Past Due Reviews [5]

My Forest Is Green by Darren Lebeuf, Ashley Barron (Illustrator)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): With art supplies in tow, a young boy explores the urban forest near his home, then interprets what he sees with his art. The boy is a keen observer who uses poetic, rhythmic language to describe the diversity he finds through all four seasons.

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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I really enjoyed reading this one with my monsters! My Forest Is Green subtly incorporates opposing adjectives while delivering a sweet story with lovely illustrations. "My forest is short," shows a child looking down at ants crawling across the ground, implying that it's largely about our perspective. We also see fluffy, prickly, rough, smooth, and various others. I really liked all of the ways the author described the "forest" and what it meant to the main character. He has essentially created his own forest with items he's found outside, collecting them throughout the seasons and incorporating them into his artwork. We see a lot of interesting ways to make art with nature, and learn that a forest can be more than just trees. (★★★★☆)

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Little Lost Bat by Sandra Markle, Alan Marks (Illustrator)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): A baby Mexican free-tailed bat clings to the ceiling of a crowded noisy cave, waiting for his mother to return from her daily hunting trip. After three days of searching and waiting, he is rescued by a bat that is in a strangely similar circumstance. A surprising story of adoption in the animal kingdom based on current research.

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Read at your own risk! Little Lost Bat had me SOBBING. You can probably guess why based on the synopsis, and I will never forgive my kids for asking me to read this book to them (just kidding - - love my monsters!). I thought the author did a wonderful job of portraying the bats and how they function as a group. The illustrations were also fantastic and really did the story justice. (★★★★☆)

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Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2) by Sarah J. Maas

Synopsis (via Goodreads): "A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached. It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

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I read this back in October and still cannot think of the right words to review it. I liked it more than Throne of Glass, but still found Celaena to be a really unlikable character. She's obsessed with clothes, unwilling to commit to a romantic relationship (but happy to string several people along), and her methods of subverting the king's orders are questionable at best. I understand that she wants to do the right thing, but she isn't always willing to give everything or do whatever it takes. She's selfish and cares more about herself and what she's hiding.

She's also very consumed with keeping specific people safe, even when they question her loyalty and intentions. She cares about them, but she doesn't want to tell them her deepest, darkest secrets. There's so much we still don't know about Celaena, but we do learn more about her past (and Chaol's) throughout Crown of Midnight.

I liked the world and the world-building, but everything else was more frustrating than interesting. 

Maas tries to justify someone's death in this book, but I'm not buying it. It seemed unnecessary and like it was done just to create confusion, conflict, and chaos. There wasn't a reason for this person to die (unless it was supposed to solely shock readers), despite the author insisting it was required to push Celaena onto the right path. Lame. I honestly don't know if I will continue reading this series or not, despite so many people loving it. Now, if you want to talk about ACOTAR and the new book coming out, I'm totally here for that! ;) (★★★⋆☆)