Jill's Book Blog

Review: Claudia and Mean Janine (Baby Sitters Club Graphic Novel #4)

Title: Claudia and Mean Janine
Author: Raina Telgemeier
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Graphix
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Release Date: January 26, 2016
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

This graphic novel adapted by Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile, is now available in full color!

Claudia and her sister, Janine, may as well be from two different planets. Claudia, who pays more attention to her artwork and The Baby-sitters Club than her homework, feels like she can’t compete with her perfect sister. Janine studies nonstop, gets straight As, and even takes college-level courses! But when something unexpected happens to the most beloved person in their family, will the sisters be able to put aside their differences?

Raina Telgemeier, using the signature style featured in her acclaimed graphic novels Smile and Sisters, perfectly captures all the drama and charm of the original novel!

Review:

I am loving the new Baby Sitters Club series! This is the fourth book, and like the others, it stays true to the original novels.

In this story, the girls have to deal with family issues. Claudia has to learn to get along with her sister, because she’s the only sister she has. They come together over their grandmother’s health problems.

I love how each of the Baby Sitters Club books demonstrate something that young girls have to face in their lives, while also working on their baby sitting jobs. The girls all feel for Claudia’s problems with her sister because they all love her grandmother and feel close to Claudia’s family.

I’m so sad that Raina is no longer going to illustrate these graphic novels. I hope the next artist can live up to Raina’s work!

Review: Archie, Volume 2

Title: Archie, Volume 2
Author: Mark Waid, Veronica Fish
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Archie Comics
Source: Gift
Release Date: December 20, 2016
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The all-new ARCHIE adventure continues! Superstar writer Mark Waid teams up with the best and brightest artists in comics to bring a modern take to the legendary Riverdale cast of characters. The book will captures the bite and hilarious edge of Archie’s original tales in a modern, forward-looking manner, while still retaining the character’s all-ages appeal. If classic Archie is a Saturday morning cartoon, this new series is prime time!

Review:

I love this new Archie series. I was hooked on Archie comics when I was little, so I love being able to read this updated version.

This story continues from the first volume. Mr. Lodge still hates Archie. He tries to get Veronica to date Reggie instead, but she loves Archie. At the same time, Betty and Archie’s friendship is rocky. They’re both dating new people, so they have to adjust to not dating each other. It even leads to a fight that ends at the talent show.

I love the art in these graphic novels. Sometimes the art slows down the pace of the story, by having frames without any words. Some frames drift slowly from Archie’s house to Betty’s house, to show that they aren’t speaking. There is still a lot to be read into these frames, even though there isn’t actually any dialogue.

I love this series. This volume ended on a cliffhanger, so I’m going to have to read the next one soon!

Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Resolutions and Goals

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Bookish Resolutions and Goals for 2018. Here’s my list:

1. Read 300 books.

2. Post a book review everyday.

3. Attend BookCon 2018 in NYC.

4. Finish writing my first novel.

5. Attend more author events.

6. Receive more ARCs.

7. Buy less books.

8. Write more reviews ahead of time.

9. Clear out bookshelves.

10. Read books I already own.

Review: All The Missing Girls

Title: All The Missing Girls
Author: Megan Miranda
Genre: Fiction, Thriller
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Release Date: June 28, 2016
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda’s novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women—a decade apart—told in reverse.

It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.

The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.

Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.

Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.

Review:

This is such an amazing thriller! I read it in just one day. The story is great, and the way that it’s told is very original.

I don’t want to give much away about the plot because it’s so clever. I loved that it is told backwards. It starts with Nic going to her hometown and then jumps to 15 Days later. The following chapters are told going back a day each time. The story slowly unravels backwards.

One thing that wasn’t realistic about the story is that some major events happened on the first couple of days that Nic was there, but they aren’t discussed by the characters after that day. This makes it suspenseful for the reader, since these things are only revealed at the end of the book, but I think the characters would have brought it up at some point if it happened in real life.

I just loved this thriller! If you love thrillers and original stories, this is definitely for you!

Review: Batman: Nightwalker

Title: Batman: Nightwalker (DC Icons #2)
Author: Marie Lu
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Random House
Source: Purchased
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Before he was Batman, he was Bruce Wayne. A reckless boy willing to break the rules for a girl who may be his worst enemy.

The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list.

One by one, the city’s elites are being executed as their mansions’ security systems turn against them, trapping them like prey. Meanwhile, Bruce is turning eighteen and about to inherit his family’s fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Enterprises and all the tech gadgetry his heart could ever desire. But after a run-in with the police, he’s forced to do community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison that holds the city’s most brutal criminals.

Madeleine Wallace is a brilliant killer . . . and Bruce’s only hope.

In Arkham, Bruce meets Madeleine, a brilliant girl with ties to the Nightwalkers. What is she hiding? And why will she speak only to Bruce? Madeleine is the mystery Bruce must unravel. But is he getting her to divulge her secrets, or is he feeding her the information she needs to bring Gotham City to its knees? Bruce will walk the dark line between trust and betrayal as the Nightwalkers circle closer.

Review:

This book was a little slow to get into at the beginning. I kept thinking, where is Batman? The story is called Batman, after all, not Bruce Wayne. But I kept with it, since I have seen such great reviews for this book. I reserved my judgement for the end, and I loved the ending.

Though Bruce Wayne eventually turns into the iconic superhero Batman, in this story he is just a regular teenager. He makes such stupid mistakes when he falls for Madeleine. At the same time, she is very clever and trapped him many times. But Bruce was blinded by love, so he didn’t notice.

The ending of the story was so good! I thought I had figured out who the leader of the Nightwalkers was, but I was so shocked when the leader was revealed. I was so wrong, but I was glad because I didn’t want the story to be predictable.

After reading this book, I will have to go back and read Wonder Woman: Warbringer. I’m curious to see her origin story.

Review: Right Gift Wrong Day

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Title: Right Gift Wrong Day
Author: Natalie Decker
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Source: Author
Release Date: November 24, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Tyler Richardson is freaking out! Not only did he invite his new girlfriend to meet his entire family, this is also the day they will exchange gifts. But what do you get a girl after dating for only two weeks? Should he listen to his friends and just give her a card, or should he ask for a second opinion?

Layla can’t believe she agreed to have dinner with Tyler and his family. What if they don’t like her? To make matter’s worse, they agreed to exchange Christmas gifts. The boy already has everything. And what if she gets him something that’s nicer than what he gets her? That would be really awkward. Asking him what he would like is completely out of the question. Maybe she should ask his friends for help.

After a rocky start, Tyler and Layla’s relationship is everybody’s relationship goals. But can Tyler and Layla survive the holidays without losing their cool?

Review:

In this adorable Offsides novella, the main characters face many common problems that couples deal with during the holidays.

Tyler and Layla have to decide if they buy gifts for each other. They’ve only been dating a week, but they’ve known each other for a long time. And do they celebrate together? Layla isn’t comfortable meeting his family so soon, yet she doesn’t want to spend Christmas with her mom’s new boyfriend. These are dilemmas that are so common, but they are brought together in this couple.

Meanwhile, Layla’s twin, Juliet, is devastated after her horrible breakup with Mark. To make matters worse, Layla accidentally shares Mark’s apology texts with all of Juliet’s contacts. I think just about everyone who has a cell phone has experienced either sending or receiving the wrong text. But this situation is even worse since Mark’s sappy apologies were sent to all of Juliet’s friends.

I loved this holiday themed novella in the Offsides series. I can’t wait to read the second book in the series for the blog tour in a couple of weeks!

Review: That Girl

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Title: That Girl
Author: Kate Kerrigan
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: January 1, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis:

You can escape a place. But you can’t escape yourself.

Hanna flees the scene of a terrible crime in her native Sligo. If she can just vanish, re-invent herself under a new name, perhaps the police won’t catch up with her. London seems the perfect place to disappear.

Lara has always loved Matthew and imagined happy married life in Dublin. Then comes the bombshell – Matthew says he wants to join the priesthood. Humiliated and broken-hearted, Lara heads to the most godless place she can find, King’s Road, Chelsea.

Matthew’s twin sister, Noreen, could not be more different from her brother. She does love fiance John, but she also craves sex, parties and fun. Swinging London has it all, but without John, Noreen is about to get way out of her depth.

All three girls find themselves working for Bobby Chevron – one of London’s most feared gangland bosses – and it’s not long before their new lives start to unravel.

Review:

This is a great romance, with some thrilling crimes thrown in.

I liked how the girls’ lives paralleled each other. All three women are from Ireland, and they moved to London to escape the men in their pasts. They all end up together in the same apartment above a night club. Eventually, their pasts catch up to each of them.

The sixties atmosphere was great in the story. I found Lara’s “rags to riches” story a little optimistic. She goes from being a waitress to a designer in a matter of months, which is unrealistic, but it worked in the story.

Some parts of the story were quite slow. There were many parts where the characters reflected on things they had already done. But then something huge would happen that got the story going again. If it were a little shorter and more fast paced, the story would have been much better.

This story was an entertaining and thrilling romance.

Review: The Only Girl in China

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Title: The Only Girl in China
Author: Eric Qiao
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Release Date: May 13, 2016
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Adoptee Ed Li is on a mission to find his missing sister. An elaborate plan is devised that involves him teaching in a rural Chinese village, which Ed soon discovers it isn’t his idea of a good time. In fact, when he sees a chance to quit, he takes it. But just before he can get out of Dodge, a local girl is murdered.

Suspect? That Chinese teacher from America: Ed.

With the help of his female colleague, Ed sets out to clear his name, uncovering a web of deceit in a village that’s on the verge of becoming a lucrative jade mine. The deeper he digs, the more horrors he unearths. With memories of his sister drawing uncanny parallels to the victim’s life, possibility of redemption and revenge looms.

Review:

This book is very unique. I learned a lot from this story.

Many parts of the story are hard to read. The abuse that children suffer in orphanages in China is described in detail. It’s horrible to imagine that children, particularly little girls, have to suffer for no reason other than having no parents.

The way that Ed goes to China to find his sister while working for UNICEF was an interesting plot. Though Ed originally plans to use his position as a teacher for UNICEF to find his sister, he gets wrapped up in a murder investigation in the small town where he’s staying. This murder derails his plans to find his sister.

The last half of the story turned into a really good murder mystery. I tried to figure out who did it, but I couldn’t. It was a great mystery, though the circumstances were devastating.

I really enjoyed this story. It’s a great debut!

Review: Wires and Nerve, Volume 1

Title: Wires and Nerve, Volume 1
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Source: Purchased
Release Date: January 31, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

When rogue packs of wolf-hybrid soldiers threaten the tenuous peace alliance between Earth and Luna, Iko takes it upon herself to hunt down the soldiers’ leader. She is soon working with a handsome royal guard who forces her to question everything she knows about love, loyalty, and her own humanity. With appearances by Cinder and the rest of the Rampion crew, this is a must-have for fans of the series.

Review:

I’m so excited that I finally read this book! I kept putting it off, because I didn’t want to be finished with the Lunar Chronicles books.

This story was not what I expected. For some reason, I thought this story happened simultaneously with the story of the Lunar Chronicles. However, this story happens after, so I still got to see my favourite characters!

I didn’t really like the blue colour scheme of the graphics. I would have loved if it was in full colour! The blue was unique and a little strange.

I also would have liked more action. There was a lot of explaining plans, like there was in The Lunar Chronicles. This may have been because of the extensive cast.

One thing that I loved was that Iko was the main character! She’s hilarious and sarcastic. I’m so glad that she has her own series now! I can’t wait to read the next volume in a couple of weeks.

Review: Thunderhead

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Title: Thunderhead
Author: Neal Shusterman
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: January 9, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the second novel of the chilling New York Times bestselling series from Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology.

Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has been striking out against corrupt scythes—not only in MidMerica, but across the entire continent. He is a dark folk hero now—“Scythe Lucifer”—a vigilante taking down corrupt scythes in flames.

Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order” scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish” so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline?

Review:

I’m so glad I had the privilege of reading this ARC.

This is a highly anticipated sequel to Scythe, and it did not disappoint. There weren’t quite as many twists as in the first one, though there were many unpredictable surprises.

The Thunderhead is the primary focus of this book. The Thunderhead is the future of “the Cloud” in the way that it holds all of our information. It is constantly monitoring the world and can make decisions, but it can’t communicate with the Scythedom.

I really liked that parts of the world other than the scythes were explored in this book. There is a new character, named Greyson, who is an ordinary boy, but then he becomes an unsavory (a group of criminals who behave in unsavory ways). I enjoyed seeing more of the scythe world that surrounds Citra and Rowan.

One of the great things about the scythe world is that there are many more possible plots for future books. There could be more books around these current scythes, but it would also be interesting to see what happened at the end of the Age of Mortality (aka our modern world) and how the scythedom was formed. I hope there’s a third book on the way!