Reviews written by Angela Blount

Sporting a diverse ensemble cast, this book is rife with themes of team-building; and not simply setting aside differences but learning from them. The storytelling is split between 4 third-person POVs: Vesper—the overly driven daughter of an emotionally constipated Admiral, Cormak—the hotshot orphaned identity thief (er…...

Yet another collection of clean kid’s jokes in the LOL series, this slim paperback offers fresh school-themed humor. As with previous editions, the types of jokes include knock-knock, play on words, and Riddle Puns. There are anywhere from 2-6 jokes per page (117 pages total), with simple grayscale background images...

A family curse, a false accusation, a local legend, and a series of coincidences come together in this generation-spanning tale of betrayal, injustice, and setting things rights. Stanley Yelnats was in the wrong place at the wrong time…. and that got him sentenced to a corrupt...

Meet the Sky is an ably-written, well-paced contemporary YA—one which is perhaps best described as a pleasantly stormy beach read. Horse lovers rejoice, for the equestrian themes and undertones are abundant—as well as educational. Prior to this story, this reader knew absolutely nothing about the wild horses...

An ambitious work of YA speculative fiction—a post-apocalyptic premise fused with the plot of a beloved classic. I’d like to open my review with some necessary context: I love science fiction as a genre, and Jane Eyre happens to be one of my favorite books of all...

“Any mind that is capable of a real sorrow is capable of good.” To be honest, I avoided this book until well into adulthood. I was encouraged to avoid it, in fact, by numerous high school teachers who held it...

A clever and dark YA fantasy—featuring a well-rounded cast paired to a heist plot that tugs at the mind as well as the heart. Disclaimer: No actual crows were harmed in the telling of this story. >.> This was my first...

Told in first-person past-tense from a single point of view, Dare Mighty Things is a solid example of a YA/NA crossover. Cassie is 17 at the very beginning when she’s selected for a highly competitive secret NASA project. The story transitions almost immediately to her being 18—making her barely old...

Smart, well-paced, and intensely thought provoking. This series is on track to redefine sci-fi expectations for the YA genre. Once again, the story is told in third-person past tense—entirely from the viewpoint of young soldier Donovan Reyes. Donovan is still mentally recovering from his time in captivity,...

Insightful, engaging, and downright fun! LEGO hits on all the learning styles in this brilliantly interactive science primer. The book begins with the concept of atoms, and quite literally builds from there. Once the foundation is established, it moves on to cover things like gravity, motion,...

In this story, Chris joins Sunny and Rue for a few friendly rounds of Rabbit Racers. (He’s never played before, but they assure him he’ll do great.) With four races and seven other players he’s up against, Chris selects his champion: Nugget the Chicken. And they’re off! ...

An enthralling, beautifully crafted YA fantasy—laced with Indian lore and memorable characterization. Gauri is a betrayed and deposed princess, determined to reclaim her kingdom from the clutches of her corrupt brother. Vikram is the adopted son of an eccentric king, determined to prove...

A trust and friendship-centric second installment in this middle-grade sci-fi series, The Oceans Between Stars is fast-paced follow-up to The Last Day On Mars. Once again, the book opens with an exposition meant to explain alien things and ideas with manageable human analogies—using a touch of matter-of-fact...

Picking up right where book #2’s cliffhangery ending left off, Garth Nix brings us the satisfying conclusion to his Abhorsen series. As we learned in the last book, Lireal is now the newly minted Abhorsen in waiting. She is also Sam’s aunt, as it turns out. (Take...

An exceptional middle-fantasy debut, keyed to a New Adult audience. Kelsea is an unremarkable orphaned girl, long kept hidden in nearly complete isolation. And she is about to ascend to a throne she never asked for. The kingdom her mother left her is in shambles. Her...