Category: Reviews-Sourcebook/Jabberwocky(2011)

Title: Sally’s Bones
Author: MacKenzie Cadenhead
Illustrator: T.S Spookytooth
Pub Date: September 2011
Pages: 176
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Source: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

About the Book:

2 Months, 28 Days, 9 Hours, and 12 minutes earlier…

Sally Simplesmith’s life changed forever. She came face-to-face with death – a delightful, dearly departed little dog she lovingly calls Bones. But when the cadaverous canine is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Sally decides to solve the case herself!

Does Sally have what it takes to fetch a thief?

Sally’s Bones is the impossibly possible tale of a girl, a crime, and a lovably lifeless, decidedly dead dog.

Oh my gosh what I can say about this book?

All I can really say is that I absolutely loved it and have since read it twice since I wrote my review of Sally’s Bones. It was fun, light, mysterious, and it kept me glued to the pages. I actually read this in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down and when I did it was quickly picked up again. Michael is actually in the process of reading this now and he wasn’t sure at first because he thought it was scary and the cover is misleading.

I loved Sally and Bones. Although Bones is just a skelton of the dog you can’t help but wonder what kind of dog he would have been in real life. I love how the friendship grew between Sally and Bones and she loved Bones for who he was and not what he looked like. I think I fell in love with Bones just as much as Sally did.

Sally is still grieving the loss of her mother and visits her gravesite regularly. Sally is feeling alone in the world and who can blame her when it seems like her father is there but really isn’t there and she has no friends. On this one particular day she goes to visit her mother she begs for her own death. I have to admit that this part made me really sad that a sweet girl like Sally was so lonely and unwanted that she would wish for his. I want to reach into the book to hug her but someone greater was listening to Sally because they sent Bones to her. Bones became the friend that she so dearly wished and dreamed for.

You can read my review of Sally’s Bones here.

MacKenzie did a fantastic job in writing this book and for her debut novel she did an awesome job and I am looking forward to reading more of MacKenzie’s work.

Sally’s Bones is now available to buy.

Title: Sally’s Bones
Author: MacKenzie Cadenhead
Illustrator: T.S. Spookyytooth
Pub Date: September 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Source: I received an advance readers copy of this book from Sourcebooks Jobberwocky for my honest and sincere review.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Bones is the dreadfully delicious girl’s best friend who helps solve this Burton-esque mystery. Sally is a quirky character who loves Death Rock and faded blue jeans. She fits in better with the Addams Family than with a clique of catty sixth grade girls. After her mother’s death, grief-stricken Sally begs for death…and death is exactly what she gets: a tail-wagging skeleton dog called Bones. A gift from beyond the grave, Bones is a dreadfully delicious girl’s best friend. In this cleverly written, alliterative tale the neighbourhood’s dog treats go missing and everyone blames Bones. Sally must solve the mystery to save her cadaverous canine from puppy prison. “This unusually clever, fun teen comic is based on the novel premise that parents don’t just seem evil, they actually are evil supervillains… story with clarity, a dollop of drama and just enough pizzazz.” — Publishers Weekly praise MacKenzie Cadenhead’s The Runaways Vol 1 Grades: 4-7

I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it to everyone.

I absolutely loved the main character Sally Simplesmith and not just because of her last name. You can’t help but not fall in love with Sally. She is one of those kids you just want to take under your wing and love her.

She lost her mother when she was very young and her very busy father is raising her the best that he can do. Its only when old friends have come back into the picture (Vanderperfects) that poor  Sally wishes nothing more then “Give. Me. Death.” on her mother’s grave. Viola has made it her mission to make Sally feel like the outcast that she already feels like because Sally isn’t like most of the girls in the sixth grade.

The gift from beyond the grave (a dead dog made of bones) makes Sally’s day and probably her year because for the first time she is happy and decides that no one will bring her down even though they try. No one knows about her dog, Bones and she tries her best to keep him a secret but Sally quickly realizes that someone knows her secret because notes are suddenly appearing, who is behind them?

Sally tries her best to keep Bones her secret but before long her secret is revealed and purely by accident and its this new found friend that has peaked every ones interest and before long Sally and Bones have become the center of attention.  For once Sally feels what she has always wanted to feel, accepted.

But we all know that happiness comes at a price and it seems like there is someone (who isn’t happy about the latest development) out to get Sally and Bones because before Sally can blink and enjoy her new found popularity, Bones is being framed for stealing dog bones from all the dogs in the city. I have to say I really thought it was one person and ended up completely blindsided when the real person was revealed. You will too when you find out who did it and why.

I loved the fact that no matter what the dog looked like Sally loved him no matter what he looked like and I think more people need to realize this too. Its whats inside that really counts.

Thanks to Sourcebooks for sending me this lovely book to read and review and for allowing me to be a part of the tour for it.

Title: The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses
Author: Ty Drago
Pub Date: April 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Pages: 465

Source: I received a finished copy of this book from the publisher for my honest sincere review.

About the Book:
On a sunny Wednesday morning in October, a day that would mark the end of one life and the beginning of another, Will found out his grouchy next door neighbor was one of the walking dead. When he turns around expecting to see something familiar, and instead sees something else altogether, it takes a little while for his brain to catch up with his eyes. He calls that the ‘Holy Crap Factor.’

Forced to flee his home and family, twelve-year-old Will Ritter falls in with the Undertakers–a rag-tag army of teenage resistance fighters, who’ve banded together to battle the corpses.

I think this is the very first zombie book I have ever read and reviewed here. The cover is very appealing and eye catching but I am not sure I would have picked this up on my own. Thankfully the ever so awesome Kay from Sourcebooks pitched the book just right and after reading it I have to say it peaked my curiosity so much so that I had to accept the request.

I am so happy that I did because I loved the book. I loved the writing, the action, the suspense and the characters. I think this book would appeal to both boys and girls 10+. The girl characters Helene and Sharyn were strong female characters and ones I think girls could look up to and admire.

Will Ritter is a twelve year old boy who was living the typical kid life until one day when he woke up and realized he was surround by zombies, his neighbor, the principal and even some of his teachers were zombies. This has Will totally freaked out and he wonders why not everyone can see what he sees. Is it just him? Is he loosing his mind?

Will quickly realized he is special and not just anyone can see zombies only a few selected ones can. They don’t know why but the ones he can have formed a special team called The Undertakers. Will is thrilled to realize he isn’t alone but quickly realizes that life will never been the same and he can never go back because he can jeopardize the safety of his family.

Will The Undertakers be able to take down the zombies?

I was amazed at how everything progressed through out the book and it left me turning to read constantly and I had a hard time to put the book down. There were a few questions left unanswered and after reading it I had to check out Ty Drago site and I found out that its going to be a middle grade adventure series. So this little cliff hanger has left me wanting more and I can’t wait to read upcoming books from this series.

There is also a site dedicated to The Undertakers and you can click HERE to check it out.