Kiki Strike: The Darkness Dwellers by Kristen Miller

The book that I have recently finished is Kiki Strike: The Darkness Dwellers by Kristen Miller. In the novel the Irregulars (a group of outcast with amazing criminal skills) have moved to Paris to help a group of French outcast called the Darkness Dwellers, who help foil criminal plots underneath Paris. Kiki final claims the throne of Pokrovia to which she is the heir but only after being kidnapped, kidnapping her cousin who is impersonating her, catching some murders and making her cousin grow a mustache.  But none of this would have been possible without the help of Betty Bent who is finally revealing her true potential. The other Irregulars don’t give Betty a fair chance because she is usually nice and incapable of facing dangers. 

“’You know, Ananka, you and the other Irregulars take risks all the time. Nobody ever asked DeeDee whether she sure she wants to cook up a new batch of explosives. Or Luz if she’s sure it’s a good idea to make a laser-shooting robot. Why is everyone so worried about me? I didn’t sign up for the Irregulars so I could sit back and watch my friends have all the fun. So, please, just step aside and let me do my job, will you?”’ (33%) (I read this on my kindle and it doesn’t give pages numbers just percent’s.)  This quote shows that the other Irregulars take risks all the time but just because Betty is the master of disguise and she doesn’t do a lot of dangerous things doesn’t mean that she isn’t capable of it. When Betty goes of to Paris everyone is worried that they have sent the wrong person but by the time she comes back she has proven herself.

We may not all be fighting crime and saving the world but we can all learn not judge a book by its cover but by what’s inside and what they do to prove it. I highly recommend this book but only if you have read the two other Kiki Strike books. 

A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz

            The book that I am currently reading is A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz. This book is about a young orphan named Maud. Maud believes that she will never get a home, until the Hawthorne sisters decide to adopt her. At first everything is great and Maud is happy but later on in the story Maud starts to realize that the sisters don't really love her but just want her to help with the family business. The Hawthorne sisters don't really care about Maud all they want her for is money.

 "‘You’ve been living like a prisoner with three old ladies that cheat grief-stricken people out of their money. They could go to jail for what they're doing, do you know that? And-in the middle of trying to swindle one of the sweetest ladies I've ever met -there house caught fire, and not one of them lifted a finger to save you."' This quote shows that the sister's don't really care about Maud because when the fire broke out and Maud was hiding and waiting to come out a scam people out of their money by pretending to be their dead loved ones. All they did was make her fell loved and then they made her helped them get money from people.

      I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an original novel about discovering oneself. And understand who really loves and cares about you.   

Kiki Strike: The Empress’s Tomb by Kristen Miller

The book that I have recently finished is Kiki Strike: The Empress’s Tomb by Kristen Miller. This book is the sequel to Kiki Strike: Inside Shadow City. This book is another action novel about a group of girls who save NYC from harm. In the book many secrets are revealed and an illegal smuggler’s plot to steal painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art is foiled and a mummies true death is revealed.  The Irregular’s a group of juvenile girl scouts must do this all with out be discovered. The other Irregulars aren’t being fair to Oona only because of her father.

Oona’s father is Lester Liu. He is an illegal smuggler who smuggles anything from illegal drugs to children. When the Irregulars find out that he is Oona’s father they start treating her differently just because her father is bad man. They don’t even try to talk to her and figure out what is the matter when she starts spending a lot of time with her father. They just jump to the conclusion that she is helping her father. It isn’t until the end of the book when they realize that Oona was getting close to her father so she could figure out his plan and spoil it.

We all need to hear both sides of the story before we judge someone. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action novels with fierce girl power. 

Kiki Strike: Inside Shadow City by Kristen Miller

I the book that I am currently reading is Kiki Strike: Inside Shadow City by Kristen Miller. So far in the book Kiki Strike one on the main characters has started a group called the Irregulars. The Irregulars are a bunch of girls with different skills that will help the group explore and control a network of underground tunnels called Shadow City. Kiki Strike their leader can be very bossy and over powering.

Kiki has found a blocked door that she really wants to open. After Ananka tells her that if she does something bad could happen she still goes on with the plan. “’Why do you want to open that door so badly?’ I asked, tired of her orders and feeling a sudden surge of courage. I heard somebody gasp.

Kiki’s voice turned icy cold. ‘Our job is to find all the exits. If I door is locked from the inside, there’s a good chance there’s is an exit behind it.”’ (p.146) This quote shows how Ananka finally stands up to Kiki and tells her that this is wrong and Kiki gets really nasty and bossy. After this a water main breaks and one of the girls is hurt. Kiki needs to value her friend’s opinions more.

Kiki can teach us to value are friends opinions. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in adventure.  

Freedom Crossing by Margaret Goff Clark

A book that I have recently finished is Freedom Crossing by Margaret Goff Clark. This book is set during the time of slavery in the United States. It starts out with Laura (protagonist) coming home from the South where she has been living for the past few years. Her brother and father have turned their house into a stop for the Underground Railroad a secret organization that helps slaves escape from down south. Over the course of the book Laura decides to help Martin, the escaped slave, even though it wasn’t her first thought.

When Martin first comes to stay Laura thinks about turning him in but doesn’t. Later in they story she starts to believe owning some one is wrong. Finally in the end of the story she will risk everything to get Martin to Canada. ‘“You’re right, Martin,’ she said slowly. ‘You’ll have to leave tonight, but you can’t go alone. You’d get lost and you’d never get to the house on the river in time. I’m going with you.’”(p.127) This quote shows that Laura will bring Martin to the boat even though she could get caught and arrested. She has changed a lot over the course of the book.

Even though we aren’t helping slaves escape to freedom we can all learn from Laura about keeping are minds open for change of opinion.   I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in The Underground Railroad and slavery.