather a horrific catch-all treatment that did a lot of harm to the people who were operated on. There’s a lot of interesting information throughout the chapters including some interesting cases and notable names, treatment attempts, and cases.

This is an excellent book that’s perfect for anyone’s collection in addition to making a great gift for those interested in historical overviews.

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

My Rating: ★★★★

When a young woman attending a small-town college falls asleep and never wakes up, it sets her friends on edge. As more people living in the same dorm fall asleep and are unable to be woken up, the college begins to act accordingly. Unfortunately for this small town, this does not stop the mystery illness from spreading and the inhabitants of Santa Lora find themselves overtaken by the sleeping sickness.

Told through a series of rotating narrators as well as various, unnamed, voices, Thompson tells the story of a mystery illness that sweeps through a small town. I found this book quite interesting because of the way it’s told. We swoop into various people’s lives long enough to see what they’re up to and how they’re dealing with the looming illness and town quarantine. There are also various chapters that are from unnamed voices. There’s a paranoid voice, scientist’s voice, newscaster’s voice, and so on. It makes it an interesting read. Not all of these voices are reliable, and even the reliable ones are not always something we can trust because the sleeping sickness is affecting them differently than we’ve seen in other characters.

While we pop in and out of various character’s lives long enough to see what they’re up to and what’s going on in town, it’s easy to care for them. For example, Mei is a young woman who doesn’t fit in well at the college. Unfortunately, she finds herself falling in love with a young man who constantly and abstractly says that he wouldn’t save her if other people needed saving. Sara and Libby are two kids growing up with a paranoid father who is always planning for the end of days. Thankfully for them, his planning keeps them well supplied with food and water as their town falls into chaos. These are only a few of the characters that we follow, but we do occasionally see the characters cross paths.

I will say that this is not a book for everyone because of the way it’s told. We don’t spend enough time with the characters to truly get to know them. We also get to know some characters more than others, but I can see how this style will not pull some people in. For me, it reminds me of those movies where there’s only one scene with each cast of characters, but their story is all somehow connected. In this case, everyone is connected by the sleeping sickness sweeping through their town. Some are scared while others are pushed into action. It makes for an interesting story that falls somewhere close to being a character study.

There are a few things left unanswered, like why there was so much focus on a muddy lake when it didn’t have anything to do with the story? Did scientists ever discover where the sleeping sickness initially came from? I thought it might’ve come from the lake, but once the illness is over, it was over. I can see why some of the questions are left up in the air, but the focus on the lake is something that should’ve been explained. Regardless, I think it’s a great story.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu

My Rating: ★★★

I received a copy from Lion Forge through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nova spends her days working at her grandmother’s bookshop where she spends much of her time learning more about witchcraft, loaning out spell books, and investigating supernatural incidents. When a friend reports strange activity in the woods, Nova jumps on the case and discovers that her childhood friend and crush, Tam, is back in town and battling a horse demon while in their werewolf form. Determined to help Tam figure out how to use her werewolf magic to defeat the horse demon, they put their heads together and start to realize their old feelings for one another.

This is such cute and heartwarming story. It has a great cast of characters with a supernatural element that is not overpowering for those who don’t favor the paranormal genre. Nova is a Chinese American teenage witch who is mourning the loss of her parents while navigating a world that is not usually friendly toward people who are hard of hearing or deaf. Tam is a non-binary Chinese American teenage werewolf who feels alone in the world after leaving home and living on the streets for years. When their paths cross again, they fall back into the comfortable friendship they once had and rekindle the romantic feelings that were left

I love Nova’s relationship with her grandmothers as well as her friend, Tatyana, and how quickly she picks up her friendship with Tam. The story is set up nicely and the artwork is beautiful. It really lends itself to the story, especially when magic is used. I also love how this story is organic and the pieces fall into place without it feeling like it’s coming out of left field.

While I love the story, I do have a few questions, like why it’s called Mooncakes when they’re not integral to the story and only appears once. I also want to know what happened to Nova’s parents, how and when Tam became a werewolf, and the story behind Terry’s bird head. These are the things that we need more information on. Otherwise, it’s a great story and I plan on checking out the author’s future work.