This month, while I read a good amount of 4 star books so far, only two have managed to hit the 5 star mark. There are a few more days left in the month though, so it is possible I will have a few more favorites by the time I wrap up my October reading! You can see the first half of my October reading here and I will share the rest of my October reads next week. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.
Title: Two Degrees
Author: Alan Gratz
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary / Thriller
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 10/4/22
Source: Publisher – I believe I entered a giveaway for it
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I had previously read and loved Alan Gratz’s book Ground Zero (and I need to read his others too!). Two Degrees is a very timely middle grade novel tells the story of four kids who are forced to escape three separate climate related situations – a monster hurricane in Miami, a huge fire in California, and a hungry polar bear in Churchill, Manitoba.
“Fire. Ice. Flood. Three climate disasters. Four kids fighting for their lives. Akira is riding her horse in the California woods when a wildfire sparks–and grows scarily fast. How can she make it to safety when there are flames everywhere? Owen and his best friend, George, are used to seeing polar bears on the snowy Canadian tundra. But when one bear gets way too close for comfort, do the boys have any chance of surviving? Natalie hunkers down at home as a massive hurricane barrels toward Miami. When the floodwaters crash into her house, Natalie is dragged out into the storm–with nowhere to hide. Akira, Owen, George, and Natalie are all swept up in the devastating effects of climate change. They are also connected in ways that will shock them–and could alter their destinies forever.”
This is a survival story and is full of adventure – I almost felt overwhelmed by the situations these kids were in at some parts! There are really three separate stories that alternate with each other and each were harrowing, scary, and real. It was especially difficult to read about the floods from the hurricane just after a similar storm occurred with Ian. At the end of the book, the kids effected unite to try to make a difference and end these climate crises. I loved how “two degrees” referred not only to the rising temperatures on Earth but to the connection between the kids themselves.
Title: Spells For Lost Things
Author: Jenna Evans Welsh
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, 9/27/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed this sweet book about two very different teens discovering the things they’ve lost and finding what they need to move forward. It is about Willow, who doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere after her parents’ divorce and Mason, who is in foster care due to his mom’s addiction, but has never stopped searching for a way back to his mom. When Willow’s mom brings her to Salem, MA and Mason is taken in by his mom’s friend in the same town, their paths cross each other’s.
“Willow has never felt like she belonged anywhere and is convinced that the only way to find a true home is to travel the world. But her plans to act on her dream are put on hold when her aloof and often absent mother drags Willow to Salem, Massachusetts, to wrap up the affairs of an aunt Willow didn’t even know she had. An aunt who may or may not have been a witch. There, she meets Mason, a loner who’s always felt out of place and has been in and out of foster homes his entire life. He’s been classified as one of the runaways, constantly searching for ways to make it back to his mom; even if she can’t take care of him, it’s his job to try and take care of her. Isn’t it? Naturally pulled to one another, Willow and Mason set out across Salem to discover the secret past of Willow’s mother, her aunt, and the ambiguous history of her family. During all of this, the two can’t help but act on their natural connection. But with the amount of baggage between them—and Willow’s growing conviction her family might be cursed—can they manage to hold onto each other?”
Willow discovers a hidden part of her mother’s past and her family of witches. There is a magical house which made for an amazing setting. Mason helps her to follow the clues her mom’s sister left for them and the two become close. While they do fall for one another, I would call this more of a contemporary than a romance because the main story focuses on them each finding their own way.
Come back next week for the rest of my October reads and hopefully more good ones that I haven’t gotten to yet!
Do you have a favorite book you’ve read this month?