Jill's Book Blog

Blog Tour Review and Guest Post: A Possibility of Whales

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Title: A Possibility of Whales
Author: Karen Rivers
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Release Date: March 13, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The story of a girl who—thanks to her friends, her famous dad, and a chance encounter with a whale—learns the true meaning of family.

Twelve-year-old Natalia Rose Baleine Gallagher loves possibilities: the possibility that she’ll see whales on the beach near her new home, that the boy she just met will be her new best friend, that the photographers chasing her actor father won’t force Nat and her dad to move again. Most of all, Nat dreams of the possibility that her faraway mother misses and loves Nat—and is waiting for Nat to find her.

The thing is, Nat doesn’t even know who her mother is. She left Nat as a baby, and Nat’s dad refuses to talk about it. Nat knows she shouldn’t need a mom, but she still feels like something is missing.

In this heartfelt story about family, friendship, and growing up, Nat’s questions lead her on a journey of self-discovery that will change her life forever.

Review:

This book was just amazing!

The characters were so real and moving. Nat has a famous father, but life hasn’t been easy for them. She has never known who her mother is, and her father tries to keep them out of the spotlight and away from the paparazzi. I also loved the character of Harry! He is a transgender boy, which is not common in middle grade stories. Harry struggles with being his true self, because his father insists that he remain a girl.

The pacing of the story was great. There were a couple of reveals at the end. Though they weren’t big mysteries, such as why Nat didn’t like Solly anymore, the suspense kept me guessing.

The kids in this story faced real, adult problems. Kids grow up very fast these days, so it makes sense that the children they read about would have to as well. I absolutely loved this story for both young readers and adults!

Guest Post from Karen Rivers:

How real life inspires fiction, what events from the book were “real” and how my own journey as a single parent informs a lot of my books.

I often tell my students to write what they’ve felt, as opposed to what they’ve known, but all fiction is probably really a combination of both. I wrote A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES remembering how I felt when I was twelve: I was often an outsider, not sure how to fit in. I was betrayed by my best friend more than once. I was scared of how puberty might mean I was no longer a child, and that once I went through it, I would have to be a different version of myself. I carried these things in my heart and into A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES. I knitted Nat up from an idealized version of myself, with a sprinkling of my daughter, a splash of imagination, and a large dollop of her own unique spirit.

Now that I am an adult, I also find myself a single parent. It isn’t what I set out to do, yet here I am. I’m often exploring single-parenting on the page, trying to look at it from all the different perspectives. I know that one of the things my kids experience is a yearning for what they don’t have, what they might have had if things were different, not in terms of material goods, but in terms of family. In many ways, being a single parent is easier; but in other ways, it’s so much harder. I can never be a father to my son. I can only be his mother, and so his journey from boy-to-man is harder than it maybe otherwise would be. I can’t know, because we can’t know what isn’t, only what is. In a way, I am Xan Gallagher, but Xan Gallagher is also very much himself. We both parent with a big dose of humour, we try to be present, we hope we are hearing what our kids are saying. But he has what I don’t have: Vast wealth, which buys him so much time, so he can be with Nat when she needs him, and even when she doesn’t.

Plus, he can play the ukulele.

One of my clearest childhood memories has to do with interacting with whales – in my case, orcas – and seeing their bodies vanishing into the bottle green water beside the boat as they swam under us and all around, their fins rising from the water. The scenes haunt my dreams, still. There is something ethereal about whales, about seeing them in the wild – it’s like making contact with pure magic.

This book, like all books, is of course autobiographical, biographical, and pure fiction. All stirred together, then baked until done. I hope you like it. I loved writing every single word of it.

About the Author:

Rivers-Karen_2MB2

Karen Rivers’s books have been nominated for a wide range of literary awards and have been published
in multiple languages. When she’s not writing, reading, or visiting schools, she can usually be found
hiking in the forest that flourishes behind her tiny old house in Victoria, British Columbia, where she
lives with her two kids, two dogs, and two birds. Find her online at karenrivers.com and on Twitter:
@karenrivers.

Follow Karen:
Website: https://www.karenrivers.com/
Twitter: http://ow.ly/wOqT30iPD8b
Facebook: http://ow.ly/zlpm30iPDdA
Instagram: http://ow.ly/96dY30iPDgw
Goodreads: http://ow.ly/P6wk30iPCOP

Giveaway:

The winner will receive:

1 signed hardcover copy of A Possibility of Whales by Karen Rivers
Details:
– Canada Only (full rules found in the T&C on Rafflecopter)
– Giveaway ends Mon. Mar. 19th @ 12AM EST
– Winner will be drawn randomly through Rafflecopter, contacted via email and will have 24 hours to claim their prize

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for letting me participate in this blog tour.

Review: The Radical Element

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Title: The Radical Element
Author: Jessica Spotswood (editor)
Genre: Young Adult, Short Stories
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: March 13, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In an anthology of revolution and resistance, a sisterhood of YA writers shines a light on a century and a half of heroines on the margins and in the intersections.

To respect yourself, to love yourself—should not have to be a radical decision. And yet it remains as challenging for an American girl to make today as it was in 1927 on the steps of the Supreme Court. It’s a decision that must be faced whether you’re balancing on the tightrope of neurodivergence, finding your way as a second-generation immigrant, or facing down American racism even while loving America. And it’s the only decision when you’ve weighed society’s expectations and found them wanting. In The Radical Element, twelve of the most talented writers working in young adult literature today tell the stories of the girls of all colors and creeds standing up for themselves and their beliefs—whether that means secretly learning Hebrew in early Savannah, using the family magic to pass as white in 1920s Hollywood, or singing in a feminist punk band in 1980s Boston. And they’re asking you to join them.

Review:

This is a collection of stories that feature girls who live on the margins of society in some way, and rebel against the expectations of society.

I loved the tension and pacing in the stories. They often ended right as something was going to happen, which left me wanting more. I’m going to look up other works by these authors, because they were all great.

One thing that bothered me about these stories was the lack of geographical and racial diversity. The first half of the stories featured white main characters and were set in southern United States. The one main character who was Mexican used her magic to appear white to blend in with the other actresses in early twentieth century Hollywood. Each of the girls had some other way that they stood on the fringe of society, whether in ability, sexuality, or religion but I would have liked to see more races and settings in the stories. The latter half of the book featured more main characters who were women of colour, but I wish they appeared earlier in the book.

Review: I’m Not Your Sweet Babboo!

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Title: I’m Not Your Sweet Babboo!
Author: Charles M. Schulz
Genre: Comic
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: March 13, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Pick up a glass of milk, curl up with your security blanket, and enjoy the timeless brilliance of Peanuts in this new collection of comic strips!

Everyone’s favorite classic characters are back: Peppermint Patty enrolls in a private school to end her academic troubles—only to discover she’s just graduated from obedience school. Linus finds himself entangled in a love triangle (and stuck on top of a snow-covered roof). And Charlie Brown runs away from the law and becomes a vagrant baseball coach.

The Peanuts crew is lovable, popular, and charming, but please whatever you do, don’t call Linus “My Sweet Babboo!”

Review:

This is the first collection of Peanuts comics that I’ve read. I have seen some of the comics over the years, and I always watched the holiday specials when I was a kid.

These are cute little comics. Many of them are related, with storylines that take up multiple pages. These stories are still relatable years after they were first written.

Snoopy is one of my favourite characters! I love his commentary. I also love the dynamic between Peppermint Patty and Marcie. I kept laughing when Marcie called her “sir.”

This is a great collection for fans of Peanuts!

Review: The Queen’s Rising

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Title: The Queen’s Rising
Author: Rebecca Ross
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased
Release Date: February 6, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

When her seventeenth summer solstice arrives, Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron.

Growing up in the southern Kingdom of Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her for such a life. While some are born with an innate talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she belatedly chose to study knowledge. However, despite all her preparations, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—the solstice does not go according to plan and she is left without a patron.

Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, and with no other choices, she accepts. But there is much more to his story, and Brienna soon discovers that he has sought her out for his own vengeful gain. For there is a dangerous plot being planned to overthrow the king of Maevana—the archrival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes.

With war brewing between the two lands, Brienna must choose whose side she will remain loyal to—passion or blood. Because a queen is destined to rise and lead the battle to reclaim the crown. The ultimate decision Brienna must determine is: Who will be that queen?

Review:

I got this book in two subscription boxes for February: Uppercase Box and Litjoy Crate. I was a little disappointed that I got the same book, but I was also excited to read it because it must be good if it was in two boxes.

I loved this book! It is a different take on the YA fantasy story. Rather than the main character having to find love throughout the story, she becomes involved in a plot to raise the rightful queen to the throne. There was some romance, but it wasn’t the most important part of the story.

Breanna was a very strong character. She took chances to save the ones who she cared about. She had many conflicting choices to make, but she made intelligent decisions based on her instincts and intelligence.

I loved the twists at the end of the story! I felt like I was holding my breath through the last third of the story. There was loads of tension. Though the story was slightly predictable, I loved all of it! The only thing I’m wondering about is what will happen in the next book in the trilogy, but I can’t wait to read it!

Review: Literary Starbucks: Freshly-Brewed, No-Whip, Half-Caf Bookish Humor

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Title: Literary Starbucks: Freshly-Brewed, No-Whip, Half-Caf Bookish Humor
Author: Jill Poskanzer, Wilson Josephson, Nora Katz
Genre: Humour
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Source: Purchased
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the creators of the eponymous viral Tumblr comes a single day with your favorite authors in one Twilight-Zone-esque Starbucks…

Ever wonder which intricate, elaborately-named drinks might be consumed if your favorite authors and characters wandered into a Starbucks? How many pumpkin lattes J.K. Rowling would drink? Or if Cormac McCarthy needed caffeine, which latte would be laconic enough? Look no further; LITERARY STARBUCKS explores such pressing matters with humor and erudition. Set over the course of a single day, and replete with puns and satirized literary styles, the three authors go darker, stronger, and more global than the blog in book format, including illustrations by acclaimed New Yorker cover artist and cartoonist Harry Bliss.

Review:

When I heard about this book, I had to get it. I love Starbucks and I love books, so this is the best of both worlds.

In this book, many beloved authors and literary characters go into Starbucks and order coffee. Each order matches either their life, story, or writing style. These were so clever and accurate! Here are some of my favourites:

“Mary Ann Evans goes up to the counter and gives her name as George Eliot.”
“Jack London goes up to the counter with twelve sled dogs in tow.”
“Atticus Finch goes up to the counter and orders the one drink on the menu that no one else was brave enough to get.”

One negative thing about this book was that there were a lot of authors or characters that I had never heard of, or I didn’t know enough about them to understand the jokes. But the ones that I did understand made me laugh out loud.

This is a great book for book lovers!

Review: Harry Moon: First Light

Title: Harry Moon: First Light
Author: Mark Andrew Poe
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Rabbit Publishers
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Declan goes on vacation, Harry Moon takes over Declan’s paper route. For the first time, Harry is on his bicycle in Sleepy Hollow in early morning. Before the sun actually rises, Harry learns of a world he never knew existed. This is the special time known as “first light.” It is the light that peeks out from the sun before the sun truly rises. There, Harry finds the secret land where his magic teacher, Samson, is doing his most important and surprising work against the nefarious We Drive By Night Company.

Review:

I’ve read many Harry Moon stories in the past couple of months, but I think this one is my favourite.

This story had a very creepy theme. Strange creatures, who are controlled by the mayor, ran the newspaper office in their town. They looked like something out of Doctor Who! It was creepy, but I liked the mystery of the creatures.

As in the other Harry Moon stories, there are teaching moments throughout the adventure. Harry learned discipline by taking over his friend’s paper route. And he ended up seeing what a beautiful town he lives in when first light happens in the morning.

This was a great middle grade story.

Review: Find You In The Dark

Title: Find You In The Dark
Author: Nathan Ripley
Genre: Fiction, Thriller
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this chilling debut thriller, in the vein of Dexter and The Talented Mr. Ripley, a family man obsessed with digging up the undiscovered remains of serial killer victims catches the attention of a murderer prowling the streets of Seattle.

Martin Reese is obsessed with murder.

For years, he has been illegally buying police files on serial killers and studying them in depth, using them as guides to find missing bodies. He doesn’t take any souvenirs, just photos that he stores in an old laptop, and then he turns in the results to the police anonymously. Martin sees his work as a public service, a righting of wrongs that cops have continuously failed to do.

Detective Sandra Whittal sees it differently. On a meteoric rise in police ranks due to her case-closing efficiency, Whittal is suspicious of the mysterious caller—the Finder, she names him—leading the police to the bodies. Even if the Finder isn’t the one leaving bodies behind, who’s to say that he won’t start soon?

On his latest dig, Martin searches for the first kill of Jason Shurn, the early 1990s murderer who may have been responsible for the disappearance of his sister-in-law, whom he never met. But when he arrives at the site, he finds a freshly killed body—a young and recently disappeared Seattle woman—lying among remains that were left there decades ago. Someone else knew where Jason Shurn buried his victims . . . and that someone isn’t happy that Martin has been going around digging up his work.

When a crooked cop with a tenuous tie to Martin vanishes, Whittal begins to zero in on the Finder. Hunted by a real killer and by Whittal, Martin realizes that in order to escape the killer’s trap, he may have to go deeper into the world of murder than he ever thought.

Review:

This book is a great twist on a thriller. Instead of following the life of a serial killer, it follows the life of a man who digs up the victims of serial killers. He then tells the police where to find them, but this eventually leads him into trouble. This unique plot made the story unpredictable.

There were multiple narratives in the story. One was from Martin’s perspective, where he talked about finding the bodies. There was another narrative that followed the detectives who were investigating the man who dug up the graves as well as the original murders. And another narrative was about the man who pulled the strings behind the killers.

The pacing of this book was great. There were major plot points that happened in each chapter that made me want to keep reading. It was hard to put this book down.

I really enjoyed this book. If you’re looking for a unique thriller, this is the one for you.

Review: Dark Tales: The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Graphic Novel

Title: Dark Tales: The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Graphic Novel
Author: Arthur Conan Doyle, Dave Shephard
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Printers Row Publishing Group
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

This classic “whodunit” story with the famous Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson is now told in graphic novel format. More than 100 pages of illustrated action and adventure! Sir Charles Baskerville, master of the Baskerville estate, is found dead at the gates with a look of horror on his face. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are called in to investigate the possibility of foul play. After several false leads, they solve the mystery and reveal the truth.

Review:

I love Sherlock Holmes. So I was so excited to see this graphic novel on NetGalley.

I enjoyed reading this story. I felt a little confused when I read the original story years ago. The story jumps around a lot, and some of the names are similar. This graphic novel made it much easier to understand, but it still has the tension of a Holmes mystery.

The art in this graphic novel was awesome! I loved the different colours the artist used. When the story told something that happened in the past, it was coloured in sepia tones. When the characters were in the dark, it was in dark blues. And when they were in the light, the colours were natural. This was a great way to depict different time periods and settings without having to describe them in words.

This is a great graphic novel that I would recommend for Holmes fans and people who want an introduction to the famous detective.

Review: The Wicked Deep

Title: The Wicked Deep
Author: Shea Ernshaw
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

Review:

This is a great, original story.

I liked the way that the myth of the Swan sisters was incorporated into the story. Parts of their story was told between the chapters of Penny’s narrative. It was an interesting myth that came to life each year in their small town.

The story had good pacing. It moved along very quickly. There was a lot that happened in a short amount of time, which kept the story moving.

I couldn’t predict who the Swan sisters would turn out to be, which made it more exciting. I was looking for a logical explanation for the whole event, but I couldn’t find one. Bo was also a curious character, since he came out of nowhere and blended in on Penny’s island so well. I was surprised at the ending, but I liked it!

This story is a great blend of fantasy and real life. It’s a thrilling seaside adventure for YA lovers!

Review: One of Us Is Lying

Title: One of Us Is Lying
Author: Karen M. McManus
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Gift
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars, One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.
Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

Review:

When I read the description of this book, I was so excited to read it. Most of the reviews I read for this book either loved it or hated it, which made me even more curious about it. I can understand why after reading it, and luckily I loved it!

I figured out the ending by about a third of the way into the book. But I was still glad to read till the end to find out if I was right. It was a clever ending. I think I’ve read so many mysteries and thrillers now that I’m getting better at solving them. I’m usually wrong, so I was glad that I was right this time!

I really liked the characters. I liked the way that this mystery brought them together even though they had such different backgrounds. And there were so many secrets! The secrets were revealed slowly throughout the book, to keep the mystery going.

I really enjoyed this story!