Review: The Legend of Hobart by Heather Mullaly with Giveaway!

 Tired of being teased about his name and his stutter, twelve-year-old Hobart sets out to do a few heroic deeds and earn a place in Knight School. But nothing goes to plan in this humorous fantasy book.

This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours and the tour runs from 26 July till 8 August. You can see the tour schedule here.

The Legend of Hobart

By Heather Mullaly

Middle Grade Fantasy

Released on 26 July 2021

 

Tired of being teased about his name and his stutter, twelve-year-old Hobart sets out to do a few heroic deeds and earn a place in Knight School. But the local damsels he hopes to save assure him that the last thing they need is rescuing. The runaway bull he tries to catch wears him like a hat. And don't even ask about the ogre.

Finally, in desperation, Hobart sets out on the most daring quest he can think of--he will slay a dragon. Or that's his plan anyway.

The Legend of Hobart is a hilarious, heart-felt adventure, for the would-be hero in all of us.

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MY TIDBITS

Every page holds imagination, adventure, and a boy to root for until the very end. In other words, this is one to get lost in...or read more than once.

Hobart is twelve-years-old and longs to be a hero, but he's got a few things stacked against him. Not only is he teased for something he can't change, but his town is not exactly needing any heroes. But Hobart doesn't have to worry because he's soon wrapped up in more adventure than he could have ever dreamed...and it might just be the beginning.

This is such a lovely read and perfect for middle graders. While the bullying theme is often seen in middle grade literature, Hobart handles it very well and lets it propel him into hero-ness mode. He has a heart of gold and a thirst for adventure. It's hard not to love his determination and root for him. But then, this book is about more than that. Hobart has a long journey ahead of him and the wit to fit. He makes mistakes....tons of mistakes, but as with heroes should be, it works out in the end. And he grows with every step.

The writing in this one is very refreshing, and some will probably like it more than others. The author lures in and allows a whimsical flow, while still packing tension, battles, and problems, which leave the reader fevering to see if Hobart makes it through. Every now and then, the author puts in words which readers may or may not recognize, and that's good so. It expands the vocabulary without frustrating or hurting the flow. Each scene sits, and it's easy to understand what's going on (even when some depth on explanation is missing)...but with this sort of adventure, that doesn't really harm a thing.

I was afraid this one might slide into a bullying novel, but it comes through very well and lets Hobart shine for everything he is. I assume...hope?...there will be another book following because Hobart's journey seems to have just begun.

And here she is...

Heather Mullaly is a passionate believer in the power of story. When she isn’t writing them, reading them, or listening to them, she can usually be found baking something that involves chocolate, thinking up new story ideas before she’s finished the two she’s currently writing, or hanging out with her family, who happen to be even more fantastic than the characters in her head. She lives in Virginia with her husband and their three teenagers.

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GIVEAWAY!!!

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of The Legend of Hobart. Three winners will each win a $10 Amazon gift card.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Life and Other Complication by Heather Mullaly with Giveaway!

 Life and Other Complications is a new young adult contemporary book by Heather Mullaly in which a 17 year old girl can't bring herself to tell her friends the truth about how she contracted HIV so she writes to the one person who might understand, a girl she's never met.

This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours and runs from 5 till 18 July. See the tour schedule here.

Life and Other Complications

by Heather Mullaly

YA Contemporary

5 July, 2021

Seventeen-year-old Aly Bennett has been in love with her friend Luke for years. She hasn't told him how she feels for two reasons. 1) She's the girl with HIV. 2) She lied about how she got it.
Aly never meant to lie. The words just slipped out on her first day of a support group for kids living with life-threatening conditions. It was the day she met Luke and Caroline, who would become her best friends and the closest thing she has to a family. After so many years, Aly doesn’t know how to tell her friends the truth. So she paints and she runs and she tries not to think about the future she can’t have.

But when a Boston prosecutor asks Aly to testify in a trial—and her relationship with Luke intensifies—things become complicated. If she testifies, Luke and Caroline will learn the truth—that Aly has been lying to them for most of a decade. If she doesn’t, a monster could go free, again.

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MY TIDBITS

Hard topics hit with tons of emotion and, yet, don't forget to bring in the wonderful sense of friendship, courage, and love.

The blurb on this one already gives a very good handle on what's covered and what's coming. Usually, this would ruin a read for me before I even start it, but in this case, it was necessary to bring in the necessary mindset to really dive into the tale. Because this one packs a punch on the emotional end. While many books of this nature tend to bog down and border on growing too heavy, this one masterfully keeps that from happening. While Aly has problems and faces many tough moments, there's a golden warmth of caring, love and hope close by to balance it out. 

Despite the depth, this is a quick read. There is enough happening to keep the story at a steady pace and brint Aly's predicament across clearly. There were a few things, which came across a bit too simple, but that by no means hurt the tale. I couldn't help but feel for Aly, wonder what would happen next, and cheer for her until the very end.

There's a lot of food for thought in this one, and it's the kind which leaves the reader assured that there is a positive light at the end of the tunnel. It's heavy, yet inspiring. It makes the reader think and yet shows that even dark moments can lead to light. It's worth a read and is sure to capture the interest of even those who tend to grab contemporary fiction with caution.

And here she is...

Heather Mullaly is a passionate believer in the power of story. When she isn’t writing them, reading them, or listening to them, she can usually be found baking something that involves chocolate, thinking up new story ideas before she’s finished the two she’s currently writing, or hanging out with her family, who happen to be even more fantastic than the characters in her head. She lives in Virginia with her husband and their three teenagers.

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- Amazon

GIVEAWAY!!!
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Life and Other Complications. Three winners will win an $10 Amazon gift card.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway