Secrets of Camp Whatever: The Doors to Nowhere, Vol. 2 by Chris Grine

 
Secrets of Camp Whatever: The Doors to Nowhere, Vol. 2 by Chris Grine
My Rating: ★★★

It’s Willow’s birthday and Elric, a local vampire, has gifted her a spell book that was once her great grandmother’s. It turns out that there’s a bit of supernatural history in Willow’s family and there’s a good chance that Willow has inherited more than just a spell book. Now that the book is in her hands, she’s caught right in the middle of a supernatural quest for power, and that spell book is at the center of it. There’s more problems on her hands when it turns out she’s at the center of an old prophecy, too!

I loved the first volume in this series, so I was extremely excited when I saw that the second volume was out. We follow Willow and the friends she made at camp in the previous novel as they celebrate her birthday. I loved seeing Willow and her friends again, including Elric. It was so much fun to get back into this supernatural world. I was rather surprised at how dark this volume is compared to the previous one. It was more dark and spooky than a supernatural spin on real life. Though, there are still important lessons for readers. For example, Willow learns that she can be quite judgmental and mean about people she just met, especially if she doesn’t like them. It’s something she learns she has to change because not only is it mean, but her friends are put off by the attitude as well.

That said, it’s still a fun read. I enjoyed learning more about the supernatural history of the island. It was fun seeing Willow learn how to travel by magic as well to see some new supernatural developments among her friends. While the overall tone of this volume was much darker, there was still some humor sprinkled throughout the story. I cracked up when Willow and her friends went to find the forest frog because it turned out to be absolutely hilarious.

Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables by Kathleen Gros

 
Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables by Kathleen Gros

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Anne Shirley has grown up in the foster care system and has lived in more places than she wants to remember. However, things seem to be looking up when she’s placed with Matthew Cuthbert and his sister, Marilla. Despite the Cuthberts hoping for a little kid, they’re happy with the sweet, creative, thoughtful, and friendly pre-teen that has been placed with them. Now that Anne has made friends and started school, she hopes her placement with the Cuthberts will last a long time.

I grew up with Anne of Green Gables because my mom was a huge fan, so I was excited when I saw this modern retelling of the story. We follow Anne in a modern setting as she’s placed in the care of the Cuthberts due to a glitch in the system saying they don’t have a preference about who gets placed with them. Combine that with Anne’s lifelong experiences in the foster care system, she’s terrified that she’ll be moved any time she’s less than perfect. Thankfully, the Cuthberts don’t mind and instead work with her to make things right as well as learn important lessons.

I loved watching Anne grow and flourish in this new setting. There are characters and incidents kept from the original, but overall, this retelling does wonders while staying true to the original content. The artwork is fun and colorful and the characters are fun to follow. I found myself getting more and more absorbed into the story the longer I read it. I’m a huge fan of fairytale retellings, and while Anne’s story was never a fairytale, it was so much fun to see it retold in a new setting with the author’s take on it. We watch Anne make friends, settle into a reliable and solid life, and see her realize that she’s developed a crush on her best friend. I especially loved the Cuthberts because they’re such kind and caring people who are perfect guardians teaching lessons and open to learning themselves.

All in all, this was a wonderful read that also teaches important lessons to its target audience. It’s also a great way to introduce younger generations to Anne of Green Gables before diving into the original story as well as all the live action adaptations that have been made over the years.

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

 
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
My Rating: ★★★

Being the kid of the person who wrote a famous non-fiction ghost novel is hard. Maggie Holt would know since her dad is the author of that book. Despite her parent’s claims, Maggie knows that Baneberry Hall is not haunted. She may not remember living there, but she knows ghosts aren’t real and that her parents have been lying to her for the last 25-years. When Ewan Holt passes away, Maggie becomes the new owner of Baneberry Hall, the very house her parents claimed they no longer owned. As the new owner, Maggie is determined to find the answers to all her questions now that no one can stop her.

I picked up this book thinking it would be a thrilling mystery, and a possibly paranormal one at that, only to find it was simply a mystery. There was absolutely no suspense to be found here! That said, it was a fast and easy read. We follow Maggie as she’s about to find out that she’s inherited Baneberry Hall, the same home she and her family fled and never returned to… or so she thought. It was hard growing up with people thinking they knew her and her family based on the haunted tale her father published, a tale that depicted her in a way she believes is unflattering. We also follow Ewan as he presents himself in his book. Each chapter is told through a combination of a chapter of his book followed by Maggie in the present.

As far as the characters go, not many were particularly likable, Maggie included. Everyone Maggie meets after returning to Baneberry Hall has ulterior motives. She doesn’t know what they are yet, but she can see that’s the case after every meeting. While they weren’t necessarily likable, they do make an interesting cast of characters. There’s also one character we never actually meet: Allie. For someone who is a close friend and business partner, she mostly appears through the occasional text message. Honestly, it seems like she’s there to prove that Maggie has at least one friend even though this friendship isn’t exactly believable.

There are some details that aren’t very realistic. For example, Maggie arrives to check out her old childhood home in the evening. Alone. For a house that may have been left abandoned for a few decades, why would anyone show up alone and at night? That’s not even including informally hiring a guy she just met to help her work on the house because he said he’s the groundskeeper even though she has a partner. There’s no background check, no gathering of info, just superficial information exchanges and running on his family name and the fact that he’d been allegedly working for her dad. There’s a few other details that are spoilers that just seemed odd to unrealistic reactions, but they each stuck out to me.

I do like that we read passages of Ewan’s book alongside Maggie in real time. It was interesting to see how fact and fiction differed as well as what Maggie remembered from being back at the house. While many of the answers Maggie was looking for were obvious early on, my favorite part of the entire book is Ewan’s letter to her and the aftermath of what he had to say. It’s the only time in the book that didn’t have Ewan or Maggie putting their walls up. Ewan had many walls even in his book because there was something to be hidden, and Maggie was jaded between being a character in a famous paranormal non-fiction novel and knowing her parents were lying about it to her all along.

All in all, I don’t think this is a bad book and I did enjoy reading it. My best friend says Riley Sager’s other books really pack a punch, so I look forward to checking them out after reading this.

The Black City (The Woods #7) by James Tynion IV, Michael Dialynas

 
The Black City by James Tynion IV, Michael Dialynas
My Rating: ★★★★

The inhabitants of Bay Point have settled in and are living their lives as much as one can given their situation. However, there’s just one small question they need answered before they can move on once and for all: will going home ever become a real possibility? Karen, Sanami, and Ben are about to find out the answer to that once and for all now that Isaac has summoned them. The reason? It’s time to venture into The Black City, which has all the answers to their questions.

After reading the sixth volume, which I didn’t review because I didn’t have much to say about it other than I wish it was in real time rather than a series of flashbacks, I was really excited to see what this volume had in store. After a small time jump, we see Karen still struggling with Calder’s death, but dealing with it better than expected. Most of the characters appear to finally and truly settle in because the chances of going home are slim, but not totally out of the question. There’s still a small chance, but everyone knows it’s likely one very small sliver of a chance.

That’s where Isaac comes in. He’s finally figured out how to get into The Black City and survive traveling there. We finally learn what the city is as well as the original purpose of the moon all together along with who has been transporting humans to this moon at random. We finally get some answers, but now there’s new questions and a new threat to the survival of everyone living on this moon. Honestly, I wouldn’t have gone with Isaac because he’s shown he’s short tempered and untrustworthy, but that’s just me.

The most exciting part of this entire volume is that we finally get to see what’s been happening back on Earth. We learn what story has been given to explain the disappearance of the school and all of its inhabitants along with what a handful of the parents left behind believe. I’ve been dying to find out what’s been happening back on Earth, so I’m extremely excited that it’s finally happened and that we’ll be seeing more for the rest of the series. I loved seeing the parents and seeing how they’ve dealt with what’s happened. I feel bad for them, but I’m also excited to see the journey they’re about to go on after the ending of this volume. Phew. What a way to end the volume!

When He Was Wicked (Bridgertons #6) by Julia Quinn

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

My Rating: ★★

Francesca Bridgerton found the love of her life, John Stirling, only for him to pass away early in their marriage. Years later, Francesca has decided it’s time to find a new husband when she realizes she doesn’t have a passing case of baby fever. Instead, she wants to finally have children of her own even if it means she must finally move on. Francesca doesn’t expect to find love as a widow, but she does hope to find a respectable match that she can come to care for. Insert her late husband’s best friend and cousin, Michael Stirling, who has been in love with Francesca since the moment they met. The only problem is that he feels like courting Francesca would be taking one last thing from John, and Francesca can’t see past his rakish reputation.

I was excited to finally read a book following Francesca only to find that she’s a rather forgettable character. Don’t get me wrong, I do like her, but I think she’s forgettable and doesn’t have much of a personality. While Francesca is rather bland, at least Michael is more interesting to follow even though he spends much of his time obsessing over Francesca and whether or not she or other people notice his feelings for her. If we got to see more of him before this book, he has an interesting personality, so it would’ve been nice to see him as a supporting character as Francesca and John fell in love.

Honestly, I wish we had gotten a book following Francesca and John even though he would eventually pass away. It would’ve made much more sense than skipping her all together and getting to know John for a few minutes before this book kicked off. Instead, I’m not seeing the great love that Francesca and John once held. They seemed like friends who were married in the glimpse we saw into their marriage. The rest of the book is Francesca and Michael in various states of pining for each other. Even then, Michael seems to really be into her and she doesn’t seem to be that into him outside of the bedroom even when she’s proclaiming she is.

All in all, it was an okay read, but I was just not feeling Francesca or her side of the romance. I did enjoy seeing the characters we all know and love, but this is probably the one true dud in what is otherwise a great series.

Cryptid Club by Sarah Andersen

 
Cryptid Club by Sarah Andersen
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Andrews McMeel Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been following Sarah Andersen for a long time and was really excited when she started doing artwork and panels following different cryptids. I’m a huge fan of the supernatural, so cryptids are my jam. I was even more excited because I knew a book had to be following, and sure enough, there was! The pages are full of beautiful, colorful, and funny panels featuring a cast of cryptids ranging from Bigfoot to the Loch Ness Monster. Some panels are relatable, but it’s mostly a series of funny to heartwarming artwork bringing cryptids to life in a different life.

There is so much funny, relatable, and sometimes just off the wall silliness going on in this book. While you can check out panels that were shared on Instagram and other places that Sara posts, there are also many panels that are only in the book. I love that it allows people who want the book to get extra panels while allowing people who don’t want the book or can’t get it at this time to still enjoy a nice variety of these stories. My favorite Sarah Andersen style cryptid throughout the book ended up being Bigfoot. I was absolutely delighted when Bigfoot, in particular, appeared on the pages.

The back of the book features a cryptid specific glossary. It includes a drawing of each cryptid along with a little information about them. If anyone is not familiar with any of the characters before jumping in, it’s easy for them to flip to the back and read up on all the cryptids before getting started. I was surprised that there was a glossary at the end and really liked that feature even though I’m very familiar with every character who was featured.

Sue & Tai-chan, Vol. 3 by Kanata Konami

 
Sue & Tai-chan, Vol. 3 by Kanata Konami
My Rating: ★★★★★

Now that Sue and Tai-chan have bonded, they’ve started to settle into their natural routines together as Tai-chan continues to learn how to be a cool cat. Sue continues to teach, resulting in Tai-chan’s kitten energy flying missing the point and flying the stairs, pouncing, and pretending to do something other than trying to find the secret snack stash. Unfortunately for them, Tai-chan’s real owner arrives to take him home, leaving Sue with nothing but time on her hands.

This series is such a cute, light, and fluffy feel-good read that I’m always excited to read more. This time around, we see how much Sue and Tai-chan’s bond has come along when Tai-chan’s real owner arrives to take him home. We go from seeing them together, even when Sue’s sleep is being disturbed, to Sue trying to adjust to life without her new best bud. I knew that the story wouldn’t end here and that they would be reunited because this is an ongoing series, but it was so cute to see how they return to each other’s lives as well as how excited they are to see each other. I was really touched by their bond.

As always, the art is both adorable and really drives home the story telling. There’s many adorable and funny moments, making it a memorable light and fluffy read that’s good for families or days where one may just need a pick-me-up. These books always cheer me up whether or not I need cheering because they’re just so cute and happy. It makes me excited every time I pick up a new volume.