Plus One (Plus One #1) by Elizabeth Fama

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

My Rating: ★★★★

Sol was born into a world divided by day and night. Night dwellers are known as Smudges, and day dwellers are known as Rays. As a Smudge, Sol lives her life in the night. She is allowed to exit her home, work, and live her life at night. During the day, she must be home and inside unless she is given a Day Pass that allows. She’s never seen daylight except through a curtain. Sol’s grandfather, Poppu, is dying from terminal cancer and just wants to see his great granddaughter one time before he dies. However, she and Poppu haven’t seen her older brother since he was upgraded to being a day dweller, so there’s no way Poppu will be able to meet his granddaughter. Sol decides to purposely injure finger and abduct her newborn niece from the hospital and grant Poppu’s final wish, but things don’t go as planned. She finds herself under arrest and an official plus one of a day dweller with a baby who is not her niece.

I was excited to read this book for a long time, so let’s get the bad out of the way before I can get to all the good stuff. For some reason, the reasons behind people are either Smudges or Rays are not explained until about 32% into the book. This is a major world building snafu. There’s mention of a disease, and it’s clear that day and night dwelling is government enforced, but it’s not explained why that is until later. Why everyone lives this way doesn’t make a lot of sense until it’s finally explained. It’s unfortunate that this occurs so late in the book. What is this disease? Does it make people allergic to either sunlight or moonlight? And then if that’s the case, why is being a day dweller or night dweller government enforced? How can a day dweller become a night dweller and vice versa if it began as the result of a disease? These questions are not answered until well in the book, which overshadows the story as well as the world building that occurs up until this point.

Now that I’ve gotten the bad out of the way, let’s get to all of the good stuff. I love how incredibly complex the characters are. It’s clear that there’s a lot more behind the surface for every character we meet even if we won’t be seeing them again. It truly brings this world to life because everyone seems so real. I love how much this is explored with the main and supporting characters. Everyone has a backstory that impacts who they’ve become. They are so well developed that I can see how and why they are the way they are as each layer is revealed. It’s so refreshing to see this occur even with minor characters that aren’t featured for long.

At the end of the day, the two primary characters are teenagers and it’s clear in their thought process and the actions they choose to take. They’re on the cusp of adulthood and are forced to become adults early, but it’s clear that they’re teenagers deeply affected by the prejudiced world they live in. I like the way the story is resolved as well, and we’re left wondering if Sol and D’Arcy are ever able to connect again. We can also imagine the impact of their final bargain has on the world even if we don’t see it unfold on the story. All in all, this is a wonderful book that I plan on reading again.

A Magical Match (A Witchcraft Mystery #9) by Juliet Blackwell

A Magical Match by Juliet Blackwell

My Rating: ★★★★★

Lily is playing a delicate balancing act as she helps plan a fundraiser for the local women’s shelter and searches for the perfect wedding dress for her upcoming nuptials when a wrench is thrown into her plans. First, a scary man from her past arrives and demands that she return something that she doesn’t remember stealing from him. Then her fiancé, Sailor, is arrested for a murder he says he didn’t commit despite several eye witnesses. Just as she sets off to clear Sailor’s name, she comes down with a cold that appears to be affecting her magical abilities. The more she investigates, the more she suspects that a familiar magical enemy is behind the frame job and the cold that’s dulling her magical senses.

I have been a fan of this series since it first came out, and this installment did not disappoint. I love that Blackwell switches things up a bit as the series goes on to keep us on our toes as she tells her story. Just when Lily was getting comfortable, she has a crazy situation on her hands that requires her to prove that Sailor has a murderous look-a-like living in the same city. We feel the stress that Lily is under as she is forced to stretch herself thin, especially because she’s not at the top of her game.

Just to top things off, the murder victim is the scary man from her past who insists, in life and death, that she stole something from him. It forces her to investigate more into the part of her life that she doesn’t remember. I always love when we learn a bit more about a character’s past, and in this case, it allows Lily to learn what happened during the alarming meeting with her father in Germany many years ago. Plus, she’s forced to team up with characters she doesn’t always get along with, Aiden included. I enjoyed learning a little more about Aiden’s past as well as his first meeting with Lily. I always enjoy when we learn more about various characters that we see throughout a series. In this case, Aiden purposely shrouds himself in mystery, so I always look forward to what new things we learn about him.

It’s also wonderful that we finally meet Lily’s grandmother, Graciela, as well as her coven and Lily’s mother. It was heartwarming to finally meet some of the most important people in Lily’s life, as well as see Lily have a heart to heart with her mother after the rejection she’s felt for much of her life. It was truly exciting to have these characters all appear in the same place and interact with each other. As always, I’m looking forward to the next installment and where Lily’s journey will go next.

Amazing Origami Boxes by Tomoko Fuse

Amazing Origami Boxes by Tomoko Fuse

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Dover Publications through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love making origami, and little origami boxes are one of my soft spots since I used to make them all the time back when I was in high school. They always have a special place in my heart because a friend and I used to write letters and turn them into origami before delivering them to each other. It's been a while since I sat down and made origami when I saw this book and took it as a sign that it was time to revisit.

Tomoko's book is very informative and has a variety of origami boxes from simple to complex. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous. The instructions are clear and include a combination of graphs and written instructions as well as a instruction key before the very first origami box. It's great that the crafting level involved is listed for each box so that one can work their way up or choose a complex design if they are already at a higher skill level. The instructions are easy to follow, and any questions that one may have can be answered by looking at the written instructions that go hand in hand with the graphs. One really can't go wrong with this book.

Dead Weight: Murder at Camp Bloom by Terry Blas, Molly Muldoon, Matthew Seely

Dead Weight: Murder at Camp Bloom by Terry Blas, Molly Muldoon, Matthew Seely

My Rating: ★★★★★

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

Four teenagers are dropped off at Camp Bloom, a weight-loss camp, and are hesitant for different reasons. One kid is torn up about being separated from technology while another is irritated that her family is sending her there to lose weight. It's just another boring summer when Jesse, one of the teenagers, sneaks off to eat candy and play games on her phone. She's followed by one of her peers because she dropped something and they both witness the murder of everyone's favorite counselor. Thanks to some blurry pictures taken on Jesse's phone, they learn that the killer is a member of the staff. With no adults to trust, they enlist two of their peers and begin to look for clues together.

This is such a fun murder mystery set at a weight loss camp. I wasn't sure what to expect when I read the synopsis and saw that the setting was a weight loss camp, but it was handled really well. The counselors seem supportive. One of the staff members is running a side business selling junk food. The campers are encourage to share their thoughts and such as well as join activities. It was realistic to see a character who wasn't overweight but was there because they viewed themselves as such and see the others reactions. I loved seeing the four main characters bond and become friends as they worked to solve the mystery.

It's such a heartwarming graphic novel that I wish it was around when I was a teenager. It's good to have stories like this around, especially for kids who can relate to the characters and need to see positive messages like this. It's fun, positive, and shows a variety of characters and how there's always something beyond the surface. I also love the art style, and I enjoyed seeing the concept art and how the panels were brought to life at the end. I look forward to check more work out like this in the future.

Beast by Brie Spangler

Beast by Brie Spangler

My Rating: ★★★

Dylan is a lonely, tall, strong, and extremely hairy teenager, which makes him a moving target wherever he goes. Just when he thinks he's stop growing, he grows yet again and wishes he wasn't always the tallest person he's ever known. After his school bans hats and his best friend sets him up with a bad haircut, he finds himself sitting on the roof and decides to jump, thinking he'll only get a bad sprain, and wakes up with a cast on his leg. Forced to attend group therapy, he meets Jamie, and she takes his breath away. She's pretty, funny, artsy, and isn't afraid say what's on her mind. The best part? She treats Dylan like a regular person rather than the beast people view him as.

This is a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling that takes place in a modern high school setting. There's no magic or curses, but Dylan does think he's cursed whenever he's throwing himself  a pity party. Told in the first person perspective, we follow Dylan as he struggles with his peers who view him as a big beast rather than a person. He's extremely shallow himself for majority of the book, so it was interesting to see him grow as a person even though he kept devolving into a selfish guy who was blind to how his actions affected others. However, I found it difficult to get behind him for a good portion of the book because of how angry and cruel he was many times. He's always yelling, "Me! Me! Me!"

Jamie is such a great character and I wish that there were at least some chapters from her perspective. We only see what Dylan sees, and there's so much more to her character than being a seemingly carefree teen. It's not her responsibility to hold Dylan's hand and guide him through his hardships while he lashes out at her. However, she is the Belle to his Beast, so this was something that I was expecting. She's also the only one who consistently calls Dylan out on his crap, which forces him to realize that part of his problems are coming from within.

Many of the characters are presented with realistic flaws. For example, Dylan's best friend is shady and manipulative as well as superficial and viscous. However, no matter how many good and bad points these characters have, they're demonstrated in layers, making them more realistic. It's a wonderful read even though you may want to jump in the story and share some of your wisdom with these characters at times.

Natural Dyeing with Plants: Glorious Colors from Roots, Leaves & Flowers by Franziska Ebner, Romana Hasenöhrl

Natural Dyeing with Plants: Glorious Colors from Roots, Leaves & Flowers by Franziska Ebner, Romana Hasenöhrl

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Schiffer Publishing Ltd. through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've been dyeing yarn for a few years now and love dyeing with household items such as Kool-aid, tea, and coffee. This book caught my eye because I've been interested in dyeing yarn with flowers, so of course I was excited to read it and learn something new. There are several recipes for dying with a variety of plants along with preparation and dyeing instructions. In addition to this, the history behind each plant is provided as well as beautiful pictures of the different plants and various results that one can get dyeing fibers. I also enjoyed learning more ways to prepare fibers for dyeing as well as more ways to dye, such as cold dyeing.

The opening of the book is all about the history of dyeing and the popular plants that were used to dye and obtain various colors. I loved that this was included because history is another one of my soft spots, so this part of the book certainly peaked my interest. There is also instructions and pictures on ecoprinting, dyeing Easter eggs, and felting.

I'm full of inspiration after reading this book and I will start collecting plants and such so that I can start natural dyeing yarn. It's certainly a beautiful book that's full of information for the hobbyist as well as professional dyers who want to get into natural dyeing, so it's a wonderful book to have in one's collection. I love that it also encourages its readers to get in touch with other natural dyers as well as making people look at gardens in a new way.

Bearly a Lady by Cassandra Khaw

Bearly a Lady by Cassandra Khaw

My Rating: ★★★★

Zelda is a werebear who lives with her best friend and vampire, Zora, and works at fashion magazine that's not as fabulous as she thought it would be. After lusting after her werewolf neighbor and high school crush for too long, she finally lands a date with him. The only problem? Her fae boss is making her work as a bodyguard for her seemingly charming nephew because Zelda's the only werebear she can latch onto on such short notice.

This short book had me cracking up starting with the opening chapter. I even had a dream that I was a newly christened werebear running with a weretiger and a pack of werewolves after reading a few chapters before going to sleep. It's not the bodice ripper that many of us romance lovers look forward to reading, but I can promise you that this novel will knock your socks straight off. It's a humorous romance novel that I hope becomes a full fledged series because I'd love to see more of Khaw's take on paranormal entities. I love comedy and romance, so it's always fun when it meets and becomes a hilarious book like this.

I love that Zelda is a plus-size woman and that it takes a solid stab at representing the hardships that comes with that. She's judged for her size and there are moments that people openly gawk at her for it. Plus, there's a tense moment where seating isn't created with plus sized society in mind, which can cause embarrassment as well as more public judgement. It's a short, light, and fun story, so it doesn't go in depth on this topic. However, there's enough there that people who have no personal experience with this gets the idea. Zelda is also a bisexual woman of color. Again, the story doesn't go in depth on her experiences as a woman of color or as a bisexual woman, but it's definitely touched upon.

There's a small amount of world building, which includes key information about the supernatural communities that we see throughout the story. We learn information on how being a werebear works in a modern society as well as information on werewolves, vampires, and fae and how they each interact with each other and how they are each kept out of public knowledge. I would love to see a series come out of this, but if it doesn't, I will still be happy because I love the story and how funny it was as well as how it also worked to be relatable.