1. One for the Murphys (read in school) by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Okay, so this book I would say was okay. It wasn’t my type. But, I had to finish reading for an essay. It was a really boring story for me. Maybe you’d like it better. It was about family, normal life, school, foster care, and a little bit of intense elements like abuse. It was about a girl who lives with a foster family, The Murphys, who are a picture-perfect family until her mother gets better in the hospital. She makes new friends, learns to love people, and most importantly realizes what the true meaning of a family is.
She’s practically battling with whether it’s okay that she loves this family and her mother at the same time and who she should live with. It’s about some tough issues and appeals to people who like realistic fiction and books about characters battling hardship and coming through. It’s a fiction book by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. But I would say it’s more of a realistic fiction because this is something that happens all over the world. Lynda Mullaly Hunt has also written Fish in a Tree (a New York bestseller.) She was a former teacher and has won multiple awards for Fish in a Tree and One for the Murphys.
What I really liked about the book is Carley, the main character, she was tough, didn’t let down her guard, and was brave. She faced a lot of stuff, but she didn’t break down or give up. What I didn’t like about the book is that I felt like the plot dragged on. It was like the book kept focusing on the Murphys too much and her experience with them. At first, it was like they were a perfect family, but after that, it was like they weren’t actually perfect. Then, it was about Carley liking them, and then not liking them and back and forth.
The first half was interesting, but later, toward the end, it got exhausting and boring and seemed a little old-fashioned. Mostly, if it were out of ten, I would give it a 5. I half liked it and half did not. Personally, I did not like it, but that doesn’t mean others won’t, so definitely check it out.
2. The Owls Have Come To Take Us Away by Ronald L. Smith
This book was the best sci-fi book I’ve ever read. Honestly. I usually don’t steer towards Sci-fi, apocalypse, and all those types of books, but this was the first one I read, and I loved it. This book is by Ronald L. Smith and it was wonderful. It is about a boy named Simon who believes he was abducted by an alien. You guessed right, it’s about aliens and alien abductions. Nobody believes Simon though, which is kind of the main conflict, he starts to feel like he’s psycho because nobody else believes in these “aliens.”
Actually, as soon as I read the summary on the inside of the cover, standing at my school library, it got to me. Ronald L. Smith has written multiple books based on science fiction, paranormal fiction, and fantasy fiction. He has also written a lot of books about Black Panther for Marvel. And his stories are one interesting rollercoaster of a journey.
What I really liked about the book is that it was mysterious and the whole story is about Simon chasing around clues and facts to figure out if the alien abduction actually happened and what he is going to do about it. He is literally obsessed with aliens at the beginning of the book, but when an abduction actually happens to him, that’s when matters get serious.
What I did not like about the book is that it was based at the Air Force base. I didn’t really get what it was talking about, I don’t know much about the Air Force, navy, or Marine forces. I feel like I should’ve researched a little more before I went into the book. But, it wasn’t a big problem, because it wasn’t a big part of the story, mostly it was about the aliens. Personally, I would give this book a 10/10. I don’t know about you, so you should read this book and comment below on how you would rate it!
3. Knife’s Edge by Hope Larson and illustrated by Rebecca Mock
The third book I read is a super interesting and cool graphic novel with amazing illustrations. Not to lie, but I really fell in love with the illustrations. It is an adventurous graphic novel. It is actually a sequel to the first book: Compass South which I should’ve read first, but I was halfway in the book when I realized that and I couldn’t stop then. It’s basically about these two twins who look for this pirate treasure their pirate father left for them and also look for their mother. The book is really interesting because there is another rival pirate group who is also looking for this treasure. There is betrayal, hope, friendship, dark pasts, and unfairness.
But, at the end of the book, the good guys win and the twins go on a lot, a lot more adventures. I would really recommend you to read this book if you’re someone who’s looking for adventure, some pirate-y elements, and just a break from stressful life. What I liked about this book was that it had amazing illustrations, an interesting storyline, and a way of making the author wonder what was going to happen next.
What I did not like about this book was, that the villain got defeated really easily, there wasn’t a lot of conflict going on and I usually like the book when there are a lot of external conflict and internal conflicts going on. But this story was pretty basic, it had one external conflict and one internal conflict for the characters. Finally, I would rate this book a 8/10.
Also, should’ve told you this in the beginning, but I have also linked the Goodreads review for each book in their titles. Also, if you are looking for the last book, Knife’s Edge, there are a lot of books that go by the same title, so make sure you also include the author’s name. If you liked this book review and want more reviews about interesting books, you should read this post on 3 other books that are truly, really, exciting => https://twinsparkle.com/3-exciting-books-im-enjoying-this-week/
