A- Reviews / B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / C- Reviewsclass differences / competition / Fantasy / friendship / magical powers / magical school / prickly heroine / prophecy / survival / YA / YA fantasy12 Comments
Jennie, Sirius and I (along with Jayne), reviewed Naomi Novik’s last book, Spinning Silver, together. Our roundtable discussion was a lot of fun and the three of us decided to reunite for Novik’s recent release, the first book in her Scholomance series, A Deadly Education. –Janine. Janine: A Deadly Education ... more >
Book Reviews / C+ Reviewsautobiography / journalist / non-fiction / survivalNo Comments
As we have seen with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, disaster preparedness is not a luxury. Everyone from Louis Pasteur to the Girl Scouts has championed the motto “Be Prepared”—but what does that mean in today’s constantly changing world? In this age of anxiety, when reports of mass shootings, political unrest, ... more >
B- Reviews / C+ Reviewsastronaut / engineer / Mars / science / Science Fiction / survival29 Comments
Dear Mr. Weir, I picked up your first novel, The Martian, because some of my friends had read and recommended it. It sounded geeky enough to please my engineer husband, so I suggested to him that we read it together. The novel begins on the sixth sol, or Martian day, ... more >
B ReviewsHarper-Teen / post-apocalyptic / survival / Young-Adult2 Comments
Dear Ms. McGinnis, Despite my weariness with the dystopian and post-apocalyptic genre, I liked your previous novel, Not a Drop to Drink. Even more refreshing was the fact that it appeared to be a standalone. It turns out I was wrong — In a Handful of Dust is the companion ... more >
D Reviewsisland / Macmillan / survival / Young-Adult8 Comments
Dear Ms. Matson, I was a big fan of Lost during its early seasons. My attention wavered as the series progressed, but I do recall my obsession when it first aired fondly. Your novel, Nil, reminded me of Lost and I was interested in seeing how a YA novel would ... more >
B- Reviewsdystopian / Harper-Teen / post-apocalyptic / survival / Young-AdultComments Off on REVIEW: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
Dear Ms. McGinnis, A few months ago I mentioned a personal need to take a break from the YA dystopia subgenre. The books weren’t working for me, and I was growing increasingly frustrated. Then I heard the premise for your debut novel: a world in which fresh water became a ... more >