Saturday, January 25, 2020

Short and Simple Reviews: Wait Till Helen Comes, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and Second Chances

This is a place for books that I didn't fully review.
Maybe I listed my likes and dislikes, had a little short paragraph, or a few sentences to convey my feelings on the book, but whatever the "review" is, all of them are short and simple. (hence the clever name)


Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story
Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their seven-year-old stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard. If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can't get any worse.

But they do -- when Helen comes.
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Review
This is a classic children's horror book that I never read as a child. I figured it would be the perfect Halloween read. I didn't love this as much as I was expecting--this book seems to be well-loved--but I think if I read this as a child I would have enjoyed it more. This was a fairly quick read, but I found myself frustrated with a lot of the characters, especially the parents. They just surprise the kids with a move, telling them that they won't be going to camp anymore, instead, they're going to be in the countryside living in an old church. There is no positive spin for the kids at all, they're literally moving so that Mom and Dave can work on their art (and ignore the kids all summer. Except to yell at them). Then they yell at Molly for not watching Heather and that's literally all she's supposed to do all summer. Molly did not choose to move, you forced her to move and then you force her to babysit because you have to paint all day? Michael (Molly's brother) was completely useless. He just runs off and never helps Molly. Molly gets incredibly distressed throughout the book and I really felt for her. She is also frustrated that no one will help her and no one will believe her that Heather is talking to a ghost. I also completely understood her fear of death and graveyards (this is coming from an adult who still holds her breath whenever she drives past a graveyard). She is really annoyed and frustrated with Heather, but she still has compassion for her, and I think it was really brave of her. She wants to make sure Heather is safe, even though Heather is making her life miserable. For a lot of the book, I did kind of speed-read because I thought Mom, Dave, and Michael were being ridiculous and I was feeling stressed for Molly. The last part of the book, though, was fantastic. It was haunting and I loved how Molly and Heather's relationship turned out. Overall, this is a decent ghost story. 
I hereby give this book
3 Stars
Meaning: I liked it



From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

When suburban Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, she knows she doesn’t just want to run from somewhere, she wants to run to somewhere — to a place that is comfortable, beautiful, and, preferably, elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Knowing her younger brother Jamie has money and thus can help her with a serious cash-flow problem, she invites him along.

Once settled into the museum, Claudia and Jamie find themselves caught up in the mystery of an angel statue that the museum purchased at auction for a bargain price of $225. The statue is possibly an early work of the Renaissance master, Michelangelo, and therefore worth millions. Is it? Or isn’t it?

Claudia is determined to find out. Her quest leads her to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the remarkable old woman who sold the statue, and to some equally remarkable discoveries about herself.
  
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Review
So, this is a pretty classic children's book but up until now, I had not read it. I did not even know the title of this book, but the idea of kids running away to a museum has now been cemented into pop culture. I am trying to read more classic MG books so I decided to finally get around to reading this book! I did like this book and I can see why it has become a classic. I liked the siblings, although I liked Jamie more than Claudia. I did have to keep reminding myself that this book takes place in the 60s, so prices have changed. I do wish the mystery as more prominent, but this is a fairly short read so I understand why. The book is entirely narrated by Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. While I think it was an interesting way to narrate the book, I found her voice rather unlikable for some reason. Overall, though, I did like this book.
I hereby give this book
3.5 Stars
Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing

Second Chances (Everyday Angel, #2)

Meet a guardian angel like no other, from a writer like no other. Bold, rising star Victoria Schwab returns with the second book in this whimsical, inspiring, and clever middle-grade series.

There's more to Aria than meets the eye. She's a guardian angel. And to earn her wings, she'll have to help three different girls. . . .

This time, Aria comes to Caroline Mason. At her all-girls' prep school, Caroline is being bullied. She eats lunch alone and is picked on by her classmates every day. The ringleader of the mean girls is Lily Pierce. But Lily isn't an ordinary bully: she used to be Caroline's best friend.

When Aria arrives, she can see Caroline is suffering. But, to Aria's surprise, so is Lily. What is the story behind Lily's cruel actions? And can Aria help guide Caroline out of the darkness . . . and into better, brighter future? 



Review
I loved the first book in this series, New Beginnings. It was such a powerful story, so well-written, and I absolutely loved it. I did not like this book quite as much. I still liked this book, but I think the plot was a lot more like so many other MG books, while the first one felt new. Two girls were best friends and then one decides popularity is better than friendship and starts bullying the other. It is a pretty common storyline in MG and I expected something more when starting this book. It is still done well and it shows both sides of bullying (since Aria must help both the girl being bullied and the bully). I still liked the guardian angel aspect and I liked how this book showed what real friendship can be [highlight to view spoiler]I also like that Caroline did not go back to Lily [end of spoiler]. I do plan on continuing the series.
I hereby give this book
3.5 Stars
Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing


2 comments :

  1. I was so obsessed with Mixed Up Files, when I was a kid. I adored the film too. I wanted to hideaway at the Met.

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  2. I agree with your thoughts on Mixed-Up Files. I read it for my Newbery challenge. It’s fun, but it didn’t blow my mind.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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