Early Reader Review: Gotham High by Melissa de la Cruz

Source: From Netgalley and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

Gotham High by Melissa de la Cruz 
Illustrated by Tomas Pitilli
Colored by Miquel Muerto

Lettered by Troy Peteri
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date:  April 7, 2020

 

Format: Ebook


Synopsis: 

From Melissa de la Cruz, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Alex and Eliza and The Witches of East End comes a reimagining of Gotham for a new generation of readers.

After being kicked out of his boarding school, 17-year-old Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City to find that nothing is as he left it. What once was his family home is now an empty husk, lonely but haunted by the memory of his parents' murder. Selina Kyle, previously the innocent girl next door, now rules over Gotham High School with a dangerous flair, aided by the class clown, Jack Napier.

When a kidnapping rattles the school, Bruce seeks answers as the dark and troubled knight—or is he actually the pawn? Nothing is ever as it seems, especially at Gotham High, where the parties and romances are of the highest stakes ... and where everyone is a suspect.

With evocative art by Thomas Pitilli, this new graphic novel is just as intoxicating as it is chilling, in which dearest friends turn into greatest enemies--all within the hallways of Gotham High!

Trailer

Rating:

Review:  

I so wanted to adore this book. If you have visited my reviews and blog before, you know how I feel about DC Comics and the world and characters of the Batman saga... I generally love them so much. This was a good book, it took a lot of liberties that I just found weren't for me and hard to swallow as a follower of this world through the years.

So Gotham High is a new take on the Batman characters. In this book, the narrator is Selina Kyle and we meet her, Bruce Wayne, Harvey Dent as well as Jack Napier (which eventually becomes the Joker from what I remember). Bruce has been moved into the regular high school and is making new friends when weir things start to happen around him and he comes to learn that someone or something is after him. His new friends try to help as best they can, but there is also a love triangle between Selina, Bruce and Jack which is complicating matters. All of this was great, the story line was engaging and the twists were there and well done. The illustration and coloration was really well done as well.

What I found off-putting was how many things were changed, a few is fine and understandable in a retelling, but there were a lot more changes than I expected in this retelling. So first obvious thing is the amount of diversity that has been added into the characters, a great thing, but since the characters have been around for so long it was hard to adapt to. Selina is Spanish, Bruce seems to be at least half Chinese and Ivy is introduced as Korean. Once more diverse character ok, but three! That was  A LOT to take in. Also Alfred... in this installment Alfred was Bruce's uncle, again would have been an ok adaptation to the original canon but as another cherry on the cake of changes, I was not a fan. As an uncle, after what happened to his family, you would think there would have been more bonding and family to help Bruce adjust. 

Overall, if I had not been so enthralled with the normal Batman canon this would have been a good, typical, teenage soap of a graphic novel, but as it stand it was just too many changes for me at one time.  

"For more information on Gotham High or the the World’s Greatest Super Heroes, visit www.dccomics.com, the DC YouTube channel, or follow @DCComics and @TheDCNation on social media."

Building the Book Pile #322

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!  A Weekly meme inspired by Stacking the Shelves

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Good morning readers! I hope you are still doing well in your social distancing. 

Here is my re-cap: I worked, I did not have homework or class stuff (yay) because it was my week off in between terms - so a new on starts on Monday, we finished a puzzle, and I read a lot of children's books... some to my cat who insisted on sitting on me while I was reading.

We also repainted our kitchen, it was a blue/grey color, which we really liked and had painted it that way a few years ago, but we wanted a lighter blue to make it seem brighter. It is a galley kitchen and anything helps!

Have you been doing any home projects during the quarantine/ stay home orders? Or found any new hobbies? 
We are planning a Zoom game night with some friends soon, I am excited to see how that goes.

If you enjoy the blog and want to share some love and caffeine, you can buy me a coffee via Ko-fi

Share about your week with me in the comments below!

 

Current Giveaways
  


Coming up on the Blog

Early Reader Review: Gotham High by Melissa de La Cruz (YA, GN)

Spotlight: The Nexus Mirror by N.E. Michaels (YA)

January - March 2020 Monthly Re-Cap

Recent Reads: The Bat by Elise Gravel (Youth)

Blog Tour w/ Giveaway! Meet Me at Midnight by Jessica Pennington (YA)



Books Received Recently...
For Review

        
None! Probably for the best, I have a lot I need to get through!

Have you missed anything lately?

Blog Blast w/ Giveaway: Angel Raven by Heather Burch (YA)

Blog Blast w/ Giveaway: What I like about Me by Jenna Guillaume (YA)

Early Reader Review: Megabat is a Fraidybat by Anna Humphrey (MG) - 4 stars

Early Reader Review: Dewdrop by Katie O'Neill (Youth, GN) - 5 stars

Early Reader Review: A is for Another Rabbit by Hannah Batsel (Youth) - 4 stars

Comment and leave me a link to your Round-up/ STS/ Weekly...anything, post and I will stop by and say hello!

Happy Reading!

Early Reader Review: A is for Another Rabbit by Hannah Batsel

Source: From Netgalley and Lerner Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review this in no way later my opinion or review.

A is for Another Rabbit by Hannah Batsel 
Publisher: Learner Publishing Group
Publication Date:  April 7, 2020

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:







Goodreads Synopsis: 

A rabbit-obsessed narrator makes an owl increasingly irate by refusing to play by the rules of a conventional alphabet book. Every entry is about bunnies, from "delightful, dynamic, daredevil rabbits" to "xylophone rabbits and rabbits on drums!"

Review: 
This children's book it hilarious. It is an alphabet book but it is like no other children's alphabet book that I have seen or read. The narrator takes over from the owl in the book and changes every letter of his normal alphabet book and makes it relate to rabbits in some way. There are rabbits, hares and bunnies all over this book and they are so adorable and playful. 

The illustrations are bright and bold but detailed to show all the rabbits and the fun they are having. There are some great vocabulary words throughout the book as the narrator describes how the rabbits are acting. 

The owl is so upset about the situation and trying to get things back on track but the number of rabbits keeps growing and taking back over. 

I think that both parents and kids will really enjoy this book, it is energetic and vibrant.

Early Reader Review: Dewdrop by Katie O'Neil

Source: From Netgalley and Oni Press in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Dewdrop by Katie O'Neil

Publisher: Oni Press
Publication Date:  April 7, 2020

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:








Goodreads Synopsis: 

From the author of The Tea Dragon Society comes Dewdrop, the delightful children's tale of an adorable axolotl who cheers on his underwater friends as they each bring their talents to the pond's sports fair! 

Dewdrop is an easygoing, gentle axolotl who enjoys naps, worm pie, and cheerleading. When the yearly sports fair nears, he and his friends—Mia the weightlifting turtle, Newman the musical newt, and three minnows who love to cook—get ready to showcase their skills to the whole pond! However, as the day of the fair gets closer, Dewdrop's friends can't help putting pressure on themselves to be the best. It's up to Dewdrop to remind them how to be mindful, go at their own pace, and find joy in their own achievements. 

Review: 
Dewdrop is an axolotl who is here to help! He wants to help his friends do their very best at the sports fair and he is able to so well with his kindness and encouragement.

This is such a cute book, the illustrations are so pretty and bright and the overall concept and story are great as well. The author does a wonderful job pulling it all together to make a book that will be both fun and educational for young readers. In the story they will learn about helping, even when you are trying to prepare as well, about how to only try to go better than yourself  - because that is always an improvement, and that you shouldn't get discouraged. It also notes that pausing can help you come to the thoughts you were looking for. All of these are great lessons for kid readers and some adults as well and I think that this book would be a great one for your collections. 

Early Reader Review: Megabat is a Fraidybat by Anna Humphrey

Source: From Netgalley and Tundra Books in Exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

Megabat is a Fraidybat by Anna Humphrey
Series: Megabat #3
Publisher:  Tundra Books
Publication Date:  April 7, 2020

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:








Goodreads Synopsis: 

Megabat and his best friend, Daniel, go to sleepaway camp for the first time. Another hilarious chapter book in this laugh-out-loud series for fans of Dory Fantasmagory and Narwhal and Jelly.
Daniel is not so sure about going to camp. There will be bugs. And uncomfortable beds. And leeches!
Megabat can't WAIT to go to camp! There will be so much smooshfruit, and he loves a good sing-along.
Daniel starts to think camp isn't so bad. He's made friends, and his bed isn't THAT uncomfortable.
Megabat has made a new friend too. But his new friend wants him to go flying to spooky caves. And her mom is very toothy.
As Daniel is getting into the swing of things and starting to enjoy camp, Megabat is getting himself into one tangle after another to avoid going into the scary woods. But can Megabat overcome his fears to help save his new friend? Kass Reich's adorable illustrations paired with Anna Humphrey's hilarious text make for another unforgettable Megabat adventure, one that will appeal to Megabat fans and newcomers! 

Review: 
In this installment of Megabat, he and Daniel are off to camp and Daniel is not excited about it. Megabat does his best to help Daniel see the positives of the situation but Daniel is scared and anxious. At camp they both run into some trouble. 

This series tends to follow Megabat as the title would imply but he is always with Daniel so he liked to help him whenever he can. Megabat meets some brown bats, a little different than him and he learns what he is frightened by which helps him understand why Daniel was afraid of camp. This book was a great book about trying new things even if you are a little scared, but it also looked at some other child fears as well. 

Overall this was a fun read, it is quick and the story line is good. There are illustrations throughout to help refocus readers and help the story along, which is always nice. Megabat, while a but mischievous, is very sweet and has the best of intentions. You can pick up this book without having read the others in the series which is also appealing. 

Other books in the series

 [Click image to see the review]

Blog Blast w/ Giveaway! What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume

Tour Link

About the Book:
You know all those movies where teenagers have, like, THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES? This vacation is probably not going to be that.

The last thing sixteen-year-old Maisie Martin thought she’d be doing over vacation is entering a beauty pageant. Not when she’s spent most of her life hiding her body from everyone. Not when her Dad is AWOL and her gorgeous older sister has returned to rock Maisie’s already shaky confidence. And especially not when her best friend starts flirting with the boy she’s always loved. But Maisie’s got something to prove.

As she writes down all the ways this vacation is going from bad to worse in her school-assignment journal, what starts as a homework torture-device might just end up being an account of how Maisie didn’t let anything, or anyone, hold her back.

Jenna Guillame’s American debut features a plus-size protagonist with a compelling, funny, and authentic narrative voice. This relatable and charming novel about friendship, confidence, and self-love will draw readers in as Maisie’s realistic emotional journey unveils the importance of embracing one’s body and celebrating one’s self.  

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Praise for What I Like About Me

“Debut author Guillaume's novel features funny dialogue and fresh takes on body image and personal relationships as well as a plucky heroine who slowly but surely comes into her own…. Perfect for fans of Dumplin’, a hilariously sweet yet complex romance.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Guillaume’s delightful debut deals with teenagers and their self-esteem, as Maisie’s story is relayed through her journal entries. This intimate lens will invest readers in Maisie’s journey to self-acceptance and confidence. A fun story, abounding in humor, romance, and inspiration and filled with multifaceted characters that readers will enjoy.” ―Booklist

“This book draws obvious parallels to Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’, but Maisie and her diverse cast of friends are fresh and distinctive, as is the Australian setting…. A fun, upbeat, and tender coming-of-age story written in an engaging and lively diary format.” ―School Library Journal  

About the Author:
Jenna Guillaume was editor-at-large for BuzzFeed Australia, where she wrote about very important things like pop culture, identity, feminism, social media, and Chris Hemsworth's biceps. Previously, she spent more than half a decade in the features department of Girlfriend magazine, editing the sealed section (yes, all those questions are real), and writing about everything from bullying and body image to bad kisses and boy bands. She was also a contributor to Girlfriend Life Hacks, an essential guide to navigating a girl's completely-awkward-but-totally-awesome teen years.  

Find the Author

TWITTER / GOODREADS / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM

 

Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

- 5 Winners will receive the WHAT I LIKE ABOUT ME and Book Branded Mirror by Jenna Guillaume.

ENDS: APRIL 20, 2020

 

Blog Blast w/ Giveaway! Angel Raven by Heather Burch

Tour Link

About the Book:
Sometimes dead is better.

Raven has always considered himself a casualty of war. An outsider to all he secretly longs for, his dark fate and a broken heart have isolated him from his fellow Halflings. He's lost Nikki--a devastating blow. So it's fine with him that the other Halflings assume he's dead.

When Raven overhears Dr. RIchmond--his favorite human--has a college-age daughter in mortal danger, he swoops in to save her.

Raven finds that like him, Jessica Richmond has a dark side. Fleeing together, the two fight an unbearable attraction while they outsmart the thugs sent to kidnap Jessica. Raven is falling hard for the kick-butt college girl.

But Jessica holds a dark secret. One that could threaten everything the Halflings are working to protect.


In this fourth installment of the Halflings series, you'll journey with Raven as he rides the thermal currents between darkness and light. Grab your copy now. It's time to fly.  

Praise for HALFLINGS

'Packed with action, Halflings is stocked with a feisty, likable cast and a fantastically impossible love-triangle that made my heart flutter, race and sigh. This hard-to-put-down novel kept me up late into the night and burrowed itself into my imagination.' ―Serena Chase, USA Today

“Sure to appeal to fans of both star-crossed lovers and Stephanie Meyer.” —Booklist

“A well-written, thoroughly thought-out, and utterly addicting read.” —USA Today

About the Author:
Heather Burch is a #1 bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She lives in Southern Florida with her husband, John. Her title, One Lavender Ribbon was in the top 100 bestselling books for the year on Amazon. In 2014, she became one of the most quoted authors by Kindle readers. Her deeply emotional stories explore family, love, hope and the challenges of life. Her books have garnered praise from USA Today, Booklist Magazine, Romantic Times and Publisher’s Weekly. Heather lives to tell unforgettable stories of love and loss—stories that make your heart sigh.  

Find the Author

WEBSITE /TWITTER /GOODREADS / FACEBOOK /INSTAGRAM 

Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

- 1 Winner will receive the Angel Raven Swag (Signed Copy and Door Hanger) by Heather Burch.

- 1 Winner will receive a $25 Dollar Amazon Gift Card.

ENDS: APRIL 20, 2020

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Building the Book Pile #321

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!  A Weekly meme inspired by Stacking the Shelves

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Good morning readers, thank you again for sticking it out with me :)
I hope that social distancing is treating you well. Let me know your tips and tricks for staying sane during this weird time! 

Both the Hubs and I are working from home and there is a lot of togetherness time. We are managing and the pets are happy about it. It is finally starting to get nicer outside here in Vermont, so I can actually go outside for extended periods of time without freezing... oh the pleasures of New England living.

I have been getting a lot done being at home so much though. House work/chores, house projects, reading, blogging, homework - I finished a class and have this week off before the next one starts, and actual work time.

If you enjoy the blog and want to share some love and caffeine, you can buy me a coffee via Ko-fi

Share about your week with me in the comments below!

 

Current Giveaways

None right now.

Coming up on the Blog

Blog Blast w/ Giveaway: Angel Raven by Heather Burch (YA)

Blog Blast w/ Giveaway: What I like about Me by Jenna Guillaume (YA)

Early Reader Review: Megabat is a Fraidybat by Anna Humphrey (MG)

Early Reader Review: Dewdrop by Katie O'Neill (Youth, GN)

Early Reader Review: A is for Another Rabbit by Hannah Batsel (Youth)



Books Received Recently...
For Review

         

Meet Me At Midnight by Jessica Pennington from Tor Books and Nerd Book Tours for Blog tour 

The Bat by Elise Gravel from Tundra Books for review
The Button Book by Sally Nicholls from Tundra Books for review
Story Boat by Kyo Maclear from Tundra Books for review

The Eczema Relief Diet and Cookbook by Christa Niegler, RD from Callisto Publisher's Club and Rockbridge Press for review.  

Have you missed anything lately?

Recent Reads: The Half-Life of Marie Curie by Lauren Gunderson (Adult, Audio, Novella)-4 stars

Early Reader Review: Camping with Unicorns by Dana Simpson (MG, GN)-5 stars

Recent Reads: Alone with the Stars by David R. Gillham (Adult, Audio, Novella)-5 stars

Early Reader Review: The  Eye of Zeus by Alane Adams (MG) - 4 stars

Comment and leave me a link to your Round-up/ STS/ Weekly...anything, post and I will stop by and say hello!

Happy Reading!

Early Reader Review: The Eye of Zeus by Alane Adams

Source: From SparkPress in exchange for a review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Eye of Zeus by Alane Adams
Series: Legends of Olympus #1
Publisher: SparkPress
Publication Date:  April 7, 2020

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:






Goodreads Synopsis:

Meet Phoebe Katz, a twelve-year-old foster kid from New York City who’s been bounced around the system her entire life. Things happen around Phoebe, but it’s not like they’re her fault! But when a statue of Athena comes to life, Phoebe gets the stunning news she’s the daughter of Zeus, has a twin brother named Perseus―and was sent away from ancient Greece as a baby to stop a terrible prophecy that predicted she would one day destroy Olympus. Athena warns Phoebe to stay in hiding, but when the vengeful god Ares kidnaps her beloved social worker, Phoebe has no choice―she has to travel back to ancient Greece and rescue him! There, Phoebe and her friends Angie and Damian discover a new prophecy, one that may fix everything. The catch: Phoebe has to collect talismans from six Greek monsters, including the fang from a nine-headed hydra, a talon from the Nemean lion, and a feather from the sphinx. No problem for a girl with the power to call up lightning bolts and change the weather! But can Phoebe collect them all and stop the prophecy before she destroys Olympus?

Review: 
The Eye of Zeus follows Phoebe Katz as she ventures to Olympus in order to save a long time friend and parental figure with her friends. It is a fast-paced, bold adventure, with mythology, monsters, and lots of fighting.

I really enjoyed this book, it follows a female main character battling monsters to save a friend, destroying almost everything else around her to to do so. She is strong, stubborn and brave, but mostly stubborn and resilient for being a foster kid of so long. The book is action packed and takes Greek mythology tales and turns them on their heads a bit. 

This is the first book in a series and it starts so quickly, you meet Phoebe and then she starts getting attacked almost immediately. Luckily she has two friends to help her, Angie and Damian. Angie is always hungry and a great character for comic relief in the rough times, and Damian is a know it all, which actually comes in really handy in order to defeat monsters. There are even a few demigods that help as well.

So why only 4 stars and not 5, well.... this book it eerily similar to Percy Jackson, which is fine because I enjoyed that one a lot too. This book does change a few key things but there were a lot of very striking similarities throughout. 

Overall, if you or your children enjoyed Percy Jackson, this would be a great read. I think it could resonate more with girls, as it is a girl main character and let's be realistic, as a female sometimes I wish there were more books with brave, battling female main characters like this one had. I appreciate it even though the tale is similar.