Little Lit: Albert of Adelaide by Howard Anderson

Summary:
Albert is a platypus who has escaped from the Adelaide zoo and set out on a quest to try to find others of his kind. He has a vague memory of a beautiful place where he once lived with his mother. Armed only with that knowledge and a stolen soft drink bottle filled with water, he sets out into the Australian outback to find home. Along the way he runs into a wild cast of characters including a wombat who likes to burn down buildings, a pair of bandicoots who can't seem to survive without a drink, kangaroos, dingoes, and the mysterious Muldoon. As he stumbles from one mishap into the next, Albert learns more about himself and the world around him and has to figure out who he can trust to help him on his journey.

What I Liked:

• This is one of the most unique books I've read. It's a western and a hero's quest and a coming of age and a fantasy all rolled up into one book.
• Albert's character development was well done. He's naive and confused and fairly timid at the beginning and he grows, but doesn't change so much that he's unrecognizable at the end - a feat that was actually fairly difficult to pull off considering the things that happen to and around him through the course of the narrative.
• The secondary characters are enjoyable and very distinctive.

What I Would Have Liked:

• I would have liked just a bit more character development with the secondary characters. They're unique, but sometimes I felt like they were just a bit flat - like their quirks were their main substance. Not all the time, but at times.
• I understood the purpose of leaving the ending open the way it was, but I felt vaguely dissatisfied by it. I didn't get the closure I was hoping for, I guess.

Verdict:

• An enjoyable and very different read for fans of westerns or slightly dark fiction.
• The animal protagonists do not in any way make this a comic or light read, but allow Anderson to explore the ideas of friendship, home, and growth in a very unique way.
• I know I keep using the word unique, but it's the best descriptor I have!

Little Lit: Almost Super by Marion Jensen

Summary:
Rafter Bailey can't wait to get his super power. He knows exactly the power he'd like to have, but when his power arrives precisely at 4:23 pm on February 29th, just like every other Bailey's has arrived he doesn't get quite what he'd hoped for. In fact, he and his brother Benny get the most useless super powers anyone in their family has ever had. How are they supposed to help defend the world against the evil Johnsons if the only thing he can do is strike a match on polyester? As the conflict between the Baileys and the Johnsons escalates, Rafter and Benny might have to actually join forces with Juanita Johnson in order to save the world from an even bigger threat.

What I Liked:

• I found this a fun and really fast read. I can see why it's been compared to The Incredibles.
• I liked Rafter's ability to plan and coordinate and the ways he could see problems in a different way.
• Benny is so feisty! I loved him.
• Juanita was a fun character as well and I liked the perspective she brought that added a nice twist I hadn't been expecting.

What I Would Have Liked:

• I wish Rafter had used his strategy skills more. There were places where he could have had the opportunity to really showcase this strength and he didn't, which I found a little odd.
• There were places the narrative felt a little rushed. I think there could have been a little deeper development of the characters, which would have strengthened the story overall.

Verdict:

• I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes stories that play with the superhero trope.
• I think this would be a good option for middle grade kids who don't really like reading, because it is fairly short, the chapters keep things moving, and there isn't a lot of complex vocabulary.
• But I think any kids who like superheroes would enjoy this book.

Little Lit: Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl

Summary:
Ava Orlova hasn't had what you might consider a normal childhood. She was experimented on by the evil Ivan Somorodov, the same man who trained and tortured Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, until Natasha rescued her and turned her over to S.H.I.E.L.D. Ava grew up in isolation until she ran away. Now she's a teen living on her own in Brooklyn, trying to have a normal life, despite the weird dreams she keeps having about a boy she's never met. Her best friend drags her to a fencing competition and Ava finds herself face to face with Alex, the boy from her dream, and then finds herself on the run from someone trying to kill her and reunited with Natasha. As things start to spiral out of control Ava has to decide if she can trust Natasha after she abandoned her years before and if she has the strength to face the weight of her past before it catches up and destroys her.

What I Liked:

• This fit well into the Marvel movie canon. I thought that Natasha, as well as Coulson and Tony (who make brief appearances) were written really well. I could hear and see them in my head.
• I liked the format of the book with the official investigation transcripts. They did give away where part of the book was going, but it worked more to keep a certain event from being there just for shock factor.
• I liked the revelations about Natasha's past that came out through the development of her relationship with Ava.
• I liked Ava's character. I enjoyed her sass and completely understood her distrust of Natasha and struggle to trust Alex.

What I Would Have Liked:

• I would have liked for it to be about Natasha instead of about Ava, but I can understand why to some extent. I'm just really glad that I read a review that said the book wasn't about Natasha  before I started reading. I think I would have enjoyed it less if I'd had different expectations going in.
• I would really really have liked for the book to actually be copy edited. There were egregious copywriting mistakes throughout. Repeated lines, double or missing punctuation, sentences that were rewritten, but both versions of the sentence were still there. Stupid mistakes that ruined a book that deserved much more, especially being put out by such a big publisher and connected with Marvel by a fairly high profile YA author.

Verdict:

• I enjoyed this. It was like watching a teen Marvel movie - which is basically what it was.
• People who enjoy superhero movies or television shows should enjoy this, as long as they realize that this isn't the Black Widow origin story we were hoping for.

Little Lit: After by Amy Efaw

Summary:
Devon Davenport was driven to succeed. She played soccer every spare moment, excelled in school, and vowed that she would never be like her mother. Then The Night happens and now Devon's in jail facing charges after her baby is found in the garbage outside her apartment.What could have brought her to this point? And can she face what happened or will she end up forfeiting her future as well?

What I Liked:

• I found myself confused at the beginning, but Efaw crafts the story that way very intentionally. As Devon deals with what happened and slowly comes to remember and work through the events that led her to this point, we learn it along with her and I found it an effective way of drawing our sympathy to Devon's point of view.
• I was nervous for the ending, but Efaw ends it on a perfect note, especially for Devon's personal journey.

What I Would Have Liked:

• Just a little less chaos in the narration. I did like the way the writing echoed Devon's internal struggle, but there were a few times that it was just a little too scattered or confusing for me. Not much, just a bit.
• More of Devon's mother. I understand why it played out the way it did, but she kind of ended up feeling superfluous. Which might have been intentional, but she was in it just little enough to make me feel a little frustrated.

Verdict:

• This was a really tough topic to deal with and Efaw does a really great job of exploring the reasons behind one imaginary, but realistic, instance of attempted infanticide. It could easily have gotten too dark or too glib, but Efaw merely unfolds Devon's perspective and thoughts and allows the readers to draw their own conclusions.
• People who like YA fiction that deals with gritty, serious issues should enjoy this.

Little Lit: The ACB with Honora Lee by Kate De Goldi

Summary:
Perry is an only child and she doesn't see the world quite the way other people do, a trait she has in common with her grandmother, Honora Lee, who she visits weekly with her father. Perry's parents believe that only children should be kept busy. Music lessons, dance class--every day has something planned. Then her movement class is unexpectedly and suddenly canceled and Perry convinces her parents to let her spend Thursday afternoons with her grandmother, Honora Lee, at the Santa Lucia rest home. As Perry gets to know her grandmother better and learns more about the other residents she decides to create an alphabet book all about Santa Lucia for a school project. What starts out as a simple project turns into an exploration of family, life, and the little moments that tie people together.

What I Liked:

• I loved Perry's voice. Though it's not explicitly stated there is a sense that she is somewhere on the autism spectrum and I loved the way that was expressed through her language and through the illustrations.
• The illustrations were beautifully chaotic - I thought they were a perfect representation of Perry's mind.
• I enjoyed the portrayal of Perry's family. They certainly aren't perfect and her parents are rather stereotypically distracted parents, but they do care about Perry and I liked the way that Perry starts to see the connections between her father and grandmother and her parents and herself.
• I really loved the way the residents of the rest home were portrayed as well. De Goldi captures the perspective of a child really well in her depictions of Perry's reactions to and interactions with the seniors especially.

What I Would Have Liked:

• I really wanted to see the alphabet! I wish it could have been included at the end of the book.

Verdict:

• I thought this was a sweet book.
• I really enjoyed it and it made me laugh and tear up a bit as well.
• I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author.

Little Lit and GIVEAWAY!: Becoming Maria by Sonia Manzano

Usually I lean heavily toward fiction over non-fiction, but I've been trying to read more non-fiction and this book, which I picked up at BookExpo America this year, looked really intriguing.

Summary:
Sonia would grow up to be best known as Maria on Sesame Street. But what happened on the journey that led her there? Manzano writes about her rather chaotic childhood growing up in the South Bronx, her bumpy high school career, and the first steps that would eventually lead her to the Sesame Street audition.

Want a chance to win my advanced reader copy? Just enter using the Rafflecopter form at the end of the post. You've got 2 weeks, so spread the word! (unfortunately we have to limit this to our US followers, but know that we love you ALL)

What I Liked:

• I really liked the way Manzano dealt with her childhood memories. Rather than trying to package it in a clean, chronological narrative, she titled it "Fragments" and allowed it to be messy and rough, which perfectly reflected the events taking place as well. In the Acknowledgments, Manzano says this: "lives are more often shaped and colored by how we remember those events and the series of feelings that went along with them." This is completely true, and Manzano is more concerned with getting the feeling, the jumble, the mix of emotions and events and she does it well.
• Even though the narrative begins to feel more cohesive as she recounts more recent events, the style stays consistent. Narrating in first person present tense makes each event seem more immediate and significant.
• She doesn't sugar coat anything. Her rocky family relationships, her parents' significant problems, her own fears and insecurities are laid out but it isn't all grim. Manzano also doesn't shy away from the good, either, even when the happiness and good things are mixed up in the upsetting or bad.
• I thought it was so interesting how much she perceived herself struggling with the acting and drama, especially once she goes to the Performing Arts high school. It also shed light on how important teachers are, particularly in inner city areas. A teacher can make or break their students. Sonia had both good and poor teachers, but enough of them encouraged her, or at least gave her opportunities to move forward in her life.

What I Would Have Liked:

• I honestly don't have anything to add. I enjoyed it completely.

Verdict:

• This seems to be written to include a teen audience, which is refreshing. It's nice to see good non-fiction books being published with teens in mind.
• However, this is definitely able to be enjoyed by anyone who likes a good memoir.
• Highly recommended

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this at BookExpo America - quoted line above comes from this uncorrected proof. This title is now available for sale at your local book store, or you can enter to win my ARC below.

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Little Lit: Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit

Summary:
Anna is seven years old and has lived in a world of languages and friends when her professor father leaves her with a friend and never comes back. It's 1939 in Poland and Anna finds herself alone in an unfriendly world until a tall, thin man sees her. He calls down birds to cheer her up and then warns her not to be seen. Anna follows him out of Krakow and through the Polish countryside. As they wander together, avoiding the dangerous Bears and Wolves that would hunt them down, Anna has to learn the best ways to survive in a hostile world.

What I Liked:

• I liked the view of this time period from a very different perspective.
• I loved the poetry of the language.
• I liked the concept of someone being able to change languages by the day and the way that makes someone think about language and what people are saying or not saying through words.

What I Would Have Liked:

• An explanation - I fully expected there to be some author's note at the end to clarify some of the very vague references that are made (especially near the end). I feel like I missed something even though I'm pretty sure I didn't. It started to feel like it was based on a true story of someone, but without an explanation, these very specific (yet vague) details left me confused and a little frustrated.
• A better sense of time - Part of this is just the way the book is, but I would have liked a better sense of how much time had passed. Because I felt it was important to know Anna's age to better grasp her reactions to some of the events.
• There was one scene near the end of the book that just felt gratuitously unnecessary. It didn't really add to the book or to the story. I understand bad things happen, but this particular scene (I don't want to be more specific because spoilers) didn't seem to serve a real purpose.

Verdict:

• Overall I thought this was a beautifully written book. The ending felt a bit rushed to me, but the use of language made me glad that I read it.
• Anyone interested in history, World War II, stories of growing up, or poetically written prose will enjoy this book.

I received this book as an advance reader copy at BookExpo America.

Little Lit: The Third Twin by CJ Omololu

I heard about this book during a Twitter chat that popped up on my feed. I then got sucked into the fun that was going on there and my interest was piqued by the description. (Note: social media marketing, when done right, with people that actually care about the people not just the marketing, does work!)

So hold on for my mini review of CJ Omololu's The Third Twin.

Summary:
When Lexi and Ava were little they invented Alicia. She was the imaginary third twin who ate the cookies in the pantry, broke the lamp, and generally took the blame. Now that they're teenagers, the twins use Alicia as an opportunity to go out with guys they wouldn't normally date or visit parties they wouldn't go to themselves. Lexi's ready to let Alicia go when suddenly ominous things start happening. Alicia starts taking on a life of her own and when the first body turns up Lexi doesn't know who she can trust. Is Ava involved? Or is there really an Alicia out there? And who wants to set Lexi up for murder?

What I Liked:

• I really enjoyed the premise. I liked the way Omololu took the traditional "twin" story - identical sisters who switch places - and twisted it, adding the invention of the imaginary twin into the mix.
• I liked the twists and turns, including one that really did shock me. Omololu certainly wasn't afraid to take some risks and it paid off.
• I enjoyed the small, but not insignificant character development of Lexi as she comes to better understand herself through dealing with the various identities of her sister and imaginary twin.

What I Would Have Liked:

• The ending twist was certainly a bit of a shock and it did work, but I would have liked it better if it had been set up just a little more throughout the book. I would have preferred to look back and see more clues planted throughout to make the twist more of a "how did I not see that; now these things make sense" than a "what".
• I would have liked just a little bit more development of some of the secondary characters. Some of them are fairly important, but they fell a little bit flat for me, including Lexi's father and even, to some extent, Zane. It's not that they weren't developed, I just wanted a bit more.

Verdict:

• Definitely worth the read and I will check out more things by this author in the future!
• If you like a twisty turny thriller that isn't too gory, this is your book.

Little Lit: The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels

Buckle up for my quick review of The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels with illustrations by Emma Block.

Summary:
Miss Petitfour lives with her many cats. loves to prepare treats, and travels by tablecloth. She's a quirky character, but well-loved by the people around town who are used to her unusual ways. Each chapter follows a new adventure that Miss Petitfour and her cats stumble into with everyone coming safely and happily home at the end of the chapter.

Available for sale November 10, 2015

What I liked:

• The idea of the book - I always find it interesting when someone writes a children's book with an adult as the main character. Most of the books I can think of that fall into this originated decades in the past - Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (1940s), Mary Poppins (1930s), Amelia Bedelia (1960s). And, with the exception of Amelia Bedelia, children were still the focus even if they weren't the protagonsts. I think Miss Petitfour fits in pretty nicely with this cohort, though I will be curious to see what the response is from children reading this.
• I liked that Miss Petitfour traveled by tablecloth (perhaps that is where I'm connecting to Mary Poppins) and that the wind not going the right direction causes many of the mishaps, as should be expected.
• I liked the adventures. They were fun and unusual and interesting.
• I liked the illustrations, which matched the tone and feel of the book quite well. It's going to be a lovely little volume when all are rendered in color.

What I would have liked:

• I would have liked the cats to be a bigger part of the story. There were so many of them that we don't really get a good understanding of most of them. I would have liked their personalities to be a bit bigger and have more impact on the story and on Miss Petitfour.
• I would have liked to see more of Pleasant, the one child we do meet in the book. She seems like a very interesting person and I wanted more of her.
• I would have liked a little less of the long lists of names and definitions and a little more of the quirk and fun that comes through a good part of the time.

Verdict:

• Some people are going to find this book utterly charming. I certainly enjoyed parts of it.
• However, it didn't quite work as a whole for me. I don't know if it was the lack of children (or children type creatures - the cats could have worked well for this) or if it was just a personal preference.
• Miss Petitfour is whimsical, but she is firmly an adult, which lends a more mature tone to a book that seems to be focused on a slightly younger audience.
• I think that many people, both adults and children, will be calling for more adventures for Miss Petitfour.

For more information you can check out Anne Michaels GoodReads page and you can find more about Emma Block's illustrations on her website.

I received this book as an advance reader copy at BookExpo America.

Little Lit and GIVEAWAY!: After Alice by Gregory Maguire

Summary:

Ada is a neighbor and friend of Alice. On the day of Alice's adventures, Ada escapes her governess and the confines of her house along with her new, squalling baby brother. On her way to deliver a jar of marmalade to Alice's family, Ada finds herself falling into the same rabbit hole as Alice and wandering around Wonderland, finding herself free, for once, of her back brace and with her limp much less noticeable. As Ada strives to enter the beautiful garden she sees through the keyhole and runs into the white rabbit, the Cheshire cat, the duchess, and other Wonderland creatures, Alice's older sister, Lydia finds herself caught up with the travelling companions of Charles Darwin including a freed slave boy named Siam. As the stories criss and cross and intertwine around each other, Ada, Lydia, and Siam find themselves changed by their encounters.

Available for sale October 27, 2015

Or, if you'd like a chance to win my advanced reader copy, simply enter using the Rafflecopter form at the end of the blog post. You've got 2 weeks, so spread the word!

What I Liked:

• I really enjoyed Ada's adventures. It was interesting seeing her follow Alice, sometimes only a few steps behind.
• Yet at the same time, it was a completely different journey from Alice's. In some of the same situations (such as the mad tea party), Ada acts completely differently with interesting and entertaining results.
• As usual, Maguire picks up the flavor of the source material, so that Ada's adventures feel very much like they take place in the same world as Alice's did.

What I Would Have Liked:

• I would have liked more of Ada and less of the others, particularly of Lydia. Though it became interesting (to some extent), I found myself skimming more quickly through those parts to get back to Ada.
• I would have liked less commentary. I almost didn't even read the book because the first few pages were so heavy and convoluted that I didn't want to keep going. I always feel that Maguire is at his best when delving into the fantasy aspect. It's when he waxes political or philosophical that he loses me.
• I would have liked a different ending. In fact, I'm still just a bit confused. I feel like in his attempt to make the story less "dream-like" as the original Alice is, Maguire tipped the other direction and left me  with just a bit of a sour taste.

Verdict:

• I really enjoyed parts of it, and really didn't enjoy others.
• Those who liked the more political/historical aspects of Maguire's other books (such as in the Oz books, particularly the later ones), will most likely thoroughly enjoy this one as well.
• Those looking for a more fantasy based romp will probably be disappointed.

For more information you can check out Gregory Maguire's website or author page on GoodReads.

I received this book as an advance reader copy at BookExpo America.

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Little Lit: The Nest by Kenneth Oppel, Illustrated by Jon Klassen

Summary:
Steve's life is a bit topsy turvy right now. The new baby isn't doing well and has been in and out of the hospital, which means his parents are tired and distracted. His little sister Nicole doesn't really understand what's going on, and now Steve is having strange dreams of someone saying they can help fix the baby if he'll only say yes to helping them. But can he trust the dreams? Do the creatures really have the baby's best interest at heart? If Steve helps them will it really help his family or could he be hurting the very people he's trying to protect?

The book just came out this week!
You can learn more about Kenneth Oppel on his website or GoodReads or follow him on Twitter.
You can learn more about Jon Klassen on his tumblr or GoodReads or follow him on Twitter.
I had the chance to meet these two at Book Expo America this year where they so kindly autographed my Advance Reader Copy of this book. They were so much fun and such lovely authors to meet. NaomiRuth brought Wombly the Wombat and the two of them were absolutely hilarious as they tried to figure out what he was. I love being able to meet authors!

Now on to my mini review of the book. There are some spoilers here. I usually try to keep my reviews spoiler free, but really can't manage that in this case, so be forewarned.

What I Liked:

• I loved the illustrations. I just adore Klassen's style - it's so stark and simple and striking and beautiful. I particularly liked the way the chapters were demarcated by adding wasps - so chapter 1 had 1 wasp, chapter 4 had 4, etc.
• I liked that Steve struggled with anxiety and obsessive compulsions. It was so great to read about a kid dealing with these things in the middle of the larger issues going on with his family. And it wasn't magically solved at the end. though he makes progress in understanding himself and finding some ways to help live with and work through some of his struggles.
• I liked that the family was cohesive. Even with all the stress of things going on, there was a complete family unit who loved and cared for each other even in the middle of the strain when they aren't always nice to each other, you could tell they all still loved each other.
• I loved the message it sent that physical and mental perfection are not and should not be our goal. Our deficiencies, problems, struggles - the things that make us different - are what make us us.

What I Would Have Liked:

• I would have liked to get a little better sense of how old Steve was. He seemed younger to me at the beginning, but as the story went on I realized he was most likely older than I had originally thought. Unless I missed it, I wish there had been some sort of indication as to his grade or age.
• One of the things that made me uncomfortable was the knife left by the mysterious knife sharpener. I understand that it was part of the sort of mystical aspect of the book, but I wasn't sure I liked the message it sent of making it the weapon Steve literally wields to try to destroy the creatures.
• Again, I realize that they were mystical creatures, but if anybody had a fear of wasps, this would certainly not allay their fears in any way and I can see some kids being really affected, particularly by the ending with the swarms attacking and nearly killing Steve. So this isn't so much an I-didn't-like-it thing as a it-might-be-too-much-for-some-kids thing.

Verdict:

• It's a beautiful and touching story with gorgeous illustrations. Except for the intensity of the wasp swarms at the end, the message overall was a moving one about the importance of embracing our flaws and caring for our family in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Little Lit: Armada by Ernest Cline

Summary:
Zack's got a pretty normal life. He's finishing high school, hanging with his friends the two Mikes, and playing video games during his spare time. Then he sees a space ship outside the school window and think he might be going crazy. Until he finds out that the video game has actually just been a preparation for the real threat. And Zack and the other leaders on the game board might be earth's best chance at survival.

What I Liked:

• I just love Cline's writing style. I love the way he puts words together. If you aren't a fan of his style, this story doesn't subsume the style the way I think Ready Player One did, but if you are, then you'll enjoy this.
• The geeky references. Yes, they are copious. Yes, they are on pretty much every page. And yes, I loved pretty much every single one.
• I'm not even sure how to phrase this, except by responding to some criticism I saw - I've seen a number of people complain that this book is just derivative of dozens of other books or movies. What I liked is that this is the exact point of the plot of the book. The point is that it is derivative. There's a purpose for that. I thought it was very clever and entertaining that Cline even has his characters basically make this criticism about their circumstances. It's very self-aware of what it is and embraces that whole-heartedly, which is what makes it work, in my opinion.
• The plot. This is a plot driven book. I found that it pulled me in and kept me engaged to find out what would happen. The characters are sort of secondary, but for some reason, this worked for this book.
• The world building was really fascinating to me this time. In Ready Player One, the story is set in a future dystopic world. Plus there's the development of all of the virtual worlds as well. Here it's set in our world, but not quite. Which to me seems like it would be much harder to write, because everything's familiar, but not really exactly familiar. It gave everything a slightly ... off (for lack of a better word) feeling, like everything was just a hair off-kilter, even before you get to the alien ships, etc.

What I Would Have Liked:

• Having said that, I would have liked it if the characters were a little better developed. There was so much fantastic potential with many of these characters, but the heavy focus on the plot left many (especially most of the secondary characters) feeling rather flat. Even the main character didn't capture me the way the protagonist of Ready Player One did.
• The female characters were slightly disappointing to me too. They felt more caricatured to me than some of (though not all of) the guys did. Again, a lot of potential if a little more time had been spent on character development.
• The ending felt pretty rushed to me, with a hair too much telling rather than showing. I was initially dissatisfied with the ending altogether, but the more I've thought about it, the more I think it was done completely intentionally to leave everything feeling just a little off.

Verdict:

• A really fun, tilt-a-whirl adventure, peppered with pop culture and sci-fi references.
• Don't expect Ready Player One, but Cline still delivers an entertaining, self-aware story that hurtles towards an inevitable and yet, somehow unexpected ending.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book via BookExpo America

Little Lit: Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz

Welcome to a new feature here on the blog! While I absolutely love doing my 10 Things I Love... posts, sometimes I just want to quickly write up what I liked and didn't like about a book without going into so much detail. Hence, Little Lit!
So hang on for my quick review of Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz.

Summary:
Twelve year old Clara is captivated by the marionette performance of the masterful Grisini, but also taken by his two assistants, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall. When she invites them to perform at her birthday party and Grisini gives her a strange gift, Clara is drawn to the strange man. When Clara goes missing, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall find themselves caught up in a web of deceit, magic, and revenge that goes back decades. Can they figure out how to break the spell before their lives or Clara's are lost forever?

What I Liked:

• I really enjoyed the play between Lizzie and Parse. Though they aren't related, there was a brother/sister vibe between them that I enjoyed.
• I liked Lizzie and Parse's perseverance and street smarts. Though neither is formally educated, they each have many skills that they use to work their way through the very strange events they find themselves trapped in.
• SPOILER (kind of): I liked the idea of Clara being trapped into being a marionette and being caught in this power struggle between Grisini and his rival.

What I Would Have Liked:

• I would have liked it better if it hadn't been quite as dark. I'm sure there are kids who would love the creepiness of this, but I am an adult and I found some of the things to be a bit too gruesome or dark for me. I would really hesitate to give this to many middle grade kids.
• I would have liked less of the adults. Not that I have an issue with adults being major characters in kids' books, but in this, the feud between Grisini and Cassandra felt like something out of an adult novel, while the parts with Lizzie and Parse fit better in a middle grade novel. For me, the two didn't blend together very well.

Verdict:

• For people who like a dark, creepy story, I think they'll enjoy this.
• For me, it just didn't quite work as a whole.
• I did like Schlitz's style. Though it was a bit more formal than many middle grade level books are, it fit with the tone and time period of the story.

You can find more information about Schlitz and her books on her GoodReads page or through this page on the Candlewick Press website.

I received an advance copy of this book via BookExpo America.