REVIEW Team Chu and the Wild Ghost Chase (Team Chu #3) by Julie C. Dao

Team Chu and the Wild Ghost Chase (Team Chu #3) by Julie C. Dao
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: September 10, 2024
Format: Audiobook (Personal Library, Libro.fm)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (FSG)

Julie C. Dao has created another fun middle grade adventure book with her latest installment in the Team Chu series, Team Chu and the Wild Ghost Chase. Tuba the Cat’s influencer status (courtesy of siblings Marta and Iggy Morales) has landed him a coveted invitation to the Spooky World Pet Gala, so they invite all their friends to join them for the weekend. Once there, they get involved in another mystery and have to find out what happened to the legendary “Weeping Lady” before it’s too late. 

The author does a great job in bringing in problems the average middle schooler would face to these books. Sadie is struggling in school, but doesn’t want to tell her parents because of how proud they were that she tested into the higher classes. Her older brother Clip is desperate for recognition for his talents on the soccer field, but that causes a lot of conflict with his lifelong best friend (and fellow co-captain) Derek. Their other friends do their best to help with each situation, but can’t really get in the middle. Overall, I think the author did a great job making the problems feel authentic and relatable, especially for the intended audience of these books. 

The other highlight of this book for me was worldbuilding. Ms. Dao did such a great job creating the amusement park that is Spooky World. Even for a scaredy cat like me (who won’t go anywhere near places like Universal Halloween Horror Nights), I could definitely see myself wanting to visit Spooky World. There’s something for everyone at this place - she designed cool new rides, museums, spooky treats and even haunted houses. The way she wove in the legend of the Weeping Lady was great, and I really enjoyed the way the mystery unfolded at the end of the book. 

Narrators Angela Tran, Richard Nguyen, and Andrew Joseph Perez did an excellent job with bringing the kid’s perspectives to life. While this is the current projected end of the series, I would really love to see more books set in this world. I recommend the Team Chu series to those who would enjoy middle grade adventure books filled with friendship, mystery, and just a touch of the fantastical/supernatural. 

REVIEW Team Chu and the Epic Hero Quest (Team Chu #2) by Julie C. Dao

Team Chu and the Epic Hero Quest (Team Chu #2) 

by Julie C. Dao
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Format: Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (FSG)

Julie C. Dao’s Team Chu and the Epic Hero Quest, the sequel to her debut middle-grade novel Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena, is another family friendly humorous book filled with medieval-inspired challenges, a fantasy inspired quest to save a magical realm, and a mysterious wizard who keeps randomly showing up in socks and flip flops. 

Team Chu and the Epic Hero Quest picks up after the events of the first book, with Clip, Sadie, their friends, and all of their families traveling to the set of the new War of Gods and Men reality TV show (which they won a place to compete on after winning the laser tag event). The original narrators Richard Nguyen and Angela Tran returned to reprise their roles as Clip and Sadie, along with a new narrator A.J. Beckles to help bring Jeremy’s point of view to life. All three did an excellent job capturing the youthful nature of the characters, the joy of getting to play and compete with each other, and the awe of getting to participate in such a unique experience. 

When you’re reading this book, you can tell that the author had a lot of fun writing it and letting her imagination run free. She balances the adventure and fun elements of the book with a bit of mystery and drama. The challenges the kids face are complex in a way that adult readers like me can still appreciate them and be entertained, but authentic in that they should be able to feasibly be done by a child. Speaking of children - ‘Team Chu’ is composed of a diverse set of kids with unique talents and strengths, and it was a treat to see them compete at the different challenges and grow over the course of the story. Like seriously, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face while listening to the book. Jeremy and Sadie were my favorites, and I particularly enjoyed their best friend dynamic. Another highlight was getting to see the kids interact with the other competitors on the show and even the grown ups who were serving as actors playing a role in the story (sort of a non-playable character, or NPC if you are familiar with video games). 

Overall, Team Chu and the Epic Hero Quest was another excellent book from Julie C. Dao. The books are written as a series, with the events of the second book following those of the first, but I don’t think you need to read the first to understand the second book. To sum it up in a nutshell, the series is reminiscent of a kid-friendly version of Jumanji or the game show Legends of the Hidden Temple. The ending of this book was anticipated but still very exciting, and I’m eager to see what’s next for Sadie, Clip, Jeremy and the rest of their friends in the final book of the trilogy.  

About the Book

Check out acclaimed author Julie C. Dao's debut middle grade series, featuring a team of kids ready for any challenge-even saving the fantasy world of Pantaera from dark forces and certain ruin!

The popular fantasy video game War of Gods and Men is being adapted for reality television, and Team Chu and company are competing for the title of child hero: the young person destined to unite the forces of Pantaera to save it from a sinister fate. Over the next week, they'll be challenged by sirens, vampires, elves, and more in Tests of Courage, Determination, Humility, Intelligence, and Strength.

Popular athlete Clip is confident he'll take the prize, if it weren't for that test of humility. And despite claiming not to care about the game, Sadie finds herself pulled into the immersive world of Pantaera and rising to meet the challenges thrown her way. And her best friend, Jeremy, proud nerd and last pick for P.E. teams, wants more than anything to save the world of the game he loves, no matter the cost.

Join Clip, Sadie, Jeremy, and their friends on a thrilling adventure through an extraordinary fantasy world to learn who among them has what it takes to become Pantaera's child hero!

About the Author

Julie C. Dao is the author of several acclaimed novels for teens and children, including FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS and BROKEN WISH, published by Disney Books. A proud Vietnamese-American who was born in upstate New York, she now lives in New England. Follow her on Twitter @jules_writes.

Julie is represented by Tamar Rydzinski of Context Literary Agency.

Photo Credit: Melody Marshall

Pronunciation: JOOL-lee DOW
Pronouns: She/He

REVIEW Ruby Finley vs. The Interstellar Invasion by K. Tempest Bradford

Ruby Finley vs the Interstellar Invasion 

by K. Tempest Bradford
Rating: 3 Stars
Release Date: September 27, 2022
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (FSG) 

I discovered K. Tempest Bradford’s Ruby Finley vs the Interstellar Invasion via social media, and I’m so happy I did. 

Ruby Finley is a whip-smart kid, and her dream is to be an entomologist (or scientist who studies bugs) when she grows up. When she discovers a bug that she’s never seen before, she takes it home in a jar to study. However, after things start disappearing from the neighborhood and strange men in suits show up looking for the bug, she quickly realizes it's even more special than she thought. 

The mystery element of this book was fun. Ruby and her friends try their best to determine what’s going on in their neighborhood and hunt down the bug once they figure out it's the culprit. I also liked the different sci-fi elements that were incorporated with the bug (I can’t really directly reference them without spoiling that aspect of the book). One issue I had with the overall book was the title and the cover - it kind of spoils the main action of the story and makes it obvious what Ruby and her friends will be facing. However, I realize that I’m much older than the target audience for the book so middle-grade readers might not make that connection or be as bothered by it as I am. 

I also want to note how much I appreciated how the community came together at the end of the book. I particularly liked Ruby’s parents, who were excellent role models and stood up for her with the unfair treatment and racism she was experiencing in school. No one should ever imply that a child is not smart enough to do a project (and honestly, most parents end up helping their kid with science fair presentations to some small degree). Prospective readers should also be aware that Channie Waites did a good job bringing the story to life with her performance in the audiobook narration. 

TL: DR; Middle-grade science fiction readers who enjoy mystery and some STEM elements will find themselves immersed in Ms. Bradford’s story. It’s a diverse, empowering read that focuses on the importance of believing in yourself as well as your family, friends, and community. If you= like Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong or B.B. Alston’s Amari and the Night Brothers you will undoubtedly enjoy this action-packed sci-fi adventure. 

About the Book

Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion is a backyard adventure-mystery by debut children’s author K. Tempest Bradford, perfect for fans of Clean Getaway, The Last Last Day of Summer, and Sideways School.

Eleven-year-old Ruby is a Black girl who loves studying insects and would do just about anything to be an entomologist, much to the grossed-out dismay of her Gramma. Ruby knows everything there is to know about insects so when she finds the weirdest bug she’s ever seen in her front yard, she makes sure no one is looking and captures it for further study.

But then Ruby realizes that the creature isn’t just a regular bug. And it has promptly burned a hole through her window and disappeared. Soon, random things around the neighborhood go missing, and no one’s heard from the old lady down the street for a week. Ruby and her friends will have to recover the strange bug before the feds do.

Ruby is the science hero we’ve all been waiting for!

About the Author

K. Tempest Bradford is an award-winning teacher, media critic, and author of fantasy and science fiction steeped in Black Girl Magic. Her debut middle grade novel Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion will be out in September 2022 from FSG for Young Readers.

Tempest’s short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies and magazines, including In The Shadow of the Towers and Strange Horizons. Her media criticism and essays on diversity and representation have been published at NPR, io9, Ebony Magazine, and more.

She teaches classes and gives talks on representation and creating diverse narratives for Writing the Other and has been invited to teach at Clarion West, LitReactor, universities, and entertainment companies.

She’s the recipient of the 2020 LOCUS Special Award for Inclusivity and Representation Education and the 2022 Lemonade Award. She’s been nominated for FIYAH Magazine‘s IGNYTE Community and Ember Awards.

REVIEW Air by Monica Roe

Air by Monica Roe 
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: March 15, 2022
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library) + Hardcover (Giveaway Win)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (FSG)

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"More than anything, I wish someone had thought to ask me if I needed help before going ahead and planning it all out."

Monica Roe’s newest middle-grade novel Air is an action-packed, thought-provoking contemporary tale full of positive disability representation, empowering messages, and even a bit of first-crush romance and hijinks. Emmie is a twelve-year-old girl affected by spina bifida (a birth defect in which an area of the spinal column doesn't form properly) who largely gets around using her wheelchair and dreams of one day competing in wheelchair motocross (WCMX). In order to do so, she’s been running a side hustle of sorts (making wheelchair armrest bags) to raise money. When her school hears of her plans and offers to fundraise (and make a very big deal out of the situation), Emmie must decide what she wants to do and what she wants her future to look like. 

I really empathized with Emmie in this book. There are a lot of people in Emmie’s life that mean well, but one rule of thumb for interacting with wheelchair users that everyone should observe is to not touch someone’s wheelchair unless they give you permission. Like, ever. There’s also the struggle of all those meaning well when it comes to trying to help with fundraising for her new wheelchair. No one doubts the good intentions (especially Emmie), but I agree with some of the others in her life that the new wheelchair will be more meaningful if she earns it herself (and doesn’t have to ‘march to the beat of another person’s drum’ to do so). I cannot imagine the painful awkwardness that would come with all the media attention that would surround the fundraiser (and it's still shocking to me that they didn’t reach out to her dad about it before setting it up) - I was cringing just reading about the entire situation.  

The disability representation in this book is great (speaking from the viewpoint of someone who is disabled and chronically ill but not wheelchair-bound). It’s obvious that the author did her research (with a lot of it likely coming from her position as a physical therapist). After reading the author’s note at the end of the book, it was even cooler (and not surprising) to learn that this was loosely based on some of the author’s real-life encounters and experiences with a disabled student. I felt that the depiction of how Emmie’s father struggles to balance raising a child, going to school, and keeping a roof over their heads was very authentic. I also appreciate how the author touched on the fight by people with disabilities and their allies to secure equal and accessible facilities at schools and other public locations. It may feel like ages ago, but ADA rules and regulations haven’t actually been around for that long. As 'AKSalmonGrannie' remarks, it doesn't seem like it should be all that special to give students what they need at school. 

While Emmie is undoubtedly the star of the show in this book, there were some side characters that really shined. For example, Mr. Singeltary (the gym teacher) goes out of his way to make Emmie feel comfortable and even does one on one basketball games with her. I was quite amused by his using his desk chair to make things more equal in the game. Mr. Milling, the history teacher has some insightful conversations with EmmieThere’s also Emmie’s best friend Ale, who is a voice of reason and the person Emmie goes to vent her frustrations. I was a bit saddened that Emmie didn’t take more interest in Ale’s hobbies (given how much Ale helps her with training to do tricks). I understand that bees are scary, but the give and take in their relationship is not exactly equal. 

Overall, Air was an entertaining and enjoyable book. Emmie’s story is an inspirational one - not because of all the things she’s able to do in a wheelchair, but because of her mature responses to people’s flubs, her determination to make sure she and others continue to learn and do better, and her genuine enthusiasm for life. It was so exciting to see the representation in this book (I can’t really think of any other contemporary novels I’ve read that have featured the main character in a wheelchair), and I hope I can see similar representation in more books in the future. For those who love audiobooks, Sandy Rustin did a great job with the narration - she really brought Emmie’s personality and perspective to life with her performance. While this book is primarily geared towards a younger audience, I would happily recommend it to young adults and adults alike as I think readers of all ages would be able to take something away from this story. 

Thank you to KidLit 411 for my giveaway copy of the book!  

About the Author

Monica Roe is a writer, physical therapist, beekeeper, and researcher/advocate for the social model of disability and inclusive rural health. A first-generation graduate, Monica studies public health and disability-inclusive disaster preparedness at the University of Alaska. She and her family divide their time between Alaska and their apiary in rural South Carolina.

Website: www.monicaroeauthor.com

Twitter: @monica_roe 

IG: @oldswampapiary 

If very low-key beekeeping videos are your thing, you’re welcome to check out our little apiary over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeWa5m-udZ-xndpx29PHJEA   Exciting? Not terribly. Calm and pleasantly buzzy? Very much so! ☺ 

REVIEW Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena by Julie C. Dao

Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena 

by Julie C. Dao
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: July 26, 2022
Format: Hardcover (Personal Library) + Audiobook (Giveaway Win)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 

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Julie C. Dao’s Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena is an epic middle-grade debut complete with fierce sibling rivalries, fairytale-inspired elements, and a mysterious laser tag arena all in one. 

Chu siblings Sadie and Clip have a stereotypical sibling rivalry; they excel in different areas, argue over who gets to pick where the family eats, and love getting to one-up each other. The one area they share an interest in is laser tag, and when the new Blackwood Gaming Arena opens in town it promises loads of fun and adventure. When the new virtual reality experience presents some unexpected challenges, they must overcome their differences and work together before it's too late. 

Julie captured the essence of sibling rivalry in this book. I saw a lot of myself and my relationship with my sister in Sadie and Clip’s interactions. Being the youngest sibling, I definitely connected with Sadie the most. One of my favorite quotes from the book is this, “When you have siblings, no one else in the world knows what it’s like to be one of you….Siblings grow up together. They have inside jokes, secret languages, and codes only they understand. It’s different from any other bond in the world.”

I'm so happy I picked up a print copy of the book because I loved the little illustrations interspersed throughout the chapters (i.e. older brother Clip triumphantly pointing his laser tag blaster down at little sister Sadie). I also received a giveaway copy of the audiobook (thank you to the author) and narrators Angela Tran and Richard Nguyen did a fantastic job with their performance. They really captured the youthful nature of the characters, the exuberance kids have when they get excited, and even the smug satisfaction of beating your sibling at something.  

A loose reimagining of the story of Hansel and Gretel, it was reminiscent of a kid-friendly version of Jumanji or Legends of the Hidden Temple. The ending was super fun, and I’m so excited to see what’s next for Sadie and Clip since this will be a trilogy. 

About the Author

Julie C. Dao is the author of several acclaimed novels for teens and children, including FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS and BROKEN WISH, published by Disney Books. A proud Vietnamese-American who was born in upstate New York, she now lives in New England. Follow her on Twitter @jules_writes.

Julie is represented by Tamar Rydzinski of Context Literary Agency.

Photo Credit: Melody Marshall

Pronunciation: JOOL-lee DOW
Pronouns: She/Her

We Free the Stars (Sands of Arawiya Duology Book 2) by Hafsah Faizal

We Free the Stars (Sands of Arawiya Duology Book 2) by Hafsah Faizal

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Release Date: January 19, 2021
Format: Audiobook (library)
Publisher: Farrar Straus and Giroux

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I recently finished We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal, so I was pretty excited to be able to jump straight into We Free the Stars. Ms. Faizal completely blew all of my expectations for the sequel out of the water (in a good way). So much happened in the first book that I probably would have benefited from a reread prior to starting this one, but I didn’t have too many issues remembering what happened in the first book (and thus following the storyline of this one). 

The worldbuilding in this book was excellent. Some authors suffer from plot holes and inconsistencies when they dream up worlds as big as this, but that didn’t seem to be an issue for Ms. Faizal or the kingdom of Arawiya. Everything was fleshed out and well-developed. I appreciate how the Arabian inspiration for the setting and the diverse characters made the book feel rich with cultural representation. Simply put, Ms. Faizal’s writing is beautiful and emotionally evocative. She did a fantastic job both painting a picture and stirring up a specific emotion. I don’t think I’ve seen another author pull this off quite as well in any of my recent reads. 

We Free the Stars features the same cast of characters that readers connected to and couldn’t help but root for in We Hunt the Flame. I love seeing a character grow over the course of multiple books, and the author delivered in that regard. In my opinion, Nasir was the character with the most growth in the story. One particularly poignant quote that I connected to is this: “Prince of Death, Demenhune Hunter. Titles don’t tell you who a person is.”

This is a slow-burn romance at its finest. The tension that Ms. Faizal created between our main characters was *chef’s kiss* amazing. There were so many moments where I was shaking my book and yelling, “Why won’t you kiss already and admit your feelings?”. At this point, the author could deliver a master class on crafting slow-burn young adult romance and I would happily sign up. I mean, take a look at this quote for goodness sake; “I am falling in love with you, and I don’t know how to stop.” Slow-burn romance at its finest, my friends.

Fiona Hardingham and Steve West did another amazing job with the audiobook narration and their individual performances. If you have a chance to listen to the audiobook, I would definitely recommend doing so. There are a couple of minor issues here and there with the editing, but nothing too distracting. 

Overall, We Free the Stars was a worthy and powerful successor to We Hunt the Flame. I’m eager to read whatever Ms. Faizal writes in the future (though I’m especially eager to read her next release, A Tempest of Tea, which shares a universe with the Sands of Arawiya duology). 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Abandonment, Self-Depreciation, Death, Disfigurement

Check out my review of the first book, We Hunt the Flame

About the Author

Hafsah Faizal is the New York Times bestselling author of WE HUNT THE FLAME and WE FREE THE STARS. She’s the founder of IceyDesigns, where she creates websites for authors and beauteous goodies for everyone else. When she’s not writing, she can be found dreaming up her next design, deciding between Assassin’s Creed and Skyrim, or traversing the world. Born in Florida and raised in California, she now resides in Texas with a library of books waiting to be devoured.

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We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya Duology Book 1) by Hafsah Faizal

We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya Duology Book 1) by Hafsah Faizal
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: May 14, 2019
Format: eBook + Audiobook (library)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

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We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal is a beautiful fantasy debut perfect for fans of books with intricate worldbuilding and fast-paced action. 

The story is told through Zafira and Nasir’s points of view. Zafira is almost single-handedly keeping her people alive with her multiple trips into the perilous cursed forest known as the Arz. For her own safety and that of her people, she disguises herself as "The Hunter". If her identity were to be discovered, they would likely dismiss her and all that she has achieved simply on account of her gender. Our other narrator, Nasir, is an assassin, often sent out to eliminate the enemies of his father the Sultan. Zafira and Nasir’s paths end up crossing when they are both sent to find a mythical treasure that will change the fate of Arawiya forever. 

Despite the two main characters being set on conflicting sides from the start of the book, you can’t help but want them to meet and interact. Once they do, the banter and interactions are *chefs kiss* amazing. Fiona Hardingham and Steve West did an amazing job with the audiobook narration and their individual performances. If you have a chance, I would recommend listening. There are a couple of minor issues here and there with the editing, but nothing too distracting.  

The worldbuilding is elaborate, and I was happily immersed in the world of Arawiya. After reading so many books, fantasy worlds can occasionally blend together and get lost in the mix of memories. That wasn't the case for We Hunt the Flame.  I never had an issue envisioning the pictures that Ms. Faizal was painting for her readers. I also want to note how the influences from ancient Arabia that the author mentions in the description of the book are evident. 

It was so refreshing to see the fast pace in We Hunt the Flame. I’m always on the hunt for books that kick off the action very early in the story, and this book undoubtedly delivers in that area. The initial chapters were dedicated to setting up the world and revealing more about “the conflict”. Once the foundation was set, the story went from zero to sixty very quickly. I appreciated how bits and pieces about the world were revealed to readers as you went along; there was no information dump at the beginning of the book. The gradual flow of information about the world and the way it was interwoven with the plot allowed for some twists and turns to be thrown in, which were super fun. 

If a book that’s imaginative, filled with plot twists, immersive imagery, and relatable characters sounds like an entertaining read to you - pick up We Hunt the Flame today! I’m eager to read the sequel, We Free the Stars, and learn how the story will end (as well as read anything Ms. Faizal may release in the future).

Interested in the sequel? Check out my review of the second and final book in the duology, We Free the Stars

About the Author

Hafsah Faizal is the New York Times bestselling author of WE HUNT THE FLAME and WE FREE THE STARS. She’s the founder of IceyDesigns, where she creates websites for authors and beauteous goodies for everyone else. When she’s not writing, she can be found dreaming up her next design, deciding between Assassin’s Creed and Skyrim, or traversing the world. Born in Florida and raised in California, she now resides in Texas with a library of books waiting to be devoured.

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REVIEW One for All by Lillie Lainoff

One for All by Lillie Lainoff
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Release Date: March 8, 2022
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library) + Hardcover (Personal Library)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR)

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I kept hearing about Lillie Lainoff’s novel One for All on social media, and I’m so so happy I took the time to read it. It’s a powerful young adult historical fiction debut, complete with themes of female empowerment, found family, and many layers of political intrigue. It’s also a beautiful example of positive disability representation that’s needed in books today. 

Tania, like the author, has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (though there is no official name for it in the book). As a result, she is sometimes affected by lightheadedness, bouts of fainting, and increased heart rate. I loved how supportive the other girls were of Tania. They promised to not let her fall or let her condition affect her ability to serve as a Musketeer, and they kept their word. Every person with a disability needs friends like these in their life. I’m not affected by POTS, but I am chronically ill and disabled and I felt so seen by this book. I want to note that while the support of the female musketeers covers Tania and her disability, it also extends to other aspects of life (like how Aria and Portia end up acting on their feelings for each other). A found family tale at its best!

I’m not familiar with the original The Three Musketeers story, but that didn’t interfere with my ability to follow and enjoy the events of the book. I could see where the influences from the original novel came into play. The worldbuilding was *chef’s kiss* beautiful. The setting was awesome - Ms. Lainoff did a great job with painting the picture and never bordered on info dumping. She also wove a story that made sense for the chronological setting but could still be understood and appreciated by modern readers. For example, given the time period that the story is set in, it was not “proper” for females to wear trousers. The musketeers made it work though (and all of their rationales and methods made sense). I thought it was cool how the girls made Tania special leggings to help with her condition, and how they designed their dresses to hide their weapons. I’ve always thought the dresses of the time period were unnecessarily poofy (I would never be caught dead in one), but now I know the true purpose of all those layers is to hide your fencing sabers (which, for the record, is an amazing reason to tolerate dressing up like that). 

The narrator Mara Wilson did an amazing job with the audiobook. As a side note unrelated to my rating of the book, I absolutely love the story of how she became the narrator (she was the author’s dream narrator from the start, and so many things worked out to make it happen). 

Overall, a fantastic debut novel from Ms. Lainoff! If a gender-bent version of a classic tale (The Three Musketeers) sounds like something you would enjoy, then go pick up the book and join the Sisterhood of the Stab Stab today! Fingers crossed this book gets picked up for a full series, because I would love to see what happens next for Tania and the other Musketeers. 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Death of a Parent, Grief, Brief References to Pedophiles, Attempted Assault, Ableism, Bullying

About the Author

Lillie Lainoff is a writer, a fencer, and now, a writer who writes about fencing. She doesn’t understand why her parents gave a clumsy eight-year-old a saber, but she’s thankful for it every day. She grew up in Washington D.C. and graduated from Yale University in 2018, where she was managing editor of the Yale Daily News Magazine and a writing partner at the Yale Writing Center, as well as a Div I athlete and NCAA Championship competitor. She is the founder of Disabled Kidlit Writers. Her writing has received awards from the Los Angeles Review, Glimmer Train, and the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and has been featured in The Washington Post Outlook and Washington City Paper, amongst other places. She received her MA in Creative Writing Prose Fiction from the University of East Anglia. One for All, her debut novel, will be published by FSG in 2022.

Check out my interview with the author here!

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Interview with Lillie Lainoff, Author of One for All (Out March 8, 2022)

INTERVIEW

Hi friends! I am so excited to welcome Lillie Lainoff, the author of One for All to my blog today! Her debut novel, One for All, comes out tomorrow (March 8), so there's still time to pre-order! I wanted to take this opportunity to interview her and get to know her a b it more. Don't forget to add the book to your TBR today (and pre-order it if you feel so inclined). 

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Lillie! 

Interview with the Author

• If you could tell your younger writing self one thing, what would it be and why?
• You are not a failure if you don't get a book published when you're a teenager. Or before you graduate college. Or before you're 25. I made myself miserable by setting arbitrary deadlines that I had absolutely no control over. It's better to set goals you can control: write a scene you adore. Brainstorm a title you love. Finish drafting a novel (which is a huge goal in and of itself)!
• Aside from writing, what is one thing you do for fun?
• This is less fun and more me wanting to create a better publishing world, but I'm the creator and moderator of Disabled Kidlit Writers on Facebook. Founded in July 2019, we have nearly 400 members. It is a privilege and an honor to lead such an incredible group of authors (if you're a disabled person and write kidlit, come join us! You don't have to be published or agented. https://www.facebook.com/groups/622639168232657) 
• I saw that Tamora Pierce blurred your book! I absolutely love her series, especially Protector of the Small! Besides Ms. Pierce, what other authors and books have influenced your writing?
• Receiving the blurb from Tamora Pierce was easily one of the most surreal moments of ONE FOR ALL's publishing journey. I absolutely love her writing, too, and am still in shock that her kind words about OFA will be on the cover! As far as other authors are concerned, my career and work has definitely been influenced by my creative writing professors, including but not limited to John Crowley, Michael Cunningham, Caryl Phillips, and Richard Deming. I'm also inspired by friends I've made through writing, and their incredible work, like Tracy Deonn. I see writers like Tochi Onyebuchi, who writes EVERYTHING—and it's all phenomenal—and that is what I want out of my writing life. 
• Where did you get your ideas and inspiration for One for All?
• During a check-in call with my agents Jennifer Wills and Nicole Resciniti at the end of 2016 (I was still on submission with the novel I signed with them for), we talked about ideas I had for other books. One of us said the word “retelling,” and The Three Musketeers popped into my head. I had to pause the call so I could jot down the idea before I forgot! My favorite childhood movies were The Princess Bride and Mulan, and I've been a competitive fencer since age ten. To write a novel about fencing, about loving fencing—what a joy! 
• What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
• There is a universality in ONE FOR ALL that goes past chronic illness and disability, fencers and athletes. OFA is a story for anyone who’s ever felt unsure of their place in the world. So, I hope that readers, chronically ill/disabled and non-disabled alike, see themselves as worthy, just as they are. Specifically for chronically ill/disabled readers? That we don't just deserve to be the heroes of our own stories—we are the heroes of our own stories. 
• What is a significant way One for All has changed since the first draft? For example, is there a scene that was in the first draft that you really loved that didn't make the final cut?
• ONE FOR ALL has undergone a dramatic transformation (at least, this is coming from its writer; I'm sure the change is less dramatic than I believe it to be.) The heart of the story never changed; the characters never changed (although Tania became a bit more like me during the editorial process, somehow), the overall plot never changed...what did change? The first chapter, over ten times. (I stopped counting at ten. I have no idea which number we're on at this point.) 
• If readers love One for All, what other books do you suggest reading?
• LEGENDBORN BY TRACY DEONN! Oh, sorry, didn't mean to shout that! But I will seriously throw that book at anyone who will listen. Goodreads tells me that readers who loved ONE FOR ALL also love A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin and Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan; both are books I adore. Definitely The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones, The Silence of The Bones by June Hur, Blood Water Paint by Joy McCollough, and Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco, too. 
• What books are currently on your to-be-read pile that you're most anxious to get to?
• Funnily enough, I am currently sitting next to my to-read stack as I type! Currently reading: The Book of X by Sarah Rose Etter. Beneath it on the stack: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, Likes by Sarah Shun-lien Burnam, Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, and Ariadne by Jennifer Saint. 
• What exciting projects do you have coming up next?
• I'm currently working on five different novels (*cue gasps here*) and many short stories and essays. Whenever I talk about new projects, early readers are quick to ask if one of the books is a ONE FOR ALL sequel. As much as I would love to write that sequel (and may or may not have a title and synopsis ready), OFA is currently a standalone. Now, if enough people preorder/buy it... who knows! 

About the Book

Check out my review of the book here!

An OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.

Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone in town thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl”; even her mother is desperate to marry her off for security. But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion.

Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for a new kind of Musketeer: women who are socialites on the surface, but strap daggers under their skirts, seduce men into giving up dangerous secrets, and protect France from downfall. And they don’t shy away from a swordfight.

With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels for the first time like she has a purpose, like she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her first target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming, and breathlessly attractive—and he might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to lean on her friends, listen to her own body, and decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.

This debut novel is a fierce, whirlwind adventure about the depth of found family, the strength that goes beyond the body, and the determination it takes to fight for what you love.

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About the Author

Lillie Lainoff is a writer, a fencer, and now, a writer who writes about fencing. She doesn’t understand why her parents gave a clumsy eight-year-old a saber, but she’s thankful for it every day. She grew up in Washington D.C. and graduated from Yale University in 2018, where she was managing editor of the Yale Daily News Magazine and a writing partner at the Yale Writing Center, as well as a Div I athlete and NCAA Championship competitor. She is the founder of Disabled Kidlit Writers. Her writing has received awards from the Los Angeles Review, Glimmer Train, and the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and has been featured in The Washington Post Outlook and Washington City Paper, amongst other places. She received her MA in Creative Writing Prose Fiction from the University of East Anglia. One for All, her debut novel, will be published by FSG in 2022.

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