Sam by Eric Walters

The blurb on today's read caught my attention. The story is set in a juvenile center with a character, who is temporarily held there. It isn't exactly one I've seen often, especially not for the middle grade audience. I'm hoping it's well done and leaves readers with something to let their brain gears churn about. And not go too far, either, since it is middle grade.

Only one way to find out what this book holds, and so off we go!

Today's post is also part of the weekly MMGM (Marvelous Middle Grade Monday) list, where fans, lovers, and knowers of middle grade literature place their recommendations for the week. If you're looking for literature for this age group (around ages 8 to 12), it's worth taking a look. You'll find that HERE.

SAM

by Eric Walters

DCB Young Readers

Middle Grade Contemporary

208 pages

ages 9 to 12

COMING...

MAY 24th!!!

Redheaded orphan Sam can’t seem to stay out of trouble. His latest incident — defending himself by hitting the high school quarterback in the face with a can of soda — lands him in the Johnson “Blue Gables” Juvenile Center while he awaits trial. Sam needs to keep his nose clean, but can he control his temper when he’s targeted by a long-term Gables resident?

When Sam is given a reading assignment, he thinks he’ll have no interest in a classic book about another redheaded orphan. But he soon realizes that he’s found a kindred spirit in the book, and maybe even an unexpected source of hope.

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

The first few pages had me wondering if this read would be a better fit for the young adult audience, since the main character is in high school and the tale centers around acts of violence, but it slides wonderfully into the middle grade age group (and even younger YA readers) with a powerful message that will bring food for thought. 

Sam's been struggling with life since his parents died in a car accident, leaving him as an orphan in the  foster care system. He's changed homes very often due to his attitude but has managed to keep his record clean. Until three football players from his latest high school cause trouble outside of a store, and Sam breaks the quarterback's nose before they can beat him up. After they target him in the bathroom in a move for revenge, Sam finds himself in court facing all sorts of charges. Despite the entire incidence being in the gray area of right and wrong, the judge places him in a detention center for the several weeks leading up to the trial. Sam has to be on his best behavior to have any chance of doing well at the trial, but his temper, the guards, and the other residents aren't going to make it easy. When his assigned teacher gives him the 'perfect' book to read, he's sure she's picking on him...but the book might be more of a help than he ever suspected.

First off, it was interesting to have a book set in a juvenile detention center, have scenes in the court with a judge, and see talks with lawyers. It lays out the system for the reader in a grabbing way and gives insight into several of the processes and thoughts of those working within the system. And it does this without much bias, keeping Sam's situation and development at the forefront the entire way through. 

Despite Sam's anger issues, he comes across as a likable and understandable character. His past has added baggage to make his attitude understandable, and even when he goes too far, the reasons behind it are laid out to keep him easy to root for. The issues he faces carry enough rawness to grab and add a dash of bite without leaving what is appropriate for the age group. Those around him offer support to add goodness and hope, and other characters bring a few surprising twists along the way. The ending was a bit too perfect for a wrap-up, and that contrasted with the rest of the read, but this also works well with the message of hope and offers inspiration.

The author uses many references to Anna of Green Gables to spice up the plot with a little more wisdom and character arc, which will work better with those, who know a bit about that story (and I'm not sure how many will). However, it's not confusing for those, who don't know about Anna's tale, since the references are explained and are self-explanatory most of the time.

Summed up, this is a grabbing read with sharper edges to draw in and create material for discussions and thought. 

And here he is...

Eric Walters began writing in 1993 as a way to entice his grade five students into becoming more interested in reading and writing. Walters has now published over 130 novels and picture books. His novels have become bestsellers, been translated into sixteen languages, and won over one hundred awards, including ten Forest of Reading awards and the 2020 Governor General’s Literary Award. He conceived of the I Read Canadian Day and is a tireless presenter, speaking to over 100,000 students per year across North America. In 2014, Walters was named a Member of The Order of Canada. He lives in Guelph, Ontario, with his wife, Anita, and they have three grown children — Christina, Nicholas, and Julia — and six grandchildren.

Your Throne Vol 2 by Sam

I'm hitting another graphic novel today...call it a roll. These slide in great with the busier weekend. I read the first book in this series (review here) and enjoyed it quite a bit, since it takes an interesting twist on the character side of things.

Anyway, let's take a look!

YOUR THRONE #2

by Sam

Webtoon Unscrolled

YA Fantasy   /   Graphic Novel

296 pages

COMING...

APRIL 1st!!!

For fans of The Remarried Empress and Villains Are Destined to Die, this stunning fantasy comic by debut author SAM features a powerful noblewoman who has to rewrite her entire revenge plan when she wakes up in the body of her sworn rival.

For fans of The Remarried Empress and Villains Are Destined to Die, this stunning fantasy comic by debut author SAM features a powerful noblewoman who has to rewrite her entire revenge plan when she wakes up in the body of her sworn rival.

Your Throne Volume 2 collects episodes 13 to 23 of the stunning fantasy WEBTOON comic by SAM, a story of power, magic, and betrayal with over 830 million reads worldwide.

Two noblewomen, Lady Medea Solon and Lady Psyche Callista, who were competing for the throne of the Vasilios Empire, struggle to survive in a dangerous world of magic and betrayal when their souls are reversed.

Trapped in each other’s bodies and in unfamiliar territory, Medea and Psyche will both have to play a dangerous game to survive.

Medea, who attended the birthday banquet in Psyche’s body, is in danger after falling into the machinations of Crown Prince Eros. As Medea is fighting for her life, she and Psyche both realize who their common enemy is.

This volume includes the exclusive bonus story “Living in the Basement.”

GOODREADS 

MY TIDBITS

Get ready for royal tension, intrigue and action because this novel is packed with all three.

Lady Psyche is beginning to realize who the villain truly is and is in more danger than she realized. Since she's actually Lady Medea inside (body switch), she might be able to ward off, at least, direct physical attacks, but Psyche's weak body makes it almost impossible. Luckily, Lady Medea (who is Psyche inside) is also realizing the real culprit. Both are just at the beginning of discovering the various evil plans and weaves surrounding them, and both are discovering secrets about themselves. Still, they are in terrible danger and will have to discover much more if they want to survive.

This is a wonderfully illustrated read with action and emotion coming across in every scene. The characters hold quite a bit of depth, which makes it easy to sink into each one. This isn't a light story but lets the danger seep into every situation like a dark, looming shadow. The villains are scheming and will do anything to achieve their hidden goals. Psyche and Medea, on the other hand, are still unaware, which makes them huge targets. It creates tension on every page, drives the tale forward, and holds action scenes which grab. There are also darker sides to some personalities, which adds triggers surrounding abuse and more.

Like the first book in this series, the tale constantly flips between current time and flashbacks. This was very confusing, especially in the first half of the read, and I found myself rereading several section. Everything flowed much better in the second half, which made it easy to sink into the story...and not put it down until the last page. Some of the flashbacks are noted as to the time, but others simply happen without notice. This is, sometimes, also noticeable by a change in the color tones, but not always. So, like book one, this still doesn't work for me.

Otherwise, this is a very grabbing read. The plot levels are intriguing and the characters carry the heart and problems to make the read one to get lost in and enjoy. If only it flowed a little bit better on the timeline end. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing where the next chapters head because I'm rooting for both ladies to figure things out and put those villains in their place.

Happy Book Birthday, Your Throne by Sam!

I covered this one earlier this year, but since it's Happy Book Birthday time, I'm just going post it again and scream ' Happy Birthday!'

YOUR THRONE, VOL. 1

by Sam

WEBTOON Unscrolled

Young Adult Fantasy

288 pages

COMING...

OCTOBER 1st!!!

A powerful noblewoman has to rewrite her entire revenge plan when she wakes up in the body of her sworn rival. Your Throne Vol. 1 collects the first 12 episodes of the stunning fantasy WEBTOON comic by SAM, which has over 830 million reads worldwide.

Tensions are brewing under the seemingly calm surface of the Vasilios Empire, a kingdom ruled by the Imperial Family and the Temple. Lady Medea Solon has lost her place next to Crown Prince Eros but resolves to do whatever it takes to win back what's rightfully hers. However, she’ll have to rewrite her entire revenge plan when she wakes up in the body of her sworn rival.

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

Revenge and evil-queen-vibes sink into an unexpected game, where everyone plays their own strategy while unknowingly taking the role of someone else's pawn.

Medea should have been queen but lost her place when the prince chose the other girl instead. Now, she's out for revenge, but before she can take it, the craziest thing happens, and she wakes up to find herself in her rival's body. While she quickly regains her footing and has all intentions to continue with her initial goal, her new and different perspective of the situation reveals a much more complicated scheme. What started as a simple plan to destroy one person has warped into a battle to save the entire kingdom.

I went into this hoping for a darker, cliche story, which would offer a bit of fun...my expectations weren't high. But this gives quite a bit more and promises to lead into an exciting series of intrigue and many hidden agendas. The beginning shows Medea in a terrible light as a vengeful young woman, who embodies the villain. It made her very hard to like or connect with, especially when juxtaposed with the angelic rival. During the first pages, I did wonder if I'd made a bad grab. Also, not much time is spent sinking into the situation or world, leaving a bit of confusion especially since Medea's hate seems very unfounded. But this ill-balanced beginning does end up setting off the tale better than first appears.

While this starts with an overly cliche atmosphere, the twists and turns flip everything on its head to create an original and grabbing read. There is a lot of room for character growth, and even in this first volume, that arc comes across well. To say that there's quite a bit going on is an understatement, and that guarantees quick pacing throughout. With all of the webbed intentions, this could quickly grow confusing but flashbacks root the background and keep things from flying out of control. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of such back-and-forth, but it works well because the reader gets hit with a truckload of information in this first volume. While it seems to border on confusing at times, it manages not to go too far, but instead, sets the base for so much more to come during the upcoming volumes.

The art style fits the story. The color tones match the atmosphere and subtly portray each 'queen' in a way, which supports how the reader is supposed to see them at that moment. The visual changes match the plot and balance well with the text.

I am looking forward to the next volume, especially since this beginning has laid such an intricate base. There are more than a few questions as to the intent and goals of several characters, and it will be exciting to see where this all might lead.

Your Throne Volume One by Sam

This month, I seem to be hitting quite a few graphic novels, especially in the young adult direction...which is fine by me, since time is tight this time of year. We planted corn this week and now, I have to hit my upper garden beds, since my tomatoes are slowly taking up my living room windows and really, really, really need to make it outdoors. And then, there's the zucchini. 

I'm going off on a tangent here...zucchini is usually a plant that can feed a village. But not here. We have squash bugs, which destroy the plants right before they produce. (Stupid bugs!) BUT I finally got my hands on diatomaceous earth. This contains 80-90% silica, which is said to dry out the bugs and make it impossible for them to chomp away at the stem and roots. So, I'm praying for tons of zucchini this year. I'll get back to you on how that all works out. 

Anyway, graphic novels fly by faster on the reading end than traditional ones, so I was happy to see so many in my pile. Today's looks like one I'll either love or hate...and if I hate it, then I'll try the diatomaceous earth on it? Maybe not.

Do any of you know how to pronounce diatomaceous?

YOUR THRONE, VOL. 1

by Sam

WEBTOON Unscrolled

Young Adult Fantasy

288 pages

COMING...

OCTOBER 1st!!!

A powerful noblewoman has to rewrite her entire revenge plan when she wakes up in the body of her sworn rival. Your Throne Vol. 1 collects the first 12 episodes of the stunning fantasy WEBTOON comic by SAM, which has over 830 million reads worldwide.

Tensions are brewing under the seemingly calm surface of the Vasilios Empire, a kingdom ruled by the Imperial Family and the Temple. Lady Medea Solon has lost her place next to Crown Prince Eros but resolves to do whatever it takes to win back what's rightfully hers. However, she’ll have to rewrite her entire revenge plan when she wakes up in the body of her sworn rival.

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

Revenge and evil-queen-vibes sink into an unexpected game, where everyone plays their own strategy while unknowingly taking the role of someone else's pawn.

Medea should have been queen but lost her place when the prince chose the other girl instead. Now, she's out for revenge, but before she can take it, the craziest thing happens, and she wakes up to find herself in her rival's body. While she quickly regains her footing and has all intentions to continue with her initial goal, her new and different perspective of the situation reveals a much more complicated scheme. What started as a simple plan to destroy one person has warped into a battle to save the entire kingdom.

I went into this hoping for a darker, cliche story, which would offer a bit of fun...my expectations weren't high. But this gives quite a bit more and promises to lead into an exciting series of intrigue and many hidden agendas. The beginning shows Medea in a terrible light as a vengeful young woman, who embodies the villain. It made her very hard to like or connect with, especially when juxtaposed with the angelic rival. During the first pages, I did wonder if I'd made a bad grab. Also, not much time is spent sinking into the situation or world, leaving a bit of confusion especially since Medea's hate seems very unfounded. But this ill-balanced beginning does end up setting off the tale better than first appears.

While this starts with an overly cliche atmosphere, the twists and turns flip everything on its head to create an original and grabbing read. There is a lot of room for character growth, and even in this first volume, that arc comes across well. To say that there's quite a bit going on is an understatement, and that guarantees quick pacing throughout. With all of the webbed intentions, this could quickly grow confusing but flashbacks root the background and keep things from flying out of control. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of such back-and-forth, but it works well because the reader gets hit with a truckload of information in this first volume. While it seems to border on confusing at times, it manages not to go too far, but instead, sets the base for so much more to come during the upcoming volumes.

The art style fits the story. The color tones match the atmosphere and subtly portray each 'queen' in a way, which supports how the reader is supposed to see them at that moment. The visual changes match the plot and balance well with the text.

I am looking forward to the next volume, especially since this beginning has laid such an intricate base. There are more than a few questions as to the intent and goals of several characters, and it will be exciting to see where this all might lead.