Mini-Reviews: Beauty and the Beast (Volume 1 & Volume 2) Beauty and the Beast, Belle's Tale (Volume 1) by Mallory Reaves Synopsis: In Disney's live-action film Beauty and the Beast, Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman, is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle's enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast's hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince inside. This manga explores Belle's innermost thoughts as she learns that true beauty comes from within. Beauty and the Beast, The Beast's Tale (Volume 2) by Mallory Reaves Synopsis: A tale as old as time ... told in timeless manga style Disney's much-anticipated live-action adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast" hits theaters in March 2017, and it stars Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. This original two-part manga series is based upon the upcoming movie... but you've never seen this classic love story told quite this way before. The "Beauty" manga delves into Belle's deepest thoughts as she's taken prisoner by the Beast in his majestic castle. Where the "Beast" manga explores Beast's deepest thoughts as he captures Belle in his castle and finds himself falling in love with her feisty attitude and adventurous spirit. *I requested these books via Netgalley in trade of an honest review*
I was browsing through Netgalley, when I came across these manga-style graphic novels on the 'Read Now' section. I had recently seen (and loved!) the new BATB film so when I saw these I just had to download them. Seeing as the two graphic novels go together (Belle's POV & The Beast's POV), I thought I would just combine them together in one review as I had similar opinions on both. Anyway, here's my review! Page Layout/Reading Order I've never really read any manga before, so this was nothing quite new for me. It's a manga, so it reads from the back to the front. Luckily there's a notice at the front saying to start from the back that helped. However, I did get confused later on as some pages would read from left to right and others were a bit mixed up. I don't know if this was just me because I got mixed up, but I saw some other reviews where people had said similar things, so I don't think it was. The Story If you are interested in reading these then I'd definitely recommend seeing the new film beforehand as that is what it's based off. As it's Belle's and then The Beast's POVS, you don't get to see everything and it does skip over some bits that the two characters don't see. I thought it followed the story well and I really enjoyed how in The Beast's Tale, you got see quiet a few glimpses of what his childhood was like. The Art I did really like the art style and it was in black and white. In some areas, I think there could've been a tiny bit more detail as there was sometimes just a plain white box with a character just stood there and there wasn't much of a background. I just think that with some of the scenes the backgrounds could've been really cool. Overall Overall, I did like these graphic novels, but I just didn't LOVE them enough to give them much of a high rating. I think I'm still getting into the graphic novel and manga world and I haven't found one that I've absolutely loved yet. If you do have any recommendations then please leave them below and I'll try and check them out. These were fun, quick reads and I'd definitely recommend them if you loved the new movie. Rate (for both) - 2.5-3/5 BYE! Belle's Tale GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32841044-belle-s-tale?ac=1&from_search=true AMAZON - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Disney-Beauty-Beast-Mallory-Reaves/dp/1427856834/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9J33Y0HHZYADR87AM9SR The Beast's Tale GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32841045-the-beast-s-tale AMAZON - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Disney-Beauty-Beast-Mallory-Reaves/dp/1427856850/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=T00XDYBHSCBSCC128YCR
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May & June Diverse YA & Middle Grade Releases! Hey guys! So as I'm writing this it's currently the 27th May, so it is a bit late to be talking about May releases. However, so many great diverse books came out this month that I just had to include them in someway, so I'm going to merge them into this post with some June releases as well. For some reason, most of the books I found happen to be coming out on the same day (quite a few on the 4th May), so please just ignore that. As always, if there are any other diverse books coming out in these two months that I've missed, let me know below and I'll add them in. The same goes I you think any of the information I'm sharing is incorrect. Without further ado, let's get into the new (ish) releases! May Noteworthy by Riley Redgate - Bisexual Main Character Synopsis: A cappella just got a makeover. Jordan Sun is embarking on her junior year at the Kensington-Blaine Boarding School for the Performing Arts, hopeful that this will be her time: the year she finally gets cast in the school musical. But when her low Alto 2 voice gets her shut out for the third straight year—threatening her future at Kensington-Blaine and jeopardizing her college applications—she’s forced to consider nontraditional options. In Jordan’s case, really nontraditional. A spot has opened up in the Sharpshooters, Kensington’s elite a cappella octet. Worshipped…revered…all male. Desperate to prove herself, Jordan auditions in her most convincing drag, and it turns out that Jordan Sun, Tenor 1, is exactly what the Sharps are looking for. Jordan finds herself enmeshed in a precarious juggling act: making friends, alienating friends, crushing on a guy, crushing on a girl, and navigating decades-old rivalries. With her secret growing heavier every day, Jordan pushes beyond gender norms to confront what it means to be a girl (and a guy) in a male-dominated society, and—most importantly—what it means to be herself. Release Date: 2nd May 2017 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31447601-noteworthy?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Noteworthy/9781419723735 Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig - Autistic main character Synopsis: Meet Ginny. She’s fourteen, autistic, and has a heart-breaking secret… Ginny Moon is trying to make sense of a world that just doesn’t seem to add up…. After years in foster care, Ginny is in her fourth forever family, finally with parents who will love her. Everyone tells her that she should feel happy, but she has never stopped crafting her Big Secret Plan of Escape. Because something happened, a long time ago – something that only Ginny knows – and nothing will stop her going back to put it right… Release Date: 3rd May 2017 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34078013-ginny-moon?from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Ginny-Moon/9780778330165 Release by Patrick Ness - Gay Main Character Synopsis: Inspired by Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume's Forever, Release is one day in the life of Adam Thorn, 17. It's a big day. Things go wrong. It's intense, and all the while, weirdness approaches... Adam Thorn is having what will turn out to be the most unsettling, difficult day of his life, with relationships fracturing, a harrowing incident at work, and a showdown between this gay teen and his preacher father that changes everything. It's a day of confrontation, running, sex, love, heartbreak, and maybe, just maybe, hope. He won't come out of it unchanged. And all the while, lurking at the edges of the story, something extraordinary and unsettling is on a collision course. Release Date: 4th May 2017 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31194576-release?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Release/9781406331172 Noah Can't Even by Simon John Green - Questioning/Gay Character - Biracial Secondary Character - Secondary Character with Dementia Synopsis: Poor Noah Grimes! His father disappeared years ago, his mother's Beyonce tribute act is an unacceptable embarrassment, and his beloved gran is no longer herself. He only has one friend, Harry, and school is...Well, it's pure HELL. Why can't Noah be normal, like everyone else at school? Maybe if he struck up a romantic relationship with someone - maybe Sophie, who is perfect and lovely - he'd be seen in a different light? But Noah's plans are derailed when Harry kisses him at a party. That's when things go from bad to utter chaos. Release Date: 4th May 2017 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33961524-noah-can-t-even?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Noah-Can-t-Even/9781407179940 The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah - MIna is a refugee from Afghanistan. - Mina & her family are Muslims. Synopsis: A remarkable story about the power of choosing tolerance from one of the most important voices in contemporary Muslim literature, critically acclaimed author Randa Abdel-Fattah. Michael usually concerns himself with basketball and hanging out with his friends, but every once in a while, his parents drag him to meetings and rallies with their anti-immigrant group. And it all makes sense to Michael. Until Mina, a beautiful girl from the other side of the protest lines, shows up at his school, and turns out to be funny, smart -- and a Muslim refugee from Afghanistan. Suddenly, his parents' politics seem much more complicated. Mina has already had a long and arduous journey leaving behind her besieged home in Afghanistan, and the frigid welcome at her new school is daunting. She just wants to settle in and help her parents get their restaurant up and running. But nothing about her new community will be that easy. As tensions increase, lines are drawn. Michael has to decide where he stands. Mina has to protect herself and her family. Both have to choose what they want their world to look like. Release Date: 4th May 2017 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35087567-the-lines-we-cross?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Lines-We-Cross/9781407173474 The Way Back Home by Allan Stratton - Secondary Character with Alzheimer's - Transgender Secondary Character Synopsis: Zoe Bird is going nowhere fast. She’s angry and lonely, and her only true friend is her granny, whose Alzheimer’s is worsening. When her parents put Granny in a home, Zoe decides now is the time to break free. She smuggles Granny out and together they hit the tracks on a cross-country trip to find Zoe’s long-lost uncle. But there will be some home truths along the way. . . An emotional story about family, surviving school and being true to yourself for fans of The Art of Being Normal and Unbecoming. Release Date: 4th May 2017 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31348272-the-way-back-home?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Way-Back-Home/9781783445219 I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson - Main Character with Cerebral Palsy Synopsis: Jemma knows who did the murder. She knows because he told her. And she can't tell anyone. Fourteen-year-old Jemma has severe cerebral palsy. Unable to communicate or move, she relies on her family and carer for everything. She has a sharp brain and inquisitive nature, and knows all sorts of things about everyone. But when she is confronted with this terrible secret, she is utterly powerless to do anything. Though that might be about to change... A page-turning thriller seen through the eyes of a unique narrator, this is a truly original, heart-rending and compulsive book for young adult readers. Perfect for fans of Wonder, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Looking for JJ. Release Date: 4th May 2017 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34042519-i-have-no-secrets?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/I-Have-No-Secrets/9781405286152 Countless by Karen Gregory - Main character with an eating disorder Synopsis: When Hedda discovers she is pregnant, she doesn’t believe she could ever look after a baby. The numbers just don’t add up. She is young, and still in the grip of an eating disorder that controls every aspect of how she goes about her daily life. She’s even given her eating disorder a name – Nia. But as the days tick by, Hedda comes to a decision: she and Nia will call a truce, just until the baby is born. 17 weeks, 119 days, 357 meals. She can do it, if she takes it one day at a time … Heartbreaking and hopeful by turns, Karen Gregory’s debut novel is a story of love, heartache and human resilience. And how the things that matter most can’t be counted. Perfect for fans of Lisa Williamson, Non Pratt and Sarah Crossan. Release Date: 4th May 2017 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34299826-countless?from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Countless/9781408882504 June Truth or Dare by Non Pratt - Biracial Character (half-Turkish, half-welsh) - British Pakistani Character - Secondary Character with a neurodisability (from a brain injury) Synopsis: A powerful and moving novel about bravery from the Guardian's "writer to watch" Non Pratt, perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell, John Green and Holly Bourne. How far is too far when it comes to the people you love? Claire Casey hates being the centre of attention. But if it means getting Sef Malik to notice her, it’s a risk she’s happy to take. Sef is prepared to do anything to help his recently disabled brother. But this means putting Claire’s love – and life – on the line. Because when you're willing to risk everything, what is there left to lose? Release Date: 1st June 2017 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25458747-truth-or-dare?from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Truth-or-Dare-Non-Pratt/9781406366938 Troublemakers by Catherine Barter - Gay Secondary Character Synopsis: In three years I will be able to vote and I will still have less power than I did at the moment that I saw that email, which was such a tiny thing but look what happened. Fifteen-year-old Alena never really knew her political activist mother, who died when she was a baby. She has grown up with her older half-brother Danny and his boyfriend Nick in the east end of London. Now the area is threatened by a bomber who has been leaving explosive devices in supermarkets. It is only a matter of time before a bomb goes off. Against this increasingly fearful backdrop, Alena seeks to discover more about her past, while Danny takes a job working for a controversial politician. As her family life implodes, and the threat to Londoners mounts, Alena starts getting into trouble. Then she does something truly rebellious. A searing, heartbreaking coming-of-age tale for fans of Lisa Williamson, Jenny Downham and Sarah Crossan. Release Date: 1st June 2017 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31817307-troublemakers?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Troublemakers-Catherine-Barter/9781783445240?ref=grid-view&qid=1495978250530&sr=1-2 This Is Just A Test by Madelyn Rosenberg & Wendy Wan-Long Shang - Chinese secondary character - Jewish characters Synopsis: David Da-Wei Horowitz has a lot on his plate. Preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah would be enough work even if it didn't involve trying to please his Jewish and Chinese grandmothers, who argue about everything. But David just wants everyone to be happy. That includes his friend Scott, who is determined to win their upcoming trivia tournament but doesn't like their teammate -- and David's best friend -- Hector. Scott and David begin digging a fallout shelter just in case this Cold War stuff with the Soviets turns south... but David's not so convinced he wants to spend forever in an underground bunker with Scott. Maybe it would be better if Hector and Kelli Ann came with them. But that would mean David has to figure out how to stand up for Hector and talk to Kelli Ann. Some days, surviving nuclear war feels like the least of David's problems. Release Date: 27th June 2017 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30053510-this-is-just-a-test?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/This-Is-Just-Test-Madelyn-Rosenberg-Wendy-Wan-Long-Shang/9781338037722 All The Things That Could Go Wrong by Stewart Foster - Character with OCD Synopsis: The unforgettable new novel from the award-winning author of THE BUBBLE BOY. Dan is angry. Nothing has been the same since his big brother left, and he’s taking it out on the nearest and weakest target: Alex. Alex is struggling. His severe OCD makes it hard for him to leave the house, especially when Dan and his gang are waiting for him at school... When the two boys’ mums arrange for them to meet out of school and finish building the raft that Dan started with his brother, it seems like the end of the world. But could it be the start of an unlikely friendship? Release Date: 29th June 2017 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34728992-all-the-things-that-could-go-wrong?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/All-the-Things-That-Could-Go-Wrong-Stewart-Foster/9781471145421 Spoiler-Free Review: Theodore and the Enchanted Bookstore: Tale of the Spectacular Spectacles by K. Kibbee Theodore and the Enchanted Bookstore: Tale of the Spectacular Spectacles by K. KibbeeGenre: Early Chapter Book {ages 6-10} Synopsis: Living life as a bumbling breadbox with fur, was hardship enough for Theodore the Corgi, but when the young dog finds himself cold and alone in a frightening animal shelter, it’s clear that his struggles have only just begun. Labeled “unadoptable,” by shelter staff, Theodore mires in the gloom until a kind-eyed stranger with a pocket full of handcrafted jerky and a quirky smile, rescues him with the intent of making Theodore the newest addition to his curious Bookstore. Though overwhelmed at first, Theodore soon finds both his new friend and the odd bookstore are welcoming hosts, despite the Corgi’s run of clumsy mishaps. And while Theodore’s formerly dull and lonely life fades to memory, a new, adventurous one blooms before him—for hidden amongst the dusty stacks of books and things at the Enchanted Bookstore, waits a peculiar little man with a set of the most magical, Spectacular Spectacles imaginable. Review The Tale of the Spectacular Spectacles begins with Theodore being abandoned at the animal shelter. It's unfair on him. His owner that left him there just wasn't patient enough to understand him and he reacts badly to this. They are about to label him "unadoptable" but then Sam turns up. He owns a local bookstore and thinks Theodore would be perfect company for him and the guests. Theodore is such a cute character and he's great to follow through the story. It's easy to feel sympathy for him at the start, but the change in his character throughout the story is great. It's such a great thing to see him happy again and I almost forgot he wasn't real. It might be a short book but it's so easy to get into and you feel like a part of the story. The plot of the story was quite simple and nice to follow and would definitely keep the interest of the target audience (6-10). I loved the idea of the glasses or "spectacles" and how they played a part in Theodore's happiness. The language and writing style was easy to follow and would definitely be perfect for the target group. There are some words that would help challenge the reader and overall it's just a great read. Overall, it's definitely a fun read and one that I loved. I especially loved the magical ending and hope to see and read more adventures featuring Theodore. Rate - 4/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35103427-theodore-and-the-enchanted-bookstore?ac=1&from_search=true About the Author K. (Kristine) Kibbee is a Pacific Northwest writer with a fascination for all things literary. Kristine’s passion for creative writing began in her early youth and led her to the doors of Washington State University, where she earned a degree in Humanities, with a focus in Professional Writing. Kristine followed her scholarly pursuit of writing with published works in The Vancougar, The Salal Review Literary Review, Just Frenchies magazine, and S/Tick Literary Review. She is presently a regular columnist for Terrier Group magazine. Kristine’s novella, “The Mischievous Misadventures of Dewey the Daring,” was her first and only self-published release, and is still currently available on Amazon.com. Her middle-grade fantasy novel, “Whole in the Clouds,” was released in November 2014 and is being re-released by Incorgnito Publishing Press, with additional material, in October of 2016. The first installment in her YA fantasy series, “Forest of the Fae-Devlin’s Door,” was released in early 2016 with Incorgnito. Kristine anticipates following the release of book two in the “Forests of the Fae” series (“The Raven Queen”) with a third and final installment, which will tentatively come to print in early 2018. Kristine regularly engages on a variety of social media platforms and can be followed: On Twitter @K_Kibbee On Facebook: facebook.com/KKibbeewrites Publisher’s Info: https://www.facebook.com/incorgnito/ @incorgnitobooks Incorgnitobooks.com On Amazon: http://amzn.to/2oVfUfz Spoiler-Free Review: Marco's Seeds by Nathan Smith Marco's Seeds by Nathan Smith Genre: Middle Grade Fiction - Sci-Fi Synopsis: Marco is a little quirky. He never knew he lived on a spaceship. Or that he had a special mission. But one day, when space debris ripped a hole in his section, he learned. He and three other children scramble to fix the damage. They had been taught useful repair skills, but all Marco knows about are plants and farming. Not very useful when trying to salvage a broken spaceship. To the other children, Marco is strange and useless, but soon they will discover that he is critical to the mission’s success. Review *I was sent a copy of Marco's Seeds for review as part of blog tour.* Marco's Seeds is a short (around 100 pages) middle grade sci-fi book that is full of adventure. It's definitely a fun space story as Marco learns about his life and is thrust in a position where he along with the other children on the ship have to save the day. You start off not knowing too much about Marco and his life on the ship. However, by the end you're left with a connection to Marco and understand the bigger picture. His parents are both robots and he knows it, however he has no idea that he lives on a spaceship or that there are other kids aboard the spaceship with the same robot parents as him. He goes about his life until one morning he's woken up and being evacuated from his section where his room is. This is the point where he meets some of the other children and where the adventure begins as his parents start malfunctioning and keep slipping into the "evil mode" and the ship starts failing. One of my favourite things about Marco is definitely his "quirkiness" and how everyone knows it. There are definitely some funny moments in this book as Marco really doesn't have a clue about some things and really frustrates some of the other characters. He doesn't really listen to what he's being told and often does the opposite to what he's instructed. He's definitely a funny character to follow and I definitely connected to him. This book does definitely have a story that relates to the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover." The other kids think Marco's a bit useless and it does take some time for them (and Marco himself) to realise how important he really is to their future lives. The story was well-written and it was so fun to read and I never wanted to put it down. It's definitely a quicker read but that's helped by the humour included. Even though it's not a good situation that Marco and the other children are in, there still are some funny moments and the dialogue for each character was spot on. You could really get a feel for each character, despite the book not being too long. Lenni played a key part in the story and you got to see just how much her character developed over time. She didn't get along too well at all with Marco at the start and just like the other kids, thought him to be rather useless. However, she soon learnt just how important he was as Lenni and him had to work together to save everything. I really enjoyed the ending and liked how things all tied up well. It was a good ending and it worked well with the discovery of the "mission" and the children's individual purposes. Overall I really loved Marco's Seeds and everything that came along with it. It was such a refreshing read and one that I think many children would love. I'd definitely love to see more of Marco (or the other children)in the future or maybe new characters with new stories. Rate - 4.5/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35060275-marco-s-seeds?ac=1&from_search=true AMAZON - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marcos-Seeds-Nathan-Smith-ebook/dp/B072BR595R/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496332716&sr=8-1&keywords=Marco%27s+seeds #abookforadream This book is FREE for teens! Visit the author’s website and use the online form to write a goal you have for your life: https://www.nathansmithwriting.com/marco-s-seeds About the Author Writing is an addictive thing, especially when you start young. I started writing when I was sixteen. A friend convinced me to write a zombie survival story. When I wrote a foreword for my unpublishable zombie book, I accidently wrote the best sentence of my life. “As a scribe sold to my mind as a slave I am free.” This sentence sums up my work and why I write. I hope you enjoy my stories. You can get a hold of me through my DM on Instagram @nathanrsmithwriting or my contact page at nathansmithwriting.com. I’d love to connect and say “hi.” |
AuthorHello and welcome to Books With Beth! I'm Beth and on this blog I share a mix of all my bookish thoughts through reviews, book tours and hauls. Have fun! Categories
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