loved it Archives - The Pencil Princess Workshop

Jade City

I’ve been meaning to read Jade City for a while, and I don’t know what took me so long.

Once I finally got into it, I found this book totally lived up to its hype. It’s a brilliant story, with intricate plotting and rich world-building

The real stars, though, are the characters. My favorite is Kaul Shaelinsan, the prodigal daughter returned to her hometown to lick her wounds and try not to get caught up in the family business. But I also love her brothers, and her cousin. And the dozens of minor characters who fill out this magical city-state.

If you like young adult fantasy, or martial arts, or stories about crime syndicates, or just a wonderful story well-told, I’d recommend Jade City. (And if you don’t like any of those things, why are you reading book reviews?)

Mazie

Mazie, the newest book by Melanie Crowder, is a great story about one young woman’s journey toward Broadway.

As a small town girl from Nebraska, Mazie doesn’t know any professional performers (unless you count her dance teacher). In many ways, she’s aiming for something that seems utterly unreachable. It’s a powerful thing–watching her transform her dreams into reality.

I love the deep, realistic character development in this book. I also love the way it explores how ambition can affect relationships–with family, with a boyfriend, and especially with fellow artists. In this book, these other performers often feel like both collaborators and competition.

Like Audicity (which is another Crowder book I love), this trip into the past also has great world-building. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a drive-up restaurant with live performances and waitresses on roller skates, but this book put me there.

If you like historical books, or musical theater, or coming-of-age stories (especially ones about young people who are talented in one of the fine arts), this might be a great read for you.

Not quite your thing? If you browse through my bookshelf here, you can check out other books I adore. The “loved it” and “keeper” tags mark some of my favorites.

Flora & Ulysses

If you need a fun, quick read that’s delightfully magical and laugh-out-loud funny, Flora & Ulysses is a great pick.

Flora is a wonderful character. Smart and cynical, she nonetheless manages to be be sweet. Also, her ability to accept the incredible (but true) is refreshing.

I wonder, in fact, if that ability to accept the incredible is one of the great gifts of childhood. Those, like Flora, who can navigate the path toward adulthood and its worries without losing that acceptance, are gifted. Or stubbornly unique. Or something.

Flora isn’t the only character I like in here. Ulysses is probably the most well-rounded squirrel I have ever met in a book. The neighbors–both her mother’s and her father’s neighbors–are quirky and full of compassion. And Flora’s parents, despite their issues (real issues!) are fascinating people we can empathize with.

There are plenty of difficult things in this book, but it doesn’t come off as heavy. In fact, the humor keeps it almost buoyant–without ever getting crass or minimizing the problems. This is an amazing book, well worth its Newbery. If you can at all tolerate middle-grade books, I’d recommend this one. (Note: I have not seen the movie. I’ve heard it’s good, but have no other information on that point.)

The Kingdom of Back

Marie Lu’s The Kingdom of Back surprises with its mix of fantasy and historical fiction. I expected a fantasy, but at first, got nothing but a tale of Mozart’s forgotten sister.

As a historical tale, this story immerses me in a world of rich detail, patriarchy, ambition, and music. Then, just when I’m comfortable, fantasy seeps in. It infuses the story, seeping into the everyday world in a magical realist style.

So, not quite what I expected–but so much better. I love Nannerl. I’ve never quite connected to music the way she does, but I relate to her ambition and the complicated feelings she has about her brother and her brother’s talent. This story is epic–both in the realm of music (with genius rising, getting squelched and sometimes getting stolen) and in the Kingdom of Back (where Nannerl fights monsters that are not always exactly what they seem).

I’d strongly recommend this book for anyone who likes fantasy, magical realism, historical fiction, or stories about women in the arts. I may even try picking up a physical copy for myself (and I don’t like books that much very often. I did feel that way about this one, too.)

The Crossover

The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander, is a gorgeous novel in verse. In lyrical language it sings…and seduces…and transports.

In fact, The Crossover is a bit magical. I know that, because partway through reading it, I imagined I actually wanted to get out and play basketball.

Anyone who knows me will understand the magic of this. I’m hardly what you’d call a sports person. I’m uncomfortable with any level of physical activity that requires a shower afterward. And, I don’t watch sports. (I make exceptions for Olympic figure skating, gymnastics, and occasionally diving.)

But this book magically turns me into Josh Bell, a basketball phenom. Josh’s pure love for the game sings through me, and so does his love and worry about his family. So does his love and frustration with his twin.

I used to think I didn’t like novels in verse, but now, I suspect I just hadn’t read any. If you haven’t tried one, this is a fabulous one to start with. (I’d also recommend Audacity by Melanie Crowder–or maybe even Flying in a Cage)

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

I have loved The Girl Who Drank the Moon since I first read it when my daughter picked it up for a contest back when she was in fifth grade. So, several years, now.

Like all the best fantasies, this one immerses me in a world that feels both familiar and wonderfully different from the world where I live.

And the characters! Kelly Barnhill, the author, has created so many fascinating people in this book. I love Luna, especially for her exuberance. And the swamp monster. I love the Simply Enormous dragon (who fits in Luna’s pocket). And so many more…

What I love most might be that in this story, even good people make problems worse. They do this even when they’re trying to do right. In a messed up system, treating symptoms may be necessary, but it won’t touch the heart of the issue. Systemic evil must be dismantled before lives can improve.

And this book helps me to see that in a story that I would have no qualms about reading with an eight-year-old. It’s that kind of good.

Anyway, if you like fantasy at all–or middle grade–or just fabulously good writing–and you haven’t yet read The Girl Who Drank the Moon, you absolutely should.

Merci Suárez Changes Gears

In Merci Suárez Changes Gears, Merci lives in las casitas–three pink houses in a row in Florida that she shares with not just her immediate family, but also her extended family.

Lolo and Abuela live in the middle house, and much of this book is about Merci’s relationship with Lolo. Just as Merci struggles with a new stage of her life (middle school), Lolo is struggling with a new stage of his life (old age).

This is a beautiful story that reminds me a bit of my earliest five years when we lived around the block from my grandma and grandpa. I wonder what it would have been like to get older there, to be part of their lives as I got into middle school and then high school.

For Merci, it’s not all easy. (But then, is entering middle school ever easy?) But it’s good, and I love taking this journey with her. I love getting to know this creative, confident, athletic character, and all the people who make up her world.

If you’re at all into realistic middle-grade fiction, this is a good one. I’d say it’s better than Because of Mr. Terupt or Micah McKinney and the Boys of Summer (which are both also good books).

New Kid

New Kid, by Jerry Craft was 2020’s Newbery award winner. Like other Newberys, it is incredibly well-written, and rich in detail. It has well-rounded characters and a tale that tugs on my heartstrings.

Unlike any other Newbery I’ve read, it is also a graphic novel.

The artwork is gorgeous, and I particularly love the art within the art. (This graphic novel tells the story of Jordan Banks, a young artist, so some of the spreads are meant to be Jordan’s work.) I love the way the book explores this part of Jordan’s personality. I’m fascinated by the ongoing argument in his family about what role art should play in Jordan’s education. Jordan’s family (or at least part of it) regards creative endeavors as a sideline in the business of life. Naturally, I relate to Jordan’s frustration with that.

I also relate to Jordan’s struggle with being the new kid in a school despite some obvious differences between our experiences. Jordan’s racial background and the nature of his prestigious private school add complexity to his struggle. In some ways, this story reminds me of The Hate U Give because Jordan, like Starr, has to navigate two very different cultures as he attends a private school far from his neighborhood.

All in all, this is a great book. I strongly recommend it for anyone who likes graphic novels, art, or realistic stories about starting a new stage of life. I’ll be looking for more of Jerry Craft’s books in the future.

A Christmas Carol

I’ve read A Christmas Carol before, of course. When exactly, I can’t remember–perhaps it was for school.

Reading it again, I’m impressed by the wealth of detail. The world comes alive with the meager coal in Bob Cratchit’s fireplace, the door knocker that morphs into Marley’s face, and the pictures of revelry outside Scrooge’s window (and the bleakness within).

I also love the characters in this book. Scrooge bristles with complexity. As we pass through his past and linger in his present, we see that he’s more than the crusted, money-grubbing, crab he has become. Others, too, have intricately-woven personalities. Scrooge’s nephew delights. Bob Cratchit and all the other Cratchits make joy with hardly any wherewithal.

The thing I might like best about A Christmas Carol, though, is the way it champions the potential for redemption in everyone. If Scrooge can change, there’s hope for us all.

If you haven’t read this in a while (or never read it), I recommend picking up a copy. The digital copy I picked up from Amazon is free, and I’m sure it’s available at most libraries.

Cress

Marissa Meyer has written another fabulous book with Cress. Book Three of The Lunar Chronicles lives up to the high standard set by Cinder and Scarlet. (My daughter would say it surpasses it. Cress is her favorite.)

Like the two previous books, this one is a fairy-tale retelling–in this case of Rapunzel. For an isolated shut-in, Cress turns out to be a remarkably active and resourceful main character. Her mad computer skills save her (and others) dozens of times, but it’s her ability to make friends after so much isolation that’s truly impressive.

Also like the first two books, this one is full of action and life-changing revelations. When Cress’s rescue goes a bit awry, all the characters get thrown into life-threatening crisis. It’s hard to imagine how the problems could intensify–and yet they do, throwing our heroes into ever-increasing danger.

With Cress on board, this little team of outcasts and misfits may just have a fighting chance at overthrowing the evil empire from Luna that seems intent on ruling the Earth.

Maybe.

In any case, I’m looking forward to the next book, and I strongly recommend this one for anyone who likes YA sci-fi and fantasy (and anyone who enjoys good fairy-tale retellings). For other reviews, check it out on Goodreads or LibraryThing.