Genre: Verse

Bite-Sized Reviews of Ruptured, Enemies in the Orchard, Skandar and the Phantom Rider, Ink Girls, and The Luminaries

Bite-Sized Reviews of Ruptured, Enemies in the Orchard, Skandar and the Phantom Rider, Ink Girls, and The Luminaries

Today, I’m reviewing two MG verse novels, a MG fantasy, a MG graphic novel and a YA fantasy. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Ruptured is a MG verse novel that explores the fragility of life and the triumphs that come from making it through incredibly difficult situations. Claire’s mom shares some devastating news with her just before suffering an aneurysm, so Claire struggles with fears both about her […]

Posted November 17, 2023 in Reviews / 2 Comments
Bite-Sized Reviews of Between Monsters and Marvels, The Swifts, A Work in Progress, and The Land of Broken Promises.

Bite-Sized Reviews of Between Monsters and Marvels, The Swifts, A Work in Progress, and The Land of Broken Promises.

Today, I’m reviewing three YA reads and two MGs. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! A unique middle grade fantasy with a big dose of mystery! When Dare’s father is killed, everyone says it’s a random stranger, but she doesn’t believe it. She’s sure that a monster killed him, even though monsters were supposedly eliminated completely. Dare is sent away from home, but she doesn’t stop searching for […]

Posted September 18, 2023 in Reviews / 2 Comments
Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca: Review & Rajani’s Top Ten Addictions

Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca: Review & Rajani’s Top Ten Addictions

Today I’m featuring MIRROR TO MIRROR by Rajani LaRocca, an incredible new MG novel in verse featuring identical twin sisters who are afraid their lifelong bond isn’t enough to hold them together in the face of mental health issues. Read on for my review of the book, and then make sure you also check out Rajani’s list of top ten addictions to find out more about the author! Buy from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookshop.org Mirror […]

Posted April 11, 2023 in Author Top Ten Lists, Reviews / 3 Comments
Bite-Sized Reviews of Good Different, The Last Mapmaker, Answers in the Pages, Momo Arashimo Steals the Sword of the Wind, How Do Meerkats Order Pizza? and Welcome to Monsterville

Bite-Sized Reviews of Good Different, The Last Mapmaker, Answers in the Pages, Momo Arashimo Steals the Sword of the Wind, How Do Meerkats Order Pizza? and Welcome to Monsterville

Today, I’m reviewing six MG reads. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Good Different is a poignant novel in verse about a girl who learns to advocate for herself and finally let go of her quest to be “normal.” Selah has always felt different than her peers. She realizes that she doesn’t experience the world the same way they do, and she has created a list of rules […]

Posted March 23, 2023 in Reviews / 2 Comments
Bite-Sized Reviews of The Area 51 Files, Ghost Girl, Odder, and Freestyle

Bite-Sized Reviews of The Area 51 Files, Ghost Girl, Odder, and Freestyle

Today, I’m reviewing five MG reads. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! The Area 51 Files is a goofy MG mystery featuring friendships, family bonds, a pet hedgehog/dog duo, and a whole bunch of aliens! First off, the book is highly illustrated, and the illustrations are wonderful! Just take a look at that cover to get an idea of what’s in store. The illustrations are used almost like […]

Posted December 13, 2022 in Reviews / 3 Comments
(Tiny) Bite-Sized Reviews of Turn the Tide, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, When Winter Robeson Came, and The Scorpio Races

(Tiny) Bite-Sized Reviews of Turn the Tide, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, When Winter Robeson Came, and The Scorpio Races

Today, I’m reviewing a few books I read just for fun. I don’t think I’d get around to writing a true review (even a bite-sized one) for any of these, but I want to give them a mention, since they deserve it. So instead I’m writing “tiny bite” reviews—I hope these will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Turn the Tide is an inspiring verse novel that will help kids think about the environment and […]

Posted August 17, 2022 in Reviews / 6 Comments
The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley: Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley: Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

Buy “Wistful verse highlights small but telling moments throughout Rynn’s search…The author’s lived history with foster care and adoption gives the narrative nuance and authority. Emotionally complex and empathetic characters…and a faithfully depicted rural landscape form an exemplary backdrop for this contemplative novel.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Compassionate and compelling.” —Kirkus  This emotionally compelling novel in verse is a bittersweet portrayal of the complexities of adoption. Rynn has wondered her whole life where she came from. She’s always […]

Bite-Sized Reviews of The Handmaid’s Tale, Ellen Outside the Lines, Missing Mike, The Deepest Breath, and The Hair Book

Bite-Sized Reviews of The Handmaid’s Tale, Ellen Outside the Lines, Missing Mike, The Deepest Breath, and The Hair Book

Today, I’m reviewing a classic adult dystopian (!), a MG contemp, two MG contemp verse novels, and a picture book! I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! I know no one needs my opinions about The Handmaid’s Tale (after all, so many people have analyzed this book), but it felt necessary to include it on my blog because it’s so important and so iconic. I read the book along with my […]

Posted May 3, 2022 in Reviews / 5 Comments
Bite-Sized Reviews of The Ogress and the Orphans, The Button Box, Home Is Not a Country, and El Cucuy Is Scared, Too!

Bite-Sized Reviews of The Ogress and the Orphans, The Button Box, Home Is Not a Country, and El Cucuy Is Scared, Too!

Today, I’m reviewing two MG fantasies (one historical), a YA verse novel, and a picture book! I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! With its distinctly fairy-tale feel, The Ogress and the Orphans tells a story of misconceptions and misunderstanding and the way we can sometimes judge each other without thiking and without evidence. The ogress has spent years trying to bring joy to the townspeople by leaving them […]

Posted April 15, 2022 in Reviews / 5 Comments
YA Reads for Black History Month (and Beyond!): Daughters of Jubilation and Ain’t Burned All the Bright

YA Reads for Black History Month (and Beyond!): Daughters of Jubilation and Ain’t Burned All the Bright

Today, I’m focusing on YA books with Black protagonists for Black History Month, but these books are great reads any time! In addition to those two reviews, scroll down to see one other book recommendation as well. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction. Daughters of Jubilation is a story of power and the ways it can be wielded for both good and evil. Having grown up in the […]

Posted February 23, 2022 in Reviews / 6 Comments