Book Review Tuesday – Page 35 – The Bookish Mutant

Book Review Tuesday (9/26/17)-The Shadow Cipher

Posted on September 26, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

‘Sup, fellow bibliophiles! Welcome to the very last BRT of September 2017! I promise, it won’t be nearly as disappointing as my last post…heh heh heh…NOT SORRY! HAH!

Anyway, I read this book while I was on the school trip that I mentioned earlier, and I thought it was really interesting. Enjoy your review!

The Shadow Cipher

In an alternate version of New York City in 1798, unimaginable technology unlike nothing the world had ever seen powers and advances everything, all thanks to the Morningstarr Twins, a pair of genius architects and inventors. Just after their ideas were put to use, they vanished, leaving only the Old York Cipher, a puzzle that takes you through the grand city, with great treasures promised to those who solve it. Now, almost 220 years later, no one has solved it. But siblings Tess and Theo and their friend Jaime believe that they can. This time, there’s more at stake than treasure-a slimy real estate developed has announced that the apartment complex they live in, constructed by the Morningstarr Twins themselves, will be torn down in thirty days. Can they solve the Old York Cipher before they lose their home?

Though The Shadow Cipher wasn’t mind-blowingly amazing or anything, it was still a very interesting read, with writing and mystery that will keep you turning the page. For instance:

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Let’s just appreciate that line for a second.

(Honestly, that might have been my favorite part of the entire book…😂)

So there’s something to look forward to if you do end up reading The Shadow Cipher…don’t worry, there’s certainly more than that.

Well anyway, I hope you liked this week’s book review! Have a great rest of your day!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (9/19/17)-Ravenwood

Posted on September 19, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello everyone! I’m back from my school trip-I had such a fun time in Moab! I blew through a stack of library books (as well as some Kindle books too, of course), and the following is one of those. Don’t be fooled by the low-ish rating on Goodreads (3.30 out of 5)-Ravenwood is wonderful. Here’s your review!

Ravenwood

Ark is an apprentice plumber in Arborium, a nation where life is centered around a giant tree where everyone lives. With one of the worst jobs possible and a domineering, abusive boss, times are hard for Ark. But everything changes when he overhears a plot to kill the king and destroy Arborium forever. Knowing that he cannot keep this information to himself, Ark embarks on a dangerous quest to get the word out before Arborium is lost forever. Will Ark save Arborium, or will it be lost to time?

Like I said earlier, this book has a kind of meh rating on Goodreads. A lot of people in the reviews said that some negative things, like that the plot was too complicated, there was too much detail, blah, blah, blah. Don’t listen to them-Ravenwood is unlike any book I’ve read in a long time. And for your information, the amount of detail really adds to the plot and makes it easier to picture the world of Arborium. The world-building is outstanding as well. So, go ahead and read Ravenwood! You won’t regret it!

I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day, and stay tuned for the last BRT of September 2017!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (9/5/17)-The Summer of Moonlight Secrets

Posted on September 6, 2017September 6, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey everyone! Welcome to the first BRT of September 2017! I hope you guys have had a nice, relaxing first portion of your month. Ahh, it’s finally starting to cool off…sorta.

Anyway, the book I’m going to review is more of a *ahem* summer read (hence the name, The Summer of Moonlight Secrets), but it really doesn’t matter when you read it, right? Riiiiiight?

Okay, here’s your review!

The Summer of Moonlight Secrets

Allie Jo lives at a historic hotel in Florida, along with her parents, who work and live there as well. Chase and his father are just visiting for the summer. Neither of the two kids know that this summer will change their lives. One night, Allie Jo spots a beautiful, ethereal girl coming out of the hot springs near the hotel. She begins to notice her more and more frequently, hanging around bodies of water near the hotel. And something about her just doesn’t seem quite human. Allie Jo and Chase know she’s hiding something, but what? Will they ever find out the secret of the strange, aquatic girl?

I’ve been reading a lot more YA books lately (as opposed to MG), and I thought this was a nice break from it all. Interesting and wonderfully written, yet nice and fluffy enough to read in a short sitting. If you read it, I hope you’ll enjoy!

Thanks so much for reading, and have a great rest of your day! 😉

Also, I will not be able to do a BRT next week, as I will be on a weeklong overnight trip with my class. So, I’ll see you sometime after then!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (8/29/17)-Fear the Drowning Deep

Posted on August 29, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey there, everyone, and welcome to the very last BRT of August 2017! I hope you guys have had a great August (and a great year in general) and read LOTS OF BOOKS! Here’s just another one to add to your to-read pile (Oops, I think I used “to” too much in one sentence…)! Enjoy!

Fear the Drowning Deep

You’d think that living on an island your whole life-specifically, the Isle of Man-would make you used to and comfortable with the ocean that surrounds you. Not Bridey Corkill. Ever since her grandfather drowned when she was nine, Bridey’s had an intense fear of the ocean. Now, young girls are disappearing from her small town, and those that return are dead. Stranger still is Fynn, a strange boy who washes ashore soon after one of the girls, whose origins are unknown. As Bridey is apprenticed to the local witch, she begins to uncover strange secrets, and possibly even answers to why the girls are going missing-and what Fynn really is. But some secrets aren’t meant to be washed ashore…

I thought this book was really interesting, especially the mythological aspect. All of the uh—OOPS, I ALMOST JUST SPOILED SOMETHING…okay, I’ll just leave you at that. Still, great book. I encourage that you check it out! *confidential whisper* YOU HEARD NOTHING

Anyway, have a wonderful day, and I’ll see you in September!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (8/22/17)-Please Don’t Tell My Parents I’m a Supervillain

Posted on August 22, 2017August 22, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey there, everyone!

Well then, summer’s over, schools’ begun, the solar eclipse happened (I got to see it-even the totality!!!! So amazing), and TODAY’S MY FOURTEENTH BIRTHDAY! I’m too lazy this time to post my presents, but I got some new clothes, a Wonder Woman poster, and some other awesome stuff. Now, without further ado, here’s your book review! (HEEEEEEY, THAT RHYMES! *pointless giddiness*)

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(Sorry, this was the best pic I could find)

Please Don’t Tell My Parents I’m a Supervillain

In San Fransisco, superheroes keep the peace. Some of those superheroes happen to be the parents of thirteen-year-old Penelope Akk, who dreams of being a superhero just like them. The only thing is, she has no powers. Then, when trying to slap together a project for the Science Fair, she discovers she has a talent for mad science. Penny uses this power to create The Inscrutable Machine, a device that follows her everywhere and can turn any object back into the raw materials it was made of. But after an accident involving another local sidekick and Penny’s two friends-Ray and Claire-the public calls them supervillains. At first, Penny is disappointed, but soon discovers she is better at being a villain than she thought. Now, she and her friends are thrown into the crazy world of villainy…let’s just hope her parents never find out.

I thought this book was great! I generally don’t read many superhero books (as opposed to comics), but this was probably the best superhero book I’ve read! To my knowledge, there’s three other books in the series. I’m not sure if it’s ongoing, but that would be pretty cool. Once I get the chance to read them, I’ll try and review them here. 😉

I hope you guys have a great night and a happy August!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (8/15/17)-Page by Paige

Posted on August 15, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hi everyone! I hope you’ve had a very wonderful and booky summer! (Speaking of summer…NOOOOO IT’S ALMOST OVER AND I HAVE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL IN ABOUT A WEEK!!!!)

Anyway, let’s just enjoy the precious little time we have left and read some books. Man, it went by so fast…

I hope you enjoy my book review! (Also, ignore the corny title of the book. The book itself makes up for it.)

Page by Paige

Paige Turner has always been the odd one out in her family, born to two authors (hence the name, Paige Turner *ba dum TSSSSS*). But Paige has always had her head in the clouds-or her sketchbook. And now, she and her family are moving to New York. Paige simultaneously explores the big city and the thoughts in her head, sketching everything down and following the rules and tips her artist grandmother laid out for her. Paige soon finds three friends-Jules, Longo, and Gabe-but can she summon the courage to reveal her artist self?

I just LOVED Page by Paige! It’s probably one of my favorite graphic novels I’ve read this year (up there with Nimona). The art style is wonderful, and the character of Paige is very relatable for me, personally. Artist or not, you’re sure to love this book.

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day!

(Also, I really just want to put a few gifs here because I just rewatched Hellboy II-The Golden Army on Sunday…)

Hellboy vs possessed lockers.gif Oh, it's Friday.GIF My body's a temple.gif

*high pitched voice* I’m not a baby, I’m a tumor…

(I swear I’m normal…)

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (8/8/17)-Serafina and the Splintered Heart

Posted on August 8, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey there, everyone! Tomorrow is National Book Lover’s Day, which is pretty great, so here’s a great book I read over the weekend. It was incredibly anticipated since about last year (when book 2 came out), and unlike book 2, it did not disappoint. (Book 2 was still good, mind you, but not as good as book 1.) So, without further ado, here is your book review!

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Serafina and the Splintered Heart

Strange things are afoot once more at Biltmore Estate. And Serafina is feeling equally strange. After waking up buried alive in a coffin on Biltmore grounds, she escapes to find that no one seems to notice her. In fact, everyone thinks she is missing, but only her close friend Braeden knows the truth-she died at the hand of Rowena, the sorceress daughter of Uriah. Meanwhile, the Estate is being pelted with raging storms and floods like never before, putting it in terrible danger. Can Serafina somehow make herself noticed-and stop whatever black magic is behind the happenings at Biltmore?

Overall, I thought this was a great conclusion to this series.* As I said earlier, I liked it better than Serafina and the Twisted Staff (See Book Review Tuesday-9/5/16). But, nothing can really compare to the utter mind-blowing awesomeness of Serafina and the Black Cloak (See Book Review Tuesday-4/26/16). From most of the reviews on Goodreads that I’ve seen, most people are satisfied, as I was, with this third book. And I hope all you other Serafina fans out there are satisfied too. 😉

Anyway, thank you so much for reading, and have a great day! Don’t forget to keep on reading!

*In the author’s note, Beatty said that there would be more books to come set near/in Serafina’s world (Serafinaverse? I kinda like that name), but no more actually focused on Serafina. All we know so far is that the first book is going to be called Willa of the Wood.

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (8/1/17)-Darkness of Dragons

Posted on August 1, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello, fellow bookworms, and happy first day of August!

The book review I present is for, in my opinion, one of the most anticipated MG/YA reads of 2017. For me, Darkness of Dragons, along with Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities-I keep meaning to review those guys, but…) are my most anticipated reads of 2017 period. I will tell you one thing before this review-I was not disappointed.

Darkness of Dragons (WoF #10)

It all comes down to this.

Darkstalker is now finalizing his plans to recolonize the Lost City of the Night, and with the Nightwings, along with most of the dragons in Pyrrhia, under his spell, he appears unstoppable. But the SandWing Qibli knows that he can be stopped-by using a little magic against him. Thing is, Qibli has no magic. But what he does have is a little help from the animus SeaWing Turtle-an enchanted earring designed to protect the wearer against Darkstalker’s sorcery, and a bowl that mutliplies any object placed in it. Now, with the help of what’s left of the scattered Jade Winglet, he must find Darkstalker and defeat him once and for all-and distribute some magic earrings along the way. Can they end Darkstalker’s reign of terror?

Wow.

Darkness of Dragons was not my favorite of the WoF books, but nonetheless, it was a wonderful end to the series. Also, rumor has it that Tui T. Sutherland is planning more WoF books, but the only definitive one we know of so far is that The Dragonet Prophecy (the first book in the series, if you didn’t know) is being adapted into a graphic novel this coming January. Pretty exciting!

Also, I might start working on a WoF MBTI chart (like I did with WondLa), so that will be pretty fun. I’m also definitely making a few changes to the WondLa MBTI chart I made, so stay tuned! AAAAAAND, I’ve been drawing loads this summer, so expect some new fan arts soon!

Goodbye for now, and try and stay sane until January, WoF fans!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (7/18/17)-Brave

Posted on July 18, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey everyone!!!

Let me just say that I had NO idea that Awkward (See Book Review Tuesday, 11/1/16) was going to have a sequel.

And it did…

…AND I WAS SO HAPPY!

I almost liked it better than the ORIGINAL, it was that good!!! If you read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 😀

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Brave

You may remember Jensen Graham from Awkward as a shy, sort of paranoid kid in the art club who constantly tried to warn everyone about the impending danger of sunspots. But this time, the spotlight is on him. Jensen loves nothing more than to daydream. He wants to be an astronaut at NASA-thing is, he’s not the greatest at math, preferring instead to doodle spaceships in his sketchbook. Jensen is also picked on a lot, not just by the bullies, but from his fellow Art Club classmates. But when he joins the school newspaper, his life changes. Jenny, Akilah, and Felipe know that Jensen is being bullied, and they want to help…just as soon as they finish their weekly vlog. Can he juggle the daily struggles of middle school and survive in one piece?

Love. LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE. Just as good as Awkward, if not better. Not only would I recommend it to anyone who wants to return to Berrybrook Middle School, but for fans of Raina Telgemeier, Victoria Jamieson, or anyone who just wants a funny, heartfelt graphic novel.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer, and reading lots! Thank you so much, and see you next week!

Book Review Tuesday, Geeky Stuff, Random

Book Review Tuesday (7/11/17)-Where You’ll Find Me (PLUS-Bonus gif barrage for NO apparent reason!)

Posted on July 11, 2017July 11, 2017 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Good morning, afternoon, evening, eternal night, or whatever time it is where you are!

My summer has been pretty uneventful so far-besides Comic-Con, nothing much has happened. Mostly, I’ve been drawing, petting the cats, eating ice cream and popsicles every once in a while, watching movies & TV shows (SHERLOCK. OH. MY. GOOOOOOD), and regularly raiding my local library for a new set of books to read. This book happens to be one of these books…as usual. Enjoy!

Where You’ll Find Me

Anna Collette thought that going into 8th Grade this year would be fun, but she couldn’t be further from the truth. Her mother has just been hospitalized after attempting to kill herself, her “best friend” Dani just ditched her for the popular girls, and she’s stuck at home with her dad, his new wife, and her baby. And to top it all off, she’s been forced to sit at the “loser table” after being abandoned by Dani. But nothing there is as it seems. Soon, Anna finds friends in two outcasts-Shawna and Sarabeth-and soon finds her place. With their help, Anna’s been feeling a little better and more normal. But will it last?

I liked this book a lot more than I expected to. Heartwarming and heartwrenching, and overall, very endearing. I definitely wouldn’t call it a “light-read”, but it was a nice, short, good summer read. If you read it, I hope you like it!

I’ll get to posting those WondLa fan arts soon. Bye, everyone, and have a wonderful summer!

WAIT!

I REALLY WANT TO POST SOME GIFS FOR SOME REASON!

(But don’t I always?)

SO HERE YOU GO!

GIFS!

*Violin screeching noises*.GIF ARE WE BLIND? DEPLOY THE GARRISON!.gif Don't go.gif EPIC SAX GANDALF.gif