Review: 'Stravaganza: City of Swords' by Mary Hoffman

Title: Stravaganza: City of Swords 
Author: Mary Hoffman 
Genre: YA, Juvi, fantasy, coming of age, friendship, 6th in series 
Star Rating: 3/5 stars 

 Borrowed from Goodreads, "Desperately unhappy, Laura has resorted to secretly self-harming. But Laura is a Stravagante, somebody who can travel in time and space. When she finds her talisman, a small silver dagger, she stravagates with it to sixteenth-century Fortezza, a town similar to Lucca in Italy, where she meets her Stravagante, who is a swordsmith. But Laura also meets the charming and attractive Ludo, and falls for him. Their love for each other is tested when Ludo lays claim to the crown of Fortezza, and Laura finds herself fighting on the side of the Stravaganti opposing him." 

'City of Swords', what to say... Let me start with this: I really do love the Stravaganza series as a whole. Everything from the characters to the settings to the overall concept-- I love it. 'City of Swords' is the sixth and final book in this under appreciated series by Mary Hoffman. I'll miss jumping into Talia with the Stravaganti for many reasons, most of all because every time I opened a Stravaganza book, it felt like I was back in Italy!

On to 'City of Swords'... Is it my favorite of the series? No. Is it as engaging and entertaining as other Stravaganza books? No. Is it a good read for those who have read the books before it? Yes. Is it a fitting close to a fantastic series? Minus a few loose ends, I think so. The writing style used in '...Swords' seemed different to me than the books before it.

The downsides of the novel? The majority of the story was spent in the real world, rather than Talia. Also, we learned what was going on through long paragraphs of explanation, as opposed to seeing the action or learning it through dialogue. I didn't find Laura's character to be as fleshed out as the rest and her story, strangely enough, didn't hold as much as importance as I would have expected. The romance was between Laura and a certain someone was a nice addition to the story, but we, as readers, didn't get to see it develop enough to care as much as we should about it, I think.

Besides those concerns (that mostly had to do with Laura's plotline), I loved the interaction between the past stravaganti and loved, loved, loved everything that had to do with Luciano! His parts made me smile! Do I wish this had been a more solid read? Of course. However, I'm glad I've taken these trips to Talia, seeing such wonderful places and meeting fun, interesting characters. While the future of the series is uncertain at the moment, one thing is for sure; I'll truly miss following new Stavaganti into the beautiful cities of Talia.

Review: Meet Samantha by Susan Adler

Title: Meet Samantha
Author: Susan Adler
Genre: Juvi, historical fiction, friendship, growing up
Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Taken from Amazon, "Samantha Parkington is an orpan who lives with her rich grandmother in 1904. There are many servants in Grandmary's busy, bustling household, but there is no one for Samantha to play with. That's why she's so excited when Nellie moves in next door. Nellie has come to work so that she can send money back to her family in the city. Even though their lives are different, the two girls become good friends. One day Samantha discovers that Jessie, the seamstress, is leaving. No one will tell her why. So she and Nellie plan a secret midnight adventure to find out."

It is rare that two hobbies of mine collide, but that is exactly the case with 'Meet Samantha'. An avid doll collector, Samantha is one of my favorite American Girl dolls. Like many, I read this book series back in the early 90's when I was scrimping and saving my pennies for Pleasant Company's American Girl dolls. 2012, it seems, has been a year of re-reading for me, and I thought what better to re-read than Samantha's story?

Set in 1904, 'Meet Samantha' introduces us to 9 year old Samantha. Rich and upper class, Samantha is far from your typical socialite. She's full of spunk and not afraid to get dirty or speak her mind. This first book in this six book series is, for the most part, an introduction to the characters and settings. That's not to say there isn't a story, because there is, but a lot of this book concentrates on relationships.

What I love most about Samantha's story is the setting. 1904 was a time where you could realistically see cars and horse drawn carriages sharing roads. New things were being invented every day. Can you imagine?

I will forever recommend the Samantha book series to young readers.  They are great stories with great themes (ie: friendship, confidence, etc).  Even after all these years, I had a blast reading 'Meet Samantha' and your young reader will, too!  Because of that, this blog gives 'Meet Samantha' 5 out of 5 stars.

You can find 'Meet Samantha' at your local bookstore or library.

Review: The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Title: The Emerald Atlas
Author: John Stephens
Genre: Juvi, fantasy, adventure, friendship
Perfect for: Middle school kids who like long fantasy tales
Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Taken from Goodreads, "Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage. Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.


Until now. Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And—if an ancient prophesy is correct—what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right."


'The Emerald Atlas' by John Stephens is a fun fantasy adventure that is sure to please readers of Cornelia Funke's 'Inkheart' series, as well as fans of Lemony Snicket's 'Series of Unfortunate Events'. 'The Emerald Atlas' has a great cast of characters and some really great dialogue. And the funny thing? This juvi friendly story was dreamed up by someone who usually works on WB shows like Gilmore Girls or Gossip Girl!


I've found that in-between YA reads, it's always nice to delve into a good juvi fantasy adventure. If you're in need of a Juvi fix, this book just might be what you're looking for. The standout feature of this novel, which is the first in a trilogy, has to be the characters.


We've seen plenty of books that star orphan children, but this set of kids seemed a little different. I found all three siblings unique, likable, and, actually, quite real.  My favorite character of the three is Emma.  She's the youngest of the trio.  She's a tough, spicy girl who you don't want to mess with.  Middle brother, Michael, is obsessed with knowledge, especially that on fantastical things.  And then there is big sister Kate, who at a very young age was entrusted by her mother to keep her siblings safe.  Each child has their own journey to take and that is one thing I really liked about this story.  Because each character had their own thing going on, we got to see a bit of development in each of them, not just one.


This book has some great dialogue.  The lines are fun and have a life of their own.  Stephens did a wonderful job at inserting a touch of everyday humor into his dialogue and story.  One running gag in particular made me laugh out-loud (note to future time travelers-- you may need to explain who you are to the same person a lot depending on the timeline!)


The only thing that bugged me a bit in 'The Emerald Atlas' was that the descriptions were a bit blocky.  That's a big pet peeve of mine because I don't do well with long involved paragraphs about things.  I like them to be broken up with dialogue.  Many time Stephens would use a line of description (instead of dialogue) to describe what people were discussing.  I would have loved for him to just show us, as opposed to telling us what was happening.  Plus, then it would have cut down the page count a bit-- this is quite a long read!


Other than that minor issue, I enjoyed 'The Emerald Atlas'.  No spoilers, but the ending had me grinning from ear to ear.  It was very well done! 'The Emerald Atlas' is a fun, fantasy read that should catch young readers interest quickly and even some older readers (like me!).  I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series!

Review: Kristy's Great Idea by Ann M. Martin

Title: Kristy's Great Idea
Author: Ann M. Martin
Release Date: April 2010
Genre: pre-teen, juvi, friendship, self esteem, coming of age
Perfect for: kids 8 and up who like more 'school' or 'general life' titles and less fantasy/sci-fi themes

Set after 'The Summer Before', 'Kristy's Great Idea' follows pre-teens Kristy (tom boy), Claudia (artist), Mary Anne (quiet and studious), and Stacey (fashion/boy expert) as they decide to start a club based around baby-sitting-- The Baby-Sitters Club.

Short description for this title, as I think that one sentence pretty much says all you need to know about the first book in the Baby-Sitters Club series.  Edited for todays generation, 'Kristy's Great Idea' should have no trouble catching the interest of pre-teen girls, as well as those us who just want to 'catch up' with the gang after years of being out of print!

Since the boom of fantasy and sci-fi titles in juvi fiction, it's been hard for me to really find titles for the younger set that have a good story and lots of heart.  'Kristy's Great Idea' has both of those qualities and more.  'Kristy's Great Idea' is a quick read with interesting characters and a great premise.  Girls will find it easy to relate to any one of the four main characters featured in this novel as they are all unique and likable.  The story is equally great as it has a definite girl power theme to it.  Also, in this day and age where most kids get huge allowances (or on the opposite end, no allowance at all), 'Kristy's Great Idea' might just inspire kids to work on something like this in real life.

As mentioned above, this is officially the first book in the Baby-Sitters Club series, not to be confused with the recently released prequel, 'The Summer Before'.  There are pro's and cons to reading one before the other.  'The Summer Before' gives you a nice introduction to the characters, but 'Kristy's Great Idea' has a bit more action.

'Kristy's Great Idea' is a great book for any pre-teen girl interested in a more 'real life' storyline.  Even though it was originally published in the late 80's, it reads (thanks to small edits) like it was written for todays audience.  Highly recommended for those looking for a good girl power, coming of age series!

Review: The Summer Before by Ann M. Martin

Title: The Summer Before- A BSC Prequel
Author: Ann M. Martin
Release: April 1st, 2010
Genre: Juvi, pre-teen, friendship, coming of age
Perfect for: 8 and up, kids looking for fun, friendship reads, and those twenty somethings who loved the series as kids

It's the summer before 7th grade and Kristy, Claudia, and Mary Anne are psyched.  Set before 'Kristy's Great Idea', 'The Summer Before' shows us the trio transitioning into teens, or at least pre-teens.  Kristy is dealing with her moms growing attachment to boyfriend Watson, Claudia feels she is 'growing out' of her friends, and Mary Anne is trying to break out of her shell while dealing with an over protective father.  Meanwhile, Stacey is getting ready for a big move from New York City to Suburban Stoneybrook, CT after recently being diagnosed with Diabetes.

It was fun revisiting the Baby-Sitters Club (BSC) gang-- at least the four featured in this book.  It's been years since I've read this Ann M. Martin series but I am pleased to say it read (felt) like revisiting an old friend.  The style and rhythm felt natural and the story was quick and entertaining.  It's a short, light story, so those who want to read it out of nostalgia should have no problem.

Off all four story lines, Stacey's was the most interesting to me.  I don't remember the original series going much into the reason for her move other than a quick sentence or two (though it's been a while-- I could be wrong). In pure BSC fashion, the message that you shouldn't be scared of friends with health issues came across very clear due to Stacey's story.

While I would have preferred a sequel, a prequel makes more sense when it comes to re-branding this story for this generation.  'The Summer Before' gives us a good look at how the members of the (soon to be formed) BSC stay friends, even though they are all maturing in different ways.  'The Summer Before' is available now online or at your local bookstore!

Review: Knightley Academy by Violet Haberdasher

Title: Knightley Academy
Author: Violet Haberdasher
Genre: Juvi, Younger YA readers, fantasy, steampunk, adventure, friendship
Perfect for: those who enjoy the 'Harry Potter' or 'Vampirates' series

Henry Grim is an orphan who for most of his thirteen years has worked as a servant at the local boarding school.  When a loop hole in the system allows Henry and other commoners to take the exam to gain acceptance into the posh and highly exclusive Knightley Academy, Henry does everything he can to pass the test and, to his great surprise, is chosen above all other test takers to attend!

School life isn't all that is cracked up to be, even in a school where 'chivalry' is the basic code, as he and his roommates, fellow outcasts Adam and Rohan, learn that someone is sabotaging their chances of staying at Knightley Academy.  With the help of the headmasters daughter Frankie, Henry, Adam, and Rohan must find out who wants them out before they really are expelled.

The first thing that grabbed me about 'Knightley Academy' was the title.  It's just a great title.  Along with that, the cover is nicely put together and should attract attention.  It caught mine pretty much instantly.  While the page count looks a bit hefty, don't worry.  The text is large and the story moves along in such a way you won't notice anything but the story.

Author Violet Haberdasher has put together a story that should attract anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter.  The style is similar in the fact that this is a fun read about friendship and confidence and is filled with so many possibilities for future storylines.  By no means is this book a stand alone novel.  There will be sequels-- sequels that I am very much looking forward to reading.

The characters are fantastic.  We have Henry, the main character, who is confident and bright, but  has drawn the short end of the straw when it comes to lineage.  A common boy, he is the character that keeps us, the readers, from being confused about this new world.  His voice is easy to read and he's just an overall great character.

Along with Henry, we have Rohan, Adam, and Frankie.  Rohan comes from a proper family, but as he is biologically the son of a dark skinned servant, he is shunned due to his color.  Rohan is the logical one of the group.  Adam, son of a banker, is Jewish and brings a fantastic sense of humor to the tale.  Frankie, daughter of the headmaster, wants to learn many things-- far more than the stitchery and languages her grandmother deems appropriate for girls.

These four heroes make for fantastic friends and a fantastic story that has some steampunk influences and lots of adventure.  While the main storyline in this novel has an ending, it is definitely apparent that this is the beginning of a great series.

If you are or know a Harry Potter or Vampirates fan looking for something new, this is it.  It's fun, adventurous, quirky, and humorous.  Highly recommended!  'Knightly Academy' is available now from your local bookstore and online!