Happy Friday bookworms! Welcome to my review of Lia Park and the Missing Jewel by Jenna Yoon. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is currently available in stores. content warnings
Kidnapping, death, violence, death of a parent Lia Park and the Missing Jewel is a middle grade book about a girl named Lia whose parents work for a mysterious organization. Sounds cool right? Except they’re super overprotective which leads to Lia sneaking out to attend the biggest birthday party of the year. When Lia break’s her parents’ rule, she also breaks an ancient protection spell which unleashes an evil diviner spirit that kidnaps her parents. The only way she can save them is to give the spirit a powerful jewel that Lia’s family has been guarding for years. With her limited magic skills and her friend Joon, she sets off to Korea and then the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King in search of the jewel. But can Lia gather the courage to be the hero her parents need?
From the beginning, this book intrigued me with its magic system and overall world building. The secret International Magic Agency was a lot of fun to learn about, the idea of a secret magical society set in the real world will never get old for me. I also enjoyed learning about the powers that the characters had and learning about their limits and how the magic actually worked. They felt realistic and I was able to follow the magic system right from the beginning. Unfortunately, at some points, I felt that Lia was very lucky when it came to magic since she had no previous training. Speaking of Lia, she was my favourite character! I admired her determination and loyalty to her family and friends. However, I would have liked to see more character development in terms of the side characters, including her friend Joon. Something that really stood out for me was the way Korean mythology was featured in this book. The different myths, gods, and artifacts were interesting to read about and propelled me through the story. The plot was filled with a lot of action sequences but also had a good balance with some slower moving scenes. I especially liked the scavenger hunt feel of Lia's journey. A fun and fast read filled with mythology, magic, and family. I'm excited to read book 2! I gave this book 3.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨. Those are my thoughts on Lia Park and the Missing Jewel by Jenna Yoon! I hope you enjoyed it! What are your weekend plans? Let me know in the comments below!
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Hi bookworms and happy Friday! Welcome to my review of Make the Fireflies Dance by Rachel Bateman. Thank you to Running Press Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This book is currently available in stores. content warnings
Grief, death of a parent, car accident Make the Fireflies Dance follows Quincy, a hopeless romantic and aspiring filmmaker. After she’s kissed by a stranger in a classic rom com moment, Quincy is determined to find her mystery guy in time for senior prom. With her friends’ help, they devise a plan for Quin to go on dates with all the guys there that night to figure out who kissed her. The only problem? She doesn’t like giving up control and as other factors in her life become more stressful, things start to crumble. Will she fall for the right guy? Or will she start to catch feelings for one who definitely isn’t who she’s been looking for?
This book caught my attention right away. The writing style and short chapters made it a fast read which was easy to fly through. I had a lot of fun reading about Quincy's love for movies and filmmaking and really liked the scenes where she was directing the production of her short film. I found the romance to be sweet and cute, and it reminded me of a classic rom-com. But Make the Fireflies Dance not only focuses on romance but also grief. We see Quincy's journey as she navigates the loss of her mother and how this impacts each member of her family. I thought that these scenes were well developed and showcased Quincy's growth and her great support system in her friends. Speaking of her friends, Quincy had an intriguing friend group, I enjoyed learning about each of Quincy's friends and classmates. But I do wish we had more time to get to know them better. Unfortunately, I found the ending to be a bit rushed and left some loose ends hanging that I wish could have been tied up. However, I loved Quincy's family, especially her grandmother and their relationship. Overall a sweet read filled with romance and summery vibes. I gave this book 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️. That's a wrap on my review of Make the Fireflies Dance by Rachel Bateman! I hope you enjoyed it! If you could bring any character to life for a day, who would you choose? Let me know in the comments below! |
AuthorPaige is a bookstagrammer and blogger who loves all things bookish. From fantasy to mystery she can’t get enough! She’s always ready to recommend you a book and she can talk about her favourites all day. When she’s not reading, you can find her watching Marvel movies, playing video games, and taking bookstagram photos. Visit her on Instagram and Twitter for more updates. CategoriesArchives
April 2024
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