It’s a mysterious and surprising tale regarding a young boy who
finally discovers his father and the grandparents, that he doesn’t recall. The story moves quickly; swallowing you in an
adventure where you’re not sure what will happen in the end.
Max finds it strange that he’s off to spend a weekend alone with
some relatives that he doesn’t even know or remember. Yet, somehow, he is told the time is right
for this visit with his grandparents. Welcome
to Creepville, in Wolf County. This can’t
be the place when they finally turn off the engine and get out. The home has been taken over by cobwebs, some
boarded up windows, and Max will discover later, no phone or electricity.
The place looks deserted but as they walk around, an older
man appears clutching an ax, and then an older woman emerges in a bloodstained
apron, lugging a hog. The stage is set
for Max’s weekend as mom quickly makes her exit in her minivan.
I enjoyed how Max was fed the story of his family. Through a neighbor girl, his father’s diary,
his mother, and his grandparents, Max learns about himself and his family. There are elements of surprise and
anticipation in the novel and I liked how they flowed into the story. There
wasn’t anything gross or descriptive in the novel, just mysterious and creature
horror.
I think it’s a great book for kids who can handle some
horror without getting scared.
“He was torn between his desire to obey his grandparents and
the curiosity he now felt about what Jade was saying. He wasn’t sure who to trust.”
I fell in love with this book after the first few pages. The sweet, calm fashion of this book had soon
expanded and now, I was feeling the same way. The situation was all too familiar for me and if
only I could turn back time, it could have been me in that room, answering
those questions.
Everything in this book made it perfect for me. The way the book was laid out, its illustrations,
and its text; everything had its proper place and time.
As I watched the adult male in the illustrations, I liked how
his movements changed from one illustration to the next. I think his movements added a great deal to
the book. There are other small changes that
were taking place in this bedroom scene, changes that were very important,
changes that our eyes noticed automatically.
The questions that the young child asked, reminded me of
ones that my own children would inquire about when they were younger. The constant
questioning, the layer-upon-layer of mindful thinking. When would they stop? The
answers came back in a creative response.
The adult even linked some of his responses together. With fantastic illustrations in mixed-media tones,
the illustrations complement the tone of the text, and they make you stop and
take notice of them.
A brilliant and sweet book, a book that I cannot get enough of. It’s definitely a book that you’ll want to share.
I enjoyed the quick-paced story and the thought the illustrations
were amazing. It you take this story for
what it is, a story, it’s a wonderful adventure and kids will think so too but
if you have to analyze, you’ll probably be able to find a few things wrong with
it, so just enjoy it. It reminds me of some
of the comics I used to read when I was younger.
Otto, the elephant misses his chum, Georgie. Georgie, (a monkey)
was taken out of the jungle by the man with a wooden nose and Otto, like most
elephants never forgot anything about the whole ordeal. Crackers, (parrot) his friend,
helps Otto remember what happened that day and the two friends set off to try
to find Georgie in America.
Aboard the metal bird (airplane), after being wrapped as a special
and oversized package, the two land in America and begin their hunt. Sure, they get some attention but it seems that
spotting an elephant and a parrot on the streets, of a big city in America, is
not that unusual. The big question is,
will they be able to find Georgie amongst all these people?
It was the adventure that these two friends had trying to locate
Georgie that made this book so enjoyable.
Otto’s size caused quite a few crashes and their lack of understanding
was humorous to me yet others didn’t see it that way. Their love for one another was felt as they
watched out for one another throughout their trip and they tried to fit in to
their new surroundings, the best that they could. I loved how Crackers pushed
and pushed to squeeze Otto into some of the smallest places for an elephant and
I thought Otto’s allergy was extreme but I can see how kids would love it and laugh
as the final scenes of this book processed.
The illustrations are bright and colorful, they really add to the story.
This was a fun and entertaining graphic novel designed for
children. Filled with interesting and humorous
characters, I think young kids will enjoy this book. If you’re ready for some childish, make-believe
fun, pick this book up and be ready for anything.
The loved The Weight of Blood so I was excited to read this
novel. I found myself putting this novel
down many times as in the beginning, I just couldn’t get my mind wrapped around
the drama unfolding. It just wasn’t as captivating
as I hoped it would be for I just wanted
to drown in the misery of Blackwater because I like these kinds of books.
No one seems to care about another death in Blackwater but
Sadie wants to know why her brother Shane, has died. Crystle, his widow, was ready to move on
before Shane’s body was even cold and I took a disliking to her
immediately. When another body is discovered, suddenly
Shane’s case gets some attention.
You have to understand the town and its history to fully grasp
the novel. Blackwater has had its share
of issues over the years. If you’re lucky
and can leave town, you just might miss out on being a part of the poverty and the
drug issues that suffocate its citizens. Leaving family behind? Your ties with Blackwater will never be
broken. Those that don’t make it out, life
in Blackwater is heavy. You will never
find that four-leaf clover or that lucky penny, for it feels as if there is a
curse on the city, an evil curse.
Perhaps it was my mindset when I was reading this novel that
caused me not to concentrate on it and enjoy it. I would like to read this book again in the
future. I am looking forward to reading more
from this author in the future.
I listened to this novel and I really enjoyed it. I also was provided a copy of the novel so I could follow along. To me, it was one of those mysterious novels where something felt off and I was just waiting for something major to transpire, because it had to, right? The answers just never seemed to add up.
I wanted to pull Joe through the pages and strangle him. His behavior was driving me crazy. Had his young son not seen his mother’s car, his wife’s affair might not have been detected. Joe was educated yet at times, he acted like he was wearing blinders. Exposed, Mel claims that her relationship with Ben is over but is it really? With clever twists, the story gives you a lot to think about.
I liked the short chapters and how quickly the novel progressed. I liked how William (son) was involved in the novel and how he continued to play a role throughout the story. It was a clever story and one that kept me vigilant until the very end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me a copy of this book, this review is my own opinion of the novel.
Girls & ladies, listen and listen carefully to what I
have to say. If you feel you need
someone in your corner, you need this book.
If you have goals and lack the motivation to go after them, you need
this book. If you just need to hear
someone fired up, to get you moving, you need this book. I was not prepared for what I listened to
when I put this novel in my car’s CD player.
I have just recently purchased a couple of Rachel Hollis’
cookbooks which I absolutely love. They are composed of dishes that I would
actually make. Its real food created from actual grocery stores, not food made
with fancy bouquet food where I’d buy a jar of something that I’d never use
again but actual food. With these down-to-earth recipes, I figured Rachel would
be an easy-going girl yet what I heard in this novel was a woman who was driven,
strong, and very motivated. Bring it on Rachel, we need to hear more of this!
The more I listened to this novel, the more I understood
where she got this ambition. Rachel just doesn’t try to motivate us women, she
gives us some background on her own story so I know where she is coming
from. Listening to her read her own novel,
I could feel how she owned each word that she had put down in print. The energy and desire that she has to help
others feel the same way she feels can definitely be felt while listening to
her. It’s as if she’s trying to tell people: “Come on! Wake up and get with the
program!”
Do you need Rachel in your life? I highly recommend the audio of this book,
the enthusiasm and the passion as she reads her own words is definitely worth
it.
I love cats and I’ve been looking at these graphic novels for
a while now. The CatStronauts are just
what they sound like, cats who are astronauts.
Weird, yes but feasible in a kid-friendly world. I enjoyed all the subtle cat references, the friendships,
the easy flow of this graphic novel, and their adventure.
In this mission, Pom Pom is finished helping colonize Mars and
is now meeting up with his team on the Space Station. The team will now try to repair
the Hubba Bubba Telescope. Sounds easy enough for the CatStronauts until transmission
problems arise and they can’t talk to ground control. They discover that meteor showers are causing
all the interference. The problems just
continue for the team as they try to fix one problem after another, until they
discover that if they don’t act quickly, destruction on a massive scale is in
their future.
“What the fish is going on?!” These references were just
part of the text, which made me smile as I read this book. References to the kitty box, tuna, kitties,
etc., caught my attention, although there really weren’t a whole lot of them. I felt that they added to the charm of the
book and to the characters, themselves.
This graphic novel had a good flow to it. There was enough action to keep me engaged
and the illustrations were detailed and they complemented to the story. I’m often asked what would be a great graphic
novel to give to a young child and I think this one would fit the bill. It’s a great child’s graphic novel for any
level, I believe. I’m going to pick up
other books in this series to see what these cats are up to.
This book is a hoot!
I loved it! The illustrations
alone are worth the read but when you add in the text, you will absolutely fall
in love with it. It’s a book where there are clues everywhere, but who is
looking?
Glenda and Horace, are invited to spend the weekend at Eatum
Hall and they’re all excited. All the gourmet
food that they can eat and they can eat a lot! Yet, when they arrive, they
cannot find their host. They find a note
instead (with fun clues in it) that tells them to enjoy themselves and their host
will join them later.
There were plenty of times while reading this book that I was
chuckling but now, I was laughing. Here
in this isolated older house, were a plump goose and a pig and they’re looking
forward to staying here by themselves. As they look around, they don’t even see
all the clues that are everywhere around them.
I would have been running out the door, had it been me. The illustrations are fantastic and you can
get lost just admiring them. Their host provided
the best for them and they begin to settle in.
They were going to take advantage of this relaxing weekend.
Noticing the clues around them, Glenda comments on the doctor’s
love of art while Horace remarks on how smart the doctor is, as the doctor has put
a lot of detail in making sure that his guests are comfortable in his absence. Meanwhile,
the author reveals to his reader, the true identity of Dr. A. Hunter, and what
his true plans are.
This is definitely an exciting and fun book. I’ve read and thumbed through it a few times,
just admiring how it all comes together and it truly is a book worth reading. I
highly recommend it.
I do feel that some children might be too young for it
though. Why? There’s a lot of inferring
that occurs in this book to truly enjoy it and they might not get or understand
it and/or the child might not care for the book’s ending. Just know your child before reading this book
to them.
Let’s talk about some Halloween food, shall we? I came across a Halloween display at the
grocery store and picked up some fun decorations to go on top of some baking
treats. Growing up, I had just the
colored sprinkles and if you got lucky, we got the colored little balls that rolled
all over the place when you went to put them on anything and of course, they
tasted so much better than the sprinkles.
Now the choices for decorations are endless. I ended up purchasing a creepy
pack and not your normal sprinkles, my friend. I thought I needed a cookbook to
go with these so I found a Betty Crocker Halloween Cookbook at the library and voila,
I now have more than I asked for.
The decorations I picked up were a candy pack of skulls,
bones, gravestones, large eyeballs and bats. My other pack is a mix of orange, black
and white sprinkles of ghosts, bats, pumpkins, moons, and bright Halloween tiny
balls (of course). What to do with all of them was the question that I hoped
this book would answer.
Boneyard Dirt Pops were chocolate cake pops with chocolate
sandwich cookies on top (dirt) with bone candies on top (excellent idea!).
Tarantula Treats were cupcakes that looked like the creepy spider that I could use
the eyes on. Tombstone Cupcakes were, just what they said they were and another
great idea. I was coming up with some
great ideas in this book and getting hungry. The Halloween Party Pops were another
great idea and I could decorate them anyway I wanted although they had some
great ideas especially the spider web one.
I think I had enough ideas here. I noticed the Scary ghost Pancakes (I
love pancakes) as I was making my way to the treats section. I wouldn’t be using any of my treats but I
would be eating some special pancakes.
There are recipes for having a feast in this book. Lots of snacks, meals, drinks, and of course
desserts. In the Mystifying Main Dishes, I liked the Chicken Enchilada Mummies and
the Serpent Sub. They looked like fun and a simple idea to bring the holiday to
the table. Need some Bubbly Black Punch
with a Wormy Ice Ring or Lemon-Slime Punch to wash it all down? How about some Spider Bites out of jello, or
Bugs in a Blanket, or the Spiderweb Deviled Eggs (which, of my heavens looks so
cool with all the lines on them).
I would say that about half of the recipes call for premade
items. Items like Pillsbury Grands biscuits,
Pillsbury Sugar cookie dough, a box of chocolate cake mix, a spice cake mix, or
Bisquick. Using these items, they explain
how to shape or create the Halloween item using brown sugar, milk, eggs, etc.
until you have the finished item. Other
recipes have the cook taking baby back ribs, or ground beef, or instant pudding,
or chocolate ice cream or whatever and creating the Halloween treat from
scratch. If you want to make it all from
scratch, make your own sugar cookie recipe, make your own chocolate cake recipe,
do whatever you want or make substitutes if you have allergies, the ideas and
the fun is inside the book.
There are 200 pages in this Halloween cookbook complete with
an index and the recipes broken down into sections. I hate to ruin the fun but there is a calorie
counter for each of the recipes, along with step-by-step directions, the time
to completion them, and how many each recipe will make. Are there illustrations/pictures? You bet,
one for every recipe which are directly across from the recipe.
Another great book from Betty Crocker. I was entertained and I will be making some of these tasty treats this year.
I liked how this book has a little bit of everything in it. From recipes to make, to costumes to throw together, to decorations for your little part of the world, this book is Halloween DIY. You can be a beginner or an intermediate DIY individual to be successful as the author helps you with great directions.
When I first picked this book up, I was looking for a couple easy crafts to make and after looking through it, my list of Halloween items is long. I started out just flipping through it and stopped. I decided to go page-by-page, writing ideas and instructions down, so I knew what to do later.
There are a few items that I’ve seen done already and that’s fine. There are also a few ideas that were way out of my league but hey, they’re cool ideas if you have that talent. I liked the paper witches. Tracing them, you enlarge them (as big as you want) and put them on kraft paper and place them in your window with tape. (They supply you with 3 witches on graph paper at the bottom of the page). The Unwelcome mat was fun too along with the Boo and Beware mirrors but I don’t think I’ll be making them but they look super easy to make. The costume section was really cute and clever. The crow and swamp girl were my favorites. I liked that they made using simple, cheap items that you’d be able to find and not something that you’d have to spend a lot of money on, tear it up and then get creative. The recipe section had some fun and festive ideas and if I wanted to get creative, I could make the Haunted Cookie House. I’m sure my granddaughter would love to help me. It’s mostly snacks and goodies here except for some stew, bread, and a Sand-Witch. Put that Sand-Witch in someone’s lunch and see what they have to say. Lots of fun, I say.
I liked the hand & spider cutouts and I am planning on using them on a few pumpkins this year. They work the same exact way as the paper witches, only you trace them on a pumpkin and a hand is illuminated. There are lots of other fun ideas on carving pumpkins too. As far as the crafts, which is what I got the book for, I only found one that looked promising to me. There were no directions for it, as it was used as a prop but I think I can make it. There were some recipes that caught my eye especially the cookies and the cupcakes.
This is a super cute Halloween book that I’m sure you will find something inside to try. Could I get these ideas from a magazine? Sure, probably but I like how this book is set up and it’s all put together for me. Like I mentioned before, you can try something easy like the pumpkin carving or go extreme and attempt the Colorful Cushions. Did I mention the bird skeleton in the antique bird cage? Great book to find some neat ideas.
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