Marshmallow’s reviews – Page 28

Marshmallow reviews Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

Marshmallow has reviewed several book series by Rick Riordan for the book bunnies blog. Today she talks about a stand-alone book by Riordan, Daughter of the Deep, published first in 2021. Sprinkles was curious about the book, too, so she is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow let us start with your one-to-two sentences overview of the book.

Marshmallow: If you like to read books about family, friends, and ocean life, or if you have enjoyed books by Rick Riordan before, then this might be the book for you.

S: Well, that is a good start. Tell me a bit about the story.

M: There is this girl named Ana Dakkar, and she is wrapping up her second year at a special high school intended for young people who want to go into professions involving the ocean. The school is named Harding-Pencroft Academy, and honestly it sounds like an awesome place to be.

S: How so?

M: It is a fancy private school, but more importantly, the classes are all oriented towards the ocean. The students are split into four houses, a bit like the four houses in Hogwarts…

S: Well, I can see how that sounds similar, but a lot of boarding schools have such things.

M: In any case, the school is not like Hogwarts at all in any other way. For example, it is in Southern California. And they have climbing walls and cinnamon rolls and other fancy things, like a lot of exciting classes about the sea. And they also study things like cryptography, and navigation, and communication, and defense.

S: So okay, I see. HP is kind of like a naval academy, but at the high-school level. Let us get back to the story now. What is going on in the book?

M: On the last Friday of her second year at her school, Ana and her classmates go on a field trip, and they are supposed to face a challenge or something. But then the school blows up!

S: Wait, what??

M: Yes, everyone else in the school is gone, all at once. And Ana’s brother, who was a senior at Harding-Pencroft, was there, too. So Ana is understandably heartbroken. And Ana does not have her parents anymore, so she feels totally lost. Their teacher, who was coming along to the field trip with them, tells the class that their school was attacked by a rival school.

S: Wow, that is some serious rivalry.

M: Yes. It is called the Land Institute, and they are pretty serious. They are also a marine biology oriented school. But HP is more research-oriented, and the Land Institute is more militaristic. Anyways, from here on, it is open war with the Land Institute, and it turns out that along the way Ana learns a bit about her own family history.

S: Hmm. That is kind of cryptic.

M: I don’t want to spoil it too much. Okay, but if the readers have read Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and some of his other books, then they have a lot of fun revelations to look forward to.

S: Hmm. I’m getting quite curious. And I have some ideas…

M: Maybe you should read the book then.

S: I think I will.

Marshmallow is reading Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow is reading *Daughter of the Deep* by Rick Riordan.

S: Okay, so how did it feel like reading another book by Rick Riordan?

M: I thought it would be about mythology again, and I was kind of surprised that it was not. It was a pleasant surprise. It is a really well-written book.

S: Tell me more about how it is written.

M: Well, the story is all told in first person through the voice of Ana herself. And as you might recall from my reviews of the Percy Jackson books, Riordan is really great at channeling the thoughts and voice of his characters.

S: Is Ana funny?

M: Not as funny as Percy, but she felt like a real person, and I really liked her. Though I was kind of confused about how she could be so empathetic towards the sentient submarine that killed–

S: Wait, don’t you think that is kind of a big spoiler??? And a sentient submarine! Wow!

M: Yes, it is a really interesting book! You just have to read it Sprinkles.

S: I am starting to think that Caramel might like it, too, with his love of robots…

M: We did watch the movie version of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea together. So I agree, he might like this book, too.

S: Okay, then, but I will have to read it first.

M: Sure.

S: So let us wrap up this review then. What would be your rating, Marshmallow?

M: I’d rate it 100%.

S: Sounds good. And what do you want to tell our readers?

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

Marshmallow rates Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Daughter of the Deep* by Rick Riordan 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Today Marshmallow reviews Our Missing Hearts, a novel by Celeste Ng, first published in 2022. Sprinkles has also read the book and is asking her questions, while also taking notes.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow let us start at the beginning. In your reviews, you always start by telling us who this book would be good for. So go ahead.

Marshmallow: This book would be a good choice for readers who enjoy realistic fiction. Or if you are interested in possible near-futures in the United States, especially dystopian ones, this might be the book for you.

S: Okay, I think that is a good start. Can you give us a brief summary of the plot?

M: Sure. So there is this kid whose mother ran away after her poem was used in controversial protests about this law called PACT.

S: Okay, so maybe let us stop there a bit. Tell us about the setting, and of course, PACT.

M: PACT stands for Protecting American Culture and Traditions Act. This law was, in the book, passed about ten years before the story starts. And it essentially allows the government to do things that are supposedly in the interest of preserving American culture. In reality, it is used to take children away from their families, if the families are not “American” enough. In this world, the law specifically targets Asian Americans, due to a fear of China.

S: The author may have been somewhat inspired by the USA PATRIOT Act that was passed after 9/11, and it was very controversial too, because many argue that it cut into people’s civil liberties. This PACT Act was passed after a different but very impactful crisis, right?

M: Yes, and in fact, in the book that crisis was called The Crisis. That left everyone very susceptible to xenophobia, and some people blamed China for all that went wrong, and then of course that distrust of China translated into a distrust of Chinese Americans and then spread all over to a distrust of all Asian Americans. So when the government began to remove children from the homes of some Asian American families, most of the other people remained quiet, believing that there should be a reason for the removal. And most people did not even know how many children were being taken away. The numbers and the full impact of the removals were downplayed by the media, and the families who dared to speak out were demonized.

S: But still there were some protests against the law and these removals, right?

M: Yes, and those are my favorite part of the book actually.

S: So tell us about them.

M: I liked the protests because they were so creative. For example, one involved a bunch of trees which were wrapped up with red yarn and small dolls representing the stolen children. And they were mainly emotional and only subtly political, so people would be more intrigued by them rather than immediately dismiss the message.

S: And that is where the title of the book comes in, right?

M: Yes. The poem that the main character’s mom wrote is called “Our Missing Hearts,” and the protestors took that as their motto, that they wanted their missing hearts to be brought back.

S: Okay, so let us get back to the main character and the plot then.

M: Yes, the main character is a twelve-year-old boy named Bird. Actually his legal name is Noah Gardner, but his mom Margaret Miu always called him Bird, but since she left, people are calling him Noah again. And she left because her poem became too visible with the protests, and Bird’s parents were worried that the government would take Bird away. The mother left so that Bird would at least be able to continue to live with his dad.

S: So the book starts with Bird getting a message which he believes is from his mom.

M: And it is full of cat drawings. And it triggers some memories, Bird is not sure why he knows it is from his mom, but he is sure it is from her. And that part is also very neat. but I cannot say more without spoilers.

S: I guess that is fair. Let us stop with the plot then.

Marshmallow is reading Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. — Marshmallow is reading *Our Missing Hearts* by Celeste Ng.

S: Tell us a bit about the characters.

M: Well, there is Bird, who is the boy who is looking for his mom. And there is Sadie, a half-black girl who was removed from her family because they spoke out against PACT. The law is mainly targeting Asian Americans, but anyone who speaks up against it is also in danger. So Bird meets her at school, where she is sort of an outcast. Sadie is braver than Bird, and she becomes his friend. And then we also meet Bird’s parents. Margaret plays a big role in a large part of the book; she tells her story and we learn about the Crisis a bit more from her. But anyways, Margaret is maybe more timid than Sadie and her parents, and she ran away instead of fighting, but then again, running away meant that maybe her child would be able to stay with his dad, and it could also be seen as a brave sacrifice.

S: Agreed. So did you feel like you connected with these characters? Did you like any of them a lot? Did any of them make you angry or feel something strongly? Did they feel like real people?

M: I think they were all pretty well developed. I thought reading Bird’s perspective felt like I was seeing the world through his eyes, it was a pretty bad place, but anyways, very realistic. And when Margaret told her story, you could also hear her voice very clearly. So I think the author was very successful in creating very compelling and very realistic characters.

S: I agree with you, again. Okay, so I am guessing you liked this book? I certainly did, and that is why I suggested you read it, too.

M: Yea. I really liked it. I’d rate it 100%.

S: That is high praise coming from you, Marshmallow.

M: Yes, I think Our Missing Hearts is a really good book.

S: Okay, so how do we finish this review? What would you like to tell our readers?

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

Marshmallow rates Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Our Missing Hearts* by Celeste Ng 100%.

Marshmallow reviews The Murder of Emmett Till by Karlos K. Hill and David Dodson

After reviewing a handful of historically motivated graphic novels (They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, The English GI by Jonathan Sandler and Brian Bicknell, and Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith), this week Marshmallow takes on yet another historical graphic novel. Today she shares her thoughts on the book The Murder of Emmett Till by Karlos K. Hill and David Dodson, published in 2020.

The review below describes some of the events from the book, which are cruel and terrifying, and as such, might not be appropriate for very young bunnies.

Marshmallow reviews The Murder of Emmett Till by Karlos K. Hill and David Dodson. — Marshmallow reviews *The Murder of Emmett Till* by Karlos K. Hill and David Dodson.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you would like to read a book about recent United States history or racial (in)justice, and if you appreciate graphic novels, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): On August 20, 1965, fourteen-year-old Emmett Till left his home to visit his mother’s uncle in Mississippi. There, Emmett was accused of whistling at and making lewd comments to a white woman. Emmett was kidnapped, tortured, and killed by the woman’s husband and his friends.

The murder of Emmett Till is a disgusting, horrible event that shows the evil act of lynching. In this book, historian Karlos K. Hill and illustrator David Dodson use the art of graphic novels to tell the story of Emmett Till. After the main story, the authors provide facts, dates, testimony, quotes, and images to teach about this tragic event.

Marshmallow is reading The Murder of Emmett Till by Karlos K. Hill and David Dodson. — Marshmallow is reading *The Murder of Emmett Till* by Karlos K. Hill and David Dodson.

Marshmallow’s Review: This book is a good way to teach and learn about Emmett Till’s murder. This is such a horrifying event that words cannot describe it. Emmett Till was a young boy who should not have been murdered; he should have lived a long, full life. His life was cut short so cruelly, and he was killed after being tortured. The torture and murder of Emmett Till must be taught to future generations to ensure that the disgust and horror we feel never goes away. Only if we remember such events can we hope to never repeat them again.

I liked how this book is both for reading and for learning. The first half of the book (“The Graphic History”, about 75 pages) is written in the format of a graphic novel that shows the events leading up to and after Emmett’s death. This part is divided into four chapters, one on the incident, the second on the kidnapping, the third on the murder, and the fourth on the trial and the aftermath.

The second half (another 75 pages or so) provides a broader context for the event, in three more sections, including a section titled “The Historical Context”, with subsections on lynchings and racial violence in the South, civil rights activism in Mississippi, and other similar topics. There is a whole section (“The Documents”) which includes photos and documents from the trial and beyond. Then there is a short “Conclusion” section which has some suggestions for further reading. Overall, there is a lot of evidence and even more background, which is educational and informational. In other words, the second half is almost similar to a textbook, while the first part is a graphic novel that describes the events in a chronological narrative.

I think this book offers a great way to teach older children and students about Emmett Till’s murder. The horror I felt when reading this book and the disgust of how a human being could do something so horrible to another person was real. This is a book about a dark topic and some of the worst facets of humanity. I would mostly recommend this to older bunnies, maybe 13-14 and up. However, since this is such a huge event in history, it is a valuable book to read and a good resource for knowledge.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates The Murder of Emmett Till by Karlos K. Hill and David Dodson 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Murder of Emmett Till* by Karlos K. Hill and David Dodson 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie

Today Marshmallow reviews Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories, a book that collects together all twenty short stories Agatha Christie wrote featuring her favorite detective, Miss Marple; the original dates of the stories range from 1932 to 1961. Sprinkles, who has been a life-long Christie fan, is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: Marshmallow, you know that I was so happy to find this collection of Miss Marple stories! But I was especially excited to have you read them, too. So what did you think?

Marshmallow: At first I found them very confusing.

S: How come?

M: I found the language a bit challenging at first. But reading the stories the second time, I got a lot more, and I really enjoyed them.

S: I guess the language is not contemporary. Christie wrote some of these almost a hundred years ago.

M: Yes. There were a lot of things I did not know about. For example you and I needed to look up the “hundreds and thousands” and the trifle that was one of the main plot points in the story “The Tuesday Night Club”.

S: Yes, apparently we do not know every traditional English dish and the usual ingredients for them.

M: And then there was “banting”. Apparently it means to diet by not eating things with carbs in them. And it is named after a scientist, Sir Frederick Grant Banting, who was one of the people who discovered insulin.

S: Yes, one learns a lot by reading!

M: Yes, of course.

S: So overall, what did you think of Miss Marple? Can you tell us a bit about who she is and what kind of a person she is?

M: She is an older lady, who seems like a nice and kind and easily distracted person, but she is extremely smart and insightful. So the first few stories in the book are told in the setting of a dinner party, where people are sharing mysteries and challenging others to figure them out. In almost all of them, everyone else is stumped, and Miss Marple outwits everyone, figuring things out.

S: And in the one that she claims she could not figure out the mystery, she actually did, but she had a reason not to divulge her reasoning. Right?

M: Right.

Marshmallow is reading Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie. — Marshmallow is reading *Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories* by Agatha Christie.

S: So I have been a fan of Agatha Christie stories since I was a young bunny around your age. This is your very first exposure to Christie. What do you think about her writing style?

M: Other than the fact that her language took me a little while to get used to, I think she is a clever storyteller. The plots are very good. The mysteries are hard to figure out on one’s own, but when they are explained at the end, they all make sense, and you see that the author had sprinkled in the right clues all along.

S: Agreed. When compared with your favorite detective, Nancy Drew, how does Miss Marple measure up?

M: I am still quite loyal to Nancy Drew, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings. But Miss Marple is sharp, and she can figure things out pretty quickly.

S: Then again, you did not read a full novel with Miss Marple, so maybe in the novels she is more like Nancy, and the story opens up slowly and more gradually.

M: Yes, it is true that all Nancy Drew books I read were long-form novels. In a short story, things have to happen quicker.

S: You do not review short story collections much for our blog.

M: True. I do not read too many short story collections. I have read and reviewed Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani and The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan, which were short story collections, but it seems that most stuff I read is in novel form.

S: You know Agatha Christie wrote a ton of novels, right?

M: Yep. Wikipedia says that she wrote 66 detective novels.

S: That is a lot!

M: Yes, I agree. So did you read all of them, Sprinkles?

S: I read all her books that my school library had, but no, I did not read all. I also do not remember any of them. I should reread them at some point. Would you join me? Did this book make you curious to read some of her novels?

M: Yep. I did watch the movie version of The Murder on the Orient Express, though I do not remember much. So maybe we should read that first.

S: Yes, that is a classic! Okay, let us do that. Alright, this is probably a good time to end this review. How would you rate Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie?

M: I’d rate it 100%, though it did take me a second read!

S: Sounds good to me. What do you want to tell our readers next?

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

Marshmallow rates Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories* by Agatha Christie 100%.