Tag: adventure

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

I received a free copy of Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche thanks to Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

I’ve never read any of the Enola Holmes books before, but when the publicist reached out and asked if I’d like to be part of the Blog Tour for the newest Enola Holmes book, I agreed. From what I had previously seen of the newest book, it sounded like a fun read and I’m always up for a good mystery. Luckily, you didn’t need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one. 

In Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, we follow Enola as she helps Letitia “Tish” Glover find out the truth of what happened to her twin sister, Felicity “Flossie” Glover Rudcliff. Tish has just received a short letter saying Flossie died. Tish doesn’t believe Flossie has really died and has come to the Holmes’s for help. Working with her older and famous brother Sherlock Holmes, they gather clues and hatch a scheme hoping to solve the case.

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche: Read it or Leave it?

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick but entertaining read. It’s set in 1800s London, and you have to remember that, because the viewpoints are of those during that era. I love our headstrong main character Enola, who goes against what’s proper and travels alone, doesn’t stick to societal norms of domesticity, etc. but instead focuses on writing and solving cases. The interaction between her and Sherlock was a great addition to the book. I love that her strong personality challenged his and also made him rethink some of his pre-conceived notions about women and society. They made a great team in this story and I look forward to reading more about them.

This book has humor, mystery, and a great cast of characters. I kept thinking about them long after putting the book down. I will definitely be picking up the previous books in the Enola Holmes series. Thank you once again to Wednesday Books and Nancy Springer for my review copy and inviting me on this book tour!

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche releases August 31st, so be sure to pick up your copy! 

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston

I won a free ARC of Amari and the Night Brothers during NYCC/Metaverse in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks to Epic Reads and the publisher Balzer + Bray for the physical copy I was provided. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

In this book we follow Amari Peters, a young girl who just wants to find her missing brother, Quinton. When she gets an opportunity to visit the special camp that he used to attend every summer, she’ll find that things aren’t always as they seem, and she’s off to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Soon she finds out what her supernatural talent is, but will she be able to save Quinton in time?

I really enjoyed this book. It had everything I like in a middle grade novel. There were interesting characters, it was set in a fun world, there was magic, and we got to follow a strong Black female main character. So let’s get a little bit more into the specifics of what I really liked.

Amari and the Night Brothers: The Breakdown

First, let’s talk about this world building. This book has dual worlds in it: the natural world and the supernatural world. Alston did a great job juxtaposing the two throughout the book. Along with this, there were the specific jobs and departments that were a part of the supernatural world that I especially enjoyed. These included: Department of Coverups, Department of the Unexplained, etc. I thought these were fun additions to a book about a supernatural world and I can only imagine what a middle grade reader who enjoys magic would think.

So what about the magic? I’ll admit, I do hope there is more about this in the second book. What we were given was interesting, but I wanted more about how it worked. I don’t want to give any spoilers away about this aspect so I’ll just leave it at that.

Alston wrote interesting and recognizable characters. I love that the hero of our story is Amari, a young Black girl from the “wrong side of town” who just wants to find her brother. I love that we see her internal struggle with self-worth, because that is such a true-to-life issue, and it’s been validated for her by her peers. Alston did a great job with Amari’s character and showing her growth from self-doubt to self-assured. I also liked that he made her best friend, Elsie, a weredragon who is a science genius. The characters in here were so thought out and had such awesome quirks, I loved them!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I fled through it, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next with Amari and her friends. I can’t recommend this enough! It’s due for publication on 1/19/21 so be sure to get your copy!

Amari and the Night Brothers