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Athena Protocol

Description: Jessie Archer is a member of the Athena Protocol, an elite organization of female spies who enact vigilante justice around the world. Athena operatives are never supposed to shoot to kill—so when Jessie can’t stop herself from pulling the trigger, she gets kicked out of the organization, right before a huge mission to take down a human trafficker in Belgrade.   Jessie needs to right her wrong and prove herself, so she starts her own investigation into the trafficking. But going rogue means she has no one to watch her back as she delves into the horrors she uncovers. Meanwhile, her former teammates have been ordered to bring her down. Jessie must face danger from all sides if she’s to complete her mission—and survive. Review: I have always been frustrated with the James Bond and Mission Impossible movie franchises especially with their reductive treatment of women who are either the femme fatale caricuture or an "agent" who is suppose to be capable an...
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The Secret

The Secret

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse (Throne Chronicles #1)

Description: Rory Thorne is a princess with thirteen fairy blessings, the most important of which is to see through flattery and platitudes. As the eldest daughter, she always imagined she'd inherit her father's throne and govern the interplanetary Thorne Consortium. Then her father is assassinated, her mother gives birth to a son, and Rory is betrothed to the prince of a distant world. When Rory arrives in her new home, she uncovers a treacherous plot to unseat her newly betrothed and usurp his throne. An unscrupulous minister has conspired to name himself Regent to the minor (and somewhat foolish) prince. With only her wits and a small team of allies, Rory must the Regent and rescue the prince.

Review: How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is an enthralling and highly entertaining read that combines elements of fantasy, science fiction, and fairy tales with a feminist lens. It is pitched as The Princess Bride meets Star Wars, which seems like a really odd combination but works beautifully. Despite these multiple elements it is very readable and easy to follow, especially if you do not get too hung up on genre labels.
  The story is shared by a historian and a mix of third person and omniscient point of views which highlight a character's internal monologue. A lot of the internal monologues provided me with lots of laugh out loud moments. The world building is solid while the narrator fills in the reader with necessary information without resorting to info dumping, which I greatly appreciated.
  Eason heavily borrows from the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, but subverts a lot of its themes and plot. When Rory was born she was given gifts and not cursed by a sleeping spell. She is bestowed gifts by the thirteen fairies, which either help or hurt her throughout her odyssey of 16 years in this story.  During this time, she gets all the best training possible from the Vizier of Thorne, Rupert, and her body maid/protector, Grit. I enjoyed watching Rory grow over the course of the adventure, putting to use and expanding upon her training. There are some suspenseful and hard times in this book, but the light moments and humor balances it out quite nicely.
  In addition to the main cast, the supporting characters also add to the story and to Rory's journey. I loved how the female characters held substantial roles unlike the traditional fairy tales. A lot of male characters where just okay and were in the shadow of female greatness.
  There are possible romances in the works or at least I am shipping some characters together because of their great chemistry such as Grit and Rupert and Jade, younger and sweet son of Regent Moss (the villain) and Rory. I would love to see this title on the Alex Award lists as it is a perfect YA/adult crossover.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some minor language in the book. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, Lady Janies series by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows

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Shout

Description: Bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson is known for the unflinching way she writes about, and advocates for, survivors of sexual assault. Now, inspired by her fans and enraged by how little in our culture has changed since her groundbreaking novel Speak was first published twenty years ago, she has written a poetry memoir that is as vulnerable as it is rallying, as timely as it is timeless. In free verse, Anderson shares reflections, rants, and calls to action woven between deeply personal stories from her life that she's never written about before. Review: Like many readers my first introduction to Laurie Halse Anderson is through her powerful, heart wrenching debut novel, Speak, which I read during my first year of library school and it has resonated with me since then. I had no idea that the root of that novel stemmed from personal experience. In this powerful, timely, candid, and exquisite memoir told in free verse, Anderson delves into her past and th...
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Funny Bones + Game Changer

Description:  A picture book biography of José Guadalupe (Lupe) Posada (1852–1913). In a country that was not known for freedom of speech, he first drew political cartoons, much to the amusement of the local population but not the politicians. He continued to draw cartoons throughout much of his life, but he is best known today for his calavera drawings. They have become synonymous with Mexico’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival. Juxtaposing his own art with that of Lupe’s, author Duncan Tonatiuh brings to light the remarkable life and work of a man whose art is beloved by many but whose name has remained in obscurity. Review: I learned a lot while reading Duncan Tonatiuh's fun and informative picture-book biography on Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada (1852–1913). I never heard of Posada before, but I am familiar of his portrayal of calaveras, the droll skeletons prominent in Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. Posada was a very talented artist who began ...
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Front Desk

Description:  Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams? Review: Front Desk is a wonderful debut middle grade novel that explores a multitude of themes that are nicely woven into a story of activism. Mia Tang and her family has immigrated from China two years ago in dreams of starting over. After bei...
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Free $100

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