WOW. This book was brilliant! I loved every moment of it, from the characters to the gentle chaos to the full-blown chaos within the walls of a prestigious ballet conservatory. The writing style was beautiful, at once heartbreaking and concise, with incredible worldbuilding and description. The idea of a picture-perfect group of ballet dancers each hiding dark secrets was executed just right. The characters definitely weren't the flawless images they project onstage. There were so many issues and topics covered in this book, but they kept the pages flying fast and my suspense mounted high. Truly a stellar book with a cliffhanger that nearly killed me (and someone else in the book...). I can't wait to continue this journey in the sequel.

This book is a great quick and easy read for kids who are looking for something not too time-consuming. This book entails a journey of three 13-year-old friends trying to solve the mystery of the missing soccer trophy that went missing years ago from the town library. Between soccer practice, soccer tournaments, and school, Aiden, Ava, and Daniel do their best to solve the mystery of what happened to the trophy. Eventually, after some time of digging and research, they were finally able to solve the mystery. The ending of the book was a very satisfying ending, as we get to hear why it was stolen. If you like short reads and mysteries, this book is for you!

An absolutely breathtaking book! The worldbuilding in Shadow & Bone was fantastic: a rich tapestry of friends, foes, kingdoms, language (I loved the language influences so much, they really established the vibe of the story), and magic. I haven't read a solid fantasy book in quite a while, and this book reminded me of how lovely and well-crafted they usually are. This story follows a poor, overlooked girl (Alina) who accidentally reveals her world-changing powers and is whisked away to a palace to start her life anew. While this isn't the most original storyline, it was executed well, and I liked that while romance wasn't the focal point of the book, it complemented it in a way that it carried the plot. The development of Alina and the Darkling's relationship, in juxtaposition with Alina and Mal's, was so electrifying and uncertain that it felt like standing on top of a skyscraper and nearly falling at every moment. The ending was what truly had my heart racing, and it took all my effort to put the book down in the dark of night.

An absolutely breathtaking book! The worldbuilding in Shadow & Bone was fantastic: a rich tapestry of friends, foes, kingdoms, language (I loved the language influences so much, they really established the vibe of the story), and magic. I haven't read a solid fantasy book in quite a while, and this book reminded me of how lovely and well-crafted they usually are. This story follows a poor, overlooked girl (Alina) who accidentally reveals her world-changing powers and is whisked away to a palace to start her life anew. While this isn't the most original storyline, it was executed well, and I liked that while romance wasn't the focal point of the book, it complemented it in a way that it carried the plot. The development of Alina and the Darkling's relationship, in juxtaposition with Alina and Mal's, was so electrifying and uncertain that it felt like standing on top of a skyscraper and nearly falling at every moment. The ending was what truly had my heart racing, and it took all my effort to put the book down in the dark of night.

I love books about middle school, and this book looks scintillating, from the title to the summary! I would also love to read a book whose co-author is a head writer from SpongeBob SquarePants, one of my favorite childhood shows. Thank you for this opportunity.