Review: Ellen Outside the Lines

Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is such a sweet read that shines a light on topics that we need to understand better and accept. The writing was beautifully done and really gives a voice to those with autism as well as gender identification. Ellen, sweet Ellen, she really has relied on her bestie for so long, and now has to learn how to stand on her own, and use her own voice. This book really touched me as both of these topics are highly supported in our household.


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Review: The Impossible Us

The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OK. This book! This one had me flipping pages like no other! I was reading this on our way home from Florida and I found the concept so good that I was sharing it with my husband. He then kept interrupting my reading just to find out what was happening!

The writing is fluid and easy with a mix of email correspondence making it an interesting style. The concept was incredible and left you scratching your head as to if this could really be true; parallel universe with doppelgängers? This is easily one of my fave reads of the year so far! (Which goes to show that you can enjoy books outside of your go-to genre!!)

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Review: The Best Liars in Riverview

The Best Liars in Riverview by Lin Thompson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a good book that can be quite nerve racking to read as a parent: one kid goes missing, another takes off to look for him, and oh the anxiety I felt while reading this.

There are so many topics talked about in this book, and although I get the fact that Aubrey was trying to protect herself as well as her friend, I wanted to shake her and tell her to just tell the truth already (that mother thing again!!). I wanted to hug her and tell her to be true to herself and then punish her for lying!

This is a middle grade novel and so well done for audiences of all ages! It flows nicely, kept me guessing and page flipping to figure out where Joel is!

And keep in mind, a lie of omission is still a lie!!

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Review: Troublemaker

Troublemaker by John Cho
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What a powerful book packed full of love, hardships, family, and truths. I remember the LA riots and the events leading up to them, so this book touches my heart, and I love being able to see it through a different lens.

And do you know who the author is? 🤩 I kinda fan-girled when I saw who it was! And then when I saw a blurb on the TV about him and the book last night, my family thought something was wrong when I screamed! 😂

Good writing, great details on important historical events, but just to make note that it is about a young boy, taking a gun from his father’s closet to take to him at his store for protection. It is not loaded, but he does walk all over at night with it in his backpack.

Overall, an enjoyable read.

View all my reviews

 

Book Info:

The Best Liars in Riverview by Lin Thompson

Genre: Middle Grade Novel

Publishing Date: March 8, 2022

 Synopsis:

Aubrey and Joel are like two tomato vines that grew along the same crooked fence—weird, yet the same kind of weird. But lately, even their shared weirdness seems weird. Then Joel disappears. Vanishes. Poof. The whole town is looking for him, and Aubrey was the last person to see Joel. Aubrey can’t say much, but since lies of omission are still lies, here’s what they know for sure: 
For the last two weeks of the school year, when sixth grade became too much, Aubrey and Joel have been building a raft in the woods. 

The raft was supposed to be just another part of their running away game.

The raft is gone now, too.

Aubrey doesn’t know where Joel is, but they might know how to find him. As Aubrey, their friend Mari, and sister Teagan search along the river, Aubrey has to fess up to who they really are, all the things they never said, and the word that bully Rudy Thomas used that set all this into motion. 

 

So as you are reading this blog post of mine, I am probably sitting our car driving to sunny Florida for spring break.  And in doing so, my nose is most likely in this book!!  I look forward to sharing with you my thoughts when I come back.  

Book Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58275991-the-best-liars-in-riverview?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_27&fbclid=IwAR0xj2gU6iJE17cojQqYiWE3IZk9rplCH__DnJYy_XMO3pdL6FSFG-_pnks

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Liars-Riverview-Lin-Thompson-ebook/dp/B0976WK3D9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3V7K07FQFHCDI&keywords=the+best+liars+in+riverview&qid=1642275472&sprefix=the+best+liars+in+%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-best-liars-in-riverview-lin-thompson/1139653635?ean=9780316276726

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Best-Liars-Riverview-Lin-Thompson/9781922458452?ref=grid-view&qid=1642276271093&sr=1-2

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-best-liars-in-riverview/9780316276726-item.html?ikwid=best+liars+in+riverview&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=a8d076ad0a05db7131a1070afdd1c855

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316276726

 

About the Author:

Lin Thompson (they/them) is a Lambda Literary Fellow of 2018. The Best Liars in Riverview is their debut novel. Lin grew up in Kentucky but now lives in Iowa with their
wife and cat.

Author Links:

Website: https://linthompson.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lin__thompson

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20871196.Lin_Thompson

 

Tour Schedule:

https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2022/01/25/tour-schedule-the-best-liars-in-riverview-by-lin-thompson/

Thanks for stopping!  Come back and see me again real soon!!

Anneliese

@justa.gal.andherbooks

 

A Night to Die For

📚 A Night to Die For

📚 by Lisa Schroeder

📚 Genre: Young Adult Horror
📚 Pub Date: March 1, 2022

✔️Synopsis:
The Night Of meets Carrie when a boy finds a girl’s body in the ditch on prom night…and becomes the primary suspect in her murder.

All Mario wants is one normal night before he graduates. He’s spent most of high school riding solo and gaming with his only friend, Lucas. But when his mom asks him to take Elana Dexter to the prom as a favor to her father, his mother’s boss, he figures this might be his chance to be less of a loner. Only, the night takes a turn quickly. First, Mario gets crowned Prom King alongside the school’s it-girl, Maribelle Starr. Which is weird enough. But what’s weirder is that when they put the crown on his head, hundreds of worms slither out of it and all over Mario. Just when Mario thought the night couldn’t get any worse, he sees something on the side of the road while driving Elana home. That something is Prom Queen Maribelle Starr—murdered and left for dead. All Mario wanted was to go to prom…but somehow, he ended up in hell.

✔️Review:
Wow! You all know that I am a total mystery lover! This one hit the ground running on page 1 and was very hard to put down! (Darn weekend plans!!). I also found it a bit emotional reading it as a mom of 2 teen girls, prom age. Receiving news like this is my worst nightmare!! If you have the chance, definitely give this one a read!

Book Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58410398-a-night-to-die-for

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593481534/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_bb_amazon_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-night-to-die-for-lisa-schroeder/1139741167?ean=9780593481530

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Night-Die-For-Lisa-Schroeder/9780593481530?ref=grid-view&qid=1641502606538&sr=1-1

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-night-to-die-for/9780593481530-item.html?ikwid=a+night+to+die+for&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=d70fe4b83325e6715fafa41e8b2aedcd

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780593481530

About the Author:

Once upon a time, Lisa Schroeder wanted to join Encyclopedia Brown on his fun adventures. Since that didn’t work out, she decided to be an author instead. Lisa’s written over twenty books for kids and teens including the popular verse novels for teens I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME and CHASING BROOKLYN, and her most recent YA novels, THE BRIDGE FROM ME TO YOU and ALL WE HAVE IS NOW. She’s also the author of the middle grade novels IT’S RAINING CUPCAKES, MY SECRET GUIDE TO PARIS, SEE YOU ON A STARRY NIGHT and WISH ON ALL THE STARS. Her books have been translated into foreign languages and have been selected for state reading lists. Lisa is a native Oregonian and lives with her family outside of Portland.

 

Author Links:

Website: http://www.lisaschroederbooks.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisa_schroeder

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaschroeder15/?hl=en

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/588558.Lisa_Schroeder

For the complete book tour please visit:

https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2022/01/20/tour-schedule-a-night-to-die-for-by-lisa-schroeder/

❓What did you do after your prom? ❓

 

📚 Ann of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables
📚 by Ivy Noelle Weir
📚 Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel
📚 Publishing Date: March 1, 2022

✔️Synopsis:
Anne of Green Gables with a twist: in this follow-up to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy and The Secret Garden on 81st Street, this full-color graphic novel moves Anne Shirley to modern-day West Philadelphia, where where she finds new friends, new rivals, and a new family.

When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to foster a teenage girl for the first time, their lives are changed forever. Their redheaded foster daughter, Anne Shirley, is in search of an exciting life and has decided that West Philly is where she’s going to find it. Armed with a big personality and unstoppable creativity, Anne takes her new home by storm as she joins the robotics club, makes new friends in Diana and Gilbert, experiences first love, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. But as Anne starts to get comfortable, she discovers one thing she wasn’t looking for: a family.

✔️Review:
I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. It was so real and touched on a lot of issues for children as well as adults. The graphics were on point and the story was easy to follow. It was an emotional roller coaster, to say the least!
I really can’t say enough good things about this book. Very well done!!

Book Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58340720-anne-of-west-philly

Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0316459771/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_bb_amazon_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/anne-of-west-philly-ivy-noelle-weir/1139648074?ean=9780316459778

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Anne-West-Philly-Ivy-N-Weir/9780316459778?ref=grid-view&qid=1641836186740&sr=1-1

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/anne-of-west-philly-a/9780316459778-item.html?ikwid=anne+of+west+philly&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=6bb5ee47f905604bbcecd74430c9a0e3

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316459778

 

About the Author:

Ivy Noelle Weir is a writer of comics and prose. She is the co-creator of the Dwayne McDuffie Award-winning graphic novel Archival Quality (Oni Press), the upcoming The Secret Garden on 81st Street (Little, Brown for Young Readers), and her writing has appeared in anthologies such as Princeless: Girls Rock (Action Lab Entertainment) and Dead Beats (A Wave Blue World). She lives in the greater Boston area with her husband and their two tiny, weird dogs.

 

Author Links:

Website: http://www.ivynoelleweir.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ivynoelle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivynoelle/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17128756.Ivy_Noelle_Weir

 

Tour Schedule:

https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2022/01/19/tour-schedule-anne-of-west-philly-a-modern-graphic-retelling-of-anne-of-green-gables-by-ivy-noelle-weir/

❓ Have you ever considered fostering a child? Or have you ever fostered? Or have you been a foster child yourself? ❓
This is something that I’ve always wanted to do, but with a house divided - 2 for/2 against - I guess we will continue to foster dogs.