Rachel Reads & Reviews

The Lunar Chronicles: Winter Review

Now it might be typical for me to say that a YA book about a ordinary girl becoming the face of a revolution reminds me of The Hunger Games. But it does. It’s a testament to Meyer’s skill because like Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy she doesn’t sugarcoat the ugly aspects of war and revolution. Poor citizens make up the majority of the population and together, they can overwhelm the powerful minority. It still means that many will die, people will get hurt and loved ones will be sacrificed. You can’t save everyone.
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September 29, 2022

Reviews

#fairytale, #fantasy, #feiwel&friends, #macmillan, #marissameyer, #rachelreads&reviews, #scifi, #thelunarchronicles, #winter, #YA
The Lunar Chronicles: Cress Review

I really enjoyed Meyer’s take on the classic Rapunzel tale in Cress, giving further insight to the turncoat shell and hacker, Crescent Moon as well as giving Thorne some spotlight as well.
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September 28, 2022

Reviews

#cress, #fairytale, #fantasy, #feiwel&friends, #macmillan, #marissameyer, #rachelreads&reviews, #scifi, #thelunarchronicles, #YA
Rapture of the Deep Review

Jacky’s last adventure was mainly a land-locked battle so now we return to her deep diving roots when British Intelligence forces her to search for sunken treasure.
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September 27, 2022

Reviews

#bloodyjackadventures, #historicalfiction, #houghtonmifflin, #lameyer, #nautical, #rachelreads&reviews, #raptureofthedeep, #YA
The Lunar Chronicles: Scarlet Review

Meyer creates a spooky horror atmosphere in her sophmore adventure of The Lunar Chronicles that continues the adventures of fugitive Cinder and takes on the Red Riding Hood tale.
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September 26, 2022

Reviews

#fairytale, #fantasy, #feiwel&friends, #macmillan, #marissameyer, #rachelreads&reviews, #scarlet, #scifi, #thelunarchronicles, #YA
The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder Review

Theere have been lots of good buzz and review of the Lunar Chronicles and finally I have started the epic saga of Earth versus the Lunar society and the fairytale-inspired characters who unite to stop it.
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September 25, 2022

Reviews

#cinder, #fairytale, #fantasy, #feiwel&friends, #macmillan, #marissameyer, #rachelreads&reviews, #scifi, #thelunarchronicles, #YA
Ranking The Loyal League

Alyssa Cole’s Loyal League trilogy takes a romance to a little explored era, the Civil War. Okay maybe it’s explored a bit but this is a lot more than star crossed southern belle and Yankee soldier. This series follows three detectives of the Loyal League, freed and enslaved people who follow Loyalty, Liberty, Love and Lincoln using espionage to defeat the South. As you can imagine these protagonists have a lot more at stake than the average citizen so they’re wholly dedicated to the cause but what happens when love presents more than a few wrinkles to their mission?
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September 24, 2022

Rankings

#ahopedivided, #alyssacole, #anextraordinaryunion, #anunconditionalfreedom, #civilwar, #historicalromance, #kensingtonbooks, #rachelreads&reviews, #romance, #theloyalleague
Twisted Tales: Almost There Review

The latest Twisted Tale is here and asks “What if Tiana made a deal that changed everything?”
New Twisted Tale writer, Farrah Rochon starts dramatically enough with the climatic scene in the catacombs as Tiana crushes the talisman in front of Dr. Facilier. Well, she was about to crush it when the Shadow Man offers the one thing she wants most.

You might think it’s the restaurant as he did but Tiana is much better than that. She’ll earn her restaurant fair and square. Rochon does a lovely job in displaying Tiana’s strong ethics and respect for herself right in the first chapter. But then Dr. Facilier offers the big ace in his sleeve, he can bring her Dad back.

It’s too tempting, seeing her beloved father again and living the rest of his years out as he was supposed to, how could she not want that. That and a little persuasive blackmail and Tiana shakes the poor sinner’s hand.

Now a year, she and her father have their supper club and Naveen no longer remembers who she is (it was an additional clause to the spell even though it hurts Tiana’s heart to see him). But the universe is all about symmetry. With Mardi Gras season beginning again, Dr. Facilier is switching up the deal and Tiana realizes that she’s truly stuck under his thumb.
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September 23, 2022

Reviews

#almostthere, #disney, #disneyhyperion, #farrahrochon, #rachelreads&reviews, #theprincessandthefrog, #twistedtales, #YA
Book Highlight: The Wonders We Seek

The Wonders We Seek: Thirty Incredible Muslims Who Helped Shape the World by Saadia Faruqi and Aneesa Mumtaz is an informative book that does exactly what it says in the title.
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September 22, 2022

Book/Author Highlight

#aneesamumtaz, #harpercollins, #muslimhistory, #nonfiction, #rachelreads&reviews, #saadiafaruqui, #thewondersweseek, #thirtyincrediblemuslimswhohelpedshapetheworld
Deborah Gregory Interview

Deborah Gregory is a fabulous fashion designer, author, journalist and Mama Cheetah creator of the Cheetah Girls. Here she talks about her famous creation and what she’s creating next.

1. What draws you to cheetahs and their fierce patterns?

The first time I made a cheetah dress I was about 11 years old. I bought the fabric and made the dress by hand. The next day in school my dress came apart at the seams and my bloomers were showing! My best friend Candy Brown gave me her sweater to wrap around my waist! My attraction to animal prints was so natural I can’t even tell you what it was but I can tell you that the kids in school started yelling at me: SHE’S GREAT! (as in Tony The Tiger. pobrecito kiddies didn’t know the difference!)
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September 21, 2022

Interview

#cheetahgirls, #deborahgregory, #rachelreads&reviews
Author Highlight: Ann M. Martin

Ann M. Martin has shaped so many lives with her children and young adult fiction ever since the 80s I believe. The first Martin classic has lived on in pop culture with reboots and reprints is The BSC-The Babysitter’s Club!
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September 20, 2022

Book/Author Highlight

#acorneroftheuniverse, #annm.martin, #bsc, #comingofage, #heretoday, #mainstreet, #middlegrade, #rachelreads&reviews, #scholastic, #thebabysittersclub, #thedollpeople