Song of the Current: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

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“You told me we’re all calling out to the world and magic is the world calling back.”

Caroline Oresteia’s family has guided wherries across the Riverlands for generations–all of them called by the river god. Caro knows that her home is on the river, but she has never heard the river god call her in the language of small things. Now seventeen, she’s starting to wonder if he ever will.

After her father is arrested for refusing to transport a mysterious crate, Caro volunteers to deliver the cargo for her father’s release. Being no stranger to the Riverlands, it’s an easy assignment save for the pirates who want the same cargo. But traveling with the mysterious cargo soon draws Caro into a dangerous web of political intrigue and secrets forcing her to choose between the life she always dreamed of and a much grander future–if she’s brave enough to claim it in Song of the Current (2017) by Sarah Tolcser.

Find it on Bookshop.

Song of the Current is Tolcser’s debut novel and the start of a new series.

Caro’s first person narration is immediately enthralling. Her voice has a cadence and rhythm all its own that easily draws readers into her story. Caro is capable and self-sufficient from growing up on her father’s wherry but she soon learns that sometimes even the strongest people need to accept help now and then.

Tolcser expertly blends authentic nautical details with an original fantasy world where magic manifests and the gods still speak. Although Caro spends most of the novel aboard ship (or wherry) the world of Song of the Current looms large from the map in front of the book to the details that help bring the story to life from frogmen to the vocabulary of the wherrymen.

As with most boxes that are not meant to be open, the story really starts when Caro gets a good look at the cargo she is carrying and begins to understand the ramifications of delivering it as planned. What follows is a high stakes chase across the Riverlands as Caro and her allies try to stay one step ahead of their pursuers.

Song of the Current is a fascinating nautical fantasy sure to appeal to readers looking for a new story filled with pirates and adventure. Highly recommended.

Possible Pairings: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard, Passenger by Alexandra Bracken, Black Hearts by Nicole Castroman, Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon, Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace, The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig, Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko, Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller, Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater, The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, Fable by Adrienne Young

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter: A Review

Posted on by missprint

Julia’s life is in freefall after her older sister is hit by a truck on her way home from work. Julia always knew her sister, Olga, was the favorite but watching her parents fall apart along with dealing with her own grief is overwhelming. Julia copes by looking into Olga’s life–something she was never very interested in when Olga was alive–but Julia ends up with more questions than answers and soon realizes that knowing the truth doesn’t always lead to closure in I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (2017) by Erika L. Sánchez.

Find it on Bookshop.

I am happy this book exists but I am 100% not the audience for it which I think influenced my lukewarm feelings about it. Julia is an interesting narrator–it’s still rare to see girls being unapologetic about being unhappy and being themselves, two things that come across immediately in Julia’s story. That Julia is Mexican American adds another dimension to the narrative and makes her voice even more badly needed.

Sánchez’s writing in this novel is authentic and literary without being neat. Sometimes Julia uses course language, sometimes she isn’t polished. But she’s always real and so is the Chicago neighborhood she inhabits–things that I am sure contributed to this book’s nod for the National Book Award long list.

In its review of this book, Kirkus points out that Julia isn’t likable. I don’t think she has to be and I don’t think we’re going to get very far as a society until we stop demanding female characters be likeable at all times. That said, sometimes Julia’s discontent felt a little vague. I wanted to know more about why she feels so unsatisfied and always has been. It’s never quite explained in the text.

There’s a lot going on in this book with side plots; some to good effect, some with unrealized potential. Julia is always striving and learning and while she isn’t always the nicest character, her growth over the course of the novel is all the more satisfying because of it.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is a story about a first generation American trying to do the best she can. Give this to readers looking for a new story of the immigrant experience, readers who need their characters to be real rather than sweet, and above all give this to anyone looking for a character who loves art and words as much as they do.

Possible Pairings: Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali, The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert, What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen, And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard, Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp, This Raging Light by Estelle Laure, Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough, The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan, You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins, Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero, How to Save a Life by Sarah Zarr

Week in Review: November 25

Posted on by missprint

missprintweekreviewThis week on the blog you can check out:

Keeping it middle school this week on the blog with some middle grade reads.

Here’s my latest from Instagram:

If you you want to see how my month in reading is shaking out be sure to check out my November reading tracker.

How was your week? What are you reading?

Let’s talk in the comments.

All’s Faire in Middle School: A Graphic Novel Chick Lit Wednesday Review

Posted on by missprint

Imogene (Impy) is eleven years old and eager to start training as a squire at the Renaissance Faire where she works with her family. To set herself on this path to knighthood, Impy will need a quest to prove her bravery and she knows exactly what to do. What could be braver than facing public school after being homeschooled all of her life?

Impy thinks she has middle school figured out but it turns out it’s not easy to be a knight-in-training while also trying to make friends and fit in. Impy isn’t sure she’s found the right friends. She’s embarrassed by her thrift store clothes for the first time ever. Even her family’s small apartment and their unconventional lifestyle–things Impy has always loved–start to make her self-conscious.

Impy knows all about how to be a noble knight. She always thought being one herself would be simple until she starts to wonder if she might be more like the villainous dragon in All’s Faire in Middle School (2017) by Victoria Jamieson.

Find it on Bookshop.

Jamieson follows up her enormously successful Roller Girl with this standalone graphic novel about Impy and her unusual family.

All’s Faire in Middle School is a perfect blend of contemporary middle school challenges (Making new friends! Dealing with mean teachers!) and renaissance faire fun. Each chapter starts with a page designed like an illuminated manuscript complete with a drop cap and stained class style illustration. Impy’s story is related as an actual quest in all of its epic glory while the full color panels for Impy’s day-to-day show that being a heroic knight can sometimes be as simple as rescuing a brother’s lost toy.

Adventure, humor, and a winning attitude come together and help prove that kindness is the truest form of bravery for knights and middle school students!

Possible Pairings: Gabby Gets It Together by Michele Assarasakorn and Nathan Fairbairn, Making Friends by Kristen Gudsnuk; Real Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham; Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke; The Popularity Papers by Amy Ignatow; All Summer Long by Hope Larson, Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell; Past Perfect by Leila Sales; The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner; Smile by Raina Telgemeier; Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated Michelle Mee Nutter; Audrey’s Magic Nine by Michelle Wright, illustrated by Courtney Huddleston and Tracy Bailey

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street: A Review

Posted on by missprint

The Vanderbeekers have a problem. The family have lived in their Harlem brownstone for six years–so long that the younger Vanderbeekers don’t remember any other home. When their reclusive landlord, Mr. Biederman, announces that he won’t be renewing the family’s lease none of the Vanderbeekers are sure what to think. Even Mama and Papa are at their wit’s end trying to prepare the five Vanderbeeker children and themselves for the move with only eleven days before their lease expires.

Determined to stay in the home they know and love, the Vanderbeeker children take matters into their own hands to try and convince Mr. Biederman to let them stay. But despite the careful planning and heartfelt efforts, it seems like every attempt manages to go horribly wrong. As the days on their lease tick by, the kids begin to wonder if wanting something to happen can be enough to make it so in The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street (2017) by Karina Yan Glaser.

Find it on Bookshop.

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street is Glaser’s first novel and the start of a series following the Vanderbeekers and their adventures in Harlem. This story follows the entire Vanderbeeker family with a third person perspective that shifts between the five Vanderbeeker children: studious and scientific-minded Jessie (12), violin playing Isa (12 and Jessie’s twin), avid reader Oliver (9), crafty Hyacinth (6), and the youngest Laney (4 and three quarters). While that is a lot of characters to juggle, Glaser gives each kid their due with a distinct personality and a satisfying story arc.

The story never mentions anyone’s race explicitly but it’s worth noting that the Vanderbeeker family is biracial with Mama having dark eyes and straight hair while Papa has big, curly hair and light eyes. Glaser does a good job of painting a fairly inclusive neighborhood but I wish some of the ethnic identities were a little more overt on the page.

As a New Yorker myself my biggest outcry with this book was the concept of anyone having their lease revoked with only eleven days to move. I suppose it’s possible and it certainly lends urgency to the plot, but it also felt wildly improbable. The denouement of the novel also felt a bit too neat without adequate explanations for Mr. Biederman’s behavior (or his sudden change of heart) but both qualms are forgiveable in their efforts to move along a charming story.

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street is a funny slice-of-life story with a lot of heart. Readers will feel like part of the Vanderbeeker family as they get to know the kids, their building, and their neighborhood. The delightful start to what will hopefully become a long running series.

Possible Pairings: The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall, The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue, Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker and Marla Frazee, Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

Week in Review: November 18

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missprintweekreviewThis week on the blog you can check out:

I’m officially obsessed with Morse code bracelets, done with my Christmas shopping, ready for Thanksgiving, and 80% done with Christmas decorating. Hashtag winning!

Here’s my latest from Instagram:

If you you want to see how my month in reading is shaking out be sure to check out my November reading tracker.

How was your week? What are you reading?

Let’s talk in the comments.

Eliza and Her Monsters: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

Posted on by missprint

How can I want something so badly but become so paralyzed every time I even think about taking it?

Eliza Mirk is a name that should belong to a comic book character. Not necessarily a cool one but at least a low level villain.

Real life Eliza is neither of those things. She’s quiet and awkward. Her parents relentlessly try to get her into sports even though they are well aware she isn’t athletic like her younger brothers. Sully and Church don’t understand Eliza anymore than she understands them. And, honestly, with Eliza going away to college in a couple of years she doesn’t see the point of trying to connect. Real life feels secondary to the world Eliza has made for herself and her fans online as Lady Constellation, the creator of the enormously popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Between her comic, fans, and her online friends Eliza doesn’t need anyone else.

Eliza’s secret life collides with her real life when Wallace Warland transfers to her school. Online Wallace is Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer. In real life he is the first person who’s managed to not only draw Eliza out of her shell but actually make her want to stay there.

Eliza’s carefully ordered life is turned upside down when her secret is revealed. As she deals with the fallout Eliza will have to decide if letting everyone in her life–online and off–know the real her is worth the risk in Eliza and Her Monsters (2017) by Francesca Zappia.

Find it on Bookshop.

Eliza’s first person narration is interspersed with excepts from Monstrous Sea fanfiction, message boards, emails, and illustrations of parts of the Monstrous Sea comics done by Zappia. This story is character driven but also fast-paced as Eliza’s world slowly starts to expand with help from Wallace. Eliza struggles with anxiety as she pushes against the limitations of what she feels capable of managing versus what she actually wants.

Eliza and Her Monsters sounds like it will be a story about a comic and a secret identity–maybe with a little romance. Instead it’s really a story about connection within a fandom and finding your thing and your people but losing yourself along the way. It’s also about fixing that–a lesson Eliza learns throughout the course of the novel.

Zappia offers an honest and thoughtful portrayal of a character with anxiety here and some interesting perspective on what it means to create and engage within a fan community. Eliza’s online friends are given as much, if not more, weight than her real life friends in a way that will feel authentic to anyone who’s ever made friends through social media whom they may never meet in person.

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

After her secret life as Lady Constellation comes out, Eliza suffers crippling doubt and anxiety as she is faced with drawing more Monstrous Sea installments with everyone knowing her identity. Honestly, I didn’t understand Eliza’s doubts and paralysis in the face of creating after her identity was revealed. It was one of those things that didn’t compute. Then in August I had one of my own tweets go viral on Twitter gaining thousands of RTs/impressions and bringing almost a thousand new followers to my feed. Suddenly, Eliza’s reaction started to make a lot more sense as I struggled myself with how to move forward while knowing so many people were watching me. It’s a hard thing to adjust to and learn to ignore.

Once that started to make sense I was still left with one major issue: I hated the way Eliza’s relationship with Wallace played out. Throughout their friendship, Wallace is working to novelize the Monstrous Sea comic–something that Eliza loves and supports. After she is outed, Wallace reveals that he has a book deal with a publisher for that novelization once it’s completed. He needs Eliza’s permission which she readily gives. But he also needs Eliza to finish the comic so that he can finish the novelization. Something she feels incapable of doing in the face of everyone knowing her name and watching her, ready to pounce.

Wallace doesn’t understand this until Eliza almost considers suicide in the face of all of this pressure and instead of supporting her her only wants what he needs from her. Aside from issues of these publishing logistics (none of it sounded quite right within the text) it felt out of character for Wallace to suddenly negate Eliza’s concerns in the face of his own ambition. Every other aspect of their relationship was sweet, but this thread with the publication of Monstrous Sea was frustrating at best and problematic at worst.

**END SPOILERS**

Eliza and Her Monsters is a perfect book for readers who liked Fangirl (especially if you didn’t skip the fanfic parts) and comics fans looking for something new. Recommended for readers seeking a book that offers sarcasm, pathos, and affirmation in equal measure.

Possible Pairings: Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman, Don’t Cosplay With My Heart by Cecil Castellucci, Now That I’ve Found You by Kristina Forest, The Truth Commission by Susan Juby, Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella, In Real Life by Jessica Love, The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson, Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes, Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

All Rights Reserved: A Review

Posted on by missprint

Speth Jime is about to turn fifteen. She is equipped with the requisite band and implants so the moment her birthday arrives she will be charged for every movement or word that falls under copyright. Every nod or scream will cost her 0.99/sec. Saying “sorry” is ten dollars and a legal admission of guilt.

Even with the most minimal words and gestures, Speth is never getting out of debt. Not with her family being sued for an illegal music download dating back five generations. All Speth can really hope for is to avoid being taken away by Debt Services the way her parents were to pollinate crops with a brush and eyedropper in Carolina until their debts are paid.

One thing that might help is Speth’s Last Day speech which she can use to win over sponsors who might offer product discounts or other lucrative perks that could lead to employment. Speth is ready to make that speech when she watches her friend Beecher jump off a bridge rather than work to pay off his family’s crippling debt.

She can’t imagine ignoring Beecher’s suicide to make a speech. But she also can’t imagine how to break her contract without also putting her family into even more debt. That is until Speth finds a loophole: she only has to recite her speech if she actually speaks. Instead Speth takes a vow of silence even avoiding copyrighted gestures.

What Speth doesn’t know is that when she stops speaking she’ll help start a revolution in All Rights Reserved (2017) by Gregory Scott Katsoulis.

All Rights Reserved is Katsoulis’s debut novel and the start of a new series.

Speth’s first person narration brings her world to terrifying life from the extremely litigious culture and the power of copyright (Speth’s haircut is in the public domain, but only if it stays messy enough to be different from a pixie cut) to the 3D printed housing units that didn’t print quite right in the poorer sections of town.

Because of Speth’s decision to stop speaking, a lot of the book takes place in her head as she keeps herself at a remove from family and strangers trying to understand why she refuses to speak. As Speth’s actions gain momentum she also finds herself at the center of an unlikely rebellion as others begin to support her and even follow her lead. This one decision sets Speth on a course to learn dangerous truths about the rot at the center of her world and maybe even figure out how to stop it.

All Rights Reserved is a fast-paced story with action on every page and incredibly intricate world building. A worthy read-a-like for fans of dystopian classics like Uglies and The Hunger Games.

I love the world building here. It’s very absurd and will appeal to fans of the hunger games and uglies. But it’s also almost entirely focused on debt (much like one segment of where futures end) and it just stressed me the hell out.

Possible Pairings: Landscape With Invisible Hand by M. T. Anderson, Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Proxy by Alex London, Where Futures End by Parker Peeveyhouse, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Week in Review: November 11

Posted on by missprint

missprintweekreviewThis week on the blog you can check out:

I got a ton of stuff done this week. It’s nice to feel productive. I also have a three day weekend and plan to make the most of it to get all of our Christmas decorations up.

Here’s my latest from Instagram:

If you you want to see how my month in reading is shaking out be sure to check out my November reading tracker.

How was your week? What are you reading?

Let’s talk in the comments.

Top Fives: Harper Collins Spring 2018 Preview #harperpreview

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Last month Harper Collins hosted their Spring 2018 preview to talk about upcoming titles.

If you want to see all of the tweets from the preview, you can check out of the #HarperPreview tag on twitter. (You can also find all of my tweets from the preview too!)

Here are the top five titles I’m excited about from the preview:

Picture Books

  1. I Am Enough by Grace Byers, illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo: Grace Byers (of Empire fame) makes her picture book debut in this ode to self-confidence. While the text of the picture book is a little message-y, it’s a great message kids can always afford to hear more. Bobo’s illustrations are beautiful and fantastically inclusive. Publishing March 2018.
  2. Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Qin Leng: I got an early galley of this one at the preview and I am obsessed. A charming story that offers a glimpse of the circumstances that led to Jane Austen becoming the author so many of us know and love. Leng’s illustrations are gorgeous too. Backmatter includes a timeline of Austen’s life and a cheat sheet with famous lines and short plot summaries for all of her novels. Publishing January 18.
  3. Right Now by Jessica Olien: A picture book about being in the moment that both  acknowledges and honors kids’ feelings. Even the not so happy ones. Coming April 2018.
  4. Bloom: A Story of Elsa Schiaparelli by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Julie Denos: This story about influential fashion designer Schiaparelli is told in first person and accompanied with Denos’ lovely artwork. Coming February 2018.
  5. Just Being Jackie by Margaret Cardillo, illustrated by Julia Denos: The duo behind Just Being Audrey is back with this biography of one of the country’s most influential first ladies. I got a galley of this one at the preview and it’s even better than I expected. Publishing May 2018.

Middle Grade

  1. Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech: Sorry, I can’t actually tell you anything about this one. BUT new Sharon Creech seems like enough! Publishing September 2018.
  2. TBH #1: TBH, This is SO Awkward by Lisa Greenwald: What happens when a text goes to the wrong person? Find out in this consumable book written in texts. It might just be the format but I got a lot of TTYL vibes from this one. Hits shelves January 2018.
  3. You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly: Online friends get each other through the ups and downs of middle school through their online scrabble games. Publishing April 2018.
  4. The Frame-Up by Wendy McLeod Macnight: An artsy middle grade mystery caper where paintings come to life. Publishing June 2018.
  5. Midnight in the Piazza by Tiffany Parks: A Dan Brown style mystery set in Italy with artsy clues and all. But for the middle grade set. Publishing March 2018.

Young Adult

  1. Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston: Anastasia meets Firefly! My jaw literally dropped at the preview as they were pitching this title. Out February 2018.
  2. All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor: The editor pitched this book as The Bling Ring meets Atonement which is almost too strange to parse but I’m into it. Publishing May 2018.
  3. Hooper by Geoff Herbach: Sports, first love, immigrant experience. Coming February 2018.
  4. Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist: True Grit meets 28 Days Later in post-Civil War Texas. Publishing April 2018.
  5. Everless by Sara Holland: Red Queen meets Downton Abbey in this story set in a fantasy world a lot like that Justin Timberlake movie In Time where time is currency and the poor never have enough. Coming January 2018.