Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels

The Song of US Blog Tour -Review & Playlist

Thanks to Net Galley and TBR & Beyond for the E-ARC.

About the Book

Genre: Middle-Grade Contemporary Romance
Publishing date: May 30, 2023

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Rep: Queer, Fat, Mental Health, Questioning

Synopsis:

This stunning debut and wholly original queer middle grade novel-in-verse retelling of “Orpheus and Eurydice” adds a new chorus to the songs of great love, perfect for fans of Other Words for Home and Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World.

Love at first sight isn’t a myth. For seventh graders Olivia and Eden, it’s fate. Olivia is a capital-P Poet, and Eden thinks she wants to be a musician one day, but for now she’s just the new girl. And then Eden shows up to Poetry Club and everything changes.

Eden isn’t out, and she has rules for dating Olivia: don’t call. Don’t tell her friends. And don’t let anyone know they’re together.

But when jealousy creeps in, it’s Olivia’s words that push Eden away. While Eden sets out to find herself, Olivia begins a journey to bring Eden back—using poetry. Both Olivia and Eden will learn just how powerful their words can be to bring them together . . . or tear them apart forever.

Content Warning: Homophobia, mental illness

playlist

Playlist

Brave by Sara Bareillies 

Only Us from Dear Evan Hansen

For Good from Wicked 

Wait for Me from Hadestown

I Just Wanna Dance With You from The Prom 

Ring of Keys from Fun Home

Review

Review

Rating: 5 stars or 9.23/10

Characters-10

The characters in this book really pull on your heartstrings. Olivia and Eden were so sweet, and each had a distinct personality, making the story work. I felt like Eden and Olivia had a way of interacting; as characters, they balanced each other out really well. Lexi and the poetry club members, plus Eden’s friends, added to the story with their interactions.

Plot-9

This was a very mature story for Middle-Grade. For me, it rode the line between Middle-Grade and YA. I’m new to novels in verse, but they’re such an exciting way to tell a story. Eden and Olivia have a story that was so sweet, and I loved the way they interacted with each other. The reason I said this story rides the line is because of some of the mature themes, like growing up and finding yourself over the course of the book. This was also a mature middle grade because romance played a large role in the plot. I loved the other elements of the story, like the girl’s individual journeys, and how they could come together at the end of the story.

Writing-9-

Kate Fussner does a great job of telling the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as if they were young pre-teen girls. The writing style used in The Song of Us was a novel in verse, which worked well for this story considering the original myth would be told in a style similar. The poetry flowed well and worked well to tell the story. Kate Fussner wrote The Song of Us in a way that captivated me and kept me hooked from start to finish..

Enjoyment- 10

I loved this book! The story was both fun and heartwarming, talking about tough topics in a way that young readers understand. Eden and Olivia were great characters, and their story was so sweet.

About the Author

Kate Fussner writes books for young people and bakes the perfect chocolate chip cookie. She holds a B.A from Vassar College, an M.Ed. from University of Massachusetts Boston, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing for Young People from Lesley University. After over a decade of teaching English for the Boston Public Schools, Kate now spends her time writing and walking her dramatic dog, Mrs. Weasley. She is represented by Eric Smith at P.S. Literary. Her writing has appeared in the Boston Globe, WBUR’s Cognoscenti, and elsewhere. She and her wonderful wife live in MA.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook

Follow the Blog and Instagram Tours

May 29th
paperbacktomes – Interview
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post

May 30th
Charli’s Book Box – Promotional Post
PopTheButtefly Reads – Promotional Post

May 31st
the nutty bookworm reads alot – Review

June 1st
The Book Dutchesses – Interview
Jen Jen Reviews – Promotional Post

June 2nd
AndOnSheReads – Review

June 3rd
Paiges of Novels – Review, Playlist
Unconventional Quirky Bibliophile – Promotional Post

June 4th
Stuck in Fiction – Interview

May 29th
infinite_bookworm86 – Promotional Post
paperbacktomes – Content Creator’s Choice

May 30th
charlisbookbox – Content Creator’s Choice
ninebookishlives – Review

May 31st
dalitmamas – Review
whatkarinareads – Promotional Post

June 1st
bibliovino – Review
ohyouread – Review, Mood Board

June 2nd
quirkylitlover – Review
ablueboxfullofbooks – Review

June 3rd
paiges_of_novels – Content Creator’s Choice
quirkybibliophile – Content Creator’s Choice

June 4th
allielovestoread – Review, Favorite Quotes
iambibliomane – Review

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Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels · 1 Comment

Meesh the Bad Demon

Hello! Welcome to my stop on the Meesh the Bad Demon blog tour,

About the Book

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy Graphic Novel
Publishing date: March 21st, 2023

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound

Synopsis:

A tale of unlikely heroes and myths is made real in this debut graphic novel series about a “bad” demon trying to find her place in the underworld. But she’ll have to save it first!

Meesh is a bad demon. “Bad” meaning she always sees the good in those around her–which, strictly speaking, isn’t how a demon is meant to feel or act.

Bullied by the other demons, twelve-year-old Meesh is more likely to be found poring over Fairy World’s magazines and fangirling the fairy princesses. When disaster strikes and her family is threatened, Meesh must journey to the Fairy World to find a healing crystal that can save the underworld. And speak of the devil! She meets a fairy princess right away.

But things in the Fairy World aren’t so perfect either. As Meesh makes surprising new friends and unites a band of outcasts–including her bully–she learns there’s more to being a demon than being bad.

Sometimes the secret to real power is in loving yourself, faults and all.

Favorite Quotes

Why watch that when we can see fairies fight crime?

Oh well, rest up this morning, fairy Meesh

Oh, Meesh, those kids just don’t have as big of an imagination as you!

Hey, being different isn’t as bad as you think. 

You’re not a bad demon just because you like flowers and fairies ok?

So I might have forgotten to mention I’m part wolf. 

And Without Meesh, I would have never learned to fly on my own

\Well, maybe we can show the fairies- and demons- what we’re like by giving each other another chance.  

Review

Rating:5 stars (9.14/10)

Characters-9

I loved the characters in this Graphic Novel. Meesh was such a sweet character, different from the other demons, and what one would classify as a stereotypical demon, and I loved her so much. Meesh knew that she was different, and embraced that she was different from others around her. Nouna was a fairy, and she was one who was her own person, despite what people said to her. Meesh and Nouna had a beautiful friendship, and I loved how they interacted in the story. The other characters in the story were also wonderful, and I enjoyed them as well. 

Plot-9

Meesh the bad Demon had an interesting story. I loved how both Meesh and Nouna’s stories intertwined, They wanted to help each other because they saw that they could be happy if they  helped each other. The story also showed that fairies and demons can be friends, and they can work together for the greater good.  I loved this story, and how much it showed that the demons and the fairies could get over their differences, and work together. 

Writing and art-9

The writing in Meesh the Bad Demon is delightful. I loved how the writing was great for Middle-Grade readers would enjoy, along with adult readers. The art style in this game is one that is charming, and I loved the color pallets used. The art in this graphic novel works with the writing to tell the story, and I loved how the art works well with the writing to expand on the story. There were lighter scenes, and heavier scenes, and each of its own distinct style and color pallet used in the scene. 

Enjoyment-9

I loved this story so much. The story was amazing, and the characters, writing, and art were fantastic. I recommend this for fans of Middle-Grade Fantasy, and for readers who enjoy it.

About the Author

Michelle Lam is a Los Angeles based story artist in the animation industry, a graphic novel author and illustrator, and cartoonist on social media. She assistant directed the CG animated series ONI: Thunder God’s Tale (Netflix / Tonko House), storyboarded and wrote for I Heart Arlo (Netflix), and storyboarded for Arlo the Alligator Boy (Netflix / Titmouse Animation) and Trash Truck (Netflix / Glen Keane Productions). Animation work aside, Michelle moonlights as an author and illustrator with her first graphic novel Meesh the Bad Demon (Penguin Random House Knopf), and creates autobiographical comics on her Instagram @mewTripled. She shares her life and career experiences through the form of videos on Youtube also under @mewTripled.

Website | Instagram | Goodreads | YouTube | LinkedIn

Follow the Blog and Instagram Tours

March 20th
Midsummer Night’s Read – Review
PopTheButterfly Reads – Review

March 21st
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post
Paiges of Novels – Review, Favorite Quotes

March 22nd
Stuck in Fiction – Promotional Post
Boys’ Mom Reads! – Review

March 23rd
Twirling Book Princess – Promotional Post
Lemmi Bookmark That! – Top 5 Reasons to Read Meesh the Bad Demon
dinipandareads – Review

March 24th
And On She Reads – Review
The Clever Reader – Review

March 25th
Kait Plus Books – Promotional Post
deepireads – Review, Mood Board

March 26th
The Nutty Bookworm Reads Alot – Review
The Momma Spot – Review

March 20th
mamadaughterbookclub – Review, TikTok
morningstarlitpages – Review, Favorite Quotes
kathreadsall – Review
popthebutterfly – Content Creator’s Choice

March 21st
bookdemonio – Promotional Post
hodophile_z – Review, Favorite Quotes
booksnraedunn – Review, Creative post: Food Related to Meesh the Bad Demon
paiges_of_novels – Content Creator’s Choice

March 22nd
froggyreadteach – Review, Creative post: Little Free Library
silveryquills – Review
izzyb.books – Review

March 23rd
dhiviepages – Top 5 Reasons to Read Meesh the Bad Demon, Mood Board
castella.and.novellas – Review, Book Look
lemmibookmarkthat – Content Creator’s Choice
dinipandareads – Content Creator’s Choice

March 24th
tbrandbeyond – Promotional Post
luna_reads_ – Journal Spread
thecleverreader – Content Creator’s Choice

March 25th
ninebookishlives – Promotional Post
quirkylitlover – Review
feliciareads11 – Content Creator’s Choice
deepireads – Content Creator’s Choice

March 26th
writingrosereads – Promotional Post
mellasmusings – Review, Favorite Quotes
infinite_bookwork86 – Review
bookdragonstbr – Content Creator’s Choice

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels

It Happened on Saturday by Sydney Dunlap- Review

Thank you to TBR & Beyond and Net Galley for the E-ARC.

About the Book

Genre: Middle-Grade Contemporary
Publishing date: February 21st, 2023

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

Synopsis:

Thirteen-year-old Julia would much rather work with horses at the rescue barn than worry about things like dating and makeup. But when her BFF meets a boy at camp, Julia’s determined not to get left behind. After a makeover from her older sister, she posts a picture of herself online and gets a comment from Tyler—a seemingly nice kid who lives across town. As they DM more and more, Julia’s sure that Tyler understands her in a way her family never has. Even better, their relationship earns her tons of attention at school.

Then Julia finds out Tyler’s true plan, and her world is turned upside down. She fiercely guards her secret, but could her silence allow her friends to fall into the same trap?

In this timely, heartfelt debut, author Sydney Dunlap tells a story of a middle-school girl who narrowly escapes becoming a victim of human trafficking and must find her way toward hope and healing after this traumatic event.

Review

Rating-4 stars 

Characters 

Even when reading a Middle-Grade Novel, I still try to find characters that I enjoy reading about. It Happened on Saturday had Julia, a lovely main character, who was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed reading her story. Julia loved horses, and working at the barn, as someone who also loves horses, I loved seeing horses play an element in the story. Nori, Maria, Gabi, and Chloe were fantastic friends to Julia, who had interesting stories of their own to tell. I enjoyed Julia’s family as well because they supported Julia in her love of horses, and they saw how much she loved them. After the events in this book, Julia’s friends and family wanted to help her bounce back, and get better. I just loved how much they all cared for her. 

Plot

It Happened On Saturday follows Julia as she learns the lessons of social media, and what can happen when you talk to strangers online. Sex Trafficking is a subplot of this story, and I feel that readers should know that before they read. This was a story of friendship, finding out who your friends are, and repairing friendships with those close to you. Julia kept things from her friends and family when she was meeting with Tyler, and she also learned the lesson that you need to tell your friends and family where you’re going in case something goes wrong. A support group helps Julia heal, along with her friends and family, and I loved the support group element of this. 

Writing 

Sydney Dunlap tells a very important story with It Happened On Saturday. With a book like this, you need to handle the topics in a way that young readers will understand, but there also needs to be a way that you can teach them the lessons they need to learn, especially when it comes to social media. There were some fun scenes in this book, and these had a light-hearted tone, where you could see the characters were having fun, and enjoying themselves. Given the content, there were also some very intense and serious scenes in this book. They talked these topics about with care, and in a way that readers of any age can enjoy the story and learn something. 

Friendship 

I talked about it in the characters section, but I loved the friendships in this book. It would have been very easy for Julia’s friends to judge her for talking to Tyler, and they might have talked to her parents about it, which wasn’t what Julia wanted. Once Julia tells them what happened,  her friends were supportive, and offered an ear if Julia needed it, but also a way to take her mind off of the situation. Chloe was a friend when Julia needed one in her support group to recover. 

Recommended for & Enjoyment 

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a Middle-Grade novel with a lot of heart, and one that tackles tough topics. I really enjoyed reading this story. It was hard to read in some places, but I thought it was an important story. 

About the Author

Sydney Dunlap is a former elementary school teacher who has worked with at-risk youth in a variety of settings, and she enjoys reading and writing heartfelt, hopeful fiction that expands young readers’ awareness of tough topics. She is a published poet and has also written for a newspaper. A lifelong animal lover, Sydney lives with her family in a home where the dogs and cats outnumber the people.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook

Tour schedule for both Blogs and Instagram

February 20th
ReadandReviews – Review

February 21st
Stuck in Fiction – Interview
Jen Jen Reviews – Review

February 22nd
Boys’ Mom Reads! – Review
Rajiv’s Reviews – Review

February 23rd
Kait Plus Books – Interview
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post

February 24th
deepireads – Top 5 Reasons to Read It Happened on Saturday & Mood Board
Unconventional Quirky Bibliophile – Promotional Post

February 25th
The Book Dutchesses – Interview
Paiges of Novels – Review

February 26th
The Nutty Bookworm Reads Alot – Review

February 20th
ninebookishlives – Promotional Post

February 21st
whatkarinareads – Promotional Post
jenjenreviews – Content Creator’s Choice

February 22nd
dreaminginpages – Promotional Post
gryffindorbookishnerd – Review
rajivsreviews – Content Creator’s Choice

February 23rd
writingrosereads – Promotional Post
allielovestoread – Review & Favorite Quotes

February 24th
get.outside.and.read – Promotional Post
christinareadingadventure – Review
quirkybibliophile – Content Creator’s Choice

February 25th
tbrandbeyond – Promotional Post
paiges_of_novels – Content Creator’s Choice

February 26th
bookdemonio – Promotional Post
froggyreadteach – Review & LFL/Classroom post

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels

Terry’s Crew by Terry Crews Blog Tour-(ARC Review)


Hello! Thank you to TBR and Beyond Book Tours and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book for the blog tour.

About the book

Genre: Middle-Grade Graphic Novel
Publishing date: November 8, 2022

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound

Synopsis:

Actor-author-athlete Terry Crews digs into his childhood in Flint, Michigan, to tell a story of fitting in and finding your place in his showstopping debut middle-grade graphic novel, the start of a series.

“Terry’s Crew is a true delight from beginning to end. It’s sure to provide a much-needed mirror and sliding glass door for countless kids.” —Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give

“A delightful, powerful, readable retelling of Terry Crews’s adolescence. Readers young and old will be captivated.”
—Sharon M. Draper, author of Out of My Mind

“A must-read for all those kids who allow themselves to dream in a variety of big ways. Bravo!” —Pablo Cartaya, author of The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora

Young Terry Crews has a Big Dream Plan: He wants to become a MULTIHYPHENATE. That means he wants to be an artist. And a football player. And a musician. And maybe a NASA scientist, too! OK, maybe it’s ambitious, but his parents worked hard so he could go to a new school—Rock City Academy, a prestigious institution (read: rich kids go there) where he’s sure he can make his mark at the talent show. He plans an elaborate performance with his new friends, Rani, a passionate engineer, and Xander, a shy kid with a head like an encyclopedia.

Along the way, Terry’s plan is threatened by his grades, which slip below Mom-and-Dad-approved levels, as well as the schemes of the school’s football star, Rick, who won’t stop until Terry quits the talent show altogether. No matter what challenges he faces, though, Terry knows that he always has his crew to back him up. 

Terry’s Crew by Terry Crews review

Rating: 3 stars

Characters

Even in a Graphic Novel, I still need compelling characters to enjoy a book. Terry’s Crew featured Terry and his friends, and all of them were amazing. I loved how well fleshed out each character was, even though they were people that Terry grew up with and went to school with. One of my favorite things about the book was how Terry, Rani, and Xander came together for the talent show. Each character in this book went on a journey, even Rick, and I was so excited to see how much they grew at the end of the novel. 

Plot

One of my favorite parts of this novel was the story. The primary focus is Terry starting a new school, the times he has there, and how it can help him when he grows older. As someone who used to do talent shows in school as well, I related to the talent show section the most, and this was my favorite story element. My other favorite element was Terry finding out who his loyal friends were at his new school. 

Writing  and Art

Terry’s crew is told with heart, and you can tell how much passion Terry has for the story being told. Sure, it’s mostly inspired by his life, and what happened in his childhood, but it’s told in an interesting way from other books in the genre. Art is very important to a graphic novel, and the art in this book is fantastic. I love how the art worked with the story and enhanced the story. Art Style comes into play when looking at the art of a graphic novel, and the style of art used is one that works well for the story being told. 

Friendship

This book doesn’t have romance, but the novel has a lovely friendship. Terry and Rani meet when Rani is showing Terry his school when he is a new student. Xander meets them a little later in the story, but he’s a welcome member of the trio. Terry, Rani, And Xander support each other when needed, and they also help each other through the heavier topics discussed in the story. Rick is one that starts off as a bully, and he wants Terry to join him in his act for the talent show. By the end of the novel, even Rick is a character that you want to root for. 

Recommend for/ Enjoyment 

This was an enjoyable read for me, as someone who is trying to read more Middle-Grade Books and is also trying to get into graphic novels more. The story is fun, however, there are also some lessons in the novel that readers young and adults can grow from. I recommend this for people that enjoy the genre, and those that are looking for a fun memoir, 

About the Author

Terry Alan Crews (born July 30, 1968) is an American actor and former American football player. He is best known for playing Julius on the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, Sergeant Terry Jeffords on the NBC comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and for his appearances in Old Spice commercials, as well as films such as Friday After Next, Idiocracy, and The Expendables series. He is a host of America’s Got Talent.

Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook

Follow the rest of the blog tour

November 7th
Thought Scribbler’s Blog – Review, Favorite Quotes
Twirling Book Princess – Promotional Post
The Momma Spot – Review

November 8th
The Irresponsible Reader – Review
TheGeekishBrunette – Promotional Post
Jen Jen Reviews – Review

November 9th
Stuck in Fiction – Promotional Post
Gina Rae Mitchell – Review

November 10th
The Book Dutchesses – Promotional Post
Kait Plus Books – Promotional Post
Paiges of Novels – Review

November 11th
Lemmi Bookmark That! – Top 5 Reason’s to Read Terry’s Crew
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post

November 12th
Nine Bookish Lives – Promotional Post
Paws.Read.Repeat – Review
Whispering Stories – Review

November 13th
The Nutty Bookworm Reads Alot – Review
Sheaf and Ink – Promotional Post
Eye-Rolling Demigod’s Book Blog – Review

November 7th
jl_books – Promotional Post
wild.legends – Review, Favorite Quotes
lunatonks_777 – Blogger’s Choice
BookDragonsTBR – Blogger’s Choice

November 8th
allielovestoread – Review, Favorite Quotes
thegeekishbrunette – Blogger’s Choice
jenjenreviews – Blogger’s Choice

November 9th
tbrandbeyond – Promotional Post
justa.gal.andherbooks– Review
kathreadsya– Review

November 10th
jacleomik33 – Review
booksrn_rashi – Review
paiges_of_novels – Blogger’s Choice

November 11th
writingrosereads – Promotional Post
mellasmusings – Favorite Quotes
lemmibookmarkthat – Blogger’s Choice

November 12th
hodophile_z – Review
ninebookishlives – Blogger’s Choice
paws.read.repeat – Blogger’s Choice

November 13th
nissa_the.bookworm – Review
daniereads87 – Promotional Post
sheafandink – Blogger’s Choice
eyerollingdemigod – Blogger’s Choice

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels

The Chance to Fly (Review)

Photo by me

Title: The Chance to Fly

Authors- Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz

Genre: Middle-Grade Contemporary

Rating- 5 stars

Characters

They filled the Chance to Fly with so many amazing characters, and I just love how much they care about each other. Nat is a delightful main character, and I relate to her the most out of all the characters in the story. Rey is a supporting character, and she is such is a sweet friend to Nat. Hudson is my other favorite character because of how much he supports Nat, and how much he makes her feel a part of the group. 

Plot

This is another story that is more vibes than a plot for me. I love it because the characters are fantastic and they have such a great time together. The story is about a group of theater kids working together, and making their production of Wicked happen even after losing their performance space. I love this story because it’s a group of theater kids coming together, in a time of need to make sure they can do their show. I related to this element because I could see me and my theater friend doing the same thing if we ever lost our venue when I did theater. 

Writing

This novel is own voices, and that really shows in the writing. Nat is in a wheelchair, and Ali Stroker treats the main character with care and passion. Stacy Davidowitz adds heart and passion to the characters in the writing as well. They fill the Chance to Fly with light-hearted scenes, where you can tell the group is having fun, and scenes that really talk about the issues and challenges people who are disabled face. This is an element I love in the story because I believe it’s a story that needs to be told in the world.  They handled heavier scenes with care, and passion. I love how the writing works well to tell the story, but also how it talks about the issues that need to be addressed. There are text chats in the book filled with username puns, and it brings me so much joy to see the usernames every time I read the book. 

Friendships

One of the best things about this novel is the friendship group. Each member of the group has a unique personality, and they all support each other, even if someone gets the role they wanted in the production. Each member of the friend group has their own strengths, and they each add something to the friend group dynamic, much like a family has different roles and dynamics for each member of the family. At the end of the day, even if there is drama in the group, they can all support each other because their friendship matters more.  

Enjoyment/ Recommend for

If you know me, you know how much I love this book. I’ve read this novel twice and loved it, even more, the second time, and I didn’t think that was possible.  If you’ve read the Fearless series by Mandy Gonzalez, you may enjoy these books as well. I have not read Drama yet, but based on what I know, if you’ve read that book/ series you would enjoy this as well. If you’re a fan of theater, a former theater kid, or someone who enjoys theater, this would be a book you would enjoy. 

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels

Middle-Grade May Recommendations

Hi! With Middle-Grade May coming up, I thought I would make some recommendations for those that want to read Middle-Grade books and are looking for recommendations.

Mystery

Fearless by Mandy Gonzalez and Boulevard of Dreams by Mandy Gonzalez with Brittney J. Thurman

Fantasy

Any books by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson, The Heroes of Olympus, The Trails of Apollo, Daughter of the Deep)

Contemporary

The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz

Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Graphic Novel

Scout is Not A Band Kid by Jade Armstrong

Historical Fiction

How to Find What You’re Not Looking for by Veera Hiranandani

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels

Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass (E-ARC Review)

Hi! I was on the blog tour for Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass and I wanted to give a review and my reactions. 

Title: Ellen Outside the Lines 

Author: A.J. Sass

Genre: Middle-Grade Contemporary 

Add to Goodreads: Here

Characters 

One of my favorite things in this book was the characters. All the characters had interesting backstories, and they all had personalities that I wanted to read more about. My favorite character was Ellen, not because she was the main character in the story, but because she went on a journey. Ellen’s growth over the novel was absolutely amazing, and I loved reading about how much she grew over the course of the story. I loved the supporting cast. They were all very well-crafted characters, and they all supported Ellen on her journey to find herself. In the end, there was an understanding between all the characters, and that was fantastic. 

Plot

Most of the story took place in Spain, and I just loved seeing Spain from the eyes of Ellen and her friends. The scavenger hunt was an interesting plot element and one that kept me guessing, wondering how it was going to end in the story. Another major element of the plot was the journey that Ellen found herself, and I loved seeing how much the story helped Ellen find herself. Friendships come and go, especially in Middle-School, and this was an authentic story about friends, old and new, coming together, which I loved. 

Writing 

The writing of this novel was excellent, and I loved how the writing worked to tell the story. The lighter tone was welcome during the more light-hearted and fun scenes, where the group was bonding and getting to know each other. This was a story that also had some heavy scenes and the writing during the heavy scenes in the story and the more honest scenes set the tone for the rest of the story. 

Friendship 

Friendship plays a big role in Ellen Outside the lines, and I loved the friend group. Laurel was Ellen’s best friend but as a friendship goes, Laurel started hanging out with two other girls, without Ellen, and Ellen misses the way it used to be. Ellen’s team was made up of Isa, Gibs, and Andy, and as a team, they all worked very well together. The end of the novel was sweet because both friend groups talked, and they came up with a plan where they could all hang out together. Ellen also learned that she could make other friends over the course of the story. 

Enjoyment/ Recommend for 

I loved this story so much. I believe that anyone who enjoys Middle-Grade Contemporary, LGBTQ+ stories, and stories about friendship, would enjoy this novel.