I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Story: This book was fantastic! The story was well paced, thought oI received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Story: This book was fantastic! The story was well paced, thought out, and engaging. The characters were fleshed out and felt like real people. Pahua is a realistic and beautiful character. She is tough and sensitive to her family even when that can be hard. Through her journey, she learns about herself and her past which impacts her future. Her best friend and spirit she constantly sees Miv is also a great character. The cat spirit reminds of me Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service. The cat is snarky, secretive, and surprisingly loving.
The setting of the story takes readers from the real world to the spirit world and beyond. The spirits are described and created brilliantly. I loved learning about Hmong culture, spirits, and history. The author did a fantastic job of bringing this all to life for the reader.
Narrator: The narrator of this story did a phenomenal job of creating voices and setting for these characters. Her inflections and energy added to the atmosphere of the story and really brought it to life.
All in all, I loved this story. I think this is one of my favorites from the Rick Riordan presents series....more
I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I think this book is a fun ride. Amira and Hamza are well written sI received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I think this book is a fun ride. Amira and Hamza are well written siblings where they love each other but constantly bicker. I think this is a good middle grade book for those who like to read books like the Percy Jackson series or Tristan Strong series. The only thing I will say is I was a little disappointed by the BBEG (big bad evil guy). I mean, the whole book is building up to them fighting the BBEG, and then it just kind of petters out with the finale of how they defeat him. Maybe that is just me, but I felt kind of taken a back by how easily these two kids defeated him. I also think some of the writing, while cool for me who is a seasoned nerd, may go over some childrens' heads. There were a lot of geek culture references that I am not sure most twelve year olds would know them all. Some for sure! Just not all of them.
As for the narrator, as I listened to the audiobook, I think they did a phenomenal job. To me, middle grade and children's audiobooks should have narrators that intrigue the listener, not just tell the story to them. I think this narrator did a fantastic job of not only giving the narration voice, but also keeping all of the character voices different inflections....more
I received an eARC of this audiobook through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Plot: I enjoyed the second installment to this series. I thoughI received an eARC of this audiobook through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Plot: I enjoyed the second installment to this series. I thought it added an interesting twist to the storyline and explained some of the loose ends that were left in the first book. The characters were more in depth and fleshed out a bit more than in the previous book. While I feel the inclusion of an LGBTQ+ character is important, I also felt the way it was talked about especially in the beginning was odd. It felt a little cold, distant, and more factual than going in to the emotions of it all. It also was kind of used as a way to make the main character feel like they didn't belong in the group because of them being LGBTQ+ and fighting for human rights. I just felt it wasn't a good enough reason/obstacle for the main character Paola to feel like they were left out. It could have been something a little better. Other than that, the story was well written and interesting.
Narrator: I feel like the narrator is really good with keeping a calm and even tone. It was a nice audiobook to fall asleep. I do feel like the narrator could show a bit more emotion. Every time I heard them do a different voice, it felt very similar to their own and also fairly monotone. I just wish it would have been a bit more energetic instead of making the main character constantly sound whinny. After saying all that though, I think they do a decent job of reading the story and clearly communicating to the reader what is going on....more
This book is amazing! I loved every second of it. It beautifully talks about grief and loss and how that can eat us up on the inside. It talks about hThis book is amazing! I loved every second of it. It beautifully talks about grief and loss and how that can eat us up on the inside. It talks about how sometimes family pressures you to do things that you aren't ready for and how to deal with facing their disappointment. This book talks about black American gods such as John Henry, Brer Rabbit, Anansi, and so many more!
Tristan is a wonderful character! He is a well rounded and thought out character. He struggles with not only the loss of his best friend Eddie, but also the disappointment he feels from his father and grandfather after losing at boxing. Boxing is a big part of the "Strong family". His grandfather and father were both amazing boxers and he feels the pressure coming from both of them.
I loved learning and relearning the stories of John Henry, Brer Rabbit, and all the others! The way the stories were told and how Tristan fit into this world was well done. The world of MidPass was also well constructed and the details were written vividly.
I think my only complaint is that the female characters weren't as well developed. The two that were involved the author literally said they were the same person. I would have liked to see more diversity in those two characters. I'm hoping the next book in the series delves more into their characters as I would like to see their character growth as well.
I highly recommend this book. It discusses important topics in a well written and interesting way. ...more
I received an free eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I am reviewing the audiobook so I will do this in two sectionsI received an free eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I am reviewing the audiobook so I will do this in two sections.
Story: the story was great. It was fast paced, entertaining, and the characters were relatable. The beginning was a little slow to start, but picked up about 25% in. I think my only critique is all the talk of a hyperdrive or hyperspace incident. I’m not sure if this is something covered in a different book or if it is just establishing the timeline for future books.
Audio: the narrator and sound effects were pretty much how I expected a Star Wars audiobook to have. I could hear the story well and it had a good pace. I think my only critique would be that the female character voices were a little harder for me to distinguish while the narrators voice and the boy character was close to the narrators own voice. I think for the girls listening to this, it may be nice to either have more of a distinction or have a female narrator for those parts.
I would recommend this book for any kid who loves Star Wars. It has all the action with kid friendly dialogue....more
I received an eARC copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This book really surprised me in a good way. I enjoyed it as a beauI received an eARC copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This book really surprised me in a good way. I enjoyed it as a beautiful retelling of Norse mythology with twists, turns, and betrayals.
The characters were so well written, I cared about all of them. When one felt betrayed, I actually felt that betrayal as well. I connected with the main character Angrboda as all she wanted was a quiet life and not put herself in the way of anyone else. However, fate seems to have another destiny for her.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who also enjoys books like Madeline Miller’s “Song of Achilles” and “Circe”....more
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