The Serpent King

By Jeff Zentner
Hardback
369 pages
Realistic Fiction

This novel came in one of my previous Owlcrates.

The three protagonists, living in a small southern town, are all social outcasts to various degrees. Travis is tall and weird; he reads fantasy, wears a dragon necklace, and would carry a staff everywhere if he could. Dill is the son of a preacher who was arrested and the grandson of a mechanic who went crazy. Lydia doesn't fit the common perceptions of beauty in the town, plus she has a snarky mouth and an attitude of condescension about her classmates.

All of them have personal challenges and struggles that they have to overcome. They need to figure out what they want from life and whether (and how) to get of of town and escape their destiny.

The characters are well written and the plot is easy to follow while containing a few surprises.

I liked the book although I found it initially hard to get into on the heels of all of the fantasy I've been reading lately. It even made me tear up!

My Lady Jane

By Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Hardcover
491 pages
2 days

This is a funny and irreverent rewriting of the history of England. In this world, people can magically change into an animal form of they have the magic in their blood.
This forms a political tension between those who use magic and those who can't. This compounds the normal court room intrigue and provides some fun opportunities for creative problem solving.
The book is playful and fun, sometimes the narrator breaks out and interrupts the action; sometimes they allude to, parody, or quote various lines from diverse sources such as Shakespeare or Monty Python.
It is an enjoyable book and I very much enjoyed reading it.

This Savage Song

By Victoria Schwab
Hardback
427 pages

I received this book in my July Owlcrate. Oh my, I enjoyed it so much. It is YA Lit- however, although the protagonists were boy and girl (August and Kate) there was not a lick of romance in the entire story, which I appreciated.
It also felt like a very fresh take on the classic monsters- at least an uncommon one.
There was a tension and a mystery to the plot which was well maintained and satisfyingly wrapped up.

Magic Knight Rayearth

By Clamp
manga

This is a beautifully drawn story with quite an interesting plotline. The 3 protagonists are drawn into another world in order to save that world from chaos and destruction. These schoolgirls discover a potential to fight, and put their extracurricular talents (such as fencing and archery) to good use.

There is a satisfying ending to this volume, and there is also a second volume in the series.

The Dreamcatcher

By Stephen King

A very long and strange book about aliens, telepathy, and weasels.

I didn't really enjoy it very much.

Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures

By Jackson Pearce and Maggie Stiefvater
Paperback
184 pages

A charming book full of magic, strange and interesting creatures, and smart, likable characters. One of my favorite characters is Bubbles.

A Long Walk to Water

By Linda Sue Park
Paperback
117 pages

This was a short and swift read.
In sparse and child friendly prose, Park conveys the effects of war on the civilian population of Sudan. The characters are completely relatable while still being outside of my frame of experience. There are two intertwined stories that come together beautifully, and I really enjoyed this book.