The Peculiar Night of the Blue Heart by Lauren DeStefano

Title: The Peculiar Night of the Blue Heart
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: September 13th 2016
Source: ARC from the publisher. Thank you Bloomsbury!

Summary from Goodreads:

Lionel is a wild boy, who doesn’t much like to be around other people. He’d rather be a purring cat or a wolf stalking the woods.

Marybeth is a nice girl. She doesn’t need to be told to comb her hair or brush her teeth, and she’s kind to everyone at the orphanage . . . Lionel most of all.

Different though they are, Lionel and Marybeth are best friends in a world that has forgotten about them. So when a mysterious blue spirit possesses Marybeth—and starts to take control—they know they must stop it before the real Marybeth fades away forever.

Review

The Peculiar Night was a well written, attention-grabbing middle grade story. DeStefano weaves a delicate story about two young children and their peculiar encounter. The young friendship between the two characters is heart warming. I love that each character has such a different personality. I think it is important to show that young kids and friendships come in all forms and the bond between two friends can so strong.

Lionel is so different; I just want to hug him for being him. His unrelenting fight for Marybeth and her safety really makes the story. Even though he would rather be an animal then a human boy because of a troubled past he never loses faith in his friend.

The Peculiar Night, while a shorter book, really draws the reader into this journey of friendship, mystery, tragedy, and family. Readers of all ages can enjoy this book!

The Lonely Ones by Kelsey Sutton

Title: The Lonely Ones
Author: Kelsey Sutton
Publisher: Philomel
Release Date: April 26th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

With parents too busy to pay her attention, an older brother and sister who would rather spend their time with friends, and peers who oscillate between picking on her and simply ignoring her, it’s no wonder that Fain spends most of her time in a world of her own making. During the day, Fain takes solace in crafting her own fantastical adventures in writing, but in the darkness of night, these adventures come to life as Fain lives and breathes alongside a legion of imaginary creatures. Whether floating through space or under the sea, climbing mountains or traipsing through forests, Fain becomes queen beyond – and in spite of – the walls of her bedroom.

In time, Fain begins to see possibilities and friendships emerge in her day-to-day reality. . . yet when she is let down by the one relationship she thought she could trust, Fain must decide: remain queen of the imaginary creatures, or risk the pain that comes with opening herself up to the fragile connections that exist only in the real world? Told in breathless and visual verse, THE LONELY ONES takes readers through the intricate inner workings of a girl who struggles to navigate isolation and finds friendship where she least expects it.

Penguin Random House | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound 

About Kelsey Sutton

Kelsey Sutton is the author of teen novels SOME QUIET PLACE and GARDENIA. She is also the author of two novels for middle grade readers, THE LONELY ONES and BENJAMIN. She lives in Minnesota, where she received a dual bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing from Bemidji State University. She is currently working on a master’s degree from Hamline University. Her work has received an Independent Publisher Book Award, an IndieFab Award, and was selected as a Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2013. When not writing, Kelsey can be found watching too much Netflix, ordering a mocha at the nearest coffee shop, or browsing a bookstore. You can like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @KelseyJSutton.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Review

"I want to inform them that I am not silent because I have nothing to say.  I am silent because no one is listening." *

The Lonely Ones was not quite what I was expecting but in a very surprising way.  Some how I missed that The Lonely Ones is written in verse.  I cannot remember the last time I have read something written in verse but it worked for me.  I devoured this middle grade book in one sitting. The verse not only makes the writing beautiful but it also pulls the reader into the lyrical world until the story ends.  

Fain is visited by monsters during the night, monsters that visit the lonely ones.  Fain's feels isolated from both her peers at school and her family at home so her adventures with the monsters are her escape and her adventure.  Throughout the course of the book, Fain slowly makes friends and begins to need the monsters less and less.  

The beauty of this book is the elegant verse used to describe the sometimes hard family situation Fain has to live with and the personal journey Fain is going through.  As I was reading I kept highlighting different passages where the emotion and thoughts were so real it was hard to not stop and pause and stare at the words.  I am not typically drawn to verse but am glad I picked up The Lonely Ones.  If you are willing to give verse a try then I am sure you will enjoy this powerful and beautiful story of a lonely young girl who finds the happiness in herself and others.   

* Quote taken from uncorrected proof

Giveaway:

2 Signed copies of The Lonely Ones (US & Canada)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nightmares! &The Sleepwalker Tonic by Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller

Title: Nightmares!
Author: Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 9th 2014
Source:Copy provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review (Thanks Random House Childrens!)

Summary from Goodreads:

The hilariously frightening, middle-grade novel Nightmares! is the first book in a trilogy about a boy named Charlie and a group of kids who must face their fears to save their town.

Sleeping has never been so scary. And now waking up is even worse!

Charlie Laird has several problems.

1. His dad married a woman he is sure moonlights as a witch.
2. He had to move into her purple mansion, which is NOT a place you want to find yourself after dark.
3.He can’t remember the last time sleeping wasn’t a nightmarish prospect. Like even a nap.

What Charlie doesn’t know is that his problems are about to get a whole lot more real. Nightmares can ruin a good night’s sleep, but when they start slipping out of your dreams and into the waking world—that’s a line that should never be crossed.

And when your worst nightmares start to come true . . . well, that’s something only Charlie can face. And he’s going to need all the help he can get, or it might just be lights-out for Charlie Laird. For good.

Review

Nightmares! has been on my radar since it was released but I typically do not read middle grade books simply because I do not typically enjoy the younger voice throughout the book.  Charlie is a young boy who faces nightly traumatizing nightmares.  Not once did I feel that the voice was too young for me!  Segel and Miller do a great job of making Charlie a character who is true to his age with a personality that flawlessly suited the plot and themes of the book.

The themes and story line are a bit heavier than I was expecting but in a surprisingly great way. Charlie's nightmares have a key person in them, his stepmother.  He believes she is a witch; throughout the book he has to conquer and face his fear of her and her role in his life.

Ultimately, I recommend Nightmares! for both adult and children! (Don't worry it is not too scary!) The illustrations throughout the book are a fun addition and let the reader really visualize the nightmare and spooky scenes.  Nightmares delivers a cute story with an important messages focusing on family, friends, and facing fears.  

Title: The Sleepwalker Tonic
Author: Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 8th 2015
Source:Copy provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review (Thanks Random House Childrens!)

Summary from Goodreads:

Nightmares! The Sleepwalker Tonic is the sequel to the hilariously scary New York Times bestselling novel Nightmares! by multitalented actor Jason Segel and bestselling author Kirsten Miller. You thought the nightmares were over? You better keep the lights on!

Charlie Laird has a dream life.

1) He has a weirdo stepmom who runs an herbarium.
2) He lives in a purple mansion with a portal to the Netherworld.
3) Since they escaped from the Netherworld, he and his best friends have been sleeping like babies.

But Charlie can’t shake the feeling that something strange is afoot. Charlotte’s herbarium used to be one of the busiest stores in Cypress Creek. Now her loyal following is heading to Orville Falls for their herbal potions.
Weirder, though, Orville Falls is suddenly filled with . . . zombies? At least, they sure look like the walking dead. Rumor has it that no one’s sleeping in Orville Falls. And Charlie knows what that means.

Things are getting freaky again.

Review

After loving Nightmares! I was excited to jump right into the next book.  Sleepwalker Tonic brings back Charlie's team of friends to save his town from sleepwalking zombies.  The friendships are again a big and great aspect of this book as well. The team gets to work with the nightmares they conquered in the last book. I really enjoyed the different dynamic between the old enemies now new friends.

Charlie's family is also in a better place in terms of relationships but not financially.  There is a new guy in the area putting his stepmom out of business with his new potions.  Charlie has to figure out what is drawing the townspeople to this new potion and try to defeat it.  

The Sleepwalker Tonic is an action filled, illustrated, adventure story.  It was enjoyable but lacked some of the spooky unique appeal that Nightmares! did and  it also stayed away from the heavier themes.  The mystery was entertaining but a tad predictable.  The ending did leave an opening for another fun book.  I do recommend this series, the illustrations are great and the friendship is cheer worthy.  

A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano

Title: A Curious Tale of the In-Between
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: Pram #1
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's USA
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Source: BEA

Summary from Goodreads:
Pram Bellamy is special—she can talk to ghosts. She doesn’t have too many friends amongst the living, but that’s all right. She has her books, she has her aunts, and she has her best friend, the ghostly Felix.

Then Pram meets Clarence, a boy from school who has also lost a parent and is looking for answers. Together they arrive at the door of the mysterious Lady Savant, who promises to help. But this spiritualist knows the true nature of Pram’s power, and what she has planned is more terrifying than any ghost.

Lauren DeStefano is beloved by critics and readers alike, and her middle grade debut is lyrical, evocative and not to be missed.

Review

I don't read a lot of Middle Grade but occasionally I make an exception if a book piques my interest enough, and A Curious Tale of the In-Between did just that. I was hearing a lot of buzz for this book, and after having really enjoyed some of DeStefano's YA books, I wanted to give it a shot. And I am happy that I did!

A Curious Tale is a quick, sometimes creepy, always heart-warming book about a girl named Pram who has the ability to see ghosts. In fact, her best friend Felix is one and Pram spends most of her days playing with him much to her Aunts' chagrin. In an effort to introduce Pram to some real friends, they send her off to school where she meets Clarence, an equally charming boy that I also just adored. Pram eventually tells Clarence about Felix and the dynamic between these three characters was absolutely delightful but a little complicated because Felix pines for Pram and doesn't really want to share her.

During Clarence's search for his mother's ghost, Pram and her gift are discovered by another spiritualist named Lady Savant who soon after kidnaps Pram to use for her own personal gain. Around this point in the story is when things became especially creep-tastic. I won't give any hints lest I spoil things, I'll just say that DeStefano had me effectively spooked. Lady Savant made a good villain and did some truly horrible, fear-inducing things. But fortunately, Pram had some awesome people on her side who went above and beyond to help her out.

A Curious Tale read easily and simply, but I don't mean that negatively. The story was uncomplicated but that allowed me to enjoy Pram's adventures without distraction. And I did enjoy Pram's adventures and can't wait for more. So if you are in the mood for a cute but chilling ghost story with some truly endearing characters, I'd definitely recommend this one! I'm smitten!

Hook's Revenge by Heidi Schulz

Title: Hook's Revenge
Author: Heidi Schulz
Series: Hook's Revenge #1
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: September 16, 2014

Summary from Goodreads:

Captain Hook's feisty daughter hits the high seas to avenge her father's death at the jaws of the Neverland crocodile in Heidi Schulz's spirited middle-grade debut.

Twelve-year-old Jocelyn dreams of becoming every bit as daring as her infamous father, Captain James Hook. Her grandfather, on the other hand, intends to see her starched and pressed into a fine society lady. When she's sent to Miss Eliza Crumb-Biddlecomb's Finishing School for Young Ladies, Jocelyn's hopes of following in her father's fearsome footsteps are lost in a heap of dance lessons, white gloves, and way too much pink.

So when Jocelyn receives a letter from her father challenging her to avenge his untimely demise at the jaws of the Neverland crocodile, she doesn't hesitate-here at last is the adventure she has been waiting for. But Jocelyn finds that being a pirate is a bit more difficult than she'd bargained for. As if attempting to defeat the Neverland's most fearsome beast isn't enough to deal with, she's tasked with captaining a crew of woefully untrained pirates, outwitting cannibals wild for English cuisine, and rescuing her best friend from a certain pack of lost children, not to mention that pesky Peter Pan who keeps barging in uninvited.

The crocodile's clock is always ticking in Heidi Schulz's debut novel, a story told by an irascible narrator who is both dazzlingly witty and sharp as a sword. Will Jocelyn find the courage to beat the incessant monster before time runs out?

Review

My first thought upon starting Hook's Revenge, when the very first paragraph made me laugh, was "This is going to be a good time" and my first thought upon finishing this book was "I should read more Middle Grade" and every thought in between was equally as positive and indicative of how much I enjoyed this book.

Jocelyn is the daughter of the infamous Captain Hook and the apple didn't fall far from the tree. She's spirited, unrefined, and up-to-no-good and I say all of that with endearment. She craves adventure and after a brief (yet amusing) stint in finishing school she gets just that when she sets sail for Neverland to avenge her father's death. I loved being back in the Neverland setting and having yet another perspective on all of our favorite characters. This book was full of adventure, wonderful characters, and lots of pirate references. Have I won you over yet?

As if that isn’t enough, the narration is one of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. The narrator is not Jocelyn, but some anonymous storyteller that reminded me of David Thorne (if you are familiar with the reference). It was frank, ungracious, and unapologetic and again, I say all of that with endearment. The beginning of every chapter had these little references or tangents that were hilarious and unexpected. Basically, the delivery was delightfully entertaining.

To say that I enjoyed this book immensely would be an understatement. It was everything I didn’t know I needed and I wish I had more of it. Read it!