Category: review

Don’t Want to be Your Monster by Deke Moulton [MG Review]

24 December 2023 / review / 4 Comments
Don’t Want to be Your Monster by Deke Moulton [MG Review]

Don’t Want to Be Your Monsterby Deke MoultonSource: Hardcover/libraryPublished: Aug. 2023Publisher: Tundra (PRH Canada)Length: 291 pages Genre: Contemporary paranormalTarget Age: +9Representation: Foster family headed by two moms, Korean and nonbinary sibling, Jewish friend Summary 💬 Two vampire brothers must set aside their differences to solve a series of murders in this humorous and delightfully spooky novel for young readers. For fans of Too Bright to See. Adam and Victor are brothers who have the […]

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Babel by R.F. Kuang [Fantasy Review]

16 December 2023 / review / 7 Comments
Babel by R.F. Kuang [Fantasy Review]

Babelby R.F. KuangSource: Hardcover/libraryPublished: Aug 2022Publisher: Harper Voyager (HarperCollins)Length: 544 pages Genre: Historical fantasyTarget Age: +18Representation: Protagonist is Chinese ‘adopted’ by white British man, key side characters incl a Black Haitian woman and an Indian Muslim man Summary 💬 1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll […]

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The Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura & The Last Hope in Hopetown [MG Reviews]

12 December 2023 / review / 0 Comments
The Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura & The Last Hope in Hopetown [MG Reviews]

Recently, I read two middle grade books back to back which rekindled my excitement of the genre. Both felt like fresh new creative stories – different from anything I’ve read before. Middle grade has only just started fluorishing in the past 10 years. There are so many diverse stories waiting to be told! And I don’t even mean diverse in terms of “the characters have different identities”! I mean it […]

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Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living by Dimitris Xygalatas [NF Review]

2 October 2023 / review / 8 Comments
Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living by Dimitris Xygalatas [NF Review]

Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Livingby Dimitris XygalatasSource: Hardcover/libraryPublished: Sept. 2022Publisher: Little, Brown Spark (Hachette)Length: 311 pages Genre: Non-fictionTarget Age: Adult (suitable for +14) Summary 💬 Ritual is one of the oldest, and certainly most enigmatic, threads in the history of human culture. It presents a profound paradox: people ascribe the utmost importance to their rituals, but few can explain why they are so important. Apparently pointless ceremonies pervade every documented society, from […]

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And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott [Fiction Review]

26 September 2023 / review / 6 Comments
And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott [Fiction Review]

And Then She Fellby Alicia ElliottSource: ebook/NetGalleyPublished: 26 Sept. 2023Publisher: Doubleday Canada (PRH)Length: 368 pages Genre: Contemporary horrorTarget Age: Adult (suitable for +16)Representation: Mohawk, mental illness (esp. psychosis) Summary 💬 On the surface, Alice is exactly where she thinks she should be. She’s just given birth to a beautiful baby girl, Dawn; her charming husband, Steve—a white academic whose area of study is conveniently her own Mohawk culture—is nothing but supportive; and they’ve moved […]

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