One Chapter

Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest

4 stars YA

She lied in shadows and allowed everyone, the ability to “do” for her. She had a voice, she was capable to do things, she just didn’t. It was now her senior year in high school and this was it. Her friends would be going off to different colleges next year and Effie, she hoped to go off to college too. A college in New York City if she had her choice but that would mean she’d have to speak up.

As Effie enters her senior year, she discovers that she no longer has her second locker at school. Not a problem with most students but Effie has cerebral palsy and she needs the two strategically-placed lockers, to help maneuver sufficiently during the day. Mom decides that Effie needs to figure this issue out on her own so she relinquishes the control button and Effie is on her own to acquire and acquire back her second locker. I had to wonder how many times Effie was allowed to take control of her own matters and who decided when she could? Effie was now a senior and this was the kind of tasks that she was responsible for: a locker. How is she even going to make it in college, on her own, if these are the types of decisions she is only allowed to make?

Effie makes small steps in this book and with each step, you have to cheer her on. When she starts to a relationship with Wilder, I cringed as I didn’t want Effie to get hurt. I thought the worse of Wilder. I thought Wilder was using her. I thought Effie was a part of one of Wilder’s dares or schemes. I didn’t want Effie to fall for Wilder and have him laughing behind her back. She was an innocent and wholesome individual and I didn’t want her to be walked on. Would she be able to find her voice, if she needed it? When her high school opened up lunch period to the seniors, I cringed when she started to accept their explanation and excuses. She voiced her concern but she wasn’t loud enough. She wasn’t being heard. As they talk about college visits, Effie hesitates about mentioning the college in N.Y.C. She’s thought about the obstacles she’ll have to face in the big city, she thought about the travel time, heck……Effie has thought through this decision so many times yet she needs to go and do a college visit to see for herself what it would actually be like.

It’s a good book about finding your voice, about stepping outside the box and testing the waters. Effie could go about life and take the easy path, the safe path or Effie can speak up and make a difference for herself and other. 4 stars

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

4 stars Mystery

I loved the points of view in this book. It was such a great way to bring this story together as we read about Emma, who is isolating herself with her dog Laika in a beach house. There is only one other neighbor with whom she communicates with via textboard and window otherwise she spends her time reading and taking walks. When Emma leaves an honest, low rating of a book online, she’s harassed by the author to remove it. Emma refuses to accommodate the author which starts the ball rolling in this book and Emma’s quiet retreat by the water is over. I’m glad that she has her dog, Laika with her as she needs those extra eyes and ears now.

I liked the relationship Emma had with her only neighbor. Their means of communication was interesting yet I questioned how much this man was actually watching her and her movements. As the strange events started to occur and intensify, I started to look at the neighbor and wondered about his involvement and his connection to the author, who Emma thought was stalking her. I started to doubt who really was involved or if it was someone else entirely. Just when I thought the book might be winding down, a new wrinkle was thrown in and we were off again. I thought the middle of the book was a bit slow for me. I liked the character of Emma as she wasn’t someone who frustrated me with being forgetful or dizzy when faced with pressure. 4 stars

Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

5 stars Sci Fi / Fiction

Dang folks! I fell all over this one. The more I read this story, the more I couldn’t put it down. The story was building on top of itself and what started off as something so innocent and sincere was falling apart. She loved her new job, this is something that she strived for and now, she finally had it. She felt that she was finally “someone.” I think that she had her head so high up in the clouds that she didn’t see what was in front of her face or what was in the mirror staring back at her. Until it was too late.

The main character is unnamed throughout the book which I found interesting. She needs money and she wants a job at Holistik, a beauty company. She feels that if she gets this job, she’ll be “someone.” She just needs this dream job: a position at Holistik. When she finally lands the job, she feels that all of her problems will be solved. She’ll have her status, friends, and of course, money. She needs the money to help pay her own bills and to keep her parents at their own facility.

She emerges herself into the Holistik culture and she sees it for what it is. She begins to see the negative pieces of the puzzle and she now wants to turn back time and start over. She wanted to be the simple girl, the girl who blends in, the girl who has no money but dear, it’s too late for that. She now has to pay the price for being a part of the Holistik team and now, it’s going to cost her. The staggering price tag on this dream job is so high that I literally scream at her. What is she going to do now?!?! Did you not see any of this before?!? I was literally worn out after reading this book. Feeling so connected and captivated by her actions, I couldn’t stop thinking about what was on the horizon for her as I tried to go about my day. Even now, the memory of this book still haunts me. 5 stars for sure!!

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson

5 stars Historical Fiction Children’s/ Middle School

Nestled in the swamp, this was their sanctuary, their home. “ No white people have ever been to Freewater,” and there were individuals who had never set foot on a plantation. Had they finally found what they were looking for? How was Mama ever going to find them?

Southland Planation had been their home. They’d heard talk about freedom up North so Ada, Homer, and Anna were ready when Mama said it was time to run. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out as planned. Mama and her two children set out but Anna failed to show up, so Mama went back for her. The overseer’s hunting dogs were sent out for the runaways and without Mama, the young ones were sent to the river to throw off their scent.

I held on tight as the young children made their way to the water and tried to manage being in this environment by themselves. Swampy water, the wildlife, and the hidden unknowns were a bit much for these children. Suddenly, nature begins paying a dangerous call to these young unexpected guests. Out of the trees, a hero emerges and comes to their rescue. Whez, that was close! If they’ll follow, he can lead them to safety but this path will lead them farther away from their Mama.

This was a great story filled with unknowns and uncertainty but a journey that you’ll never forget. As the children discover what’s inside the swamp, they’ll also discover what’s inside them. Fantastic story! 5 stars

I Survived The Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967

4 stars Graphic Novel Children’s/ Middle School

Why did the grizzlies attack? That was the question that I wanted to know. I was a bit disappointed in this book but I did like all the different nonfiction details that the book included in the story. Let’s talk first about what I liked about this graphic novel. I liked all the different information that was included inside this book. While reading this story, I read about wildlife, camping, conservation, safety, etc. I liked that they tried to educate the characters in the story which also included me (the reader) while at the same time telling an adventuresome story. I was disappointed in this even though. I guess after reading other books in this I Survived series, I felt that this event didn’t follow the magnitude of the other books that I have read. I realize that this event was important and significant but the scale of this even is much smaller than other events that I have read in this series.

The year is 1967 and the event occurs near Granite Park Chalet in Glacier National Park in Montana. With their family cabin located in the Glacier, Mel and her family are taking their yearly vacation, minus some key family members. Dad is back home as he can’t miss any more work and Mel’s mother has passed away this year but the memories of her at the cabin are still there. Pop tries hard to keep the children entertained but it’s the nightly visit of a bear that gets the threesome worked up. A visit from Aunt Cassie calms everyone down to a manageable level.

Aunt Cassie and Mel decide to talk to the ranger about the bear which leads them to discussing the event with a wildlife scientist. What an education these two receive from this scientist. Aunt Cassie and Mel decide to accompany the scientist on a day-journey which leads to all three of them discovering some interesting and eye-opening information. With data and evidence, the threesome now has the means to make some startling reports and hopefully put an end to what is happening at the Chalet.

Mel has a lot of emotions in this story and the illustrations show her struggle as she goes through them. The grizzly bears are becoming an issue in the park and no one seems to know why until they stumble upon it. I had to keep reminding myself the year was 1967 when I read this book as laws and communications were important/different then. There was a lot of important information to read in each of the text boxes at times. The colorful boxes were easy to follow, I enjoyed the characters and the story was engaging and interesting. 4 stars

I Survived The Great Chicago Fire, 1871

4.5 Graphic Novel Children’s / Middle School

This was an action-packed graphic novel about the 1871 fire in Chicago which became known as The Great Chicago Fire. Without any modern conveniences like we have today to fight fires, the Chicago Fire Department relied on pumper trucks to extinguish their fires. A city lined with miles of wooden sidewalks, streets and buildings, when any fire started, it spread quickly. Chicago did have one of the best fire departments in the U.S. yet it wasn’t adequate enough to fight any major fires that the city might have. In the evening of October 8, 1871, one such fire was started when the Midwest was experiencing drought conditions. It began in a barn and quickly spread. Oscar had just arrived in Chicago a few hours before the fire entered the city. He never wanted to leave to leave his Papa’s homestead in Minnesota and then, when faced with the hot embers of the fire, he wasn’t sure that he would survive his first night in the city.

Oscar’s Papa died a few years ago leaving Oscar and his Mama the task of tending to their Minnesota homestead. It was hard work but they managed until Mr. Morrow arrived one day and won Mama’s heart. With their recent marriage, Mama and Oscar are now moving to Chicago where Mr. Morrow resides, a popular resident Oscar soon discovers. Oscar has a reality wake-up call when he discovers how different the city is vs. the country. Mr. Morrow is proud of his city (Chicago) yet Oscar doesn’t seem impressed and his mind is occupied on other matters as they tour around. Something has caught Oscar’s eye, so he leaves the discussion and investigates.

It’s here where Oscar changed for me. I think Oscar saw life in a different light and I think he discovered a lot about himself and the word: responsibility. He mentally grew up. As he’s pondering what is happening, a spark lands on his head and starts to ignite his hair. Yep. He initially thinks red snowflakes but then sees hundreds of hot, burning embers glowing in the sky floating down towards him. Landing on his clothes – igniting them. Singeing his hair as ash floats all around him. Now what? Lost is a strange city, a city that seems to be burning, Oscar was alone.

Well, my adrenaline wanted to flip through this graphic novel as fast as I could to see how Oscar was going to get out of the city or be reunited with his mother. Perhaps he might find himself in a more horrifying predicament and he’d need to be rescued. I slowed down my reading and enjoyed this read. The illustrations of the fire were exciting and intense at times. The variety of text fonts on these pages were a great bonus. The text boxes were easy to follow and the text was entertaining and not wordy. There are some important pages at the end of the book about The Great Chicago Fire which were very interesting so don’t miss them.

Oscar wasn’t thrilled about his Mama remarrying Mr. Morrow. Add that to him leaving Minnesota and landing in Chicago where a major fire erupts on his first day. Oscar sure leads an exciting life. 4.5 stars

Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose

3.5 stars Mystery

She threw around the word “friend” yet, she didn’t for the life of her, know what the real meaning of that word meant! According to Ciara definition, a friend was someone who you could take advantage of, someone who would bend over backwards for you but they’d better not expect the same from her. A friend was someone who was loyal to Ciara and her only and when Ciara needed someone, they’d better be hopping over to lend their shoulder. Give this chick a wakeup call! She was really getting on my nerves! Why was everyone following her around, wanting to be in her circle? Couldn’t they really “see” her?

It was hard to keep track of everyone in this book. Perhaps, if everyone would stay in their corner it wouldn’t have been so hard, but these individuals were like spinning a web. They were supposed to be couples, that were supposed to be together but boy, did they have baggage. What I actually meant to say, is that they had oversized luggage! There wasn’t one happy couple in the whole bunch. Each of them had issues that ended up flowing into one of the other couples.

Ciara lives this perfect life on Instagram but in reality, she’s a mess. Depending on which friend you are, Ciara lets you see into her many different lives. With a husband and a couple kids, she’s something else! It’s a good thing that one of her children attend school and there’s a grandmother living close, as the children need some stability when Ciara needs her space. The lies fall right off her tongue as she zips down the road to her next rendezvous or shopping excursion, after she frees herself from her children. Mishti is Ciara’s dearest friend. Mishti arranged marriage to Parth is anything but perfect but that makes her life fit right in with Ciara’s. Mishti feels as if she’s missing out and she really is. Mishti, my lady, open your eyes as you really are missing out on ….. what’s right in front of you! There’s Lauren, who I wasn’t sure I wanted to like but the more I read about her, the more I cheered her on. She likes to throw punches and for being a timid thing, she was finally trying to break out of her shell but her words got stuck on her tongue. Lauren’s written words spoke louder than her voice.

This was a twisted story for me. I liked how all the characters were linked together and how the drama unfolded in layers. I found though, that I was waiting for something else to happen in the book. I don’t know what else I was expecting to occur but as I was reading and I got 75% of the book finished, I wondered if this drama that I had been reading about, was all there was to expect in this book. I was emotionally caught up in the characters and their lives which was a good thing but I really didn’t care about any of these individuals in the end. 3.5 stars.

Cinderella — With Dogs! by Linda Bailey

5 stars Children’s

Poor Cinderella, she never had any fun, until she got dogs! It all started when her Fairy Godmother turned out to be a dog. A “Dogmother.” How funny is that? The Fairy Dogmother saw that Cinderella needed cheering up so they headed outside to chase squirrels. Yes, the two of them chased squirrels and Cinderella loved it because she did feel better and it got her outside in the fresh air.

Cinderella has to remind the Fairy Dogmother about what she’s supposed to do for Cinderella which I thought was funny as the Fairy Dogmother as she interested in doing dog things. Cinderella didn’t get to have a beautiful gown for the ball but she did get to wear an old dog blanket which the Fairy Dogmother thought, “smells divine.” Think like a dog and you can imagine how the rest of her attire went that night.

The story does try to follow the traditional storyline of Cinderella but dogs take over the theme. The illustrations are cartoonish with bright colors. There were numerous cats in the illustrations, I noticed. It’s a very cute and funny story which has some great surprises. I enjoyed it and so did my grandkids. 5 stars

Big by Vashti Harrison

5 stars Chilren’s

Everyone thought she was cute as a baby until she grew up and then, the cuteness wore off. How sad and truthful this book really is. When she was born, the little girl was beautiful and loved. She was everything and anything she wanted to be and she basked in that limelight. The light started to do dim when she entered school. It started with comments, as she now didn’t fit the norm and others threw their opinion at her, for they didn’t care.

She began to see herself differently now. She wasn’t the beautiful and loved individual that she once was, no! She was what everyone else saw, she was all those words, all the hurtful words that she had heard. She began to shrink; it was easier this way. Everyone had their eyes on her, their words stung: they couldn’t be silent. She was only a young child and it was getting to be too much.

Wow, what a powerful book! The illustrations are fantastic and I loved how some of the pages had just a few words on them but the emotions behind them were deep. The face on the young child looked defeated and sad, she was so young. The book shows just how much strength words can have on an individual no matter how old they are. A great story to share with others and discuss. 5 stars

“She decided to make more space for herself…..”

Roger is Going Fishing by Koen van Biesen

5 stars Children’s

After reading Roger is Reading a Book, I had to read Roger is Going Fishing. The illustrations in this book are fabulous and they totally make the book! It’s Roger and Emily again and this time, Roger is going fishing and he’s taking Emily and his dog, Bob with him. There are lots of action words and repetitive lines in this book which I enjoyed. Peddling as fast as he can, Roger flies by many people as he moves through the city, on the way to the lake. Emily is on the back of the bike, holding onto the fishing pole while Bob rides in the wicker basket by the handle bars.

Emily’s fishing line keeps snagging on everything that they pass and when it does, she calls out, “Roger! Roger! I’ve got a bite!” for which Roger repeats a refrain that she can’t fish there and that she must wait till they get to the lake. Watching the illustrations, you see what Emily had snagged on her line and follow that item and see where it ends up on the bike. Quite funny and resourceful!

There is so much to like about this book! I liked all the references to sound. From the Hip Hop Hip Hop, Dum Dum Dum and so forth, to the recurring lines in the book. The illustrations were fun, entertaining and I really enjoyed looking at these. As they get out of the city and arrive in the country, the lake doesn’t seem as quiet as he thought. A fantastic book! 5 stars