Marshmallow’s reviews – Page 6

Marshmallow reviews Digital SAT Manual (Version 8.0) by The Princeton Review

Today, Marshmallow is doing something different. She is writing about Digital SAT Manual by The Princeton Review, a test preparation manual.

[This is not meant as an advertisement or customer review. We felt that even though Digital SAT Manual is a different kind of book than our usual fare, it is undeniable that Marshmallow has spent a lot of time with it in these past few months. She also felt strongly that she had something useful to say about it.]

Marshmallow reviews Digital SAT Manual (Version 8.0) by The Princeton Review. — Marshmallow reviews *Digital SAT Manual* (Version 8.0) by The Princeton Review.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you are a student planning on taking the SAT, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with no Spoilers): The SAT (or what used to be called the Scholastic Aptitude Test) is a standardized test used in the United States for college admissions. There is a lot of hype about it and many many rumors and myths. But ultimately, it seems to me that the SAT is not a measure of intelligence, but rather a measure of how good you are at utilizing tricks and the nuances of the testing type. It does seem to gauge, up to some level, how well you will do in college; this is true. If your score is below a certain level, many colleges will deem you unfit for entrance. The way to increase your score is to study, not just the material, but also the test itself.

Enter the Digital SAT Manual! The book starts off with a description of the SAT and the logistical details. It shows what the test will look like and how long each module is. This helps the reader gain a sense of familiarity with the testing format, which helps create a calmer experience during the actual exam. Then the book starts actually going into the specific types of questions that appear on the test and the strategies for each type. Before reading this book, I did not know that there were different question types. I kind of figured that the questions were all randomly ordered and were all random types. It turns out, though, that there is a lot of rhyme and reason behind the SAT, which is crucial to learn when preparing for the test.

Marshmallow is reading the Digital SAT Manual (Version 8.0) by The Princeton Review. — Marshmallow is reading the *Digital SAT Manual* (Version 8.0) by The Princeton Review.

Marshmallow’s Review: It may be clear already that I’ve recently taken the SAT. These past few months, the SAT has definitely been a topic close to the forefront of my mind. With many colleges and universities going back to requiring standardized test scores for admission, the importance of the SAT has only escalated. The best way to feel prepared is to know what is on the test and how to deal with it when you come face-to-face with it.

In the United States, the SAT marks a major landmark in many students’ lives—a point after which they are closer than ever to their college dreams. Of course, many withhold the fact that you need to study for the SAT. Many high-scoring students claim to have gone into the test without so much as opening a study book. However, anyone who has taken an SAT and examined the way it works will tell you: it is a test that scores how good you are at taking tests. As a bunny who took a couple practice tests and used study books before taking the actual digital SAT, I can confidently say that it is next to impossible for someone to get an outstanding score with no study; it is perhaps possible to get between a 1450 and 1500 first try but, above that, one must have studied.

I found the Digital SAT Manual to be extremely useful and effective; it helped me go from the mid-1400s to the 1500s. I really liked how it explained everything and was very transparent about the nature of the test. It detailed the different question types and had step-by-step instructions on how to answer each category. The practice sections were extremely helpful in helping me solidify my ability to understand the processes the book was teaching me. I did not always follow through with all of the book’s steps though; I felt like some annotation steps were superfluous and spent more time than I needed to or had. I also was a little surprised by how fast the test goes by; I definitely needed to go faster when taking it as opposed to when I did practice problems (for reference, I would generally finish the problem sets early, but found myself running out of time on longer practice tests).

As a whole, though, the Digital SAT Manual is irreplaceable. It is easy to understand and very interactive. I would highly recommend this book to all students. But above all, I would advise that you study for the SAT; trust me, the high-scorers are studying—even if they say otherwise!

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates the Digital SAT Manual (Version 8.0) by The Princeton Review 100%. — Marshmallow rates the *Digital SAT Manual* (Version 8.0) by The Princeton Review 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Fearful by Lauren Roberts

Marshmallow has already read and reviewed the three main books of Lauren Roberts’s Powerless trilogy: Powerless, Reckless, and Fearless. She has also reviewed the novella Powerful, set in the same world as the books of the trilogy, and placed in between the first two books chronologically. Today she reviews a brand new addition to this series: Fearful, a novella published just last week that retells some of the events of Fearless from a different perspective.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you liked Lauren Roberts’ previous books Powerless, Reckless, and Fearless, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Mara is the personification of Death. Her job is to essentially bring all the souls of the dead to a place called the Mors, what seems to be another dimension with a hungry earth, mist, and lots of grey trees. In the Mors, she leaves the souls alone, desperate to escape, and many eventually go insane. It is implied this is for people who did bad things in their lives.

Mara is summoned whenever a person is about to die and needs her to pass into the realm of death. So when the new king of Ilya, Kitt, takes a dose of the deadly Plague in an effort to become more powerful, she feels called to him. However, for reasons not explained, she feels a special connection to the young king–despite the fact that she promised never to set foot in Ilya ever again (again, for reasons left unexplained). By taking the Plague, Kitt is now doomed to die, though he does not yet believe it.

Mara starts wandering around his castle while she waits for his death, and she starts to take an interest in the relationship between an Imperial named Lenny and Blair (who killed Paedyn’s best friend in a previous book). Though they are extremely combative, Mara looks at their souls and sees that they are bonded. As their relationship starts to bring them closer, Kitt gets closer to his end. Mara and Kitt start talking at some point and they too start to have feelings for each other. Mara teaches Kitt how to die and Kitt teaches Mara how to live.

The author insinuates that Mara had a past life and was human, becoming Death itself somehow; the details and actual explanations are not given. As the book progresses, Kitt’s illness gets worse and worse. Ultimately, the end is not unexpected, but it is heart-breaking nonetheless: Kitt faces Death. The question is whether Death will greet him kindly or not.

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

Marshmallow’s Review: Lauren Roberts enjoys torturing her readers. All but a few characters end up with horrible endings and this book leaves so many unanswered questions. I hope Roberts will write another book that explains half of this book.

That said, I did like Fearful. It was very interesting to hear Roberts’ explanation of Death, the afterlife, and other fantastical aspects of this world. I was very unsatisfied by her lack of explanation about Mara though. I think she is probably setting up another book specifically about her.

I did like how Fearful focused on Kitt, who was always like a third wheel in the Paedyn-Kai storyline. I thought a lot of what is said in this book was described briefly in the previous stories, especially the third book of the main trilogy, but this one added a lot more.

I thought the writing was extremely good. Towards the end of the book, as Kitt approaches Death and starts suffering memory loss as a side effect of the Plague, the writing really helps show his mind and emotions. I did not like the ending at all though and was very confused.

I would still recommend reading Fearful. I just really would like Roberts to write a follow-up that finishes it up fully!

Marshmallow’s Rating: 95%.

Marshmallow rates Fearful by Lauren Roberts 95%. — Marshmallow rates *Fearful* by Lauren Roberts 95%.

Marshmallow reviews North of Tomboy by Julie A. Swanson

Today Marshmallow reviews North of Tomboy, a new book by Julie A Swanson, that is coming out this week.

The book bunnies received this book as an advance review copy.

Marshmallow reviews North of Tomboy by Julie A. Swanson. — Marshmallow reviews *North of Tomboy* by Julie A. Swanson.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about growing up and exploring your identity and gender, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Jessica Jezowski is a nine-year-old girl, but she definitely doesn’t feel like one. She believes that God must have made her with both girl and boy parts, except for the defining part which he made with only girl parts. Jess lives in Leelanau County in Michigan with her parents, two brothers, and little sister in the very early 1970s. Her mother is very enthusiastic about things Jess feels are only for “girly girls.” She doesn’t like having long hair or wearing dresses because she feels like that prevents her from having any fun and it seems to actually cause her physical and emotional distress.

Jess loves her family, but she sometimes wishes they would stop treating her differently from her older brothers just because she is a girl. For example, she wishes they’d stop giving her baby girl dolls every year for Christmas. However, one year, she can’t bring herself to ignore or destroy the doll she is given (it is insinuated that the previous ones suffered unfortunate fates). She ends up feeling a sort of connection to the doll and cutting its hair. She names it Mickey and announces that it is a boy. She pretends that he is the family’s newly adopted son and animates him, giving him a charming Southern drawl. Using Mickey as a transparent veil of protection, Jess finds that she can be funnier, more confident, and more herself. Mickey, she finds, seems to be more loved than she is. Eventually though, she starts to feel like Mickey is taking over. Jess realizes that she needs to find who she is without hiding behind a doll.

Marshmallow is reading North of Tomboy by Julie A. Swanson. — Marshmallow is reading *North of Tomboy* by Julie A. Swanson.

Marshmallow’s Review: This was a very interesting and eye-opening book. It introduced me to a way of life in a different time period in a different location that I had never experienced before. Swanson does a very good job immersing the reader in Michigan’s nature and scenery, and I really enjoyed learning about what it would be like to live in a place like Jess’s home in the past.

In the beginning of the book, I felt like the writing was a little different from most books I have read. The dialogue felt a little bit off. But then again Jess is supposed to be just nine years old and I have not been nine for quite some time now. (Yes, I am pretty mature for a bunny!) In any case, over time, the prose fell into place and the picture of Jess’s world felt more whole and realistic. Later on, the dialogue was exceptionally good and the characters in Jess’s family became extremely human.

I like how the book both romanticizes the Jezowski’s way of life, but also shows its dark parts. Jess’s father often loses his temper and ends up blaming his wife for things that are not her fault. I thought the way Swanson handled the dialogue concerning his behavior and the family’s responses felt extraordinarily real and nuanced.

North of Tomboy as a whole got progressively more and more nuanced as I read on. I was originally confused by Jess’s feelings in the beginning. It seemed like she just did not like girls or women and so did not want to be one. But I liked how, in the end, Jess realizes that she isn’t necessarily against being female; she just wants to be her own type of girl. This is a take that I found very interesting. At the start, I was confused about whether Jess would have wanted to transition to a different gender or not if this were possible during her time. But soon enough, I noticed that Jess herself is very sexist. She hates being a girl because she thinks girls are all stupid and weak and whiny. This is a result of her upbringing. I think, in other words, that the main character definitely has a lot of internalized misogyny which parent bunnies might wish to discuss with their children if they are reading the book together.

I liked how Jess found who she wanted to be in the end, but I would have preferred it if the book were more explicit in affirming that women do not have to be stupid and weak and whiny. I also liked that we also got to learn a lot about how Jess’s faith shaped her thoughts. It was very interesting to hear her internal dialogue, and the growth of her faith as she was trying to figure herself out was definitely a critical part of the story.

I would highly recommend North of Tomboy to all readers because it really shows the workings of people that many do not understand. Some might say this is a good book about people thinking about their gender, and I think that it is. But I would also say that this is a good book for a lot of other people to read, too, and not for reasons related to gender. I think this shows the way many families work and how some people are raised. It shows a way of life many are not familiar with. Learning about how Jess and her family live was eye-opening. North of Tomboy offers one perspective of what it’s like to be from a very rural, very religious, and rather conservative background. This is not something everyone understands, something I have never experienced. Of course, one book obviously does not and cannot represent the complete picture. But it shows that people whom some vilify are still very human. It is always important to remember that. Understanding where everyone comes from is crucial to making this world a better place for everyone.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 95%.

Marshmallow rates North of Tomboy by Julie A. Swanson 95%. — Marshmallow rates *North of Tomboy* by Julie A. Swanson 95%.

Marshmallow reviews An Unexpected Light by José Saramago

Earlier this summer, Caramel reviewed a neat picture book by the distinguished Portuguese author José Saramago. Today Marshmallow picks up where Caramel had left off, and reviews An Unexpected Light, another excerpt from Saramago’s book on his childhood memories. Illustrated by Armando Fonseca and translated by Margaret Jull Costa, An Unexpected Light was first published in English in August 2024. Readers can learn more about the book here.

Marshmallow reviews An Unexpected Light, written by José Saramago, translated by Margaret Jull Costa, and illustrated by Armando Fonseca.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books that are calming, thought-provoking, and subtly wonderful, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): José Saramago was born in Portugal, somewhere I have never been; yet, through this book, I feel like I know what it is like to be there. When he was twelve years old, Saramago went along with his youngest uncle to help him sell his grandparents’ pigs at a market in Santarém. They embarked on a journey that is beautifully understated. The author describes in quite simple terms what he and his uncle did, what happened, and where they were.

The story overall is quite simple. Yet, there is something profoundly special about it. You can tell when you open the book that there is something different in this book–-something that most other books cannot convey in more than Saramago’s meager twenty or so pages. The plot is not particularly convoluted as a result. But the experience is unique.

Marshmallow is reading An Unexpected Light, written by José Saramago, translated by Margaret Jull Costa, and illustrated by Armando Fonseca.

Marshmallow’s Review: If reading this book has taught me one thing, it is that Saramago didn’t win a Nobel Prize for nothing. This is definitely a lot different from the picture books I’ve read. It is still short, has drawings, and relatively little text per page. But it nonetheless feels different. I don’t exactly know how to describe it, but I felt as though I had been transported to Portugal when I first read this book. The drawings are not complex but they convey shapes and people that your mind transforms into a living, breathing environment around you. I think maybe the illustrator chose a more minimalistic style to allow the eyes to spark the imagination which then builds a more detailed, immersive world on its own. This might in turn be inspired by Saramago’s style, which achieves the same effect.

I am still not exactly sure what the last couple of sentences in the book mean. Caramel reviewed another book by this author and used the term “quiet conviction.” I feel like the theme is different in this book, but the word “quiet” is still quite applicable. Saramago doesn’t use elaborate descriptions or fancy words. In fact, I did notice: he doesn’t seem to use quotation marks either. This is clearly a stylistic choice, which I found interesting. But the author and the book as a whole have a very understated feel throughout. I really liked that.

I think authors generally don’t try to push their works to have a singular, trite meaning; leaving the interpretation up to the reader makes the work really what the reader wants it to be. In my opinion, this book is about slowing down, thinking, feeling, and admiring the world. Saramago watches everything with not much judgement in this book which makes the reader kind of slow down and calm down. I think this book shows me that the world and nature are awe-inspiring in a quiet way, a way that I think Saramago strove to emulate.

I had read this book earlier in the summer when Caramel was looking over the two books. Today, I had an experience that really made me think of this book again, in so subtle a way I didn’t really even notice it. I woke up early and was in a car for a while, groggy at the beginning. But I looked out the window and saw a sky that was indescribably beautiful. The sun was rising, making its daily ascent, but I was watching as if for the first time; perhaps it was the first time I really looked. It was truly awe-inspiring and wonderful. It made me realize how beautiful nature is, but in a way that is so encompassing that we don’t and maybe can’t recognize always. This book really gives you the time to slow down and recognize that there is beauty and the extraordinary in so many places that we consider ordinary.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 10/10.

Marshmallow rates An Unexpected Light, written by José Saramago, translated by Margaret Jull Costa, and illustrated by Armando Fonseca 10/10.