BLOG TOUR - GHOSTER HEIGHTS BY COREY LANDSELL, KELLY MELLINGS, & LISA LAROSE - MIDDLE GRADE GRAPHIC NOVEL [REVIEW + GIVEAWAY]

I am very excited to be a part of the blog tour from Rockstar Book Tours for this middle grade graphic novel, Ghoster Heights by Corey Landsell, Kelly Mellings, & Lisa Larose.  Check out my review below, and don't forget to enter the giveaway! 

Book Information

Title: Ghoster Heights

Authors(s)/Illustrator(s): Corey Landsell, Kelly Mellings, & Lisa Larose
Publication Date: September 27, 2022

Edition: Paperback, eBook; 208pgs
Publisher: Wonderbound
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon - Kindle - B&N - iBooks - BAM! - Kobo - TBD - Bookshop.org

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.  My thoughts and opinions are my own.  Please note the purchase links above are affiliate links.

Tour Schedule

Week One

9/12/2022 - Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers - Review/IG Post

9/13/2022 - hauntedbybooks - Review/IG Post

9/14/2022 - hodophile_z - IG Review

9/15/2022 - Jazzy Book Reviews - Guest Post/IG Post

9/16/2022 - Two Chicks on Books - Guest Post

9/17/2022 - @jaimerockstarbooktours - IG Spotlight

Week Two

9/18/2022 - YA Books Central - Guest Post

9/19/2022 - Eli to the nth - Review/IG Post

9/20/2022 - @allyluvsbooksalatte - IG Spotlight

9/21/2022 - One More Exclamation - Review/IG Post

9/22/2022 - A Dream Within A Dream - Guest Post

9/23/2022 - BookHounds YA - Guest Post/IG Post

9/24/2022 - RiverMose-Reads - Guest Post

Week Three

9/25/2022 - The Real World According to Sam - Review/IG Post

9/26/2022 - Nerdophiles - Review 

9/27/2022 - Novel Novice - IG Spotlight

9/28/2022 - @jacleomik33 - IG Review

9/29/2022 - The Bookwyrm's Den - Review 

9/30/2022 - Two Points of Interest - Review

10/1/2022 - A Blue Box Full of Books - IG Review

Week Four

10/2/2022 - @enjoyingbooksagain - IG Review

10/3/2022 - @thebookishfoxwitch - IG Review

10/4/2022 - The Momma Spot - Review/IG Post

10/5/2022 - booksaremagictoo - Review/IG Post

10/6/2022 - GryffindorBookishNerd - Review/IG Post

10/7/2022 - Mom with a Reading Problem - Review/IG Post

The Summary

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBOOHOOD!

Eight-year-old Ona has lost just about everything: her home, her possessions, her mother, and almost her life. When she and her father move into her Baba’s apartment complex after these traumatic events, they had hoped for a clean start. But a mysterious specter follows her, and Ona befriends the ghost she discovers haunting the boiler room. When her new friendship starts allowing her to see other ghosts—the ghosts who haunt the other residents of her building—she decides to use her ability to help her new neighbors face their troubles and free themselves from their specters. In doing so, however, Ona must eventually come face to face with a much darker foe—her own trauma and grief. The earnestness of Judy Bloom meets the raw emotion of I Kill Giants in this beautifully hopeful story of childhood tragedy.

An original graphic novel for middle grade readers about grief, loss, and the ghosts that haunt us all.

For fans of Sheets by Brenna Thummler, Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, and Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier.

(Goodreads)

My Review

Ghoster Heights by Corey Landsell, Kelly Mellings, and Lisa Larose was an adorable kick-off to my Fall reads!  Bold, graphic art with a spooky, but heartfelt, story makes this graphic novel a fun read for younger kids, and the young-at-heart!

Eight year old Ona and her dad have to move in with her grandmother due to a tragic event.  Uprooting her entire life, Ona is not having the best time.  She is also targeted right away by the apartment complex's bully, which makes her transition even harder.  But one day, when she is trying to capture one of her grandmother's wandering cats, Ona discovers a ghost--a friendly ghost.  Haunty, as the specter is dubbed, leads Ona to discover her own strength and find a place for herself in her new home.

The concept of this book is great.  How Ona is able to help her neighbors via Haunty was really original.  I loved the sense of family that was created within the apartment complex, and that Ona got to see people have layers and explanations behind their actions/attitudes.  The lessons taught are important for kids to learn, and I think the vehicle of ghosts and graphic novel works well to convey that.

I wouldn't consider this book middle grade, but upper elementary level. While the topics that are being dealt with are serious, they are explored at the surface level from the understanding of an eight year old, albeit one who has experienced tragedy already.  The plot is not quite clear in a few places.  That may have been purposeful for the mystery aspect of the book, but I found it distracting, and it would pull me out of reading as I had back track what happened.  Also, this is probably dating myself, but I didn't know Tamagotchis were a thing again (Ona has a digital pet, which looked very similar to old school Tamagotchis).  So that made my eyebrow go up, as it was unexpected for the assumed time period.

However, the book was entertaining, and the art was adorable.  I felt it was eye-catching, and fit the tone of the book.  Bright colors gives it youth, and a light-hearted tone to sometimes difficult situations.  Ghoster Heights was a quick read, and one I think developing readers will gravitate.  Pick up a copy to start off your Fall reading list!

Final Rating

Excerpt

About the Creators

About Corey Landsell:

Corey Lansdell is a multiple award-winning illustrator and animator. He is a skilled communicator, expert storyteller and passionate collaborator. Corey heads up a SCBWI illustrators group in Edmonton, Alberta.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon 

About Kelly Mellings:

Kelly Mellings is an award-winning art director, illustrator, and designer. His work has

appeared in comic books, TV commercials, magazines, apps, museum exhibits, and video

games. He is the co-writer of Ghoster Heights and illustrator of the Canadian best-selling

graphic novel, The Outside Circle. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta.

Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

About Lisa Larose:

Lisa LaRose is a pop surrealist painter, illustrator, and comics artist in Vancouver, Canada. She is best known for her paintings: Bizarre and Colourful artworks. She creates lively and exciting colour palettes and is always making something a little weird. Lisa loves middle-grade fiction (books, comics, cartoons, you name it) and so she also moonlights as a middle-grade comics artist.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Goodreads 

Giveaway

2 winners will receive a finished copy of GHOSTER HEIGHTS, US Only.

CLICK THE GRAPHIC

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BLOG TOUR - GOBLIN MARKET BY DIANE ZAHLER - MIDDLE GRADE FICTION [REVIEW + GIVEAWAY]

I am very excited to be a part of the blog tour for the latest release from author Diane Zahler, Goblin Market.  Check out my review below, and don't forget to enter the giveaway! 

Book Information

Title: Goblin Market

Authors(s): Diane Zahler
Publication Date: August 16, 2022

Edition: Hardcover, eBook; 256pgs
Publisher: Holiday House
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon - Kindle - B&N - iBooks - BAM! - Kobo - TBD - Bookshop.org

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.  My thoughts and opinions are my own.  Please note the purchase links above are affiliate links.

Tour Schedule

Week One

8/8/2022 - YA Books Central - Excerpt

8/8/2022 - GryffindorBookishNerd - IG Review

8/9/2022 - hauntedbybooks - Review/IG Post

8/9/2022 - Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers - Review/IG Post

8/10/2022 - Lifestyle of Me - Review 

8/10/2022 - @allyluvsbooksalatte - IG Post

8/11/2022 - BookHounds YA - Excerpt/IG Post

8/11/2022 - Kait Plus Books - Excerpt/IG Post

8/12/2022 - Lisa-Queen of Random - Excerpt/IG Post

8/12/2022 - onemused - IG Post

Week Two

8/15/2022 - Nerdophiles - Review 

8/15/2022 - Two Points of Interest - Review

8/16/2022 - Beers Books Boos - Review/IG Post

8/16/2022 - Celia's Reads - Review/IG Post

8/17/2022 - Littlefreelibrarygrahamnc - IG Review

8/17/2022 - The Momma Spot - Review/IG Post

8/18/2022 - A Backwards Story - Review/IG Post

8/18/2022 - @jypsylynn - IG Review

8/19/2022 - @amysbooknook8 - IG Review

8/19/2022 - Eli to the nth - Review/IG Post

The Summary

One sister must save the other from a goblin prince in this rich, spooky, and delightfully dark fantasy!

Lizzie and Minka are sisters, but they’re nothing alike: Minka is outgoing and cheerful, while Lizzie is shy and sensitive. Nothing much ever happens in their sleepy village—there are fields to tend, clothes to mend, and weekly trips to the market, predictable as the turning of the seasons. Lizzie likes it that way. It’s safe. It’s comfortable. She hopes nothing will ever change. 

But one day, Minka meets a boy. 

A boy who gives her a plum to eat. 

He is charming. He is handsome. He tells her that she’s special. He tells her no one understands her like he does—not her parents, not her friends, not even Lizzie. He tells her she should come away with him, into the darkness, into the forest. . . .

Minka has been bewitched and ensnared by a zdusze—a goblin. His plum was poison, his words are poison, and strange things begin to happen. Trees bleed, winds howl, a terrible sickness descends on Minka, and deep in the woods, in a place beyond sunshine, beyond reality, a wedding table has been laid. . . .

To save her sister, Lizzie will have to find courage she never knew she had—courage to confront the impossible—and enter into a world of dreams, danger, and death.

Rich world-building inspired by both Polish folklore and the poetry of Christina Rossetti combines with a tender sister story in this thrilling novel from Diane Zahler.

(Goodreads)

Praise for Goblin Market:

"TERRIFICALLY TIMELESS. . . SPLENDID."—Shelf Awareness

"Lush. . . Dreamy. . . Breath-quickening."—The Horn Book

"Resonates with emotion."—BCCB

"Believably wrought."—Publishers Weekly

"Will entice readers looking for some chills."—Kirkus Reviews

My Review

I really love when classic books and poetry are adapted for a different audience, so I was really interested to see how Diane Zahler reinterpreted Christina Rosetti's poem "Goblin Market" for middle grade in Zahler' latest release, Goblin Market.

Set in a fantasy world that is reminiscent of Poland, our story follows two sisters: older, outgoing Minka, and younger, shy Lizzie (or Elzbieta).  Lizzie and Minka have a strong connection, with Minka being one of the few people who believe Lizzie when she says she can "see" sounds.  Lizzie has synesthesia, which is when a person experiences one of their senses through another.  And while the reader finds out this is a strength, it has "othered" Lizzie in a sense.

The fantasy aspect of this book is great.  There are a lot of interpretations of Rosetti's original poem, but it can also be read as an actual fantasy poem, which is the direction this story takes  (Diane Zahler talks about this in a guest post on the School Library Journal blog).  The more Polish roots lend very well to the story, giving the world a darker, deeper feel.  The villains of the story, the zdusze (goblins) come from Slavic lore, and just fit into the deep forest that surrounds the girls' town.  Emil, the goblin boy who bewitches Minka, is sinister in a very subtle way.  Emil's interactions with Minka, and even Lizzie, read as a type of seduction, but one of dream fulfillment; nothing racy here, this is a middle grade after all!

But besides the fantastical aspects, the heart of this story is the connection between the sisters.  The love that Minka and Lizzie share is beautifully depicted.  In true fairy tale fashion, love conquers all.  In this case, the love of a sister.  Being extremely close to my older sibling, I appreciated that Lizzie was able to grow within the older sister/younger sister dynamic she and Minka share; Lizzie is able to develop into a stronger person because her sister needs her.  While both girls experience character growth, you really see Lizzie come into her own.  Zahler also utilizes Lizzie's synesthesia in a very pivotal way, bolstering her confidence even more.

Goblin Market by Diane Zahler is a great fantasy story, perfect for heading into the autumn season.  I think readers who know the Rosetti poem while be delighted to see the hints of it throughout the story, but anyone can enjoy this journey.  Danger, magic, and the power of love make for one dynamic book!

Final Rating

Excerpt

Chapter 1

Market day was Lizzie’s favorite day of the week. 

Not because she loved going to the market—the few times she’d been there, she’d hated it. There were so many people she didn’t know, from villages and farms clear on the other side of Elza. So much noise, such constant comings and goings, so many smells and colors! It was overwhelming, terrifying. Each time she’d ended up hiding in a doorway at the edge of the square, trembling, until Mother and Minka came to find her. 

Now Minka went to market on her own. 

Mother was delighted that Minka was old enough to go alone: she could stay home and attend to the chores. And Lizzie was delighted that she could steal into the Wood for an hour or two when she was done helping Father in the fields. 

In the Wood, Lizzie always went to the same place, a little stand of birch trees beside a trickling stream. If it was warm and the sun shone down onto the circle of grass inside the grove, she would lie and look up at the sky. She could feel the breath of the Wood as the wind rustled the birch leaves. She could hear the Wood’s chuckle in the water running over rocks. Sometimes she felt as if the Wood’s heart thrummed inside her body. Her own pulse matched the Wood’s, beat for beat. 

If it was cold, she would wrap up in her shawl and walk to stay warm, just listening—to bird songs, to the creak of branches rubbing together, to the rustle of rabbits and squirrels in the underbrush. 

For Lizzie, each sound was a color. When she was younger, seven or eight, she’d sat at the kitchen table and tried to paint what she heard, but Minka laughed and pointed at her painted trees, saying, “Leaves aren’t gray, silly! And those don’t even look like trees. They look like sticks with clouds on top.” Minka loved to paint. She did it whenever she had a few minutes free of chores, and sometimes instead of chores. She mostly used watercolors, but if she had a few extra coppers, she would go into Elza and buy a tube of oil paint—cerulean blue, or chartreuse, or violet—and paint the whitewashed walls of the cottage with flowers and intricate designs, inside and out. Her lips were always tinted blue or green because she chewed on her brushes when she thought about what to paint. 

“We don’t have any silver paint,” Lizzie said. “I had to use gray.” 

“Leaves aren’t silver, either,” Minka pointed out. “They’re green. Or red and orange in the autumn.” She took the paintbrush, dipped it, and in a few moments there was a tree on the paper, brown and green and almost as real as life. 

“But the sound the leaves make is silver,” Lizzie protested. “In springtime, anyway.” 

Minka rolled her eyes. “What does that even mean?” she asked. “The sound the leaves make is silver?” 

“It’s the color they make when they rustle together,” Lizzie said. “When the breeze blows. You know, the wavery lines of silver?” 

Minka’s face was blank. 

“You don’t see that?” Lizzie was confused. The idea that other people didn’t see what she saw was new to her. 

“You do see that? Actually see it?” 

Excerpt from Goblin Market / Text copyright © 2022 by Diane Zahler. Reproduced by permission from Holiday House Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

About Diane Zahler:

Diane grew up reading children's books and never wanted to do anything but write them. Now she’s the author of six middle-grade fantasy novels and a historical novel, Daughter of the White Rose. She lives in the country with her husband and slightly neurotic dog in what is aptly nicknamed the Bug House. Visit her website at www.dianezahler.com.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub 

Giveaway

1 winner will receive a finished copy of GOBLIN MARKET, US Only.

CLICK THE GRAPHIC

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BOOK REVIEW - A PERFECT MISTAKE BY MELANIE CONKLIN (MIDDLE GRADE)

 

Title: A Perfect Mistake

Author: Melanie Conklin
Publication Date: July 12, 2022
Edition: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook; 273 pgs
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Purchase: Amazon - B&N - BAM! - TBD - Bookshop.org
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  My thoughts and opinions are my own.  

The Summary

A moving, voice-driven novel about friendship, responsibility, and fighting against unfair expectations, for fans of Rebecca Stead and Erin Entrada Kelly.

 

Max wishes he could go back in time to before he was diagnosed with ADHD, before he grew to be the tallest kid in his class, and before he and his best friends went into the woods in the middle of the night. Max doesn’t remember what happened after he left his friends Will and Joey and the older kids who took them there. He’s not sure if he wants to remember. Knowing isn’t going to make Joey talk to him again, or bring Will out of his coma.

 

When the local authorities run out of leads, Max realizes that without his help, they may never know what really happened to Will. Charged by the idea that he may be the key to uncovering the truth, Max pairs up with classmate and aspiring journalist Sam to investigate what really happened that night. But not everyone in the community wants that night to be remembered.

(Goodreads)

Praise for A Perfect Mistake:

"A Perfect Mistake is a compelling novel of friendship, responsibility, and standing up for what's right, even when it's hard. I love all of Melanie Conklin's books. They just get better and better. This is my favorite so far."―Erin Entrada Kelly, Newbery Medal winner of Hello, Universe and Newbery Honor author of We Dream of Space

“A creepy and dark setting, misleading clues, threats against the investigator--what more do you want in a mystery? But as it turns out, Max faces even deeper mysteries in discovering himself and his place in the world, and in the end, those are the poignant discoveries we're cheering about. A powerful novel that affirms difference and openness as we watch a boy hold onto friendship with a grip that will not let go.”―Two-time Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt

“Accurately reflecting the experiences of adolescents with ADHD, Conklin crafts a must--read mystery filled with heart.”―Adrianna Cuevas, Pura Belpré honor author of The

Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez and Cuba in My Pocket

"Once you start reading you won't want to stop!"―Lisa Fipps, author of Michael L. Printz Honor Book Starfish

"Conklin expertly portrays Max’s challenges, diving deeply into what it means to be accountable and not to carry guilt that isn’t yours to own. Middle-grade realistic fiction and mystery lovers will gobble this one up."―Booklist

“[G]ripping. Mystery and just a little peril make an absorbing vehicle for an exploration of ADHD.”―Kirkus Reviews

My Review

I was so glad to have the opportunity to read Melanie Conklin's latest middle grade book, A Perfect Mistake.  Her previous two books, Counting Thyme and Every Missing Piece, were great , so I knew this one would be as well.

The story is told in 1st person, following Max, a newly minted 6th grader, who towers over all the other students with his growth spurt to 6 feet tall.  On top of that, Max was also recently diagnosed with ADHD.  So he has a lot going on.  But the worst thing to happen, was his best friend Will's accident.  Max is determined to figure out what happened to Will, and why his other best friend, Joey, is no longer talking to him.

This is such an amazing, age-appropriate mystery.  Max teams up with his classmate and budding journalist, Sam, to investigate just what happened the night Will got hurt.  With Max's ADHD, and his own fright from the events of the night, the pieces of the puzzle take a little bit to come together.  Conklin does a perfect job crafting each clue, and allows Max and Sam to really sleuth alá The Hardy Boys.

Overlaying the main mystery is also Max's personal struggles.  His height makes adults treat him differently from other 11 year olds, and his ADHD means he processes things differently.  Max feels a lot of guilt about what happened to Will, so there is also openness about therapy, both for his ADHD and the accident surrounding Will.  Conklin really explores these topics in a way that is relatable to actual kids.  Everything Max learns or discovers feels genuine, and never as if an adult is telling the story.

Friendship is also a big part of this story. Not just male friendships, but co-gender friendships.  It is refreshing to see such a strong friendship develop between Sam and Max, but also to see how deep Will's and Joey's friendship (or lack thereof) effects Max.  The changing nature of these different friendships is set out so clearly that you, as the reader, feel them too.

6th grade can be a tumultuous time for anyone, but Conklin really brings freshness and authenticity to the additional challenges and benefits that ADHD brings.  The way Max learns to function in the world, and the challenges he has to overcome, is written with grace.  I think that Conklin did another amazing job at looking at what most would consider an "adult topic", but which effects kids, and presents it in a very real way for those very kids.  This is a really fantastic part to all of Conklin's stories, and one that makes them so impressive for adult readers, and timely for young readers.

I recommend this to fans of The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin and Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt.  Pretty much anyone who wants a really engrossing story.  You'll get hooked by the mystery, but stay for the heart.

Final Rating

About the Authors

Melanie Conklin grew up in North Carolina and worked as a product designer before she

began her writing career. Her debut middle grade novel, Counting Thyme, is a Bank Street Best Children’s Book, winner of the International Literacy Association Teacher’s Choice Award, and nominated to four state reading lists. She is also the author of Every Missing Piece, A Perfect Mistake (2022), and her picture book debut, When You Have to Wait (2023). When she’s not writing, Melanie spends her time doodling and dreaming up new ways to be creative. She lives in New Jersey with her family

Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

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BLOG TOUR - WE ARE THE SONG BY CATHERINE BAKEWELL - MIDDLE GRADE FICTION [REVIEW + GIVEAWAY]

I am very excited to be a part of the blog tour for the debut of author Catherine Bakewell, We Are the Song.  Check out my review below, and don't forget to enter the giveaway! 

Book Information

Title: We Are the Song

Authors(s): Catherine Bakewell
Publication Date: May 3, 2022
Edition: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook; 304 pgs
Publisher: Holiday House
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon - Kindle - Audible - B&N - BAM! - iBooks - Kobo - TBD 

- Bookshop.org
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.  My thoughts and opinions are my own.  Please note the purchase links above are affiliate links.

Tour Schedule

Week One

5/2/2022 - YABooksCentral - Excerpt

5/2/2022 - Rajiv's Reviews - Review/IG Post

5/3/2022 - fictionologyst - Review/IG Post

5/3/2022 - The Girl Who Reads - Review/IG Post

5/4/2022 - A Court of Coffee and Books - Review/IG Post

5/4/2022 - boozybook blog - Review/IG Post

5/5/2022 - Excuse Me, I’m Reading - Review

5/5/2022 - TakeALookAtMyBookshelf - Review

5/6/2022 - A Bookish Dream - Review/IG Post

5/6/2022 - Celia's Reads - Review/IG Post

Week Two

5/9/2022 - @the.page.sage - TikTok Review/IG Post

5/9/2022 - The Momma Spot - Review/IG Post

5/10/2022 - Lifestyle of Me - Review

5/10/2022 - onemused - Review

5/11/2022 - More Books Please blog - Review/IG Post

5/11/2022 - Log Cabin Library - Review

5/12/2022 - Eli to the nth - Review/IG Post

5/12/2022 - Momfluenster - Review/IG Post

5/13/2022 - @enjoyingbooksagain - Review

5/13/2022 - The Bookwyrm's Den - Review

The Summary

A lush and beautiful fantasy set in a world where music is magic and the fate of many thrones lies with one girl...

Twelve-year-old Elissa has been raised in seclusion as a devotee of the Mother Goddess. She is a special child, a blessed child, a child who can sing miracles into being. Her voice can heal wounds, halt landslides, cure hunger--and even end wars.

But there are those who would use her gift for darker things. And when Elissa finds herself the farthest from home she's ever been--along with her vain and jealous music tutor, Lucio--she will have to develop the judgment to decide who wants to use her song to heal... and who wants to use her song to hurt.

Reviews

"Elissa’s desire to follow her divinely inspired abilities and overcome the barriers to her musical ambitions echo women’s historical experiences in classical music. . . . And constellations of race, sexuality, and gender expression lend richness to an already unique world."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This fast-paced fantasy is full of action and intrigue, taking place in a war-torn world that still holds much beauty and magic. Readers will come to love Elissa, who struggles with doubts as she faces heartbreak, tragedy, and loneliness and tries to fight for what is right. An excellent addition to middle-grade fantasy collections."—Booklist

"Fantasy fans will queue up for this delightful novel with its strong female characters and carefully drawn fantasy world. . . . Fast packed action will keep readers totally engaged. This captivating novel promises a good future for this first-time author."—School Library Connection

"An exploration of devotion and finding one’s voice."—Kirkus Reviews

(Goodreads)

My Review

We Are the Song by Catherine Bakewell felt, in many ways, not like a middle grade book at all.  It was beautifully written, with such lyrical prose, it tackled big concepts, and had such an interesting magic system in place.  It has the ability to be a "high-low" book, meaning it has high level concepts presented in a lower level reading capacity, making it digestible for a multitude of reading levels.  But the best trait it had was heart.  I have found that heart is the true center of so many middle grade books I have read, and We Are the Song does not lack a heart.

Elissa, the main character, has been set out on a journey, along with her Composer, Lucio, to share her gift with the larger world, as a global war is breaking out over who will rule her home country of Cadenza, the two opponents being neighboring countries, Basso and Acuto.  The reader starts the journey with Elissa and Lucio in Basso, where Elissa must face some hard decisions and make her own choices that will change not only her fate, but the fate of the war.

Coming into the book, I was intrigued by the use of song as a form of magic.  And specifically that this ability is only granted to certain individuals,  the "Voices of the Goddess".  Elissa is the youngest Voice to exist, becoming the 12th Voice currently alive. Within the magical system, each "Voice" is assigned a "Composer", who writes the songs (both music and lyrics) for the voices to sing.  Each song created gets weaker the more often it is sung, at one point unable to work altogether.  So the Composers are constantly creating new songs, or tweaking on older ones to continue the magic.  As a lover of music, and a believer in the power of song, this portion of the story sucked me right in.

Elissa starts out as a naive, sheltered young girl, but there is a lot of character growth.  Elissa was an absolute sweetheart, and I think many kids who read this book will click with her immediately.  While she goes through some pretty traumatic events, she always has a sense of hope within, guiding her forward.  There were some other important side characters, like her Composer Lucio for instance, but none of them received as much development as Elissa.  This makes sense in the context of a middle-grade book with a younger character surrounded by older characters, but it also made the story not feel as full.

The introduction to the world, magic, and mythos was great.  I really believe in this world that Bakewell has created.  It was much more religious then I had expected previously.  The skeleton upon which the system was developed feels, especially for someone who was raised Roman Catholic, to be largely based on Christianity.  But I don't know if that will be very apparent to kids who read it, and it is also done in a way that still feels organic to the overall plot.  Also, Bakewell never presents this aspect in a way that makes the reader feel "lectured".  There isn't preaching, there isn't judgement on different lifestyles, and Caé, the goddess in this world, is very real.  So for readers sensitive to religious ideology, this book may not be enjoyable, but I believe it is crafted in a way that works really well within the context of the world and story.

The only thing that really detracted from the story was the pacing.  I felt like this could have been a duology, as the first 3/4ths of the book was build up establishing the world and setting Elissa on this journey, but then the last 1/4th was rushed with everything coming to a conclusion, and the events not being given an opportunity to breathe fully.  As I was reading I kept thinking, "Oh this is a series", so I was a little surprised when it ended up being a stand-alone.  I think that did disservice to the story that Bakewell was crafting, and I would've really enjoyed more of the story overall, so readers got to experience more of the final act.

We Are the Song by Catherine Bakewell was a solid fantasy debut.  I really enjoyed the book, and if she ever wants to dip back into the world of Cadenza, I think there are a multitude of opportunities for more (it could be alá Tamora Pierce; that would be exciting).  We Are the Song is beautifully written, contains good life advice, and has a interesting magic system.  I think readers of all ages will really enjoy picking this one up.

 

Final Rating

About the Author

About Catherine Bakewell:

Catherine Bakewell is a writer, artist, and opera enthusiast. She has lived in Spain and in France, where she romped through gardens, ate pastries, and worked on her novels. We Are the Song is her debut.

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Giveaway

1 winner will receive a finished copy of WE ARE THE SONG, US Only.

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