Middle Grade Book Review | FINDERS REAPERS by Anna Staniszewski

Title: FINDERS REAPERS (Part of the Switched at First Kiss series)
Genre: Middle Grade
Author: Anna Staniszewski
Rating: 4.5 stars

SUMMARY:

Marcus is a Cupid. Lena is a Reaper. Opposites attract in book 2 of the adorkable Switched At First Kiss series by the acclaimed author of The Dirt Diary.

Lena's not ready for any more supernatural surprises. Her new boyfriend, Marcus, is a cupid. She's a soul collector ("reaper" just sound so harsh). And they just got their powers un-swapped. But things aren't as back to "normal" as they seem...

On his next assignment, Marcus's "love boost" is a little too powerful. (Baby talk is so annoying.) And Lena's soul sort of...escapes. The cause? Lena and Marcus's powers are still intertwined! Their emotions are affecting each other's power. So, basically the fate of the world depends on them getting along in their brand new romance. (Okay, just love and death, but still.)

No pressure, right?

REVIEW:

First off, let me just be clear about something: I am a big Anna Staniszewski fan. I love her stories. Full of heart and age-appropriate drama, but also super fun and quick. I can whip through one of Anna's books in a day or two. Pretty much anything you'll read by her, I think you'll love.

Okay, that's that. Now, about FINDERS REAPERS ... (And that title, tho! So. Cute!) :-)

This is the second book in the Switched at First Kiss series. I haven't read Book One yet (I'M WITH CUPID), because I wanted to see if reading the series out of order would be confusing (this was basically research for the author in me. I generally don't make a habit of this). I'm happy to say that the author does a great job catching us up on what happened in Book One (the necessities like who the main characters are, how they know each other, and the main conflict) without info-dumping (writer-speak for telling you everything at once, rather than integrating the pertinent details seamlessly into the story).

Marcus and Lena are relatively normal kids, aside from their superpowers, and they're dealing with things like parents, classmates, bullies, goals, and, of course, First Love. They are super cute together and you can definitely feel their chemistry. (Although I will say that it was a little hard to buy how SERIOUS they are about each other - I mean, I know kids that age easily fall silly in love, but M & L's whole meant-to-be vibe felt a little old to me. If these characters were older teens, I wouldn't bat a blue-gray eye over this, but these characters are in middle school so it was kind of hard not to raise an eyebrow.)

Still, the story was fun and I breezed through it just like all of Anna's books. It's full of heart, the peripheral characters were all very well developed, and I definitely laughed a lot. Plus, the world-building that's been done for this series is just awesome. It totally makes me want to have a cool super power like Marcus and Lena! I'm looking forward to going back to Book One, and you can bet I'll read whatever comes after this one, too. I wholly recommend this book for adults who like Kid Lit and for mature fifth-graders on up.

Final rating? 4.5 stars!

Keep 'em coming, Ms. Staniszewski!

Reviewer's Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Middle Grade Book Review | CRENSHAW by Katherine Applegate

Title: CRENSHAW
Age: Middle Grade
Author: Katherine Applegate

SUMMARY:

In her first novel since The One and Only Ivan, winner of the Newbery Medal, Katherine Applegate delivers an unforgettable and magical story about family, friendship, and resilience.

Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again.

Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He has come back into Jackson's life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?

REVIEW:

#Sorrynotsorry, but I totally judged this book by its cover. From the second I saw it, I had a feeling I'd enjoy this story. And I was right. Who doesn't love books about imaginary friends and, well, giant cats? :)

I have to say, I was surprised by the depth in which Jackson's family's money hardships were described. To me, this gave the whole story a different feel and, being a mama of three, the thought of two kids being homeless (with their parents who were trying really hard to get things right) really rattled me. I know it happens. I don't live in my Happy Bubble all the time. But being aware of it and spending a few hours reading about it are two different things. I was forced to give this issue a lot of thought ... and I don't think that's a bad thing for adults or the children who might read this.

Jackson often felt older to me than he actually was, and at times I had to remind myself how young he was. Other than that minor annoyance, he was a very likable kid and I enjoyed getting to know him.

Crenshaw was charming and I loved the visuals the author painted. I could totally see Crenshaw in my mind and could hear his "fancy" voice. I wish we had more time with him - I feel like he was far more secondary than I expected.

I also would have liked to spend more time with the idea of imaginary friends. They are so important to so many children, and I think the author could make this into a series (are there plans to do so? If not, there should be!). We get some insight into other imaginary friends within this book, but it felt more like a quick mention rather than a cool exploration. I definitely think this story could have delved deeper here.

While I wouldn't call this a "fun" read, there were funny moments. The characters were developed and realistic. And I felt something, which is always a good thing.

Overall, I give this book a solid 4 stars (actually, 4.25!). If you're an adult who enjoys reading Kid Lit, pick this one up, then pass it to your late elementary- or middle-schooler when you're done.

Reviewer's Note: I selected this book and read it on my own volition. I did not receive a review copy.

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