Dear America: Behind the Masks

Dear America: Behind the Masks, The Diary of Angeline Reddy, Bodie, California, 1880 is a middlegrade historical fiction novel by Susan Patron.

Angeline Reddy has been living the authentic Wild West life. Her father being a renowned criminal lawyer in the highly criminal town of Bodie proves to be never dull, and often dangerous.

So, when Angie’s father is declared murdered – she knows deep in her heart that it isn’t true. She feels it’s up to her to figure out what is really going on.

But with her mother ill and the gang of vigilantes called the 601 trying to take control of the town, it’s more complicated than it seems in novels.

Yet with the help of new friends Ellie and Ling Loi, Angie believes she can solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance… and the shadowy apparition that seems to be a ghost that is showing up!

I read a lot of Dear America books when I was younger, and loved most of all of them. So, this was a bit of nostalgia for me.

Behind the Masks has an involving mystery with Angeline’s father and excellent details of the hard-working, difficult life experienced back then. I think it’s great for this generation to realize how easy they have it, and appreciate that. This gives them that opportunity.

The reading level is set for younger readers, but the lively, tough narrator of Angeline and the interesting history makes it entertaining still. Plus, there’s a touch of a ghost story, family drama, racism difficulties, and crime – making for a stuffed but clearly well-researched story.

Dear America: Behind the Masks is a smart, fun way of teaching the economics of an 1880 mining town to really any age. Who would’ve thought that was even possible?

And with the smile-worthy, cute end and awesome epilogue, Behind the Masks hits all the right notes for what is expected of the Dear America series.

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Reckless

Reckless is a YA fantasy adventure by the ever-revered (for good reason) Cornelia Funke.

Jacob Reckless has been passing through a mirror portal in his father's forgotten (or, rather, ignored) study for years now. After his father disappeared and his mother became a shell of her former self, he found it. Since then, it's been hard to stay tethered to his world - instead, he's become more and more connected to the alternative option.

In fact, he's managed to make a name for himself as a treasure hunter. And always by his side is a loyal vixen named Fox, a shape-shifter. She's probably the closest thing he has to a friend - but Jacob still considers himself a loner. But he's become comfortable with the different creatures, monsters, and magic this world has to offer - even though right now they are at war with a stone people called Goyl. None of that interests him. He just seeks out his mysterious objects and fetches good prices.

But that's all about to change. …

Real Live Boyfriends

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Here we are on the last day of “Ruby Oliver Week” and if you aren’t already reading these books – well, why not?

But I’m more than sure most of you are – and hopefully you’re all caught up, and therefore not at risk of being spoiled by my review of Real Live Boyfriends. You’ve been warned!

Ruby Oliver is beginning her senior year of high school with a real live boyfriend: Noel.

At least she thought she was.

After having spent the rest of junior year and the beginning of summer being fully in love (okay, they never actually said the word, but the vibes were strongly in that direction), Ruby is now confused.

Again.

When Noel went to visit his brother in New York for a while, almost every day they talked on the phone and exchanged funny emails. She never once felt insecure.

Until all of a sudden – communication stopped. Ruby would call and he wouldn’t answer. She’d leave a voice mai…

Titanic: S.O.S.

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This is the third book in a trilogy, book addicts! You must, I repeat, must read the first two books (Unsinkable and Collision Course) before you read this review. Otherwise you are just going to ruin all the twists! Sure, we know the Titanic sinks - but the surprises that are revealed about our characters, among other things, should not be spoiled!

But all of you that have read the first two books (which I hope are many of you, because this a great series), can rest assured that I won't spoil anything from S.O.S. itself - just a basic recap and my opinion.

Here goes:

The Titanic is sinking. No one wants to believe it, but the bow is almost imperceptibly starting to dip into the freezing Atlantic Ocean - and our four main characters are thrown into a race for survival.

Paddy is locked up below deck, having finally been caught as a stowaway. In one cell over are the very criminals that wish him dead…

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