Recent Reads, August 2024
romance, mystery, puzzles, history!
Happy end of August!
As I continue rolling out my new newsletter formats, this is the first of my ideally twice-monthly reports of the middle grade and young adult books I’ve been reading. Who knows, maybe every now and then I will even share a picture book or a chapter book with you! I don’t have a ton to share in this week’s edition with all the end-of-summer/back-to-school mania, but I did want to first share a few thoughts on my review style and what you can expect.
I call these mini-reviews, because they aren’t in-depth, and I rarely go into plot (you can read the blurb for more; I always link to the books on Bookshop.org). They’re pretty vibey, with a fair amount of for fans of, and pointing out elements I liked and themes I took from the books.
I go by publishing market standards for my reviews: middle grade refers to books with a general audience of 8-12 years old, and a typical young adult audience is 13-18 years old. I sometimes mention other more specific age demographics/recommendations in my mini-reviews, but this is all ultimately up to each reader and their parents. I find that many readers continue reading and enjoying middle grade books in their favorite genres well into high school and beyond.
I share my own opinions (not affiliated with anyone/any institution but me), but keep in mind, I’m 43 years old, i.e. not the target audience of these books, so I do try to also look at books from a young reader’s perspective when I can, and I always like to mention when a book has been liked my own kids or students. I will mention if a book was an ARC (advanced reader copy) that I received for free with the intent to review. I also keep my reviews on my StoryGraph profile.
From a writing standpoint, I have the utmost respect for authors and their book babies. My mini-reviews reflect just one opinion and represent my own tastes and preferences. I use star ratings to reflect that, which you can see below if you’re curious! And don’t worry, next time, I’ll put all this in a footnote, and get right to the books. 😉
I rate books with a 5-star system (with decimals!), that can be described as follows:
5 ⭐s: I absolutely loved it and it hit some of my favorite tropes/story elements. I loved the experience of reading it, too, and I heartily recommend it!
4.5 ⭐s: I loved it but it may have had one element or trope that’s not my personal fave. I strongly recommend it!
4 ⭐s: I really liked it (though it probably had more than one element that I don’t always love)… I can see this would be a good fit for _________ and will recommend it.
3-3.5 ⭐s: I liked it. I can see it would be a good fit for ____________ even though it wasn’t just right for me.
2 ⭐s: It was okay, but definitely not for me. I still finished it (though maybe reluctantly).
1 ⭐: I regret finishing it because it was really not for me and/or it had specific things I really didn’t like. I may have DNF’d it.
Here are the books I’ve read lately, with mini-reviews.
📚. Middle Grade
Sweet and Sour by Debbi Michiko Florence :: This was one of the first books I’ve read that would officially fit in the middle grade romance category. That said, the romance is very mild (two sweet kisses) and there are a lot more pressing issues at the heart of the story (ie revenge vs forgiveness and what makes a real friend). Structurally, I like how Mai remembers the sweet and sour memories from the past as she wades through the complications of her present summer in Connecticut. With vibes of The Summer I Turned Pretty (minus the love triangle and the sick family member), its setting is a big part of the story as are the long-time friendships that span two generations. This book features birding (this keeps coming up in books I read lately!), corn hole, BTS fandom, adorable twin siblings, and the clash of new and old friends. One thing I didn’t love was how Mai’s lack of communication caused so many of her hardships, but I know that was part of the journey she had to go on during this summer. I look forward to recommending it to 5th & 6th graders looking for just a tiny bit of romance.
4 ⭐sThe Van Gogh Deception by Deron R. Hicks :: This book is great for fans of The Mona Lisa Vanishes, Chasing Vermeer, City Spies, and other action-packed MG mysteries. The art storyline is pretty fascinating (I don’t want to say too much!). I loved how Art and Camille worked together and became friends despite a bit of an age difference, and how Art's amnesia played into the storyline. The "bad guy" is a crafty nemesis but isn't too scary, though this book does have what TV would call "thematic/suspenseful elements" (including some action scenes with gun violence). My only complaint was that at times it read more like a report than a story. That could have been, in part, the narrator's voice, or maybe it was intended to have an old-timey detective feel. But overall a captivating mystery that I think upper grade elementary/middle school readers will enjoy. (This book features a snowstorm which does make the Seasonal Mood Reader in me wish I’d read it in winter!)
4.25 ⭐s
📚. Young Adult
Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, And Helped Win World War II by Candace Fleming :: I love nonfiction that reads like a novel! I learned a lot about a relatively unknown side of WWII and found the mystery of the code-breaking and the secretive history to be fascinating. Though this is YA, I am thinking of putting it in my 5th/6th grade library collection as I think there are some students who really enjoy it. The book follows several young women in a way that feels like a multi-POV novel, and includes some how-tos for using codes. The audio was quick and well-done and the hard copy has a lot of visuals to amplify the story. Another one for fans of The Mona Lisa Vanishes, which is a book I can’t stop recommending to students. (If you picked up The House Swap after reading my review, this would pair perfectly as it is about the place and the real girls referenced in that book. And this would also be a great precursor to the upcoming book The Bletchley Riddle!)
5 ⭐sThe Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes :: I raced through this (on audio, as I have now discovered how much I love the Hawthorne-world books on audio) and loved all three storylines, all the characters (new and old favorites) and how they all intertwined. JLB is such a clever writer of puzzles that a three-pronged escape room story was handled deftly in her hands. I can't wait to see how the story continues in book 2 (along with the standalone coming before that). The Grandest Game has less mature content than the original trilogy, too, so I think it could be enjoyed by younger readers even without having read the original books (though reading The Brothers Hawthorne would be particularly helpful for understanding some of the characters' backstory in this one).
5 ⭐s
I hope you find something here that you or a young person in your life might like to read. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Happy Saturday and happy reading,
Nicole
I always use affiliate links with Bookshop.org when I link to books. If you purchase through my links you support me a tiny bit, and more importantly, you support indie bookstores. Thanks!
So much birding in many books I’m reading! Are kids really that into it?
I just read a book with a teenager who loved birds! Also, my teen really did get into birds in high school, – I wonder if this is an author thing that’s a holdover from the pandemic? When a lot more people were stuck at home and perhaps more adults got into birding, and they decided to project it onto their middle grade and young adult characters? Anyway, thanks for the recommendations – adding some to my next library order list!