Beautiful MG Fantasy of Friendship, Growing Up, and Family

 

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So, I've been reading a lot of middle grade contemporary, and urban fantasy lately. I tend to immerse myself in whatever genre my current work-in-progress is as much as I can and this time has been no different. In keeping with the theme that has emerged for this month's reviews, in sticking with the middle grade genre of fiction, today's will be one I picked up at McKay's Books-Knoxville. One of my favorite brick-and-mortar, used bookstores and one of my absolute favorite places to go in Knoxville. A real shocker for those who know what a bookdragon I am, I know! The blurb on this lovely novel by Jodi Lynn Anderson sounded like a winner in terms of being a good one to read in the genre I'm working in right now, and I wasn't disappointed by The Memory Thief the first in Anderson's Thirteen Witches trilogy. 

This book was one I became instantly immersed in. The prologue is intriguing and heart-wrenching and leaves you wondering what will happen next. From there we switch from the perspective of main character and twelve-year-old Rosie Oakes, who lives with a mother who can barely function and doesn't seem to know who she is most days. As the cover blurb for Anderson's novel reveals, "...Rosie Oaks’s mom is missing whatever it is that makes mothers love their daughters." We're also introduced to Rosie's best friend Germ. Gotta love that nickname! The two have been inseparable since kindergarten. But lately, Germ has been pulling away and not a interested in the fairy tale-like stories Rosie loves to weave about heroines brave enough to break the evil curses placed on their loved ones. 

This conflict becomes a major theme that is explored in the story, that push-pull of early adolescence where you want to simultaneously cling to the familiar interests and beliefs of childhood while also being drawn to explore more grown-up interests. Rosie's observations of the changes in her friend magnify how growing into one's adolescent self comes hand-in-hand with developing crushes on classmates, caring about personal appearance and navigating self-expression through how we dress which also comes at the cost of our youthful confidence to some degree. No matter how Germ seems to fight it, she can't fully escape the fears and insecurities that come with caring about what others think and wanting to fit in socially. In the process, Rosie feels more and more as if she is being left behind, something that she fears due to the isolation she'd be left with because Germ is the only true friend or family Rosie feels she has. Anderson handles these themes with a deft hand while simultaneously incorporating the wonder of the strange fantasy elements in the story. 

In a fit of self-pity after Germ's less than enthusiastic response to her latest tale, Rosie decides to get rid of all her stories. In doing so, she unlocks an unknown power. A discovery that leads her to find a family journal that reveals the stories and secrets of Rosie's family legacy. It seems she is descended from a long line of witch hunters. It is through the journal that Rosie learns that one such witch has the power to steal important memories, and she's the reason Rosie's mom is the way she is. Despite the gulf that has been growing between them, Germ is loyal to Rosie throughout the upheaval that ensues from all of these discoveries. I truly loved that even though their friendship is tested, their bond stays strong and her friend is unquestioningly willing to follow Rosie on her quest to save her mom and restore her to herself. In stories of friendship like this one, it could've been all too easy to isolate Rosie even more. But while there is some uncertainty there at times, Germ never abandons her best friend. I love the importance of loyalty and friendship that is stressed through those story choices and I think its something that would deeply resonate with many pre-teen and early adolescent readers. 

All of this combined with the adventure, danger and the beautiful prose that emphasizes the power of stories, made this one of my favorite reads for 2025 so far. Anderson truly makes the reader think as Rosie ponders her own abilities and power as a storyteller with observations like this one, "I lean back and watch with awe as they lift off--hundreds of them, rising into the sky. It is a beautiful, triumphant and sad thing...It's comforting because it makes me feel like the broken things of the world have a place after all, and that they get put back together again somewhere else....Maybe stories make powerful things out of broken ones" (Anderson). I also loved quotes like this one. This really got me thinking about the power of imagination and creativity where Rosie is told, "It took a dream to make the first house. The first language" (Anderson). I could add more as there were so many wonderful observations about the power of stories throughout the book. But hopefully these will be enough to wet your appetite for more and want to read this novel for yourself. I am looking forward to reading the other two novels in this trilogy and to root Rosie and her best friend Germ on to stop the thirteen witches from spreading their darkness and mayhem over this beautiful fantasy world. If you click on the book's title, it will take you to bookshop.org to purchase your own copy for those interested. You can also choose an independent bookstore to support in your area with your purchase. 

I am not sure what reviews will be in store for next month. I have several to choose from. I also hope to have some links and announcements to reveal by the end of June for an author website and newsletter. So, stay tuned! Last, but certainly not least, I am beyond excited to announce that my mystery Intuition of Evil is under contract with Rowan Prose Publishing. It will be out as both an ebook and trade paperback novel in April of 2027. But in the meantime, I will have a cover reveal to show everyone this coming June 25th. Here is a little teaser for that below.

I truly can't wait for you to meet my character Emily Monroe and follow her in her adventures!

Heartbreaking and Important Historical Fiction

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So, I know I mentioned several genres for my review today and this book is none of those. But it is a very appropriate one to recommend, I think, for Mother's Day. All He Knew by Helen Frost follows the journey of Henry a boy who is struck deaf by illness at a very young age. As he approaches school age, his parents seek outside help for his education as the small town they live in cannot offer him the services he needs to learn to read and write in the local public school system. In the 1930s and 1940s when the story takes place, this was all too common. His mother takes Henry to a school for the deaf where they insist on testing him to see if he is teachable or not before admitting him. Something that seems counterproductive nowadays, but again something that was likely all too common then. Not understanding the test, Henry fails it and his parents are told he is unteachable and the best thing they can do for him is to institutionalize him at Riverview, a home for the feeble-minded. 

I knew going in from reading the blurb that this book would be a challenging read. Not because it is a particularly long book. It's not. It is a novel-in-verse, utilizing mostly free-verse forms of poetry and it is geared toward middle school aged or middle grade aged readers, those between 8-12 years old. For those reasons, it is not hard to follow or understand for an adult reader at all. The challenge comes in reading about a boy, who today would be seen as just as capable mentally as any other child, being treated as less than because his family is poor and he cannot hear. It is hard to face that only a couple of generations ago that this was all too common an occurrence. That parents like Henry's were told to put them in an institution where they were often neglected, abused and where they were not given a basic education of any kind. That is hard to face as a contemporary reader. It is hard to face because it seems there are some people today who still believe this is the best option for those with disabilities. It is a mistake of the past that we seem in danger of repeating. But in reading books like this one, young people are offered an important glimpse of what people like Henry are capable of and can see how resilience and determination can help them overcome their own seemingly insurmountable challenges. 

In the story, a conscientious objector (CO) during World War II by the name of Victor helps Henry and helps others see that he is not in fact unteachable at all. The ending offers readers hope that others like him were able to experience positive changes after the war. The author's note informs us that the person who inspired her to write this novel did not in fact, escape his circumstances. But that is not Henry's story and in passing on this recommendation for this beautifully written novel, I hope that it does not ever have to be the story of anyone with a disability, whether it be physical or mental, ever again. If you love historical fiction with a powerful and ultimately uplifting message, I urge you to read this book by Helen Frost and to pass it on to young readers as well. I also wish all who are mothers and all who mother, a beautiful, safe, and very happy Mother's Day!