This book had a theme that could go on repeat, but in a neat way that make you think about the possibilities.

I would set this story to sci-fi music for best effect:

There were 2 main characters in this book and I picture Farida as being portrayed by Rihanna

Favorite quote: “Besides, I needed time to deal with my own feeling before having to listen to your cluelessness.”

Summary: Stella’s vet brother has finally come home and he has come back different.  He has suffered mental breakdowns and as a result doesn’t leave the house.  When Stella finally gets him out she makes a shocking discovery about the full extent of his mental issues.  Once he gets help and finds someone who cares for him, he can go back to being the brother that Stella remembers.

My mind was blown away!

If I could cast the perfect actor to be Percy, it would be:

favorite quote:

“How did you die?”
“We er….drowned in a bathtub.”
“All three of you?”
“It was a big bathtub.”

Favorite part: In St. Louis at the Arch when Percy is in an elevator with a large woman and a chihuahua, who turn into the mother of monsters and a chimera.

This book makes me wanna dance like this:

If I could imagine the main character as a child star it might be:

My Favorite quote for this book is:

“There are many worlds – as many worlds as there are thoughts. My father is playing golf in his world while in my world he is dead and gone. The question is, once one world becomes two, can the two worlds ever be brought back together?”

Summary:

I liked the writing of this book because I could really identify with the main character, which is saying a lot for this author, because I actually have nothing in common with the main character. The author exposed all the thoughts and feelings of this 8 year-old boy in a way that everyone can relate to. Moreover, the plot was one that makes you certain that there is NO WAY the author can wrap it up. Not only does he wrap it up, but in a way that made me read 200 pages as fast as I possibly could. And it was CRAZY COOL!  I hope you like it, too!

This is how I feel about this book:

My favorite scene is the part where the enemies realize that as friends, life is SO MUCH BETTER!!!

What I think about Brian as a main character:

If I could pick a celebrity to play the part of Brian it would be Finn Wolfhard

If I had to choose a theme song for this book it would be:

Favorite part: Brian has to learn to make fire.  It’s absolutely imperative.  He throws the hatchet in frustration and watches it spark as it hits. Lightbulb moment.

Favorite quote: “I have a friend, he thought—I have a friend now. A hungry friend, but a good one. I have a friend named fire.”

This book was VERY well written.  The author takes on the challenge of writing about the harsh, frozen land to the north where the rule of law is: Eat or be eaten.  I think it would have been much easier to write about more pleasant things, like warm sunshine and birds chirping and flowers blooming.  I’m impressed! It was worth reading to the end!

The book was really good. I could not put it down and almost every book and chapter left you on a cliff hanger making you want to read more. Some of the cliff hangers were literally cliff hangers.

This is the 2019 Saratoga Reads! Junior book. I was following 3 voices (all from different decades and countries) through their harrowing escape, frantic homelessness, and eventual heartbreaking disillusionment over leaving the homeland for a “better place”.  The thing is, it’s really hard to keep switching voices with every new chapter and try to be reunited with the compelling journey from 15 pages ago. I mean, whenever I’m 150 pages into a book and then realize I should’ve kept a notebook….I start thinking, “Wait a minute. Shouldn’t the author help me to NOT NEED a notebook? Is that great writing if I’m so easily sidetracked by the other 2 stories?” Also, this book just HAD to get political. It kind of takes away from the impact when you can smell an agenda, doesn’t it? Nonetheless, I felt a great deal of empathy for the refugee children and found it easy to mourn/rejoice right along with them.