When the Moon was Ours

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a report on When the Moon was Ours, written by author Anna-Marie McLemore. An urban fantasy tale with very interesting and as far as I know, unique ideas. It's one of the better written books I've read that both has good fantasy and has good LGBTQ+ representation without making it the entire focus, I've been hoping for more casual representation and this gives me good hope about that. The magic and story is well done, it's well crafted and balances the tone very nicely, and all in all was a very enjoyable read. I would definitely give it a go if urban fantasy is your cup of tea.

 

Adventure Van, smelling the roses.

The Cruel Prince

Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a report on The Cruel Prince, written by Holly Black. It follows the story of three people kidnapped into the world of fae politics. The supernatural has always been an interest of mine, as well as politics, and this was an interesting read. It was convoluted at points, but honestly, that fits for the subjects covered. There's some murders that don't seem required, but again, I think it works.
 It is well done for being a glimpse into a fictional world that works much differently then anything we can relate to it. I enjoyed the read and think it's certainly worthwhile to invest your time in.

Adventure Van, plotting and scheming.

Darius the Great is Not Okay

Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a report on the semifamous book, Darius the Great is Not Okay, written by Adib Khorram. The book received a lot of attention and is required reading in some areas, due to a tactful covering of a multitude of topics that are most certainly relevant to today's era.  I did enjoy reading it, and I think it was well done, although I cannot say with any authority how some of the more sensitive subjects (depression, cancer and foreign religions) are handled. In my opinion, the ending was a bit too clean, but I can't say that I want or enjoy more mundane or "bad" endings in circulation when it comes to these kinds of books.

Adventure Van, traveling to the unknown.

Truly Devious

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a report on Truly Devious, the mystery book Maureen Johnson wrote. It follows Stevie, a true-crime self proclaimed "detective", going to Ellingham Academy to solve the cold case mystery of what happened to the founder's family and themselves. Although the mystery itself is not solved in this book alone, it is a three book series. There are some interesting deaths and a decent mystery here, however, there is also a very questionable romantic subplot at play that I can't say I was a fan of. The flashbacks to while the crime was still ongoing are well dispersed across the book and don't hold up the flow, although the first death in the very first part of the book felt almost gratuitous and almost threw me off the entire reading. Still, if you're into school mysteries, this is one of the more well thought out variants.

Adventure Van, investigating.

One of Us is Next

 Hey guys! Adventure Van here with a blog about One of Us is Next, the sequel to One of Us is Lying written by Karen McManus. It is, as is the previous book, a murder mystery centering around the same cast, this time focusing on a mysterious game of Truth or Dare that turns deadly. I found it to be somewhat less compelling then the previous book, characters acted strangely and some situations could have been entirely avoided with just some forethought. I always have a problem with stories that need to dumb down their characters to advance the plot, so that is a personal gripe. Beyond that, though, the actual writing was on par with the original, with good scene descriptions and well paced (if somewhat predictable) twists. I wouldn't recommend it if you only somewhat enjoyed the previous book in the series, but if you really enjoyed One of Us is Lying then it is a good sequel that will still keep you hooked.

Adventure Van, daring out.

Journey To The Center of the Earth

 Adventure Van here with a book report on Journey To The Center of the Earth, written by Jules Verne. Although some more scientifically or geologically inclined may know that traveling to the center of the earth is by no means a feasible feat for humans to accomplish even with our modern tools, and that we wouldn't have much to look forward to even if we did manage to get to the lava core of the planet, it has been and still is a common trend to wonder what sort of unknown magic or history lurks below us. In this appropriately named book, we follow Axel and his uncle, Professor Lidenbrock, venturing down below the earth in Iceland and discovering all the prehistoric beasts, strange structures, and the fate of the bold adventurer who came before them. It is not an extremely long or complex read, being just under 300 pages, but it has an intriguing writing style and is well thought out in the execution. It is certainly worth an afternoon read if you get the opportunity and the time.

Adventure Van, excavating away.