Crooked Kingdom, the second and last installment in Leigh Bradugo's Six of Crows duology, is probably my absolute favorite book in Bardugo's Grishaverse universe.
We continue from the ending of Six of Crows, where the Crows realize that they were scammed and are not receiving the money they were promised from breaking into the Ice Court and retrieving fifteen-year-old Kuwei-Yul Bo, the son of a famous scientist responsible for the creation of jurda parem. So of course, the Crows vow revenge and build an elaborate plan to plot against Van Eck--the merchant who scammed them, to receive their well-deserved money.
When I was first going into Crooked Kingdom, I was a little nervous, since many fans who've read this claimed that it was definitely much sadder than Six of Crows. And they were mostly right. Crooked Kingdom delved deeper into our favorite Dreg members characters, making us so much more attached to the gang. Even so, I really enjoyed Crooked Kingdom, as it provided much more information on the Dregs and especially Kaz's backstory. I appreciated how the ending mostly tied up loose ends and gave the characters a satisfactory ending.
Overall, Crooked Kingdom was a fitting end to the Six of Crows universe, and I would definitely recommend reading the whole Grishaverse books.
Reviewer Grade: 11
Six of Crows is a duology in the Leigh Bardugo Grishaverse book universe. Before starting off about the book, I strongly recommend that before reading the Six of Crows books, to begin with the Shadow and Bone series. Trust me, although the Shadow and Bone trilogy isn't as raved about as the Six of Crows duology, it lays down the landscape and does some pretty important worldbuilding. Although you could get by with just reading the Six of Crows books, you'll probably be very confused.
To begin the review, Six of Crows takes place in Ketterdam, a rough and not so well off place, filled with "criminals" and many people in poverty. The book focuses on our Crows, six characters who are all bonded together by being a part of the Dregs, an infamous and tough gang in Ketterdam. We follow Kaz, Inej, Jasper, Nina, Wylan, and Matthias as they plot a heist to get into the Ice Court, a place that is heavily guarded and almost impossible to get into--or out of.
While I absolutely love a good heist book, the characters are the main thing that got me hooked with this series. For example, Kaz, a very well-known ruthless lock-pick and criminal, and most importantly, the leader of the Dregs, is only 17, but already has an intricately written character arc/backstory. Most importantly, Kaz is a very well-written morally grey character, as is the rest of the Dregs.
If a gang of exciting, morally grey characters doesn't hook you, we can also talk about the diversity in this story. There are LGBTQ+ characters, and many many characters who are all different races and from different cultures. Kaz, the leader of the deadly Crows even suffers from a disability. It's rare to find a story willing to delve into topics that aren't as widely portrayed in fiction, and Six of Crows does this brilliantly.
Overall, Six of Crows balances many different aspects perfectly. Humor, romance, backstory, diversity, and adventure, Leigh Bardugo does it all in Six of Crows.
Reviewer Grade: 11
This book is a highly regarded book by critics and for a good reason! After a horror stricken-night 2 years ago, Magnus is forced to live in the streets of Boston by himself. When he discovers his Uncle Randolph is tracking him down, he resorts to hiding remembering the stories his mother told about him. Magnus' Uncle eventually finds him and explains terms of Norse mythology and his birthright to have a unique weapon. This book is an amazing story for thrill seeking and adventurous souls.
The Mysterious Benedict Society is by far one of my best reads. Orphaned children are put to a series of tests by adults and a 'caretaker'. After the long and slightly dragged out beginning, you really begin to grasp the story. The Antagonist of the story chooses to use orphaned children because they have no roots or family. He trains them to never be afraid of their biggest fears . Although this book is slightly long and drawn out, it is still packed with lots of suspense. I would highly recommend for kids 12-14.
Wings of Fire: The Lost Heir, is a great book! After being held captive by and potentially killing the queen of the Skywings in the first book, the adventure continues! The dragonets are now on their way to the Sea Kingdom, where they meet one of the dragonet’s mother! After the heartwarming reunion, the dragonets are thrown into chaos in the Sea Kingdom! Read the book to find out more! I really love the characters and their relatable and diverse personalities. The humor and drama mixed in makes the book even better. The book is one of my favorite books of all time! I couldn't put the book down, and before I knew it, I'd finished the whole series! I definitely recommend it!
Reviewer's grade: 9th
One of Tom's adventures. Really Good.
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy is an awesome book! Five dragonets destined to save the world from the Sandwing Succession War finally escape the cave they've been held captive in for their whole lives, but before they can soak the beautiful and unknown world, they've been taken captive! How are they going to save the world and bring peace when they're to fight to the death? Read the book to find out! I really enjoyed the unique and relatable personalities of each of the characters, the amazing storyline, and the humor added in the book. This book is one of my favorite books of all time! I couldn't put the book down, and before I knew it, I'd finished the whole series! I definitely recommend it!
Reveiwer's grade: 9th
The Lightning Thief follows a twelve-year-old boy named Percy Jackson through his quest in retrieving Zeus' lightning bolt back. Percy is a normal kid who's always had trouble in school and behaving, only to find out he's a half blood. With this discovery, he's sent to Camp Half-Blood, home of the half-children of Greek Gods and mortals. We journey along with Percy when he's sentenced to a quest to find Zeus' precious weapon- his lightning bolt rod, and experience adventure, exciting battles, and new friendships.
I consider the Percy Jackson series to be a staple in every teenager's reading list. This series is similar to the Harry Potter series, and I enjoy the mythical adventures throughout both. I recommend the Percy Jackson series to anyone who wants a light but entertaining read.
"Isle of Blood and Stone" is an engaging story of Elias the mapmaker who lived on the island kingdom of St. John Del Mar. When he was very young, his father was lost in a plot of kidnap the princes of the kingdom, one that was never fully solved. Elias, eighteen years later, has returned home to solve this conspiracy and avenge his father. With the help Mercedes and the king, Ulises, he begins to unravel the mystery that his father, who may still be alive, has left for him. "Isle of Blood and Stone" encompasses the qualities that good books do: suspense, tension, and a little bit of love. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good book and a good plot twist.
Legends by Marie Lu is a novel set in a dystopian and apocalyptic future of Los Angeles. The author does an amazing job illustrating new apocalyptic Los Angeles, especially the divide between the rich and the poor. The rich have lavish meals, houses, and water. While the poor are lucky to just survive. The two main characters June and Day are born with this divide between them. June born to the rich is trained for success in the system while Day born into the poor and is the most wanted criminal. They would have never met but now June is tasked with hunting down Day. The book switches between their viewpoints helping the reader understand the difference in the class system. Not only that but the author does a great job of switching in the right times to reinforce the plot rather than an awkward switch. All in all I couldn’t set the enthralling novel down and would recommend it with 5 out of 5 stars.
Alex was always different. Like the puzzle piece that never fit in. Meanwhile her twin brother was her polar opposite. But the twins always shared a love of fairy tales. When their grandmother stops by their house one day and give them the infamous book called the Land of Stories they grew up with, the twins were excited. Soon the excitement turned to confusion when the book started glowing. To their surprise they landed in the Land of Stories.
This book is a great book for people who love twists on fairy tales, misinterpreted characters, and a good long series. This book was a great easy read to just sit down and enjoy. Highly recommend!
The Wild Robot takes place on an island where a shipment of robots has crashed. Only one Robot had survived the crash, so she has to learn how to adapt to the wilderness. On her journey, she befriends the woodland creatures and learns to speak their language. I enjoyed this book a lot because it was light hearted. I enjoy being outside and in nature, so this book was interesting to me. The only issue I had with it was that it was very short, and I would have liked to have read more of it.
Heart of Betrayal is how Lia travels through the dessert trying to figure out how to get out of this situation. On the way she crosses how to truly connect with her gift. Then she arrives at Venda. People are succumbing, and start to begrudgingly like her. For some people a little too much. Lia has gone through the whole rainbow of emotions. Now she has to take action before it too late.
In this book the beginning was a little slow for me but it sped up significantly once she got to Venda. Lia is no "little girl" in this book, her character arc is so perfect. This book has a character everyone can love.
Josh and his mother travel to California to see Josh's cousins, Nicole and her daughter, Holly, who run a reptile shelter. At first, he doesn't think he'll like Holly, because she's so different from him. And while Josh loves basketball, she doesn't even know any famous players! But when disaster strikes, and he and Holly are trapped in a wildfire, he learns that maybe she isn't so different after all.
Even though I put four stars, I think that this book deserves 4.5 out of 5. This is quite possibly my favorite book in the I Survived series, that I have read so far. The only thing I didn't really like is that it was too short. This book is a great read for long road trips, because it is very entertaining, and it is also rather quick, so you won't have time to get bored of it.
Marcus is a slave in ancient Pompeii, working for the despicable Festus Julius, who is having a party to see the upcoming gladiator match. Marcus thought he would never see Tata, his father, again after he was sold to someone else. But when he sees the people that the champion gladiator would fight, he also sees Tata. Can Marcus save his father from the arena and still survive?
This book had a pretty good story, although it could have been more enjoyable if it were longer. I enjoyed Marcus' quick thinking, the descriptions of Greece, and what it would be like to live there. However, I did notice that Mercury, the Roman version of Hermes was mentioned, even though the book is set in Greece. I would read this when you are bored, because it does get to the action pretty quickly, and you can read it in less than a day.
If you have read A Series of Unfortunate Events, you know of a secret organization, and many, many easily fooled people. But, Lemony Snicket is not one of them. This book involves that secret organization, a very dangerous criminal, a plot involving a statue of a hideous sea creature, and Lemony Snicket himself. Perhaps you should turn your attention away from this horrible book and read another one.... JUST KIDDING : this book is amazingly awesome, no matter what Mr. Snicket says on the back!
When Lemony Snicket was 12 years old, he already had his hands on a mystery.mA confusing, detailed mystery. But if you pay attention, and read closely, you should be able to keep up. Lemony purposefully chooses the last-ranked mentor on the list, hoping that he will have more time for something else, but nothing can be farther from the truth. He is soon involved in another mystery, one that will take nearly all his time. His mentor, S. Theodora Markson, has no idea what she's doing, but acts like she knows everything. Someone is lying to him. He gets into trouble with the law by pure accident. This will take all the skills and knowledge from his 'unusual education'.
I love all of the Lemony Snicket books I have read so far, and this one is no exception. The plot will keep you guessing at every twist and turn. I like the way Lemony hardly ever panics, and how he handles things in his out-of-the-box way. This is a great way to spend the time if you are bored and sleepy, because it will wake you right up, and keep you entertained throughout the whole book. However, do not read this at bedtime, because you will not be able to stop, and will probably lose yourself a lot of sleep. This book is the first in a series, if you are looking for more Lemony Snicket.
Have fun reading!
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a captivating novel filled with trouble, fun, and humor. Tom Sawyer is the classic mischievous kid, always looking for excitement and getting into predicaments. When he witnesses something completely out of the ordinary, Tom has to speak up and fear the consequences. His adventures help him discover himself, make new friends, and learn the importance of family. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a clever, laughable book that you’re sure to love. A classic novel for everyone to enjoy, just don’t read it too quickly!
This is the first book in the Ascendance Series by Jennifer A. Nielsen. The False Prince is about an orphan boy named Sage, who is also a thief. He gets taken from the orphanage by a man named Belvin Conner, who is traveling between orphanages hoping to find specific boys to fulfil his quest of replacing the prince who is presumed to be dead because his ship was attacked by pirates years ago. The boys compete against each other hoping to be the one Conner chooses to become the false prince, in fear of what might happen to them if they are not.
Sage is my favorite character because doesn't give up, and he seems to always make light of the situation. He is very stubborn, which makes him a enjoyable character to read about. This book is full of danger, action, and suspense. It was not at all predictable, and some parts surprised me. I gasped in my head several times at all the lies and truths revealed as the story went on. I found myself not wanting the book to end, and yet I couldn't put it down. This is one of my favorite books, and I would definitely recommend reading it.
Savvy by Ingrid Law is an amazing book stuffed with mischief, fun,
turns and twists! It follows Mississippi "Mibs" Beaumont through her thirteen
birthday. When her father is put into the hospital, Mib's world is turned
upside down. Her perfect "savvy" birthday has been ruined! When she turns
thirteen, she receives a special savvy (a savvy is a particular gift given to
those in her family when they turn thirteen)-but it's not what she's been
hoping for. Mibs and her friends embark on a wild ride, trying to get to her
father's hospital to see him. Nothing on their trip is what they expect, but
Mibs and her friends continue in the midst of laughter and hardship. Will
they ever get to the hospital, and will her father be alright? Savvy is a
crazy, adventurous, funny book that you're sure to enjoy!
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is an amazing book filled with suspense and action to no end. It follows the story of a boy named Jim Hawkins, whose life takes a turn after buccaneers turn his quiet inn life upside down. He is whisked on a voyage after learning of a "treasure island". After overhearing a conversation between some of his most trusted friends, Hawkins has to find a way to fix the voyage-and stay safe! Treasure Island is filled with twists and turns that will certainly keep you on edge for the whole book! Check it out, you'll definitely enjoy it.