This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.
The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl. The expected publication date is October 26, 2021.
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Descendants meets Pretty little liars.
Four troubled friends, One murdered girl… and a dark fate that may leave them all doomed.
After the mysterious death of their best friend, Ella, Yuki, and Rory are the talk of their elite school, Grimrose Académie. The police ruled it a suicide, but the trio are determined to find out what really happened.
When Nani Eszes arrives as their newest roommate, it sets into motion a series of events they couldn’t have imagined. As the girls retrace their friend’s last steps, they uncover dark secrets about themselves and their destinies, discovering they’re all cursed to repeat the brutal and gruesome endings to their stories until they can break the cycle.
This contemporary take on classic fairytales reimagines heroines as friends attending the same school. While investigating the murder of their best friend, they uncover connections to their ancient fairytale curses and attempt to forge their own fate before it’s too late.
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 a Freebie, so I decided to do Books Set in Toronto (My Hometown). Here’s my list:
1. Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer by Gillian Goerz
2. Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
3. Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis
4. Fight Like a Girl by Sheena Kamal
5. The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham
6. A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth
7. Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin
8. Jinxed by Amy McCulloch
9. The Gown by Jennifer Robson
10. Tournament Trouble by Sylv Chiang
(All book covers from Goodreads)
What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?
Title: Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer (Shirley and Jamila #1) Author: Gillian Goerz Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Mystery, Graphic Novel Publisher: Dial Books Source: Library Format: Ebook Release Date: July 14, 2020 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
This middle-grade graphic novel for fans of Roller Girl and Smile introduces Jamila and Shirley, two unlikely friends who save each other’s summers while solving their neighborhood’s biggest mysteries.
Jamila Waheed is staring down a lonely summer in a new neighborhood–until she meets Shirley Bones. Sure, Shirley’s a little strange, but both girls need a new plan for the summer, and they might as well become friends.
Then this kid Oliver shows up begging for Shirley’s help. His pet gecko has disappeared, and he’s sure it was stolen! That’s when Jamila discovers Shirley’s secret: She’s the neighborhood’s best kid detective, and she’s on the case. When Jamila discovers she’s got some detective skills of her own, a crime-solving partnership is born.
The mystery of the missing gecko turns Shirley and Jamila’s summer upside down. And when their partnership hits a rough patch, they have to work together to solve the greatest mystery of all: What it means to be a friend.
Review:
Jamila was going to be sent to science camp for the summer, until she met Shirley. Shirley’s mom wanted her to go to dance camp, but the girls realized they could enjoy their summer more if they convinced their moms to let them spend time together. While Jamila plays basketball, Shirley meets with various kids in the neighbourhood at the basketball court. One day, a boy tells Shirley that someone stole his backpack while he was at the pool. Shirley is a secret detective, solving local crimes. Jamila joins in on solving the mystery, forming a classic detective duo with Shirley.
Shirley and Jamila were like a modern Sherlock and Watson. Shirley was able to figure out where a person worked just by looking at them walk down the street, in a similar way to Sherlock Holmes. Jamila was the main narrator, like Watson, and was able to assist Shirley in her investigation. I liked this subtle nod to the classic detective.
This story was set in Toronto, though it wasn’t mentioned very much. There was the Toronto skyline on the cover and Jamila came from the Thorncliffe neighbourhood. There were a few small details on the pages, such as the Raptors posters on Jamila’s bedroom walls and the CBC sign on a lawn. These were cute little details that showed the Toronto setting.
Shirley and Jamila Save the Summer is a fun graphic novel mystery!
What to read next:
Cub by Cynthia L. Copeland
Real Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham
Have you read Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer? What did you think of it?
This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!
What I just finished:
This weekend I finished Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer by Gillian Goerz.
What I’m currently reading:
I’m currently reading Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
What I’m reading next:
Next I will be reading Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.
This Sunday I’m reading Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer by Gillian Goerz.
Goodreads Synopsis:
This middle-grade graphic novel for fans of Roller Girl and Smile introduces Jamila and Shirley, two unlikely friends who save each other’s summers while solving their neighborhood’s biggest mysteries.
Jamila Waheed is staring down a lonely summer in a new neighborhood–until she meets Shirley Bones. Sure, Shirley’s a little strange, but both girls need a new plan for the summer, and they might as well become friends.
Then this kid Oliver shows up begging for Shirley’s help. His pet gecko has disappeared, and he’s sure it was stolen! That’s when Jamila discovers Shirley’s secret: She’s the neighborhood’s best kid detective, and she’s on the case. When Jamila discovers she’s got some detective skills of her own, a crime-solving partnership is born.
The mystery of the missing gecko turns Shirley and Jamila’s summer upside down. And when their partnership hits a rough patch, they have to work together to solve the greatest mystery of all: What it means to be a friend.
Title: Broken Wish (The Mirror #1) Author: Julie C. Dao Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Source: Library Format: Ebook Release Date: October 6, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Elva has a secret. She has visions and strange powers that she will do anything to hide. She knows the warnings about what happens to witches in their small village of Hanau. She’s heard the terrible things people say about the Witch of the North Woods, and the malicious hunts that follow.
But when Elva accidentally witnesses a devastating vision of the future, she decides she has to do everything she can to prevent it. Tapping into her powers for the first time, Elva discovers a magical mirror and its owner-none other than the Witch of the North Woods herself. As Elva learns more about her burgeoning magic, and the lines between hero and villain start to blur, she must find a way to right past wrongs before it’s too late.
The Mirror: Broken Wish marks the first book in an innovative four-book fairy-tale series written by Julie C. Dao, Dhonielle Clayton, Jennifer Cervantes, and L. L. McKinney, following one family over several generations, and the curse that plagues it.
Review:
1848, Germany: When Agnes and Oskar moved to their new town, they befriended Mathilda, the witch next door. Once Agnes gets help from Mathilda to have a child, she stops speaking to her, breaking the promise that Agnes made to be friends with her. This sets off a chain reaction that creates a curse that will affect her family for years to come. Sixteen years later, Elva, Agnes’s daughter, can see visions when she looks at her reflection. Her family keeps this a secret because they don’t want her to be labeled a witch. However, once Elva sees a vision of her home being destroyed, she realizes that she could get some helpful information from these visions. Elva befriends the Witch of the North Woods to learn how to improve her magical skill, but she’s in danger of ruining her future by taking control of her visions.
I love fairytale retellings. This story had similar plots to a few different fairytales, such as Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, and Snow White. Even the Grimm brothers were mentioned, traveling around Germany to find fairytales for their book.
This book is the first in a series that will follow a family through generations. I love this concept because it will be fascinating to see how this family’s curse, stemming from Agnes breaking a promise to Mathilda, will affect the family over time. The next book, Shattered Midnight, will be released in a couple of weeks.
Broken Wish is a great fairytale!
What to read next:
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao
Shattered Midnight by Dhonielle Clayton
Have you read Broken Wish? What did you think of it?
Title: Rule (Rule #1) Author: Ellen Goodlett Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Reader Source: Purchased Format: Paperback Release Date: September 11, 2018 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Three girls with three deadly secrets. Only one can wear the crown.
The king is dying, his heir has just been murdered, and rebellion brews in the east. But the kingdom of Kolonya and the outer Reaches has one last option before it descends into leaderless chaos.
Or rather, three unexpected options.
Zofi has spent her entire life trekking through the outer Reaches with her band of Travelers. She would do anything to protect the band, her family. But no one can ever find out how far she’s already gone.
Akeylah was raised in the Eastern Reach, surrounded by whispers of rebellion and abused by her father. Desperate to escape, she makes a decision that threatens the whole kingdom.
Ren grew up in Kolonya, serving as a lady’s maid and scheming her way out of the servants’ chambers. But one such plot could get her hung for treason if anyone ever discovers what she’s done.
When the king summons the girls, they arrive expecting arrest or even execution. Instead they learn the truth: they are his illegitimate daughters, and one must become his new heir. But someone in Kolonya knows their secrets, and that someone will stop at nothing to keep the sisters from their destiny… to rule.
Magic, mystery, and blackmail abound in this sensational and striking fantasy debut.
Review:
Three girls with three secrets are summoned to the kingdom, Kolonya, by the King himself. Zofi has spent her life on the run with her mother. Ren has worked as a lady’s maid with her mother in the kingdom. Akeylah was raised by an abusive father who blamed her for her mother’s death. When the three girls arrive at the palace, they’re told that they’re the King’s daughters. He has summoned them because he is dying and must choose one of them as his heir. The problem is that each of these girls has a dark secret. Someone at the palace knows their secrets and will use them to drive the sisters out of the palace.
This was such an intense fantasy story! It alternated between the three sister’s points of view. I liked how quickly the story began. The first chapters were introductions to the girls in their homes, which showed how they were called to the palace. There wasn’t any time wasted in getting right into the story.
I thought I had the story all figured out, but I was wrong. There were lots of dark, twisty turns that kept the story moving at a fast paced. It ended on a cliffhanger, so I’m going to have to go get the sequel to find out what happens next!
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