Book review: Olivia MacAllister, Who Are You? by Celine Rose Mariotti

I was provided with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Olivia MacAllister, Who Are You?: A Ghost Mystery Set in Maine

New Children’s Book from Dreaming Big Publications
Author: Celine Rose Mariotti
Illustrator: Bob Veon
Available in Paperback and Ebook
Page Count: 80 pages

Amazon Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Olivia-MacAllister-Who-Are-You/dp/1548809780/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502775150&sr=8-1&keywords=olivia+who+are+you

Publisher Website: Dreamingbigpublications.com
Email: Dreamingbigpublications@outlook.com

About the Book:
Bobby MacAllister and Noel Simpson are cousins, who visit their Uncle Eb in Maine for the summer. There they embark on an adventure to discover the story of their ancestors and the secrets of the ghost, Olivia, who stays in the house. Together, with family friends and partners from the town, they uncover the truth of a long lost love story. Olivia MacAllister, Who Are You? is a fun fiction chapter book for children aged 7 to 10. Will you be inspired to learn about your ancestors’ past like Bobby and Noel?

My Thoughts:

This is a simply written, quick read with an interesting plot line. The main characters, cousins, Bobby and Noel come to visit their Uncle for the summer. With highly inquisitive natures, they start exploring the house and try to discover it’s secrets. Along with some history about the family, we are introduced to the ghost of one of their ancestors, Olivia MacAllister, who seems to still be tied to the house.

As the story unfolds, we learn of her tragic death and her lost love. The mystery behind all this, the tiny adventures that the children go off on and the old house with its secret doors makes for a fun read. It is wonderful to read about how the children bond with their uncle and share a sense of interest in all things mysterious and supernatural.

The story ends abruptly, with some questions left unanswered. It feels hurried and short and at times as though everything is just falling into place very easily. But, this does not take away from the rest of the plot which is actually quite good. Overall, this is a decent read and will ensure that children enjoy themselves.

 

Prepare to laugh until your insides hurt in Jesper Jinx and the Mouse Mayhem (Jesper Jinx #7)

Marko Kitti is back with yet another book in the Jesper Jinx series, Jesper Jinx and the Mouse Mayhem. This is the 7th book in the series and is probably the most hilarious of the lot.

About the Book:

Jesper Jinx and the Mouse Mayhem (Jesper Jinx, #7)

Jesper Jinx is eleven, and probably the unluckiest person in all of Puffington Hill. Everything he touches seems to end up in sweet disaster. Hence his nickname ‘Jinx’.

But this time around, it is Puffington Hill itself that appears to be jinxed. The school canteen gets shut down and children are forced to eat wild clover flowers for lunch. Horrible hairy acorns fall from the sky, targeting black cats and squirrels. An eyewitness even claims to have seen a flying antique piano.

Something utterly peculiar is going on.

And it is up to you, Dear Reader, to help Jesper figure out who’s responsible for these seemingly unrelated incidents. Could it be Jesper himself? Or Lenny and Benny, the WARRIOR MOUSE brothers? Or even you yourself, the unsuspecting Book Gobbler?

My thoughts:

“So tell me, my friend,” Oliver goes on, lowering his voice to a near whisper, “have you been doing anything, say, out of the ordinary today?”

The above quote from the book, sums up in entirety, the main premise of this seventh installment. Those who have already read the previous books will have a fair idea about Jesper and his famous nickname, ‘jinx’. For the rest of you, it’s alright even if you haven’t read the rest, this book covers it all!

I seriously do not know where Marko gets his ideas from, but with each book that comes out in this series, the stories only get better and better! The silly old scribbler does indeed have a sack filled with wonderful and entertaining stories which are easy to read and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is clear that the target is young children, but still there is no going back once you start.

This book, the seventh installment, brings us face to face with a pair of mice who are at the bottom of a series of events that unfold like the domino effect, soon after Jesper adopts them as pets. The story is narrated over 24 hours, 1 day in Jesper’s life and is then followed by eye-witness and character accounts that bring out a side of the story that we couldn’t see before. Marko once again writes this story in his unique style mixing humor with some unbelievable incidents that will have the reader in splits. After all, many of us know about “the jinx”. However, in this story, it is for the reader to decide whether Jesper can be held responsible for the events that take place or not. He is after all just an eleven year old kid!

With each characters account becoming more outrageous than the other, the entire story is one fun-filled ride that will have the reader in splits. A must-read for everyone, there can be no age limit to enjoying Marko’s stories!