City of wishes: A Cinderella Retelling

City of Wishes is a series by Rachel Morgan, retelling the old story of Cinderella. In this world, there are four major races: Fairies, the strongest, vampires, shifters, and humans. Elle is a human, the lowest of the low, living with her stepmother and two stepsisters, who are fairies. The stepmother had enslaved Elle after her father died, just like the whole world enslave humans, simply because humans didn’t have magic. Elle has magic, though not magic which is known about: she can erase memories. Her stepmother knows this full well, and uses Elle in her schemes to get money. Elle also uses her ability to get essence, so she could buy a wish, and set herself free. She is not just doing it for herself, also for her younger stepsister, who lives in fear of her mother’s punishments. This series has six books in it, each filled with magic and fantasy. Just like in the original story of Cinderella, there is a stepmother, a godmother, and a prince charming.

Cappachinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse

Cappachinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse is a book by harper lin. It is the first book in A Cape bay Cafe Mystery series. Francesca just moved back to Cape bay, because her mother had died. She left her job in new york, and took over her mother’s cafe. One day, when she was walking home early from work, she took a shortcut, and came across her neighbor’s corpse. At first, she did not even know he was dead, but when she came closer to him, she realised and quickly called the police. The man’s son, Mateo, was very upset and sorrowful. He was also Fran’s childhood friend, and she decided to help him. After falsely acusing someone, the case got even more dangerous, and it was clear that someone was after her and Mateo. This book was filled with mystery and suspense, and I enjoyed reading it.

Grandpa’s Great Escape

Grandpa’s Great Escape is a book by David Walliams, about a boy, Jack, and his grandpa. His grandpa used to be a flying ace in the world war two. This story was a long time after that. He started losing his memory, and started thinking it was the time of the world war two again. At first, Jack thought it was funny, but soon, it started getting dangerous, because grandpa would leave his home at night, and would do dangerous things, thinking he is still in the army. So he was sent to a old folks home, under the care of a sinister Matron Swine. No one believes Jack that it was a evil place, and he tries to get his grandpa out of there. This book was funny, but the ending was very sad and emotional. There was also a twist about Matron Swine, making the ending exciting.

Warriors: Into the Wild

Into the wild is a novel by Erin Hunter. It is the first book in the Warriors series, which is divided into many subseries, with around 6 books each. This story is about a house cat Rusty, who finds some wild cats, who invite him into their clan. They offer him freedom and a better home. He joined them, because he wanted to be free, and so he wouldn’t go to ‘the cutter’ (vet). He later learns there are 4 warrior clans, Riverclan, windclan, shadowclan, and thunderclan. All the clans are against each other. The clan Rusty was invited to was the thunderclan. Over there, he got a new name: Firepaw, and started training as an apprentice, to become a warrior. This is a story of survival, a code of honour, and loyalty. When windclan was driven from their territory by shadow clan, things started getting even more tense. This book is so emotional and filled with fantasy. And this is only the first book! There are still so many left, and I am excited to read all of them.

Front Lines

Front lines is a novel written by Michael Grant. It is a fiction book, set around the time of the world war 2, on the american side. This story is told by the view point of three girls. Rio Richlin, who joins the army to honor her dead sister who died in the navy, Frangie Marr, who is african-american and joined to support her family, since her father couldn’t work, and Rainy Schulterman, a new yorker who joined because she wanted to defeat the Germans and Hitler. Rio’s best friend Jenou had also joined the army. All of the girls had different paths in the army. Rio, who will literally fight in the front lines, Frangie is learning to be a medic in the army, and Rainy, who is training to be in an elite intelligence unit. All have different goals and problems in the army. This novel shows what each of them had to go through, to enlist and train in the army. This book was really inspiring, but also kind of intense.

Little Foxes by Michael Morpurgo

Billy was found in a box outside a police station as a baby. No one knew who his real family was. He was passed from place to place, but finally got an adoptive mother, who nagged him all the time. He was bullied at school for being so silent. But he had a special place, which gave him peace: the canal outside his house. The nature gave him a calm feeling, and he watched the kingfishers and owls. He saved a cygnat, who was being chased by a dog, and took care of 4 fox cubs after their mother was killed. But they were soon found out, and three out of four were killed. Billy and the last cub ran away to find a safer place for both of them. This book was so emotional, it drove me to tears. Yet somehow, I still love it.

Cookie by Jacqueline Wilson

Beauty Cookson’s name is rather ironic. She is a plain and timid girl. She is not ugly, but is in a posh school filled with posh girls who look down on her. Not only that, by she lives in fear of her father, who has a fearful temper, and is always scolding her for breaking his house rules. But Beauty’s mother is a different story. She is kind to her daughter, but is also timid, and also receives the father’s anger. One day, after a disastrous birthday party, they ran away with their belongings, to a seaside. Over there, things started going better for Beauty and her mother, and their luck changed. I actually read it a long time ago, when I was nine actually, but it only occured to me now to make a review, as it was really nice book.

Awful Auntie by David Walliams

When 12 year old Lady Stella Saxby woke up in her room, covered in bandages, she couldn’t remember anything about the accident. Her aunt Alberta told her that her parents died in a car accident, and that only Stella survived. But Auntie Alberta was on a mission to rid Stella from her inheritence: The Saxby Mansion. With the parents out of the way, it was the perfect opportunity to seize the mansion. But in Stella’s father’s will, he specifically mentioned that the house will go to Stella, and not her Aunt. He even said if she didn’t survive, it will be donated to charity. The aunt really wanted the house, but she had to keep Stella alive, because she didn’t know where were the house’s deeds. She tried to get Stella to tell her, even locked her in a celler. But Stella met a young ghost called Soot. Together, they made sure the mansion would never go to Aunt Alberta and her fierce great bavarian owl, Wagner. This book was really emotional, and the ending was beautiful (for Stella). There was also a hidden secret about soot, which even he didn’t know. This book was really funny as well.

Dragon Daughter

Dragon Daughter is a book by Liz Flanagan. It is about a servent girl, Milla who witnessed a murder of a man, and ended up with four dragon eggs. She tried to keep her eggs safe, but they were soon found out by another servent, who told the master of the house. When the eggs hatched, the dragons bonded with her and her friends. She and her friends and dragons had to go and live in the home of the Duke, his wife, and son, who was also bonded with one of the four dragons and was the betrothed of Milla’s friend. At first they tried to keep their dragons, but soon it was found out, and people from all over the world came to see the dragons, because before that every one thought dragons were only myths. Milla also has another dilemma, trying to find out who her family were. This book was amazing, the cover was so beautiful, I was really caught by it.

(I had to download the cover pic online because I read this book in a library and don’t have a pic of the book.)

Heart of flames by Nicki Pau Preto

In this sequel to Crown of Feathers, Veronyka’s identity as a female was known, but now, people started doubting her. Then when she found out her true heritage and her family, things started getting even more nerve-racking. Her sister was her aunt, her mother was a queen, and her father thought she was dead. Her figurative sister/biological aunt Avalkyra Asfire wanted the throne, and she would kill everyone and anyone in her way. She would even bring another blood war, and would make a deal with the phoenix riders worst enemy: The empire. I really enjoyed this book so much, it was filled with fantasy, and I was sad that it finished. Not to mention it ended in a cliffhanger, and I have to wait till next year to read the next book.