MG Review: WISH by Barbara O’connor

04 Thursday Apr 2019

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Books, Middle Grade, Reading

Tags

Barbara O'connor, Book Review, Elizabeth Fais, Middle Grade, Reading, Story, Wish

Wishes do come true

Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite.

But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true.

That is until she meets Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all. [Synopsis]

Poignantly perfect

WISH is a touching story about a girl and her dog, and how she finds the place where she belongs. There are deeper layers to this story that will resonate with older readers.

Five things I loved most about this story:

1 The Voice—Written in the first-person, Charlie (short for Charlemagne) is smart, spunky, and a little too openly honest. The voice is spot on in the delightful way children Charlie’s age view the world. For example, Charlie’s thoughts on having to live with her aunt and uncle:

When I asked how long I had to be there, she said until things settled down and Mama got her feet on the ground. Well, how hard is it to put your dang feet on the ground? is what I thought about that.

2 The Premise—Charlie is forced to leave everyone and everything she knows to start a new life with relatives she’s never met, in a town she’s never been to before. It’s a journey of the heart in search of belonging. Charlie’s bond with a stray dog she names Wishbone helps her find her way.

3 The Secondary Characters—Charlie’s forced Backpack-Buddy, Howard Odom—with his up-down walk—becomes a true friend. He is a calming and upbeat contrast to Charlie’s hot temper and sour outlook on her new life. Howard’s family gives Charlie a hopeful context for a normal life, while Charlie’s aunt and uncle provide the nurturing, supportive environment that enable her to heal and grow emotionally.

4 The Wish—NO SPOILERS! All I’ll say is that I think we’ve all, at one time or another, wished for something only to discover that what we really needed was right in front of us all along.

5 The Ending—Again, NO SPOILERS! What I can say is that the ending is heartwarming and satisfying. The happiness in the resolution is earned by the transformations the characters experience through the events that bring them together.

14th YAppiest Giveaway WINNER! “Rootless” by Chris Howard

25 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Giveaway, Winner!, YAppiest, Young Adult

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Book Review, Chris Howard, Dystopian, Elizabeth Fais, Environmental Crisis, Post-Apocalyptic, Rootless, Trees, YA, YAppiest, YAppiest Day on Earth, YAppiest Giveaway, Young Adult

17 YA AUTHORS + DISNEYLAND = THE YAPPIEST DAY ON EARTH!

The 14th YAppiest Giveaway! is for Rootless, by Chris Howard. A gripping dystopian story where … Banyan makes shocking discoveries about his family, his past, and how far people will go to bring back the trees.

And the Lucky Winner Is…

… Drum roll …

~oOo~

Tami

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

*** Tosses buckets of confetti! ***

~oOo~

I’ll contact you via email in case you miss this post.

Coming Up Next!

The 15th YAppiest Giveaway! for Struck, by Jennifer Bosworth is just around the corner, so…

Stay Tuned!

For a complete list of YAppiest Giveaways, go here.

14th YAppiest Giveaway! “Rootless” by Chris Howard

15 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Book Reviews, Giveaway, YA, YAppiest, Young Adult

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Book Review, Chris Howard, Dystopian, Elizabeth Fais, Giveaways, Rootless, YA, YAppiest Day on Earth, YAppiest Giveaway

17 YA AUTHORS + DISNEYLAND = THE YAPPIEST DAY ON EARTH!

If you couldn’t make The YAppiest Day on Earth, never fear! The YAppiness keeps rolling with epic read giveaways by each of the 17 authors.

This is the 14th YAppiest Giveaway! for Rootless, by Chris Howard. For a chance to win a FREE copy of this book, see the “Here’s How” section below. For a complete list of upcoming giveaways, go here.

Brutally gritty … yet fueled with hope

17-year-old Banyan is a tree builder. Using scrap metal and salvaged junk, he creates forests for rich patrons who seek a reprieve from the desolate landscape. Although Banyan’s never seen a real tree—they were destroyed more than a century ago—his father used to tell him stories about the Old World. But that was before his father was taken . . .

Everything changes when Banyan meets a woman with a strange tattoo—a clue to the whereabouts of the last living trees on earth, and he sets off across a wasteland from which few return. Those who make it past the pirates and poachers can’t escape the locusts—the locusts that now feed on human flesh.

But Banyan isn’t the only one looking for the trees, and he’s running out of time. Unsure of whom to trust, he’s forced to make an uneasy alliance with Alpha, an alluring, dangerous pirate with an agenda of her own. As they race towards a promised land that might only be a myth, Banyan makes shocking discoveries about his family, his past, and how far people will go to bring back the trees. [Synopsis]

When you lose everything, you’ll try anything…

Banyan’s post-apocalyptic world is as brutal as it is desolate. The people who survived the Darkness, and later the flesh eating locust, are desperate and borderline feral. So when Banyan loses his father in a dust storm, he is driven to search for him; the only family he’s ever known. Luckily, serendipity is in his favor. Banyan takes on a construction project for a despicable man that uncovers secrets to the location of the last living trees on earth, and evidence that his father is there. If he’s still alive.

Banyan’s harrowing journey to find his father and the last living trees on earth, throws him together with unlikely comrades who prove their worth as friends when the going gets ugly. And trust me, “ugly” is an understatement. Howard doesn’t pull any punches with this fully realized view of what our world could become. The characters are drawn with realistic brush strokes as well, revealing the harshness of their flaws. This is not a “light” read. But the ugliness of the world makes the threads of hope and humanity woven through the main characters shine all the brighter. I can’t tell you much more about the plot without spoiling this monumental story for you.

What continues to resonate with me long after finishing the last page of Rootless, are its thematic questions: “What defines family?” and “Where do you draw the morality line?”

But that’s just my interpretation. Which is what’s great about a good story — it touches each of us on a personal level. Here’s what Chris Howard says about Rootless on his blog:

In ROOTLESS I tried to draw an analogy between human creativity with the forces of nature and the cycle of life.

Rootless is the first book in a series. For more information about Chris Howard and the upcoming books in this series, visit his web site: chrishowardbooks.com

Here’s how to win…

NOTE: The FREE giveaway of a copy of this book is open to residents of the United States only, due to shipping costs. My sincere apologies.

Leave a comment on this blog–explaining WHY you want to read this book— by midnight, November 22nd (1 entry).
Tweet about this giveaway, including #yappiest in your tweet (1 entry).

I’ll tally the entries and choose a winner, then announce it on this blog on Monday, November 25th. Good luck!

Stay tuned for the next YAppiests Giveaway!

7th YAppiest Giveaway! “Let the Sky Fall” by Shannon Messenger

15 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Book Reviews, Paranormal, YAppiest, Young Adult

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Book Review, Elizabeth Fais, Let the Sky Fall, Paranormal, Romance, Shannon Messenger, Sylph, YA, YAppiest Day on Earth, YAppiest Giveaway, Young Adult

17 YA AUTHORS + DISNEYLAND = THE YAPPIEST DAY ON EARTH!

If you couldn’t make The YAppiest Day on Earth, never fear! The YAppiness keeps rolling with epic read giveaways by each of the 17 authors.

This is the 7th YAppiest Giveaway! For a chance to win this awesome book, see the “Here’s How” section below. For a complete list of YAppiest Giveaways, go here.

“Let the Sky Fall” by Shannon Messenger

VANE WESTON is tired of everyone telling him he’s lucky. Lucky not to have died in the category five tornado that killed his parents. Lucky to have survived without a scratch. But how is it lucky that he can’t remember anything about his parents or his life with them before the tornado ripped them away? All he remembers of that dark day is the captivating face of a dark-haired girl. The girl who’s whispered on the winds of his dreams ever since. How is it lucky to be in love with a girl who’s probably just a hallucination, when he hopes against hope that she’s real?

AUDRA is real, and she lives under the weight of a dark secret. She’s not human, but that’s why she’s driven toward atonement. She’s responsible for the death of Vane’s parents, and her father who was their guardian. Her guilt and sense of duty drove her to take over her father’s duty of protecting Vane’s life, as his guardian. She’s a sylph, an air elemental who walks on the winds, understands its songs, and manipulates its powers.

As a Gale Force guardian, Audra gave up everything to protect Vane. But then in an instant of panic, Audra unwittingly reveals Vane’s location to the enemy who murdered their families and has been hunting them ever since. The Stormers are on their way, and Audra can’t bear to fail again.

Audra makes hard choices, to prepare Vane for the impending battle. However, in the process of awakening his sylph powers, their love sparks to life. For Audra, giving in to her desire would brand her as a traitor and an outcast.

A Gusty Romance Charged with Adventure

Let the Sky Fall is a captivating romance set in the desert region of California’s Coachella Valley. The intense climate accentuates the volatile game our heroes have been thrust into, while mirroring the volatile nature of their emotions for one another. I grew up not far from Coachella Valley, and can attest to the authenticity of the world through which Shannon Messenger so deftly weaves the supernatural elements of this story.

Vane and Audra are as authentic and engaging as their world. Vane’s laugh-out-loud teenage snark is the perfect balance for Audra’s intense Type-A determination. The story is told from the alternating points of view of Vane and Audra, giving us an intimate look into their beliefs, motivations, and conflicts.

Vane is seventeen, snarky, and kind of lazy. His troubled dreams of a strange girl interfere with his connecting with any girl he tries to date. So he is blown away (pun intended) when Audra appears in his bedroom, obviously real–if a little creepy:

Now I just have to deal with the passed out, scantily clad girl on the floor of my room who’s most likely a supernatural creature.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
No clue what to do about that one.

Audra is seventeen, and older than her years from the burden of responsibility. Against all odds she convinces Vane of his sylph heritage and destiny, but as his powers emerge, so do Vane’s memories. Memories Audra is afraid he’ll recover, because then he’ll know she was responsible. Responsible for alerting the Stormers who killed his parents and her father.

The climatic fight turns a surprising conclusion and an unexpected hope for Vane and Audra. I can’t say any more without risking a serious spoiler, that you’ll hate me for later.

What I can tell you is this…

After reading this story, you’ll never think of the wind as “just wind” again. You’ll catch yourself listening for its song, and trying to interpret its call. You’ll wonder if the Gale Force guardians are out there protecting you, or if the Stormers are on their way…

I’m already waiting for the next book in this series–Let the Storms Break (March 2014)–to find out what lies in store for Vane and Audra.

Want to win an Author Signed Copy and SWAG?

For one lucky winner… an author signed copy of Let the Sky Fall and exclusive SWAG!

Here’s how…

NOTE: The FREE giveaway of a copy of this book is open to residents of the United States and Canada only, due to shipping costs. My sincere apologies.

Leave a comment on this blog by midnight, July 21st (1 entry).
Tweet about this giveaway, including #yappiest in your tweet (1 entry).

I’ll tally the entries and choose a winner at random, then announce it on this blog on Tuesday July 23rd. Good luck!

Stay tuned for more YAppiests Giveaways!

5th YAppiest Giveaway! “First Day on Earth” by Cecil Castellucci

15 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Aliens, Book Reviews, YA, YAppiest, Young Adult

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Aliens, Book Review, Cecil Castellucci, Elizabeth Fais, First Day on Earth, YA, YAppiest Day on Earth, YAppiest Giveaway, Young Adult

17 YA AUTHORS + DISNEYLAND = THE YAPPIEST DAY ON EARTH!

If you couldn’t make The YAppiest Day on Earth, never fear! The YAppiness keeps rolling with epic read giveaways by each of the 17 authors.

This is the 5th YAppiest Giveaway! For a chance to win, see the “Here’s How” rules. For a complete list of upcoming giveaways, go here.

“First Day on Earth” by Cecil Castellucci

Mal has a lot of reasons to be angry. His father abandoned him when he was eight, his mother is drunk and probably crazy too, and the cool kids at his high school are self-centered idiots who always make fun of him. All but one, that is. Posey.

In spite of all he’s been through, Mal loves life. That’s why Posey’s mother–the vet at the animal shelter where Mal brings the stray dogs, cats, and rabbits that he rescues–is so kind to Mal. It’s why Posey likes him too.

Mal can use all the kindness he can get.

He’s learned to cope with being the parent to his dysfunctional mother. Just barely. He feels trapped and wants nothing more than to escape. Anywhere. He secretly hopes the aliens who abducted him when he was eight, will come back and take him with them. Permanently this time.

Mal remembers the abduction on the 4th of July, shortly after his father bailed on him and his mother. Though it didn’t take long for him to figure out that he shouldn’t talk about that experience to anyone. So many things about the three days he was missing can’t be explained any other way. But the doctors insisted he had a psychotic break, caused by the trauma of his father leaving. Mal’s memories of those three days are fragmented and fuzzy. So much so, that he begins to wonder if he really was abducted.

That is, until he meets Hooper in a 12-Step abductees meeting, and Hooper admits to being an alien. Mal has his doubts about that, until Hooper asks Mal to help him to catch his only chance at a ride back home.

A Must-Read for Anyone Who’s Ever Felt Alone

This small book, and seemingly simple story, floored me with the power of its depth. The heart of the story isn’t the aliens, or even whether they’re real or not. This is a human story, a metaphor for the isolation is intrinsic in the human experience. The characters all suffer from varying degrees of isolation. What’s beautiful is how they help each other to heal through their connection and interactions.

At one time or another most of us have all felt alone, on the outside of a group, a misfit, misunderstood, or outright invisible. To feel pain is human. What we choose to do with it, reveals our humanity. And in this, Mal shines as an example for us all.

Kirkus Reviews sums this book up in one elegant sentence:

A simple, tender work that speaks to the alien in all of us.

WANT TO WIN A FREE COPY OF THIS Remarkable BOOK?

Here’s how…

NOTE: The FREE giveaway of a copy of this book is open to residents of the United States and Canada only, due to shipping costs. My sincere apologies.

Leave a comment on this blog by midnight, June 21st (1 entry).
Tweet about this giveaway, including #yappiest in your tweet (1 entry).

I’ll tally the entries and choose a winner at random, then announce it on this blog on Sunday June 23rd. Good luck!

Stay tuned for more YAppiests Giveaways!

4th YAppiest Giveaway! “Divine Intervention” by Martha Brockenbrough

31 Friday May 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Book Reviews, YA, YAppiest, Young Adult

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

after-life, angels, Book Review, Divine Intervention, Elizabeth Fais, guardian angels, Martha Brockenbrough, YA, YAppiest Day on Earth, YAppiest Giveaway, Young Adult

17 YA AUTHORS + DISNEYLAND = THE YAPPIEST DAY ON EARTH!

If you couldn’t make The YAppiest Day on Earth, never fear! The YAppiness keeps rolling with giveaways of epic reads by each of the 17 authors.

This is the 4th YAppiest Giveaway! See the “Here’s How” rules for a chance to win. For a complete list of upcoming giveaways, go here.

“Divine Intervention” by Martha Brockenbrough

There is a great legend of the guardian angel who traveled across time and space for the human girl he loved, slaying those who would threaten her with a gleaming sword made of heavenly light.

This is not that story.

Jerome Hancock is a total screw up as Heidi Devine’s guardian angel. I take that back. He’s not even an angel, because he was such a loser when he was alive. The arrow stuck in his head is proof of that. Technically Jerome’s in the Soul Rehabilitation Program for Nefarious Teens (deceased, of course), where he’s broken pretty much all the rules there too. He actually threw away his Guardian Angel’s Handbook: Soul Rehab Edition without bothering to read it. Messing up his after-life is one thing, but messing with Heidi’s in another matter.

Heidi is about as opposite to Jerome as two souls can be. She’s a high school junior with dreams of becoming an artist, but lacks the self-confidence to make her dream come true, partially because of Jerome. You see, as long as Heidi can remember there’s been a weird voice in her head. Jerome. He spews snarky comments at the most inappropriate moments, or sings Lynyrd Skynyrd songs. By the time Heidi reaches high school, she’s convinced she’s nuts. And the whole thinking you’re crazy thing? Yeah, not so great for the self-esteem.

These fractured souls blunder along, assuming they have all the time in the universe to sort things out. And maybe they would. Sort things out, that is. Except the unthinkable happens…

Heidi dies in a freak accident, thanks to Jerome’s slackitude. And what’s worse than costing Heidi her life, is that Jerome’s incompetence kicks Heidi’s soul on the fast-track to being lost forever … while ensuring his ticket to the place-that-shall-not-be-named.

Unless … Jerome can angel-up and set things right … for once in his after-life.

Humor, Heart, & a Lot of Soul = 1 Heavenly Read!

This story shines with tongue-in-cheek celestial wit and wisdom. But don’t let that fool you. The characters’ lives and after-lives are grounded in everything that makes us human. The predicaments Heidi and Jerome face stem from their personal weaknesses, and they must see through their character flaws to figure out what they did wrong (or didn’t do at all). Otherwise, there’s not a chance in heaven (or hell) at preventing Heidi’s soul from being lost forever.

To keep this spoiler-free, that’s all I can share with you. Except maybe for my top five faves…

The earthiness of Jerome’s celestial existence is quirky and fun. He has to use the Service Entrance — the back of a mall — to get in to heaven, because only people who know what they’re doing go in the front door (of the mall). Jerome explained, “Heaven’s sort of trick. The entrance is different for everyone.” His heaven is the mall!
The celestial rules in the Guardian Angel’s Handbook: Soul Rehab Edition are enchanting. As is Jerome’s creative approach to swearing. He gets a sizeable celestial brain zap every time he swears, so he uses substitutes for the original four-letter words. No chevy!
The problems and feelings Heidi and Jerome wrestle with are poignantly real, for teenagers and anyone who remembers anything about what it was like to be a teenager. I could totally relate to their internal challenges and was rooting for them all the way.
The relationships between the characters and their best friends and families. Heidi’s family dog, Jiminy, was a particular favorite of mine, because he showed us that no soul is too small to make a big difference.
The edge-of-your-seat suspense, especially in the final chapters when Heidi and Jerome are racing the clock (literally) towards absolution and salvation. How this unfolds is remarkable, with results that are sublimely satisfying and well-earned.

Want to win a FREE copy of this amazing book?

Here’s how…

NOTE: The FREE giveaway of a copy of this book is open to residents of the United States and Canada only, due to shipping costs. My sincere apologies.

Leave a comment on this blog by midnight, June 7th (1 entry).
Tweet about this giveaway, including #yappiest in your tweet (1 entry).

I’ll tally the entries and choose a winner at random, then announce it on this blog on Sunday June 9th. Good luck!

Stay tuned for more YAppiests Giveaways!

3rd YAppiest Giveaway! “Ditched ~ A Love Story” by Robin Mellom

15 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Book Reviews, YA, YAppiest, Young Adult

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Book Review, Ditched--A Love Story, Elizabeth Fais, Robin Mellom, Romance, YAppiest Day on Earth, YAppiest Giveaway

17 YA AUTHORS + DISNEYLAND = THE YAPPIEST DAY ON EARTH!

If you couldn’t make The YAppiest Day on Earth, never fear! The YAppiness keeps rolling with giveaways of epic reads by each of the 17 authors.

This is the 3rd YAppiest Giveaway! See the “Here’s How” rules for a chance to win. For a complete list of upcoming giveaways, go here.

Ditched ~ A Love Story, by Robin Mellom

Food, a cell phone, and my dignity … all things I did not have.

The sun is coming up after an all-night prom-apalooza, and Justina Griffith is lying in a ditch at the side of Hollister Road. She’s been ditched. Literally and figuratively.

What’s worse is that her hideously stained thrift-store prom dress holds the only clues to how and why it happened. The throbbing bump on her head isn’t helping much in the memory department.

Justina isn’t the type of girl who dreamed of going to prom. So she wasn’t expecting her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her. But he did … promising her the most amazing night ever. Ian, the one person who knew exactly when she needed licorice (for her low blood sugar), and always knew just the right thing to say…

Justina wonders how “the best night of her life” turn out so horribly wrong? It takes reliving the night of shame–stain-by-stain–in a tell-all confession to a couple of been-there-done-that women at 7-eleven for her to figure out how she ended up dateless and ditched.

Surprising & Funny = Positively Delightful!

This is so not your typical prom-night-from-hell story. Trust me. DITCHED is fresh and surprising in more ways than I can say, without committing serious spoilers. Which you would hate me for later. No doubt.

What I can tell you is…

Justina is as honest and funny as the map of stains she traces along her iridescent blue prom dress to unravel the mess of her life. Curry, chicken marsala, soy sauce, and butter all play their part … as do the french-fry-shaped bruise, the ripped zipper (fixed with old bong-cleaner wire), and her new Tinkerbell-on-a-meth-binge tattoo. “So cliche,” Justina tells her 7-eleven confidants, “go to prom and end up with a tattoo.”

Then there’s the wonderfully quirky supporting cast of characters:

The best friend: Hailey, who has a reputation for being wild, but knows how to spin it. Roll & deflect. That’s her motto.
The guy: Ian, her best friend and — as she only recently realized — serious boyfriend material. He looks out for her low blood sugar, is the boy of every mother’s dreams, and asks her to prom with Hallmark promises.
The mom: Seriously type-A and can’t help micro-managing Justina’s life — the pride-parade-blue prom dress and dyed-to-match shoes were totally her idea — while making the best vegan curry on the planet.
The Mikes: Justina’s pot-head lab partners, and their girlfriends — Serenity and Bliss, from the wrong school and equally wrong side of town — turn out to be the best comrades-in-arms a girl could be dumped with.
The character arc: Justina’s inner journey is as comically cathartic as her outer one, but without the visible stains. Justina realizes her penchant for “assuming the worst” ensured just that … and then is brave enough to step beyond I’m-not-worthy to meet true love.

Shaken — not stirred — with copious confusion…

This just-right blend of riotous comedy and heartfelt truth makes for a read so delicious you won’t want it to end. I haven’t read anything this funny since Meg Cabot’s When Lightning Strikes (1-800-Where-R-You series). And that’s saying A LOT.

Bet you want to win a FREE copy now, don’t you?

Here’s how…

NOTE: The FREE giveaway of a copy of this book is open to residents of the United States and Canada only, due to shipping costs. My sincere apologies.