Reviewed by Elizabeth Reiser

A sweet middle-grade mystery about a boy and his dog on the quest to stop a bully

Ben and his loyal Basset Hound are back for the second installment of the Ben & Blue series: The Case of the Nasty Notes. This time, they are on a mission to find out who is sending their friend Cooper mean poems.

Just as you’d hope for, this second book works well as a standalone. The author does a great job reintroducing the characters, and new young readers will be able to hop into it easily.

Ben is kindhearted and energetic, and Ellen Melissa Cohen captures the voice of the young boy perfectly. His frenetic energy comes through the pages with an effective use of fragments in narration. It is also lovely how Ben never manages to be malicious when thinking about the person bullying his friend; if anything, he shows great empathy when realizing there are instances when he hasn’t been so nice himself, like in the case of a classmate with ADHD.

Ben’s best human friend, Cooper, is another delightful character. Spirited and confident, she expresses her emotions by spiking her hair and spraying it different colors to match her mood. Cohen emphasizes the impact both the bullying and the divorce of her parents are having on her by using her hair.

Throughout the book, Cooper’s hair slowly goes to more muted colors with smaller spikes until her hair reaches its natural state. It is a subtle and significant way to highlight her folding into herself, and this loss of his friend’s spark propels Ben to work even harder to solve the mystery.

While bullying is the overarching theme for the book, Cohen also touches on the notion of finding yourself and being honest about that self. This is shown via one of the other things causing Cooper’s sadness, mainly her dad dating after the divorce. Cooper is dealing with her anger of not wanting things to change, but eventually she is led to acceptance when she realizes her parents have layers that she hasn’t yet learned about. This storyline will strike a chord with readers from LGBTQ+ families and is handled so that it reads as heartfelt and believable.

Donald Wu’s illustrations add a fantastic visual layer to the book as well. Wu captures Cohen’s descriptions accurately and with personality. This is especially apt for the scenes at the zoo or involving the dogs, which will appeal to any animal lover reading.

This is a touching book about kindness, inclusion, and being true to yourself. Lovable characters, heartfelt stories, and an altogether charming series—the Ben and Blue series is about to get some new, devoted fans after this installment.

Thank you for reading Elizabeth Reiser’s book review of The Case of the Nasty Notes (A Ben & Blue Mystery) by Ellen Melissa Cohen! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Jaylynn Korrell

A spy mission, high-stakes competition, and a satisfying story of girlhood

Simone LaFray is a spy, a singer, a chess player, and the teenage daughter of a world famous chocolatier. Just as she gets settled back into her impressive lifestyle in Paris, Simone and her mother are called in for a new assignment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The OmniKey, a device of extreme importance to their superior (Eloise), isn’t working properly, and it’s up to Simone to persuade the only person who can fix it.

This is the third book in a series following Simone, and it picks up right where book two ends. With an impressive balance of action and drama, S.P. O’Farrell captures the essence of preteen girlhood with flair and expert espionage. It’s what preteen dreams are made of.

Simone LaFray and the Bishop of Mumbai is a winning combination of the Spy Kids series and The Queen’s Gambit. Simone is competing for the Junior World Chess Championship while she’s juggling a larger spy mission. Spy teens almost always hit the mark for me, but Simone also leads a fascinating life both in and outside of her missions. You’ll be all in by the time you finish the first chapter.

I can’t think of a single preteen girl who won’t want to be in Simone LaFray’s shoes. She’s practical and successful and hard working, but she also saves time to enjoy herself. Her best friend, known as “the V,” balances out Simone’s serious nature with fun-loving quips and an endless list of things to talk about. When the V goes on about her first boyfriend, Simone is reminded that they aren’t just little girls anymore. Growing up is closer than it’s ever been.

Mumbai is the big adventure in this installment. At the Junior World Class Chess Championship, she’s tasked with finding a boy known as the Bishop, whose intelligence can help her superior Eloise get out of a sticky situation.

But things don’t go to plan when in Mumbai. She soon finds out that the Bishop isn’t anything like she imagined him to be. After talking to him briefly, she begins to question everything she’s ever known and the people she’s supposed to trust. The dynamic between the two is thrilling, and their interactions make up some of the best scenes in the book—a tall feat for a story involving a teen spy! There is so much on the line for both of them. The Bishop desperately wants to find his parents, and Simone feels pressure to complete the mission successfully; combined, their narrative provides a real edge-of-your-seat kind of reading experience.

O’Farrell succeeds not only in high-tension espionage storytelling but characterization. Simone isn’t only a spy trying to save the day, she’s also a lover of chess and an easy-to-root-for human; her partner on this mission, Harper, is complex and interesting too. Each character is given enough background through intentional dialogue and backstory that you’ll empathize with all of them.

Simone LaFray and the Bishop of Mumbai is a standalone too! Two books come before it and more will come after it (I hope), but readers get an exciting, satisfying story all on its own—along with two previous books to enjoy right after finishing this one.

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s book review of Simone LaFray and the Bishop of Mumbai by S.P. O’Farrell! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Samantha Hui

A fun & meaningful book about how racing isn’t just a game—it’s a fight for freedom.

Gregory McNealy’s Race Car Kid is a vibrant and heartfelt tale that explores themes of resilience, freedom, and the importance of doing what’s right. 

Aimed at younger readers, particularly those in elementary school, the story balances playful fantasy with emotional depth. With a ten-year-old protagonist and a length of just over 60 pages, the book is designed to be digestible for children, especially those easing into independent reading. McNealy’s story offers a whimsical escape while also encouraging kids to think about courage, identity, and the value of family.

“The legend of a driver that drove at the speed of lightning. The one without fear, fear of anything or anybody. A driver with the reflexes of a cat, the vision of a hawk, and the will of a lion.”

The story follows RC, a bright ten-year-old who was orphaned early in life but raised by loving adoptive parents. He shares a close bond with his adoptive father, especially through their after school racing game where they pretend to be co-racecar drivers. 

As RC starts playing on the school football team, he begins to doze off in class, prompting concern from his parents. One day, he drifts into a vivid dream and finds himself in a colorful, cartoon-like realm built entirely around racing called the “Dream World.” 

This fantastical world features terrain for every kind of race and vehicles that have amazing capabilities such as flying, leaping, and driving underwater amongst other things. RC embarks on an urgent quest where the outcome of a high-stakes race will determine the freedom of Dream World. Along the way, he uncovers the hidden secrets of Dream World and surprising truths about his past.

“Some want to take our right to come here and race away. They think of themselves as the upper elite and us as a virus that plagues the Dream World.”

The book is fast-paced and a great match for this age-range. McNealy does an excellent job of tapping into the excitement and curiosity of a young reader, making RC’s dreams feel real and thrilling. The concept of entering a cartoon world through dreams is especially fun, sparking the imagination and adding a playful twist to the adventure. The inclusion of illustrations helps bring this world to life, giving readers a sense of what RC experiences when he transitions into a cartoon world, offering visual support for young readers, and enhancing the overall reading experience.

“We race for our freedom and to be treated as equals in this world, and we will have it. Every race, we race to win.”

The story’s concept is bursting with creative potential, but due to the short length, some of that potential gets underexplored. The transitions between scenes move quickly, which can make it hard to fully grasp the emotional stakes or appreciate the richness of the dream environment.

Race Car Kid is going to be a well-loved book for kids who like racing, cartoons, or stories about bravery and self-discovery. For parents or educators looking for a chapter book that entertains while offering important life lessons, McNealy’s book is a great pick. It invites readers to dream big, stay resilient, and always do the right thing even in the wildest of worlds.

Thank you for reading Samantha Hui’s book review of Race Car Kid by Gregory McNealy! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Andrea Marks-Joseph

This chaotic & gory quest to stop a cult from supernaturally resetting planet Earth is both an all-in adventure and a cheeky read.

In Izzy’s father’s suicide note, he admits to being the serial killer who went viral for the murder of six victims across the globe, seemingly unconnected but for the fact that all their femurs were taken as a souvenir. His letter describes these murders in detail and provides directions to find each person’s remains. When he’s found, his body had been “burned and blackened beyond recognition.”

In addition to the suicide note, Izzy’s father—though she prefers not to call him that; he’s Nathaniel now—left a puzzle box and a letter with his lawyer, who delivered it to Izzy in person at his funeral. When she was a child, Nathaniel made these sorts of puzzle boxes and designed interesting tricks for Izzy to discover, each box with its own opening method. Now, six months after his death (and six months of hell for Izzy), she learns that he set up a treasure hunt for her to follow, in hopes that she can “finish his work.”

Izzy—who enjoyed her life with her pet rat and her job as a cleaner for the “the local leader in crime scene cleanup”—wants no part of this mission. She immediately threw the first puzzle box away, recovered only because her friend Felix literally dumpster dived to salvage it. (Every time I see a dumpster from now on, I’ll be thinking of this line: “The dumpster seemed to be watching her approach, its plastic lids open like a beast eager for a treat.”) Author Morgan Mourne is so skilled in scene description in both mundane and horrifying ways I’ll never forget.

With each puzzle box, Nathaniel left a new letter for Izzy to decode, leading to clues about where she can find more femur bones and next steps. Each letter is less cryptic and more informative, sharing the truth behind why he did what he did. This still   doesn’t convince Izzy to follow the trail Nathaniel had set up for her. 

What really kickstarts Izzy’s dark, disturbing treasure hunt is the fact that creepy men keep following her around asking about items in her possession—one going so far as to show up at a blood-and-guts-soaked apartment she’s cleaning and forcing a femur into her hands. 

Izzy’s friend Felix—a collector of occultish artifacts and the owner of a bookshop called Hex & the City—and their mutual friend Dr. Nakahara—a professor of occult studies—help Izzy by connecting the clues she decodes from the letters to supernatural theories they’ve researched, eventually coming to the conclusion that Nathaniel was gathering seven specific femur bones in an attempt to keep them away from a doomsday cult. 

This specific cult is on a mission to gather the bones to supernaturally reset planet Earth, erasing all evidence humans were ever here, and putting themselves in charge of all nature when it begins afresh. With each new puzzle box they find comes a letter less cryptic; every set of instructions leading to a more dangerous mystical bone. “Each [bone] harbors massive destructive potential. If all seven bones are not united during the Convergence, then each bone will activate its own curse.”

“It wasn’t because I was some kind of monster,” Nathaniel writes in one of his letters to Izzy. “I thought I was saving you, saving everyone from unimaginable terrors.” 

The Bone Collector’s Daughter begins as a story about a young woman trying to escape her father’s dark legacy, forever written into her surname, but along the way, it transforms into a story of friends fighting to stop the exponential damage this cult is trying to inflict on the world. 

The further Izzy gets into this quest and the more letters from her father she reads, the more the story transforms—next into the complicated emotional journey of a daughter working through the trauma of everything her father has put her through. Was he doing good, just in his own way? His death starts to become more painful the more she learns. 

A nostalgic, emotional ribbon threads itself through the journey of Izzy learning that her father may have had honorable intentions, while she relives positive memories of her childhood and remembers the man she believed her dad was then. More than that, this quest leads Izzy to realizing that her father saw her as capable, brilliant, talented, and creative. What first felt like a burden now feels like a responsibility, a legacy she wants to uphold. 

“All these damned letters with their cryptic clues, puzzles, and references, and he always trusted her to figure the shit out. How could he have so much trust in her?”

And there’s lots of action: Felix is beat up so many times by the henchmen trying to   rob them of the puzzle box and bones that it becomes almost a running joke between them. We enter a world of gadgets built for surveillance and self-defense, and later, in order to protect the bones they’ve found from the cult, the trio signs up for a super high-tech safekeeping company that uses their biometric data to personally safeguard their belongings. “So we’re basically turning into walking passwords?”

In terms of content that readers should be aware of in this novel, other than the blood, gore, and murderous cults, it’s only mentioned once in passing, but we learn that her motherkilled herself and Felix’s younger brother diedin a similar situation involving a group on the hunt for occult-related items.

The tone of this book feels so much like The CW show iZombie and the TV series Lucifer, both of which understand the seriousness of solving the murders they’re tasked with, but their lead characters are such unserious people that it never gets too dark. It’s the casual, upbeat, bright and cheerful let’s-get-on-with-it tone of a day out with your quirkiest, closest friends—even if that day out is an errand to secure trackers and weapons because you’re being stalked by a cult.

This book will be a hit with readers of cozy murder mysteries, not because it’s cozy exactly, but for the way it revolves around a small group of bookshop friends in a situation that pulls them out of their regular social circle and requires they use each of their interests, hobbies, and connections to complete the mission successfully. I loved the playful chapter titles (Chapter 14: “Yeah, I Had Visions;” Chapter 57: “Uh-oh” Chapter 34 “Aunt Joan’s Creepy Frigging Basement,”) and I’d recommend this book (from personal experience) for readers with ADHD or brain fog, because the short chapters each include one fast-paced, focused scene, which enables readers who struggle with focus to dive into this story effortlessly.

I was often struck by the brilliance of the prose while reading even the most shocking, gory scenes. On rainy days outdoors, I’ll forever think of Izzy standing at her father’s graveside, in thick mud “that sucked at her shoes.” I could hear the sickening squelch as the guts dropped out of the bodies in one of the most unsettling scenes of the book.

Author Morgan Mourne somehow keeps this subject matter dark and upbeat. There are many amusing moments in this fierce adventure, like when Izzy learns that the seven mystical bones would wake at any signs of human destruction to the earth and damage to the planet’s natural state, and she blurts out “Okay, so the bones are definitely awake.”

While there are a few unanswered questions once you sit and think about it (and which I’m growing hopeful means a sequel), The Bone Collector’s Daughter is a thrilling, heartwarmingly horrifying tale that is gory and gruesome and a complete joy to read. An entertaining journey with genuine heart, unexpected friendships, disturbing darkness, shocking twists, and a cast of people you’d like to hang out with—if they weren’t officially on the radar of a vicious, murderous cult and the literal and hallucinated monsters they can unleash.

Thank you for reading Andrea Marks-Joseph’s book review of The Bone Collector’s Daughter by Morgan Mourne! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Samantha Hui

A poignant story about how true freedom lies not in escaping the past but in embracing the present journey

“You can waste your whole life thinking you see things clearly until you wake up one morning and realize you haven’t seen a goddamn thing.”

Rob Costello’s An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys delves into the complexities of identity, self-acceptance, and the scars left by a difficult past. With its powerful exploration of toxic masculinity, generational trauma, and the struggle to find joy in a harsh world, this novel challenges readers to reflect on how society shapes young men and the struggles they face in embracing their true selves. It speaks to the enduring need for love, understanding, and connection, especially when confronted with personal and societal obstacles.

“All he ever succeeded in doing was to remind me he believed we’d come from shame. If there was anything infecting our lives, it was that.”

Toby Ryerson lives in the shadow of his mother’s scandalous past and tragic death. Embracing his reputation as the son of the town’s most promiscuous woman and his identity as a beautiful, flamboyant young man, Toby refuses to shrink in the face of judgment from the conservative town of Shelter Valley. 

Yet, as he navigates the pressures of his senior year of high school, it seems he is on a path that mirrors his mother’s troubled life. His challenges multiply as he contends with the emotional turmoil of his childhood friend Dylan, who is struggling with his own sexuality, while also facing the mounting expectations of his older brother, Jimmy, who insists Toby attend college. With obstacles piling up, Toby’s senior year spirals into a chaotic series of events, forcing him to question whether any positive resolution is possible.  

“At least my body was always there to tell my story to me. It was the one thing I truly owned in life, and its infinite capacity for sensation, its responses to pleasure and pain were mine and mine alone.”

Told almost as an epistolary novel addressed to his late mother, this story offers an intimate glimpse into the heart and mind of a young man grappling with his fears, desires, and unresolved past. Through Toby’s eyes, we witness not only his internal struggles but also the broader issues of America’s relationship with the past and the unspoken consequences now arising in its present. 

Toby never received closure after his mother overdosed when he was just four years old, and now, as Dylan falls into a coma before they can resolve their relationship, Toby faces the painful reality of unfinished connections. His strained relationship with his brother Jimmy, who avoids talking about their mother and anything truly meaningful, only deepens the emotional rift between them. These unresolved issues shape Toby’s complex sense of self, making him both fiercely independent and fearful that his own selfishness may lead to destruction.

“But without my brother to dream better things for me, all I had left was this, the best I’d ever dreamed for myself.”

This novel shines in its exploration of the various ways masculinity manifests in the lives of young men, highlighting the damaging effects of toxic masculinity in every scenario. Costello has created multi-dimensional characters who are raw, imperfect, and utterly human. Readers will find themselves swept up in Toby’s joy, only to feel frustration when he makes mistakes. While Toby is proud of his beauty and queerness, his desire to maintain a strong sense of identity pushes him to dream of escaping Shelter Valley for the city. 

But his longing to leave blinds him to the important question: What awaits him in the city? Dylan, in contrast, serves as a foil to Toby; his more masculine, closeted identity forces him to navigate the complexities of being a gay man who desires to remain unnoticed and adhere to societal expectations. Through their contrasting journeys, this novel powerfully portrays the struggle of embracing one’s true self in a world that demands conformity.

“You can’t burn your bridges to home. Don’t you know that’s what makes it home?”

An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys is a deeply moving novel about finding self-acceptance and communal joy amidst life’s messiness. Content warning for readers who have experienced certain traumas, as the book touches on topics such as substance abuse, death, sexual abuse, harassment, homophobia, and child neglect. Given that Toby is only seventeen, the series of events he faces are even more devastating. This novel will leave readers reflecting on the men in their lives and recognizing that these men were once boys, and many of them were failed by an ugly world. But with a little more love and acceptance, perhaps these boys can still find their way back to beauty.

Thank you for reading Samantha Hui’s book review of An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys by Rob Costello! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Haley Perry

A hilariously twisty adventure involving two families, peanut butter and jelly sandwich aliens, and FBI agents

Violet Wilson has a goal this year: to start a hard-hitting newspaper to combat the “cult of ignorance” growing in her school. 

Armed with a notebook, her best friend Pamela, and the annoying little brothers her mom forced her to watch, Violet sets out on a hike to decipher the necessary steps to make the newspaper succeed. 

Ironically, it is on this hike that they discover a headline that could not only ensure the school newspaper’s success but could also go down as a transformative moment in history. Wedged in a cave, they find a flying saucer that, once removed, spins, floats, flashes, and ultimately reveals a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

Violet and Pamela make the executive decision to seal off the scene and return to better document it. However, the sandwich proves just too tempting for her six-year-old brother, Willys, who is convinced that eating it will grant him superpowers. 

Trouble quickly arises when a much larger alien spacecraft descends over Oregon, and an alien species known as the Goobexes ask for help in locating this very sandwich. This kicks off a twisty adventure starring Violet’s and Pamela’s families in a race to uncover the mysteries of this sandwich. Together, the families must face a series of obstacles including but not limited to snooty FBI agents, self-propelling office chairs, a pack of sniffer dogs, and the unnamed U.S. president with “artificially tanned skin the color of cheddar cheese.”

The sheer randomness of this story makes it an incredibly engaging and delightful read. At no point is this story predictable. While the premise itself is funny, the book is made even more hilarious through slapstick humor and witty banter.

While the book may be presented as comically unserious, it also deftly touches on important issues such as sexism and media illiteracy, which leads to miseducation especially in relation to politics. Having both loving families work side-by-side creates a strong dichotomy that gets us thinking about the parentification of children and the social factors contributing to it.

But it’s the characters who really bring the story to life. Whether it’s Violet’s business-owning father or freshman gamer Brad, each character is fleshed out with a strong voice. We get access to the private thoughts of each of the family members which allows us to explore their characters even more. Although, it can be difficult sometimes to discern whose point of view a particular moment is being told from.

What a fun and enjoyable middle grade read! It’s funny and creatively suited for its audience, but it’s also poignant in a way that parents will appreciate. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches from Outer Space! would be a great choice for parents and teachers looking for something light and creative. With its addictive plot, this novel will show young readers just how fun reading can be. 

Thank you for reading Haley Perry’s book review of Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches from Outer Space! by I.S. Noah! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Elizabeth Reiser

A spunky heroine must save her beloved Imaginationville in this fun middle grade fantasy. 

Zena, an outspoken and fearless 12-year-old, is on a quest to quell her inner villain in the first of a new series from author ~CRK. 

Fiercely independent, Zena lives with only her pet penguin Guinnie for company. She enjoys her quiet life in Wonder Prairie but is forced to leave the comfort of her home when she learns the aptly named Volea Villain is waging a war in Imaginationville (I*V). Once in I*V, Zena must rely on new friendships if she wants good to prevail. 

This complex, multi-faceted world is easy and exciting to visualize. From detailed descriptions of each location to a town tour via a super slide that all towns should consider adding, the imaginative worldbuilding helps set the tone nicely. From the scenery depicted of the town and the adventures of the misfit group of friends, it becomes quite clear that there is plenty of Anime influence on this book

Another area where ~CRK shines is in their creation of the friend group. Zena, for all her independence, is actually quite lonely, and the friends she makes along the way all seem to have traits that she has or aspires to have. For instance, her new friend, 5, has a great sarcastic sense of humor while his sister, Calla, is a kind and caring pacifist who embodies the patience Zena knows she lacks. It is a supportive friend group, and Zena realizes along the way how much she needs that element in her life. 

As the story progresses, it is also revealed there is something more complicated at play regarding the friendships Zena is forming, and the story is not necessarily what it seems. It is a compelling twist to the storyline that has been lurking underneath the surface, though the tone of the book changes significantly when this is revealed. 

This is a complex plot, and it is made more challenging due to an occasional lack of context. The introduction is a bit of a mystery since there are terms specific to the book and not used in real life, so it requires some patience, but we do later receive a useful character breakdown and a short story explaining the origins of Zena at the back of the book. As this helps explain the more complicated details of the story, I’d probably recommend you read this before diving into the book.

The Angel’s Curse is a successful middle grade fantasy that exudes the allure of an Anime hero’s quest. It’s darn close to impossible not to root for Zena to find her way, so jump on board before the next book comes out.

Thank you for reading Elizabeth Reiser’s book review of The Angel’s Curse by ~CRK! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Lauren Hayataka

In the margins of memory and loss, three boys learn what it means to remember.

In La Ballona Creek, Brant Vickers delivers a quietly devastating novel about three boys drifting through grief, clinging to the banks of forgotten history that the world refuses to remember. 

Set in 1970s Culver City, this young adult novel is a time-traveling, genre-defying story that weaves together magical realism, Native history, and the emotional landscape of lost boys on the cusp of becoming something more.

Fifteen-year-old Jorma Nevala has never quite recovered from his mother’s death and his father’s abandonment. Raised by a permissive grandfather, Jorma finds his makeshift family in two brothers, Yogi and Sonny, who are just as untethered by grief and neglect. The trio scrounges out joy in blues records, filthy basements, and the murky expanse of La Ballona Creek—a cemented river basin both feared and sacred, a place that, like them, is overlooked and misunderstood. But it’s not just a refuge. It’s a passageway.

When Sonny disappears underground, first beneath his house and then into the sewer systems of Culver City, Jorma and Yogi follow him to a backyard trench and into the company of a reclusive shaman named Tomer. What begins as a search for their friend becomes a reckoning: with what was taken, what was buried, and what remains. Tomer is determined to preserve the memory of his ancestors, even as construction companies unearth and discard Tongva graves to make room for movie studios and luxury homes.

Tomer teaches the boys the difference between embracing a culture and adopting it. Vickers handles this with care—making it clear that the boys, who are not Native, are not “playing Indian.” Instead, they are listening, learning, and grieving in tandem with a people whose very existence has been written over. “You will never be Tongva,” Tomer warns them. “But you can take from it the things that make you better.”

There’s a gentle power in how Vickers constructs each boy: Yogi, whose athleticism is inherited but unwanted; Sonny, a selective mute at school but fluent in multiple languages, digging tunnels beneath his house and scavenging for facts and figures; and Jorma, the narrator, who floats unmoored by loss and by the feeling that he might disappear at any moment. Their friendship feels lived-in, believable in its love and its silences. There’s no sentimentality here. Just rawness. Just truth.

Midway through the novel, the boys are swept—literally and figuratively—into the past, where they encounter the Tongva people as they clash with Spanish missionaries. Here, the novel leans harder into its speculative elements, and while the emotional threads remain intact, the pacing begins to slow. The narrative sometimes meanders in this second half, particularly as the urgency of the present day gives way to a more reflective tone. Although these sections are still thoughtfully crafted, the novel feels most grounded—and most affecting—when it has both feet planted firmly in the California of 1970. 

What makes La Ballona Creek so devastating is that there is no catharsis, only clarity. The novel is about how identity can be erased—intentionally, systemically—and how those left behind are forced to live among the ruins. Tomer says the bones unearthed by developers were boxed up and stored in trailers. “Our graves,” he says, “are considered archaeological sites, not cemeteries.” That distinction defines every page. 

And yet, there’s hope. The boys are not healed, but they are changed. The past does not give them closeness; it gives them perspective. As the novel approaches its conclusion, it doesn’t chase a tidy resolution. Instead, it lingers in the quiet ache of what’s been lost and the fragile power of what can still be remembered. Vickers doesn’t pretend that understanding the past can undo harm—but he shows, with care, that remembrance can reshape how we move forward. Even in the face of cultural erasure and personal grief, perspective can be transformative. It is transformative.  

For all its genre-bending structure, what lingers most are the human moments: a shaman teaching a boy how to run, two boys missing their brother, and three kids daring to believe that they belong somewhere. Vickers writes with reverence for the invisible—the people and places history tried to forget—and gives them a voice that feels unmistakably alive.

Thank you for reading Lauren Hayataka’s book review of La Ballona Creek by Brant Vickers! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Warren Maxwell

An adventure that pits fantastical creatures and evil forces against the virtues of a tight-knit tribe

“‘Let me take you back to the beginning. We were peaceful and happy in our desert land. But a dark wind came, opposed to the Sacred Wind.’”

A sequel to Seasons of the Blue Pearl, Warriors of the Red Wolf carries on the epic story of Mia and the Warriors of the Hilltop. After defeating the hellish Nightmare Ogre and its Groo’yo in the series’ first installment, the tribe finds itself unmoored from any land. The story begins as they follow Mia, who has the ability to hear and interpret the voice of the Sacred Wind, over mountains and across plains in search of a new home. 

After years of walking, the lonely march begins to bear fruit. They find camaraderie with other tribes and build new bonds, yet this fortune is dampened by a dark, nebulous force that hangs over the fertile lands they discover. The evil force poisons the hearts and minds of everything around it, twisting lies into truth, realities into fantasies, kindness into cruelty, and must be overcome in order for Mia and her people to make the newfound land into a peaceful home.

“‘See the dark shapes of countless ravens perched in the branches, their backs hunched as they wait patiently for the story to begin. Listen as the great raven tells the flock everything it witnessed as it soared over the Blue Pearl and watched our people’s progress.’”

This is a novel of skillfully woven together episodes and events. Each chapter spills into the next, maintaining a taut overarching narrative that provides a constant source of entertainment. Even in passages that describe Mia and the tribe’s long, nomadic journeys, there is action and adventure mixed in. 

Traveling across a mountain pass gives way to a deadly foot race when the Warriors of the Hilltop encounter another tribe. As the story pushes forward, the pace and frequency of such dramatic encounters increases, imbuing small quiet moments—gazing at the stars or listening to the winds—with a potent, much needed sense of relief and philosophical introspection. 

“‘The Sacred Wind loves our differences, just as it loves the differences among the plants and animals and all things it has created. We are not meant to be all the same!’”

The novel has a tremendous ability to whip up a storm with its prose, capturing fantastical images like that of a glowing red yarn that nurtures and encases the world, alongside gruesome acts of violence and sobering moments of sorrow and loss. When Mia, overwhelmed by the trauma of what she has already experienced, begins to wish for the quiet and silence of crossing over into another realm beyond Earth, the Blue Pearl, the book’s language captures this sincere pain with gravity and depth. This ability to fully inhabit and shift between emotional and dynamic registers sets this book apart. 

“We are Warriors but do not make war

“We are water flowing gently, nourishing the land 

“We walk the winding path and are the path itself”

At the novel’s core, establishing its emotional force, is the deep sense of values and human feeling that are endowed on the large cast of characters. Whether it be Mia, who carries the responsibility for the wellbeing of her whole tribe at a very young age, or her Uncle Ho-e, who never misses a moment to spread laughter and joy among the warriors, each central character is grounded with a palpable sense of love and compassion for the world around them. This is embodied in the framing device that governs the novel—somewhere in the future, Uncle Ho-e is recounting the story of the tribe’s exploits to the next generation, ensuring that the children know of their ancestor’s sacrifices and remain connected to that legacy. This goodhearted instinct to respect and preserve the memories of others runs through the story and makes for a deeply resonant reading experience. 

A poignant and epic adventure of a tribe searching for a land to call their own, Warriors of the Red Wolf speaks to the power of love, family, and righteousness even in the face of a dark, nihilistic force.

Thank you for reading Warren Maxwell’s book review of Warriors of the Red Wolf by Nicholas Varner! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Lauren Hayataka

A teenage girl discovers strength in discipline—and the strange magnetism of rage.

Fifteen-year-old Fanny Berk isn’t trying to save anyone—not even herself. Still reeling from a violent antisemitic attack that forced her family to flee their hometown, Fanny prefers to stay hidden in dark clothing and sharp silence. 

Her only sense of control comes from karate, where she’s one step away from earning her brown belt. But a single act of intervention—protecting a classmate from a brutal bullying assault—pulls her into a criminal underworld with dangerous reach, and she finds herself faced with a new choice: stay invisible or fight back.

Luxenburg has created a protagonist whose rage and intelligence run just beneath the surface. Fanny is clever, guarded, and not always kind, especially when it comes to her peers. Her Inner Voice is unapologetically critical, sometimes to the point of internalized misogyny, with needling comments about the length of her classmates’ skirts and their sexuality. And yet, it becomes clear that this judgment isn’t rooted in cruelty so much as defense. Fanny, like many teenagers navigating grief and isolation, keeps others at bay because letting them in is too dangerous. That’s one lesson Fanny learned well.

Karate becomes more than a skill set—it’s a language, a philosophy, and, at times, the only way Fanny can understand herself. Her descriptions of Flow—the feeling of full-body presence in motion—are among the book’s most grounded and lyrical moments. The story feels most lived-in in these scenes as if the narrator momentarily lets her guard down. Her ability to move through chaos with ghost-like precision, whether it’s a crowded hallway or a brutal fight, gives the novel an energy that offsets its heavier emotional undercurrents.

What makes the story resonate is not just the fighting or the danger but how it frames female anger as something purposeful. Fanny doesn’t need to be sweet or likable to be strong. Her power lies in her refusal to be underestimated and in her ability to endure without compromising who she is. Even when she makes mistakes—and she makes plenty—there’s a sense that she’s learning what it means to trust, not just in others, but in herself.

The mystery woven into the background, involving arson, extortion, and white supremacy, becomes the book’s strongest narrative arc. The shift from school drama to small-town conspiracy unfolds at a steady pace while remaining accessible to its YA audience. As Fanny and her new friends, the “Motley Crew,” uncover the layers of corruption and danger in their town, the stakes escalate without losing sight of their emotional core.

Though some of the dialogue leans exaggerated and the internal monologues occasionally drift into tangents, the story has undeniable momentum. The pacing, broken into short chapters, keeps the plot moving even when tone and realism wobble. Still, there’s something satisfying about watching a prickly character like Fanny slowly—but not entirely—soften. Her growth isn’t grand or dramatic but shows in small, meaningful shifts. She begins to open herself up to others, to see the complexity of the people she once dismissed, and to accept help.

One of the sweetest subplots is her bond with Buddy, a black lab who quietly works his way past her defenses. Their connection, simple and undemanding, becomes a stand-in for the vulnerability she’s reluctant to show anyone else. For a character who seems determined to be alone, the presence of that dog says more than she ever would out loud.

Fanny Berk Strikes Back is a debut with jagged edges—some intentional, others not—but there’s real weight to its core. It asks what strength looks like when it’s born from fear and how a teenager might hold both anger and love in the same clenched fist. Though not without missteps, the book builds a world where justice is messy, trust is earned slowly, and healing can begin with a fight.

Thank you for reading Lauren Hayataka’s book review of Fanny Berk Strikes Back by Avi Luxenburg! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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