Tag: scifi

The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy and The Last Cuentista [MG Reviews]

Posted 21 December 2022 in brief reviews /9 Comments

These two middle grade speculative fiction titles had me thinking “Did I read the same book as everyone else??” Read on for some grumbly reviews. Click through the additional reviews for more positive takes!

The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu

Source: Hardcover/library
Published: Oct. 2021
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Length: 423 pages

Genre: Fantasy
Target Age: +9

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  • The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy is only the second book by Ursu that I’ve read. This book fell far short of my expectations, based on reviews and my expectations after having read The Lost Girl. Immediately after finishing it (back in January), I thought it wasn’t for me but maybe still a relatively strong middle grade book. It was a Cybils finalist, after all! But here we are nearly a year later and I don’t recall anything positive about it. Luckily I have some notes to go off of.
  • For the first half, I had no idea where the story was heading. For a long while, I thought it was going to explore how Dragomir Academy was secretly a place where girls were empowered to embrace their individuality and learn magic. (It is most decidely not that.)
  • Maya makes a solid protagonist. The exageratted adult characters are not something I’m a fan of. Which brings me to my next point…
  • I found this book reads something like a fable, with both direct and allegorical commentary on equality and feminism. Perhaps it doesn’t hold the greatest kid appeal… but I found it less didactic than The Last Cuentista. The narrative of The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy allows more room for readers to consider what’s happening and why it’s not good, rather than just telling them “It’s not good”.
  • I did make a tiny note saying “the unique plot and smooth writing are some of this books strengths”. I am unable to elaborate further. 😛
  • Additional reviews: Briana @ Pages Unbound, Rosemary @ Mom Read It, Charlotte @ Charlotte’s Library, Amanda @ Teen Librarian Toolbox

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

The Last Cuentista
by Donna Barbara Higuera
Source: ebook/library
Published: Oct. 2021
Publisher: Levine Querido
Length: 320 pages

Genre: Scifi
Target Age: +9

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  • The premise described in the jacket blurb of The Last Cuentista sounded fascinating. Unforutnately, I found the story fell short of delivering on the promise of that premise. The fact that Petra is the only one to remember what earth was like before doesn’t carry as much weight as the jacket implies, or as you might imagine it would.
    • A note I made at 22% in: “so far pretty solemn, some character establishment and basic prose/plotting to seet up the story. A little clunky but whatever. premise still promising.” Alas, I did not find the story fulfilled that promise.
  • While no one would argue that the conformity strived for by the collective (the collective = the antagonists in the story) is a terrible solution for the problems humanity faced on earth, I felt like there wasn’t a lot in the story that demonstrated why it was such a terrible idea (apart from them wanting to dispose of anyone who thought differently). To be more plain, there wasn’t much in the story that highlighted why we value diversity.
  • Or perhaps I should frame that as: I would have liked to see more nuance beyond the collective’s depiction of “Everyone think same = good, if think different = bad”. I imagine that would be difficult to illustrate when Petra is the only person who recalls living in a world with diversity. Perhaps having more of the sections where Petra recalls her life before would have strengthened the story.
  • The ending fell flat for me as well. Overall, I found it fairly solemn, difficult to get through (part of that was certainly the lack of characters with personality or a positive relationship with Petra), and a bit too didactic. I can understand why this won the Newbery – but I don’t think it has a lot of kid appeal.
  • Additional reviews: Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense, Charlotte @ Charlotte’s Library, Bec @ Bec and Books,

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Did you read any books this year that fell short of your expectations?

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Remaining Cybils 2017 Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Finalists

29 June 2018 / brief reviews / 0 Comments
Remaining Cybils 2017 Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Finalists

In this post, I’m sharing some brief thoughts on the Cybils 2017 middle grade speculative fiction finalists that I haven’t yet reviewed. I have already reviewed: The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh A Properly Unhaunted […]

High Stakes, Fast Paced Adventure in Last Day on Mars [Review]

12 June 2018 / review / 0 Comments
High Stakes, Fast Paced Adventure in Last Day on Mars [Review]

Last Day on Mars by Kevin Emerson Series: Chronicle of the Dark Star #1 Format/Source: Library/Hardcover Published: February 2017 Publisher: Length: 336 pages Genre: Middle grade science fiction Cybils 2017 finalist ★★★½       Last Day on Mars, the first book in a […]

Family Reads: Borne by Jeff VanderMeer

30 June 2017 / family reads / 2 Comments
Family Reads: Borne by Jeff VanderMeer

Born out of a desire to get a family of book lovers to connect more over what they’re reading, Family Reads is an occasional feature where my mom, dad or sister and I read and discuss a book. Why we chose […]

Sputnik’s Children by Terri Favro

8 April 2017 / review / 2 Comments
Sputnik’s Children by Terri Favro

Author: Terri Favro Title: Sputnik’s Children Format/Source: Paperback/Publisher Published: 11 April 2017 Publisher: ECW Press Length: 348 pages Genre: Science fiction in literary clothes Rating: ★★★★ GoodReads | Indigo | IndieBound | Wordery I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest […]