Month: January 2024

Big Tree / Brian Selznick

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
Big Tree
By: Brian Selznick
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 528
Published: April 4, 2023
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Dates Read: December 31, 2023
Format: ARC / Paperback

The fate of life on Earth falls on the fluffs of two brave little seeds as they leave their mother to find their own place to grow.

Was I prepared to get emotionally invested in two seedlings from the prehistoric times on my New Years Eve afternoon – no, of course not. Did I make weird noises while reading it when crazy things happen – yes, yes I did.

The art in this book goes along wonderfully with the story – it really adds a whole other level to the telling by showing the events, which sometimes you don’t need words for.

I did enjoy the discussion of the entire plant system under our feet. Trees definitely talk to each other. Shoot, the smell of freshly cut grass is the grass telling others around it danger is coming! It’s a crazy unheard world around us.

Overall, this is something I can see myself recommending to loads of people – especially can see this on book lists for Earth Day for sure!

Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy / Faith Erin Hicks

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Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy
By: Faith Erin Hicks
Genre: Graphic Novel, Romance
Number of Pages: 304
Published: October 3, 2023
Publisher: First Second
Dates Read: December 30, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, bully, domestic abuse

After Alix lashes violently out at her rude and mean teammate, Lindsay, she knows she needs to control her anger. So, she goes to Ezra; the cool, calm theater kid from her grade, for help. As they begin to hang out more and more, Alix learns there’s more to Ezra than the levelheaded front her puts on. And maybe, there’s something more than just friendship forming…

This is a cute YA graphic novel romance with a bit of the gender roles switched than what you usually see in rom-coms.

I enjoyed the storyline and the chemistry between the two felt genuine and wasn’t that insta-romance. I do however wish the ending as a little longer, so it could flush out a little more of the story better.

Overall though, I will be recommending to those who enjoyed the author’s other works, like Pumpkinhead by Rainbow Rowell, and the series Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu. And those that like a cute YA graphic romance.

Heartstopper: Volume Five / Alice Oseman

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Heartstopper: Volume Five
By: Alice Oseman
Genre: Graphic Novel, Romance
Number of Pages: 336
Published: December 19, 2023
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
Dates Read: December 28, 2023 - December 29, 2023
Format: Library Book / eBook

Trigger Warnings: discussion of mental health, eating disorders, and sexual references

In this volume of Heartstopper, Charlie must persuade his mum to let him sleep over at Nick’s house, but he’s also got to get passed all his tests. Meanwhile, Nick is going off to university next year, is everything about to change?

I went most of this year thinking this was going to be the final installment of the Heartstopper series, but then Alice Oseman says we’ll get one more. Now I have a little more time to prepare myself. And also to get it set up on hopefully a physical copy of it so I don’t have to wait on the back order my library has and then setting on a digital copy. Nothing was going to stop me from reading this story as soon as I possibly could!!

As always, the boys were adorable and so supportive of each other. I would love to wrap them both in blankets and let them be cute and adorable together always. It still makes me happy about the friend support everyone gives each other – even sometimes with the tough love or the hard questions, it was also with love.

We also got a hint at Tori and her story in this too. I haven’t officially read her stories yet, but they are on my Shortlist TBR.

Overall – I’m going to be recommending this series until the day I die, so there is no question here if I like it or not. I loved it.

Odessa (Odessa #1) / Jonathan Hill

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Odessa (Odessa #1)
By: Jonathan Hill
Genre: Graphic Novel, YA
Number of Pages: 328
Published: November 10, 2020
Publisher: Oni Press
Dates Read: December 24, 2023 - December 26, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

After a massive earthquake hit along the Cascadia fault line eight years ago, everything changed for the west coast of the United States. But for Vietnamese-American Virginia Crane, her life changed the most when her mother left and never came back shortly after the quake.

Ginny has always helped her father out and taken care of her brothers, Wes and Harry. But when a mysterious package arrives for the eighteenth birthday, Ginny wants more to life than what she’s been surviving on. Maybe it’s selfish of her, but she’s determined, now more than ever, to find where her mother is, or what happened with her – even if she must leave her family behind.

Right, so I read this going into it, knowing that there will be more volumes. But I thought, this was written in 2020, at least the second volume would be out, right?! NO! I finished this book, expecting I would go grab the second volume at the library but it’s still not out! I’m quite hooked on Ginny’s storyline thank you very much and want to know where it’s going.

Is this the absolutely best graphic novel out there – no, but I still really enjoyed it. The twists and such kept my interest and I’d like to see what has become of the world past San Francisco after this massive earthquake eight years ago.

I did enjoy the art, it’s done in one of my favorite shades of pink.

I would really enjoy it if the second book would come out soon though. You can’t just leave it on the cliffhanger that it’s on!

Rain Remembers (Rain #2) / Courtney Comrie

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Rain Remembers (Rain #2)
By: Courtne Comrie
Genre: Middle Grade, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 272
Published: October 24, 2023
Publisher: HarperCollins
Dates Read: December 21, 2023 - December 24, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

The start of this school year has brought a lot of changes for Rain. First off, her brother Xander is off to college and now it’s just her mom and her. Secondly, she’s a freshman in high school – where there’s no Circle Group, no Dr. McMalla, no Miss Walia, and no step team. Rain is struggling with all the new things in her life, including opening up to her new counselor. But when an older boy starts to give Rain more attention than she asked for, will she be able to open up again before it’s too late?

I just really enjoy the way things like therapy and Group Circle are talked about in this book. I grew up during a time where, though it was more common for people to go to therapy, it wasn’t talked about, and was still kind of taboo.

Rain is so well written and authentic that she seems real to the reader. There’s so much of the emotional rollercoaster of adolescence that older readers will relate to her as well and they remember their time growing up.

There is also a wonderful message of making sure you always have something that you love that you can go to in dark times – mine has always been music and writing. There are some heavy parts in this novel, but as it was in the book before this, that it’s not something kids aren’t going through nowadays and none of this is anything that even younger middle school students wouldn’t be able to connect with.

Overall, I loved this book – like I knew I would as soon as I saw it was coming out. This will be highly recommended for those who want to feel and connect with the main character of the story they are reading.