friendship – Page 4 – BookBunnies

Caramel reviews Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Today Caramel reviews Impossible Creatures, a 2024 book by Katherine Rundell. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, this is your last review for the year!

Caramel: Yep, and I am very happy about that!

S: Hmm, I thought you liked reading books.

C: I do! And I even like talking about them. But when the year is over, we always take a month-long break, and who doesn’t like breaks?

S: Okay, I totally get that! So let us do our review and wrap up the year then.

C: Actually we won’t be done completely, because on Saturday we will do a joint review with Marshmallow and go over all the books we talked about this year.

S: True. But you will be done with talking about new books. So tell us, what is this book about?

C: It is about this one girl named Mal and an archipelago where mythical creatures are real. The girl finds a baby griffin, and then meets a boy named Christopher and asks him to help her save all of the creatures in the archipelago from a great danger.

S: So is the girl a keeper of these magical creatures?

C: Yes and no, the griffin is her friend, not her pet.

S: Okay, so is this like, there is this magical world of magical animals that us mere mortals do not know about, kind of like in The Menagerie?

C: Yeah, kind of.

S: I see. So I am assuming the impossible creatures in the title of the book are these magical creatures?

C: Yep, definitely. However they are not as kind as the ones in The Menagerie.

S: Oh, are they more like wild animals?

C: No, they are more intelligent creatures, but still kind of angry.

S: I read that somehow the magic is running out?

C: Yep, some evil thing is stealing the magic from the source.

S: Oh, and so Mal and Christopher have to figure out what is going on and save the magic?

C: Yep, and they will have to kill the evil one.

S: That sounds like it could be an exciting read!

C: Yep. It was.

S: And does it all end up nice and tidy? I heard there might be a sequel.

C: Yeah, I would like to read it if there is a sequel. This one ended a little sad.

S: Oh no! I don’t want to ask.

C: Okay, don’t ask then.

Caramel is reading Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell. — Caramel is reading *Impossible Creatures* by Katherine Rundell.

S: Alright. I will change the topic. Though we could not call this book a graphic novel or a picture book, there are still quite a lot of images here and there, right?

C: Yep. Maybe sixty or more!

S: They were apparently the work of the artist named Ashley MacKenzie. What did you think of them?

C: I liked them! But I felt like the book could have used even more images. I mean, there were some things that I felt could need some images.

S: That is interesting! You do know quite a few different kinds of magical creatures already, so I am guessing this book had some that you had not heard of before?

C: No, but I want to see them just the same. But you know, the map at the beginning, that was pretty cool! It showed the archipelago where the magical creatures live. And then there is an illustrated Bestiary, which was also neat.

S: Hmm, so I think you liked the illustrations, just wanted a lot more, because they were pretty good!

C: Yep, having more would have been really good.

S: Okay, I think it is clear that you enjoyed this book. So we can wrap this up now. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell and recommends it to other little bunnies who enjoy reading about magical creatures. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Impossible Creatures* by Katherine Rundell and recommends it to other little bunnies who enjoy reading about magical creatures.

Caramel reviews Watership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, James Sturm, and Joe Sutphin

Many years ago, over the course of a few days, the book bunnies listened all together as a family to an unabridged version of Watership Down, the 1972 classic by Richard Adams. Recently Caramel got his paws on a new (2023) graphic novel adaptation of the book by James Sturm and Joe Sutphin and read it over the course of a few hours. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about the book.

Caramel reviews Watership Down: The Graphic Novel, written by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm, and illustrated by Joe Sutphin. — Caramel reviews *Watership Down: The Graphic Novel*, written by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm, and illustrated by Joe Sutphin.

Sprinkles: I remember how we listened to this whole story when you all were so much younger. So when I saw that there was a graphic novel adaptation, I knew you would want to read it.

Caramel: Yes, I guess you were right! You know me well.

S: I think I do! Okay can you tell us a bit about the story?

C: Sure. In this book there are bunnies like us, but they are wild and are trying to escape from a great evil that was foretold by one of them named Fiver.

S: Oh, I think I remember Fiver. Isn’t he the dreamer one? Kind of like an oracle?

C: Yeah, kind of. He can see the future and warns the others of the dangers so they can survive.

S: Okay, so here is a group of rabbits living in a warren. That is, my dictionary tells me, a network of interconnecting rabbit burrows. And they are living a normal wild rabbit life. But then some great evil thing happens, is that it?

C: Yes, it is kind of like that. However not everyone believes Fiver, and so not all of them make it.

S: Well, I can see how not everyone would immediately believe some little bunny saying something terrible will happen, without evidence. But his brother believes him, right?

C: Yep, so Hazel, that is Fiver’s brother, gathers everyone who believes Fiver and they run.

S: So they leave their warren and wander away, and try to find a new place to settle down at?

C: Yep. Along the way they find a different warren in which there are some not-so-nice bunnies who try to kill the main character bunnies, but thankfully the good bunnies make it out, and they get two new bunnies from that warren.

S: Cool! Okay, so Fiver is the dreamer, oracle bunny. Hazel is the main leader bunny. Are there other characters that you especially liked or remembered from when we listened to the book those many years ago?

C: Fiver is my favorite, I don’t know why but he is my favorite bunny in the book.

S: He is a gentle soul, as far as I remember. He is sensitive and kind.

C: Yeah, but he can also see the future, and that is cool.

S: Yes, that is really cool, I agree. I do remember another character, Bigwig, I think. He is a fighter, and a good one too.

C: Yeah, he is also really cool, but Fiver is still my favorite character. There is also a big bird who helps the bunnies occasionally, His name is Kehaar.

S: That is cool! I liked that character, too.

Caramel is reading Watership Down: The Graphic Novel, written by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm, and illustrated by Joe Sutphin. — Caramel is reading *Watership Down: The Graphic Novel*, written by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm, and illustrated by Joe Sutphin.

S: Okay, so when we listened to this book many years ago, we had no images to attach to the main characters. But a graphic novel of course will have faces attached to each character. Did these work for you? Did you like the illustrations? Is the world of Fiver and Hazel how you had imagined it to be?

C: Yeah, it is a lot like what I thought. The bunnies are all very realistic looking, too, and exactly how I imagined them to be.

S: That sounds great! I was just going to ask you if they were more cartoonish or more realistic. So this was perhaps the longest graphic novel you have ever read, right?

C: Yep, it was 382 pages!

S: That is long for a graphic novel. But the original book is a very long one, too, so that makes sense. Anyways, did you know that the original book was banned in some places because it was too violent and there was a lot of brutality depicted explicitly?

C: Oh no. I did not think it was too violent.

S: Well, then again, you do like the Wings of Fire series and those are also kind of violent. So maybe your generation of bunnies is a bit more used to violence…

C: No, I would hope not.

S: I see what you mean Caramel. Yes you are right, it is not a good thing to get used to violence. Maybe I should have said that you can handle some more violence. I think that especially when they made the animated movie in 1978, the movie started out looking like a typical Disney movie, with cute bunnies who speak and are living in this idyllic natural place, but then things get dark very fast, and terrible things happen, bunnies killing each other, getting killed by humans, and so on. So maybe it shocked people a lot more back then.

C: Maybe.

S: I also read that it was banned in China for a while because it depicted animals and humans as equals or at least somewhat on a similar level, and this was unacceptable.

C: Hmm, they probably would not like Animal Farm either, then. Or us.

S: Yes, you have a point there Caramel. Bunnies talking about books would probably not be okay. Anyways, we are bunnies who love to read and talk about books. So let us get back to the book. So overall, did you enjoy this graphic novel?

C: Yes, greatly. And I recommend it to all young bunnies who like to read about other bunnies being heroic.

S: Cool! Okay let us wrap this up then. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Watership Down: The Graphic Novel, written by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm, and illustrated by Joe Sutphin, and recommends the book to all young bunnies who like to read about other bunnies being heroic. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Watership Down: The Graphic Novel*, written by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm, and illustrated by Joe Sutphin, and recommends the book to all young bunnies who like to read about other bunnies being heroic.

Marshmallow reviews Reckless by Lauren Roberts

A few months ago Marshmallow reviewed Powerless by Lauren Roberts. This week she reviews the sequel, Reckless, published in July 2024.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like fantasy books about family, friendship, and romance, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Paedyn Gray killed the king of Ilya and is now, quite expectedly, on the run. Despite the fact that both of Ilya’s princes were falling for her, she is hunted by both: Kai (the ruthless Enforcer of Ilya, who carries out the king’s dirty work) and Kitt (the now-king). Paedyn herself was falling for Kai, but was also desperately trying to stop herself. Spoiler alert: she wasn’t and still isn’t winning. But despite their feelings towards her, Kai and Kitt are now bound by duty and blood to kill Paedyn for revenge and “justice”.

See, in Ilya, there are Elites (people who are born with special, magical powers) and there are Ordinaries (as the name suggests, people who are born without powers). Paedyn is an Ordinary who has been trying to disguise as a Elite her whole life; Ordinaries are hunted down and killed by… who else other than the Enforcer (Kai).

This way the author sets up what seems to be a tragedy waiting to happen between the hunted (Paedyn) and the hunter (Kai). In the first book, Paedyn joined a Resistance, a group that saves Ordinaries and fights to have Elites recognize them as equal. This has been a struggle because, according to the (now deceased) king, Ordinaries’ presence lessens the power of the Elites. Paedyn’s father was the founder of the Resistance, and he was killed by the king when she was very young, making her an orphan for the whole book. This leads to her, at the end of Powerless, killing the king in self defense (but also partially for revenge).

Since Ilya is no longer safe for her, Paedyn decides to leave for the nearby city of Dor; but to do so, she must cross the vast expanse of the Scorches, a massive, brutally parched desert. But before she can make it to the Scorches, Kai intercepts her. After learning that Paedyn was the one who killed his father, Kai gives her a head start because he knows he’ll need time to find the “courage” to kill her. This allows Paedyn to find refuge in her old house for a while, until Kai burns it down and keeps on chasing her. She evades him but is injured as she begins to traverse the desert. Eventually, she makes it to Dor. Unfortunately, Dor is full of enemies as well; Kitt has placed a bounty on her head and it’s not helping her out. But with her skill and finesse, she manages to keep a relatively low profile (as an anonymous underground fighter for illegal gambling purposes). But Kai still manages to track her down in Dor and forces her back into the open. As he begins to take her back to Ilya and presumably her death, their feelings begin to present problems. Kai must now choose between duty and love for his brother and love for Paedyn. And Paedyn is determined to keep fighting against him, to hate him till she dies. Once again though (spoiler alert!), she’s not winning.

Marshmallow is reading Reckless by Lauren Roberts. — Marshmallow is reading *Reckless* by Lauren Roberts.

Marshmallow’s Review: I really liked Reckless. The plot and the world-building are both fantastic! But the thing that makes this story stand out to me among other Young Adult fantasy books is that the author maintains a nuanced balance between romance and fantasy.

Reckless has a very good storyline about revolution and fighting against injustice. And I really love reading about the world the author has created because it’s actually really interesting on its own as well. The romance plot line contributes to the story and pushes it forward, so I appreciated its existence. I also want to know what happens to the characters because they are well-written and very, very deep. Unfortunately, I’ll need to wait till next year when the third (and last?) book in the series will be published.

In many fantasy YA novels, I find that the promising, amazing story and fantasy world soon become overwhelmed by a relatively unnecessary romance or a passionate relationship that takes over too much of the plot (e.g. Shatter Me, Unravel Me, Ignite Me). This book struck the perfect balance for me; I think there is a very thin line between just a full-on fantasy for young adults and a romance that is perhaps better put in the adults section.

I really enjoyed reading Reckless as a whole and I think that this book is what fantasy YA should be like. I couldn’t put it down once I started reading it and I would fully recommend it to all fantasy-lovers!

Marshmallow’s Rating: 101%.

Marshmallow rates Reckless by Lauren Roberts 101%. — Marshmallow rates *Reckless* by Lauren Roberts 101%.

Caramel reviews My Friend John by Arleen McCarthy

Today Caramel is talking to Sprinkles about a brand new book, My Friend John by Arleen McCarthy, which just came out on Friday November 8.

The book bunnies received this book from the publisher as a review copy.

Caramel reviews My Friend John by Arleen McCarthy. — Caramel reviews *My Friend John* by Arleen McCarthy.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, here we are again, this time to talk about this book about a boy named John. So maybe start by telling us a bit about it?

Caramel: Sure. In this book the main character is a girl.

S: Wait, the girl is named John?

C: No. Wait, I am getting there. The girl is in class one day when the teacher announces that there is going to be a new kid, named John. At lunch the main character invites John over to sit with her, and he says thank you. Later the kid John makes a noise and shakes, then goes back to normal.

S: What kind of noise?

C: i think that he says something like “tak”.

S: So maybe something that does not mean anything to the other people? Maybe something in a different language?

C: No, it is not quite that. Later John doesn’t come to school because in class this same kind of thing happens, too, and the rest of the class makes fun of him.

S: Oh, I see. He is not really in control when he is making the sounds and shaking, right?

C: Yes, in fact I was going to get to that. Later the teacher tells her that John has Tourette Syndrome, and that is why he made those noises and started to shake.

S: I see. Of course the other kids did not know about Tourette Syndrome so they just ended up making fun of him and making him feel bad.

C: Yes, but eventually the girl who is the main character understands this and later tells the class that the reason John did not come to school is because they made fun of him.

S: I see. I guess it is normal for most children not to know about this syndrome, but they did not need to make fun of someone just because they are behaving differently or unexpectedly.

C: Yeah, I agree.

Caramel is reading My Friend John by Arleen McCarthy. — Caramel is reading *My Friend John* by Arleen McCarthy.

S: Did you know about Tourette Syndrome before reading this book?

C: Yes, a little.

S: Same here. I knew of the syndrome but I do not think I have met someone with a severe case of it. I can imagine it can be surprising to children if they have never seen someone with it, but that is no reason to make fun of the person.

C: Yes, I suppose that is true; sometimes little bunnies can be cruel. But not me, right?

S: Right, not you. I know you are always trying to be kind, and you always want to help and include other bunnies. But I think it is in all of us to want to push away different people because we might be afraid. Many bunnies want to be with bunnies like themselves. It probably feels more comfortable. But we must choose to be kind whenever we can. And to know that many bunnies are different from one another, and differences do not have to separate us. I am happy that you consciously choose to be kind whenever you can. You only tease Marshmallow and me.

C: Yes, I do.

S: We usually can handle it! Anyways, so what did you think about this book overall? I feel like there is always room for a new book about being kind.

C: Yeah, agreed. This is a good book. And I learned about Tourette syndrome and you know I always like to learn new things.

S: I know! So maybe this is a good time to wrap things up. Can you give me a description of the book in three to five words?

C: Positive and full of color. That is exactly five words, right?

S: Yes, that is perfect, thank you! And now what would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel appreciated reading My Friend John by Arleen McCarthy and learning about ways we can support friends with differences. — Caramel appreciated reading *My Friend John* by Arleen McCarthy and learning about ways we can support friends with differences.