Julia DeVillers

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher for promotional purposes.

This was a super cute middle grade romance!

First off, I loved the amusement park setting. The majority of the story took place there and it worked so well. It was fun and added to the playfulness of the romance. The park reminded me a lot of the fictional Walley World from the movie, “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (which is a movie I love).

The romance between Henry and Coco was adorable, especially show more their awkward meet-cute. It was age appropriate for a middle grade audience. I liked that it included both Henry and Coco’s perspectives. I always love having dual POVs in romance books.

Not only was this a romance but it had a great message about moving on to new places and things. It can be easy to get attached to what you’ve always known and are used to, but the book highlights that change can also be good.

The story does rely on the miscommunication/misunderstanding trope towards the end, which is not my favorite. However, this book is centered around teens so the miscommunication makes more sense in this case.

Overall, I enjoyed this summertime romance set in a theme park. This is the perfect summer break book for middle grade readers! show less

In the old, old house I grew up in, I used to find all sorts of random books that either were there when we moved in, or somehow migrated into the house from who knows where. There was one book I remember that I wish I still had because it would be hysterically funny now. I don't remember the name of the book, but it was something like "How to be the Girl Everyone wants to be around". It was kind of in the same vein as "How to Make Friends and Influence People" and probably written around show more the same time. The whole point of the book was to teach girls (women) to be attractive to others, principally men. It had chapters on walking, posture, dressing, among other things. I still remember the first chapter on how to make your eyes "sparkle". Apparently, when you first wake up, you should blink your eyes continuously while looking up, then to the side, then down, then the other side. Voila! Sparkly eyes! There was also a chapter on how to express yourself in a delightful way, rather than self-centeredly. For example, if the weather is very hot, you don't say "I'm sweltering!", no -- you say "My, isn't it warm out." I gave up after that chapter because it was clear that what the book wanted was for you to transform yourself into something other than your own self.

I applaud the wonderful enthusiasm of "Girlwise". Its message is 'you are wonderful and what is holding you back is lack of confidence above all.' Everyone wants a cheerleader for their true self, someone to tell them they are every bit as good as the next girl, even the ones who seem to have it all, that everything will turn out fine and here are some tips on how to not worry about what everyone else will think.

It also contains lots of information on practical stuff like unclogging a toilet or shaking hands, budgeting your money, what to do in all sorts of embarrassing, but typical, situations.

Wish I had this as a young teen, though I have come to think that the confidence and belief in one's own capability that this book tries to instill, is something one is either born with or without. Not saying that you can't develop confidence, but just looking at most people from my almost 60 year old vantage point, I see people that despite no encouragement, maybe even discouragement from their family and people around them, still have a strong sense of themselves and an inner confidence that others just don't have, including myself. You can try to fake it, as many of us do, but for those who aren't born that way, it is a struggle and takes many years, if ever, to feel comfortable in one's own skin. That said, I think every little bit of encouragement helps, and this book is encouraging. show less

While this one can be read fairly well as a stand-alone, I'd recommend starting with the first book, since there is information and character background which helps dive into this tale.

Now, that the Ultra Squad girls are a little more certain about what they are doing and how to use their powers, they find themselves on another adventure. This time, the girls and their four partners find themselves stuck in a parallel reality. They want to return home, but in order to do that, need show more assistance from their other selves. Of course, none of this is easy and their former nemesis even makes things more difficult.

I didn't quite enjoy this book as much as the first, but still, recommend it to middle grade girls who enjoy a bit of super-girl, science fiction fun and tons of friendship. The girls and their partners are fun to follow as they try their best to figure this new situation out. The illustrations really add a wonderful twist as they make it easy to identify which are girls are which, and add a few more reality differences to add a portion of humor in too. Friendship, of course, is golden again as the girls try to find a way to work together.

It's a lovely concept, which is fun to read and is sure to hook in the intended age group. show less

Girl power packed with quirky humor and fast-paced adventure makes this into an exciting read.

Four girls with very different interests, but all talented at what they do, are called into the school's office. They can hardly believe that they have been chosen to be members of the Ultra Squad, a group, whose duty is to protect the the universe. But considering the teacher can switch from a human into an alien, who are they to argue. They are instantly given their first mission and must quickly show more figure out what this entire galactic fighting squad truly means before they take on a very nasty villain.

This is a fun read from start to finish. The four girls are very different, but each has their strengths and weaknesses...and a heart of gold. Although they have a few difficulties, they learn to get along quickly and help each other overcome or, at least, find a way to deal with their issues. The extra characters—side-kicks, villain, and leader—flow right in and add extra zest to make the story simply an enjoyable read.

The illustrations are bright and full of energy just like the girls. They help the fast pacing of the story flow seamlessly. Each character's personality shines as their expressions and emotions come across. The spunk is clear even in the illustrations, and this adds to the reading fun. show less