Ginger Pye

Title:  Ginger Pye

Author:  Eleanor Estes

Illustrator:  Edward Ardizzone

Series:  The Pyes #1

Publisher:  HMH Books for Young Readers

Date Published:  1951

Genre:  Middle Grade, Contemporary

Rating:  ⭐

My Thoughts:

-    Okay, so the Pye boy really wants one of the new puppies from a neighbor's house. He even has his puppy picked out and everything. He has to raise a dollar to buy the puppy, and he finds out another boy wants to buy his particular puppy as well. After doing a chore for a friend, he gets his dog. The family loves the dog, but a mysterious person with a yellow hat keeps spying on them and the dog. Sadly, the puppy gets stolen, and they spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to find out who took the dog. 

-    Gnome and I were incredibly frustrated and bored with the story and the characters. It was so blatantly obvious who took the dog, but the kids were so wrapped up in some "unsavory" character that they made up that they couldn't figure it out. Gnome and I frequently looked at each other and commented on the stupidity of the characters, even the adults. 

-    You know that type of old person that likes to go off on random unimportant tangents while telling a story, and the story becomes this long, winding, boring, and kinda useless story? That was this book! The random tangents were SO obnoxious and pointless.

-    This makes Newbery Award book number 31 for me. I hope and pray that the next book is better.

Trigger Warning:  Animal Abuse

Bull

From Goodreads:    SEE THE STORY OF THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR IN A WHOLE NEW LIGHT

Minos thought he could
Pull a fast one
On me,
Poseidon!
God of the Sea!
But I’m the last one
On whom you
Should try such a thing.
The nerve of that guy.
The balls. The audacity.
I AM THE OCEAN!
I got capacity!
Depths! Darkness! Delphic power!
So his sweet little plan
Went big-time sour
And his wife had a son
Born with horns and a muzzle
Who ended up
In an underground puzzle.
What is it with you mortals?
You just can’t seem to learn:
If you play with fire, babies,
You’re gonna get burned.

Much like Lin-Manuel Miranda did in Hamilton, the New York Times best-selling author David Elliott turns a classic on its head in form and approach, updating the timeless story of Theseus and the Minotaur for a new generation. A rough, rowdy, and darkly comedic young adult retelling in verse, Bull will have readers reevaluating one of mythology's most infamous monsters.

My Thoughts:

-    This was the classic tale of Theseus and the Minotaur, but it was SO hilarious! I laughed out loud several times.

-    The characters, especially Poseidon, speak a little more modernly than you would expect, which just adds to the humor.

-    Poseidon was my favorite! He is hilarious in this book!

-    I really liked how the words turned into art.

-    I didn't feel jipped from this book in verse. It has everything. 

Ever the Hunted

Goodreads Synopsis:    Seventeen year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, the legendary bounty hunter for the King of Malam—that is, until her father is murdered. Now outcast and alone and having no rights to her father’s land or inheritance, she seeks refuge where she feels most safe: the Ever Woods. When Britta is caught poaching by the royal guard, instead of facing the noose she is offered a deal: her freedom in exchange for her father’s killer.

However, it’s not so simple.

The alleged killer is none other than Cohen McKay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart. She must go on a dangerous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force. 

My Thoughts:

-    This was good, but it wasn't anything special. It is enjoyable enough while reading, but I don't think I'll remember much about the book in a few weeks. 

-    The story was simple, and there wasn't much to the characters. I didn't feel connected to anyone or anything. I liked everyone, but I just didn't feel any emotions for them.

-    There are a lot of fantasy books out there, and this one felt like a lot of them. There wasn't anything that made it stand out from all the others.

-    Like I said, this is good, but not memorable.