Category: ARCs

Posted in ARCs, new releases, Reviews

Willa of Dark Hollow Review

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

NOTE: Willa of Dark Hollow is a stand-alone story that does not require reading any of the author’s previous books Even though this is the case I would personally recommend at least the other Willa book. If you want the depth to the world read the Serafina books. The series arent connected. However, they run parallel to each other in an interesting way that bears putting reading the extra books if you have time.

Willa of Dark Hollow has already awarded a prestigious Kirkus Star. Kirkus has called it a captivating, stirring tale of family and friendship.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this wonderful book.

Summary

After going against her clan in the last book Willa is a Faeren girl with a foot in two worlds. By birth she’s Faeren. The Faeren are an ancient race of forest people that have lived in the mountains since the beginning of time. But the Faeren put her out, and now she’s living with a kind human Nathaniel who she considers her father and her sister and brothers.

They’ve peacefully made their home in the Great Smoky. But it’s a new century and times are changing bringing loggers to their peaceful home. When human crews start cutting down great swaths of the forests she loves. Willa feels helpless to stop them, how can she stop such powerful destroyers of the forest and powerful machines.

When Willa discovers a mysterious dark hollow filled with strange and beautiful creatures. She soon realizes it contains a terrifying force. Is unleashing its dangerous spirits the key to stopping the loggers.

Willa must find a way to save the people and animals she loves and take a stand against the all-consuming darkness meant to destroy her world.

Willa Smoky Mountains

Review

I’m a huge Robert Beatty fan. Its main themes deal with human and nature’s interconnectivity. Willa is personally dealing with her past and her future. She has to deal with what humans mean for the forest, and what the forest fighting back might mean to her, she has to figure out who she truly cares about, human, animal, Faeren, and forest. And figure out the best way to save them all from potential destruction.

Not to mention the mysterious and deadly creatures that are now filling the forest. Willa has to figure out what is going on all with the help of her new friend Adelaide. A girl who seems strangely familiar, and who becomes a fast friend to Willa. But when the fight for the mountain comes to Willa, will she and her allies have enough to withstand the darkness of both the humans and mountain and finally have a chance at saving the place they love for good.

Amazon: Willa of Dark Hollow

Posted in ARCs

Arcs and Book Tours: Oh My!

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

So I’m currently working on several book tours and enjoying them very much! I also have several ARCs through NetGalley to review. And I don’t know about you sometimes all of this can feel a little overwhelming. So I’ve got a few hard-won tips on how to keep your ARC and Book Tours in line and make everything a little easier.

Arcs and Book Tours

Theses tips will be practical admit to the fact that some of us all put things off to the last minute.

  1. Start early if you can. If you have a list of ARCS or Tour books do them by the first tour date. The caveat being if one of them is for a publisher. *cough* Big 5 *cough* They get pushed to the front of the list and paid more attention just in case that lands you more from that publisher in the reviews in the future.
  2. Give yourself time to digest what you’re reading don’t finish a book and have the review the day after make sure you give yourself time to think about the review.
  3. If you can’t do either of the above speedread from when you know the book is due, hopefully, making it your only focus and hopefully not the day before.
  4. Be sure to pay attention to the publication date on your ARC: especially if you are on Netgalley or Edelweiss.
  5. My personal tip is to keep a spreadsheet of all your upcoming ARC and Book Tour Books, a calendar is also a good idea for this purpose just to keep track of what you have on your radar.

Interested in more tips and tricks check out my Patreon, bookish info and and tarot tips.

Posted in ARCs

Review: The Chance to Fly

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me an advance chance to read The Chance to fly.

Summary

Beacon loves a lot of things: Her dog Warbucks her best friend Chole and competing with her wheelchair racing team the Zoomers to name a few. But she’s absolutely drawn in by and OBSESSED with MUSICALS. From Hamilton to Les Mis, she memorized all the cast albums and can belt them out with the best of them, She’s never actually SEEN a musical though, or seen an actor who uses a wheelchair for mobility on the stage.

As much as she loves musicals would someone like her even get cast? However, when Nat’s family moves from California to New Jersey, a moves she’s not excited about at first. Nat stumbles on upon auditions for a kid’s production of Wicked of her favorite musicals ever! And she gets into the ensemble! She also makes friends with the other cast members who are super cool and inclusive, well most of them at least.

She has a special place in her heart for Malik-the male lead and cutest boy Nat’s ever seen. But Nat thinks Malik would never consider her, and another girl sees their chemistry and it leads to a frienemy for Nat.

When things go awry before opening night Nat finds herself more front and center than she expected, will she be able to cast away her fears fly “Defy Gravity” with the help of an old friend and new in every sense of the song title.

Review

Nat Beacon was made to fly! Only she doesn’t know it yet when she signs up for the local production of Wicked in her new town. She’s never seen anyone in a wheelchair be cast in any musical so she’s shy but ready to convince the producers that she will be the right fit for Nessarose a disabled character in the play.

At first, she only gets the ensemble, and then is put off by one of the theater coaches saying she can’t do the dancing parts, to which she and a musical theater friend learn how to dance in her wheelchair. The book has a lot of ups and a fire that almost shuts down the production. Female competition, But the best part to me is how they discuss miscasting and disability but not in a serious way, in a way that fits how teens/tweens would discuss it. This book rings true to its audience plus for at least one of its authors it’s an #OwnVoices piece. I just really enjoy the book

5/5 stars.

Authors

Stroker made history as the first person in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway and win a Tony Award. Her experience is infused into Nat’s heartwarming and empowering journey into the spotlight in The Chance to Fly, cowritten with Davidowitz, an award-winning children’s book author and playwright.

Writing Nat’s story brought me back to my childhood, when auditioning made my stomach flip and opening nights gave me the butterfly-iest butterflies,” said Davidowtiz. “Something I held onto as a kid-and something Ali and I want our readers to take away from The Chance to Fly now-is that no matter who you are and what challenges you face, creativity is key. You can break boundaries. You can burst through boxes. YOU can find solutions.”

Author Article

Amazon: The Chance to Fly