Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Synopsis:

This Newbery Medal-winning novel by bestselling author Katherine Paterson is a modern classic of friendship and loss.

Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke, outpaces him. The two become fast friends and spend most days in the woods behind Leslie's house, where they invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. One morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess and a tragedy occurs. It will take the love of his family and the strength that Leslie has given him for Jess to be able to deal with his grief.

In addition to being a Newbery Medal winner, Bridge to Terabithia was also named an ALA Notable Children's Book and has become a touchstone of children's literature, as have many of Katherine Paterson's other novels, including The Great Gilly Hopkins and Jacob Have I Loved.

Supports the Common Core State Standards

Rating:★★★

Review:

I'm not sure if it was just me or not but I felt weird the whole time reading this already knowing what was going to happen at the end. 

I'm honestly glad I watched the movie before reading this because I hate to say it but I enjoyed the movie a whole lot more. Reading the actual book lacked in the imagination area for me, I just couldn't pull myself to see what the characters were seeing. I will give the book props for making us feel sorry for Jess because it was obvious that his parents paid less attention and gave a larger workload to him. I don't remember that family dynamic being included in the movie and that truly sucks because it would have made it 10 times better.

Maybe I picked this read up a couple years too late but I know it just wasn't right for me. But I will forever love the movie!!

Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie M. Liu

Synopsis:

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steampunk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both.

Rating:★★★

Review:

Ehh, I'm underwhelmed.

This was not at all what I thought it was going to be about but that's not necessarily​ a bad thing. I was confused at one point because I had no idea what was going on or where the plot was headed but eventually things were cleared up. The world building could have been a little better, I felt like it was just thrown together in a "here you go" type of way. 

The action is there, the graphics are there, but I just wasn't into it as much as I thought I would be. I'm not really sure where I stand on continuing this series because it just wasn't that great for me.

The Library of Souls (Ghost Talker Files #1) by Richard Denney

Synopsis:

Be careful what you check out... 

Ever since he could remember Simon Santiago could see and talk to the dead. When his parents are killed in a train accident, he is sent to live with his estranged con man of an uncle. Soon Simon is put on as his uncle's assistant in a Ghost Expelling agency and carries out the hard work for his uncle: getting rid of the ghosts. 

Now thirteen with his ability at full maximum Simon is ready to take on bigger tasks with his uncle's booming agency getting more and more calls day by day. When a phone call comes in from a desperate librarian at an infamously haunted library, Simon is all too eager to get to work. But when they arrive at the sprawling mansion of a library, Simon quickly discovers that there's something else haunting the library and its thirst for Simon's soul is dangerously clear from the moment he steps foot into the building. 

With the help of one of the young library volunteers and a mute spirit of the library, Simon is determined to find out what is really going on before his soul as well as his uncle's are added to the ever-growing system of The Library of Souls. Will Simon and his new friend make it out alive?

Find out in the brand new Middle-Grade Horror novel from YouTube personality Richard Denney, featuring an array of spooky photographs that will chill you to the bone... if you're not already dead.

Rating:★★★★★

Review:

I really loved this book!! This has officially made it to my top middle grade favorites and it was spookily delicious. I'm in love with Simon as a little cousin type of character and I wanted to do nothing more than to root for him. EMOTIONALLY INVESTED!!! I got semi 13 Ghost vibes from this and I loved every second of it. I also enjoyed having so many different characters that all got just enough page time and it didn't turn into an overwhelming experience. Richard does such an amazing job developing and rotating his characters in and out of the spot light so, if you don't read this book for anything else, read it for the characters.

I really just loved the whole set up of the book; the characters back stories, the family drama, but especially the plot twist. This is perfect for those of you that want heart pumping creepy but not nightmares. Expect the unexpected kids.

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

Synopsis:

milk and honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. It is about the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is split into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose, deals with a different pain, heals a different heartache. milk and honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.

Rating:★★★★

Review:

This is beautifully written, emotionally captivating, and I loved how raw and real she was in her poetry. Don't get me wrong I loved the collection as a whole but The Hurting and The Loving were my two favorite chapters of this book. Also, the drawings were really perfect for the poems they were attached to.

I only gave this book 4 stars because of a personal preference. When I read poetry, I like to read full or mid page poems and there were a lot of 3 liners or page fillers. But these page fillers were done so well and filled with such emotion that I could turn a semi-blind eye to it.

I have no other words to describe how amazing this collection of poetry is just read it! 

**Just be aware there is sexual content in this book and I know that's not everyone's cup of tea.**  

The World's Greatest Chocolate-Covered Pork Chops by Ryan K. Sager

Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old chef Zoey Kate's Fried Banana Fondue is delectable, her Maple Cinnamon Crab Fajitas are divine, and her Chocolate-Covered Pork Chops are to die for. Zoey is the best cook in town and she wants everyone to know it. She's on a mission to start her own restaurant, but quickly learns that the restaurant industry is competitive . . . and dangerous. There are people who see Zoey as a threat, and they'll use any means necessary to make sure that she fails. Featuring a precocious, larger-than-life character, lots of humor, fast-paced action and mouth-watering foods, this cooking story is sure to appeal to young foodies and fans of shows like MasterChef Junior and Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off.

Rating:★★★

Review:

*I received this book from Netgalley and Disney Hyperion in exchange for my honest review.* I liked this story, I thought it was very cute, but it wasn't for me for multiple reasons. This book is very dramatic, over the top, and very unrealistic, which isn't 100% bad seeing that this is middle grade and looking at what the synopsis of the book is.

I loved that this instantly started off with laughs. Zoey is just one of those characters that's so innocent it's funny. Her and Dallin's friendship is really cute, thankfully not in a romantic way, but in a brother and sister type of way. Her parents are more like roommates/friends than actual parents. They're almost absent in her life to the point where they can't even take the time to give their own child a ride somewhere so, she has to walk and it cracks your heart a little to see her let down.

The naiveness of the all of the characters was overly suffocating. Just the fact that Zoey didn't think everything through about her business; for example, taxes; and her "parents" still allowed her, a 12 year old, open up a restaurant without explaining not even one thing to her, was overly suffocating and dismissive. And it's very hard to remember that Zoey is only 12 years old while reading this because she's doing things that as adults is nearly impossible to do. 

I really enjoyed the climax of the story. I loved all the action leading up to the big bang and the plot twist was done pretty well. But I didn't care for the wrap up of this book, it was very basic and put a neat little bow on the story. Which I guess is okay since it's middle grade but even as a younger reader I didn't like every book I read to end in a "goody-goody-happily-ever-after-cliche-kind-of-way" but that's my personal preference. 

If I was reading this as the intended audience I probably would have had a blast and would have really loved this because I wouldn't have been thinking about the fact she's only 12 years old doing all of this. With that being said I still thought it was really cute, funny, and an entertaining story. I  think kids that have an interest in food/Culinary Arts and have larger than life personalities will get a big kick out of this and I do recommend this, for the intended audience, but it's just not one of my personal favorite middle grade novel.

What Lies Beneath by Richard P. Denney

Synopsis:

What would you do if you thought your psycho ex-boyfriend was haunting you from beyond the grave? 

When Blair Lewis is left for dead in a freezing lake, she can't get over the fact that her boyfriend tried to kill her. And when she begins to receive disturbing gifts and letters from her supposed dead boyfriend, she attempts to figure out what is going on before the darkness consumes her. Nothing is as it seems and the startling truth is going to rip Blair right out of this world. 

Is Blair simply losing her mind? Or is something vicious and dark after her sanity and soul?

Rating: ★★★★

Review:

Oh my damn! Don't read this before bed or if you're alone because you will be very paranoid. 

I loved that the plot was held at the perfect pace, not dragging on but also not rushing through. I think this is perfect for everyone's Halloween TBR or if you just want something creepy RIGHT NOW and you should. My only problem was that the closer I got to the end I could kind of see what was going to happen. 

I really liked how all of the characters were used throughout the story. I love when an author puts their characters in specific roles and keeps them playing it for the entirety of the story. Also, I loved that we have a trans character in the story, Max, but I love it even more because Max isn't put on a pedestal just for being trans. We still get to read and not be reminded on every page that he's mention on about his sexual orientation. 

This is one of the creepiest books I've ever read and it ended in true horror movie fashion. 

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Synopsis:

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orleans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orleans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful. But it's not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orleans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision. With the future of Orleans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever. Dhonielle Clayton creates a rich, detailed, decadent world of excess and privilege, where beauty is not only skin-deep, but a complete mirage. Weaving deeper questions about the commodification of women's bodies, gender equality, racial identity, and vanity with high-stakes action and incredible imagery, The Belles is the must-read epic of the season. 

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Release Date: Feb. 20, 2018

Rating: ★★★★

Review:

I received this novel from Disney Hyperion and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is officially one of my favorite novels of the year and may go down as one of my all time faves. The Belle world was so beautiful, though it was not ideal, it was still set up as a very colorful and magical world. The attention to detail that the author gave in in this book was so freaking phenomenal I could cry. Sometimes I did feel like the imagery in some areas was a bit in the overkill zone but on the other hand everything was described with such A-1 detail it really makes you wonder how creepy it would be if people really came out looking like the Gris and depended on beings like the belles to make them beautiful. Beauty hurts.

Even though I really appreciated all of the world and character building sadly, I think this made the plot take off a little slow for me. I thought the tale of how "The Belles" came to be in the beginning of the book was really cute and a good way to start the book off. By starting off in a light hearted manner then slow getting more intense throughout the plot really has a way of keeping your attention in the story.

Character wise I'm glad that we kind of glanced over most of the older Belles seeing that it wouldn't have made sense to go into detail about characters that weren't going to make a difference in the plot. Thank you Dhonielle for not wasting our time. Cameilla is definitely a love to hate character as in everyone can relate to her but at the same time everyone will also judge her for the exact same reasons why they relate to her. My favorite character, hands down, had to be Remy. He's 100% fictional husband material and I'm not even sure if my attention was supposed to be drawn to him but I love him 😍😍!!! Also, being in the presence of Princess Sophie was like walking on nail and trying not to breathe too hard because it might piss her off and I'm going to leave it at that.

I really hated reading this and seeing these girls be legit slaves their entire existences to people that act like they're more of objects than human beings.(Que the flashback to slavery times) And I'm using the word hate as in it hurt my feelings to know from the time they were created, they never got to live and do what they truly wanted and never got the chance to learn from their mistakes.

The betrayal was so real, even though I caught a hint of it from the start, with everything going on it slipped my mind and it really hurt to see it play out. I loved the climax at end so much. There was just so much tension and action going on I felt like I couldn't breathe until I read the last word. I think it goes without saying I can't wait for book two and I hope I don't have to wait too much longer.