Book Review: Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Title: Cloaked
Author: Alex Flinn
Pages: 337
Publisher: Harperteen
Source: ARC from publisher

Summary: Johnny’s not your average hero. But a little magic changes everything. There isn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. It all starts with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess. And before Johnny knows it, he is on a mission in the Everglades, with only a flock of swans and a talking fox named Joe to help guide him against the forces of an evil witch.

Review: This was a pretty entertaining book. I am a fan of Alex Flinn's books, so this book didn't disappoint much.

Johnny works at a shop repairing shoes. He doesn't make much, so he is poor. When Princess Victoriana shows up offering him a reward for finding her long lost brother (who had turned into a frog), Johnny accepts the offer and goes on a search. A bit into the journey, Johnny's best friend, Meg, comes and helps him. Along the way they encounter a talking fox, swans, and an evil witch trying to stop them in their tracks.

Before Johnny leaves for his journey, the princess gives him a magical cloak. The cloak can transport him anywhere he wants to go. The thing is, he has to be specific about where he wants to go. Otherwise he might end up in the middle of the road. This makes me wish that I had a magical cloak!

I wan't a huge fan of this book. Don't get me wrong, It was still pretty good. It was just too fantasy for me. I like a little bit of fantasy, like Alex Flinn's other books Beastly and A Kiss In Time. The good thing, is that it was written well, so it wasn't hard to follow.

If you like fantasy, then I would recommend reading this book. I thought the romance was super cute. I gave this book three and a half coffee cups. It was a decent book.

Book Review: Crazy by Han Nolan

Title: Crazy
Author: Han Nolan
Pages: 352
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Source: Good Golly Miss Holly's ARC Tour

Summary: Fifteen-year-old Jason has fallen upon bad times—his mother has died and his father has succumbed to mental illness. As he tries to hold his crazy father and their crumbling home together, Jason relies on a host of imaginary friends for guidance as he stumbles along trying not to draw attention to his father’s deteriorating condition.

Review: I thought this book was pretty good. It was very different from most books i've read. The main character, Jason, his mom died and his dad has gone crazy. Living at home with his mentally unstable father is really hard for Jason. All he cares about is his father and he never wants to leave him alone. With the help of some friends, Pete, Haze, and Shelby, he deals with his father and starts a new life.

I really liked the characters in this book. Jason has imaginary characters that he talks to in his head. At first I thought that was a little annoying, but as I continued to read this book they started to fit in. He has different people who he talks to in his head: Crazy Glue, Sexy Lady, Aunt Bee, and Fat Bald Guy with a Moustache. Jason talks to these imaginary characters to keep him sane. I found it a little hard to relate to Jason since I have never had any family issues like he had.

There wasn't a lot of romance in this book, but there was some. Jason and Shelby liked each other from the beginning but wouldn't admit it to each other. Their romance growed throughout the book. I loved the very last part of the book. So cute!

I gave this book three and a half coffee cups. I would recommend reading this book if you like realistic fiction/drama books. At parts, this book was gripping. Other parts, it was just okay. Overall, this was a pretty good book.