Nyxia Unleashed Nyxia #2 by Scott Reintgen Science Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) The Babel corporation has misled its young Genesis crews countless times, and now that the teens are on the alien world Eden (Magnia), they have a chance to hear another side of the story – that of Magnia’s inhabitants, the Adamites (as Babel calls them) or the Imago (as they call themselves). As Emmett and Morning and the others on … Read more
Nyxia Nyxia triad #1 by Scott Reintgen Science Fiction Suspense Thriller * * * Stars (Pretty good) When Emmett is chosen, along with 9 other young people, for Babel’s super-secret mission to planet Eden, he can’t believe his luck. The compensation – $50,000/month – will allow him to lift his parents up out of poverty and make possible his mother’s medical treatment. But first he has to survive the training phase, where he will have … Read more
The Toll Arc of a Scythe #3 by Neal Shusterman Science Fiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) The fates of Scythes Anastasia and Lucifer seemed sealed when they sank along with the island of Endura, but a salvage mission into those waters retrieved their deadish bodies and they were revived – 3 years later. Meanwhile, the Scythe Goddard proclaimed himself High Blade, holding dominion over all Scythes, and began changing Scythe laws and … Read more
I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn Realistic Fiction Romance * * * * Stars (Great!) Kimi Nakamura has been accepted to a prestigious art school for college, but is having second thoughts about a career as an artist/painter. When her mother finds out she’s dropped her senior painting class, she’s very disappointed and after a few terse interchanges, Kimi accepts an invitation from her estranged grandparents and flies all the way around the … Read more
Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Petula blames herself for the death of her younger sister, Maxine. Since she died Petula has become an anxious, germophobic, pessimist who tries to protect herself from the bad stuff by being prepared and expecting the worst. She’s alienated her former friends and seems destined to live out her days in solitary misery. Then Jacob Cohen walks into her life. He’s … Read more
Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker Fantasy Graphic Novel LGBTQ Romance * * * * Stars (Great!) Nova Huang is a young witch who is reunited with her childhood friend Tam Lang (pronouns: they, them), a young werewolf, when Tam returns to town in pursuit of a demon that can only be destroyed by her wolf magic. Nova’s grandmothers are able to temporarily bind the demon while Nova and Tam work out how to … Read more
Wayward Son Simon Snow #2 by Rainbow Rowell Fantasy Romance * * Stars (Just ok) After defeating the Humdrum in “Carry On,” Simon Snow and his friends have to adjust to normal life – one where magical dangers don’t lurk around every corner. Penny and Baz are handling the transition well, but Simon, who has lost his magic (but gained large leathery wings and a tail), has spent months on the couch in a severe … Read more
Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles into Comics by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost Adventure Fantasy Funny Graphic Novel Nonfiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) This is my new favorite DIY guide to writing comics. A snarky Magic Cartooning Elf encourages a not-so-artistic princess to follow her dreams and make a comic book of her own, along the way offering helpful suggestions and tips about design and storytelling. The … Read more
Sunny Rolls the Dice Sunny #3 by Jennifer Holm & Matthew Holm Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Sunny is settling into middle school and discovering that she and her best friend Deb are starting to develop different interests. Deb is super into fashion, boys, and being cool (or rather, “groovy”). Sunny, on the other hand, wants to play D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) with some other friends. For awhile, Sunny is … Read more
Delilah Dirk and the Pillars of Hercules Delilah Dirk #3 by Tony Cliff Adventure Graphic Novel Historical Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Delilah and Selim take a break from their exploits when they meet a Dutch journalist who talks them into undertaking a treasure hunting expedition. Unbeknownst to them (at least initially) he’s sending copy of their adventures back to his editors, and the stories are appearing in a number of newspapers. This … Read more