Lexi has a “great” personality. Yet, when it comes to her looks, she is just average. She’s not short. She’s not tall. She’s not heavy. She’s not thin. She has brown hair and brown eyes and wears baggy clothes. She will never be a beauty queen like her younger sister, Mackenzie. Mackenzie is seven and participates in beauty pageants. Their mother is totally one of those pageant moms who takes the whole thing so seriously. Lexi, on the other hand, does not take it all that serious, except for the opportunity it gives her to hone her fashion design skills. The other bright spot in her pageant-assisting is Logan. Unfortunately, Logan goes to the pageants to support his girlfriend, Alyssa. Prompted by her gay BFF, Benny, Lexi starts wearing makeup and clothes that actually fit her. This brings her the attention of the ‘Beautiful People’ and a football player named (LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL) Taylor Riggins. Unfortunately, Alyssa still has eyes only for Logan.

I know that this book is titled Revenge Of The Girl With The Great Personality, but I just didn’t see Lexi’s personality as being all that great. Sure, she’s supportive of her friends Benny and Cam. She just wants Benny to believe in himself and be happy. And she makes time to hang out with Cam (who I thought should have been the girl with the Great Personality as she was way more awesome). I kind of thought Lexi was not a very awesome person. Like, she apparently has such a wonderful personality because she is snarky and funny. But at the same time, she is trying to steal one girl’s boyfriend, she doesn’t give the time of day to the guy she is supposedly dating, and she does some very rude things to her mom.

Straight up, this is my opinion and my opinion alone, but I perceived Lexi’s attitude toward her mother as fat shaming. In the book, we are told that her mom gained 100 lbs after the divorce. Lexi is embarrassed by her mom. She does things like leave nutrition pamphlets on the table. She tries to tell her mom to just eat healthy. Girl, you are not your mom’s doctor, so pipe the frick down. I just thought she was so rude and mean toward her parent. And okay, yes I realize that her mom was very mean to her – prizing pageants above all, spending money she didn’t have, constantly fighting with Lexi, but seriously there are some lines that you just should not ever cross. And, here Lexi is presented as this person who is so great in personality, yet I thought she was a total dick.

Of course, I am probably taking Eulberg’s book WAY too seriously. I do that sometimes, ya know? Anyways, I found myself rolling my eyes a lot. There are a few awkward parts where Lexi delivers these grand speeches about the lessons she’s learned and it’s a bit too after school special for me. Like, lol, this one scene at a party or school or something, I forget, where’s she’s like you may be beautiful on the outside, but you will never be beautiful on the inside to this one popular girl. And it was like 2 paragraphs of her going on about inner beauty. My inner jerk just laughed, because it just came across as inauthentic and awkward.

On the other hand, I did think that the plotting was fairly solid. I also did find myself really caring about Lexi and feeling bad about certain things that happened to her. Revenge Of The Girl With The Great Personality is definitely not a slow read by any means. Instead, I read it pretty much in a sitting. Yes, it made me angry and irritated and annoyed, but I also come into these things with a certain progressive feminist mindset, and so I notice and pick up on things like fat shaming. Not everyone will. Also, I want to put out there that I am still willing to give Eulberg’s books another shot as I liked the pacing.

Disclosure: Won in a contest at Oblong Books

Other reviews of Revenge Of The Girl With The Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg:

Chick Loves Lit – “was really off the mark for me.”
Alexa Loves Books – “I found myself speeding through the pages until I reached the end.”
Rather Be Reading – “I applaud Eulberg for giving a lot more depth to her storylines and characters this time around.”

James lives in upstate NY – near SUNY Fredonia (shout out SUNY system) with his bartender mom and abusive stepdad Ron. He is only 15 and fairly quiet and contemplative. He’s also a bit scrawny, in comparison with his brother Louis. Louis moved out as soon as he could and has all this money because he’s a drug dealer. So anyways, Louis convinces James to do him a favor and deliver the goods to his clients. Unfortunately, while making a delivery, James, who is not very good at dealing drugs gets caught by the police. As he doesn’t have a good lawyer, he ends up sent to juvie for a year, and so Kindness For Weakness is about James’s time in juvie. It’s a quiet sort of book, but one that just worked so well for me.

As a character, James made me SO sad. Well, no. His circumstances made me sad. Here’s a kid that does not have much good in his life, except for a caring teacher who gives him great books to read. But, I mean, come on he never goes home because he doesn’t want to get hit. His brother uses him for selfish ends. He has no friends and is envious of the nerdy kids because at least they have a bond. He’s so lonely. And misguided. And ugh you guys can I just adopt this kid? For real. Anyways, he goes to juvie and you know, starts lifting weights and exercising. You can see him really change, but I am not so sure the change is for the good.

Actually, Kindness For Weakness really made me think about some in depth themes and society. I KNOW. I mean, I use my brain while I read, but rarely do I ponder the book and what it might be saying about society. Personally, I read Kindness For Weakness as a book that seemed to say incarceration for kids doesn’t work. I mean, we see James go into prison as a kind soul and a good person, who then ends up having to use violence to get kids to leave him alone. I don’t think he would have been in that situation had he not been in prison. We also see him really start to get angry. Same thing with his friend, Freddie. Like, the environment is very homophobia and just not at all kind to kids or helpful for rehabilitation. We see some of the kids go in and out of prison without ever changing. And, it seems that all the hope is beaten out of these kids, both figuratively and literally. Man, just thinking about it, I am sad. ALSO. This book would pair so well with Monster by Walter Dean Myers.

Then, another great thing that Kindness For Weakness does is examine masculinty. James often ponders what it means to be a man. He wonders what is weakness and what is strength. He thinks about it in the context of various males in his life – from his fellow convicts to his teachers to his brother to the corrections officers. It’s very interesting to me – we see guys who are very violent and using that violence to get what they want. Then we see men who don’t do that, but who think and act in a peaceful sort of way. As I was reading, I found myself thinking this book would go so great with the documentary Tough Guise, as both really discuss images of masculinity and how our society defines it.

In case you are dense, I will spell it out for you. I loved Shawn Goodman’s Kindness For Weakness. It actually came as a surprise for me, because I was expecting an okay read that I would devour and forget. Instead, here I am a day later thinking about what this book has to say about society. And then hopping on the twitters talking about how this book still has me choked up — there’s a scene with a therapy dog THE DOG DOES NOT DIE but just that human animal connection really touched me. Straight up, I recommend this book so much, even though there aren’t any swoons or anything, it’s an incredibly intelligent read and one worthy of discussion and talk.

Disclosure: Received for review via Netgalley

Other reviews of Kindness For Weakness by Shawn Goodman:

The Hiding Spot – “I’m glad I broadened my horizons and read this novel”

To say that The Resurrectionist: The Lost Works of Dr. Spencer Black by E.B. Hudspeth is out of my normal comfort zone would honestly be a little bit of an understatement. Yet when I received the email from Eric at Quirk Books about reviewing it I couldn’t help but be drawn in. There was something about this book that was just calling to me. I have no idea why but now that I’ve read it I can easily say that I’m glad I agreed to review it – creepy crawlies up my spine and all.

The book is actually two books in one. The first is the fictional biography of a late 1800’s doctor named Spencer Black. Through narrative, letters, and diary excerpts, the reader gets to learn about this man and his research. I should actually put research in quotation marks because the things that the man believes are a bit disturbing to say the least. What starts out as a somewhat innocent search for scientific answers regarding human deformities ultimately takes a turn in the wrong direction. This story is NOT for the faint at heart. It is a bit twisted and a bit graphic at times. It is also a very quirk read as it only 65 pages long. Believe me though 65 pages are enough to understand that Dr. Spencer Black is not your ordinary doctor, and the things that he believes to be reality are not of the normal scientific world.

A Harpy (Credit: E.B. Hudspeth Official Website)

The second half of The Resurrectionist gives you even more proof that Dr. Black is not of the right mind. It contains illustrations of mythological creatures which he believes did exist. For every mythological creature that Dr. Black discovered, he provides an in depth detailed anatomical illustration. There is also a short description of the creature followed by several drawings in which you look at the creature from multiple different angles. Every section is labeled from the bones to the muscles to anything in between. It literally feels like these creatures are real! I couldn’t help but stare at them with a opened mouth look of surprise, awe, and confusion. The drawings are so good, and there is no detail left uncovered. I loved flipping through the pages, and seeing the drawings, and attempting to get into the head of Dr. Black. His mindset gave me chills!

If you’re a fan of more disturbing stories, or if you’re looking for something a little bit out of your normal comfort zone, I would recommend this book to you. Unless of course you are more of the faint of heart because as I said, The Resurrectionist can be a bit twisted, and at times might be too much for some people to handle. It is not a book for everyone (definitely not for children). I however am glad that I decided to give it a shot and review it creepy crawlies and all!

Disclosure: Received copy from publisher for an honest review

Other Reviews of The Resurrectionist: The Lost Works of Dr. Spencer Black by E.B. Hudspeth: 

The Book Smugglers: “The Resurrectionist is much more than just a 70 page fictitious biography – it is a work of art and a gorgeously composed package, and for that reason The Resurrectionist is certainly worth the read.”

Impressions of a Reader: “For readers like me who love a taste of the unique and different, the aesthetically beautiful journey into the dark mind of a madman in The Resurrectionist will most certainly do.”

Doubleshot Reviews: “The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black is a very unique piece of work that would fit very well as a coffee table book in the right household.”

The Crabby Review: “The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black is a rare treat for horror fans, and I can’t recommend it enough.“

Dare You To by Katie McGarry opens up at Taco Bell. Ryan Stone is there after a baseball game with his teammates. They are playing another game of dares where whoever gets the most numbers wins. Beth Risk walks into this Taco Bell, all attitude and bad news. Ryan’s friends dare him to get her number. It doesn’t work, but he doesn’t care because he figures he will never see the girl again. Fast forward just a little tiny bit. After being arrested for a crime she did not commit, Beth’s uncle Scott takes her to live with him in the small town of Groveton. On the first day of school, she discovers that the annoying boy who wanted her number is one of her classmates AND her neighbor. OH AND, Scott was a former baseball player for the Yankees, so he is loaded. Anyways, Beth finds herself continually getting in trouble and she’s also filled with worry about her mother who has an incredibly abusive boyfriend and is into substance use. Meanwhile, Ryan looks perfect on the outside but he’s dealing with family drama. There’s a definite attraction between Beth and Ryan, yet different things keep pulling them apart. Will they dare to be together? Y’all have to read this book to find out but if you aren’t an idiot, you can guess based on the cover and on the summary.

Beth is tough as nails, with a hard exterior. It’s not as though her attitude is unearned though. Girl has been through so much pain and hardship. Let’s just say her mom is not at all a fit parent. Her dad is long gone. She’s been physically abused. She’s been used by guys. She has had to deal with mean girls. I actually really felt for her. Further, she actually feels responsible for her mom as though she has to save her and that sucks. It always makes me sad to see children take on parenting roles. Also, Beth has a mouth like a sailor and I LOVE IT. So, because of all the strife she’s been through she does not trust easily. She certainly has walls built up around her. As a reader, it’s quite emotional seeing her walls come down and I could not help but actually care for her and want good things to happen to her. I wanted her to let her mother take care of herself and to enjoy the new life and chances she has been given. However, Beth can’t do that, she’s loyal to the end, ya know?

On the other hand, the other main character of Dare You To, Ryan does not have a nearly as complicated life as Beth. Sure, there’s family trouble and pressure but it pales in comparison and in perspective. He’s actually a pretty good guy and not at all a jerk to Beth. Like, yeah he starts out liking her as a dare but it develops into something way more and genuine like. Beth has a hard time believing he actually wants her for more than sex because her self esteem is so low. Yet, Ryan does his best to convince her that’s not the case. ALSO. His still waters run deep. By this, I mean that Ryan is an excellent baseball player with all kinds of prospects. He is passionate about the sport. Yet, he also discovers he loves writing and has a talent for it. One that his dad won’t nurture, but that he wants to explore nevertheless. There are different sides and aspects to him that make him a good love interest. Plus, yay for the nice guy and not another bad boy. This reader LOVES the nice guy trope.

Obviously one of the reasons that I could not stop reading Katie McGarry’s latest book was all of the swoons. Guys, with every small moment and glance, Dare You To hooked me. If you are on the prowl for an opposites attract book that runs deep with emotion, you need to read this. There’s kissing. There’s sexytimes. There’s dates. There’s field parties. There are fights. There is trust building. It’s a long, slow road, and I mean that as a compliment. Beth and Ryan do not immediately fall into each other’s arms, but when they do it feels like a giant payoff, because of all the work involved to get there. I loved the way it all played out and I think if you enjoy contemporary romance, you will too.

Disclosure: Received for review via Netgalley

Other reviews of Dare You To by Katie McGarry:

Quinn’s Book Nook – “you guys, seriously, McGarry knows what’s she doing”
The Solitary Bookworm – “I was sucked into the story the moment I saw the spark between these two”
Step Into Fiction – “I dare you to read this book.”

Books By Katie McGarry:
Pushing The Limits

Teacher’s Pest, the third book in Charles Gilman’s Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series, picks right up where the last book (The Slither Sisters) ended, and just like the first two it does not disappoint! In fact, it may just be the best book so far as there appears to be a higher level of intensity as Robert, Glenn, and Karina try to figure out and slow the newest problem within the walls of Lovecraft Middle School.

What is the problem this time around? BUGS! The school has become overrun by all different types of bugs. The community blames it on the fact that the janitors have gone on strike and thus, the garbage hasn’t been picked up. Robert, Glenn, and Karina know that this is not necessarily the truth, and the three of them are more determined then ever to get to the truth of the matter.

Teacher’s Pest is such a fun read. It is a bit more serious then the previous two novels and for me, it held a strong level of suspense and intrigue. I really want to know if and how the trio was going to be able to fix them problems which were being placed in front of them. I love how Charles Gilman is able to bring the school to life, and offers us a new piece of the different dimensions with every story. Also, once again the illustrations by Eugene Smith were top notch! They definitely bring all the freakiness of the bugs and Lovecraft Middle School to life!

Another aspect I really found myself enjoying was the character development. All the characters keep changing and growing up in many positive ways which is wonderful to read about. There was just so much to enjoy about Teacher’s Pest. I honestly cannot wait to see what other changes occur, and what other types of adventures, mysteries, and problems occur within the walls of Lovecraft Middle School!

Disclosure: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review

My review of Professor Gargoyle (#1) & The Slither Sisters (#2)

Other reviews of Teacher’s Pest by Charles Gilman:

Stack of Hardbacks: “I love this series so far, and I honestly would recommend it to anyone.”

Kid Lit Reviews: “You will definitely want to read Teacher’s Pest.  It is worth scratching your head and arm until you reach the end.”

A Bookish Way of Life: “As for you all, you should definitely check out Charles Gilman’s Lovecraft Middle School series: Professor Gargoyle, The Slither Sisters, and Teacher’s Pest.  I promise that you will love them!”

Friends, Art Girls Are Easy by Julie Klausner was SO appealing to me. First, that cover is gorgeous, I love the sunglasses and the fierce lipstick. Second, I love books about characters who have a passion, especially if that passion is art. Third, there is totally not enough summer camp in YA, so that little phrase immediately appealed to me. I loved camp when I went, from cabin rivalries, to bonfires, to color war.

What’s The Story Here?:

I get by with a little help from my friends… or from goodreads:

“Fifteen-year-old Indigo Hamlisch is an art prodigy looking forward to her last summer at the Silver Springs Academy for Fine and Performing Arts for Girls. But her BFF Lucy Serrano is a C.I.T. this year, and that means she doesn’t have to hang out with Indigo and the other campers anymore: she can mingle with the counselors — including Indigo’s scandalous and unrequited crush, paint-splattered art instructor Nick Estep. But it’s not like anything is going to happen between Lucy and Nick… right?
As Indy becomes more and more paranoid about what’s going on between her best friend and her favorite counselor, Indy’s life — and her work — spin hilariously out of control. Funny and bold, Art Girls Are Easy is a comedy of errors filtered through the wry, satirical eyes of a girl who’s been there, done that, and is just looking for a little inspiration”

How Long Did I Last?:

10% or…. 24 pages.

Why Did I DNF?:

The writing is not very appealing to me. You know how sometimes a book can feel overwritten, and you just want to tell the book to take it down a notch? That’s how I felt within the first few pages of Art Girls Are Easy. It’s just TOO MUCH. Also, I was promised camp, but alas the main character tells us this is not a camp with color war or bonfires, and my brain was like, yeah that’s whack. Also, it’s a total privileged people camp — they have air conditioning and live in chalets. The camp that I went to did not even have TV in the cabins, much less air conditioning. Then the camp I worked at for like 2 weeks did not have air conditioning either, but the kids paid $8000 to go there for like 4 weeks. SO, I cannot even imagine how much this camp costs, but the book already starts out kind of insufferable. And here is the thing, for me to actually care about some rich and privileged white girl, she has to be half way interesting with a good voice. This girl, Indigo sounds like a total fricken hipster, only interested in being jail bait because she read ‘Lolita way too young.’ Bish really? Also, she describes this guy she has a crush on, Nick, as having an isosceles nose. What does that even mean? AND another of my pet peeves kept showing up — brand name dropping. Sorry, I do not give a fig if your bag is from Dolce and Gabbana. Or that your dad drives a Mercedes-Benz. Or that your parents pay for you to have a MoMa membership. So, basically there was really nothing to make me actually like or care about Indigo in the first few pages — plus she body-snarks. Like, there’s this girl who is not very nice, but still Indigo is all her chest is concave, she’s so anorexic and such a bitch blah blah blah. Sorry dude, no, not okay to to snark on someone for how their body looks – fat or thin. So, I just gave up on the book. Alas. Maybe you can make it more than 24 pages, but for me, my life is too short for books that aren’t quite grabbing me.

Is There Anyone Who This Book Would Appeal To?:

I think fans of Gossip Girl and The Innocents might like this book.  I also think that privileged artsy girls might enjoy this one too. OH and hipsters, not the Zooey Deschanel kind, the other kind.

Disclosure: Received for review via Netgalley

Other reviews of Art Girls Are Easy by Julie Klausner:

Rather Be Reading – “There was so much I wanted to love about Art Girls Are Easy.”
WTF Are You Reading -”This book was just another case of “rich kid” writing.”

Everyone has a voice in this compelling interpretation of what happened aboard the Titanic. No one is left out not even the ship rat or the iceberg. Even the undertaker who took care of the bodies gets a voice. There are twenty four voices total. It was so interesting to put a voice to some of the people that I have spent time learning and reading about in the past. It was as if the voices were actually speaking to us, and sharing their secrets and their truths. It was so personable, and kept me turning the pages until the very end.

I loved the attention to detail within the book. It was very obvious that Allan Wolf did his research when it came to this subject. His interpretation of the class differences was absolutely fantastic. Also, the way in which he put names and voices to some of the third class passages, which sadly is an often forgotten part of the tragedy, was wonderful. It made me feel like he actually cared about them and that he wanted to have their stories heard which I honestly believe to be true.

Another favorite part of mine while reading The Watch That Ends the Night was the word spacing or the layout of the words. I loved how for certain characters the words were written in a certain way, or spaced in a certain way, or how as the action got greater and more intense, the spacing in the words was different. It’s kind of hard to explain without someone seeing it but it is very artistically done, and I thought it helped the poetic verse, and the emotional intensity of the novel.

If you have ever had an interest in the Titanic, and want to learn more about it, or if you’ve ever imagines what those voices on the Titanic might have to say, check out this book. It puts a real human face to history in a truly wonderfully unique way. Honestly, I would recommend The Watch That Ends the Night to anyone. In fact, I already have recommended it to one of my residents at work (she loved it), and currently one of my supervisors is reading it (and I’m sure she’ll love it too), and who knows I may just convince you to check it out too. I hope so!

Disclosure: Received ARC from April

Other reviews of The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf:

April’s Review: “For a sensitive and intriguing, unique spin on the tragedy of the Titanic, definitely read this book.”

The Book Babble: “This is a wonderful book that is light-hearted and humorous but still made me cry.”

Girls in the Stacks: “If you are fascinated by the Titanic, you will love learning more about the shipwreck through this uniquely told story.

Parker is a very intense, very studious girl. Were you at all like Parker in high school?

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Wren is a reboot, meaning that she has died and come back to life. She was dead for 178 minutes before she rebooted, which in the context of Tintera’s Reboot means that Wren is less human than all of the other reboots. Wren is content with her lot in life, being a reboot means she has shelter, clothing, and is fed regularly. Her life pre-reboot certainly was not that good – she lived in the slums with drug addict parents and experienced food uncertainty. In exchange for being fed, the reboots work for HARC, a sort of government organization. Reboots are a bit like soldiers, so they conduct missions to catch people that HARC deems to be criminals. Wren never questions this and has quite a bit of blood on her hands. With the arrival of Callum, or Twenty-Two, Wren’s outlook starts to take a change and she begins to wonder if she actually has retained some of her humanity after all.

Tintera really did well at character development in Reboot. Wren is a dynamic character, who goes from being a bit of a cyborg with no emotions to allowing herself to genuinely feel things. As a reader, getting Wren’s backstory in small tidbits and very, very brief flashbacks made me much more engaged in the story. It also helped me to understand why Wren is the way she is, besides her high number. Also, although Wren is incredibly strong and a fierce fighter, she is still vulnerable about some things, like her looks.

The world within Reboot is a tad bit confusing. You see, all that seems to be left of the United States is Texas. Texas is then divided into little city-states with Austin being the capitol. A virus has spread through the US, called KDH and it causes people to reboot after death. Adults who reboot turn dangerous, so they are immediately killed. However, when children and teenagers reboot, they are used as weapons and a means of control. There are also very wide income gaps in Tintera’s world, where the rich are called rico and live in walled areas. The poor all live in slums. Food is very scarce. However, there are the whisperings of a rebellion against HARC which starts to take seed in Wren’s mind.

If you read young adult for the romance, Reboot by Amy Tintera certainly will not disappoint you. There is neither instalove nor a love triangle within this young adult debut. The relationship between Wren and Callum unfolds at a logical pace and begins with attraction, but not love. It takes Wren a bit of time to acknowledge and realize that she has feelings for him. Although Callum is a very low number and a lot more human than Wren, their attraction makes sense. He makes her laugh, he listens to her, and he genuinely is not afraid of Wren like everyone else. Also, there is totally some kissing in Reboot, so if you enjoy that chances are you will love this book.

Tintera’s debut dystopian is a very quick read with short chapters. At first, the world she built is a bit confusing, but within 50 pages you will be able to understand what is going on and the world that you have been thrown into. If you are a fan of books about teenage rebellion, love stories and dystopian societies, you should definitely give Reboot by Amy Tintera a shot.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine

Other reviews of Reboot by Amy Tintera:

The Flyleaf Review – “I can honestly say that I had no issues with the romance.”
A Girl, A Book, And Other Things – “Is it perfect? not really, but it’s not bad”
Hobbitsies – “a solid and enjoyable story”

Annie and Rew are brother and sister. They live with their grandma in a house on the outskirts of a forest that they call zebra forest, because of the trees. Annie is the oldest, at 11 years old and is mature for her years. You see, her grandma is kind of agoraphobic, so it’s up to Annie to pick up groceries and pay bills. School has let out for the summer. The summer should be relatively low key. Only, there’s this big jail break out. Unfortunately, one of the escaped convicts decides to take up residence in Annie’s house and holds them all hostage. Mirroring this is the hostage situation in Iran, which Annie sees on the news (again, I love literary books with themes and stuff, ESPECIALLY BOOKS AIMED AT KIDS). Of course, some secrets come to light and with each turn of the pages of Zebra Forest, I found myself surprised, but also enraptured by the writing style. ALSO. Going in, I totally did not realize that Zebra Fiction was historical fiction, so that was also a pleasant surprise.

Annie is quite precocious but not in an annoying way. I mean, she’s reading things like Treasure Island, which shows up quite a bit in Zebra Forest and discussing why certain characters are her favorite. As a fellow reader, I love when characters express their love of certain treasured books. I also loved how close Annie is with her brother, Rew. I love how she kind of takes care of him. I know I know, kids shouldn’t play the surrogate role at all, that’s not okay, but their bond was very special to me. I also liked how responsible Annie was, like she has her self together, more together than a lot of older people. I suppose, I just really identified with her, even if I could not decide if she had Stockholm syndrome or not.

Going in, I knew that Zebra Forest would not be one of those plot thrill ride sort of books and to not expect that, despite the summary. So, I read this book for the characterization and depiction of family relationships. I was actually very satisfied by the book. I loved how complicated the relationships were- both between Annie and Rew and between Annie and the convict. I loved the in-depth look we got at each of the characters. It goes without saying that Adina Rishe Gewirtz did not dumb down her book for the audience. I actually think that clever kids who loved books like Bridge To Terabithia will enjoy Zebra Forest.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of Zebra Forest by Adina Rishe Gewirtz:

Pretty Deadly Reviews – “a quiet, character-driven emotional tilt-a-whirl.”
Great Imaginations – “Make no mistake, this is not a book for everyone.”