Olive the Lionheart by Brad Ricca

    

    Olive the Lionheart is singlehandedly one of the best novels I have read in the past few years. It has everything one could ask for: adventure, love- new and lost, finding ones purpose, and success for almost everyone involved in the novel. It has rich history lessons throughout where you will learn new things with every turn of the page. The letters written to Olive and those written to her help propel the story along. As well as, give a deeper understanding of her mental state through her journey into the African wilderness. It was hard to put this down, reading every moment, stealing any time I could slip in a page or two. This book both inspired me to seek adventures and gave me a new role model- a woman who does not take "no" for an answer. 

    This novel follows a young aristocratic woman who received notice that her fiancee had died while abroad on an expedition in Africa. With tensions rising because of the ever-growing colonization of Africa and tensions of an invisible Islamic warlord. Olive began a journey to understand and gain knowledge of what truly had befallen her betrothed. Along the way sne the uncovers the truth, about what she truly came to Africa for but also deeper understanding of herself. 

    I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves adventure and travel. Please keep in mind this adventure took place in 1910. Therefore, a lot of language and situations are written as they were in the journals of both Olive and, her companions, the Talbots. Some of the views and language are not culturally correct for the current times we live in. 

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Doll Bones by Holly Black

 

Narrated by Nick Podehl

    This is actually the first audiobook I have ever listened to, even though it is a young adult/ middle school aged book, it was entertaining. Podehl did a fantastic job and was captivating throughout the entire book. While the writing was entertaining and for the most part enjoyed it, there was a disconnect through different aspects of the book. The main plot was the adventure the trio went through, but there was also Zach dealing with his issues with his father and puberty.

    It felt just thrown in there with no real connect and a weird overlap that was kind of..just there. There was also the fact that this book is targeted at 9-13 year olds and there is breaking and entering as well as stealing. Justifying it by saying they’ll return everything when done with it, there are absolutely no repercussions for their actions. Which I’m not sure is the message that should be shown to children. Overall, it was a good first audiobook and an entertaining story which was heightened by Podehl.

The book follows three children, Zach, Poppy, and Alice, who have a very vivid make-believe world. When the Queen of their land, which is a bone-porcelain doll. The dolls began haunting their dreams and revealing to the trio that she was a young girl, murdered who wants to be laid to rest. The friends quickly begin on a journey to try to grant her final ghostly wish.

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