One Chapter

What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski

5 stars YA/Middle School

Imagine yourself being a new girl in 8^th grade. You’re in junior high, trying to fit in, and figuring out everything there is to know about this new life of yours. One of your teachers assigns an open-ended assignment which accounts for 85% of your final grade. That assignment: pick any social issue that’s not in the public’s eye, and that issue must matter to you. There are tons of topics that flooded through my head when I thought about this but for Anna, she could only come up with one: what happened to Rachel Riley?

Why Rachel Riley? Maybe it’s the fact that Rachel sits with her head shoved in her book, during lunchtime, totally isolated from everyone. Maybe it’s the fact that during “birthday cheers” in the assembly, the audience went silent when the principal read off Rachel Riley’s name. Even Anna, the new girl, was surprised when she received a few cheers from the audience when her name was called. Maybe it’s the fact that no one will mention Rachel Riley or acknowledge her. Maybe it’s the fact that last year, Rachel Ray was one of the popular girls at the school and she was even on the dance team. How can one of the most popular girls in school become invisible so quickly?

Anna’s teacher discourages her from using this topic but that doesn’t stop her. Being the new girl, Anna uses this to her advantage, as she approaches different individuals who she believes can offer her some insight. No one wants to divulge into the event(s) that have led to this yet with determination and skills Anna uncovers the clues.

I enjoyed how Anna took it upon herself to get to the heart of the matter. When adults and her peers told her to back off, she continued in her search for the truth. I felt that Anna could have taken a safer route, but she didn’t, which showed me what kind of an individual she was. I enjoyed the different formats used in the book as it gave authenticity to the storyline. The story brings up some excellent issues that middle-schoolers and sadly, even younger children experience today. This is a fantastic book that needs to be shared. 5 stars

Issues: bullying, sexual harassment, friendship, gender inequality,

The New Neighbor by Carter Wilson

3.5 stars Mystery

It finally paid off! Marlowe has been playing the same lottery numbers for years and today, it finally paid off, as he nails all the numbers to win, thirty-million-dollar dollars! Marlowe should be dancing in the street but today, Marlowe is burying his wife. Really? Both of these events happen in the same day? This sounded kinda fishy to me as I tried to take in what was just happening. A major high and a major low all in one day, or was it?

With the means to start over, Marlowe takes his young children out of the city and moves them to the quieter countryside. It’s a beautiful old home with Marlowe being the children’s sole caregiver. He immediately begins setting up the house. With all the new adjustments, Marlowe invites his father to come stay for a while as he gets the family settled. It’s not long before Marlowe begins to receive threatening letters, letters stating that they are keeping an eye on him. Who and why, they don’t know. With some research, they realize that the perfect house that Marlowe bought came with its own past.

So many questions flooded my mind as I read this book. I was on edge about Marlowe throughout the book as he tries to take control of the many situations that surround him. When he invited his father out to the new house, lots of alarms sounded in my head yet perhaps I had imagined this would not be a good visit. The pacing of the book was fast at the beginning and soon it slowed down as the mystery started to shine. I was hoping for some unexpected twists to heighten the story for me. It was an enjoyable read not a memorable one. 3.5 stars

Pizza and Taco: Dare to be Scared! by Stephen Shaskan

5 stars Graphic Novel Children’s

It’s a fast-paced, hilarious graphic novel that is easy to read and follow. There are 5 chapters in this book which range from 8 to 16 pages in length. There’s not that many words to read and the language is easy, and children will love it. The illustrations are bright and simple, and I liked that they were not overly busy. My four-year-old grandsons liked this book and we read it a few times before returning it to the library.

Pizza and Taco are at it again, but this time Pizza went too far and has scared Taco. I love Taco’s excitement when he sees Pizza – it feels as if there is so much love there. As Taco is running to see Pizza, Pizza turns around and scares Taco with a mask that he has put on. Taco is scared and embarrassed as Pizza calls him out on being scared.

Taco wants a turn on scaring Pizza but it’s funny as Taco’s antics are nothing compared to what Pizza did. Let the challenge begin: “A Dare-to-be-Scared-Challenge.

Soon, Pizza and Taco each take turns picking things that they think the other friend will fear. “I date you to stay in a dark closet for ten minutes!” Ha, what a hoot! As they try to spook each other, the friends are really scared (you must see their faces – ha) but they will not admit it to each other. The ending is cute and hilarious. Super cute book – besties!!

This series is so cute! I think I pick up this series to read more for me than the grandkids. I love how these best friends get into their head’s little ideas and then, by the end of the book, they’re still best friends. The stories move quickly, and the storylines are what kids would love to read. The language and actions are fun and entertaining – what a great series! 5 stars

Pizza and Taco: Who’s the Best? by Stephen Shaskan

5 stars Children’s series

Yup! A slice of cheese pizza and a walking taco make up this children’s graphic novel. They’re best friends yet in this book, they want to find out which one of them is better than the other. They have a best-friends dance which consists of yes, a fist bump and a butt bump.

Trouble started when pizza didn’t return the compliment that taco gave his best friend. Had pizza told taco that, “he was the best!” this little argument between them would have never happened.

Taco and Pizza both try to list off the ways they are better but that doesn’t solve the problem, so they enlist the help of Hamburger. That doesn’t help either, so Taco and Pizza have a voting contest after they give their speeches. That doesn’t go over very well either so they do some create some challenges between themselves and in the end, yep…..everyone wins.

This Old Boat by Jarrett Pumphrey

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

With a vintage feel, this book is filled with a lot to look at. Notice the individuals in the boat and how they age as you flip the page. The sea is filled with marine life as a young mother and son aboard a small green boat to go fishing. The mother with her yellow hat holds the fishing pole while the young boy, sporting a green cap, watches the water. New adventures await each time this pair hit the water, and you can see how the pair ages as you turn the page.

They fish while in the boat, enjoying their time together. The sea is always there for them but what it can provide for them is not always a good experience as the water and its shore are now becoming filled with trash and waste.

The boat provides them with transportation until the day a violent storm hits (notice the occupants), and the boat is no more. The boat has now become a part of the water. Surviving the storm, the sailor now knows what he must do.

I really think you need to follow the illustrations closely to grasp all the concepts behind this book. I don’t think real young children will understand exactly what is happening as you turn each page without someone pointing them out. Every child will understand the environmental impact that this book presents as the illustrations do an excellent job portraying them. I like the colors that were used in this book too. 5 stars

Ten Little Rabbits by Maurice Sendak

4.5 stars Children’s Picture Book

I think this book will be a hit or miss with children. I really enjoyed it and one of my grandsons did also. We read it a couple times and like me, he was adding his own words to the story as we flipped through the book together.

My other grandson read the story and he wasn’t as thrilled with the book. My grandsons are both 4 years old.

It’s an almost wordless picture book, that like the title implies, is about 10 rabbits and a little magician that makes them appear and disappear. I liked the simple, clear illustration on each page, and I liked that there wasn’t any other busy coloring or action taking place on the page. I think this is a good counting book for 1-10. 4.5 stars

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

5 stars Thriller

The price we pay for our family. Career or family? Catherine is ready to begin a new chapter in her life, as she finishes up the last details on her new job in Baltimore. Currently working as a nurse in a memory care unit, there’s a land of opportunity awaiting Catherine. Her mother, a hard-working individual, is now beginning to display signs of aging: missing keys, a forgotten word, and loss of concentration. After months of reoccurrences, Catherine realizes that her mother might have Alzheimer’s. Confirming her assessment with a doctor’s visit, Catherine changes her future as her mother now needs her home.

Catherine’s has had limited knowledge about her past, including her family, so it’s no surprise to learn that her grandmother also had this disease. As Catherine digs into her family history, she begins to uncover truths that were meant to stay buried. Mother had tried to paint a good picture but now Catherine is peeling back the layers and discovering how much she really knows about her so-called life. It’s a book you want to savor yet you can’t stop the pages from flying by.

There are so many layers in this book which I really enjoyed. It’s a story that you can’t get too comfortable with, as you never know what the next page might bring. As Catherine started to uncover her mother’s deceit, she never knew what to expect. Catherine knew that she had a good mother but at what cost? Blessed with a devoted, loving mother, Catherine learns that behind that appearance was someone who wanted to be hidden. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen, and St. Martin’s Press for an arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Name Was Eden by Eleanor Barker-White

2.5 stars Fiction

I liked the premise of this book. Vanishing Twin Syndrome? The surviving twin is now in her teens, and she survives an accident. When she awakens, she takes on the persona of her departed sibling. This sounds like an interesting and exciting storyline. Why would she do this? Is someone playing with them?

Lucy was pregnant with twins but later discovered that only one of the twins survived. The other twin had been absorbed by the surviving twin. Fast forward fourteen years and now Eden is being dragged out of the water. There’s no brain injury, all tests and scans look good, she has survived! Everything is looking great until Eden tells them that she wants to be called Eli. What? Are you sure there is no brain injury? Eden now believes that she’s the dead brother that she absorbed in the womb.

When asked what happened to Eden, she calmly states that her heart stopped beating and she died. Perhaps this is not such a big deal and she’ll snap out-of-it but when Eden’s personality starts to change, then things get more complicated. So, what do you do? I started to question the other individuals in the story and wondered if they were all seeing the same thing. How were they reacting to this new event? I was getting confused as I read, and I have to say that the first half of the book was the best for me. I had to piece together the rest of the book for myself, to get some closure so that I could move on. 2.5 stars

I received a copy of this book from Scene of the Crime Early Read Program, William Morrow and Eleanor Barker-White in exchange for an honest opinion.

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow

5 stars YA Realistic Fiction

Read this! This book is fabulous! Although written about a subject we are unfortunately all too familiar with, this book has many laughable moments and moments where you where you want to reach inside the book and hug the characters. Imagine being 12 years old and moving into the National Quiet Zone. What is that? You’d be living in the only place in the United States without internet! No TV’s, cell phones, cable…..think about it. For Simon, this place sounds perfect as finally, the limelight will be off him for a change.

The story of his father’s Blessing of the Animals started the book off but this was just the beginning of the humor that fed through the story. As a Catholic Deacon, dad was trying to perform his duties when things got out of control and the inside of the church erupted in madness and disorder. Dad should have set up more boundaries but now, dad was unemployed, and Simon blamed the llamas for their move to Nebraska. Anxiety plagues Simon and I wondered as I read what caused this. Was his family plagued by bad accidents? Did something happen in his past? It’s as if Simon wants to remain invisible.

Simon meets Agate and she is a feisty character. In the National Quiet Zone, Simon finds that there is a lot of scientific research occurring. Without the internet, scientists can focus on the vast unknown areas of space without interference. When Simon meets Agate, he gets an education in space as she has done her research. Agate is one feisty individual and I loved her personality. She senses that something is wrong with Simon and that he is anxious. When she brought him a puppy, my heart soared, and I laughed as this new adventure with them began.

When Simon met Agate’s dog, I cracked up laughing as the dog retrieved a beer out the refrigerator by himself. As Simon stares, Agate tells Simon that it’s okay, “he only has one.” As a person who trains service dogs, Agate explains to Simon that her dog Todd doesn’t like pleasing people. What a hoot! Later, Ash Wednesday arrives and then comes the incident in the church with the consecrated host, I’m still laughing today about those.

Simon tries to move forward with his new life but every day moves him closer to the anniversary. How will he be able to survive the day? As the truth comes out, I’m lost for words as Simon tries to grasp the extent of being a survivor. Why or why me?

Wowza…. fantastic book that put me on a roller coaster. The fun-facts in the book were interesting and funny too, 5 stars!!!

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

4.5 stars Mystery Audio

With the use of poems, I liked this twist on the classic, And Then There Were None. It was more anticipation and mystery than suspense as I dove into this book, as the poems help set the storyline up.

Gathering her family around her, Nana invites them all to her cottage for her 80^th birthday. Her family is a mixed bag of characters all with their own quirks and behaviors. This is a memorable birthday, for many years ago, a fortune teller told Nana that she would die when she was 80. The cottage is old and shabby, and its location is remote. What a party! A family celebration is a remote, outdated cottage, that’s only direct access is when the tide comes in. Tonight, a major storm is gearing up for that area which will leave them more isolated and unprepared for tonight’s excitement. Sounds like a wonderful family get together, doesn’t it?

Nana enjoys having everyone there and greets them warmly. As they gather, each member quietly slides back into the past as they recall previous memories. This is the first of many flashbacks the reader takes as we connect the past with the present. What direction each of their lives took and why and how Nana fit into them. Nana has been an author and illustrator throughout the years and her cottage shows the love for her work. Nana gathers the group together and reads them her will. This comes as a shock to most of them and there’s a shift in the air. Oh course, things are not fair but what can they do? They can’t leave, high tide isn’t for hours and now, they must make the best of the situation and eventually, they all settle in for the night.

There’s a crash! They find a ladder and they find her. Nana’s body is on the floor. Emotions and shock fill every molecule. What happened? In the middle of night this happens. Wait, what day is this? Yes, it’s officially Nana’s 80^th birthday. They notice a poem on the wall, a poem that includes every member of the family. The poem that gets repeated mention in the story as the body count increases, the tide comes closer to the shore, and the night turns to day. The ending was fun and wraps the story up rather quickly (sinister laugh). 4.5 stars