Ms. Marvel: Marvel Now Comic Review (to date)

                    

Ms. Marvel: Vol. 1-4
Written by: G. Willow Wilson
Illustrated by: Adrian Alphona

Review to-date:

I started this series when the first volume came out in October 2014. I really hadn't read any comics at that point other than the famous "Saga" by Brian K Vaughan and was looking for a great transition to reading comics more steadily and this was suggested to me. Since that point I was since gone on to read dozens of runs and have many favorite comics that are still releasing issues and some finished series and of course some where better than others but I think my need to read more diverse comics was inspired by Ms. Marvel.

Let's first discuss the premise. Our main characters reside in Jersey and one night a mist falls over the city creating a new batch of heroes/villains that are all experiencing new powers of a large variety. 

The other Marvel favorites are familiar with area and have done some saving but are not permanent residence of Jersey but are more focused on the big city.

Our main protagonists is a young Indian woman named Kamala Khan. She has a lot of common Indian stereotypes like focusing on school, controlling parents, and a bit on the nerdy side. That is not true for all Indian children but she definitely exhibits those qualities that are often attributed to them in popular culture. 

She decides to break these stereotypes and sneak out to attend a party given by the popular kids in her high school. This is happens to be the night where the mysterious mist settles over the city and Kamala realizes not too long after what this one night of rebellion will mean for her future. 

At this point she chooses to start helping people and basically becoming a closet super hero without her family or friends knowing. She quickly gets noticed and begins training for real. Because the previous Ms. Marvel was promoted to Captain Kamala decides to adopt the moniker and people really respond to her.

One of the best things about this series are the friendships Kamala has, especially that with Bruno her will they, won't they love interest and best friend and her relationships with her parents and brother.

Her brother is very devoted to his faith and her parents are strict but only want whats best for the both of them. By the most current volume these relationships are just as important as Kamala saving Jersey.

I love that and love the elements of Indian culture, Kamala's modesty, and basically her standing up for what she believes. She is a strong female character that I think makes a great role model for teens and young women getting into comics.


Reasons Why I Think You Should Pick It Up:

a) strong female lead
b) great friendships
c) awesome family interactions
d) special appearances from some of your Marvel favorites
e) diversity

Read this if you enjoy:

  

Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Illuminae

by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

Description:

For fans of Marie Lu and James Dashner comes the first book in an epic new series.

“Brace yourself. You're about to be immersed in a mindscape that you'll never want to leave.”
—Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of the Legend trilogy

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she'd have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that's little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto one of the evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what's really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Review:

Okay. I feel like an absolute idiot waiting for so long to read this book. I was actually approved by netgalley.com and the publisher some time ago to review a E-ARC of this book and had been hearing some buzz about it but wasn't convinced to read it until the hype really got real. I actually ended up purchasing a physical copy once I realized the unique publication.

I think waiting is the biggest mistake all year because I can not imagine a better written or published book that will top my list this year. That is really saying something considering I have read over 150 full length novels this year.

Although I received a copy for review I also purchased a hard copy to better get a grasp of the formatting of the book and all opinions associated with this post are my own.

First, lets talk about the actual formatting of the book. The story is told in several different ways. Some with IM conversations, government documents recounting events, diary entries, and others forms like recalling what is said in a story format over a loud speaker etc. It is also told from an unknown perspective or a perspective that switches often. Part is told by the "government official" reviewing all the events and evidence, part is told by the Artificial Intelligence system in charge of the ship, and all is told in past tense as something that has already occurred. The pages are all presented in a way the agrees with the type of conversation occurring and often looks like computer files and entries but with notes from the reviewer or points of interesting content based on the speakers mood. It is VERY difficult to describe but very intelligently done and adds such a welcome dynamic to the book that made it difficult to put down.

The book might be just short of 600 pages but it really reads more like a 300-400 page story due to the formatting. I can't say enough how brilliant the structure of the book is and how innovative the writers are for choosing to present their content in this way. 

The story, however, could easily stand on it's own no matter the formatting. It was action packed and heart felt and thought out. It is a Sci-Fi story but it also has a romantic element from one obvious love interest and one surprising one. It also contains an element of a pathogen that leads to some negative behaviors in all the people who come down with the illness. 

I don't want to give too much away but the basics include a future where two corporations fighting over resources are each trying to obtain a certain resource from a planet in the far galaxy. One company, Beitech decides to attack the planet and kill all of it's residence to set up their own illegal mining operation.

A government ship hears the distress call from the planet and goes to help which allows for the rescue of several thousand citizens but not long after Beitech has released a deadly pathogen on a section of the city. 

Our main character is a young woman named Kady Grant who has just broken up with her boyfriend Ezra that morning. The story is about the citizens trying to outrun the evil corporation who want to leave no witnesses about the deadly attack they laid on this small planet and it's people. The damage to the governmental ships will not allow a jump into hyperspace until a place 6 months away. These six months are where the story takes place. 

This story is AMAZING. If you like action and adventure, sci-fi, romance, futuristic technology, or books unlike anything you have ever read that I suggest going out and purchasing this ASAP. 

I think I am going to write a post about the most unique books I have read this year sometime soon and this will definitely be going on that list. 

My Star Rating:

5 out of 5

Read if you enjoyed:

     

4 Upcoming Children's Books: Reviews

I received all of the following titles via netgalley.com and the publishers. All opinions expressed are my own.

Title: Little One
Author: Jo Weaver
Publisher: Peachtree Publishing
Publication Date: March 1, 2016

Description:

Spring is here and new life is stirring. There is so much for Big Bear to teach her new cub as they step out into the forest. Together they eat, swim, fish, and play as one season becomes the next. With Big Bears help, Little One grows more and more confident, until winter comes once more and its time to head home. With gentle text and stunning black and white illustrations, Jo Weaver reveals the wonder of nature, the first steps of independence, and the strength of parental love.

My Review:

I loved the illustrations for this book. They were absolutely stunning and I would suggest giving this a look just for them alone. Of course it doesn't heart that the book also happens to be thoughtful and lovely all on its own.

The story follows a bear with its' new cub as they explore the world together in the cub's first year of life. From learning how to gather berries, to fishing, to frolicking in nature it is wonderful to watch this young cub grow throughout the story.

As winter approaches and the snow starts to fall we see a whole new cub who is brave and strong and independent but still thankful and full of love for the parent bear. They cuddle down for the long winter ahead and the story flows seamlessly with the gorgeous illustrations.


My Star Review:

4 out of 5 stars



Title: The Great Carp Escape
Author: Irish Beth Maddock
Publisher: Word Alive Press
Publication Date: January 13, 2016

Description:

Tadpoles, clams, and minnows wow! For siblings Beth and Paul, growing up on a lake is fun... until they are startled by a fishy find along the shoreline. When they discover the scaly, moustached carp, they become afraid.

Seasons pass, and Beth and Paul avoid the swampy reeds at all costs until a flood brings about a life-or-death situation for the creepy looking carp, right in their own backyard!

With guidance from their father, will Beth and Paul be able to overcome their apprehensions about the carp and help save them before it s too late? Watch the Trailer!

The Great Carp Escape "truly captures the magic between children and nature. The story paints a beautiful picture of how all creatures on earth are God-given and shows how compassion shouldn't be based on popularity or defined beauty. This delightful and touching story carries such an important message of acceptance and simply joy. A pleasure to read and surely a popular addition to any child s home library. "

Illustrator Lisa Taron

My Review:

I had the opportunity to to speak with the author about her lovely story and she kindly provided me with a physical copy of the book.

She let me know that this was based on a story from her own childhood which just made this story all the more special.

What a great story about overcoming fears and coming to terms with things that are different from you and helping and persevering. A fun fishy tale that I would recommend. The lesson was there but it was not forced on the reader and the illustrations were wonderful. I would definitely suggest this if you have a child/know a child with a fear they need help overcoming or a child who might not understand how special it is to be selfless and help someone/something else.

I adored that this book is about helping something that is different than you and learning to be a better person because of it.

My Star Review:

4 out of 5


Title: A Friend For Mole
Author: Nancy Armo
Publisher: Peachtree Publishing
Publication Date: March 1, 2016

Description:

An accidental encounter throws Mole and Wolf together. One is afraid of the light, the other is afraid of the dark. Together they learn that friends are all they need to conquer their fears.

My Review:

This was a simple story about a mole who is intrigued by the outside world and who decides to see what all the fuss is about on the surface. Once up there he is blinded by the sun and wonders around and gets lost.

After he gets lost he stumbles into a hole with a wolf in it.

The wolf is afraid of the dark while the mole is afraid of the light. They quickly become friends and help each other face their fears and eventually make it home safely.

I enjoyed this but didn't think it really stood out the way many of the other children's stories I have been reading lately have done.

It was a great story of friendship and overcoming fears and maybe even exploring the fact that this unlikely friendship occurred and even in the light they weren't scared of each other and wanted to remain friends. It was sweet but a bit underwhelming and the illustrations were okay but not wonderful.

My Star Review:

3 out of 5



Title: Little Red
Author: Bethan Woollvin
Publisher: Peachtree Publishing
Publication Date: April 1, 2016

Description:

On her way to Grandmas house, Little Red Riding Hood meets a wolf. Now, that might scare some little girlsbut not this little girl! She knows just what the wolf is up to, and shes not going to let him get away with it. In this updated fairy tale with a mischievous twist, talented newcomer Bethan Woollvin uses sly humor, striking visuals, and a dark irreverence to turn a familiar tale on its head

My Review:

I loved the illustrations for this and the the typical "Red Riding Hood" story was flipped a little to show red not being naive but being brave and independent.

The plot follows the classic tale up until Red makes it to Grandma's. The wolf is there and he has already made a snack out of Grandma waiting for Red to get there but she sees right through his disguise and ends up teaching that wolf a lesson of her own.

I really enjoyed the art style and Red's new intelligence but I was still a little disappointed that their wasn't more to the story. It was enjoyable and I would definitely suggest it to a young fairy tale fan.

My Star Review:
3.5 out of 5

Ava and Pip Series Review by Carol Weston

I received both Ava and Taco Cat and Ava XOX from netgalley.com and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.



Title: Ava and Pip
Author: Carol Weston
Publisher: Sourcebooks: Jabberwocky
Publication Date: March 4, 2014

Description:

Outgoing Ava loves her older sister, Pip, but can't understand why Pip is so reserved and never seems to make friends with others. When Ava uses her writing talents to help her sister overcome her shyness, both girls learn the impact their words and stories can have on the world around them.



Title: Ava and Taco Cat
Author: Carol Weston
Publisher: Sourcebooks: Jabberwocky
Publication Date: April 7, 2015

Description:

Ava desperately wants a pet for her eleventh birthday-but gets way more than she bargained for when she adopts T-A-C-O-C-A-T.

When Ava Wren hears about an injured yellow tabby with mismatched ears, she becomes obsessed and wants to rescue him. She even picks out a perfect palindromic name: T-A-C-O-C-A-T. But when Taco joins the family, he doesn't snuggle or purr-all he does is hide. Worse, Ava's best friend starts hanging out with Zara, a new girl in fifth grade. Ava feels alone and writes an acclaimed story, "The Cat Who Wouldn't Purr." What begins as exciting news turns into a disaster. How can Ava make things right? And what about sweet, scared little Taco?

The New York Times called AVA AND PIP "a love letter to language. " With this second diary, Girls' Life advice columnist Carol Weston hits another home run.



Title: Ava XOX
Author: Carol Weston
Publisher: Sourcebooks: Jabberwocky
Publication Date: Feb 1, 2016

Description:

Love is in the air—and Ava thinks she’s allergic

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and Ava couldn’t care less. That is, until a new girl, Kelli, asks out Ava’s friend Chuck…and he says yes! What?!? Ava is NOT okay with this. But since when does she think about boys? For the first time ever, words fail Ava. She isn't sure what she’s feeling (Like? Love? Friendship? Frustration?), or what “going out” even means. After all, fifth graders aren't allowed to go anywhere by themselves, are they?
To top it off, Pip’s friend Tanya is being bullied for her size. Ava wants to help—but, uh oh, it's not as easy as she imagines.

The New York Times called AVA AND PIP “a love letter to language. ” With this third diary format, Girls’ Life advice columnist Carol Weston hits another home run.

My Series Review:

I received books 2 and 3 via netgalley.com and the publisher and felt like I might miss too much from the first in the series that I decided to pick it up on my e-reader.

I am sure happy I ended up doing that, This is a great middle grade contemporary story about a girl named Ava and all of her misadventures. As soon as I read this it took me back to the days of reading about Ramona Quimby and her silly sister Beezus.

I decided to consider each book individually and then talk about the series as a whole.

Ava and Pip:

Absolutely a delightful read about two sisters who couldn't be more different. We are introduced to Ava in this book and her precocious and outgoing and her sister Pip who is a bit more shy and reserved. Ava decides to put her writing talents to use and comes up with a plan to get Pip out of her shell and help her make friends.

I loved their relationship and the impact words and story telling had on these young girls lives. So adorable and fun to read. I can see this becoming a middle school girls favorite read and might help her relate to a friend or even a sister of her own. She might even be reading it from Pip's perspective and it might help her come out of her shell. Absolutely great family dynamic and pro-education. I loved this!

Ava and Taco Cat:

Carol Weston has a way of making language and writing fun for middle grade aged kids. She does it again in Ava and Taco Cat. Ava once again shows how big her heart and mind are when she adopts a quirky cat which she names T-A-C-O-C-A-T because it makes the perfect palindrome.

What a fun way to incorporate aspects of language and writing into a story for middle grade kids. Ava wanting to adopt Taco Cat despite his dramatic past is sweet and encouraging and I think a good message for kids. Taco is shy and does nothing but hide so Ava decides to write a story about her cat that never purrs.

Ava is also dealing with other drama that a normal 5th grader would face including trouble with her best friend. She is finding out how to navigate all of these new changes in her life and I think despite a few stumbles she really comes around and inspires the reader to be better too.

Ava XOX:

This newest Ava release find Ava experiencing her first crush. She is struggling to understand her new found hormones as she navigates what it means to like boys or to "go out" with someone when you are in the 5th grade and can't even leave without a parent or guardian. Words to describe how she is feeling are hard to find for the first time in Ava's life and I think that is the perfect way to illustrate what it means to have your first crush, you just can't find a way to say what is going on in your head or with your feelings and that is so realistic.

Also, she is approached with some bullying and body shaming issues and also finds that this isn't a topic that is easy to understand or explain. She tries to help but that also isn't the easiest task she has ever undertaken.

I think this last installment is very age appropriate and topical and that any middle school aged student would gain a lot from reading it.

Series:

Overall, a phenomenal collections of middle grade stories told through the importance of writing and language and with a tenacious main character that you can't help but love.

I will say that I do see these stories appealing more to a female reader than a male reader but they are definitely age appropriate and cover a wide range of topics and introduce children to social issues such as bullying, body shaming, pet adoption, friendship, family, and so much more.

I couldn't suggest this series with any more praise. It is wonderful.

Recommended for fans of:

    

Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1445826604

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1426727477

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1439812697

http://www.amazon.com/Ava-Pip-Carol-Weston/dp/1492601837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447862605&sr=8-1&keywords=ava+and+pip

http://www.amazon.com/Ava-Taco-Cat-Pip/dp/1402288735/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447862623&sr=1-1&keywords=ava+and+taco+cat&pebp=1447862690425&perid=14GKGVFVE6NJ38GZTS9N

http://www.amazon.com/Ava-XOX-Pip-Carol-Weston/dp/1492620777/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447862706&sr=1-1&keywords=ava+XOX

Awake by Natasha Preston; Book Review

I was provided an E-ARC and a physical ARC from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Title: Awake

Author: Natasha Preston

Publisher: SourceBooks

Publication Date: 
Aug 4, 2015

Description:

Scarlett Garner doesn’t remember anything before the age of four—but a car accident changes everything. She starts to remember pieces of a past that frighten her. A past her parents hid from her…and a secret that could get her killed.

My Review:

I had originally planned to pick this up back in October and maybe have a bit of a thriller/mystery for the spooky month but I ran out of time. I am happy I finally got around to reading this. It was very entertaining.

I will say however that it is not the best book I have read this year by a long shot, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't pick it up. It was definitely something fast paced and entertaining. 

This is the story of a young girl who can't remember what happened to her before she turned 4 years old. She is finally feeling like her life is coming together. She has met a cute boy who has wonderful parents, her overprotective parents are actually letting her seem him and things are going well.

But soon twisted memories of her past start to emerge which thrust her into a world she never knew existed. A world where cults are after her and her blood and where a wicked cult leader has everyone under his spell.

I have never really read anything about cults or cult activity before other than a few news stories here or there and I found this very interesting. The author doesn't make this into something to horrible or graphic but just plays on cult stereotypes and makes you feel uncomfortable and worried for the lives of the cult members and of course their sanity.

I thought this was a lot of fun. It definitely served as a creepy mystery and I would suggest it to anyone who likes mysteries or stories about cults as the more research I did the more books I realized were out there on the topic. 

I gave this a middle of the range rating because the writing just wasn't there for me and I had a difficult time connecting to the characters but I could see someone else just being enthralled by this story so I would definitely recommend it. 

My Star Rating:

3 out of 5


Read this if you enjoyed:

   

Links:

http://www.sourcebooks.com/store/awake.html

http://www.amazon.com/Awake-Natasha-Preston/dp/1492618527/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447856142&sr=1-1&keywords=awake+natasha+preston

Good Reads Review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1310292266