How to Destroy the New Girl's Killer Robot Army by Mick Bogerman

How to Destroy the New Girl's Killer Robot Army by Mick Bogerman
Series: Slug Pie Story, #3
Publisher: Slug Pie Stories, LLC
Format: Paperback
Pages: 168
Source: Publisher for review.

When Savannah "Van Demon" Diamond comes to town she ruins everything for Mick. She takes over his favorite hang out, outruns him in gym class, and worst of the worst—his little brother has a crush on her. Devising a plan to get her kicked out of school and moved out of Beachwood is simple. Dealing with Savannah’s mind-blowing revenge is Mick’s most challenging adventure yet.
Join Mick as he thwarts insidious traps and deadly weaponry, fighting against the most cunning of enemies. Catastrophe looms for all of Beachwood unless Mick can put aside his pride, join forces with his rival, and destroy the new girl’s killer robot army.

 

When I was contacted to review this book I was so excited seeing as I really enjoyed the first two books in the series. This installment was just as wonderful as the first two and has me eagerly awaiting the release of book four.

 



 In this installment we get to meet a new character, a girl named Savannah. At first I didn't really like her but she quickly grew on me. She was witty and clever and all around fantastic. Mick and Finley were as lovable as ever and had me laughing out loud.

The story is written like a how to guide like the first two books and the pace is just as quick. There is never a dull moment with the shenanigans that the characters manage to get into and the problem that the kids were trying to fix was really cool. Who doesn't love killer robots?

If you want a fast paced, fun story for your kids (or if you like middle grade yourself) definitely give this series a chance! The characters are great and the stories are interesting and have quite a bit of action.

 

**Copy provided via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.**

How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid by Mick Bogerman

How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid by Mick Bogerman
Series: Slug Pie Story, #2
Publisher: Slug Pie Stories, LLC
Format: Paperback
Pages: 141
Source: Publisher for review.

All Mick Bogerman wanted to do was teach his little brother how to swim in the coolest swimming pool in town. He didn’t ask to take care of a bunch of Sea-Monkeys while he was there. He certainly didn’t mean to morph one of them into a mermaid by feeding it genetically enhanced super food. No one is more surprised than Mick when the creature starts luring unsuspecting adults into the deep end of the pool. Adults who don’t resurface.
Join Mick as he battles a powerful adversary: a bloodthirsty mermaid who hypnotizes with a golden gaze, shatters glass with a piercing shriek, and reveals her true menacing self by the light of a full moon.

 

I loved this book as much as I loved the first in the series. In this installment we get to follow Mick and Finley around as they deal with a mermaid. This installment had more moments of suspense where I was wondering just how Mick and Finley were going to survive the ordeal they got themselves into.

 

This story was written in a how to style guide like the first, this one however was longer and seemed to be more detailed than the first book in the series. This was a great thing because I really wanted to spend more time reading about the boys shenanigans and all of the trouble they got themselves into.

 

I didn't really like PJ in the beginning. He was selfish and snooty, and really only thought about himself and what he wanted. He really grew on me as the book went on however and I'm really hoping that there is more of him in the third book. I'm also really looking forward to seeing more of Mick and Finley's adventures.

 

Much like the first book in this series, this novel is full of humor and suspense with monsters thrown in that Mick has to deal with. These books really fly by as you're reading them and I highly recommend them if you're a middle grade reader or just want a quick fun story. I will definitely be picking up the third book when it comes out and continuing on with this series.

 



**Copy provided via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.**

How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete by Mick Bogerman

How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete by Mick Bogerman
Series: Slug Pie Story, #1
Publisher: Slug Pie Stories, LLC
Format: Paperback
Pages: 91
Source: Publisher for review.

Armed with a pitchfork, miner’s hat, and map, Mick Bogerman dares to hunt for pirate treasure in Zombie Cave. His little brother Finley is tied up at the beach. Literally--Mick tied him up. No one needs a little brother tagging along when you’re going to slay the undead.
But Mick soon wishes he’d taken some human company with him, because lurking in every corner, reaching from every crevice, is another hungry corpse. No wonder the place is named Zombie Cave! And finding treasure in the twisty tunnels is a lot harder when your map disintegrates. And man-oh-man the cold, dark tide chases fast. But the worst part about fighting off ravenous flesh-eaters is the one monster deadlier than a regular zombie . . . the worst of the worst . . . Pirate Pete.

 

I absolutely adore Middle Grade fiction and this book was no exception. It was quick and funny and suspenseful at points. I was either hoping that Mick got out of the situation alright or laughing at something that he said.

 

The plot of this book is really awesome and is what immediately had me accepting the review offer. A boy goes into a cave that is overrun by pirate zombies all to get the treasure that is inside to help his mom so she can quit one of her jobs. It isn't all action and fighting which I really liked since it had a lot of humor in it as well.

 

The way the story is told is unique as well. Each chapter is set up like a step on how to get through zombie cave and defeat the pirates which made it really fun. The story is told from Mick's point of view so it's not completely in list format so you do actually get a great story out of it as well. The book wraps up nicely and doesn't leave any loose ends so the next book is a completely new adventure.

 

I loved Mick and his brother Finley. Mick was impulsive and funny while Finley was the thinker and planner. They made a great team and I enjoyed reading about their adventure. I am looking forward to the rest of the books in this series and will definitely be reading them as they are released.

 



 

**Copy provided via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.**

Guardian's Nightmare by Darren Simon

Guardian's Nightmare by Darren Simon
Series: N/A
Publisher: Divertir Publishing LLC.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 169
Source: Author for review.

Charlee Smelton is an average thirteen-year-old girl struggling to adapt after her family moves to San Francisco. She thinks her biggest obstacle is facing the bullies who brand her a nerd and a dweeb. She's wrong. Her life is about to change-for the worse. First, she receives a gift of the ugliest, most old fashioned bike she has ever seen. Try as she might to ditch it in the city, she just can't seem to escape that very mysterious two-wheeler. Then come the visions of a world across a dimensional divide, a princess in fear for her life and a dark knight pursuing her. Are they just dreams or something more? For Charlee, everything she ever thought she knew about herself soon crumbles as she starts down a path to discover her true self, and she will need that hunk-of-junk bike more than she could ever imagine. Without it, she might not be able to find the hero in herself-the hero she must become to save her friends, family, her city-the world-from an evil only she can defeat. An evil she allows into this world.

Don't let the two star review fool you, I did enjoy this book. It just would have worked better for me if I was younger. I feel like this book is better suited for a younger audience and that they would enjoy the fantasy and suspense immensely.

The plot was really cool. Finding out that you're more than what you seem to be and having to battle supernatural forces is what every kid dreams about right? It is also pretty fast paced and there weren't any points in which I found myself bored or wishing the book was over.

For the most part I liked the characters, obviously I didn't really like the villain of the book but you're not really supposed to anyway. Charlee did get on my nerves at points with her complaining and treating her dad so badly but they weren't big enough issues with her that made me hate her or the book.

The story takes place on Earth but mentions another world where these supernatural forces come from that was really interesting to read about and everything else besides that was really easy to grasp because it's all things we deal with on a daily basis (you know besides an evil being that wants to hurt you).


If you have a middle grade reader I suggest you check this one out. It has elements of suspense that will leave a young reader eager to find out more and just enough fantasy to make it interesting but not enough that will confuse the reader.

 

**Copy provided via the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.**

My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush by Laura Toffler-Corrie

My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush by Laura Toffler-Corrie
Series: N/A
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Format: ARC
Pages: 352
Source: Won.

In My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush by Laura Toffler-Corrie, Jenna Bloom is just an average middle school student until her family takes her to her least favorite restaurant for her birthday, where she meets Cowpoke Luke, her waiter and one true love. Oh, and he also happens to be an angel. Jenna can't believe that Luke could actually be interested in her, and yet he is! Unfortunately he's got a demonic foe named Adam who could potentially complicate matters, and when the two boys have a big showdown at the local community theater's performance of Fiddler on the Roof, Jenna is right in the middle of it all.

 

I knew going in that this was supposed to be an over the top parody. Still knowing this it did not make reading this book any more enjoyable. I found myself rolling my eyes more than I found myself laughing. The Twilight references got old after a while and I could not read more than a few pages at a time without having to set it down and pick something else up.

I could not connect with the characters. Sure Jenna has flaws, which I generally like in characters but they were extreme. She didn't find herself attractive at all, she was shallow and kind of self centered and she cared way too much what other people thought about her. I know, she's supposed to be in middle school and all but I felt that it was even too much for that age range. And Luke, he was supposed to be perfect, but I found him really awkward and I did not get the super awesome hero vibe he was supposed to portray.

All in all there really isn't much to say about this one. It simply wasn't for me but if you do decide to give this one a chance do not go into it with high expectations. It's supposed to be a parody and nothing else but the humor was lost on me.

Redcliffe: The Adventures of Two Southern Girls by Kathryn B. Hauer

Redcliffe: The Adventures of Two Southern Girls by Kathryn B. Hauer
Series: N/A
Publisher: Redcliffe Management LLC
Format: Paperback
Pages: 207
Source: Author for Review

Having a best friend makes everything more fun! Join Caroline and Cassie as they chase down a runaway horse, rescue an orphan, teach hummingbirds to eat from their hands, visit a blind fortune-teller, unite star-crossed lovers, organize an elaborate Christmas pageant, and lose a little girl in a hide-and-seek game gone wrong. Sounds like fun any girl could have, doesn't it? Guess what - Caroline and Cassie live in South Carolina back in 1840, without cell phones, TVs, or cars. But living back then doesn't put the brakes on their crazy, fast-paced lives. Do you think that girls in history were dull and dutiful? Not these two partners in adventure...in a house where the grown-ups aren't paying much attention, Caroline and Cassie get in - and out - of their share of trouble. Redcliffe is a book-within-a-book where modern-day best friends Bailey and Bianca lead readers to our heroines. When Bailey and Bianca go to their teacher's wedding, a mean guest shocks them with unkind words. The stories their teacher tells them explain that racist comment and take the girls back into the antebellum South where they - and you - get to know Caroline and Cassie. Living on an immense Southern cotton plantation means plenty of excitement for two fun-loving girls. Can Caroline and Cassie manage to stay out of trouble for more than one chapter? Find out in this lively novel where girls like you have non-stop adventures.

 

If you know me at all then you know I enjoy Middle Grade novels immensely. When I had the chance to read this book for review purposes I was beyond excited. I absolutely love anything to do with the American South around the time of the Civil War this includes the antebellum period as well as reconstruction.

 

Even though this book happens mostly during the 1840's in Pre-Civil War South Carolina, the beginning and end of the book is set during modern times focusing on a Caucasian and African American set of friends. The rest of the story is during the 1840's and focuses on a plantation owner's daughter who just so happens to be friends with the girl who is her slave.

 

For the most part the book is kept pretty light, which is good for the age level it is intended for, there are however times when the harsh realities of the time period are shown which I was grateful for. It was handled in a way that wouldn't be too harsh for middle grade children but still shows that life for slaves wasn't a wonderful thing.

 

Out of the two sets of girls, Caroline and Cassie were my favorites. They were smart and interested in learning. They didn't let the stigma's of the time they lived in get in the way of their friendship even though Caroline technically did own Cassie, I really do believe that they cared about each other. I think if more time was spent with Bailey and Bianca that those characters would have been interesting as well, but since only 3 chapters were spent with them I didn't really form any attachments to them.

 

As much as I enjoyed the focus and how it was portrayed, the grammar was a major issue for me. There were times where I was reading and there would be a word out of place or an extra word that didn't need to be there and it really threw me off.

 

Even with the issues with the grammar, I think this would be a good book for Middle Grade readers because it introduces history in a way that isn't too brutal but also promotes understanding that life was not good for slaves during the Civil War era.

 

 



**Copy provided via the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.**