July Book Reviews

Being summer, I've had a pretty solid reading month. Of course, I also read eight comic books, so that does help. But I got in a good number novels and caught up on some things I've been wanting to read.

Liked Best

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy- Karen Foxlee

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Likes:

• Ophelia. She was the protagonist and she was spunky and smart. I loved her personality, especially her annoyance at being prophesied.

• Magical feel. I love a book with a magical quality to it.

• Great retelling of The Snow Queen. It drew inspiration from the tale without being a close repeat. It was well done.

Dislikes:

• A little predictable. I guessed all the plot twists and reveals before Ophelia did. I don't know if I was supposed to or not, but that did lower my rating a bit.

• I think Ophelia used her inhaler too much. She was constantly sucking at it and I don't think that's healthy.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon- Kelly Barnhill

Rating: 5 stars

Likes:

• An amazing story about family and magic. I listened to the audiobook of this and it was so good. Sometimes I had to shut my eyes and just drink in the story. The whole thing was beautiful.

• Fyrian. Even though he wasn't the main character, Fyrian the tiny dragon was my favorite. He was so adorable and I want him to come live in my pocket.

• Nicely built world. It had a nice, old time feel to it. Magic and wizards and witches and creepy woods. Everything you need for a fantasy story.

Dislikes:

• Not much. Luna was annoying at times, but I think that's about it.

Liked Least

The Oceans Between Stars- Kevin Emerson

Rating: 3 stars

Likes:

• More serious. One of my biggest problems with book one was that it wasn't serious enough, so this one fixed that problem at least.

• Another good time crunch. It had me at the edge of my seat at the end, so I guess that's a good thing.

Dislikes:

• It just annoyed me. Have you ever read a book that you just didn't like and couldn't put your finger on why? That's what this series is like for me. I can't say what I don't like about the book, just that I didn't like it.

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm- Kate Douglas Wiggin

Rating: 3 stars

Likes:

• Rebecca was pretty cute. She was a sweet little thing that made me smile.

• A nice classic. It had all the elements of a classic, although it wasn't a favorite of mine.

Dislikes:

• It moved very quickly. Rebecca goes from a young girl to graduating high school in a 250-ish page book. A lot of stuff was skimmed to fit it all in.

• Romance between Rebecca and Adam Ladd? I don't know if there was, but it felt like there was one there, which is weird because he's like ten or more years older than her, and he knew her when she was little.

Notable Mention

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street- Karina Yan Glaser

This book made my heart happy in so many ways. There was a big family with five children who fought but still loved each other, as well as one girl that played violin. It was amazing and I could gush forever about it, but I'll spare you and just say go read it right now.

Other Books Read

Love and War- Melissa de la Cruz (4 stars)

The Adventurers Guild- Zach Loran Clark (4 1/2 stars)

The Last Flight of the Harbinger- Jason Aaron (4 stars)

Rebel Jail- Jason Aaron (3 stars)

The Traitor Prince- C. J. Redwine (5 stars)

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You- Ally Carter (4 stars)

Renegades- Marissa Meyer (4 stars)

Greater Power- Jason Latour (4 stars)

Most Wanted?- Jason Latour (4 stars)

Gwenom- Jason Latour (4 stars)

Yoda's Secret War- Jason Aaron (5 stars)

The Screaming Citadel- Kieron Gillen (4 stars)

The Lightning Thief- Rick Riordan (5 stars)

Out Among the Stars- Jason Aaron (3 stars)

What's a book you didn't like, but didn't know why? Do you prefer magical or realistic books? Tell me in the comments.

Suggested Posts:

June Book Reviews

Book Review: Aru Shah and the End of Time