Maame by Jessica George REVIEW

Maame

by Jessica George

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Blurb

It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting.

When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But it's not long before tragedy strikes, forcing Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils––and rewards––of putting her heart on the line.

Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong.

Expected Publication Date: January 31,2023

Review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Oh my goodness could this book of gotten any better? Honestly, probably not, it was pretty damn great.

Maame is such a beautiful story. We follow Maddie, our late bloomer, always dependable main character. When the story starts Maddie is quiet and hasn't really lived yet. By the time we say goodbye she has grown into a strong confident woman and her journey isn't one you'll want to miss.

The writing was beautiful. The story was wonderfully told. There were moments of laughter, moments of sadness and moments of total shock. Maame is one I highly recommend adding to your TBR if you haven't already.

Jiu-Jitsu Girl by Jennifer Dutton REVIEW

Jiu-Jitsu Girl

by Jennifer Dutton

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Blurb:

What’s more terrifying than being forced into a coed combat wrestling martial art by your own mother? Sixth grade.

Angie Larson hates Jiu-Jitsu. Like many twelve-year-old girls, she fails to find the glamour in a martial art that embraces zero personal space and choking as an end goal. Seriously, people choke her, drip sweat on her face, and even wrap their legs around her neck. It’s the worst. Instead, she idolizes the seemingly perfect kids at her school who do “normal” activities like dance or soccer. But just when it seems like Angie is about to be accepted by them, her mom enrolls her in a Jiu-Jitsu tournament and begins a relationship with the sweatiest coach on the planet. And to make things more complicated, Angie develops a close friendship with a boy who is definitely not part of the “cool” crowd.

Angie must decide who she is while making some painful decisions both on and off the mat. Is she a dance girl, a soccer girl, a nothing girl . . . or a Jiu-Jitsu girl?

Expected Publication Date: January 24, 2023

Review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I absolutely adore this book! I can't think of a single thing I disliked about it.

Angie was such an awesome main character. I really liked how she was written as such a normal kid. She messed up multiple times before finally finding her path and I loved it. So many times you see young characters do not-so-childlike things or have these weirdly grownup attitudes, but Angie is a simple kid. She's a wonderful character for kids of all ages to read about and relate to. Heck, even as an adult I still found her relatable at times.

As a reader I was overjoyed to be reading this. As a kid who was a bit of a loner I felt empowered while reading this. As a mom, I'm so happy writers like Dutton exist to create characters like Angie that my own daughter can grow up with.

Doomed: Sacco, Vanzetti & the End of the American Dream by John Florio & Ouisie Shapiro REVIEW

Doomed: Sacco, Vanzetti & the End of the American Dream

by John Florio & Ouisie Shapiro

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Blurb

In the early 1920s, a Red Scare gripped America. Many of those targeted were Italians, Eastern Europeans, and other immigrants.

When an armed robbery resulting in the death of two people broke headlines in Massachusetts, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti - both Italian immigrants - were quick to be accused.

A heated trial ensued, but through it all, the two men maintained their innocence. The controversial case quickly rippled past borders as it became increasingly clear that Sacco and Vanzetti were fated for a death sentence. Protests sprang up around the world to fight for their lives.

Learn the tragic history we dare not repeat in Doomed: Sacco, Vanzetti, and the End of the American Dream, an action-packed, fast-paced nonfiction book filled with issues that still resonate today.

Expected Publication Date: January 24, 2023

Review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Doomed is the true heartbreaking story of two Italian immigrants who were wrongfully executed for murder. Before reading this book I had never heard of these men, now I will never be able to forget them.

I really like that this book is short and to the point with this case. It's easy to follow along and isn't filled with legal jargon. The story is descriptive enough to transport you back in time without loading you down with unnecessary information. 

Overall, I think the authors did an amazing job at shining light on this case. If you're into true crime I suggest giving this one a shot.

Hex You by P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast REVIEW

 Hex You

by P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast

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Blurb

Twin sisters, Mercy and Hunter are witches, direct descendants of the Goode family, the founders of their town. After the murder of their mother at the hands of a foul demon, they have become the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds--ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and the darkest of creatures exist.

Mercy and Khenti are trapped in the Ancient Egyptian Underworld and need Hunter’s help to escape. But while Hunter searches for a way to save them, other evil threatens Goodeville. Amphitrite is still looming–and she wants vengeance against Hunter. With the gates rapidly weakening, Amphitrite lures out a deadly creature and sets it free on the residents of Goodeville. It will take everything in Mercy and Hunter’s power to stop the goddess and seal the gates once and for all.

Expected Publication Date: January 31, 2023

Review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the third book in the Sisters of Salem series. I would highly recommend starting from book 1 'Spells Trouble' if you want to read this book. They all connect and one starts where the last one ends.

I really enjoyed this series. I like how the three books flow together seamlessly. The ending was satisfying with everything tied up but not worked out in a fairy tale wrap up sort of way. Once again I enjoyed the writing and the characters. This trilogy is a great choice if you're looking for something fun and witchy.

Shuna's Journey by Hayao Miyazaki, translated by Alex Dudok de Wit REVIEW

Shuna's Journey

by Hayao Miyazaki

translated by Alex Dudok de Wit

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Blurb

From legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki comes a new manga classic about a prince on a quest for a golden grain that would save his land, never before published in English!

Shuna, the prince of a poor land, watches in despair as his people work themselves to death harvesting the little grain that grows there. And so, when a traveler presents him with a sample of seeds from a mysterious western land, he sets out to find the source of the golden grain, dreaming of a better life for his subjects.

It is not long before he meets a proud girl named Thea. After freeing her from captivity, he is pursued by her enemies, and while Thea escapes north, Shuna continues toward the west, finally reaching the Land of the God-Folk.

Will Shuna ever see Thea again? And will he make it back home from his quest for the golden grain?

Review

Thank you :01 First Second Books for my review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I absolutely adore this book. From the artwork to the story I simply love everything about it.

We follow young Shuna as he goes on a quest to find the golden grain and help his people. Throughout his journey Shuna travels across many lands and meets many people both good and bad. Shuna is tested is many ways and his journey is one you will want to relive again and again.

Coming in at about 160 pages, Shuna's Journey is an incredibly fast read. It took me less than an hour to read and I was hypnotized the entire time. I feel like this book could have went on forever and I would have happily continued.

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman REVIEW

Summer Bird Blue

by Akemi Dawn Bowman

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Blurb

Rumi Seto spends a lot of time worrying she doesn’t have the answers to everything. What to eat, where to go, whom to love. But there is one thing she is absolutely sure of—she wants to spend the rest of her life writing music with her younger sister, Lea.

Then Lea dies in a car accident, and her mother sends her away to live with her aunt in Hawaii while she deals with her own grief. Now thousands of miles from home, Rumi struggles to navigate the loss of her sister, being abandoned by her mother, and the absence of music in her life. With the help of the “boys next door”—a teenage surfer named Kai, who smiles too much and doesn’t take anything seriously, and an eighty-year-old named George Watanabe, who succumbed to his own grief years ago—Rumi attempts to find her way back to her music, to write the song she and Lea never had the chance to finish.

Aching, powerful, and unflinchingly honest, Summer Bird Blue explores big truths about insurmountable grief, unconditional love, and how to forgive even when it feels impossible.

Review

Summer Bird Blue is the tragic story of how one girl's life gets ripped apart and thrown upside down. When Rumi, her sister Lea and their mom are in an accident Lea dies and instead of grieving together their mom sends Rumi away to go live with an aunt she hardly knows. Angry, sad and confused Rumi must find her own way to heal, to forgive and to move on without letting go.

My heart completely crushed for Rumi. The way she was abandoned by her mother so she could deal with her own grief really frustrated me. While there is no right or wrong way to deal with grief, the mothers choices really caused my heart to ache. It was beautiful watching Rumi grow and become a stronger and better person through everything.

One of my favorite things about this book is Rumi's exploration of her sexuality. I absolutely love the way she didn't become that girl who "realized love was what was missing all along" but instead she just became a stronger person. She's figuring it out and not sure what she wants. AND THAT IS FINE!! I hate when books take teenage characters, make them fall in love with another teenage character and bam all problems solved! This one is so opposite of that I could seriously recommend it on that alone. However, there is a lot of other stuff to love so read it anyways.