Bite-Sized Reviews of The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang, The Memory Spinner, The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham, Nordlys, an

Today I’m featuring a few of the recent books from Middle Grade Escapades, plus a review of a fantasy YA graphic novel and another MG graphic novel debut that I recently read. Hope these bite-sized reviews are enough to feed your fiction addiction!

In this hilarious and heartfelt debut graphic novel, a girl born on a day considered unlucky in Chinese superstition starts to wonder if she really is cursed when she’s troubled by visions of doom set to occur on her thirteenth birthday.

Twelve-year-old Eugenia Wang has never celebrated her birthday on her actual birthday, April 4th, because of her mom’s belief in the Chinese superstition that four is an unlucky number. And that’s not the only thing Mom’s strict about; she won’t let Eugenia go to a summer comic art camp because she thinks art is a waste of time. This year, Eugenia is determined to defy her mom by applying for the camp, having her party on her actual birthday, and inviting her super cute crush while she’s at it, too!

But when Eugenia gets hit in the head with a sneaker during PE, she starts getting unnerving visions of impending doom about her upcoming birthday. It might be the aftereffects of her head injury, or maybe she’s just anxious about turning thirteen. As the visions get worse, even affecting her artwork, Eugenia suspects an unseen force may be sending her messages. If she’s haunted after all, Eugenia will have to figure out why before it’s too late. Even more horrifying, she may have to do the unthinkable: admit her mom was right.

This inventive graphic novel has a little bit of everything–an MC trying to follow her passions, a supportive friendship, strained family dynamics, a touch of a crush, and a mysterious supernatural element that keeps the reader guessing. I loved that the book demonstrates how family members can sometimes struggle to communicate but shows them coming to greater understanding in the end. And I was a huge fan of the way the supernatural mystery played out and how so many elements of the story came together at the end so Eugenia could avert disaster. The artwork is incredibly engaging, especially with the way that the MC’s scary dreams are set apart with a red color palette, which really helps the reader follow the story visually. This will be a huge hit with graphic novel readers, and it will appeal to kids who enjoy contemporaries or fantasy!

I received a copy of this book via Edelweiss (but I also purchased a copy of my own!).

A luminous fantasy debut about a young girl who must choose between staying immersed in a magical past with her deceased mother, or saving those she loves most in the complicated, yet real present.

Since her mama died, thirteen-year-old Lavender has a disastrous memory problem. She forgets her lessons with her papa, an apothecary. She develops elaborate evasions to hide her lack of memory of the herbs and remedies she must learn to attain her dream of being an apothecary apprentice. Worst of all, she forgets memories of her mama.

Despite her papa’s disdain for magic, Lavender seeks a memory remedy from a clothing enchantress named Frey. As the two develop a friendship, Frey uses her spinning magic to help Lavender re-experience past moments with her mama. Lavender hears her mama’s laughter again, her singing voice, and how it felt to be wrapped in her hugs.

But when Lavender discovers the truth about Frey's magic and its vengeful purpose she must decide whether to stay immersed in beloved memories with her mama or save the people she loves most in the present.

This entrancing fantasy explores the affects of grief and the ways our memories shape us. I first have to say that my son listened to the audiobook version of this book, and he mentioned to me multiple times how much he was loving it. He was incredibly intrigued by the central conflict – Lavender is losing her memories, which causes her trouble in day-to-life but, more importantly, is affecting her connection with her father, the only family she has left after her mother died. This concept of losing your memories was fascinating to him, and he said he could truly imagine being in that situation and wondered what he would do. He loved every minute of this book! When I read the book, I 100% agreed – this is a fantasy tale with a lot of depth to it, and it addresses grief in some very interesting ways. I loved that the villain in the story has an extensive backstory that is revealed as the book progresses and affects the way the MC is eventually able to gain the upper hand. Highly recommended for fantasy readers!

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley (but also purchased a copy of my own!)

Perfect for fans of Lockwood & Co. and Serafina and the Black Cloak, Ryan James Black's debut THE DARK TIMES OF NIMBLE NOTTINGHAM, set during the World War II Blitz blackout, follows a 12-year-old orphan who accidentally unleashes a shadow monster onto the streets of London and must team up with an unlikely assembly of allies to hunt it down.

This historical fantasy introduces kids to the WWII Blitz blackout, an aspect of the war most readers probably won’t be familiar with – and it gives the very real shadows of that time a supernatural form in the monster that Nim accidentally unleashes. The book starts out with an especially creepy vibe, as Nim ventures into a spooky house and encounters some unpleasant surprises there. And the story takes quite a few twists and turns with major revelations along the way. MG readers will be drawn into the mysteries of where the monster comes from and how it can be defeated, but they’ll also feel a connection to loner Nim, who has to learn to trust the people around him and brings them all together in unexpected ways!

Journey to the magical north in this award-winning and bestselling portal fantasy graphic novel rooted in Nordic folklore.

The night before Sonja’s coming-of-age ceremony, she receives a visit from a mysterious boy who offers to take her across the stars to his home. Traveling on the northern lights, Sonja follows Espen to a Norway unlike any she knows, one full of trolls, pirates, and magic. As she slowly starts to lose her heart to this new land, she uncovers an adventure that might bring both of her worlds together.
This volume includes Nordlys: The Valley of the Trolls and Nordlys: The Vikings and the Oracle, originally published in Norwegian.

This graphic novel is utterly gorgeous – I could stare at it forever, just studying the beauty of the art. The story is a reimagining of Peter Pan via Scandinavian folklore. I didn’t realize this ahead of time, but it became quickly apparent, and I loved the ways that the original elements of Peter Pan were woven into this story (Tinkerbell is a dragonfly – who’s an actual dragon!!). The story is given some fun twists, incorporating folklore elements, new characters, and extra plotpoints (like Sonja’s uncle, who comes looking for her and gets himself into some trouble). The action is exciting, and we’re left on a cliffhanger – when I finished, I immediately scrambled to find out when I could get my hands on book two! (Apparently in March – I’ll be waiting!)

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Have you ever wondered how vampires got their taste for blood? In Dracula’s Brunch Club, it all started with a crimson-red donut, dripping and oozing with spooky secrets—I mean, jelly. Dripping and oozing with non-spooky-tasting JELLY. Get ready to sink your fangs into the hilarious new graphic novel from debut authors Brian Gonsar and Keenan Gaybba!

This clever take on donut-loving vampires is incredibly fun! Dracula has been off sharing his famous blood orange donuts with the world, but he returns home to a jelly shortage – and a vampire who’s taken over and no longer allows fraternizing with humans. Dracula has to win his fellow vampires back over and find a way to energize them without his signature ingredient. When he stumbles across a (more sinister?) ingredient that gives vampires even more energy than blood oranges, he worries that his nemesis might have very nefarious plans, indeed! The whole story is told in a very tongue-in-cheek manner, and I loved the way these MG friendly vampires end up solving their dilemma. A highly entertaining read!!

That’s it for now! Have you read any of these? What did you think?
I wanna know!