2024 Book Review #1 – Belle of the Ball

Can you believe that we are approaching the end of February? I feel like we just started this month. At least I got to complete my TBR for this month. I plan to complete one more thing: a book review on Bell of the Ball.

Bell of the Ball, by Mari Costa, focused on a high school senior, Belle Hawkins, who is a shy girl as the mascot of the cheerleading squad. At the start of the story, you see her try to ask her crush, Regina, out on a date, believing that her crush is no longer with her current girlfriend, Chloe. This leads to a confrontation with Chloe. When Regina finds out that Chloe is failing school, she asks Belle to help tutor Chloe. Throughout their senior year, you see Belle grow and develop her confidence and feelings for the girl she is tutoring.

I gave this book four out of five stars on Goodreads. As much as I enjoyed the story and found it cute and fun, it didn’t wow me and made me feel I needed to hand this book out to everyone. I will focus on the things I did not like about the book first, and then I will move on to the things I did like.

One of the things that I did not like about the book was that it was a slow start. It took me a while to get into this book. One of the reasons why I was not so easily hooked on the book was that it also took me a while to want to be with the characters. I could not stand to read some of our main characters. I felt that Ragina, our character’s crush, was a bit shallow and mean to our character at the beginning of the story. I know that mean is not the correct word, but she did use Belle’s feelings to get her to tutor her girlfriend for free. The last issue I have with the book is its unbelievable maturity. I know that was the author’s intention with Regina. However, some moments existed when I sat there and thought even an adult would not be that mature in that situation. Those are the issues that I have with the book.

However, there were a lot of things that I loved about the book. I love how Belle grows and develops throughout the book. I love how her interactions with both Chloe and Regina helped her come out of her shell and find herself and what she wanted. As time goes on with this book, you see these interactions and people asking Belle where she was, only to discover that she was at that school the whole time. Those interactions end up being positive, where people claim to enjoy her company and wish they got to know her longer. I also love how the book has these moments that make you happy, but it also keeps the drama of high school. Finally, I love the ending. I love how it is a happy ending for everyone involved and that you get to see their life after high school.

Do I recommend the book? This is one of the books where I have to know you and your likes before recommending this book to you. If you love comics and are into LGBTQ+ romance, you will enjoy this book. If you read the book, please let me know what you think about it and some of our characters’ maturity levels in this book. I would like to see if I am the only one who has the sense that some of our characters are too mature.

I hope your week goes well and you enjoy the last bit of February.

Until next time,

Super Bookworm

The Phantom Tollbooth Review

My little vacation on the Queen Mary is going well. The internet is slow, but we are having fun so far. I am enjoying the chance to learn about the ship’s history and experience the slow internet unless I am over in the lobby. 

The trip provided me with a great chance to get some reading done. On the way down, I listened to The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I was tired when listening to the book and having difficulty not being car-sick on the drive down to Long Beach. Ultimately, I gave the book four and a half stars out of five.

The Phantom Tollbooth is about a boy, Milo, who is bored with life. He is given a magical tollbooth that transports him to the Lands Beyond. He befriends some inhabitants and saves them by bringing back their princesses, Rhyme and Reason.  

First of all, I did enjoy the nature of this book. I loved the puns and the play of words that happened. Half the fun of this book was figuring out the puns and how Norton Juster used them to help us explore our world of language. The other thing I liked about this book is the lessons you learn. Each character that Milo meets teaches Milo a great life lesson, and these lessons are essential even in today’s world. The last thing that I liked was the world and character-building. The world is whimsical enough to be fun. It is hard to describe, but the world is fun and silly. Not taking the fictional world seriously makes it even more enjoyable. I also like that Juster did not write his characters to be likable. Each character worked together to help our main character grow and be a better person. It felt that the characters fit into the situation and responded as they usually would. 

There were a few things that I did not enjoy. It all came down to listening to the audiobook. The actors were all right, but listening to the puns was more challenging to catch. Sometimes, I wondered if I was missing anything because I could not catch all the puns. In addition, with the audiobook, you do not get any great artwork as you would with the physical or eBook copy. I borrowed the eBook from the library, saw some of the artwork, and realized that some of the charms were lost from the audiobook. The other thing that I wanted to change was all the introductions and forwards to this book. In the audiobook, they combined both the introduction and the forward in one, but it wasn’t enjoyable. I will admit that I wanted to get into the story right away. I wish the forward was kept and the introduction was put at the end. They both stated the same thing, which was this book’s history and origins. 

In the end, I do recommend the book. I only recommend listening to the book if it is a reread. People will enjoy the fun and whimsical world of Lands Beyond and the good puns throughout the book. In addition, the lessons that are taught throughout the book are helpful. I do not recommend anyone reading the book when tired or dealing with motion sickness. However, even if you end up in that situation, you will still enjoy the book. 

I hope you will enjoy your week full of adventure in the pages of your book. 

Until next time, 

Super Bookworm

Odder Review

So far, this month is going well. I am almost done with the last book on my TBR, have created March’s TBR, and working I have finished this review. This weekend was very productive. I do hope that your weekend was just as effective. Let’s get started with this review. 

Odder, by Katerine Applegate, follows Odder, a rescued sea otter who ends up back at the rescue center after a shark attack. We follow Odder from the attack and her upbringing at the rescue center. 

I gave this book five out of five stars on Goodreads. I loved this book. One of the things that I loved about this book was the uniqueness of the storytelling. This story is told in poems. It made the story a quick read, but I also loved the format for its playfulness and for giving a more potent snapshot of that moment in Odder’s life. In addition, I love our main character Odder and enjoyed seeing her playfulness. As you read along with the book, it also makes the results of the shark attack a sadder experience because you want to see Odder have fun and be her happy, joyful self. In addition, Odder embodied the playfulness and characteristics of what we see with otters. I also enjoyed the information about sea otters at the back of the book. Finally, I enjoyed seeing that Katherine Applegate did some research and shared that research with her readers. 

I would keep everything the same as in the book. I loved the book and enjoyed how it brightened my day seeing Odder overcome her struggles. I know that you will too. I do recommend this book to everyone. You will enjoy hanging out with our playful otter and her growth throughout the story. 

I hope the last bit of February will go well for you. 

Until next time, 

Super Bookworm

Project Hail Mary Review

Before we start this review, I want to note that I am typing this on an iPad. Sorry for the lack of picture for this review, as well as any mistakes that I have made.

Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir, is about Ryland Grace, the sole survivor on a spaceship destined to save earth from an alien life destroying the sun. However, when Ryland wakes up, he doesn’t remember who he is or what he is supposed to do. Along the way, he meets an alien life form, looking for the same answers to the same problem. As both work together to save their worlds, they become friends and help each other with other issues.

I gave this book four out of five stars on Goodreads. I enjoyed the book, and there were times when I became obsessed with it; however, it was not the same as The Martian, and I realized that I would be comparing these books. 

There are a few things that I did enjoy with this book. The first was the problem, or the plot, of the story. I grew up with science fiction, and I do not feel like I have ever come up with a problem of alien life from sucking the energy from the sun. I also enjoyed the dual timeline of past and present and how Andy Weir weaved them together to form a story. Finally, I also enjoyed the glimpse into the future for Ryland and seeing if his research helped. 

However, there were a few things that I did not enjoy. The first issue I had was the constant issue in comparing this book to Andy Weir’s other book, The Martian. In looking at everyone’s discussion of the book, I was not alone in that experience. Even though both books are vastly different, I still felt like I was experiencing the other book. The other issue that I had with this book was the main character. I don’t hate the guy, but he sometimes annoys me while reading this book. Like The Martian, a lot of science technobabble is used; however, it was not easily understood. The science technobabble was the other complaint I saw in the chat on Goodreads. I didn’t mind reading it. However, I believe there were parts that I glazed over the information because it was too much. What bothered me was that our main character, Ryland Grace, was a middle school science teacher, so I hoped that making the information accessible would come naturally to him. Finally, the last issue with this book was the ending. To not spoil the book, I will claim that the end was okay; I just wished to see another perspective with the conclusion.

Ultimately, I am not confident in recommending this book to everyone. However, if I know you personally and believe you would like this book, I would recommend this book. In the end, the issues that I had with the book and what I saw with others are enormous issues that will affect your enjoyment of this book.

That is it for this review. I hope your week was beautiful and you enjoyed your adventures. 

Until next time, 

Super Bookworm

Legends and Lattes Review

So far, the first week of the new year has been kind. I did not participate in Bout of Books this year, but I got some reading. As of right now, I have finished three books. 

One of the books I have finished this year is Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. This book focuses on Liv, an Orc who decided to open up a coffee shop after a life of being a bounty hunter. The book focuses on friendships and Liv’s challenges as she starts her business. 

I gave this book five out of five stars on Goodreads. If I were honest with my stars, I would give the book four and a half stars out of five. However, I did get the version that has the prequel bonus story. Aside from the bonus story, I loved this book and enjoyed being in this world. I enjoyed meeting the characters, seeing them grow and develop into their new roles, and making decisions that helped support the change they wanted to see in themselves. Most of the characters you meet want to spend more time with, and you want to get to know them. The characters I don’t like are there to help develop the plot and move the story along. I got a little introduction to the world of DnD this summer, and this was an excellent story for DnD lovers. While reading this book, I felt like I was watching a dnd session play out. The bonus story is good. It does give out how Liv got introduced to coffee and does support the plot line of Liv wanting to leave the bounty hunter’s life behind. 

There is nothing that I would want to change in this story. The writing, character development, and story are lovely and fun. Many people would enjoy this, but I strongly recommend this to those that play DnD. This book would be up their alley, and they will appreciate it more. 

That is my review. I do hope that you enjoyed your first week of the new year and that you got to enjoy many beautiful adventures.  

Until next time, 

Super Bookworm

Review #68 – Alice Adventure in Wonderland

I cannot believe that next week we will be in October. I have not finished my September TBR, but I am working on it. However, I did complete a book today, and it was Alice Adventures in Wonderland. I do want to give a review of this book. 

Alice Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, is about a girl, Alice, who follows the White Rabbit down a hole to a new world. Throughout the book, we follow Alice in her adventures as she meets interesting characters. 

I gave this book one star on Goodreads. I am unsure if I would give this book one or two stars. For the sake of this review, I am giving this book 1.5 stars out of five. 

I did not like this book. Calling it bizarre and crazy is an understatement. I am still trying to understand what I experienced. Reading it aloud made it worse, which is what I did in the beginning because it was one of the activities I did while I babysat. Unfortunately, I do not think the person I read aloud to also enjoyed this book. I also could not get into the book. I tried. I decided to finish the book since it was so short. In addition, I hated our main character. At the beginning of the book, I found Alice to be annoying, rude, and snobbish. However, her attitude does change throughout the book, though she is still annoying. 

In the end, I do not recommend this book. However, I am glad I read it and got a chance to experience it. However, I feel this book is an experience everyone should have. 

I hope the last bit of September will be fantastic and that you will enjoy the beginning of the seasons changing. 

Until next time, 

Super Bookworm

Review #67 – Shark Summer

Summer would not be complete without a beach read or sharks. What would be a better way of accomplishing that than with this book review?

The book that I will review is Shark Summer by Ira Marks. The book follows Gayle who injured her arm at the start of summer with the final baseball game of the season. With the belief that her summer is over and her mom trying to make ends meet, she meets an aspiring cinematographer Elijah. Through Elijah, she discovers a youth film contest that could help both her and Elijah out. They team up with another teen, Maddy, who helps them with their film. Throughout the summer, all three discover the truth about their island while learning and dealing with a film crew going around the island filming another movie altogether. 

I gave this book three out of five stars on Goodreads. If I could partial ratings, I would have given this book 3.5 stars out of five. I enjoyed the story and found it entertaining. Seeing the “Jaws” movie being filmed was fun, and learning about cinematography was fun. The mystery element focusing on the island’s past made the story interesting and is a great topic for young moviemakers. I also enjoyed the art and found that it was fun. I did enjoy how the art style, in both drawing and color pallet, when the story changed from the main story to about the island’s history with the shark cult. However, that is where the enjoyment ends. 

In the end, even though the book was fun, I still had some issues with the book. One issue that I had was the character Maddy. When you learned about Maddy’s background you find out that she got kicked out of school. The issue that I had was that there was no public school on the island, it was just a private school. I am not used to the East Coast and how educational jurisdictions are created, but it was weird that Maddy was forced to go to homeschooling because the book made it seem like there wasn’t a school for her. The other issue was that Maddy got kicked out of school on an event that happened after school and not on school grounds. You learned from Maddy that she got tired of the bullying and when she asked for help, no one would, so when she was getting bullied out of school, she tried to make it stop. I understand that Maddy might not be the most reliable storyteller, but it makes no sense that one incident made the whole town kick her out of school. I understand that the author had to separate Maddy from everyone, but how didn’t make sense. Finally, the one thing I did not like about this book was how I did not feel like I would want to share it. In my planner, I wrote, ” I enjoyed the book, the story, and the art. I just don’t feel like sharing it with everyone.” Looking back and trying to figure out why made me realize that this book did not give me that spark. Even though I enjoyed the book, I did not feel the need or desire to promote this book. 

This leads me to the recommending portion of this review. I do believe that middle schoolers will enjoy this book and maybe the adults who love Jaws. Some of the adults might enjoy seeing Bruce. Mainly keep this book for 9 – 13-year-olds. I believe they will enjoy the adventure and get some “beach time” while they are at it. 

That is it for this review. I hope your day will be well and you enjoy the last bits of summer. 

Until next time, 

Super Bookworm

Review #66 – Are You Listening?

I cannot believe that summer is going to end soon. I am slowly getting all the things I will have to do before the start of the new school year. So far, August is going well I have read a book and hoping to finish a few more before school starts.  

This review is one of the hardest that I have written in a long time. I believe the best way to go about this review is to mention the trigger warnings. This book does talk about rape and the death of a loved one. Because of these trigger warnings, it is hard to recommend this book. Let me explain. 

Are you Listening? by Tillie Walden is about two people, Bea and Lou, who end up traveling across Texas together after they meet up at a gas station. Along the way, they rescue a cat and try to get the cat back to its owner. As they do, they end up on a journey of self-discovery and have crazy adventures with the cat. 

I enjoyed the storyline. While I was reading the book, I did not want to put the book down. The story was a bit dark, but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the characters and felt that they were not only believable but characters you would want to spend time with to get to know better. The art in the book was beautiful. As a graphic novel, the art was not just telling the story but the choice of color as well. I felt that the flow from night to day and back worked well as the color pallet helped with the storytelling. 

However, there were a few issues that I had with the story. The first is that parts of the story were a bit confusing. There were parts that I did have to reread and I realized that we switched from timelines (character’s background stories) to location, like the magical world they landed in. I do wish that the author would have flushed out some bits of the story to help clarify. I also wished the author would change her color pallet when we changed locations from reality to the magical. Not a whole lot, but a bit more to help to reader feel that change to the magical.  

In all, I enjoyed the story and would love to read more work by this author. However, I gave this book four out of five stars on Goodreads. The downgrade of the star is from not being able to recommend this book to everyone. Not only do I have the issue of the trigger warnings, but I also feel like this book speaks better to an older audience. Yes, a teenager can read and understand this book, but they would not be impacted or affected as much as an adult would. I felt that because I had experienced the death of love a one, I was able to relate to Lou and feel empathic with Lou. I feel like life experiences help one to become closer to the story. 

This is why this book review is so hard. Unlike other book reviews where I can recommend to a group, I cannot with this book. I feel that I should get to know you, reader, personally before I recommend this book. I don’t want to trigger you or have you feeling like you have wasted your time. I do feel that this book is beautiful and should be shared with the world. 

That is it for this book review. I do hope that you are enjoying your adventures and having fun. 

Until next time, 

Super Bookworm

Review # 65 – Check Please! Books 1 and 2

Check Please book 1 and 2 follows Bitty during his four years at college. Book one focuses on Bitty’s first two years at Samwell, while book two focuses on Bitty’s junior and senior years. Both books focus on Bitty’s cooking and Hockey games, but they also focus on Bitty as a person in the LGBTQ+ community. In book one, we focus on Bitty discovering himself, while book two focuses on Bitty coming out and embracing himself and his true identity. 

In all, I gave both books five out of five stars. There isn’t anything that I would want to fix in the books. I loved the storylines in both books and fell in love with the characters. You even become attached to some of the side characters since they play a role in Bitty’s growth during his time in college. The art style I feel fits this type of story. I love the color choices. I also felt that the art form helps tell the story. In addition to being a graphic novel, I appreciate that the story is told through Bitty’s blogs and you get to see what happens and hear his reflection on the events in his life. I also enjoy how the story is continued and told through tweets and how graphic novels explain hockey terms. 

Overall, I felt that this story was pure fluff and brought so much happiness to my life. I enjoyed picking up both books and reading about our hockey stars. I do believe that everyone will enjoy these graphic novels. I believe it will bring a smile to your face and a bit of happiness throughout your day. 

That is it. I do hope that you have enjoyed this review. 

Until next time, 

Super Bookworm

Review #64 – Boyfriend Material

I hope to whip off this review within the short time that I have here at the library. Yeah, that brought me back to the early days when I would write up reviews and focus on my blog while waiting between jobs. Instead, it was one job canceling and waiting for job three to begin. So without further ado, let’s begin. 

The book that I will be reviewing is Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall. This book follows Luc O’Donnell as he is trying to save his job after a compromising image and post about him ruining his image. To save his job, he needs to find a fake boyfriend and make the world believes that he is in a nice, normal, and healthy relationship. Luc asks his friends for help and meets Oliver Blackwood. None of the men have anything in common except the need to have a boyfriend for a big event. Both men strike up a deal that they will be each other’s fake boyfriends until the last of the big events happen. However, throughout their time together they develop feelings for each other. 

I gave this book four out of five stars on Goodreads. If I could, I would give it four and a half stars out of five. I enjoyed the book and found it fun to read. I love the characters. I found Luc to be fun, relatable, and realistic. It makes sense for Luc to have high anxiety around the press with everything that had happened to him in the past. In addition, his tons of anxiety made him relatable as he tried to cope with everything that is happening in his life. I also enjoyed dependable, neat, and orderly Oliver. Oliver is the opposite of Luc, but the pairing works and in the end, they support each other. The other characters in the story were fun too. Some of them were a bit weird, but they do help both characters and move the story along. Finally, this last like goes with the audiobook. I felt that the actor that they chose to read the story fit the part of Luc. Even though I was not a fan of his reading, I could not help but hear his voice when I started reading the book. 

There are a couple of things that I did not like with the book. The first was the slow beginning. It just felt like it took a while before the story started. I understand the need to set everything up in a story, but I felt that Alexis Hall could have moved things a bit faster in the beginning. The other issue that I had was the audiobook. The actor was not bad, I just felt that he was a bit bland. It is weird since I cannot hear another person playing Luc, but I felt that the actor brought nothing to the story. It was better to read the book than to listen to it. 

In the end, I do recommend the book. I believe that everyone will enjoy the story and the characters. You will find Luc and Oliver to be the perfect match and their developing relationship a wonderful adventure. I don’t recommend the audio though. I felt that I lost so much from listening to the book. 

That it is. I do hope that you will have a wonderful weekend that is filled with many wonderful adventures. 

Until next time, 

Super Bookworm