Middle Grade Mini Reviews! | The Storm Runner & Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble

Greetings readers!

Today is another review round-up from my Hispanic Heritage Month TBR. I had two backlist books lying around my house and I am so happy I got around to reading them this past month!

The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes

via Goodreads

Publisher: Disney Books
Pub Date: Sept 18th, 2018
Goodreads

Zane has always enjoyed exploring the dormant volcano near his home in New Mexico, even though hiking it is challenging. He’d much rather hang out there with his dog, Rosie, than go to middle school, where kids call him Sir Limps a Lot, McGimpster, or Uno — for his one good leg. What Zane doesn’t know is that the volcano is a gateway to another world and he is at the center of a powerful prophecy.

A new girl at school, Brooks, informs him that he’s destined to release an evil god from the ancient Maya relic he is imprisoned in — unless she can find and remove it first. Together they return to the volcano, where all kinds of crazy happens. Brooks turns into a hawk, a demon attacks them in a cave, and Rosie gives her all while trying to protect Zane. When Zane decides to save his dog no matter the cost, he is thrust into an adventure full of surprising discoveries, dangerous secrets, and an all-out war between the gods, one of whom happens to be his father. To survive, Zane will have to become the Storm Runner. But how can he run when he can’t even walk well without a cane?

Feisty heroes, tricky gods, murderous demons, and spirited giants are just some of the pleasures that await in this fresh and funny take on Maya mythology, as rich and delicious as a mug of authentic hot chocolate. 

• These characters were wonderful! I thought Zane was a really fun character to be around. Just his way of talking was hilarious and the part when he sprinkles holy water on his myth book after reading about demons was peak Rendz XD
• Brooks was also an interesting character. I liked her stand-offishness and cool demeanor. She was so set on getting her goal done and even though she realizes its a little selfish she tries to make up for it which is nice.
• Uncle Hondo is the reason I was in this to win this. I wish he was my uncle XD Even though we’re pretty much the same age XD
• The writing was really perfect for a middle grade book. It was always cracking jokes and like I said Zane was a perfect voice for this adventure!
• I liked the road trip plot. You can never go wrong with a road trip plot so long as there is lots of action, suspense and twists, which I totally think the book delivered on.
• Now let’s talk Maya Mythology because that is what we are here for!: It was lovely. I think that rep was great and I loved how Cervantes wove it into every aspect of the book.
• The gods were quite conniving and I quite liked their parts in the book!
• The monsters were wonderfull!!!!!!!!!
• And the magic was very clever!

Overall, I enjoyed myself very much while reading! It is perfect for young readers. Lots of people have said it reads like Percy Jackson and I can see why, but I still think that this book has its own unique take! Don’t forget that this book has great Hispanic and disabled rep bringing in a lot of good content to the book world!

Rating: 3.75 / 5 Stars

Recommend: Absolutely!

Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano

via Goodreads

Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Pub Date: Jan 2nd, 2018
Goodreads

Leonora Logroño’s family owns the most beloved bakery in Rose Hill, Texas, spending their days conjuring delicious cookies and cakes for any occasion. And no occasion is more important than the annual Dia de los Muertos festival.

Leo hopes that this might be the year that she gets to help prepare for the big celebration—but, once again, she is told she’s too young. Sneaking out of school and down to the bakery, she discovers that her mother, aunt, and four older sisters have in fact been keeping a big secret: they’re brujas—witches of Mexican ancestry—who pour a little bit of sweet magic into everything that they bake.

Leo knows that she has magical ability as well and is more determined than ever to join the family business—even if she can’t let her mama and hermanas know about it yet.

And when her best friend, Caroline, has a problem that needs solving, Leo has the perfect opportunity to try out her craft. It’s just one little spell, after all…what could possibly go wrong?

• Oh my god, I loved this book.
• The characters were PHENOMENAL. Leo was so mischievous and funny and stubborn and ADORABLE.
• The whole sister clan was PERFECT! I definitely got some Penderwick ~vibes~!!!
• This wholesome family dynamic had me permanently in heart eyes!!!!!
• The Latinx rep was beautiful. This is a Mexican family that loves their traditions and I loved reading about them!
• The MAGIC is FANTASTIC. I found it so unique that this bruja family was able to perform magic while baking and wishing. I really hope to delve in this system a little bit more in the next books
• I loved that the book was set around the Day of the Dead, it definitely added that perfect spook vibe, but more importantly really emphasized that family dynamic.
• The actual plot was so much fun. Leo gets into lots of antics and gets into quite a bit of trouble which makes this book so entertaining!
• You could honestly fly through this book, that’s how great it is.
• It’s a feel great book. Perfect for the Halloween season.
• Seriously I just felt so happy after finishing it, which is just a wonderful sign overall!

Overall, I simply loved this book. It is wonderfully entertaining. It has beautiful family and friendship dynamics. The magic is so sweet and intriguing. And yes you will be hungry after reading this!

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars

Recommend: YES PLEASE READ THIS WONDERFUL BOOK!

---

Let me know what you think! Have you read either of these? Are they on your TBR? What middle grade books give you that wholesome feeling?

Happy reading!

~ Rendz

Woven in Moonlight | Review // First Read of Hispanic Heritage Month!

Greetings readers!

Today I am excited to share my first review of my Hispanic Heritage Month read. This is one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 and I am so grateful that I was able to get my hands on it!

I would like to thank the Canadian Manda Book Group for sending me an ARC! This is in no way affects my opinions!

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez

via Goodreads

Pub Date: Jan 7th, 2020
Publisher: Page Street Books
Goodreads

A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.

Ximena is the decoy Condesa, a stand-in for the last remaining Illustrian royal. Her people lost everything when the usurper, Atoc, used an ancient relic to summon ghosts and drive the Illustrians from La Ciudad. Now Ximena’s motivated by her insatiable thirst for revenge, and her rare ability to spin thread from moonlight.

When Atoc demands the real Condesa’s hand in marriage, it’s Ximena’s duty to go in her stead. She relishes the chance, as Illustrian spies have reported that Atoc’s no longer carrying his deadly relic. If Ximena can find it, she can return the true aristócrata to their rightful place.

She hunts for the relic, using her weaving ability to hide messages in tapestries for the resistance. But when a masked vigilante, a warm-hearted princess, and a thoughtful healer challenge Ximena, her mission becomes more complicated. There could be a way to overthrow the usurper without starting another war, but only if Ximena turns her back on revenge—and her Condesa.

The Likes:

I really liked the plot of the book, it was very politically charged and dealt with themes of colonialism and revolution. It really shows how grey and complicated it is to discuss this subject, but also how necessary it is. The kingdom of Inkasisa has suffered centuries of conquest and has recently felt the rumbles of a revolt that has the kingdom headed down a rough path. Ximena, an Illustrian, was part of the group that was overthrown by the Llacsans. She had a very one-sided view of how the world worked and she was constantly painting the Illustrians as the victims. What I loved to read about was her growth in understanding that Illustrians were not blameless and that their racism led to this mass schism and eventual revolt. However, the book doesn’t show that the revolt results in perfect harmony either and I loved that Ibañez didn’t shy away from writing about the corruption of power.

I also loved how the author displayed this cycle of violence that persists when people choose to always focus on the differences between groups of people instead of A) embracing the diversity of cultures and B) Seeing the harmony that also exists between cultures. I know that Ibañez was heavily inspired by the political climate in Bolivia, which just makes this book all the more realistic and authentic.

The magic system had to be my favourite aspect of this book. Ximena’s weaving of moonlight (title epiphany!!!) was so cool. And while I don’t want to give too much away, I must say that the cover is quite a revealing piece…..*wags eyebrows* Lots of characters in the book practiced magic and I was super intrigued to see everyone explore their powers.

You’ll honestly probably be hungry after reading this book. Ximena does a lot of eating and there are so many delicious foods described in this book. Luckily there is a glossary at the end for those who want to know more about the tasty treats. Beyond the delicious food, there was a wonderful exploration of culture in the book. There was a lot of talk about traditions, clothing and religion. Most of it fiction, but a lot of it was drawn from Bolivian life. Safe to say that the world building is top notch and you really get immersed into the life and conflict of the people of Inkasisa.

I liked how the ending set up the companion novel. I really, really liked the drama at the end. It was bittersweet because it is a reflection of what happens in real life when opposing views sever bonds.

The Questionable

The characters were just not in it for me to win it. I feel like this is such a cop-out for not enjoying a book, but I cannot lie about how I feel. Ximena, whose name I forgot was Ximena half the time since everyone referred to her as “Condesa”, was a decent character to say the least. I wasn’t totally in love with her but I didn’t mind reading from her perspective. It was actually very interesting reading about her growth from this close-minded, hostile girl to a more open-minded one. I understand that pretending to be someone you are not is pretty much a guaranteed way to lose yourself, so I liked that we got this self exploration plot. I can’t say that I really connected with her. Maybe a little when she would talk about having to unlearn an almost heritable hatred and the discomfort of re-evaluating your whole life, but other than that…meh. There was nothing really exciting to look forward to with her, this feels like such a horrible reason for not enjoying a character…

Rumi fell so flat to me. I…couldn’t. Like I found nothing remotely intriguing about him and I cannot even think of one thing right now that made him interesting. It’s not that he was bad and I in no means hate him, but he was just there. I didn’t connect to him in any way which is upsetting because I really wanted to find him interesting.

The other characters were slightly more intriguing. Like Atoc, the dictator, although he was pretty nasty. The priest guy and Atoc’s sister were also very, very interesting. They had lots to do with the twists which I really like.

The romance, I did not buy. It really tried to sell me this enemies to lovers thing which did happen, but I didn’t find myself involved. It probably has to do with my lack of connection to the characters. I just felt nothing. I had no feels. How do you ship, if you have no feeeeeellllzzzzz.

The pacing was quite slow and there weren’t many action packed moments. The author does kind of make up for it with some twists and secrets. But the single most important twist was so obvious, I just couldn’t.

---

Overall, this book was good, but it wasn’t what I was hoping for. Maybe I aimed too high with my expectations which is the likely culprit of my disappointment. I hate to call it disappointment though because this book has a really important message and I think that the YA world really needs to read this message.

Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

Recommend:  Yes, on the basis of the plot and it’s overall meaning.

Let me know what you think! Are you looking forward to picking this up? What politically charged books do you enjoy? Have you ever had the problem of not connecting to characters?

Happy reading!

~ Rendz