Sadow Girl by Liana Liu

Merry Christmas my dears,
 Before I start this review I want to make sure that this fact is put forward to the upmost extent possible. This is most definitely a TEEN book. You heard it first and foremost here. This is a TEEN book, I repeat a TEEN book. Not an upper middle grade book but TEEN. It deals with some slightly more mature themes and ideas that are not necessarily what your parent(s) (unless you are a parent, in which case you (Or you're a teacher in which case the parents of your students)) would want you to read. If the authority figure which may be your parent(s), the parents, or you the parent says go for it, have fun, or if you have any questions come to me etc., then fine by me go ahead but as the friendly blogger behind the screen I feel the need to present this information before I delve into the nitty-gritty stuff.
Now that I've done that, on to the characters.

• Mei- is a Chinese-American girl who loves to teach kids. She just graduated from high school and is preparing to go to college there in the city.
• Ella Morison- is the little girl that Mei is hired to teach. 
• Vanessa Morison- Ella's mom and a loving wife to a distant workaholic husband
• Jeffery Morison- Ella's dad who fears she isn't trying hard enough in school so wants a tutor to help her over the summer.
• Henry Morison- Ella's half-brother. He has graduated from high school more or less. Slightly sarcastic and a bit of a prankster
• Mr. Morison- Ella and Henry's granddad. Jeffery's father. He knows more about Arrow Island than anybody 

This book is about a girl named Mei who becomes an academic tutor for the little girl of a wealthy family. She and her mother need the money so even though taking the job means that she'll spend the summer on Arrow Island with the family she takes the job. Once she gets to the island she finds the Morisons to be very welcoming. Well all of the Morisons except for Henry who is a prankster and slightly sarcastic. As time goes on she notices strange noises at night. Yes I'm going to leave you with that, read the book to fid out more.
This was an interesting read, but not exactly my cup of tea. The characters were interesting, but the plot became predictable. Fr these reasons I give it sic paw-prints and a whisker🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾⚟ I recommend this book to eighth graders and above who like a little suspense and a fairly basic plot.
Have a pleasant winter,
Merlin:)

I got to meet Jimmy Cajoles

So I recently had the good fortune of meeting the Goldeline author Jimmy Cajoles. He was at my local book store and he even signed my copy of the book. After he signed many copies of his book, he read a few pages of it and told us a little about himself. It turns out that Goldeline is his first published book, ever. Mr. Cajoles lived in Oxford, MS for somewhere around ten years. A record store on the Oxford Square was where hesitated writing this book. One more fun fact, he graduated from Ole Miss. Okay, I lied just one more thing, be on the look out for more of his books some day.
Merry Christmas,
Merlin:)

What Light by: Jay Asher

Merry Christmas!

It is officially the Christmas season, unofficially its been the Christmas season has been here for several weeks. I personally have been listening to Christmas music for several weeks, let me tell you there isn't as much music as you think. Its the same songs being sung by different people. Since its the Christmas season, I have decided to review a Chrismasy book. This one is called What Light and its by Jay Asher, the same guy who wrote Thirteen Reasons Why. This book is not as dark as Thirteen Reasons Why, but it is still a teen book. Now on to my boring speech about that. This is a TEEN book, I repeat a TEEN book. Not an upper middle grade book but TEEN. It deals with some slightly more mature themes and ideas that are not necessarily what your parent(s) (unless you are a parent, in which case you (Or you're a teacher in which case the parents of your students)) would want you to read. If the authority figure which may be your parent(s), the parents, or you the parent says go for it, have fun, or if you have any questions come to me etc., then fine by me go ahead but as the friendly blogger behind the screen I feel the need to present this information before I delve into the nitty-gritty stuff. Now if you are my mom (Hi, Mom! *waves*) or a regular reader (those are the made up creatures I have in my mind) you probably have that memorized and its as tedious for you as it is me just skip it if you want too. That only goes for those of you who have it memorized, the rest of you READ it! 

Anyway, the characters. For once I can tell you about many and a little about them without spoiling things. Yay!

• Sierra- *Main-character alert* Her family owns a Christmas tree farm in Oregon. Every year they go to Southern California to sell trees in a lot there for a month before Christmas. For all her life these two places have been two separate but equal lives for her. She has friends in Oregon and in California and loves both places. But this year something special happens, she meets Caleb.
• Caleb- *Main-character alert* He's the social outcast in this town, several years ago he made a mistake and it has followed/haunted him since in more ways than one. Everyone in this small town has decided that he's a horrible person and won't let opinions founded by gossip go. Sierra meets him and discovers the truth. Cliff Hanger! If you wanna find out the truth read this book.
• Heather- She's Sierra's best friend in California.  Like everyone else in that small town she has heard and believes the rumors about Caleb. 
• Rachel and Elizabeth- Sierra's best friends in Oregon. They never want her to go to California, but they understand that it's an important part of her life. They really aren't important enough to get their own bullets.

There you have it folks, the characters that I find important enough to tell you about. Now the plot, so basically a beefed up version of the cover. Sierra lives on a Christmas tree farm that her family owns in Oregon. Every year they go to California right before Christmas to sell trees in a lot there. For along time these to places are basically two separate lives for Sierra, and they are harmonious. This year something changes. With the lot facing its end Sierra sets out to make this Christmas memorable, and she meets Caleb. A sweet guy who loves peppermint mochas, at least a little, and has a dark past. Sierra decides that she will push past the rumors and find out what really happened and who Caleb really is. This is the last line of the summary in my copy "But as disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra can't help but wonder if love really is enough to overcome every obstacle..." Sounds cool right? It is. I am going to award this book with my highest yet honor (only because I haven't yet reviewed Harry Potter, because I don't want to screw ya'll with my nerdyness) eleven out of ten paw-prints. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 That is how much I loved this book. It preaches forgiveness, which is a bit of a lost art now. I recommend for ages thirteen and up or twelve if you're mature because of some violent content. I want to say it again I loved this book and it put me in a Christmasy/forgiving mood when I first read it in the blazing heat.

Merry Christmas my bibliophiles,

Merlin:)

P.S. Remember, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

P.P.S. Yes, I did just quote ELF

Red Queen Victoria Aveyard

My dears,
I have been meaning to write this review for a very long time but I have yet to do it. So Today is the day! I shall finally review Red Queen by: Victoria Aveyard. I read this book awhile ago and really enjoyed it, after I got over the book its self. I honestly thought that my friend who made me read it made me read it just to mess with my head. Now I have her in the same position, I've read the other two and know what is to come. Anyway, I now have to give my tedious spiel about how this is a teen book and so on and so forth. Bear with me for a moment please. This is a TEEN book, I repeat a TEEN book. Not an upper middle grade book but TEEN. It deals with some slightly more mature themes and ideas that are not necessarily what your parent(s) (unless you are a parent, in which case you (Or you're a teacher in which case the parents of your students)) would want you to read. If the authority figure which may be your parent(s), the parents, or you the parent says go for it, have fun, or if you have any questions come to me etc., then fine by me go ahead but as the friendly blogger behind the screen I feel the need to present this information before I delve into the nitty-gritty stuff. By now if you are a dedicated reader *cough* my mamma *cough* you probably actually have this memorized but for those of you who are new (all of  y'all) that is my tedious PSA.
Moving on, the characters!!

• Mare Barrow- she is the main-character here. Mare is a red, which means her blood is red not silver and she doesn't have any special powers. Well, she's not supposed to anyway. Her family consists of her sister Gisa, her brothers Bree, Tramy, and Shade, and her parents. Being unremarkable in most ways is usually good for Mare but not always. 
• Killorn Warren- he's Mare's best friend for the longest time. His blood is red too and he is just another dime a dozen Red. Like most Reds he hates the Silvers for how they treat the Reds.
• Gisa Barrow, Mares little sister and part of the reason any of this happened. I can't tell you more about her without spoiling it, other than she can sew really well and she is a Red. 
• Tiberius Calore VII- he's a Silver and goes by Cal. I really want to tell you more about him because I absolutely love him but I can't because it would spoil stuff. And if I spoil stuff my friends might just kill me
• Maven Calore- He's Cal's younger brother, Silver, and reminds me a bit of Loki. Shout out to anyone who reads this and then goes "Yes, he really is similar to Loki!"

Those are my major characters for this book. Don't get me wrong, there are many more semi major characters in this book, I mean what kind of book is it if you only ever hear about five characters, but these are the most major characters in this book. The plot on the other hand is ridikkulusly (get that reference anyone ( and that one too)) complicated and cannot be described in detail with out being spoiled but here I go. Mare and her sister go into the Silver city to deliver some of Gisa's sewing/goods/what ever the haymitch they are and get into some minor trouble. Later Mare meets Cal and gets a job at the Silver's palace. There she discovers that she does indeed have Silver like powers but her blood is Red. The book follows her adventures as she deals with the aftermath of her display of her powers. It gets really complicated and made me loose trust in everything that I knew. 

Personally I loved this book and give it ten of ten paw prints 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾. I recommend for ages thirteen and up. If your parents okay it and you are mature then twelve and up I go no lower on this for future reasons. I also advise that when acquiring a copy of this book you get the next two as well, you will want them. 

Farewell for now my bibliophiles,

Merlin:)

Happy Thanksgiving

Gobble Gobble oh most likely stuffed bibliophiles,
Today was Turkey Day! The day where tradition dictates that we give thanks for our blessings and stuff ourselves with enough tryptophan to sedate an elephant. I thought I would take the time, now when it won't interrupt that precious time with your families that we all look forward to (at least a little even if it can mean sensory overload or just plain old irritation) but instead another one of our revered traditions, football, to thank y'all for reading my reviews that tend to ramble and are few and far between and say how thankful I am for each and everyone of y'all. I also wanted to wish good fortune to all of you poor crazy souls who will be going Black Friday shopping tomorrow. In the words of 'the March of the Witch Hunters" (at least I think that's how you denote a son) from Wicked (though they were very different circumstance) "Good fortune Witch Hunters!"So that's my Thanksgiving Day rant/post/whatever that was for you. Have a pleasant rest of the holiday and shopping season.
arriverdverci my dears,
Merlin:)

Forever or a long long time

The past cannot be changed, the future is yet in your power. My dear bibliophiles, this is a quote by an unknown person but I find it so true.  I love quote but this one relates to the book I am reviewing today. This book is forever, or a long, long time by Caela Carter.
This book is about these people:

• Flora Baker- She's an orphan who was adopted by a loving couple, but she has some behavioral issues. These issues involve not being able to talk like a normal child and when she does talk it comes in out bursts. 
• Julian Baker- He's Flora's younger brother who was adopted with her and also has some issues. Instead of not talking he takes food and hides it. 
• Elena- She's Flora and Julian's adoptive father's child from his first marriage. She makes fun of Julian and Flora sometimes and gets in trouble some. 
• Person- She's Flora and Julian's adoptive mother. Flora narrates the story and calls her Person. She loves Flora and Julian very much and wants to help them get better. 

The story follows Flora and Julian on their journey with Person to find out about their past. I give this book ten paw prints.🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 I loved this book and the way it made me think and the journey.
Arrivederci my bibliophiles,
Merlin:)

Hello Universe- Erin Entrada Kelly

Hello my dear bibliophiles,
Today you shall hear about the tale of a young, shy boy, a deaf girl, and a psychic girl and their adventure. This is not the kind of story I normally read and review but it is a really good story. It deals with some minor bullying and the effects of this.
Now the characters.

• Virgil- He would be the shy boy I was referring to earlier. He comes from a very active and loud family but is very quiet himself. His family calls him Turtle except for his grandmother who calls him by his given name: Virgilio. 
• Valencia- She would be our deaf girl. She has been deaf for as long as she can remember. Now she has nightmares about darkness and being left alone with nobody to hear her. She loves insects and adventuring 
• Kaori Tanaka- Our psychic has arrived. She believes she comes from a long line of psychics but her parents do not think so. Kaori is the person that Turtle and Valencia go to with their problems. 
• Chet- Our "villain". He bully's Virgil and try's to bully Valencia but it doesn't work. He creates one of the major problems. 

The story is this. Turtle lacks confidence but has a crush on a girl. He goes to Kaori about his confidence issues and his crush. She tells him to try and make contact with her and get to know her. Valencia wants to research incets and loves animals. She shows Chet up after he gets snakebit and accidentally gets Turtle trapped. She, Kanori, and Kanori's little sister then have to go and save him.
I really enjoyed this book and would reccomend it to children in 4-8 grades. I give this book 8 paw prints and a whisker. I loved how it made me think and contemplate my actions.  However, I didn't like some of the sadness
Farewell for now my bibliophiles,
Merlin:)

Goldeline by Jimmy Cajoleas

Hello my dear bibliophiles,
This was a fairly strange yet interesting book. Please note this is a mild horror middle grade book. That being said, it has scenes of mild horror which could cause nightmares in younger readers. Anyway, so this is the first book to even barely fall in the horror genre that I have reviewed so bear with me as I make one more PSA. This book falls I in the HORROR genre. If you don't like horror or even mildly scary things give you nightmares, read at your own risk. Please also note that in my opinion Edgar Allen Poe is suitable reading material for the upper grades this mot so much. That is also tedious, but it must be done. Now on to the fun part. The characters.

• Goldeline- she's a little girl who's Mama was burned for being a witch. Now she lives with a band of thieves in the woods to stay away from the Preacher who wants her dead. 
• Preacher- he is well a preacher. He wants to purify the town and world from evil things. unfortunately that can mean killing lots of people.
• Gruff- He's the leader of the band of the bandits and thieves that Goldeline lives with.

Now the even more fun part- the plot.

So basically Goldeline is hiding with a group of bandits, thieves and generally less desirable people from the Preacher who is out to get her. See the Preacher believe that she is a witch like her Mama who he burned to death for being a witch. Then something terrible happens and so she ends up in an "evil" forest. All Goldie want's to do is get to a place she can be with Gruff who is the leader of the bandits and her father figure.

I found this book super weird. Like almost at my max for weirdness I can handle, but I still enjoyed it. For it's weirdness and mil horror I give it seven paw prints. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 I only gave it seven paw prints because horror just isn't my thing and like I said it was really weird. I recommend that you be at least twelve/thirteen before you read this and if you get scared or nightmares really easily read at your own risk.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Merlin:) 

Jane Unlimited

What if many timelines were possible? What if every choice you make has a different timeline to it? These are the questions that have some answers in Jane Unlimited by Kristin Cashore. Before we get into the plot or characters this PSA: This is a TEEN book, I repeat a TEEN book. Not an upper middle grade book but TEEN. It deals with some slightly more mature themes and ideas that are not necessarily what your parent(s) (unless you are a parent, in which case you (Or you're a teacher in which case the parents of your students)) would want you to read. If the authority figure which may be your parent(s), the parents, or you the parent says go for it, have fun, or if you have any questions come to me etc., then fine by me go ahead but as the friendly blogger behind the screen I feel the need to present this information before I delve into the nitty-gritty stuff.

Now that that's out of the way, on to the stuff. So we have a young adult novel on our hands for the first time in a while. That means that it gets a little weirder and more mature. This particular book is both weird a little more mature.
Now a brief description of the characters.

• Jane- She makes umbrellas. Yes it sounds odd but she does. After her Aunt Magnolia died she makes a promise to go to Tu Reviens if she gets the change. A short while later she sees her old tutor and is invited. She goes and the book is about her shenanigans. 
• Kiran- She is Jane's old tutor and one of the children of the owners of Tu Reviens. She feels slightly out of place at Tu Reviens because she doesn't have a job and just drifts. She's dating Colin but has a thing for...
• Patrick- Yes, I know I shouldn't use character to introduce characters, but I do so oh well. He works for Kiran's family but he and Kiran are sort of in love, but he like most others at Tu Revines has secrets.
• Jasper- As impressive as the name might sound, it does not belong to a human. It belongs to a beagle. He falls in love with Jane upon meeting her but is...
• Ravi-'s dog. Yes, I did it again, but this book takes place in a house (it might be large but its still a house) so everyone is connected. Ravi is Kiran's twin. He's an art enthusiast and works with Kiran's boyfriend...
• Colin- Last time I swear, at least in this post. He is an art dealer working for his uncle. He takes interest in Jane's umbrellas.
• Mr. & Mrs. Vanders- They are the butler and housekeeper at Tu Revines respectively. They play a large part in several time lines but I cannot explain them and not spoil.
• Lucy- Ravi's on an off again girlfriend who plays a large part in at least one time line.
• Ivy- She's Patrick's little sister and ends up being Jane's best friend.

Now what all this timeline business is about. The second through last chapters of Jane Unlimited are all different timelines depending on one choice Jane makes, so it gets a little confusing. I would recommend for 13+ years of age. I give eight paw prints and a whisker for being a good book with a weird chapter, normally this isn't a big deal but there are only six chapters so, and being confusing.
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾⚞⚟
Goodbye for now,
Merlin:)

Mask of Shaows by Linsey Miller

Hello my dear bibliophiles,
Today I shall review a book by the name of Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller. Before I start this review I want to make sure that this fact is put forward to the upmost extent possible. This is most definitely a TEEN book. You heard it first and foremost here. This is a TEEN book, I repeat a TEEN book. Not an upper middle grade book but TEEN. It deals with some slightly more mature themes and ideas that are not necessarily what your parent(s) (unless you are a parent, in which case you (Or you're a teacher in which case the parents of your students)) would want you to read. If the authority figure which may be your parent(s), the parents, or you the parent says go for it, have fun, or if you have any questions come to me etc., then fine by me go ahead but as the friendly blogger behind the screen I feel the need to present this information before I delve into the nitty-gritty stuff.

Now that that's out of the way, on to the stuff. So we have a young adult novel on our hands for the first time in a while. That means that it gets a little weirder and more mature. This particular book is both weird a little more mature. To start lets hear about our characters:

• Sal- Sal is in a word Sal. This character is what I believe the term for now is gender fluid, this mean that Sal feels like a he, she, and/or they on different days. I personally wasn't bothered by it and accepted it as a character quirk that belonged to Sal. In this review I will simply refer to Sal as Sal no pronouns at all (that will most certainly get annoying quick but I can't remember what Sal was at every moment so no pronouns). Anyway, Sal is roadside bandit in a country that used to be called Necea but is now part of a larger country that came into being after a war with mages and shadows which is an entirely different story (that I won't be telling BWAHAHAHA). Sal is robbing nobles of another former country called Erland, when Sal hears about a competition to become one of the Queen's personal assassins, The Left Hand. Sal decides to compete.
• Ruby, Emerald, and Amethyst- The remaining members of the Left Hand now that Opal has died. They oversee the competition to choose a new Opal which Sal takes part in.

So those are the main characters that I can tell you much of anything about without spoiling anything. Now to help you understand the countries that I was talking about a brief geography lesson.

• First and foremost Necea. It was a small country in the middle of the former countries of Erland and Alon. They were considered part of Erland by paying tribute but considered themselves their own country.
• Erland was a rich country that lay to the north and east of Necea. 
• Alon lay to the west and south and had fairly strong teas,

Now finally the plot. I basically described it in Sal's description but hear goes. A common thief called decides to audition as the replacement for the member of the Left Hand who was called Opal. He has ulterior motives for this other than infamy and fortune, but those are for you to discover. This book details the auditions and the goings on of them.

I loved this book even if it was a little weird. I give it nine paw prints and a whisker⋞ because it was strange and a little confusing. I recommend this book for either the end of eighth grade if your a teacher) and  ninth graders. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Farewell my bibliophiles,

Merlin:)

Genius: The Con by Leopoldo Gout

你好, Kedu, and Hola my bibliophiles,
This is the thrilling sequel to Genius which I reviewed not long ago. As with most sequels it did nit quiet live up to my expectations. That being said, The Con was amazing.
So at the end of Genius, Rex, Tunde, and Painted Wolf/Cai are fleeing arrest after Walkabout was blamed for and possibly caused a rash of robberies all across the world. The Con is about what happens when they get to Nigeria and after. There's not much I can say about the plot of this book without spoiling it so I'll leave my summary at that.
I personally thought that this book was a little disappointing because of how my expectations had climbed between reading Genius and this. However, once I really go into the book it was almost as good as the first one and I loved it. Despite being slightly disappointing overall I give this book ten of ten paw-prints.🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 I would recommend this book for seventh and eighth graders and up. Also reading levels of these grades if you are twelve or older.
Until we meet again my bibliophiles,
Merlin:)

Genius by Leopoldo Gout

你好, Kedu, and Hola my bibliophiles,
I suppose that very few of you know what the words above mean, but that's part of the fun. If you really want to know then go translate it. What do words in foreign languages have to do with books you ask? Well everything for some books and nothing for others. The subject of this review lies somewhere in between. This is about a book called Genius by Leopoldo Gout.
Genius is about a LODGE,group of three teenagers, who are put into a contest of two hundred of the smartest people under the age of eighteen. LODGE is made up of Rex, Tunde, and Painted Wolf. Each of them has a different set of skills but together they make a great team.
On to the characters.
Rex- sixteen year old Mexican American and one of the best programmers/hackers in the world. All he wants is to find his older brother who ran away two years ago.
Tunde- fourteen year old, Nigerian, self-taught engineer who can build anything out of anything.
Painted Wolf- sixteen year old Chinese activist blogger. No one knows who she actually is.
Kiran Biswas- twenty year old Indian tech mogul who founded won of the leading tech companies in the world before he was eighteen. He's hosting the game.
General Iyabo- corrupt general in Nigeria who tells Tunde he got in but demands that Tunde build him a high-powered GPS jammer while he's there or he will kill his family.
So this was an absurdly amazing book and I can't wait to read the sequel. I give it ten of ten paw prints. Personally I recommend it for seventh or eighth graders and up.
So long my dears,
Merlin:)

Genuine Fraud E. Lockhart

Yoohooo! Hello there my dears!
Tis I Merlin once again resuming Informing you of the plots of various books. In today's episode we will hear about E. Lockhart's new book Genuine Fraud.
I personally love E. Lockhart and could not wait for this book to come out, so here goes. This was a good book (yes I know that this is not quite up to my usual word choice but it's coming) however it was rather confuzling. Describing this book will be hard for to reasons 1)I'm still not sure of everything myself and 2) The chapters are not chronological they go backwards. This makes everything a bit more confusing because you have a vague idea of what happened but then what happened isn't what you expected at all. Not to mention that it is laced with lies.
Okay the main characters:

• Imogen- she's an heiress who is left a lot of money but doesn't want to be that person anymore.
• Jule- She is way more complicated but I can't get into that without spoiling sooo much so for now let's say that she is a social chameleon and fighter.

The plot can't be explained without spoiling things so this will be short. Jule and Imogen are best friends but then there is an incident. A murder or two, dreams galore, and girls who refuse to be who they are told to be. It goes backwards so I can't really describe it.
I say that this book is not suitable for those under the age of thirteen. I enjoyed the suspense of this book and would give it ten paw prints. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Goodbye my dear bibliophiles,
Merlin:)

Farewell to Fudge

So I know that Robert Hardy died close to a month ago, however I still need to make my tribute to the actor who played Minster of Magic Cornelius Fudge and so many more notable roles throughout his acting career. So this is my farewell to Fudge. Many of us may only know him as Fudge the cowardly, deceptive minister who was almost thrown out of the window by Margret Thatcher, but he was so much more. He played in several T.V. shows throughout his career such as a major role All Creatures Great and Small and Midsomer Murders. He was also in Shakespeare's play The Tempest. In short this man was one of the most successful British actors of his time. How the Queen did not knight him but knighted so many others of his caliber is beyond me. So Farewell to the bumbling fool that was Minster of Magic Cornelius Fudge.
Farewell my dear bibliophiles,
Merlin:)

Dragon's Green Scarlett Thomas

Hola!
This is a PRODIGIOUS book! First of all I fell in love with the names of the main characters. My favorite is Euphemia Sixten Bookend Truelove. Some of the other magnetic names are: Raven Wilde, Wolf Reed, Alexa Bottle, and the "quite unmagical name", and yet it is still magnetic, Maximilian Underwood. My favorite minor character name is either Orwell Bookend, Odile Underwood, Mrs. Breathag Hide, or Skylurian Midzhar. Who knows maybe she'll become important in the next book?
So here's the long and short of the book. Effie, Euphemia, has to stay with her Grandfather Griffin Truelove. He believes in magic but rebuffs her pleas to teach her magic. He is attacked and subsequently taken to the hospital. All his very valuable books except one are taken by Leonard Levar. So Effie, Wolf, Lexy, Maximilian, and Raven have to get the books back and save the world, maybe?
My reccomendation is fifth to eighth graders or those with reading comprehension there abouts. Note this book gets rather confusing about a quarter of the way through, keep it in mind. My rating is 10/10 Paw Prints 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Adios for now my bibliophiles,
Merlin:)

Carmer and Grit: Wingsnatchers book one Sarah Jean Horwitz

Greetings fellow bibliophiles,
Today you shall hear about the book Carmer and Grit. This is the tale of a human boy and a faerie. The characters are:

• Felix Carmer III- Great name right. He is one of our protagonists. Being an inventor is his calling and dream but he is a magicians apprentice.  He goes by Carmer and befriends...
• Princess Grettifrida (Grit) Lonewing of the Selie court- What's all this gibberjabber about courts and lonewings do you ask? Well Grit (because it could be dangerous to call her Grettifrida) is the Princess of the better off Faeries. She was born with only one wing which means several things 1) She can't fly 2) she can *only* do limited magic because she can't create faerie dust and 3) she isn't supposed to be out of the kingdom (this also has something to do with the fact she is the only heir to the throne)
• Titus Archer- DUH DUH he would be our co-villain in the story. He belongs to Carmer's world not Grit's but he tries to change one using the other. He runs Titan Industries the leading producer of new technology.
• The Mechanist- DUH DUH DUH the other co-villain of the story. He begins as just a magician facing Carmer in the "biggest magic competition" but then some of his "magic tricks" start attacking Faeries. 
• Gideon Sharpe- He is the henchman. Think Crabbe and Goyle (Harry Potter), or LaFou (Beauty and the Beast), or Anastasia and Drizella (Cinderella), or Horace and Jasper (101 Dalmatians),or (and this is the last one) the goblins and imps (Sleeping Beauty). That fellow bibliophiles is what Gideon is. I cannot, will not say any more and risk spoiling this character for all of you.

Okay so a quick run down of the story. You could call this a synopsis but that's so like a teacher. Carmer is a magician's apprentice. He's happier inventing or tinkering in his part of the "Moto-Manse" which is basically a RV. The magic show is almost out of money so they enter in a magic competition in Skemantis, the big city also home of Titan Industries, which works out well for Carmer who wants to see Titan Industries in person. Once he gets there by a twist of fate he meets Grit. In the beginning all Grit wants is to get home after being abandoned by the Free Folk or street fae after telling them that one fae's wing would have to be cut off and accidentally getting them lock out of the Sealie kingdom. After they are brought together, Grit and Carmer realize they are facing the same thing, The Mechanist. 

So I found this a refreshing change from having to save the entire world. It was also very interesting and fun to read. You will laugh, scream, maybe cry and throw the book. It was simply PRODIGIOUS. My recommendation is grades five to ten or reading levels there of. My rating is ten of ten paw prints. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾.🐾

TTFN my bibliophiles,

Merlin:)

The Star Thief Lindsey Becker

Reach for the stars my dear bibliophiles! In the famous, but true, words of High School Musical "there is not a star in heaven above we can't reach". Why, do you ask, is your loyal blog author giving life advice? That my dear friends is easy, it fits with the books. The book of the day is The Star Thief by Lindsey Becker. So let's start with the characters. They are:

• Honorine- so to be honest the first thought I had about this book (I read the back summary first) was what an interesting name. Any way, Honorine is our main character. She starts out as a maid in Lord and Lady Vidalia's manor home. Then one thing leads to another and she gets sucked into an adventure to save the Mordant, the name for constellations come to life. Any hoo, she is crazy smart and loves to invent new things more than anything, other than maybe her best friend Francis. At least until her adventure happens.
• Francis- so he's not main character important, but he is a little important. He's part of the reason Honorine gets pulled into the adventure. Like Honorine he too is an inventor, although inferior to our girl Honorine. 
• The Mapmaker- He is a Mordant himself and leads the supposedly "good" group rescuing other Mordant. 
• Natalius- he's the supossed villain. I'm not really sure anymore the lines are kind of blurred. Anyway he is capturing Mordant, and yes I know that screams villain but he's doing it for the good of man kind. Again the lines are blurred. 

Now for a run down of the story. Honorine is the lonely maid at Vidalia Manor. The only other child is her best friend Francis Vidalia who is off at school. One day when she is cleaning both Mordant and Mordant capturing teams show up. She is "rescued" from Natalius by a Mordant on The Mapmaker's side only to try to leave with Francis who works for Natalius. She gets sucked into an adventure to save the Mordant.

My thoughts on this book are that it was a fun book to read and I enjoyed it. The characters were loads of fun and the strong female lead was a nice change. I also enjoyed not having to save the entire world. Every book seems to be like that. I give it ten of ten paw prints 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 My reccommedation for this book is fifth grade to ninth grade or a reading level of around that level. 

Reach for the stars and follow your dreams my dear bibliophiles,

Merlin:)

The Fearless Travelers Guide to Wicked Places Pete Begler

Good Morrow My Dears. This is going to be fun to review. At the least it was hordes of fun to read. SO here are the main characters;

• Nell- She is very unusual she always sees the truth. She is extraordinarily lionhearted and will protect her friends and family at all costs
• Speedy- There's not much you can say about Speedy other than he's funny and Nell's brother
• George- This would be Nell's other brother. He's about average for younger brothers only braver and more devoted to his family
• Max- How to describe Max. Well, he's Nell's friend for one. He's also kind, curious, and lionhearted. He plays a role as important to the story as Nell or, drum roll please
• Duke Badger- Yes, I did introduce a character through another character's description. Badger is indescribable. Yes he is that character the one who words cannot ever describe. Well there are two words that describe him Fearless Traveler. Done
• Pinch- She is Badger's cat partner in crime. Yes you heard me right, CAT partner in crime
• Rose- Nell's mother. She is the object of the quest
• Freyja and Fenn Skroll- Yes, two characters in one description. Freyja is one of the main villains and leader of the Dark Daughters. A group of nightmares. Fenn is the other co-villain and Freyja's daughter.

That's it for the characters so the synopsis. Nell as we know can see truth at all time. This inevitably leads to trouble. Fenn and Freyja come to town and take Nell's mother and turn her in to a bird. This leads to Nell meeting Badger and going on an adventure to save all of Dreamland and possibly the real world from the Plague Dreamer, who the Dark Daughters want to release by breaking the Red Egg.

My recommendation for this book is sixth to ninth grade or someone with a reading level in that vicinity. I give this book ten paw prints. It was prodigious and hordes of fun to read. Anyone who loves a good adventure but is tired of "Oh No! We have to save the entire blessed world from out villian!" will enjoy this. Yes, I said possibly the entire world but really truely this is about the land of dreams not reality.🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Sweet Dreams my bibliophiles,

Merlin:)💤

Fran The Fabulous Fairy is Back! Witch Switch

I'm  BAAAACK!!!! Hello my fabulous witches! It's me Fran the Fabulous Fairy! I'm going to tell you all about MY new book: Witch Switch!!!!
Just kidding! Tis I  Merlin. However, FRAN IS BACK! All your favorite characters from Witch Wars are back with a few new friends. So you know Peggy won the the Witch Wars and became Top Witch, which infuriated Fel-smell. Like my name for evil Felicity Bat, I adopted it from Aggie Hoof with a minor change. But now Peggy is GONE! She has just up and vanished, with the only clue being a note she left saying she was "'AWAY WITH THE FAIRIES'". Can Fran, Tiga, and Fluffanora save Sinkville from Fel-Smell and solve the mystery of where witches are disappearing to? Read on my bibliophiles to find out.
My opinion of this book that it was a very good squeal playing off the events of the last book perfectly. I, however, did have some minor problems. For instance I would like to know why Fluffanora doesn't like the Cauldron Isles, or what happened to Tiga's mother. For this reason I give the book six paw prints and a whisker. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾⚟
TTFN my bibliophiles,
Merlin:)

Finding Serindipity Angelina Banks

Oh Happy Day,
This is on the prequel to my first review A Week Without Tuesday. Why did I read the second book first do you ask? Well tis simple. I got A Week Without Tuesday not knowing that it was a sequel. It is actually a good standalone. This one, however, answers some questions I did have.
So hears a basic summary for this book. Tuesday McGillycuddy comes home from school and is excited for her mother to finish writing her last book under the pen name Serendipity Smith. She make a wish for Serendipity to finish today. When she doesn't come out of her writing room all day Tuesday gets worried. Her father tells her not to worry that she would be back in time for breakfast. Tuesday is still worried so begins writing her own story and gets taken there. The place where all writers go and has a top-drawer adventure.
My opinion of this book is that it is very well crafted and has a marvelous story. The world is so real you could taste the food. I personally was with Tuesday every step of the way during her top-drawer adventure. Ten of Ten paw prints 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 My age recommendation is middle grade girls or girls with a reading level of such.
TTFN my bibliophiles,
Merlin:)

Witch Wars Sibeal Pounder

Hello, Hello, Hello, and HELLO,
This is all about me Fran the Fabulous Fairy! JK! It's me Merlin! All though Fran is one of my favorite characters. So this book was slathers of fun and I wanted to share my opinion. I bet you have noticed my strange vocabulary. I have broken out the thesaurus and urge you to do the same.
So Tiga Whicabim is taken by Fran the Fabulous Fairy, who by the way is top-drawer, to Ritzy City. Ritzy is ONLY the capital of Sinkville. Any who, Tiga finds out that under pipes is where witches live and even though she lived above the pipes she was a witch. She has been selected to compete in the Witch Wars. Witch Wars is how the choose the Top Witch or the ruler. Do I hear "But she's just a little girl. How can she be Top Witch?" Well my bibliophiles the Top Witch is always ten years old because they are less likely to be corrupt. So then she competes in the Witch Wars. The ending as always is yours to find out.
My recommendation is ́fifth to eighth grade girls. My rating is 8 paw pints and a whisker. I give it this because while it is a great story it lacked a certain element that made it less of a story or book and more of a world. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾⚟
TTFN Ta Ta For Now my bibliophiles,
Merlin:)

Devlin Quick Into the Lion's Den by Linda Fairstein

YooHoo!
I got this book for Christmas, I thought "Why not? I'm tired of a Series of Unfortunate Events anyway." So a little background info on the author. Linda Fairstein is a former SVU officer. She now writes mystery books for adults. This is her first book for young adults.
So here is a lilliputian amount of information on the main characters.

1. Devlin Quick: more commonly known as Dev. Daughter of the Police Commissioner of New York City
2. Liza de Lucena: Dev's friend. She is the only witness to the crime. Foreign exchange student at Dev's school form Argentina. She is currently staying with Dev and her mom.
3. Booker Dibble: Dev's best guy friend. Son of two surgeons. 

Dev, Liza, and Booker have to solve the theft of a page of a valuable book of maps from the New York Public Library. This leads into a whole string of thefts. Will Dev save the day or will the theif get away? Read the book to find out.

My recommendation for this book is seventh grade or above. IF the reader has a grade level of that range, they should know it has some suspense (like every good mystery) and a slight near death experience ('cause you know thieves don't like being discovered). My rating is 10 paw prints.🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 

Ta Ta for now my bibliophiles,

Merlin:)

Series of Unfortunate Events Book the Fifth The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket

I'm Baaack! I Know I've been awful about updating, but I got busy. One of my new years resolutions was to update more at least once if not twice a month.
So now on to business. After those awful incidents at Luck Smells the Baudelaires have to be sent to, Drum Roll please.... The Austere Academy.👏 Here we know that Count Olaf will show up at some point but maybe he can hold off a little while. Allow me to introduce you to the sub-villain of this book. The sub-villian is what I've christened the people like Sir. The sub-villain is, and another drum roll please, Nero! If you're a history nerd (like me), or have read the Sisters Grimm by Micheal Buckley (also me, I'm about as nerdy as they get) then you're probably thinking where have I heard Nero before? Quick history lesson he was a Roman Emperor. So maybe this time the Baudelaires will be happy. Who knows?
This book has my standard rating for The Series of Unfortunate Events. Fourth to Eighth graders or a person with a reading level there abouts. Not for people who have an attachment to the Disney© character Olaf
Farewell for now my bibliophiles,
Merlin:)