Review: The Other Widow

Summary: The author of The Pocket Wife explores the dark side of love, marriage, and infidelity in this sizzling novel of psychological suspense. Everybody’s luck runs out. This time it could be theirs . . .

It isn’t safe. That’s what Joe tells her when he ends their affair—moments before their car skids off an icy road in a blinding snowstorm and hits a tree. Desperate to keep her life intact—her job, her husband, and her precious daughter, Lily—Dorrie will do everything she can to protect herself, even if it means walking away from the wreckage. Dorrie has always been a good actress, pretending to be someone else: the dutiful daughter, the satisfied wife, the woman who can handle anything. Now she’s going to put on the most challenging performance of her life. But details about the accident leave her feeling uneasy and afraid. Why didn’t Joe’s airbag work? Why was his car door open before the EMTs arrived? And now suddenly someone is calling her from her dead lover’s burner phone. . . . Joe’s death has left his wife in free fall as well. Karen knew Joe was cheating—she found some suspicious e-mails. Trying to cope with grief is devastating enough without the constant fear that has overtaken her—this feeling she can’t shake that someone is watching her. And with Joe gone and the kids grown, she’s vulnerable . . . and on her own.

Insurance investigator Maggie Devlin is suspicious of the latest claim that’s landed on her desk—a man dying on an icy road shortly after buying a lucrative life insurance policy. Maggie doesn’t believe in coincidences. The former cop knows that things—and people—are never what they seem to be.

As the fates of these three women become more tightly entwined, layers of lies and deception begin to peel away, pushing them dangerously to the edge . . . closer to each other . . . to a terrifying truth . . . to a shocking end. -- William Morrow

My book club read THE OTHER WIDOW by Susan Crawford this month. I mentioned last week in my meeting recap post that none of us loved the book, but that we all finished it... and that's not always the case. Personally, I thought the book was just ok. I didn't have strong feelings about it either way; however, I was surprised by the ending so that counts for something.

THE OTHER WIDOW begins with Dorrie, a married woman and mother to a young girl, is riding in a car with her boss Joe. She also happens to be having an affair with him. The weather is pretty bad and the roads are ice when Joe decides to end their relationship. A car plows into Joe's car, immediately killing Joe. (For some reason, his air bag never deployed!) Dorrie's life as she knows it would be ruined if she were found at the scene of the accident, so she decides to run away from the car to protect herself. Soon thereafter, she begins to receive calls from Joe's throw-away phone!

Dorrie doesn't exactly leave the accident without a trace. There are definitely questions involved in the accident; and Maggie Devlin, the insurance investigator and former cop, knows that something about this accident is suspicious. It's her job to get to the bottom of it before the insurance company pays out, but she is also being driven by some baggage from her past.

And finally, there's Karen, Joe's widow. Her life is turned upside down after the death of her husband. She knew that Joe was having an affair, but she is shocked to learn that Joe was also keeping secrets from her about this business. It's not enough to have to mourn her husband, but she also senses that someone is watching her every move.

I truly believe that THE OTHER WIDOW had a lot of potential. I love psychological thrillers; and this novel, which explored marriage, infidelity, and secrets, sounded fantastic. Unfortunately, there were a few things about this novel that kept it from being truly entertaining to me. I didn't love any of the characters, and I felt the plot was a little too "clunky" (that was a word one of my friends used) and predictable.... that is until the surprise ending!

Having said that, there were some things that did stand out to me about this novel. Despite not really feeling an affinity with any of the characters, I did like that the author decided to tell this story in alternating chapters between Dorrie, Maggie and Karen. Not only did it make the story interesting to have different three views of what took place, but I also thought she did a good job of making each woman's voice her own.

In addition, I really liked the surprise (or maybe I should say shocking) ending of the novel. I had a feeling that what I "thought" was going to happen was a little too obvious, but trust me when I say, that I had absolutely no idea that the novel would go "there." No one in my book club say it coming either, so I do give the author a lot of credit for being able to fool the readers.

And finally, I did feel like Maggie, the insurance adjuster, was an interesting character. She was a former member of the police but left after a serious incident. It was apparent that she was not in a good place when the novel begins and that working as an insurance adjuster wasn't fulfilling for her. It was intriguing to see how her character evolved during the investigation of Joe's death and how she finally found purpose in her life.

Overall, I think THE OTHER WIDOW was good but not great. It's a quick read with a great surprise ending. Recommended to fans of psychological thrillers!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.
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Kid Konnection: New Releases from Animal Planet

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you two new books from the popular Animal Planet Animal Bites series!

Summary: Everything younger readers ages 4-8 want to know about their absolute favorite wild animals that live in nature's extreme ecosystems, packaged in the perfect habitat-by-habitat guide from Animal Planet-the leading global media brand for animal lovers.

With more than 200 gorgeous animal photos of lions, giraffes, ibexes, flamingos, hippopotamuses, and many others, Animal Planet Wild Animals is a fun, habitat-by-habitat guide that provides kids in the first years of schooling with the perfect bite-sized view of their favorite wild animals. Arranged thematically with focus on animal behavior and family relationships, young readers will explore sections about animal bodies, baby animals, food, play time, conservation and more. Special book features designed for this age group include Quick Bites sidebars with cool animal facts, simple infographics, and illustrated maps of life in the African savannah and Amazon rain forest.

For more Animal Bites books, check out Animal Planet Farm Animals, Animal Planet Polar Animals, and Animal Planet Ocean Animals.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Animal Planet's R.O.A.R. (Reach Out. Act. Respond.) campaign that partners with leading animal organization to make the world a better place for domestic and wild animals. -- Animal Planet

Summary: Everything younger readers ages 4-8 want to know about their absolute favorite farm animals in a habitat-by-habitat guide from Animal Planet-the leading global media brand for animal lovers.

With more than 200 gorgeous animal photos of cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, llamas, and many others, Animal Planet Farm Animals is a fun, habitat-by-habitat guide that provides kids in the first years of schooling with the perfect bite-sized view of their favorite farm animals. Arranged thematically with focus on animal behavior and family relationships, young readers will explore sections about animal bodies, baby animals, food, play time, conservation and more. Special book features designed for this age group include Quick Bites sidebars with cool animal facts, simple infographics, and illustrated maps of life in on the farm and at the petting zoo. -- Animal Planet

Every time I get an Animal Planet book for review, I'm blown away by how amazing they are. Their latest two books, which will be released early next week, are titled ANIMAL PLANET ANIMAL BITES WILD ANIMALS and ANIMAL PLANET ANIMAL BITES FARM ANIMALS by Laaren Brown; and they continue to blow my mind. Why didn't they have books like this when I was a kid?

WILD ANIMALS and FARM ANIMALS have the most unbelievably gorgeous color photographs. Each book has over 200 pictures! I swear I could look the beautiful animals over and over again. However, it's the educational aspect of these books that really speak to me.

Both WILD ANIMALS and FARM ANIMALS are geared towards children ages four through eight, but I think kids (and adults) even older than the target audience will love these books. These books actually offer so much that I believe younger children will get things out of them that differs from older kids and adults. For example, there are colorful tabs in the upper right hand corner of each page spread which "guide your Animal Bites adventure." There are tabs for Where They Live, a specific animal, How They Live, Vista, Big Data, Animal Gallery, Living/Working, and Conservation.

Each book comes in around 80 pages so you can imagine how many photos and how much information lie between the pages. The first thing you will notice on each page is, of course, the colorful photographs of animals; however, there are also small tidbits of data about animal habitats, animal behavior, animal food, and more! This information is presented in simple, easy-to-read sentences so kids can delve into as little or as much as they want. There are also cute Quick Bites sidebars with interesting animal facts, maps, etc.

I really can't rave enough about these Animal Planet books. I've reviewed a few over the past few months, and these books are perfect for animal lovers, young and old alike. Highly recommended!

Thanks to Blue Slip Media for providing review copies of these books.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Giveaway: Dory's Adventure

Summary: Every page is a poster in the Finding Dory Poster-A-Page book featuring beloved Disney characters from Dory and Marlin to Bruce the Shark. Finding Nemo fans can relive the underwater adventure, learn a few new things about the meaning of family, and decorate their walls with seven supersized, pull-out posters of their favorite images from Disney-Pixar's new movie, Finding Dory! -- Disney/Time Inc.

We just returned from Disney World a few days ago, and one movie that everyone was talking about is Finding Dory. We were even there for National Speak Like a Whale Day. Today is the release date for this fun movie and I can't wait to see it. Who didn't love Finding Nemo and Dory's scenes?

In honor of the release of Finding Dory, I wanted to share with you the new poster-a-page book called DORY'S ADVENTURE. This adorable book has posters of scenes from the movie Finding Dory on every page. It also has seven large pull-out posters with popular characters including Dory, Nemo, and Bruce the Shark. There is even a poster with six characters that kids can color!

DORY'S ADVENTURE is primarily a collection of assorted posters; however, it also has a few fun pages that relive memorable scenes from the movie. In addition, I liked that there were some pages that taught kids about animals that live in the ocean. For example, there is a page about the Blue Tang Fish that teaches children about their average size, how much they weigh, and why it's called a Blue Tang Fish.

DORY'S ADVENTURE is certain to thrill young fans of Finding Dory!

Thanks to Blue Slip Media for providing a review copy of this book.

I have a copy of DORY'S ADVENTURE to share with one lucky reader. To enter, just fill out the form below before June 30th at 11:59 p.m. EST. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. addresses only. Good luck!


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The Booking Mamas' June Meeting

Summary: The author of The Pocket Wife explores the dark side of love, marriage, and infidelity in this sizzling novel of psychological suspense. Everybody’s luck runs out. This time it could be theirs . . . 

It isn’t safe. That’s what Joe tells her when he ends their affair—moments before their car skids off an icy road in a blinding snowstorm and hits a tree. Desperate to keep her life intact—her job, her husband, and her precious daughter, Lily—Dorrie will do everything she can to protect herself, even if it means walking away from the wreckage. Dorrie has always been a good actress, pretending to be someone else: the dutiful daughter, the satisfied wife, the woman who can handle anything. Now she’s going to put on the most challenging performance of her life. But details about the accident leave her feeling uneasy and afraid. Why didn’t Joe’s airbag work? Why was his car door open before the EMTs arrived? And now suddenly someone is calling her from her dead lover’s burner phone. . . . Joe’s death has left his wife in free fall as well. Karen knew Joe was cheating—she found some suspicious e-mails. Trying to cope with grief is devastating enough without the constant fear that has overtaken her—this feeling she can’t shake that someone is watching her. And with Joe gone and the kids grown, she’s vulnerable . . . and on her own. 

Insurance investigator Maggie Devlin is suspicious of the latest claim that’s landed on her desk—a man dying on an icy road shortly after buying a lucrative life insurance policy. Maggie doesn’t believe in coincidences. The former cop knows that things—and people—are never what they seem to be. 

As the fates of these three women become more tightly entwined, layers of lies and deception begin to peel away, pushing them dangerously to the edge . . . closer to each other . . . to a terrifying truth . . . to a shocking end. -- William Morrow 

Last night, our book club met to discuss THE OTHER WIDOW by Susan Crawford. When we picked this book from our list of choices, it was almost a unanimous selection. Needless to say, we had high hopes for this psychological suspense novel. The description made the book sound promising, and it also dealt with the issues of marriage and infidelity which should have provided some material for discussion.

Unfortunately, we didn't end up talking a whole heck of a lot about the novel. Maybe it was a week of vacations and being home with the kids, but our talkative group was even more chatty than normal. We talked about my Disney/Universal vacation last week along with some planned summer camps and vacation plans. Honestly, we were all over the place!

I also think another contributing factor was that none of us loved THE OTHER WIDOW. While we all read the entire book, we agreed that we didn't really connect with (or even like) any of the characters all that much. And while there were some worthwhile twists at the end of the novel (that none of us saw coming), we thought it took a long time to get to that point.

Personally, I think a psychological suspense story can be difficult to discuss at a book club meeting. We've read ones that we've really enjoyed and still found it hard to talk about the characters and their actions. I think we fell into the trap of analyzing the plot points and twists rather than the bigger themes.

Next month, we will be reading JANE DOE JANUARY: MY TWENTY-YEAR SEARCH FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE by Emily Winslow. I really pushed for this memoir because I thought it sounded fascinating. I'm pretty sure not everyone is as excited to read this one as I am. In fact, one member told me she won't read it... at all.

Summary: Emily Winslow was a young drama student at an elite conservatory in Pittsburgh when she was brutally raped one night in January 1992. Twenty years later, a man was arrested in New York City. His DNA, recorded in the FBI’s criminal database because of an old drug conviction, had been matched to evidence from another 1992 rape that was similar to Winslow’s, and the police were able to link the crimes. The victims—one from January of that year, the other from November—were kept anonymous in the media. This is the story of Jane Doe January.

Now a happily married mother of two living in Cambridge, England, Winslow had longed to face her attacker for years. Highly inquisitive and restless for answers, she turned her career as a crime novelist into a personal investigation—she delved into his past, reconnected with the detectives of her case, and worked with prosecutors in the months leading up to the trial. While preparing to testify back in Pennsylvania for the crime committed against her two decades prior, she was pulled between two very different worlds: a hard-boiled American drama of intense detectives and legal bureaucracy, and her rarefied new world in Cambridge, where the university’s rituals and pervasive formality were both a comfort and a challenge.

Jane Doe January is the intimate memoir of a woman’s traumatic past catching up with her. In her first work of nonfiction, Winslow vividly recounts her long quest to see her case resolved, giving way to a strikingly honest narrative about the surprise possibility of justice after twenty years.

Review: My Fat Dad

Summary: Dawn Lerman spent her childhood constantly hungry. She craved good food as her father, 450 pounds at his heaviest, pursued endless fad diets, from Atkins to Pritikin to all sorts of freeze-dried, saccharin-laced concoctions, and insisted the family do the same—even though no one else was overweight. Dawn’s mother, on the other hand, could barely be bothered to eat a can of tuna over the sink. She was too busy ferrying her other daughter to acting auditions and scolding Dawn for cleaning the house (“Whom are you trying to impress?”).

It was chaotic and lonely, but Dawn had someone she could turn to: her grandmother Beauty. Those days spent with Beauty, learning to cook, breathing in the scents of fresh dill or sharing the comfort of a warm pot of chicken soup, made it all bearable. Even after Dawn’s father took a prestigious ad job in New York City and moved the family away, Beauty would send a card from Chicago every week—with a recipe, a shopping list, and a twenty-dollar bill. She continued to cultivate Dawn’s love of wholesome food, and ultimately taught her how to make her own way in the world—one recipe at a time.

In My Fat Dad, Dawn reflects on her colorful family and culinary-centric upbringing, and how food shaped her connection to her family, her Jewish heritage, and herself. Humorous and compassionate, this memoir is an ode to the incomparable satisfaction that comes with feeding the ones you love. -- Berkley

Father's Day is right around the corner and I thought it would be timely to review MY FAT DAD: A MEMOIR OF FOOD, LOVE, AND FAMILY, WITH RECIPES by Dawn Lerman. Ms. Lerman is now a nutritionist and contributor to the New York Times Well Blog, and it's apparent that her childhood had a lasting effect on her choice of careers.

Dawn Lerman's father was a successful advertising executive (think Mad Men!); however, he was also a constant dieter. He loved food -- to the excess of 8000 calories a day, and he eventually reached the weight of 450 pounds. He tried every new fad diet that he could find, and he even went to Duke University for a severe weight loss program. Meanwhile, Dawn's mother couldn't care less about food. She was more interested in taking Dawn's younger sister to auditions and taking her across the country for her acting career.

Dawn was left alone a lot during her childhood. Fortunately she had a lovely grandma named Beauty. Beauty spent a great deal of time with Dawn learning to cook and appreciating the comfort quality of food. However, when Dawn's father took a job in New York City and the family had to leave Chicago (and Beauty!), Dawn found herself even lonelier. Beauty continued to send her family recipes along with shopping lists and money to purchase the items, and Dawn continued to develop a love of food and cooking.

I really enjoyed MY FAT DAD. It was a wonderful coming-of-age story about a young girl's love of food and family and how it eventually played into her future as a nutritionist. I loved the author's storytelling/writing as well as how she incorporated so many great recipes into the book. I especially liked how these recipes mirrored the food and cooking she mentioned in each of the chapters.

I found Ms. Lerman's story to be very interesting. While this book will appeal to foodies, it will also appeal to fans of memoirs. Ms. Lerman's story was touching. She had an interesting (and sometimes sad) childhood with a very busy father and a distant mother. Much of the family time and efforts revolved around her father's various diets; and as strange as many of them were, Ms. Lerman did develop an interest in healthy living and nutrition as a result.

One thing that made me sad about Ms. Lerman's childhood was how interested her mother was in her younger sister's life and acting career. I credit Ms. Lerman for being totally supportive of her sister -- she wasn't the slightest bit resentful. Her sister did end up having a fair amount of success as a childhood actress, and as a result, her mother was absent from her life much of the time. Dawn was left to her own devices in New York City and even started going to bars and nightclubs at a young age. I think that Ms. Lerman was forced to grow up much quicker than normal kids, but she never complained or portrayed herself as a victim.

Ms. Lerman's knowledge as a nutritionist definitely came in handy when her father was diagnosed with cancer. Upon her suggestion, he eliminated many foods from his diet including dairy and meat. She also incorporated some healthy foods into his eating regime including vegetables and algae. They credit his healthy eating as the reason he is still alive today... and it does make sense.

Probably what I appreciated the most about MY FAT DAD is that the book was a celebration of family and food. I could definitely relate having a loving grandmother who looked at food as a way to please her family. Some of my most treasured memories of my grandmothers involve food and learning their recipes. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that many readers will enjoy Beauty's recipes and overall outlook on life.

Overall, MY FAT DAD is an entertaining novel about one woman's love affair with food and healthy eating. Highly recommended... especially as Father's Day is only a few days away.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy of this novel.

Guest Review: The Survivors

Summary: Successful psychologist Cal Henderson has a busy practice in Washington, DC, good friends, and big plans for the future. But he can’t escape a terrible secret.

When he was a boy, his mother murdered his father and two brothers and severely wounded Cal’s best friend, Scottie Glass. Desperate to keep the nightmare at bay, Cal has turned his back on everything that happened that night.

Then on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the traumatic event, Scottie shows up at Cal’s office—edgy, paranoid, but somehow still the loveable kid he once was. Though their lives have taken very different paths, they both believe Cal’s mother couldn’t have been a murderer. She loved them too much, no matter what dark place she found herself in. They set off to dig up the real story.

In his search for answers he uncovers secrets about his mother’s life involving a defense contractor’s dark dealings, a nominee for U.S. Attorney with a questionable past, and a shady corporate billionaire whose sphere of influence seems to include everyone from the Pentagon on down.

Meanwhile, as Cal gets closer to discovering the truth, recovered memories of his childhood push him into a psychological tailspin. -- Seventh Street Books

I just got back from a week at Disney World and Universal last night, so I am extremely grateful that my dad sent me a review of THE SURVIVORS by Robert Palmer that I could post this morning. I'm pooped and will be playing catchup all day if not all week. THE SURVIVORS sounds like one I would have enjoyed so I'm not quite sure why I passed it along to him! I'm having a few regrets after reading his thoughts:

THE SURVIVORS, A Cal Henderson Novel by Robert Palmer begins with eight year old Davie Oaks witnessing his mother’s apparent suicide outside their home. His mother is also suspected of killing his father and two brothers and seriously wounding his best friend, Scottie Glass. Davie, now known as Cal Henderson, is a very successful psychologist who has suppressed the memory of the incident until Scottie Glass shows up in his office on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the murder.

Scotty is an edgy, obsessive-compulsive character who doesn’t believe that Cal’s mother was a murderer and has spent his entire life digging up information about the murders and the people surrounding the incident. He now wants Cal to join his “investigation”.

Cal is drawn into Scottie’s obsession and both men become entangled in a web of intrigue that reveals Cal’s parents involvement with government contracts, patents, lawsuits and kickbacks that puts both their lives in danger. Cal is also thrust into a personally dangerous situation as the pursuit of the truth reveals more and more of his suppressed memories.

Palmer’s main characters, Cal and Scottie, are deeply flawed and very complex while the supporting characters seem to know and care about Scottie and Cal more than either knows. There’s also the interesting twist of a psychologist seeking personal help from other psychologists.

THE SURVIVORS is filled with intrigue and complex plots that earns it’s designation as a suspense thriller. The question at the end is whether Cal can recover from the impact of recalling the suppressed memories. There is a hint in the sub title, a Cal Henderson Novel, which suggests that Cal Henderson may be a leading character in future novels by Robert palmer. This is a great book for that summer beach vacation.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel and to Booking Pap Pap for his review.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.

Kid Konnection: Return to the Isle of the Lost & Giveaway

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you the sequel to the #1 New York Times Best Selling middle grade book THE ISLE OF THE LOST.

Summary: Mal's an expert at intimidating her enemies, but she's broken the habit since leaving her villainous roots behind. So when she and her friends Evie, Carlos, and Jay all receive threatening messages demanding they return home, Mal can't believe it. Sure, she's King Ben's girlfriend now, and she's usually nice to her classmates, but she still didn't think anyone would be silly enough to try to push her around.

The thing is, it kind of worked. Especially since she and her friends have a sneaking suspicion that their villainous parents are behind the messages. And when Evie looks into her Magic Mirror, what she sees only confirms their fears. Maleficent's just a tiny lizard after her run-in with Mal at Ben's Coronation, but she's the worst villain in the land for a reason. Could she have found a way to escape? Whatever's going on, Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay know they have to sneak back to the Isle and get to the bottom of it.

Without its infamous leader, the island's even worse than when they left it, but the comforts of home-even a home as gloomy as the Isle of the Lost-can be hard to resist for recently reformed villains. Will the kids be able to beat the evil bubbling at the Isle's wicked core, or will the plot to destroy Auradon succeed? -- Disney/Hyperion

Last year, I had the terrific opportunity to participate in a group interview with Melissa de la Cruz. Her first Disney Descendants novel THE ISLE OF THE LOST was being released, and she shared with us about the challenges she faced writing about "new" Disney characters while also trying to stay true to the originals. I read THE ISLE OF THE LOST last year and really appreciated how well she did both of these things.

Before I tell you about her new novel RETURN TO THE ISLE OF THE LOST, I should probably tell you a little bit about the first book in the series THE ISLE OF THE LOST. Here's how I described it last year:

Have you ever wondered what happened to all the villains at the end of classic Disney movies like Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, Snow White, and more? Well, THE ISLE OF THE LOST answers that question! The novel picks up 20 years after the villains were defeated and tells the story of what happened to these characters and what they've done since their banishment from the kingdom of Auradon. The villains were sent to the Isle of the Lost, a depressing and isolated place no magic. Unfortunately, the villains haven't really been rehabilitated; and they've managed to pass along some of their not-so-nice traits onto their children. The villains (and their kids) are hoping that the spell will be broken and that they can one day return to Auradon and continue their evil ways! 

I don't want to give too much away, but I think it's fairly safe to say that four of the villains' kids, Mal (daughter of Maleficent), Evie (daughter of the Evil Queen), Carlos (son of Cruella de Vil) and Jay (son of Jafar) discover that just because you were brought up to be bad doesn't mean you have to stay bad!

Ok -- fast forward to the latest Disney Descendants novel which was released on May 24th -- RETURN TO THE ISLE OF THE LOST. This book picks up where the last one left off. Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay now are living happily in the kingdom of Auradon when they receive strange messages telling them to return to the Isle of the Lost. They suspect their horrible parents are behind the messages. And to make matters worse, there are a lot of strange weather patterns occurring that make them wonder if Maleficent isn't up to trouble again! It seems unlikely that Maleficent could have escaped from her prison; however, the four kids decide that they have to return to the Isle of the Lost to figure out what's going on!

RETURN TO THE ISLE OF THE LOST was just as cute as the original story. I love this cast of characters and I think these books are so clever in featuring Disney offspring. Once again, Ms. de la Cruz has done an excellent job of incorporating interesting Disney tidbits and characters into the story, and I can safely say that her references will please long-time Disney fans... like me!

This novel was fact-paced and action-packed and I do think it will appeal to readers of both sexes. (Having said that, I know my son says it's a princess book!) I love how much the main four characters have evolved from troublemakers to honorable citizens, and I like that they uses their minds and talents to fight evil. Each one of these characters definitely has their own personality, and I think that kids will be able to relate to one or more of them.

Finally, I think RETURN TO THE ISLE OF THE LOST has a lot of terrific messages. Not only have these kids been rehabilitated, but they also have learned a great deal about the meaning of friendship. There are additional messages about learning to trust your instincts, making good decisions, and having confidence that should resonate with both parents and middle grade readers.

Overall, I think RETURN TO THE ISLE OF THE LOST and THE ISLE OF THE LOST are terrific middle grade books. Highly recommended... especially to fans of the Disney movie!

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Giveaway alert: Thanks to the fine folks at Disney/Hyperion, I have copies of both THE ISLE OF THE LOST and RETURN TO THE ISLE OF THE LOST to share with one lucky reader. To enter, just fill out the form below before June 24th at 11:59 p.m. EST. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. addresses only. Good luck!



*****

Melissa de la Cruz (www.melissa-delacruz.com) is the author of the #1 New York Times best seller The Isle of the Lost, as well as many other best-selling novels, including all the books in the Blue Bloods series: Blue Bloods, Masquerade, Revelations, The Van Alen Legacy, Keys to the Repository, Misguided Angel, Bloody Valentine, Lost in Time, and Gates of Paradise. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and daughter.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!