Book Review: Little Rabbit Wants the Moon

Little Rabbit Wants the Moon 

by Lauren Kukla
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Using insomnia to teach about nocturnal creatures! This adorable, perfect for bedtime, storybook tells of a little rabbit that can’t sleep and wishes to touch the moon. I love how clever this story is. It highlights and talks about other animals and their features (ie: bats and wings, possums and tails, etc) whilst also ensuring Mama rabbit points out all the advantages to being a rabbit (ie: quick feet, tail imitation, etc). If only we could always think to answer every child’s request to be like someone else with a way of pointing out how they also have great attributes and reaffirm that it’s okay to be you!
I love how dark and moody the pages are in these illustrations. Perfect for nighttime reading and not overstimulating a child. I see this as the perfect bedtime story for any child in any situation. It’s a universal message presented in a perfect way!

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: The Bloody Brick Road

The Bloody Brick Road: A Wizard of Oz Retelling 

by Maude Royer
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF @ 42%
There is NOTHING about this book that is an Oz Retelling. If you didn’t have a lead gal who was named Dorothy I wouldn’t have EVER figured out it was meant to be somehow Oz related. There is no road, no journey, no goal. Instead there are awful humans, some bloody body horror killings, an asshole detective, and a leading gal that is so ‘woe is me’ without deserving it I just wanted to jump into the book and kill her myself.

Your MC can be flawed; but I wouldn’t recommend making them stupid and obnoxious. As a childless woman (from fertility issues; but I’m at peace with it) I’m insulted by the ongoing miscarriage narrative here that is attempting to pull on heart strings. If our MC truly wanted a baby then yes she would get therapy and do some of the things everyone is telling her. I have a friend who lost a toddler to an epic illness and while we miss her little one, and still mourn him, managed to continue improving her life and get therapy to help cope. Sorry but moping for years on end is not a solution; nor is it worthy of a pass for continuing to indulge in bad or dangerous behaviours.
I’m not sure if I was supposed to feel bad for our MC but, if I was, it missed the mark by a mile. Were I on a rainbow on this journey I’d have plummeted from yellow to indigo in the opening chapter and been dumped as far from the pot of gold as possible; because no one goes over the rainbow here instead they miss it entirely.

I am so disappointed as I really wanted a bloody Oz retelling. The fact that this was also Canadian and translated from Quebecois (French) had me sooo excited. I almost wonder if the translation is the problem (I could read the original text) but I just can’t see it being that vastly different as to help the cause. It would have to be a whole new book to have any chance.

The writing overall is okay. It’s not bad; but it’s not especially good either. I’d have tolerated the meh writing (especially because it is a translation) IF the story had delivered what it promised. Sadly it misses the mark so badly as a ‘retelling’ that it flew past Oz, Wonderland and Neverland; maybe landing somewhere maybe in the Upside Down of a Stephen King novel. A terrible attempt to profit off Baum’s beloved series whilst trying to balance on Wicked stilettos to sell some books. Ick!

The marketing department should be fired for this books blurb and subtitle. The publisher should be chastised for not ensuring this was better written. The author should stick to children’s books where she’s had success (and if any part of this is a memoir probably see a therapist, like asap because I’m seriously concerned if she think her MC deserves sympathy). Reality is that bad stuff happens; and you can wallow in pity or you can learn and move on. And it’s okay to mourn for a while; but after years of the same bad actions please don’t expect sympathy from anyone. Reality is that people need to pick-up and move past their issues. Every single character in this book is so extreme which makes no sense. I couldn’t see where the story was headed and after checking others (I trust) reviews I’m just out. I have (hopefully) way better horror books to read this year.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: This Princess Kills Monsters

This Princess Kills Monsters 

by Ry Herman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’m not sorry to see this one go. While I finished it, the ending hundred pages was a slog. I just didn’t think this was entertaining enough, funny enough, or even cute enough. It tries too hard and missed the mark for me. Our MC is fairly one dimensional, I still couldn’t tell you about anything she actually likes (just that she thinks her stepmother is evil and mean) and her constant inner monologue about how a situation could have been XYZ fairytale reference got very annoying. Like the author wanted to see how many fairy tales they could mention in one book. I bet 50+ pages could be cut if you just took out those mentions alone.
There is an attempted sweet romance here which started out okay but just didn’t do it for me in the end. Again nothing really interesting and sparks did not fly. I was hoping for a cute little break book like Legends and Lattes or How to Become the Dark Lord or Die Trying. Maybe my learning here is I like villains and their struggles more than princesses? (Not surprising)
Irregardless, I feel like I should have DNF’d this (darn challenge prompts it fed into got me continuing). So my three stars as probably a bit generous. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t good. I’m sure some will enjoy it for what it is. For me it was just a bit flat and didn’t quite hit the mark.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Witchy Stitching

Witchy Stitching: 25 Patterns to Haunt Your Home

by Meg Black

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Meg has kicked it out of the park with this amazing collection. There are large projects, bookmarks, mini pieces, and average sized ones. Anyone with a witchy, macabre vibe will love this!

A great bonus is that not only do you get the patterns but there is a wealth of information here to help a new, intermediate, or even senior stitcher! With amazing diagrams, extra notes and tidbits about supplies and other cross stitch nuances. It even includes a glossary of acronyms and words used in the stitching community (especially online)!

My personal favourite is the Ferris wheel (see photo)! I’m going to stitch it up with the previously released (available on her website) patterns that include a carousel, ticket booth, patrons, and more! 

This book is on beautiful glossy paper. The layout is clean and crisp. Full colour large patterns. While I’d prefer black and white charts I do understand that many folks expect full colour in books like this.

A great starting reference, or addition to a witches stash!

Bonus is that Meg is local to be, and therefore Canadian!! :)

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Book review: Teenage Girls Can Be Demons

Teenage Girls Can Be Demons 

by Hailey Piper

13 story anthology
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thirteen stories, a natural choice for a horror anthology. Each story features teenagers in some way. Most feature teenage girls fighting back for dignity, respect, bodily autonomy, and (in the case of our final story which is almost half the page count) their own survival against Benny Rose the Cannibal King. I don’t do cannibals usually, they are one of my nope out points usually. And I almost didn’t make it on this final story; but I wanted to know how it ended and I’m glad I made it there.

Each of these stories is worth a read. Some I liked more than others, a few were more polished (those previously published in other anthologies had a slightly different narrative voice perhaps because of editors or based on time of writing. Hailey Piper does what she does best here and creates mood, atmosphere, chills, and thrills that keep the pages turning.

I’m hoping to convince my husband to read the last story of Benny Rose as it is very well done. I could see it being a horror movie (albeit one that might be too much for me); but one that many would love to cheer on our teens and be horrified along with them as the backstory and realities come to the surface and are undone.

I myself was a menace and awful teen girl. I have often wondered if I had more supports or actual loyal friends if I could have weathered those rough years better. In the end though I’m glad for each moment as I wouldn’t be where I am, or who I am today, without each pain staking teenage event playing out exactly as it did. I do agree with Piper on one more important thing: teenage girls are demons. Whether to one another, themselves, or other monsters they are not humans to be take lightly and we should try to offer them more supports as their bodies bleed and weep for the first of many times to come.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear 

Book 10 of Wayward Children series 

by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For my final read of 2025 this little novella was a real treat. I always love visiting the lands of Wayward with McGuire and this tenth instalment is no less a joy than most. While perhaps not the best of the series, it’s certainly a strong story and learning the background of one of our original members of the school is a real treat!

While many of these stories can be read out of order; I would recommend reading book 1 prior to this one, if only so you have some reference for the main character we follow. She’s a unique little girl, as are all the children, and understanding how long she lived in her special water world is important to the overall arc that her characters undergoes each time she surfaces in the series. As no one character is in each book you can skip around a lot, if desired, but I do think learning her story later on does add to some of the excitement and appeal of learning this water sunken story now.

I hope McGuire has lots more instalments planned for our Wayward Children and the doors to their unique worlds. I can’t help but hope we return to Confection at some point. This watery world I could do without revisiting (as I have some intense hydrophobia, lol) but I’ll read any and all of these stories every time because they never disappoint and are great bookends or breaks to longer, more epic reading stints.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: To Clutch A Razor

To Clutch a Razor 

by Veronica Roth

Book 2 of Curse Bearer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Veronica Roth is being robbed. We should talking about her so much more because this series is spectacular! Instead people prejudge her because of Divergent (which was pretty good, but teen at the end of the day) and thus she flies under the radar even with brilliant grimdark fantasy novellas like this. The bone swords are sooo cool, and the ideas Roth has woven into these short stories are incredible.

Whats most unexpected for a rough, dark, bloody story like this is how much I love the ending, it’s absolutely adorable! So know that while you are crying, raging, and terrified throughout there is a tiny moment of light in it all. I make no promises 90% of things don’t go poorly, because they pretty much do. But Roth reminds us that even in sorrow, trauma, and death there can still be something to find that keeps us going.

Anyone who loves Anthony Ryan, Mark Lawrence, or even Brandon Sanderson should read this series! Start with book 1 (of course). I do hope we will see more in this unique world of bone swords, allegiances with blood sacrifices, and devotion unlike any other.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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