The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes by Wade Albert White

*The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes is now available!*

The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes by Wade Albert White. Little, Brown, 2016. Paperback/Softcover. 384 pages.

*I received a printed ARC of The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes courtesy of Little, Brown in exchange for an honest review.*

The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes just released this week and if it doesn't become a major hit, then I just don't know what is going on with this crazy world. This book was beyond fun and I enjoyed it immensely. It is full of wit, clever humor, and quirky aspects that make this an extremely strong debut  middle grade novel. The characters are wonderfully crafted and the plot is entirely unpredictable and overflowing with twists and turns.

Anne, our protagonist, is one of the many orphans living at Saint Lupin's Institute for Perpetually Wicked & Hideously Unattractive Children. Unfortunately, her plan for leaving is derailed and she soon finds herself placed on a epic quest that will take her and her friend Penelope on an incredible adventure. 

The three main characters, Anne, Penelope, and Hiro, are full of life and incredibly endearing. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, which makes them realistic and relatable. The character development was also done really well, and I liked watching each character evolve and learn about themselves as the story progressed. 

Not only do we have well-written characters - we also have some fantastic world-building. As weird as this world was, it felt so incredibly real and I found myself completely immersed in wanting to explore more of it. I loved the quirks and history of the world, and I also loved how unexpected it was. As the reader, you really never know what strange thing is about to occur in this world, so it makes for an extra exciting adventure.

The witty writing the White employs is reminiscent of Lemony Snicket and Trenton Lee Stewart, but is also entirely White's own style. I really loved that this book felt approachable from any age; it didn't talk down to the younger readers, nor did it alienate older readers by keeping things too 'safe.' The tone and style of prose is written in such a way that all ages can understand and enjoy - it's very smart. If my book were not an ARC and I could add quotes, I would have definitely given you all some samples by now to savor.

Since my copy of this book was an ARC, not all of the images and such were there, but from what I did get to see, it is remarkable! I can't wait to grab a copy of the finished book to see how it is in all of its completed glory. I laughed a countless number of times while reading this book, and it truly made for a great bedtime adventure story.

Overall, I am giving The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes five stars. This is a must-have book for any parent to buy for their children, for any teacher or librarian to stock for their classroom library/regular library, and for anyone that wants to have a fantastic and highly entertaining adventure story.

Buy the book!

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Over the Underworld by Adam Shaughnessy
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Over the Underworld by Adam Shaughnessy

*Over the Underworld by Adam Shaughnessy will be released Tuesday, September 6th!*

Over the Underworld by Adam Shaughnessy. Algonquin Young Readers, 2016. Paperback 304 pages.

*I received a paperback ARC of Over the Underworld courtesy of Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.*

Over the Underworld is book two in The Unbelievable FIB series, and it brings with it just as much excitement and adventure as book one.

A little backstory: When I initially received Over the Underworld from Algonquin, I had never heard of The Unbelievable FIB series, so I went over to Goodreads to check it out, and there I discovered that this was actually book two in a series. So I did what any other person who refuses to read books out of order did and set out to my local library and picked up the first book, The Entirely True Story of the Unbelievable FIB (which I immensely enjoyed it), and was then ready for this ARC! I would definitely advise anyone looking into this series to read the first book, prior to reading this second one; I wouldn't say it's completely crucial, but it will definitely help you understand just about everything.

I love middle grade books. It never ceases to amaze me how well most are able to entertain both adults and children. Over the Underworld is one of those magical middle grade books that completely fits into that category, and I am excited to share it with the world.

Over the Underworld picks up about a year after the first book takes place as Pru and ABE are about to begin seventh grade. Nothing exciting has happened in Middleton since the events of the previous year, and Pru is feeling both angry at Mister Fox for disappearing and bored with the lack of excitement. Although ABE also misses Mister Fox, he is more true to his nature and is mainly just excited for summer to end and school to start back up. Soon enough, however, Odin once again returns to Middleton and brings with him news that the events for Ragnarok - the end of the world - have begun, and thus the children are once again sent off a new adventure mission.

Unlike the first book, Over the Underworld focuses less on the town of Middleton and instead takes up more time in new settings, which were exciting to explore. However, as much as I enjoyed this, I felt like there was something missing. I still can't quite place my finger on it, but there was just a little bit of magic missing from this book that was present in the first book.

I love how Shaughnessy incorporates Norse mythology into this book, as I am a huge fan of myths and myth-inspired tales. He stays true to the traditional tales, but also adds on his own effects and storylines to make the story flow smoothly and understandably. And just as Shaughnessy does in the first book, he continues to showcase clever, quirky writing and characters that add even more life and effortlessness to the story.

Pru is back with her feisty personality intact and eagerness to find an adventure. Shaughnessy does a really good job of showing the three-dimensional traits of Pru; she's a little bit of an accidental troublemaker with a quick temper, but she is also a young girl  struggling through some tough times and wants others in her life to understand her. I felt a special connection to Pru because of her loss of her father, and it is probably partly due to this connection that I identified and enjoyed this book so much. Pru lost her father at a young age that is just about the same time that my own father died, and I felt that many of Pru's emotions and questions regarding her father's death were spot-on. One particular instance that struck me was when Pru had to part with a special token of her father's that she constantly carried around with her. I also have a specific item that I constantly wear as sort of token/memory of my father, so when she is anxious and upset about losing it or having to give it away, I completely identified with that.

Over the Underworld also featured much more of ABE, who I felt really seemed to develop and show many more sides to his personality throughout the events of the story. We get to see act as a levelheaded partner to Pru's short-tempered manners, as well as a somewhat more emotional side of ABE that lets us understand more about who he is and why he is the way he is. Another thing I really like is the fact that as much as I connect with Pru's character for the reasons mentioned above, my personality is much more like ABE's, and I absolutely fell in love with his slightly awkward manner and penchant for sometimes acting like a 'know-it-all'.

As you can probably tell, this book does not shy away from heavier themes such as death, which are present throughout the book in various ways. Shaughnessy excelled at weaving in such difficult themes into such an exciting and fast-paced story, and I highly recommend this to those who enjoy myth-inspired tales and rich, entertaining characters.

Though I deeply enjoyed Over the Underworld, it wasn't quite as strong as the first one, and for that reason, along with the many listed above, I am giving this book four stars.

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You might also like:

The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse by Brian Farrey

Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall by Aaron Safronoff

Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye by Tania del Rio, illustrated by Will Staehle

Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall by Aaron Safronoff

**I received a copy of Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall courtesy of Neoglyphics Entertainment in exchange for an honest review.**

Sunborn Rising:Beneath the Fall by Aaron Safronoff. Neoglyphic Entertainment, 2016. Softcover/Paperback. 385 pages. 

Sunborn Rising is an exciting, inventive novel that combines gorgeous artwork with thrilling text. This book felt like so much more than just a book. It honestly felt more like an entire new world, full of unique, vibrant characters and an incredibly in-depth, expansive world that I am eager to learn more about.

Sunborn Rising introduces a unique world unlike any I've ever read about;-- Where the descriptions occasionally lacked, the images completely made up for. I really enjoyed the entire basis of the plot surrounding Cerulean and how the world came to be the way it currently is (keeping it vague so as not to say too much in case of spoilers). The Creepervine was wonderfully creepy and added a really great dimension to the various elements within the world.

Another aspect as this story that I enjoyed was the large variety of characters. Safronoff has created a medley of interesting species that interact with one another and each seems to truly have their own unique culture and personality. The dialogue was, for the most part, written well and realistically, though there were a few occasions where it felt a bit jilted. The characters felt extremely realistic and human (despite not being human), and I enjoyed getting to know each one's personality. Barra, for instance, is strong-willed, rather stubborn, and somewhat emotional. I began to see the similarities and inherited traits Barra shared with her mother, Brace, which I felt strengthened the mother-daughter connection.

The only issues I had with Sunborn Rising were the seemingly random POV changes and the sometimes awkward writing. The POV changes seemed to come at random moments with little to no warning; at times a new chapter would change the POV, at other times it would just be a page break. I wouldn't have minded the switches as much if they were done more consistently, rather than having one character narrate for a long while and then suddenly switch over to someone else. The writing was also occasionally a bit abrupt or awkward, which I feel is something some extra editing could easily fix, but overall it was minimal enough that it did not interrupt my enjoyment of this book too much.

If you like action books, then this is for you. I have a sort of love-hate relationship with action, personally, because I just tend to get bored when there is too much fast-paced action and not enough dialogue or description. Sunborn Rising is constantly moving, which I think would make this perfect for its targeted age range, plus anyone else who prefers a more fast-paced and thrilling story.

After checking out Neoglyphic Entertainment's site, I'm really excited about their work in general. I'm intrigued by this idea of "marrying art and science" because it just seems to open so many doors and combine so many different areas into well-rounded masterpieces. Also, it looks like they are working on even more (goodies) to go with this book, such as games and animated media, which I find extremely exciting.

Overall, I am giving Sunborn Rising four stars for its delightful, expansive fantasy world and page-turning abilities. I would highly recommend this for someone looking for a unique fantasy story with gorgeous graphics to accompany it.

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The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse by Brian Farrey
Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye by Tania del Rio, illustrated by Will Staehle 
Sun-Kissed by Coco Nichole