Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Siblings to die for

The Blood Between Us by Z Brewer

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Had I been myself as a teenager (and I was) this book would have been a huge hit. The Blood Between Us is a thriller filled with distrust, explosions, and family secrets. Until you get to the end. And this was when my adult-self kicked in and the teenager who forgave a lot to just enjoy the story, came into play. The buildup was strong, but slow. All evidence points to an obvious ending (but honestly would be a satisfying one). That is, until the […]

Romeo and Juliet tackle social issues

The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera

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The Education of Margot Sanchez came up in at a time when I was looking for something different, not too “light”, but not too “heavy” either. And the book Lilliam Rivera presented was a story of coming of age when your world is not as perfect as it might seem. There is a lot to this story to make it a familiar story. We have the “trying to fit in with the cool crowd” plot line. We have the “abandoning old friends who don’t fit […]

Things could probably be okay if it wasn’t for that meddling, dead, Abuela

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

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As a teen I might have been a bit more into Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. The twist to the plot point was a bit of a slap, even though the description tells you what it will be. By going with a real “not dead” aspect, considering the spiritual aspects of the rest of the book was awkward. The pacing of the story is a slowly building up that at first was a great way to keep me […]

An orphan boy and a rich girl try and save a city

City of Secrets by Victoria Ying

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Steampunk and almost magic (see robot that is sentient but needs help to fly) comes into play in the graphic novel, City of Secrets by Victoria Ying. This wild adventure of two young teens, Ever and Hannah, who must save their city recalls such things as Avatar the Last Airbender, Wizard of Oz, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Transformers, and pretty much any action-adventure story you know. The fantasy and realism combine to make a relatable, mystery, adventurous tale. Every page is filled with mischief, […]

A cat and three girls decided to have a couple graphic novels made for them…

Cat & Cat Volume 1 Girl Meets Cat by Christophe Cazenove

Cat & Cat Volume 2: Cat Out of Water by Christophe Cazenove

Super Sisters by Christophe Cazenove

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The team of Christophe Cazenove and William Maury have created the series Cat and Cat, the series Super Sisters, the (regular) series Sisters and the Sea Creatures series (which I have not found/read yet and has different illustrations). When reading Cat & Cat Volume 1 Girl Meets Cat and Cat & Cat Volume 2: Cat Out of Water, I did not realize Super Sisters was by the same people. And of course, the same happened with Super Sisters. I figured the similar feel to the […]

“When it seems like brown lives don’t matter “

Barely Missing Everything by Matt Mendez

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Barely Missing Everything has a few bumps and bruises in the writing style and subject matter. Matt Mendez has a “this a not an easy read” story for several reasons. First, the points of view can be a little off putting, though they are usually from Juan’s and the subject is how the town Juan, his family, and friends lives in treats people with Mexican backgrounds. Clichés and stereotypes come up often with what happens to the characters (Juan mother is a teenage mom, Juan’s […]



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