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Book Review: The Secret Winners Club

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The Secret Winners Club
by Donna Galanti

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fiction

Sunny, Trev, and Vee are best friends who all have autoimmune diseases that cause visual effects such as hair loss and make them the targets of ridicule amongst some of their peers. Each of them has some kind of goal that they’re striving for, so Sunny comes up with the idea that they will band together to do whatever it takes to reach those goals.

Before I get into my review of the actual story, I feel it important to put a warning up front for anyone who is a Christian, conservative, or would otherwise be concerned about certain aspects being represented so strongly in a book aimed at young teens. Trev, the male character in the book, is gay and multiple romance storylines revolve around this (I generally feel that this level of romance is unnecessary in a book where the main characters are only 13 anyway). It actually goes beyond that, too, as Trev dabbles in transcendental meditation, which heightens my concern for teens reading the book. So please keep that in mind if you are considering this book for a teen or younger, especially, and at the very least consider reading the book along with your child and discussing these elements.

Regarding the story itself, the premise felt weak to me from the start. Our introductions to each 3 of the main characters is seeing them in their respective activity, already desiring to be the best, which in each case specifically means beating out the person who is currently considered the best. In 2 of the 3 cases, that person seems to also be the respective character’s biggest bully. Then Sunny comes up with the idea for all 3 of them to band together and try to be the best at…the activities they were already trying to be the best at and to beat…the people they were already trying to beat. But it’s different now because 1) they will do whatever it takes, 2) they will support each other, which it seems like they should have already been doing as best friends, and 3) they won’t tell anyone that they’re now trying extra hard to be the best. Why? I don’t really know.

What this really ends up meaning, though, is that they use the people that are kind enough to help them, keep secrets from parents, and decide to be bullies back to the people who had been bullies to them. They sort of learn lessons in all of this, but it all feels pretty weak to me. Then there’s another character throughout this book that I never fully understood the purpose of, other than to eventually be a sort of conscience for the main three. And a big disaster happens that also feels a little out of nowhere and lacks the punch I think it was intended for. Based on how the characters act and talk at times, I had to remind myself that they’re only 13.

I really like the idea of a book showcasing autoimmune disorders that can make kids feel “other” (or really anything that makes a kid look/act/talk different and thus leads those around them to treat them badly). I know a young girl with alopecia that has caused her hair to fall out in patches, as opposed to Sunny’s complete baldness, and I know she’s faced mockery from others her age and even, I believe, from some adults. It’s absolutely terrible, there’s no reason for it, and I really wish more people could understand the harm that bullying in general does to anyone, especially adolescents. This book could be a conversation starter for kids or young teens, though again, I don’t know that Sunny, Trev, and Vee are the best role models, even after they learn some lessons. Maybe because those lessons felt a bit too easy to me.

I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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May in Review

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I read 15 books last month, which has become about an average number for me since I started listening to audiobooks more. On the other hand, that number includes a few more really short books than normal, so maybe it should have been higher. Going into June, our church’s Vacation Bible School, for which I am director, is in a few weeks. My reading always takes a hit around this time.

Here are the books I read in May:

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson (3 / 5)
Illusion by Frank E. Peretti (5 / 5)
Shepherds & Kings by Christina Minoli (4 / 5)
In This Bright Future by Peter Grainger (4.5 / 5)
The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein (4 / 5)
Second Time Around by Nancy Moser (4 / 5)
Santa’s Little Yelpers by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
Mandie and the Trunk’s Secret by Lois Gladys Leppard
A Most Peculiar Providence by Angela Elwell Hunt (2.5 / 5)
Toofer & The Giblet by Paulette LeBlanc (4.5 / 5)
The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow by Kim Vogel Sawyer (5 / 5)
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (4 / 5)
The First Measure by Keith Gregor (2 / 5)
Winter by Marissa Meyer (4 / 5)
Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveler by Amelia Tait (4 / 5)

This list includes 3 ARC and 4 re-reads. My favorite book from May (that wasn’t a re-read) was In This Bright Future. I started 2 series, continued 3 series, and finished 2 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.

Book Review: Winter

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Winter
The Lunar Chronicles #4
by Marissa Meyer
read by Rebecca Soler

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: YA sci-fi

Spoiler notice: The following review will contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with Cinder.

Winter may be a princess, but she is still very much under the thumb of her stepmother, Queen Levana of Luna. Cinder and her friends from Earth are on a mission to stop Levana from marrying Emperor Kaito of the Eastern Commonwealth and gaining a foothold on Earth. Winter may be able to be of help to them, if only she can keep a handle on her hallucinations.

This book is both Winter’s fairy-tale retelling of Snow White and the conclusion to the story that started all the way back with Cinder. That makes it a sort of culmination of the Cinderella retelling in the first book as well. And because each book introduces a female protagonist and a male romantic counterpart, everything coming together in this book felt a little too repetitive to me. Their overall stories were different, but 4 romances resolving not too far apart was a bit much for me. Though to be fair, a couple of these romances were at least partially resolved before the end of this book, so it could have been worse. And I don’t mean to say that I didn’t enjoy the book. I really liked the way the main plots played out, the threads from previous books that Meyer weaved together in this final installment. After several books talking about the moon colony, getting to go there in this book added a new, exciting dimension. I like that Meyer explored so many different facets of that world.

At times, it seemed as though so many characters/pairs of characters got to be a bit too much for the author, too difficult to make sure they all had their own distinct personalities. For example, when Thorne (my favorite character since book 2) had cause to be concerned for Cress, I wish he had reacted more Thorne-like, as opposed to doing this best impression of Wolf’s broodiness. Thankfully, Thorne was more himself by the end of the book. Most of the time, though, I could see distinct differences in how Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter acted, thought, and talked. Part of that last one might have been due to the audiobook narrator putting on a slightly different voice for some of the characters, but since that’s how I consumed this series, the narration was definitely a plus for me in that area.

Overall, this was a solid YA sci-fi series for me, and I am sure I’ll revisit it again in the future. Fans of futuristic sci-fi and/or fairy tale retellings, maybe around age 15 and up, should definitely consider checking out this series, starting with the first book (you really don’t want to dive in here on the final book).

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Book Review: The Darkest Minds

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The Darkest Minds
Book #1
by Alexandra Bracken

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: YA dystopian

When the small percentage of survivors of a plague that affects children and teens begin to exhibit special powers, they are feared, hunted, and locked up. But some avoid capture or manage to escape the camps. Ruby spent six years in a camp, and when she manages to leave, she has to figure out who on the outside can be trusted. Both adults and other children present unknown risks she might not be prepared to deal with.

The set-up for this book is scary, but it’s all too believable that adults would lock up kids if they turned out to be dangerous. Ruby’s time in the camp is summed up at the beginning and is a sad and poignant backdrop to the rest of the story going forward, exploring the emotional and psychological toll of such treatment on young individuals. I like the dynamic of Liam, Chubs, and Zu and the way they incorporate Ruby into their group, fostering a sense of camaraderie and mutual understanding amid their shared struggles. The romance didn’t really stand out to me, but at least it didn’t make me cringe, serving as a subtle undercurrent rather than the main focus of the narrative. To be honest, I felt like Ruby connected with and had more chemistry with Chubs than Liam. The plot overall is engaging; yes, a lot of the middle involves these four kids driving toward an unlikely dream, but I really don’t remember being bored, as their journey is filled with moments of tension, growth, and unexpected turns.

My biggest issue with the book is that Ruby mostly doesn’t act like someone who was locked up from age 10 to age 16. Her emotional development, her knowledge of the world, social skills, etc. should basically be at a 10-year-old level. This crops up in very minor ways, but not nearly what I think would be realistic. There are times when she answers questions about life or, even more narrowly, her home state of Virginia that would just make me shake my head and think, “There’s no way I would have known that at 10 years old.” I also wish there could have been some adults that weren’t just bad. A kind guard at the camp, a legend about a group that actually is trying to help kids, etc. That part of the set up maybe wasn’t so realistic, but maybe that will be explored more in a future book. Overall, I enjoyed this story a lot, even with those issues. I’ve already recommended it to my 16-year-old daughter and think other fans of YA sci-fi, especially dystopian worlds, should give it a try.

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Book Review: Mandie and the Trunk’s Secret

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Mandie and the Trunk’s Secret
Mandie #5
by Lois Gladys Leppard

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s Christian historical fiction

I read a lot of this series when I was a kid/pre-teen, and I read some of them to my now-teen daughter when she was younger. Nostalgia definitely affects my reviews for this series, and I’m okay with that. It’s good to at least see some consequences from Mandie’s disobedience in the previous book, though of course the consequence ends up being fun for her and Celia and leads them into another mystery. I appreciate that they are trying to behave better here as well, though she questions whether she should really be meeting with Uncle Ned at night while still doing it anyway. Uncle Ned himself clearly thinks it’s important to adhere to the rules but still visits in secret. Overall, though, this book was better than the previous. While I think these books can still be good for younger people to read, especially if you’re looking for something with Christian content, I strongly recommend discussing what’s good and bad in them with your kid(s) after they read it.

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Book Review: Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveler

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Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveler
by Amelia Tait

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fantasy

Lily Tripp is approaching her birthday, which is January 1. But when the clock strikes midnight, the new year (and her birthday) finds Lily hundreds of years in the past. This isn’t the first time this has happened—she’s lived in Roman times, Victorian times, and 1922, for a year each. But she’s spent the last year back in 2025, so she was sure it wouldn’t happen again. It did. Everyone she knows, including her cat, time travels with her, except they don’t know they’re time traveling. Lily has to figure out the world around her, while everyone else believes they’ve always been from that year.

Told through a series of diary entries, this is an intriguing and unique read. Lily has to navigate rocky friendships and persistent bullies, not to mention the perils of growing up (which sometimes includes middle school and sometimes doesn’t). The details about everyday life in past time periods, especially as seen through the eyes of someone for whom they are foreign, are a large part of what I enjoyed about this book. Even those eras that Lily “visited” before the start of the book are shared with us a bit as she recounts some of what happened to her before she started writing in the diary. The time travel is only part of the plot, though, providing interesting, changing settings for the story, which involves a lot around fitting in, growing up, and friendships. The story is charming and fun.

The diary format never really landed for me, though. For one thing, there are pages sprinkled throughout where the font is a handwriting kind of font and the background is lined paper. But the bulk of the book is diary entries presented with regular computer font and a blank background. It seems like it should have been all one or the other. Plus, both kinds of font had italics for emphasis (and quite a bit of it), but it’s really hard to write in italics; to me, at least, underlining for emphasis would have been a lot more on theme. Plus, Lily’s tendency to be writing things as they are happening just didn’t feel realistic to me. Then there’s the romance, which is taken a bit too seriously for my preference in a book where the main character is 12/13. But it kind of turned out in a way that I didn’t mind. There’s actually a smallish side character in the story that ended up intriguing me a lot by the end. I see that this is the beginning of a series, and I am really hoping to learn more about him as the series progresses. I’m also kind of hoping that the author decides to bring in some kind of explanation for the time travel; maybe that isn’t really the point of this book/series, but that doesn’t mean I’m not curious! I do tend to think that boys would like this book less than girls, considering the amount of time spent on discussing Lily’s first bra (not in a graphic way, but enough to possibly make boys uncomfortable or at least bored). But overall, readers around 11-15 that are interested in history, or even those that aren’t, would probably enjoy this book a lot.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: Santa’s Little Yelpers

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Santa’s Little Yelpers
Andy Carpenter #26
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When a volunteer at Andy Carpenter’s dog-rescue foundation is accused of murder, the semi-retired defense attorney steps in to help.

Another thoroughly enjoyable installment in my favorite mystery series! I particularly liked that Sam, who is usually tasked with digging up information on the computer, gets to get out into the field and have a bit of an adventure. The mystery is an intriguing one too. It started to remind me of one of the earlier books in the series, Dead Center, with a town that seems to be run by some kind of weird cult, but it goes a completely different direction. And Andy himself is his normal snarky, witty self that I enjoy so much, brought to life expertly by Grover Gardner. If it’s not clear, I recommend this book (especially the audio) for fans of mystery, crime fiction, and courtroom dramas, as well as the books that precede it in the series.

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Book Review: Second Time Around

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Second Time Around
Time Lottery #2
by Nancy Moser

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Christian speculative fiction

Three people win a prize that will allow them to travel back in time, within their own minds, to a moment of their choosing, to try to change something in their past. After they’ve lived out the change, they can decide whether they want to stay in the new alternate universe they’ve created or return to their original lives.

The premise for this book is literally the same as the previous book, since here we have a second Time Lottery with 3 more people chosen to go back into their past to change a pivotal moment. It’s not just a rinse and repeat of the previous book, though, because these are heavily character-driven stories and the characters are very different this time. There’s quite a focus on abusive relationships in this book—not physical abuse but heavy mental/emotional abuse. One storyline in particular I really enjoyed, and there were some interesting surprises in the book. Though something that happened in the previous book and carried over into this one I couldn’t have cared less about.

Overall, I liked this one a little more than the previous, and I don’t really think you need to read the first one before this one. Though it would give a fuller experience, and, as I said, there is definitely some reference back to the previous, I think the overall idea behind the time travel is explained well enough in this book to start here. I think that many fans of Christian fiction would enjoy this book, especially those interested in the exploration of past decisions and the ability to change some of those decisions.

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Book Review: A Most Peculiar Providence

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A Most Peculiar Providence
by Angela Hunt

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Christian fiction

Ever since he was six years old, it’s always been just Josh Donnelly and his mom. Though his mom pushes him to get out into the world more, Josh is resistant, happy with his routines and his quiet life at home. Then his mom has a stroke, and Josh is thrust out into the world. Heather Thomas has had a tumultuous life, and when she ends up in the small town of Peculiar, she can’t help but notice Josh’s kind and gentle nature when she observes him from a distance. So when she’s entrusted with finding a home for the newborn baby of another troubled young woman, she knows Josh is the perfect choice.

I’ve had a difficult time deciding on a rating for this book and even knowing how to start my review. I liked the idea of a book that is clearly an image of God’s hand guiding a situation and working it out for the best. Even though, in a fictional setting like this, it requires a bit of suspension of disbelief, I was happy to see how Hunt decided to play it all out. But it took some turns that required a bit too much suspension of disbelief. One specific event happened that never really was discussed beyond a character asking how it happened, and the response was, “I prayed.” It takes a turn toward faith healing, and since it doesn’t really have any real impact on the story, I don’t understand why it was included.

Most of this might not have been too bad, but I found the plot a bit slow. A lot of time passes in the book, which means the baby ages, and some of the details involving the baby’s development made me stop and question how they made any sense (like a baby giving a smile that, in the narrative, seems to be believe to be intentional) at around 3-5 days old. And the caregivers letting the baby that only days ago took her first steps walk (and then crawl) on a brick walkway?! And then I guess they had to clean up her scraped and bloody knees…

There’s a mystery angle that comes up in the last quarter of the book, mixed in with the climax of the main plot, that is shallow and not difficult to figure out. I wish there had been less time spent on the baby details and more on a build-up to this mystery. Josh is a steady, likeable character who makes some unexpected decisions because “God told me to,” which I wasn’t a fan of. In the end, some past trauma comes to light that I don’t recall having been hinted at throughout the rest of the book at all, and that’s another area I felt could have been built on, if other areas had been diminished. In a way, it felt like this could have been two different books. But as often happens, I’m largely in the minority so far in my rating of this book, so please check out other reviews at the link below if you’re interested in this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hunt Haven Press for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: In This Bright Future

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In This Bright Future
DC Smith #5
by Peter Grainger
read by Gildart Jackson

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Detective procedural, mystery

After knee surgery, DC Smith is prescribed a few weeks of rest. But when his past comes calling, he ends up going to Belfast in Northern Ireland, rather that taking the time to recuperate. There he dredges up his past the decisions he made while undercover for England during the time of “The Troubles.”

This book is quite a departure from the rest of the series, as Smith is in a different environment, not acting as a police officer (for the most part), and working a cold case amongst people with widely varying opinions of him, due to his previous time in Belfast under a different identity. I think it was my favorite in the series so far, even though I felt really lost at the beginning. That’s starting to become normal for me in this series though—I’m confused for a while until I start to understand what is even going on, get used to any newly introduced character names, etc. I think part of it might be the narrator’s accent and part of it might be culture differences, but I’m always glad I stuck with it by the end of the book. There was even one specific moment in the book that I thought I had just missed something and would never quite understand what had happened there, but it came back up near the end and was part of a bittersweet moment.

I don’t really know a lot about the conflict in Northern Ireland, though I know more now than I did. The focus here on the search for people who are still missing is a fascinating angle to the story. Gildart Jackson unsurprisingly does a great job as narrator, bringing DC and all of the other characters to life. I recommend the book for fans of procedural crime dramas, especially with a seasoned detective and set in a small-town area of England, though this one in particular doesn’t have much of that small town. It could probably be read without reading the rest of the series first, since it’s more removed from them, though there are still references to characters and past events that might be lost on someone starting here.

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