We aim to please here at Lit Carnivale. You have the option to read the reviews below or scroll down to watch the review video. In June 2020, Toi read 0 nonfiction books, 2 middle-grade books, 1 picture books, 1 Anthology (middle-grade, various genres), 1 romantic comedy, 2 short story/novelette, and 1 horror/suspense thriller. Check it out.
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Rating 5.0
I read this story during a very emotional time (in the middle of the Black Lives Matter resurgence to seek justice for murdered black people at the hands of law enforcement) and it was a nice reprieve. The message of the story sounds simple enough and yet, sadly, people of all ages still need to be taught it, thus the emotional time I was going through when reading it.
This bright and whimsical tale of fairies, brownies, trolls, and more carries many messages within its fun pages. The characters are, of course, cute but they also have substance. This is definitely not a 2-dimensional sugar-coated work of fluff, even though finishing this story will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy all over.
When the character deemed the Bad fairy is challenged with coming up with a new rule for the whole town, she begins to re-evaluate her own set of personal rules she’d never previously given much thought to. It’s a real eye-opener for her and the reader.
My favorite part of the story is how the author has the Bad Fairy realize that people often misjudge, not only others but themselves. People, and fairies alike, tend to think better of themselves and less of others for doing the same or similar things, but if we are lucky we come to terms with our mistakes and begin to show others the compassion we, ourselves, would like to receive.
While this is a children’s story and I didn’t really expect anything too bad to happen, the suspense of the twisty did have me a little worried about the village. Young readers will definitely enjoy reading through that and reaching the conclusion of the story.
The story has an overall message of the importance of a community that I wasn’t expecting. We live in a very self-centered world and I felt it was a smart and brave move on the author’s part to put such an emphasis on the community as a whole recovering and not just the main character and her family.
I look forward to more from this author. Highly recommended.
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Actual rating 3.75.
I want to start out by saying that I really enjoyed this story. The only reason I’m not giving this a higher rating is because I worry that the story may not be comprehensible to many young readers without an in-depth explanation.
The art in this story is beautiful. The illustrator did an excellent job. The story could almost be told without any words and have the same effect. You can tell the artist and writer worked closely, or at least share a special bond, with this story.
The story itself is very deep and emotional. Aside from significant cultural influences throughout the story, the afterlife theme seems to be most dominant. We have a child traversing the moon and the world with her deceased grandmother in a type of dream-like state where they interact with others, living and not. It’s a lot to take in and process. I read it three times and still feel that each reading brought about new questions and wonders.
I would definitely recommend parents try this book with their kids if they are open to sharing alternative afterlife concepts or as long as it isn’t deemed a conflict to their own views of the afterlife (’cause this is going to require some discussion).
Recommended to those who are open-minded and or are seeking culturally diverse reads.
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Rating 5.0
This was fun.
I’ve come to expect good things from this author when it comes to cozy mysteries and now I can see that she’s got a fan in the rom-com department now. This book was funny from start to finish and the romance didn’t annoy me (not sure if that came off right, I sometimes struggle with reading romance).
Oddly enough, I felt there was one thing missing that this story could have used a little bit more of, though it in no way took away from the overall story, and that’s cooking. I thought there would be more cooking based on the title, but once you get into the story and meet the characters, it makes sense that there isn’t more.
I liked the phobia theme that ran throughout the story and the main character’s sensitivity to smells, which I can totally relate to. All the other characters, even some of the cranky silver foxes (Yeah, I know. Just read the book.), were nicely developed to the point where they didn’t take over but also didn’t feel like useless filler.
This was very quick and light. Perfect for when you want to stop thinking about other stuff and just relax.
Disclaimer: I received a free digital ARC of this book with no obligation to review.
Highly recommended to fans of humor, rom-coms, and this author.
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Rating 5.0
So cute and yet, kind of deep.
I really enjoyed this story for many reasons. The illustrations are simple and cute, the main character is a person of color (the story has nothing to do with him being a person of color), there are cute animals in it (I’m an animal-lover), and there’s a good message. What’s not to like?
This is a great “don’t judge a book by its cover” story. It can also be helpful in teaching kids about the importance and rewards of taking responsibility for choices and caring for others (general relationship stuff).
It’s not a long story so I won’t say too much and give it all way. I will say that not all kids get to have pets, which is sad, but I like that this story teaches that sometimes you get what’s best for you instead of what you want, which is more than most of us deserve.
Highly recommended.
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Rating 5.0
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a collection of various genre stories that had me so overwhelmed with emotion at the end, and the fact that it’s a middle-grade collection still boggles my mind. If I were still in the classroom, I would ask all my kid’s parents to seriously consider having their kids read this book. While some of the stories are light, most are deep and or emotionally intense, but still perfectly suited for young readers to grasp the depth of the concepts and themes presented. There isn’t one story in this collection I wouldn’t give an individual 5-star rating too. With that said, “The Blind Ship” and “Winter Days” have still stuck with me days after finishing the collection. Kudos to each of these authors, the IWSG, and the Dancing Lemur Press for releasing such an amazing book. I will read this again before the year ends.
The Third Ghost
The Ghosts of Pompeii
The Blind Ship
Dare, Double Dare
Return to Cahokia
Feathered Fire
The Orchard
Simon Grey and the Yamamba
A World of Trouble
Winter Days
Highly recommended to anyone but especially young readers, with parent approval.
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Rating 5.0
Here’s another book I waited too long to read. Luckily I already have the next one in the series. Even though dark thrillers and horror stories aren’t usually my preferred read, this story didn’t come off so scary that I couldn’t sleep at night, but then I did make a point not to read it right before bedtime. I think what’s so scary about this story, is that if you take out all the paranormal elements, it’s still scary. What happens to the main character is the worst nightmare of anyone traveling in a foreign country.
Most of the characters in this story are so real that they are actually annoying, ’cause you’ve met these people. I think it’s a mark of good writing when you can say to yourself, if that character was real, I’d avoid them like the plague and their not even some kind of creature. Still, there were some very likable characters, who weren’t perfect by any means, but realistic, normal, and likable. I find that the MC is rarely my favorite character in a good book, but I actually like Jackson a lot. I also liked Kate and believe we’ll be learning more about her in the next book.
Aside from the intense suspense and paranormal elements of this story, there are other darker parts that were hard to read in this current age of self-centeredness, bullying, racism, sexism, and passive-conscientiousness- I know that’s not a term, but it should be. Still, I glad I read this and all the ugly parts that came with it. Sometimes you have to get through the ugly to find beauty.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more of the series.
Highly recommended to horror, suspense thriller, and paranormal fans. Also, a great diversity read.
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Actual rating 4.75.
This is such a cute and important book for young black girls and anyone who ever felt different because of how they look. It’s a good story to help teach about self-esteem, cultural and personal identification, and even friendship. Overall, I really liked the story and its lovely illustrations.
The main two reasons I didn’t give this story 5-stars was that 1) there were some tense issues in the text but nothing that took away from the message or readability and 2) I was left wondering why one girl’s mother taught her about how to take care of her hair and the other didn’t. I kind of felt like something was missing from that part of the story, but it’s not something I think most readers would even consider.
I plan to share this with anyone who will look at it, especially my friends with young black girls for daughters.
Highly recommended.
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Pixie Dust: Akta’s Ice Headache
Rating 5.0
This is the third book I’ve read in this character’s world (not sure if this is a series). The more I read about this character, the more I like her.
This seems to be the story of how Akta becomes a real hero. I’d already read how she becomes a monster hunter and really appreciated this point of view of her story.
This was another short read, that was easy and cute, but also very sad. Still, not so sad as to bring you down. I like the whimsical world and tone of this story and hope the author continues to revisit this character.
Recommended.
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Messenger: When the Raven Calls, Listen!
Actual rating 4.75.
This was an intense short read that kept me interested from beginning to end. The story- the plot is the star of this show. It’s a suspense thriller with a touch of the paranormal. Plus, there’s a Raven, my new favorite obsession.
The only reason I didn’t give this 5-stars was because I’d wanted to know more about the characters. Since this was a short story/novelette I understand not spending too much time on character details. Still, don’t let me paint you the wrong picture. For the story being told, these are fully developed characters, I simply wanted to know more about them. In essence, I wish the story were longer and I could delve into these characters and the plot more.
Highly recommended to fans of paranormal suspense and short fiction.
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So, did you read any good books in June? What did you think of the ones I read? Until next time, I hope you love books as much as #carnieluvsboox.
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