Monday, April 30, 2018

Monday Review by the Book Dragon: Fun Irish-themed fantasy with cool unicorns!

The Book Dragon has read Jessica L. Elliott's Into the Rainbow and gives it 5 claws!
My review: "4.5 stars for this fun story! I loved the relationship between the three sisters and the way they went into the rainbow! Normally I would be distracted by the amount of backstory woven into the dialogue, but in this story it doesn't slow down the action because the Irish legends are so interesting to me. I especially like how the author handled the unicorns. I've never been a unicorn person before, but this book has changed my mind! If you like fantasy adventure with a strong Irish/Celtic feel, you've got to read this story! I'm excited to see there will be more of this story and look forward to reading it."

Here's a better picture of the beautiful cover:

Monday, April 9, 2018

Monday Review by the Book Dragon: Well-written historical fiction set in the 1920's

The Book Dragon has finished Cynthia T. Toney's The Other Side of Freedom and gives it a resounding five claws!
My 5 star review: "Though this historical fiction was written for young teens, it would appeal to anyone interested in reading about the trials of Italian immigrants during the era of Prohibition. I'd heard of Al Capone and nefarious activities going on during the 1920's but never thought about the effects of that criminal activity upon the average family. The details are so richly drawn, I felt as if I'd been transported back in time. The main character, 13 year old Salvatore (Sal) lives on a strawberry farm with his parents and young uncle, and his dilemma twisted my heart. This is a must-read for lovers of historical fiction. (And for a story in which the Mob plays a big role, it's squeaky-clean.)"

This book is also listed on the Catholic Teen Books site, along with Toney's other works.