April 2020 Reading Wrap-Up
- Hannah Bonnell
- May 3, 2020
- 6 min read
Hello everyone! April was a fairly successful reading month for me, mostly because of The Stay At Home Reading Rush. I was able to read (almost) 4 books in three days and even though most of them were fairly short and one was a graphic novel I still am pretty proud of myself and very encouraged to keep reading; that challenge definitely gave me the boost that I needed to jump-start my bookish life :) I read a total of 6 books (1,691 pages) this month. So, let's get into the review...
Title: The Moorchild|| Author: Eloise McGraw|| Page count: 241
Saaski, our main character, was sassy and spirited and I really liked following her though her trouble in being branded different and possibly dangerous in her own village.
In The Moorchild we follow Moql, a Folk who doesn't seem to fit in with her people that live under the moor. When she finds out that she is half human she is exchanged by the Folk for a human baby and must live out her life as a changeling child. Things start to get scary for Moql, now called Saaski, when the villagers begin to suspect that she is not a normal girl because of some unexplained incidents that happen when she's around.
This book was engaging and fun, it was laced with magic and the mystery of discovering Saaski's past along with her was very enjoyable. I loved that it was giving off the right kind of Ireland, fairy, and leprechaun vibes. This was a solid fantasy read I was able to get though it smoothly.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Title: Coraline||Author: Neil Gaiman||Page count: 160
This story is beautifully dark and deeply creepy.
Coraline Jones has a normal boring life with her parents in a black and white world. When she goes exploring in the new mansion her family moves into she finds a door, a door that leads her into a fantastical world, a upside-down version of her life back home. She meets her Other-Mother and Other-Father, they try to convince her to stay with them in their world where Coraline gets everything she could ever want. But a dark lining starts to emerge and shadows hide behind the treasures her Other-Mother gives.
I was especially disgusted, enthralled, and terrified with chapter nine. I could not put this book down. Different from the movie, but just as enjoyable this page turner is a must read for lovers of creepy :)
Rating: 5/5 stars
Title: Ruby Holler|| Author: Sharon Creech|| Page count: 310
Ruby Hollar is a beautiful story of acceptance, adventure, and the feeling of love that only a family can bring
Dallas and Florida are orphans living in the Boxton Creek Home for Children. Trouble seems to follows them to the homes they are placed in and they find themselves not wanted or cared for, and left feeling like there is no place for them in the world. Meanwhile Tiller and Sairy are an adventurous older couple living in a cabin in Ruby Holler, they are looking to go on one more big trip before they retire to their cozy cabin. When they meet the twins uncertainty runs through them all, but we follow them while they learn to love and trust each other.
It's definitely a great feel-good, quick read that had me turning each page to see the growth of the characters unfold in every chapter. I especially loved this book because it is very nostalgic for me, I read this as a kid at my local library and I remember it having a very big influence on my reading life as a child. I consider this one of the books that really fueled my love for reading. It was nice to come back to it and still love the characters and the whole atmosphere the book created for me.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Title: Middlewest|| Author: Skottie Young and Jorge Corona|| Page count: 160
This book was disappointing for me. The story just didn't hold up in my mind, and there were so many unanswered questions I had about the world and some of the characters.
In Middlewest we meet Abel and his father who live in Farmington, a fantasy/steampunk like world. Abel is on the run after his town was destroyed, and him and his foxy friend are trying to get as far away as possible from the storm that calls his name.
The artwork was pretty stunning sometimes, and I did enjoy that part of the book, there were also some bits of humor and dialog that I thought were good, but again, the story and all the questions I had were a lot to overlook. It was a quick read, being a graphic novel, so if the description or the artwork interests you and you end up not liking the story-line, at least it is quick! I may or may not continue with this series because I did enjoy the artwork so much, so stay tuned!
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Title: Wonderstruck|| Author: Brian Selznick|| Page count: 637
This book was stunning. I enjoyed every page of it, the words join smoothly with the images and they danced together perfectly!
Rose and Ben both wish they lead different lives. Rose longs to meet a mysterious actress in the big city and Ben wishes for the father he never knew. When they are met with clues that could lead them to what they truly want they both set out on journeys to discover what they are missing in their lives. These stories are set fifty years apart, Rose's is told in pictures and Ben's is told in words. We follow them both in their adventures, switching back and forth between the two as their stories intertwine.
In this book I especially loved Rose's parts, being illustrated it really captured the emotions she was feeling and made you feel like your were right next to her the entire time. It was a very touching story and though the page count sounds like a lot it is about half illustrations so I was able to get through this book in one evening. I thought this was going to be a 5/5 stars since Hugo Cabret was just amazing, but I did give this one a 4/5 stars. Not an all time favorite of mine but still very nice none the less.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Title: The Search for Delicious|| Author: Natalie Babbitt|| Page count: 180
I thought this sounded like such a good story, I was pumped, ready for some fairy-tale magic! But I was greatly disappointed.
Gaylen, the king's messenger, is twelve years old, and he is on a quest to find a word to go under "DELICIOUS" in the new dictionary. He goes from village to village and questions the townspeople on what they think the most delicious food is. Him and his horse Marrow travel for days, meeting a minstrel who sings about Ardis, a mermaid that just might be able to save them from war, along with several other interesting people on the road. Fights begin to break out and it becomes apparent that Gaylen must find a word for the dictionary soon to avoid a civil war in the kingdom.
The whole thing seemed way to over the top, the fights that were breaking out were basically punching and screaming matches between full grown adults over what food was more delicious. It was a little too much for me, I ended up being annoyed at the entire set of adults in this story. Along with the side story about Ardis the mermaid that was supposed to blend into the main story and make everything better... it just ended up confusing me. By the end of it I was done. I almost DNFed it so that may be why I was so confused with the mermaid's story, I wasn't really paying attention by the end. Now, that being said, Natalie Babbitt's Tuck Everlasting was ASTOUNDING! I read that a few months ago and that is one of my all time favorite books <3 I think I went into this book with very high expectations and just had them smashed. The characters I did like in this story were the minstrel Canto and his dog Muzzle, and Mrs. Copse and her crow Maunder, mostly because I just like crows. The dialog was the one good point of the story, I did enjoy it and there was a bit of humor laced in there, there were also a few sentences I highlighted that I thought were very well put together. I can see how younger readers could like this book, it was after-all written for children, but I do normally relate and love children's and young adult literature. Overall, the book was just a miss for me. Don't come at me! If you like this book that is awesome! It just wasn't for me.
Rating: 1.5/5 stars
So that was my April reading review, I certainly read more books than I expected too! I wanted to up my reading game at the beginning of the month and I surprisingly exceeded my expectations. Let's hope this lasts into May but I shouldn't get my hopes up, I'm bound to come crashing down at some point, lol! I do have some fairly quick reads on my TBR for May so we will see how it goes.
Until next time, guys! Thanks for reading :) <3
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