THE LUCKY DIAMOND: A Fantasy Middle-Grade Review by Guest Blogger, Luther Matarazzo

Please welcome my new tween book reviewer, Luther Matarazzo, as he reviews a fellow MMGM book blogger.  

                                  

BOOK REVIEW

The Lucky Diamond, by Valinora Troy, is one of the best books I’ve ever read. This book has been created by a truly wonderful writer and her writing style is so interesting. This gem of a book is fairly new, but in my opinion, its author deserves a place with the great writers of the past. One day, this book will be famous and people will talk about Valinora Troy’s excellent book! One of these people will be me, Luther Matarazzo. 

The author, Valinora Troy, has been writing since childhood. When she was just six, her powerful imagination formed the story that would one day be this book. She recently completed an M.A. in Creative Writing, specializing in Children and Young Adult fiction. She has written many short stories for adults that have been published in numerous venues. She used to live in Louth, Ireland, then she moved to Dublin for a time but has recently returned to a “magical” writing cottage in the Louth area. This book, The Lucky Diamond, is her first novel to be published. 

The remarkable setting for the story takes place in the magical land of Nivram. This is a world of fantasy, filled with spooky forests, enchanted rocks, haunted woods, monsters, castles, witches, and dwarf-like people called Nilkens. The impression I get is the setting for the story is like 16th-century Germany or Ireland, but instead filled with enchanted castles, creatures, and forests.

 The story begins with a prologue about a man named Matt, the uncle of five orphaned children. The oldest, Cathy, is only ten. Their uncle was executed for treason, leaving the five to care for themselves. They are unable to leave the town and are hiding from law enforcement which is intent on banishing them. After five years of the children living in secret, Cathy finds a magical, talking diamond named Lucky. Soon after, the children discover that there are evil forces at work that want to kill Lucky and invade their home, the Rock of Diamonds. The children must travel through live rocks that want to crush them; enchanted pools, evil witches, great Forest monsters, and evil Nilkens. They must brave the castle of the witch, Queen Rose. Along the way, they also make new friends including friendly Nilkens. The children must bring Lucky home, and the story ends with a battle of wills between Queen Rose of Cansis, and her evil henchmen, and the Diamonds, and the children. Of course, justice prevails.

I think kids ages 8-15 will enjoy this book just as thoroughly as I did. In my opinion, this story deserves a 4.7-star rating. Other than the fact that the book is without illustrations, it’s one of the best fantasy novels I’ve ever read. I love how the author masterfully combines fantasy, suspense, and mystery into an action-filled story! This book is sure to knock the socks off of its readers, keep them spellbound for hours, and push them to the edge of their seats. Thank you, Valinora Troy, for this great book.

ABOUT THE BLOGGER

My name is Luther Matarazzo. I am 12 years old and I live in South Carolina with my parents and my 6 sisters. I enjoy shooting, playing with my siblings, exercising, biking, taking care of our chicken flock, and building with Legos. When I'm not doing my homeschool work I also enjoy reading. I especially like books about U.S. special forces or firearms.

GIVEAWAY

Valinora is offering a paperback copy of The Lucky Diamond to one of my blog readers. To enter, please leave a comment by November 22. If you are new to my blog, make sure you leave your email address. If you prefer, email me. 

You can find more great middle-grade books on Greg Pattridge's MMGM blog on Monday.

STARFISH: A Teen Review of a Middle-Grade Book

My teen blogger Elliott Kurta is now busy being a freshman in high school and doing his volunteer job at the library. So, we'll enjoy his book reviews whenever he has time to get them to me.

                                                    ****

REVIEW

           Young Elle is constantly shamed for being overweight; at school, in public, and even at home. To make matters worse, her mother obsessively monitors what she eats and her brother and sister poke fun at her. It’s no wonder the only place Elle feels safe is in her pool, where her weight doesn’t matter, and she can take up as much space as she wants. In this middle-grade novel, Elle finally decides to fight back with the support of her father, a new friend, and her therapist.

            Bringing a rarely seen viewpoint to a young audience, Starfish does a commendable job of not only approaching a sensitive topic but relating the perspective of a young, overweight girl to middle-schoolers. Elle’s bullies are painfully realistic, and so is the fatphobia she experiences every day. Additionally, the book is primarily presented in verse, which forces readers to slow down in order to absorb the cadence and message of each sentence. The poetic format also allows for certain dramatic flourishes in word placement which leaves a lasting impact on readers.

            At times, Elle’s narrative style can lead to confusion while reading. For a pre-teen, Elle uses uncharacteristically sophisticated terms to describe her own emotions and has an unusually mature awareness of her feelings. In her afterword, Lisa Fipps mentions that Starfish was originally going to be a YA novel, which explains why the book reads like one. This instance, found on page 34, highlights the discrepancy in Elle’s age and maturity present throughout the book:

 

            The first Fat Girl Rule

            you learn hurts the most,

            a startling, scorpion-stinging soul slap.

             Aside from the inconsistencies in Elle’s narration, there’s a subtler flaw in the book. Starfish focuses entirely on Elle’s body, her perception of it, and how it affects her life. Each of the one- or two-page long chapters either shows Elle being bullied at school, talking with her friend about her body, or fighting with her mom over her weight. In fact, one of the major sources of tension in the book is that Elle’s mother wants her to undergo bariatric surgery, a reference that would fly over the heads of most middle schoolers. The singular focus of the book is overwhelming and could even be considered in contrast with the novel’s message. By focusing entirely on one aspect of Elle, her weight, Lisa Fipps undermines the idea that Elle is more than her body.

            Regardless, there’s a reason that Starfish won a Printz award. Line for line, Lisa Fipps’ debut novel is nothing short of extraordinary, bringing the issues of a tween who’s more than her body weight front and center. For middle-schoolers everywhere, Starfish will make them reconsider how they see their friends, family, and most importantly, themselves.

A QUESTION FOR OUR READERS

Have you read this book? Elliott and I would like to know what you thought of it.

ALL ABOUT ELLIOTT

Elliott is a prolific reader of various genres who is more than happy to share his opinions on books. In his free time, he enjoys writing, reading, and running. He is a 9th-grade student in Charlotte, NC.                                                

                                                ****

Congratulations to Kathy Wiechman who won TEDDY, LET'S GO! from last week's blog.

Don't forget to check out the other wonderful middle-grade books on Greg Pattridge's MMGM site.