Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl #1) - Eoin Colfer [Review]

Title: Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl #1)

Author: Eoin Colfer

Genre: Fiction, Middle Grade, Fantasy

Publisher: Miramax

Publishing date: First published 2001

Pages: 316

Rating

★★★☆☆

Hello, today I’m reviewing a book I started a long time ago, I DNFd it over a year ago and as I had 100 pages left, I decided to pick it up again and finish it because not finishing books makes me feel guilty.

Artemis Fowl

So, Artemis Fowl follows the story of… you guessed it, Artemis Fowl. A twelve-year-old millionaire and genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories—they're dangerous!

I wanted to read this book since I found out about this series during comic con 2008, yup, a decade ago, sadly, I could never get it in Spanish and now that I can read in English I finally read it… and it didn’t really live up to my expectations, mainly because I build up this high expectations for 10 years.

The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials #2) - Philip Pullman [Review]

Title: The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials #2)

Author: Philip Pullman

Genre: Fiction, Middle Grade, Fantasy

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Publishing date: first published July 22nd 1997

Pages: 326

Rating

★★★☆☆

Previous Books:

The Golden Compass

Hello! Today I’m finally reviewing the second book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, The Subtle Knife.

Will.

I started this book with the physical book but finished it as an audiobook, great audiobook I must say, full casted and really pulled you into the story. I usually don’t like audiobooks because one person making different voices for all the characters makes me feel awkward. Do you like audiobooks?

In this second installment, Lyra is lost in a new world, where she finds Will--a boy on the run,

a murderer--a worthy and welcome ally. For this is a world where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and witches share the skies with troops of angels.
Each is searching--Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing father--but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power. And neither Lyra nor Will suspects how tightly their lives, their loves, their destinies are bound together . . . until they are split apart.

This second book has a very different vibe from the first one, first of all, it follows different characters and doesn’t focuses only on Lyra like the first book. To be honest I didn’t particularly cared for other’s story, I was only interested in Lyra and Will’s story, so the rest was kinda boring to me.

A Dash of Trouble (Love Sugar Magic #1) - Anna Meriano [Review]

Title: A Dash of Trouble (Love Sugar Magic #1)

Author: Anna Meriano

Genre: Fiction, Middle Grade, Fantasy

Publisher: Walden Pond Press

Publishing date: January 2nd 2018

Pages: 320  

Rating

★★★★☆

Hello, today I’m reviewing a middle grade book (I love middle grade books) that I read recently, A Dash of Trouble, the first in the Love, Sugar, Magic series.

This book revolves around Leonora Logroño’s family, who  owns the most beloved bakery in Rose Hill, Texas, spending their days conjuring delicious cookies and cakes for any occasion. And no occasion is more important than the annual Dia de los Muertos festival.

Leo hopes that this might be the year that she gets to help prepare for the big celebration—but, once again, she is told she’s too young. Sneaking out of school and down to the bakery, she discovers that her mother, aunt, and four older sisters have in fact been keeping a big secret: they’re brujas—witches of Mexican ancestry—who pour a little bit of sweet magic into everything that they bake. 

Leo knows that she has magical ability as well and is more determined than ever to join the family business—even if she can’t let her mom and sisters know about it yet.

And when her best friend, Caroline, has a problem that needs solving, Leo has the perfect opportunity to try out her craft.

I won this book in a giveaway, I had three options and I chose this one because the main

character is a Latina girl. When I was growing up, all the characters I read in books were white, so I had this weird idea in my mind that people like me couldn’t go on adventure or be the protagonists of their stories, always side or minor characters, so I was eager to read a book that portrayed people like me.

Rebel Genius (Geniuses #1) - Michael Dante DiMartino [Review]

Title: Rebel Genius (Geniuses #1)

Author: Michael Dante DiMartino

Genre: Fiction, Middle Grade, Fantasy

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Publishing date: October 4th 2016

Pages: 384   

Rating

★★★☆☆

Hello! Today I’m reviewing a book I was really excited about, Rebel Genius by Michael Dante DiMartino. The author is the co-creator of Avatar, the Legend of Aang and the Legend of Korra, I love both shows, so I was really interested in seeing what kind of story this would be.

The story takes place in a Renaissance inspired world where there is power in art, all forms of art

A Genius projecting sacred geometry.

, and it follows twelve-year-old Giacomo, an artist that draws (others sing, play music, sculpt, etc). In this world art is powerful, dangerous, and outlawed. Every artist possesses a Genius, a birdlike creature that is the living embodiment of an artist's creative spirit. Those caught with one face a punishment akin to death, so when Giacomo discovers he has a Genius, he knows he's in serious trouble.

Luckily, he finds safety in a secret studio where young artists and their Geniuses train in sacred geometry to channel their creative energies as weapons. But when a murderous artist goes after the three Sacred Tools--objects that would allow him to destroy the world and everyone in his path--Giacomo and his friends must risk their lives to stop him.

I really, really expected to love this book, and I tried to love it, but it just didn’t work for me, or it wasn’t what I was expecting.

Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic (Timeless #1) - Armand Baltazar [Review]

Title: Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic (Timeless #1)

Author: Armand Baltazar

Genre: Fiction, Steampunk, Middle Grade, Science Fiction

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publishing date: October 3rd 2017

Pages: 624   

Rating

★★★★☆

Hello! Today I’m reviewing a book I read a while ago, Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic by Armand Baltazar.

This book is set in a weird future in which the world as we know has ended. There was an

event called the Time Collision that fractured time and space, tearing apart the earth and reshaping it into something entirely new.

This is the world Diego Ribera was born into. The past, present, and future coexisting together. Timeless.

In New Chicago, Diego’s middle school hallways buzz with kids from all eras of history and from cultures all over the world. The pieces do not always fit together neatly, but this is the world he loves. There are those, however, who do not share his affection.

On his thirteenth birthday, Diego learns of a special gift he has within, a secret that is part of something much bigger—something he cannot understand. When his father, New Chicago’s top engineer, is taken by the Aeternum, a malicious organization that seeks to reverse the effects of the Time Collision, Diego must rescue him and prevent this evil group from disrupting the fragile peace humanity has forged.

Peter Pan in Scarlet - Geraldine McCaughrean [Review]

Title: Peter Pan in Scarlet

Author: Geraldine McCaughrean

Genre: Fiction, Middle Grade, Fantasy

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Publishing date: January 1st 2006

Pages: 275

Rating

★★☆☆☆

Hello! Today I’m going to review Peter Pan in Scarlet, which is the official sequel to James Matthew Barrie’s Peter and Wendy.

This book originated from a contest that the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) made. The author gave the copyright rights of Peter Pan to the hospital and they decided to publish a sequel. Geraldine McCaughrean won the competition by sending them some chapters and a full outline of her book.

Peter Pan in Scarlet takes readers back to Neverland, where something is wrong. Dreams are

Another cover of the book.

leaking out - strangely real dreams, of pirates and mermaids, of warpaint and crocodiles. For Wendy and the Lost Boys it is a clear signal - Peter Pan need their help, and so it is time to do the unthinkable and fly to Neverland again.

But back in Neverland, everything has changed - and the dangers they find there are far beyond their dreams...

Okay, first I must say I haven’t read or watched Peter Pan, I know what it is about, but that’s it. Maybe the reason I didn’t enjoy this at all is because I haven’t read the original, or I don’t know, tons of people who love the original say they disliked this sequel.

The book is short and fast paced; the edition I have has small illustrations at the beginning of each chapter and is a red hardcover, so, aesthetically is beautiful.

Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales - Kiersten White [Review]

Title: Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales

Author: Kiersten White

Genre: Middle grade, Fantasy, Humor

Publisher: Scholastic

Publishing date: July 25th 2017

Pages: 224

Rating

★★★☆☆

Hello! Today I’m reviewing a middle grade book I read last year (I’m really behind schedule with my reviews TTwTT).

Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales is a humorous retelling of popular fairytales, the

Kiersten White.

first middle grade book written by Kiersten White. It mashes several fairytales with an unexpected and dark twist, but if I had to say the plot I would say it is about a step mother, who seems to be the step mother of half kingdom, this stepmother is not bad, she tries to help her stepchildren, but they are all a bunch of weirdos that do crazy stuff and are constantly in trouble.

The tales in this book are mainly Snow White, Jack and the beanstalk, red riding hood, the princes and the pea, Goldilocks, Cinderella, and Rapunzel.

The book is physically beautiful, the hardback is green and the book has really lovely illustrations to accompany the story. I’ve had the chance of meeting Kiersten White and I could clearly hear her voice in my head while reading this, she is a really funny person during events, and her particular sense of humor is present all the time in this book.

Lodestar - SHannon Messenger [Review]

Title: Lodestar [Keeper of the Lost Cities #5]

Author: Shannon Messenger

Genre: Middle grade, Fantasy, Fiction

Publisher: Aladdin

Publishing date: November 1st 2016

Pages: 688

Rating

★★★★★

Previous reviews:

Keeper of theLost Cities

Exile

Everblaze

Neverseen

I finally get to write this review! Lodestar is the fifth installment in the Keeper of the Lost Cities Series, a middle grade book series about elves and high fantasy.

Sophie Foster

The protagonist of the series is Sophie Foster, a girl who lived a human pseudo normal life in San Diego, the only difference between was that she was in high school despite being 12 and she could read people’s minds. One day a mysterious boy appears and tells her that she is an elf, and that’s the reason behind her intelligence and ability. But that’s not everything Sophie discovers, she is a genetically modified elf created by an organization named Black Swan. Soon Sophie will be in the middle of a conflict in the Elvin World (Lost Cities), a conflict with three sides. The Black Swan, a misunderstood organization that wants to acknowledge the flaws in the Elvin World. The Neverseen, a rebel group that opposes the rule of the Council, and wreaks havoc on the Lost Cities to make their presence known to everyone. And the Council, the rulers of the perfect Lost Cities. The Black Swan and Council share the same mission of defeating the Neverseen, but the council is against the Black Swan because they use methods they don’t approve.

As this is the fifth book, I can’t really summarize it without spoilers so I’ll leave here the goodreads summary:
Sophie Foster is back in the Lost Cities--but the Lost Cities have changed. The threat of war hangs heavy over her glittering world, and the Neverseen are wreaking havoc. 

The lines between friend and enemy have blurred, and Sophie is unsure whom to trust. But when she's warned that the people she loves most will be the next victims, she knows she has to act. 

A mysterious symbol could be the key--if only she knew how to translate it. Every new clue seems to lead deeper into her world's underbelly and the Black Swan aren't the only ones who have plans. The Neverseen have their own Initiative, and if Sophie doesn't stop it, they might finally have the ultimate means to control her

The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman [Review]

Title: The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1)

Author: Philip Pullman

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade / Young Adult, Fiction

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Original publishing year: 1994

Pages: 399

Rating

★★★☆☆

Recently, La Belle Sauvage was released, a book that like is a prequel of His Dark Materials trilogy, so today I’m reviewing the first installment in the original trilogy titled The Golden Compass, which it’s also known as The Northern Lights in the UK.

This book follows Lyra Belacqua, whose carefree life among the scholars at Oxford's Jordan

The alethiometer

College is shattered by the arrival of two powerful visitors. First, her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, appears with evidence of mystery and danger in the far North, including photographs of a mysterious celestial phenomenon called Dust and the dim outline of a city suspended in the Aurora Borealis that he suspects is part of an alternate universe. He leaves Lyra in the care of Mrs. Coulter, an enigmatic scholar and explorer who offers to give Lyra the attention her uncle has long refused her. There have been numerous kidnappings of kids in London, and one of those victims is Lyra’s best friend, Roger, so she sets herself the mission of finding him and all those kidnaped kids, on the way she will discover many truths she ignored before, helped by a rare truth-telling instrument that looks like a golden compass, an alethiometer.    

Project Terra: Crash Course #1 - Landry Q. Walker, Keith Zoo [Review]

Title: Project: Terra Crash Course #1

Author: Landry Q. Walker, Keith Zoo (Illustrator)

Genre: Science fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction

Publisher: Penguin Workshop

Publishing date: September 19th 2017

Pages: 221

Rating

★★★★☆

Hello! Today I’m reviewing another middle grade book, Project Terra Crash Course.

This book follows the story of Elara Adele Vaughn, a girl who dreams to become a top planetary at the Seven Systems School of Terraforming Sciences and Arts. But for all her excitement, life at her new school is a lot tougher--and stranger--than she ever thought possible. Her roommate, Clare, is a mute, intergalactic sponge. A field trip almost ended in the belly of a monster. And no one at her new school knows what it's like to grow up on a planet so far away it's called "Nowhere." But if the galaxy's greatest terraformers made it through their first year, then so can Elara.

All's Faire in Middle School - Victoria Jamieson [Review]

Title: All's Faire in Middle School

Author: Victoria Jamieson

Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Fiction

Publisher: Dial Books

Publishing date: September 5th 2017

Pages: 248

Rating

★★★★☆

Impy as a Knight.

Hello! Today I’m reviewing a cute middle grade graphic novel titled All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson. I got an ARC of this at comic-con this year.

This graphic novel follows the life of an eleven-year-old girl called Imogene (Impy), who has

grown up with two parents working at the Renaissance Faire, and she's eager to begin her own training as a squire. First, though, she'll need to prove her bravery. Luckily Impy has just the quest in mind--she'll go to public school after a life of being homeschooled! But it's not easy to act like a noble knight-in-training in middle school. Impy falls in with a group of girls who seem really nice (until they don't) and starts to be embarrassed of her thrift shop apparel, her family's unusual lifestyle, and their small, messy apartment. Impy has always thought of herself as a heroic knight, but when she does something really mean in order to fit in, she begins to wonder whether she might be more of a dragon after all.

Neverseen - Shannon Messenger [Review]

 Title: Everblaze [Keeper of the Lost Cities #4]

Author: Shannon Messenger

Genre: Middle grade, Fantasy, Fiction

Publisher: Aladdin

Publishing date: November 3^rd, 2015

Pages: 672

Rating

★★★★✩

Previous reviews of this series:

Keeper of the Lost Cities

Exile

Everblaze

Hello! It’s been a while since my last review, but I’ve been working hard to save money for comic con this weekend. Keeper of the lost cities is an ongoing series, the sixth book is set to be released this fall, and that’s the reason why I’ve tried to avoid reading this book, I don’t want to catch up with the series and then have to wait too long. In the end I had a reading block and this book was the only one I truly wanted to read.

As this is the fourth installment, I can’t write a synopsis without spoiling previous books, so I’ll just place the one in goodreads. 

Sophie Foster is on the run—but at least she's not alone.

Her closest friends from the Lost Cities have gone with her to join the Black Swan. They still

New character that joins the team.

have doubts about the shadowy organization, but the only way to find answers is to start working with them. And as they settle into their new lives, they uncover secrets far bigger than anything they’d imagined.

But their enemies are far from done, and unleash a terrifying plague that threatens the safety of an entire species. Sophie and her friends fight with everything they have—with new allies joining them—but every choice has consequences. And trusting the wrong person could prove deadly.

In this game-changing fourth book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must question everything to find a truth that will either save her world—or shatter it. 

Everblaze - Shannon Messenger (KOTLC #3) [Review]

Title: Everblaze [Keeper of the Lost Cities #2]

Author: Shannon Messenger

Genre: Middle grade, Fantasy, Fiction

Publisher: Aladdin

Publishing date: November 4^th, 2014

Pages: 624

Rating

★★★★✩

 Hello! I’m finally reviewing the third installment of Keeper of the Lost Cities, now it’s pretty hard to write my own synopsis without spoiling everything, so I’ll just copy the one in Goodreads:

            Sophie Foster is ready to fight back. Her talents are getting stronger, and with the elusive

Black Swan group ignoring her calls for help, she’s determined to find her kidnappers—before they come after her again. But a daring mistake leaves her world teetering on the edge of war, and causes many to fear that she has finally gone too far. And the deeper Sophie searches, the farther the conspiracy stretches, proving that her most dangerous enemy might be closer than she realizes.

            I totally loved this installment, it has action nonstop since the beginning, so the whole book is fast paced and really entertaining with action, sad moments, funny moments and a plot that unravels some mysteries but also arises even more questions.