Bookish things

[vulpixbookpix]

Dream On by Shannon Hale

4 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cassie is overwhelmed. She's got a huge family so the house is always chaotic. She is starting to understand that her family is struggling financially. And now her best friend seems to have a new best friend who just wants to be mean all the time? It's too much!

Her life changes when she gets a letter in the mail that says "YOU'RE A WINNER!" Then, Cassie starts dreaming about all of the things that she will do with her winnings: get her own bed to sleep in, take her mother on a vacation, throw a grand retirement party for her favorite teacher. But is she actually a winner?

This graphic novel did a great job at showing how hard it is to navigate that "in-between" stage when some of your friends think your old games and such are "too babyish" but you still like the games. But, at the same time, you don't want to be seen as a baby. It really is a hard time to experience.

Cassie was such a kind little soul throughout the book and it gave her anxiety to come up with all these different scenarios of "what-if." Thankfully, she was able to navigate them with help.

[vulpixbookpix]

The Monster and the Maze by Maple Lam

3 out of 5 stars

Just got done reading this from the library. It was really cute! It was a great introduction to gods of Chinese and Greek myth. They had a handy little description of everyone in the back of the book. I definitely would’ve picked this up as a kid because I read all the mythology I could. I think kids who like Avatar: The Last Airbender would like this as well. Sun Wukong reminded me of Aang a little bit!

[vulpixbookpix]

Continental Drifter by Kathy MacLeod

4 out of 5 stars

Kathy anxiously counts down the days until her and her family travel from Thailand where they live to America where she feels like she fits in more. But, when she gets to America, she realizes that her blended family doesn't fit in there either. Surely, she thinks, going to summer camp will be better? She can make friends there and not be "different." Unfortunately, Kathy still sticks out. People confuse her for the only other Asian girl there (who is actually Chinese and not Thai). She can't seem to find friendship because most of the other girls have been friends for years before this. Just as she feels like this was a big mistake, Kathy finally finds the courage to reach out and talk to a group of girls who welcome her. This autobiographical graphic novel deals with starting to become aware of your differences from others and not knowing your place in the world. It is about a blended family and the awkward situations that arise from it--like meeting your adult half-brother who hardly talks to your dad for the first time. It's about not being able to connect with your mother and, while you're sure she loves you, you're not sure why she doesn't seem to express it. This was a wonderful Middle Grade read that could help a young reader realize that there are different cultures and communities out there, but those people feel the same feelings that they might about not fitting in and coming across as awkward. The art style was rather simplistic, but I think that helps with getting the message across of Kathy's feelings.

[vulpixbookpix]

Anzu and the Realm of Darkness: A Graphic Novel by Mai K. Nguyen

5 out of 5 stars

Anzu used to be proud of her Japanese heritage, especially when her grandmother was alive, but as she has gotten older, kids have started to make fun of her for being different. So, as her family moves to a new town, she's decided that she's going to get rid of her manga and tell everyone her name is Anne (which is the name her bullies at her old school called her). She goes exploring to get out of the new house--and away from her parents trying to get her to celebrate Obon. While exploring, she comes across a dog who tries to take the necklace that her grandmother gave her. Anzu chases the dog down and, somehow, follows him through a gate to the Spirit World. There, Anzu encounters Izanami no Mikoto, Queen of Yomi, who seems to want to help her, but does she really want to just keep Anzu trapped in the spirit realm instead? I loved the art style, not just the panels themselves, but I loved seeing the different kinds of spirits/ demons. The back of the book has a quick guide to the Kami and Yokai of Japanese folklore that are seen. This was also a great read because it showed how Anzu was struggling to find pride and joy in her heritage after being bullied. It gave the message of how brave it was to just be yourself and how you should also be kind to yourself.

[vulpixbookpix]

Safe Passage by G. Neri, David Brame (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

This is a harrowing, yet compelling story of how gang violence in Chicago affects the SouthSide and how people have tried to create "Safe Passage" for kids to get to school without getting beaten up or shot at--which isn't something that kids should be worrying about to begin with. On the one-year anniversary of the death of Darius's mother, his friend, Booger, talks him into skipping school to go track down where an armored truck has gotten into a wreck. People are posting videos of money flying all over the place and Booger gets the great idea that they can gather up a lot of the money and no one would be the wiser. At first, Darius is all for it because he caught a glimpse of the second eviction notice on the kitchen table, where his stepdad is also scouring the newspapers to try and find a job. Booger decides to post the empty bank bag they found on social media and it goes viral. Which... they quickly realize isn't the kind of attention they want when they have to cross several gang territories to get back home. Unfortunately, Darius's little sister, Cissy, follows them instead of going to school, which puts her in danger as well. The art is strictly black and white, which really works for focusing on the plot and not the setting / surroundings. It especially works when blood appears in the panels for those who may be a little squeamish. The story puts the reader in the turmoil of the characters growing up in a violent area, but also shows how kids notice the misfortunes that fall upon the adults as well, despite the attempts to pretend that everything is okay by the grown-ups. I feel like it also touches on how a person shouldn't post everything they do on social media because it can wind up blowing up in their faces or how there are fake personas everywhere (like in the case of "White Mike.") Just an overall great read.

[vulpixbookpix]

No Rules Tonight: A Graphic Novel by Kim Hyun Sook

4 out of 5 stars

The author of Banned Book Club has come out with another graphic novel that focuses on her life in a regime that focused on censorship. Hyun Sook has become part of an acting group where they put on plays that criticize the government (but it's the government of 100s of years ago, so somehow that makes it okay in the eyes of South Korea's leaders). The group often goes camping on Christmas Eve--the one time when curfew is extended for people to celebrate. On the camping trip, the group often let loose in ways that they absolutely cannot while in public unless they want to get arrested and beaten for disobeying the strict laws. Hyun Sook manages to express that, even during fascism where fear reigns, there is still laughter and hope. I think this is a perfect book for the current political sphere in the U.S. where censorship laws are spiking and there's calls for putting librarians and teachers in jail for "indoctrination." I think it's good to highlight the past and the history of censorship to show that it will eventually crumble.

[vulpixbookpix]

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stella and her besties, Emiko and Latasha, are so excited for fifth grade. They are in the same class with a great teacher AND their favorite show, Witchlins, is about to drop something super exciting! When Witchlins announces that they have an online game that requires a guidebook, Stella starts to feel left out. She's never been the best reader.

On top of the guidebook, fifth grade has so many words in the textbooks! Stella starts to fall further and further behind in both schoolwork and the Witchlins game. She feels like her friends are leaving her behind as well because all they want to do is talk about the game. They just don't understand how hard it is for Stella.

Thankfully, her teacher recognizes her struggles and helps Stella figure out that she has dyslexia, a learning disorder that makes it difficult to read. Slowly, Stella is able to navigate schoolwork AND work on the Witchlins guidebook once she recognizes her disability.

Not only does the book discuss dyslexia and how to navigate the disability, it also has all the text in a dyslexic friendly font. This font makes it easier for dyslexic readers to read. This graphic novel touched me on a personal level because my sibling has dyslexia and has had the same sorts of troubles that Stella does. I specifically remember them saying that they were stupid because they couldn't read. I'm glad there are more books out there to help kiddos with their learning disabilities and show that they're not broken; they just learning differently than others.

[vulpixbookpix]

Brownstone by Samuel Teer & Mar Julia (Artist)

5 out of 5 stars

Almudena's scatterbrained mother is off to one last big dance troupe before she gets "too old" and decides to leave Almudena with her father. Which, normally wouldn't be a big deal. However, Almudena has never met the guy. Not only that, they don't even speak the same language! Almudena quickly finds out that she's not even the "right" kind of Hispanic as to what she thought she was. She's Guatemalan, and what does that even mean?

This is very much a fish out of water story as the main character tries to understand the neighborhood around here--through the language, the culture, and even the socioeconomic issues as residents are priced out of their rented apartments. She feels like she doesn't belong and doesn't know what to do about it. All of that on top of becoming a young woman. It's just so much!

However, throughout the summer, Almudena starts to understand that learning who you are is also about learning the community around you and how you can help.

This graphic novel had fabulous illustrations that helped in conveying the neighborhood, its people, and their lives. All of the characters had such a realistic tone to them that I had to double check to see if this was a graphic memoir. They're fleshed out very well in ways that don't seem over the top, even the characters that are "unique," according to the neighborhood. I enjoyed the writing style as well and will have to look up some more works by these authors.

[vulpixbookpix]

Call Me Iggy by Jorge Aguirre

4 out of 5 stars

Iggy's father immigrated from Columbia to the U.S. decades ago and never returned to his home country. Iggy and his older brother never had the connection to the culture and think of themselves as strictly American. When Iggy accidentally gets placed into Spanish class, he almost transfers out because he can't speak a word of the language. But there's a cute girl in there! So, he stays.

In the midst of failing the class, he discovers the ashes of his abuelito in the basement, which causes his grandfather's spirit to come forth. Abuelito is a bit ashamed that his own grandson doesn't know Spanish and offers to teach him and.. a little bit of chaos ensues.

This is occurring during the 2016 election cycle, so the reader and Iggy catch glimpses of the racist rhetoric that rears its ugly head. Iggy starts to become aware of the effects of the hate towards immigrants and sees what happens when it permeates the news and his school. He learns several lessons about his family's history and culture, the shame that some people feel about their origins, and, also, the pride that some people have in where their family comes from.

[vulpixbookpix]

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'd originally put this as 4 stars, but I just kept thinking about the book days after I'd finished it and I feel like that constitutes 5 stars.

Tao is a young woman who travels through the country--far from her childhood home across the sea--and tells fortunes. Only small fortunes, you see. Ones that seem insignificant, but help villagers in their daily lives. She's told a big fortune once--only once--and she never will again.

While the trek from small village to small village is sometimes a lonely one, Tao seems to enjoy the quiet. Yet, when she tells the small fortune of a man gifting a kitten to his daughter, she gains his company and the party grows from there. Tao tries hard to keep the three other travelers (and the cat) at arm's length, but she slowly finds their presence comforting. Could she be making friends, despite her attempts to stay a loner?

Overall, it's a fabulous read for those who like warm, cozy fantasy with a little higher stakes, sprinkled with found family and some magic on top. If you like Legends & Lattes and Howl’s Moving Castle, this is a book for you.

[vulpixbookpix]

Homebody by Theo Parish

4 out of 5 stars

Homebody isn't about an introvert who doesn't ever want to leave the house. It's about a finding your "home" inside yourself, figuring out the best place to feel like you belong--inside your own body. I really enjoyed the positive outlook of how everyone needs to feel safe at "home," aka, feeling like your body is yours and that you feel comfortable inside it since you have to deal with it every single minute of every day. Theo expresses how words are important because they allow us to communicate how to understand and how to be understood, which is a great message no matter what your orientation is. The purple and lavender color palette was very soothing and fitting as the nonbinary flag contains purple, yellow, black, and white.

[vulpixbookpix]

Age 16 by Rosena Fung

3 out of 5 stars

I think this was a good story that needed to be told. It touched on how trauma from certain events can cross generations, even if it doesn't manifest in the same way for each person. The timeline bounces from Guangdong in the 1950s, 1970s Hong Kong, and Toronto in the early 2000s. The color palette for each timeline makes it easy to keep track of which story is being told.

Rosalind in the 2000s is struggling with her weight, the pressures of high school, and the idea of prom. Her mother, Lyndia, doesn't help matters by constantly telling her that she's too fat. However, we see in Lyndia's storyline that she suffered under the same pressures that she's replicating with her daughter. Going back even further, we see Lyndia's mother and her family struggling to survive after a war breaks the country in the 1950s.

At the end of the book, it's implied that there is healing in the works after decades (and generations) of struggling. One of the best scenes is when Lyndia brings out an item that was hers as a teenager and shares it with Rosalind.

The story did have me wanting more background, especially on Por Por (Rosalind's grandmother) and the life she left behind, but, overall, this was a solid read. It touched on the diaspora of the Chinese people in the 1950s, the cultural shifts between generations and how women want best for their daughters, but are caught up in the struggles of trying to survive their own womanhood.

[vulpixbookpix]

Navigating With You by Jeremy Whitley

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

Neesha and Gabby are the new kids at school. Despite Neesha's attempts to start off as a "loner," Gabby manages to talk her into eating lunch together and being lab partners. They eventually start talking and realize that they read the same manga when they were younger. The two decide to find the volumes to read together, which prove to be a bit difficult as they're out of print and hard to find.

Their friendship blossoms as they spend the school year searching for the manga volume by volume. While they read the adventures of Navigator Nozomi, a romance starts to bloom between the two of them.

I enjoyed the scenes of the manga incorporated into the story. It helped to see how Gabby and Neesha could've interpreted parts of it differently while they were reading. Neesha is a young girl who feels like she has to fight all the wrongs in the world, and possibly the world itself if it tries to say that she can't do something due to her disability. Gabby, on the other hand, seems to be able to go with the flow and brush off a lot--until she doesn't.

The graphic novel itself deals with characters struggling with PTSD, the world not being accessible to all, and, overall, family and friends who accept you and are supportive. This was a great read.

[rosiethorns88]

Dropping the latest Sketch-a-Wish voted on by my lovely Patreon members, featuring Adam and Ronan in an exaggerated representation of probably the most popular quote for the pair in The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater.

A scene where Ronan is tracing Adam's palm, while inwardly monologuing the metaphor of his feelings as an oil-spilled ocean, ready to burn at the slightest spark. I just had fun with it!

(also, is the oil-spilled ocean metaphor stemming from the fact Ronan finds Adam covered in / smelling like motor oil from his mechanic job? 🤔)

[vulpixbookpix]

Just Another Story: A Graphic Migration Account by Ernesto Saade

3 out of 5 stars

A graphic novel memoir that tells the story of Carlos and his mother Elena who fled El Salvador and came to America for a chance at a better life. Even though Carlos states that this is "just another story," stories like this are important in creating empathy for our fellow human beings. It shows just hard hard life can be elsewhere and how dangerous it is to try and escape that, but how brave people can be for their family members.

I'm glad there was the last chapter with Elena who discusses how she wishes she was back with her family, how it can be lonely, but she knows that her son has a better life.

[vulpixbookpix]

The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag

4 out of 5 stars

Mags is a high school senior who has no path in life at the moment, even though she has a lot of responsibilities. She has a part time job and has to stay home so she can take care of her grandmother, who seems to become weaker each day. She only comes out at night when she gets a call from a girl who wants to fool around, but who has a girlfriend. Mags also has to stay home feed the creature in the basement her own blood--which is a massive family secret.

Mags has just accepted that she will never have any sort of fulfillment in her life. The panels on the pages help prove this by providing a greyscale color palette.

But then… a person from her childhood appears. At first, Mags doesn't recognize Nessa, who was going by a different name and a different gender when they were kids. However, Nessa is able to pull Mags out of her shell a bit, to show her that she might deserve a little attention and a little color in her life.

"You'd swear nothing that colorful could grow out here," Nessa says near the final pages of the book, after the dull grey panels start to fill with bright colors with the rising sun. After Mags decides to embrace her demons, both figurative and literal.

I didn't give this a full five stars because I wanted more explanation about the creatures. I wanted more in general. There was something that felt lacking, but I have no idea what. Was that the purpose though? I did love the ending. I'll definitely give this another read and see if my opinions change.

[vulpixbookpix]

Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol

5 out of 5 stars

Jane recently lost her parents and learned that she cannot inherit the estate due to being a young woman. She can get married in less than a week or… all of the inheritance will go to her male cousin who is awful. Jane is disheartened by this because she feels like she doesn't fit the beauty standards of the village. No one will marry her because she is too short and round. However, she comes up with a plan to propose to Peter, the handsome fishmonger's son who definitely doesn't fit in with his family either.

In the midst of describing her plan to Peter, he is enchanted by a mermaid and whisked away underneath the ocean floor. Determined not to lose her home to her foul cousin, Jane delves into the depths with the help of some items from a village witch. She crosses paths with different creatures--some helpful and others yet another hurdle to overcome. While she's trekking to save Peter, Jane starts to understand that looks aren't everything; that your actions and the way you treat people are what truly matter. And then she kicks ass.

I really liked this book. Not only because of the wonderfully colorful panels and the Hero plot being plopped onto Jane's shoulders, but also because of how Jane overcame the ideas that bullies put into her head. And, there's mermaids and selkies! It's a great rendition of the mythos of the sea.