Review: Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson

 

In Ravenfall, the Ballinkay family lives in a magical inn with a mind of its own. Thirteen-year-old Anna Ballinkay can see death just by touching someone. But even in a family full of talented psychics, Anna feels like an outcast and constantly wonders how her powers might be useful to maintaining her family's inn. 

 

That is until fourteen-year-old Colin Pierce shows up on their doorstep in search of his missing brother after the death of their parents. Finally finding a use for her powers, Anna offers to help Colin track down the killer. 

 

As they struggle to understand who is behind the death and what they might want with Colin, the hidden secrets go deeper and deeper. And if they can't solve the mystery by Samhain (the Irish Halloween), the veil between life and death will be ripped open destroying their world before they can solve the murder.

Ravenfall is filled with Irish traditions and lore. Anna and Colin are the perfect pair to tackle this mystery as the story twists and turns. It's exciting to watch them both discover who they are and what their strengths are in the process. As they navigate a whimsical world with a quirky psychic family, a magical house that fixes and decorates itself, and a shapeshifting cat, they learn about the world of the dead all while finding their rightful place among those they care about. Ravenfall has the right touch of secrets and scary and is a perfect read for spooky season.

Book Review: Groundhog Day goes Parisian and Middle Grade!

 

Thank you Jolly Fish Press for the ARC of PARIS ON REPEAT by Amy Bearce. The blog was offered a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Premise

Timid, self-conscious military kid Eve Hollis gets caught in a time loop during an eighth-grade class trip to Paris and must internalize some lessons about confidence, bravery, acceptance and love to break out of it and go home.

Back copy hails something to the effect of “Groundhog Day with a Parisian twist”. I haven’t seen that movie in about 30 years, so I can’t make any clever parallels or comparisons.

Bearce NAILS eighth-grade awkwardness/angst, and adorably intense friendships (not to mention the creepiness of male street vendors).

Let's talk about how Eve is fourteen.  Granted, many of us were that age at some point; I’m not sure how it became literary No Man’s Land. But I’m here for (fictional) fourteen-year-olds (that I can close the cover on). 

Bearce plays with the reader a lot, getting really close to tropes and then swerving away. I don’t do spoilers in reviews, but I can say: The twist on the “Friends before Guys” lesson is truly epic. Also, a compelling subplot features the Competing-Over-a-Best-Friend dynamic, a real-life trope we don’t see enough in kids’ books. 

Diversity

• Eve is white and race plays no role in the story. However, it’s clear from the names and brief physical descriptions of her classmates that 

Loved 

• Great  backmatter discussing the author’s time in France as a military kid and how Paris has changed since the book was written (pre-1919). 

This is kind of a double-edged sword: Eve’s fatal flaw is she needs to learn confidence and to accept herself and others (a skill we all should have)... but it’s iffy how a mysterious adult appears to be in control of holding her in the time loop “till she learns her lesson”. 

Categorize that how you will. But this is an enjoyable read if nothing else. 

Caveat

• Eve’s parents’ impending divorce is discussed (something Eve needs to forgive her parents for and accept);

• Several scenes with the creepy/pushy street vendors and pickpockets were accurate but mildly upsetting. Another lesson Eve needs to learn is to stand up for herself.

• Two of Eve's friends kiss (very PG-rated, but being a helicopter mom I had to mention it).

• Eve’s first two days in the time loop are pretty repetitive and that part (about 10 pages in 214) of this otherwise entertaining book  drags a bit.

• Bearce’s chapters skew longer (10+ pages), so this book may not be the best choice for a reluctant or unconfident reader. 

Give to:

• Fans of Natalie Lloyd and Sheila Turnage

PARIS ON REPEAT is available now; look for the rest of the Wish & Wander series soon. 

They read what?

In keeping with my co-bloggers' themes of late, here's a list of what my children have been reading. While it's a small sampling, the comments are genuine and valuable and are delivered directly from middle grade readers.

Me to Third Grade Girl: What are the books you've read most recently, and what did you like most about them?

The Day the Crayons Quit - "I liked that most of them (the crayons) were mad at Duncan or each other and cuz they were saying funny things." (I think she really dug the conflict.)

Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose - "I liked the fact that he let a whole bunch of animals in his antlers and didn't even know that they were about to fall off. And the hunters got all of the animals and his horns, I mean antlers."

Hug Machine - "I liked it because pizza energized him and he liked hugging a lot."

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs - "Well, um I liked the fact that she thought it was a gigantic bears' house and I liked the fact of what the morals were. If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave. Oh, and for the dinosaurs, always remember to lock the back door."

Me to Fourth Grade Girl: What books have you read recently and what did you like most about them?

The Shadow Children series - "I liked that it's about third children, who are illegal. Lots of unfair things concerning food are happening but rich people called barons eat like nothing happened. Ok, see, there were a few years of famine and the barons are eating like nothing bad happened and like there's plenty of food. And I like that it's from lots of different characters' points of view."

Me to Sixth Grade Girl: What books have you read recently what did you like about them?

The Heroes of Olympus series - They're funny, dramatic, umm, I like how they're all from the different characters' views and they all have their own moods and feelings - like actual people do.

The Ranger's Apprentice series - The romance is way unbalanced. With Evanlyn, Alyss, Will, it's all kind of awkward. It's so obvious how, now that I've read it before, that it's hard to believe I didn't know it before.

Me to Sixth Grade Boy - Tell me about the books you've read recently.

"I'm going to tell you about The Templeton Twins Have an Idea. First of all it's part of a trilogy, therefore it makes you want to read more. One of the reasons I like it is the narrator gets in the story a lot. For example, at the end of most of the chapters, he has questions for review. Some of these questions are "different". For example, 'The author has succeeded I writing an actual prologue. Aren't you proud of him?' The second question for review of that section is 'what do you mean, no?' Number three in that section is 'Explain, in fifty words or less, why you believe the story will actually get started, and why it will be wonderful.' The reason I like how the narrator does this is because he actually gets involved. Sometimes when he gets involved, he explains words you may not know."

Me: And that's a good thing?

SGB: Yeah.

Me: Would that work for every book?

SGB: I do believe that would work for most books, though I do not know if when you get involved it would be funny in every book.

Me: What are you presently reading?

SGB: City of Orphans: The thing I like most about it is how detailed it is and how well everything is explained.

Me: What's it about?

SGB: New York in the late 1800s. Two kids Max and Willa are struggling with finances and survival. Max is an "newsie" - a news boy you know "Extra, Extra, read all about it!" - boy. He works hard each day to earn 8cents. Willa is an orphan who has been living in an alley for five months. Max gets in a jam with a gang and Willa happens to be there and saves him with her mighty stick. Now, Max and Willa have these troubles; the gang is always on watch for them, Max's sister was just sent to jail for no reason, and his other sister has wasting disease - the disease that killed Willa's mother. Will they make in the big city of the late 1800s?


Whenever I corner my children and grill them about the books they're reading, I always get some valuable insights. I hope you did too. Thanks and happy writing! -Rob