BookBunnies

Marshmallow reviews Almost Identical: Two-Faced by Lin Oliver

Earlier this year, Marshmallow read and reviewed Almost Identical by Lin Oliver, the first of a series of books recommended to us by one of our readers (thank you again, you-know-who-you-are!). Today she is talking about Two-Faced, the second book of the series, published in 2012.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about family, friendship, or middle school drama, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Charlie Diamond just got invited to the party of the century but her twin sister Sammie didn’t. Ever since they came to their new middle school, Charlie and Sammie began to grow apart; Charlie was immediately drawn to the popular, rich SF2 group while Sammie found a home with the nerdier, geekier Truth Tellers. The division between the social groups is rather stereotypical except that the two sisters are now on opposite sides. They’ve worked it out pretty well after the first book, but the invite reminds them of this separation again and things start to unravel soon after.

Lauren–the richest, prettiest, and most popular girl in school–is Charlie’s new best friend but can’t bother to study with her for their upcoming history final. Because of her bad grades, Lauren is banned from attending the big party which is the biggest tragedy she’s experienced. As a naturally sympathetic friend, Charlie feels horrible for her and she’s slowly persuaded by her friend group to help Lauren get a good grade through shady means. Charlie is faced with the classic dilemma of sticking with her morals or doing what she knows will get her further acceptance by the popular group.

Sammie is initially blissfully unaware but eventually realizes that Charlie is struggling with this decision. As almost identical twins and tennis partners, they are two halves of the same circle. Keeping secrets creates fractures though and Charlie finds herself in the midst of classic middle school suspense, drama, and excitement while also holding herself to her father’s competitive expectations in tennis.

To get a scholarship for college, she and Sammie need to win; to win her crush’s heart, she needs to not mess up. To not mess up her social life within the popular circle, she needs to keep secrets. But, as one expects, keeping secrets is never a good idea and the web of lies eventually untangles before her. Luckily, her sister and friends are there for her! Still, there are some things that friendship and family can not fix and Charlie learns far more about life than she first expected when she received that initial party invite that started it all.

Marshmallow is reading Almost Identical: Two-Faced by Lin Oliver. — Marshmallow is reading *Almost Identical: Two-Faced* by Lin Oliver.

Marshmallow’s Review: I found it interesting that the book started off rather classically with a cliche “should I do something bad to become popular?” dilemma but transformed into a more unique story. I was surprised that the ending was not very simple. I expected there would be a sudden happy ending and, even though it seemed for a while that there was a set-up for that, things ended well but in a realistic way.

I found it interesting that the people in the book were not walking stereotypes without dimension; both jocks and nerds are presented with more depth and character. I applaud the author for adding good characters in both social circles. I liked how Sammie also kept Charlie grounded when the richer kids began rubbing off on her and giving her a skewed sense of perspective. I think the author also did a good job of establishing that all of the characters are flawed but fundamentally good people, something most coming-of-age stories do not always accomplish; often, individuals are representative of one specific trait that is either positive or negative and that is the extent of character development.

I will say that I was a little disappointed that justice was carried out unfairly (I can’t say much more without spoiling) and that the book ended with an ambiguous message. The moral of the story kind of implies that it is okay to break rules and go against what you know is right as long as the people you do it for are still nice to you after. I think it is important for young bunnies to learn that you should have boundaries you set for yourself that you will not cross for any relationship, regardless of how much you care about the other individual. I understand that circumstances influence decision but this book does (SPOILER) kind of let Lauren get away scot-free with cheating on a history test while Charlie ends up being punished by the school.

Academic violations are not a joke and the fact that the book kind of glosses over the fact that Lauren and Charlie stay good friends without Lauren ever owning up to her own guilt allows that unhealthy relationship dynamic to remain. Charlie ends up being prosecuted by the school (luckily not expelled at least) while Lauren just says sorry to her privately and gives her gifts as an apology. She is sweet but that doesn’t mean that it is okay for her to keep quiet and let Charlie take all the blame, especially since the reason why Lauren cheated was because she was too lazy to actually study herself.

I’ve written about this a lot because I do not think this was a very good handling of the situation because ultimately Lauren chooses herself and Charlie stays loyal to her, reinforcing a hierarchical dynamic that might reflect their respective economic positions (Charlie’s father works for the sports club owned by Lauren’s parents). It might be a realistic situation but I think it should be highlighted by parents giving or teachers assigning this book to young readers. I found that aspect to be unsatisfactory. Charlie doesn’t end up getting most of what she wants except for a sweet romantic moment; one should interpret this as a warning but this once again reinforces the idea that it is okay to succumb to peer pressure because–hey, you might get in big time trouble and almost get yourself and your sister kicked out of school but–you will eventually get the guy!

Charlie is content at the end of the book even though the book does do a good job detailing the repercussions of her actions. I think this contradiction is worth thinking deeper about. This is overall a very good book. I think there are just some mixed messages on the surface that should be looked at closer to see the fuller message: you can make a mistake and still be happy but you will still lose some of the things you want.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 95%.

Marshmallow rates Almost Identical: Two-Faced by Lin Oliver 95%. — Marshmallow rates *Almost Identical: Two-Faced* by Lin Oliver 95%.

Caramel reviews Spaced Out: The Graphic Novel by Stuart Gibbs and Ward Jenkins

Both Caramel and Marshmallow have enjoyed reading and reviewing books by Stuart Gibbs for the book bunnies blog. Today Caramel talks about a recent graphic novel adaptation, Spaced Out: The Graphic Novel, of a 2016 book written by Gibbs; this version was published in August 2026 and was illustrated by Ward Jenkins. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, today we are talking about the second book in Stuart Gibbs’s Moon Base Alpha series.

Caramel: Yep. I read and reviewed the graphic novel version of the first book and now this is the second one.

S: So let us dive right in. Tell us what the book is about.

C: It is about Dash, the same guy from the first book, and there’s a new case for him to solve. A person has gone missing.

S: Oh say more.

C: The person who’s missing is Nina, the station’s commander, and so the station goes through some issues as such.

S: Oh wait. Dash and his family were living on the Moon, right? So Nina is the commander of the moon base — Moon Base Alpha?

C: Yes, they are, and yes, she is.

S: Cool. So this sounds like a typical Gibbs mystery, and he is so good at crafting fun mysteries. I am guessing this was good, too?

C: Yes it was, it also went into some more interesting stuff, but that was later, and as such, a spoiler.

S: Okay. I guess what we don’t know won’t hurt us. At least in this case. So tell me more about the book. Do we meet any characters besides Dash from the first book?

C: Yeah, almost all of them show up at least once, most of them more than once.

S: That’s cool. So it really feels like a series then. So do you like Dash, the main character? Does he remind you of Ben Ripley from Spy School books? Or how about Teddy Fitzroy from the FunJungle books?

C: Yes, he kind of does, which makes sense. This is the same author after all. They are all fun characters and very likeable. And they manage to solve all sorts of mysteries. But this one is different because he lives in space! How cool is that?

S: But of course we talked about how we really do not want to leave our own planet the last time…

C: Yeah I stand by that still, until space travel is much safer.

S: I do too.

Caramel is reading Spaced Out: The Graphic Novel by Stuart Gibbs and Ward Jenkins. — Caramel is reading *Spaced Out: The Graphic Novel* by Stuart Gibbs and Ward Jenkins.

S: So I noticed that the person who illustrated the Moon Base Alpha books is different from the person who illustrated the Spy School graphic novels. Do you like the style used in this book?

C: Yes, I did, though the graphic novelizations for the Wings of Fire books are still my favorite. Now if only they came out with those more frequently…

S: But those books have an unfair advantage. I mean they have dragons! Not much can compete with that.

C: True, but what about dragons, in space?

S: Yeah, I suppose that would top everything! But okay, back to Spaced Out. Was it good enough for you to want more? There is apparently at least a third book in the original Moon Base Alpha series, so I am guessing they will publish the graphic novelization of that some time next year. Are you excited about that?

C: Yaaaaaaaayyyyy!

S: Okay, I am guessing that means this was a very fun read and you are excited about the next one?

C: Yes.

S: Okay, then we will make sure to get you a copy when it does come out. So Caramel, do you think this is a good time to wrap up this review?

C: Yup. This is a school night so maybe it is a good idea.

S: Sure, okay. Let’s do that. What do you want to tell our readers?

C Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Spaced Out: The Graphic Novel by Stuart Gibbs and Ward Jenkins and recommends it to all little bunnies who enjoy space mysteries. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Spaced Out: The Graphic Novel* by Stuart Gibbs and Ward Jenkins and recommends it to all little bunnies who enjoy space mysteries.

Marshmallow reviews From Goddess to Mortal: The True-life Story of a Former Royal Kumari by Rashmila Shakya

Today Marshmallow reviews From Goddess to Mortal: The True-life Story of a Former Royal Kumari, written by Rashmila Shakya (as told to Scott Berry) and published in 2005.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books that reveal unique and fascinating cultures through an up-close, never-seen-before lens, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): In her first year of preschool, Rashmila was selected to become the Kumari of her Nepali valley. Essentially, this means that she became a living goddess. Since ancient times, her people have selected a new young girl to hold this position after the previous one ages out. After passing tests that checked whether her horoscopes aligned well with the current kings, Rashmila was determined to have the “32 perfections” in a physical examination; she remains committed to the exam’s innocence and maintains that there was no personal violation.

Rashmila was confirmed as the Royal Kumari at age four and sent away from her family to live in Kumari Che, the palace dedicated to the child embodying the goddess. There she lived for eight years as a literal deity, waited on almost constantly with carers and playmates who always obeyed her every whim. She woke up early every day to play with her dolls and often performed duties at festivals. She was never allowed to touch the bare ground; whenever there was anywhere to go, she was either carried by men, brought by carriage or palanquin, or a white cloth was laid before her if she had to walk a couple steps. Back at the palace, she received visitors both foreign and domestic. As she was a deity of children, mothers would often visit her with their own children and pray for healing. And she would heal them.

It is truly fascinating to hear a former Kumari – a former child deity – reveal what it was like to be a goddess, from what she remembers. This tradition is ingrained in her culture and she truly believes / ed herself to be a deity who healed illness and channelled the soul of her land.

Her term ended when she turned twelve though. She was brought back to her real family home, but felt out of place. Though her own autonomy was limited at Kumari Che, she was loved and loved it there. So coming back to a life where she must walk on her own, eat at a table with others, and pull her own weight was a bit of a difficult transition. Rashmila admits that she did not react in a very admirable way. But it is necessary to give her some grace since she spent most of her life (at that point) living as a literal goddess.

The rest of the book covers Rashmila’s experiences as she becomes a mere mortal and discovers that life for former deities does exist if you are surrounded by a loving family and driven by the desire to make something more of yourself.

Marshmallow is reading From Goddess to Mortal: The True-life Story of a Former Royal Kumari by Rashmila Shakya (as told to Scott Berry). — Marshmallow is reading *From Goddess to Mortal: The True-life Story of a Former Royal Kumari* by Rashmila Shakya (as told to Scott Berry).

Marshmallow’s Review: From Goddess to Mortal is such a fascinating book! I had not heard of the Nepali tradition of the Kumari until Sprinkles read this book and recommended I read it too. Learning about this Nepali way of life and just the culture, peoples, and traditions there in general was amazing. I would highly recommend it to all because so many distinct and wonderful things are going up in those mountains that many of us have never heard of. Reading is a perfect way to discover more about the worlds in our world that we’ve never seen or experienced.

The book is written rather simplistically (sometimes the wording is a teensy bit clunky but it is a translation, making this an overly critical comment) so it is definitely accessible to everyone. There are eight chapters and one can read it in nicely sized chunks if one wants.

I think any curious-minded individual would love From Goddess to Mortal. It is interesting from an anthropological sense as well as a psychological sense too. Reading about Rashmila’s transformation and evolution as a person is fascinating. She is sometimes very insufferable to her genetic family early on, but you have to really think about things in context because of how different her life is and was from every other human or bunny to ever exist. Her experiences are truly unique and I do not think there are really many others who have lived what she has besides other former Kumari. This is just really fascinating to me and I am sure it will equally fascinate and educate others who pick up this book!

Marshmallow’s Rating: 96%.

Marshmallow rates From Goddess to Mortal: The True-life Story of a Former Royal Kumari by Rashmila Shakya (as told to Scott Berry) 96%. — Marshmallow rates *From Goddess to Mortal: The True-life Story of a Former Royal Kumari* by Rashmila Shakya (as told to Scott Berry) 96%.

Caramel reviews The Martian by Andy Weir

Today Caramel reviews The Martian by Andy Weir, the 2011 book that was the basis of the more recent movie The Martian. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So today we are talking about The Martian by Andy Weir.

Caramel: Yes, Weir talking about The Martian.

S: That’s a good one, Caramel! Okay, so let us get to it. Would you start by telling us what the book is about?

C: Sure. It’s about a guy named Mark Watney, who goes to Mars, and gets trapped there.

S: So the Martian is a human then? It is not quite sci-fi with aliens and such?

C: No, no aliens, but yes sci-fi, we can’t get a spaceship full of people to Mars just yet. We haven’t even sent an unmanned ship there for a while, though NASA still has some rovers there. I even reviewed a book about them a while back.

S: True, you are right of course. Sci-fi does not have to have aliens, but space travel a bit beyond what we can do today also definitely counts. So this guy Watney went to Mars alone or as part of a team?

C: He was part of a NASA team, but he got impaled during a really bad sandstorm and the others had to leave before they could find him. But thankfully his accident was not deadly so he survives, and then he has to survive the planet all on his own. All the while everyone back home is sure he is dead, so they are not even looking for him or not even planning to come back to look for him…

S: That sounds pretty dismal.

C: Yes, but this Watney guy is a very creative guy and he figures out how to grow potatoes on Mars and all kinds of other engineering trickery and eventually he manages to get the NASA folks realize he is not dead, so they try to save him.

S: That sounds like a pretty tense story.

C: Actually, it is very funny, he tells a lot of jokes.

Caramel is reading The Martian by Andy Weir. — Caramel is reading *The Martian* by Andy Weir.

S: So the story is told through Watney’s perspective? Oh then at least we know he will most likely not die in the end.

C: I believe yes, mostly. Every now and then we read the story through some folks on Earth, from NASA headquarters, and sometimes from the astronauts who were with him on Mars. And there is a lot more I can say, but to quote the amazing River Song, “Spoilers!”

S: Alright, maybe this is enough then about the plot. What can you tell us about the rest? You already said the book is actually funny.

C: Yep, though it does have some bad language. The guy is trapped on Mars after all, so he is a bit frustrated and is writing for nobody in particular because he expects he will likely die. So I didn’t mind the language really. And he is hilarious!

S: I know you also saw the movie based on the novel. Did you think the two were similar? Did you like the book and the movie both?

C: Yeah, the only really interesting difference is he doesn’t begin the movie with the same line.

S: I guess they wanted to keep the movie PG-13!

C: Yep! But in actuality there were some differences later on, but i thought that was funny.

S: I agree. It summarized his frustration very well.

C: Anyway, the movie is pretty awesome too. I enjoyed reading the book and I enjoyed watching the movie. Maybe we can put a link to the trailer here.

S: Sure, here we go:

The Martian (2015) trailer from YouTube

C: Thank you!

S: Okay, so maybe this is a good time to wrap things up.

C: Sure, why not?

S: Great! So what do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading The Martian by Andy Weir and recommends it to all bunnies who like space travel, science fiction, and extreme adventure stories. — Caramel enjoyed reading *The Martian* by Andy Weir and recommends it to all bunnies who like space travel, science fiction, and extreme adventure stories.