Anisa

This is an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions are all my won.
Ok, so this is a 3.5-4 star for me.
The premise and the cover looked AMAZING (still do of course).
The plot is... kind of messy. I didn't feel anything special about it. Like I wasn't rooting for Tess much or anything. It went too fast at some points, and I didn't understand a lot of things, sadly. It's set in this Arthurian, Chamelout world and Tess is basically a descendant of the wizard Merlin. And she's also the princess of the whole Realm. I dunno why, but I wanted Tess to go to the dark side and stuff. Her riding a dragon, but also being a dragon herself confused me. So did the voices she heard. Her friendship with Kate and Tristan felt weird. It has magic, with these magic wands. I may read the other book in the series not sure. It just was OK, to be honest, not that great, but not bad either. It has potential, if only it was in first person and that it was written more with the flow and be kind of slow sometimes, not to just dump us info at points, and at some others make us confused not knowing what's going on. But as I said, I think it has the potential to be a hit fantasy series for middle graders!

Well, I don't know what to say, I wanted to like this book! I got it from my school library and it caught my attention as it says the author is a Nobel prize winner and Japanese, I wanted to try Japanese literature... But this wasn't how I expected. I knew it would be contemporary and the main character is a girl who has a brother with a brain injury. That's all. Well, it's odd, it mentions outside culture so much it didn't give me much of the Japanese feel sad. I'm not saying it's bad but now what I expected anyway. It goes way too slow and the MC goes too long about every discussion and even talks a lot about certain movies and books and how she feels about them... I didn't seem to care. I guess I like fast-paced reads more. She was very anxious but caring. Her brothers were interesting to me too, Eeyore though brain-damaged was so nice and genius at music. O was a nice little brother too! I didn't understand some parts especially the end... Ma-chan was an interesting character but some things she did were weird. I couldn't figure out what religion they had as they seemed to be Buddhist and Christian at the same time? I don't know why they were so obsessed with Poland though... Hell, maybe older readers would have enjoyed this more... I dunno what to say, it was odd, I wouldn't read it again...

Thanks to NetGalley for this free book, opinions are my own.
Man... this was a weird book. I mean honestly, I never read anything like it. It was interesting and had a LOT of lessons inside. First off it's nothing how the premise says it is. I guess that's why I was confused. It's never mentioned that Jane the MC in a Quinlin which is a creature that can turn into other creatures to learn lessons and save everyone... something like that. I feel like it went too slow, even though it was a short book. The way this book could have been better is if it started with learning more about Jane in her human form, her likes, dislikes, family, school, just life, and personality as she didn't even have any. If we got to know her more in the beginning it would make her lessons and growth be more subtle. It's a very narrative style, doesn't show us much. The creatures she turned to were mostly different kinds of birds, a bee and an atom, that's all. I think it would be more interesting if the creatures were more drastically different. I mean she could fly in all her forms, maybe that was intentional as Jane always wanted to be a superhero (so she mentions herself, not that we know her much). And her whole adventure is said to have taken quite some months, so that was also weird, I'd say it's more likely just a dream... But OK, not a book I hated, it was philosophical at times so those who like these not very ordinary books may like it!

I received this advanced reader's copy from NetGalley, all my opinions are my own.
2.5 stars
Man, the premise and the art style are just great! The execution... yikes.
It's a short graphic novel about these two friends Alex and Julie who love to go exploring old and abonded buildings, urbexing. But then at night, they find this old giant mansion, that is freaky, there are these two twins, this giant dog, and they see visions like a ghost and oh, also apparently they get there are superpowers. But they're the only ones who can see the mansion, the ghost, or anything, and at daytime they can't see it either. I feel like it should have been a little longer, and telling us more on how that haunted mansion worked, what was the deal with the twins Spoileror that woman with split personalities and just it felt harsh at times. The part where Alex and Julie get teased by their friends was so overdone it was annoying. Also, the nosy mom and sister were too, also they never really have a talk or anything, yikes. Also, it felt pretty psychological at times, especially with that mansion being owned by this psychiatrist who did weird experiments. The red-headed guy they saw in visions the most... well it made me feel bad for him and his life, his trauma and all. It's just a heavy book, and I guess it can be good, but they don't really tackle it in a good and empathetic brave way. I wish some things were edited and also, what the hack was that ending? I guess in volume 2 we'll learn what is happening. but I'm not sure I'll be up for it... sorry.

Well, you should know by now, but in case ya don't, I read all Diary of a wimpy kid and its spinoffs about Rowley the awesome friendly kid. So I was bored and found out that a new book came out so of course, I wanted it! It was different from the others as it was mainly focused on sports, not school or Rowley. It really reminded me of Big Nate Game On book. It had the same vibe as both were focused on sports and how they suck at them. Nice, something relatable to me! It was funny and honestly, in this one Greg wasn't being manipulative or a jerk, he was too innocent and nice?! He's a weird kid ok? And like he's so little and cute for a middle schooler (reminds me of a certain, me?) Anyways I'd say for Diary of a wimpy kid fans, this is great! I didn't have issues with it, it's very light, easy, fun, and all! The illustrations are simple, fun, and cute too! I'd like to make a book with cute illustrations soon. So yeah, that's all I gotta say, it's not complex but I like it that way!

My parents bought this for me two years ago. And as all encyclopedias, I decided to read it slower. It's a pretty huge book and its pictures are GORGEOUS! I like history so this was a great gift in my opinion. I just wish it had more African and Middle Eastern history and objects as it didn't focus on them much. Forget about the Balkan it wasn't even mentioned once... Also, this is a 2014 release so I think it needs to be updated with the new technology we have now. I recommend it to history fans, especially younger ones! Also the cover is pretty GORGEOUS too!

This one was a lot of fun as well! And hey the first time Delia and Tom went along a bit better by the end! In this one basically, Tom Gates goes on a fun 3 days nature school field trip. He also has his twin tall cousins come over and wants to enter this Dude 3 T-shirt competition. I liked it because it was pretty fun and my siblings love it too! Also, its art style and the feel of it is just amazing! Recommend it to Tom Gates fans especially tweens!

Wow, this is beautiful, I love the art illustrations and the flow of the text. It's perfect for kids and moms to read together to share their love with them! I'm so impressed I didn't have that high expectation, but it's a MUST read, it's breathtaking!!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I got this as an ARC from Edelweiss+. 
I liked the continuation of the story, if you'd ask me if I know how the magic and world work I'd be lying if I said yes... I am pretty confused, but this was fun and intense seeing the first exam, and it ended in a pretty interesting way, I am probably gonna read the 3rd volume too. I want to know if all the students survived or not, seemed like a pretty brutal exam...

Thanks to Edelweiss for this ARC comic book!
OK, so as the title suggests this is a completion of North American stories and legends. So I'm not indigenous nor American and this was interesting. In this, a lot of illustrators and writers of indigenous roots collaborated and it turned out cute! I think kids and young people who are indigenous and native Americans will find this very close to their hearts! I'm not sure how accurate it is, but since the people who worked on this are native Americans themselves I'd say it's must be accurate. The stories were cute, and I liked that I learned more about them and their cultures! SpoilerAlso, is it just me or were some of them kind of gay?:) I recommend it's pretty good, fast and great to learn more about indigenous cultures and legends!

Thanks to the author for giving me this book for free in an exchange for an honest review, and you're welcome too!
Well, I made a promise to myself to finish this one in December, and I did, on the last day of December!!!
It wasn't bad, but it just annoyed me so many times I couldn't give it more stars, unfortunately.
The idea of a boy who is actually a dragon is interesting. I read two books inspired by Arthurian legends and with dragons in a month, it's crazy! And they both were alike in some ways... and were weird, lol.
The story is about this guy Rome who apparently is a dragon from the Clan of Volcana and he bonds with this other guy Jules who is a descendant of knights... And they get connected with this die Jules has and get these powers so they can transform to dragon and knight respectively.
I just didn't seem to care much about Rome, Jules was more interesting, but the way he spoke... was cringe. I mean the way both of them called each other ‘brother' was cringe. I understand they have to save the world and all, but it doesn't really sink in. Like it info-dumps, a lot by the third or fourth chapter and I didn't understand much if not anything there, and then Rome just accepts being a dragon so fast, it feels unrealistic. I didn't get how little background on Rome's family and interest we have... Like is his family dragons too??? Why is he? And it lacked female characters, even just sides. It felt weird being all just guys, but I see in the sequel some girls are gonna be introduced too, so good I guess?!
Anyways, I don't want to end this in a bad light, as the book wasn't just bad, it was nice, too, just not my favorite, sorry. The idea is original, and I guess kids and tweens would really like this! The cover is pretty fine too. The world-building isn't bad either, and I guess the bromance is cool too! I am not sure if I want to read the sequel or not, maybe some months later, I'd try... but at the moment, no, I have other books in my mind!
If you're into MG dragon fantasy book series, read it, if not I'm not sure you'll enjoy it then...

Well, this was funny! It had a different vibe from the other David Walliams' books and I guess it was a little shorter but I loved it! The jokes and the absurd stuff were the same in this one. What is so different from the others is that in the other books kids are the good guys, the main characters. Here the girl's parents and Fing are the main. I mean Mr. and Mrs. Quills' daughter is a complete monster and they're so kinda and sweet librarians. I don't even know where these crazy and absurd+hilarious ideas come to this man! I recommend it to tweens, David Walliams books fans, and just peeps who want to read funny graphic novels! (I'm not sure if it counts as a graphic novel or just a novel with pictures but there are a lot of pictures and the words are big often...) Anyways, bye!!!

Thanks, Edelweiss+ for giving me this cute ARC book to review for free!
So, this was cute! I loved Wednesday. I loved the illustrations. It was a sweet, fast read. I LOVED all the representation and diversity! Wednesday and Mister were mixed and had two moms. The kids at school were all different and of different backgrounds and ethnicities. I liked it! I recommend it to kids anywhere! Also, I didn't even read the first one, so gotta say it is well as a stand-alone book too!

Thanks to the author for giving me this book for free, opinions are my own!!!
OK, let's just start with the cover... It's nice and the gold letters look pretty good, but I don't like the kids. They are a picture and look so weird with the drawing. The sequel's cover though looks pretty good and I like how the kids look, so 1+ star to the sequel already, lol. I mean I'll read the second one too for sure! Just not right now, in January hopefully!
This is a series about these two twin siblings Anastasia and Edward who are different but both are pretty brave and strong. Anastasia loves maths, meteorology and is great at martial arts, she also has pretty good guts! Edward is good at arts, memorizing facts and isn't that self-confident and maybe shy?! I liked Anastasia more though. And they go to this historical museum often and like to help this doctor who reveals there's this agency The Order of Time, and they basically go at the past to fix stuff from these bad guys the Corsairs. Then as Dr. G isn't healthy enough to go, the twins go instead to Ancient Egypt to save the pharaoh Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti. There are then these evil power-hungry Egyptian gods, assassins, and well a lot of action I guess. I liked that the author actually did quite some research, and I learned more about Ancient Egypt and Akhenaten, especially his claim to make a monotheist religion to worshiping Aten.
While I did enjoy the book, I found some stuff that didn't make much sense to me. Like when the twins travel in Ancient Egypt, they don't really take other names... and no one finds it weird. Also, Edward is blond, ancient Egyptians were pretty dark-skinned, how didn't they find him extremely weird??? Anastasia could have fitted in more ad she has more olive skin and dark hair... but Edward sticks out a lot... Their names are sooo European... I can't believe no one seemed to be bothered by that. And speaking of names, many Egyptian names there were very Arabic sounding, like Salah, Israh and some others... maybe they could be Ancient Egyptian names too... I don't know.
I'd say I enjoyed this book, it has the potential to be a pretty popular series, and it reminded me of both The Magic Treehouse and Rick Riordan's books, so that was nice. It wasn't the best book of course, but tweens can enjoy this. The thing I disliked the most was Salah+Anastasia thing by the end, as it didn't even make any sense... Also, this book didn't really make me feel so excited, or sad at all, I was pretty neutral all the time... I don't know if that's a bad thing or not...

I got this as an ARC from NetGalley and I really enjoyed it! Such a sweet story about these two Muslim American twins who always fight with each other learning to get along and set their differences aside and their passions together on a trip to Florida for their mom's award as an outstanding doctor. As a Muslim I really loved this it was a great Muslim rep and Zara was such an adorable hijabi. I love both space and animals so I enjoyed that a lot. The illustrations are mind-bogglingly pretty, I loved it! I also liked the incorporation of micro aggressions and racist and Islamophobic comments that the family unfortunately get just for being brown Muslims... America and the world have to do better... Anyways beautiful graphic novel, I definitely recommend it for all!

I simply LOVED this! It's a first for NASA, a graphic novel about a Latina woman who goes to space! I loved the story, the pictures and it was interactive, with augmented reality and mission stuff. This is amazing! You need to check it out at NASA's website for free! And download the First Woman app too!
I'm not sponsored obviously, just a big NASA and space fan! This was very inspiring and beautiful!

Thanks to Edelweiss+ for this beautifully sweet and emotional picture book ARC!
Oh my, this is so sweet, especially the art style, I loved it! I felt bad about how Abuelita was treated. Honestly, it sounds so disgusting that books with these topics should exist as these things shouldn't... but they do so the book needs to exist... I found it weird that even tan-skinned people in pictures seemed to look at Abuelita badly too. The little girl was the sweetest!

Thanks to NetGalley for this wonderfully touching ARC book!
First off this book is set in 2020 the uncertain beginning of the pandemic. I'd say it's pretty important to mention it as it may trigger some and I personally wasn't that aware of it. The virus is pretty much a main part of the book so if you're too anxious and sensitive to that, don't read it. This is the first 2020 pandemic book I read.
The cover is very GORGEOUS though... You may be aware of my thing for book covers, especially MG ones... Lol
True North is a fifth Grader that is struggling with anxiety in the pandemic. Her mom can't come home as the country borders got closed as she was for work travel as a cartographist. Her dad works as a nurse and sees the pandemic first hand. Let me just express my gratitude to the doctors at the pandemic, they were heroes!
True and her little brother George like to go out and play, but they're not allowed to meet their friends as of course... The pandemic.
They have an online school that they don't enjoy, duh.
True likes to make maps like her mom and they want to go exploring this barn. They meet this big kid Kyle and they become friends. There are some cats too, but one sadly dies.
Worrying and talking to adults, respecting the social distancing rules is a pretty major part of the story. True as well as her old sister Compass Rose kind of close to themselves and when it became too much it just exploded. I think this book has very important lessons, especially for us covid people. I believe this book can become pretty important to younger generations to learn the situation of our pandemic, our fears, and uncertainties, missing family members as we were quarantined. I am so glad the situation is much under control now, we go to physical school and we can see our loved ones!!!
Also, let me just say that I cried at some parts especially True's uneasy feelings and wanting to care for everyone!!!