Tag: book reviews

Review: Dewdrop

DeAnneLeave a comment

Title: Dewdrop
Author and Illustrator: Katie O’Neill
Publisher: Oni Press
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020

Synopsis: Dewdrop is an easygoing, gentle axolotl who enjoys naps, worm pie, and cheerleading. When the yearly sports fair nears, he and his friends—Mia the weightlifting turtle, Newman the musical newt, and three minnows who love to cook—get ready to showcase their skills to the whole pond! However, as the day of the fair gets closer, Dewdrop’s friends can’t help putting pressure on themselves to be the best. It’s up to Dewdrop to remind them how to be mindful, go at their own pace, and find joy in their own achievements.

As soon as I heard that Katie O’Neill was coming out with another book I had to read it. I absolutely love the messages she weaves into her books and her art style. The bright color palette and her adorable characters are sure to draw anyone in, but in all her works there are beautiful stories and messages that are great for all ages.

Dewdrop is an adorable little axolotl who loves being a cheerleader and encouraging his friends. As they are preparing for the sports festival each of his friends encounter setbacks with what they are trying to do, but Dewdrop is there to help them through their difficulties and offer support.

This was such as a wonderful read that will be amazing for younger children, I’ll definitely be picking up a copy for my niece once it comes out!

If it sounds like something that you or someone you know would like, be sure to pick up a copy when it comes out April 7th, 2020 from Oni Press. Happy reading!

Review: The Cold is in Her Bones

DeAnneLeave a comment

When I first heard that this book was a take on Medusa, I was instantly intrigued and wanted to check it out. Things based on mythology always pique my interest as that’s one of my buzzwords/favorite concepts. This book did not disappoint on the Medusa aspect for sure.

After the prologue (which gives us a glimpse of events in the past) we follow Milla, who is sheltered and lives a quiet life outside of the village with her parents and brother. As the story unfolds we learn about the curse that the village lives under where young girls get afflicted by a “demon” and get taken away. We then continue to follow Milla as she does everything she can to learn more and to help those she cares about.

This book opens up great conversations about the extremes that some religious beliefs can go to and what happens when people react harshly out of their fear. In some ways you could draw some parallels to stories such as those written about the events that happened during the Salem witch hunts. There’s also a lot of talk about oppressing females if they don’t act the norm or perfectly obey. I felt that these concepts were subtle enough to not be overt, but still there.

Overall I really enjoyed this read and loved how the story unfolded. I would recommend picking it up if you’re looking for something mythology based or perfect for the spooky season.

Happy reading!

Review: Raven the Pirate Princess Vol 1

DeAnneLeave a comment

I’ve heard of this graphic novel before, but the few things I’d heard of it didn’t tell me much about the synopsis. Still, when I saw it in my local comic shop I was intrigued enough to pick it up.

In this we follow Raven, whose been usurped by her greedy brothers and has the sole purpose of getting back what’s hers. This volume primarily focuses on her gathering a crew and starting her adventure. Though her main purpose remains the same throughout the volume we do see a lot of flashbacks that show what lead her to this place in her life. It’s also very diverse in respect to personalities, race and sexuality.

I loved the art style of this graphic novel, it was very realistic yet vibrant and dynamic. I look forward to reading more of this series and seeing where things go. It will be interesting to see if some of Raven’s motivation changes or not.

If you’re looking for a fun, feminine pirate adventure with tons of humor and a promising story line that is sure to lead to capers.

Happy reading!

Review: The Circle

DeAnneLeave a comment

When I was offered this book I was immediately interested, anything with fairies immediately draws my interest, especially when they weave in some of the different aspects of fairies. The Circle introduces us to Calum who is living with guilt over the disappearance of his cousin and who is trying to figure out his place in not only the world of the Sidhe but also in the human world. The story really gets going when he meets Lauren, a human girl.

A lot of the first half is world building and setting the story and characters, but in a first book in a series that is understandable. The second half of the book moves pretty quickly as we discover that the different events in their lives are likely tied together.

I’m eager to see where the rest of the series takes these characters and could definitely see how seemingly minor characters could play a larger part in future books.

The Circle is out now from Vulpine Press. Thanks again to them for offering me a copy of this book. Happy reading!

Review: The Babysitters Coven

DeAnneLeave a comment
Title: The Babysitters Coven
Author: Kate Williams
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: September 17th, 2019

When I first read the concept of this book, I wanted to read it immediately. Babysitter’s Club meets Buffy? Yes, please! While the book did meet that brief, there were some aspects that I didn’t love. I really enjoyed all of the great pop culture references (Labyrinth, Buffy, Harry Potter and more) as well as some of the discussion surrounding difficult issues such as Esme’s mom’s condition and how the town/school treated her because of it, as well as her internal dialogue about her worries and fears. Esme’s voice/point of view is rather harsh at times, which could be considered unlikable or polarizing, but for the age of the character it is understandable.

I do wish that some things had been a little more descriptive. At times the relationships between people didn’t seem to be as close as they were described. Also, a lot of the characters (granted, more minor characters) could have used more description to differentiate them from each other. That being said though, this was mostly with characters that only appeared a few times and I’m sure that if they show up in future books they will be fleshed out more.

The last half of the book was jam packed with action and went much faster than the 1st half, which I really enjoyed. There were definitely a lot of twists and turns that were surprising, but there were also many twists that were pretty predictable. There were times that I had a hard time liking Esme and Cassandra (mostly Cassandra) because of their decisions, but I could see some of those things being addressed in future books. In that respect this book set up future conflicts really well.

All in all I did enjoy this book and as I said the last half was really quick paced and enjoyable. If you’re looking for books that have great pop culture references, lots of mystical and paranormal content and babysitters who have to protect the world, then you’ll probably enjoy it. It was definitely a fun book with a lot of quirks and capers.

The Babysitters Coven is out now from Delacorte Press, so be sure to pick up a copy if it’s something that is up your alley, Happy reading!