Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Expectations and Reality clash and have a lovely time

Princess Princess Ever After by Kay O’Neill

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All points/rating for this book, Princess Princess Ever After comes from the lovely, classical folktale illustrations that Kay O’Neill gave us. This modern twist of Prince saving the Princess has been seen before, (this time we have a Princess saving the Princess). But this time O’Neill also tosses in a prince who has a little side story (which is not really needed, or at least could have been expanded a bit Perhaps he’ll get his own story someday?). However, it is still about expectations and […]

Wicked good time

Mellybean and the Wicked Wizard by Mike White

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It was a shiny cover. It was a colorful cover. And it was a slippery cover. Mellybean and the Wicked Wizard seemed like a perfectly, fun, easy read I needed to clean my busy brain. And I thought it was the first in the series, as there was no “Book Two” that I could see. And while it is a cute book, read volume one first. Mike White’s graphic novel for ages six to ten/eleven, has sweet animals (a rambunctious puppy, a few cool cats) […]

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 […]

Friends Forever. Or not.

Friends Forever by Shannon Hale

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In the third installment of Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham’s graphic Novel, we have read this story before: Eighth grader coming of age during the late 1980s. No matter the decade, subjects do not change as we still deal with friendships, boys, family, finding your friends, finding confidence, finding the right outfit. Still, the fact that this is based on Hale’s own growing up makes it more special to me (as I’m usually a fan of anything they write and we are of a similar […]

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, […]

“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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