Marshmallow’s reviews – Page 26

Marshmallow reviews Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Today Marshmallow reviews Amari and the Night Brothers, the first book in B. B. Alston’s Supernatural Investigations series, first published in 2021.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about magic, family, and friendship, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Amari Peters’s brother, Quinton, disappeared six months ago, and since then, everything seems to be going downhill. People at her private school bully her. She’s Black, of low-income, and is attending private school on a scholarship. Her peers, who are mostly rich and white, view her as a good target. Eventually, after a particularly vile joke about her brother’s disappearance, Amari pushes one of the girls bullying her. She immediately loses her scholarship as a result.

Later at home, Amari receives a mysterious delivery, which according to the delivery person is supposed to appear in her brother’s closet. There, she finds a ticking briefcase, which holds a nomination for a summer tryout for the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari’s brother Quinton was a genius who disappeared soon after graduating high school and finding a promising job. The family did not know what this job was, but now Amari has her suspicions, that it had something to do with this Bureau. So she figures this invitation is the best chance she might have of finding her brother.

Eventually Amari figures out that the Bureau manages the humans’ interactions with the supernatural world. There are different departments handling different types of magic, and there is apparently a whole world that regular folks like us do not know about. Now that Amari is initiated to this world, she learns that she does not quite fit in here, either. At the beginning of her training, she learns that her specific supernatural ability is deemed illegal.

Still Amari is determined, against all odds, natural and supernatural, to find out what happened to her brother. But she has many enemies, like the Night Brother and his devious assistant, who will fight to stop her.

Marshmallow is reading Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston. — Marshmallow is reading *Amari and the Night Brothers* by B. B. Alston.

Marshmallow’s Review: Amari and the Night Brothers is a great book for fans of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. An unlikely hero, who finds her strength against all odds, in a world of magic that was unknown to her from the start, Amari is really a likeable character. What is more, the world B. B. Alston builds around her is very interesting. Even though some readers may indeed find parallels between this book and other popular series, the plot of this particular book is unique and most intriguing. I read it breathlessly and I was in the dark about the real explanations of some things until the very end. I kept having these “a-ha!” moments that kept turning out to be “oops!” moments. B. B. Alston seems to really know how to play with the reader’s mind.

I really enjoyed reading Amari and the Night Brothers, and I can’t wait to read the second book.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Amari and the Night Brothers* by B. B. Alston 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Marshmallow and Caramel both loved Katherine Applegate’s 2012 book The One and Only Ivan; Marshmallow even reviewed it for the book bunnies blog. She has also reviewed Willodeen by the same author. Today she writes about Crenshaw, a 2015 novel by Applegate.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about family, friends, magic, or growing up, or if you have enjoyed other books by Katherine Applegate, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Jackson’s family is having financial issues so much so that he and his sister Robin invent games to slowly savor the small amount of food they have. Their parents are clearly nervous about their financial situation but try to hide it from the kids. Jackson is a no-nonsense kind of kid; he wants the facts, as hard and cold as they may be. He finds it annoying, insulting almost, that his parents are trying to hide their troubles or dismiss them as small or insignificant.

Jackson most fears losing their house. When he was younger (around the time he was in first grade), his family lost their house. His father, who worked jobs requiring physical labor, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and so they had to live in their van for fourteen months. Thankfully, they could eventually move into an apartment. But now, they are once again facing financial difficulties and a seemingly impending eviction, so Jackson feels overwhelmed.

One night, his imaginary friend Crenshaw reappears. Crenshaw is a large black-and-white cat who has fingers, can talk, and likes bubble baths and purple jelly beans. Fittingly, Jackson rediscovers Crenshaw while he is taking a bubble bath. Most kids would be happy, perhaps comforted, to see their old imaginary friend from their younger years. Jackson, however, is most displeased. He does not want Crenshaw here and now for several reasons. First, he thinks he is going insane. Secondly, he thinks it is childish. And finally, he thinks it forebodes and perhaps guarantees that his family will lose their home and become homeless again. This is because Crenshaw first appeared right after Jackson’s family became homeless the first time. He fears that Crenshaw’s reappearance is a telling sign. So he forces Crenshaw out, physically (out of his house) and mentally.

But this does not stop their eviction. Even though his parents work hard to fix their financial situation, selling almost all of their possessions, Jackson and his family find themselves kicked out of their home and are forced to live once more in their van. Jackson doesn’t know where he will go to the bathroom next, when or where his next meal will be, or even if he will be able to stay in his school. Can he and his family survive a life full of instability and insecurity?

Marshmallow is reading Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate. — Marshmallow is reading *Crenshaw* by Katherine Applegate.

Marshmallow’s Review: I think Crenshaw is a very good book. It depicts a very sad portrait of what a disturbingly high number of children’s lives look like today. The adversity and challenges that Jackson and his family face was actually based on the lives of children the author (Katherine Applegate) met. Jackson and his family’s situation is all too painfully real for too many people today.

This book is moving. The development of the characters and plot is expertly done. The uncertainty of Jackson’s life is evident throughout the book and is conveyed very well to the reader.

I think that Crenshaw is an important book for all people, regardless of age, to read. I think that everyone needs to read this book, so understanding and empathy would increase for those going through a difficult time similar to the one faced by the characters in this book.

I have enjoyed reading some of Katherine Applegate’s other books (you can read my reviews of The One and Only Ivan and Willodeen) and felt that this one had a similar writing “voice”: soft yet powerful at the same time. The simple storytelling makes it an accessible read for all ages and experience levels. There is no violence, sexual content, foul language, or other things that would make this book inappropriate for younger readers; so simply put, anyone of any age could read and like this book.

The main point I would make was that I felt that the titular character of Crenshaw was not seen as much as one could have liked or expected. However, the development of themes (like the magical aspects of life versus the determinedly logical mind of Jackson, or the idea of family forever) was very well done.

I love the cover photo and think the title is very clever. The title for the copy I read is white, but appears to have a 2D fur-like texture. In summary, I really enjoyed reading Crenshaw and would recommend it to all.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 97%.

Marshmallow rates Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate 97%. — Marshmallow rates *Crenshaw* by Katherine Applegate 97%.

Marshmallow reviews And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Sprinkles is an avid Agatha Christie fan, so she was very excited to introduce Marshmallow to her work. Earlier this year, Marshmallow reviewed her first Agatha Christie book, Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories. And today, she talks to Sprinkles about And Then There Were None, the classic mystery novel, first published in 1939, known to be one of the best-selling books of all time.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow how should we start talking about this book?

Marshmallow: I usually start my reviews with an overview. We could just do that.

S: Okay, so go for it!

M: If you like books about mystery or enjoy Agatha Christie’s works, then this might be the book for you.

S: That works. Okay, so can you tell us a bit about this book then?

M: Sure. Separately, eight people are invited to spend time at Soldier Island. They are all confused and do not fully understand why or by whom they were summoned to the island, because they do not know their host well or (in some cases) at all. They all travel to Soldier Island (for different reasons) and are ferried there together. They all have different ideas of who their host is; some suspect an eccentric billionaire while others think that the owner is a famous movie star. When they get to the island, they are also confused by the variety in their fellow guests: there is a judge, a doctor, two young men, a young woman, an older woman, a retired military man, and another man who we eventually find out is a former police inspector.

S: So there are eight guests. But the story needs ten people, right?

M: Right. There is a married couple in the single house on the island who are supposed to be the caretakers for the time the eight will be spending there. They make up the last two of the ten.

S: Then what happens?

M: The first night, during dinner, there is an eerie recording that plays and accuses each of the ten with murder. Each of the ten people, the eight guests and the two caretakers, were apparently involved with the death of at least one person, and the voice in the recording claims that they were guilty. Or rather it says “You are charged with the following crimes…” and goes on to list one by one whose deaths each of the guests and the caretakers was responsible for. And of course everyone is unsettled and some want to leave the island immediately but of course this turns out to be impossible. Then one by one, people start dying.

S: So somehow someone got them to this island to kill them off?

M: Yes, basically. After the first couple days the remaining ones figure out that there is nobody else on the island other than themselves, which leads them to the conclusion that the murderer must be among them. This leads to more mistrust and suspicion. While some of the people dismiss the accusations against them, others admit to them and show no remorse. The reader is left wondering how innocent some of the characters are and how they end up dying one by one.

S: How so?

M: There is a nursery rhyme hung up in every guest room called Ten Little Soldiers and it is a story about these ten little soldiers who die one by one in specific ways until there are none.

S: And so the title of the book is And Then There Were None.

M: Yes. This is the last line of the nursery rhyme.

Marshmallow is reading And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. — Marshmallow is reading *And Then There Were None* by Agatha Christie.

S: The rhyme is pretty interesting. I even reviewed a children’s book about zombies that parodies this rhyme.

M: Actually, the nursery rhyme in the book is coming from a real nursery rhyme that the book’s original title was based on. The title of the book used to be something quite different, but was changed because the original nursery rhyme was very offensive. I am very glad to have read the more modern, updated version, because the older title and rhyme were extremely offensive. Interested readers might read more about the history of this rhyme here. And here is the version from the book now:

Ten little Soldier Boys went out to dine; 
One choked his little self and then there were nine.

Nine little Soldier Boys sat up very late; 
One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight little Soldier Boys travelling in Devon; 
One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.

Seven little Soldier Boys chopping up sticks; 
One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.

Six little Soldier Boys playing with a hive; 
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.

Five little Soldier Boys going in for law; 
One got in Chancery and then there were four.

Four little Soldier Boys going out to sea; 
A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.

Three little Soldier Boys walking in the zoo; 
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.

Two little Soldier Boys sitting in the sun; 
One got frizzled up and then there was one.

One little Soldier Boy left all alone; 
He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.

S: So, overall, what did you think about the book?

M: I was engrossed while reading it. I could not stop! And rereading it is still enjoyable, knowing now how things turn out and who did what and so on, it is really fun to read again, as I am doing now.

S: I know, right? Christie is a master of this genre!

M: I have not read much in the genre actually but I definitely liked this book. The plot is so tightly set up, and everything works out like clockwork, and it is simply captivating. I had to finish it!

S: I know. She is amazing and this is one of her best books. So what would you rate this book Marshmallow?

M: 100%, definitely.

S: I would too. To this day, I find it so intricately put together. I am honestly so happy that I could share this book with you Marshmallow! But this is probably a good time to wrap things up. What would you say to our readers while we do so?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 100%. — Marshmallow rates *And Then There Were None* by Agatha Christie 100%.

Marshmallow reviews The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht

Marshmallow is a big fan of Calvin and Hobbes, the comic strip about the often obnoxiously cynical but extremely curious six-year-old Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes who comes alive only when nobody else but Calvin is looking. Early during the COVID-19 pandemic, she reviewed The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury by Bill Watterson for the book bunnies blog. So she was very excited to hear that Watterson teamed up with the illustrator John Kascht in a new book project. Today Marshmallow talks to Sprinkles about this book, The Mysteries, which was published in October 2023.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow this book was not quite what we expected, was it?

Marshmallow: No.

S: We were kind of hoping to see something of Calvin and Hobbes, at least perhaps some humor, right?

M: I was.

S: But before we dig in any further, can you tell our readers what the book is about?

M: Sure. This is a fable about a small village or country in some faraway place which was near a big forest. And in the forest were scary things, things the people did not understand.

S: And maybe they were scared because they did not understand.

M: Actually that is probably one of the points of the story. Because they tried very hard to capture one of these scary things, they called them the Mysteries, and then when they caught one, they were not very impressed.

S: Hmm, so what do you think that means?

M: I am not sure. But maybe it refers to things like thunder and lightning and solar eclipses and earthquakes, which were very very scary things, until we figured out what they were really all about.

S: Hmm, so once we had scientific explanations for them, their power to inspire fear and awe diminished.

M: Yes, but I think it is more than that. I think the Mysteries represent the mysteries of the universe. They go beyond thunder and lightning. And maybe the people got a bit too arrogant once they figured out how thunder worked that there was no mystery left that they should be scared of. But lightning still starts fires. Earthquakes still cause lots of damage to life and property. So in some sense, we will never be able to completely tame and understand nature, let alone the whole universe.

S: I think you might be on to something Marshmallow.

Marshmallow is reading The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht. — Marshmallow is reading *The Mysteries* by Bill Watterson and John Kascht.

S: Coming back to our original expectations about this book, maybe I am going to say, we actually should not have been too surprised.

M: What do you mean Sprinkles?

S: Maybe the end especially is pretty fitting for a fable coming from the creator of Calvin, the youngest and toughest misanthrope of all time.

M: What do you mean by that?

S: I feel like there is some pessimism about humans in the book. And I think there is some of that cynicism in Calvin, too.

M: Well, I did not notice that, but then again, when I read Calvin and Hobbes, I just laugh at his ridiculous plans and hilarious excuses for not doing what he is supposed to do.

S: Sure, there is definitely that level of hilarity to Calvin and Hobbes, but I’d say there is a lot of questioning of mainstream beliefs and assumptions, too, and some of the questioning does not leave much space for optimism. At least that is how I read it sometimes.

M: I guess I will need to reread Calvin and Hobbes, this time with that perspective, to see what you mean.

S: But coming back to The Mysteries, why do you think it is a fable?

M: Well, the space and time are not very clearly set, and it could be anywhere anytime, almost. And the kingdom seems to be all there is. And the authors are trying to give us a moral message.

S: Ooh, I like that! Can you tell me what that moral message is?

M: If we lose our awe of the mysteries of life and the universe just because we think we understand some of them, we might lose our respect for life and the universe, which can only end in disaster.

S: That is deep. Marshmallow!

M: But there is more. I think the fable is also telling us that there is always more mystery. That we will never run out of them, that there is always some magic and something to be in awe of when it comes to life and this universe.

S: I see. And the book says all this in so few words!

M: Yes. Each two-page spread has only a handful of words, and at least one of the two pages is a full page-picture.

S: Can you tell me a bit about the illustrations?

M: I think the only word that comes to my mind is “haunting”. Everything looks kind of deformed. The people look like they are made out of clay. It is almost like we are seeing our world but through some kind of a magic lens which shows us only the darker, more arrogant side of humanity.

S: In some sense though, I think one could read the ending as a hopeful message.

M: No!

S: I do! No matter what, life and the universe just go on.

M: I am not sure I agree with you on that, Sprinkles. But I guess we will just agree to disagree.

S: Sure, I am okay with that. But at least I think we agree that the core message is a warning.

M: Yes. We do agree. The core message is to warn people not to be too arrogant. As a species, humans should not get too arrogant. I think that is what the authors are saying. And they are telling us that we are like boats; a boat can cross the ocean but it can never conquer the waves.

S: That is a beautiful way to put it Marshmallow. Did you just come up with that yourself?

M: Yep.

S: I will definitely use that sentence again, Marshmallow, and I will cite you.

M: Thank you!

S: Okay, so let us wrap up this review then. What would you like to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow appreciated reading The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht and talking about it with Sprinkles. — Marshmallow appreciated reading *The Mysteries* by Bill Watterson and John Kascht and talking about it with Sprinkles.