Two Points of Interest: kindness

Monday, October 19, 2020

Book Review - Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly + Giveaway

Once upon a time, in a land far away, a girl named Sophie went into the forest with the Queen's huntsman. Her lips were the color of cherries, her skin is soft as fresh snow, and her hair is midnight dark. When they stopped to take a break, the huntsman took Sophie's heart.

She wasn't surprised by the turn of events. She knew what everyone at the palace thought of her. They believed that she was too kind and foolish to rule. She wasn't a good candidate to rule the kingdom. Sophie believes all the harsh and unkind things people said about her. The spoken poisonous words were used to keep Sophie from realizing her true potential.

Sophie laid abandoned on the forest floor when seven strangers come across her body. They help nourish and protect her. However, Sophie wants to regain her kingdom and punish her jealous stepmother. As she begins to find the courage for her mission, she realizes that someone else might be pulling strings and their magic might be too strong for Sophie. Will Sophie be able to recognize that her kindness is her true form of strength?

The story was a wonderful retelling of a classic fairy tale. It encourages girls and young women (or grown adult women in my case) in believing themselves. I liked that it showed the different sides of each character and that not everything is black and white. I can't wait to read more books by the author.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

About the Book:

Title: POISONED

Author: Jennifer Donnelly

Pub. Date: October 20, 2020

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 320

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

From Jennifer Donnelly, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller Stepsister, comes a fairytale retelling that'll forever change the way you think about strength, power, and the real meaning of "happily ever after."

Once upon a time, a girl named Sophie rode into the forest with the queen's huntsman. Her lips were the color of ripe cherries, her skin as soft as new-fallen snow, her hair as dark as midnight. When they stopped to rest, the huntsman took out his knife . . . and took Sophie's heart.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise. Sophie had heard the rumors, the whispers. They said she was too kind and foolish to rule -- a waste of a princess. A disaster of a future queen. And Sophie believed them. She believed everything she'd heard about herself, the poisonous words people use to keep girls like Sophie from becoming too powerful, too strong . . .

With the help of seven mysterious strangers, Sophie manages to survive. But when she realizes that the jealous queen might not be to blame, Sophie must find the courage to face an even more terrifying enemy, proving that even the darkest magic can't extinguish the fire burning inside every girl, and that kindness is the ultimate form of strength.

About Jennifer:

Jennifer Donnelly is the author of A Northern Light, which was awarded a Printz Honor and a Carnegie Medal; Revolution (named a Best Book by Amazon, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, and the Chicago Public Library, and nominated for a Carnegie Medal); the Deep Blue series; and many other books for young readers, including Lost in a Book, which spent more than 20 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She lives in New York's Hudson Valley.

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of POISONED, US Only.

Rafflecopter link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21161/?

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/1/2020	The Book Nut : A Book Lovers Guide	Review
10/2/2020	oddandbookish	Review
10/3/2020	popthebutterfly	Review

Week Two:

10/4/2020	A Backwards Story	Review
10/5/2020	Fictitiouswonderland	Review
10/6/2020	Kait Plus Books	Interview
10/7/2020	The Book Rookery	Review
10/8/2020	History from a Woman’s Perspective	Review
10/9/2020	Momfluenster	Review
10/10/2020	Thindbooks Blog	Review

Week Three:

10/11/2020	The Momma Spot	Review
10/12/2020	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review
10/13/2020	Bookhounds YA	Review
10/14/2020	Seeing Double In Neverland	Review
10/15/2020	Book-Keeping	Review
10/16/2020	Nays Pink Bookshelf	Review
10/17/2020	Lisa Loves Literature	Review

Week Four:

10/18/2020	Two Chicks on Books	Interview
10/19/2020	The Pages In-Between	Review
10/20/2020	Two Points of Interest	Review

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Book Review - The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala

Photo Credit - Amazon

Esha lost everything during a royal coup. She becomes the Viper in hopes to get her revenge and help the ones she loves. She receives her most important and complicated mission to date; she needs to kill the merciless General Hotha.

Being a soldier is the only life Kunal knows. His uncle, General Hotha, keeps a close on Kunal to make sure he never strays from his path. Kunal respects his uncle's desires of him but, his heart craves to explore the outside world.

When Esha and Kunal cross path one night, their entire world crumbles and their fate becomes entwined. They both think that they are in control but, will they realize that there are bigger things at play?

The novel was a good introduction to the series. The characters were both interesting and fun to read. I felt like the story was a bit predictable but, still enjoyable. I wish the author included an appendix because there were several words and terminology used that I didn't understand. I did feel that the plot did advance a bit slow especially since the book was over 400 pages long. I read another YA fantasy series and the author also did something similar. I am wondering if this a new trend of drawing out the plot for YA/Adults fantasy series. I did like that there was some mythology but, I wish this was gone into more detail for those who are not familiar with it. Overall, the book was a good start of the series and I am excited to read the next book.

Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.