The Ickabog by JK Rowling

 

What a fun read!!

This is definitely a fairy tale, and is written as such.  Simple language, very readaloudable, complete with the moral of the story.  Do you believe in the Ickabog, that swamp monster that will eat errant children?  In a perfect kingdom called Cornucopia where every parish has its own specialty, the pampered and pompous but really deep down good hearted King reigns and believes everything he is told, two evil advisors plot to gain more power, and two children end up saving the world.  But of course!  How they get there is full of fun and quips and Oh Please Tim Burton make a movie out of this!!!  Fun even for kids to read even with the prison scenes (wrongfully imprisoned!), and there are a few deaths mentioned, this chapter book/novel was a one-dayer for me (granted, I was at the beach) and was a great break from a lot of the more intense, serious reading this year.  Thank you as always, JKR, for bringing back the fun.

I also loved the backstory here - how she originally made up this story for her kids years ago; how she published it for free on the HP website to give kids something to read during lockdown; and ESPECIALLY how she had an art contest and put the winners of that contest's art INTO THE BOOK!  That's right, this book comes with pictures, drawn by kids, for kids, relating to different scenes in the book.

What's not to love?????

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow

 

FIRST OF ALL, what a cover!!!!  Six Stars for Cover Art!!!!

And, I loved this book.  Gorgeous writing, a truly original concept and so well set up.  We meet a young girl living in a mansion awaiting her travelling father's return while under the tutelage of his wealthy employer.  Life is boring, but fine.  January longs to travel with her father but he always refuses to let her come.  What is he really doing?  Then little gifts begin to show up in a special box she discovers in the attic, including, finally, a very special book, and she thinks her benefactor is helping her find adventure.  And find it she does!!!  Along with danger and her very own story, and her very own direction and maybe even purpose.  When she begins to wonder what really happened to her mother, she and two friends try to find out after she is forced to leave her home.  A fabulous fantasy read, you must have an open mind to other worlds and peoples, a little bit of magic, evil and possibility - and miracles.  Her journey away from and toward the most important things, and those she meets and travel with, were fascinating to me.  I could not put this one down.  I will make haste to grab Harrow's next book (not a sequel) because I just liked her style so much.  A very good read!

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

 

Three stars means I liked it, right?

This was a pretty good book.  Not super great, but enjoyable.  Kinda complicated, somewhat predictable, but some surprises towards the end.  Lots of characters to keep up with and a somewhat far fetched premise that slowly unfolds (discerning readers will figure it out quicker than I did probably!).  Riley goes home to NC after the death of her father to clear out his house, only to be hit with new and disturbing information about her family that was kept from her - and from her older brother as well - which will change her whole idea of who her family was and especially what really happened to their older sister Lisa, who died when Riley was two.  She finds out her dad had a girlfriend after the death of her mother, and that girlfriend swoops in with speed and a sense of entitlement that immediately puts Riley on edge.  As she delves further into the secrets her parents kept, she becomes more confused and upset.  Cue the switch of perspective halfway through the novel and we hear another side of the story, and all hell breaks loose and prison is threatened and a murder is mentioned and then BOOM everything sorta kinda sorts out - sorta.  I did not like how things ended with her brother, that was definitely not satisfactorily resolved for me, and where Riley ends up seems WAY far fetched.  Yes, I purposefully used that phrase again.

Still, this kept my attention and was a good mystery.  I have heard a lot about this author so thought I would try her out.  I would read another one; I see in some reviews that this is not her best effort.  I think there was enough good writing here that I would read another of her books.  So, there's that.  But I would not be rushing to push this one into other people's hands.  It was fine.  ;-)

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

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Let's start off by saying this fantasy book will not be for everyone - but it should be.  There is some debate about whether it is a children's story or written for adults.  Well, I'm an adult.  Usually.  Ha.

As I was reading, I wasn't sure I was going to like this one. The cover drew me in though - omgosh so gorgeous.  And there was a Department in Charge of Magical Youth (accio, HP).  And a sad, bumbling, lonely, downtrodden caseworker named Linus.  And a mysterious island of dangerous, magical kids (mostly)!

So, what's not to love?

Not much, honestly.  This story is magical in itself.  The prose is very much as if directed towards kids, and is told very much in almost a fairy tale like manner.  I was totally sucked in and quickly.  Linus' life is miserable and oh so rainy, but it is all he knows to do (and his neighbor is hilarious, poor Linus).  He is good at his job and doesn't get involved with the schools he investigates.   At the school where Linus is secretly sent by his evil boss to investigate whether the Department should continue funding it or cut its losses due to dangerous behavior, the kids are different even within Linus' experience - and maybe not even human.  But - bear with it because you WILL grow to love these crazy different characters, and maybe even build up some empathy which this world could really use!!!  This truly is a feel good story and I loved it.

The author self describes as "queer," and has vowed to bring positive representation of his community into literature.  Mr. Klune, all is well, and all is well.  Well done, that is.  This is a delightful book complete with a love story that is super sweet and has the reader pulling for a definition of family that is nothing but Right.   In full disclosure there is a passing reference to the fact that one character did not sleep in his own bed one night, but it is all very wink-wink.  And positive.  Can he save this school, even with the dangers faced by the nearby residents from these misunderstood magical children, one of whom may be the spawn of Lucifer?  Can the headmaster keep his own secret or will he lose everything by being who he really is??  I can totally see this being made into a super fun movie with Seussian colors and exaggerated facial expressions and special effects, with the office being grays and browns and the island popping like Oz.  Christmas 2021 will be filled with Chaunceys and Theodores and Talias and Sals and Phees and of course, Lucys.  

We can only hope.