Book Review: The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

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The Escape Game  by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss  opens on the set of a reality television show called "The Escape Room" where one of the season four contestants, Alicia Angelos, is found in a coffin on set ... dead. Fast forward to season five where Sierra Angelos, the murder victim's younger sister and suspected killer, has been brought back to the show and paired up with Beck, Adi, and Carter. Sierra wants to find justice for her sister, but when Sierra and her teammates start uncovering clues about the true killer, they must figure out how to survive the game. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for approving my request and providing me with a digital copy of The Escape Game  for free in exchange for my honest review. I was immediately drawn to the title and cover of the young adult novel. Throw in the plot being about an escape room, and I was completely sold on the story before even reading it. The story is told from the perspective of fou...
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Book Review: The Secret Sisters by Avi

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book review the secret sisters avi

The Secret Sisters by Newberry Medal-Winning Author Avi opens with Ida Bidson on her way to live her biggest dream thus far in her life . . . to go to high school so she can eventually become a teacher.  The Roaring Twenties is in it's hey day, and Ida is learning a lot of new things from using a telephone for the first time to seeing her first moving picture to learning how to speak "flapper".  But, when she corrects the principal in front of her class, she worries that she may not last long at the high school.

A huge thank you to Net Galley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Secret Sisters by Avi.  Having heard of the author, but having never reading any of his books, I was intrigued by the synopsis of his latest middle grade book and requested to read it.  When I was approved, I was absolutely delighted.

Although I'm not the target audience, I found The Secret Sisters to be fun and engaging . . . and even educational!  I loved the fact that Ida and her friends were learning how to speak "flapper" from one of their more modern friends and learned how to dance the Charleston.  What was fascinating was that these things were frowned upon by some people in the town.  This story was a great reminder that this time in history was vastly different than it is now.  Even though I knew that many people in the twenties and thirties didn't get their high school education, especially those who lived on a farm, it was a great reminder to me, and I'm sure a new lesson to kids nowadays.  This book is a great historical fiction novel for children between the ages of eight and twelve.  I enjoyed reading this story immensely and now want to read its predecessor.

Four out of five stars is what I gave The Secret Sisters by Avi.  The expected publication date is August 29, 2023.  It's sure to be a winner with kids and adults alike.

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