My Book Reviews

Category: Book Reviews

This section categories all the posts that I have written for my book reviews.

The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery by Allison Rushby

The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery by Allison Rushby
Expected Release: July 24th 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Netgalley

Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery Synopsis:

Flossie Birdwhistle is the Turnkey at London’s Highgate Cemetery. As Turnkey, it’s Flossie’s job to ensure that all the souls buried in the cemetery stay at rest. Not an easy job for a young ghost, but a task made especially difficult by World War II: London is being attacked every night by enemy bombers, and even the dead are unsettled. When Flossie encounters the ghost of a German soldier carrying a mysterious object that seems to exist in both the living and spirit worlds, she becomes suspicious — what is the officer up to? Before long, Flossie uncovers a sinister plot that could destroy not only her cemetery, but also her beloved country. Can Flossie and her ghostly friends stop the soldier before it’s too late? History collides with the supernatural in this exciting, ethereal mystery from Allison Rushby.

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing me a copy of “The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery” by Allison Rushby in exchange for my review. This was an interesting read. The story is unique and has a good blend of adventure, fantasy, mystery and drama into it.

I enjoyed Allison Rushby’s style of writing. I really liked that the backdrop was set against World War II and we get an insight of the war from a ghost’s perspective. The story is set against the backdrop of London and the author depicts the grim environment it was in during that time. She doesn’t shy away from the brutal realities that the people faced during the bombings. Furthermore, it was interesting that the author has portrayed life after death in a very peaceful way. There is no mention of heaven or hell. Even the ghosts are not vengeful and restless as we would imagine. It is just about keeping souls at rest in the afterlife, and shown in a very serene manner.

The characters are all displayed wonderfully. Flossie is a strong, brave and helpful girl who persists in doing what she feels is right. She is a wonderful role model for younger readers and is very inspiring in her actions to help others. Even the supporting characters are charming in their own manner, especially Violet and Hugo Howsham. On a side note, I would have liked to read a bit more about Viktor Brun and why he turned out to be such a psychopath.

There were a few small tidbits that I felt could have been better. Personally, I would have liked it if the author removed the character of Grace completely. I felt this side story was unnecessary and too melodramatic. I can understand why the author would want to include her in the plot, but I didn’t care for it. Also, some of the facts mentioned in the book are inaccurate and could be misleading to younger readers. The author does highlight it in the end, but could have been better if it was accurate. Also, I wasn’t really clear as to the time-lapse that happens when Flossie travels to different locations. I felt that a lot of time passes by while she travels and had trouble imagining the timelines in the story.

Overall, “The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery” was a nice read but could have been better. I rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars. I hope this becomes a possible series as I would enjoy reading Flossie’s adventures during different incidents and milestones.

June 9, 2018
The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine

The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine
Release: March 1st 1990
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Amazon

Wrong Number Synopsis:

It begins as an innocent prank, when Deena Martinson and her best friend Jade Smith make sexy phone calls to the boys from school. But Deena’s half-brother Chuck catches them in the act and threatens to tell their parents, unless the girls let him in on the fun. Chuck begins making random calls, threatening anyone who answers. It’s dangerous and exciting. They’re even enjoying the publicity, and the uproar they’ve caused. Until Chuck calls a number on Fear Street.

To his horror, Chuck realizes he has called THE WRONG NUMBER. The jokes are over when murder is on the line. The murderer knows who they are and where they live — and they have nowhere to call for help.

Review:

I always feel like the initial Fear Street books were much more refined and fun to read than their successors. “The Wrong Number” is one of books that’s genuinely fun and campy to read.

The story doesn’t rely on gore or supernatural elements to make it interesting. It is a good old fashioned murder mystery that has a touch of the creepiness of Fear Street. In some ways, I felt like I was watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie set for the 90s teenagers. In many Fear Street novels, there are multiple red herrings and suspects that keeps you guessing who the culprit is. However, “The Wrong Number” is pretty straight forward on who is responsible, and the thrills lie on the protagonists solving the mystery. While there are readers who might dislike this book because for the same reason, I personally liked it. There are still lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing whether Deena and Jade will be successful.

The characters are ok but not really that memorable. The main characters, Deena and Jade are also fun to read when they are together. The book would have been better had it focused more on Jade than Deena, as Jade has a vibrant personality. Deena, on the other hand is not as interesting as her friend. She seemed very unsure of herself and kept relying on Jade to take the first step for almost everything. Chuck is mysterious and interesting in the beginning, but we really don’t get to know anything about him. I wish there was some reveal about his past so that we can get to understand why he behaves that way.

The only part I didn’t get were the scenes of the dead cat. I am not going to spoil it for those who are reading it, but what was the point of even having that elaborate scene? Why would someone go through all the trouble for a dead cat? There scene was very random and could have been avoided. Overall, I enjoyed reading “The Wrong Number” and thought it was one of the better “Fear Street” novels. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

June 9, 2018
Unwritten by Tara Gilboy

Unwritten by Tara Gilboy
Expected Release: October 16th 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Source: Netgalley

Unwritten Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Gracie Freeman is living a normal life, but she is haunted by the fact that she is actually a character from a story, an unpublished fairy tale she’s never read. When she was a baby, her parents learned that she was supposed to die in the story, and with the help of a magic book, took her out of the story, and into the outside world, where she could be safe.

But Gracie longs to know what the story says about her. Despite her mother’s warnings, Gracie seeks out the story’s author, setting in motion a chain of events that draws herself, her mother, and other former storybook characters back into the forgotten tale. Inside the story, Gracie struggles to navigate the blurred boundary between who she really is and the surprising things the author wrote about her. As the story moves toward its deadly climax, Gracie realizes she’ll have to face a dark truth and figure out her own fairy tale ending.

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley, Jolly Fish Press and North Star Editions for providing me a copy of “Unwritten” by Tara Gilboy in exchange for my review. I loved the concept of this book! It was so unique and different from others I have read recently.

The main reason why this novel stands out is because of its characters and what they go through. Gracie, Jacob, Walter, and the others are very down to Earth and realistic even though they are literally only characters in the story. The novel highlights that you can be the author of your own destiny, and choose your own path. The book also focuses on constructively dealing with emotions. In the story, Gracie fights with her emotions and tries to not be her written form. There are some gripping scenes where Gracie tries to control herself from being destructive. Like Gracie, we also have moments where anger and sadness consumes us, but we should not let it control us. This is a nice message that younger readers can learn from. One of my favorite passages in the story mentions the same:

“Being angry doesn’t make you a villain, Gracie. Anger can help you stand up for yourself, do the things you need to, It can be a good thing, if you control it rather than letting it control you.”

Tara Gilboy has done a wonderful job in writing “Unwritten”. She has a wonderful style of writing that’s easy to read yet gripping with a consistent pace. It is a great debut novel, and I would love to see what she comes up with next. I hope that there is a sequel coming up soon as I would love to read more. There are many reasons I can think of for having a sequel. Firstly, the author has created the world building nicely that could easily include new villains. Secondly, as the book ends in a slightly open ended manner, I would like to see how it continues. Thirdly, I want to find out how Winters story came to life and possibilities of crossovers with her other novels.

Overall, “Unwritten” is one of those books that is targeted for a middle grade readers, but it can be enjoyed by anyone who loves to read adventure/fantasy novels.

June 8, 2018
Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
Release: May 8th 2018
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Source: Amazon

Amal Unbound Synopsis:

Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal’s Pakistani village, but she had no complaints, and besides, she’s busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed when–as the eldest daughter–she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn’t lose hope and finds ways to continue learning. Then the unimaginable happens–after an accidental run-in with the son of her village’s corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family’s servant to pay off her own family’s debt.

Life at the opulent Khan estate is full of heartbreak and struggle for Amal–especially when she inadvertently makes an enemy of a girl named Nabila. Most troubling, though, is Amal’s growing awareness of the Khans’ nefarious dealings. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realizes she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achieve her dreams.

Review:

I just finished reading this gem of a book in one sitting, and am writing this review while the story is still fresh in my mind.

The book takes inspiration from Malala Yousafzai’s life. The story deals with the harsh realities that we still face in countries like India and Pakistan. Being an Indian, I know that there are still many rural areas where these sort of incidents do occur. Families wish to have only boys to avoid spending on dowry, carrying the family name after marriage, etc. Amal is lucky in the story because she is born into a nice family with loving parents. Even when Amal faces her harsh new reality, she still has a decent job working for Nasreen Baji. In reality, children get physically abused and tortured when they fall into the wrong hands. However, since this is a middle grade novel, I liked the fact that it had a bit of a fairy tale like feel towards it and doesn’t get too gruesome.

Reading such stories remind me of how lucky and thankful I am for being fortunate to live a content life. True, it is not perfect in any way, but it could always be worse. There are people who steal children from the streets and sell them for slavery in the Far East. Parents disown their children and send them to orphanages just for being born as girls. People kill people just because of their skin color, race, religion or sexuality. While these things are not going to change overnight, stories like this do bring it one step closer towards raising awareness. It is important for everyone to have an education and become aware to treat others with equality and respect.

Anyway, coming back to the book, Aisha Saeed has done a wonderful job in beautifully portraying a serious issue in a simple yet compelling manner that would attract readers of all ages, not just children. Personally, I was hoping for a little more drama toward the climax where things don’t go according to her plan, just to make the story more interesting. However, I still loved reading this book! On a side note, the cover design is AMAZING as well! It has a wonderful contrast of colors and a beautiful henna of the world in the palm of Amal’s hands. I initially picked out this book without even reading the synopsis, just for the cover. Overall, “Amal Unbound” is a beautiful middle grade novel, and I feel should be a staple book read in schools.

June 5, 2018
Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo

Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo
Expected Release: October 2nd 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: NetGalley

Louisiana’s Way Home Synopsis:

Louisiana Elefante isn’t worried when her granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to leave home. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different. This time, Granny intends for them never to return.

Separated from her best friends, Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to find a way home. Soon Louisiana’s life becomes entwined with the lives of the people of a small Georgia town. She starts to worry that she is destined only for good-byes. (Which could be due to the curse on Louisiana’s and Granny’s heads. But that is a story for another time.)

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing me a copy of “Louisiana’s Way Home” by Kate DiCamillo in exchange for my review. This was a sweet and endearing book mainly because of the ‘wily and resilient’ Louisiana.

I love Kate DiCamillo’s whimsical style of writing. She has a beautiful way of highlighting important issues like loss, sorrow and acceptance in a prominent manner for younger audience without making it too serious. In some ways, her books inspire adult readers to contemplate their own issues and how to make the right decisions. In this novel, we see Louisiana come to terms of who she is and who she wants to become. Even though Louisiana faces many obstacles, she is optimistic and focuses on the right solution. She provides a beautiful blend of humor, friendship and adventure in this tale. My favorite hilarious moments were when they go to the dentist, or when she comments on Bernice’s curlers. On a side note, I also learned some new terms like ‘sundering’ and ‘infinitesimally’ from this novel.

The only part that I didn’t enjoy much was how the Granny left Louisiana. The story becomes uncomfortable when Louisiana is alone in the motel. It was discomforting to see these scenes written in a nonchalant manner. It continues this way when she gets lost in the woods in the middle of the night. Moreover, I didn’t like the reason as to why Granny left her behind in the first place. It seemed like a very ridiculous reason to leave behind someone you have loved for many years. Anyway, apart from this scene, I absolutely adored this book!

This story is written from the first person narrative of Louisiana and makes the book feel very personal. All the characters mentioned are adorable and it very hard to dislike any of them (even Bernice and Miss Lulu). They are all distinctive, colorful and memorable in their own manner. The author even makes a creepy creature like a crow seem cute to have for a pet. My favorite character was Burke as I feel anyone would love to have a friend like him around.

Now that we have books on Louisiana and Raymie, can we expect the following book to be about Beverly? I will be definitely reading “Raymie Nightingale” after reading this beautiful novel to see if it is equally good. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Louisiana’s Way Home” and rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

June 2, 2018
Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge by Lisa Jensen

Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge by Lisa Jensen
Expected Release: July 10th 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: NetGalley

Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge Synopsis:

They say Château Beaumont is cursed. But servant-girl Lucie can’t believe such foolishness about handsome Jean-Loup Christian Henri LeNoir, Chevalier de Beaumont, master of the estate. But when the chevalier’s cruelty is revealed, Lucie vows to see him suffer. A wisewoman grants her wish, with a spell that transforms Jean-Loup into monstrous-looking Beast, reflecting the monster he is inside. But Beast is nothing like the chevalier. Jean-Loup would never patiently tend his roses; He would never attempt poetry; He would never express remorse for the wrong done to Lucie. Gradually, Lucie realizes that Beast is an entirely different creature from the handsome chevalier, with a heart more human than Jean-Loup’s ever was. Lucie dares to hope that noble Beast has permanently replaced the cruel Jean-Loup — until an innocent beauty arrives at Beast’s château with the power to break the spell.

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing me a copy of “Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge″ by Lisa Jensen in exchange for my review.

When I first started reading this book, I honestly did not expect to enjoy it. This story depicts a dark retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales. Moreover, I really didn’t like the idea of the main characters portrayed in a negative manner. Having said that, I enjoyed reading this book more than I thought I would.

Let’s start with the story line. Frankly speaking, I found the story to be dragging in the first half and I had trouble with the pacing. The plot is indeed very dark and disturbing in the first few chapters as it deals with rape and suicide. However, once the transformation happens and the two protagonists are stuck in the Chateau, the story shifts pace and nothing really happens for a while to progress it. True, it is interesting to see the nuances in the Beast’s personality initially, but I found this to be repetitive after sometime. However, the story considerably picks up in the second half when Rose enters the Chateau. There are lots of twists and turns that happens after she arrives, and I found myself glued to the book. I also loved the climax of the book and was satisfied with how the characters were treated.

Now let’s talk about the controversial topic that others are talking about this book, which is the victim falling in love with her rapist. I completely agree that if that were the case, I would have hated this book and put it down immediately. However, I disagree with respect to this story because I feel that the Beast and Jean-Loup are two completely different identities. It is clear that the Beast does not have any idea about the actions or the personality of Jean-Loup and vice versa. Furthermore, they don’t even look alike when they transform into their form. So while they may be using the same body to transform in, I felt that they were two completely different people and Lucie could clearly distinguish between both.

Lisa Jensen has written this story in a beautiful and majestic manner. Her words are like fine wine and compliment to the setting and timelines of the story. The cover design of the book is also amazing and I hope it remains the same for the final publication. Overall, this was an interesting retelling to Beauty and the Beast and I rate it 4/5 stars.

June 2, 2018
Rules of the Ruff by Heidi Lang

Rules of the Ruff by Heidi Lang
Expected Release: August 14th 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Abrams Kids / Amulet Books
Source: NetGalley

Rules of the Ruff Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Jessie is in for a long summer at her aunt and uncle’s house. Her cousin Ann has a snotty new best friend, which leaves Jessie all alone. But Jessie is industrious, and—not content with being ignored all summer—she convinces Wes, a grouchy neighborhood dog walker, to take her on as his apprentice.

Sure, dog walking turns out to be harder than she expected, but she has Wes’s dog-walking code, the Rules of the Ruff, to guide her, and soon she’s wrangling her very own pack. But when a charismatic rival dog walker moves to town, she quickly snatches up most of Wes’s business—and Jessie decides she isn’t going to take this defeat with her tail between her legs.

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Abrams Kids / Amulet Books for providing me a copy of “Rules of the Ruff″ by Heidi Lang in exchange for my review. Have you ever picked up a book having zero expectations and it turns out to be a complete entertainer? “Rules of the Ruff” exactly did this and I LOVED IT!!

From the get go, the story is interesting and fun to read. The story starts off in a very light-hearted manner with humorous moments of Jessie getting the hang of dog walking. The story then becomes a fun rollercoaster ride of Jessie improving her dog walking skills, sabotaging the rival dog walker, impressing the new boy in the neighborhood, and trying to patch things up with her cousin. There are so many entertaining moments in the story like when Jessie and Wes plan different ideas to get rid of Monique, and when she tries to set things right with Wes. Furthermore, even when the story line becomes a bit serious towards the end, it still maintains it charm and humor.

This book stands out mainly because of its characters. The characters are so down to Earth yet so entertaining. I loved Jessie and Wes as the main character and their interactions are hysterical. I did felt sorry for Jessie most of the time. This girl just can’t seem to get a break when it comes having a stable summer job and a boyfriend. However, I love how determined and focused she is to achieve what she sets out to, irrespective of what people think and fell. She remains who she is and stands for what she believes in, and I loved that quality about her. The author has written the villain also as a deliciously evil character, and I hated Loralee with a passion! More than Loralee, I despised Max and the way he treats Jessie. He is such a coward and a disgrace and keeps disappointing her.

The fact that I am reacting animatedly to the characters shows what a great job Heidi Lang has done in writing this book. She is wonderfully blended the plot with the character developments, and it kept me engrossed throughout. I also liked that she ended the book in a realistic, bittersweet manner. While I hoped that things would have turned out better for Jessie, I did enjoy how the story ended.

On a side note, I had never heard of a Klee Kai prior to reading this book. After googling it, I want to have this dog as well! Overall, I enjoyed this middle grade novel so much that I would definitely be reading it again in the near future. I rate it 5/5 stars!

May 23, 2018
Dragons in a Bag (Dragons in a Bag #1) by Zetta Elliott

Dragons in a Bag (Dragons in a Bag #1) by Zetta Elliott
Expected Release: October 23rd 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Random House
Source: NetGalley

Dragons in a Bag Synopsis:

When Jaxon is sent to spend the day with a mean old lady his mother calls Ma, he finds out she’s not his grandmother–but she is a witch! She needs his help delivering baby dragons to a magical world where they’ll be safe. There are two rules when it comes to the dragons: don’t let them out of the bag, and don’t feed them anything sweet. Before he knows it, Jax and his friends Vikram and Kavita have broken both rules! Will Jax get the baby dragons delivered safe and sound? Or will they be lost in Brooklyn forever?

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for providing me a copy of “Dragons in a Bag″ by Zetta Elliott in exchange for my review. “Dragons in a Bag” was a nice, interesting book and I feel a good start to the series.

Let’s start with the characterization. It’s really hard to dislike any of the characters as all of them are charming in their own manner. My favorite characters in the story are Ma and Trub. What I surprisingly enjoyed was that the characters and the settings are still vague after completing the book. Usually, the first book sets the ground for the world building and clearly outlines the rules. When you pick out the second one in the series, you can predict what is going to happen. However, after finishing this book, I am still not completely clear as to where the plot is going or what the characters might do. Ambrose, Trub, Ma and Sis still remain a mystery to me.

That doesn’t mean that the story is boring. It’s a wonderful concept and draws you in as soon as you start reading. The author has written the characters in a compelling manner that makes you want to pick up the next book and continue. Actually, I was expecting a lot of interactions between Jaxon and the dragons. Instead, I liked that the story focused more on the relationships between Jaxon and his new friends. On a side note, as an Indian, I chucked when I read Jaxon’s reaction to pedas (it is a delicious Indian sweet!)

Coming to the negatives, there were some minor glitches that bothered me while reading the story. While I enjoyed the time travel element, I found some parts of the story a bit unrealistic. For instance, when Jaxon goes into the dinosaur era, he swats some mosquitoes during that time. Wouldn’t this alter the future, in some way? I’m not going to get technical on the metaphysics of time travel, but it was hard to believe that things remained exactly the same when Jaxon came back to the present time. However, considering that it is a middle grade fantasy, I didn’t take this matter too seriously.

Also, I wish there were some proper names for the characters to easily distinguish them. I really liked the characters being referred to as ‘Ma’ and ‘Mama’ and thought it was a cute concept. However, since many sentences had Jaxon relating between his Ma and Mama, at times I read one as the other, causing some confusion.

The story leaves a lot of questions unanswered, and I can’t wait for the sequel to read more! Perhaps there is a logical explanation to these inconsistencies mentioned above and provided in the next book. I enjoyed Zetta Elliott’s style of writing and how she made her characters feel down to Earth. Geneva B. has also drawn some nice illustrations that I feel would look even better in the final draft. Overall, “Dragons in a Bag” is a fun adventure start to the series and I rate it 3.5 / 5 stars.

May 23, 2018
The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr

The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr, Katie Harnett (Illustrator)
Expected Release: June 26th 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Source: NetGalley

The Language of Spells Synopsis:

Grisha is a dragon in a world that’s forgotten how to see him. Maggie is a unusual child who thinks she’s perfectly ordinary. They’re an unlikely duo—but magic, like friendship, is funny. Sometimes it chooses those who might not look so likely. And magic has chosen Grisha and Maggie to solve the darkest mystery in Vienna. Decades ago, when World War II broke out, someone decided that there were too many dragons for all of them to be free. As they investigate, Grisha and Maggie ask the question everyone’s forgotten: Where have the missing dragons gone? And is there a way to save them? At once richly magical and tragically historical, The Language of Spells is a novel full of adventure about remembering old stories, forging new ones, and the transformative power of friendship.

Review:

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing me a copy of “The Language of Spells″ by Garret Weyr in exchange for my review. Before I begin, I would like to say that I have read some of the other reviews for this book, where readers criticize it for not doing justice for WWII and Jewish people. I am not basing my rating on that aspect as I didn’t have these expectations when reading the story. Having said that, this book was a mixed bag for me. While I enjoyed some aspects of the story, I had a few problems reading it.

Let’s start off with the pros that stood out in the story. Firstly, I loved the plot and the concept, and actually enjoyed reading the first half of the book. It starts off as a fairy tale and talks about a magical world where dragons and men coexist. Secondly, I simply adored the main protagonists, Grisha and Maggie, and their unusual friendship. Some scenes were intriguing, like when Grisha turns into a teapot, not knowing what would happen next. Grisha also has some memorable moments like facing self-esteem issues because he feels that he hasn’t done anything worthwhile. I also enjoyed the special friendship that is formed between Maggie and Grisha. It’s very gradual and innocent and comes off as a true friendship between the two. Even the secondary characters like Yakov, and his daughters Ella and Rachel are very charming.

However, the second half of the book didn’t hold my interest as I hoped. Mainly, I found the villain of the book, Leopold Lashkovic, to be very boring. The authors give him a big buildup and make him scary and powerful. But, when Maggie comes face to face with him, he seems like such an old weakling who hardly has any powers. There is no closure given as to what happens to him either. Assuming that this is a standalone, it’s very frustrating when things are left open ended. Moreover, things run very smoothly for Grisha and Maggie on their quest and they hardly face any dangers. With a weak villain and the characters not facing any dilemmas, this was pretty much boring in the second half.

Furthermore, I felt that the pacing was haphazard towards the climax. The story is slow for the most part and suddenly rushes to a conclusion. It felt like the characters are aimlessly wandering, and just stumbled upon clues that magically solved all their problems. I also had trouble with the concept of who could see dragons and who couldn’t. For example, when they go to see Ella and Rachel, Ella can see Grisha but Rachel cannot. However, when they go to London, how can nobody see Grisha except Maggie? This didn’t make sense and I dad trouble connecting to the story-line. I feel like the authors had a great idea going but didn’t know how to steer the story and patched it in places to conclude it.

Katie Harnett has provided nice illustrations, but they are a bit rough on the eyes. As I have read the advanced copy, I hope the illustrations are cleaned up in the final version, and makes the book stand out. Overall, this was a good attempt to try something different but it didn’t have the impact on me as I imagined it would. I rate “The Language of Spells” 3/5 stars.

May 20, 2018
The Tale of Angelino Brown by David Almond

The Tale of Angelino Brown by David Almond, Alex T. Smith (Illustrator)
Release: February 28th 2018
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Amazon

Tale of Angelino Brown Synopsis:

Bert and Betty Brown have got themselves a little angel. Bert found him in his top pocket when he was driving his bus.

Their friends think he’s lovely. So do Nancy and Jack and Alice from Class 5K. What a wonder!

But Acting Head Teacher Mrs Mole is not so sure. Nor is Professor Smellie. Or the mysterious bloke in black who claims to be a School Inspector.

Then there’s Basher Malone – big, lumbering Basher Malone. He REALLY doesn’t like Angelino. And it looks like he’s out to get him..

Review:

“The Tale of Angelino Brown” tells the tale of an adorable angel who shows up in the pocket of a bus driver, and changes the lives of people around him. This was such a cute and charming book to read!

My favorite aspect of this story is the positivity that seamlessly flowed from this story. Most of the kids and adults were not scared of Angelino at all when they meet him! They immediately considered him as one of their own, even though he was different. Betty instantly took to caring for him. It gives a perfect moral to just be yourself and people will like you for who you are. True, there were also some schemers in the book who took advantage of Angelino, but every story needs a villain. However, even the villains are written in such an appealing manner that you realize why they are behaving that way, and feel sympathetic towards them.

Most of the characters are charming and quirky in their own manner. It’s so hard to choose one special character because I was fond of all of them. Angelino is so cute with the way he talks and farts. Bert and Betty are the parents my heart went out to because they accept and take care of Angelino. Alice, Nancy and Jack are inspiring for befriending and supporting Angelino. Moreover, Ms. Monteverdi is so delightful, that I wish she taught in my school when I was young. Even Mrs. Mole and Professor Smellie are hilarious at times with their mannerisms.

Is David Almond the new Roald Dahl? The author tells the story in such a beautiful childlike way that you just get immersed in the story. In a way, his writing style made me feel the same way I felt when I read ‘Matilda’ by Dahl as a child. Suffice to say, I loved his style of whimsical writing and hope he continues writing such stories. Alex T. Smith has added beautiful illustrations to the book. To be honest, the illustrations made the book even more light-hearted that how I imagined. For example, when I first read about Mrs. Mole and Alice, I thought Mrs. Mole was going to be mean and Alice was a snob. However, the illustrations portrayed Alice as cute and smart, and Mrs. Mole as stern but kind. I feel the illustrations made the book story more fresh and interesting.

The only negative part for me was not knowing more about Angelino. Can the author make a sequel to the origins of how Angelino came to being? I would love to read more about them! Overall, I adored “The Tale of Angelino Brown” and give it 4.5/5 stars.

May 18, 2018