Jennifer Cervantes

I so enjoyed The Storm Keeper that I had been anxiously awaiting its sequel, and I was not disappointed. Cervantes has crafted another fun adventure that is both action-packed and character-driven.

Zane is clever and real, with his own flaws. He is impatient and in wanting to protect his friends, makes mistakes, and tends to act on his own. One thing I love about this series is that his disability is also the source of his strength - I think there is a great message in this, and further show more emphasized with the addition of Ren's character.

I was happy that Brooks made another appearance in the story, along with Uncle Hondo. We revisit old villans while meeting new ones.

At times, the story felt a little rushed. In the end, though, I felt it was a solid follow up from the first installment and I'm looking forward to the next! show less

diverse children's middlegrade demigod adventure (boy who walks with a cane turns out to be half Maya god and must save the world from destruction by demon god).
This is almost like reading a Rick Riordan--and that is AWESOME (yay for authors who not only use their powers for good, but who actively seek out ways to make their good do the MOST good). I like the differently-abled representation as well as the Mayan ancestry (spanish words sprinkled throughout) and the smart alecky humor and show more action should keep Percy Jackson fans entertained. show less

This is the best love story I've read in ages. You are set up nicely by the countdown, then pulled along through a field of metaphorical flowers, most of the forget-me-not kind. Hart and Ruby are not only in love, they're best friends and have a future planned together. His drowning kicks everything to the curb, leaving her in grief limbo.Then Hart gets a reprieve of sorts. Local bad boy Jamison is in a coma and will die soon, but Lourdes, an angel that sorta reminded me of Luna Lovegood if show more Luna had a celestial boss, steps in with a deal. Hart gets to inhabit Jamison's body, but will gradually lose his memories, not only of Ruby, but of everything else.
Following his efforts to regain his relationship with Ruby, who detests Jamison, especially when every time he tries to to explain anything about the switch, he's silenced, is fascinating. Also fascinating are the ways all the other characters, most sympathetic, come into play as the star-crossed lovers try to make sense of everything. This is a story where you alternate rooting for them to have a happily ever after, and a dread that it's not gonna happen. Read the book to see how that quandary is resolved...or not. show less

For the first few chapters, I was worried that this was another 'romance' where lust and sex are a cheap replacement for love and personality, but I kept reading and found a beautiful story about magic, family and yes, actual love! There are a couple of heated scenes that are well written yet don't go all the way, so to speak, and then the final 'reunion' between Harlow and Ben, which is enough for me.

In the spirit of Practical Magic, which is one of my favourite films, and, yes, Encanto, show more that I haven't actually seen, Harlow Estrada comes from a long line of magical women and her family run a flower farm in Mexico where they grow enchanted blooms. Her mother can influence dreams, her sister communicates with ghosts, and a cousin has the gift of healing. The women are all named after flowers, too - Jazmin, Rosa, Camelia, Liliana, Dahlia. Only Harlow lacks a specific magical power, and is named after rocks (or a town in Essex, if you're English). When Harlow's one-sided relationship with a dude bro called Chad ends with a drink in his face and a quick escape from New York, she returns to the family farm and finds the love and magic she has been missing.

I love a good Hallmark movie and this novel is like a rejected script. The city boyfriend, the return home, sparks flying after a meet-cute in a local eatery (owned by her godfather!), a cute older couple who show what real love can be, romantic dates, the former girlfriend who throws a spoke in the wheels - all that was missing was snow! Harlow's fear that her feelings are the result of magic and not genuine connection was also handled well (and her friend Laini lampshades my hatred of 'romance' novels perfectly: 'No way could someone fall this madly if they hadn't had sex, right?') Harlow's empowerment is satisfying, Ben is pretty bland but sweet and his grandparents are adorable, and dear lord, would I love to live on the family flower farm (the shop is called 'Encanto', nudge nudge). I even remembered to water my plant after reading about so many beautiful blooms!

The writing is a bit clumsy in places and perhaps the pages could do with a bit of pruning, but I've read worse this week! Delightful. show less