Tag: 4 stars

Millicent Quibb #1: The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science – Kate McKinnon

Illustrations – Alfredo Cáceres

Your skin will harden, your bangs will burn, your minds will be trapped in a psychological prison of broken mirrors and strange echoes

Sound like fun? Come on in! The duck pond’s fine!

Narrated by Dr Candlestank, a mad scientist who gave me these vibes for some reason …

Kate McKinnon in Ghostbusters

… this is the story of the Porch sisters.

The Porch sisters

The Porch sisters aren’t like the rest of their family, not the least because their names don’t include Lavinia. It might also have something to do with their interests.

Eugenia likes rocks and explosions. Dee-Dee is mechanically minded. Gertrude is an entomologist in the making who has questions, like “what makes the purple feathers on pigeons sparkle and what makes soap bubbles have rainbows in them and where does a newt lay eggs and do cat whiskers feel anything and are guinea pigs related to pigs and how is a chilli pepper hot and things like that.”

Good questions, the answers of which are not going to be found at Mrs Wintermacher’s School of Etiquette for Girls. If only there was a school that catered to the strange and unusual…

Millicent Quibb

Meet Millicent Quibb. Strange. Unusual. Mad scientist.

“Look – I know I’m ‘scary’ and my house is ‘a hoard’ and there are ‘tarantulas everywhere’. I’m not ‘good with children’ and I don’t ‘have social skills’. I was ‘kicked out of etiquette school when I was young’ and now I’m ‘a pariah’.”

Did I mention she runs a school? The Porch sisters are in need of a school and Millicent is in need of, well…

“So you want us, a group of children with no skills at all, to help you protect the town against a hidden organisation of evil mad scientists?”

“Yes. You’re finally getting it.”

We’re doomed! Or are we?

I’m very aware of the pushback against children’s books written by celebrities and I usually bypass them. This one grabbed my attention, though. Adult me enjoyed it but not quite as much as kid me would have, probably in part because I kept thinking of all of the kid’s books on my TBR pile that aren’t written by celebrities.

Putting that aside for a moment, this madcap adventure (with footnotes) felt similar to my first read of Roald Dahl books when I was a kid, over the top bonkers fun. Alfredo Cáceres’ illustrations helped amplify the quirky.

I loved seeing outcasts being true to themselves, refusing to be squished into boxes that conform to society’s expectations.

“We are about to embark on a long, dangerous mission for which none of us is qualified.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Gertrude, Eugenia, and Dee-Dee Porch do not belong. They don’t belong in the snooty town of Antiquarium, where the only dog allowed is the bichon frise. They don’t belong with their adoptive family, where all their cousins are named Lavinia. And after getting kicked out of the last etiquette school that would take them, the girls expect to be sent away for good… until they receive a mysterious invitation.

Suddenly the girls are under the tutelage of the infamous Millicent Quibb – a mad scientist with worms in her hair and oysters in her bathtub. Dangerous? Yes! More fun than they’ve ever had? Absolutely! But when the sisters are asked to save their town from an evil cabal of mad scientists, they must learn to embrace what has always made them stand out – before it’s too late!

Perfect for fans of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science is the unbelievably hilarious, madcap adventure debut from comedic superstar Kate McKinnon – an unforgettable and laugh-out-loud funny story, and a warm-hearted celebration of individuality, imagination, and eccentricity.

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We Kept Her in the Cellar – W. R. Gorman

I love a good retelling. I rewatched Ever After (yet again!) while I was reading this book and I adored it even more than I did when I first saw it, oh, about 25 years ago. This is not that retelling.

This Cinderella is the family secret for entirely different reasons.

Cinderella, when she comes, will show no mercy.

Cinderella is 12 years old when she arrives at the manor and meets her new stepsisters, Eunice (11) and Hortense (5). Told from the perspective of one of Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters, you’ll quickly learn why this Cinderella comes with her own set of rules.

“To see her, as she truly is – it would undo you.”

You see, this Cinderella story has teeth. She’s actually kinda bitey so you might want to maintain a safe distance. Beware of loopholes and be especially careful after midnight.

Kept underground, this Cinderella is more often than not out of sight. She is rarely out of mind.

With copious amounts of vomit splashing across the pages, this is not going to be everyone’s happily ever after. The body horror was everything I hoped it would be and I had so much fun racing through this book.

Hortense, my favourite character, brought the attitude and bugs. She also managed to snag the best lines.

Favourite no context quote:

“Stop, you’re getting tears in my hair!” protested Hortense. “If you’re going to be throwing your bodily fluids around, you could at least have the decency to put them in a glass jar, so I can look at them more closely later.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, an imprint of The Quick Brown Fox & Company, for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Eunice lives her life by three simple rules: One, always refer to Cinderella as family. Two, never let Cinderella gain access to rats or mice. Three, never look upon Cinderella between the hours of twelve and three a.m. 

Cinderella has dark and terrifying powers. As her stepsister, Eunice is expected to care for her and keep the family’s secret. For years, Eunice has faithfully done so. Her childhood flew by in a blur of nightmares, tears, and near-misses with the monster living in the cellar. But when she befriends the handsome Prince Credence and secures an invitation to the ball, Eunice is determined to break free. 

When her younger sister, Hortense, steps up to care for Cinderella, Eunice grabs her chance to dance the night away — until Cinderella escapes. With her eldritch powers, Cinderella attends the ball and sweeps Prince Credence off his feet, leaving behind a trail of carnage and destruction as well as a single green glass slipper.   

With Cinderella unleashed, Eunice must determine how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice in order to stop Cinderella. Unsettling and macabre at every turn, this page-turning horror will bewitch horror fans and leave its readers anxiously checking the locks on their cellar doors.

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Hidden Languages #2: Ornithography – Jessica Roux

My introduction to bird lore was watching cartoon storks deliver baby after baby but never stopping by my house to deliver the sister I’d been hoping for.

My next bird related memory is slightly less hopeful: the albatross in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The albatross is “associated with heavy, inescapable burdens – especially those of a psychological nature.” At the time I couldn’t believe someone could write such a long poem and, if I’m being honest, it freaked me out but it was my beloved Nan who introduced me to this poem so it quickly became a favourite.

It wasn’t until I read this book that I thought about how integral birds are to our folklore, mythology and history. We know the story of the ugly duckling and we want to be as happy as a lark. Birds feature in religious texts and literature. They warn us of danger, inspire us and feature in tales of morality.

There were many connections I’ve never made before. One that stood out to me was Peter denying Jesus in the lead up to His crucifixion and weathercocks.

In the ninth century, Pope Nicholas I decreed that a rooster be placed atop every church in Europe as a reminder of this betrayal. Because weather vanes were already present on many church steeples, roosters were added to the devices, creating the now ubiquitous “weathercock.” The oldest surviving weathercock, the Gallo di Ramperto, was installed around the year 820 atop the bell tower of a church in Brescia, Italy.

My favourite entry was the Māori legend relating to the kiwi, which I had heard before but appreciated more with this reading.

Tāne Mahuta, the father of the forest, discovered that insects were eating his trees and making them ill. He called upon his brother, Tāne Hokahoka, the god of the birds, for help. Together, they asked if a bird would come down from the sky and live on the forest floor to eat the destructive insects. Only the brave kiwi agreed. Although he knew this meant he would never fly again, he chose to protect the forest.

With a focus on America and Europe, most of the birds I’ve come across weren’t included. There were even some birds I’d never heard of before. That didn’t make the book any less entertaining, although I’m keen to learn the stories behind the birds I know.

The cover image, which is what initially drew me to the book, is indicative of the illustrations you’ll find accompanying the information about the one hundred birds you’ll meet within its pages. I particularly liked the details that line up with the lore of that bird, for example, the skull pictured with the owl.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

From the creator of Floriography and the Woodland Wardens Oracle Deck comes this beautifully illustrated exploration of the folklore, mythology, and history surrounding our favourite winged companions.

Birds have inspired us since the dawn of time: their elegance in flight, captivating colours, and delicate mannerisms spark hope, joy, and delight. Cultures around the world have historically looked to birds as sacred messengers, intermediaries between earth and sky, including them in myths and legends and using them to teach moral lessons and historical truths.

In Jessica Roux’s Ornithography, each of 100 entries focuses on one bird species, featuring a full-page colour illustration in her detailed, darkly romantic style and the lore behind each bird.

The perfect gift for birdwatchers, gardeners, and history buffs, as well as all readers who appreciate nature, mythology, and art, Ornithography is as intriguing and playful as the feathered muses that fill its pages.

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Midwestern Gothic – Scott Thomas

Kill Creek was one of my favourite reads of 2017 so I was keen to revisit Blantonville, Kansas. These four novellas were the perfect excuse.

The Door in the Field

Written by Ted Hollister, AKA Sebastian Cole, The Door in the Field describes an apparently indescribable creature on the other side of a … (you gusssed it) door in a field.

This story is told by 26 year old April Staudt. It’s about her father, Ray, whose anger gets him in more trouble than he anticipated.

My father was once two people. This is the story of how he became a third.

Wear Your Secret Like a Stone

Tara chose a T.C. Moore book as her contribution to her workplace’s Halloween display.

“I like my horror as dark as my coffee, and it doesn’t get much darker than T.C. Moore’s Puncture. It will disturb you in all the right ways!”

Her search for the woman who complained about this book choice leads Tara down a rabbit hole.

The Boy in the Woods

Summer camp may be officially over but it’s not for ten year old Eddie. He’s got one more night there and, boy, is he going to wish his parents had picked him up on time.

He knew from campfire stories and fairy tales that the darkness welcomed things like him.

It was a place of monsters.

One Half of a Child’s Face

Things have been weird in that apartment building since the painting arrived. Sienna should know. Her ex lives there and she people watches its residents from her home a couple of blocks away. What? That’s not creepy…

“Remember what you lost. But never forget what you still have.”

When I first heard about this book, the novella I was most looking forward to reading was The Boy in the Woods. My favourite read was Wear Your Secret Like a Stone.

While the authors who visited Finch House are all mentioned in these novellas, you don’t have to have read Kill Creek first. It’s such a fun read, though, so I’d definitely recommend it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Inkshares for the opportunity to read these novellas.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

From Kill Creek’s Kansas — four gothic novellas.

In The Door in the Field, a construction worker’s bad day becomes a far worse night when drinks at an off-the-books bar send him down an unforeseeably bloody path.

In The Boy in the Woods, something evil has infected the counsellors at a summer camp, and a young boy will have to do anything he can to survive the night.

In One Half of a Child’s Face, a woman spying on her daughter and ex-husband notices an odd painting hanging in an empty apartment … one that seems to call to the building’s children.

In Wear Your Secret Like a Stone, a big-box clerk discovers that her book pick for a Halloween display echoes a dark secret hidden beneath the idyllic facade of her hometown.

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Graveyards – Alastair Horne

I love fun facts and photography, although sometimes it can be difficult to find enough favourites to include in a review. I had the opposite problem here so, even though I’ve tried to restrain myself, I’ve included more than I usually would.

Because Back to the Future is never too far from my mind, I need to tell you that the Cave Hill Cemetery clock tower in Louisville, Kentucky has been struck by lightning a number of times.

At Boston’s Granary Burying Ground in 2009 “an abandoned entrance to an unmarked crypt was rediscovered when the ground gave way beneath a visitor, plunging her into a hidden stairwell.”

One of my favourite photos was of Kilmacduagh Monastery in Galway, Ireland.

Kilmacduagh Monastery
Image credit: Jon Ingall

A partly ruined ninth-century building at Mizdarkhan in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan is known as the Apocalypse Clock. It is believed that “when the final brick falls, it will herald the end of the world.”

I love graves that showcase the personality or interests of the person buried there, so absolutely adore the piano in London’s Highgate Cemetery.

Highgate Cemetery
Image credit: Flavia Paoletti

Off the coast of Madagascar, pirates are buried at Île Sainte Marie. Naturally their gravestones are marked with skulls and crossbones.

The Kankanaey people of Sagada suspend the coffins of their most distinguished elders from the cliffs. Traditionally, the elderly make their own coffins and paint their names on the side; the bodies are placed in a foetal position, mimicking their entry into life.

The Hanging Coffins of Sagada
Image credit: Florian Blümm

There was a focus on cemeteries in Europe and the Americas. Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific combined had under 50 pages dedicated to them, whereas Europe and the Americas had 170. There were less photos that looked like a haunting had been interrupted than I had hoped but the abundance of memorable fun facts made up for it.

NB: Images are taken from the eARC so the colours may not be an accurate representation of the photos in the book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amber Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Graveyards, burial sites and cemeteries are as old as human civilisation itself, resting places, and memorial sites for loved ones, the great, and sometimes the infamous.

Graveyards reveals both the universality of death, and the diversity of how we commemorate or memorialise those who have passed, from the hanging coffins of Sagada, Philippines, to the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague, testament to the huge Jewish community that lived in the Czechoslovak capital before the Holocaust.

With detailed captions explaining their history and often ghostly past, Graveyards is a vivid pictorial exploration of the best-known, most-haunted, and quirkiest burial places in the world today.

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Repeat After Me – Jessica Warman

Welcome to Xavier Academy’s senior class trip: tropical island edition.

Emma can’t say she wasn’t warned.

“Can you hear me? It’s me. Don’t go, Gizmo.”

But it’s senior trip and tonight is the night she’s losing her virginity. It’s all planned. And did I mention the tropical island?

“Nothing bad ever happens at the beach,” he declared, which anybody who’s ever seen Jaws knows is not true.

Emma is surrounded by the usual clichés.

There’s rich kid Bradd. Yeah, two d’s. He’s flexible and I wanted to hate him but he grew on me.

I am crushing life. Absolutely crushing it. I am a winner.

Brad’s girlfriend Alison, who used to be Emma’s best friend, is a self confessed sugar addict. Auggie, Emma’s boyfriend, isn’t a fan of Louis, her best friend. Shelby has a reputation. There’s the new girl and the exchange students.

Then there’s an octopus named Sibyl. If it wasn’t for Sibyl, then none of this would have been possible.

“It’s a long story. It has to do with cocaine and a sentient, immortal octopus.”

Now Emma is stuck in a time loop and she still hasn’t lost her virginity!

It had occurred to me, all of a sudden — I don’t know what took so long — that I could do whatever I wanted. Nothing mattered!

But at the same time … nothing mattered.

I thought this book was so much fun but apparently it’s quite divisive. It seems to be one of those love it or hate it books.

It’s like Groundhog Day but with teenagers. It’s funny and over the top and a little ridiculous if we’re being honest, but that’s half the fun. Maybe don’t think too hard about how this all works and just go with it.

It’s about life choices, extraordinary feats of flexibility (I’m trying not to look at you here, Bradd) and figuring out whether being able to do whatever you want with no consequences is a blessing or curse.

I’m keen for a reread.

“Time buddies!”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Entangled Teen, an imprint of Entangled Publishing, for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

She’s about to have a serious temporal tantrum.

In retrospect, I probably should have passed on the ceviche.

It was already a weird Friday. My class is stuck on an eerily remote island for our senior trip, I’m pretty sure Mr. D (“call me Max”) is hiding something from us, my ex–best friend turned nemesis keeps stealing my candy, and tonight’s plan for my boyfriend and me to finally lose our virginity to each other is going hellishly.

I mean, ceviche is delicious, don’t get me wrong. But a dish made from a supposedly immortal octopus should really come with a warning label.

Caution: consuming a telepathic sea creature of unknown origin may result in immortality, no consequences to any actions, and getting stuck in a time loop for all of eternity.

Now every morning I wake up, and it’s the same Friday all over again. Same annoying classmates. Same island suspended in time by an evil oyster farmer with a God complex. Same outrageous candy theft. The only person I can count on to keep me from losing my grip on this new reality is Louis, my best friend who knows me better than anyone else in this world.

This should be a cephalopod-induced nightmare but somehow — in some ridiculous way — I feel like I’m experiencing the extraordinary, the gift of endless opportunities to get things right. But when I wake up every morning and it’s Friday again, sometimes it feels more like a never-ending prison sentence.

They say some things are worse than death…

…guess I’m about to find out.

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Time of Iron #1: Long Live Evil – Sarah Rees Brennan

When you’re given the opportunity to turn your impending The End into To be continued…, you take it.

Rae, who life cruelly cast in the role of the character most likely to stop breathing by the end of the chapter, is very nearly at the end of her story when she rediscovers something she hasn’t felt for the better part of three years: hope. Rae enters the pages of her favourite series and proceeds to set about rewriting her story.

Being cast as the villain is an upgrade for this once upon a cheerleader. Rae takes her new found energy (and breasts) and runs with it. Of course, things go off script quicker than you can say ‘plot twist’ but being the villain is complicated. There’s the scheming, the management of other’s expectations, the inconvenient feelings…

“Don’t you dream of the forbidden? Choose wrong. Choose evil. Let’s do it together.”

Rae is so relatable and there were other characters I met in the pages, like Key and the Golden Cobra, who I definitely need to spend more time with. It didn’t hurt that this portal fantasy takes place in one of my book nerd dreams, the pages of a beloved book. Oh, the places I would go…

But villains. Because ethics aren’t as high on their agenda, villains tend to be more interesting, complicated characters and I’m an absolute sucker for mwa-ha-ha moments. I’ve got to be honest with you, though. I keep hoping I’ll encounter a villain that gives me Hans Gruber vibes and I don’t think I’ll be completely satisfied until I find one.

This book was a bit of a complicated read for me. I was absolutely hooked by the beginning and the end but the middle contained sections that dragged on for me. For a while it felt like the entire reason for Rae being there was put on hold to focus on the dramas playing out between other characters, but when it got going again it really got going.

It wasn’t until I was about halfway through that I realised this was the first in a series. (Apparently my attention to detail is not what it used to be.) I found this frustrating because by the time the next book is released the urgency to need to know what happens next may have faded. With how this book ends, I hope I don’t have to wait too long.

“Time to take evil to the next level.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A tale for anyone who’s ever fallen for the villain…

When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favourite fantasy series.

She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He’s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she’s not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor’s tale.

So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they’re doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor’s fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.

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Megalodons, Mermaids and Climate Change – Ellen Prager & Dave Jones

Cover image of Megalodons, Mermaids and Climate Change

Written by a marine scientist and a meteorologist, this is an interesting introduction to the ocean and the atmosphere. It answers questions about topics including the sea, sea creatures, coral reefs, the supernatural (or is it?), lightning, hurricanes, weather forecasting, extreme events, climate change and the sun.

I love fun facts and there are plenty here.

You’re more likely to be killed by a toaster than by a shark.

The only whale with an esophagus big enough to swallow a human adult is the sperm whale but they “dive thousands of feet to catch prey” so you’re very, very unlikely to be on the menu, even accidentally.

Starfish aren’t called starfish anymore! They’re known as sea stars now.

As sunlight enters the ocean, short-waved light like green and blue penetrate deeper. Long-waved red light is absorbed more quickly. So, below about sixty feet, without artificial light, everything appears blue-green.

… This includes blood.

When I was a kid, I was always on the lookout for books like this for school project research but it was too advanced for kid me. Adult me wavered between Didn’t I learn this at school? and That’s really interesting. I should have studied science after it became an elective at school. It probably would have been just right for teenage me but they would’ve thought it looked too much like homework.

For readers who are craving more answers, there’s a fairly extensive list of sources and additional information at the back of the book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Columbia University Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Could ancient giant sharks called megalodons still exist in the deep sea? What should you do if stung by a jellyfish? Can we predict lightning strikes and how is climate change affecting hurricanes?

With humour, easy to understand language, and fun illustrations, marine scientist Ellen Prager and meteorologist Dave Jones use frequently asked and zany questions about the ocean and atmosphere to combat misinformation and make science engaging and understandable for all. From dangerous marine life, coral reefs, and the deep sea to lightning, hurricanes, weather forecasting, the Sun, and climate change, they reveal what’s fact, what’s fiction, and how to find science-based answers. This book is perfect for anyone curious about the world around them, educators, science communicators, and even scientists who want to learn about and explain topics outside their expertise.

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Louder Than Hunger – John Schu

Cover image of Louder Than Hunger by John Schu

It’s 1996 and Jake, an eighth grader, lives in suburban Chicago. He volunteers at a nursing home after school.

Jake’s mother is sad and his father is largely absent. His favourite person and best friend is his Grandma, who shares his love of Broadway musicals.

Jake loves all of Emily Dickinson’s poetry but one poem in particular speaks to him.

I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you—Nobody—too?

What speaks the loudest in Jake’s life, though, is the Voice. The Voice tells him not to eat and reminds him constantly how worthless he is.

I
punish
myself
day
after
day.

Why?

For
taking
up
too
much
space.

For
being
me.

For
breathing.

Jake has anorexia. His story is based on the author’s, which adds to the authenticity of Jake’s voice.

When Jake is sent to Whispering Pines for treatment, the reader is granted access to his thoughts and struggles. Along the way, we discover why Jake is trying so hard to disappear.

Every
single
day
I felt like I was on the outside,
looking in.

I read this book in one sitting. It was easy for me to relate to Jake, especially when he spoke about his connection to his Grandma. My Nan was also my favourite person and I saw some of her in the bond Jake had with his Grandma.

This was Jake’s story so the focus was always going to be on him but I would have liked to have learned more about the other young people being treated at Whispering Pines. We spent the most time with Kella but even she only felt like an acquaintance.

When I was Jake’s age, I also struggled with disordered eating. Unlike Jake, no one noticed what was happening with me so I wasn’t offered/forced into treatment.

However, I know firsthand the power of books, showing you that despite how you may be feeling, you aren’t alone. A book was what impacted me the most at the time.

My hope is that this story speaks to young people who have their own stories of disordered eating, that it gives them the courage to use their voice so they can access the support they deserve.

Make sure you take care of my boy!

Thank you so much to Walker Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A powerful, authentic verse novel exploring a teen boy’s experience with disordered eating, charting the successes and setbacks of his journey toward recovery.

Jake feels alone at school and alone at home. Some days it feels like the only people who understand him is the poet Emily Dickinson – and Jake’s beloved grandma. But there is also the Voice inside him, louder than any other, who professes to know him best of all.

The one that says “You have me.”

The Voice is loud enough to drown out everything else, even the hunger Jake feels, until his mum intervenes and sends him to Whispering Pines.

Here Jake will learn how to confront the loneliness inside him, and find out who he is and what he has to live for. That is, if he can quiet the Voice…

Told in succinct and powerful verse, this novel is a stunning and wholly authentic expression of a young man finding the will – and the power – to wrest control from the intrusive thoughts that crowd his mind.

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These Deathless Shores – P.H. Low

This is Peter Pan, but not as you know it.

Hook is a once upon a time Lost Boy who was unceremoniously exiled (that’s putting it nicely) when she got her first period. Now an addict, she’s coming back to the Island with her ‘Twin’ because the Island has the drug she needs and the villain who’s overdue for some revenge.

The villain of this story is Peter. You know, Peter Pan. With laughter I heard in my head as Michael Jackson’s (yeah, my brain’s weird) and a bloodlust that probably shouldn’t have surprised me, this Peter deserves everything coming to him, and more. He’s an absolute asshole and I wouldn’t have lost any sleep if Jordan had pulled Peter’s skeleton from his body while he watched. I may have helped her.

In case it’s not obvious, this is not Disney, with its cutesy songs and pixie dust. Okay, there is pixie dust but its ingredients were not approved by Walt.

With a backdrop of feminist rage – being relegated to specific roles in society approved by the patriarchy, making yourself small in order to fit the mould – this is oftentimes a painful read. The legacy of childhood trauma, multifaceted and cruel, is at its heart, with battles waged both against others and internally.

“We become what we need to be in order to survive.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Jordan was once a Lost Boy, convinced she would never grow up.

Now, she’s twenty-two and exiled to the real world, still suffering withdrawal from the magic Dust of her childhood – and the drug she’s using to medicate that withdrawal is wreaking its final, fatal effects.

With nothing left to lose, Jordan returns to the Island and its stories – of pirates and war and the cruelty of youth – intent on facing Peter one last time, on her own terms.

But Peter isn’t the only malevolent force moving against her. As Jordan confronts the nature of Dust, first love, and the violent legacy carved into the land itself, she realises the Island may have plans of its own.

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