Never Fight Alone by Shelomo Solson

Never Fight Alone: 51 Inspiring Interviews to Help Teens Overcome Their Struggles & Improve Their Mental Health is a YA inspirational non-fiction book that was sent to me by the author. Solson conducted 51 interviews with teens who hit rock bottom and rose above it, finding the strength to make a difference in the world and help others. 

What separates this book from Chicken Soup and other inspirational short story reads is that Never Fight Alone is formatted in direct interviews. I can read exactly what these teens said, which makes it more personal. The author took a different, more personal approach of being a journalist who endured massive struggles in his life. Different from publishing for money, Solson genuinely wrote Never Fight Alone for the sole purpose of helping teens who struggled like he did growing up. One of my favorite parts of each interview is that each focuses on how far they have come. Each chapter leaves you feeling hopeful. If he could beat this, if she could find a way to be happy, then maybe I can, too. 

It is also amazing at how much emphasis is placed on suicidal thoughts and how to combat them. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24, and 1 out of 6 students nationwide (grades 9–12) consider suicide (The Trevor Project). This book also involves other issues such as abuse, sexuality, addiction, eating disorders, and even dwarfism.  Never Fight Alone emphasizes the "silver lining of hope" and how asking for help is nothing to be embarrassed about. When feeling when feeling depressed and isolated, thinking "why me" and feeling ashamed is common, but Never Fight Alone proves more than any other book I have read that nobody is ever hopeless or alone. 

Favorite quote: "Anytime I felt weak or vulnerable, instead of asking, 'Why me?', I thought of people who had it worse than me, and it changed my mindset to 'What can we do to make each other happy? How can we do the things that better each other?'" (67).

I highly recommend this book!

Title: Never Fight Alone: 51 Inspiring Interviews to Help Teens Overcome Their Struggles & Improve Their Mental Health 
Author: Shelomo Solson
Publisher: Shelomo Solson
Pages: 306
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
Amazon

Special by Chino Chakanga

Special is a YA fantasy novel that was sent to me by the author. In a world where everybody has superpowers, Hope does not. Her medical mystery leads to tons of surgeries and research studies desperate to "cure" her, while society treats her as inferior, Hopeless, a maladroit. As Hope struggles to find self-confidence, she is thrust into the plot of a fellow classmate who is resorting to extreme measures to gain equality- and Hope might be the only person who can stop him.

Special is one of my favorite books that I have read in a long time. Rather than the popular topic of the protagonist struggling with having powers, Special explores the opposite with a girl who is struggling in a world where everyone has powers but her. Similar with taboos on those with mental illness or learning disabilities, Special touches on modern-world injustices and biases against those who are "less" than others, as well as the extreme lengths one will go to gain equality. What is so inspirational in this story is the message that nobody is hopeless; everybody has a purpose and can rise up to overcome anything if they can believe in themselves. Once Hope accepts who she is, she breaks down every wall put in her way.

I love the doll on  the cover because Hope has been a doll for years, being poked and prodded with dozens of surgeries. But over the course of the book, Hope regains her independence and confidence, no longer only being a doctor's toy. Another impressive thing to note is the connection to autism and those on the spectrum. Hope has Ability Dysfunction Spectral Disorder (ADSD or AD). There is also a subset called "High-Functioning AD". Sound familiar? Autistic people are four times as likely to experience depression. Hope goes through a really dark time and struggles with depression and feeling hopeless. Special dives deep into mental illness, too, even also touching on opiod addiction. Chakanga is skilled with being concise with her word choices while still being powerful.

I highly, highly recommend this book!

Title: Special
Author: Chino Chakanga
Publisher: Chino Chakanga
Pages: 252
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

Munmun by Jesse Andrews

Munmun by Jesse Andrews is a YA science fiction novel that completely challenges main societal beliefs. It is also a satire and strongly allegorical. in this alternate reality, the amount of money you have is exact to your height, so that those who are nearly broke are as tiny as ants and those like Bill Gates, for example, would be as tall as the Eiffel Tower. Teen Warner and his sister Prayer are tired of worrying about being literally stepped on, eaten by a cat, and not having access to medical care. As Warner starts physically and economically scaling up, he faces significant moral dilemmas and must decide what is more important- his size, or his character.

The book clearly showcases the extreme societal unfairness that even just having a dollar can do to your life. I have never read a book so effective in describing the extreme challenges that being a lower-class citizen must face. Munmun is brutally honest about a major issue of corruptness in society that a desire for money causes. This heartbreaking story opens one’s mind to the burden on one’s character that having money can make. As teenagers start getting allowances and become fascinated with buying clothes, jewelry, makeup, and start teasing and judging those without, Munmun is a necessary eye-opener that has the potential to completely change one's perspectives. Munmun should be taught in schools.

While the siutation is rather depressing, the book definitely isn't! I adore the fact that this is a satire and is still lighthearted and even uplifting at many times. Warner is a boy to remember. Trapped in an impossible situation, he still tries to make the best of it and try to save his family. Warner struggles with rage and guilt. He ends up in terrible situations, and over the course of the novel he is forced to decide whether or not to be towering over others (physically and emotionally) or to stand by his moral conscience, and accept who he is. Warner makes some awful choices, but he has tremendous character growth and truly becomes a better person by the end. The hint of romance was also very sweet and heartbreaking.

I highly recommend you read this book! I do recommend this book for older YA readers due to some mature content.

Title: Munmun
Author: Jesse Andrews
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Pages: 407
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

Heir of G.O'D. by Harper Maze

Heir of G.O'D. is a YA science fiction book that was sent to me by the publisher. After fracking caused an enormous earthquake that triggered a volcanic winter, humanity plunged into sickness and depression. Gary O’Drae then created Sol, a virtual reality world. This allows Ana, secretly blind, to see. But Drae put an expiration date in Sol, unless his child comes forward. Faced with the reality of her blindness, Ana must take extreme risks to find someone who can help her see in the real world, which puts her directly into the path of the Church of G.OD. and their mysterious intentions.

For a science fiction book, the premise is extremely realistic with the environmental disasters that fracking caused and the turn to virtual reality as a result. Heir of G.O'D. managed to be educational as well, driving home the point about the dangers of fracking and ignoring scientific warnings. There is a glossary at the end, which appeared useful at times. The description of Ana being blind was heart-wrenching, and Heir of G.O'D. shows the extreme risks one is willing to take to save their life. The ending provides an intriguing premise for the second book which would completely change their world.

It was very fast-paced, and my critique is that I wish it could have slowed down and expanded some parts. Often two or three arena battles could be covered in the same page, and I wish the most important ones could have been further described. I also wish there would have been an explanation for why the blind are persecuted, and the storyline was rather predictable. Despite these concerns, I did enjoy reading it!

I recommend this book, and I am interested in reading the next book.

If you are interested in this book, I recommend you read Warcross!

Title: Heir of G.OD.
Author: Harper Maze
Publisher: Harper Maze
Pages: 230
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 4 Stars
Goodreads

The Sword of the Spirit (Spirits Book 3) by Rob Keeley

The Sword of the Spirit is the third book in the middle grade Spirits series sent to me by the author. When Ellie and her mom are relocated to Holiley Castle for the digging of the mythical St Merrell Sword, Ellie literally runs into a knight- Sir Francis from the medieval times, transported into the future. When the sword is recovered, dark secrets from the past and an evil is unleashed, requiring the help of Sir Francis and others in his time to defeat the demon.

One thing I enjoyed was how funny Sir Francis was with his reactions to modern day items like forks and carrots! Many of these funny instances reminded me of the 2001 movie Kate & Leopold. It is also interesting to notice his character development of honesty. The Sword of the Spirit proves that those who make bad choices are not bad people, and that there is the possibility for redemption no matter how great your crime. The biblical references and interpretations of vague myths were intriguing.

Here, Ellie becomes further invested in the spirit world and helping ghosts and spirits from the past, despite a direct order not to interfere. In The Sword of the Spirit it becomes clear that the kind-hearted decision to help someone can cause significant damage to both worlds. When torn between saving the world and saving her friend, both have lasting consequences that Ellie and her family will have to live with. In this book readers also see Ellie become even braver and willing to take bigger risks. There the suspense was strong and I loved the climatic fight at the end!

I highly recommend this book! I am excited to read the fourth book in this series, High Spirits!

See my reviews of the first and second books in this series!

Title: The Sword of the Spirit (Spirits Book 3)
Author: Rob Keeley
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
Pages: 128
Series: Yes, Book 3 of 5
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

Esme's Gift (Esme Series Book 2) by Elizabeth Foster

Esme's Gift is the second book in the middle grade fantasy series that was sent to me by the author. Fifteen-year-old Esme Silver has saved Aeolia by protecting the pearl. However, rescuing her mother is not as simple as she had hoped, as her Gift is trapping her in the past. With the help of a new mentor, Esme must learn to control her time-traveling powers to find the ingredients of a powerful elixir that can awaken her. But this adventure also uncovers a shocking secret in Aeolia's history and puts her directly in the path of Nathan Mare.

Suspenseful and magical, Esme's Gift is even better than the first book! The sequel increases the intensity and delves further into the people and relationships that exist in Aeolia. The twists of new, astonishing revelations kept me hooked and fascinated. What we thought we knew about the motives behind the main villains, like Nathan Mare and Alexander Mann. Almost every character in this book has a dark side, as well, providing a mystery and an intriguing premise. Esme's Gift has a significant number of new characters, and I enjoyed that each one was distinctive in their own personality.

I enjoyed watching Esme make friends and start school as an "otherworlder". It reminded me of Keeper of the Lost Cities, especially when it came to Esme's power. I loved Esme's internal struggle on how to control her Gift and deal with the fact that it was experimented upon. In the beginning, her Gift has almost total control over Esme, and she worries about facing the same fate as her mother. But over time, her Gift becomes a true gift rather than a burden, and I loved watching Esme grow to become stronger. Esme's ability to travel back in time through the water was vividly descriptive, as was the personification of the water embracing her, controlling her, and helping her.

I highly recommend this book!

See my review of the first book in this series, Esme's Wish, here!

Title: Esme's Gift (Esme Series Book 2)
Author: Elizabeth Foster
Publisher: Odyssey Books
Pages: 304
Series: Yes, Book 2
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

The Land of the Purple Ring by Deborah J. Natelson

Sent to me by the author, the fantasy book, The Land of the Purple Ring, is one of the most creative, witty books I have ever read! The clockwork man is held bound to Time, a slave built by the Clockmaker. But he refuses to remain a slave, and escapes, venturing on a journey across the universe to discover imagination, magic, and the strength to create a true name for himself as a living being.

The clockwork man's perspective on ordinary objects was intriguing. In fact, almost a whole page was simply him pondering types of chairs, and why many are designed for decoration and less for practicality. His confusion of the importance of eating and puzzling thoughts over men who drink until they must stumble home was refreshing. Also creative was how some of these objects were alive, like lampposts, clocks, the magical lakes of cheese and dancing shrimp. One must wonder how the author even came up with some of these bizarre elements! The names of some of the creatures in the story- like "Forsoothians"- was entertaining and curious at the least. If you read it before bed you'll have quite the interesting dreams!

The so-called "clockwork man" had a large amount of character development as he struggled to find an identity. First, he was just Boy, a slave, even taking on the name of his "father" (The Clockmaker) before discovering a true name and soul that defines him as a living being of art- not simply a manikin of clockwork. The one complaint I might have is that sometimes it felt like there was too much going on at once, and I did not see any clear stages of plot, but rather felt more as a collection of short stories.

I recommend this book!

Title: The Land of the Purple Ring
Author: Deborah J. Natleson
Publisher: Thinklings Books, LLC
Pages: 201
Series: No
Rating: 4 Stars
Goodreads

A Summer Taken (Council of Friends Book 1) by Jason Milgram

A Summer Taken is the first book in the Council of Friends series. This YA realistic fiction book was sent to me by the publisher. It is 2041, and 14-year-old Julia must return to Camp Auctus to write a speech honoring her cousin Lizzie, who was shot two summers ago shortly after leaving the camp. But Julia is still struggling with her shyness and feels lost without Lizzie beside her. This summer, Julia will find the words to express the vast range of emotions bottled inside her and find the strength to speak for change.

I enjoyed the story and Julia's character development over the course of the novel. Readers see her initially shy and reclusive, torn apart over her cousin's murder to being an inspiring force for change in gun violence laws. Milgram was skilled at depicting the stages and the complicated range of emotions one experiences while grieving a loved one, like anger, guilt, numbness, and sadness. The added element of Julia's struggle with anorexia only made it more insightful. A Summer Taken also explores common obstacles that occur in friendships. This book could teach one to become a better friend. I was impressed with the level of detail and imagery in some of the flashback scenes, and how the book still had a nice flow despite alternating from the past and present.

One of my concerns, however, would be that setting the book in 2041 was strange and somewhat distracting from the plot at hand. I understand that it draws attention to the fact that gun violence is still an issue and will still be for many decades, however there was not much in the story that made that year make sense. The only cue that it didn't take place in 2020 was one talking typewriter. I was hoping for more creative integration of the future setting.

Despite my issue with the setting, I do recommend this book! The second book, A Summer Remembered, will be released in October 2020.

Title: A Summer Taken (Council of Friends Book 1)
Author: Jason Milgram
Publisher: Gaby Triana
Pages: 129
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 4 Stars
Amazon

Dwarf Story by W.W. Marplot

Dwarf Story is a middle grade fantasy book involving Welsh mythology that was sent to me by the publisher. Eastward Manor, the fairies' world of all mythical and legendary creatures, is no longer pure, but made dark and war-torn by Gwyllion, the Old Woman of the Mountains. So they gather to America, emerging to befriend the last children in the legendary ancestry line to help them defeat Gwyllion and ensure the restoration of a peaceful home for all worlds. These children include Arty, Mary, Cry, Emma, and Ted.

The writing style was unique in the sense that it writes rambling but also controlled at the same time. The reader is thrown instantly into these children's heads with their (often strange) thoughts, dozens of rhetorical questions, and one or two word sentences. When it transitions to another chapter with a new narrator, they often speak very matter-of-fact and interrupt each other, like "I am Ted. You know what’s great about me? I can get involved in any story whenever I want" or "I’d rather have Emma handle this chapter, but I couldn’t find her." This structure initially put me off a bit, but eventually this narration grew on me to be very entertaining.

This was a very funny book, and I enjoyed the author's use of creative puns like "a pain in the axe". I was extremely curious to find out how these fantasy creatures emerged into the "real world" and why this group of teens were chosen. It did take much longer than I thought to find those answers, and the book could have been shorter. But alas, I was hooked to the end. The huge battle at the end was mind-blowing and exciting. The climax was worth the wait.

I recommend this book!

Title: Dwarf Story
Author: W.W. Marplot
Publisher: Waxing Gibbous Books
Pages: 388
Series: No
Rating: 4 Stars
Goodreads

Reflecting on My Fifth Blogiversary

Made Using PicsArt

When I started my blog on June 15, 2015, it was the summer before eighth grade. Blogging was the perfect way to combine my love of reading and writing. I set out to review 40 books that summer and met my goal! I remember I was so excited to share my blog with all my teachers! It was amazing to receive emails and compliments from former and new teachers. My seventh grade English teacher still subscribes to my blog and even printed out some of my reviews to keep in a special binder to show her students when they need ideas of books to read!

Now five years later, I am about to go off to college in Pennsylvania to be a science teacher. I plan to keep actively blogging throughout college, but my top priority remains my schoolwork. For the past five years I have done at least one blog post every week. This is my 370th post!

I remember being so excited to receive my first author request; now I receive so many more than I can accept! Also in the beginning I would be carrying stacks of around 12 books home from the library at a time, but in 2017 I got a Kindle. However, I still like to checkout several books. In July 2016, I started participating in Top Ten Tuesday, which has been a great way to connect with other book bloggers.

Some reviews are more memorable than others, and below are some of my most memorable reviews.

June 16, 2015

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger was my second review. What makes the first book special was that due to a fluke of noticing it on a library shelf I have fallen in love with this series and own all eight books. Five years later, this middle grade fantasy series remains my favorite series of all time!

February 15, 2015

I also have to mention Five High School Dialogues by Ian Thomas Malone. This was the first book I ever received from an author. I remember literally jumping for joy because the email was so surprising and made me very happy! I could not believe that a tiny new blog like mine could have attracted the attention of an author. Now, I receive so many requests every week that I have to be selective in what I can accept.

December 15, 2017

This is when I reviewed Monster by Michael Grant, the first in the follow-up series to Gone! I LOVE the Gone series, as well as his Front Lines series. It was also the most amazing time jump book I have ever read. Monster is a prime example of one of the reasons why we learn history in school, to prevent history from repeating itself. It was very interesting to see how the past impacts the character’s decisions. Unfortunately, Grant writes more books than I can keep up with (especially since they are so long)!

February 9, 2018

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is memorable because of how much I disliked it. It took all my strength to finish it, and the only reason I did was because I was excited to vent in a review! I remember every detail of this book, simply due to how much I couldn’t care less about it! All the Light We Cannot See won the Pulitzer prize, and this was the first book I read where my opinion was the total opposite than most. With this book, I really felt the importance of writing reviews and expressing unpopular opinions.

July 3, 2019

I Wish My Teacher Knew by Kyle Schwartz is important to me because I plan to be a teacher, and I will aspire to follow in her footsteps, learn from her mistakes, and use her strategies. Some of her tips and tricks I never would have thought of using. In fact, I plan on bringing her new book, I Wish For Change, with me to college!

Other notable reviews include Audacity, Anger is a Gift, and The Wave. I am excited to witness the growth of this blog in the next five years! Five years from now, I will be a teacher!