Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith

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Tough situations handled well by author!
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Margaret K. McElderry Books for the opportunity to read and review Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith!
First we meet Chris, who’s changed identities. Next is Maia who has lost her sister Mallory. Both main characters feel lost and, while Chris is struggling with the transformation of being transgender, Maia is trying to figure out the basics of who she is without her sister. The two of them work through some of their struggles together but Maia seems to be having a more difficult time adjusting personally than Chris. Transgenderism is handled perfectly from all perspectives, personal, family, friends and romantic relationships. Being transgender would be difficult enough as it is, but adding a relationship would make everything even more complicated. How and when do you tell your romantic interest or even just a new friend? They have a right to know, so their feelings are respected too. The author approaches these issues gently and respectfully for all sides involved. Losing a loved one is also part of this book and that’s something that all of us will have to deal with at sometime in our lives. These tough situations are handled well by the author, who also shares her own experiences with sexuality. I wish the cover was better though; I can see it being a deterrent for readers. 3.5 stars!

Lots of Love Little One by Sandra Magsamen

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Precious book that builds self-esteem!
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for the opportunity to read and review Lots of Love Little One by Sandra Magsamen!
Drawn stitching on the illustrations and some of the words adds charm to this book. The illustrations are very cute! Unique ways to say I love you more than… compares how much a dog loves her bone and how much the stars twinkle at night. The language page shows the phrase, “I love you”, in several translated languages. Adorable and sweet, 5 stars!

Plant Parenting by Leslie F. Halleck!

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User-friendly plant guide!
Thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for the opportunity to read and review Plant Parenting by Leslie F. Halleck!
Separating and propagating instructions to increase the amount of plants you have are the basis for this book. The first section explains how plants multiply and how plants differ in propagation. Next up is understanding plant names and their varieties. Materials, tools and instructions show different propagating systems, soil and lighting available. Then the sections are broken into the type of growing preferences, such as seeds, water rooting, propagation, and dividing plants. Photos are close up and detailed for making concepts easy to understand. I found this book so helpful that I’m now following the author on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! 5 stars for a user-friendly guide to multiplying plants!

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

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Wilder Girls by Rory Power is a dystopian sci-fi for young adults. I read an excerpt on Bookish First and was so grateful that I had an ARC from NetGalley and Delacorte Press/Random House so I could finish reading the book immediately! The opening frightened and piqued my curiosity. I also felt sorry for the Tox survivors because civilization deserted them, except for limited, intermittent supply drops from the Navy. Told in alternating points of view between friends, Hetty and Byatt. (I cannot seem to get out of my mind, the fact that if the first letters of both names are exchanged, the names would be Betty and Hyatt);) Hetty starts the story and continues until Byatt suffers a Tox episode and is taken away. Hetty searches for her, can’t find her and overhears one of the leaders on the radio talking about an exchange. Then it’s Byatt’s turn to tell the story. She wakes up in a strange place and she struggles to talk. Soon, she’s surrounded by people in surgical clothing and is forced to take a bitter tasting pill. Byatt has a few more experiences to share but the majority of the story is told through Hetty’s perspective. Strange and frightening discoveries are made and the story ends with a wide opening for more to come. I do enjoy science fiction when it’s in dystopian form and the ending left me wondering what’s next! 4 stars!

Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa

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Menagerie of Japanese characters!
Thanks to Harlequin Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa!
The book opens with a thousand-year-old legend of a sword known as Godslayer. Tatsumi wielded this sword when it contained the demon Hakaimono. Since then, the demon has possessed Tatsumi, who continues to fight for survival against Hakaimono. Yumeko continues her mission to the Steel Feather Temple but has been waylaid with her companions to try to save Tatsumi, even though a pact was made centuries ago that if Haikaimono possessed a person, that person would be killed to stop destruction that the demon might cause. As everyone tries to thwart the demon’s plans, he shows his power and what he’s willing to do to get what he wants. The plot twists as the rivalry changes and the enemy of both becomes the focus of all. Genno, the demon who wants the scroll pieces so he can summon a Kami for the wish to rule all, will be the focus of the third book in this trilogy. At times, Yumeko seems a bit dim but then she manages to pull off some amazing feats, with the help and inspiration of others; go teamwork! I also found myself struggling to keep names and descriptions straight and I’m sure that’s because I need to learn more about the Japanese culture. 4 stars for a Japanese fantasy full of a menagerie of characters!

The Lost City Explorers: Volume 1 by Zack Kaplan and Alvaros Sarraseca

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Atlantis adventure, comic-book style!
Thanks to NetGalley and Aftershock for the opportunity to read and review The Lost City Explorers Volume 1 by Zack Kaplan and Alvaros Sarraseca!
Graphic novel full of gorgeous backgrounds, realistic illustrations mixed with a bit of the supernatural and a high stakes adventure! A father is presumed dead but may actually only be missing. His young adult children go with a group of friends to search for him and what they find is more than they bargained for! First volume in an Atlantean adventure series! Journal entries at the end of the graphic novel add to the mystery and built my curiosity for the next book. 5 stars for the action-adventure graphic novel series!

The Chosen by Taran Matharu!

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Twisted adventure!
Thanks to NetGalley, Feiwel and Friends and Goodreads (giveaway winner) for the opportunity to read and review The Chosen by Taran Matharu!
Cade has ended up in a reform center for juvenile delinquents because of his roommate’s theft. Cade attends the center trying to figure out how to stay under the radar. Six months into his yearlong stay, he finds himself on a cliff ledge facing a creature that wants him for a snack. The chapters alternate between Cade in the center and then somewhere else fighting for his life for a few chapters. Then the story continues with Cade trying to survive and understand his new surroundings full of creatures, people from the past and other creatures and technology that have no explanations. The codex is a tech device that Cade has never seen before and it answers several questions and explains that Cade is a contender in the qualifying round which is being counted down on the Codex’s display. The ending lays out the truth of Cade’s circumstances and all its complications. An unusual tale of a twisted adventure, 4 stars!

Under the Moon by Lauren Myracle and Illustrated by Isaac Goodhart!

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Awesome backstory!
Thanks to NetGalley and DC Ink for the opportunity to read and review Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale by Lauren Myracle; illustrated by Isaac Goodhart!
This graphic novel is divided into three sections: The Dark, The Light and Under the Bright White Moon and tells Catwoman’s origin story of abuse and neglect. She lives with her single mother and various boyfriends throughout the years and, the last straw is when her cat is killed by the latest jerk boyfriend. Selena leaves home and after being homeless for a while, she makes friends and finally feels like she belongs somewhere. 5 stars for this riveting graphic novel!

The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout!

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Fun, intrigue, mystery, supernatural and sci-fi rolled into one!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for the opportunity to read and review The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout!
Two teenage girls, Evie and Heidi, go into an all-inclusive club and while one is having fun dancing the other one is being interrogated by Luc, who’s being extremely rude. Evie isn’t the least bit impressed with Luc and tells him so. The club gets raided and Luc takes Evie to hide inside a closet with him, claiming to be protecting her. She realizes the next day that she’s lost her phone and it’s probably at the club. She heads back to retrieve her phone, to no avail and from there, the acquaintance with Luc grows into more. In the meantime, the Luxen invasion is described and Origins are explained. Luc and Evie are fun characters, each with distinct personalities and I thoroughly enjoy their banter. This story contains several mysteries, which build then unfold throughout the book. I love the author’s writing and have devoured her realistic fiction novels, The Problem with Forever and If There’s No Tomorrow. The Darkest Star is the first supernatural novel of hers that I’ve read and it’s just as awesome, showing how talented Jennifer L. Armentrout is! Even though many mysteries come into the light, there are still unanswered questions at the ending which leads the reader into the next book, The Burning Shadow. Supernatural mystery earning a solid 5 stars!

The Whole Wide World and Me by Toni Yuly

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Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read and review The Whole Wide World and Me by Toni Yuly!
Cute, simple and charming prose! Illustrations are reminiscent of Eric Carle because of the patterns, paint on paper and construction paper looking images and backgrounds. A sweet book with a strong message of uniqueness and belonging. 5 stars!
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