Absolutely Truly: A Pumpkin Falls Mystery by Heather Vogel Frederick

Back Cover
An unsent letter in a first edition copy of Charlotte’s Web leads to a hunt for treasure in this heartwarming middle grade mystery from the author of The Mother-Daughter Book Club.

Now that Truly Lovejoy’s father has been injured by an IED in Afghanistan and is having trouble finding work back home, the family moves from Texas to tiny Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire, to take over Lovejoy’s Books, a struggling bookstore that’s been in the family for one hundred years.

With two older brothers and two younger sisters clamoring for attention, her mother back in school, and everyone up to their eyebrows trying to keep Lovejoy’s Books afloat, Truly feels more overlooked than usual. So she pours herself into uncovering the mystery of an undelivered letter she finds stuck in a valuable autographed first edition of Charlotte’s Web, which subsequently goes missing from the bookshop. What’s inside the envelope leads Truly and her new Pumpkin Falls friends on a madcap treasure hunt around town, chasing clues that could spell danger.

My Thoughts
I really liked this book a lot. The moment you read about the father and what he went through and what his family went through for military, it just sticks with you. You feel for the girl, Truly, and how she feels lost in her family. A new school. New house. New everything. Who can blame her for feeling this way? I would feel the same. Truly is hilarious and very smart for her 12 year old self. I was impressed with her and her friends smarts and how well they did with the clues for the mystery. I think an unsung character would be Aunt True. She livens things up and sort of brings the family back together, almost back to normal. She's the crazy they needed to become their crazy family again. I think Aunt True was one of my favorite characters after Truly. They both hold the story together.

4 out of 5 stars.

Diary of a Teenage Fairy Godmother by Kathleen Baldwin

 Back Cover Summary:
A Fairy Godmother is not some pixie in a pink tutu. She’s a guardian and a warrior. Lilliana Skye is sent undercover to a Texas high school to save one of Cinderella’s troubled descendants, but everything goes wrong.

Jessica Harrison hates Lilliana. She doesn’t believe in fairytale magic or happily-ever-afters. Jess is tough, angry, and so intelligent it’s scary. If she ever did see a mythical fairy she would probably stomp it into oblivion with her army boots. Matters go from bad to worse when Jess’s older brother meets Lilliana and falls hard for the new girl. And Lilliana can’t keep her wayward heart in check. Jake is, well, just plain dangerous.

Falling in love with a human is forbidden, not to mention… deadly.

 My Thoughts:
Overall
I had been wanting to read this for a few months but decided to wait and see if I would get it for Christmas..and I did! I am happy I waited. It was an easy, quick read. I enjoyed it a lot but even for the $3, I'm glad it was a gift and I didn't purchase it. If the library had had a copy, I would've just borrowed it. That being said, it's a book that I could reread again. It's very appropriate for the YA group it's written for. It's a great modern take on a classic fairy tale.

The Characters:
I really didn't care for Jess, the descendant of Cinderella, one bit. I get that she had a lot of issues and was hurting from the loss of her older brother but she took the whole "I'm grieving" to a new level all on her own. She was a Bitch. I would have given up on her if I was her FG.
I thought Lilliana was brilliant. I thought she was funny but strong and clearly, beautiful. She's one of those girls that loves everyone because she doesn't know any better- talk about a bad case being sheltered. I did appreciate that she was obedient but then discovered that her guardian is bat shit crazy and she shouldn't be so obedient to her. I really felt her pain about not being with the one she love. 
Jake is a good guy- wears his emotions on his sleeve. I'm really glad that even thought he's hurting from the death of his brother he is able to let love into his life. I'm also glad that he stands up and tells Jess how it is. Geez, that girl...

Plot
I think the whole concept of the story is very unique. Taking a beloved fairy tale, like Cinderella, and weaving it into the modern day world is so awesome. I loved the fact that Lilliana had to help Jess become more open to love or she would become evil and destroy the world. I think the whole plot is very well thought out and believable in ways. I like to think that in some parts of the world, and for some people, magic truly does exist and help them. It's a nice and very cool thought!

I would recommend this to anyone but 6th grade and up or a higher reading 5th grader and up. I think adults can easily enjoy this fantastical tale just as much as young readers. Boy or girl. 

4 out of 5 stars!