Category: review

The Barren Grounds: A Much Anticipated #ownvoices Portal Fantasy [MG Review]

4 September 2020 / review / 12 Comments
The Barren Grounds: A Much Anticipated #ownvoices Portal Fantasy [MG Review]

Morgan and Eli, two Indigenous children forced away from their families and communities, are brought together in a foster home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They each feel disconnected, from their culture and each other, and struggle to fit in at school and at their new home — until they find a secret place, walled off in an unfinished attic bedroom. A portal opens to another reality, Askî, bringing them onto frozen, […]

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Alternate Reality Meets Supernatural Mystery in this #ownvoices Debut [YA Review]

19 August 2020 / review / 9 Comments
Alternate Reality Meets Supernatural Mystery in this #ownvoices Debut [YA Review]

I received a free copy from the publisher via Edelweiss+. Imagine an America very similar to our own. It’s got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream. There are some differences. This America has been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or […]

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Fighting Words from a 10 Year Old Who Speaks Up about Sexual Assault [MGLit Review]

9 August 2020 / review / 2 Comments
Fighting Words from a 10 Year Old Who Speaks Up about Sexual Assault [MGLit Review]

Ten-tear-old Della has always had her older sister, Suki: When their mom went to prison, Della had Suki. When their mom’s boyfriend took them in, Della had Suki. When that same boyfriend did something so awful they had to run fast, Della had Suki. Suki is Della’s own wolf — her protector. But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing at school, but she has […]

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The Deep & Dark Blue: A Magical Coming Out Tale [MG Review]

9 July 2020 / review / 1 Comment
The Deep & Dark Blue: A Magical Coming Out Tale [MG Review]

The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki SmithFormat/source: Hardcover/ LibraryPublished: January 2020Publisher: Little, BrownLength: 256 pages Genre: FantasyTarget Age: 8+ After a terrible political coup usurps their noble house, Hawke and Grayson flee to stay alive and assume new identities, Hanna and Grayce. Desperation and chance lead them to the Communion of Blue, an order of magical women who spin the threads of reality to their will. As the twins learn more about the Communion, and […]

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Contemporary Feminism in Middle School: Dress Coded and Maybe He Just Likes You [MG Reviews]

5 July 2020 / review / 2 Comments
Contemporary Feminism in Middle School: Dress Coded and Maybe He Just Likes You [MG Reviews]

Dress Coded by Carrie FirestoneFormat/source: ebook/NetGalleyPublished: 7 July 2020Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers (Penguin Random House)Length: 320 pages Genre: ContemporaryTarget Age: 10+ Molly Frost is FED UP… Because Olivia was yelled at for wearing a tank top when she had to keep her sweatshirt wrapped around her waist. Because Liza got dress coded and Molly didn’t, even though they were wearing the exact same outfit. Because when Jessica was pulled over by the principal and […]

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