Polarthon Wrap Up

Last week was Polarthon and I’m pretty thrilled with what I managed to accomplish. I finished three books (two were five stars!) and I’m half way through the fourth. My goal was five books but I still have hopes to read the fifth book (The Golden Compass) later this month.

Rating: 4/5

Thoughts: This was a fun read. I absolutely loved all the Greek folklore and how it played out in the story. I didn’t love the pacing of the story and I didn’t like the way the book ended with Percy’s mom. I think a topic like physical abuse should be handled a better way especially in a middle grade novel. It just seemed too nonchalant and I didn’t even think it was necessary to add in and events could have easily happened the way they did without that added in.

Rating: 5/5

My thoughts: This is an incredible suspense debut that had me guessing the whole way through. The story is told in alternate timelines of the current day and ten years in the past. I loved the way the author weaved the two storylines together and how they played off each other. I want to do a full review of this book so I can fully gush about all the things that I loved about it. I didn’t realize going into it that it was centered around snowboarding and it does get pretty detailed but I found it all very interesting and it also helped keep my fully entrenched in the world that Allie Reynolds created.

My rating: 5/5

My thoughts: I have said a few times recently that I don’t enjoy fairytale retellings but I may have to rethink my thoughts on that since this is another fairytale inspired book that I have given five stars to in the past few weeks. This one is an actual retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s Snow Queen story and I was not expecting to even really like this book and I am now obsessed with it. Kingfisher wrote this like a fairy tale and the writing was stunningly beautiful. I love the main character, Gerta, so much and her growth over the course of the story was inspiring and gorgeous to watch. This is another book I should do a full review on because I could go on and on about it. The message of this book was beautiful and this is a book that I know I will reread many times in my life.

Currently Reading

My thoughts: I’m not enjoying this one that much. I mostly find it boring. I understand the message of the story and I think it is an important one for all ages but especially for kids that are learning about the world. This book also confuses me because I am such a character driven reader that I can easily read and enjoy books about characters that aren’t really doing anything but when it comes to this book I am having to push myself to read it. I do really enjoy the illustrations that are on practically every page and it is sometimes my only motivation to pick this book up. I think I might give this one to my ten year old and have him read by himself to where I stopped at and then we can finish the rest together.

~Cassie