Book Review: The Experiment

Book Review: The Experiment
by Rebecca Stead
Pub Date: Sep 16 2025  
Read courtesy of netgalley.com

I'm pleasantly surprised by this story - I like sci-fi, and this one doesn't dummy-down (i.e., over-explain) the plot to death. It was a smooth, fun, suspenseful alien abduction story. And I wouldn't say it's fantasy; it's definitely more sci-fi.

I enjoyed the inane, unexpected, but humorous connections to Calvin & Hobbes throughout the story. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/trpnblies7/5289019576

The characters had well-developed personalities and delivered believable emotions and dialogue. The story flowed well. The settings were described well enough to follow what the characters were experiencing and doing. 

I've given it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 stars and am looking forward to getting it for my school library.

Book Review: The Better to Eat You With

 

The Better to Eat You With

by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Pub Date: Sep 23 2025  

read courtesy of netgalley.com

I might have liked this more if the author didn't make the 'monster' as vague and disconnected as it was. The narration relied heavily on the reader trying to figure out, along with the main character, if the monster was real. What didn't help was that the adults saw the scars and the effects of the monster's great claws, but when the monster was finally described, it was a hybrid monster made of many different animals. I then lost my ability to suspend disbelief because the 'monster' the adults were looking for couldn't be found even though there was physical evidence of its existence. 

Otherwise... the book sent a positive and realistically described message about eating disorders, their possible origin, the havoc they wreak, and possible ways to get help from others. The characters were well developed, and the story - with the exception of the monster - felt realistic for their ages. However, if the monster had been something that could be experienced by both the adults and the younger characters, I might have bought into the story better.

⭐⭐

Book Review: A Glimmer of Change

 A Glimmer of Change

by Elle McNicoll

Pub Date: Oct 14 2025

Read courtesy of netgalley.com

First, I'm really attracted to McNicoll's adroit use of metaphors throughout the book. They allow the reader to get more sophisticated in their depth or understanding of a feeling or event without the author being too wordy. Though some of them may challenge the readers, like one metaphor about being a "cartographer of your own heart," but they don't overwhelm the text.

Initially, I didn't know if the main character was male or female (SPOILER ALERT: she's female), which ends up being somewhat important to the story because of how females historically are portrayed when they are being bossy vs emphatic, snobby vs reserved, and relevant to this story, aggressive vs assertive. 

In this story aggressive vs assertive is emphasized on the themes of bullying, being an upstander, and friendship. There are some really good discussion prompts in the book, too, based on these themes. For example, "It'll be bad for a really quick minute. But the good will last forever." Another place for a good discussion are some passages in chapter 14. One is the connection between kindness and integrity. Another is "Distraction is the enemy of anxiety."

There might be a few places where the Britishisms may affect a teen outside of Scotland to stumble. One example is the use of "Bully for him," especially because a theme of the story is bullying.

I believe McNicoll did a great job of helping non-autistic readers understand what their autistic peers might be experiencing. Even concepts like "masking" are well explained within the context of the story, so the terms and concepts aren't preachy and teachy but instead flow naturally from the characters' thoughts and actions.

I'm looking forward to getting this book for my middle school library.

Book Review: Stella: Ranch Patrol

Stella: Ranch Patrol

by W. Bruce Cameron

Pub Date: Aug 26 2025   | 

Read through the courtesy of netgalley.com.

My students eat this series up (4th-8th grade intermediate school); but, this was my first time reading one of the Dogs with a Purpose series by W. Bruce Cameron. I enjoyed the range of emotions through the book - joy through fear - being accessible through Stella (a dog's) perspective. I thought it allowed the reader to think on many levels - a human perspective, an animal's perspective, a *talking* and *thinking* animal's perspective.  I did wonder why Stella was the only 'sentient' beast who could talk (or did talk) for the other animals, so to speak. There was a lot of humor, sometimes subtle, which also provide opportunities for readers of many levels to take what they could from the story. Cameron created plot tension, anticipation, and suspense while cleanly and not artificially coming to satisfying conclusions. Lessons and morals were hinted at in realistic ways without being preachy. Now I know why my students adore these books. :o)

Book Review: The Ink Witch

The Ink Witch
by Steph Cherrywell
Pub Date: Sep 16 2025

Read courtesy of netgalley.com

The transgender aspect of the main character was used to move the plot ahead without being preachy. For this reason, I enjoyed the rest of the book much more than I thought I would since at first I thought that the topic of gender was subterfuge a preachy story rather than ending up as a plot method. That being said, I also enjoyed that the book didn't start out as a witchy fantasy and allowed the reader to take the main character's journey with her. The storytelling was smooth and interesting, and I liked that I wasn't inundated with too many characters (i.e., names) to remember. The storytelling descriptions were enough to keep the twisting characters from getting muddy. Unique method of witchcraft (ink spells) was also a good way to keep the story interesting. Probably will get this for my middle school library collection. 

Yes, It's been a while... Book Review: The Unraveling

The Unraveling

by Keith Ward; Karl Buechner; Jeremy Mueller

Pub Date: 20 May 2025

read courtesy of http://www.netgalley.com

     Full disclosure: fantasy stories aren't my favorite, and it took me a while to get into this one. But once I did, I enjoyed the story. - at least until it ended abruptly. I understood the anthropomorphizing of the characters, but not the likening it to 'Watership Down' and a slightly derivative feel at times to 'Star Wars.' 

     I also understand the series appeal for this age of reader, but to not end the story as even a possible stand-alone is torturous and manipulative. I'd be really curious what the reading level (A./R. or Lexile) is because the vocabulary was really elevated: melee, attrition, accelerants, haughty, beleaguered, dirge, petulant, hubris, usurp, abattoir, etc. 

     I did enjoy the bit of humor that was peppered into the story: a crow-coo clock, cricket poppers, a stuffed parrot named Admiral Feathers, and some others. However, I did feel a little like I was being indoctrinated into a "humans bad/animals good" ideology, and it wasn't until at least 2/3 into the book that any concessions were made that an individual doesn't define a species.

I rated it a 2-⭐⭐

Book Review: Darling

Darling
by K. Ancrum
Pub Date: 22 Jun 2021

I'm glad I stuck with it because I ended up really liking it, but it was an early struggle to get there.  I loved the modernization of the story and was intrigued by some of the new characterization (hint: Shadow). Because of the nature of the story, however, I do think it is better for the 13 and up, i.e., it's not a children's story. Without spoiling the story, the fact that Peter doesn't want to grow up takes on a new perspective in this modernized version.

The author supported the characterization of the characters' intelligence quite well with direct references to artists that "painted" the settings with their allusions. On the other hand, it's setting is Chicago, and some references would only be known by someone from that area.

In spite of the dark nature of this retold tale, there was a positive, empowering message also portrayed: choice. The reason I said I was glad I stuck with it was the backstory; the author exposed the backstory toward the end, and it was truly engaging.

⭐⭐⭐⭐