TITLE: The Wild Way Home

AUTHOR: Sophie Kirtley

PAGE EXTENT: 256

PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

GENRE: Middle Grade

SOURCE: ARC provided by the publisher in return for an honest review

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Charlie’s longed-for brother is born with a serious heart condition, Charlie’s world is turned upside down. Upset and afraid, Charlie flees the hospital and makes for the ancient forest on the edge of town. There Charlie finds a boy floating face-down in the stream, injured, but alive. But when Charlie sets off back to the hospital to fetch help, it seems the forest has changed. It’s become a place as strange and wild as the boy dressed in deerskins. For Charlie has unwittingly fled into the Stone Age, with no way to help the boy or return to the present day. Or is there … ?

What follows is a wild, big-hearted adventure as Charlie and the Stone Age boy set out together to find what they have lost – their courage, their hope, their family and their way home.

Fans of Piers Torday, Geraldine McCaughrean and Stig of the Dump will love this wild, wise and heartfelt debut adventure.

“I think about how things aren’t always what they seem; how bad things can sometimes just happen and there’s nothing you can do about it, no matter how hard you try to forget…or how far you run.”

My eyes were wet with happy and sad tears at the same time as I flipped the last page. If there is one middle grade book that’s heartwarming yet brutally honest at the same time, it’s this one.

The Wild Way Home follows Charlie Merriam, our 12-year-old protagonist who has always longed for a younger sibling. When Charlie’s brother Dara is born with a malformed heart, Charlie runs off into the woods nearby only to realize that it’s not the same anymore! Guess why? Charlie has walked right into the Stone Age! Yes, you heard it right! I have read quite a few Middle Grade books that feature characters going away to far flung places, magical lands and hidden cities but this was the first time I read a book set partially in the Stone Age!

Charlie discovers a boy clad in deerskin lying face-down in the river with a wound on his forehead, and this is where the unforgettable friendship between the two begins. This book takes you on a wild journey of grit, survival and loss, at the base of which is the power of family and friendship. This is a tale full of action, adventure, tragedy and definitely packs a punch! Sophie hits you with the right feels and makes you want to jump into the page just you give these characters a warm hug!

I loved the fact that this book features a gender-neutral protagonist. Throughout the book, there is no mention of Charlie’s gender and it’s entirely up to the reader to assume Charlie as male, female or neither. The author emphasizes how gender is not at all a factor when it comes to friendship but the emotional bond between the two people is of utmost importance. The friendship between these two young jellybeans who are separated not by years or centuries, but millennia altogether, is something I will reminisce time and again.

Harby’s broken English was super cute and adorable! I found myself giggling every time I read his broken English. The phrase “make safe” will stick with me for long. This shows how friendship surpasses language barriers as well! Charlie’s confusion and struggle to interpret Harby’s words was fun to read!

It didn’t escape my notice how Sophie has managed to expertly layer the past over the present. Charlie is familiar yet unfamiliar with the forest at the same time. However, I would have loved to read more on the time travelling aspect as such. Since this is a character-driven story more than a plot-driven one, I wouldn’t hold it against the book. For a debut novel, this book speaks volumes about values, friendship, family and grief all with a gripping storyline!

Sophie doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of life. If there is one thing this book effortlessly manages to convey, it’s that life is not rainbows and unicorns all the time. Life is not a smooth road, it’s a gravel path full of stones, pot holes and multiple other obstacles and that we do not run away from it, we face it with our chests puffed out and our heads held high.

“Maybe that’s what spirit song is made of – it’s not made of words or even of music – it’s made of the spirits of us creatures who are brave enough to look each other square in the eye and say this is me and this is you and we’re both fierce and we’re both afraid. Equals. As one.”

If you’re in the mood for a tearjerker of a tale that also makes you smile and keeps you on the edge of the couch with anticipation, pick this one up! And if that outright gorgeous cover doesn’t tempt you enough, I don’t know what will!

Have you read books that feature time travel? If yes, do let me know in the comments!

TITLE: Going Wild

AUTHOR: Lisa McMann

PAGE EXTENT: 400

PUBLISHER: Harper Kids

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Charlie Wilde knew her life would change forever when her family moved from the city of Chicago to the suburbs of Arizona…and that was before she found the bracelet. After putting it on, she notices odd things start to happen. Suddenly Charlie seems to have the speed of a cheetah and the strength of an elephant—and that’s just the beginning. She would be thrilled about her transformation if she had any idea how to use the device or control her amazing powers. So Charlie is forced to put her trust in new friends to help her uncover the surprising truth behind the mysterious bracelet.

THIS IS THE SUPERHERO NOVEL I DIDN’T KNOW I NEEDED IN MY LIFE.

Charlotte Wilde is just your normal middle-schooler who is whining about relocating to dry and hot Arizona from Chicago because her mother landed a good job at the local hospital. She is apprehensive about the move and doesn’t want to leave her best friend Amari. Wait, did I say NORMAL? Well, she was, until she unpacks a parcel with a bracelet that was dropped off at her house just before the move.

The book started off a bit sluggish at first, and before I realized, I was hurtling through the book! The bracelet grants Charlie superpowers such as cheetah speed, elephant strength and starfish healing! And the bracelet just doesn’t come off! Charlie is your perfect neighborhood superhero! She is also a soccer player, and as someone who is extremely challenged as far as sports are concerned, I learnt quite a lot about soccer and the terms associated with the sport hahaha!

This is a super-fun, action-packed read with the right amount of middle school drama! There wasn’t a single boring moment in the book and it had me up reading till 2 AM! The side characters are well-developed and are given the perfect dose of spotlight! McMann surely is no stranger to middle grade fiction and yet again shows her prowess in this one!

TITLE: With the Fire on High

AUTHOR: Elizabeth Acevedo

PAGE EXTENT: 400

PUBLISHER: Hot Key Books

GENRE: YA Contemporary

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.

“I just take another bite of my sandwich, close my eyes, and savor, because I can’t think of a single way to make my life more how I imagine it, but I can imagine a hundred ways to make this sandwich better. And sometimes focusing on what you can control is the only way to lessen the pang in your chest when you think about the things you can’t.”

With the Fire on High is the heartwarming tale of Emoni Santiago, a seventeen-year-old mother staying with her Abuela and her daughter Emma in Philadelphia after her father left. Emoni aspires to become a chef and is having a hard time juggling senior year of high school, motherhood and college submissions.

THIS BOOK WAS JUST WOW. Considering the fact that Acevedo’s books are well-accepted and loved, this came as no surprise to me. I KNEW right from the first page that I’m going to fall in love with this book and I had a smile plastered on my face throughout.

“I’m not ashamed of my baby. I’m not ashamed I had a baby. I’m not ashamed I’m a mother. I lift my chin higher.”

Emoni is one of the strongest protagonists in YA. She could have chosen to abort her baby when she found out she was pregnant at fourteen. But she did NOT. She put up with all the sneers and rude comments hurled at her and decided to continue with the pregnancy whatsoever. If that isn’t the purest form of love, then what is? I ADORED the scenes featuring Emoni and her daughter Emma (whom she fondly calls Babygirl) and boy, Emma is one lucky girl! She has the BEST mom!

TITLE: Of Curses and Kisses

AUTHOR: Sandhya Menon

PAGE EXTENT: 384

PUBLISHER: Hodder UK

GENRE: YA Contemporary

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75

The first novel in a series set at an elite international boarding school, that’s a contemporary spin on Beauty and the Beast.

Will the princess save the beast?

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right?

His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can’t shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck…

As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.

Add dollops and dollops of cuteness, one handsome, broody British Prince, one law-abiding, graceful Indian princess, two teaspoonfuls of romance, sprinkle a beautiful backdrop and then add a dash of magical realism, and voila – You have Of Curses and Kisses!

When I found out that this book is a contemporary retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I was intrigued! I have read a lot of retellings and they have all been fantasy-based, so I was super excited to see Menon’s take on this!

Our protagonist is Jaya Rao, who is the Princess of Mysuru and has stepped into St. Rosetta’s Academy, a posh school nestled in the hills which is brimming with students from the rich and famous families. She is a law-abiding daughter who is extremely concerned about her family’s reputation and would do anything to uphold her culture and values.

One thing I LOVE LOVE LOOOOVE about Sandhya’s books is the fact that all her books feature Indian characters! (YAY, representation!) What I found reaaaaally endearing is that Jaya is from my state and I was beaming with pride at all the Kannada lingo scattered throughout the book! I felt so so represented! (Jaya and I also share a common surname. Hi-five Jaya!)

TITLE: The Carpet Weaver

AUTHOR: Nemat Sadat

PAGE EXTENT: 304

PUBLISHER: Penguin India

GENRE: LGBT Fiction

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Afghanistan, 1977. Kanishka Nurzada, the son of a leading carpet seller, falls in love with his friend Maihan, with whom he shares his first kiss at the age of sixteen. Their romance must be kept secret in a nation where the death penalty is meted out to those deemed to be kuni, a derogatory term for gay men. And when war comes to Afghanistan, it brings even greater challenges-and danger-for the two lovers.
From the cultural melting pot of Kabul to the horrors of an internment camp in Pakistan, Kanishka’s arduous journey finally takes him to the USA in the desperate search for a place to call home-and the fervent hope of reuniting with his beloved Maihan. But destiny seems to have different plans in store for him.

Intimate and powerful, The Carpet Weaver is a sweeping tale of a young gay man’s struggle to come of age and find love in the face of brutal persecution.

Believe me when I say this: After reading this book, I am NOT complaining about the state of affairs of the LGBT community in India ever again. This book was truly an eye-opener for me. Why? Read on to find out.

The Carpet Weaver follows 16-year-old Kanishka Nurzada, a gay Muslim teenager from Kabul, Afghanistan in the 1970s. He is the son of an esteemed carpet weaver in the capital. Gay people are referred to as ‘kuni’ in the local language, which is a belittling term meant as an insult. The society is extremely intolerant towards homosexuality and looks down upon gay men. Kanishka falls in love with another teenager, Maihan Melatyar and their forbidden love is portrayed perfectly: stolen moments and secret kisses. This story encompasses Kanishka’s strife in a strictly homophobic society and how he overcomes various hardships.

Firstly, being a queer person myself, I could step into Kanishka’s shoes right from the very first page and could relate to his circumstances in a way only an insider can. Coming from an orthodox family, I could feel the heartache and pain Kanishka endured in the 1970s as a gay teenager.

If you’re thinking this is just another gay love story, think again. Sadat seamlessly merges a gay love story with politics, war, loss, grief and a lot more serious topics which aren’t all that easy to discuss, to create a beautiful and heart-warming story. He doesn’t shy away from describing the brutality faced by the protagonist and trust me, it was so painful. SO SO PAINFUL. This book sucked me in like a blackhole and I lost track of time while reading this book (wait, is that how black holes work? Not much of a physics person here, haha.)

TITLE: This Mortal Coil

AUTHOR: Emily Suvada

PAGE EXTENT: 464

PUBLISHER: Penguin Books UK

GENRE: Young Adult Science Fiction

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.

That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.

When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.

Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself?

WHOA. WHOA. WHOA. WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN? THERE ARE SO MANY THOUGHTS CLOGGING MY BRAIN AFTER READING THIS BOOK. I HADN’T BRACED MYSELF FOR AN IMPACT OF THIS MAGNITUDE! DAMN!

A deadly virus. Super deadly. Causes people to DETONATE. Yes, like a BOMB. Causes healthy people to EAT the flesh of infected people to stay immune by invoking what is called THE WRATH. Has forced most of the population into underground bunkers. The world is about to end. Shit is about to get real. Emily Suvada definitely knows how to set the bar super high and jump over it! She doesn’t shy away from brutality and knows EXACTLY where she is taking this whirlwind of a story!

This story is set in a dystopian world and our protagonist, Catarina Agatta is an expert hacker who hacks into the servers of an evil organization called Cartaxus and stays alone in a cabin after her father, the world-famous geneticist Lachlan Agatta was taken away by Cartaxus. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot here because its best to dive in UNPREPARED!

THIS IS DYSTOPIAN WORLD-BUILDING AT ITS BEST. People have panels embedded in their forearms that regulate every single bodily function and has apps to modify every aspect of the body, everything being genetically coded! The panel sends what are called Nanites into the body through wires that grow out from the panel which is only a chip that’s embedded when a person is born. LIKE HONESTLY, HOW DID EMILY COME UP WITH THIS AMAZING GEEKY CONCEPT? Being a medschool student, my jaw dropped with awe (LITERALLY!) as I was reading all of this crazy genetic stuff. I began to wonder, DOES EMILY HAVE THIS VERY SAME TECH SECRETLY EMBEDDED IN HER BODY, BECAUSE DAMN, HER BRAIN IS A MARVEL!

If there is an award for the most number of plot twists in a book, this book undoubtedly deserves it! There are a TON of plot twists in this book. It had me GASPING and shouting “WHAT IN SEVEN HELLS JUST HAPPENED?” in almost EVERY chapter! The story is going in a particular direction and you’re happy that things are progressing smoothly and BOOM! Emily throws a grenade at you (and probably evil laughs – haha reader! Didn’t see that coming, did ya? (insert evil face emojis here) ) EMILY IS A PLOTTING QUEEN!

THIS BOOK IS A LITERARY MARVEL. Honestly, this underrated book deserves all the hype, because trust me, it’s THAT GOOOOOD! I picked this book up with bucketloads of expectations and it didn’t disappoint me ONE BIT! It even exceeded my expectations, to be very honest! It is so high-paced you won’t realize yourself fretting and frantically turning the pages to know what happens next!

TITLE: Strange the Dreamer

AUTHOR: Laini Taylor

PAGE EXTENT: 536

PUBLISHER: Hodder & Stoughton

GENRE: Young Adult Fantasy

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Welcome to Weep.

“It was impossible, of course. But when did that ever stop any dreamer from dreaming?”

If there’s one word that can summarize this magical gem of a book, it’s HOPE.

Lazlo Strange is an orphan and a librarian who dreams of visiting the enchanting city of Weep. Weep is a utopian city situated halfway across the world which mysteriously cut off contact with the rest of the world a few years ago. Lazlo longs to visit this city whose name was forgotten all of a sudden and replaced by the word “Weep”.

Sarai is a blue-skinned young goddess trapped in a huge metallic angel-shaped structure called the Citadel that looms over the city of Weep, along with four other godspawn Sparrow, Feral, Ruby and Minya, each having their own power.

How do their lives intertwine? Revealing anything beyond this point will taint the magical experience. Discover for yourself! ❤

If there’s one thing I genuinely regret in my life, it’s not picking this book up sooner. I honestly CANNOT believe why I kept putting it off so much. But I’m so glad I finally decided to delve in.

LAINI TAYLOR IS A GODDESS. Her writing style is outright THE BEST writing style I’ve come across. It’s lyrical, whimsical, magical and lush writing. Remember that feeling when you bite into chocolate-dipped strawberries? The chocolate swirls on your tongue as the juicy strawberry infuses its flavor and the two somehow perfectly go together to give you a heavenly experience? THAT is how you feel as you read this book. I read many paragraphs multiple times just to savor Laini’s DELICIOUS writing.

And now, onto the plot. The plotline of this story is very intricate and well-mapped. Even the most minuscule event that happens during the course of the story is accounted for. I sometimes begin to wonder if there is a magical wonderland in Laini’s head in place of a brain haha. HOW, JUST HOW did she come up with this story? It’s outright THE MOST UNIQUE book I’ve ever read.

The world-building and character-building are ON POINT. Laini takes her time to develop the characters and they turn out to be some of the most memorable characters ever. Lazlo and Sarai will stay with you forever, no exaggeration here. There were times when I began craving for a boyfriend like Lazlo, innocent and pure and most importantly, an ardent reader! Laini makes sure you pine for her characters and feel for them like you’ve known them your entire life. See, THAT’s MAGIC RIGHT THERE.

The love story in this book is of the PUREST form. I can’t put all my thoughts into words because trust me, it’s THAT difficult to describe this masterpiece. When you pick up this book, make sure you have Muse of Nightmares at the ready. Book 2 begins immediately where this one left off and you’ll have a major hangover if you don’t pick up Book 2 right away!

TITLE: The Gita for Children

AUTHOR: Roopa Pai

PAGE EXTENT: 296

PUBLISHER: Hachette India

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s one of the oldest books in the world and India’s biggest blockbuster bestseller!

– But isn’t it meant only for religious old people?

– But isn’t it very long… and, erm, super difficult to read?

– But isn’t the stuff it talks about way too complex for regular folks to understand?

Prepare to be surprised.

Roopa Pai’s spirited, one-of-a-kind retelling of the epic conversation between Pandava prince Arjuna and his mentor and friend Krishna busts these and other such myths about the Bhagavad Gita. Lucid, thought-provoking and brimming with fun trivia, this book will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

Why haven’t you read it yet?

Having been a fan of Roopa Pai’s Taranauts series, I went into this book with high expectations. And boy, did it not disappoint! The Gita for Children is a wonderful take on the holy scripture with fun real-life examples and scenarios that will keep you flying through the pages!

I’ve always wanted to read the Gita but never gave it a try because it seemed too philosophical and boring. Being super honest here, haha. But when I found out about this book, I KNEW my time to read the Gita had finally come! I wanted to know everything there is about the magical conversation about Krishna and Arjuna that turned the tides in one of the biggest wars of all time!

If you’re someone who is not at all familiar with Sanskrit terms and are wondering if you’d be able to understand what’s being spoken about in the book, fret not! Pai has elaborately explained EVERYTHING in the book, from seasons to food items! It’s a complete guide to everything you essentially need to know about and in the Gita!

You might be wondering – the title of the book says it’s for children. But I’m an adult. I want to read and understand the Gita but not something that’s intended for children. Worry not, because you’re in for a treat as well! Every concept that is dealt with in the Gita is explained with relatable daily scenarios and circumstances which will not leave a sliver of a doubt!

The Gita has 700 shlokas. It’s too lengthy. I might get bored. If that’s what you think, then that thought ought to go in the trash! This book explains the Gita chapterwise (Adhyayas as they are called in Sanskrit) with much emphasis on the topics discussed by Krishna and a sprinkle of the most famous shlokas in that chapter! See, it’s not boring AT ALL.

Well, how did I forget to mention the beauty that is Roopa Pai’s writing? The conversation between Krishna and Arjuna made my heart swell with joy! I so wanted Krishna to be my bestie too haha. Having been a huge fan of Pai’s quirky hilarious writing style, this came as no surprise to me! It was super impressive to see that writing style incorporated in a book such as this! Trust me, you’re in for a feast!