My review

5 plus

I didn't expect that this book would take this turn and it was the best. I am so grateful to the author for writing this story. It made me cry at the end and this is why (without spoilers) I related to it more than I expected being an adult. I am grateful that children will read this story and get empowered to fight for their health. The author's note at the end says it all. And again, as a person who has been misdiagnosed for years, it made me cry, to have someone stand up for me even when the author will never know me. But she does. She knows what people like her, you, and me are going through when you are certain that something is wrong with your body and people dismiss it with an easy solution like hysteria, rough times, it's the age as in... being a teenager, or an older woman. Thank you again for writing this book. 

The story is inspired by a short story by American author Charlotte Perkins Gilman, who needs to get a lot of bed rest to cure her disease and goes mad by watching the hallucinations created by the wallpaper. I remember reading it in 1996 and it changed my way of thinking about writing and so many other things. 

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu is not a retelling or modernization, it's inspired by the same concept of doctors dismissing us quickly. It still has a very middle-grade core and vibe where Violet is struggling with divorced parents, trying to fit and keep up with trends, moving to a new house, a new family structure, a new baby brother, middle school, new friends, old friends being bad friends, and making new friends with the same interests. Reconstructing the relationships in the family and in the community. I loved this book. 

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this eARC.

Get it here from the official site (all store links there)

Harper Collins

My review

5

An awesome journey/adventure rescue by a famous gamer, youtube, and author of the Wild Rescuer series.

In this first volume, we're following Stacy who lives with a pack of very intelligent and tightly skilled wolves for four days to rescue an animal in the Rain Forest.

All the wolves of her pack have special abilities and are very smart. One even helped her with math and makes her breakfast and she understands them all. Their job is to rescue animals in danger all over the world.

It's a fast-paced story with lots of action and adventure. We visit the Pantanal and the Rain Forest and learn all sorts of amazing facts about the local fauna and flora. The chapters are presented as journal entries or log updates and it's fun because it looks as if she is reporting to us. She also illustrates what she sees and the illustrator has done great work with expressions and humor.

Very educational. I love frogs and learned a lot of new facts about a particular one. The book also focuses on awareness of environmental problems, and in specific makes sure we understand that it's not good to catch and take animals from one biome to another because it will cause harm.

All is spiced with a bit of adventure in the ruins, solving puzzles to avoid traps, being chased by predators, and saving the day. A very cool rescuing team that teaches us much and has a very confident main character who knows is doing her share for the planet.

Great cover and a series to follow. Perfect for nature lovers.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the Arc. My opinions are my own and honest.

Harper Collins link.

K is In Trouble is Kafka for Kids as a graphic novel.

My review

4stars

This is a dark humorous story composed of different episodes where K tries to minimize the verbal abuse from the adults when completing a specific task that never goes well. Still... these feelings of loneliness, abandonment, fear, panic, doubt, shame... the character is trapped in an inflexive society and does his best to get by.

Cleverly illustrated the panels have a great rhythm showing different emotions: from claustrophobic to silent or noisy and crowded to alone. K connects with animals in a more positive way than he can communicate with any adult. Although we don't get a rewarding conclusion (in a sense of justice) the different episodes show us that K finds his own small moments of rewards and victories.

Thank you, Publisher and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

Find it on Amazon or your local store.