Category: YA Book Reviews

Posted in YA Book Reviews

Red Queen

Posted on by Little Bee

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Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Goodreads rating 5 Stars

This book is the first in a series and follows a young girl named Mare. I have wanted to read this book for a while, so when I found it on sale, I decided now was the time. This book will capture you from the very beginning. It is based in a dystopian type setting in which there is a separation between the Reds and the Silvers. The Silvers rule the world, they have silver blood and special powers. The Reds have red blood and are treated like scum. The Reds do not have powers and do not have wealth of any kind. The Reds are the first to be sent off to a war that has lasted over a hundred years. They are what keep the Silvers going. The Silvers like to exert their power and prestige over the Reds.

Like any good book, there are a couple of delicious guys involved that you don’t know who to root for. And of course, like any good book there is a female who can’t decide who she trusts and who she loves. And of course, there is a mass deception, but by who? I won’t give it away. I knew who would betray based on accidental Goodreads glimpses of a friend’s status update during her own adventure with these characters.

I found that Mare, the leading lady in this story, could sometimes be annoying. I understand that she was being forced to live in a different world due to her…interesting differences as a Red, but you could tell she secretly loved living the life of Silver, even if she was disgusted with them. She was getting to live in a life where she didn’t have to worry about stealing food to survive or items to sell at the black market.

I like that this book is different yet the same as all the other books out there. Mare is a strong, stubborn, resilient young lady who is forced to leave a world she knows because of some innate ability to create electricity out of thin air. This is a feat that should be impossible for a Red. This story follows her struggle to protect her family, save the Reds from the oppressive Silvers, bring about equality between the two groups and figure out if she loves either of the princes and if so, which one will help her bring about that which she wants most in the world…freedom. It is a wonderful read, beautifully written and will break your heart in ways you didn’t think possible. I highly suggest adding it to your book repertoire as soon as humanly possible.

Posted in YA Book Reviews

When Lollipop Ladies Attack!

Posted on by Little Bee

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Rating: 5 stars

Age group: 6-9

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

First, I want to say, that I did not know that a “Lollipop Lady” was a crossing guard. I am glad that the author included that tidbit of information when I received the book. I would have figured it out, but I had no clue that is what it was called in the UK and Australia 🙂

This book was short and sweet. It contained multiple messages within the text that I think would be enjoyable for it’s age range. We all have those mothers that we are often embarrassed by, but realize that they are actually pretty cool after a while.

For example, I was on a school trip with my brother in Barcelona and none of our luggage made it so we had to go do a little shopping to hold us over. One mother picked out this shirt that she thought was SUPER cute but neither of her girls liked it. One of the girls was 14 and the other was 24. I thought it was cute, so I bought it. When I wore it, the two girls couldn’t believe how cute it was and asked me where I got it. I told them it was the shirt their mother picked out earlier at the store. I can’t even begin to tell you how often I did that to my mom when I was younger! We don’t even give the object a passing glance because our mother picked it out.

This story touches on one of these moments, where kids are embarrassed about what their parents do for a living because their friends’ parents all have “important” jobs. Abby had to learn that a Lollipop Lady’s job is just as important, as say a doctor, because they keep children safe.

I like how each chapter is short and to the point and takes place on a specific day of the week. The font is big and well suited for the age group the story was written for. The language was age appropriate. I will be keeping this book for when I have kids one day 🙂

Posted in YA Book Reviews

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Posted on by Little Bee

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Overall rating: 4 stars

I am on a mission to read all the books that are banned or challenged in the US. I want to point out that upon some investigating of these banned/challenged books, most of them have a subject matter that happened in the US or is currently happening in the US. For example, To Kill a Mockingbird has been banned or challenged in many states because of its strong story line regarding racism in the south. I want to point out, that many of the states banning or challenging this book are SOUTHERN. Now, I am from the south. I was born in Mississippi. I don’t think you can get more southern than that. I think books like To Kill a Mockingbird are important. I don’t agree that it puts the south in a bad light. Racism, slavery…these are a part of the United State’s history and it is important to teach our children and future generations to PREVENT such hatred from continuing. You can’t ban historical events. You just cant. It is like all those people who swear up and down that the Holocaust never happened. It just doesn’t work that way.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is another one of these books. I am pretty sure the reason for banning or challenging is “Let’s not allow children to read this because it shows how horrible “white” citizens were to Native Americans.” I want to point out that my grandfather was not allowed to go to school with “whites.” He also left his education early and eventually went on to work into the Nuclear industry. My family never lived on a reservation, but they experienced poverty and bigotry regardless. This story broke my heart. Some of the events are from memories of Sherman Alexie’s life. How atrocious of a society are we?

Books like these are important because someone needs to teach future generations that there is no superior race and every other lesson that can be found in these stories. In fact, there are studies that indicate within in the next 50-100 years there won’t even be a pure “white” person. Color of your skin does not create a person. It does not indicate that you are better than someone else.

So now that some of my feelings and viewpoints are out of the way, let’s talk about the book eh? I think this book was well written. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me angry, it basically made me FEEL. That is why we read, right? To feel something after the book is over? The truth is, these are very real situations that happen. Maybe a lot of us put it out of our minds because we do not have direct experience with it. Sherman Alexie makes you feel from start to finish. For his first YA, this is a definite hit. I felt for Junior in this story. He was caught between two worlds. He was successful in the white world, but was failing in his own Native American world. He was a stranger in both. It took him deciding to go to a different school where he was the only Native American for him to discover the possibilities. To know he was strong and that he could do anything he put his mind to. That he could give his life purpose beyond alcohol and poverty and death and loss. Alcoholism is prevalent in this society.  I, myself, have to be careful because many of my family have a problem and have struggled.  I think Junior was successful in how he handled everything he went through. Every emotion. He had no one to really talk to, because he was always the outcast. Junior was the caged bird that broke free. He felt guilty, but he soared higher and higher.

If you haven’t read this story, I do suggest it. It is very moving. I only gave it 4 stars because I felt like it could have used a bit more. Junior went through a lot during that school year, but I wanted something significant to really happen. So that is just my opinion. If you read it, be sure to read between the lines for the full message of this story 🙂

Posted in YA Book Reviews

Santa Claus vs. The Aliens…a Real Disappointment!

Posted on by Little Bee

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Goodreads Rating: 3 stars

Actual Rating: 2.5 stars

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.

Have you ever read a book so bad you just didn’t know how to put your feelings to words? How do you go about writing a review for a book that took you almost 3 months to get through 120 pages?  So why did I give it 3 stars on Goodreads to keep it’s rating high? I guess that extra half was a pity star.

First, it is important to note that this book is geared towards middle grade readers. I want to point out that I am completely capable of reading middle grade aged books. Some of my favorites are:

  1. Fablehaven (Brandon Mull)
  2. Vampirates (Jason Somper)
  3. Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus (Rick Riordan)

I want it known now, at the beginning of this review, that the low rating was not because I couldn’t review this book for the age group it is geared towards. I can, as I have done reviews for this age group in the past. So where did this story go horribly wrong? At it’s execution.

I think this story line held a lot of promise and could have been something fantastic. I get that it is more for male readers, but that is not the issue. Reading this book almost felt like I was reading something translated directly into English. It felt broken, incorrect word usage and incorrect use of commas. For example, the first paragraph in Chapter 9 was one sentence. It contained almost 100 words (I counted) and 7 commas. I can’t even begin to explain how irked that made me. There were times I had to re-read sections multiple times just to make sure I understood what was happening. Sometimes you couldn’t tell who was talking because what was said didn’t fit the situation or the person who was supposedly saying it. Another major issue I had was the atrocious way Edwin talked! Look, I get that it is based in New York City and I can see why you want to get the “accent” across, but really? Here is an example:

 

Yeah, that’s it. I got some kinda cold or flu or summin’ and I’m de-loosional. None of that stuff happened today. No, can’t be. That’s crazy tawk. To think I actually thought that that all really happened! Ha! Whatta dope I am!

There is so much more grammatically wrong with this whole story, but I think I will talk about some positives. I like the reference to Krampus that Sister Clara referenced in the book. If I didn’t know the story behind Krampus in the Alpine culture, I would have completely missed this during Edwin’s flashback to the Boogen and ‘Sami Claus.’ I am curious as to why StreetSmart is trademarked in the story…? I will point out at the end there is a “Christian message.” The author mentions it as an “underlying” message, but it is blatant and in your face. I don’t have issues with this, but I felt like it was beaten to death. In fact, in some situations there were so many descriptions I would skip the rest of the paragraph. Some extremely long run on sentences actually repeated the same words, becoming completely redundant and having zero purpose in the story at all.

Goodreads reviews says this book has 4 stars. I read some of the reviews, majority of the readers gave it 4 and 5 stars. Which makes me ask myself two questions: 1) did I get a rough draft copy while others got the corrected version? or 2) am I the only reviewer who couldn’t get past the horrible grammatical structure of the ENTIRE story? I feel like maybe the second question is more applicable. Maybe everyone else overlooked the execution and stuck with the story line?  Am I the only one on this planet that cannot enjoy a story that has horrible grammar?  I think this story line held so much promise and I bet if some major edits were made, it would be more enjoyable. Making edits will not distort the idea of the story, but enhance it and make it more enjoyable and easier to get lost into this Christmas Eve adventure with Edwin.

Actually, after making it through this review, I am probably going to take away my pity star…Oh the conflict!

Posted in YA Book Reviews

The Graveyard Book

Posted on by Little Bee

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I will make this short, sweet, and too the point! Primarily because I wanted to review this book sooner, but it took me a while to get to it (10 days since I finished it)

Rating: 5 stars

Audiobook rating: 5 stars (full cast version)

This was my second Neil Gaiman book and I feel like I should have started with this book first.

The story was well written. I liked how every chapter was a different story in the life of Nobody Owens. Each chapter being a snippet of an experience of Bod’s life like a puzzle piece being placed and the end of the story is the final picture each puzzle piece was responsible for.

If you haven’t read it, I don’t want to give anything away, but the ending made me tear up. I wonder if all of his endings are like this. My previous experience, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, also had a saddish ending. I also like that we meet a character in The Graveyard Book that is related to the Hempstocks from The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

I listened to this book as a full cast audiobook. This elevated the story to a level I didn’t even think was possible. Each character was brought to life by it’s own narrator making this story that much more enjoyable.

I do look forward to expanding my Neil Gaiman repitore and I wonder why it took me so long to begin reading him in the first place! I enjoyed this book so much I suggested it to my mother who listened to my audiobook in one weekend.

Posted in YA Book Reviews

As Red As Blood

Posted on by Little Bee

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Goodreads rating: 2 stars

Narrator Rating: 4 stars

 

First, let me say, this review will contain a spoiler. I am just not sure how to write my true feelings and reasons for the low rating without giving away things. I won’t give away much, but enough to justify my feelings.

I originally received this book for free through the Kindle First Program. After multiple failed attempts to start this book, I gave up trying. Recently, I saw that I could get this book super cheap on Audible. I figured I could attempt it again this way. I can say that I finished the book.

This book was difficult or me to get into. Throughout the story, I kept getting lost during a half-assed flashback. The flashbacks were so vague that I didn’t think I would ever understand why Lumikki was such a badass. I thought of everything this girl could have gone through to become how she is. I thought maybe she was sexually abused as a child or maybe she was involved with the mafia (because how else would a 17 year old girl know how to do half the stuff she does). But no. Lumikki wasn’t an escaped victim of the sex trade, or a prostitute trying to hide from her pimp. She had no ties to the mafia. So…how did Lumikki become the ninja level master of disguise? *SPOILER* She was BULLIED Before I continue, I want to note that bullying is NEVER okay. EVER. I am simply stating that it is hard to believe that a bullied girl could suddenly exhibit CIA level covert, operating detective skills WITHOUT help in such a short time. I just can’t make that connection. The way Lumikki is now suggests something much more sinister than being beat up and bullied by a couple of mean girls she knew since she was a little girl. Yeah, the bullying was really bad. I can see how it would impact Lumikki’s life. Just not with these types of skills.

I know, I know…sometimes bullied kids retaliate in the most atrocious way. This isn’t like that. This girl became a sneaky super spy for herself. And ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time involving a bunch of drug lords and knew how to handle herself in the situation and how to investigate at such a high skill level. It just isn’t logical for Lumikki to be a bullied victim and have these skills.

A plus side is that Lumikki isn’t a damsel in distress. She is a very strong protagonist. For me, she isn’t 100% relatable but you do warm up to her. Her quirks make it harder to accept that she was bullied and that is why she knows how to walk 20 different ways or look less like herself on the fly. Or even how to snoop around a house with someone inside and they have no clue she is there.

This is apparently the first book in a trilogy, which has me confused. This book ENDED. What is there left for 2 full books? This book held a lot of promise, but for me, it failed to deliver. There is always a lot going on, which usually makes for an interesting story, but the climax just built with the end being a dud.

My narrator rating was high because the narrator was good. There were times some emotion wouldn’t have hurt. There were also times where her characters blended together and you couldn’t tell who was talking or if it was a flashback.

Posted in YA Book Reviews

This effin’ book…only I’m not saying effin!

Posted on by Little Bee

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Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Audiobook rating: 4 out of 5 stars, Narrator: Nick Podehl

First, I want to point out, this review will contain a MAJOR spoiler. So, if you rather discover this travesty on your own, skip this review. I normally do my absolute best to not give spoilers, but this particular incident almost made me not finish the book. I had to leave it for a week or two and try again.

My previous experience with Patrick Ness was emotional, yet pleasant. I enjoyed A Monster Calls so much that I was excited to begin The Knife of Never Letting Go. A lot of my friends also enjoyed this series, and it came highly recommended.

If you are like me, you like to read what other people say about a book. Generally, this doesn’t bias me or how I perceive a story, but helps me to understand what others feel and if it is the same as me. In my research, one such reviewer mentioned about the bad grammar. Let me point out, the author’s grammar is not bad in this book. I think the reviewer missed something. Young Todd is not educated, and since this story is told from Young Todd’s point of view, the grammar should reflect his level of knowledge. Further, Young Todd is the youngest and only boy remaining to become a man in Prentistown. The mayor of Prentistown banned education long ago, so unfortunately, Todd’s grammatical abilities are sub-par and that is being generous!

From the very beginning, I was confused about this book. Information was very slowly given along the way. Having said that, I understand why it was written that way. Todd only knows one way of life. In fact, he believed that Prentistown was the only town in New World. This town also has no women. On New World, you can hear each other’s thoughts, including the animals. Todd has a dog named Manchee. Manchee was my favorite character. The narrator really brought Manchee to life.

Now, the rest of the review is complicated because I don’t like writing book reports for a review. Todd is close to becoming a man. He is very excited for this, but doesn’t understand what it means yet. Upon returning home from a trip to the swamp, after hearing an absolute silence he couldn’t explain, his surrogate father, Ben, told him that he had to leave.  Ben gave Todd a journal that Todd’s mother kept while she was still alive in hopes for it to help save Todd one day when the time came. Ben never really explained why, so Todd was very confused and upset for most of the story. Todd and Manchee ran towards the swamp trying to escape. The mayor has a group of men already coming for him. When he gets into the swamp, he finds that eerie silence again. He discovers it’s a GIRL!  So, Todd becomes even more confused because there weren’t any girls in New World. They all got ill and died. So he he was taught. After a rough start, the two team up and discover there is a town nearby and run for it. In this town, Todd discovers MORE females. He also discovers that people from Prentistown are not well liked. He doesn’t understand it and no one is willing to explain it to him. One such man in this new town tries to attack and kill Todd. The ever faithful Manchee attempts to protect Todd and gets injured. Poor Manchee gets injured a lot coming to his friend’s aid.

Here is the spoiler: Manchee gets killed. Beyond killed, Manchee is murdered. A lot happens to Todd, Viola (the girl) and Manchee. At a pivotal point in this story, Viola is taken by Prentistown’s preacher, Aaron. Todd and Manchee devise a plan to save her. It works up until the point when Todd is attempting to get into a boat and Aaron grabs him. Manchee tears at Aaron. Rips at his throat. But in one wrong move, Aaron gets the leg up and grabs Manchee by the neck. Aaron tells Todd it is the girl or the dog. Todd just leaves. He just leaves his dog to die.

I listened to this book. Manchee’s character was so enjoyabl. Just writing that bit of the review brings me to tears and I can hear Manchee’s last question when he realizes Todd is leaving him to die…his very last….”Todd?”

You know, I can accept the death of a beloved character. I really can. What i can’t stand about this death is that Todd didn’t even try to save them both. He just chose the stranger over a loyal companion he has had for years. This death brought my already low rating down even more.

The book ends with a massive cliffhanger, so be ready. The ending infuriated  me and made me that much angrier at Manchee’s death. The massive confusion I had towards the beginning of the book eventually started making since right after Manchee’s death.

Overall, the book was good. It was. Todd and Viola’s character growth was good and what I would expect out of a character that had to face the situations that they did. I just don’t enjoy being confused for 33 of the 42 chapters in a book. Something has to give. Sure, I figured some things on my own. So my level of confused frustration brought my rating down a bit more.

I do suggest listening to this book over reading. Nick Podehl really brings the characters to life. I would listen to him again. I think being able to place a voice to the characters gives a much stronger impact of emotions when something happens in a book. That is something Patrick Ness has down pat as an author—making you feel exactly what the character does as they are experiencing it.

Posted in YA Book Reviews

The Forager

Posted on by Little Bee

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I received this book from the author for an honest review.

I have started getting more and more into reading dystopian novels. I think when it comes to dystopian, there is a lot of creative avenues that can be taken. It almost doesn’t really matter the setting. You can create your own setting and your own reason for why the world ended, and you can’t really be wrong.

The Forager is no different. One thing I liked about this book is that, unlike some dystopians that use a mass war or environmental event, Ron Scheer used what could happen if the economy crashed and the value of the dollar became moot. It is scary, but our dollar is already not doing so well. So it made it that more interesting to learn while reading about what happened to the world when the economy crashed.

I did have a few minor issues…I don’t know if maybe I just missed it somehow or it wasn’t really explained, but I had no general idea of where this town was located in the story. I feel like it is situated somewhere in the mid-west, but I also can kind of visualize rural Pennsylvania. I also had a hard time visualizing majority of the characters. Reading this, I will tell you a few characters I could visualize and how I visualized them:

1. The Forager—Jeff Bridges
2. Frank- The Rock (not sure why, but just did)
3. The mayor—Anthony Hopkins
4. Millie- the mother from the movie Master in Disguise.

At first, this book starts kind of slow, but once everything happens, it picks up. Before I knew it I was 30 pages away from the end and wondering how in the world everything was going to happen that needed to. The ending was predictable, and I felt like I could have used more conflict, but overall, for a first book, it was pretty good. I enjoyed it. Structurally, there are some periods missing. All that said, I think it is an enjoyable read. It is original, and original is always welcomed and nice when so many books within a genre are almost the same.

Posted in YA Book Reviews

Son of the Mob

Posted on by Little Bee

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Rating: 4 stars

Audiobook rating: 5 stars, Narrator: Max Casella

It seems like I have listened to more books than read lately, but with my current job, I need something to entertain me during the day. This story definitely brought the entertainment! I have to say, this book is one of those I don’t think I would have enjoyed as much if I had read it on my own. This book was made enjoyable by Max Casella.

This book is about Vince Luca, a high school student and the son of a major mob boss. Vince doesn’t want anything to do with his dad’s “legitimate” business endeavors. However, through a series of unfortunate events, Vince finds himself in the heart of his dad’s organizations!

This book is almost like a modern day Romeo and Juliet, but no suicides or deaths. Vince starts dating the daughter of the very FBI agent that has been trying to lock his dad up for the past few years. All the while, Vince does his best not to tell his new love who his dad is. Vince always hated being judged because of who his father was. All the while, Vince becomes a bookie without realizing it thanks to his older brother, the go to guy for those who owe his dad money, a normal boyfriend and the finder of the snitch infiltrating his father’s organization.

Max Casella made the entire book enjoyable. He nailed that New York/Italian accent that sucked you into the story line. I found myself laughing my ass off the whole way through this story. I am not saying it is the best thing I have ever read, but Max Casella made an okay book an awesome book.

Posted in YA Book Reviews

If I stay

Posted on by Little Bee

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Rating: 5 stars

Audiobook rating: 5 stars, Narrator: Kirsten Potter

This review will be short and to the point because if I say too much, I will give everything away.

I recently saw in one of my Goodreads groups that this book was considered “over-hyped.” I have to say that crushed me a little. I have come to realize, that there are stories I like because I listen to them through audibook instead of read them. Some narrators just captivate me and from the beginning. This book is one such book. I think I still would have liked it if I read it, but maybe not as much. I know everyone has different opinions, and I respect that. A book I love and give a high rating to, you may not like at all.

This book is a complete tear jerker and completely original. I have not read a book from the perspective of someone in a coma watching and hearing everyone around them and trying to decide if they want to stay or move on. I liked how the main character, Mia, has flashbacks of her life. The accident pretty much happens at the get go, so these flashbacks are the only way to connect with any of the characters.

This book is another book I think is more enjoyable as an audiobook. Kirsten Potter’s inflections were exactly right. She brings the right amount of emotions at the appropriate times.

All I can say is this-don’t listen to this book at work like I made the mistake of doing! Also, have tissue. And finally…I hope the movie brings this tragic story to life respectfully. This book is worth the read. Even if you find you didn’t like it, the experience of such beautiful writing is something you need to go through. Even more so through audiobook!