Lila Danisa

I got ARC of Hello Darkness Volume 5 and I couldn't help myself to binge the previous volumes/issues. Each volume contains 4 or so issues. So I need to catch up to 19 or so more issues. I actually planned to review each volume but it turned out each issue has 5 to 7 different stories with only 2 to 3 continuity stories. I know I am not making sense but if you read the book yourself, you'll understand 😅

This issue has 7 short stories. The 2 continues stories were Something is Killing the Children and The War which both I have read and review. Though SIKTC story was just about Erica came to the bar and had conversation about kids being killed. No action whatsoever.

The other 5 stories were very very short and all of them had open ending. Though they were so gruesome which fit the theme of this book, to embrace the darkness. Hence, hello darkness.

Out of 7 stories, my favorite ones were Contagious and Stay in Your Lane. Contagious was confusing but somehow it made sense for me. Stay in Your Lane was so psycho story for me and I weirdly liked it.

Off I go to the next issue!

That was so freaking cute!!! Perfect for fast and quick reading!!!

This is short story about Eden, 18 years old single mom, and Martin, hot-nerdy chivalry man. We met both of them in Shayla and James book. For someone who have read their book, this short story is perfect addition.

The medieval theme surrounding the story was so freaking funny in a good way. The author made it not weird at all with how quirky Martin was and made it his charm. I loved it even more that Eden embraced that quirkiness. Martin and Eden was so freaking sweet and indeed deserved each other.

Thank you to May Alder for the ARC.

Ah that was so heartwarming yet bittersweet at the same time 🥹

The story started with two (chaotic) British families departure to Greece for holiday during COVID-19 pandemic. Yeah, you read it right, they indeed chose the best time to spend their vacation. Each of the family members was chaotically funny. So many names to remember but somehow they had personalities to differentiate one and another.

They went to an island in Greece expecting so many cute cats but the reality was kinda disappointed. When they finally saw cute cats, that where the story of rescuing them began.

I loved that this book also has cats POV. It was refreshing to read how the cats think and somehow it made sense like I knew the cats would think exactly like that.

I said that this book is bittersweet because how realistic the story and the ending were. Especially after I read that this book based on the author personal experience of rescuing cats from the Greece to England.

Though this book mainly advertised for middle-graders, I myself needed time to get used to the writing style. It might because I have not read many middle-grade books and not familiar with the style. Aside from that, I actually enjoyed this book. Such as refreshing reading experience!

Thank you to Jane Lightbourne, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for the ARC.

p.s. Not important but I was kinda happy that one of the cats has the same name like mine, Lila 😅 And I loved that Lila the cat was the calm and rational one.

4,5 stars rounded-up to 5 stars because this book is so relatable in my son's life as a bugs lover.

My son loves bugs so much. He isn't scared or grossed out by them. Though most of them give me a creep I try hard to support my son's interest and hide my grossed face everytime he picked up bugs.

My son knew all the bugs mentioned in this book. He is so familiar with them because we live in Indonesia, a tropical country, and bugs and insects are our friendly(?) neighbors.

My son and I loved the illustrations because they were colorful and as my son said it was kind of fun drawing.

The end of the book was also my son's favorite because there are funfacts about each bugs/insects mentioned.

Thank you to Heidi E. Y. Stemple, Yuliya Pankratova, Familius, and NetGalley for the ARC.

That was actually so educational. I think this book is perfect for middle-graders who love science especially nuclear/atomic science.

This book tells the story of the blue van nuclear/atomic laboratory during the cold war to spread the awareness of peaceful and advantageous using of nuclear/atomic matters. This book factually mentioned where had this 'iconic' blue van portable laboratory stopped around the world and being educational object for the researchers and whoever interested in nuclear/atomic science.

As someone who almost got into nuclear study, for me this book was delightful and enlightening. I never knew that the blue van stopped in Indonesia too. I then did research on my own about the van stopped in Indonesia and it turned out to be an opening gate to nuclear/atomic science study in Indonesia.

The illustrations were so good and giving a painting vibes. The details to represent which country the laboratory van visited were also well displayed.

Thank you to Maria Rentetzi, Pieter De Decker, Clavis, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Funny, adventurous, yet inspiring story!!!

The storyline was chef's kiss. As simple as a moon that looked like a big cheese the mouse loved so much. Then the effort and patience of the mouse to go to the moon to get his beloved (unlimited) cheese.

My son loved how the mouse was so imaginative and saw the moon as cheese. He also loved how a small mouse had a big action to reach what he wanted. My son said he wanted to try as hard as the mouse if someday he wants something.

The illustrations were also chef's kiss. They were like beautiful paintings. The contrast in colors accentuated the story.

My son and I had so much fun with this book and it still is in our reread (growing) shelf.

Thank you to Eric Zhang, Clavis, and NetGalley for the ARC.

That was so cute!!!

My son is now starting to learn how to read. He found punctuation on his books all the time. He mostly understood the use of point, question mark, exclamation, and comma. Yet this book made him even more understand the purposes of the punctuation through the punctuation characters went to adventures out of "madness" of being overused.

What amused me the most was how as simple as punctuation could make a fun adventurous story. As a grown-up who has addiction in reading books, I am so familiar with punctuation and the use of them, but never in my mind could imagine them as characters in story. Hat offs to authors who always have out of the box idea.

The illustrations were so good and strengthen the storyline. My son loved the illustrations because they were colorful yet didn't overwhelmed him.

Thank you to Cheryl Olsten, Fleecydale Press, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Honestly I cared less about VR Troopers, I requested this book on NetGalley because of the Ninja Rangers. I missed Ninja Rangers so much. Back when I was little, Ninja Rangers were so refreshing. There were Power Rangers but also Ninjas. For little me, they were so freaking cool and that was why I read (and watched too, I think) Ninja Rangers so much. Now in my adulthood, I craved the memories of childhood and reading this book was easing that feelings.

Though I said I cared less about VR Troopers, I still read their portions of story. It was good with dry humors I seemed to notice were typical of VR Troopers.

Ninja Rangers parts of story was also good. I wish there were more of their story. I bet I need to read their comics soon.

Thank you to Fabian Nicieza, BOOM! Studios, and NetGalley for the ARC.

That was a good and touching story about lost puppy got her forever home. And the loud message to adopt #adoptdontshop 🐶

My son was so sad in the beginning of the story where the puppy first got lost. Along the way he was still sad because the situations were not getting better for the lost puppy, even after the puppy already in the shelter. He said he would adopt the puppy himself if he could jump inside the book. Though by the end of the story he was happy that finally the puppy got chosen and find her forever family and home. He got more excited when he found out that Stella Blue is a real dog. He looked at the photo of 'real' Stella Blue for long time. He knows we are not in the position of adopt dog(s), so he said if someday he could, he wants the black one like Stella Blue.

Thank you to Sandra Bolan, Stella Blue Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Nowadays my son has been showing interest in countries and this book is perfect for him. We read the ebook version of this book but I definitely would buy him the physical one because it has pop-up globe that turns!!!

The illustrations were so colorful yet didn't overwhelmed us when we read this book, which is so many times already since this book is still in our reread shelf. My son loves to finding new details and refresh his funfacts about each continent. Though my son was kinda disappointed when this book didn't mention Indonesia. He said the book should at least mention Komodo Island since it's the only place you could see Komodo Dragon in their real habitat. He got the point there 😅

Thank you to David Hawcock, Fox Chapel Publishing, Happy Fox Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.